[ feb i event results ]

[barrayarmods]

Quick links: Team Rosters
BARRAYAR: Hunting Parties / Raiding Parties / Interrogations / Mystery Plot
CETAGANDA: Eavesdropping Groups / Interrogations / Mystery Plot
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS

The Cetagandan Interrogations will be over the course of the 2nd through the 3rd. The Barrayaran Interrogations will be over the course of the 4th through the 5th.
Both of the Raiding Parties go out on the night of the 7th, which is also the night of the Cetagandan function. Eavesdropping Team Eta will venture out the night of the 6th, and Eavesdropping Team Sigma the 8th.
The Cetagandan Mystery Plot happens on the 13th, and the Barrayaran Mystery Plot happens on the 15th.

Ultimately, between the raids and hunting parties, the Barrayarans manage to restore their food supply to Low.

N.B.: I did a general "see how well/poorly this goes" roll for each of the PC interrogations, but since they're PC-centric, there wasn't much to roll for. The results are mostly based on the plans discussed with each PC's player.

Hunting Party: Byerly Vorrutyer William Duv Galeni Elsa Mars Raiding Party Alpha: Leader: Miles Vorkosigan (via Scout's Honor) William Lavernius Tucker Raiding Party Bravo: Leader: Lieutenant Sasha Vorloupulous (NPC) Ratchet (engineeugh) Agent Carolina Pearl – taken prisoner Interrogation: ghem-Captain Miko Leader: General Piotr Vorkosigan Agent Maine Interrogation: Duv Galeni Leader: General Piotr Vorkosigan Byerly Vorrutyer Mystery Plot: Beth Greene Byerly Vorrutyer Agent Maine

Eavesdropping Team Eta: Kaidan Alenko Sans Symmetra Eavesdropping Team Sigma: Deanna Troi Natasha Romanoff Interrogation: Lieutenant Vortala Leader: ghem-General Zahal Zefyst Agent York Ratchet (asafepairofhands) Interrogation: Lakshmi Bai Leader: ghem-General Zahal Zefyst Agent Washington Darkstalker Mystery Plot: Agent York Daryl Dixon Jasper

hunting
(Each character was rolled individually for their hunting succcess.)
Byerly Vorrutyer – FAIL
William – SUCCEED
Duv Galeni – FAIL
Elsa Mars – FAIL
+1 LP to Byerly, William, Duv, and Elsa
Apparently everyone here is a miserable failure at hunting except for William, the only one to successfully hunt and kill any game for food. Everyone else failed their rolls by such staggering margins that at least one person accidentally shot someone with an arrow. Or themselves. Honestly, you all did terribly.


raiding
All raiding parties (there are a few NPC parties aside from the PCs as well) disembark before dusk to try to catch the Cetagandans around sundown. The supply line will be en route to Vorkosigan Vashnoi, away from the base – and any reinforcements – when the Barrayarans attack. The Cetagandans are transporting food and other supplies in groundtrucks over roads formerly only traversed on horseback. The trucks are armored, of course, and guarded by Cetagandan troops – but the Barrayarans have a few improvised explosive devices they brought along for just this purpose. Two of the other (NPC) squads will toss the IEDs into the supply line to startle and disrupt it, and blow open a couple of the trucks enough that the Barrayarans can take advantage of the chaos. It'll be messy, but that's what the guerrillas are counting on. Whatever can be grabbed – preferably MREs, those are the easiest to carry back – they'll throw into packs to be handed back to a few teams hidden in the foothills to transport the goods. All participants will be armed with swords (and given basic training if need be), but they'll be warned about the Cetagandans' weaponry.

TEAM ALPHA: Miles Vorkosigan, William Lavernius Tucker
Roll 1: Complete mission objective – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra food – FAIL
Team Alpha accomplishes their goal by the skin of their teeth – they get in and out with what they came for, but it's a close call, and they've got to bail when they can. If they try to stick around and make another grab despite the situation, someone's definitely going to wind up injured.

However, before the IEDs go off, Team Alpha will overhear some of the Cetagandan soldiers talking about the exotics -- there's mention of a dragon and Jasper and Lapis Lazuli, but the latter two sound like they're talking about people.

TEAM BRAVO: Ratchet (engineeugh), Agent Carolina, Pearl
Roll 1: Complete mission objective – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra food – FAIL
Team Bravo succeeds phenomenally in their goal, and they even manage to grab some non-food supplies that could be useful to them, but they aren't able to make a successful second run for food – when they do, Pearl will be captured by enemy forces and Carolina and Ratchet will have no choice but to retreat.

However, before the IEDs go off, Team Bravo will overhear some of the Cetagandan soldiers talking about having received new supplies and materials for one of the big R&D projects at the base – mention of a device, most likely the wormhole device that was divulged by the ghem scientist during his interrogation, though it sounds as though they're still missing some pieces.

interrogations
The completion of the interrogations of their prisoners has been delayed by more than one emergency – first the cold front, then the food shortage – but Piotr will be through with both of them by the 5th. And they're not pretty.

DR. CAPTAIN GHEM-MIKO: Piotr Vorkosigan and Agent Maine
Roll 1: Complete interrogation – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra intel – SUCCEED
This interrogation goes really well. Well, not for ghem-Miko.

After a very painful interrogation by Maine and directed by Piotr, the good doctor divulges some juicy information about what his field science team was doing the night they captured him. They've been measuring the particle activity around where the exotics/outsiders appeared – it bears a resemblance to wormhole activity, but the signature doesn't match that of the active wormhole that was discovered only thirty years ago. They've been doing their best to recreate the process by which the exotics/outsiders appeared on Barrayar, with varying levels of success thus far, but he does reveal the Cetagandans' plan to build a device capable of stabilizing and controlling whatever wormhole activity is going on. It's not a question of technology, but of solving an unprecedented astrophysics problem. To Piotr's disappointment, however, he knows nothing of the traitor.

DUV GALENI: Piotr Vorkosigan and Byerly Vorrutyer
SUCCEED
Duv's interrogation is far from pleasant, especially after he's been identified as being from Komarr -- the planet that sold Barrayar out to the Cetagandans. Piotr wrenches it out of him that Duv Galeni is not even his real name; Duv was born David Galen, and there've been more than one Galen serving as a Counselor in the head of Komarran government. Duv, however, offers as much information on the Cetagandans he can, and everything he's seen...and just barely earns his parole at Piotr's discretion.

mystery plot
Agent Maine, Beth Greene & Byerly Vorrutyer
Roll 1: Catch the traitor – SUCCEED
On the 3rd, the part of the cave containing their food supply collapsed, to the devastation of the entire camp. There are any number of explanations, of course, but Piotr has privately suspected sabotage from the start. But, of course, without any knowledge of the traitor...

On the evening of the 15th, when the guard shift changes and Maine goes to his post at the mouth of the cave, he'll find the previous guard unconscious just inside, mostly out of sight. When Maine, along with Beth and Byerly, venture into the cave to investigate, they'll find Lieutenant Dmitri Vorhalas inside and catch him in the act of trying to set fire to what they've been able to recoup of the food supply. It becomes apparent that he was, in fact, responsible for the collapse of the cave earlier in the month, and is obviously one of the traitors, though clearly not the only one. He's armed and he'll fight, but mostly he'll just try to flee – but between Beth, Byerly, and especially Maine, they'll be able to take him down and drag him to Piotr.

eavesdropping
TEAM ETA: Kaidan Alenko, Sans, Symmetra
Roll 1: Sneak around without getting caught – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra intel – SUCCEED
It's time for a little lab trip. York lends Kaidan his access badge to the R&D lab; it's of the lowest clearance, and only gets them into the main lab area, but they should be able to evade any late-night workers, and between Kaidan and Symmetra's tech skills, they should be able to disable any basic security issues they encounter.

Now that they're free to peruse the main lab, they'll find out a few things about what the researchers have been up to among the lab notes scattered around: they've not only been plotting the appearances of the exotics and measuring certain types of wormhole-related particle activity at those locations, but they're also trying to find a way to recreate the process, with varying levels of success. There's some data that suggests there might be a link to the wormhole that collapsed seven hundred years ago, though the researchers clearly don't yet understand how or why. Rather than equipment, it's the equations they're trying to solve – everything here is pretty high-level astrophysics in the specific subfield of wormhole science, and all of the equations they might come across are in five-dimensional space math. Even though they haven't achieved their goal yet, it kind of looks like they're coming close...and there's mention of the construction of a device.

Between Symmetra and Kaidan's tech skills, they're able to hack their way past the security clearance into one of the rooms, in which they'll find plastic flimsies with schematics for a prototype on them, although it's missing some pieces – there seems to be a problem with the Necklin fields, whatever that means. They can't take the schematics with them – they'll surely be missed – but now they've at least seen them. They don't have much longer to stick around after that, if they want to make it back to their room without detection.

TEAM SIGMA: Deanna Troi, Natasha Romanoff
Roll 1: Sneak around without getting caught – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra intel – SUCCEED
The science/medical complex is interesting enough, but the tactical buildings are their own treasure trove of information. The Cetagandans constantly play it close to the vest; even their obvious mission to annex Barrayar seems somehow cloaked in intrigue. Deanna and Natasha will be to successfully evade the night patrol and, with their combined tech knowledge, figure out a way inside the main tactical building. But whatever they're looking for, they won't, unfortunately, find an empty building. Zahal and Diya are having an unexpectedly late night meeting in one of the war rooms, and Deanna and Natasha will overhear this conversation…

…but that's about all they're able to safely listen in on before they need to get gone.

interrogations
Unlike the barbaric Barrayarans, the Cetagandans use the Nexus standard for interrogation -- the much more humane fast-penta, a powerful barbiturate that induces euphoria, lowers inhibition, and heightens free association. The subjects are checked briefly for allergies before properly injected. It takes effect within seconds.

LIEUTENANT BORIS VORTALA: Zahal ghem-Zefyst, Agent York & Ratchet
Roll 1: Complete interrogation – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra intel – FAIL
The ghem-General doesn't get quite as much as he'd like out of this interrogation, but it's useful nonetheless. Vortala immediately cops to being one of the traitors in Piotr's camp, along with Vorhalas, and their ringleader Captain Vorbataille. He and Vorhalas collaborated to sabotage the power supply scouting mission last month -- they prematurely triggered the alarms -- hoping to let the outsiders take the fall and get captured. This obviously did not go to plan, as he was knocked out by Wash and York. He evidently hoped that his status as an informant would buy him some kind of leeway with the Cetagandans, but he confesses, openly distressed, that he hadn't really wanted to betray General Vorkosigan in the first place -- that he'd been pressganged into treason after inadvertently stumbling into Vorhalas and Vorbataille's ploy. He clearly knows the location of the camp, and confirms that he could find his way back even in the dark of night, but after a point he becomes too distressed for any further interrogation to be useful. The fact alone that they have a Barrayaran officer who can lead them to the new camp's location is satisfying enough.

Vortala is found dead in his cell two days later, having hung himself with his own uniform.

LAKSHMI BAI: Zahal ghem-Zefyst, Agent Washington & Darkstalker
SUCCEED
Fast-penta is painless, but it does your dignity no favors, and it's nearly impossible to resist. Lakshmi's interrogation almost goes awry when she begins to talk at length in one of her other languages, but luckily this is a base full of Cetagandans, and among the ten thousand plus inhabitants, at least one of them speaks Lakshmi's language. They learn a great deal about Lakshmi herself and the other outsiders, some about the camp itself, but ultimately she cannot lead them back to the camp's location.

She is escorted back to her holding cell afterward, and offered parole if she will cooperate with the Cetagandans.

mystery plot
Daryl Dixon, Agent York & Jasper
Roll 1: Listen in without being caught – SUCCEED
Roll 2: Gain extra intel – SUCCEED
On the evening of the 13th, Jasper, York and Daryl are all in the medbay when some kind of biocontainment breach occurs, and the medbay goes on automatic lockdown --trapping them all inside. There's nothing visibly wrong in the main part of the medbay or any of the exam rooms. The fuss seems to be originating in the back of the medbay, where the labs and pharmaceutical banks are located. There's some pneumatic hissing and distant alarms, flashing lights beyond doors they don't have access to…but someone seems to have left the door to the main laboratory area open.

The wall is half-window, allowing some view from the main part of the medbay into the main laboratory area, host to what look like state-of-the-art microscopes and centrifuges. There are racks of vials, and it's not hard to identify which ones are the exotics'. Many of them look like ordinary blood, because most of them are for the most part just human, but not all of them. The Gems' blood is easily identifiable, and the blood labeled RATCHET looks normal at a glance, but on closer inspection, it has a strange pink glow. But most conspiculously, the handful of vials labeled DIXON, DARYL are segregated from the rest, an easily identifiable biohazard label on them.

One end of the lab turns down into a corridor with doors labeled with higher clearance levels, and there's a wheeled metal rack along the wall with a couple dozen uterine replicators -- round metal machines about a meter tall, meant to nurture and incubate a human fetus to full term. A few of them have indicator lights active and blinking.

Whatever triggered the lockdown seems to be somewhere back in that corridor -- and then Jasper, York and Daryl overhear this conversation…

…And shortly thereafter the quarantine has been deactivated, and you have a chance of slipping out undetected.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[barrayarmods]

WHICH I WILL GET TO TOMORROW IM VERY TIRED

[shri]

SO, Lakshmi is probably going to fake taking that parole so she can stab her way back to the blackwater before she gets too weak.

Basically, how far is she gonna get / have any luck in finding out where it is from threatening poor little interns before she gets thrown back into her box probably....

[barrayarmods]

well luckily no one carries knives or swords on this base

THEY WOULD RATHER NOT PUT HER BACK IN HOLDING but they will if she straight up attacks someone; but if she tells them she needs it to live they're not going to withhold it from her

but it will make them even more curious

[dendarii]

So when you say that trying to go back for more food will result in injury, does that mean I can have Miles get injured to drag back more food?

(I mean he's going to try regardless because he's MIles, but!!)

[barrayarmods]

that is absolutely what it means. :)

[vorrutyer]

what the hell is goddamn wrong with you miles

[omniavincit]

Is attendance at the beheading mandatory, or is it more of a casual, low-key execution?

Is there a curfew in place for the outsiders? Is it possible to leave/sneak out of the camp (specifically to the village, if that matters)?

[barrayarmods]

it is definitely not mandatory, but it's also going to be conducted in the middle of the camp so a bit difficult to avoid (but not impossible). piotr feels strongly about the morale benefits of publicly executing the enemy.

no curfew for the outsiders -- they could conceivably sneak out of camp but at serious risk of getting lost if they go too far. the perimeter of the camp actually stretches quite a bit wider than the camp itself -- a little bit beyond the edges of this image, more or else.

no sneaking off to the village just yet -- it's about half a day's hike away, and none of the outsiders know the way.

[durango]

So, presumably, when they do blood tests, the Cetagandans will realize Deanna is not 100% human, correct? If so, how generally would that information be known and talked about?

[barrayarmods]

Yep! And do you mean how much it would be known/talked about among the Cetagandans, or the exotics?

SIGNUPS: CETAGANDAN FASHION

[barrayarmods]

If you want your character to have one of the ghem dress your character up for the party, comment here. Some of the ghem will jump at the opportunity to dress up their exotic guests, and the ghem ladies in particular are going to make a competition out of who can best-dress their exotic.

Re: SIGNUPS: CETAGANDAN FASHION

[stompadour]

PLEASE,

[for_art]

Where the ghem ladies produced robes large enough to fit Jasper is a mystery, but her size has managed to pose little obstacle to their fashion show. Rather than try to make her appear more diminutive, her outfit elegantly highlights her height and muscular build. Platformed sandals with elaborate patterns etched into the sides only add to her height. They cloak her in layered robes of yellow, gold and red, subtly patterned with flames in fine gold thread. Jasper's hair simply could Not Be Tamed, so instead the ghem ladies stuck a pretty golden comb in it and gave Jasper a large boa made of synthetically designed rabbit fur in a creamy color to match her hair. The ghem ladies find the patterns on Jasper's skin beautiful and so her facepaint is relatively sparse, in cream white and red decorations meant to accentuate her gem. Her perfume is a cinnamon and musk blend, softened with just a hint of vanilla.

[natalia_vdova]

Natasha is 100% gonna do this. And would probably ask about the face paint - she's trying to figure this all out okay

[for_art]

When the ghem ladies have finished with their work, Natasha is clothed in dark robes that billow around her legs, the outermost layer subtly patterned with matte black roses against sleek black silk, and her underrobes layer from a charcoal gray just underneath the outermost layer to a deep crimson as the innermost. Her hair is left down, but curled to picture-perfect frame her face, a single decorated comb in silver and black tucked in the back. She's anointed with a rose-civet blend perfume to match the pattern and add a sultry undertone to the dark colors. Her facepaint is relatively simple, a mask of white over her brow that fades to red over her cheekbones.

(Let me know about any specific questions that can be answered.)

[threemoons]

PLEASE THIS IS ALL I EVER WANTED.

[for_art]

The ghem ladies solve the obvious problem of human clothes not fitting a dragon's body with their own brand of creativity. Darkstalker's small entourage of ghem ladies take it upon themselves personally to outfit him in style for the party, draping him in a lace-tulle cape embroidered in silver and layering scarves over it in varying shades of silver and blue. It results in a streamer-like effect, with wisps of fabric coiled around his legs and his tail, almost like a banner. His scales are already beautiful as it is, but each of the ghem ladies, giggling to themselves, paint their clan symbols in fine silver paint, each on a scale on his head. He has no hair, but they place a small woven circlet studded with sapphires over his head. After much careful thought, one of the ladies mixes a fragrance specially for him on this occasion of pine and sandalwood.

Re: SIGNUPS: CETAGANDAN FASHION

[durango]

did you say dress up deanna YES PLEASE

[mirrortide]

please throw lapis' shitty clothes into the wash and give her a bath and make her smell nice again

[standsentinel]

Kaidan is going to regret this... and therefore he needs to do it.

[infailtration]

I'm so into this.

[protocol]

wash is going to hate this and therefore i am ALL ABOUT IT

[skelepun]

ME

[symmetricks]

Please and thank you.

[shri]

please tell me what she will have before she angrily scrubs it off her face.