thisavrou March Player Plot: Enter the Arena

[pillz]

Hello Moirans! A new alien race has been discovered by the Savrii. If you accept this mission, you may save the Ingress, the Savrii, and yourselves.

THE ARTIFIXX
A Technologically Advanced Race With Some Major Trust Issues

The Artifixx are a race of people with a heavily technologized planet. Their bodies are bio-mechanical and their minds are fundamentally software-oriented. Their advanced grasp of cybernetics, physics, and mechanics could truly change the local universe and improve the lives of thousands.

They have one fatal weakness: they cannot tell a lie with any use of language. Due to this difficulty, their culture has developed the following unusual characteristics:

• Borderline xenophobic distrust of outsiders,
• A strong sense of honor and
• Combat orientation, where dueling is one of the primary methods of conflict resolution.

Incidentally, they possess a type of technology that would be extremely useful to the Savrii, a forcefield generator that absorb high threshold impacts or even divert oncoming projectiles, causing no impact damage to the objects upon collision, with adjustable rebound. The forcefield would be an enormous asset to the Savrii with major repercussions for all inhabitants of Ingress zones. Including the Moirans.

However, the Artifixx have been exploited before. They are wary of the Savrii, the Ingress, and the strange and unusually diverse peoples who have allied themselves with them.

In short:
The Artifixx's forcefield technology is critical to long-term survival on the twin planets
as the Ingress' energy radiates down with unstable force.

The Savrii believe it will dramatically reduce the risk of widespread destruction.

DIPLOMACY
Plot Part I

This portion of the plot will take place over the network. The Artifixx will be introduced by the Savrii. They will ask for the Moirans' opinions on why they should start a trade agreement after thousands of years spent successfully in isolation.

Your characters can take any approach to this! However, some potential avenues are:

• Tactical persuasion, remind them the Savrii need to know their enemies! Though hopefully it won't come to that.
• Talk of honor, charm them with similarities in warrior culture.
• Discussing fine art, theater, and other cultural factors that have been stunted in development because their inability to lie has impaired other artifice
• Appeal to compassion and honor. To willfully endanger the populations of 2 whole planets is not very honorable, is it? Don't you jerks have kids?
• Screw it, challenge them to a duel.

Note, your characters can ask them for information about the duels (see the righthand box).

No signups are required, just post to the network entry when you see it!

THE DUELS
Plot Part II

It is inevitable that the Artifixx will ask to decide the fate of the technology through combat duels. These duels will take place at the Shock Box Arena (owned by Kavinsky). Moirans will be expected to first fight each other, demonstrating their honor and skils, and then a finalist will battle one of the Artifixx's greatest champions.

But there's a twist: all characters will receive a special weapon that adapts to themselves, their opponent, and the environment of the arena. This can be a truly equalizing factor, as even the most powerful individuals have a vulnerability.

duel formula (in signup):
+ combat coefficient (1-10, basic skill)
+ luck (1-5 totally randomized; includes environment)
+/- risk (1-5, how much risk your character takes; the +/- will be randomized, allowing for the possibility their risk backfired)
+ cheating (1-3, dirty boxing)
+ Artifixx weapon bonus (1-10 randomized)
     = TOTAL (higher score wins)

OOCly, the outcomes of the PC-versus-PC duels will typically be decided by use of the above formula. The randomized factors are intended to drive IC story and reduce OOC concerns with winning. The players can choose to ignore this calculated outcome if they mutually agree (e.g., if their character throws a battle, or for other personal/IC reasons). All are encouraged to RP out or drabble the duels, or at least the "handshake" after, as well as the healing (or H/C) with interested medical staff after.

The PC-vs-Artifixx duel will be NPCed by me! The PC will win by default unless the player otherwise requests a special story outcome.

Signups are required. Please see the comments space.

Some logistics:

• The /prize for the finalist will be a toned-down, single-person version of the shield technology or a simplified version of the special weapon. It will be irreplicable and may have plot limitations.
• Environmental factors in the arena may include such extra challenges as: sudden flooding/water traps, laser fields (non-lethal), moving platforms, etc.
• No death or maiming injury will occur due to safety parameters set in the arena. What the referee says, goes!
• Though the duels will be broadcast, the Artifixx will commit as a whole to erase any tactical data they gather about the combatants. Whether you trust them is up to you. It will be not used in future plots against your character without explicit OOC permission.

OOC DATES

• Diplomacy: Entry to be posted on thisavrou on 3/7/17
• Duels: Log to be posted on thisavrou on 3/12/17 or earlier. A final schedule of fighters and outcomes will be included. Signups must be complete 3 nights before (3/9/17 11:59PM PST); approximately 24 hours will be alotted to OOCly negotiate outcomes for story value.

Feel free to use this post for plotting!

FAQ
To be added from comments.

UPDATE MARCH 10 Duel Round 1 results are in (click here)! You have 19 hours to dispute before the final round is rolled and the log is posted.

Comments

[warandpeace]

I'd be happy to do it onscreen since I'm always here for warrior nerding, but we can try to keep it on any topics you've worked out. He would talk to any one of those. All this will be another good lesson for him to take with him if he takes his memories with him when he goes home.

I think he'd also tell them about what Cyclonus told him (though the Cybertronians would be better speaking for themselves.)

He's definitely discussed a lot of those things. One person he absolutely loves in canon is Che Guevara. So he would absolutely discuss him (how he went to visit victims of the Hiroshima bombing, how he kept an article given to him by his wife to take onto the battlefield, how he was a legend among his people.) He'd mention the book Guerrilla Warfare as well as the Art of War. He'd bring up the military careers of T.E. Lawrence, Mao Zedong, Augusto César Sandino, and Kusunoki Masashige (he had stories about them in canon). He'd also probably tell them about Napolean, Sun Tzu, Sir Francis Drake, and Francis Marion. So at least there would be no shortage of them to find out about at least one planet's warrior culture.

Since he'd express an interest in their cautionary tales he'd want to hear more about their history, if you'd want to thread that part (so he could hear their history). He'd also encourage them to still explore the arts, citing things the Samurai did to broaden their horizons artistically or how medieval knights engaged in courtly love. And even make a point to say that he liked music a lot and writes songs and is a good cook. They shouldn't neglect their culture and become war machines (a very real worry for his future he has).

Depending on which one he talks to, he'll be encouraging of the warrior kid type and tell him to go learn everything and be the very best warrior he can be and don't let anyone get in his way. He'll end up with the brunt of "explore all of your talents" if he's the one he talks to. For the older one he'd be very respectful of everything they've gone through. The xenophobic one he'll just be trying not to piss off.

Short Version: I am down for any of the things.

[pillz]

OK awesome! I suspect you are more amazing at this academic discipline than I am but I would like to at least get a good dynamic rolling, let your boy strut his stuff and you stretch your voice characterization. Anytime you'd like to fade or duck offscreen or otherwise have concerns, let me know and we will adddress it. :D

[warandpeace]

His role in canon was infodump basically and he has a lot to prove because he's an average military bastard child in this world of special ops royalty. So that part shouldn't be a problem.

I'll swing which way is easiest in the end.

[warandpeace]

Would it be possible for Kaz to get some weapons to give to particular scarred horned psuedo business partner / revenge husband things? Either by buying or being a charming little warmonger?

[pillz]

I think it'd be possible, but we'd have to run it by the mods first I think? Do you have anything in particular he'd be going for. =)

[warandpeace]

Nothing in particular. Right now he's just stuck with a Wu Pistol which is barely anything, so he might ask for something better than that.

I figured the mods would have to be asked but I like having a good solid way for him to acquire.

[pillz]

I love it. How about a single, polymorphic/shapeshifting weapon that has 2-3 shapes, 1 of which is incredibly innocuous? Be kind of fancy and fun for you to finagle with and be able to say it was anchored to past plot accomplishments.

[warandpeace]

I will ask for about this on the feedback page, yes!

[warandpeace]

Additionally I put a starter up here.