Falling Sky - User contributions [en]

The Flotilla

2022-10-01T19:02:06Z

Estantia: pronoun edits

==The City Of Flotilla==
The City of Flotilla is a massive amalgamation of airships, pieces of ruined floating city, levitating platforms and other, stranger craft. Twenty years on from the Cataclysm, the city has settled into a much more stable existence. In the centre of the city-fleet stands the building that used to be the Imperial Bank. Immediately surrounding it are what used to be parks, now long since converted to farmland as one of the few sources of fresh food. Many airships and chunks of terrain are lashed around the central island, connected by rope bridges or wooden walkways.

==Naming Conventions==
Oldworlders tend to have “traditional” fantasy names - old or fantastic-sounding but relatively plausible names. Daxos Renarin, Briar Halfsen, and Jelha Adelmust might all fit this category.

Shipborn tend to have a birth name that’s similar to an Oldworlder name, but in practice, they go by a use-name that’s a nickname based on their deeds or reputation in place of a family name. Shipborn that are from traditional or noble families might conspicuously avoid this practice. Irren-Steel-Arm, Kali-Wing-Walker and Rash-the-Storm are all examples of this kind of name.

The Recovered tend to have unusual names. Having been trapped in the Great Storm, the name is one of the first things to be stripped away by the soul-flaying energies, and they are encouraged to choose their own names. Some choose strange-sounding combinations of letters because they “feel right”, and others choose a word that they heard and thought sounded nice. Jeqixoz, Glibmrthp, Sunbeam, and Barrel are all plausible Recovered names.

==Governance==
Each ship or chunk of land has a Captain, decided by its residents, and each of those Captains has a seat in Flotilla’s Council of Captains. The Captain is both in command of and responsible for the actions of their crew.

The Council of Captains is headed by the Admiral of Flotilla. As of autumn in the 20th year post-Cataclysm, the Admiral is Veltha Barrington, an oldworlder who used to be the head of the Rathmore City guard. She is known to be fairly conservative, prioritising keeping people safe above everything else.

===Prominent Captains===
* '''Ramm Smithson''' and '''Jack-Four-Knives''' are the co-captains of the Bleak Endeavour, a large cargo-ship that they’ve refitted as housing. They’re known to be liberal voices on the Council, generally against cracking down on liberties and crime on the grounds that captains should be left to run their own ships. Ramm tends to be the more moderate voice, having had to hold his husband back from violence in the Council hall more than once.
* '''Korvessa Icehold''' was the baroness of Icehold before the Cataclysm, and she is now the captain of the Butterfly, which used to be a message-runner for the barony. She is one of the strongest voices for the Noble’s Alliance, demanding that projects and expenditures are properly managed - by which she usually means by her people. Her husband, the baron-consort Drisas Icehold, died in the Cataclysm, and she has officially been in mourning ever since.
* '''Jamise-Hidden-One''' is a cleric of [[Gods|Enso]], and in charge of the Archive as the captain of the Archmage’s Rest. They maintain that the best way forward for Flotilla is to seek an understanding of the Sky, and to grasp the Sky’s treasures. Their face and indeed gender is unknown, as they always come masked and hooded to Council meetings, an affectation that has drawn ire from some other Captains and amusement from others.
* '''Urbis-the-Hammer''' is the captain of the Honest Toil. They're a card-carrying member of the United Workers, and has drawn criticism for suggesting that the Council should pass laws conscripting people for a certain amount of maintenance work every week.
* '''Cumulus''' is one of the most fervent advocates of the Argent Order, and captain of their ship-fortress the Bastion. They were a member before the Cataclysm, and whatever experiences they had in the Great Storm, they don’t seem to have dulled their edge. They are convinced that the demons are making plans against Flotilla, and wants more stringent checks against possession and demonic pacts. Their squad, the Bluecloaks, have been accused a few times of excessive vigilance.
* '''Shanti-Ever-Song''' is one of the closest things the Revellers of the Night have to a leader. They're a famous musician and quite a celebrity, which lets them get away with things others might not in the name of preserving morale. They've mainly used this to get away with minor offences of disturbing the peace, but they've also been implicated in the sale of illegal alcohol and drugs - although nothing has stuck.
* '''Huvall Rathnison''' is a one of the Luminaries of the Reconstructionist Society. Although they project an image of a posh twit, their mind is as sharp as a whip. They’re known to turn up at the Seeker’s Guild occasionally, sometimes looking for a good project to bankroll and sometimes looking for a donation for a good cause. They’re known to have both a husband - Ivor Rathsmane - and a wife, Helga Varrisdottir, both of whom are also Society members and have been known to act as agents for Huvall’s estate when they're busy.
* '''Razkvix''' is a Returned who has risen to be the Guildmaster of the Farmer’s Guild. They're known to be a Preserver of Nature as well, and under their leadership the Guild and the Preservers have grown closer and closer - some say too close, and that they're letting the desire to preserve more samples of plants get in the way of growing the food that Flotilla needs.
* '''Korvath Firemane''' runs the Seeker’s Guild, and was elected in 18 A.C. No-one expected him to win but in a surprise landslide the Oldworlders backed Korvath instead of Calhoun. Due to having little experience most expected Korvath to cave and be a figurehead puppeted by the Oldworlders, but with the support of his mentor and sheer stubbornness he seems to have held his own. The Seeker's guild is… unconventional in the way its run, but it seems to be managing and Korvath gets stronger each year.

==The Guilds==
A lot of the work required to keep the city running is the responsibility and purview of one of the Guilds - the Seekers, Masons, Carpenters, Smiths, Magewrights and Farmers. Each Guild Master has a seat on the Council of Captains as well. The Guilds are known to jealously guard their privileges.

The Seeker’s Guild (which all player characters are members of by default) is responsible for organising expeditions to raid the chunks of falling land that drop from the Great Storm to bring back resources - chiefly among them mana crystals and material reagents to be used powering the arcane engines that keep Flotilla aloft. They maintain a fleet of smaller seeker ships that are used to mount these expeditions, as well as training pilots and mechanics to keep the ships flying.

==Economy==

Flotilla is still in many ways a post-apocalyptic society. There isn't a unified coinage; instead, people tend to trade directly by a barter system. Alchemical goods, mana crystals, and material reagents are all commonly traded items, as are hot pieces of gossip, secret lore, and political favours.

Tinkering

2022-10-01T18:25:26Z

Estantia:

Tinkering is the process by which material reagents recovered from the sky are converted into useful Technology. Characters with the Basic Tinkering [[Traits|Trait]] can attempt tinkering if they have reagents to use.

It is known that attempts to scale up production of tinkered Technology have usually met with abject failure. Trying to mass-produce or farm out the creation of Technology results in it working badly, if at all, so the best method that’s been found has been to allow individual Tinkerers to do things their own way. Even trying to create multiples of the same piece yourself in quick succession is unlikely to work.

== Creating Technology ==

Attempting tinkering can be done at interactives; if you haven't had a chance to do it at interactives, you can do it in downtime instead.

To create a piece of Technology, you must use three reagents.
Hand in the reagents to a ref and tell them what you are trying to make. You can use more than one of the same reagent.
Then conduct at least two minutes of appropriate roleplaying as your character attempts to construct the item.
The ref will return one of these results:
* It works! Here is your item, plus a Tinkering Result card that may indicate some sort of event, or danger, or exhaustion caused by the Tinkering process.
* You can make something close - do you want to do that instead? If yes, go to It works! If not, skip to failure.
* You can't make it with this - but you could if you got X item or reagent instead. Then go to failure.
* Failure: It doesn't work. You get the reagents back, and optionally have experienced some kind of dangerous experimental failure.

You can only make each “recipe” like this once per event - you can’t make more than one of the same item.

There are five kinds of reagents available. Each has different resonances if they are used in making a piece of Technology.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type !! Object!! Resonances
|-
| Metal Reagent|| Metal Cog || Strength, Hardness, Intricacy, Precision
|-
| Life Reagent || Green Leaf || Healing, Growth, Stamina, Resilience
|-
| Power Reagent || Metal Lightning Bolt || Power, Fire and Lightning, Transference, Light, Dexterity
|-
| World Reagent || Amber Bead || Stability, Earth, Widespread Effects, Blood
|-
| Balance Reagent || Yin-Yang Symbol || Balance, Entropy, Order, Inversion
|}

Sometimes, rare and unique reagents will be found. These can also be used for tinkering, but the items created cannot be replicated, and will often be single-use.

== Limits ==

Technological items have a limit to their usage.
Some items will break when they are used. This means that they are destroyed and cannot be repaired.
Some items will exhaust when they are used. This means that they have depleted their energy and need to be repaired or reloaded. This can be done with the Field Maintenance trait by spending a Stamina point or a reagent matching one of the reagents used to make the item.
Some items will last for one event and then break.

=== Example ===
Charsi wants to make a medical device.
# Her player finds a ref and hands in her resources to use - "Here is one Metal for precision, one Power for lightning, and one Life for healing. I want to make a defibrillator glove.”
# The ref goes and determines the result.
# Charsi conducts some appropriate Mad Engineering roleplay.
# The ref returns and says “It should work - but it’s dangerous. Do you want to keep going?”
# She says yes, and the ref draws a Tinkering result - “You take a CLEAVE to one hand as you’re electrocuted working on it. Here’s the item.”
# The item card reads “Technology. Exhaust to call CURE 4 STUN at touch range on an incapacitated target.”

[[https://i.imgur.com/gtdIM7J.png|| Example Technology card]]

Downtime

2022-10-01T18:21:31Z

Estantia:

Downtime is the period between events when players aren't playing their characters. It is assumed that the character is taking actions during this time, but if there's anything specific you want to do, you can ask to do that.

After each [[Interactive]], you can submit a downtime request to the ref team. This should be done in your player communication channel on Discord or sent via email to [mailto:larp-ref@srcf.net the ref mailing list].

In a downtime request, you can do the following:

* Vote for who should receive your share of the Seeker's Guild's resources that have been retrieved.
* One Major Action.
* Up to three Minor Actions.

=== Voting ===
The Seeker's Guild uses its member's votes to decide where the resources retrieved from falling world-chunks should be allocated. You should choose one cause, faction, or prominent character to receive your vote. The recipient can't be a member of the Seeker's Guild.

=== Major Actions ===
A Major downtime action is anything that you want to try and do during the downtime period that requires the ref team to determine the results of your action. This should be something your character could achieve on their own.

Examples might be:
* Spreading a particular rumour.
* Researching a particular piece of history.
* Intimidating any nobles that come to the lower districts.

=== Minor Actions ===
A Minor downtime action is something that you're doing but doesn't particularly need a response. If the refs can just reply with "Noted" it's a minor action. These might affect how the refs interpret other actions, or decide which plots to steer your way, but they are mostly for flavour and to establish characters' personalities.

Examples might be:
* Going to a temple to pray to your God.
* Doing maintenance on your sky-ship.
* Earning a living catching lightning in jars.

Resources

2022-10-01T18:05:16Z

Estantia:

[[File:FallingSky Resources.png|400px|thumb|Resources]]

Reagents and mana crystallise out of the magic of the Great Storm, and are light enough that they are easily brought back by Seekers. A large part of the Magewright’s Guild’s work is transmuting these reagents into bulk quantities of the materials in question. The reverse process is also possible, transforming bulk materials back into reagents for efficient storage.

== Mana Crystals and Reagents ==
'''Mana crystals''' appear as brightly-coloured pointed gemstones. They are primarily used in infusing [[Runecasting|Runecast]] inscriptions; they are valuable primarily to adventurers and runic researchers, or to recharge the engines of the various ships and devices keeping Flotilla aloft.

'''[[Tinkering]] reagents''' are special materials, formed when pieces of the world's essence crystallise into a compact form. There are five kinds of these, all of which are approximately of the same value. They are primarily valuable to Tinkerers and people who need high-tech solutions to problems.

There is also '''base matter''', which appear as small clear or white transparent beads. These are best used to conjure bulk amounts of mundane matter. These are the resources that the Seeker's Guild is primarily tasked with retrieving, as they are the most critical to Flotilla's survival. However, it has very few uses for adventuring - a single bead can be used by the Magewrights to conjure enough metal to outfit multiple Seekers, so equipment prices are low enough that the Seeker's Guild provides for its members.

== Distributing Resources ==

The Seeker's Guild charter states that the party that retrieves mana or reagents are the owners of those materials, but base matter is the property of the Guild - and is the metric by which a mission's success is normally judged. Each member of the Guild in good standing receives one vote for where to allocate the resources the Guild has gathered recently - player characters can submit this vote as part of their [[Downtime]].

Your vote can be for a [[Factions|Faction]], a [[The Flotilla|Captain]] or a similar Group or cause. A member of the Seekers Guild cannot be a recipient. The Admiral is considered a good neutral vote for those who don't want to pick sides. Unused votes are allocated by the Guildmaster. Often people will try to convince Seekers to vote for their cause, and it is common to trade for, bribe or otherwise sway Seekers. This an accepted part of the political landscape for the Flotilla.

Resources

2022-10-01T18:03:18Z

Estantia:

[[File:FallingSky Resources.png|400px|thumb|Resources]]

Reagents and mana crystallise out of the magic of the Great Storm, and are light enough that they are easily brought back by Seekers. A large part of the Magewright’s Guild’s work is transmuting these reagents into bulk quantities of the materials in question. The reverse process is also possible, transforming bulk materials back into reagents for efficient storage.

== Mana Crystals and Reagents ==
'''Mana crystals''' appear as brightly-coloured pointed gemstones. They are primarily used in infusing [[Runecasting|Runecast]] inscriptions; they are valuable primarily to adventurers and runic researchers, or to recharge the engines of the various ships and devices keeping Flotilla aloft.

'''[[Tinkering]] reagents''' are special materials, formed when pieces of the world's essence crystallise into a compact form. There are five kinds of these, all of which are approximately of the same value. They are primarily valuable to Tinkerers and people who need high-tech solutions to problems.

There is also '''base matter''', which appear as small clear or white transparent beads. These are best used to conjure bulk amounts of mundane matter. These are the resources that the Seeker's Guild is primarily tasked with retrieving, as they are the most critical to Flotilla's survival. However, it has very few uses for adventuring - a single bead can be used by the Magewrights to conjure enough metal to outfit multiple Seekers, so equipment prices are low enough that the Seeker's Guild provides for its members.

== Distributing Resources ==

The Seeker's Guild charter states that the party that retrieves mana or reagents are the owners of those materials, but base matter is the property of the Guild - and is the metric by which a mission's success is normally judged. Each member of the Guild in good standing receives one vote for where to allocate the resources the Guild has gathered recently - player characters can submit this vote as part of their [[Downtime]].

Your vote can be for a [[Factions|Faction]], a Captain or a Group. Unused votes are allocated by the Guildmaster. Often people will try to convince Seekers to vote for their cause, and it is common to trade for, bribe or otherwise sway Seekers. This an accepted part of the political landscape for the Flotilla.

Resources

2022-10-01T18:02:45Z

Estantia:

[[File:FallingSky Resources.png|400px|thumb|Resources]]

Reagents and mana crystallise out of the magic of the Great Storm, and are light enough that they are easily brought back by Seekers. A large part of the Magewright’s Guild’s work is transmuting these reagents into bulk quantities of the materials in question. The reverse process is also possible, transforming bulk materials back into reagents for efficient storage.

== Mana Crystals and Reagents ==
'''Mana crystals''' appear as brightly-coloured pointed gemstones. They are primarily used in infusing [[Runecasting|Runecast]] inscriptions; they are valuable primarily to adventurers and runic researchers, or to recharge the engines of the various ships and devices keeping Flotilla aloft.

'''[[Tinkering]] reagents''' are special materials, formed when pieces of the world's essence crystallise into a compact form. There are five kinds of these, all of which are approximately of the same value. They are primarily valuable to Tinkerers and people who need high-tech solutions to problems.

There is also '''base matter''', which appear as small clear or white transparent beads. These are best used to conjure bulk amounts of mundane matter. These are the resources that the Seeker's Guild is primarily tasked with retrieving, as they are the most critical to Flotilla's survival. However, it has very few uses for adventuring - a single bead can be used by the Magewrights to conjure enough metal to outfit multiple Seekers, so equipment prices are low enough that the Seeker's Guild provides for its members.

== Distributing Resources ==

The Seeker's Guild charter states that the party that retrieves mana or reagents are the owners of those materials, but base matter is the property of the Guild - and is the metric by which a mission's success is normally judged. Each member of the Guild in good standing receives one vote for where to allocate the resources the Guild has gathered recently - player characters can submit this vote as part of their [[Downtime]].

Your vote can be for a [[Faction|Factions]], a Captain or a Group. Unused votes are allocated by the Guildmaster. Often people will try to convince Seekers to vote for their cause, and it is common to trade for, bribe or otherwise sway Seekers. This an accepted part of the political landscape for the Flotilla.

Resources

2022-10-01T18:02:35Z

Estantia:

[[File:FallingSky Resources.png|400px|thumb|Resources]]

Reagents and mana crystallise out of the magic of the Great Storm, and are light enough that they are easily brought back by Seekers. A large part of the Magewright’s Guild’s work is transmuting these reagents into bulk quantities of the materials in question. The reverse process is also possible, transforming bulk materials back into reagents for efficient storage.

== Mana Crystals and Reagents ==
'''Mana crystals''' appear as brightly-coloured pointed gemstones. They are primarily used in infusing [[Runecasting|Runecast]] inscriptions; they are valuable primarily to adventurers and runic researchers, or to recharge the engines of the various ships and devices keeping Flotilla aloft.

'''[[Tinkering]] reagents''' are special materials, formed when pieces of the world's essence crystallise into a compact form. There are five kinds of these, all of which are approximately of the same value. They are primarily valuable to Tinkerers and people who need high-tech solutions to problems.

There is also '''base matter''', which appear as small clear or white transparent beads. These are best used to conjure bulk amounts of mundane matter. These are the resources that the Seeker's Guild is primarily tasked with retrieving, as they are the most critical to Flotilla's survival. However, it has very few uses for adventuring - a single bead can be used by the Magewrights to conjure enough metal to outfit multiple Seekers, so equipment prices are low enough that the Seeker's Guild provides for its members.

== Distributing Resources ==

The Seeker's Guild charter states that the party that retrieves mana or reagents are the owners of those materials, but base matter is the property of the Guild - and is the metric by which a mission's success is normally judged. Each member of the Guild in good standing receives one vote for where to allocate the resources the Guild has gathered recently - player characters can submit this vote as part of their [[Downtime]].

Your vote can be for a [[Faction||Factions]], a Captain or a Group. Unused votes are allocated by the Guildmaster. Often people will try to convince Seekers to vote for their cause, and it is common to trade for, bribe or otherwise sway Seekers. This an accepted part of the political landscape for the Flotilla.