OOC: Chapter One - September At Last

[Raiko]

This chapter was supposed to be called "Arrival in New York," but that wasn't suitable due to the way we played the (optional) Prologue.

I'm almost ready to post details of all the expedition NPC's, they'll appear in the "Cast of Characters" thread when they're ready.

I'll be PMing further details of two or three NPCs to each of the players who didn't go to Arkham, one or two of you have given preferences as to who you'd like to get to know, I'll pick suitable NPCs for the rest of you. If you'd rather make your own minds up let me know in the next 24 hours please.

I'll hopefully keep a tighter schedule for this chapter, I've never tried running a game for so many characters before so I appolise to anyone who got left out at any stage in the prologue.

For those players who's characters went to Arkham/Kingsport, you still have chance to ask a question or two of McTighe, but I didn't want to spend another week just interacting with three characters, so I've begun chapter 1. Your characters can be considered to be back with the others as soon as you finish with McTighe.

[OrionUK]

I think James would like to get to know the rest of the group over time, on the voyage, he will not rush any conversations after the reception he received over dinner. Saying that he would like to continue the discussion about Lawrence with McRaven & Callum at some point.

[Raiko]

I'll give everyone another 24 hours to make their first chapter one post, then I'll (hopefully) start posting everyday.

[Raiko]

I get the impression that one or two of you (not just Charles Graves) are planning on moving your characters from the hotel to the ship straight away.

This is fine, but please take into account that:

(a) The expedition won't be departing for another couple of weeks.
(b) The main "base" for now is still the hotel, so most meetings will be held there.
(c) Your characters will be at sea for approximately two months, except for a brief stopover in Australia, they'll be sick of the sight of their cabins by the time they reach Antarctica.

Having said all that, I honestly don't mind - so if you want to move your characters here, no problem.

I'll be waiting another 3-4 hours to see if anyone posts, then I'll continue (it'll be more than 24 hours since my last post then).

[Henrik]

Ah, I thought we would depart as soon as possible. I should have paid better attention when Starkweather and Moore held their briefing.

[Decrepit]

Ah, I thought we would depart as soon as possible. I should have paid better attention when Starkweather and Moore held their briefing.

There were just too many plates flying around.

Jack's not moving till he has to, btw.

[Raiko]

Ah, I thought we would depart as soon as possible. I should have paid better attention when Starkweather and Moore held their briefing.

You will be departing as soon as possible, but your characters just have lots of hard work to do first.

EDIT: There's no problem moving your personal gear to the ship though, you will all have a cabin allocated today.

[Raiko]

Sorry for not posting last night, I ended up not having time.

I'll post some deckplans a little later.

If you don't want to speak to Moore then just head to the crew's mess to see Sykes. After grabbing some food of course.

I'll post again tonight (about 12-13 hours from now).

[Raiko]

Again you can tkae the opportunity to speak with Sykes or just go with the flow.

For Charles Graves & GaryTheNerd you can use the medical examination to take the opportunity to introduce yourselves to any of the other players if you like (or other players characters can use this time to meet the two doctors).

There will be a lot of time spent today in lots of waiting rooms and queues, so I'm happy for any of you to assume that you are next to any other PC or NPC at any time, and strike up a conversation.

After the measurements, medical and photograph, you'll be shown round the ship, then it's off to the dentist (with a luck roll to avoid treatment What do you all think the sanity loss would be for 1930s dental work? )

I'll keep posting every day to take us through this stage if the adventure, you can roleplay your character's reactions to as much or as little of this as you like.

I've got campaign cartographer reinstalled now (and paintshop pro), so I'll get the floorplans edited and posted ASAP. This is necessary as I'm adding an extra cabin or two to the ship, to make sure I've room for our slightly larger expedition.

[Raiko]

Sorry I had another busy weekend (as usual), then I forgot to my flash-drive to work, so I could n't post at lunchtime.

Anyway, Steerpike seems to have got us back on track:

McRaven stands in line for the exam. He's been here before, albeit some 20 odd years ago, but it's all part routine.

Stand in line, hurry up and wait. Breath in, breath out, Breath in and hold your breath...breath out. Testing eyes, testing reflexes, taking blood, taking piss and when it's all over, you walk out and another walks in.

Somewhere around the door was your dignity, the first thing you always lose. Remembering to pick it up, you smile bravely at te next victim and head next door for the camera.

It's almost over now

*FLASH*

"Thats a keeper, Mr McRaven Sir, you're done"

With that McRaven heads out back in the room where the coffee and sandwiches are hiding out. He then corners the Prof, and between bites, inquires as to the status of the birds and the need for him to check things out.

So I'll carry on from there

I'll be posting in a few more minutes.

[Raiko]

Regarding the cabin allocations:

Madame Pyro is creating a second female character, she will be joining the expedition in a couple of "in-game" days, and will share Kitt's room.

It doesn't look like Gloomy will be joining us, Blackgoat has asked if he can join the game, so I've asked if he'd mind having a photographer character to replace William. So his character will be with Callum & Isugtag.

The Aftcastle Cabins are much worst than the Midships Cabins, but luckily none of you are using them.

General Stuff

I keep putting the 15th as the departure date, it's meant to be the 14th, oops - I'm editing it now.

I won't be recruiting any more players unless a lot of people drop out.

[Henrik]

I see that you continue to misspell Olof's surename, Raiko. It should be ErikssOn, not ErikssEn. The -sen ending is Norwegian and Danish, not Swedish. It's should be "son".

[Raiko]

@Henrik

Oops

Sorry about that, I misspelled it in the "Cast of Characters" page, and then kept copying it from there.

Fixed now, I'll edit recent IC posts later.

BTW: I really should have known how to spell Eriksson correctly, as it's currently a famous (but not very popular) surname in England.

@Everyone

Your characters' cabin numbers correspond to the room numbers on the deckplans.

I'm putting up a key below the deckplans showing what the other room numbers mean.

In case I’m delayed posting the key:
Room 19 is the Officers Mess, where Moore is (and the sandwiches).
Room 20 is the Galley
Room 21 is the Crews Mess, where Sykes is.
Room 22 leads down to the engine room.

The CC3 plans that I'm doing will include furniture, fittings, etc. They’ll hopefully be done later this week, but they’ll certainly be ready in plenty of time for the voyage.

Because of the apparent mix-up regarding departure times, I’m assuming the following (based on the majority of posts):

Everyone has either brought their “working gear” today, or will be sending it tonight (eg Olof).
This working gear will be stored on the Gabrielle ready for departure.
All rifles/shotguns are also being stored on the ship from today/tonight.
All “personal day-day gear” is still at the hotel, including any pistols.
Nobody plans on keeping possession of their firearms during the voyage, via persuasion, or stealth.
Nobody plans on sneaking illegal alcohol on board the ship.
The following characters are currently carrying concealed firearms (with permits): Isugtag, James, McRaven.
Nobody else is currently armed.
Everybody is still staying at the Amherst Hotel.

If anybody disagrees with any of this for their character then please let me know, I’ve no problem, but I want to keep track of your gear / firearms / alcohol. I realise that my generalised list above won’t be correct for everyone.

[Decrepit]

I believe that Jack's still going to need a cabin assignment ... unless I totally missed it on the list.

[Raiko]

I believe that Jack's still going to need a cabin assignment ... unless I totally missed it on the list.

Sorry, I lost that during cutting & pasting - Oh well, poor Louis misses out on a comfy cabin.

Fixed now.

I'll post again tonight, the next post will take everyone up to tomorrow morning's meeting at the Amherst. If I have have time I'll detail all the speeches, etc, in that post, so we can get on with things.

[Raiko]

I didn’t include the meeting in my last post, as it isn’t until the following morning (for some reason I keep thinking that that meeting occurs in the evening, despite reading chapter 1 a dozen times!).

My next IC post will be for Saturday 2nd, September – 1933, I’m planning on spending two or three real-life days for each “game day” in chapter one, unless anything occurs that requires more detailed roleplaying. The first of my posts each day will always detail that day’s “breakfast meeting,” once you’ve all had time to respond to anything said or done at breakfast, I’ll spend one or two “real days” covering the tasks and events that occur that “game day.”

Chapter One covers all the “routine events” from 1st September until the Gabrielle’s departure date. Chapters two and three cover more dramatic events that may or may not involve the investigators directly.

Those two chapters run within the same timeline as chapter one, so we might change chapters before the departure date, or we might jump straight from chapter one into chapter four depending on your actions.

@Decrepit: I’m trying to get in touch with Shadow, so that Jack gets his interview with Kitt before she leaves for New-Jersey. Once she’s talked to Jack I’m happy to NPC her until Shadow’s got time to join in properly again, but I’d rather not NPC her for the interview.

@Madame Pyro: If you read this, I sent you a PM, but you haven’t read it yet. Are you still interested in playing? I need another female character in on the 3rd or 4th of September, so if you don’t get in touch soon I’ll have to use the “lady NPC.”

@Blackgoat: Sorry I haven’t emailed you yet, I’ll send everything tonight.

[BlackGoat]

No problem at all, i've been just reading along keeping fresh everything everyone is doing and still thinking how I want to play out my character, i'm eager to join in with the rest of you.

[Raiko]

I've added a short introduction to the two expedition leaders in the Cast of Characters thread.

I'll add another section to that thread every day until all of the expediton member have been profiled (plus the SS Gabrielle's crew eventually.

As promised I'll also send more detailed information to individual players regarding those NPCs who they have got to know best during the prologue.

Sorry this stuff is taking so long, I guess I should have spent several more months prep time before starting.

[Raiko]

I'm writing the full meeting post, but it was taking a little too long last night, and I can't spend too long on it today, as it my wedding anniversary.

I've put up a short introduction, mostly copied out of the book. I'll post more details of the meeting tomorrow, but I wanted to put something up now that allows you all to post something.

[Raiko]

Player Update

Sean Lyle Mcphearson is BlackGoat’s character. I haven’t heard anything from Gloomy since the first week of play, so I’m assuming that they won’t be joining us.

Sean therefore takes William’s place in the expedition.

I’m going to give GaryTheNerd another week to start posting again, otherwise I’ll find a suitable place to write out Clark (who I like a lot), and replace him with the NPC that had to be left out due to having two PC doctors aboard (I also like the NPC).

I’ve not heard anything back from Madame Pyro yet, so it looks like I may have to either use the female NPC, or just have one female character in the expedition. But there’s still time yet.

I'll continue posting the presentation stuff either tonight or tomorrow, after you've had chance to post your characters thoughts, greet Sean or whatever. This also gives BlackGoat a chance to post, he's been keenly reading the story so far, so I'm sure he's glad to be involved at last.