no, I mean postpone my update. I announced an update

I know...I was being sad-cute..

Joani do you want us to post in Init. order? Or just be aware that our actions may be preempted by those people ahead of us?

the latter

Chapter 2 is closed - and Chapter 3 is up. I know this comes kind of hard/unpredictable, but I ask you to bear with me and trust me

All PCs are at the briefing room (including Synner) except SalmonMax's new Character. You all have the strange sensation of having gone through this before but can't point a finger at it. I know this is very challenging but I ask of you to access knowledge from Chapter 2 only once the opportunity arises to have a feeling od Deja Vu. This puts some responsibility in your hands but I trust you to reveal things that make sense without jumping the gun right away. If you are in doubt then ask me to make a roll for you , if you remember specific details right there - alternatively you can spent 1 WP and have autosuccess.

You are all at full QP and feel rested, yet strangely displaced. As if your timing isn't right (like watching a badly dubbed movie, for example).

If you have questions shoot - else enjoy the new chapter. Salmon - I provide you with an entry point ASAP.

No worries!

The report. Where was that published and how likely are we to see it?

I am assuming we don't have our Omega Tech items. Is that correct?

We should have them unless we got them after the original meeting.

I haven't read the IC yet (having been instructed to read here first). I am game to play along but wonder if the Fool's precognitive abilities or foresight mught itch him in a particular way. Like in those Star Trek or especially X-Men episodes where time gets messed with but only 1 person can tell something is amiss. As I said I am down for whatever, but I'll take the roll you mentioned and you can feed me whatever info you feel would serve the plot.

It's published on an OpNet site which only "insiders" have knowledge of. This doesn't mean you can't find it, it's just something that is not made totally public since it's the nature of such conspiracy theorists to try to keep as much a low profile as possible out of obvious reasons. Right now you have no knowledge about it but you will certainly stumble over it very soon. I wanted to add it for reasons of flavour and to semi-introduce Lily's/SalmonMax's new character. She wrote the report, btw.



You have the equipment you had before the time-jump on you, which should make you wonder where you got it from. Lost gadgets/tech can be reaquired since you are at the base right now.



That is one of the major reasons I had such problems during your character creation and I've learned from it. So far I'm handling this my way to keep the stories integrity. As for your reference to Star Trek or X-Men episodes. You are partly correct, but you're not the only one that notices things are amiss. Maybe you're just a little more aware to that and I will give you more leeway/freedom to interpret things more easily. Nonetheless it would blow the whole strangeness of the scene if any of you just jumped on the table and said "Hey, we've done this before, there is something wrong here. Lets go to New York and prevent this before it happens."

I'd like you guys to reveal that step by step and who can tell that everything happens just the same? Speaking of which - Gray is not present as much as Void is missing. Synner is present instead just as if he was part of the team (replacing Void completely).

Try to handle it this way. Your memories are messed up and you constantly feel that you've done this before - like out of a dream or a name you try remember almost visually but can't say it. I recommend reading through the first posts of the 2nd Chapter to get a feeling of the situation how it had been and try to act like it but slightly differently. Maybe making the same jokes and someone may laugh about it just before the joke has actually been made. It's kinda screwed up and I will fill you in with more revealing details as the story goes on. Like I said, trust me on this one. After this Chapter my Deus-ex-machina behaviour will stop, promise.

Nah, its not like that. I really dig the creativity and drama you are creating and wished more STs would take a lesson. This is like one of those "Advanced Storytelling Techniques" primer in various WW books on Steroi...er Mite!

You know, those ones that talk about all the cool things you can do with a really collaborative mature troupe, roleplaying flashbacks in the middle of the story and such. Two thumbs up!

Er....you mean our posts from Chapter 1 I think? Also, would any of the Fool's tarot cards come up differently in the reading he is doing just prior to the warp opening in his underground catacomb? Actually thats a third question: I was unclear on the Capter 3 intro if we just appear back in the meeting room or if their was the alarm clock, being summoned stage as well. i.e. does Cherub wake up next to the two (possibly even slightly different) girls next to him?

Yes - chapter 1, my bad. Tarot will be just the same and for the intro. The first part suggests you're at your homes but you "wake up" at the table - as if you had necrolepsia and dreamed there was an alarm. It should give you all the strange sensation of not knowing how you got to the briefing and the vague memory of waking up at home and going through the warp to meet with the others. Something is amiss

Since Joani spilled who wrote the article:

My take on it is that there is on the OpNet a site called "The Truth Is In Here." It is a quirky, often rambling conspiracy themed site that reads kind of like a blog and generally appeals mostly to the far out wacko set. The author of the site posts under the moniker "Cake."

Is the Cake a lie? Time will tell. Unless there is no time!

I don't really see it being "secret," so much as being "largely ignored." But I think that's more or less what Joani meant. The site is protected by the anonymity of being a speck of data in the vast sea of the OpNet, as well as by the relatively hard to swallow nature of the accusations made on it...even for conspiracy nuts.

I mean, really. Time manipulation? Hah!

before anyone asks - XPs are going to be handed out. I just need another day or two to tell you how much.

Are we at 30 or 40 NP?

you are at 40 NPs

9 XP for everyone except Max's new character. Don't waste it all at once :p

Sweet!

Since I am not there I can't say this but Synner would probably wonder how in the heck he knew where to open the warp to prcisely even though he "never worked with us before". Also Cherub can verify the "danger sense" vibe...

Cherub went through the warp.

Thats what I meant. For everyone standing there going "WTF"? Cherub can verify that he felt the danger vibe too.

Before I update I need to make an announcement. I PM'd Sky earlier today that The_Fool is not fitting the game's setting as I visualized it. Part of that is surely my fault and I apologize for any inconvenience I have caused for everyone involved.

For continuity's sake The_Fool will be turned into a NPC. I will update the main thread tomorrow. Everyone at The_Fool's hideout can continue assuming he has teleported away like he said earlier.

If Sky submits a new character or not is unclear at this moment of my post.

If you can come to chat, Joani, it would be much easier to communicate with you. I'll be there for a short while.

Cherub has "That Creepy Feeling", not Intuition or any of the more advanced danger senses.

Ah. Well Joani said that Cherub had a danger sense go off so I assumed intuition.

In any case, this situation royally sucks for me. I have to admit I'm feeling a bit burned, but I am amiable enough and would like to talk with Joani (live in chat if possible) to see what can be done.

I updated the rules section - it won't affect any of you immediately but I suppose it's still interesting to know.

I'm currently working with SkyLion on a new character who will hopefully fit better than the Fool did.

Just to clarify - you are again on Thursday morning. It's 5 days before the accident. Ms. Baxter is not aware of the time slippage with her answer. (your last jump lost you one day, but that's because Newton made the jump)

Do they still have their gear?

I'm thinking Keiko might have reverted that too, since it was causing problems in the line Newton made. But I don't want it to be a big issue in-game.

Good point, Max. I forgot about that. I think Callum needs to edit that part of his post, my bad.

too late I already assumed it was there

ok - let me get this straight - Did Callum get one of the Teleport Devices? I remember only Sean and Nosferatu did.

I had one the first time around before I bought teleport

I just took it off and tossed it away though cause I don't want to get eaten by some freakazoid

then lets leave things like they are. Assuming that Synner will port you right away to Newton once you are set you'll be safe before someone finds out.

I'm so sorry, I missed Sean out in my post - I just edited that part. I'm really sorry, it slipped my mind.

Sorry that could not post earlier. I had to go to the ER on Sunday night because of intense abdominal pain. Since then, I have been on a steady regiment of IV Morphine and IV anti-biotics. I also cannot have anything by mouth for another day or two (42 hours and counting). I will probably be here another day or two...if all goes well.

My wife was able to bring the laptop to my hospital room, so I can now post.