TEST DRIVE MEME #1

[space_aces]

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD

Your journey only happened because of your benefactor, so it begets that it starts at your benefactor as well. SUPERBIA, which is as much of a location as it is an entity, is where everyone's search for Fortuna begins.

There's not much of a welcome party: shortly after their fateful encounter with SUPERBIA, in which they swore to join the quest to find Fortuna, the new Privateers will find themselves afflicted by a sudden change in perspective. See, teleportation is a tricky process, so from SUPERBIA's point of view, why not make the target destination none other than itself? One highly disconcerting moment later, and the Privateers find themselves inside the belly of the beast.

The vast mega-structure is shockingly lonely, void of anyone other than the Privateers. Those who look off the metal satellite and to The Network for intelligence (or take a skim at the Space Wikipedia article) will find out that the surrounding space is clear for lightyears; rumors have it that the place is cursed. It won't take long to understand why.

1

Overclocked

The innards of SUPERBIA are that of an impossibly scaled up computer, and the Privateers start right in the middle of it. You are the spider living in the dusty PS4. Literal rivers of coolant, transistors the size of mountains, landscapes made entirely of circuitry. The sky, bounded by a distant metal ceiling, is constantly alight with coursing electricity that cracks the sky with lightning storms. It can be assumed that the Privateers are the first living things to set foot here, because such a place is not ever meant to be traversed by delicate, organic, mortals that worry about things such as "temperature" or "voltage". SUPERBIA needs not lifeforms to continue its operations; why design for them? Traversal itself is difficult: unscalable walls and perilous drops are common to encounter. The only company the Privateers will find are oddly adorable maintenance robots, which sadly seem too occupied by their directives of maintaining the massive machine to offer any assistance (or even acknowledgement of their new guests).

It is immediately clear that the most urgent priority is to get the hell out of here. Before your adventure ends at the starting line.

2

Skeletons In The Closet

If one stays inside SUPERBIA, either by getting horribly lost or losing all common sense, one will notice a peculiar pattern emerge as one gets deeper into the bowels of the mega-structure. Passages shrink and become more level, and the incredible hostility and danger of the surroundings fade away, until one comes across areas which were definitely intended for humanoid organisms to use at one point.

The construction of these areas is cramped, unfurnished, and dreary; they are reminiscent of artificial environments meant to handle harsh external conditions like a submarine or bunker, but they are entirely livable. One can eventually find distinct rooms, but everything in them has crumbled to dust and their original purpose is nigh impossible to discern. Deeper investigation may reveal the few items that have stood the test of time. While it is more plausible for life to have existed here, that doesn't seem to be the case now. What happened here?

3

The Shipyard

In the opposite direction, when one finally reaches the outer edges of SUPERBIA, they will be rewarded with the place to pick up a spaceship and a stunningly beautiful view of outer space. The outside of SUPERBIA has no atmosphere to get between you and the stars, and they shine brightly, like a beacon calling one out into the first steps of adventure.

The shipyard is already filled with countless space ships of every size, form, and function, all autonomously constructed by SUPERBIA's factories over the countless years. What's the harm in taking one or twenty out for a spin? Even if one has no intentions of permanent ownership of the vehicle, it's not like SUPERBIA will miss it. For a Privateer with a more specific vision, however, there are kiosks around the yard which will allow one to design their very own space ship down to their exact specifications. When the process is done SUPERBIA's matter printers will have it out and space-ready right before your very eyes.

If a Privateer has a ship, vehicle, or large item that they intended to bring with them, they will also find them here, neatly parked in the Shipyard. Why didn't SUPERBIA extend this courtesy to the pilot's themselves? The answer is revealed as soon as the owner makes a closer inspection: the inner contents have been rearranged, like a whirlwind was unleashed inside and assorted loose items thrown around. Now aren't you glad your transportation was given special attention, and the same didn't happen to your innards?

4

Hot Crewmates in Your Area

But how will a single Privateer man an entire space ship? No worries: when one steps into a ship, the strangely endearing maintenance robots will suddenly take acute interest. The robots will follow inside and immediately start assuming the duties of a spacefarer, eliminating the need for extra hands on deck.

Even still, there's just no eliminating the want for a human touch, though. Thankfully even that dilemma has a contingency plotted by SUPERBIA.

Communication devices are easily available on every space ship. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from huge stationary consoles to portable smartphone-like screens. But whenever a Privateer attempts to access the Network, a pop-up will appear, obscuring the whole screen.

Tell me a little about yourself. Are you a LEADER or a FOLLOWER? What is your best feature?
The device will be rendered unusable until one relents to the pop-up's demands and provides answers to its questions. What will these be used for? The mystery will be solved when a social media app mysteriously installs itself on the same device, with profiles preemptively made for every Privateer. Each Privateer's profile consists of their given answers, paired with embarrassingly candid photographs. SUPERBIA has eyes in many places it seems.

Comments

[sleepfan]

[Laenor isn't wrong, though of course Linhardt has no clue who the Maesters are. This man, whoever he is, does win points by not doubling down and becoming angry with the situation: A common noble response to being confronted with things they don't like or understand. And this man is clearly noble: Otherwise he wouldn't have such a well made sword, or be so quick to offer recompense.]

It is preposterous, but just because something is preposterous does not mean it cannot be. I have learned that much.

I see no reason that one couldn't run golems on lightning energy, though I don't know how they work. The only ones I've seen run on faith magic, but energy is energy. I would like to take one with me, but I don't think that's wise.

[Cue a sigh. Linhardt wants to take one of the robots and take it apart, but it's more important to not die of heatstroke.]

I think that the two of us accompanying one another is wise. I am not a front-line fighter, and you clearly are, whereas a fighter always lives longer when accompanied by a skilled healer.

[Which Linhardt is, and which also explains his demeanor: healers are used to being listened to, given the alternative tends to be death or pain.

He waves off the offer of compensation.]

If I end up in your country, I will accept your hospitality and offer likewise in return, but I don't have access to our gold. I assume you don't either.

[Hevring is one of the few Fodlanese territories not suffering financially, and Linhardt had...liberated... a great deal of the Adrestian treasury on his way to Garreg Mach.]

[jumpedship]

Faith magic? You follow the Seven, then?

( the old gods, the new gods, laenor knows something of all of them through his studies. that alone isn't enough to mark him a scholar, but he'd be a terrible prince and an even worse politician if he didn't hold some measure of respect for the various higher powers.

and, in a sense, prayer is a sort of magic, if that's what this fellow is referring to.

if not, then laenor is at a loss, which has unfortunately become an increasingly familiar feeling. who knew adventure would be so confusing? )

If they pose no danger, we should take one for study. The maesters of King's Landing should be glad for what they can learn from it.

( sword firmly tucked away in his belt now that he knows the little monsters are (probably) safe, he picks one up and watches it squirm as if it were flesh and blood despite the cool feel of steel. )

At present, no. ( he says, more than a little distracted by his new friend. ) Not on my person. Though, I should hope that you make your way to Driftmark. You'll never see a sea more fetching.

( alright, now it's getting hot. little cleansing bot is getting yeeted away from his duties so laenor can follow this man to a place that isn't on the shore of a lava lake. )

[sleepfan]

I'm technically a follower of Sothis. I've never heard of 'the Seven', but information about other faiths is limited.

[He's a follower in the 'red letter' sense: Linhardt absolutely believes in the Goddess and her teachings. All the things the Church added afterwards? Well...they can discuss their theological differences once Edelgard and her shadowy friends aren't trying to kill them all. Everything in its proper order.]

Though faith magic doesn't require faith in Sothis. It's so named because the Church has been the principal keeper of magical knowledge related to life energy and living beings.

[Linhardt's face lights up with joy when the man agrees to kidnap one of the tiny golems, leaning in far too close to watch it squirm. It moves so organically!]

Maybe some sort of three-dimensional plane mapping system for the movements?

[The healer reaches in to touch one of the 'arms' and move it. What joint is it modeled after?]

If I can resolve matters in Fodlan, then I would be happy to come see the sea at Driftmark. I wonder if I could see all the seas and compare them. I wonder how life between them differs...

[This Maester is easily distracted, unfortunately, though he does start following one of the rivers, pointing at the copper lines running above them.]

With this amount of heat generation, there has to be an egress, or else the heat would have built up and melted the copper and steel before now. That is why we are following the heat rivers.

[jumpedship]

( laenor isn't the one to have this conversation since he knows little more than the basics when it comes to the religions of the realm. Queen Alicent would be the one to call upon, now more than ever since she seems intent to turn the halls of King's Landing into the four faces of an altar, but that's far beyond him. the power play at work bodes ill for them all, but he'd not deny Her Lady her faith.

if nothing else, laenor is certain of the corrupting powers of religion in the wrong hands.

on the bright side, though, their tiny friend is adorable and makes an odd booping noise as linhardt gives his leg a swirl. not frightening at all. to think he'd almost slain this funny little fellow! a tragedy, that would have been. now all that's left is to name it... )

I trust in your knowledge, Maester. You may call me Laenor. ( despite being both a ser and a prince, he doesn't feel an urge to rely on his titles here. this is meant to be an adventure, after all. to rely on his position as future king of the Seven Kingdoms would say nothing of his character or his skill. )

Laenor Velaryon.

...

Why have you agreed to take on this task? To embark on this quest?

[sleepfan]

[Linhardt makes a small face and shakes his head: 'Maester' is clearly a title of some sort, and he'd hoped to leave that nonsense behind him.]

My name is Linhardt.

[Ugh. His companion gave a last name, so he should too, shouldn't he?]

Linhardt von Hevring. It's a pleasure to meet you, Laenor.

[He's not used to people accepting that he knows what he's talking about and not trying to bully him into making the world conform to their expectations. It's a nice surprise. Maybe he was incorrect about the association between front-line fighters and lack of foresight.

Or maybe Laenor has been hit on the head less than Caspar and Edelgard.]

I need to end a war.

Finding Fortuna would allow me to do so, but I am also hoping that I could find other knowledge that would enable me to even our odds. Things will go badly if I do not.

[He doesn't need Fortuna if he can figure out satellite navigation and rig up something magically to strike Enbarr without an army, or ways to spy on or record her allies so he can steal their technology for their own side to even the odds.

It will hopefully be a win-win situation as Linhardt will find helpful information whether he 'wins' the race or not.

Not that he's comfortable with thinking this way: Linhardt's head has ducked down and he's not making eye contact with Laenor anymore.

But who else is going to? Ferdinand, Seteth, and the Professor all are too honest. Too earnest, in their own ways. Linhardt can think like Hubert, it just makes him constantly nauseated and anxious.

Which is nothing compared to the people who are dying, so he should suck it up, shouldn't he?]