Second Dawn:Conrad Gaudet

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This is a reference document for the LARP The Second Dawn.

Conrad Gaudet Player: David C Ambassador from the Maple Kingdom Age: 40s

Additional Information (read first): Maple Kingdom, Black Science

Background: You grew up on a farm outside Montréal, near the heart of the Maple Kingdom, a life in tune with nature’s rhythms. You always knew your older brother would be the one to inherit the farm, so you turned early to pursuits of the mind and heart. You studied hard at school, taking to heart the ways and lessons of the Gaian faith that underlies Maple Kingdom society. When you were old enough to leave home, you went into the city to make a name and life for yourself in public service. It’s been a long career since then, but a good one. You worked your way up slowly through the Kingdom’s government, slowly but surely impressing people with your subdued but unwavering faith, hard-working diligence, and smooth competent way with people. That latter ended you up in the foreign service, where you’ve spent the last few years working in New Hudson, the capital of the Eastern Union, as a cultural attaché. When you returned home a few months ago, you gained a surprise promotion: King Ricard has appointed you as the new Ambassador to the Eastern Union. You were chosen for this job because of tonight, no doubt about it. Relations between the Kingdom and the Union have become strained in recent years over the Second Dawn project. You know as well as the King does, this is an affront to Gaia. Even if it uses no black science (which you doubt), it is a slap in the face of Gaia, an explicit statement that the earth is not good enough for mankind. All possible pressures have been applied to stop the launch, but to no avail. Tonight may offer one last chance to stop them, but it’d be a long shot. If the Union is going to go ahead and risk Gaia’s wrath, endanger us all with the threat of a second Cataclysm, then the least you can do is wring their self-centered necks over it. The Union may have more people and stronger industry, but not even their wretched Tinkers can match the sciences that have been left for you. The Union needs the sciences from the Kingdom, if they’re going to be able to defend themselves against the threat from the Plains States on their western border. You have a few special items as well, particularly an old nanomachine tunneler which would provide them with an immense advantage against the wheeled war machine of the Plains army. You don’t worry too much about the Plains States yourself; you trade with the Lakes Pirates, giving them the weapons they need to be a threat to Plains shipping. Sure, they harass Union shipping sometimes too, and occasionally even yours, but they’re still worth it. You have no idea why they’re here, though; it could be embarrassing, since few people know that the Kingdom supports the Pirates. You have all the cards, when it comes to diplomacy, so there are many things you’d like to extract from the Union in return. First off, make a show; make them let you into the Second Dawn, search it for black science. If you do find any, make a big stink, embarrass them. If the Union folks get really needy, the best concession possible would be a treaty in which your technicians come to oversee the sciences you’ve sold them. You might even be able to spin it like a helpful bonus for the Union, but it would be a great coup, because it would be a serious blow to the power of the Tinkers. The Tinkers are widely hated in the kingdom, by those in the government who know about them; they hold Ancient secrets but use them blindly, with no care for how they harm the world. Even the common folk of the Union know they use black science, yet the Union government lets them carry on in privacy and power. Not everyone in the Union government, mind you. They do have one branch, the Watch, devoted to hunting down black science. Especially with its loss of power in the shadow of the Second Dawn project, the Watch must be quite unhappy with the current state of things in the Union. You don’t know Minister Gaines personally at all, but maybe you can convince him that his ideological interests are best served not by the Union government, but the Maple Kingdom. Don’t describe it like that, of course; think of it as a joint project between the Watch and your government to root out black science across the continent. In time, you can bring him around. There’s one last problem to deal with tonight, annoyingly. Black sciences found in the Ancient mines below your cities are sent out to a variety of smelters to be thoroughly destroyed. A few weeks ago, a watchful worker at one of those sites noticed that some crates were coming in under weight. It looks like someone has been sneaking your black sciences away, saving them from destruction probably to sell them across the world, spreading their corruption and risking Gaia’s anger. You have some guesses as to who might have stolen them, but you want to uncover his entire distribution chain before acting. Gather what information you can, start the investigation; but if push comes to shove and you decide to act, you do have muscle here, one of your famous Kingdom commandos.

Roleplaying notes: You are a man of faith, but not the kind of faith that gets in peoples’ faces; instead, it motivates, inspires and focuses you. You have complete trust in the ways of the Kingdom and Gaia, and are proud to act in their service. You can be smug, but from the superiority of your nation, not your beliefs. You have a way with people, and a capacity for political deviousness that you would find unacceptable in private life.

Goals: 1) Use your nation’s science and mercantile power to force concessions from the Union. 2) Organize a joint science-hunting project with the Ministry of the Watch. 3) Reduce the influence of the Tinkers by any means. 4) Find out what you can about the stolen Kingdom black science.

Opinions: Second Dawn: Admittedly an impressive construction, but the desire to leave Earth is a direct affront to Gaia, and therefore a danger to us all. Religion: You are a Gaian through and through. You have lived in true touch with the land, and never forget that feeling of harmony. Earth is a living thing of its own, and it must be understood and respected, both as a moral imperative and to avoid the wrath of a second Cataclysm. Black Science: Dangerous and evil. These sciences are the main way in which the Ancients fell away from nature, and the use of these sciences still angers Gaia. Tinkers: Monsters. They use the technology of the Ancients as if nothing had been learned, as if the old ways were worthy of being saved unchanged. Everyone knows they use black science extensively in secret. Eastern Union: A nice place in some ways, you have some sympathy for its people. But its convoluted government wallows down in internal strife, and has too soft a stance on black science. Plains States: Warlike barbarians, worthy of little more than disdain. You’re glad they aren’t really your neighbors; that’s the real reason you wouldn’t want to see the Union wholly destroyed. You don’t know their stance on black science, but they’re bad enough regardless. Appalachian Confederacy: Wholly irrelevant to you, except insofar as they distract or frustrate the Plains and Union. The Watch: The one part of the Union government that understands the correct priorities to help and protect the people of Earth. El Dorado: Rumor has it they have some sort of “White AI.” Is such a thing possible?

Key information: •If any way remains to stop the Second Dawn from launching, it would be by changing the Union governing party before the launch. You aren’t holding out hope, however. •The Kingdom has secretly been trading with the Great Lakes Pirates for many years, selling them weapons so that they’ll be a serious annoyance, especially to the Plains. Deniability has been easy, since they do prey on your ships sometimes regardless. •The nanomachines you’ve bought build stable tunnels through earth, nothing more or nothing less. Only really good for sapping and short-range spying, but that first might be crucial in a war involving heavy fusion tanks. •The two different Union political parties mean nothing to you, except insofar as the opposition Socialists hate the Second Dawn. Probably not on any principle, just because the plan came from their opponents.

People (in approximate order of importance): Raymond Latour (Adam K): A researcher (ruin delver) in the King’s service, but also a commando of some sort. You aren’t very clear on the details, which is something of a problem; he was added to the delegation at the last minute. He will be a useful ally, regardless. Jean Achard (Isaac H): Owner of Achard Shipping, a wealthy and powerful man whose company does some work for the government as well. The missing black sciences were shipped by his company, and he may or may not be personally complicit. Keep tabs on him, but there’s no need to rush to an arrest, especially since doing so tonight would be a mildly embarrassing show of disunity. Charles Bazett, Minister of the Borders (Paul E): The main diplomat of the Eastern Union government. You and he have talked a few times, and he’s an impressive character. Extremely competent, don’t try to make a fool of him unless you’re absolutely sure of what you’re doing. Quite opaque personally, in any case. Luther Gaines, Minister of the Watch (Kyle R): You don’t know him personally, but by all reports he believes in his work. If you start making inroads tonight on cooperation between the Watch and the Kingdom, you will have his loyalty sooner or later. Jonathan Grant, President of the Union (Ted M): The man behind the Second Dawn project, and therefore a man who has forgotten humankind’s tie to the earth. Clearly a dangerous fool, but it seems his people may be coming to that realization as well.\ Dierdre Lamprey (Emily B), Peter Dogfish (Bryce K): Names like those can only belong to Great Lakes Pirates. You haven’t the faintest idea what they’re doing here, especially as part of the Plains delegation. They’ll probably end up causing trouble, hopefully not for you. You might want to make sure they aren’t about to tell people about your nation’s arrangement with them. Elizabeth Rowell (Isabel K): You met this woman in New Hudson, at an upscale dinner party the governor was throwing. You remember the night in particular because one of the governor’s aides was found dead in his room – the stress was just too much and he had hanged himself. You and Elizabeth had gotten along quite well at dinner. She was somewhat of a flirt and you’re looking forward to becoming reacquainted with her. Artair Tinker, Minister of Sciences (Jed S): If he’s smart, he may work hard to oppose your political aims. Take his measure, and whatever steps you need. Eleanor Truman, Premier of Congress (Alison H): Head of the Union opposition; you have no particular respect for her, but she may prove a useful ally. Ryan Healey (Matt M): A Gaian priest from the Union, you’d be quite interested in learning about his beliefs. Supposedly his sect is quite focused on the ocean? Julia Dyer (Serin H): If she’s an agent of the Union’s Watch, she at least will be trying to catch users of black science. Is she a good Gaian, or does she do the job because of some hollow profane motive?

Ratings: Pilot: 0 R: 0 D: 1 G: 2

Nametag Symbols: P, D, B, R

Attributes: Physical: Defense 3 Pool Rating 3 [] [] [] Mental: Defense 4 Pool Rating 4 [] [] [] [] Social: Defense 3 Pool Rating 3 [] [] []

Recoveries: -Subtly disdain someone’s lack of Gaian faith (+1 point, 3/hour) -Make a deal that will further one of your political aims (+2 points, 1/hour) -Make a disparaging comment about the Second Dawn (+1 point, 2/hour)

Abilities: Penetrating Insight, suspect, convince, black ways, charm, oratory, very important person, familiarity

Items: Piece of jewelry, gadget, vial of glittering sand

Black Ways System: Any item with the “B” quality seems suspicious, potentially using black science. Only an extensive study of its workings or uses could verify this with complete certainty, so you will have to use your personal judgment tonight.

Familiarity System: Recognize a “Vial of glittering sand” item with the “N2” quality as being the tunneling nanites you’ve brought.