Second Dawn:Sydney Monroe
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This is a reference document for the LARP The Second Dawn.
Sydney Monroe Player: Caleb M New Providence Congressman Age: 40s
Additional information (read first) Union Government
Background: You’ve lived among the twisted old streets of New Providence for your entire life; you love this town and everything it stands for. Of course, you once thought it stood for tradition, wisdom, and hard work; but as the decades have rolled by, you’ve gained a different perspective. It still stands for hard work, sure; but it’s hard work of the mind and will, forcing the world to give you what it wants. You’re a man of ambition, after all, but you’ve come a long way and gotten what you wanted. Most of it, anyways… so far. Your parents were factory workers, but you always wanted more out of life. After years of work and publicity and grassroots network-building, you finally got elected to Congress 8 years ago, distinguishing yourself from the other Socialist candidates by not actively opposing the Second Dawn project. Down in New Hudson, you wielded that same skill at coalition-building and support-gathering, slowly gathering the respect of your peers and the concomitant influence. As a moderate Socialist you became a powerful swing vote, always courted by Capitalists in need of votes. Unfortunately, that plan stopped working two years ago in 326, when your own party finally came into an absolute majority. One or two new votes hardly makes a difference to the Capitalists these days, and the Socialists have enough without you. You can’t get rid of that reputation; if you just abandon your old position, you’ll look pathetically unprincipled, and you’ll end up at best with no more power than every other Socialist congressman. Luckily, your friend and campaign contributor Rosetta Jones has given you a great idea, a way to turn that to your advantage. Word is that the construction workers down at the Second Dawn’s site have been growing increasingly unhappy over the cost-cutting imposed by the Socialist congress; they’ve been considering banding together and refusing to work in protest. If you take a stand in their favor, you can be seen as a Champion of the Common Man. Maybe you can gain extra credit by resolving the situation too. Maybe it’ll piss off some people in Congress and the government, but you can deal with that. After all, you’re rather sick of your current situation. First off, a lot of people think you want to be President. You have floated the idea, paid people to float it for you; you make an appealing candidate because of your moderate positions. But you’ve decided more recently that it would be a terrible idea. Everyone hates you, you have to stay in the spotlight every waking minute, you get thrown out of office after a decade, maybe you die; it’s a rough life. You are sick of Congress though; you’ve gotten as far as you can in that boat. What you want now is to become one of the five Ministers. Competition is high, but if you can lever people in just the right way, you might be able to get one of those jobs. You doubt any of them are opening today, but getting one of the current Ministers (or the President-to-be) to set you up as their successor would be perfect. Of course, politics isn’t an end unto itself; it’s a means to an end, a way to win and earn power… and it isn’t the only route to power. You’ve been hearing recently about the Star Brothers (sometimes called the Church of the Celestial Host), one of the Old Faiths, teaching a most intriguing philosophy. Their members, the Star Brothers, teach that great and powerful entities beyond human imagination live out beyond the Shroud; we must prove ourselves worthy of these powerful celestial beings so that we can earn their blessing rather than fear their contempt. Strange stuff, but it fits well with your faith that the strong get what they deserve; and in the times of the Second Dawn, is it really so strange to think about what lies beyond the earth? It turns out that the leader of the Star Brothers, Isaiah Whittaker, lives right here in New Providence, so you sent him a letter and will be meeting him tonight. You’ve long supported the Second Dawn; with your credentials and the wealth you can offer, you know you’ll be able to win your way in. That is, after all, what you want.
Roleplaying notes: You are a slick political machine; you do have political principles, but mostly because it’s useful to have the reputation of a principled politician. You aren’t a heartless person, just someone whose worldview focuses on will and strength; if you’re capable enough to get what you want, you’ve earned it. You can be arrogant and impatient, but you know those are flaws and try to avoid them. Personally, you know you can come across a little dry sometimes, so you enjoy the company of people who help you lighten up.
Goals: 1) Quickly earn, buy or win a high rank among the Star Brothers. 2) Acquire a major Cabinet post, or become the appointed successor to one. 3) Become the patron of the new labor organization. 4) Avoid becoming the next President of the Eastern Union.
Opinions Second Dawn: You’ve always supported it, and it truly does fascinate you. Your own party’s decisions to trim its funding have caused a lot of anger here in New Providence. Space: Surely something lives there above the Shroud; maybe the Star Brothers are right. Perhaps the old humans are gone, or they have become these terrible celestial creatures themselves? Black Science: Frightening stuff. You have a nephew whose burns will never heal after accidentally playing with some relic of the path of power that washed up on the shore. Tinkers: You don’t like them, and they don’t like most people. Still, they do a lot of good for the nation. Religion: Before the Church of the Celestial Host, you’d never found one that appealed to you.
Key Information •Your main sources of political leverage are: your popular and Congressional support as a well-known moderate; the (fundamentally incorrect) assumption that you’re a Presidential candidate; and the workers’ strike. •You would most prefer to become Minister of the Borders or Watch. Science is impossible since you aren’t a Tinker; Army is near-impossible since you aren’t in the Army. Interior is a dangerous job, since there’s always talk about assassinating him because of his election-oversight role; you might go for it, but it’s your last choice. •Isaiah Whittaker heads the Star Brothers, the Church of the Heavenly Host. You want to ascend straight into their upper ranks tonight, and are willing to offer much to get what you want.
People (in approximate order of importance) Rosetta Jones (Suzanne G): She started as a campaign contributor, but after a few of her parties you two became fast friends. Her personality is very different, laid-back and fun-loving, but that’s a big part of why you enjoy her company. She’s very smart. Isaiah Whittaker (Joey B): A local citizen and head of the Star Brothers. Convince him to induct you into his cult, via offerings of political favors, tales of your support for the space mission, more direct donations, or pure personal charm. Mario Patriarca (Paul S): Head of the construction team, he’s surely the brains behind their strike. He may not be expecting your support, which will make it all the more valuable. Charles Bazett, Minister of the Borders (Paul E): Rumored to be an extremely intelligent and capable man, he’s held the post for a long 15 years. Luther Gaines, Minister of the Watch (Kyle R): The least-tenured among the Ministers, he’s rumored to be poorly-liked because of his (largely successful) efforts to expand the Watch’s power in Cabinet. Margaret Eisenhower, Minister of the Interior (Abbie P): She’s rumored to be tenacious and clever, but you find her post least appealing among the three viable options. Jonothan Grant, President of the Eastern Union (Ted M): This idealist has managed to hold the Cabinet’s support for a long time despite the growing unpopularity of some of his policies. For all the support you’ve given his pet project, he might be convinced to return a few favors. Edgar Stafford (Nate F): One of Mayor Jefferson’s senior aides. Without the mayor here, you can and should try to heap as much blame as possible on his shoulders for anything wrong around the city. Eugene Kennedy (Simon M): Franklin’s son, he’s rumored to be a member of the Star Brothers. It’s always good to befriend well-connected people. Franklin Kennedy (Matt W): President Grant’s influential Chief of Staff. Maybe you can help him and his son mend fences, that’ll earn you some favors. You heard his wife just died too, so best be gentle with him. Edward Archibald (?): A do-nothing socialite here in New Providence, his old-money name isn’t worth alienating, though he’s never been much of a political contributor. Kathleen Penland (Katie G): Her reclusive family has long owned the Green Fox, a hugely successful restaurant, bar and nightclub in the city. You’ve never met any of them personally, but they go back a long way in Providence. Jill Deasey (Kendra T): Her family owns a wealthy railroad-parts factory, they’re mostly Capitalist supporters but aren’t too partisan. You’ve never met her.
Ratings: Pilot: 0 R: 0 D: 1 G: 2
Nametag Symbols: E, Q, B
Attributes: Physical: Defense 3 Pool Rating 3 [] [] [] Mental: Defense 3 Pool Rating 2 [] [] Social: Defense 3 Pool Rating 4 [] [] [] []
Recoveries: -Gain something from manipulating your rumored presidential aspirations (+1 point, 3/hour) -Visibly attempt to overcome one of the personal flaws of which you are aware: dry, arrogant or impatient (+1 point, 2/hour) -Speak in political doublespeak (+2 points, 1/hour)
Abilities: Penetrating insight, oratory, very important person, charm, entice, suspect, Evasive (x2)
Items: Piece of Jewelry (x2), Pouch of coins, Molded plastic piece
