Second Dawn:Walter Palmer

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

Walter Palmer Player: Ilya M Plains States ambassador Age: 50s

Additional information (read first): Plains States, Seerstones

Background: You were born in Pittsburgh County, on the very western edge of the Eastern Union. In those days, the Warlord of Akron held the other side of the border, keeping the Union as a benign trading partner to his benefit against other warlords farther west. Your parents were craftspeople, a bricklayer and a patrolman. Your two best friends were Kara Atkinson and Bradley Hays, each of them a child of one of your parents’ coworkers. You had your youthful adventures, playing Ancients in the dusty creek in the summertime, and all such usual things. As you grew up, the three of you inevitably began to grow apart in some ways, but even as you worked as a carpenter and your friends began their own apprenticeships in their mid-teens, you still gathered to share stories, beer and good times. You’ll never forget your last night on the edge of Pittsburgh, 18 years old. It was Kara’s last night in town, before some fancy scholarship was going to take him up to New Hudson. The three of you gathered for one final night’s party, shooting the nighttime breeze one last time, using Kara’s expensive new recording device to take some moving pictures of you three together. It had rained recently, and the creek was full of muddy, fast-moving water. The three of you got in a drunken argument; Brad’s ex-girlfriend, a wonderful gal named Lucy, had been pursuing Kara, and rumor had it the two of them were having a wild time together these past few nights. There was a little scuffle between the three of you, nothing truly serious until Brad hit his head on a rock when he went down, and ended up in the creek. Both you and Kara panicked and ran; but a few moments later, you stopped and went back. You looked at Brad, and realized that he was already dead; Kara had killed him. Drunken, sad and enraged, you realized that if his body were found, Kara’s precious career would be ruined. So, you covered for your accidentally-killing friend, rolling Brad’s body into the rushing river, so that there would be no signs of foul play when his body was found. To your endless anger, Kara left for her trip without a word the next morning, and never contacted you again. Brad’s body was found a few days later, of course, and you just couldn’t stand being around the grief. Simmering with anger at Dan, you left behind your apprenticeship and struck out on your own, heading westwards over the plains, crossing the border into Akron. You started a new life there, as if you were some proud adventurer, hiring on to the Warlord’s army. Your knowledge with the Union and its ways led you to leadership and communications positions in that border army, as a few years passed. After some personal disagreements with Union-hating generals there, you went westwards, moving from one feudal state to the next until you settled in St. Louis, again joining the local warlord’s services as a diplomat and envoy. When Minneapolis’ forces approached in 312, you made an unwise gamble, but it paid off; you snuck out of the city walls, and betrayed St. Louis’ defenses to the Minneapolis army. You demanded to see Cordelia Wayne personally (though not alone, they never would’ve allowed that), so when your information proved useful, she’d remember the man who’d brought it. That was the beginning of a long and successful career working for the Minneapolis government- or, as it’s become more recently, the Plains States government. Having the personal confidence of Wayne gives you a lot of mileage there; she’s a reclusive, private woman, surprisingly shy, yet also a strong general and leader. You’ve earned her personal trust in your 26 years in her service, and you know she’d only send a person whose loyalty and judgment she trusts on a mission like this. On the surface, this is a diplomatic mission, a state visit to observe the launch of the Second Dawn. The Union has spent so much money and resources on this ship, both their military and economy have suffered. This leaves two obvious reasons the Plains to capitalize on them. Unless they can give you a good reason not to, the Plains plans to invade the Eastern Union this spring. Wayne trusts your judgment, so the decision you make tonight may determine the outcome of war and peace on the continent for years to come. Personally, you do hope for war, to spread the strong but just rule of Cordelia Wayne across more of the continent; compared to the Union’s infighting and the petty power-hunger of other warlords, she really will be a benevolent ruler. Still, if the Union does make major concessions, you shouldn’t just attack them regardless; it’s good to be known as a nation that sticks to its treaties. Treaties only say what they say, of course, even when they do exist- and none stands now between the Plains and the Union. That’s why your second mission is to get President Jonothan Grant killed. Whether or not the future holds war, you want the Eastern Union weak and disorganized, and a political assassination always helps. If they realize the source, they may get angry at the Plains, but you’re considering war anyways; if you manage to make them think it was the opposition political party, all the better.. Your two official companions, while useful, aren’t killers; you should have an agent in place tonight, though her loyalty to the Union isn’t entirely certain. Lastly, you heard some years ago that the Minister of the Army was a woman named Kara Atkinson. You weren’t sure before tonight, but now that you’ve laid eyes on her, you can see that she’s the same old Kara who killed Brad long ago.

Roleplaying notes: You are a smooth political operator, willing to cut (mostly proverbial) throats to get what you want. While you do have some standards, you believe that the ends justify the means, and you don’t stop to philosophize. You are friendly if not actually charming, clever and cunning if not actually brilliant. You have a suspicious mind, always alert for threats and disloyalty. Not only is it better to be over-prepared than unprepared, but while you’re no longer a betrayer, you remember quite well what it was like to be one.

Goals: 1) Get the President of the Eastern Union killed. 2) Receive major concessions from, or start a war against, the Eastern Union. 3) Confront your old friend Kara about the death of Bradley Hays. 4) Determine what else, if anything, your assistants and agents are up to.

Opinions: Second Dawn: It is quite impressive to see, no doubt there. But it’s a sign of the cluelessness and division of the Union government that they’d bother building such a thing. Black Science: Supposedly dangerous stuff, but you see those fears as largely superstition. There’s probably some kernel of truth to it, but you could be convinced to look the other way if there were a good reason to do so. Religion: Your family was Gaian, but you’ve never been one for religion yourself. Tinkers: The secret backbone of the Eastern Union, they hold the powerful sciences that make the Union’s living standards and armies what they are. Space: No way will the Union find anything useful up there. Eastern Union: Corrupt, divided, and soft. Their leaders are too concerned with their endless struggle for power against each other, to the loss of their people. You will either force them to make serious concessions, or invade. Their military is slightly more advanced than yours, with better weapons, logistics and fusion engines for their tanks; their real long-term advantage is their production capacity. Maple Kingdom: Not an immediate threat, but not worth antagonizing, since their commandoes are legendary. Maybe you can get them to support you in the coming war. Appalachian Confederacy: If they become your allies, or if you conquer them first, you’ll open up a much wider border with the Eastern Union. That could be extremely useful if you’re going to be the aggressor in the coming war. Earn their trust or absorb them, but the former will be much quicker. Right now, the people on the border engage in a brisk and profitable trade of grain for moonshine. (Their liquor is the best, no doubt there.) Great Lakes Pirates: A persistent annoyance to your people, they prey on shipping along the Great Lakes, which is predominantly yours. You’d love a way to deal with them more permanently, but they’re both elusive and well-equipped. El Dorado: Who are these people? You’ve never heard of them before yesterday. Are they a threat to the Plains, another land to conquer, or something else?

Key Information: •If the Union won’t meet your demands, you intend a full-scale war against them; your standing army is far superior, you need to take full advantage of that before the Union drags its sciences into the war. •The Union government is split into two parties the Capitalists and Socialists, making it easy to play them against each other. The President and Second Dawn belong to the Capitalist party. •When you were 18, your friend Kara Atkinson killed your friend Bradley Hays after a drunken fight, and you rolled his body into the creek to protect her career. There was a visual record, but you have no idea what became of it. •The following are concessions you’d like to try and force the Union to make, from most valuable to least valuable: Tinkers (supposedly to come help you build railroads and such, but you would enslave and interrogate). Military technology. Significant tribute payments. Concrete assistance with the Lake Pirates. Significant infrastructure technology (advanced seerstones, laser communicators for the new Second Dawn satellite, better fusion reactors, etc). •A pair of Great Lakes Pirates are here, and according to the invitation list, they’re supposed to be part of your delegation for some reason. You’d rather not simply admit that they aren’t, as the mistake would look bad for you. You need to find out how this happened first, have someone else to shift the blame onto. •Your two secret loyalists here are the assassin Elizabeth Rowell, and Margaret Eisenhower, Minister of the Interior.

People (in approximate order of importance): Olan Hyndman (David R): Cordelia’s greatest general. You find him quite impressive, a strong leader and excellent strategist, though you wonder if he has some mission of his own here aside from the obvious. Still, he too has Cordelia’s personal trust, and that’s worth a lot. Edward Dockrill (Dan S): Your new assistant, just a for the last month or two. A quiet helpful type, just the right kind of person to seek and do well in his job. You have no reason to believe he’s up to anything more than he seems, but you don’t need a reason to suspect somebody. Elizabeth Rowell (Isabel K): A construction worker on the Second Dawn, and your assassin. She was recruited in the field by another agent, George Stavraky, a few years years ago; she’s never even been to the Plains, so you don’t know if she can be trusted. Stavraky died last year while attempting to infiltrate the Maple Kingdom, but his reports spoke highly of Rowell. Kara Atkinson, Minister of the Army (Hillary K): You haven’t seen her since the night she killed Brad then left town without a word. You can’t let that rest, but you need to keep the personal and public separate tonight. Kara may be your opponent now in many ways, but at the end of the day, your personal issues with her aren’t the reasons you’ve become loyal to the Plains. Jackie Drake (Sheyna G): A famous Spelunker, she’s got a share of Wayne’s favor. Her fame makes her a valuable diplomatic asset, people want to listen to her. You don’t know her well personally, though you distrust her like you do anyone else. Dierdre Lamprey (Emily B), Peter Dogfish (Bryce K): These two are obviously Great Lakes Pirates, who somehow managed to get on the official invitation list as part of your delegation. Making a public issue of it will only make you into a laughingstock; maybe you can buy them off or find some private way to take care of (or make use of) them? Charles Bazett, Minister of the Borders (Paul E): The chief diplomat of the Eastern Union. He’s an extremely smart man, but no amount of intelligence can outwit the truth of the international situation. Margaret Eisenhower, Minister of the Interior (Abbie P): She’s grown so dissatisfied with the way the Union is run that she’s become loyal to the Plains! You’re not entirely sure of her sincerity, but the value of a Minister as even a half-hearted ally is enormous, so it may not be worth pushing her too hard. Conrad Gaudet, Ambassador from the Maple Kingdom (David C): You don’t know much about him, but you may be able to make him useful. His government has some philosophical problems with the Union, maybe you can nudge those into more overt opposition. Don’t push too hard, though; his nation would be a troublesome thorn if angered. Jefferson Lee Wharton, Ambassador from the Appalachian Confederacy (Albert L): He seems like a clueless hick, but the Apps wouldn’t have sent him if he weren’t good at this. He surely has something up his sleeve. Try and find a way to get his nation to join your side, or get him out of your way. Rutledge the White (Michelle B): The mysterious leader of this new land, El Dorado. You must find out from her or her assistants how they’ll factor into the future of this nation. Haley Jean Cole (Xephyr Z): Dockrill’s old girlfriend, according to rumor.

Ratings: Pilot: 1 R: 0 D: 3 G: 2

Nametag Symbols: P, D, B, G

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

Recoveries: -Test someone’s loyalty, subtly or overtly (+3 points, 1/hour) -Argue, or vehemently refuse to argue, with Kara about your past (+2 points, twice ever) -Threaten someone with the Plains’ military might (+1 point, 3/hour)

Abilities: penetrating insight, entice, suspect, fisticuffs, attack, evasive (x2), whom do you serve, citizens of the plains, very important person

Items: Knife, molded plastic piece

Citizens of the Plains System: You can identify any character with the “P” symbol as being from the Plains States.