Second Dawn: Ryan Healey

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

Ryan Healey Player: Matt M Priest of the Ocean Age: 30ish

Additional information (read first): Eastern Union Politics, Society of Spelunkers

Background: You were born in Raleigh county, part of the Southern Eastern Union. Your father was involved in local politics, and your mother was very involved in the Gaian church. It is from her that you first learned to have a quiet faith and reverence for the living Earth. All of the earth has life, not just the animals and plants. The rocks, and the waters, and the wind all have their own spirits and intelligence as part of the whole, the greater life called Gaia. You grew up being active in Gaian life. You attended services, helped out with fundraisers, and worked on cleanup efforts of poisoned land. Although the Gaian religion is not the dominant one in Raleigh, there was a small and thriving community. As you grew older, you took on more and more of a leadership role in that community. Four years ago, you were given the official title of priest by the council of elders. You are currently the youngest priest in the Southern Eastern Union, a fact of which you can be proud. You’ve been proud of the way you can inspire your people to see the connections between themselves and the earth they live in, to take meaning from small things, and to see the awesome beauty of life all around them. Your church has grown, and attracted many young people. However, you’ve recently had a revelation which is putting you at odds with established theologians in the Gaian church. In addition to being a priest, you’re also a bit of an amateur spelunker. You haven’t done a lot of exploration of ancient places, but you’ve dabbled a bit. Your experience eight months ago was truly mind-boggling. You were diving in an isolated part of the Albermarle sound when you heard sounds which sounded unmistakably like speech. “This way”, you heard a voice say. You looked around, but no one was in the water with you. Again, the words were repeated. “This way.” You started swimming in the direction that the voice indicated. You were diving down, deeper than you ever had before. Just as you were considering turning back, you spotted something glittering on the ocean floor. It was a metal container, large, round, and buried in the sand. You dug around it and were able to dislodge it. It was impossibly heavy, but you carried it to the surface with you. It was some piece of ancient technology obviously, although what it was far was unclear to you. That was the first of many experiences listening to the ocean. It is hard to describe exactly how the ocean speaks. It isn’t as simple as human speech, although it seemingly can communicate quite directly and succinctly occasionally in very short phrases. But most of the time it is more of a song, a repeating flowing series of verses. You have always know that the ocean is alive- but you had not realized before that it was sentient. It has become clear to you that the ocean does not think at all in the way that humans do. It is so much vaster than any one person, contains so much more life within it, that its thoughts are very complicated, consisting of many parts. It does not stay ‘in synch’ with itself the way that people do – you believe that it simultaneously contains many thoughts and can carry on many conversations. Although you have found that by careful listening you are able to decipher much of what it says, it is unclear to you how well it can understand you in response. It certainly does not respond to direct spoken questions. You believe it may be able to better understand a group of people, who both move and speak, and repeat themselves several times. However – and here lies your problem – you have yet to have found anyone else who can understand the ocean the way you do. You have been teaching to your church community that the ocean is sentient and can communicate even with small parts of Gaia such as ourselves. It was on a trip to the ocean to show some of your more pious members that you discovered that none of them could hear what you do. You haven’t stopped your teachings, but the lack of a confirmation is troubling you. The county’s senior Gaian theologians have sent you a letter that your teachings have not been in line with their doctrine, and have asked you to provide further evidence of the ocean’s independent sentience or to desist. The ocean itself has something it would like your assistance with. It wishes for people to be living underneath its waters again, as they did in the time of the Ancients. It has told you of a place called Manhattan, where an entire city lies beneath its waves, waiting to be repopulated. Houses, and tall buildings, lay fallow, complete with ancient amenities but unused by any. The ocean would like to see them filled with life again. You have done some research, and this Manhattan is indeed a real place of the ancients, to the north of you and on the coast. It would take a large amount of funding to be able to make it habitable for people again, but you think it may be possible. You can think of two ways that people could return to living under the ocean. The first is through some sort of ancient technology which allowed people to live under the water. The second would be to enclose the buildings in some sort of air tight bubble. Serendipity has struck your life, in the way that renews your faith in Gaia. You have been invited to attend the launch of the Second Dawn in the Northern Eastern Union. The Minister of the Interior is a Gaian, and he wished to have the blessing of a priest to see the ship to safety; it seems he asked for you specifically, since he too comes from Raleigh and had heard of your ocean-centered preachings. This visit to the North is giving you numerous opportunities to meet with the sort of important government officials who could help with your plan. Repopulating Manhattan would be a large project, the kind best undertaken by governments. You may be able to convince Jonathan Grant that now that his current project is done, yours would be a good project to start. Alternately, everyone knows that the Ministers have a great deal of power; if one of them wished to give this project the go-ahead, that would work as well. Finally, there must be a lot of displaced workers now that the ship construction project is done. They may be disgruntled if they do not have other jobs lined up – your project is the sort of public works project which could employ many people for years to come. If none of the officials can see the wisdom of this, you may be able to convince the workers themselves to agitate for it. Additionally, this launch is taking place right on the ocean. There may be others here that have been able to communicate with the ocean as you do. If you could find some others who knew the ocean was sentient, that could help your situation with the higher ups in the Gaian church. The launch is also giving you an opportunity to assist your father. He has risen in the political arena and is now the governor of Raleigh County. He is more than a little offended that not a single official representative from the Southern Eastern Union was invited to this ship launch, when ambassadors from foreign countries were invited. He feels – and you can’t help but agree – that the northern Eastern Union makes no real attempt to meet the needs of its Southern residents. Although you pay the same taxes, you do not get the same services. Nor do you get the same good trade deals, nor as many exotic goods from the Maple Kingdom. Jonathan Grant has done nothing for the South; he has poured all these resources into launching a ship into space and has not taken care of his people in Raleigh. As Gaians, you don’t even support a ship launch – it’s like an overt announcement that this beautiful living Earth isn’t good enough! But thankfully, there is another election on the horizon. Perhaps this time the President will be someone who cares about the southern Union more than blasting into space. Your father asked you to interview the candidates – see who has the most knowledge and desire to help out the South, and report back to him. You have one more problem. You brought that metal canister with you to the north, and when you got here, you showed it to another Spelunker to whom you were referred, a construction worker named Russ O’Malley. He was able to identify it alright- it’s an ancient weapon, dangerous and indestructible, a weapon forged from the path of decay. When you heard this, you first thought to throw it back into the ocean – but the ocean led you to it in the first place. Regardless, you want to get rid of it: quickly, discreetly, and for a good price (think of the funding you could offer to help start your Manhattan project!), but you’d really like to sell it someone that you feel confident will not use it for evil purposes. You definitely do not want to leave with it tonight – the longer you hold it, the more likely it’ll get found, and your career would be over if it got out that you had such a thing in your possession.

Roleplaying Notes: You are serious about your beliefs – it is clear to you whenever you look upon the Earth that she is alive and whole. You were genuinely surprised to learn that the ocean is actively sentient and communicative, despite your Gaian beliefs, but now that you realize this you very much want the world to know the truth. You can be a quietly powerful and persuasive speaker.

Goals: 1) Find other people that can communicate with the ocean and verify your experiences to the Gaian church elders. 2) Get government support or other funding to repopulate Manhattan. 3) Sell your weapon to someone who you think won’t use it for ill 4) Determine which presidential hopeful has the best interests of the southern Union at heart.

Opinions: Second Dawn: A waste of governmental resources, and worse, an admission that Gaia is not good enough for people, you find the Second Dawn a rather offensive project. Religion: You are a devout Gaian priest, who has started his own ocean sect. Black Science: You’ve had little contact with black science, until now. You know that much of the ancient technology are things better not known. El Dorado: From what you here, these people seem to be living by Gaian principles, even though they are entirely disconnected from outside civilization. An amazing testament to the living Earth! Maple Kingdom: A Gaian theocracy. You have actually never met anyone from the Maple Kingdom before tonight, as they do not usually get as far south as Raleigh County. You are curious if their Gaian beliefs are roughly equivelant to yours, and would be delighted to speak with some Maple Kingdom citizens. Northern Eastern Union: These people too often forget that they are only half of a country. Southern Eastern Union: You are fond of your home and people, and are troubled by their marginalization in the Eastern Union government. The Appalchian Confederacy: This is a very small and disorganized country, little more than just a collection of people who live in the mountains. Tinkers: Secretive and insular people. They know much about technology, but you don’t know much about them. The Watch: They branch of the government focused on exposing black science. It would be especially bad if they found out you had an ancient weapon.

Key Information: •The ocean started communicating with you 8 months ago. •Manhattan is underwater, and the ocean wants people to return to it. The ideal solution would be to get someone high in the Union government to make it a public works project. The President (whomever will be after the next elections) could authorize this, as could the Cabinet or the Premier of Congress. •The ocean made mention of a “JD” that She wanted to thank. •High tide will occur exactly 1 hour after the start of game. You must go to the lifeboat room to listen to the ocean at this time. •While you are a member of the Society of Spelunkers, you are more of a hobbyist, occasionally exploring a few local sites. •The Minister of the Interior invited you here tonight to bless the Second Dawn’s launch from the sea. •You bought your “water-worn seerstone” from another Spelunker because it came from Manhattan Bay. •You want to get rid of your Ancient weapon quickly but discretely, and for fair (i.e., significant) compensation. •Once you learned what your find was, you looked back over some minor relics you grabbed on that dive. You deciphered something that must have been instructions for activating the weapon- you memorized them, then destroyed it. Therefore, only you know how to activate it; a thief would be unable to use it.

People (in approximate order of importance): Margaret Eisenhower, Minister of the Interior (Abbie P): You’ve never met her before, but you’ve heard she’s from Raleigh as well. He may be more inclined to help you with your project since he’s also a Gaian, and perhaps to help you navigate the political scene. Russ O’Malley (Santo S): A Spelunker here around New Providence, he helped you identify the weapon; you’ve promised him a cut, in exchange for his help and secrecy. He’s a construction worker on the Second Dawn. Jean Archard (Isaac H): You’ve heard of him in whispered tones, a man who trades in black science. He may be able to help you sell your find. Jackie Drake (Sheyna G): The most famous spelunker of them all! You are looking forward to meeting her tonight. Candace Glenn Hood (Marsha M): A spelunker from the Appalachian Country, you hear she gets her living by selling what she finds. Jonathan Grant, President of the Eastern Union (Ted M): He’s an idealist and in favor of large projects. He’ll have a riot on his hands if those dockworkers aren’t given some other job afterwards, which may be incentive for him to fund your repopulation of Manhattan idea. Artair Tinker, Minister of Sciences (Jed S): Another person to run your Manhattan idea by – he’s a Tinker, so he likes technology. You’ve never met one before in person, they rarely socialize with non-Tinkers. Conrad Gaudet, ambassador from the Maple Kingdom (David C): A Gaian like you, you’d like to meet him and find out more about Gaian beliefs in the Maple Kingdom. Donald Baxter (Jerry S): A local merchant, you have never met him and know little about him, but he may know someone who would wish to purchase the weapon you found, if he can be trusted with something so secret. Rutledge the White (Michelle B) The priest/leader of those zeppelin people. From what you hear, their principles seem similar to Gaian principles. You’d like to speak with her and exchange ideas and find out more about her beliefs. Erin Clarkson (Lauren A), Daniel Rutledge (Constantine H): Two other zeppelin people with whom you could speak about the similarity of their beliefs to Gaian beliefs. Perhaps even you could gain some converts! Mario Patriarca (Paul S), Rawle James Kershwin (Sean C), William Cone (Richard S), Elizabeth Rowell (Isabel K): These are some of the workers that will be out a job when the Second Dawn takes off, plus O’Malley. It might be possible to mobilize them to agitate the government for a new public works project – your Manhattan one! Candace Glen Hood (Marsha M), Jill Deasey (Kendra T): Other Spelunkers, you only know of them because you checked around to see what members would be at the party.

Ratings: Pilot: 0 R: 3 D: 2 G: 2 (Note: the effect of your weapon has already been applied to your R rating, see Items)

Nametag Symbols: E, S, L

Attributes: Physical: Defense 3 Pool Rating 2 [] [] Mental: Defense 3 Pool Rating 3 [] [] [] Social: Defense 3 Pool Rating 3 [] [] []

Recoveries: -Surprise someone, or gain some advantage from, your illness or change in medicines (+1 point, 3/hour) -Play off one Minister against another in some way (+2 points, 1/hour) -Do something differently because it’s your last day alive (+2 points, 1/hour)

Abilities: Charm, awe, commune with ocean, southern accent, penetrating insight, entice, leadership, oratory, monitor, monitor readings

Items: Molded plastic piece, extremely heavy cylinder, water-worn seerstone, decay monitor

Monitor Readings System: This is the key for interpreting the readings of your Monitor ability. Your decay monitor picks up the amount of harmful emanations (from the black science path of decay) from a person or object. 0 = no decay 1 = minor decay 2 = significant decay 3 = severe decay 4+ = life-threatening

Southern Accent System: Any character with the “S” symbol speaks with the accents and rhythms of the southern Eastern Union. Any character without such a symbol definitely isn’t, the accent just isn’t quite right.

Commune with Ocean System: While the launch platform is quite noisy, you may be able to communicate with the ocean if you try. See a GM.