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Cargo Bay 4: A call to action (new arrivals welcome)

Posted Jan. 8, 2020, 12:42 a.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Erikk Mendez (Chief Science Officer) (Cass Young)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sathut (Counselor) in Cargo Bay 4: A call to action (new arrivals welcome)

Posted by Commander D’Vash Odinson (First Officer) in Cargo Bay 4: A call to action (new arrivals welcome)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Erikk Mendez (Chief Science Officer) in Cargo Bay 4: A call to action (new arrivals welcome)
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
“Yes, this is a staging area. I have created an adventure similar to an ancient earth game called ‘dungeons and dragons.’ As a part of that, I would like you to try out one of the features of the Mind Chamber which is exclusive to it and not within the Holodeck program. Perception alteration.”

Ishtar, as bashful as she was about it, had engaged in her fair share of DnD campaigns throughout her Freshman year at Starfleet Academy; the thought of revisiting those memories brought both a rosy hue to her cheeks and anticipation to her gaze.

He waved his hand, and instead of the cat they were used to seeing, a broad shouldered human man with dark skin sat in the chair. He opened his mouth, and out came the same voice. “We are able, with this technology, to bypass the sensory processing neurons and make the mind believe that it is contained within a much different body than one may be used to. You will see a menu before you with some choices. Please, choose one.”

As he said it, a scrolling menu appeared with pictures and names before each of them. They wouldn’t see the menus before the others, giving them a hint that Sathut’s arm waving was likely interaction with a menu of his own. It contained human, elf, dwarf, halfling, dragonborn, tiefling, and more. Including options to make them appear like the four races of Galdor. And several Federation alien species!

Sathut, CNS

“I had never imagined you as a human, Sathut, but this seems.. oddly suiting.” The difference in his body and voice would take some getting used to, but that was all part of the fun.

Waving her hand, Nhamashal scrolled through the various options set before her. In her days as a DnD player, she had often chosen the Halfing race; they were soft and somewhat fragile on the outside, but the longer the campaign went, the deeper into their complexity the player could delve. Despite her familiarity with the Halfling species, the Dragonborn was teasing her from the corner of her gaze. She had not attempted such a creature before, despite its popularity among those she had campaigned with. It was a new environment, this mind chamber, so she figured she’d go out on a limb and take a risk.

A Dragonborn selected, Ishtar’s dark skin faded into reptilian scales tainted the deepest of bronze, as if bearing the faintest similarity to her human form. Her uniform, useless in its diminutive size, had been rid of in favour of standard armor suitable for a creature as massive as were the Dragonborn people. In fascination, Nhamashal wiggled her fingers (whose nails had been replaced by onyx-tinged talons). “Most impressive,” She muttered, her mind split between the frivolous excitement of the young woman she was and the deep urge to comprehend the science behind it.

Ishtar Nhamashal, CSO

Sural did not appear to change much. Indeed his stature grew somewhat taller and his hair grew out, turning a more golden color and tied at the back revealing somewhat more pronounced ears and golden, rather than dark, eyes. His body filled out some even as his clothing changed to a silver-grey tunic that elongated the shoulders and came down in a triangular shape, that of a thicker weave than the loose trousers of the same color, if a touch darker and even darker calf high soft boots. Rather than a tricorder or tool of sorts an ornately carved staff that was a mix of a silver metal and polished wood.

Glancing at himself he allowed an Elven brow to rise. “Most logical,” he said, followed by “Fascinating” as he glanced at Ishtar’s altered appearance. Idly he wondered whether what they were was in any way matching ones’ inner personality.
Sural

D’vash watched the others, amused by what they had chosen. “Very fitting,” he said to both Ishtar and Sural. He began scrolling through the options and when something caught his eye, he made the selection.

As his image shifted, he appeared approximately the same size as he was in reality, but his uniform was replaced by a soft, supple black leather outfit, tight enough to enhance his build, yet loose enough not to restrict movement. On his torso was a sleeveless black vest, made of the same material that was attached to the hood that covered his head.

He opened the vest to reveal a number of pockets and pouches holding a myriad number of objects: lock picks, vials, a length of silk rope, and a small collapsible grappling hook. Strapped to one hip wear a phaser might normally hang was a one handed crossbow; the other held black scabbard from which the handle of a long sword appeared.

D’vash drew the sword to reveal an ebony black blade made of some unknown material. Satisfied, he slid the blade back in without the slightest of sounds.

In a very unlike Cmdr. Odinson phrase, he stated, “Let’s get this party started.

Odinson (XO)

Sathut nodded in approval, figuring out what the trio had turned themselves into.

“A Human, an Elf, and a Dragonborn. Which class option would you like to go with? You may also choose names for yourselves, although that is optional. When you are ready, we will begin,” the human Sathut spoke, standing up. His fingers began to play around with menus the others couldn’t see, setting up the beginning of the adventure.

“Some people might call me a thief, or a rogue. I prefer the acquistion specialist,” D’vash replied. “And simply refer to me as “Hood”.

“Oh,” Sathut touched a few buttons and his clothing shifted to some traditional DnD monk clothes. “I am a man who fights with his hands. You can call me Qi.”

Once they had all chosen and named their classes, Sathut nodded and began, waving his arm and pressing an invisible button.

The white room changed, becoming a tavern scene with the muted sounds. At a table a little ways away from the group there was an old, probably middle-aged, man. He was very short, probably a halfling, and a small glowing label over his head identified him to be “Garret Gamwich, your Employer.” They could hear the sound of thunder and heavy rain just outside the open door, and could even feel the dampness in their clothing. D’vash would feel particularly damp, his hood nearly dripping with water.

“Close the door, will ya!?” A gruff voice shouted, and looking at the source of the voice would show a group of grumpy looking dwarves. “Yer lettin’ in all the rain!”

Sathut stood adjacent to the trio, a grin on his face. “What do you think?”

Sathut

Under his hood, Hood smirked again. He moved in the direction of their employer, passing the dwarves. “A little rain might do you good. Might make you taller instead of wider.”

Hood (D’vash)

Sural had the compulsion to see his name in this .. program as Suravil. He recognized that he didn’t have much in the way of possessions but that he traveled ‘light’ as the humans would say. Rather than raising a brow at the comment of ‘Hood’ he pursed his lips instead. Insults were not something that engendered companionship. Evidently his personae was more applicable to wisdom than anything. Following along toward the fairly obvious ‘employer’ he kept his eyes on the people there. He was damp, yet his clothing had been relatively resistant given how he should have been soaked. His hair, however, was slick from the rain. The sounds of a tavern appeared to be universal - loud, with the smell of beer and cooked meat prevalent, only in this case mixed with that of a wood fire. His footfalls were light on the floor of worn wood and straw.
- Suravil

Ishtar had to leave unexpectedly, so Sathut quickly helped her get out of the program, then they continued.

Sathut stepped over to the man labeled as Garret and sat down at the table, then looked over to the human and ‘elf.’ “Good evening, my good sir.”

The halfling, who was quite elderly, looked up at Sathut, then over to Hood and Suravil. “Are ye’ my bodyguards?”

Sathut

“Depends,” Hood replied, his voice almost a whisper. “You the one paying us?”

As Garret answered, Hood’s eyes roamed the room, taking in all the details: where to take cover if trouble started, possible exits, anything that could be used as an impromptu weapon, if need be. Lastly, his gaze went from patron to patron, paying particular attention to their behaviors. If they were going to take on the role of bodyguards, it would be nice to know what they might be up against.

Hood (Acquisition specialist)

bump for Sural

Suravil shifted lightly on his feet. ‘Hood’ was looking around as if he was expecting trouble. Suravil had noted the patrons of the establishment on entering and determined them to be a varied crowd. Merchants, watchmen, tinkerers, laborers all milled about. He noted that most of those there were not showing particular affluence but were of a more base crowd. As his gaze moved to the Halfling again, he inquired, “What do you require guarding against?” As a Halfling who appeared to have a mercantile air to him would have no lack of resources for compensating them. “And for how long?” he added. A contract may be as simple as a walk across the town, or a much longer trek through the country. Suravil desired to know what duration of employment he was getting into, and to prepare accordingly. He leaned on the carved staff in his hands, his eyes following a buxom serving girl delivering pint mugs of a foaming ale to to men sitting in the shadows.
- Suravil

“If ye’ be the ones respondin’ to my summons, then ah guess ah’d be the one payin’ ye,” the Halfing grunted amicably to Hood, then turned to the elf with a slightly more serious look at all his questions. “As fer yer questions, elf, well, ah’ll be answerin’ that now. The destination is the Underdark. Ah’ve got me a shipment of salt ah bring down there an’ ah trade it fer the fungi they’d be growin’ down there to bring tha’ back up ‘ere. It’d be business as usual ‘cept the roads in the underdark ain’t as safe as ya might hope they’d be. Ah need bodyguards ta keep the beasties off me an’ ma donkey.”

Suravil’s brow rose. The Underdark. That was a destination not for the faint of heart. There were many varieties of fungi that grew in this world, and more down below. Suravil understood trade and that there was ‘some’ cross trading with the denizens of the Underdark. He simply had not believed that he would be one to travel there. Were there not places under the sun that one could explore, and evils to keep at bay there? Pretending to take thought of the answers while ‘Sam’ spoke up, the Elf looked around at the nearby tables. To one such as him, the mention of such a vile place, even if profitable, would that not cause some turning of heads?

It also gave him a moment to think. Salt for fungus. On the surface, pardon the pun, that was equitable, if one was to travel a short distance without overhead beyond extracting the salt. But to risk life and limb and pay others to mitigate that risk was something that bore more thought. Merchants were not stupid and knew the properties of what they traded. There was more to it than simply salt and fungus, he was certain of it. However, he had left his woodland home for ‘more’. To turn back from this simple ask was to deny what he had left home for. Besides he was hungry; work had been scarce of late and he needed the job.

Sathut nodded. “I would be one of those who signed up to help in your quest. The name is Samuel Higgins, but you can all just call me Sam,” he spoke, nodding to the other two. “I will be filling in as an additional party member, as I had originally planned this for more than just two participants.”

Sathut

“How many does one require to ensure a delivery of .. salt?” Suravil inquired to Sam.
Suravil

“Four or five would be the best. I usually hire more than what’s showed up this time, but I guess it’s fine,” Gamwich answered, interrupting Sam, who shrugged.

OOC: We can still hope for more!
OOC2: Ohhh Forgotten Realms …

OOC: Posted this in the wrong spot.

IC: Having surveyed the crowd, Hood took a seat at the table, not waiting for an invitation. He choose a position with his back to the wall and his vision to see every method of egress and ingress to the room. Some might call his behavior paranoid, he preferred the term, prepared.

“The Underdark, huh? I enjoy the dark and shadows as much as the next thie–person in my line of work, but this? This is more than just shadows–there is sure to be dark magic involved. I’m not a big fan of dark magic, especially when it’s directed at me.”

He paused a moment while thinking. “What’s the pay?”

Hood (not the Paranoid)

“Underdark isn’t all evil. The svirfneblin are a kind folk, although the Duergar push ‘em down. They’re an honest folk, they just happen to live, well, underground. Not a lot of Dark Magic in this branch of the underdark, I’ll be hones’ with ye. ‘cept for a few remnants of the old times. An’ the pay’ll be 10 GP per day, to be paid half each evening and the other half when we arrive safely on the other side. An, ifn’ y’all find any old places, ther’s likely to be plenty of extra gold to find in ruins.”

Sathut nodded. “Seems equitable. What do you think, men?”

Sathut, CNS

Underneath his cowl, Hood’s lips began to form into a smirk. “You pay for provisions as well, and I’m in. What do you think, Survail? Up for a little excursion into the dark domain?”

Hood

“You pay for your own food and board,” the halfling replied with a slight shake of his head.

Suravil considered the offer. The pay was generous for the work, for many would suggest silver rather than gold. That told him that their host was not precisely ‘on the level’ as one dockworker that he had been employed with had said. That had been a very short stint of work on the docks of Luskan. Suravil had been there only long enough to earn passage away on a caravan for the more southern regions of the Sword Coast. He thought Hood’s suggestion was equitable. Food and water was not expensive and they carried what else they required as a standard outfitting in the event of employment and adventure. Nodding his assent he replied, “I agree to this.” While the idea of accompanying a salt merchant was not precisely the most adventurous thing he had ever done, any possibility of ‘old places’ to explore was what ‘got him up in the morning’.
- Suravil

Sathut paused a second. “One moment, friends. I must depart.” The dark-skinned human froze in place as the counselor detached his consciousness from the program.

Outside, he gave a grin to the man who had just entered the Shuttle-craft within the cargo bay. “Erikk. Good to see you. Come on in and take a seat.”

What Erikk would see was a room the size of a shuttlecraft. This was no Holodeck experience. There were a total of seven chairs in the small chamber, each made quite comfortable. Six human-sized helmets sat in alcoves above six human-sized chairs, while the seventh chair was much smaller, fitted for Sathut’s biology, including a somewhat more complicated cranial device. As the one in charge of the simulation, he would need more complex control over the mental landscape the Mind-Room would allow him access to. Two of the human-sized chairs were occupied by what appeared to be a sleeping D’Vash and Sural, the XO and CE.

Sathut explained the situation to Mendez. What he saw before him was a piece of technology from Sathut’s homeworld called the Mind Chamber. Sathut explained that the chamber was a virtual reality simulation similar to the Holodeck, but which took over one’s senses to allow them a deeper immersion into the simulation. Once Mendez was plugged in, Sathut joined the simulation again and it resumed.

“Seems an awful big job for only a few men.” A quiet new voice piped up, “I shall go as well,” Dressed in an old, worn pair of pants and an equally worn tunic, the man who may or may not be recognized as the Lt (jg) Mendez, blended in perfectly, though the clothes were in fact just his off duty clothes. Not a costume. He had entered a few minutes prior, and had listened quietly in the shadows. Now he stepped forward revealing his presence to the others.

Mendez

Hood’s hand went to the hilt of his ebony blade as the newcomer approached. When he saw it was the ships new Chief science officer dressed in clothes not yet matching the setting they were in, he relaxed.

“Welcome, Lt. I think I can speak for everyone here, you’re welcome to come along, but remember in this little soiree there is no rank. I’m playing Hood, the team’s thi–acquisitions expert. Sathut is our new halfling employer, and Sural is playing Surival, an elven. . . wizard, or sorcerer? I’m not quite sure yet. He hasn’t had the chance to cast any spells, so far.”

Hood

Surival (spell check hates this name!!!) inclined his head. “Indeed. In our initiation to this simulation we were passed through a device that transformed us into our .. >>simulacrum that you see here. Sathut can assist from here to properly assimilate you into this. However, welcome.”
- Sural/Surival

A dark-skinned human lifted his hand. “I am Sathut. I am playing Samuel, a human monk.” This visage was quite different than his real body, being a six-foot tall human instead of the four-foot alien he actually was. He moved his fingers and the sound of the tavern stopped. “The benefit of the Mind Chamber is that one can become something different than what they are. Erikk, you can be anything you wish to be. Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Orc… And decide on your fighting style.”

Sathut, CNS

Erikk’s eyebrows knit themselves together, half the creatures listed to him were unfamiliar, and wondered if Elf was another word for Vulcan. In the end he decided to keep it simple and chose to remain human. Something he knew and understood seemed a resonable choice considering he had a basic understanding of this mind game the other officers were playing. As he made his choices his appearence changed, his hair shortened until it sat just above his shoulders, his pants grew darker, and his tunic turned into a plain cotton shirt covered by a hide vest. Hide gauntlets appeared on his writs and his shoes turned into boots. A brown belt with a pouch and tiny scaboard hung around his waist. Finally, a quiver of arrows appeared on his back, and a long bow in his hand.

“I will play Faran, a human ranger.” He said eventually, finding that part the hardest out of all the other choices. Initially, to save trouble, he had thought to dub his character ‘Kieran’ like his brother had been called, but it seemed too personal, too easy a choice. He’d then thought of a nickname like ‘Shadow,’ but he knew a curr name Shadow. Eventually he’d settled on ‘Faran’ the name of a favourite character in a holonovel Erikk enjoyed.

Faran/Mendez


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