[Game] [OOC] Into the Black (Firefly-verse)

[Chanlin]

Unless Exile has an objection I'ma go with option 3 for Webb. As in: Webb got the job as Pilot by answering a help wanted ad. Webb and Cook recognize the military bearing/lifestyle in one another but don't really recognize the other.

With that being the case we still need to settle on ship type and name, unless that has been decided and I just missed it

[Sarlon]

*bump*

So when are we getting this party started?

[Ghel]

Exile and I discussed how Lizzie joined the crew, and this is what we came up with:

Lizzie is fired from her last job on Londonium and can no longer find work. She tries looking for work on Londonium, but her reputation precedes her, until she runs out of money and is about to be evicted. While doing so, she spends time in a club near her apartment and meets a handsome patron of the club she'd never met before, mutual seduction between Lizzie and the patron occurs. Afterwards she mentions she's about to lose her place and laments that despite medical degree she cannot find work. Patron mentions sometimes transport vessels need medics to patch up wounded in space where accidents have been known to occur with no other medical personnel within days of travel. After the patron leaves, she takes the idea and searches codex for possible job postings on travelling ships. Though she wants to stay on Londonium because of friends and lovers there, she feels she must do whatever it takes to not end up destitute. Replies to cortex post, meets crew member Mando Alvarez who has been authorized to handle hiring of medic. Mando accepts Lizzie after trying to arrange vidconference with captain and being told to "handle it". (Wouldn't even read the resume.) Lizzie quickly grabs up belongings with help of crew. Later after having left atmo, set course, and contacted next port destination captain finally emerges to meet the crew's new medic. Lizzie "officially" meets Captain Zhan Cook, recognizing him as the patron that suggested she find work on a transport vessel.

[Chanlin]

I figure Webb is on the ship for one of a few reasons:

1: Saw Cook was in need of a pilot, recognized the name as someone who had a reputation in the Alliance for being a "good man."

2: Cook being in need of a Pilot heard about Webb and recognized Webb's name and sought him out.

3: Webb being in need of work saw Cook advertising for need of a Pilot and won out the job by impressing cook with his skills. Neither really recognizes the other, but they recognize the demeanor of a former alliance military man in one another.

[Ghel]

Questions for Lizzie Lock:
- Presuming that Lizzie's brother fought for the Alliance in the war, but regardless, what planet/battle did he die on/in? And please, don't make it one of the "known" battles listed in the source material. Let's try to diversify and come up with new "canon" stuff for our story.
- What firm/company does Nathaniel work for?
- Tell us the story of Lizzie's last great bender. The one that prompted her to limit herself to one drink and that perhaps she's most embarrassed about.

Yes, Andrew Lock fought for the Alliance. (Making up a battle here: ) When the Independents tried to free the planet Greenleaf in order to have access to its medicinal plants, Andrew was among the troops sent by the Alliance to reclaim it. He was struck down in the initial battle.

Nathaniel Lock works as an accountant for the Museum of Art at the Londonium Museum.

After seeing their final grades, a group of Lizzie's classmates decided to go out and celebrate their imminent graduation. Lizzie remembers little of that night except waking up, with a tremendous hangover, among a pile of passed out and snoring people. During the next few days, up to graduation day, Lizzie was approached by about half a dozen of her classmates as well as two people they must have picked up at one bar or another. All of them thanked her for the amazing time they had. One even asked where she learned "that thing." Lizzie tried to play it cool, but she regretted getting so drunk that she couldn't remember the great time she must have had. Lizzie already had a reputation at the school for being easy, so little changed in that regard. She still wonders if there wasn't more that happened that night that she doesn't remember/know.

[Sarlon]

Sama has grown up on a alst style ship most of her life (they had a smaller one till they got some government contracts that allowed them to afford a larger ship.)

I think sama would of just answered a "help wanted" ad while in port, looking for a new ship, most turned off by her age.....and her temper.

[Chanlin]

Can I also just say that I like that we seem to have gotten a bunch of Core-worlders on the crew, ones who happen to know the Alliance is not nearly as "evil" as the series made them out to be.

This is actually the main reason I decided to be a Core Worlder and former Navy. Figured it would be an interesting side of the story to explore.


I think the important decisions as far as a ship are concerned are this:

1: Weapons: Do we want them
2: How many passengers do we want to carry
3: How cramped/spacious do we want it

I'm using some of the Serenity RPG source books for this, but if I had to choose I would say we go with an ALST or a Cargo Lifter.

The ALST is slightly larger with more room for crew and passengers which means it also costs slightly more to maintain.

The Cargo Lifter is an extremely common ship according to the books and is far more easy/common to modify for various uses.

Both ships are fairly reliable and low maintenance cost.

Ship Names are always fun, but I think that one should be up to the Captain. It's his ship after all.

[Jay 2K Winger]

How's Zhānmǔsī? Or "Zhan" for short. I think it lends an air of how the cultures mixed in the arcs to form the Anglo-Sino Alliance, reflecting that one can end up with clearly oriental elements to a person's name despite being clearly caucasian.

I think that's a good name, and it makes me think of Simon & River Tam. Given names that sound more Western, but a surname that sounds more Eastern. Zhānmǔsī "Zhan" Cook it is.

- I'll have to get back to you with more detail.

You don't have to think on it too hard. There may not be much information on other laser pistol makes/models in the source material (either the show or the RPG books), so feel free to fabricate one.

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lock

Nice, I think we have our medic.

Questions for Lizzie Lock:
- Presuming that Lizzie's brother fought for the Alliance in the war, but regardless, what planet/battle did he die on/in? And please, don't make it one of the "known" battles listed in the source material. Let's try to diversify and come up with new "canon" stuff for our story.
- What firm/company does Nathaniel work for?
- Tell us the story of Lizzie's last great bender. The one that prompted her to limit herself to one drink and that perhaps she's most embarrassed about.

question for the story teller...

you say we'll be starting off already knowing each other...so where were we all when the "transmission" hit? did we know each other at that point?

Our story will begin about three months after the Miranda Broadcast. The crew will have been working together at least three months prior to that.

Now that we have the majority of the crew (at least one more crew member), let's start figuring that out. Feel free to discuss it here in the thread, in PMs with each other, whatever, but let's start putting the pieces together.

Thus you'll now need to figure out what kind of ship you're all crew on, what it's called, and perhaps just some brief blurbs about how the crew came together. It could be a case of one crew member brought another one on board (a sort of "I know a guy who needs the job") or someone answered a Cortex ad, or whatever.


Can I also just say that I like that we seem to have gotten a bunch of Core-worlders on the crew, ones who happen to know the Alliance is not nearly as "evil" as the series made them out to be. Joss Whedon did say in interviews that the Alliance only comes across as the villains in the show because it's being told more or less from Mal's point of view (and he's not exactly unbiased) and was set more in the Border and Rim planets. He's said if the story had been from the POV of someone from a Core world, it might have focused more on all the good the Alliance genuinely does for folks, and the Browncoats might not have seemed so sympathetic.

[Ghel]

Yeah, I can imagine chocolate being seen as a rare delicacy, with people raving over it, and Lizzie getting left out because the couple of times she's tried it, she's gotten terrible migraines. That would totally suck.

[Chanlin]

I would imagine Chocolate is a rare commodity like fresh fruit.

[Sarlon]

question for the story teller...

you say we'll be starting off already knowing each other...so where were we all when the "transmission" hit? did we know each other at that point?

exile....really you went with cook....cause that sounds *nothing* like the concept you told me >.>

[Ghel]

I hope you will all bear with me. I really want to be part of this, but I've only watched a few episodes of Firefly. I haven't watched Serenity, either, though I intend to remedy that tomorrow. (I have read enough spoilers to get the gist of it.)

Name: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lock
Homeworld: Londonium
Possible Crew Role: Medic
Description: early 30s, 5'8", lithe, agile, ginger hair, hazel eyes, practical but close-fitting clothing (usually gray or tan with a splash of color)

Backstory: Lizzie discovered her sensuality at an early age, and it has motivated all her decisions in life. She chose to study medicine primarily to learn human anatomy - to improve her pleasure and the pleasure of her partners. (Note: Lizzie is not a companion, has never had any companion training) She is unabashedly hedonistic, wanting to make sure that everyone around her enjoys themselves as much as possible without harming themselves or others. Lizzie put herself through medical school by dancing at an upscale club near the school. She excelled in school and was accused of sleeping with her teachers to get her grades. But she retook any test she was asked to and proved that she knew her stuff. After graduating, she hopped from job to job, being let go from each one because of her behavior. She's no-nonsense when lives are in the balance, but she just couldn't help making passes at fellow staff and sometimes even patients. Working aboard the ship may be a "last chance" type job for her. She's trying to be on her best behavior, but given her past, it probably won't be long before she's propositioning crew members.

Five facts:
-Middle child, older brother (Andrew) died in the Unification War, younger brother (Nathaniel) is an accountant (he cites her "addiction" as the reason they don't talk), parents (Rebecca and Dale) died of natural causes
-She took some martial arts training (initially for the exercise), but her firearms training is limited to "point and squeeze."
-Is allergic to chocolate (there is chocolate in the Firefly-verse, right?). It gives her migraines.
-Avoids having more than one alcoholic drink in a 24-hour period, saying she "wants to remember."
-Reads every book she can get her hands on, no matter the subject or other people's opinion of it. Will beg, borrow, and steal to get books she hasn't read before.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I like what I see in Sam Cook. Although perhaps a different first name, because otherwise we'll undoubtedly get into some confusion between Sam (the captain) and Sama (the engineer)...

Also, and this goes out to everyone-- the climactic transmission in the Big Damn Movie would not be from the Serenity, it would have come from Mr. Universe's planet, but by and large the public would probably refer to it as "The Miranda Broadcast."

Questions for Captain Cook:
- What was the name of Cook's first posting? (i.e. what ship was he first an officer on)
- What was the name of Cook's first command? (i.e. what ship was he first CO of)
- What is the make/model of Cook's laser pistol? (e.g. Rance Burgess' was a Silk trigger-active return-bolt laser pistol, Durran Haymer owned the Lassiter) How does Cook manage to acquire/purchase high-density batteries to power it?

[Sarlon]

oh this crew will be interesting...

2 military stiffs, with a free spirit with a temper.....

[Chanlin]

Cool

I like the concept Exile. Since the crew starts together I figure we ought to decide if Cook and Webb know each other or had crossed paths before this. Cook is in a position to be more famous I think.

I'm good with either way. The Alliance is fairly large.