Ideas for summer TP. ==================== Okay. 'The Brotherhood' (or brotherhood of -something-) is what I'll use to describe the bunch of Etone/Thames people. I might think of what -something- is, later. The 'Item'. What is it? ----------------------- What we do know, is this. The brotherhood finds an item, which is o Large enough to be Excavated (i.e Gear-sized, or larger). o Mobile (so it can be hidden) o Of sufficient importance that Shevat will want it back. If Shevat are going to want the -item- back, it's going to have to contain goods, or information they need, and not just want. They will not want to risk a confrontation with the -Ethos-, and ultimately with Solaris if all they're fighting for is information gathered and kept for posterity. The information could be a number of things, including: o Details of Gate generator bypass methods. o Details on the 'deal' between Shevat and Solaris 500 years ago (i.e. Zephyr turning over Sophia). o Details on how the Shevvites floated Aphel Aura. I personally like the last one. All of this information could interest Solaris also. The last one is my favourite, since it has more credible pulling power for the brotherhood. If they promised a land such as Shevat, yet free from 'sinful termites', as it were, it would certainly encourage more people to follow them, than being able to say "Well, we got this big ol' weapon, look at us!". The item should have some firepower, but not be a weapon as such. It's probably a leftover from the Diabolos war of 500 years ago, and was disabled from damage, and lost its link with the central shevvite data banks, and still holds information from them. The physical appearance of the item? I'm thinking it would be something like a huge landcrawler, about half the size of the Yggdrasil. It could perhaps have been excavated somewhere in Aquavy, and brought to land on one of the Aquavy islands. It could potentially be hidden in a large forest. It used to be a command centre of sorts, thus its lack of firepower. Internally, it is a command centre, your average runofthemill mini- base. Kind of like the jasper, actually, except on a MUCH smaller scale. it is damaged extensively. This allows for some time before it becomes a threat, and suspicions may be aroused with the -Ethos- when strange part requests come in. Eventually, it may be restored to working order, at which time it becomes: 'Shevat Mobile Command Center, -ShevArk-' -------------------------------------- 500 years ago, in the earliest stages of the war, Shevat devised a contingency plan, should Aphel Aura ever fall to earth. A massive mobile command centre was built, which had a direct synchronous link with Shevat's central data banks. If this link were ever severed, ShevArk would make its way to the fallen City, so Zephyr and any survivors could use it to coordinate Shevat's military force. It was hidden underwater, so that it would not be easily discovered. One of the most remarkable features of ShevArk is its unique command interface. 'Command Liason Intelligence for Strategic Tactical Environments' (or, 'Cliste', for short). In short it is an Artificial Intelligence, designed to assist in the defence of Shevat, should any harm come to Shevat's human tacticians. It appears as a holographic image, which is able to move around the ship, and assist people in their work. It has no physical substance, but has complete control over the memory banks in ShevArk. Therefore if any information is divulged to its users, it is through Cliste, and by no other means. Some of the data in Cliste's memory banks is restricted, however, and he will not divulge it. He will give it away only to the highest-ranking officers and government officials in Shevat (or at least, that were in shevat 500 years ago, i.e. they're all dead), or Zephyr. Since Zephyr is the only one still alive, it makes it a little bit difficult. This information is vital to the rebuilding of Shevat, and could contain schematics for weapons, the gate generators, the floating mechanism, or any of the above. Think the doctor from ST:Voyager, and you're nearly there. Due to the speed and haste with which it was constructed, Shevark did not take kindly to being kept underwater for 500 years. By the time the signal generator maintaining the link between it and Shevat's memory banks malfunctioned, the Ark had long since lost the ability to move. So, there it lay undisturbed to this day, with a copy of Shevat's entire store of knowledge sitting in its memory banks. What Happens Next? ------------------ Recently, a joint team of Ethos and Thames people discovered Shevark. Rotting away underwater, they were at first mystified as to what it was. After careful inspection, it soon became apparent that this was some sort of mobile tactical vehicle, but still did not know its origins, or exact nature. For reasons explained beautifully in Domi's outline, they decided to keep it, and restore it to working order. The TP starts here. Once Shevark is restored to basic functionality, Cliste appears in the control room, ready to serve whomever decides to tell him they're Shevvites. The data link was severed, but now restores itself. Shevat will notice this, and probably sever it straight away. Since by this time, Cliste will think he has picked up Shevvite survivors, he will not go on a mad ramble looking for a downed city. He will serve the Brotherhood. The mobility of the Ark will be severely limited at first, and will probably not be able to move at all for a while. Eventually it will be able to crawl over land, and possibly the sea bed. Shevat will be VERY interested in getting it back. The -Ethos- will be interested in obtaining it, and a bit miffed that it now has a fledgeling breakaway group. Solaris will want to get their hands on it, because they can. Bart will think it's cool, and want one. Kislev will probably aid Shevat, or try to obtain the Ark in its own right. Even at that, things get interesting. The Ark may eventually be able to disappear under the sea. This might preclude Solaris or Shevat carpet-bombing the Aquavy Islands, so that it makes up in stealth what it may lack in firepower. Complication(s) --------------- The Brotherhood needs an Ally. Or at least, a neutral place where they can at least obtain supplies. Thames? How is the data eventually extracted? Well, that one will sort itself out. I'll think of more. That's all for now. - DoC