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PARAMO RICONQUISTA: JAUNT INFO

Paramo Riconquista
a return to the world of pirates, mermaids, and ninjas
July 19 - August 27

The Festa Di Riconquista, held every six years, is when the aggressive island duchy of Paramo celebrates its history of naval victories - battles are re-enacted on old, mothballed ships, which are sunk in glorious fireworks displays, and jingoistic military pomp and patriotism rule the day. But we’re not concerned with the celebrations of Paramoese civilians - and our only worry about the Navy is that they might catch on to what’s happening under their nose.

Separately, two groups have come to Puerta Lagunuesta, where the Festa is held. The first group, the Crownbreakers, a coalition of pirates, mermaids, and refugees from En Zhenming, are using the Festa for cover. The re-enacted sea-battles sink ships above Thalassian waters - and so it’s possible to send the rebel mermaids still living in Thalassia arms shipments, messages, even, perhaps, magical assistance in the form of a dragon scroll - if they can load them aboard the ships to be sunk, and be sure they survive the sinking.

The second group, the Xunhuo Guwei, are to all appearances fireworks merchants from En Zhenming, here to sell colorful pyrotechnics to the Paramoese. In fact, their mission is to mine the channel south of Lagunuesta, and damage the Paramoese fleet, triggering a war between En Zhenming and Paramo. The Truenamed Emperor knows that in any such war, there is only one place that Paramoese troops could safely land and gain a foothold - the Bando. And the Paramoese are infamously ignorant about what distinguishes one group of Zhenmingren from another.

However, the opening stages of each of these plans are disrupted by the ignorance of the smugglers each group has employed to bring in their contraband. With four weeks to go before the naval re-enactments finish, the smugglers hand off the shipment of salt-blessed blades and spears and deep sea charges to the Xunhuo Guwei, and deliver the shipment of limpet mines and reefblasters to the Crownbreaker crew.

Now, under cover of the festivities, the Xunhuo Guwei and the Crownbreakers must find one another and evade detection by the Paramoese in a war of assassins, sabotage, and misdirection. The fates of three Empires hinge on the actions of four dozen spies and thieves…

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Information on The Bando Peninsula & The Labyrinthine Shoals can be researched if desired, but hopefully everything necessary is in the Glossary!

Four and a Half Years Ago: Three pirate ships, two fleeing the Paramoese Navy and one full of political refugees from En Zhenming, met a school of rebel mermaids in the system of reefs known as the Labyrinthine Shoals. Together, they defeated the naval ship after the pirates - and the kraken chasing the mermaids - and founded Crownbreaker Isle, a hidden refuge.

Four Years Ago: The Empire of En Zhenming is a land where elemental dragons are worshipped at shrines, and the ten most powerful dragons in the land have been willingly bonded to scrolls to serve the Emperor - five always at his side, and five sent abroad with his generals. In En Zhenming, the resource-poor Bando Peninsula is used as a dumping-ground for politically disaffected factions, who are then bribed to fight each other for the privilege of being the Empire’s vanguard in foreign wars. Without the loot from these wars, keeping their people fed is almost impossible. However, when the extent of the Empire’s provocation became clear, they banded together, stole two dragon-scrolls, and declared a rebellion.

Two Years Ago: The pirate ship Pulao, carrying refugees from the Bando Rebellion, and, secretly, a dragon-scroll, reached Crownbreaker Isle at the same time as an ancient, half-undead whale serving the dictatorial empress of Thalassia, the mermaid kingdom. The whale’s siren-song had a powerful hypnotic effect on humans and mermaids, especially those affected by the cannibalistic berserker mermaid disease, known as the Stricken. Together, they faced the whale, both fighting and bargaining with it, and freed it from the Empress’ control by granting it a merciful death. But both sets of renegade refugees knew their respective Empires would keep coming for them.

En Zhenming: a broad patchwork empire of many diverse smaller kingdoms, strict and bureaucratic, similar to Yuan Dynasty China. Home to numerous spiritual and martial traditions.

Paramo: a militaristic and mercantile city-state, comparable to medieval Italy, under the rule of a jealous Duke who seeks to expand his reach around the Circle of the World.

Thalassia: a totalitarian tyranny under the seas, broad but not, in fact, encompassing all the seas or all the mermaids in the world.

Mermaid: Any member of the aquatic race, male or female, who has the upper half of a human and the lower half of an aquatic creature.

Fry: A baby mermaid through to a toddler size.

Fingerling: A baby mermaid the size of a toddler through to around age ten.

Warrior: A mermaid who fights in the army of the Empress (or has deserted from it). They usually carry their own weapons with them and are proud of their accomplishments.

Siren: A mermaid who can "hear the voice of the Sea" and translate it to others through the gift of magical Song. They have the ability to speak to sea life and enhance it… giving them enchanting songs that allow them to control, confuse, entrance, or enrage other creatures. These enchanters vary in power, but the usage of this power is addictive to merfolk.

Leader: The mermaid title for the head of the school. Everyone looks to the Leader for guidance and it is up to the Leader to make decisions and call upon the advice of others. Often a female.

Dread Empress: Ruler of the ancient and extensive insular kingdom of Thalassia. Rumored to have incredible, possibly magical powers. Vindictive.

Icon: an aquatic creature which a mermaid's lower half resembles. (sharks, dolphins, seahorses, seals, octopi, squid, marlins, swordfish, eels, manatees, carp, pike, salmon, etc.) Some merfolk can temporarily dismiss their Icon, replacing their tails with finned legs for perhaps a minute or two, and all are capable of breathing air for short periods of time as well.

The Sea: With a capital 'S,' the Sea is the goddess of the merfolk, and is generally considered to be loving and calm and protective, a mother figure to the race. She also protects the dead. Her priests are often Sirens, though not always, and it is Her voice the Sirens are said to hear and translate as she Sings to her children the merfolk.

The Deep Currents: The afterlife of the mermaids. All mermaids are Sung into the arms of the Sea, where they will swim and frolic in eternal happiness. The mermaids of the last Jaunt broke tradition and also included human sailors in their Song.

Stricken: A rare, communicable disease which causes a mermaid to fly into a blinded, blood-seeking rage when blood is sighted or smelled. It is carried through the water or the air. The flesh of intelligent creatures must be consumed in order to quell the hunger. Mermaids currently in a rage will not listen to reason and will attack anyone and anything around them. Their eyes will turn red with burst blood vessels. Research during Haunted Isle proved the Stricken contagion to be bacterial in nature, allowing the development of a rudimentary treatment and vaccine.

Due to the nature of this jaunt, there are very few completely new skills. However, skills from both Labyrinthine Shoals and Code of Dishonor will be available to be taken.

SHOALS SKILLS:

Combat Skills, Nautical Skills: What it says on the tin.

Mermaid Icon Transformation: The ability to transform into an aquatic humanoid with the lower half of a single sea creature of your choice, and the ability to speak to sea creatures of that species. Popular options include dolphins, sharks, octopi, and seahorses. Sea urchins are not recommended. The ability to breathe and speak underwater is included with this transformation.

Salt Gifts: Small magical abilities possessed by human sailors. They include such things as the ability to predict the direction of the wind, ability to float atop the water, ability to telekinetically move small quantities of water, ability to drink saltwater, ability to talk to a species of fish or summon/lure them with a whistle, ability to see clearly underwater, etc. This can be taken multiple times, but pick one and only one per each salt gift skill acquired, or make up your own and check with the mods for approval.

Siren Song I: Magical but highly addictive abilities possessed by mermaid sirens, which are always triggered through a song. They include such effects as charming, calming emotions, granting the ability to breathe water (Litany of Breath), navigating, hiding one's tracks (Confusion of the Path), strengthening allies, weakening foes, making one agile or clumsy, making a target more able to focus (Clearing the Mind) or making focus difficult (Clouding the Mind), drowsiness, alertness, causing aversion in a target, enraging a target, and putting souls to rest (All Soul's Rest). Pick one and only one from this list, or contact a mod for approval of a new song.

Siren Song II: As Siren Song I, but grants access to all siren songs. Contact a mod for approval of a new song.

Siren Song III: Compose one new Song per month, subject to mod approval.

Stricken: An affliction amidst mermaids which turns them slowly into ghoulish berserker cannibals, feeding on the flesh of merfolk and humans alike.

CODE OF DISHONOR SKILLS

Ninja Acrobatics: Olympic-level jumping, climbing, gymnastics, and contortionism. Readily available everywhere.

Marksmanship: Sniper-style rifle skills. Usually a Koroshima Suzuki skill.

Ninja Weaponry: In Koroshima, use of shuriken, throwing daggers, darts, smoke bombs, caltrops, chains and chain weapons, tripwires, garrotes, and grappling hooks in combat. In Nakamiyo, use of tonfa, kama, nunchucks, weighted ropes and chains, staves and shortspears, bucklers, fans, scarves, knuckledusters, hoes, and oars in combat

Swordsmanship: In Nakumatou, swordsmanship similar to kendo or tai chi style swordplay. In Koroshima, use of short sword and sheathe as club, sword, and blowgun. In Nakamiyo, skill with sais, sickles, and swordbreakers.

Unarmed Combat Style: In Nakumatou, Shaolin kung fu and tai chi styles. In Koroshima, hapkido and praying mantis kung fu styles. In Nakamiyo, Okinawan karate and aikido.

Superlative Stealth: The ability to use concealment, cover, tumbling, climbing, freezing, breath control, and psychological and anatomical understanding to hide and move silently even under slightly improbable circumstances. Usually a Koroshima skill.

Summoning: The ability to channel ancestral spirits, usually to access their wisdom, martial skills, or athletic abilities. May be used after the jaunt to call upon the mundane skills of idled, dropped, or presently deceased Travelers. Only taught in Nakumatou.

Tattoo Magic: A Nakumatou art used to augment one single physical ability at the cost of another, or use one single illusory or elemental technique at reduced power and increased effort. Specific techniques may require mod approval. For this particular Jaunt, those fleeing the Bando may show up with a tattoo and take it as a skill, but they will not be teachable during the course of the Jaunt itself.

Survivalism: The ability to traverse, navigate, track, hunt, find shelter, food, natural medicine, and water in cold, mountain, or forest terrain. Primarily a Koroshima skill.

Illusionary Magic: The power to bend shadows, project mirror images, summon mist, use ventriloquism, perform short range single target hypnosis, change the color of fabric or other materials, and blur or alter facial features. Primarily a Koroshima Akuryu skill.

Elementalism: The ability to summon, direct, or control one element - fire, wind, water, metal, or wood - in amounts up to 200 pounds, speeds up to 75 mph, and distances up to 100 feet, but always originating beside the user if summoned (and dissipating when concentration is broken). In the case of fire, limited to two cubic meters and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. As exhausting as a heavy workout. Usually used in Nakamiyo to augment unarmed strikes, immobilize foes, or levitate weaponry. In Koroshima, double the distance it can be used at, but reduce the material involved to one quarter. In Nakumatou, double the amount of material, but reduce range and speed to one quarter Nakamiyo values.

Month of the Fish 1-7 (July 19-28) - Arrival, the Festa begins; silk, song, and dance; the shipment goes wrong.
Month of the Fish 8-14 (July 29th-August 7th) - The drunken revel; blood in the water; fins in the waves.
Month of the Fish 15-21 (August 8th-17th) - the first re-enactments; fireworks and floating presents; old history rears its ugly head.
Month of the Fish 22-28 (August 18th-27th) - the final re-enactments; last chances for redemption.
August 27th: Liminal Return

(full size)

LOCATIONS AROUND PUERTA LAGUNUESTA
(coming soon)

LOCATIONS AROUND PARAMO
Paramo: an island duchy of about a hundred square miles, just off the mainland of the continent of Vacampano, most of which it rules by proxy.
Puerta Lagunuesta: the western-most port of Paramo, facing the ocean Paramoese call Dentranilla.
The Lagunuesta Strait: the primary navigable shipping lane between the Dentranillan Ocean and the Outer Sea of Vacampano.
The Salt River: between Paramo and the Vacampanese mainland, an unnavigably shallow channel.
Embarcaderas Titanes: Titans’ Pier, a series of pillar-like undersea rock formations at the southern edge of the Lagunuesta Strait.
The Jagged Water: the rocky south coastal waters of Paramo.
The Deep Blue: where the Vacampanese continental shelf falls away and the ocean grows suddenly much deeper.
Duchies of Montavedere & Vijilancia: client-states of Paramo that pay tribute, but whose navies are not allowed to pass between the Outer Sea and the Dentranilla without paying heavy taxes.

SHIPS IN PORT
Crownbreaker
Cornu - a 4-masted gaff-rigged schooner, steady in all but the highest winds, medium speed and very high maneuverability, deck tends to slope. Its gun deck has space for five guns to either side, plus two chase guns and two stern guns; however, it has no cannon aboard. 58 feet long by 18 feet wide. 36 crew, can carry about 70.

Xunhuo Guwei
Xiangfan Woniu - A four-masted junk-rigged lorcha, 80 feet in length, 25 feet wide, 3 decks, including one gun-deck. 30 crew, room for 140. She has no guns, but eight fireworks mortars, and a deck-mounted flamethrower.

Paramoese Navy
Augur, Auspex, Clarion - Red-sailed gun-brigs; 80 feet in length, 25 feet wide, 3 decks, including one gun deck with 10 12-lb. carronades, 2 long nines as chase guns. 2 masts with red sails, brig-rigged to be fast and maneuverable with the wind but slow against it. 74 crew, but room for 140.
Autarch, Legate - red-sailed three-masted frigate-rigged Post-ships: 1 gun deck, 160 men. 150 feet in length, 30-feet wide, deeper draft. 8 9-pounders, 14 12-lb carronades, 2 12-lb chase guns.
Carnifex - a red-sailed full-rigged three-masted ship of the line, 180 feet in length, 40 feet wide, with 5 decks, including 2 gun decks with 22 12-lb. Cannon; 30 18-lb carronades, and 4 24-lb chase guns at the bow. Crew of 300; with room for an additional 200 marines.

Edited 2019-07-14 00:35 (UTC)

For the roles below, preference will be given to return-Jaunt veterans for Crownbreaker roles, and for non-returning/new characters for Xunhuo roles. However, at the current size of the game, we encourage everyone who’s interested in a role to try for it! There may be Bando rebels among the Xunhuo, captured conscripts whose loyalty is assured by means of hostages at home, and we know the pirate crews and mermaid schools of Crownbreaker Isle contained dozens of individuals we never met on previous jaunts!

If you’d like to sign up, let us know here. Casting will be done during the day on the 16th.

Crownbreaker Corsair Carouser: familiar with Paramo and Puerta Lagunuesta from previous sailing adventures, this seasoned sailor finds it all too easy to fall back into old sympathies and habits, gambling and carousing in the festival. For all that Crownbreaker Isle may be free, it lacks the comforts of civilization - or a ready supply of alcohol that isn’t fresh-brewed in a rugged still - and keeping discipline hardly occurs to you. Sample the fruits of the festival, show off human culture to the mermaids, and trust in your luck not to get caught. It’s worked so far!

Crownbreaker Stricken: leader of the infiltrating mermaids, either a warrior or a siren, this mermaid has avoided too-close contact with humans as much as possible, as they struggle to control (and possibly even conceal, at player’s option) their Stricken condition, which is either newly developed or worsening after a long time in relative control. Now in a city full of humans and under constant stress, their honor and self-control are at war with their hunger, and staying focused on the mission is proving more difficult than they anticipated - especially with so many of their mermaids fascinated by this strange, freewheeling human civilization.

Xunhuo Captain: you have seen the Emperor’s dragons, and you know nothing can defeat them. The power of Heaven is behind you, and so you are loyal to it. While you know much of explosives and artillery, you have spent much longer in the Empire proper than the Bando, and fought more than one war. Here, you find the customs and language hard to understand, and it has made you a trifle paranoid. As your lieutenant is bloodthirsty, and your magician unmoored from reality, you must provide the practicality and caution on this mission.

Xunhuo Assassin: ninja-trained in the Bando, you are fearless, unmatched in combat, a blademaster of the highest order, stealthy, perceptive, ruthless. As the second in command of this mission, your purpose is to remove any obstacle that challenges your success. That could be your enemies, the Paramoese, whoever stole your shipment - or your own companions, if they are unmotivated or disloyal. You never hesitate to engage in violence when it serves your purpose, and seldom question the will of those you serve. You must not let this barbarian decadence distract you…

Xunhuo Illusionist: trained by the Akuryu in illusions, but never swearing to their ways, you are a strange, withdrawn ascetic whose practice of illusion magic blurs the line between the real and imaginary for both you and those around you. Vital to the secrecy of this mission, you have many secrets…

Thalassian Spy: a mermaid in disguise, who answers to the tyrannical Empress of the Deeps. Make no mistake, this secretive mermaid is a heartless, treacherous villain, bent on confusion and mayhem - like delivering the wrong shipments to the wrong crews.

Edited 2019-07-14 00:37 (UTC)

Once you’ve solidified your plans, pop over here to let people know what faction you’re rolling with!

Once plot roles have been cast, we’ll have the players who got them check in here!

Investigators will most likely find themselves appearing as revelers or as part of a smuggling crew on the docks to begin with, though anyone with Royal Treatment may wind up on their own pleasure yacht. Crownbreakers, who have seen people disappear from their island before, but have no certain understanding of Traveling, may think of them as Ghosts if they recognize them; Bando natives would think of anyone they recognize as Travelers as Void Dancers, knowing they are connected to the spirits without elemental substance who interfered in their affairs (helpfully!).

This jaunt was written by Matt.

Haru signing in for the Xunhou Assassin slot!

Chloe is the Crownbreaker Corsair Carouser!

Casper is the Crownbreaker Stricken!

Yakumo is the Xunhuo Illusionist!

Are things like elementalism and summoning practiced within the Empire, or are they restricted to the Bando?

They are practiced within the Empire! Summoning is less common, but not unheard of.

Does the Empire have particular styles a la the various types practiced in the Bando? Which I guess might apply to the other skills with regional styles as well... is there one that's closest?

There are enough provinces of the Empire that you can essentially pick whichever existing regional variant you like best!

Good to know! Thanks.

A time of many questions!

One: Which scenario would be more likely:
--En Zheming sends a spy into Bando (pre-Code of Dishonor), who upon getting there decides that he likes Bando better, and proceeds to be a double agent for the Bando people (or a specific group). Reporting to both sides, but falsifying/hiding just enough to give Bando the edge and similar.
--An Akuryu from a formerly upper class family (ie can mimic linguistic/cultural practices of the upper crust well enough) slipping back and forth over the border in order to report on the going ons in the Empire (and perhaps twist thing in Bando's favor)

Two: does a situation similar to modern China exist in regards to language(s)? (ie a lot of local varieties, with a prestige variety of the court. Then the written language is primarily for the prestige variety, although others will use the same orthography with different pronunciations, etc etc) Or, would there be a situation in which someone might, say, use the Mandarin-equivalent of their name in some contexts and the Cantonese in others (and which of those would be the prestige language/variety).

Three: Saya's back, and eager to learn all the healing from all the places. She'd be very proficient in healing arts practiced in Bando (wouldn't be proclaimed the next Master in the Sun Temple, but definitely on a high tier of skill and knowledge), tried to learn everything about the Travelers' treatments/vaccine from Haunted Isle, and has taken to traveling other places to learn what's practiced there. She's probably tried to get passage to the Stepping Stones (since that was part of the Travelers' cover last time), and has been aboard the Pulao since... whenever the last stop in Bando was until now, picking up as much as she can as she goes.

So! What should she know? (and what exciting new things can she pick up in Paramo?)

Three B: Regarding the Travelers' medicine, how reproducible would it be, and could a very bright girl with drive and willingness to experiment a little be able to expand on it at all? (or: would she be able to make antibiotics and/or vaccines at all, and could she have expanded it beyond the Stricken sickness in the past two years)

Four: is there any healing magic besides the one Siren Song? (and could she theoretically learn it if she's stumbled across it)

I'm sure I'll have more, but that's all for now.

Edited (Already thought of more oops) 2019-07-18 03:12 (UTC)

One: either is possible, but the first sounds a little more likely!

Two: The first suituation you describe is roughly accurate! En Zhenming is inspired by Yuan Dynasty China.

Three: this is a complex question, give us a couple days to get back to it!

Four: crude vaccination is possible! it's difficult on a ship, where there isn't space for a good lab environment and animals for testing. the rest is unlikely.

Make that 3B not four...

Four: there are Salt gifts for staunching wounds, small magic, not big dramatic healing.

So crude vaccines is a go. Awesome!

Regarding antibiotics, though: We never finished the thread, but Lyall was telling her about how penicillin was made from particular molds and how to harvest it. So would her attempts to recreate antibiotics have resulted in failures, or would they just be too unpredictable to use safely on account of lacking things like microscopes and nice, clean labs?

Looking at the materials science, they're definitely not replicable in shipboard life! If she was settled in a castle in some country, it would be possible, but most molds don't make penicillin and there's so much cross-contamination in most environments.

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