Dossiers: Files are handed to each character that provide English transcriptions of an engineer's report on the state and site of the Quarry twenty years prior. A total of seventeen metric tonnes of the shell were harvested during its heyday, with operations stalling the deeper they went. The shell closest to the turtle's hide is young and proved economically impossible to harvest due to the resilience of the material. Recommendations made by the engineer state that the shell may be feasible to harvest within another two hundred years, once the exposed areas have further weathered. There are descriptions of abandoned tools that have been gutted of parts and observations of some litter and scorched sites of presumed bonfires. No structures were observed and no other signs of permanent presences noted. The engineer estimated the shell to be as thin as seven meters in the lowest areas of the Quarry.
Options: A Investigate the quarry site by making daily trips there and being debriefed at a Keeliai station each time. Hei To would outfit them with a kirin-led cart with sufficient supplies each morning and they would be expected to return it each evenining. The cart ride is three hours each way and the Quarry can be found at the end of an abandoned road reduced to ruts for the cart wheels by overgrowth. The engineer's report, though twenty years out of date, appears consistent with the state of the site to this day. The exception is the erection of three shacks at the very center of the site and a row of rock piles along the far edge of the excavated space that have been stacked carefully into mounds. The interior of the shacks measure two-by-two meters and are not furnished; they show no signs of inhabitation and there are the scuffle marks of numerous feet in the fine onyx dust there. The rock piles are roughly eight feet in length and four feet wide; attempts to disturb them would result in the discovery of a body under each. The bodies have been stripped of clothes and identification; they show signs of heavy decomposition and it is difficult to determine the causes of death under field investigation. Furthermore, three or four kedan can be seen observing at the edges of the Quarry, but attempts to approach them result in their hasty retreat.
Exact results of further investigation of the shacks, bodies, or attempts to contact the observing kedan would be provided with the next clue set if this option is taken.
B Investigate the quarry site by making nightly trips there and being debriefed at a Keeliai station each time. Hei To would outfit them with a kirin-led cart with sufficient supplies each evening and they would be expected to return it each morning. The cart ride is three hours each way and the Quarry can be found at the end of an abandoned road reduced to ruts for the cart wheels by overgrowth. The engineer's report, though twenty years out of date, appears consistent with the state of the site to this day. The exception is the erection of three shacks at the very center of the site and a row of rock piles along the far edge of the excavated space that have been stacked carefully into mounds. These would be difficult to see on first arrival, but they do exist on site. The shacks measure two-by-two meters and there are lit torches set in brackets on the exterior of them, casting light on two kedan guarding each. There is activity inside the shacks that cannot be discerned from a distance, but a kedan carrying two crates of tools in and another carrying fabric-wrapped envelopes out is evidence of that. The rock piles, meanwhile, are almost impossible to see during night hours, but measure eight feet in length and four feet wide. Attempts to route around the shacks to investigate them would be met with kedan sentries spaced every ten metres around the Quarry. Players are asked to RNG the results of these encounters, including any attempts to sneak past them; they may also create names and attitudes for any kedan encountered.
Exact details as to the nature of the operations in the shacks and access of the rock piles would be provided in the next clue set if this option is taken.
C Investigate the quarry site by making one trip out, staying for a period of five days, and then returning for a full debrief with Hei To. The team would be outfitted with supplies for three days, including a canvas shelter and bedding sufficient for the whole team; all this would be loaded into a cart with a mild-mannered lead beast for the three hour ride to the Quarry, which is found at the end of an abandoned road reduced to ruts for the cart wheels by overgrowth. The engineer's report, though twenty years out of date, appears consistent with the state of the site to this day. The exception is the erection of three shacks at the very center of the site and a row of rock piles along the far edge of the excavated space that have been stacked carefully into mounds. The interior of the shacks measure two-by-two meters and are not furnished; they show no signs of inhabitation and there are the scuffle marks of numerous feet in the fine onyx dust there. The rock piles are roughly eight feet in length and four feet wide; attempts to disturb them would result in the discovery of a body under each. The bodies have been stripped of clothes and identification; they show signs of heavy decomposition and it is difficult to determine the causes of death under field investigation. Furthermore, three or four kedan can be seen observing at the edges of the Quarry, but attempts to approach them result in their hasty retreat.
The moment that night falls, however, the seclusion of the site ends. Three teams of kedan move into it with an intent to search (forewarned by the observing kedan) and, should the Foreigners be spotted, will turn aggressive and try to remove them. Should the cart be left untended, the lead beast would be loosed and the cart itself destroyed. The kedan would try to apprehend any Foreigners they spotted and would question them roughly about the nature of their presence, investigation, and whether others are due on the site. The nighttime operations would not commence on the grounds of this security breach. Players can create names and attitudes of kedan associated with these operations.
Exact results of further investigation of the shacks, bodies, or outcome of any captures kedan would be provided with the next clue set if this option is taken. Please note the names of any captured Foreigners and also advise if any attempts to capture kedan in turn are made (players can use RNG to determine the outcome of such attempts), including what specific questions the team would ask said kedan if successful.
Deadline: To permit creation of the next clue set, please reply with the option selected by the team by July 2nd at end of day. If no response is made at that time, a mod will RNG the option. A header has been provided in the IC section for your team for any threading relevant to this clue set. Questions and (some) additional details can be requested by replying to this comment with QUESTION - SET 01 in the subject line. Please be specific with questions, as generic "what happened to X" queries are too broad to answer fairly.
SET 01
Files are handed to each character that provide English transcriptions of an engineer's report on the state and site of the Quarry twenty years prior. A total of seventeen metric tonnes of the shell were harvested during its heyday, with operations stalling the deeper they went. The shell closest to the turtle's hide is young and proved economically impossible to harvest due to the resilience of the material. Recommendations made by the engineer state that the shell may be feasible to harvest within another two hundred years, once the exposed areas have further weathered. There are descriptions of abandoned tools that have been gutted of parts and observations of some litter and scorched sites of presumed bonfires. No structures were observed and no other signs of permanent presences noted. The engineer estimated the shell to be as thin as seven meters in the lowest areas of the Quarry.
Options:
A
Investigate the quarry site by making daily trips there and being debriefed at a Keeliai station each time. Hei To would outfit them with a kirin-led cart with sufficient supplies each morning and they would be expected to return it each evenining. The cart ride is three hours each way and the Quarry can be found at the end of an abandoned road reduced to ruts for the cart wheels by overgrowth. The engineer's report, though twenty years out of date, appears consistent with the state of the site to this day. The exception is the erection of three shacks at the very center of the site and a row of rock piles along the far edge of the excavated space that have been stacked carefully into mounds. The interior of the shacks measure two-by-two meters and are not furnished; they show no signs of inhabitation and there are the scuffle marks of numerous feet in the fine onyx dust there. The rock piles are roughly eight feet in length and four feet wide; attempts to disturb them would result in the discovery of a body under each. The bodies have been stripped of clothes and identification; they show signs of heavy decomposition and it is difficult to determine the causes of death under field investigation. Furthermore, three or four kedan can be seen observing at the edges of the Quarry, but attempts to approach them result in their hasty retreat.
Exact results of further investigation of the shacks, bodies, or attempts to contact the observing kedan would be provided with the next clue set if this option is taken.
B
Investigate the quarry site by making nightly trips there and being debriefed at a Keeliai station each time. Hei To would outfit them with a kirin-led cart with sufficient supplies each evening and they would be expected to return it each morning. The cart ride is three hours each way and the Quarry can be found at the end of an abandoned road reduced to ruts for the cart wheels by overgrowth. The engineer's report, though twenty years out of date, appears consistent with the state of the site to this day. The exception is the erection of three shacks at the very center of the site and a row of rock piles along the far edge of the excavated space that have been stacked carefully into mounds. These would be difficult to see on first arrival, but they do exist on site. The shacks measure two-by-two meters and there are lit torches set in brackets on the exterior of them, casting light on two kedan guarding each. There is activity inside the shacks that cannot be discerned from a distance, but a kedan carrying two crates of tools in and another carrying fabric-wrapped envelopes out is evidence of that. The rock piles, meanwhile, are almost impossible to see during night hours, but measure eight feet in length and four feet wide. Attempts to route around the shacks to investigate them would be met with kedan sentries spaced every ten metres around the Quarry. Players are asked to RNG the results of these encounters, including any attempts to sneak past them; they may also create names and attitudes for any kedan encountered.
Exact details as to the nature of the operations in the shacks and access of the rock piles would be provided in the next clue set if this option is taken.
C
Investigate the quarry site by making one trip out, staying for a period of five days, and then returning for a full debrief with Hei To. The team would be outfitted with supplies for three days, including a canvas shelter and bedding sufficient for the whole team; all this would be loaded into a cart with a mild-mannered lead beast for the three hour ride to the Quarry, which is found at the end of an abandoned road reduced to ruts for the cart wheels by overgrowth. The engineer's report, though twenty years out of date, appears consistent with the state of the site to this day. The exception is the erection of three shacks at the very center of the site and a row of rock piles along the far edge of the excavated space that have been stacked carefully into mounds. The interior of the shacks measure two-by-two meters and are not furnished; they show no signs of inhabitation and there are the scuffle marks of numerous feet in the fine onyx dust there. The rock piles are roughly eight feet in length and four feet wide; attempts to disturb them would result in the discovery of a body under each. The bodies have been stripped of clothes and identification; they show signs of heavy decomposition and it is difficult to determine the causes of death under field investigation. Furthermore, three or four kedan can be seen observing at the edges of the Quarry, but attempts to approach them result in their hasty retreat.
The moment that night falls, however, the seclusion of the site ends. Three teams of kedan move into it with an intent to search (forewarned by the observing kedan) and, should the Foreigners be spotted, will turn aggressive and try to remove them. Should the cart be left untended, the lead beast would be loosed and the cart itself destroyed. The kedan would try to apprehend any Foreigners they spotted and would question them roughly about the nature of their presence, investigation, and whether others are due on the site. The nighttime operations would not commence on the grounds of this security breach. Players can create names and attitudes of kedan associated with these operations.
Exact results of further investigation of the shacks, bodies, or outcome of any captures kedan would be provided with the next clue set if this option is taken. Please note the names of any captured Foreigners and also advise if any attempts to capture kedan in turn are made (players can use RNG to determine the outcome of such attempts), including what specific questions the team would ask said kedan if successful.
Deadline:
To permit creation of the next clue set, please reply with the option selected by the team by July 2nd at end of day. If no response is made at that time, a mod will RNG the option. A header has been provided in the IC section for your team for any threading relevant to this clue set. Questions and (some) additional details can be requested by replying to this comment with QUESTION - SET 01 in the subject line. Please be specific with questions, as generic "what happened to X" queries are too broad to answer fairly.