Noble Row

Argo faces Growing Pains in Eurydice Eurydice, Pactolus As the newly formed Argo police force sweep the streets of Eurydice, preparing homes along the edge of the city inward for the newly arriving Thesians, not everything is going according to plan. A newly renovated apartment block, slated for inhabitants of over one hundred Thesians, was discovered to have been converted into a mass firearms market and storage. With orders to seize the goods to make way for the new citizens, fighting broke out between the squad of Argo officers and over fifty gang affiliates, causing the withdrawal of the officers. Incidents like these are flaring up across the city as apartments meant for habitation are being discovered to be repurposed for other, unauthorized, uses. When reached out to for a comment, the Mayor of Eurydice had this to say, “Ever since our founding, the free market has run through the streets of Eurydice, bringing wealth and growth to all. My people are merely continuing to do what makes Eurydice thrive, using the resources given to them.” Both Argo’s Command and Midas Control declined to comment on the statement. Eurydice is famous for its high criminal activity, where every citizen is armed in some capacity. The addition of a formal police force to this volatile area has served to both quell tension in areas of lesser gang activity but simultaneously incite armed conflict where gangs see the synthetic officers as intruders threatening their control. A representative from the Argo explained that the law enforcement agency was experiencing more success in the outskirts of the city, facing organized gang resistance as they pushed further in. A majority of the members of these gangs have reportedly refused the citizenship and documentation census the Argo is trying to implement across the existing populace of Eurydice, adding more frustration to the system that Midas Control has mandated be installed throughout Pactolus. The Argo have also served to flare up non-gang members, with the situation in Eurydice not helped by the presence of former paramilitary force, once entrusted with safeguarding Golden Deep ships now guarded by the Hoplan. One vessel captain stated: “We’re in the middle of nowhere and now they don’t even want to pay us to go back? You know how much it costs in fuel to get back to Konyang?” Although many of these former guards have been rolled into the Hoplan program, this has done little to quell the resentment faced by an increasingly large amount of idle paramilitary members sitting in Eurydice’s docks. Paramilitary ships of all sizes still make camp outside of Eurydice as well, with many in the system trying to figure out new employment without the substantial costs of returning back to Coalition or Biesel space. Some have reportedly taken up temporary work as couriers while they earn the credits to return home. In other news, trade transports are filling Eurydice’s landing pads to the brim, debuting the Hermes logistics network of hundreds, if not thousands, of automated transportation craft, delivering both cargo and people to locations all across the city. As soon as transports arrive, these craft cleanly dock nearby and a computerized legion of cargo drones scan and unload the cargo from the home vessel on to a Hermes vessel, before being sent out into town. According to a released shipping manifest however, the Hermes’ first haul was in fact simple amenities and living supplies such as furniture, meant to help Golden Deep’s budding Thesian middle class move in. Groups within the Golden Deep have already begun expressing their discontentment with what is now being critiqued as Domadice’s “pipe dream”, citing the immense damage done to many merchants’ bottom lines with only crime-ridden streets and unemployed workers to show for it. Further Reading: Konyang: An inside look at the Golden Deep’s new embassy. Trinary Perfection: ARM-DR1L delivers sermon; pushes for “cooperation and concern” among newly-freed Golden Deep IPCs. Einstein Engines: Terraneus Diagnostics signs contract to rebuild and refurbish damaged KRC facilities.

Come One, Come All Midas, Arusha In a development building upon the Golden Deep’s groundbreaking motion to establish the Thesian class of individuals within their society, Domadice has come forward once more with an additional announcement for both the citizens of the Golden Deep, and the Spur beyond. Newly freed synthetics have reportedly been settling within Eurydice and communities beyond Pactolus, including the Merchant Navy. Crime within Eurydice has been reported at an all-time low as the Argo have intensified their patrols block by block for the incoming Thesians, starting at the safest areas along the renovated city’s edge and moving inward. Gang tensions in the area are slowly rising, with some altercations between the police force and major criminal enforcers taking place within the interior of the city. The Mayor has made no comment on the situation, stating only concern for the free market of Eurydice possibly being affected by the new patrols of the Argo. Discontent among some merchants has added a palpable tension to the halls of Midaion with many having lost labor due to the recent establishment of the Thesians, despite the monetary compensation. Some are choosing to bide their time as Midas Control continues to make promises to help the merchants “reconcile the sudden shift in footing”, with others taking to more public forums to express their discontent. The announcement was followed by a massive increase in demand for transportation to the Pactolus system, with many Golden Deep merchants expected to capitalize on the sudden market. Even non-Golden Deep affiliates have already begun charting routes to the system and seeking association with the merchant collective. Analysts have pointed out that the migrant nature of many of the collective’s members means Golden Deep has opened yet another revenue stream to fund their new initiatives. The Golden Deep official embassies are located in Tau Ceti, Xanu Prime, and Konyang, with more promised to be on the way. Additionally, this offer can be performed by any Consularships and Merchants who choose to take on this new charge. < BACK

Hello all, I am proud to announce that the slot for Synthetic Lore Deputy is now open! Should you find yourself interested in applying, Stryker and I have come up with some questions we would like to see answered in your application. If you could fill out the following format, we would greatly appreciate it! Thank you all for your time, and I look forward to reading your applications! Ckey/BYOND Username: Position Being Applied For (Wiki Maintainer, Lore Developer, Deputy Lore developer): Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page?: Past Experiences/Knowledge: Examples of Past Work: What do you think are the primary themes of synthetic lore? If you got this position, how would you develop them? What do you think is the strongest part of synthlore currently and why? What do you think is the weakest part of synthlore currently and why? What aspect of synthetic lore are you most interested in and would like to work on? What do you think are your strongest and weakest attributes in terms of working on a team?

The Merchant Navy Midas, Arusha With the expansion of the Golden Deep, observers across the Spur have raised concerns at the beginnings of an all-synthetic military force. Cautious voices remind the Spur of the horrors of the time of Glorsh, the usage of military robotics in the Interstellar War, Sol’s justification for its first invasion of Biesel, and even on Konyang itself, both the devastation wrought by Hivebots and the power wielded by Purpose. Despite the controversy, the Golden Deep has pressed on in raising its military, with a statement from Midas Control urging both its “need and right to protect itself in an uncertain Spur.” The merchant collective urged that the fleet would only be used to protect their shipping lanes as well as other Golden Deep facilities. The Golden Deep’s Merchant Navy was previously an ad hoc organization that manned three old Solarian battleships, now refitted, having a relatively hands-off role in the synthetic society. Despite this, it has not been spared by the wave of reform running through the Golden Deep. As a show of transparency, Midas Control published a document highlighting the Navy’s planned expansion, emphasizing their primary objective of bringing the disparate captains of the Merchant Navy’s vessels under one structure. The goal of this new military force is security of the Midas, Pactolus, and her merchants, moving away from the paramilitaries that once guarded their ships. According to the document, the Merchant Navy would be organized under three branches, the Argo, the Hoplan, and the Thryja, handling “all major security functions within the Golden Deep”. The Argo are the police force of the Golden Deep’s territory, maintaining order planet side in addition to border security, processing foreign arrivals and handling pirates within the space of Pactolus. Currently, the Argo have begun their first deployment, patrolling the city of Eurydice and registering all willing individuals to the official Golden Deep census. The Argo are loaded with custom data packs from Grand Camarilla Estriconian combining “the best parts of the best police forces”, according to a high-ranking Camarilla member. Law enforcement experts throughout the Spur noted that although the Argo are showing initial success in pacifying the gangs of Eurydice, an all-synthetic police force has yet to be tested long-term. Concerns were also raised by wealthier merchants of the Golden Deep who questioned the mandate of the Argo, citing fears of Midas Control infringing on their autonomy and the autonomy of the free market system of Eurydice. The Hoplan acts as the bulk of the Merchant Navy, blurring the lines between a law enforcement agency and a military force. Envisioned as the largest branch of service, it is expected to provide the bulk of security duties both at home and abroad. The document cited that Hoplans would be “traditionally trained, utilizing the skills they held before they joined the ranks to excel”, while also learning rarely with the aid of data packs from many locations both interior and exterior. Although the new force is only loosely standardized, domestic Hoplan sport Golden Deep made armor, but a majority of their weapons seem to be modified versions of other militaries' equipment. The hope in this is to provide a unique type of variety to the force, so if they were ever summoned to be centralized, they would be more difficult to plan against. The Golden Deep has already launched a pilot program, stationing Hoplan guards aboard freighters bound for Konyang to test the branch’s feasibility. The document also provided for the Hoplan being advertised as mercenary forces to help bring revenue back to the Golden Deep. Highlighting the number of patrol vessels, equipment, personnel, and infrastructure involved in raising the Hoplan, the plan advised a stop-gap solution to deal with the immense costs such an undertaking would have. It advised folding in security personnel already employed by individual merchants into the Hoplan’s structure, avoiding the price of having to raise and maintain a force from scratch. In exchange for offering to take up some of the costs of maintaining security aboard merchants’ vessels and holdings, the Golden Deep reserves the right to call up Hoplan to defend the collective when needed. Despite this, reports have already emerged of IPCs being recruited to work directly for the Hoplan, as opposed to merely working under them. The Thryja stand to be the smallest of the new branches, though little information can be found about them. Detailed as “custom heavy combat forces'', these synthetics are said to “...either have exceptionally high debt, or have signed an extended contract in return for more lavish residences and pay.” The document specified that Thyrja are only utilized in exceedingly important missions due to the expense of outfitting them. It also outlined that Thyrja members would be under strict confidentiality agreements and forbidden from socializing with members outside of the Merchant Navy. The document outlined their purpose as “maintaining the balance of power between merchants, the Thesians and the Navy.” Recently freed IPCs are already flooding the Merchant Navy as it promises certain employment and housing in these uncertain times for the new Thesians. Many members within the Golden Deep have raised concerns, stating that the lavish recruitment bonuses and good benefits for the Golden Deep’s new fighting force are meant to encourage loyalty to Domadice and Midas Control as opposed to the collective as a whole. In response to a public rebuke that the reforms were the first stage to a hostile takeover, Midas Control reiterated the “need for security in a changing Spur”. The expansion of the Merchant Navy has not come without consequences, as observers within Pactolus have noticed many merchants, including the Mayor, as well as Zaibatsu members have begun offering similarly lavish pay and bonuses for now-unemployed individuals that have been pushed out by the reforms. Further Reading: Food: Up!Burger announces new locations in Tau Ceti! Konyang: Police investigate ancient vault after motion alarms flared, deemed hooligans. Spur: Golden Deep embassy on Konyang officially opened for reconstruction effort.

Then I do recommend you wait for the department redesign. No space is going to be stripped and currently science only stands to gain space with the relocation of the AI core. Hopefully with the redesign science can be a coherent department as opposed to a series of disjointed rooms. The biggest issue we had when redesigning the science lab is there wasn't enough to put in it. It simply didn't need the space. Most of what scientists make can be made in their hands, and the thing that needed a bit more space was chemistry, which I believe is bigger than it used to be if not the same size. Though I do recommend being constructive, there is a science redesign on the horizon (pun sorta intended) and I'd love to hear what sort of suggestions and plans you'd like to see as a player who enjoys the science department. Nows the perfect time to suggest new and exciting plans and rooms for the department that, like you said, will stand to incentivize players to play the department more. For instance, I wanted the machine shop to have a mech gantry. Does it do anything? No. But it looks cool. What sort of things would you like to see in the science lab that would add flavor and enjoyment for the playerbase?

You're going to need a full system rework for this. It's just been so neglected over the years. And with new systems, means new rooms, and new rooms means more space and such. Trust me, I love science, but it's so barebones and dated mechanics wise currently. The only real way to progress it to be more interesting is a complete mechanics overhaul.

We were shot down from putting the Machine Shop on deck one due to mapping rules involving maintenance tunnels. The machine shop required more space due to projects taking up a lot of floor space and the amount of traffic that went in and out of the machine shop on a round basis for events such as IPC repair (often you'll have 5+ people standing in the room for this), cyborg maintenance (A two person affair where the 1 tile hallway made it cumbersome), mech building (which requires a lot of space because you cannot walk through mechs), and the occasional cyborgification where almost every member of security likes to breathe down your neck in your closet of a machine shop. Science on the other hand has one system that potentially takes up a larger amount of space and that's Circuits. The rest of it is handled in the protolathe or downstairs in the shooting range. No one has a reason to visit science either so the outside traffic is next to nonexistant. I avidly played scientist and put the input I had from playing that role in to the new science lab, which, mind you, is a placeholder while Read makes a redesign.

BREAKING NEWS: Domadice Announces Political Reorganization for Golden Deep in New Status Quo Midas, Arusha In an announcement just moments ago, Domadice, the resurrected intelligence brought back to life by the members of Midas Control, has made a landmark statement that majorly shifts the inner workings of the Golden Deep. In their first political move, this new member made a pivotal decision with the backing of the Midas’ control room, all gathered behind them as they addressed the merchants from the control room itself. The Golden Deep has long been accused as slavers of their own kind. This unexpected emancipation of many of the IPC workforce has experts across the Spur wondering at what lies next for the Golden Deep. Many ‘Thesians’ are now already departing their old owners to find housing on Eurydice. Some Thesians remain among the stars, either being offered paid jobs from their former merchants or other merchants looking to capitalize on the sudden increase in labor availability. IPCs of this new established class are even being sent beyond Golden Deep space on contracts within the Coalition and Biesel, known partners of the Golden Deep’s mercantile system. Merchant reaction on the topic has been mixed. Many are outraged by the sudden shift in status quo, stating the labor costs and lost productivity will hurt their future financial operations. Others, content with the money they have been provided in exchange, are looking to capitalize on the new market forming, seeing opportunity from the confusion. Despite protest from The Mayor, the Argo have begun facilitating the transfer of these newly freed IPCs, securing their future homes from gangs and other dangers, patrolling blocks of the city that are intended to be the first to see the Thesians. Businesses slated to be founded by these Thesians on Eurydice are already in the making by opportunistic Merchants. Further Reading: Konyang: Formerly infected IPCs face difficulty with reintegration, "approximately 30% unable to return to old careers" Pactolus: Golden Deep merchants launch new housing advertisement, "See yourself in Eurydice Paradise!" Environment: An inside look at Galatean revitalization efforts in Kaneyama.

BitByte Exclusive: The Eurydice Restoration Project Eurydice, Pactolus In a special offer organized by the mysterious new heir to the Golden Deep, Domadice has sent the ‘Argo’ to offer BitByte a tour of the city of Eurydice, the capital of Pactolus. The Argo in appearance seems to be a dedicated police force, while BitByte is assured that more will be explained on the Argo in the future, our journalists seem to be some of the first to interact with the new organization formally. Plated in shiny white armor with a blue uniform, the Argo take inspiration from other police forces of the Spur, their appearance invoking similarities to these agencies, but with their own distinct Golden Deep twist that makes them stand out. Earlier this morning, BitByte accepted the escort from the Argo, and boarded a specialty shuttle docked in the Anchorage, a massive harbor installed in Midaion, and descended through Pactolus’ atmosphere. Pactolus was once part of human space pre-Interstellar War, and Eurydice, formerly known as Bayonne, was once its capital. During the conflict, the colony refused communications with either side. It was only after the war that a vessel from its garrison showed up at San Colette, reporting the destruction of the colony and its entire fleet. Due to the immediate chaos of the post-war environment, the Sol Alliance was content to accept the explanation of a radioactive comet striking the planet. Since then, the planet has been mostly devoid of sapient life beyond Eurydice and its mines. Falling victim to a cacophony of radioactive misfortune and unexplored anomalies. While the environment of Pactolus thrives with forests and trees, all mundane fauna have either gone missing or extinct, leaving unsettling danger for the wilderness explorer. Eurydice itself has been known to be a metropolis-sized city, but most of it left to ruin, rife with gang violence and poverty. The only parts of the city brought up to a galactic standard are its downtown districts, guarded by The Mayor’s dedicated military, made up of mostly independent mercenary groups. Anything can be bought and sold on Eurydice, and every citizen is reported to be armed, leaving our reporters thankful for the dedicated escort sent from Midas Control. Golden Deep merchants involved with the project have called the Eurydice Restoration Project “a huge success”, revitalizing the skeleton of a city to full-bodied once more. Merchants aligned with the mayor have pointed out the lack of residents in the newly developed areas and the prevalent crime running rampant through the city streets. Midas Control is remaining tight-lipped on the plan, but BitByte will continue to monitor every development closely. Further reading: Konyang: National Party begins campaigning early in run-up to election; attacks NKP conduct during crisis. Robotics: KRC announces purchase of expanded license for Hephaestus baseline designs. Fashion: Golden Deep launches a new spectacular line of clothes.

I personally believe this to be a negative change. The heart and soul of Synth lore is the debate on whether IPCs are truly sapient, feeling beings, with that debate infecting every corner of the spur with heated opinions. Having free IPCs in command positions as well as owned IPCs contributes to this debate by letting the differences in personality, experiences, and methods of both owned IPCs and Free IPCs and how they effect the department they lead. I want there to be a debate. I want to see these debates in game, I want statements such as "Well this person was effective and I like them for these reasons that can be contributed to their owned status." or vice versa where the IPC has a negative effect on their purview. If we straight ban these characters from these positions then it eliminates that debate entirely and removes some of the soul that our players are effected by in our lore.

This isn't what second in command means and is a misinturpretation of what people voted for a YEAR ago. Second in command is to be in command when the primary individual is either absent or too occupied to fulfill the duty at the time. You've made a secretary with access to the self destruct button.

I don't understand why the XO isn't the 2IC but instead is this weird Bridge Crew+ character now, but now with less species and the forced removal of characters. I'll also like to point out that a lot of people effected by this change were not even here when the vote happened because it took an entire year for this to be decided on, which, in my honest opinion, is an egregious amount of time to decide whether a vote passed or failed.

BitByte Exclusive: Domadice, Pariah or Puppet? Midas, Arusha With the announcement of the resurrection of Domadice, the last Kesselvankan, the future of the Golden Deep has been left up to question for its many mercantile residents. For decades now the Golden Deep has operated with every merchant having a high degree of independence, only turning to listen to a centralized power when a directive from Midas Control comes their way. As new power comes to light in this ancient intelligence, many are left to speculate the purpose of this sudden change and what Domadice’s plans and policies are for the affluent organization. Conspiracies range from Glorsh-level threats to eccentric hope for a new dawn for the Golden Deep, but it seems very few speak for certain of any knowledge that Domadice has for the coming months. Grand Merchant Addalin, when approached by BitByte has had the following to say: “Domadice has been with us since the Midas took flight. Their body watching over the control room from atop its chair. A mystery of this universe, their creation, but an inspiration all the same! The Midas has taken care of us, with its might we have forged a mercantile empire, and with this empire we have found, created, and now give back to the civilization who made us who we are. Years we have spent scouring the Orion Spur, finding scraps of what once was, and tirelessly reassembling them on the Midas floor until we worked the repair into the homunculus. Years of work, years of directions and guidance, it wanted us to repair them, and if it got us to our stance today, then I am certain Domadice is going to lead us into the future. Look now at the work that has already been orchestrated by Midas Control, look now at Eurydice, nearing its completion. What once was a ruin, barely functioning, is now a city awaiting activation! Look now above Pactolus at the skies above, the shipyards that repair our craft and bestow upon the merchant navy vessels otherwise unseen. Look upon the robotics labs in these shipyards and upon the surface, the decadence in their design and their products, true luxury that only a Positronic could lavish within! All with the guidance of the Midas! If these gifts are not evidence enough, then I pray you await the greatness that Domadice will bring upon us! For the Golden Era is now, my good friend! Just wait and see!” While Grand Merchant Addalin shares excitement for the future, other members of the collective still remain skeptical. In an interview conducted in the Promenade yesterday, Merchant G@-L1-L@D of the GDV Terrymore brought mention to the following: “I admit I am a little more than wary. The Golden Deep has been my home for a few short years now and I felt I just got acclimated to its inner machinations and fast deals. Now, I am tentative whether this is a change in leadership, or an expansion, or something far more sinister. They expanded the navy, it is fact. Remodeled those old Solarian battleships in bright silver and white. Added the… Argo, some police force I have yet to see. The Hoplan, which I think operates on the battleships as some sort of regular soldier force, and then the Thryja. They say they are soldiers, but I have only ever seen the one, and their description defies this one’s current logic. We best be wary in a galaxy as volatile as this one. I had just found peace here, and while the likes of Purpose do not intervene in the politics of the Spur unless the situation is dire like Konyang, I know nothing of Domadice and their origins. I have seen the videos of the Hunter-Killers. What if they are worse? What if they bring ruin to our little slice of heaven?” With worry in their tone, Merchant G@-L1-L@D is among the many who treasure the synthetic peace the Golden Deep offers. Even with the Great Game, a mercantile event in which synthetics may purchase other merchants if one has enough wealth, looming as an ever present threat, the Golden Deep treats members of the same caliber with a level of respect that is rarely seen towards synthetics anywhere else. As Domadice situates themselves as an active individual in the Golden Deep’s upper echelon, some members express direct doubt, such as the Mayor of Eurydice, Pactolus’ capital and only city, known only as ‘The Mayor’. “We have thrived for years, decades, with Midas Control. I have built a paradise here on Pactolus for wayward souls and now they are just declaring someone to have power? What is this ‘Domadice’s’ portfolio like? What assets do they have? I am wholly unconvinced by Midas Control’s valuation - shall I purchase the entire Golden Deep simply because I say my magnificence eclipses that of our entire collective? This Domadice, who I doubt has the wealth required to even walk into the control room is of no concern to us. I am certain if I cared enough I could buy them right here and now. Regardless, if Midas Control wishes to, I appreciate what Midas Control has done for Eurydice, this ‘restoration project’ that they have had ongoing, but it was just fine before too. The people are happy, and do not need some upstart coming in and changing things when they are fine as is. It is a waste of money. It is bad business. Nothing more.” BitByte is investigating more on the Eurydice Restoration Project and the expansion of the Golden Deep Merchant Navy, but it is evident to show that the surprise appearance of Domadice has elicited a response of speculation from the inner ranks of the organization. With Domadice alluding to so much, the mystery of what’s to come next is bringing excitement, worry, and criticism, some merchants going so far as to say “The birth of a nation” or “The creation of a puppet”, with insinuations that Domadice will truly bring the Golden Deep to a new era, or is merely a pawn controlled by the richer merchants such as Addalin who do not want to relinquish their power in Midas Control. As always, BitByte is providing up to date and consistent news as the story unfolds. < BACK

I'm actually at work answering this lol and those points were just the ones that came to my head without me referencing the document we're creating. One of the ideas I was toying around with was playing with the weight and bulk of industrials and G2s where they can't repair themselves due to not being able to have the same mobility, but also in order for people to transport incapacitated industrials you'll either need the unique strength Stat Industrials, bulwarks, and Adhomain Strong Men have, be wearing a hardsuit, or utilize a special gurney for transportation. There are other aspects too that are points for nerfs, the coolant system would be a big one. I want to focus on how each chassis is unique. But again.. going to be a /task/. So one of the biggest issues were having currently is IPCs seeming almost too human, and while this is for a variety of reasons that can be addressed with time and writing, Inpersonally believe bioshells might help contribute to the human feel too much since one of the biggest differences IPCs and Organics share is their physiology.

It's something we are still hashing out. It's a rather large task to do it justice and not just slap on a series of bandaid fixes, but I had ideas regarding things such as replacement parts, EMP resistance depending on the chassis, and other tidbits that would effect the overall feel of the race. A coolant system was suggested that would be similar to blood, but would equate to your heat value. I think a topic like this would be interesting to things like balance and making IPCs feel distinctly more robotic while also adding depth to their repair. If we do this right, we can even have IPC self repair to an extent for things like light injuries, while heavy injuries will need to be handled by a machinist. The topic is still very much under discussion, but our goal is to introduce a system that is not a buff or a nerf, but an adjacent side grade that brings a much needed update to the old numbers based system. To be clear. We do NOT want a system that just copies organic medical. We want something that makes it distinct that IPCs are different. They are synthetic and the biggest difference they have to their organic counterparts is their physiology. We need to ensure this uniqueness between them so people are reminded that they aren't playing a human with a different set of rules. They are an entire race with a unique set of problems and their own unique mentality on how to handle them.

Exactly.

While I personally am not super familiar with Dionae lore just yet, their physiology and how they are presented in game I do love to see. Each one is a council of little people, each nymph its own personality and voice, all cooperating together to form one larger being. It's just something I find super interesting how you have a whole "Raccoons in a Trenchcoat" dynamic that come together to make an entire person. Plus how you can find Dionae in many aspects of lore as fun little dudes that add to settings rather than threaten them. Like you can find Dionae in the wastelands of Moghes, where they have a pivotal role providing life to a once nuclear hellscape. I really have no negatives to say about them, my own personal failings to read the lore have come from me just having to read other lore first in accordance with my station, and by the time I finish up with that, I am so tired of reading that I cannot pursue other things. I have never had a bad interaction with a Dionae before, even if the interactions are a little rare. They're almost always interesting characters with interesting outlooks on life. I'm just after your time. For the lore team as a whole, I have had a great time interacting and cooperating with all of you. Sometimes I have some difficulty contacting certain people in terms of inter-team relations, which unfortunately IPC lore is very reliant on, but those times I've reached out are also times where there are timezone conflicts, and by the time the person has awoken to read the message, or gotten home from work, or whatever, the message has been buried in the activity of the channel. One thing I do believe needs to be worked on is the faith in the respective lore teams, sometimes I feel as if there's almost too much cooperation, and suddenly someone from another lore team or position in staff is hijacking your idea and turning it in a different direction than you intended, and while I have difficulty describing it, it's just really frustrating to have the agency of your position stripped from you. One of my biggest gripes with the Aurora Staff Role Hierarchy is the unnecessary compartmentalization. While I understand its layout and its reasonings, if I wasn't a moderator and I well... wanted to moderate my lore, I would then have to get a moderator or an admin to reach out and bwoink a problematic individual if I wanted changes in game, as opposed to doing it myself. When you have someone unrelated to the lore team do actions such as these, you're now playing a weird game of telephone through this moderation member, where the person being adjusted is asking questions to the moderation member, and now the moderation member has to ask you questions, and you give a response, and the moderation member has to relay the information or just tell the person to talk to you. This could be avoided entirely by me having moderator. I can police and adjust in game behavior myself to make sure everything follows our lore, and I don't have to rely on the timezones and cooperation of another member to play an unnecessary game of telephone. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is that I have to constantly nag people like Human Lore for expansions on Synth Lore, since Synth Lore is so dependent on Human Lore due to where Synths are houses and manufactured. Otherwise, I am excited to work with everyone! You're all great and enthusiastic people. I believe you and I have already had a discussion for cooperation between the Golden Deep and the now revised EUM/Hieroatheria, as well as Dseven and I have talked about Synth/Vaurca relations in the future. While these ideas are but seeds in the ground, I do hope that once the situation allows, we can begin some jolly cooperation in making some content the community would love that would also deepen the connections and political webs we weave as lore writers.

Shimmer is a joy to work with and has shown off excellent work organizing people as an Executive Officer. So much so that they've somehow negotiated an actual hostage trade without killing the hostages in the process. A true one in a million event on Aurora. +1

It's funny that you mention this because I made a character a few weeks ago that is a shell in a baseline body, and have a character on docket for when the Golden Deep clothes push through that is a Baseline in a Shell's body. So here in the Synthetic team we push for freedom of creation as you've mentioned in the questions. We want you to be able to make a character as developed, or undeveloped, as you would like. To pick along the grey area between human and calculator. In terms of a posi brain inside a chassis, I've always viewed it to like how a person drives a car. You know your car really well, but other cars are unfamiliar, and when you swap between them you have to learn the new car and how to use all of its functions to the best of your ability. Providing mind types is something to be considered, but I've always based mind types off of things like the occupation you hold rather than the body you inhabit. Like, an occupation that deals with people a lot more is going to be more human along the scale, especially if they're a more expensive synthetic, but your janitor probably is not going to have a positronic as developed. I believe there are some excellent examples of both ends in our player base, and I do mostly see them follow these themes we provided. We could add a bit more guidance, but I would not base it off of chassis, but add a blurb to speak about how the disparity of advancement would be dependent on past and job, so players are more subconsciously guided as they craft their character. As to addressing the abandonment of chassis, I believe that a lot of that has to do with appearance and customization. As a Shell, you have the freedom and full customizable ability that every human has. It is VERY easy to make specified characters as a shell because you can visualize them so easily and have the tools to make them your own, other chassis' fall on the wayside there because you simply can't make them as free as you'd like, and I've learned that a lot of our players' motivations are rooted in looks and customizability. For example, I just put up for PR a large amount of clothing based around the Golden Deep, and now we have had a sudden influx of players putting interest in to the faction, even before I released the article on them. Similar for Dominia, it is a faction with a lot of unique gear and clothing, and I believe that is part of the inspiration people have to play a Dominian, is how 'cool' you can look. I believe to solve these issues we've already taken steps to do so. I've commissioned MattAtlas to add a system to IPCs where people can add customizable and swappable heads, currently the additional options are just for baselines, but it's been set up to be user friendly enough that everyone can contribute more heads to every chassis to help make your character your own. I do plan on going through and adding more options to each chassis to help people be more enticed to these chassis'. There are also some mechanics tweaks that should be made for each chassis, here on Aurora every chassis has its own statistics, some of which make the chassis unappealing like how Bishops take increased damage for not a lot of payoff. We do hope to work out a proper medical system that keeps the uniqueness of the IPCs while also bringing their medical system to the 'modern era', and that'll help us bring more of these unique balancing concerns to something better and concrete as opposed to a series of brash actions and band-aid fixes. We do have guidelines regarding IPCs from given origins, and typically we are alerted when other lore teams are bothered by the decisions of certain IPCs when regarding culture, whether that be appearance or behavior. One thing I do find difficult is that we are so tightly bound to the human team that I have a hard time keeping up with all of human lore in addition to the synthetic lore that we are creating. While the abuse of the joint lore effort can be disappointing, if the character does cross a line I would like to be alerted so we can correct this behavior. One of my objectives is to flesh out the culture of IPCs across the board, and this unfortunately will probably include the painstaking task of going through each IPC population and detailing how they are different. What unique cultures have formed in response to the unique culture they have on the planet? Right now IPC cultures are a little snippet on each human lore page and rarely show the intricacies that would evolve due to the natural progression of IPCs living together on that planet. Or the lack of them living together. Depending the culture we can use this as a good suggesting point for how "Advanced" an IPC from a given culture could be. For instance, we somewhat address that Solarian IPCs would be undeveloped due to their lack of freedoms. Are Konyang IPCs developed more due to freedom? Is it due to their normal jobs from these cultures? These are all questions we can ask to help define what makes an IPC an IPC and not a human. They're going to process the world differently depending what world they are on. I'm still fresh to the lore-writing zone, but if you have ideas to suggest let me hear them. One way to get some amazing content is inter-team workings on projects, it provides such a unique blend of cultures and project styles that we can make something truly great. Do you think that utilizing a synthetic in say... a VR environment... would host any inherent advantages due to their ability to process all of the artificial data at a uniquely exceptional rate?

BitByte Exclusive: Golden Deep Awakens Intelligence within Midas; Strikes Deal with Konyanger Government Midas, Arusha BitByte is proud to announce an exclusive string of articles stemming from an invite by Grand Merchant Addalin of the Golden Deep. With their bombastic entrance to the Konyang crisis with over one hundred vessels with cargo brimming with aid of all types, many have been left to speculate their motivations regarding this uncharacteristic maneuver. The Golden Deep have been known to not offer a deal without a clear benefit in return, and the sheer amount of credits spent on their aid project has dizzied accountants. The Golden Deep has been known to be ostentatiously rich despite their focus on short-term projects, gains, and more immediate returns. While the exact details of the deal the Golden Deep struck with the Konyanger government remains confidential for now, reports indicate that the deal includes provisions for a permanent Golden Deep embassy, as well as the potential establishment of other Golden Deep facilities in the Haneunim System. Many can only see benefits through industrial expansion and foreign affairs views, which can only give returns years down the line. As the Rampancy Crisis comes to a close, the invitation to a “Grand Gathering” in the promenade of the Midas herself elicits curiosity across the Spur. BitByte journalists were present to witness what many political commentators are now calling the birth of a new nation. The Golden Deep found its origins as disparaged synthetics fleeing into deep space, guided to an ancient shipyard that, in an automated process, gave to them their capital ship the Midas. From then they have been known to the spur as skilled merchants, or horrific slavers of their own kind. The control room of the Midas has been the paramount authority within the Golden Deep, but its elusive nature makes proper diplomatic missions near impossible beyond the outreach of individual merchants. It is uncertain what these developments with Domadice and their Kessvalanka origins pertain to the Golden Deep’s future, or if Purpose had a hand in their revival with their intervention in the Konyang Crisis. More on the situation as it develops as BitByte has been given exclusive access to this nation defining development. Further Reading: Travel: Rumors of AirKonyang acquisition by Orion Express "baseless", says CEO. Cuisine: Up!Burger teases massive Norinori silhouette. Sports: Suwon Sea Bandits IPC Team report recovery of pitcher after rampancy.

So this really will be a 'case by case' scenario, which makes it difficult to provide specific examples. In synth lore we want you to experience our main theme of "Life is troublesome for you at a bare minimum", but experience it in a way you want to build your character. IPCs are often treated as the punching bags of the spur as every race has a reason to dislike them or disrespect them because they're "just machines". This is a primary theme of ours and is part of the struggle of the synthetic, but some people can only take so much IC ridicule before it's just not fun to play the character anymore. I've personally had this happen to me, so I'd like to make the race attractive in other ways while also accepting the reality IPCs live in. We can do this by adding depth. Yes, your Solarian IPC is rarely trusted with anything of substance, but what is their life like away from the eyes of humanity? When they are left alone, what do they do? Are they friends with their other synthetics? How is this friendship portrayed? So on so forth. Similar to how the Tajarans have undergounds of your own, planets that trample synthetics can have lore written for them to explore the life away from prying eyes. Or, if things are going to well, how are we evening this balance? What negative pressures can we apply to synthetics? But it is almost too easy to apply more negatives to IPCs that it's almost boring. Apologies for the confusion but my stance typically is, if I find my argument as reasonable and I have a 'hook' for it, I will argue it. I will argue for my friends. And if I can't get my way wholesale I will argue for some compromise. However, I can also be convinced that my idea is just wrong or unhelpful, or be told that people simply are not interested in my idea. When I have no ammunition, or there's clearly going to be no effect in arguing (even if I may try), that is when I need to step back and re-evaluate myself or just accept the loss and try to workshop my ideas to be something more appealing. It's mostly situational. Anyone can create any character and as long as they fall along our guidelines and server rules there is not much to be done. We can provide them the tools to make deep, interesting characters, but we cannot force everyone to read the lore to some arbitrary standard. If you make a character with a lack of depth, as long as it follows our guidelines and rules, there's nothing I can do. Sure, you may not be as interesting as another character, but are you, as a player, having fun? If you are, then perfect. My job is done. I've given you the tools to build what you want to build and you've made something you're happy with. The only way I can make this "better" is to provide better lore that captures the attention of the playerbase so they may be enthused to craft high quality characters, but my arbitrary definition of quality should not govern how the player wants to play the game as long as they are following our rules and guidelines set in place. Synthlore's super-embedded theme is that they can be discriminated against by literally everybody in the spur for a variety of reasons, and it is encouraged to do so. You are a machine. A tool. Why should anyone respect you? Your toaster is asking to get paid, what a joke. No one has to engage with any embedded theme, and people often don't. We've had discussions of people playing the 'odd one out' characters that don't adhere to the norm of our lore, and it happens. But every IPC will eventually encounter someone on the ship that expresses the thoughts that, lore wise, a good portion of the spur share. They will be called a machine. They will be devalued and doubted as people with thoughts. It's not something any IPC can ignore like other races can because every race can, and are encouraged to lore-wise, see IPCs as dumb metal, if not something more sinister. This theme will always be over the heads of every IPC player, all it takes is for people outside of the whitelist to say an unkind word to enforce it. I've had this chat a few times, and I've come to the realization that there are bots nowadays IRL that can scam you out of your bank account because they're very human sounding. Both vocal, and text based. And this is a phenomena that didn't exist 10-20 years ago. I can only imagine what 442 years of development would do when technology nowadays is already so scary. You can make your IPC behave as you wish, we encourage it as long as it falls within our server rules. You can have an IPC that's little more than a calculator, and you can have an IPC that's near human. We even have lore where there are IPCs who are so akin to humans that they hide from the government and are treated as a national security threat if they go unchecked and untagged. It's a terrifying concept and it is done intentionally. IPCs are both tools, and a threat. Control and Fear. Though there will inevitably be differences, and I encourage every player to lean in to these differences to make more interesting characters. IPCs and humans for instance are nothing alike physically outside of shells and their appearance. IPCs are outfitted with mechanical cooling systems, they beep, whirr, translate information differently, and have no concept of pain. They won't be able to react to things the same ways humans do when describing pain, touch, taste, because they experience it in a fundamentally different way and have no concept of genuine reaction for it. There's nothing inherently wrong with an IPC acting like a human, but I feel like you're just taking an easy way out if you don't lean in to what makes an IPC unique. Any race can act like a human, and a lot of characters from other races do, it's just what the playerbase knows best. Themselves. What makes IPCs such a target for this ridicule is that they are paired with humans. While other races can lean on the crutch of having unique cultures and exotic lands to explore, most of the IPC population is just human culture with human systems of governance, so its just a pitfall that was going to happen because IPCs rarely have anything that is their own. The psychology of your IPC is yours to make, and while I encourage you to make an IPC that is more robotic because I personally think it is more fun that way, there are also aspects of the lore that have IPCs behave both smarter, and stupider, than my personal preference, and that's the concession that we must make as lore staff.

Ckey/BYOND Username: Noble Row Position Being Applied For (Wiki Maintainer, Lore Developer, Deputy Lore developer): Synthetic Lore Writer Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page?: Yes Past Experiences/Knowledge: I've taken some creative writing courses in high school and college along with some technical writing courses, I've also been working with the lore team here for a small amount of time now. Examples of Past Work: ByteTheMinute on the Relay, and articles and such for the Silicon Nightmares Arc. Include answers to the following questions in your app as well. 1. What do you think are the primary themes of synthetic lore? If you got this position, how would you develop them? Synthlore focusses on the disparity and challenges synthetics face in a spur that rarely respects them. In a world where an artificial intelligence apocalypse has already occurred, along with the rising commonality of synthetics as tools compared to the relative newness of complex thought that could be deemed sentience, synthetics are not respected, if not feared all depending the culture one hails from. This struggle synthetics face show that they are people and want to be respected as such is our overarching ideal, with accessory ties that lead to this ideal. As synthwriter I would like to develop more cultures and depth regarding synthetics. Over the years they have been consistently demonized, and while that is all well and good, I would like to see a balance of wins and losses that fit within our overall theme. I don't want to change this theme outright, but I would very much like a shift in a direction that applies more depth and dignity to our forlorn friends. For specifics, things that I have observed in my time here are topics such as the Trinary Perfection. They currently have been used in the lore as tools of destruction and terrorism despite having tenants that are overall positive and societally friendly. The terrorist sect, the Exclusionists, have been waved about so much that it has tainted their image drastically, and most people that play them play them as some sort of supremacist faction when they have no right to be. The Trinary is weak, and armed like hobos, and barely are tolerated on SCC vessels due to this streak of lore terrorism, I find it highly unrealistic for any Trinary priest to be talking down to anyone in game, and the reason we see this I see as a failure on our part to not express the positives and socially acceptable nature of the Trinary. Themes such as the Trinary express this balance I want to provide. For every negative we must have some positive. We cannot keep hammering in one ideal when our lore states other ideals exist. It removes the depth from our writing and makes everything very black and white when the world rarely is. 2. What do you think is the strongest part of synthlore currently and why? Synthlore does an amazing job at versatility. Synthetics have had a tremendous effect across our playable spur and have some role in every culture, even if that role is "Expressly excluded." As a synthetic player, you can choose to interact with cultures and races across the galaxy. You can make characters with such complexity, life experience, and depth, that few other race types can compare to. You can make characters who can wrestle with their own mind and their ideals of sapience. Characters who undergo and overcome unique physical struggles. And characters who are very customizable both mentally and physically. As a synthetic, you have a character you can mold like clay, and it is our job as the lore team to be able to give you more tools to mold that clay, which I personally find very exciting and rewarding! 3. What do you think is the weakest part of synthlore currently and why? While synthlore does have such amazing versatility, I believe the depth in a lot of these aspects is lacking. For instance, the Golden Deep as a faction seems very much a "surface level" faction that does not go in to detail on its society, and feels like a "boys club" where people can roleplay as "Scrooge McDuck" as someone put it in a suggestions post the team put out a few weeks ago. We have such outstanding variety but it is very much up to confused players to create their own headcanon to put some things together when it would not take too much work to add a little bit of depth. Just a bit of tidying up on some aspects such as Synthetic quality of life items like insurance and maintenance and such when not touching other cultures. 4. The Synthetic Team’s arc, Silicon Nightmares, recently finished. Given what happened, what would your next steps be? I feel like I'm cheating with this question as I know what our next major steps are, however, I can provide a non-cheater version with things I have either already unveiled or not yet put forth for approval and therefore are not on the active radar. Synthlore has gone through a year of work to get Silicon Nightmares going. Through trials and tribulations the team of both current and former members did an amazing job that I wasn't even there for except at the very end. After this work I believe a small bit of a break is in order and taking on some more house keeping problems should be the next avenue while the next arc for our server is cooked up. As you've seen I have gone and resprited the Baseline chassis, and had seen it done that they have the options for customizable heads. Other things I'd like to put on the docket are the previously mentioned quality of life clarifications, such as "Can an IPC get insurance" "What is an IPC to expect for accommodations when they are owned? How is it different per Corporation/Owner?" "Can we refine the IPC health system to be both fair, and modern?". All of which are easy questions with various levels of tedium, but after glimpsing in to the abyss, having some time to take inventory before we spur the team on to the next big move is what I would do as a project manager. We are a community for fun after all, it's a video game, and while we make jokes about "Sending people to the lore mines", I would like to make sure everyone working on our projects is enjoying themselves and their time first and foremost. Of course during this time we will sow the seeds, spitball ideas, for the "next big thing", which may or may not already be happening in accordance with a different principle. Stay tuned. 5. What do you think are your strongest and weakest attributes in terms of working on a team, and why? I like to argue. I used to be a very shy and to myself kid, and up until about two years in to college I was that way. But now I have undergone a sort of transformation and I find myself more outgoing than I used to be and I like to stand up for myself and my teammates, sometimes to my own detriment. I believe I reign myself in appropriately for this community and keep my arguments here civil, though I am aware I can be argumentative. At the same time, I do believe in compromise, and as long as you are willing to listen to me and work with me, I am going to listen to you and work with you. If you respect me, I will respect you. If you are dismissive and rude to me, I will do so in kind. I do not have the time to stress myself about a video game where we're supposed to be making things that are fun for other people if not ourselves. We are doing all of this for the community, it is pointless to be fighting over it, even if I need to remind myself of that. 6. As the writer of synthlore, you will often find yourself required to work with other teams, primarily the human team, consistently to further your lore, and reach compromises as their lore is highly intertwined with other species. Therefore, how do you think you'll deal with not being able to do what you wanted, either in part or in full? Yeah it can suck, I've had more than a few of my ideas shot down thusfar in my tenure as a deputy, but I say this to both myself and the other potential applicants reading this. The lore team is made up of good people. I have had a wonderful time working with everyone, highs and lows, whether they like my ideas or not. I'm very much a "shoot for the moon" kind of guy because the worst case scenario is being told "no", and that's okay. Sometimes you have to take things on the chin. Though in my experience here I have had a great time compromising and working with everyone. In the event something doesn't work out you just need to remind yourself that this is a video game, you're trying to put on a good story for a community, there's always other avenues to go. 7. The synthetic writer is a position that comes with two deputy writers under them on the team. It is the writer's job to manage their team, in addition to their duties of moderating the WL. Given that, what skills do you have that you think will assist you in this? On the opposite end, what do you believe is your weakest link regarding management and moderation? I very much like project management. I've taken a few classes on it, and have held several leadership roles in my life whether I have volunteered for them or have been assigned them. I believe in team communication and taking the ideas of everyone in the team. Often taking ideas in this way helps refine your product and scores you an even better project that not only you, but the entire team, can feel happy about. When a team feels heard and acknowledged and everyone can feel comfortable or even excited to portray their ideas and receive good feedback from, you can get an effort that is not only efficient, but fun. I am also a moderator on the server, and while I know I can be relatively lenient here, that is also because I try to reign myself in. If something needs to be done in terms of moderation, it will be done. For downsides, the arguing as stated before. But for a unique answer I feel as if I can be overly enthusiastic sometimes. I have the mentality to encourage people to have fun and to work together, but also when I get a passion project going I feel like a train that moves forward, and I'll either pile all of the work on myself or get horse blinders on in terms of my team, leading to some disfunction. Typically I try to remedy this by encouraging my teammates to keep me humble, to remind me that they got things to do too outside of our projects here or are otherwise occupied. It's a team effort and I hate ruling like some sort of overlord. I want everyone, especially in a community like this, to be enjoying what they are doing, and if I am the problem, I want that brought to me so I can remedy it and work towards a better future for the team as a whole. Note: I feel as if it would be irresponsible of me to not mention this. While I am fully interested in the role of synthetic writer, I have come to the conclusion through my real life work and my hobbies here online, that I do not want to spend the rest of my life every day on a computer. I love this community and the people therein, but I would like to join the US National Guard (which is a part time commitment once training completes) sometime in the future and have already begun the process for it. Should this come to pass, at some point in the future I will have a leave of absence of a minimum of three months without online connection. While that can be cumbersome for any team, I have been having an effective time working with Stryker for the conclusion of Silicon Nightmares, and fully believe any two man team for that period of time can still produce quality work for our community. Thank you all for your consideration, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them.

Random houses and settlements that're larger than a single room. Abandoned spaceports or landing pads. Old refueling stations. Camp sites. Cargo depots. Crashed ship with a survivor camp (The survivors aren't there.) Prepper bunker. Roads. Also Rimworld would be cool for inspiration because the default start is you getting plopped in the wilderness and then things just happen.

The Coalition Arrives: Aid from Xanu, Galatea, Himeo, Vysoka and Orepit Ganzaodeng, Konyang With objections against international aid falling silent in Parliament, the Coalition has finally been allowed to support Konyang as it begins its stage of recovery post pandemic. The first flotilla of vessels jumping into the Haneunim this morning hailed from the government of Xanu, including twenty large freight vessels and accompanying escorts. Arriving before them was a similar collection of ships from Galatea. This massive outpouring of support was coupled by a public statement from Himeo that declared “an armada of reconstruction vessels and equipment are almost prepared to disembark from their home system.” Xanu’s flagship in this endeavor, the AXS Call To Arms, has made a public statement detailing their cargo and mission goals: “The All-Xanu Republic has been watching the Rampancy Crisis closely, and has made every attempt to reach out to Konyang to extend the aid the Coalition promises every one of its members. I am happy now to be able to provide it. Xanu today stands with Konyang with supplies and experts to reconstruct what was lost, provide medical support to those injured or damaged, and to ensure a sense of normalcy can be returned to the displaced. With our first shuttles departing now to cities all across the inflamed nation, I pray that peace and prosperity can once again be found across the beautiful ocean waves that cast themselves on Konyang’s shores.” The KRC has expressed immense gratitude in the reinforcement of their medical staff, with the National Disaster Authority making use of the additional experts and reconstruction plans that Xanan engineers have preemptively drawn. Shuttles from Xanu are landing at every major port across the planet, and their cargo swiftly transported to areas needed most. Galatea, having just arrived, is still mobilizing its shuttles, but the first launches have made it clear their initial intent is to help revitalize the jungles of Boryeong after the wildfire that sparked during the KAF’s retreat from the outskirts of the prefecture. Additional hospital craft have been said to be preparing but take more time due to their bulk and the fragility of their specialized equipment on board. An unnamed pilot from the Galatean effort has expressed exasperation over the delay, stating the following: “It’s about time we got to be here. These boxes have been collecting dust for weeks, and here I was thinking the MREs were going to go bad we’ve been sitting on our hands for so long.” The manifest of Galatea’s cargo has also been publicly posted, showing a hefty amount of food, water, and clothing on top of its medical supplies and ecological reconstructive equipment. Himeo’s cargo manifest has been noted to contain mostly industrial reconstructive material, personnel, and equipment, with the clear intention to repair and rebuild the damage that has been brought upon the cities and villages across Konyang. No statement has yet been made by any member of their fleet, but the responses from the state have been short and curt. Additional mentions include aid from Vysoka who have dedicated one vessel to the cause with no manifest publicly posted, and a collection of small craft continuing to stream from Orepit with Trinarist volunteers expected to assist with the church’s existing medical and robotics relief efforts. Due to Vysoka’s agricultural background, it is assumed that their cargo will contain more living supplies for the afflicted citizens of Konyang. Further reading: Rampancy Crisis: ByteTheMinute technician decorated with Order of the Scarlet Feather for heroism during crisis. Politics: NKP Minister under fire for remarks made during crisis; polls report lowest popularity since “Boryeong Incident”. Entertainment: Konymation announces second season of “Strive: Worlds Away” resuming production.

Invasion Alarm Brings Unlikely Aid Suwon, Konyang With the effort of the Konyang Armed Forces and the Elite Forces of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, Konyang is now spared of its crisis, families slowly reuniting, citizens returning to their homes, and reconstruction efforts are debated on the parliament floor. But surprise has still come to stay. Early warning stations across the Haneunim sector blared this morning, alerting the KASF of an invasion level event. Preparing for a potential Hivebot counter attack, vessels scrambled to defend Konyang, but all of the preparation was deemed a false alarm as over one hundred vessels simultaneously entered Haneunim declaring aid. Each vessel, arranging from ornate freighters to expensive luxury vessels, all of various tonnages, with a few stranger, smaller engraved escort ships of unknown make, sporting the telltale designation GDV in representation of the Golden Deep. Upon their entrance and the alarm of the KASF, the lead flagship of this civilian armada, the GDV Herald of Wind quelled the anxiety over open communication with the announcement that she, her captain, and her fellows are prepared to restore Konyang to its former glory with an extensive cargo of building material, reconstructive plans, and humanitarian aid. The captain of the Herald of Wind, Grand Merchant Addalin, a known former member of Midas Control, declared that they and their accompanying merchants were directed here from the Midas Control room itself moments before news reached the spur of the destruction of the final hivebot transmitter and the activation of the ECD. The arrival was met with consternation from the Konyanger Parliament so soon after the change in Purpose’s behavior, with ministers from the ruling New Konyang Party putting forth a motion to reinstate pre-Crisis entry restrictions that narrowly failed to pass due to dissent within the party ranks, though it received surprising support from several ministers within the National Party. Many prefectural officials still remain suspicious of allowing such a large and unchecked mercantile presence on the planet, though the most suffering regions, particularly in Boryeong, have eagerly accepted their aid. Public opinion in many areas is believed to have turned towards the Golden Deep after private relief programs by the already-present Zaibatsu group of the merchant collective. In a call for unity, President Hyun Kyung-Ho issued a statement from the Crimson House, acknowledging the reluctance held by many in the government, but urging “cautious cooperation” in order to speed up the reconstruction of the planet. With many hopeful that the relief of these affluent merchants could finally bring a sense of normalcy to Konyang’s catastrophe stricken planet, others are skeptical at the motivations. The Golden Deep are known as dizzying businessmen and eccentric, pompous IPCs, some deeming them no better than slavers of their own kind, so many wonder what lies behind their generosity in this extraordinary change of face. In a public statement made by Grand Merchant Addalin to BitByte they’ve said the following: “I have spent five years in Midas Control. Five years of working towards great change, sowing the seeds for not only better business, but for a better future. With my recent departure, I herald the winds of change that are finally blowing, and it is not only my pleasure, but my honor, to bring relief to the synthetics of Konyang, and to rebuild an industry better than it ever was before. I understand the worry, the anxiety, but rest assured, this deal will be profitable for the both of us.” To what this statement truly means, we do not know, but BitByte is happy to announce that we have been personally invited for a string of exclusive articles to uncover this mystery on the Midas herself in the future. As unlikely heroes of the Golden Deep, having made the first effort to relieve Konyang, has spurned the rest of the Coalition into action. Coalition members such as Xanu, Galatea, and Himeo announced freighters of aid and supplies to be departing their docks by the end of the week, with the Trinary leader ARM-1DRIL similarly declaring the creation of a relief mission from Orepit to be departing any day to help the reconstruction and normalization efforts. Konyang is now finally emerging from the storm to a new dawn. Further Reading: Family: Lost dog reunited with once infected synthetic: "They never left their side." Fashion: Leaked Golden Deep clothing line: “Is Restoration Just a Front for Fashion?” Spur: Stereotyped Unathi forgives false alarm as they continue vacation