Pulse of the Imperium

The hill upon which the Lanville villa straddles sports a brook, gently rolling down in a regulated bed, becoming a small coastal river outside of town. It is often used to move barrels with various provisions up or down and is only as wide, but during the festival it is used for an interesting local contest: the Wine Race.

In brief, it's about getting bottles to the Villa by the brook, up the current, on small cradle-like rafts built from used corks equipped with a cute little sail and a small motor. They can be remotely controlled via simple consoles. In general, the one who gets their bottle first to the finish line up the hill gets local recognition which often means free drinks in regional taverns throughout the year and ease in making hauling contracts if they're in that kind of business. It's also the first drink lord Lanville is going to raise the toast with this evening. But there are ways to make your win more impressive.

On success [Piloting - Planetary], one has completed the race. On failure, they have lost control and the raft either stuck somewhere or just drifted back down. Getting a small bottle of cider up is considered quite easy [Easy] and child's play, so one can up their game and choose a big wine bottle instead [Average; Advantage count double]. True daredevils, however, open their wine bottles and transport them uncorked! [2 difficulty Upgrades, additional Triumph on success.] And yet, if their bottle flops and spills into the brook [Despair] they won't live down the mocking, joking and teasing throughout the region anytime soon, so it's usually avoided by competitors by poaching the bottle out just before it spills completely [Failure] and chugging it down - the solution considered a honourable face-saving effort.

The bottles are provided by local producers, and the race is considered good advertisement so many want their bottle to win, or by Lanville estates. The racer can choose who to represent. Everyone who has successfully completed the race can take the bottle home or share it - except the true winner.

Before the race starts, there's the opportunity to tinker with your raft a little [Optional, Mechanics] to make it more sturdy, stable or manoeuvrable [Boost on Success], but one can also make things worse [Setback on Failure].

[The score chart will be built according to the number of Triumphs, the number of net successes, and the number of Advantages and Threats, in that order, similarly like initiative rolls.]

[This thread is both for event posts and for social interactions; I'll sort results out.]

It was beyond rare to see Lydia stay in the town for an extended period of time as it was, so for her to be at the event? Almost unheard of, and there was many doubletakes as the woman walked through, taking a bottle of wine and moving on towards the lake. She gave a brief glance at the person daring to explain what was needed, who tailed off when he noticed.

She did nothing fancy with the raft, standing the open bottle on the raft and pushing it off. Watching with with narrowed eyes and crossed arms as the raft moved through without issues, making it to the end perfectly balanced.

With a small nod to herself, she turned and walked away, leaving a few gawking in surprise.


(ooc: open wine bottle chosen
Day 0 | Festival Event: Wine Race. Piloting - Planetary open wine bottle (average dif with 2 upgraded dice): 3eA+1eP+2eC 2 successes, 1 advantage


(2 successes, 1 advantage doubled to 2(?) and a triumph for doing the open bottle route)

Razar is simply there to participate and socialize. He's not being competitive, and for the most part this seems to be the way many Lanville's participate. It's about creating connections between the family and those they care for, not about showing how Lanville is amazing at playing with toy boats. But it also wouldn't do to simply sit it out and not interact with the people either. In his normal charming way, he walks along the brook while he directs his boat, paying more attention to the observers and chatting rather than actually competing.

The boat mostly takes its time and is at the back of the pack. He takes a bit of ribbing and seems to jovially joke along with them, saying that he does just fine in the air, but if you put him on a boat he's probably going to sink everytime.

Day 0 | Festival Event: Wine Race. Piloting - Planetary, Not Paying Attention Setback: 3eA+2eD+1eS 0 successes, 1 threat

Knowing nothing about boats or how to steer them, Cuyler wasn't going to attempt anything fancy. Wasting good wine would be unforgivable. She was surprised and delighted to see her bottle arrive safely at the finish. She gave the credit to the wine and to Honey Thorn Vineyards.

- - -
Day 0 | Festival Event: Wine Race, Average Pilot-Planetary, (Agility): 2eA+2eD 2 successes, 1 threat

"So wait, if I get the booze up there but don't win, I get to keep it? Hell, it's worth a shot..."

Laila wasn't any sort of pilot, and she wasn't any sort of social butterfly, but she did her best. And made it easy on herself by sticking to just a bottle of cider.

Motivation in all things.

"Huh. Well, uh... let's hear it for..." She had to check the label again. "Burning Baliset Orchard."

Day 0 | Festival Event: Wine Race, Easy Pilot-Planetary, (Agility): 3eA+1eD 2 successes, 1 advantage

Efren arrived in his military issued off-time clothes and grabbed a bottle of wine to join in the festivities.

He'd done this event a number of times as a child and new the little spots of danger throughout the stream. He smiled softly as he remembered times when he aspired to win for his father but always lacked the skill to beat the more skilled pilots.

Today he was just here to enjoy the environment and the time off from duty.

"Gently down the stream..." He smiled to himself as he guided his craft towards the finish.

----

Day 0 Wine Floating Easy Try: 2eA+1eD 1 success

Martikova Vineyards has two participants this year. Hadrian, who is a harvest festival staple, and generally makes everyone else look good. Then the other, who might prove a challenge if only Martikova's luck should improve. But those that know know what Hadrian is about, and eagerly gathered to see how badly he would screw up this year. And to nobody's surprise he didn't disappoint.

"Hadrian what are you doing?" One person asked. "Can you really afford to lose a bottle of wine?"

Hadrian, who had been cheerfully humming up until that point, answered, "You know what? I might graciously pour you a glass of cider after I win. Because this baby is self-correcting, perfectly balanced... and... hmmmm." He paused looking at one of the improvements he'd made in worry. "Sooo... shut up and hold this for me. The auto-ballast looks a little loose."

This caused more than a few laughs as he began making adjustments.

"A little higher, hold it steadier. I said higher, what are ya doing? Little more, that's good right there." A small turn here, a little adjustment there. "No I don't need your help. Stay in the peanut gallery! Aaand... Perfect! Look upon my work and despair!"

Then with perfect comedic timing a cosmetic piece broke off and the crowd erupted in laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up! I'm sure it's fine." He says confidently placing the raft in the water at the starting line.

Then to his credit it made it further than anyone was actually expecting. He even had a chance to celebrate as it looked like it might... go.... all... the... aaaand it capsized. There were a few back pats before his heckler poured him a cup of cider that he graciously accepted.



Tinkering with the Boat

Net Successes: 0; Net Advantages: 0

Moving a dead raft up hill.

Net Successes: -1; Net Advantages: 2

Moving a dead raft up hill. (Forgot a die)

Net Successes: -1; Net Advantages: 0

The Wine Race...nothing too challenging compared to what she was normally dealing with. She could'nt take anything less then a wine bottle, of course, but seeing a stranger uncorking their bottle for the extra pizazz she felt her pride quite certainly poked

I just can't let them have the win. I gotta represent!

And so she did the same, trusting her own skills...but things did not go as expected. She could not phantom *how* but the boat suddently went off course right into a rock, that thrice damned bottle fell to it's side as a result and began pouring out.

''FUCK!''

She rushed to the little raft to down the bottle in order to save face, at least

Festival Event: Wine Race, pilot planetary: 2eP+1eA+2eC 1 failure, 4 advantage, 1 Despair

There was a small snort of laugher from the side as Lydia watched on amused at the person trying and failing to copy her. She hadn't intended to get involved at all but it turned out to be worth losing a days hunting after all.

''Watch it, mate'' Eileen warned the other girl between chugs of her bottle ''Luck won't always be on your side''

Eileen Marsh wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 4:59 pm

The Wine Race...nothing too challenging compared to what she was normally dealing with. She could'nt take anything less then a wine bottle, of course, but seeing a stranger uncorking their bottle for the extra pizazz she felt her pride quite certainly poked

I just can't let them have the win. I gotta represent!

And so she did the same, trusting her own skills...but things did not go as expected. She could not phantom *how* but the boat suddently went off course right into a rock, that thrice damned bottle fell to it's side as a result and began pouring out.

''FUCK!''

She rushed to the little raft to down the bottle in order to save face, at least

Festival Event: Wine Race, pilot planetary: 2eP+1eA+2eC 1 failure, 4 advantage, 1 Despair

Alas, by the time she got to the bottle there was nothing let in it [Despair, face-saving only possible on simple failures]. And so it began.

"Hey, Eileen, havin' some problems holdin' yer wine?" The first salvo of laughs.

"Wasn't luck" the girl shrugged "just reading the water and not launching sideways."

She paused as more laughs began, and frowned slightly. Not impressed by more laughing.

''Says the boy who manages to get drunk on sparkling cider!'' she quipped back, having more problem now then the other girl.

Would she shout down a crowd? Damn right she would!

The frown grew. The shouting was ruining the fun of wine boat racing.

Eileen Marsh wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 5:32 pm

''Says the boy who manages to get drunk on sparkling cider!''

Maybe it ruined the fun for Lydia, but Hadrian laughed out loud. "Hey you know it could be worse. You could have won! Then we would have all had to drink that plonk during the toast! Here let me pour you something good huh?"

Eileen Marsh wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 5:32 pm

''Says the boy who manages to get drunk on sparkling cider!'' she quipped back, having more problem now then the other girl.

Would she shout down a crowd? Damn right she would!

"At least it goes through my belly, not my sleeve!" The man kept teasing, but without malice, just to get more of the laughs.

"Why don't you do it then?" Lydia finally shouted at the man teasing Eileen, an annoyed tone in her voice "wine bottle open top raft. Or are you a coward?"

Laila watched the exchange... carefully.

As an offworlder, she wasn't sure just how serious this might get, and she was in no mood to talk to the law. Again.

Lydia Storm wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 19, 2024 10:38 am

"Why don't you do it then?" Lydia finally shouted at the man teasing Eileen, an annoyed tone in her voice "wine bottle open top raft. Or are you a coward?"

"I don't know about that, but surely not a spiller, like certain Eileen here." The man toasted both ladies with a bottle of cider and started sipping it, snickering. He didn't seem like he could be goaded into fierce competition.

Lydia Storm wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 19, 2024 10:38 am

Snip

Breaking away from his friends with an uncorked bottle.

"I would but I'm fresh out of rafts." He shrugged self-deprecatingly. "In the meantime let me pour for you both. My buddies will keep the hecklers off of you, at least for a little while." He winked at Eileen as his friends started pouring the others in the crowd drinks. "I'm Hadrian by the way."