[OOC] Priest & Hawthorne Investigations - An Urban Fantasy Adventure!

[vietmyke]

So question, just how large of a firm is PHI? Are our characters the only members in the Seattle branch aside from the important NPC's you've mentioned? or are there other unnamed NPC investigators and staff members as well?

Also, I assume this is more like a private company in regards to equipment right? So most of the equipment our characters use, unless specifically given to us via the plot, are their own possessions (ie. firearms, stuff for snooping, etc.) Or is it like a mini police station with a locked up armory with silver spitting weapons? Speaking of silver- which you mentioned is the preferred ammunition of PHI, how do we obtain the silver bullets? do we place a requisition order with Ms. Hawthorne? Are they manufactured by some paranormal weapons company, or are they individually pressed? Are they solid silver? Silver jacketed? - My military mind wishes to know :3

Just looking for some more detail regarding PHI's background and logistics :D

Anyway, luckily for me, today's my day off, so I'll get a post up soonish.

[Naril]

I've always figured the Seattle branch of PHI is no more than 25 people, most of whom are support and administrative staff; it's even possible that "the cast" is the entire investigative part of the company. I haven't quite decided. :3 Sol and Shiloh work at the Seattle office; the titular Priest and Hawthorne live and work elsewhere.

The firm is very much a private company, however there are some perks in working for them. The company itself provides the silver bullets, and they are provided in various calibres "as needed," whenever stock runs low - despite the fact that nobody at the Seattle branch ordered them. You may eventually find out what mechanism drives that. Employees are not charged for the rounds, and can use them whenever they like - however, Sol is also likely to know if someone grabs a handful and sells them for the weight of silver. Nobody has, however, done that for many years.

Edit: Sorry, I missed a question. As far as the actual composition, generally-speaking I've figured they're elemental silver metal sintered in a polymer matrix with a nickel-silver plating, jacket, or driving band, available in ball and hollow-point depending on the employee's preference. I haven't actually done the metallurgy to know if nickel-silver would survive that, but until I get my hands on that kind of equipment again I'm basically going to handwave that and say deal with it. :3 Shotgun rounds are sintered-silver slugs, silver shot, silver shot packed with silver nitrate, or some kind of phosphorous "dragon's breath" round.

I generally assume the characters themselves have their own contacts capable of creating "mystical" silver ammunition - casting silver from family heirlooms or holy objects, or inscribing runes or sigils of power onto them. If one of the characters in the "possible last slot" pile becomes a character who can make these, this story will change slightly.

For snooping equipment, the company has a couple of sets of several-generations-behind-cutting-edge law-enforcement grade equipment - directional microphones, fiber-optic cameras, things like that. More modern equipment is up to the acquisition or creation of the individual employee, who can probably expense some of those back to the company. Basically, this is a narrative cover-all for "if you actually need it and it's not absurd, you can probably have it."

As far as weapons are concerned, the characters are free to pick and choose their own. The company does, however, have "recovered" weapons from previous cases that are locked up in Shiloh's archives, which you'll have to ask her to check out. If that ever becomes important (Or someone really just wants to know OOC), we'll find out what's in there.

I hope that helps! :3

[jasonwolf]

Well I'm certainty excited even if I don't get in. It's like going through NASA, even if you don't get to be on the rocket seeing it fly is still a thing of beauty.

EDIT: already from the first two posts I know this is going to be something I read.

[lady horatio]

Just got home from work and am so excited! :D

[vietmyke]

This intro post is taking me a lot longer than I expected lol, not only do I have to do all the normal morning stuff and walk to the office, I also need to actually introduce Jacob's daughter, her personality, and appearance, since she's apparently coming to work today. lol

[Naril]

Mm. This is just a gentle reminder that while most of the cast has probably figured out that Morgan isn't human (And I'll leave it to you individually to decide if your characters know that and how they learned), there seems to be a reasonable chance that they might not know exactly what she is. Not that that precludes being disquieted by her or something, of course. :3

In terms of our last character...I think I may be closing applications and going with the current cast of 5, with the sheets I have as reserves and alternates, in case someone has an emergency and can't continue. A sort of character "slush fund," since I can easily bother their authors at any point. *laughs* There are some great concepts in the pile, but the more I look at them, the more I'm not entirely convinced the cast needs another member.

@Jig, @JJ Doe, @lorelei, @jasonwolf, @bluejay_gl, thank you all so, so much for your interest. You're all great writers, and I hope I'll see you around the site and in other threads. I'm hugely humbled and grateful that you took the time to write something for my silly project. :3 If you guys want to, feel free to "peanut gallery" the OOC on occasion, and I hope at least some of you will read the IC thread. This should be a fun ride!

And remember! Chapter 2 will, hopefully, be a thing. The cast may expand at that point! Nothing is set in stone.

Also @vietmyke She doesn't necessarily need to be coming to work - the "Amanda-sized furniture" is more of an "for when she does," since PHI has floor space, and it's not hurting anything being out. :3 If you don't want her to be part of your opening post, that's perfectly fine!

[vietmyke]

@Naril Too late! Its almost done! I think you'll like it. Its cute. Amanda is cute. I think I like Amanda more than I like Jacob.

[Jig]

Ahhh, boo. Good luck all the same.

Ding me if anything comes up.

[Austronaut]

@Naril

Edited to make my knowledge of Morgan a little more ambiguous. :)

[bluejay_gl]

@Naril Thank you for the opportunity! I'll be lurking the IC for sure. (:

Edit: I may not be available until after December, due to extreme coursework this semester. But if this RP is still going on by then and you need a new player, I'd be glad to join in!

[Naril]

@vietmyke What an utterly charming introduction! :3

Actually, that's true for everyone so far!

[jasonwolf]

I know im reading. I already love the subtly of magic in this world. I'm honored to be slush. Perhaps for fun I'll write what mark is up to anyway. If that's alright of course. After all this is your IP Naril.

If ya need me then Mark will be up to speed universe wise as I'd send him back to Poland for more work but in contact with PHI. I wanted Mark to grow into a powerful warlock as the story progressed so maybe now is a god time for him to learn and show he's not like every other magic user [no offense to the magic users just Mark is sort of a prodigy, but lacking material. As soon as he has more manuscripts and such hell be a very proficient warlock]

Anyway, congrats to those selected. Don't dissapoint me :p

[lady horatio]

I got stuck on a lot of stupid little things (such as figuring out where Mandy lived and how far it was from the office), so my intro is not done, but I'll try to have it up before I go out tomorrow. :) For the moment, I'm going to succumb to sleep, but I repeat: I'm so excited to get this thing started! I enjoyed reading everyone's intros so far.

[Naril]

@lady horatio - I know exactly how that feels. :3 If there's something I can do to help, let me know!

[lady horatio]

@NarilThank you! I would have a hard time getting my post finished before I had to leave, anyway, so I'll gratefully take you up on that and shoot you a PM.

[jasonwolf]

where he left his fedora, muffins and his jacket.

@Habibi359

Oh boy guys He's brought breakfast for everyone!

[Austronaut]

Thank Goddness, poor Emma forgot to eat in her haste to get to work!

[lady horatio]

Sorry for the delay, guys! Our kind GM has been helping me hash out some details via PM, and I was gone most of the day. I promise promise promise that I'll have Mandy's intro up tomorrow (which is now today, because it's oh-God-early), either before or after I go to work.

[Habibi359]

Oh boy guys He's brought breakfast for everyone!

@jasonwolf

Oops. Note to self, avoid writing after midnight.
Another note, Earmuffs =/= Ear Warmers. /sigh

[Naril]

@lady horatio - Don't worry about it. :3 I'm all right if the posting speed for this game is "deliberate" rather than breakneck.

As for everyone else, just so you know, starting on Tuesday I'm going to be in the GMT+1 timezone for a couple of weeks. Posts and replies will still come, but seeing as most of us seem to be in North America, the timing might seem a little bit weird. :3 My plan is to have another yummy post up before I get on my nine-hour flight late Monday (which will, to my chagrin, not have wifi), so that we're not in suspense.

Also, don't assume there's a posting order, necessarily - if your character has something to say, by all means, do that!