|
Post by senko on Oct 29, 2019 8:09:36 GMT
SET UP
In the late 30th Century there was a brief craze for companions known as fluffy friendly pets. Billed as having near human intelligence though they get confused by more complex concepts, utter loyalty and the ability to be a true companion to a young child or individual they came in traditional forms such as and or more anthropomorphic forms such as . . . and [/Spoiler] That allowed more interactive play with children or handling of objects such as cups or phones if fetching them for their owner. HOOK
A probable draw is having the party stumble across an "old" advertisment for them and being drawn in by the idea of having their own childhood companion able to talk and return their affection. TWIST
In truth the furry, friendly pet chain is the brain child of a deranged genius who has decided that not everyone is equally deserving of the right to life and has set out to repurpose those who waste or abuse their gifts. Such as for example the stereotypical pretty, mean girl at high school who uses her power to make the lives of others miserable or a brilliant person who's happy living life as as slacker not ever achieving anything beyond watching TV and eating snacks. Someone who is geniunely trying to make the galaxy a better place is not their concern regardless of how successful they are. To fix this problem they have been kidnapping and "correcting those they deem an approrpriate target by altering their DNA and putting them through mental conditioning to make them an appropriate pet improving the galaxy by bringing joy to another person. This process while effective doesn't actually destroy any of their original memories or personality merely layer it under their new conditioning and programming. So many a victim has awoken to find to their horror they not only no longer refer to themselves by their original name but actually instinctively respond to their new one as well as other programmed behaviours even in the privacy of their own heads though they know the new behaviour is wrong. EDIT Why do my attempts to put things in spoilers always fail, WHY?
|
|
Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
|
Post by Catsmate on Oct 29, 2019 11:33:19 GMT
Your spoiler tag isn't working...
Interesting premise though you'd need rather advanced biotech/nanotech.
|
|
|
Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2019 13:02:10 GMT
Definitely biotech. I feel like this is a case Torchwood would handle. Someone could escape to the past via the Rift or if we’re going the 30th century route, than a future version of Torchwood. Perhaps still lead by Captain Jack?
|
|
Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
|
Post by Catsmate on Oct 29, 2019 15:02:49 GMT
Definitely biotech. I feel like this is a case Torchwood would handle. Someone could escape to the past via the Rift or if we’re going the 30th century route, than a future version of Torchwood. Perhaps still lead by Captain Jack? Excellent! Maybe add Ashildr or Tobias Vaighan?
|
|
|
Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2019 15:44:39 GMT
Much as I dislike the character of Ashildr (at least how she was written) she would probably work very well here. As well as Tobias Vaughn. Still have to get round to reading ‘Original Sin’ You could also re introduce BOSS having somehow survived the events of ‘The Green Death’ and upgraded for the 30th century. Drawing inspiration from the excellent ‘The Thirteenth Floor’ comic strip, he might have even been downloaded into a highly advanced block of flats to act as its custodian.
I could see perhaps a great many of the Fluffy Friendly Pets ending up abandoned or discarded like any other form of pet. Left to fend for themselves on the streets or the woods. If any of them escaped into the 21st century via the Rift, I could see Jack sending them to his facility on Flat Holm to look after them. The process is either irreversible or they just don’t have the technology to fix them.
Flat Holm in itself would make for some good plot hooks as well now that I think about it.
|
|
|
Post by senko on Oct 29, 2019 20:38:05 GMT
Your spoiler tag isn't working...
Interesting premise though you'd need rather advanced biotech/nanotech. I know and its annoying me since it just auto-generates the closing link when I try it. [ Spoiler ] text [ /Spoiler ] and then when I hit submit it inserts a new one with [ Spoiler ] [ /Spoiler ] Text [ /Spoiler ] and I can't figure out why.
Some interesting thoughts there and even a possibility for a player character as an abandoned/time lost pet joining the crew because they can never go back to their old life. If we're introducing time travel you can get another plot hook with them kidnapping people from the past via some crude time travel option with no concern about their impact on the past. Imagine the party's dismay when they investigate disruptions to history only to find out this is the source.
|
|
Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
|
Post by Catsmate on Oct 29, 2019 21:01:40 GMT
Your spoiler tag isn't working...
Interesting premise though you'd need rather advanced biotech/nanotech. I know and its annoying me since it just auto-generates the closing link when I try it. [ Spoiler ] text [ /Spoiler ] and then when I hit submit it inserts a new one with [ Spoiler ] [ /Spoiler ] Text [ /Spoiler ] and I can't figure out why. Some interesting thoughts there and even a possibility for a player character as an abandoned/time lost pet joining the crew because they can never go back to their old life. If we're introducing time travel you can get another plot hook with them kidnapping people from the past via some crude time travel option with no concern about their impact on the past. Imagine the party's dismay when they investigate disruptions to history only to find out this is the source.
Hmmm, why does Magnus Greek spring to mind when bizarre, unethical and probably pointless time travel biotech experiments are mentioned?
|
|
|
Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2019 21:08:10 GMT
Because war criminals tend not to take much notice when it comes to the space time continuum. Except for that one Alternate Timeline where Magnus Greel ended up becoming a champion for peace.
|
|
|
Post by senko on Oct 29, 2019 21:47:19 GMT
I know and its annoying me since it just auto-generates the closing link when I try it. [ Spoiler ] text [ /Spoiler ] and then when I hit submit it inserts a new one with [ Spoiler ] [ /Spoiler ] Text [ /Spoiler ] and I can't figure out why. Some interesting thoughts there and even a possibility for a player character as an abandoned/time lost pet joining the crew because they can never go back to their old life. If we're introducing time travel you can get another plot hook with them kidnapping people from the past via some crude time travel option with no concern about their impact on the past. Imagine the party's dismay when they investigate disruptions to history only to find out this is the source.
Hmmm, why does Magnus Greek spring to mind when bizarre, unethical and probably pointless time travel biotech experiments are mentioned?Possible though that would require a bit of adjustment as I can't see Greel trying to improve the galaxy by turning those who waste/abuse their talents into pets to give others comfort as opposed to say a genetically engineered slave caste. Then again the victims could have some hidden programming so when they're widespread enough he can give them a command phrase to do something to their owners.
|
|
|
Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2019 22:03:48 GMT
Hmmm, why does Magnus Greek spring to mind when bizarre, unethical and probably pointless time travel biotech experiments are mentioned? Possible though that would require a bit of adjustment as I can't see Greel trying to improve the galaxy by turning those who waste/abuse their talents into pets to give others comfort as opposed to say a genetically engineered slave caste. Then again the victims could have some hidden programming so when they're widespread enough he can give them a command phrase to do something to their owners. I could see Magnus Greel and some of his rich cohorts having a few of these things. If only because it is the fashionable thing to do after all and one must keep up appearances. As far as they are concerned, who cares where they come from? They're a brief amusement at best. Greel could have acted as a silent benefactor to this wannabe vigilante. If only to study the effects of such genetic tampering. He could be looking into how the human body could be altered on a genetic level to better withstand the Zygma beam experiments. As well as to have a failsafe and ensure plausible deniability if the vigilante is ever caught.
|
|
Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
|
Post by Catsmate on Oct 30, 2019 10:14:03 GMT
Possible though that would require a bit of adjustment as I can't see Greel trying to improve the galaxy by turning those who waste/abuse their talents into pets to give others comfort as opposed to say a genetically engineered slave caste. Then again the victims could have some hidden programming so when they're widespread enough he can give them a command phrase to do something to their owners. I could see Magnus Greel and some of his rich cohorts having a few of these things. If only because it is the fashionable thing to do after all and one must keep up appearances. As far as they are concerned, who cares where they come from? They're a brief amusement at best. Greel could have acted as a silent benefactor to this wannabe vigilante. If only to study the effects of such genetic tampering. He could be looking into how the human body could be altered on a genetic level to better withstand the Zygma beam experiments. As well as to have a failsafe and ensure plausible deniability if the vigilante is ever caught. It's the sort of slightly insane Mad Science I'd associate with him.
|
|