conversations.from: system
conversations.value: *Nomadic technocrats inhabit the South; barbarian hill-folk hold the North. In the East are the city states and merchant princes; in the West, a patchwork of experimental societies test the gamut of human experience. This is one land, one dominion, regulated by a single authority. Whether kingmakers, spymasters, philosophers, or bootleggers — when knowledge is power and data is currency, Archivists rule the world.*
  
  In a world where the Masters of Helza laugh in the face of mundane computer security data storage is a dangerous game.  The Dominae of Maher district in Gur provide the low-tech answer, hiring out their scribes, secretaries, archivists and analysts to maintain databanks of ink and paper rather than 1s and 0s.
  
  The vast wealth these ladies acquire through their library services provides for lavish lifestyles filled with opulence and grandeur, but barely noticed on their doorsteps are hundreds, thousands of citizens living in various states of poverty.  How much longer will this understratum accept the status quo?  What price revolution?
  
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Rogue Master: You reached Level 10 long ago and got bored. Now you’ve turned renegade: stealing data, selling intelligence, and staying one step ahead of the System.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Judicious Risk
  
  Suggested Weakness: Restlessness
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Student: The transition from Level 5 to 6 is the ultimate test. Pass and you’re a Master. Fail and you’re broken.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Intelligence
  
  Suggested Weakness: Low Self Esteem
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Domina: Through marriage and inheritance, you have shares in some of the best libraries in the district and a place in the upper echelons of a Level 5 society.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Charisma
  
  Suggested Weakness: Technophobia
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Raider: The System hoards its magic, but you take what you want by sword and strength. Level 2 lands are beyond their sight. As for their law — you reject it.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Physicality
  
  Suggested Weakness: Violence
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Plainsman: Your team is running the largest sociological experiment ever. You’re also a professional voyeur and liar. Anything to keep the mice in the maze.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Empathy
  
  Suggested Weakness: Dependence
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Master: You are the System. You cross borders, access data, and supervise libraries all over Zahel. You can also enter Helza and create marvels there.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Leadership
  
  Suggested Weakness: Arrogance
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Enforcer: Level-breach can be a petty misdemeanor, or a serious crime. You’re the flamethrower that the System calls in when the infection spreads too far.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Connections
  
  Suggested Weakness: Paranoia
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Spy: There are authorized ways to collect and access data. You prefer the unauthorized ways: low-tech, self-sufficient, and risky as hell.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Confessional
  
  Suggested Weakness: Carelessness
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Philosopher: You walk in two worlds, with no regard for the rules of either. Masters seek your wisdom. Students fear your madness. No one knows where your allegiance lies.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Wisdom
  
  Suggested Weakness: Warped Perception
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Trader: There’s the stuff you buy and sell above the table… then there’s the back room. Having the right tech is a great equalizer, and people will pay for any advantage.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Logistics
  
  Suggested Weakness: Bad Company
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Empathy: You have a great understanding of people and their motivations.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Logistics: You’re the the organizer, the one with the checklist. You can source whatever’s needed and make the plan a reality.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Leadership: You're a natural leader, able to encourage anyone to follow you on any enterprise. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Charisma: You've got the perfect combination of poise, good looks, and charm. People like you immediately even if they shouldn't.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Physicality: Strength, endurance, weapons skill, or flexibility — you’ve got what it takes to beat the best. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Intelligence: You learn new things quickly, with or without the assistance of tech.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Judicious Risk: You dream big and act boldly. You’re not afraid to do the unorthodox — or the underhanded — if it gets results. In your case, it does.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Wisdom: You specialize in epiphanies and unexpected insights, and people seek you out for that.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Confessional: They say you’re a good listener, and they believe their secrets are safe with you. It’s remarkable how much you’ve discovered.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Connections: Family, friends, or colleagues — or a combination of all three. You’ve got the networks to finance and approve what you need.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Violence: You can’t control your tongue or your fists or your minions, and then bad stuff happens. Unfortunately, part of you enjoys the mayhem. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Bad Company: You are an extremely bad judge of character. You often end up hanging with the wrong crowd regardless of your intentions.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Warped Perception: You’ve always viewed things through a slightly distorted filter. You’re hesitant to trust your own eyes, and for good reason.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Restlessness: You're never satisfied with where you are, who you are, and the Level you’re at. You’re always moving on just a little too fast, leaving things unfinished.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Technophobia: You’ve never been comfortable with too much tech. You’d rather have people handle that for you, or do without.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dependence: You’ve always preferred the virtual to the real, because it’s an environment you can control. Perhaps you’ve become a little addicted.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Carelessness: If there’s tech, you’ll break it. If there’s money, you’ll spend it. If you’ve just found the love of your life, you’ll break their heart.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Arrogance: You’ve got standards. If you’re not impressed by someone’s Level, career, social standing, heritage, or gender, you want nothing to do with them.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Paranoia: You know they’re plotting to undermine you. You look for conspiracies under every rock and spies behind every door. It’s exhausting.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Low Self Esteem: You don’t just like to be loved, you need to be loved. You’ll do anything for approval and affirmation.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Gain Independence: Someone or something is tying you down with bonds of obligation, law, or debt. It’s time to break free.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Attain a New Level: Want simplicity? Carve out a niche for yourself at a lower Level. Want more challenge? Work or cheat your way to a higher Level. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Fight the System: Can’t travel, work, or study because of the System’s restrictions on your life? Fight it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Change Your Role: Students become Masters, raiders become traders, and even a Domina might turn spy.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Become Famous: Form a company, invent groundbreaking tech or a fresh hack, discover a rare species, develop a new martial art. Make a name for yourself.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Heal the Broken: Helza can break the unprepared mind, and Zahel is hard on the unprotected body. You do your best to help and heal the casualties of life.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Unmask Evil: When the foundation is rotten, how can the building be strong? You fight institutional corruption so that citizens can safely trust their civil authorities.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Gain Knowledge: Surrounded by the rarest books, current on the latest tech, or privy to the darkest secrets. You love information, and you always gather it up.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Build a Dynasty: The work is too great for one person, but you believe in succession planning, and family is more than blood. Find and train your heirs apparent.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Explore Your World: Travel and discovery are your passions. You want to see and experience things first-hand. There’s nothing as satisfying as a primary source.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Pass the Test: Earn that qualification, or that promotion, or even gain access to a new Level.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Impress Someone Powerful: It’s always good to get someone invested in your wellbeing and success. Find a patron or make an ally.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hack Helza: The more control you have over the virtual world, the more power you have within it. Use whatever tech and skills are required for results.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Take Out an Enemy: Sometimes you need to just… remove someone. Discredit them, fire them, fail them, kill them. Do what you must.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Build a Sanctuary: Whether it’s a bunker of bricks or an oasis of the mind, it’s where you’re completely safe and supplied with everything you need. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Get a Weapon: Depending on where you are, it might be a claidhmor or sgean dhu, épée or foil, pistol or bow. Wherever you are, you’d better equip yourself.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get Your own Vehicle: It could be a hydrofoil, a canal boat, or a tech-augmented horse, but you need to obtain transportation so you can come and go as you please.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Be a Hero: Someone needs help — money, information, freedom — and you’re their fairy godmother. Goodness is its own reward, but gratitude can be handy too.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Assemble a Team: There are skills you don’t have, places you can’t go. This goes beyond calling in favors. You need a team of pros to get the job done.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Destabilize an Institution: Nothing is too big to fall. A nudge in the right direction is all it takes to change a powerful organization into a bureaucratic mess.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Codes and Passwords: You found it — that number, name, or phrase to access the inner circles of society, real or virtual.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: File X: A file has come into your hands with some very interesting information that could give you leverage over a powerful person.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Unlimited Visa: By virtue of your work, your connections, your acquired tech, or your Level, you have unrestricted travel to all of Zahel and/or Helza.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Scroll: A flexible touchscreen with a connection to Helza for those sans neurotech; but also a way for those with the neurotech to access Helza anonymously.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Robes: A full set of Administrator’s robes, guaranteed to make you look like just another invisible cog in the System… unless someone knows what to look for.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Communicator: Sends messages, translates, and records and reports every conversation you have. Handy if you’re tracking your movements… or someone else’s.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Untraceable Drug: Such a versatile little pill! One dose, truth serum. Two doses, narcotic. Three doses, poison. Neurotech is a contraindication; the results are unreliable.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Enhanced Pet: Such horses, hounds, and hawks! They really do come when you call and do what you say. The implanted tech makes sure of that.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Medical Kit: A few essentials for health, or bribes, when traveling in low-Level areas. Some of the contents might end up on the black market, but that’s not your fault.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Carte Blanche: Allegedly, there’s a rogue Enforcer who’ll take out anyone you want. This white card is all you need to summon them.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Canal Boat in Gur: The canals are the boundaries between the Districts of Gur, and jurisdiction is hazy. No wonder so many meetings take place on canal boats.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Clann Hall in the North Highlands: It's picturesque from a distance, but Level 2 doesn’t allow for many comforts. Inside, it’s cold, rough, and semi-barbaric — much like those who gather there.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Library in Reál: The System may have built it, but a Duke’s bequest adorned it. The people of Reál believe that knowledge is beauty, and they show it in their libraries.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Salon in Maher District, Gur: When the Domina is At Home and the literati gather, wit is more important than elegance, but both are required to make an impression.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Lecture Hall in Lowlands University: It is a necessary anachronism for low-Level students. Sometimes the lecturers cheat and send a hologram from last year’s course. Students rarely notice.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Council Circle in Helza: Nothing can be hidden within this virtual space. Masters and Philosophers meet and consult here. Enforcers and Plainsmen lurk at the edges.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Master’s Tower in Helza: Each tower is tailored to the personality of the Master who designed it. Some have turrets to look out over Helza. Some have dungeons to hide secrets.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Monastery in the Plains: A special kind of mental care is required for those who can’t manage dual realities. The monks and nuns here are notoriously strict, but they get results.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: High Speed Underground Train: This sleek, supersonic bullet will take you anywhere Level 6 and above, and to the borders of any place below that Level.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sailing Hydrofoil: Slower than trains, but small, nimble, and completely untraceable. They operate mainly out of Reál’s Grand Marina and are officially classified as pleasure craft.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Lack of Tech: Tech is your only way into Helza. If you don’t have it, get it. If it’s broken, fix it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Blackmail: There’s a recording of you doing some… questionable things. You’ll do anything, pay anything, to make sure it isn’t made public.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Biohazard: If you have access to Level 6 and above healthcare, you can be cured in a day. Below Level 6, expect a slow and painful recovery.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Border Control: These are the gateways between cities, Provinces, and Levels. One can only hope that you’ve given the authorities no reason to restrict your travel.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Barred from Helza: Maybe it was a hack gone wrong, maybe you probed the fabric of Helza too deeply. Whatever the reason, all you’re seeing is ACCESS DENIED.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Mental Fog: Your judgement is clouded, your will shattered. Everything feels vaguely threatening. It’s worse with neurotech.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Financial Woes: You can't access your funds, or perhaps you didn’t have any funds to begin with.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Duel: Insults to honor are settled by duel, and you’ve just been called out. Will you fight, flee, or find a champion?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Storm: On land, at sea, or in Helza, weather and virtual environments can be unpredictable and perilous. A storm just hit you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Theft: Someone has taken a recently-acquired asset from you. Will you fight to get it back, or do without?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Thierry Champlain: He’s the son of a merchant prince, rich, bored, and looking for adventure. He’s not afraid of a little risk, and he knows Reál in and out.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Mya Bocharie: She owns a hydrofoil and she takes paying passengers without asking questions.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Freedom: She's an Atavist, a Plainsman who refuses to use their neurotech birthright and lives a minimalist, unplugged life.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Kim Rabiu: Plainsman and former Master, he is now a philosopher who counsels the virtually challenged who have tried and failed to navigate Helza.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Angus MacGregor: He has high Level neurotech, but it’s controlled by another’s hand. In Zahel he’s harmless, but in Helza he’s a dangerous assassin.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Deborah Menzies: She's a lecturer in sociology at a Lowlands University and heiress to the oldest company for non-neural infotech. Unsurprisingly, she’s rather… political.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Roaming Sage: They may have towers in Helza, but they wander Zahel like rootless vagabonds. They have much to teach, but they choose their students with care. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Tourist-nomad: Plainsmen often go on holiday, roving and observing all over. They can give you all kinds of information on both Zahel and Helza — for a price.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Administrator: They have the authority to check your papers, your accounts, and your very DNA. Don’t get on their bad side.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Young Irregular: Orphaned and poor socially, but well-connected professionally. They’ll trade tech and training for access to the best salons and libraries.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Il Palazzo Borghese: As fine place for a party as you'll find in Maher.  The Borghese Family traditionally host the two biggest debutante balls of the year here as well as lending the weight of their prestige to those few galas they allow to grace their halls.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Magdalena Stormont: An outsider who found a grudging place in Maher society through her marriage to the aging Moorcliffe Stormont.  Most "real ladies" have nothing but contempt for her.  Behind her back, of course.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Arabella van Horn: The Queen Bee of the circuit, among the eligible youngsters at least.  Her parents spend most of the year out of Gur, giving her free rein and too much access.  A privilege she is pleased to abuse.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Madeleine de Bourbon-Vendôme: As the current chair of the Athenæum, Madeleine is probably the richest and most politically powerful person in Maher after the Borghese.  She epitomises the tradition and conservatism of her position, as well as the grace and elegance that earned it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Svetlana Grushenka: A young girl from the neighbouring Gibson district, Svetlana has been stalking the single men of Maher and putting fear in the hearts of the women.  She has no station, no status, no place in Maher, but one "I do" could change that.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Thierry Champlain: He’s the son of a merchant prince, rich, bored, and looking for adventure. He’s not afraid of a little risk, and he knows Reál in and out.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Goedele Vroom: The eldest daughter of Mamie van Horn; no longer on speaking terms with her mother after marrying "beneath" her to take on the Vroom Boekerij.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Guglielmo Borghese: As the elder statesman of the richest, most revered of Maher families he commands a lot of attention.  As a senile old goat he doesn't necessarily get the same level of respect.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Canal Boat in Gur: The canals are the boundaries between the Districts of Gur, and jurisdiction is hazy. No wonder so many meetings take place on canal boats.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Madeleine's Offices: Separate from the Bourbon-Vendôme Library, and from the Athenæum, Madeleine runs all of her affairs from this place.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Secure Datastore: Keeping the hackers out in Helza is a difficult business, so centralised stores to allow for concentrated security efforts with heavy ICE are the order of the day for serious players.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Buona Salute Hospital: Medical care like this is exclusively reserved for the élite in Maher who are less reticent about technology when it comes to healthcare.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Moorcliffe Stormont: For six decades Moorcliffe has guided his library, protecting it from his sisters' mismanagement and now showing Magdalena the ropes.  Outside the Borghese, he is probably Maher's most powerful man.  Even in his eighties, he doesn't appear ready to lighten his workload.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Social graces: Your manners are impeccable, your grasp of small talk beyond question. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Restraint: Nobody's going to tell you anything interesting if you aren't willing to give them something in return.