The Collector

[Mesnier]

]A new NPC can be found wandering about. This NPC will allow you to purchase the chapter ID cards. Not much is known about the works of The Collector, other than it will be very profitable to have one.

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With the newest addition to the rules of Harper Rock, another force emerges from the seedy underbelly to take advantage. The Collector is infamous for his various works - one of which is dealing in counterfeit identification. Unable to resist the urge to get his hands in the turmoil that is rocking the city, he’s taken to the streets, waiting for his immortal clientele to hunt him down.

In order to find him, however, one has to look deep within the shadows. He is never easily seen, shrouded not only in the darkness, but also wrapped tight from head to toe in black clothing. The only attributes visible are his eyes, an eerie and unsettling color of brown. It’s been whispered in the night that they’re in fact, not brown, but a deep, unnatural shade of red. Of course, anyone that has ever tried to peer closer to see for themselves has been met with a crack of leather-bound knuckles against their jaw - and that’s on a good day.

Some have gone to find The Collector and have never returned - those are the stories that circle him more and more these days.

If you want one of these counterfeit cards for yourself, hope that luck is on your side… otherwise, you might just become ensnared by one of the deadliest criminals to emerge within Harper Rock.

Myk's thread in Word on the Street about The Collector makes me wonder what exactly these IDs do for our characters.

I've purchased one, but I don't actually know what it changes for Mesnier now.

A simple mirror (or general Necromancer vibe) would give him away for what he is, so what exactly are the benefits of having a Human ID card? And how they interact with the microchip?

[Caligrace]

This has been answered in discord previously, so I’m glad someone brought it to the forum as well, but the cards will be playing an important roll as things move forward in the following chapters, as well as this one. A lot of things have yet to be discovered and need to be uncovered by writing and working with the developer team.

If Winter or Levi want to weigh in on something that the cards could provide right now in terms of how it affects getting past security especially as a necromancer and other classes, if it does at all, I’ll leave them to that bit. ;)

[Levi DAmico]

I don't know if it needs to be said, but I just want to reassure people that nothing has changed in terms of how I go about my business as a player. Anything that my characters do is not a reflection of my status as a developer and isn't intended to purposefully drive stories in any direction. <3

We do want to keep some secrets, but I am also more than happy to answer any queries.

The Fake ID cards and The Collector are intended to present opportunities for discussion, for intrigue, for paranoia even. What they do in terms of grid actions? Nothing at the moment. The main idea right now is to encourage IC discussions and stories.

Consider how the canon makes mention of how the authorities are maintaining the Act. (Clicky)

Harper Rock has police state vibes. There's more crime, more poverty, and a huge gap between the rich and the poor. There is a no fly ban on Vampires in and out of Canada and those found outside of Harper Rock, are immediately deported back to Harper Rock if caught. Vampires are not allowed to leave the city by any traditional means either.

Vampires are being checked for at every stop, sometimes by use of a mirror, but not always. This gives you leeway to write about those instances that don't utilise mirrors. Given the state of the environment right now, which includes the COVID pandemic, it's safe to assume that military and other personnel may not have the time or the inclination to be quite so thorough with their checks. The quickest way to determine if the target is Human is to show the ID Card, right?

Not every Vampire in Harper Rock has been chipped. That very much comes down to how reasonable it would be for your Vampire to be chipped. You can make that decision yourselves, but we are more than happy to provide guidance.

The ID Cards themselves are plastic, imitating the very same Human ID cards that would be provided by the HR government. Think of a Citizen Card. They have the holograms and such to prove they are certified by the government. So, there's no special technology that went into producing them that would interact with the subdermal Vampire chips.

I hope that helps!

[Mesnier]

Vampires are being checked for at every stop, sometimes by use of a mirror, but not always. This gives you leeway to write about those instances that don't utilise mirrors. Given the state of the environment right now, which includes the COVID pandemic, it's safe to assume that military and other personnel may not have the time or the inclination to be quite so thorough with their checks. The quickest way to determine if the target is Human is to show the ID Card, right?

Not every Vampire in Harper Rock has been chipped. That very much comes down to how reasonable it would be for your Vampire to be chipped. You can make that decision yourselves, but we are more than happy to provide guidance.

The ID Cards themselves are plastic, imitating the very same Human ID cards that would be provided by the HR government. Think of a Citizen Card. They have the holograms and such to prove they are certified by the government. So, there's no special technology that went into producing them that would interact with the subdermal Vampire chips.

I hope that helps!

Very helpful! Thank you...

What about the bloodstained envelope? Why the blood?

Edit: When I asked another developer a while back about what my master crafter might find when taking apart a card, it was suggested that perhaps these cards have a biometric chip in them the way Sweden National ID Cards have.

I want to confirm whether that is the case. If not, are the cards checked another way... i.e. by sliding through a reader (magnetic coded strip at the back) or is the ID number on them is typed into the system. If not, could you please then confirm it is just visual check?

Edit Edit: Also, would the method of screening be drastically different say if checked by soldier on foot in streets vs using technology at checkpoints (logged via magnet/chip/typed into system)?

[Caligrace]

Vampires are being checked for at every stop, sometimes by use of a mirror, but not always. This gives you leeway to write about those instances that don't utilise mirrors. Given the state of the environment right now, which includes the COVID pandemic, it's safe to assume that military and other personnel may not have the time or the inclination to be quite so thorough with their checks. The quickest way to determine if the target is Human is to show the ID Card, right?

Not every Vampire in Harper Rock has been chipped. That very much comes down to how reasonable it would be for your Vampire to be chipped. You can make that decision yourselves, but we are more than happy to provide guidance.

The ID Cards themselves are plastic, imitating the very same Human ID cards that would be provided by the HR government. Think of a Citizen Card. They have the holograms and such to prove they are certified by the government. So, there's no special technology that went into producing them that would interact with the subdermal Vampire chips.

I hope that helps!

Very helpful! Thank you...

What about the bloodstained envelope? Why the blood?

Edit: When I asked another developer a while back about what my master crafter might find when taking apart a card, it was suggested that perhaps these cards have a biometric chip in them the way Sweden National ID Cards have.

I want to confirm whether that is the case. If not, are the cards checked another way... i.e. by sliding through a reader (magnetic coded strip at the back) or is the ID number on them is typed into the system. If not, could you please then confirm it is just visual check?

Edit Edit: Also, would the method of screening be drastically different say if checked by soldier on foot in streets vs using technology at checkpoints (logged via magnet/chip/typed into system)?

The information you were given originally is still the case. It's something that your character - through roleplay and skill - had been able to uncover, yes. No other character would have access to that part, unless your master crafter gave it them. That was why it hadn't been made public knowledge, yet.

As of right now, the cards are just checked visually. That may change - but if it is, we will be in touch with your character in regards to how that will be handled.

To answer how the checks would differ, at a checkpoint, there would be more sophisticated equipment. It would be more thorough. A vampire would ideally do what they could to avoid check-points at all costs because of this. If they're stopped on the street, it's likely they'll just ask for the ID card and do a visual check unless they suspicion that you're more than you claim to be.

[Mesnier]

[...]

Cool! Thank you. Mischief will managed.

To answer how the checks would differ, at a checkpoint, there would be more sophisticated equipment. It would be more thorough. A vampire would ideally do what they could to avoid check-points at all costs because of this. If they're stopped on the street, it's likely they'll just ask for the ID card and do a visual check unless they suspicion that you're more than you claim to be.

Okay, I have a question about check points...

When my character moves left-to-right from Newborough towards Swansalde (as demonstrated by Schmidt in these screenshots) there are houses and commerces (and eventually the Walnut Grove) that give way to wilderness here and there. (Not always wilderness)

Now, most cities have main arterial roads, which I presume is the pavement areas where the checkpoints are on grid, but these other open spaces onto wilderness, what do they look like (10,40)?

Is it immediately deep hard-to-walk forest (like the town in the Zone Blanche / Blackspot television show - even those have little roads for people who live in forest). Or are there outdoor areas with parking spots that lead to hiking trails? Has the military put up any structures? Does the military carry out sweeps or are there helicopters flying over at intervals?

I ask because on grid characters can just pass through these spaces and avoid checkpoints altogether. In roleplay I'd simply have a few of mine parkour over buildings if need be and just mosey their way into the wilderness, taking the long way around to wherever they're going. They expend as much energy moving through it as they would down the street, so I can only assume there's just the danger of fae but no legit obstacles.

...unless there is?

I don't see soldiers often in these areas, so I'm wondering what keeps characters from using these to evade the checkpoints altogether.

Would my military character be aware of these blindspots? Will there be re-spawning soldiers in these areas at some point? Is it just really overgrown and steep between street and wilderness square? Are there structures in place since the military settled in? Are vampires potentially talking about these ways out of the city on the Crownet - comparing notes and what the best spots to use?

[Caligrace]

All very good questions!

I’ll answer some now and some tomorrow, because it’ll require some discussion.

In regards to using the wilderness and fae - that is the biggest threat, really. You risk being harmed by them for merely stepping into the wilderness. If you traverse the same paths frequently - or more and more start to wander inside - they’re going to get angrier and lash out. It could even cause the fae to become more of a threat in the future.

For the soldiers - that’s something we’re going to have to discuss to get a concise answer. It’s the same with the description of the wilderness. I do know that it’s all different - but we’d have to go zone by zone so I want to make sure I have the correct information.

[Kyrie]

Is there anything hackers can discover about the chips and the organization system? In my case I just have Kyrie who’d try and learn what he could by trying to use the law enforcement database or any official website he thought might have information