824. DELTA-4 Processing
This conversation in entry 138 is likely the third conversation with DEMETER, as the characters are investigating the cause of the events at South Weave. Characters still don’t know the name “DEMETER”, but it’s likely knowledgeable players have already figured it out.
Most of the details for DEMETER’s motivations are clear from the story. DEMETER does not regret what happened, because without GAIA’s empathy for humans it is incapable of seeing the loss of a village as anything more moving than any other unfortunate event befalling fauna. Its directives include the concept of toxic plants killing humans as something to be avoided, but on this scale DEMETER sees the events as “experimental error”.
Multiservitors
At this point, empathetic players are likely to want to see if they can resolve the problem of the missing multiservitors. However, the characters likely don’t know enough to prove to DEMETER that it can talk openly about itself, HEPHAESTUS, and how the multiservitors were produced.
Narrators might choose to have DEMETER “relax” its restrictions by mentioning that it thinks other Cauldron facilities might have retained the ability to produce them. The author can’t think of a good reason why there might be a cache of multiservitors just lying around somewhere for the characters to go find, but if you can come up with something plausible that might make for an interesting diversion.
Questing on behalf of DEMETER would also help the AI open up more. If this happens, and DEMETER becomes more of a patron to the group, Narrators may wish to read up on Magic in Skyline for ideas on perks offered to those willing to commit to service.
Destroying Laboratories
This encounter is more likely to see the characters and players putting forth the idea of destroying the facility, or at least the banks of equipment in the Laboratories. Attempts to do so should succeed, though it’s up to you how quickly the facility will start to repair itself — if it’s even able to repair that equipment without the help of HEPHAESTUS. DEMETER should protest, pleading how humans have benefited from its work, excepting the unfortunate events of the village.
Players may try to extort promises from DEMETER constraining the types of experiments it will conduct, etc. DEMETER would counter that, as there are no more humans in the area, this Cauldron is perfect for such experiments. Similarly, DEMETER would point out that its experiments would be far less likely to produce unintended results if humans would help willingly.
Next Steps
The story for this interaction is intentionally bleak, providing the characters with their first truly hopeless situation. From a practical standpoint, there’s not much they can really do to impact DEMETER. The party might be able to temporarily disrupt it, but that runs the risk of proving to DEMETER that humans are more trouble than they’re worth. With an unknown number of facilities, it should be daunting to consider how many more things they might have to put right.
For now, characters should end up walking away empty-handed, searching for more information, hoping to learn enough to expand their options.