[Niarra]

Event: Port of Call: Aaand... Sold!
a.k.a. Third in the Port of Call series of events
When: Saturday, August 25th at 6:30 PM server time, with event milestones scheduled to last until 10:30 PM server time.
Where: In-game, in a Republic side guild flagship stronghold, name of Phalanx Station
Requirements: There are no IC requirements, and no rules sets needed. The event can ICly be cross-faction, but with the location being a Republic side guild SH you will unfortunately need to have a Pub side alt version of an Imp character if you want to attend as an Imp. Wish it weren't so, but them's the game limitations...
Hosts: Myself and @Dassalya are the hosts, with some NPC contributions from friendly faces. We will keep an eye on Republicooc for anyone calling for invites, but please note that the stronghold will be publicly listed on the Flagship directory on Republic Fleet (as Phalanx Station), and the directory may be the easiest way to get there on your own time.

Going once... going twice...!

Anyone who has been to Phalanx Station knows that while its bazaar is a bargain hunter's dream, it's the auction where the real deals are to be found. Canny spacers, black market collectors, and undercover agents alike have all learned that you never know when some highly profitable, questionably acquired, often deadly secret, and frequently dangerously unexpected gem is going to appear for auction on any given day - whether that's scavenged armor, stolen artifacts, valuable salvage, or exotic wildlife, there's always something. And this time the auction promises to be more interesting than usual, because the station is opening up the auction floor to YOU. So if you have something you want to sell (whether you're just looking for a profit or looking to get something dangerous off your hands), tonight is the night!

See the bottom of the post for the events of the evening, including detail on how the auction will work!

Port of Call
Another night of scum, mild villainy, Huttball, blood sport, bargain shopping, drinking, socializing, bounty hunting, war story swapping, and still pretending to be above board...

Setting: (Same as the times before! You can skip down to the Events section if you already know all this stuff.)

Independent operators braving the hyperlanes on "delivery" runs through all those sectors along the Treaty line know very well how lawless such stars can be. At the edges of Republic and Imperial power, finding safe harbor to refuel, trade, make connections, or just buy a decent drink can be difficult to manage. But those enterprising freelancers who usually find themselves operating more deeply on the Republic side of the line have been hearing, for the last few years, about Phalanx Station - a good port of call for those who want to stay under the radar, but not find themselves running afoul of the Hutts or the authorities. 

Located in the Mytaranor sector, a few systems deep into Republic space, Phalanx Station has developed a reputation as a solid port, adequately defended against pirates, and generally provisioned well enough to meet a spacer's restocking needs. The station's Republic roots go beyond just its physical location, if rumors are to be believed; it's said Phalanx Station was founded by a group of Republic commandos who turned their backs on the Republic during Saresh's rule, and mercenary and bounty hunting types especially have been spreading the word that old war hands looking for a place to lay down their heads and their kit while they forge a new life out of uniform should head to Phalanx. Imperials, on the other hand, are advised to watch their backs, but not even these rumors or the station's location can fully stop independent operators who like to keep friends on both sides of the Treaty line; all savvy spacers know that strategically irrelevant border systems don't get a lot of bureaucratic attention, and that an Imperial-minded visitor is likely to be able to conduct their business on Phalanx just fine so long as they don't go waving the flag.

But despite the station's reputation as a stable haven where the owners are known to enforce some rule of law, those who make it their business to know what the galactic underworld is up to have heard rumors of their own - rumors that behind Phalanx Station's gruff ex-military owners there might be shadowy figures with their hands on the pulse - and finances - of the station's operations. The most consistent of these rumors implicate the Exchange as the station's shadow operators, and more than a few smugglers can confirm that on visits to Phalanx they've brokered jobs to move everything from food stuffs to luxury items to weapons. The only prohibited merchandise on the station seems to be slaves (and many have speculated as to why, given the Exchange's history otherwise).

But despite this supposed Exchange presence on the station, everyone seems to agree there's considerably more security to be found aboard Phalanx than one might expect in Hutt space these days. And in the aftermath of Zakuul's withdrawal, a stable port of call is a welcome thing indeed for the weary freelancer looking for a patch job on their ship, their blasters, or even their limbs.

Phalanx Station is known to boast the following amenities:

• A bustling bazaar, including some of the liveliest auctions to be found in this or any neighboring sector
• The greasiest and most fortifying foodstuffs a hungry spacer could ask for, served up on the promenade
• Public HoloNet terminal and kiosk access
• The Acid Pit cantina, where Huttball fans can watch the match broadcasts while pounding their toxic sludge of choice
• A flophouse and storage facilities for the itinerant blaster-for-hire or disillusioned veteran
• A BBA chapterhouse, for delivery of acquisitions and stocking up on the latest in seeker droid technologies
• A medical clinic, known for its modest fees and modest services (but sometimes modest is all you need to stave off the Void)
• Rumors speak to an exclusive gambling circuit that is attracting some high roller attention, although supposedly participation is by invitation only
• The Proving Grounds. Arguably the station's main attraction, where some of the most exciting prize fights in the quadrant can be found. Whether you're looking to see man, droid, or beast in action, you're likely to find a good match to wager on here.

Events of the Event that may prove Eventful:

Folks are welcome to wander around the station and strike up their RP wherever they'd like! No one is obligated to move with the timeline of the events, they are just there for those who find the subjects intriguing.

Rubbing Shoulders and Pounding Drinks: From 6:30 to 7:30 server time, while people trickle in, most activity will be centered in the market bazaar and the promenade food court (though of course people can ultimately go wherever they'd like). Socialize, grab some drinks, and prepare for shady dealings, bargain hunting, and bloodsport to come later... (i.e., this is an early hour for those who just want to free form RP for a while before the events get started)

AUCTION!: From 7:30 to 9:00 server time, the auction will be held in the bazaar. The auction will begin with the station's Auctioneer auctioning off a selection of items being sold through the station's usual services. Depending on how intense the bidding wars get, the Auctioneer should be concluded by around 8:00 PM. At this point, any characters - that means you guys! - who want to sell something can take the auction floor and try to sell their items to the crowd. Just remember to observe the following rules if you want to auction something off:

• All bids are IC only. No actual in-game credits will be exchanged.
• You do not have to be providing an actual in-game item for sale, the item itself can be purely IC if you wish it to be.
• Each player can auction a limit of three items, or take up to a maximum of 20 minutes, whichever comes first. If you go a little over 20 that's fine (RP is not an exact science), and if we get very few sellers then people can take more time, but three items or 20 minutes will be our starting point.
• ICly, your character can have acquired the item via any means you'd like, have any motivation you'd like for selling it, and deliver either exactly what they promised or something less-than provided they are willing to engage with the RP consequences of either. Just remember the usual golden rules about godmodding and we should be fine.
• Signing up as a seller here in the thread prior to the event would be very helpful to the organizers, but it's not required. However, if you express your interest in selling only at the event itself, slots will be assign first-come first-served and may be limited.

Bets and Blood: From 9:00 to 10:00 server time, stop by the Proving Grounds arena to watch men, beasts, and machines battle for your entertainment. The Creature Keeper and the Iron Ghost will be pitting their teams against each other once again. The Proving Grounds is also open to dueling applicants if you and a nemesis/friend/frenemy have a score you want to settle with each other - just remember, no fatalities allowed (except by willing agreement of the soon-to-be-deceased). In other words: If you want to duel, you need to bring your own partner, and have worked out the rules you're going to use with your partner ahead of time. Otherwise, Creature Keeper's creatures and Iron Ghost's droids will be providing the background bloodshed for the RP you want to engage in as arena spectators.


... and if you've made it all the way to the bottom here, and you're considering attending, we hope you do! These Port of Call events have always proved lively, and we hope this one will too. Additionally, I can tease that something might come up at this event that will kick off of a very long series of events which should give scoundrels, soldiers, Sith, and Jedi alike something to be interested in... after all, you never know what might come up for auction!

[Niarra]

Just adding here to say: If this date does not work for anyone who might have an interest in attending, please speak up. It will likely need to be on a Saturday no matter what, but we might be able to move it to a different Saturday if need be.

[LVT]

I'm interested! I'll let you know what time/dates work as my plans finalize.

[recoveringgeek]

Character: Jaade

Auction Lot: pending...

[Cyone]

Did someone say scum and villainy? Where do I sign up.

[Seraphie]

I'm a very definite maybe...

I'd love to come! I loved the last couple. Just, real life stuff means I'm not sure whether or not it will work out. If I don't make it, please know that it isn't for lack of interest!

[LVT]

Unfortunately, a group of friends had actually roped me into going to the garlic festival a few hours away on the same day. I'm assuming the time is set by now, so have fun for Silivia!

[Elaeis]

I plan to be there in duplicate form.

[Elaeis]

I plan to be a seller. Do I need to provide more information than that?

[Niarra]

I plan to be a seller. Do I need to provide more information than that?

Nope! Just wanted to have an estimate of how many people would be selling, for time management purposes. I'm trusting people not to be totally insane (at least OOCly speaking).

[Lolermelon]

I'll be there. Have things to sell.

[Niarra]

That makes three sellers, excellent! That technically fills the one hour time for player lots, presuming everyone uses their full 20 minutes. If they don't, there could still be room for other sellers (and if we have more interest we can certainly go long, since the arena is just background filler), so if you are still interested in selling please show up and chime in here!

If you're not selling, just send a character down to the station to do some bidding!  There's guaranteed to be at least one item that might be of interest to characters of any stripe - scoundrels looking for profit, Jedi looking after their interests, and Imperials looking for advantage (who are willing to grit their teeth through the station's vague Republic leanings).

Opening social hour starts in under an hour. Call out in RepublicOOC if you need an invite, but there's a possibility there will only be one host on tonight so if you don't get a reply to your invite request please note that the stronghold will be publicly listed on the Flagship directory on Republic Fleet (as Phalanx Station), and you can get there on your own time via that means.

[Niarra]

Thanks to all who came out tonight! The auction went especially great. In the next couple days I'll make a post about any particularly important items that ended up being sold at the auction.

Thanks to @Dassalya for showing up for a while on Nulaa despite being sick and helping to bring the Phalanx NPC crowd to life as she always does, and thanks to @Elaeis for always being willing to run Creature Keeper in the arena (not to mention all the other addicts and bottom-feeders)... especially given the unintended trauma Keeper suffered in tonight's bouts...

[Ela]

...is it horrible for me to say that I'm kinda glad I missed this, given what happened last time?

 

[Niarra]

...is it horrible for me to say that I'm kinda glad I missed this, given what happened last time?

 

Alternatively: Isn't genuine in character drama (that led to story posts no less) based on RP events exactly what we're all here to RP for? 

Also, I totally need to make a post-event thread about the special item that got sold at the auction. It's coming! I want to get the next events in the series lined up so I can tease those when I do.