Destruction, Devastation, and Derangement: Alternate 2023 onward RP.

[Cal]

Chapter 0: Rise of the Phoenix

January 6th, 2023

His shaky hands fumbled over the well-worn bible that had been presented to him. There were no cameras and no audience, yet he knew that this would begin one of the most important moments in American history.

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States,”

The rubble of the capitol of the greatest nation on Earth, the one he had diligently protected as his sole purpose in life, came to mind before he repeated the words.

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States,”

 

“And will to the best of my Ability,”

He isn’t the right man for the job, and by God he didn’t want it. But he doesn’t have a choice. He swore to serve this country, and he couldn’t run away.

"And will to the best of my Ability,”

 

“Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

The nation was in shambles. He didn’t know what would happen next. He didn’t know what to do. But he would do his best to lead America through the aftermath of the attack on its democratic institutions.

“Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

And on January 6^th, 2023, Secretary Lloyd Austin was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Cal

[Cal]

Prologue: A Spark Ignited

As the 2nd anniversary of the insurrection at the capitol of the United States drew near, a divided nation grew uneasy. And quite a divide it was between the two halves of the nation. 

One half of the nation believed that President Donald Trump had been wronged two years prior. That the democracy that laid the foundation for our political institutions and American way of life had not only been attacked, but been murdered in cold blood by a conspiracy of self-interested politicians against the will of the people. They were fearful that they may never see representation again in the face of an increasingly totalitarian government, and held core to their identity the belief that President Trump had been robbed and that drastic action needed to be taken to prevent the illegitimate government from creating a stranglehold on the nation and beginning a rule of tyranny. 

The other half of the nation believed that President Donald Trump was in fact the greatest threat to American democracy in our nation's history. That he had made baseless claims of election rigging that had a disastrous impact on the integrity of the governing coalition of the United States. They were fearful that if Donald Trump was allowed to attack the sanctity of the American political process so blatantly that it would only leave the door open to a more talented demagogue to fully assume control of the nation in the future. 

[Cal]

January 2nd, 2023

President Trump urges his supporters to "peacefully protest" on two-year anniversary of January 6th protest.
- Fox News

Trump incites supporters to demand "immediate rectification" two years after violent insurrection.
- New York Times

It was thought that a nation as great and as powerful as the United States of America would stand the test of time. That, should it one day fall into obscurity or irrelevance, it would be due to a slow decline of the most powerful empire in human history. Few would have imagined it would take less than one week for the nation to descend into complete chaos. 

In a message to his supporters, President Trump called on "patriots" to return to the capitol on the two-year mark after the failed attempt to prevent Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN) from certifying the election results in favor of then-Vice President Joe Biden and then-Senator Kamala Harris. This message did not call for outright violence, but claimed that "fear is the language of the terror-mongering Democratic Party" and that his advocates must "speak so that agents of tyranny understand they did not defeat America, and will not defeat America."

Trump's words were immediately met with fierce denunciation from most mainstream media sources and political commentators. Senator Bernie Sanders condemned his speech as "more than inflammatory rhetoric" and "a clear endorsement of political violence". President Biden would give an address to the nation without naming Trump specifically, only assuring the people that the United States system works best when we "resolve our differences at the ballot box" and that "political violence is in opposition to the values that make our nation so great". The universal reaction among the American political left was staunch disapproval with some voices even calling for the immediate arrest of Trump for inciting a riot.

However, many Americans lacked the trust in mainstream media and political commentators and preferred to get their news from sources that they perceived as more accurate and less biased against conservatives. In those circles, while Trump's speech was typically spoken of negatively, it was downplayed as "taken out of context" and a genuine urge for a peaceful protest. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) tweeted out that "President Trump's address to the nation tells only the malicious truth that the Democrats have been hiding from the American public: that Joe Biden's presidency is illegitimate." However, while the general Republican response was to brush the speech under the rug, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) giving a rare rebuke of the President and spoke on live television about how "dangerous rhetoric" has "no place in the Republican Party."

Internally, Trump's spontaneous urging of a protest in DC was met with panic by the Biden administration. After all, the last planned protest by Trump had ended with a nation more bitterly divided than any time since the civil war. In a meeting called with Biden's most trusted advisors, the team debated the best response to this potential crisis. Some, such as Vice President Kamala Harris(D-CA), urged Biden to denounce the protest as a insurrection-in-disguise and to prevent his supporters from even coming close to the capitol. Others, such as Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) argued that coming down harshly on the protestors would only lead to intensifying the conflict and playing directly into Trump's hand. 

As the day came to an end, citizens on both sides of the debate became more firmly entrenched in their beliefs. 

[Cal]

January 4th, 2023

FBI considered assassination plot of President Trump, sources say.
- Fox News

Trump makes baseless claims of unrealistic assassination plots against him.
- New York Times

The national debate over the anniversary protest in D.C. raged on and in the shadows, the gears had been set in motion for the debate to reach a deadly boiling point. On January 4th, Trump tweeted out that "very credible sources" had informed him that as a result of his insistence on being the true winner of the 2020 presidential election that there were plans to orchestrate his assassination and prevent a rightful challenge to the Biden administration. Immediately, right-wing news sources grabbed onto the story and significant figures such as Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones suggested that President Biden might have planned to permanently silence Trump because his truth was reaching the American people. 

On the other side of the divide, the government harshly condemned the allegations of any plans to retaliate against Trump as a result of his inflammatory rhetoric, with President Biden promising the American people that his administration champions "full transparency" and that Trump's claims of an assassination plot were "detached from reality" and "a baseless accusation" with the "veiled protection" of an unnamed credible source to escape liability for his actions. The White House keeps up a united front denouncing the rumors and urging the American people to trust only official sources with specific and proven evidence. Outside of D.C., a left-wing coalition of moderates, liberals, and progressives alike called for the immediate arrest of Trump for his continued perceived lies and incitement of political violence. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) noted that, "we are still healing from the vicious attack on the capitol less than two years ago on January 6th, which we've spent over a year investigating the cause of and finding that President Trump genuinely intended to overthrow the government. We must learn from history or we are doomed to repeat it: Donald Trump must be prevented from another attempt to destroy our democracy."

To many of President Trump's supporters the words of the White House were a direct insult. They strongly believed that they were the ones who knew the truth and that they had the right to question whether the government would want to assassinate President Trump, especially given the incredible hostility of the political establishment to Trump's election challenges. News anchors and radio hosts across the country attacked the Democrats as talking down to Republican voters and that President Biden openly questioned the intelligence of the people demanding answers for his misconduct, and that this shows Biden is hiding something. And that the question is... what could be so politically damaging that Biden would go through such lengths, even assassination, to cover it up?

The dominoes were being set, and the penultimate trigger would come with a "leak" from a disgruntled employee of the Federal Investigations Bureau released at midnight across various social media sites as the clock struck 12.

[Cal]

January 5th, 2023

Thousands of law-enforcement officials pledge to oversee January 6th security to ensure "fair treatment" of peaceful protesters.
- Fox News

Conspiracy theorists latch onto blatantly fake FBI leak of Trump assassination scheme.
- New York Times

The FBI leak lit a match and threw it into the gasoline heartily spread across the lines of American political discourse. No event since the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 had caused such a stir. However, while 9/11 served to unite a nation bickering in the aftermath of Bush v. Gore and the election controversy, "FBI-gate" served to divide it. Immediately Trump claimed he had been vindicated by the leak and that he was not only politically persecuted for his strong conservative beliefs, but that the Democrats wanted to "slit the throat of American democracy" and that he would "never stop fighting to expose the truth of the Democrats Big Lie". 

The White House did not know yet whether the leak was true or false, but President Biden had to lead with a firm hand and calm the American people. White House communications staff immediately began playing damage control. The leak was denounced as fake, maybe as the work of a foreign actor trying to stir controversy in the United States for the benefit of one of our enemies. The administration tapped several leading cybersecurity experts to assure the public that the leak's underlying document aspects indicated it was not from the FBI and rather an attempt to create an image of official government documentation. 

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While the American people needed immediate assurance that the government was not involved in any wrongdoing, the ramifications if this leak was true would shake American political society to its very core. President Biden contacted FBI director Christopher Way and demanded to know the truth: did the FBI plan to assassinate Donald Trump to prevent another insurrection, even if they didn't intend to actually follow through with it? 

"Mr. President, I can assure you that the supposed "leak" is absolutely bogus. We have not, nor have we ever, made any actual plans to covertly end the life of President Trump in the event he becomes a danger to our democracy."

"Christopher, don't take me for a fool. What is an 'actual' plan?"

"Well, sir, we have protocols for all kinds of situations. None of them are ever intended to be used. Think of them more as thought experiments that are useful to us in determining the impact, and fallout, and different scenarios. Like the plans to invade the United Kingdom in World War II, or invade Mexico in World War I. It's also helpful for us to put ourselves in the role of a foreign threat so that we can predict and respond more appropriately should the worst happen."

"You're speaking a bunch of malarkey at me, director. I want a straight answer from you: have your agents ever plotted against President Trump? The consequences are not to be balked at. I am your President, I am demanding that you tell me whether these leaks are accurate. I made a promise to the American people to restore integrity and accountability to the White House. Have you made me into a liar, Christopher?"

"I can't promise you that no agent has EVER explored, in a strictly hypothetical sense, the logistics of the assassination of President Trump. I can tell you that it's against our internal policy to consider scenarios against former US Presidents."

"Is the leak real or not, damn it!"

"From what we know so far, it's likely fake, but I don't know that for sure. The document itself looks officially, but breaking into the encryption and proving that would take time. I'll let you know as soon as possible, sir, but I can't tell you anything. For what it's worth, I'm sorry that my department has caused such trouble. I pray we are not the culprit at the end of the day."

"As do I, director, because if these came from one of yours, there will be hell to pay. For you and me both."

[Cal]

January 5th, 2023

Freedom Caucus continues to bargain with McCarthy for Speaker position amid national uncertainty.
- Fox News

McCarthy loses 11th ballot in Speaker election, murmurs for alternative leadership.
- New York Times

As the Trump assassination plot controversy became the focal point of political debate, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) hoped that the holdout Republicans in the House of Representatives would see reason and finally give up their pointless bid for house leadership. He had thought it would be smooth sailing to wielding the speaker's gavel but thus far it had proven anything but. 

At this point, the House of Representatives would be deadlocked well into the next week. They would be stuck in the capitol when Trump and his gang of uneducated bullies came to prove a point. He was particularly irked by his realization that Trump had no actual intention of overthrowing the government and his belief that Trump had only pulled this political stunt to flex his political muscles over the Biden administration. Pointless bickering that would only delay his ascension to the most prestigious spot in the legislative branch. No, he decided, he would not give in to the dick-measuring contest from the likes of Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene. He had spoken out against Trump's antics and he refused to be bullied by an unfounded fear that MAGA ideologues protesting could force his hand the next day. 

If the extremist fringes of his party thought that the pressure of Trump's protest would cause him to acquiesce to their demands and give up his right to become the true leader of the party, they had another thing coming. 

McCarthy would not give up. Tomorrow, Friday January 6th, every representative would be forced to show up. If the Republicans didn't show, they'd hand the House over to the Democrats in a first in American history. If the Democrats didn't show, they'd allow him to escape from his own party scott-free and without the concessions that would make him so weak in the future. 

Kevin McCarthy would call their bluff.

Kevin McCarthy would not give in.

Kevin McCarthy would die the next day.

[Cal]

January 5th, 2023

Americans grow uneasy after ex-president Trump's followers pledge to storm the capitol.
- BBC News

President Trump questions American election integrity, supporters to demand answers.
-Jornal do Brasil

The United States has prided itself on its image of a shining beacon of democracy on the world stage, presenting itself as a moral crusader for governance of the people by the people. Ever since the Second World War, the richest nation on the planet has often intervened in other nation's affairs under the image of "nation-building" and protecting people from their own government. While most of those in the West have had some grievance with the United States or believe themselves to have a superior political system, most agree that the nation is one with free and fair elections and genuine political discourse. 

The international reaction to the events unfolding in the States thus far has been relatively muted. After all, the world had dealt with four years of President Trump and were well aware of his propensity to threaten and bluster in his goal for political power. When news first broke that there would be a second protest in D.C. it was mostly met with raised eyebrows and murmurs that the nation had really screwed up by giving such a large platform to Donald Trump. Of course, there were a few government figures who did speak out publicly: Brazil's Former President Jair Bolsonaro, a long-time ally of President Trump, praised his actions as "necessary" in the face of the nation's crumbling Democratic institutions. 

For now, while the more keen political observers are getting uncomfortable with the increasingly dangerous rhetoric of the former president, most nations are continuing their affairs as usual. Further, President Biden has reassured American allies that this is protest will fizzle out and Trump's supporters begrudgingly go home when they realize they can't actually effectuate change. This will all blow over soon enough, he promises on secure lines. It's nothing to be concerned about. 

[Cal]

January 6th, 2023

President Trump to address the nation, live at 10AM.
- Fox News

President Biden denounces Trump's planned insurrection but says they have a right to protest.
- New York Times

On the morning of the two-year anniversary of January 6th the entire nation watched with bated breath. Of course, they differed greatly in their reaction to it, with some openly professing that they hope that President Trump will pull off a miracle and unseat an illegitimate government, with some denouncing the gathering as a danger to our democracy, and others still with no stake in the event other than morbid curiosity stemming from extensive news coverage. 

On January 5th, President Trump tweeted out that he would address the crowds at his "peaceful protest" the next morning at 10AM and show solidarity with all of his supporters. MAGA supporters from around the country had travelled to Washington D.C. to protest at Trump's urging and numbered in the tens of thousands, far dwarfing the number of just two years ago. Just as in the time before, self-proclaimed "patriots" came from all different backgrounds and from nearly all 50 states of the union. The anger over his stolen election had burned hot then, but in the two years since it had only continued to grow with the constant allegations of electoral fraud. Worryingly to onlookers, these men and women came armed with a variety of firearms, riot protection gear, makeshift restraints, and many other types of items intended to strike fear into the tyrannical Biden administration. Undetected in the midst of them all (though their presence was certainly suspected) were more than a dozen extremist groups, ranging from the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers to even extremist fringes of the American left. 

President Biden, to his credit as an old-school American exceptionalist, genuinely believed that the protest would dissipate without escalating into a full-blown insurrection and attempt to overthrow the government. He believed that the United States would survive any threat, foreign or domestic, and that its people would resort their differences at the ballot box and not a guillotine. As the streets filled with signs, megaphones, and weaponry, Biden was relieved at the relative civility of the protest as it progressed. There had been no reports from the capitol police of a legitimate plan of political violence and despite the Vice President's urging he wasn't ready to call the national guard in just yet. 

The White House and Biden's staff within continued functioning as if there wasn't chanting to forcefully end their political careers (to put it kindly). The House of Representatives continued its gridlocked debate into who would become the next Speaker. The Supreme Court began its normal administrative duties and docket proceedings to prepare for the beginning of the term on the following Monday. Among the politicians and bureaucrats who lived in the city there was a general stance that if the nation continued running as usual without cowering away and showing their fear that Trump's supporters would just give up and return home defeated. Some would call that unrealistic, but given that Trump and his band of supporters had done just that two years prior it wasn't all that implausible. Perhaps, just as many political scientists had been saying for years, the most effective strategy would be to just ignore him and deprive him of the media attention of accommodating his actions. 

Even still, the president knew that somewhere in that crowd of tens of thousands of Americans condemning him as a tyrannical dictator, President Trump was making the preparations necessary to give one hell of a speech to rile up the crowds. 

Standing in the same spot as he had just two years ago, President Trump walked up to the stairs to the stage and took the podium and behind the protection of the bulletproof glass. He didn't need any notes. This was the speech he was born to give. As fervent supporters equipped with a mix of dangerous weaponry stared on, with every media outlet in the country broadcasting the story of the century, President Donald Trump gave his signature cocky smile and cleared his throat. No one knew that what they were about to witness would be the catalyst for one of the most horrific events in American history. 

The glass shattered. 

The crowd screamed. 

The most deadly event in American political history had begun. 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Cal

[Cal]

 

January 6th, 2023

The results of the 13th ballot to determine the Speaker of the House of Representatives were in. 

Kevin McCarthy: 215. 
Hakeem Jeffries: 212. 

Kevin McCarthy had accomplished his goal, naysayers be damned. He had been elected by his peers as the 55th Speaker in United States history. When at first you don't succeed, whip your party into compliance and try again! Well... perhaps that wouldn't be the best way to describe how he had accomplished his lifelong ambition. A more realistic description of his ascent to the top dog of the lower chamber would be that he used the fear of the ongoing protests against the MAGA caucus that had been threatening to deny him the gavel he had worked so hard to earn. Now, they would all, minus one, have to sit in their seats while he reveled in his success. 

As McCarthy took to give his victory speech, an alarm blared across the room. The guards began shouting that an immediate evacuation would need to occur and that the lives of each and every person was at risk. What the hell could have happened, McCarthy wondered to himself, anxiety kicking in as he thought about the events going on outside. He had promised us he wouldn't take things too far. 

"HURRY!" the police escorts screamed at him and the hundreds of other frozen representatives. "get to the tunnels, now! That's where you'll all be safe and remain until things calm down out there." 

Screaming, shouting, gunfire. None of that struck more fear into Congress than the explosions they not only heard outside, but felt the reverberations of outside. And Donald Trump was behind this? Was he a fucking lunatic? 

As the men and women elected to represent their constituents back home hurried to the tunnels, they at least felt safe and secure in the knowledge that just like two years ago they would all come out of this unharmed. The rioters would not be able to find them. The tunnels were a secret, somewhere they could go to wait out the armed insurrectionists ready to punish them for their actions (in the case of Democrats) and inactions (in the case of Republicans) alike. 

As some of the most "untouchable" men and women in the nation would find out, the tunnels weren't a secret after all. 

[Cal]

January 7th, 2023

Massacre: Trump-backed insurrections murder government officials in aftermath of Trump's assassination. 
- BBC News

International panic following Trump's assassination and the White House Massacre
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

"How did it all come to this?" President Austin wondered to himself. Trump's speech had began over a mile from the White House, and yet his frenzied supporters had marched through the capitol of the strongest, wealthiest, and greatest country on the planet. The United States, the sole superpower on the world stage had been brought to its knees by its own people. Immediately President Biden called in the National Guard but it was too late to quell the red-hot anger of over 30,000 protestors who believed that the White House had just begun its reign of tyranny with the assassination of the legitimate winner of the 2020 election. Bodies piled up in the streets of protestors, police officers, and citizens alike. The red river flowed straight from the spot of Trump's speech directly to the White House, Capitol Hill, and Supreme Court. 

They couldn't be stopped, even as they broke down the barricades. Lethal force had long since been authorized to no avail. President Biden had ordered the broadcast be cut short immediately after Trump had been shot, but it was too late to prevent the nation from being driven to chaos and insanity. 

The several cabinet secretaries were scattered throughout the White House, continuing their work even amid President Trump's planned rally and presenting a united front to the American people that his election denying antics would have no impact, not even for one day could they be prevented from doing their jobs. While not every department head was present, there would be enough for the 6th in line to inherit the weighty title of President of the United States. 

Who would survive the slaughter and who would perish was left to little more than chance. The number of protestors greatly exceeded even the highest projections, and the assassination of Donald Trump had caused these "patriots" to unexpectedly lay their lives down in an attempt to "restore democracy" to a nation being strangled by tyranny. Those who lived did so not due to their own cunning, silver tongue, or personal strength, but rather because the rabid rebels did not have time to find them before the National Guard was finally able to restore order. 

It took hours for them to do so. And in that time, hundreds of officials were executed and thousands of protesters were cut down. It was the greatest loss of life for any one event in American history. The killing was indiscriminate: the rebels executed Democrats and Republicans alike (though the latter in lesser numbers). Ultimately, the list of the fallen included all of those named below. 

White House Administration

President Joe Biden (D-DE)
Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken (D-NY) (alive, critical condition)
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen (D-NY)
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo (D-RI)

US House of Representatives

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (legally dead, resuscitated in critical condition)
Darrell Issa (R-CA)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Cory Mills (R-FL)
Tracey Mann (R-KS)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Ayanna Pressley (D-MI)
Chris Pappas (D-NH)
Chris Smith (R-NJ)
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
Brian Higgins (D-NY)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
Mike Turner (R-OH)
Andrea Salinas (D-OR)
Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
Tim Burchett (R-TN)
Kay Granger (R-TX)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

Total Republicans: 8 if McCarthy pulls through, otherwise 9. 
Total Democrats: 10. 

US Senate

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Senator Jon Ossof (D-GA)
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Senator Steve Daines (R-MT)
Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT)
President Pro Tempore of the Senate Patty Murray (D-WA)
Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT)

Total Republicans: 3
Total Democrats: 5. 

Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Roberts.

Total: 1.

The darkest day comes to an end, and it will be up to you all to put us on the path to discovering the truth of what kicked off this series of events, restoring peace of mind to the American people, and beginning the long road to recovery in the aftermath of the White House Massacre. That post will be up shortly with the rules for playing and open positions. 

[Cal]

Destruction, Devastation, and Derangement: An Alternate 2023 Onward RP

Welcome all! The stage has been set for this RP to finally begin. The nation is in disarray and no one knows just what the hell is going on. Did the FBI conspire to assassinate Donald Trump, or was it a lone shooter who took advantage of the chaos? Was it an insideous plot by a foreign actor to throw the country into turmoil? Could antifa have had a role, or would a right-wing extremist group finally decide that Trump just wasn't radical enough? Who knows! It's your job to find out. 

The foundation for this RP is going to be a bit different than most on here, something of a blend between a choose-your-own adventure book and a tabletop RPG. Interested players are influential characters in American politics with a significant role to play in the events to follow. The basic system is that some or all players will have one or more Campaign Events to respond to each turn, with a list of choices of how to respond.

Each Player Character will a Character Card with their Ideology, Personality Traits, Personal Attributes, and Political Attributes, which all affect what options are available to be picked and your likelihood of succeeding in them. For example: 

Name: Lloyd Austin III
Office: President of the United States
Personality Traits: Politically Naive, Technocrat, Reformer.

Personal Attributes
Leadership: 4. 
Integrity: 7
Roguery: 2
Charisma: 4
Intelligence: 5
Predictability: 5
Discipline: 9

Political Attributes
Legislative: 1
Legal: 1
Fundraising: 2
Media: 2
Ideologue: 2

All of these stats affect your eventual success or failure in restoring order and democracy to the nation. Personality Traits affect what options are available to you in response to an event. For example, a Mischievous character might have underhanded tactics available to them, or a Technocrat might have additional options for cabinet selections. However, while personality traits don't dictate all of your options, choosing an option in conflict with your personality traits can cause you to roll at a disadvantage. This means that rather than just rolling one d10, you'll roll two d10 and take the lower roll. 

Additionally, your Personal Attributes and Political Attributes determine how apt you are to succeed in certain options. Here is an example Campaign Event to illustrate.

Senator Doe Taking Illegal Campaign Contributions.

Mr. President, we have troubling news to report. One of your close allies in the Senate, John Doe, has been reportedly taking illegal campaign contributions for their reelection campaign. Senator Doe is crucial to the Democrats chances of taking the Senate back, and it would take a miracle for us to accomplish your policy goals without that seat. What will you do?

Option 1: However inconvenient, we cannot let bad actors run unchecked in our nation, whatever party they belong to! Publicly condemn Senator Doe. Hopefully we can convince someone with more integrity to take his spot in the election instead. 
Reformer.
Intermediate Integrity Requirement (5)

Option 2: This is troubling, but it's unwise to get involved. We have plausible deniability and it's better to conserve our political capital for this election instead. Let the DNC figure this one out. 
Reformer.
No requirement. 

Option 3: This won't do, Senator Doe is necessary for us to prevent a tragedy like the White House Massacre from ever occurring again. Sweep it under the rug!
Politically Naïve.
Intermediate Roguery Requirement (4)

For example: President Austin chooses Option 3 because the player decides that its necessary, despite the risk. Because his Roguery is a 2 and this option requires a 4, he will have to subtract a 2 from his d10 success roll. However, because he is also Politically Naive, he rolls at a disadvantage and takes the lower of 2 d10 rolls. 

To succeed, he'll have the roll a number that is correlated with the difficulty of the option chosen. For example, in the above scenario, he might need to roll at least a 3 to succeed. With a -2 already it's going to be difficult to successfully act against his personality trait but it's still possible and in some scenarios might be best. Additionally, as you respond to events and the game goes on, keep in mind that these traits are not static and can change over time. If President Austin takes the reigns pretty well, he won't be Politically Naive for too long. Likewise, he could raise his Roguery (and lower his Integrity) by repeatedly choosing to go down that path and experiencing success.

For the remainder of the night, I'll be putting together and trying to balance Personality Traits, Personal Attributes, and Political Attributes (to the best of my ability 😛 ). Tomorrow I'll have Character Cards. However, I'll have a quick post up tonight with the planned spots for players to take. Thanks for reading all of this and stay tuned! 

[Cal]

Starting Positions

Option 1: Current White House Administration
Key Players: President Lloyd Austin (IND-AL)
Ideologies: Center, Center-Left
Your goal here is to lead the nation through this disaster. You never wanted to be President and here you are, so make the most of the hand you've been dealt in service to your country. Whoever takes President Austin will play an active role in most of the story, if he can remain president. As you don't have an actual party affiliation, you'll have the option of taking the reigns of the Democratic Party or staying truly independent. You can lead the nation with a firm and bipartisan hand following the White House Massacre, or you can take advantage of this to become the top dog in the party. It'll be up to you. 

Option 2: Establishment Democrats
Key Players: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-MI).
Ideologies: Center-Left, Left
Most events will probably be legislative in nature, and Schumer is likely going to immediately lose his leadership position. You'll need to select a character to lead the Democrats in the House, and in turn you'll likely have a lot of influence on who eventually gets appointed to the special committee investigating the events. Of course, you'll be trying to slam Republicans for their role in allowing Trump's rise, but you'll have to be careful... there's a significant portion of the country that still believes that Biden ordered Trump's assassination. It'll be a balancing act for the establishment to keep distance from President Biden's actions while still taking advantage of this opportunity. That's where the Truth and Justice Democrats are your best friend. 

Option 3: Truth and Justice Democrats
Potential Key Players: Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Ideologies: Center-Left, Left
You'll be the Democrats leading the investigation into January 6th. The establishment needs someone to be an attack dog and you've prepared your entire career to do it. 

Option 4: Progressive Democrats
Potential Key Players: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). (take your pick)
Ideologies: Left, Progressive
Similar to the Establishment Democrats, but you've got some huge holes to fill. AOC, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren were all among the many who died that day. It'll be up to you to choose who will step into those shoes and be a shining light of progress in a bitterly divided nation. 

Option 5: Establishment Republicans
Key Players: Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY). 
Ideologies: Center-right, Right
If McCarthy survives, you better believe he's not letting go of power and that he'll do anything to keep it. You'll need to deflect and distance yourself from any association with the MAGA brand, while also shifting blame to President Biden and his administration one way or another. Your election chances are doomed otherwise. Even further... there is a path to the presidency, should you decide you are self-interested enough to pursue it... 

Option 6: Law and Order Republicans
Key Players: Former Representative Liz Cheney (R-UT), Former Representative Justin Amash (R-MI).
Center-right, Right
I bet you thought you'd never see these guys again. With the death of senators in both states, you'll get to run for offices higher than the ones you've ever held before, and you'll be doing it an ultimate political comeback. You spoke out against Donald Trump from the getgo and were punished for it. You were stripped of your offices and ridiculed by your own party. Now... they just might need you to restore integrity in the eyes of voters. But will you come willingly back into the folds of the Republican Party, or have you not forgotten just what they did to you?

Option 7: MAGA Republicans
Potential Key Players: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO)
Right, Far-right
This faction is playing a dangerous game. Your supporters are exactly the kind who went and stormed the capitol and got us into this whole mess. Even worse, there are many within your faction that genuinely believe that the insurrectionists should have set up some kind of provisional government for true patriots in the face of Biden's illegitimate presidency. You'll need to continue to fire up the right-wing base and put as much blame on President Biden as possible. You need Trump to be a martyr, not a demagogue. 

Pinging those interested so far: @Rezi @The Blood @WVProgressive @Hestia @Fbarbarossa @Cenzonico @Murrman104. 

[The Blood]

Option 7 for me. 

[Hestia]

I'll go Option 3! 

[Murrman104]

Can i have option 4 but get back later for a leader?

[WVProgressive]

Option 6

[The Blood]

25 minutes ago, The Blood said:

Option 7 for me. 

And for my player character, I choose Matt Gaetz!

[Pringles]

I’d like to reserve option 1 for now, waiting on some questions from Cal to be answered.

[Rezi]

Option 2, preferably

[Cenzonico]

Option 5 since thats pretty much all that is left. I'll play McCarthy if he lives. If not then playing Cocaine Mitch still sounds fun so I'll go with him.

[Murrman104]

On further consideration I wish to make the representative from MN,Ilhan Omar, the leader of the progressive democrats. As the most well known (for better or worse) surviving member of the squad she feels the natural pick 

[Rezi]

My leader will be, of course, Shuck Chumer.

[Cal]

Next logical step is getting the rest of the leaders down for character cards. Pretty sure all we need for a primary character pick is @Hestia and @WVProgressive. Outside of that it looks like the lineup is President Austin, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Representative Omar, Speaker McCarthy/Minority Leader McConnell, and Representative Gaetz. 

Oh, and @Fbarbarossa gets their choice of a faction between Blue Dog Democrats & New England Republicans. Whatever you pick please let me know so I can get your character card out too.

Once characters are finalized I'll finish character cards & begin working on getting ready for the first turn. This likely won't be a "turn every day" sort of thing because of school obligations but it'll be regular. First turn will be a slog because everyone will get at least an event and I need to do some research into how the fallen senators are replaced in each of their respective states & to find out the partisan lean of the various House special elections. I'm hoping to get that out tomorrow but it might be Wednesday. 

Thanks all!

[WVProgressive]

My leader will be Elizabeth Lynne Cheney

[Hestia]

11 minutes ago, Cal said:

Next logical step is getting the rest of the leaders down for character cards. Pretty sure all we need for a primary character pick is @Hestia and @WVProgressive. Outside of that it looks like the lineup is President Austin, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Representative Omar, Speaker McCarthy/Minority Leader McConnell, and Representative Gaetz. 

Oh, and @Fbarbarossa gets their choice of a faction between Blue Dog Democrats & New England Republicans. Whatever you pick please let me know so I can get your character card out too.

Once characters are finalized I'll finish character cards & begin working on getting ready for the first turn. This likely won't be a "turn every day" sort of thing because of school obligations but it'll be regular. First turn will be a slog because everyone will get at least an event and I need to do some research into how the fallen senators are replaced in each of their respective states & to find out the partisan lean of the various House special elections. I'm hoping to get that out tomorrow but it might be Wednesday. 

Thanks all!

Klobuchar will be my primary player!