Shadow Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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outofshadows2014-11-05 07:10 pm
shadowmods) wrote in outofshadows2014-11-05 07:10 pm
[Event] This Could be Heaven or This Could be Hell
So...who's been wondering what's up on the seventh deck? Well, this may be your opportunity to satisfy your curiosity as the metaplot returns with a vengeance. I say "may be" because this plot is going to be a choose your own adventure. The options are pretty simple:
Heaven or Hell.
Allow me to elaborate.
The morning of Day 322 (November 17-19), the Egime will suddenly list to portside with a loud clanking noise. Almost immediately thereafter, the ship will right itself again, but those on the bottom three decks will very quickly become aware of a soft, hissing noise and a sort of blue/purple haze in the air. A few hours after the strange noise and shift, all of the Net Boxes in the state rooms will pop on. A sign will appear, written in blue ink in the same handwriting as that found on the side of the ship:
We have a microfracture hull breach. It's being fixed, but until it's been repaired, please calmly make your way up to the seventh deck. No pushing.
And that's it. After a few minutes, the Net Box screens will pop off.
Characters will have two choices, at this point: Go up to the seventh deck or stay below.
Heaven
Characters who go up to the seventh deck will discover a strange world. It's a bit like the chalk paintings from Mary Poppins and everything up there seems designed to keep a person calm, relaxed, and content. The seventh deck is a beautiful, serene meadow, colors brighter than an oil painting. There's fresh and crisp grass underfoot, weeping willows as far as the eye can see, drifting lazily in the anomalous and directionless wind. Near the forward part of the ship is a placid, silvery lake, filled with colorful fish. The fish actually look tropical, although they're far from what might be considered their native environment. Strangely, they're not edible. Anyone who catches a fish will find that it disappears after a few seconds of flopping around.
Near the aft part of the ship, the meadow gives way to several gardens, each with a different theme. The first is an herb garden, growing medicinal herbs. They're fragrant and quite real. Beyond that is a rose garden, the bushes arrayed like a labyrinth. At the center is a white, wooden gazebo. The roses come in every color imaginable and can be picked, sniffed, and dried. The one exception to this is a single bush of silver roses, arranged around the gazebo. From some reason, these flowers refuse to be picked. Cutting, pulling, or begging them is useless. They aren't going anywhere. There's a third garden beyond the rose garden. It's arranged almost identically to the rose garden, but filled instead with every flower conceivable. If you are looking for a specific type of flower, you'll find it there. Almost as if by magic, it will be around the next corner, waiting for you.
Beyond the gardens is a colorful carousel. It plays strange music that sounds like a full symphony. Instead of horses, rider can perch on white tigers. They have sapphire eyes and move up and down, just like any other carousel ride. Sitting on one gives a rider a sense of elation, like anything is possible. It's an incredible high that will stay with a person for an hour or so after getting off.
Oh yes, the setting is idyllic, although the keen eye will detect some things amiss. For example, carved into the bark of the trees are strange chemical equations, detailing biological functions. Someone who's been around awhile might recognize the handwriting as Casey's. Another oddity is the sky. Although it seems a brilliant blue, every now and then, cracks appear, like lightning, only pink as the quartz walls of the ship.
Lest you be worried about starving to death, food appears to have been provided. There are piles and piles of boxes of chocolates near the carousel. They're filled with strange and exotic cremes that, of course, will have some interesting side-effects. Nibbling on the red, strawberry-ish center will cause a person to have an incredibly erotic dream when they next fall asleep. The white, creamy filling gives you wings (not literally). A person will actually take off from the ground and float a few feet up for fifteen minutes. The dark, velvety filling will put a song in your heart. You will literally feel the compulsive need to sing about your feelings to anyone you meet.
Hell
Those who choose to remain below will have a different sort of experience. As the hours go by, the decks will gradually get hazier and foggier, the blue/purple haze soon making it very, very difficult to see. Candidates will still be able to move around. And they won't experience any biological side-effects of the haze. But something else will be going on.
Candidates who remain below will begin to encounter spontaneous "windows" that open up in front of them. They will appear like round, two-dimensional portals about the size of a flatscreen TV that cannot be touched or traveled through. On the other side of the portals, candidates will be able to watch scenes from their pasts playing out in front of them. These can be anything from the day they were born to their last moments in canon before they arrived in the game setting. They can be happy memories or sad memories. And if candidates are accompanied by others, everyone in the scene will be able to see what's happening on the other side of the portal.
Of course, there's a catch. As the fog gets thicker, the portals will appear more frequently. Candidates will become increasingly disoriented and may begin to confuse past and present. They'll get dizzy and lethargic and experience symptoms of oxygen deprivation. They aren't actually being deprived of oxygen, but they'll feel like they are.
The fog will remain in the lower decks until the end of Day 323 (November 20-22), at which point, it will be safe to return below deck seven.
Wow, that's a lot of information to take in. And now, some more with everyone's favorite, some FAQs...
Is there an opt-out for this plot?
Since the fog will be hitting the entire ship, there is no real opt-out. Characters must either choose to go up to the seventh deck, or remain below in the fog. That said, there is no need to actively interact with either setting, although it's highly encouraged.
What's causing this to happen?
A rupture in the ship's hull has exposed the inside to the Circuits of Time, through which the ship is traveling. If three or more magically-inclined individuals want to discover this, it may be logged out. Otherwise, it will be a mystery. Feel free to plot that out here, in the sub-thread provided.
Can the hull breach be repaired by PCs?
Yes! If three or more PCs (who choose to stay below) wish to get together to fix the breach, they can. It's located in the cargo hold and can be repaired by mundane or magical means. Beware that the fog will be much thicker near the rupture, so it won't be easy! If no PCs choose to fix it, however, a mysterious NPC will. Feel free to plot that out here, in the sub-thread provided.
What kind of scenes are we seeing in the haze, again?
Any scene from your character's past. Your character must be in it. That's the only rule. It can be something they remember or something they've forgotten. It can be from canon or from a previous game, if you brought them in as CRAUs.
Can our characters die in the haze?
Nope. Absolutely not. Although they can feel like they're dying.
I want to do both Heaven and Hell. Is that an option?
Yes and no. The first day (Dday 322) of the plot, anyone can go back and forth between the two of them. But by the time the second day (day 323) rolls around, the fog will be so disorienting that those who remained below will not be able to find their way back up again.
What kinds of biological functions are carved into the trees on the seventh deck?
Alas, it has been a very long time since your mod took AP chemistry and she isn't going to make up formulas. Those who wish to investigate the science, however can, with enough know-how, determine that it appears to revolve around the release of endorphins. One might even consider it the "science of falling in love."
Will we be able to get up to Decks 8-9?
Alas, no. The lifts still won't go up that far. Depending on PC action, however, the seventh deck may remain open to the candidates, following the event.
Will there be an event post for this?
Yes and no. An event log will be put up for all scenes taking place on the seventh deck, but it's up to you to come up with your own logs for anything elsewhere.
And will the network still be functioning like normal?
There will be some static from anyone calling from the lower decks, but it'll be working.
Geez, Wizera. You'd think after nearly three years of modding, you'd be better at writing up these stupid FAQs.
You would think. As always, feel free to ask me additional questions in the appropriate subthread. Otherwise, feel free to use this post to do some plotting. I'm putting it up a little earlier than normal since there might be some complicated coordination with any problem-solvers among the PCs!
Heaven or Hell.
Allow me to elaborate.
The morning of Day 322 (November 17-19), the Egime will suddenly list to portside with a loud clanking noise. Almost immediately thereafter, the ship will right itself again, but those on the bottom three decks will very quickly become aware of a soft, hissing noise and a sort of blue/purple haze in the air. A few hours after the strange noise and shift, all of the Net Boxes in the state rooms will pop on. A sign will appear, written in blue ink in the same handwriting as that found on the side of the ship:
We have a microfracture hull breach. It's being fixed, but until it's been repaired, please calmly make your way up to the seventh deck. No pushing.
And that's it. After a few minutes, the Net Box screens will pop off.
Characters will have two choices, at this point: Go up to the seventh deck or stay below.
Heaven
Characters who go up to the seventh deck will discover a strange world. It's a bit like the chalk paintings from Mary Poppins and everything up there seems designed to keep a person calm, relaxed, and content. The seventh deck is a beautiful, serene meadow, colors brighter than an oil painting. There's fresh and crisp grass underfoot, weeping willows as far as the eye can see, drifting lazily in the anomalous and directionless wind. Near the forward part of the ship is a placid, silvery lake, filled with colorful fish. The fish actually look tropical, although they're far from what might be considered their native environment. Strangely, they're not edible. Anyone who catches a fish will find that it disappears after a few seconds of flopping around.
Near the aft part of the ship, the meadow gives way to several gardens, each with a different theme. The first is an herb garden, growing medicinal herbs. They're fragrant and quite real. Beyond that is a rose garden, the bushes arrayed like a labyrinth. At the center is a white, wooden gazebo. The roses come in every color imaginable and can be picked, sniffed, and dried. The one exception to this is a single bush of silver roses, arranged around the gazebo. From some reason, these flowers refuse to be picked. Cutting, pulling, or begging them is useless. They aren't going anywhere. There's a third garden beyond the rose garden. It's arranged almost identically to the rose garden, but filled instead with every flower conceivable. If you are looking for a specific type of flower, you'll find it there. Almost as if by magic, it will be around the next corner, waiting for you.
Beyond the gardens is a colorful carousel. It plays strange music that sounds like a full symphony. Instead of horses, rider can perch on white tigers. They have sapphire eyes and move up and down, just like any other carousel ride. Sitting on one gives a rider a sense of elation, like anything is possible. It's an incredible high that will stay with a person for an hour or so after getting off.
Oh yes, the setting is idyllic, although the keen eye will detect some things amiss. For example, carved into the bark of the trees are strange chemical equations, detailing biological functions. Someone who's been around awhile might recognize the handwriting as Casey's. Another oddity is the sky. Although it seems a brilliant blue, every now and then, cracks appear, like lightning, only pink as the quartz walls of the ship.
Lest you be worried about starving to death, food appears to have been provided. There are piles and piles of boxes of chocolates near the carousel. They're filled with strange and exotic cremes that, of course, will have some interesting side-effects. Nibbling on the red, strawberry-ish center will cause a person to have an incredibly erotic dream when they next fall asleep. The white, creamy filling gives you wings (not literally). A person will actually take off from the ground and float a few feet up for fifteen minutes. The dark, velvety filling will put a song in your heart. You will literally feel the compulsive need to sing about your feelings to anyone you meet.
Hell
Those who choose to remain below will have a different sort of experience. As the hours go by, the decks will gradually get hazier and foggier, the blue/purple haze soon making it very, very difficult to see. Candidates will still be able to move around. And they won't experience any biological side-effects of the haze. But something else will be going on.
Candidates who remain below will begin to encounter spontaneous "windows" that open up in front of them. They will appear like round, two-dimensional portals about the size of a flatscreen TV that cannot be touched or traveled through. On the other side of the portals, candidates will be able to watch scenes from their pasts playing out in front of them. These can be anything from the day they were born to their last moments in canon before they arrived in the game setting. They can be happy memories or sad memories. And if candidates are accompanied by others, everyone in the scene will be able to see what's happening on the other side of the portal.
Of course, there's a catch. As the fog gets thicker, the portals will appear more frequently. Candidates will become increasingly disoriented and may begin to confuse past and present. They'll get dizzy and lethargic and experience symptoms of oxygen deprivation. They aren't actually being deprived of oxygen, but they'll feel like they are.
The fog will remain in the lower decks until the end of Day 323 (November 20-22), at which point, it will be safe to return below deck seven.
Wow, that's a lot of information to take in. And now, some more with everyone's favorite, some FAQs...
Is there an opt-out for this plot?
Since the fog will be hitting the entire ship, there is no real opt-out. Characters must either choose to go up to the seventh deck, or remain below in the fog. That said, there is no need to actively interact with either setting, although it's highly encouraged.
What's causing this to happen?
A rupture in the ship's hull has exposed the inside to the Circuits of Time, through which the ship is traveling. If three or more magically-inclined individuals want to discover this, it may be logged out. Otherwise, it will be a mystery. Feel free to plot that out here, in the sub-thread provided.
Can the hull breach be repaired by PCs?
Yes! If three or more PCs (who choose to stay below) wish to get together to fix the breach, they can. It's located in the cargo hold and can be repaired by mundane or magical means. Beware that the fog will be much thicker near the rupture, so it won't be easy! If no PCs choose to fix it, however, a mysterious NPC will. Feel free to plot that out here, in the sub-thread provided.
What kind of scenes are we seeing in the haze, again?
Any scene from your character's past. Your character must be in it. That's the only rule. It can be something they remember or something they've forgotten. It can be from canon or from a previous game, if you brought them in as CRAUs.
Can our characters die in the haze?
Nope. Absolutely not. Although they can feel like they're dying.
I want to do both Heaven and Hell. Is that an option?
Yes and no. The first day (Dday 322) of the plot, anyone can go back and forth between the two of them. But by the time the second day (day 323) rolls around, the fog will be so disorienting that those who remained below will not be able to find their way back up again.
What kinds of biological functions are carved into the trees on the seventh deck?
Alas, it has been a very long time since your mod took AP chemistry and she isn't going to make up formulas. Those who wish to investigate the science, however can, with enough know-how, determine that it appears to revolve around the release of endorphins. One might even consider it the "science of falling in love."
Will we be able to get up to Decks 8-9?
Alas, no. The lifts still won't go up that far. Depending on PC action, however, the seventh deck may remain open to the candidates, following the event.
Will there be an event post for this?
Yes and no. An event log will be put up for all scenes taking place on the seventh deck, but it's up to you to come up with your own logs for anything elsewhere.
And will the network still be functioning like normal?
There will be some static from anyone calling from the lower decks, but it'll be working.
Geez, Wizera. You'd think after nearly three years of modding, you'd be better at writing up these stupid FAQs.
You would think. As always, feel free to ask me additional questions in the appropriate subthread. Otherwise, feel free to use this post to do some plotting. I'm putting it up a little earlier than normal since there might be some complicated coordination with any problem-solvers among the PCs!
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