Out of Shadows

The event post for landing is here and it may be pushed down on some people's lists, due to being posted earlier but kept invisible.

Welcome to Mannaz Hall, the newest setting for this portion of the metaplot. It's located in the capitol city of Niflhiem, Dagaz. You can read more about the Hall itself here. Below are some FAQs:

So we're back in Niflheim, then?
You bet we are. Purple skies and all. Those who were around when the game was first set in Dagaz will be able to notice some small differences in the distant skyline. For example, some of the taller buildings have disappeared, lost to the meteor showers. As has the Waiting Room. Although the city is clear of debris, the attack definitely left its mark.

Can we go into the city of Dagaz?
At the moment, no. However, if a consortium of characters (at least five) want to come together to figure out a way to convince an NPC (any NPC they like) to let them take day trips into the city, we would encourage that. Please log it out. Get to know some new muses.

I noticed the Egime is still available for use. What if my character doesn't want to leave?
Your character is more than welcome to stay on the Egime. Keep in mind, it's running at half power and not being restocked by the NPCs. But certainly, no Nysgod will drag anyone out.

Would we be able to access the mysterious eighth and ninth decks?
As with getting into Dagaz, if a group of five or more characters decide to get together to try and pry the doors open, we will allow it. We will ask you to log out the planning and make sure to include a magic expert, an engineering expert, and someone really strong, but you can work this combination of skills in any way you want. Feel free to use this post to do some plotting.

Hey, Quinn's around in that arrival log. Can I talk to him?
There will be a thread posted for interactions with Quinn, with specific directions. Please check back in the here for more information.

What's the deal with the trial?
For this portion of the metaplot, an ongoing side-story will be the trial of Quinn and Casey. Candidates will be allowed to call witnesses and question them on the network. Witnesses can be NPCs or PCs. See the setting page for more information about the process. PCs will be influencing the outcome of the trial and the next steps of the metaplot, so please don't be shy about jumping right in. Also, please keep in mind, the trial will not be the only metaplot taking place. I repeat: THE TRIAL WILL NOT BE THE ONLY METAPLOT TAKING PLACE. There will still be plenty for you to do, even if you don't want to be involved in the trial.

What's the deal with the cursed library books?
The cursed library books are primarily to facilitate player plot. Players are encouraged to come up with their own curses. As with the docking events, we will ask you to speak to the mods and write up a full plotting post with FAQs before posting anything to the OOC comm, but we do encourage you to be as creative as you like.

Can my character contact NPCs by network?
Yes and no. Your character is welcome to try to contact any of the NPCs, but mileage may vary, depending on if the character is in Niflheim or not. Contacting someone like Uri or Adriana will be much easier than trying to contact someone like Jaan, who may be out of town, or Casey, who may be out of her mind. Talk to the mods if you have questions.

You suck at FAQs so much. I have a bunch of questions you haven't answered.
Well, that's rude. But, at any rate, you are welcome to ask them here. And to use this post as a plotting post, if you so desire.

Hi, players. December is generally a pretty busy month for people, so this month, we’ll be having a relatively low-key, longer-than-usual metaplot event. Please read the entire post, however, as there are two optional sign-ups involved. The morning of Day 329 (December 8-10), the Egime is going to touch down. Every Net Box in the state rooms will spring to life, the usual handwritten note on the screen:

Welcome to Shaldani. We’ll be here for five days. DO NOT enter any building other than the castle.

The gangplank will open, leading the candidates out to a field, just beside a beautiful castle. Unfortunately, it looks like Shaldani has seen better days. The landscape around the castle is decidedly ragged. Dead grass crunches beneath characters’ feet. And most of the trees appear to be dead as well, bare branches cutting up through the sky like something out of a Tim Burton movie. There’s a lot of rubble around, broken wagon wheels and makeshift graves. Something terrible clearly happened here. Of course, there are other buildings within the five-mile radius of the Egime. And really, are PCs all that cooperative? NOPE! There will be several places that the candidates can visit over the course of the five days:

( Fun fact! I still always have to look up the coding for a cut! I suck! )

Polar Vortex!

In the middle of the night on day 299, something has gone amiss. The temperature ship wide begins to slowly drop, filling the rooms with a biting low cold. It's as though winter has come to the Engime. Over the day, the walls and floors will slowly cover with ice and in the various lounges, it's begun to snow, coating tabletops and seats alike with a soft white blanket.

There's been a malfunction in the holodecks having to do with the recent fiddlings of Seth and a small group of people and now, it's a mere 15 °F. (That's -10 ºC) Thankfully, there's no wind chill to take into account. The Cargo Bay is the only place that seems to escape this cold but only the worst of it. It's more livable temperature comes out to only just above freezing.

The cold will last until late in day 301 when the ship slowly starts warming back up to it's amicable warmer temperatures.

So what shall you do? Cuddle with a buddy? Huddle under your blankets? Well now, that's up to you, isn't it.

Please note that this is a player plot and has nothing to do with the metaplot.

FAQ

1.Is this caused by magic?
No, it's a technical malfunction.

2. Can it be fixed with magic?
No, and any attempt to fix it at the source will fail.

3. My character is a vampire, will they be effected?
Yes, as the temperatures will be below freezing.

4. Are the blankets provided in the rooms thick enough?
Yes, they are heavier styled comforters.

5.I have another question that you didn't already answer.
Wonderful, just place your questions here and we'll answer them as readily as we can.

In the wee, small hours of the morning on Day 287, the Egime lands with a soft thud. This is quickly followed by the gently rocking motion of waves, signaling that the ship has touched down in water. But not just any water. The Egime has landed at the port of a sprawling town known as An-Teng. It's a beautiful village, with technology on par with medieval India. The climate, too, is comparable. It's hot and humid, just shy of being oppressive.

The town is filled with shops and markets, selling a variety of items, largely luxury. Besides clothing and jewels and spices, there are plenty of brothels. Beautiful men and women stand in the open entryways, dressed in scraps of silk that barely cover them up. Actually, the entire population seems scantily clad, even those who aren't trying to sell themselves. As it happens, the Egime has docked during a festival season known as "Calibration." Ask any passerby and she'll tell you that Calibration is the time when the gods partake in a twelve-day feast. The natural order of things is skewed, the walls between the spirit realm and the realm of the living thinner than usual. It's not a safe time to travel, so all foreigners are welcomed with open arms and there's dancing and music everywhere.

And what party would be complete without ample amounts of alcohol? In fact, a local tavern, called Garnet Dawn, is offering free drinks to everyone. But, of course, since it's Calibration, these drinks will have some unusual effects on any candidates who decide to partake:

Mother's Milk is a warm, spiced drink resembling chai tea. It's spiked however, laced with some strange kind of brandy that no candidates are familiar with. Drinking this beverage puts a candidate into a deep, deep sleep, about five minutes after the first sip. The sleep is so profound that one's heart beats only once a minute and someone can easily be mistaken for dead. During this time, body and soul are parted, and the unfortunate candidate will find themselves walking around like a ghost. No one will be able to see them, save for others who have had a drink of Mother's Milk. The effects will last approximately twenty four hours.

Melted Amber tastes suspiciously like rum. In fact, it might just be rum, although there's an unusually salty aftertaste to it. Drinking this beverage connects people to the spirit realm in a unique way. Twenty four hours following their first sip, the candidates who drink Melted Amber will find that they're being followed by what looks like the ghost of someone who they knew, who died. The ghost will be completely silent, although it may make gestures or mouth a few words. And the emotional state of this ghost will resemble the emotional state of the person before they died, at least in the drinker's mind.

Gilded Lily is a sophisticated red wine, with just a hint of pear to it. A sip of Gilded Lily and candidates will find themselves thrown into a religious fervor. Whatever they believe in, they will feel the need to preach, celebrate, and worship in their own, given way. Perhaps they feel they've too-long ignored their religious inclinations and want to repent. Perhaps they'll want to celebrate all of their favorite holidays at once. Or maybe they'll just decide that the chosen o hymns of their religion are the most beautiful songs in the world and ought to be shared with anyone and everyone. Again, this will last only twenty four hours.

In addition to the alcoholic fun times, there will be several NPCs for candidates to interact with. Among others, they can chat with a merchant, a barkeep at the Garnet Dawn, or an errant Nysgod (what, you thought they were history?) during the visit to An-Teng. Watch the comms for these opportunities.

At the end of Day 289, the Egime will depart, pulling all the candidates along with it. As always, any weapons obtained during their stay will vanish.

And now, for everyone's favorite: FAQs!

What kind of items can I buy/steal/barter in this place?
An-Teng is primarily a port of luxury, selling fine but largely unessential products. Use medieval India as a basis for comparison. Goods include fine silks, spices, jewelry, linen, and other types of decoration. There is plenty of food available, most of it being sold cheap in taverns or market stalls. You can also purchase an evening with an attractive boy or girl, but you do run the risk of catching syphilis (I will leave it to individual players to decide on that one). You won't find a lot of books, farming equipment, or educational tools in the area. And most of the weapons being sold are largely decorative and not very useful. As for medical supplies, what An-Teng has to offer is fairly rudimentary. The population, it seems, relies heavily on magic for their healing. There are a few Viagra-type potions available, though. Just saying...

Hey! Hey! You said "steal!" Can I steal stuff?
Since the event is taking place during Calibration, it is possible to steal small trinkets here and there. Only little things you can fit in the palm of your hand, however.
Speaking of Calibration, I'm familiar with Exalted and this sounds weird...
Exalted is a very complicated system. I have simplified it for the purposes of this event. And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry about it.

How do I interact with the NPCs?
Watch the comms. They will have their own posts. The NPCs will be played by Wizera and Arma. We're only human, so please be patient with us if we're a little slow.

Will there be metaplot involved with this plot?
You betcha. But, as always, participation in the metaplot is largely optional. For that matter, participation in the drinking is entirely optional.

Can my character find out what the alcohol does before taking a swig?
Only if they chat with the barkeep. Otherwise, they're drinking blind and will suffer the consequences unknowingly.

Okay, so, my character drinks Mother's Milk and has an out-of-body experience. That means no one can see them?
No people who are awake. But other victims of Mother's Milk can see each other. And yes, if they want to go into one of the brothels and watch things, no one will ever know. But they absolutely cannot communicate in any way with anyone else. No writing things out in sand, no blood messages on the walls. They are as intangible as they are invisible, except to each other.

Can they use this out of body experience to go through the hull of the ship and up to the sealed decks?
Nope. Attempting to do so will result in an experience, similar to what happened to Tara, but without the voice.

All right. Let's say my character drinks the Melted Amber and sees dead people. Can other people see these dead people?
By and large, no one else can see the ghost haunting the drinker except for the drinker. There is one exception. If the person who drank the Melted Amber shares a bodily fluid with another person (through blood drinking, sex, or a super messy kiss) then the other person will be able to see the ghost as well. If a bunch of people are all drinking together, however, they will each get their own, unique ghost. And will not be able to see anyone else's ghost.

About these ghosts...who can they be?
They can be anyone the drinker knows or knew who died. This also includes people who died and were revived or died and came back as a vampire/zombie/whatever. They will see that person at the exact moment of their death, however. Not as they are presently, if they're alive. I'm also going to rule that a ghost cannot be any active PCs in game.

Okay, let's talk about the Gilded Lily. I'm not sure how to interpret that effect.
The explanation was left intentionally broad. You can interpret it as you like. One person might insist that they drop everything and celebrate Christmas (presents for everyone!) while another person will run around, trying to convert everyone to the ancient Mayan religion. Please be sensitive to your fellow players, and mark things with trigger warnings as necessary.

Can my character experience more than one alcoholic effect?
At the same time? No. But since each only lasts 24 hours, feel free to go back for seconds or thirds, if you so desire.

How do sunlight rules work for vampires in this setting?
Although there will be sunrise and sunset, the sun in the world of An-Teng works very differently from the sun of Earth-fame. In fact, it's a sentient god. Therefore, sunlight rules will not apply for vampires. Feel free to go get a tan.

Yo, dawg. I have more questions and you better have more answers.
Ask them here, in the thread that's conveniently labeled "Questions." Please, please, please do not ask them on plurk.

Feel free to use this post for plotting!

Hello, players.

Two very quick announcements, one about IC stuff one about OOC stuff.

IC Stuff
As the sun begins to set on Day 263, and all of you are stirring from your wonderful dreams (thanks a lot, Boyd, Anakin, and Draco), another lightning storm will rip through the heavens. As with the last one, the astute observer might notice a pattern that repeats several times, in the rolls and short strikes of thunder:

One long roll, six short strikes, two long rolls, three short strikes, one long roll, two short strikes, one long roll, three short strikes, two long rolls, five short strikes, an two long rolls.

Have fun with that.

OOC Stuff
I am aware that a lot of people are becoming frustrated and tired of the Wyld setting. I want to reassure you that your feelings are known. And I want you to know that new settings are currently being written. I would like to ask for your patience because 1) I want the next setting to be determined based on player action and 2) I am only one small person with a day job, a very time consuming evening avocation, really, really bad html skillz, and, as those of you following my plurks know, a totally insane family.

A new setting is on the way and a lot of player action has set the next phase of the metaplot in motion. Please, please bear with me while I put everything in place and I know that I understand your frustration and I share it and I will do everything in my power to shake things up as soon as possible.

Thank you!

Hi players!

It's great to see that everyone's already engaged and having fun with species swapping. Don't forget! As of today, the Wyld is officially swarming with some very shy and very musical demons!

The Wyld is a place between worlds, thinner than paper but bigger than the sky. And it's everywhere, worlds constantly brushing up against it, applying pressure, creating friction. It's no wonder, then, that occasionally, something will break. And when it does, what do you get? A Wyld Storm.

( Dance before the lightning to music sacred and profane... )

Welcome to the Wyld! The next segment of the metaplot will be taking place in this setting. Please take a moment to read the description of the setting on the mod journal, which can be found here. Read it carefully. It has a lot of important details that will help to guide you in the events that follow.

Below is an FAQ for players. It also has some information about a sign-up in this post.

( Pretend there's something witty written here... )

With the dawn of Day 225 (Thursday, January 30), all of the factories and workshops of Gebo are up and running again. You've never seen the natives happier, in fact. There's definitely a sense of celebration in the air and everyone is whistling while they work. As an extra special treat, some of the more ostentatious luxury goods are going on the line today. The citizens of Gebo are eager to show their gratitude, both to the Seers and the candidates who helped with the repair efforts.

So what does this mean for you? Although the candidates will be returning to their usual jobs (or not), as a token of gratitude, the citizens of Gebo will let each candidate pick one item from the day's surplus of extra special goods. In other words, each candidate will be allow to choose one (1) of the following:

Sleigh Bells: These magical, silver sleigh bells come in sets of two. The two bells are attuned to one another. What does this mean? When one rings, the other always rings. It doesn't matter how far apart they are. One could be in the barracks and another could be in a park. If one rings, the other will immediately ring. Could be useful. Or annoying.

Nanobot Shampoo: Ostensibly, it's a twenty-ounce bottle of shampoo. It's a pearly lavender color and smells faintly of lemon. But there's more to it than meets the eye. A candidate who washes his or her hair with this shampoo is in for a bit of a surprise! After one washing, a person's hair is suddenly filled with nanobots. These nanobots are very, very basic machines that can do one thing and one thing only: Transform the color of your hair. The nanobots will pick up on mental signals from your mind and translate them into hair color. Think "red" and suddenly your hair is red. Think "plaid" and suddenly your hair is plaid. You can do this as many times as you wish! These nanobots cannot be reprogrammed in any way. They'll last about a week in your hair, although they can last indefinitely in the bottle.

Carpet Bag: Cut from a floral, carpet fabric, this bag is about the size of a large purse. On the outside. Not surprisingly, it's bigger on the inside. In fact, it can store up to five times its apparent volume, but there are some catches. You cannot put any living thing in the bag. These are also Nysgod bags of Nysgod magic, which means they'll immediately spit up weapons. And probably burp. The bags cannot be cut or twisted into other shapes. In other words, you're Mary Poppins.

The Game: This deceptively simple game is worn over the eyes and ears, like a pair of glasses. Once activated by a little button on one side, the game generates a holographic field that only the user can see. The rules of the game are fairly simple: The user mentally tries to navigate the red disks into the purple cones. The levels increase in difficulty, with obstacles appearing out of nowhere. When a level is cleared, the player feels intense wave of pleasure that lasts about a minute. How this pleasure manifests itself is up to the individual character. It could be an incredibly pleasant aroma, a strain of music, or sexual satisfaction. The choice is left entirely to the player and it can change each time. (For those of you familiar with the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, The Game, this is the same game, but without the sexy Ktarian woman using it for mind control. In other words, it's not evil, it's exactly what it's advertised to be.)

Mini Mirror of Erised: This small handmirror seems ordinary at first. Stare into the glass long enough, however, and you'll see your reflection change. You will see yourself as you desire to be. It's basically a smaller version of the Harry Potter mirror of the same name.

Roc's Cape: Cut from a yellowy-gold fabric, the cape is fastened around the neck by a copper clasp, shaped like a Triforce. It falls about midway down the back and really isn't much of a fashion statement. Wearers feel lighter than before, however, an extra spring in their step. They will also realize, very quickly, that they can jump farther than before. They almost seem to glide, up to about fifty feet. They don't fly. What goes up must come down and a fall from up high will hurt. But it's a great way to try base jumping.

Furby: It's a Furby. It's exactly what it sounds like. The Nysgods can't seem to get enough of these. We always knew they were from another planet.

You do not need to post or officially declare which prize your character chooses. The mods will trust everyone to choose one and play with it as they see fit.

And now, for some brief FAQs. Please read these before you begin plotting.

My character didn't help with the repair efforts at all. Do I still get some swag?
You do. The Nysgods of Gebo are far too busy to waste time trying to tell you all apart. And it doesn't matter to them all that much if you get some goodies. It's all excess anyway.

My character is new here! They don't even know what happened! Do they still get free stuff?
Absolutely.

Can I somehow change or reprogram any of the stuff?
The only item that players can reprogram is the Furby. Have fun pranking each other with that. All the other items are a combination of science and magic, throwing kinks at even the greatest of scientific or magical minds. None of the fabric items can be cut. The mirror can be broken. And if it cracks, it will not work any more. The broken shards are just regular, old pieces of glass. The game can also be broken if someone steps on it or throw it into a fire.

Is there going to be anyone on hand to explain how these things work?
Nope! When the swag is handed out, all items will appear fairly normal. Characters can use trial and error and conversation with each other to figure it all out.

Hey! My character went above and beyond the call of duty. Can't he/she get something special?
Glad you asked. Please read this response very carefully. If you feel that your character helped with repairs or medical treatments above and beyond the call of duty, leave a comment to the designated thread below, outlining what your character did. If the mods feel your character's contribution (handwaved or played out, we're going to trust you on this one), we will leave you a comment with a special prize that your character receives. You do not get to choose this prize, however. It is assigned to you. If we feel that your character's contributions weren't "above and beyond," we'll ask you to choose one of the prizes above. Again: If you opt into this, you DO NOT get to pick a prize. It will be assigned from a super-duper top secret mod list of special swag.

What if I end up with a prize I don't like?
Time to start creating new CR and trading with people. The list of prizes has been pre-generated and we will use an RNG system to assign them. It is entirely possible you will get something that is completely useless to your character. Please keep this in mind. A bald character could very much end up with a magical hairbrush.

Hey, can my character pretend they went above and beyond?
Not really. In game, there isn't actually any kind of lottery. The Nysgods are just acknowledging people who helped out big time. Because the mods can't keep track of every single thing that's handwaved or played out, this sign-up and lottery system is just to make life easier for us.

Wait! I still have questions!
Feel free to comment to the post. We are attempting to get away from using plurk to answer mod questions, as players find it convenient to see the answers to their own questions, when someone else asks them. That said, you are welcome to plot both here and on plurk, as you wish.