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meadowlarkooc2019-10-23 02:59 pm
RAPID PLOT ENGAGEMENT
Welcome to our first official rapid plot engagement post, Larkers! Depending on the success of this, we may do this every few months to assist with integration and make sure people know where plots are! As always, any plots will need to be followed up on on our plot engagement post!
That said, we do want to run down a few things that our players may not know:
◉ First: we want to encourage players to ask more questions on our FAQ about the world itself! We prioritize these questions since we assume our players often need them for a thread that's in motion. If you're curious about a function of the world, this is the place to go. And never worry about repeating a previous question—we just relink our answers so that we're internally consistent!
◉ While we're thinking of phasing out the Plot Engagement Companion since it didn't get a lot of use, we've updated our mod post compilation. If we do phase this post out, we'll make sure this list of links is available somewhere!
◉ We want to remind everyone that you can easily add locations to our locations page! If there's anything that seems to be missing that you'd like to have in game, go on ahead. We'll contact you ASAP if something doesn't work.
◉ Our jobs page is a great resource for you to know where other players have their characters, and see where you can fit in yourself! As mods, we see jobs as a means for facilitating CR as well as interacting with the setting.
◉ Finally, Morningstar is always happy to welcome new Displaced. Your character can touch base with Gaby here about this, or El in zeir inbox.
There are some plots that are in motion that have been left hanging in the absence of previous players, or because we'd like someone to pick up the ball. We're happy to help you get on these tracks. If we ask a question below, there is a means to answer that question that can be uncovered.
That said: if there is an area of the world that isn't mentioned or doesn't seem to be explored, let us know! We're always happy and eager to build a plot for a part of the world that's been left untouched. For example, due to a great degree of player interest, we created a plot for the underground that's yet to be uncovered. Once more characters are established there, they'll be able to begin to see where those characters are involved.
> MONSTERS AND RELATED CREATURES
◉ In our very first event, a monster attacked New Amsterdam, and many smaller monsters peeled off of it, ravaging the city. Afterward, there were a lot of monster carcasses around the city. Some were being collected by corporations, while others were being sold on the Black Market. In March, two monster attacks occurred simultaneously before being mysteriously erased following the Dreamscape event. Were these attacks part of what caused the Displaced to enter the Dreamscape enmasse?
◉ Evolutionary-wise, these creatures seem to be inconsistently designed. They're made up of a lot of DNA.
◉ Otherwise, it's hard to know where they come from.
◉ As far as we know, Jyn Erso and Daenerys Targaryen are on this track, but there's a lot out there to find out. In addition, anyone with a scientifically knowledgeable character can dig into this! Daenerys is specifically working with a monster tracker, while Jyn has been in touch with some Pulsar employees about the creatures who have entered the city. However, there is still a great deal to learn here!
◉ Clarke, Prompto, and Jyn found a bunch of similar monsters outside of the city during the EMP.
◉ The facility in the July arrival log also had golden-eyed monsters.
> ANGER INFECTION, MONSTER PARTS, AND DRUGS
◉ In our October 2018 event, characters were infected after they entered a burning building with an anger disease. It was later recognized that the people who were infected all hailed from the same location. The cause of this was likely a set of burning monsters inside of a couple's apartment. Markus investigated and found out that this couple had been vying for some extra money so they could be approved for a child.
◉ This infection could be cured by touching the infected person.
◉ Monster parts sell on the Black Market—even now. Thus, the cause for this disease is still out there.
◉ Some gangs have taken to selling drugs that cause someone to temporarily experience the effects of that event. Markus and Daisy saw that they could cure these effects.
◉ Who is producing these drugs?
> CRIMINAL UNDERGROUND
◉ While not necessarily influential in the overall metaplot, many of these organizations have survived despite their lack of ties to major corporations. How is that? What can someone do to become that powerful?
◉ Do they have their fingers in other pies?
◉ How are they trying to become a major player in a world that is ruled by corporations working alongside the government?
◉ The fighting rings, gambling dens, and casinos are all a part of the city's criminal underground. These are a constant, and we're always happy to welcome characters who make a living in these arenas!
◉ There are multiple PC plots in the works that involve the criminal underground (Kovacs, Laura Moon, Jason Todd, Caroline Forbes, and Octavia Blake all come to mind immediately!), with some developing gangs and others pursuing connections and clout.
> CORPORATIONS AND GOVERNMENT
◉ In Meadowlark's world, corporations are horribly oligarchical in nature. There are names that are associated with various corporations for decades or centuries, making it so that it seems as if the wealth is being kept to a very specific group of people—rather than spread out among everyone. Even though corporations may be opposed to one another, they're still working together to support their collective ambitions to keep the world how it is. That means that many of them have government contracts.
◉ The corporations and the government: how much are they in bed with one another? How complex are these dealings?
◉ What does this mean for the upcoming elections in New Amsterdam?
◉ Can anyone uncover more information about why the corporations benefit from the world being this way, even if it's dying?
◉ In addition, the people in these corporations are ripe for plotting opportunities that don't overlap with the metaplot. Both Jason and Damian developed a rivalry with one of Giles Bell's top executives, and we're happy to craft plots involving corporate employees (whether they are in the upper echelons or a petty person looking to advance themselves in the lower rungs).
> THE UNA
◉ The UNA is a group of highly trained soldiers that seem to think and act in unison. TThey're still highly trained, but dependent on the technology that helps them move in unison. These orders seem to come from outside of New Amsterdam, and being cut off from that connection limits them a great deal..
◉ There was some technology that malfunctioned about a hundred years ago that might be a clue.
◉ Why does the United Nations have an army of this size and force anyway?
- What happens to someone if they join the UNA? (There is a potential of a PC taking this route, but it may be difficult to form CR.)
> POSITIONS OF POWER (NAPD/NAFD, CITY HALL, UN EMBASSY)
◉ Given the size and scope of the population in New Amsterdam, these are positions that are harder to achieve but just as rewarding. Displaced can apply for jobs as office workers or as interns, and then work their way up by becoming chummy with various employees who will then give their name for potential promotions.
◉ Characters can also join up with the police force or the fire department. With the former, it does take three IC months to finish police force training, but this does not negate possibilities with the plot. We do have NPCs set up in the police force, and they can begin to work with characters from day one. With the fire department, training is less intensive, but it can grant opportunities in terms of getting into places that are more difficult to reach!
◉ For the City Hall and the UN Embassy, characters won't be starting out as politicians. On the contrary, they'll likely be personal assistants, receptionists, or even janitors hoping to be noticed for their clever ideas. (Unlikely, but not completely improbable.) City Hall positions tend to feed into the Embassy rather than the other way around, with the Embassy being seen as a step to take for eventually moving to New Beijing.
> SHRINES / BALL / GATES / GODS
◉ The first hint that something was going on happened during the Insomniac's Ball (which was the stage for the December 2018 arrival log), where a bunch of strange symbols appeared, and the ball's host handpicked four Displaced as being special.
◉ Starting in our January arrival log, shrines started going up around New Amsterdam depicting the Displaced in various points in history. Thanks to some activities on her part, Daisy Johnson is now the most frequently depicted character on these shrines.
◉ In our June arrival log, some worshippers who were involved with this talked with the Displaced about what the symbolism means. Rey and Loki put up a post about it afterward.
◉ In our June event log, their leader met with the four people he singled out for being special during the Insomniac's Ball and called them to a place to discuss who they were, what they were, and what they might be able to access. There are four gates that they've uncovered that need to be opened: New Oslo, New Rio de Janeiro, New Cairo, and Mt. Everest. This will unlock a fast travel option in game once the characters visit them.
◉ Are the characters touched by gods, or is this simply how it's been understood in game?
◉ Who are these people: friends or foes?
◉ Why did they have a role in Zerzura, albeit also AUed in?
> DREAMSCAPE / ZERZURA
◉ Our most world-changing event yet was the Dreamscape, which went from the middle of March to the middle of April. Afterward, there were a lot of world changes—including places where reality seemed to shift to make it seem as if the Displaced were there all along.
◉ NPCs showed up in the Dreamscape and seemed to have too much knowledge of the Displaced, especially in comparison to reality. Why is that?
◉ There was a creepy underwater facility in the dreamscape, that later seemed to form Project Spinetail in Zerzura. Is there a link between them?
◉ Actions in the Dreamscape directly led to the creation of Zerzura, including what was done with the spear. Is there a risk of this happening again?
◉ Some characters are already exploring more to do with the dreams, but we welcome more people taking this on!
◉ Does Zerzura link to the real world in any way? For now, the biggest link is that the Zerzurans are now a part of New Amsterdam. Only the PCs will be able to notice that their role in the world only dates back to September 2510.
> ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
◉ There are three named AI: El, Cassius, and Judas. Our upcoming event revolves around Cassius' desire to make contact with Judas. El is the creator of Morningstar, which is an act of redemption following zeir involvement in unintentionally sparking the Xelkov War 400 years prior.
◉ Cassius first announced that he was still alive during the June event, where he messaged the entirety of New Amsterdam before he caused a great deal of horrible chaos. He spoke to the Displaced, hinting at his ambitions for our current event.
◉ Why (or how) did these three AI survive?
◉ Why is the history revolving around the Xelkov War so shady?
> DISPLACED
◉ No one is native to this world, but the Displaced seem to be coming in regularly, or they're being held somewhere. But the hair length difference between most Displaced and the ones found in the July arrival log proves otherwise.
◉ Why was the smug nurse from the October 2018 arrival log killed in a fire?
◉ Where do their powers come from? Why did they lose their powers?
◉ Why do they have an empathy bond?
◉ Where do they go when they temporarily disappear?
◉ Gaby received a message from someone who may be responsible for that, and so did the arrivals in June and August. The second of these arrival messages is public knowledge thanks to Silena's post not long after. Who is making sure they get to New Amsterdam in an orderly fashion? Doctor Strange (and soon, Carol Danvers) will be picking up on this thread, but let us know if you want in on that plot!
◉ Will the characters expose themselves to the world as being outsiders brought here against their will? As moderators, we are very open to this as a plot, but we would prefer that the playerbase discuss it together!
> MISCELLANEOUS THREADS
◉ The Mars revolts. This one is also the end result of actions in the Dreamscape, but we want PC involvement to move it forward. Kylo Ren is speaking out in favor of them shortly, but we're open to other PC involvement!
◉ North America. A drone got shot down. What is going on there?
◉ There are a lot of jobs that can get people information that characters can get into from an entry level. For instance, Cassian Andor is getting a lot of contacts in New Amsterdam as your average everyday repair guy, because he can get into a lot of different locations. Jobs where people can move without being paid attention to will help, so if you're not sure where you can dig up some easy information, this is a place to start!
◉ Social media is also an outlet. We did have some players interested in a social media route, and we're still open to helping someone else take that. This could get characters money, power, and influence if they use it correctly. They can also get themselves in trouble (for instance, Rey got captured by the UNA).
◉ The UNA cache. During the January 2019 event the Displaced got a UNA weapons cache of experimental weapons. This is still open for exploration, but we need characters to be willing to dismantle and explore what the weapons will do in a safe environment. Morningstar has these locked down, but will be open to exploration that doesn't involve firing them to see what they do. Loki and Akechi also stole some weapons that may help in identifying some of what is in the cache.
◉ Finally, the rest of what got sent out during the misfire event. There are nuggets in there, as well as names that can be followed up on! We encourage you to do just that.
We've tried to cover everything we can that characters (and players!) can get moving on, but in addition, we're always happy to tailor unique player plots. These are all metaplot nuggets or worldbuilding nuggets. If something seems like it needs more exploration, you can be the one to change that!
Now, for the rapid fire portion of this: a form! Please fill this out with what you're interested in and where you want to go, and we'll help you get started. It can be linked to the upcoming event either directly or tangentially. Conversely, it can be only indirectly related. We will always mention other players who might be able to help you out, though there is no pressure for you to take that lead!
Everyone please feel free to chime in!
You can take any and all plot arrangements here and carry them into our upcoming event! We're happy to provide suggestions here on how to get started with that.
And finally: please feel free to ask any and all questions below! We're aware that there are a lot of plotty things in motion, and if you haven't been here since day one—or even if you have been—it's a lost to digest. We're partly doing this post to help make that a lot easier for you.
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For Steve's job, we recommend going the route with the police force - mostly for CR opportunities! A couple other characters are angling into that direction, and we think it would be great for building a group and network that's working within the force. Once he's in training, he can angle toward working at City Hall once his training is done, wanting to "protect the leaders of New Amsterdam" or something. The same goes for the NAFD. More than anything, we suggest the direction being one where Steve calls others to arms (so to speak), going in together so their resources aren't overextended. Creating redundancies so they don't have to create a new network once someone disappears.
As for a more general direction, this is one of the big posts that Peggy did in game. You can also have him ask El for help in digging up all of her conversations in game to get a feel for what she was doing, essentially giving him access to her threads in game (minus the private stuff—Gaby and El liked Peggy too much to give anyone access to that).
In general, her focus was split between trying to get Morningstar back on two feet in New Amsterdam, as well as trying to dig deeper into a political position. She was otherwise interested in a lot of arenas: reads on the Displaced in other cities, she pushed back against the UNA during our UNA event, and she arranged charitable actions around the world. Peggy acted as if she wasn't a former agent, but Steve obviously knows all that she was capable of, so he'd see the connective actions!
Peggy wanted to help this world before she went back home. Gaby (our NPC) was aware of this fact and very fond of her, so there is a good chance that Steve could be pointed in her direction for some help. She wanted to promote Morningstar's mission, even if she technically led them through the most tumultuous time.
Morningstar, by its very definition, is anti-UN and the way they run the world. If Steve is skeptical, they'll be happy to confirm that. Hitting Gaby's most recent post will help with this!
Let us know if any of this works for you, or if you have any other questions! Since Steve is a leader and headstrong, we believe there are a lot of directions for him. We're happy to put him in touch with NPCs to help him get the focus he needs.
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Steve trusts Peggy's judgment enough that digging into her activities would give him a significant push toward Morningstar, so I will head over to Gaby's recent post shortly. As for him asking El for Peggy's conversation history, would El's inbox be the right place to take that?
I do have some more questions regarding the backgrounds that Cassius created for the characters from the July arrival log. Steve kept his cover as-is just in case having a second/separate identity could come in handy. How would that function if he were to join the NAPD and/or Morningstar? Would he be known by the name on his "papers" within the NAPD and by his real name within Morningstar? Since his given occupation profiles him as a likely agent of Morningstar, would that hinder his prospects with the NAPD? Or am I just misunderstanding the purpose of the identity Cassius created?
no subject
Excellent and yes!
The NAPD and UNA undoubtedly profile some people as likely to join an organization like Morningstar, mostly because they may seem to have anti-UN or UNA leanings. That's what Cassius put into his profile, and it will cause some issues. Of course, while Steve is unlikely to be accepted into the UNA, this kind of mindset could make him a very good officer who's hoping to right the wrongs of the world. With how the UNA has properly screwed the NAPD recently, this won't raise any red flags. However, if he proves to be Difficult, that may cause his trainers to pay him more attention.
His Morningstar identity would be Steve Rogers, and they would understand that he's a Displaced with a different identity due to Displaced Antics. Within the police force, he'd be Buff Ridges. Officer Ridges. Officer Buff. We had to type it out.
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I may or may not have asked for clarification because I desperately needed Officer Buff to be a thing, so. Thanks for being as amused by it as I am!
no subject