logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: JULY

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: july 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. winters, will, and rastus introduce themselves and explain the situation.
warnings: n/a.

welcome to beacon.

It's dim, and the room won't stop swaying, gently rocking you back and forth. A loud sound startles you fully awake, a deep, moaning call: a foghorn. As your eyes adjust, you note faint red light streaking through the room from a tiny, round window.

You've found yourself in a private room, lying on a bed. The last things you remember are the events that led up to your death. Beside you is a folded tablet and a lantern that glows steadily with a healthy flame.

You're on a ship. And that ship is docking.

Making your way to the deck, and eventually the pier, you find only moonlight to greet you, and a dark forest beyond. There are other people here, each with their own unique lantern, and many of them look just as lost as you are. On the ferry you've just disembarked from, the speaker system begins to play a song.

In the distance, across the waters of the lake, you can see the tall silhouette of a lighthouse, its red light slowly turning.

•••
Winters and Will are waiting for you on the beach. Winters flags you down from where he's standing atop a large rock, surveying the gathering crowd. Will stands next to him, though he's monkeying with his tablet and looks rather bored. He barely looks up as Winters speaks:

"First thing's first: I'm sorry you're here. There's no easy way to break this news, so let's just get it over with, hm? You're dead. Or, ah, you've died. Call this the afterlife if you want, or don't if that ain't your thing, but point is, you're here 'cause you died. Those are the facts.

This world's dead, too. You've noticed by now it's pretty dark, yeah? That's 'cause there's no life here, not anymore. And that lantern you've got? That's your life, so to speak. The flame goes out, you die, and vice versa. Keep it close. Should be easy enough to remember on account of how the sun don't rise. You'll need something to see by.

This place is called Beacon, and that's Lake Red Jacket. Town's 'bout a mile down the road, and we've got a bonfire there, but that's the only other light you'll see in this place. Save for the moon and all, though the sky won't do you much good out in the woods. I'll let Rastus explain the bonfire to y'all.

Ah, right. I'm Ben Winters—Winters'll do—and this here's Will Ingr— What? For christ's sake, Dr. Will Ingram. Likes to think he's the brains of the operation, as you can see. If you've got questions about these tablets, he's your guy. Rastus tends to the fire, and you'll find him in town. He's married to his job in a way. And you may never've seen a person like him back wherever you came from, but don't make a big fuss over it. He's a nice fellow. Mind your manners.

The three of us are leftovers from past resets. We came here on that ferry just like you, but it's just us left now. 'Sides the Lighthouse Keeper, but it'll be a bit before you get to meet her. She's got control over the town, see, and if she ain't satisfied with a group's performance, they get the axe. Town gets reset. If she pulls a reset on you folks, a couple of you might end up like me and Will here, giving this speech to the next crop."

The red beam of the lighthouse pulses over the group, over the trees. Winters glances up to watch it swing out over the bay.

"But don't hold it against her. Ain't her fault we're in this mess, and we've all got a job to do, including you.

For now, concentrate on accepting your lot, yeah? We're here to answer your questions, but we ain't gonna tell you all there is to know just yet. Some things are best learned on your own, and some of it we just don't want to saddle you with yet. There's a limit to how long we can stay here safely, that's true, but thing is, we do got time. Time enough to play this smart. Do better than the folks before us did. Settle in, make peace, explore a bit if you're up for it. Use these first couple weeks to come to grips. You ain't gonna be any good to the town if you don't sort yourself out before worrying about what comes next.

So listen up: You're dead. You died. Whatever your old life was, it's done now. None of us can go back, so all we've got is forward. Welcome to Beacon. Could be worse, yeah?"

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! For this intro log, all three NPCs will be available for chatting with, whether your character wants to make casual conversation or ask questions about all this. The headers on each NPC toplevel are there for easy reference as to what each of them are responsible for, but you're welcome to go to any NPC for whatever reason. You're welcome to assume your character has overheard any NPC conversation to learn more about the game. After the NPC threads have died down, we'll compile the info learned ICly and add it to the game history page. If your character would contribute something specific to the game history records, let us know!

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

The monthly store restock

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[In all honesty, Mary likely wouldn't have noticed Scarlett if it wasn't for her own, all but desperate attempt at trying to find a way around the bonfire that didnt' exactly involve escaping into the trees. Neither felt like a particularly appropriate or safe place to be. It's in that slow circumnavigation that she happens upon Scarlett, startling herself in the process.

Mary nearly drops her lantern, and looks at her shoes, embarrassed as she takes a step backward.]

Sorry...

[But wait...why is she there by herself? Mary perks up just a little.]

Do you not like the fire, either?

[ Whether Mary notices it or not, the instinctual reaction is there: Scarlett reaching for the Katana at her back, her hand folding around the hilt and exposing the blade several inches before she gets a decent look at the girl.

And girl she is, younger even than Callie. Lowering her guard, releasing her weapon? That was something Scarlett never did but in the face of the tiny blond girl in this of all places. ]

Assholes. [ Muttered under her breath. ]

Huh? [ It takes her a moment to register what she's saying, her dark eyes flickering towards the bonfire then back again. ]

No it's uh. People. [ Shrugging, seeing no point in lying. ] Thought I might see what I was getting myself into first.

[ Lying she wouldn't do but softening the truth she clearly had no problem with. That sounded much better than 'spying' anyway. ]

You don't like fire? [ Scarlett circling back to her words to try and nudge her into an explanation. ]

[Mary nods in understanding. People ain't shit.]

No...I was burning up in a fire before I got here, so I don't like it. It hurts...I want to stay away.

Oh shit.

[ Her eyebrows scooting up her forehead. She'd never been scared of death exactly but if she had to choose one way she didn't want to go? That'd be it.

She looks around, using the light from her lantern to try and see more of the surrounding trees and brush. ]

We could probably make you a path to use.... something a bit safer than traipsing through the woods?

[ Of course she has questions, about a thousand of them but even Scarlett wasn't about to ask a little girl to relive a gruesome and painful death to sate her curiosity. ]

[I hope nobody censors themselves around Mary, honestly.]

You think so? A special Mary passage! That would make me so happy...I'd let other people use it, too, so they don't have to be scared of anything at all.

Yeah... I don't see why not?

[ Her mouth twitching and after a moment, revealing what's supposed to be a small smile. ]

We could maybe, ya know. Line it with rocks? Get some white paint or something to mark them so you can see the path easily enough with your lantern.

[ She almost sounds cheerful, friendly even. ~~Mary if you ever tell anyone about this she will emphatically deny it~~. ]

White paint is really bright, isn't it?

[The more she thinks about it, the more assured she seems, and soon enough Mary is smiling from ear to ear.]

It'll be like...like a pathway of stars!

[ Fighting back a smile. ]

Yeah, 'bout as bright as you can get. The light from your lantern should reflect off it.

[ Does Mary care about that part? Probably not. She's excited by a pathway of stars and Scarlett is now legitimately wondering how the hell she's going to get paint to make that happen. ]

We'll start with the path first. You can help me paint the stars when it's ready?

Yes, I can! I love painting!

[It'll be the most beautiful path of stars there ever was!]

And I'll make a sign and everything so everyone knows where to go!

I tell you what - Mary is it? [ Unable to help the smile that fights its way across her lips. ] I'll make you a sign and you can paint it any way you like.

[ And not only is Mary the first person to get her to be nice, but also the first to get her name. ]

I'm Scarlett.

[Mary gasps, both at the promise of a sign and also at the introduction.]

That's the most beautiful name I've ever heard! It makes me think of beautiful red things, and that's my favorite color!

[ For all her ability to remain stoic in even the most extreme of situations, Scarlett doesn't quite know how to shield her reaction to the seemingly innocent delight and excitement of Mary. She can feel the warmth of it lick at her cheeks, darkening her tan complexion several shades and the smile that comes to her lips feels strange somehow. Like it doesn't know how to rest easily there. ]

Well, I've had it my whole life so I'm pretty fond of it myself. [ Needing to make light of it for her own sake as much to keep that smile on Mary's face in place. ]

But ahh... [ Clearing her throat. ] I'm glad you like it.

Uh-huh! I like my name too, but just because my Father gave it to me, and not for any other reason.

[The thought alone makes it special, right? But it's not a pretty name, really. Not like Scarlett, she thinks.]

I'll never forget that Miss Scarlett is the nicest lady on in the whooole town!

INTRO LOG: JULY

treeline (day one)

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