logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: JULY

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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[ the man definitely stands out by how he's, in a way, the complete opposite of mr. winters.

daylight almost doesn't want to approach him - something about him reminds him of emergency aid, but grumpier and that says something - but he's got to get all his ducks in a row, so to speak. plus- he's the only one confirmed to have a doctor title so.

more aware of his height ever than before, daylight approaches the man and tries to look friendly as possible. which means a bright smile and wave, followed by his winglets wiggling behind him as if they, too, were greeting him. ]

Um... Dr. Ingram? I hope it's alright to ask if we can have a quick chat? [ he adds the magic words that usually gets anyone to at least acknowledge the potentials of a chat: ] It'll be quick, I swear, and oh!

[ before he forgets: ] I'm Daylight, by the way. You can call me 'Day' if you want.

[Addressing him as "Dr. Ingram" is the fastest way to get him to actually invest in a conversation, so Daylight immediately gets Will's full attention. Well, the height doesn't hurt, either.

Will gives Daylight a cursory once-over. The appearance doesn't seem to bother him much. He's seen much stranger and less humanoid, after all, though never anyone so mechanical. Is he an android? Why would someone make a giant android? A weapon of some kind? Whatever, it doesn't matter.]

Daylight, right. [Apparently he's not going in for the familiar nickname.] What is it you wanted to talk about?

[ yes! daylight managed to initiate a successful start of a conversation and everything. dialup would be proud of him, day thinks as his winglets perk up and flutter a bit from joy and nerves.

now all daylight has to do now is make the rest of this conversation successful and keep it successful. (... good luck, day.) ]

I hope it's not rude to ask but um... Could I ask what your- [ what's the word again? emergency aid and dialup used it before when talking about their skills, or when speaking with someone else. oh! right! ] -field is? I know Mr. Winters said you're the smart guy behind the tablets but I wondered if you had a specialisation?

[How is that a rude question? Will isn't sure, but whatever, this one seems pretty nervous in general. Not good at talking to people. Could be annoying, so he decides to just get the conversation underway instead of poking further.

Besides, Daylight called him "the smart guy". Now he basically has to play nice.]

I have several, actually. Chemistry, ecology, geology. Programming, since I don't trust computers. [Whatever that means.] I'm a terraformer. I'm not sure you have those where you're from, but I make planets livable.

[Well, he did. Even after a year, the past tense is hard to remember sometimes.]

I hope you weren't looking for a medical doctor. There's a distinct lack of them here.

[ ever since his first encounter with his eventual best friend almost had him stabbed to death, day likes to be careful during first chats with anyone. never hurts to make sure you get out of a chat in one piece, right??

daylight's optics flicker in awe as dr. ingram lists his specialisations. he's no doubt surprised to hear so many of them. he expected one, maybe two at the most. but all of that and having experience with terraforming? oh wow-! that's really cool to hear! ]

Oh wow-! That's really cool to hear! [ daylight- focus. ] Oh! Sorry! Um, I don't mind you're not a doctor doctor. I'm asking because you made the tablets and you know their systems the best. So I'm wondering if I could get your opinion on whether it'll be a good idea to try and-

[ umm... what's a word daylight could use that isn't alarming to hear in any context? ]

-I guess the best way to describe it is talking. Would it be okay for me to try and talk with the tablets?

[ okay... using that term wasn't alarming like but he's pretty sure that sounds dumb. it sure did for day the second he finished speaking. ]

[Will holds up a finger as if asking for a pause.]

Correction, I didn't make the tablets. I don't have access to a factory, nor do I have any engineering software. I do, however, know their systems the best.

[Which is... arguable, but no one present can make that argument, so he's going to stick with it.]

... Do you mean with other people? That's what they're for, after all. [But something tells him that's not what Daylight meant.] Or do you mean with the tablet itself?

Yeah- The tablet itself!

[ hmmm- now that he both confirmed it and said it aloud, mayb he should explain things a bit better. ]

Recently, I've picked up the ability to, um, speak with machines. They can talk to me and, if they're up for it, help out in stuff!

From what I can tell from this tablet, it seems like it has enough work to communicate with me. [ but he wanted to get permission from someone in authority at first. the last thing he wants to do is step on somebody's toes while going through his first day. ]

[That's getting met with a bit of a suspicious squint. He's certainly heard of stranger things from people in other worlds, but this is... a new one.]

You mean as if the tablets were sentient?

[That's... troubling?]

I suppose you can do whatever your heart desires, just... don't talk to mine.

[Hm.]

And make sure to tell me whatever it says.

Oh my gosh really?

Oh wow! Thank you! [ daylight's winglets spring up in an almost comical fashion, excitedly fluttering to mirror his ecstatic reaction at the go ahead. ] I promise to let you know what I find out!

[ and oh yeah.

the question dr. ingram had asked- ] Yeah! Um- I can talk to any item if its technology and stuff, more or less. Long as the device or program and something is complicated or advanced enough to communicate. [ well- that's how daylight explains it. he's sure there's something more intricate going on whenever he uses the power. good luck to him and anyone else in figuring out what that could be though. ]

If they're feeling up for it. There are some machines or types that just won't open up right away.

[He's sort of amused at how excited Daylight is. He can't imagine a tablet will have much to say, but there's also the fact that Daylight seems to think he needs Will's permission. It's nice to be asked, but most people would've just done it anyway.]

Hm. I'll keep that in mind if we find any other machines that might know something.

[Which sounds frankly insane, but hey, some people come here with actual magic so who is he to say it can't happen?]

Did you have anything else you needed to talk about?

Oh no! That's all for now! [ daylight is going to be a very busy bee with his new friend, the tablet.

plus - he thinks he bothered the doctor enough. guy is probably going to get more folks wanting to talk to him and some probably don't want to do it when he's hovering around.

so. ]

Thanks for the chat, Dr. Ingram! [ daylight is already bouncing away, ready to speak with his new possible friend. just before he's out of hearing range, he does manage to call out one last thing: ] If you ever need help in something, let me know! I'll see what I can do to help! Thank you again!!

[Will watches him go with something like amusement. Someone's awfully chipper for being dead. Maybe this group isn't entirely a lost cause.]

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INTRO LOG: JULY

the pier!

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