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

QUICKNAV
comms	\|	network • logs • memes • ooc
pages	\|	rules • faq • taken • mod contact • player contact • calendar • setting • exploration • item requests • full nav

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ah, one of these types. He's dealt with the go-getters before, of course, just usually they're not... school children?]

I'll tell you what I can, but don't think I'm about to go back on the words that just left my mouth, son. It's better for you to accept your lot. We've got some time yet.

[...]

I like your socks. What's your name?

[ a normal child would probably find winters reassuring; a friendly face, someone trying to help, being polite enough to ask after a name. a normal child would probably appreciate that he's, you know, making an effort.

instead, winters gets five.

five, who looks increasingly aggravated about every word coming after i'll tell you what i can because winters does not, in fact, appear to be telling five whatever he can. by the end of that, he looks pretty well infuriated. this would probably be more intimidating if he actually looked, you know, like a dude in his fifties. ]

One, [ he says, holding up a finger, ] I'm not accepting shit until I get my answers. Which, two, [ yeah he's counting off now ] I'm still waiting on. Three? Don't call me son again. And, four, my name is Five.

[ number five if ya nasty. ]

Now, if we can move along to the part where you actually tell me something useful, that'd be swell.

[also this happened and i thought you should know.]

Hm. So this is how it's gonna be, huh? I'll give you a pass on account of the situation. Dying's a lot to take in.

[And he'll refrain from the condescending you seem to be lashing out, but it's implied.]

But when folks demand answers, it typically implies they've asked a question. In any case, resets ain't all that common. Before this one, last one happened little over a year and a half ago, just before I got here. A reset does what it sounds like—resets the whole town to new. Makes it fresh for the next batch, save for a couple of us meant to ease the transition.

What else do you want to know?

[ living, he'd say, is a lot to take in, were he interested in having this conversation. death has walked in his shadow a long time; from the wasteland that tried so hard to kill him to the number of people who have died by his hand. and he's no young man.

(it was the outliving that broke him first, worst.)

but now that he's actually getting information, he dials back the intensity some. laser focused instead of overtly aggressive. ]

What happened to the rest of your batch? How are we chosen?

They died. Permanently, I figure, seeing as how I've never heard of anyone coming back after dying 'cause of a reset. Only folks allowed to stay on are spared by the Lighthouse Keeper—or they're like Will and... just manage to cling to life, somehow.

[He shrugs. Will's an anomaly.]

I don't know who or what picks who ends up on the ferry. Seems random, far as anyone's been able to tell. I wouldn't get too hung up on it. Fact is, you're here now.

[ well that's....interesting. dying permanently; the mystery of will. ]

I'll decide what I dwell on. Or don't. [ flatly. ] Who is the Lighthouse Keeper? You obviously know that she's a woman. What else?

[Welp, clearly there's no sense in arguing with this kid, so like, suit yourself, buddy.]

She's been here a lot longer than any of us... save for Rastus, I think. Her role is to both control and protect the town, which is why she's got to stay holed up in that lighthouse. She's awful bored up there. It's a lonely job, all those years cooped up by herself.

[...]

As for the rest, it's best if I leave her to tell you herself. You'll get to meet her soon enough.

[ .....that last sentence sure derailed anything else he was about to say! ]

How soon is soon?

[His lips purse as he runs the numbers in his head.]

No more than a couple of months, most likely. We've got to reconnect her to the network. Manually. It ain't easy, getting out to that lighthouse.

[He jerks a thumb in the direction of the blazing red light.]

[ there's a beat, and then he says, ]

I can help with that. [ there are 0 altruistic motives here, of course. ] Distances aren't a problem for me.

[Well, that gets an eyebrow raise.]

How do you figure?

[ it's easier to show him, honestly. so five briefly vanishes, reappears less than a foot away. ~ teleportation ~ ]

That's how.

INTRO LOG: JULY

no subject

did i write this whole thing for the joke? maybe

good bc it's perfect

hiGH FIVE

:)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject