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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There is that. I can't help but be a bit wary of anyone who would openly admit that we have some task to carry out but they won't tell us what it is. [as he looks down into his glass, knowing full well that he's sitting here drinking and talking about philosophy with anyone who will entertain him when he should be out sniffing around] Is it a metaphor for accepting our death, or is it literal? What, if anything, should be done about it?

[Wow he didn't sign up for metaphors. He reads novels, but not literature. This guy was serious when he said he wanted to talk philosophy, huh?]

They said nobody should go toward the lighthouse, so to me that sounds like someone definitely should. Or you can make sure you have everything you want so when they tell us what the next step is, you might be ready for it.

[See, these things are very concrete. Those are the things he knows how to do and is working toward - feeling out who might want to explore and who would be good at doing so, and also gathering supplies to replace some of the things he'd left behind, like his compass and notebook.]

I guess I'm not going to worry about preparing for a metaphor.

Spoken like a true strategist.

[god what he wouldn't give to have Mitsunari's ear right now. Lucky bastard lived, apparently.]

'Settle in,' they said. I know it's only been a day or so but I feel quite settled. I'm more interested in exploring non-metaphorical things. That is, like you say, if we're prepared to do so rather than waiting for the next step to be handed to us. What do you think? [and here's the payoff...] Would you be interested in cooperating on such a tactic?

[Compliments and an offer to walk out into the darkness. Count him wary. There are a few others he's spoken to as well about heading out for a longer trip, one that would require several of them and possibly days gone. A shorter excursion first isn't a bad idea, to get a feel for navigating in all that darkness, but he's not sure Cao Pi would be his first choice of people to walk off into that darkness alone with.

That said, the risk feels minimal. Maybe it'll give him a chance to work out if this guy is actually a problem or just an asshole who means well but acts abrasive outwardly. And he does want to get out there, badly - there's no moving forward by just sitting around.]

I am. Something short first, though. I don't think the lighthouse is a two-man expedition. If this goes well, we can base further trips off of it.

[but Rosinante you're so useful...]

Oh, agreed. The lighthouse has an explicit warning stated about it, it should be taken with appropriate caution. But surrounding this town with a supposedly impenetrable forest simply turns it into a city with a wall, and walls were made to be breached. [all the smirks] Well. Perhaps that's not true, but what commander has never looked at his enemy's wall without having at least three ways of breaching it in mind?

[He's right, and it's not even a helpful city wall. It's the sort of wall they're on the wrong side of, the sort that makes them all feel vulnerable whereas the creatures of that forest can easily vanish back into it for safety.

It's also not a very good metaphor and his thoughts haven't improved it any.]

We'll want light. Another I spoke to, Grandmaster Kuai Liang, said when he went in just past the edge of the woods with only his lantern, he felt like the darkness was closing in tighter than it does here in town. We should ask for a torch.

Edited 2019-07-09 01:58 (UTC)

[the name catches his attention briefly - Liang, you say? - but that's something to pursue on his own time]

I'm mildly concerned about the concept of the fire as a finite resource when it clearly burns without consuming wood. But, some sacrifices must be made for progress. Taking one or two torches now may spare us having to worry about wasting them later.

I just think we're going to need them in order to make any progress more than a few hundred feet.

[Shrug. The physics of that fire aren't something he can make sense of - more magic, which never sits right - but it's their reality now. He finishes off the contents of his glass, then eyes it while spinning it idly against the table with his fingertips. This place needs bigger glasses.]

When would you wish to go?

[Cao Pi considers things; they have a vague timeline of a couple of weeks before there could be potentially more information doled out - information that they don't seek themselves]

In a few days. Well. 'Days.' Without a sun I don't know how to measure it, but you understand my meaning. That should allow time to gather any other resources, talk to a few people...give off the impression of casual cooperation with the locals. [come to think of it] It may be worth it to at least attempt to engage the locals, in the meantime.

[his experience with the gods and demons of his previous realm make him only very slightly more accepting of forest spirits, such as they are. Can they even be spoken to? Rastus aside, whatever the hell is going on there]

That sounds reasonable to me.

[He's already been attempting to engage with the locals, assuming the man means the three who were here before them and not the strange little creatures who tend the bar. Those three have good information and at the very least, Dr. Ingram has proven himself legitimately helpful. It might not hurt to try and befriend the masked forest folk too, though. Surely if anyone knows this place well, they do. He's just tried less with them because having an actual conversation seems slightly more difficult.

But unlike wanting to give off an impression, he's genuine about it, so there's that difference between them.]

What if we try making our way along the coastline to the east, rather than the west? Navigation with the lake at one side should be easier than the alternatives.

[oh yes, engaging the three from the welcoming party is very important. But Cao Pi has already managed to piss off Will, it may not bode well for Rastus. He would be a poor scholar if he didn't at least attempt to tackle the spirits, just in case.]

Eastward, from the harbor? That would allow us to keep to the suggestion not to approach the lighthouse, and also potentially learn something. [slow nodding] I like it. A decent plan, to be starting with.

If there are any other settlements here, they're likely to be by water. I don't expect any are close or we'd know, but I don't think it hurts to start setting a trail.

[Winters keeps insisting there are no boats and that nobody will ever want or need boats and while he vehemently disagrees, there's a use for a foot path anyway. Even if it's a huge lake that takes days to circumnavigate, or weeks, that doesn't mean it couldn't be done by someone who understands the basics of wilderness survival. If there's anything to find on the lakeshore, he's willing to look for it.]

The supplies come from somewhere. If we have to walk there, so be it.

Walking doesn't bother me in the slightest, even if a horse would make things faster.

[benefits of ancient technology, yo. Walking is how everybody rolls.

Cao Pi rubs at his chin again, pondering. The supplies? So long as the explanation isn't, yet again, magic, which he can and will scoff at, Rosinante does have a point. Several points. Smart guy, he'd like to make the commander his tactician already.]

Which world, do you think, dictates the nature of the supplies? I have seen a few strange sights among the people here, and I can't imagine that we all hail from the same point of origin. Else, there would be far less ugly shirts in the shop.

I don't know enough about the possibilities yet. Most people are human, and a lot of them come from Earth or something named similarly, but not all of those Earths seem the same.

[Hold on, think on that while he waves one of those little spirit creatures over for a refill.]

Not a fan of their fashions?

[the word Cao Pi hears for earth is familiar enough that he nods, accepting that information.]

That seems to be mine as well, but I recognize almost nothing of the others. How they speak, how they dress, the things they understand. As far as I can tell it may be a future far removed from my time, but I'm willing to entertain other theories.

[fashion. Snorts from the man wearing Actual Silk]

They look uncomfortable. And plain. There's no artistry to it.

I don't know, a lot of it seems all right. I can't be picky, though. They don't stock much in my size.

[Which probably explains why his pants look a bit too short, and his shirt a bit too tight. It was either that today or the one that seems to have been sized for someone even larger, somehow - a tunic, down to his knees. Maybe he can learn some sewing to pass the time.]

Plain, though, I'll grant you. Fun prints would have been nice.

Really, was a little brocade too much to ask?

[clearly sarcasm, since he's actually not wearing much brocade right now. Not an embroidered phoenix in sight. He glances aside and looks Rosinante up and down, much more casually than his first-meeting once-over.]

Yes, I would imagine you would have some trouble in that regard. Are all those from your world so...tall?

[Something strikes him as particularly funny there, the idea of the very basic t-shirts with embroidered brocade on them. Now that's fashion! It only shows as a bit of a smile, though. Perhaps some day he'll find someone he can grin at here but he's still a little too unsettled to really be himself.]

Not everyone, but enough people. Taller than me, too. We come in all kinds of sizes, not like here.

[hey, if the spirits ever see fit to lay a couple of three-piece suits on them, he'll be all up in that.]

...is that so? But still human, I gather. Not some sort of race of being that should naturally be so tall, nor gods or anything.

[he's met a couple of gods; they're shorter than him!]

[NOT. GODS. RUDE.

The cringe is tiny, but like, that's a pretty normal thing to be disgusted at, right? Or at least mildly bothered by. Probably. Some reactions are just a little too visceral to mask perfectly at all times.]

No, no, still human. We have other races too, though. True giants, and others. Fishmen, longarms...

[Well, he's not going to give off a long list, that's boring. He shrugs, point made.]

But it's normal enough for humans to be my height or taller, yes.

[Cao Pi is at least a good enough judge of people that he catches the flicker of disgust, but it's true, it's a fairly common reaction and one he shares, so he simply considers it a likeness of mind. Really, he'd scoff more if he hadn't, you know, met a couple.]

Giants, too? Hm. Your world sounds fascinating. A land of fables come true.

[except there's a dryness to his tone, it's not complete sarcasm but perhaps a touch of a joke]

You could say the same for a lot of places here. With your... magic.

[Well, not his, literally. But he's the one who mentioned seeing it before this place. With all the variety between the worlds, everything comes across as a little unbelievable, except that apparently it's all really possible.]

I'd bet if you asked around, you would find places with dragons, and ghosts, too. You nearly had both, right? The serpent monster, and the risen dead.

[he opens his mouth to protest but really, Rosinante's got him there. He concedes with a small tilt of his head.]

And those things should rightfully be fantasy, not fact. I suppose it does depend on the world in which you find yourself. [he lifts his eyes to the shadowy corners of the bar, lit only by the collected lanterns of everyone around] If this isn't the afterlife, but another world yet, that would make sense. After all, our bodies are real enough that wine still does as wine should.

[a comment which deserves a sip to punctuate the dramatics]

[Which was exactly what Dr. Ingram had suggested: another world. Not merely another planet but a parallel universe, whatever exactly that entails. It absolutely should be fantasy and yet here he is, living it out. Or if not living then at least experiencing, in some sort of life-like state.

He'd almost rather be dead for certain. Trapped in another world but alive gives false hope that he might escape one day and return. Raise a middle finger to the order of things and scoop Law back up in his arms. It's a dangerous hope and not one he can allow himself to have if he wants to stay sane here.]

It's something I don't have an explanation for. But like I said, I don't like speculating. Not unless I have something real to go off of, anyway. This place... Your guess is as good as anything I've got.

Mm. A practical approach, I can understand that.

[meanwhile he can't turn his speculator off, it just comes with the territory of always being a step ahead of your detractors as well as your enemies]

Quite honestly, when reduced to the basics, what this place is really doesn't matter. Our greatest curiosity is what task they mean us to carry out. Our greatest threat is this 'reset' they spoke of. [he's worked out that much, it's pretty obvious but still more important than coming to grips with one's own death]

INTRO LOG: JULY

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