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

[Don't get it twisted: she isn't helpful. She isn't the sort to go around aiding others because she can see how much trouble they're having. It's just that the sight of this grown man helplessly prodding at buttons, so utterly incompetent, is growing more and more irritating, and her nerves are frayed already.]

Give it to me.

[It's a snapped out order, a demand as she stretches out her hand.]

What are you trying to do?

[ Shadow looks up at that demand, blinks once, then relinquishes his tablet without argument. He can always take it back if it comes to that, but he'd appreciate help of any kind — even if that help appears to be lacking in social niceties.

When he speaks, Shadow's voice is as calm and polite as ever. ]

I'm trying to figure out what it can do. This is my first time seeing technology like this.

[ The tablet is better than some electrical things in that Shadow can hold and touch it, but he's still having trouble with what seems like its near-magical capabilities. ]

As it is mine.

[But she invents things for a living, so she's got a bit of an unfair advantage. Rosalind prods at it, frowning faintly, touching this button and that. It takes a few minutes, but--]

Put in your username.

[She hands it back to him.]

[ Fortunately, Shadow doesn't have to request an explanation for a username. He types it in — shadow — and hits accept. Doing so appears to open up even more options, including some for communications. For a man who tends to view the electronic as something inherently magical, it's a lot to process.

Shadow shakes his head, expression faintly bemused. ]

This is like something from a movie.

Oh? In what way?

[She crosses one leg over the other, regarding him with frank interest.]

Are there many films that deal with those in the afterlife?

[She's honestly curious, though her tone sounds more arch.]

I meant this.

[ Shadow taps the edge of his tablet. But he tips his head slightly, considering her question anyway. ]

Sure. They tend to be based on reality, though. [ Implying that this isn't reality. ] Someone gets visited by a ghost or spirit, and they find out how life continues after death.

[ He shrugs. He's never been a big fan of those kinds of films. ]

Did you believe them?

[She can't imagine such things. They'd be considered blasphemy in Columbia, unless of course they showcased a very biased and very heavily edited version of Heaven. And Hell, of course. Hell featured heavily in Columbia's mind.]

Or did you imagine there'd be nothing after death?

[ It's a deceptively simple question. A few months ago, Shadow would have been able to give a definitive answer without a second thought. Now, there's a slight hesitation. ]

I didn't believe the movies, no. They were just entertainment. I thought I might see Saint Peter and the Pearly Gates, you know?

[ Does she know? Christianity isn't prevalent everywhere. He adds, ]

Christianity was a pretty big deal where I'm from.

[She scoffs softly-- and, remarkably, actually rolls her eyes, though it's a swift action, one he'll have to be watching to note.]

It was the ruling principle in my world. You can imagine how well that often ended.

INTRO LOG: JULY

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