INTRO LOG: NOVEMBER

[inthenightmods]

INTRO LOG: NOVEMBER
OLD FAT BOAT

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, and around town.
date/time: november 1-3.
content: the ferry's back! yay! and it's piled high with goodies! yay!
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.

•••

To everyone's surprise, the ferry does indeed arrive on schedule. Right on time, it comes chugging along toward the beach, though its usually noisy engines are silent. And it seems to be sitting quite low in the water... Hmm.

Unfortunately for those unlucky enough to find themselves onboard, there isn't yet a replacement dock for the one that was destroyed last month. The ferry stops right where it would normally anchor, but then... that's it.

Logistically, there's good news and bad news: The good news is that the ferry is only about 25-30 feet from shore, which is well within the safety of the harbor and is a manageable distance for swimming with an open flame. The bad news? It's... 25-30 feet from shore, which is going to make unloading supplies, er, tricky.

The usual monthly stock has also come in, but, oh, what's this? There's an awful lot in the cargo hold. An awful, awful lot. As a matter of fact, the boat is absolutely filled with food and goods. The storage areas are packed tight, but the bounty spills out onto the decks, and even into the cabins. It's entirely possible that some of the newbies woke up surrounded by potatoes, or with a carton of eggs balanced on them. Maybe even in a pile of Beacon's signature standard clothing. In short, the ferry has become a proverbial horn of plenty.

Where all this stuff came from is one mystery, but another is how to get it all to shore. Better unload it before the weight sinks the ferry again! Just kidding. (Or are we?)

At a glance, the only thing out of place on the ferry is that the door to the bridge is welded shut. Seems a small price to pay for this resurrection though, doesn't it? Besides that one door and all these goodies piled high on the ship, it's almost as if the ferry crash never even happened. Maybe things will be okay after all?

Or maybe the new arrivals will have something to say about that. 🤔

And speaking of newcomers, the tablet and the town have some resources available for getting acquainted with their new situation! In fact, as soon as they're prompted to enter a network username, an app containing all sorts of useful welcome information will launch. Newcomers can always check out the weekly bulletins and the records in town hall as well, and everyone's welcome to get in touch with the NPCs through their inboxes.

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! For this intro log, you are officially without a chaperone. Rastus is back at the bonfire, Will is characteristically elusive, and Robin is, well, you know where she's at. It's up to the veteran residents to fill in the new folks.

As hinted above, it's also up to veteran residents (and newbies alike) to figure out the missing dock situation. Some efforts have already been started to rebuild the structure, but until that's done, the logistics are in your hands! Swim for it, fly for it, teleport to the beach, or maybe use one of the rafts or boats built earlier to shuttle people to and fro. Whatever you do, just make sure you get all the cargo (and people!) off the ferry before it departs.

As an additional note: We will NOT be tracking how you do all of that! There's no need to report salvage efforts to us, as by now, we trust y'all players to make things happen. So long as we see these challenges getting addressed ICly, we'll assume the town came together and figured it out somehow. Nice work, everyone!

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

• The monthly store restock
  
• A smorgasbord of other items; though limited in scope to the items typically found in the restock/stores, there's an abundance of everything.
  
• And that's it. With the fate of the ferry uncertain, Rastus was unable to order deliveries last month. :(
  
• ...Except for a single box of blueberry Poptarts for Peter Parker.

QUICKNAV
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Comments

Armitage Hux | ota

[therewillbeorder]

ferry

[He woke with a start. He didn't remember falling asleep, the last thing he remembered was heading back to Finalizer from Crait, a bright flash of light and now, darkness. It was eerily silent except for low humming and something like the sound of water lapping against something. Engines? He couldn't tell.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his head. It took time for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, looking at a lantern sitting beside him. It wasn't like anything he had ever seen before, everything about this was disorientating. But he wasn't going to figure anything out by just laying here and so he pulled himself to his feet.

He stopped when blue lights caught his attention. It took him a moment to realize the light patterns were underwater. He was on a boat of some kind which just made things more confusing. He still didn't know where he was and where he was supposed to go from here which just made things worse.]

This is the most ridiculous thing. I must have fallen asleep on the shuttle and I'll wake up when we land.

[That had to be the only rational explanation for this. The feeling that he was dead was just stress after recent events. He could feel himself breathing, he could feel the cold, surely this was just some kind of lucid dream.]

shore

[Somehow he had made it to shore. There had been someone with a craft of some sort- there was no way he was going into the dark water. He had experience with dark waters on Arkanis where deep-sea monsters dwelled. He had seen them as a child pulling unsuspecting creatures in when they ventured too close to the shore.

He was not going to make the same mistake.

He was still soaked having to get off the craft and walk the rest of the way to shore but it wasn't as bad as it was if he had to swim it. He still checked that his blaster was dry in an inner pocket of his coat though he didn't pull it out.]

If I'm really dead, I'm not sure why it's so cold.

wildcard

[He can be found exploring as much as he can by only being able to see as much as his lantern will show. If he's dead, it figures that he ends up in some dark afterlife where he had to feel cold and annoyed at his current situation. He supposes it could be worse, with the crimes against humanity that he's committed, but he supposed it being for the greater good balanced it out.]

shore

[policier]

( Javert had thought the same thing when he arrived here. If this is truly the afterlife, why is it that they require sleep? Why must they eat? It's been several months since then, and he still does not have an answer. It's frustrating not to know anything, but it's even more irritating to feel so alive despite being dead. He's standing on the shore with his greatcoat and cudgel in hand, observing the ferry and everyone swimming or rowing to land with disinterest. )

You will find many things here that are beyond comprehension.

( He says, with a passing glance toward the other man. It's not usual for him to be here, greeting newcomers as they disembark. Usually, he's out on patrols, doing a head count of the newcomers as they trickle into town, but now, given the disaster that happened last month, he felt it pertinent to be here. He frowns a bit as he continues, )

You can bleed, too, just as you did when you were alive. I do not know why it is so.

[therewillbeorder]

Everything should have a logical explanation.

[Except, that wasn't always the case. There had to be some sort of explanation as to the kind of afterlife he had found himself in. Perhaps this was his punishment, ending up somewhere ruled by some mystical magic and sorcery he had disdained whenever Ren had demonstrated his abilities.]

Can we die here? Again?

[That made no sense. If he had died once, that should be the end of it.]

[policier]

Yes. ( He's not going to like the reason why, as it makes far less sense. Javert has already long come to terms with the confusing nature of this place, so his delivery isn't laced with frustration, but rather, weariness. )

Resurrection is even a possibility, though it is not always a sure thing. It all depends on the state of your lantern. If it can be repaired, then you will return. If it cannot, then you will die — for good.

( And go where? He cannot say. He tosses a glance down at his lantern, held in his other hand, and taps it with a finger. )

I advise you keep it close, and do not let it out of your sight.

[therewillbeorder]

The lanterns are keeping us alive?

[He had been planning to discard it later once he found a better light source since there had to be something better. But if his life was tied to it, as ridiculous as it seemed, then he should keep it around. He looked at the other man carefully but he didn't see any hint of deceitfulness. Nor did it seem that the other man recognized him.

He peered at the lantern, unable to discern anything special about it aside from that it was an actual flame inside of it.]

Duly noted, I appreciate the information.

[policier]

( He doesn't give a word of acknowledgement, and for a while, it seems as if that is all there is. Javert's not much of a conversationalist, and he didn't come here to be a part of the welcoming committee. But he can see that the other man is soaked, and with the cold autumn air, he cannot leave it be. He nods toward the path into town and says, )

Go to the bonfire and dry off your things. That will help with the chill.

( And then, after a moment of deliberation, )

My name is Javert. And you?

[therewillbeorder]

[Of course there wasn't a cleaning droid to take care of his wet clothes in the laundry facilities. He wasn't sure if a fire would be sufficient to dry out thick wool but it was better than standing around cold.

He followed Javert along the path towards the village. He couldn't see very much, everything was shrouded in darkness, so he turned his attention back to the path so he didn't trip on something.]

I'm Hux.

[He wasn't sure if anyone knew of him or the First Order here so he decided to be careful about how much information he disclosed until he could figure that out.]

Where did you come from?

[policier]

France, the 19th century.

( That may mean something to him, or it may not. Javert's met with all sorts of people in his short time here, some who are from Earth and some who are from another place entirely. He walks the path ahead of them like he's traversed it a hundred times, craning his head back to say, )

I cannot even begin to guess where you've come from.

( His garb isn't anything Javert has seen before, but that's not particularly shocking. )

[therewillbeorder]

I've never heard of a planet or system by that name, no.

[He wasn't sure what 19th century referred to but perhaps it was what natives on that planets used to measure time instead of the galactic calendar.

He could see light in the distance, he assumed that was the village. The stars were bright overhead and he wasn't optimistic about where he found himself.]

I just came from a planet called Crait, somewhere in the Outer Rim.

[policier]

( The names aren't any Javert is familiar with, though he catalogs them away for later regardless. It's helpful to know as much as he can about other worlds, other people. Even here, it's become a habit of his to investigate, to gather as much information as he can just in case it proves useful. )

France is the name of my homeland. Earth is the planet on which it resides.

( The town is slowly coming into view. Javert falls silent a moment as they approach, wondering, )

Tell me, is Crait anything at all like this?

shore

[evulsed]

[ Vanitas turns up when the beacon is lit. It's impossible not to notice it, that garish shine of red, from Robins' tower in the distance. Some part of him hadn't expected to see it at all, given the utter mess those idiots had made of the ferry last time.

He comes because he has nothing better to do, and because he's curious as to what it is Robin is guiding to shore.

Like anyone else in this town, he has more than enough capability to help people to shore. In fact, he's probably better equipped than most— the creatures he can make with his particular brand of dark magic can go into the water. They can be big enough to ride, if he intended it— but helping others is never high on Vanitas' list. It only ever makes it there if he has something to gain from the process.

So Vanitas stands on the shore in his armor, arms folded over his chest, watching what's happening without any apparent interest in helping out at all. The new man just happens to make his way up the beach where Vanitas is standing, and that's the only reason his yellow eyes cut to the man— the only reason one eyebrow creeps up and he smirks. ]

The darkness isn't warm, stupid.

Re: shore

[therewillbeorder]

[He was dead, he most likely had been murdered by some rival and now he was dead and somehow cold in the afterlife. It was the end of what had been a really terrible couple of days. He may have destroyed the Republic and the Resistance, but he had lost so much and now Kylo Ren would be let loose on the galaxy.

He looked the other man over, raising his eyebrows and making no effort to hide his annoyance. He was exhausted, which was also strange for being dead, so he wasn't in the mood to deal with anything more.]

Thank you for that astute yet irrelevant comment. Now, unless you have something useful to add, I'm going to go dry off.

[evulsed]

[ Vanitas smirks. It's pinched, more so than it normally is, but to a stranger it might be difficult to tell— he's always so pale, and the shadows under his eyes might even be par for the course for people in this town. How could this newcomer know? He's been here for literal minutes. Vanitas' eyes go heavy, two golden slits as he watches the other man. ]

You've never been dead before, have you?

[therewillbeorder]

I don't make a habit of dying, no.

[Nearly dying, certainly, but this is the first time he's actually been dead and he can't say he likes the experience so far. He didn't know what was happening so far and he didn't like not knowing something.]

Coming back from the dead isn't something that's exactly common in the galaxy.

[Unless there was something to do with the Force, then who knew that kind of sorcery. It was all unnatural, anyway.]

[evulsed]

Maybe where you're from.

[ The retort is hot on the heels of his words, with a particular haughty ring to it. Maybe dying isn't exactly something to be proud of, but Vanitas will always lord what little he has over other people. Now, he jerks his chin at the lantern on the man's belt. ]

Better be careful you don't have that thing go out. You'll be dead faster than you can blink.

[ This might be kindly advice from anyone else, but from Vanitas it almost sounds like a threat. ]

[therewillbeorder]

I never thought dying was something to brag about. Perhaps not dying in the first place would be a more prudent measure?

[He wasn't exactly impressed by the ability to die and come back. He had cheated death many times since he was a child, dying now was not exactly something he was proud of after a lifetime of surviving.]

Duly noted.

[catholicisms]

Most who believe in an afterlife don't generally presume it to be comfortable.

( that depended a bit on where you ended up, granted. hell was notably uncomfortable. heaven was probably a bit more temperate. this place, be it purgatory or something distinctly worse, definitely had all the trappings of early winter to go with the eternal darkness. Matt isn't sure what sounds worse, intense heat, or intense cold, though frankly at present the weather didn't even strike him that cold.

he is used to east coast winters, to be fair. )

It'll be warmer inside. There's no lights, but there's some electricity. There's an inn, it's not far from the bonfire. ( he's obviously new, so Matt is willing to offer some insight on the bizarre place Hux has found himself. )

[therewillbeorder]

That is a good point. I've never really thought about the afterlife though.

[There were theories but he never had the time to think about it before. But if this was really the afterlife, then arriving wet and cold seemed like a good start of the punishment many would say he deserved.]

If there is electricity, why are there no lights?

[He could barely see anything outside the light of his lantern. He wanted nothing more than to take off his heavy wet greatcoat and warm up a little. He was missing the temperate temperature control of his destroyer.]

[catholicisms]

( it's safe to say Matt has spent more than his fair share thinking about the afterlife. heaven, hell, purgatory, where he was going and why he deserved to be there. this doesn't seem the time to give a stranger a crash course in catholicism, though, so Hux is safe from his Jesus ramblings. this time.

it's a good question. Matt doesn't totally understand the answer to it, frankly, though he'll provide as much as he knows. )

I can't say for certain, but I'm guessing it's because they'd be more or less useless. I'm sure you can see how little light your lantern casts. Something about this place, light doesn't spread or move the way it's supposed to.

( for his part, Matt can't see it... but he's heard well enough about it from everyone else that he's able to explain. )

[therewillbeorder]

[He decided that now wasn't the time to ponder death and the afterlife. It was something that he needed to sort through by himself and make sense of what happened. It wasn't that he was afraid of death, it was just that he had so much left to do than to be stuck in an afterlife like this.]

Is there no daylight then? How long is one standard cycle?

[He's not used to living on a planet or in one place for very long, aside from his stays on Starkiller. He glanced at the lantern, it gave off such limited light. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be able to do just by lamplight.]

[catholicisms]

No daylight. Limited light from sources like fire, too.

( Matt can't speak to exactly how different it is, since... . . . . . blind. but it'll be easy enough to notice just from the cast of the lantern, and the limited glow of the bonfire. light just doesn't work how one would expect in Beacon. it's one of the first things anyone notices, as long as they have working eyes anyway.

he can at least answer about the standard cycle. )

There's still days. A moon comes up and goes down. Just no sun or sunlight. ( so there are days, just not an obvious difference between morning and night. )

I can't give you specifics, I'm afraid. All that I know about this is second hand. ( Matt makes a gesture at his sunglasses, hopefully implying without saying that he isn't wearing them as a fashion statement. )

[therewillbeorder]

[He had seen planets that had been expelled from their star system and wandering the galaxy alone. He had never heard of one being capable of sustaining life without a star nearby, however.]

Interesting. I've never heard of a planet without a nearby star that had life on it. Though I suppose the galaxy is a big place and anything is possible.

[He glanced at Matt when he gestured at the sunglasses, catching on.] How do other people see what they're doing here then? The lantern hardly seems sufficient.

[catholicisms]

( it IS extremely curious how life persists on this planet without a sun. Matt is not the person to explain the science of that one... if it even is science. how do you like magic, Hux? because that's an often accepted explanation around here. )

I couldn't guess how it works. There's a doctor around that might have more to say on the matter, if you're interested in asking. Goes by Ingram, you can contact him through your device.

( as for how other people see... ) There's torches, available at the bonfire. You can talk to the attendant to get one if you need one, they offer a little more light than a lantern alone.

[therewillbeorder]

Ingram...I'll make note of that, thank you.

[Hux looked ahead, seeing the dark outline of the village ahead. It seemed so small, nothing like he pictured he would be after he died. And he was cold, his overcoat heavy with water.]

That's good. What other resources are there available? Just what the ferry brings in?

[catholicisms]

So far. I've heard talk of a garden, though it hasn't been long enough to see much out of the project.

( Matt hopes it works. there's frequent food insecurity in Beacon, at least twice in the few months he's been here. of course, now that the ferry came stocked to the gills, hopefully they can organize a ration to prevent lack of resources in the future months. )

There's relics of the civilization out there in the dark somewhere. On occasion people find and bring back something useful. Though not consistently enough to rely on it, I'm afraid.