logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: AUGUST

Entry tags:

INTRO LOG: AUGUST

characters: everyone.
location: all over beacon!
date/time: the first part of august.
content: a few new faces, the teleporter is up to old tricks, and overall just loving not being trapped in an underwater science station right about now.
warnings: n/a.

welcome to beacon.

The first thing you're aware of as you come to is the glow of a lantern, just within reach. Hazily, you start to recall the events leading up to your arrival. You died, somehow, but how does that equate to you being wherever you are?

The second thing you're aware of is that you're being handed a slice of cherry pie by a six-limbed masked creature with a hairnet. Looking around, you find yourself inside a school cafeteria. The school looks to be in decent condition, despite being dark and clearly abandoned - except by whatever this creature is. Stick around long enough and they will also serve some chicken nuggets and a box of milk. Wander a bit, and you may find a memorial wall for dozens of unfamiliar names and faces. Where is this?

A few answers can be found if you pick up and look through the tablet that's settled right beside the lantern. Some of the information is a little out of date at this point, but the most important details are still there: yes, you're really dead, keep your lantern close, and watch out for the spirits. You might notice mention of a ferry, but that's odd, especially if you're nowhere near the lake...

Leaving where you are and using the provided map on the tablet will help you find your way to town, and along the way you might find some out of place items, like crates of food or toiletries or clothing. Feel free to grab what you find as you make your way there, your new neighbors are sure to appreciate it.

Luckily for all the 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. It's still a little messed up (maybe someone might want to record a new message?), it has plenty of important information to share. Newcomers can always check out the weekly bulletins and the records that were thankfully saved from the bad storm a few months ago. If that's not enough, there's many long-time residents of Beacon that will be happy to share how things go around here. If not in person, network works too.

hide and seek.

The teleporter repair team has been hard at work, and their hard work has paid off. Items have arrived in Beacon aplenty! Only, the aiming protocol is still a little off and it's still all over. Whoops. While anyone with a specific request will find a spirit guide to help them find their wares, everything and anything else is fair game for a little fun.

The spirits are in a playful mood, and have taken the liberty of locating all these lost sundries and supplies. And of course, after that, they chose to hide them around town. Spirits vary from great at hiding things (lining a hollowed out trunk with swim trunks) to downright terrible (is it really "hiding" that sheet of plywood when you put it behind a streetlight that is smaller than it is?), though they seem to enjoy the experience either way.

Need something in particular and don't know where to start? Don't worry, spirits will be happy to give hints. If you can understand their esoteric forms of communication, that is. Others give away the game in the fact they hide with the items themselves, and find the prank so hilarious that little snuffles and giggles are an easy clue to the stowed stash. If characters play along long enough, the spirits will give up the game and will show the poor things with no seeking skills what they've hidden. Still, why not have a little fun with it? The spirits sure are!

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to The Next Night! We're so glad to have you with us, both new and old. For a run-down on what's upcoming in August, please see the August gameplan, or check the calendar for a quick overview!

As a reminder, things like newcomer arrivals, item deliveries, and lantern repair all depend on the help of the characters in the game! If your character would be interested in assisting with the equipment at Dr. Solis' Lab in any way, please let us know!

DELIVERIES

The newly ported in items have arrived, but as in July, they're still kind of everywhere. Learning to use this portal technology is hard, and more hands helping out are always appreciated! As mentioned above, the spirits will readily help find people's personal requests, but the general resupplies? Guess you'd better be willing to play the spirits' latest little game. The following can be found, one way or another:

The monthly store restock, which provides enough food, general sundry items, and basic supplies to comfortably last the group a month. You can check what kind of items to expect in a monthly restock here.

For Elektra Natchios: several slightly oversized t-shirts and sweatpants made of comfortable materials, a bottle of black nail polish (chip resistant), a bottle of whiskey with a slight odor of sewer when the bottle is opened (though it tastes fine), and a teddy bear.

For Rosinante Donquixote: 4 boxes each (25 rounds per box) of shotgun and flintlock pistol ammo, except in every box two of the rounds have been replaced with nerf darts that some poor kids probably lost long ago.

For Fitz Kreiner: A limited set of lockpicking tools and a set of locks to practice on, and some paper umbrellas which may require some disassembly before they can be used.

For Matt Murdock: an assortment of 14 lovely rings (not all pictured here) as well as 6 rings to share with his friends!

If you submitted an item request last month and we've missed it here, let us know!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[as soon as it's verified that the transporter works and new people are in fact arriving, Cao Pi sends a message across the tablets for everyone to find: it's time for a meeting to discuss what happened at Helix Station. Moonrise on the 3rd, this time at the Bonfire Square since the town hall is no more. As long as it's not raining it's fine, all fine.

When he can see enough faces looking back at him in the glow of the firelight, he stands and clears his throat to get their attention. He's still wearing eye-catching armor but the clothes underneath are a sad patchwork of what's clean and fits instead of his lovely silks which are basically ruined now. Oh well.]

Good evening, and to the newcomers, a welcome, such as it is. I will keep this brief, since there is much to go over. My name is Cao Pi, styled Zihuan, and at present I serve as the closest thing to a leader Beacon can claim. If anyone would like to dispute that, please save it for later. You may get in my face as much as you like, then.

Our descent to the station under the lake did not go entirely as planned, but the short answer is yes, we did manage to kill a World Eater, albeit one they consider small and weak. The only survivor was the one known as Weaver. We uncovered a fair amount of information about what the station, under Pluto, was doing, but we may need to go back down to recover more supplies and weapons that we were not able to collect before. I would like to lead such an expedition, but not immediately. In a few weeks, when we have processed everything.

I would like those who fought and those who found things of interest down there to speak, and share for the community's sake. Beyond that, if there is anything else that was discovered above the surface, I encourage those reports as well. If we must make decisions, we can do so after we all know everything. Be patient, there may be a lot to take in.

[ooc: as with past town hall meetings, there may be thread jumping and such; characters who want to make a report should make a header under this one and then go ham! Cao Pi also has a report, he'll get to it.]

( Javert isn't in a much better way himself. His clothing is neat and immaculate, his coat buttoned all the way up to the chin, but his appearance itself is haggard. Whatever it is that the World Eater did to him, it doesn't seem to have stopped. He doesn't speak wearily, though, despite his fatigue, his voice loud and filled with authority as he steps forward. )

My name is Javert, and I was one of the group that uncovered the crew's quarters. They all perished, as Lord Zihuan has said, and we found several of their bodies discarded and dismembered within their rooms. One of them was covered in an odd growth, attached to the wall and still breathing, albeit shallowly. When I shot it in the head, it reanimated itself.

( Even now, he doesn't know what to make of that. He continues, )

It seems the spirits were conducting experiments on the crew, the same as what they did to those that they kidnapped in Beacon. We found a notebook in the last room as well as medicines and potions of various uses. One of them, specifically, was used in the battle against the World Eater to reduce the effects of its hallucinations. It was developed for use against the green-eyed spirits, but it is not absolute. Many of us still suffered from the creature's visions.

( That's as close to admission of his own condition as he's ever going to make. If there's anything that the other members of his group wish to add, Javert will turn the floor over to them, but he's sure there will be questions as well. )

The spirits were experimenting on the crew? After the world eater arrived?

[That's something unexpected. Rosinante leans in a little, frowning.]

I heard that the crew were experimenting on the green-eyed spirits in the room Lord Cao Pi saw while we were investigating the research area. I never saw that room myself, though.

[he nods when named]

So it was, in the vision the green-eyed spirits visited upon me and the others. I doubt they were lying to us since Weaver essentially confirmed it.

[he doesn't say that he wouldn't blame them for doing as was done to them but...]

So. It must have turned into a free for all at some point, after the green-eyes escaped and either assisted eliminating the crew or found them already dead.

Then why the experiments? Revenge certainly seems to be the likely answer, but I am not so certain.

( It's a thought that's been weighing on him for a while. They still don't yet know why the green-eyed spirits tortured half of the population of Beacon. Perhaps the hospital may have some answers, if there's anything left of it. As for the hallucinations, he wonders, )

Were they attempting to help, or trying to turn your feelings against the Night Market?

[Cao Pi glances at some of the others before answering - they might have a different perspective based on what they saw, or experienced elsewhere]

Neither, I believe. It was simply...showing what was. But, that is my assumption only, since we still can't communicate with them directly. I don't know what would benefit them if they were able to convince us of anything - as, like you say, they experiment on us in turn.

It doesn't make much sense, but I think it important right now to know what was done, to whom and by whom, so we can assess later.

If you are asking for certainty, Lord Zihuan, I have none. All I can say is that the spirits were experimenting on the crew members, and that my companions and I learned that from a reliable source.

( He'll stew on this conversation a bit longer, though, silently. )

( Matt isn't the best person to share about their particular exploration, but, he'll provide what he can. )

We explored the power wing of the station. It seems to run on emergency protocols after the portal mishap. There's plenty of chemicals and dangers in those tunnels, I'd explore with caution.

There are also spirits that can perfectly blend with the environment, but they only seem to move when disturbed. There's also a spirit there that seems to have collected the bodies of the former Night Market members. It wasn't hostile to us, and only wanted help retrieving the last body, but I can't say I'm comfortable with corpses being left that way.

I'm not particularly equipped to say much about the World Eater itself, but it clearly has the ability to take light from lanterns and cause psychological effects as well as physical injuries.

[at least he has some sense of sympathy, there]

It is good to see that the lantern repairs are working as needed. I must say it was...devastating, to stand there and watch it simply suck the light out of your lantern. We had no defense against it, except to somehow stay out of its range which was impossible.

Are you managing well, now?

I guess we can't count on a creature that eats worlds to play fair, but ... it makes me wonder what sort of chance we'd stand close range, with one that was full grown.

( if what they'd faced in the portal room had been only a fledgling, he can't say he likes the odds of facing an army of them fully grown. )

I'm all right. My lantern seems a bit worse for the wear, but I'm still in one piece.

A lot of the chemicals have leaked along the floor and the materials that have been in contact with it were damaged. If you're going to attempt crossing, make sure the materials you're using are sound.

[ does she tense slightly at the mention of taking lights from lanterns? maybe, don't worry about it, it's gone when she speaks again. ]

It's possible that the psychological effects aren't just a defense mechanism, but a result of simply being around the World Eater. A few of us exploring the power wing were affected when we got close to the portal room.

Affected how?

[Like he was, maybe, but he hasn't told anyone about that. And does it affect them all the same way? He's been good at restraint, even though this is awfully hard to deal with, but what about the others?]

Some of the effects were physical, like a headache that kept getting worse or dizziness. Others felt uneasy, or the sudden urge to be destructive.

[ hi rosi, she's been wondering how you were faring. ]

Just from being near it, huh. That's worse than the green-eyes. Means no matter how well we coordinate, we can't afford to be close to the next one for long or we'll fall apart from within.

[Crucial information, but incredibly troubling.]

Exactly. And we'll probably need some sort of defense if we want to be near them at all.

[ she knows there were sedatives that seemed to have an effect, but she doesn't know if they're able to replicate them. maybe someone with a more scientific background. ]

Does anyone know if someone in the Night Market was working on anything like that? Protection against the psychological effects?

( they stand way more of a chance if they can protect themselves from being mentally manipulated. )

There was a potion, ( Javert begins, cutting in, ) The Night Market had made to protect against the hallucinations. It was described to us in a notebook, but I'm uncertain of how to recreate it.

( He has the notebook in his possession. It seemed too important for them to leave behind, and so Javert had carried it with, hoping someone else may be able to make more sense of it. )

(no subject)

catholicisms - 2020-08-21 00:20 (UTC) - Expand

[ as the meeting winds down to a natural conclusion and the other participants drift off or engage with each other, lorem takes her chance when it presents itself.

she had spent most of the meeting in the back. she didn't try to join in on the talks (for now), more focused on keeping her head down and noting the conversations that took place. now and then she made sure to write down anything of significance that came up, the entries kept safe in her own multitool bracelet. this is a role she's used to and it's a role she'll be using to her advantage right now.

calling up all of her years in diplomatic training, she approaches the head of the meeting and introduces herself. she gives a curtsy, brief but deep, and presents a warm yet nervous-looking smile. ]

Hello there. I'm a new arrival to Beacon and I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time, sir.

[Cao Pi offers a very slight bow from the shoulders back; good, newcomers with manners, he likes that]

Of course, my lady. What can I do for you?

It's actually what I can do for you and the others.

[ she's quick to begin her pitch: ] I would like to help you with the future meetings by keeping the minutes of them and whatever else you may be in need of.

I have a background in business and information management along with diplomacy training. This is something I'm used to and would love to do my share of the work here in Beacon.

[ to further establish her credibility, she raises her multitool bracelet and summons her private entry app. ] I've already written up notes of today's meeting, what has been reported by who, and what are the questions that were brought up but could not be answered during the meeting.

If you want, you can review them for yourself to see if they're up to snuff.

...ah.

[it's a pleasantly surprised little noise, as that's a lot to take in all at once, especially the notes already primed for him. Give him a moment.]

Actually, that would be splendid. We had someone keeping track of our explorations and findings, but he is gone now, as is the town hall wherein we used to hold such meetings. Our old records are preserved but this...is quite an improvement, I must say.

However, I would need a copy sent to my tablet before I could review it. The tablet has a translator built in which will change it to the script I am more familiar with.

[ looking apologetic at hearing the passing of someone from the group - especially one who worked on the documentation and information, someone she would have liked to speak with - lorem is quick to nod at the request.

give her a second to pull out her tablet now, deactivating the multitool bracelet to converse its energy. ]

Of course. I can transcribe this to my tablet and send it to you in under thirty minutes or less, if you're willing to wait, sir.

Should there be anything, in particular, be emphasised or highlighted? I did my best to write down all I could regarding this World Eater you've all be speaking of.

Speed is of no concern to me, I will likely be around this area for a time until everyone is finished wanting my attention anyway.

[hmm, thinking, thinking] In particular? It is all relevant, but...if you plan to send it out to everyone, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to emphasize the known pros and cons of our fight against the World Eater. It is perhaps not an urgent item, but one that a number of long-term projects will need to focus upon, in tandem.

Thank you, Lady....? [with the classic hesitation of politely asking her name without words]

Noted! I'll ensure the list is snappy yet informative for those who weren't present during the fight. Would you be willing to look it over before I finalise it? So you can give your input on how I word it?

[ at the question of her name, lorem smiles easily enough and provides both an answer and a straight face, ] Lorem Laurel.

I'm okay with being addressed as 'Miss Laurel' or 'Lorem.' 'Lady' is flattering but I'm only here to help, sir.

(no subject)

pure_havoc - 2020-08-27 02:42 (UTC) - Expand

[in time, he offers what more he can say about two different events...]

The reason the commander didn't see the same things I saw were because the green-eyed spirits split us up, so to speak. Physically, our bodies were all in the same corridor, but they were able to visit different visions upon us - much the same, I assume, as when half the town entered a dream world and the rest of us were awake. I'm beginning to believe these spirits can show us their memories, no matter how far back they may go.

There is a lab deep in the station, when we found it we could not enter because the room was entirely flooded. If the station's power controls are now repaired, I would like to see if we can drain it and reach it, there were medical tools and supplies as well as more research. It was confirmed that the station's crew was experimenting on the green-eyes, using them as stand-ins for the World Eaters, leaving them alive and intact so they could test their weapons on them. [he has since come to terms with the necessity of it but there's still a vague note of distaste in his voice. If nothing else it was painfully crude and only served to piss off the green-eyes, which is always a bad tactical move] The weapon does work, but I cannot guarantee that the spirits we dispatched are the only ones still lurking on the station.

As for the battle itself...what I feel most important to convey is the impression I got of the World Eater. I was positioned in the control room to use the portal as an emergency measure, so I saw everything at a distance. It looked, for lack of a better description, like a terrifically mutated version of one of the green-eyes. All light seems to fall into it, and every hit scored only increased its abilities. It grew limbs and replaced anything damaged or cut off. Its blood burned. It is strong, and no amount of physical attack can slow it down. We were, essentially, very lucky to have distracted it long enough for Weaver to use the weapon. Upon its destruction, it released a burst of blinding light - and given that I watched it inhale the very light from the Counselor's lantern, I am not surprised that its entire being is made up of stolen light. However, I doubt that the light can be restored to where it was taken from.

I am still assessing the tactical possibilities for dealing with one larger and more powerful, but any small observation from any of the fighters will help. Suffice it to say, blades and firearms will not be enough. It will never be enough.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

INTRO LOG: AUGUST

OPEN MEETING dated Aug 3

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/slides in here hi!!

YAY!

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what are timelines even