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lucetimods) wrote2013-07-27 09:03 pm
lucetimods) wrote2013-07-27 09:03 pm
Luceti Valley part II: The Plottening
Okay everyone, time for a follow up announcement for the upcoming event! This post not only will have a timeline for the event, but will also reveal the rest of its details. Otherwise, this is a post where you show off your completed AUs, as well as continue plotting.
Before that, just a reminder that we’re looking for a new mod. This is a pretty big deal, because the game won’t be able to run very smoothly if we don’t get someone else on the job. So if you have what it takes, be sure to apply!
First off, here are some clarifications that came up in the Questions section on the last post.
Characters will not have wings. Even non-affected characters will seem to lose their wings for the duration of the event. Likewise, their barcodes will be missing as well.
Character pets that aren’t typical cats and dogs will be kept in a special zoo in the town. They will be depowered, but they won’t have their memories altered. They won’t be able to communicate with their owners, nor will their owners remember them.
Non-affected characters can still have their own AUs. So even if you choose to play non-affected or have to miss the event due to hiatus, you can still come up with an AU that other characters will be aware of. Just plot along with others and give them a heads up on what the situation will be.
The setting is not strictly 1950s America, though it is heavily inspired by it. And while it does not exactly take place on ‘Earth’, it’s fair game to make use of stuff like Elvis, the latest Hitchcock film, and so on. The fact that there is a prevalent aristocracy should make it clear that it’s a bit different from typical Earth, however.
Race and sexuality are not a large issue in this society. While there are certainly expected norms (a mother and father with two kids is considered normal and ideal), there’s not too much discrimination for those who don’t fit the mold, although it can certainly exist and you are allowed to play with that if you want. Discrimination largely comes in the form of the different classes and those who try to cross those lines are considered deviants by both sides.
About ten years prior to this event’s setting, there will have been a war with a foreign nation: the Kin’cora Republic and Ratanera (of which Luceti Valley is a part of). The war lasted about two years and ended with a rather dismal defeat, which had an effect of greatly killing the fighting spirit of the Ratanerans. Although the war was a draft, most of the aristocracy easily avoided having their own being drawn into it. Those playing working class and middle class characters old enough to have been drafted are welcome to come up with reasons on why their characters weren’t involved if they choose.
Check out this spreadsheet. It lists characters participating in the event and was made by one of our players shortly after the first mod post. If you haven’t already added your character, then feel free to go ahead and do so!
Also, there is a map of Luceti Valley! Some things to note while looking at the map:
The Community Housing buildings are gone, as are some of the other Luceti built buildings. The Battle Dome is now just a large hill. A perfectly normal hill. There isn’t anything under it, honest!
Lake Catheria is where the aristocracy live in their mansions. This is where the richest of the rich convene where they can distance themselves from the rabble.
Hightown is the home of the middle class and where all the notable stores and businesses are. The rich and poor both come here to do their shopping, but only the well off can afford to live here.
Lowtown is home of the working class and the poor. Many of these homes are a little run down, but the people aren’t living in filth or anything like that.
Historic Luceti is the part of town that existed before the Catherians took over. There’s plenty of historic shops here and is home largely to the middle class.
The map is not purely to scale and there ARE paved roads, they’re just not shown on the map. Feel free to imagine your characters living anywhere their class allows them to. Since there’s so much space, there’s no need to go dibsing particular houses to call your own. Just a general vicinity should be enough.
Now, with those points out of the way, we move on to the true purpose of the event. About halfway through this ten day event, it will become more apparent things are not quite right. People might have these strange thoughts like, “Isn’t it weird that my kid looks nothing like me?” or “My dad seems pretty young looking.” The sort of thoughts that people might have in a moment of existential crisis, but quickly discard because they realize it’s silly and that there’s no point in being paranoid. Of course, these kind of disquieting notions will only seem to grow as the days move on. People might start to question why it is they never bothered to leave Luceti Valley, why they don’t seem to know a whole lot outside of their little home town, and why certain people (NPCs) don’t seem to stand out as much as other people do.
Those who begin to openly question things like this will find that it only leads them to trouble. The police force, a quiet and sometimes ominous presence, will be only too glad to take these people to the police station, let them spend a few hours there, and be ‘relieved’ of such concerns. If these characters are successfully taken to the police station, they’ll stop having these doubts and questions... at least for a little while. But as time pressed on, the police will stop being less discreet and will start openly looking for anybody who isn’t playing their part.
And then of course, there’s the Lord Mayor himself. While the aristocracy adore him, the middle class want to be him and though the poor loathe him they can’t help but be envious; there’s no questioning his power. After all, he owns the textile factory and half the town, is the richest and most attractive man in town, has a calming effect on pets and children, and is heralded in the papers as one of the most successful businessmen in the entire world. Who else could it be but the illustrious Lord Mayor Zompano?
Indeed, this event is no experiment. It’s an invasion. The former Count has rallied his new cultist allies and managed to not only break into Luceti itself, but also ensnare its occupants with an elaborate Shift that combines the technology kept in John’s laboratory, Zompano’s telepathic abilities, and the powers of a multitude of Dream Shifters. The policemen and guards at the mental ward are not just fictional creations of a Shift, but are in fact cultists in disguise that are trying to maintain the illusion. The Third Party has not only invaded Luceti, but they’ve already won. Their end game is simple. If Zompano can keep the inhabitants pacified for two entire weeks, he’ll dominate their minds forever. After all, where else can you find the best soldiers in the world than in the Malnosso’s most prized enclosure?
Over the second half of the event, Lucetians will have to figure out what’s going on and break free of the illusion before it’s too late. Doing this will require several things:
Over the course of these last few days, characters will not regain their memories. In fact, they’ll continue to believe in the AU they are a part of, even if it is increasingly obvious that things aren’t the way they should be. It is only on the last day, after Zompano is defeated, they will remember their old lives.
However, characters will receive their powers and weapons again. Once they start to wield them, old instincts will kick in and they’ll experience a smooth learning curve as they re-master their old abilities. So in that situation, a character will be surprised they are super strong and will not only have to adjust to this change, but relearn how to properly use it. A swordsman will pick up his sword again and be surprised that the weight is agreeable to them and will seems to just be a natural when it comes to learning the weapon again. Naturally this may result in dramatic or hilarious results.
It will also be discovered that John is still in Luceti. There were already rumors of “The Mad One” that was hidden away in the asylum. These rumors will turn out to be true and there is in fact a red-skinned man being held in a secret basement, constantly being tortured for information by his jailkeeper. Someone stealthy will have to sneak into the asylum, locate him, and bring him to somewhere safe. As stated before, only a non-affected character will have a chance to save him.
So here’s a timeline of events for how the event will unfold.
Day 1 - The textile factory enters its third month on strike.
Day 2 - An ordinary day.
Day 3 - Homecoming Dance at the high school.
Day 4 - Another ordinary day.
Day 5 - The newspaper announce a tax hike aimed at the poor and working class which was approved and voted on by the aristocracy officials. This causes tensions to come to a boiling point. The Lord Mayor will have appeared to have resisted this tax increase, making him appear sympathetic.
Day 6 - Characters will begin to start questioning their reality. Those who openly question it will be temporarily detained by the police for questioning.
Day 7 - As more people begin to discuss their own existential doubts, the police become more aggressive in reining people in.
Day 8 - John will be rescued from the asylum’s secret basement where he’s been kept prisoner while being tortured for information. Although not in much shape to assist them, he will give them the instructions they need to remove the Shift blocking their powers.
Day 9 - The battle to save Luceti will begin. After removing the anti-powers Shift, they’ll need to reclaim their weapons/pets. And then from there, battle the cultists, track down the Dream Shifters, and eventually someone will come face to face with Zompano himself.
Day 10 - The altered memories will begin to break away at this point in which the characters come to grips with their true lives. The Malnosso will begin restoring the village to its previous state and things that were present in the AU will begin to disappear. By the end of the day, Luceti will appear to have never been changed at all.
And that’s it! Below you’ll find some special threads. One for Mod Questions, as always. A second thread will be for people who are still looking for family members. All you need to do is post with your character stating what you have already and what you’re looking for. After that, there will be sign up threads for finding John and defeating Zompano.
Before that, just a reminder that we’re looking for a new mod. This is a pretty big deal, because the game won’t be able to run very smoothly if we don’t get someone else on the job. So if you have what it takes, be sure to apply!
First off, here are some clarifications that came up in the Questions section on the last post.
Also, there is a map of Luceti Valley! Some things to note while looking at the map:
Now, with those points out of the way, we move on to the true purpose of the event. About halfway through this ten day event, it will become more apparent things are not quite right. People might have these strange thoughts like, “Isn’t it weird that my kid looks nothing like me?” or “My dad seems pretty young looking.” The sort of thoughts that people might have in a moment of existential crisis, but quickly discard because they realize it’s silly and that there’s no point in being paranoid. Of course, these kind of disquieting notions will only seem to grow as the days move on. People might start to question why it is they never bothered to leave Luceti Valley, why they don’t seem to know a whole lot outside of their little home town, and why certain people (NPCs) don’t seem to stand out as much as other people do.
Those who begin to openly question things like this will find that it only leads them to trouble. The police force, a quiet and sometimes ominous presence, will be only too glad to take these people to the police station, let them spend a few hours there, and be ‘relieved’ of such concerns. If these characters are successfully taken to the police station, they’ll stop having these doubts and questions... at least for a little while. But as time pressed on, the police will stop being less discreet and will start openly looking for anybody who isn’t playing their part.
And then of course, there’s the Lord Mayor himself. While the aristocracy adore him, the middle class want to be him and though the poor loathe him they can’t help but be envious; there’s no questioning his power. After all, he owns the textile factory and half the town, is the richest and most attractive man in town, has a calming effect on pets and children, and is heralded in the papers as one of the most successful businessmen in the entire world. Who else could it be but the illustrious Lord Mayor Zompano?
Indeed, this event is no experiment. It’s an invasion. The former Count has rallied his new cultist allies and managed to not only break into Luceti itself, but also ensnare its occupants with an elaborate Shift that combines the technology kept in John’s laboratory, Zompano’s telepathic abilities, and the powers of a multitude of Dream Shifters. The policemen and guards at the mental ward are not just fictional creations of a Shift, but are in fact cultists in disguise that are trying to maintain the illusion. The Third Party has not only invaded Luceti, but they’ve already won. Their end game is simple. If Zompano can keep the inhabitants pacified for two entire weeks, he’ll dominate their minds forever. After all, where else can you find the best soldiers in the world than in the Malnosso’s most prized enclosure?
Over the second half of the event, Lucetians will have to figure out what’s going on and break free of the illusion before it’s too late. Doing this will require several things:
- Locating John and freeing him, so that he can assist them in removing the Shift that blocks powers. There will be a sign up for this. Only someone who is non-affected and committed to the asylum will have a chance of hearing about him and devising a plan to rescue him.
- Freeing the animals from the zoo for those characters who will need them to fight.
- Discovering the Lord Mayor’s weapon collection that he keeps in his mansion (this is where all the character’s weapons are being kept).
- Reclaiming John’s laboratory to undo the Shifts that are at the source of this.
- Defeat the Dream Shifters that are maintaining the illusion.
- And lastly, someone to kill Zompano himself. There will also be a sign up for this.
Over the course of these last few days, characters will not regain their memories. In fact, they’ll continue to believe in the AU they are a part of, even if it is increasingly obvious that things aren’t the way they should be. It is only on the last day, after Zompano is defeated, they will remember their old lives.
However, characters will receive their powers and weapons again. Once they start to wield them, old instincts will kick in and they’ll experience a smooth learning curve as they re-master their old abilities. So in that situation, a character will be surprised they are super strong and will not only have to adjust to this change, but relearn how to properly use it. A swordsman will pick up his sword again and be surprised that the weight is agreeable to them and will seems to just be a natural when it comes to learning the weapon again. Naturally this may result in dramatic or hilarious results.
It will also be discovered that John is still in Luceti. There were already rumors of “The Mad One” that was hidden away in the asylum. These rumors will turn out to be true and there is in fact a red-skinned man being held in a secret basement, constantly being tortured for information by his jailkeeper. Someone stealthy will have to sneak into the asylum, locate him, and bring him to somewhere safe. As stated before, only a non-affected character will have a chance to save him.
So here’s a timeline of events for how the event will unfold.
Day 1 - The textile factory enters its third month on strike.
Day 2 - An ordinary day.
Day 3 - Homecoming Dance at the high school.
Day 4 - Another ordinary day.
Day 5 - The newspaper announce a tax hike aimed at the poor and working class which was approved and voted on by the aristocracy officials. This causes tensions to come to a boiling point. The Lord Mayor will have appeared to have resisted this tax increase, making him appear sympathetic.
Day 6 - Characters will begin to start questioning their reality. Those who openly question it will be temporarily detained by the police for questioning.
Day 7 - As more people begin to discuss their own existential doubts, the police become more aggressive in reining people in.
Day 8 - John will be rescued from the asylum’s secret basement where he’s been kept prisoner while being tortured for information. Although not in much shape to assist them, he will give them the instructions they need to remove the Shift blocking their powers.
Day 9 - The battle to save Luceti will begin. After removing the anti-powers Shift, they’ll need to reclaim their weapons/pets. And then from there, battle the cultists, track down the Dream Shifters, and eventually someone will come face to face with Zompano himself.
Day 10 - The altered memories will begin to break away at this point in which the characters come to grips with their true lives. The Malnosso will begin restoring the village to its previous state and things that were present in the AU will begin to disappear. By the end of the day, Luceti will appear to have never been changed at all.
And that’s it! Below you’ll find some special threads. One for Mod Questions, as always. A second thread will be for people who are still looking for family members. All you need to do is post with your character stating what you have already and what you’re looking for. After that, there will be sign up threads for finding John and defeating Zompano.
no subject
This is just majorly spitballing, but how them being fraternal twins, so that we don't need to play too much with the who's older and who's younger despite a family ollie out, and while he had trouble, she would have tried to support him, which lead to her avid interest in the 50s version of psychology... which would eventually lead to her being his nurse at the asylum, which she would have thought was for his own good.
That suits the sort of eeriely amoral but genuine love she's meant to have anyway.
no subject
If they're lower-middle class, I can definitely see why getting a job at the institution would be seen as nothing but good (probably pays well and has a lot of open hands at the entry level), especially if Heart categorizes it as merely tending to her brother. (And knowing Robert she probably manages to exert quite a bit of influence over him. I wouldn't necessarily say STEAMROLLED, as this version of Robert is tougher, but if he sees her as attached to the asylum he'd be much more willing to comply if only out of fear.)
This is obviously the best family relationship ever.
no subject
And definitely. The way I saw it the both of them had to deal with distant parents until a certain point (maybe high school?) where the parents just ollied out. Robert spirals down, and Heart spirals "up" to secure a nurse position and maybe even on the job higher education. And to care for her brother she treats him during his stint in the asylum. If we do that.
It'll be interesting for her post-event, because this sort of familial love is actually impossible for her with her real programming, so having memories of being that close to someone (particularly un-mode'd) could be fun for a long lasting relationship.
no subject
Assuming that Heart's odd emotiveness is construed to be related to Robert's condition, it's possible that neither of them were particularly close to their parents (which is an excuse to not have to worry too much about them, though I bet we can come up with something interesting anyway). All I had was that Robert's - and by extension Heart's - parents didn't really see the value in his scientific and mathematical pursuits.
Would Heart be at all concerned about Robert being single? It probably doesn't look good on his therapy charts... or does she not really care since he's also married to his job[s]?
(Also I really like the idea of them having this awkward interaction post-event where Robert has to come to terms with the feeling of having a twin sister who was actually supposed to be BIOLOGICALLY related to him. SO WEIRD.)
no subject
And agreed. I think the two of them were probably closer to each other than their parents, though we can definitely work in some tragedy/awkwardness because, you know, parental abandonment. Aaaas for Robert's singleness. Heart would probably privately not see a big deal but she's so !into~! her job, the textbook says that it's a problematic symptom of his conditions. So she would be concerned from that angle and miss entirely the hypocrisy there.
EDIT: also the most unnecessary family tree
no subject
How are they with classism? I'd assume their parents instilled something in the way of anti-nobility sentiment, but somehow I can't see Robert really understanding the reasons WHY. He just knows he's supposed to dislike them because they have more money and power than him, and he would resent those things, but all the actual emotive stuff behind the prejudices aren't obvious to him.
so basically like his prejudices beforeSo this could lead to him generally seeming less prejudiced than he should. Also being socially inappropriate with it, like bluntly commenting on it when it exists...As for their parents themselves... hmm. Likely the family has been in the lower-middle class awhile; perhaps they've had some kind of solid family history of good old-fashioned hardworking values with the occasional weirdo, and then Robert and Heart come along to throw the whole thing off-balance again. That plus all the stuff he's been through...
Also, institution history is a go! So Robert most certainly can have been in the institute as a child/young person. Possibly multiple times.
no subject
With clasism. Heart... would be in a similar boat. Probably not as prone to saying it directly, but aware but not emoting for whatever reason. Particular with her desire to go into (mental) "medicine" where she's liable to encounter at least new money. I think she would be sort of :T about old money and tax hikes and what have you.