Luceti Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lucetimods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
luceti2011-12-28 05:53 pm
lucetimods) wrote in luceti2011-12-28 05:53 pm
The Nitpicker's Guide
Some people have requested an additional guide to things that only certain people/characters would care about. Since including this information would make the FAQ obscenely tl;dr, additional details will be kept here and added onto periodically.
Disclaimer: These are not rules. These are guidelines for players who want world-specific details. PLEASE keep that in mind, and don't panic if you see something current (or recall something in the past) that doesn't coincide with this list. It's meant to be flexible and offer players more material to work with, NOT to restrict anyone. These are the official standards of the game, but we won't be griping at anyone who's done things differently in the past, since that would be silly.
If you would prefer this guide in Wikia style, it can be viewed HERE.
Topics
- Useful Links
- Details about Wings
- Barcodes
- Languages
- Journal System
- Location Details
- Weather
- Weapons/Clothes/Miscellaneous Items
- Local Shops
- Battle Dome
- Talking Animals
- Vehicles
- Children/Parenting
- Kidnapping
- Missions
- Death Penalties
- Elemental Spirits/Filial Magic
- Shifting
- Tunnels
- NPCs
- Filial of the Past
- The Third Party
- Drafts
This is a compilation of where you can find important stuff for your characters to know. Some are IC and others OOC, so pay close attention to which each entry is!
IC: The Newcomer's Guide to Luceti
IC: Albert's Guide to the Organizations and General Happenings. The community is often updated with these posts, so keep an eye out.
IC: The Welcome Center Event Calendar
IC/OOC: Resource Directory
OOC: Information on the School
OOC: Information on the SOS Brigade
OOC: Information on Brave Vesperia
OOC: Information on the Welcome Center
OOC: Weather Calendar
OOC: Timeline
Due to changes in how the roleplay works there may be some inconsistencies, but we're trying our best to ensure that everything makes sense. It will be updated periodically to keep everyone up to speed as much as possible on the plot. Keep watching it!
Back to top
The residents' wings are much like angel's wings, but substantially smaller. They're roughly 3/4 arm's length, emerging between the shoulders, from about 1/4 of the way down the back to the middle.
They fold at the center and can lie flat against the back, and can even be concealed under loose clothing. After they are attached, the wings cause pain up to around 24 hours as the body adjusts to them, and afterwards are painless as long as they're undamaged. The residents should have decent control over them after that. They are designed with the power to allow for slight hovering, not flight.
Much like birds, the feathers have varying levels of softness depending on the age of the resident. Children have softer, downy feathers, more fluffy and numerous, but shorter. Around puberty (roughly age 11-15) these feathers are exchanged for longer, stronger, and more silk-like feathers. Adults start out with such feathers, and as they physically age (past 50 or 60), the quality of color and beauty decreases over time. Immortals, or characters who don't age, will keep the feather quality they started out with. Wings grow in proportion to the growth of the body.
The wings are a delicate part of a character's health in Luceti, and as such they rarely molt or otherwise lose feathers unless they are pulled, though some light shedding may occur over time. Removing them entirely without killing the character is currently impossible. The removal of one wing causes great pain and an extensive illness until it can grow back; this usually takes five days to a week. Removing the feathers without touching the structure will sicken and/or weaken the character but will not kill them. The feathers grow back in less than a week. If both wings are removed, death is painful but immediate.
Back to top
Essentially Malnosso GPS. They allow the scientists/robots/whatnot to find people for kidnappings and keep the journals linked to the characters. As of now they cannot be removed or altered. Each barcode is programmed with a number that is unique to every character. (Think the LJ account number.)
Back to top
In Luceti, all characters are built with their own universal translator; namely, the wings. Speech, text, anything that involves language of any kind is automatically filtered through the changed physiology of the characters and translated into words. As for whether the character is naturally speaking/writing Luceti's native language or their own and simply perceives everything else as the same... use your imagination.
Sometimes bits and pieces of languages will filter through, particular if it's a well-known phrase the character uses, such as coup d'etat is sometimes used in English society. Just words and little phrases though, never full sentences. IC examples would be if Alphonse prefers to call Edward "niisan" instead of "brother", or someone with an accent might speak oddly to others.
Back to top
The journal is a mixture of complex magic and technology; it was designed as a method of secret communication for the Malnosso when the organization was still small, and eventually became the primary method of observing the effects of the experiments. A group of scientists linked them to computers, so all entries, written or voiced, are tracked by the Malnosso. Neither the village nor the surrounding area is actually observed, but this is not ICly known. There are a set amount of pages, physically, but as a character flips through it, the pages shift so that characters can backtrack to entries made before they arrived. This shift is not noticable in any way besides the fact that there are inexplicably more pages.
As a special note, since there have been numerous mix-ups: strike-out text is only available on ooc/action notations and written entries/comments, not voice posts or speech in action posts. The same rule applies to "keysmashes", though some people likely have audible equivalents.
Journal Functions
Written: Simply write what you want to have posted; drawings can also be shown on the pages. Content will appear on the network and be visible to other characters after one minute has passed without any new content to the entry being added. Comments are made in the same way.
Voice: There is a [VOICE] "button" at the top of each page; you must touch it to initiate the voice function. It can be turned off at any time. Other characters can either hear it via real-time or, at a later date/time, press on the "entry" or the "comment" with the pen (much like actual voice posts on LJ) and the entry will play.
Accidental Voice: Records and plays in real-time. Doesn't usually have a playback function. This happens sporadically, ie. whenever the player feels like revealing something the character wouldn't normally share.
Camera: Takes snapshots periodically, which serve as the character icons; each page is slotted so that the camera can view the journal user. The camera can be covered or obscured.
Call Function: At the bottom of the main entry page there is a box that contains a small image and the barcode of each resident of Luceti. Characters need only tap the image to call for the selected character's attention; said character's journal will ring periodically until it has been opened, where (in their own call box) the one that summoned them will be shown.
Links: When a character is given a "link" (ie. "Go [here] for the Guide") they are directed to the next page over, which will shift to reveal whatever entry they have been linked to.
Regarding 'Hacking'
Whenever characters have an entry or a part of an entry that they wish to lock from the rest of Luceti, they need only draw a box around what they want hidden and write "Unhackable/Locked to [Character Name]" and then either some sort of passcode, or a puzzle. The level of hackability depends on the complexity of the puzzle or passcode, which in turn depends on how much effort the character puts into making it. This is why certain entries are more hackable than others, and some are impossible to hack. Hacking takes a lot of practice and intelligence, so don't expect every character to get it immediately.
In order to hack an entry, characters must first suspect that it is locked; they must write "Hack" in the comment to reveal a passcode box or puzzle. If they are successful, the entry will be revealed; if not nothing will happen. They can then lock their own comments in the same way. Hacking must be done within a certain amount of time; the amount of time is inversely proportionate to the complexity of the lock. If it is a very complex lock, characters have less time to hack it than, say, something that is only 10% hackable.
Disclaimer: For the record, this was the official manner of hacking that Eggy and I agreed upon during our brainstorming session, but it is not by any means the only way of hacking or locking entries. Other characters have invented a number of different ways of doing it, so there really is no right or wrong way. Be as creative as you like!
Back to top
A lot of details are available on the Map/Housing post, so check that out first. The expanded info is separated into sections for your convenience.
Distances and Travel Time
From the furthest corners of the map, Luceti is 190 miles from west to east, and 85 miles north to south. Since the barrier is oval-shaped, the distance from one end to another often varies. Travel time can also vary, so here is a scaled map of the area:
(Click here to see the map full-sized.)
If you'd rather not work it out yourself, here's the time it takes to get around the area, on average. (Average being 3 miles per hour for 8 hours a day.)
From the plaza to the northern edge of the barrier: 2 days or 50 miles
From the plaza to the western edge: 2 days or 50 miles
From the plaza to the southern edge: 1 day or 30 miles
From the plaza to the red tunnel exit: 2 days or 60 miles
From the edge of the mountain to the beach: 5 days or 60 miles (6 miles high + 50 miles wide = approx. 60 miles; travel time is lengthy due to the precarious climb, as the mountain is extremely difficult to scale without proper equipment)
From the tunnel exit/mountain across the ocean to the eastern edge: 65 miles (no attempt to cross it has been made yet)
The village itself is only about 1 square mile overall; one can traverse the entire village in a few hours, and it only takes a few hours to reach the southern lake.
For those who can fly, they'll find that they can only reach a height of about 10 miles before they hit the top of the barrier. If you're inclined to try and dig under it, it runs about 30-40 feet deep, but... the Malnosso have ways of preventing that, so expect some interference there. It's been tried before.
Village
The village is a quiet little collection of sturdy but old-school farmhouses and brick apartment buildings. There are also a number of shops surrounding a plaza, run by either players or unnamed/unplayed NPCs. The village has a homey look to it, meant to be a close community rather than a vast city. It sort of resembles this:
There's a few buildings built by citizens scattered here and there, as well as shops within established buildings. Most of these should be labeled on the Map/Housing post, so if you happen to build something or decide you want to run a shop, be sure to let a mod know.
The houses have electricity, so they have lights, electric stoves, and an upgraded icebox. There is a fireplace to keep the houses warm when necessary, indoor plumbing, and a water heater. They all come fully furnished and remain that way whether they're occupied or not, but if characters want to switch out or get new furniture, they can find some at the item bazaar.
Self-Repairing
The houses, buildings and other elements of the environment are generally programmed to self-repair when extensive damage is incurred. If the characters take it upon themselves to repair damage, of course the "system" might not get around to it. Basically if a wall is torn down, it'll remain as such for a couple days until -quite suddenly- the wall will exist again. More extensive damage -like a house burning down- would take a little more time in that sections of the house will appear over the course of a few days or so until the building is once again as it was before destruction.
Any structures built by the residents of Luceti, however, are not repaired when damaged. The barracks are a good example of this; should anything happen to that building, it wouldn't be repaired by the system.
Forests
...THERE ARE TREES. The species sort of vary with no particular organization; there's evergreens mixed with deciduous, tiny saplings mixed with ancient giants. They are exceptionally fast-growing, with a tendency to sprout a few inches or feet in the dark or when no one is watching, though they don't grow to excessive sizes. It's quite remarkable, really - and lucky, considering how often Luceti is damaged by one disaster or another.
The forest is also populated by a variety of creatures; birds, mammals, insects, whatever's normal in a number of regions. Bears, foxes, wild boars, mosquitoes, raccoons, robins, fish... lots of critters to pick from. They're wild, but on the same level as animals that live around, say, a campsite; they usually stick to the woods, but see humans so often they're normally unimpressed and often bold, if not outright friendly and helpful. Don't mistake them for pets, though. That takes much more work.
Speaking of pets, characters can occasionally find strays around the village, somewhat tamed animals such as cats or dogs, and manage to convince them to follow them home. They're easier to tame than forest wildlife.
Mountain
The mountains on the eastern side of the village are tall, jagged, and awfully precarious to climb unless one has the proper equipment. The mountain is comprised of a number of different rock types, varying in age, strength, and hardness, and a determined person might be able to harvest metals and elements from it, if they look hard enough. There is also a series of caves, not necessarily all connected, but scattered across the entire mountainside. They vary in length and size, which offers players the freedom to explore with few restrictions. There might be some crystals in the caverns, too. Go nuts!
There is an empty Malnosso structure in the mountains, with the look of something that has been abandoned for a long time. There are several cells inside, with chains attached to the wall. In a large room towards the center of the building, there is a room with a few dusty tables and large, rusted machinery; a console that is built into a wall and a tank, large enough for a full grown man to fit inside. The console's monitor is empty and dead, and the electricity that once ran through the building is long gone, a rusted, busted generator locked up in a room deeper inside. While pieces of the more simple parts (gears, wires and the like) can be salvaged, anything computerized is too damaged to be used properly.
Lakes/Rivers
For each of the lakes, the temperature varies depending on season, but they're usually between 65-80 degrees F in spring and summer, and between 32-55 degrees F (0-13 C) for the rest of the year, colder when frozen.
The western lake is about 10 miles across; it takes several hours (on average) to walk the perimeter. The deepest point is approximately 50 feet, the average depth overall is 25-35 feet, with low depth for about 10-15 feet from the shore before the water level starts to drop. The shoreline has about five feet of sand-and-rock beach before the water starts, and there is a dock on the east side, close to where the river joins the lake. It's safe to dive off of, and there are several small cliff edges around the perimeter (ranging from 5-25 feet high) for cliff-diving.
This lake is totally frozen over (safe for skating and such) in approximately mid-December and is fully thawed by March.
The southern lake is about 5 1/2 miles across; it takes an hour or two to walk the perimeter. The deepest point is 40 feet but the overall average is closer to 20 feet, with low depth for about 10 feet from the shore before the water level starts to drop. The shoreline has about twenty feet of sandy beach on the northern edge, and primarily rocky terrain around the remaining perimeter. There is a dock close to the lake house.
This lake is frozen over by the first week of December and thaws by February.
The size of the river running through Luceti varies depending on location, but typically the statistics are as follows: 10-15 feet wide, 5-8 feet deep. The river usually flows slowly and steadily through the village from the mountain source to the two lakes. Despite the fact that it only flows in one direction, the lakes never overflow, nor does the mountain spring drain.
The mountain lake is about the same size of the southern lake, but there are no beaches; it's strictly surrounded by rocks, and it's not easy to get to by any means unless you know the route well enough. The lake is a great deal deeper than the others, however; unnaturally so. The center of the lake is seemingly bottomless. This lake never freezes over due to the depth and the proximity of the hot spring. It's usually a comfortable temperature regardless of season.
There is a hot spring located within half a mile of the mountain lake. It's not very well known; since it's primarily under the mountainside it stays out of sight and isn't often used due to its hard-to-reach location. The spring itself is soothing, warm, and clean at all times of the year, and the water has some curative properties. There is a small stream connecting the mountain lake to the hot spring.
Currently there is a teleporter that goes directly to the hot spring, and a bathhouse has been built.
Ocean
Beyond the mountain is a sandy beach for a mile or less; after that is a saltwater ocean that goes as far as the eye can see, well beyond the limits of the barrier. The ocean is fairly nondescript and self-explanatory at the moment; it's big, it's deep (500 ft farther out), it has some interesting ocean creatures, much like any other.
At the very edge of the ocean (before the barrier, that is), the former desert temple is now miles and miles under the surface. No doubt that it'll become an underwater castle for the fish before long.
More details will be added to this section as they become available.
Back to top
The Weather Calendar (as linked above) shows Luceti's monthly weather schedule. For those who want more details:
All temperatures are in Fahrenheit due to the majority of players who use it; a converter for Celcius is here.
What this means:
AV = Average temperature; this is approximately what the weather is like on unmarked days.
MIN = Minimum temperature; this is roughly the coldest the weather gets. In all seasons this is the weather marked dark/light blue or brown on the calendar.
MAX = Maximum temperature; the hottest the weather gets. In warmer seasons this is the weather marked orange on the calendar.
SNOW = Whether or not it snows that month, obviously!
INCH = How many inches of snow a typical snowfall gets (marked brown on the calendar). Light snow (marked dark blue) is half that amount. An Imperial to metric converter is here.
| MONTH | AV | MIN | MAX | SNOW | INCH |
| Jan | 5 | -20 | 20 | Y | 4 |
| Feb | 15 | 5 | 50 | Y | 2 |
| Mar | 50 | 30 | 60 | N | - |
| Apr | 60 | 40 | 70 | N | - |
| May | 70 | 60 | 75 | N | - |
| Jun | 75 | 60 | 85 | N | - |
| Jul | 85 | 75 | 100 | N | - |
| Aug | 85 | 75 | 95 | N | - |
| Sep | 70 | 60 | 75 | N | - |
| Oct | 50 | 30 | 25 | N | - |
| Nov | 25 | 5 | 50 | y | 4 |
| Dec | 5 | -15 | 40 | Y | 4 |
Back to top
Characters can find their own specific weapons and/or items (ie. whatever they might have been using prior to their arrival) in the weapon shop or the item bazaar, respectively. Any weapons/items with certain unnatural powers (ie. changing time or their environments) will have been stripped of said powers and reduced to that of their normal, every day counterpart. Most of these items will be handled on a case-by-case basis, depending on what powers they possess. For example, magic wands or the pins from The World Ends With You still work, but Link's ocarina would not change time, though it could still play prettiful music.
As stated in the FAQ, character's clothes are brought to Luceti with them; they can appear with the character upon arrival or in the clothing shop within a few days. Clothes are either left unaltered or cut to provide holes for the wings as per the players wishes.
If you have a specific article of clothing or item that you are not sure will work or is even allowed, please ask a mod.
Back to top
A list of shops are available here, in the Housing Post. To expand on the summaries above-
Weapon Shop: Weapons! Duh. A character's main weapon should arrive within a few days of their arrival; if they have more than one weapon type (ie. Link having an entire army's worth of tools he uses to pwn things), they should wait a bit longer for others to arrive, if they come at all. Don't go crazy, but if you feel you need those other weapons, then feel free to have it arrive at some point. See the section above for more details on weapons.
Clothing Shop: Clothes! Also duh. Typically what a character finds here is whatever outfit they were wearing when they were brought to Luceti's world. If it was damaged, it should be repaired; if it was ruined, it would be replaced. If you want your character to get something different, then unless it's a specialty outfit that they shouldn't have, then it's probably okay for them to have it. On occasion, depending on how long the character has been in Luceti, other outfits or accessories they owned previously might also arrive in Luceti. There's also a good chunk of general clothing types, generic outfits of varying fashion from all kinds of worlds. In other words, feel free to use your own creativity in regards to what your character finds in the shop.
Grocery Shop: Food! More duh. We've had a few questions about what's here, so in short: think of an average, every day grocery store, and remove any food that requires something specific like a microwave/toaster/blender to make it. For the most part, it's just generic meal-making foodstuffs. Occasionally something weird or world-specific might show up (like a character finding flan cake, Pocky, or molepig steak) but it's usually normal every-world food.
Item Bazaar: This shop is for anything that doesn't fit into the categories of the other shops. Items such as household objects, building supplies and tools, furniture, craft supplies, climbing equipment, to list a few, are organized into small sections throughout the store. Pretty much anything that isn't technological or overly complex can probably be found there; just remember that this is a simple village without a lot of resources, so don't go crazy. There are no electronic appliances and no vehicles. There's also no curative items from other worlds (potions, gels, stuff like that); Luceti has the clinic and herbal remedies for most illnesses, plus the healing magic.
Player-run Shops:
There are a number of buildings that are handled by characters who requested them for a specific purpose; again, these are listed in the housing post. If a building becomes free for whatever reason, please consult a mod about claiming it. If we think it's a necessary or useful shop idea, feel free to go about implementing your idea ICly, though you might want to wait a little while before doing so- your character might not notice immediately that the building is free, after all! Have no fear, though; once you've talked to a mod and have been approved, the building is yours, so take your time with it.
If there are no buildings free, sorry, you're out of luck. You can, however, try to recruit people to help you build a place of your own, or just run a shop out of your own house or apartment. If your character manages this, feel free to drop a note on the housing post about it, and if it's still around next time the map is edited, we can add it in.
A list of the player-run shops can be found on the Map and Housing post.
Back to top
The Battle Dome is a large spherical dome that was gifted to the Luceti inhabitants as a reward for the success in the Infiltration plot in October in the 4th cycle (2010). It provides holographic enemies for the inhabitants to practice against, as well as a medical center for treating patients.
Layout of the inner dome
The Dome is separated into six separate chambers. These are self contained rooms with impenetrable walls protected by powerful Shifts (so no, not even Superman can dent the insides of them). On their own, the chambers just appear to be empty rooms with steel bolted walls. When activated, they can simulate any environment from any universe that is currently in play in the game. This means if both Link from the Legend of Zelda series and Master Chief from the Halo series are both present, that means our spartan can go to Hyrule and run around bombing dodongos.
The chambers are activated by a central console in the center area of the dome. From here, characters can pick a scenario from a list of options, using either a touch screen or by voice command. An audio tutorial is also available for the most basic of functions. More advanced options can be found to customize scenarios with the following options:
Of note, once a scenario is started, it can never be altered while running. This means that if Jane is running around killing vampires in her favorite scenario, Joe cannot alter the running scenario to include werewolves, higher gravity, and so forth. Each scenario is limited to one hour in length. After a scenario is ended, a character can simply return to the center console and resume where they left off by reactivating the program.
The Battle Dome is capable of simulating other occupants from Luceti. However, these simulated characters are based on observable behavior by the Malnosso. In effect, if you want to see how your character stacks up against Superman, you will need to speak to Superman's mun and find out how much of the simulation will be able to replicate his behavior. So if Bob has some secret power to blow up goats with his mind that has never been used in Luceti, the scenario will not simulate Bob using this power, no matter how many goats are present.
The Dome is not necessarily limited to combat and it is possible now to disable enemies from appearing in a scenario. This means the Dome can be used for recreational purposes. A new function also allows it to recreate vehicles to be used as well. More advanced scenarios can also be created for the purpose of developing and testing technologies, which is especially useful for those unable to find the components in Luceti to construct their inventions.
A viewing area exists in the central area, on a second floor. From there, characters can see through one way glass that will show scenarios currently in use. Vending machines are available, that dispense anything from candy bars, sports drinks, to healing items like potions and gels. Of note, healing items are only available in their weakest form. These items cannot be removed from the dome and will simply vanish upon leaving (unless they're being digested). The viewing area features some rather bland decor, such as fake trees, benches, and so forth.
Medical Center
The Medical Center is a two floor hospital ward intended by the Malnosso for the treating of injuries in the Battle Dome. It is currently used as an alternative to the Clinic and is headed by Dr. Trafalgar Law. The Medical Center features facilities comparable to a modern 21st century hospital, with much of the same technology available for use. It is kept stocked with common drugs for treatment, as well as any additional medications required for unique canon-specific diseases. Of note, any of the technology avaialble in the center will, upon leaving the dome, cease to operate, no matter how good of a technician a character is or how much electricity is provided. They will only operate within the medical center's walls.
Back to top
In Luceti, characters can speak with the local creatures! Most of the animals talk, and some characters have even spoken to fish. Insects are generally too small to be heard, though characters who are tiny might hear them.
They're generally simple-minded, and their personalities are fairly non-descript. Characters can try to befriend them if they wish, and some can be tamed enough to keep as pets, but remember these are wild animals, not domestics like you might be used to. Also, their voices cannot be understood over the journal; anyone trying to communicate with them will only hear their natural noises. Additionally, animals who don't usually make sounds will be either silent or very quiet and will not speak often.
Back to top
Vehicles are not permitted in Luceti; character vehicles will not appear in any shops, nor are parts available for building any. The setting just doesn't suit big machinery like cars and the like. You wouldn't get very far without an ATV or something, anyway, especially with the state of the mountain.
Smaller vehicles, like skateboards or bicycles, can be built if characters have the ability or someone to ask to do it. They may also be redeemed by performing missions.
Back to top
So, let's say Character X and Character Y have hooked up and are looking to start a family. Or, perhaps, you're feeling particularly sadistic and Character X happens to get pregnant. The Malnosso encourage natural Filial reproduction, ie. babymaking. Thus, character breeding is allowed. However, there are some rules. There are also guidelines for both potential parents to follow.
Rules
1) You must be a Luceti resident for 6 months and be reasonably active.Since having a child is a big commitment - it involves two characters and two players that must choose ahead of time to do this - you can't just do it on a whim. If one of the parents are dropped, there would obviously be serious repercussions and consequences involved, so it's not a decision to be taken lightly.
2) Think it through. As mentioned above, a baby is a big commitment. It changes the lives of the parent characters as well as their social contacts - someone will have to watch the baby, feed the baby, change the baby, etc. It affects the community as a whole and limits what your characters can do within the community. For example, a great deal of Stella's life revolves around caring for Sophie. Think carefully before deciding to give your characters a child.
3) The baby is an original character. It doesn't really matter when it's still young, but when it grows old enough to become coherent and speak clearly and concisely (if the characters last that long) it becomes a separate character and will be taken into consideration for character limits in applications. Keep this in mind as well - infants eventually become active little kids.
4) Talk to us first. Players must contact a head mod and receive permission before anything is decided upon.
5) Luceti-born children are, for the most part, exempt from all Malnosso-run experimentation. Now and then an anomaly happens, but they are few and far between. (This was altered from the original rules for plot purposes, but shouldn't affect anything.)
Guidelines
- Filial pregnancies last for 3 months, or roughly 12 weeks.
- Signs of pregnancy (ie. morning sickness) appear after about a week or two.
- Symptoms may vary depending on the race of the parents, but for simplicity's sake, they match well with a normal human pregnancy.
- Infants are born with wings; the color must be decided upon prior to birth. It's usually either a combination of or derived from the parents' wing colors.
Back to top
Playfully dubbed "mallynapping" by most of the players, a kidnapping occurs when the Malnosso decide to individually capture and experiment on a character at their facilities outside the barrier. This is often used as a method of explaining a character's absence during a hiatus, or to create a player plot, or just to give players and their characters something to do. Kidnappings can be public (the kidnapping is seen by other characters or accidentally posted to the journal system) or secret (the character disappears and others notice, but it is not posted to the network). When a character is kidnapped, they are taken away by the bots, programmed to target a specific villager's barcode.
The scientists developed advanced, nigh-indestructable robots to kidnap residents for the sake of experimentation. They are fast, dangerous, and exceptionally strong. Often the victims are drugged in some way to weaken them; some are just physically overpowered or knocked out. They appear and disappear without warning and do not speak; often they're not even seen by other residents of the village unless said villagers are close to the target of the kidnapping at the time. While it is possible for one or two of them to be defeated by the strongest of characters, the scientists usually send an ample amount to take care of business; any CPUs of destroyed units are collected by the other droids before leaving. They generally can't be tampered with, and certainly not hacked into; you'd be extremely lucky to get that close without capture, and they wouldn't allow it for long.
If there is more than one person present around the target, the droids will incapacitate the other individuals if they put up a fight. Otherwise, they generally ignore anything that isn't their target.
Recently, the Malnosso have unveiled a new version of the droids. These are exceptionally rare and typically only used in plot-related events, but they may be deployed for kidnapping exceptionally powerful characters. These 'Mk II' droids are able to duplicate the abilities of previously kidnapped characters. Beyond being stronger and faster than normal droids, they are capable of rapidly repairing themselves, making them completely unstoppable.
What to expect during a kidnapping:
-The facilities are underground, in a protected area outside the barrier. It is impossible to escape.
-Characters are typically held in some sort of cell or cage, separated from any others, though if several characters are kidnapped at the same time it's possible that they might be able to speak with one another across the hallway, if both players are in agreement.
-The experimentation takes place in rooms much like the tunnel laboratories, only clean, well-lit, and manned by multiple Malnosso. Said Malnosso are humanoid in shape, typically, and often hide their wings beneath lab coats for the sake of sanitation - no shedding feathers on the lab floor (unless it's the character, of course). For the same reason they wear headcaps and masks, hiding most of their faces. Their voices are muffled, and they speak only to themselves and each other, very rarely if ever conversing with the subject of experimentation.
-Subjects are often drugged and under the influence of the same power cap that exists in the Luceti tunnels; all powers, abilities, super strength, etc. will be supressed unless for whatever reason the Malnosso want to test it. More often than not they prefer to play it safe.
-Malnosso can do lots of things to characters, sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently, though keep in mind that if you choose a permanent condition and wish to revoke it later, it might not be so easy. Experimentation includes but is not limited to:
- Tolerance for pain/torture
- Healing ability
- Blood tests
- Drug testing
- Comparison between species/couples/siblings/etc.
- Sensory deprivation (the removal of a sense, temporarily or persistently
- Power measurement
- Mental probing (such as digging through a subject's memories or something similar)
- Transformation
- Battle recruitment
There's plenty more that could be added to the list, but it would take forever to note it all. If you have any questions or ideas about what might happen but you're not sure if it's allowed, feel free to ask a mod.
When the character is returned to the village, they are dumped at a random location relatively close to the village (or occasionally within it). They can be in whatever condition you prefer (hurt or perfectly fine, conscious, unconscious, with residual effects or no effects whatsoever, etc.); players have a great deal of freedom in regards to kidnapping.
For the record, you have no obligations whatsoever to put a lot of detail into your character's kidnapping, experimentation, or return, nor are you obligated to have them kidnapped at all. These are just a handful of options that are available for those who want to expand upon their experiences. There is no set length of time a kidnapping has to be, either; it can be as short or as long as you require, provided it doesn't go beyond the 2-month rule for hiatuses (unless special permission is granted).
Back to top
Due to the nature of the missions, characters will have access to parts of the world of the Malnosso previously only glimpsed or mentioned in previous dealings. Information is very important to both the Malnosso and the inhabitants of Luceti. Due to the sensitivity of information control, the Malnosso will be careful to keep volunteers from discovering too much about the open world. But they can't hide everything. So what ensues will be the sorts of things your characters can expect to hear, see, and discover while operating on missions.
Note: You do not have to know all of this! The information below is for the purpose of enhancing and elaborating on mission details for people who want to play with the concept. If you are not interested in dealing with the complexities of it, then you are free to handwave the details. If you would like your character to go on a mission and not remember the details, then you may choose to have them not remember any details of the mission. Such a consequence would be the result of a character 'finding out too much' and having their memories erased.
Foremost, when operating in non-combat areas, characters will be accompanied by a 'handler', a friendly and helpful droid that will instruct characters on their tasks, guide them to designated areas, and limit their ability to wander from their posts and interact with civilians. The droids will never use force, at most they will step in front of a character and encourage them to desist from doing any unauthorized activities. If a character is warned by a droid three times to desist in a particular behavior, they will send a signal to have the situation dealt with. In populated areas, this will generally involve local security forces to arrive and detain the subject using nonlethal means. More powerful volunteers will be placed in a Shift that will disable powers so they can be captured.
Often the Malnosso will send Luceti subjects on missions where they will be cooperating with inhabitants from other domes similar to Luceti. Consequently, these people are under similar conditions to the Lucetians and will talk openly with their fellow volunteers. Notably what will come to light is that these domes are smaller than Luceti, exist at various levels of technology (many being similar to how Luceti was pre-electricity), but none will be quite well off as Luceti. Although their populations will be diverse, these people will be less 'impressive' subjects and even their fighters will seem average compared to what can be found in Luceti. In relation to their own history, the domes will vary in how long they have existed, some having been around for ten years and some being only months old. Some will have already participated in drafts and experiments, but most will speak of having experienced failure on drafts and that experiments are generally infrequent. On a whole, subjects from non-Luceti enclosures will be markedly less impressive than the current Luceti population. However they will be suited for whatever task they might be encountered on. A character going on a combat mission might be accompanied by a space marine, a police officer, or wizard.
As for what makes up the other enclosures, these will be a fair mix of characters from other worlds. For simplicity's sake, characters will never encounter people from worlds not currently represented in Luceti by an existing character. However, they will never meet characters that show up on screen in a canon. These will be be semi-average, ordinary people from various worlds that nobody in Luceti will personally know. If your character happens to be world famous, they might recognize your character, but the Malnosso will rarely pair up Luceti volunteers with other inhabitants from their own world. So for example, if LInk was to go on a mission, he might notice one of his allies on an assignment happens to be using alchemy and if prompted, the NPC might have heard of the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' named Edward Elric, despite never meeting him in person.
Among other things, other enclosure inhabitants will not be as knowledgeable about the state of the world. Although they will recognize mention of the eccentric 'blue man' (Biliruben), they won't know him by Bil or Catherine. You may consequently expect to hear them using a large variety of feminine names, depending on the enclosure they are from. They will have no idea what had happened to him recently and there will be mixed feelings about the different Malnosso currently in contact with their enclosures. They will know nothing of "The Great One" or death penalty removals, nor have very much information on the history of the Malnosso. In extreme and rare cases, some inhabitants may mention their enclosures being raided by Third Party soldiers, with many of the inhabitants being taken and never returned, sometimes frequently. It will be up to the discretion of the individual characters on how much they feel like sharing with their fellow captives.
Subjects may also sometimes come across civilians, either in passing or due to being assigned to rescue them. They will be more talkative than members of the Malnosso organization, but they will be wary about sharing information. In general, many will be in the dark about the extent of the Luceti project or current affairs within the organization. Some may express pity for those being held in enclosures, while others will express jealousy or outright hatred for being 'so well protected'. Luceti subjects in general will be treated with a small amount of admiration due to their reputation in regards to victories over the Third Party and advances made in Shifting due to them. Like above, civilians may come from all manners of different worlds, but all of them will have either been born on this world or have existed on the world for multiple life cycles. (Life cycles meaning that they have died of old age and been restored to the age they first arrived to the world at).
When on combat-oriented missions, characters will have a member of the Security Forces leading their team. These will be experienced soldiers that will reveal little about themselves or the Malnosso if pressed for information. As above, they too fall under the same criteria in regards to coming from various different worlds. Thus you may encounter a Security Officer with Hylian pointed ears, or Ishvalan white hair with red eyes. Despite this, they will be strict and stick only to the mission, not fraternizing or volunteering information, even under torture. They will be prepared for other methods of information gathering (such as telepathy) depending on who is sent with them and have methods of resisting it. In extreme situations of a character attempting to take hostages or escape, the Malnosso may take extreme measures, including dangerous long range Shifts that might kill the entire group. Consequently, Luceti subjects may find it easier to simply participate as they agreed to do.
One unique mission for Luceti subjects is Research. As exciting as this might sound, the Malnosso will generally be requesting for characters to index books, scrolls, computer files, and so on collected from other worlds. These may include a vast array of topics ranging from the history of the Earth Kingdom during Avatar Kyoshi's time to potion-making books normally found in Hogwarts or a comprehensive bestiary of creatures found near Nibelheim. In general these will be subjects that will likely not prove to be terribly useful once back in Luceti. We expect people to exercise common courtesy in what kinds of information their characters are tasked to research. For instance, if you would like your character to go and research the Oak family history, it's expected that you would go and talk to the players or someone playing someone in the Oak family line in order to make sure they are okay with that information being discovered (and what kind of information they might access).
On Recon missions, characters will be sent to spy on the Third Party (and later, other entities). In regards to the Third Party, volunteers will have a chance to see them in peaceful situations. Although they can be understood, these are a people who do not speak or write without need and when they do, their meanings are hidden beneath metaphors and riddles specific to their culture and beliefs. Though it will be important to remember or record these phrases, it will be difficult or impossible to figure out their meaning without context, thus characters will be unlikely to ever obtain information meaningful to the people of Luceti, though the Malnosso will have experts capable of capitalizing on the information. Should the Third Party discover they are being spied on, they will attack ruthlessly. Volunteers will be provided with means to cause self-termination if they are caught, thus preventing volunteers from being sacrificed.
IC: Malnosso Information Post | Recurring Missions | Unique Missions | CJ's Announcement ]]
Back to top
There have been numerous questions as to what is an appropriate choice for character deaths and the penalties that result from said demises. To make things simpler and hopefully help players out, here's a list of guidelines for it:
1) Be sure to choose a Death Penalty and clear it with a mod before your character is killed! Your penalty has to be approved, and we like to know what's going on when there's a character death.
2) Be careful to pick a Death Penalty you can live with for a long time! The minimum before you can have the penalty removed is four months, so make sure you pick something that isn't too much of a hassle, like, for example, perpetually broken kneecaps or something.
3) We've had a variety of death penalties in the past, and while we encourage players to be creative and choose one to suit their character or their own needs, here is a list of some of the death penalties we've had in the past in case you need help with choosing one.
- Loss of certain abilities/powers
- Memory loss (Short term, selective)
- Full or partial loss of senses (sight, hearing, voice, taste, touch)
- Color blindness
- Loss of sense of temperature
- Loss of feeling in limbs
- Loss of a transformed state (eg. werewolf unable to change into wolf form)
- Inability to digest solids
This is by no means a complete list, nor are the penalties limited to this.
The process for removing a Death Penalty can be somewhat long at times, but we try to take care of them as quickly as possible when it's important. Here is how it's done, step by step:
1) Post here and supply the necessary information. Make sure you qualify for the process first.
2) The character must contact the NPC John; they can do this by tagging this entry here or calling him out directly on the journal system. You can also have this process handwaved, so long as you post to the OOC sign-up page. A date for their special kidnapping will be arranged oocly with a mod, and you're free to have your character kidnapped. Please contact Akai (guynophobic on AIM, or use the other contact info on Luceti's profile page) if you have questions. A removal can't be arranged unless it's scheduled, for the sake of keeping track of things, so the most important step is signing up via the OOC post linked in #1.
3) The character should be returned from their kidnapping after about 3-4 days, though it's alright for them to stay longer if you're going to be on hiatus or something. Side effects may appear for a short while (more or less a week, but there is no set amount), but after they wear off the character is right as rain! As for what they might be, they are typically related to the penalty itself (eg. a character whose penalty was blindness might have trouble seeing for a while) but they are not required or mod-specified, so feel free to get creative, within reason.
4) If for some reason your character has two or more Death Penalties, only one can be removed at a time; ICly it's a delicate process. You can, however, pick which one will be removed, provided the character has had each for four months or more. Once the first penalty has been removed, you can start the process all over again whenever you like, though you may have to wait a while before John's willing to fix the next penalty.
Back to top
Luceti has a number of elemental spirits with whom the residents can meet and learn magic from. They are invisible to the eye and are felt, rather than properly met. Each spirit has a different personality and power, and characters must meet certain requirements in order to gain their power. Currently the spirits residing in Luceti are:
Nala - Healing Alignment: good.
Works as the standard RPG healing magic usually goes, sans any revival spells; wounds, broken bones and most poisons can be addressed. The magic can affect any character- the one casting it, or others around them. The spirit to communicate with is called Nala. She’s generally kind, warm and upbeat, but as all the other spirits, has no physical form. She is easy to learn from, and eager to share her knowledge with the villagers. She can be heard pretty much anywhere. It only takes about two weeks to get a decent grip on healing magic, shorter if you have a teacher who has already mastered it. Despite her "good" alignment, Nala's magic isn't limited to only inherently "good" characters; she cannot sense or feel evil, so a cruel or evil character could learn magic from her by faking "good" characteristics while they interact with her. If she witnessed their true nature, the bond would be broken and they would have to earn back her trust, but she's also very forgiving. Basically it takes more work and some caution, but it's possible.
Some players have expressed concerns about how powerful the healing spells are. It depends on several things- the wishes of both players, the abilities of the healer, and the severity of whatever is being healed. If a strong healer tries to heal the injury of a character whose player wants them to stay wounded for a while, the healer's ability to heal it will be dampened. Basically, the wounded character has control over how much the healing magic will affect their character. Usually the Filial healing magic doesn't fix bloodloss, though, so keep that in mind.
Eferin - Fire Alignment: neutral.: Create light and heat; nothing as drastic as summoning a fireball the size of a tank, but it can be disastrous if used improperly. The spirit of fire is Eferin (“eh-feh-rin”). He’s impulsive and very picky; usually your character will not be able to learn from him unless he or she already has an affinity to fire. He is heard most clearly in the forest, and takes at least a month to grasp the basics.
Sona - Water Alignment: neutral.: Pulls the water from the air, manipulates shape and temperature/density. Again -like fire- nothing like pulling forth a tidal wave, but definitely enough to soak someone if your character is feeling mischievous. The spirit of water is Sona(“soh-nah”). She’s cool and collected, and can be a little snobby. She’s not nearly as picky as Eferin, but again if your character has an affinity to water, they will pick up much more quickly. Obviously heard best when near or in bodies of water. It takes two to three weeks to control water magic.
Kipinn - Wind Alignment: neutral.: Control breezes up to the occasional gust; yet again, no tornados or typhoons, just a rush of air. Manipulates the air around the user, but doesn’t create it. Can also affect sound, if the user has enough control over the air to alter the vibrations; mute sounds, throw them farther away. Create sounds with enough practice, but it’s exceedingly difficult. The magic isn't enough to make a character fly, but it can boost their speed a little, with practice. The spirit of wind calls himself Kipinn (“key-pin”). He’s playful and quick to take to people, and very friendly. His “voice” is the loudest near or on the mountains. It only takes around a week to master the art of wind.
Tsinku - Electricity Alignment: neutral: Control the combined energies of heat and light kinetically; direct lightning, harness it from the natural elements. Higher level users can create electricity, but it is very difficult, and very draining on the user as it utilizes one’s own energy. The spirit of electricity is known as Tsinku (“sin-koo”) and is brash, headstrong but extremely intelligent and quick to respect people that catch his attention. He is most readily heard in wide, open areas with plenty of room to move about freely. It takes around three or four weeks to form a decent enough relationship with him to learn mid-level electrical magic.
Faeren - Earth Alignment: neutral: Connect with the plant life and feel the ebb and flow of life within the land. Can move/raise mounds of earth and rocks from the ground, but not to hover in the air or anything like that. Can manipulate the growth of plants to some degree; heal plant life (such as crops or flowers) but cannot accelerate the growth process. The spirit of earth calls herself Faeren (“fair-en”) and is very, very soft and timid, when first spoken to. However, her voice is the most easily heard, constantly available as long as your character is outside and standing on the ground. It doesn’t take long to get to the “awareness and rock-raising” part of the powers, but being able to cultivate plants and heal them from illness takes at least three or four weeks of practice.
Hyt - Light Alignment: neutral: Manipulate light to either recede or grow. The art of controlling light is a very complicated one; the spirit is fairly quiet, and difficult to hear even when in direct sunlight. The powers can increase shade or manipulate available sunlight to be a little brighter. There is not enough power to say, blind an opponent permanently with a flash of light, but there is enough to stun. Also, for more skilled users of light, illusions or "drawings" can be created by bending and refracting the light around an object so that it appears altered to the viewer. The spirit of light is referred to as Hyt (“height”), and can barely be heard as even a whisper, even when in direct sunlight. It takes at least a month to even communicate enough to earn Hyt’s trust, and it (for it is genderless) will be reluctant to teach anyone.
Twila - Darkness Alignment: chaotic neutral: Manipulate shadows to either recede or grow. The art of controlling shadows, like light, is also a very complicated one. It is among the easiest spirits to contact, rivalling even Nala in its desire to contact others. Even from an early stage, characters will be able to exert moderate control over shadows and darkness. The more they strengthen their relationship with the spirit, this control will grow to include the ability to cloak themselves in darkness, hide objects from sight, and stalk stealthily over a battlefield. The better communion the character and Twila ("twai-la") have, the more potent the power will be - but it comes with a heavy price. Unlike other spirits, forging a pact with it will come with a considerable physical toll such as: degrading constitution, weakened immune systems, loss of acuity or focus. Once characters reach past levels of intermediate friendliness with Twila, they will develop sensitivities (soon bordering on allergies) to one other element of the player’s choice. Examples include finding themselves unreasonably sensitive to sunlight, uncomfortable with the feel of water on their skin, reluctant to go outside on windy days, being incapable of tolerating even moderate heat, unable to use the village's electricity, or being unable to go barefoot on the naked earth. These sensitivities can manifest themselves in a variety of ways, so once your character reaches the point of gaining a sensitivity please contact a mod and clear your idea beforehand.
Finally, we would like to stress that learning from Twila does not come with any personality changes. Although the spirit is opportunistic, conniving, and self-serving, your character will not suddenly be drawn to the dark side. These drawbacks are physical only -- though the drawbacks themselves may inspire concern, fear, or uncertainty for your characters.
General Spirit Information
'Contacting' the spirits doesn't mean actual, verbal communication with them; plain and simple, the spirits don't talk at all. Communication is more of a vague experience involving feelings, emotions, and mental images if applicable. Characters can speak with the spirits, but the responses they might get would vary in emotion and the level of willlingness to be helpful. For example, Nala might send the character feelings of approval, eagerness, and kindness. Eferin might be more brash and easily irritated, his emotions apt to flaring out and changing on a whim. Additionally, the spirit's overall 'feeling' can also be associated with their element; Kipinn might make you feel like the wind is blowing when it's not, Hyt might make you squint now and then, etc.
Since the spirits don't talk, they obviously can't offer up any information about the nature of Luceti, or even how to get in their good graces; much of the learning curve is based on trial-and-error and the info provided by those in the village who have mastered the magic already.
If a character doesn't contact a particular spirit now and then, it's possible that their connection - and as such, their proficiency with that element - could wane, perhaps even sever. This is purely optional (the spirits are either fickle or quick to forgive), but if this were to happen, a simple reacquaintence is all it would take to reconnect. It wouldn't take nearly as long to relearn everything as the first time did, unless of course the spirit is unhappy about your character losing touch. This is more likely to happen to characters from canons that lack magic, but it's not restricted or limited to just them, obviously.
As said above, severed connections are an optional thing for people looking for something to do, and can be ignored.
How The Magic Works
Generally we give people the freedom to determine how powerful the spells are, and at which level they're at between the day they start and the day they master it. Due to the power cap, naturally none of them are excessive; most of the limitations and strengths are listed in the spirit-specific details.
Provided that the elements don't conflict, characters who have mastered two (or more) elements can combine them into a single use, such as a water attack laced with a lightning element. Opposing elements can't be used in tandem: one couldn't use a fire ability with a water one, for example.
Filial magic is not a matter of constant communication with the spirits, or summoning the spirits to do the work through the character. Once a character contacts a spirit and begins learning, the spirit teaches the character how to draw the magic out of themselves. It's sort of like learning a special technique from a martial arts master- the master has to agree to teach you, but he doesn't have to be around every time you use it once you know it.
Back to top
'Shifting' is defined as any physical, mathematical, mental or subcultural change in one's surroundings. Essentially it's the official term (used by NPCs) for both the experimentation going on within the village, and the abilities of the Third Party NPCs, the enemies of the Malnosso, and what the barrier is protecting your characters from.
There are three types of shifts; Natural, Progressive, and Synthesized/Artificial. Natural Shifts occur outside the barrier, and are more or less unknown at the moment. Progressive Shifts are an ability of the Third Party, a natural ability of the full-winged Filial. It is extremely powerful and very dangerous in a fight, as it can alter the effects of most character actions if not properly neutralized with Artificial Shifting technology; this is what makes the Third Party so dangerous, since the neutralizing technology has only recently been created for widespread use. Artificial Shifts equate to the events and strange occurrences that take place within the barrier, and can vary in effect. It is less powerful and, to balance, less dangerous for both the world and those involved.
Back to top
Original post here. The tunnel system once ran beneath the entirety of Luceti's main area, namely, the west edge of the barrier to the mountains. Currently the tunnels from the collapsed entrance (the center of the town plaza) to the warehouse at the western end are blocked by John's barrier, and it is there that he conducts his own experiments and removes the Death Penalties. There is no way to access his tunnels.
The eastern tunnels, however, are still accessible, providing a two-day walk beneath the mountains to the beach. Close to the village entrance, there is a side room chosen to contain the laptops that allow for journal entries locked from the Malnosso completely.
Tunnel Laptops
Original post here and here. John and Jacob arranged for two laptops (found by the temple ruins) to be offered to the villagers as a method of communicating with their fellows using the journals, but without the Malnosso seeing it. These laptops are used to create secret, village-wide announcements and information entries in the
lucetilocked community; these entries cannot be viewed or hacked by any of the Malnosso. They can be viewed by John since he set up the network, however.Back to top
A set of plot-important NPCs are played by the moderators. An overview of them is found on the Plot post. Each one comes and goes in importance and relevance as the plot evolves.
Beyond these moderator-played NPCs, there are opportunities on drafts and missions where people may encounter 'generic' NPCs from the Malnosso organization or enclosures similar to Luceti. These are not mod-controlled and interactions with them are generally assumed. The following provides context for what to expect from them in terms of characterization.
A spreadsheet is available for recording NPCs are they are made. Using it is optional, but encouraged.
The Malnosso - The Malnosso organization spans the world and seems to consist of individuals involved in careers ranging from Shift research to banking to food preparation. In some cases, people from Luceti may have a chance to encounter them on missions or drafts. Most people in the organization don't know much about what goes on within the enclosures or the upper echelons of the organization. In general, people on the outside tend to view people from the enclosures as 'privileged' while also dangerous. Most of them are in favor of the enclosures.
Malnosso Security Forces - The military backbone of the Malnosso. They operate much like a modern army, with a clear chain of command and modern weaponry. Most of them are fairly serious soldiers, some of whom have served for several lifetimes. There is some variation among them, as some of them may not even be human. Although many have small wings like the people from enclosures, some of them will have large wings like the cultists as well. Most of the soldiers possess no superhuman abilities, but there will be some who may demonstrate super strength, enhanced agility, or other special abilities. Although they have no problem talking to people from enclosures, they know not to give away classified information, even under pain of death. They are strictly professional in their dealings and will rarely divulge personal details or opinions. In combat-related missions, people may find themselves being commanded by a Malnosso soldier.
Other Enclosures - In recent years, it has become apparent that while Luceti may be somewhat unique, it's not the only one of its kind. There are other enclosures, with different names, present in the world and being run by the organization. Like Luceti, these people are often subjected to experiments, being kidnapped, and being sent on drafts and missions. By and large, most of them are not as skilled at fighting as the Security Forces or fighters from Luceti. They are merely average and only a few will possess superhuman powers. These draftees will come from all sorts of different worlds, including those represented by characters in Luceti.
Note: These will never be character seen in actual canons and have zero relationship to characters in Luceti.
Back to top
Originally the "Filial" in the village were quite different; they functioned like normal residents though their movements were unrecorded, and one in particular (Carol, the schoolteacher) spoke directly to the characters via the journals. As Luceti changed from a small, simple roleplay to a larger, more plot-driven RP, of course the purpose of the Filial themselves had to change and expand. Since they were spoken of so rarely and Carol herself had a small, typically-unused background role, they were retconned and Carol (possibly permanently) disposed of. Currently, the "Filial" are:
-essentially pre-programmed to fulfill simple roles within the village
- devoid of brain function beyond the minimum required to fulfill those roles and survive daily life
- vacant, lifeless, like the living dead for the most part (except they do not eat brains :|)
At the moment, John has confiscated Carol and the previous proprietors of the grocery shop and item bazaar. There are no longer any Filials within the village. They are now merely a relic of the past.
Back to top
The Third Party is a dangerous organization of barbaric warriors that are distinct and seem to predate the Malnosso. Not much is known about them, other than that they are led in battle by The General.
They are human in appearance, with variations in size, hair color, eye color, skin tone, age and so on. They are comprised of both men and women and there is no sense of segregation in their ranks due to appearance, only in ability. Unlike the residents of Luceti, they possess larger wingspans capable of flight. Their armor varies from simple leather armor to heavy chainmail, sometimes protecting their wings, which while not as sensitive as Lucetian wings, are just as vulnerable and removing them will result in death.
Foot Soldiers
All Third Party soldiers are capable of using the same Filial Magic as in Luceti, though their magic is far more potent. They also possess some telekinetic ability to let them manipulate objects around them, but it has a limited range and can only be done every few minutes and is easy to avoid. Their weapons tend to be crude, outdated weaponry that is sometimes dull and rusted from use. But in spite of that, they are fierce killers and they don't need elegant or well cared weaponry to kill. A normal soldier is stronger than your average humanand and very skilled, but their style of battle is simplistic. Most Lucetian combatants should be able to take one on and be victorious. They are only likely to take on a skilled warrior by overwhelming numbers. For those who play video games, think of them as your Pre-Boss enemies. Tough, but manageable.
Elites
Some of these Third Party will count among the Elite and be far more powerful than your average fighters. They are comparable to the General and the original Intruders. These guys are like your mid-bosses, guys tough enough to give even some of the superpowered characters trouble. They possess superior Shifting abilities to manipulate the environment around them (the effect being like Filial Magic, but many times more potent) and are much more durable, even wearing light armor over their wings. They often will use Shifted, 'invisible' weaponry, though this often varies due to their own personal preference. Ultimately each Elite varies from another, so some may be more powerful than others. They will count among the hundreds and will usually be found leading regular soldiers, although squads of Elites working together may also occur. (In other words, group them however you like).
Shifters
Ever since the battle in the farmlands, there have been Shifters present. These are identical to regular Soldiers, but they possess extremely powerful natural Shifting abilities. Their favored tactic is being surrounded by soldiers, while projecting a Powers Dampening Shift. This will disable ALL superhuman abilities. If a normal human isn't capable of doing it, then neither will your character. This works identical to the tunnel system below the village. They may also use Shifts that can cause technology to cease functioning. This will work on anything electronic or anything more complex than your most basic mechanical devices. For instance, a standard handgun will still work because of the simple mechanics involved, but a weapon more complex than that will stall.
Of course, if your character is not your standard humanoid (for instance someone like Moro or a robot), the power dampening will work a little differently. Moro will still be as powerful as two ton giant wolf would still be, likewise a robot would have all the normal advantages that being a robot has (within reason).
The Shifters are often the least common enemy on the battlefield. Encountering them is completely optional, as they exist solely for an extra challenge for people to play around with. They are capable of defending themselves as well as regular soldiers and will never, ever be found alone. They can only be identified by the fact that their eyes will be glowing while projecting Shifts.
Dream Shifters
A rare type of Shifter that first appeared on the Moon itself, these Dream Shifters operate in a much different way than the rest of the cultists. These Shifters are relatively stealthy and prefer to lure victims away from groups, at which point they trap them within a dream-like state. To those on the outside, the Shifter and their victim are trapped in a three meter wide solid barrier. In this state, the Shifter will create for the victim a 'perfect world' and try to prevent them from leaving, usually by taking the form of a trusted person. It is virtually impossible to escape them alone. A second person can enter the sphere and become part of the dream. At which point, they can attempt to talk sense into the dreaming victim. The only way to escape is for the dreamer to attack the Shifter within the dream. At which point, the sphere will collapse and the Shifter can be killed in the real world.
The purpose of this dream state is presently unknown. Malnosso soldiers will 'collapse' a sphere if they find them, which results in the death of both the Shifter and its victim.
Shift Hunters
Shift Hunters are beasts native to this world (or at least predate any records) and are used by the Malnosso, the Third Party, or just roam the forests as wild beasts. Although they live in packs and often hunt together, others are solitary creatures. They are big and durable creatures (standing at five feet tall to their shoulders) with an unnaturally rapid regeneration cycle. They have all the normal senses (hearing and smell being quite acute), but they are noted for their incredibly unique ability to detect Shifts through unknown means. This includes Filial Magic, Summoning (for those who have received that ability from an NPC), Shift Afflictions, Kidnapping effects, and so on. Although wild Shift Hunters will only target solitary, weak targets, those that are trained and accompanied by soldiers will attack any enemies using Shifts that they detect. They are vicious, brutal killers that don't seem to register pain, have razor sharp teeth, and are immune to energy based attacks, whether the energy is magical, natural or technological in origin. Because they have no wings, the only way to permanently kill one is to remove its head, otherwise its rapid healing will have it back on its feet in less than an hour, regardless of how much damage it has taken.
Back to top
Every so often, the Malnosso will call up a draft, typically starting with some general information about the battlefield, enemy deployment, and a map of the battlefield. These battlefields are surrounded by a barrier that prevents Lucetians from escaping. This protection does not prevent the Third Party from receiving reinforcements, as it only keeps stuff in, not out. Details below are for general Drafts and are subject to change depending on plot reasons or due to setting. If such changes occur, the mod posts for drafts will make note of it. If a person is on the draft list, they will be drafted, despite their objections. If they do not go willingly, they will be dragged there by a Malnosso droid, the same type used for kidnappings. Additional droids may arrive for those who resist.
Most drafts will be accompanied by an NPC posting details. On these posts, characters can requests weapons and vehicles they are otherwise unable to obtain inside the enclosure. This can include military-grade weapons, jets, giant robots, or whatever is standard for their canon. This can usually be assumed. Additional ammunition or replacement weapons can be requested during the draft as well, using the assistance button in their quarters.
Departure / Quarters
On the morning of the drafts, at 9AM, characters will be directed to head to the tunnels. Down in the tunnel system, there are red arrows on the walls and floor that will guide characters to the nearest room on their left, after turning westward. (Beyond this room is John's territory, which is still protected by a barrier. It's just been moved back about 20 feet or so.) In that room there is a silver platform; some characters may find it familiar. It's labeled with a black H.47 on the top. There's only room enough for one person. Once a character steps on that disc, the barcode on the back of their neck will grow warm and they'll find themselves suddenly in a white room with a door, and no disc (it's not like Star Trek where things shimmer and stuff, they just are suddenly in a different place).
-If more than one character stands on it, so long as they're both drafted then they will both be transported. If one isn't or both aren't, nothing will happen.
-If your character is being dragged a la droid, the droid will stand with your character on the platform. However, once your character arrives in the white room, they'll be alone.
As of the end of 2012, the Malnosso have provided a new scanning device that allows cultists to be captured. This provides an option besides simply killing them. It is a simple device to use. Once a soldier has been incapacitated, the scanning device must be used on the back of their neck. This will generate a barcode, allowing them to be subsequently extracted by a Shift from the Malnosso (which may happen minutes or hours later). Though easy to use, the downside is that it only contains a charge to 'tag' twenty soldiers. At which point they will need to be recharged by maintenance droids at designated areas. Though built well, they CAN break. Although draftees are free to try and put them back together or study them, only a droid will be able to reactivate it into working order. If a draftee irreparably breaks or loses their scanner, they will be unable to receive a replacement, although they can use someone else's.
Shift Afflictions
In past drafts, characters were not allowed to participate due to 'Shift Incompatibilities', the most extreme of which can kill a character. Due to the Security Forces taking over drafts, characters may be sent out with a 'handicap' due to these incompatibilities, but the Malnosso will still only choose those that will suffer 'minimal' side effects. These can include:
1) Flu like symptoms
2) Power/ability loss
3) Temporary blindness
4) Unexpected injuries
5) Narcolepsy
6) Skin turning an unusual color and being sensitive to sunlight
7) Dizziness and headaches
8) Effects of inebriation
9) Extreme nausea
And so on. These are only examples, but do note that these incompatibilities aren't the same as mallynapping effects, so an incompatibility won't, for instance, cause your character to age up or down, genderbend, turn into an animal, or so on.
Back to top
no subject
no subject
http://whiskytraitorfirefight.dreamwidth.org/3592.html