Upcoming Darkness Plot Info!

[thepull_mods]

Kelly-Mod here! It's great to be back from Vacation, and I've got some info about an upcoming citywide event!

Another break for contact with the Core will be attempted on the morning of June 15th, triggering the Core's defense mechanisms... which means a good old fashioned Core Malfunction is headed your way, Siren's Port! This one affects shadows and spawns patches of darkness erratically throughout the afternoon daylight. For individual newcomers, it may also temporarily warp sensory perception.
(See optional effects below.)

Falling Shadows will be causing serious trouble and public mayhem from June 15th through June 20th.

Each morning, sirens will wail as usual with the daybreak fog that lifts the effects of darkness.

However, after High Noon (12:00pm), shadows that grow and lengthen with the falling sun carry the taint of the Darkness Decay along with it. Monsters and mutation may emerge within these shadows, but will not cross beyond them into direct sunlight. Darkness creatures will vanish into thin air if they are exposed to a bright beam of light, so arming yourself with reflective mirrors should be able to defeat them easily. As with usual darkness proofing, well-sealed indoor areas are 'safe' from this effect.

Throughout the afternoon, shadows will slowly 'grow' and widen unnaturally, carrying the usual seep effects of decay with them. Severe darkness expansion will occur erratically over different areas of the city each day of the event. Here's a quick schedule for which sectors will be almost covered in growing shadows by sunset.

15th- Upper Sector 4 & 9 (Heavily Centered around the Baseball Diamond)
16th- Lower Sector 4 & 6
17th- Sectors 3 & 2
18th- Sector 7
19th- Sector 8, 10 & 11
20th- Sectors 1 & 5

Shadows caused by moving objects, such as passing people or cars, will only cause a temporary, wavering breach between the daylight and darkness dimensions, and the decay will be restored to normal within a few moments of direct sun exposure. Stationary shadowed areas, like the shade of trees, buildings, or lampposts, will be more hazardous and heavily decayed. Sunset will herald the fall of total outdoor darkness "as usual".

After midnight, any spot touched by those falling afternoon shadows during that day will slowly clear up, becoming patchy areas totally untainted by the Darkness Decay Effect. Monsters will warily avoid these 'clean' patches, though they may cross over into them in pursuit, if provoked. As soon as any darkness monster steps over into these patches, they will quickly become strangely subdued and tranquil. Some may even seem to reverse-mutate into something more recognizably human or animal.

On Summer Solstice, June 21st, the Darkness Decay Effect will vanish completely from the island, from Daybreak on the 21st till on the nightfall on the 22nd. There will be no darkness effect after sunset on the 21st, until sunset the following day. Enjoy your one free night!

Darwinists
After attempts to contact Darkness Expert Darwin Watts prove ineffective, a group of like-minded intrepid Darkness-Explorers calling themselves 'Darwinists' will hold a public meeting (On June 18th @ The Dog's Breakfast Pub) to promote interest in collectively gathering information about monsters and effective Do-it-Yourself proofing methods. This will be a non-affiliated faction, though SERO will be looking to plant some of 'their people' to steal research for the company! Want to be a part of Bestiary expansion? If you're interested in getting your characters involved, let us know!


Optional Event Core Effects:
While the core is going a little haywire, it may be throwing some newcomers for a Perception Bender. Throughout the week, newcomers may find themselves experiencing things a little backwards, or inside out as the core erratically fools with their five senses. You may choose one or more of these optional effects.

Examples and ideas include: Seeing colors in inverse, 'hot' feels 'cold', sweet foods taste bitter, bland foods taste spicy, high pitched or loud sounds seem to be lower and softer, pleasant smells seem foul as piles of garbage give off an irresistible aroma.

As the week drags on, even the Pull itself may begin feeling more like a Push, a gravitational force that draws you outward towards the perimeter of the island, rather than inward towards the Core. (However, any newcomers attempting to leave the island will be immediately 'pulled' back to the Baseball Infield once they have reached the outer limits of the Pull, about a mile offshore. Have fun playing yo-yo!)

Interest in Hunting Grounds Plot is also significant, so right now we're tentatively scheduling that log/event for the 28th, with more planning/info to come after this event is over.

Any more questions or additional plotting ideas? Let's hear 'em!

Comments

[mulletrock]

asdfhasjg THIS IS THE BEST PLOT.

I can't wait to sink my teeth into it too. YES!

I also love the pull to push and perception bending ideas.

Sorry to spam your info post with butt pats but this is all great. :Dc

If I can ask, though, I probably missed it and if you give me a link that's fine. What is the Hunting Grounds Plot?

[thepull_mods]

This was suggested by Hound on our feedback post a few weeks ago- Here.

Spencer, massive and creepy Game Hunter who owns the Hunting Grounds, will be kidnapping some newcomers for some wealthy, nasty natives to whet their newcomer-hating teeth on.

[mulletrock]

Sounds exciting!

Thanks for the links and info. o>

[sharp]

aahhhh Siren's Push, love it. I might do that or one of the perception benders for Amy. (Maybe Irene, too. Hmmm.) Or if anyone's up for some shenanigans around the baseball diamond on the 15th or 16th? Amy is always around there. She needs something to shake up her Greeter life.

Also still interested in Amy getting kidnapped for the Hunting Grounds Plot! If she's able to, I mean. I'm not sure but yeah!

[magnetic_magpie]

So Mags has light manipulation powers - meaning he can bend light, redirect it, make little balls of it (It's really taxing for him though) - so would anyone be interesting in a rescue?

[beenwaitinglong]

What? He does? Since when?

[magnetic_magpie]

Let me look up the issues.

(Vision and Scarlet Witch miniseries Vol.1 #4, Excalibur Vol. 3 # 4)

It's in his app! He can't create light but he can warp it around him so he's not visible, or make bright flares that last a few seconds to a few minutes. (But - that's hard and hurts and he can't keep it up long - and he'll be winded and weakened after for a bit.)

But yeah, visible light is part of the EM spectrum. And all of that he can play with.

[in_a_dark_wood]

Dante will be trying to avoid shadows during this time, since the Darkness Decay makes him assume his demon form.

But he'll be fighting off creatures when he thinks nobody can see him.

EDIT: Also, the other inmates freed by Joker when he escaped will start causing shenanigans in the outskirts of the city this week. This will be a bounty-based thing so look out for that!

[mister_foppish]

Soooo want to have a random encounter with a blind man out in the darkness Dante 8| Hahahha then at least he can't see you in your demon form unless he touches you.....Ffffff.

Darkness delicious things, horrible twisted creatures attacking and lovely injuries due to Shadowy powers going haywire....Or something. >_> Utter chaos.

[in_a_dark_wood]

...I approve of this.

[mister_foppish]

I knew you would.~

[mister_foppish]

Can we have a log for this?~ I will gladly write one out.

[in_a_dark_wood]

If you want!

[mister_foppish]

Please! I would love it. I will write it up. I am posting an entry for tonight so the log will probably be set for that :3 (Kinda ties in with Joker and extra monsters anyways!)

EDIT: Oh, I am dumb. I just saw the Joker log so...I may as well just respond to that instead! Less work for you, and for me, derp derp.

[electricitytrick]

Anders would probably be interested in gathering info on monsters, since it sounds like a pretty Grey Warden thing to do. :|a

[wingedcrown]

Dani will be looking into the monsters and the darkness. Good thing Jackie Estacado's not in game.

[underachiever]

A most unfortunate time to have shadow-based abilities.

ALONE IN THE DARKNESS

[ace_of_knaves]

More on this closer to date but:

On the 20th a new beast will emerge into the Darkness for one night: A titanic, awful creature with a wretched grin reminiscent of a certain clown. It will be rampaging its way towards the Baseball Diamond and that's where you come in! He will need to be stopped before he reaches his target.

[laurice]

AHHHHHH PERCEPTION BENDER

I want to turn Larry into a yo-yo.

[myselfexcluded]

YEEES. Awesome.

AND DEFINITELY STILL INTERESTED IN GETTING WASHU KIDNAPPED FOR THE HUNTING GROUNDS PLOT. And getting her TAKE BACK THE NIGHT on.

[gavesugar]

...Cue Sheila making elixirs from coffee grounds and banana peels...

[beenwaitinglong]

Ha ha, light comes out of Diego's face constantly. Eat it, weird shadows!

[cowboycop]

I'm stickin' with you, amigo.

[magnetic_magpie]

WAIT WAIT WAIT.

Guys, I'm confused about something.

As the week drags on, even the Pull itself may begin feeling more like a Push, a gravitational force that draws you outward towards the perimeter of the island, rather than inward towards the Core. (However, any newcomers attempting to leave the island will be immediately 'pulled' back to the Baseball Infield once they have reached the outer limits of the Pull, about a mile offshore. Have fun playing yo-yo!)

- From this post. HOWEVER

On the evening of December 1st, in the darkening sky before siren, The Core will produce a glowing ring which resembles an unusually circular Aurora Borealis. It outlines the limits of The Pull surrounding the island, extending about 3 miles offshore.

- From this post about the shadow event.

Since the three mile off shore part has been stated, it's what I've been using as game canon.

Sorry about all the edits, I got lost for what I was trying to say and had to stop think a bit. Basically - which one is game canon?

Also:

SP Map - If you look at the map, and fine the furthest point on the island from the Core, it's pretty close to point 20. I spoke to Kelly at one point (and I've since switched chat clients, so I don't have the log) and she said that from the Core to the furthest point on the island is roughly five miles (She might have said four, but I could swear five). And looking at the map, the point closest to the Core is roughly 1/4 of that. I've always assumed the Pull is a sphere shaped field, the radius of the Pull equal in all directions. This means there is a great deal of sea area on one side of the island that's withing the Pull. And if there is 4/5 miles between the furthest land point and three miles out to sea (going by the first figure given) then there is 7/8 miles up and down as well, yes? Because this is what i have been assuming based on what I've been told and it's rather important for me to have that information.

[thepull_mods]

Pull Info Here / Map Here

Some Clarifications/Footnotes:

Original game mods were far more accurate to Canada than I am, so this info is actually in Kilometers (Whirlpools and other deadly hazards begin to affect people trying to leave at this point normally). Your new Head mod is American, so I may have messed up with converting this accurately across the board.

The game's map has never been drawn to scale, so I can't give you exact figures on the size of the city, but what I've most often told players is that it's about the same square mileage as Brooklyn, NY. (which is 71 sq mi/183 km2) If the island was a perfectly shaped block, this would make it about 8.5 miles across/up and down.

Sorry about the confusing wording here, most of the time the core's field of influence extends to about a 3 mile/4.8km perimeter off shore, and yes, something about 7-8 miles going vertically up.

As stated in the faq info people within that influence severely feel the effect of the pull before reaching that point of outermost limits.

Most people trying to 'fight' the pull will not make it more than a Kilometer out to sea or before the force the pull proves too damaging to their bodies. Dizziness and nausea will eventually make all people, regardless of powers, suffer exhaustion, pain and disorienting confusion. Anything past that point is considered 'deadly' or highly hazardous, even to those with special anatomy/powers.

The pull is relative to the Core, which is not perfectly central on the island, but for playing purposes, you might assume that the pull does feel stronger in coastal areas further from the core than closer to it. About 1 km off-shore, (closer to 2 km on the north-eastern side of the island and closer to the core) is still the point where any characters will begin to FEEL and be affected by it, both environmentally (whirlpools/weird undertow/bizarre gravity) and internally (Dizzyness Nausea Etc) for all playing intents and purposes.

Swimming in the two popular beaches/coves is not harmful, but you can 'feel' the pull's presence much stronger at Crow's Head Beach (Point 20) than Dead Horse Cove (Point 51), or in the Marina at Gibson's Boating (point 50).

---------------
For your question, which is Event-Specific:

For the purposes of this particular event/this core flux, the Pull is in wacky malfunctioning defense mechanism mode, confining the island a bit more cagily, and once you hit that limit of physical resistance it will yank you directly back to the center of the baseball diamond, probably before you hit the point of In-Character death.

This is different than usual in that the force of The Pull usually tires you out/kills you, and the tide washes its victims back to shore/fliers too high up drop out of the sky from exhaustion. For the duration of the event, it will 'poof' yank you out of existence and back to the center of the island instantaneously.


Sorry for the confusion re: game mechanics and island size, I hope this helps!

[magnetic_magpie]

It helps a lot!

Mags is...stupid and stubborn so he'll be investigating this, which is why I needed to know, in apart but also because it the general area of the Pull is smaller...he'll notice and isn't going to be happy.

[bestseller]

FINALLY, something Alan is good at and can use to fend of the shadows. I like this plot very much, yes I do. :)

[mister_foppish]

I'd love to do perception-y bendy things....Making his Eye give him strange visions and then somehow temporary blindness-inducing..

He'll see through touch rather than with his single eye, poor baby.

And shadowy powers all screwed up because ugh, what the hell is going on anymore.

[psychotics]

Oh good lord Scratch will have a field day with this darkness plot. He's basically made out of darkness himself. If anyone wants to do anything...I figure he'll be cause all sorts of havoc with this. Killing people trying to kill Alan just being himself, yup.