World Travel OOC Post

[savmods]

Welcome to the world of Namalos! For now, characters have a respite from the hazards of Avagi, although the limitations of this world (as well as the behavior of the locals) may encourage them to find a way back. But before we dive into more information on the current difficulties, we wanted to offer a quick summary of the circumstances surrounding the plot—both as an aid for new players and a recap for older ones. Avagi: A Recap       About three hundred years earlier, Avagi was known as the Ingress Complex: a massive space station bridging the twin worlds of Thisavrou. A multiversal hub of trade and culture, Thisavrou was founded on the transport provided by a portal called the Ingress. Capable of inter-universal travel (and pulling in hapless individuals at random), the Ingress' inner workings filled the complex that was named after it—along with housing, research labs, and other accommodations for the native Savrii and their guests. A surge in new arrivals possessing unprecedented destructive power precipitated conflicts with the Savrii—led by the "intermediaries", secret telepaths who used their abilities to enforce lasting peace and prosperity at some individual cost. While this conflict was building, so were two other hazards: the energy draining storms outside Thisavrou, and a being named Mother, who claimed to be looking for a child that the Savrii stole, and offered the newcomers alliance. Events culminated in a victory—followed, immediately, by betrayal. Mother used her new allies to get close to the Ingress, and then shattered it, allowing the storms to decend on the twin worlds. But portals of the Ingress' silver light appeared in the wake of its destruction, bringing the survivors to somewhere (and when) unexpected: the remains of the shattered Ingress Complex, three hundred years in the future. Some parts had, apparently, stayed sealed from the storms, and held signs of habitation in the centuries since. While no other inhabitants remained in the immediately accessible regions, they did leave records... and a name for their repurposed home. Avagi. Over the several months since, the new Avagians have settled in. They've repaired living spaces and chased out pests, along with more dangerous hazards that followed them to this location. The bursts of silver light have persisted, bringing new arrivals and, at times, allies. They've twice coalesced into stable portals, offering gateways to and from peaceful worlds where Avagians could gather resources. But the portals were closed when a more serious disaster struck: the failure of life support systems that provided breathable air. Resourceful inhabitants had already been reaching out, and managed to detect another population of survivors across the remains of the station—along with another surviving threat. Over the course of the last month, the population split: one group staying with their home, to repair and rescue what they could, while another travelled across the outside of the station, trying to reach the other group of survivors and deal with them to acquire supplies needed for repair. This journey was brought up short when the away team came across a breach: a region of the station where the storms outside had penetrated through, and went on to corrupt several inhabitants. While observing the storms could cause smaller changes, those fully exposed withered to Mirtos—parasitic avatars of the storm's hunger, who menaced their former allies... but were deterred by fragments of the former Ingress, and the light it generated. Working together, the population managed to activate two such fragments, aiming to deter or destroy the Mirtos with the energy inside. They were successful. Something spoke in the cracks between the worlds. And of all the words it said, a few carried clearest. "Find them." Your arrival on Namalos is not entirely without purpose... though finding "them" may take at least as much work as finding your way home. Jobs Characters are strongly encouraged to pay the Namalans' hospitality back by taking part in some kind of temporary work. No need to find a job that suits—the locals will send characters where they can be of use, no matter how suited or extremely unsuited they might be for the task. Technicians may be assigned to physical labor, combatants to factory work or crafting goods. A single mistake will earn reproachful looks or sideways glances, but those who fail repeatedly at basic tasks, or (horror!) impede others in their efforts may find themselves shunned, shamed, or encouraged to report to Central Authority—the same fate, incidentally, that befalls those who dodge out of work entirely. While players are welcome to select work for their characters, you can sign up HERE to be assigned a temporary duty. Disruptions As orderly and safe as this society is, Avagians will have no time waiting safely until a means of return is found, right? Yeah... we didn't think so either. As described in the log, those attempting to explore will find watchers observing their activities, and certain activities will receive more disapproval than others. Violence and lawbreaking appears to be all but unknown among the locals, and outbursts of any kind will draw unfriendly glances. But the true crime in this society might be less apparent: damaging or disrupting productivity, whether personally or with others. Shove someone in the street? Their smiles will become decidedly more strained. Play loud music outside an office building's window? You'll be firmly escorted to Central Authority. Those who enter the structure come out changed... if they can be seen leaving at all. While some amount of minor foolery can be presumed to slip by, please comment here for specific consequences if your character persists in exasperating the Namalans. This includes, of course, taking advantage of their hospitality without working. And prying too far anywhere unwanted. Namalos is (OOCly!) intended for exploration, and characters will unearth more information—and prompt new responses from the locals—the more they dig into how this world works. This may involve your way home, the mysterious "them", or what exactly has these people so in sync. We strongly encourage asking questions, and a header has been provided for that below.

Comments

CONSEQUENCES

[savmods]

For those stirring things up.

[notyetsore]

Ginko is CAUSIN SOME TROUBLE by which I mean sneaking into houses and stealing food and stuff rather than actually joining this new society. Good life choices, there.

[savmods]

If caught (which is likely, as for some reason or another, at least one Namalan seems to be within eyesight and watching Avagians at all times—but we leave this up to you!), Ginko would be escorted to the Central Authority. Some time later, ranging from one to three days, he would wake up again with full control of his faculties. He would not lack memories of this time—rather, he would recall having behaved perfectly and taken part in the strangely rhythmic Namalan way of life.

[araignee_du_soir]

About a week after their arrival, Widowmaker and Sombra are going to attempt to hijack a spaceship from the spaceport. The day before, Sombra will be using her thermoptic camouflage to case the place and see what information she could get then the next day the two will work together like the well-oiled machine of a team they are to go for the gold.

As both of them had geared up for conflict on Avagi because of the Mirtos and paranoid enough to keep wearing it until they got sucked to the new world, they will have weapons. It is very likely that they will kill some npcs in the course of the attempt, though they will go with heavy stealth (silent takedowns and avoidance) before resorting to shooting people.

Obviously, this will fail! Please let us know how fucked the girls are.

[savmods]

At first, Widowmaker and Sombra will be fairly successful due to their skills and equipment. The Namalans do not appear to have any kind of security technology or defensive systems, and while individual traders do—as they also trade with other planets that may be more dangerous—it depth and quality varies from ship to ship.

Eventually, however, whatever trader(s) they target would act to defend themselves, and others would join in. They would soon be supported by the Namalans, who do not have a standing army, but have enough skills and weapons to eventually overwhelm them with numbers.

As this is a very serious disruption, Widowmaker and Sombra would be immediately escorted to the Central Authority. As with some of the other disruptors in this thread, some time later they would find themselves back in society, taking part in the rhythmic, extremely orderly pattern of life—but unlike the others, they would not be able to break out of it without assistance of some kind, such as a telepath, although that specific solution is not required—if you've got an idea for how they could be helped to break out of it, let us know! Additionally, if you'd like, they can also remain locked into this haze into the next part of the plot, when more options will open up.

[araignee_du_soir]

Awesome! A few questions for clarification, specifically about the resultant mental consequences:

1. In canon, Widowmaker has undergone severe neural reconditioning to alter her personality and instill duty, rhetoric and unrelenting loyalty to Talon, none of which was remotely pleasant for her. Would that have any bearing on the manipulation the Namalans have done to her?

2. Likewise, Sombra has extensive cybernetics running through her spine and brain. Everything she sees, interacts with and encounters is stored and cataloged for easy recall in the actual cybernetic hardware in her head. Does that affect the Namalans' ability to brainwash Sombra or the duration of the effect?

3. Given Sombra's cybernetics if/when she breaks from the mental manipulation, will she be able to call back up the procedure the Namalans used to achieve the brainwash effect?

[savmods]

1. It would not affect the degree to which she has fallen under the mental change, but it could make it easier for her to come out of it, especially if it involved physical changes of some kind (as opposed to pure psychological conditioning.) Outside intervention would still be necessary, but it could be a +1 to breaking out of it, so to speak.

2. Yes, it would—but persistence and strength in numbers would still have placed her fully in the thrall. But they would definitely make it easier to break her out of it, if someone could tap into the cybernetics somehow.

3. If the cybernetics are able to record experiences themselves, yes, although they would not prompt her to remember it herself. They would show Sombra in the middle of a circular room, bound to a single chair and surrounded by an audience of Namalans on all sides. The room would be silent for hours, save for a background hum similar to that of electronics in use. After a long period of time, a Namalan would approach, release her from her bonds and escort her outside of the building, at which point she would find herself an orderly member of society.

[aka_pistachio]

This will probably be a running tally of all the ways Kelly Ann gets smacked down but the first time is going to be her refusal to get a job because she's creative man she's not going to work in a factory or some shit.

[savmods]

If enough time passes during which she's taken advantage of Namalan hospitality without paying it back in some way, Kelly Ann would be escorted to the Central Authority. Some time later, ranging from one to three days, she would wake up again with full control of her faculties. She would not lack memories of this time—rather, she would recall having behaved perfectly and taken part in the strangely rhythmic Namalan way of life.

[aka_pistachio]

Ok just some clarifying questions: are these implanted memories? Or has she actually been made to participate in some way? Also if she was actually participating, would she have been allowed to interact with other Avagians, or would the Namalans have prevented that?

[savmods]

They are not implanted memories. Kelly Ann could well consider herself to have been made to participate, considering the Central Authority visit that preceded this time, but she would not recall actual coercion—looking back, it would feel similar to when a person falls into a kind of auto-pilot as part of their daily routine (ex. taking a daily drive from the office to home after work) but on a much, much grander scale.

She would be allowed to interact with anyone, although the Namalans would not interrupt her hazy routine. Someone attempting to break her out of the routine could successfully do so sooner than would otherwise occur.

[personify]

Raven will be avoiding doing any work by changing shapes pretending to be another Avagi ship member.

But eventually she will be caught attempting to impersonate the Namalans to gain intel on what they're up to.

[savmods]

This is a fairly severe disruption. Upon being caught, Raven would be immediately escorted to the Central Authority. Some time later, she would find herself back in society, taking part in the rhythmic, extremely orderly pattern of life—but unlike the others, she would not be able to break out of it without assistance of some kind, such as a telepath, although that specific solution is not required—if you've got an idea for how she could be helped to break out of it, let us know! Additionally, if you'd like, shecan also remain locked into this haze into the next part of the plot, when more op tions will open up.