PLOT ENGAGEMENT

[larkers]

> PLOT ENGAGEMENT

What is Plot Engagement and how does it work within Meadowlark? This is the page where players can come discuss with us how to facilitate plots within the setting. However, there will be occasions where a plot doesn't work within Meadowlark's world, and we'll suggest alternative routes. For small worldbuilding or gameplay details, please direct your question to the FAQ. If you're ever not sure if you're at the right page, don't worry—we'll help you get it sorted out. We know we have a load of info!

In addition, you do not need to have a complete plot in mind when you come to us. We aim for plot engagement to be more of a conversation between us and our players. If we propose a plot angle and it's not to your liking, we're more than happy to work with you to come up with something more to your tastes.

WHEN WILL YOU HEAR BACK?

◉ All Plot Engagement answers go out on Sunday, except during events.
◉ The deadline to submit a question and ensure you'll hear back from us on Sunday is 11:59 PM UTC on Saturday.

PLOT ENGAGEMENT INCLUDES

◉ Player plots! If you'd like your character to become a mafia boss, this is your place to start. Typically, this involves anything that could impact the setting or other player characters.
◉ Character career advancement that gives the character additional power or status within the setting.
◉ Metaplot exploration and information! We plan all events to give characters something to explore after the event ends. This is the place to do it!

SUBMISSION TIPS

◉ Specify what your character is looking for when they're investigating. What questions are they asking and what angle are they trying to explore?
◉ If you have a specific goal in mind but don't know how to reach it, please let us know.
◉ If you link a thread to us, please summarize it! That helps us process the plot in question.
◉ Don't worry about not knowing the setting like the back of your hand before you submit the plot—that's up to us! We're here to help you with any adjustments to get you on the right track.
◉ Plot engagement is meant to help with IC play so that characters can continue to interact. If you're not sure how to loop in others, let us know so that we can work with you on it! While this page is meant to be a conversation between players and mods, we know that the fun part of a plot is how it can change character arcs, spice up CR, and more.

NOTES & THINGS THAT YOU CAN HANDWAVE

◉ Characters always start out in entry level positions. Characters can update their skill sets to the 2512 standard through paid apprenticeships or internships.

◈ If a character is advancing within a major corporation (as noted on the Setting or Locations page) or one of its subsidiaries, we will need to approve this advancement.
◈ If a character becomes a supervisor at a local bar or other small business, we do not need to approve this advancement.

◉ Joining the police force within a city requires three months of IC training (six months OOC). There will be instances where this changes, and we'll keep you looped in on that.
◉ We'll approve whether someone has social media fame, but we will not be providing social media follower counts. Once you have a plot for how to use those followers, that's where we step in!
◉ All Morningstar business goes on our Morningstar page. Please feel free to discuss specific plots here (including joining), and go there for signups and anything else.
◉ Characters getting jobs, finding apartments, participating in the fighting rings, getting married, making workplace friends, the creation of minor NPCs, etc. do not need to be run by us. Please let us know if these expand into player plots or other plot bits!

QUICK LINKS

◉ Archived Plot Engagement: Previous Plot Engagement.
◉ FAQ: For small worldbuilding or gameplay details.
◉ Setting: Our setting page! We'll update as needed.
◉ Jobs: A reference for who's working where!
◉ Locations: Both major and minor locations within New Amsterdam, as well as outlines for other megacities.
◉ Mod Contact: For wider game concerns.
◉ The Story So Far: Gamewide plot events up to current (your CTRL+F best friend!).
◉ NPC page: Includes NPC blurbs and inboxes.
.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

moved per that nice PM

[wittingly]

Ay fellas! In light of the recent celebrity status of some of the displaced, Ian's got an idea for his next project & I wanted to run it past ya'll first.

Basically it's using the same tech that projects sporting events or tv or whatever to people's implants, except it's a personal use future-mask that projects a different face over top of your face. It obviously wouldn't hold up to touch or intense scrutiny, and if people know it exists they could turn it off in their own implant the same way they turn off Implant TV or whatever we call it. Something temporary and scrappy for them to use to navigate through a crowd without getting swarmed on the sidewalk.

What's the word bird

[larkers]

Hi Em!

So, the biggest thing that Ian will need to do is impress upon everyone the significance of technology like this. Privacy isn't something that's as equally respected in 2512 as it is today, so wanting to conceal your face in society feels shady, even if it's universally known that this wouldn't work to get by any UN-sanctioned parties or the PDs in respective cities.

Basically, Ian would need to come up with test cases for this and pitch them to his bosses to get it working, as well as explain how this technology would be managed on other neural implants. Right now, projections on that level would involve permissions for each user, unless it's an advertisement (see: Meadowlark's world is a corporate hellhole). For our purposes, we figure that projections of that type are on a case-by-case basis. A visitor to Red Wings isn't forced to see all the games projected and can, in fact, turn off that feature and just quietly stalk the Displaced in peace. (As an example, haha.)

Obviously, we don't need a super concrete business plan or anything, just how Ian would ICly pitch and go about this. It's a super neat idea that we're not opposed to, but he needs to sell it to his bosses to get them to do the permissions/marketing work for him, since that's where other departments would step in.

Let us know if you have any questions about this. We're happy to help!

[apathet]

Hello! Before the event Laura reached out to Cassius and ended up asking his help to start unfucking her Judas fuckup, and he said he'd get back to her about it after his move.

The thread is here for context, checking in so we can start digging down this road when the time is right!

[larkers]

Hey Gee!

Is there anything specific that you're interested in exploring here? Cassius would support Laura in whatever that she felt would redeem herself in this respect and aid her with resources. He's particularly sensitive to this, having the feeling that he has to redeem himself to the Displaced as well, for separate (and personal) reasons.

Would Laura be interested in going after Johann still, as referenced in the thread? If that's the case, we'd like to make this a much wider player plot, as there are other people who are interested in going after him too! Let us know what direction you'd like to take this and we'll help you get it going.

[nonscriptum]

Hi mods,

We talked about sorting out some potential consequences for the paper theft with its relation to event aftermath stuff, so I'm posting here so that we can hash that out!

[larkers]

Hi Alex!

So, this is what we've cooked up. Let us know how this sounds to you and if these options seem fun to play with, but we're figuring that Nate stole from a wealthy stock-holder / member of the board of Giles Bell, a man by the name of Connor Langley. He was aware of Nate's original theft and was curious about him as a result, but didn't have all of the details. Now, after the AU wherein Nate was something of a public figure, Connor Langley has pinpointed who he is and put together that he's likely a Displaced.

Basically, he doesn't really see Nate's action as anything other than unacceptable theft. As a member of the rich and powerful elite, he doesn't take kindly to people taking his things, figuring that he's earned all of it through his own hard work and pulling himself up by his bootstraps. Whether this is actually true, it's hard to say. Likely not, because Meadowlark's corporate world is all about nepotism and corruption. But he would view his own actions in hunting down this thief as the just and correct thing to do.

We went for Giles Bell because we know Nate has a plot there and thought this could tie in somehow. He'll likely end up being tailed by some of Connor Langley's hired hands, and this could overlap with Nate's interaction with the mob as well. Maybe his role there gets found out, for instance.

Let us know if this setup works for you so far and we can keep going with it if so!

[reproached]

Murphy's going to take the first opportunity to get back in touch with Riverstone, just to kind of see where they're at. Do they have an assignment for him? Can he butter them up at all? Is he in big trouble since he was a Cardinal?

[larkers]

Hi Pana!

While Riverstone won't be upset with Murphy, they will be irritated with what he did as a Cardinal. They'll ask him to outline what he knows about the creation of the Aerie, what it was like to experience all of that, and what he knows about the process of first being chosen by a god and then trapping the gods themselves. Essentially, it's an intel-gathering discussion where they want to make sure they got the full story since it's apparent that the leak of this information came from a rebel inside of the Aerie. If he knows who the rebel was, they'd ask that, too, and whether he knows if that person is a member of the Displaced. Let us know what he'd say to that.

Otherwise, they'd set up a private and secure line for him to provide updates for them. For instance:

• Their own eyes on the ground have reported back that it seems like some newcomers came in while people were back in the Aerie, which is strange! What does Murphy know about these new people? How were they managed and set up?

• What does his group think of the god business? Do they seem eager to pursue it? Keep tabs on that.

• Has more come up with Jimmy Henries?

• Has he experienced any visions like the one that everyone experienced coming out of the Aerie? Since Murphy died before that, they'd give him a full explanation of it.

They'd also give him leave to ask questions, too, but their big goal is to have him spy for them, as well as see what information he'll give. Over time, they'll start wanting to know who he thinks might be interested in helping him in this task, but that won't be set up this early.

[filloryfanatic]

Quentin talked to Dick about tapping into the worshippers to help in New Tokyo, and you mentioned in the plot breakdown that they did! Was he someone who helped connect that? Also going forward he would continue to talk to them. He's interested in finding out who their current leader is, and also requests if they get more information about the gods/other groups if they'd share it with him. He will be working right beside them in the Preserve stuff. He'll let them know that he is interested in learning more about all of the gods.

I'd like him to continue to be a point person with them if that's cool, basically, and make it known that he's as interested in the gods as they are, albeit not worshipping them really.

I wanted to ask here too, I planned on eventually Quentin bringing up that they might be able to create gates and/or be gates all over the place not awakened yet. He is interested in potentially exploring cities that are not unlocked yet in the future to set up gates. He knows how and generally has the pieces. Should he get a few people together on this? How hard is it to get around and/or where are the nearest areas? Should they not venture forth?

[larkers]

Hi Dee!

For your first question, can you bring that by our questions thread? We'd like to clarify, but we'd like it in a place where people are likely to be looking for that answer!

For your second plot, we want to clarify because we made this more apparent on the setting, but didn't outright announce it: the only gates available are the ones that the Displaced know about. There were previous gates in history, but many got removed or destroyed with time. That means that Quentin's plot would be centered around creating new gates, and expanding the Displaced outreach in the world. If you have any alterations you'd like to make with your request, let us know!

[myfavoritemurder]

Hello hello I'm interested in hearing about these Kestrel dreams!

[larkers]

Hi Iddy! Here you go:

Content warning: Body horror, violence.

It feels like a free fall, but you can’t remember what the tipping point was. Above there’s nothing but darkness, and below is a gaping void. A gold, glowing eye opens in a long, vertical sliver. The pupil rolls around the socket, then dilates as it focuses on you. The gaze is piercing, as if it’s studying each and every cell of your make up. Other eyes open around it much like the first, one by one, rolling and focusing until they surround you, staring at you.

Suddenly, they all close at once, and below you a gaping maw made up of rows and rows of broken, crooked, human-looking teeth opens below you. There's not even time to scream as it swallows you whole.

Then you’re fine.

In fact, you’re sitting at a small table with your favorite meal in front of you. It’s a lavish restaurant with a view, though the location is hazy: first it’s the ocean at sunset, then ice-capped mountains, and then a beautiful temperate old growth forest. It rotates depending on the mood, though no one seems to find it odd. There's a pianist playing some light dinner music. Sitting across from you is Johann Grey. He no longer resembles Jimmy Henries, instead looking more like himself. His real self. He’s eating a steak with an eccentric flair, cutting into it and going mm-mm! mm! every time he takes a bite. If you say anything, do anything, or ask any questions, he doesn't seem to notice. Instead, he only says one thing.

"The weather in New Moscow is lovely this time of year."

[hiyakai]

kai has a blood supply problem that he needs sorted asap. would there be a brochure or web search that he can do on his own to find out about blood manufacturing available in the city? or would this be something he'll have to ask el directly about? because he kind of doesn't want to

also! kai is interested in using his infamous snipe rep and well-established criminal background in the aerie to access the crime world now that he's back on the outside. he sort of ran his own jack of all trade / information brokering / shady dealings type business and formed connections via it, so i wanna see what routes can open up for him in this area. he plans to take full advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves to him.

make some waves, have some fun, you know the drill.

[larkers]

Hi Laws!

Going through El is definitely the easiest way, as ze has actually set things up for vampires in the past and made it so that they can get a steady supply of blood. Generally, hospitals aren't going to release blood to someone unless there's a reason they need it, such as a medical record of a hematological condition that requires frequent transfusions, or something along those lines. If Kai goes the stealing route, El is likely to find out about it and then reach out for some wrist-slapping / discussion, so we could go that route as well if Kai wouldn't go to El directly at first.

As for the snipe stuff, we are fine with him capitalizing on this! If you want, you can assume that he had some relationships with crime-related people in the Aerie that can now transfer over into the real world. Even for world NPCs, not everyone's roles would have always been one-to-one. Some mob people might have been in Parliament, while others maintained their status as criminals; it just depends! Someone he worked with in the Aerie might be part of the corporations in the real world, too. The possibilities are endless here.

Can you let us know what sort of role you'd like Kai to take in the criminal underground, specifically? What would he do with these inroads? That would make it easier for us to guide you!

[coalitions]

Hi Lexa is going to still have her Kestrel tattoo so visions pleeeease.

Also I wanted to check in. She is still interested in training civilians. They had been looking into like a warehouse not on Red Wings property for it, but has all of that fallen through or will fall through post-event? Also considering she in the end became very public as a Kestrel, literal woman made of fire after the bombs, what will that mean for her going forward and will that also work against the training, or will people be more inclined to work with her? <3

[larkers]

Hi Dee!

Two things we'd love to have clarified:

1. Is Lexa working with Castiel and Glimmer on this? We're not up to date on where this plot is, so we'd love for you to touch base with Jay and Emmy and let us know where this stands. That would help us a lot.

2. Along those same lines, do you, Jay, or Emmy want there to be roadblocks and consequences here? Given New Amsterdam, the populace is much warmer to Displaced intervention than the rest of the world, so we're able to be more flexible.

Thanks, and let us know if you have any other questions.

do you hate me yet v2909^8

[kestrels]

for gene: since he had a full-on medical doctorate in the aerie he is absolutely going to try and organize shit at the hospital once he gets back from new tokyo (which will probably happen icly after this round's batch of applicants are safely back in New Amsterdam, and if he feels there are enough people back in NT to leave things in the hands of the PRESERVE agency there). i'm cool to work with other pcs on this too, if anyone is remotely interested in this option!! or i can use it as a chance to bring other people onboard in this direction also.

he was a rook/kestrel if it matters, but he was very, very on the downlow about the latter, and as the former he mostly did doctory related stuff, helped out a lot of low income families/etc if you need to gauge public reaction to his doing this. caveat: he's going to try anyway whether said public opinion is good or bad.


for jai: he's going to be distancing himself from a lot of the displaced (including not going to red wings, generally trying to steer clear of them, not using his power (once he knows what it is) visibly/etc at all) and he's probably going to try to help out with one of the small bands of UNA soldiers roving around. He absolutely can't save or help anyone, after all, but he's going to take a special interest in one group (that i'll build/name/use as casual background npcs) of, say, 5-8 people and try to be An Leader. look, he's done superhero team-ups before, he's got this. if you guys are cool with that then i'm going to see about using them as group security to protect others, doing organized city clean-up, etc. general Law and Order things.

also cool with him working on other people with this, maybe with the goal of appealing to the former UNA soldiers at large somewhere down the line. or staying small, i'm not fussy and i do not require much plot pie.

for joel: absolutely nothing, this man is going to drink beer and gnaw on deer jerky for the foreseeable future.

[larkers]

Hi Roy!

We have a couple follow up questions!

1. Can you head over to this thread and belatedly add Gene's Rook information? We'd also like to know what power he had as a Rook (making it so that he had two powers). We know there was some confusion in the sign up process, and we're using this post as a point of reference for ourselves, too.

2. Can you let us know the type of people you envision Jai recruiting, and how he'd be going about it? That will help us a lot in providing you with a response!

Thanks!

[remorseful]

Hey fellow mods!

Laws and I cooked up an idea that Sam and Kai would be working at a dive bar with ties to the criminal underground in New Amsterdam. We're not thinking a major watering hole for these types, but maybe a place that has a gambling room in the back, as well as one that can house criminal elements and deals when they're going down. Our name for it is one that would be treated as ironic: Buzzed Outlaw Club.

Now, I know in the past that working for criminal elements typically takes a bit of loyalty testing. For Sam, he's going to know that he could get a job with any of the major corporations, but he's not going to appreciate being treated poorly and like he just needs to be a contracted worker. He's a progressive dude, and therefore pretty against major corporations anyway. The Winchesters in canon aren't known for being on the up and up when it comes to the law, so Sam wouldn't be against criminal elements and would primarily be seeking out a resource. He obviously wouldn't present that outright, and in applying for this job, he wouldn't be asking to be anything more than a barback or line cook in the back, knowing that he can't make any demands on his place in society.

All this is to say: is this (the bar being connected to criminal elements, as well as Sam's role in it all) ok? I figure that Kai would have more of an in than Sam given his Snipehood in the Aerie, while Sam would know to keep his head down and start proving that he can be discrete from day one.

Thanks!

[larkers]

Hi Alison!

Yes, this all sounds feasible. We've already told Laws that Kai can assume some criminal connections based on Kai's role in the Aerie, so Kai would definitely be more easily given an in into this dive bar, and him vouching for Sam would be enough to get him set up with a more mundane position there, like one of the ones that you listed. Sam wouldn't get much insight into what was going on beyond that, but he could start to establish himself as trustworthy, the sort who'll just look the other way if it seems like shady stuff might be going down at the bar.

We're not sure what kind of position Laws had in mind for Kai. Maybe something to do with overseeing some of the deals that happen there to make sure that they go off without a hitch / that no one who isn't supposed to be a witness to it is present. A bouncer of sorts? Laws can chime in about that!

As a final note, if one of you would submit this on the locations page, that would be awesome! Let us know if you've got any other questions.

[insect]

Hi Mods! Just had a few questions:

1) I know on the event wrap up there's been an abundance of animals cropping up, as well as those that have been extinct, but would you be able to provide some general info on the new plant life and insects? Since Shinobu is a pharmacist and created her own plant-based poisons, she'll be interested in seeing if she can do the same here—not for any specific purpose aside just to see how she can go about it in this new place, though since her weapons have been taken away, she's eager to have another means of protecting herself.

2) She's currently starting off as a lab tech and I know that she won't be able to become a doctor, but if say, she wanted to try and get the certification to become a nurse or even work for a pharmacist, how would she go about it icly? She's also 18, even if she acts and carries herself like she's in her twenties, but would there be an age limit? She's kind of technologically illiterate at the moment, but she's a fast learner and picks things up quickly, if that improves her chances any.

[larkers]

Hi Ame!

For your first question, we updated the Setting to cover more of this in detail. If you head over to our Setting page and CTRL+F "Animals" you'll be brought to the right header! If you need additional information, let us know! We just wanted to let you know about the resource we have in place to get you started.

[righteously]

between the american idol bullshit and romantically sacrificing himself for gay love while being attractive, can Dean have a ridiculous new thirst!following on CoolTalk? if so can you ballpark me a number

[larkers]

Hi Em!

We don't give social media numbers here, per our notes above:

We'll approve whether someone has social media fame, but we will not be providing social media follower counts. Once you have a plot for how to use those followers, that's where we step in!

This is primarily because it's really hard for us to have realistic expectations on what a count should be, and it's hard on us to guess.

We'll get back to you about the general approval next Sunday!

[personalwar]

Another Kestral player reporting in who's curious about these mysterious dreams! What's the lowdown?

[larkers]

Hi Court!

Here's your Kestrel dream:

Content warning: Body horror, violence.

It feels like a free fall, but you can’t remember what the tipping point was. Above there’s nothing but darkness, and below is a gaping void. A gold, glowing eye opens in a long, vertical sliver. The pupil rolls around the socket, then dilates as it focuses on you. The gaze is piercing, as if it’s studying each and every cell of your make up. Other eyes open around it much like the first, one by one, rolling and focusing until they surround you, staring at you.

Suddenly, they all close at once, and below you a gaping maw made up of rows and rows of broken, crooked, human-looking teeth opens below you. There's not even time to scream as it swallows you whole.

Then you’re fine.

In fact, you’re sitting at a small table with your favorite meal in front of you. It’s a lavish restaurant with a view, though the location is hazy: first it’s the ocean at sunset, then ice-capped mountains, and then a beautiful temperate old growth forest. It rotates depending on the mood, though no one seems to find it odd. There's a pianist playing some light dinner music. Sitting across from you is Johann Grey. He no longer resembles Jimmy Henries, instead looking more like himself. His real self. He’s eating a steak with an eccentric flair, cutting into it and going mm-mm! mm! every time he takes a bite. If you say anything, do anything, or ask any questions, he doesn't seem to notice. Instead, he only says one thing.

"Next time, let's make it a table for five."

[lifetothefullest]

• SO, SAFEHOUSE NONSENSE, I actually had an idea based on this comment of Clarke's about scrambling the IDs. This made me wonder a few things.

- First would be if this scrambling tech would work with an unregistered implant (my guess here is no, because of how scramblers generally work.)

- Second would be if it's possible to spoof IDs (my guess here is yes, again because of how scramblers work, since they're typically about generating similar signals to whatever is being altered.) I presume these, if they did exist, wouldn't stand up to any scrutiny, but maybe (especially with help from a Displaced who's good with tech, or one of the AI?) they would be good enough for incidentally passing a police officer on the street. If this is a potential option, it might also be a fun player plot thing to try to develop the tech!

- Third is only adjacently related and presumably a no-go but I figured it was worth asking anyway, which is if it would be possible to just change the registration of an implant? If there were, for instance, 'stock' IDs set up to be temporarily loaded onto new arrivals' implants, which would later be swapped for the new ones once El was done with them.

• Not related to the safehouse: also cooltalk. I saw your answer to Em above about the numbers thing, but I'm here to ask for just some general popularity approval (which I would plan to icly be something that develops over time, with just an initial boost from the Aerie stuff.)

[larkers]

Hi Ami!

Just to be clear before we begin, a lot of what you've brought here depends upon Morningstar resources and technology. At this stage, Lance has done a number on his reputation with the organization.

We wanted to use this chance to make it clear that Morningstar is not meant to look like a powerful organization in Meadowlark's world. Even if they're doing work around the world, they do it in chapters, keeping to their own megacity (there is a chapter per megacity). Gaby's firm hand is uniquely requested and applied to the situation with the Displaced because there have been a few bad seeds along the way. While Morningstar has a lot more support than ever before, their movements are quite conservative in nature. There are members of the organization who may be corrupt, but they're not likely to be anywhere that Lance can see them (as they'd be located in other cities). All of the agents in New Amsterdam proper came because they knew they'd have to work in tandem with the Morningstar-affiliated Displaced members. They also came to the city because they were impressed by the Displaced. Lance's actions have threatened this arrangement, and could lead to the city not having a chapter again (which is why Gaby is so terrified and rash—she considers New Amsterdam her city, too, and knows that when Morningstar isn't there, it doesn't have the same support).

That said, to clear some things up:

1. Identity scrambling tech is proprietary Morningstar technology. It is known to only be affiliated with Morningstar, and schematics are only given out on a case-by-case scenario. Jason Todd worked with El for a long period of time in order to earn the schematics. Other schematics happened to be given to Morningstar-affiliated Displaced (IE people who joined the organization itself).

This technology is very, very obvious in its usage. It doesn't only stop someone from seeing their face in real time, it also prevents surveillance from picking up their implant. When it's on, it's a mask that covers the person's entire head. (Thus why Jason could adapt it to his Red Hood mask.)

Overuse of this technology has led to Morningstar being blamed for Displaced actions in the past. That's why people who are doing Morningstar or El's bidding get the masks. Newcomers can't wear the masks because it's basically announcing that they belong to Morningstar.

2. Identity spoofing is not possible in Meadowlark's world! Otherwise, it would be much less of a surveillance state.

3. Temporary IDs can be issued, but therein lies the problem. While minor adjustments can be made and certification retroactively added, the neural implant itself still needs to be activated. Software needs to be installed, and it needs to be given the standards of permissions. This is because these implants are basically just an empty hard drive in someone's head. Once that stuff is installed and a life is created on that ID, it begins to cache information, so to speak.

Then there's the matter of security. El's IDs are flawless. There are people in the world who do have a means of tracking the Displaced as a whole, but how they do that is up in the air. Is it because of Cassius telling Johann how to do it? Is it because they've figured out El's signature? Do they just stalk every person who signs onto the connection at Red Wings for the first time? Will those people always have a means of tracking the Displaced? If a bunch of Jazzercise Instructors appeared in New Amsterdam, it'd probably set off a red flag—especially if they all had their names changed within a few days, started a Cooltalk account at such a late stage in life, etc.

The Displaced aren't in witness protection. They aren't given a new life. They're sliding into their life in New Amsterdam as if it existed the entire time. El's means of helping refugees fleeing from their lives isn't to give them a new identity, but to help them start out anew. We'll add that there is still a mystery behind what this means!

4. Finally, we're cool with Lance having a following!

[voicelog]

hi modlies! so, i'm just here for two things for the time being.

one, tony would like to build his own spacecraft. after his convo with cassius during the whole moon debacle, he sort of came to the conclusion that he should simply build one from scratch, so that the displaced won't be completely dependent on morningstar or public transport if they ever need to go on an impromptu space trip. so, i wanna know if this is plausible. i'm sure it'll take time and honestly it can be a lengthy ongoing project for him.

two, he plans to start his own freelance, commission-based business, so i'm wondering what might be the steps for something like that and what difficulties might lie ahead for him since he was a cardinal. he just needs to start earning his keep. lol.

[larkers]

Hey Laws!

Thanks for bringing this to us.

1. There are a few things that Tony would need to build his own spacecraft, and two of them he doesn't have direct access to: certain supplies and a place of launch.

These supplies wouldn't be anything that could be obtained normally, as they're produced by highly specialized companies. That includes the materials to produce the engines used to propel the spacecraft (in space and in launch). They're expensive, and since Tony was a Cardinal, it would probably raise some flags if he put himself amidst the supply chain with the intent to purchase space craft supplies (but also see below, if he's starting commissions).

Any launches would need to be done at larger spaceport, like the one in New Beijing. Just like air travel today, there are specific travel routes that these spacecrafts take (depending on the type of craft) so no one crashes in the void of space. There's also heavy regulations to license spacecraft and register it with the UN. The UN also monitors space travel through satellites, given the state of the colonies, and would be able to identify an unregistered spacecraft even if Tony managed to find both a private launch site and the means to put it all together.

The suggestion here might be to make some political ties and start getting a little more cozy to gain some resources to at least pilot a spacecraft, even if it isn't his own! Let us know if you have any questions on this one, we know it's a lot.

2. There are a couple of questions here! What would he be commissioning out? He'd need to think about social media, personal marketing, and getting a loan for his business! Depending on what he's getting into, he'll need resources/supplies (and find suppliers), and perhaps an office space to get things started. Tony will need to work up his reputation here! Even the suppliers that he tries to get will be really wary of him, he'll need to earn their trust.

Tony could also go in a potentially sketchier direction and focus on the night market for mods. Some of these mods are completely above board and legal, and some of them (such as weapons) are very much not. This could be a good way for him to start networking with other suppliers and engineers. If he becomes a familiar face and turns on some of that Tony Stark charm, he might be able to get past some of that initial wariness. We talked more about mods in this arrival log if you'd like to get a better idea of how that world operates!

[ofmyth]

hey mods heyyyyyy! i come bearing gifts questions

1. having accepted that the people setting up shrines to the displaced are here to stay, thor wants to try to engage with those people directly(knowing that as a former cardinal he won't necessarily be viewed well). this will involve putting information out there about himself and the myths around him back home, and over time engaging more directly with the worshipers and finding out who they are, why they're interested in worship, what they think the worship will achieve, if there's any help they need.

he's very cautious about making promises to help because he can't do all the things he used to, but if he's going to be worshiped here he wants it to be done right, and for people to know who it is they're setting up shrines to. what will the response to this be? are people amenable to one of the displaced reaching out to them?

1.5 thor's interested in learning about the gods of this world, and he'll use any connections he makes this way to learn what he can or find where more information can be found! will the approach above lead to any information or people to talk with?

2. HE WANTS TO GO HUNTING and also to figure out what animals now exist and where, but mostly hunting. he's willing to travel on foot for up to a week in any direction outside any of the major cities, and he has a number of friends who'd join him on various trips. what kind of animals would be find? what's edible? is there network coverage out that far??

3. thor's keen to go to north america!!! if a hovercar/bus will get him there he's keen to try it, but otherwise he'll get a boat and sail over because if there's anything he should good at, it's sailing to north america from europe

will this be possible? he'll be reaching out to see if there are others interested in joining him for the trip in case there's a better way to get there.

[larkers]

Hi Anne!

1. For our purposes, we want to clarify if you're referring to the shrine makers around New Amsterdam that have been around for a while (that Thor would be aware of), or the recent religious devotees who will be coming out of the Aerie? The former has their own set of beliefs based around the Displaced and their deeds so far, and Thor's been pictured in their works. In the latter, it's a burgeoning religion, but it's one where he'll be able to have a bit more influence on their approach moving forward. To be clear, the shrine makers have a leader of their own and some direction, but the new followers of this still forming belief-system are there to be shaped to Thor's liking (depending, of course, on his choices). Let us know! And feel free to ask any questions because we know these two groups can be confusing.

1.5 A lot of this belief system has been lost to history, so a lot of the people on the ground are getting information second hand. It does seem that the shrine makers' former leader (Ball) had some more information than he let on, and there is also the mysterious Nirvana/Legion who's been behind the Banksy murals. Using those connections to try to reach out to Nirvana is probably a good first step.

2. Hunting is definitely a possibility, though Thor will likely want to not draw too much attention to doing this, as there are likely going to be people who take issue with it! Given that animals were a scarce resource for so long, hunting these newfound ones for food or sport would be a point of contention. The first obstacle here would be getting over the walls without getting noticed, as no one is supposed to venture out into the wilds between megacities without a permit of some sort. Thor might be able to follow some of the animals that wandered into the city back over the wall, but he'll need to be careful about surveillance, etc. Once he gets outside, he will likely want to contain everything he does to beyond the walls. (Coming back in with a carcass of anything would draw a lot of attention.)

If he goes on a long hunting trip, he won't be without an internet connection!

3. Tomato is also interested in North America, so we suggest you guys work together on this one. Essentially, we want getting to North America to be a gamewide plot, and that will be the easiest way to accomplish it because of the logistics. A bus/car definitely won't get anyone there. A boat is an option, but he'd need to figure out a way to acquire one that's up to the journey and amass a "crew" who has the skills and know-how to actually sail a boat such a long distance. Anyone involved in this will need to be careful because of the UN's surveillance drones and possible boat routes. Plus, who knows what's waiting for them when they get to their destination?

[evasives]

zooms in here, hello mods!!

1. ok a spine question first! since henries is revealed to be the one experimenting on the displaced/project meadowlark boss i feel like... that's the big end answer here on that front, but cassian was in the au till the end and so i missed the initial reveal icly, and it thus felt a little lackluster potential conclusion to all my plotting so my question is basically a) is there more to dive into here? henries and lynch maybe? corporate connections? god things?? b) i would like cassian to talk to henries one day, but i know that is dependent on moon developments, so this is just me noting that for the future, not really a question there (jyn can possibly facilitate this bc she is on the moon list?)

2. north 👏🏻 america 👏🏻
cassian, jyn, and tony watched cassius get WHISKED AWAY and given the geographic location, cassian and jyn are assuming he is now somewhere in north america. perhaps with el. combined with the tidbits about the exploratory drones being shot down over the continent, they wanna go? and figure out what’s there? what are their options? where should they start looking to find out more deets to set them on this path? (i am commenting on this venue for both me and emma bc her wrist is still a mess)

where (if anywhere) was the xelkov corporation headquartered before it was dismantled (aka absorbed into all the other corps)? where (if any) do current status updates about north america come from?

2a. the september 2510 earthquake was the death of the blue god, but cassian’s research put the epicenter in north america - am i correct in assuming now that this was simply a cover up to take the focus away from the marianas trench? or was there actually an earthquake there too?

3. a new theory for cassian is massive global earthquakes = god shit. he knows the spinetail earthquake was killing a god and the antartica one was waking up a god, so now he is wondering after other seismic activity. is there anything to find in this avenue, before i start thinking too hard on it? (*as an aside i might have more about this later too depending on how cassian's thread with jpg goes)

4. one more sign up for kestrel dreams, as cassian is also keeping his kestrel tattoo

[larkers]

Hi Tomato!

1. First off, we want to apologize if the big reveal felt a bit lackluster! We want you to know that we really had a blast fielding Cassian taking all those leads, and we definitely feel like he's poised to keep digging and uncover critical information to help the Displaced make informed decisions moving forward. If you have any questions about that, let us know.

Moving forward, there are definitely a few routes that you can chase down. Everything you mentioned is great. Starting with Lynch would help, since it would offer a different perspective on who Jimmy is, and what role he has in the 2512 world. From there, we suggest that Cassian continue digging into Riverstone (since they've specifically named Henries), as well as the other corporations. While we know what Jimmy's long game was, we don't yet know what anyone else's happened to be. The Aerie's very existence is a major clue, but it's not as simple as that, either.

As for Jimmy, we figure that Jyn is the best hookup here. We're limiting contact for IC reasons (Jason told him to be cagey), but he's not going to be great at holding out on that. We're thinking February for when he starts to reach out and sets up these permanent contacts.

We're definitely not trying to be vague here, so if we seem like we're being coy, it's because we've gotten the impression that you like the chase as much as the destination on Cassian's investigations. Let us know if you need any further clarification. We're happy to help!

2. As far as North America, for transparency's sake, we don't have anything outright planned! It's going to be up to the characters themselves to formulate a plan to get over there if they'd like to explore. Feel free to connect with Anne (our Thor player), as she also seems interested in this and has a few ideas! It may be more feasible to combine resources of many other characters for a player plot. Cassian and Jyn already have a few pieces of the puzzle since they dropped off Cassius and know the terrain through the scattered island stretch between South and North America. Just as a note, the UN monitors the coast of North America, so they'd have to be sneaky!

2a. So, the epicenter never properly existed! Because it was god business, basically. It's up to Cassian to determine what it all means to have systems in place to take care of these circumstances (and the fact that there weren't any for Antarctica).

3. We don't think there is too much other seismic activity to nail down, but please let us know if we've included some rumblings that we've forgotten! Cassian's conclusions are right. It's up to our favorite rebel to figure out what to do next.

4. Here's Cassian's Kestrel dream!

Content warning: Body horror, violence.

It feels like a free fall, but you can’t remember what the tipping point was. Above there’s nothing but darkness, and below is a gaping void. A gold, glowing eye opens in a long, vertical sliver. The pupil rolls around the socket, then dilates as it focuses on you. The gaze is piercing, as if it’s studying each and every cell of your make up. Other eyes open around it much like the first, one by one, rolling and focusing until they surround you, staring at you.

Suddenly, they all close at once, and below you a gaping maw made up of rows and rows of broken, crooked, human-looking teeth opens below you. There's not even time to scream as it swallows you whole.

Then you’re fine.

In fact, you’re sitting at a small table with your favorite meal in front of you. It’s a lavish restaurant with a view, though the location is hazy: first it’s the ocean at sunset, then ice-capped mountains, and then a beautiful temperate old growth forest. It rotates depending on the mood, though no one seems to find it odd. There's a pianist playing some light dinner music. Sitting across from you is Johann Grey. He no longer resembles Jimmy Henries, instead looking more like himself. His real self. He’s eating a steak with an eccentric flair, cutting into it and going mm-mm! mm! every time he takes a bite. If you say anything, do anything, or ask any questions, he doesn't seem to notice. Instead, he only says one thing.

"Just put it all on my tab. Tell them Johann Grey sent you."

[selfimage]

hey mods!!

1. it's rather obvious that loki's going to get fired from his job at pulsar upon arrival, so in the time he has some wiggle room from between when the aerie was still going on and everyone came back, and when the aerie ended. in that time, he's going to nab whatever highlevel schematics he can for different weapons, as well as take note of independent manufacturers that make specific types of parts that may be needed to build them. i'm figuring it would be more hand held/explosives/high tech guns and possibly stealth stuff. let me know if this sounds alright, or if you need something else from me. xoxo

2. i'm also wondering if it's ok that ren has a little curry following? i figure since he already works at red wings, he has a little boost on cooltalk.

3. aaaand signing ren up for kestrel dreams!

[larkers]

Hey Roni!

1. Yes, this would definitely be okay!

2. We're also fine with Ren living his curry influencer dreams. Post those beautifully framed and filtered photos of your culinary creations, Ren!

3. Heeere's that Kestrel dream.

Content warning: Body horror, violence.

It feels like a free fall, but you can’t remember what the tipping point was. Above there’s nothing but darkness, and below is a gaping void. A gold, glowing eye opens in a long, vertical sliver. The pupil rolls around the socket, then dilates as it focuses on you. The gaze is piercing, as if it’s studying each and every cell of your make up. Other eyes open around it much like the first, one by one, rolling and focusing until they surround you, staring at you.

Suddenly, they all close at once, and below you a gaping maw made up of rows and rows of broken, crooked, human-looking teeth opens below you. There's not even time to scream as it swallows you whole.

Then you’re fine.

In fact, you’re sitting at a small table with your favorite meal in front of you. It’s a lavish restaurant with a view, though the location is hazy: first it’s the ocean at sunset, then ice-capped mountains, and then a beautiful temperate old growth forest. It rotates depending on the mood, though no one seems to find it odd. There's a pianist playing some light dinner music. Sitting across from you is Johann Grey. He no longer resembles Jimmy Henries, instead looking more like himself. His real self. He’s eating a steak with an eccentric flair, cutting into it and going mm-mm! mm! every time he takes a bite. If you say anything, do anything, or ask any questions, he doesn't seem to notice. Instead, he only says one thing.

"What a beautiful sunset. They're getting earlier and earlier."

[laserbeams]

Hi mods, a couple things I'm interested in looking at:

1. I just want to check and see if it's alright that he has a social media following/celebrity status! In the aftermath he'd be trying to feel out if any of his former "fanbase" is left so he can try to utilize them, and moving on from that...

2. I'm very interested in exploring the religion/cult angle. Once Homelander realizes that corporations want nothing to do with him so he can't be his usual corporate sellout self, he'll be leaning hard into the religion angle instead (because why work on your emotional issues when you can just feed your pre-existing god complex). He was already a pseudo-religious figure back home because The Boys universe is weird like that so he'd be playing up the same angle here: that he was chosen by the gods to save the people of this world, with a hard authoritarian bent to try and soothe those poor confused souls looking for a strong leader that will look after them.

[larkers]

Hi Cass!

We're actually thinking of addressing these questions together, in that working up his status as a religious figure and putting together a following is what will get him the social media follows and attention. To be clear, these religious fanatics are not the same as the original cult, who is anti-technology, so they won't have any qualms about following him on CoolTalk or wherever else.

As far as who exactly he could appeal to for this religious following, we were thinking that some of the discharged UNA soldiers might be a good fit. To give you some background on this, the UNA soldiers were recruited into the army usually at a young age, around 18-20, and were specifically picked out because they had shown that they were the sort of person who would fall into line and do what was told, no questions asked. While in the army, they were heavily conditioned and even had implants that allowed them to function as a unit -- a sort of hive mind. There is more information about UNA training here, to give you an idea of their background.

Following the simulation that Judas imposed upon New Amsterdam, all UNA soldiers were discharged because it was revealed that the AI was responsible for a lot of their tech. Given the bad associations that AI has in this world, and how Judas terrorized people with the sim, the UNA soldiers were essentially viewed as "spoiled goods" and cut loose. With their sense of personhood so compromised and no one telling them what to do, most of them are now lost and drifting. Obviously they would handle this situation in different ways, but we wanted to lay this out for you as we think they're a group that Homelander would be able to appeal to and exploit. (If you want to read more, we have additional details here, though with a somewhat different approach.)

If you agree and have some ideas for how he'd do this, let us know! We're down for it.

[forcevisions]

1 - what is the state of yennefer's relationship to the lynches following her actions as a cardinal in the aerie?

2 - yennefer will be functionally presenting herself as a hippie-style cult leader (think klaus from TUA) to try to attract a vaguely earthy-yet-hedonist following who believes that the gods are returning to earth and sent the displaced to provide guidance on how the humans of earth can prepare themselves for their eventual arrival. she's picking out stupid people and strays here, especially if they can spend their parents' money.

if new amsterdam's population is not amenable to it, she'll move to another megacity for it. her primary goal is to get enough people that she's financially and physically insulated from the consequences of her actions. she doesn't want to have to have a real job, but instead be a sort of 'religious/thought leader' type. how would this go for her?

[larkers]

Hey Tifa!

1. The Lynches will definitely be on edge with Yennefer, and a bit more distant. They, like everyone else, are trying to figure out if Yennefer's actions in the Aerie reveal something about her personality that she's been obscuring.

2. This is definitely possible! How will Yennefer appeal to rich benefactors to support her lifestyle? How will she prove her advice and ideas are worthy of their patronage? Will she be going for a Burning Man style hippie aesthetic, or more of a polished Goop vibe?

Let us know if there are any questions on follow-up here!

[northerndragon]

The gist: I'm looking for some NPCs to give Jon a little more to do in the setting: some depth, some ties, some opportunities.

Details: Within the Aerie, Jon was essentially a Rook who was not as bad as he could have been, but wasn't especially great or useful, either. A pampered rich kid (the grandson of a Cardinal who elected to die before the events of the story) who had become a depressed alcoholic. He expressed some sympathies with the Congregation to Ellie (in the thread I submitted for powerup, which an NPC with super-hearing might have overheard), but mostly his help was limited to individual proteges, specifically people whose "crimes" had been either situations where they were framed, or where they had been trying to help people, or etc.

After the bombing, he would have been using his powers to help pull NPCs out of the wreckage in the Volary. Most would have been dead, but some would have survived, and he could have done something like using the telepathic end of his powers to keep debris from crushing someone while getting them out of the way. This would have been an uncharacteristic display of heroism and selflessness.

Back in the event over the summer, he also ran around trying to help in small monster-slaying events -- one with Cheris that we didn't thread out but just handwaved, and one in a coffee shop, where Quentin summoned him and he killed a couple of monsters while all of the patrons and staff hid out in the kitchen. It is possible that some of the NPCs from that situation and the NPCs he helped in the Volary could have some crossover. (He is also one of the people who rode the good dragon fighting the bad dragon, but it seems a lot less likely to me that he would be recognizable from that. He got knocked out early in that fight.)

And back in the sim, he was someone who was repeatedly letting himself get captured and taken to the camps, as well as going out with teams and helping people. There are NPCs who might recognize him from that.

He would also be known as someone who works at Red Wings and is friendly with some of the Displaced who have a social media following.

What I'm looking for: 1-2 hooks in human form.

- I am interested in getting him involved in the god/religion stuff, which is likely to somehow happen partly through his CR (but having something to jump start it that he can go to his CR about would help), and it's likely that he'll eventually join Morningstar (it's been on the list for a while).

- I am also looking for him to have a few interesting or useful contacts within New Amsterdam or one of the other cities, maybe someone who wants to put him to work as some kind of model/spokesman (the joke is some kind of boutique whiskey startup, but something like that would obviously be pretty rare in the setting).

- He is involved in going to North America. They need help.

Really, I've never hit up the Plot Engagement post in the past, so I'm open to whatever is fair and interesting! Obviously, it's unlikely to be all of these things: I'm just listing the stuff that might work to give you some options and ideas. I also know the mod team is having a rough time this week, so if it takes a week to get back to me on this, that's cool.

[larkers]

Hey Elizabeth!

Could you clarify some of Jon's overall goals in gaining these NPCs/resources? We can see some passive circumstances happening to Jon in your requests, but not his overall ambitions. We'd definitely like to help you out with this and give some direction, so let us know!

Thanks!

[notathreat]

Hey mods!

Ellie was a former victor in the quarry while they were in the Aerie, and she pursued a low-key music gig to keep the bills paid, where she ended up with some fans of her work.

Not sure if this would translate to a Cooltalk following or how much of one, but it's likely she'll be recognized? What do you think?

That said, she's close with her boss and has hooked her up with some Displaced assistance (thanks Ian!) for getting the bar back up and running. For some background on Ruth: I've been playing it as a don't-ask-don't-tell thing with Ellie's Displaced status, but Ruth would have to be as thick as a brick wall not to have guessed that Ellie's one of the Displaced by now.

It's likely that Ruth is going to put the pressure on Ellie to start performing music at least a couple of times a week, re: her following in the Aerie. She is a business owner. How will that translate to business at the bar/her following on Cooltalk/chances of being recognized in public? Will it cause her any problems?

[larkers]

Hey Charlie,

It's fine if you'd like her to be recognized! She wouldn't have a mega-huge following, but she'd definitely bring some revenue for the bar. There won't be many problems, because Ellie was a former Quarry victor. If you'd like a little more, you can check the Event 11 Wrap Up under Quarry Participants.

Just as a note, due to the nature of Meadowlark's world, it's unlikely that a bar owner would show special preference to women who are down on their luck, and instead would seek to help troubled people of all identities to help them get set up on the right path. While Meadowlark's world is an oft-hypocritical dystopia, there are some socially progressive issues that would lead to fewer situations where women would be singled out for these helpful efforts. (We have a bit about this on the Social Issues on our Setting Page.) We definitely get what you were going for, but these types of protections are likely to include a wider swath of people who are negatively impacted by the broken systems of Meadowlark's world, but in a very different way than you might find today (as women don't face the same discriminatory practices as they do in our modern world).

[malta]

hola moderadoras,

joe painted/printed his propaganda posters in the aerie which were then adapted by legion/nirvana into the huge mural. joe has been painting around new amsterdam — mostly nicky, but also scenes from the aerie and new amsterdam in the aftermath of people helping people, very mr rogers look for the helpers.

he's interested in legion (she clearly digs his art vibe) and would ask around his gallery coworkers if they know who legion is or what they're after. is there anyway he can seek legion out?

[larkers]

Hi Emma!

This is covered a little in the Event 11 Wrap Up, where Legion was revealed to be a wealthy woman by the name of Nirvana. If he asks around the galleries, he'll get the same information that's in the wrap up post! Let us know how he'd like to seek her out from there. She's an immensely private person, so he'd either need to do some sleuthing or something large enough to get her attention.

[filloryfanatic]

Hi mods! I know I missed the cut off point so no rush, next Sunday's fine. After it's coming up a few times, Quentin's going to find their worshipper pals and check in with them post-Aerie. A few things he'll bring up:

1. Just generally how they're doing, if they're okay, how are they feeling post-Aerie. He will also thank them for some of the ways they helped out in New Amsterdam with the situation and were hands on deck. He <3s you.

2. He wants to know what their thoughts are re: the gods stuff in the Aerie and if they feel like any of it has bearings here. Are they excited about that or does it not matter to their current world? Do they have new knowledge/beliefs that they're going within this world currently?

3. How do they feel about the other preachers/groups that are starting to crop up around?

4. Do they have a new leader and if so, Quentin would like to meet them if that's possible.

5. He wants to know what they know about North America and if there were any god-adjacent stories or theories about that area.

6. He reminds them that if they need help or have questions, they can come to him or the other Displaced they know.

[larkers]

Hi Dee!

1+ 2. Much like the rest of the world, they're reeling from everything that happened, and each of them is dealing with that in their own ways. They'll appreciate him checking in, though! As for the Aerie itself, it essentially confirmed everything they believed about the gods. They're all riding high on that, whatever their individual trauma might be.

3. This varies a bit, too. Some of them are interested in the new groups, and some are wary. The overall feeling is that they don't know much about these new groups yet, and to be fair the new groups are still figuring things out themselves, so they're in wait and see mode.

4. They do, and it depends on how he goes about this! If he's pushy about it and asks for an audience right off, it will make them suspicious. The tone has changed since Ball's death, and it seems like they're being more careful about their current leader. However, the Insomniacs' Ball is coming up on the next intro log, and Nirvana will be there. She knows who Quentin is, so it'd be about getting her attention long enough to get her to trust him.

5. They don't, unfortunately!

6. 😘 They'll appreciate that!

[stagethreeclinger]

hello!! may i have a kestrel dream for roy here, pretty please?

[larkers]

Hi Jay! No problem. Here you go:

Content warning: Body horror, violence.

It feels like a free fall, but you can’t remember what the tipping point was. Above there’s nothing but darkness, and below is a gaping void. A gold, glowing eye opens in a long, vertical sliver. The pupil rolls around the socket, then dilates as it focuses on you. The gaze is piercing, as if it’s studying each and every cell of your make up. Other eyes open around it much like the first, one by one, rolling and focusing until they surround you, staring at you.

Suddenly, they all close at once, and below you a gaping maw made up of rows and rows of broken, crooked, human-looking teeth opens below you. There's not even time to scream as it swallows you whole.

Then you’re fine.

In fact, you’re sitting at a small table with your favorite meal in front of you. It’s a lavish restaurant with a view, though the location is hazy: first it’s the ocean at sunset, then ice-capped mountains, and then a beautiful temperate old growth forest. It rotates depending on the mood, though no one seems to find it odd. There's a pianist playing some light dinner music. Sitting across from you is Johann Grey. He no longer resembles Jimmy Henries, instead looking more like himself. His real self. He’s eating a steak with an eccentric flair, cutting into it and going mm-mm! mm! every time he takes a bite. If you say anything, do anything, or ask any questions, he doesn't seem to notice. Instead, he only says one thing.

"This is one of the last places where you can get a good steak."