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.
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> NAVIGATION

Comments

[larkers]

Hey Em!

For the garage, we ended up using a warehouse interior for all of our images of the hoverbike garage, so let's say that El scooped up a deal on a warehouse that someone foreclosed on ages ago because they thought their hoverbike garage would make them serious credits. With that in mind, this link gives some "modern" (in our time) square footage. We'll say that's accurate to 2512, too, but on the lower end of the 25K-50K square footage because of the limited space available in megacities.

For the bunker, we drew up a map of how we picture the safehouse for Discord, haha, so that's here. We're flexible on this, though, and whether Ian would widen it and manage the electrical wiring and trickiness there (or if he already started during his previous renovations).

[wittingly]

Muchas gracias, this helps a ton.

[malta]

hello fronds,

i was thinking that with the rise of hmmm new religions, joe would ask the gallery if he could do an exhibit on past religious works in order to reintroduce the religions of old to their little small section of society. he'd focus on the similarity in art of creation myths and the aniconism of many religions, because that feels reflected in the sacred geometry.

idk if this is really for plot engagement but i think it could be a fun immersive exhibit for the citizens of new amsterdam? SHRUGS EXPANSIVELY IDK CHUMS

[rehandle]

Hey mods!

I'll come back on point 2 eventually, but for now some follow up on Stephen and his motley lightning crew! It's as long as always so buckle in. Also apologising because it's gone 12am so I only proofread once.

Now that he's coming out of his post-Aerie funk Stephen's going to take time to research the movement and will find that their messaging is for the most part one of forgiveness and appreciation. It started with a focus on him specifically but with time and Stephen's silence they've branched out to talking amongst themselves about how that same forgiveness should be afforded to everyone, the overall sentiment being sympathy for anyone whose Aerie life made them crueller than they are in reality or aligned them with something that doesn’t represent their actual values. There's been a lot of commiseration between people whose family members are now being treated with distrust locally because they were Parliament-affiliated or Quarry workers etc.

Stephen will put in an order for a badge from the woman who first started making them, ready to show his appreciation to the community who have been supporting him, and through this get into chats with her and a few other founding members of the movement. He’ll end up pitching an idea to use his platform to build on what they have and help encourage people to support and listen to one another in the aftermath of the Aerie.

With their blessing, his first effort will be to try and generate a gratitude and appreciation chain on Cooltalk with people sharing stories about members of their local community, family members, friends etc who’ve been doing great work to support those around them and/or overcome their own difficult situations.

He’ll put together a post that includes a photo of some stormclouds/a strike of blue lightning (ie) as a nod of appreciation and recognition to the people who have worn the jewellery for him - as Lance's power is tied up in the origins of this whole thing I’ve also double checked with Ami that using the more realistic lightning as a symbol here is okay and she's happy! He’ll accompany this with a short write up something like the one below:

"🗲 In the wake of the storm, who in your community are you proud of? Whose efforts to support others have you noticed? Whose ability to keep going despite adversity do you admire? Whoever they are, I'd like to celebrate them. Please share their stories and encourage others to do the same so we can all celebrate them together.”

His aim at this point is to encourage positive sentiment amongst communities at the very least in online spaces, in the hope that it also generates discussions around everyone’s situations post-Aerie and how people can support one another. Because (fuck the UN) it’s a lot harder to bamboozle a population when they’re uniting and cooperating and communicating with each other.

Neither he or I have any idea how well that’ll be received or taken up by people who aren’t part of the original jewellery club, so to that end if this gets the go ahead I plan to have him ICly reach out to the Displaced to ask them to engage their own Cooltalk followers with similar messages to try and separate the movement from him as sole influence so it’s harder to discredit it as a whole.

That's what I've got, I think what I need to know for now is:

1. Am I okay to go ahead with this, and
2. If so are there likely to be any immediate reactions once it's posted, from the internet or elsewhere, that I should be aware of before Stephen starts reaching out to try and get other people on board?

(And anything else you think might be relevant for me to know before I get the ball rolling, or anything else you need to know from me.)

Thank you!

[evasives]

heyo mods i just want to tack on my general thinking/plan here:

it basically boils down to stake out??
two options (possibly combinable?):
1. cassian getting a connection with a server/worker/hostess inside, maybe an extra gossipy one who just likes to talk about all the people who come to hang out and eat a lot expensive meat
2. re: the reservation: cassian and jyn have the finances/money saved where they could potentially afford a meal (even if it was one single shared meal idk the price range for this place), though this reservation would obvs take some time and waiting before they get in - unless the clout part is necessary too, as dee asked.

the ultimate goal is to potentially get a sense of grey's comings and goings and ALSO see who he might be dining with, at least to start. i figure nothing would happen pre north america anyway, so the set up could take place before/during the big trip

[larkers]

Hey Emma!

The gallery would be all for an exhibit like this, and would give Joe a bit of free rein to design the exhibit. We're looking to put this on the next calendar, so we'd like a bit more detail to start!

1. Are there any cultures/religions/artists Joe would focus on specifically? Any certain art movements?

2. How will the exhibition itself be presented? Will it be more like a traditional (though VR) gallery, or will it lean more on interaction, such as VR walkthroughs of worship spaces?

3. How will the religions/myths themselves be presented? Since religion is a thing of the past in Meadowlark, most exhibitions and documentaries of this nature talk about all of them from a purely academic standpoint, much like the study of the classics in our world. Will Joe be treating the stories in these works more like myths, or like modern religious practices?

[malta]

1. i don't want to stick with just the abrahamic religions, because joe is more worldly than i am, but i don't think i could be super specific outside of those so! i am trying my best. he would stick with a theme instead of an era or specific artist, focusing on creation style myths because there is so much similarity in so many of them. it would run the gamut of the greek and egyptian pantheons, sikhism, buddhist, taoist, islamic, berber and punic religions, christian, hindu, zoroastrianism, indigenous religions of the americas, judaism. (if it needs to be narrowed down: greek, islam, buddhism, christianity, berber, native american)

2. i think both? traditional vr gallery (with benches to sit and look), but also rooms set aside to walk through. i'm thinking along the lines of, as a concept, the temple of dendur at the met where you're invited to walk into the temple itself and the catalonian chapel at the boston mfa with the pews to sit so they can observe like the worshipers of old. but i think an audio component could be neat too, like hearing a shofar call or the adhan at the appropriate times of day or even parts of a latin mass (the latter two performed by joe and nicky respectively if there are no audio recordings).

3. i think he would present it more as a cultural thing, but in that sense i guess less of the mythology side

[larkers]

Hi Raina,

Just for clarity, Durcell does use they/them pronouns! But going ahead from that, here is some of the history and context surrounding Durcell for your reference:

Durcell was trying to get a strong foothold in the criminal underground because of their political ambitions (running for New Amsterdam governor), and hoped to have the crime groups find a stake in the space colonies rebelling because they wanted to use them for their own purposes. In order to become a bigger player after losing the governor election, Durcell moved to take over the Outlaws in Jason's absence in order to scoop up power/security. The Outlaws members accepted this because they were seeking a powerful figure after Jason ghosted on them (even if they don't know that it's unintentional).

The power vacuum mainly has to do with the space colonies, as there is the issue of distance there. However, Durcell themselves and the Outlaws are also shaken because of the events of the Aerie. It's up to you how Jason might approach the situation. Would he come in trying to seem like a friend who's there to support them, only to try and draw people over to his side? Or would he try to find ways to undermine Durcell by pointing out weaknesses? Or both, or something else entirely?

Does he have any interest in the space colonies, or would he be more invested in finding a foothold within the Outlaws? The Outlaws are basically a result of the other Jason's hard work, so we understand if this Jay is looking to get in on that for the sake of spite or whatever else.

[larkers]

Hey Dee!

As a heads up, we've answered you both here!

[larkers]

Hi Dee & Tomato!

We're going to answer them as a set to cover everything and offer some options based on what you'd like to do:

The establishment appeals to the upper echelon, so there's not going to be many Chatty Cathys to establish trust. If Cassian or Jyn approaches with means of finding someone loose-lipped, they'll get sniffed out right away (this is actually not an uncommon place for something like this to happen—multiple people head to The Four Horsemen in order to try to bargain with one of the wait staff to spill some deets on the usual clientele).

Jyn and Cassian are free to make a reservation, but they'll have to make it at least two or so months in advance for the two of them. It's done over their neural implants! However, whoever decides to make the reservation (either Cassian or Jyn), will find that there is an open-date reservation attached to their name already, but it's not for two, it's for five. They'll be asked if they're confirming that reservation for a specific date, or making a new one.

Let us know where you'd like to go from here!

[larkers]

No worries, you don't need to be super specific! The narrowed down presentation would likely work best, as he'd be able to go more in-depth on each culture.

As you might have guessed, because of the recent renewed interest in religion, this exhibition will be a huge hit. The immersive parts will especially get a lot of attention, and it'll be a very well performing exhibition for the gallery. They'll be getting a lot of requests for similar shows in the future, especially ones focusing in more detail on certain religions or beliefs! If Joe would like to pursue that, they'll be delighted.

As for Joe himself, while he won't get a ton of attention from the public at large, he will get a lot of props from the art community. Reviews of the show will be glowing, and other galleries and museums will try to hop on the bandwagon, putting together their own religious history and iconography shows. It'll also give him more pull in the art world as an up and comer. Slowly but surely, he'll also start seeing references to his exhibition in the real world—mostly murals including symbolism and art styles that he focused on as the fledgling religions in the city try to develop their visual language.

We'll note this on the next calendar, so let us know if there's anything else you'd like us to include!

[larkers]

Hi Gee!

First off: feel free to go ahead with this! We think it's a great idea, and it fits a lot of what Stephen was trying to do before the Aerie, especially given the fact that Judas turned his self-sacrificing tendencies against him in the simulation. Even though the Aerie is still fresh in people's minds, the simulation wasn't so long ago. So, Stephen going back to his roots will help him a lot.

Secondly: responses will be mixed. At first, it will be a matter of positive response, which might be a pleasant surprise for Stephen. That is, until this whole thing starts trending and drawing in more eyes. If you're familiar with Instagram or Twitter comments, you'll probably be able to imagine that the longer the quote-retweet-like function, reply function, and so forth continues to be used, there will be people coming in and making snide responses about Stephen's intentions, as well as the Cardinals as a whole. But on the flipside, there will be people realizing that this kind of response is unfair. And … people bandwagoning the hate to dunk on Stephen's efforts. Either way, it's going to get a lot of exposure. More than anything, it will get people talking—starting with a local trend in New Amsterdam and eventually becoming a global one. Hopefully Stephen knows how to mute notifications for his sanity (and don't worry, that is an available function!).

How Stephen responds is up to you. Will he defend himself on the internet? Block unruly commenters? Retweet the positive-or-neutral responses to try to encourage discussion? Will he be looping in other Displaced to try to get them in on the action? And if so, what will they be doing? You can have him loop people in via a post, or you can plot it elsewhere and have people reply here. Either way, we're curious to know both Stephen's reactions and if anyone else is on board!

One thought we had was that this could easily collide with three other Cardinals' plots: Yennefer with her cult, Homelander's outreach to discharged UNA soldiers, and Loki's St. Augustine-like Confessions book. While these plots don't necessarily need to intersect, we think that, given that they'd be all developing simultaneously in real time, it would be neat to see how you guys would view this growing movement. We're also happy to work with you on this.

If you have any other questions or would like to see this go a different way, we're happy to make modifications that make the plot more interesting for you.

[genova]

Please include how proud Nicky is of his husband.




no jk



or am i

[malta]

that sounds gr8 to me! he'd be happy to keep doing shows like that and then smiling mysteriously when anyone asks how he knows any of this stuff.

also nicky is very proud of him

[voicelog]

hi mods!! coming in hot like a few months later lol (ignore my default icon; i haven't renewed his paid yet)

tony has been on autopilot for the past few months(?) so i'm gonna pretend that he has been busy with getting a pilot license (i don't know how long that process takes, but i'm sure he most likely has it by now maybe?) and starting up his business.

for the political ties, he will be going the second route with the colonies. personally, he doesn't trust any of the big corps for obvious reasons and he wouldn't want to risk getting too close with pulsar in light of his history with them. that being said, he also wouldn't turn down any contractual work from them if they decide to approach him in the future. but if he can get enough substantial support from the colonies to build up his business and progress in his goal for a better avenue in space travel, then he won't mind backing their cause.

let me know your thoughts!

[hiyakai]

hi! also very belated here asdf

i'm good with el making contact with kai on his blood problem. we can backdate it if you don't mind or we can handwave it too since i know it's... been a while now. sorry, life just swept me away. :'|

[larkers]

Hi Laws!

If you don't mind, we'll go ahead and handwave the conversation between Kai and El, but for your knowledge, basically what El would offer would be to forge medical records to make it seem as if Kai has a hematological disorder that makes him transfusion-dependent. This will allow him to visit a blood bank regularly to pick up blood bags which he'll then be able to use as he wishes. Enjoy?

Let us know if you have any questions!