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

[filloryfanatic]

Wonderful, thank you! <3

[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.

this is so long and rambly forgive

[starfares]

for gene:

with the knowledge i have rn, which i'm aware is incomplete, my thought is he'd pick a different hospital — now that he's worked alongside nicky he trusts him to know his shit — and take it over. these cities be huge and having only one hospital functioning is a recipe for a damn disaster. he'd try to pick one on the other side of the town so they can collectively cover as much 'ground' as possible. he'd be focusing on logistics as much as possible, organizing/etc rather than just doing medical things — he'd rather find other skilled people to do that, but he's got the training and wartime experience necessary to lead and delegate and he'd consider that more valuable to a wider range of benefit than just stitching up wounds personally.

if people take issue with that because of his role in the aerie, he would listen to concerns/etc, but ultimately would politely but firmly tell them to wait until the world's out of crisis to discuss the matter. if civilians/npcs/whatever want to watch him to make sure he's not doing shady stuff he'd shrug and allow it - it doesn't bother him to be observed!

he'd absolutely want to involve other pcs (but i don't really want to make a post to that effect since it'd be a rehash of the last little bit blrgh, i can reach out oocly for people) since he knows the reputation of the displaced took a hit - he's from an era where propaganda was important to the war effort, he knows that it would be 'good pr' for displaced to be seen actively helping out, so he'd probably reach out to a variety of displaced for assistance, probably ones without a hugely negative reputation in more 'visible' roles (dealing with the public, triage, distributing necessary supplies/etc). if he includes anyone more negatively-impacted by their aerie role, he'd probably put them in a more 'behind the scenes' type role — he doesn't want any civilians freaking out because they're being helped out by an aerie-displaced with a real bad rep. he'd also try to tap any PRESERVE resources/contacts he has available as well. as native doctors/nurses start feeling up to the task of taking command of their areas he'd be perfectly happy to relinquish control to them without a fuss, he's not interested in actually taking any power for himself. once the city is more or less functioning 'as normal' he'd be fine going back to his day job, lmao.


for jai:

he'd appeal to them by helping them. he's been a street kid, he knows the best way to win over angry feral teens is basically by doing something decent for them and then giving them space to make up their own minds. if i had to whip up a 'meet cute' scenario for how he came across this band, i'd say he probably helped them out in an unfairly stacked street brawl when there was no evident or obvious benefit to him (he roots for the underdogs, okay) and then peaced out for a day or two, and when he found them again would have maybe brought some fish or something to share because he's got a fucking soft spot for troubled kids (anyone even remotely younger than him is 'kid' which is why i figured this group was like, the 17-18 year old bracket). he knows first hand that people would have an expectation of 'repayment' of some sort and would be wary/cautious of random gifts, so he'd just keep being chill about it and decent, maybe sit around a (metaphoric? literal?) campfire or two trading stories. building familiarity and camaraderie and maybe the occasional challenge of their more UNA-based mentalities, though he'd do it in a kind of mild mannered way. i feel like this would happen over a period of days/weeks rather than immediately.

the thing is: though he's not actively presenting himself as a displaced, if someone actually asked him directly he wouldn't lie about it, either, so that could be something that comes up and i'd be cool with whatever wrench that might potentially throw in the plans.

as for leadership: it would depend on the leader the gang already had at that point. if they seemed like they actually cared about the people they were with and were trying their best to do good things, he'd mostly just try and support that. if they were shitty or were trying to encourage the gang to incite violence/etc then he'd probably try to do a stereotypical Combat Challenge to take them down.

he'd mostly want the group to help out - clear out vines, rubble, help other people, maybe distribute supplies/etc if he can find a cache somewhere (if he did, he'd break in alone and redistribute things, that can maybe be where he gets the means to offer them more support/etc, i'm fine with there being consequences for that down the line too as infrastructure gets back up and running). as for who he'd want to protect: 'vulnerable' populations, mostly. his focus would probably be on kids (are they separated from their parents? can we get them back to them? do they have enough food/shelter) because he's That Guy but depending on group consensus he'd be willing to cast a wider net. he's not really hardline on things like this because he just wants to Help and recognizes that he's only one person and that he can't help everyone.

as much as he's being distant from the other displaced, i'm totally cool with involving other people with this as well! especially those that are newer to the displaced/the world, since he doesn't have an immediately negative opinion of them the way he views some of the older displaced. so if there's anyone from the Newbie Batch that you guys think might work out well for this on an ooc level or characters you think would jive on an IC one i'm all for finding a way to make it work.

[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 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!

[northerndragon]

Sure thing! I think I tried to give you as much info to work with as possible and it might have been... too much, or not enough of the right thing. I'm sorry I keep missing the mark on what to give you!

There are his goals and my goals. On my end, I'm looking for plot hooks that he can pursue and/or just something more going on in his life -- toys for me to play with as a writer. He's now been helpful to at least a small number of people in a couple of events, so it seemed to me like one or more of them might eventually seek him out, or have taken notice of him outside of events, and that he could potentially have helped the same person twice. Sometimes I also just bring something up because I think it would be funny and could lead to something more concrete later on (hence the endless beverage model jokes -- but if something like that ever happened, I would assume it would probably come from a supplier to Red Wings, and would mostly just result in very minor social media fame and some pocket money).

His goals would be:

- In an overall sense, he's interested in his presence in this world being a net positive. Whether or not that turns out to be the case remains to be seen. This means that he will always try to help people in disaster situations, will go on any expedition that seems like a good idea at the time, etc. (I would imagine, from the info that has already been given to us, that his reputation would suffer from being a Rook in the Aerie, but maybe not as badly as some other people's.) He isn't seeking fame, but it's possible he'd have a small, growing reputation for public bravery.

- He would be concerned about the worshippers, the shrines, the gods, etc. He is extremely uncomfortable being worshipped (recall "ha ha awkward I'm not a god" after his resurrection in canon, and a lot of "what does it all mean" navel-gazing after that). But he also comes out of a situation at home where he needs to turn people's hero-worship of him and of his "father" into them giving him authority and respecting it -- so how he handles it could legitimately go either way, depending on what seems better for the people of this world. He can be convinced that the alternative is much worse, and the fact that he kind of *is* a god, at least a little, isn't lost on him. That's a potentially interesting internal conflict, because his humility makes it hard for him to revel in it: "it should be used responsibly." (EDIT: he is especially concerned about someone legitimately abusing or violently suppressing the worshippers.)

I thought it was possible that one of the people he helped might be someone who is 1. a Displaced worshipper with 2. some connections of their own that could go other places later on. (If it's even plausible to find something like that in combination.) It makes more sense to me right now for him to be more involved in the more mythic end of the game than in things like organized crime. Right now he is also in a lot of contact with both Quentin and Yennefer. Anyway, regardless, he'd be interested in and motivated to get more involved in this, but I have been fantastically ham-fisted at achieving it.

- Trustworthy outside help with the North America stuff that isn't going to turn the members of the expedition in to the UN, esp in terms of outfitting the expedition. (This seems pretty unlikely to me, but I threw it out there as a possibility. They are so close to the expedition itself that it's both a little too convenient, and not enough time to really establish any trust.)

- He is relatively hard up for cash. Not starving, but making the typical Red Wings worker wage, maintaining an expensive shoebox apartment, and probably doing things like helping his neighbors out with finances/resources when things get bad. He would be motivated to take occasional extra work that wasn't especially shady, aside from opportunities that come up on the logs every month.

--

I don't know if this is helpful or if I missed the mark again! LMK if there's still anything else you need me to add. One thing about his motivations is that many of them were tied to Daenerys up to this point. With her departure, he isn't really tied to her goals anymore and has leeway to pursue his own.

[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?

[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]

Thanks Em!

The project will be approved! There are a couple notes, since New Amsterdam is still in a bit of disarray and this is probably not at the forefront of thought, it will take about 6 OOC months (3 IC months) to take into effect. In this time, Ian will also get some learning time to understand what kind of licensing goes into something like this, as well as the hoops that need to be jumped through to get something auto-loaded into the implants.

Let us know if there are any questions here! We think that there's some cool opportunities here for Ian that aren't just limited to the app release.

[larkers]

Hey again Gee,

Judas has a different path right now. He's currently out of Johann's control and contacting Carolina and Maine. For this we'd suggest reaching out to Kas or Dk if you want to go that route with Laura! We're happy to cook up a different direction for you if that doesn't work, but since Laura is only just returning to the world, Judas will have less reason to know who she is to seek her out. What Judas does from here is going to depend who's on his side.

As far as Johann goes, Cassian, Roy and Akechi were all involved in speaking with him just before the Aerie ended. Dean has been looking for him for a while, and Callisto, Lexa, Ren, Jack and Cassian all had a Kestrel dream. We'd like to do something here that would unite a few of these plots! Cassius will be willing to help them find Johann (depending on some of his resources) as long as they come up with a plan feasible enough for him to be comfortable with. Cassius wants to ensure everyone's safety before they head off after Johann! Let us know if this works for you, or if there's something else that you had in mind.

Thanks!

[larkers]

Hi Laws,

Yes, if Kai's stealing from hospitals (at least at first) El would not be happy about it. Ze reached out to another vampire about this in the past, with zeir main concern being that the blood is in short supply and was clearly being reserved for other people, and that fashioning an actual legal "need" for Kai to get it would be preferable to him stealing from existing stock.

But, as we had mentioned in that other thread, getting it through his criminal connections on the black market is also an option, once he's established there. El would really prefer doing it zeir way, but it's not like ze's going to actively control what Kai does either. Let us know what you think!

Between Kai's connections and willingness to intimidate/blackmail, we're fine with him having a position like what you've outlined in your comment! Let us know if you end up wanting him to leverage that at all going forward. His methods means he won't necessarily have the trust of the criminal element, but he'll have their respect.

[larkers]

Hi Laws,

Yes, we're fine with him doing both things! Have at it.

[larkers]

Hey Ami,

While it looks like there's both an IC and an OOC element, we thought we'd make Morningstar's stance clear to you as a player for transparency's sake. We don't want you to feel as if you're running up against a wall with a particular game mechanic while evaluating how it can be changed, and then it no longer becomes fun IC. We'd also like to help you pivot the plot a bit so you can fulfill some of Lance's other investigative inclinations (particularly into corruption) without becoming frustrated by what can and can't be changed with the safehouse and Morningstar. Let us know if that'd be something you're interested in! Based on what you explained of Lance's IC motivations, we have a few ideas with the UN, as well as Lance's former identity as a Shrike, but didn't know if it would be something you'd be interested in pursuing.

1. Yes! That's the short of it. It's very obviously Morningstar technology (since they're the ones who have it), and would still be a Morningstar resource.

2. This would depend on if someone is working in the police department! There's no one currently there on appointment, but that could change depending on interest. If someone wanted to start working there, after an initial training period, they'd have some access to dispatch. More, obviously, as the position grew.

Keep in mind it's not just the NAPD that the new arrivals are avoiding, but the UN now has deployed a Special Investigative Task Force that's compiled of former Shrikes mentioned in the Event 11 Wrap Up. These special forces will be deployed in September (February OOC) and will be trailing the Displaced for ammunition in the UN's anti-Displaced campaigns, among possible other corporate interests. Keep an eye on the February calendar for this!

This is where we believe there may be a plot opportunity for Lance! It may grow depending on where Lance's interests lie, but we didn't want these points to completely feel like coming up against a wall. There's some room to expand here.

Let us know what you'd like to do moving forward. Thanks!

[larkers]

1. Yes, he'll definitely have more influence there. It sounds like he'll want this relationship to be a bit more reciprocal than allowing himself to be worshipped in the usual way, right? Let us know how he'd like to influence them specifically and where he'd like to go with this in the long run!

1.5 Perfect! Sounds good!

2. That would work just fine, as long as he's hiding the bodies of the animals he's hunting. We'll have more information about the animals and how they're being handled on the calendar tomorrow, so that will probably answer a lot of your questions!

3. Great! Whenever you guys are ready, we'll be happy to help.

[larkers]

Hey Pana!

Riverstone will be appreciative of the information, but in a somewhat distant way. It's clear that Murphy is willing to give them a lot, but they're still trying to figure out how trustworthy he is, and how much he might be leaving out or obscuring. So, of course, they'll be asking for him to follow up on a few things:

1. He hasn't had any visions, but they'll want him to gather as much information about them as he can. Not just the contents of them, but how they were triggered and what they felt like.

2. He should keep an eye on the situation with the Displaced and the gods—they'll push him on this especially.

3. Are there any among the newcomers that might be willing to feed them information as well? They'll give him a bonus for anyone who signs up, as well as provide a salary to their new informants.

Basically, working on these will be a great way to further earn their trust and butter them up!

[larkers]

Hey again Laws!

Looking into obtaining a license to pilot a spacecraft would be the first step. There'd be online classes to take (that Tony would most likely breeze through) to add to his resume. As for the political ties, we have two routes we think could be taken:

1. Breaking into the political climate on Earth may be more difficult, as Tony's status as a Cardinal would hinder him, as people would be wary of his intentions. He'd have to prove himself to some extent. Pulsar is still looking for him from his little stints in stealing their materials! While they wouldn't outright align with him or his business, they'd be willing to start some contractual work with very tight limitations. This wouldn't put him outright in the position for materials or training, but it would be a start.

2. The route with a little more freedom concerns the colonies! Since the colonies were not part of the Aerie, and they're looking for resources, the Cardinal bit would be less of an issue. It would be an easier route to align with them and they'd be more receptive to his help, so they'd be able to begin organizing means of space travel from Earth more quickly. This would also put El and Cassius in a position to be more inclined to help him get what he needs for his license, and materials to get into space. However, that definitely would align Tony in support of the independence of the colonies, and he'd need to work with them toward their goals.

Keep in mind how these two routes could affect Tony's business as well, not just in a good/bad way, but in the way that it could pivot because the different options put him in line for different resources. Let us know how you feel about these, or if you have any other ideas! Don't feel constrained to pick one of them if you've got something else in mind.

As far as growing Tony's business goes: You've got it right! He'd need to attract investors and get a business loan. It's his choice who he'd like to appeal to. Not everyone in the night market works illegally, as we said, so that would definitely be a place to start. The two above options would also affect this.

Let us know how you'd like to do this, as the two options above would give Tony different resources both for his space endeavors and business endeavors.

[larkers]

Hi Alex,

No problem, these questions help us to flesh out some potential directions with this too, as we're working it out as we go ourselves!

For your first question, the long and short of it is that rich people at the level that Langley is at can kind of do whatever they want. Some might go through the regular police force to get things done, but others have their own personal private eyes / mercenaries / etc. that can handle their business for them. In Langley's case, he's got enough of an ego that he views the act of bringing Nate in as a patriotic one. Stealing is wrong, it doesn't matter why it was done or that what was taken was serving no real purpose. Yeah, that kind of asshole.

(Sidenote, but we also did want to make a quick note that there is more that can be uncovered or leveraged with the mercenary group angle, if that's something that you're interested in! We don't want you to think that's now become a dead end after the revelations re: Jimmy, as Jimmy was not responsible for the Gates kidnappings that initially led Nate down this path.)

If Langley found out about Nate's link to the mob, there would probably be some pushback from the Riverside group because yeah, they don't really want to be perceived by anyone with the amount of resources and power that Langley has. (On the other hand, the mob is always wondering how they can play something to their advantage.)

What we're thinking is that this Langley guy, like so many others, has his own trauma that he's dealing with post-Aerie, and tracking down Nate is how he's working through it, in that it will allow him to feel like he can regain some level of power and control. This means his plan isn't that well-formed, honestly, but currying favor with the UN is part of it. His first goal is going to be tracking Nate down so that he can have a talk with him, because he will be genuinely curious about what the heck Nate's deal is and why he broke into his place of all places and what he wanted with some dusty sketchbooks to begin with, so let's start there!

And, naturally, let us know if any ideas/questions/etc occur to you.

[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!

[larkers]

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for the clarification on what plot threads you're interested in pulling on! We're gonna break it down a little more to address some of the stuff you brought up.

1. If you're interested in the modeling gig just for kicks and a laugh, that's fine. Models do tend to work on commission, so you were right to assume this wouldn't pay very well, and would mainly be for social media campaigns. He could do some push-ads on his CoolTalk!

2. In regards to the shrines and cult related avenue, instead of having an NPC to pull him into this, we think it might be better to start by reaching out to the other PCs who are doing some work in this area to get Jon started on the path. This would be Quentin, Yennefer, and Thor off the top of our heads. Once he's learned some more and is poking his head into this area, we can flesh out what specific aspect of the cult/religion stuff you'd like to get Jon into, and then comes the NPC element!

3. For general job stuff, the upcoming February calendar is going to have a few opportunities that might be of interest to you. If Jon gets settled into a steady job, that's always a good way to assume some recurring NPCs in his life that can come into play for various plot things.

4. For the North America angle, we're not too sure how to make this work yet. It might be good to know what kind of resources Jon would be looking to find with NPC help, then we can flesh out the idea from there. Please keep in mind that most people in Meadowlark's world will not be amenable to helping with such a trip, and given the recent uptick in UN suspicion, it may even compromise the Displaced's efforts there.

We hope this helps focus some of your ideas of where to take Jon's character! But if we've missed the mark, please also let us know.

[larkers]

Hi Roy,

For Gene:

That sounds fine! Gene can utilize his organized efforts between the hospital, the Displaced and PRESERVE contacts that are available to him. While Gene wouldn't be privy to private hospital or patient records, he'd come out of this with a good understanding of how these medical professionals and administrators organize themselves. He'd also probably get in a little cozy with them as he stepped away! Make those connections, Gene.

We'd suggest working with Tona if you both want to make this a little larger for the future in terms of Displaced-to-hospital networks. Feel free to make a larger OOC post to organize if needed!

For Jai:

A few things!

1. Any community service that Jai is looking to do is also being done by the Displaced via Red Wings and through other ventures started throughout the city, Morningstar, PRESERVE, and the cultists. We're not certain of the cause of the resentment for the older members of the Displaced, but Jai will be running up against their multiple outlets to assist the New Amsterdam community at every turn as he looks for avenues to help. They are rather accomplished in the city and have garnered a great deal of respect, making it one of the most well-supported cities in Meadowlark's world.

In New Amsterdam, the disenfranchised affected by inequality would be the homeless, low-income workers, and the poor that are exploited by the silent class system. With the world getting on its feet, there aren't many children that are in need of help anymore. Parents have returned post-Aerie and they'll be desperately searching for their kids. Children are a very cherished portion of the population, and given the hoops that need to be jumped through for parents to even consider conception, there aren't many of them.

As a note, food and other essential supplies are no longer an issue post-aftermath, and Jai would be redistributing something that may be hurting workers in those warehouses, rather than sticking it directly to the man. In case you'd like Jai to have a rude awakening in terms of the consequences you'd mentioned, we're up to facilitate this!

2. Just as a point of clarification for our worldbuilding, the UNA might recruit teenagers before they're 18, but every former UNA soldier in the game right now is over the age of 18. Most of the UNA soldiers are both extremely conditioned and extremely traumatized, acting out almost in a hivemind sort of way because their grasp on reality isn't solid. They're less likely to be acting out teenagers and more likely to be a mish-mash of discharged soldiers ranging from 18 to as old as 40 all trying to figure out how to handle reality after a series of traumatizing events, with the Aerie being the final catalyst in their mental breaks. As such, we're not sure that this group suits your needs at this time.

However, they are in desperate need of help, so it's up to you if this would intrigue Jai enough to work with them. They're unlikely to be seeking out a conventional leader, but their energies can be directed. As soldiers without armor or weapons, they'd be seeking access to those things, as well as money, a place to live (as many of them have abandoned their homes in what's a facet of their tragic break from reality), and someone to give them some direction.

Since they're soldiers, they'll be more inclined toward violence because of their trauma and previous conditioning. If he decides to make them a pet project, it's going to take some time; he may get into some scuffles in the meantime.

3. That said, since this isn't carved in stone yet, would you be interested in having him wrangle a gang of angry teenage Kestrels instead of a group of UNA youths? Aside from the obvious name joke, these kids would be highly volatile and very angry at the current establishment. The perk would be that there would be more opportunity for plot impact at this point, as well as some integration that would make it easier for the mod team to find potential plots for this route that would include other Displaced.

Of course, the above would still stand: Jai would need to find some resources like weapons, money, etc. if he wanted to become the leader, but the overall approach would still have him with the beginnings of trust budding in their ranks. This group would also be more inclined toward violence, fueled by anger over inequality and similarities between the real world and the Aerie. The redistribution of wealth from the upper class would be met with more excitement in this group, as they'd all be eager to help in that regard, but most likely on a larger scale! As in, they wouldn't be looking to redistribute food or essential supplies, but taking directly from the rich. If you'd like a little more information, they're mentioned in the Event 11 Wrap Up. Let us know if you'd be interested in this!

Noodle this and give us a holler on what direction you'd like to go. Thanks!

[wittingly]

Hey guys, just 2 QQs

1 - since six months is an insanely long time in RP dog years, would it be possible to backdate this to when I originally posted the request ~six weeks ago to shave some time off?

2 - can he go ahead and build a prototype that does not automatically broadcast and must be turned on by the viewer, just to show people like "this is how it will work! except... you know, it'll actually work"

[angerberg]

she will in part be targeting wayward bored adult children of the idle rich through her connections with that part of society via the lynches and their reelection campaign. to the lynches she can present this as like trying to make amends for how AWFUL that was and how that was NOT AT ALL HER. she's good at turning on and off the unctuous attitude.

the crux is that she's not looking to get the structural support of the rich so much as collecting their cast-offs and the rich folks who feel restless and need excitement because they have other psychological issues going on w their family situations and their own wealth.

she'll be going for the burning man style aesthetic and talking specifically about how the displaced and all the strangeness around them is obviously linked with nature because look at how all their weird shit is correlated with the growth of plants/etc. in the cities! inconvenient for those linked to the structural systems, but idyllic for those who are disenchanted or feeling disconnected from said systems.

[lifetothefullest]

Based on what you explained of Lance's IC motivations, we have a few ideas with the UN, as well as Lance's former identity as a Shrike, but didn't know if it would be something you'd be interested in pursuing.

I am so into any ideas you have! As long as there's some sort of ethical/moral component to a plot it's pretty easy to come up with an IC reason to get him involved, so I'd definitely love to hear whatever y'all are thinking. c: He's so fixated on the safehouse thing both for the IC motives of worrying about new arrivals and because he really needs something to direct his energy and attention toward, and yeah OOC I've not totally been sure what else is available to work with, so I am here for any ideas!!!

1. Got it!

2. Oooh, interesting, okay; I know of a character I think was planning to get involved, so that might work in a bit once they've gotten established (if they do go that route.) And noted, about the task force! I wasn't sure how much characters were aware of IC on that (like I know it was announced that one would be formed, but I wasn't sure how much beyond that was public knowledge or just OOC info) so wasn't sure whether to include any IC planning for this, but yeeeees excellent I will watch for the February calendar for sure. c:

But yeah basically if y'all have plot ideas I'd love to plan stuff!

EDIT to add that with the calendar going up I realized something that might have to do with the idea y'all already have, but I figured I'd throw it in here anyway just in case it wasn't. Surely not all Shrikes would've known each other, but Lance might be able to recognize some who end up on the task force (npcs or pcs) provided they weren't in uniform all the time in the Aerie; is that something to potentially work with?

[apathet]

Thanks for the heads up about who to hit up for Judas stuff moddos, I'll get in touch with Dk or Kas at some point

And working together with that little lot and whoever else ends up on board sounds perfect as far as a Johann hunting plot goes! Wow I hit enter early but yes this unison of Johann-linked plots seems like a great way to go, definitely works for me.

[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).