PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

[larkers]

> PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

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!

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.

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).
◉ 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

◉ 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

[righteously]

This is perfect, thanks man. I'll start out with the network post + have him try and sweet talk his foot out of his Cass

aha

get it

And anyway if he fails he'll be hitting up Lance to hopefully more eloquently and politely take a turn at it, since they're yin and yanging the word making spectrum. See where to go from there, if that sounds good !

[preseance]

Excellent, ty! He's been part of PRESERVE for a few months now, would they have done a background check initially or is it more something that's specific to the counselling? Just so I have my fucks in a row.

And would it be cool to make up a facility he can work out of (not be in charge of obvs just like, ah yes, this place run by these people is where he's doing his job)?

The rest is great and I'm happy to run with it, danke!

[nonscriptum]

That's exactly what I mean, yes! There's no way he wants anything reflecting back on Red Wings or casting the Displaced in a bad light, so they fully intend to play ball in the mob's court.

Thank you!

[fossils]

Oof, his opinion of the UN wasn't great to begin with so that kind of solidifies things there, thank you for clarifying!

Re making a post: I'm going to hold off on that for now. There were recent network posts between when I typed this up and now that I saw had comments from some of the characters you mentioned above concerning bigger proposals that this falls seems to fall under the umbrella of, and if they've already got something in the works I don't wanna step on toes or get redundant. Thank you again, though!

[rehandle]

That makes perfect sense, thanks guys!

So as the buildings are already flat roof situations and those rooves are communal gathering spots, is it safe to assume they can collab with their neighbours to contribute towards getting the space nice again or is there like an overall building owner who is responsible for that? I won't lie I mostly just wanted a roof hangout spot so this is already perfect, just checking how free we are to describe what it looks like up there if we ever use it

Also I know I said one more question but one more one more question - how many other flats are likely to be in the building itself and in general in the city are the townhouses usually part of a street of townhouses?

I'm sorry that none of this is particularly plot engagey anymore yikes, please do point me elsewhere if it's more appropriate

[larkers]

Yep, sounds good! Just let us know whenever you want to move forward on any plot ideas.

[larkers]

Hey Roy,

There was likely a more limited background check when he first started volunteering, but there would be a more involved vetting process if he shifted into helping with counseling.

And yes, making up a location he's working at is fine! You can toss it up on the locations page for reference if you'd like, though that's not required.

[larkers]

Hi Gee --

The situation with a particular building likely varies depending on the neighborhood, age of the building, etc. but chances are that the building owner would be the one in charge of fixing things up, but certainly wouldn't say no to the other condo-owners in the building helping out if they want to take part in that. The more hands the better at this point, and it feeds well into the concept of community being stronger than government which is taking hold in NA in particular. So a collab with the owner and at least some of their neighbors makes sense to us!

Your second question is a matter of preference more than anything else. Since most of the buildings in the mega-cities are more about vertical than horizontal space, chances are that it's quite tall and therefore there's probably at least five other units in the building, most likely more. The rest of the street/neighborhood could be similar in design (tract housing of a sort) or a hodge-podge of designs based on how old that particular part of the city is -- so it's kind of up to you!

[preseance]

y'all really didn't call me out on that typo huh


but ye, thanks! <3

[rehandle]

Amazing, thank youuu! I'm officially all out of questions, thank you again and see you next time!

[lifetothefullest]

Excellent, thank you for all this!

Going through questions in order:

In turn, some of the more ruthless of them would ask what Lance would do in their situation, given the hopelessness of it all. What would he expect them to do?

He'd tell them honestly that forming an organization to try to make a difference, exactly as they're doing, is what he'd expect them to do. It's the only real option for trying to make things better that's available to them, and so it makes sense for them to take it. He doesn't know what he'd do in their position because he isn't exactly in it (and he'd give some more info if it were known that the Displaced are from totally different worlds, but alas) but that he definitely can't say he wouldn't join Morningstar. It seems to be the only current option for people who want to do something to help others outside of the system that the UN controls and perpetuates.

They'd also ask what Lance thinks Morningstar is out to do and what they hope to accomplish, basically to get a reading on what he thinks and feels. Does he trust them? Does he think they're dangerous?

He'd consider lying here and presenting an answer they might want to hear, but then decide to just risk honesty again especially since he imagines a lot of the agents would be able to tell he wasn't telling the truth. So he'll say that he hasn't quite decided; he was definitely suspicious at first, but some of that has lessened after talking to the agents.

He'll also be clear that while he's inclined to trust individual agents and he believes most if not all of them genuinely have good motives and mean the best, he's undecided on whether the organization as a whole is trustworthy or not, because these sorts of things have a way of spiraling out of control (especially in desperate situations like they're in.) So he doesn't necessarily think Morningstar is inherently dangerous, but there's the potential to become dangerous, especially if 'ends justify the means' thinking goes too far.

As for what he thinks they're out to do and hope to accomplish, he'd tell them (again truthfully) that what he'd thought was exactly what agents told him; that they wanted to change the system to be more fair to people and help them have better lives, by lessening if not outright undoing the control that the UN has over them. He has no reason to believe the real answer is anything other than exactly what the agents have said.

[personalwar]

Given that the mercs would let on that they were at least somewhat wary of the Displaced and what they were capable of, he would steer away from using his power, concerned that it would scare them off or breed distrust even if it did force them to give him information.

Instead, after pinpointing which of the mercs were more sympathetic to the Displaced, he would contact one of them via neural implant -- not as part of a job, but off-hours so to speak. He would reveal that he was a Displaced and, now that he knows the merc groups are all aware of each other to some degree, would ask if they had any information about which other merc groups were based in New Amsterdam -- and what their purview was.

He figures there must be a reason why all the drop-offs have been in NA, which is his thought process for this line of questioning. Would this get him anywhere?

Thanks for the help!

[righteously]

What's the preferred method for hitting up Cassius my dudes?

[larkers]

Hi Em --

Here you go!

[forcevisions]

I'm fine accepting whatever negative consequences would go with this decision because I don't see Rey anticipating them, since she would view the UN/UNA attack against her as extrajudicial.

[larkers]

Hi Ami!

The more ruthless are also the more realistic. They agree that it's impossible to trust the organization as a whole because they're allowed to operate independently, making it so that each city takes care of its own. The ones who moved to New Amsterdam did so because they knew they'd have to work with the Displaced, but it's uncommon for people to move to join another chapter. Sometimes they're called in for contracting jobs in another city, but it's mostly to help fortify or build things. Otherwise, they operate in different pockets to protect themselves.

That said, it won't sound like Morningstar has any goals that are beyond their pay grade. Since they work independently and may have different goals in each city, they can't launch a major assault. Their focuses are narrower.

Let us know if he'd like to talk to them again in the future, or backtrack and speak to Gaby. Thanks for doing this line of investigation with Lance! It was really fun for us to write.

[larkers]

This might take a bit of gentle back and forth, as his mercenary contact will be understandably nervous at first, but eventually his excitement over talking to one of the Displaced privately will win out. He'll say that there are three main mercenary groups working out of New Amsterdam—one contracted with Giles Bell, one with Vyonation, and one with Pulsar. Those groups work specifically with those companies, and don't take outside jobs. None of them were the ones responsible for the Gates job, it's just that word about it spread fast. Riverstone, on the other hand, works with multiple groups for different jobs.

That's a pretty basic question, one the merc would feel comfortable answering. However, if Jack asks for anything more detailed, his contact will want to know why he's digging. Is he working for the Displaced? Why do they want to know?

[larkers]

Hi Tifa!

All right. Since Rey would be changing her identity, would she be going through the legal process or through El again? The former would undoubtedly flag the UN for sure, while the latter would lead to El warning her about it being unlikely that the UN would look away just because the UNA is gone (basically bringing in the warning that Rey might not think of herself).

[forcevisions]

If the legal process is fairly straightforward and easily done without a bunch of ID/line-waiting/etc., she'd go through the legal process. Otherwise, she'd hit up El.

[wittingly]

IDK if it's necessary or not but I figured I'd pop it on here just for posterity

Ian's going to spend his weekend and evenings doing the following in roughly this order

-fixing up the garage
-soundproofing it
-implementing holding cells or containment rooms (I'm envisioning a concrete room surrounding smaller individual cells reinforced with rebar + concrete but with thick steel openings because sadly you can't really make functional doors out of concrete)
-fixing up the red wings safehouse
-fixing up the other safehouse
-then inquiring a little further about what it is clarke and stephen want from him re: those tunnels

[larkers]

That all sounds reasonable! Go forth, Ian.

[wittingly]

[lifetothefullest]

Nice, that's some good stuff to know about the structure for sure!

Will do! On that note, he might actually message Gaby soon about something, though it's somewhat unrelated. And of course! I loved this; thank you too! <3

[selfimage]

Hey other mods, very stupid question.

If Loki hangs around Red Wings (and Pulsar) and tries to make the phrase "crazy chicken" a thing, would it catch on? Could it catch on? Kind of like the new "fetch."

[righteously]

no