larkers | PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

> 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

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

hey mods! loki, scott, and rey are going to be trying to poke at the tent where the big monster is being studied. each of them is more interested in who is doing the studying than in the findings on the monster itself, and while they're going to cooperate with one another, they're ultimately going to focus on different aspects.

per glass' previous plot engagement comment scott has already been embedding himself into the janitorial-type support services that would be brought in for clean-up around that area. his hope is that he can get an eye on who's studying it through that. he's willing to sneak rey and loki inside if he's working near the sight, but his priority is to keep his cover because he plans to keep using that position to work up close to the companies and get access to & steal their data.

rey would be trying to sneak into the tent itself. she doesn't want to disrupt anything or engage anyone, but she wants to get her eyes on any badges, trucks, labels, or equipment that might have a corporate stamp on it of some kind to indicate who they've called in to examine the samples — her hope is to come out of this with a corporation name that she can follow up on because anyone invested in the monster is likely invested in the PCs' situation as well.

loki is going to get close to the tents and watch it for the comings/goings of samples, then try to follow the scientists to see where the samples are going and how they're being distributed. loki does have the power to shapeshift, which he'd be using in order to go unnoticed where needed.

overall, our hope is that any/all of these combined approaches might get us info on 1) which corporation(s) are studying the monster, 2) where the samples are being processed/kept off-site, 3) if there's a hint of where that studied data would be stored so it can be accessed and stolen in the future.

Hi mods! A few questions for you!
 
1. Markus would take Gaby and El’s suggestion regarding further investigating the fire. There have already been some great questions asked from other players, but Markus’ contribution would be to focus on asking any neighbors about the nurse next door. His name, a physical description? What his job was, a daily routine, etc? Anything out of the ordinary that they might have noticed? Or any kind of records the front desk might have had on him, if at all applicable.

2. Unrelated to the fire, Markus would like to put a little more effort researching the AI war. What ever became of Xelkov? Are there any last vestiges of the technology they employed in the manufacturing of AI — whether under lock and key somewhere, or otherwise?

3. More specifically, is there more information regarding what caused Elysian to kill 50 families simultaneously? If there are records of that investigation, Markus would be more than eager to unearth them. He’s looking for a reason that would constitute more than just written-off “error”; if Elysian might have felt wronged, for example.

4. I’ve established Markus as a pianist at an exclusive restaurant/bar for the heinously rich, performing mainly in the nighttime hours. Given that this is social class that he wouldn’t have access to normally, I’d like for him to constantly be keeping an ear out in-between play sessions for any rumors that would be of interest to him. Markus would be listening for any of what I had focused on above: talk of the sickness/recent fire, AI murmur (less likely, but given who he is, he’s gonna be pinged by anything regarding this), or anything that might prove as valuable leads to Morningstar or the others. Would anything come up?

5. If Markus does a quick search for Detroit, Michigan on the internet, what would be the results? Is the city still even a thing? Any notable news from that side of the world? (These questions are just a result of Markus’ homesickness manifesting in related ways.)

hi mods! some more questions!!

1. given bobbi's job as a lowly assistant in r&d for some company, would she have access to a lab? would said lab have instruments for studying + testing blood?

2. if bobbi tested blood from natives affected by the rage, would she find anything interesting? likewise, if she tested blood from non-natives who were affected but then cured, would she find anything interesting? would the findings match/could she draw any conclusions if they don't?

3. could bobbi and marcos, using their powers, find out more about how the official investigation into the fire is going? could bobbi have gotten the number from the firefighter she spoke to/manipulated earlier, for example, and hit him up for where to find more info? could bobbi and marcos walk into a police station pretending to be a couple from out of town concerned for their cousin who was in the fire.... idk i'm just throwing tropes at you now pls help

1.I'm not sure if this is a better FAQ question or not. If this is a thing that exists, Sniper's going to be looking into VR fencing competitions to make some extra money on the side. Is there anything in particular this might result in besides money? How popular would this be as a sport (mostly in terms of, how frequently competitions might pop up)?

2. They want to start getting an into politics scene, a low level position--volunteer, even--just to start getting a sense of the scene. What avenues are available for this?

Hi Mal!

Most of the people who lived in the building haven't been able to return to the building because of the extensive damage. Kylo would have to look into where they've been moved to, first, which will be emergency housing similar to those relocated after the creature attack (hotels for some, shelters for others). If Kylo successfully manages to track them down, he'll find that only a few of the nurse's neighbors even remember him as living in the building, nor will any remember anything strange about the day. If Kylo also asks anyone who lives nearby, they would say that the fire itself was the most notable event that evening.

Hi!

You can feel free to make up any NPC firefighters, as we explain on our NPC page. Just make sure you're not extrapolating or assuming any information from mod plots, and you're good to go! Anything with regards to that should be brought to us here.

Hi!

Of the three corporations, Pulsar has invested the most resources into extraterrestrial inquiries, including trying to go from one dimension to another. Most of the department for this is devoted toward terraforming in the colonies and ensuring that life can continue out there, but there is a separate lab specifically geared toward this kind of inquiry. Loki works at Pulsar and may be able to find this out for Fitz!

Hi!

The moment that Loki steps into the bar, even in disguise, Gaby would have cause to act. Her coworker would ask if she was all right - using the name "Cee" - before she would grab Loki by the arm to drag him out of that place. She would make it abundantly clear that Loki is not welcome, complete with appropriate expletives, as this could compromise the entirety of their operations, as well as the safety of all of those in her care. She'd point out that she has a life separate from them, and it's of the utmost importance to maintain that separation for both her sake and theirs.

If Loki refuses to leave following this, or comes back again at another time, this may need to be an interaction which is fully threaded out. Let us know if this is what you'd like to do and we'll organize a log!

Is there a space Lorna could utilize to help train others in use of their new powers? She's not exactly looking to TED a Talk, so she'd be seeking a small space comfortable for 5-6 people that isn't likely to be disturbed or stumbled upon.

As a note, Loki will be female presenting during the encounter.

She'll leave, reluctantly, but get pushed around and leave. If she decides to come back, I'll let you guys know!

Thank you, mods!

Hi! A quick question: Clarke would ask El to look into a SENTINEL program for Polaris to see if it's present in game. Obviously, this would be a no, but would El humor this search for her?

Hi again, Laura! Thank you for the questions.

1. If he hopes to join up with Morningstar, they'll let him know that he can start to do odd jobs. That said, Morningstar is not actively investigating the fire themselves, which is why Gaby recommended that the safehouse occupants look into the matter (as it directly concerns them - this is also so that we can put PCs on the case!). El would provide a physical description of the nurse, as well as his name, but ze would emphasize that the nurse flat-out does not exist anymore in any database. As El tried to track him down, he disappeared, actively scrubbed away.

2. As the scene of the fire is still under active investigation by the NAFD, Fitz is unlikely to be able to get inside to get many samples. If he's sneaky about it, he may be able to get a few from some of the debris being cleared out of the building, or from the outside of the building. Morningstar would send these to their lab contact, and the results would come back with the expected signs of fire damage, as well as one notable oddity: a residue left by a strange organic material, too damaged to get a clear chemical analysis on, but with some matching markers to the samples previously sent in by Kylo Ren.

3. With a little research into the address itself, Fitz would be able to find that the building was owned by AJJ Holdings, which is a real estate company that specializes in mid-to-high range apartments in New Amsterdam. Most of the citizens who live there hold nicer jobs with higher salaries, and the landlord is more of a real estate guy than anything.

As for the nurse specifically, Fitz would would find that the nurse's existence was completely erased. AJJ would have no records of his recent rent payments, his rental application, or anything else. That someone's records have been wiped like this would be extremely unusual, and AJJ would honestly be a little freaked out and inclined to believe the man was never a tenant in the first place, as that would be a more comfortable reality.

4. Unfortunately, the neural implants make it impossible for someone to truly remain unidentified, so anyone who's died in the fire would be IDed soon after. That said, Morningstar does have contacts in the city morgue, but the nurse would not be present there. In fact, his body would have been retrieved the morning after the fire.

If Bobbi uses her ability when speaking to the morgue technicians, they will tell them that the people who collected the body were a group of three, two men and a woman, all in nondescript suits, with IDs declaring them to be NAFD Forensics. However, when they check the log, they will find no record of the collection or the examination. The technicians will be very unsettled by this, and grow quite skittish, but with Bobbi's ability still coaxing them to talk, will tell them that the examination found the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head, happening prior to the fire.

Hi Alison! Thanks for the plot inquiry.

We'll take this step by step:

1. While we don't want to prevent characters from learning the skills needed to try hacking systems, at the moment we don't feel any characters have been in this world long enough to have grasped the technology enough, so Keith will need to go to El for this.

The victims are scattered between three hospitals in the city, under sedation and some security while doctors do their best to perform tests and find out what's wrong with them. If this plan isn't carried out quickly, all of the victims will be admitted to secure psychiatric care before the end of August.

2. If someone admits themselves with an injury at the same time as this plan goes down, they will be in the hospital's systems. Whoever volunteers for this has to be open to further investigation into their whereabouts. There will be surveillance throughout the hospital, as well, but anyone who goes to the hospital with them will have a much easier time of not being monitored (as New Amsterdam is a very large city, and it's difficult to identify every person who comes and goes).

3. In the case with Bobbi, whoever goes with her on this venture will not be subject to inquiry because of the fact that she'll be smoothing everything over.

4. Finally, we're totally fine with this plot being successful! Just so long as it's carried out in quick succession and characters are careful to avoid security, hospital staff and any friends, family or other visitors who may also be there to see the victims.

We'd also like the names of the people who are admitted with injuries so that we can further determine consequences! These individuals will need to be careful about their activities in the upcoming months (though this will not be known ICly). Morningstar will do what they can to support Keith, but if he brings along anyone who's not joined up, they won't be able to receive the same support.

Hi Emily! Thanks for the question.

There are still MMORPGs in play, and you can feel free to assume Noctis is using them! You can treat it as one of the social media outlets on the calendar in the meantime, and feel free to come to us for additional information in the future.

Hi Tifa! Thanks for bringing this plot to us.

Loki, Scott, and Rey would find that all three of the big corporations would be working under the tents. They wouldn't find evidence through labels - there wouldn't be any, as this would all be digitally identified - but there would be lab coats and secured boxes that would confirm the involvement of Pulsar, Vyonation, and Giles Bell. We should note, however, that the scientists on site represent subsidiaries of these three, so they would have to do the additional footwork to find this out. A simple search will yield the information they need once they have the names and logos!

Thanks to Scott's job, he'll be able to find evidence of the range of research that each corporation is partaking in. Pulsar is looking into reactions between the samples and chemical agents, attempting to find specific weaknesses to be exploited should another attack occur. Vyonation's efforts involve looking at the proteins within the samples to see if they have a common link with any known creatures that have experienced accelerated evolution/mutations thanks to radiation. Giles Bell's involvement will be the most difficult to discern, as the remains of their initial research will be disparate in nature.

However, trying to sneak Loki and Rey in to verify a lot of this information could cost Scott his job. His neural implant only gives him access to these facilities, so we would need to know if he would continue to pursue bringing them in.

Overall, we're fine with the plot as designed, with the exception of where the data is being stored. No one - even or especially a plumber - would have access to the server location because of corporate espionage, and that would need to be pursued in a different plot.

Hi Jen! Thanks for the questions.

1. El would provide a description of the nurse: a tall, dark-skinned man with hazel eyes, short hair, and a tendency toward having a five o'clock shadow. There would be no further description about the man beyond his salute, because everything - including what would have been found at the apartment complex front desk - would have been scrubbed.

Markus would need to find the complex's ownership company to find the additional information about him (this company is called AJJ Holdings, which is a real estate company that specializes in mid-to-high range apartment complexes throughout New Amsterdam). After reaching out, Markus would find that all of the nurse's information is gone. What he will learn is that the nurse must have been up to date on his rent payments, as they have a zero tolerance policy on late or delayed payments.

2. Xelkov went under following the rise of the AI War. In a panic - and guided by United Nations efforts - they dissolved all of their holdings. Their ownership was thoroughly investigated, and some of the board were charged with criminally negligent manslaughter. No one maintains AI these days for any reason, too afraid of what a program like that could do to modern-day society.

3. While a cause may have been determined at the time, it was lost to history and the AI uprising that occurred during the course of the investigation. If Markus pursues this, he won't be able to find any answers. All records unequivocally state that Elysian did this because it wanted to cause mass panic and incite an uprising. Markus can feel free to draw his own conclusions from this, as it's a tidy link to what's previously present.

4. Right now, there would be little information regarding this, though he would notice that a number of corporate CEOs do frequent this bar in the evening, and go off into rooms alone that they've rented for themselves. He may be asked to play for them in there, but right now, none of these topics would differ too much from the general public response.

5. Detroit - along with the rest of North America - is an inhospitable desert wasteland, considered toxic and uninhabitable. In 2511, Detroit is still remembered as the birthplace of the automobile industry, but it otherwise struggled as climate change began to radically impact and change America.

Thank you, mods!

The two volunteers for tribute are Noctis and Markus.

This is super exciting and helpful, especially mentioning Loki as an IC info source, so thank you again!

just a couple of things!

— what is outside the city walls, in the wastelands? are there creatures like the ones that were smashing the city? how far can one go without getting eaten or dying of radiation poisoning if those things are a factor out there? is there anything of interest if they venture far enough, like artifacts from the past or MAD LOOT?

— if someone wanted to get one of these seedy jerks' implants out of them, how delicate is that process and do implants delete information when they're extracted? i know you can hack implants, so i'd love for connor to touch base with el about this idea and see if it's implant thievery's kosher with morningstar

Hi Tona!

1 & 2. This would depend on the R&D company, as they would need to be running bio related projects in order to have need for this kind of facility and equipment. Assuming this is the case, Bobbi would still need to be working there for quite a while to gain unsupervised access to use it.

3. Bobbi and Marcos would be able to team up and question the firefighter from before. The firefighter would tell them that he is not specifically involved in the investigation, but he's heard talk about some of the findings. The most notable part is that one apartment, near to but not the seat of the fire, contained a large number of remains which they have identified as being carcasses of the smaller creatures who attacked the city. The apartment tenant unfortunately did not survive, but it is assumed that she had collected the carcasses for resale on the streets, as this is not the first reported case of such activity in the city.

Hi Leigh! Thanks for the questions.

1. Yes, there are VR fencing competitions! The fencing is not traditional, and there are many enhancements and quirks taking advantage of the VR tech involved, which have gained it a reasonably large cult following. There are only two official competitions, one running annually and one bi-annually, but plenty of other, unofficial or "street" competitions. As the community of players is quite small, if Sniper's skills are notable enough, they would definitely gain a name for themselves and become well-known for the sport.

2. In the immediacy of New Amsterdam, the most viable avenue would likely be through city hall or finding a volunteering opportunity in one of Governor Gill-Jade's favored charity projects.

However, Sniper's job in sex work would potentially stunt their advancement in this arena. This work would be a matter of public record, and it could dramatically impact their political career as sex work still carries some stigma. We have no problem with this complication or conflict of interest, but we wanted to let you know that it would make things a little difficult for them.

Hi Pink! Thanks for the question.

There would be a space available! There are several abandoned buildings around the outskirts of the city which Lorna would easily find, or could be directed to by Gaby. Some of these buildings still have security sweeps done on them, while the ones that don't have much security tend to be popular ground for squatters, so Lorna would need to choose a spot carefully and be cautious while using it.

Hi Alison!

El would be happy to humor this request, and while the search would find a few things with sentinel in the name, none of them would be relevant to Lorna's home world experience - just that it's a relatively popular word for company names or projects.

Sorry, when you say "to verify this information ... [through] access to these facilities" do you mean that Scott's job will be at risk if he breaks them into those corporate buildings? Or even if he helps let them into the monster tented area?

Hi Tifa! We were specifically referring to the corporate laboratories that you included in your initial comment, not the tented area itself. None of the labwork is being done in the tented area.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

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