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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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no subject
I've scouted around and found paint/ink/canvas are still available but a little costly- Ellie started working as a bouncer in a bar live-music bar, which presumably doesn't pay super well. How out-of-budget would this stuff be for her?
Additionally, she'd ask around about any community groups that might be into this sort of thing, for the purposes of supply-sharing
and if she can get in on the local gossip about the creepy murals around town, all the better for... reasons.As for the questions she'd ask, she'd try to keep it very vague and open ended and frame it as an art-based curiosity/interest in it, since it seems like it's what's "popular" these days and Ellie herself has a genuine interest in painting/art. But she'd try to get these particular pieces of info:
1. She'd first look into online blogs to see if she can find the information, before she asks in person. What's the subject matter? When did they start showing up? Are they increasing in frequency? Have there been any notable fluctuations in frequency? Are there any blogs that have compiled pictures of the murals/noted locations? Are there particular members of the Displaced that show up in the art? Any repeat appearances?
2. In person she'd comment offhand about private collectors taking bits of the shrines/murals for themselves, and have the genuine opinion of that being a shitty thing to do with street art. Any notable people/organizations taking those pieces?
3. She would try not to seem too overly into it/excited about it, just interested in 1. the art itself and the quality of it (how'd they do it? what materials?) and 2. how crazy it is that they did it without getting caught (and if she leans into the teenagery aspect of admiring some light vandalism for the sake of art, that's genuine)
4. She'd be interested in the wild mass guessing and conspiracy theories but mostly not try to stoke that, just listen/lurk online where she could.
5. Has the city tried to remove any of the murals/graffiti? How'd that go?
I realize that this is kinda broad in scope, but I'm still kinda catching up setting-wise, so hopefully this isn't retreading too much old ground.
no subject
As far as the art supplies go—they are extremely costly. She'd have to save for several months to afford much of anything. There are a few other options for her, if she's willing to take a few strides and gather art supplies illegally.
There aren't many groups that are sharing physical supplies, as a career as an artist is more of a side hobby if you don't have outright sponsorship or talent/connections enough to work on a very nice commission. Those that take part in the hobby itself that Ellie would be able to find aren't those with enough credits to do anything physical. That's reserved for the upper echelons of society. On that note, it's rare that any art is exclusively physical—most artists tend to experiment with the opportunities provided by the digital and the commonality of the augmented reality interfaces, as well as completely immersive virtual reality simulations. Everyone would be happy for a new face, and willing to teach her the ins-and-outs of the digital art world!
As a note, not all the shrines are murals. Some of the shrines are small and have offerings—others leave offerings at the murals. Many of these shrines are made of metal scraps and largely stand out because of the candles lit by them. We're going to assume when she's looking into these things, that she's looking into the murals and graffiti. If we mention shrines, we'll specify!
1. The first logged record of a shrine showing up is around mid-to-late September of 2511, but if she finds the right Displaced to ask (notably those that have been around longer), she'll find out that they've been around since September 3rd or 4th of 2511. Our first mention of them is in January 2019's Arrival Log.
The subject matter has remained consistent: The Displaced with a blue shape of light (typically a triangle) coming from their chest, along with sacred geometry mixed in. There are Displaced (both around still, and those that have left) that are still depicted in the shrines, especially if they had a hand in saving people during certain large-scale attacks. Two that come to mind outright are Daisy Johnson and Damian Wayne (in full Nightwing costume, no less).
There are a few blogs out there with the sole purpose of following the murals, but they're more art appreciation blogs rather than anything speculative or based on conspiracy theory. Since the murals seem to come and go for a variety of different reasons that can't be pinned, it's hard to keep track due to their sudden appearances and removal, there's nothing definitive that logs anything specific that would amount to a pattern.
There is a note on some sites about a man named Kovacs who was once revealed to be the orchestrator of the shrines, but that has since been debunked. (OOCly, we'll add that Kovacs is a former player character who was given this role as a result of one of our in-game plots, but he was never this figure in truth.) While they have some information about the one making them—an artist calling themselves Legion—they'd have a million opinions about style and use of space, and only some speculation on identity. The theories range from a talented scrub, or one of the upper class with distinct training trying to make a statement, with nothing definitive.
There are also some tidbits on The Story So Far, if you'd like to take a look! We recommend the Harvest Festival, the Insomniac's Ball, and the Lantern Festival as places to start!
2. There's no one specific! They're mostly commandeered by privately owned construction contractors who specialize in not leaving any records, rather than the organizations tying their names to the dirty work. There's a lot of red tape that goes into the removal of the murals, and those involved want to be discreet enough to keep the funds from their excavations flowing. To find the actual buyers she'd need to head down to City Hall to access some tax records—let us know if that's something she'd be interested in, but it might not land her the answers she's looking for. They're mostly taken in for private use as any piece of art ownership is tied to a kind of prestige. As in, it's rich people being rich.
3-1. The murals are decent quality, but they're still very much graffiti, so that doesn't mean that they'll be around forever (and they aren't meant for it, much like most street art). The materials are mostly a brand of outdoor paint that isn't very unique, and is common in most art and craft stores around the city. It's used in everything from street art to decorative flourishes on building exteriors, and will hold up against almost any weather.
3-2. Despite the shrines and other graffiti being in very public places, no one has gotten a glimpse of Legion. It's a matter of avoiding security as well as the overall state of the NAPD. Their focus has been less on public vandalism, and more on other areas. They're very badly understaffed at the moment, and are keeping their eyes in the direction of the more dire problems in New Amsterdam.
4. There's nothing here that's definitive: In fact, it's all over the board. She'll get arguments in the group of who Legion is, and what became of the man named Kovacs, as well as what that may mean. It's like someone in the real world talking about Banksy.
For this bit, we'd also suggest she connect with some of the Displaced that have some of that knowledge! Quentin, Rey, and Clarke are options, just to name a few. She's also free to do some network scouting for information on this to get a clear picture of the worshippers' role in the murals and shrines!
5. The city hasn't needed to—either the murals seem to disappear (due to being removed for private use), or they have crumbled and broken due to environmental factors, like the monster event, for example. The shrines keep popping up and coming down, but the murals themselves seem to be a little more unique. The most perceived value for the art collectors seems to be in those!
Let us know if there's anything that needs to be expanded on!