THE MOD ACCOUNT (noexitsmod) wrote in noexits, @ 2022-09-30 21:12:00 |
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...at precisely 1:32 AM, the campus once more resets. Everyone trapped in the experiment falls unconscious (if not sleeping already) only to wake up sometime afterward in their assigned bed, in their assigned room, in their assigned dorm in the exact condition they arrived, wearing the precise clothing they arrived in.
The question is: where have you all landed this time? For those of you who’ve been trapped in the weekly reset cycle long enough, the crisp Autumn New England air might smell familiar to you. After all, the campus has been to a few versions of Dunwich so far. It appears this is the third.
Only this time is different. This time you all remain your displaced selves.
And strangest of all? Your arrival is not totally unexpected.
For the purposes of this plot we will be using the real life town of Ipswich, Massachusetts as a model. The size and general location will be the same as Dunwich. It’s a quaint colonial tourist town best known for its beaches in the summer, its famous clams and chowder festival, in addition to apple picking in the fall.
The major differences include:
While the Derleth you’ve been living on was more equivalent to a Yale or an MIT, this version of Derleth is a fraction of the size and more like an Amherst or Williams College in size and prestige with less than 2,000 students. It still has a reputation for dealing in cutting edge science and occult history and other niche interests.
Although a small college, Derleth has quite a few renowned alumni of historical and cultural importance including at least one president, several nobel prize winning recipients (mostly in economics and sciences), literary writers, acclaimed actors, artists, astronauts, engineers, human rights activists, inventors, musicians, and well-to-do philanthropists.
The colors for Derleth are still blue and yellow, and the mascot is the fighting cephalopods. Go ‘Pods!
Is the college still in use?
No. The university was closed after an incident roughly one year ago where the entirety of the old campus disappeared. Most of the faculty, students and staff were evacuated safely. Two-hundred and seventy-four people, for whatever reason, did not evacuate. Their status has been legally declared as “missing” though unofficially the locals assume they are dead or worse. Publicly, the campus is now quarantined and off limits.
Is my AU from this world one of those 274 people?
Yes. (Talk to the mod if you have other ideas.)
Wait, so if this version of Derleth was smaller, what happened to our campus when it landed here?
So glad you asked! Both started with the same layout as the old campus, which means it should have fit with no problem. However, because the green was radically expanded into a small wooded area, what happened is a chunk of the new green was cut and fit into the size of the old field, the sidewalks are all largely cracked and broken, and the buildings are sort of jigsawed black into place. Looks like it was a rough landing!
But the wards on the dorm rooms are okay, right?
No, they are not. The wards are down. Now while that might seem like a bad or a scary thing here, this world is mostly safe. What it means, practically, is that if we stay in this pilot new arrivals and those that want free room and board can get their very own room in Butler Hall. No more roommates: just neighbors and communal bathrooms.
What do the locals think about part of the campus coming back?
NPC!Rick and NPC!Dahj are going to try and keep it quiet for as long as they can. (For the week, that hopefully won’t be too hard, right?) But surely they can’t be the only ones working on this. They’re getting assistance and funding from somewhere, right?
Bad idea, friends! Leaving Dunwich does not work out well for those non-native to this timeline/reality. Let’s call this barrier The Ghost Line. It’s about the size of Dunwich itself, seen in the map below:
For reference, here is that same area zoomed out to show the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut:
Anyone who crosses The Ghost Line:
If you would like your character to be the one who “discovers” The Ghost Line by attempting to get the fuck out of dodge, you need to talk to the mod first so we can plot out details, including how long they’ll be stuck as a ghost before Danny can save them.
RICK SANCHEZ
Run By: Dawn Wait. There are two of this asshole? Yes. Only this version isn’t an asshole, he’s really just a sweet old man. He’s also the genius who managed to bring your Derleth here. The only problem? He was trying to bring back his native Derleth, not yours. Some hard choices will be made this week. Shit. Don’t think he won’t feel terrible about it. | DAHJ SANCHEZ
Run By: Becky Remember Dahj Asha? Maybe not, as she’d disappeared sometime back! Didn’t think you’d run into her AU again, did you? Rick’s “granddaughter”, but is she really? Rick is a genius, and he’s certainly capable of creating his own android family member for company. Regardless, she’ll do her best to be helpful and answer all your questions.
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JULIAN PANKRATZ
Run By: Becky Better known as Jaskier. Remember him? It’s also been a while! His AU is also here and seems to have missed being pulled into the Void with the others. Once a professor at Derleth, Julian learned a terrible truth and his sanity has paid the price ever since. He’s the mad professor in the attic with dire warnings for all. It’s a shame it sounds like gibberish. | DANNY TORRANCE
Run By: Marty A sensitive teen currently in foster care. This isn’t the same Danny or Dan that’s been at Derleth before, not a child or adult, but something frustratingly inbetween. For those who attempt to leave the town of Dunwich, Danny might be your only hope of correcting this otherwise fate-worse-than-death error. Unlike the fallen professor, he can actually perceive things others can’t.
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Want Some Connections/BackStory With the NPCs?
I’m not requiring folks come up with who their AUs were at all this plot. However if you have ideas, want to borrow a previous AU idea from Week Eight or when Week Eight was revisited in game? You’re certainly free to do that! There will be commenting space below which will allow the NPCs to know/remember/have a personal connection to your character’s AU.
Want to play an NPC?
While not open during this plot week in order to keep things simple, if this pilot is selected NPC slots will become available! The details are still being worked out but essentially:
When do we vote on this pilot?
During the following void week. There will be two options: this is the one! and next, please! It’s a much less complicated voting structure than previously, and will be chosen by a simple majority of participating voters.Do we have to come up with AU selves for this pilot?
No! But you may want to think about who your character’s AU self was in case this pilot is selected. However it’s not immediately important.Is this the same Derleth as the Week Eight Derleth AU Plot?
It is not! But it’s very similar. Major differences in a nutshell: the town is way smaller, and the school is a smaller, private and much more secretive university. Dark academia intensifies!Do the AU selves have to be the same as the Week Eight plot?
No! You can choose to keep it the same/similar if it makes sense, or you can come up with something new! It’s whatever is easiest for you if you choose to come up with your character’s missing AU self at all.Can I give my AU character an NPC family that lives in town?
We kind of played with this idea/concept in The Lonely City pilot. I’m going to discourage this for now. At least for the pilot. (Your characters’ arrivals are being kept under wraps this week.) If we select this pilot we can talk about that more but you will have to buy NPC family members with AC and mod approval.Hey, how come Dawn and Marty are playing NPCs this week?
Layer One: I need playtesters to help me figure out how the NPC function is going to work. I know Marty and Dawn can give me good feedback about how the NPCs should function before I roll it out.How long has Derleth been missing in this timeline?Layer Two: Marty came up with the basic premise of the pilot, while Dawn regularly assists me with the administrative functions of the game and has filled in running plots for me. It made sense to go to them.
Layer Three: Activity, baby. Things have been really rough for a lot of players and I’m not going to add work or responsibility to players that are still coming out of that.
Nearly one year! (About the same amount of time everyone has been resetting.)How come NPCs can use the network during this plot, but evil!Derleth had a separate network?
Because I need it to work that way for plot reasons and I'm too exhausted to come up with the technobabble of why it works that way. Your character can come up with the technobabble if you want, just pitch it to me first.So what happens if we pick this pilot?
You will get to use AC to buy your AU’s identity (their DL, social security card, etc) or a new fake identity, and sort of build a new life for yourself in this version of Dunwich. AC can also be used to buy housing outside of the campus. Strange things will be afoot! But hey, at least it’s finally a little stability.Can I still pick up [NPC Name] as a character?
Yes/probably. NPCs are going to have special rules when it comes to duplicates. Those are still being worked out, and you may get asked for your input on this issue should this pilot be selected as our semi-stable homebase.The Dunwich Horror is what….?
So there have been references to scary creatures on the other side of the void. While this plot shares the same name with the Lovecraft short story, this is its own thing that would be revisited if this pilot is selected. Yay monsters!Why didn’t you do this pilot first?
Look, sometimes the most obvious option is the most easily overlooked. :B