December IC Announcements

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✧ Premise ✧ FAQ ✧ Rules ✧ Test Drive ✧ Taken ✧ Reserves ✧ Application ✧
✧ Map ✧ Devices & Network ✧ Data Points ✧ Ships ✧ Flora ✧ Fauna ✧ Supply Requests ✧ Calendar ✧
✧ Activity Check ✧ Player Plot Suggestion ✧ Player Contacts ✧ Player Permission Code ✧ Hiatus ✧ Drop ✧

Welcome to December. It's time for our monthly IC announcements.

✧ DECEMBER SETTING CHANGES ✧
Winter means snow. Which no doubt He Rows will quickly grow tired of. Snow starts to fall around the fourth of the month, and by the end of the sixth there is a blanket of the white stuff over the cities of Temba and Sh'Ka. The snow is actually so thick that the roads are pretty effectively blocked, and the snow doesn't stop there. Once there's a thick blanket everywhere the snow slows down, but it keeps falling. It looks like this is going to be a white winter for everyone. This is a lot harder in Temba where buildings, already undermined and weakened by the volcano provoked earthquakes, further collapse.

The good news is that the Agrii have been watching He Rows for years at this point, and that means that shortly after the snow starts to fall two small, vividly colored snowblower drones arrive in Temba to start clearing paths. Their large, googly eyes shake and shimmy on their fronts as they push their way unceasingly through the roads, clearing the most used streets of Temba. Of course there hasn't been snowblowers around before, so these little drones unfortunately are prone to blocking other streets with their actions, or even sometimes doors. So, sadly, He Rows will still have to take charge in clearing many other areas around doors or even to areas the Agrii haven't thought to program into the snowblowers. Though maybe someone with Engineering can help the snowblowers do better.

Of course He Rows are going to need to be very careful on the streets of Temba because snow being around doesn't mean that the deep holes and caverns broken open by the recent quakes have sealed up. In fact, these pitfalls can be easily hidden by the snow drifts, meaning there is a risk of falling down into icy underground caverns. Perhaps someone should start marking these things, both on the road and on the maps. For safety.

There is some advantage to the snow and cold though. The remains of the floodplain are frozen, meaning those willing to brush the snow off might enjoy some skating there. Another unexpected source of potential fun comes, surprisingly enogh, from the volcano itself. Those slopes, covered now in a growing layer of snow, will prove to be a great place for sledding, snowboarding, and skiing, provided you have or can acquire the gear. So that's a positive, right?

The final good bit of news is that power seems to be holding strong in Temba and there's a new supply of space heaters in the Whale Comb Sent Her for people to collect for their spaces, if they should need them. Someone's looking out for you!

As for Sh'Ka, well there you get all of the thick snow with none of the cleared roads. Apparently the Agrii haven't deployed snowblowers there. Perhaps someone could head to the Estate, kidnap a mower drone, and convert it for work? Or maybe you'll just have to handle shoveling on your own. At least the snow isn't nearly as thick under the stone trees. Except from time to time the thick snow caught up in the stone leaves (apparently the treatment for the trees previously created by Dustin actually did a lot to help the trees stay strong) falls in large clumps down to the ground. There's not enough to hurt someone under them, but definitely enough to give them a believable and instant snowman costume.

Of course, He Rows will only get part of the month to enjoy this change in weather because...

✧ IMPROVED HANGAR ✧
Guess what! The barrier keeping He Rows from the Hangar in Temba has disappeared! In its place is... Well, we can't really say it's the same Hangar anymore. The building is vastly larger now, hundreds of meters long, wide, and even more than a hundred meters tall. The space is massive from the outside. Access is now limited through the Terminal only, though the roof clearly still opens to allow ships to rise out of it. The Terminal itself has also been enlarged, making it evocative of an early 21st Century Earth airport. It does lead one, albeit in a slightly winding way, into the truly massive hangar. And once in there...

✧ SHIPS RETURN ✧
Is it right to say that the ships have returned? Because in the Hangar one will not find the familiar nine sleek and agile ships, but two massive ones clearly meant for longer voyages and long term use. Meet the The Peanut Party and The Glitter Food, your new vessels for the coming days. There's a lot of work that has gone into them from the Agrii, and their arrival comes with an interesting message. What do the Agrii mean with that one word? Only time will tell.

What is certain is that He Rows clearly have no choice but to explore these new facilities for a while. Maybe in that time they can come up with their own plans for improving the spaces they have been given, whether it be decorating their rooms, furnishing workshops and labs, or just coming to know the systems on board. Perhaps it will even be relevant in the coming days.

✧ RECENT STORY SUMMARY ✧
It's been a while since we caught you up on what's going on, so let's start with introducing some new He Rows! There is a soldier out of time and a busy designer. The Agrii might also have someone to learn a strong sense of honor from, if they aren't learning how to zoom. Perhaps they will help push forward our understanding of the Agrii, the world, and maybe make progress. Time will tell. Meanwhile we really need to talk about what happened back in October. Anyone else remember that strange and horrible thing that happened? It was scary, right? He Rows banded together to fling themselves through portals so they could take down the massive mindflayers and their monstrous minions. Luckily there were former Hawkins residents who were more than willing to brief on the situation.

The invasion of demo-downers may have been quickly ended, but afterward they tried to find a way to make October better. There was plans made for trick-or-treating and discussions of holidays. Others processed it all by getting upset over consumed resources or learning just what the origin of all of their suffering had been. Group therapy was suggested again, but that hasn't gone well. Has it ever? Others thought the best way to cope was research into what sorts of dangers could be brought in from other worlds.

Hopefully this doesn't inspire anything.

As November rolled around new things started to happen while the world cooled down and something like peace showed up. There was a bit of three way connection between a facilitator and old enemies. Meanwhile Link did the Link thing and explored, heading for an island few have ever laid foot on. Fights (entirely verbal) were had over the arrival of an old friend of an angry Californian, and perhaps that will lead to a project for some months. Meanwhile Cal, ever the hard worker, has been restocking the lumber supplies and fixing up space heaters in preparation for the winter as he has before.

The end of November was a contemplative time for people as well. There was wayward partners to reach out to, creative endeavors to try and start, and even those seeking answers to questions about the future. No doubt a lot of people would benefit from reconnecting with those they care about, starting into new creative hobbies to get them through the winter, and perhaps some foreseeing. Unfortunately for this moment in time only two of those three things seem likely.

As for the Agrii interactions, well, highest applause goes to a local turtle who had many conversations and even a exchange of gifts. We hope he finds a new table soon, though...

And now, well, it's time to see what December holds!

Comments

Re: What's Been Going On?

[in_extremis]

Tony's been building radio towers around Temba. These do one thing right now, and that's send a signal to the Whale Comb Sent Her that will ring some bells, alerting anyone there that there is...someone at that particular radio tower. These are designed to work when the network and power grid are out. I'll put them on the map eventually, but right now the location and amount of them are yet ambiguous, so I'm open to where you want one of these to appear!
Since they've gone up, he'll also have been putting some work into building little saferooms in the building that a tower is on, so that might be something for you to...mess around with.
I am not precious about them. If for whatever reason, your character's reaction to them is to tamper with/change/destroy them in any way, feel free.

Tony's also enlisted Cal's help in making a little fleet of vehicles for the Barrys. There might be a bunch of tiny cars flying around.