The Revival Project Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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revivalprojectooc2021-10-11 11:31 am
trpmods) wrote in revivalprojectooc2021-10-11 11:31 am
[Event] Continuing Mysteries of Sh'Ka (October Opt-Out Option)
Continuing Mysteries of Sh'KaAKA: October Opt-Out Options
One final repair of an important coupling, one more jiggle of the right switch, and of course one showy press of a big red button (because why wouldn’t it be big and red), and things start to move. A purr in this processor system, a hum from that generator, and an altogether pleasant humming that mimics the noise that might be found in a very similar facility in Temba, and then it happens. Lights go on throughout the whole of the Sh’Ka Power Station Facilities and spread from there. Given the lack of using filament based lighting systems there’s not even a need to change bulbs anywhere. Over the next seconds, minutes, hours power begins to spread through Sh’Ka, an old and forgotten city coming to life. There are, of course, places that don’t turn on with this one glorious advancement. Just as in Temba there are damages to underground power lines that mean some places won’t be back to full function immediately, but some major locations find their lights and other outlets functioning. Other major location repairs can finally be fathomed. With progress being made there is hope for another city on Agra 10 being restored, and one day welcome the Agrii
However those engineers looking over power draw readouts for various regions of the city might realize something strange is going on. There are locations that were clearly drawing far more power than they should. It would make sense if it was the water works complex, or the greenhouse with its automated light timers and sprinklers that are of course not running but were now trying to. No, there were four other spikes in the power draw that are intriguing, perhaps even worth exploring. Even those that aren’t at the power station might find their eyes drawn to these certain locations, due to obvious changes at or around them. So whether guided by word of mouth or just noticing something strange in their wandering, He Rows might stumble onto new intrigues in the ongoing mystery of Sh’Ka. Find your way to the Security Station, Theater, and Estate, and see what you can find, He Rows.
Though do be careful as you go around your business. Fall is truly beginning to be felt, and the largest trees around Sh’Ka exhibit a very disturbing behavior. The leaves on these trees don’t turn pleasingly crisp before fluttering to the ground. No, these turn to stone while on the branch and then fall to the ground unexpectedly, breaking when they hit. Try to avoid concussions and other injuries from this slowly growing hail of stone leaves.
The Security Station in Sh’Ka was already a point that invited investigation and intrigue. Some had already begun to explore the potential of the rare remaining pieces of technology through the use of crystal rods alone. With the advent of power the building is lit up; every room, every hall, every stairwell. Perhaps only now would people notice that there aren’t actual switches or control panels for the light. Throughout the day it will become obvious that the lights in the building are instead on some form of timer or sensor, growing brighter and darker throughout the day as needed. The lights linger at a comfortably warm, low tone from sunset to sunrise, something that might relax the mind and perhaps make you think it’s a good time to settle down, kick up your legs, and rest. During the daylight hours the lights were brighter, always keeping a constant level of illumination that makes it easy to see everything around with minimal shadows. Being bathed in the lights during the day probably isn’t really responsible for the spike in a He Row’s energy levels, right?
Yet the most compelling change in the Security Station might well be in the small collection of computer terminals in the building. The four fully functional terminals previously found by He Rows had to be powered by crystal rods before. Now all four are constantly powered on. Though two are in solitary offices and the other two are together in one room, all four systems will display a video that, with enough watching over hours and days, prove to be looping.
The cycle of the video starts just before dawn, showing the sun slowly rising over the canopy of a lush forest that makes even the trees crowded around Sh’Ka seem sparse. From there, once day has fully arrived, the monitors will show images of fruit and other foods, cooked and otherwise. These sorts of images would appear again mid day, and in the evening after the sun had set. Watching the images of food and cooking will lead to rumbling in the stomach of views, and hunger starting to build in He Rows. Between these food portions there are of course other images, like a video of Deleons jumping between trees which will inspire a sensation of energy and desire to play, or videos of foraging bunny boars that leads to a shudder of caution and also an urge to gather and store food, just to name a few. Clearly these and other moods that overcome the He Rows arise of their own accord, the videos on the monitors are completely innocent. Stick around long enough to see a video of sunset over the trees and one might long to seek out other people. Be there long enough to see the video taken over just by the view of a pale moon and stars through the scattered leaves of trees and fatigue might finally win out, leaving one asleep at a terminal. Yep, totally innocent stuff going on here.
For all that these terminals are clearly some form of computer or another, no amount of fiddling with the systems or attached keyboards will alter the videos in their progression. Once they start, they do not stop their cycle. But it’s only four terminals playing videos and one blank screen, so how is there so much power draw here? The answer, for those who truly seek it out, might find the lone, monitor-less system in a dusty and clearly neglected basement down a narrow staircase that the stairs down to show far less of the wear stairs in other parts of the building have. It’s not hard to see that people didn’t come down here often. With no seat or monitor or keyboard, don’t you wonder what this is for?
If the Security Station could be noticed for being lit up, the Theater can be noticed from a distance for occasional radiance. With the advent of power the open air theater comes well and truly to life. The light fixtures that were obvious near the stage and by the tops of the seats? Seems someone left them on before leaving the city. Throughout the day pillars of colored light rise and fade from the theater. In the morning there is a warm and welcoming red-orange light rising from the theater and ringing around the whole theater starting one hour after sunrise. In the afternoons there’s a cooler blue light that rises into the sky starting as the sun reaches its peak. And an hour after sunset a deep purple light rings the theater, drawing the eye. Each time these lights come on they are on for only an hour before going dim. Why only an hour? Well, because once the lights go down, the show starts.
Apparently a lack of residents in Sh’Ka has done nothing to stop art. As theater lights dim, stage lights come up and figures appear. They aren’t people, they’re holograms, and very realistic looking ones of, wait, are those Graq? Yes, those are definitely holographic Graq moving over the stage with confidence, in what seem like costumes. And they’re acting? Apparently this theater had a far more practical answer to the idea of an understudy, because even without actors the show is going on.
He Rows will find themselves treated to three different plays throughout the day. In the morning viewers will see Graq in simple hides and with simple weapons, surrounded by better looking Graq in finery with very fine weapons. These fine Graq seem to make things appear with grand gestures, reshaping the stage to their whim and with enough attention one might realize this play perhaps depicts a story of creation. The afternoon will yield a whole other show, with Graq in simple homes and with greater trappings of culture and technology. The main focus of this play seems to be a central character who is trying to make something new and show it to those around them. A discovery that stops brawling on stage. The plays clearly have a feeling of the passage of history.
The third play, shown only in the evening, provides a very different sort of sight. The Graq holo-actors are still there, in a setting that looks much like what Sh’Ka must have looked like when it was inhabited. And much of the plot centers upon something new: the arrival of a ship, of people, of people that are clearly not Graq. Each evening the show has a different variation of the holographic people, but some things show up a lot, like how often they look like humans or other humanoid species and how the people are clearly there to help the Graq. What in the world could this represent?
No matter what show one watches, one thing remains true: so long as you are in the stands the words mean nothing to you unless you have the communications datapoint. Comms people will understand the language being spoken as part of the normal effects of the datapoint. However, anyone who had previously interacted with the Graq amid the Agrii fleet or on their own planet will be able to tell that the language the holo-actors speak is indeed the Graq language.
That doesn’t mean that one can’t find out what is being spoken. No, those that go onto stage while the show progresses will experience something strange. Stepping into the same physical space as one of the holograms will cause a small holographic projection to appear before them. A hologram of a paper with English text. The formatting seems to be a script, visible only from where the hologram person would be standing. The text will have highlighted areas that are clearly the lines of the character stepped into, even stage directions and all the spoken lines going on around them. Congratulations, He Row, you can live out any aspirations you might have had about the big stage, because the role is now yours. Of course He Rows can also just walk back off stage and let the holograms do their work. Because either with or without you, the old adage rings true.
While the Security Station and Theater are lit up, the Estate is getting a facelift to the grounds now that the power is back on. Every day there is active pruning and management of the grounds in the early morning. Grounds keeping bots become active at the estate in the mornings, pouring out of a previously hidden alcove at the side of the building, an alcove that only becomes obvious once the stone wall rolls back. The robots are a mixture of mowers, pruning bots, weeding bots, and even planting and watering bots. One might most pity these last two, who clearly follow pre-programmed paths to plant seeds but have no load to plant or the watering bots that point a nozzle and spray air for a while due to a lack of water. Under the care of these robots the estate gains first a wider path to it, and over weeks gains a carefully manicured set of grounds.
Previously the inside of the building looked like an abandoned cross between a fancy resort and a country club, complete with rooms where one might have been able to stay once, all without furniture. Power has changed that, yielding hidden doors opening and releasing collections of service robots that quickly set to work. Whether they roll, walk, or float, opening different hidden areas to reveal a trove of things that seemed missing. Here in one room is a selection of beautifully made wooden beds. In another might be stacks of cushioned chairs. All of them possess some of the missing furniture. The robots are clearly eagerly setting about moving furniture, whether they be a dining room or a lounge or even the variety of bedrooms, as if to welcome guests. Other things come out as well: old collections of dinnerware for the dining rooms; games like oversized chess, sets for ladder ball and horseshoes and other yard and indoor games; and even things like piles of bedding and towels which get left in bedrooms. They don’t seem to find mattresses though, so sorry about that.
In the course of their work comes perhaps the greatest mystery of all: a pegboard sign going up outside of the dining room. Three times a day a robot comes by with a box of letters and arranges a menu on the board, listing what the options for the next upcoming meal will be. Many of the words don’t make full sense as they may not be cuisine recognized off Agra 10, but they are always written in English. Each letter on the board is from English. Sometimes there are even familiar items like ‘tea time starts at three’ or ‘cucumber sandwich’ or even once ‘pizza’. Sadly while the industrious little robot works, no meals are ever served. Investigations of the kitchen will reveal why. While a panel for kitchen robots has opened, none are present there. There’s just no one to cook, but the sign robot diligently attempts to keep working based on some long forgotten schedule anyway.
One can, though, ask the robots throughout the estate for some degree of assistance. While most will ignore a person, others will help players move furniture or show them where it and other items are stored. The rooms they reveal all show powered doors that, when closed, are almost impossible to notice unless you already know they’re that. And if one asks the little sign robot for help, it will finish its work on the sign before turning to face the requestor.
Do you wish to drink peace? You will be brought peace drink.
With that the robot floats off to the kitchen, where it can be followed while it pulls water out from a storage unit through a specialized hose in its body, heats the water internally before dispensing it into a large glass, and then sprinkles in some pale violet leaves stored in a sealed and locked canister. The drink will be offered to the person who asked for assistance. On first taste it is impossibly sweet, to the point of unpalatable. Those who can force themselves past that first sip to down a whole cup will find their minds in a pleasant fog and realize that while they remember coming here, even remember why they are on Agra 10, there are other gaps in their memory. Peace indeed. After the drink has been handed over, whether sampled or not, the robot gestures with its hand, wishing something from the He Row. If their communication device is handed over, the robot will upload a new entry to the dictionary explaining the tea named Lethe’s Blessing and it’s affects.
Tell me about those videos in the Security Station. Do they really influence character behavior? Is my character immune to them?
In an OOC sense the systems are projecting a combination of subliminal messaging, pheromone based influence, and something akin to the compulsions characters have experienced that has brought them onto ships in the past or inspired other behaviors not fully to their will. This will affect anyone who views a video and will grow stronger the longer they watch. Anything under about five minutes will be a small tickle in the back of their brain, anything from there to ten or fifteen minutes will start becoming a more conscious desire, and past that it will feel like a compulsion you need to manage now. Those strong of will can resist the compulsions of course, but by interacting with the videos you’re basically opting-in to some degree of mental manipulation.
What specific things can the monitors compel us to?
The videos can lead to the following desires: to eat/drink, to hunt/gather and store food, to play, to build/create/craft, to clean oneself (any ships in the hangar may help with this, otherwise a dust bath will get rid of the urge), to seek out company, or to sleep. In the morning/day there will also be a heightened energy level and in the evening/night a lowered one.
Tell me about those lights in the Security Station?
The lights in the daylight hours are a bit like those sunlight/uv lamps that mimic sunlight and are sometimes used for treatment of mental health disorders. In the evening the lights go to lower, more red-orange tones like some modern phones do to reduce eye strain and minimize more blue spectrum light to better enhance production of serotonin. Basically these lights are not only good for your mental health here in Sh’Ka, but also good for trying to promote a natural sleep cycle.
Okay, that system in the basement of the security station, what’s up with that? Clearly something’s up with that.
Great question. An engineer, anyone familiar with electrical engineering, and even those who are just determined enough to poke around will find that there is a large metal panel that can be removed from the side of the system here. When removed He Rows might find that not only does power go into this terminal, it reroutes through it. This seems to be a massive power control station for something. Some outputs from the terminal clearly lead into the building, thereby powering the system and turning on the monitors and their videos as well as the lighting system. But there are also two other sets of outbound power relays. One leads out of the building at the level of the ceiling and moves to the east and west. The other? Leads directly down through solid stone.
Can we reprogram the systems in the Security Station from this terminal?
Sadly there is no interface system for the software of the computers. The only way to mess with the systems in this building seems to be by either turning off the power station or carefully severing the power connection to this building itself. If the power to the building is severed then an hour later power just comes back on. Clearly there are some self-repair processes in place. Even damaging physical components will only shut things down for a few hours at most before the power reroutes through deeper, inaccessible paths. Someone REALLY wanted, or wants, this place to stay powered.
Why wasn’t this terminal discovered before the power came on?
While the terminal in the basement was accessible before this point, the whole wall the terminal sticks into was different. If someone happened to be in this basement building as the power station was turned on, they would have been able to see the wall retreating around the terminal, ultimately uncovering the access panel and revealing that the computer system here is far larger than it seemed, like the difference between a personal computer and a full server.
About those plays at the theater, what are they about?
The general themes are in line with the description above. The morning show is a telling of the Graq creation stories. The afternoon show is about the discovery of electricity and the growth of technology from there as a uniting factor in the face of a war that was close to coming. The night show is mostly the same each night except for the non-Graq holo-actors seem to be randomized in appearance and one element of the story, the main motivating factor. In general the play will tell of a disaster or emergency on the planet and how ships of strangers come to save the Graq and help them. Some nights it might be a disease among the trees or animals or the Graq themselves. Other nights it’s a war. Still other nights it’s a natural disaster. The theme is clear, though: in a time of great disaster others will come and save them and the Graq should help and trust these strangers.
How long is each play?
Roughly two hours. The morning and afternoon play are always the same length unless a person interacts with/delays the play, the evening one varies slightly depending on the specific disaster going on, and is again affected by persons interacting with the play.
Is a character who goes up on stage compelled to act the whole thing out in the role they choose?
No. One can choose to play along, or ignore it. The play will delay itself, with actors looking to the He Row when lines or actions are expected of them, and linger for only a minute or two beyond what is normally needed for an action or line before moving on as if the line or action was delivered. If the He Row fails to perform more than five actions/lines in a row, the hologram will return to take up the role. This is also true if the He Row goes too far off script. The show must go on. If the He Row’s chosen character goes off stage they are expected to wait in the wings and the script only they can see will continue progressing to give them their cues and keep them aware of where they are in the play.
Can Comms characters translate the plays for non-Comms characters who don’t want to act out the play?
Of course! They are welcome to transcribe the plays or translate in real time to anyone who wants to know what is going on. Once communication devices are restored to full operation they are even welcome to code a program to provide the scripts in real time (and maybe even get Tony’s text-to-speech system to read it off for them, who doesn’t want Jon’s voice dryly reading a play).
Can we interact with the programming for the play/holoactors?
Yes, there are systems in the theater office. Those with comms or their own background coding skills and some time to crack just how the coding system works, will be able to get into these terminals. The computer systems are not programmed with the same code language as the Agrii communicators but somehow follow a very similar system. The play program is accessible and the old plays are locked from editing. There is a creation software allowing one to add their own play. Only one new play can be saved at a time and it will run in the middle of the night, be prefaced with a green light, and work much like the current plays. Make your script-writing or acting dreams come true by making new plays. The system allows use of pre-made Graq actors, randomized ‘visitor’ actors, or hand programmed figure. Any other comms or programming skilled character will be able to edit this play after it is saved. Only one ‘new’ play can be saved, all after that overwrites this single save file.
The tea at the estate sounds ominous. What’s up with that?
The tea is known as Lethe’s Blessing. It will always be disgustingly sweet and hard to stomach. The droid, if allowed, will upload the relevant plant information to communication devices. Tea brewed from these leaves affects the long term memory centers of the brain. A single small sip might make one forget that bad things are happening in Temba, or perhaps just tripping over something this morning. Lethe’s Blessing is a potent, opt-in only memory wipe. The amount consumed will shape how much time the character forgets. These memories cannot be restored at this time. See the next question if you’re interested in using the tea to do a full memory wipe and understand what that entails.
Why does this tea exist? Do we have to drink it? Will it remain as a game mechanic in the future?
No one has to drink Lethe’s Blessing, but it will be a game mechanic that will be in canon managed by our medical datapoint users. The reason for the creation of this mechanic is two fold. The first is so that if massively traumatic events occur in the course of this game, there is a chance for players to remove traumatic memories from characters (such as those who may wish to forget the violence they committed or tried to commit in the Temba side of this event). Characters will retain the general impression and not the specific details of those traumatic memories. We do not offer this to suggest people should not play out their chosen stories and the repercussions of them, but because sometimes one realizes later that what the character went through was too much and makes a character harder to play.
The other reason is that we realize that sometimes a character is hard to play in a game if close CR is lost. We don’t want players feeling obligated to play out grief and loss they weren’t expecting, or are not currently in a place to handle. The tea will be a way to continue a character forward with a soft reset, allowing you to carry a character forward without needing a reapplication from another canon point to wash the slate clean. Players/characters choosing this option and doing a full reset will lose their current datapoint and most memories of time on Agra 10 up until drinking, except for the reason they were brought here, and they may vaguely recognize other characters present (though they might get their names wrong or confuse them for others). They will know the tea did this to them, and that they voluntarily drank the tea. If you have more questions about this option, please let the mods know. We’re offering this in part to make the game more friendly for players and their characters to continue out their stories in the best manner for them. That said, we do encourage people not to make use of this option too frequently.
Is there a way to recover from drinking a full cup of Lethe’s Blessing?
Not at this time. There may be later. For now choose this route only if you truly feel it is best for you and/or your character.
Do we need mod permission to drink the Lethe's Blessing?
No, but we do ask that you inform us of the decision if you make it. Please make use of this thread below for questions and to advise mods of use during this period. In the future we'll have these noted through the Player Plot Page.
Can we move furniture in the estate?
Yes you can, but furniture left unattended on the property for more than an hour will be ‘tidied up’ by the droids. They’re just trying to help.
What will happen if we prevent the robots at the estate from their business.
The robots will whir in something like distress if they are in some manner blocked from their tasks. After five minutes they will produce a shrill beep and abandon their task and return to their charging station until it is time for a new task. The outdoor robots will wait patiently for people to move out of their path, and will not return to their charging points unless they are low on power, they have completed their task, or bad weather approaches.
Are the robots sentient/self aware/capable of emotions? Do they feel pain? Can we destroy them?
No, think next gen roombas. They activate, go about their task, return to charge, and await the next task cycle. They feel no pain, and you can destroy them. But why would you want to?
Can the estate robots be reprogrammed?
Absolutely. The best time to do so is when they return to their charging ports. However the robots are specialized based on part of the estate they serve, and may even have appendages that are specific tools for specific tasks. New tasks may need new appendages and tools made by engineers or those with robotics backgrounds. Changing their code for new tasks is needed and can be done by comms people or those with canon robotics backgrounds. Either way if you’re taking them away from the estate you will need to program a new ‘home and work’ location for them to work in and give them a charging port to connect to.
Can I live in the estate?
If you really want to. The estate may be a more comfortable place to stay than some places in the area as the furniture is human sized and either wooden or ‘futuristic’ metal shapes. There is no running water at the estate at this time.
Now that power is on, what about water?
Engineers are welcome to finalize working on the water systems. This will of course take some more time. You’re not required to tag out the system repairs, but it will take some weeks to get water purification back online and water pumping out to the city again, and even then some spot repairs may be needed. Length of time depends on how many engineers/helpers work on the project.
Will all of this be accessible after the event?
Yep! Sh’Ka is an ongoing location and question to be explored by characters. Anything not explored now will still be available later, just like the beach near Temba. These are merely things that are newly accessible now that power is on. If no one goes to the estate, then people can find those details later. No one likes plays? It’s okay, the theater is always running for you to see at some point or another. All of this information will be shared on the Sh’Ka locations page later.
Can I explore in other places in Sh’Ka right now?
Absolutely. Feel free to ask questions below and we’ll try and help you out. Not everywhere may have new information/discoveries at this time. There are the ones affected by power coming on. More information about the locations above can be asked for as well, and we’ll do our best to answer.
Can we go back to Temba once we come to Sh’Ka?
For now people in Sh’Ka are stranded here while the event in Temba plays out. Sh’Ka serves as an opt-out situation for the Temba event, but we wanted to make sure people had things to do here as well. Engagement with this is also not needed. You can do your own threads not tied to this. Feel free to spend your time in Sh’Ka however you want.
Where is everything in Sh’Ka again?
Good news! We’ve added a new Sh’Ka locations page that puts together the Sh’Ka map and anything previously found. It’s over here. If you notice something your character discovered is missing, please comment in the questions below and we’ll add it.
Questions
Lethe's Blessing Questions/Requests
What we need:
- How much are they forgetting?
-Please have the comment subject line 'Blessing Request'
For Questions
Just plop them in here.
Plotting
Churby's Darlings
Tommy - Comes to Sh'Ka after his birthday party is all cleaned up, so around the 14th or 15th. Just in time to miss all the drama. His main intent was in more plant research. But when he notices things have changed at the Estate he's going to go looking. Hilariously his entire prompt focus will be on trying to talk to the robots and befriend them (he's been spoiled by the droids okay) and that isn't going to go well for him. He's probably also going to be sorting out some seeds from the seed vault in the greenhouse to offer to the planting robots on the grounds of the estate but have a quandry because 'well there's no water for the robots to water them with so should I really do that?' You're also welcome to suggest other plans and he'll be there to interact.
Reeve - Came over to Sh'Ka through a combination of realizing a portion of the power station team is gone now and they may need more active help with the water treatment plant, and the fact that comms are functional so he can talk to his boyfriend from a distance (in theory). Ends up getting trapped here. Will mostly be found in that area (not opt-out event related) working hard on the water treatment facility with anyone who might wish to help. Please tell him to eat and sleep.
Lark & Lauri - Will both come here as a result of the event beginning in Temba. Lark will probably have been talking with someone at the station or taking Little Bear on a walk. Lauri thought she was escorting people to safety and intended to come back but... Well, that fell through. I have no intended TLs for either of these ladies. My goal more is to tag out with them to other people, so I'll be reading through things that may come up here to suggest stuff, but I'll also happily take any suggestions other people have. What can the ladies do for you?
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Hey Reeve
Eat
Then sleep
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And he won't touch anything. Promise.
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Cat's loser
Re: Cat's loser
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Re: Cat's loser
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Keith
Hebe
Usagi will be getting into trouble as usual and poking her nose into things that she shouldn't. Rufus will be checking out the power station and helping with communications the best he's able to with his expertise.