Let's Get Down to Business: OOC Information

[voidtreckermods]

On day 22 of the month of Llama (12th June) the train will take the Voidtreckers to a Void Nexus, occupied by an order of a religion worshiping the void. The reason for the visit is to learn from the order, as many of their practices involve mind clarity and fighting illusions. They will reman on the Nexus for three IC days- though the train will remain on world and passengers can come and go as they wish. The IC log can be found here.

TRAINING

• The main training is meditation. Your character isn’t training only against magical-esque illusions, but hallucinations formed from the void. As a result, this gives a general resistance towards most forms of mental trickery no matter the source. Your character isn’t expected to become an expert over the next 3 days, and this won’t stop them suffering headaches when looking out at the void.
  
  
• There will also be Trials. During their time on the Void Nexus the Voidtreckers will have the opportunity to take part in trials leading them through caverns of Endurance, Perseverance, Heart and Mind. Voidtreckers who complete the trials will create a pendant that will help them fend off illusions in the future.
  
  
• The illusions in these trials are not the same as those they have been facing on the missions. They aren't as advanced and they lack the 'solid' centre that some characters discovered on the last mission. For those who can see through illusions there is nothing behind these.
  
  
• They can try the caves as many times as it takes to succeed. Whether the situation is a complete pass or fail, they will find themselves outside the cave once more- if they pass they will have the crystal still in their hand. If not they must re-enter to try again.
  
  
• Though it is possible to be hurt in these trials Voditreckers won't be seriously injured or killed. If it seems like a trial is about to seriously injure them they will find themselves outside the cave.
  
  
• They do not need to complete all four caves, the pendant can be made with any number of crystals but they will not work as well as a full four-crystal pendant.
  
  
• Once they have all four crystals (or however many they manage) they can go to the temple where one of the order will help them create the pendant. This is a small ceremony that involves dropping the crystals into a small pot over a fire whilst a member of the order chants, multiple people can take part in the ceremony together if they wish.
  
  
• In general the Order keep to themselves. Most go about their day in silence and though they will respond to any Voidtreckers who need assistance their responses will be short and to the point.
  
  
• Their main diet is fish based and they will allow any who wish from the train to eat in their halls with them though those that do should be aware that meals are the one time silence will be expected of their guests.
  
  
• They revere the void and most of the order draw prophecy from it. They believe that the void connects all life even on those systems that don't know it yet and their silence comes from their wish to hear the echoes of the hearts of the multiverse.
  
  
• Training those who wish to travel the void to withstand some of the more extreme effects is one of their main activities.

Please comment below with how your character did in the trials.
ENVIRONMENT

• Gravity is normal, to a degree. If you jump, you’ll float off your feet for a bit and then slowly come down. If you kick your legs and swim, you may be able to rise...slowly. You’ll get around quicker by flying/walking, unless you’re actually an aquatic character. Then, you will be able to swim effortlessly in this world. Wowie!
  
  
• There’s thicker moisture in the air but still breathable. Nothing to worry about. Those with water abilities will be able to use them easier, and even ‘bend’ the water in the atmosphere. Fires are more difficult to make, and may go out without support.
  
  
• Taking off your SCA will result in the air feeling heavier to breathe, though manageable. The biggest issue however is the proximity with the void in basically everything will result in confusion, dizziness, headaches and hallucinations. Not wearing it for half an hour will make you unable to focus or keep to your senses as you see and sense things not there, losing your grip on reason. Resistance to illusions or mind-nonsense will not help you.
  
  
• Sleeping outside will be impossible as basically mass hallucinations attack your mind. Don’t dream? Now you do.
  
  
• Keeping your eyes closed anywhere will invite unease to the mind, and the usual mind-games of being in the void. Blinking’s fine.

FLORA & FAUNA DIRECTORY

FLORA

• Kelp, seagrass, algae: Let’s just treat them as similar to earth equivalents.
  
• Coral: The coral too.
  
• Blue Sneeze: Not harmful. Wiggle if you poke them, but not actually a creature. Good in stir fries, if you dare. Tastes like beansprouts. High in protein.
  
• Nectar Pods: When they’re blue, they’re as hard as rocks. Red ones however can easily be cracked open, and the insides drank. Tastes like apple and honey, and makes anything the liquid gets onto glow. The shell tastes like crispy apple and honey pastries.
  
• Sea Apples??: Plants that grow upward that look like seaweed, with sea apple-looking fruits hanging down. Grow inside the forest. Has the texture of raw pork. Better if cooked a little to soften it up. Tastes like cranberries and beef? Good for attracting the larger fish, as slices of it thrown upward will float.
  
  FAUNA
  
• It’s all going to be fish. No earth-fish, but just random fish that taste like cod.
  
• They all look cute and also goofy.
  
• There’s also adorable sea slugs.
  
• And piglet squids.
  
• Remember you have to fish ‘up’ to get the best fish. Everything close to the ground is tiny.
  
• Shri: Pink jellyfish. Guardians of the nexus. Harming them in any way will result in painstaking headaches and like your body is being pinpricked all over, one’s sight blurring yet illusions haunting them until they get back to the train. Even then, nightmares will haunt the person for one IC month. The leader of the order will explain to the Voidtreckers that they are protected and sacred.

Comments

Questions?

[voidtreckermods]

Trial Success

[voidtreckermods]

Please fill in the following form if your character attempted the trials and made a pendant. You can decide how many trials your character tried and succeeded in!

<b>Character name:</b> <b>Team:</b> <b>Trials Completed:</b> <b>Link:</b> A link to any thread of attempting the trials. You don't need to thread every trial you expect your character to pass- just a thread of them trying any of the trials is fine!

Re: Questions?

[light_of_willpower]

What if your character already has training to resist mental illusions? OR similar training? (Raven does, for example.)

Re: Questions?

[killer_rhythm]

Given that Haneul is technically two people in one, would he have to complete the trials twice, or would one pendant suffice for both him and Lucy?

Re: Questions?

[voidtreckermods]

They will find the trials a lot easier if they choose to do them at all. Of course there's still things they can get out of the trials and can help others who don't have as much experience. However they don't need to do the trials they can focus on meditation, combat or exploring!

[fivemilesdeep]

If a trial is undertaken as a group and passed, does everyone in the group get a crystal?

Re: Questions?

[voidtreckermods]

One pendant will suffice for both!

[voidtreckermods]

Yes they do!

[thawed_pride]

Would anything seem unusual about the non-Shri fauna if they were captured for study?

Re: Questions?

[controlsthedie]

Besides the criteria of the mind needing to perceive for the Cave of Perception, is there anything to stop the fliers or teleporters?

Re: Questions?

[killer_rhythm]

Would the same person have to do all of the trials, or would e.g. Lucy doing one of them for Haneul if he was struggling particularly badly be permissible?

[voidtreckernpcs]

While I've been lazy about sharing any made-up fauna (but can if people want any particular types for threading reasons), they should be considered different from the creatures any of the Voidtreckers know, at least to a degree.

So similar but different in the way that most fish look between games/any media. If there's anything specifically you're looking for, let me know.

Re: Questions?

[springforth]

Can the flora survive off world, say if someone carefully uprooted one and tried to grow it in the greenhouse?

[fivemilesdeep]

The flora/fauna info that's in the directory - will NPCs have explained that to begin with, or only if the voidtreckers express interest?

ALSO

How long/brightly does the liquid from the nectar pods glow?

Are the sea apples particularly nutritious? If you made a pie out of them, would it be more like an apple pie or a meat pie in terms of nutrients needed?

[flatteries]

are all the plants just the sealife-like ones listed or are there any with flowers too?

[voidtreckernpcs]

They can survive, but not by planting it inside the greenhouse as you would other plants. You'll need a fish tank with some of the water from that specific world, or something to substitute for a tank until you can get nicer living conditions for the plants.

The water from the forest lake is best for it. You could use the temple water, but that will have...results.

Re: Questions?

[voidtreckermods]

That would be fine, they can work as a team to get through them!

Re: Questions?

[voidtreckermods]

Nothing particular no but they will find themselves back at the entrance without a crystal and will have to try again!

[voidtreckernpcs]

Only if the voidtreckers express interest.

Incredibly glowy. Like, you could make glowsticks with these things. They make you very visible, and may attract certain creatures to you if you got it on you.

They will taste like a meat pie, have good nutrition but are incredibly fatty since they're so dense. Would be great served like sliced beef. Or as vegan-meat pies. (i wish meat free products grew in my backyard..........)

Re: Questions?

[killer_rhythm]

Thanks!

[fivemilesdeep]

How will the locals react if (or, let's be real, when) the voidtreckers go fishing/gathering? Provided that they don't attempt to harm the Shri.

How long does the glowy liquid stick around? Fades after an hour, can be washed out, get the oxy-clean, permanent stain...? Will it wash off of skin/out of clothing?

[voidtreckernpcs]

There are flower-like ones in the areas listed in the main log, but more with a water/sea theme. The most similar plant to flowers are these, which can be uncommonly found around the stone forest.

They're more like fungi technically but, you know. If your characters would try exploring further out however, I could write up a few more!

If they're taken, they'll need to be put in a water tank, as written in Persephone's reply.

[voidtreckernpcs]

Should note the spelling is 'shiri', just got typo'd in the above text but I can't edit. :'T

- They won't mind, so long as they don't go hunting the younger fish to keep up the reproduction cycle, etc. Some will answer questions about both flora and fauna, and I can provide more specific fauna/flora if characters are more focused on gathering.

- It lasts a while. It can be washed out, but you'd need to give it a few actual washes. The order members will be able to recommend a recipe for doing so; they'll offer some for free to begin with, but then ask for the plant to be gathered and prepared.

(You need to get the equivalent of their algae from the marshland waters and then dehydrate it. It stinks. But it's also fairly effective for getting out other stains too! You just need to stick the dehydrate plant crushed up inside water and wash up from there.

Sticking it in a washing machine will have clothes smelling for a week or two.)

But basically imagine that if you wiped it, you would look like a strong glowstick and only make yourself more glowy.

Re: Questions?

[yondu]

Okay so I need to ask particulars of how fear!bubble works.

Does the fear!bubble stay a bubble or does it turn into a full-scale illusion as you approach it.

What happens when you step into the fear!bubble?

Re: Questions?

[controlsthedie]

If Thanatos were to use his scythe to guide him to the real stones then study/think about what makes one appear different than the other, could he start to tell the real and fake stones apart?

I ask because that seems more "science-y" outside method to training the mind rather than spiritual. (There's a difference in my head that is probably needlessly specific, yet I'm asking anyways just in case.)

Unrelated question: Can the fear in the Cave of Mind be himself/aspect of himself? Like he gets there and sees a copy of him?