Mission: So Familiar a Gleam

[voidtreckermods]

Voidtreckers. The readings that are understand to be from the entity originating from system#401837400141 have been found in large quantities.

The system we are going to is not void active. The system we are going to does not have a system number, it is not known to the void ministry. This is exceptionally unusual. No data can be found on the history of the system.

It appears to have multiple breach points- these are areas that merge with the void itself. Voidtreckers have seen these before, on the Void Nexi that the Voidtrecker Express has visited. A world with this many breach points should be known and have been studied. Yet there is no data on this world past five cycles ago.

Despite this there are life forms and they are in danger.

As always the light on their SCA lights up on the morning of Day Six. Time for another mission. However it does not remain up for long, enough time to read it, to realise that there are no team goals and then...

The mission begins.

A Mission with a Difference

This mission will run from the 7th (M4) to the 24th July (M12). It will be in the traditional three parts with Ongoing going up on 15th July (M8) and Finale going up on the 21st July (forwarded dated to M12).

However this mission will be a bit of a difference as it will be both a 4th Wall Event and an AU event.

The AU: Everyone finds themselves in the city of Jinnjar, on the planet Diagad, where everyone has super powers. All those coming into the game for the event will find themselves in this city- they have a job, a house, perhaps a family and some kind of super power.

Super powers vary wildly- some are more useful than others. It might be flight, teleportation, fire powers, healing powers or anything else! Nothing can allow them to escape the world and nothing that allows them to be completely indestructible will be allowed. Please also be aware that while pure 4th wall characters will believe they’ve always had these powers, they will be at whatever level of skill you imagine they would have trained their new talent with.

Arrival: Everyone arrives with a place to live, a cellphone connected to the internet and also a phonebook option that lists everyone in it (with either their canon name or a new name). They will have a cash card with 500 points (1pt = $1) in it to purchase anything, as well as a job and/or place of education.

Note that due to the illusionary aspect of this world, nothing they pick up or buy will remain after the mission.

For Newcomers: As a 4th wall event people who are not currently in the game may join in with this event. They can play canon characters, AU characters, CRAU characters or OCs. They may play characters that might not be considered appable- such as a sibling or parent of an existing character who doesn't have much canon.

The characters can be from any canon, whether already present in the game or not. They can also play copies of previously present characters in Voidtrecker. These characters will be around for the duration of the event and will return to their own worlds by the end.

For Existing Players: Existing players can also play characters who have been brought to this city (doubles), and you can also play people from the same canon you currently play from. All characters who are brought into the event will find themselves on the world, believing this to be their home world.

You cannot however play a version of a character that you have played in Voidtrecker before (so a character that has been dropped and would remember the train).

Obviously you are also playing your Voidtrecking characters. They are AU'd into the city as well and depending on how good they are at fighting off illusions they might be completely sucked into believing the AU or they may break out quickly yet find themselves living with people who believe them to be family, a job that expects them to show up on time and other life commitments.

Objective: Without any tasks set by the train, the Voidtreckers will need to run investigations to figure out what’s going on in the city of Jinnjar, and how they can do anything about it. They will need to work together and try to get the ‘citizens’ on their side too.

There can be assumed to be more citizens than just those being played by fourth walkers. The city is densely populated so it can be assumed there are other npcs all from various worlds.

Those Voidtreckers who break out early will find it isn't as easy as just convincing people there seems to be warnings about a mysterious force called the Voidtreckers who speak to destroy the city. They must act subtly in a hostile environment where not even all their own team remember who they are.

During this mission, the communications on the SCA will be offline. However, since the world has tried assimilating them into the city, they will - like 4th wall characters received when they showed up - a cellphone which connects them to a network (DiagNet) with everyone else. How the Voidtreckers use them is up to them.

Please read below for more information on the city of Jinnjar.

Lay of the Land

THE ILLUSION. Jinnjar is a city on Diagad filled with nearly a billion people, with a high number of districts. There are representatives from each one that come together within the congress grounds in the very heart of the city. You know there's a lot out there, but you live, work, exist within the middle sector. You have family and friends out in the other sectors, even romantic relations.

It is the modern world but farther in the future: sci-fi, but not hard sci-fi. Transport is mostly hover-motorcycles, trains, teleport booths. No cars. Cuisine is a mixture of known and unknown delicacies, with no apparent limitations on seasons or climate. Many different species of people live here, with their own cultures and customs, but generally the people of Jinnjar are known favourably by others across the galaxy. While their heroes are known, they do as well have villains who blemish their good name.


THE REALITY. In truth, the above image is closer to what the city looks like, if you were to see the set-up without the illusions of travel/distance deluding you. They are a mishmash of portions of the real Diagad, put together based on what the entity can handle, remembers of their home, and the captive citizens’ needs.

When a person gets a ride anywhere, as soon as they reach the ‘border’ surrounding each district, they will have the memory of making the journey and instead will be teleported to where they would be dropped off. People see the city as larger than it is, and attempts to travel out into areas beyond what’s actually accessible will give them memories of doing so, but in reality, they will be dormant in the border space, dreaming of their trip.

The available location are, by numbers:

1. EDUCATIONAL & POLITICAL DISTRICT. The largest sector. The congress grounds are not just one building but a larger cluster, and also where public records are kept, embassies for other planets and countries - because even if Diagad wasn't void active, it still had contact with the planets in its galaxy.
Outside of the congress grounds is everything else that fits into education: libraries, schools, universities, museums. There's a few parks and cafés dotted around, but of particular interest are the public Training Gyms in which people go in and train with their own specialised gifts, no matter what they might be.

• Training Gyms: To elaborate, while there will be a few examples on the log, these are rooms - small or big - that simulate scenarios to help people train whatever powers they have. Do you make flowers grow at random? Then your goal will be to cover objects in flowers, or grow them in specific patterns. Can you spin shadows into doing your bidding? Then let’s help you make a shadow puppet show!
  
  
• Libraries: There are many around, filled with books, e-readers, computers. They are large and accessible, and everything in them...can be described as charming. Even those usually resistant to delusions will find that when they open up an academic book on bacteria and read a retelling on different types of bacteria meant for kids, they believe they read something far more intellectual. ...it might only be once they recount what they read to another person, and the other’s confusion, that they might go ‘wait’.

2. SHOPPING & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. The largest shopping district. Get all your clothes, furnishings, your kitchen utensils and all else here, and then take the time to go to the cinema. They have large arcades with all the games you can make up. While not strictly around this sector, shadow puppeteers known as the Georgi’s Group hang out around the streets in a variety of outfits that cover them from head-to-toe, putting on 3D shadow shows with their talents.

But for those more interested in movies…

• Apocalyptic: Enjoy watching people suffering being all alone after their world gets decimated. This is probably the most popular genre, must be a cinematic phase. Large blockbusters and small scale poignant films about loss.
  
  
• Feel-Good: But for those that don't want the doom and gloom these feel good family flicks are also all the range. The down and out underdog beats the odds, inspirational sports films, films about kids or pets traveling long distances to find their family. Grab a tissue and enjoy those happy tears.
  
  
• Fairytale: The third main type of film popular in the city are convoluted surreal fairy tales. These are beautiful but the stories are hard to follow and like a true tale of the fae when they leave the cinema they may find more or less time has passed than they thought…

3. GARDEN & ZOO DISTRICT. An oversized mixture of garden parks sandwiched around areas that home thousands of different animals. Habitats are kept suitable for the creatures inside through bio-structures that mimic the environment best suited to their needs. There exists enclosed walkways that allow visitors to walk through the bio-shelters, that allow them to view out to jungle terrains, underwater, and even running through tree tops.

4. BUSINESS & FITNESS DISTRICT. Laboratories, corporation buildings, warehouses, your mail - all of it goes here. There are also some large sports centres scattered around that deal with any activity you can think of: rock climbing, swimming, rollerblading and more! You can even do some sailing if you go to the right sections.
There are a lot of teleport booths between this section and the entertainment sector, due to how many restaurants do business around the entertainment sector.
5. HOUSING DISTRICT. Where everyone lives, without exception. No matter their apparent social standing, people reside in large apartment complexes next door to one another, or may even room as a couple - unless they happen to have a family. Then they have the dream home (or, someone’s dream home).

Are they actually family with these individuals? Well, Jinnjar’s decided they are! Congratulations.

Other Notes:

~ When 4th Wallers Arrive:

4th Wall Characters will find themselves in the city, believing themselves to have always lived there. Feel free to plot in advance, form families, create jobs and hobbies.

The illusion will hold at first, they will believe their own stories, they will have heard rumours of a threat from the stars 'Voidtreckers'- there's a general level of wariness in the air about it, but how your character reacts to the news of an incoming threat is obviously up to the players.

From about day three onwards 4th Wall Characters will begin having dreams of their actual canon lives and will generally be more open to hearing any Voidtreckers who are trying to talk them into realising that something is wrong. They will begin remembering and recognising any castmates they might have.

By the time ongoing goes up 4th Wall characters will be able to break out of the AU mindset and help the Voidtreckers out.

~ When Voidtreckers Arrive:

Voidtreckers will also be pulled into the illusion. After reading the first part of the mission brief they will find themselves in the city, with a job, a family, friends. How much they believe will depend on their ability to fight illusions.

For those that have strong mental shields against illusions, especially those that managed to train enough to make a full pendant of the Order they will be able to break out pretty quickly- though they will find themselves surrounded by people who believe them to be family or friends, they may have to pretend in order to not stick out, especially since there are rumours of dangerous Voidtreckers from the sky.

Other people might be stuck a bit longer, they might need some help from a friend or some more time to remember their training and break out of the illusion. For those that get stuck- they will follow the same schedule as the 4th Wallers and begin having strange dreams from day three onwards.

If your character didn’t have their SCA on by the time they’re taken into the illusion, or take off their SCA while in the city, they will be fully deceived by the influence, as these are what subdue the illusions.

~ Other Notes About Illusions and Resistances:

While characters can break out of the influence of the illusions, seeing through illusionary objects will be more difficult without concentrated effort and some planning. However, this will change over time.

4th wall characters coming into this world already with illusion-resisting talents will unfortunately still be tricked, and their ability will be locked until they are broken out of the delusion. However, once they are, they will have them in full force again.

~ Pendants/Amulets

Concerning the crystal shards collected and made into protection against illusions, here’s some details for how they’ll help. Each shard personally received gives a 5% protection from illusions of that nature. So: Desires, environmental/mental damage, fears, and environmental trickery.

However: Any crystals not personally earned will only account for 2.5%. So a pendant or amulet made completely by someone else’s hard work will be 10% total.

Don't worry too much about these numbers unless numbers are your thing! What’s important to know is if they have an amulet that they made themselves they will have a considerable boost to their ability to resist illusions; if they have one made by others, it will give a smaller boost.

In truth, these crystals' ability to help you resist illusions will always be down to the mission/the force you’re up against. Hopefully, people learnt a lot more from the experience itself and the training and the amulets give a boost to their own mental strength that will be considerably higher than it once was because of the training techniques that they learned.

~ Superpowers and You:

To reiterate, any superpower is fine as long as they're not played with at a super amazing level of skill. While everyone is led to believe they've always had their power, 4th wallers have only had it for a week, and Voidtreckers only since the start of the event. This should be kept in mind.

Voidtreckers who came in without their SCAs will have a slightly stronger handle on their superpowers than those who did, due to the effects resonating with them more.

Characters will not have their own Canon powers- or rather they will not know they have them until they break out of the illusion. Some passive powers (e.g immunity to fire) will still work but will be understood as part of their super power set. For characters with powers of their own you can choose whether to make those powers into their super power or to give them something else entirely.

Below there is a form for 4th wall characters so we know who is coming in and also one for voidtreckers. You can assume the powers you pick are alright unless we ask you to tweak them!

~ Finding A Solution:

For characters who will be trying to work together to find solutions, either in breaking the illusions in a larger scale or otherwise, people in and out of the game are encouraged to let us know anything they think might be significant here! You can also ask us any questions you want to about the environment, what your character might be able to find out.

~ Opting Out

As always, for those that don't wish to do the mission there is the option of staying on the train. For those that do stay on the train - for some reason they weren't sucked into the illusion like everyone else. They will feel like the mission started normally, everyone got ready and left just like they always do... right?

Comments

[voidtreckermods]

They would get medicines to block the dreams if they asked but their rewards would mostly be credits that they would use to buy whatever they want with.

If you want to NPC it we can provide one but we are also happy with you handwaving. Just let us know here what sort of information he will pass on if there's any juicy details he picks up on in threads!

[bestbrotherever]

(Did not get this message thanks DW and gmail)

Will have to plot with others about what Loki could pass along both ways.

On a different note, what would happen if Loki started throwing illusion-dispelling spells around randomly?

[voidmissions]

This depends on what he's throwing them at and with what intensity! If they're at buildings, he may find that the spells start to take a portion away, but then there's something working to correct it - essentially, putting it back together. The closer he is the to 'centre' of the city, the less effective this is.

But if he were in say, an apartment and tried it with items around there, some may try to fix themselves back together (the bed, the door, etc), but others might not (cups, a rug).

[bestbrotherever]

He's sending his strongest dispelling spells at parts of the city to let off steam, so buildings having parts disappear then get patched up.

On the double agent front, he'll be going with it. I'm up for either threading it or handwaving, depending on how you mods feel. If it's handwaving, he'll disappear for couple days, then walk into his station as if nothing happened and say he has something to report about the VoidTreckers. Once he's alone with the contact he'll drop the "everything is fine" act, reveal that he's remembered everything, and offer his services in exchange for a cushy position in Diagad once whoever's in charge has won. He'll push on rewards, but let the authorities decide how they want to use him; whether to continue as if nothing's changed, join DFORCE and actively hunt down renegades, shore up the illusions, participate in propaganda, go back to the Treckers and be Diagad's informant, whatever they think is most useful. Once he's done enough useful stuff, he'll start pushing to meet whoever is in charge or at least get assurances from the very top that he'll get what he wants.

[voidmissions]

If he's sending off his strongest spells to let off steam, then he's going to get attention for doing so, especially if it's at multiple buildings and to let off steam. Even if he were to try and find a quiet part of the city, which there really isn't - after starting to make disappear portions of these buildings, a sudden surge of power would regenerate it far quicker, and then cause an explosion and shoot out what he was destroying, as if appearing that he caused it to explode by his magics.

There would be video footage of this soon out in the city, and D-Force and vigilantes would be alerted. There would be wreckage on the streets, and it would be tougher to disappear.

Edit: We're happy to play out scenarios as they come up, just to add, so if this is a situation you would want to play out, it can happen!

[bestbrotherever]

So far he's only done one through a park and is going to collapse for some sleep after it, probably teleported away right after by magic pony. If that would get attention, then he'll accept being outed as a Dangerous Influence and instead surrender himself to D-Force once he's ready to start spying and change his pitch, writing off the spell as a tantrum and demonstration of his power, but as long as he has some input in the illusion, he'll turn his power and skills towards maintaining it.

[voidmissions]

Would you like an NPC comment in this thread?

[bestbrotherever]

No NPCs until after the two are gone, but the incident can be reported as terrorism or whatever the authorities want. Would they have surveillance to catch Loki in the act?

[voidmissions]

The NPC would have been the city itself responding to what Loki did to it than authorities - that is, the entity behind this. But yes, if you wanted to not have an interaction with the entity, they would get footage of both Loki and Sunset.

It won't be exactly what Loki did, but it will look real, and they will both be apprehended unless they make an escape.

[bestbrotherever]

They're teleported away. Should we assume that they're both Wanted Outlaws or at least Persons of Interest?

[voidtreckernpcs]

They'll be wanted and will need to stay low. They won't be trusted if they're caught, though if Loki has any friends with the D-Force, he may be able to get out if he's brought in. And he will have - along with Sunset - people looking for them. Vigilantes also.

Loki's use of his powers again - depending on how often/how strongly - will attract attention even if it's somewhere quiet. The city itself is watching for him.

[bestbrotherever]

Before being broken out, Loki was a good little Hero and diligently reported a possible Trecker as well other trouble-makers and he reported his own dreams and stray thoughts as possible Trecker interference in his mind, so he'd probably have some goodwill built up with the D-Force? Or at least his usual liaison. And knowing that he's wanted, he'd probably surrender himself with some juicy info in hand and ready for D-Force if not "tricking" someone into being captured alongside himself.

[voidmissions]

Yes, he can have some good-will, but his blatant and powerful attack did move the entity to work in getting attention on the two of them - there will be witnesses to what he did (though again, it's made up, but both Sunset and Loki are seen before teleporting away). The Voidtreckers are known as masters as illusions and trickery, so even people are doubting their relationship with Loki, especially with the latest evidence.

If he's brought in he will be questioned, and he will be questioned if he surrenders himself. Depending on what he gives them, he might at most be approved to be put on house arrest.

[bestbrotherever]

So no free movement if he turns himself in, even with a sacrifice. A few more questions:

1. Are Loki and Sunset singled out in the warnings and wanted posters as particularly dangerous, or is there some other indication that the city is watching for them avidly?

2. What does questioning entail? Can victims resist or is it mind reading?

3. Is it possible to escape custody?

[voidmissions]

1. Yes. Again, they're both being set-up by Loki by the entity of the city. Sensing what was done, as soon as they both teleported away, duplicates of them were made and a scene was made, with witnesses along with it, before teleporting away. It was made sure to be recorded and uploaded to the DiagNet.

So when I say the city itself is after them, I mean the entity of the city. This is what alerts the D-Force into going after them to apprehend them, and why - even with a sacrifice - the D-Force aren't willing to let down their guard (save some people who have known Loki).

There's also the issue that people see the Voidtreckers as master illusionists, people who can mess with your mind. It does bring people into doubt of course, since they feel they know Loki - but also, some aren't so sure what to believe.

2. Questioning can involve mind reading, but for the first day they wouldn't go for that. However, on a second day if they did bring in a mind reader (or even if Loki requested one), they would find that the exact scenario he's been accused of didn't happen as captured. It would put some doubt.

But we're also fine with him escaping, through someone who did like him, or just someone with their doubts about the reality of the world. He and both Sunset would still be searched and looked for, but this just means you would have to keep that in mind with threads! You can still tag around, but be mindful of how public he is. If he and Sunset have ways of disguising themselves, then that's something to consider.

There are likely Voidtreckers too who would help them.

[bestbrotherever]

Just getting clarification, sorry! A clear idea of how thorough the manhunt for him is. As soon as Loki realizes the city's after him and any sign of him popping up gets D-Force sent after him, he'll use it to his advantage. Would him casting his standard illusions get attention, and if so, could he still cast one over himself and then run away quickly before D-Force is on the scene? He'll be on the run, but he knows how to hide and he has some freed allies.

The new plan is now that he'll be the infiltrator's sacrifice, though he'll plan to make a last-minute escape before they can take him into custody.

[voidmissions]

No worries! My bad if I sounded frustrated, I was worried I confused you by using 'the city', so I was just going over it again.

Loki can cast his illusions. What will get him more attention from the entity will be it messing with its illusions/creations, though it will be attempting to point the D-Force in his direction - which it has. If Loki was to do more damage, then the entity/city may ramp up on targeting him.

So he will be looked for mainly by the D-Force and possibly vigilantes, and his and Sunset's faces will be known as being wanted.

[bestbrotherever]

I think I have it, the "city" is alive and controlling the illusions, and it controls what's on the news and sends D-Force to places where it senses danger to itself, right? Loki will probably deliberately provoke it by doing more minor illusion dispelling and running before D-Force arrives to make sure he's established as a threat and make him a more valuable sacrifice for someone to try to turn in and win favor with the city. And maybe to act as a decoy by creating a disturbance when the Treckers have something planned, so most attention will be on him and not on whatever they're doing.

[voidmissions]

Loki may be able to learn more about what's ICly known by other Voidtreckers, but there is apparently - by how Loki was caught and set up - a way that the whoever is behind this can tell what's being done, to some degree.

Doing minor dispelling may not attract attention, but anything larger will lead to more consequence (as suggested before, when I believed he was attacking multiple buildings on a larger scale). It will become far more difficult for him to move around, depending on how far he takes it.

Those he has been in contact with will also be targeted the more he tries. And it's possible that not just the D-Force/people in the city will be sent after him.