Event: No Place Like Home

[voidtreckermods]

Many of you long to return home...

THE SETUP

On Poi 21 (February 10th), the Voidtrecker Express will share an announcement with everyone: It will be doing what it can to send everyone who wants to return from where they came back. It has heard their arguments, it has witnessed what they reported to the ministry, and they want to make things right. They will warn characters that there may be issues as they attempt to remove the tether, and there's a likely chance they'll return, so they should make the most of their time off the train that they can. (Mod Note: This announcement will now be part of the event post and happen on Poi 22)

So, on Poi 22, the train will arrive at a platform, and those that wish to leave will be allowed to. Opening their eyes, they will find themselves in the last place they remember being - the last spot on a world, in a space station, somewhere familiar. And after the distress caused by the Ministry's information, even if they had reason to be concerned about their bodies, they seem - and feel - fine.

Just, there's two things: They still happen to be wearing their SCAs, and if they move more than five miles out from where they've appeared…

…they'll find themselves walking into a fog, leading them right back onto the platform from where they came.

THE EVENT

This will be a 2-parter event, with the first part around February 12th to 19th (Poi 22-25), and the second February 20th to 25th (26-28). The first half will be considered the main portion of the event for those returning to their worlds, and the second part will focus on those left behind on the train and their efforts to help.

Note: Don't worry about hurrying to wrap up these threads in the above times! This is so you know that on the 25th, the train will have a response for what happened.

RETURNING:

Voidtreckers will return to where they came from, but will be doing so still tethered to the train - so, not in their actual bodies, but as their void selves. Moving too far from where they came to will lead them to the Void Platform, making it possible to meet other 'sent back' passengers. It's also possible to go to their worlds from here, or wherever the other is tethered from. At first, they'll need to be invited, but then they'll be able to enter locations at will once they know where they're going (so to speak). As the event goes on, they will find themselves returning to the platform and then onto other worlds more often, even if they don't stray too far away.

Whilst on their own world or on others, they will realise that people do not automatically perceive them. If they approach or speak to someone, they will be noticed and nothing will seem amiss. But otherwise peoples eyes seem to glide past them, and so those that don't 'fit' in the world don't seem to cause any alarm unless they make a scene.


STUCK BETWEEN:

For some who try returning, it doesn't seem to work. For whatever reason, they don't find themselves on their world but instead on a void platform. They will be able to visit other worlds with the other returners, even if their own is closed to them. This option is here mainly for those whose own worlds aren't viable, or who want to take part in the world-hopping portion of the event but feel seeing their own world would upset their character too much.


ON THE TRAIN:

Those still on the train can interact with one another. Those that remain might be those that have made the choice to, or those who attempt to go to their world but find themselves mysteriously back on the train instead- for those that need an opt out.

The train will attempt to return to the void but find itself unable to, throughout the event there will be attempts to enter voidspace, but they will return to the platform. The doors remain closed, but they might catch a glimpse of passengers that left through the windows as they move from world to world. During the second part of the event, they'll be helping the released passengers return to the train using the anchoring method introduced during the Fake Diagad event.

SOME POINTS

LOCATIONS:

To help with planning, we're willing to allow the location to be slightly different from their 'pick up' point if it's rather boring, but it has to be somewhere near this spot. So if you want a town, island, etc. instead of an empty big desert, then that's fine. But even an area of land with some landmarks can be fun! Include details about these locations: those fun, and those not-so-fun. What are people like? What sort of cultural norms are there? It doesn't have to be super detailed, just enough for people to be able to add flavour into their tags.

The world they return to is the one they were pulled from. This means for CRAU characters it is their game worlds- we realise this might be trickier, especially if the game has now closed, and so it might be easier for them to be 'stuck between' and able to visit other worlds but not go to their own.


TIME:

The maximum amount of time we'll allow characters to experience passing while off the time is two weeks. On train, it will be six days.


NPCs:

If there would be people in that area, then they can be spoken to! Mods and mod helpers will not be NPCing for this event. For those of you who know the Ministry will be around on their world, some details can be discussed in the Questions section. Characters won't be perceived unless they make first contact.


CASTMATES:

For those who are on the train with others from their world, they will find it highly unlikely that they're from the same world. They will most likely find that their version of that character is still on their world, having never left. If there are castmates currently on the train from the exact same canon point, and you decide you wish to be from the same world, then that is alright to plot. But as a general rule, every character is from a different slice of the reality pie.


DEAD CHARACTERS/STATE OF THE WORLD:

What players will need to consider is the state of their characters' world. They've been gone for a while, and whatever effect their disappearance would have on the world will hold true, depending on their role in their world. For some, it's as simple as family being upset at their being gone; for others, it's as big as the world no longer existing. But essentially you are writing an 'AU' world where your character fell into a magical sleep at their pull point. Feel free to explore that as much or as little as you wish.

As long as a place exists, they'll still appear there, even if they were dying or dead at pull point. For those who have no place to return to, they will find themselves stuck on the platform but will be able to visit other peoples worlds as people begin stumbling into the platform again.


A LOST PLACE:

Among the many worlds and realities characters may find themselves stumbling into, one might stick out: Because it is nothing. They will appear in a black emptiness- they can breathe and exist thanks to their SCA's, but this doesn't even seem to be like space. It is not the Void that they travel in, but it is a void, devoid of anything. It is an incredibly unnerving place to be, luckily they will only be there a few moments before they return to the platform.


SCAS:

SCA comms will not be working. The only people from the train that can be spoken to are those on the platform that you meet. Passengers still on the train can't be interacted with. Those who attempt to evacuate to the train will find themselves back on the platform... To wander into yet another world.


LONG TERM EFFECTS:

As you can probably imagine, trying to send a large group of people back to their worlds along unstable tethers is going to cause some... hiccups. The larger world consequences are something that will be further explored in March's mission!

PLOTTING

On the mod side, we will include a page with a list of locations made available during this event! Each world - or location - will be available for visiting, and players can top-level and mess around. We would love to see a variety of locations to hub together.

<B>Character:</b> <B>Type of location:</b> City, plains, beach island? Space station? <B>About the location:</b> Here go the details! Please add a description of the area, images if possible, and any concerns of issues (hazards, dangers, etc). <B>Any other details:</b>
Remember that your character will think they're returning from where they came. The train will not agree to sending people anywhere else but the place they came from, even if that is... exactly what ends up happening.

Comments

Questions?

[voidtreckermods]

[fivemilesdeep]

For characters for whom "home/people from home" have been constant fodder for illusions: is there anything that would convince them this is real, aside from the train's word? Or is that specific to the character and/or spoilers?

[weifinder]

Is it also possible to decide to stick on train but still end up on platform/back on world for similar hijinks reasons? Where you don't want to sit the event out, but the character ICly might want to keep helping the train/ministry/voidverse.

[10billionpercent]

Would they be able to find their non-traveling selves, or no?

Assuming that one's self wasn't moved very far.

[tactlesstantei]

If my character has a phone and brings it with them, could they try to call people they know from their world?

Questions?

[yondu]

If your character died out in the middle of space and the planet they were on evaporated what would be considered "nearby".

Re: Questions?

[motherofresistance]

Would characters pulled from a world that wasn't their native canon be returned to their home world or the world they were pulled from?

[flameinthedarkness]

First, I assume any interactions with NPCs in the canons will be played out by who is heading the thread.
Second, is there a 'them' in the world? I ask since Idia's location is very limited movement wise and would be noticeable if he's missing (the next big event takes place the same day I took him from for game, and he plays a key role in it)? Or are they just 'missing'? Is it noticeable to the NPCs of their world? Or are they somehow just fine with a character missing and going about as normal as they could without them being there?
Third, does technology of a world notice them any differently than people, or the same kind of 'ghost' response?
Fourth, how does tech (aka, Idia's computer) interact with the world, including tech it is linked up to normally? Is it the same as the 'ghost' but in reverse where it can't really pick them up, or something else?
Fifth, the canon timeline only goes one or two days max passed when I apped Idia from, so there is no timeline. Is this just how I would handle it within setting up a thread, or would something 'drag them back' or similar when the time ran out?
Thank you!

Oh, sixth, will they be able to bring anything back with them?

Re: Questions?

[wewillwewill]

I need to think about what to do here carefully but a question!

Besides the five mile radius thing would there be anything different about characters like Elidibus, whose natural form causes him to be exactly where he is? (Train-provided void body aside).

Can they obtain item from their worlds and bring them back? For instance the Convocation stones Elidibus had been collecting would be very important and the ones that remain he would be keen to grab.

Well if he makes it back to his world. Returning to his worlds will be a massive Endwalker Spoiler at this point. 6.6

Re: Questions?

[mtsilver_conquor]

Can they bring things like items - IE toys and what not- back from their worlds?

[jingyeets]

Is the five mile radius a sphere? a.k.a. they can descend up to five miles from where their body is, they can rise up to five miles from where their body is. Flight! Digging! Being in space... whatever the case might be!

[its_dad_sanzo]

Soooo, to clarify, characters think they're going home for potentially keeps, right?

Sssso someone who doesn't want to go back permanently would just stay on the train, right?

Just making sure.

Edit: Also, if this is the case, could I still write up a thing for anyone to visit K's setting, or nah? He would absolutely stay on the train if doing otherwise would risk everything he's got here.

[thawed_pride]

Would characters have any reason to believe they might be able to deliberately bring others to their own worlds?

Re: Questions?

[asheaveniswide]

For those who share Zenos' Resonant abilities or the few people who share the Echo, specifically being able to perceive things that others can't, even things 'not really there' or there in a spiritual form, would they be able to tell a Voidtrecker is there before the Voidtrecker speaks up/draws notice/initiates contact?

Re: Questions?

[gathersnomoss]

So, if one made major alterations to one's 'physical' void self while on the train (say, getting a couple of wizards to help you change your species back to human), what has happened to your actual physical body?

Because Zelgadis would try to seek his actual body out to confirm it's safe, and because he wants to know.

Re: Questions?

[agathokakological]

For CRAU characters, will it be clear that they can only go to their previous game and not their home world or no? This would greatly influence my character's decision to leave.

[bakegarasu]

If someone has a phone and takes pictures, will the pictures stay afterwards?

Re: Questions?

[myninjainfocard]

So what happens if you do decide to cause problems on purpose in places that aren't yours?

[firewalled]

Sorry if I'm not reading correctly, but for those that are returning home, were they missing from their worlds or were they in a coma of sorts?

Re: Questions?

[schrodingersghost]

If there is a door to another dimension within that five mile radius, can they enter it? And how far in could they go?

[dyingpro]

Would any of the Endless River messages from Tschering made it home to the NPCs?

Re: Questions?

[myninjainfocard]

Hi, it's me, asking more stupid questions.

So would it still be the area someone is in if they were in, say, a groundhog day scenario from their canon point? (Through... through genjutsu bullshit.)

SETTINGS

[voidtreckermods]

Please list the settings that are available for characters to visit or find themselves in during this event!

[jingyeets]

Character: Lan Jingyi, Untamed Dragon AU
Type of location: Mountains + Clan Sect, which is essentially a town
About the location: Given the space limitation, this will mean Gusu Lan itself, the whole of the mountains and the sect, is available, but not the town nearby. Gusu is located on a mountain with a taller mountain at its back and ranged around it, while the majority of the sect is found within the valley in its mountain range. One can explore the back mountain, which has an immense series of waterfalls that come down from the plateau way above, and there are plentiful rabbits living back in those woods. Everything architecturally is one courtyards and white plaster and stone, with winding pathways, stone gardens, ponds, plant gardens, and a whole complex of residences that can support the entire sect -- think of it as a town in the mountain valley, with areas for extensive and private kitchens, barracks and private residences, a library, teaching pavilions, and also large areas to support large bodied dragons landing and taking off as needed.

 

 

 

 

Any other details: One will witness further Eastern style dragons on visiting here, and will be able to find Jingyi's sleeping body, being tended to in a large courtyard that can handle when he's shifting dragon, as happens whenever his 'spirit' is shifting dragon. I'll handle NPCs if one wishes to interact with them, on request only! Otherwise feel free to ghost around and watch things happening, the time of year will be late fall/early winter. It'll start snowing by the end of the time anyone can visit his world.

Plotting: Returners and Stuck Betweens

[voidtreckermods]

For all the world hopping plans.

[jingyeets]

Jingyi will be going 'home' as he doesn't plan to not make himself try, and also because if things go wrong he's technically expendable (look, not that he admits this). As it will have him in the situation of visiting tethered, aside from trying to reassure people once he makes contact with them, but he won't want to spend time in a situation he also cannot control.

Notably, little will change in his world for him being struck like this, though he will be able to tell them it's not a random curse.

He's here to support friends (or fellow Voidtreckers) by accompanying them to their worlds once he realises that's possible, partly out of being curious, and partly because he's reassured that his assumptions about his world are correct: exactly zero is falling apart other than giving his best friend and best friend's family a case of worryitis.

Also, if anyone wants someone to go dragon in that 5mi radius on their world for whatever reason, Jingyi is That Guy who can, for Shenanigans (or necessities or whatever, if you want a flight up for a dragon's eye view on the area you're confined to on your world).

Plotting: Remainers

[voidtreckermods]

There will be more information about how exactly the rescue operation will work closer to the second part of the event. But plan here for train worry parties and let us know who is remaining on the train to be available for said rescues.

[weifinder]

Wei Wuxian is remaining behind because based on what they've been told, he's more inclined to believe he's, ah, not survived his time on the train (he was traveling, alone, when he was taken, and not in a town/village), and I'm going to have him remain behind for this purpose as he'd need more than being sent right back to his world to make it work.

That said, he's going to be Distressed seeing everyone trapped on platform outside of reach, intermittently. WHO ELSE IS IN ON THE "FFS WHAT SCREWED UP NOW" TRAIN PARTY? We can watch sadly from large windows, it'll be great!