meadowlarklogs | EVENT #008 AFTERMATH LOG

WHO: The Displaced!
WHERE: Lots of places—potentially? Mostly New Amsterdam as the focus.
WHEN: March 4, 2512
WHAT: Unlocking of the gates and the game's fast travel network.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Uninvited visions.

> EVENT #008 AFTERMATH LOG

The vision itself is almost instantaneous once the last of the four gates activates, hitting the Displaced no matter where they are. It doesn't matter where that individual Displaced is: if they're in New Amsterdam, at one of the gates, or sleeping, they'll see the same vision. A flash of seven colors (red, blue, black, gold, orange, red, and white) followed by an image of a nomadic people heading up a long, stone bridge that appears to be naturally occurring. At the end of the bridge is an open, lit-up triangle that acts as a gateway, inviting them inside. Then there is another flash, followed by the nomads walking through the gate and ending up in a different, new location. And then another.

Any understanding of this vision isn't immediate. The answers won't be apparent until later, when there is an innate understanding of what they've learned and what they've unlocked for themselves. The world has opened up to the Displaced, and in some ways, it's there for them to access and even take for themselves if they so choose.

After the vision ends, any of the Displaced located at the four ruins will immediately begin to glow in all blue before they fade out of view and find themselves crammed into a new location. The relocation is immediate, and if anyone checks a map via their neural implant to see where they are geolocation wise, they'll be able to tell that they're underneath New Amsterdam. For anyone who's been in the underground cave system of New Amsterdam, they may think their surroundings are familiar, if not the same. After all, this area has been locked away for a very long time.

One more thing is apparent: they've landed on another form of gate that needs to be unlocked. After the numerous trials and puzzles the Displaced have faced, what's one more?

◉ The puzzle to solve is right beneath the feet of the Displaced on a bronze-colored mechanism. At the center of the mechanism are multiple overlapping triangles, and on the outside, there are five separated triangles that sit individually.

◉ Solving the puzzle involves connecting a daisychain of Displaced and having five key focal points step on the triangles at once.

◉ Once the puzzle unlocks, there will be another understanding: that what they saw in the vision belongs to them. Any of the Displaced outside of the caves will know what it means.

◉ With that work done, it's time to explore. The underground cave system of New Amsterdam is half-inhabited by the sprawling megacity, and half-uninhabited and untouched. This part of the cave system was locked away for centuries, and just like the other ruins, there are some relics and lost items from the past. The eras vary: some are early medieval burial sites with items like brittle, forgotten swords and shields, while others are crosses and manuscripts that refer to this location as the center of the Holy Roman Empire.

◉ The manuscripts are a mix of imagery from Catholicism and the same, omnipresent geometric imagery.

◉ The way out of the cave system involves touching a hand to a handprint alongside what appears to be a door. This print will only appear to the Displaced, so they will be able to move in and away from this location largely unobserved.

> ON THE JOB FROM 9 TO 5

Now that the gates trip is done and the Displaced have new answers—if potentially unhelpful ones, depending on their perspective—it's time to return to their lives. Surprisingly, New Amsterdam has no festivals going on, as if it's time to now be hungover from a February that involved nonstop partying. The city has been cleaned up and everyone's returning to their jobs as if the city around them is not in a constant state of revelry.

◉ Ah, it's time to return to work! No one is required to lose their jobs, but it might take a bit of groveling for the Displaced to return to where they were working before. (With the exception of the Red Wings bar. Poor Mister Doctor Stephen Strange.) El will have sent along any excuses to any bosses who might need an explanation. Ze's used to this gig by now.

◉ What about those cities left behind? No one planned on abandoning those gates at that exact moment. They will remain open to the Displaced. Anyone who had a hotel room in New Oslo or even kept stuff stored at New Beijing will find that they can just teleport back via this new fast travel system.

◉ Though for anyone who's been dealing with tampered food, maybe it's time to go take a break. You know where's a good place to do it? The Displaced-run Red Wings bar. Ah, poor Mister Doctor Strange, at least the people coming in out of nowhere are all Displaced looking for proper food and a drink. It's time to mingle, share notes, and see what's what. Might as well get to seeing where there's overlap—and what to do next.

◉ Or it's time to explore! The world is finally open and available to one and all. Well, to one Displaced and all.

◉ The information on these gates and what they do won't immediately be available to El and Gaby. It's up to the Displaced if they decide to share with their NPC friends. (Of course, if it's mentioned via the Morningstar network, then they'll know!)

> FINAL OOC NOTES

This is meant primarily as a laid back, return to life log for the Displaced after their exciting trips around the world (and trips-to-be, most likely). Any questions about the aftermath should be directed to our aftermath questions thread!

Our CR meme will be posted on February 14th (Happy Valentine's Day!), and our arrival log for all newbies will be going up on February 15th.

Thanks again for making this a great event!

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's a little ironic that considering her chosen profession and its social requirements, Diana isn't a huge fan of parties. She'll dress the part and put on a smile when the need arises, but all she can really think about is how she'd much rather be at home with a cup of tea. But she's attending this particular event as a favor to the owners of the gallery where she works, and maintaining the gallery's reputation is necessary. There are a lot of potential patrons here, and she isn't going to alienate any of them by giving the impression that she doesn't want to be here.

At least she sees a familiar face in the crowd, and seamlessly slips into the small group Klaus has gathered. As she listens to him talk, she can't help the smile that tugs at her lips. He certainly has a way with crowds. She doesn't make any particular effort to catch his eye, but considering she's several inches taller than most people in this room, she doesn't think he'll have a hard time noticing her.]

( Klaus finishes up a rousing tale about a search for the proper chemical, one that needed to illuminate just the right hue for Kovacs' installation - one he'd been working on before disappearing. Somehow, it wraps up into a nice bow of claps and laughter. After a moments' silence for their fallen (if missing) friend, Klaus excuses himself and the group disperses.

Klaus steps up to Diana then. )

And here we are, no longer on the side of a mountain but the view still remains quite breathtaking. Wouldn't you say?

[She wouldn't deny being impressed with the way he works this crowd. It seems to her that he's certainly had quite a bit of practice doing this kind of thing. She gives a polite clap along with the rest of the crowd, and once they begin to move away, she crosses her arms loosely and smiles at Klaus.]

Beauty isn't hard to find, if you know where to look.

[Diana lets a beat pass, and her voice drops to hold a sympathetic tone.]

I am sorry about your friend, if he truly is gone.

He was nothing of the sort, merely a means to a better ... setup in employment. We did share a laugh on a train.

( Once. )

Impressive, yes? Convincing all of his followers of how close we'd became. You'd think I was reeling from the death of a lover. ( But, he takes a sip of his champagne as he finishes patting himself on the back. )

I did mean you, Diana, when I said breathtaking.

[Her lips press into a thin line at that, but she can't say she's surprised. That sort of thing happens a lot in the art community, especially when the artist in question is reclusive or anonymous. Just about anyone can say anything, and nine times out of ten, people will believe what they're saying. She usually doesn't fall for such stories, but well, she gives other displaced the benefit of the doubt more often than not. So she chooses not to tell him just how "impressive" she finds it. Right now, anyway. She's here to represent someone else's gallery, and she isn't going to cause a scene.

Though she can't help but crack a little smile at his clarification. She'll give that line a seven out of ten.]

I've found that flattery at an event like this usually means someone wants something.

[She levels her gaze on him, one brow cocked just so.]

Edited 2020-02-19 05:15 (UTC)

I merely want to steal a moment of your time, which I do believe I am. You're very beautiful, Diana. Trust me when I say I tend not to dole out compliments such as these when desiring something. I usually come out and say what it is I desire. Or, I insist on it. But, those days are more behind than ahead of me. ( The moment down psychotic memory lane ends. ) Is it that you'd rather I want something from you than your company?

[For a brief moment, Diana reassess what she knows about Klaus, the impressions she's formed of him from their trip to Everest and his behavior at this party. Caution, she feels, is important. But they are, as it is, on the same team; they're both displaced, both in a world that isn't their own against their wills. Her expression softens, and her shoulders lose some of their tension.]

Wanting my company is perfectly fine.

[And like that, she's picked herself up and moved on.]

Truly though, have you seen any pieces worth pursuing here?

( Another day and time to endeavor then. )

One piece made entirely of something that resembles radioactivity. I wouldn't showcase it at our gallery, but it could be an interesting acquisition. I jest about the radioactivity, but it was .. bright.

EVENT #008 AFTERMATH LOG

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