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meadowlarklogs2020-02-08 01:58 pm
EVENT #008 AFTERMATH LOG
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.
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.
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!)
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!
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( Quentin gets sloppy drunk himself all the time too, it's not as if he's a clean and innocent. He likes booze and mild drugs as much as the next Brakebills student. But if someone else is a little off, they are priority to him, and he sobers up. He did have one drink tonight, but he wanted his wits about him. Now he's very glad; both of them drunk would've been shenanigans ... and possibly dangerous ones!)
Ha, yeah. He does. I worry about everything and everyone, it's a real character flaw. Sorry to naysay, I really do want to go with you, promise.
( It's said with some self-deprecating humor, but he's being honest. Quentin's anxiety disorder hasn't gone away and now he only has more people to worry about and more reasons to worry. He's really trying to keep it from being intrusive on others though. That's why he tries to cover up as much skin as he can when being around others, so they don't accidentally absorb his disastrous inner workings.
He laughs though.) Okay Pennifer is pretty hilarious as a name.
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( He watches the line and the small vehicle at the end of the line heading toward their address. )
It's a dreadful name.
( Isn't it? Instinctively, Klaus leans against Quentin again, shoulder to shoulder as he waits, surprisingly patiently, for their ride share. )
Is there anything else you wish to know of me, Quentin? ( While they wait? )
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Mm? ( He looks over to him and considers. ) You told me you made people afraid. I don't get the sense you want me to be afraid of you though, before your abilities were gone and now.
( He's a curious being. He often wonders how much people care about how they're presented. Margo's like that. She has to appear tough at all times. Quentin wonders if Klaus did the same. )
Why did you want people to be afraid before?
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( His trail of thought is halted as a vehicle pulls up on front of them, window electronically lowering.
"Klaus?" )
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( Quentin isn't saying he knows that personally, but he's read enough books and watched enough tv to know some common 'misunderstood vampire' tropes. And that may be projecting onto Klaus, but it's still his instinct. The car is there though so he glances over and shrugs. They could continue the conversation later.
He opens the door for Klaus and gestures to get in. ) Pennifer, right? Thanks for picking us up. Klaus, tell him where we're going.
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The coordinates are included Quentin. Let the driver use his eyes. ( And then his train of thought rejoins the track. ) In some ways, I was different and people did fear me because of it. Or, they loved me less. I was the bastard. The weak one. The artist. But I became more. Perhaps, I was always meant to be more.
( It went deeper. People feared him because they needed to fear him. Because his paranoia knew no bounds, and his punishments had to be harsh. He laid in wait for over a thousand years, just to break his curse. And he hunted, chased, and ran, himself., )
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People who call others weak tend to be the actual weak ones. In my experience. Not that it makes it feel any better when they say it.
( Quentin is a soft-hearted awkward nerd. Of course he's used to being called weak. He feels weak a lot too, so he doesn't really argue the point, but Klaus is clearly not weak. Although he could see how trying to prove otherwise might make someone cold. )
Did people being afraid of you make it better?
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It doesn't sound like ultimately it brought you the happiness you might've wanted though.
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( But he's not threatening. He's talking now. Just talking. )
I was never searching for happiness.
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( He isn't afraid of Klaus, although perhaps he should be in the general sense, with the man being much older and probably dangerous with or without his powers. Quentin's only real defense was his magic, otherwise he's an ordinary person. But he instinctively trusts Klaus. The man's given him every reason to so far.)
Why not? Isn't happiness what it's about in the end?
( Maybe Quentin's constant search for happiness is what feeds into his constant discontent with a life not full of it. )
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Yeah, it is. And seeking happiness hasn't really worked for me in the past. It's still something I hope for, though.
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I was going to ask if you are okay with ... what's happening. ( A gesture toward Klaus, basically in a general 'you're human now that sucks' way. ) But I'm not sure if you could be, nor should you feel like you have to.
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as discussed, wrap!