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soddersays2021-06-01 12:36 am
sodder) wrote in soddersays2021-06-01 12:36 am
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Welcome to Your New Home
WELCOME TO TRENCH - YOUR NEW HOME
The votes have been cast and The Flesh Door has been opened which means that the setting for Chapter 2 is officially set! Welcome to your new home away from home, Sleepers! Enter the city of Trench and discover what the new world has to offer.
This page provides a condensed summary of the main themes you can anticipate in Chapter 2. This includes the new power system, the new game maps, some vague description of the general locations, the technology, the aesthetics, animal companions, and we even include the actual full application form that can be used to apply with new or pre-existing characters! If you have any questions we could answer right now, let us know in a comment below! However, we would like to remind players that this is only a summary for an entire game! Chapter 2 will have plenty of information pages that will no doubt answer some more intricate questions and we'll let you know if you'll just have to wait. Milk hopes to get Chapter 2 fully set up as quickly as possible so that our player base can start adjusting to the new information as soon as they can!
Hopefully, this page will give you enough information to start thoroughly plotting out and developing ideas for your own plans for Chapter 2. Thank you to everyone who has made it this far with us and thank you to everyone who plans to join us for Chapter 2! Your support has been incredible and we'll never forget it.
Now, enjoy the summary!
THE NEW SETTING
Sleepers will be waking up in a city known as Trench: welcome to your new home away from home. And this time...It's not a dream.
The city and residents of Trench are heavily inspired by Baroque, Rococo, Romantic, Gothic Revival, and Victorian art, fashion, architecture, culture, and entertainment. While there is a presence of contemporary influences here and there, the city largely seems to be a blend of the 1600-1800s with some modern luxuries like functional plumbing. Since this world is so dangerous, traveling for the luxury and fun of seeing other places practically became nonexistent. This resulted in a society that greatly valued making the immediate world around them beautiful and vibrant and interesting to look at and experience. This also created a hefty social divide between people who value practicality and people who value pleasure, which, to an outsider, might come across as a similar divide between upper and lower class patrons. However, this is less of a financial divide and more of a philosophical divide.
Characters won't necessarily have to dress like they are part of this world but it would be exceptionally dope if they did. Additionally, the only contemporary/other world clothes available will be if characters bring them along upon application to the game or if they make them in the setting itself or gain them through events.
Due to the blend of 1600-1800s with a streak of advanced technology founded in blood magic and real-world science, there are certain steampunk-esque elements to the setting. Some locations have other-worldly aesthetics such as beautiful sculptures that permanently float. Other places might be more familiar to the modern eye, such as a few streets in Cellar Door filled with neon signs and spaces filled with contemporary music. Contemporary luxuries are largely attributed to having a presence in this world because past Sleepers or Pthumerians have granted them unto the world.
Any buildings inspired by the 1950s era Deerington was known for will have to be homes brought in with characters to the game. Your character's house can count as one item slot - including everything in it. Yes, we know that's a huge loophole - so take it! You can always choose to have the house completely empty if you'd rather start off with less. Besides what characters bring, do not expect locations typical to the 1950s. This is a brand new and unique setting with brand new and unique businesses. There will still be things similar to schools and libraries, but something like an arcade or a bowling alley would have to be created by a Sleeper. Entertainment in this world runs a bit more closely to what you'd expect in the 1600-1800s - with some updated exceptions like a tattoo parlor in the Healing District (yes that is me confirming that there will be a tattoo parlor in Chapter 2).
The city is divided into districts that serve individual purposes aligned to the prominent jobs characters can take. Sleepers can live in whichever district they prefer. Many people tend to live in the district focused on their jobs for convenience's sake. Each district has unique locations that will be provided upon game-open, but don't worry! There are plenty of places for characters to set up their own businesses all throughout Trench.
Trenchwood: Less of a district and more of a general area. The three micro-districts, Shiver, Ache, and Feed are all considered to be part of the Farming District. This is the most dangerous area of Trench but it is also where the majority of food comes from.
Lumenwood: The Healing District where most blood ministration takes places. The sick and injured typically wind up here and it is the primary location for Blood Ministers to work and live in. There are several resources for healing in this area as well as some serious blood magic. It can be extremely dangerous to journey through due to the likelihood of attracting beasts.
Cassandra: The Sacred District where people can find spiritual peace and healing. This place is the largest production of incense which is helpful in keeping beasts at bay. Disciples typically live here among the many temples.
Willful Machine: The Trading District where people, especially Architects, set up shop and can make a living through the trade of food/cloth/weapons/metals/etc. There are plenty of non-Architects who make their living in the Willful Machine.
Prufrock: The Hunter's District and the only district with the job description clearly in the name. This is the ideal location to find a Hunter to do a dirty or dangerous job. While many Hunters do live in this area, most use it as a place for resources for enhanced weapons and to practice fighting.
Gaze: The Education District and the domain of the Arcane Scholars who do their best to keep Gaze difficult to enter. The Education District has plenty of knowledge-based resources such as libraries and museums. You won't find any entertainment here, but you might find some worthwhile answers.
Cellar Door: The Entertainment District wherein just about everyone frequents almost as much as the Willful Machine. This is a place to let go and have a little bit of fun. It makes it easier to forget how bad the world can be when you go dancing or enjoy some good company or gamble.
Crenshaw: The Residential District is the most vulnerable district since the majority of those who live in it are not fighters. This is the most reinforced district and Hunters patrol it more than any others. Most of the buildings in this area are intended to house people.
Darcmouth: The Fishing District where the majority of Trench's fish comes from. A poor area due to most of its residents preferring life on the ocean rather than land and thus they put more of their money into their ships than they do their "houses" - if you can call them that.
The buttons on the map represent what are known as Lamp Locations. These Lamp Locations will allow for a special, teleportation-like travel between the districts via special lamps.
The roads marked on the map are the only named roads in all of Trench. Within the districts, architecture is rather random in placement with roads crooked and unnamed. Houses are not marked with any numbers. This was intentionally done to make it more confusing for beasts and the corrupt to find specific homes. However, some are brave enough to make their homes obvious with flags, colored lamps outside, or other such markers.
Trench sits on a rocky beach known as Farther Shores right up against the Pthumerian Ocean. This is a stormy, dreary place to live and the sun rarely shines. Summer can be hot and muggy, but there are more cool days than not, with winters being frigid and wet. Hours and months operate the same in this world but there are unique holidays to be celebrated - old earth holidays completely forgotten by now.
The land is extremely infertile due to excessive blood pollution but some talented farmers have managed to grow crops despite that. Mushrooms have become a primary source of protein since they are much easier to farm and harvest than animals - especially in a world filled with hungry beasts.
Technology in Trench runs on something called 'lunar energy' which is gathered through 'lunar orbs' - this functions similarly to solar energy and helps provide energy throughout the city. However, in Trench it is still common for people to rely on fire/oil since many people are suspicious that lunar energy attracts monsters. Modern technology is not common in Trench, but it is not non-existent either. You may still be able to find TV sets in certain places, but they look more like a bubble steampunk version of a TV. Any more modernized flatscreens will either have to be created by characters, brought into the game upon application, or earned through events.
Phones will function similarly to the Fluids. Only Sleepers will have this new communication device and they will all have a trace of that old dream magic to them. They will be different in many ways, but for the most part, they will function the same and characters will have access to a similar network such as deerfeed, music and videos, and things they may have saved on their original Fluids. The only problem is the new communication device is a little more...unpredictable.
Canon Items will either need to be gained by bringing them in upon application, through unique events that readily give out canon items, or through Blessed Days. As this is technically a post-apocalypse world, there will be some more difficulty in gaining canon and/or unique items not typically found in the setting. Any items brought in with a character, canon or Deerington-created, will function as it is intended to. There will be no warps to items. Items will have similar limitations as powerful characters wherein a Pthumerian might appear to stop something too powerful.
We do know one might have dozens of questions about the information provided but you can expect highly detailed information pages to be available about locations once the game is opened to the public! This is an immersive world and there will be plenty of answers for you in the upcoming months.
While this setting will not truly be accessible until the official opening of Chapter 2, you can feel free to have characters have visions or dreams of the new setting - even if they don't typically have the power to have prophecies. This may also possibly allow some of you to start thinking about what kind of new homes and businesses your characters might open up and the general aesthetics you can anticipate from the setting!
NEW GAME MECHANICS
THE POWER SYSTEM: BLOOD
We ask that players do not implement this system until Chapter 2. Characters can have prophetic visions of the significance of blood powers coming into play soon, but no character should pick up blood magic until they are accepted into Chapter 2. But this should give you an idea of how you want to approach the system! If you have ideas about the blood system for your character but want to ask if it works within the blood type's parameters, feel free to ask in a comment below!
Blood is representative of the essence of life and power in this world. It serves as an extension of one's soul and potential. There are a variety of blood types that have different impacts on the world around them and can be used in different ways.
There are a variety of ways you can apply your blood type to your character. "Canon Abilities" can refer both to actual canon abilities as well as any abilities characters have gained/lost through CRAU. Just make sure you clarify what your power set is from on your application and what you are planning to do:
1. Full Nerf of Canon Abilities: You can completely nerf your character's canon abilities and pick a blood type to explore a new set of powers for them. Alternatively, for characters who don't have any powers to begin with, this is your time to shine! Go on and get your power trip on.
2. Addition to Canon Powers: You can maintain canon abilities and then choose a blood type for a new set of powers. In this situation, you will have to pick if the character's canon abilities or the new blood type has more power. They cannot be equally powerful/masterful of both canon and blood abilities.
3. Complimenting Canon Powers: Pick a blood type that compliments/goes with your character's pre-existing powers! In this case, you don't really need to "choose" which power to make stronger since we'll see it as a collective power.
4. Complete Nerf: Maybe you just want to play an ordinary person with no real powers - don't worry! There's a blood type option for exactly that (warmblood). This allows characters to still experience unique Sleeper things such as Omens, but they don't need to worry about the power system.
These blood types are left extremely open-ended so that players can choose how the blood manifests on character applications. You can choose to go with what we have on this page, or you can choose to expand with your own unique ideas as to how a character's blood type manifests! As long as it works within the parameters of the blood type you have chosen (for example, if you choose warmblood, we shouldn't see any power manifestation aspects since that is the neutral/"powerless" option).
Don't worry if you don't know right now how you want the power to manifest! These powers are meant to be expanded upon and characters are meant to learn and come to master various skills which means your character application should serve as the basis. It's fine if a few months into the game, you decide you want to have your character learn some new powers/abilities within the parameters of their blood type.
Characters who do not have flesh/blood will now have some sort of blood. You can interpret how it would best fit your character's canon body. They can still maintain robotic/plant/glass/plastic/etc bodies but must have some sort of blood present - even if it's never shed.
If your character's abilities were nerfed/warped for Deerington, you can either choose to use that as your base "Canon" power for CRAU or have your character's abilities partially/fully restored for the new setting. OP characters are allowed since the world is naturally nerfing in that there will canonically always be a Pthumerian/Old One stronger than your character. Any world-destroying abilities will literally be stopped by a Pthumerian much more powerful than your character which will help to keep the world in one piece. This same logic could be characters who can dimension/reality travel/bend - a Pthumerian will exist to stop them from going too far with it.
The Blood Types are as follows:
Warmblood: Rust-colored blood that smells like fresh tar when spilled. The odor goes away once dried and the color of this blood looks identical to regular blood when dried. This can make Warmbloods harder to find. Warmblood has the lowest magical grade and has historically been brushed off/looked down upon by society as "wasted potential" blood. There are historical articles stating that Warmbloods used to be referred to as "Wastes" as a derogatory nickname. Of course, not everyone looks negatively at Warmblood and some see it as a blessing in disguise since even when spilled, it barely contributes to blood pollution.
Technically, all Sleepers have some sense of "power" but this is the one where no one has any discernable abilities other than the universal Sleeper abilities. This is a good option for those who want their character to either be without powers at all or to not have too much change to a character's canon abilities. This blood is valued for blood transfusions/ingestion and blood ministration due to its flexible nature and lack of invasive properties. Warmblood can also be used to help bring people back from beasthood. This blood won't do anything to enhance weapons. Warmbloods are adaptable to just about any job, but some might find it harder to get prominent positions.
Coldblood: Known for its pale blue coloration and smoky odor. This blood runs hot in the body but once it is extracted, it freezes within a matter of seconds. People with this blood are cold to the touch and immune to both burning and freezing conditions. Coldblooded individuals can generate ice, fire, and/or electricity. There once was a saying that "nothing burns more than Coldblood" and that very well might be true. The conjuring of elemental magic through blood demands enormous energy and those who use this magic will find that they need to sleep more often than other Sleepers. Due to its freezing quality, Coldblood is not used for blood transfusions except from one Coldblood to another, but it is highly valuable in helping to stop beast blood from spreading in an individual.
It is highly coveted for its ability to enhance weapons with elemental qualities such as turning a normal sword into a flaming sword. This does not include earth-abilities since the focus of Coldblood is "Burning" energy whether it's from burning cold (frostbite) or burning hot. This is the easiest blood to harvest purely due to its rapid hardening but is primarily used either for weapon enhancements or aesthetic jewelry. Coldblood jewelry can be used as an alternative light source if thrown into absolute darkness as fear can make the blood react and it will start to give off a prominent glow. Many Hunters have been Coldbloods due to the aggressive quality of the blood being useful on any battlefield.
Paleblood: This blood looks like ordinary blood until it's exposed directly to moonlight: then it glows a beautiful pale color which it retains indefinitely after. This blood smells like warm milk once exposed to moonlight. Those with Paleblood will find that they feel steadier and more powerful at night and especially when the moon is shining (full or otherwise). Palebloods can have prophetic visions and/or the ability to walk through dreams and/or use telepathic abilities to varying degrees. They can potentially cause hallucinations but not actually alter reality. Palebloods are known to be either deeply empathetic or extremely void of emotion - Palebloods struggle to find a smooth middle ground.
Night Walkers have historically been composed of Palebloods and Disciples have always resented this as they have always desired the gift of sight. Paleblood is most useful for rituals and sacrifices, valuable for summoning Pthumerians, has a moderate impact on ministration (best matching with other Palebloods and Vilebloods), with no impact on weapons. Paleblood, like Coldblood, is often made into beautiful, cherished jewelry. Wearing Paleblood jewelry can occasionally give its owner strange visions - but if one is not used to such visions, it can increase the likelihood of corruption. Paleblood jewelry can be used to put others under temporary trances if used correctly.
Vileblood: This blood is putrid green in color with streaks of red and smells overwhelmingly of flowers. If too much Vileblood is spilled at once, it can cause complete distortion of senses, which can make it a potent weapon against enemies if used correctly. Those with Vileblood can resist poison and can create poison either with their blood magic or through touch/bodily secretions. Vilebloods have been pushed at the edge of society for a long time and are generally seen as "rotted" souls who are doomed to corruption and beasthood. Vilebloods usually have an extremely high pain tolerance.
At the most extreme end, Vilebloods can be completely numb to physical touch due to their own blood fraying their nerves. It is said vampirism stems directly from Vilebloods since Vilebloods can have a unique ability in that when they ingest any blood type, it can heal them and provide them with energy. Vilebloods are skilled at manipulating blood and flesh, making them talented Blood Ministers...Or talented torturers. Vilebloods can be given any blood for a transfusion, but only Palebloods can successfully receive Vileblood in a transfusion. Vileblood will kill any creature that ingests it - but rubbing Vileblood on the skin can create effective numbing agents useful for temporary relief. Vileblood's ugly, lackluster color makes it poor jewelry. Many seek the blood to enhance the power of incense or create Vileblood smoke bombs to send beasts running the opposite direction. Vileblood can be used to give weapons deadly, poisonous qualities.
Darkblood: Blood so dark it's hard to tell if it's black or blue with a streak of bright red. This blood smells like dusty books and at times can strike some as "sour" in odor. This blood allegedly tastes like blackberries and easily stains the skin, but harvesting the blood is extremely difficult since it does not have a physical form until contorted into one by blood magic. This blood does not so much "spill" out of people as much as it glitters out of them. There are historical accounts of people becoming addicted to ingesting Darkblood which led to mass demand for the blood. One can still find bottles of it being sold for a high price to be enjoyed as a drink - but of course, this can lead to rapid corruption and beasthood.
People with Darkblood can alter time and/or move things with their mind and can manipulate small parts of reality if they are powerful enough. This blood technically does not exist in a body until someone has been cut and only then will the Darkblood manifest. This blood is the most useful for transfusions since it essentially adapts to whatever body it goes into. This blood does not enhance weapons, but it can make them feel significantly lighter than they actually are. This blood is used for a lot of architecture work since it can be used to manipulate objects into defying gravity, and many Architects and Arcane Scholars have been Darkbloods. Many believe Darkblood was used in the origin of Lunar Orbs.
There are other blood types, such as "Human" Blood, Animal Blood, Forbidden Blood, Beast Blood, and Pthumerian Blood - all of which have different significance and use in the game that will be provided in Chapter 2.
These are some key concepts to take away from this new system and its impact on the world. These concepts will be further explained and explored in Chapter 2.
BLOOD POLLUTION: Arguably one of the biggest problems in Chapter 2 is the rampant blood pollution. Every time even a single drop of blood is shed, it could potentially add to the blood pollution of the world. This is essentially the world reacting to the overwhelming blood magic essence. The more blood that is shed, the more corrupt the world becomes. This has led to difficulty in growing plants, it keeps blood magic in the air which attracts monsters and beasts, and the push of its magic can cause widespread corruption. Spilling blood is a necessary evil but in this world, it has a direct ramification beyond making a mess. There are many trying to find a solution to blood pollution but to no avail. After all, it is impossible to stop a world filled with monsters and beasts from bleeding.
BLOOD MINISTRATION: The process of healing people through blood magic, use of harvested blood, blood transfusions, and bloodletting. Blood Ministers are the primary masters of blood ministration, but others can learn the art of blood ministration. This is a combination of real-world techniques seen in old medicine (ie; use of leeches to bring down swelling) and more magically-based techniques based on the blood magic system, unique magic items found within the game, etc. While this is the most common form of healing in-game, characters can maintain more standard forms of healing abilities from their own canons. Blood Ministration is usually used for healing wounds but can also be used to help cure beasthood and corruption.
BLOOD HARVESTING: The collecting and saving of blood for future use is referred to as "blood harvesting" in this world. Most blood can be stored in liquid form in vials which is ideal for quick blood healing. However, a huge amount of storing blood magic comes from the solidification of blood. Blood in this world is capable of being collected and hardened into a stone-like shape, blood types having unique colors and appearances. These bloodstones are largely regarded as one of the most valuable things in this world and are used for expensive trade goods and big requests. The bloodstones can be used to enhance weapons, abilities, healing, for rituals, and sometimes are just coveted for aesthetics. Different blood types can be combined to form unusual bloodstones, but this is a fine process that can be easily messed up and render a bloodstone useless. Bloodstones are usually referred to by the type of blood they are (ie; "Coldblood stone" rather than "coldblood bloodstone").
BLOOD DISEASES: Only humans are plagued with traditional blood diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, etc. Sleepers cannot catch these same bloodborne diseases. Instead, Sleepers can catch unique bloodborne diseases that cause magical-centric ailments such as lycanthropy, vampirism, or other such supernatural problems that will be covered in certain events. These diseases are not the same as corruption and beasthood. Corruption and beasthood are far more persistent and lethal to Sleepers whereas bloodborne diseases can be avoided far easier with a variety of preventative measures.
CORRUPTION: Considered a disease of the mind that is caused by blood pollution and the general terrors of the world. This often leads to beasthood but not always. Animals cannot become corrupt. Corruption is generally seen as more difficult to cure than beasthood despite there being non-violent forms of corruption. There are various stages of corruption.
BEASTHOOD: Considered a disease of the body that is caused by blood pollution and the general terrors of this world. All Sleepers/humans who transform into beasts inevitably go through corruption as well since one cannot maintain sanity while a beast. Animals can become beasts and this impacts their minds in similar ways that rabies does. This can be cured through blood ministration if one is found in time. There are various stages of beasthood.
OMENS: Animal companions that are conjured purely from the essence of your soul and can be summoned for a variety of uses. Omens are used to communicate between Sleepers in similar ways phones are used for, they can be relied on as weapons, guards, and guides. Omens can either remain external and stay in their physical shape beside a Sleeper at all times or they can be kept internally within a Sleeper and only summoned when needed. Omens cannot be killed or injured and will only vanish if a character is dropped/swept from the game. If a character dies, omens are known to wait at the beach for their Sleeper to return.
MEET YOUR OMEN
Summoning an omen is generally considered to be the easiest and most natural form of blood magic with zero consequences to use. This is one of the only forms of blood magic that doesn't contribute to blood pollution. All Sleepers have a "gut instinct" feeling and all it takes is the Sleeper acknowledging that feeling to summon their omen. Black smoke will begin pouring out from your chest and shoulders, and then that smoke will take the shape of your personalized animal companion...Otherwise known as an omen.
Omens are smoke and blood creatures and can appear as any animal in existence including mythological animals, animals from other canon universes, and extinct animals. Omens typically maintain one consistent shape, but it has been known that omens can change into a different animal if their Sleeper goes through a personality-changing experience. Omens are meant to reflect a Sleeper's personality/skills/lifestyle and typically embody the best parts of a Sleeper. Omens can shrink down into any space and warp themselves into larger, more dangerous versions of themselves.
ON FIGHTING: An omen cannot technically be killed. Attacking one is like trying to attack smoke. Omens can cause distractions during a battle or go inside of a character's weapon to make it far more durable and powerful. This will shroud any weapon in the shadows. If a Sleeper dies, the Omen does not vanish but instead will go to the Farther Shores and await for the Sleeper to return. Omens only "vanish" if a Sleeper is dropped/swept from the game.
ON COMMUNICATION: Omens can serve as a reliable communication device. Unlike the devices in-game, an Omen cannot be hacked. Omens are connected to all other Omens through a blood-magic telepathic system, and since Omens are connected to their Sleepers...Well, you get the point. To use an Omen as a communication device, merely address them and tell them who you want the message to go to. You can name someone specific or say "to everyone" to make a network post through your Omen. You can create video/audio/text. For video, your Omen would watch you and keep its eyes open. For audio, an Omen will shut its eyes. For text, the Omen would translate everything you say as a speech-to-text function which...might lead to a few strange typos occasionally.
Omens are seen as superior communication devices because they cannot be lost, stolen, or hacked. They are also always available and do not need to be handled by a Sleeper to send the message. Many Sleepers have used Omens to send warning/help messages in a tight spot since it's a lot easier than pulling up a phone and opening an app and recording your message and sending it out. It's a lot simpler to scream at a raven "Tell everyone I'm LITERALLY DYING right now!"
Similarly, Omens can show you people's responses to your posts via telepathic communication.
NOTE: Regular phone-like communication devices will be present in Chp2. Omens will just be a reliable secondary option for communication devices. Pictures/information from Fluids will be able to be transferred onto the new phone device. Photos/videos/etc cannot be stored in an Omen.
ON PROPHETIC ABILITIES: Sometimes Omens will summon themselves if they sense danger in the area. If you did not intentionally summon your Omen, you can almost certainly depend on something deadly coming your way. Omens are useful in fights because they can usually detect moves before they happen and can guide a Sleeper through a tough battle with minimal injury if used correctly.
ON TALKING: Some Omens can talk to Sleepers through their telepathic communication while others remain indefinitely silent. Player choice. All Omens have their own unique name that they have given themselves that Sleepers will automatically know. These names do not change even if the shape of the Omen changes.
LONGEVITY OF AN OMEN: Sleepers can choose to keep their Omens internal or choose to keep them external. Most lean towards external Omens since Omens are extremely useful creatures to have around.
ON LIGHT: All Omens can radiate glowing white light from their eyes and provide a reliable source of light that cannot be impacted by any event or curse or creature. It might not be a lot of light, but it is enough to make your way through the dark.
ON EMOTIONS: Omens typically reflect a character's current state of mind. This can mean that if you're agitated, your dog Omen would start growling. If you're calm, your ferret Omen might take a nap. However, if a character is afraid, Omens automatically become braver so as to be able to take care of their Sleeper.
ON INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONALITY: Omens are incredibly intelligent - far above average animals, and, honestly, above many people too. They are wise creatures who constantly see the terrors of the world and have become stronger for it. They are hardier than any other creature and exist solely to help Sleepers. They will take commands from Sleepers, but treating an Omen exactly like a pet is considered incredibly demeaning and rude. An Omen being condescendingly told to "Sit" by someone might result in an Omen ignoring their Sleeper/whoever was condescending. Omens personalities often do represent their Sleeper's personality but Omens also have unique personality traits of their own.
THE ROLES / JOBS
Characters are allowed to have multiple jobs and/or change jobs at any point. They do not need experience in the field - it can be assumed that they can find mentorship/books to aid in training for the job. Characters can work independently or work with others in their field. Any character can work any job regardless of their age/gender/species/etc.
You do not need to assume that just because your character was a warrior/soldier that they must now be a Hunter. Perhaps they want to educate people about fighting and become an Arcane Scholar. Or maybe they feel they could find a new purpose as a Disciple. It's very open-ended and up to each player how they would like to incorporate jobs into their character's life!
In addition to a character's new blood powers, characters with certain jobs will find that they have unique enhancements that come along with the territory. Some blood types are better suited to certain jobs for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean they must stick to that job.
Jobs have a deep history in this society and have had past soured relationships. This is to cause societal complexity but no one will be forced to play into any of the preexisting tensions that exist between jobs or play into the more shady elements of some of these jobs. These are summarized explanations of the jobs but more detailed explanations of their various histories and presence in society will be available upon release of Chapter 2.
BLOOD MINISTER (HEALER): Blood Ministers specialize in the art of blood ministration which is a form of healing in this new world. Blood ministration involves the use of blood magic, blood transfusions, bloodletting, and other similar methods to heal individuals. However, some Blood Ministers use alternative means of healing rather than blood healing. Some rely on healing from their own worlds through healing abilities (no longer warped in Chp2) or traditional healing techniques such as the ones seen in our world (using ice packs, stitches, braces, casts, etc). Blood Ministers have a variety of skill sets and the best typically combine both blood ministration and alternative healing techniques. Blood Ministers are extremely vulnerable to corruption and beasthood due to overexposure to blood.
HUNTER (FIGHTER): Hunters are the protectors of Trench. They are usually the ones patrolling the streets and are on the frontline defense during monster/beast attacks. However, since Hunters are usually in the midst of violence, they are some of the most vulnerable to beasthood and corruption. This has led to the existence of Hunters of Hunters, Hunters who exist solely to keep other Hunters from falling to madness. Hunters fight with weapons, powers, and/or their bodies. Many work independently, but some Hunters are smart enough to team up in duos or groups.
ARCANE SCHOLAR (TEACHER/STUDENT): Arcane Scholars value knowledge and wisdom above all else. They either wish to consume all the knowledge they can or share all the knowledge that they can. Regardless of age or experience, an Arcane Scholar can fulfill the role of teacher or student or even both. After all, no one ever truly stops learning. Arcane Scholars typically don't engage with blood and therefore aren't especially prone to beasthood, but their digging of arcane knowledge is known to drive many to corruption.
DISCIPLE (FAITH-BASED): Disciples value faith and respect for the unknown powers that be, appreciating that maybe some things should be left unknown. Disciples are religiously dedicated to spiritual healing/knowledge and dedicate their lives to appreciating the Old Ones, Pthumerians, gods of other universes, or simply practice a life based on a spiritual connection to the world around them. Disciples keep their home of Cassandra shrouded in incense smoke which helps to keep beasts and corruption at bay. However, Disciples sometimes stray a little too close to the powers that be...and some have been known to go mad with what they see.
NIGHT WALKER (EMOTIONAL SUPPORT/ENTERTAINMENT): Night Walkers are arguably the bravest of jobs since they provide the steady support for everyone else. They are skilled in providing emotional comfort to others whether through word or touch. Night Walkers have a complex history in Trench and have various reputations working against them despite them being an essential effort in halting corruption and beasthood. Night Walkers are also famous for their entertainment skills whether being a musician or artist or other kinds of performers. Most Night Walkers are fairly resistant to both beasthood and corruption, but it still occasionally happens.
ARCHITECT (CREATOR/FARMER/BUILDER): Architects are arguably the most crucial members to society since they are the ones who build the homes, who provide the food, and who provide other valuable resources. "Architect" is an extremely broad term that in this world simply translates to "Intelligent Creator." There is no iconic trade good Architects are known for. Instead, Architects are masters of their own trade, whether that be blacksmith, stone masonry, alchemy, or other such things. They sell goods throughout Trench and help keep society afloat. Depending on what an Architect's focus is, some are rarely exposed to blood and therefore resistant to corruption and beasthood...But others, such as the farmers who live beyond Trench, are extremely vulnerable to beasthood due to living in areas infested with beasts.
CIVILIANS (NEUTRAL): Characters who may not have certain skills, don't want a job, or aren't sure which job they want yet can serve the role of a civilian. This is not technically a job but it is deemed an important role of society all the same due to civilians keeping all the other roles in business. Civilians can still work simple jobs like working at a food stall or taking care of people's pets. A civilian just means someone who doesn't have a specialty job.
CHAPTER 2 APPLICATION | ACTIVITY
Chapter 2 Activity Info
Our AC will remain largely the same but move away from a point system. Instead, we'll go to a standard "Five Log Comments/Ten Network Comments/Two Proofs" system. This will be further explained during the finalization of the game.
We are also going to implement a system where if an Open Top-Level/Open Log/Network Post obviously exceeded AC requirements, you can simply post that as your collective AC and not worry about counting anything. AC will still require interactions with at least two different characters.
We plan to have consistent AC-Free months throughout the year: December, April, and August. These months will never require AC and will be check-in only for all players.
Upon acceptance into the game, you will only be expected to check-in as we have always done for all new characters.
Strike System: Since we allow check-in for 3 months of the year, for new characters, and allow hiatuses, we will be upholding a stricter strike system. Each player will be allowed 2 strikes per 12 months. After receiving a strike, you will be required to meet double the AC the following month - even if it is an AC Free month. If there is a third strike, you will be automatically swept from the game and have to wait 3 months before reapplying.
If there are extenuating circumstances, we expect you to reach out to our mod team before we have to reach out to you. Keep us in the loop - we are never against making accommodations for severe circumstances.
Chapter 2 Application Info
Early Access: For those active from Dec 2020-June 2021. All you will need is an AC comment with at least a check-in dated anywhere in this time frame. Early Access allows you to reserve and apply one month before the official game open. You do not need to reserve/apply any characters you currently play - you can use your Early Access for new characters.
Half-Apps: We will allow those taking their characters directly from Deerington to use a half-application format in which you can link to your originally accepted application for the majority of your application. You will still need to fill out new parts relevant to the new setting. We will allow half-apps only from September 1st 2021 to December 6th 2021. Starting January 2022 all applications must be regular applications regardless if you are taking your character from Deerington.
For Chapter 2 Application Cycles: These will take place the 1-5th of every month opening and closing at midnight like our applications do now. Instead of holding applications on the same page every round, we will be posting an Open Applications post to Chapter 2's OOC community each time a new application cycle begins.
Here are our application allowances! Some are new, some are the same hat we were wearing before.
• There are no age restrictions on applicable characters.
• We do not have cast or game caps.
• We accept Canon Characters, CRAU, Original Characters, and Canon AUs. We also now accept Original Characters from the Chapter 2 setting or if you want to invent a character inspired from Deerington. We no longer accept Canon OCs (with the exception of franchises that regularly encourage canon ocs such as DND and other RPGs/video games with "original character" main characters. We will also accept canon OCs that were active in the final 7 months of Deerington to grandfather them into the new game).
• If a game is a CRAU AU (ie; complete amnesia AU) we will determine the character as completely independent of their original source material thus allowing a canonized version of the character to be apped/in the game at the same time.
• A canon must be available in English for at least 30 days for characters to be applicable. We will regulate this only for applications, not reservations. You may reserve a character if their canon will be 30 days old on the day application cycles begin.
Reliable fanon translations of canon are acceptable such as scanlations. We ask on our application that you provide the date and/or year the canon has been published.
• You may play multiple characters from the same franchise so long as that character is not closely connected to the other character you are playing.
• Animal companions and characters with limited screen time/information are allowed only if they fit application expectations. If you're struggling with filling out the application then they probably aren't an applicable character.
• Characters can be applied post-death or post-fatal injuries. All injuries will be healed upon entering. You may choose whether or not they have scars/missing body parts upon acceptance.
• Any species is allowed in-game. All characters will undergo the "blood-change" upon entrance, but don't worry, there is a blood type that basically keeps your character the same as they are in canon.
• There are currently no size limitations for characters...within reason. Characters who are macrosized should be able to function around the setting without completely destroying it.
We also have new expectations for the limit of allowable characters per player:
• 2 character maximum per average player.
• You may ask for a 3rd character if you exceed activity requirements regularly with both of your current characters. This means meeting - exceeding over 80% of your activity with a large variety of CR.
• You cannot apply for a new character if you are currently on hiatus or have an AC strike from the previous month.
• You must link proof to having met base AC your previous month if applying as a second/third character. Exceptions will be for September-October 2021 application rounds, we will allow all players to apply as 2-3 characters right off the bat with no prior AC proof required.
• If we feel you have pattern problems with AC we may make a request for steadier AC before accepting an application for a new character.
• For players with 4/5 characters currently in-game: You will have until January 1st 2022 to apply with 4/5 characters. You'll be allowed a grandfathered period for this amount of characters but only if you have met 80% of your AC overall for all your characters throughout your time in Deerington.
New Application Standards: This is a new game with a brand new application. We have new requirements we will expect to see from all players, current and new, and we will judge all applications across the board against these new standards. Previously accepted applications in old Deerington cycles may require revisions to meet these new standards. Early Access/Half-Applications do not necessarily guarantee you will get in or that you won't require revisions.
To know if your old application meets our new standards, make sure it includes:
(2+) Positive Experiences: Explain how your character's personality has been positively changed/displayed through experiences in their life. These can be personal growth moments, examples of their positive attitude helping others, their optimism making them a good leader, their drive making them an accomplished warrior. Think of what they would see as a positive to their own lives - we understand morally gray characters might not have traditionally "Positive" moments but their idea of personal accomplishments would count towards positive experiences.
(2+) Negative Experiences: Explain how your character's personality has been negatively changed/displayed/impacted through experiences in their life. Explain to us what moments, in particular, stand out as to why they have become insecure, anxious. Show us how you know they have depression or struggle with co-dependency. Think of what they would constitute as a struggle/difficulty in their own lives.
(2+) Significant Relationship Moments: Let us know about the most significant relationship moments and how that relationship or moment has impacted your character negatively or positively. We are not asking for significant moments from every relationship - just two or more and whichever ones you think have been most important for your character. This can include relationships from CRAU.
If your character has lacked relationships and been in isolation, use this space to explain how this disconnect from relationships has impacted them/why they have been disconnected, etc.
New Permissions: You will need to update your permissions to include the sections in red. You do not need to use this code, but the two new sections must be somewhere on your permissions page. We are going to depend on people using their permissions to clearly state the CWs they require as our new content-warning system. We are going to encourage players to be responsible for reading each other's profiles and respecting individual CWs. We will be looking to make sure every player, new and old, has the updated permission requirements on their profile. This is a very simple addition that should take less than a minute or two to update to your current permissions.
If your current accepted application meets these standards then you probably have nothing to worry about! If you're concerned then you can spend this time to work on beefing up your application or alternatively write a new one. You can always ask to have someone check it out between now and September.
We have decided to provide the new application now. However, please note that you will have to wait until Chapter 2 information is fully released before filling out the Patron Pthumerian section. We also do recommend all players make sure to carefully read the new game's full information pages once available as it will provide enormous context to most of the things we have summarized on this post.
This can be used for entirely new characters, CRAU, and original characters. Certain sections can be deleted if not applicable. Please make sure to fill this out in your character's journal.
This form is strictly for players who were previously accepted into Deerington. You will need to have your originally accepted application available for this form. We may still ask for revisions if we need parts of your original application updated to meet new application standards.
This form will be considered a CRAU form. We will not ask you to summarize your entire CRAU history from Deerington in this form - we will automatically be assuming that everyone submitting this form is submitting their character as straight-from-Deerington CRAU. If you are not planning on playing your character that way, please fill out a normal application form.
If you wish to canon update your character from your original accepted application and haven't gotten the chance to do a canon update by July 1st, please make sure to fill out the correct section on this application detailing your update.
Character Base
• Character Name: Whatever they canonically go by. Does not need to be their "real" name - just the name canon recognizes them as.
• Age: Their canonical age. This can include their apparent age and literal age.
• Canon (Date/Year Released) and Canon Point: Title of canon, the year/date it was made (for on-going series we want to know the date/year most relevant to your canon point) and what part of the canon you're taking them from.
If CRAU, let us know where you originally took your character from and then clarify that they are CRAU. If they are an original character, you can put "original" for your answer.
•Items Coming Along: Let us know what items will be brought with your character from their canon world. 6 slots allowed. (10 for Deerington players but only for Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec 2021.) Weapons that go together like the Kirkhammer can be considered one item slot. A backpack filled with items can be one item slot. A crate of ammunition can be one item slot. Characters can have all their slots be weapons or pets. The biggest thing that can come along is a car/individual person-sized mobility craft (small plane/boat/etc). Make sure any animal companions wouldn't be applicable.
• Character/Canon Content Warnings: This is much more for our application reading team's sake than anything else.
Character Background
• Character/Canon History: A link to canon history/character history. If you feel fandom/official wikis do not sufficiently explain the canon/character, you may write up a small section here or link us to an explanation on your journal. For original characters, you may put their detailed history here or provide a link to one on your journal.
• Core Relationships: The relationships most relevant to your character. These relationships can be positive or negative. If your character has been isolated from relationships, use this space to state as much. You can give a list of names and their relation to your character. This will help serve as a reference point for the personality section.
• Summary of CRAU Influence/Impact: You can delete this section or put N/A if irrelevant. Otherwise, let us know what game a character came from and what changes or challenges they experienced - emotionally or physically.
You may use CRAU relationships / changed personality traits for the rest of your application - just make sure to clarify that those elements come from their CRAU experience.
Character Personality Through Key Moments
The (2+) Pos/Neg experiences and the (2+) key relationship moments mentioned previously.
Chapter 2 Attributes
Canon Powers In Tact?: Will you have your character's canonical powers in-tact, powers they have gained through games, warping through games, or will you omit their abilities entirely? You don't need to list your character's actual abilities - we just want to know what you plan to do with them here. This should only require a sentence or two. If your character never had abilities, let us know here.
You can have both new blood powers AND canon powers - but one or the other needs to be weaker. Your character cannot both be the master of their canon powers and a master of their blood powers. If your character's canon abilities are already generally small/weak then you don't need to worry about weakening them further. Some will find that there are blood types that would build off pre-existing canon abilities. If that is the case, you can simply consider them a collective ability. If you have questions about this, feel free to ask.
Blood Type: What you have decided for your character's blood type. Blood types can be changed once a year through a character update or during events that allow for the change of bloodtypes.
Omen: Like blood types, omens can only really change once a year through a character update or an event. Let us know what your character's omen is here.
Blessed Day: What is their Blessed Day? This can either be their canon birthday / headcanon birthday (lord knows most characters don't have canon birthdays) OR alternatively a day you feel is significant to their canon. Tell us what date you're choosing and why! Doesn't need to be complex at all.
Patron Pthumerian: What will their Patron Pthumerian be? You can determine this by our Patron Pthumerians page. Let us know if your character will feel strongly about this or not. Doesn't need to be complex.
Power Manifest: Let us know how you plan to have this power manifest in your character generally speaking. We understand this may change and evolve as you get more comfortable in the setting, but let us know what your starting ideas will be! We intentionally leave the system very vague so players can have as much fun with them as they can. Characters can have extremely powerful ability over their blood type or very minor. Let us know what you're going with!
Writing Samples
• 2(+) Writing Samples: You may provide links to threads or write your own here. Please include any appropriate CWs in linked samples. We want to see different aspects of your character's personality so variety is key.
Player
• Player Name and Age: Please specify you are 18+. You do not need to disclose your actual age.
• Player Contact: PM, Plurk, Discord
• Permissions: Link to a permissions post here. If you do not have one, you can make one using our template. Due to the sensitive nature of the game, we do require all players have a permissions page. This must be filled out before you are accepted into the game. Make sure your permissions meet our new requirements.
Other Characters
• Reserve Link: If you reserved your character for this cycle, please link to the reserve here. You can delete this section or put N/A if irrelevant.
• Other Characters in Game: Requires a link to AC proof from the previous month per character. You can delete this section or put N/A if irrelevant. Not required to provide AC if applying during Sept-Oct 2021 but still let us know what other characters you are currently applying as or playing during this time.
Thank you for your continued interest in our game! Let us know if you have any questions or feedback or suggestions. If you've made it this far - you're a champ! We know this is an enormous info-dump but thank you for carefully reading everything. We genuinely appreciate it.
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1. Pthumerians would see this as a sacrifice to the Pthumerians and repay the Sleeper with temporary power enhancements or go out of their way to keep that Sleeper safe during any time of natural bleeding during the circumstances listed above
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2. Those who wish to explore a darker route with this subject matter could subject their characters to experience temporary "curses" during this time, attracting more beasts/raising likelihood of corruption.
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1. If someone is living in an apartment building in Deerington and they request their home as an item, does that mean they get the whole apartment complex? Or their personal apartment becomes a house? Cool either way, just wondering!
2. How will language work in the new setting? In Deerington, it was the language of dreams, which is to say no language at all, and everyone could understand each other. Asking as someone who plays a translator!
3. Is there a power option for "keep canon powers and not develop setting powers?" Would that mean just playing a powered character as Warmblooded, or would that take away their canon powers?
4. What sort of monetary system will the world contain?
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1. They would become something like a house! Trench is heavily inspired by early constructed cities so the "houses" will be a bit more like this. If people wanted to keep characters together in the same "complex" players could certainly agree on designating a specific large building to accommodate a similar apartment-style situation.
2. There will definitely be a bit more chance for her translation skills to come in handy! Generally speaking, Sleeper's unique blood magic will allow them to feel a relatively natural connection to other Sleepers which will help transcend language barriers and provide a somewhat "telepathic" ability that helps to translate another language. Basically, the magic just speeds up the process of possible language attrition or acquisition and characters will have more direct control over how good they are at this magically enhanced skill.
However, this will actually require characters to want to understand one another and have to try to understand each other. We plan to set it up so that players can either have characters naturally pick up on the innate blood ability to translate languages or have them struggle with figuring out how to communicate effectively with other Sleepers via their new "magic skill". This blood magic will also allow for characters to possibly accidentally slip into speaking completely different languages without even realizing it. Characters will be able to consciously change what language they are speaking as we do in real life. It will allow for more autonomy over a character's linguistic choices.
An IC example of this telepathic-styled "translation" magic might look:
Obviously - Just an example. Players will be able to choose how involved they want to get with it.
As for the actual Pthumerians and native citizens to Trench/the new setting, Sleepers will not have that innate connection to them. Since this takes place so far in the future (technically speaking) linguistics will have evolved and blended which will make speaking to the native citizens a bit tricky for some. Pthumerians have their own odd language that may eventually be understood by Sleepers, but mostly, Pthumerians will be altering their language to communicate with Sleepers rather than waiting for Sleepers to learn their language.
3. Yes, warmblood would be the ideal option for that! You would just explain on your application that you plan to not use the blood system via Warmblood.
4. There won't be any, technically speaking. It will rely very heavily on trade and commerce and exchanging services. It will be a world that heavily operates on what people personally find valuable. Some people might trade in jewels while others might trade in books or fabric or food or maybe agreeing to watch someone's pets etc.
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Thank you so much for getting back to me. And sorry you've been sick, I hope you're feeling better!
These are great answers and I definitely look forward to exploring potential linguistics challenges in the new setting.
Again, thank you! <3