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newcombarchives2024-05-17 04:18 pm
newcomod) wrote in newcombarchives2024-05-17 04:18 pm
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Newcomber Arrival & Conditions
Newcomber Arrival & Conditions
Image Descriptions from left to right: Top left image is gray clouds with red embers, top right image is the face of a clock with red rose petals scattered about, the center image a reptilian eye surrounded by blue-gray scales, bottom left image is a humanoid figure falling through orange and gray clouds, bottom right image is of a human hand extended toward a red wall with a strip of light and a shadow of the hand.
Arrival
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
- Dylan Thomas
There is no kindness nor gentleness in the death of a world. Being ripped from your world and thrust into this one is no better. There is no one to greet you, no vision to soothe you. You don't remember the last thing you were doing, what you were thinking, because now, you're suddenly here.
Arrival can be dangerous and is often painful. Most characters fall from the sky, and if they are lucky, they fall a short distant. Some are lucky enough to land on a bed in their new rooms. Some plummet into the pond. Some merely die upon impact and have to get resurrected through time. Broken bones and injuries are all too common.
Powers are slow to come back to you. No matter how skilled or powerful you may be in your own world, it's as if there is a bit of a delay arriving in this one. You won't be able to access your full power for a few hours to a few days.
And similarly, your mind will be sluggish and slow. It will take some time to remember whatever it was you were doing before you arrived in this world. Maybe you don't ever remember at all. Some people arrive so violently in this world that they temporarily forget their own name, their own world. This effect can take from hours to days to even weeks to go away. Some memories are lost forever per player choice.
Even characters typically resistant to physical or mental injury will be injured upon arrival. Injuries can be extreme or light per player choice.
Each collision is documented through our monthly TDMs. These collisions create different disaster scenarios such as replicating plane crashes or forest fires.
Your character will eventually obtain their backpack one way or another. We leave it up to players how that happens: maybe they find it right next to them after they fell, or maybe they find it later in their new rooms. It's up to you.
Good luck, Newcombers. Your new life has started.
Backpack
Each character will find a fully stocked backpack near where they arrived. These special backpacks are filled with goodies for the setting and some personal items for a character. The backpacks are indestructible. They convert penumbric particles into energy so that you can charge any electric device.
These backpacks have a water filtration system along with a straw. This system can clean rainwater and any other kind of water. Backpacks have a warming and cooling setting and have lights on the shoulder pads that can be turned on and off. The campus map is included in every backpack.
The backpacks are lightweight and seem to have some gravity defiance technology in them for they remain lightweight no matter how much you cram into them. Small speakers are installed into the shoulder pad and can transmit audio. Backpacks include ponchos, a small first aid kit, a parachute, matches, a compass, and a small knife. Backpacks can be replaced at the bookstore, but they will not have all of the goodies inside as when you first found them.
Each backpack has an atmospheric mask that can provide the wearer with clean, breathable air. It has a filtration system and an oxygen-tank-like setting that lasts about two hours.
These backpacks have a water filtration system along with a straw. This system can clean rainwater and any other kind of water. Backpacks have a warming and cooling setting and have lights on the shoulder pads that can be turned on and off. The campus map is included in every backpack.
The backpacks are lightweight and seem to have some gravity defiance technology in them for they remain lightweight no matter how much you cram into them. Small speakers are installed into the shoulder pad and can transmit audio. Backpacks include ponchos, a small first aid kit, a parachute, matches, a compass, and a small knife. Backpacks can be replaced at the bookstore, but they will not have all of the goodies inside as when you first found them.
Each backpack has an atmospheric mask that can provide the wearer with clean, breathable air. It has a filtration system and an oxygen-tank-like setting that lasts about two hours.
Identification Card
Each character will get an identification card. These cards are solid matte black without a single detail visible. However, whoever is touching the card will transfer the necessary data through the card. This makes it virtually impossible to "steal" anyone's card as the identification is only active if one person touches it. Neither identity will go through if multiple people touch a card simultaneously.
Cards can be easily lost, but thankfully you can get a brand new one at the safety & security office. You will need an ID card to get into your housing and elsewhere. Cards have a tap function.
Cards can be easily lost, but thankfully you can get a brand new one at the safety & security office. You will need an ID card to get into your housing and elsewhere. Cards have a tap function.
Journal
Your backpack will contain a durable journal that is impervious to every kind of damage. Journals sync up with your ID card and can only be accessed using an ID card. Journals function similarly to tablets. Many assignments for school will rely on programs in your journal.
You can access rented digital library media through your journal. Journals have customization options that can change the appearance of the physical journal, the fonts, and more. If one loses their journal, they can hope to find it at the Lost & Found. Worst case scenario, you need to get a new one at the bookstore.
You can turn on accessibility options such as voice-to-text settings and auto-captions on any audio-centered media.
You can access rented digital library media through your journal. Journals have customization options that can change the appearance of the physical journal, the fonts, and more. If one loses their journal, they can hope to find it at the Lost & Found. Worst case scenario, you need to get a new one at the bookstore.
You can turn on accessibility options such as voice-to-text settings and auto-captions on any audio-centered media.
Phone
Your backpack will contain an indestructible phone. These phones maintain perfect network connectivity regardless of any chaos. The antenna will be necessary during Penumbra's initial hit due to penumbric interference. Phones function the same as smartphones.
You can take videos, pictures, audio recordings, and text. All phones automatically have Fermii downloaded. Phones can be customized and decorated. The keyboard has braille for any blind users. A setting on the phone allows for automatic captioning for all videos and audio. You can also tap into a voice-to-text or vice versa feature.
The phone has a powerful speaker, a built-in flashlight, night vision, and heat vision. All phones are tracked and you can show someone your location at any point. Each phone comes with a built-in map of the campus.
If you lose your phone, try Lost & Found or go to the bookstore for a replacement. One can have multiple phones for different purposes. All phones are the same model. Unlike the journals, phones can be hacked.
You can take videos, pictures, audio recordings, and text. All phones automatically have Fermii downloaded. Phones can be customized and decorated. The keyboard has braille for any blind users. A setting on the phone allows for automatic captioning for all videos and audio. You can also tap into a voice-to-text or vice versa feature.
The phone has a powerful speaker, a built-in flashlight, night vision, and heat vision. All phones are tracked and you can show someone your location at any point. Each phone comes with a built-in map of the campus.
If you lose your phone, try Lost & Found or go to the bookstore for a replacement. One can have multiple phones for different purposes. All phones are the same model. Unlike the journals, phones can be hacked.
Network
Fermii is the name of the Newcomb University network system and the main school social media site. It functions similarly to Facebook. You can have multiple accounts under different profile names. Fermii accounts can be hacked.
The NU Google adjacent search engine is called Hedgehog.
The NU Youtube adjacent platform is called Arrow.
The NU Spotify adjacent platform is called Tritone.
You can access any digital media including memes, gifs, and emojis from our world except anyone's canon material. Any canon material will be replaced with some alternate version to make the original unrecognizable to canon characters.
The NU Google adjacent search engine is called Hedgehog.
The NU Youtube adjacent platform is called Arrow.
The NU Spotify adjacent platform is called Tritone.
You can access any digital media including memes, gifs, and emojis from our world except anyone's canon material. Any canon material will be replaced with some alternate version to make the original unrecognizable to canon characters.
Class Ring
You will have a class ring. This special ring has a few functions when worn. It moderates your health and vitals, alerting you of anything like a fever, high pulse rate, or even diabetic alerts. This health scanning can extend to otherworldly diseases and health conditions.
You can touch your ring to another's and the rings will transmit information to one another if the other person is sick, injured, or worse. It won't tell you their location. It will update you on their health or if they are sleeping or have vanished from campus.
All information from the ring will appear over the ring in a small holographic image. If someone is blind, Cassandra will read out the information.
You can touch your ring to another's and the rings will transmit information to one another if the other person is sick, injured, or worse. It won't tell you their location. It will update you on their health or if they are sleeping or have vanished from campus.
All information from the ring will appear over the ring in a small holographic image. If someone is blind, Cassandra will read out the information.
Pocket Watch
Each character is given a unique pocket watch in their bag. Unlike other items, their pocket watch cannot be replaced. This watch has a character's initials and seems to have been decorated to their aesthetic.
This pocket watch does not tell the normal time. Instead, its clock works in a particular way that correlates to the character in whatever way a player chooses to interpret. Perhaps the pocket watch counts down to a character's death or significant emotional moments in their lives or maybe it counts down how long they can use a certain power for.
All pocket watches will glow faintly during the Penumbric collision.
This pocket watch does not tell the normal time. Instead, its clock works in a particular way that correlates to the character in whatever way a player chooses to interpret. Perhaps the pocket watch counts down to a character's death or significant emotional moments in their lives or maybe it counts down how long they can use a certain power for.
All pocket watches will glow faintly during the Penumbric collision.
Personal Items
Characters will arrive in the game with whatever inventory they had on their person at their exact canon point. Housing can be randomly assigned or chosen by characters. They may find more items from home in their new housing, but mostly standard items such as canon outfits and anything that could fit a backpack.
There will be opportunities during the game for characters to gain more items from home or other unique goods.
There will be opportunities during the game for characters to gain more items from home or other unique goods.
Penumbric Particles & Radiation
Image Description: A black and gray circle with a rippling motion effect.
The time loop could not keep all of Penumbra out. Penumbric particles enter the atmosphere every collision which has caused permanent damage to the ecosystem. It has been recorded at Murphy that these particles are difficult to obtain samples of as they consistently change form between gas, liquid, or solid. It has been theorized that this is an extraterrestrial element with reality-warping properties yet to be fully understood.
The particle's typical appearance is that of a miniature black sun. These particles are sensitive to their surroundings and react particularly to organic beings. It is suggested that there may be some sentience to these particles though they are not considered "living" things. It is thought that they are capable of adapting and learning from their surroundings. It has been determined they are the reason for the burning smell on campus and may even be responsible for strange sightings on campus.
One may be able to see particles now and then, like a shimmer in the air, if the light catches them just right. No one, regardless of canon powers or magic, will be able to manipulate these particles presently. More information about the particles may be released through events and transcripts.
The time loop could not keep all of Penumbra out. Penumbric particles enter the atmosphere every collision which has caused permanent damage to the ecosystem. It has been recorded at Murphy that these particles are difficult to obtain samples of as they consistently change form between gas, liquid, or solid. It has been theorized that this is an extraterrestrial element with reality-warping properties yet to be fully understood.
The particle's typical appearance is that of a miniature black sun. These particles are sensitive to their surroundings and react particularly to organic beings. It is suggested that there may be some sentience to these particles though they are not considered "living" things. It is thought that they are capable of adapting and learning from their surroundings. It has been determined they are the reason for the burning smell on campus and may even be responsible for strange sightings on campus.
One may be able to see particles now and then, like a shimmer in the air, if the light catches them just right. No one, regardless of canon powers or magic, will be able to manipulate these particles presently. More information about the particles may be released through events and transcripts.
Along with the limited understanding of penumbric particles is that of penumbric radiation. Between the constant collisions and presence of particles, penumbric radiation has rapidly increased over the years spent within the time loop.
It is unknown if penumbric radiation caused the deaths of the old scholars. It is understood that penumbric radiation can cause balance issues, dizziness, disorientation, vague hallucinations, memory loss, time loss, confusion, fatigue, deep sleep, and possibly death.
Not everyone may experience symptoms of penumbric radiation, but radiation can be detected in those it impacts. Any scans such as an MRI will show a faint purple hue to someone suffering from radiation.
It is unknown if penumbric radiation caused the deaths of the old scholars. It is understood that penumbric radiation can cause balance issues, dizziness, disorientation, vague hallucinations, memory loss, time loss, confusion, fatigue, deep sleep, and possibly death.
Not everyone may experience symptoms of penumbric radiation, but radiation can be detected in those it impacts. Any scans such as an MRI will show a faint purple hue to someone suffering from radiation.
Academics
The discovery of the penumbric particles being sentient had to do with scholars making a unique observation on campus as the time loop wore on. Initially, the whole campus went into survival mood and began to abandon classes to focus on figuring out what to do about the situation.
The penumbric particles seemed to react to this contradiction of what the original time loop looked like. The particles seemed to realize that something was amiss and began to directly impact students and staff with intense reality-warping effects. When the school began to parade as a property university again, the particles seemed to be fooled into thinking it was the original time loop.
Though it didn't make sense to the scholars at the time, it was a clear way to keep everyone safe and occupied. The school buckled down on carrying out classes as usual and integrated survival lessons into the school as part of academic programs. Now, new characters are strongly incentivized to play their part to keep everyone safe.
This is a majority rule solution. Even if a few characters choose to screw off and dally about, as long as the majority is playing the part of staff and students, the time loop's original deception will be maintained, and that is exactly what it seems to be: a deception of Penumbra's sentient awareness.
This has also created the theory that Penumbra may not be a typical meteor as originally believed. All of this information can be found in books about Penumbra in the library- though there are few.
Cassandra will inform all new characters of this information when they arrive.
The penumbric particles seemed to react to this contradiction of what the original time loop looked like. The particles seemed to realize that something was amiss and began to directly impact students and staff with intense reality-warping effects. When the school began to parade as a property university again, the particles seemed to be fooled into thinking it was the original time loop.
Though it didn't make sense to the scholars at the time, it was a clear way to keep everyone safe and occupied. The school buckled down on carrying out classes as usual and integrated survival lessons into the school as part of academic programs. Now, new characters are strongly incentivized to play their part to keep everyone safe.
This is a majority rule solution. Even if a few characters choose to screw off and dally about, as long as the majority is playing the part of staff and students, the time loop's original deception will be maintained, and that is exactly what it seems to be: a deception of Penumbra's sentient awareness.
This has also created the theory that Penumbra may not be a typical meteor as originally believed. All of this information can be found in books about Penumbra in the library- though there are few.
Cassandra will inform all new characters of this information when they arrive.
Death & Injury
Injuries can be treated at the medical center. Alternatively, characters can use their pocket watches to manipulate time and reverse their body to the state it was in pre-injury. This, however, does often cause a great deal of penumbric radiation and damage. People have grown sick from attempting this. Some have had the attempt backfire on them entirely and wind up losing limbs entirely. You can only attempt to reverse time once to fix an injury.
Death works a few different ways in Newcomb.
No character can die from old age in this game or critical illness due to the frozen time.
However, they can die from accidents and injury. One option is that a character dies, rots away as normal, and then they are brought back in the next reset/collision. Planning a character's death close to the TDM can make this a quick and easy process rather than drawing it out for nearly a month.
Alternatively, another character can use their pocket watch in tandem with the fallen character's to turn back time to when the character was alive. This can cause severe, permanent memory loss, distortion of abilities, unusual scars and marks on the body, confusion, and possibly a temporary, violent distortion of personality.
What's the old saying? Sometimes dead is better.
The final option is to bring a dead body to the medical center. The medical center has a few known "death beds" where a body can be placed. These tubelike structures have organic plant material inside, and a body can be restored to life in a few days. People will be incredibly groggy and sluggish afterward, but that is the extent of their side effects.
This does not guarantee that lost limbs or such will grow back. If a character's body has been fully destroyed, such as being eaten or burnt, the death bed won't be an option.
If a character's body is in parts when placed on the death bed, such as decapitation, then the limbs or lost body parts can fuse back to the body with some scarring.
For any loss of limbs or other extreme injuries, the medical center can provide prosthetics fitted perfectly to a character's body.
Death works a few different ways in Newcomb.
No character can die from old age in this game or critical illness due to the frozen time.
However, they can die from accidents and injury. One option is that a character dies, rots away as normal, and then they are brought back in the next reset/collision. Planning a character's death close to the TDM can make this a quick and easy process rather than drawing it out for nearly a month.
Alternatively, another character can use their pocket watch in tandem with the fallen character's to turn back time to when the character was alive. This can cause severe, permanent memory loss, distortion of abilities, unusual scars and marks on the body, confusion, and possibly a temporary, violent distortion of personality.
What's the old saying? Sometimes dead is better.
The final option is to bring a dead body to the medical center. The medical center has a few known "death beds" where a body can be placed. These tubelike structures have organic plant material inside, and a body can be restored to life in a few days. People will be incredibly groggy and sluggish afterward, but that is the extent of their side effects.
This does not guarantee that lost limbs or such will grow back. If a character's body has been fully destroyed, such as being eaten or burnt, the death bed won't be an option.
If a character's body is in parts when placed on the death bed, such as decapitation, then the limbs or lost body parts can fuse back to the body with some scarring.
For any loss of limbs or other extreme injuries, the medical center can provide prosthetics fitted perfectly to a character's body.
Escape
Image Description: A hand pressing against a digital purple weblike light-based structure.
Escape is impossible. The time loop is self-contained. If you try to go beyond the campus, whether on foot, by air, or digging under, you will run into the time loop's "barrier" so to speak. This will appear as a purple netlike barrier.
Attempts to destroy the barrier will backfire violently. This can lead to critical injuries, temporary memory loss, blackouts, lost time, or even death. Those who attempt to leave will develop a strong fear or trauma reaction toward the barrier.
Escape is impossible. The time loop is self-contained. If you try to go beyond the campus, whether on foot, by air, or digging under, you will run into the time loop's "barrier" so to speak. This will appear as a purple netlike barrier.
Attempts to destroy the barrier will backfire violently. This can lead to critical injuries, temporary memory loss, blackouts, lost time, or even death. Those who attempt to leave will develop a strong fear or trauma reaction toward the barrier.
Transcripts
Transcripts were left by old scholars to educate Newcombers about the situation on campus. The only problem is that most transcripts have been lost for one reason or another, leaving the Archives empty. It is theorized that the penumbric particles are responsible for erasing these transcripts.
Cassandra's theory is that characters somehow disrupt penumbric particles by creating their own source of counteractive energy deemed cosmic particles. The more active characters are with one another, the more cosmic energy they generate.
Each game event will have a comment amount required to unlock a transcript. For example, one event may require there be at least 100 comments to unlock a transcript. Unlocking transcripts play a huge role in the game as they help to unlock story elements.
Characters will not be able to interact directly with transcripts beyond observing them and learning from them. Everyone who has made transcripts has long since died. Transcripts may vary in content: some may be the scholars merely talking about life, some may include blue prints for unique item builds, some might divulge critical information like codes to get into certain rooms.
Once a transcript has been restored to the Archives, it will be permanently available to current and new characters moving forward. The more important a transcript, the more cosmic energy will be required to obtain it.
Characters can freely discuss transcripts in Fermii once a transcript has been released.
Generally, transcripts will be posted around the 22nd of each month if the requirements are met by the event. If an event does not reach the requirements, then that month may not get a transcript. This is why we strongly encourage players to play on the actual event to rack up enough comments collectively.
Cassandra's theory is that characters somehow disrupt penumbric particles by creating their own source of counteractive energy deemed cosmic particles. The more active characters are with one another, the more cosmic energy they generate.
Each game event will have a comment amount required to unlock a transcript. For example, one event may require there be at least 100 comments to unlock a transcript. Unlocking transcripts play a huge role in the game as they help to unlock story elements.
Characters will not be able to interact directly with transcripts beyond observing them and learning from them. Everyone who has made transcripts has long since died. Transcripts may vary in content: some may be the scholars merely talking about life, some may include blue prints for unique item builds, some might divulge critical information like codes to get into certain rooms.
Once a transcript has been restored to the Archives, it will be permanently available to current and new characters moving forward. The more important a transcript, the more cosmic energy will be required to obtain it.
Characters can freely discuss transcripts in Fermii once a transcript has been released.
Generally, transcripts will be posted around the 22nd of each month if the requirements are met by the event. If an event does not reach the requirements, then that month may not get a transcript. This is why we strongly encourage players to play on the actual event to rack up enough comments collectively.