The Wake Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thewakemods) wrote2015-06-26 05:02 pm
thewakemods) wrote2015-06-26 05:02 pm
Entry tags:
[FAQ] The Wake Setting: Getting Started
Last updated: July 9th, 2015
⏎ FAQ Index
⏎ Index of Information
| ✪ The Basics ✪ Network and Communication ✪ Metaplot vs. Player Plots vs. City Storms ✪ Characters and Change |
✪ Character Interactions ✪ Character Death ✪ Traveling: Nautilus and Beyond |
|---|
The Basics
What is this place?
This place is a city called Nautilus. It is a city built around the Aeon Nautilus (previously known as Nautilus, the Deva of Change). Thus, Nautilus is the City of Change.
It is divided into four different districts:
North: the District of Whirlwinds
East: the District of Waterfalls
South: the District of the Forests
West: the District of Infernos.
The city is built as if on a hill with the highest point at the center.
The décor in each district tends reflect its name, making it easy to recognize the district even if one does not know the area.
One will notice that things are constantly changing in this city; this is the normal state of things here. One could compare it to the Twilight Zone, if one is familiar with the allusion: "a dimension not of sight and sound but of the mind".
The Northern and Eastern Districts tend to have full seasons, while the Southern and Western Districts do not tend to get cold.
Characteristics:
North: Fog is present on many mornings and evenings. This district holds the access point for a deserted city known as Kalliste.
South: a land of nature that is blanketed largely with forests.
East: This district is bordered by water and holds other bodies of water within.
West: Considered the most dangerous of the four districts, so new arrivals would be advised to take caution. This district has a red sky, and Wakened my access the adjacent city of Helix from the edge of this place.
At the center of Nautilus is another plaza and the Heart of Nautilus.
How did my character come here and why?
For more history and information, please refer to the History Section as well as the summary and poem on the metaplot page of the Wiki.
How big is Nautilus?
There has been no set recording of how large the city is though it is manageable enough for Wakened to use walking and motor vehicles as a main mode of transportation in a timely manner.
Like the Cybertronians and their world, there is no sense of scale. It's kind of like the inside of Death's cottage as well.
What is the layout of the playable worlds?
Map of City of Nautilus + Map of Overall Nautilus + The Setting
WITHIN NAUTILUS:
Northern District
Eastern District
Southern District
Western District
Central Plaza and Other Locations
The Heart of Nautilus
OTHER WORLDS:
Helix
Kalliste
What is the weather like? How are days split?
Each District has its own distinct weather and weather patterns. Each week, the Fairies give out a weather forecast so you have a good idea what to expect.
The South and the West tend to be a lot drier than the North and the East. Except when it snows. No, seriously -- stay indoors when it happens. It tends to come down all at once throughout the city.
It was once said that Nautilus used to not have any notion of time, but that was before a moment of Change took place.
Currently, the days are set on a 1:1 time compression. The Wake progresses in real time unless otherwise stated in specific logs in which limited forward or backward dating may occur.
What is the sky like?
The sky is a normal blue except for the portion that falls over the Western District where it has a red hue during the day. The sky is dark at night and there are lights in the sky that resemble stars though the constellations are all different from any canon. There are also two moons.
However, there is no outer space (there is only the Between beyond the city's sky limits). OUTER SPACE IS A LIE.
What is the history of Nautilus?
Please refer to the first part of this the history of Nautilus section!
What is the currency in Nautilus?
There is no set currency within Nautilus due to the fact that characters can simply Bend up whatever they need and only rely on their willpower to sustain themselves through Bending. Characters primarily use a bartering system if they need something that they cannot gain through their own power.
What is Bending? Storms? City Shifts?
Please refer to the Bending and Reality Storms FAQ HERE.
How does my character get food?
Characters are able to easily Bend general sustenance (food, water, fuel, etc.) from the start due to their familiarity with things that sustain them.
If they do not Bend food, they can either depend on other Wakened or they can go to the open-air Marketplace in the Southern District.
If that's too much work, then they can try any of the restaurants that are still around the city. Or they can open their own place to accommodate their tastes.
How does my character get housing?
There are quite a few vacant houses in Nautilus that characters are free to move into if they find them (often these are marked on the map rather than created). People may also create houses via Bending or construction, though no new arrival would possess sufficient Bending skill to create something as large as a house without relying on more experienced Wakened’s generosity and help.
Please let the mods know if you are building a residence so that its location and residents can be properly logged.
There are also four welcoming areas have been established for new arrivals to Nautilus, one for each district. In these Welcome Houses, food and shelter are freely available for new arrivals until they choose a home for themselves. People can also usually obtain initial Bending lessons or tours of the surrounding areas from these places.
Welcome Houses Locations
North - Located down the street from the Medbay, large enough to accommodate Cybertronians
East - Once Tony Stark's mansion, located on the cliffs overlooking the beach and ocean
South - Budehuc Castle, maintained by Thomas and located northeast of the Plaza of Forests
West - Converted from the Opera House, located northeast of the Plaza of Infernos
What are the important landmarks/locations?
The current map of Nautilus can be found here. (Yes, go look and see.)
The Great Library - Located in the Northern District near the Great Wall, it carries a wide assortment of books
The Medbay--Located in the Northern District; go there for medical assistance, both human and Cybertronian healing are available
Furmans--Located in the Northern District; this is a bar
The Bending School and Bending Stadium--Located in the Northern District
Police Station, Jail, and Courthouse--Located in the Southern District; criminals may be held powerless in the prison
The Graveyard--Located in the Western District; a graveyard with a generally creepy ambiance
Garden of Dreams--Located in the Northern District; a large and lovely garden for any residents to visit
Big Ben--A major landmark located in the Northern District
Open Air Market--Located in the Southern District, one may obtain foodstuffs here
Extreme Pizza--Located in the Southern District, one may get pizza here; it delivers
McDonald's (or GothDonald's)--Located in the Western District, one may get burgers and fries here
What are the important creatures that live here?
Please refer to the Bestiary.
Are there any hazards in the city?
There are several dangerous residents and creatures in the Western District, including giant spiders Treat all buildings as potentially dangerous places, especially if your character has not visited them before.
It is also advised that residents and visitors to the Northern District be cautious around dark alleyways, particularly when the fog is present. Acid spitting monsters may lurk about those areas.
Additionally, certain areas around the city perimeter are home to a number of monsters, predators and territorial creatures. The two most common areas where they live and hunt are in the grasslands to the North and the deep forests of the far South, though they may occasionally be found in the far West and East.
Most of the creatures that present a threat are either Lunar Cry Monsters, which may attack using physical and/or magical means, or wild EVOs, animals that have been mutated via nanite infection. While both are dangerous, extra care should be taken to avoid contact with the wild EVOs as their infection can be contracted similar to a blood-borne disease. Thankfully the problem had been fixed by Rex in recent years just by altering the nanites so that they would only be compatible with the host they thrive in. So anyone who ends up getting bitten by a wild EVO now might just end up with rabies. Because wild animals.
Is there a legal system in Nautilus?
There was one established but not exactly overseen by anyone since all the lawyers (who drafted and passed the system with the city's residents) went back to Sleep. Although very few of the original Wakened remember, the terms are still present. Wakened who are caught breaking the rules and/or crossing the limits of moral boundaries can still be thrown in the jail for a period of time.
The Network and Communication
The Network is the one thing that connects everyone through the use of their communication devices. This is the place where everything normally gets spammed.
How does my character access the Network?
Your character awakens with an object familiar to them upon arrival that they know can be used for communication. This can be anything – a notebook and pen, a laptop computer, a cell phone, a magic mirror, a seashell, etc.
All items allow voice, video, and text posts, and all devices can receive these, even if they wouldn't be able to in real life. For instance, a book shows video as moving pictures, and audio is just sound that comes from the pages (accompanied by a text transcription).
Why are there accidental video/audio posts?
Each of these network devices is connected directly to the Heart of Nautilus, the sentient Aeon which is the soul of the city. This being has a very strange sense of humor, and if it thinks its funny or embarrassing will turn on the record function at inappropriate times.
Can characters set posts and comments as private/screened?
Yes and no.
Among the Playable Characters, there is either locked or not locked. If you’re locked out, you’re locked out. All supposedly locked comments CAN be seen by the Ascended NPCs.
There's no such thing as 'hackable' or 'unhackable'; comments are private or they aren't. Why? Read on!
Can my character hack posts?
No. The network is not the internet, it's a magic network connected to Nautilus' - a living being's - 'brain'. There's no technological code to hack.
Even if your character is accessing it through a laptop, they won't find any code to modify; a blank screen will appear if they try to look at source code for anything.
Are posts in danger of becoming suddenly unlocked?
Only if the character themselves unlock them.
How are the characters able to understand each other when they're all from different worlds?
The Wake is primarily conducted in the English language though we understand characters themselves might not speak English.
Instant translation happens due to a force of will, but it is possible personal choice to have language barriers in place (if a character believes that they will be understood/will understand, they will. If they believe that they won't be/can't, then they won't). Again, it is up to player discretion on how complicated the situation will be at the start.
Metaplot vs. Player Plots vs. City Storms
The Overarching Plot is very loose, and it is intended to be influenced by the players and directed through player activity. The mod staff merely sets the scene. The players make it theirs.
Player Plots are plots concocted and directed by players. The mods must clear intensive player plot before they are put into play, especially those that affect a large amount of characters and players as well as the game as a whole.
City Storms are monthly occurrences stemming from the influence of Chaos within the City of Nautilus. These storms are majorly ideas submitted by players that are then sorted by the mods. Four to five Storm ideas are put up to a bi-monthly game vote. The idea with the most votes would be the following month’s storm. This knowledge is not known to the characters prior to the onset of the storms. Please see the Reality Storms and City Shifts section of the Bending and Reality Storms FAQ for more information on City Storms.
If you’re not sure or need guidance, talk to a mod!
Want to murder an important NPC? Try to take over Nautilus? That sounds cool! Just ask a mod first, and be prepared for the in-game consequences.
Think the plot should go in a different direction than it is? Talk to a mod! We're very open to player feedback and suggestions since the plot is not solely influenced by the mods and is constantly in a flux of revision.
Short answer to all of this: if you want to do some plotting, then do it! Players are welcome to come up with their own plots.
I have an idea for the Metaplot!
If you have an idea for the overarching plot itself, you're welcome to come to us and let us know! We don’t take every single idea for a variety of reasons, but there's an equal chance we'll love what you have in mind and just run with it.
I have an idea for a player plot that would affect the game as a whole!
That’s awesome! Please pitch the idea to the mods via Player Plots and Calendar Post and run your idea past us prior to putting such plots up on the game’s communities to make sure that it is plausible and to clear it with us. We’d hate to let people down after they’ve have started plotting or even playing by having to step in and say that something cannot work out due to game mechanics or timing!
I have an idea for a City Storm!
Submit your Storm ideas to The Storm Suggestions Post! You just might see it up for a vote sometime in the future.
About Characters and Change
You say that Awakened can "go home" – can they change their canon?
Characters cannot change their canon. An Awakened who tries to return home while still Awake is trapped as if they were in an-out-of-body experience or living someone else's life, unable to do anything but what canon dictates no matter how much they try to do otherwise. They are fully aware but would be unable to do anything differently, including past a canon’s end.
For example, if Romeo of Romeo and Juliet Awoke before receiving notice of Juliet’s ‘death’ and then decided to return and visit home while still Awake, he cannot stop himself from purchasing and imbibing the fatal poison that he consumes in canon, nor could he stop Juliet from stabbing herself, despite knowing the outcome. How tragic.
HOWEVER, if an Ascended character tries to mess with the outcome of their canon, then they can potentially change the flow of events, resulting in timeline splinters that they (and maybe some of the other Ascended) would have to repair. Please contact a mod before you try to do this.
Who are the Ascended? How does Ascension work?
Please refer to The Ascension Basics.
More detailed information on Angelii, Ashura, Deva, and Aeons can be found here.
Character Interactions
Can my character stir up trouble?
Yes. Not everyone in Nautilus gets along or have the same sense of morals. Be sure to double check with fellow players on their own permissions if it involves major trouble such as physical altercations.
What are the in-character consequences of being bad?
Depending on the character, they will either range between mild dislike or straight up hate toward your character. The more negativity, the higher the chance nothing good will come of the actions made in-game.
(Remember: In-Character Actions = In-Character Consequences. If anything is taken outside of this context,
For those who are very naughty, there is a nice jail cell that they can get locked in that blocks Bending and where time passes at a different speed.
Can my character talk/interact with NPCs?
Yes. If you are initiating the contact, please let the mod in charge of the NPC know.
Can my character work or set up shop?
Yes. Some characters gain a sense of purpose by opening up an establishment or working for one. Just double check with the details of the other establishments first.
Can characters date/have sex/get married?
Characters are allowed to do the above as long as they are in character. There's no regulation on who have relations with each other. Fandom characters can date OCs, fandom characters can date fandom characters, and OCs can date OCs.
The only restrictions are that a player cannot muncest (play both parties. That is writing fanfiction, not roleplaying.) and that sex and marriage are only on the table to characters that are at least 18 years old. Also, if you're under 18 yourself, please play in accordance to your age’s restrictions! We'd hate to ban people for breaking age rules.
NC-17 material is only allowed on
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thewakeporn and characters under 18 cannot be depicted having on-screen sex (If you're not sure, ask the mods!). Please refer to the Activity Requirements FAQ for more details on what is and isn't allowed. The main coms go up only to rated R (16+; older teen) and the game is open to minors.
Can my character have children?
Unfortunately, characters are unable to reproduce in
thewake. Offspring would be considered being somewhere between an autonomous NPC and a fandom OC/AU character, all of which are messy and are against the rules. All Wakened start off as Dreamers. No Wakened are born Awake.
Can my character explore the other cities such as Kalliste and Helix? Can they live there?
Yes. Though most of the Wakened settle in Nautilus, the other cities are also able to house Wakened. If you need guidance, ask the mods. A note about Kalliste is that it’s very empty and not a very nice place to live since parts of it are covered in broken glass and glass people. Scary.
Can my character walk the Labyrinth?
Not if you want to keep playing them. :| Keep in mind that Chaos is not a cakewalk. It will severely mess with your character's mind, leaving them catatonic or worse. All results vary within the "worse" section; the past Wakened who experienced the Labyrinth firsthand somehow were lucky enough to return to a "normal" state of being. Just because there is a slim possibility of making it out okay does not mean you should try it.
Can my character Ascend?
Please refer to the Ascension FAQ.
Character Death
Can a character die in Nautilus?
Short answer: Yes. In-Character actions lead to In-Character consequences and sometimes that consequence is death for the unfortunate character. Luckily for the player, the character does not have to stay dead.
There are three types of death in Nautilus: physical death, 'Sleeping' death, and final death.
• Physical Death is when the character's body is damaged to the point that it ceases to function. (i.e. fighting, accidents). The body eventually disappears after a few hours and the character then blacks out or exists as a disembodied spirit (player's choice) until their body re-constitutes at the base of one of the outer towers or at one of the four outer Gates after seven days.
The character is not truly dead unless they lose the will to live. The fact that reality is mutable (see Bending FAQ) means that a character could will their bodies to heal and reanimate. However, this method can be difficult because healing involves a great deal of work even when one is alive; it would be easier to let the body disappear and then respawn. The idea behind this automatic revival is that a character's will is to naturally continue to live and the character subconsciously and automatically Bends a new body free of damage.
• Sleeping Death* is what happens when a character drops entirely from the game. The character disappears from Nautilus and loses all memory of ever having been there.
Though they continue existing in their canon continuity, they are no longer part of the Awakened community. The version of them that existed in Nautilus is, effectively, gone. This can happen for a variety of reasons in-game. Perhaps the world of Nautilus disagrees with the character, or the character loses the will to remain in the city. Perhaps a physical death causes them so much emotional trauma that they believe themselves to actually be dead, and so die.
* Note that dropped characters who are re-apped by the same player may keep their Nautilus memories and the situation treated as though the character was just away in their world for a very long time. Returning to Nautilus after so long will not bring up Waking memories instantaneously just as real memories will fade over time. How quickly those memories return are at the discretion of the player. See the Rules section on how to handle a character re-app for this particular situation.)
• Final Death is when a character's soul is completely destroyed (Unmade). They literally cease to exist. At its most extreme, the person ceases to exist in all realities. This death can only occur under very special circumstances.
So is Bending the reason characters have a body?
Yes! Bending is also the reason that characters can't die unless they Fade or are Unmade. Basically, if your character's physical body is destroyed, they subconsciously and automatically Bend themselves a new body elsewhere in the city.
Augh! I don't want my character to die!
Take heart! Death is a choice (and a Player Character, but he's all right).
Characters cannot be killed without permission from the person playing them. Players have the right to choose the way this happens. Killing a character without permission falls under godmodding and is against the rules (which you have read).
Can my character die of starvation/thirst/exposure?
Only if your character believes they can die of these things. Characters do not have to eat or drink to stay alive as their existence is due to willpower rather than on nutrients. Characters are also able to regulate their bodies through Bending so the elements would only kill them if they believe that they can be killed by them.
Can my character die of physical trauma/poisoning/sickness?
Yes. Potentially fatal incidents that affect your character's ability to use Bending fully and correctly such as these issues can potentially kill your character as their willpower cannot trump the situation in a weaker condition.
Sometimes such incidents would put the character in such a shock that their physical bodies are fatally injured/destroyed. This makes it possible for accidents, manslaughter, and murder to be a cause of death. Overall, if the character believes that they will die or put in a position where they cannot counteract something fatal, they will die.
Traveling: Nautilus and Beyond
How soon can a character leave Nautilus after arriving?
Thus, characters who are in denial about Nautilus being real or otherwise unfocused will probably not make it back on that initial try. In that case, exiting through the Gate would ultimately end up in them just being brought back through to Nautilus. Perhaps waiting a week or two before trying again will bring better results (and give them time to get to know the city's layout and inhabitants).
It is perfectly acceptable for other characters to encourage new arrivals to stay. Everyone's been in the arrival's shoes (and perhaps concerned about psychological issues) before so many are eager to help new arrivals and to keep more Wakened within Nautilus. It is also acceptable for other characters to mislead new arrivals about the difficulty of leaving immediately for similar reasons.
If a character arrives through the Northern Gate, do they have to exit the Northern Gate to return to their world?
No. A character may use any Gate to exit Nautilus and return to their own world. The gates generally function in interchangeable ways except in the cases of travel to Helix or Kalliste which are tied to specific Gates.
Can characters move freely between districts? Or is there a particular way of traveling between them?
The city is built on a hill, but it doesn't discourage travel between districts. Despite their names and different characteristics, the Districts connect and practically meld into each other. Distances range due to the ever-changing state of the city, but there are ways to cut down travel time.
My non-ascended character wants to go to a world other than their own.
Ascended characters (Angelii and above) may visit worlds different from their own. Normal Wakened are only able to go back to their original world as they do not possess the power or knowledge of traveling somewhere they have not been before.
In order to go to another world, normal Wakened must have at least one Ascended character accompanying and escorting them.
Please refer to the Traveling section of the Ascension FAQ for more information.
How does Ascended going home/exploring other worlds work?
Please Refer to The Ascension FAQ.