faderifting: (Default)
Fade Rift Mods ([personal profile] faderifting) wrote in [community profile] faderift2022-11-29 07:54 pm

MOD PLOT ↠ HOME FOR RIFTMAS

WHO: Everyone (more or less)
WHAT: Rifter Show & Tell & Steal.
WHEN: Early Wintermarch 9:49 (forward-dated!)
WHERE: The Crossroads and BEYOND.
NOTES: OOC post. Please use appropriate content warnings in your subject lines.



Since Corypheus began opening the Gates, Riftwatch has been noticing pockets of instability in the Crossroads—crumbling platforms, paths newly blocked by rubble or broken bridges, sections where gravity has been shifted and altered in ways unusual even for the Crossroads, with new intrusions of green-tinged rock outcroppings or corners of temple walls. The barriers between the Crossroads, the Fade, and the world are thinning. It's a problem.

But more recently, Riftwatch has been made aware of an ancient artifact known (now; one hopes this isn't its original title) as the Sealing Stone, now in pieces scattered throughout the Crossroads, and the approximate locations of those pieces. If brought together and activated, the Stone may stabilize the barrier between the Crossroads and the other realms and may provide a model Riftwatch could use to reinforce the Veil elsewhere.

So Riftwatch ventures into the Crossroads to retrieve the pieces of the Stone. It's an intensive effort undertaken by large teams, due to the many now-familiar hazards of the Crossroads, the potential for encountering the Venatori that also use the eluvian network, and the need to cover ground as quickly as possible in hopes of finding the artifacts before the Venatori notice the increased Crossroads activity and come join the hunt.

It's not as simple as merely locating the pieces, however. Whenever a group of Riftwatchers get near enough to one of the artifacts, they're alerted first by the triggering of a sort of protection mechanism. In some cases—specifically, on teams without any rifters—spirits suddenly swarm from the metaphorical woodwork in numbers so great and with such hostility that retreat is the only viable option. The spirits chase the teams only as far as necessary to push them away from the artifact's location, then mass into a circling shoal, guarding the spot until they're left alone long enough to decide the risk has passed.

But for groups containing at least one rifter, something with the mechanism goes wrong. Or right, arguably. Rather than being overwhelmed by spirits, they instead find themselves abruptly engulfed by what appears to be a rift, opening suddenly and rapidly large enough to swallow entire masses of people before contracting again to lie in wait like a carnivorous plant for anyone else who comes too close. Those caught in its radius tumble out into what appears to be a new and unfamiliar world–for most. For one or more of the rifters in each group, it will be perfectly familiar.

The first group to encounter this effect will be one including Tony Stark and Stephen Strange, and will drop them and their compatriots straight into midtown traffic. Any groups attempting to travel to the same spot in the Crossroads to investigate the apparent vanishing—whether they have rifters with them or not—will find themselves drawn through the same "rift" almost as soon as they get within sight of the place, before anything can be discerned about their lost fellows. They will likewise emerge into Stark & Strange's United States.

Subsequent groups including other rifters will be seemingly drawn into their companions' worlds by the same effect. In each, Riftwatch will have to navigate local hazards and retrieve a distinctive lyrium-etched artifact, at which point the world will dissolve around them like a dream and they will find themselves back in the Crossroads where they began, in possession of a carved chunk of stone glowing with lyrium runes.

1 ↠ MCU Earth-199999

Alternate-universe Earth, New York and Los Angeles, 2012-2025, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange.

Earth-199999 is very much like contemporary Earth as we know it, featuring the same historic events, same nations, same conventions. For the average person, there is no difference, except that they know magic and aliens and gods and superpowers are all real and have been causing problems for a while now, with NYC as the hub for most of the shenanigans. MCU Earth has also made leaps and bounds in all science fields as compared to real Earth, although these leaps and bounds are not widely accessible, primarily exclusive to private organisations like Stark Industries, mad scientists, and the likes of SHIELD, but can range from interactive three-dimensional holograms through to biotechnology that turns people into supersoldiers.

It's commonplace to see or hear about criminals causing havoc in the streets with superpowers or gadgets, and crime-fighting vigilantes trying to stop them. The Avengers, as the world's first superheroes, became widely-known commercialised celebrities in-universe with merchandise, documentaries, book deals, and memorial murals to the deceased Iron Man.

Special Abilities: Everyone is nerfed to regular human, unless you want a sudden onset of mutant powers. 1 individual themed ability per character; like pyrokinesis, superspeed, superstrength, etc.

Arrival: One main rift opens in the middle of New York City, ejecting our rifters into midtown traffic… except thanks to Strange’s own multiversal mishaps, people in this world will seem astonishingly accustomed to this sight! Bystanders will be startled, but then the rifters will likely be dogged by strangers snapping photos and videos and tweeting about their arrival.

The Fade-constructed timeline will be a little off: the old Avengers tower and its penthouse is still standing and still accessible to Tony, and Strange will also offer up the Sanctum as a sanctuary, and these will be the main mission hubs while the team gets their bearings and tries to locate the artifact. In the meantime: relax, take in the sights, maybe check out a Broadway show, wrangle your new superpowers.

A secondary rift also opens up on Hollywood Boulevard, in case people want to do some helplessly stranded on Earth RP. Tony can very easily find out this has happened and go collect them, with various degrees of efficiency according to what people want out of that OOCly. As this universe will be available to explore for a few IC weeks, people can assume some degree of Stark-provided financial freedom for basics (i.e. clothes and food, burner phones, etc), and they can stay in the Avengers tower and/or the Sanctum.

2 ↠ Shifterverse

Original alternate-universe Earth, Midwest US, 2022, Jude Adjei.

Real-world 2022, but what if Shifters?

Special Abilities: All superpowers are unfortunately nerfed. However, everyone's a Shifter now. Your choice of animal. Enjoy.

Arrival: Everyone will arrive in Yellowstone National Park, which is wholly staffed and operated by Jude's pack, but... not in an area where tourists are routinely and happily welcomed. Welcome to the deep woods and canyons and plains, where Jude's pack has built their den for some several hundred people. Characters will immediately be found by scouts in fur and feathers, who will be guarded and curious, but not hostile. The wolves and ravens will greet the interlopers as equals, and if they aren't offered any violence, they'll be treated as guests. Hundreds of pack members live in a mixture of hand-built cabin homes and meeting places, portable tiny houses and various shared spaces. There is wifi, a greenhouse, lots of tasty food and warm clothing to wear. If they stay several days and prove themselves trustworthy, they might even start to see children out and about, and there's nothing cuter than a toddler who can become a wolf pup at will. (Mind the raven toddlers and the bear cubs. They're less cute.)

3 ↠ Tassia

D&D Original World, Loxley & Richard Dickerson

Tassia is an original Dungeons&Dragons inspired world, a single continent divided into four nations that is otherwise completely isolated from any other possible world beyond it. These nations are Lloryndell, Sylvica, Ifrin, and Promias, and at its centre lies the Cruxal, a university-city of diverse cultural influence.

While Tassia resembles Thedas in its day-to-day technology levels, including its anachronisms, it is more heavily laden with fantastical elements. Along with humans, elves, and dwarves, there are goblins, dragonborn, tritons, tieflings, sentient robots, bird people, centaurs, and more (https://www.dndbeyond.com/races) (but no qunari). There are many different kinds of magic users who wield their powers openly. There are shops full of magic items, potions, and spell scrolls. There are monsters of countless kinds that lurk just about everywhere. Most cultures in the material plane are polytheistic and worship themed gods from the default D&D (Faerun) Pantheon. Some smaller cults and individuals worship ancient fey, fiendish, and eldritch beings who dwell on the outskirts of their respective planes and may provide power to the exceptionally loyal -- for a price.

Special Abilities: You can choose to be a normal depowered person, but you are equally encouraged to take on magical abilities, whether you're a mage or not. In brief, you can be a wizard, whose magic comes from spellbooks and knowledge, a sorcerer, who have innate magical abilities, a bard, who draws their magic from music, words, and performance, a warlock, who has made a pact with a powerful entity in exchange of magical ability, a druid, who draws their magic from nature, and a cleric, whose divine abilities are gifted to them by a deity. (Other classes have magic too, but it might be easier to pick one of these major ones if you are unfamiliar!)

Rather than overthinking it, we recommend you pick whatever sounds fun to flavour your magic with, and then browse magical spells using classes as a filter. (Eighth and ninth level are off limits, and it may be easier to limit yourself further due to how many spells there are.) Given the temporariness of these powers, don't worry too much about how many spells you get or how frequently you can do them, but know that higher level spells (anything above fifth) can only be cast one or twice a day.

Your character may be Tassia-ised, in terms of their race, but in a limited capacity. All humans will stay human, but elves may adopt D&D traits like seeing in the dark.

Arrival: Rifts will open in the streets of the Cruxal. People will be startled by the sudden appearance of rifters and stand offish, but otherwise: they've seen it all before! No one will be calling the guard on you, unless you decide to start something, so please don't. Or enjoy jail.

The Cruxal is a labyrinthian melting pot built up in concentric rings around a massive central university and library. Goblins scarper among humans, elves, and dwarves in the street. There are tusked half orcs and horned, scale-clad dragonborn mixed in among more familiar silhouettes. This is a university town, but while a large portion of the population are students, academics, and staff, it is also self-sustaining, with taverns, shops, temples, brothels, residences, and marketways.

The university itself is guarded and degrees of entry closely regulated due to the school’s extensive collection of dangerous artifacts -- one of which just so happens to have gone missing last night. News of the theft has been suppressed, but every temple, tavern, and brothel on the outskirts of town is abuzz with the rumor. The entire corridor, they say, was scorched black.

Loxley and Richard won't be too concerned about herding everyone but can provide some coin as needed for inn rooms and food. They appear to have a near bottomless stash, at least as far as living costs go.

4 ↠ Sulleciel

Original fantasy world, Petrana de Cedoux.

What if magic was real and holy emperors still kissed the ring in Rome, until someone beheaded the fucking pope? Welcome to Sulleciel, and specifically to Lamor City, capitol of Lamorre and the seat of the Lamorran empire, ruled over by Empereur Marius IX and his consort, Empress Petrana Solene. A nation and empire in the throes, still, of great upheaval — think Versailles or Orlais, but lurching ungainly out of its dark ages into a theoretically more enlightened time, control of which is being actively fought in the halls of power and at grassroots levels of social influence. Power vacuums abound, thanks to the fall of the church and the rise of a conqueror who is less interested in ruling than he was conquering; women are still the often-illiterate property of their fathers and husbands, but now there are more alternatives to family and marital homes, and dedicated studies of witchcraft are being encouraged, with pilot programs across the empire primarily in those early sanctuary cities, figuring out how this is all going to work. Known for her efforts to lean on the scales in the people's favour Petrana herself is, in this era, rumored to be imprisoned; graffiti of her crowned likeness can be found in some places in the city, with the epithet ""la reine du malheur"".

Special Abilities: In Sulleciel, magic is a skill that may be pursued like any other — and there are those of more or less talent, as if someone were to attempt the violin, or swordplay. It is practised primarily through incantations and foci, with more elaborate spellwork for more ambitious results sometimes requiring particular items or a full coven to achieve. As magic is limited in Sulleciel only by the will, imagination and stamina of those practising it, no one coming here will be subject to any nerfs; all mages and otherwise magical or powered individuals will be able to use their powers as they're used to using them. In addition to this, anyone who is as magical as a chair-leg ordinarily can feel free to have a go at Sulleciel's magic — it's up to you if they have a knack for it or not. Simple spells like casting a light or telekinesis of small objects can be mastered by toddlers; a powerful enough witch or coven might be able to summon a thunderstorm and alter weather patterns, but ""can"" and ""should"" are different and it's generally advised that you try not to do a climate change.
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Arrival: The rift will open into a spacious, luxuriously-appointed tower on the grounds of the imperial palace but not visibly connected to it above-ground. It was at one point the sole domain of the previous arciduc's personal astronomers, but is now the primary residence and working space of the Queen's Coven. The Queen's Coven is a particular group of women, so named for having been among the first witches to come beneath the new regime's protection in the first city-state to bend the knee where Petrana was first installed as Queen Regent; they are private, secretive, and increasingly cut off from the power-struggles of the imperial court, having been actively distanced from the Empress herself by a variety of other players in the game. Both relatively prepared for sudden magical happenings and inclined to keep shit in the tower on lock, they will be prepared to pass you all off as "foreign witches, seeking our enlightenment" and see both you and the sudden access to Petrana as potentially useful in their maneuverings. Which will make moving around easier, but will probably be an active hindrance to getting where and what you need. An underground tunnel connects the tower directly to the palace, though there are also pleasant, covered pathways to walk across the palace grounds; guards at the main, above-ground entrance to the tower will inquire about movements to and from, and will be skeptical but limit their interference initially ... as long as they don't see Petrana.

5 ↠ Kalvad

Original fantasy world, Wysteria Poppell.

Kalvad—specifically the city of Somerset, the magic capitol of the civilized world—is a mashup of Regency Era and Industrial-Revolution-But-Magic! Nebulously England (with the serial numbers aggressively filed off). When in doubt, default to Jane Austen vibes. But if it seems fun to do some weird magic-powered technological advancements, then go nuts.

Kalvad is an imperial island nation ostensibly ruled by three kings, though they're largely figureheads overseeing an upper and lower parliament. The country has made itself rich and powerful by doing a whole lot of war and colonization. As historically one of the most magically powerful regions in the world, magicians have long been a vital tool in the empire's efforts to do both those things.

Unfortunately for Kalvad, the strength of magic in the world has waned considerably in the last 40 years. Where once Talent was rare but reasonably powerful, magic users are both becoming more commonplace and considerably weaker. Even older magicians and hedge-witches who once might have manufactured considerable arcane feats have seen some diminishing of their powers. A popular, but unproven, theory in academic circles is that those with Talent all draw from the same "well" of magic. As more people are born with the ability to tap into that resource, the less there is to go around. Resentment for those with weaker Talents among older generations of magic users is A Thing.

That said, increased availability of minor magics has kick-started a 'minor magic' powered industrial revolution. Parlor witches who perform small arcane conveniences are growing in number; minor charms and enchantments have become more readily available to lower classes. Meanwhile, the non-magical population is slowly being shunted out of their respective cottage industry jobs and into factories powered by great enchanted machines. The empire as the world knows it is clearly teetering on the brink of major social and political upheaval, both at home and abroad. The consequences of all this change just haven't quite played themselves out yet, though you can bet there are people rushing around in an attempt to cover their asses before they do.

Special Abilities Characters will be nerfed of any abilities they had in Thedas, but can be Talented in Kalvad terms or not. Any Talented character under 40 is likely to be able to produce only minor magics (think lighting fires in fireplaces, being able to heal minor injuries, and temporarily being able to enchant objects to do one specific thing). Anyone over forty can be a little flashier (think appearance altering glamors, temporary invisibility, transfiguration and significant healing). General magic flavor is: Brothers Grimm fairy tales and Arthurian legends, except that someone somewhere made all that weirdly pliable magic adhere to a strict ruleset. Easy, thoughtless channeling of magic is a secret lost long before the arcane powers in the world began to diminish. Now, all magic must be carefully and deliberately designed and constructed. The magicians most accomplished by Kalvadan standards are methodical and patient. Think clockmakers and mathematicians, not wizards on the side of a van.

Arrival: Members of Riftwatch will arrive through a rift and find themselves on the wooded outskirts of a sprawling city. Luckily, no one will witness their initial arrival. Even more convenient: once they've gotten their bearings and made their way into the city, they'll discover they aren't the only weird strangers in town (although they may want to strongly consider indulging in petty theft to make themselves stick out less—particularly as it comes time to infiltrate places). It seems that a sprawling months-long academic conference turned party turned cover for political intrigue and cold warfare has descended upon Somerset.

In the aftermath of what everyone is claiming to be a major military victory somewhere, delegations from a number of implicated countries have converged on the city at the invitation of the Kalvadan Crowns in order to share and demonstrate their various technical and arcane achievements. The World's Fair-like atmosphere has drawn a number of non-Talented tourists, scheming politicians, and cutthroat spies along with the legitimately academically and/or magically inclined.

While Somerset is something of a city of wonders by the world's estimation, it's still first and foremost a dirty and crowded industrial hub in a world that has yet to bother with paving all its major roads. The conference has quadrupled that effect, transforming it into a riot of sights, sound, and (often to its detriment) smells. At this point, finding a room and board in the city has become less a question of where you want to stay and more one of how many other people you're willing to timeshare a bed with.

Luckily, it doesn't seem like Riftwatch will be sticking around long. Some snooping around the of pamphleting/gossip will reveal that the artifact they're after is likely to be found in the grand exhibition hall, and that there will be an opportunity to get their hands on it that evening.

6 ↠ Abeir-Toril

D&D Forgotten Realms, Astarion

The D&D continent of Faerûn is loosely based on Eurasia—if it ran entirely on magic, was roughly stuck somewhere in the 14th century forever, and was filled to the brim with elves, dragons, gnolls, faeries, gods, demi-gods, and just about any myth (or mythological creature) you’ve ever encountered in your life. For the purpose of simplicity, everyone from Riftwatch is going to get plunked down in the titular Baldur’s Gate: the city is massive, it’s known as the jewel of Faerûn, and its cultures, districts, trades and pastimes reflect that remarkable splendor. Still, think of it like Kirkwall in that there are some pretty damn rigid socioeconomic divides separating the city via districts. QUICK GUIDE.

The Upper City is the fancy part of town where nobles (known as Patriar) and their servants live, and it also houses the city’s government and key recreational buildings. There are no bars, pubs, taverns or drinking halls. Anything rowdy happens behind closed doors, and if you don't have an invitation, you'd better look for fun somewhere else. Magical enchantments and lanterns make it beyond stunning at night to stroll through. Lower City is more varied: you’ll find taverns, shops, tons of entertainment and ample trade, as well as pirates by the docks (and their ships), and the harbor waters are absolutely gorgeous for sailing on calm days. Doors are shut and locked during nighttime hours aside from taverns, inns or gambling parlors. Visibility is also lower at night when harbor fog rolls in, particularly where poorer residents can't afford oil, tallow or magic every night. The Undercity stretches deep (and hidden) beneath both the Upper and Lower Cities: it begins at its most shallow within the city as sewers and along seawall cliffs as open-mouthed caves. The deeper you go, the worse it gets: undead catacombs, cultists, temples, blood sport and bloody magic prevail alongside monsters too dangerous to clear out. Outer City sucks. There's almost next to no law or order, and is inherently dangerous to explore. Treat it like Lowtown for the most part, and you'll be pretty smack on (slavers and actual kind impoverished poor included).

CULTURE: Baldur’s Gate is primarily run by humans, and to a lesser extent, elves. Other races aren’t really considered a foothold here, but they’re more than welcome in the city and treated exceptionally well with a few exceptions here and there (ogres, trolls, more ferally inclined goblins, etc). This is not at all like Thedas: someone more familiar with discrimination against non-humans, certain pairings and particularly mages wouldn't find it here. Most of the time if you dress nicely and carry yourself well, you’ll be well respected. Or robbed. Or both!

Special Abilities: Characters will be adjusted to fit D&D, and powers are optional for all. For D&D’s magic/power/race everything, please take a look at some basic classes.

Arrival: Characters will arrive via rifts torn into the Outer City, just along its riverfront sprawl. They won’t be too far from the city gates, but witnesses to the scene will be inclined to gossip and gawk, assuming everything from a freak magical incident to believing the new arrivals are wealthy travelers from somewhere far and exotic, who simply missed their mark in teleporting to the Upper City for sightseeing. Anyone wearing Thedosian clothes will be fine to go without changing— wearing something more modern or say, nothing at all for some reason, will definitely require staging some kind of Terminator II style clothing (theft) acquisition in order to fit in.

Ideally, the team will at least want to make their way into Lowtown in order to begin snooping around, but it’s a big damn city to say the least, and information is expensive. Astarion will help within reason, but being a vampire means that he can only afford to fund so much on his own.

Might be a good idea to do some fetch quests or live your best Adventuring Party life, because you’re all going to likely be here for a (time distorted) relative while.

7 ↠ Orphan Black

Alternate-Universe Earth, 2014; Toronto, Canada; Cosima Neihaus.

Real-world mid-2010s, but secret unethical biology/biotech experiments including viable human cloning in the mid 1980s. Carrying out such technologically advanced work is a combination of international organizations including a private research company, at least one paramilitary organization and a shadowy organization that oversees both. (Orphan Black also features minor differences from our world typical of its genre, such as plot-convenient hacking and variably competent law enforcement, but the cloning project and related scientific offshoots are the most salient differences.) Relevant to this plot in particular, the Dyad Institute is a private organization, considered ""fringe"" by the mainstream scientific community, devoted to research related to human evolution and biotechnology. Some of its many employees had connections to the ""neolutionism"" community, the members of which believed human evolution should be actively shaped by scientific and technological intervention. The organization was responsible for the project that created Cosima and her sisters roughly 30 years before in-world present day. Also at the moment they're jumping to, Cosima works there, it's complicated. (If anyone is familiar with the canon, we're jumping in circa season two.)
A tiny pinboard.

Special Abilities: None, you're all just unpowered humans. Sorry/you're welcome.

Arrival: The group arrives at what turns out to be a nondenominational winter party for a local school; there are some mild shenanigans as Cosima clocks that it's a school attended by children she knows, and more pressingly, partially overseen by their mother, who has Cosima's face. Cosima press gangs one or more other people into helping her hide her own face while negotiating with Alison to borrow her minivan. She shuttles the group to Alison's large suburban Toronto home, which becomes the FR group's base of operation. (It is perhaps telling that while Alison finds this frustrating, she and her husband Donnie do sort of roll with it also.) If desired/depending on how big the group is, Cosima could also stow some Riftwatchers with Felix, the foster brother of one of her other clones, who has a big artsy loft downtown. She is not against taking anyone to her place, but she's a grad student; it's not huge. Everyone who knows how to use a phone or can be trusted to figure it out with a tutorial gets a burner phone for convenience. (Perhaps additionally telling how quickly Alison gets everyone a burner phone. She also decorates the protective cases for them. No, it's not optional.)

8 ↠ The Last of Us

Post-Apocalyptic Earth, Spring 2038, Seattle, Abby Lasterson & Ellie Williams.

This world was ours until 2013, when a worldwide pandemic broke out overnight. A fungus (cordyceps) that had originally infected mainly insects adapted to infect human beings. Anyone bitten by an infected person or who has breathed in a significant or concentrated amount of fungal spores becomes infected themselves. Over a maximum of two days, they utterly lose their humanity and deteriorate into violent monsters, eventually sprouting spores and fungal plates. There is no known cure, and the only human being ever known to be immune is Ellie Williams. 25 or so years later, humanity has crumbled into various factions in a struggle to survive. First came the Federal (FEDRA) response, resulting in Quarantine Zones and martial law. Life in the zones is highly regulated, with work assignments and rations that often aren't enough to go around. Many citizens are forced to turn to crime just to make ends meet. Orphaned children become wards of the state and are trained to become FEDRA soldiers by the time they're sixteen.

Various civilian groups rose up to rebel against FEDRA, forming factions such as the Fireflies (rebels who recruited scientists in an effort to find a cure), and the Washington Liberation Front (a militia-minded organization who overthrew FEDRA in Seattle). There are other smaller groups such as the religious zealots called the Seraphites, or the violent slavers known as the Rattlers.

Few and far between are independent human settlements like Jackson of Wyoming, where small communities have managed to gain self-sufficiency and safety with tireless group effort and highly vigilant defenders. They bolster their numbers by welcoming peaceful outsiders and engaging in trade with travelers.

Living outside of these groups, people are largely on their own, vulnerable to packs of hunters, bandits and even cannibals that prey on anyone brave enough to risk travel.

The infected are an ever-present threat everywhere, and the world is a ruin quickly being reclaimed by nature. (cw: body horror in the link) See board for world aesthetic and depictions of the Infected.

Special Abilities: Everyone is a normal human here. No supernatural powers, no magic, no non-humans.

Arrival: Welcome one of Ellie and Abby's least favorite places: Seattle. The Space Needle is visible in the distance, so despite the advanced state of decay, it's actually recognizable. Except it's been bombed, and rotting, and nature's reclaimed it for the last quarter-century. This adventure won't be for the faint of heart; there are no home bases and no safe space to be had. All clothing, supplies, weaponry and food are things you'll need to find yourself. Everyone can assume they'll get a quick lesson in gun safety and a rundown on various types of infected. Multiple rifts will open, so feel free to appear anywhere in the city (even apart from others) but expect to find no native allies. The city of Seattle is embroiled in civil war between the Seraphites (a religious cult who rejects anything "old world" and scars their faces, called "Scars") and the Washington Liberation Front (a ruthless mercenary coalition, called "Wolves") and both sides will assume you're with the other group and attack on sight. Better pick up a brick.
propulsion: (Default)

world one: earth-199999.

[personal profile] propulsion 2022-11-30 08:53 am (UTC)(link)
Edited 2022-11-30 21:44 (UTC)
youwonscience: (I don't know what I knew before)

World 7 ↠ Orphan Black

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-11-30 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Starters in separate tags below, feel free to wildcard anything else you like in the weeks pre-heist.]
youwonscience: (machine pressed stop)

ARRIVAL

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-11-30 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
It's very charming.

They arrive in a large parking lot behind a school, which is filled with variety of tables and booths, and enough people that their presence doesn't immediately draw attention, though their clothes will draw some raised eyebrows in a moment. Some of the booths around them offer food and drink, others a variety of crafts, still others simple games. Piles of snow suggest that the lot was cleared relatively recently, and beyond the parking lot, a snowed-over field has provided space for well-bundled children to build snowmen and make snow angels. A group of about 10 children on the other end of the space is singing Christmas carols under an adult's direction, decently in tune though not very loudly.

For anyone from a world similar enough to this one, it is very clearly an elementary school winter carnival.

The real question is who will be the first to spot a woman with a familiar face, currently in the middle of a heated discussion with a man in a fleece vest who seems to be running the hot chocolate booth.

[No tag order, chaos reigns, though feel free to grab me if you want Cosima and/or her sister Alison anywhere in particular.]
Edited 2022-11-30 19:29 (UTC)
youwonscience: (and it said behold)

ROOKERY REDUX/TFLN

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-11-30 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[A catchall thread for "your character now has access to a cellphone with emoji" needs if you don't want to start something longer or standalone. Feel free to go for group chats or directed texts, just specify which. Spam away.]
youwonscience: (I'll end it)

Dyad Heist: Team One [closed]

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-11-30 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I. The bagman's quaking at the fingers

Cosima doesn't, as a rule, relish solving things with violence. But first of all, if this were a normal research institution, there wouldn't be armed guards walking around and second of all, it's not clear anything here is even real in the first place. (And there's the fact that all three people present for this operation outrank her and can decide to handle it however they damn well please.) So she's prepared for the possibility that Flint and Yseult may have to take care of it when security is coming to intercept them. She doesn't expect the exchange to take particularly long. What she's not expecting is spotting a couple of men, one in a suit and one in a lab coat, coming from another hallway, with only moments to divert them.

"Shit shit shit," under her breath, and she makes a snap decision. To Tony, who is presumably looking out in the other direction: "Do you see anything I could cover my hair with that wouldn't be obviously insane?"

II. A shot rings out from somewhere upstairs

Sometime later, they've made it deep enough into the facility that neither Cosima's badge nor the one they swiped from a guard are getting them into the room they're fairly sure they need to reach. The lab they're in, not Cosima's but similarly full of various computer stations, glassware and trays of samples, has an attached office. All signs point toward their needing to access it.

In addition to the badge reader, the wall outside the office door has a small keypad with an attached screen. It's reminiscent of an ATM, though for now it just displays a static image of the Dyad logo. Cosima chews her bottom lip, considering. "Do you think we could find a workaround for it? I mean, I could just start guessing bands it seems like the director would be into, but I don't think that's the most efficient approach."
Edited 2023-01-15 20:31 (UTC)
youwonscience: (Wild card in sight)

Dyad Heist: Team Two [open]

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-11-30 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
The Dyad Institute is a multi-floor research facility, with a lot of very expensive-looking equipment and staffed by a variety of harried, overworked employees. If one were committed to causing a scene there, one could:

  • Use one of the provided key cards to get into a variety of labs and smash, burn or otherwise destroy things

  • Enter the public part of the building and weaponize the concept of client service to force employees to answer a long series of inane questions about exactly what they do there

  • Make their way downstairs to what appear to be holding cells. See if anyone's locked up in there. Possibly let them out

  • The evergreen classic: pull a fire alarm

Of course, agents can also choose their own adventures. In addition to getting them some stolen security badges, Cosima's provided a rough map of the place and a suggestion of where she, Flint, Yseult and Tony are going so that the distraction can pull focus away from there. Otherwise, go wild; she thinks it unlikely (though not impossible) anyone will be in physical danger, though they could definitely get ejected or locked up.

[Feel free to use this for any desired shenanigans; hmu if you have questions, but mainly choose your own adventure.]
Edited 2023-01-15 20:37 (UTC)
notathreat: (55)

World 8 ↠ Apocalyptic Seattle

[personal profile] notathreat 2022-11-30 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[Settings & starters will be in toplevels below; feel free to respond to any or create your own. You're not limited to the settings below either! Feel free build your own date in a sad apocalyptic mall or brush with death.

Keep in mind that nowhere has working power or plumbing. See here for world and mission details.]
Edited 2022-11-30 20:10 (UTC)
notathreat: (12)

ARRIVALS

[personal profile] notathreat 2022-11-30 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, fuck."

Ellie is the first to get to her feet, bow in hand as the smell of standing water, dust and rotting things reaches her lungs. She drags in a slow, loud breath as the street resolves around them.

She holds it. Nothing happens. No glow.

Of course.

"... stay right on my ass. Stick to cover. Whatever you do, do not let anything-"

Footsteps. Running. A loud, piercing shriek that's somewhere between human and animal. Ellie whips around, bow immediately up as something rounds the brick corner of a store and comes barreling toward them. It looks like a person, blood-smeared, discolored, wounded and rotting. It moves like it's forgotten it's wearing human skin, like it knows it has feet at the end of its legs.

Ellie's arrow catches it in the neck, and the thing drops, screaming, sobbing, drowning on its own blood before it finally goes limp and still.

"... bite you."

There is a horrible pause before another scream sounds, just around a corner.

[Feel free to have your character arrive elsewhere in the city and assume they meet up later. No tag order for this starter, only chaos.]
Edited 2022-11-30 20:46 (UTC)
notathreat: (101)

EXPLORATION & ENCOUNTERS

[personal profile] notathreat 2022-11-30 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Every camp they make is temporary, every place they stay cannot be made safe. Scavenging or hunting for food, exploring the destroyed remnants of the world, and just struggling to stay alive are all fair game.

Ellie and Abby will not babysit and will not stop anybody from wandering. Guns and ammo aren't plentiful, but can be taken off a fallen enemy or sometimes found. If asked, Ellie or Abby will explain the basics.

Some of the places are safer, like abandoned shops and homes. These may contain various supplies and mementos of the people who lived there, but Infected love to hang out in dark areas and basements.

Scars... sorry, Seraphites and WLF soldiers roam the area in small groups, and it's far better to die than be captured. The (un)lucky might get a glimpse of what Seraphites do to the people they catch. (cw: gore/death in link)

Be careful out there.
notathreat: (92)

Close Calls ↠ Closed to Abby

[personal profile] notathreat 2022-11-30 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
It's some time later, when Ellie and Abby manage to get the others to a semi-secure area, that it starts to break over her like a cold sweat.

Their world is a nightmare and always has been, but some nearly three years away from it are a twisted up amalgamation of what she's forgotten and what she never will.

She has a new perspective of what life is supposed to be, but this place has never left her bones.

They find doors that close in an office building meeting room, and Ellie steps into the hallway for a moment, just to catch her breath. To level the axe that she picked up from one of the corpses in her hand, rolling it through her fingers. She'd known it was just a matter of time before the Fade formed this place for her and Abby, and even if it's a dream, she knows from experience that it has captured every horrible detail. Right down to the last dust mote.

It smells the same. It turns her stomach. It terrifies her in ways it didn't before, because she's got so many people in the next room that she doesn't want to imagine living without, and not a one of them fully grasp the danger they're in.

She wonders how many of them will make it through the next few weeks, and that split second of weakness hurts to the core before she locks it up, straightens her spine, flicks her eyes to the side as the door opens a few feet away.

Looks like Abby had the same idea.

She amends her thoughts. There is one other person who recognizes the danger they're in.
Edited 2022-12-01 22:39 (UTC)
notathreat: (24)

The Rat King ↠ Closed

[personal profile] notathreat 2022-11-30 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Watch this space.]

[Signups for this closed log will be here. Heavy combat, free-for-all, no tag order.]
Edited 2022-11-30 21:20 (UTC)
propulsion: (ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME)

east coast arrival.

[personal profile] propulsion 2022-11-30 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
In the strange, drifting liminality of the Crossroads, a rift opens like a star, vivid green and bright white. Notions of up and down disintegrate, irrelevant, but there is a sense of falling forwards as the Crossroads vanish entirely around you.

And high in the air above 42nd street, green light tears space apart, thick arms of lightning slamming into concrete. A car swerves, tires screeching, and a chorus of protesting horns immediately erupt before the sound of metal slamming metal detonates like a thunderclap as a yellow taxi cab brakes too slow and slams into another. Shouts of alarm and complaint ripple through the crowd of pedestrians, all motion grinding to a crowded halt.

The rift above glimmers in a familiar haze of suspended green light, a three-dimensional scar.

Dotted throughout the crowd, you will find yourself immediately lost in a sea of strangers, expressions of caution that begin to warm into curiousity, and hands hefting smartphones to record whatever it is you happen to be doing. Looking beyond them, there looms the impossible rise of buildings, of glowing light that ripples over screens or emanates from signage, and then further, the realisation that the sky is dusk-dark but the world around you is close to daylit.

It is overwhelming to just about every sense: sight, sound, and unfortunately smell, although perhaps Kirkwall can compete on that last one. Still, the scent of exhaust and pollution is a unique, acrid tang to the air.

It will take a minute or several for the confused knot of stopped traffic and excited bystanders to untangle, and even longer to start sheep herding, so have fun.

[ ooc ; start your own starters or threadjack someone else's, no tag order we die like men etc. feel free to get lost with a friend or assume you get shepherded to the Sanctum Santorum (to start with) courtesy of Tony and Stephen, eventually. ]
altusimperius: (ofuck)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2022-11-30 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"What,"

A thin sound from Benedict, still sitting on the ground with his hands splayed before him, coming to terms with two facts simultaneously: one, that the thing in front of them is straight out of a nightmare, and two, that he can't make a barrier to enclose the party.

"--what the fuck?"
Edited 2022-11-30 22:31 (UTC)
sparklequeen: (099 » When I was born to be the tortoise)

Gun Safety; open

[personal profile] sparklequeen 2022-12-01 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
Glimmer feels a lot like she did back in New Amsterdam. She'd gotten so used to having her magic back, even in a limited manner, that being dropped into it being gone again feels like a bucket of ice water being upended on her head. She doesn't quite know what to do with herself at first, but the time in Thedas has helped. She arms herself, first with a crude club and now, she's got a prize. One of the things they killed used to be WLF--even had a handgun that the poor bastard had never managed to pull out strapped to its hip.

Glimmer winces as she tugs the holster away after undoing the gun belt.

"...Sorry. I don't think you need this anymore," she murmurs, half to herself.
degenere: (81)

this is a very important group text to every member of riftwatch

[personal profile] degenere 2022-12-01 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
🐜☄️🏹📯🤺❤️‍🔥🙅👁️
youwonscience: (God saw everything)

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-12-01 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
...is it a puzzle or are you just picking your favorites?
propulsion: (#6060380)

[personal profile] propulsion 2022-12-01 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Well.

This is no bustling Time Square and screeching traffic, no sudden onset of tall top hats and monocles, or whatever else a world might produce. Snow, and the distant sound of suburban traffic, and carolling. A stand selling apple cider and Christmas cookies covered in cellophane. Quaint. Cute. According to the best doctors, there is literally no universe where Tony Stark got to attend one of these when his own kid was old enough to be among the carollers or throwing snowballs out on the field. Pepper could probably have talked him into Santa duty. He shoves all that aside.

And swipes a cookie as he goes, petty theft just audacious enough to get away with it. His old timey clothes are out of place but not egregiously—shirt, jerkin, trousers, boots, a little too close to costume without being eye catching, but the sunglasses he's wearing help forgive him some sins.

By the time he sees a familiar face in an unfamiliar context, he has rock hard gingerbread slathered in royal icing between his teeth and an even stupider expression on his face. It's a moment of double-vision as he observes her from a distance, too sharp not to see identical details but every other visual cue speaks wildly of a whole different person. Well.

He goes over there, obviously.

"Excuse me," Tony says. "Hey," to the guy, and then back to. Cosima? "Happy holidays. I'm looking for something."
favoriteanalyst: (this tired old machine is a-rumbling)

[personal profile] favoriteanalyst 2022-12-01 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a lot to take in. That this place looks not dissimilar to the kind of city Stark and Strange are used to, but abandoned, run down, letting nature reclaim it. That the person Ellie just took out looks like a person but acts decidedly not. (Well, that at least seems familiar.) The idea that they shouldn't let anything bite them, as if there are things that anyone should?

Mobius steps in front of Benedict, sliding a shield to his arm with a well-practiced move, sword in the other with a nice firm strap around the handle. It's not exactly guns and kevlar, but he's still plenty prepared to protect the man on the ground and anyone else that needs it. A sword can take out a person-like enemy as neatly as an arrow, after all.

"Shit," he breathes, brow drawn. Ellie knows this world, which means Abby does, too, which means this is a real crapsack kind of place. "Come on, get up. You got any weapon on you?" Anything that isn't magic. A staff, perhaps?
notathreat: (59)

Grocery Shopping ↠ Closed to Clarisse

[personal profile] notathreat 2022-12-01 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a few days in, and feeding a group like theirs is no joke, especially when the members aren't used to long periods of near-starvation. Just staying alive is a full-time effort, and Ellie's grateful for the moments when she can afford to goof off a little bit with a friend, even if they're technically doing something useful.

"Fuck yeah, found some of those little cake things," Ellie says from where she's crouched down next to a ruined, dusty rack of an abandoned gas station, picking up those and the chips. Everything's stale, sure, but the calorie-dense sugar is a good find, alongside the several cans they've managed to square away.

"Hey, go long."

She cocks her arm back, and whether she's ready or not, pitches them a few aisles over to her.

She might be stalling; there's a supply closet in the back where she can see the good stuff is probably stored. Painkillers, medical supplies, stuff to make explosives. It's also got some spores crawling up the side of the wall near it, giving a hint of what might also be in there.
youwonscience: (I'm going to beat her like a french meri)

[personal profile] youwonscience 2022-12-01 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes, hello, happy holidays." Her accent isn't wildly different than Cosima's but her voice is: clipped, resting pitch a bit higher, as if she's been wound a few extra turns. It takes her a moment to shift from yelling at this poor guy to registering someone else is talking to her, but as she does, she turns to face him properly. The quick sweep she does with her eyes doesn't betray confusion so much as quietly muted disapproval. Sir, this is not a ren faire.

Still, she says, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Mrs. Hendrix, what can I help you with?" with the authority of someone who expects to be the place where problems are directed. Does he have a problem or is he one? Jury's out for now.
favoriteanalyst: (I am not brave)

[personal profile] favoriteanalyst 2022-12-01 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
The Crossroads suck. He knew this already, having already experienced some of its bullshittery before and really dreading having to go back. But back they've gone. So of course it goes wrong.

It just happens to go wrong in the most spectacular and terrifying way possible.

The ground is hard as rock, and his shield only takes so much of the force. But when the air comes back to his lungs after it being forced out, the rest of the situation starts to come into focus. It is loud. There is so much noise, of people talking, of metal, of high pitched sounds wailing high and low in the distance, of sharp and loud barks of noise like a note of an angry trumpeter. The odd mix of smells like startled skunk and smoke, but also cooking food, but also things more acrid. The light. Maker's breath, the lights. It's dark, the sun having set, but amongst the--buildings, they must be, tall, taller, taller still, stone and brick but also gleaming with glass, lights as bright as daytime, as fire, as lightning. Words on signs, lit storefronts, lights from the metal boxes around them like very low carriages, moving images dancing across the sides of buildings in a manner he thinks he has heard described once or twice before but never could quite imagine.

Mobius has thankfully never had a fight first, as questions later kind of attitude. He doesn't know where the hell he is, but these people are just people, as startled at the arrival as the group is of arriving. And he doesn't know what they're doing with the little glass boxes, but, look, someone should know what this is. Somewhere. Anyone.

He rolls to his feet, slowly, disoriented. "Hi," eventually, when he thinks the world isn't spinning out of control quite so fast anymore, "sorry for dropping in. Uh." There don't seem to be any demons to fight. At least not immediately. So it's not a normal rift. "Can someone tell us where we are?"

Someone--and they all seem to be human as far as he can tell--looks around, looks at the group, and shrugs. "New York." And then amends, "Earth?" And then, "Twenty-twe--" whatever the number is seems to distort or garble or simply get drowned out by the city noise, but Mobius is pretty sure it wouldn't help anyway.
propulsion: (Default)

tony stark.

[personal profile] propulsion 2022-12-02 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ Various starters for various worlds below. Feel free to hit me up for bespoke starters or wildcard me. ]
favoriteanalyst: (Default)

mobius

[personal profile] favoriteanalyst 2022-12-02 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
[various world starters will be under here, eventually, shh]
propulsion: (#6060431)

earth-199999. closed to wysteria and ellis.

[personal profile] propulsion 2022-12-02 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
"This is it."

They are standing on a sidewalk across the road from a building that has been in their plain view for at least a few blocks now so Tony is being a little disingenuous, as if somehow, 'it' had only just popped into view. 'It' being the massively wide and far, far taller structure of what Tony still sort of secretly on the inside calls Stark Tower but has been renovated (had been renovated) to house more than only his ego. Look up and up and up, and an A for the Avengers is prominently displayed by the landing pad.

It's not an uncomplicated sense of nostalgia. To think that this was the simpler time, out of all of them that came after. "Home sweet home," Tony says, an obligatory finishing of the phrase, and he adds, "One of 'em, kind of. C'mon. Green means go."

Important street crossing rules. He stops short of holding their hands, but he will if he has to.

The lobby is large, glossy, marble-lined, a water feature, a tall ceiling and a reception desk, and a row of silver doors that Tony makes a beeline to. He has had some time to re-adapt his wardrobe, in a suit that fits in just fine with other sleekly dressed people that move around. A few glances dart Tony's way, an acknowledgment of presence that doesn't encroach beyond a couple of nervous smiles or polite nods, one or two Mister Starks that Tony breezes by—

More keyed into the two people he is with than he seems, probably, as he summons an elevator. Something bad's gotta happen eventually. The whole place starts melting, or the receptionist turns into a rage demon, or worse, that happens to the next person they run into.

Or it's all somehow real, time discrepancies or no. What a nightmare.
heirring: ([018])

[personal profile] heirring 2022-12-02 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
"—which is precisely what I told the officer of the watch. That green is a color entirely lacking any sense of urgency whatsoever. Surely we all agree. You ought to suggest to someone that they reverse the order."

Wysteria has taken very little notice of this taut reception as they've crossed the mirror gleam of the tower lobby. For what is true in Thedas is true in the Fade is true in wherever they are presently: Wysteria not-Poppell is obligated to speak an average of fifty words per minute or more, or presumably risk instantaneous death.

"Apparently you're of some importance here, Mister Stark. I'm certain someone would—" Do elevators in the Avengers née Stark Tower ding upon arrival, or do they merely sigh futuristically like an effect out of a Disney© Experience™?

"Oh!" she cries, turning to Ellis beside her. "Have you been inside one of these yet?"
Edited 2022-12-02 03:04 (UTC)