State of the Shell: December 2016

[ironwood]

Hello chelonauts! It's the end of the year again, and time for a new State of the Shell.

As we wrap up 2016, there's been lots of development in the game and we as mods are thrilled that players have embraced the character consequence-driven style of play in TS. It's exciting for us to construct plots based on player's choices, and we hope it's enjoyable for you too!

GAME HMD

I'd like to invite players to also use this post for a GAME HMD: that is, to share your thoughts on how you feel this year has gone in regards to the running of the game, the plots and events (speed, content, etc) and to share any feedback that we as mods can use to improve running TuShanshu. We cannot overstate the benefit that player feedback plays in allowing us to run the best possible game for everyone, and any input (positive or negative) is valuable to us. As always, we allow anon/non-IP comments if you are more comfortable commenting that way.

PLOT SELECTION

As mentioned on the November itinerary, in the coming year we're looking to consolidate some of the ongoing plots that are presently running, as there are a lot of them! We're asking that players choose from the list below, their top three preferred plots to pursue starting in the new year, and to comment with those three choices (and any input you have on them!) to this post.

We want to assure everyone that the other plots are NOT being completely shelved, nor that the existing development on them will be lost! TuShanshu has always had a connected-web style of plots, particularly with the overarching metaplot, and we do enjoy the intricacy and hope you all do too! Instead, we're simply looking to not have quite so many plots on the go at the same time, which we feel will allow us to put more detail, more personalization, and the better involve more players, in the "active" plots. When one of these plots resolves itself, we'll simply roll into another one to take its place.

---

A Looming Threat

During the year the Foreigners were trapped in the Dreaming, Tu Vishan's borders were breached by a squadron of the Chihuelan military. There were approximately 300 of them, well-supplied and well-armed, and they forced an incursion within Keeliai. While they were eventually routed once the kedan managed to organize themselves, there numbered nearly 2000 kedanese deaths. Of the Chihuelans, it's estimated that around two hundred of them were killed, fifty escaped back home, and approximately fifty remained unaccounted for, presumably in hiding somewhere either in Keeliai or in the unpopulated regions of the turtle's shell.

Among those that remained on Tu Vishan, Celaunn was rumored to have fought against the Chihuelans during the invasion. In the following year, the Chihuelans occasionally made their presence known. In September 2016, the Grand Justicar Chosheni hacked the network to announce the arrival of a Chihuelan unit tasked with locating and capturing Celaunn and any other Chihuelan deserters. Throughout the month, the Chihuelans sent search parties through Keeliai and the surrounding areas, executing a number of deserters before the unit was abruptly recalled back to Chihuelo.

During the extended landfall at Tavimbi, it was noted that Foreigners were being watched by Chihuelans in Hatal. Celaunn's location is still unknown, although she was apparently in contact with Zanru at some point last year. Another Chihuelan, Malcil, on the other hand, is now part of the Foreigner-kedan police force.

The Chihuelans have obviously been keeping an eye on Keeliai. The Justicar's abrupt departure and the observation they experienced in Hatal point to their return - whether to retrieve the remaining deserters or stir up other trouble is uncertain. As it stands, the relationship with Chihuelo is somewhere between negative and entirely confusing.

News From Afar

In April 2017 while anchored at Tavimbi, the Foreigners were contacted by Turchight, claiming to be among a previous influx of Foreigners over 300 years ago. He offered to answer ten questions, and promised to judge the Foreigners by which were asked. Turchight answered as promised, and it came to light that his mate was about to lay an egg, but feared the child might not survive without a soul gem, and asked for help.

Moving forward, this plot would involve Turchight and his mate meeting with the Foreigners in order to ensure their child could hatch safely (i.e. need a soul gem or not). Given Turchight's apparent age, this plot could shed more light on Keeliai and Konryu's history, as well as opening the possibility of contact with other Tavimbian cities, which like Hatal, may provide significant resources to improve life in Keeliai.

The Refugees

In July 2017, representatives of several hundred Kin'nal inhabiting Hatal approached the Foreigners seeking asylum and hoping to leave Tavimbi behind. The request was granted, and the Kin'nal were resettled in Keeliai where they remain today.

The current landfall at Ioa Elanag presents an opportunity for resettling the Kin'nal; if they remain in Keeliai, their future is uncertain. Changing weather patterns put them at risk if it becomes too cold, and the city will be challenged to support them and continue to find ways to integrate them into society. While difficult, this could be potentially rewarding.

The Bite of the Guard Dog

Following a confrontation with Milyn in which the Cherrywood Healer was attacked by Meisheng, Yunxu's second-in-command vanished. Meisheng did, however, make an announcement over a radio handset in which she fingered Yunxu for ordering the hit and Milyn for poisoning Anton Shudder, the former proprieter of the Midnight Hotel. She has not been seen since May 2017.

Resolution of this plot would involve locating Meisheng and either expanding or fully resolving her presence in Keeliai.

The Next Generation

Since the ten living hatchling turtles were unable to enter the Dreaming during the battle against Malicant, they were likewise left in the dark when the Foreigners became trapped there, unable to contact their parents. Milyn and Evastelei did their best to reassure the young ones that they wouldn't give up on the Foreigners, the latter especially saying that she refused to let them be lost, but ultimately the hatchlings felt that without their adopted caretakers in the city, they were not safe.

Collectively, they made a decision to leave Tu Vishan's shell and explore the world as a pod, where they would be able to protect each other. During landfall at Zeshora, the hatchling's parents were contacted individually by some of the Erol'a to share messages. Apparently the hatchlings are in search of something, although exactly what is unclear.

This plot could involve further contact from the hatchlings, and holds the potential for their return to somewhere at least close to Tu Vishan (they're too big return to the shell). What they are searching for and if they found it or not could also be revealed.

Under the Influence

Currently, Dust, Lucid and Red Mist are drugs permeating the black market in Keeliai. The cultists are responsible for all three drugs available in the city, although Red Mist is very new. The original drug was a black powder called Dust, which produced increased aggression, paranoia, and hallucinations. It was recently weaponized and used to cause mass rioting in the Courtyard of Public Opinion that spread elsewhere in Keeliai.

The second drug, which has since overtaken Dust as the black market drug of choice, is called Lucid (often referred to as "Crystal" on the streets) and appropriately, comes in small, coloured crystal fragments. Lucid is highly addictive, and its properties allow a user to exponentially increase particular feelings of their choice, depending on the colour of the crystal they've taken.

While Milyn assisted in the creation of Dust and the base for what would become Lucid, she has insisted to have had a falling out with the cultist leader Daseng, an apparently brilliant alchemist with whom she was working on the drugs.

This plot would involve furthering the investigations on the drugs' effects (both negative and potentially positive), as well as dealing with the increasingly complicated underground world of manufacturers and dealers that are spreading them throughout the city.

Coincidental Problems

Throughout April, May, and June, Foreigners across Keeliai were subject to assault and theft of their soul gems. There was evidence with all of the taken jewelry that someone had experimented on them, ranging from damages to the stones and housings themselves, to concrete evidence when strange side effects began occurring for some people. All of the gems were returned before Foreigners were permanently harmed, and it came to light that Milyn was ultimately behind the soul gem thefts. Suspicion remained around who else was involved, as two Chihuelan deserters were involved in an attack, but the cultists were also somehow folded into the assaults.

The thefts did not solely target Foreigners, however. Several kedan were attacked in May, but rather than having anything taken, they were in fact given soul gems.
The kedan and a Bresilykian ambassador who was not previously reported as being attacked disappeared in July 2016 (in-game time). Some time later, nine Foreigners received visions of these vanished people, stuck in the worlds that they themselves were originally from.

Back in February 2015 during the landfall at Khatronma, Evidet loaned five Bresilykian emissaries to serve as ambassadors to Keeliai, in hopes of reestablishing a firm relationship with Tu Vishan. Although their interactions with both the kedan and the Foreigners were positive, the disappearance of one of their number after being attacked and given a soul gem, caused them to become quite concerned for their wellbeing. Due to this, the emissaries disembarked Tu Vishan in early July, during its landfall in Zeshora, and presumably have since returned to the capital city of Lichoyras to give their reports on their stay on Tu Vishan.

This plot would involve developing a better understanding of how the soul gems, and potential means of being able to apply that to their own. Additionally, if the mystery of their missing ambassador can be solved, the ruling body of Evidet will no doubt be grateful and demonstrate that appropriately.

Reforged Iron

Following the changeover at Stark Industries in July 2016, whereby Xuiyu took over leadership from her cousin, Zanru disappeared. While searching for Celaunn, Valdis and Gene located Zanru instead in a cave outside Keeliai. She hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Zanru's disappearance was motivated by largely personal reasons, and pursuing this plot may reveal whether she's resolved any of them, as well as what her connection to Celaunn may be. Her departure has left Xuiyu in charge, and with the recent changing of the guard in the city, this plot could lead to potential upheaval among the Metalworkers.

The Cult and the Missing Girl

The cultists have been a pervasive threat in Keeliai since Malicant's defeat, one that has not been strongly abated even by the changing of government and law enforcement in the city. Their increasing push of illegal substances is becoming a larger and larger problem, and they have been stepping up their activities from intentionally causing riots to infect people with Dust.

Daseng is an unknown and unmet quantity so far, but his name has been heard and in some circles -- the gangs, addicts and other such unfortunates -- recognise it with fear. He is apparently the leader of the cultists. Zanru herself admitted that Daseng was her ex-husband on public console. Most people know that it's her vendetta against Daseng which resulted in her being removed from Stark Industries, and a few are able to confirm that this vendetta involves their young daughter and her disappearance during the final months of the fight against Malicant. Tony Stark recently discovered that the daughter is still alive, and there's also rumour of a mole inside the cultists, someone who is both willing and able to feed information outside their guarded borders.

This plot would involve a more focused approach to dealing with the cultist threat, which will likely escalate both their visibility in the city, and also the dangerous means they employ.

The Cherrywood Healer

In March 2017, it was revealed via a soul-walk that a man known as Dardul may or may not in fact be the childhood companion of Yunxu named Enon; he at least contained Enon's memories and soul. Upon Valdis confronting Milyn with this information, the Cherrywood Healer admitted to assisting the leader of the Cultists with creating the drugs Dust and Lucid. Valdis announced this revelation publically and privately, leading to an attempt on Milyn's life. Reports of Milyn's death were greatly exaggerated.

However, her apparent involvement in mischief and mayhem didn't end with Dust and Lucid. At some point, it was determined that Milyn was behind the soul gem thefts. Despite what might reasonably be called crimes, Milyn has not faced charges by the police force or any other force in the city and has gone back to work. She's testing counter-agents to Dust and it's nastier cousin, Red Mist, on live subjects.

A continuation of this plot would likely change the alignment between the Healer and the Foreigner population, but could yield additional information about artificial soul gems, and means to combating the various drugs from a medical angle.

Let's Build a Government

While the three Families rose to power during the Dreaming Year and continued to provide leadership and structure to Keeliai after the Foreigners returned, events conspired that have been slowly dismantling these groups and their bases of power. The formation of a formal police force, something that Keeliai hadn't had since Evandau was Commander, began eating into the authority of the Snakes, who had been the de-facto martial law until that point. Correspondingly, there was a rise of gang activity with the ever-diminishing power of the Snakes.

The success of the KPD's initiation led to a call for a restructuring of Keeliai's government, and the development of the council and a possible judiciary. A meeting a the Courtyard of Public Opinion set the stage for representatives from each Sector, and from multiple industries across Keeliai, to have their voices heard. This, predictably, did not go over well with Tu Yunxu, who stood to lose the most of the three Families. Nonetheless, new faces became regular fixtures on the budding government council, and seem interested in working with the Foreigners to create a more balanced-power approach to running Keeliai.

This plot would focus on mostly phasing out the remaining Families structure of the city (as their NPCs were played by now-retired mods) and further developing the route of a formal government council -- or, if it turns out that the council itself is not what works best, to pursue whatever IC structure players are interested in.

The Mystery of Kerro Raris

In January 2016, fragments of a message were detected on multiple frequencies, though it was most easily be received on radio transmitters. The message was eventually translated anonymously. The following month, the consoles began glitching with a series of colored pictographs. Consoles installed in Central Keeliai, curiously, did not receive these glitches. Consoles installed outside of the city limits received all six symbols, but they were in black and white.

By March, the Foreigners received a cryptic message: Following the path of orange soil toward the sunlit clouds, come to the red embers lighting the sapphire tides. The violet ore feeds the roots of the viridian trees. Breathe deep to find the pause within your core, and meditate upon your needs in the appointed time and place so they may be real to you. As a result, it became clear that the symbols were related to the Dreaming.

Abruptly, the transmissions and console glitches stopped in April. The connection between the symbols and the transmissions was never fully determined.

This plot would bring renewed mysteries; what is known of Kerro Raris is that it's a blasted wasteland, and no one on Tu Vishan has had contact with it for centuries. The continent could present dangers or boons, but almost certainly offer new opportunities for exploration.

The Dreaming Conjuration

Since the merging of the Life and Dreaming Planes by Evastelei, which returned the Dream-stranded Foreigners to Keeliai after their defeat of Malicant, there have been times where the the Dreaming was acting up, with occurrences of objects disappearing and reappearing, jumps in time perception, and intense feelings of deja-vu. In addition, it's suspected that the Dreaming was responsible for at least one physical transformation, as well as instances of objects spontaneously being conjured by accident. There hasn't been any concerted efforts to develop this into a usable power yet, but the option is there.

Additionally, Evastelei's sacrifice sealed the Death Plane, which has remained cut off ever since. However, Konryu wasn't meant to have this structure, and inevitably the stresses of damaging the literal fabric of the world is bound to start showing consequences.

This plot will look into the many effects of the Dreaming Plane as it affects Tu Vishan and those who live there, which could bring about new abilities, and explore the possibility of unsealing the Death realm, for better or for worse.

That wraps up this State of the Shell! We didn't have any process changes this time around, but if you've noticed anything in the game that needs updating, please let us know.

Thank you for a fantastic year and we're looking forward to 2017!

- Your Mods
Li, Makari, Rivers, Seal

Comments

[upshore]

Game's gone great! No complaints. Love you all. As if you couldn't tell, because I have...five characters...

Also, I think we should have a list of players/characters who were here during the Malicant plot, in case of IC or OOC questions about game history. I'd be happy to help with that - doesn't need to be a mod duty. c:

[ironwood]

That sounds like a good idea, especially if those players are willing to have new character ICly directed to them if they're interested?

[upshore]

I volunteer my idiots as tribute.

[lostundercover]

I'm happy to answer OOC stuff. Costigan may eventually be able to answer some IC questions but not yet.

Also he got his files for Christmas so he knows about cloning tubes and things again. C: Unless that's a problem.

[no_light]

Would it be possible to get a dedicated World Info page on the kedan (the ones on the turtle, that is)? The info on them is kinda scattered right now, with some of it only available by asking oldtimers via Plurk, I feel like it'd be easier to get a grasp on who and what they are if the basics were in one place.

My other suggestion would be a Resources pages as a starting place for people who want to research the metaplot beyond what the info pages hold. I'm thinking of this just as a links list. Specifically linking the game history google doc, the state of the turtle tag (maybe the latest one with the plot recaps specifically), the past landfall pages. Maybe pointing out that going through old monthly itineraries for metaplot info is worth the trouble.

Also I loved the Fourth Wall event last year (obviously) and I think it'd be great if we had another in 2017.

As for actual HMD things, I've got only good things to say about our mods and their communication, as well as the plots we've been playing. Thank you, and keep up the great work! I was also impressed by the smooth transition from old to new mod team.

I'd just like to ask that if the plots chosen are older ones, you take care to make them accessible to newer players as well, but I'm sure you will!

( Li )

[ironwood]

By a dedicated page on the kedan, do you mean the population in general or specific NPC kedan? The former is in the Setting and the latter we have the npcs and groups page for, but if we're missing people, we can add them.

We will definitely be having another 4th wall event, probably early next year.

Can you give an example of what you'd mean of a plot not being acccessible to newer players?

[no_light]

What I think could be difficult for newer players is if it requires too much knowledge/research of events several years ago before you can throw yourself in. Or that characters who weren't around for the plot won't see it as relevant to themselves. Some plot hook to catch their interest would help there. Like, say, the baby turtles returning would be most interesting to turtle parents, of course, but maybe there's some way newer people who have already built a rapport with Tu Vishan could be given a chance to communicate with them as well, or have some task of equal importance.

[ironwood]

Ohhhh okay, I see what you meant. I was (admittedly, not all 100% brain at the time) trying to figure out how or why you were worried about new players being literally restricted from participating in older plots and I was like ?????

No more pre-coffee modding for me.

But yes, that's definitely something we're going to look into, since TS is such a long running game. The suggestions for gathering the plot links together is a good one, I'm thinking there can be a whole area for that under World Setting, so it doesn't get lost in the city setting page. But we'll absolutely keep in mind newer characters whenever we pick up on old plots, and make sure there are ways for them to be just as involved. It's a good concern though, thank you for bringing it up.

[no_light]

Awesome!

Oh yes, and voting
The Cult and the Missing Girl
Under the Influence
The Dreaming Conjuration

[justno]

As someone who's barely been around, I think Under the Influence, Mystery of Kerro Raris, and Dreaming Conjuration sound the most interesting. But plz don't prioritize my vote.

[schrodingersghost]

As someone who wasn't here for any of these, the plots I would be most interested in getting involved with are The Dreaming Conjuration, The Cult and the Missing Girl and The Mystery of Kerro Raris.

[redlightgreenlight]

The Cult and the Missing Girl:
This plot has been a major force behind the creation of the Police Force and would easily involve new players since the Cult, though leading originally to Malicant, has transformed with the times. Plus, Valdis hates the cultists. (And chaos is fun)

The Refugees:
Though Valdis was against taking in the Kin'al, she recognizes when something needs to be done. To this end, she wants to find them a new home and get them off the turtle so everyone can be happy.

The Dreaming Conjuration:
New abilities? Unsealed Death Realm? Bring it on!!!

[unetrustworthy]

So, with a character who was once a former Turtle parent, and others who were around for...a lot of the early stuff, I'm probably a bit more biased in my selections, but I vote for:

(1) Next Generation (Rivaaaaaa!)
(2) Dreaming Conjuration
(3) Coincidental Problems

[ten_zero]

I was a little upset about how my canon update request was handled. It's very true that I didn't handle it perfectly, but I also wasn't expecting it to be scrutinized to such an extent. I (incorrectly) assumed it would be a formality.

The way you tried to resolve it with me made it seem a lot more like I was being a problem that you were irritated with, rather than a player that you were trying to accommodate, and I'm still a little upset with the bruskness and the overemphasis on authority and 'my way or the highway' tone. It feels like you are far more concerned with an invisible set of rules rather than making the game fun and engaging for me. My excitement about my canon update was replaced with stress over inadvertently angering the mods.

Such is my stress that I feel like I might face repercussions for posting this. I'm trying not to let my anxiety over this stop me from posting it anyway, so I will optimistically assume that my opinion has some value and give my 2 cents on plots.


I'm very excited about the refugees, under the influence and Kerro Rarris plots.

[ironwood]

We're sorry that you didn't feel that your canon update was request was handled satisfactorily. As you had asked us explicitly to define the limitations of Bisi's new powers, the four of us discussed the best way to do so. We determined that of the four considerably powerful new abilities she was gaining, that only one of them needed a minor restriction, in keeping with our long-standing and public game policy of nerfing game-breaking level powers (and as is applied to many characters both current and former).

We don't have any context or understanding of your reference to "invisible rules" that you were asked to follow, as the rule in question as stated on the Game FAQ page, and reads:

What happens if my character has god-level powers?
As part of the application process, the mods may choose to impose OOC limits on omniscient-level (essentially game-breaking) powers. ICly, Tu Vishan's magic will interfere with those abilities in order to bring them down to a level which won't overwhelm the game.

We continue to feel that the moderate limit we offered on how frequently the ability could be used was fair, and we believe it even presented the opportunity for Bisi to realistically grow into her new powers while keeping the framework of the game intact. When you asked for the limit to be removed, we were not able to grant that, as it would have been unfair to other players who are accommodating our limit requests as part of their characters.

We're sorry if this refusal came across as as "our way or the highway", or if you interpreted our tone as brusque, as this was not our intent. We will, however, endeavor be better aware of our tone when communicating with players, and hope you are not feeling quite so stressed now.

[ten_zero]

I am feeling a little better now, but I'm still afraid to argue since you shut me down while trying to discuss things with you, calling my attempts to clarify or ask for clarification as 'counter productive.'

I think the big point of disagreement comes from the way you are interpreting the power in question as 'god-level' or 'gamebreaking' because I continue to be at a loss at how you would interpret it that way, especially after I clarified what it did, and even after you looked it up yourself.

[ironwood]

The power in question, as described in your application, reads "[she] can emit void energy as a concentrated beam from her hand. The energy is extremely toxic to [S]entients and dissolves them within seconds of exposure."

And per your clarification, you stated "...since in Second Dream it wasn't shown as being a useful ability for destroying non-[S]entient objects, while in War Within we learn that it can, in fact, be used that way."

Based on this information provided by you in both cases, we deemed the restriction necessary (as this is in the same category as other highly destructive abilities possessed by other characters) even though we only limited its usage to once a day, and did not impose a strength or scale radius to it (beyond nothing larger than building-sized without prior approval, which again, is standard for all characters in game).

[ten_zero]

Yes, it all got clarified and worked out, thank you!

Is the canon update approved now, or is it still awaiting a final confirmation post from you guys?

[ironwood]

Sorry, missed this reply. You're good to go anytime, as long as the permissions have been updated.

[ninjainviolet]

Voting:

A Looming Threat
Coincidental Problems
Refugees

[purrns]

Wow I kept this tab open to reply to and forgot all about it, sorry guys, work has devoured my soul.

ANYWAY, I love this game so much- it's the perfect place for this character and I honestly couldn't be happier playing here. The mod team is awesome and so supportive, just keep doing what you're doing, you're great.

I agree that a basic run-down of past plots (or at least the ones that were VERY important to the setting of them game, and would have ramifications for later plots) would be a good idea. It can be a bit tricky getting a newer character into them if they haven't been present for what had already happened - so even some good OOC knowledge would be a help for us players who weren't around to find a way to get our teeth sunk in.

As for plot voting, I'm going for

The cult and the missing girl

The dreaming conjuration

The refugees

[lasergrenades]

I vote for:

The Dreaming Conjuration
Let's Build a Government
A Looming Threat

:3

[edgeoftheknife]

The Dreaming Conjuration
As the dude who got turned into a fluffy white bunny thanks to the Dreaming, Erskine's already interested in this--and I'm pretty sure at some point he's going to try to fiddle with the Dreaming to get his friends back (a la fourth wall). So yes, this one :3

The Next Generation

Kerro Raris

[upshore]

A Looming Threat
Coincidental Problems
The Next Generation

THIS WAS SO HARD TO PICK :|

[ruinsprofessor]

Yes hello who let me mod I have some feedback for them

Personal plot preferences:

The Next Generation
The Dreaming Conjuration
The Cult and the Missing Girl

[isochrone]

A Looming Threat
The Cult and the Missing Girl
The Dreaming Conjuration

[reluctantaccessory]

Coincidental Problems
Let's Build a Government
A Looming Threat

[celticromanstone]

So, for plots:

The Cherrywood Healer
Kerro Raris
The Refugees

[of_deduction]

Being as I'm still new I felt like I really shouldn't vote yet but the plots that catch my interest are as follows:

The cult
The missing Girl
The Refugees

[ironwood]

The cult and missing girl is all one plot, is there one other one you'd like to pick to make 3?

[purered]

A Looming Threat

News From Afar

The Mystery of Kerro Raris