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intothepines2017-05-03 11:43 pm
officialnotice) wrote in intothepines2017-05-03 11:43 pm
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may newsletter
NEWSLETTERHello, Pinecones! It's time to kick off our fourth month (four whole months already, how is that possible?) with our May Newsletter. We have some reminders, some adjustments, and some brand new stuff for you today, not to mention this month's events — so take your time and read through this newsletter to get an idea of what we're in for throughout the rest of this month.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & MINUTIAE
new: crime & punishment pageFor those who missed our modpost this last week, we've made a pretty sizable change to how punishment and death works here in The Pines. Most notably, we removed the fete mechanic from the game, and we've provided a Crime & Punishment page where you can read up on the laws of Wayward Pines and even report your character for lawbreaking. If you haven't checked that out, be sure to do so ASAP!
update: housing & businesses pageThe Housing & Businesses page has recently seen a few updates, most notably the shift from a mod-provided list of businesses on the page to a new, player-controlled spreadsheet, where it is much more easily customized and can provide a more organic list of the businesses in town and who works where. If you want your character to get a job or even start a business of their own, don't be shy about adding the info to the sheet!
Sometime in May, we plan to separate the page into two separate pages (one for Housing, one for Businesses) to provide a clearer and more organized picture of these mechanics of the game.
update: application guidelinesSince the previous Newsletter, we've added an Application Guidelines page in order to give players a better idea of what we're looking for in our applications here in The Pines, including a number of examples to look at.
The majority of the revisions (or, unfortunately, rejections) we send out tend to stem from a lack of clarity — sections in which something crucial is mentioned offhandedly but never explained, or we're given a laundry list of traits with no elaboration. For the best chance at skipping over the revisions stage, consider combing through your application for instances in which a concept or statement lacks the clarification necessary for a canonblind mod to understand it.
update: intro log structureThose who've been with us from the start likely remember February and March's two-event set-up. One of these events was action- or plot-oriented, and the other was geared toward building CR.
We quickly realized that the CR-building events were much smaller in scale and weight than we were giving them space for. These last couple of months have reflected that, with just one event per month so far and a few scattered mingle logs.
Beginning in May and hopefully to be implemented henceforth, we've figured out a pretty decent compromise and integrated it into the intro log. The new structure of the intro log is as follows:
The intro log will go up, as usual, at the turnover of the month. It will now span the first five days of the month. The 1st through the 3rd will bring new arrivals, a change from previous months in which characters only arrived on the 1st. The 5th will bring some sort of CR-building mini-event or happening. This month, for example, hosted our Test Drive's popular bake sale. The interim between arriving and the event on the 5th is a good place to thread out such things as getting settled in your new home (or old home, supposedly), finding a job, and generally getting the lay of the town. We hope to encourage both new and current players to create open top-levels for the CR building opportunities on the 5th!
results: wayward fallsThough our Wayward Falls event was not quite as solution-oriented as the previous Outbreak event, characters still had the opportunity to investigate various pieces of debris the waterfall brought into town.
A brief summary of the debris investigation thus far:
- Aranea, Nyx, and Ignis scaled partway up the cliffs to attempt to reach DEBRIS #1, which turned out to be a chunk of the fuselage of a passenger aircraft, decades more technologically-advanced than anything found in Wayward Pines today. Aranea leapt to explore the wreckage, leaving her cohorts dangling from the side of the cliff while she discovered a CB radio in the cargo hold and a mysterious bottle of liquid (with accompanying syringe) in the middle passenger section. The investigation is ongoing, and it's yet unknown what will be discovered on the final floor and if she and the men she dragged along with her will reach the ground intact.
- Sam Wilson & most of the Marvel cast investigated DEBRIS #2, which turned out to be the wing of an aircraft — presumably the same aircraft as DEBRIS #1. He investigated it with Redwing and opted to have Wanda bring it down to ground level to examine it further. The investigation is ongoing, and it's unknown what will be discovered from there.
- Cassian and his go-getter team of Rhiannon, Pietro, and Nyx again (with supervision from Sissel) investigated DEBRIS #3, which appears to be the plane's nose section. After asking Rhiannon a few yes-or-no questions and getting moderately fed up with the difficulty in communication, the group sent Pietro up to look things over. Carefully, he climbed onto the jagged lip of the wreckage to get a look at what was inside. The closest was what appeared to be a high-class passenger section — so high class, in fact, that their seats faced the front of the plane for a pilot's-eye view. The investigation is ongoing, and it's unknown what will be discovered from there.
- Ana, Clary, and Randal discovered DEBRIS #4, which turned out to be a suitcase. The outside was worn and rotted away, but the hard casing beneath was sealed (apparently watertight). Inside was a hastily-packed assortment of unusual clothes, necessities, and a journal. Ana and Clary perused the journal, and in the last couple of entries the writer revealed that they were instructed to leave home quickly and take a plane out of the country. In fact, he or she was told to get as far from other people as they could, with the definite implication of some sort of underlying danger.
- Malia & Damon discovered DEBRIS #5, a questionable but fresh animal carcass unlike anything they'd seen before. It seemed to have died on impact, though exactly what kind of impact is unknown.
- Pepper, Tony, Randel, Skye, and Clary investigated DEBRIS #6. This debris was small, a thermos-shaped metal canister caught on the riverbank, though it broke loose and drifted downriver before their eyes. They caught it, retrieved it, and took it home for Tony to bust into. Inside, they found $50,000 in hundreds. But the bills are a little off.
Good job on the investigations so far, guys! Quite a few previously-unknown clues were uncovered though all of the discovery you've already done.
MAY IN WAYWARD PINES
an overviewThe unrest sparked by the body's discovery back in March seems to have all but disappeared, evaporated away by the sunny days of late spring. Now that Wayward Pines no longer resembles a water park, things truly are back to normal. Or so they seem.
the weatherWhile the sun is still bright and clear in the sky, May brings an increase in rainfall.
More specifically, the days are still split 60/40 between sunny and cloudy skies, but most of the time, those clouds bring more than just a light sprinkle. Hope you've got a nice raincoat!
the townIt's another quiet, uneventful month here in Wayward Pines, so consider taking some time to show a little appreciation for the important people in your life! Give an apple to the educator who's made a personal difference to you on May 9th for National Teachers Day. If you have a mother (or just have a mothering type in your life), Mother's Day is on May 14th and French's is already stocking up on boxes of assorted chocolate. On May 20th, salute the many men and women in our little town who have put their lives on the line on Armed Forces Day. And last but not least, Sun Screen Day is celebrated on the 27th! Show your own body a little gratitude for all it does to protect you by slathering sun screen on it today and every day.
Additionally, with the warm weather the community pool will finally be opening again, though of course it will still be locked up for safety on those rainy days.
the 'town hall is listening' projectThis month will kick off our first Town Hall Is Listening poll! Characters will be given the opportunity to name an upcoming business set to be a hotspot for mingling and fun from here on out. This will be going up on the 10th on
a reward for good behaviorAs we've not heard of any new folks causing too much trouble so far, it's safe to say that everyone whose weapons were confiscated on the 1st of April will have received them one morning early this week, wrapped neatly in a box and accompanied by a note expressing appreciation for their good citizenship despite any stress and confusion their unfortunate case of amnesia might have caused.
Keep up the good work, folks!
other things of noteThe full moon this month occurs on May 10th.
New flyers have been posted in public locations. Where they once asked, "Have you seen this man?" with an employee photo of Dennis Kildorf, the former janitor of Wayward Pines Academy, they now sport that same photo and ask that if this man tries to approach you, do not engage. Instead, report to the Sheriff immediately. He's suffering from paranoia and delusions, and is a danger to himself and others.
In other news, two new policemen have been hired, bringing the force up to seven. On a regular day, the Sheriff can be found in his office, two officers are combing the woods, two others are patrolling the town (looking for any trouble that might be brewing, but also available in case anyone needs help), and the last two? ...Y'know, that's a good question.
MAY EVENT OVERVIEW
The full write-up for each event will be released in its own individual post shortly prior to the start of the event!)
MEMORY EVENT sudden recall MAY 15TH - 19TH The Mayor makes his first public address, and something about it feels inexplicably familiar. Y'know those memories that keep trickling in? Well, this one's real — and it's a doozy.
That about should cover it, but if it doesn't, feel free to ask questions! Questions specific to this month's happenings can go in the 'QUESTIONS' top-level, and the FAQ is always open for questions too.
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His body language is very tired. He probably doesn't sleep much, and it's unlikely that his diet's too great either. He smells like woods, and lack of a shower. He's been out here a while. For wording... Hm. He doesn't seem to be mincing words on her behalf, he's being really straight-up with her, he just doesn't want to cross a line where she's suddenly "involved".
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..... Also she'll give him her snack foods she's been saving from her backpack, Doritos and similar convenience store food.
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It was established, but not with anyone Laura might have heard from. He'll mention that he saw something he shouldn't have. He'll tell her not to follow the screaming in the woods. That's how you keep yourself safe and happy in Wayward Pines. Stay away from the screaming. Stay away from anything that looks like it doesn't belong. Doesn't matter how curious you are, there's no goin' back. Your life's never gonna be peaceful again.
He appreciates the food, thanks her earnestly. He hasn't had too much to eat lately. It helps a lot.
no subject