doeit | frequently asked questions.

Our Frequently Asked Questions is a valuable resource for players as a reference point for immediate information about the core mechanics of the game. We hope to have covered the basics, but for any lingering questions please feel free to ask in a comment below.

We urge all players to look at all information pages prior to asking further questions.

TIP: using "CTRL+F" and typing in a keyword or phrase can help find what answer you're looking for in a matter of seconds. This is useful on all information posts as well as game events.

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OOC Mechanics • Character Mechanics • Setting Mechanics • Technology and Setting

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OOC MECHANICS

What is the connection to Deerington?

Deer Country is the outcome of our first game deerington. The setting and locations of this game were determined based on the choices characters made at the end of Deerington. Deerington had been based on fourth-wall and dream horror, but Deer Country takes place in the Waking World - aka, the reality that had always been beneath Deerington. Deerington was Chapter 1 and Deer Country is Chapter 2.

Do I need to have played in Deerington or be familiar in order to play here?

Absolutely not! Deer Country is a fresh page with fresh concepts, game mechanics, and a brand new setting. While there are some elements and lore directly influenced by Deerington's end, this game is meant to function as an independent story. This story can be enjoyed by Deerington veterans and brand new players equally.

What kind of horror content should I anticipate?

The overarching theme will be heavily inspired by Lovecraftian horror with reoccurring themes of blood, gore, monsters, thalassophobia, body horror, unknowable horrors, overwhelming dread, and madness. Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Silent Hill, Stephen King, Junji Ito, and HP Lovecraft are large inspirations for the aesthetics and themes in this game. You do not need to be familiar with any of those franchises/artists to enjoy the game.

Will there be other themes present in-game? Will there be fourth-walling?

Fourth-walling was a prominent element in Deerington but will not be a prominent element in Deer Country. It may come up per character discussion and there will be some events that refer to how the characters come from stories, but any and all fourth walling will be done in a story-driven, respectful way and not lean on crack-tropes.

Occasionally, other genres of horror may be present during unique events or used to tie into our reoccurring themes.

There may be themes of sex, drugs, alcohol, moral dilemmas, and other mature themes. We encourage players to be comfortable with the majority of these themes before joining our game. We encourage players to be open and clear about what their personal limitations are before interacting with each other.

All violent or sexual content must be content warned appropriately.

What are your requirements for content warnings and permissions pages?

We require all violent and/or sexual content to be tagged appropriately. We leave it up to players to determine how detailed they need to be in their content warnings as some players have different limitations than others.

Because of this, we ask all of our players have a filled-out Permissions Page available on their journal upon entering the game that can be used as a reference point for other players. If you need tags for anything in particular, this is the place to make it known! If you do not have a code for this, you can use our template here.

How old do I need to be to play in the game?

All players must be 18+ due to the content of the game.

What is the pacing of the game? What does AC look like?

There will be one mod-created event per month. Each event will be accompanied by a Newsletter.

Each month will feature a TDM that can be considered game canon for those interested.

We consider ourselves a medium-to-high paced game with a ratio of 1:1 for real days to game days. We will try to provide mingle-friendly prompts per event so that those who need a break or those new to the setting have a way to still be involved while able to take things a bit slower.

Activity Checks start on the 1st of every month. The general requirements are some combination of 10 Network Comments and/or 5 Log Comments with flexible options. Please reference our Activity Check page for further information about AC expectations.

What are the Newsletters about?

Newsletters will be posted towards the end of each month to detail changes in the setting whether through the climate, atmospheric shifts, or other unique event-relevant shifts for the upcoming month. These posts will include the month's calendar and any important mod announcements.

The Newsletter will also include what we call Impact Summaries. These Impact Summaries will provide players a chance to explain what their characters have been doing or planning that other characters would be aware of. Impact Summaries are voluntary.

What can I expect from a typical event?

Each event will have three styles of prompts: Mingling, Mysteries, and Monsters. The idea is that each event will have slow-medium-fast options. Events may vary in which of the prompts is more important, but generally speaking there should be something for everyone's preferred style/pacing. Each event will contribute to the overall worldbuilding/lore/community building elements of this game one way or another.

Who runs the game and where do I go if I have questions?

You can meet our mod team over on our mod contact page! We have specific mods designated to specific sections of the game so if you know your question has to do with the event or AC then we'd strongly recommend asking the mods in charge of those sections!

The Mod Contact page is also where you can leave feedback or suggestions on the game. This is a good place to reach out if you are having issues with another player.

If you have general game questions, please feel free to leave a comment below and we will get to you as soon as possible!

I've been waiting on a question/mod response for a while. How do I get an update?

Please reach out to our team! We try to keep up to speed on questions throughout the game but sometimes things get lost or someone thought they answered something. Never feel shy to ask for an update on any lingering questions! It may take a few days for us to answer certain things, but it should never take longer than a week and if you find yourself waiting around that long, let us know! Additionally, we will be posting "house cleaning" posts along with our activity check results each month which will be an opportunity for players to ask about anything they might be waiting on!

How does your application process work? What kind of characters can I apply as?

We will post a fresh application post to countryclub every 1st of the month to open that's month's application cycle. Applications will be open from the 1st to the 5th.

For further information about the kind of characters we accept, how many characters you can play, and other such questions, please reference our Applications Information page here.

You can locate the application form on this page as well as explanations as to what we are looking for and how to fill out the application.

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CHARACTER MECHANICS

Is my character's "true form" actually a squid now?

Yup! Or well, they were, before they were reborn/reincarnated into their original canon body! This game is about the concept of rebirth and second chances, and Sleepers realizing they now have a new "original form" is intended to give them assurance that anything is possible. This also connects them as part of the unique bridge between humanity and Pthumerians. You never need to actually play any of the squid-stuff out, and it's all structured to be easily hand-waved by those uninterested, but it is a weird, unique truth to this world! Yes, you can totally choose what your character's squid-self looks like and if you're genuinely interested, you can even have them be able to transform back and forth between their squid-self and their canon-typical looking self.

What does this mean for my character's abilities and powers? Or lack thereof?

All characters are given "new" enhanced blood that distinguishes them from regular people/animals. There are different types of blood - and don't worry! There's a completely neutral type that lets your character remain exactly as they were in canon. This just allows their blood to interact with the society and magic around them.

We do leave the magic system extremely open-ended so that players can choose a way they want to have their characters experience their own sense of magic. You can either go with what we have listed already or invent abilities that fit within a certain blood type's parameters. As long as the powers make sense and are not directly contradictory to our system, we'll likely say yes. Always feel free to ask! Please make sure to read the Blood Types page very carefully to better understand!

My character is called a Sleeper - but they don't really sleep. Does this matter?

Nope! "Sleeper" was derived from Deerington and is now used as a general term for all beings taken from other worlds. They are called Sleepers to distinguish them from ordinary humans/animals/Pthumerians/Old Ones. Sleepers are also believed to need "waking up" into the Waking World during their rebirth process.

What happens when a character leaves? Do characters know when others leave?

You can check out what happens when a character leaves on our drop/hiatus page!

Can characters age?

Yes and no! Sleepers will have the unique ability to stop their own aging should they master their blood magic. They will be able to "slow down" the aging process of their own bodies. On the other hand, characters will have to consciously learn how to do this and if they don't, they will age as they typically would/wouldn't.

What about death? My character is immortal!

All Sleepers in this world are considered "spiritually immortal" and this has to do with their new abilities allowing them to be "reborn" multiple times. Since there are all-powerful Pthumerians and Old Ones around, no Sleeper is truly "immortal" in their canonized bodies - even if they were immortal in their original worlds. We won't ask you to explain it on your applications, but all Sleepers are vulnerable to at least one kind of death (if not many more!) Read more about character death here.

Can characters get pregnant?

Currently, no, but this is likely to change with future events.

Can characters get sick? My character has abilities that prevent them from getting sick!

Characters with immunity towards traditional diseases like the flu or such things will still maintain that immunity, but will still be vulnerable to the blood diseases of Deer Country that exist to directly impact Sleepers through their unique blood. These diseases will be presented through events and updated to the character mechanics page as they happen. Disease will not be a primary focus of the game whatsoever - so don't worry! This isn't meant to be a game about a pandemic or a world filled with sickness. The ultimate "disease" that plagues this world is beasthood and corruption and therefore most diseases that happen will be centric to that theme or pertain to psychological horror.

My character is like SUPER OP...Can they still be obnoxiously powerful and world/reality destroying here?

Kind of yes, kind of no! This world functions in a way that encourages Sleepers to be extremely powerful...However, even the most powerful Sleeper is incapable of being as powerful as the strongest Pthumerian and both Sleepers and Pthumerians are incomparable to the Old Ones. The Old Ones are embodiments of concepts. Per Deer Country canon, they are truly the strongest things in existence.

We have set up the game so that between the Pthumerians and Old Ones, even the most "OP" of Sleepers will still be slammed down by one of these two godlike beings. Your character can certainly try to alter reality, but another reality-warping Pthumerian will pop up and stop them before they can accomplish it. This creates a naturally nerfed world. And please! Have fun with creating a Pthumerian to do this to your character - there are thousands of Pthumerians that exist and you can always invent one on the spot for some sort of player plot.

What if my character isn't so good with blood? What if they wouldn't willingly give their blood?

Wow this sucks for them.

Really though! Most technology and elements of the game will merely react to a character's blood being "close enough" to provide its magical influence. The general setting does encourage regular "light" blood sacrifices through a prick of a finger but it is not required. Characters can learn to use their blood magic without having to shed it as they can physically "feel" their own magic once they focus enough. Similarly, they can use other's blood and rely on blood vials to perform certain things in-game which is why blood vials are so readily accessible throughout the setting.

How do language barriers work in this world?

Sleeper Blood allows Sleepers to have a natural connection with one another. This gift essentially speeds up the process of language attrition or acquisition and characters will have more direct control over how good they are at this magically enhanced skill.

However, this will actually require characters to want to understand one another and have to try to understand each other. Some Sleepers might pick up this translation ability more quickly than others - it is entirely up to players. This blood magic will also allow for characters to possibly accidentally slip into speaking completely different languages without even realizing it. Characters will be able to consciously change what language they are speaking as we do in real life. It will allow for more autonomy over a character's linguistic choices. Accents can be picked up on if characters realize they are speaking different languages.

An IC example of this telepathic-styled "translation" magic might look:

Swedish Speaker: Hey how are you doing?
English Speaker: Sorry I don't speak Swedish.
Swedish Speaker: You're speaking it right now.
English Speaker: I am?
Swedish Speaker: Yes, you just responded to me in Swedish.
English Speaker: But you're speaking English to me right now.
Swedish Speaker: No I'm speaking Swedish right now.

This is very flexible. For those who have zero linguistic interest, feel free to just handwave the ability. Others can use this as a chance to explore actual language barriers and have their characters be forced to hone a new skill.

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SETTING MECHANICS

Where the hell are we?

Welcome to Deer Country - and a city in Deer Country somewhere off the coast of maybe what was possibly once Maine...Then again, there's no actual way to confirm that since between the time Sodder died and the time this world was created, the entire world shifted positions and while it may still be earth, nothing is recognizable as it was once was. Trench is a thriving city in Deer Country and all of this takes place in what is known as "The Waking World" - aka the new term for "Planet Earth" basically. For a simpler breakdown:

Deerington -> Maine -> America -> Planet Earth

Trench -> ??? -> Deer Country -> The Waking World

There are vast places beyond Trench and even Deer Country. Some of the vaguely known locations are Sparrow Country, The Hound Isles and Sphinx Lands. Trench has been in trade with other cities nearby, but again, it's dangerous to travel the roads and some cities have already been completely destroyed by rampaging beasts. Maybe one day you'll be able to see some of those cities at some of the events...Anything is possible.

How does time work? Months? Holidays?

Time and months work the exact same as they usually do in our world! However, there are new unique holidays associated with the Patron Pthumerians. All old-world holidays such as Christmas or Halloween or New Years Even no longer exist - but there will still be nods to these old-world holidays through events and an homage to Deer Country's own brand of celebration.

What are the seasons like?

Trench has three seasons:

Season of Bone: November, December, January, February. The winter months and considered symbolically as the Season of Rebirth.

Season of Tears: March, April, May, June. The spring months and considered symbolically as the Season of Life.

Season of Blood: July, August, September, October. The hotter months and autumn- not considered a traditional summer since there are long periods of cold, dreary weather and it only temporarily "warms up" like a real summer. This is considered symbolically as the Season of Death.

What is nature like?

Nature in this world is harsh. Animals and humans/Sleepers are all susceptible to the blood magic of the world and that means they're all vulnerable to turning into beasts and corrupt beings. Beasts are not synonymous with "animals" in this world.

Since the blood in this world is so pungent and potent, it is both its savior and its killer. Blood pollution ruins this world. This makes the land infertile and harsh and only true masters of growing things, perhaps with Sleeper or Pthumerian abilities, seem capable to grow anything edible or useful...But nature does always prevail and it's not all terrible. This world has also created unique, amazing plant life and new animals that will be explored throughout various events. The hardiest thing in this world is mushrooms and fish.

Can characters go beyond Trench?

The idea is that this is an open world...That is extremely talented at destroying life. The Waking World is extremely dangerous no matter how strong the individual is who seeks farther lands. It is possible to leave Trench, but doing so pulls you further away from society and thus weakens your powers. Sleepers are kept powerful by being near other Sleepers - their blood reacts positively to one another and maintaining connections is why Sleepers can survive so successfully in this world.

Leaving them behind or even staying in tiny, isolated groups will eventually weaken even the strongest Sleepers. Traveling far away from Trench, while possible, will almost certainly lead to horrifying deaths. At this time, players are allowed to submit player plot requests to discover tiny locations near Trench. We will occasionally provide unique plots for characters to be able to take safer journeys in larger groups to new areas.

Pthumerians and beasts rule this world and most of them are talented at keeping Sleepers. Venturing to the sky is arguably even more dangerous than venturing by sea and the risk of dying or brutal maiming is high in both. If you'd like to submit a player plot of your character failing horribly at attempting either - always feel free

Characters who can teleport will need to be able to see where they are going first. Similarly, characters who can travel through realities/realms will discover that if they attempt to leave this realm, they will have an extremely violent encounter with other reality-traveling/bending Pthumerians that are much stronger that will either kill them or send them back. We aren't warping powers anymore - but this world does exist in such a way that it will naturally keep leaving it/defeating it nerfed within the setting.

How can my character avoid bloodshed? If blood is so bad for this world why don't people just avoid it?

The world is meant to be paradoxical in nature. Most bloodshed comes from people defending themselves. Blood unlocks power but makes that power unstable. There's no real way to avoid bloodshed. A common phrase in this world is "bleed responsibly."

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TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Do electronic devices even work in this world?

Yes! Just not the way they work in our world. All technology in Deer Country is powered by the moon. The moon gives off massive pulses of magical energy that can be easily converted into energy for running technology. It's eco-friendly and sustainable! It works similarly to solar energy but...you know. Magic. Similarly, if all else fails, technology reacts to the magic in Sleeper's blood. The usable energy in this game is known simply as Lunar Energy.

Does the whole city run on Lunar Energy?

Yup! Like with Solar Pannels, there are Lunar Orbs throughout the entire city that collects moonlight. They glow silver at night which helps provide convenient street lighting but also serves as the power source throughout the city. Lunar Orbs can be the size of a basketball or bigger than a car. The bigger the orb, the more power it generates, which is why you can see large Lunar Orbs in higher-tech areas like Cellar Door. It is said that if you sit against a Lunar Orb, you will actually begin to feel more energized yourself!

These Lunar Orbs look like crystal balls. There is usually the appearance of "smoke" swirling around inside though some are completely solid in color. You can get small Lunar Orbs for your home if you would like a more direct, consistent source of Lunar Energy. Many residential homes already come with a Lunar Orb perched on the roof.

How does Lunar Energy differentiate from normal electricity?

Storms don't knock it out! Nothing really seems to. Lunar energy is gathered and stored inside of Lunar Orbs which means even if the moon was destroyed from the sky, you would still have about a hundred years' worth of Lunar Energy to work with.

Lunar Energy is more reliable. If something electronic is glitching, it is usually because of the actual device itself - not the Lunar Energy.

However, Lunar Orbs can be destroyed and if that happens, all that Lunar Energy is lost. Thankfully, things can be replaced! ...Usually. Unusual events/monsters may also temporarily block Lunar Energy.

How do lamp friends play into this?

Lamp Friends are an unusual magic-based creature that exist to help Sleepers out. Sleepers can touch Lamp Friends to teleport to different lamp locations throughout the game. You have to have been at a location previously in order to be able to teleport to its lamp location.

What other ways are there to travel?

The primary way of traveling is through horseback and carriages. There are some standard cars but most people avoid them since their exhausts can be extremely loud. Other unique forms of transportation such as ships, hovercrafts, etc are also allowed. But again, the louder it is, the more dangerous it likely will be. Also, be realistic about size. Do not bring in crafts that would be the size of a small city.

What is the currency like in Deer Country?

Deer Country doesn't have any monetary currency but it does greatly value a classic trade and barter system. There does seem to be a great value towards gems, crystals, fossils, rocks, and shiny items in general within the setting. These items are either valued for their beauty or used for building other goods. Finding a really cool rock in this world can therefore be the equivalent of finding a twenty-dollar bill.

So why should my character get a job then? What kind of jobs even exist in this world?

These are not "traditional" jobs in that characters are not doing them for reward-based incentives. Jobs are people's passions and connect everyone within the community: no job is undervalued in this world. These jobs function a lot like DnD classes.

There are a variety of jobs that suit just about every kind of character there is and the various skillsets that exist. Jobs are directly connected to how characters use their magic in the setting and can play a significant role in their experiences. The careers have a deep history in this world and almost act as a socio-political aspect to society.

You can read about the various job paths characters can take on the Jobs Information page. Characters do not need to have a job.

Is there class division then if there is no real currency?

Not exactly! In this world, there is a moral division between those who value a practical means of living vs those who believe in a pleasurable way of living. Your character doesn't have to believe in either and can live a blended lifestyle. Practical people tend to care more about functionality and reasonable use of items whereas pleasurable people believe in having fun and enjoying life instead of just surviving it.

What is gender like in this kind of world?

It is extremely flexible! While many natives identify with the pronouns of their assigned-at-birth sex, many use gender-neutral terms and it is seen as polite to refer to someone with gender-neutrality until otherwise confirmed. The gender binary is far less prevalent in this society considering the overwhelming presence of gender-ambiguous beings dominating the cosmic sphere of the world. Many creatures, humanoid and otherwise, in this world, do not conform to "typical" gendered descriptors. As such, there is no such thing as traditional "Gender Roles" in this society. Men wear dresses as commonly as women and it's typically seen as a choice of style rather than gender performance. Women do not feel pressured to submit to pressured expectations such as shaving or wearing make-up and those who choose to do so genuinely typically do it for themselves.

There are ideas and traditions of courtship that involve altering appearances, but these are not based on typical gender norms either and will be explored through events.

It is commonplace and expected to respect people's identifiers and names. No one asks why someone may ask to be called a different name or react to someone correcting pronouns - they simply just do it.

What about things like homophobia, sexism, racism, ableism etc?

While Deerington took place in a 1950s town, Deer Country takes place several hundred years into the future beyond a society that has ended and rebuilt itself. There is no blatant discrimination against people due to their sexuality, race, or gender. As for ableism, people with disabilities of any kind are widely respected. It is seen as socially expected to make accessible options for anyone who needs it.

Although there is no discrimination, there has also been a widespread erasure of the significance of earth's history in relation to discrimination. Many natives of the new world aren't familiar with discrimination and may at times show insensitivity towards the subject due to not fully believing such things could happen.

This is a world that believes everyone is inherently equally capable and therefore sometimes struggles with providing help to those who need it. There is an unusual mixed cultural contradiction of "everyone for themselves" and "we can only defeat the evil by unity." The same person building an accessible ramp one day might wind up the person locking you out on a night filled with monsters the next day.

What kind of bonding relationships last in this world?

There will eventually be "Blood Pacts" that can unify people with close relationships: familial, romantic, or platonic. Blood Pacts will be introduced through an event and will allow certain relationships unique magic-based advantages. More information about this will be provided in the future.

What about marriage?

There is no formal or proper way to do this in Deer Country. Most couples simply get one another gifts and call it a day - but Sleepers are welcome to have whatever marriage ceremonies they are interested in. There is no "legal" marriage in this world. More formal marriage practices will be provided during the Blood Pact event.

What about laws in general? How do those work?

This is a world that functions on a code of morals rather than abides by any legal system. There are no formal, legal punishments for anything but people will fulfill certain punishments for crimes as they see fit. For example, if you are caught stealing from someone, that person might decide to cut your fingers off is an ample punishment and no one in this society would blink twice. After all, once you commit a crime against an individual, they see it as you opening yourself up to whatever punishment might be handed to you. On the other hand, someone might consider theft a petty thing and might simply force you to clean up their shop for the day to pay back what you stole.

This has lead to several complicated situations - after all, at what point does the revenge go too far itself? At what point does justice become sadistic or outweigh the actual crime? It can be as messy as it sounds and can at times create a bit of an anarchist society. On the other hand, it also lets society reclaim itself and it means there aren't a bunch of arbitrary laws that only hurt certain groups of people. Guess you win some, you lose some with this one.

What is religion like in this society?

All of our world's religions will have faded out of society's memory by the time Deer Country comes into existence. This society is open to Sleepers own religious beliefs and will be both fascinated and eager to learn about what Sleepers believe in. Many Deerians believe fundamentally in the ancient/mythical power of deer and consider them to be religious creatures.

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CODING

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

In regards to Riteor, his temple, the new city, etc.... is there a stronger sense of corruption around anything related to him? Anything extra in relation to corruption or corruptive energies that characters sensitive to that kind of thing could perceive around anything related to him/his temple/effigies? Or his followers in the Other Trench?

Basically, is he just a dick or is there something that might lead characters to believe he, the temple, or his followers are actually corrupted? Or other things that may show up to characters with 1) the ability to see (corrupted) souls, 2) general spiritual sight/sensitivity, 3) the able to see and track cursed energy.

Ehehe, sorry! We've got a party going to the city with abilities like that trying to learn more if there's anything to indicate there's actually something wrong with him that could be cured/purified/exorcised.

Much stronger. There will be a clear feeling that Riteior himself has been heavily corrupted, bordering on Beasthood for a Pthumerian, but there's enough of a sense that he hasn't hit that point. There's also a sense that his corruption has practically fuzed to his soul in such a way that to try and cure it could possibly destroy him entirely.

Those who follow him will also have varying levels of corruption and usually try to make sure they stay in that state, with some being completely unhinged in how high they allow their levels to go, and some being more hesitant and doing their best to stay in lower levels of corruption (they are not seen to be quite as dedicated and are often looked down upon by other followers).

The city will have higher amount of blood pollution and the heavy levels of corruption will be easily felt in the vines and plantlife that grow throughout it.

I FEEL LIKE A KID ON CHRISTMAS, THIS IS AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE and absolutely something I am going to ask a million questions for and submit as a player plot. Moving to the Mod Contact so as not to clutter and keep it a surprise!

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