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character arrival. (light)
THE BEGINNING OF YOUR STORY
CHARACTER ARRIVAL
ARRIVAL: BORN ANEW
WHO ARE YOU NOW?
It is natural for many Sleepers to feel an innate sense of belonging in the Waking World. They can determine their own new strangeness and the connection they have with other Sleepers - but they won't know everything at once. Thankfully, that's what the Wakers are for.
Wakers take up the job of welcoming new Sleepers into the city and can be identified by their plain white robes. Anyone of any blood type or job ranking may participate in being a Waker. While most Wakers are Natives, Sleepers are encouraged to be Wakers as well since they know the experience personally. Some people do it once and a while whereas others do it on a monthly basis.
Wakers provide Sleepers with a few useful items to help them settle in. Sleepers can choose to refuse these items, but once they realize what a shitty idea that is, they can simply find a Waker and inform them that they need the Welcoming Bag.
THE WELCOMING BAG
Welcoming Bags come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and materials. Most look like they have seen better days, but you will find these bags are going to be one of the most user-friendly things in this city. The bags are completely indestructible. They can be as small as a coin purse or as large as a hiking backpack. Blood slides right off these bags and any fluid won't spill through which ensures everything inside will stay completely dry. There is also some sort of enchantment on the bag that keeps the scent completely neutral so you needn't worry about beasts and animals finding food in your bag either...But then again, if you lose the bag, you'll have a hell of a time finding it. Lost bags cannot be replaced - they have to be found or, well...Sucks to suck. Looks like you don't have your cool Welcoming Bag anymore. You could always steal someone else's but that would be pretty rude, probably.
These bags always wash up on shore every month with the new batch of Sleepers. Wakers can sense which bag belongs to which Sleeper which can help to find your bag a lot quicker. Sleepers can wind up with the wrong bag by accident and who knows - might be a good excuse to talk to someone new if you see they have some of your stuff!
While some Welcoming Bags may contain unique canon items, every single Welcoming Bag comes with the following items for all Sleepers regardless:
NEW ROBES
The new robes are provided so that Sleepers can have something to wear if they show up naked. These robes aren't just good for modesty though! Much like the Welcoming Bags, they are indestructible and resistant to blood and liquid. However, that is about the extent of their use. They aren't especially warm nor do they provide any sort of armored protection. They have a basic purpose and that's to get you into the city and get you through the initial process of showing up. It isn't completely unwise to keep these robes even after you stock up on new clothes. In this world, it's useful to have anything that blood can just slide off of. Might make for a good tarp someday or to lay over a puddle of blood for some hottie you're trying to impress. Plus who doesn't want a good set of robes that's completely fireproof. Very useful if you're ever around live flames or need something to set a fire on that won't spread. Robes can come in any color.
OMNI
This unique palm-sized crystal is actually your new communication device though it may not look it at first. When it isn't being used, the device truly does look like an ordinary dark crystal. But once it comes into contact with a Sleeper's touch, responding to Sleeper blood magic, the Omni comes to life. It gives the immediate temperature of your surroundings, the time, and the date. Its core can be used as a light when things are dark and it has an excellent range of sound. The Omni can also vibrate/flicker with light to replicate morse code.
The crystal has two sides: the flat and the round. While most communication is done on the flat side of the Omni, if you lay it flat-side down, the dome will create a widespread projection of whatever you are looking at. If you have a nice, smooth, blank wall then it could be a great way to play a movie or have some boring-ass business slideshow.
You can text, create audio, video, and take pictures with your Omni. It works a bit more smoothly than typical smartphones since it operates on blood magic. And since it operates on your blood magic specifically, your Omni will automatically adjust to your needs. This can include closed caption translations for videos, raised crystal surfaces for braille, altering the text to be easier to read, and other such accommodations.
Media from other worlds can be accessed through the Omni since it functions telepathically with Sleepers. In other words, if a Sleeper knows something exists then you can find it universally through the Omni network. It's called "Omni" for a reason! This can include media that exists in canon worlds but not our worlds (ex: you can find episodes of Pokemon on the Omni as well as episodes of Chinpokomon). This may invoke moments of fourth-walling but always ask permission. You do not need to participate in fourth-wall awareness. Media can be magically "censored" for those who don't want their characters finding out they're fictional.
The main network for Deer Country is deerNet which functions like a combination of Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Reddit. Characters can create their own unique apps and games for the device. There is no Youtube/Spotify, but there is an entertainment app known as DoeIt. This app also offers a wide range of music and movies and TV shows from contemporary times and beyond contemporary times - you might find some weird, new future movies (aka make something up). DoeIt is also the primary network used for advertising businesses. Hacking the Omni requires either an extensive understanding of technology or a high skill level in blood magic.
You can charge your Omni with blood or moonlight. It requires very little of either and will last for weeks on a few drops of blood or a few seconds spent in moonlight. The more often you use your Omni, the more often you will need to charge it. Omni are completely indestructible. If you ever lose your Omni, you can summon it by pooling some blood into your palm (your own or someone else's). Your Omni will surface from the blood and be good to go! Omni can store documents/photographs/other private documents. Characters can set up personalized inboxes/voicemails for easier communication. Some characters have multiple usernames so they can have a personal account and then a professional account.
10 INCENSE STICKS
A small bundle of incense can be found in your bag. The incense can be any color/scent. These are primarily useful for keeping your immediate area safe from beasts as the odor of incense seems to repel them. Incense can also be used to help soothe corrupt minds. Once burnt, these incense are finished with. Thankfully, there are locations within Trench to replenish your incense stash and it's encouraged to always have a couple on hand. Incense is not waterproof or blood resistant so you will want to be careful of where you light them.
CANTEEN
One canteen that automatically purifies any liquid put inside and can make it sustainable and safe to drink. The filthier the substance put in, the longer you will have to wait for the purification process. Can take anywhere between five minutes and one hour. The purified liquid can also be used to clean wounds. The canteen can be lost and destroyed.
BLANK JOURNAL
This journal is as customized to your character as the bag is. They can look like anything at all. Generally speaking, characters don't have to do anything at all with the journal. Folded up in each journal is a map of Trench and its surrounding areas. There may also be a few crudely written notes left behind by someone else in the very beginning about some tips on Trench. You can use this space to have your characters gain some quick, easy general information about the game such as information about blood types or jobs or what Pthumerians are. This is a useful option for those who dread reiterating the same exposition several times over.
LUNAR ORB
Lunar Orbs are the primary source of "energy" throughout Deer Country and Trench. One Lunar Orb is enough to "power" an entire home. This is an eco-friendly way of generating energy for lights and other "electronic" devices such as radios, TVs, game consoles, and the like. While the technology is designed for Deer Country, it has unique properties that respond well to other-worldly technology and is largely assumed to have been crafted by Moon Presence specifically for Sleepers to use. The more Lunar Orbs, the more power, and one can "collect" lunar energy into orbs and save them as a traveling generator type of power. You could bring your charged Lunar Orb with you on a camping trip and depend on it for warmth and light. A well-charged Lunar Orb glows like the moon while an uncharged Lunar Orb looks clear like glass. Lunar Orbs can be charged off of any moonlight whether organic moonlight or magically created moonlight. They do not require full moonlight either - the moonlight can come from a half-moon, etc.
LAMP FRIEND
One of these tiny (vaguely creepy) pale creatures will poke out of your bag at some point, groaning in an unsettling, but nonthreatening manner. They have absolutely no ill-will and despite their uncomfortable look, they are completely harmless if a little bit clingy and cuddly. You might think they're trying to choke you out, but you'll quickly find that they just want to hug their weird arms around your neck and hold on. But what's the point of them anyway...? You'll have a strong urge to not set yours down right away. Once you finally do, the Lamp Friend will burst into a bubbling smoke. When the smoke clears, a small, knee-high lamp will be where you set your Lamp Friend down...And the lamp will be surrounded by three new Lamp Friends. The Lamp Friends will moan cheerily (eerily?) around the glowing Lamp. Once you put your hand near the Lamp, you'll be able to feel a connection to all the other Lamp Locations throughout Trench. All of the districts have one primary Lamp Location clearly marked on our locations page.
You can safely choose which Lamp to teleport to at any time...And now your own lamp will be part of the Lamp Location network! The immediate area around any Lamp Location is completely safe from beasts/monsters/event shenanigans. This can be anywhere from a two-foot radius around the lamp to a fifteen-foot radius. It might be limited space, but it can mean the difference between life and death. It is said the groans of the Lamp Friends keep evil at bay and scares away terrible things. Once you have set your Lamp Friend down, the lamp location is permanent so you'll want to pick carefully. You can keep your Lamp Friend in your bag or on your shoulder for as long as you like and take your time deciding. The Lamp Friends eat nothing, but they do really like to wear cute accessories so if you give them a bow or a hat or a flower, they'll be delighted and immediately put it on. God, you'd die for this little guy and you only just met them.
Once a lamp is lit, nothing can put it out. It will serve as a permanent light in the dark. The only exception may be under an extreme event, but we will clarify if that's ever the case! If your lamps go out, you'll know shit's about to get real. If a character is dropped, their Lamp Friend will vanish into smoke.
Finding a Home/Finding a Job
Trench is filled with abandoned homes due to the high rate of death in this world. Many of the homes are built after architecture similar to what you would find in the 1600-1800s from all across the world. There are some modern flares here and there and one may even be able to find more contemporary styled homes. While Trench is largely inspired by 1600-1800s aesthetics, it still technically is far in the future and as such has a blended aesthetic to many of its buildings.
There are no street addresses like in traditional cities since natives of Trench believe it is too dangerous to make your home too easy to find. However, some Sleepers can choose to distinguish their homes with unique features such as odd paint colors, colored lamps, flags, or other landmarks. Characters can own multiple homes and move at any time. Characters are allowed to build new homes/tear down old ones.
Similarly, characters can find any old abandoned building and turn it into a character business. Characters can find jobs at one of the pre-established businesses on our locations page, but we strongly encourage players to make character-run businesses if they are interested!
As for the actual job roles in the city, it is as simple as a character picking up the trade on their own time. They do not need to formally "sign up" anywhere. The culture of the jobs is all throughout the city so it would be a quick and easy process for any Sleeper to understand what Hunters or Night Walkers or Architects truly do.
Characters do not need to live in an established building and/or have a job. Those are entirely optional. There are many civilians who do not work and many who live on the streets/or in unusual locations.
Canon Items Brought in via Applications
Small items that can be carried on one's person can be found in the Welcoming Bag. Larger items will be washed up on shore and Sleepers will physically have to look for them. Alternatively, one can have the items be in the city already relatively close to the Farther Shores for quick finding. Any pets brought along will be waiting on the beach for their owner, safe and sound. No items will be damaged by the journey...Unless you want them to be.
For Deerington-applicants, your character's house/business/similar locations can merely appear wherever you want them to within the city. They cannot be moved once you have chosen a location. Characters will have to find them by their own means. We will not moderate the process.
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CODINGCHARACTER ARRIVAL
Deer Country has a bit of an unusual arrival process since it technically is meant to represent reincarnation into a brand new life. This arrival is the same across the board for all characters and whenever a character dies and is reborn in the setting, they will repeat this same process. Every TDM will feature this arrival as its first prompt along with unique items/food on the boardwalk depending on the season to help welcome Sleepers. You do not need to play out this process but it is a process understood by all Sleepers to be true. All TDMs are game canon.
All characters born anew are meant to feel welcomed into this world and like they are allowed to let go of their old world. This game is heavily focused on the concept of reincarnation and second chances. Characters can obviously have conflicted feelings about their new life/leaving their old one behind, but generally speaking, the game's setting is meant to alleviate that challenge.
If you have any questions about the arrival process, please ask in a comment below.
All characters born anew are meant to feel welcomed into this world and like they are allowed to let go of their old world. This game is heavily focused on the concept of reincarnation and second chances. Characters can obviously have conflicted feelings about their new life/leaving their old one behind, but generally speaking, the game's setting is meant to alleviate that challenge.
If you have any questions about the arrival process, please ask in a comment below.
[NAVIGATION]
Arrival • New Identity • Welcoming Items • Blood Types • Employment • FAQ • Full Navigation
[Questions]
Arrival • New Identity • Welcoming Items • Blood Types • Employment • FAQ • Full Navigation
There is no beginning, no after. There is just you and the glittering field of flowers and a full pale, red moon in the sky. You have been here before. Once...Long ago. Before you were even a concept, a hope, a dream. You do not remember who that was, what you looked like, the life you lead, how you got here.
But you know what this is.
No mortal body tethers you to this world. You are the light that makes up the flowers and the breeze that makes them sway. You have inhabited every being briefly, for a scattering moment, and then you were gone. Memories pass through you and there is no pain, no joy, no agony, no relief. Only a cool recognition that life goes on, and you too go on with it. You know what this is. You have been waiting for it.
That field of flowers is a distant thought. A passing reality that soon feels like a dream, a foggy memory, or a story once known but now forgotten. That place is left behind, sand rushing beneath you, and that sand turns to ocean, and you are cast away with the current. There is no fear. There is nothing. You are going to where you were meant to be.
You have been freed from whatever body you had known and given a new one: a creature fairly similar to a small squid. You swim in a single direction, feeling a singular pull of power that is yours to take should you decide to. You realize that you would like to know what it is to Become Something. It is not enough to merely Be. There are dozens of others swimming in this current with you, gliding past you, and you hope you all make it to the same place. You have not known loneliness in some time, but you realize this is what you have been missing. Connection. You are done being alone.
You are brought ashore. Your new body is strange and feeble; it is awkward to be on land. Others wash up beside you. Some are pulled back out by the tide as soon as they are brought in and you mourn them briefly, knowing their chance for a new life will have to wait a little longer. You hope your own will start soon...And it does.
The beings of this world have been waiting for you. Wakers come to greet you, picking you up with careful arms and welcoming words.
"Hello, old friend. It is so good to see you again. I have missed you," they say, and they mean it, you can feel that they mean it. They do, in some way, know you. And you know them. "Shall we see what we can do about that body? I think if you try hard enough, you'll remember something more familiar."
And oh, you do. You remember coarse hair or bending of fingers. You remember a flash of eyes in a mirror, the stretch of skin. It comes slowly, piece by piece. A memory of the first time you tried lemonade reminds you of a tongue you once had. An old earworm kicks back up and lets you hear a song you haven't heard in ages. You remember the first time you felt silk beneath your fingers or the weight of a gun in your hands.
You find yourself again and when you do, your body begins to rearrange. You become dust and sand in the arms of your Waker, and you rearrange piece by piece and then, just like that, you are whole.
But you aren't exactly the same as you used to be. You can feel it in your core. Something is fundamentally different. You are born anew.
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But you know what this is.
No mortal body tethers you to this world. You are the light that makes up the flowers and the breeze that makes them sway. You have inhabited every being briefly, for a scattering moment, and then you were gone. Memories pass through you and there is no pain, no joy, no agony, no relief. Only a cool recognition that life goes on, and you too go on with it. You know what this is. You have been waiting for it.
That field of flowers is a distant thought. A passing reality that soon feels like a dream, a foggy memory, or a story once known but now forgotten. That place is left behind, sand rushing beneath you, and that sand turns to ocean, and you are cast away with the current. There is no fear. There is nothing. You are going to where you were meant to be.
You have been freed from whatever body you had known and given a new one: a creature fairly similar to a small squid. You swim in a single direction, feeling a singular pull of power that is yours to take should you decide to. You realize that you would like to know what it is to Become Something. It is not enough to merely Be. There are dozens of others swimming in this current with you, gliding past you, and you hope you all make it to the same place. You have not known loneliness in some time, but you realize this is what you have been missing. Connection. You are done being alone.
You are brought ashore. Your new body is strange and feeble; it is awkward to be on land. Others wash up beside you. Some are pulled back out by the tide as soon as they are brought in and you mourn them briefly, knowing their chance for a new life will have to wait a little longer. You hope your own will start soon...And it does.
The beings of this world have been waiting for you. Wakers come to greet you, picking you up with careful arms and welcoming words.
"Hello, old friend. It is so good to see you again. I have missed you," they say, and they mean it, you can feel that they mean it. They do, in some way, know you. And you know them. "Shall we see what we can do about that body? I think if you try hard enough, you'll remember something more familiar."
And oh, you do. You remember coarse hair or bending of fingers. You remember a flash of eyes in a mirror, the stretch of skin. It comes slowly, piece by piece. A memory of the first time you tried lemonade reminds you of a tongue you once had. An old earworm kicks back up and lets you hear a song you haven't heard in ages. You remember the first time you felt silk beneath your fingers or the weight of a gun in your hands.
You find yourself again and when you do, your body begins to rearrange. You become dust and sand in the arms of your Waker, and you rearrange piece by piece and then, just like that, you are whole.
But you aren't exactly the same as you used to be. You can feel it in your core. Something is fundamentally different. You are born anew.
This is the introduction for every character who enters the Waking World. Characters are removed from their own world without any realization and lose all sense of self, time, and space. They are temporarily transformed into a mini eldritch being that looks quite a lot like a squid! In this state, they have no genuine memory or thoughts or sense of time or awareness. They are merely following a natural current of events and wind up on the shores of the Waking World, and in the case of this game, outside of a city called Trench.
Wakers are citizens of Trench, either non-player characters or player characters, who take it upon themselves to go to the shore once a month during the full moon to collect these squid creatures and "awaken" them to this world. This is done through some unknown, great magic most attribute to the Old Ones. It is considered an enormous honor to help awaken the squids - also known as...Sleepers, for they are seen as a race that is unconscious to their new life and must be awoken.
All characters will have a faint memory of being in their squid forms, and it will be natural for many characters to regard this as their new "true form" that they will return to upon a "true death." It is culturally accepted that one day, all squids return to the ocean to pass on into their next life, or to go on to become something even greater.
Once awoken, characters manifest in their canonical bodies...For the most part. They will feel different and that difference comes from their new blood. Every character now has a unique blood type that provides them with unique abilities within the Waking World. They do not need to be told that blood is important in this world: they can feel that it is important. Please make sure to read thoroughly about how blood functions in this world as it's the main dynamic.
While the most traditional way of being reborn is washing up on the beach, you can choose to play characters in their canon bodies before reaching the beach and avoid writing out the transformation process altogether. Some characters might not even remember the actual transformation process. There will even be several TDM prompts where characters are in their canon bodies before they can safely make it to land. The role of Wakers is merely to make the process go quicker and be a little less startling.
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Reorienting Yourself
Typically, characters are reborn completely naked. However, Wakers do provide Welcoming Robes quickly. Alternatively, one can say that a Sleeper wakes up in thin robes. For those who seek a truly disturbing route, it is common for some Sleepers to be reborn with a bit of placenta-like material clinging to them. Characters who just wake up will have a disorientation period where they need to regain their senses/bodily functions. They will need to actively remember how to walk/talk/move. This can take a few minutes to reorient or several hours. Most characters feel like their usual selves within 24-48 hours.
Once characters have adjusted and settled into their new bodies and minds, they will start to remember their canon life and begin to pick back up on their usual personality. Memories and personality can take a few more days to come so don't be shocked if your best bud shows up on the shores only for them to act a little weird for a week. Who wouldn't act weird after an experience like that? Have you ever been transformed from an eldritch squid thing? Yeah, we didn't think so.
It is difficult to identify a specific squid as a specific character since there is a large variety of squids. Players may choose the appearance of their character squids.
Sleepers who do not "settle" into their bodies turn back into squids and return to the ocean. This explains the coming-and-going of characters who are seen on TDMs. Characters that have been dropped are also assumed to have shifted back into their true form and returned to the ocean. Sleepers cannot choose to return this form, but they can be aware of it happening.
Perhaps the most unique thing about being a Sleeper is that you do not feel an overwhelming pressure to go back. You're aware that you have gone beyond whatever life it is you used to lead, and while you might greatly miss your home, your family, your friends, you feel calm in knowing that the universe will bring you back together when it needs to happen. You have a deeper sense that you have a new purpose and this new purpose has brought you to the Waking World for a reason. You just need to figure out what that reason is.
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THE WAKERS: SETTLING IN
Wakers are citizens of Trench, either non-player characters or player characters, who take it upon themselves to go to the shore once a month during the full moon to collect these squid creatures and "awaken" them to this world. This is done through some unknown, great magic most attribute to the Old Ones. It is considered an enormous honor to help awaken the squids - also known as...Sleepers, for they are seen as a race that is unconscious to their new life and must be awoken.
All characters will have a faint memory of being in their squid forms, and it will be natural for many characters to regard this as their new "true form" that they will return to upon a "true death." It is culturally accepted that one day, all squids return to the ocean to pass on into their next life, or to go on to become something even greater.
Once awoken, characters manifest in their canonical bodies...For the most part. They will feel different and that difference comes from their new blood. Every character now has a unique blood type that provides them with unique abilities within the Waking World. They do not need to be told that blood is important in this world: they can feel that it is important. Please make sure to read thoroughly about how blood functions in this world as it's the main dynamic.
While the most traditional way of being reborn is washing up on the beach, you can choose to play characters in their canon bodies before reaching the beach and avoid writing out the transformation process altogether. Some characters might not even remember the actual transformation process. There will even be several TDM prompts where characters are in their canon bodies before they can safely make it to land. The role of Wakers is merely to make the process go quicker and be a little less startling.
Typically, characters are reborn completely naked. However, Wakers do provide Welcoming Robes quickly. Alternatively, one can say that a Sleeper wakes up in thin robes. For those who seek a truly disturbing route, it is common for some Sleepers to be reborn with a bit of placenta-like material clinging to them. Characters who just wake up will have a disorientation period where they need to regain their senses/bodily functions. They will need to actively remember how to walk/talk/move. This can take a few minutes to reorient or several hours. Most characters feel like their usual selves within 24-48 hours.
Once characters have adjusted and settled into their new bodies and minds, they will start to remember their canon life and begin to pick back up on their usual personality. Memories and personality can take a few more days to come so don't be shocked if your best bud shows up on the shores only for them to act a little weird for a week. Who wouldn't act weird after an experience like that? Have you ever been transformed from an eldritch squid thing? Yeah, we didn't think so.
It is difficult to identify a specific squid as a specific character since there is a large variety of squids. Players may choose the appearance of their character squids.
Sleepers who do not "settle" into their bodies turn back into squids and return to the ocean. This explains the coming-and-going of characters who are seen on TDMs. Characters that have been dropped are also assumed to have shifted back into their true form and returned to the ocean. Sleepers cannot choose to return this form, but they can be aware of it happening.
Perhaps the most unique thing about being a Sleeper is that you do not feel an overwhelming pressure to go back. You're aware that you have gone beyond whatever life it is you used to lead, and while you might greatly miss your home, your family, your friends, you feel calm in knowing that the universe will bring you back together when it needs to happen. You have a deeper sense that you have a new purpose and this new purpose has brought you to the Waking World for a reason. You just need to figure out what that reason is.
It is natural for many Sleepers to feel an innate sense of belonging in the Waking World. They can determine their own new strangeness and the connection they have with other Sleepers - but they won't know everything at once. Thankfully, that's what the Wakers are for.Wakers take up the job of welcoming new Sleepers into the city and can be identified by their plain white robes. Anyone of any blood type or job ranking may participate in being a Waker. While most Wakers are Natives, Sleepers are encouraged to be Wakers as well since they know the experience personally. Some people do it once and a while whereas others do it on a monthly basis.
Wakers provide Sleepers with a few useful items to help them settle in. Sleepers can choose to refuse these items, but once they realize what a shitty idea that is, they can simply find a Waker and inform them that they need the Welcoming Bag.
THE WELCOMING BAGWelcoming Bags come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and materials. Most look like they have seen better days, but you will find these bags are going to be one of the most user-friendly things in this city. The bags are completely indestructible. They can be as small as a coin purse or as large as a hiking backpack. Blood slides right off these bags and any fluid won't spill through which ensures everything inside will stay completely dry. There is also some sort of enchantment on the bag that keeps the scent completely neutral so you needn't worry about beasts and animals finding food in your bag either...But then again, if you lose the bag, you'll have a hell of a time finding it. Lost bags cannot be replaced - they have to be found or, well...Sucks to suck. Looks like you don't have your cool Welcoming Bag anymore. You could always steal someone else's but that would be pretty rude, probably.
These bags always wash up on shore every month with the new batch of Sleepers. Wakers can sense which bag belongs to which Sleeper which can help to find your bag a lot quicker. Sleepers can wind up with the wrong bag by accident and who knows - might be a good excuse to talk to someone new if you see they have some of your stuff!
While some Welcoming Bags may contain unique canon items, every single Welcoming Bag comes with the following items for all Sleepers regardless:
NEW ROBESThe new robes are provided so that Sleepers can have something to wear if they show up naked. These robes aren't just good for modesty though! Much like the Welcoming Bags, they are indestructible and resistant to blood and liquid. However, that is about the extent of their use. They aren't especially warm nor do they provide any sort of armored protection. They have a basic purpose and that's to get you into the city and get you through the initial process of showing up. It isn't completely unwise to keep these robes even after you stock up on new clothes. In this world, it's useful to have anything that blood can just slide off of. Might make for a good tarp someday or to lay over a puddle of blood for some hottie you're trying to impress. Plus who doesn't want a good set of robes that's completely fireproof. Very useful if you're ever around live flames or need something to set a fire on that won't spread. Robes can come in any color.
OMNIThis unique palm-sized crystal is actually your new communication device though it may not look it at first. When it isn't being used, the device truly does look like an ordinary dark crystal. But once it comes into contact with a Sleeper's touch, responding to Sleeper blood magic, the Omni comes to life. It gives the immediate temperature of your surroundings, the time, and the date. Its core can be used as a light when things are dark and it has an excellent range of sound. The Omni can also vibrate/flicker with light to replicate morse code.
The crystal has two sides: the flat and the round. While most communication is done on the flat side of the Omni, if you lay it flat-side down, the dome will create a widespread projection of whatever you are looking at. If you have a nice, smooth, blank wall then it could be a great way to play a movie or have some boring-ass business slideshow.
You can text, create audio, video, and take pictures with your Omni. It works a bit more smoothly than typical smartphones since it operates on blood magic. And since it operates on your blood magic specifically, your Omni will automatically adjust to your needs. This can include closed caption translations for videos, raised crystal surfaces for braille, altering the text to be easier to read, and other such accommodations.
Media from other worlds can be accessed through the Omni since it functions telepathically with Sleepers. In other words, if a Sleeper knows something exists then you can find it universally through the Omni network. It's called "Omni" for a reason! This can include media that exists in canon worlds but not our worlds (ex: you can find episodes of Pokemon on the Omni as well as episodes of Chinpokomon). This may invoke moments of fourth-walling but always ask permission. You do not need to participate in fourth-wall awareness. Media can be magically "censored" for those who don't want their characters finding out they're fictional.
The main network for Deer Country is deerNet which functions like a combination of Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Reddit. Characters can create their own unique apps and games for the device. There is no Youtube/Spotify, but there is an entertainment app known as DoeIt. This app also offers a wide range of music and movies and TV shows from contemporary times and beyond contemporary times - you might find some weird, new future movies (aka make something up). DoeIt is also the primary network used for advertising businesses. Hacking the Omni requires either an extensive understanding of technology or a high skill level in blood magic.
You can charge your Omni with blood or moonlight. It requires very little of either and will last for weeks on a few drops of blood or a few seconds spent in moonlight. The more often you use your Omni, the more often you will need to charge it. Omni are completely indestructible. If you ever lose your Omni, you can summon it by pooling some blood into your palm (your own or someone else's). Your Omni will surface from the blood and be good to go! Omni can store documents/photographs/other private documents. Characters can set up personalized inboxes/voicemails for easier communication. Some characters have multiple usernames so they can have a personal account and then a professional account.
10 INCENSE STICKSA small bundle of incense can be found in your bag. The incense can be any color/scent. These are primarily useful for keeping your immediate area safe from beasts as the odor of incense seems to repel them. Incense can also be used to help soothe corrupt minds. Once burnt, these incense are finished with. Thankfully, there are locations within Trench to replenish your incense stash and it's encouraged to always have a couple on hand. Incense is not waterproof or blood resistant so you will want to be careful of where you light them.
CANTEENOne canteen that automatically purifies any liquid put inside and can make it sustainable and safe to drink. The filthier the substance put in, the longer you will have to wait for the purification process. Can take anywhere between five minutes and one hour. The purified liquid can also be used to clean wounds. The canteen can be lost and destroyed.
BLANK JOURNALThis journal is as customized to your character as the bag is. They can look like anything at all. Generally speaking, characters don't have to do anything at all with the journal. Folded up in each journal is a map of Trench and its surrounding areas. There may also be a few crudely written notes left behind by someone else in the very beginning about some tips on Trench. You can use this space to have your characters gain some quick, easy general information about the game such as information about blood types or jobs or what Pthumerians are. This is a useful option for those who dread reiterating the same exposition several times over.
LUNAR ORBLunar Orbs are the primary source of "energy" throughout Deer Country and Trench. One Lunar Orb is enough to "power" an entire home. This is an eco-friendly way of generating energy for lights and other "electronic" devices such as radios, TVs, game consoles, and the like. While the technology is designed for Deer Country, it has unique properties that respond well to other-worldly technology and is largely assumed to have been crafted by Moon Presence specifically for Sleepers to use. The more Lunar Orbs, the more power, and one can "collect" lunar energy into orbs and save them as a traveling generator type of power. You could bring your charged Lunar Orb with you on a camping trip and depend on it for warmth and light. A well-charged Lunar Orb glows like the moon while an uncharged Lunar Orb looks clear like glass. Lunar Orbs can be charged off of any moonlight whether organic moonlight or magically created moonlight. They do not require full moonlight either - the moonlight can come from a half-moon, etc.
LAMP FRIENDOne of these tiny (vaguely creepy) pale creatures will poke out of your bag at some point, groaning in an unsettling, but nonthreatening manner. They have absolutely no ill-will and despite their uncomfortable look, they are completely harmless if a little bit clingy and cuddly. You might think they're trying to choke you out, but you'll quickly find that they just want to hug their weird arms around your neck and hold on. But what's the point of them anyway...? You'll have a strong urge to not set yours down right away. Once you finally do, the Lamp Friend will burst into a bubbling smoke. When the smoke clears, a small, knee-high lamp will be where you set your Lamp Friend down...And the lamp will be surrounded by three new Lamp Friends. The Lamp Friends will moan cheerily (eerily?) around the glowing Lamp. Once you put your hand near the Lamp, you'll be able to feel a connection to all the other Lamp Locations throughout Trench. All of the districts have one primary Lamp Location clearly marked on our locations page.
You can safely choose which Lamp to teleport to at any time...And now your own lamp will be part of the Lamp Location network! The immediate area around any Lamp Location is completely safe from beasts/monsters/event shenanigans. This can be anywhere from a two-foot radius around the lamp to a fifteen-foot radius. It might be limited space, but it can mean the difference between life and death. It is said the groans of the Lamp Friends keep evil at bay and scares away terrible things. Once you have set your Lamp Friend down, the lamp location is permanent so you'll want to pick carefully. You can keep your Lamp Friend in your bag or on your shoulder for as long as you like and take your time deciding. The Lamp Friends eat nothing, but they do really like to wear cute accessories so if you give them a bow or a hat or a flower, they'll be delighted and immediately put it on. God, you'd die for this little guy and you only just met them.
Once a lamp is lit, nothing can put it out. It will serve as a permanent light in the dark. The only exception may be under an extreme event, but we will clarify if that's ever the case! If your lamps go out, you'll know shit's about to get real. If a character is dropped, their Lamp Friend will vanish into smoke.
Trench is filled with abandoned homes due to the high rate of death in this world. Many of the homes are built after architecture similar to what you would find in the 1600-1800s from all across the world. There are some modern flares here and there and one may even be able to find more contemporary styled homes. While Trench is largely inspired by 1600-1800s aesthetics, it still technically is far in the future and as such has a blended aesthetic to many of its buildings.
There are no street addresses like in traditional cities since natives of Trench believe it is too dangerous to make your home too easy to find. However, some Sleepers can choose to distinguish their homes with unique features such as odd paint colors, colored lamps, flags, or other landmarks. Characters can own multiple homes and move at any time. Characters are allowed to build new homes/tear down old ones.
Similarly, characters can find any old abandoned building and turn it into a character business. Characters can find jobs at one of the pre-established businesses on our locations page, but we strongly encourage players to make character-run businesses if they are interested!
As for the actual job roles in the city, it is as simple as a character picking up the trade on their own time. They do not need to formally "sign up" anywhere. The culture of the jobs is all throughout the city so it would be a quick and easy process for any Sleeper to understand what Hunters or Night Walkers or Architects truly do.
Characters do not need to live in an established building and/or have a job. Those are entirely optional. There are many civilians who do not work and many who live on the streets/or in unusual locations.
Small items that can be carried on one's person can be found in the Welcoming Bag. Larger items will be washed up on shore and Sleepers will physically have to look for them. Alternatively, one can have the items be in the city already relatively close to the Farther Shores for quick finding. Any pets brought along will be waiting on the beach for their owner, safe and sound. No items will be damaged by the journey...Unless you want them to be.
For Deerington-applicants, your character's house/business/similar locations can merely appear wherever you want them to within the city. They cannot be moved once you have chosen a location. Characters will have to find them by their own means. We will not moderate the process.