imeeji_backstage | event: maintenance hell

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event

event: maintenance hell

Hello, this is the start of our August event: Maintenance Hell! This will be running from August 3rd to August 16th. How will this work? Well, come take a look!

How did this happen? What's going on?
Someone punched a hole into Tokyo F, which unrelated characters saw as a shooting star. We won't name any names though.

Because the city is damaged - or maybe just because this was ~planned all along~, absolutely believe us, says trustworthy source Pythia and her people - it's undergoing maintenance. In the meantime, while they're getting things worked out, your characters have been ~~dumped~~ taken to Hell! (This is temporary, which is known IC if you can believe what the shadow girls are saying, but how long this is lasting for is not.)

Your character will start in Liar Hell or Vengeance Hell - possibly with some ~new additions~ to better fit in with the locale(?).

Do you mean corruptions?
Yes, we mean corruptions. Here are some ground rules:
• Most all physical corruptions are permanent. If you start out in Vengeance Hell, it's absolutely permanent. (Mental corruptions can be switched out for physical corruptions, though not the other way around.)

• If you start out in Liar Hell, the corruptions may be temporary (OOC choice!): as the local denizens expect you to also have demonic features, and Liar Hell is a very special place in particular, now you've got them! The power of suggestion and a few real corruptions seeded amongst you work wonders.

• Whether it's permanent or not is up to you, but again, if you start out in Vengeance Hell, it is for sure permanent.

• You can choose any corruption you like OOC - this is not decided IC - but remember the golden rule: corruptions cannot be boons, and they cannot infringe upon existing unit abilities. That is, you can't have "turning into a wolf on command" as a corruption.

• The list of corruptions are examples. You can choose something that's not on the list if you desire!

OK that's cool, now what? What can I do in this event?
A number of things! The Producers are trying to keep this under wraps, and you can't revolutionize the world or anything, but you can do these things:
• Enjoy the commercial break! There are no cameras, no constant surveillance, no nothing like that - pressing the Live button won't do anything either. Hotel information will be provided with the setting info below!

• Explore your new surroundings! We will not be running game-wide things modside for the majority of this event, so you can assume that XYZ locations and such exist within the boundaries we've set for you. Go wild with it!

• Gather information! Things are pretty weird, after all! Again, we won't be running any game-wide things, so we've set up information (both helpful and unhelpful) for your characters to gather should they seek it out, however they do. Sidle up to a demon and chat with them, try using force, whatever. (Probably don't try using force.) Remember to pace yourselves. This event will be running for two weeks! There's no need to learn everything day 1!

• Catch up with old friends! That's right, dropped characters and Hell graduates can play in this event! I mean, they're here after all. This is Hell!
For dropped characters: if your character dropped to go do another show, go read the section on Liar Damned. Your character is in that state! If they're part of a more popular show, they can be basically as they always have been, their audience knows them well enough for them to have their "image" intact. Or, if you want to have the monochrome disease, be a weird silhouette, or have memory problems, they can be on a less popular show! Whatever is fun for you.

If your character dropped via dying, they might have ended up in any of the other territories, and you can play with the Vengeance damned option, or go look at this last bit of information and play them as in more or less the same state as an audition. They'll have a vague memory of bad stuff like any classical hell punishment like endless elevator with people they hate or burning alive, with any corruption you like.

For Hell graduates: assume that you're demons! Because you probably are. Coming in/out on business trips, you know how it goes. Obviously, Hell graduates can't take active/dropped idols out of Hell.

All Hell graduates start out in Vengeance Hell, as per their current faction, but they can travel to Liar Hell provided they filled out the extremely incredibly boring paperwork themselves and got a pass that way.

• Play around with hosts! I mean, this is their home after all, so you can talk with them off the clock! Gamerunner NPC players, you can play with this as much or as little as you like.

• In General, Stuff: there isn't a single demon or damned out there that has the motive or power to help with like, trying to break the setting or anything, but besides that you guys can sunite about as you like! Hell is your oyster, and you've got two of them right here. Just comment here if you're trying to do anything with the mysterious meteor or otherwise doing something you think the mods should know about!

What stuff do my characters have? How can they get stuff? What about powers? What about my phone?
Obviously, nothing in Hell is free. And your characters may have the clothes on their backs and whatever they were holding on their persons on Night 143, but their points are useless out here in Hellworld - so how do they get things?

Well, how else do you get something from someone if you don't have money? Favors, of course! Play with this how you like: X demon said I could have a vanilla bean sundae if I did the dishes or Y demon promised I could have those really nice shoes if I gave them some of my hair. The only rule with clothing is this: If your character tries to wear clothes that aren't to their unit's style, they will start fading from sofaform disorder rapidly. Hybridizing is still OK, but remember, you can only exist because people can pick you out from the thousands of damned that live here, so you need to really sell that unit look!

You can generally assume that Liar Hell demons are more amenable to idol-like tasks or products, whereas Vengeance Hell demons don't care all that much. There are more idol fans in Liar Hell than Vengeance Hell, it seems!

As for powers: they are on! Your phone functions like it normally does, except for the Live button. That's not working right now. As for points and buying things with points, those still work, but there is no mailbox so you can't pick up anything material. That means you can still buy powers, memories, and phone apps, but nothing else. (I mean, you can still buy them, but they'll just be sitting there waiting in the mailbox for the 2 OOC weeks sooooo)

This all looks really cool but what if I can't play? I'm too busy these next two weeks!
No problem! In that case, you can have your characters be taken to another show like a regular hiatus would be, or you can just have them . . . autopilot. Quite literally, autopiloting as an ~idol on tour~, like their identity and consciousness have dulled. They won't be shaken out of it until you're ready to resume play. Spooky.

Is there a way to cross over to Liar Hell if my character is in Vengeance Hell, or vice versa? Or am I stuck with what I choose?
You aren't stuck with what you choose, but there is a price to pay: travel between the two Hells can only be done via train, and only if you have a pass. How do you get a pass? Well, your character will have to find a demon to grant you permission and submit paperwork on your behalf. Super easy! And the price?

The character's true name.

(As in, they tell the demon their true name. Not like, they give it up like Ariel gives up her voice.)

If your character doesn't remember their birth name, they can give the name they identify with as their true name. If your character takes this option, please make a note of it!

I have another question that wasn't covered!
Great! Ask away over here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The city in Liar Hell you have been relocated to is, like Tokyo F, based on the Tokyo city grid. In many places, looking at the real Tokyo is your best guide around it, as you see analogues of locations: a movie theater in the human realm is a movie theater here, but the movies shown differ, as do the patrons, as does the aesthetic. . . but still, there is a movie theater.

That said, many office buildings and government buildings are now, instead, film locations. Inside those, the sets might be set to look like most anything-- a set with everything in black and white, with the actors all in black and white make-up so no color leaks through, instead of filming with black and white film. Sets that look like the wild west, sets that look like Edo, game-show stages, etc.

The territory also expands far beyond Tokyo, but characters will find security will come and pick them up and return them to the hotel they're staying at if they attempt to go too far abroad-- your show hasn't been cancelled, you're just out for a brief break.

-

Liar Hell's Tokyo is busy, bright, and contorted. Everything glows, all the windows blazing with kaleidoscopic light, high-rises done up with stained glass and wrought iron instead of impassive reflective surfaces and steel. The further up you look, the more they twist in your perception, becoming spiraled spires and gothic arches that create neon silhouettes. The sky above is in a perpetual night sky, but the stars wander like planets and airplanes rather than staying still in their orbits. In other words, the kind of place that gives you a headache.

HOTEL

imepro - 2019-08-04 01:42 (UTC) - Expand

The Damned

Liar damned appear as silhouettes or as monochrome people-- and, on some very rare occasions, people in full color. The damned in Pythian territory are kept from falling into the abyss by the belief and attention of other humans. They rely on their Images to keep from fraying, but people are also in some sense hemmed in by their images: those that defy them cannot gather strength from them and will grey out. Those that exist as only silhouettes are largely humans who do not exist as part of a show, but still have enough human connections that they're able to exist-- it's important to be social in Pythia. Or, participate in fandom, I guess. This probably answers some questions about some of your fanmail, and why people willingly watch low-quality shows. The damned in Liar Hell have a pretty good chance of recognizing your characters, also. You're not as popular as like, Game of Thrones is, but you're not an unknown show either.

Demons

Many of them look fairly human or angelic, with some that have more leonine or bird-like features. With the domain's power relying on belief, they tend to like humans though how much depends on the individual demon. The typical powerset of a Pythian demon allows them to manipulate the thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions of others. But there are also some variations amongst the Pythians, of those whose powers work differently due to honestly believing they work differently, and their self-delusion and power being strong enough to enforce their will upon the world and giving them those powers. Unlike the damned who need to convince others to believe in and be aware of them, demons have their own power with which to imprint upon the world-- which means a lot of them have a problem with self-delusion, identity, and denial. Of the demons who are actors, there are quite a few who believe themselves honestly to be whatever their current role is, even off-screen. The demons are less likely to recognize you than the damned, but some definitely watch your show as junkfood TV.

If you manage to get a demon to talk, they might tell you some pretty few things . . .

Pythia is a messenger of God, and God told her to serve Hell so she could bring about the true rebirth of Heaven. Pythian territory will become Heaven in the coming days.

Pythia still serves Apollo, the real God she's always served rather than the pretender who stole his heavenly throne and silenced his voice.

Pythia's demons take the form of angels because they hide actual angels amongst their number, making good camouflage for those who fled during Heaven's siege.

Pythia is more powerful than Lucifer, and that's why he doesn't stop her from advertising her status as priestess and voice of God-- she can just tell him he doesn't stop her because he thinks it's funny, and he'll believe that's true.

Asmodeus used to be a lord of lust-- and became Prince of Vengeance because Lucifer had more use for him this way.

Asmodeus cozied up to Belial because the transgressor might make him a real demon.

Most inhabitants of Liar Hell are devout in their religion and say God is everywhere, the Messenger speaks His word, and Heaven is upon us. But if you speak to demons or Damned that have been in Pythia's Hell for some time, they'll tell you - that the territory has changed over time, with the stained glass and the pews and the servitors of the Oracle growing feathered wings. Surely, they say, it's a sign of God's acceptance of their devotion.

Maybe God isn't here now, maybe God isn't here yet, but with enough time and prayer, He will be.

The following information must be sought out intentionally on the matter of the meteor:
Whispers are that the meteor crash-landed near the prison, although almost immediately afterwards the Oracle had come down Herself to retrieve it. As for what it was - well, what else could it have been, but a missive from God for the Messenger? It's nearly time now, Heaven will soon be upon us - !

Root around further and you might hear something about something left behind by the missive. A lost book, the newest instructions from God - but these accounts aren't consistent. Was there really a book? Where did this book go? What did it look like? Did Pythia really pick it up? Did anyone see that happen?

Edited 2019-08-11 06:47 (UTC)

Unlike Pythia's territory in hell which consists of a lot more than one Tokyo, Asmodeus has just one city-- the smallest Hell of all them. Rather than the high-rises and glitz of Liar Hell's Tokyo Delphi, his city seems to be made of buildings just high enough to be imposing without tall enough to be impressive. Rather than main roads and through-fares making sensible routes, the largest roads are not necessarily by anything useful, and small alleyways branch off maze-like through the city, providing places to ambush or get lost in. An overlarge part of the city seems to consist of docks, built on piers overlooking dark water.

The businesses spread through the city have, as probably expected from those that have made prior trips to the area, many bars and casinos, pawn shops and fighters pits, in the classic image of vice. But there's lots of coffee-houses, cafes, restaurants, and all-night diners to duck into, places to talk, meet, and deal. The office-buildings here sequester within a lot of private detectives, information and data firms, accountants. . . People who might know something you want to know, people who might be able to find out something you want to know, or people able to help you hide it.

-

Vengeance is a Hell that cannot forget the past. Places of violence sometimes waver and reveal their old scars, bullet holes reappearing in fixed tables. It hasn't even forgotten the fall-- white chalk outlines in some of the alleys show bodies bent and crumpled at fatal angles, bodies that if stared at long enough show the pale shadow of wings at their backs. Some of the damned have claimed these angel bodies, hoping for a patron in hell or a weapon against it should they ever stir-- or a favor from Asmodeus, if they bring a waking one to him. Beyond that, the cramped jumble of a city has the look of a place that belongs in a film noir, the light that's cast from the sky here washes out colors, and at night the fog comes in across the dark water and envelopes the city. So, in opposition to that, the occupied buildings are garish and loud on the inside and with their neon advertisements on the outside, demanding attention and refusing to bow to an environment that seems to want them silenced.

HOTEL

imepro - 2019-08-04 01:48 (UTC) - Expand

The Damned

Vengeance damned appear as people, still suffering from their death wounds, or with physical manifestations of whatever hurt them the most in life. With the domain's power being drawn from the desire to spite old wounds, these old wounds are what fix them to the territory so they do not fade into the abyss. Damned in Vengeance hell coexist fairly well with demons-- they may be less strong and have less automatic status, but they need people to staff the bars demons enjoy and the accounting firms demons might employ. Expect them to be argumentative-- if they're constantly injured anyway, they don't have much to lose and a result most of them seem to not have much of a fear response. You are much less likely to be recognized in Vengeance Hell than Liar Hell, but you might be on occasion by the damned.

Demons

Vengeance demons run the gamut in terms of physical appearance, but Asmodeus clearly prefers those that are humanoid, in that those that do better in his domain and are in his favor are more likely to look more human. Demons with unhealing but always fresh wounds, tattoos that change shape, unnatural coloration, spikes, forked tongues, and other things which are unnatural but not in the same way a literal lion with a man's face is unnatural are fairly common, though you may occasionally encounter the occasional literal lion with a man's face somewhere waiting tables, or some other unglamorous job. Demons working under Vengeance have powers frequently based on curses or spite: oath-magic, creating cursed objects, reflecting damage back are not uncommon powers in this territory. Demons of Vengeance Hell are almost certainly not going to recognize you from your show.

If you manage to get a demon to talk, they might tell you some pretty few things . . .

Asmodeus acted as a spy in Heaven, that's why there's so many fallen bodies in his territory: they're reporting home to their spymaster.

Asmodeus acted as a spy in Heaven, that's why he's sure God is dead.

Pythia is a snake demon, not a priestess.

Hell lets Pythia run around saying she's a priestess and letting her demons pretend to be angels because Lucifer likes the irony of a false Heaven within Hell, and the way her damned are given a "paradise" that is Just More Hell.

Asmodeus sent a messenger to Heaven in the final days of negotiation: if they wanted to save God's beloved humanity, they can't help from in there. If they stay in the sealed city of Heaven, they can't save humanity from the Abyss. He reminded them of their choice: to follow His orders, or to follow His wishes.

Asmodeus hates Pythia because she thinks they get along, and as long as she's in the room with him, it's true.

Edited 2019-08-04 01:49 (UTC)

You can generally find this information floating about, although please once more keep in mind to pace yourself with this event.

This information is available in both territories, and is accepted as fact, not rumor:

Lucifer created Hell in the Abyss: the power of demons are what keeps the territory stable and from crumbling into nothing.

The number of demons aligned with a Prince reflects in the size of their territory in Hell.

Asmodeus has the smallest Hell.

Humans, lacking power of their own, if left in Hell long enough are fated to fray and be worn down to nothing, eventually. Lucifer, who does not care for humanity, doesn't do anything to aid the damned to survive, leaving it to the Princes to treat their damned as they wish.

Only two of the Princes do anything to aid their damned from disappearing: Asmodeus and Pythia.

Asmodeus is the son of King David and Lilith-- making both his parents human.

Lilith, the first woman from the garden of Eden, was born before original sin and thus is unburdened by age. Human and ageless, she is a mortal of sorts-- connected to death but not bound to it. She has become the mother of monsters by the same token-- she has a connection to life, but it is not the life of mortals that she is connected with.

Pythia is the last of the Priestesses of Apollo, her name the singular and collective name for the Oracle at Delphi. She is the Last of the Pythia, and when her God was silenced and no longer had a use for her, it turned out Hell still did.

Hell "won" the war against Heaven: Hell had superior firepower, but could not access Heaven, so Lucifer issued an ultimatum. He would call off his army if God would speak to him. Otherwise, he would take the worlds one by one, damning each of God's worlds dedicated to humanity. God did not respond, and Lucifer and Hell made good on their promise.

Angels that defected would not be harmed, but welcomed into Hell with open arms, but if they tried to fight Hell they'd be killed. There are no official numbers on the number of defections, versus those who fought, or those who hid within the worlds or stayed in the cloistered city of Heaven.

What happens to worlds claimed by Hell varies, depending on the Prince who claimed it: most princes drag claimed worlds into the Abyss of Hell to expand their territory, Pythia and Asmodeus leave theirs alone and just take the dead.

Damned in the other Hells have it much worse than the Damned of Liar and Vengeance Hell-- in that they're literally falling apart, alongside being tossed in with demons that vary from not caring for humanity to having a seething hatred of humanity. Pythia and Asmodeus get a lot of "auditions" from other territories, Damned trying to prove they have what it takes for her shows or his firms so they can be sewn up back together and avoid the Abyss. They usually kind of spackle over the holes of what people have lost in the abyss with demonic power, resulting in corruption.

The following information must be sought out intentionally on the matter of true names: Demons ask for true names as payment essentially as a form of insurance. If you fuck up in a different part of Hell, they need to know who's going to be culpable for it.

Edited 2019-08-05 08:57 (UTC)

If you manage to get a demon to talk, they might tell you some pretty few things . . .

Lilith was accepted into Hell despite Lucifer's disdain for humanity because God rejected them both.

Did we really win the war?

The following information must be sought out intentionally on the matter of true names: While it is true that the true names being traded for transport passes are largely used for insurance purposes, it's also rumored that they can be traded around like currency, and there's no guarantee someone's name won't be used later on for something unrelated . . . it is Hell, after all.

Edited 2019-08-05 09:00 (UTC)

When it comes to buying and selling in Hell, there's no such thing as a singular currency: it can come in favors, food, never-cold brass, stone coins with the sun and a mountain temple on the tails side, scraps of paper with truths or former truths written on them, and so on and so forth. Even if it's not useful to you, someone somewhere is willing to barter for it.

You can be as creative with this as you like, though there are a few particulars depending on which Hell you're in - the damned in Liar Hell are more concerned with making sure their form is real, and so a good payment for businesses run by them would be something like remembering their name so their existence can be solidified. This is meaningless in Vengeance Hell, where they don't care if you remember their names, but they do care more about secrets and trusty information - whereas in Liar Hell, trusty information is the last thing they could care about.

In both Hells, you can barter things like favors, energy, and objects - labor is welcome in both Hells, as is you know the standard magically-sucking-some-energy shit that we all know demons do, and if you can spin a cool enough tale about it some sucker might even be willing to take that cool rock you found off your hands. Again: someone somewhere is probably willing to barter for it. In the end, your characters may need to do some stupid trade questline to get what they want - whatever is most fun for you!

As you're in Hell, there's no death here! No fatalities, you just . . . get to live with whatever just happened to you. Fun!

If you're concerned about the injuries you've incurred during your stay, you'll want to go straight to Liar Hell - they don't care about "fixing" injuries in Vengeance Hell (obviously), and asking for healing there will just result in people telling you to put some spit on it and get some bandages from the corner store. Liar Hell cares about the optics, though - even if you don't die, sweetie, you look horrible! So you can find clinics there to get your injuries healed, provided you have the means for it. (Scars and such are up to you OOC!)

inspiteful - 2019-08-04 04:05 (UTC) - Expand

Comment here if your character did something that you want the mods to know about, or otherwise if they're doing things in an effort to find the meteor! Link your threads too - we can't promise that you'll find anything interesting, but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, right?

Hurricane and Nemesis are going to spend a little time making plans with some folks and then head out in search of the meteor. I will link the thread here as soon as they get underway. o7

bluescreenwhitedragon - 2019-08-17 21:48 (UTC) - Expand

Ask away! We'll do our best to get back to you (or announce it at large if it turns out to be A Thing Everyone Should Know About) ASAP.

if you already have obvious corruptions, is it necessary to pick more, or is it fine as-is? ~~look I thought very hard about my audition changes, I am not prepared to pick more on the drop of a hat~~

(no subject)

deut32_35 - 2019-08-04 02:43 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heavenlyvisitor - 2019-08-04 02:52 (UTC) - Expand

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imepro - 2019-08-04 03:14 (UTC) - Expand

LIAR HELL

CITY LAYOUT & AESTHETICS

INHABITANTS

RUMORS

VENGEANCE HELL

CITY LAYOUT & AESTHETICS

INHABITANTS

RUMORS

GENERAL INFORMATION

COMMON KNOWLEDGE

RUMORS

HELL ECONOMICS

HEALING & DEATH

IMAGE RE-EDUCATION

COORDINATION: WHICH SEAT DID YOU TAKE?

LIAR HELL

VENGEANCE HELL

IDK! SOMEONE HELP ME CHOOSE

PC ACTIONS OF INTEREST

Re: PC ACTIONS OF INTEREST

Re: PC ACTIONS OF INTEREST

Re: PC ACTIONS OF INTEREST

Re: PC ACTIONS OF INTEREST

HELP I HAVE QUESTIONS

Re: HELP I HAVE QUESTIONS