Haunted Isle Plot Infiltrator Info Post

[powersthatbe]

If you are not a plot infiltrator or someone with IC reasons to share knowledge available to plot infiltrators, please do not read the comments of this post.

If you ARE a plot infiltrator, please comment under your toplevel to let us know you've read it. We prefer that you do any confidential plotting with other plot-important folks in the comments here, rather than on plurk, and please comment no later than December 16th, 26th, & January 2nd, 10th, 18th, & 26th with a brief (as brief as 1 sentence; as long as you like) summary of your activity during the week & plans for next week. These comments will help the mods shape mingles and plot events to keep the story dynamic and player actions important to the outcome. Likewise, comment at any time with any questions you may have, and a mod will get back to you within 36 hours at the outside.

Comments

Re: Update

[powersthatare]

Any specific plans for this upcoming mingle?

[fearinahandfulof]

Right now, it's mostly continuing to follow her orders from the Empress while getting more and more upset because she hates her orders (finding out that there are actual children in the area will probably not help). She may start looking for a way out of her predicament, but she doesn't expect to find one and she's certain nobody will be sympathetic because she's essentially prioritizing one innocent mermaid (who she did admittedly promise to protect from all harm) over many. She may also be starting to get antsy because the Deepsinger's eating all the dolphins and she really doesn't want to have to start hunting humans, especially as the only ones around as far as she knows are with the Cornu, the Pulao, or the Crownbreakers, and it's poor form to eat your allies.

Basically at this point I know more about her mental state than what she's actually going to be doing, which I know is less than helpful.

How sapient is the Deepsinger? Does it have anything approaching a will of its own at this point?

[powersthatare]

The Deepsinger has humanoid levels of intellect, but it is not at all clear if it possesses independent will or agency, or simply carries out the Empress' will intelligently.

[fearinahandfulof]

She has been wondering about that, although she tries not to.

She may talk with a few of the Crownbreaker Stricken, but she's probably not going to want to let them get too close with her mission hanging over her head (whether she will be successful at keeping them at arm's length is the question). Otherwise, I think she's mostly keeping her head down for now.

[fearinahandfulof]

Now that the Deepsong's hitting the Stricken as well, is it still "only" heavily distracting her, or is the effect stronger now?

[powersthatare]

Same as before for her! Sirens who are also Stricken don't get a double whammy, it's just that it now effects Stricken who are not Sirens, too.

[fearinahandfulof]

Very belatedly, a couple more questions: What does Alexandra know about the Deepsinger? Anything besides what's come up already?

Also, was the shifting totem a "gift" from the Empress?

[battling_bard]

Any thoughts on whether we want Ginevra and others to figure out that she's the traitor at some point (not necessarily this current mingle)?

[fearinahandfulof]

I've been puzzling over this for a while. I was initially thinking to give her at least one mingle where she's undiscovered but getting increasingly stressed out and raising suspicions, but with weeks 2 and 3 combined and week 4 about weighing options, I'm not sure that will work.

[battling_bard]

Yeah, it's a bit of a crunch.

What about if Ginevra set some sort of trap (not sure what) to try and finally figure out who it was? Perhaps she and Teruo could work together to do it? I actually think she might have suspected him to an extent but could finally decide to take the risk and trust him.

[fearinahandfulof]

Well, she does disappear for hours at a time once per week; that by itself would raise suspicions if Ginevra knows/finds out about it. And I'm not sure what, if any, excuse Alexandra would have for that, although she probably should have at least one.

(And I think there's a part of Alexandra that actually wants to get caught, which is unfortunately coming up right against the fact that she promised her mother she'd do everything she could to protect her sister. Whoops.)

And thank you for that very pertinent icon, Random Icon Selector.

[battling_bard]

Okay, great. I'll check with Maniette and see if we can't figure out a way for Ginevra and Teruo to pick up on that :D

It's a wonderfully appropriate icon choice!

[fearinahandfulof]

They might also notice the fact that she's growing increasingly worried and despondent, although admittedly "increasingly worried" probably describes a lot of people at this point.

[ninjayeehaw]

Teruo's probably going to be super offended that Ginevra thought he was the mole thanks for the vote of confidence mum.

He might notice her disappearances, if we want? After the Deepsong starts he'll have been wanting to keep a closer eye on the Sirens in their school anyway, and even if he doesn't comment on it he might have noticed her disappearing for hours at a time (bc he's a massive hypocrite and does the same, but at least he's still around the island)

[fearinahandfulof]

So how should we play this out? Do they confront her as she's returning? I'm not sure about following her out to the Deepsinger itself because I'm not sure how to handle that particular reveal, and I'm not sure it'd even be in visual range (or how it would react to a mermaid that isn't Alexandra coming into sight if it is).

She is probably going to be having little bouts of temper, but overall I think she's going to be in so much despair at this point that she'll be disappointed if they decide to spare her. What she probably won't do is fight them, because she knows they're the ones in the right.

[ninjayeehaw]

When she's returning is probably safest, or maybe if she's just chilling out during the rest of the week. The logical thing would probably be Ginevra and Teruo talk to her in private somewhere, since together they can easily overpower her if shit did go poorly, and make it a lot easier to gauge her reactions if there's no one else to put up a facade towards.

[fearinahandfulof]

I think either when she's returning or shortly after, since she'll be tired out by then (and will also have fed, which will probably tire her out more because someone's eating all the dolphins). She's less likely to make a break for it then.

I can set up a locked prompt for the three of them on her toplevel; would that be easiest, or should it be a separate log altogether?

[ninjayeehaw]

IMO maybe a seperate log? Since this is an Important Event it warrants one. But either or is good!

[fearinahandfulof]

Either one would work for me! Although it does raise the question of who wants to write the log if we do it that way.

[ninjayeehaw]

I have written so many logs lately :'D if you're not opposed, having the log be Alexandra returning from a trip would be a good one? Her sneaking back to base camp

[fearinahandfulof]

Unless Ginevra-mun wants to write it, then sure.