powersthatbe | Elsewhere U Plot Role Info

Elsewhere U Plot Role Info

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For reasons unknown, Fae call it Anna Monday and give it a wide berth. It cannot speak, usually appears stock still near the auto and metalworking shop, but if it deigned to communicate, it would answer to "it" and "Anna Monday". It appears as an armless mannequin shape made of many small floating bits of seaglass. Rarely, it may levitate bits of its glass to form pictures in the air. Sometimes the crows steal them, and little pieces of its memory in the process, but it has lost so much already...

Its grip on reality, both mental and physical, is tenuous. So is the existence of any record of this apparition. There is nothing about it in the Library or EU oral lore, which to the Involved is very, very unsettling. No one knows it is an "Other" ghost of a human who died suddenly. The human it used to be was the Royal Scion's relative. They died just as they were crossing through a Fairy Circle in an unknown lake. A car was involved. The body was never recovered. More details may be revealed later in the Jaunt.

Consequently, they, now it, has been infused with Elsewhere's magic. It exudes a 20m radius of a feeling of unease. Anyone unwise enough to touch Anna Monday, who is now the embodiment of a Fairy Circle itself, is transported with it to the Elsewhere. If the reverse should happen--touching Anna Monday in the Elsewhere--both are always transported to the River Argent.

Your main plot involvement may pick up during the second obstacle of the rescue. As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Gestalt Fairy Circle - Liminal Bridge yourself and one other person in physical contact with you, unlimited during this Jaunt between the mundane world and the Elsewhere, allowed once per Jaunt after. Temporary side effects to both you and passenger may include disorientation, shattered sense of reality, shattered sense of self, and/or being scattered between dimensions of spacetime between here and there. The faint of heart may even experience an untimely death.

Human or Other. Unknown to the Royal Scion and the world at large, the family has assigned a royal bodyguard to them, disguised as a student. The best person to convince to help keep the authorities at bay, they're the eyes of Easteros on the ground.

The Bodyguard has enrolled before arrival. Their mission's orders are to get to know the school and keep an eye on the Royal, bearing in mind that their relative disappeared mysteriously already. It's up to you how Involved you want the Bodyguard to be. They're one of the roles who has less predetermined starting stats and more freedom to go wherever the plot or their arc takes them.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Read the Room - Ability to look out at a room of people and accurately gauge who is and isn't likely to be a threat, or capable at hand-to-hand combat, within a 20-foot radius.

Edited 2018-09-20 19:58 (UTC)

A human student, scion of an Uninvolved royal family of [fictitious country name that you get to choose] that has had chilly relations with New England, attends the University as a tentative show of good faith. Their Taking sparks a rescue mission in the Elsewhere, where they lie in a deep sleep. The Changeling who replaces the Royal does not leave when asked, unlike most others. They will spend most of the Jaunt impersonating the Royal at the University to keep up appearances to the Uninvolved, and fielding/deflecting questions about their motives. This plot role is two characters in one. Not only will they look almost the same, but it is unlikely they will be played simultaneously. All plot roles are important, but this one especially so.

Propose the name of a fictitious country of origin for the Royal. The part of the United States known as New England to us (the players) is its own country here, and is where the Royal travels to attend Elsewhere U. It is bordered by various other nations to the north, west, and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The Royal is all the more precious because their relative disappeared mysteriously years ago. (See: Anna Monday) The Royal (or their family) has taken care of enrollment before arrival. The first mingle is the only chance for everyone to meet the Royal before they go missing. Most likely the Royal will not be seen until late or at Jaunt's end.

The Changeling's reason for not leaving is up to the player, but it should be one compelling enough to prompt all this. Following the orders of a Court member whose name they are forbidden to speak, working for a more powerful Fae who has kidnapped Royal for their own reasons, choosing to live as human royalty forever, losing a high-stakes Deal, etc. The rescue's results will determine both your characters' final decision on the Royal/Changeling conundrum. If the Royal is indeed brought back, the Changeling will have to, at the least, leave off their lookalike Glamour.

Your main plot involvement may pick up during the last leg of the rescue as its results come in. As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Contractual Obligation - Sign a contract with a witness present, and you are bound by it until it is fulfilled. Null if it asks for the impossible. Can be used to remember to turn off the stove, or keep a secret forever no matter what may happen. (Consult with Miso here when using Contractual Obligation or its effects, as it could affect the Jaunt in interesting ways.)

Human/Other oracle and magical pawnbroker, urban equivalent of the mysterious witch in a hut who gives quest advice. They possess enough magic to trade for Favors, and are less volatile than Fae. They Deal for objects of emotional value and the stories behind them. They are always safe from the Fae, as the location they bind themselves to will never knowingly allow them harm.

Every few years a student passes through Elsewhere U on the way to becoming a Cornerwitch. They ask questions of the brick and stone and read the answers in the graffiti behind the gym. Knows of any other Cornerwitches. They are a fixture of the college community--for those who know where to look. To most, they might be perceived as a weirdo. For the first mingle, you don't need to wait for start of classes to begin plying your trade.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Safety Net - Walking the perimeter of a stationary area up to 100 feet in radius, magically designate it as one that will never allow you harm. Does not make a barrier or protect others. Not immune to effects from attacks or disasters occuring outside the boundary.

Fae. Half the landscapers are respectable humans who don't ask questions, and the other half do their work at night, immaculately, so long as Elsewhere U keeps putting out yogurt cups and bread by the door behind the kitchens. You are the latter. You take the groundskeeping motto "Keeping the Balance" seriously.

Your main plot involvement may pick up during the first obstacle of the rescue. As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Fae Gardening - Germinate fast-growing immaculate guard plant species within a day that attack intruders according to your predetermined conditions. Seeds included.

The librarians, both human and Other Librarians, are more or less neutral forces, so long as people are quiet and don't hurt the books. The Other Librarians aren't Fae, but they aren't human (anymore?) either. They are loyal to the vast, reality-warped library and its books first and foremost.

The library will make a soft opening in the first mingle with less staff. Its official opening will be week 2 with full staff, and there will be a mingle prompt.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Safety Certification - Survival and search-and-rescue skills and knowledge perfect for everything from cliffs to very strange liminal or dream-like places.

All librarians have potential access to the previous Jaunt skill Research, as well as Spelunking.

This human/Other is most often a seasoned student, assigned to advise, handle disputes, and protect a dorm floor. One of the few allowed safe(ish) passage up to a point in the Elsewhere, mainly to rescue Taken. They gather a team to rescue the Royal and may spend most of the Jaunt in the Elsewhere. This role may be shared by two players. All plot roles are important, but this one especially so.

If needed, there is a school fund to help Deal for Taken. RAs also carry Form TV178.ii for any Taken to declare in writing they wish to stay. Week 1: Take this chance to introduce yourself to people in the dorms and to orient new students. Some things, like locker rentals, are easy to explain. Others, like Anna Monday, require… a bit more effort.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Diplomatic Immunity - If in a situation where you need to act as a diplomat, you can get away with pretty much anything if you do it subtly, under treaty, or (most applicable to after this Jaunt) within the normal scope of the world, within reason.

Leader of the sorority of girls with silver hair and lovely voices. The sorority name isn’t Greek; in fact, most can’t recognize the alphabet. Unusually, they are adept at disguising themselves as humans. They like the pool, and they use it to travel between here and the Elsewhere. She will carry messages, even people, for a price. She may be one of the chaotic neutral merfolk, a siren, both, Fae…?

Week 1: The pool is officially closed until next week, but when has that ever stopped anybody? (When it opens in week 2, the pool will have a mingle prompt.) If someone accepts her frequent offer to bring them through the portal to the Elsewhere, the exit varies, but there will always be a body of water, and it will always be relatively safe. Other portals to Elsewhere, including Anna Monday itself, are not guaranteed to open onto a safe place, especially for humans.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Aquatic Portal - Use any body of water deep enough for swimming as a Portal. No cooldowns. The illusion of the bottomless deep will appear and disguise the Portal during use, though that itself may raise questions. Strong swimmers recommended.

A human/Other holding a temp job between adventures. Custodian, cafeteria worker, lifeguard, campus security, fencing club instructor, etc. are subtle positions that grant observations or waking hours one might not have as a student or teacher. A literal hero, a disproportionate amount of whom own swords. Almost all will help students if they can. Their knowledge and relationship with Fae may vary, but they have some sort of Fae-related adventuring under their belt.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Supernatural Adventuring - You possess an arsenal of knowledge on how to survive some weird, weird shit.

"The Teacher" teaches no classes, has no posted office hours, never goes to board meetings, and has tenure. They have a great smile, but their teeth are just a little too white. This Other offers special lessons on the art of speechcraft - how to hold oneself, speak in riddles, be persuasive, bargain, and never leave loopholes.

The Teacher officially starts work in week 2. For week 1, advertise lessons by word of mouth to Involved or anyone the Teacher wants to become Involved. You may even start a club, with an innocuous name like Speech Counseling or Night Improv. This is one of the plot roles who has less predetermined starting stats and more freedom to do what they want, however, they do still have their obligations as a professor. They may be reluctant to abandon students and commit as a rescuer, opting instead for short day trips if they need to enter the Elsewhere.

As soon as information is given to you, reveal it in your plotting or threading at will unless otherwise told not to.

Skill: Speechcraft Mastery - You are an authority on how to hold oneself, speak in riddles, be persuasive, bargain, and never leave loopholes. A less effective version of this may be taught as Speechcraft 101.

Excellent!!!

Also, laughing forever at that Skill

Read and noted, thanks.

Heard and witnessed!

The general background thing I was planning in case he didn't get a plot role will probably work with this: a Taken (or stupid kid who went looking for the Kindly Ones) who made a Deal he now regrets. Suffering adolescent heartbreak he traded a lifetime (sixteen years at that point) to never remember this sort of pain again. So now he doesn't remember past relationships or other events surrounding them.

...also he's going to be with The IT Crowd.

Do you have any ideas for what Anna Monday and the Scion's relationship might have been prior to her vanishing?

Noted!

Huzzah!

So, some questions on this - for week 1, should she be refusing to take anyone through the pool? Or just sneaking them in? Also, how does that skill work outside of the jaunt? It is basically a portal between any two bodies of water?

Oh, also - how should I manage the 'price' part of this? Is there any particular guidelines I should follow for determining what they are?

Edited 2018-09-16 21:13 (UTC)

Sooo.... are there any abandoned buildings/shacks/sheds/convenient location he can set up a Goosebumps shop in? :D

I left it open for you two to decide. Even "relative" might have been too specific, best friends might work too... If all else fails, my first draft had them as siblings, though that's definitely my rl bias showing XD

I... only read some Goosebumps, so I'm not familiar with what a Goosebumps shop needs. Being friends with a coach, janitor, groundskeeper, etc. might get them an unused shack, perfect for hiding their shop and all their loot inside. Mostly cornerwitches use alleys, spaces behind bleachers, etc. for Deals because they ask the bricks questions as part of their ritual.

It's basically any old, abandoned looking shop where the shopkeeper is... not quite right and anything you get there is probably cursed and/or has one hell of a string attached. Other traits tend to run along the lines of it looking totally normal when you go there the first time, only when you go looking again, it's long abandoned, or just flat out gone.

...There a handy reference sheet somewhere covering the whole bricks and ritual thing?

Up to you. Sneaking them in if she feels like it, refusing if not in the mood. I can give you a preview of the water near next mingle's location, or you can make up an environment of your own, like a tropical island or something.

Any two bodies of water deep enough to swim in. Best results when she and the passenger are strong swimmers.

Price is up to you. Each Fae has individual needs and desires, even if she's purely a siren and not a Fae--though I think lore would change the dairy popular with Fae to something else.

Got it! Not sure if she'll take anyone yet (she may indeed refuse), but we'll see how things go.

The 'deep enough to swim in' part could be interesting considering Blue Diamond's usual size :P (though she can shapeshift smaller)

I'm planning for her to be Fae. In fact - is it okay if I imagine the Sorority as a whole as a minor Court of Fae, with Blue Diamond as the Queen of it?

Also, does the price have to be the same thing each time, or can Blue Diamond make varying deals depending on the person / her mood / whatever?

Nope, just this comic about a cornerwitch, which doesn't cover asking bricks questions and is more about the kind of objects one might Deal for: http://charminglyantiquated.tumblr.com/post/113043123123/a-short-comic-about-witches-and-wishes-and-wanting If you want to keep it simple, what it says on the tin: simply talking to bricks or concrete and looking at graffiti.

I love the idea of its existence being in question, but that may make accessibility to a Plot Role more difficult, so try to keep "office hours" vague, e.g. it "sometimes" vanishes. It also sounds more like Elsewhere influence than something within the cornerwitch's power, so he may simply have taken advantage of a Thin Spot.

A very very small Court, yes. We/they/the Arcana don't want to catch the attention of Fae Nobility, who are terrifying and a lot like Eldritch Old Gods tbh. I feel I shouldn't throw that at the Jaunt as a whole because players definitely did not opt into that.

Right, it's the big courts they want to avoid, yes? But from what I read, it seems like apart from the main ones there's still ltos of little Courts all around that aren't as powerful / terrifying. Would a Court that consists of just the Soriority be small enough?

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Elsewhere U Plot Role Info

Anna Monday - Malin

Bodyguard - Mikasa

Changeling/Royal Scion - Sansa

Cornerwitch - Bakura

Groundskeeper - Daneel

Librarian - Helena

Resident Assistant - Asa

Sorority Leader - Blue Diamond

Staffperson - Ambrose

The Teacher - Malik

Re: The Teacher - Malik

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Re: Anna Monday - Malin

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Re: Cornerwitch - Bakura

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Re: Cornerwitch - Bakura

Re: Cornerwitch - Bakura

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Re: Cornerwitch - Bakura

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