Aurora Express Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
trainmasters) wrote2019-04-13 11:15 pm
trainmasters) wrote2019-04-13 11:15 pm
Entry tags:
NPCs & Trials
NPCs
Aurora Express has a limited number of significant NPCs the PCs will come across and interact with. For your reference we'll list them here, with more information as its revealed in-game.
★ Cardamom, Prince of Stars - The Prince is the main NPC and the most accessible to player characters. He presides over the remains of the Star Kingdom - currently only the castle is left, but it contains the Heart Prism, a central device that connects and manages all other Prisms. Due to a power unique to the royal line, the health of the Heart Prism is reliant on the ruler's mental state. Cardamom is the one responsible for the Aurora program, and the Prism that powers the train and protects Heroes from Malice was created by him. Cardamom is a generally peppy and friendly person, and wants the best for the Heroes -- however, the dire situation calls for a certain degree of sacrifice, and he is neither able nor wiling to make significant changes to the program.
☆ The Circle of Knights - The Knights are Cardamom's inner circle and trusted advisors. Though they all have their own origins and opinions on both the Aurora program and Cardamom himself, they are united in the desire to defeat Malice and restore Light to the universe. These characters are your usual trial running NPCs. As it only recently became IC knowledge that they're responsible for trials, the Knights have yet to reveal their real names, and most have yet to reveal their true forms, instead having appeared as disembodied voices or monsters or simply having failed to appear at all. Almost everything about the Circle of Knights is still a mystery, but their presence is sure to remain a constant influence on the progression of the game.
★ The Construct - An AI without a soul, the Construct is the system that runs the Aurora's basic functions and serves as a way for the Prince to communicate with his Heroes. Official messages are delivered through it, and it maintains all functions of the train and Chains. More information on the Construct can be found on the plot & mechanics page.
☆ The Shadowy Figure - An unknown agent of Malice, the Shadowy Figure appears as a formless... well, shadow. While it shrouds its face and voice, it appears to have a specific goal: to end the Aurora project and complete the universal takeover of Malice. The Shadowy Figure is responsible for Mirror Trials, but should they prove ineffective, it may move on to other means...
Trials & Trial Running☆ The Circle of Knights - The Knights are Cardamom's inner circle and trusted advisors. Though they all have their own origins and opinions on both the Aurora program and Cardamom himself, they are united in the desire to defeat Malice and restore Light to the universe. These characters are your usual trial running NPCs. As it only recently became IC knowledge that they're responsible for trials, the Knights have yet to reveal their real names, and most have yet to reveal their true forms, instead having appeared as disembodied voices or monsters or simply having failed to appear at all. Almost everything about the Circle of Knights is still a mystery, but their presence is sure to remain a constant influence on the progression of the game.
★ The Construct - An AI without a soul, the Construct is the system that runs the Aurora's basic functions and serves as a way for the Prince to communicate with his Heroes. Official messages are delivered through it, and it maintains all functions of the train and Chains. More information on the Construct can be found on the plot & mechanics page.
☆ The Shadowy Figure - An unknown agent of Malice, the Shadowy Figure appears as a formless... well, shadow. While it shrouds its face and voice, it appears to have a specific goal: to end the Aurora project and complete the universal takeover of Malice. The Shadowy Figure is responsible for Mirror Trials, but should they prove ineffective, it may move on to other means...
Trials are your essential "sit down games", well known in teamnesia genre. They are events that take place during a very limited timeframe and require a certain degree of speed tagging. In Trials, teams or groups of teams are competing to win some kind of game, which may be harmless and silly (an icebreaker socializing bingo) or violent and traumatic (PCs taking on mental or physical punishments in exchange for the safety of a hostage). As of April 2019, players are welcome to run their own trials. If you want to run a trial, there are three ways you can go about this.
★ Character Trials - If a PC/team wishes to run a trial of their own ICly, they may request authorization via The Construct. By selecting the "I wish to carry out a Trial" option, they can input their idea, desired time, and any materials or special "trial zones" they need. At the appointed time, a door will appear in the clearing as per a normal trial, within which is whatever setting the runner requested. If no particular setting was requested, the trial zone will be a large, empty room with a concrete floor and white walls, containing all the requested materials. The character(s) running the trial may not participate, and if a trial is run by a team as a whole, that team is not eligible to win. Character Trials are one-off trials and do not require becoming an official trialrunner.
☆ Mirror Trials - If you wish to run a traumatic Trial your PC wouldn't run, you may use this option. In this case, the running character is approached by a Shadowy Figure while away from the train. The NPC uses magic to draw out the dark feelings from within the target character (sadness, anger, anything opposite the light), and uses it to create a "Malicious Mirror" -- a copy of the character made from Malice. These Mirror characters are compelled by Malice and the original character's internal darkness to act out against the PCs. However, due to the influence of the Prism aboard the train, they can only act through a Trial mechanism. Mirrors share the physical appearance of the original character, but may have some monstrous alterations. After the trial is complete, the Mirror dissipates, its energy spent. The original character will spend that time unconscious, and will return to themselves when the trial is over. Mirror Trials are usually traumatic, but depending on what aspect of your character's negativity you wish to express, they can be as tame or horrible as you want to run. Mirror Trials are one-off trials and do not require becoming an official trialrunner.
★ NPC Trials - These are the standard Trials as run by mods and official trialrunners. If you know you'll be running trials frequently, and want to run them without relation to your PCs, you can apply to join the trialrunning team. Trialrunners have access to some or all of the mod plot information, so potential team members will be vetted by the mods. Please keep that in mind when applying and be willing to keep spoilers to yourself.
Members of the trialrunning team can choose to run trials using the list of existing mod NPCs (the Prince's Knights), or using the Shadowy Figure. The latter serves as an ICly runnerless trial -- the Shadowy Figure has not revealed its form at this point in the plot, and will not interact with PCs during trials. Knight NPCs can be borrowed from their players to run trials or, if currently lacking a player, can be claimed by a runner as their own. This is subject to discussion with the mods.
If you'd like to run a trial or join the team, please comment to this entry with the following form to submit your idea. Comments are screened! Trial ideas are always subject to mod approval based on structure, fairness, and tone appropriateness. Additions to the official trialrunning team are subject to mod approval as well. And of course, if you have any questions we're more than happy to clear them up! We'd like running to be as comfortable and easy an experience as possible, so please let us know if you need anything clarified. We're here to help you have fun!☆ Mirror Trials - If you wish to run a traumatic Trial your PC wouldn't run, you may use this option. In this case, the running character is approached by a Shadowy Figure while away from the train. The NPC uses magic to draw out the dark feelings from within the target character (sadness, anger, anything opposite the light), and uses it to create a "Malicious Mirror" -- a copy of the character made from Malice. These Mirror characters are compelled by Malice and the original character's internal darkness to act out against the PCs. However, due to the influence of the Prism aboard the train, they can only act through a Trial mechanism. Mirrors share the physical appearance of the original character, but may have some monstrous alterations. After the trial is complete, the Mirror dissipates, its energy spent. The original character will spend that time unconscious, and will return to themselves when the trial is over. Mirror Trials are usually traumatic, but depending on what aspect of your character's negativity you wish to express, they can be as tame or horrible as you want to run. Mirror Trials are one-off trials and do not require becoming an official trialrunner.
★ NPC Trials - These are the standard Trials as run by mods and official trialrunners. If you know you'll be running trials frequently, and want to run them without relation to your PCs, you can apply to join the trialrunning team. Trialrunners have access to some or all of the mod plot information, so potential team members will be vetted by the mods. Please keep that in mind when applying and be willing to keep spoilers to yourself.
Members of the trialrunning team can choose to run trials using the list of existing mod NPCs (the Prince's Knights), or using the Shadowy Figure. The latter serves as an ICly runnerless trial -- the Shadowy Figure has not revealed its form at this point in the plot, and will not interact with PCs during trials. Knight NPCs can be borrowed from their players to run trials or, if currently lacking a player, can be claimed by a runner as their own. This is subject to discussion with the mods.
to run a single trial
to join the trialrunning team
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