OCTOBER BULLETIN

[vestigemods]

OCTOBER BULLETIN

► SPOOKTOBER IS UPON US

Suit up, spooky dookies. 👻 Haunting season may be over (for now), but All Hallow's Month has just begun! No big long game-change briefings this month, but I do have a couple of important things to briefly note!

① POR QUÉ ES 'BULLETIN'??

We had monthly infoposts + event infoposts, and when I had to write things like 'consult the September infopost', I started to realize that it might be a bit confusing whether I meant the actual monthly overview or the event post itself. From now on, we'll have monthly bulletins + event infoposts on the OOC side, plus of course the monthly catch-alls + event logs on the IC side.

I may one day go back and change all prior references to event infoposts to event bulletins instead, but that is a project for another day and this will mostly just be a change from here on out!

② MODDING TRANSPARANCY NOTE

Firstly, an apology for the lateness of the event log for last month's event. I had a bit of a personal crisis week and definitely didn't meet the deadline I was aiming for (the one stated in September's infopost/bulletin). Thank y'all again for your everlasting patience with me.

Semi-relatedly and also more pressingly: As of this week I've started my first quarter of grad school. I have yet to have the foggiest clue how busy that will keep me, though right now (based on what I'm hearing from my professors + reading in the syllabus) it's looking promising. I just wanted to drop a note in here to say that while there's zero chance whatsoever of being busy enough to need to close the game, there may be weeks when I'm unable to touch modwork at all. You'll still see me RPing throughout those weeks, because I'm not going to let guilt over waiting modwork disrupt my overall ability to enjoy RP as a hobby. I hope y'all can trust that anytime I have the bandwidth to do the modwork in a given week, I'll 100% do it - and if I'm not doing it but tagging instead, it's a tougher school week and I need the zen.

That said, all actual modposts should be on time. When scheduling time to write them, I plan on erring toward too early rather than risking them being late - so in general, if I list a date, know that it'll be up on that date, one or more days before that date, or on rare occasion no more than 24 hours after it.

HOW'S TRACE'S DRIVING?

Vestige has now been open for three full months, going into the fourth. I mentioned that after September, I wanted to put out a general request for feedback regarding the game so far. So here it is: I'd like to hear how I'm doing as a mod, and how Vestige is doing as a game!

While I'm open to hearing literally whatever thoughts you have in your brainpan, there are some categories you might consider dropping feedback on, as well as some known issues that I'm already addressing.

CONSIDER OFFERING FEEDBACK ON...

• The event pacing. I plan to continue the once-monthly-event pace, but what is variable is the actual involvement each event involves. If folks feel like the events have been too involved each month, I can alternate between very involved months and more laid-back months. Alternatively, if people feel like there's not enough going on between events, I can add mini horror prompts to each bulletin (more so than I already have been, since so far they've been somewhat subtle/very very localized).


• The event contents. Have you enjoyed the events so far? Have they been easy enough to get involved in (on average) for any given character, or do they seem unfairly skewed toward specific demographics? Are they too structured/complicated, or maybe not structured enough? Is it easy enough to engage in events like Ghosts & Hosts (which are kind of self-guided in specific semantics), or would you rather I avoid that sort of open-ended events in the future?


• The pages/info available. Are there any pages you think that we need but lack? Is there anything unclear within the Vestige info (within the pages on the mod journal or in monthly infoposts) which I could clarify or expound on? Etc.


• The player engagement. Specifically, do you think I've done the best that I can to facilitate it, or is there more that I could be doing/more effective things? I never want to implement an AC or inflict mandatory engagement, but I also want to encourage it as best I can while also taking into consideration that we're a game full of busy/chill people.


• The player acquisition. I want to keep Vestige a safe, secure environment where people can feel at home and chill, and our Discord seems like it has largely accomplished that as of late, in no small part due to the invite-only element. That said, I also want to see if we can't keep slowly but surely gathering folks to join us, so I'd love to hear thoughts on the best means by which to do so. Advertising on Plurk seems to fall a bit short due to the fact that the interested parties tend to be people who saw a replurk but have yet to receive a direct invitation. Would it be an idea worth considering to lift the invite-only restriction on a trial basis (a month or something) and see what happens?


• My modding quality as a whole. I really do want feedback on this. Am I too laid back/could I stand to be more professional? Is it off-putting to see f-bombs in the game modposts? Is there anything else that I do which could use work?

ISSUES I'M CURRENTLY ADDRESSING INCLUDE...

• My modpost punctuality. It's an issue. I'm chronically late in my actual life, and functioning as a solo mod, I've been chronically late in this capacity as well. Very few posts or pages have gone up on the dates/within the timelines that I've stated I plan for them to, and that's not something I'm thrilled about. Ideally, getting myself on a more structured daily schedule for grad school will help me with this, too - and while I'm positive I'll never be a mod who posts things exactly on the given date at all times, I can at least strive to become one who is far more frequently early than late, and always late on a much smaller scale than I have been.


• My aesthetic uniformity. My pages and modposts have basically all looked fully different aside from the main overarching format, in part because I've been trying to find the aesthetic I like the best. Now that I've found it, you can expect it to stick from now on, and older pages/posts are currently in the process of being updated to match (see announcements below).


• My tendency to get too involved in key IC roles. This may be something I myself notice more than anyone else does, but I myself know that I tend to get too involved in plot (e.g. the way Wei Wuxian ended up in a key role in the Way Down We Go event, and Lalli has headed up the scouting efforts on both occasions in which scouting has been a thing). At current, Vestige is a small enough game that we don't have a ton of characters willing to leap into big roles or catalyze progress. As we gain more characters, it'll become easier and easier for me to pull my characters back from any sort of spotlight and let y'all take it over. In the meantime, I'm always going to try to hold back from taking that role for at least a couple of days to see if anyone else wants it - and if someone wants a key event/involvement role even after I've already started to OOCly plot for it, please, let me know so I can hand it over.

If you want to some feedback my way, please toss it up on the Mod Contact post! Comments are screened, and if you'd rather be anonymous for personal comfort, feel free to sock up for it.

Please note that all game-changing feedback I get that seems feasible to implement will first involve a poll to the playerbase to make sure it's wanted! Examples coming to mind include changes to pacing and the questions addressed in the 'player acquisition' bullet above.

ANNOUNCEMENTS OF VARYING IMPORTANCE

• The task of revamping the Housing page will ideally take place in the first half of October. I'll put a note up on Plurk + Discord when it's ready!


• A most excellent secret volunteer (henceforth known as Helper Homie) has taken on the task of kicking our older pages and modposts into the current coding aesthetic and generally making them look uniformly organized. A big thanks to Helper Homie!


• Our first mystery location was discovered in September! Geralt found Location N in the middle of the swamp. Popping this in here as an example of how that mechanic works, and as a note that N should be up on the Locations page soon!


• While a couple of people have utilized our Buy Shit page so far, I wanted to once again point it out as resource for folks who want to give their character neato (or horrifying) new things to experience.

OCTOBER IN VESTIGE

OVERVIEW.


As Autumn sets in, the containment zone begins to settle into all of the trappings of autumn. Chilly weather, bundled clothing and hot drinks, the turning and falling of leaves... It really just goes to show that life goes on in a place like this just as it does anywhere else.

No horrifying curse or dangerous monsters plague the containment zone at large this month, nor is there any dire emergency from which anyone needs rescued. In fact, for some, October is a blissful month of recovery, perhaps even domesticity. But others - those who get caught in the crossfire of one of the more localized happenings, especially - may find it quite a bit more difficult to relax into the reprieve(?) you've been afforded.


WEATHER.


October is wet. While it isn't quite frigid just yet like you'll see around wintertime, three or four days per week offer moderate rainfall, and at least one or two of those rain heavily enough that a simple trip to your neighbor's cabin will leave you halfway soaked. The few rain-free days offer enough sun to dry up most of the puddles and whatever else is soggy by the end of the day, only for everything to get soaked again the following day.

The middle of the month sees stronger winds, never gale-strength but nonetheless sharp enough to sting. And... draw blood? See EVENT BRIEFINGS for more on this + the mid-month thunderstorm!




WILDLIFE.


The animals no longer seem to be as scarce as they were - sometime in the last couple of weeks, the containment zone has been repopulated with an appropriate number of woodland creatures. These new arrivals are fairly easy to pick out, if it occurs to you to do so: Regardless of species, they seem a bit lost, a bit unsure. It's an odd season to have to acclimate to a new environment, to have to figure out where to scavenge for food and what dangers to avoid.

These new animals do seem wary and skittish of people... But as the month goes on, many of them (especially the smaller ones - raccoons, opossums, foxes, coyotes, birds of various kinds) take to the manmade structures as shelter from the biting wind, especially those structures like the farmhouse and the unclaimed cabins which see little foot-traffic compared to the occupied cabins. If you're claiming a cabin this month, don't be surprised to find a host of woodland creatures inside!

As for plant life, the possibly-hemlock is still going strong, and the rest of the flora seems to have revitalized from summer's heat by now too, with the grasses around the lake and in the various clearings growing a vibrant well-hydrated green again.

A batch of new slow-growing flower starts have sprung up in the most broken-down of the town's three greenhouses, as if the town's discovery has awoken their seeds from slumber in hopes of proper nursing and care. They'll be dead by mid-November if nobody discovers and cares for them... Are they dangerous? Are they helpful, or useful? Or are they simply baby flowers trying to survive in this world like the rest of you?


RESOURCES.


Foodland is here for all of your autumn needs! Find a restock of fall-related items, including:


• Supplies for various hot drinks - cocoa, cider, and a few different hot teas.
• A host of new squash varieties in the produce section.
• What looks like an additional produce section full of fall gourds, corns, etc. - but they're all just plastic decorations. Other autumn decor is present, too.
• Autumn clothing! Lots of plaids and flannels, lots of scarves and mittens. Sweaters in general see an influx this season. Hopefully nobody needs new underwear in October, because the ONLY UNDERWEAR to be found are long johns in various shapes and sizes.
• Costumes. In the latter half of the month, a costume section pops up, and you can basically assume that your character's able to find whatever costume they want for Halloween purposes (or that they can't and they're stuck with something awful).
And then, of course, there's the gas station. It's trying a little harder this month. I'd probably still go to Foodland. Gas station finds include:


• Halloween decorations, so many. Anything from spectacularly tacky to actually kind of cool, but... mostly the tacky kind.
• So much Halloween candy, too. The trouble is, it's full of literally all of the the things that chain e-mails and conservative news channels warn parents to look out for hidden within their child's candy: Razor blades, needles (not the drug kind), edibles (definitely the drug kind). The rare candy is even laced with cyanide! Luckily, you'll only find something Alarming in about one out of every twenty pieces.
• The hot roller (y'know, the one that handed out 7/11 flautas back in July?) seems to have something new on the menu... and it smells delicious. Every Saturday and Sunday, come on down to the gas station for some dessert egg rolls! They come in apple, chocolate cheesecake, and pumpkin pie flavors.

ANOMALIES. (aka that fucking tree again)


That fucking tree is now just 50 yards from the barrier, and at this point it's impossible to ignore. But while looking directly at the tree last month caused you to black out, now you find that it's entirely impossible to look directly at. Characters who try are seized with a primal and mind-numbing avoidance reaction, as if some part of them recognizes something in that tree as beyond the scope of what they're prepared to handle or comprehend.

Regardless of how courageous or daring or foolish they are, 100% of characters are now unable to directly look at this tree. Beyond that, the threshold is variable - some characters find that they can't have it in their peripheral without discomfort too severe to ignore, while others can't even bring themselves visit the gas station at all.

Those who can stand to observe the tree in their peripheral will find that the figures seem to vibrate so strongly in place that their outlines distort... while also giving the illusion of stillness, of not moving at all. It's impossible for both to occur at once, and yet that's what characters seem to be witnessing in the indirect corners of their eyes. Additionally, all who go to the gas station find that something feels wrong about it + the road, clearing, and immediate woods surrounding it. As if they've stepped into a plane slightly detached from their own, or as if the world itself has tilted just fractionally and gravity tugs them accordingly, or as if they've been here in this exact time and place once or twice or a dozen times before. They may feel the dizzying and disoriented sensation typically associated with being upside down, as if hanging upside down from the ceiling would right things.

These effects can be mild, moderate, or severe, and will disappear as soon as they put distance between themselves and the gas station. Hope those egg rolls are worth it.

EVENT WRITE-UPS

Rather than one big weeklong event, we actually have three (3) mini-events in store for you. Because none of them are spectacularly involved, I'll be including them all here in this post. As such, there will be no event infoposts to speak of - any semantics not covered here will be within the individual mini-event logs, and none of it will be stuff you would've needed in order to plot in advance.

① IS THE DOCTOR IN? LOCATION REVEAL, OCT 8TH

On the 8th of October, a number of characters wake up in one of three different floors in the hospital rather than wherever it is that they fell asleep. Here, they'll have various horror-themed prompts to interact with (some mild, some less so). Characters who don't wake up in the hospital will find that the formerly-locked front doors are now accessible, as well as the hatch into the basement.

This will be a one-day mini-event (honestly, probably just a few hours of the day - it's not like they're actually trapped), and will be more of an alarming circumstance than any sort of genuine event. The set-up will be very much in the vein of Test Drive Meme #2, but adjusted to reflect taking place in reality rather than within a shared dream. After this log goes up, the 'hospital' section of the Locations page will be updated to reflect this new accessible location!

(Expect the event log for this to go up on the 8th or possibly slightly earlier.)

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② THE WINDS OF CHANGE WEATHER EVENT, OCT 18TH - 24TH

While most of the containment zone's trees are evergreen and thus untouched by the changes one might expect of autumn, a number of trees - especially around the farmlands and directly surrounding the town, but also scattered throughout the rest of the containment zone - aren't so fortunate. The leaves begin to fall at the start of October, benignly, perhaps even serenely. But nothing is ever truly safe here, is it?

Beginning on the 18th and spanning through the 24th, the winds grow sharper than the containment zone has seen thus far - enough so that they kick up fallen leaves from the ground, whipping them about like a tornado might with cars or chunks of building. But while the leaves seemed soft and even soggy on the ground, in this strange new wind they cut like razors, slicing through flesh like a knife through hot butter and leaving a thin trail of blood in their wake. It's never deep enough to be fatal, but it certainly stings. One more reason to bundle up when you go outside, I suppose.

On the 24th, it comes to a head in the form of a large thunderstorm which starts in the morning and lasts through the day and even part of the night. It seems like your typical storm... unless you happen to be outside in it. Those who venture out quickly discover that rather than aiming for the tallest objects around, the lightning seems to target you. It's potentially fatal, but for most, it will probably just injure you and leave a mildly alarming scar in the Lichtenburg figure.

(Consult the lightning injury wiki for more on potential side effects + these pictures of lightning scars - the second is underwear-nsfw.)

(This mini-event will not have an event log - feel free to integrate it into your prompts in the October Catch-All, which will be going up within the next 24 hours!)

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③ WELCOME TO THE MASQUERADE PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR (AND PARTY!), OCT 31ST

Though it may very well go unnoticed in light of the razor winds, sometime just after midnight on the 20th, a very large tent appears in a brand new clearing carved out of the trees along the stretch of road between the farmland and the town itself.



► THE TENT -
The tent is large, almost circus-sized, but colored a deep purple rather than anything flashy. It seems to consist of one large central tent with a series of smaller 'backstage' tents interconnected by tent-tunnels. It appeared with no sign of who put it there or what's inside... Your character doesn't find that odd, however. Doesn't seem to realize it's even out of place. It's like scenery, like 'the sky is blue, the grass is green, there's that tent again, no big deal'. On November 1st, they may very well look back and realize how alarming this oversight was, but for now, the tent remains undisturbed and largely overlooked until the night of the Ball.



► THE FLYERS -
Beginning on the 21st, flyers have been hung through the town and the gas station, and a few more can be found flying about on the wind amongst the leaves. These flyers advertise a masquerade ball, with the following information:



• Held in the aforementioned tent on the 31st, beginning at 6 PM. No specified end time.
• Costumes (or at least masks) are absolutely required. No entry without!
• Partner recommended.
• Food and beverages will be provided.
• Dance music of all kinds will be featured.
It fails to specify who exactly is throwing the Ball, but much like the arbitrary tent, this ambiguity isn't suspicious either. In fact, your character even feels unusually inclined to attend... Or at least, to let someone more outgoing strong-arm them into attending.

These fliers are printed on fancy stationary with an elegant but distinctly Halloween feel to them. If you tear one down (to remember the details, of course), another will replace it within the hour.



► THE BALL -
True to the flyer, you can't get in the door without a costume, but they can be found all through the month at the Gas Station (or Foodland, if you're creative) or your character could easily just half-ass their own costume out of junk.

ICly, the Ball will be a genuinely enjoyable experience for the first ~3 hours. Few people, if any, have managed to leave by then - much in the same way they were unnaturally inclined to attend, they're similarly inclined to stick around. The music will be mostly good (nothing too wild or controversial, generally easy to dance to), and there will be a feast of Halloween-themed snacks along with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic Blood Punch (it's like regular punch, but darker red).

After 9 PM, the horror begins. The tent flap zips closed, unnoticed over the sounds of the music, and all attendees are trapped within the tent for the next three hours. This will be a psychological horror event, centering around the concept of (you guessed it) fear. And for the next three hours, they'll be faced with manifestations of that which they fear - typically their deepest and innermost fears, but if you want to go easy on them, they can be lesser fears.

Characters will be released from the tent at midnight just three hours later, though for some it will feel like quite a bit longer.

(Expect an event log for this on or around the 25th. This event log will be a bit longer, since it'll include a lot of non-critical semantics in lieu of having an event infopost on the topic. See this Masquerade Ball FAQ for any questions you may have, and go ahead and ask anything not covered here!)

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That's it for now! Quite a bit to chew on this month. :') Expect the October Catch-All within the next day or so. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this month in Vestige!