The Quarantine Mod (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
quarantinemod) wrote2019-07-02 12:52 am
quarantinemod) wrote2019-07-02 12:52 am
Entry tags:
○ setting & locations ○
setting
The Quarantine is set in one reality or dimension within a massive multiverse. Reality 5561A, as it has been colloquially named, is a vast and bustling dimension, full of planets populated by advanced species of all varieties. Most of the action within the game, however, will occur in the solar system surrounding the Capital World - the planet where the galaxy's overarching government is located. There are six inhabited planets in this solar system and several uninhabitable planets, and the system is generally peaceful with a few exceptions.
Residents of this solar system (and the reality at large) are aware of the fact that they are one reality in a multiverse, but do not currently have the technology or magic required to break the barriers between alternate universes.
the moon
The Quarantine is primarily set on the moon that orbits the Capital World. Around the same size as Earth, and with a similar orbit pattern, it has day, month, and year cycles very similar to our own. However, since it is a moon as opposed to having one, the Capital World is clearly visible in the sky, at a size and level of detail similar to this image, though the continents and coloration are different - the Capital world is more generally pastel in color and the water is less blue and more purplish. Anyone looking at the stars would be able to catch glimpses of other planets in the solar system.
The moon's climate is humid and warm. The seasonal cycle resembles Earth's seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, albeit with much less weather variation - spring and fall are warm and rainy, winter is temperate and very rainy, summer is hotter and drier. During winter, the moon gets snow for only about a week or two in December, when the Capital World moves partially between the moon and the galaxy's sun. During the month of October, a particular natural phenomenon on the moon weakens the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead, allowing for the crossover of those dead into the world of the living, with ghosts from the pasts of both the current residents and previous inhabitants of the moon.
The flora and fauna on the moon is incredibly varied, as the sleeping portal has been flashing open and closed to various alternate universes for thousands of years, which means animals, insects, and plant life have been able to escape into the moon's natural ecosystem. At this point, it is almost impossible to tell what plants and animal life are native to the moon, and which have simply been around for a long time after being introduced through the portal. Animals range from typical animals that would be found on Earth to alien versions of those animals, to extinct creatures like dinosaurs, and completely alien monsters that residents have never seen. Some of the animals may come from domestic stock and could be easily tamed, while others are vicious and see sentient life on the planet as easy prey. Plant life ranges from domesticated crops, fruit trees both familiar and alien, herbs that are foragable for consumption or medicinal use. Some of the plant life to be found may be poisonous, have strange effects on people, or be intoxicating when prepared the correct way. While much of the flora and fauna is alien and unfamiliar, residents may find familiar plant and animal species as the chances that the portal has opened to any of their worlds before are pretty good.
For more information on the flora and fauna of the world, please see the Bestiary and Flora pages.
The moon's climate is humid and warm. The seasonal cycle resembles Earth's seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, albeit with much less weather variation - spring and fall are warm and rainy, winter is temperate and very rainy, summer is hotter and drier. During winter, the moon gets snow for only about a week or two in December, when the Capital World moves partially between the moon and the galaxy's sun. During the month of October, a particular natural phenomenon on the moon weakens the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead, allowing for the crossover of those dead into the world of the living, with ghosts from the pasts of both the current residents and previous inhabitants of the moon.
The flora and fauna on the moon is incredibly varied, as the sleeping portal has been flashing open and closed to various alternate universes for thousands of years, which means animals, insects, and plant life have been able to escape into the moon's natural ecosystem. At this point, it is almost impossible to tell what plants and animal life are native to the moon, and which have simply been around for a long time after being introduced through the portal. Animals range from typical animals that would be found on Earth to alien versions of those animals, to extinct creatures like dinosaurs, and completely alien monsters that residents have never seen. Some of the animals may come from domestic stock and could be easily tamed, while others are vicious and see sentient life on the planet as easy prey. Plant life ranges from domesticated crops, fruit trees both familiar and alien, herbs that are foragable for consumption or medicinal use. Some of the plant life to be found may be poisonous, have strange effects on people, or be intoxicating when prepared the correct way. While much of the flora and fauna is alien and unfamiliar, residents may find familiar plant and animal species as the chances that the portal has opened to any of their worlds before are pretty good.
For more information on the flora and fauna of the world, please see the Bestiary and Flora pages.
the settlement (natural features)
The portal and the settlement that has sprung up near it are located just above the equator of the moon, about four days' walk eastward from the coast of a large ocean. The portal is tucked into the curve of a small feeding tributary to the massive river that feeds most of the continent it is located on with fresh water, and the settlement surrounds two larger feeding tributaries and an island located at the crux of them. A snowcapped mountain range is visible to the east, but it looks like it would be several weeks' journey by foot from the portal.
A (currently rough) map of the general area the portal and settlement are located on can be found here.
○ The Portal & Arrival Area: This is where characters will arrive in the game. Glowing a vibrant blue, the portal is enclosed in a ring of what looks like intricately carved bone, with thick strings of almost ectoplasmic blue matter that has fused with the stone and plants around it. Touching these strings will give characters a small unpleasant shock, as they are part of the portal's nervous system and very sensitive. The portal is located at the top of a small hillock with layered slate that forms something like steps, and from the base of this hill, a well-worn path winds off into the jungle in the direction of the settlement. The path is partially and crudely paved with stones set into the ground, and the walk to the settlement will take around 15 minutes. A reference image of the portal and arrival area can be found here.
○ The River & Island: The settlement is located mainly around a spot where two large tributaries meet to become one larger river. At the conjunction where these two rivers meet, there is an island that's approximately a 15 minute walk across. The island has the same type of flora and fauna as the rest of the area. The river toward the west side of the island is shallower and is an excellent place to catch fish.
○ Grasslands: There are about 10 acres of space that looks like it has been purposefully cleared, probably by previous residents who used this space to grow crops. There is a large swath of grains that are still growing wild and untended, and a tangle of various domesticated vegetables and berry bushes that have also grown wild and are desperately in need of weeding, but seem to be bearing fruit. There is also a small overgrown orchard with several types of fruit-bearing trees in both familiar and alien varieties near the south end of the grasslands.
○ Waterfall: About a 30 minute walk northeast from the crux where the rivers meet, there is a large waterfall. About two stories tall, it drops sharply towards the top and becomes more shallow as it heads down into the pool it feeds. This plunge pool is also an excellent place to fish. The waterfall itself (at least at the shallower part) and the plunge pool are also relatively safe, calm places to swim or bathe.
A (currently rough) map of the general area the portal and settlement are located on can be found here.
○ The Portal & Arrival Area: This is where characters will arrive in the game. Glowing a vibrant blue, the portal is enclosed in a ring of what looks like intricately carved bone, with thick strings of almost ectoplasmic blue matter that has fused with the stone and plants around it. Touching these strings will give characters a small unpleasant shock, as they are part of the portal's nervous system and very sensitive. The portal is located at the top of a small hillock with layered slate that forms something like steps, and from the base of this hill, a well-worn path winds off into the jungle in the direction of the settlement. The path is partially and crudely paved with stones set into the ground, and the walk to the settlement will take around 15 minutes. A reference image of the portal and arrival area can be found here.
○ The River & Island: The settlement is located mainly around a spot where two large tributaries meet to become one larger river. At the conjunction where these two rivers meet, there is an island that's approximately a 15 minute walk across. The island has the same type of flora and fauna as the rest of the area. The river toward the west side of the island is shallower and is an excellent place to catch fish.
○ Grasslands: There are about 10 acres of space that looks like it has been purposefully cleared, probably by previous residents who used this space to grow crops. There is a large swath of grains that are still growing wild and untended, and a tangle of various domesticated vegetables and berry bushes that have also grown wild and are desperately in need of weeding, but seem to be bearing fruit. There is also a small overgrown orchard with several types of fruit-bearing trees in both familiar and alien varieties near the south end of the grasslands.
○ Waterfall: About a 30 minute walk northeast from the crux where the rivers meet, there is a large waterfall. About two stories tall, it drops sharply towards the top and becomes more shallow as it heads down into the pool it feeds. This plunge pool is also an excellent place to fish. The waterfall itself (at least at the shallower part) and the plunge pool are also relatively safe, calm places to swim or bathe.
locations
There is evidence of several previous groups of people having lived in the settlement area, with two different types of structures available to fix up and make livable, and a third structure that is mostly underground and not currently accessible. One of the housing structures, the Shrine, is located on the island, while the other, the Treehouses, are located about a 10 minute walk northeast up one of the tributaries, near the waterfall. Two bridges span the river, a wooden bridge that the path from the portal leads directly to, and a rope bridge on the opposite side of the island that allows access to the grasslands and a path that leads to the Treehouses.
housing options
On the island in the middle of the crux where the rivers meet, there is a stone structure partially set into the ground, shaped like a round castle turret. Surrounded by swooshing curved plateaus of stone that look unnatural, like they were created by someone, the structure is well-protected but still has ample sunlight. Upon entering, characters will find a circular structure with a massive skylight at the top allowing sunlight to filter down the center of the structure.
At the floor level, there is what looks like remains of a communal vegetable garden with a shallow pond, and a circular staircase that leads upward - upon looking up the stairs, residents will see that the structure is about four stories tall. Each floor is split into an inner and outer ring, with broad breezeways in between. Each inner ring contains four living units, each with two loft bedrooms and shared kitchen, bathroom, and living area on the main level; each outer ring contains 8 similar units. The Shrine contains a total of 24 housing units.
The Shrine was inhabited by a peaceful, reptilian magic-using race that were very tall in stature, which means that all amenities are powered by lingering magic, and units have running water and lights as well as a magical heating system that warms the stone. There are no appliances, cooking is done over a stone hearth and laundry is done by use of washboards in the sink basins in the washroom. Everything is rustic, and rather than separate furniture pieces, there are chairs, beds, and tables all emerging out of the solid stone of the walls and floors, as if the entire unit were carved from a single piece of stone. There is padding and blankets on the stone furniture, but this structure has been abandoned for a very long time, and they will crumble to dust as soon as they're touched.
A reference image of what the Shrine looks like from the outside can be found here.
After crossing the rope bridge and a short walk through the grasslands, there is a copse of incredibly tall trees near the edge of the river where the waterfall tumbles. In the canopy of the trees, supported by branches that look far too thin to hold the weight of them, are several large thatched-roofed treehouses, interconnected by a maze of rope bridges, wooden walkways, and wooden and rope ladders. Once characters climb onto this series of walkways and bridges, they will find that while there are approximately six treehouses in various sizes, only two are habitable at the moment.
Each of the two treehouses is a square shape and has two stories, with the lower story being taken up by an open-plan shared living space with kitchen, bathrooms, and a living area; the upper story consists of 8 loft bedrooms separated by wooden walls, accessible by ratty rope ladders. These structures have been abandoned for a short period of time, and are outfitted comfortably with sturdy wooden furniture that has intact (if dusty) blankets and padding.
The Treehouses were originally inhabited by a mildly warlike, winged race that were at a lower level of technological development. Each treehouse has running water that functions by use of simple machines and hydraulics, and lights that draw power from several water wheel generators that are placed under the nearby waterfall. There are no appliances, cooking is done at a firepit in the center of the dwelling that vents smoke through a chimney, and laundry is done at the waterfall. The Treehouses contain a total of 16 housing units, with the opportunity for an additional 10 units available if characters repair two smaller treehouses, one of which can house two people, and one of which can house four people, as well as four much smaller bachelor-style 'lookout' units intended for single people to keep watch rotations.
A reference image of what the Treehouses look like from the outside can be found here.
Almost directly across the river from the Treehouses there is a low, squat cement structure in the shape of a trapezoid visible among tangles of vines and underbrush only because it is painted a bright red that stands out against the green foliage. Upon approaching the structure, characters will find a utilitarian iron ladder set into an indentation in the cement wall, which leads down through a circular hole, and eventually to a short set of stairs. Upon going down the stairs, they will find a small open area with a heavy door. It is obvious by the complicated keypad-enabled security of the door and the military-style numbers and letters spraypainted on the walls that this is a much more high-tech installation than the other leftover structures.
However, across the door, someone has spraypainted in jagged print, the letters thick and a bright blood-red colour - "Quarantined!". Hm. That's a little concerning...
A reference image of what the entrance to the Bunker looks like from the outside can be found here.
○ Fishing Docks: At the narrow west side of the island that the Shrine is located on, the river is shallower, with the pebbled beach fading into water babbling over a gravelly bottom. In this area, several docks have been built out into the water that allow for netting of the many delicious freshwater fish that swim through this area on their way to the ocean to breed.
○ The Orchard & Garden: At the south end of the grasslands, there is an orchard of about 24 trees of 6 different varieties. The orchard is overgrown, the trees are in desperate need of pruning, and everything is a mess, but the trees are still bearing fruit and all seem to be alive. Similarly, there is a large patch of soil that looks as if it was tilled up within the past decade or so, overgrown with weeds, but also with various vegetables growing wild - not well, but certainly still salvageable. There are also three or four rows of berry bushes, in about 6 different varieties of fruit, which are, like the orchard, overgrown and full of weeds, but certainly salvageable with a little love and attention.
faq
Any questions related to the game's setting or locations can be asked on this page. Answers to previously-asked questions will be linked below for ease of use.
○ Fake question for formatting.