6
While I can't say I've made considerable progress on my resolutions, I was able to dredge up some amount of information regarding the City. It seems that, in my previous stay here, I jotted down observations and notes. I'm not sure if they're at all useful, but, in the interest of keeping them readily accessible, I would like to copy them here. I would have done so yesterday, but that duck business was rather inhibiting.
[From May 6, 2008 (City time)]
The following are approximations only, and derived from a small sample size. I excluded responses that were ambiguous. Due to the nature of this survey, I shouldn't expect anyone to assume this is definitive truth.
75% of the City's population is human.
5% of the City's population is vampiric.
5% of the City's population is angelic.
10% of the City's population is demonic.
85% of the City's citizens are trained in some form of combat.
20% of the City's citizens possess telepathic powers.
55% of the City's citizens have some knowledge of the magical arts.
30% of the City's citizens have died within the City.
40% of the City's citizens have committed one or more murders while in the City.
60% of the City's citizens have been the victims of a violent attack within the City.
75% of the City's citizens are employed in some manner.
90% of the City's citizens know of someone else from their world who lives in the City.
45% of the City's citizens have left the City and returned since their initial entrance.
30% of the City's citizens have had direct communication with one or more City deities.
5% of the City's citizens are accustomed to enjoying alcoholic beverages at least once a day.
40% of the City's citizens have been diagnosed with a physical or mental disorder (note, however, that most of these disorders are rather minor, and include things such as visual impairment and chronic allergies).
45% of the City's citizens feel that they have become more irritable since entering the City.
The average age for human citizens without extended lifespans is twenty-three.
The average length of a citizen's stay is ten months.
(Edit 1/7: I highly doubt the percentages are correct, as there seem to be far more vampires here than these results indicate. This may be, however, a useful springboard for further surveys.)
[From July 5, 2008 (City time)]
Speculation:
-The clock is counting down to the end of all worlds.
-The deities draw their power from the clock.
-The clock absorbs negative energy generated by the curses.
-At one point, a power higher than the deities arrived to fix the clock. (Unconfirmed)
Known:
-The clock is located beneath the carousel.
-Some sort of force field prevents the curious from getting too close.
-The clock has, at some point, showed signs of “winding down.”
[From July 29, 2008 (City time)]
What is apparent is the significance of time in the City. The apartment buildings are arranged like the numbers of a clock, with the carousel as a central point. The ticking sound is a dominant feature of the City, and the City's clock appears to be of great importance (judging, of course, by the amount of care taken in keeping it inaccessible). The curses, while sporadic at best, generally last twenty-four hours. Those that go on longer can still be divided into twenty-four hour increments. Citizens of the City who die revive in twenty-four hours' time. There are patterns everywhere, but the significance of the day--perhaps of multiples of twelve, if the City has a strictly mathematical basis--is as of yet unknown.
What I suppose this all boils down to is a fundamental question: What is the City and what is its purpose? Of course, there are questions that must be answered along the way, as well. Are, for example, the deities the highest operating powers, or (as many--myself included--suspect) do they answer to a power higher than themselves? Are the curses purely for the amusement of the powers that be, or do they serve a more practical purpose? Why does the City choose to revive its dead? What time are we--and the clock--waiting for? How is escape from the City possible for some, but seldom possible voluntarily?
(Edit 1/7: Potentially useful speculation and lines of inquiry, although there's nothing truly informative.)
Miscellaneous
BARRIERS
-Throwing oneself bodily at the barriers surrounding the City does not result in the successful penetration of said barrier. The effectiveness of this approach is not appreciably enhanced by the number of people attacking the barrier.
CURSES
-Curses can entirely alter a citizen’s emotions, but they also have the ability to enhance emotions that have been kept hidden.
-Not all curses terminate at midnight.
-Certain curses may result in a false death. That is, a citizen who expires in the duration of a curse may find themselves fully alive when the curse ends.
DEATH
-If a living person dies within the City, there is a chance that they will return. Once they have revived, however, they are incapable of returning to their home world.
-If a person was dead in their home world, they will be dead in the City.
-Those in the City who are dead are not noticeably different from those who are alive-they are capable of healing from injuries, metabolizing food and drink, and breathing. Eating, drinking, and breathing do not, however, appear necessary.
DEITIES
-There are higher powers than the deities, as one deity said: “I am not as high as one can go in this hierarchy.”
TIME
-Time within the City is not necessarily synchronized with the time in other worlds.
*
I've never had the opportunity to interpret my own notes. I almost feel as if I'm collaborating with myself.
Ah! Before I forget, my profound thanks to all citizens who resisted the urge to eat ducks, and to those who thwarted any attempts at duck-slaughtering. The bits of bread were rather good, as well--thank you for your openhandedness! All in all, it wasn't a terribly unpleasant curse, as no one had an enthusiastic go at my life. I do wish I had learned how to fly, but I can only assume future curses will provide me with ample opportunities to give it another go.
*
Would any of you be open to the possibility of an interview of sorts? I realize you're busy with the whole deity business, but I have a number of questions I would quite like to ask.
[From May 6, 2008 (City time)]
The following are approximations only, and derived from a small sample size. I excluded responses that were ambiguous. Due to the nature of this survey, I shouldn't expect anyone to assume this is definitive truth.
75% of the City's population is human.
5% of the City's population is vampiric.
5% of the City's population is angelic.
10% of the City's population is demonic.
85% of the City's citizens are trained in some form of combat.
20% of the City's citizens possess telepathic powers.
55% of the City's citizens have some knowledge of the magical arts.
30% of the City's citizens have died within the City.
40% of the City's citizens have committed one or more murders while in the City.
60% of the City's citizens have been the victims of a violent attack within the City.
75% of the City's citizens are employed in some manner.
90% of the City's citizens know of someone else from their world who lives in the City.
45% of the City's citizens have left the City and returned since their initial entrance.
30% of the City's citizens have had direct communication with one or more City deities.
5% of the City's citizens are accustomed to enjoying alcoholic beverages at least once a day.
40% of the City's citizens have been diagnosed with a physical or mental disorder (note, however, that most of these disorders are rather minor, and include things such as visual impairment and chronic allergies).
45% of the City's citizens feel that they have become more irritable since entering the City.
The average age for human citizens without extended lifespans is twenty-three.
The average length of a citizen's stay is ten months.
(Edit 1/7: I highly doubt the percentages are correct, as there seem to be far more vampires here than these results indicate. This may be, however, a useful springboard for further surveys.)
[From July 5, 2008 (City time)]
Speculation:
-The clock is counting down to the end of all worlds.
-The deities draw their power from the clock.
-The clock absorbs negative energy generated by the curses.
-At one point, a power higher than the deities arrived to fix the clock. (Unconfirmed)
Known:
-The clock is located beneath the carousel.
-Some sort of force field prevents the curious from getting too close.
-The clock has, at some point, showed signs of “winding down.”
[From July 29, 2008 (City time)]
What is apparent is the significance of time in the City. The apartment buildings are arranged like the numbers of a clock, with the carousel as a central point. The ticking sound is a dominant feature of the City, and the City's clock appears to be of great importance (judging, of course, by the amount of care taken in keeping it inaccessible). The curses, while sporadic at best, generally last twenty-four hours. Those that go on longer can still be divided into twenty-four hour increments. Citizens of the City who die revive in twenty-four hours' time. There are patterns everywhere, but the significance of the day--perhaps of multiples of twelve, if the City has a strictly mathematical basis--is as of yet unknown.
What I suppose this all boils down to is a fundamental question: What is the City and what is its purpose? Of course, there are questions that must be answered along the way, as well. Are, for example, the deities the highest operating powers, or (as many--myself included--suspect) do they answer to a power higher than themselves? Are the curses purely for the amusement of the powers that be, or do they serve a more practical purpose? Why does the City choose to revive its dead? What time are we--and the clock--waiting for? How is escape from the City possible for some, but seldom possible voluntarily?
(Edit 1/7: Potentially useful speculation and lines of inquiry, although there's nothing truly informative.)
Miscellaneous
BARRIERS
-Throwing oneself bodily at the barriers surrounding the City does not result in the successful penetration of said barrier. The effectiveness of this approach is not appreciably enhanced by the number of people attacking the barrier.
CURSES
-Curses can entirely alter a citizen’s emotions, but they also have the ability to enhance emotions that have been kept hidden.
-Not all curses terminate at midnight.
-Certain curses may result in a false death. That is, a citizen who expires in the duration of a curse may find themselves fully alive when the curse ends.
DEATH
-If a living person dies within the City, there is a chance that they will return. Once they have revived, however, they are incapable of returning to their home world.
-If a person was dead in their home world, they will be dead in the City.
-Those in the City who are dead are not noticeably different from those who are alive-they are capable of healing from injuries, metabolizing food and drink, and breathing. Eating, drinking, and breathing do not, however, appear necessary.
DEITIES
-There are higher powers than the deities, as one deity said: “I am not as high as one can go in this hierarchy.”
TIME
-Time within the City is not necessarily synchronized with the time in other worlds.
*
I've never had the opportunity to interpret my own notes. I almost feel as if I'm collaborating with myself.
Ah! Before I forget, my profound thanks to all citizens who resisted the urge to eat ducks, and to those who thwarted any attempts at duck-slaughtering. The bits of bread were rather good, as well--thank you for your openhandedness! All in all, it wasn't a terribly unpleasant curse, as no one had an enthusiastic go at my life. I do wish I had learned how to fly, but I can only assume future curses will provide me with ample opportunities to give it another go.
*
Would any of you be open to the possibility of an interview of sorts? I realize you're busy with the whole deity business, but I have a number of questions I would quite like to ask.