It's the Most BDE-ful Time Of The Teeerm
Fandomites! Some of you might have already noticed it blocked out on the plot calendar, but in the week of July 27th through August 2nd, Fandom High will be hit by the semesterly BDE (Big Damn Event)!
On July 27th, the denizens of an alternate Fandom, wrapped in tragedy, are going to make their last desperate bid at saving themselves. Unfortunately, their call for help won't bring them any new heroes to save the day: just the minds of our present Fandomites, sucked across dimensional borders at random to make a home in the heads of their AU counterparts. This wasn't what they'd planned, but this is what they got - and what our Fandom will have to deal with.
Why are we announcing this so early down the road? Well, it's time to start planning! We are opening this BDE up to all, including alumni and expatriates -- although the latter are restricted to participating only as their AU counterparts, while current townies, students and teachers may participate across the board.
We also know that a few of you (and one of us) will be just getting back from San Diego Comic-Con on the 27th. Have no fear: the items scheduled for that day will be setup-only, and preplayed.
What's the AU Backstory?
In October 2005 of our own Fandom's history, the vampire Angelus was re-souled after having murdered a fellow student. Finding himself face-to-face with Logan Echolls, the newly-souled Angel stopped attacking and fled, later reconciling with the administration and his fellow students. He and a group of friends went on a few months later to rid the island of the pack of NPC vampires being led by Angel's vamp-relatives Darla and Drusilla.
Flash forward four years later, and Angel is currently an alumni living in LA with Logan. An attempt to do a spell goes awry, and Angel's soul is momentarily thrown across time and space.
In another dimension's October 2005, it's the time-displaced soul of mainstream alumni Angel that was sucked into AU student Angelus. He reacted differently on seeing student Logan, not fleeing, since in the mainstream present they're a couple. This caused student Logan to stake him, thinking he was still evil.
Onward a few months, our alternate history takes shape. With Angel gone, there was no "Study Group" to rid the island of Darla and Dru's minions, or keep them under control. Darla and Dru got bored fairly quickly without Angel around to torment, and wandered off, but vampire minions eventually claimed the town and the school, snacking on citizens as they pleased. Many characters of the time died, some were turned into vampires, some survived.
New students and teachers who arrived for the Spring 2006 semester found that the island was a trap they couldn't escape, as administrators among the vampires tracked down the island's subterreanean workings and shut off all outgoing portal access and the ability to exit via the causeway. Now, like a roach motel, humans check in, but they can't check out, becoming a permanently replenishing food supply for the vampires. The town became openly vampire-run, and they also gained control of the school building.
Among the early vampire casualties was new principal Zoe Washburn, who rose to leadership of the vamps as a whole because she found a way to keep the Fandom High propaganda machine running, sucking in more new students and teachers. (Not that they ever get the chance to learn or teach in the traditional sense.) Early on, there was some skirmishing with human magic users, but by summer 2006, a vamped Willow Rosenberg had created a spell to keep their powers dampened.
Survivors banded together here and there. New citizens and old found places to hole up, but individual buildings were easily burned from the outside by vampires, so eventually the main group of survivors congregated in the FH dorms: students, teachers and townies alike. The dorms are well-protected from outside attack, and with that many people crammed in, the entire building is 'home' enough that vampires need an invitation to get in at all, not just to individual dorm rooms. The survivors led a pretty crappy life- at least, those who didn't make the mistake of getting caught out at night or indirect sunlight and stop leading any kind of life at all - but together, they became a community, taking care of each other and any new unfortunates who wander onto the island.
On July 27th, 2009, a group of human magic users sneaks out into the woods, having gathered just enough power to slip under Willow's magic-dampening spell. They use it to cry out for help; in the process, they are drained of their powers or die. (There'll be a sign-up later for becoming part of this group.)
Their cry for help reaches Fandom. And that's when it all starts to go haywire on our end.
What's Going To Happen To Our Fandom?
Starting the day after, random mainstream Fandomites living on-island will experience short spells of narcolepsy that worsen as the days go by. When they fall asleep, they experience visions from the lives of their AU counterpart for as long as the nap lasts. Eventually, the sleeping will stick, forcing the victims into a coma and stranding them permanently on the other side, locked within the body of their AU self -- but this time fully aware and in control (if sans their AU counterpart's mind and memories).
Everything else on that score will be revealed as time goes by, but rest assured we'll have our researchers and like kind running around doing their best to fix things on both ends, and given the survival nature of the AU, there'll be fighty over there for anybody who wants it!
This means that for all intents and purposes, your characters can fall into one of several categories, and you may sign up for what happened to the AU version of any of your characters, alumni and expatriates included:
My AU Character is Dead
The living can't cross over into the permanently dead. If your AU timeline character has died in the alternate Fandom before the BDE, then your Fandom character can't cross over. This is a way to keep your character out of the AU part of the plot while still having some influence on those still alive in the AU.
My AU Character Never Came To Fandom
If your AU character never came to Fandom to begin with, your own character can't cross over. This is a way to stick to mainstream Fandom and avoid having to think up an AU backstory!
My AU Character Is A Survivor
An AU incarnation of your FH character is present and accounted for on the island as a human (or other) survivor. They live in the dorms, and are allowed to interact with other survivors, vampires and the crossed-over. These should be run from a seperate journal, and will be RNGed if the vampire/survivor ratio tilts too hard into their direction.
If you're jumping your mainstream character across, you can still play the AU character up to the point where that happens! And you'll want to develop a backstory for them regardless, so your jumped-in regular character has things to learn about them from their friends.
One thing to think about here: This is a survival AU. If your character has powers that make them likely to be a plot-stopper, they need to be dampened enough (either by Willow's magic or by another reason of your own choosing if they aren't magic powers) that they can't just teleport out, wipe out all the vampires, call fire down from Heaven, and so on. Alternately (and for less brain-strain), you may wish to throw your super-duper-super-heroes into the ranks of never-arrived or the heroically dead, or play them as eeeevil vampires.
My AU Character Is A Vampire
Your character's AU incarnation has been bitten and turned into a vampire. This means they are evil and obey the laws of Buffyverse vampires, barring already existing vampire characters in the game. They live in the school and have the run of town during the night. These should also be run from a separate journal and will be RNGed if the vampire/survivor ratio tilts too hard into their direction.
Again, if you're jumping your regular character into this one's head, you can still play the eeeeevil version before that happens.
My Mainstream Fandom Character Is Crossing Over
You may also sign up for whether your on-island character will be one of the narcoleptic (eventually comatose) citizens of mainstream Fandom, who will end up walking around in the body of their AU self. You can only do this if your AU version is a survivor or a vampire, since their body has to be present and animated already. This also may have to be RNG'd if a large number of people want to do this, since we need a good number of regular citizens around in both timelines too.
People jumped into human bodies - the mind of the local version will fall 'asleep' as soon as the mainstream Fandomite's consciousness is transferred to their body.
People jumped into vampire bodies - the vampire demon will likewise fall asleep. Your character will have a Buffyverse vampire's lust for blood and action, but no demon around telling them to be evil. If you want to play your character as an evil vampire, keep your main PC at home and play the evil AU version.
Dying in the AU
If you're playing the AU version of your character, without a mainstreamer driving the brain, you're welcome to have the AU version get killed at any time during the plot. (Please be courteous about warning people who would be directly affected by it, of course.)
If you're playing a jumped-in mainstreamer, there is also the opportunity to get "killed" over in AU-land, but this is a plot point, and these people need to sign up ahead of time in a later post. If the body they're in dies in AU-land, the comatose mainstreamer will wake up and be able to tell the people back home what they experienced, and pass on information that way. BUT - they will really have experienced the trauma of being killed, and they'll know that the AU version of themselves is really most sincerely dead, with any associated guilt that might come from having had control of the body at the time.
If your mainstreamer jumps into a survivor, but then is vamped, this will be treated as if your character has died. He or she will wake up in Fandom, and in the AU, they will have become an evil vampire.
Other Assorted Information
What are the vampires like?
We'll put up a slightly more detailed post about that later, with shiny links, but in general, they're Buffyverse vampires. This means they have the memories of the human they used to be, but are soulless and inhabited by a blood-drinking (and evil) demon. They can switch between human and demonic faces, have enhanced strength, speed and senses, don't age, don't reflect, and can't be read telepathically. (But are susceptible to magic, and can also practice it.) They can't fly, but they can jump really freaking high.
They can (generally) only be destroyed by flame, direct sunlight, beheading, large amounts of holy water, or most commonly, being staked through the heart. Crosses and garlic burn and repel them, but they can get past those things; it just hurts. They absolutely cannot enter a dwelling or personal living space without an invitation from someone who lives there - short-term hotel rooms and or the hallways/common spaces of a hotel/apartment building/etc. would usually be fair game, though. For the purposes of this plot, they can't enter the dorm building without invitation.
Will there be anything to do for my character if they stick to mainstream Fandom?
There will be plenty to do back in Fandom: there might not be a physical enemy to fight, but there's a great deal of stuff that'll involve brains to put together. Off-island characters will remain off-island, but they can be contacted and help remotely. Further details will be revealed as the time comes!
Can my character ignore the whole thing completely?
Off-island characters certainly can, quite easily. (Even while playing their AU selves if you choose). On-island characters would have to avoid hearing a few news broadcasts and hope that none of the narcoleptics is someone very close to them like an SO or roomie, but it could be managed. Otherwise, being off the island for that week is the best option - but in general, this should be much easier to ignore than most invasion-type plots.
Can I do ___ for my AU character's backstory?
Within the bounds of the aforementioned background, your AU character's backstory can cover anything within reason. If it involves another player's AU/crossover character, please make sure it's cleared with them, first. If you want something for your character that's very far off the beaten path and you're not sure if it's feasible, please check with us. We'll release more storyline information as the time comes; please make sure to read all of it through!
These sign-ups close next Sunday, July 19th.
[[ ocd up! have at. ]]
On July 27th, the denizens of an alternate Fandom, wrapped in tragedy, are going to make their last desperate bid at saving themselves. Unfortunately, their call for help won't bring them any new heroes to save the day: just the minds of our present Fandomites, sucked across dimensional borders at random to make a home in the heads of their AU counterparts. This wasn't what they'd planned, but this is what they got - and what our Fandom will have to deal with.
Why are we announcing this so early down the road? Well, it's time to start planning! We are opening this BDE up to all, including alumni and expatriates -- although the latter are restricted to participating only as their AU counterparts, while current townies, students and teachers may participate across the board.
We also know that a few of you (and one of us) will be just getting back from San Diego Comic-Con on the 27th. Have no fear: the items scheduled for that day will be setup-only, and preplayed.
What's the AU Backstory?
In October 2005 of our own Fandom's history, the vampire Angelus was re-souled after having murdered a fellow student. Finding himself face-to-face with Logan Echolls, the newly-souled Angel stopped attacking and fled, later reconciling with the administration and his fellow students. He and a group of friends went on a few months later to rid the island of the pack of NPC vampires being led by Angel's vamp-relatives Darla and Drusilla.
Flash forward four years later, and Angel is currently an alumni living in LA with Logan. An attempt to do a spell goes awry, and Angel's soul is momentarily thrown across time and space.
In another dimension's October 2005, it's the time-displaced soul of mainstream alumni Angel that was sucked into AU student Angelus. He reacted differently on seeing student Logan, not fleeing, since in the mainstream present they're a couple. This caused student Logan to stake him, thinking he was still evil.
Onward a few months, our alternate history takes shape. With Angel gone, there was no "Study Group" to rid the island of Darla and Dru's minions, or keep them under control. Darla and Dru got bored fairly quickly without Angel around to torment, and wandered off, but vampire minions eventually claimed the town and the school, snacking on citizens as they pleased. Many characters of the time died, some were turned into vampires, some survived.
New students and teachers who arrived for the Spring 2006 semester found that the island was a trap they couldn't escape, as administrators among the vampires tracked down the island's subterreanean workings and shut off all outgoing portal access and the ability to exit via the causeway. Now, like a roach motel, humans check in, but they can't check out, becoming a permanently replenishing food supply for the vampires. The town became openly vampire-run, and they also gained control of the school building.
Among the early vampire casualties was new principal Zoe Washburn, who rose to leadership of the vamps as a whole because she found a way to keep the Fandom High propaganda machine running, sucking in more new students and teachers. (Not that they ever get the chance to learn or teach in the traditional sense.) Early on, there was some skirmishing with human magic users, but by summer 2006, a vamped Willow Rosenberg had created a spell to keep their powers dampened.
Survivors banded together here and there. New citizens and old found places to hole up, but individual buildings were easily burned from the outside by vampires, so eventually the main group of survivors congregated in the FH dorms: students, teachers and townies alike. The dorms are well-protected from outside attack, and with that many people crammed in, the entire building is 'home' enough that vampires need an invitation to get in at all, not just to individual dorm rooms. The survivors led a pretty crappy life- at least, those who didn't make the mistake of getting caught out at night or indirect sunlight and stop leading any kind of life at all - but together, they became a community, taking care of each other and any new unfortunates who wander onto the island.
On July 27th, 2009, a group of human magic users sneaks out into the woods, having gathered just enough power to slip under Willow's magic-dampening spell. They use it to cry out for help; in the process, they are drained of their powers or die. (There'll be a sign-up later for becoming part of this group.)
Their cry for help reaches Fandom. And that's when it all starts to go haywire on our end.
What's Going To Happen To Our Fandom?
Starting the day after, random mainstream Fandomites living on-island will experience short spells of narcolepsy that worsen as the days go by. When they fall asleep, they experience visions from the lives of their AU counterpart for as long as the nap lasts. Eventually, the sleeping will stick, forcing the victims into a coma and stranding them permanently on the other side, locked within the body of their AU self -- but this time fully aware and in control (if sans their AU counterpart's mind and memories).
Everything else on that score will be revealed as time goes by, but rest assured we'll have our researchers and like kind running around doing their best to fix things on both ends, and given the survival nature of the AU, there'll be fighty over there for anybody who wants it!
This means that for all intents and purposes, your characters can fall into one of several categories, and you may sign up for what happened to the AU version of any of your characters, alumni and expatriates included:
My AU Character is Dead
The living can't cross over into the permanently dead. If your AU timeline character has died in the alternate Fandom before the BDE, then your Fandom character can't cross over. This is a way to keep your character out of the AU part of the plot while still having some influence on those still alive in the AU.
My AU Character Never Came To Fandom
If your AU character never came to Fandom to begin with, your own character can't cross over. This is a way to stick to mainstream Fandom and avoid having to think up an AU backstory!
My AU Character Is A Survivor
An AU incarnation of your FH character is present and accounted for on the island as a human (or other) survivor. They live in the dorms, and are allowed to interact with other survivors, vampires and the crossed-over. These should be run from a seperate journal, and will be RNGed if the vampire/survivor ratio tilts too hard into their direction.
If you're jumping your mainstream character across, you can still play the AU character up to the point where that happens! And you'll want to develop a backstory for them regardless, so your jumped-in regular character has things to learn about them from their friends.
One thing to think about here: This is a survival AU. If your character has powers that make them likely to be a plot-stopper, they need to be dampened enough (either by Willow's magic or by another reason of your own choosing if they aren't magic powers) that they can't just teleport out, wipe out all the vampires, call fire down from Heaven, and so on. Alternately (and for less brain-strain), you may wish to throw your super-duper-super-heroes into the ranks of never-arrived or the heroically dead, or play them as eeeevil vampires.
My AU Character Is A Vampire
Your character's AU incarnation has been bitten and turned into a vampire. This means they are evil and obey the laws of Buffyverse vampires, barring already existing vampire characters in the game. They live in the school and have the run of town during the night. These should also be run from a separate journal and will be RNGed if the vampire/survivor ratio tilts too hard into their direction.
Again, if you're jumping your regular character into this one's head, you can still play the eeeeevil version before that happens.
My Mainstream Fandom Character Is Crossing Over
You may also sign up for whether your on-island character will be one of the narcoleptic (eventually comatose) citizens of mainstream Fandom, who will end up walking around in the body of their AU self. You can only do this if your AU version is a survivor or a vampire, since their body has to be present and animated already. This also may have to be RNG'd if a large number of people want to do this, since we need a good number of regular citizens around in both timelines too.
People jumped into human bodies - the mind of the local version will fall 'asleep' as soon as the mainstream Fandomite's consciousness is transferred to their body.
People jumped into vampire bodies - the vampire demon will likewise fall asleep. Your character will have a Buffyverse vampire's lust for blood and action, but no demon around telling them to be evil. If you want to play your character as an evil vampire, keep your main PC at home and play the evil AU version.
Dying in the AU
If you're playing the AU version of your character, without a mainstreamer driving the brain, you're welcome to have the AU version get killed at any time during the plot. (Please be courteous about warning people who would be directly affected by it, of course.)
If you're playing a jumped-in mainstreamer, there is also the opportunity to get "killed" over in AU-land, but this is a plot point, and these people need to sign up ahead of time in a later post. If the body they're in dies in AU-land, the comatose mainstreamer will wake up and be able to tell the people back home what they experienced, and pass on information that way. BUT - they will really have experienced the trauma of being killed, and they'll know that the AU version of themselves is really most sincerely dead, with any associated guilt that might come from having had control of the body at the time.
If your mainstreamer jumps into a survivor, but then is vamped, this will be treated as if your character has died. He or she will wake up in Fandom, and in the AU, they will have become an evil vampire.
Other Assorted Information
What are the vampires like?
We'll put up a slightly more detailed post about that later, with shiny links, but in general, they're Buffyverse vampires. This means they have the memories of the human they used to be, but are soulless and inhabited by a blood-drinking (and evil) demon. They can switch between human and demonic faces, have enhanced strength, speed and senses, don't age, don't reflect, and can't be read telepathically. (But are susceptible to magic, and can also practice it.) They can't fly, but they can jump really freaking high.
They can (generally) only be destroyed by flame, direct sunlight, beheading, large amounts of holy water, or most commonly, being staked through the heart. Crosses and garlic burn and repel them, but they can get past those things; it just hurts. They absolutely cannot enter a dwelling or personal living space without an invitation from someone who lives there - short-term hotel rooms and or the hallways/common spaces of a hotel/apartment building/etc. would usually be fair game, though. For the purposes of this plot, they can't enter the dorm building without invitation.
Will there be anything to do for my character if they stick to mainstream Fandom?
There will be plenty to do back in Fandom: there might not be a physical enemy to fight, but there's a great deal of stuff that'll involve brains to put together. Off-island characters will remain off-island, but they can be contacted and help remotely. Further details will be revealed as the time comes!
Can my character ignore the whole thing completely?
Off-island characters certainly can, quite easily. (Even while playing their AU selves if you choose). On-island characters would have to avoid hearing a few news broadcasts and hope that none of the narcoleptics is someone very close to them like an SO or roomie, but it could be managed. Otherwise, being off the island for that week is the best option - but in general, this should be much easier to ignore than most invasion-type plots.
Can I do ___ for my AU character's backstory?
Within the bounds of the aforementioned background, your AU character's backstory can cover anything within reason. If it involves another player's AU/crossover character, please make sure it's cleared with them, first. If you want something for your character that's very far off the beaten path and you're not sure if it's feasible, please check with us. We'll release more storyline information as the time comes; please make sure to read all of it through!
These sign-ups close next Sunday, July 19th.
[[ ocd up! have at. ]]