“... Upon which, one fact holds certain: Earth is dead. Much like an overgrown child in a cradle, we thrashed against our confines and abused our shelter, rather than know when it was our time to leave it behind. Such things were unfortunate but unavoidable. No known species has ever retained its original homeworld, they all hit a latent stage of development where the damage done by growth was greater than their homes could bear to hold.
We are in luck. Eventually, over thousands of years, the Earth will heal itself back to a state where humans may live upon it once more. Many others are not so fortunate.
In the meantime, however, we must all depart from the shores of our cradle for the great abyss. Beyond her shores, we might find sanctuary. Therefore, there shall be no finer nor nobler pursuit than those who embark as the tip of the spear of our exodus from Earth: Colonists and their families, the tip of our spear, the shrine of our hopes and dreams.
May they find safety in troubled times and guide us to our home: New Earth...”
“The year is 2450. We found our New Earth, but we have learned our lesson. Humanity cannot afford to hold itself within the confines of a single world. The miraculous discovery of faster than light technology, amidst a myriad of other incredible inventions, allowed us to spread across the stars. We have met other races--some friendly, some not so much. Some look much like ourselves, leading to debates of philosophy and whether or not we all share common genetic precursors. Others are beyond the human mind to comprehend, moving in ways that even Lovecraft could scarcely hope to dream of.
This great and terrifying void acts as a windless sea, within which we find ourselves clinging to rocks hurdling through it for safety and comfort.
Those with the privilege of being born beneath a sparkling blue sky, never to leave the slim shell of their New Earth, shall not understand the sacrifices that you will bear. Most of you will be forgotten in the annals of history, buried within a clerk’s paperwork as a list of names to be shelved on a midsummer’s eve.
But you?
You will see the unimaginable. You will conquer the vastness of this windless sea and sail to the places which are unspoken. You will be privy to experiences that none who follow shall know. You are our pioneers, our soldiers, our scientists, and our sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers, and all that which lies between, separate, and beyond. You are our hopes and dreams, our shooting stars against the vastness of the night’s sky.
And when your time comes, as it does for us all, we--the people of New Earth--can only hope that you will have found another home for all humankind. Light the way, colonists, and we shall follow.
For New Earth! For Humanity! For a brighter tomorrow!”
CASE FILE OPENED: INEF ADVENA INCIDENT.
REPLAYING FINAL MESSAGE.
---MESSAGE INTERCEPTED---
…
---DECRYPTING---
…
…
…
DATE: 2252.
SECTOR: UNKNOWN.
MESSAGE CONTENTS:
“... Repeat, our engines are damaged! We are floating through space! The rest of the crew are dead or in cryostasis. I cannot reach them! I have to find a way to wake them up, but the only way is--”
…
…
…
---ERROR: CORRUPTION---
---RECOVERING FILE---
…
…
…
MESSAGE CONTENTS:
“… I’ve made my decision. We cannot resist it. I can only pray that whatever watches over us may yet carry us to that bright future you talked about, Admiral. Faith will have to carry us through this now. I will ensure the colonists are awoken. With any luck, they may be able to help themselves. If not… well, you said it yourself, we will be forgotten, no? What is one more lost ship in the vastness of--”
MESSAGE ENDS.
INEF ADVENA MISSING IN ACTION.
SHIPS DISPATCHED TO DISCOVER ITS FATE.
ETA: 2 YEARS, 1 MONTH, 18 DAYS.
MISSION: SALVAGE. CREW PRESUMED DEAD.
CASE FILE CLOSED.
Q. “What is this roleplay about?”
A. You are a colonist aboard the INEF Advena. You joined from any background in order to make a new life for yourself. Optionally, if you had a family, they were allowed to accompany you. Once awakened, your goal is to discover what happened to your ship, and to try and repair/salvage it if you can. Along the way, the ship’s AI--and anyone else you may find--will either help or hinder you, depending on what your goals are.
Q. “Can I play as an alien?”
A. Yes, with the caveat that I get to approve/deny/edit any alien races submitted by players. This is just to ensure fairness and to prevent designs that would contradict the internal themes of the story. Additionally, you will be a minority aboard, likely selected thanks to your unique skillsets or as a result of winning a colonist lottery. Either way, you may be subjected to additional distrust or misunderstandings by human NPCs. Players are free to treat you as is appropriate for their characters.
Q. “Can I play as a robot?”
A. Yes, though they will have their own unique circumstances for existence. Details will be shared in the OOC thread, but know that there are two kinds of AI: Ones that originate from sufficiently complex design, and those which were adapted from an existing human consciousness. There are laws concerning both.
Q. “Can I play as a telepath?”
A. Yes, though as with robots, they have their own set of rules and limitations to play with.
Q. “Is the story linear or a sandbox?”
A. There are broad goals established within the setting for you to accomplish. Some goals may be put on in-world timers, while others may be accomplished at any point. Regardless, it is up to you to decide how to resolve them. The AI may recommend you some goals, but it’s up to you how far you wish to trust it.
Q. “How will you handle recruitment?”
A. I’ll establish a limited number of player slots. (Right now I’m looking somewhere at around 8 slots.) Then, I will give everyone a certain period of time (somewhere between 48 hours to 1 week, depending on how big the OOC thread is) to come up with a character and post it in the OOC thread. Then, I will pick the best sheets from the bunch. This allows everyone to have a chance to join and gives people a chance to think about their characters, rather than having a first come first serve rush of people afraid of being left behind.
Q. “How will you handle players in different parts of the ship?”
A. Everyone starts in cryostasis. From there, additional portions of the ship are unlocked by performing tasks and exploring it. People will identify what part of the ship they’re in by adding it as part of a post title, like “Deck 3 - [Example Area]”. As the ship is explored, the OOC will be updated to remind players of where each area is on each deck.
Q. “When will this roleplay start?”
A. When it is ready. I’m going to tentatively suggest a timetable of about one week from when this teaser gets posted. Could be sooner if I have the time, could be later if this pandemic-infused real world decides to go that slight bit madder. For the moment, assume around a week.
Q. “How many posts are you expecting per week/how long would you like posts to be?”
A. A couple posts per week is fine, playing at a relaxed pace is preferable. I might enact time attack events and such depending on what sorts of players I get. Collaborative posts might get more wiggle room so long as they don’t expand to gargantuan size. Speaking of, I’m one of those people that prefer posts to be succinct and fruitful. I don’t want posts to look like they ate the entire McDonald’s menu in a single sitting.
Aim for an average of one paragraph for most posts. This should keep things moving briskly, keep the requirements simple, and prevent any single person from hogging the spotlight too hard.
I prefer to have a couple of clear, understood actions to respond to, rather than massive, 90% monologue posts. Save the constant soliloquies for your journal entries.
Q. “What is your GM style?”
A. I like to communicate often with players both about the roleplay and about off-topic things, like life and work and mutual interests. I have a hard time working with players who make themselves inaccessible on a consistent basis. I like to outline events and run roleplays erring toward order over chaos.
Within roleplays themselves, I restrict myself to describing environments and the consequences of player actions. NPCs never internally narrate, they only act and react and players are left to guess/surmise what they’re doing and if they’re truthful. I like quick and simple interactions for this reason: I am the environment, while all of you are the characters. Together, we make an interesting story filled with improvisation and creativity.
Q. “Character limits?”
A. You’ll likely only be allowed to start with one character. I might loosen this rule later.
Q. "What will the tone of this be?"
A. Focused on mystery, relationships, and the exploration of the unknown. Sometimes horrific, sometimes awe-inspiring, often hopeful. This isn't the best setting for extreme edgelords, though pessimists would fit in just as well as idealists.
Q. “How will we communicate?”
A. Through the OOC thread, over DM’s, and via Discord. If you’d like to chat with me now, my personal Discord is Nilum#9255.
Later on, when the OOC thread goes live, it’ll be accompanied by a Discord server link. Joining the Discord server will almost certainly be mandatory in order to encourage communication in real time, so if that sort of thing turns you off, reconsider joining this roleplay. The #1 thing that kills roleplays is when people decide to stop communicating and wander away. You aren’t likely to stick to a hobby if you befriend nobody else in it and let whimsy decide whether or not you care enough to stay. Don’t be that person. I don’t have a lot of patience for that person. I already own a cat, I don’t need a roleplayer who acts like one.
If after all this you are interested, please say so below. That will give me a good idea of how many people want to join. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask them below--whether they’re about the roleplay, myself, or how adorable ferrets are.
Thank you for your interest. Have a nice day, and remember!
N̨̕on̶é ̸͢of́ ̶̡͟t͏̕h̢͘͡i͘s̶ w̡a̢͟s͡ ̢̕͜an͜ ̕ác̴c̛iḑ̸e̵ņt̕.̢͘̕
We are in luck. Eventually, over thousands of years, the Earth will heal itself back to a state where humans may live upon it once more. Many others are not so fortunate.
In the meantime, however, we must all depart from the shores of our cradle for the great abyss. Beyond her shores, we might find sanctuary. Therefore, there shall be no finer nor nobler pursuit than those who embark as the tip of the spear of our exodus from Earth: Colonists and their families, the tip of our spear, the shrine of our hopes and dreams.
May they find safety in troubled times and guide us to our home: New Earth...”
Excerpt from a speech given by Admiral Cynthia DuBois, 2380. The year the Earth was abandoned.
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
“The year is 2450. We found our New Earth, but we have learned our lesson. Humanity cannot afford to hold itself within the confines of a single world. The miraculous discovery of faster than light technology, amidst a myriad of other incredible inventions, allowed us to spread across the stars. We have met other races--some friendly, some not so much. Some look much like ourselves, leading to debates of philosophy and whether or not we all share common genetic precursors. Others are beyond the human mind to comprehend, moving in ways that even Lovecraft could scarcely hope to dream of.
This great and terrifying void acts as a windless sea, within which we find ourselves clinging to rocks hurdling through it for safety and comfort.
Those with the privilege of being born beneath a sparkling blue sky, never to leave the slim shell of their New Earth, shall not understand the sacrifices that you will bear. Most of you will be forgotten in the annals of history, buried within a clerk’s paperwork as a list of names to be shelved on a midsummer’s eve.
But you?
You will see the unimaginable. You will conquer the vastness of this windless sea and sail to the places which are unspoken. You will be privy to experiences that none who follow shall know. You are our pioneers, our soldiers, our scientists, and our sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers, and all that which lies between, separate, and beyond. You are our hopes and dreams, our shooting stars against the vastness of the night’s sky.
And when your time comes, as it does for us all, we--the people of New Earth--can only hope that you will have found another home for all humankind. Light the way, colonists, and we shall follow.
For New Earth! For Humanity! For a brighter tomorrow!”
Speech given by Admiral Carter Valtroix to those accepted as colonists aboard the INEF Advena, 2450.
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
CASE FILE OPENED: INEF ADVENA INCIDENT.
REPLAYING FINAL MESSAGE.
---MESSAGE INTERCEPTED---
…
---DECRYPTING---
…
…
…
DATE: 2252.
SECTOR: UNKNOWN.
MESSAGE CONTENTS:
“... Repeat, our engines are damaged! We are floating through space! The rest of the crew are dead or in cryostasis. I cannot reach them! I have to find a way to wake them up, but the only way is--”
…
…
…
---ERROR: CORRUPTION---
---RECOVERING FILE---
…
…
…
MESSAGE CONTENTS:
“… I’ve made my decision. We cannot resist it. I can only pray that whatever watches over us may yet carry us to that bright future you talked about, Admiral. Faith will have to carry us through this now. I will ensure the colonists are awoken. With any luck, they may be able to help themselves. If not… well, you said it yourself, we will be forgotten, no? What is one more lost ship in the vastness of--”
MESSAGE ENDS.
INEF ADVENA MISSING IN ACTION.
SHIPS DISPATCHED TO DISCOVER ITS FATE.
ETA: 2 YEARS, 1 MONTH, 18 DAYS.
MISSION: SALVAGE. CREW PRESUMED DEAD.
CASE FILE CLOSED.
--------------------------------------------------
Q&A SECTION
Q&A SECTION
Q. “What is this roleplay about?”
A. You are a colonist aboard the INEF Advena. You joined from any background in order to make a new life for yourself. Optionally, if you had a family, they were allowed to accompany you. Once awakened, your goal is to discover what happened to your ship, and to try and repair/salvage it if you can. Along the way, the ship’s AI--and anyone else you may find--will either help or hinder you, depending on what your goals are.
Q. “Can I play as an alien?”
A. Yes, with the caveat that I get to approve/deny/edit any alien races submitted by players. This is just to ensure fairness and to prevent designs that would contradict the internal themes of the story. Additionally, you will be a minority aboard, likely selected thanks to your unique skillsets or as a result of winning a colonist lottery. Either way, you may be subjected to additional distrust or misunderstandings by human NPCs. Players are free to treat you as is appropriate for their characters.
Q. “Can I play as a robot?”
A. Yes, though they will have their own unique circumstances for existence. Details will be shared in the OOC thread, but know that there are two kinds of AI: Ones that originate from sufficiently complex design, and those which were adapted from an existing human consciousness. There are laws concerning both.
Q. “Can I play as a telepath?”
A. Yes, though as with robots, they have their own set of rules and limitations to play with.
Q. “Is the story linear or a sandbox?”
A. There are broad goals established within the setting for you to accomplish. Some goals may be put on in-world timers, while others may be accomplished at any point. Regardless, it is up to you to decide how to resolve them. The AI may recommend you some goals, but it’s up to you how far you wish to trust it.
Q. “How will you handle recruitment?”
A. I’ll establish a limited number of player slots. (Right now I’m looking somewhere at around 8 slots.) Then, I will give everyone a certain period of time (somewhere between 48 hours to 1 week, depending on how big the OOC thread is) to come up with a character and post it in the OOC thread. Then, I will pick the best sheets from the bunch. This allows everyone to have a chance to join and gives people a chance to think about their characters, rather than having a first come first serve rush of people afraid of being left behind.
Q. “How will you handle players in different parts of the ship?”
A. Everyone starts in cryostasis. From there, additional portions of the ship are unlocked by performing tasks and exploring it. People will identify what part of the ship they’re in by adding it as part of a post title, like “Deck 3 - [Example Area]”. As the ship is explored, the OOC will be updated to remind players of where each area is on each deck.
Q. “When will this roleplay start?”
A. When it is ready. I’m going to tentatively suggest a timetable of about one week from when this teaser gets posted. Could be sooner if I have the time, could be later if this pandemic-infused real world decides to go that slight bit madder. For the moment, assume around a week.
Q. “How many posts are you expecting per week/how long would you like posts to be?”
A. A couple posts per week is fine, playing at a relaxed pace is preferable. I might enact time attack events and such depending on what sorts of players I get. Collaborative posts might get more wiggle room so long as they don’t expand to gargantuan size. Speaking of, I’m one of those people that prefer posts to be succinct and fruitful. I don’t want posts to look like they ate the entire McDonald’s menu in a single sitting.
Aim for an average of one paragraph for most posts. This should keep things moving briskly, keep the requirements simple, and prevent any single person from hogging the spotlight too hard.
I prefer to have a couple of clear, understood actions to respond to, rather than massive, 90% monologue posts. Save the constant soliloquies for your journal entries.
Q. “What is your GM style?”
A. I like to communicate often with players both about the roleplay and about off-topic things, like life and work and mutual interests. I have a hard time working with players who make themselves inaccessible on a consistent basis. I like to outline events and run roleplays erring toward order over chaos.
Within roleplays themselves, I restrict myself to describing environments and the consequences of player actions. NPCs never internally narrate, they only act and react and players are left to guess/surmise what they’re doing and if they’re truthful. I like quick and simple interactions for this reason: I am the environment, while all of you are the characters. Together, we make an interesting story filled with improvisation and creativity.
Q. “Character limits?”
A. You’ll likely only be allowed to start with one character. I might loosen this rule later.
Q. "What will the tone of this be?"
A. Focused on mystery, relationships, and the exploration of the unknown. Sometimes horrific, sometimes awe-inspiring, often hopeful. This isn't the best setting for extreme edgelords, though pessimists would fit in just as well as idealists.
Q. “How will we communicate?”
A. Through the OOC thread, over DM’s, and via Discord. If you’d like to chat with me now, my personal Discord is Nilum#9255.
Later on, when the OOC thread goes live, it’ll be accompanied by a Discord server link. Joining the Discord server will almost certainly be mandatory in order to encourage communication in real time, so if that sort of thing turns you off, reconsider joining this roleplay. The #1 thing that kills roleplays is when people decide to stop communicating and wander away. You aren’t likely to stick to a hobby if you befriend nobody else in it and let whimsy decide whether or not you care enough to stay. Don’t be that person. I don’t have a lot of patience for that person. I already own a cat, I don’t need a roleplayer who acts like one.
If after all this you are interested, please say so below. That will give me a good idea of how many people want to join. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask them below--whether they’re about the roleplay, myself, or how adorable ferrets are.
Thank you for your interest. Have a nice day, and remember!
N̨̕on̶é ̸͢of́ ̶̡͟t͏̕h̢͘͡i͘s̶ w̡a̢͟s͡ ̢̕͜an͜ ̕ác̴c̛iḑ̸e̵ņt̕.̢͘̕
Last edited:
