livinglot | ⇨ New Location: THE MATRIX

PREPARATION↴
There isn't much in way of special preparations required for this visit, as the Ringmaster will do most of it herself. After three travel days, on the morning of Day 22, there will be a selection of wired phone receivers hanging organically from the trees lining the carnival's entrance. Entering the Matrix is simple, the Ringmaster will explain. Just put the phone to your ear and then let it ring.

She will give people the general rundown of what the Matrix is, and the situation between the robots and the humans, not that she seems to think it's her business to help out. Yet, at the same time, she's all too willing to provoke people in trying to help the natives give the opportunity. The next week is a vacation week - for now, people are free to experience this digital version of modern Earth as much as they please.

► NIGHTRUNNERS: The Nightrider's crew will be allowed into the Matrix at the same time as everyone else, but the Ringmaster will be giving them a particular mission. While everyone else goes to do their thing, she wants the Nightrunners to get a read on the activity of the Agents and Resistance members within the Matrix, and keep an eye on how close they are getting to touring carnival members. It is the Nightrider's job to try to keep things stable, and to bring the fight to the robots if they need it.

SETTING↴

The Matrix is a digital world created by the robotic overlords of a dystopic future version of Earth. It was created in order to imprison and enslave the human race as living batteries - the virtual world within the Matrix is meant to stimulate human minds into creating an energy source with the power of their brainwaves, because that is apparently how it works in this universe. Humans are grown and implanted into this virtual world from birth while robots rule the Earth on the outside. Only a tiny fraction of humanity lives in the real world, a small guerrilla army that lives deep beneath the Earth's crust and fights for human freedom in both the physical and digital realms.

So, a lot of you probably already knew that. The Matrix has been a classic since the 90's, a building stone of modern cyberpunk, and etc. Really, none of this drama is the carnival's business. The Ringmaster has seemingly only come here to perform for the digital avatars of enslaved humans, etc, because isn't that original and interesting. Yet, the depths of what you do with a visit like this is ultimately in the character's hands.

The carnival will be connecting straight through to the digital world - what's physical to the carnival will be rendered as digital to the Matrix inhabitants, and what's digital to the Matrixs will be functionally physical to the carnival. This, of course, means that if you die in the Matrix you die in real life. However, this time the Ringmaster doesn't seem very concerned about that, for one very specific reason...

► YOU ARE THE ONE: Within the Matrix, there is a special state known as being "The One." This means you are basically the Matrix's messiah and are capable of bending reality within it to unprecedented degrees - enabling The One to do things like fly with sheer willpower and beat up hundreds of men in suits while going in slow motion and defying the laws of physics. Usually this takes the form of kung fu, super dodging, and gun play. It's more about bending reality as it is than it is about creating new things wholesale.

Why does this matter? Because every worker who enters the Matrix to tour will be functionally read to the system as "The One" and will have the potential to learn all the abilities associated with it. It's not easy to learn to process this ability with your mind, but it's definitely possible - having a mind inclined towards numbers, meditation, and computer programming is a distinct advantage. With a bit of talent and some training, the world of the Matrix is essentially the worker's playground, and the Ringmaster is offering up no limitations on what they do with it.

Supernatural powers will only be usable if your character is willful and skilled enough to manifest them in the simulation. They have an edge, that way, as they have good reason to believe they are capable of it, and the ability to bend the Matrix centers around one's belief in the fact that they can do it.

PATRONS↴

► ENSLAVED HUMANS: The vast majority of humans within the Matrix are the ones that are presently imprisoned within it, completely unaware that the world around them is a digital fabrication. They can be mentally and physically manipulated by the programs that run the Matrix, and cannot be of much help until their physical bodies are freed from their suspension pods in the real world. They will react to weird shit the way that any average joe would. The older a human is, the less likely it is that they would survive the shock of being disconnected from the system.

► THE RESISTANCE: A guerrilla army of humans that have had their physical bodies liberated from containment, and live in the real world in various secretive locations. They port into the Matrix from outside the system, which allows them to bend its rules in order to gain superior combat abilities. They are also capable of downloading information into their brains, learning skills and techniques from computer chips which can be uploaded into them in a matter of moments. This results in them being a bunch of hyper-competent mofos inside of the Matrix. Many of them were hackers or computer scientists before being recruited and liberated, as those intellectual traits are beneficial towards manipulating the Matrix.

► THE MACHINES: Though largely inhumanly shaped and made of metal in the outside world, the machines appear within the Matrix the same way as most humans. A variety of them have been employed within the world of the Matrix to keep the simulation realistic and functional to its purpose, and while most of them are in direct conflict with the goals of the Resistance, they are capable of having unique motivations and identities.

Agents are sapient computer AI's that police the Matrix from the inside. They almost universally appear as stuffy looking white men in black suits and mirror shades. When manifesting physically in the Matrix they can overwrite the identity of any non-liberated being within the Matrix, physically changing that human into a copy of themselves. They are impossibly fast and strong, and if they are killed, they can simply reappear by overwriting a nearby human's avatar. Their job is to suppress rebellion, and they will be highly agitated by the presence of carnival tourists.

Exiles are sapient AI's that are outdated or otherwise decommissioned by the system, and have hidden themselves within the Matrix to avoid deletion. They have no particular alignment, and may be malicious, neutral, or even benevolent depending on their individual will. Most of them were written to control some aspect of the Matrix simulation, and therefore have the ability to manipulate it in various ways. Agents work to eliminate exiles as much as they work to eliminate the Resistance. Exiles may appear as any kind of human being, though how "normal" they look may vary.

DANGERS↴
► AGENTS: As the police force of the robotic overlords, these are the big one. They'll be able to sense that carnival members are not from the system, and will attack them if they draw attention to themselves in order to eliminate the disruption and/or determine their source. Without any practice, they will be better at manipulating the Matrix than the visitors, and are much stronger than the average Resistance members. Given that all carnival members have the potential to be The One, though, they could potential surpass an agent with enough talent and practice.

► VIRUSES: Among the exile programs, there are some that have mutated into dangerous viruses. One AI in particular has taken on this form, and has been replicating itself throughout the Matrix in a way that is threatening to both the machine and the Resistance. More on this will be touched on in play.

REWARDS↴
There's no obvious rewards that come along with the Matrix setting, but the possibility of looting or being given something of value from the locals is very much present if you choose to get involved with their drama.

CHANGES↴
Going back and forth between the Matrix digital reality and the carnival multiple times, particularly if one exercises their The One powers, can be considered a catalyst for ONE COMMON OR UNCOMMON CHANGE. This change is optional, and has the potential to include minor "digital" affects that would otherwise not be possibilities for generic fae transformations. This digital option is not necessary, however, and standard changes are just as acceptable.

Beyond that, this is a PLOTTING POST, which means you can use it to make plans! The game chat is also a great place to discuss plots, so we welcome you to pop on in if you haven't already! A mingle log will be posted this weekend.

⇨ New Location: THE MATRIX

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