FAQ (ROUND 2)

[shimmermods]

FAQ

rules

faq

hiatus/drop

application

taken

profiles

GAME BASICS
Okay, so what is this?

Welcome to The Shimmer! This is a short-term roleplaying game based around surreal situations, exploration, cosmic horror, building and breaking bonds with your fellow explorers, learning to know oneself and others in the most visceral way possible, and also maybe saving the world while you're at it.

The game is based off the film Annihilation, set in a world under threat of being taken over by a presence that is neither comprehensible nor defeatable by the average person. Fortunately, that's where you come in. The game is run by Dal and Redd, and the game itself is set to run for two months, give or take.

A previous round of The Shimmer ran between July and August of 2019; this is a continuation of that game, rather than a separate round entirely. New players are still more than welcome, as are returning players; despite the continuity with the previous round, the game is intended to be accessible for everyone and we'll do our best to make it so, though the previous round remains important to the overall plot.

This game is set to contain the following: body horror, surreal imagery, cosmic horror, unreality, questioning one's identity, infection, character death, and possible suicide. It will not, however, involve sexual abuse or sexual assault as part of gameplay at any point.

Sounds great! How do I play?

The Shimmer is a comm-based game, meaning that logs will go up in the main community for everyone to interact with one another in. There will be one mod-posted log per week to cover daily threading and activities, and there will be a mod-run event every Saturday. Occasionally, the mods may prepare a special event on Friday for the group as well, but these will be fewer and farther between and will be announced on the modplurk beforehand!

Otherwise, players are permitted and encouraged to put up their own logs for special events that happen ICly! You do not need mod permission to put a log up; player-run logs can be things like strategy meetings, gatherings to discuss characters' findings, playing with the changes to settings and characters that are being experienced, or organized attempts to bring down any threats you may currently be facing! Sky's the limit, guys.

How many characters can I play? Is there a character cap?

You may apply for and play one character in the game. There's an upper total character cap of 20 slots, but we'll run with as few as 10; furthermore, there's a hard limit of two characters per canon!

Who can I app?

All canons are acceptable, as long as they're verifiably a work of fiction! All characters being applied for must have a demonstrable level of personality in the canon they originated from, possess human-level intelligence and sentience, be at least eighteen years of age, and be able to communicate in some way. Furthermore, there is a size limit imposed – while characters do not have to be expressly human-sized, we ask that they be approximately human-sized enough that they can navigate the game on their own and without assistance. This includes potential utilization of technology, as well as utilization of basic things like doors.

Please note that we do not accept the following: OCs (fandom or otherwise), online personas (i.e., Nostalgia Critic), CRAUs and game transplants, characters based demonstrably on religious figures, and most customizable protagonists (i.e., Dragon Age, Fable).

In the specific case of customizable protagonists, we will allow a case to be made for the character in question, but we reserve the right to ultimately decide whether the character will be accepted to the game or to ask you to pick another character if necessary.

I played in the previous round! Can I bring my character back to play here again?

You certainly can! We allow returning characters, as well as new characters entirely; however, should you wish to app a returning character, CRAUs are still not accepted – in other words, your character will not have, nor will they regain, any memories of the previous round or having had contact with the Shimmer before.

My character is dead in canon, though!

That's unfortunate, and we're sorry for your loss! However, due to the nature of the game, we require that all characters brought in be alive at their current canonpoint - whether they stay that way over the course of the game, however, has yet to be seen.

My character has something weird going on with their physiology...

This game does have total power loss, meaning that all powers and abilities your characters possess will have been removed entirely. If there's something else that's truly bizarre going on with their bodies that makes them difficult to work with in-game, talk to us about it and we'll see if we can work with you and/or come to an acceptable compromise; if not, the mods reserve the right to ask you to app another character.

So how do I app?

Apps will only be accepted after a reserve has been put in and processed! Please submit your app with the same journal you used to put the reserve in; no apps without a prior reserve will be accepted.

When do reserves/apps open?

Reserves and applications will open on July 10th. Both will close on July 17th, and the game will officially open on July 18th!

What happens if more than two people try to reserve from the same canon?

Reserves are handled on a "first come, first served" basis - the first two people to get their reserves in will get that canon's slots. However, you will not lose your reserve slot if this happens! In the event of multiple reserves for the same canon, those that did not get in within the first two will be tapped by the mods and asked if they would like to change their reserve; the only way you will lose your slot is if you choose to withdraw your reserve at that time.

Is the game open to everyone?

This game is exclusive to Dal or Redd's plurklists. We are not planning to offer invites or open the game to the public.

ANNILHILATION
What...happened here, anyway?

Three years ago, a meteor struck the world.

Precisely where it came from is a mystery, simply because of the difficulties in getting close enough to determine its origin - shortly after the meteor hit, an iridescent field of light appeared around the impact site. The light field soon began to expand, slowly but surely encompassing a larger and larger area of land. Towns and individual dwellings were all evacuated before they fell within the light field's radius, but over the past year the growth of the anomaly has become more aggressive, and it's begun to encompass the larger towns at the base of the mountain.

This field of light has come to be called the Shimmer.

With the Shimmer's more aggressive expansion becoming impossible to ignore, the government has stepped in as the primary entity handling the crisis; while before they were willing to outsource to private organizations and independent contractors, the military currently controls everything Shimmer-related. And it is a crisis; if its current pattern continues and the Shimmer remains impossible to contain, its growth will soon prove exponential. Surrendering the country – surrendering the world – is not an option.

Many people have been sent into the Shimmer over the past three years; to date, only one group – sent in a year ago – has come out. While accomplishing that much may be enough to be considered a success in its own right, the Shimmer remains a threat.

How did we end up here?

You came willingly! The world being affected by the Shimmer has some advanced technology, and is aware of the truth of multiverse theory; as such, you were approached by an agent of this world that specifically chose you as a candidate to explore the Shimmer. Some have said no, which is a valid choice and they were left alone beyond that. But not you. For whatever reason you may have, you've been brought here to experience the expedition of a lifetime - and perhaps the last expedition of your lifetime.

Compliance is key - if your character would not have come willingly, they would not be here. They don't have to come for altruistic or "good" reasons - while some are here to try to save lives, that isn't the only reason people could come along. Some are adrenaline junkies seeking adventure; some are here because they're seeking compensation in the form of money or access to technology they wouldn't otherwise have. Some are here simply because they don't have anywhere else to be. Either way, if your character would have refused the offer, they would not be a good fit for the game overall and should be reconsidered.

If the technology is so advanced here, why are they still sending people into the Shimmer? Couldn't they just send drones or robots, or use satellite imaging to check it out?

It isn't for want of trying.

If lives could be spared by not sending people into the Shimmer, they would be; unfortunately, all technology that's been sent into the Shimmer dies. Drones and robots immediately cease all operation; all radio communication abruptly goes silent. All images obtained by satellite simply show dead space; basically, once you enter the Shimmer, you're on your own - nobody on the outside can hear you, no matter how much you scream for them.

Sending live people is the only way to explore the Shimmer, and see if there's a way to end it's ever-expanding radius of influence. Unfortunately, the people of this world don't seem to be...enough. That's where you come in - the hope is that multidimensional beings have qualities that this world's people do not, and therefore have a higher chance of surviving the Shimmer.

Where are we taken once we agree to help?

You will be brought to a neutral zone for training and briefing from your employer; all of this is handwaved but can be assumed to be thorough, seeing as they don't want this expedition to fail. Beyond that, you have been brought to a large military compound; the Shimmer is visible in the distance, and you'll be setting out the next day. Prepare yourselves, and get to know each other; it's going to be a hard journey.

What if some of us come from a world that is less technologically advanced? Some of us might not understand modern weaponry and conventions - won't we be lost or confused being here?

Some culture shock is to be expected when pulling people from different worlds into a new one. That's not too much to circumvent, however, with some explanations and training - they won't send completely unprepared people into the Shimmer and expect them to fend for themselves.

Prior to your arrival at the base, the people that recruited you have briefed you on the tools needed for your expedition. For some of you, this is research equipment; for others, this is modern weaponry. For still others, this is medical equipment and medicines. For all of you, it's guns.

What do we do once we're inside the Shimmer?

Survive.

THE SHIMMER
...No, really. What do we do once we're inside the Shimmer?

"Survive" is an apt answer, but it isn't a complete one.

Your goal, overall, is to find the site of the meteor's impact, as that likely holds the key to understanding the Shimmer. Or, well, that's anyone's best guess, anyway – while there's now a better understanding of what's there and what's around it, it's difficult to say how well that information remains accurate given the changes over the past year, and much of the information that was recovered from the last group has been deemed unreliable besides. Either way, once you get to the impact site, your job is to decide what to do with what you find. It's a fairly straightforward task that comes with a few complications, and those complications come from both the land you'll be traversing as well as the Shimmer itself.

What sort of complications?

The meteor crashed high in the mountains, where the land is covered in forests and rough terrain. The good news is that it will be more hiking than scaling; the bad news is that between the uneven terrain and lack of proper trails, it's going to be a rough trip even for the more experienced hikers among you. And that's if you make it to the mountains in the first place - the forests are likewise unforgiving, teeming with wildlife both predatory and benign, and it consists largely of unmapped territory. And that's without taking the Shimmer"s influence into consideration...

What do you mean by the Shimmer's influence?

The good news is that the Shimmer, whatever it is, does not seem to hate you. In fact, the Shimmer loves you, as it loves all living things. Living things have the potential for change; they reflect their surroundings and those around them rather nicely, and they're quick to become that which is close to them, making it a part of them forever. Have you ever spent time around someone long enough that you found yourself picking up their mannerisms? It's like that. Except if you spend enough time around those with you in the Shimmer, you may find yourself picking up a few other things.

Like their hair color. Their tattoos. Their fingerprints. Their feelings. Their paranoia. Their pain.

Their thoughts that keep them up in the middle of the night, the cold chilling doubts that eat and eat and eat at them until their insides writhe around like snakes.

Until your insides writhe around like snakes.

Until they shift and twist and bulge beneath your skin, until they no longer seem to be arrayed naturally but rest coiled on the bones of your pelvis, until they rub up against your spine and send shocks burning electric down your legs, until they tighten and close and you can't eat anymore and you find that you can't take the sensation anymore without wanting to see – you have to see, and maybe if you open them up to the air you'll be able to see and you'll finally be free of them. But you won't, really, will you? Of course you won't.

There's something terribly wrong with you, isn't there?

Oh my god.

The good news is that the Shimmer loves you.

The bad news is that the Shimmer loves you.

GAME MECHANICS
How is this game going to be run, timeline-wise?

The Shimmer works on a weekly system – every Sunday, a log will be posted for you to use for weekly threading. Anything can happen on these logs – exploration and investigating your surroundings is encouraged as you travel on your way, and the mods will be there to guide you if you find something you want to check out. This is also where you build CR and work on deciphering the mysteries the Shimmer throws at you, as best you're able.

Every Saturday, an event will take place. This can be anything, like finding a new location or reaching a safe house, realizing that hostile wildlife has been stalking you, or otherwise hitting something in your journey that will help you or hinder you. Sometimes these things will end well for you. Sometimes they won't. And sometimes...

...Well, you'll see. But you'll want to be around on Saturdays.

Will our characters die? What happens if they do?

Death is permanent in The Shimmer - once your character dies, they're down for good. However, just because your character is out of the game doesn't mean that you have to be! There are definitely ways that you can continue playing in the game - ways that are plot-relevant and ensure that you're still around and active if you want to be. We don't want to discourage player creativity, and if you want to enact a player plot that will result in your character's death, feel free to run it by us!

Otherwise, death is extremely likely, simply due to the nature of the Shimmer; it's possible that we will tap you to die if you've volunteered to do so on your app, or that events will result in characters making choices that will end in death. We will always try to.make your deaths relevant to the plot in some way, and we'll do our best to make sure it's satisfying for you.

What does AC look like?

We're asking for 12 comments a week. AC must include two threads with two different characters, but they can be in any combination of comment counts you like as long as each thread has at least three comments from you.

What happens if I need to hiatus or drop the game halfway through?

That's okay! We would prefer to not see you go, but we understand that life happens. In the event that you need to drop, just let us know, because we have a way to ICly write you out; if it's just a hiatus and you'll be back, we have a way to work that out as well!

In the event that several people need to drop, such that the game isn't sustainable, we do have a way to write in new players. Should this happen, we'll open apps up for a brief window of time while the game progresses as normal; once those apps have been received and processed, we'll introduce the new characters to the game so the journey can continue.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Be mindful of the bears.

ANYTHING ELSE?
I have a question that wasn't answered here!

Feel free to leave a comment here, or alternatively PP or PM us! Dal can be reached at InstantEternity @ plurk, and Redd can be reached at pokerap @ plurk! We also have a public mod plurk @ TheShimmer! Please message both mods with any questions!

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