Glencola Reef Mod Account (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
glencolans) wrote2023-04-05 03:28 pm
glencolans) wrote2023-04-05 03:28 pm
Search Requests
SEARCH REQUESTS
At game start, the map is completely unexplored and covered by a "fog of war" obscuring its features. New characters will be randomly dropped onto the island's shores; from there, to uncover tiles on the map and figure out more about where they are, search requests are required to document movement, attempt to uncover hidden materials and passages, discover or confront dangers, find old ruins and create new settlements, and potentially, solve puzzles related to the mystery of the island itself.
RULES AND GUIDELINES
- Search requests are a required mechanic of this game. A search request for the current AC cycle must be submitted in order to pass AC without a strike.
- Mistakes in search requests will never be penalized. Don't be afraid to eyeball a distance or make an approximate guess; if the math doesn't quite match up, or the path doesn't exist, I will offer alternate destinations and work with you in order to decide how the search request will resolve.
- Search requests will rarely be immediately fatal. Unless your character is doing something intentionally reckless, I will do my best to offer paths of escape for any sudden dangers that arise.
- You can be as precise or as vague as you want. If you want to exactly plot out the squares your character will travel through and search every IC day, that is totally fine. It's also fine to simply report that your character is staying in one place all month, or to give a starting point and a desired destination, with a general request to search a wide area. Just note that, the more vague you are in your request, the more I will extrapolate to fill in the blanks.
- Retroactive/backdated search requests are allowed. They just can't be used for the current month's AC if they fall outside of the current month's AC period, or overwrite a previously submitted search request. Forward-dated search requests are also allowed as long as they fall within the same IC day that the request was posted (for example, if you post a search request on IC Day 30 morning, you can make that search request last for the entirety of IC day 30, not just the morning of).
- Thoroughly searching a square, rather than just traveling through it, halves movement through that square. So if you choose to search every square along a path, you'll only travel half as far as someone moving with purpose to a destination. Remember that simply traveling through a square will still fully reveal it.
- IC Days are split into three 8-hour increments. Each of these corresponds to one OOC day. Morning is from 4AM -> 11:59AM, Day is from 12PM -> 7:59PM, and Night is 8PM -> 3:59AM.
- Several examples of search requests are provided below to help illustrate how they work. If you still have questions, please ask them in the FAQ (or in your search request!).
MAP REFERENCE/TRAVEL CONDITIONS
TRAVEL CONDITIONS | IC DAYS 15 → 17
MORNING
DAY
NIGHT
BEACH
OCEAN*
JUNGLE
FOOTHILLS
MOUNTAINS
4 squares/hour
(32 total)
3 square visibility
(32 total)
3 square visibility
4 squares/hour
(32 total)
5 square visibility
(32 total)
5 square visibility
4 squares/hour
(32 total)
1 square visibility
(32 total)
1 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
3 square visibility
(16 total)
3 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
5 square visibility
(16 total)
5 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
1 square visibility
(16 total)
1 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
1 square visibility
(16 total)
1 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
1 square visibility
(16 total)
1 square visibility
1 square/hour
(8 total)
0 square visibility
(8 total)
0 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
2 square visibility
(16 total)
2 square visibility
2 squares/hour
(16 total)
3 square visibility
(16 total)
3 square visibility
1 square/hour
(8 total)
1 square visibility
(8 total)
1 square visibility
1 square/hour
(8 total)
5 square visibility
(8 total)
5 square visibility
1 square/hour
(8 total)
7 square visibility
(8 total)
7 square visibility
1 square/hour
(8 total)
3 square visibility
(8 total)
3 square visibility
*The average human can only tread water for three hours
LEGEND
| - Preexisting Structure | - Ocean | - Reef | - Deep Water | - River | |||||||||||
| - Natural Landmark | - Beach | - Jungle | - Mangroves | ||||||||||||
| - Character-Made Landmark | - Foothills | - Mountain | |||||||||||||
Click on any of the map tiles for details.
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
XIII
XIV
XV
XVI
SUBMISSIONS
All new characters will be given a toplevel to this post. To submit a search request, fill out the below form and copy/paste it as a response to your toplevel.
IC DATES: The IC dates the search request covers (I would also recommend putting this in the subject line to make it easier to keyword search later). You can use whole days, partial days, or a combination of either. To verify what IC days line up with real-world days and events, consult the Calendar.
STARTING SQUARE: The square your character is starting their search request on, format TILE.COLUMN.ROW. This should line up with your previous search request, or your starting location if newly arrived/revived.
ENDING SQUARE: The square your character is ending their search request on. If you're not sure where they'll end up (the area is unexplored/your character has a vague idea of where they want to go/you're not sure on the math/etc.), you can give a more rough answer here. Something like "they want to make it to Tile II," or "as close to II.AA.3 as possible" are perfectly valid answers.
DETAILS: The meat of your request. This is where you describe:
- The path your character is taking,
- The squares you want them to search,
- Any special actions your character is taking during this period of time (or inaction), and
- Any other special notes or questions you might have about this request.
no subject
It doesn't move too fast to keep up with, and continues communicating even as it clambers down the path. [Its old gods, its old life, its old name - unimportant,] IN732Q insists. [New gods, new life, new name - all that matters. It finds the gods in all things. If it pleases them, they send it gifts. If it displeases them, it is punished. This is the way of things.]
The creature stops just short of the multicolored banks of the sulfur-smelling crater lake, stoops low in another bow, and reverently deposits the RC plane in the gently lapping waves.
[Their friend smells of the servants, but does not know of them?] it asks. [Did they not howl at you? Or try to sacrifice you to the god of lightning?]
no subject
"I don't," he admits. "And they didn't. That's why I'd hoped you could tell us of them." They must be some kind of technology, of that he's mostly certain now. He hesitates a moment before adding, "Maybe my own god protects me from them."
He'd been the first to formally worship Zephyr even before they discovered their Aspect. That he worships the God of the Lost in a literal sense, complete with offerings of songs he composes and flower crown adornments and occasionally desserts, is something only Harley has any inkling of on the island. And he'd kind of like to keep it that way both because it's a deeply personal matter, and because there's a part of him that still expects other people to violently insist a machine like him can't hold religious beliefs, that the only higher power that exists for his kind is their human creators and owners.
But he and IN732Q maybe aren't so different in this regard, he feels, and if that knowledge could encourage IN732Q to extend trust where it otherwise wouldn't, then K is willing to share.
"Was that the result of a punishment?" he asks as he indicates IN732Q's injury with a nod, brow furrowed.
no subject
He looks at K with a frown. Sacrifice to the god of lightning? Is this about the drones or something else?
He catches up, following just behind K. He wouldn't have brought Squalo because of that defiler thing but he wonders why this lake gets the reverence it does. Did the creature in front of them — he tries not to think alien, but come on — have a god lake back on its home world or something? But questions about its home seem to be non-starters, frustratingly.
He files away K's comment about my own god for later, but he won't forget. It never occurs to him that androids can't worship gods, he just wonders why K specifically would bother. Senku is an atheist, or rather, he just does not give a shit about things like that. Maybe a god exists, but there's no scientific evidence, and that's the only thing that has ever mattered to him. Can't disprove god either, though, so…well, jury's out.
He still thinks that Leopardtaur's gods are the Glencolans, though.
"What do you mean gifts? You mean like the stuff that fell outta the sky in the storm?"
no subject
[Then you are a servant,] it determines with a slow nod. [The others, servants of the god of lightning, gifted with flight. Agility. Strength. A taste of the lightning god's power in their limbs. It saw them--]
IN732Q points due east. Then it turns its attention to Senku.
[Yes. Food. Prey. Shelter. Blessings.] It lifts its injured back leg up, wrist stiff. [Punishments. The storm. The gods bless and they smite. It does not know why; only the gods know. It does its best in their world.]
no subject
K certainly doesn't consider himself a servant any longer, but he diplomatically refrains from contradicting IN732Q. They just have different terms for the same concept, he thinks.
"Are you willing to accept help with your injury? If you let me have a closer look, I might be able to do something." The swelling is apparent, and he has supplies enough to create a makeshift compression wrap to hopefully ease some of the discomfort. Unless Senku's found or made any painkillers, that might be the most they can do for IN732Q at this point, but at least it's something.
no subject
"Do you know what science is?" Senku asks, resisting the urge to go off on a thing about weather patterns and the way tropics work. He has a feeling that's not going to win them any points here, so he has to grit his teeth about all the gods and punishment talk.
"…I have some pills that might help, but I'm not sure if they're compatible with your physiology." He just has some ibuprofen, but he really doesn't know if chemical medicine will be good for the creature. Probably just letting K look at that injury will be enough.
In the meantime, while K does whatever the Leopardtaur allows, Senku talks because he's Senku and he's just not good at shutting up.
"We...captured...a couple of those servants you're talking about. The drones that drag people to the jail, right? They captured people with lightning. Not anymore. Now they're gonna work for us, soon as I find a power source." He's aware that some of those words might not make sense, and he can explain what he means, but he's doing the best he can for now.
no subject
Then back to Senku: [The warrior has many confusing thoughts,] it says. [Science? Pills? Drones and jail? It does not know.]
Its expression doesn't give away very much in general, but IN372Q's level stare at Senku still manages to become more intense.
[It does know that they will be punished for interfering. The god of lightning does not strike often, but when it does, it strikes decisively.] Its head tilts towards K. [May their god of healing protect you from your blasphemy.]
no subject
While Senku and IN732Q are talking, he kneels down, sets aside the spear, and reaches out to carefully inspect the injury with his fingers, trying to feel if all of the bones are intact. Satisfied that a compression wrap at least won't make anything worse, he wraps the injury with a couple thick strips of sailcloth, securing each in place with makeshift bandage clips pieced together from fabric and wires. He makes a few small adjustments before leaning back. The wrap is tight, but not to the point of cutting off blood flow.
"You should remove it before you sleep, and rewrap the injury when you wake. It'll reduce the swelling."
'Punished for interfering' has him glancing back to Senku with an uncertain look. That's something he's been concerned about — the repercussions they might face for Senku reprogramming the drones. Not even the act of reprogramming is foolproof. K would know; he's overcome reprogramming attempts himself. Well. He's presumably more advanced than the drones, but even so...
"After the recent storm, some of us saw beams of light appear over the water, reaching into the sky. They were only visible for a few moments. Do you know what caused them? Does it always happen after storms?"
He fully expects the phenomenon to be attributed to the gods, but he's curious about what else IN732Q might know, such as if it's a regular occurrence or an unusual one-off. It would be good to know as much as they can before Senku and Squalo go sailing to investigate.
no subject
"Yeah, well, we can't just sit here on this rock and let it kill us," he says, waving a hand. He doesn't mean to be dismissive, but he doesn't go in for gods. The only gods he's encountered close up were technology in the end.
He's not writing it off as a possibility, after everything he's seen and heard here, but gods are the least of his worries.
"What's that cool rock you got?" he asks, pointing at the makeshift spear. "I haven't seen anything else like that around here. Some blessing from the gods?"
no subject
It answers Senku first, just before K finishes with his ministrations. [Sacred,] it says, somehow managing to sound bemused. [But not a blessing. A gift from a friend. It keeps it safe.]
As soon as K is done, IN732Q curiously inspects the wrapping once with its other five hands, then ripples back upright with a luxuriant stretch. Satisfied, apparently. Then it answers his questions. [The divine lights, yes,] it says. [After the gods punish. They calm them.]
Its ears and whiskers flick several times, alongside a few perturbed clicks of its mandibles.
[--So the evil bipeds said,] IN732Q corrects. [Said they were failing. Said it must fix them. Evil thoughts. It was betrayed.]
no subject
So the lights are a known occurrence. They'll have to keep a look out after the next storm, assuming Senku and Squalo don't discover the source of them in the meantime. 'Evil bipeds' is a bit harder to parse. The Glencolans, perhaps? Pacairs? It sounded like the creature that inhabits the cabin is also bipedal and may have harmed IN732Q before, but that's only one individual.
"Are the evil bipeds the ones who live in the village on this island?" he wonders, remembering Dirk's description. "How were you betrayed?"
There's been discussion of negotiating with the Pacairs for needed supplies — and now K's concerned that could cost them a potential alliance with IN732Q if the Pacairs are the betrayers. Best to tread carefully with this.
no subject
"A friend you made here? They still around? I'd like to make friends with your friends," Senku says. He's not lying, though Senku's idea of friendship is often transactional unless he knows someone very well. Besides, IN723Q hasn't agreed that they're friends. Senku just beat it at a video game, like a battle. "I'd also like to see what kinda gem that is. I know a lot about rocks and minerals. I won't steal it or touch it or anything, just wanna see it closer if that's ok." That's also not a lie; he can identify rocks on sight, like he can most plants. He's just a walking encyclopedia, after all, though if it's some otherworldly rock, he can't know about it. That's just exciting unknown information to him though. Senku can be manipulative, but he's not a thief unless he has no choice. He wouldn't dare risk the tentative alliance, friendship, mutual respect, whatever this is, they've got going on here. But he's too curious by nature, something readily apparent to anyone who interacts with him.
He considers the rest of the information. Something is failing and must be fixed. Some kind of machinery, he wonders? He's got to get in touch with these Glencola people somehow. In the meantime, he's actually pretty glad this creature is on their side — if only for the time being.
"Evil bipeds could also be…the Hunter, the guy in the cabin? Or the Glencolan people, the ones who aren't on this island anymore?"
There could be some other answer, too, but he's trying (somewhat) not to just spit out a whole slew of questions that Leopardtaur won't be able to keep up with.
no subject
[All,] it says cryptically, then elaborates, [Their thoughts are not all known. But it knows of most. Some bipeds brought with it - all but one, killed. The evil bipeds that brought them, angry. Called it a mistake. Hunted, but were hunted back. Angered the God of the Deep and the evil bipeds that worship her. Judgement was swift.]
The creature turns its head slightly to glance at the distant horizon to the east.
[Its friend is one of the few left.]
no subject
While listening to IN732Q, K gradually shifts from a kneeling position to a more comfortable seated one.
So 'evil bipeds' are... literally everyone. 'Their thoughts are not all known' — they don't all use transceivers to communicate? And it sounds like IN732Q itself may have killed all but one of the other people who were kidnapped here with it. After some internal debate, K decides to ask for clarification.
"You killed all but one of the other people who were brought here at the same time as you?" Or they killed each other, or other beings on the island got them? It's an important distinction. "And they weren't revived?"
Maybe the resurrection process is a new development on the island.
"...We could be your friends, too," he adds, "if you'd like." Never mind that they don't really know what IN732Q's idea of friendship entails beyond possibly exchanging gifts, it feels right to offer; K's choosing to trust that gut instinct. Despite receiving relatively little kindness in his short life, the android remains guilelessly willing to show it to others.
no subject
"I don't wanna take your things. I'm just curious about stuff I've never seen before, that's all. I like to learn! I wanna know everything about everything," he says, but he doesn't push the issue or move from where he is. Maybe sometime, he'll get to see that fascinating gem. Not today? All right, he can be patient.
He tilts his head to one side. He'll let K deal with the whole who killed who business. As long as they don't get killed, Senku isn't all that fussed about that detail. The creature in front of them definitely seems like it could kill any human it wanted. He's glad they encountered it on purpose and not just stumbling into it on accident. Maybe they're lucky Senku found that Snake game.
"We're not trying to piss off the Whale God. That's what you mean, right? But there's others out there in the sea, I guess. Shark and Orca, someone called them. They your friends too, or are they more like that hunter guy?"
He can't help his curiosity; they came here for answers, after all. Transactional friendship! Senku doesn't actually consider himself a warrior or someone IN732Q needs to defer to, but whatever works in his favour.
He digs in a pouch and pulls out the two pieces of blue apatite, holding them out on the palm of his hand.
"We're not evil, you know. We were jerked out of our home worlds and brought here against our will too. Like K said, we wanna be your friends. That's the only way to survive, far as I know, is to do it together."
no subject
[Only some,] it says to K. [It does what it must. The strength to live is earned, not given.]
No answer about the revivals, though; IN732Q just tilts its head, ears twitching, before moving on. Maybe Senku's new gifts have distracted it. The creature leans forward to sniff at the blue apatite pieces, then croons gleefully before grabbing them up.
[Shiny,] the creature purrs. [It wears them. It is pleased.]
The stones are carefully tucked into IN732Q's sash. Not a direct declaration of friendship, but they seem to be headed the right way.
[...It does not know those thoughts,] it continues after a moment, to Senku. [Its friend's new name - FE710Y. She is a noble warrior. She fights where it cannot.]
no subject
The blue apatite makes it a triple win; IN732Q clearly appreciates the stones and that also helps narrow down what would make good gifts for it in the future.
So the Leopard isn't aware of the Shark and the Orca? Or just doesn't know them by those titles. FE710Y. Maybe they can contact her later, too.
"In the water?" K guesses, giving Senku a knowing look. Could she possibly be Martin's shark friend? Fortunately Senku was actually present for it, while K has only been told secondhand, so he leaves sharing that story to Senku.
no subject
Glad you like them.
He makes a note of that call sign to contact later, though whether Leopard's friend will be their friend…hard to say. Some of the creatures on this island are hostile as hell, and some are just weird. IN732Q could be hostile, but to Senku, it just seems wary and protective — and alien, with different norms and values than humans have. Can't blame it, all things considered. Also, it's just cool as hell and he's trying not to be a bigger creep than normal about this whole encounter.
"We went on a raft on the ocean to help get someone to safety," Senku says in response to K's look. He was there. He even sketched what he could of that particular creature. "There was…I don't know what word you'd know for it, but to me it looked like a big shark. Like a really big fish, you know?" He has a feeling it doesn't know those thoughts but he keeps going anyway. "Actually, whatever it was attacked a shark. Had these tentacles on its face." He wiggles his fingers around near his chin to demonstrate what he means by tentacles. "And we've seen bits of other animals chewed up around the place. That a friend of yours, someone that can communicate too, or…am I missing the mark?"
Even if Megashark, as Senku thinks of that creature, isn't a friend of Leopard's, that doesn't mean it's not sentient. Whatever, cross that bridge when they come to it and all.
no subject
[It knows,] the creature confirms. [One of the few. Their name is not known to it. But its friend knows. She respects their territory.]
no subject
"Are you able to communicate with that being? Or is your friend able to, then?" he asks. "We wanted to express our gratitude for the help, but haven't been sure how to reach them."
no subject
"Other than that, when we talked before, you said evil bipeds. You mean the PacAirs? What'd they do to you?"
So far, he's heard mixed things about the other people on this island. Aren't some of them at least dangerous? But some had kept Dirk with them through the storm, too. They also said something about gods, but Senku has a feeling their god and Leopard's gods aren't the same thing.
"I meant what I said, y'know. Me and K and the other people where we live, we wanna work together. I wanna save everyone and get us back to the places we came from. There's just a lot we don't know, so I'm trying to understand. Those Glencola people won't tell us a damn thing. If you wanna…have more electronic battles, I can see about finding other…programs like the one we met with. And you can tell me if you see anything like what I'm looking for, if I can describe it in a way that makes sense to you."
He's looking for a power source, so this is probably a non-starter, but he has to ask. That's the big hurdle they haven't overcome — how to get the damn power on.
"Or if you get hurt again, we can help. You don't have to be here alone with just the gods and their whims."
no subject
When it turns its attention back to Senku, though, its demeanor changes noticeably; its ears and whiskers all shiver aggressively at the same time, producing an audible hissing noise separate from the weird sounds it uses to communicate. The transceivers make an attempt to translate it anyway: [a n g r y]
Then, with a roll of its six shoulders, it seems to forcibly center itself again.
[No honor,] it says a moment later. [Lies. Killing. Bipeds far away ask for its help, bipeds far down ask for its help, both lies. Mistakes. The others asked, fighting, killing. The God of the Deep sings, and it ended.]
The creature pauses to exhale, perhaps in a sigh. Senku and K might note that this is the first visible sign of respiration that IN732Q has shown since they started talking to it, and it comes from their entire underbelly rather than the expected top of their trunk beneath the neck.
[Alone is tradition,] it explains. [Together is forbidden. Its territory must be respected. It will not allow you again unless it is earned. This is the way of things.]
Its head tilts slightly to the side.
[Its thoughts have been earned. It will share them if they ask.]
no subject
"So neither the Glencolans nor the Pacairs can be trusted," he surmises, mostly for Senku's benefit — he's giving his honest opinion. They may need to rethink their plans to try negotiating with the Pacairs, or at the very least approach the endeavour with more caution. IN732Q's experience may be at odds with Dirk's, but he doesn't think the creature is lying; deception seems beyond it. His gaze momentarily lowers to IN732Q's underbelly, betraying his curiosity as he watches the method of respiration.
"We won't enter your territory without earning the privilege then," he promises. "Where are the boundaries of your territory? Just here?" he asks as he makes a broad gesture that encompasses the whole of the caldera.
Hopefully the others will also respect this once he and Senku inform them. New arrivals to the island all seem to wash up on the beaches, so with any luck they'll be able to warn them away from the caldera ahead of time too. Even leaving gifts for IN732Q will presumably have to be 'earned', but K's wondering if he could get away with leaving them at the border of its territory; he doesn't have a Snake game of his own, after all. Though it sounds like they can freely contact IN732Q over the transceivers now, so that's a definite boon.
...Maybe it would enjoy some ASCII art. Or photos or videos of interesting things. Worth trying.
no subject
He nods at K's words. But trust might be irrelevant, at least to Senku. Pacairs are on the back burner for him for now, though. He wants to talk to Randvi about some of this.
"Sorry, sorry. We're not lying to you, and I won't ask you for help you don't wanna give. If there's more games you like playing, we can just do that for fun, no expectation attached."
Does Leopardtaur understand fun? No clue!
He glances down too when that respiration thing happens. Holy shit, fascinating. He's got a respectable fear of IN732Q, all things considered, but he's still Senku. He's still absolutely enamoured with the idea that they're meeting a creature like this, that it even exists. He wants to know where it came from so bad, but that's just been a non-starter. ALAS.
"I'm looking for...hm. Can I draw it for you here on the ground? Might be easier than me talking since you don't always get my thoughts." He would have just done it, but he's still not going to move too much lest IN732Q take something he does the wrong way, especially if he's reaching for a stick to draw with. He continues, "A way to turn on the electricity, basically, even if I gotta build it. I'm hoping I don't, but I haven't found something like a generator. Besides that, something that belongs to me showed up in pieces and I'm looking for the pieces."
no subject
With that casual threat delivered, the creature addresses Senku. It doesn't have anything to say about playing games, but it does perk up when he mentions drawing what he means.
[Draw? Create? It understands.] IN732Q leans back onto its hind legs, gripping the ceremonial staff in four hands, and uses the blunt end to swirl a few quick marks into the dirt. The end result is a simple, but still surprisingly elegant, representation of itself - like something that might be painted on the side of a neolithic cave. It gestures with the spear. [This?]
(no subject)
me 100 years later
(no subject)