Post by PHAROS on Oct 14, 2018 0:27:06 GMT -6
THE GLOAMING (A MUST READ)
"The Gloam". It is spoken about in hushed whispers. The awareness of the event can spell certain doom upon the one that speaks of it. It had always been upon us. Whispers in the shadows, unexplained phenomena appearing and disappearing before our eyes... beyond our comprehension. Our collective refusal to believe always closed the door on that which could not be explained so only a few could see, and those that did were rewarded with madness and persecution. Now, with every event that breeds awareness, 'The Gloam' grows. It yet remains trapped in the corners of reality, and there are those who fight to keep it in the shadows, and those who work to bring it into the light.
2011, 3:23 AM (EST), on the 14th day of May the fabric of reality tore. Our characters will never fully comprehend the reason behind "The Gloaming". For some, the world as it is now has always been. These are the characters whose entire timeline has changed, paranormal and preternatural events can exist as far back as the writer wishes, but the thing to remember is that magic prior to THE GLOAMING was diminished and weak. It might have even existed prior, regardless of the alterations brought about by the event. It's simply not known what was 'real' by the standards of the 'natural' world we know now. This convoluted explanation is purposeful as it eliminates any one specific interpretation, which what we want. It's important that as the writer, you can become as caught up in deciphering 'The Gloam' as your character might.
For others, The Gloaming event may perceived as a definite 'switch', their life suddenly changing due to their transformation. These people are more bound to the natural world and retain a foggy account of what was, and what exists now. It's not precise by any means, there are only a few rare individuals in the world that can for certain decipher between PRE-GLOAM and POST-GLOAM, and they are members of either ICOR or KRIUS. For some, this may be a far easier way to depict your character.
What ALL Preternaturals know or suspect, is that the world has changed, and there are those places where the 'change' is stronger, the veil between different realities weak, dimensions colliding. It is not precisely known how long 'time-stopped', that is to say, how long the world floated in oblivion, but during that time of transition beings from other realms entered the world at various moments of time. Old superstitions and ancient tomes of magic, in a sense, reactivated. The power that connected mind, spirit and word was empowered with renewed energy.
It is now SEVERAL YEARS after the GLOAMING.
The year of our setting is approximately (THE CURRENT YEAR) - (3 YEARS), but time moves much slower here.
Strange events and missing persons are on the rise, but people are still dismissive of the supernatural. Preternatural phenomena is entering the world at a stead trickle, a rate that has not yet aroused a global suspicion. ICOR and other agencies work to quell 'Gloam Events', as they realize that awareness will only empower the phenomena. Hence, the major theme of our setting is obscurity. Whether one is trying to diminish or promote the 'Gloam' remaining hidden is always a factor because the very awareness that can bolster it's power is reliant on understanding. Without understanding, the human mind's struggle to grasp the new reality will inadvertently reduce it's power. The balance is delicate, and both the powers of good and evil are bound to maintain it.
GLOAMS — The Nature of the Preternatural
GLOAMS are essentially hot-spots, places where magic is strong and the barriers between different realities are weak, but they go beyond these anomalous areas. After the event, the few who were aware realized that places in the world had completely changed and yet the population remained blissfully unaware. Buildings changed, landscapes were slightly altered, and only they retained the memory of what once was. Both ICOR and KRIUS retained the only archives of PRE-GLOAM EARTH, all other information changed.
Using this information, both have sought out the most significantly changed places on the planet and there wage their secret battles as they study the phenomena.
This brings us to our setting. Omensvale is one of these 'Gloams'. After the 'even't the town of Greenwood Lake was changed. It had become Omensvale, and none were the wiser. Sterling Forest had changed too. It was the largest known alteration in America, and so both agents of ICOR and KRIUS descended on the area and began their covert operations, to study, capture and contain.
Preternatural beings are reliant on belief and a high frequency of magic to access their abilities and perform supernatural feats. Beyond Gloams, preternatural beings living among people, will exhibit a fraction of what they're capable. Monsters are barely existent, strange sightings dismissed as a trick of the mind. This is of course slowly changing globally, which is why high strangeness is on the rise. In Gloams like Omensvale, however, the phenomena is at a level unlike anywhere else, which is why Preternaturals are far more magical and true to their nature. Still, in crowded places their abilities are drastically reduced. Basically the more "normal" humans they're around, the more human they are. This fundamental reality of the setting is also a 'plot device' that helps maintain a balance, otherwise the Preternaturals would be all-powerful. As it is, they are constantly kept in check by the changing dynamics of their environment.
MAGIC
The basic premise of magic is that the more people that are around, the less effective it is. Essentially the 'potential awareness', of the human mind, not just the actual, will inversely impact the power of magic. A crowd of people can in effect, completely nullify preternatural power. If a being doesn't look 'human', their perception begins to turn them into a form they can understand, thus in many cases 'humanizing' the being by imposing their 'dominant will' over them. Within 'Gloams', however, their are both permanent and transient hotspots that can provide the preternatural and users of magic with added power to circumvent the effects of 'human perception'.
Basically in this setting, both unconscious and conscious 'Human Will' has power over the preternatural.
For our characters it's a double edged sword. The more they become aware of 'The Gloam' the more control they develop over magic, but they also then begin to lose their grip on the reality that naturally allows them to repel magic. It's a very Lovecraftian philosophy, one that you are welcome to explore in your own way.
THE STATE OF THE WORLD
While our main setting is OMENSVALE, and by extension Orange County, we cannot stress enough that we do not expect people to write in this bubble. There's a whole big world out there, people read the news, they travel. It's completely unnatural for people not to address what's happening around them so here's basically what's happening in the world outside of Sterling Forest.
Since the Gloam, the world has kind of taken a dive. Global powers are shifting and democracies are shaking, all of this due to the balance of power turning to the side of KRIUS. With the rise in the phenomena of magic, the unknown global shadow organization has begun to seep deeper into societal foundations and affect normalcies. An evil is washing over the globe, as yet identified as human ignorance, but it is far more. The Gloam's empowerment of Krius is taking it's toll, and the only organization capable of taking a stand against them is ICOR.
In America, the current president, Alexander Duke was a member of the KKK and openly praises Nazis and Fascism. His entire staff are comprised of people that can only be described as 'Anti-American', and the stale stench of civil war is in the air. People are tense; the citizens of Omensvale are more appreciative than ever for their peaceful little corner of the world. Ghost stories abound! Cases of demonic possession are steadily increasing as are sightings of the strange and bizarre. What's happening in Omensvale, seems to be happening everywhere.
TRANSFORMATION
This is a recap to ensure that you understand the three ways in which a character can be preternatural or involved with that hidden world.
1. They have always been a part of it. Prior to the Gloaming, magic existed at a trickle and so individuals of preternatural heritage were extremely rare and often weakened to the point where there wasn't much that differentiated from natural humans. We do have exceptions with our canon but for the most part our characters shouldn't be one of them. Their abilities would have been very minimal, if they had them at all. Often, they just possessed an awareness of the paranormal / preternatural realm. After the Gloaming, their abilities were awoken, and their knowledge realized. Because they've always been a part of the preternatural world the changes of the world are blurred, if noticed at all. Their consciousness essential transformed with The Gloaming event. Significant transformations to the environment will be perceived as alway existing, which is the way most people see the world. Once again, there are exceptions to this, in that some individuals of preternatural nature could very well realize how much the world changed. The rules are designed to be flexible.
2. Transformation at the point of the Gloaming. These individuals have an inkling of what was, and what has come to be. They can't specifically pinpoint all the alterations but they're more aware of it than most. Their abilities and their new knowledge are definite change to their life style, but they've had some time to adjust.
3. Due to a recent experience your character has been newly changed. They're just starting to figure things out; making sense of the preternatural world they've entered.
"The Gloam". It is spoken about in hushed whispers. The awareness of the event can spell certain doom upon the one that speaks of it. It had always been upon us. Whispers in the shadows, unexplained phenomena appearing and disappearing before our eyes... beyond our comprehension. Our collective refusal to believe always closed the door on that which could not be explained so only a few could see, and those that did were rewarded with madness and persecution. Now, with every event that breeds awareness, 'The Gloam' grows. It yet remains trapped in the corners of reality, and there are those who fight to keep it in the shadows, and those who work to bring it into the light.
2011, 3:23 AM (EST), on the 14th day of May the fabric of reality tore. Our characters will never fully comprehend the reason behind "The Gloaming". For some, the world as it is now has always been. These are the characters whose entire timeline has changed, paranormal and preternatural events can exist as far back as the writer wishes, but the thing to remember is that magic prior to THE GLOAMING was diminished and weak. It might have even existed prior, regardless of the alterations brought about by the event. It's simply not known what was 'real' by the standards of the 'natural' world we know now. This convoluted explanation is purposeful as it eliminates any one specific interpretation, which what we want. It's important that as the writer, you can become as caught up in deciphering 'The Gloam' as your character might.
For others, The Gloaming event may perceived as a definite 'switch', their life suddenly changing due to their transformation. These people are more bound to the natural world and retain a foggy account of what was, and what exists now. It's not precise by any means, there are only a few rare individuals in the world that can for certain decipher between PRE-GLOAM and POST-GLOAM, and they are members of either ICOR or KRIUS. For some, this may be a far easier way to depict your character.
What ALL Preternaturals know or suspect, is that the world has changed, and there are those places where the 'change' is stronger, the veil between different realities weak, dimensions colliding. It is not precisely known how long 'time-stopped', that is to say, how long the world floated in oblivion, but during that time of transition beings from other realms entered the world at various moments of time. Old superstitions and ancient tomes of magic, in a sense, reactivated. The power that connected mind, spirit and word was empowered with renewed energy.
It is now SEVERAL YEARS after the GLOAMING.
The year of our setting is approximately (THE CURRENT YEAR) - (3 YEARS), but time moves much slower here.
Strange events and missing persons are on the rise, but people are still dismissive of the supernatural. Preternatural phenomena is entering the world at a stead trickle, a rate that has not yet aroused a global suspicion. ICOR and other agencies work to quell 'Gloam Events', as they realize that awareness will only empower the phenomena. Hence, the major theme of our setting is obscurity. Whether one is trying to diminish or promote the 'Gloam' remaining hidden is always a factor because the very awareness that can bolster it's power is reliant on understanding. Without understanding, the human mind's struggle to grasp the new reality will inadvertently reduce it's power. The balance is delicate, and both the powers of good and evil are bound to maintain it.
GLOAMS — The Nature of the Preternatural
GLOAMS are essentially hot-spots, places where magic is strong and the barriers between different realities are weak, but they go beyond these anomalous areas. After the event, the few who were aware realized that places in the world had completely changed and yet the population remained blissfully unaware. Buildings changed, landscapes were slightly altered, and only they retained the memory of what once was. Both ICOR and KRIUS retained the only archives of PRE-GLOAM EARTH, all other information changed.
Using this information, both have sought out the most significantly changed places on the planet and there wage their secret battles as they study the phenomena.
This brings us to our setting. Omensvale is one of these 'Gloams'. After the 'even't the town of Greenwood Lake was changed. It had become Omensvale, and none were the wiser. Sterling Forest had changed too. It was the largest known alteration in America, and so both agents of ICOR and KRIUS descended on the area and began their covert operations, to study, capture and contain.
Preternatural beings are reliant on belief and a high frequency of magic to access their abilities and perform supernatural feats. Beyond Gloams, preternatural beings living among people, will exhibit a fraction of what they're capable. Monsters are barely existent, strange sightings dismissed as a trick of the mind. This is of course slowly changing globally, which is why high strangeness is on the rise. In Gloams like Omensvale, however, the phenomena is at a level unlike anywhere else, which is why Preternaturals are far more magical and true to their nature. Still, in crowded places their abilities are drastically reduced. Basically the more "normal" humans they're around, the more human they are. This fundamental reality of the setting is also a 'plot device' that helps maintain a balance, otherwise the Preternaturals would be all-powerful. As it is, they are constantly kept in check by the changing dynamics of their environment.
MAGIC
The basic premise of magic is that the more people that are around, the less effective it is. Essentially the 'potential awareness', of the human mind, not just the actual, will inversely impact the power of magic. A crowd of people can in effect, completely nullify preternatural power. If a being doesn't look 'human', their perception begins to turn them into a form they can understand, thus in many cases 'humanizing' the being by imposing their 'dominant will' over them. Within 'Gloams', however, their are both permanent and transient hotspots that can provide the preternatural and users of magic with added power to circumvent the effects of 'human perception'.
Basically in this setting, both unconscious and conscious 'Human Will' has power over the preternatural.
For our characters it's a double edged sword. The more they become aware of 'The Gloam' the more control they develop over magic, but they also then begin to lose their grip on the reality that naturally allows them to repel magic. It's a very Lovecraftian philosophy, one that you are welcome to explore in your own way.
THE STATE OF THE WORLD
While our main setting is OMENSVALE, and by extension Orange County, we cannot stress enough that we do not expect people to write in this bubble. There's a whole big world out there, people read the news, they travel. It's completely unnatural for people not to address what's happening around them so here's basically what's happening in the world outside of Sterling Forest.
Since the Gloam, the world has kind of taken a dive. Global powers are shifting and democracies are shaking, all of this due to the balance of power turning to the side of KRIUS. With the rise in the phenomena of magic, the unknown global shadow organization has begun to seep deeper into societal foundations and affect normalcies. An evil is washing over the globe, as yet identified as human ignorance, but it is far more. The Gloam's empowerment of Krius is taking it's toll, and the only organization capable of taking a stand against them is ICOR.
In America, the current president, Alexander Duke was a member of the KKK and openly praises Nazis and Fascism. His entire staff are comprised of people that can only be described as 'Anti-American', and the stale stench of civil war is in the air. People are tense; the citizens of Omensvale are more appreciative than ever for their peaceful little corner of the world. Ghost stories abound! Cases of demonic possession are steadily increasing as are sightings of the strange and bizarre. What's happening in Omensvale, seems to be happening everywhere.
TRANSFORMATION
This is a recap to ensure that you understand the three ways in which a character can be preternatural or involved with that hidden world.
1. They have always been a part of it. Prior to the Gloaming, magic existed at a trickle and so individuals of preternatural heritage were extremely rare and often weakened to the point where there wasn't much that differentiated from natural humans. We do have exceptions with our canon but for the most part our characters shouldn't be one of them. Their abilities would have been very minimal, if they had them at all. Often, they just possessed an awareness of the paranormal / preternatural realm. After the Gloaming, their abilities were awoken, and their knowledge realized. Because they've always been a part of the preternatural world the changes of the world are blurred, if noticed at all. Their consciousness essential transformed with The Gloaming event. Significant transformations to the environment will be perceived as alway existing, which is the way most people see the world. Once again, there are exceptions to this, in that some individuals of preternatural nature could very well realize how much the world changed. The rules are designed to be flexible.
2. Transformation at the point of the Gloaming. These individuals have an inkling of what was, and what has come to be. They can't specifically pinpoint all the alterations but they're more aware of it than most. Their abilities and their new knowledge are definite change to their life style, but they've had some time to adjust.
3. Due to a recent experience your character has been newly changed. They're just starting to figure things out; making sense of the preternatural world they've entered.
, Jr.