The Watchers of Night (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thewatchers) wrote2019-10-11 02:28 am
thewatchers) wrote2019-10-11 02:28 am
Entry tags:
FAQ - LORE AND WORLDBUILDING
FAQ - LORE AND WORLDBUILDING
Log Comm | Network Comm | OOC Comm | Navigation
Daybreak Academy is an Alternate Universe (AU) game where canon characters have modified histories to live in a present-day Earth with a hidden supernatural element. Characters take on the role of students and faculty at the illustrious Daybreak Academy, a school meant to train people in their supernatural talents and prevent the extinction of humanity during the prophesied Nightfall, when the sun is blotted from the sky and fell creatures will engulf the world.
This page is for setting and lore questions. If you're looking for game mechanics, please direct your inquiries over here.
You may also be looking for the Town Locations page, where you are able to submit new shops and locations, Academy Locations, where you are able to submit new additions (or 'additions') to Daybreak's campus, or the Clans, Families and Organisations page, where you can keep track of player-created secret societies that you might like to use for further plotting ideas.
WHAT IS DAYBREAK ACADEMY?
Daybreak Academy is one of many organisations working to thwart Outlands efforts, disguising itself as a rich and affluent school. It serves as a safe haven for wayward outsiders, a training ground for supernatural children growing into their powers (and lately, Candles), and often as a strike force that cooperates with other organisations. Their motivations for bringing characters into the Academy can often be obscure and multi-tiered, or it might be just a simple desire to keep people safe from a world that may not understand them or has been less than kind to them. It varies, and the motives of the seers are obscured, perhaps deliberately.
In terms of how things are treated in-game, part of Daybreak's operating structure is a focus on giving the kids as normal an experience as they can provide in a magic fighting school. The general approach of the school is to try to keep things "normal" as much as possible. With the big plot events, especially something as harrowing as the first herald, the administration as a whole is of the opinion that the best way they can help is to continue on as normal.
There is, of course, some less than savory motivation here as well, normalizing this kind of activity is in and of itself preparation, if the students are able to move between desperate battles and normal lives the prevailing opinion is they will be more ready to step up during times of combat. Finally, depressingly, the administration is well aware that many of these kids will probably not survive Nightfall, so they want to give them as good an experience as they can before it arrives. An extended last meal, if you will.
ARE THERE OTHER PLACES THAT OPERATE THE SAME WAY AS DAYBREAK?
There are, but to lesser or greater degrees. Some have converted themselves fully into places to train the next generation of fighters, and some have decided to bolster their defenses and turn their communities into bunkers and bulwarks capable of surviving Nightfall.
If there is player interest, you may even see some of these other schools. Or break into them. As strange and mercurial as Daybreak can be, they still care about the safety of those within the walls and are well-equipped to protect them at need. Some are less scrupulous.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MISSIONS?
Missions are meant to be situations where students are exposed to dangerous events in order to understand how to navigate them under the guidance of more capable and experienced faculty members, as well as teaching them to work together in crisis. These missions are often the 'leftovers' from events that other NPC factions are handling, or anomalies that Daybreak's task forces or monitoring are able to identify first. This is the reason the tone tends to shift from individual mission to mission.
ARE STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO ACT AS A TASK FORCE?
Not unless there's exceedingly special circumstances. Faculty members or those of sufficient age and combat experience may well be asked to join the task forces that Daybreak keeps in reserve and sends out on missions deemed too dangerous for students to handle, but we don't cover those because of the OOC balance of faculty to students.
WHAT IS NIGHTFALL?
The general explanation of Nightfall describes the Outland as a plane that exists semi-concurrently with the prime material plane, circling the Earth's dark side. Both planes move with and around each other, drawing energy from the sun. Nightfall is when the Outland moves to obscure the earth from the sun, blocking it. This should not occur naturally, but during times in which the two planes are close, it is possible for such a thing to be forced. Generations of humans and seers have found in their conflict with daemons and the other fell races that there is an organized effort to bring about Nightfall, exploiting just the right conditions to tip the scales in their favor.
The desolation of humanity is in some respects a side effect - an Outland flush with sunlight will explode into the material plane and would in effect wipe out an unprepared humanity - the loss of sunlight would quickly dry up food supplies and the ensuing Outland mists would overwhelm the planet. There are a number of discoveries and conversations noted by scholars over the centuries, some daemons see humans as a nuisance best eliminated, others (as well as other Outland species such as and especially the vampires) have taken steps to collect some humans as chattel for labor and consumption, and others just want all the power for their own internal strife and couldn't care less about earth and humanity.
Either way, there is a concerted effort and alliance among a number of powerful Outlander factions to bring Nightfall to fruition - centuries of planning and preparing all for this one opportunity.
WHAT IS THE VEIL?
The veil is a colloquial term for the separation between magic and mundane on Earth, and the efforts to keep them separated and the world of magic secret. Characters may have already fallen prey to this separation, as there are many groups and individuals who take it as their duty, pleasure or responsibility to enforce it, each with their own motivations for doing so.
It is exceedingly common for magical families to teach their descendants to enforce the veil and keep their powers and the existence of the supernatural a secret, but there are always exceptions.
HOW MANY SUPERNATURAL GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES ARE THERE ON EARTH SPECIFICALLY? IS THERE A MAGICAL NETWORK?
We're not going to put a hard number on it to avoid restricting player backstories and events, so we'll say that it's more than you'd expect, but less than you'd hope. With the Outlands available, many supernatural communities feel that it's safer to live there, but with the Outlands being stirred up at the enroaching Nightfall, some have moved out and into Earth, secluding themselves in hard-to-reach enclaves or mingling among humans.
Generally, magical communities tend to communicate in both Earthly and magical ways (word of mouth, shady internet sites, forums, whatever kind of magical communication you can think of), and the closer they are to large population centers, the quicker word gets around. There is no wide, interconnected network that is instantaneously updated, and rumors may spread faster than truths, or not be believed at all, which can often result in unfortunate mishaps.
WHAT MAKES A GOD?
A god is someone or something powerful enough to be worshiped and viewed as divinity, or is an entity, creature or person taking the form or aspect of a divine being from human or Outlands legends. To allow for flexibility of views, character heritage, and character worship (especially in a diverse setting like Daybreak's where many cultures' gods can exist simultaneously and have multiple variations used in different contexts depending on canon), 'gods' are simply creatures or entities of great power, rather than divine cornerstones of the universe.
WHAT IS A HERALD?
Heralds are mysterious entities that can bend the oracular powers of Seers around them, blocking out any attempts to directly see or track them unless they will it. Their goals are unambiguously to cause Nightfall, though the ways they go about it are unique.
Only one active Herald seems to appear at a time, at least thus far. It's unknown if this pattern will hold.
The Heralds encountered by Daybreak so far are:
Xelvak, Magus of Life Beyond Death, a lich who reveled in slaughter and mass destruction. Obliterated by Daybreak's assembled forces, who split to destroy his phylactery as well as face him in direct combat.
Iriceli (full name Iriceli Ruya Noam Squiggly Kagami Cyan Plantain St. Pearl-Voidington), an artificial Herald made by an Outlands facility. Rescued and named; is currently being raised as a 'normal' and impressionable child. No longer a threat.
Utultar, a daemon warlord who grants powerful contracts on a whim. He seems to have far more interest in toying with his food than settling things right off. Currently still active.
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT ISN'T ADDRESSED ON THIS PAGE!
If you have additional questions about the setting, please feel free to ask them in the comments below. If you think we're missing something important from the main FAQ page, please say so!
I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE WORLD!
Please feel free to make your submissions in the comments below!
This page is for setting and lore questions. If you're looking for game mechanics, please direct your inquiries over here.
You may also be looking for the Town Locations page, where you are able to submit new shops and locations, Academy Locations, where you are able to submit new additions (or 'additions') to Daybreak's campus, or the Clans, Families and Organisations page, where you can keep track of player-created secret societies that you might like to use for further plotting ideas.
WHAT IS DAYBREAK ACADEMY?
Daybreak Academy is one of many organisations working to thwart Outlands efforts, disguising itself as a rich and affluent school. It serves as a safe haven for wayward outsiders, a training ground for supernatural children growing into their powers (and lately, Candles), and often as a strike force that cooperates with other organisations. Their motivations for bringing characters into the Academy can often be obscure and multi-tiered, or it might be just a simple desire to keep people safe from a world that may not understand them or has been less than kind to them. It varies, and the motives of the seers are obscured, perhaps deliberately.
In terms of how things are treated in-game, part of Daybreak's operating structure is a focus on giving the kids as normal an experience as they can provide in a magic fighting school. The general approach of the school is to try to keep things "normal" as much as possible. With the big plot events, especially something as harrowing as the first herald, the administration as a whole is of the opinion that the best way they can help is to continue on as normal.
There is, of course, some less than savory motivation here as well, normalizing this kind of activity is in and of itself preparation, if the students are able to move between desperate battles and normal lives the prevailing opinion is they will be more ready to step up during times of combat. Finally, depressingly, the administration is well aware that many of these kids will probably not survive Nightfall, so they want to give them as good an experience as they can before it arrives. An extended last meal, if you will.
ARE THERE OTHER PLACES THAT OPERATE THE SAME WAY AS DAYBREAK?
There are, but to lesser or greater degrees. Some have converted themselves fully into places to train the next generation of fighters, and some have decided to bolster their defenses and turn their communities into bunkers and bulwarks capable of surviving Nightfall.
If there is player interest, you may even see some of these other schools. Or break into them. As strange and mercurial as Daybreak can be, they still care about the safety of those within the walls and are well-equipped to protect them at need. Some are less scrupulous.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MISSIONS?
Missions are meant to be situations where students are exposed to dangerous events in order to understand how to navigate them under the guidance of more capable and experienced faculty members, as well as teaching them to work together in crisis. These missions are often the 'leftovers' from events that other NPC factions are handling, or anomalies that Daybreak's task forces or monitoring are able to identify first. This is the reason the tone tends to shift from individual mission to mission.
ARE STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO ACT AS A TASK FORCE?
Not unless there's exceedingly special circumstances. Faculty members or those of sufficient age and combat experience may well be asked to join the task forces that Daybreak keeps in reserve and sends out on missions deemed too dangerous for students to handle, but we don't cover those because of the OOC balance of faculty to students.
WHAT IS NIGHTFALL?
The general explanation of Nightfall describes the Outland as a plane that exists semi-concurrently with the prime material plane, circling the Earth's dark side. Both planes move with and around each other, drawing energy from the sun. Nightfall is when the Outland moves to obscure the earth from the sun, blocking it. This should not occur naturally, but during times in which the two planes are close, it is possible for such a thing to be forced. Generations of humans and seers have found in their conflict with daemons and the other fell races that there is an organized effort to bring about Nightfall, exploiting just the right conditions to tip the scales in their favor.
The desolation of humanity is in some respects a side effect - an Outland flush with sunlight will explode into the material plane and would in effect wipe out an unprepared humanity - the loss of sunlight would quickly dry up food supplies and the ensuing Outland mists would overwhelm the planet. There are a number of discoveries and conversations noted by scholars over the centuries, some daemons see humans as a nuisance best eliminated, others (as well as other Outland species such as and especially the vampires) have taken steps to collect some humans as chattel for labor and consumption, and others just want all the power for their own internal strife and couldn't care less about earth and humanity.
Either way, there is a concerted effort and alliance among a number of powerful Outlander factions to bring Nightfall to fruition - centuries of planning and preparing all for this one opportunity.
WHAT IS THE VEIL?
The veil is a colloquial term for the separation between magic and mundane on Earth, and the efforts to keep them separated and the world of magic secret. Characters may have already fallen prey to this separation, as there are many groups and individuals who take it as their duty, pleasure or responsibility to enforce it, each with their own motivations for doing so.
It is exceedingly common for magical families to teach their descendants to enforce the veil and keep their powers and the existence of the supernatural a secret, but there are always exceptions.
HOW MANY SUPERNATURAL GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES ARE THERE ON EARTH SPECIFICALLY? IS THERE A MAGICAL NETWORK?
We're not going to put a hard number on it to avoid restricting player backstories and events, so we'll say that it's more than you'd expect, but less than you'd hope. With the Outlands available, many supernatural communities feel that it's safer to live there, but with the Outlands being stirred up at the enroaching Nightfall, some have moved out and into Earth, secluding themselves in hard-to-reach enclaves or mingling among humans.
Generally, magical communities tend to communicate in both Earthly and magical ways (word of mouth, shady internet sites, forums, whatever kind of magical communication you can think of), and the closer they are to large population centers, the quicker word gets around. There is no wide, interconnected network that is instantaneously updated, and rumors may spread faster than truths, or not be believed at all, which can often result in unfortunate mishaps.
WHAT MAKES A GOD?
A god is someone or something powerful enough to be worshiped and viewed as divinity, or is an entity, creature or person taking the form or aspect of a divine being from human or Outlands legends. To allow for flexibility of views, character heritage, and character worship (especially in a diverse setting like Daybreak's where many cultures' gods can exist simultaneously and have multiple variations used in different contexts depending on canon), 'gods' are simply creatures or entities of great power, rather than divine cornerstones of the universe.
WHAT IS A HERALD?
Heralds are mysterious entities that can bend the oracular powers of Seers around them, blocking out any attempts to directly see or track them unless they will it. Their goals are unambiguously to cause Nightfall, though the ways they go about it are unique.
Only one active Herald seems to appear at a time, at least thus far. It's unknown if this pattern will hold.
The Heralds encountered by Daybreak so far are:
Xelvak, Magus of Life Beyond Death, a lich who reveled in slaughter and mass destruction. Obliterated by Daybreak's assembled forces, who split to destroy his phylactery as well as face him in direct combat.
Iriceli (full name Iriceli Ruya Noam Squiggly Kagami Cyan Plantain St. Pearl-Voidington), an artificial Herald made by an Outlands facility. Rescued and named; is currently being raised as a 'normal' and impressionable child. No longer a threat.
Utultar, a daemon warlord who grants powerful contracts on a whim. He seems to have far more interest in toying with his food than settling things right off. Currently still active.
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT ISN'T ADDRESSED ON THIS PAGE!
If you have additional questions about the setting, please feel free to ask them in the comments below. If you think we're missing something important from the main FAQ page, please say so!
I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE WORLD!
Please feel free to make your submissions in the comments below!