{Nexus} OoC XXV: Where all the Cool Cats are.

[Lex-Kat]

WELCOME TO THE NEXUS!
Check your sanity at the door, please.

So, what is Nexus?

Spoiler

Well, the Nexus itself is like a rift, a single, brilliant point where all the universes in this strange thing we call 'reality' meet. Traveling to, from, and between any world or cosmology is theoretically possible here, and the Nexus itself seems to encourage this happening, often sucking beings and locations out of other universes at random, and dumping them on the world that lies at its center. It was not always like this, however. Once there were two worlds at the Nexus' heart, separate and distinct, though somewhat similar in ways. Similar enough that they slowly and eventually merged, so that only one remained. Here in this world the Nexus' influence reigns supreme, and as such the world has defied almost all attempts at classification. Here, knights of old may engage with Jedi knights. Gleaming spaceships land in Dark Age hamlets. Cowboys and samurai quest together to find holy sandwich boxes. And in the heavens above, Xi Wangmu and the Flying Spaghetti Monster meet every Woden's Day to play bowls with Pelor (it gets pretty epic). Here the possibilities are endless, and the universe without rules (except the Forum Rules, and the general FFRP rules, and the Individual Thread Rules, and oh whatever). Welcome to Nexus. Fun is had here.

Major Locales

Spoiler

For an endless world that defies all logic and classification, Nexus can be pretty darn consistent at times. As such, several locations have survived the test of time, remaining (somewhat) constant amidst the chaos of the rest of the world.

Inside - Inside mostly resembles a modern city, with high-rise buildings and apartments, alleyways and roads, though the odd Demonic Monument can still be seen rising up above the surrounding suburb, teeming with dark cultists. Inside is under the general rule of the Remnant, the remains of the once powerful Acronymian Empire, but is also headed by a Council consisting of representatives from the major ACRONYMS, as well as Magtok and Zee.

Outside - If you ain't Inside, you're OUTSIDE! Simple as that. Outside is a meta-thread for all those wildernessy type areas that don't merit their own threads, be it wood or lake or tiny shack.

Riverside - This is a completely separate city that has less law enforcement than Inside. Part of it is continually shrouded in darkness.

Underside - A sprawling network of underground caverns beneath the surface of the Nexus. The Underside is often considered a separate world beneath the feet of the Nexus, operating under strange, foreign rules and keeping its business where it belongs.

Home - Whether in the suburbs of Inside, a desolate mountain cabin, a dingy flat somewhere... this is where PCs live. This is a meta-location, as the houses themselves may be many miles apart from one another. Or in separate dimensions.

Plot Threads - Many threads exist to contain plot events, such as a dungeon crawl or a dreamscape. Always check with the GM running a plot before jumping in.

ACRONYMS - Home to adventurers, these complexes provide headquarters and occasionally living space for like-minded Player Characters. Invariably equipped with cheesy names, these structures provide a place for their various members to fight crime, cause chaos, or anything of the sort. Current Acronyms include:

• AMEN - Association for the Malicious, Evil and Nefarious. Evil aligned organization, exists to be EVIL! And sometimes Ebil.
• HALO - Heroic, Anti-evil and Lawbreaking Organization. Non-Evil aligned organization, exists to smite wrong-doers.
• GLoG - Good League of Good. Good aligned organization, exists to redeem evil-doers.
• NO - Neutralist Oganization. Neutral aligned organization, exists to perform mercenary contracts for other organizations and individuals in the Nexus without taking sides
• WATCHTOWER - You Know What? Screw It. Non-aligned aligned organization. Exists to destroy threats to Nexus, whatever form they may take.
• PACK - Perfectly Acceptable College for Kids. The local Nexus school. Class mostly occurs offscreen, though...

The Taverns
What kind of vaguely DnD-esque adventurer would you be if you didn't visit one of these places at least once? The various Taverns, Grills, Hotels, Cantinas and Restaurant provide meeting places for the Player Characters, areas for quest givers to stand mysteriously in, and also places for people to eat and spend the money they seem to have infinite amounts of. Though there are a vast number of such places in Nexus, some with their own thread and some without, throughout history three major hubs have existed, without which Nexus as we know it wouldn't exist. The Dancing Fox Inn, which is located in What used to be Town but is now another part of the Inside. Finally, there is Trog's Tavern, which is located, maddeningly enough, at every corner of the Nexus at the same time. There is also the Black Dragon's Den, it's located roughly between the docks and the slums of Inside, and is the local hive of scum and villainy.

For more information:
The first post of every thread is valuable reading. It explains the purpose of the thread, whether it's private or public, and whether there are any additional rules you should follow. It's always a good idea to read it before you post in a new thread.

General Nexus FAQs:

Spoiler

Is there a guide to getting started?
Besides this post, which you're currently reading, you should also read post 3 of the stickied FFRP Central thread. Once you've read both, you can ask any questions you ask in the current Nexus OOC thread. If you have no questions, post in the Nexus OOC anyway to introduce yourself. And welcome.

What kind of character can I make?
Any. There are no restrictions on genre, alignment, world of origin, etc.

Will my power work the way it does in the source setting?
Almost certainly not. In your setting, you may have been the Mighty Zorlox, whose power to control the world's socks was absolute, but in the Nexus, you may run across Madam Bo Peep, who controls the world's wool.

If my power goes against your power, who wins?
In combat or any type of adversarial situation, the defender has the final say. So if Zorlox tries to turn Bo Peep's wool socks purple, Peep's player gets to decide if her wool power prevails. But if Bo Peep tries to have a pair of wool socks strangle Zorlox, then his player gets to decide if his sock power wins.

Oh no! Someone's already using my character concept!
In the Nexus, all cosmologies are true. Just because someone is playing the incarnation of Death doesn't mean you can't as well. You are very unlikely to come up with a character concept that is wholly unique while remaining playable; there is nothing new under the sun, and so on.

Sometimes you'll say 'I just came up with a great character idea - they have x race and y abilities and z backstory and I'll call her Linda' and someone will say 'You mean like my character Lynda over there that I introduced last week?' No one really knows why these sort of coincidences occur, but the Nexus seems especially prone to them. When they do, the best thing to do is to fiddle with your character concept a bit to set them apart.

Where should I start? Long answer, you can start in any thread that isn't a private thread or a plot thread. Short answer, Trog's. Just start at Trog's.

Do I need to get pre-approval for my character, or fill in a registry form before I start?
Nope. You can if you like, but it's not required. And sometimes it's better to get a feel for your character first, before deciding all the details about them.

Threads can be so confusing to read! So many people are doing things! How can I help?
There are two things that everyone can do that will make threads much easier to read.

First, please put your character's name in every post, even if it's just <Character's name> said, "<Stuff that was said>". Your characters are your babies and you know them all, but the other players don't. Even the people you roleplay with regularly probably don't know the text colors of all your characters. (The only exception to the 'name in every post' guideline would be if you're in a back and forth dialogue scene with only one other person no one else posting in the same thread at that time. Then I would change it to 'put the name in every third post'.)

Second, please use [Location Tags] to say where you are, so that people can keep track of events occurring in different places. For a good explanation of how [Location Tags] work, see the first post of the Outside thread.

I'm not getting any character interaction! What should I do?
First, try initiating interaction. Sometimes everyone in the Tavern is being mysterious and aloof, and someone has to be the first person to speak up and start talking to the other person. If that doesn't work, try posting in the OOC thread that you want interaction! It's a good idea to say if you're looking for a fight, a plot, a conversation, a romance, or anything else. Most people are friendly and will work with you.

What if I disagree with another player about how the scene should go?
Talk to them, either by PM or in the OOC thread. If you've gotten angry, wait until you cool down to post. Ask non-involved players to act as mediators if needed. If it gets to the point where neither player is having fun, it's probably best to just agree on a way to quickly conclude the encounter and move on.

But I'm really mad! *ragequits and deletes all posts*
Well, first off, that's not a question, that's an declaration, Mr. Smartypants. Secondly, no one can really stop you, but it's not very courteous and makes problems for other players. Retconning out a scene can be done, but that's not the right way to do it.

So what's the best way to handle a retcon, then?
First of all, retcons should be rare. But if you really think you have a good reason for one, talk to all of the players involved in the scene and make sure they're okay with it. Remember, they all put their time and effort into roleplaying with you. Once everyone involved has agreed how the retcon will go, post a summary of the retconned changes in the thread involved and in the OOC thread so that other players will be aware.

I think I should win this fight! But the other person thinks they should win too! Should I make up a new power for my PC to win?

No. Never do this.

If you're planning on having a fight with another player's PC it's sometimes a good idea to work out ahead of time how the conflict is going to end. Especially if both sides go into it wanting to win. Because when that's the case things often spiral out of control and people get mad.

We aren't here to get mad, we're here to have fun.

So instead of getting mad save yourself some trouble and shoot a few PMs back and forth first.

Your first character (copied from FFRP Central)

Spoiler

So, you're ready to make your first character. One of the hardest things to get used to in ffrp is that you don't start out in an adventuring party, and there's no DM to push characters together. You'll have to actually find people to interact with on your own. Here are some tips (not requirements!) for making that easier on your first character:

• Don't be the quiet person in the shadowy corner. If you roleplay as someone who is outgoing and talkative, you'll find it easier to make IC friends. Someone who is curious or greedy will be more open to plot hooks and adventure opportunities. But if you roleplay someone who is shy or quiet or wary of other people, you're likely to be left alone.
• Don't be openly evil. If you walk into the tavern and start murdering npcs, you are unlikely to make a lot of friends and very likely to get jumped on by a bunch of PCs who were looking for a fight.
• Consider starting low-powered. It's tempting in a freeform system with no scores or points to decide that your character is the best at everything, but where will they go from there? They can always gain powers or magic items or skills as they go on.
• Don't be too needy. Remember in ffrp, you are not THE hero of the story. You are A hero, and there are many stories. The characters you meet at first are likely to be involved in their own affairs. Some players start by having their character immediately in need of rescue, healing, training, attention, etc. This can work well, but make sure you have a plan B in case there is no one willing to drop everything to devote themselves to being your rescuer! Can your character make it if they receive only a minimal amount of help, or none at all?
• Don't be too self-sufficient. Remember in ffrp, you are not THE hero of the story. You are A hero, and there are many stories. If you are a combat powerhouse and a healer and a master of obscure lore and a spellcaster, people are likely to get weary of their characters taking a back seat to yours and decide you can do just fine without them.
• Be aware of deadtimes and real life. Sometimes, not many people are online and active. Sometimes the people who are may only have a limited time to play and want to use it to progress their favorite storyline instead of meeting new people. Try to be patient and remember that it won't be long before you'll be the one wrapped up in your own favorite storylines. Talk to people in the ooc thread while you wait for your character to get 'stuck in'.
• Have fun! Remember this is a game, and if it isn't fun, you aren't doing it right.

Attention villains:

Spoiler

Conflict is great! It's the heart of any story, and there isn't much to roleplay without it. However, as a player to player courtesy, please check in with the players who are active at any given time before launching an attack. Not everyone wants to roleplay combat scenes, and sometimes there are other things going on that players don't want to interrupt for a random fight. Either a PM/IM to players, a short post in thread to say ((Mind if I introduce a villain here?)) or a longer post in the OOC thread if it's a larger plot is appreciated. However, taverns are usually considered fair game for a Random Encounter or general brawl.

OOC Archives:

Spoiler

{Nexus} OoC XXV: Where all the Cool Cats are.
[Nexus] OOC 24: Babysitters Apply Within
[Nexus] OOC 23: YO MAMA never called me back.
[Nexus] OOC 22: ALL HAIL THE BUTT-HAT
[Nexus] OOC 21: Blackjack, But No Hookers
[Nexus] OOC XX: The Land of Pokings
[NEXUS] OoC 19: Et tu, Ninja-Pirate Zombie?
[NEXUS] OoC 18: Where the Females are Foxy and the Sirs, Superfluous.
[NEXUS] OOC 17: This Title For Rent
[NEXUS] OOC 16: Sweet!
[NEXUS] OoC 15
[Nexus] OoC 14
[NEXUS] Nexus OoC 13: Saturday the Nexteenth
[Nexus] OoC 12: Out of Cornflakes.
[NEXUS] OoC 11: The Misadventures Continue...
[Nexus] Nexus OOC X: Leave Your Common Sense at the Door.
[Nexus] Nexus OOC IX: Its Why They Pay Us The Big Bucks
[Nexus] Nexus OOC VIII: Portable Atrocities
[NEXUS] OOC VII: Where sniper cats greet you at the entrance
[NEXUS] OoC VI: Do You Think You Can Handle It?
[Nexus] OoC V: Suxen Eht Nioj!
[Nexus] OoC IV: We're All Mad Here
[Nexus] OoC III: May Contain Nuts
[Nexus] OoC II: Where Sanity Comes to Die.
[Nexus] OoC 1: The Shape of Things to Come

When the thread reaches page 50, anyone can make the new thread, but don't make changes to the OP without discussing it with the other players first.

Note: This is the OOC thread. Not a roleplaying thread. That's what the actual roleplaying threads and SMBG are for.


Nexus Character Directory
Nexus Digest

And while you're here, why not join us on Formspring?

[Moofin Bard]

Are we cool cats? Are we?

[C'nor]

If we're cats, then we're probably warm. Fur helps with that, after all.

[PurityIcekiller]

I've got an icy fox. Does that qualify?

Also, repost from the last thread.

Originally Posted by PurityIcekiller

Thanks. Xalicus is currently completely lost in Mallside since he hasn't figured out how to get anywhere in the Nexus yet, but I could fish him out quite easily.

[C'nor]

Sounds good. I can probably have a character wherever you think they'd fit best. And go ahead and fish out Xalicus; she seems to like him, and that could be quite useful right now.

[Reinholdt]

I'm a cat.
Curious about Harnel's new cat gang.
*peeeeeeers at*

[Harnel]

Originally Posted by Reinholdt

I'm a cat.
Curious about Harnel's new cat gang.
*peeeeeeers at*

I really like the way they turned out

[Rotting Baron]

But I like dogs.

[C'nor]

You know, it's kind of strange that I was reading this thread when you came up with that title.

[ThirdEmperor]

Originally Posted by Harnel

I really like the way they turned out

Ooh, a cat based criminal gang? Methinks the Mouse Mafia won't be pleased to hear that feline bandits are muscling in on their territory.

[Harnel]

Read my inside post, find out all about their methods

[happyturtle]

Eh, the Mouse Mafia are no big deal. Just break a jar of jam nearby. That'll keep em out of the way.

[ThirdEmperor]

I did, and I learned an important thing about the cat gang's methods; they ain't subtle, and no one is gonna forget about the giant tiger that robbed em anytime soon.

And Happy, that totally wouldn't work. They'd eat the jam after they finished roughing up the competition. Not that the Mouse Mafia isn't unthreatening in a hundred other ways, starting with being tiny.

[happyturtle]

Of course the obvious suspects are the insane druid with a sabre-tooth tiger familiar and his best friend who happens to be an insane drug addicted cat.

[Reinholdt]

Being small just means it's that much harder to hit you!

And well errr... not insane? Maybe?
>>
<<

[happyturtle]

"Hey Toby, will you and Mister Buttons help me rob a drug store so I can get my next fix?"

"You had me at hello!"

"But I didn't say.."

"Less talking, more drug store robbing"

[ThirdEmperor]

Yep, those would be the top two suspects, although the Don might bother to talk to Reinholdt before sending in a squad of knee-breakers, as he's already made himself look like an idiot by smacking Rein around under the assumption he was a normal cat the last time they met.

[FireFox]

Originally Posted by happyturtle

"Hey Toby, will you and Mister Buttons help me rob a drug store so I can get my next fix?"

"You had me at hello!"

"But I didn't say.."

"Less talking, more drug store robbing"

The only problem is the lack of vulpine imagery and symbolism in general. Also, quotes. Can't be Toby!

[Reinholdt]

Originally Posted by happyturtle

"Hey Toby, will you and Mister Buttons help me rob a drug store so I can get my next fix?"

"You had me at hello!"

"But I didn't say.."

"Less talking, more drug store robbing"

Well... yeah, ok. That is a more likely truth than what actually happened.
*shakes paw at Harnel for setting him up*

[The Bushranger]

Maybe it's one of the other Tobys?

[happyturtle]

Oh Quinn... love never was so blind....

[PurityIcekiller]

I'm afraid I won't be available for much of tomorrow. My mid-week is hectic. Still, I'll be active in the evenings (or mornings, depending on your timezone).

[C'nor]

Is this an evening for you? If it is, then I'll need to be on in the morning to catch you for the various things. If not, then I'll need to be here in the evenings, which might be somewhat trickier.

[Slii Arhem]

You have it easy C'nor, I'm an hour ahead of you. I had to change my sleep schedule to be able to post here in time with most people here.

Ahhh unemployment, is there nothing you can't do?

[C'nor]

Have a job, because as soon as you do, you're not unemployed.

[Slii Arhem]

If I have to choose between having a job and being able to respond to forum posts on the interwebs 24/7, Ill choose the one that makes me the most money.

[C'nor]

Of course.

Also, technically, given my location, I'm on a completely arbitrary schedule anyway.

[C'nor]

Oh, by the way, BR, if you're still on, Adrin/S'Kanthos is waiting for Patty to react to his approach.

[usourselves&we]

Originally Posted by TechnoScrabble

Guys, I've been grounded for attempting suicide, so I'll only be on for around ten minutes a day, weekdays only, during my lunch free time.

*this requires full seriousness*

While I do think attempted suicide is a horrible thing, sequestering you from the things you actually enjoy is the complete opposite of what needs to be happening. I demand to get in contact with whoever it is that thinks groundation is an acceptable punishment for hating one’s life!

Being suicide myself at times, it really pisses me off that someone would be so stupid as to think making some one more irritated would help them calm down. I myself will not sit idly by while this travesty of ‘logic’ has been pushed into my face. Who the heck is with me on this!

[C'nor]

I'm staying well away from all of this, except to say that it functions as a full explanation for why he hasn't posted for the BEES! plot.