The date is rapidly approaching--soon those who arrived first will have been in Norfinbury for fifty days. That may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it's enough time to start to adjust, at least--the town adjusting to the travelers, and the travelers adjusting to the town. On day fifty, everyone will begin to feel certain effects. It comes with no announcement, no flashing lights or errors in the tablets, it simply settles down on everyone.
Everyone begins to suffer from one of the following effects, sorted into categories. The intensity varies, seemingly at random, although those with their beacons turned on will only suffer the lowest intensity level. While you can choose whatever intensity you want, make sure you select the category your character will suffer from carefully--who says these will ever completely go away?
Effects
(everything in a lower level also applies to the higher levels)
Isolation
Level One
A distaste for being around large groups of people. Smaller groups are alright, but large groups seem chaotic, loud, and annoying. Accompanied by a slightly lower desire to share resources unless necessary, and an increased tendency to hide things away for themselves. Those close to them will be more able to get them to cooperate.
Level Two
Avoidance of large groups entirely, along with a distaste for being around more than one or two other people at a time. Large groups are frighteningly chaotic and dangerous, and it's difficult to focus on anything when so many people are around. Accompanied by a very low desire to share resources unless absolutely life-or-death necessary and a compulsion to hide things away where others won't find them. Those close to them will be more able to get them to cooperate.
Level Three
Complete avoidance of others. People are chaotic, unreliable, and dangerous. It's much safer to remain alone, and the more people are around, the more frightening the situation seems. Speaking to people at a distance is fine as long as they don't want to come find you. Will not stay with people unless absolutely required to. Accompanied by an unwillingness to share resources under any circumstances and an obsessive compulsion to hide things away where others won't find them. Only those who are extremely close to them will be able to get them to cooperate.
Paranoia
Level One
The feeling that people are watching you--staring in through curtainless windows at night, peeking from around corners, standing just behind you. Can be dismissed, but proves to be annoyingly persistent. It's hard to resist the urge to keep checking the corners and turning around suddenly to see who's there, no matter how many times no one is.
Level Two
The feeling that people are not only watching you but following you, even if they have to stand in the footprints you leave in the snow to do it. Flashes of light and shadow in the corners of your eyes that seem like it might be proof your feelings aren't unfounded. And are the things you carry around being messed with? It feels like they are, and it's easy to blame those around you for it, unless you're close enough to them to know they're trustworthy.
Level Three
The knowledge--even if it's wrong, even if people are telling you otherwise--that you're being watched and followed. Sometimes you can almost see them grinning at you in the darkness or giggling just out of sight and through a doorway. People are definitely messing with your stuff, too--even if it's all there, you can tell things have been moved, rifled through, contaminated. Those around you are blamed aggressively, and only those closest to you will be able to convince you they didn't do anything. Even then it will involve an argument.
Pain
Level One
Vague aches and soreness that could be dismissed as repercussions of the nomadic lifestyle if not for their persistence. While easily ignored at this stage, they never go away unless medicated into silence for a few hours.
Level Two
Aches, soreness, and headaches--it's like you've been doing heavy labor for hours, but you haven't been doing anything unusual. It's difficult to sleep like this, but painkillers still help.
Level Three
Constant soreness that can only be ignored through practice, accompanied by random stabbing pains with no source that can't be ignored at all, only endured. The constant assault makes fatigue common, which is unfortunate since it's difficult to sleep like this. Painkillers help a little, but only the strong stuff really does much.
Obsession
Level One
An unusual amount of focus on something. It could be anything--collecting or destroying a certain object, helping or harming a certain person, certain types of locations, the options are limitless. You feel a little more secure when you're following along with this focus, but it can be ignored as well.
Level Two
A strong focus on something--anything, really. The obsession takes on a back and forth quality--the obsession is with the object, location, or person. Sometimes you will want to collect the object, sometimes you'll want to destroy your entire collection. You'll help the object of your attention only to hurt them yourself. The urges can be fought against, but it's difficult and requires constant attention when you're tempted. Giving into temptation, meanwhile, makes you feel a lot better about your situation in general.
Level Three
An extreme obsession with something. You don't really care if others say it doesn't make sense or is dangerous, you need to focus on whatever it is you're obsessed with. You love it and hate it at the same time, and even when the object of your obsession isn't around, it's lingering in the back of your mind. It's nearly impossible to fight this urge, and you feel like indulging it is the only way for you to feel normal.
Depression
Level One
A general sense of sadness and lethargy, albeit in small amounts. Things seems a bit hopeless at times. These feelings can be pushed past easily enough most of the time, but they do linger in the back of your mind, and in quiet times where you have nothing else to do they become more insistent.
Level Two
Sadness and lethargy seep into your thoughts quite often--sadness especially. It's possible to force yourself to get things done, but everything feels really upsetting and hopeless. You have a need to distract yourself with noise and company, because if you don't think as much, it's harder for the feelings to stick to you. It's worst at night, especially alone.
Level Three
The sadness goes away, replaced by emotional numbness. The lethargy is worse. It's hard to motivate yourself to do anything, even the most basic of tasks. You don't feel much of anything at this point, living in a haze where, in a distant but undeniable way, you're certain everything is going to be awful forever. It's worst at night, especially alone.
Mania
Level One
Heightened energy and decreased need for sleep--which is pretty great, actually, right? The mild increase in distractibility is less so, but you don't really mind. You feel pretty good about everything, and even the upsetting things are less so. It might make you come across as a bit callous, actually.
Level Two
Heightened energy, decreased need for sleep (three to five hours is just fine), and a high level of distractibility, except when you decide you want to focus on something, in which case you get very focused and intense about it. You can't really be interrupted when you've decided you're going to do something, not without someone who knows you well talking you down a bit. You're very talkative, feeling almost like you need to keep talking all day. Upsetting things don't bother you; you feel pretty good about yourself no matter what.
Level Three
Heightened energy, a need for no more than three hours of sleep a night (sometimes you just skip sleeping), and distractibility alternating uneasily with intense, manic focus. You almost never stop talking, and sometimes it feels like something bad might happen if you do. You're very active and move around nigh-constantly, and when you do get focused, it's often on something very dangerous. But you feel invincible, so it's fine! You're pretty awesome, as far as you're concerned. The problems of others slide past your notice like so many unimportant ants, which makes sense because your thoughts are racing at probably illegal speeds.
While nothing heralds the previously mentioned situation, there is something @ADMIN finds worth talking about on day fifty. But let's worry about one thing at a time, shall we?
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snowblindooc2015-10-23 04:05 pm
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