#chrono event

At the top of the TSI Research Tower, someone is about to press a button that they really should have tested more thoroughly beforehand.

The Council recently approved a new avenue of research for the scientists at the Techno Solar Institute, dealing with the memories stored within Lifelines. Memories, like the Lifelines themselves, are incredibly precious things, and the majority of those in charge of The Chronolium have been hesitant to mess with them, because getting something wrong could be disastrous.

The head researchers at the institute tested on their own Lifelines first, and the results were promising. Their memories were more clearly read from the Lifeline, more vivid, like they were made yesterday. Even moments that the researchers had completely forgotten about were easily revisited... for better or for worse.

They were excited, encouraged, and cocky. They were so confident that they were ready for the next step. All Lifelines would eventually entangle with any other Lifeline, if you followed it for long enough. So all they had to do was place a dozen or so of their research devices (which they called "memory amps") in key locations around the city and turn them on. Which they did.

The first thing to happen was that it became apparent by the numerous warning signals turning on back at the tower that while these devices work fine on a small scale, they cannot handle the hundreds of thousands of Lifelines throughout the city at once. One of the next things to happen was a hasty call to their PR department.

—

"A NOTE FROM TSI: Due to an unforeseen incident, you may be experiencing some degree of specific memory loss. At present, we are unable to resolve these issues, however you may find these issues lessened or fixed altogether with great concentration and effort made to recall the memories in question. We thank you for your patience while we look into the matter."

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Due to a mishap at the TSI Research Tower, your muse may have had some of their memories lost... sort of. A more apt descriptor would be "locked," because it's the kind of memory loss where you can remember that there should be something there, and it's just on the tip of your tongue, but you can't quite recall it right away. Your muse may be able to tell immediately what these memories are (for example, they might realize that they can't remember the details of their graduation day, but that means they do at least know that the missing memory is related to their graduation) or they might not know what memories were lost at all, only that they're gone.

Or, they might not have had any memory loss at all. That is completely up to you, and will still leave you with good opportunity for threads with others during this event for reasons that will be explained below.

Regardless of whether they did or did not lose memories, the message above from TSI was sent to every phone in the city and played on plenty of television screens, displayed on billboards, etc. So no matter what, your muse will most likely know that something happened for them to react to.

WHAT KIND OF MEMORIES ARE LOCKED?

Technically, it can be any memory you want, and more than one memory can be locked at the start of the event. The team at TSI tried to focus on "core" memories, though, so it's a little more likely than not that an important memory to your muse will have been locked away. Whether it's an important memory or just a memory about the time you found a dollar bill on the street three years ago, your muse will have that vague nagging sense in the back of their mind to clue them in to what is missing.

The memory can also technically be as long as you want, but since the ones that are locked are probably specific moments in time, they probably won't be longer than a couple hours, if that.

HOW DOES MY MUSE GET THE MEMORIES BACK?

By trying really hard. If they hold their Lifeline (whether it be the loop on their phone or their Lifeline in the city) and try to recall the memory, they will. But, from their perspective, it will be as if they are genuinely reliving it. The memory will be so vivid that they will forget that it is just a memory, and they will truly think that they are back at that point in their life and reliving the same thing again. They will look like they did back then, they will feel when things touch them, etc etc.

Like a vivid dream, they will forget that it is not actually reality. The memory will play out exactly like it did in their past. Unless...

HOW DO OTHERS GET INVOLVED?

Every Lifeline in The Chronolium will touch everyone else's Lifeline at least once, somewhere along the way. It may not be anywhere visible, it may be underground or it may be at the core of the city, but it will happen. So while these memory relivings are meant to be private, sometimes, someone else can be pulled into a muses memory with them because of this. It's not guaranteed, however. And while it is more likely for it to happen with someone the muse is Connected to, it can also be someone completely random.

If someone else (henceforth referred to as the visitor) is pulled into your muses memory with them, it will still feel real to the visitor, but they are much more likely to be lucid and know, the whole time, that it's just a memory. If the visitor is lucid, they can try to convince your muse that it's just a memory too, if they feel that is best, and it will be up to you to decide whether or not your muse believes them.

If the visitor is not lucid, then you and the other mun are free to decide whether the visitor still knows who your muse is, or if they are granted the part of coincidental bystander to whatever is going on in the memory.

WHAT IF THE VISITOR CHANGES HOW THINGS HAPPEN IN THE MEMORY?

If the visitor alters how the memory plays out, or convinces your muse to act differently than they did in the true memory... then the memory will change, of course. How much it changes is another thing that is up to you. It may end up that, no matter how much the visitor tries to change things, the end result stays the same somehow. Or the memory may change completely and end up nothing like the true memory, like an alternate history being played out, and you will get to decide how the situation goes when the actions taken are changed.

WHEN DOES THE MEMORY END?

When your muse reaches the same "ending point" as the memory that was locked, or the closest equivalent to it. A bit hard to explain, but bear with me. If, for example, the locked memory is of the time your muse found a dollar on the ground and used it to buy a drink from a vending machine, then they would finish reliving it after they got the drink from the vending machine. If a visitor altered things so that you got in a fight at the vending machine instead though, and you never actually got your drink, then the memory would probably end after the fight, as that's the most logical stopping point, as one could reasonably say that all of that is connected to one event, so to speak.

After your muse has finished reliving their memory, it will be as if they are waking up from sleep wherever they were when they started reliving the memory, as if hardly any time at all has passed. The same will be true for the visitor; they will be kicked out of your memory when the time comes, too.

MY MUSES MEMORY WAS ALTERED DURING THE RELIVING. WHICH VERSION DOES MY MUSE REMEMBER AFTER WAKING UP?

Which version do you want them to remember?

Your muse might, upon waking up, immediately know that the memory that just played out was simply a reenactment that played out differently, and so they will remember the original, true memory from their past, and also now remember the time they and their friend did things differently this time. Essentially, they will remember two versions of the event, one of which is the true version in the past, and the second being the reliving that happened "just now."

Or, if it's more to your liking, the altered memory could replace the old memory entirely. Your muse will no longer be able to recall the true memory, and will only be able to remember the altered version, and in their mind, the altered memory will still 'feel' like it took place in the past, like a normal memory would. Further still, you could then decide that they still know that it's an altered memory, and they just can't remember the true memory. Or you can decide that now your muse will just think that this altered memory is actually how it played out in their past. Surely no consequences can come of that, right?

The visitor, on the other hand, will always know that it was just a relived memory that went differently, and that it didn't actually happen that way, because it was never their memory to begin with. If you're a visitor, good luck trying to convince the host of the memory of that, though, if their mun opted to replace their memories...

IF MY MUSE DOESN'T RELIVE THEIR MEMORIES, WILL THEY STAY LOCKED FOREVER?

Spoiler alert! No, they won't. Your muse doesn't know that, but we're letting you know that so that you don't need to worry about any potential permanent alterations to your muse that you don't want.

WHAT COUNTS AS PARTICIPATION?

Any in-character post that references the events of the event will count as event participation. Drabbles, minis, replies, it's all fair game, regardless of the word count and regardless of whether or not your muse lost memories or visited someone else's memory.

I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION!

Please send it to the masterlist (not the Council blog)! There's probably a good 75% chance, at minimum, that there was a super obvious FAQ question that we forgot to answer here, so if you need answers to something then we will answer it ASAP!

WHEN DOES THE EVENT END?

“...Lady Raine?” asks the Nightmare King, noticing someone he calls friend in a place where he should have none. Grimm, swathed in the red of his dream form, had been overlooking the emptiness of this part of the Dream Realm. Beneath this platform was clouds in the orange tinged sky. Beautiful, somber. A moment to steel himself before chaos overtook this realm.

“I know not how you are here, but you should leave. I must confront my sister... and pretty it shall not be. The time for debate is long over, unfortunately.”

With the winter chill in the air, a lot of the city-zens were staying inside, clinging to sources of warmth both natural or otherwise. But not The Council. Far removed from the city itself as they were, that did not mean they weren't hard at work on improving it.

"What next?"

The question was always on their minds. This city was the most successful yet of the HAVEN project. But simply being the best wasn't good enough; they wanted to improve on things thought immutable. After all, Lifelines were once thought to be a pipe dream too... who's to say they can't be... 'upgraded?' A little testing in production never hurt anyone, right?

Right?

-

It's Friday morning, and MINTHY has a lot of work to do. In her hands she carries a box, wrapped in generically-festive wrapping paper and topped with a large red bow. She carries it up to the front door of someone's home, and knocks thrice. Knock, knock, knock. Never more, never less.

There's no answer, and so she shrugs and leaves the gift box at the doorstep, and moves on to the next house, materializing another identical box in her hands along the way. Knock, knock, knock, until she's visited every resident of The Chronolium.

Those who do answer the door will be greeted cheerily, and told that this gift is from The Council itself, and please be careful with it! Any questions more specific than that will be met with vague non-answers, unfortunately.

The box itself isn't too heavy. It feels about the weight of an arctic fox, perhaps. Upon undoing the bow keeping the lid secure, out will pop an ARCTIC FOX, covered in soft white fur and boasting adorably large ears. This fox will ignore most attempts at communication, instead opting to seek out and boop every member of the household with a swat of her paw. If someone isn't home, she will wait by the door until they do arrive, booping them as soon as they enter.

When all is said and done and booped, the fox is satisfied, and disappears in a puff of white smoke. Those touched by the fox will feel as if there's something more to them now, something they weren't aware of before. They feel more powerful—literally. Luckily, their very Lifeline has now been altered, and so they have an innate sense of how to use their newfound power, but it may take some getting used to...

So, what exactly happened... ?

You've been visited by the holiday fox of good fortune (along with her Tiefling-like companion) and, whether your muse had supernatural abilities before or not, they now have new ones! Yes, even ordinary human muses can now have a sample of what it feels like to be one of their more magical and fantastical friends.

The list of powers your muse can now use, along with their safe limits, can be found HERE.

What's the drawback?

Your muse cannot use these powers infinitely, nor can they use them without risking harm to themselves. There is only so much 'mana' imbued into your muse's Lifeline for this event, and so if you use these powers too much... you will run out, and be unable to use any more at all (aside from those you already had before the event).

How quickly this mana runs out depends on the powers used and how much you use them, and Chronolium staff doesn't really want to moderate the exact minutia of it, so you're free to use your best judgement about whether or not you are overusing powers! Besides, there is a workaround anyway, which will be explained further down.

Risking harm, you said?

That's right! These powers are experimental, and The Council cannot guarantee that they are completely safe to use. If you are below the safety limits listed in the powers document, you should be just fine! You can exceed them, of course, but at your own risk. Some powers might refuse to work at all, but still drain your mana. Others might work but incorrectly (for example, a fireball might explode in your face instead of at your target), or they might bring about more normal pains akin to those laid out on the ranks page. It's up to you! The only thing is that some sort of consequence is guaranteed beyond the safe limits, just that what the consequence is, is at your discretion.

How can we replenish mana?

Simply put, by visiting a local medical center! Any one will do; the local hospital, urgent care, clinic, etc. Hell, you could even try the dentist, so long as they have a spare room. If you go to the front desk and ask to see "DR. VEDNA," you'll be brought into an empty room and, after a few minutes, be seen by the doctor in question.

She will request that The Council replenish the mana of your Lifeline, in exchange for a full and detailed report of any experiences you had with the powers, particularly any bad side effects. This is an experiment, after all, and they could really use the data! When she is satisfied, she will leave, and you will awaken the next day with fully restored mana.

How long will the event last?

The event will end at 11:59pm on January 7th, 2022. No starters for the event may be posted after the end date, and you must participate in the event in some form before the end date to earn participation credit for this event. You may still continue existing event threads after the event has ended, of course, but they will not grant you credit for participation if you have not already received it.

Do I need to participate in this event?

You don't need to participate, no! Event participation is never required, nor are you required to have your muse acknowledge that are events are happening if you don't want to. However, while events are not required for any ranks, they may be used for council benefits (coming soon!), so you may want to keep that in mind and keep track of your participation somewhere!

Can I write a drabble for participation?

You can, and it will count just as much as a thread with someone else would! There is no required word count, we just require that you at least put some effort into it (a one or two sentence post just for event credit wouldn't count, for example).

I have another question about the event!

Please send it to the masterlist, and not the council sideblog! As the masterlist is where events are posted, it is also where event-related FAQs will be answered, unlike ordinary FAQs. The first batch of event FAQs will be answered tomorrow, Saturday the 18th!

How can Minthy possibly visit every house in one morning?

Though it may have appeared to the public that the researchers at TSI were doing nothing at all after their announcement, that couldn't have been further from the truth. They were working practically around the clock to figure out how to reverse their mistake, under the very watchful eye of Nadia (who was told to report everything back to the now untrusting Council).

In their haste to make things right, they either never seemed to notice the additional effect it had, the entangling of the Lifelines pulling random people into other memories, or if they did notice, they never mentioned it.

After attaching additional devices to their previously placed memory amps, they activated them without warning the public (again). Lifelines throughout the city pulsed, going from their normal brightness to near dull and back again. Those who were currently reliving a memory were suddenly ripped out of it and awakened where they were before entering it. Others who were just going about their day had a brief moment of forgetting why they were there and why they even existed, like the feeling you'd get if you were a simulated entity and some higher deity cancelled the next action you were supposed to take.

Regardless of where you were or what you were doing, this event lasted only a few moments, but probably left you with a terrible headache for a while afterwards.

But the fix was a success; tests conducted immediately after confirmed that everyone's Lifelines returned to how they were before... more or less. There were some unexplainable anomalies in some of them, but nothing life threatening and nothing keeping any memories locked, so as far as TSI was concerned, it was a successful repair. Things went back to normal.

Not long after, TSI Research Tower started offering up highly experimental personal memory amps, replacing their previous exoskeleton technology. These will provide the intended memory-reliving effects without the risk of locking your memories (but you may experience other mental side effects) and without dragging others into your memory. They may even be able to bring true, unaltered memories back to the surface of your mind, if you somehow overwrote them during this event...

-

Chronolium's second event, Entangle, has come to a conclusion! We hope you enjoyed this event and the opportunity to involve others in your muse's most personal moments... or the most silly, or anything in between.

Aside from the newly offered personal memory amps, which you can now find at the TSI Research Tower, nothing has changed with the city this time! So there's not too much to say at the end here except a thank you, for continuing to write in and enjoy what Chronolium has to offer and that, as always, we are open to feedback about this event or anything else if you think there's something we could improve on!

See you next time!

The bustling streets of the City of Tears are more lit up than usual, despite the endless rain. Lights dyed the normally blue hued city in scarlet, and many of the citizens were wearing masks of all sorts. A festival, perhaps?

Strangely, none of them seem to notice that Deunan is not of bugkind, but human. Either they were very accepting, or very blind.

              ...There’s lots of laughter coming from a tavern in the ritzy section of the city. Busy night, it seems. Lots of folks dressed in odd getup... but these masks in particular could be recognized as similar to Grimm’s face.

“Ahaha! You think we should go there? The palace, yes? For they would simply love to meet me!” calls out a familiar voice. The Troupe Master is having a good time, anyway.

“Those in the palace work far too much. Besides, I hear some of them are actually big fans,” says another.

From her vantage point atop the city wall, Nadia had a great view of most of the city. She didn't need to see anything up close—that's what Minthy and Artemis were for right now, going about the city to check up on individual Lifelines. They needed to make sure no permanent harm was done, you see. This holiday period was not completely without incident (Dr. Vedna had her fair share of complaints) but overall, The Council and Sponsors both consider this experiment to be a success.

The most important lesson learned here was that some powers, when introduced so suddenly, are simply too much for a Lifeline to handle if it is not already accustomed to such magicks. The risk of the Lifeline burning out completely was too high, and while they have no qualms about doing live experiments on the city-zens, they really don't want to kill them. Honest!

But in moderation, introduced slowly over time... perhaps these gifted powers don't have to be so temporary.

The Sponsors are of one mind; the people of The Chronolium deserve something. Not just in return for being unwitting test subjects, but for the altruistic reasons of improving their quality of life.

So although this experiment is concluding, and the powers given out slowly fade over the course of the day until they cannot be used at all, the Sponsors have already begun to set up shop. Though, they don't like the word 'shop.' The city-zens aren't buying anything. They're more like gifts.

ENDOWMENTS, if you will.

Nadia turns to face the jagged mountain range overlooking the city. There's been a lot more activity there recently by city officials, and she'd love to go see how their progress is coming along, but she needs to finish her walk around the city perimeter first. Alas...

-

Chronolium's first event, Livewire, has come to a conclusion. We hope you enjoyed this small first event and hope you enjoyed it!

As the event is now over, new starters, threads, etc. involving the event are no longer permitted, but you are welcome to continue any existing threads for as long as you'd like. However, unless you made a post involving your muse in this event before this conclusion post, you will not receive credit for participating in this event.

If you did make a post before this, though, then you can count yourself as properly participated! And we recommend keeping track of the events you've participated in, somewhere, as well as links to proof thereof.

While there is no flat reward for this event, we hope the introduction of the SPONSOR ENDOWMENTS feature will suffice! While a proper explanation of what things are now offered to your muses is explained on the page itself, the short and sweet of it is: your muse can unlock the same powers used during the event and more, after meeting certain requirements! Oh, and custom housing is now available too, for when you inevitably reach the rank required for that!

What's listed on the Endowments pages is not final—we're always open to adding more things to claim as time goes on! But for now, we thought this was a good way to start it off. If you have any questions about Endowments, or suggestions for what else you'd like to see up for grabs, please MESSAGE the Council blog!

Otherwise, that will do it for now! There is still yet more in store (what is going on in the mountains?) for Chronolium, but like all good things, it'll take time! Not too long, but please bear with us. Thank you for reading! ♥