Journal of Jonathan Sims, The Archivist

Powers/Permission Post v. 3

2022-03-17T18:24:13Z

Jon has been on the barge for a long time, and part of that is that he's gone through a few deals at this point. One of them involved cutting the Entities of his universe off, closing them away from all other universes, and restoring those people, places, and things that they've corrupted to their original form... which includes him. As such, as of Daniel of Mayfair's graduation, the Archivist is no more.

'Human' was not a state that Jon could handle very long at all (especially after being the Archivist), and as such he was shortly after turned into a werewolf by Lark Tennant.

As such, his permissions are a lot simpler, though they still work the same (aka I Will Ask You Every Time, this is just a general understanding to work from):

✔ Yes, I'm generally fine with Jon finding out things about my character's mood, truthfulness, health, recent meetings, recent murder, whether they smoke etc. via werewolf senses.

✘ No, I'd generally prefer if Jon couldn't really read my character's mood, truthfulness, health, recent meetings, recent murder, whether they smoke etc. via werewolf senses.

[Jon's currently defunct powers]

GENERAL NOTE:
If a power or effect is not working by default, I (and Jon) will assume there is some incompatibility of universes/personal energy with your character. If it is not working in a particular instance, we'll just put it down to the connection between Jon and the Ceaseless Watcher/Entities not always being as reliable as it could be due to the Barge.

I don't like to speculate or play the game of 'who's power is stronger' when it comes to these things because I'm always of a mind that it never really resolves itself to everyone's satisfaction and it is more useful (and more fun) to adjust things per what is most interesting and useful to driving plot and CR forward in a situation. Narrative first!

You are welcome to change your mind at ANY time for any of these answers; just please make the appropriate adjustments on this post. Narrative-wise, depending on what it is, I'll make it work and check with you that that explanation makes sense, with the above general rule applying most often.

PASSIVE ABILITIES

Jon has a number of passive abilities and/or effects that are just kind of... on all the time. If someone has not answered this little questionnaire at the end here, I will consult with them on a case by case basis but will default to it not happening if I cannot contact them OOC to check.

Statement Sense: Jon can sense the presence of a statement, whether it is a physical piece of paper/cassette tape or within a person he is speaking to. He doesn't know anything more about it, just that it exists. In other words, if your character has supernatural trauma and/or experiences, he can sense that.
Statement Empathy: When Jon reads or listens to a statement, he takes on the persona and feels the same things as the person who gave or is giving the statement, essentially experiencing the statement events himself. This is true of statements that he has already recorded as well as those he would be given. Archivist Statements allow someone else to experience this as well if they are made to read or listen to a Statement recorded by or read by an Archivist. Think of it like the worst pensieve.
Archivist's Presence: Anyone who is around or in the general domain of the Archivist can recall details of memories with greater detail and coherence than if he were not there. Where someone might normally provide a rambling tale with little narrative or specifics, in the presence of the Archivist, this becomes a functional story with pertinent and effective details as well as a well-defined beginning, middle, and end. Jon does not even have to be aware that the character is doing so for this to take effect.
Constant Tape Recorders: Random tape recorders tend to appear and turn themselves on to record any time something 'juicy' or of interest is happening around Jon or those he is deeply entwined with. These can be turned off, though they usually turn themselves back on again. They can be removed, but they can pop right back up again as OOC desired.
Random Knowing: Random tidbits of information will enter Jon's head at times. These can be as harmless as 'that person happens to be in the library right now' to things like 'ah that graphic murder that happened last week, let me just Know exactly how it all happened and what it looked and possibly felt like'. It is usually but not always caused by focus on the subject at hand and it can even happen with Jon completely unaware, the knowledge just slipped in as if he got it through more mundane means. Jon does not know with certainty the source of or validity of any information in his mind and cannot tell for certain if he learned it or just Knew it without really really thinking back.
Understanding: aka Babelfish - Jon can understand any language, written/spoken/otherwise. He doesn't even realize that they're not his own language. Ostensibly, he also can make himself understood to someone who wouldn't know that language as well but again, he just talks and they understand.
Being Watched: There is just, in general, the sensation of being watched around Jon, an uncomfortable and paranoia-inducing weight of eyes. More eyes than just his, even if he's looking at you.
Nightmare Ride Along: Jon will, if sleeping at the same time as someone who has given him a Statement, appear in their nightmares whenever they have nightmares around the subject of the statement and will, in fact, have more nightmares than they would have otherwise of those events. And those events warp and twist around his presence usually, becoming worse. Jon has no control of this, but makes pains to sleep in his cabin to ensure that the filters keep his power from working outside of the cabin, but it is, actually, possible. ~~Yes, he's technically got the Freddy Kreuger power.~~
Monstrous Form: ...Jon heals super fast. As in, 'couldn't cut off his own finger because as the knife left his flesh it reattached to his finger'. Damage heals incredibly quick at this point and while he feels the pain from the injury, experiences all of that, he's got Wolverine beat for regeneration and did even before he was at full strength. This will slow down if he's starving himself of Statements, which will start to make him sick and dizzy and potentially shrivel him into a barely-functional corpse.

ACTIVE ABILITIES

These abilities require an active choice by Jon to use them. Any use of these abilities on your character/concerning your character will be cleared via OOC communication with the player in question beforehand per use. The permissions around the use of these abilities are more about ensuring that I don't introduce elements of play that would make playing your character difficult, as an interest check to see if this is something you would want to use for CR or character progression, and simply to make sure we're all on the same page. A 'no' on any of these means that I will assume this ability does not work and/or depending on specifics provided, will not even bring up the subject or the use of it with your character to ensure the player's comfort and character's playability.

Intended Knowing: Jon can reach out for information he wants, as long as it is information that exists. If he wants to know where someone is in the public areas of the ship, or whether a murder occurred in a certain public spot, a random tidbit of information about someone or about A Thing! etc. He can just want to Know a thing and Know it.
Needful Knowing: If he is in a situation where he might need to Know how to do something, he can reach for that knowledge and have it. Canon examples include the ability to administer a local anesthetic perfectly to a sleeping patient (sorry Melanie!).
Thought Reading: Jon can pick up on the surface thoughts of a person, such as when he knew something Melanie was thinking about that she didn't actually tell him. If you're thinking of it actively, he can potentially access it.
Compulsion: Jon has the ability to compel people with his voice, which usually comes with a certain feeling as well as a crackle on the tape recorders. This compulsion is auditory in nature and does not translate through the communicators or through text; it only works in person. It also can't work via recording and be used later. If you cannot hear him, it cannot work on you. It generally feels rather nice and 'tingly' (thanks Elias) but it doesn't have to. Resisting this compulsion can be done, but only by someone who has a similar power of their own; willpower itself usually just makes people talk around it until they loop back into the subject again. Continuing to resisting when the Archivist pushes the matter can and will kill you. Jon legitimately has Questioned someone to death, another avatar who was actually in his place of power.
- Questions: The main power of the Archivist, which allows him to ask Questions and receive an answer, and a completely (sometimes uncomfortably) honest one to boot. He can compel you to remember things you've forgotten, to answer truthfully when you've been lying to yourself or didn't even realize the truth yourself, recall details you didn't even know you knew, or push past other magical effects that would obfuscate the information. He cannot compel you to give information you don't have, or answer in a way you blatantly don't believe.
- Directions: "These are not the droids you're looking for' is roughly how this works. He can essentially make someone do something, like 'Stop!' or 'why don't you just go lie down?' or 'forget we talked about this' etc. He's never done anything super complex, though.
Knowledge Insertion: If Jon has knowledge or an experience or something along those lines, he can insert it right into your brain so that you know it/know what it feels like as well.
Seeing: Jon can See through lies to the truth: the truth of what someone is, who they are, the truth of their words, the truth of a situation. Glamours, transformations, body snatching, astral projections, anything like that: think of the Wizard's Sight from the Dresden Files or True Sight from D&D. Any attempts at obfuscation or trickery will fail while he's using this unless they're based on the truth in some way.
Extraction: As extreme as it gets, the Archivist can (and has) reached into someone for a Statement and just ripped. it. out. He can do a single experience or someone's entire life story (almost like just yanking out an inmate file). This is not pleasant, and the person who is having their Statement extracted feels it, feels Jon seeing and Knowing it. Jon will feel compelled to either write down or record the Statement once he has it... and might pass out afterwards.
ETA:
- Desolation Powers: as of the library fire, Jon can tap into his connection to the Desolation. What this boils down to (haha) is that he can feed off of the fear of destruction and loss and while that energy is available, can turn his body into melting wax and burn people with a touch. It is hard for him to maintain and control and makes him distinctly meaner and more unpleasant to deal with.
- Slaughter Powers: As of his experiences during the Galley revolt re the Triumverate event (Aug 2022), Jon does have the Piper's song that he can infect people with to drive them towards violence and irritability.
- Flesh Powers: As of his experiences during the Exit Wounds flood (Oct 2022), Jon can heal wounds. But to do so is to experience the sensation of the wound happening in reverse, including any fear felt at the time. AKA it sucks, alot, but in an emergency situation, he can provide healing.

PASSIVE PERMISSIONS

All Clear:

Mixed:

None:

ACTIVE PERMISSIONS

As a reminder: Any use of these abilities on your character/concerning your character will be cleared via OOC communication with the player in question beforehand per use. This is more of an interest check on if you're even open to the possibility.

Fuck It:

Fuck It with FEELINGS:

All Clear:

Mixed:

None:

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Event Plotting Post: Vigilo Opperior Audio

2021-12-27T07:59:33Z

You who watch and know and understand none. You who listen and hear and will not comprehend. You who wait and wait and drink in all that is not yours by right. Come to us in your wholeness. Come to us in your perfection. Bring all that is fear and all that is terror and all that is the awful dread that crawls and chokes and blinds and falls and twists and leaves and hides and weaves and burns and hunts and rips and bleeds and dies! Come to us.

I – OPEN – THE DOOR!
-TMA 160
With the unfortunate (re)reading of those words by a (once more horrified and tricked) Jonathan Sims, the barge's reality will be taken over by the 15 Dread Powers, eldritch fear Entities from his world/the world of The Magnus Archives. Jon has given a rundown or two of the various entities and they've poked their way onto the Barge before in the form of a few deadly books, a couple of floods, and quite a few bargizens, but that was just a drop or two.

The ocean has arrived.

What does this mean?
As of January 18th, the Barge will be transformed, Changed, into a nightmare landscape full of individual fear domains, each one taking up a portion of the public areas of ship. While the cabins will remain safe, anyone who ventures out is as likely to walk into the Arctic circle or an active warzone or maybe into the middle of thin air, starting to fall before they even realize what's happening. The fear entities, led by the Eye, don't care about how reality actually works, whether you need to sleep, or eat, or what physics would say: the objective is fear and as much of it as can be dragged out of you.

What does this mean... for me?
Because the leader of the band here is the Ceaseless Watcher, this leaves everyone in this new 'world' two options:

OPTION 1
You are one of the Watchers, someone who is responsible for (and possibly even delighted by) controlling a fear domain and terrifying/traumatizing others to feed the Entities that align with your personal vibe. Your domain takes up a public section of the Barge, though physics and logic don't actually work properly anymore so don't worry about whether or not someone else is there too or how much room you take up (though obviously a spread is better). The domains can be just about anything, function any way you like. So if you want an endless carousel that won't let people off or a terrifying village full of plague or a city street in perpetual midnight where monsters hunt people while they try to find a door that will let them in... you do you! You've got total control of reality in your domain, though you're welcome to play with how much is under your character's conscious control and how much is a part of their own fear and wants. Your domain can be aligned with one entity or a mishmosh of them; ultimately, it's shaped by the Watcher in power there.

OPTION 2
You are one of the Watched, someone being subjected to the horrors of this world, fed on for the fear that can be drawn out of you. You are at the mercy of the Watchers, who feed on how effectively they can terrify and traumatize you. While being 'trapped' is an important part of the horror, the Watched can escape through an act of extreme will, through being pulled out by someone else, by being mysteriously freed, or through a role reversal.

Role Reversal?
Jon, as the focal point of the Change, has the power to shift the balance between the Watchers and the Watched, making a Watcher into a Watched and vice versa. Every domain must have a Watcher, so there's no taking someone out of power without putting someone else into it.

How do we fix this?
Jon is traveling through the Barge, trying to help somehow and figure out how to fix this horrible situation. As such, he'll be seeking out Elias in hopes of finding a solution. And that solution will be found. On January 22nd, the 'door' will close and the barge will revert to normal, the 'door' reset and closed to the Entities once more.

DOMAIN FORM

Domains should be shaped by the watcher but also need to contain an element for the watched; while a domain for Randel, for instance, would be Slaughter-aligned due to his experiences in war and would probably involve him being in a permanent state of frenzy, no longer able to return to his humanity as he murders people over and over... I should also offer what the watched in that domain would experience. One option for that would be going about their day and people are just... murdered right next to them, no place is safe. Or maybe it's like zombies, where the second blood splashes on them, they too get caught up and start murdering people all around them, stuck in the back seat of their own body as they do horrible things. While everyone's going to take things a little differently, a domain should always be about both sides of the experience.

FAQ [click for answers]

Will this flood have rolling effects?

Any character in a public area of the barge will be subject to a domain in the appropriate area of the ship. If there's no domain in that area, reality will be spooky according to what would spook your character, but it won't be a set domain. If your character is running a domain, they will remain in that domain until they've been made one of the watched or the event ends.

I'm not very canon familiar with the source material that the Entities are pulled from. How accurate do I have to be here? Do I have to listen to the podcast?

Nope! The fears, and even to some degree how they work, are shaped by the beings feeding them. As long as you have the general gist of things correct, it's not really a big deal if you have a Corruption-type domain that includes spiders or something. Do what works for your character and CR and what's going to make for the best RP.

Whoah, I am canon-familiar, and you changed some stuff...

Yeah, I wanted to 1. make sure people aren't stuck doing the same thing all week and 2. give people the opportunity to experience multiple domains and situations and 3. wanted to give some places where people could have Normal Things going on, as well as 4. offer a little relief since we're playing this out and everything.

One to two sentences isn't much to go on for a domain. How do I find out more?

It'll be up to Watchers to provide a description of the domain they're 'offering' for the plot and of course to provide whatever terrible shenanigans they'll be putting the watched characters through. The 'meat' of this will be on their post, of course: the one to two sentences here are essentially an elevator pitch to provide the pertinent details. I'm not going to dictate how they run their domains; please feel free to work out details here on the post!

How will a reversal work?

Sign up for a domain below and indicate you'd like to do a reversal. Then leave a post on the 'reversal' section. Once you have another character who's willing to be the other half of the reversal, Jon can come through and do his thing. Once the reversal is done, the domain is controlled and connected to the new Watcher.

Can my character leave the domain once they've been reversed into a watched?

Absolutely! That's half the fun. Or they can stick around and get a dose of what they did to others. Up to you!

Will my warden be held fully responsible for what they do during this event? Can I get demoted if I act as a Watcher?

Just like in a flood or a breach, your character is not entirely themselves during this, so they won’t be demoted for their actions here alone. You’re welcome to work the trauma or plot that happens here into whatever demotion plans you might have in store, however.

Will my powers be nerfed during all this?

Only if you want them to be! They can also be a part of the fear you experience, how you inflict fear on others, however works to your comfort level. This does not effect the caps and controls put on a character by the Admiral, so while power over a domain may allow someone to mimic their full powers, they don't actually have them uncapped. Feel free to play with how this might interact with the current power fluctuations as well.

Can a watcher just... not cause fear?

No, unfortunately not. If a Watcher doesn't exert control over a domain, it's essentially going to be their own fears run wild. If a Watcher takes over a domain from someone else and they don't work on shaping it, it'll stay the same as it was just with a new master. There's no 'out' in this new paradigm, unfortunately. That's part of the horror. It's like capitalism in a way.

Can my character die during all this?

Absolutely. The End is one of the biggest and most cognizant of the fears. Dying is not turned off or anything. Of course, the PERCEPTION of dying is totally an option for the various domains. Please negotiate accordingly!

What about Jon and Elias?

In this new 'world', Jon and Elias are essentially demi-gods. Both of them will theoretically have a feed on basically everything that's happening throughout the affected/public areas (so no cabins!). That said, any IC knowledge will be okayed and confirmed with individual players before it is used or acknowledged in game.

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Thread Tracker v2

2021-12-02T07:36:48Z

2021

january february march april may june july august september october november december

2020

january february march april may june july august september october november december

⌘ MONTH YEAR

❖ date: thread type » blurb

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❖ date: thread type » blurb

⌘ MONTH YEAR

❖ date: thread type » blurb

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code @ efryndiel

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TLV Incident Reports

2021-12-02T07:30:25Z

Incident Reports

LARK TENANT
ukan

Incident Type: (select all that apply)
[#]murder [ ]provoked attack [ ]unprovoked attack [ ]prison break [ ]brawl [ ]other
Location: (select one)
[#]cabin [ ]public space [ ]warden-locked space [ ]port
Date/Time: (approximate is fine)
Involved: (please name pertinent parties involved in the incident)
Wardens Involved: (please name any and all wardens involved)
Incident Summary: (1-3 sentences on what happened; please stick to the facts of the event)
Incident Result: (select all that apply)
[#]injuries [ ]death [ ]ship damage [ ]clean up required [ ]inmates in zero [ ]other
Details/Other:
Medical Assistance Required?: (select one)
[#]yes [ ]no
Extended Concerns? (select all that apply)
[#]supervision [ ]trauma [ ]revenge [ ]friend revenge [ ]stalking [ ]security issues [ ]other
Details/Other:
Notes/Commentary: (this is the space for opinions, concerns, or commentary on the incident)

Incident Report Form

REPORTINGCHARACTERNAME
<user name="USERNAME">

</div>

<div style="float:right;width:680px;padding-left:15px;text-align:justify;border-left: 1px #000 dotted;padding-bottom:40px;">
Incident Type: (select all that apply) 
[#]murder [ ]provoked attack [ ]unprovoked attack [ ]prison break [ ]brawl [ ]other 
Location: (select one) 
[#]cabin [ ]public space [ ]warden-locked space [ ]port 
Date/Time: (approximate is fine) 
Involved: (please name pertinent parties involved in the incident) 
Wardens Involved: (please name any and all wardens involved) 
Incident Summary: (1-3 sentences on what happened; please stick to the facts of the event) 
Incident Result: (select all that apply) 
[#]injuries [ ]death [ ]ship damage [ ]clean up required [ ]inmates in zero [ ]other 
Details/Other: 
Medical Assistance Required?: (select one) 
[#]yes [ ]no 
Extended Concerns? (select all that apply) 
[#]supervision [ ]trauma [ ]revenge [ ]friend revenge [ ]stalking [ ]security issues [ ]other 
Details/Other: 
Notes/Commentary: (this is the space for opinions, concerns, or commentary on the incident) 
</div>
</div>

Code by bannertech.

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Permissions v.2

2019-05-24T02:33:16Z

avatar of the eye

Jonathan Sims is the Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute in London. He has nearly been devoured by the Corruption and survived it. Saw a teenager disappear forever into a darkened doorway at the age of eight. Bears the scars of a dozen living fears on his body and nigh on a hundred more in his heart. Jonathan Sims has been claimed by a god he did not want but chose with every step, over every threshold.

He has walked the Distortion and come out the other side. He has faced the Unknowable and Seen it for what it is. He has looked at the End and denied It. He saw the hate of the Slaughter where it hid and excised it. Jonathan Sims has been to the forever deep below creation, where the weight of existence bears down, where there isn't even an up... and emerged.

Jonathan Sims has become a monster... and holds even tighter to his humanity than ever before.

→ PASSIVE ABILITIES

Tape Recorders Jon's always got a tape recorder on him and if he DOESN'T then one will appear, on and recording during important moments. We've got no evidence they actually need batteries. If he goes too long without recording a statement (one detailing matters of the supernatural and fear), he does start to sicken and may even expire but recording a statement (from a written statement or live) restores his strength. He is connected to the tape recorders, and they have been shown to act as a familiar of his (only appearing when he's conscious and active).

Statements Jon's passive ability helps those who would give a statement on their experiences order their thoughts, remember the details of their stories, and provide a coherent narrative which might otherwise be difficult. Statements recorded in the presence of an Archivist have a supernatural quality which allows one to feel and experience the events as if from behind the eyes of the person who gave the statement, complete with some sensations, sounds, or even music. If a statement is recorded live onto a tape recorder, there is a chance that Jon will appear in their nightmares on the subject if both parties sleep outside of a cabin. Further, he can sense statements (say if one is in someone's bag) and use them to guide him out of dangerous situations.

Language As of this point and time, Jon doesn't hear or realize language barriers unless the information is in written form, wherein he can notice that the text is actually in another language at a second glance. He cannot speak other languages, but he can comprehend any language as if it were English.

→ ACTIVE/REACTIVE ABILITIES

The Compel When Jon wishes to, he can make any question he asks irresistible to answer. The words must be in the form of a question (or a demand for information), and it must be completed and heard by the person he is attempting to get the answer out of. It also only works in person; recordings do not set off the compulsion. He primarily Asks by intention but it does, on occasion, get away from him.

He can compel you to admit something you didn't realize consciously, things you've been lying to yourself about, something you thought you'd forgotten, details that you were unable to recall, or things that have been obscured by magic or changes in perception. It cuts through to the truth.

He can not compel you to admit things you have no way of knowing (aka unrelated knowledge or things you cannot figure out like the square root of pi) or things you do not honestly think.

The narration will use the capitalization of Question or a 'buzz' will be mentioned when the compel is used.

In any recording of the events, there will be a fuzz of static during the asking of that question.

Knowing Jon, as an avatar of the Eye, occasionally has information effectively drop-shipped into his brain. Some of the time, he has no idea that it was drop-shipped in and assumed that he read it somewhere or figured it out. Other times, well... it's a little too obvious. Most of the time, it is additional information added to research he's already done or on the topic that he's focused on. It can also be information that he needs for a particular moment, such as how to a certain surgical procedure or what he might need for a situation. It can also tell him where things are that he needs, or which one of a group is the right to pick for what he wants. That said, it can be as simple as where someone is or is going to be at a certain time.

Sometimes, however, his Knowing can drop in things he doesn't actually want, need, or intended to know about. While he is unwell, this can include surface thoughts in people's minds (questions they're about to ask, things they're thinking about something he said or did) and he may or may not notice that he did it. Otherwise, while he COULD do this, he never EVER will, not even while frustrated or angry.

Seeing As you might expect from someone affiliated with an entity known as the Eye (or the Ceaseless Watcher, or Beholding), Jon does have an ability to See things that others might not see. If he puts the effort in, he can see through lies, illusions, warped perception, and see the truth of what someone or something is, very like True Seeing in D&D. Further, he can see vital truths about a person, place, or thing but nothing so 'focused' as mindreading; it's more like a soulgaze from The Dresden Files. Deeper, but less concretely helpful.

Monstrous Form At this point, Jon is stronger than a normal human being and heals at a very accelerated rate: wounds from mundane injuries cause no scars and heal almost immediately (as in, healing so quickly that a cut finger healed up without a scar the moment the knife was removed); wounds from supernatural beings/powers take longer to heal (days instead of weeks) and will leave a scar.

Extraction Jon can forcibly rip a statement/someone's life story out of them. This ability would only be used in the most extreme of circumstances or while in a state where he has been influenced. This is shown to be petrifyingly terrifying and also deeply painful and includes a certain amount of mindreading as well.

Idea Drops Jon can drop ideas into other people's minds. As of 141, we have no evidence that he can FORCE anyone to do anything, but he can put anything from a suggestion (why don't you just go take a break?) to an alarm (I need help and am in danger) to an outright command (Stop!) which is certainly DISCONCERTING coming from inside your own mind especially since, judging from Jon's own experiences, you can't really tell if it came from inside or outside of your own head. Much like extraction this will never be done without explicit discussion and approval.

→ PERMISSION FORM

I would appreciate, if you intend to play with Jon extensively, that you fill out this form and leave a comment accordingly. If you do not fill out this form, I will assume that none of his abilities are active in regards to your character; the standard explanation for this is that because the source of his abilities are from an extraplanar Entity connected specifically to his world, it's like incompatible software: it's power cannot affect said character in whatever way for whatever reason.

Any use of these abilities will involve OOC contact/checks before they show up in thread!

Character Name: Journal Name: <ul><li>The Compel: Does it work on your character? <li>Knowing: What level of information are you (generally) comfortable with Jon getting dropped into his head? <li>Seeing: Can he See you? <li>Monstrous Form: Do you think your attacks would be a fast heal or a slower heal for him? <li>Other: Any weird interactions that you think your character might have with his abilities, given their source (an eldritch fear Entity)? Or the concepts of being a 'monster in the making'? <li>Plotting: Do you have any particular plots you'd like to run using his abilities? Are there any Questions you see that Jon could ask that might be helpful to your character arc? Are you interested in engineering a situation for something like an Extraction? <li>Avoid!!!: While I'm going to check OOC for everything, is there any particular thing I should be particularly aware of or serious triggers/issues that you would prefer to avoid.</ul>

Feel free to update or re-enter at any time.

[coding by transilience]
[old post for reference]

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The Pines - Permission Post

2019-04-02T03:23:13Z

The spoilery bits...

Woof. SO! Jon is an avatar of a fear entity/god, namely the entity known as the Eye or Beholding or Ceaseless Watcher. Its domain is fears related to knowledge and observation: having it, not having it, other people having it, other people knowing your secrets, you finding out things that you Didn't Want To Know, the idea that someone's letting you suffer just to watch. Jon is what's known as the Archivist, a very specific avatar, whose powers relate to learning knowledge via experience, either his own or through the eyes of others.

This boils down to some weird effects like:

-tape recorders kind of subtly appear around him and turn on any time something juicy is happening
-they will turn themselves back on even if you turn them off
-his presence helps people recall details and record their experiences in a coherent narrative

The side effects of recording their experiences...

This ties into a need for what's called 'statements', namely testimonies of extranormal situations which he is at this point in time actually required to read or collect in order to survive. I would guess for the gamespace that most stories (given the situation) that he would get from others would fall under this category. Generally, he would encourage these to be in writing, as there are certain 'consequences' to recording them directly onto a tape recorder. Namely that any time they have a nightmare about the events and he's asleep, their dreams are linked and he experiences it with them.

He can also sense statements when he's within a few feet of them, and reading one can sort of recharge him if his energy is low. That said, he's hardier than he used to be; he heals from nastier injuries in a few days time, and anything self-inflicted heals instantly, though he VERY much feels it and has a low pain tolerance.

For major abilities, he has three:

-The Compel -

If Jon wishes to, he can make any question he asks irresistible to answer. It has to be out loud, in person (it doesn't work over a recording or through electronics), and the question has to be completed, but if it is, the person will end up answering truthfully and completely. Interrupt him, cover your ears, strangle him before he finishes and you're golden. The nice thing about it, however, is that he can help you realize truths you couldn't or didn't realize before. It can't be anything you CAN'T know (like if you have no way of knowing something) though. And it does feel good; it feels freeing and pleasant, something enjoyable instead of the burn like Wonder Woman's lasso.

-Knowledge Drops-

If Jon is working on something important, he can and usually does get the information that he needs literally just dropshipped into his head but he only gets the information he actually needs and nothing more. For example: they needed to remove a bullet from someone's leg. He wanted to use a general anesthetic but what was provided to him was a local. The local is significantly harder to use, require precision targeting and was a lot more dangerous but he pulled it off flawlessly. He doesn't understand the logistics, the mechanics and has no medical degree; he just knew exactly how to do that thing at that time. This can happen with situations where he knowingly wants guidance or, more often, where it just slips through the cracks as inspired by places, ideas, or people. In cases where the information isn't quite so... extreme, he usually doesn't even know that he shouldn't know it from traditional means: it's just in his head like it was supposed to be there, like he heard that question like he read that somewhere. Now, the drops do seem to be careful not to tell him certain things at certain times and never direct outright information (like 'why is this happening?'... nope) and obviously, his answers/information in the game will be controlled similarly. There are a few things he can kind of... direct, but usually it's more pointing him towards the next piece of information. Also, in playing with the themes of the game... it has him unsure of what he knows and what he doesn't know and he finds it REALLY HONKING UNNERVING.

-Seeing-

He generally can see straight through illusions/perception filters/etc. Anything that's hiding what it is visually, he can usually see straight through it or, if something is 'hiding'/missing/etc. find it with enough focus as long as he knows what he's looking for. If he really looks, he can see the 'truth' of a thing. Think Wizard Sight from the Dresden Files

For the purposes of RP, I'm more than happy to have any or all of these not work with your character.

If nothing ever works at all, the 'catch all' reason is that the influence of his patron for some reason does not jive with your character or their universe.
If you would like it to work just not all the time, I'm more than happy to have it crap out during plot-convenient moments. That's pretty much exactly how it works in canon; the only reliable one is the compel. And, of course, there are as mentioned plenty of ways around that one, including just asking me to figure out a way for him Not To Ask That Question. It's my job to figure out how to handle that and I'm totally cool with it.
If you would like it to work only in certain ways, please feel free to specify that in the form below.

For reference, Jon himself is VERY VERY hesitant to use his abilities on people who are not outright threatening him or endangering others. And I do not really enjoy godmodding or just 'knowing' things because what is the point of RPing if someone's just going to know everything. I see his abillities as ways to complicate his life and his relationships and to play with certain concepts. I also see them as ways to act as plot devices for other players because helping people with plot stuff is fun.

Permissions!

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Pines Memories

2019-04-02T01:35:18Z

Memories

GEORGIE BARKER
THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

alyein

Canonically Jon's ex from back in his college days, here in Wayward Pines, these two sweethearts tied the knot shortly after finishing school. Jon took up his position at the town's library alongside his older brother and the two of them are as happy as one can be in a small town with all their needs (theoretically) met.

Code by bannertech.

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The Pines Inbox

2019-04-01T23:45:08Z

Pines Application

2019-03-30T21:01:03Z

PLAYER

NAME: Danii
CONTACT: yarnzipan / gamenotifications @ gmail
OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE PINES: None, but I previously played Randel Oland and Kal Kent and Scott Summers

CHARACTER

NAME: Jonathan Sims
CANON: The Magnus Archives (podcast)
CANON-POINT: post Episode 131 Flesh but before 132

DOSSIER

HISTORY:

Jonathan Sims is from a world very much like our own. The major difference is the fact that 1. the supernatural is absolutely a real thing and 2. the source of all of it is a number of Entities all of which are made of the categorized fears of humanity. The reason why this is relevant to start of his history section is because at the tender age of eight, Jonathan Sims (whose parents had died when he was a child, who was being raised by his distant and even somewhat disdainful grandmother who tended towards "recriminations and bitterness", who was 'precocious and impatient, quick to talk back, and even quicker to wander off whenever I grew bored', that Jonathan Sims) encountered an evil book which almost took his life and which did take the life of his childhood bully right in front of his face. Again: at age eight.

And it informed the rest of his life. A life that was largely empty of other connections, largely full of acquaintances and very very few friends, and thankfully, at least one now-ex-girlfriend by the name of Georgie who is probably the person he trusts most in the world.

Because he knew that the supernatural was real, that evil was real, and it started him on a lifelong journey to try and do what he couldn't that day: find a way to save people from it. That journey brought him to the Magnus Institute, where he worked as a researcher for roughly four years before the death of the head of the Archives, a woman named Gertrude Robinson. Which was when that quest simultaneously took a steep and terrifying dive and also went into overdrive, because it was as the Head Archivist that he discovered again just how real monsters were.

Mostly by having them try to kill him. A lot. Repeatedly. And he's got the scars.

For roughly a year and a half, Jon read statements, true accounts of experiences with the supernatural, for a dual purpose: to find out more information about the goings on of the supernatural entities that plan to warp the world for their taking... and to feed one of them, known as the Eye, which at this point and time is his... patron, for lack of a better word. Because the position of Archivist is more than just a job title; it's a position which holds power and started him on a path towards being an avatar of the Institute's dark 'god'. He's also done what he can to try and save people, defend the victims of these forces, ensure the safety of his archival assistants who are trapped along with him in the Institute's employ. He met other avatars, learned the ways of this new dark world, and even enacted a plan to stop a ritual that would have unmade the world into something horrific and unknowable.

...which is how he got blown up. Spent six months everything-but brain dead in a hospital. And woke up to the world being very very different from how they were before.

He's lost friends, lost blood, lost parts of himself, been kidnapped multiple times, and now the Institute is under siege and the last of his assistants are even more trapped than they were before. He's slowly turning less and less human, but he made a choice to wake up, to try and make a difference, and he comes to the game from just before he'd be going down to try and free one of his 'friends' from an eternal burial that never lets you die.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S STRENGTHS?:

Determination - Jon doesn't know how to quit. Just... doesn't. And he's utterly fearless when he's trying to get something done or find something out. If he thinks a task is worthwhile he is going to get it done or by god he'll die trying. He won't back down, won't turn back, won't flinch very much at all even if it means literally hurting himself to get something done if he believes in the goal.
Resilient - holy shit he's been through a LOT, what with the multiple kidnappings, having his body nearly eaten by worms, having his hand almost burned off, stabbed, blown up, stabbed AGAIN, two of his ribs removed like... not talking about the physical resiliency, but he is and continues to keep it together, keep his eye on the most important prize. Not only that, but he'll willingly let someone rip him emotionally to pieces, rip into him, if he thinks that he deserves it and he thinks that it might do them some good. He takes a LOT and he keeps going, keeps caring.
Caring - Jon cares about everyone. EVERYONE. He is absolutely 100% that guy who notices the heroes killing extras but not killing the villain, because what about guard #4, what about his dreams, what about his goals? He listens and reads the stories of these encounters and he feels for them, thinks about the people who didn't make it back to tell their tale, worries about the ones that most people would consider window dressing. Someone literally threatens his life, is about to kill him, and continues to threaten him multiple times... and he still 100% does everything in his power, including giving up said ribs, to try and save their life. All life has worth to him, even the nameless and the faceless ones.
Makes No Excuses - he will complain and he will grouse and he will grumble and even make snide comments but when it comes down to dealing with things or taking responsibility for a situation, he absolutely does every time. Jon doesn't expect people to appreciate his point of view or his situation; he just accepts what they have to say, apologizes, and tries to do better if he thinks they have a valid point. He tries to deal with the truth as it is, be practical and very very pragmatic when he can, even to the point where people get mad at him for, well... see his faults.
Listens/Pays Attention - He's got a rare gift for listening, for taking things in, for just respecting an experience and a point of view and the reality of the world. He's not someone who ignores reality because it told him something he doesn't like; when he finds out that the person he's thought of as the epitome of evil for his whole life is just an unfortunate and slightly foolish old man, he accepts it and moves on from that point. He learns from his mistakes and yes, he makes new ones, and yes, he doesn't always know how to fix them, but he doesn't ignore the criticism or the reality of the situation or stick his head in the sand even if he very often gives that impression.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S WEAKNESSES?:

No Self Worth - it was bad enough when he was completely human but now that he's an avatar and becoming more so every day, Jon does not at all value himself. This has tripped him up in personal interactions where he doesn't understand why someone's upset about what he chose to do, tripped him up in planning when he doesn't realize that yes, people will come AFTER you if they think you're in danger, and as mentioned above, it has him making a lot of decisions that verge on idiotic because he has no concern for coming back.
No Bedside Manner - Jon's never accepted sympathy and thus he also doesn't know how to give it or understand it or realize that sometimes, allowances need to be made for the human factor. When one of his friends shouts at him to trust him, Jon doesn't even try to lie and admits that he can't, that factors are what they are, and he doesn't beg for forgiveness or even ask to be understood. He just states it plainly, which pretty much eventually loses him the friendship. He's never intentionally cruel (though he can be a bit snide)
Inability to Let Go - the same tenacity that's his strength is also his weakness because his failures eat at him FOREVER. Every failure that he can think of just... rips him up inside and he never forgives himself for any of them. Even the situations he couldn't have possibly have done anything in (up to and including when he was 8 and a teenager got taken) he can never entirely let go of. That caring thing is a double-edged sword.
STUBBORN - it's really really really hard to change his mind or his opinion if you don't have a damn good argument or you don't have a really good reason. He's super difficult to deal with, honestly, and even when it seemingly goes along with what you're saying, he might actually be doing whatever the hell he intended anyway and lying (badly) to you about it.
Can't Lie - he's REALLY BAD with subterfuge, with anything that has to do with actually lying about anything, with coming up with falsehoods, especially on his feet. He's just fine keeping secrets, but lying is just... it's literally laughable. He's so bad at it. SO BAD. He deals so much better with the truth.
...Overdramatic - ...he is. It's not a big thing but damn sometimes, he definitely blows things out of proportion. Or doesn't know that something should have more proportion. Just... priorities, occasionally.

WHAT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR CHARACTER'S PAST HAVE IMPACTED THEM THE MOST?:

Finding A Guest For Mr. Spider, aka the book that ATE someone as a child.
Dating Georgie, as she is the one who helped him when he was wanted for murder and she's given him the perspective he really needs to remember to survive all of this.
Taking the position of Head Archivist at the Magnus Insitute, since that's when he started his journey down the path of being the avatar to the Eye (one of the Entities).
Deciding to become more inhuman instead of dying after the explosion in 119, a literal choice he had to make to come back to the world to try and make a difference as a 'monster' or just let himself pass away as a human.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR CHARACTER?:

Two thing: finding out answers and saving/helping people. It would be easy to think of the two as one thing, but there's definitely places where the two overlap but they are two different needs. Jon's wanted to take in stories and listen to voices and get to know people through their writing and their words since he was tiny; he never liked reading any distinctive author for more than 'one book' because after that it felt like he'd already read the book before. He wants to know and experience and that's a part of him, just as much as the needing to save people is a part of him, because he absolutely does. Saving people, looking out for them, seeing to their needs, doing the best for them is a huge motivation for him. And a lot of times the knowledge that he's seeking is so that he can use it to save them. So the two feed into each other.

WHAT IMPRESSION DO OTHERS TEND TO HAVE OF YOUR CHARACTER?:

...he's an ass. Like, he's kinda stuffy to start off with, and his sense of humor is a bit mean until you realize that any time he makes a joke it's actually his version of affection because he's letting his guard down enough for humor. Also that most of the time, he's making fun of HIMSELF more than anyone else. Very VERY dry. He's acerbic and short and very antisocial and it comes off like he doesn't give a rats ass about anyone or anything but what he's doing. Even when he's trying to be polite (which he only manages for short periods, really) he can be a bit sharp and he tends to be blunt in situations where some care could be taken. Also he's awkward when he doesn't know what he's about in a situation. He's also got like, zero patience for ignorance or foolishness or bullshit. And makes no bones about that.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THAT IMPRESSION DIFFER FROM WHO YOUR CHARACTER REALLY IS?:

He'd literally die for you. He cares about people's emotional and physical well being WAY more than he cares about his own. Seeing people struggle or in pain is agony for him, especially since he so rarely knows what to do about it or how to help them. The stuffier and grumpier he's being, the more scared he is, usually for other people. His anger almost always has to do with people's unwillingness to do something helpful or productive as opposed to actually being angry at a failure or inability; he doesn't get upset at people who can't do better, but at people who COULD but DON'T, especially when he can't understand why they won't but mostly it just comes off as overly critical. He hides so much of his emotional responses because he doesn't feel that other people should be responsible for them, or that he deserves to have them. He'll claim to be a coward, but he's honestly ridiculous brave when it comes to facing things.

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER HANDLE CRISIS OR ADVERSITY?:

RESEARCH. He is absolutely the kind of person who believes that there's a solution, there's information to find, there's a way as soon as he FINDS it. That you just have to be smart enough to find how to save everyone and it can be done and if you don't manage it, it's because you didn't FIND it. In short, he's a grumpy grumpy optimist who looks like a pessimist because he holds himself to a standard and insists on trying to prepare for things because his luck is AWFUL.

WHICH 5 THINGS WILL YOUR CHARACTER REMEMBER UPON ARRIVAL, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THEM?:
1. You are the Archivist.
2. Be very careful asking questions.
3. The tape recorders are there to help you.
4. Listen to people's stories
5. "Feed your patron or it will feed on you."

And he'll remember that so that he doesn't 'starve' given his situation with needing to record statements. But at the same time, he doesn't want to use his abilities accidentally. And I broke it up into obscure pieces to leave him very confused.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU FEEL WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?:

Jon considers himself a monster in the making, not in any way as an excuse for poor behavior but it plays into the self-worth issue. Also, it should be noted given the section coming up that 1. Jon's kind of a pacifist 99% of the time and 2. I'm pretty sure there is deck furniture that could best him in a physical contest.

SKILLS, ABILITIES, & PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES:

Woof. SO! Jon is an avatar of a fear entity/god, namely the entity known as the Eye or Beholding or Ceaseless Watcher. Its domain is fears related to knowledge and observation: having it, not having it, other people having it, other people knowing your secrets, you finding out things that you Didn't Want To Know, the idea that someone's letting you suffer just to watch. Jon is what's known as the Archivist, a very specific avatar, whose powers relate to learning knowledge via experience, either his own or through the eyes of others. This boils down to some weird effects like:

-tape recorders kind of subtly appear around him and turn on any time something juicy is happening
-they will turn themselves back on even if you turn them off
-his presence helps people recall details and record their experiences in a coherent narrative

This ties into a need for what's called 'statements', namely testimonies of extranormal situations which he is at this point in time actually required to read or collect in order to survive. I would guess for the gamespace that most stories (given the situation) that he would get from others would fall under this category. Generally, he would encourage these to be in writing, as there are certain 'consequences' to recording them directly onto a tape recorder. Namely that any time they have a nightmare about the events and he's asleep, their dreams are linked and he experiences it with them.

He can also sense statements when he's within a few feet of them, and reading one can sort of recharge him if his energy is low. That said, he's hardier than he used to be; he heals from nastier injuries in a few days time, and anything self-inflicted heals instantly, though he VERY much feels it and has a low pain tolerance. For major abilities, he has three:

-The Compel -
If Jon wishes to, he can make any question he asks irresistible to answer. It has to be out loud, in person (it doesn't work over a recording or through electronics), and the question has to be completed, but if it is, the person will end up answering truthfully and completely. Interrupt him, cover your ears, strangle him before he finishes and you're golden. The nice thing about it, however, is that he can help you realize truths you couldn't or didn't realize before. It can't be anything you CAN'T know (like if you have no way of knowing something) though. And it does feel good; it feels freeing and pleasant, something enjoyable instead of the burn like Wonder Woman's lasso.

-Knowledge Drops-
If Jon is working on something important, he can and usually does get the information that he needs literally just dropshipped into his head but he only gets the information he actually needs and nothing more. For example: they needed to remove a bullet from someone's leg. He wanted to use a general anesthetic but what was provided to him was a local. The local is significantly harder to use, require precision targeting and was a lot more dangerous but he pulled it off flawlessly. He doesn't understand the logistics, the mechanics and has no medical degree; he just knew exactly how to do that thing at that time. This can happen with situations where he knowingly wants guidance or, more often, where it just slips through the cracks as inspired by places, ideas, or people. In cases where the information isn't quite so... extreme, he usually doesn't even know that he shouldn't know it from traditional means: it's just in his head like it was supposed to be there, like he heard that question like he read that somewhere. Now, the drops do seem to be careful not to tell him certain things at certain times and never direct outright information (like 'why is this happening?'... nope) and obviously, his answers/information in the game will be controlled similarly. There are a few things he can kind of... direct, but usually it's more pointing him towards the next piece of information. Also, in playing with the themes of the game... it has him unsure of what he knows and what he doesn't know and he finds it REALLY HONKING UNNERVING.

(For me, this is definitely something I would largely use like the surgery model and for anything the game mods might want to use it for regarding plot but I don't find godmodding or anything like that as 'fun' and want the mystery to unfold the same as everyone else.)

-Seeing-
He generally can see straight through illusions/perception filters/etc. Anything that's hiding what it is visually, he can usually see straight through it or, if something is 'hiding'/missing/etc. find it with enough focus as long as he knows what he's looking for. Think True Seeing from DnD.

For other games, I've put up a permission post for some of the interpersonal issues some of these may cause. I'm happy to do that here, and I'd just have it not work in cases where it would interfere in major game mechanics.

Otherwise, he's extremely well read, an excellent researcher, and while he's very good at gathering knowledge, he's a bit crap at coming up with plans resulting from it.

INVENTORY:
-a tape recorder
-a sheaf of statements to get him started (2-3)
-his lighter with the web pattern on it
-a pocket knife

SAMPLES

PROSE-HEAVY: One | Two
DIALOGUE-HEAVY: One

comments

TLV - The Archive

2019-02-19T15:34:55Z

[click]

The Archive is kept in the Library in one of the offices that has been converted as such. Some statements are in digital format, others written, and yet others will be recorded on audio tape. Regardless, they are classified as such:

Person - Type - Chronology
ex. Jonathan Sims - flood experience - number of statements given = JSFB001
Types of statements include:

HW - regarding one's home world
SB - standard Barge reality
BB - breach Barge reality
FB - flood Barge reality
PE - experiences in port
TE - transcribed entries
BD - barge data and scholarship
MS - miscellaneous

Given that there are no set dates/times on the Barge, exactly, they will be counted in general order of when they were given with as many details provided as to the specifics of chronology as possible.

	» Ford Pines STATEMENTS FPHW001 - Gnomes FPHW002 - Meeting Bill	» Dr. Harry Goodsir STATEMENTS HGHW001 - On the Franklin Expedition
	» Dt. Ray Kowalski STATEMENTS RKHW001 - Down on the Robert Mackenzie	» Jonathan Sims STATEMENTS JSSB001 - The Library Massacre
	» Tim Stoker STATEMENTS TSFB001 - End!Tim Flood	» Dorian Gray STATEMENTS DGHW001 - Eldritch Rockers
	» Daniel Jacobi STATEMENTS DJFB001 - Spiral!Tim Funtimes	» Zack Fair STATEMENTS ZFHW001 - Nibelheim Incident
code by barbarycoast

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» <a href="JOURNALURL" style="background-color: #d8d8d8; text-decoration: none;">**charactername**</a>
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<a href=LINK>TYPENUMBER</a> - TITLE</details></div>
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» <a href="JOURNALURL" style="background-color: #d8d8d8; text-decoration: none;">**charactername**</a>
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<a href=LINK>TYPENUMBER</a> - TITLE</details></div>
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comments

Rebirth App

2019-02-06T17:46:03Z

PLAYER INFO

Name: Danii
Age: 30+
Contact: yarnzipan

CHARACTER INFO

Journal: epistemological
Name: Jonathan Sims
Age: 30s
Canon: The Magnus Archives
Canon Point: post 121; he was blown up and put into a 'coma' where he was technically dead other than his brain activity. After this episode and a choice he makes, he's started breathing and will be waking up.

Canon World

Pretty much our world as we know it, except all supernatural occurrences (which are very very prove-ably real but still not publically known) are caused by Entities, all of which are certain kinds of fear. These entities work through evil books, monsters, and 'avatars', or people who've been marked and claimed by one of the entities, given abilities in line with the entity while also needing to 'feed' it accordingly.

History

JSimms@TMA Wiki

Personality

Motivation
Jon's motivation at all times is two fold: to prevent harm/see justice done AND to find out the answers. The problem is that for him, he sees the two as the same thing, sees information as the ultimate defense against the dark even if he's not quite sure how to make it work. His need to know has been a part of him right from the beginning, and after his experience at the age of eight watching someone die right in front of him, he spent his life trying to find the answers that could prevent more death, that could stop terrible things like that from happening to anyone else. Ultimately, it speaks to the fact that he's a bizarrely hopeful person (something you would NEVER believe from first meeting or even twelfth meeting) because he does, in fact, seem to believe that he can find a solution to even the most horrible situations. It also, however, means that he will sometimes seek the truth as being more important than caring about people's feelings and can cause unintended harm by not trusting others or doing things on his own instead of bringing them in if he's being paranoid. He tends to feel that protecting people even if they hate him, even if they're angry at him, even if it makes them upset, is more important than anything else.

With Others?
Jon's... kind of an unsocialized puppy, in a lot of respect. He's snappish, sarcastic, occasionally snide, and even when he tries to keep to his manners, has a tendency to mutter side comments to himself. He's very very much an introvert who can only handle other people for a certain amount of time and he makes no bones about when that certain amount of time is up. He's also exacting (even if he himself makes mistakes) and has a lot of problems understanding why people might be upset about things that don't upset him (aka his empathy is... not at all good). He's also the literal worst when it comes to emotions, people having them, what to do about them, and actually sharing any of his own other than anger and irritation. Regardless of these facts, however, he never actually wishes harm or pain on ANYONE, doesn't really have a lick of violence in him, and will throw himself bodily between others and potential danger at the drop of a hat. He cares about everyone, from the nameless idiot who filed things incorrectly to the people he works closest to but this usually only shows in moments of extreme danger. Otherwise, he's a bit of a piss pot, difficult as sin, and TERRIBLE at communication. He is, however, WORKING on some of this and has recently shown tendencies to try and reach out, try and be accessible, and try to be reasonable when people are upset at him instead of exploding with anger back.

Reactions in Life?
Jon's reaction to life has always been the same: seek answers and hide his feelings. When someone was killed in front of him, his answer was to find out more about the book. When he thought he was being watched, his answer was to hide his beliefs and try and make sense of the world that was slowly closing in around him. When he finds out his predecessor was killed, he seeks to find out who and why and how and to what purpose. When the end of the world is coming, he tries to figure out how to stop it through whatever means necessary. He also LEARNs when he makes mistakes, and does his best not to repeat them.

What makes them feel helpless or afraid, and what do they do with those feelings?
Not knowing things and not being able to act. Not knowing how to act. And to this, Jon does what he always does: Jon seeks answers. Jon seeks ways around things. When he's feeling afraid, he tries to find a solution, even if it makes him look bad, even if it makes him look like a coward or a crazy person. He doesn't really mind sniveling, doesn't mind making deals that end with paying part of himself, doesn't mind begging, doesn't mind lying either even though he's bad at it; he's done all of them and he'd do it again because it lets him keep living and working and doing what he needs to do. His fear for others turns into anger; his fear for himself, which really really only comes up when he is legit about to be killed and not a second before, still doesn't drive him to violence or attempts to fight physically. He always tries to talk his way out of things.

Special Abilities

Jon has no combat-related abilities whatsoever. He can get stabbed (oh he gets stabbed so much), burned (yup), beat up (several times), knocked out (again, several times)... all that jazz. He is, according to canon 'not human enough to die;, however, so it looks like if he takes enough damage where he'd be dead, he goes into a 'coma' where his entire body just kind of shuts down while it fixes itself (no heartbeat, no breathing) while he dreams (but brain activity!) until he's ready to wake up. Nerfed!

Instead he's got a couple of nifty major (and minor) talents. Starting with minor:

He will always have a tape recorder with him, even if he has to generate it out of thin air (not by choice, it happens), and they turn on when he's having important conversations with other people. Even if he turns them off, they turn themselves back on.
His presence makes remembering experiences narratively coherent and allows the person to remember details they wouldn't otherwise remember.
~~When reading or hearing such an experience, he can 'live through' the experience as if he was in the person's position.~~ by permission
If he takes an audio recording of someone's statement, he will end up witnessing any dreams they have on the subject; aka if they tell him about this creepy house they saw and what happened in it, any nightmares that say have them walking into that creepy house again (regardless if it matches the actual events that occurred) will be shared with him if he is also asleep.
As such, he has no normal dreams of his own, only walking through the nightmares of others every night in something of an endless loop.
When reading or listening to a statement, there are no language barriers for him; he can understand it as if it were English.
~~Unfortuately, this comes with a requirement: he needs to take/read statements every once in a while in order to maintain his health.~~ Nerfed.
He can also use 'statements', if he's conscious, to heal himself; recording one legit makes him better.

Major Abilities:

The 'Compel': If Jon asks a question, and specifically wishes to do so, he can make you answer the question to the best of your ability. He cannot make you provide information you have no way of knowing, but he CAN cut through illusions and warped perceptions to make you realize the truth. It doesn't work on hypotheticals, and the question has to be in person and heard directly; it cannot be recorded nor transmitted through a phone or other device and someone who is deaf would accordingly be immune to the effect as it is a purely audio-based ability. He also has to FINISH the question so if someone, say, murders him in the middle, well, not really going to work. It is not magic/a spell, psychic/mental, or anything like that: the best comparison would be to a gorgon as Jon is technically an avatar of an eldritch god, a monster in other words aka 'you meet it's eyes, you turn to stone' with similar workarounds accordingly.
Knowing: Sometimes, Jon just knows things, as in pieces of information drop into his head like he read them somewhere or he ought to be aware of them even if there's nowhere he could have read it and he has no way of knowing it. It has to be something actually somewhat important to him, he can't direct it in any way, and it's always restricted to what is necessary for action: in a case where he had to do impromptu surgery on someone, he did not know the dosage or information for a general anesthetic (which was his preference) but as he was being handed a local, he knew exactly how and where to inject it for the proper effect and to cause no harm as well as how and where to cut through to remove a bullet that was in someone's leg even though he most certainly has not gone to medical school.
Seeing: Sometimes Jon can see things others can't, such as in the case just mentioned with the bullet; he could see it through the skin, see the rot around it, etc, before he ever opened up the skin. This seems to be seeing through what other powers or illusions might be hiding from other people; seeing the truth. Again, this is very much not something he has super amounts of control over and he needs to know it's there, know what he's looking for, have some manner of focus on it beforehand; he doesn't just know the truth right out no question.

Happy to make adjustments, etc, as needed for the setting and play/plot requirements on all of that, of course!

SAMPLES

In His Nightmares [linked post has appropriate content warnings; click the sections to see what's inside]
Jon Finds a Leitner
Jon's Supplemental, a run down of his experiences for the first month in his other game

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Supplementals

2019-02-01T09:19:57Z

[ There is the soft click of a tape recorder before the voice speaks.]

I have, in the past, found it helpful to myself to chronicle my investigations and my findings in something of a supplemental 'log' appended to my work at the Magnus Institute. Previously, this supplemental was a means of leaving behind a record for any archivist who might be appointed after my death or disappearance, that my fate would not be a mystery to my successor and that the information and experience I had might provide them a better stepping stone than was provided for me.

[ A gentle, perhaps even wry sort of sigh. ]

That goal has not actually changed, though in this case, I will be leaving these tapes to any and all wardens who might wish to access them upon my leaving the Barge. I'm not sure that these recordings, or my experiences, will prove of more or less substance than any other statement or information I aim to make available during my time here. Nonetheless, I do find that this sort of 'digest' gives me a greater degree of perspective and allows me a space for reflection, which is something I have found myself to often require if I do not wish to repeat my mistakes ad infinitum.

2019

January | February

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"Like colours, but if colours hated me." aka The Entities

2019-01-28T16:06:29Z

( Read more... )

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Leitner FAQ

2019-01-27T13:48:00Z

So as per mod approval, Jon's arrival has ~~of course~~ brought something terrible with him to the Barge.

'Leitners', as they are called, are texts (some of which may or may not have ever been written, ~~thanks Jonny~~ and others of which are versions of known texts with additional/alternate material) which are pure expressions of the Entities which influence Jon's world, pure little nodes of power sent out to interact with people and ruin lives, usually. Because the Entities are all 'fears made manifest', some of these powers are pretty freaky. They are so named due to a character named Jurgen Leitner who attempted to collect and 'contain' as many of them as possible.

That went poorly for him.

The books in the library here will not have Leitner's bookplate on them, but they will, of course, match up with the texts shown so far in canon. As per the mods, all directly-dealing-with-the-Entity books will be defanged (no getting eaten by Mr. Spider) but available... but the books that show people how to do things like, oh, collect dead souls or move around walls or be invisible... those are just fine.

Jon, as has been mentioned in his threads so far, has taken a position in the library and his goal will be to find any and all Leitners that may be there and keep track of them. So he'll have his eye out for strange behavior that matches known Leitners. All the same, since it's a lot more fun to have these things wreaking havoc, I probably won't have him finding an 'active' Leitner so it can be available for plot fun.

The list following is all of the canonical Leitners, with the available details on them, what they do, the probable associated Entity (if known), and I'll be keeping track of whether it's been found, found out, and whether Jon's found the owner and contained it. First come first serve, obviously, and I'll be adding Leitners as canon provides.

TITLE	AUTHOR	LANGUAGE	EFFECT	APPEARANCE	STATUS	NOTES	ENTITY
A Disappearance	None	English	Temporary invisibility if a few words are read; read completely and you disappear without a trace	Small book, almost a pamphlet	w/Iris Wildthyme [1/28]	Full reading effect defanged	Unknown
A Guest for Mr. Spider	None	English	Deeply disturbing children's book which normally ends with the reader being compelled to knock on a door that opens to devour them.	Simple children's book in black and white with some color	will be found by Jon	DEFANGED. Harmless.	The Web
A Journal of the Plague Year	Daniel Defoe	English	Brings sickness and decay to the reader's location. Can be used to slowly destroy somewhere, seemingly by rot.	DESTROYED	w/Harry Goodsir[1/28]	Functional	The Corruption
An Introduction to Higher Anatomy	None	English	Effect unknown at current.	Unknown	Unfound	DEFANGED until known.	The Flesh
Book of the Dead	Various	Various	Fills in the dates and details of death for the reader. The death moves closer every time it's checked.	Small journal-like book.	w/Bucky Barnes [2/2]	Functional (but only lists canonical character death).	The End
Dig	None	English	Makes you want to dig. Like. Through anything. Possibly even people. Continually. Possibly unto death.	Waterlogged book.	w/Rhys [2/5]	Functional	The Buried
Ex Altiora	None	Latin	Can be used to experience create a sense of vertigo or to trap lightning or lightning-based entities.	Small leatherbound text	w/Tris Kal-El [1/28]	Functional	The Vast
Book of Skin	Owner	Sanskrit/English	Used to bind a dead person's soul/spirit and allows them to be conversed with by the living.Further Details can be discussed below.	Large leatherbound book	w/Marty Hart [3/5]	Functional	The End
Small Red Book	None	Unknown	On the demon Asag; can be used to burn people without fire/flame/light, boiling them from the inside out.	Small red book.	w/Lesley May [6/17]	Functional	The Desolation
The Boneturner's Tale	None	English	Terrible Chaucer fanfic that grants the user bone control powers, including pulling them from someone's body without breaking skin, collecting them into your own body, or warping their shape.	Small black paperback with white text; other books around it may bleed	w/Steve Rogers[2/16]	Functional	The Flesh
The Key of Solomon 1863	None	English	Effect unknown at current. Contains 'elements of several powers'.	Unknown	Unfound	DEFANGED until known.	Multiple
The Seven Lamps of Architecture	John Ruskin	English	The book gives the sense of the walls closing around the reader. Can be used to manipulate walls and control surroundings.	DESTROYED/Burned	w/Fiona Goode [1/28]	Functional	The Buried
The Stalwart Hunters' Almanac	None	English	Mutilation of reader corresponding to passages read; will be savaged by animal attack from the inside out.	Unknown	w/Laura [3/12]	Functional	The Hunt
The Tale of a Field Hospital	Sir Frederick Treves	English	Causes death by putrification via papercut. Contains sections not found in the original, specifically about the Boer concentration camps. See here for details.	Unknown	w/Kahl [3/16]	Functional	The Corruption
Poetry Book	None	Sanskrit	Small animal bones fall from the pages	Small, unremarkable book	w/Benton Fraser [1/28]	Functional	The Hunt/The Flesh
Dictionnaire Infernal	Jacques De Plancy	Unknown	Can be used to trap demonic entities.	Unknown	w/Ford Pines[1/28]	Functional	Unknown
Small grey book	None	Russian/Cyrillic script	Starts 'reading' you, including your life story, your thoughts, your probable actions... like a book that mirrors you.	Small grey book	w/Elizabeth Jennings [5/23] w/Jon [6/01]	Unknown	Unknown/The Eye
Kumo Gatabete Iru	None	Japanese	Summons a giant person-eating spider.	Unknown	w/Hilda Spellman [1/28]	Functional	The Web
Untitled paperback	Unknown	Unknown	Tearing pages will send someone into a homicidal rage; tearing the whole book will send everyone in the immediate area into a homicidal rage	A small paperback volume, somewhat worn	w/Armitage Hux [3/5]	DESTROYED	The Frenzy

FAQ

QUESTION: Is there anything that would draw my character to these books?
Answer: As per the mods: The books will draw attention to themselves, but not have the power to manage pure compulsion. They will slightly stack the odds in their own favor, in terms of drawing the hand or the eye, or being the one to land on top of the pile when the shelf topples over.

QUESTION: Is there any way to tell, from sight, that a book is a Leitner?
Answer: For some of them, yes. Again, as per the mods: The books will have cosmetic abilities, but scaled back to where they draw attention but don't necessarily disrupt the workings of the library. Walk past where Boneturner on the shelf with an open book in your hands and it may bleed; stack Boneturner in with a pile of other ones on a desk and they may bleed. Inert and on a closed shelf, though, the library staff aren't going to have to begin mopping blood up biweekly.

QUESTION: Do the books confer abilities/powers permanently?
Answer: No, they do not. One must be in possession of the text in order to use the specialized power of the text. However, spells (in the rare case where a Leitner has such things) or knowledge contained within the text works like anything else. (So learn all about architecture while you're moving those walls!)

QUESTION: ...so about that book that works on binding the dead...
Answer: As per the mods: Because no one is dead for long, the death-function books won't have much of a chance to work, and can't override the resurrection process that is in place. If someone used the book before a person could be resurrected, it could function, but the barge would yank the deceased right out again when they were brought back to life. So in short: if you want to have a plot about an inmate and not getting resurrected immediately and the book, go right ahead but it'll be temporary.

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Statements

2019-01-24T12:24:05Z

So your character wants to give a statement...

Statements are a very specific thing within the canon of The Magnus Archives but here on the Barge, their purpose is to record, remember and provide greater understanding (as well as a basis for study) of life on the Barge.

Statements can be:

the life experiences outside of the Barge
everyday experience on the Barge
flood/port/breach experiences on the Barge, including time overboard
reflections and recollections regarding the Barge
information, studies, and data regarding the Barge and its workings
text, audio, or video

In practice (OOC), statements can be:

threaded out with Jon
written out
summarized and linked

In setting, the Archive will be in a section of the Library available for anyone and everyone to access. Characters will be informed ahead of time that this is the case; Jon will be entirely up front with the purpose, mechanics, and intentions of the Archive.

In game (IC), characters will be offered the chance to add to the archive via announcement, and Jon will always make himself available to take statements and organize statements in the archive. These statements do not function the same way as canonical statements for Jon in any way; specifically, they do not offer him sustenance and they do not provide a 'lived' experience for Jon or a reader.

However, Jon can use his abilities to assist other characters as one of his 'passive' abilities provides clarity and narrative focus for their experiences as well as his Compel, which he will use if asked in the pursuit of an 'accurate' statement. The Compel can be used (with permission, obviously) to help characters who otherwise might have trouble with recording things OR who would want to recall difficult details/truthful information in a clouded or questionable situation to provide clarity.

If you OOC would like to have a statement done when IC the character might not, we might be able to work something out but it would require some plotting as that is not Jon's normal inclination.

Any further questions should be left here and I'll answer ASAP!

The Archive

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Visualosities

2019-01-15T01:41:13Z

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Thread Tracker

2019-01-14T15:58:02Z

January 2019 | TLV

w/ John Constantine | Lounge
Jon | Entry/All Over | Iris, Harry, Bill, Quentin so far
w/ Tris | Inbox
w/ Lark | Inbox
w/ Stan | Inbox
w/ Admiral | Announcement
Jon| Dreampost | Bill and Darlene
w/ Hilda | Net
w/ Iris | Dreampost

February 2019 | TLV

Jon Net Post | re: Leitners
w/ Lark | Netpost
w/ Jedao | Wedding
w/ Quentin | @ the Wedding
w/ Peter | Library
w/ Clancy | Library
w/ Iris | Island at Night
Jon | Island Post
w/ Lark | Library post island
w/ Alec | Net to Infirmary, post port
Admiral Post
Tris | Net Post

March 2019 | TLV

w/Harry Goodsir | Plague Leitner
w/Tris | Plague Leitner
w/Alec | Plague Leitner
w/Mystique | Wardening
w/Darlene | Net Post
Jon Post | Net
w/Lark and Hux | Murder free for all
w/Tris | After Rosethorn
w/MARTIN | After Leitner Madness
w/ Peter | Net
w/Iris | Inbox
w/Rhys | Inbox
Jon Post | Logs
w/Marty | Book
w/the Admiral | Request re: The Books
w/Tris | Library Rules
w/Peter | Netpost
w/Zelda | Library
w/Admiral | Emergency post
w/Hilda | Inbox
w/Lark | Inbox
w/Martin | Inbox
Jon Post | Network
w/Ray | Plot Post
w/Iris and Ford | Madness Post
Ford's Post | Shit shit shit
w/Martin | after Ford's Post
w/Iris | after Ford's message
Finding | Log Post
w/Hilda | Net Post
w/Lark | Inbox
w/Martin | Inbox

April 2019 | TLV

Jon | Network Post (Archives)
w/Iris | Inbox
w/Martin and Lark | Dinner party
w/Fraser | re: Statements
w/Martin | re: Timeline Movement
w/Martin | re: his deal
w/Iris | re meeting Babs
w/Martin | re: A picnic
Jon in Port Etc | Logs
w/Tesla | Net

May 2019 | TLV

w/Quentin | Taking Library Shifts
w/Bucky | Getting Killed
Jon Net Post | Post Death
w/Martin | Recovery Discussion
w/Steve | re: Dying
"w/Martin | Date Night
w/Hilda | NetPost
w/Elizabeth | Net Post
w/Peggy | Net Post
w/Hilda | Post Flood Net
w/Hux | Netpost
w/Elizabeth | Logpost
w/Hilda | Inbox

June 2019 | TLV

w/Harry | Wayward Children Breach
Jon | Wayward Children Breach
w/Quentin | Net Post
w/Martin | Inbox
Jon | Netpost
w/Hux | Netpost
w/Hilda | Net to Log

August 2019 | TLV

Jon | Netpost | Description
w/ Ford | Netpost | Description
w/ Elizabeth | Netpost | Post wakeup
Jon | Logpost
w/Lark | Netpost Spam

September 2019 | TLV

October 2019 | TLV

w/Mary | @ TDM
w/Ford | Log
w/Martin | Inbox
w/Martin and BJ | Log
Jon post | Net
w/Hilda | Net
w/Quentin | Net (Carkeys)
w/Mort(e) | Net
w/Hange | Net
to Ford | Net
w/Lark | Inbox
w/Iris | Net
w/Steve | Inbox
w/Rawne | Log
w/Hilda | Net
CHARACTER | Description

November 2019 | TLV

w/Rawne | Net
w/Lark | Net

December 2019 | TLV

w/Hux | Net
w/Elizabeth | Net
w/Lark and Tris | Inbox
Post | Log
w/Bill + Ford | Net
Jumanji | Log
Post (TMA 160 Update) | Log
w/Martin | Inbox

January 2020 | tLV

w/BJ | Net
w/Hange + BJ | Martin Murdered (Net)
w/Martin | Post Death Inbox
Jon | At His Birthday Party

February 2020 | TLV

Jon Post | Log (Silly Place breach)
w/Betelgeuse | Net
w/Tup | Log
w/Ford | Net

March 2020 | TLV

April 2020 | TLV

May 2020 | TLV

July 2020 | TLV

w/Rhys | Net
w/Rev Steve | Net
w/Entrapta | Net
Jonpost | Net
w/Demona | Net
Jonpost | Net

AUG 2020 - TLV

w/Tris | Net
w/DT | Net
w/Elizabeth | Net

SEPT 2020 - TLV

w/Elizabeth | Net
Eggpost | Log

NOV 2020

w/Elizabeth | Log
w/Martin | Net
Jonpost | Log

DEC 2020

w/Gertrude | Net
w/Ford | Net
w/Elizabeth | Net
holiday party

JAN 2021

w/Harry | Net
/w/Sephiroth | Log
w/Gerry | Log

FEB 2021

w/Elizabeth | Net

MAR 2021

APR 2021

MAY 2021

JUNE 2021

JULY 2021

AUGUST 2021

SEPT 2021

OCT 2021

NOV 2021

DEC 2021

JAN 2022

Vigilo Opperior Audio

Jonpost 18 - Log - TMA S5 PLOT
Jonpost - Net
https://lastvoyageslogs.dreamwidth.org/1720508.html?thread=109217724#cmt109217724 - Zack
https://lastvoyageslogs.dreamwidth.org/1720847.html?thread=109218063#cmt109218063 - Pruitt
https://lastvoyageslogs.dreamwidth.org/1718932.html?thread=109219988#cmt109219988 - Tim and Lark
https://lastvoyageslogs.dreamwidth.org/1719254.html?thread=109234390#cmt109234390 - John
https://lastvoyageslogs.dreamwidth.org/1722072.html?thread=109241560#cmt109241560 - Daniel
https://lastvoyages.dreamwidth.org/1261517.html?thread=166261709#cmt166261709 - Roman
https://lastvoyageslogs.dreamwidth.org/1719479.html?thread=109270967#cmt109270967 - Hickey

FEB 2022

w/Dorian | Log
Jonpost 19 | Log
Jonpost 20 | Log

MAR 2022

APRIL 2022

MAY 2022

JUNE 2022

Jonpost | Net
w/Lark | Inbox
w/Alec | Net

JULY 2022

AUGUST 2022

Jonpost | Net
Riot!
w/Tim | Inbox (forwarddated)

SEPT 2022

OCT 2022

NOV 2022

DEC 2022

January 2023

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

Jonpost | Net'
Jonpost | Net

OTHER

moving here

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TLV Inbox

2019-01-11T01:27:48Z

Permissions

2019-01-11T00:26:21Z

( Permissions Form )

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epistemological @ 2029-01-10T18:29:00

2019-01-10T23:35:25Z

It’s like there’s a, a door, in my mind. A-a-and behind it is, is the entire ocean. Before, I didn’t notice it, but now, I – I know it’s there, and I can’t forget it, and I can feel the pressure of the water on it. I – I – I can keep it closed? But sometimes, when I’m around p-people, or.. places, or.. ideas? A drop or two will push through the cracks at the edges of the door. And I’ll… know something.

What happens if you open the door?

I drown.

tlv incident archive tlv app tlv permissions tlv inbox powers statement faq tlv archive hmd non-game inbox tracker visuals Code Credit

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TLV Application

2019-01-08T19:07:43Z

( Read more... )

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Powers

2019-01-04T19:44:45Z

Spoilery Information

Jon, as a member of the Magnus Institute, is 'owned' by an otherworldly malevolent being known as the Eye or the Beholding, which is connected to the fear of being watched or observed, of something or someone finding out your secrets or being able to see things you don't want them to see. It is one of several such Entities that influence his world.

The Beholding is the 'patron' of the Magnus Institute, with it's stated goal to study and observe, and the positions in the Institute actually confer certain abilities. As the Archivist, he is both more and less than 'human' and is slowly developing his abilities which all relate to knowing, watching, or otherwise obtaining knowledge. Specifically, he is actually somewhat sustained by learning about people's experiences around fear and the supernatural and will get sick if he does not read through a Statement after a certain amount of time.

There is also canon to support that he 'feeds' the Beholding through dreams. Most statements that he encounters are written, taken by the previous Archivist. But those he's taken personally appear to confer on him a connection with the person in question wherein he connects to their dreams related to that event and watches them experience their terrors over and over again. As of this point in canon, we don't have specifics on how that works. Some people posit that the real Archive is him, as such. More on that as details emerge.

Minor Abilities

Tape recorders (specifically those using magnetic tape) tend to turn themselves on around him.
...in fact, it appears that he can spontaneously generate them if necessary.
People recall their experiences with clarity, detail, and emotional depth when in his presence.
Reading through the statements act as experiencing them through the eyes/mind of the person who lived them. For more on Statements, check out the Statements FAQ.
Jon can read any language if what he's reading is aligned with his purpose (such as reading a statement). He will not 'know' the language afterwards, but during the reading, he will understand it as if it is English.

Main Abilities

Jon has two main abilities as shown in canon so far:

If he asks you a question, you will be compelled to answer it. The person might feel the compulsion if they're looking for it (apparently, it is a pleasant tingly sensation), or they may simply pop it out and no matter what it is, there's a certain amount of 'good feeling' that goes along with it. It's a very subtle ability and one that he does his best to keep off outside of dire circumstances/need, and he does seem to handle it with as much care as possible. The answer will be truthful, as far as they have the capacity to know what the truth actually is; he can't compel someone to give information they don't have and it tends to ignore hypotheticals.

That said, he can compel you to realize things you didn't previously realize; the example I can give is that he can clarify sight for someone who's had their understanding of a scene distorted by another power with pointed questions aka "what are you holding? who am I? where are we?" etc. Supernatural beings and beings that have protections of their own might feel it start and choke him off (or kill him before they'd have to answer it) but the actual, proper answer usually manages to come out of them eventually whether they like it or not. The only exception seems to be other, greater servants of the Eye.

There's no real more compelled or less compelled, and you'll know when and if he's using it if I capitalize the word Question or if it is noted that one of his ever-present tape recorders is fuzzing/staticky. It is, however a strictly audio related ability. It does not work in text conversation at ALL.
Occasionally, he just knows things. Little pieces of information will pop into his head occasionally. It will have to do with what he's working on, something he feels he needs to know, and it's not really something he can direct (at least yet). These pieces of information are SMALL, however, and not terribly exact: in one case, he knew that two people had worked together on something. In another, he knew when someone would show up at a particular location.

[3/28]He can See through illusion/the hidden. This ability boils down to being about to use an equivalent of Wizard's Sight from Dresden Files; he can see through illusions and see the truth of things. This ability will ALWAYS be a matter of contact, checking, and plotting; he will not use it without consulting with the mun in question. This ability was unlocked during the Barge In A Spin event.

Permission Form

Please fill it out per character. Feel free to mix and match as desired.
[largely for game-centered play, to keep track; meme play, feel free to just make your choice and run with it]

✔ YES! I consent to have Jon's ability in regards to asking questions work on my character. <font color=green><font size="2em">✔</font></font> <b>YES!</b> I consent to have Jon's ability in regards to asking questions work on my character.	✘ NO! My character is immune to Jon's ability in regards to asking questions of my character. <font color=red><font size="2em">✘</font></font> <b>NO!</b> My character is immune to Jon's ability in regards to asking questions of my character.
✔ YES! I consent to Jon's ability to learn random tidbits of knowledge regarding this character. <font color=green><font size="2em">✔</font></font> <b>YES!</b> I consent to Jon's ability to learn random tidbits of knowledge regarding this character.	✘ NO! My character is immune to Jon's ability to learn random tidbits of knowledge. <font color=red><font size="2em">✘</font></font> <b>NO!</b> My character is immune to Jon's ability to learn random tidbits of knowledge.

Please note that this will not be used for an excuse to 'godmod' or otherwise manipulate your character against your wishes; extremely probing questions or revelations should and always can be discussed beforehand (or retconned within a reasonable time frame afterwards) and it is not my intent to be abusive with this ability (nor is it in Jon's nature except under pretty extreme duress).

ETA: If you would like the ability to work but would prefer it not be used at all without direct request: ⚠ CAUTION! Please ask before using at all times.

Wards/Defenses

Jon is, canonically, an avatar and self-admittedly, a monster; his ability is not mental/psychic or magical. It is, effectively, a monstrous power caused by being changed by an eldritch god. As such, it functions much more like the powers of the gorgon than something like Jean Grey.

By which I mean that there most certainly ARE defenses, but magical wards don't really work.

It is an audio ability only, and only works in person; the power cannot be transmitted over technology and in fact he's more likely to glitch the communication so the sound warps by trying than anything else. Even the tape recorders can just record it; it won't work through them, but it does produce a noticeable fuzz and static when he uses it.
Completely ineffective on the deaf
Blocking his ability to speak effectively kills the ability; he has to talk to make it work
Earplugs would also work
...heck you can put your hands over your ears and shout 'NOT LISTENING' over and over and it'll work

If you would like the ability not to work on you in any way shape or form, the standard reasoning is just that you're from a different universe and for whatever reason, the Eye's power cannot touch/affect you and I am more than happy to abide by that decision. But unless the wards specifically block sound, it doesn't really work.

For the purposes of RP, please determine for yourself if his abilities work on your character and respond accordingly. I'm fine either way, and I'm just as happy to have him stymied by it as to have him have to face the consequences of asking the wrong question and getting the answer he shouldn't have been looking for. Just go by your comfort level and what you feel is best for your character.

If you don't register your opt in here, I consider it an opt out.

[code credit: found here]

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OPEN RP

2019-01-04T00:50:07Z

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HMD

2019-01-04T00:39:51Z

( Read more... )

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