Tales From The Northern Territories #4

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TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES #4

Greetings, Interlopers! Welcome to another of your bi-monthly updates, known as Tales From The Northern Territories! The purpose of these little ‘newsletters’, is to touch base with players on how things are going within the game and the fallout of the event of the previous month. In addition, these updates will also provide some extra information on NPCs, along with any additional happenings that might be going on within the game — which may be hints towards the upcoming Test Drive Meme!

Before we jump into things, here’s some dates for your diary for this month:

Activity Check — 1st - 5th
Test Drive Meme — 7th - 10th
CR Meme — 15th
Reserves — 20th - 24th
Applications — 25th - Month End

First up: some announcements / housekeeping:

CONTENT: As a reminder, there will be no event this month. Players may still play out from the March event, or create their own open post for more general posts. They can also use TDM prompts in their opens posts, too!

We hope you enjoyed your Fuck Marry Kill Meme last month! This month, players will have their bi-monthly CR Meme.

INFORMATION: With March’s Event, the Areas page has now been updated to include Lakeside, and has been updated a little further to include information discovered by Interlopers during the month. The NPC page has also been updated under Enola’s section. On, the World State page, a map of the Northern Territories has been added — given to Interlopers by Young Bill, ICly.

HOUSING: The Housing Spreadsheet has now been updated, which now includes Lakeside! Please take a moment to claim your character's housing! You can find the spreadsheet: HERE.

MARCH’S EVENT

EXIT STRATEGY: Thanks to the hard work of the Interlopers, the Mines can now be used at all times as a way of getting through to Lakeside. Now that the way is clear, with gates left open for access, Interlopers need to simply follow the mapped tunnels and take the elevator down towards the Lakeside entrance, using the hand crank to power the elevator. Interlopers can still choose to travel through the Mines during Aurora nights, but this may still remain quite dangerous at times due to the electricity running.

BRAVE NEW WORLD: Lakeside remains open for Interlopers to explore for Interlopers. They may even choose to settle here rather than in Milton, or build outposts. They are also free to visit Young Bill at his Cabin, when he is home. He has been busy creating maps for the Interlopers of the Lakeside area by hand — and will gift them to those who stop by.

THE ECHO: It was revealed that the woman who had been present during the Auroras in March and had previously spoken to Interlopers during Auroras was in fact Enola, known by Methuselah as the first Interloper. As March turns into April, Enola will no longer be heard during Aurora Nights. She has gone quiet, and the physical pain that Interlopers feel when touching one another will also no longer happen.

AND NOW... THE WEATHER

Daylight: From April, there are no periods of true night in terms of light stages. While the skies will get dark, and there will be a period of darkness — twilight can be seen on the horizon almost constantly. As April goes on and turns into May, that twilight will grow brighter. By mid May, the Midnight Sun is upon the Northern Territories, and the only solace from the sun for Interlopers will be thick, cloudy days and—

Weather: In early April, a thick fog descends upon the Northern Territories. There’ll be very little reprieve from it with almost the majority of both April and May subject to the freezing fogs. Snowfall and small blizzards are still also common, even during foggy days, proving some eerie half-light times out in the world. There seems to be little, if any, progress on the thaw. It seems that even if Spring is here, it’s in name only. On the rare clear days, sundogs can often be seen when the sun hits the horizon just right.

Aurora Frequencies: Low to middling in frequency, one would think that Auroras will soon become increasingly difficult to spot as the Northern Territories fall to daylight. However, on nights where the conditions are right: the rare breaks from the fog when it is clear (but not guaranteed) — the skies do darken, and nights last far longer than they should.

NEW HAPPENINGS IN APRIL

The Fog: With the thick fog plaguing the world, Interlopers will find it often difficult to breathe, at times. They will get tired and breathless often, even those who have earned the Free Runner Aurora Feat. Interlopers will find it difficult to travel, and will find the fog also leaves them perpetually damp and cold to the point it feels as if it burns. Interlopers will need to keep fires going to stave off the cold. Lightbringers may prove invaluable at this time.

Feline Tracks: can be found in the rockier/mountainous areas, particularly in the area between the Mining Camp and the Ravine. These tracks seem bigger than usual wildcats, with the animals often climbing up high into the rocks to avoid further tracking.

Forest Talker Activity Interlopers in the Lakeside area will sometimes feel as if they’re being watched. Those who’ve spoken to Young Bill and passed the information on will have heard of the Forest Talkers, a group of eco-activists who live in the area. On some nights, torchlights may be seen on the edges of the woods. They’re incredibly skilled at avoiding detection and will slip into the foggy trees easily. Following their tracks will eventually lead south to the Old Hunting Lodge, confirming Young Bill’s knowledge of them living there.

NPCs

Methuselah Now that Lakeside can be accessed, Methuselah can also be found out in Lakeside — out in the deep forests, or fishing by the lake. He will note to Interlopers that he too is aware of others out in the woods, and shares the feeling of being watched. He has not been approached by anyone though. He is concerned.

Close to the middle of the month, Methuselah will be returning to town. His sled will be loaded with fresh deer, rabbits and fish he has hunted, along with foragables he has collected. His offerings are incredibly bountiful with his access to Lakeside meaning more opportunities to hunt. He will be returning to the Community Hall, and preparations will be beginning for yet another feast.

Once again, he will ask for donations from the Interlopers towards the Feast. The previous batches of Interlopers will be welcome to attend with the Newcomers. For some, it might be a rare chance at a decent meal. He will also graciously accept any help from Interlopers wishing to offer their time in harvesting animals, cooking and setting things out.

When he is able to, Methuselah will also be found at the graves of Interlopers lost to the Darkwalker. Like with La’an’s grave, he will place trinkets there: Ptarmigan feathers and bird carved in wood. He will be found sitting in a contemplative silence, or perhaps he may be gently speaking: sometimes they sound like some kind of prayers or some kind of funerary rites, other times it almost sounds like stories.

Young Bill: While he is in his usual mood for those whose who come to his door, in which is he is incredibly hostile until the Interlopers make themselves known, Young Bill is happy to have visitors. He’s incredibly on edge during these visits, and still a little wary of the Interlopers — not entirely sure what to make of them yet. People may note there is something… off about Scout, who doesn’t seem to want to engage with Interlopers.

However, at times, if you come across Young Bill and Scout out in the wilds of Lakeside, he will often be in a foul mood. He is angry, often carrying broken traps. Other times, he will look visibly shaken, but will refuse to discuss things with Interlopers when questioned. Something has him visibly spooked.

At the beginning of May, Young Bill will be coming to Milton, all guns blazing. He will be alone, with Scout not accompanying him. The disgruntled woodsman will be turning up to the Community Hall, demanding: “Where’s that fucking Mountie? And that damn dog of his.”

It turns out Diefenbaker’s attempts at wooing Scout have been… successful. Looks like there’ll be a litter of puppies on the way. Yay!

Enola: As previously mentioned, Enola has gone quiet by April. She cannot be reached by Interlopers that have the Aurora Call Feat during Auroras — either she has stopped listening, or is unable to listen, or perhaps the pain that has connected her with Interlopers has eased and is no longer as powerful to keep the stronger connection.