[Locked Transmission to Residents]
[The following transmission is both typed and dictated.]
Today is January 21, year four of this Luceti Project experiment cycle. My name is Albert Silverberg, and I am a fellow resident. I am writing over a secure system that is specifically filtered to Luceti residents' journals; the Malnosso Organization and its CEO cannot hear or see what I am reporting.
Previous reports can only be viewed from the journals of residents who were present at that time, unless they are referenced in another of these reports. Attempting to link these reports across the network will only alert the Organization that we have access to information that they cannot see. Refrain from making references to these reports over the journals.
All newcomers and long-time residents should regularly review the guide to Luceti, maintained by Professor Raine Sage. Sometimes you may be able to find answers to your questions simply by perusing the guide. Many residents will also gladly answer questions about this world.
There is information in these reports that should not be spoken of over the journals; knowledge is a precious commodity in Luceti, and we may lose the advantage of allies if the Malnosso Organization becomes aware of a few things we know.
Important Individuals and Groups to Know
"John" -- The guide covers the scientist known as "John," but I will provide some supplemental information. He has been trapped in this world for a long time, and is credited for the development of the artificial shift barriers that surround our village and similar enclosures. He is considered brilliant and highly revered both by the Malnosso Organization and individuals outside of the barrier, which is why you may hear him referred to as the "Great One." After the earthquake in August, he stayed in the village for a short time before returning to the tunnels below. He has the means to reverse the death penalties inflicted on those who die here, and has also revived a person who was killed by the Third Party. The Organization does not know he killed a man named Tyr, that "Jacob" was the one John revived, or that he has collaborated with "Rem."
"Jacob" -- A former low-ranking member of the Malnosso Organization who helped run surveillance of the village. He was sympathetic towards our situation and assisted us at the risk of his own personal safety. He was imprisoned by the Organization when he was found out, and then taken into the barrier by John without the Organization’s approval. He was killed by Third Party cultists in a ritual that is meant to permanently remove people from the cycle of life and death in this world, but John managed to revive him through unknown means. We do not know what has become of him since then. The Organization does not know that he was the one who John revived.
ANI -- The Automated Neutral Intelligence system, created by a woman that some residents refer to as "Rem." ANI captures information based on the decisions of its creator and has perhaps the most complete records of this world. Unfortunately, there is an unknown amount of information that has been marked confidential. We last had contact with ANI after the earthquake last August. ANI cannot be contacted over the journals and the Organization is not aware of its contact with us.
"Rem" -- As already mentioned, the woman dubbed "Rem" is the creator of ANI and an observer of our predicament. She is not a member of the Malnosso Organization, and is more sympathetic to our plight than others we have encountered. She very recently assisted individuals who have the ability to summon creatures from their world, but with a strong warning: summoning creatures runs the risk of affecting your home world. This may in turn harm you and others from your world. She cannot be contacted over the journals and should not be mentioned over the journals, especially since "Sir Catherine" has caught snatches of surveillance of residents mentioning her over the journals.
Tyr is a deceased former resident of Luceti who was highly respected within the Organization and beyond. Regarded as a hero and a born leader, he supposedly performed many good deeds during his time in this world; John has compared "hero-types" in Luceti to Tyr following his death. John killed Tyr during the second cycle year, using the same method the Third Party would later use on Jacob. The Malnosso do not know that John was the one who killed Tyr, so refrain from mentioning that over the journals.
The Malnosso Organization CEO ("Catherine") -- An old man who has recently become the head of the Malnosso Organization after overthrowing the previous head. He is eccentric but friendlier than others in the Organization who we have had contact with, and also likely shrewder than he appears. (For all of his oddness, one does not raise mutiny and succeed without a fair amount of wit.) He has said that he initially joined the Organization many years ago, when the Organization was still creating cities, saving lives, and freely sharing their technology. "A regular board of super heroes." Sir Catherine should not be told anything listed here at this time. Careless mentioning of "Rem" over the journals has already alerted him to her presence, likely resulting in her limited contact with us. His name is not in fact "Catherine"; he just seems to find the name agreeable enough to take it as his alias.
The Rogue Faction -- At this time, there is no known name for this group; the Organization CEO simply calls them rogues and kidnappers. This faction of scientists splintered away from the Malnosso Organization because of the perceived incompetence of Catherine. They maintain rogue Organization facilities that, according to the Malnosso CEO, are responsible for the majority of the Luceti resident abductions since his promotion. Several residents were able to infiltrate a rogue facility this past October, reporting that lower-ranked personnel seemed unaware of the fact that the facility was no longer in compliance with the Organization's rules.
The Third Party -- Referred to as "cultists" by the Organization CEO, we do not know what they refer to themselves. In August of cycle year 2, they infiltrated the barrier with the intention of killing us to remove us from the barrier. They may be the natural residents of this world, as they have been "the problem" for the Organization before the Organization was politically etablished 200 years ago. They possess larger wings than ourselves and very strong natural Shifting ability, the likes of which we have only seen while weakened by John's synthetic shift barriers. They have been known to shift weapons out of metal, elements represented by the Filial spirits, and even blood. The highest-ranking individual any residents have met is the General, who was slain by Buffy Summers during our initial battle with them.
The General -- As already mentioned, the General is the highest-ranked member of the Third Party who we have encountered. He appears to command great respect from his troops and is committed to goals that he has only vaguely referred to. His power is impressive and dangerous, as he has singlehandedly killed fighters from our own barrier. He has been reported to have the ability to shift blood into a weapon.
The Known Nature and Politics of Luceti
Most of the information concerning the basics of Luceti and this world can be found in the guide. What follows is supplementary information.
The very nature of this world is cyclical -- if something happens once, it will happen again without fail. If someone dies in Luceti, whether through accident, murder, or natural causes, they will be revived. If someone disappears from this world, they will return again in the future, though there appears to be no pattern to how or when people arrive or vanish.
The Malnosso Organization is operated by people who have been trapped in this world for a much longer period of time than any of us; "Jacob," a lowly security worker within the Organization, had been trapped in Luceti for 10 years. "John" is known to have been around for much longer, and Catherine has gone through the cycle of dying and reviving several times. We can surmise that people who have been in this world longer would hold higher positions of power.
We are contained in a barrier to be experimented upon by the Organization. The particular long-term project we are test subjects for is known as the Luceti Project. The Third Party disapproves of this experimentation, and broke into the barrier with the intent to kill us all. As we later learned, residents who die are revived outside of the barrier and have to be intercepted by the Organization to be brought back into the barrier. A mass slaughter would have allowed the Third Party to capture many of us upon revival.
Both groups continue to hide their true objectives, making both ultimately untrustworthy; remain wary in your communications with Catherine, even if he comes across as harmless. Our ignorance makes us useful and valuable to both groups; knowing too much makes us expendable.
August, Cycle Year 3
This past August, there was a number of shifts that greatly endangered the residents. On the morning of August 4, there was an earthquake that utterly destroyed the tunnels beneath the village and the buildings above and surrounding them. The earthquake has been reported being felt as far out as the mountains, and possibly further than that. The Organization's Shifting technology was damaged as a result, leaving buildings in ruins and forcing residents to band together to salvage food and medical supplies. For the next few days, the barrier was visible around the village, tinted red and flickering.
On August 9, something resembling an eclipse occurred; the sun darkened during the day, with light visible beyond it, and the moon appeared blood red at night. The following day, a wide variety of monsters and demons rained from the dark sun as if it was a portal. These monsters ranged by common monsters in some worlds to the very powerful creatures that summoners in Luceti can control. Interestingly, residents who showed no skill as summoners or monster tamers were able to calm some of the monsters. But the majority rampaged during their time in Luceti, forcing residents to fight or hide for several days. The creatures disappeared sometime on August 14.
The final known shift with side effects occurred the following day, August 15. While we currently only know of it as a particularly bad natural shift, I have begun referring to it as a "reality shift" because of its effects. This shift affected residents to a degree that has not been observed before; residents were both physically and mentally changed to fit a change of events in their respective worlds. From there, their memories of Luceti were altered to follow these changes that would have preceded their arrival in this world.
In simpler terms, it was as if affected residents had lived their entire lives in the physical or mental state they found themselves with, thus the term "reality shift." The effects of this shift began to fade on August 21, but there have been reports of remaining effects in the form of lingering, conflicting memories.
At this time, we do not know what specifically caused the series of events. Catherine has compared the events to the breaking of a dam, unleashing different shifts upon the enclosure. Rumors amongst the rogue faction scientists would lead one to believe John is to blame for the incident.
October, Cycle Year 4
Early in October, Catherine requested volunteers who would infiltrate and take over a facility belonging to the rogue faction. This was the first overt action residents have been allowed to take against the scientists and officers believed to be responsible of abducting residents.
The operation began on October 9 with the scheduled abductions of several Luceti residents. On October 10, an infiltration unit was sent in under the guise of company employees and scientists to gather information and prepare for freeing the abducted residents. A separate unit waited outside of the facility until the majority of the security droids were disabled, assisting with the seizure of the complex.
The battle dome to the south of the village was given to us by Catherine as our "reward."
Towards the end of October, a series of shifts occurred loosely related to the "Halloween" holiday celebrated by some cultures. The weather steadily became gloomier, the forests more dangerous, and residents' minds more susceptible to traumatic hallucinations; the shifts' effects were at their strongest on October 31. These shifts were released by scientists from the rogue faction, who were teaching an intern about Shifting technology in the underground tunnels.
The scientists refused to be captured alive; by the time a few residents reached them in the tunnels, they had ingested cyanide and killed themselves. There are no signs of the intern who had been with them.
December, Cycle Year 4
Another draft was called for in December -- an emergency, as the Third Party had invaded the Malnosso Organization's underwater research facility. All residents who could be removed from the barrier were drafted, whether they had any ability to defend themselves or not. Catherine declared that the Third Party's attack was a direct threat to our lives; the Shifting machinery in the facility would explode if they were not disabled, causing tidal waves that would flood into the barrier and drown us all. It could be presumed that this was another attempt by the Third Party to kill and remove us from the barrier; however, we currently have no way to confirm their intentions, or if they had other objectives when attacking the research facility.
The General was sighted again on the last day of the draft, and we have not yet been told what became of the underwater facility or the Third Party soldiers who had been inside it. Despite the efforts made, the barrier was flooded from the east. It appears that the flood waters could not be removed, as what was once a desert to the east of the mountains is now a beach and expansive stretch of water.
Some announcements: I would like to speak with any volunteers who had been assisting Ted with running the forest stations. I have been told that Ted has disappeared from Luceti, and I would like to know who will take over his supervisory position.
With a sea now within the confines of the barrier, I would like to spark discussion about how residents would assist future New Feathers who may arrive on the beach or in the ocean. Have any groups developed measures? There is a fort out there that was restored some time ago; it should be considered in any plans going forward.
If there are any other announcements or questions, discussion may continue under this filter. Once again, refrain from mentioning this communication system over the journals. Thank you.
Today is January 21, year four of this Luceti Project experiment cycle. My name is Albert Silverberg, and I am a fellow resident. I am writing over a secure system that is specifically filtered to Luceti residents' journals; the Malnosso Organization and its CEO cannot hear or see what I am reporting.
Previous reports can only be viewed from the journals of residents who were present at that time, unless they are referenced in another of these reports. Attempting to link these reports across the network will only alert the Organization that we have access to information that they cannot see. Refrain from making references to these reports over the journals.
All newcomers and long-time residents should regularly review the guide to Luceti, maintained by Professor Raine Sage. Sometimes you may be able to find answers to your questions simply by perusing the guide. Many residents will also gladly answer questions about this world.
There is information in these reports that should not be spoken of over the journals; knowledge is a precious commodity in Luceti, and we may lose the advantage of allies if the Malnosso Organization becomes aware of a few things we know.
Important Individuals and Groups to Know
"John" -- The guide covers the scientist known as "John," but I will provide some supplemental information. He has been trapped in this world for a long time, and is credited for the development of the artificial shift barriers that surround our village and similar enclosures. He is considered brilliant and highly revered both by the Malnosso Organization and individuals outside of the barrier, which is why you may hear him referred to as the "Great One." After the earthquake in August, he stayed in the village for a short time before returning to the tunnels below. He has the means to reverse the death penalties inflicted on those who die here, and has also revived a person who was killed by the Third Party. The Organization does not know he killed a man named Tyr, that "Jacob" was the one John revived, or that he has collaborated with "Rem."
"Jacob" -- A former low-ranking member of the Malnosso Organization who helped run surveillance of the village. He was sympathetic towards our situation and assisted us at the risk of his own personal safety. He was imprisoned by the Organization when he was found out, and then taken into the barrier by John without the Organization’s approval. He was killed by Third Party cultists in a ritual that is meant to permanently remove people from the cycle of life and death in this world, but John managed to revive him through unknown means. We do not know what has become of him since then. The Organization does not know that he was the one who John revived.
ANI -- The Automated Neutral Intelligence system, created by a woman that some residents refer to as "Rem." ANI captures information based on the decisions of its creator and has perhaps the most complete records of this world. Unfortunately, there is an unknown amount of information that has been marked confidential. We last had contact with ANI after the earthquake last August. ANI cannot be contacted over the journals and the Organization is not aware of its contact with us.
"Rem" -- As already mentioned, the woman dubbed "Rem" is the creator of ANI and an observer of our predicament. She is not a member of the Malnosso Organization, and is more sympathetic to our plight than others we have encountered. She very recently assisted individuals who have the ability to summon creatures from their world, but with a strong warning: summoning creatures runs the risk of affecting your home world. This may in turn harm you and others from your world. She cannot be contacted over the journals and should not be mentioned over the journals, especially since "Sir Catherine" has caught snatches of surveillance of residents mentioning her over the journals.
Tyr is a deceased former resident of Luceti who was highly respected within the Organization and beyond. Regarded as a hero and a born leader, he supposedly performed many good deeds during his time in this world; John has compared "hero-types" in Luceti to Tyr following his death. John killed Tyr during the second cycle year, using the same method the Third Party would later use on Jacob. The Malnosso do not know that John was the one who killed Tyr, so refrain from mentioning that over the journals.
The Malnosso Organization CEO ("Catherine") -- An old man who has recently become the head of the Malnosso Organization after overthrowing the previous head. He is eccentric but friendlier than others in the Organization who we have had contact with, and also likely shrewder than he appears. (For all of his oddness, one does not raise mutiny and succeed without a fair amount of wit.) He has said that he initially joined the Organization many years ago, when the Organization was still creating cities, saving lives, and freely sharing their technology. "A regular board of super heroes." Sir Catherine should not be told anything listed here at this time. Careless mentioning of "Rem" over the journals has already alerted him to her presence, likely resulting in her limited contact with us. His name is not in fact "Catherine"; he just seems to find the name agreeable enough to take it as his alias.
The Rogue Faction -- At this time, there is no known name for this group; the Organization CEO simply calls them rogues and kidnappers. This faction of scientists splintered away from the Malnosso Organization because of the perceived incompetence of Catherine. They maintain rogue Organization facilities that, according to the Malnosso CEO, are responsible for the majority of the Luceti resident abductions since his promotion. Several residents were able to infiltrate a rogue facility this past October, reporting that lower-ranked personnel seemed unaware of the fact that the facility was no longer in compliance with the Organization's rules.
The Third Party -- Referred to as "cultists" by the Organization CEO, we do not know what they refer to themselves. In August of cycle year 2, they infiltrated the barrier with the intention of killing us to remove us from the barrier. They may be the natural residents of this world, as they have been "the problem" for the Organization before the Organization was politically etablished 200 years ago. They possess larger wings than ourselves and very strong natural Shifting ability, the likes of which we have only seen while weakened by John's synthetic shift barriers. They have been known to shift weapons out of metal, elements represented by the Filial spirits, and even blood. The highest-ranking individual any residents have met is the General, who was slain by Buffy Summers during our initial battle with them.
The General -- As already mentioned, the General is the highest-ranked member of the Third Party who we have encountered. He appears to command great respect from his troops and is committed to goals that he has only vaguely referred to. His power is impressive and dangerous, as he has singlehandedly killed fighters from our own barrier. He has been reported to have the ability to shift blood into a weapon.
The Known Nature and Politics of Luceti
Most of the information concerning the basics of Luceti and this world can be found in the guide. What follows is supplementary information.
The very nature of this world is cyclical -- if something happens once, it will happen again without fail. If someone dies in Luceti, whether through accident, murder, or natural causes, they will be revived. If someone disappears from this world, they will return again in the future, though there appears to be no pattern to how or when people arrive or vanish.
The Malnosso Organization is operated by people who have been trapped in this world for a much longer period of time than any of us; "Jacob," a lowly security worker within the Organization, had been trapped in Luceti for 10 years. "John" is known to have been around for much longer, and Catherine has gone through the cycle of dying and reviving several times. We can surmise that people who have been in this world longer would hold higher positions of power.
We are contained in a barrier to be experimented upon by the Organization. The particular long-term project we are test subjects for is known as the Luceti Project. The Third Party disapproves of this experimentation, and broke into the barrier with the intent to kill us all. As we later learned, residents who die are revived outside of the barrier and have to be intercepted by the Organization to be brought back into the barrier. A mass slaughter would have allowed the Third Party to capture many of us upon revival.
Both groups continue to hide their true objectives, making both ultimately untrustworthy; remain wary in your communications with Catherine, even if he comes across as harmless. Our ignorance makes us useful and valuable to both groups; knowing too much makes us expendable.
August, Cycle Year 3
This past August, there was a number of shifts that greatly endangered the residents. On the morning of August 4, there was an earthquake that utterly destroyed the tunnels beneath the village and the buildings above and surrounding them. The earthquake has been reported being felt as far out as the mountains, and possibly further than that. The Organization's Shifting technology was damaged as a result, leaving buildings in ruins and forcing residents to band together to salvage food and medical supplies. For the next few days, the barrier was visible around the village, tinted red and flickering.
On August 9, something resembling an eclipse occurred; the sun darkened during the day, with light visible beyond it, and the moon appeared blood red at night. The following day, a wide variety of monsters and demons rained from the dark sun as if it was a portal. These monsters ranged by common monsters in some worlds to the very powerful creatures that summoners in Luceti can control. Interestingly, residents who showed no skill as summoners or monster tamers were able to calm some of the monsters. But the majority rampaged during their time in Luceti, forcing residents to fight or hide for several days. The creatures disappeared sometime on August 14.
The final known shift with side effects occurred the following day, August 15. While we currently only know of it as a particularly bad natural shift, I have begun referring to it as a "reality shift" because of its effects. This shift affected residents to a degree that has not been observed before; residents were both physically and mentally changed to fit a change of events in their respective worlds. From there, their memories of Luceti were altered to follow these changes that would have preceded their arrival in this world.
In simpler terms, it was as if affected residents had lived their entire lives in the physical or mental state they found themselves with, thus the term "reality shift." The effects of this shift began to fade on August 21, but there have been reports of remaining effects in the form of lingering, conflicting memories.
At this time, we do not know what specifically caused the series of events. Catherine has compared the events to the breaking of a dam, unleashing different shifts upon the enclosure. Rumors amongst the rogue faction scientists would lead one to believe John is to blame for the incident.
October, Cycle Year 4
Early in October, Catherine requested volunteers who would infiltrate and take over a facility belonging to the rogue faction. This was the first overt action residents have been allowed to take against the scientists and officers believed to be responsible of abducting residents.
The operation began on October 9 with the scheduled abductions of several Luceti residents. On October 10, an infiltration unit was sent in under the guise of company employees and scientists to gather information and prepare for freeing the abducted residents. A separate unit waited outside of the facility until the majority of the security droids were disabled, assisting with the seizure of the complex.
The battle dome to the south of the village was given to us by Catherine as our "reward."
Towards the end of October, a series of shifts occurred loosely related to the "Halloween" holiday celebrated by some cultures. The weather steadily became gloomier, the forests more dangerous, and residents' minds more susceptible to traumatic hallucinations; the shifts' effects were at their strongest on October 31. These shifts were released by scientists from the rogue faction, who were teaching an intern about Shifting technology in the underground tunnels.
The scientists refused to be captured alive; by the time a few residents reached them in the tunnels, they had ingested cyanide and killed themselves. There are no signs of the intern who had been with them.
December, Cycle Year 4
Another draft was called for in December -- an emergency, as the Third Party had invaded the Malnosso Organization's underwater research facility. All residents who could be removed from the barrier were drafted, whether they had any ability to defend themselves or not. Catherine declared that the Third Party's attack was a direct threat to our lives; the Shifting machinery in the facility would explode if they were not disabled, causing tidal waves that would flood into the barrier and drown us all. It could be presumed that this was another attempt by the Third Party to kill and remove us from the barrier; however, we currently have no way to confirm their intentions, or if they had other objectives when attacking the research facility.
The General was sighted again on the last day of the draft, and we have not yet been told what became of the underwater facility or the Third Party soldiers who had been inside it. Despite the efforts made, the barrier was flooded from the east. It appears that the flood waters could not be removed, as what was once a desert to the east of the mountains is now a beach and expansive stretch of water.
Some announcements: I would like to speak with any volunteers who had been assisting Ted with running the forest stations. I have been told that Ted has disappeared from Luceti, and I would like to know who will take over his supervisory position.
With a sea now within the confines of the barrier, I would like to spark discussion about how residents would assist future New Feathers who may arrive on the beach or in the ocean. Have any groups developed measures? There is a fort out there that was restored some time ago; it should be considered in any plans going forward.
If there are any other announcements or questions, discussion may continue under this filter. Once again, refrain from mentioning this communication system over the journals. Thank you.