Newcomer Pamphlet
Welcome to Siren's Port. You've undoubtedly been given some explanation from the greeters down at the diamond at this point but this pamphlet should give you some more in-depth information and some important numbers that you should always keep with you.
The City
As you've been told, this is Siren's Port, an island off the coast of Canada. It's virtually inaccessible by anyone outside of the island and because of this, it's considered non-existent. If anyone on the outside does know its existence, then they're not keen on telling people about it. It's also the year 2011. For some reason, the Core (a device heavily guarded in the diamond) has been pulling people and keeping them here regardless of world or time period in which they are from.
Unfortunately, there is no known way off of the island. Many people have gone missing and have possibly returned to their own time, but we have not been able to discern how that is possible.
The Darkness
There are two sirens that will go off during the course of the day: one in the morning and one in the evening. They signal the beginning and the end of a phenomenon called the Darkness. When the evening siren goes off, the entire city will be changed by the Darkness and will look more decayed and dirty. This will not affect anything inside a Darkness-proofed house or business and so there is no danger when you are inside. The only exception is the water in the pipes; unless you have a water filter in your apartment or home, the water will be unusable during the Darkness.
However, monsters will come out during this time and will attack you if they find you outside. They can be killed but even the strongest people in the city have reported that there are some creatures that even they cannot destroy. Even if you manage to destroy one, it will return the following night unharmed.
When the morning siren goes off, the city will slowly return to normal and it will be safe to go outside again.
More information about the monsters you may encounter can be found here.
The NV
When you arrived, you probably noticed an extra item on your person. This is the NetVice, or NV for short. It will allow you access to the Newcomer Network and will act as a calling device. Each one has several settings. There is text, voice, video, and holovid. It would be wise to learn how to use all of these just in case. There is a way to private and encrypt your conversations with others but every NV is different. You will need to discover how to do this on your own or ask for help.
Tower Apartments
As a Newcomer, you've been allowed to have one free month in an apartment building not far from the baseball diamond. [A map is inserted here.] Once the month is up, you will be expected to move out or start paying rent. The apartments themselves are not very clean or new, but they do the job and they will keep you safe. You will be given ten dollars for the vending machines in the Tower Apartment lobby but any food beyond that will need to be earned for yourself.
Of note: the water in the Tower Apartments is unusable in the Darkness. It becomes a brackish sludge and you will be incapable of using it for drinking or for showering. After morning sirens, you will need to run the water for a few minutes before it is suitable for drinking once more.
Secondary Apartments
When your time at the Tower Apartments has expired, you can either choose to stay there and pay monthly (or stay there for free if you wish to work as a Greeter) or you can leave to get another apartment elsewhere. While most places have reasonable prices, we understand that it might be difficult for you to get enough money before the end of the month to pay for a new lease. There is a boarding house located in Sector 4 called Rosewood Terrace.
The rent is less than that of the Tower Apartments but it's a bit bare bones. You'll need to renovate your room and make it your own, but the proofing on the building is sound, there is a filter for the water at night, and the tenants are fellow Newcomers like yourself.
If interested, please contact the landlord.
Jobs
Most businesses and establishments offer jobs to Newcomers and will readily accept you. If a business is affiliated with either of the two reigning companies in the city (AGI and SERO), then it is more than likely that you will be asked to affiliate. There are several businesses that are unaffiliated with either corporation, though, and so this is not necessary.
Several Newcomers have even started their own businesses and would happily offer jobs to other Newcomers. A few examples are:
- Merlotte's Bar and Grill
- Siren's Flowers
- SS Khave
- Violet Robotics Systems
- Cat's Eye Artisan Bistro
You can ask for these businesses openly on the Network, as well as for any other suggestions for jobs you may like.
AGI and SERO
As mentioned before, there are two companies that have control of most of the economy in the city.
AGI - Run by Lord Italy "Tully" deDrago. They are known to be more mafia-like in nature and for being heavily involved in the entertainment industry. However, they run the slaving industry in the Port as well.
SERO - Run by Robert "RJ" Judas Stone III. They are more militaristic in nature and are more inclined to work with science, R&D, and repairs. They also are inclined towards human experimentation on people with powers.
Newcomer Fund
Because we are brought to the city with next to nothing, a Newcomer Fund has been set up to help people along until they have the necessary means with which to keep themselves safe and sustaining. It is highly encouraged that all Newcomers attempt to contribute to the fund to help each other out in times of need.
For more information on the fund and how to receive help, please contact Franziska von Karma.
Crimes
As a Newcomer, you will, unfortunately, be the victim of prejudice and ostracism in Siren's Port. It is highly suggested that you travel around the city with friends and keep yourselves out of trouble. The city may come as a cultural shock to you and you may find yourself unaware of most customs and commonplace attitudes, but it would be wise for you to familiarize yourself in the coming weeks with what's expected of you as a citizen of the city.
A list of punishable crimes in the Port can be found here (Warning: Possibly triggering.)
Hospitals
Should you encounter any trouble in the city, you should find your way to the nearest hospital. There is a SERO and AGI hospital for affiliated members only, but there are other places you can go to. Skye Medical Center and Siren's Port General Hospital accepts anyone, including Newcomers. Several Newcomer doctors work there as well.
** Daedalus Yumeno (Skye)
** Michael Xavier (Clinic)
** Kenzo Tenma (SPGH)
** John Seward (St. Teresa's Sanitarium)
** John Watson (Skye)
** Simon Tam (Skye)
** Unohana Retsu (Clinic)
** Helen Magnus (Clinic/Skye)
If you are uncomfortable with visiting either of those hospitals, there is a small clinic in the Newcomer Community Center that can also help you, but there may be a waiting time to see a doctor.
Emergency Contact Numbers
If you find yourself in need of legal assistance, you can contact Diego Armando or Franziska von Karma on their NVs. They can advise you in any legal matters you may have.
If you need a caseworker to help you find a job, housing, or anything else, contact Re-l Mayer here.
If you need anything else that isn't mentioned on this pamphlet, the Newcomer Network should be able to assist you.
The City
As you've been told, this is Siren's Port, an island off the coast of Canada. It's virtually inaccessible by anyone outside of the island and because of this, it's considered non-existent. If anyone on the outside does know its existence, then they're not keen on telling people about it. It's also the year 2011. For some reason, the Core (a device heavily guarded in the diamond) has been pulling people and keeping them here regardless of world or time period in which they are from.
Unfortunately, there is no known way off of the island. Many people have gone missing and have possibly returned to their own time, but we have not been able to discern how that is possible.
The Darkness
There are two sirens that will go off during the course of the day: one in the morning and one in the evening. They signal the beginning and the end of a phenomenon called the Darkness. When the evening siren goes off, the entire city will be changed by the Darkness and will look more decayed and dirty. This will not affect anything inside a Darkness-proofed house or business and so there is no danger when you are inside. The only exception is the water in the pipes; unless you have a water filter in your apartment or home, the water will be unusable during the Darkness.
However, monsters will come out during this time and will attack you if they find you outside. They can be killed but even the strongest people in the city have reported that there are some creatures that even they cannot destroy. Even if you manage to destroy one, it will return the following night unharmed.
When the morning siren goes off, the city will slowly return to normal and it will be safe to go outside again.
More information about the monsters you may encounter can be found here.
The NV
When you arrived, you probably noticed an extra item on your person. This is the NetVice, or NV for short. It will allow you access to the Newcomer Network and will act as a calling device. Each one has several settings. There is text, voice, video, and holovid. It would be wise to learn how to use all of these just in case. There is a way to private and encrypt your conversations with others but every NV is different. You will need to discover how to do this on your own or ask for help.
Tower Apartments
As a Newcomer, you've been allowed to have one free month in an apartment building not far from the baseball diamond. [A map is inserted here.] Once the month is up, you will be expected to move out or start paying rent. The apartments themselves are not very clean or new, but they do the job and they will keep you safe. You will be given ten dollars for the vending machines in the Tower Apartment lobby but any food beyond that will need to be earned for yourself.
Of note: the water in the Tower Apartments is unusable in the Darkness. It becomes a brackish sludge and you will be incapable of using it for drinking or for showering. After morning sirens, you will need to run the water for a few minutes before it is suitable for drinking once more.
Secondary Apartments
When your time at the Tower Apartments has expired, you can either choose to stay there and pay monthly (or stay there for free if you wish to work as a Greeter) or you can leave to get another apartment elsewhere. While most places have reasonable prices, we understand that it might be difficult for you to get enough money before the end of the month to pay for a new lease. There is a boarding house located in Sector 4 called Rosewood Terrace.
The rent is less than that of the Tower Apartments but it's a bit bare bones. You'll need to renovate your room and make it your own, but the proofing on the building is sound, there is a filter for the water at night, and the tenants are fellow Newcomers like yourself.
If interested, please contact the landlord.
Jobs
Most businesses and establishments offer jobs to Newcomers and will readily accept you. If a business is affiliated with either of the two reigning companies in the city (AGI and SERO), then it is more than likely that you will be asked to affiliate. There are several businesses that are unaffiliated with either corporation, though, and so this is not necessary.
Several Newcomers have even started their own businesses and would happily offer jobs to other Newcomers. A few examples are:
- Merlotte's Bar and Grill
- Siren's Flowers
- SS Khave
- Violet Robotics Systems
- Cat's Eye Artisan Bistro
You can ask for these businesses openly on the Network, as well as for any other suggestions for jobs you may like.
AGI and SERO
As mentioned before, there are two companies that have control of most of the economy in the city.
AGI - Run by Lord Italy "Tully" deDrago. They are known to be more mafia-like in nature and for being heavily involved in the entertainment industry. However, they run the slaving industry in the Port as well.
SERO - Run by Robert "RJ" Judas Stone III. They are more militaristic in nature and are more inclined to work with science, R&D, and repairs. They also are inclined towards human experimentation on people with powers.
Newcomer Fund
Because we are brought to the city with next to nothing, a Newcomer Fund has been set up to help people along until they have the necessary means with which to keep themselves safe and sustaining. It is highly encouraged that all Newcomers attempt to contribute to the fund to help each other out in times of need.
For more information on the fund and how to receive help, please contact Franziska von Karma.
Crimes
As a Newcomer, you will, unfortunately, be the victim of prejudice and ostracism in Siren's Port. It is highly suggested that you travel around the city with friends and keep yourselves out of trouble. The city may come as a cultural shock to you and you may find yourself unaware of most customs and commonplace attitudes, but it would be wise for you to familiarize yourself in the coming weeks with what's expected of you as a citizen of the city.
A list of punishable crimes in the Port can be found here (Warning: Possibly triggering.)
Hospitals
Should you encounter any trouble in the city, you should find your way to the nearest hospital. There is a SERO and AGI hospital for affiliated members only, but there are other places you can go to. Skye Medical Center and Siren's Port General Hospital accepts anyone, including Newcomers. Several Newcomer doctors work there as well.
** Daedalus Yumeno (Skye)
** Michael Xavier (Clinic)
** Kenzo Tenma (SPGH)
** John Seward (St. Teresa's Sanitarium)
** John Watson (Skye)
** Simon Tam (Skye)
** Unohana Retsu (Clinic)
** Helen Magnus (Clinic/Skye)
If you are uncomfortable with visiting either of those hospitals, there is a small clinic in the Newcomer Community Center that can also help you, but there may be a waiting time to see a doctor.
Emergency Contact Numbers
If you find yourself in need of legal assistance, you can contact Diego Armando or Franziska von Karma on their NVs. They can advise you in any legal matters you may have.
If you need a caseworker to help you find a job, housing, or anything else, contact Re-l Mayer here.
If you need anything else that isn't mentioned on this pamphlet, the Newcomer Network should be able to assist you.