Setting Info
Oct. 31st, 2022 01:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missrecalled_mods For those of you who know Descendants/Isle Of The Lost, please note there will be some changes, listed below the general info.
General info:
Once upon a time there were lots of stories. Many once upon a times that ended Happily Ever After. Many of them had a basic pattern. Good guys having their lives made harder by villains. Helpful sidekicks or bystanders. The villian defeated. And then happily ever after for those who are good. Some of the villains died, some just wandered off to lick their wounds.
But twenty years ago, one of the heroes got tired of it all. He would be later known as King Beast, his true name lost under the power of his legacy. King Beast gathered up all the heroes and their loved ones and sidekicks and built a combined kingdom called Auradon. A place for the good and just to live in peace.
But there can be no peace when evil runs free. So he gathered up - with quite a bit of magical help - all the evil people, all the villains and all their sidekicks and minions and banished them off to the Isle Of The Lost. Which is actually more than a single Isle, though most people trapped there know only the main one. He even had old villains brought back from the dead just to banish them there. Then the Isle was cut off from the main land. A barrier surrounded the far off land, not only keeping everyone within trapped on their Isle but also cutting them off from magic and a lot of technological advances. Auradon and the Isle are close enough that from a height people on the Isle can see Auradon, and parts of Auradon can see the Isle the same way. But no physical bridge connects them. The waters are rough around the barrier, making ships struggle with choppy sea. And the barrier keeps each to its own side.
There are ways to open the barrier, but they are all controlled on the Auradon side by the royal family. The only thing that gets through even semi-regularly is a trash barge bringing to the Isle things that people in Auradon no longer want. But the barge has stopped running as of the start of the game. The Isle is truly cut off. At least... for now.
For the moment - see the Story So Far - both maps are somewhat limited. The crisis that removed most of the population of Isle and Auradon alike has left barriers all over the place. In time, through player actions in and out of events, both maps will grow, and the places that the characters can explore will increase. This will be more an effect of player actions on the Isle where the focus will be more adventure and survival. Game play focus in Auradon will be more slice of life, though the new king may have missions for the brave and bold.
In Auradon magic works, but is... discouraged. The current king - King Ben, son of King Beast - is understanding that these people are not of his world, and is doing the best he can. But he is also trying to keep to the rules of those who came before, to encourage people to find ways to achieve tasks with friendship and cooperation rather than magic. After all, no man is an Island, and no Island is a place anyone from Auradon wants to live....
Characters will be sorted upon arrival into either Auradon or The Isle (see the app page for information about how these choices are made.)
One thing to note - randomly bursting out into song, spontaneous flash mobs where somehow you just know the steps and can join in... these can all happen, both in Auradon and the Isle Of The Lost. For those unfamiliar with Descendants, feel free to picture "That's How You Know" from Enchanted. Or... really... any musical. Just make sure that if you link any song/video it follows the game rules.
And speaking of game rules, here is a great place to remind you of the spell cast over the lands of the game - Auradon and Isle alike - foul language fails to work here. In speech, in writing, in any form that can be shared with others or preserved. Attempts will be replaced with humorous alternatives that suit the character trying to swear.
So, for those of you who know Descendants/Isle Of The Lost, there are some changes to note! Here we go!
The game setting is... mostly set just after the ending of the third movie. So if anyone here is planning to watch it, please feel free to stop reading here to avoid spoilers.
Okay so everyone here is willing to... no? A few people still wanting to avoid spoilers? No worries, I get it. We will wait.
Okay?
Okay cool! Spoilers incoming!
So, at the end of the third movie, we see a big dance number with a new bridge and the barrier down. For this setting that's... not quite the story. The deal is this... Rather than a big dramatic moment of everyone is allowed to come and go, somewhat more realistic rules had been put in place. Welcome to Auradon was granted to some, with probation in place. Others had the possibility of earning it but had to first prove themselves.
The children of villains are all welcome into Auradon but must finish at least one year of schooling (sorted to age) that includes remedial goodness. If they pass Remedial Goodness and impress their teachers with a desire to do good (not well, good) they are welcome to stay.
Sidekicks and minions who can make a case that they had little choice but to obey are given a similar chance as the children and also have to take and pass remedial goodness, even if they are adults. Yes, even the goblins, the dwarves did get their messages after all, it seems.
Villains can prove themselves reformed by doing good deeds and working with Master Yen Sid, who will advise the king.
At least, that had been the plan.
Before the wish that had destroyed everything and set into motion the events of this game.
But this is why the barrier remains for this game, why there is no bridge, and why Yen Sid Doc F. Mother Gothel, and Lady Tremaine will be teaching in Dragon Hall for those who wish to attend classes.
Other changes:
Look, I would love to follow canon and make only changes needed to keep the game interesting, but canon contradicts itself all over the place. So doing the best I can. Unless otherwise stated, the order of priority given to canon is as follows:
Main Novels (Melissa De La Cruz)
The Descendants movies
School Of Secrets series
Wicked World
Any other books or animated shorts(this takes place before the wedding short)
How Freddie and CJ escaped the Isle is one of the few things taken from Wicked World, other than the wicked music.
The map. I will be doing my best to make/find a map that works for this game. But it may not match the map in your head from reading/watching. Things are a bit wibbly wobbly in canon as to what is where as it is. So if the map for the game isn't quite what you expect, I do appologize.
The TV channels on the Isle. I'm sorry but the Dungeon Shopping Network is a plothole, since the coins used for currency on the Isle have no monetary value in Auradon and also... no way to communicate out to place orders. So there will be no DSN. Sorry. Also... we just get a lot of contradictions about the TV in general, so that will be simplified down and streamlined.
Other changes may be here as well, please read through setting info, even if you know the canon. If you have a question, please do not hesitate to reach out to the mods.
General info:
Once upon a time there were lots of stories. Many once upon a times that ended Happily Ever After. Many of them had a basic pattern. Good guys having their lives made harder by villains. Helpful sidekicks or bystanders. The villian defeated. And then happily ever after for those who are good. Some of the villains died, some just wandered off to lick their wounds.
But twenty years ago, one of the heroes got tired of it all. He would be later known as King Beast, his true name lost under the power of his legacy. King Beast gathered up all the heroes and their loved ones and sidekicks and built a combined kingdom called Auradon. A place for the good and just to live in peace.
But there can be no peace when evil runs free. So he gathered up - with quite a bit of magical help - all the evil people, all the villains and all their sidekicks and minions and banished them off to the Isle Of The Lost. Which is actually more than a single Isle, though most people trapped there know only the main one. He even had old villains brought back from the dead just to banish them there. Then the Isle was cut off from the main land. A barrier surrounded the far off land, not only keeping everyone within trapped on their Isle but also cutting them off from magic and a lot of technological advances. Auradon and the Isle are close enough that from a height people on the Isle can see Auradon, and parts of Auradon can see the Isle the same way. But no physical bridge connects them. The waters are rough around the barrier, making ships struggle with choppy sea. And the barrier keeps each to its own side.
There are ways to open the barrier, but they are all controlled on the Auradon side by the royal family. The only thing that gets through even semi-regularly is a trash barge bringing to the Isle things that people in Auradon no longer want. But the barge has stopped running as of the start of the game. The Isle is truly cut off. At least... for now.
For the moment - see the Story So Far - both maps are somewhat limited. The crisis that removed most of the population of Isle and Auradon alike has left barriers all over the place. In time, through player actions in and out of events, both maps will grow, and the places that the characters can explore will increase. This will be more an effect of player actions on the Isle where the focus will be more adventure and survival. Game play focus in Auradon will be more slice of life, though the new king may have missions for the brave and bold.
In Auradon magic works, but is... discouraged. The current king - King Ben, son of King Beast - is understanding that these people are not of his world, and is doing the best he can. But he is also trying to keep to the rules of those who came before, to encourage people to find ways to achieve tasks with friendship and cooperation rather than magic. After all, no man is an Island, and no Island is a place anyone from Auradon wants to live....
Characters will be sorted upon arrival into either Auradon or The Isle (see the app page for information about how these choices are made.)
One thing to note - randomly bursting out into song, spontaneous flash mobs where somehow you just know the steps and can join in... these can all happen, both in Auradon and the Isle Of The Lost. For those unfamiliar with Descendants, feel free to picture "That's How You Know" from Enchanted. Or... really... any musical. Just make sure that if you link any song/video it follows the game rules.
And speaking of game rules, here is a great place to remind you of the spell cast over the lands of the game - Auradon and Isle alike - foul language fails to work here. In speech, in writing, in any form that can be shared with others or preserved. Attempts will be replaced with humorous alternatives that suit the character trying to swear.
So, for those of you who know Descendants/Isle Of The Lost, there are some changes to note! Here we go!
The game setting is... mostly set just after the ending of the third movie. So if anyone here is planning to watch it, please feel free to stop reading here to avoid spoilers.
Okay so everyone here is willing to... no? A few people still wanting to avoid spoilers? No worries, I get it. We will wait.
Okay?
Okay cool! Spoilers incoming!
So, at the end of the third movie, we see a big dance number with a new bridge and the barrier down. For this setting that's... not quite the story. The deal is this... Rather than a big dramatic moment of everyone is allowed to come and go, somewhat more realistic rules had been put in place. Welcome to Auradon was granted to some, with probation in place. Others had the possibility of earning it but had to first prove themselves.
The children of villains are all welcome into Auradon but must finish at least one year of schooling (sorted to age) that includes remedial goodness. If they pass Remedial Goodness and impress their teachers with a desire to do good (not well, good) they are welcome to stay.
Sidekicks and minions who can make a case that they had little choice but to obey are given a similar chance as the children and also have to take and pass remedial goodness, even if they are adults. Yes, even the goblins, the dwarves did get their messages after all, it seems.
Villains can prove themselves reformed by doing good deeds and working with Master Yen Sid, who will advise the king.
At least, that had been the plan.
Before the wish that had destroyed everything and set into motion the events of this game.
But this is why the barrier remains for this game, why there is no bridge, and why Yen Sid Doc F. Mother Gothel, and Lady Tremaine will be teaching in Dragon Hall for those who wish to attend classes.
Other changes:
Look, I would love to follow canon and make only changes needed to keep the game interesting, but canon contradicts itself all over the place. So doing the best I can. Unless otherwise stated, the order of priority given to canon is as follows:
Main Novels (Melissa De La Cruz)
The Descendants movies
School Of Secrets series
Wicked World
Any other books or animated shorts(this takes place before the wedding short)
How Freddie and CJ escaped the Isle is one of the few things taken from Wicked World, other than the wicked music.
The map. I will be doing my best to make/find a map that works for this game. But it may not match the map in your head from reading/watching. Things are a bit wibbly wobbly in canon as to what is where as it is. So if the map for the game isn't quite what you expect, I do appologize.
The TV channels on the Isle. I'm sorry but the Dungeon Shopping Network is a plothole, since the coins used for currency on the Isle have no monetary value in Auradon and also... no way to communicate out to place orders. So there will be no DSN. Sorry. Also... we just get a lot of contradictions about the TV in general, so that will be simplified down and streamlined.
Other changes may be here as well, please read through setting info, even if you know the canon. If you have a question, please do not hesitate to reach out to the mods.
What to Expect In Auradon
Date: 10/31/22 05:22 am (UTC)So, you've arrived in Auradon! The land of happily ever after! Welcome! Everything here seems as though it were painted in soft water colours. The school is a castle. An impressive and large castle, clearly built more to be impressive than to defend. It would be the most impressive castle in the area... if not for the larger castle just off the school grounds.
Everywhere you look, the grass is healthy and green and perfect for picnics. Bushes pop with flowers. The air is scented and sweet. Everything seems perfect here, except for the utter stillness. The quiet. As though not just the people were gone, but most of the animals as well. But the plants, at least, seem to have had some help. In on section of on of the courtyards some new rose bushes are blooming.
The school holds dorms in a wing seperated by boys and girls rooms. The rooms meant for female students are generally full of pink and white and sparkles and lace and frills. Very few of the doors are locked, but a lot of them are filled with personal belongings, like these were someone's rooms.
The rooms meant for boys are much the same, though they are more blue and green and flannel. But again, most of the doors are unlocked, even though the rooms look lived in.
On both sides, the rooms each have two beds, and two of everything.
These are the kinds of dorms you might have dreamed of as a child. Opulent and beautiful, tastefully decorated, ready to welcome you with charm. Meant to feel like a home. The beds are comfortable, as are the sheets. All of the furniture is of good quality and gleams as though they've never been used. Both sets of rooms have large flat screen TVs and video game systems set up with all sorts of happy up beat games. The Wifi is fast and steady. The rooms are well lit with huge windows that open to perfect breezes.
It is idyllic.
Storybook.
A perfect start to a perfect Happily Ever After.
The rest of the school is much the same. Large lockers. Clean classrooms with comfortable desks and chairs set up for small class sizes. Perfectly clean chalk boards, everything is just so... perfect.
Some might find so much perfection creepy, but if you're here... that's probably not you, right?
Of course, there are a few exceptions. While most of the lockers are unlocked, some few aren't. Including one that is spray painted with an abstract green and purple design of purple roses coming out of green fog, thorns sharp and dripping. A few of the dorm rooms are actually locked. Some are marked to indicate which rooms are taken, so that new arrivals can choose unclaimed rooms without having to worry about displacing anyone.
The art classroom shows more art done by whoever had decorated the locker, including a full wall mural.
Outside, where one might find a football field is a field for... some other sort of game. A large grassy field with goals like you might see in soccer save for the crenelated decoration on top. The field is bisected by an area painted red and white and flanked by what look like stylized firework canons aimed right at the red and white area. There are bleachers and wide areas around, and not far off is a storage shed full of uniforms, long sticks with rounded indented ends like giant wooden ladles, small black and white balls, and foam tipped soft rockets.
What an odd game it must be.
Also indoors is what looks like some sort of exhibition area, based on the balcony seats looking down over the odd space below. More seats encircle the area as well but not as many. The central area is a series of two circles on the ground, one with boxes around its perimeter and one enclosed by walls. The walls are among the very few things that do not look perfectly clean here. In fact... it almost looks like boot prints along the smooth sides here and there, as though someone had tried to wash off evidence that people had walked along the walls, but had not quite managed it.
A storage closet attached to this area holds fencing foils, fencing masks, and blue and yellow uniforms.
What to Expect on the Isle
Date: 10/31/22 05:25 am (UTC)The Isle is the result of people trying to make whatever life they can out of the trash thrown away by people who have it all. Everything is grimy and in disrepair. People are encouraged to litter, but they also have to make use of whatever they can, so while there is always trash on the ground, if it is still there, it probably isn't of use to anyone.
There is indoor plumbing, thankfully, but it is sluggish. and you probably want to let the water run a bit before drinking from it or cooking with it.
There is electricity but it flickers from time to time and there are few outlets. Well, few useful ones if you want to do anything other than watch TV. Because there are a lot of TVs, but they all have a special plug that goes into special outlets. It is as if all the TVs and outlets are Type L on this chart, where as most other electronics one can find - if you can find any that aren't terribly broken - are type F. Thankfully lights tend to be fixtures, rather than needing to be plugged in.
But hey, the TV works! Well.. Sort of. Your channels are kind of... limited.
Channels:
Auradon News Network - This channel broadcasts big events like coronations and decrees. The rest of the time it just has a static image of a happy couple, with the boy in an ill fitting crown, and the white haired girl giving a smile that looks forced. The words "Be Good For Goodness' Sake!" is splashed across the bottom of the image in soft pink and blue while gentle music playes.
Auradon Official - this channel plays after school special sorts of PSAs. Messages about being good, and helping others. They're all so over the top and sappy and seemingly unrealistic that some people might feel compelled to be evil just to prove what the real world is actually like. It doesn't help that all the scenes are shot in clean perfect pristine places and the stakes always seem out of touch with reality and shallow. Lessons like "Be good, or the boy you like might only complement you once to be polite!"
Gooddication - this is a channel for syndicated old sitcoms and soap operas, but of course they wouldn't use a word like syndication in Auradon! And that is where the transmissions come from. Here you will find the kinds of sitcoms you might fine if Disney decided to disneify their own IPs even further, and aimed them at sheltered children who have no idea conflict exists. some of the big issues in episodes are horrible traumas like finding money on the ground and not being able to figure out who to return it to, or worrying that you didn't cheer up the other team - in a sporting game after they lost - enough, so trying to find the perfect apology gift.
The soap operas aren't any better. People spend more time apologizing for miscommunications than anything else. Kisses are always chaste and brief. No one plots anything more sinister than a surprise party. And of course no one has an evil twin and once true love is establish the couple is forever.
Despite this, they are at least... somewhat watchable, and there is a story there. Just... a very sanitized and safe one.
There are three schools on the Isle, though the only one available at the start of the game is Dragon Hall. Dragon Hall is set in what looks like a cemetery. Instead of tombstones are doomstones that have inscriptions like: "IT IS BETTER TO HAVE NEVER LOVED AT ALL THAN TO BE LOVED". There is a rough flattened somewhat circular path behind the giant mausoleum that serves as the school. It is what passes for a track and weaves in and out of the doomstones, many of which angle dangerously into the worn trampled path.
Inside the school is evidence of disrepair, neglect, and a lack of care. Lockers are half off hinges in some places. In others they are dented outward as if something had been trying to escape the small cramped lockers. Trash is on the floor, not quite hiding the chipped and broken floor tiles. The classrooms are packed with too many desks - each carved and decorated with rude images and words or people's names. Of course rude has to be creative here as the spell that keeps people from speaking curse words stops them from carving them as well, even with alternate spellings. So the carvings are more like "A thousand deaths upon the sands for Anthony Tremaine" and "Down with good, live evil!" than the sort you might find in a real world public high school.
There are no dorms in this school, but seeing as how at game start the school and school grounds are surrounded by an impassable wall of thorns and trash, you're going to have to make due... somehow. And what little food you can find is half eaten and/or half rotted. No one should have to live like this. But somehow you are going to have to try...
But there are teachers locked in here with you, perhaps some of them have an idea...?