Nightsiders We Have Known
Jul. 11th, 2014 12:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdNightsiders. The term is a broad one, and very human-centric.
Basic rules in the Nightside 'verse:
1) Everything is a natural occurrence. Nothing is supernatural.
Demons are intelligent beings from a different plane/dimension of existence. Humans call them "Hell-planes" because the climates are often inhospitable. Since demons are often pursuing their own agendas, often ones inimical to humans, they are perceived as evil.
Cell phones don't work across the barriers, but the internet does.
"S is for Succubus:"
Most of my clients just use my cell-phone, but mine doesn't work across dimensional barriers. Something about AT&T not being compatible with whatever Bill Gates had set up for the outer planes in terms of telecommunications. At least good silver still worked across all the planes.
Cell phones do work for mages. Some even boost the signal.
WIP:
Cellphones are the one piece of tech that works reliably for us, why I have no idea. Maybe we're just on the right frequency.
Many electrical gadgets don't work with high mana beings: mages, nightsiders, etc, because of energy incompatibility. It's very similar to how I drain batteries in my phone or the handheld scanner at work. I go through 2 batteries to other workers' one. on high stress or pain days, it can be 4:1. There are a few technomancers on the right wavelength, and they run things like the HuntTheNight search engine. Sgt Thomas of the PMSquad is one of these. (Lt. Hacker must maintain a 10' distance from all computers or they explode)
The rule means holy symbols only work as a mana focusing point, gods and holy ground do not exist, souls are post-life energy, the electricity that is left when the physical machine wears out. Belief is everything, and there is no divine intervention. All magic is a skill or an innate talent.
In the WIP, there is talk of Arwen, and Cernunnos, but neither of these beings show up to lead the hunt. The hounds do, but the gods do not.
This brings us to the second point.
2) Basic rules are in play, to the extent the people believe them.
A lot of monsters have weird weaknesses in traditional folklore (see the OCD vampire discussion in the previous post). The reality is, these are weaknesses only to the extent that the Nightsider believes in them. The sun will accelerate the decay of a vampire's body, but they won't burst into flames. Decapitating ANYTHING usually works. Most werewolves and some fae have a silver allergy. Shoot a werewolf with a regular bullet and it's going to take a higher caliber and several shots to drop it. Shoot one with a silver bullet and the allergy will affect them as much as the wound. Some creatures, like zombies, depend on spells to keep them going.
However, something like a spell takes no belief. It is pure skill. If a mage throws a fireball, disbelieving it will not keep a bystander from getting burned.
Many ordinary humans ignore the Nightside as much as possible. "There are no such things as ghosts, vampires or zombies. And the only witch we know is the weird lady who likes to dance naked in her backyard on the full moon." That's how 85% of humans get through their lives. The Nightsiders hjave a near-parallel economy, a newspaper, websites, stores, and parts of town the humans don't frequent. Some places are set up for mingling. Hellzapoppin, the All Demon Revue, is one. Most tourists think it's done with wires. Elvis' Crossing Day Bash is one of the premier events in Memphis. That's the day the human city leaders swallow hard and admit their leading citizen is a vampire.
From the WIP
"What's the first thing they teach you on the Bitch Patrol? Is it still 'humans won't see the Nightside if they can help it?' because I know Lieutenant Hacker used to beat that into every rookie's head.”
3) Ethnic Nightsiders tend to stay with their original ethnic group.
This is reasonable. They know the rules. They know what their people believe. A ma ca rong is more likely to stick with the food he knows, rather than sample the new cuisines available, especially if traveling. A kitsune might find herself popped in a box or skinned by those who don't know she can shift to human.
4) Monster Mash
Everything exists. From goatmen to giants. A brief rundown of the creatures we've seen:
Succubi
Werewolves
Wererats
Pixies
Gremlins
Vampires
Zombies
Fae/Sidhe--seelie and unseelie
Kitsune
Ghosts
Demons
Elder Gods (including Cthulhu)--I know, I know. But they're just extraterrestrials
Talking animals, specifically a dog
Goatmen
Grunches
Ghouls
Giants
Ogres
Trolls
Ettins
Goblins
Strega
Lamia
Valravn
Dragons
Basic rules in the Nightside 'verse:
1) Everything is a natural occurrence. Nothing is supernatural.
Demons are intelligent beings from a different plane/dimension of existence. Humans call them "Hell-planes" because the climates are often inhospitable. Since demons are often pursuing their own agendas, often ones inimical to humans, they are perceived as evil.
Cell phones don't work across the barriers, but the internet does.
"S is for Succubus:"
Most of my clients just use my cell-phone, but mine doesn't work across dimensional barriers. Something about AT&T not being compatible with whatever Bill Gates had set up for the outer planes in terms of telecommunications. At least good silver still worked across all the planes.
Cell phones do work for mages. Some even boost the signal.
WIP:
Cellphones are the one piece of tech that works reliably for us, why I have no idea. Maybe we're just on the right frequency.
Many electrical gadgets don't work with high mana beings: mages, nightsiders, etc, because of energy incompatibility. It's very similar to how I drain batteries in my phone or the handheld scanner at work. I go through 2 batteries to other workers' one. on high stress or pain days, it can be 4:1. There are a few technomancers on the right wavelength, and they run things like the HuntTheNight search engine. Sgt Thomas of the PMSquad is one of these. (Lt. Hacker must maintain a 10' distance from all computers or they explode)
The rule means holy symbols only work as a mana focusing point, gods and holy ground do not exist, souls are post-life energy, the electricity that is left when the physical machine wears out. Belief is everything, and there is no divine intervention. All magic is a skill or an innate talent.
In the WIP, there is talk of Arwen, and Cernunnos, but neither of these beings show up to lead the hunt. The hounds do, but the gods do not.
This brings us to the second point.
2) Basic rules are in play, to the extent the people believe them.
A lot of monsters have weird weaknesses in traditional folklore (see the OCD vampire discussion in the previous post). The reality is, these are weaknesses only to the extent that the Nightsider believes in them. The sun will accelerate the decay of a vampire's body, but they won't burst into flames. Decapitating ANYTHING usually works. Most werewolves and some fae have a silver allergy. Shoot a werewolf with a regular bullet and it's going to take a higher caliber and several shots to drop it. Shoot one with a silver bullet and the allergy will affect them as much as the wound. Some creatures, like zombies, depend on spells to keep them going.
However, something like a spell takes no belief. It is pure skill. If a mage throws a fireball, disbelieving it will not keep a bystander from getting burned.
Many ordinary humans ignore the Nightside as much as possible. "There are no such things as ghosts, vampires or zombies. And the only witch we know is the weird lady who likes to dance naked in her backyard on the full moon." That's how 85% of humans get through their lives. The Nightsiders hjave a near-parallel economy, a newspaper, websites, stores, and parts of town the humans don't frequent. Some places are set up for mingling. Hellzapoppin, the All Demon Revue, is one. Most tourists think it's done with wires. Elvis' Crossing Day Bash is one of the premier events in Memphis. That's the day the human city leaders swallow hard and admit their leading citizen is a vampire.
From the WIP
"What's the first thing they teach you on the Bitch Patrol? Is it still 'humans won't see the Nightside if they can help it?' because I know Lieutenant Hacker used to beat that into every rookie's head.”
3) Ethnic Nightsiders tend to stay with their original ethnic group.
This is reasonable. They know the rules. They know what their people believe. A ma ca rong is more likely to stick with the food he knows, rather than sample the new cuisines available, especially if traveling. A kitsune might find herself popped in a box or skinned by those who don't know she can shift to human.
4) Monster Mash
Everything exists. From goatmen to giants. A brief rundown of the creatures we've seen:
Succubi
Werewolves
Wererats
Pixies
Gremlins
Vampires
Zombies
Fae/Sidhe--seelie and unseelie
Kitsune
Ghosts
Demons
Elder Gods (including Cthulhu)--I know, I know. But they're just extraterrestrials
Talking animals, specifically a dog
Goatmen
Grunches
Ghouls
Giants
Ogres
Trolls
Ettins
Goblins
Strega
Lamia
Valravn
Dragons
