arrival

[codified]

Upon arrival

The beaches

Most characters will arrive swept up on the western coast, where there are long sandy beaches fronted by lush jungle. They will have the same possessions on them as at the time of their submersion in their own canon. Consider item shape and weight while your character is in the water! Heavy items will likely have to be dropped for the sake of survival, and lighter items might be easily lost, only to be washed ashore separately from their owners.

One thing they will immediately notice is that magical and electronic equipment will not work, or will work only sporadically. Such items may not be broken; they’ll simply be dead or lacking reception, or full of static. There’s no contact, because there’s nothing to contact.

Once ashore characters can move inland or along the beaches at their discretion. They might even scavenge for objects along the coastline—though if you wish your character to pick up an item not their own, make sure you have permission from the item’s owner first. If you would like your character to join up with another, this is a prime opportunity while characters are still relegated to the open sand of the beaches—other people will be much more difficult to see once in the cover of the jungle.

Otherwise you may request an NPCed setting, if you’d like your character to explore without meeting other characters. This may open opportunities to discover specific things about the island before your character has met anyone.

Either way, you should assume that your character finds their way into contact with the native population within three days at most.

The locals

Initial contact with Dinotopians will usually be made with farmers or residents of smaller villages, all of whom will be concerned by the damage to their land. Some dolphinbacks might be picked up by survey teams cataloguing damage from the earthquake, who will either be camping or based out of nearby villages or ranches. These interactions can be handwaved if you so desire, but as NPC threads count toward AC and this is an opportunity for you and your characters to learn about the setting directly, we recommend requesting some NPC interaction early on in the game.

The average response to dolphinbacks at this stage will be varied combinations of surprise, sympathy and discomfort that the Dinotopians are unable to be as accommodating as usual in the wake of the earthquake. All human Dinotopians will speak Dinotopian as their native language, and most will have at least a smattering of phrases from the various individual languages of their ancestors. Saurian Dinotopians will usually speak their own individual languages, though all will be capable of some degree of Dinotopian (if heavily accented).

Communication will not be easy or simple, and this should be reflected in your character’s perception. If, for some reason, you feel your character needs someone with greater capability for translation, you may make a specific request to the mods for an NPC who is more knowledgeable in your character’s language (though they will still not be as versed as an official translator).

All Dinotopians will be able to offer the same information: that the island is hidden; that it is surrounded by reefs and storms; that it recently endured a devastating earthquake; that the newcomers, as dolphinbacks, will be cared-for. They will be able to show maps of the area. They will accept and be grateful for any aid offered in rebuilding their homes. They will also assume that, in the event of meeting multiple characters, all the characters were aboard the same ship or aircraft and therefore know one another.

Your character will invariably be offered food and shelter, though both will be humble fare due to the disaster. There will be no meat; the nearest thing will be fish or eggs. Beds may consist of simply hay in a barn, or a pallet made up in front of a fire. In any case, all Dinotopians will eventually insist that your character makes their way to Waterfall City.

The travel

Most remote villages will have relatively limited contact with major cities. Though they will facilitate the dolphinbacks’ travel as best as they can, for the most part this will happen by sending them on with passing convoys, survey teams or workers clearing unblocked roads. The dolphinbacks may change hands many times over the course of their travel to Waterfall City, but all those they meet will ensure they arrive safely.

Given the earthquake, travel will be rough. There are no electric or gasoline vehicles; all long-distance travel is done by walking or riding in carts, or on the occasional kindly dinosaur. The roads will be damaged and may be blocked, and going will be slow because of it. The earthquake has also disturbed the carnivores of the Rainy Basin, which may mean those travelling too close to the Basin’s borders may find themselves under threat!

The length of time between characters being in one place and appearing in another should correspond with the distance travelled. A basic view of distances between cities can be seen on the Settings page. Please contact the mods if you need facilitation for activity during travelling times, or require some NPC aid.

The destination

Waterfall City is a metropolis built on the edges of massive waterfalls. As a result of its location, the earthquake has damaged it badly. Travel across to the city was difficult at the best of times, and is now even more so. In spite of that, Dolphinbacks will receive special dispensation and ferried across as soon as may be possible.

Upon reaching the city proper, your character will find themselves directed specifically to two locations. They might head to the library, where the official translators reside. They might go to the guest registry, where dolphinbacks are requested to give their name, origin and skills. The map on the Waterfall City page also has lots of suggestions as to where your character may wander. Wherever they go, they will see the damage and flooding caused by the earthquake.

Although it will be clear that the city is in a state of upheaval, the authorities will make every effort to make dolphinbacks as comfortable as possible. This does mean using temporary refugee barracks; the Haven of the Muses, where dolphinbacks are usually housed, was lost to the Polongo in the earthquake. All newest dolphinbacks will receive lodging in the northern district, as well as education into Dinotopia’s culture and language.

The residents of Waterfall City will have the same information as anyone on the outskirts, though more readily understood. The particularly educated, such as those at the library, may not be unfamiliar with the multiple-realities theory, though they would certainly take some convincing as to its truth. They will also encourage the dolphinbacks to put their skills to good use, especially given the current state of affairs. When asked, they will insist there is no way off the island, and will be gently disapproving of the idea of trying, particularly given the state of Dinotopia’s need at present. That said, though they will not actively help dolphinbacks escape the island—they have their priorities!—the tools to examine the island’s geography and plan a potential escape are available to the public at the library. Of course, given the library's condition, those documents may be difficult to find.

Jobs will be readily available. Buildings must be reconstructed; canals must be supported; dams created; streets drained; precious artefacts saved; workers fed and housed; tools remade. If you need help figuring out what your character can do, NPC authorities will be made available to players in the event you would like your character to approach someone more knowledgeable about the island’s state of technology, magic, politics, economics and other such issues.

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