Peter Parker | Spider-Man (PS4) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
quipsandthwips) wrote1992-12-10 08:33 pm
quipsandthwips) wrote1992-12-10 08:33 pm
PETER PARKER'S PRINTED PAMPHLET (FOR SLEEPERS), OR.... PPPP(S)
(THIS INFORMATIONAL PACKET IS CONSTANTLY UNDER RENOVATION, and is a general summation based on pieces collected over quite a span of time, so please take it all with a grain of salt; updated 11/23/2020)
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST ONE
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST TWO
SHIRO'S BROADCAST REGARDING THE POLICE STATION
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST THREE
CHLOE'S ACCOUNT OF TIME HERE
DIARMUID'S POST REGARDING SODDER AND SO ON
DIARMUID'S POST REGARDING MEETING JULIA SODDER
CHLOE PRICE'S DETAILED HISTORY OF EVENTS IN TOWN
This is not a completely verified series of events, but they're written out to the best of my ability. If they feel scrambled or difficult to follow, please... bear with me. It's been a long two years, okay? If anything's wrong and needs to be corrected, please contact me ASAP.
The Pthumerian Queen
A long while back, a being came to this place in the hopes of forming a new coven — she was pregnant with someone we'll come to know as Cynthia Sodder, the mother of the being that has pulled us into this world. The Pthumerian Queen's memory is located in Lake Tomie, but I'll summarize what we've found there as best I can.
She comes from a place I'm assuming is, uh. Called Pthumeria. On account of her name. Maybe I'm off base there, but what I know is this: she comes from another planet, one full of what appears to be female-passing beings that are easily 8-9 feet in height. They appeared to take great delight in 'dressing' as humans — and by dressing, I mean they usually look like giant monsters and dress themselves down a little. (This is what Mother Superior does, I think, when she goes into human nun mode.) The Queen had a ceremony here which... I think it's just safe to say for the sole purpose of getting knocked up. I'll put a transcript of the conversation here, from this particular memory (someone hire me as a fulltime court transcriptionist):
She and her people came to America a long time ago, to the land we're currently in right now. Or whatever dreamed image of that land it is. I'm honestly not sure how Deerington came to be, just that it was.
Mother Superior appeared to be a right-hand man of sorts to the Queen. You'll learn more about her later, but basically, she's a nun currently tormenting us here. Mother Superior wasn't so sure that bringing along ordinary humans to the land was a good idea; the Queen wanted her daughter 'born into mankind'. She seemed to believe the combination of man's imagination and their race's power could make them into gods, or at least bigger versions of the gods they perceived themselves as. The Queen seemed to look down on mankind and see them as livestock, or creatures to be used for her own means.
Mother Superior also appeared to have had some pity and compassion for humans, way back when.
Nnnnot sure what happened there.
Either way, the Queen wanted her daughter to birth the greatest god that ever was.
The Sodders, A Prelude
Cynthia Sodder, we can assume, was born sometime after. Not sure of much when it comes to her life before her daughter, Julia Sodder, but I'm guessing she met and married the current mayor of the town sometime around here. We'll refer to that jerk and a half as The Mayor and talk more about him later, but his full name is Roderick Sodder. From what I can tell, the Mayor started off as a mostly decent guy.
I think we're seeing a pattern of 'decent people becoming not so decent'. The towns people flourished, or seemed to be doing alright, in the meanwhile. And then — Julia was born (other apparent known aliases: Somnus, Moonchild, Hypnos, Moon Queen). Julia, or J. Sodder, had abilities much like the Queen and Cynthia... but the problem was, she wasn't sure how to control them. Imagine you're a kid, and your whole reason for being was to be 'the strongest god' or whatever. Yeah. Apparently, she had been born in the form of something inhuman, and it really messed with her father's perception of her.
Her birth seems to also have had a few fatalities with it among the staff.
She couldn't control her powers. She was creating things, shifting things, able to make particular creatures a reality. And, depending on what you believe, could have either dragged us into this world from our universes, or (if you go by Mother Superior's logic) created us and our universes herself. Complicated, huh? Freaky? Don't let it get to you too much.
Back to Julia Sodder. She was growing more and more difficult to handle.
Per Mother Superior: "Her lineage is born of creatures who feel differently than human beings, who see the world differently. Her being part human meant part of her soul, how she thought, how her mind worked, invoked humanity's natural tendency to create and tell stories, believe stories, and care deeply about them. Humanity gave her emotions she would not have had otherwise."
I admit, I'm not too familiar with how her life went in Deerington, but I have the feeling that a lot of people who should have been looking out for her weren't. She was... isolated? That might be a good word for it. And so her powers spiraled further out of control.
At one point, she'd been chased by a monster in Deerington. I think... she had started the dangerous process of creating or bringing monsters into the town. The police of Deerington hadn't believed her, and so she made the Authority to take their place. The Authority is... well. Magical cats who can punish crime in this town.
(I'll talk about them more later.)
But again: The Strongest God.
More monsters came to exist in the town. Those monsters hurt people. Killed people, from what I can gather. She also brought in people. People like Ramona Derwin. Keep that name in your mind for later.
As a last ditch attempt to quiet her abilities and keep her from causing any terrible destruction... they put her into what I can only assume was a coma, planning to take her to the top of Mount Rheum (where I believe her body still is, in a lab there that is inaccessible). Something clearly didn't work out. In fact, I think their plan to put her to sleep backfired so much that it practically destroyed what was left of the Deerington that the Queen had originally cultivated.
I believe the lab on the mountain has past Sleepers inside it, working on finding a way to manipulate Sodder's abilities to get her to release us all from the dream we're currently stuck in. And I also believe that Ramona Derwin gave Sodder the idea to apparently create 'guardians' — giant beasts that she had created from her nightmares as a defense system of sorts, in case Mother Superior tried to make any further moves against her. From one witness account, there are six guardians in total, spotted in the clouds of Deerington one day. I think... it is possible that somehow, people like Cynthia Sodder and Roderick Sodder, Julia's parents? Are attached to the guardians... or that... that some of these people evolved in some way to fit these roles.
Cynthia Sodder, at some point after Sodder's slumber, allegedly died. I'm not too keen on the familiars, but what I have recently learned, it doesn't mean she's gone from Deerington. She's been locked in Mother Superior's head. Yeah. Locked there. Cynthia had said maybe it was a punishment, For being J. Sodder's mother. So... if you're wondering where she is, just look to the freaky nun in the gas mask who pesters us on the network. It's possible Cynthia's still being kept somewhere Mother Superior wants her to be.
But a grain of salt might be good. Cynthia's not quite all there right now. I can't really blame her. Julia Sodder's relationship with her mother seems to be positive — or, well, Julia sees her as a perfect kind of mom, a saintly figure to look up to. Judging from what others have seen and learned, Cynthia is definitely... 'shackled' to the town. Metaphorically? You know, feeling like she's trapped in her role. In being the 'mother'. She was pretty much fated by her family to be a mom, after all. I know... she loves her kid a lot (loved her kid a lot-) but there's a freedom in being recognized as your own person, with your own life, right?
I hope she finds her freedom.
The Mayor is an elusive figure — and also a major asshole. But I don't think he always was. Maybe just misguided and way in over his head. He's now officially looking like someone out of the blue man group, with dark inky skin and an apparent pact with Mother Superior nowadays.None of us, that I'm aware, have been able to get into his fancy house (which you can see, it's here and visible from the street, good luck, and enjoy forgetting you're trying to get in). I believe there is a way now, but it's a bit perilous. You might want to check in with Vira-Lorr for more on this, but... the mayor seems to have some trouble with being a giant squid monster sometimes? This might be related to Julia's talk of guardians she's created to protect her.
I think he loves his daughter... but it's buried under a whole lot of crap. Maybe breaking through that crap would be beneficial to us. And to him. Especially. He's been trapped a hell of a lot longer than us, right?
Deerington After: The Wastes
Something terrible happened, after Sodder went under. That much is for sure. Some outpouring of power, maybe...? Something happened either way, and Deerington was torn apart by it. The true town is a wasteland of sorts, broken apart and left in ruin, and that leaves us with the original members of the town: The Wastes. You'll know them because they live among us at this very moment. The people in the gas masks, who smell like fire? Who don't come near the Sleepers, and are treated poorly by the pastel-haired Townspeople? Those are the real townspeople of Deerington. Of the town before the dream. Please, show them some compassion when you can. They clearly need it.
In one layer of Deerington, they could be seen floating in a deep sleep, much like how we sometimes float or are encased in that veiny, organic material when we 'go home'. They seem to have fallen into this immediately, and not while at home in their beds — there are children floating at the schoolyard, as if they had fallen into this state of being while visiting to play.
Deerington, from what I understand, has been effectively split into a number of different 'layers'. These layers are sometimes visible to us — some are not reachable. I believe that every October, we see a particular layer: one where there's blood in the streets, and the sky's always dark. It's not pretty, but it's an example of what different stages of Deerington exist. From what I understand, the layers are likely created by Sodder as a method of protection. Admittedly, I don't have a lot of information about them, but I do believe I've been to some of them via a Rubik's Cube? I know, I know. Weird.
I think Mother Superior is already succeeding in getting through these layers, or at least breaking them down over time.
The October Layer (Nightmare Land, the Disney Land of Nightmares): As explained above, the streets are full of blood, and monsters are constantly shrieking. I think Mother Superior may be in this layer, as I had seen here there. It sure would explain why she's so keen on dismantling the layers. More on that later.
The Real Deerington: A vacant, broken down land, full of Wastes looking through rubble. I think the Mayor may be located in this layer, as he appeared to me in this moment. However, I'm not completely sure. This is all just me spit-balling a string of what I hope is logic.
The Great Sleep: An important layer, one we can access when we sleep, with the right equipment. I'm still not completely sure of how it works, but I know that Mother Superior likely would love to get her hands on a way in, herself. We don't hunger or thirst there. And no need to poop, either. Trust me, I was there a long time, and I should have absolutely needed to poop and didn't. Probably because of the whole 'not needing food' thing. Also the fact we're in a dream within a dream. Inception.
I'm tired, sorry, it's like 4:00 a.m.
Death doesn't quite work there, either, and you're given Dream Guides and Dream Weapons to aid you when you traverse that layer. The Fluid also still works in this world, but the signal's pretty spotty. Sleep is still necessary there, and you still absolutely feel pain when you're injured. When you go through the Great Sleep, you're often lead to these... strange pathways. Completing them earns you these golden drachma, which are handy-dandy in other situations involving seeing things about the town.
The Weird Green Place: An enormous wood, calm and teeming with green life and creatures. There's a white deer here that seems at ease. There was... a sense of nostalgia when I visited this place. Familiarity. I don't know. Maybe it's something related to Sodder...? I mean, duh, of course it's related to her, but... never mind.
Our Layer (The Townspeople / The Betties): The one teeming with pastel-colored townspeople and Betties. And by the way? Do NOT trust either of those people here. The pastel weirdos do not like us, and the Betties are likely in cahoots with Mother Superior. Just recently, the Betties could be seen wandering the background of one of Mother Superior's videos. They wear these uniform smiling masks, but underneath is apparently a gaping creepy vortex where a face should be. These same Betties likely attacked our town and destroyed/stole food to try and starve us out (a l l e g e d l y). More on that later, under Mother Superior.
UPDATE: The Betties no longer exist within Deerington.
UPDATE 2: The Townspeople are no longer wandering the town like regular folks. They keep... glitching. They're not talking to us the same way they used to, and they're not performing all their jobs properly. I have a feeling we'll have to be filling in where they used to.
The Death Layer: Okay, so... I think this is the layer people go to when they die. I've got a whole section about dying in Deerington coming up, but bear with me here. When we die in Deerington, we don't stay dead. That much you've probably already gotten the memo for. But when we die... we see this strange human-deer hybrid creature. It helps guide us back to life, from what I can tell. And this place, it's located outside of Deerington's borders. When you're here, you can see gray grass all around the town, and this... huge glossy bubble that wraps all around the town.
NOTE: The layers may have direction correlation with the six guardians; there are six layers that I'm aware of. I think Ramona Derwin is in the death layer, and is also potentially a guardian...? I need more information on this, but it's something to keep in mind. If you're new and still confused about who Ramona Derwin is, keep reading.
Now that we're through the 'Layers', let's get to that.
Can't We Just Leave?
Nice thought, but unfortunately not. I think that a.) that glossy bubble keeps us locked in, and is likely magic that formed sometime during Sodder's out of control power surges, and b.) if you try to leave, you'll start bleeding out of your face and lose memory of who you are and where you are. So please, don't try to leave, because then we'll have to come get you.
I'm not sure when the bubble went up, but I think it's possible it existed before Sodder was placed into a coma.
Citation's gonna be needed, but I don't have much other than little hints here and there.
Who was Ramona Derwin again?
Ramona Derwin, like us, was brought into Deerington. She was close to Julia Sodder, from the looks of things, and objected to her being placed into a coma. From what Sodder herself has told me, Ramona was a magic user with wonderful gifts, and she is part of why we're able to resurrect to life again. She was a good person, and was the founder of FEAR (that fancy place we currently have, where people can sign up as a defense squad). Ramona let herself be trapped here, until Sodder could be released from her dreaming — and is currently in the form of a black deer that sometimes travels between the Layers. Sometimes she will provide things to help us in crises with the magic she's mastered.
Now, about what she did for us. And about the deer.
The Deer of Deerington / Resurrection
Here in Deerington, you may notice strange deer statues. Those are us. Fragments of our souls, anyway, that are a requirement in order for us to resurrect. When we die here, ghostly images of our deaths are left behind (the first time we die, anyway). Deer statues form when those ghosts are laid to rest or banished. And those statues are the work of Ramona Derwin. She used her magic to keep us from dying completely — sacrificed all her power and mind to give our souls the opportunity to return after our first death. To give us more chances to come back to life in human form.
Eventually, though, if someone dies enough... We allegedly become deer.
Have you seen them, the deer wandering around the woods? Through the town? The deer that leave flowers at the statues? Those are Sleepers like us, from times before. They likely died too many times, so many times that Ramona's magic could no longer keep them alive in human form. They will often help you. You can trust the deer, because they were once Sleepers — they want to offer their assistance, especially when it comes to helping us avoid their fate. You'll notice they are strangely ethereal and spiritual, and that's the reason why.
I know, it's a lot. This is all a lot. Take a moment, breathe. Come back to it after a meltdown in the tub.
(That's my recommended meltdown area, anyway.)
And for the record — if you die more than seven times? Something inside you isn't right, after. Anonymous source, but someone I know is reliable with their information... Just heed their advice if you can. Try to protect yourself from excessive deaths, okay? When you die here... it isn't pretty. Loss of memories from home or Deerington is one thing, but they get worse. And they last longer than you'd ever like them to.
After someone died a seventh death here in Deerington, something kind of weird happened, FYI — people started getting deer forms. Yeah, you heard me. Deer forms that they could change in and out of. Sodder had alluded to the deer in the forest being past Sleepers, but I do wonder if they were past Sleepers who became too addicted to shapeshifting into deer form...?
Ramona had referred to us as having a 'soul' or 'essence'. Something that can be molded where she's from. It's how we can be given this ability to change into deer.
If you gain this ability, PLEASE, use it sparingly. We have no clue what it can do to a person over a long period of use. Ramona Derwin herself had informed Sleepers that you "may forget yourself", just before delivering this ability. If you've died before, you can visit her in the fields — behind a particular door.
Mother Superior (And What's Going On Now)
Mother Superior. 1,000+ years old. Calls people 'child' a lot in the most obnoxious way possible. I also have it on good authority that she has a perm under that nun cap. Would fit in perfectly on the cover of an MCR album.
Canoodled with The Pthumerian Queen to create Cynthia Sodder on another planet. Yes, I believe she's Cynthia Sodder's mother.
A real piece of work, right? You've already learned a ton about her. She hates us Sleepers, for lack of a better word, and considers us all sinful creatures that need to be destroyed. Well, that and she had thought we weren't real for a while. She thinks that the power of belief is one of the biggest factors in our strength here (and maybe she's right? who's to say). The more we believe, the more powerful we are. Her current goal is to try and destroy us in any way she can think of. Fooor example: not too long ago, she attempted to starve us all to death, using the Betties (who were maskless and dressed as nuns, going around with their creepy void-faces and destroying our supplies). Narrowly avoided some pretty bad ends, there.
Now she's trying to figure out ways for us to tear each other apart and do the work for her. She's hoping that if she can get us to turn on one another and break our spirits, she can cut down on Sodder's power. And our power. She wants to bring the layers back together. Or rather, break through their walls. She considers us stains on the town, that we've infested Deerington and corrupted it. She's tried and failed for decades to get to Sodder; sees her as a being who should have never been born. One of those 'dwell on the past' types, huh?
She also believes we're figments of Sodder's mind, creations of her own making. But she's also a creepy nun, so take it with a grain of salt. Again, I'm fairly certain she lives in the October Layer? Which is prooobably why she's so pissy all the time.
I can at least respect that she seems to genuinely care about the Wastes. I know it's gonna be hard to hear, but... she might have been a decent-ish person at one point. I mean, she seemed against some kind of terrible plan by the Pthumerian Queen, and seems to genuinely have some compassion for humankind. It seems like in some other world, she is constantly keeping Julia Sodder pushed down under the surface, killing monsters and keeping the floating, true forms of the Wastes safe.
If she has good intentions, it's probably come with a lot of madness over a very long period of time. I can't say I know either way if she's being honest with us, or if she's planting any of these memories for us to see herself — I'm not sure of much these days, honestly. What I do know is she's still super dead set on killing us all.
Doug the Dog Keeper
The Dog Keeper is our resident mailman. I've named him Doug; it's a great name. He does not remember much about his prior life, and is potentially a Waste living among us. And maybe even a dog? Yeah, he could be a dog. Still trying to figure out if this is the case or not. Maybe I should write him another letter...
The Delivery Dogs belong to Doug the Dogkeeper. They seem cool, and they'll deliver you some mail. Sometimes their appearance is influenced by unfortunate happenings in town.
You may be able to reach Sodder by The Dog Keeper's mailing system, but it is sporadic and the conversation will likely be short depending on her endurance. She has helped with things like supplying information on how to cure illnesses that have hit the town. Doug (The Dog Keeper) said that her health is directly tied with the town. Quote: "If Sodder is sick, the town is sick. And unfortunately for you Sleepers, she is sick a lot." Sodder will likely know things about you that you haven't told her, and her presence is often here and there in the town. She's interacted with us through things like spiderwebs and writings on doors.
Per Doug the Dogkeeper: "The deer are probably more on your side than anyone else. Do not trust Mother Superior. The Townsfolks, as I am sure you have noticed, are not your friends. They always listen. And watch. They do not trust any of you, which means we need to not trust them. I advise Sleepers to avoid contact when possible. Don't hold your important conversations where they may hear. The Wastes will harm no one. They believe they will be harmed by everyone. They just want to escape too."
Anything else?
• Anything you receive that is made of antler is extremely powerful. It has the power of every Sleeper that ever was and ever will be. Don't lose anything antler you've been given or have found.
• The Authority are cats that roam the town, and they're the closest thing to police there are. If they catch you doing anything illegal, you're gonna end up in their sights. Be careful, pal, because you'd much rather Spider-Man catch you than them. They'll lock your hands up with a dark fog and leave them useless for a while, if they catch you stealing. The worse the crime, the worse the punishment. I'm assuming, anyway.
• The beasts of Deerington come and go the same way we do. They're brought here by Sodder. You may see supernatural beings or ghosts or monsters that are from your universe here because of this.
• The mines exist in the mountains, and many of us investigated them. There were a lot of souls there that were not laid to rest — as evidenced by a Sleeper with the ability to see the dead. There appeared to be mining going on here, and eventually there had been some kind of terrible event where the people there died. There was only one body intact there — a girl in an old dress, who seemed to have gotten trapped in there. She appeared to have a journal, but it was too destroyed to make anything out.
Said girl has since been properly buried in the cemetery.
It's possible that the people who had perished were trying to escape the town through the mountain. Mother Superior thought as much herself, as she'd apparently warned the townspeople to run if things got dicey after Sodder was put into her deep sleep. This may be when the layers were being separated, and they were caught in the middle of them coming undone.
• Indeterminable Painting Location: large, expansive room, entered through a cube-like puzzle. Maps of Deerington located all over walls, including written details of events that have transpired in Deerington. Sleeper names present on the walls as well; written pretty frantically. Some events listed that aren't familiar to me:
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST ONE
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST TWO
SHIRO'S BROADCAST REGARDING THE POLICE STATION
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST THREE
CHLOE'S ACCOUNT OF TIME HERE
DIARMUID'S POST REGARDING SODDER AND SO ON
DIARMUID'S POST REGARDING MEETING JULIA SODDER
CHLOE PRICE'S DETAILED HISTORY OF EVENTS IN TOWN
This is not a completely verified series of events, but they're written out to the best of my ability. If they feel scrambled or difficult to follow, please... bear with me. It's been a long two years, okay? If anything's wrong and needs to be corrected, please contact me ASAP.
The Pthumerian Queen
A long while back, a being came to this place in the hopes of forming a new coven — she was pregnant with someone we'll come to know as Cynthia Sodder, the mother of the being that has pulled us into this world. The Pthumerian Queen's memory is located in Lake Tomie, but I'll summarize what we've found there as best I can.
She comes from a place I'm assuming is, uh. Called Pthumeria. On account of her name. Maybe I'm off base there, but what I know is this: she comes from another planet, one full of what appears to be female-passing beings that are easily 8-9 feet in height. They appeared to take great delight in 'dressing' as humans — and by dressing, I mean they usually look like giant monsters and dress themselves down a little. (This is what Mother Superior does, I think, when she goes into human nun mode.) The Queen had a ceremony here which... I think it's just safe to say for the sole purpose of getting knocked up. I'll put a transcript of the conversation here, from this particular memory (someone hire me as a fulltime court transcriptionist):
QUEEN: It is done! The Child of the Moon has been blessed unto me and we shall travel the bridge between our world and theirs by the eighth full moon.
QUEEN: This child will bring about greatness unlike which we have ever seen.
SUPERIOR: I'm glad to have been of service to you.
QUEEN: Do not be bitter. This child is as much yours as it is mine.
SUPERIOR: You plan to trap our child to a fate she has no say in and worse yet, our granddaughter.
QUEEN: You said you believed in the cause too. You said you loved humanity.
SUPERIOR: And I do. But you forget, my Queen. When this ceremony was performed, I could see into your mind as clearly as you saw mine. You did not tell me your intentions... You did not tell me...
QUEEN: I am your Queen. You must trust me.
SUPERIOR: I trust you as my madam, and my Queen, but I do not trust this idea of yours. I do not trust using our children and our children's children to create a world we cannot possibly begin to understand. It is wrong. I will not Mother our child if your intentions are to shackle her like some beast and our grandchild even-
QUEEN: Then do not Mother her. I do not need your assistance with this child. It has already been done.
SUPERIOR: If I do not Mother her, then I shall Mother all of those you plan to ruin with her... I will be...
(MEMORY FADE)
(MEMORY FADE)
She and her people came to America a long time ago, to the land we're currently in right now. Or whatever dreamed image of that land it is. I'm honestly not sure how Deerington came to be, just that it was.
Mother Superior appeared to be a right-hand man of sorts to the Queen. You'll learn more about her later, but basically, she's a nun currently tormenting us here. Mother Superior wasn't so sure that bringing along ordinary humans to the land was a good idea; the Queen wanted her daughter 'born into mankind'. She seemed to believe the combination of man's imagination and their race's power could make them into gods, or at least bigger versions of the gods they perceived themselves as. The Queen seemed to look down on mankind and see them as livestock, or creatures to be used for her own means.
Mother Superior also appeared to have had some pity and compassion for humans, way back when.
Nnnnot sure what happened there.
Either way, the Queen wanted her daughter to birth the greatest god that ever was.
The Sodders, A Prelude
Cynthia Sodder, we can assume, was born sometime after. Not sure of much when it comes to her life before her daughter, Julia Sodder, but I'm guessing she met and married the current mayor of the town sometime around here. We'll refer to that jerk and a half as The Mayor and talk more about him later, but his full name is Roderick Sodder. From what I can tell, the Mayor started off as a mostly decent guy.
I think we're seeing a pattern of 'decent people becoming not so decent'. The towns people flourished, or seemed to be doing alright, in the meanwhile. And then — Julia was born (other apparent known aliases: Somnus, Moonchild, Hypnos, Moon Queen). Julia, or J. Sodder, had abilities much like the Queen and Cynthia... but the problem was, she wasn't sure how to control them. Imagine you're a kid, and your whole reason for being was to be 'the strongest god' or whatever. Yeah. Apparently, she had been born in the form of something inhuman, and it really messed with her father's perception of her.
Her birth seems to also have had a few fatalities with it among the staff.
She couldn't control her powers. She was creating things, shifting things, able to make particular creatures a reality. And, depending on what you believe, could have either dragged us into this world from our universes, or (if you go by Mother Superior's logic) created us and our universes herself. Complicated, huh? Freaky? Don't let it get to you too much.
Back to Julia Sodder. She was growing more and more difficult to handle.
Per Mother Superior: "Her lineage is born of creatures who feel differently than human beings, who see the world differently. Her being part human meant part of her soul, how she thought, how her mind worked, invoked humanity's natural tendency to create and tell stories, believe stories, and care deeply about them. Humanity gave her emotions she would not have had otherwise."
I admit, I'm not too familiar with how her life went in Deerington, but I have the feeling that a lot of people who should have been looking out for her weren't. She was... isolated? That might be a good word for it. And so her powers spiraled further out of control.
At one point, she'd been chased by a monster in Deerington. I think... she had started the dangerous process of creating or bringing monsters into the town. The police of Deerington hadn't believed her, and so she made the Authority to take their place. The Authority is... well. Magical cats who can punish crime in this town.
(I'll talk about them more later.)
But again: The Strongest God.
More monsters came to exist in the town. Those monsters hurt people. Killed people, from what I can gather. She also brought in people. People like Ramona Derwin. Keep that name in your mind for later.
As a last ditch attempt to quiet her abilities and keep her from causing any terrible destruction... they put her into what I can only assume was a coma, planning to take her to the top of Mount Rheum (where I believe her body still is, in a lab there that is inaccessible). Something clearly didn't work out. In fact, I think their plan to put her to sleep backfired so much that it practically destroyed what was left of the Deerington that the Queen had originally cultivated.
I believe the lab on the mountain has past Sleepers inside it, working on finding a way to manipulate Sodder's abilities to get her to release us all from the dream we're currently stuck in. And I also believe that Ramona Derwin gave Sodder the idea to apparently create 'guardians' — giant beasts that she had created from her nightmares as a defense system of sorts, in case Mother Superior tried to make any further moves against her. From one witness account, there are six guardians in total, spotted in the clouds of Deerington one day. I think... it is possible that somehow, people like Cynthia Sodder and Roderick Sodder, Julia's parents? Are attached to the guardians... or that... that some of these people evolved in some way to fit these roles.
(The Mayor, The Queen, Cynthia Sodder, Mother Superior, Ramona Derwin, The Dog Keeper... The biggest players we know by name. Are they these guardians?)
SEE BOTTOM NOTES: JULIA SODDER IS NOT THE ONLY CHILD WITH PTHUMERIAN AND HUMAN PARENTS.
Cynthia Sodder, at some point after Sodder's slumber, allegedly died. I'm not too keen on the familiars, but what I have recently learned, it doesn't mean she's gone from Deerington. She's been locked in Mother Superior's head. Yeah. Locked there. Cynthia had said maybe it was a punishment, For being J. Sodder's mother. So... if you're wondering where she is, just look to the freaky nun in the gas mask who pesters us on the network. It's possible Cynthia's still being kept somewhere Mother Superior wants her to be.
But a grain of salt might be good. Cynthia's not quite all there right now. I can't really blame her. Julia Sodder's relationship with her mother seems to be positive — or, well, Julia sees her as a perfect kind of mom, a saintly figure to look up to. Judging from what others have seen and learned, Cynthia is definitely... 'shackled' to the town. Metaphorically? You know, feeling like she's trapped in her role. In being the 'mother'. She was pretty much fated by her family to be a mom, after all. I know... she loves her kid a lot (loved her kid a lot-) but there's a freedom in being recognized as your own person, with your own life, right?
I hope she finds her freedom.
The Mayor is an elusive figure — and also a major asshole. But I don't think he always was. Maybe just misguided and way in over his head. He's now officially looking like someone out of the blue man group, with dark inky skin and an apparent pact with Mother Superior nowadays.
I think he loves his daughter... but it's buried under a whole lot of crap. Maybe breaking through that crap would be beneficial to us. And to him. Especially. He's been trapped a hell of a lot longer than us, right?
Deerington After: The Wastes
Something terrible happened, after Sodder went under. That much is for sure. Some outpouring of power, maybe...? Something happened either way, and Deerington was torn apart by it. The true town is a wasteland of sorts, broken apart and left in ruin, and that leaves us with the original members of the town: The Wastes. You'll know them because they live among us at this very moment. The people in the gas masks, who smell like fire? Who don't come near the Sleepers, and are treated poorly by the pastel-haired Townspeople? Those are the real townspeople of Deerington. Of the town before the dream. Please, show them some compassion when you can. They clearly need it.
In one layer of Deerington, they could be seen floating in a deep sleep, much like how we sometimes float or are encased in that veiny, organic material when we 'go home'. They seem to have fallen into this immediately, and not while at home in their beds — there are children floating at the schoolyard, as if they had fallen into this state of being while visiting to play.
Deerington, from what I understand, has been effectively split into a number of different 'layers'. These layers are sometimes visible to us — some are not reachable. I believe that every October, we see a particular layer: one where there's blood in the streets, and the sky's always dark. It's not pretty, but it's an example of what different stages of Deerington exist. From what I understand, the layers are likely created by Sodder as a method of protection. Admittedly, I don't have a lot of information about them, but I do believe I've been to some of them via a Rubik's Cube? I know, I know. Weird.
I think Mother Superior is already succeeding in getting through these layers, or at least breaking them down over time.
The October Layer (Nightmare Land, the Disney Land of Nightmares): As explained above, the streets are full of blood, and monsters are constantly shrieking. I think Mother Superior may be in this layer, as I had seen here there. It sure would explain why she's so keen on dismantling the layers. More on that later.
The Real Deerington: A vacant, broken down land, full of Wastes looking through rubble. I think the Mayor may be located in this layer, as he appeared to me in this moment. However, I'm not completely sure. This is all just me spit-balling a string of what I hope is logic.
The Great Sleep: An important layer, one we can access when we sleep, with the right equipment. I'm still not completely sure of how it works, but I know that Mother Superior likely would love to get her hands on a way in, herself. We don't hunger or thirst there. And no need to poop, either. Trust me, I was there a long time, and I should have absolutely needed to poop and didn't. Probably because of the whole 'not needing food' thing. Also the fact we're in a dream within a dream. Inception.
I'm tired, sorry, it's like 4:00 a.m.
Death doesn't quite work there, either, and you're given Dream Guides and Dream Weapons to aid you when you traverse that layer. The Fluid also still works in this world, but the signal's pretty spotty. Sleep is still necessary there, and you still absolutely feel pain when you're injured. When you go through the Great Sleep, you're often lead to these... strange pathways. Completing them earns you these golden drachma, which are handy-dandy in other situations involving seeing things about the town.
The Weird Green Place: An enormous wood, calm and teeming with green life and creatures. There's a white deer here that seems at ease. There was... a sense of nostalgia when I visited this place. Familiarity. I don't know. Maybe it's something related to Sodder...? I mean, duh, of course it's related to her, but... never mind.
Our Layer (The Townspeople / The Betties): The one teeming with pastel-colored townspeople and Betties. And by the way? Do NOT trust either of those people here. The pastel weirdos do not like us, and the Betties are likely in cahoots with Mother Superior. Just recently, the Betties could be seen wandering the background of one of Mother Superior's videos. They wear these uniform smiling masks, but underneath is apparently a gaping creepy vortex where a face should be. These same Betties likely attacked our town and destroyed/stole food to try and starve us out (a l l e g e d l y). More on that later, under Mother Superior.
UPDATE: The Betties no longer exist within Deerington.
UPDATE 2: The Townspeople are no longer wandering the town like regular folks. They keep... glitching. They're not talking to us the same way they used to, and they're not performing all their jobs properly. I have a feeling we'll have to be filling in where they used to.
The Death Layer: Okay, so... I think this is the layer people go to when they die. I've got a whole section about dying in Deerington coming up, but bear with me here. When we die in Deerington, we don't stay dead. That much you've probably already gotten the memo for. But when we die... we see this strange human-deer hybrid creature. It helps guide us back to life, from what I can tell. And this place, it's located outside of Deerington's borders. When you're here, you can see gray grass all around the town, and this... huge glossy bubble that wraps all around the town.
NOTE: The layers may have direction correlation with the six guardians; there are six layers that I'm aware of. I think Ramona Derwin is in the death layer, and is also potentially a guardian...? I need more information on this, but it's something to keep in mind. If you're new and still confused about who Ramona Derwin is, keep reading.
Now that we're through the 'Layers', let's get to that.
Can't We Just Leave?
Nice thought, but unfortunately not. I think that a.) that glossy bubble keeps us locked in, and is likely magic that formed sometime during Sodder's out of control power surges, and b.) if you try to leave, you'll start bleeding out of your face and lose memory of who you are and where you are. So please, don't try to leave, because then we'll have to come get you.
I'm not sure when the bubble went up, but I think it's possible it existed before Sodder was placed into a coma.
Citation's gonna be needed, but I don't have much other than little hints here and there.
Who was Ramona Derwin again?
Ramona Derwin, like us, was brought into Deerington. She was close to Julia Sodder, from the looks of things, and objected to her being placed into a coma. From what Sodder herself has told me, Ramona was a magic user with wonderful gifts, and she is part of why we're able to resurrect to life again. She was a good person, and was the founder of FEAR (that fancy place we currently have, where people can sign up as a defense squad). Ramona let herself be trapped here, until Sodder could be released from her dreaming — and is currently in the form of a black deer that sometimes travels between the Layers. Sometimes she will provide things to help us in crises with the magic she's mastered.
Now, about what she did for us. And about the deer.
The Deer of Deerington / Resurrection
Here in Deerington, you may notice strange deer statues. Those are us. Fragments of our souls, anyway, that are a requirement in order for us to resurrect. When we die here, ghostly images of our deaths are left behind (the first time we die, anyway). Deer statues form when those ghosts are laid to rest or banished. And those statues are the work of Ramona Derwin. She used her magic to keep us from dying completely — sacrificed all her power and mind to give our souls the opportunity to return after our first death. To give us more chances to come back to life in human form.
Eventually, though, if someone dies enough... We allegedly become deer.
Have you seen them, the deer wandering around the woods? Through the town? The deer that leave flowers at the statues? Those are Sleepers like us, from times before. They likely died too many times, so many times that Ramona's magic could no longer keep them alive in human form. They will often help you. You can trust the deer, because they were once Sleepers — they want to offer their assistance, especially when it comes to helping us avoid their fate. You'll notice they are strangely ethereal and spiritual, and that's the reason why.
I know, it's a lot. This is all a lot. Take a moment, breathe. Come back to it after a meltdown in the tub.
(That's my recommended meltdown area, anyway.)
And for the record — if you die more than seven times? Something inside you isn't right, after. Anonymous source, but someone I know is reliable with their information... Just heed their advice if you can. Try to protect yourself from excessive deaths, okay? When you die here... it isn't pretty. Loss of memories from home or Deerington is one thing, but they get worse. And they last longer than you'd ever like them to.
After someone died a seventh death here in Deerington, something kind of weird happened, FYI — people started getting deer forms. Yeah, you heard me. Deer forms that they could change in and out of. Sodder had alluded to the deer in the forest being past Sleepers, but I do wonder if they were past Sleepers who became too addicted to shapeshifting into deer form...?
Ramona had referred to us as having a 'soul' or 'essence'. Something that can be molded where she's from. It's how we can be given this ability to change into deer.
If you gain this ability, PLEASE, use it sparingly. We have no clue what it can do to a person over a long period of use. Ramona Derwin herself had informed Sleepers that you "may forget yourself", just before delivering this ability. If you've died before, you can visit her in the fields — behind a particular door.
Mother Superior (And What's Going On Now)
Mother Superior. 1,000+ years old. Calls people 'child' a lot in the most obnoxious way possible. I also have it on good authority that she has a perm under that nun cap. Would fit in perfectly on the cover of an MCR album.
Canoodled with The Pthumerian Queen to create Cynthia Sodder on another planet. Yes, I believe she's Cynthia Sodder's mother.
A real piece of work, right? You've already learned a ton about her. She hates us Sleepers, for lack of a better word, and considers us all sinful creatures that need to be destroyed. Well, that and she had thought we weren't real for a while. She thinks that the power of belief is one of the biggest factors in our strength here (and maybe she's right? who's to say). The more we believe, the more powerful we are. Her current goal is to try and destroy us in any way she can think of. Fooor example: not too long ago, she attempted to starve us all to death, using the Betties (who were maskless and dressed as nuns, going around with their creepy void-faces and destroying our supplies). Narrowly avoided some pretty bad ends, there.
Now she's trying to figure out ways for us to tear each other apart and do the work for her. She's hoping that if she can get us to turn on one another and break our spirits, she can cut down on Sodder's power. And our power. She wants to bring the layers back together. Or rather, break through their walls. She considers us stains on the town, that we've infested Deerington and corrupted it. She's tried and failed for decades to get to Sodder; sees her as a being who should have never been born. One of those 'dwell on the past' types, huh?
She also believes we're figments of Sodder's mind, creations of her own making. But she's also a creepy nun, so take it with a grain of salt. Again, I'm fairly certain she lives in the October Layer? Which is prooobably why she's so pissy all the time.
I can at least respect that she seems to genuinely care about the Wastes. I know it's gonna be hard to hear, but... she might have been a decent-ish person at one point. I mean, she seemed against some kind of terrible plan by the Pthumerian Queen, and seems to genuinely have some compassion for humankind. It seems like in some other world, she is constantly keeping Julia Sodder pushed down under the surface, killing monsters and keeping the floating, true forms of the Wastes safe.
If she has good intentions, it's probably come with a lot of madness over a very long period of time. I can't say I know either way if she's being honest with us, or if she's planting any of these memories for us to see herself — I'm not sure of much these days, honestly. What I do know is she's still super dead set on killing us all.
Doug the Dog Keeper
The Dog Keeper is our resident mailman. I've named him Doug; it's a great name. He does not remember much about his prior life, and is potentially a Waste living among us. And maybe even a dog? Yeah, he could be a dog. Still trying to figure out if this is the case or not. Maybe I should write him another letter...
The Delivery Dogs belong to Doug the Dogkeeper. They seem cool, and they'll deliver you some mail. Sometimes their appearance is influenced by unfortunate happenings in town.
You may be able to reach Sodder by The Dog Keeper's mailing system, but it is sporadic and the conversation will likely be short depending on her endurance. She has helped with things like supplying information on how to cure illnesses that have hit the town. Doug (The Dog Keeper) said that her health is directly tied with the town. Quote: "If Sodder is sick, the town is sick. And unfortunately for you Sleepers, she is sick a lot." Sodder will likely know things about you that you haven't told her, and her presence is often here and there in the town. She's interacted with us through things like spiderwebs and writings on doors.
Per Doug the Dogkeeper: "The deer are probably more on your side than anyone else. Do not trust Mother Superior. The Townsfolks, as I am sure you have noticed, are not your friends. They always listen. And watch. They do not trust any of you, which means we need to not trust them. I advise Sleepers to avoid contact when possible. Don't hold your important conversations where they may hear. The Wastes will harm no one. They believe they will be harmed by everyone. They just want to escape too."
Anything else?
• Anything you receive that is made of antler is extremely powerful. It has the power of every Sleeper that ever was and ever will be. Don't lose anything antler you've been given or have found.
• The Authority are cats that roam the town, and they're the closest thing to police there are. If they catch you doing anything illegal, you're gonna end up in their sights. Be careful, pal, because you'd much rather Spider-Man catch you than them. They'll lock your hands up with a dark fog and leave them useless for a while, if they catch you stealing. The worse the crime, the worse the punishment. I'm assuming, anyway.
• The beasts of Deerington come and go the same way we do. They're brought here by Sodder. You may see supernatural beings or ghosts or monsters that are from your universe here because of this.
• The mines exist in the mountains, and many of us investigated them. There were a lot of souls there that were not laid to rest — as evidenced by a Sleeper with the ability to see the dead. There appeared to be mining going on here, and eventually there had been some kind of terrible event where the people there died. There was only one body intact there — a girl in an old dress, who seemed to have gotten trapped in there. She appeared to have a journal, but it was too destroyed to make anything out.
Said girl has since been properly buried in the cemetery.
It's possible that the people who had perished were trying to escape the town through the mountain. Mother Superior thought as much herself, as she'd apparently warned the townspeople to run if things got dicey after Sodder was put into her deep sleep. This may be when the layers were being separated, and they were caught in the middle of them coming undone.
• Indeterminable Painting Location: large, expansive room, entered through a cube-like puzzle. Maps of Deerington located all over walls, including written details of events that have transpired in Deerington. Sleeper names present on the walls as well; written pretty frantically. Some events listed that aren't familiar to me:
Meteoroid hit Deerington - December 1977 - Dozens of the citizens obliterated, but of course, the Sleepers lived on... Why can the Sleepers withstand so much?
Rat Infestation - June 1992 - Rats began to cluster in thousands. Consumed the streets and would eat anyone who walked in the dark. The rats avoided female children, both Wastes and Sleepers.
Trucks - June 1973 — Trucks throughout Deerington began to randomly drive themselves. Crashed through houses and ran over anyone in their way - especially Sleepers.
Pendulums - August 20—————? - Sleepers woke up strapped to tables beneath pendulums. Telling truths made pendulum swing closer. Citizens left alone.
The Dark——Entire Year of ——1702————? 701...2? - Pitch black for months and months. Only light by candle. Cold. Very cold. Cannot—the despair—
Whoever was here was desperate to make particular connections or understand more about Deerington and what was happening there. The door to leave said in paint: "I UNDERSTAND NOW. WILL YOU?"
• Deerington might... not be the only place like this.
Scary as it is to consider, it's possible the entire world... every city, every little town, every county, country, continent... is stuck in the same predicament. It's possible Julia Sodder didn't just alter this town when she went to sleep; she may have altered all of Earth.
... That's all I've got for you, right now. Sorry if it's difficult to understand, or I've left out anything important. I hope it was at least of some use.
• SODDER IS LIKELY NOT THE ONLY CHILD DOING THIS. Doug has informed those meeting him in memories of the past that Sodder is not the only child created between pthumerians and humans. She is the strongest, and she opened the door first, BUT SHE IS NOT THE ONLY CHILD WHO HAS OPENED DOORS. There are more, and they have brought in monsters, too. The townspeople, Mother Superior, the Mayor, they've... hyper-focused on Sodder because of who she is, and because she hit the first domino, but... she isn't the only one doing this.
• LAYERS ARE BREAKING DOWN. We've already lost a number of them. Mother Superior will keep working to break down more. I'm not sure what will happen once they're all down, but we have to do whatever we can to keep her pushed back. I wish I had the answers.
• One Stupid PSA For the Road
One thing I can say is... We need to be careful who is fought here. Who is killed here. I don't know if our defeating these giant monsters that appear is the right choice — I think... some of them might be able to be persuaded to help us. To not be monsters.
People like Mayor Roderick Sodder, locked away in his stupid little house. People like Doug - the Dog Keeper, who is a guardian that has been calmed to submission. Maybe there's a chance we can prove something to them. Save them.
But we can't do that if they're dead.
I don't know. I could be wrong. I wish I knew the right answers here.
Just... keep it in mind, whatever we do moving forward.
Sometimes fighting them isn't the answer.
Thanks for reading,
• Deerington might... not be the only place like this.
Scary as it is to consider, it's possible the entire world... every city, every little town, every county, country, continent... is stuck in the same predicament. It's possible Julia Sodder didn't just alter this town when she went to sleep; she may have altered all of Earth.
... That's all I've got for you, right now. Sorry if it's difficult to understand, or I've left out anything important. I hope it was at least of some use.
• SODDER IS LIKELY NOT THE ONLY CHILD DOING THIS. Doug has informed those meeting him in memories of the past that Sodder is not the only child created between pthumerians and humans. She is the strongest, and she opened the door first, BUT SHE IS NOT THE ONLY CHILD WHO HAS OPENED DOORS. There are more, and they have brought in monsters, too. The townspeople, Mother Superior, the Mayor, they've... hyper-focused on Sodder because of who she is, and because she hit the first domino, but... she isn't the only one doing this.
• LAYERS ARE BREAKING DOWN. We've already lost a number of them. Mother Superior will keep working to break down more. I'm not sure what will happen once they're all down, but we have to do whatever we can to keep her pushed back. I wish I had the answers.
• One Stupid PSA For the Road
One thing I can say is... We need to be careful who is fought here. Who is killed here. I don't know if our defeating these giant monsters that appear is the right choice — I think... some of them might be able to be persuaded to help us. To not be monsters.
People like Mayor Roderick Sodder, locked away in his stupid little house. People like Doug - the Dog Keeper, who is a guardian that has been calmed to submission. Maybe there's a chance we can prove something to them. Save them.
But we can't do that if they're dead.
I don't know. I could be wrong. I wish I knew the right answers here.
Just... keep it in mind, whatever we do moving forward.
Sometimes fighting them isn't the answer.
Thanks for reading,
— Peter Parker
OLD OUTDATED PACKET | 2019
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST ONE
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST TWO
SHIRO'S BROADCAST REGARDING THE POLICE STATION
SPIDER-MAN'S INFORMATION | POST THREE
CHLOE'S ACCOUNT OF TIME HERE
DIARMUID'S POST REGARDING SODDER AND SO ON
• The Dog Keeper is our resident mailman. I've named him Doug, it's a great name. He does not remember much about his prior life, and is potentially a Waste living among us. If you're already confused about what a Waste is:
• The Wastes are likely the real residence of Deerington; the townspeople (not to be confused with the Wastes) are potentially just creations of the town, and probably hate all of us; the townspeople do listen, so please be careful to divulge information in their presence. The Wastes are the people in gas-masks who do not come near and are often afraid of Sleepers. Please be kind to them if you can, help them where you can. I'm not sure of their role in this place completely yet for the future, but they have tried to help in the past. Per Doug the Dogkeeper: "The deer are probably more on your side than anyone else. Do not trust Mother Superior. The Townsfolks, as I am sure you have noticed, are not your friends. They always listen. And watch. They do not trust any of you, which means we need to not trust them. I advise Sleepers to avoid contact when possible. Don't hold your important conversations where they may hear. The Wastes will harm no one. They believe they will be harmed by everyone. They just want to escape too."
• The Delivery Dogs belong to Doug the Dogkeeper. They seem cool, and they'll deliver you some mail. Sometimes their appearance is influenced by unfortunate happenings in town. PHOTOGRAPH
• The Betties are weird, and I have no clue what they're about here, but probably be careful with them too. They're technically townspeople, unless learned otherwise. PHOTOGRAPH
• J. Sodder was a child with unusual and powerful abilities who likely accidentally caused Deerington as you know today; she has the power to change reality. She's weak often and has limited ability to interact with us, but she has been as supportive and helpful as she can be from where she's imprisoned (EDIT: still trying to figure out if her strange attacks in Rapture had been done maliciously, but it does not match her usual response and is somewhat of an outlier until further investigation). You may be able to reach her by The Dog Keeper's mailing system, but it is sporadic and the conversation will likely be short depending on her endurance. She has helped with things like supplying information on how to cure illnesses that have hit the town. Doug (The Dog Keeper) said that her health is directly tied with the town. Quote: "If Sodder is sick, the town is sick. And unfortunately for you Sleepers, she is sick a lot." Sodder will likely know things about you that you haven't told her, but it's likely because her presence is scattered through the town often.
•RAPTURE: We were teleported to an underwater city called Rapture after escaping a sinking Titanic (don't ask), and during this time, many of us ran into a version of Sodder in a less positive light. Many felt Sodder's presence and followed her through a door in which they were teleported into a hospital setting.
In this hospital hallway, you could hear a woman screaming, followed by the explosive cry of an infant. Likely a newborn, as I think this may be a recreation of Sodder's birth within the dream. Entering the room where the baby had been crying led to Sodder sitting in distress, stating that she can't control her feelings. She was talking to somebody else, potentially her mother Cynthia. There were strange cracks across her face.
At that point, she'd looked right at me (and the others who had ran into this image of her) and told me to get out of her head. That I wasn't supposed to be there. At that point, I ended up a dark room and running into some enemies from home. Not sure if this was some sort of defensive tactic to keep us occupied while she fled, or a way to force us out of her head/memories.
I plan to try to reach out to Sodder to expand on this topic. We'll see.
• The cats that you might see around town are the Authority, the police system here. They will punish crime caused where they can see, so try not to cause it unless you want a bunch of felines hissing at you and punishing you based on the severity of said crime. PHOTOGRAPH
• Mother Superior is one of the head honchos of the team 'I don't like these people' club, along with The Mayor. Here is one of the few, if maybe only, times she's appeared on the feed that I can find. She may be like the Wastes, since she wears a gas mask like them, but she seems to be more in control and aware than they are. She seems to think we are extensions of Sodder, and by hurting us, she can influence Sodder, too.
• Sodder's being held in the lab on Mount Rheum, by Mother Superior. She's been there since she was little — she's not sure how old she is now, but it's possible she hasn't aged, or it's possible she's much older and has lost track of time, as anyone would. She does not have a good control over her power, and feels remorseful of how the town has currently evolved. She is imprisoned in the lab, assumedly by people who are trying to 'fix' things. The quotes are strong there.
• Sodder's father is Mayor Sodder, and he rarely ever shows himself. He doesn't seem to have much care for how his daughter is treated, and apparently... is part tentacle monster? Also, I have no scientific basis in this, but: he's an asshole and I don't like him. He's more than likely in cahoots with Mother Superior and believes in her methods of trying to 'fix' things. He invited everyone to some big meal after we were all going hungry, but we ended up dragged into this big dome and forced to endure horrible things, so. You know. Screw him. I've tried to swing over into his house, but an overwhelming confusion hits me every time and I can't even remember what I was doing there.
• Cynthia Sodder is Sodder's mother. She may potentially be in some form in Deerington, much like how Ramona Derwin is (see the next point). What I do know is that she was good to Sodder, from what I can find.
• Ramona Derwin (a name in a file Shiro found at the police station) was a Sleeper, like us. From what Sodder said: 'a good person, helped me and those like you a lot'. Sodder told me she and Sodder's mother 'made an enormous sacrifice' — that they didn't go home or die. Either way, Ramona let herself be trapped here, until Sodder can be released from her dreaming, and she made some specific sacrifices for us, too.
From what Sodder was able to convey, I think she's one of the first people who started FEAR, an organization that had been abandoned when we arrived here, but can be joined by Sleepers and used to help in crisis situations. She is often in the form of a black deer (her soul) and will try to help in times of crisis; she is on other levels of reality when she's not in the town that we can see, and moves between 'the layers'. She has skill with magic, and will often give us things to help us when situations call for her aid.
• We are all currently (allegedly) sleeping in our worlds. When we die here, part of our essense/souls/whatever you want to call it is pulled into Deerington. At first, only a small part of us is pulled in, but the more we die, the more we are dragged into this reality instead of our own. Our souls are pulled in and rearranged here. Ramona used her magic to keep us from dying here completely — sacrificed all her power and mind to give our souls more chances to return after our first death... to give us more chances to come back in human form and not completely tethered to the dream. The deer statues are to keep our souls from being pulled here all at once, but eventually, if we die enough... we'll become the deer that wanders this place, too.
• Yes, that's right. All the deer here were sleepers from before, who died one too many times. They will often help you. You can trust the deer, because they were once Sleepers like us — they want to help us, especially when it comes to avoiding their fate. You'll notice they are strangely ethereal and spiritual, and that's the reason why.
• The antlers you receive at any point are powerful because they have the power of every Sleeper that has been or ever will be.
• The monsters found through the months or in the forests are Sleepers, just like us. They come from different worlds, just like us. Every month, these things we see... these ghosts and beings — they're brought in, I believe the same exact way we are. Sodder also said she was sorry; what she was sorry for... I'm not sure.
• The mines exist in the mountains, and many of us investigated them. There were a lot of souls there that were not laid to rest — as evidenced by a Sleeper with the ability to see the dead and souls not laid to rest. There appeared to be mining going on here, and eventually there had been some kind of terrible event where the people there died. There was only one body intact there — a girl in an old dress, who seemed to have gotten trapped in there. She appeared to have a journal, but it was too destroyed to make anything out. It's possible that the people who had perished were trying to escape the town through the mountain, but this is currently unfounded.
• The Great Sleep is some other 'layer' of Deerington, much like the ones Ramona traverses. You use a dream-catcher to fall asleep and enter it. It could pose some sort of way for us to find a way home or is at least important in reaching Sodder in some way, I think, but it is also something the Mayor and Mother Superior has an interest in, so be careful in how you approach any new critical information regarding it. If you have more questions regarding this, feel free to seek me out in person. I'm more than willing to help anyone learn the way around The Great Sleep.
(THE GREAT SLEEP TIDBITS:
- We woke up in graves here. Yikes.
- No hunger or thirst.
- And yes, no need to poop either. You're welcome.
- But you still need rest and sleep, and can feel pain.
- You can't technically die here.
- You can use the Fluid to communicate here, but it's not a great connection.
- You're awarded these strange golden drachma for ordeals you go through here.
- You're given a dream weapon and a dream guide here; the dream weapon is as described and is made out of antler.
- The dream guide is an animal, summoned by a whistle you get here. The animal is spiritual in nature and a leading force.
- You're also given a dream-catcher. It's how you can enter and exit The Great Sleep from your first visit.
- If you're new and don't have one, you can join someone who does have a dream-catcher, and enter this world with them to get your own.)
stuff to add???
https://deerington.dreamwidth.org/329091.html