The Night Manager

Arrival

Your last memory is that of an abduction. An extremely effective one -- you know nothing of their identities, remembering only the gloved hands restraining you and a needle sliding into your arm. You awaken on a bed in a standard hotel room, disoriented and weakened by the drugs. All of your personal belongings are gone; no wallet (meaning no identification for anyone), no house keys, no weapons or purell. The windows are blocked by metal shutters and the door is locked. Look hard enough and you'll find a key to the door, allowing you to exit into your new home.

You don't know why you're here, as your captors haven't seen fit to inform you. You're just here, inexplicably, amidst a group of strangers. And you're being watched. There are cameras everywhere. Somehow, items mysteriously appear and disappear without anyone seeing who moved them.

There is no escape. The game has begun.

Basics

The Program is a test. Those with potential to become important people in the world or an asset to The Program itself are chosen -- and there are a few random folks in each batch, to add extra variables to the setting. Their members include the world's most powerful people and their mission is noble, to improve the state of the world by improving the character of its leaders. Their method is questionable. Then again, they can't afford to take chances.

This testing takes place through a carefully controlled and constantly manipulated setting. It is designed to screw with the abductees, putting them through a series of events that the directors use to measure intelligence, ingenuity, bravery, physical strength, and the true depth and character of the subject's personality. There are quiet periods, where the subjects are permitted to do as they wish in relative peace. The directors watch them interact, engaging in minor manipulations only. (Items showing up, new NPCs being introduced, etc.) Then there are incidents... major events that will try to push subjects to their limits, force them to make important choices and potentially sacrifices. It's like a weekly quiz vs a big exam. But if you fail, it could mean your life.

The setting of this game will change upon progression through the stages. Make sure to read the current setting information thoroughly!

Mature Content

The Program is a psychological thriller, meaning this game will contain potentially disturbing concepts. Your character's darkest secrets may be dragged out into the open. They will be constantly screwed with. Adult themes may include but are not restricted to the following: violence, sex, memory wipes, (minor!) body horror, illness, emotional manipulation, and so on. Keep this in mind!

Moles and Reconditioning

Moles are special player characters. Each group of abductees contains at least one mole; a plant who monitors the situation from within. They do not manipulate the setting or attempt to heavily influence other characters' decisions unless it is completely necessary.

Moles are those who have gone through The Program already and have decided to remain involved of their own free will.

Obviously, becoming a mole requires a (small!) amount of AU information to fill in the time between the character's canon and their introduction to the RP. You must apply to be a mole at the time of your application. Details and signup are here.

Reconditioning is what happens to rejects. No one ever leaves The Program with knowledge of it. Those who fail to prove themselves are basically memory wiped and/or brainwashed in reconditioning. For the purposes of the game, drops are the failures, and will be considered reconditioned and released from where they were taken. More information can be found here, on the drops and reapps page.



premise | setting | gameplay | events | moles
application | taken | drop/reapp

Setting:

- ACCOMMODATIONS -

The hotel in which you awoke is staffed only by the night manager, whose name is unknown. He is only there at night and seems to know absolutely nothing about anything except how to 'run' the hotel. Should you need anything, extra towels or soap or an umbrella, he will provide it. Perhaps he does more than simply 'manage' the hotel, whatever that means, as although you never see anyone in your rooms, the bed is always made when you return and occasionally there will be mysterious items on the dresser.

While the hotel has six stories, the elevator only goes from the first floor to the third, where guest rooms are located. There are stairs from the first floor to the second, but there is a wall at the top sealing off whatever is on the second floor.

- MEALS -

All meals come from the Chinese restaurant across the street from the hotel, appropriately named The Shanghai Palace. The workers arrive shortly before each meal in a plateless minivan. Only the head waiter speaks English; for game purposes (lol universal translation in rps) the other workers will be speaking gibberish none of the characters can understand. The food is delicious and they are all extremely polite and accommodating.

- THE TOWN -

The nameless ghost town does have several shops. They are abandoned but stocked -- should you need clothes, be hankering for a specific snack, etc, you can probably find a shop to break into that will have what you need.

There are globe-style cameras everywhere, watching you, monitoring your every move. The only places without cameras are the bathrooms. Your captors have some decency, it seems.

The biggest problem with this town is that the perimeter is secured with "pain guns," which shoot high intensity microwaves at anyone who crosses a certain point. It is agonizing and paralyzing, meaning someone else will have to pull you out or you have to wait until you collapse.

Obviously there is no outside contact permitted in this game. While the phones sometimes ring, should a character pick them up they are completely dead, not even a dial tone. This goes for pay phones as well as the phones in the rooms, the hotel lobby, the police station, etc.

You have a television in the room but unless your captors want to show you something, it gets nothing but static.

The police station has a gun cage. It's locked. Characters can break into it.

In the unlikely event you're able to escape, there is a mysterious loop around the town. When you get far enough away you'll wind up walking back towards the town, no matter which way you go. It is very frustrating and since there is nothing but desert visible in all directions, escape attempts are highly discouraged.




premise | setting | gameplay | events | moles
application | taken | drop/reapp