Divers - Artificial Human Form Divers - Artificial Stygian Form Lore Artificial Nightmare Kingdoms The Research Facility








DIVER - ARTIFICIAL HUMAN FORM




PLEASE NOTE: Artificial Human Diver forms can only manifest traits EQUAL OR LOWER to their rarity as a Diver. So uncommon can only manifest uncommon or LOWER ARTIFICIAL traits on their human forms (regardless of if their Stygian form has higher rarity ones). This limitation does not affect their Stygian form (like Treatlings with a Stygian disguise form, their Stygian form can have traits for as many as you have potions for).

Check Artificial Available Traits


DIVER - ARTIFICIAL STYGIAN FORM
DIVERS + THEIR ORIGINS
THE LORE SO FAR:

Divers are the consciousness of humans in the human world, basically the “dreamself” of a person when they descend into a dream. They are labelled "Divers" for the ability to traverse freely into the Dream and Nightmare realms, their origins in the waking world is simply humble research, at a local (location undisclosed) university, attempting to prove a theory about consciousness outside of the waking human mind.

  • HAZY MEMORIES: Similar to when a person dreams, Divers can only retain specific levels of consciousness and self awareness within the Dream/Nightmare realms. That means their memory may become less than lucid when trying to remember real world events and facts. They may sometimes get so immersed into the Nightmare and Dream, everything else outside of the Dream and Nightmare feel like a distant but vague memory.

  • THEIR EXISTENCE: Divers are basically dreaming humans in the waking world that are researching how to explore the Dream/Nightmare realm through controlled studies. However, because of the haziness of remembering dreams when waking up, their research is written and recorded within the nightmare itself, in [ THE RESEARCH FACILITY ], accessible only by Divers, hidden within the Nightmare Realm.

  • ARTIFICIALLY CREATED: Divers cannot use Nightmare items, or replicate things such as Kingdoms or a Stygian (diguise) form by themselves. By using the [ THE RESEARCH FACILITY ], existing Stygian items can be used, and they can replicate a Stygian appearance for themselves (see Artificial Stygian form above). In addition, they can also replicate an Artificial Nightmare Kingdom using a similar process (see Artificial Nightmare Kingdom below). Since Divers can't exactly be dreaming while they are in a dream (they haven't perfected this art yet), the next best bet is to attempt to use [ THE RESEARCH FACILITY ] to help modify staples within the Nightmare within extremely limited capabilities (see below).

  • THE NIGHTMARE INFLUENCE: Divers may use MOST items from the Dream + Nightmare world, as long as they abide by the existing rules (ie a Diver can't just turn themselves into a Treatling and use Treatling traits (potions), without first successfully replicating a Treatling frameworks for themselves first, which no Diver has successfully done yet). That means for now, all Divers are using an Artificial Stygian form, as these are (nearly) stable, to go along with their Artificial Human form. These affect them like they would Stygian. This is a combination of them using the item, and also "learning" aka "hacking" the use of these items. With some finagling and help from [ THE RESEARCH FACILITY ], their capabilities of using most items is nearly at 100%



IMPORTANT WHEN QUESTING: Because Stygians focuses on the ARPG within the Nightmare/Dream, it will only feature quests and events of Divers existing INSIDE the Nightmare/Dream realms. Anything outside of it can be alluded to, but CANNOT be used as a quest. This shares the same concept with Stygians, where you can never see their dreamers, but you know they exist (in this case the divers ARE the dreamers, they exist in the human world, but quests CANNOT be written for ARPG points of their human existence, though real world objects and occurences can be referred to in the arpg when they are in the Nightmares.

  • To summarize one more time, please DO NOT CREATE OR WRITE QUESTS for Divers about the waking world (ie the real world). Everything within Stygians ARPG only chronicles the happenings in the Dream/Nightmare realms. This is also to prevent a canonical conflict.

  • Divers, as researchers, are also not allowed to let other Stygian and/or Treatlings know about their existence as Divers. Their whole goal is to blend in, and not let others know they are researching as... this would ruin their research material entirely. This is an unbreakeable rule, and will be reinforced in submitted (canonical) ARPG prompts as well.

  • They can however, discuss amongst themselves their results of their research. Dream/Nightmare Diving is very new! So things such as shadow tokens, empty flower pots, so on so forth, are completely new to be observed and notated. There is so much to explore in the Dream/Nightmare realms after all!

  • Divers may use [ THE RESEARCH FACILITY ] (see more information below) to record their findings, or share information with other Diver researchers.

  • While running around in the Nightmare/Dream realms, both their Artificial Human and Stygian forms blend in just fine - making them indistinguisheable from other Stygian (unless you truly know what you're looking for ie: a Diver recognizing another one). That means that Stygian/Treatling hanging around with Divers shouldn't just magically know what they are (aka breaking the fourth wall), and should canonically remain oblivious. This will be reinforced in ARPGs submitted as well, as this would create a weird divergence in the existing canon of Divers as anonymous researchers.

DIVER - RESEARCH LEVELS (RARITY)


Divers rarity is only affected in their human disguise forms. In their Stygian disguise forms, like Treatlings, they can pick any manner of potions with the usual Stygian allotment. Their Stygian forms will be certed with the Stygian rarity. However, for Diver Human form rarity (and legendary status), their artificial traits are limited on their rarity. So a Diver of common (research level 1) rarity, cannot show more than common artificial traits, one of uncommon (research level 2) cannot show more than common - uncommon, and rare (research level 3) show common to legendary artificial allowed traits. There is speculated to be a way to increase a Diver's research level through specific QUESTS (coming soon.)




DIVERS + THE NIGHTMARE KINGDOM
Almost all Divers are considered “Nightmare” Divers, ones who have an Artificial Stygian form. Due to this, they are able to create an artificial Nightmare Kingdom only. It is the same as a regular Stygian Nightmare Kingdom, except it is based off a Nightmare the Diver themselves have experienced and then conquered to make their own - an artificial Nightmare Kingdom. By using a Nightmare Kingdom customization template (by using the computer termimal in The Research Facility hub - see below), they can create their own artificial Nightmare Kingdom (note: this is IC so you don't actually need to fill out a template, you can just write what the Kingdom looks like). Because of its artificial nature, their creation may sometimes be a little... glitchy. Examples include their Kingdom being off colour, or in black in white, or having glitchy misplaced pixels or unusual animation loops. Sometimes, even entire sections appear and disappear randomly in their kingdom as it attempts to stabilize and maintain its existence within the Nightmare Tree. Thankfully, this is not a dead "giveaway", as there are many regular Stygian kingdoms that can appear fragmented or glitchy. It is more that ALL Diver Nightmare Kingdoms suffer from this issue.

The same rules for Stygian Nightmare Kingdoms follow for Divers - only ONE Artificial Kingdom can be created per Diver - though ones that have been granted "level 5 researcher" status, are allowed multiple (ooc: Legendary Diver + Stygian)
About The Research Facility


About The Research Facility: Located in the Nightmare itself, the Research Facility is the first Nightmare hub/center that all Divers see when they manifest to the dream/nightmare realm from the waking world. It is meant as a "reception" Nightmare, a safety hub for Divers to arrive at. Here, they can read and catch up on any information that they've processed, they can write diaries or logs of their data collected, and use the computer terminals, and hubs within to further their research data. There is even a staff room for Divers to collect and talk about data with each other.

While inside the Research Facility, all personnel must take their (artificial) human forms. Taking the Artificial Stygian form contaminates all local data (as it technically isn't their form in the first place, just a borrowed disguise/appearance to fool the Nightmare/Dream locale)
Current population: ???
Location: Within the Nightmare Realm (an artificial Nightmare Kingdom "hub")
Threat rate:
Weather:Office
Rooms within The Research Facility (Click on one):
The Research Facility (Main)
The recieving or, "arrival bay" of all Divers landing from the waking world. This area "recieves" them, and allows them to maintain, and latch on to their consciousness in a semi-lucid state, so they are aware that they are in a Nightmare, instead of being absorbed by it. Without the Research Facility, any consciousness would simply be assimilated into the Nightmare without a will of its own. By connecting a template to several interlinked artificial consciousnesses, a fake nightmare that has no will of its own was created. This is once again, the Research Facility. Only those who have registered their REM signatures within the waking world (the very specific researchers doing the diving), can be recieved and identified by the Research Facility. It acts as both an anchor for those Divers, and a conversion point, to allow them to create their own artificial, nightmare-produced human and Stygian forms.
The Staff Room
Of course, all hardworking staff deserve a respite, even if its within the Nightmare Realm itself. Within the Research Facility is a simple room, with a couple of vending machines (while edible, this creates no satisfaction eating nightmare particiles with an artificial nightmare form), a coffee machine, and several break tables. This room is a reflection of the staff room in the actual waking world, except in this one you are literally relaxing. Here, Diver (researchers) can share their notes or talk to each other about coordinated efforts. If another Diver comes at you about their "extremely cohesive thesis" though, its time to run... Next to the staff room is the computer terminal, where Divers have tried with various levels of success to customize their own nightmare data (this is where their Nightmare Kingdom customization template can be obtained)
The Containment Bay
Most research and data collected is to understand the scope and size of the Nightmare (and Dream) realms. Is it truly an existence or just a consciousness? Is there more than just visual noise, and how are consciousnesses shared, such as Diver to Diver? There are so many other questions that remain unanswered, thus all data collected is often examined in detail in the Containment Bay. While it sounds ominous, it is mostly comprised of obtained commonplace Nightmare Realm objects such as shadow tokens, or empty flower pots. Occasionally, a Diver will get super excited and bring yet another floresce back for some unknown reason. By isolating these specimens, they can be examined, and studied, without interference from other objects or entities. Notes are often, to the best of a Diver's ability, posted about each object being examined, though they can also check out a room to research a specimen more as well. "LIVING" specimens, such as other Stygian, Treats, or Treatlings, are NOT ALLOWED, as this compromises their existence and ability to research covertly.
The Computer Terminal
Behind the staff room is a computer terminal - though only one user can be logged in at a time. Here, Divers can (canonically) customize their Stygian disguise forms, create their first Nightmare Kingdom template. Once again (save legendary status aka "level 5 researcher" permission), it is one Nightmare Kindom per Diver. As a Diver cannot really use potions themselves, they dispense the potions at the terminal to be examined, and the terminal scans them for compatible data. Then, they can access the terminal to customize their Stygian Disguise form + scanned addons, and take its appearance outside of the The Research Facility (ie while visiting actual places in the Nightmare/Dream Realms).