Archive of Our Own ^beta

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author and lore connoisseur who knows VERY LITTLE about coding ends up making a whole worldbuilding AU thingy based around it. I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies when it comes to the terms i use or the general stupid and possibly nonsensical logic of this all

Video Game Logic (and coding as a “Magic system”) - The world of Robloxia doesn’t exactly operate exactly how a video game would, however it certainly does have some features of it. Namely:

• things are made up of script and models, and these can be altered. Not everyone is able to make new scripts and models, however. Ordinary Robloxians are completely incapable of it unless granted the ability through Admins or hacks, the latter of which is extremely illegal.
• Admins, meanwhile, are always capable of scripting and are the most knowledgeable in it. Scripting can basically do, well… almost anything, I guess? There’s certainly limitations, usually limits/rules put in place by Entities, but basically you can just reprogram reality as you wish so long as you know the Lua language and can summon scripting panels. Create new worlds, even new life, etc., though all of these things are insanely difficult and basically impossible to do correctly unless you're A) an Entity yourself or B) an Admin who has hundreds of years of experience.
• The main issue that arises is that it’s horribly tedious to script, more so than it is in regular ol' Roblox Studio. The scripts in an individual person are all extremely complex and hard to access and alter, since it basically embodies the way their body works and interacts with their environment, their senses and perception of their surroundings, and even their own memories. Also, glitches can happen, and they come in a variety of different forms (which I might make a separate chapter on). Since Robloxia is an imitation of reality, essentially being a whole simulated universe, there's obviously gonna be a whole lot more complexities in its code and physics, all of which are hard to alter in the first place.
• There are also such things known as Script Entities. "Entities" are basically a catch-all term for anomalous, supposedly sentient and ancient beings within the code of Robloxia, older than Admins and - in some cases - even older than humanity itself. These Entities sometimes have physical appearances, but mostly just appear as a "presence" that alters reality briefly and/or manifests in the senses in non-visual ways. Entities will limit what scripters are able to do to the world around them, and rival the power of (or even surpass) the Admins themselves. Not all of them are malicious, some act as a failsafe or will actively protect humans, though certain Entities are just here to enact their power and wrath on mortals. Currently named/canon Entities are the Spectre, C00lgui, Spawn, and #####.

Scripting/Code Panels - Not… actual, physical panels. They’re more like GUI you can summon, similar in appearance to the c00lgui (but different. The c00lgui is it’s own thing that I’ll explain maybe another chapter), and they are “attached” to a specific object in reality (or, “the Workspace”/server).

• They basically contain all the scripts and properties within a specific object, person, etc.: how it functions, how it is rendered, how it interacts with its environment, and whatever else. Some panels are completely inaccessible, either due to Admins or Entities putting those limits in place (so as to prevent smth like, idk, some sort of /kill command nonsense, or someone accidentally deleting the universe).
• Not everyone can summon these panels. Like I said, only Admins and people with the ability to script can view and alter them.

Admins - okay. Let’s talk about them. yeah.

• For canon characters, the Admins are basically the high ranking staff (Builderman, Shedletsky/Telamon, Dusekkar, Mr. Doombringer, etc. because idk who else. Maybe also Taph?) of Roblox HQ.
• They’re all literally immortal and insanely powerful. They stopped physically and mentally aging past their prime a long time ago, and nobody knows how chronologically old they are, since people stopped counting a long time ago as generations passed. They reset their memories every couple hundred years to prevent themselves from going insane with the passage of time and the absurd amount of power in their hands, but that’s an existential thing I’ll save for another fic.
• Anyway. All Admins are capable of scripting, modeling, and have access to the Banlands and HQ files. Despite how powerful they are, they aren’t necessarily gods. They can reprogram reality as they wish, yes, but they still have limitations. What are those limitations? well, whatever the Entities decide they can't do, since those things are insanely overpowered and basically incomprehensible eldritch horrors.
• The Admins are still people, humans, not gods, despite the power they have. Humans are fallible, liable to poor decision making and doing horrible things. They’re doing their best to prevent the unstable and chaotic world they live in from plunging into utter disarray at the hands of forces beyond them, but sometimes their best isn’t enough, and sometimes their emotions get in the way. I’m being awfully cryptic in describing this lore but it’s insanely relevant to some of the fics I’m currently working on and I can’t say much else without spoiling just yet aaaaaaaaa

Roblox HQ - A looming tower that pierces the clouds, grand and nearly as ancient as the Admins themselves.

• Was supposedly built in the middle of the birthplace of Robloxia, where the original 2x2 brick once formed, and where the first Robloxians were created and lived for their early years up until #####.
• Basically just a trove of information about the history of Robloxia, scripting, and all the things Admins have done and are planning. It also contains all the "deleted" memories of the Admins, since it would kinda suck if they accidentally removed smth super important.
• Insanely high-security. Insanely secretive. If some Robloxian wants to be a staff there, they have to be very reputable, trustworthy, and get several background checks to make sure they won’t mess everything up for the Admins and/or leak confidential information.
• I mean, it’s not like the Admins are up to no good or anything, yeah? It makes sense they want good people as their workers.

Hacking, and the Things It Does to People (oh no) - hacking and exploiting are used interchangeably since they more often than not will have the same consequences (and are literally the same thing).

• This form of exploiting mainly refers to injected scripts into clients, manipulating/accessing scripts and values, and third-party bullcrap. There’s no such thing as sites or places outside of Robloxia in this AU, so how do third party exploits work? Entities. Giving people absurd powers. it's always the explanation for crap I don't wanna put effort into writing (no it isn't)
• so yes 007n7 was granted the c00lgui's powers by the horrors themselves when he was in college but I'll go over that mess in a future chapter
• Okay so, getting to the point, once a non-Admin person accesses these exploits and attempts to script without authorization from Builderman, well uh... Things Start Happening. They are now capable of using some of the abilities Admins would have, such as being able to cause mayhem freely and wreak havoc. Most reckless hackers get severely messed up by a thingy called corruption, which will make their appearances and sometimes even their minds more monstrous and inhuman.
• Corruption's effects on the mind can cause a lack of empathy, violent tendencies, generally just sadism and the desire to cause mayhem. It's why most hackers end up doing a whole lot of damage soon after they get ahold of scripting. Even if they're a morally upright person and the things they do with their newfound power are harmless and/or beneficial, the corruption will inevitably possess and/or influence them into doing absolutely terrible actions later down the line.
• Corruption spreads like a disease, and is capable of spreading between people regardless of whether or not they are hackers. The Admins do not know how to fully cure it, either - though it's one of their top priorities in their research at Roblox HQ. Sometimes it infects slowly, unnoticeable within one's script, and will not become evident until its too late. Other times it will manifest insanely fast and start breaking reality (causing glitches) and KILLING PEOPLE which is very very bad
• 007n7's appearance was slightly warped due to corruption, and he is one of few hackers who figured out how to delay his corruption's spread by making it "dormant" within his script. The infection would not spread and was certainly not gone per say, since it's one of those Entities that can't be deleted from reality or removed from an object, but it was no longer visible on him and is theorized to not re-appear and fully infect him until his later years and/or when he begins hacking again. The Admins began replicating this process with other hackers so as to stop corruption from fully manifesting in them and infecting others.

Corruption itself i guess - if it clears anything up, uh, it's basically John Doe and Noli's corruption on their bodies. yeah. That's what the infection is. Actually, the infection is sort of a mix between one of those aforementioned Entities and an actual parasitic disease, since it has an agenda/goals and is implied (though certainly might not at the same time, up to interpretation) to be sentient or at the very least aware of its surroundings. It's also a few other things but I can't really say. without. getting into spoilers for a fic i haven't even posted. bruh pmo why cant i write these fics and post faster

• Although powerful and extremely dangerous, it is still an Entity below the Spectre and Spawn in its potential and capabilities, being one that is less powerful and more easily detectable and alterable by scripters, especially Admins.
• Unlike most other Entities, it is a visible thing unless made dormant. It takes the physical form of black sludge, vapor/gas, or crystalline growths (liquid, air, solid respectively. Three states of matter. Im so smart. Stop yapping in parentheses) that glows with 0s and 1s around it when it is agitated and/or currently doing something messed up and evil. These manifestations, if deleted, will only return even worse and with the corruption itself becoming agitated.
• When agitated, the corruption will attempt to do a number of different really bad things. Such things include overtaking/possessing its host’s mind, spreading between people and infecting others, or literally causing glitches and breaking stuff. Can’t really get into the specifics without spoilers, unfortunately. bruh.
• How corruption effects people varies from host to host depending on circumstances and the individual’s personality, physical and mental health, and capability when it comes to scripting/hacking. For Noli, it basically turned him into the chaotic glitchy monster he is, giving him the ability to create hallucinations and also messing up his voice. For John Doe, it gave him memory loss, some nasty mutations, and also #######. BRUH. I WANNA YAP ABT THIS SO MUCH DUDE.
• Why Admins are immune to corruption is because uuuuhhhh ######## man screw it i cant say anything abt the lore right now dude.i should just delete this entire section it's useless and redundant information until I actually start posting that John Doe centric longfic that's actually relevant to corruption (which will probably be a year from now, seeing the sheer slowness of how i write)

yeah

that's it for this chapter i think. yeah im pretty sure that's all i can copy-paste from the giant doc for now womp womp

eerrrrmmm yeah i'll talk about the spectre next okay cool

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What is? -  the Spectre’s realm is not purgatory or any form of afterlife, despite how many people describe it as “literal hell”. It is a place(?) where the laws of time and death are greatly altered, and everything is under the Spectre’s influence. The Spectre Itself has very little influence or power in Robloxia itself, aside from the ability to transport people to Its realm (“forsaking” them), send messages, or slightly alter code.

Where is? -  it’s not exactly in Robloxia, AKA the rest of the world. It is separate from literally everything else, supposedly not being in a physical space and instead in a near-inaccessible “pocket dimension” of sorts, similar to the Void that ##### was sent to. The space of the realm itself is also able to change, with places/objects being teleported or altered at any time.

How is? -  The Spectre makes Its reality-breaking nonsense possible by rescripting how time and space itself works within Its realm. It has also stolen various scripts from within Robloxia itself, such as commands that the Admins use (ex: memory wipes, teleports, etc.) are re-used in the cycle of Forsaken’s rounds.

Why is? - The Spectre wants power over everyone and everything. It wants to cause chaos in Robloxia, and the best way It can do that is by kidnapping Admins, other important people/myths, and even regular poor schmucks and basically trapping them in Its realm. It’s an immortal, cruel Entity that is horribly bored with Its endless years spent observing Robloxia. It wants to have fun, and the best way It knows how is by tormenting and experimenting mortals in a variety of different ways. Bruh. why can’t It do something normal, like uhhh watch anime or play video games idk

How immortality works in the spectre’s realm i guess:

• Upon an individual being forsaken, the Spectre essentially “saves” how their body was at the time they were transported. So whenever a survivor dies, the Spectre will rewind their body’s state back to this “savepoint”, reviving them.
• This makes all injuries sustained in the Spectre’s realm temporary, no matter how brutal they are. This also does a variety of other things to the survivor that revives - for example, if they were tired or hungry when they were first Forsaken, they’d revive with their body in that tired/hungry state.
• It can be pretty irritating for some of the survivors who have to deal with feelings of lethargy whenever a round ends. This also prevents the survivors or killers from aging or becoming ill, or any previous existing infections they had (such as Corruption) from spreading unless the Spectre wants that infection to spread. yeah.
• Some other examples of this rewind thingy: 1) Elliot was extremely angry/irritated upon being Forsaken. Who or what he was mad at, uuhhh spoilers ig idk. But basically he was saved in this state and now whenever he respawns, those feelings of irritation come back and he usually has to make himself calm down whenever a round ends, regardless of whether or not the survivors won. 2) Dusekkar is a lil sleepy whenever he returns from a round since I’m pretty sure the Spectre canonically forsaken’ed him while he was sleeping. So yeah he’s tired basically all of the time and that's part of his nerf. bruh. poor dude.

Uuuuuhhh yap abt how time works:

• Time is slowed significantly in the Spectre’s realm compared to the outside world. The exact way this happens is unknown, as the Spectre will occasionally change the flow of time, but it is pretty standard that a couple hundred years passing in the Spectre’s realm is the equivalent of only one day in Robloxia AKA the outside world.
• Additionally, the Spectre will “reset” all the survivors’ memories whenever some time has passed (usually around a decade or so) or When Something Really Bad Happens, so as to prevent them from going insane and/or giving up.
• Every reset is known as an “iteration” of the Spectre’s realm, and each iteration is typically different from the last, with different rules and features for the rounds so as to better balance things. The killers typically don’t have their memories reset unless the Spectre deems it necessary.
• Things in the intermissions themselves will also change. Every reset, the Spectre will fix the killers’ shared cabins as well as supply the survivors with different kinds of food and essentials.
• In previous iterations, the Spectre would provide the survivors with solely pizza from Builder Brothers, malnourishing them and kinda causing them to go insane since uh. Imagine having to eat the same food every day for decades. Yeah no. After the consequences of ####### (upcoming fic), the Spectre quickly realized Its mistake and went “oh shit mb gng I really messed up y’all are crazy” and started providing the survivors with actual food in the immediate reset that followed.
• C00lkidd’s memory gets reset the most often out of everyone, since the Spectre finds it insanely difficult to maintain his facade of innocence otherwise. He’s not the smartest child, but he’s insanely observant and curious, and has even been able to discover things within the Spectre’s realm that nobody else has (absurd bugs and glitches).
• The rounds/games of Forsaken typically last a few hours, and there is usually one or two each “day” within the Spectre’s realm. Additionally, maps are a lot larger and harder to traverse so as to compensate for this, that way killers are unable to realistically slaughter everyone within three minutes.