Thorcon Archives - Fractured Veil

Lahaina Fire Department Hosts Luau Fundraiser

As I’m sure many of you have heard, a recent call at the power plant turned bad and exposed the limits of some of our gear. The fire proximity suits and the standard breathing apparatus issued to all of our people proved to be insufficient to protect us from the effects of the 127 fire. While we all made it out, several were injured and it was made clear that we needed some new, more robust equipment.

Unfortunately, budget cuts have limited our ability to properly protect all of our brave men and women. So we’re asking the public to tap into a little of that famous Hawaiian spirit in order to help safeguard these first responders. In an attempt to raise the money we need, we’ll be hosting the biggest and best Luau we’ve ever held at the Lahaina training facility Saturday, June 27th. The food will be served starting at 7pm and will continue until you go home. A seat only costs $30 for an evening of food and entertainment. Bigger donations are of course welcome. You’ll be helping a worthy cause and doing your part to make the island a safer place.

We got 2nd Ladder’s most famous cook. Trust us when we say Rodger can whip up the most broke da mouth food you’ll find in Lahaina next to Hula Noodle. The menu will feature such favorites as: lomilomi salmon, chicken long rice, kalua pork, ahi poke, SSHAM Lau Lau, a wide variety of fresh fruits and all the poi you can eat. Make sure to wash it down with a few nice cold beers or with a well blended chi chi at our cash bar.

We have more than just a great meal planned. You’ll be entertained throughout the night with our crew showing off their amazing talents. We’re kicking off the evening by getting you hooked on our ladder races. Watch as 8 teams compete tournament style climbing up the 6 stories of our training building to see who can get to the top first. Keep in mind that going up is only half the competition, just like in life, it’s the race to the bottom where things can get interesting.

What Matt Makakū can do with his hose has always been the talk of whatever house he’s been stationed in. Now, watch for yourself as the hose-master carves and molds a block of ice into a piece of art. Without the hard metal tools usually used in ice sculpture, Matt will gently coax away all the parts that don’t belong with his sublime nozzle techniques, leaving only pure artistry behind.

Gnarly Lou will raise 4 alarms of funny with his witty observations and unbelievable stories. Hear about calls you won’t believe and maybe learn a few embarrassing things about your neighbors. After 15-years on the force Lou has seen just about everything and he isn’t afraid to share .

We’ll slow things down later and help you experience some of our old traditions with the drums and fire dancers of Engine 6. Embrace your roots with the rhythm of the drums and the precise movements of our firedancers. We’ll even try to teach a few moves to anyone brave enough to come up on stage.

We’ll close the evening with the angelic vocals of Driver Engineer Sarah Kekoa streamed live from her hospital room. Sarah will put her trademark Hawaiian spin on a number of old standards and classics while she recovers. Close your eyes and let yourself float away or have a slow dance with that special person in your life.

We have it on good authority that the man himself, Eric Oeming, will be in attendance to show his support for our brave men and women. It will be a night to remember for sure! Please come and help us secure the equipment we need so the next time you hear Sarah sing, it won’t be from her hospital room. They’d charge into a burning building for you, won’t you please have a meal and a few laughs for them?

June 15, 2043

Man In Custody After Entering Thorcon Control Room To Charge Phone

All of Lahaina will be able to sleep easier tonight after officials released more details about a frightening incident at the Thorcon Power Plant yesterday. 31-year-old Gary Puniwale was taken into custody after entering one of the plant’s control rooms, causing a partial shutdown, and panic across the island. While rumors of a possible terror attack caused understandable concern to nearby residents, authorities now say the reason for Puniwale’s unauthorized access was much more benign. According to their report, the Lahaina native was simply trying to charge his phone.

The Thorcon Plant has become one of Lahaina’s most popular attractions since being retrofitted to use element 127 (Unbiseptium) last year. Despite the concerns of many, plant officials said the switch to the controversial fuel would make the plant much safer and more efficient. Tours of the facility began soon after to help allay any fears, and demonstrate the safety of the plant. Thorcon’s Resident Site Manager Davis Carnot says Puniwale was part of one such tour.

“I can now confirm that the subject in question was able to slip away from his tour group yesterday, and somehow gained access to a control room on the lower level. Residents around the plant were never in any danger, and we are reviewing video currently to ascertain how Mr. Puniwale was able to wander away unnoticed, and enter the area. We are working closely with federal authorities and investigators to make sure nothing like this happens again, and are installing new safety and security protocols. While we believe that 127 is the key to the future of power production, we’d like to remind the public, and Gary in particular, that it will not charge your electronic devices any faster than traditional charging options. Frankly, I’m amazed that someone with the understanding and insight of Mr. Puniwale is allowed to walk around without a handler.”

Although Puniwale’s unauthorized entrance into a sensitive area seems to be a result of profound stupidity instead of malicious intent, it is little relief to some who remain concerned about the safety of the plant. Tim Durney, former investigator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and founder of the watchdog group VeilWatch, was one of the most vocal critics of the plants move to 127. He says that the incident highlights some of the security concerns he has been warning the public about, and hopes that this incident serves as a wake-up call for those still on the fence about the safety of 127.

He says, “I’m the first to admit that it is highly unlikely anyone else as witless as Gary exists, let alone could navigate the ticket purchasing process necessary to take a tour of the plant, but there are those who wish to do harm to as many as possible out there. It’s those people gaining access to controls at the Thorcon that keep me up at night. I’ve seen firsthand the devastating effect a 127 accident can have. I hate to think about what someone with evil intent could have done in Gary’s position. If the plant had a 127 release half as big as the Veilcorp breach in Iowa, it would destroy virtually all of Lahaina. The public deserves to know just how deadly this plant in their backyard is, and we are launching a new campaign to do just that. I hope Gary’s bumbling can lead to a greater awareness in the public, and make everyone in Lahaina think about what they are living next to.”

While Durney says that more public awareness would lead to a plant shutdown, it is public announcements and news stories about the plant that Puniwale says made him interested in the facility in the first place. Gary says he now understands why his actions caused such a severe response, and apologizes for the trouble he caused.

“My knowledge about the do’s and don’ts while you’re touring a nuclear power plant wasn’t that great, but believe me, I’ve gotten the message loud and clear. I wouldn’t recommend entering a secure location inside a 127 plant to see if it could charge your phone super-fast to anyone, but I will say I’ve learned a lot over the past 24 hours. In fact, if you take away the yelling, and the threats about far away black sites, I think interrogation might be a great way to teach someone about a subject in a very short time. I feel like I have a much better understanding about how serious those “restricted area” signs are, and how the electricity inside a power plant isn’t any “stronger” than what you have at home. I apologize again, and promise not to do anything to trouble my Lahaina neighbors in the future.

May 25, 2036

Thorcon Plant Announces Power Via 127 Next Year

A large countdown clock was unveiled today in front of the Lahaina Thorcon plant. While the year-long timer clicks down to one event, a retrofit to start using element 127 (Unbiseptium) for power production, the implications mean very different things for many Lahaina residents. For some, the modification would be a source of pride, making the island the home of the most cutting edge power plant in the world. The upgrade would provide cheaper, and more efficient energy production. Others see the conversion as unnecessary and potentially dangerous. They contend that the company is risking irreparable harm to the surrounding area simply to improve their bottom line.

Constructing a nuclear power plant in this part of Maui was never an easy sell. Many were concerned that the proposed location was too close to Lahaina and that the potential harm to some of the world’s most pristine forests was not worth the risk. But the project received heavy support from Veilcorp and government officials. A push was made to educate the public of the inherent and passive safety features intrinsic to the Thorcon design. Assured of the plant’s safety, eager for cheaper energy, and keen on having a major Veilcorp hub, public sentiment finally tipped in favor of the plant. It began operations on August 3, 2029.

Now less than five years later, the proposed design changes have many worried. Tim Durney, a former investigator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the plan to switch over to 127 would be a disaster. He says that the Thorcon plants safety features won’t apply if the switch is made to Unbiseptium and calls the installation of the clock something out of a bad scifi movie.

“The locals are calling it the ‘Doomsday clock’ and that’s exactly what it will become if their plans are carried out. I’ve seen the glow that 127 exposure gives everything. People, plants, even some metals, if something bad happened in this facility you’d be able to see Lahiana glowing a light blue at night from space. I was one of the investigators of the Veilcorp 127 breach in 2023. Even though that was considered a small containment failure, the released 127 destroyed acres of Iowa farmland that is still unusable. The explosions had some serious long lasting effects on survivors. We’re talking about horrible growths, deformities, and central nervous system disorders. They don’t even have names for some of the medical issues that people who inhaled 127 are suffering from. I know people who lived on the very edge of the contaminated areas who’ve suffered permanent vision impairments. Imagine always seeing sparkling light even when you close your eyes. We’ve seen huge increases in liver and bone diseases, as well as increases in cervical and testicular cancers in people from the surrounding area. To say that this element is not excessively dangerous is an outright lie.”

Thorcon’s Resident Site Manager Davis Carnot says that nothing could be further from the truth. He says the company has worked closely with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and have been consulting with Veilcorp scientists who have a deep understanding and experience working with 127. He says that the plant conversions will actually make it safer.

“I’ll admit that the messaging behind the clock rollout could have been handled better and we’re discussing moving it inside. Clock issues aside, and with all due respect to Mr. Durney, he is absolutely, 100% incorrect about the increased dangers of 127. The incident in Iowa has nothing at all to do with the technology we plan on using here. The plant will still use a liquid fuel design eliminating the need for fuel rods. In addition, 127 reacts at an extremely low temperature. In fact we’ve been able to achieve near-room-temperature superconductivity in a 127 doped palladium hydride. In layman’s terms, that means we can achieve extraordinary energy production efficiency in a way that is actually safer than our old design. Once you combine the benefits of using 127 with the added guidelines included in the preservation zone expansion, you have yourself the plans for the safest nuclear power plant ever conceived.”

Carnot says that the company understands that people are worried and will work hard to ease their fears. Just as they did when the plant was first proposed, he says the company will spend the next year holding numerous town hall style meetings where residents can learn about the science behind the new design, ask questions, and voice their concerns about the plant, the clock or anything else.

January 9, 2034

The Lahaina Power Plant Has Got To Go!

The Power Plant Problem

Hello fellow homeowners. As my first action as your continued HOA president, (thank you to everyone who voted to re-elect me), I’d like to address the elephant in the room. We need to do something about the power plant.

I know that it has been here for a few years now, but as my mother always said, “don’t be afraid of pointing out other people’s mistakes.” I don’t know about you, but that constant hum has made it almost impossible to lay out by my pool and has caused my pets no small amount of stress. The color is awful too. I know that you can’t really see it from here, but you have to drive past it and I’d prefer my drive home to be ugly, hulking-object free. There is no reason why they couldn’t have added design elements to better match the outdoors or built shelving along the walls for potted plants.

Also, can we please talk about the word “Thorium”? As a progressive community I feel like this word brings out the worst thoughts in people. I don’t want potential home buyers to hear that word and be assaulted with images of vikings with dirty beards dripping with the blood of oppressed people. Inclusion, tranquility, and good schools within walking distance should be on the mind of every potential new home owner when they arrive, not hammers and radiation.

I know some of you may think that I’m taking on too much with the power plant, especially if I’m going to fulfill my campaign promise of having us officially moved into the preservation zone. I see the two issues as intertwined. I refuse to believe that the power plant is any less dangerous to endangered wildlife than my cats. They are animals too, and it is unreasonable that I can be punished if they happen to catch a bird or two. That is nature. It makes no sense to control nature in a nature preserve.

On a slightly unrelated note, I’d like to thank Shelby for loaning me her extra cat carrier. Because this was Elvira’s first trip to the vet, she was very nervous and had an accident inside. I did my best to clean it out, but the smell was pretty bad, and the kids were starting to complain so I had to put it outside. It’s at the end of the driveway, feel free to pick it up as soon as you can. We don’t want to leave items like that in the driveway too long. It looks trashy.

We don’t want our whole neighborhood looking trashy either and that’s what the power plant does. It’s loud, ugly, and poorly named. It is a huge danger to our home values and the Tanager
way of life. With your help and support this lioness is going to let Veilcorp hear her roar, and threaten with legal action if they don’t give in to at least some of her demands.

January 2, 2032

Expansion of the Preservation Zone Gets Legislative Greenlight

An initiative to expand the borders of the West Maui Forest reserve was passed today. The plan will see a new preservation zone which extends into parts of Lahaina. Backers say the expansion is needed to ensure that natural areas remain protected from overuse and invasive species. They point out how important those areas are to keeping a thriving tourist industry. Others are concerned that the expansion may unduly burden hundreds who now find themselves living within the protected area.

Backed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the legislation follows on the heels of low population zone (lpz) rules adopted by Maui after the construction of the Thorcon plant back in 2029. The DLNR says that a number of high profile construction projects, Including numerous Veilcorp facilities, have exposed the islands to a flood of invasive species requiring tough new regulations and the increase in government protected lands.

Officials point to the rampant little fire ant infestation that has gripped the island in the past year. Unlike the native tropical fire ant, the little fire ant has become a major problem. Despite being miniscule in size, the invasive species can deliver a painful sting when disturbed that can produce welts that last for weeks. They promote pests such as scale insects, white flies, and aphids, by killing natural predators and parasites. The ants have already wreaked havoc on local agriculture and numerous attacks on pets have been reported. Many are concerned about the local sea turtles and their nesting grounds. On the Galapagos Islands the ants are known to eat tortoise hatchlings and attack the eyes of adult tortoises, leading to blindness.

DLNR spokeswoman Anita Keawe says,

“We’re really trying to avoid some of the issues that Kauai is currently facing with the Coqui frogs. They have transformed the “Garden Isle” over the last few years. We tried taking a more hands-off approach there and I think everyone can see what happened. After a number of unsuccessful eradication campaigns and without any predators, the frogs have eaten almost all the natural pollinators. Many native flowers and plants are in danger and last year’s guava crop was almost nonexistent. The expansion of the preservation zone will not only offer protection to huge swathes of land on Maui, but comes with other strict rules and regulations. Veilcorp in particular, will have to follow stringent new quarantine rules and isolate any incoming freight until it has been properly inspected.”

However, not everyone agrees that expanding the borders is the way to handle the ant incursion. Many residents who find themselves within the borders of newly protected areas will be prohibited from building additions to their homes, or even beginning large-scale remodeling work in some cases without special permits.

Still others see even bigger problems with the new plan. Chris Treadwell of Creek Propulsions claims that the expansion helps the big players on the island and is designed to stifle small business and innovators.

“I have no doubt that the State’s heart was in the right place with this planned expansion, but the big winners here are Veilcorp and Thorcon. Their facilities are already complete and they have used the political wind to make sure that no other competitors can get a foothold in the area. We’ve been exploring geothermal power options in Hawaii since 2028. This expansion will create a glut of new rules and regulations that make exploring test sites almost impossible. I think it’s pretty well established that the ants became a problem after Veilcorp began construction. I’m not saying in anyway that the spread of the ants was deliberate; I’m just pointing out that the company isn’t really shouldering any of the responsibility to solve the problem. Instead, of giving them a bill or halting their operations, the government has passed a law ensuring that they can operate in Lahaina without the worry of other companies moving in. Maui has just agreed to let the fox guard the hen house, and I think we should all be concerned about that.”

Officials counter that the plan is designed to help protect the tourist industry. They point out that almost 80% of every dollar generated on the island is directly or indirectly from tourism. While certain activities like ATV tours will now come with new government rules, there are no plans to ban them. “This really is about making sure our beaches stay pristine and ensuring that Maui remains a beautiful destination,” says Keawe

“Hawaii Maui Makena Big Beach” by dronepicr is licensed under CC BY 2.0

April 2, 2031

Version 0.1.2147: Talents, Siege Updates, and Renovations

Aloha Thrivers!

We’ve made some huge changes to the game with the help of our first 2 waves of Kickstarter backers and testers.

FRV’s starting area, the Thorcon Power Plant, got a huge facelift and content update. The main room is filled with vendors buying and selling everything a player needs to survive, and the respawn area is almost unrecognizable compared to just a few weeks ago.

We’ve added a fresh coat of grime to the sewer dungeon, made big improvements to the siege system, and updated the mutant’s movements, and battle tactics to make them more dangerous. However, The most exciting new feature for this update is probably the introduction of the talent system.

Designed from the ground up with the direct input of the community, the first iteration in the game right now allows players to explore four categories of specialization for their characters. This is a huge step forward allowing you to tailor your gameplay into what role you like best or explore other options you normally wouldn’t.

Here’s a look at everything we’ve added to the game.

Thorcon Power Plant Update

Every part of the game’s starting area has had a major facelift.

What was a fairly empty respawn room is now filled with everything a freshly restored player needs to start surviving.

The locker room next door has changed quite a bit from our early concepts.

It’s now almost as vibrant as the jungle outside.

The work we’ve done in the main room however is probably the most striking.

This huge open space is now a multi-level area filled with vendors, shops, shrines, and places for players to group up. Here’s a before and after video that highlights the huge changes inside and the starting area’s incredible transformation.

Sewer Dungeon Renovation

The Thorcon wasn’t the only renovation we took on, the sewer dungeon got a lot of love recently and some expansions.

We take a lot of pride in making our jungles lush and vibrant and wanted to put the same effort into making one of our favorite dungeons a foreboding place to explore.

In addition to the twisting wet corridors, we’ve added defensible positions for players who need some cover from the mutants lurking around inside.

We’re still working on building out some of the lowest levels, but there are already plenty of places for players to explore, loot, and fight.

Talent System

All of these renovations make a huge visual difference but our new talent system has a huge impact on gameplay.

We built the talent system hand-in-hand with our amazing community. We asked for ideas about builds and ways they’d like to specialize their characters while keeping in mind that we wanted to avoid anything that would give an unfair advantage in PVP.

Here’s what we came up with after listening to your input. Right now we have 4 basic roles you can explore: Builder, Hunter, Stealth, and Support. We still have some UI and balancing to do but this is another huge step in allowing players to customize their characters and work better in groups.

Siege and Totem Improvements

Building a base that is big enough to attract a horde of angry mutants (or starting a siege yourself) is a lot of fun, and we’ve made a ton of improvements to the siege system.

We updated how totems work for singular and combined bases ensuring that endless waves don’t appear for larger complexes and made sure a siege ends once all of the base’s totems are reduced to 20% or less health. The siege manager now keeps proper track of contributing players and we fixed bugs that would cause massive server lag when a siege was started manually.

We added animals and beasts to the cast of characters that can show up to tear down everything you’ve built, made improvements to AI pathing so the horrors of the jungle don’t get stuck, and made sure the siege manager prioritizes ranged AI if a base is hard to reach.

Community

As usual, we’ve fixed a mountain of bugs with the help of our amazing testers since our last update. The team has squashed over 150 in a couple of months getting things ready for Wave 3. Join our discord server and check out the patch-notes channel for a complete list of fixes.

More About Fractured Veil

June 29, 2022

Starting Area Facelift and Dungeon Renovation Preview

Aloha, Thrivers!

We let Wave 2 into FRV back in April and they have been a huge help testing the game and working with us as we build out all the new features we have in store for Wave 3. We have a lot planned for the next round of our Kickstarter backers like talents, server travel, base decorations, and renovations to dungeons and our starting area, the Thorcon Power Plant.

With our next big update coming soon we thought we’d give you a sneak peek at the facelift we’re giving the game’s social hub, the sewer dungeon, and some options for personalizing your base. We can’t wait to open the doors to the Thorcon and let you all inside.

Thorcon Power Plant Update

The difference inside the game’s starting area and social hub is night and day.

There are more vendors and shops where players can buy and sell loot inside the main room and plenty of areas to explore throughout the entire building.

Sewer Facelift

One of the best and filthiest places to explore in FRV is the sewers. With all the work we’ve put into beautifying the starting area, we thought we’d add a fresh coat of slime to the sewers too. We’ve tweaked the lighting and materials to make the place glisten in all the wrong places and finished a couple more areas inside for players to discover and loot.

Base Decorations

Base decorations were one of the stretch goals unlocked in our Kickstarter campaign and one of the most requested features from players. We’re working on lots of things to customize your builds like lighting, planters, stoves, furniture, and other decorations. Here’s a look at a fantastic bed we recently designed that has everything a sleepy thriver needs to survive a restless night.

More About Fractured Veil

June 9, 2022

Expanding the Neighborhood

For all of the #builders in our community, we’re happy to report that we’re continuing to make improvements to our construction system. A number of you suggested we add stairs that you could use with half walls in your structures. Well, it may take you twice as long to get your steps in but we adjusted the spiral staircases to match up with half walls! Don’t worry, the spiral stairs are now stackable for diehards looking for a full stair experience. While we were at it, we added the ability to place spiral staircases on triangle and rounded foundations and fixed some structural integrity bugs.

We also made some additions to the safe zone area this week. Players arrive in Maui after the fracture and our goal is for them to ask, “Hey, where did everyone go?” or “What happened here?” while wandering around the island. We’re building a shanty town across the river from the power plant for future exploration and eventually, clues about those who came before. And a few hoop houses have been constructed in the area so that survivors can grow and secure the rare Kükenroot for future generations. Here’s a look at what you can see in the neighborhood around the Thorcon.

You can learn more about the game and get all the latest updates by going to our Discord server or checking out our Steam page.

August 14, 2020

Caves, Shelters, and Sub-Basements

It’s taken longer than we expected to get some of our major system updates done and to be honest, once they are finished, the world is still under construction. We’ll be testing features and new systems for many months ahead, but hopefully we’re narrowing in on the window when we can open up the game to new testers again.

Mahalo to our current testers who help us find what needs fixing every week and providing great ideas for the game. We love your feedback so keep it coming! Here’s a list of everything you found and we fixed since the play session last week.

Aazlor – Spawned with stamina I had at death
zaccsi – Need icon to show that you are burning
Larry – Big Bob AI clips out

You can learn more about the game and get all the latest updates by going to our Discord server or checking out our Steam page.

Early in development, we focused a lot of our efforts in bringing the lush wilds of Maui to life and doing justice to the beautiful Lahaina sky. However, this week, we’re excited to share updates on hidden places beneath your feet that we’re working on. We know how much fun it is to explore and discover new areas in places you’d least expect to find them. Below are some pictures of a few of our new subterranean haunts. Make sure to read our latest update for a deeper dive into these new places.

July 10, 2020

Safe Zone Updates and Fixes

If you’d like to travel to Lahaina in the year 2120 and test your survival skills while helping us make the game more fun to play we’d love to have you. Click the link to join our discord and go to the #assign-roles channel. We’ll give you a key and get you set up in the game. You can also check out our Steam page for the latest screenshots, trailers, and news about the game.

This week the team made several improvements to the Safe Zone that surrounds the Thorcon Power Plant. We added a new “In Safe Zone” icon to the player’s status bar so you can tell when you’re in a protected area. Toxicity no longer decays or affects the player while in the zone and items can no longer be thrown while you are in the safe zone. Bandages, syringes, medkits, and all food items are now usable there too.

We fixed a bug where foliage destruction was getting desynced when a level was streamed in a second time during a single play session. We Adjusted the holster rate of all weapons to improve the overall smoothness of weapon switching, and the holstering animation no longer blocks subsequent requests to equip a new item. We added some improvements to the mutants too. Cannibals can now return to a dead body they were previously consuming if they were interrupted during their dinner. Additionally, the cannibal will now only receive their cannibalization buff if they completely finish eating a body.

Lastly, we made updates to our procedural road and diorama tools to fill out the world with more variety and content without needing to hand place everything. We added corpses, barrier areas, and torches to dirt and gravel paths. Below you can see a few screenshots of the tools in work.

April 30, 2020

Tag: Thorcon

Lahaina Fire Department Hosts Luau Fundraiser

Man In Custody After Entering Thorcon Control Room To Charge Phone

Thorcon Plant Announces Power Via 127 Next Year

The Lahaina Power Plant Has Got To Go!

Expansion of the Preservation Zone Gets Legislative Greenlight

Version 0.1.2147: Talents, Siege Updates, and Renovations

Thorcon Power Plant Update

Sewer Dungeon Renovation

Talent System

Siege and Totem Improvements

More Content, Improvements, and Features

VOIP Improvements

AI Updates

Gameplay Content, Improvements, and Fixes

Community

Starting Area Facelift and Dungeon Renovation Preview

Thorcon Power Plant Update

Sewer Facelift

Base Decorations

Expanding the Neighborhood

Caves, Shelters, and Sub-Basements

Safe Zone Updates and Fixes