zeros infodump site!if youre here, you likely got linked here for asking about my coaster ocs. almost everything here should answer your questions. if not, please ask me more so then i can add to the site!
Astral Projection - How Ridefolk Come To Be
Please be aware I will use the term rollercoaster and coasterhuman to apply to all ride-based characters, including flat-ride based characters all across this page. This is for simplicities sake, and I know the difference, don't worry.My coasterhuman's are direct derivatives and spawns of the rollercoasters that inspired their existence. They can't coexist without eachother, and are linked in one sole way - life.The coasterhumans only come to exist during the closed season having officially started. When referring to parks that are open over the December-February periods, the only ones that are awake during those times are the coasterhumans in closed off areas of the park.Coasterhumans form friendships and relationships over the offseason, taking the very minimal social interaction they can get as they are very social, akin to the regular human being.If a rollercoaster is demolished, the coasterhuman is taken along with it. However, if the coasterhuman faces damage during the offseason or recieves fatal injuries, they will have recovered physically by the next offseason. TLDR, a rollercoaster being damaged harms the coasterhuman, a coasterhuman being harmed does not damage the coaster.When a ride (coaster or flat) is unfortunately removed, they will often come together during the next closed season for a memorial. While it's not the most extravagant, they'll usually stand in silence, look at the plot of land where they once were, and remember the old times.One great example of this being Alton Tower's purge of 2015, harked as a mass murder in the ridefolk community. Ripsaw, Flume and Subterra were either removed or abandoned in this purge, and coasters often blame it on Smiler for an inconspicuous act. They also didn't project that year, so ridefolk were never able to question them.
I Summon - Pot Of Greed!
A coasterhuman's existence is simply to wake up and interact. They are a creation of the actual rollercoaster's want to socialise and befriend, given how they cannot do so with park guests or mechanics during the onseason. Think of it like Pinocchio being brought to life by a wish.How exactly are they formed though? There isn't really a scientific reason behind it, but there are a few theories as to how they are formed.A coasters form is very rarely a choice. Sometimes a coaster is fully human, a robot, an animal, or even an omniscent presense. Their appearance is defined by their first theming, but if their coaster has been rethemed, they have a choice on whether they want to take a new allocated form instead, a good example of this being Galactica and X.Galactica was initially built as Air, and was unable to physically project as anything but... well, air! When given the option at his retheme in 2016, he gladly gained the form of a robot, even though he was keeping an invisible watchful eye on everyone anyways.X meanwhile, was built with the theme of a computer virus, as you would typically see from late 90's theming of pretty much anything. X still loves this form, however, due to rejecting form changes not once but twice, he has recieved physical issues, such as visible glitching. Wanna be a computer virus so much? See what it's like to be one!However, due to lack of form choice, some coaster choose not to project at all. There is a backup for this, in which a coasters true spirit does not project, and instead gives off another form to give that a chance of life. See my character Wicker Junior for this as a good example.But that still doesn't determine HOW they come to be. There's a theory that lingers that there are skin cells gently left by humans in a ride's construction, this being any contact from welding together, to being a woodie support held as a tree log before being chopped apart.These cells come together and create the ridefolk projection forms. However, humans don't leave nearly enough cells to form one whole person, so the ridefolk take energy from the steel/wooden alloys, the plating on their chain lifts or the rubber from their drive tyres, whatever dust or pollen or other life is lingering in the wind at their rides highest point and light refraction from the sun to create a physical form that anyone can see... that is, if the form given is visible.So, what about their bodily mechanisms? If they take the form of humans, do they have the same systems that we do? Kinda! Coasters can eat if they want, but the food almost immediately fizzles away after being swallowed.Ridefolk bleed either mercury or yew sap, depending on whether they are a steel or wooden coaster respectively. See 'Cadmium, Yew... and you!' to get a deeper look into this.
Sometimes, Too Much Aura Isn't A Good Thing!
So, heres a question I'm sure youre wondering: 'Zero, if rides take on a human-esque form when projecting (par a few exceptions) why can they not just project in the open season and blend in if they need social interaction so badly?' Ah, a plothole!! Quick, think of something!Rides, in projected form, emit a non-visible aura of cadmium, an alloy used to reduce steel corrosion, a factor as to why their physical forms do not age. 'How does this apply to wooden coasters?', they also emit an aura, that of a yew tree, known for being extremely toxic.The evolution of coasters has developed them to be as poisonous to humans as possible to prevent coasters mingling with people, due to their increasingly more violent theming, general tech advancements and choice of projecting as less human-like things.Older coasters do not emit as much of this aura, as they did not have time to develop it through evolution. It's predicted that any coaster made after 2092 will be too dangerous for it to project, as it poses a direct environmental risk.A good example of this being Nick Streak versus Wicker Jr. Nick emits extremely low levels of yew - she and all of the other Blackpool Pleasure Beach woodies have been astrally projecting during open season for decades now, and as they have a majorly human form, they can blend in well.Wicker Jr. emits an extreme, dangerously high amount of yew, due to her young age. Her less human form also makes it much harder for her to blend in with others. TLDR: If a coaster was made before 1960, it can probably project safely around humans.'Zero, what about RMC's?' idgaf abt rmcs blehhh🖕 But to save a plothole later if one eventually arrives in the UK, RMC's emit an equal amount of yew and cadmium, making them literal environmental hazards, and are rarely able to project unless if theyre in a contained enviroment.Coasters are usually shunned for leaving the park site, even older ones with less poisonous aura, but RMC's are strictly threatened with demolition if they leave park sites. However, if they coat themselves with a garlic scent, it can suppress the yew and cadmium slightly, making them safe enough to project in the offseason if applied on a day-by-day basis. This applies to any coaster, but most used by RMC's due to their high toxicity.'Okay, Zero, I see you, managing your plotholes, but hark mine questioneth: if coasters are SO desperate for social interaction, why don't they project during times when the park has closed, not during opening hours?' Haha! I see through your charade of a question and I shall answer!They emit too much cadmium/ yew!! If they were to project during the closed hours (for this example, lets say 8PM-6AM to account for employees) they would leave too much cadmium/ yew aura behind and make it a poison playground for employees! Not only that, but they're tired after exerting themself for the day, pushing people round their tracks or mechanisms and whatnot.
Steel and Rubble, Toil and Trouble - Flame Welding and Coaster's Shuttle
Usually, a coaster doesn't take much from it's manufacturer. But there are an odd couple quirks that aren't guaranteed - but are commonly found among coasters of the same manufacturer. Here are some!Arrow Dynamics: Arrows have alot of banter and unfriendly rivalry with Vekomas, and are usually very brashB&M: B&MS are often very sturdy. not strong so to say, but they know how to take on a physical situation. they have a better mental capacity than most coastersGerstlauer: Gerstlauers are known for having a more erratic nature than most, this usually just meaning that they have more energy built upIntamin: Intamins are often faster and more limber than other coasters, their projections being more flexible. they tend to have a calmer nature.Mack: Macks typically have bigger and more robust projections, with much more and often abnormal physical strengthMaurer: Maurers are known for being alot smaller than other projection, and also being quite zippyPinfari: Pinfaris tend to have really bad posture.Schwarzkopf: Schwarzkopfs are more often stiff with their movements due to their projections struggling to properly form bonesVekoma: Vekomas have alot of banter and unfriendly rivalry with arrows. they're relatively friendly, albiet not very smart.Zamperla: Zamperlas usually tend to be a little slower than most, and have a tendency to forget things easierZierer: Zierers often prefer solitude during projection time, but are still open to socialising. they operate better in darkness or at night.
Once, There Was An Ugly Barnacle...
Stories often spread quite fast through the ridefolk community, whether it's fabricated rumors or true tales. However false or true, this is mostly done for the safety of younger or recently first-projected coasters. Or, just to mess around with their fellow kind. Here are some!- The earliest known coasters are rumored to only have existed for short amounts of time due to their projections, wanting to meet the humans that created them, being credited with witchcraft and being immediately dismantled out of fear. One example of this being the first known rollercoaster built directly for thrill, The Centrifugal Railway science exhibit. She was only alive for two weeks before immediately being taken apart after her first projection. If Centri hadn't made this sacrifice, ridefolk likely wouldn't know how to project today, as she set an example for every coaster after her.-As of 2024, Dreamland Margate's Scenic Railway, a hero among ridefolk, has been SBNO. Being SBNO is the equivalent of being held on life support but for ridefolk. The park's managers are still wondering what to do with her. Due to her opening date of 1920, she emits barely any yew at all, but because she hasn't been operated in years, she physically cannot project, making her trapped in her own coaster. As this is only a recent story, ridefolk often take offense when this story is spread, and it's become quite the controversy. Is it better to let her stay in this state, so at least she's alive? Or should her managers put her out of her misery? Either way, this is used as a horror tale among younger UK coasters, to say that no matter how important you once were, you could be left standing eternally, trapped in your own mind, all at the decision of selfish humans.-In 2022, Scorpion Express unfortunately recieved fatal fire damage, causing his coaster to be removed, despite being a normal and healthy coaster prior to this damage, showing that sometimes things are jut unfortunately out of a ride's control. As ridefolk are often very close to one another, even at parks on the other side of the country, this was quite a big blow. One coaster who empathises with this situation most, is Grand Nash, who suffered a burning partially in 2005, and this happened to reignite old trauma. The story of Scor is told very fondly among older coasters to newer projections, and ask that he's only respected.-Cyclone of South Shields has quite the riveting story. A coaster manufactured by a short lived company with only one sister coaster, that being the mysterious and mighty Steel Stella. But this story isn't about her. Cyclone was first formed in 1938, but didn't have a very long lifespan, being demolished in 1940. So, what happened? Did it cause an incident? No, this is another coaster hailed as a hero. They sacrificed their physical form to be torn apart and used for construction during WW2, never to project again.-A story common among both ridefolk and humans is the recently deceased Kingda Ka. He opened in 2005 to be the worlds tallest and fastest coaster of his time, keeping the tallest record for his entire lifespan, unaware of the soon to exist 'Falcon's Flight'. Sitting atop his throne and loved by pretty much everyone, he was taken in his prime after being SBNO for three months, then demolished without much prior warning. His record was handed down, not to Top Thrill 2 as it wasn't operating at the time, but to Red Force for a short three months before Falcon's Flight took wing. A reminder to any living being that the worst can happen when you least expect it... it's led alot of ridefolk to stop wanting to reach their dreams, fearing they'll be struck down at their best state. However some still linger with their near impossible dreams, like Hyperia who surpassed being the tallest and fastest coaster in the UK... let's see how long she lasts before facing explosive demolition.-A little known rumor, mostly used as a horror story due to it's non-confirmed solidity, is that China declares ridefolk to have a lifespan, specifically rollercoasters. If you do your research, it's quite easy to see that coasters that are 20 years of age right now are either SBNO or completely defunct, one exception being Wiegand coasters. It raises the question of whether all coasters do have a lifespan, and that all mother companies worldwide refuse costly retracks, simply waiting for the worst to possibly happen as a lawsuit is probably cheaper than rebuilding a coaster from the ground up.