Desync

"Desync" is the in-world term for player death. When a player's avatar sustains enough damage or trauma, their connection to Citadel Nine is forcibly severed. This is the ultimate consequence of failure in any high-stakes encounter.

A desync is not a minor inconvenience. A player who desyncs is locked out of Citadel Nine for seven real-world days.

This penalty makes every dangerous encounter meaningful. It raises the stakes for everything since the threat of a week-long absence shapes player decisions, forcing them to weigh risk, reward, and the very real cost of a mistake.

(Note: Players under the initial "Grace Period" receive a slightly higher weekly stipend to compensate for potential early desyncs.)