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redstringtheories2022-05-01 08:53 am
TDM #11
(cw: potential for severe disorientation/vertigo, claustrophobia, arachnophobia, body horror)
It happens in the blink of an eye. You may have been asleep. You may not have. You may have stepped through a door or turned a corner. You may have seen a flicker of something at the corner of your vision and turned to look. Or maybe you didn't.
It doesn't matter. What matters is that you find yourself somewhere entirely new and entirely unfamiliar. The arrival point is not always the same. (If you're lucky, it might be a canteen or an open office. If you're not, well... you aren't claustrophobic, are you? Or arachnophobic. These ducts do seem to be a bit cobwebby.) There is no one waiting for you but you don’t seem to be alone, either. Even in a janitor’s closet or the bathroom, you’ll find at least one person who seems to be just as out of place as you are.
If characters have arrived in a location devoid of NPCs, they may want to work together to figure out what is going on... or to avoid their 'kidnappers.' If you’ve arrived in the middle of the entry foyer or the gym, there may well be a few people who startle a bit at your arrival and try to approach (or discreetly leave the room... where are they going?). Will you cooperate or fight? Do you even understand what they're saying? You might need to find a translator, if you’re not immediately willing to follow a stranger.
After characters follow their new hosts (or are forcibly taken in) there will be a limited tour and the chance to settle in at the ADI-provided housing. (Do you enjoy living with strangers? Well. It's a new situation to navigate, anyway.)
(cw: supernaturally affected mood changes, supernatural compulsion, hallucination, potential for suicidal ideations and drowning)
Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. And the weird things have been getting worse. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI) is not above taking advantage of that to test out the waters for its newest arrivals, but they're far more conscientious about it than early days. They're not looking to send anyone to their death, especially not with recent events that have transpired surrounding Dogtown and in Gloucester proper. An employee gives you a GPS device where you need only press a button to alert ADI there is severe danger and someone needs to come help you right away, and you've been left with another person at the trailhead. Maybe they're a new arrival, as well, or a more seasoned 'veteran.' Either way, you're together for the next while and you've been asked to find and record any paranormal activity in the park. You have your phones and any other equipment you might have brought with you. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit.
This month, late April rain showers have swollen the streams in Dogtown, leading to slightly more treacherous conditions, particularly at low trail-crossings. Anyone who needs them has been issued some waterproof boots for their walk to help with that. Some pairs who go wandering may find themselves getting split up unexpectedly, though. A fork in a path leads off and each person may find themselves drawn to a different trail.
One path continues on as normal. The other is a bit more overgrown, wild with flowers spilling over the sides of the dirt path. It is quieter here, a little darker as the trees begin to close in overhead. The sound of birds begins to fade, even the swaying of grasses. Soon, it might be only the sound of your own breath and footsteps that carry you down the path. But there's nothing that appears to be dangerous, just strange. And then you come to the river.
There are no rivers in Dogtown. There are a few small creeks that run into Strangman Pond or the Babson Reservoir, but nothing like this. It is a wide, slow-moving thing with dark water. Anyone touching it will find that the water is actually warm, more like a pleasant bath than the freezing spring it should be. There's also an urge to step into the water, to lie down in it and just… float away. You're so tired and aching and this is a place of peace and quiet, no one around to bother you. You could stay and float along the river forever.
Or you could if it weren't for your companion finding you. Those who took the other path and return to try to find their wayward partner will not find a place of peace and quiet. They will, instead, find their companion near a mudpit. Potentially, said companion will be lowering themselves into it, turning over to be facedown, as the mud slowly embraces them.
(cw: gaslighting, supernatural compulsion)
Spring is in the air, and with the success of the recent flower festival, Gloucester's library system has decided to host a book fair to get people interested in reading. They've acquired a large number of new books with a particular bend toward the paranormal and local legends. This might have something to do with a recent, large donation from a mysterious local benefactor who wishes to remain nameless, but who can really say? Books!
Flyers advertising the fair go up around town and seem, somehow, especially enticing, even to people who might not be regular readers. Those to come will be offered the chance to sign up for a free library card that can be used at either of the two libraries in Gloucester and in the wider Cape Ann library network, which encompasses a further seven libraries. Strangely, members of ADI who try to sign up for a card will find that they are already in the library system. In fact, they've already checked out and returned several books. Don't they remember? They've been coming here for months now!
Reviewing their own lists, people will find that their checked out books seem to be filled with titles that they probably would have checked out, if given the opportunity. There's something more, though. Comparing lists with others, every single member of ADI from another world will find that they appear to have checked out Philip Dick's Eye in the Sky novel. That novel cannot be found in any library in the Gloucester or Cape Ann system, though. There's no record of its acquisition, nor is there a record of where it might have gone to. Anyone asking very confused librarians will be assured that they'll try to get it in again. It seems to be something of a rarity, though, and the system will have a bit of trouble acquiring a copy. They promise to have it within a month. Two at the very most! If you like existential sci-fi horror, though, can they interest you in these other titles?
The fair itself will feature a wide variety of books to suit any genre. There are also prizes on offer for anyone who wants to test their reading knowledge. Laptops have been set up in one area with quizzes to test your knowledge of a particular book. The questions begin in a benign and sensible way and stay that way for some. For others… the questions start getting to be more about opinion, then more about you. The questions are phrased as hypotheticals, but there's no way this thing could know to pose that specific hypothetical to you. It can't possibly know about that horrible thing you did or said. Why is it asking? Why can't you not answer? Why can't you leave? Those faced with these questions will be forced to answer them with error messages popping up if they try to lie. The only way to escape is to get through the full quiz or to have someone else rescue you. Of course, this might entail them reading over your shoulder and seeing just what sort of things you've done.
(cw: hallucinations, nyctophobia, claustrophobia, severe injuries to fingernails, severe burns, dead bodies, superstition)
The word comes down from Nia Lehrer, Warden of ADI, that they have a strong lead on a ritual attempt at this point. Between the information collected by native ADI agents and the visitors from other worlds, they know there's going to be an attempt involving the Dark avatar, Katie Dunn, and the Buried avatar Deepthi Anand. There's also something strange going on with FYRE, a mining company headquartered and operating in Appalachia. All hands are needed on the ground given the amount of area they need to cover and the potentially short timeframe to stop something from happening. ADI requests volunteers from the off-world visitors, including new arrivals, offering a substantial bonus for their involvement, and promising not everyone is going to be engaged in some pitched battle. An army marches on its stomach, after all, and moving, housing, and caring for so many people a state away is a major logistics undertaking, not to mention the need for PR experts who can help deal with the locals while ADI sorts out what needs doing.
A train is chartered, heading everyone toward Wolf Pen, West Virginia. It's a standard train, one that will ferry the entirety of ADI's personnel and equipment to Wolf Pen in just about 18 hours. It's a ride that takes them through some towns, but predominantly sticks to what remains of the wild parts of the eastern seaboard and Appalachia. There's a dining car, cars for luggage, some cars that are just seats, and some cars that have bunk beds in them. Bags are packed, people loaded in, and the journey begins. Of course, no journey with the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative would be complete without some oddities along the way.
Scratchmarks
The train isn't making any stops, just plowing onward, which means people who want to get a little exercise will be forced to roam between cars. The space between the two carriage doors shudders with the motion of the train. The walls are made of metal and thick, accordion-esque plastic that stretches and bends. Very occasionally, the doors between the carriages seem to simply lock up. Tugging on them does nothing and this is a very small, unstable place that only seems to grow smaller and hotter the longer you're in there. Less than a minute may feel like hours, but that's not all. Those who are trapped might begin to see scratchmarks, places where the walls have been gouged, maybe even partially ripped open. There are fingernails still embedded in some places. Seeing this prompts an overwhelming need to escape, to be out of this place because something terrible is coming. You might need to be let out by someone or you might get out yourself. Either way, inspecting the space between cars turns up… nothing. No scratchmarks, no tears, no locking doors. Maybe you should just sit down and stick to one car. It was only a few seconds, after all.
Fearful Tunnel Syndrome
As they move out of Massachusetts, the coastal wetlands and plains give way to thick forests and then mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains thrust their way toward the sky, carving a new horizon as the day fades to night and the sun disappears far earlier than it might usually do for this time of year. The Blue Ridge Mountains might not be so impressive as the Rockies, no peaks piercing the heavens. They're older than that, worn by more time than anything living on the earth now could comprehend. But they rise up, imposing in a landscape that has known only these mountains as their forebears.
The train slows as it starts chugging up passes, forcing its way deeper into the heart of these rocky monuments. It begins passing through tunnels. Mutters go through the carriage, old superstitions that you ought to hold your breath going through these tunnels. There might be a wish if you make it to the other end. Or there might just be safety from whatever specters might have died in those dark places beneath the earth.
But someone doesn't hold their breath.
It happens sometime around 9 PM. The train enters into one of the tunnels and very suddenly, every electronic light goes out in the carriages. No phones seem to be working, no flashlights, not even those for people who are made of technology. The world is plunged into blackness… and then something begins tapping along the windows. It will be impossible to see what it is, but for five minutes the tunnel stretches on and on and on, far longer than it should be. Longer than it could be. Nothing attacks, there is simply the dark and the tapping before light is restored and the conductor comes over the speaker to apologize for the issue. Just some internal malfunction that's been sorted out. Really, there's nothing to worry about.
Burned Bridges
The morning sun rises late in this part of the country, shadows stretching out from the mountains and tall pines that surround the tracks. Still, those keeping vigil at the windows will see the occasional point of interest. Animals rushing by, small towns, even the odd campsite that's almost certainly illegal. But there's one thing in particular the eye:
The charred remains of a person have been positioned along the side of the tracks. This person cannot be seen by anyone except individuals, and no one will see the exact same person in the same spot. The bodies are stood with a tattered red flag on a pole. Those who have been involved with certain happenings or who have been reading the news might well recognize the insignia of the "Shadowcats." This is a cult made up by members of ADI in an effort to frame them for the murder of a Desolation avatar and his circus troupe. Someone or something seems to have taken notice. Maybe? It's hard to say, after all, when the bodies simply disappear from one blink to the next.
- ARRIVAL (Apr 1 - 31): Two people will always arrive in the same general location together. Arrivals occur throughout the early month, not all on the same day or in the same place. Arrivals are not naturally fluent in English/other languages immediately upon arrival. Characters may attempt to evade capture, but they will eventually be snagged before they can leave the building. PC's already in-game are more than welcome to interact with and try to guide new PC's to get them oriented. Please refer to the Arrival page for details regarding the arrival and onboarding process.
- RIVERTOUCHED (May 1 - 12): Please keep in mind that death is permanent in the game. If your character dies in this prompt during the TDM, they will be dead. A version of them who did not experience that event on the TDM can be apped in, instead. Characters who try to walk away from the quiet/river after reaching it will find that moving away is like trying to move through molasses. It becomes harder and harder until they reach whatever personal limit they have. Moving back toward the river will be much easier with no resistance. There is no way to collect the river water for later. Characters who attempt to do so will find they just have some mud that appears to be wholly mundane. Characters caught in the hallucination may be snapped out of it immediately by the return of their partner, or may not be able to perceive them for a time, at player discretion.
- WELL READ (May 1 - 12): Characters may be able to obtain their own copy of Eye in the Sky from somewhere like Ebay or similar, but it doesn't appear to be available through any existing publisher. Whatever copy they obtain will follow the summary provided in the Wikipedia link for the prompt. Characters will be issued a new library card if they attend the fair and wish to obtain one. The quiz questions are up to players to decide on the specifics, but they should become increasingly invasive about personal details regarding the character. Any PCs looking over their shoulders will be able to see the invasive questions, but regular, non-ADI natives will just see an ordinary book quiz question.
- TRAINING WHEELS OFF (May 13 - 14): Characters who note and report suspicious activity will be taken seriously and native ADI personnel aboard the train will investigate. They will not be able to replicate the effects that characters experience, though. Or see what the characters might have seen with the exception of the blackout. Everyone will have experienced that and ADI will be on high alert. They will ask for volunteer guards at either side of the train cars to make sure no one actually gets locked between sections after a few people experience the Scratchmarks sub-prompt. Characters will have assigned sleeping accommodations (up to four to a sleeping car room, but can wander the train, otherwise. Food and non-alcoholic beverages on the train will be free.
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... Raine?
[Oh. Oh no.
It has to be pure luck that Eda is picking them, and not someone else. Complete and total luck! Nothing else! This is definitely, absolutely not in any way related to Raine's behaviour being strange lately. No way. No no no way.
... But Raine has been way quieter lately, even Hunter has noticed that. The other Coven Heads have been acting as they normally do (namely, ignoring him), so is it just a coincidence Eda is claiming this? He isn't sure, but he doesn't like this. He doesn't like this creeping uncertainty. He doesn't like that he's considering Eda not being completely out of her mind.]
Why would their memories have been changed? They've always been loyal to the Emperor. They wouldn't have taken the Head position if they weren't.
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Well, she’s this far in. The other coven heads were there after all. Telling Hunter isn’t about to make things worse for Raine, it’s not like they can’t handle a scrawny nerd if he does try and cause trouble. The interesting part is if he doesn’t already know.]
I guess I know Raine better than you do. And I guess they don’t tell you everything that goes on there, Golden Guard. [She doesn’t quite sound malicious, but she does stress the title to make a point.]
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So Eda has to be right, there's something going on that he doesn't know about. But that doesn't mean he has to like it, and that doesn't mean he has to agree with her. Making all this worse is that she's definitely right about Raine - they're coworkers at best, and Raine is about the only Coven Head that's civil to him, and that's it. They aren't friends, or close, or anything like that.
He bristles, rather embarrassed, clutching his stack of books tighter.]
I know plenty of what's going on! Just because you think something is going on doesn't mean that it is!
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But she's still her argumentative self, and she's still used to considering this kid somewhat of an enemy, so she's a little pleased with herself for managing to strike a nerve, especially if it might get somewhere.
And there's a very, very faint twinge in the back of her mind that wants to make him feel cornered. But now isn't the time to unpack that. No, he's annoying and she's upset about Raine, that's all.]
I don't just 'think' something's going on, I saw them get captured by the other coven heads. [Well, technically she saw them still putting up a fight when she left. But that pretty clearly didn't end well.]
How do you explain that?
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But he doesn't. Things aren't exactly clicking for Hunter, he's far too deep in his denial for that, but everything Eda has said has been enough to throw him off-kilter. There's just enough suspicious activity he's seen firsthand to make him worry that something is off. That there's something he isn't being told. Most importantly, something that could hurt Belos.]
Captured? [He starts shaking his head vehemently, since his hands are still occupied.] No no no, that couldn't have happened. As the Head of the Emperor's Coven, I would have been told about something like that.
[Except the both know that's total bullshit, no one is going to tell the Emperor's bratty nephew anything if they can avoid it. That doubt is growing, and it's making him worried. Something obviously happened, something he isn't privy to, and it's making him a little fearful that Eda is right.]
Which Coven Heads were involved in this supposed capture?
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She doesn't exactly enjoy the idea of telling him, either. But he should know better than to go back.
Because that's definitely a possibility, because she's not ready to accept that either of them getting home at all might not be a possibility.
She doesn't call him this time on the idea he would have been told, or on the idea he's Coven Head, despite it being painfully obvious that's an empty title. Instead she just answers his next question.]
The slimy one and the little furball. [It's not like she doesn't know Darius and Eberwolf's names, they did go to school together. But they very much haven't earned using their real name privileges at the moment.]
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Darius and Eberwolf.
[Two Coven Heads who would rather insult or ignore him than ever tell him anything. Fantastic. Well, there's only one thing he can do right now.
And that's double down extremely hard on his trust in Belos.]
You - you don't know what you're talking about! All of the Coven Heads are completely loyal to Belos, and none of them are sneaking around behind my back doing anything suspicious.
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Eda lets out a snort, though it comes off more dry and tired than laughing directly at Hunter.]
Maybe except for the one who was rescuing wild witches, with me. [Her tone is tired, too. She doubts he'll believe they needed to be rescued but, well, one thing at a time.]
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[He isn't sure how exactly he's supposed to successfully argue against Eda literally working with Raine to free wild witches short of saying she's just a bit liar, and that not only seems childish but it would be obviously ignoring the weirdness he has noticed. Unfortunately for Hunter, he can't accept what she's saying either, so what's left is for him to bend his brain into a pretzel to try and reconcile potentially strange Coven Head behaviour with everyone still wanting to support Belos.
Good times.]
Maybe they were trying to trick you into getting arrested again! Maybe it was all an ambush to bring a whole bunch of wild witches! Who knows, I'm not in their head! [Even though he's snapping it's more out of distress than anger.]
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Either way, it really wouldn't add up, and she's pretty sure the kid does kind of realise that. But she's also pretty sure it would take a lot to get him to actually admit it.]
You're not, and it really wasn't... but I can't exactly prove anything here if you really don't remember. [She sounds like she's half talking to him and half just admitting it out loud. It seems like she's gotten him thinking at least, which is some kind of a start.]
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Strangely enough, what Eda says offers a bizarre sliver of comfort. She's right, neither of them are in the Boiling Isles, so no matter how much they argue they can't actually figure out what's going on. Not while they're here. He lets out an exasperated noise, his shoulders drooping.]
Right. Of course, you can't prove you're telling the truth, and I can't prove this isn't some trap, so we're at an impasse.
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I guess we are, kid.
[But then she thinks of something, both because it might help her figure out what's going on and because she's concerned.]
Oh hang on. Is Flapjack with you? [She asks this a bit softer, even though it's not like anyone here is going to know what she's talking about. Hunter's palisman was the one who came to her for help in the first place, he ought to remember that... right? Either way, it might prove a little something that she knows the bird's name at least.]
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Wait, how do you know his name??
[That someone like Eda knows the bird's name when he's only just learned it sets off all kinds of alarm bells in his mind, the ones geared towards keeping Flapjack safe. Does he need to go check on him? He should go check on him, just to be sure.]
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Whoah, kid, it's alright. [She raises a hand in a way that's probably meant to be placating, almost like she might pat his shoulder but then definitely doesn't do that.]
He's the one who came to me when you and Luz got yourselves into trouble, [she explains, even though she knew he wasn't likely to believe it from her.]
That bird cares about you a lot... no accounting for taste. [She tries to lighten the mood by teasing him just a little, but the first part is sincere.]
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He raises an eyebrow.]
Got ourselves into - I have no idea what you're talking about.
[Does she mean the incident with the palismen? Or is this another claim of him having memory issues? Either way, he shakes his head, looking a little aggrieved at the teasing.]
You haven't told anyone about him, have you? ['Anyone,' of course, meaning 'anyone in the Emperor's Coven, or anyone who might tell the Emperor's Coven.'] He's here, and even though I haven't seen anyone else from the Emperor's Coven in this realm.... [He doesn't want to take any chances.]
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But no. I haven't, I wouldn't. Just wanted to know he was safe. [And to talk to him, but one thing at a time. Either way it's true, she didn't want to think about what might have happened to the bird if he'd gotten left behind. Her voice is gentler again when she assures Hunter of this, definitely noting how nervous he seems despite still--apparently--being loyal.]
Trust me, I'd annihilate anyone who hurt Owlbert. [There's definitely some implication of a warning in there, given who Hunter still works for, but she does mostly intend it in the sense that she understands caring about his palisman.
There's a soft hoot from somewhere in her hair when her own palisman hears his name. Her hair isn't working like it's supposed to here, so she can't fit much else in there, but fortunately he's a very small owl and she still has a lot of hair.]
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He doesn't relax, though, not with the warning she's giving him. He hears it loud and clear, and he finds it's a good thing that he has those books in his arms. When she mentions Owlbert, a palisman, being hurt, he can feel a tremor starting up in his hands, and he clutches the stack of books tighter to try and quell it.
It's the first time he fully looks away from her, the shame and guilt of his role with the palismen making his body feel like lead. Hearing Owlbert doesn't help at all, either. He swallows thickly.]
Don't worry, I'm not going to try and capture him. [Here or in the Boiling Isles, if he can help it at all.] And Flapjack is safe with me, I'm not going to let anything happen to him.
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She wants to help, not make things worse, but she doesn't actually know him, and she's stressed already, and she's trying really hard not to think of him as the Golden Guard. Especially when it's all she can do not to visibly panic about the Day of Unity coming up at home.
Still, she definitely doesn't like that tremor. She sighs as she glances away herself, running her fingers through her hair in that twitchy stressed way again.]
I didn't mean to... look, kid. I don't blame you for whatever shi--stuff you might've helped with. [Wait, she can probably swear in front of him. He's older than Luz, right? Whatever.]
I just-- I get wanting to keep him safe, is all. I'm glad he is.
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He's hunching his shoulders even more, trying to put that out of his mind and focus on Flapjack. The bird is here, at least, here and not in immediate danger.]
I'm going to do everything I can to keep him safe here. [He reluctantly glances back over at Eda, frowning, doing his best to sound sincere.] No matter what.
[Yeah, he's gotten the rundown from the ADI on what it takes to use magic here.]
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I know you are, blondie. [Palismen don't have to stay with people. Flapjack is sticking around this kid despite... everything, when he could go back to the Bat Queen, and Eda's pretty sure that says a lot.
The other part is more concerning, though. She's gotten the rundown too, and she doesn't like it.]
Careful... they make this place sound like the coven system but worse. [Eda's nose wrinkles and she curls her lip. She might be trying to be nice to Hunter, but she's not hiding her opinions on that. And here you apparently have feed whichever one you're stuck with. Then again, given what she's learned about the Day of Unity, she's pretty sure the covens are worse after all. She doesn't correct herself out loud, though.
Still, she's not telling him not to. And she's not making any promises, either.]
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He scowls sharply at her remark. That isn't something he particularly enjoys hearing - as far as he's concerned the coven system is amazing and has no right being compared to this ridiculous entity nonsense.]
They should be striving to be more like the coven system! The way they handle magic here is ridiculous. [In that they insist on not using it at all. Who would want to avoid using magic when it's available to them??] I'm sure there's a better way to deal with these Entities, but they don't seem interested in exploring other options.
[Like, you know, offering some form of structure like the coven system!! It's so simple!]
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You've got a point though, I don't trust these guys either. [Unlike Hunter, Eda's suspicious of the ADI purely because they're presenting themselves as the authority figures. She speaks a bit softer now that they're on this topic.]
Even if they're telling the truth about all this... there probably is a better way. I'm not making 'em any promises. [She doesn't want to feed these 'Entities,' but she damn well doesn't like being powerless either. Absolutely hates it, in fact. Still, Hunter should probably be careful, whether or not she's going to be.]
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Besides, it's good to know that they're on the same page about this whole 'not using magic' business. He gives a quick sideglance towards the rest of the library, then lowers his voice.]
Does that mean you'll keep it to yourself if either of us use magic?
[He honestly isn't sure how stopping an apocalypse is going to be possible without magic and more importantly, he has Flapjack's wellbeing to consider.
He just... also does not want to get into trouble with the only real authority around here that he's familiar with, because of course he doesn't.]
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Sure thing, kid. I will if you will. [After all, he seems like the one more likely to nark all things considered. She says this equally quietly but throws in a quick wink with a click to try and lighten the mood a little.]
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But cripes, Eda's response is reminding him so much of Luz and her gremlin too slow! All he can do is sigh in exasperation and be a total grumpus.]
I'm already having regrets.
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