FEBRUARY EVENT LOG

[monstertruckers]

code

The Convoy begins a slow path through the forest, and a long road winding between the trees. The vegetation hangs thick overhead, with a perpetual state of dim light hanging over the surroundings. Sunlight and moonlight both have a hard time piercing the gloom. And alongside that is a sense of danger looming in the shadows.

01: DEPARTURE/MINGLE

Dawn arrives after a long and demanding night. As wane sunlight leaks through the forest, the forcefield flickers out. In its place, the Convoy hums to life. Engines thrum, breakfast appears in the dining car, and the speakers crackle with a pre-recorded, automated voice.

“The Convoy will depart in three hours. Please ready yourself for the trip. Secure your belongings, prepare your vehicle, remain as human as possible. End destination… Nirvana. Repeat, the Convoy will depart in three hours.”

The recording drones on a loop, before fading out in a crackle of static. Before departure there’s a few matters to attend to, some more pressing than others:
+Breakfast consists of bland porridge. Some might want better food, and with a decently stocked kitchen, one can make better.
+The showers have lost any hot water. Surely there’s some way to fix the heater or provide some hot water? Or otherwise grumble through a cold shower.
+There’s plant growth where the Husks have been felled. Flowering vines grow over the Convoy, and need to be pruned for departure. The foliage has an odd effect if directly touched, instilling wanderlust and curiosity. The affected feel compelled to wander… Or be curious about others!

02: HAUNTED GROVE

The trees grow into a tangle just a few paces off the road. They almost envelop the buildings, absorbing the structures until only the roofs are visible. The branches become more twisted, and almost arm-like when reaching out to you.

Vines hang like nooses from the trees. And a closer look shows moss ridden Husks draped in the branches. Still, those who ignore those ominous signs can find supplies growing and hanging from the branches; repair materials, and unnerving types of food like canned ham and frozen pizza.

And then… There’s the effect from staying in the shade of the trees for too long. There’s a lethargy that clings to you, even as it eases the changes wracking your body. Resting underneath the grove can heal a Drifter of one change, and leave them feeling soothed… But all of this is by design. The grove WANTS you to stay there and become a part of it, so that it can ensnare you with vines or absorb you into trees. It can restore Drifters, but if they stay there for too long they’re going to need some rescuing.

03: WRECK

There’s a collection of abandoned cars in the forest clearings. Some cars are better preserved than others, some even containing cargo, weapons, and ammo, with a possibility to scavenge equipment off them…

…If not for the traps, set around the wreckage in the form of steel jaw bear traps and snares. All of them are coated in something that leaves the vision blurry and sets hearts into overdrive. If exposed to too much of it, there’s suddenly a reason for that near panic; hallucinations of fears can easily flare up.

There’s also things prowling the wreckage on four metallic canine legs, with gleaming chrome teeth and red headlights for eyes. The guidance computers on nearby vehicles flash an alert as they draw close; identifying them as chromehounds, though these have seen better days. Dented, damaged, but still fierce enough. And still ready to pounce on anyone caught in the traps or drugged with fear toxin.

While the chromehounds can be dispatched, the fear toxin will have to run its course. Closer examination of the hounds and traps shows an insignia of a sword piercing the moon.

03-A: MONSTER NEST

Hostile beasts lurk in the woods. Many are cautious, nocturnal creatures that prefer to emerge at night, and hunt any Drifter who has strayed outside the reach of the Convoy forcefield.

A massive monster nest dwells in a crumbling, abandoned overpass in the middle of the forest. The Convoy does its best to give the area a wide berth, but it’s entirely possible Drifters might still stumble across it: particularly if some of the more annoying creatures like Great Jagras steal food and take it back to the den.

Many of the beasts make their dens in abandoned vehicles littering the overpass: Jagras and Slicemargl take up the better spots, while noxicaps and scavengers linger on the fringes. But the most territorial are the mutant bears, occupying the darker parts of the underpass.

04: SHRINE

The moon glows balefully overhead some nights. An eerie light glows across the sky, like a burning aurora that exacerbates any symptoms the Drifters have picked up this month. Sometimes the trees help to muffle this maddening light. But not always.

There is however a remedy that blocks out the light; dotted near the road or just off the forest paths are shrines carved from stone and wood. The aurora dims near these shrines, and offers breathing room. Small offerings dot the alters, and some are even medicines that can alleviate hallucinations, wanderlust, and the like.

But there’s a price for taking these offerings; the various candles dotting the shrines ignite, flames reaching for the intruder, and burn either a monster change, or a message into their skin. It’s equal odds which one a Drifter receives. The message fades in the span of the month, but offers cryptic words regarding the world, and can be logged in the Convoy database.

05: STASIS WARNING

Pockets of something… Wrong lurk on the road, or just off the path. Many of them are lined with Husks twisted into horrified expressions. Others are little more than a faint distortion and ripple in the air. But once a Drifter wanders into the pockets, the effects become all too clear.

The pockets are alarmingly still when stepped inside. This stillness tries to seep into anyone in the pocket, making them stiffen, their thoughts go sluggish and almost halt… But the Sigils on their skin dispel this before it can completely overtake a Drifter. Sigils disperse the field with explosive results; bursts of fire or electricity, surges of plant grown, rock explosions all burst as the field is dispelled.

The one warning for these pockets are strange symbols and the words ‘STASIS’ inscribed on rocks, trees, and signs around these pockets, warning about them. A couple crisscross the roads needed to take out of the forest. It seems that a Tough vehicle could easily wade in and survive the explosions of magic, while a Fast vehicle would be capable of outracing any trouble… While those on foot will need to hope for the best, or for fast healing.

06: RADIO HOUR

After several days of travel, and around nightfall the Convoy approaches a resting point ringed in Husks. It resembles a log cabin, with some unnerving traits; first, the trees near the cabin become more rigid and geometric, almost like pylons. Second is the large radio tower growing out of the cabin itself. Once the Convoy is in range, the radios, phones, and screens all crackle to life. Screens display a broadcasting logo, followed by an emergency signal drone. Astute Drifters can check the dates that pop up, and realize that this is an old recording.

“Attention, this is an emergency broadcast. Seek shelter immediately. A moon warp is imminent. Repeat, a Moon Warp is imminent. Impact: falling moon shards will cause destruction and distortions. Prepare by seeking cover inside shields. Those caught outside will be twisted. Seek shelter immediately.”

Outside the Husks pulse, and the broken moon shimmers. Several bright spots in the sky grow brighter… And larger, as shards of moon fall. The Convoy comes to a wrenching halt. A warning siren echoes, before the Convoy deploys its shield. Those inside are safe from the worst of the Warp, able to hide out in the Convoy. Nothing like a good time to bond with whoever you’ve been shut in with, right?

07: MONSTER HOUR

Those outside the Convoy will be in for a rougher time. The glow from the falling moon shards has a way of piercing into the brain and forcing a full transformation for as long as the Moon Warp lasts.

During the Warp, there’s plenty of trouble for Drifters. The Husks glow before bursting into a pack of violent, wolf-esque gryphons called Nargacuga, and a host of other beasts. These monsters favor scaling trees for dive attacks, or hauling Drifters up into the branches. But with their focus on the Drifters, the Nargacuga are easy prey for the chromehounds nearby, which pounce in a tangle and clash.

By dawn, the Warp has worn off. The Nargacuga are dead, while the chromehounds have been smashed. Transformed Drifters have two options in the aftermath; either they've burned off so much energy fighting they revert into an exhausted state. They will likely be suffering from disorientation and require rest, healing, and anchoring from others. Alternately, Drifters run wild ahead of the Convoy as something draws them north; they will have a chance to revert next month, in the Messages prompt!

07-A: MONSTER BRAWL

One particularly large and ferocious Nargacuga leads the pack of monsters… And seems to have a particular hatred for technology. He attacks the radio tower, doing his best to knock it down, and then strikes at the Convoy only to be deflected by the shields. Once he’s deflected, he vents his rage on the Chromehounds.

The radio picks up something from the lead Nargacuga each time he bleeds, and a patchy broadcast happens, with different fragments heard by different people:
1. “Serenith has ordered. I obey. Obliterate every trace of Wardens, cull their human flock. Justice for the packs they murdered.”
2. “Keep bleeding them until the moon Breaks, just like she ordered.”
3. “They gave me a place and a pack, where I could hunt.”
4. “Be ruthless. The Steel Wardens aren’t different, with the children they cull.”
5. “Hate… Loss… Blood. Always more blood.”

In its death throes the Nargacuga obliterates any remaining Husks, littering the area with quicksilver pools. Drifters must be careful around these pools, as contact with them will cause all pre-assigned monster traits next month to linger without special treatment.

MICRO ENCOUNTERS:

PLEASE NOTE! These are small bits of set dressing for players to include in threads if they wish, rather than full fledged prompts or events. You may handwave your exploration of these areas, or thread them out.

Radio Trees: A strange line of geometric trees leading towards the radio tower cabin. The closer a Drifter gets, the more they can hear faint music and old broadcasts regarding moon phases.

Hunting Grounds: An area of burnt out husks that have already burst open. There’s a few monster carcasses scattering the area, along with broken weapons and bullet casings. A symbol has been carved into the monsters, or a moon pierced by a sword.

Forest Flowers: A clearing that lacks the grasping trees from before, and instead is taken up by crystalline flowers. They give off a pleasant fragrance, and help to relax characters. Can be crushed into a medicine to help cure long lasting fear toxin effects.

Falling Trees: Drifters are advised to be careful of falling trees obstructing the road, and which may need to be hacked through. Granted, what’s knocking over the trees is another question entirely!

Lakeside: streams and rivers thread the forest, occasionally creating marshy areas. These rivers eventually feed into a massive lake that borders the radio tower cabin. The water is cloudy, and the bottom of the lake covered with the remains of destroyed chrome hounds: they’ve clearly been torn apart by the nargacuga prowling the area.

NAVIGATION

Comments

[thelastb1]

[Looking to figure out what Akechi means by "unsightly burn". He's still pretty distant, but his vision is quite good. Once he determines that Akechi means the text, though, he becomes much more worried.]

Did you get branded!? Right here?

[He swivels around in search, expecting someone to be nearby with a very detailed branding iron.]

[undyingcrow]

A magical sort of branding, perhaps.

[He gestures at the surrounding offerings.]

A word to other wise: look, but don't touch.

[thelastb1]

Oh. [The situation makes sense to him, once magic is introduced. Not that he feels any safer, or that the situation is any less strange, but there is a grim familiarity in mystical forces beyond the control of anyone but a special few making other people's lives worse that takes away his sense of confused alarm.]

Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it. [He doesn't really even want to be anywhere near the thing.]

Do you need help with the burn or anything? [Generally, Roger is better at repairing machines than organic creatures, but he has had to help treat a few burns being part of a family of starship mechanics.]

[undyingcrow]

[The robot has medical experience? Akechi's eyes widen by a hair. It's unexpected. Part of him wants to insist that he's fine.

The pragmatic part of him acknowledges the burn hurts, however.]

If you've the means, I certainly won't object.

[thelastb1]

[Roger approaches in a slow, timid, sort of curved arc, so as to avoid getting closer to the shrine. The whole way over he has his eyes on the shrine, until he actually gets to Akechi, at which point he turns his focus to his arm.

What Roger realizes as he gets a closer look is that he actually doesn't've the means. They're in the middle of the woods, with no bacta, no chill pacs, no bandages, and really no resources of any kind, at least that Roger himself has. Which is alarming, but he can't rescind his offer to help, so he ends up nervously chattering.]

Well! Uh, the first thing my... extensive! first aid training tells me to do is... verify that you're breathing! Which, I think we can say you are.

The second step... uh... you're gonna want to keep anything from touching the burn. Keep your sleeve off it, and uh...

[He looks Akechi over.] Did you bring bandages, or water, or anything?

[undyingcrow]

I have some first aid supplies with my motorcycle, but it's nothing extravagant.

[Nonetheless, it is better than nothing, so he turns away from the shrine, waving Roger toward a black motorcycle with white crow decals. There are some bags and a silver attache case with the letter A strapped on the back.

It takes a moment, but he removes one of the smaller bags, rifling around until he picks out a first aid kit and some bottled water.]

[thelastb1]

Ah! Great. [The droid rifes through the first aid kit, producing an ice pack, bandages, and some tape, as well as taking the water. He sets the bandages on the motorcycle seat, and tapes the ice pack to the water bottle, shaking it.

Holding Akechi's wrist in place with one hand, and the bottle above his arm in the other, he slowly pours and lets water trickle out from the bottle. With how he rations out the water, the process lasts several minutes, during which he stands almost completely still, except for his head.

Even as he remains still with inhuman patience, he still cannot help but look at the text and chatter.] This is one of the creepier things I've ever seen happen to someone at a mystical shrine. [Not the creepiest, but it's up there.]

[undyingcrow]

It's certainly foreboding, especially in light of some strange emblems I witnessed earlier.

[To Akechi's credit, he holds still, letting Roger continue his work. He clearly knows what he's doing, and it'd be inconvenient to disrupt him.]

But are you saying odd shrines are an everyday occurrence for you?

[thelastb1]

[Roger himself has seen strange sigils since his arrival, chiefly a large yellow one at the center of his chest.

More importantly to Roger, though, if the droid was not so otherwise occupied, he would take out his autobiography now, and narrate his encounters with such supernatural shrines right there. Alas, he must continue pouring.]

Oh, no, thankfully. It's been over a decade since I had to deal with anything like that. Most of it was during the Galactic Civil War. [Roger hasn't quite caught onto the fact that the history of his galaxy isn't common knowledge here. He figures every one who's been brought here is from somewhere remote, since the First Order doesn't seem to be a pressing concern to anyone else, but that no one else has even heard of the Empire is almost unfathomable.]

But since then, I've been trying to live a pretty normal life. And mostly succeeding, until a few weeks ago.

[undyingcrow]

[Galactic Civil War...

A jolt of interest strikes him. Robots are one thing, but mystic shrines, galactic wars...

Concepts familiar to him in the pages of novels and on TV screens, but this is decidedly neither of those things.]

A war on such a scale must have been hell to live through. Where I'm from, wars between countries are devastating enough.

[He hasn't directly experienced them, only through press coverage. Does that mean this robot is a veteran?]

[thelastb1]

Not as much as the Clone Wars. Well, for me at least. [R0-GR assumes that it's evident that he fought in the Clone Wars simply from what he looks like, in the same way he assumed that Akechi knew what the Galactic Civil War was.] That war was definitely hell.

The one that just started is probably also going to turn out way worse, too, though. [His usually expressive voice goes a bit closer to a robotic monotone on that note. Even talking about the Clone Wars doesn't seem to significantly affect his mood, but this does. There is so much that he does not know, so much that his arrival here has prevented him from learning.

In fact, following that line of thought means that it takes him a few seconds to notice that the water bottle he's holding has run out of water. It's the temperature sensors in his hands alerting him to the increasing chill of the ice pack that snap him back to the present. He takes a moment to look around, trying to remember just where he put the roll of bandages, before finding them on the motorcycle seat.

He prepares to wrap them around Akechi's arm.] It's weird, though. In the time since I got here I haven't heard anybody mention the war, or the First Order, or anything about what's going on. Which makes sense, I guess, but it's like they don't exist.

[undyingcrow]

Likely a difference in realities.

[He could have said planets. If these wars span galaxies, it wouldn't be unreasonable, but simply based on his own experiences...

He pauses for a moment to watch Roger work, but makes no effort to resist. So far, so good, even with the uncomfortable subject matter.]

I have met individuals from different points in time and entirely different worlds, even in cases where we came from the planet Earth. Details didn't match up. Aspects of one set of experiences contradicted the other.

[thelastb1]

[Roger stops and freezes in what he's doing, simply staring at Akechi for a few seconds, just trying to process what he just said. Coolant goes up to his brain just to keep it from immediately overheating, and externally his hand goes to his head as if he's just gotten a headache.

It's only after he recovers from that and finally begins applying the bandages to Akechi's arm that he speaks.] You think we're all from parallel universes?

Why and how would anyone do that? [It's not the existence of alternate realities itself that troubles him so much. That may be unfamiliar to him, but he would not claim to have so much knowledge about the universe as to scoff at the idea. But the logistics of so many individuals from entirely different realities coalescing into this world seem nightmarish.

Still, he does finish up the bandaging even as his mind races through the idea.]

[undyingcrow]

That is a mystery I aim to solve.

[It's a calm statement of fact, level in tone. He's long since made up his mind, after all, ambitious though it may be.]

The summoning circles and vehicles set aside for us are signs that someone or something brought us here. We might not be the first, either, if the abandoned vehicles are any indication.

[But that's pure speculation, so rather than dwell on it, he pauses to examine the bandaging.]

At any rate, thank you for the assistance.

[thelastb1]

Pomni did say it seemed like there were clues intentionally set out for us... [She also seemed quite confident that they were in a hologame or something, and he still doesn't know how much stock he puts into that idea. It's not that it seems that unlikely, especially now that this multiversal aspect of the situation has been introduced, but it just doesn't seem like fully parsing the implications of that idea is a sane way of interacting with this world. It's best that Roger not start questioning whether he himself is real. Still, he might be able to put some stock into a watered-down version of the theory.

Still, he's glad someone's putting effort into figuring out the whole situation. Better than that it should fall to him.] Well, best of luck, uh... what's-your-name. [It's said like a statement, a joking nickname, but he is in fact hoping that Akechi will answer the question.]

[undyingcrow]

Oh, I've already noticed several curious clues.

[A smirk finally crosses his lips, confidence returning to his voice.]

At any rate, you may call me Akechi.

[Easier to keep it simple. Not everyone knows the nuances of Japanese culture and how much trust is required to use a given name without sounding rude.

Everyone calls him Akechi, anyway.]

[thelastb1]

Well, you can call me Roger. [He omits his own share of information about his name: that it's short for R0-GR, which is in turn short for a much longer serial number. Not that he knows that Akechi is omitting anything.]

Now if you don't need anything else, [He looks worriedly at the shrine.] I would like to get myself far away from this thing.

[undyingcrow]

Oh, I assure you the feeling is mutual.

[In fact, he'll go ahead and turn his back on the shrine to further prove that point.]

Once bitten, twice shy, as they say. Tempting as it may be to investigate further, it's clear that a hand off approach is the wiser approach.