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route666rp2025-02-07 01:56 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in route666rp2025-02-07 01:56 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- ace attorney: apollo justice,
- digital devil saga: serph,
- fallout: arcade gannon,
- fear & hunger 2: levi,
- malevolent: john doe,
- persona 3: akihiko,
- persona 5: goro akechi,
- rwby: blake belladonna,
- rwby: yang,
- songs for the dusk: v (oc),
- sonic the hedgehog: shadow,
- star wars: r0-gr,
- the murderbot diaries: murderbot,
- werewolf by night: jack russell
FEBRUARY EVENT LOG
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!
“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.
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.
…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.
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.
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.
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?
“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!
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.
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.
THANKS SHE HATES IT
The worst part is, something smells incredible.
No, maybe that's not the worst part. The worst part is definitely Faith being decapitated. But there's a scent that's on its way to overwhelming Blake's senses, something thick and bright, something metallic in the air, something that makes her stomach churn with furiously renewed hunger. So distracted -- by that, by the horrified tears stinging the corners of her eyes -- she doesn't notice the faint twitches the body makes.
And then one hand snaps up to grab at her arm. Blake screams in a way she hasn't screamed in years, high and terrified.
Her first instinct is that this must be a monster masquerading as one of the drifters, though that's a thought that barely manages to form in the sharp wake of her panic. A lifetime of conflict kicks in, though, and Blake reaches for her sword with her other arm, dropping Faith's weight back to the road, supported only by the grip the body has on her arm. ]
I TRY
Her head that was too low.
Her hand went reflexively to her neck- why did it hurt so much-]
What-
[Her voice, it seems, still works, but it sounds oddly distorted, echoing unnaturally. Her hand slowly runs over her neck- or rather, over the unnaturally cleanly-severed stump where her head should be, and immediately she starts hyperventilating, eyes wide with panic.]
no subject
She almost discounts the voice she hears. Assumes it's some bystander that just saw what happened and is similarly baffled. But when she looks for the source of the voice and finds Faith's eyes open, and her body tentatively exploring the place where her neck ends-- ]
What.
[ Faith's eyes aren't just open. She has an expression. She's trying to breathe.
She's alive, somehow.
Blake sheathes her sword, hooks her arms under Faith's armpits again, and gets her body across the line and into the shield's safety. And then she sprints out, knowing she can't spend more than a minute or two outside the shield without risking the same madness that seems to have befallen others. She skids to a stop beside Faith's head. ]
Faith? [ Her voice breaks in the middle, overwhelmed. ] Can you hear me?
no subject
[She's not even trying not to sound panicked. Her damn head is off, and now she's staring up at Blake. Who, honestly, looks as freaked out as Faith feels.]
Why am I...
[A head, she can't bring herself to say. A severed head. But she can still feel her body. And move it, apparently. She doesn't even know what the hell that means. Is she dead? Did she die and come back wrong?]
no subject
I found you by the side of the road. I thought you'd crashed-- but your truck's fine, I think you must have gotten caught in the moon warp.
[ It comes out rushed, words tumbling over each other. There's a part of Blake that's relieved -- Faith's not dead! kind of? -- but the far larger part is wholly flabbergasted right now. Now that she looks properly instead of acting in blind terror, she can see that where Faith's neck ends is a fairly neat seam instead of the gore she'd expect, and there's not a whole lot of blood around. (She's switched to breathing through her mouth; whatever that incredible smell was, Blake doesn't want to think about it right now). ]
Actually-- speaking of the moon warp. Sorry. But I need to get you inside the shield.
[ Blake takes a deep breath, braces herself, and picks up Faith's head.
Gods. She's carrying a decapitated head. It's heavier than expected. She's careful to point Faith's face away, so she can see where they're going. Blake gets them both safe inside the shield again, just in time for a flurry of moon shards to fall where they'd been. Going outside for even a minute had been risky, but Blake couldn't have just left Faith out there. ]
There's your body. [ It feels useless to say, because Faith can probably see it just fine. Blake kneels down next to said body, still holding Faith's head. She's gotten to the action now, panic later stage, which is a lot more useful than the screaming in horror stage. ] Can you still feel your body? I have no idea how you're alive and moving.
no subject
Or maybe she's just in shock, and nothing is as disorienting as her body still moving and feeling things despite... this.]
It's... it's a curse, right? We can fix this.
[There'd been other changes, other people who were trying to fix them. She could fix this. She could totally fix this.
Her body seems to move fine- besides a little wobbliness- as it clambers to its feet again, and then walks toward them.]
... God, this is so weird.
[She's trying to sound detached and quippy, but her voice is uncharacteristically small, shaky, as if she's only barely holding it together. Her hands reach out to try and take her head, but she's basically working with inverted controls while facing the wrong direction, so she winds up shoving Blake's torso with her outstretched hand instead.]
Shit, sorry.
no subject
It's fine. I guess your motor control is off.
[ What an understatement.
This is, in fact, very weird. Blake agrees. Faith's body is trying to take her head, so Blake helps her along -- she turns Faith's head around in her grip so that it's facing away from her body, and gently puts her head in her body's arms, making sure she has a good grip.
Is she... going to be able to put her head back on? ]
I can only assume this must be part of the changes we're all experiencing. I've seen wings, and wolf ears, and mantis claws, and a bunch of other things. Maybe... headlessness is yours?
no subject
[She tries reattaching her head, apparently expecting it to just stick.
It doesn't. She has to stop it from falling again.]
You ever play a video game with inverted controls? That's what it's like trying to move your body while you're looking at it.
[Well, bitching about how annoying this is provides yet another distraction from freaking out.]
We gotta figure out how to undo this.
no subject
The fact that Faith is talking and alive has gone a long way to easing Blake's horror -- now she's down to confusion and sheer bafflement, but at least she's not on the verge of screaming anymore. That's a relief. Not that say that the situation isn't still extremely weird. But. ]
The voice on the radio said... that the moon warp causes destruction and distortions, and that you should get inside the shield if you don't want to be twisted. I've seen other people get turned into monsters--
[ But she hadn't been able to do anything to help them. ]
So... if we approach this logically, maybe we can assume that the twisting wears off once the moon warp stops?
no subject
[She doesn't sound hopeful. She's seen too many of these creature features show up and stick around.
She settles her head awkwardly in the crook of her left arm. This is gonna get annoying to hold.]
So what do I do until then? I can't fight like this, I can't... do anything.
no subject
She folds her arms over her chest, looking thoughtful. ]
If you can move, you can fight. It's just a matter of getting used to the inverted controls.
[ Blake reaches out to gently poke at Faith's arm. ]
Can you still feel things normally with your body? That should give you all the information you need to be able to move around, if you focus on what you're feeling rather than what you're seeing.