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

[undyingcrow]

Something's happening...

[Damn it. Damn it! He bends over, talons digging into his hair. Stabbing pains seize his skull just as two large, black wings burst from the back of his blazer.]

Fuck...

[Just what they need, more changes.]

[serialmurderbot]

[It is aiming to go down onto one knee, to try and get a reading on what's happening to Akechi despite the pain running through its own body, but it doesn't have the scan or security system to do that - biometric data doesn't even seem to fucking exist here, which is fucking useless.

But secondly, the problem makes itself much more immediate and obvious, by tearing through Akechi's clothes.]

What the fuck.

[Its not entirely processed the situation - which is to say it's reviewing the image of fucking wings in its own head, three-four-five more times, but it still reaches out to steady Akechi, the movement unintentionally jerky as the burning sensation starts to spread further down its limbs.]

[undyingcrow]

[Head... It's pounding. Two particular points, searing with pain. His jaw, too. Why's it throbbing?]

More changes... of course...

[Erratic laughter blows out of him, sharp, shrill, and strained. As a precaution, he pries off his helmet, tossing it aside.

Just in time, as two large, hooked horns burst from his skull, blood staining his hair.]

That... explains the warning...

[serialmurderbot]

[Like Akechi's words summon it, the sensation of burning crawls over the SecUnit, like the entire surface layer of skin is trying to burn itself off. It grits its jaw and braces its teeth as the pain sharpens in one arm, causing it to clench a fist - the same one where the sleeve is torn.

Easy (still hard but it knows how to prioritize in a crisis) to push down the raw what the fuck and grab for Akechi, only pausing for a half-second to stare behind its own helmet at the bloody protrusion of horns from his skull.]

Inside.

[Something's wrong with the echo of its voice. Something's wrong with its hand, which is mottling a strange grey (don't think about it don't think about it, the contamination can't work this fast and you need to be working, Murderbot, not a wrecked screaming lump on the ground.

Getting Akechi up is going to be hard, though, if he's not ready to move with it.]

transformation/body horror cw

[undyingcrow]

[Akechi makes no effort to push back when SecUnit grabs for him. He grunts, the aching of his jawline spreading all the way the tip of his nose. The front of his face subtly and painfully protrudes. Just a precursor, he's sure. The pain persists. Even his gums ache, as if something's growing beneath his teeth.

He trembles, trying to stand, but the pain is overwhelming.]

[serialmurderbot]

[It lifts him, straining against the unmoving weight in a way it's not used to - usually maneuvering a human into its arms would barely take a thought if its joints were damaged, but here it has to use leverage, as its limbs build the ache. Worse, something's wrong with one of its hands, the joints strangely refusing to move and the fingers failing to separate.

It falls back on emergency programming and instinct. It's not lost some of that brusque tone, but there's no snappishness to its voice now. There's something wrong with its voice, though - it's almost like feedback, fuzzing out with static and echoing like it's coming over a bad comm call.]

You just need to take a few more steps. This way.

[It's hardly listening to its own words, though - something is catching on its ears, and it twists to look behind them.

There's an echoing howl, coming from the distance. The... not-so-distant distance.]

[undyingcrow]

Hurts... everywhere. Fuck.

[{Still, he moves forward with shaky steps. Even the bones in his feet feel like they're on fire.

Yet, despite the pain, he scoffs at the situation.]

Must be... the moon's "blessing." Of course.

[Of course it'd be more transformations...]

[serialmurderbot]

[If this were a salvageable situation (Yeah it's not turning out great, threat assessment is kind of depressed right now) SecUnit would try exercising its faint skill at reassurance to say this can be fixed, but - can it? Maybe if the Convoy had anything anywhere close to a Medsystem.

So instead what it has to go with is;]

Keep moving anyway. The shield -

[Not finishing that thought. Two things happen simultaneously. First: The arm not being used to brace Akechi spasms, making an ominous crunch as the limb changes, a bladed appendage forming out of the carnage of metal and flesh that used to be its hand.

Second: a hulking winged form appears between them and the last few yards to the barrier.]

[undyingcrow]

[Well, that's reassuring.

Nothing too gruesome for Akechi. He doesn't flinch at the sight so much as grunt through his teeth.

The appearance of the monster, however, is a much more daunting sight...

His body's still aching. His jaw's still stretching, protruding, and gradually taking the form of a snout, to say nothing of the bones shifting and stretching inside his shoes.

But they can't afford to sit still. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he grunts out:]

Hereward.

[A blue glow envelopes his body, and an archer clad in black and red materializes, firing off an arrow at the monster's back that erupts in a rapidly swelling sphere of explosive magic.

With luck, it'll damage the beast enough to buy them some time.]

[serialmurderbot]

[SecUnit was already shifting, preparing to duck to the side, to find cover to drop Akechi off in so it can throw itself at the oncoming fauna and buy him some time to get somewhere behind the shield.

It's already slipping its arm loose when Akechi growls out something - a name? - and unleashes a glowing figure with such abruptness that SecUnit stops dead in its tracks.]

What the hell.

[-- no, no time to question it, this thing is buying them time, and a quick sidelong glace at Akechi tells it that the human is twisting into something else. That's a horrifying image it's never going to get out of its mind. The blue glow only makes it worse, as far as it's concerned - it reminds it so much of fire.

Clenching its jaw, it twists so that the strange scythe-arm is on the side the beast is, as it keeps forcing their steps onwards]

[undyingcrow]

M-My Persona...

[The changes persist, his muzzle elongating, the tip of his elongated lips hooking and hardening to form a beak at the tip of his newly-formed snout. The rest of his lips pull back as his human teeth drop from his gums, replaced with larger, sharper teeth perfectly poised to rip through prey.

When the light of the Megidoloan fades, the enemy monster is left hunched over, whimpering in pain and short of breath. It's still alive, however.

On the positive side, the injuries should hinder its movements, if it dares attack again.]

[serialmurderbot]

[This creature's not running - that's not good enough, not when SecUnit can't trust this thing not to go for either of them if it gets the sense that its prey might still be weak. The moment it turns its back, the paranoid part of it is sure that teeth are going to sink into some part of the still-changing Akechi at its side.

They're coming up on someone's hulk of a vehicle. It's not quite the shield, not yet, but SecUnit braces Akechi against it, turning back towards the monster, crouching down in wary readiness as it jerkily lifts that strange new scythe-arm.]

You should keep going.

[undyingcrow]

I...

[Damn it all. He wants to fight. Hiding away, cowering... He doesn't want to be weak.

Grunting through the pain, he leans against the vehicle.]

I can fight. Just have to wait this out...

[serialmurderbot]

[SecUnit's own transformation clearly isn't painless - its shoulders are tight, and rather than level the energy weapon in its unchanged arm at the creature, it has one hand wrapped tightly around its elbow - or where its elbow ought to be, with the strange extended proportions that the arm has now taken.]

Just stay back.

[Stubborn fucking human - its attention is divided between Akechi and the monster, which would be fine if its systems were nominal, but as it is, it doesn't catch the body language of a jump forward until the creature is halfway through its crouch, at which point it launches itself forward, jamming a plated arm into the creature's jaws and physically shoving it away.]

[undyingcrow]

[Akechi wants to argue that he'll be fine, but with pain tearing through his body, he has no choice but to wait.

Beneath his pants, fur pushes its way through his skin. His eyes dart down to his shoes.

He could let the inevitable happen, but those are nice shoes.

So, fine. He'll take them off, his socks as well, with stiff, shaky movements.

A wise call, as his feet soon start reshaping themselves, claws popping out in place of toenails, while white, striped fur covers his skin. What even is he...?

Maybe this'll be over soon. Maybe then he can prove he can fight just as well.]

[serialmurderbot]

[Wrestling the creature's jaw with its transformed arm, SecUnit is silent despite the strain, twisting its arm as the carapace forming on its arm takes the brunt of teeth. It brings up the other arm, firing its energy weapon into the creature's face with a burst that evokes a yowl and another retreat to the edge of its range, as well as the smell of burning.

It has to risk a glance back at Akechi with no drones, to check on his condition, and the sudden striped fur and clawed feet register. The sharp drop of performance reliability that evokes makes it stumble.]

Fuck.

[undyingcrow]

...Fuck it.

[Even if his body aches all over, even if his ears are now burning, shifting, and everything is suddenly getting so much louder, he is done hiding.

Something overtakes Akechi. Instinct, perhaps, and he rushes forward, smoke seeping from his jaws.

The monster may be retreating, but he hardly cares. He needs to end this now.

Lunging close to the beast, he spews flames from his maw, a warning and a threat to any other beasts that dare approach.]

[serialmurderbot]

[It might have some expectations of what would happen, on seeing Akechi turned into something - someone - entirely different, but the fire is a new and alarming development. It's entirely too close to those flames for its own liking, and it ducks abruptly out of the way, leaving the thing's fur to catch alight with an utterly noxious cloud and a terrifying wailing roar.

Instinct more than any calculation of its threat assessment has the SecUnit turning its wary guard towards Akechi instead, the mantis-clawed arm held defensively between the two of them as it watches for the next burst of fire.]

[undyingcrow]

[Akechi cackles at the reaction, taking advantage of the monster's anguish to whip out his gun and fire a few shots for good measure.]

Burn in hell!

[Now this... This he can work with. In fact, he goes in for a bite, teeth sinking into the scorched flesh right along its neck. He chomps down, then rips his jaws back, casting a glance back at SecUnit.]

If you need to retreat, feel free. I'm more than happy to take it from here.

[On the positive side, he's still cognizant, if reveling a bit too much in the carnage.]

[serialmurderbot]

[In some ways, being cognizant is worse. The cackling laughter is a red flag that puts SecUnit on the alert, but it's the biting that really drives it to alert, pointing the arm with the energy weapon right towards Akechi.

That's not sane human behavior. That's a human that can and will snap - it's learned long ago not to trust anyone who seems too eager about a fight. 'Talking to it with a mouthful of blood of their enemies' is a new category, but certainly not one it likes.]

Then go.

[It's not a yes or no - but the balance of trust has certainly shifted.]

[undyingcrow]

[Akechi eyes the energy weapon for a moment. To turn on him so soon...]

Tsk.

[He shakes his head, turning the other way.]

Rest assured, I've no interest in friendly fire.

[But he can take a hint, and so he moves toward the sound of monster shrieks and roars, wings beating in anticipation.

He's no coward, after all, and this is a fine opportunity to break in this new form.]