APRIL EVENT LOG

[monstertruckers]

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The grassland gives way to rougher terrain, green fading to cracked red earth with scraggly sharp-edged plants dotting the landscape. With no trees, the sky overhead feels massive, and almost oppressive with how the sun and moon shine down. It’s entirely at odds with the biting wind that often whips across the flatlands. The ground occasionally breaks open into crevasses or rolls along in arid hills, but it remains stark thorn brush for as far as the eye can see… Save for one strange, ominous tower on the horizon.

01:TOWER OF TRANSFORMATION

The tower looks like a giant fang, trying to bite the sky. A strange pressure emits from it and rests on the skin. Drifters can get closer to the tower, but the terrain is covered with puncturing spikes and sharp thorn brush. It will take a TOUGH vehicle to get close without getting cut. Anyone who bleeds within sight of the tower discovers their cuts are transformed; a monster’s form waits under their skin, and transforms them one injury at a time.

It takes several days to get close to the tower via Convoy, with how the road snakes and winds towards it. Drifters won’t be able to reach it without offroad vehicles until April 15th. Getting close to the tower reveals that it is formed out of a strange metal much like the Husks… And that numerous creatures have been melded into the tower’s surface. A strange red ichor seeps out from these forms. Coming into contact with it heals wounds and can revert one transformation.

Drifters can take some of the fluid with them, if they have means to carry it… But only one extra dose; any more makes the fluid unstable and neutralizes the effect entirely.

01-A: TWISTED MONSTERS

The land here is still littered with Husks, ready to break open to fight… But these monsters are more twisted than usual, and seem to be composed of multiple organisms. Prowling cat-centaur esque brutes called panthera protectors, ungainly catoblepas, reptile energy draining bloodhound dogs, and flying lion-bird anzu are all ready to attack with tooth and claw, to make Drifters all the more like them.

Given the influence of the tower, Drifters can feel their forms twisting, the more wounds they take, and the more the moon begins to form into something almost whole. By April 15th the wounds and moon are almost impossible to resist without either vials or message mementos. And those wounds are determined to drag a change out of Drifters. (Of note, Drifters who took on Harpy or Naga traits last month will find those changes can come back to them unnervingly easily, and blend with other creature changes to become a true chimera.)

These changes grow worse until the moon glow and shards reach their absolute peak on April 20th. At this point Twisted Land occurs.

02: ROAD ATTACK

A week into the thorn brush, chaos starts at sunset. The first warning is a metallic howl echoing down from the hills, followed by a rumble that could almost be thunder… If not for the fact that the sunset stained sky is completely clear. A swarm of metal sweeps over the hills, heading straight at the Convoy.

Running at the lead are more of those canine robots. The Convoy database again identifies them as ‘chromehounds’ and these are clearly in better repair; their fangs and claws are all razor sharp, and they are swiftly closing the distance. Close behind the hounds is a scattered assortment of scrap metal vehicles. The creatures driving aren’t quite human but also aren’t quite monsters; instead they are mechanical forms with just a few remnants of flesh on them. Robot riders and raiders, determined to harry the Convoy.

The goal of the raiders is to crash their vehicles into the Convoy, to slow or halt them. Drifters will need to either fight at a distance… Or hope that their monster side is tough enough for close and bloody combat!

02-A: ATTACK AND AFTERMATH

The attack patterns of the raiders depends on who they are targeting and how transformed the Drifters are. More monstrous Drifters earn full fury, and the vehicles blare with static and a patchy message: “…Purge… Corruption… By steel.” The raiders are determined to kill monsters, even at the cost of their own lives.

By contrast, less transformed Drifters may be overlooked, or only looked at suspicion. But if examined long enough, the raiders will eventually conclude less changed Drifters as still corrupt and attack them, especially if they are associated with the more monstrous!

Afterwards, mechanical salvage can be found to bolster the Convoy vehicles. The machines display a moon stabbed by a sword. It is the same as the symbols on the trap cars from February. Several raiders also carry odd talismans that resemble a rosary formed of tiny computer screens. Many of the screens are broken, but a few carry flickering text: “Your charge: To hunt the Warped. To purify the broken land, purge all sickness that twists us. Only then can Nirvana be opened, and the world reborn without corruption.”

03: OASIS

Just off the road are scattered oases, shining like blue gems in a red wasteland. The waters run surprisingly deep, with monstrous statues submerged in the depths. These statues resemble all 13 types of monsters, some of them even coloring the water depths into shades of green, purple, and red.

The oasis waters can’t fix or restore physical transformations. But it can cure any heat exhaustion with just a few sips, and restore lost strength. Red water can heal wounds, green restores magic fatigue, and purple can stabilize mental exhaustion and strain.

The statues also create a strange resonance on Drifters’ Sigil marks, particularly when Drifters submerge in the water. The statue resonance can’t completely revert transformations but they CAN spread out the transformation between two Drifters and lessen the potency.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, CHIMERA

Peculiar flowers bloom along some of the thorn brush. Drifters who bleed from the thorns will find that their cuts turn into Traits belonging to either Chimera or Unicorns. Chimeras typically appear from red flowered plants, and become increasingly tougher as they gain more traits. The following is also available:
+Tower focus: if growing extra eyes or heads, vision becomes disorienting. Focusing on the tower will help sharpen vision and provide clarity.
+Thermal flight on new wings, as the hot air coming off the ground helps them soar.
+Territorial hunter vs other fully shifted monsters/enemies.
+Blood taste/frenzy: becomes more savage as blood is shed, whether that is their own or others. If it is their own or an enemy, more aggressive; if it is an ally, more protective.
+An increasingly carnivorous and voracious appetite. Plus a craving for raw meat, and a drive to go hunt it personally; the fresher, the better.
+Tough hide. As 3 or more Chimera traits become active, the skin becomes increasingly tougher and harder for cuts and new transformations to occur.
+A sudden roar that cuts into words, easy for conversations to turn into a shouting match.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, UNICORN

As with Chimera, getting cut and bled by flower bearing thorns will impart unicorn traits on Drifters. This typically comes from thorn plants with white flowers. Unicorns have a knack for stabilizing the more violent changes… And perhaps even stopping transformations from bleeding. The following is also available:
+Horn Resonance, a ringing in the horn or forehead the closer one gets to the tower. Can result in either disorientation, or a boost in healing.
+Shift Healing: At the cost of taking on another unicorn/current monster trait, may heal another Drifter of one active trait. This can only be used once per character.
+An increasingly vegetarian diet, including the flowers off various thorn bushes.
+Increased pain or disorientation in the forehead as horn grows in. May also experience pain in feet (hooves) or back (wings or tail) though healing magic can alleviate pain.
+A compulsion to heal the injured or protect those who can. Similarly, a compulsion to protect the virtuous and aid them.
+Fight or Flight response: more likely to bolt at the sign of trouble with increased speed. If fleeing is not possible (or others are in danger) ready to fight to the death in desperate frenzy.
+Urge to run and be outdoors, gains an almost euphoric sensation when running at full speed.

05: TWISTED LAND

Finally the Convoy draws close to the tower and the moon glows balefully overhead, signaling an imminent Moon Warp. Shards of the tower fall away, exposing something encased in the surface. A chimera monster is pierced and pinned to the tower by swords. Elemental blood streams down, glowing in reaction to the Drifters, and causing the blades to glow in turn.

If Drifters make contact with the swords, they explode in a hail of shards, causing more wounds and damaging the tower. The shed blood twists the landscape. Deserts, forests, and swamps all shift together. With them come the hazards of those environments; quicksand, falling trees or strangling vines, terrible draining heat, all blending and switching without pattern. Such twisting weakens the tower. Further fragments break off and turn into monsters, aggressive and ready to fight. The Convoy braces against the twisting, but warning screens say that the shields are low on power. The shields occasionally waver, letting in the Moon Warp and monsters.

With the damage Drifters inflict in their battles, the environment twisting, and the sword shards, the tower crumbles away. It emits a burst of energy that disperses the land twisting, and ends the bloodshed transformations.

06: SALVE

In the aftermath of the warp, the tower has cracked and broken. A column of wavering light takes its place, reaching thin tendrils up towards the moon.

The red ichor leaks out of the tower in rivers, and any Husk it comes in contact with breaks open without transforming into a monster, instead releasing another glowing shard that travels upwards. Drifters can still harness this ichor to undo one change, though the limits still apply. Submerging in the ichor does not undo more than one change… Though it will stain Drifters with red.

The ichor can also heal wounds, and repair those quite thoroughly, acting as a good salve to mend Drifters from past battles.

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.

Twisted Creatures: Local fauna (flying rabbits, jackalopes, gorgons wandering in from the grasslands, etc) gets caught in the thorn bushes and begins bleeding, and turning into a monster. The process is slow and painful, giving Drifters enough time to get away from the scrub brush and the monster if they wish; or enough time to try and dispatch the creature.

Thorn brush: Clumps of thorn brush line the road. A time or two they even grow over the road and need to be hacked through, in order for the Convoy to proceed. The brush is almost like razor wire, with how sharp the thorns are, and how ready they are to slice up skin.

Watering Hole: Rarely, one can find a small oasis in the bleached land. Unfortunately, many of the twisted creatures want a drink from this place as well; it’s a task to grab water and avoid getting on their bad side.

NAVIGATION

Comments

[purplexing]

Pleasantries are the last thing Donnie expects after a fight. Names are good, information always welcome.

He straightens up a little more. Praise always goes far with him, especially from people who are older than him. At least Serph looks like an adult anyway.

"That was my mystic-tech," he explains, clawed fingers flexing like they'd grasp at a staff that isn't there. "Usually I use an actual bō but that got left on the Turtle Tank..." Which...he has no idea where it's gone, great. Hopefully it hasn't driven off too far.

[bufudine]

...Ah.

At the mention of the tank, Serph turns his head in the direction he had last seen it trundling off. Well. It's... It's certainly out there. In the distance. Probably.

In stark contrast, Serph's pickup truck (painted a gaudy orange) has been idling nearby after he'd pulled up the brake so he could defend Donnie on foot.

Tilting his head in direction of his truck Serph offers, "Let's look for it."

There's enough space for two, even with his wings. He'll drive.

[purplexing]

Donnie stares off into the distance, shoulders sagging with a heavy sigh. Suddenly he's glad he's not alone at the moment, even if it's with someone he's only just met. There's a tight knot sitting in his stomach and he's just too tired to deal with whatever mess of emotions it holds, not that he's ever been good with figuring those out to begin with.

He lifts his head at Serph then, blinking. "Please." He won't even say anything about the tasteless paint job!

[bufudine]

Alright Donnie, get in the car.

Serph nods, opening the door to his truck and taking a seat. Though his wings are large and inconvenient, they fortunately(?) bend in strange and unnatural ways, allowing him to partially tuck them around the back of his driver's seat so he's not sitting against effectively a huge, feathery blanket. And it means his wings aren't also crowding the passenger seat.

Once Donnie's seated, he'll start driving off towards where they had last seen the Turtle Tank. It isn't exactly hard to see the thorny brush that the tank has crushed under its treads, either.

"Can you tell me more about your mystic-tech? Is that common in your world?"

[purplexing]

It's weird being in someone else's car. Okay, it's weird being anyone else's passenger when they weren't related to you. Donnie tries his best to settle in, but at least it doesn't take long for him to relax somewhat. Or maybe it's just that he's found no reason to be sitting rigid, but he keeps an eye out on the sideview mirrors just in case any other raiders make an appearance.

"Not common, no. Mystic-tech, so far as I know, is a me-thing. An off-shoot of a power my family has, called ninpō. It manifests differently between my brothers. Don't know if you've seen Leo use his."

[bufudine]

[Serph keeps his gaze outwards and around them as he drives. Not just for the Turtle Tank, but for any more raiders or chromehounds that would potentially attack them.]

I haven't.

[He's mostly only seen Leo around. But Leo did teach him how to play "I spy" over the radio.]

What is ninpō?

[purplexing]

"Oh, well he uses portals."

Donnie might have envied his brothers' abilities with magic once, but that had been back when he could make no sense of it, and when they'd made use of them through magic weapons.

"It's...some kind of ancient power that's been connected through our family- the Hamato clan."

[bufudine]

Oh, they're family? He wasn't sure; after all, not all humans are family. Maybe one day he'll see Leo's portals.

"And your mystic-tech... does it connect to that power?"

[purplexing]

"Yeah. I guess we've always had the ability, but no one ever...told us that power was a thing? Then again, dad never really mentioned anything about his family until two years ago, either."

Donnie lifts his head, squinting ahead before he lowers his goggles. "I think I see it."

Perhaps in this instance he can be thankful for the unforgiving terrain. His Tank isn't traveling full-speed, less so as it crunches over the thorny underbrush.

[bufudine]

That is truly a bewildering set of statements, if only because Serph's concept of family and what they're supposed to be like is shaky at best. But there's a more pressing concern at the moment and that's the Tank.

As the Turtle Tank becomes more visible on the horizon, Serph pulls up beside it and keeps pace with the larger vehicle. He's not exactly sure how Donnie intends to get back in, but he'll let Donnie take the lead on this one.

[purplexing]

Donnie is oblivious to any confusion Serph might have about what he's just said, but his focus has already moved on anyway. He looks relieved that they've caught up, and as they pull up beside the larger vehicle, he rolls the window down in preparation to crawl out.

"Stay beside it, but if you can get ahead of it some, that'll make this a little easier," he says before he clambers up onto the roof of the truck.

[bufudine]

He's on it! Serph doesn't react to Donnie climbing out the window onto the top of his truck; seems like a perfectly sound sequence of events to him, if Donnie's intent is to make a jump across to his vehicle.

Fortunately, Serph's vehicle is also quite tough. So while it doesn't handle the thorns as easily as the Turtle Tank, he's not completely reliant on it to clear a path for him. It's a bit bumpy as he pulls ahead though.

[purplexing]

The bumps are something Donnie takes into account as he keeps low, hanging on to the edge of the window while Serph maneuvers the truck beside his Tank. At least it puts him a little closer at level to the window than if he were on the ground. He just has to make sure not to fall off a moving vehicle again.

"Steady..." He looks ahead to make sure there isn't anything that looks like it might cause some problems before slowly letting go of the window to stand. At least it seems like he's had experience in keeping balance atop a vehicle in motion. He waits until they pull ahead some to take into account basic physics, gauging the distance to the window.

And then he makes the jump.

[bufudine]

Serph keeps his truck as steady as he can over the rough terrain while Donnie is preparing to make the leap. Once he hears and feels the weight of a humanoid turtle leave the roof of his pickup, he leans his head out the window to check on how Donnie's faring.

You alright, buddy?

[purplexing]

The turtle's managed to snag the frame of the window, his feet scrabbling against the door a bit until he finally manages to haul himself inside. That knocks his bō free from where he'd wedged it against the pedal, so Serph's truck quickly begins to outpace it as the Tank loses speed.

It's a couple of moments before the sound of a huge engine revs, and then the Turtle Tank surges forward to catch up, Donnie finally settled properly into the driver's seat. He gives Serph a thumbs-up.