JANUARY TDM

[monstertruckers]

code

((OOC: Hello, and welcome to our first TDM! This month, Reserves will open on the 10th and Applications will open on the 25th! We hope you enjoy the game launch!))

After tumbling through shadow you find yourself in a shrouded, ruined garage. It’s full of shattered windows and broken mechanical equipment; watch out for shards on the floor, in between the strange symbols scrawled into the ground. Outside the daylight is fading; night is rolling in, and there’s just a few dying lights flickering on and off. It’s going to be hard to see in here and avoid bumping into things and people, if you don’t get outside soon.

Beyond the rundown garage is an overgrown gas station surrounded by thick, wetland forest. Starlight is streaming through the trees, along with light from a broken moon. The one thing that isn’t overgrown with plants is a large Convoy of vehicles, parked right underneath the station canopy.

01: START UP

The Convoy looks like a cross between a semi truck and a train; there’s no one at the front, but there’s still power humming through the entire Convoy. It’s also the most hospitable thing in sight. Why not make yourself at home a little? You just have to chase that eerie, empty feeling since there’s no one else present.

Alternately, there are the cars scattered around the Convoy; all of them in better shape than the gas station. And some of them looking and feeling almost like they might belong to you. That feeling is only increased, when you see there’s a key to the car nearby. Perhaps the key is already in the ignition, on the dashboard… It may have even been on your person, ever since you woke up in that garage. Either way, you have the keys to the vehicle now.

…But there’s a few rough edges on these vehicles. Flat tires, cracked windows and mirrors, maybe some stuck doors and locks; all of them the sort of thing that requires two pairs of hands and supplies. The garage can take care of the supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.

02: RUIN EXPLORATION

The ruined gas station and garage are the only man-made structures around, and have seen better days. The store still holds packaged food, and tepid drinks of all sorts. The garage has old mechanical equipment for working on cars, along with that strange summoning circle.

There's also a giant tree bursting through the gas station roof. And clinging to its branches, half melted into the surface, are metallic bodies. Graffiti is spray painted onto the tree, reading ‘avoid the Husks.’

Those who ignore the warning and get closer hear a faint hum coming off those bodies. It’s almost like whispers, though it’s impossible to make out any clear words. Some Husks are clutching supplies in metal fists. For a few unlucky new arrivals, those Husks might even be holding the keys to their vehicles.

Making direct contact with the Husks intensifies the hum, and the whispers begin to form into pained cries, and give the impression of something rummaging through their thoughts; trying to pry out things that hurt Drifters, and reflecting those hurtful things on the bodies of the Husks for anyone to see.

03: MONSTER ATTACK

The night grows darker, and the shadows grow deeper. And from those shadows comes the glint of something moving across the Husks, rippling over the metal… And breaking it apart in a flurry of too sharp claws and teeth. That’s when the radio chooses to come on in another mess of static.

Be careful- Keep your fear and rage in check- Calls the monsters- We need the shield up-

The warning comes too late as monsters arrive. Some human-like but with razor teeth mouths that stretch from face to groin; others resembling alligators with bloated proportions and jaws that spit lightning; and still others where the vegetation has come to life, sporting thorn covered appendages.

The Pisaca monsters act as shock troopers, wearing the Convoy down with venomous bites and debilitating howls, before the heavy and brutish alligators bull in, using their bulk and electric attacks to obliterate what’s left. The capparwires scurry in the periphery, taking cheap shots with thorny vines and sparking electricity where they can. It’s a task to keep the monsters at bay until the generator fires up. Especially when one last enemy makes an appearance…

03-A: MIRRORMIC

There's as a metallic shiver along one of the remaining Husks, and a strange ringing whisper in the ears. The next moment, the Husk breaks open in a gleaming pool of quicksilver. That quicksilver catches reflections, and molds itself into a darker copy of a Drifter.

The mirror monster whispers faults and secrets at the reflected Drifter, and anyone close by. It tries to goad Drifters into an attack. And when struck, the mirror monster plays its second trick; whatever damage it takes is reflected back onto the Drifter as a transformation. An injury to the arm transforms the Drifter's arm, and so on.

It's possible to banish this monster through direct lights shone on it from a car, flashlight, or magic… But such action needs to be swift, before the Mirrormic completely changes its Drifter.

03-B: BOMBADGY BOMBARDMENT

Before, during and even a little after the monster attack, there’s an extra presence scurrying around the vehicles, snuffling and barking when startled. A band of chunky, raccoon-esque monsters known as the bombadgy are raiding anything that looks like it could be food storage… And this includes vehicles!

The bombadgy’s claws are deft and sharp with tearing through windows and door seams. These creatures are a touch skittish and won’t attack unless provoked. They also can expel a flammable gas… And this means they can explode if sufficiently spooked or stressed. This also means that they can be treated as living bombs, and be lobbed at other threats if needed.

04: WIND DOWN

During the monster attack, there’s changes gripping the Convoy, and especially the people in it. It might feel like your control is getting worn away by the second… At least until something in the trucks starts to whirr to life. It’s a soft enough noise, little more than a hum as something blooms out of the engines. It fast turns into a shield that envelops the Convoy in a shimmering, glowing dome.

And while it might not be enough to reverse those changes, it can at least stop them from growing any worse. Give you a moment of breathing space to adjust to everything that’s happened, and give you some measure of clarity and control. There’s time to breathe and mend now. Take stock of one’s injuries and changes.

But there’s a few strange surprises still waiting, it seems. Because the corpses of the monsters begin to disintegrate, like they are bleeding out motes of sickly light. Light that you quickly absorb; it has the side effect of lessening pain, even mending wounds… Though it might make you feel a bit off. Maybe a little more excitable, maybe a little more irritable, or maybe expressing a certain odd psychological quirk. Still, that sudden surge should pass in about an hour or so; just need to keep it together until then. Perhaps with a little company.

05: CAMP

A screen in the Convoy flickers to life. The image isn't visible through a snowfield of static. Same with the audio:
“Still… Alive? Good. Connection- Can’t hear you. Can't talk. Convoy will- take you closer to Nirvana.”

After that, the connection is dropped, leaving a collection of text:
I’m sorry. I have no answers for you. But you’re still alive. You’re not as broken as the rest of the world. When the sun rises, this Convoy and all the cars around it will start moving North towards Nirvana. If you want answers, and to stay as close to human as you can… I suggest you stay with the Convoy. Good luck.

A last alert flashes across the screen: “TESTING LOCAL NETWORK CONNECTION.” And then… Music starts to play on the speakers. Mellow guitar and brass music that’s at odds with all the weird that’s happened recently, but perhaps just the thing to relax to.

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.

Race Track: There’s a race track that winds around the gas station! It’s a bit threadbare in places and little more than a mossy and muddy trail. But it’s still a race track that weaves under and over trees, and seems like a good place to test new wheels.

Gone Fishing: The gas station area eventually turns into the start of a swamp; that explains where the alligators came from. It may be possible to do a little bit of fishing, though the fish are just as weird as everything else. Still edible though. Swimming in the swamp is not advised. The alligator monsters and fish tend to bite back.

Spray Paint Messages: The paint on the trees and gas station is starting to fade and wash out, but can still be legible; most of it contains messages warning about the end of the world, prayers to the heavens for mercy, and dire warnings about husks and something called “moon warps.”

NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS

Comments

Levi | Fear & Hunger 2: Termina

[solitarysoul]

1/2 Arrival

The last thing Levi remembers is being surrounded by green and being told he could rest. He wasn't sure he could trust that, but he was very tired...he tries closing his eyes but something feels off. When he opens them again he's in a derelict gas station standing in what appears to be a ritual circle? He quickly jumps out of it, taking a hand to the rifle strapped to his back. He's barely got any ammo but the movement is reflexive and he drops the hand when his brain catches up and notices he's alone.

Frowning, Levi begins to search through the garage and the gas station. He's jumpy and tense, but he's shoving packs of food into his satchel for later. There was also a handle to something sticking out of it, and his hand goes to it whenever something moves or a noise is made.

Eventually he makes his way to the tree and the husks. As he moves slowly towards it he removes the something from his satchel. A long blade made for cutting branches off trees, but by the blood stained on it he's been using it for other things as well. He carefully pokes a Husk with it, then when nothing happens he moves closer and pokes the thing with a finger before recoiling as if shocked.


3 Awoo

Levi's not really surprised that there are monsters. He'd been waiting for them since he opened his eyes in the garage so when they finally show its almost a relief. His blade was made to cut through wood, but its equally useful on flesh so he wastes no time in using it in battle. The rifle remains on his back, but its a last resort.

Battle is Levi's element and even though its only been three days since acquiring it he swings the kassara with a practiced ease. But as time goes on and more monsters start coming even he begins to feel overwhelmed by it so he...throws his head back and howls? The noise that comes from his mouth isn't human, its a loud baying call of a dog or a wolf. Those who can hear it above the din of battle feel a nagging dread, a fear of the whatever is to come. The monsters seem to hesitate too, and as the howl reaches its crescendo a wave of pressure pushes everything away from the boy and breaking the glass of a few nearby windows and mirrors.


4.a Wind Down

Then the shield fires up and the battle is over. The heat of battle dies down and Levi can think again, he flicks the blood off his blade and goes to check the nearest monster body. The body explodes into light as he steps towards it and he can feel the light gathering around him, being absorbed into his body to do gods know what. He freeze and drops the blade, turning towards the closest person with fear in his eyes.

"D-d-did...w-what was that?"

The stoic boy with the rifle and blade who flinched at nothing during the fight suddenly looks more like a child. Scared, alone and...does he have a dog's nose? And those eyes aren't blood shot, they're full on red.


4.b Clean up (cw: opioid withdraws)

As things calm down more Levi moves through the camp, trying to help in whatever way he can. He knows a bit of field medicine, so if you have light wounds he can offer to patch them up. But mostly Levi's moving debris out of the way of everything. The work isn't all that hard but he's broken into a sweat and is shivering anyway. He freezes when someone comes near and peers at them for a moment. His gaze is perhaps unnerving, as his eyes are red and give off a very faint glow.

"D-do you feel it?"


((brackets are fine, i'll match style!
and since fear and hunger is a thing content warnings here
am free to plotting something else too. you can reach me at connectivetrick or nvrknwsbst on discord))

4b

[flowersnjunk]

Eunie is also making herself useful in a similar way nearby, because staying busy means she doesn't have to stop and think about this bizarre situation she's found herself in. She's hauling a particularly large hunk of... something when she hears his voice, and tosses it off to the side nonchalantly before finally looking up at him, and her eyebrows raise a little. Glowing eyes aren't uncommon where she's from, but everything else about him seems odd.

"You seen a ghost? You're about as pale as one."

Re: 4b

[solitarysoul]

"N--w-well maybe. Not seen, but it feels like that maybe? Like something bad is going to happen or is happening or something." Levi's yet to grasp or understand his new doom sense, but with it on top of the withdraws he's not doing well.

Re: 4b

[flowersnjunk]

"Well, whatever it is hasn't happened yet, so what's the point in gettin' all worked up about it?" Seems pretty simple to Eunie, anyway. "Cor, you're shakin' like a leaf. Sure you didn't just eat somethin' a little off?"

[solitarysoul]

He shakes his head, "N-no. There's definitely something. There's..." He raises a hand then pauses and looks down at himself.

He's covered in sweat...oh. It'd been awhile since his last dose, hadn't it? He felt more nervous or whatever than usual, but maybe that was just being somewhere different. Or the adrenaline from the battle wearing off.

"...N-nevermind. I-i-i'm fine. D-don't worry about me."

It still felt like something bad was going to happen, though.

[flowersnjunk]

Eunie's eyebrows couldn't possibly rise any higher. This guy is acting weird, even without all the doom and gloom talk.

"You're not gettin' off that easy-" Without asking permission, she approaches and quickly places the back of her hand against Levi's forehead, then snaps it away just as fast. "Queen's heels, mate, you're burnin' up! No wonder you're jumpin' at shadows, nobody can think straight with a fever that high. C'mon, we gotta get you back to camp before you keel over."

[solitarysoul]

He jerks away from her touch but its not nearly quick enough to keep her from getting an idea of his temperature. "N-no. R-really, I'm fine. I'll be fine. You should worry about someone else."

[flowersnjunk]

Eunie's wings twitch with annoyance when he refuses help. She sighs and puts her hands on her hips.

"Yanno we're all on a team now, right? And what kind of teammate would I be if I went and left you here sweatin' yourself into a frenzy?" She doesn't seem to want to take 'no' for an answer. "Anyway, you're in no shape to be hauling a buncha heavy junk around, anyone can see that plain as day."

[solitarysoul]

"I-i-it t-this is normal. It will pass! R-really." He nervously scratches at an arm, which may draw attention to the tract marks inside his elbow. There weren't many, but enough to be noticed.

4a

[killjoyprince]

[The fight had been chaos. It almost pained Naoto. Fighting alongside the team had been a mess in it's own way. Yosuke would drop his knives, Yu held his sword like a bat, Kanji hit things with a chair

But at least there'd been some communication. And suddenly Naoto was filled with a whole new appreciation for Rise. Because this had been every man for themselves from the start. It was amazing the scavenging creatures hadn't made away with all their food.

At least there hadn't been any casualties. Even if Naoto was gingerly cradling her right arm.

The choked up voice made her turn. Then she froze, almost going cross-eyed as she focused on his nose.]

I think...you might need to be more specific.

[solitarysoul]

[Yeah, he probably did. Everything that had happened lately was fucked up. Even before he ended up here.]

T-the lights. D-did you see it? Feel it?

[killjoyprince]

[Feeling light would have sounded strange if she'd not known what he'd meant.]

I did... Though it appears to be in our favor.

[Given it'd scared off the monsters.]

[solitarysoul]

D-did you absorbed it too..?

[killjoyprince]

[Her brow furrowed at that and she almost cringed.]

It looked that way... [But that shouldn't have been possible. That wasn't how light worked??]

[solitarysoul]

[Okay, good, it wasn't just him. That didn't make it better but it did help calm him down a bit. He wasn't alone in whatever that was.

He sighs and brings a hand up to rub his head but stops and focuses on his arm instead.]

...I'm pretty sure I was wounded?

[killjoyprince]

[Naoto frowns at that point. It might have been hard to see in the limited light and clothing being dark. But there was several holes, marks where attacks from the monsters had connected. Blood drying on one cheek.

But a vast majority of the wounds? They were gone. If it weren't for the blood, rips and feeling the injuries at the time, Naoto wouldn't have known.

Her right arm still had a cut where claws had gotten her though the bleeding stopped the moment the light reached her. Gingerly, her left hand went to it. Toying with the ends of her torn sleeve.]

I was as well. Though something else feels off..?

[Her arm and back really itched...]

[solitarysoul]

[Levi looks over himself, checking for wounds. He knows he's taken a number of blows, but he sure doesn't find that many left over. Basically just scrapes and bruises at this point. Weird.]

D-did we...uh, did we eat those things? And get healed by them?

[His doggy nose twitches a bit. Something did feel off, but he can't pinpoint it at all.]

2

[thetatters]

From the trees behind Levi comes a deep, inhuman growl. But the man who stands there looks entirely human: skinny, scarred, and frowning as he steps forward.

"Idiot! Don't touch those." His voice isn't quite right. Too deep for his body, and faintly warped as though heard from the bottom of a well. Still, he holds no weapon, and he doesn't seem interested in Levi. "It causes them to... change."

His attention is fixed on the Husk that Levi has just touched. None have yet burst into monsters, but their power of illusion is unnerving enough.

[solitarysoul]

He jerks back as soon as he touches the thing, taking a step back and clasping his hands over his ears. The husk flickers through imagines for a second or so before Levi backs further away and it returns to normal.

Levi takes a deep breath, lowers his hands and looks to John. "...change how?"

[thetatters]

John watches it warily, but then the images fade, and some of the tension falls from his shoulders.

"As best I can tell," he says, "they can show us images that we would find... upsetting. And they function as a sort of... cocoon. A monster can emerge from within."

[solitarysoul]

He didn't manage to get a good look at any of the images, but if what John's said is right (there was no reason for it not to be) then he definitely doesn't want to try it again. He already remembers too many--no, no, try not to think of that.

"A-a monster? What sort of monster?"

[thetatters]

John gives a short, impatient sigh.

"Hideously elongated creatures, each with a toothy vertical maw." He says maw with grim respect. "Perhaps others. I have no interest in finding out."

[solitarysoul]

Yeah, that doesn't sound very good. Though he's not sure what he expected, he doesn't know if anything broke free from husks or whatever during Termina.

"Y-yeah. I-i think its better not to find out."

He turns his attention to John, looking over the man. Was he familiar? He's not sure

[thetatters]

John frowns back. This is... new to him. He understands in the abstract that this person is very young, but John has never interacted with a child or teenager before.

Not except for the one he killed. He does not want to think of her now.

"So long as you do not touch them," he says dryly, it being rather late for that, "they seem unlikely to respond. Though perhaps we ought to move further away, just to be certain." He turns back towards the Convoy, but does not leave without Levi. "We can at least hope for safety in numbers."

He has never experienced such a thing, but it sounds like something a reasonable adult might say.

[solitarysoul]

"...I won't. It, uh, i-it screamed? In my head. O-or something like that." He follows after, still trying to figure out why this guy feels familiar.