memestertrucks | JANUARY TDM

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((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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That...that sounds like a good idea.

[Much better than going it on their own, which he wasn't going to do anyway.]

Oh, um, I'm Levi.

Goro Akechi.

[Best to keep it short and sweet, although...]

It would seem the vast majority of us hail from different worlds. Quite the peculiar set of circumstances.

[Different worlds? He'd not really thought about it, but this doesn't seem to be either his world or the Rher realm so it must be some other plane of existence. Was other worlds that far off?

What kind of name was 'Goro Akechi' anyway?]

S-something like that I guess. Do you think if we go where they want us to go we might figure something out?

Oh, I'm sure we'll find something out. Whether or not it's to our benefit is another matter entirely.

[He looks down at his hands, and the sharp claws that ruined his gloves.]

I don't take kindly to these changes, nor am I thrilled to have been plucked up by a presently unknown power. I believe these are the most pressing matters to consider going forward.

[For all they know, it'll get worse. And then what?]

[Levi looks down at Akechi's claws and nods slowly. He hasn't noticed his own physical changes, but he'd noticed changes during the fight. He still has no idea what possessed him to howl, but at least he wasn't alone in whatever was happening.]

Yeah...I'm not good at figuring that sort of thing out though. But I guess we also need people who can keep us alive. Especially if those things come back.

[He doesn't expect this shield to always be there.]

I suppose my abilities are a necessity. One of my Persona's skills is a nonelemental magic spell that targets entire crowds of enemies.

[Hm. Not that he expects Levi to know what a Persona is, so he should probably clarify.]

"Persona" being an entity that I summon to aid me in battle.

Per...sona?

[He had noticed a few big...well, maybe not people but figures fighting the monsters during the attack. Ones who weren't around anymore.]

So its like a thing that does magic for you?

[Not anything he was familiar with, but his knowledge of magic was very, very limited.]

I can't really do any--uh, no, I guess I can do a little magic. I'm not very good at it.

[He can't do it anymore, but since it didn't occur to him to try during the battle he doesn't know that yet.]

You could think of it as a projection of the soul, taking on the form of an archetype.

[Though that's interesting. Another with magical abilities is hardly surprising after the other combatants Akechi saw out there, but how does it differ from Personas?

He folds his arms, gears spinning in his head.]

And how does your magic function?

I-I can't really explain it. I barely know myself. It comes from the gods and, um, well I don't think the circumstances I learned in were normal...i-if Marina was here she could tell you. Sorry.

So gods are real entities where you're from...

[Then again, the "Holy Grail" took the guise of the gnostic god Yaldabaoth, from what he understands. Of course, he wasn't even there to see it, not even in the true reality he, somehow, survived in.]

Yeah...most people don't believe it, though. I didn't, until I met one.

I suppose that's how it often goes. You live your ordinary life, until one chance encounter changes everything. It's a common trope within fiction.

[Though, obviously, there's nothing fictitious about either of their circumstances.]

Yeah...

[What he wouldn't give to not have had that chance encounter. Or, well, he'd go much further back if he really could change things.]

I guess that happens with non supernatural things, too.

The "call to adventure," as Joseph Campbell would put it. It's applicable in many stories, regardless of their scale and presence or lack of fantastical elements.

[A week snort of laughter follows.]

Not that it should be treated as immutable, but I suppose this would be our call.

[He gestures at the screen.]

[Oh those are complicated thoughts. Levi gets the feeling a lot of what this guy says is going to go over his head.

He nods.]

Or the latest one, at least.

I guess, uh, now we...wait and see?

Rest, lick our wounds, and prepare for more of the same. It's clear that this won't be a pleasant voyage.

[But best to keep expectations low, anyway. A realistic perspective will keep them alive for far longer.]

Yeah...

[He looks around.]

Maybe this convoy thing has better food than the garage did.

One would hope, though I don't regret gathering emergency supplies when I did.

[He glances at his attache case, resting comfortably on the floor.]

I can't imagine it'll taste especially good, but we can't afford to be picky.

[He'd stashed food away in his own satchel, of course.]

Anything's better than old C-Rations. But that doesn't mean I won't look for something better.

Perhaps fishing is a viable option. It's not my preferred activity, but assuming the fish aren't toxic, it would at least supply us with something fresh.

[A small sigh blows out of him.]

Or we make do with what we have until the next stop on this voyage.

The fish look weird, but I don't think they're poison. At least not all of them.

[He sighs.]

I wonder if they'll have enough food for us or if we'll have to ration.

[He doesn't look forward to rationing.]

I suppose it depends on the supply versus the demand as well as how well equipped this convoy is to meet our needs.

[Which is another thing... They're a diverse group, no doubt with diverse needs and sensibilities.]

Perhaps the better question is how well we'll function as a community. Different worlds, different times, different cultures, and different lives intersect here, without any rules or authority to speak of.

Oh...that's a good point. It doesn't seem like whoever sent us that message is going to set rules or explain anything. I-I guess we'll have to figure something out.

[A soft sound, like a chuckle crossed with a sigh, slips out of him.]

It's really dependent on how well the different personalities here mesh. People are like sheep. Many flock to the most outspoken, charismatic leader, regardless of that "leader's" other qualifications.

But it's also possible that we'll see smaller factions form as people naturally gravitate toward one another. We also can't rule out the likelihood of more independent individuals setting off on their own.

[Okay, this is very quickly getting over his head. Again. He wasn't really contributing anything useful here.]

I, uh, I guess we just wait and see.

I-i'm going to check out what food they have.

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