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memestertrucks2025-01-01 12:01 am
monstertruckers) wrote in memestertrucks2025-01-01 12:01 am
Entry tags:
JANUARY TDM
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
“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.”
A
Oh. You're an... alive... thing.
Well, I don't know. It looks like a garage. A very... ["primitive" is the word he wants to use] analog garage.
[Pomni herself is the only part of the area that Roger would describe as not right, but he isn't going to say that.]
no subject
Y-Yeah, I can see that. And right outside is a lot of cars and vehicles, kind of like... I dunno, Mad Max?
But-but-but! Hey! You're here! You're you! So, like, do you know what's going on? Do you know what my objective is going to be? I wasn't really told anything before coming here, so I'm kind of in the dark of what the point of all this actually is.
no subject
Well, I am me. [The tautology is the only thing he can make sense of for a moment. Unfortunately, the rest of what Pomni says is almost equally confusing. What does she mean 'objective'?
Eventually he shakes his head.] I don't really know what's going on either.
no subject
[Okay, so the NPC doesn't really know what they're supposed to do. Some kind of mystery game? Ugh, and with Caine's tendency to throw them into something dangerous, it wouldn't surprise her if this was some sort of death race thing like Twisted Metal or Carmageddon.]
...okay, so... hm... right. [A finger comes to her chin and she ponders that.] So... we find ourselves in a place, with lots of cars... which points to that we're probably supposed to drive one... ...but we're not given any instructions...
Either this is some kind of open-world sandbox type situation, or we're about to open up some kind of car repair shop. Do you have any experience working on cars?
no subject
[Still, he'd be remiss not to take the oppurtunity to talk about his skills.] Do I? Well, I've worked on starships, speeders, and yeah, sometimes wheeled vehicles like these. What I'm used to working on is much more advanced, but I'm sure I can work it out.
[Then again, if he is in some kind of hologame, he should probably hope it isn't just what his actual job used to be. Still, avoiding that can wait until his bragging is through.]
I'm R0-GR, by the way, but you can call me Roger.
no subject
[Her focus returns to the different type of things Roger was describing. On closer inspection, he did seem like some sort of sci-fi repairman. Maybe he's supposed to be one of those NPCs that tunes up and repairs vehicles? That sounds about right.]
Oh, uh... I'm Pomni. Nice to meet you Roger.
You know, despite the circumstances. [She looks around again. The entire area looked like some sort of desiccated car lot, and Roger very much looked like a desiccated robot, so that tracked.] --so you don't have any idea how everything turned out like this? Uh... no, nevermind, backstory isn't going to be all that relevant, really.
So, uh, what do you think we should do first?
[Pomni herself was starting to get a few ideas, but perhaps the unit only needed a bit more coaxing before revealing what his true function was. Here's hoping, anyway.]
no subject
I have no idea. [He doesn't know even know what his long-term goals ought to be at this point, let alone step one. He had spent the time before he got there just trying to figure that out.]
I don't have any idea about the... backstory either. [There's still a bit of confusion in his voice as he says the word "backstory." He's still mulling a bit over the ramifications of this potentially all being a game.]
no subject
WELL, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING? Anything! I don't care what it is! Just something that would be helpful to me to figure out what's going on?!
[Her explanations can wait, she needed to find out if this was the most useless NPC she ever came across!]
no subject
All I know is that one moment I was on an asteroid in the middle of nowhere, and the next I was... [Roger gestures at the circle of sigils near which they stand] here, on one of these things.
[Though he takes a few more steps back physically in case what he says next escalates the situation further, he does venture an inquiry of his own.] What about you, though? Why do you seem to think we're in a hologame or something?
no subject
[The question was enough to get her to consider how to best proceed. Best not to talk too openly about the circus. For all she knew, it could literally fry this guy's circuits.] Well... the set-up looks pretty... standard? We're here, and there's a lot of environmental clues kind of directing what it is we're supposed to do. It doesn't exactly take a rocket science-bot... uh, thingy, to realize these are obvious breadcrumbs.
...so, if this is obvious, I think the first big step is to try to find some sort of key or note or something to get us started. Um... [She looks around a bit, tucking below a car to find some sort of clue among the dust.] ...nothing looks pretty obvious, though. Heh. It figures. But what sort of game starts you off with no hints?
no subject
Roger roger! Look for a key or a note.
[He immediately begins looking over the room, and then walks off to inspect specific elements of it.]
no subject
[It helps with remembering the name, though.]
You know, just in case, you wouldn't happen to have a key on you?
no subject
At the second question he turns back around from his new task. There's not many places he could have it. The only things he does have on him are a datapad and a blaster pistol, both attached to a backpack he has, but the backpack is for communication, not storage. He doesn't yet know about the Swarm sigil on the front and center of his chest, as they way his head and neck are designed he can't look directly down at it, or he would probably mention it, but the backpack has a seperate symbol of its own, and there is another smaller one also on his chest.] I don't think so, unless it's in the blaster somehow. I might be able to activate one of them without a key, if I can figure out how it works well enough.
no subject
[There was no small amount of alarm at that revelation, but knowing all of their assets could prove useful later...] Okay... okay... well, assuming you aren't your own automatic key operator, I guess it's reasonable to assume that you don't have one.
W-Well! Nothing to it but to look around. Um... maybe you take that area and I'll take this side? If we put our heads together we have to find something useful...
no subject
[He gives another] Roger roger [before returning to the work of seeking out a key.]
[ooc: how do you want this search to play out?]
no subject
[Pomni takes a moment looking around, the sounds getting lightly flustered as she is searching around the area. Worse, the foilage and grass makes looking around a bit of a rough task. There wasn't even any useful tools. Ugh. What is Pomni thinking?]
Please don't let there be a skeleton under here...
[Her hand reaches underneath, catching purchase on something hard and metallic.] OH! OHH! HEY, uh, ROGER! I THINK I HAVE SOMETHING!!
no subject
[R0-GR is all too quick to abandon his part of the search the moment he thinks Pomni has found something.] What? What is it? [He runs over to Pomni's search area and inspects the place Pomni has her hand in.]