MAY TDM

[monstertruckers]

code

Things are a little stranger than usual at the gas station and garage. Namely that gravity just isn't working as it should. Objects float, pieces of the floor float... Even unlucky new arrivals can also find themselves floating! It's going to be a challenge to get around without any scrapes or scratches... Though at least there's what looks like a hospital nearby? Granted, it's an upside down hospital, but it's better than nothing.

01: SUMMONING CIRCLE

Drifters come to with an odd floating sensation hooked into their stomachs, and instead of laying on the concrete find themselves drifting a foot or two above the floor. An unfortunate few may be stuck on the ceiling. Whether they crash down hard into the floor (and the various vials, daggers, and broken glass scattered about) or remain floating in the air is a coin toss.

Still, it might be best to lend a hand with pulling them back to the ground, and hoping gravity will work as normal in another breath or two.

Once they make their way out, they can see a gas station and garage located in the midst of strange, floating rocks… And an upside down hospital close by, for those who had a rougher landing.

02: START UP

New arrivals will have a similar experience to before; a Convoy waiting for them, and a collection of vehicles, one of which feels like it belongs to them. The key to the vehicle may already be in the ignition, on the dashboard… It may have even been on their person, ever since they woke up in that garage. Either way, Drifters 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 (sometimes floating) supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.

And hopefully no one's vehicle has decided to float. But one can never be sure in a place like this.

03: HUSKS AND HAUNTS

The inverted hospital seems to have trouble deciding the exact formation of its hallways, whether the new arrivals should be walking on the ceiling, floors, or walls. But one thing that is certain: this place isn’t entirely deserted. Warnings of “Beware the Husks” have been spray painted on the walls. Metallic bodies line those same halls, some of them broken open. A wet trail leads from the broken Husks to the rafters… Where several odd monsters wait to drop down. Some look like they’ve merged with the hospital equipment, while others look like they’ve been cobbled together from different body parts. And all of them look ready to turn the newcomers into a corpse, or part of a specimen collection.

Strange, malformed chimeric creatures that are Unknown stalk the hallways. Unknowns come in three different colors, red aligned with fire, green with poison, and purple with lightning.

Adding to that are the various screens flickering on, and diagnose new arrivals as infected. The screens declare the infection seems to be contained, but requires further study… And if the monsters aren't enough to worry about, there’s also the restraint systems trying to activate and tie the new arrivals down.

04: TESTING (CW: Needles)

The deeper someone plunges into the hospital, the more the building reacts to them. More defenses are deployed, treating them as thieves or intruders. Traps and monsters alike wait for them, with syringes melded into the forms of attackers, or lining places where someone might step or reach for. The syringes make a quick bite on skin… But it’s only a few minutes later where the effects become clear. Something in those syringes is now in the blood and forcing monster transformations. There might be an antidote amongst the supplies… Or the newcomers might need to rely on each other, in order to stay anchored.

The needles can also force temporary Swarm traits, along with:
+Group Mind: compelled to link thoughts with other Drifters, to share emotions, memories, and achieve cohesion.
+An increasing reliance on telepathy/empathy/etc in place of speech.
+Increasing collectivist mindset. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few; this becomes more evident during high stress situations.
+Compelled to hunt and share their prey with others.
+Gravity Affinity: If possessing wings or the ability to wall climb, may freely hunt/traverse corrupted gravity areas.

05: LONG WAY DOWN

A portion of the gas station breaks away with groan and a rumble. And it is slowly pulled up and up, taking a portion of new comers with it! They (and anyone watching) will need to act fast, as gravity starts to go weird the further they rise. They’ll need to find a way back down, taking any supplies from the now-floating garage that they can grab.

What’s more, they are drifting closer to the broken moon, and that seems to be having a strange effect on those stranded on the new floating ruin. They may start to feel their control fray, and their forms shift, the higher they rise.

In terms of getting back down, there’s a handful of tow lines in the ruin that might work as ropes. There’s also a few pieces of rock that are floating up more slowly, and could work as stairs back down… Or there’s just jumping and falling fifty feet and hoping for the best.

06: PSYCHIC ECHOES

There's one last quirk to this area; a few scattered bits of odd plantlife, and the odd dead brain monster. While these things aren't a threat on their own (beyond being unnerving) they still pack a psychic punch; mainly in the form of temporary psychic abilities.

It's possible that after coming in contact with either plants or corpses, newcomers will find themselves gifted with either empathy (projecting or receiving emotions) telepathy, OR the ability to share their dreams with others, and having their dreams influenced by others in turn. This effect fades in just a day or so, but is still capable of causing mishaps.

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.

Broadcast: The garage contains a few burnt out monitors. But a handful of them are playing a message over and over again on loop, filled with static. It’s a recording of important looking people in lab coats advising people to remain indoors and avoiding all objects falling from the sky. Especially “moon shards.” They insist that they are working to contain and cure the infection, but the safest action is to remain inside.

Warped Air: As seen in Long Way Down, the air overhead has strange warped pockets in it. There seem to be slightly different shards hanging suspended in the air, looking more silvery than the surrounding rocks. Almost like it could have fallen from the broken moon overhead.

Medical supplies: Most of the medical supplies found in the hospital seem to consist of healing salves and potions, a handful of healing herbs, and a few antidotes for poison or sickness. As for reverting transformations… It’s advised that new comers be careful of taking any experimental medicine. It may revert a change. It may also leave them hallucinating nightmares and fears, and they’ll be wanting someone close by to help administer the drug.

NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS

Comments

[phantomshow]

[Ren is surprised to find himself so relieved that Kotone has such a kind reaction to his confession. Even after all this time, the expectation of being met with fear, distrust, and rejection is difficult to discard.

And he was more of a pawn then than he ever knew until so much later. Ren shakes his head.]

My parents did what they thought was best. I’d been expelled from my old high school, and there wasn’t another school any closer to my hometown that would’ve accepted a student with a criminal record.

[He shrugs. Convincing everyone, including himself, that every point of what happened to him wasn’t a big deal is what he needs to do to keep the primal, unbridled rage that boils inside of him over such an injustice from eating him alive like so much acid.]

I was falsely accused of assault, and the man who accused me was very powerful. That’s how I ended up with a record.

[Ren shoves the memory of Shido’s face to the back of his mind. For as much harm as he’d caused Ren, there were others who’d been hurt far worse. And his heart had been changed. Shido would have to live with the weight of his crimes until the end of his days.]

It wasn’t all bad, though. I made some really good friends in Tokyo, and I never would’ve found the Metaverse if I hadn’t been sent there. And the conviction did get overturned, eventually.

[Ah, here’s the door. Ren pushes it open and points to the dusty, faded black Citroën H van parked a few feet from the entrance.]

This is it.

[xxiis]

[When Ren explains his story, Kotone remains quiet. She's going to let him finish without interrupting. Her willingness to hear him out without any prejudice makes her different from most. While she listens to him, her expression shows great understanding and sympathy. Ren had never commited a crime but he still had to deal with a criminal record. Kotone thinks that people were probably rude to him in the past if they knew his background. Her impression of him is a good one in fact! She's happy his verdict got overrturned and things worked out. Though, it still sounded difficult so her enthusiasm deflates into a more serious expression.]

You've been through a lot. Despite everything, you still managed to set things straight. At least you didn't have to go through it alone.

[Ren deservee to have people that care about him. To Kotone, he's not just a Persona user but also a fighter. She finds herself respecting him for his resilience.]

Did the relationships you form affect the stength of your Persona?

[She examines his van and nods. They can talk there and have more privacy.]

[phantomshow]

[He shrugs, pulling open the van’s rear doors with a gesture of invitation for Kotone to climb in. The back half of the van is bare floor, but it’s clean, and there’s more space than the bench seats in the front can offer. Ren can also keep a better eye out for danger through the back, should any decide to approach.

He has been through a lot, but sympathy, though appreciated, wasn’t the point of telling her everything he has up to now. It’s necessary context for the rest of his story.]

It wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. [Ren takes a seat in the doorway of the van, slouched with his legs dangling over the edge.] I did form bonds, and they made me stronger, not just my Personas.

[He smiles wistfully, fond fragments of memories with his friends flashing through his mind. The church with Yusuke. Ramen with Ryuji. Crafting lockpicks with Morgana in his attic bedroom. The rooftop of the school with Ann and Shiho. Makoto throwing herself at Kaneshiro’s goons in Shibuya. The jazz club with Akechi.

Sitting in chains on the floor of his Velvet Room cell, listening to the twins rattle on about his “rehabilitation” tasks.]

I was told that the state of the Velvet Room reflected the state of my heart. Were you told the same?

[xxiis]

Really? Igor had told me something a little different. He mentioned that only people that signed a contract could enter. Then this kid gave me a form and told me that I was responsible for my own actions.

[Well, she's happy to hear that those bonds made a significant impact on Ren. Kotone can say the same thing about her relationships. They're meaningful to her. Of course, relationships are an important part of life. ]

The Velvet Room I went to was more like an elevator that just kept going up forever. Does that sound familiar to you in any way?

[phantomshow]

Mm. He mentioned the contract to me as well.

[He wonders … does the Velvet Room usually take the shape of an elevator? Was the fact that his Velvet Room wasn’t the same just part of Yaldabaoth’s elaborate manipulation of him? Or was there truth in what Ren was told about the state of his heart shaping the Velvet Room’s appearance?]

No. The Velvet Room I saw was a prison. [His mouth pulls into a tight line.] I was told I was “a prisoner of fate” and that I needed to be “rehabilitated” in order to avoid the ruin that was coming.

[Ren shrugs and glances over to her.]

I didn’t learn until much later that the Igor I met then and worked with for many months wasn’t the real Igor. My wardens, Caroline and Justine, were really Lavenza, and she’d been torn into two parts by that fake Igor - the God of Control, Yaldabaoth.

[xxiis]

A prisoner of fate. Your wardens Caroline and Justine must have played an important role. I know you've told me that you were on probation before. Have you ever felt trapped by the world around you? If so, that would explain why your Velvet Room looked like a prison.

[It's concerning how he mentioned the God of Control. This is something that Kotone is unfamiliar with. Her expression becomes more thoughtful but also understanding.]

You were able to expose the fake Igor in the end. Did you ever meet the real Igor?

[phantomshow]

[Trapped by the world … yes, that’s an accurate description of how he felt on arrival in Tokyo. Powerless, before he found his new power and put it to use. He nods, and nudges his glasses closer to his face.]

I think it’s pretty common to feel that way sometimes, especially when you’re younger.

[Teenagers have very little power and social standing. If not for his Personas and his friends, Ren would likely still feel trapped, lacking agency in his own life.]

I did meet the real Igor, after I restored Lavenza. It’s … kind of a long story.

[But he’s more than willing to tell it to her.]

Let me start at the beginning.

[He takes a breath and begins to recount the events of the past year. Accidentally stumbling into the Metaverse with Ryuji on his first day at Shujin, awakening to his power, meeting Morgana. Ann joining their team, the official forming of the Phantom Thieves. Yusuke, Makoto, and Futaba joining them, the Palaces they stormed their way through to victory. Mementos and the Phan-site.

A somber cast settles over Ren when speaking about Haru and her father’s Palace, his televised death and how it was blamed on the Phantom Thieves. How they didn’t realize they’d been set up until it was too late.

Throughout the story, he’s careful never to mention Akechi by name, only referring to him in vague terms like “the celebrity teen detective” who chased after him, and his code name, Crow, when he strongarmed his way into working with the Thieves in Sae’s Palace. Ren omits any reference to the time they spent getting to know each other before that, their rivalry, or the depth of his feelings for Akechi both then and now. No mention of Akechi being here in Revan too, of course. Ren knows better than anyone how it feels to have a criminal reputation follow you when you’re trying to turn your life around, and he would never endanger Akechi’s opportunity for that here by sharing his secrets.

He doesn’t dwell on Akechi’s betrayal and attempted murder, only noting that his team knew about it and was prepared to outwit him to make sure Ren survived his capture so the Thieves could continue their work. He rubs idly at his wrist while recounting this part, though, and if Kotone looks closely, she’ll be able to spot the faint circles of healed scars around his wrists under his sleeves, lingering reminders of the handcuffs carved into his skin.

Ren sobers again when he reaches the near end of Shido’s Palace, meeting Akechi again in the engine room, facing off to fight him to the death in his furious desperation. How they’d tried to convince him to join their fight and work together, and how he’d sacrificed himself to save the Thieves, entrusting them to complete the mission of changing Shido’s heart and ending his crimes. Ren only mentions that Akechi had been working with Shido as the Black Mask in order to get close and eventually betray him, but says nothing about the fact that Shido was the reprehensible father who abandoned Akechi and his mother. That part of the story is not his to tell.

The regret Ren still carries for how things ended in the engine room is evident in the tone his words take, the flatness of his expression, the deepened slouch in his posture. But the story doesn’t end here.

He continues with the fight against Shido and how his change of heart failed to make a difference to society. How he and his friends literally vanished from reality, and Ren found himself in the Velvet Room, condemned as a failure and sentenced to immediate execution. Only then did Yaldabaoth’s deception begin to unravel, with Justine and Caroline entreating Ren to fuse them into Lavenza, and Yaldabaoth finally relinquishing his hold on the Velvet Room.]

And that, [Ren concludes, with a light shrug,] is how I met the real Igor.

[xxiis]

[ For a while, Kotone listens intently. Ren has a lot to say and that's perfectly fine with her. She's careful to not miss anything important.

She smiles when he mentions the Phantom Thieves. They sound like an interesting group and it makes her happy to know that Ren had supportive friends.

The Phantom Thieves kind of remind Kotone of SEES. Their objectives may have been different, but they still thought of helping others despite the danger it put them in.

Kotone talks about how she had to move from place to place because of circumstances that made it difficult for her. Then she mentions settling down in the Iwatodai Dorm, meeting Yukari, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Junpei, and the other members of SEES.

She goes on and mentions that SEES existed because of this phenomenon called the Dark Hour. She asks Ren if the Metaverse is anything like like the Tartarus. Then she explains that the Tartarus is a mysterious tower that only appears during the Dark Hour. It's crawling with Shadows and dangerous monsters.

Kotone is curious about the existence of Palaces. She's never experienced it herself so she can only imagine how vast it might be.

Though when Ren mentions meeting the real Igor, she nods her head and lets out a sigh of relief. ]

You were able to meet him in the end. Did your impression of him change after? Igor isn't a bad person.

When I met him, he was a bit odd but very helpful. He explained a lot of important things like the Wild Card, Persona, Shadows, and even talked about the potential we have.

I'm fond of Igor. A lot of things would have been confusing without his help. I suppose it's different for you, isn't it?

You had to deal with Yaldabaoth and I'm sure it was a difficult challenge for you to overcome.

[phantomshow]

[Ren is equally happy to hear about SEES and how Kotone was able to make new friends in Iwatodai. They both know how important those bonds are for a Wild Card. He’s sympathetic to her history of frequent moves, noting that she’s been through a lot.

Kotone asks good questions. Ren’s never heard of the Dark Hour or Tartarus, and he explains that the Metaverse is a world of cognition, and Palaces are built from a person’s twisted desires. For scope, he mentions Okumura’s Palace and flying through airlocks in (cognitive) space, but notes a Palace can also be more self-contained, like Madarame’s museum. So other than the fact that they both are home to Shadows, he doesn’t see any similarity. Morgana might have more insight, if he were here to ask.

Her question about Igor does give him a moment’s pause - he never gave much thought to the real one. Most of Ren’s interaction with the Velvet Room had been with Lavenza, and before that, with Caroline and Justine. Igor was there, but not really involved with Ren the way the fake was. They never made a bond like he did with Lavenza and the twins, or even with the entity that pretended to be Igor.]

Not really. [He shrugs.] We didn’t talk much. I mostly worked with the twins or Lavenza. But he seemed nice enough. And he didn’t try to kill me.

[So that’s a point in his favor.]

Igor believed in humanity. The God of Control wanted to keep us all powerless, and he treated our lives like it was all just a game.

[Ren scowls deeply. He liked having the power to change hearts and reform small corners of society, but he didn’t enjoy being used like a pawn on a chess board.]

“An unjust game.” That’s what Lavenza called it. And I wasn’t the only one the God of Control used in his game. Crow was, too.

[That same palpable regret overtakes Ren again. It wasn’t fair that Akechi had to endure so much and do it alone.]

He had the same potential, like us, but he wasn’t given any help from the Velvet Room. He wasn’t encouraged to make bonds with anyone. He had to do everything alone, and the God of Control pitted us against each other, for his own sick amusement. [Ren huffs a quiet note of disgust, then shakes his head.] The only thing I regret about shooting him in the head was that it only took a single bullet.

[xxiis]

[ Kotone pauses for a while to think about the information that she's learning from Ren. The Metaverse being a world of cognition makes sense. After all, the power of Persona comes from one's inner psyche. The mention of one of the Palaces being in the sky surprises her the most. How did they even discover it all the way up there? Kotone's aware that they have some Persona that can detect changes in the atmosphere like Mitsuru's Penthesilea or Fuuka's Lucia.

She curiously mentions these types of Persona that have support skills.

Fighting with a Persona is such a dangerous job. Just making one mistake could end up being fatal. By the sounds of it, it seemed like no one was forced to join the Phantom Thieves against their own will. That's something she can respect.

As for SEES, many people came together by some special circumstance. It was like that for Kotone.

When Ren mentions that he didn't particularly speak with Igor much, Kotone nods. She has a better understanding of his experiences with the Velvet Room. The Fake Igor controlled a lot of things behind the scenes. On top of that, the God of Control sounded like a formidable enemy. Resisting him would have required a considerable amount of willpower. Overcoming these struggles couldn't have been easy. What Ren experienced made him into a stronger person.

A moment passes, and Kotone becomes a bit more quiet. ]

Just hearing about you being toyed with by the God of Control makes me so angry! I wish I could show him a piece of my mind!

[ She's so pissed off by the revelation that she's starting to see some red. ]

If anything tries to mess with you here, I'll punch them in the face first!

[phantomshow]

[Ren startles into a quiet laugh by Kotone’s reaction. It’s really endearing that she cares so much about him when they’ve only just met.]

It’s OK, [he says, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck,] I don’t think he’ll be bothering anyone anymore.

[But it’s not entirely surprising she’s developed such strong feelings about him so quickly. Ren feels the same about her, after all.]

The same goes for you, too. Us Wild Cards gotta stick together.

[He flashes her a lopsided grin. They’re going to make a formidable team, he’s sure of it.]

Why don’t you tell me more about Theodore, and your time with Igor?

[xxiis]

Theodore's one of the Velvet Room attendants. I can tell you he's got yellow eyes and pale hair. He always wears blue attire and a bellboy cap. He's a bit serious and polite, but very kind.

[She can't remember a time when she was uncomfortable around him. The Velvet Room has always been a relaxing place. ]

There are a lot of things he doesn't know about the human world. He's taken some interest in learning more about us and what we do during the day. Sometimes he wants to find things that pique his curiosity. One time he asked me to get him some funky music.

[ She laughs when she talks about Theodore. Her memories of the Velvet Room are so different from Ren's experiences. ]

He's not a bad person.