monstertruckers (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
monstertruckers) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
memestertrucks2025-05-15 04:31 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in memestertrucks2025-05-15 04:31 pm
Entry tags:
MAY TDM
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.
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.
…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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sheev Palpatine | Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
As Palpatine wakes, he immediately realizes something is wrong. The first is that he is no longer in his office in the Senate building.
The second is that he appears to be floating a few feet in the air. A Jedi trap? But how—
Further contemplation of how his enemies could have captured him so easily are cut off when whatever is keeping him up suddenly cuts out, and he falls to the ground in a heap. For a man who tries to project an air of solemn, if grandfatherly dignity at all times, it is quite pathetic as he flops on the ground, red senatorial robes in disarray.
And it nearly throws his back out on top of it. The loud gasp he makes on hitting the ground is quite audible.
Husks & Haunts
The hospital was the most logical place to try and get some information, and as it seems other "Drifters" are headed there as well, Palpatine wagers it will not look out of place for a man seemingly as harmless as he to go help look. After all, he's just trying to help. It will be good cover for his real purpose; to try and find any scrap of information or knowledge about this place. Clearly, there's a power in this world; just look at the chaos that has been let loose here. And while the Dark Side is a pathway to unlimited power, Darth Sidious has never been one to say no to more if he can get the chance.
...It also will allow him to scan this motley assemblage of scoundrels and scum in the small possibility that there is someone here who might be useful to him. Certainly not on the level of his soon to be Apprentice, of course, but a...temporary replacement. He does need a new one of those since the unfortunate loss of Darth Tyranus, after all.
Unfortunately, while searching for administration offices or perhaps some sort of security room, Palpatine is ensnared, not by one of the monsters prowling the halls, but by the security defences. Restraints lock around his wrists and waists and pull him into an operating chair. He could probably break free on his own, but that would risk someone seeing him do so, and he's not prepared to play that card just yet. Though other Drifters close by find Palpatine, strapped into a chair as an automated syringe prepares to inject him. All things considered, he's still keeping fairly calm. His eyes flick towards whoever it is that has spotted him.
"Be careful. I think there may be other defences."
Long Way Down
It seems the time has come to abandon the gas station, or at least this section of it. Palpatine has gathered what supplies he can carry, and has made his way to the edge of the island, to consider his routes. He dismisses trying to use the smaller bits of debris as stairs as some others have chosen; as it stands he'd have to call upon the Dark Side to assist making some of the jumps, and that would be noticed. So instead he picks up a cable and takes a steeling sigh.
"Just like climbing the cliffs in the Lake Country when I was a boy. I'm sure I'm not that rusty."
Psychic Echoes-Always Two There Are
Darkness and cold surround you. You're kneeling, as is proper, and expected. One day, you will not kneel. All will kneel to YOU, one day. But for now, you are the learner. And unlimited power is not given freely.
The shadows take form in front of you; a hooded figure, face shrouded in darkness save for piercing yellow eyes that stare out at you, laying bare all your weaknesses, and frailties, your shortcomings, your regrets. Cold, and imperious. You are NOTHING before Lord Plagueis, and he knows it. When he speaks, it is as a sepulchral whisper.
"Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know how best to undermine you; tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know which I must force you to face; tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you; and tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you."
Fail to answer, and Plagueis will strike you down without pity, or remorse.
There is only one bright light in this all-consuming darkness, high above. A shining moon. Or...is it a moon? The darkness clouds everything around you, and the object high in the sky is strangely difficult to focus on. As if some sort of Force is preventing you from peering too deeply into matters that should be hidden.
Husks & Haunts +_+
He still hasn't found a suitable replacement to make his bō from, but he's hardly unarmed as he carefully navigates the overturned hallways. After his first encounter with the yet functional backup systems, he feels better having at least some kind of weapon in hand, and one fashioned from his ninpō is infinitely better than none. Unfortunately it's also very showy, a bright thing outlined in neon purple, and indeed it looks like the entire thing could have been a hologram of sorts, some construct of light, yet he grasps the staff in hand like something very solid.
The turtle teen had seen the screens and their readings, already on the alert. Someone's triggered them already, which means-
Donnie gasps when he sees someone has been bound and already secured into a seat. "Hang on!" he says, as though the old man has any other options.
He moves in, either heedless of the warning or taking it into consideration as he dashes over, tucking the unusual, feathered wings that seem mismatched for the rest of him, tight against his soft, leathery shell. His staff is a blur, arcing in a smooth spin that sends the syringe and the mechanical arm it's attached to, flying as he alights on the top of the seat's back, allowing for his wings to spread only just slightly to help him balance.
no subject
"Well done, my boy!" He tugs at the restraints over his wrists, but they hold him tightly. "We should make a quick exit from here. Would you be so kind?"
no subject
"...okay, I think we're clear?" he reports, however cautious as he steps back towards the man. He has a look at the seat he's trapped in, letting his weapon vanish, dissipating into pixelated motes as he stoops down to pry open a side panel. Some quick rewiring has the restraints pop open.
"You all right?"
no subject
He looks around the room. "I fear I overestimated the danger of this place."
no subject
His own smile fades as he has another look around, nodding. "There seems to be some old system still active around here, and whatever happened to us when we were...transferred into this world, triggers it," he explains, snout wrinkling in distaste. He tucks his wings tightly against his shell again, not wanting to get them tangled up again if he ends up having to make any quick moves.
Take The Long Way Down, by Supertramp
"Lemme go down first, I can catch you if you fall."
As if anticipating his likely rebuttal, she flashes a slight smirk and adds-
"Don't worry, I'm stronger than a look."
no subject
"But, please be careful regardless. It would not do for you to be injured on behalf of an old man like myself."
no subject
Heh. Young lady, huh. She can't remember the last time somebody- Oh, nevermind. She can. She definitely can.
Moving on. She hefts the cable, tests it with a few sharp tugs. Seems to hold, despite the age.
"Little tip, distinguished sounds better than old. Make it work for you."
She gives a playful quirk of her eyebrow at her own joke, then hops backward off the edge of the 'cliff' to plant her feet on the side of the newly-exposed rock. She never actually rappelled before, which is kinda crazy when she thinks about it, but she's pretty sure she's got the basics.
Probably would have been better to learn on a solid cliff instead of a series of floating rocks, though.
no subject
"Well, it's fortunate I have no issue with heights." He notes. Coruscanti skyscrapers really do live up to their name, stretching miles into the sky.
Faith attempts crude problem-solving! Don't mind the grinding sound from her brain.
She punctuates the encouragement with a thumbs-up, then continues climbing down until she reaches the bottom of the floating "island" of rock.
From there, it's open air, but at least it's not too crazy high. Still, she's not gonna risk the drop, and she's definitely not gonna ask Grandpa up there to do it. She could probably make the jump to a nearby floating chunk that's a little lower down, but she definitely doesn't figure him for that, either.
"Might wanna hang on a sec, though, cable's gonna shake a little."
With that warning, she springs off the rock, loosening her grip on the cable so it can pass through her hands as she moves. She stumbles a little as she lands on a smaller floating chunk, but keeps her footing and tightens her grip on the cable, so she can start pulling herself and the smaller rock closer to him.
Summoning Circle-- I'm so sorry
[When Palpatine had his support suddenly cut off, so did another-- a young woman in a flurry of pink, inexplicably holding a daikon radish, was dropped in a heap right on top of him.]
Oh no! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!
[The pink girl squeaked, all boney knees and treacherous high heels, as she scrambled to climb off.]
no subject
"It's quite...all right." Palpatine assures her, though his voice is strained. Once Felicia has finally managed to clamber off him, Palpatine raises his hand to her.
"Would you be so kind?"
no subject
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
She squeaked, and quickly offered her hand.
Too quickly.
The radish slipped out of her grasp, aimed right for the older man.
no subject
"Perhaps I'll just get myself up." He suggests wearily.
no subject
Felicia wailed, torn between terror and breaking down in tears.
"Things kinda break for me. All the time. Um... Usually it's ok? But not always."
She looked around uncertainly.
"We should get out of here before we float like soap bubbles again."
Re: Sheev Palpatine | Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
He found himself somewhere else after walking through a door to backtrack, unsure of what had happened or where he was. He'd paused just long enough to salvage various ropes, cords, and other things to craft a bag of sorts and ignored the other building to head for the hospital. On his way, he snatched what might be useful, but the aura around him was Dark, frigid cold, menacing. On the fringes of his awareness, he could sense something, someone, and Vader knew he knew who that person was and that he could easily know if he focused on it. But for the moment, he did not, even if he headed in that direction.
Just before he entered the hospital, something brushed against his right forearm, and unthinking, he reached across him to brush off the debris. Inside, his senses sharpened, his mouth twisted into a vicious grin as he made his way inside. Until turning a corner, it radically shifted.
s̷̖̮͓̩̞̼̻͇̝͓̪̑̃͒͒͆͗͛̈͐̆̈͑̕͘̚h̸͙͎͖̻̤̞̞̪̃͐̈́͌͆̋̈́́͂͊͘ỉ̶̖͉̭̞̠̐̐̌̽̋͌͜f̷̢̛̲̬̳̰͎̤̮͇̩͉̑́͌͌̀͒̓̇̈́̍̑̚͝t̴̥̝̻̮̦͔̭̟̓̊̄e̶̝̜͈̭̲͖̳̺̣̓͒̈́͊̂̑̑̚͝ͅd̴̺̲͖̥̦̘̗̮̝̲̀̈́̐́̋͆̊̿͛̚͝͠.̸̨͉͙̠̭̤̦̬̎́̔̏̒͝
He was on his knees. Why? He was supposed to be, but some part of his mind resisted it. Snarled at it. And a figure over there. His blue eyes focused on it, his mouth twitched, fighting on his face to stay submissive when he wanted to snarl and snap.
"Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know how best to undermine you; tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know which I must force you to face; tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you; and tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you."
I'm not telling you anykriffingthing, he thought, shoulders tensing, fingers itching, one for his saber, one for power. He remembered the lightning that had shot from his hand inside the Jedi Temple, the effectiveness of it. The ease.
"You are not my master." It is almost, almost spit out, but he manages to choke it into a growl.
no subject
"Your Master is a link in a chain that stretches back over a thousand years." Plagueis speaks again. "Each one forged and tempered by the one before it. Vader from Sidious, and Sidious from Plagueis. And my Apprentice has been forging you for a very long time, child."
Dear Sidious: DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON
Fine.
"My apologies Darth Plagueis," Kneeling, he bent his head in a bow, "I-" he what, didn't recognize him? "I've only been told of you."
Summoning Circle
Of course, he knew from other worlds that people could be pulled into Revan from across time, but that the first person familiar to him would be the Emperor, is incredible and terrifying beyond belief. He does figure out though, given that Palpatine is not yet pale and scarred, that this isn't Emperor Palpatine but Chancellor Palpatine.
R0-GR himself is a simple B1 Battle Droid, but the moon warps have transformed him into a four-armed, four-legged spider robot. The original design is still evident, but one would think that he's been fully modified into some other type of droid completely.
He figures that if Palpatine figures out that he has knowledge of the future, he'll consider Roger a threat. He knows he's mentioned the Empire, the First Order, a few times in conversation, so that's only a matter of time. But he also knows that Palpatine is extraordinarily powerful with or without the entire Republic or Empire at his back.
So he decides, quickly, to try to make a plan and act so that Palpatine never finds that out. Charging into the room with a rifle he salvaged from the Raiders, he aims it at Palpatine, shouting through his terror with as much feigned confidence as he can muster, "Chancellor Palpatine, in the name of the Separatist Alliance, you're under arrest!" The droid's voice catches before many of the words, hoping that Palpatine will decide that shooting him with lightning isn't worth being caught as a Sith.
no subject
Or would it? Roger is changed, and Palpatine doesn't know how much, but the extra limbs alone suggest attempting to destroy Roger might spill out into the rest of the station. Not an outcome Palpatine wishes.
So for now he simply drops the kindly old facade and lets a cold imperiousness settle into his features.
"Your fear betrays you, droid."
no subject
"Fear? Wh-why would I be afraid of you? You're just some old human politician guy. It's not like you're a Jedi or a-" the word Sith stays stuck in his vocabulator, which a second later he decides for the best. "-clone."
no subject
"Consider your situation carefully, droid. If someone were to walk in right now, what would they see? You, pointing a gun at an unarmed, harmless old man, demanding my surrender. Whose side do you believe they would be inclined to take?"
no subject
With a bit more confidence than before, he responds, "I've been here longer. People know me. They'd trust me to have a good reason."
It's only after he says that that he thinks to throw in, "B-besides! For all you know, there's an entire Separatist garrison on this planet! Maybe everyone here is a loyal citizen of the Confederacy of Independent Systems."