JULY TDM

[monstertruckers]

code

The summoning garage and gas station has opted for a new location; about thirty stories up in the air, jutting off the side of a skyscraper like a strange balcony. There's no employees or civiliians around to help new arrivals, however. Just a lot of broken glass, worn concrete, and a long difficult way down.

01: SUMMONING CIRCLE

New arrivals feel a strange sense of vertigo this time around; namely because the garage is halfway up a skyscraper and on a landing jutting off the main building. Falling off the side is not advised. A little further down is what looks like a gas station… And all the way down, at the end of a nauseatingly long drop, is a Convoy. As for reaching the ground level, there’s a few options.

For the more adventurous, there’s a set of rope lines to scale down. It just requires a steady hand, and likely a friend to help keep the descent steady; the harnesses appear to be built for teams of two.

Those without a head for heights can try the elevators instead; there’s a cargo elevator, capable of transporting any cars. There’s also the usual people movers installed… Though there is the problem of monsters, either lurking in the elevator shafts or forcing the elevator to stop on floors for a skirmish.

And for the athletic, there’s the stairs. The very long, mind numbing amounts of stairs. People likely won’t die from combat on them. But might die of boredom. Those are the options for going down: going up can lead to a lot more trouble, as the building slowly morphs from concrete to flesh.

02: START UP

It takes some work to arrive at the Convoy this time. And the placement of new vehicles reflects that; some have made it halfway up the skyscraper, along with the new comers. Others wait on the street level.

But in either location is a collection of vehicles, one of which feels like it belongs to new arrivals. 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 supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.

03: BUILDING PULSE

(CW: Meat buildings with teeth)
New comers are encouraged to head down from the skyscraper. Heading upwards will result in hostile, living architecture that tries to consume those who intrude. Along with unnerving messages carved into walls, praising the moon.

But through all floors, a strange razor wire runs alongside living tendrils. It carries recordings from the this world, ambient whispers that can easily seep into one’s thoughts and tell them a little more about the world before everything went wrong. There are commercials, sports games, but also warnings not to interact with any relics, moon shards, or anyone too enamored with those relics and the moon. But if the one tries to get too close, the wires can cut at their skin, showing a monster’s form underneath.

In addition, various blue points of light can be found latched to the walls, floor, and ceiling. Touching these points will affect this event's main enemy, the Nefasturris by activating weak points on the monster... But it might also result in the Drifter getting a layer of ice on them, all the way up to freezing solid.

04: MOON CALL

New arrivals have an extra twist in their situation this month. The moon shines brightly above the skyscraper at night, and is even visible at daylight… And there are an alarming number of statues with glowing stones fixed in them that shine as bright as the moon.

Closer examination of these statues (that look alarmingly like gargoyles and hellish canines) causes the rocks to shine even brighter, and results in a localized Moon Warp.

All of this means that new arrivals will also have the Gargoyle and Cerberus monster forms available to them.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, GARGOYLE

During the TDM Drifters have access to all Gargoyle species traits as well as:
+Bat Hunt: spectral bats fly through the hallways and exterior of the building, and have a taste for gargoyle blood. Hopefully Drifters are either swift enough to claw at the bats, or have tough skin.
+Lightning Hunt: scaling both the interior and exterior of the skyscraper shows currents of lightning, which Gargoyles can sense through their claws. Piercing into these lightning points causes pain to Gargoyles, but also weakens the Nefasturris and adds extra weak points.
+ Summit Pull: Gargoyles can feel a pull upwards, to the top of the buildings. The various statues fixed to the skyscrapers offer a roosting place, fit for observing potential targets below.
+Night Activity: monster changes increase during night and feel lethargic during daytime.
+Protection: Gargoyles feel a compulsion to protect the Convoy and other Drifters nearby, particularly against threats looming in the city. Guarding them against danger becomes a priority.
+Light Sensitivity: Gargoyles are sensitive to bright lights and total darkness; both of them can draw more changes out. Unfortunately there are flashbangs in the form of traps lingering in the tower, ready to trigger a fast shift.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, CERBERUS

For the TDM, Drifters have access to all Cerberus species traits as well as:
+Red Hunt: Cerberus Drifters can see and scent strange red points fixed in the building, and budding out of the walls like flesh. These are strangely appetizing to Cerberus; biting or clawing them weakens the Nefasturris or activates weakness points later in the fight.
+Fire Breath: red globs also grant fire breath when in their vicinity and ingested. Drifters should also be careful, as the fire breath can rage out of control when emotional!
+Ravenous Drive: With extra mouths and muscle, there’s also a powerful hunger and a need to hunt and consume any prey a Cerberus can find.
+Sensory disorientation: any frantic movement, bright lights, or loud noises cause a sensory overload, if the Drifters are growing extra eyes/ears/etc.
+Pack Loyalty: Cerberus feel a compulsion to bond with a Drifter or a collection of Drifters as their pack. They may feel they are the pack leader, or treat another Drifter as leader. They also feel an intense loyalty and protective streak, determined to carry out the will of other Drifters.
+Pack Hunter: compelled to attack anything that threatens a Cerberus pack, as well as provide for the pack by hunting prey. This is typically done in groups, for more efficiency.

05: LIVING BUILDING

Even with all this, the skyscraper doesn’t want to let Drifters go easily. Whether it’s that they reach ground level or somehow make their way to the summit, the sky scraper eventually starts to shift and groan as a giant monster forces its way out of the building. Bits of concrete and glass form scales and spines on a demonic visage, and there’s a hungry light in its electric eyes.

The monster battle is in three phases detailed in 5-A, and amidst the phases are strange phantasmal bats flying around to give the monster more energy and power. Culling these greatly reduces the monster's strength and toughness.

In the aftermath, the building monster dissolves away into streams of energy… Which are then promptly pulled in by Sigils on the Drifters, providing them healing and limited restoration. The remaining energy is absorbed by the giant Convoy, giving the engines energy to spare. It seems this collection of trucks and vehicles is well charged up, and more than ready to move out of the city.

05-A: DYING BUILDING

Fire: During the first phase, the building monster tries to flatten Drifters with clawed hands and breathes fire. Due to being bound to the building, its motions are slow but brutal. Climbing lines are still present and lead to weak points, marked by blood red glass. Just watch out for burning blood.

Ice: The monster eventually breaks out halfway, having more freedom of movement… But also looking more brittle, encased in ice and glass. While the monster may be faster and trades its fire breath for ice, it is also more fragile. Breaking the icy skin releases freezing jet streams. Unsurprisingly, a Cerberus’ fire breath does serious damage and neutralizes the threat.

Electric: Finally the monster breaks free from the building prison… But also brings a trail of electric wires with it, tangling the monster and giving off sparks and dealing pain to everyone. Just be careful with making contact with it, and choose the strikes wisely to finish the monster off!

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.

Convoy: The Convoy is located at the very bottom of the sky scraper this time… And barely has enough shielding during the skyscraper fight to avoid the worst of the damage. Drifters can take shelter in the Convoy as needed.

Lobby: Another safe zone in the skyscraper… Though a touch unnerving. The Husks here have all long since broken open to spawn monsters. The lobby itself is an opulent place with much of the furniture and décor still intact, and also serves as a good resting area.

Safe Rooms: For those exploring the interior, there’s a handful of safe rooms that have no trace of razor wire or monster growths. There’s an eerie stillness that coats these rooms, but at least offers a chance to breathe and recover, as well as slowing any monster transformations.


NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS

Comments

TDM FAQ

[monstertruckers]

Got any questions about the TDM? Ask them here!

[vampiretwink]

Can we assume that characters replying to this have monstrous forms, or should we assume they are as they are in canon?

[saisdoesmatter]

When brought into the world, do the monster traits appear immediately or can they be 'activated' over a period of time? I'm not sure how to approach an arrival as there's more than one way the character would react otherwise.

Thanks much!

Astarion | Baldur's Gate 3 | 3: Building Pulse CW: mild body horror and an anxiety attack

[vampiretwink]

[Honestly waking up in a strange building isn't the third strangest thing to happen to Astarion this week. After being kidnapped by Mind Flayers and given a rather...unwanted guest, traveling the less seen areas of the Sword Coast, stumbling into a druid camp and cavorting with goblins this may as well happen.]

[No... the strange thing was there was weight hanging on his head like he'd never known, claws screeching across stair railings as a tail tried to trip him with every step that he descended. He was inexplicably a new type of beast entirely. Something more akin to a tiefling than a vampire, the sluggish form making him only that much more afraid of the beast the little monster in his head would turn him into]

[To make matters worse, there was some kind of wire running throughout, whispering things that Astarion didn't understand and couldn't discern. Much like having a parasite that allows you to skim the thoughts of raving cultists, for a point of comparison. Living tendrils seem to reach out, vividly reminding Astarion what it was like to be on the Mind Flayer ship, helpless as those...things made him a monster anew. Like this building was doing to him now.]

[He's never needed to breathe, but his chest heaves, if there's a pulse quickening he's long forgotten how to tell. He needs to get out of here as fast as he possibly can, and then he'll worry about getting one of those 'car' things and joining the 'Convoy' this wire keeps yammering about.]

[undyingcrow]

[A strange figure approaches, pausing at the sight of Astarion.

He's... quite the sight, really. Long, hooked horns curve out from his brown hair. White tiger ears flick, clashing with the black, iridescent feathers that cover his face and neck. Crow-like talons pierce from the tips of his black gloves, and he stands on pawed feet not unlike a white tiger, a barbed, armored tail reminiscent of a scorpion's dragging behind him. Oh, and those large, black wings certainly stand out, even when folded against his back.]

Ah. I suppose it is around the time new arrivals begin to appear.

[lonedanger]

[ Len considers himself fairly even-keeled, most of the time. Handled his introduction to this place well, was decently flexible in accepting the circumstances and moving forward with them, but he attributes all of this to a level of patience that he doesn't necessarily expect from others. Most folks are rightfully upset on arrival, because shit really is that bad. It doesn't surprise him, then, to run into folks on a monthly basis whose tolerance for the weird and inexplicable is a little less refined.

Or more normal.

So when he bumps shoulders with a man all but falling down the stairs to leave the room where he most likely woke up, Len makes a decent effort at trying to steady him with one hand. ]

Whoa, hey there-

[ There's a panicked look in his eyes - a vivid, Nuka-Cola red - and at the very least, Len recognizes the familiar sentiment. Been years since he found himself in that boat, but he remembers it regardless and at the very least the other man is sporting some similar involuntary accessories to those on his own head. ]

Easy. Just woke up?

[crescentoftheabyss]

[Woljif was so relieved to see what looked like another tiefling in this unusual place that he almost didn't notice the state Astarion was in until he was right on top of him. He was in the middle of an easy, friendly greeting, the kind he could really only get away with among people who didn't yet know his reputation, before the reality of the situation caught up with him.]

Hey, brother! Am I ever glad to see you-

[Hang on, that's not ideal. Woljif cut himself off mid-sentence, moments from throwing his arm around Astarion's shoulders like they were old pals, and backed off of the motion. Instead, he held his palms out, visible, in front of him, making sure to keep a safe distance. He knew more than he'd like about the feeling he was reading in Astarion's body language, and he knew how little it would take to get someone to lash out.

Still, he couldn't help but bite back a curse. The whole purpose of the network of tieflings he was used to was protecting each other. And sure, yeah, he was going to do what he could for this stranger, but he had really been hoping this would be his time to get protected.]

You look like you've seen better times, huh? How 'bout we stop for a second, take a breather.

[hauntcursed]

[Andrew was a bit farther ahead, resting his calves, which were absolutely not used to taking the stairs. But he heard someone coming easily enough, or rather he heard something, and hoped it was a someone. He jolted, scrambling upright so fast his converse slipped against the floor and he bashed his bare shin into one of the steps. Because what he really needed right now was a skinned shin on top of everything else.]

Fuck.

[He swore loudly, cursing at the throb in his shin, the fact he'd been spooking so easily lately, this whole situation in general. He'd never been particularly graceful, but he'd been finding new ways to embarrass himself lately, so the only consolation he had was that he did all this mad scrambling while he'd still been out of sight.

By the time he could see Astarion, Andrew'd backed away from where he'd slipped, doing his best to appear...casual. But really, he just looked frazzled--especially when the whispers kept trying to nudge into his thoughts. He was also completely visibly unchanged--so far--unlike everyone he'd seen here so far. The only thing of note were the mottled bruises down the side of his face from jaw to forehead, going yellow and green.]

Looks like you're having a rough day too, huh?

[Though maybe 'rough day' was an understatement for all of them.]

Andrew Blur | Summer Sons

[hauntcursed]

[ooc: I default to brackets, but I'm perfectly comfy with prose, too, and I'll match whichever you prefer!]

I. Summoning Circle

[Andrew hadn't really ever thought about whether or not heights bothered him. He'd never been up high enough to worry about it. He sure fucking was now, though, and everything was unfamiliar, and one of the first damn things he did after stumbling to his feet was look down. He immediately regretted it, and took two long, unsteady steps back from the nearest edge.]

What the actual fucking shit.

[His voice came out rough, and he closed his eyes a moment, took a deep breath. Maybe he'd fallen back to sleep in Sam's absence and this was some other kind of weird-ass dream. He opened his eyes again and- nope. He was still standing God knew where, halfway up a skyscraper, which was way too damn high in his opinion. It had been a long shot, but that'd never stopped him from grasping at straws before.

He still wore Sam's shorts, Sam's shirt. He remembered he'd just gotten his shit together, wallet, keys, phone, put on his converse. And then- nothing. Then he was here. He scrubbed a hand over his face, too rough, honestly, for the fading mottled bruises spread over one side, from jaw to forehead. They looked better, at least, than what was visible--under the edge of his shorts--of the distinctive bruise on his thigh, all yellow and green.

Andrew moved towards the elevators, to take a look, because like fuck was he going to climb down the side of the building. The elevators weren't what he'd consider the most inviting, but the stairs looked like his legs would be angry and cramping by the time he reached the bottom.]

Well, this is fucked.

[It was muttered to himself, or anyone within earshot, as he turned away from the elevators and stairs. He was trying to keep his nerves from fraying, to keep the pressure in his chest from squeezing his lungs. He just had to stay level-headed and- and figure something out. Right.]

II. Start Up

[He was glad he hadn't just booked it into an elevator or started down the stairs, because if he had, he wouldn't have eventually caught sight of an incredibly familiar car. Andrew would know the Hellcat anywhere, even here, looking a little dusty. He headed towards it like he was being reeled in, mesmerized. It was still gorgeous, black on black with cherry red rims, even when he got close enough to see that both side mirrors were cracked. He skimmed a hand over the hood, fond, and went to open the driver's side door. It didn't budge. He tried again- and nothing. It wasn't locked, he didn't think, but stuck all the same.]

Oh, come the fuck on.

[It was a minor inconvenience (hopefully, rather than something serious) in the grand scheme of things, but right now he was just a minor inconvenience away from losing his cool.

He folded his arms against the hood, leaning down to rest his forehead on his arms. The angle had his shirt riding up a bit in the back, high enough to show a few inches, a glimpse, of the unmistakable white scar that ran from hip to shoulder on the left side of his back. He had to think- just- figure something out.

Taking a breath, he straightened up and tried the door handle again. Jiggling it and then straining to try and get it open didn't help.]

Motherfu-

[He clenched his jaw, reined in his frustration. Turning away from the car, he caught sight of someone else. There were a lot of questions that he could ask, a lot of shit that came to mind, but he was trying to deal with one thing at a time. For his own sake.]

Hey, you got any advice for a stuck door?

[Tools or something might help, too, but he wasn't sure what. It wasn't like the door just needed unlocking, more like some careful prying.]

III. Building Pulse

[He should've left well enough alone, probably. Getting into the cargo elevator with the Hellcat and getting away from this building had most likely been the smart choice to make. Andrew hadn't made a smart choice in a long fucking while. But he was trying. Trying not to do something stupid.

He'd wandered inside the building a bit, far enough to scratch the itch of curiosity but not too far, not where he was worried he'd lose track of the way back to the elevators. Everything was weird, unnerving- some things seemed like they were alive when they definitely shouldn't be. The whispers he heard weren't the whispers of haunts, for a change, but that didn't make them any better.

It was enough trying to exist in his head by himself right now, but with the whispers that seemed to exist around his thoughts, it was a little- much. The words jumbled together, tangled, quiet and yet a cacophony that made his pulse rise. He pressed his fingers to the tattoo around his left wrist, a bracelet of blurry inked dots, took a breath, then-]

Jesus, shut the fuck up.

[The words burst out like they were desperate to escape, his voice much louder than he'd intended. Sure, the whispers seemed to pause, but he heard a noise from somewhere out of sight, too, and he went very still. He really hoped it was just someone else who'd also decided to poke around, that maybe he'd startled them. Because any alternatives that came to mind were...unpleasant.]

III

[undyingcrow]

[Akechi had come for answers. The whispers from the wires matched the information sent to him by SecUnit some months prior, but it was pertinent to explore and record his own findings for the sake of more cohesive evidence.

He came alone, but the sound of an unfamiliar voice draws him closer.

Unfortunately for Andrew, his appearance may prove jarring. Long, hooked horns poke from his brown hair. Iridescent black feathers cover his face and neck and presumably anything else tucked beneath his shirt and blazer. Large black wings fold against his back. White tiger ears swivel at the sounds from the wires, and he moves forward on matching paws, though his black slacks obscure all but his striped, furred feet.

To top it all off, a scorpion-like tail drags behind him. Despite all of this, he retains a calm demeanor.]

They are rather incessant, aren't they? A vital source of knowledge, but grating all the same.

II

[coffinturk]

[

Appearance Ref

Ref | Ref 2


Vincent has mottled, stone-gray scaling appears on the handkerchief patch of face skin he tends to show. He also grows wings. Yes, they're big and batlike. Yes, they can absolutely fold up and come to rest like a cape. No, he doesn't remove his other cloak; he's stubborn like that. Yet somehow the cloak doesn't get in the way of flying. In fact new wings seem to hide nicely under the red cloak unless you look down about the waist. That's an interesting new inner lining pattern he's got there.

Stone claws. Vincent's taken off his gloves and gauntlet, rolled up his sleeves as his forelimbs (and likely more) have gained bulk and claws. While he still has enough joints to manipulate a firearm, people might see him engaging in more melee combat. The urban sprawl is partially to blame but so are the frequent encounters with monsters and cyborgs. The moon warp will turn his skin to 'living stone'-like scales, causing him to grow horns and broad, bat-like ears. Boots will be shed to give clawed 'feet' room. There's definitely a thick tail.

Yes, the cloak and clothing are still there. Somehow the cloak doesn't interfere with flight but honestly, he's got those claws for climbing so it wouldn't matter, right?

---

The passerby in this case might warrant a second look, particularly as the month's transformations have him looking more gargoyle than man. But when addressed, he slows and looks at the youth and circumstance with measured indifference.

Then he states the obvious. ]

If it's not locked, try the other door.

i.

[lonedanger]

[ It's rote now, this habit of checking the buildings where people tend to wake up. Len wouldn't necessarily attribute his monthly visitations as altruism - they're good sources of much-needed supplies, for one - but he's also found that it's not necessarily a bad thing to size up anyone else who happens to stumble into this world.

Heaven for-fucking-bid another person who's tried to kill him shows up.

The kid sways back from the top of the stairs just as Len is coming up them, and it doesn't take a genius level intellect to realize what kind of a state he's in. Len whistles sharply to get his attention. ]

Don't wander too far, you're likely to fall over an edge somewhere.

Anya | Mouthwashing

[consignedtooblivion]

1

[ She was beginning to regret taking the stairs. The rope was definitely out - just looking over the side of the platform made her dizzy. And the cargo elevators...the thought of potentially getting stuck on one of those gave her mild panic. No. The stairs, at least, she could control, couldn't she? She can rush down, go carefully, stop when she needs to, or just abandon the plan if she felt she needed to.

Still, it's a long way down. She rushes at first, skipping steps and trying not to trip over her slippers. She considers outright kicking them off, but having only socks to protect her feet wasn't very appealing. At some point, she slows down, using the railing to keep her from falling suddenly. She was at that point when you run so much that you become too aware of your movements, clumsier, and her heart pounded violently against her ribcage.

Or maybe you catch her when that long, long, descent starts to get to her. Her mind wanders and forces her to consider her situation beyond "get out of here". When she stops and drops onto a step to sit, hands holding her head. ]

...Maybe this was a mistake.

2

[ At some point, she stopped running downstairs and decided to check one of the floors for...help? Someone who knew something. The thought still made her nervous, but her situation is dire. She eventually makes it to a room that seems relatively safe and quiet. Almost too quiet.

As soon as she hears someone enter the room, she spins around, wide-eyed, moves to the far end of the room and watches. She isn't the first to speak and her posture is rigid, trying to discern a possible foe from friend(?). ]

(OOC: I went with brackets by default but I have no preference for either that or prose so just hit me with whatever you feel is more comfortable and I will match! Also if you want to make up a prompt absolutely feel free. I'm at nicknacked if you would like to plot something first o/)

1

[bufudine]

Having already reached the peak of the skyscraper through the inside of the building (including passing through the fleshy masses and teeth that make up the upper levels), Serph has begun his descent down the outside. His normal, six-winged appearance has taken on an extra pair of leathery wings tipped in bulky, clawed hands that easily carve handholds into the building's stone. So instead of flying -- his new wings feel too heavy for flight -- he climbs down the outside.

Which is when he spots an unfamiliar silhouette going down the stairs via the windows. They have yet to find any sign of local sapient life, but the possbility is still there. But more likely, this is a newcomer -- where is the summoning circle this time? -- thrown into this world without any sort of knowledge of what is happening to them. Either way, it's advantageous to help.

So when Anya pauses to sit on a step, there is a person with horns and glowing eyes tapping on the window to get her attention. Open up?

screaming!! it’s youuuuu c: also 2.

[phantomshow]

[How could this perfectly ordinary-looking young man possibly be anything but friend! Sure, he’s hauling around a knife - a very BIG knife - but that’s for fighting off the monsters! And Anya’s no monster, so she has nothing to fear from Ren.

He offers her a friendly smile but doesn’t move any closer. He can tell she’s distressed and has enough sense to let her have space.]

Hi … are you OK?

anyaaaaaaa also 2

[faceguy]

[This is a terrible place for arrivals to pop up, in Leo's opinion. He's made his way up the building by portaling, trying to help people down in a quicker - and safer - way as he goes. Now, as he makes it to part of the stairs and sees a floor, he decides to check in for anyone inside.

It may be a little startling to Anya that the person who has just come in is visibly not human, though he doesn't look much like a turtle anymore, either. His skin is pale and washed out, like he's sick, and a blue cloak covers his shell, giving him a hunched appearance. He stops in his tracks when he notices Anya, especially at her reaction. At least she's not point a knife at him, though.]

Whoa, uh, hey. [He holds up his hands, to show that he's unarmed... though there is the hilt of a sword poking up over his shoulder.] It's cool, I'm friendly.

1

[taediosum]

You know, I was just starting to think that, myself.

[ That's not true; he started thinking that well before he even decided to climb this interminable flight of stairs, but it's a little late for that kind of hindsight, now, as he rounds onto a landing just below where she's dropped down to sit.

Arcade looks painfully normal for this place, beyond the few patches of pale snake scales visible on his face and neck. Other than the faded, dirty-white doctor's coat, though, there's nothing else particularly remarkable about him, and his tone has the ring of light, polite sarcasm that he himself stopped hearing in it years ago.

He also looks pretty beat, as he leans against the railing, glancing up at her. ]

I've got water, if you need it.

2

[solitarysoul]

[The dog eared, dog nosed boy with the satchel freezes as Anya spins around. He holds his (clawed and padded) hands up in the classic 'I'm unarmed' gesture.]

Oh! S-sorry. I-I didn't mean to, um, I mean, I didn't know anyone was here.

Serph | Digital Devil Saga | Current player

[bufudine]

3. Building Pulse | cw: meat buildings with teeth being eaten

Serph had taken on the new monstrous traits he'd gained when arriving in this city with characteristic stoicism. Horns, an extra set of wings covering his usual six, scales, and a long, spiked tail that lashes behind him. But he hadn't resisted the call to reach the summit of various buildings in the city, opting to either go up via the inside or climb the outside walls with the claws on his wings that seemed to carve through stone as though it were wet clay.

He'd already tasted some of the bleeding buildings' blood and the only thing bad that happened was that it felt like the sky was shattering, which isn't quite enough to get him to think twice about the obvious next step when faced with fleshy walls...

If you're someone who is within the skyscraper and in the upper levels where the hostile, living architecture resides, you'll find one multi-winged, horned man tearing a chunk of flesh from the wall and chowing down on it, spiked tail casually lashing behind him.

Woljif Jefto | Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous | New Player

[crescentoftheabyss]

i. Summoning Circle

[Waking up somewhere unpleasant and unfamiliar wasn't all that unusual, not any more. So, when Woljif woke with his head spinning, an unfamiliar sky stretching out above him, surrounded by bizarre machinery and a strange, chemical smell in his nose, he assumed he must have been in some demon's lair. Their protections at the Nexus must have been compromised somehow, and gotten him kidnapped.

It didn't take him that long to figure out he was wrong.

First of all, there's nobody else he knows here. He could think of a few reasons why a demon would kidnap just him, but the Chief was the more important one in the camp by far. He's pretty sure a demon would at east take the chance to make a statement by leaving the Knight Commander's guts somewhere visible. Unless they hadn't been able to defeat them, or - or the Knight Commander had decided he wasn't worth the risk. He wasn't going to spend too long on that possibility.

Secondly, and probably more damning, was that his mind was blessedly quiet. Well, short of a healthy layer of panic, but one gets used to that after a while. But he'd gotten used to hearing his grandfather's whispering in the back of his mind, calling him to find his inheritance every night he had been in the Abyss, but Ygefeles' voice was blessedly absent.

This still left a very important question.]

So that's a place I'm not. Where in the hells am I?

iii. Building Pulse

[The blessed silence in his head hadn't lasted very long. Woljif had barely started his long way down the stairs, before the wire and strange living tendrils, both of which he had done his utmost to avoid, started to speak. Only quietly, in the kind of tone that he had become quite good at ignoring since Ygefeles had started to speak his mind more regularly, but he realized quickly that this information was... Well, not all of it was useful, but information about the new world he'd found himself in was good, even if it wasn't terribly relevant, and so he listened, as intently as he could.

This only left him with more questions than he had to start, but at least the questions were more interesting ones. Mostly along the lines of 'what are moon shards' and 'what kind of relics' and 'what do you mean, stay away from people who care too much about the moon', but also more than a few about what any of the words in those commercials had meant. He still had the Crescent of the Abyss around his neck - it didn't seem to hold any of the magic it had when he was back on Golarion, but that was still a relic of a sort, with an image of the moon. Would that raise suspicion? It was from his own world, and so he doubted it, but still, it was better to be safe, and so he tucked it in under his leathers as he continued on, more than a little anxious about what he would find when he finally made it down to the convoy.]

i

[undyingcrow]

[If Woljif listens closely, he might hear soft, approaching footsteps. Should he follow the sound, he'll find a curious sight.

It's an older teenage boy, but he'd be forgiven if he overlooked that particular detail given the long, hooked horns curving out of the boy's honey brown hair, the black feathers coating his face and neck, the white tiger ears that pivot forward with interest, and the large, crow-like wings folded against his back.

Sharp, black talons pierce through the fingertips of his leather gloves. An armored, barbed tail brushes against the floor as he moves on pawed feet with white tiger fur.]

You've been summoned to a world called Revan. Chances are, there's a vehicle waiting for you. You'll need it, since we're all expected to "seek Nirvana."

Raphael | TMNT 2012 | New Player

[saisdoesmatter]

01 - Summoned

It was one thing to end up somewhere new - it was another to end up somewhere wrong to him. Tall buildings were normal back in New York City, but this one was all sorts of weirdness, giving off a bad vibe as soon as his head stopped wanting to spin. Investigating where he ended up only added to the unease as it was clearly not the city he knew, not to mention how high up he was.

The urge to get the hell down was paramount, fueling him to move and find someone who might know what the hell was going on. The ropes were out - they were clearly made for partners and while he had no problem scaling buildings, this one made his skin crawl in ways he couldn't explain. He wasn't afraid of heights, given how many times he had scaled them in the past, but the skittish feeling of things breaking and throwing him off of it with no gear wasn't something even Raphael was going to risk.

For the most part, the building seemed intact, which let him ease down a few flights of stairs without much problem, but his guard was up regardless, uncertain of what he might find or encounter. He had seen what appeared to be life when he scouted the edges of where he found himself, which didn't make sense to him but damned if he wasn't going to investigate that convoy of potential people. They might have answers as to where the hell he was.

"...or they'll shoot you on sight," he muttered, already tired of the stairs as he tried to peer down the spiral shaft to see how far he ended up, his fingers tightening on the rail as the vertigo started again. "Aw hell...this sucks."

02 - Scavenging

*there was no way in hell that he wasn't going to try and see if one of these vehicles worked. Breaking and entering wasn't a problem for him, though the short mutant kept to the shadows to see what might actually be salvageable and what might help him get the hell out of this weird building*

*scurrying across the area with these vehicles, he tests the closest one to see if the door's unlocked, peeking up into the window with bright green eyes*

...weird, some of these look old as hell but others are new...? What's with this place?

03 - Pulses

Going deeper into the building to get to the bottom of it was nerve wracking already, but the constant pressure of chatter like a broken radio just made his head want to throb. It kept going on and on about moon things - either to accept them, touch them, or to avoid them altogether. He gritted his teeth as he explored, trying to find the way out without touching any of the strange wire that strung around the place.

"Somebody needs to make a call to whatever moon cult this is and tell them to put a cork in it," he groused to no one in particular, dipping under another wire to cross the main portion of the room.

It isn't long before he notices something shimmery blue in the corner, so out of place that it catches his eye. He quirks a brow at it before getting closer, curious now of the blue light. It wasn't the telltale magenta of Kraang influence, but it reminded him of their mix of flesh and metal.

"What the hell is that?"

[OOC: Feel free to tag however you like - action/prose - either works for me and I'll match you. :)]

2

[soldiernoclass]

Luck of the draw, I guess. Mine was pretty beat up when I found it.

[ That perfect night vision makes spotting someone skulking around in the shadows incredibly easy, but Zack being Zack, he also doesn't make the connection that the guy might be trying to, y'know, not be seen. So he doesn't think twice about striking up a conversation, as he peers over the top of another car's badly dented hood. ]

Need | Heralds of Valdemar

[hasapoint]

[sword on a skyscraper what will she do]

[At first, Need is still and unmoving, barely breathing, gaze fixed on nothing. It takes her a minute or so to fully comprehend that she's not riding along in someone else's body at all and there's no point in staying out of the way. This is, in fact, a lot like the form she assumes in the spirit world, the form she'd shaped so carefully to resemble her living self - a tall, sturdy, scarred older woman with alert dark eyes - as closely as possible. It's closer to that than to an actual living body, she thinks. The sword is still here.

Well. Regardless she's processed a little of the situation already and obviously can't stay here. Need is far too cautious a soul to take a rapid route to the ground, even if she does wonder what would happen to whatever she's embodying. But 'skyscrapers' are only a half-familiar concept and it would take her a while to figure out elevators.

An alert sort, she quickly notices she's being noticed and raises her eyebrows, betraying no more than mild surprise at... whatever anyone looks like.]

Having fun, are we?

[whatever happens she can't choose something sleek]

[oh boy the vehicle garage. Need has found the mechanical horses but looks, frankly, repulsed by them. With a grimace, she touches one's neck and then wipes her fingers on her leather apron.]

These are awful, but I'm a little old to quickly pick up how you operate an... what were they called? Ottos?

[her canon had an era of some technological development and she's somewhat familiar with visiting other canons, but in the present day it's roughly renaissance-y.]

2

[cantgetoverit]

[Maggie hadn't given much consideration to the mechanical horses upon her own arrival the previous month. She had found the old pick up too easily, too quickly, and knew innately it was supposed to be hers.

They're an interesting exercise in mechanical engineering, but if it was up to her, she'd rather have the real thing. She flashes a little smile at Need's question.]

Well... I think technically these guys would still be considered horses. Sort of. Sorry, I don't know much about how they work, but they're probably still similar to a car. Do you have a key?

Negan Smith • The Walking Dead: Dead City

[swingandwhistle]

[ Summoning Circle ]

[ Vertigo, unfortunately, wasn't exactly a foreign thing to Negan. Not after the hell that he'd just been through. Dama, the death of Ginny, being stabbed, and then sitting in a room with Maggie and Armstrong. Though, showing up on top of a damn skyscraper definitely wasn't his idea of a good time.

Letting the vertigo pass he keeps a firm hold of his bat, the weight of Lucille 2.0 a welcome one, and moves over peering over the side of the building for a moment. ]

I'll be damned.

[ That? It was a long way down. Of course, he takes note of the rope lines that scale down the side of the building. Not something he's tempted to try, not unless he has to. If anything? He'd probably head for the stairs despite how he felt at the moment. The decision wasn't a light one and he'd have to make up his mind at some point. ]


[ Start Up ]

[ Once he manages to get to the Convoy he lets his eyes roam around for a moment. There were enough vehicles there to choke a horse. Honestly? He's not sure what in the hell he's seeing. There was a lot going on. Of course, he'd slipped his hand into his pocket coming out with a key that hadn't been there before.

Now? It was a matter of figuring out which vehicle the key went to. If he could find it and get out of there then it was good. The quicker, the better. ]


[ Moon Call ]

[ There was an eeriness to the night. Where it felt like something was crawling under his skin, something that he tries to ignore. What one couldn't ignore? Those damn statues with the glowing stones fixed in them. That shine that seemed to be as bright as that damnable moon out there.

His eyes narrow, eyes that have taken the green eyes of a leopards, as he watches those statues a bit more before shaking his head. There was also something else that seemed to be trying to shift under his skin and he didn't like the feel of it. ]

Someone want to tell me what the good goddamn is going on right now?

Moon Call

[cantgetoverit]

[The change that's overcome her feels much like turning into a selkie the previous month. It still came up suddenly, unexpectedly, but somewhat more familiar and easier to adapt to.

Canine vision, hearing, and sense of smell are still somewhat disorienting, but the more she prowls the city streets the more familiar and comfortable it becomes and the easier it is to interpret the wealth of information her heightened senses bring. Maggie is on the trail of a Drifter - new, but somehow familiar, she thinks, but she supposes it's not as though she knows everyone in the convoy. Still, it's not safe to be roaming the streets alone - they may end up needing help.

The sight of him carrying that bat stops her in her tracks as memories that feel like they happened both a lifetime ago and only yesterday threaten to overwhelm her, and she has to shake her head to clear away the images from that night in the clearing. What is he even doing here? And what is he doing with that weapon of all things?

She needs to protect the convoy. There are people she cares about back there. If he's got that bat, that can't lead to anything good and she does not want to risk losing any of the friends she's made here since her arrival.

His fixation on the statues gives her all the opportunity she needs. Heavy paws and sharp nails flex against the concrete as she silently stalks after him, muscles tense under the thick coat of dark fur. Slowly, at first, relying on stealth to close the distance between them, eyes set deep in her exposed skull focused on his back. Suddenly she breaks into a sprint to close the remaining distance between them and launches herself at him.]

Jonathan Sims | The Magnus Archives

[eyediot]

Arrival

[A man wakes up in the circle and immediately begins to panic. He's covered in mud, blood, viscera, clothes are torn and ripped in places. There's a large fresh blood stain just over where his heart would be. Probably more visually shocking is the man is covered in scars from head to toe. A veritable dart board of pocked scars anywhere his skin is visible, along with a thin scar across his neck, a burn scar around his left hand, and a thin scar in his right hand.

He looks out of place and very, very anxious patting himself down. His voice comes out English and tired as hell.] I-

No. No, this can't be right. Martin? [He starts to stand up, looking around the garage.] Martin! Where are you? [He sees the edge and glances down, not entirely overwhelmed but still nervous.] Martin would hate this.. Right.

Down then. Um. Stairs, I think. That should be best.

Start Up/Building Pulse

[Jon the Archivist has made his way down and is looking around.]

I'm- sorry, are we expected to use these? [Nothing good in Jon's life has ever come from getting into random vehicles. Let alone ones as rundown and broken as these. He peeks into one with a broken window, just to see.] This can't be legitimate. Who do these even belong to?

[But before long, he's back closer to the building just... watching it. Listening.]

You do have a story to tell, don't you? What is it? What are you? Meat? Hunger?

[Anyone could wander up and just watch him being a fucking weirdo.]

Start up

[solitarysoul]

They belong to us.

[The dog nosed, dog eared boy with the satchel speaks up as he finishes climbing the stairs to the garage floor.]

Its weird, but we all have one. You'll know which is yours.

Its...um, well, the vehicles have been safe so far.

rumi, kpop demon hunters

[withoutlies]

A. Summoning Circle

[ Heights never bother Rumi but that doesn't stop a wave of vertigo from washing over her. Maybe it's her own fault for immediately going to the edge and looking down. There's always something to say for being overconfident, isn't there? She takes a huge deep breath, eyes wide as she finally takes a real moment to look around and actually let it sink in that she has no idea where she is. It's all unfamiliar and somehow she can just tell she's alone here. That's the realization that hits the hardest, digs deep inside of her and makes her have to take another deep breath. ]

Get yourself together, Rumi. You've just got to...

[ Sound crazy while talking to herself? Evidently, yeah, that's exactly what she's got to do. Still muttering she wanders around, pacing, resting a hand against the edge for a moment here and there. Eventually she settles next to the rope, looking at it and then down then back at it. ]

Okay, so we just wait a few more minutes for this to pass and then we'll head down. We can figure this all out.

[ She leans back against the edge and heaves another loud sigh as her eyes go towards the stairs. ]

Or maybe just stairs...

B. Moon Call

[ Should she know better than going near the statues? Absolutely. Does that stop her from it though? No. Curiosity calls out to touch it, try to get some sort of sense for what it might actually be. Is it demonic? A problem she needs to be prepared for? The only way to find out is to go to it. When the warp happens she jerks away as quickly as she can as her hand flexes as though she's preparing to grip something.

Whispers echo in her mind and she immediately reaches up to cover her ears like that'll somehow stop something that feels like it's playing in her head. No matter how hard she tries she can't quite make out what they're saying and somehow that just makes it all the worse. She squeezes her eyes shut hard and goes back to taking deep breaths, any attempt at all to try to pull herself together. It might have worked out too if it hadn't been for the feeling of something sharp suddenly poking through in her mouth. Her eyes jolt open ]

What the...?

[ It's then that she notices her hands that now have sharp claws instead of fingers. Something painful feels like it's jutting out of her skull, horns that she starts desperately trying to push back down. Because that's definitely going to work. ]

No, no, what's going on? [ It's a screech almost with a wave of pink energy. Patterns on her body become more akin to leathery patches ]

Stop...please.

[ ooc: let me know if you do or don't mind spoilers! I am terribad at tdm starters so if you want something else, feel free to wildcard! ]

B also spoilers okay!

[faceguy]

[Leo has learned, through trial and error, that investigating shiny things around here is generally not advised. Of course, there’s no reason for the newcomers to know that everything here is hostile, so he doesn’t hold it against anyone doing some ill-fated investigating.

In the midst of her panic, maybe seeing a green and clearly inhuman being wearing a long blue cloak will not be helpful to Rumi, but Leo is trying his best as he perches nearby, holding his hands up.]

Whoa, whoa, it’s gonna be okay! It’s probably temporary!