memestertrucks | NOVEMBER TDM

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A chilling mist and storms cling to the surrounding area. The cold and the wet pierces even the garage, making for a poor welcome. This time around the garage and gas station lurks amidst multiple farms, and a fall colored forest. The seasons have decisively shifted. And the environment is doing its best to shift the new arrivals in turn.

01: SUMMONING CIRCLE

New Drifters arrive to gloomy skies seen through the broken windows of a garage… And a large barn house looming overhead. Rain echoes on the roof, along with the occasional rumble of thunder. When it isn’t raining outside, there’s a damp and chill mist that lingers over the farmlands.

It makes the large Convoy pulling up to stop at that garage seem that much more tall and imposing: though it’s also clear the Convoy has seen some wear and tear, metal scuffed and a few gashes and dents in the cars.

The summoning circle in the garage is lined with candles that can be used to ward off some of the mist and the chill, but it’s advised to find more stable shelter in cars or in the barn. The roof of the garage leaks. And wet, cold concrete isn’t very comfortable for very long.

02: START UP 

There are various cars surrounding the garage. Some of them parked directly outside, though a few of them are parked in various farm fields and vegetable patches. Drifters are advised to watch out for hostile farm life and produce (such as exploding pumpkins) if their ride is out in the farm patch.

There’s also a certain connection between different newcomers and cars. Something that suggests a particular vehicle is theirs, backed up by possessing the key to that vehicle. The key 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: FARM HOSTILITIES

The farm isn’t always the friendliest place; the assorted livestock are all monstrous, and ready to fight any Drifter that looks at them funny. Cockatrices, bull gorgons, bullfango, and bicorns are all present and grumpy.

In addition, Drifters should look out for scarecrows in the farm patches. Their eyes glow with an eerie light, and anyone who meets their gaze will find their fears manifesting. At first the fears last for only a blink, and appear to be hallucinations. The longer any Drifters stay under the scarecrow’s gaze, the more their fears become real and dangerous.

Leaving the gaze of the scarecrows (or destroying them) can end the effect. Though any lingering trauma and bloodshed will need different solutions.

04: MOON WARP

Various glowing moon shards have taken root across different farm fields. Thanks to them, there’s more than just produce and livestock growing on the farm. Magic has sunk into the buildings and the soil, and is ready to work on the Drifters in turn.

The scarecrows take on a more sinister glow some nights, pulsing violently with light before exploding; moon shards lay dormant in many of them, before activating one night and forcing changes in Drifters. Along with activating other monster traits, two event monsters are available:

04: MONSTER SHIFT, KITSUNE

A fox monster possessing multiple tails. They may take the form of Kitsune, Gumiho, or Huli Jin. They may feature a full or partial vulpine transformation, and with all Kitsune traits also have:
+Trickster Curse: Anyone who steals from farms or acts with trickery/deception risks activating traits.
+Liver Eater: Begins to feel a clawing hunger that can only be satisfied by the liver from prey. The fresher, the better. Husk monsters can fulfill this craving!
+Fox Fire: can generate phantasmal fire either at will or while emotional. These fires cannot burn, unless willed to do so… Or if one’s emotions grow out of hand.
+Fox Fright: If fear or anxiety becomes too great, may become a fox (either small or giant!) in an attempt to flee and hide.
+Tails To Tell: Growing extra tails, up to nine. This may interfere with balance, or even reach out to brush against other people like they have a mind of their own.
+Thief Feet: Gains a talent for moving quietly and stealthily, even able to hide from the farm monsters and the scarecrows.
+Favored Prey: gains an appetite and a ferocity for cockatrices.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, TAURUS

Hoofed monsters who can appear as minotaurs, satyrs, and centaurs. In addition to having Taurus traits the following also occurs:
+Red Flag: several of the scarecrows carry red rags on them, which flap in the breeze… And have a way of inflaming Taurus tempers, prompting them to charge. On impact, the red fabric shreds but tries to put off one more pulse of fear.
+Eat Your Veggies: on top of a craving for vegetable, Taurus can also heal their wounds or restore their stamina when eating vegetables from these gardens!
+Horn Sharpening: when horns grow in, they can itch and ache on a Drifter’s head. Rubbing and sharpening them against hard surfaces is the best way to dull the discomfort.
+Safety In Numbers: There is a sudden pressing need for Taurus to stay close to others; being alone causes anxiety and irritability.
+Raging Bull: Threats to a Taurus’ herd invokes anger and aggression from a Taurus, and they will do whatever it takes to crush said threat.
+Digging In: Drifters should take care with their steps. Pressing their feet too hard into the ground can cause a small quake… or even compel them to charge someone, if they make eye contact for too long.
+Stir Crazy: going indoors for longer than a minute causes restlessness and agitation in a Taurus, and a pressing need to get back outside.

05: HUNTERS

Time passes, and a fog rolls into the farm lands. It obscures much of the surroundings, but one thing does shine through the gloom; red, electric lights that look suspiciously like eyes. A metallic growl echoes through the farm fields, before robot canine shapes step out of the fog. A few of them carry speakers mounted to their shoulders, and a voice echoes out from them:

“All chromehounds, set commands to seek and destroy. Any infected you find, you eliminate. Keep Nirvana safe from their taint at all costs. Now hunt.”

At those orders, the chromehounds spring out and begin to course through the farmlands, hunting for prey. A single chromehound can be handled by a Drifter on their own, but the danger is how often they hunt in pairs or in packs; in that case, a Drifter will need help to either fight or flee from them.

Those in the midst of Kitsune or Taurus changes will also need to deal with a howl the hounds send out; it is pitched at a fight or flight frequency designed to distress monsters. Either by causing intense bouts of fear, or near blinding rage. The intent is to flush any Kitsune and Taurus out of hiding and into the jaws of waiting chomehounds… Though hounds don’t account for monsters also having pack.

06: CUCCO WARNING 

There's one more oddity at the farm; one that isn't immediately hostile to newcomers, though it does regard them with curiosity. It takes the form of a rather innocent (and slightly vapid looking) chicken. Many of them roam the farmstead, trying to avoid any conflict.

A few of them even gather around an abandoned pie eating booth and peck at the remarkably well preserved pies. They might even be willing to share. (And the pies themselves are still edible and tasty, somehow.)

But this good will and tolerance can swiftly come to an end if they are attacked. If agitated, the cuccos can summon more of themselves to swarm the threat, causing plenty of pecks, scratches, and assorted injuries. There's even a ruined scarecrow laying nearby, torn to death by little beaks to show how dangerous they can be.

They also don't take kindly to threats from other denizens of the farm; the robot dogs, scarecrows, and some of the angrier farm life can quickly learn that the hard way!

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.

Snow Warning: Mountains rise above both farmlands and forest, and it seems clear that the road leads on towards them. It might be wise to plunder the nearby garage and farmhouses for any winter wear, before going further.

Food Forage: The local fields hold supplies… Some of them unconventional thanks to the Moon Warps. It’s probably best not to ask why corndogs are growing on corn stalks, but they’re still edible enough.

Misty Step: Sometimes the gloom and mist can do strange things to one’s perception, and stride. Walking into the mist can easily tun a Drifter around and place them in a spot they weren’t intending to go: whether that’s back in the garage, in the middle of the approaching Convoy, the middle of a field, or maybe somewhere else entirely!

Holy Cow-Car, Batman: One last quirk of the region, is that occasionally the vehicles here (including Drifter vehicles) seem to have a mind of their own. And that mind is similar to a cow. The vehicles can be found wandering in fenced off grassy areas, flattening grass to a degree where it appears to be eaten.

The vehicles are at least fairly docile, and once they are removed from the fencing revert to being normal cars/motorcycles/etc. But until then, they retain that odd quirk.

NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Aight.

[From the short responses, he was glad he hadn't been pushing so far. Not that Kavinsky was generally adverse to pushing someone's buttons, but he needed assistance in this situation. He also wasn't a fool; there was something to be said about safety in numbers in unfamiliar or dangerous situations. Pissing people off right off the bat wouldn't be in his own best interests.]

Just the one, yeah.

[He confirmed. The other three tires had seemed perfectly intact and without issue. Theoretically, he could have handled this problem on his own, but there would have been a lot of hoops involved and he wasn't so keen on jumping right now. Besides that, it felt dangerous to trust he'd be safe here for long enough to be dead to the world for the time it took him to dream a tire. And there was no guarantee stress wouldn't cause him to fuck up.]

I could try the engine while you're looking. Make sure we don't have any other problems.

[He should have tried that in the first place, he was sure, but he knew this car. He knew it would start, unless something had gone catastrophically wrong--on top of everything else.]

[Donnie's just trying to talk himself down from those more creature instincts that plague him, so he's not particularly offended. In fact, he likes being able to help, and while he was cautious of strangers, he's more lenient of newcomers, particularly when knowing they're in the same boat. And he'd long established that they were all in this mess together, whether they wanted to be or not.]

Yeah, go for it. Check the doors too, sometimes they get stuck. Maybe the windows, but at least your ride looks better kept than a lot of the other stuff around.

[He vanishes from view as he drops down from another vehicle top, poking his head into the window of the car that's caught his eye before he starts inspecting the wheels.]

[Kavinsky nodded, going around to the driver's side of his car. He could see the keys on the dash, so he really hoped the door was going to open--because if it did, he probably wasn't going to have the patience right now to check every door.

The driver's side door opened as easy as ever, and that was really the important part at the moment. So he slid in, snagging the keys off the dash and replacing them with the sunglasses from his pocket, so he wouldn't sit on them. The engine started, too, which replaced the door opening on the 'important parts' mental list he had going. There might have been other actual issues besides the tire, but he'd deal with them when and if he discovered them.

Turning the engine back off, he leaned out the still open door.]

So, what? Is it the people who've brought us here fucking with our shit or is it just collateral?

[There's the sound of a power tool of all things, and eventually Donnie emerges, rolling a tire around from the car he'd borrowed it from.]

Not entirely sure there, haven't worked out the vehicle link. I'm thinking...it might be a little of both. There's been instances where objects from home would appear at times.

My theory is that it's resulting from residual energy and using us as a frequency... But the car angle's harder to explain unless that influence was added in due to our need for a mode of transportation.

Edited 2025-11-12 05:19 (UTC)

[The sound of a power tool was one unexpected thing, but the explanation he got was even more unexpected.

He slid out of the car again, leaving the door ajar as he went around to where the ruined tire was.]

You've had a lot of time to think about this, huh?

[Some of it might have been a little beyond him, residual energy and people being used as a frequency, but he thought he generally understood.]

Sounds kind of like that one thing, about entanglement.

[Though also-]

Kinda weird of them to kidnap us and then be like 'hey, here's a car, have fun', if that's what's going on.

[He wasn't necessarily complaining about having his car here, but the whole thing did seem weird.]

What kind of objects've showed up?

A little. [An understatement, really.]

I'm not really an expert in mystical things, but looking at it in terms of an energy makes it a little digestible. At least in my case.

[He shrugs, wheeling the tire on over beside the Evo.]

Entanglement? Well...I guess technically we are entangled in something. It's been suggested that we were intended to be summoned by one party but a neutral one intervened. And from what we've learned about the two main factions so far, that's probably for the better- even if this whole situation quite frankly sucks.

[He looks around before pointing in the general direction of where the rest of the Convoy's parked itself.]

Not so much a "have fun" as a "ride or die." We're on the move. Trying to find some place we know only as Nirvana. Oh, and try not to forget who and what we are on the way. [His snout wrinkles as he scowls at his own addendum.]

The only objects I'm aware of is a recipe that my little brother copied down, and some calling cards from someone else's specific world.

[On the flip side, Kavinsky would accept explanations for things a lot easier if they were mystical. He dealt with magic every single day of his life. Him. It was him; he was the magic thing.]

Soooo, like, someone sniped the summoning out from under someone else?

[He couldn't imagine intervening like that would be easy, and in turn that piqued his curiosity.]

What're the factions like?

[He had a load of questions and he didn't particularly care if he wouldn't like the answers; whether he liked them or not, the answers would still be there. He'd rather know as much as he could, if it was or wasn't pleasant. Especially if it wasn't pleasant.

He glanced in the direction Donnie pointed, craning his neck a bit.]

I mean-

[Actually, no, he wasn't going to tempt fate by finishing that sentence. Especially when he heard that addendum. Focusing on other things was probably better.]

Staying on the move might be better, over all.

[At least in theory, they could always leave a dangerous area behind.]

Those are some weird ass choices in objects. Unless that was one hell of a recipe.

I guess? I'd talk with Akechi about it, he's found some interesting information. I'm assuming those creepy ritual circles and things we wake up surrounded by are part of it, but we've never found who's actually setting those up.

[Which is a bit creepier, really.

Donnie closes the car door to avoid any damage before he steps over to the side the damaged tire is. He lets out a breath as he focuses.

Beneath the car, purple lines of light begin to trace out, forming the undeniable shape of a jack, and provided Kavinsky doesn't panic about the sudden light, the turtle starts levering the car up with it.]

The two you'll hear most about are the Steel Wardens and the Silver Tears. Diametrically opposed. The former thinks everyone who isn't visibly human is tainted by the influence of the moon and must be destroyed.

The Silver Tears revere the moon and its so-called blessings- the transformations that come with it.

[He holds a clawed hand up, more neon purple lines tracing out tiny parts, the inner workings of what eventually becomes an impact wrench. He grasps the thing as easily as anything physical despite it seeming to be made of nothing more than some kind of energy, applying it to the tire to start removing lug nuts.]

Nah, the recipe was for lasagna. ...man, I miss lasagna.

[That was creepier, actually, not knowing who was setting up the summoning circles.]

Yeah, those circles are super sketch. They look like what people use to summon demons in horror flicks.

[Kavinsky didn't know what he'd expected to happen now that Donnie had the tire, but it definitely wasn't what he was witnessing. He took a step or two back, sure, but it was just so he could one- be out of the way, and two- get a better view.]

Dude, that's super fucking cool.

[Diametrically sounded like it should be an SAT word--and he wasn't entirely sure it wasn't, but that was also not the important part.]

So absolutely fuck those Warden guys.

[Unsure where his immediate opinion fell on the Silver Tears.

He was hardly even blinking while he watched Donnie work, never looking away from the purple light he was making tools out of.]

Hey man, lasagna can be one hell of a recipe. Shit takes a lot of work, especially when it's worth it.

[Not that he'd ever personally made a lasagna, but. He was going to tuck that information away, in case he could utilize it in the future.]

[Donnie permits himself a grin. It feels like it's been a while since he's been able to focus properly to make use of his ninpō, and starting small helps.]

Oh yeah, they're the worst. Cyborgs, you'll know 'em when you see them for sure. We've had a couple of previous run-ins. And if not them, then their robo-dogs. Watch out for those ones.

Give me a hand, yeah?

[He sets the impact wrench down so he can start trying to tug the wheel off.]

I mean, I guess. My little brother's the one that handles the fancy cooking. [Or rather most of the cooking in general.]

Cyborgs?

[Oh, but why did they have to have robo-dogs. He'd be totally down for the idea of robo-dogs, but not if they were accompanying the murderous cyborgs. The dogs were probably murderous too, which would put a serious damper on any attempts to befriend one. They probably had programming and shit that would make that impossible.]

Sure.

[Kavinsky crouched down by the tire, to the side, so he wouldn't be in his own way when he started to help work it off. Wheels were one of those things that could be awkward to handle just based on size and not being able to see how one side was doing, necessarily, from the other side.]

I don't do fancy cooking. Too much that goes into it. But I make a damned good cheeseburger on occasion.

[When he was hungry enough and he had a kitchen to himself--or at least with good company.]

Yep. That was their trade-off. They used to be humans, but they're more robotic than flesh. Wouldn't be surprised if they were operating off of a hivemind setup.

[Once Kavinsky's in place, Donnie adjusts his own grasp on his side before nodding. And one, two...]

I could probably manage a cheeseburger but I wouldn't want to bother if it's only for me. Unfortunately the Convoy doesn't have much by way of fancy food. I lucked out and found some frozen pizza though, not sure if there's still a few boxes in the freezer but you're welcome to some if there is.

[The tire slotted in place, Donnie gives Kavinsky another nod before he picks up the impact wrench and lug nuts to start fastening them.]

...So the people who believe anyone slightly not purebred human is a monster. Turned themselves into cyborgs. Making themselves something other than just human. Hypocrites.

[One of his least favorite kinds of people. At least if people were going to have strong opinions or act a certain way, they should commit to it. Not do two-faced shit.

He looked up after the tire was in place, and honestly? Donnie might have just discovered one of the ways to befriend Kavinsky; offer him food. Even if he had to cook it himself, that was fine, because it was still pizza.]

For real? That'd be great. Might even be better than the pizzas I get from Nino's at home.

[Nino's pizza wasn't actually bad, but there was something to be said about the craving for some frozen pizza now and then.]

I appreciate the offer. And this.

[Helping him with the tire, that was.]

Yep!

[Donnie's grin is terribly false at that, it's sad, really, but humanity seems to have really went sideways in the worst ways possible on this world.]

At the very least, they realize that they don't qualify as human, so they left that Nirvana place. But now they just go around trying to kill any monsters they come across.

[It had been a simple offer, but Donnie's glad to make it. He hates to admit that he's been losing his appetite for foods he'd consider normal, and he's not sure how long Leo's own sense of taste will stay intact if it hasn't already started to fade.

But at least someone can still enjoy it. He smiles faintly at that, but more so the word of appreciation, nodding after he'd finished securing the final lug nut. He lets his power tool vanish in a flurry of pixelated light, carefully easing the car down with the jack before letting that dissipate too.]

You're welcome. The situation sucks, why make it worse, right?

[Oh, Kavinsky absolutely knew that kind of smile. The kind someone slapped on in painful situations, the familiar mask to hide behind.]

Well, that's something at least. But they're still assholes.

[He wasn't sure how he felt about this Nirvana place yet. He didn't know a lot about it, but he thought he'd still be suspicious even if he did.]

And all of that's still really cool.

[He gestured to all of the lights, even as they were fading out. He might have had his dreaming, but it wasn't always as immediately helpful as he'd like it to be. Donnie could make things out of thin air. Kavinsky would have to hunker down and sleep for a few minutes, and that could be wildly dangerous, depending on the situation.]

You'd be surprised. A whole lot of people like kicking someone when they're down. Why make it worse? Some people find it funny, I guess.

Not arguing there.

[Donnie tilts his head before he grins crookedly, glancing to where the last motes of light fade.]

My mystic-tech. I haven't used it all that much recently, so it feels good being able to focus enough to do so.

[At least so far they hadn't come across anyone particularly hostile when it comes to arrivals, but Donnie concedes the point with a brief nod.]

I guess... But it's not really funny when you're all in the same rotten situation. Everyone I've met that's part of this convoy now has been all right. We all look out for each other. It'd probably be really terrible otherwise.

I feel like that'd come in handy a lot.

[Especially if there were a lot of vehicles here or other things that were mechanical or techy. But he wasn't going to ask-- alright, no, he was going to ask.]

Been too stressed to focus on stuff?

[He knew stress and shit really messed with his dreams sometimes, made it a messy process trying to pull anything out. Sometimes, it was so bad he just had to...not for a while.]

It's never funny, or whatever other bullshit people come up with to try and justify it. Sounds like everyone here's got their priorities straight, though.

[From what he'd seen of this place so far, he had zero doubts that things would be really terrible if people didn't cooperate and get along and do what they could for each other. People weren't generally that great at putting aside their differences, in Kavinsky's opinion, but it meant something that they made the effort here.]

Kind of, yeah....

[He looks at his clawed hands, flexing his fingers. Stress was only part of it.]

This place is changing us. These, the wings and tail and the feet- not part of the standard Donnie package. [He sighs.]

And it's not just physical. There's...creature things that come with it. Messes with your head.

[It speaks volumes that people from different places can set aside such differences to get through a place like this. That this is somewhere so messed up that you feel the only people you can trust are the ones who understand and are in the same position.]

There's bigger problems than trying to be one.

[He nodded slowly as he listened, considering all of that. Creature things. He assumed that meant primal instincts, urges. He'd never been good at controlling his worst impulses just as a person; he wasn't sure he had faith in himself to handle more challenges, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.]

Yeah, I figured. About the wings and all. Sounds like both a reason for everyone to look out for each other even more, and a reason why that might get hard.

[How could people stay level-headed when they had so much shit they were dealing with? How did things not become a disaster now and then, with snapped tempers and too much stress? Maybe they weren't always level-headed.]

So.

[He let the word hang for a moment, before he said anything else.]

Something like that's going to happen to me too, isn't it?

You don't know the half of it. The moon's the main instigator. Every now and then it does weird things and some of us just lose our mind.

[His face sours at that, but who'd want such a thing? His mind has been his most precious resource and it's being slowly eaten away.

He shudders, shaking his head and fluffing his wings.]

...yeah. It's unfortunately inevitable. You probably got marked when you came in.

[Donnie glances at his left shoulder, brushing the tips of his claws across the purple mark there, curved and sharp looking, but it could suggest something like stylized wings.]

This wasn't nearly as organic-looking back home, but I guess this place figured it convenient to use. Otherwise everyone seems to get symbols of some kind, somewhere on their body.

Changes vary between people. Sometimes it's slow, other times not. And there's a lot of things in this world that can exacerbate the transformations.

Figures that it's the moon.

[He couldn't say why it wasn't surprising, just that it wasn't. The moon was responsible for a lot of things, and there was speculation about even more things people thought it might be causing. Why not weird monster transformations?]

A mark, huh? Kind of rude to give us something we don't even get to decide on.

[Like giving a tattoo to a drunk person.]

What kind of things exacerbate 'em?

[He was taking the information well, with a curious look at the mark Donnie had pointed out on his shoulder, but overall no panic. He didn't like the idea of potentially losing his mind and doing things without being in proper control of himself, but it wasn't happening right now, so he'd save the panic for later.]

Right? But then I guess maybe they figured they're already bringing us in without our consent, so why stop there.

[He rolls his eyes, but no one's like to be a fan of the idea.]

Getting injured. Or certain circumstances, like the environment or the terrain. The last place we were in...we got caught in some kind of twisted cursed circus or something... [By the way Donnie hugs himself, it clearly wasn't something he wanted to revisit.]

...worst is the moon warps. Pieces of it just...fall. And everything gets chaotic. That's when we're usually in the most danger of losing ourselves. The changes come fast. If you're lucky, they'll fade once the moon warp does, but in most cases, something of it sticks.

Unsurprising, honestly.

[A lot of things seemed to be happening or being done to them here without their consent, so why would those forces be opposed to slapping marks on them, of all things?

Getting injured wasn't one of the things he would've expected to exacerbate changes. It sounded like something could happen all too easily, and he didn't like the idea of that being tied to changes.]

Pieces of the moon fall, huh.

[Naturally, that meant Kavinsky looked up, just to check on the sky. At the very least, it seemed like it would be hard to miss moon chunks raining down, but he was sure at the same time it wouldn't actually give anyone enough time to prepare. If there was anything that could be done to prepare for that. Especially if the changes happened fast.]

So...is there anything here that isn't out to get us in some way or another?

[It was easy to trigger things, as though the world itself had no patience in waiting for them to go through it at a more natural pace. Whatever accounted for natural anymore in this place.]

There's pieces still lying around here and there too, so... that's always fun finding out. [Except not, clearly.]

I wish I could say. The only thing we've been able to trust is the Convoy, which seems to be programmed to help us get to this Nirvana place. From what we've gathered, it seems that whoever might be there is a neutral party, and at the very least, they've been trying to make sure we're as prepared as any of us can be in a place like this.

Wait, so- the moon pieces can still do shit after they're done falling and doing shit the first time around?

[That was extra shitty.

He frowned upon hearing the Convoy was programmed. He might have had a completely different idea so far of what, exactly, the Convoy was.]

The Convoy is an actual thing? Like it's not just all our cars, but there's something more to it?

I've never had one but I Yearn

I've got a 2008 (not evo) and it's never given me problems

Oooh, noice

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