NOVEMBER TDM

[monstertruckers]

code

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

Comments

[saisdoesmatter]

"Ha! You could say that again," he replies, because it's very much true. Sure, he's the sort to get into trouble himself from time to time, but he swears half the people he's met in his lifetime don't have common sense. It apparently wasn't actually common at all.

Raph quirks a brow at the clear stifling of laughter from Kavinsky but doesn't press. He could imagine what the other guy might have been snickering about.

"Yeah? At least they don't mind the wet pies left behind. If the dry ones are still viable that's some decent food around here..."

[burnyoudown]

"When someone's clearly got two brain cells that have never been introduced to each other." Alright, maybe that was a little harsh, but it was still more kind than the majority of things that had ever been said about Kavinsky. Those were the kinds of people he meant with that dig, anyway.

Oh no, the mention of wet pies, out loud, had him snickering. He was a teenager; he could absolutely not be expected to keep a straight face with innuendos and things like this. "Gonna be honest. I let one of the chickens have some of a dry pie at first, just to be sure."

Sorry little chicken dudes, but it'd been a necessary precaution, to see what happened. And then a whole new innuendo occurred to him, even though none of these chickens appeared to be roosters. So he was going to tuck that one aside for now.

"Cause pies out in the middle of nowhere felt like some 'trap laid by a witch' shit." Not Baba Yaga, but one of the American witch stories. And even if they were perfectly mundane pies, there had still been a chance they were going to cause food poisoning. But they seemed fine, and Kavinsky hadn't been ill yet.

"Is food an issue here?"

[saisdoesmatter]

"Sounds like what they claim orange cats have issues with - that wandering single braincell that they all share."

He grins when the other teen starts to starts snickering. At least this one's got a sense of humor!

"Honestly, I don't blame you; I wouldn't exactly trust pies sitting out here either. This place likes to set off traps." Another glance at a random chicken. "But if none of them exploded or turned into monstrosities, you're probably fine."

The question makes him sigh but nod. "Yes and no. We gotta forage a lot - there's general food with the rest of the convoy so people don't starve but it's sometimes a little left to be desired."

[burnyoudown]

"At least the cats are cute enough to get away with it." He knew full well what people said about orange cats, though he'd never known anyone who'd had one, personally.

If none of them exploded. Kavinsky stopped for a moment, lowering his fork and looking at the chicken chilling on the counter. He hadn't been aware explosions were a potential reaction to food here. He liked explosions, but not if it was a living thing. The chicken looked back at him, with the same sort of expression he'd expect from one of those orange cats, clearly unaware there was any risk what-so-ever when it came to eating things.

"Is it common for things to explode after eating something?" Because that would put a bit of a damper on his mood. As if the mention of foraging wasn't doing that already.

"What kind of general food?" He wasn't really picky, so he didn't see it being an issue, but it did feel like important information he should have. "And what's the convoy like?"

[saisdoesmatter]

"True. Even with a missing brain cell, how can you be mad at them when they're adorable." Granted, the one that his brother had back home was not your typical cat, but Mikey loved it and other cats with actual fur WERE cute in Raph's eyes.

Raph shrugs at the question. "Man, I wouldn't be surprised if it DID happen with how many times there's been random traps from that one crazy group that's like, trying to kill anyone different than them. I've only been here for a little bit and I swear I've seen loads of them from travelin' with the group." Though he does look relieved that the chickens do seem to be okay as well, giving another one a little scritch.

"Think camping food. Kind of bland at times but it's food. Sandwiches and the like. We usually gotta raid places for supplies when we're on the move."

The question of the convoy makes him think about it, but he answers it as best as he can.

"It's not so bad - having safety in numbers is better than being alone, so it takes a little getting used to. Mainly just because you gotta get used to being on the road when we're off and about - but there's good people here. We look out for each other."

[burnyoudown]

"Exactly." All cats were good cats, even the naked ones. Especially the naked ones, if they were put into little sweaters to keep them warm. Not that Kavinsky would say either of those things out loud.

He tensed in the middle of stabbing his fork into the pie at the mention of a group that was trying to kill anyone different than them. That hit a little too close to home, and just the idea of people here doing that turned his stomach. The chicken on the counter cocked its head a moment, watching him, then slowly leaned in to peck a bit of the crust on his pie. It was allowed.

"So what the fuck's their problem, that crazy group?" He looked up, but made no move to do anything with his fork. Probably for the best.

"I've never been camping. Had a lot of sandwiches though." He liked cooking, when he could, but he did tend to lean towards take-out back home. He was sure he'd manage just fine with food here. "And I like driving. So being on the road a lot sounds fine."

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph can't help but nod to that, smiling a little bit at the thought of cats. It'd be nice to have a pet again, but with the convoy and the things that were around that liked to try and eat other people...well... not safe enough for that.

He sighs. "There's two of them - one that hates anyone that's monstrous or turning into one - the other being like some fanatical one that things everyone should be monstrous. It's...tiring. The ones that want to kill everything that isn't 'human' are the ones that tend to leave traps around to pick people off."

"Heh, then sounds like you'll fit right in. I'm Raph by the way."

[burnyoudown]

"Fuck 'em both." Why did the other extreme have to be 'everyone should be monsters'? Why not 'and we accept people of all sorts'? He had a lot of feelings on people who were anything other than human--or normal--being targeted, but he sure as hell wasn't going to get into why.

"Especially the ones actively hurting people." With traps, he meant. He was pretty sure he'd consider 'forcibly turning people into monsters' actively hurting them, too. "Sounds like everything's a mess." But he couldn't say he was surprised, unfortunately.

"Maybe." Had he ever fit in anywhere? It was nice to at least think he might. "Kavinsky. It's good to meet you."

[saisdoesmatter]

"My sentiments exactly," he says, agreeing wholeheartedly. "It's not like we can help what happens to us here. We didn't exactly ask to be brought here either."

Another nod. "Yeah. If I wasn't around when one of them went off, one of my buddies woulda been strangled to death. Shit's scary around here. But we gotta keep going and look out for one another."

"Nice ta meetcha, Kavinsky. You spot your ride yet or did the wet pies give ya plenty to worry about?"

[burnyoudown]

"Someone can't help what they are." Not what kind of person, good or bad, but a deeper sort of meaning. Kavinsky couldn't help that he was a dreamer--and he wouldn't if he could--and he was sure Raph felt the same way about being a turtle. And if things happened to people here that they couldn't stop, he didn't think they should be judged for that, either.

"Shit's scary a lot of places." He wasn't trying to downplay the threats here, even though he felt like he'd hardly scratched the tip of the iceberg or whatever. "Especially when there's people who're gonna hate us on sight, whether or not we've done anything to them at all."

Even now, wet pies made him snort, loud enough that the counter chicken that had settled closer to the pie there stared at him for a moment, making sure he wasn't going to swipe it or whatever it was worried about. He gave the chicken a gentle pat.

"Yeah, I've got my car all checked out." Though that raised a question. "What's your ride?"

[saisdoesmatter]

"Exactly that. This place has its way of making things more complicated with more changes, but...well, you've been talking to a mutant turtle without any issue, so I think you're more prepared than some." A half tease, but he's totally on board with what Kavinsky is talking about - people can't help what they are.

"Yeah, they're assholes. Haven't had to chance to punch any of them in the face directly yet, but they're definitely an issue to be on the lookout for."

He's grinning at getting the other boy to snort laugh, but watches him give the chicken who looks concerned a gentle pat.

"Mine? Motorcycle. I figure it must have come with me somehow because it's the one my brother designed from my world."

[burnyoudown]

Kavinsky shrugged a shoulder. "Why should I have an issue?" They'd been having a good conversation, and Raph seemed decent enough. Kavinsky had dreamed weirder things, but his reason for keeping that to himself was double-fold; not wanting to bring it up, and not wanting to imply talking turtles were weird. Under different circumstances, he wouldn't give a shit, but this wasn't a typical kind of circumstance.

"If you see any of 'em and I'm not around, give 'em an extra punch for me, too." Which would be letting them off lightly, but they deserved to be punched many times, all the same.

"Nice." Kavinsky's car was very specifically his from home too; it had all the tells of a dream thing. Or rather, the tells that were obvious to a dreamer. "You do any racing with it?"

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph laughs it off. There were plenty of humans who had seen worse than him in their lives. "M'not used to humans being cool with mutants for one." After all, Kavinsky was pretty chill about the whole circumstances surrounding them.

"You got it, man. By the time I get a hold of any of them, they're going to probably be missing a face with how many punches they're owed for hurting my friends."

He shook his head. "Not lately, no. There hasn't been a good chance to really enjoy racing it around since there's the whole trying to survive thing going on."

[burnyoudown]

"I'm cool with a lot of things." More than most people would expect of him.

"Good. They'd deserve it for hurting so many people." Friends and strangers alike. Kavinsky was well aware of the fact he could be a bully himself, sometimes, but he'd never want to seriously hurt someone just because they were different. He generally didn't want to seriously hurt someone, period.

He nodded. "Man, trying to survive and being stressed about shit sounds like one of the best times to relax now and then with a good race or two." Or three. There was almost never a bad time for a race, in his opinion. Especially when it was good for blowing off some steam.

[saisdoesmatter]

"Then you'll get along with most people here," he answers honestly, "everyone kind of needs to support everyone else in the convoy. We're in it together and like... that's what's going to get us through all this crap."

He smirks. Looks like he and Kavinsky are going to get along juuuuust fine with that similar mentality. "Definitely. We're all just trying to live here. It's not anyone's fault with what's going on with the moon and junk."

"You race a lot back home?"

[burnyoudown]

Supporting people. He didn't know if he was actually good at that. He knew how to be there for his friends at home, but outside of those four people... well, he had a feeling he was going to be winging it while doing his best to get through whatever happened here. "I'll do what I can."

He had questions he didn't want to ask, things he would just hold onto for now. The answers might make themselves obvious to him sooner rather than later, considering the things he did know. If everyone here was going through changes, he doubted he'd be left wondering for long, about when his own were going to start. "Yup." All he'd ever been doing was trying to live; some things never changed, in comparison.

"Every chance I get," he confirmed. "That's how my boys and I spend a lot of time, when there's not parties." Or whatever other things they got up to while they kept themselves entertained.

[saisdoesmatter]

He gets the feeling that Kavinsky has more to say, but doesn't press. While he's the type to try and get information out of the people that he's met, this newcomer gives him the impression that he's kind of an outsider. At least from defensive measures - all too familiar to Raphael and say, his experience with Casey.

"It's kind of a lot," he answers, knowing full well that it is. "Nobody's going to be surprised by it. Or if you have questions. Hell, I still have questions sometimes and I've been here fer a bit."

"Man, I'm sure you could probably convince some people to take a break to do that once and awhile. Well, if the road layout lets ya and everything. Sometimes we're traveling through some pretty rough terrain."

[burnyoudown]

"Yeah, I'm used to shit being a lot." The only good thing about it was that it kept his mind occupied. He couldn't get too caught up in his own issues if there was so much going on he couldn't think about those issues. "I'll manage."

But he appreciated that people wouldn't mind, in theory anyway, if he had questions. He just didn't know what he really wanted the answers to right now. ...He was also wondering if he could smuggle one of these chickens with him or if it'd throw a fit at being separated from the others. Or if the others would throw a fit. It might be more risk than it was worth.

"What kind of rough terrain? If the road's wide enough-" and he really hoped there was a road everywhere, or else he might have to reconsider some things, himself "-it should be decent enough." Unless there were cliffs involved or something.

[saisdoesmatter]

"That's kind of life for ya. Especially around here. If ya can keep your head on your shoulders, ya should be just fine." After all, there was a lot going on - even downtime like this usually had something going on. Like wet pies.

Raph gives another chicken a scritch, smiling as they cluck and keep milling about like the fluffy birds they are. It'd be nice to have a pet again, but he isn't about to disrupt a flock. He knows bird flocks are important to their own safety.

"Well, we just went through this desert area earlier--some of the paths were flanked by cliff faces--and there was the living city that like, had the weird skyscraper monster... sooooo... not ideal when you're running for your life."

fr I need the laugh every time I'm reminded of wet pies

[burnyoudown]

Kavinsky wasn't sure he'd go that far. Managing and keeping his head on his shoulders were two very different things in his vocabulary. "Sure is. Even in shitty small towns." 'Boring' didn't always mean 'no drama or stress' unfortunately.

"Okay, yeah, cliff faces make it not worth it unless someone's got a death wish." But even he would think twice about cliffs. A living city though, with a skyscraper monster... that made him imagine a skyscraper with legs--and arms, grabbing everything it could get its hands on to eat it.

"What fucked up fever dream did a skyscraper monster escape from?" It was a rhetorical question, but the one he followed it up with wasn't. "Was every building a monster or just one of them?"

if it makes people laugh I will drive a joke into the ground

[saisdoesmatter]

He chuckles. "From a small town then? Sounds rough." He was a city boy, after all, so he can only imagine what it's like being from an unpopular place.

"There's bound to be SOMEplace we'll come across where you might be able to race though. I know a few peeps in the convoy who would probably enjoy it."

A shrug. "Man, I don't even KNOW - it was terrifying. Just like, morphed right out of the side of a building and was trying to eat people. It was like the tallest building in that city, but there were plenty of other monsters wandering around so it was definitely dodgems time."

I've laughed every time, so I genuinely appreciate that

[burnyoudown]

"Not originally. Grew up in Jersey by Atlantic City." Being in New jersey both had and hadn't been better than being in Henrietta. He still missed the beach. "But we moved to a shit-hole in Virginia just before high school." For the opportunities Aglionby Academy could offer him or whatever bullshit he'd been told at the time.

"Yeah? Good, good." At least he had the possibility of some races to look forward to.

A monster coming out of the side of a building did sound pretty terrifying. Kavinsky hadn't even dealt with anything quite at that level in his worst dreams. His were different kinds of horrors, usually. Quieter, more insidious. "Sounds like a whole bunch of nightmare fuel there. Glad I missed all that. People make it out of that alright?"

I live to make people laugh so I'm glad to hear :D

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph perks up at the mention of Jersey - that wasn't that far from where he grew up - though it sounds like Kavinsky got yoinked and ended up in a different state. "Wow, you started close to my neck of the woods. NYC here. But downsized to somewhere in Virginia? Oof. I know when we had to leave the city for a bit, we were off in a farmhouse somewhere upstate and it was...weird not being in the city. So I can only imagine."

"Oh yeah. I'd offer to do it but my bike's not set up for speed. Leo might jump at it though - I think his bike is faster and he'd probably enjoy it."

Though he nods at the question. "From what I know, yes. I basically joined the pack during that adventure, so I only heard smatterings of it from the others. Still, not exactly something you were expecting to happen in the middle of a city."

<3

[burnyoudown]

"I've been to NYC a few times, when I was still in Jersey." He'd liked New York City, liked the largeness of it and everything there was to see and do. "Henrietta's got a lot of farm land. And a 'prestigious' high school, which was the deal maker, I guess." He hadn't exactly enjoyed Aglionby as a whole, but he'd met the only real friends he'd ever had there, and dreaming was better in Virginia than it'd been in Jersey, so. There was that.

"It's more the small town mentality," he added, shrugging a shoulder.

Mmmm, not being set up for speed in a place like this probably made sense. There were other things that were important to. That said- "I've never raced anyone with a motorcycle before; never really saw any in town." And before he'd moved, he'd been too young to drive. "So I can't say I wouldn't be curious about how that'd shake out." He was very curious.

"Good to hear. And yeah, no, that's the last kind of thing I'd expect to see in the middle of a city." But it would be the kind of thing he'd expect people to be stopping and taking pictures of if it happened back home. Because people.

[saisdoesmatter]

"I personally love it but I guess I'm just so used to the noise," he says, chuckling at the thought of how busy New York was. There was also the bad guys that needed punching, so that was just bonus. It wasn't like he had the opportunity to go to actual school - April had her moments of talking about it but that was really it.

"So you adjusted, huh? M'sure there was something good about it, even if it's out in farm country."

Another laugh. "If my buddy Casey were here, he'd be all over racing since he worked on the one car when we were out in farm country. Helped him with it some. Bikes have different levels of handling though so I don't know if it'd shake out the same way you might like."

"Yeah, apparently it like, activated when the moon got nuts for that pit stop. That happens a lot - people are going to mention that too. M'still getting a handle on it but the moon's like, the reason why things go sideways for us here. The convoy's got protections but sometimes you gotta deal with things ya don't wanna."