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memestertrucks2026-01-08 01:50 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in memestertrucks2026-01-08 01:50 pm
Entry tags:
JANUARY TDM/EVENT
The storm drives the Convoy to the very summit of the mountains, before hitting a blinding pitch. The wind howls and drives snow in a way that promises to freeze everything… And there’s also a twist of smoke in the air, to further blind everything.
There’s one thing visible through the storm: a massive fortress clinging to the side of the mountain. The Convoy pulls up into the shelter. It seems this will be the best place to wait out the weather, even if the storm lasts for weeks.
It’s a cold welcome for new arrivals. The garage offers scant protection from the elements, and a winter storm rages outside. Snow, lighting, and thunder all blend together and do their best to break the windows and doors of the structure.
The storm itself shows no signs of abating, at least until several days have passed. So it’s up to the new arrivals to figure out how to survive the storm, find better shelter… And weather the strange changes foisted onto them.
01: SUMMONING CIRCLE
New Drifters arrive to a cold and half frozen garage, almost swallowed up by snow drifts. The Convoy is just visible through sheets of snow falling from the skies, and it is parked in the shelter of a nearby fortress. Getting out of the garage and reaching the fortress will take some work, though.
Starting with digging out through the snow. At least there’s a shovel or two inside the garage and the gas station. But digging through the snow is still cold work, and it’s imperative to duck back in the garage and find ways to warm up.
There’s still a small fire burning in the corner of the garage, near the summoning circle. It curiously doesn’t seem to need fuel to keep burning… Though throwing more on it will certainly increase the heat of the flames. Be advised that the fire will also burn clothing and flesh if a Drifter gets too close to it.
Starting with digging out through the snow. At least there’s a shovel or two inside the garage and the gas station. But digging through the snow is still cold work, and it’s imperative to duck back in the garage and find ways to warm up.
There’s still a small fire burning in the corner of the garage, near the summoning circle. It curiously doesn’t seem to need fuel to keep burning… Though throwing more on it will certainly increase the heat of the flames. Be advised that the fire will also burn clothing and flesh if a Drifter gets too close to it.
02: FORTRESS
The abandoned fortress offers some reprieve from the elements… But the prior battles have found a way to seep into the stones. Ice and Fire both have an effect on the surroundings.
+FIRE Condition: Arcane lava is flowing through the foundations and seeping up through the stones of the building. This is especially clear in the kitchen and dining hall. It may be toasty to the touch, but it also threatens to set things aflame; objects and people alike. Drifters weak to fire will suffer from the increased temperatures.
+ICE Condition: The extremes of the fortress are freezing over in enchanted ice, leaving only the main hall and kitchen with any heat. Drifters who lack ice affinity risk frost bite and hypothermia while exploring the other areas of Bastion. Direct contact with the ice also carries a risk of encasing the limb or the entire Drifter in ice. Might need some help getting chipped out.
In the midst of all this, there are still rooms and beds available for those who want a change of pace from the convoy, or bedrolls for those who want to camp out in the main hall.
+FIRE Condition: Arcane lava is flowing through the foundations and seeping up through the stones of the building. This is especially clear in the kitchen and dining hall. It may be toasty to the touch, but it also threatens to set things aflame; objects and people alike. Drifters weak to fire will suffer from the increased temperatures.
+ICE Condition: The extremes of the fortress are freezing over in enchanted ice, leaving only the main hall and kitchen with any heat. Drifters who lack ice affinity risk frost bite and hypothermia while exploring the other areas of Bastion. Direct contact with the ice also carries a risk of encasing the limb or the entire Drifter in ice. Might need some help getting chipped out.
In the midst of all this, there are still rooms and beds available for those who want a change of pace from the convoy, or bedrolls for those who want to camp out in the main hall.
03: START UP
After digging out, one can see that there are various cars surrounding the garage. Some of them parked directly outside and sheltered from the worst of the storm. But a few are further out, and will also need to be dug out of the snow.
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 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.
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 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.
04: WILD ELEMENTS
Even when taking shelter in the fortress, the storms from outside have a way of seeping through the bricks. And trying to take root inside any Drifters. Cold mists and winds seep into the castle, along with fire traveling across the floors and lightning crashing against the roof.
Drifters exposed to extreme elements will find those same elements seeping into their blood.
Teeth also grow along portions of the walls in long fangs, ready to snag at any newcomers. Drawing blood on those teeth can result in changes in the new arrivals… As well as pulling a monster out of the hallway to try and draw more blood.
These monsters frequently manifest as:
+Gyuki, a spider and bull demon fusion.
+YinYang, a Frankenstein abomination
+And Malzeno, a strange eldritch dragon.
Drifters exposed to extreme elements will find those same elements seeping into their blood.
Teeth also grow along portions of the walls in long fangs, ready to snag at any newcomers. Drawing blood on those teeth can result in changes in the new arrivals… As well as pulling a monster out of the hallway to try and draw more blood.
These monsters frequently manifest as:
+Gyuki, a spider and bull demon fusion.
+YinYang, a Frankenstein abomination
+And Malzeno, a strange eldritch dragon.
05: FUEL PUMPS
The fortress also holds a network of pipes leading through the halls and connecting to the gas station. Text from the Convoy asks for at least a few Drifters to follow the pipes to their source, and activate them. Following those pipes leads to a chamber in the base of the fortress, with basins full of liquid.
Glowing and quicksilver liquid, at that. Liquid that looks like it could have been poured straight out of the moon. An inscription on the tanks reads “Moonshard fuel refinement” while a stack of papers details the various attempts to distill moonshards into an energy usable by humans without mutating them. It seems they’ve mostly succeeded with this attempt: once the valves are turned on, the fuel can be pumped into the Convoy and top off almost depleted fuel tanks.
But there is still a risk. Coming into contact with the fuel can instill a sudden, ravenous hunger and push new changes to the front. Prolonged exposure activates all traits at once, and will only revert the person when another monster has been hunted down, and their energy absorbed.
Glowing and quicksilver liquid, at that. Liquid that looks like it could have been poured straight out of the moon. An inscription on the tanks reads “Moonshard fuel refinement” while a stack of papers details the various attempts to distill moonshards into an energy usable by humans without mutating them. It seems they’ve mostly succeeded with this attempt: once the valves are turned on, the fuel can be pumped into the Convoy and top off almost depleted fuel tanks.
But there is still a risk. Coming into contact with the fuel can instill a sudden, ravenous hunger and push new changes to the front. Prolonged exposure activates all traits at once, and will only revert the person when another monster has been hunted down, and their energy absorbed.
06: IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK
The walls of Bastion reach an impressive 20 feet up and stretch for long distances… And have Husks merged into them, often in the hallways and occasionally in the rooms. The Husks clearly belong to either the Silver Tear or the Steel Wardens, given the insignias on them. Many of them are locked together, frozen in a fight. And their last words and thoughts are written on the walls in gold and silver script.
Most of the words are frantic, about defending the moon shards from heretics or freeing the moon shards from confinement. But if any of the words are read aloud, the Husks react by merging together and spawning a berserk heavy tank/tankceratops. Or a large Burner type monster. OR a dragon dinosaur with exploding, punching fists. Drifters may also get caught up in the monster changes, and fuse their own monster forms together!
Most of the words are frantic, about defending the moon shards from heretics or freeing the moon shards from confinement. But if any of the words are read aloud, the Husks react by merging together and spawning a berserk heavy tank/tankceratops. Or a large Burner type monster. OR a dragon dinosaur with exploding, punching fists. Drifters may also get caught up in the monster changes, and fuse their own monster forms together!
07: MONSTER FUSE
An element saturation isn’t the only strange thing in the fortress. Anyone who makes contact with the fortress stones will find themselves building a resonance with a fellow Drifter. This grows stronger the more time they spend in the fortress.
Until finally the bond solidifies on the next change the Drifters go through and hits a fever pitch. The next threat they encounter WILL force a transformation. When that happens, their next change fuses their two monster forms together into something new.
Their fusion form is a combination of two Drifter’s traits. It is also twice the size it would normally be, and is well suited to taking on any giant sized monsters. It can even give Drifters a brief insight into the memories of their partner, as the fusion takes place.
When this happens, both Drifters can switch control over their merged form. Those with greater synchronism will have more control, while those who squabble and fight will find that their monster form becomes more feral and savage. This fusion lasts until the threat abates: when that happens, the fusion breaks apart, and Drifters return to their prior state.
Until finally the bond solidifies on the next change the Drifters go through and hits a fever pitch. The next threat they encounter WILL force a transformation. When that happens, their next change fuses their two monster forms together into something new.
Their fusion form is a combination of two Drifter’s traits. It is also twice the size it would normally be, and is well suited to taking on any giant sized monsters. It can even give Drifters a brief insight into the memories of their partner, as the fusion takes place.
When this happens, both Drifters can switch control over their merged form. Those with greater synchronism will have more control, while those who squabble and fight will find that their monster form becomes more feral and savage. This fusion lasts until the threat abates: when that happens, the fusion breaks apart, and Drifters return to their prior state.
08: STORM CALL
There’s something outside that isn’t just the storm; it calls out in a howl that can make the blood run cold, and also pulls at one’s feet. Until it hits a point where the Bastion doesn’t feel like a restful place. Drifters who hear the storm call need to step outside and find the source; the storm itself isn’t particular on if they search on their own feet, or behind some wheels.
Drifters who travel on their own feet will swiftly be overwhelmed by the storm, and a moon warp hiding in the snow, and forced to transform. It doesn’t help that there’s wild saber-tooth Barioth wyverns prowling the wilds and ready to pounce.
Being inside a vehicle helps to shield them from the worst of the storm and the changes, and also gives Drifters more traversal options:
Tough cars are capable of wading through even the deepest snow without getting bogged down, as well as towing any stricken or stuck vehicles out of the drifts.
Fast vehicles can follow rivers of fire and lava that move through the wilds, without burning up due to prolonged exposure.
Eventually Drifters will find their way towards the summit of the mountain, and the discovery waiting beyond.
Drifters who travel on their own feet will swiftly be overwhelmed by the storm, and a moon warp hiding in the snow, and forced to transform. It doesn’t help that there’s wild saber-tooth Barioth wyverns prowling the wilds and ready to pounce.
Being inside a vehicle helps to shield them from the worst of the storm and the changes, and also gives Drifters more traversal options:
Tough cars are capable of wading through even the deepest snow without getting bogged down, as well as towing any stricken or stuck vehicles out of the drifts.
Fast vehicles can follow rivers of fire and lava that move through the wilds, without burning up due to prolonged exposure.
Eventually Drifters will find their way towards the summit of the mountain, and the discovery waiting beyond.
09: MONSTER CHANGES
Between the weird fuel, the teeth in the fortress, and hostile elements trying to force changes, new arrivals can quickly find their humanity getting worn away and new monster transformations taking place.
With the cold weather and regal structures, the environment calls out to Undead. As long as the elements rage, all Undead traits are available and also:
+Warm Blood: Undead can easily track living bodies through the wilds and the fortress, sensing the warmth of their blood in contrast to the storm.
+Rivalry: Tends to form rivalry with other Undead monsters, becoming territorial and protective of potential food sources.
+Ice Affinity: Undead find themselves better preserved by the cold and thriving in it, energized and strengthened by the snow, and even taking on glowing blue veins and eyes.
+Fire Fear: The presence of fire inspires aversion, and even terror and need to flee from it. Smaller flames like candles provoke unease, larger flames like a bonfire result in more panic.
+Holy Symbols: Presence of Steel Warden symbols (a sword piercing moon) can cause unease in Undead, and even repel them a location.
+Snow Shift: Exposure to snow forces the Undead into a more bestial form. This could resemble a bat, wolf, or deer/horse/bull.
With the cold weather and regal structures, the environment calls out to Undead. As long as the elements rage, all Undead traits are available and also:
+Warm Blood: Undead can easily track living bodies through the wilds and the fortress, sensing the warmth of their blood in contrast to the storm.
+Rivalry: Tends to form rivalry with other Undead monsters, becoming territorial and protective of potential food sources.
+Ice Affinity: Undead find themselves better preserved by the cold and thriving in it, energized and strengthened by the snow, and even taking on glowing blue veins and eyes.
+Fire Fear: The presence of fire inspires aversion, and even terror and need to flee from it. Smaller flames like candles provoke unease, larger flames like a bonfire result in more panic.
+Holy Symbols: Presence of Steel Warden symbols (a sword piercing moon) can cause unease in Undead, and even repel them a location.
+Snow Shift: Exposure to snow forces the Undead into a more bestial form. This could resemble a bat, wolf, or deer/horse/bull.
10: FROZEN HEART
At the summit of the mountains is a collection of freakishly tall and twisted trees. In their branches is a collection of frozen hearts growing like strange fruit. And further up is a massive object that looks like a deer skull with branching antlers. The ice storm flows from its eyes and mouth… And it shows no signs of ceasing without destroying the skull.
The frozen hearts are giving off a cold aura that freezes anything that doesn’t resist ice. Drifters will need to neutralize the hearts to dispel the cold aura. The hearts can be melted by fire, shot down with ranged weapons, magic, etc. When burned, the hearts give off a smoke that causes a terrible hunger and need to hunt in anyone who inhales it. Shattered heart shards also rain down and embed themselves in Drifters, and cause a berserk fury in those they cut.
But with each felled heart the barrier of the skull weakens, as does the storm. When the last of the frozen hearts falls, the storm skull fractures and breaks apart like brittle ice. Drifters can deliver the finishing blows, ending the storm in the process. After that, the way down the mountain becomes clear, and the Convoy may continue down without worry.
The frozen hearts are giving off a cold aura that freezes anything that doesn’t resist ice. Drifters will need to neutralize the hearts to dispel the cold aura. The hearts can be melted by fire, shot down with ranged weapons, magic, etc. When burned, the hearts give off a smoke that causes a terrible hunger and need to hunt in anyone who inhales it. Shattered heart shards also rain down and embed themselves in Drifters, and cause a berserk fury in those they cut.
But with each felled heart the barrier of the skull weakens, as does the storm. When the last of the frozen hearts falls, the storm skull fractures and breaks apart like brittle ice. Drifters can deliver the finishing blows, ending the storm in the process. After that, the way down the mountain becomes clear, and the Convoy may continue down without worry.
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.
Fortress Library: Books and screens seem to have fused together. Assorted data about monsters is on display here; everything from hunting strategy to contradicting praise of their strength. (Read: all lore information from the monster pages is available IC.)
Dining Hall: This time around the gas station and garage are empty of supplies… But there’s plenty of preserved foods in the castle kitchen and dining hall. Though the hot dishes are almost painfully spicy, and the cold served foods can almost freeze a mouth shut.
Snow Fields: Surrounding the fortress are fields of snow, ready to bog down anyone who wanders too far into them. It would be next to impossible for anyone to make it far on two feet without the aid of a vehicle… Or the aid of a monstrous transformation.
Fire Snow: The storm can wildly swing between temperatures, from freezing to burning with how the snowflakes fluctuate. They can suck warmth out of a Drifter’s body on contact, or risk burning any exposed skin.
Armory: The Steel Wardens kept an armory and arena close by for sparring. Various weapons and armor are stored here; some antiquated, some modern and augmented with technology. And everything but the older models are badly damaged by the elements; frozen over and metal crackled, or half melted from fire. They won’t have much use as weapons, but could be used as metal materials.
View from the Peaks: When the storm clears, one can look out from the peaks and see what’s next. A strange, twisted landscape stretches out below the peaks. And beyond that is something on the horizon; a massive city reaching upwards, and the buildings intact and gleaming. Going back to the Convoy reveals a new update in the database: Nirvana is near. And will be reached in an estimated 60 days from now.
no subject
Offerings and appeasement make gods sound more like people. And maybe they are; the law setting entities of his original world were humans after all. But the gods of humans... How do you grasp the intentions of a god that is within the sun? Or a god in the moon?
Yet another question he never had the opportunity to ask Sera.
"Does it work?"
Praying for fortune.
no subject
Well, unless they started doing human sacrifices, but from what little Lucy saw of the wasteland, it seems folks are perfectly capable of doing that even without gods.
"It... depends on who you ask. Gods are a matter of faith, so there is no real scientific evidence. Some people believe that praying to them works, and some people don't. If you pray for rain tomorrow and it rains, does that mean a god answered your prayers? Or was it always going to rain and your prayers didn't have any effect?"
no subject
He wonders if the God Sera spoke to truly was one. The humans seemed to believe so. How else does one explain the sun turning black for five years and its light turning humans to stone?
"There was another of us who said God is what people call things they don't understand."
no subject
This is what Lucy believes. Sure, there were some old religious rituals that they still performed in the Vault -- like christmas or the person leading the ceremony at her wedding, but those things didn't really have a religious meaning anymore. It was just them preserving the bits of pre-war American culture that they would someday bring to the surface. It helps, probably, that she grew up in a community with very little want or hardship. Who needs a god when you've got Vault-tec?
(But anyway, she definitely didn't grow up in a cult or something)
"Of course, it's really hard to say who is right about all of this. Maybe when I die, I will meet god and learn I was golly-dang wrong about a lot of things."
Though if there is a god, at least she'll be able to ask him (or her! Or them!) why they let something like Shady Sands happen.
(Maybe even if there are gods, they are not worth believing in if they won't stop the really bad stuff from happening. Maybe sometimes only you can bring your father to justice.)
no subject
Most people don't know what happens to them after their dead, do they? He wonders if that makes death any more or less frightening to confront.
His paws have limited movement compared to fingers on a hand, but he nevertheless curls the pads, nails lightly scraping on the ground. Ears flicking once, he continues, "It doesn't matter if gods are real. We choose how we live."
no subject
She smiles, resting her chin on her knees.
"where I come from, we try to live by the golden rule -- do onto others as you would have them do onto you. But lately I've been finding out not everybody lives like that."
no subject
"What does the rule mean?" Perhaps it is one of those sorts of things that seem more obvious to someone with more human experience.
no subject
This is an easy explanation for Lucy and one she's given countless times before to her young students in the vault.
"It's actually from the bible too, though much like angels, it's probably a concept that is much older at its core."
no subject
A question that's less important to him than asking, "If you want to be treated with kindness but are met with violence, what do you do?"
Kindness is such a rare and delicate thing. He'd lived in a kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, kind of world for most of his life. This world... is better than most of what he experienced before his arrival.
no subject
How long until she is like him?
Notably, her answer this time is much slower and far more thoughtful, like she is still trying to figure it out for herself.
"I think... you still need to be kind. You're not really a kind person if you are only kind when it's easy. You have to try and be kind and helpful even when it's hard.
Of course, if you are being attacked, you should defend yourself. Being kind doesn't mean being stupid. You're doing nobody a favour by letting them kill you. But it should be your last resort. It's something you owe to yourself."
She remember the Ghoul, laid out on his stomach. With everything he had done to her, it would've been easy to justify just leaving him there. But she had helped him, not for his sake, but for hers.
no subject
A life can be lost so quickly.
His ears twitch. "It's... good to know there's a land where people are kind to each other."
Most others come from places filled with dangers, where the art of violence was what kept them safe. Perhaps Lucy comes from a place that's most like the Nirvana he's dreamed of for so long. He wonders what he would be like if that was the life he lived instead of what he did.
But his life is what it is, and that's the self who decides how he lives today.
"Here, we're being hunted." Albeit at a leisurely pace. "And the other human groups want us for their own reasons." He reaches out a paw to tap the back of her hand. "You should be careful."
no subject
There is a real sense of longing in her voice. The longer she is on the surface, and the more she's learned about the Vaults, she knows it isn't, perhaps, the fully idyllic world she thought it was growing up. They do have their own issues. But she misses the sense of community. She misses being surrounded by people she knows and being greeted and included and not being shot at.
Especially the not being shot at.
"I will be. I've been on the surface long enough that I've learned to defend myself." And she's had plenty of reason to test that skill, considering she keeps getting into Situations. "Could you tell me more about this other human groups? I've heard about the monsters, but not about other people living here."
no subject
"There are three groups. The Silver Tears, who believe transformations are a blessing from the moon. They want us on their side. The Steel Wardens, who believe transformations is an infection and hunt us. And those of Nirvana, whose Convoy is transporting us. We don't know their true intentions."
Why steal them from the Tears? Is Nirvana the safe haven they've suggested it be?
"We've had little contact with all parties. Last month was the first time we spoke with the Tears and Wardens."
no subject
From her interactions with others, Lucy has gotten the impression that some folks have been here a while -- long enough to seem very at home in this strange place. But she has no idea if that means they've been here for weeks, months, or perhaps even years.
Really, maybe they should start making a brochure for new people!
Because she also has one other question. Just a small one, really.
"What's Nirvana? I'm familiar with the general concept of Nirvana, but what does it mean here? Why are we travelling there?"
no subject
"Nearly a year. If there were any before me, they aren't travelling with us."
Nirvana... Serph stays silent for a long moment before he answers.
"If you climb high, there's a city in the distance. That is this world's Nirvana." He puts his head on his paws, closing his eyes. "In our travels, we have yet to find people. Nirvana is the only place we know of that has answers."
no subject
no subject
"We have confirmation Nirvana interfered with our summoning to this world, bringing us to the Convoy instead of the Silver Tears. The Convoy's destination is Nirvana. Sometimes we receive guidance over the radio."
Serph idly scratches at the floor with the nails on his paws.
"At a distance, it looks more intact than locations we passed. If there are people, this is the most likely place."
If there are people, there are answers, one way or another. And if there aren't any, that answers his own questions of what to do with his life in this world.
no subject
She pauses, and after a moment of hesitation, she adds. "Do you think, they might also have the ability to send us back home? If they interfered with the summoning in the first place and all. Not that I'm not enjoying your company, there's just... there is something I have to do back home."
If she isn't there to bring her father to justice, who will? Ordinarily she might say The Ghoul, but he is here too. Nobody else really knows what Hank Maclean was responsible for.
no subject
He knows others who also have their own unfinished business they're eager to return to.
But his own feelings on that are... complicated. It was something that was once straightforward; he's dead with no clear way back. But with Heat's sudden appearance in Revan and a memory that doesn't match his own, what happens then? That world is dying but the remains of the Tribe are still there. Sera is still there.
He won't give her false hope, but he won't dissuade her from this train of thought either; the possibility does remain. He pats her wrist with a paw. "We'll only know when we arrive."
no subject
"Thank you for answering all my questions. It's very kind. Not everybody is that kind."
no subject
He stretches, nails scraping the floor before slipping out of the admittedly comfortable bedroll. But he's got places to be, people to check on. Being a small, furry animal won't stop him from scouting and patrolling.
"If you have more, I'll answer what I can."
no subject
"If I think of any more, I'll know who to go to."