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singillppl2025-02-05 07:03 pm
singmod) wrote in singillppl2025-02-05 07:03 pm
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February 2025 Test Drive Meme
FEBRUARY 2025 TDM
PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: A new group of arrivals find themselves lost in the frozen wilds and vulnerable to the dangers of nature. With luck, they make it to the town of Milton, and to a friendly face offering food, warmth and shelter — and the current inhabitants, their fellow survivors.
PROMPT TWO — WINTER'S BITE: Tales of superstition from the Northern Territories appear to come to light in the form of fearsome creatures made of ice and bone.
PROMPT THREE — FROZEN HEARTS: A strange, new affliction causes Interlopers to find themselves figuratively and literally turning to ice, and there's only one way of saving them.
ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST
WHEN: Start of the month.
WHERE: Milton, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential animal attacks, potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.
'You are the Interloper. You are not part of nature’s design.'
It’s the last thing you hear. A dark, deep voice. Impossibly ancient. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re dreaming, maybe you’re wide awake. You saw the lights, and then your world went dark. But you hear it in the blackness, you won’t forget those words.
These are the words of the Darkwalker, you’ll soon come to find.
You awaken. You are not where you were before. It’s different for everyone, there doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern in where you find yourself. You may open your eyes to find yourself in a cold, dim and dank cabin. The air is stale, dust hangs in the rays of weak sunlight that shine through the tiny windows. Someone lived here once, but they aren’t to be found. This place has been ransacked, abandoned long ago. It is quiet. The wood creaks around you.
Or perhaps you may awaken to find yourself shivering in the yawning maw of a cave, the freezing stone below you. Or maybe you’re unfortunate enough to sit up to find yourself lying in the snow, in the middle of the wilderness. Snow lies thick around you. It’s freezing out. You haven’t felt a cold like this before in your entire life. Cruel and biting. You have no idea where you are, and what’s worse — you are completely alone.
The daylight is thin. Hours are few. It will get dark soon.
You may feel different, too. Any powers or magics you may have feel... absent. Disconnected. Things that may not have affected you previously now do. Something in you has changed.
You know you can’t stay where you are. You’ll need to move, try to work out where you are and how you came to be here. So you walk, head out into the unknown, in hope of finding a trail or a road. You’ll find one soon enough. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused. You’ll both need to keep going. It won’t be easy. You hear howls of wolves around you, and the terrain is difficult: slips and falls are likely. You’re completely vulnerable out here in the open.
Or it’s possible you may come across someone else here. Someone who looks far better prepared to deal with the freezing cold and frozen landscape, out hunting or gathering. They’ll likely offer help and get you into town. However, for the unlucky ones who don’t come across anyone, you’ll carry on until you see it: the lazy trail of smoke rising in the air. Fire. Not just one, but several. Civilization...?
Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights: a small mining town tucked up in the valley. Battered, rusted road signs will direct to “MILTON, POP. 947”. You’re almost there, you keep going, and it looks like other people have had the same idea as you. In fact, you’ll hear the muffled sounds of life. People! In the town!
As you head into the outskirts and then further into town, you’ll find it’s a little easier to walk but the cold has gripped you hard. You’ll find the buildings, both shops and homes, some are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up, some of them are occupied. People are going about their business, or stood watching from their tiny porches of their small, timber homes. For a town this big, there doesn’t seem to be many people. Several dozen at most, but no more.
Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building from which the biggest of the smoke trail rises: a school-house of sorts, or some kind of community hall. Perhaps both. You’ll find more and more people all drawn to this place, each and every one of them in the same position as yourself (and your companion, if you’ve found one). Some are in worse states than others: some are bloodied, nursing bite wounds or cuts; others might have some other kind of injury sustained in the journey here from falls. Others may look as if they could faint from the cold at any second.
The door opens, and you’re greeted by the gnarled, wizened face of an elderly man, dressed in thick furs. He has a kind face. He smiles warmly, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.
“They come again. I had thought we may not see more of you.” he nods gravely. No, this is not the first time that this has happened. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you, Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. You are not the only one, the lights are changing things. Come. Mother Nature has not been kind to you, but there are plenty here to help.”
The room is dim, lit only by natural daylight through the windows. A roaring fire sits at one end of the huge hall. It crackles, bright and cheerful... and warm. Even as big as this place is, the room is pleasantly warm. You’ll also find basic cots set up down one side of the hall, and while it seems there's a few people already living here, there's enough space for those in need of them. There's places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold. Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long tables laden with food, drinks and bottled water similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers.
There are canisters with hot herbal teas, mostly. But some coffee can be found. There’s also soup and stew and trays of charred deer and rabbit meats, plus some grilled fish. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast for those who have battled the cold to come here.
Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks — aided by a handful of others in the Hall. Your fellow survivors, but those who have been here for some time now. He does not have much time to talk. More and more people seem to be coming in from the cold. He will not stop to sit and rest until everyone is seen to, taking up a place by the fire to gaze silently into its flames.
He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the town and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much, but gesture to your fellow survivors. They will have better answers than him.
WINTER'S BITE
WHEN: The Month of February.
WHERE: Everywhere.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural beings; magical beings; potential cold injuries; potential cuts/bleeding
Amongst the original inhabitants to the Northern Territories, superstition and folk tales were much more prominent — stemming from a mix of superstitions that settlers brought with them to the area and those beliefs of people native to Northern Territories. Some are familiar to Interlopers, others may be less so.
Much of this is now lost, with the population of Milton dead or gone, but some writings can be found in the town. Some wrote of their superstitions in regards to the changing weather and wildlife in personal journals in the lead up to what is known as The Flare, which may still be found in the empty homes uninhabited by Interlopers. Some note feeling as if 'the souls of the animals are angered somehow' or that the changes to the Aurora may be as if 'the afterlife comes too close to the world'.
Maybe they had a point, maybe they were on to something. It’s hard to really say for sure.
Whether it’s magic, some supernatural cause, or something caused by the Aurora, there’s a strange shifting in snow that blankets the Northern Territories. Throughout the month, angry chittering and clacking — like glass or bones — can be heard out in the wilds. Out of the corner of one’s eye, they may see the snow move of its own accord — with confronting it leading to nothing, and stillness.
For a time.
Until whatever it is finally strikes.
Out from the snow, spectral creatures comprised of ice and animal bone spring forwards — jittering and clunky in their movements. Long bodies that twist and dance in the air, all sharp teeth and even sharper ice. Is it a kind of animal? Or spirit? Some mix of both? An angered spirit of nature or some long dead animal? It’s hard to tell for sure.
Despite their clunky movements, their bodies rolling and jaws chattering, these strange spectral creatures are fast and they’ll strike hard — looking to take a chunk out of the unsuspecting and unprepared Interlopers. Even just brushing against one of these strange creatures can lead to some nasty lacerations if they knock themselves hard enough against you. What’s maybe worse than the lacerations themselves is the wounds will burn with their chill, colder than anything you’ve ever felt.
But being made out of bone and ice means they are also just that. Blunt force may just be enough to end up shattering the bodies of these creatures, sending their remains flying. Be careful, though. Those shards are still just as sharp and will become flying projectiles which could cause further injury to Interlopers.
Alternatively, a way to battle back these ice creatures would be through the use of flame. Fire, torches, Interlopers with the Lightbringer Feat would prove vital in getting rid of these creatures long enough to get to safety.
Fleeing is also an option. The creatures will attempt to chase for a time, but will soon give up and end up returning to the snow once more.
FROZEN HEARTS
WHEN: The Month of February, into March.
WHERE: Everywhere.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural ailments; body horror; characters turning to ice; potential character death.
The cold is a persistent thing in the Northern Territories. Even during the summer months, it doesn’t seem to get warm all that much. But the winter is a different kind of beast, and the cold seems to sink into your very bones.
It starts with a kind of cold that you find it hard to get warm, no matter how long you spend by the fire. In time, it feels like that cold has started freezing your body up: your joints feel stiff and sore. Moving around is a chore, even for the simplest of tasks like walking or sitting down. In time, it gets into the smaller joints: fine motor skills become tricky. You drop things, fail to grip on to items, struggle to close your hands into fists. Even talking can be a bit of a struggle, like you’re slowly getting lockjaw.
With that, it’s not surprising that your mood will dip. Sour moods, and even icy manners aren't out of the ordinary. It’s easy to be miserable when you’re so damn cold and you’re struggling to move and speak. It is so easy to find yourself with lowered spirits, to be irritable and closed off from your fellow Interlopers.
It feels as if nothing might warm you, physically or emotionally.
You find yourself being cold towards others, even those you care about most, your closest companions in this world. You may snap at them, or continually brush them off. You find yourself with little patience for them, and are often unmoved by their attempts to bring you some good cheer.
And certainly, what isn’t out of the ordinary is the strange affliction that plagues your skin. It isn’t frostbite, that you know of. Your skin doesn’t turn red, then white then black. No, it turns blue, frosted with white. Your skin looks less like skin and more like stone….. Or, rather, ice.
It starts in the fingers and toes, and will slowly work its way up your limbs, working its way towards your center. Even your hair may start to freeze. As it progresses, you find it harder to move. In enough time, you may find yourself completely frozen on the spot, and in time, unable to even speak as the ice slowly encloses around you.
If something isn’t done quickly enough, you may find yourself completely turning to ice and being trapped as nothing more than a statue.
Hope isn’t lost, though. They say in stories there’s such things that might save some terrible affliction such as this: An act of true love.
This cold isn’t beaten back by flames, but a different kind of warmth.
But what is true love?
It might just be enough to reverse the effects and undo this terrible affliction before it’s too late, to let the ice slowly melt back again and restore you to what you once were.
FAQs
1. Arrival threads can be treated as game canon.
2. Items characters have brought from home can be found either strewn around them when they awaken, or in the community hall — as if someone left them out for them to collect. Methuselah will not know how they got there, and will be quite bemused by the happenings.
3. Reminder that all characters are now depowered upon arrival. They can choose not to notice it at first, or can immediately sense something is different about them.
4. If asked any personal questions, Methuselah will smile and say "Oh, you don't want to know about an old man like me. But I have lived all over in these parts for all my life." He will be more concerned with trying to help Newcomers, and is genuinely concerned for them and their well-being. Other Interlopers will say much of the same — there's little to know about him.
5. More information about Milton can be found here.
1. Digging in the snow where the creatures have returned will prove fruitless, Interlopers will not even find bones.
2. The creatures can spring on Interlopers in groups of up to three.
1. The notion of true love is open to interpretation. Platonic love, familial love, romantic love could be deemed as acts of true love. Perhaps even the genuine compassion of a fellow Interloper could be seen as true love.
2. An act of showing true love is very flexible! It could be a kiss, a hug, shedding tears for the afflicted, some desperate attempt of helping the afflicted from freezing. Players are encouraged to play around with what this might entail!
A. Arrival
[ An unfamiliar voice calling out, followed by the sight of an unfamiliar person -- who's smaller than him and doesn't quite look like a child or young teen, even -- is definitely unusual. ]
[ He heads toward them, pausing a non-threatening distance away to take in their wet clothes -- just damp or soaked? -- their size, pointy ears, and of course their feet, along with the fact that they're not wearing any shoes. Huh. ]
[ The lake is a day's walk away, and as far as he knows, there are no streams nearby, which means that either there's some kind of a wet hazard or water spitting creature nearby, or this poor fucker got thrown into "Canada" sopping wet straight from his homeworld. Talk about shitty luck. ]
What happened to you?
[ His face is hardly what can be described as friendly, but his voice is surprisingly mild, tired almost. He's already slipping his backpack off his shoulders, though slowly enough to hopefully not alarm the other. This new fellow will need something dry to cover up with for better chances to reach town without any frostbite setting in, and Levi carries a thick blanket (that may or may not be an unfolded sleeping bag) with him when he travels. ]
no subject
But when he sees Levi taking his backpack off, he relaxes slightly, and he doesn't draw the sword.
Now, how does he answer that question? Not with the truth, obviously. ]
I tripped.
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[ The stinkeye probably doesn't help, though, because he just stares at Frodo a moment longer. ]
Into a well?
[ It's fine, though. He can hardly blame anyone for being cagey upon getting dropped in this frozen wasteland when his own first course of action was to ambush and threaten someone with a knife. This guy is truly the people's princess in comparison. ]
...Doesn't matter. You need to get rid of everything that's wet if you don't want frostbite.
[ He unfolds the sleeping bag slash blanket and holds it up, all business-like. ]
You can borrow this, if you like.
no subject
Logically, he knows Levi is right. Keeping these clothes on is a recipe for disaster, at least until he gets somewhere warmer. But it doesn't feel safe. With his shirt and jacket on, there are layers keeping the ring from being exposed to the rest of the world, and regardless of what it means that it doesn't weigh as heavily anymore, it is vitally important that as few people as possible see it. So what does he do?
...
The answer is, obviously, easy. If he loses a limb to frostbite, that is worse than this stranger seeing a ring that looks like a plain ring at first glance. ]
Thank you.
[ He shrugs his backpack off first, then takes the blanket to wrap it around himself. The water has already started freezing, so it luckily doesn't soak the blanket immediately, and he can take his time stripping. ]
no subject
[ Once the hobbit is safely wrapped up in dry(er) material, he rummages through his backpack again, pulls out a few more things, then topples it over. ]
Stand on this. How long have you been out here barefoot?
[ Surprisingly enough, it doesn't look like the guy's toes are getting frostbitten just yet, but the trek to town could take a few hours and that could very much change by then. They can probably fashion some sort of insulation out of whatever spare clothes or pieces of fabric they've got on them, though. ]
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Although he doesn't really need it, though, it doesn't hurt to get his feet out of the snow for a moment, so he steps onto the backpack. ]
Not long. But don't worry, my feet are fine.
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[ He does pause a little at the reassurance, though. There's no reason for the smaller man(?) to lie, but it's also not difficult to lose feeling in one's limbs quickly in this sort of weather. He's staring up at his face from where he'd been crouched to go through the bag, expression unreadable. ]
Are you sure?
[ And right as he says that -- a distraction, perhaps -- he's poking Frodo's big toe with something sharp, without breaking eye contact. Maybe it's a knife. Maybe a needle. Maybe a lockpicking tool. It's not gentle, but not deep enough to do actual damage; he's just testing whether his new companion is still able to sense it (and, hopefully, conveniently picks a spot where his skin isn't that much more tougher than a human's). ]
no subject
Ow!
[ And he steps back into the snow with a look of reproach. Thicker though the skin may be, a hobbit will still feel something sharp stab their feet. ]
Yes, they were fine.
no subject
[ Now he does, anyway. That hopping back into snow gets a slightly reproachful look back, but it seems Levi isn't interested in policing him too strictly as long as he's not losing limbs to frostbite, since he says nothing of it. ]
...We're about three, maybe four hours out of town. We can start walking, or get a fire going and dry your things first. The choice is yours.
[ They probably won't get to enjoy daylight for the whole trip either way; it's still rather sparse. ]
no subject
And a town would give him a better starting point than 'middle of nowhere'. ]
Let's walk.
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[ Town it is, then. This fellow can dry up, get some real food and proper clothing in the Community Hall, assuming he makes the trip. ]
...If you change your mind at any point, let me know.
[ He's going to wait for Frodo to pack up his discarded outfit -- providing assistance if needed -- and pick up his own backpack once it's been freed. ]
Was there someone with you?
[ He did hear him call out some names, but he's not sure if they were actually here or if the guy was just looking for someone he trusted from his home, unaware that he's been plucked somewhere entirely different. ]
no subject
He steps off the backpack, grabs his clothes, then prepares to follow Levi. ]
Yes. Two people. It seems they didn't join me.
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That's too bad.
[ He does still look around for a minute, but there's no silhouettes moving and no voices shouting anywhere in the near vicinity. It makes little sense to linger expecting ghosts, and so, he starts walking. ]
[ It's... probably not going to be a very fun journey, but at least it's not very long. He does keep a careful eye on Frodo, just in case he needs to slow down or stop or light that fire after all, but otherwise he seems content to walk in silence, though he will answer questions if the hobbit voices any. ]
no subject
He also doesn't feel very much like talking, himself. Under normal circumstances, he'd be in a hurry to do the usual courteous rituals; give his name, his relations, where he hails from. But these weren't normal circumstances even before he arrived in this place, and he has yet to decide how much he can trust Levi.
There's always the potential to use a fake name, of course, but ... In the end, he decides to say nothing. ]
no subject
[ The buildings are probably very different from what Frodo is used to, but unless he suffers some sort of a breakdown over it, Levi will simply continue down the street. He does finally talk again soon after they enter town proper, though. ]
I'll show you to the community hall. There's usually food and spare clothes there. You can dry your shit and talk to some people, if you want.
[ It's as good of a starting point as any, and he's not convinced that the other man is enjoying his company too much -- a perfectly reasonable stance, to be fair. But Levi will be content simply knowing he's somewhere safe and warm rather than freezing out in the wilds. ]
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It takes so much of his focus to just walk and not give up that he only realises they've reached their destination when Levi speaks. His head jerks up, and he looks around, expecting to see ... not this. The houses aren't unlike what you'd see in a human town, but the lantern-looking pillars with some strange string between them are unusual. Then he sees one of the abandoned cars, and he stares at it with a deep frown as they pass.
For the first time, he thinks to ask: ]
Where are we?
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[ He does turn his head slightly to talk -- maybe even slow down so Frodo can walk next to him instead, if he shows any wish to do so rather than follow him -- to make sure his voice isn't lost in the wind and snow. ]
Milton. It's the only town we've found around these parts. For now.
[ Surely it can't be the only one, but he guesses they haven't managed to walk far away enough to find anything else yet. ]
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And where is Milton? I have never seen anything like this.
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[ Though maybe he should have opted for that fire... ]
Mm. I haven't before this, either. [ Not with this many electricity ropes, and not with this much snow, at the very least. ] People here say it's in a place called "Canada". It sounds made up, but apparently a bunch of them know it.
[ Sorry, Frodo. He's not going to be helpful in this regard, since his own world is layed out pretty differently from standard Earth, too. ]
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I haven't heard of it.
[ And for all that he's never travelled far until recently, he knew much, thanks to books. He's very sure "Canada" doesn't exist anywhere near. This is very difficult to wrap his head around. ]
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[ It's hard to tell with the way his tone always seems flat, but that's probably sarcasm. At the very least he doesn't look enamored by the place himself. ]
It's got a lot of pines, wild animals and weird shit happening. Also snow, believe it or not.
[ As if they haven't just spent hours walking in it. He thinks he's hilarious. ]
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He's going to need better clothes.
With that, he silences again. To focus on walking. Are they there yet? He's not sure how much energy he has left, and he only chooses not to ask the question out loud because if they are too far away he may just collapse with the thought of it. ]
wrap up? or timeskip to later if we want them to talk more~