February 2025 Test Drive Meme

[singmod]

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

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

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.

WINTER'S BITE

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.

FROZEN HEARTS

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!

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Comments

[notarat]

[ At first Billy just runs. He just wants to get to town, just away from this creature, he just wants one calm day in this place, is that so much to ask for--

But when he snaps out of his thoughts after a bit of running, he realizes that Frodo is not running anywhere near where he is.

Billy turns his head, looking around, only to realize that Frodo is definitely starting to fall behind a little bit with the running. He frowns, debating on what to do. He doesn't want to risk that creature catching up with them, but leaving Frodo here alone also would not make him look great.. ]

Can't you run faster?! [ He calls out - not exactly the most friendly thing to ask, but-- he's worried, okay! He's panicked! This isn't a situation where they can afford to take it slow. ]

[nicehobbit]

[ How fast could those things be? If it were chasing them, he's certain it would have caught up to him by now. It looked like it ought to be fast.

Not that he's going to stop or slow down to look. ]

No!

[ It's definitely not very friendly to ask it. Why wouldn't he be running as fast as he could? No, he definitely wants to be caught by that thing. Honestly. ]

[notarat]

[ He can feel frustrating bubbling up from somewhere inside of him. Sure, none of this is the other's fault, but-- it's just a tense situation, and Billy does not deal well with tense situations.

Even more so when he suddenly hears the sound of the creature chasing them after all. He can see it heading towards them. Still quite some distance behind Frodo, but starting to gain distance on the other.

Billy grits his teeth, but then he moves towards Frodo - and, in turn, closer towards the creature. He hates this situation, and he feels so panicked at the same time, but he-- he can use that, right?

He waits for Frodo to pass first, just to make sure the other won't get caught up in what Billy is about to do. He extends a hand, and before the creature can reach them, a wall of fire appears between the two of them and the strange animal, blocking it from reaching them.

In fact, the creature doesn't seem to like this much fire at all - quickly turning on its heels and running away in the opposite direction.

Billy releases a breath deep enough that it sounds like it comes from his very soul, leaning forwards - almost collapsing, suddenly looking very pale. ]

.. That was too close.

[nicehobbit]

[ When Billy turns to head back towards him, he finally takes a peek over his shoulder, just to confirm for himself what Billy is going for. After helping him, it wouldn't make sense for the man to turn on him, but seeing the creature is both a relief and a terror at the same time.

Once he passes Billy, he spends nearly the last of his energy on a couple especially long leaps, then stumbles to a stop as he wheezes for breath. With a hand on his chest, he turns around, eyes widening in wonder at the wall of fire.

It looks like something Gandalf could have conjured. It's difficult for him to imagine people who can do this, other than Gandalf, exist. But there is Saruman, and a whole order of wizards as far as he understands things, so it's safe to assume there are others. It's ... a small comfort, in the moment. ]

Th-thank you.

[notarat]

[ It really is a good thing that the fire did manage to scare the creature off, considering they're now both out of breath. Even if Billy is getting a little bit more used to his power at this point, it still takes a lot out of him.

He doesn't reply to the thanks, maybe because he's also busy catching his own breath. There's just a slight nod in acknowledgement of it, and as the fire slowly starts to die out in the snow, Billy turns his attention fully towards Frodo instead, asking after a moment: ]

.. Are you new? [ He thought it earlier - he hasn't seen the other around, he thinks. ] You ought to be more careful. There is danger everywhere in this place.

[nicehobbit]

[ His brow furrows slightly, and he just stares at Billy for a second or two. That's some nerve from someone who seemed just as frightened only moments ago. ]

There is danger no matter where one goes in the world. What would you suggest? I stay in a cabin day in day out and hope I shall eventually return home?

[notarat]

[ The other's response is surprising for sure for a moment. After all, he did just save Frodo, when he could just have ignored the situation.

.. on the other hand, as soon as the initial surprise fades, Billy thinks this actually isn't so strange. It's how most people act, right? Some people here have been so nice that he almost got used to that instead. ]

You thought that if you would just walk far enough, you'd return home?

[ He doesn't even sound very offended, mostly just puzzled at the thought of anyone thinking that. ]

[nicehobbit]

[ And the frown on his face deepens. Maybe it's not an absurd assumption to make, but he's still a little offended that Billy made it. ]

I hoped if I returned to the place I arrived, I could find something useful.

[notarat]

Oh.

[ There's not too much emotion in that 'oh', but there's some faint surprise, at least. It seems like that definitely was not a conclusion Billy had arrived at so far, and it does feel like a better reason than what he had just been saying.

Still not perfect, but-- you know. Better. ]

I can understand that. [ Whether it's because Frodo was looking for something from back home, or maybe some clue about how they appear or leave this place-- sure. ] But going around by yourself here isn't safe. It's better to ask someone to accompany you.

[nicehobbit]

[ Yes, asking a total stranger to come with him into the middle of nowhere sounds much safer. He opts to keep that thought to himself, though, because he's tired of this discussion now.

Some part in the back of his mind is also aware that Billy is right. So far, everyone he's met here has been kind and he already has some ideas about who he might be willing to trust enough to accompany him. But everything is wrong, and he misses Sam. ]

Then, could I ask you to accompany me back to Milton?

[notarat]

[ At least it doesn't seem like Billy has any objections to that. It would be kind of a silly thing to object to right after telling Frodo that he shouldn't be going around alone when there are threats out there..

So even though he might not exactly be the most social person around, Billy still agrees, nodding his head a little. ]

Of course.

[ He turns to start walking in the direction of where he knows Milton to be, though his pace starts off slow, like he's making sure Frodo catches up with him before Billy is walking off fully. ]

Hopefully these creatures are a temporary issue. Most threats seem to disappear here after a while-- other than the wildlife and the Darkwalker.

[nicehobbit]

[ The slower pace is appreciated for more than that reason. Frodo figures, then, that he can set the pace himself and he won't need to jog. ]

What is 'the Darkwalker'?

[ It sounds very ominous. ]

[notarat]

[ Considering Frodo is relatively new, Billy doesn't blame him or find him ignorant for not knowing this, at least. Especially when it feels like it has - thankfully - been such a long time since the last time the Darkwalker actively bothered the village. ]

It is some sort of.. entity. [ He says, slowly. Billy feels a little ridiculous using a word like that when he's usually such a down to earth person, but.. really, how else does one describe the Darkwalker of all things? ]

Like a monster, I suppose. A bad kind of legend. It seems to be displeased that we are here, and wants to get rid of us.

[nicehobbit]

[ He's silent for a few moments to think about it. That, and the voice that told him he doesn't belong here right before he woke up. ]

It's right, isn't it? We certainly should not be here.

[notarat]

In a sense.

[ At least Billy does seem to agree. As much as he's gotten kind of used to the weird supernatural shenanigans of this place, they are still pretty wild if he thinks about them too deeply.. Like how they were pulled to this place from other worlds entirely. How he was dead, and now he's alive.

Sometimes it's easier to not think too hard about that last one. ]

But that being seems to fail to take into account the fact that we did not ask to be brought here.

[nicehobbit]

Perhaps it is not free to take that into account.

[ An entity. A legend. Perhaps it has some role to play, some task to see to, which includes ... ensuring all is as it should be? ]

[notarat]

[ There's a slight pause on Billy's end. He turns his head to look at Frodo, cocking a curious eyebrow. ]

What do you think?

[ He doesn't necessarily seem skeptical of what Frodo is saying here, more just.. curious. It's not really something he's ever heard anyone else here bring up before.

Maybe the other is familiar with beings like these to some extent? ]

[nicehobbit]

Something on this island is very wrong. That may be why the Darkwalker is here. I believe our being here is one proof of everything that is wrong, therefore the Darkwalker wants us gone, no matter the cost.

[notarat]

Can you..

[ .. he starts, but then his voice trails off for a moment.

Billy might have gotten more used to supernatural nonsense in this place, but sometimes addressing it this directly still feels kind of ridiculous..

Still, he has to say it, even if he feels a little bit awkward. No other way to get the answer, after all. ]

Can you sense that something is wrong?

[nicehobbit]

You cannot?

[ He shakes his head a little. ]

It's nothing special. I am no elf. It is simply ... a feeling when I walk through Milton, and the conclusion I have made after being here a couple of days.

[notarat]

[ A feeling. Well, alright. Billy has certainly heard of stranger things than that, so he'll let Frodo have his feelings. It's not like he's necessarily wrong when there's always something up in this place.

The newly confusing part, instead, is-- ]

Why would you specify that you are not an elf?

[ Weird thing to someone who has literally never seen an elf before. ]

[nicehobbit]

[ That's not the question he expects, and he has to think about it for a few seconds. He just assumed, really, that if there were elves here they'd feel something else than what anyone else does. ]

Elves have many senses that I do not fully understand.

[notarat]

...

[ It does answer the question, but not really in the way Billy intended. It's why he has to pause to try and process this, before arriving at a very simple conclusion.

Yet it's a conclusion that's kind of breaking his brain, so maybe it's not that simple after all. ]

Elves.. exist where you come from?

[nicehobbit]

[ He looks at Billy like the man has lost his head. ]

Yes ...? You haven't heard of them?

[notarat]

Only in stories.

[ There's a beat, and then, perhaps a little more awkwardly since it feels ridiculous to even say out loud: ]

They aren't real. [ Another slight pause, and he has enough tact to add: ] Where I come from, I mean.