singillppl | December 2023 Test Drive Meme

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December 2023 Test Drive Meme

DECEMBER 2023 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 — not to mention the fact they are not the first to come here.

PROMPT TWO — MISTY FALLS CAVE: The Interlopers go out in search of a hidden cave in the mountains found by Methuselah, which may still contain the hidden stash of a doomsday prepper. However, they get a little more than they bargained for when they venture inside.

PROMPT THREE — SERPENT'S BREATH: Interlopers investigate the mysterious cause of whatever is killing and poisoning the wildlife and vegetation of the area — and discover a supernatural creature is behind it.

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

WHEN: Mid-Decmber.
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.

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. You look around, it seems like no one has been here in a long time. The fire is cold, the dishes in the sink are pretty mouldy. 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.

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.

It’s possible you may come across someone here. Another fellow Interloper, 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. Civilisation…?

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 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.

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.

“Ah, even more, still. Just as I thought.” he muses. “I wonder if this is perhaps the new status quo. 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. They bring more of you every so often. 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, 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 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 and coffee, along with soup and stew and trays of charred deer and rabbit meats, plus grilled fish. There's also things like instant mashed potatoes, and tinned vegetables. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast, although newcomers will note from others who have been here some time that this particular feast is less bountiful this time.

Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks. 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 is troubled, thoughtful.

He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the time and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much, but perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.

However, he will speak of something important, and will gladly share with others: “I have been looking for something for you all. There was once a townsfolk I knew of: Matthew. A suspicious, paranoid old miner who was interested in Prepping. He often spoke of the world coming to an end and strived to survive it. He often spoke of a cache hidden in the mountains, where he collected things of value. I have found the place, a hidden cave, but I am unable to get through, myself.”

… Well, he is an old man, after all.

“There are signs outside, so it is promising it is still intact. Perhaps the cache is still there. It might provide something useful for your growing numbers.”

MISTY FALLS CAVE

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards.
WHERE: Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: booby traps; claustrophobic situations; potential injury/maiming; potential hyperthermic situations; exploration horror;

Methuselah gives directions to those willing to check out the lead for the old prepper cache. Following the river up from Milton Basin will lead to rugged, difficult pathways up towards Misty Falls — a waterfall, the river source itself. Most of the river is completely frozen with the freezing temperatures, but it is not completely so the closer to the source you go. Misty Falls is certainly idyllic, or it would be perhaps on a fine summer’s day — good for a nice hike. But the place looks desolate in the eternal winter cursing the Northern Territories.

The half-frozen waterfall is a din of sound, but the water itself is incredibly fresh and cooling for those hot and tired from the hike up. Those paying attention might notice a small space between the water and rock, big enough to squeeze through to get behind the waterfall itself. In the small space, the entrance to a small cave can be found. There are faded handmade signs, all in the same hand, reading ‘DANGER KEEP OUT’ and it isn’t too far of a stretch to wonder if perhaps this might be the secret stash of the old miner that Methuselah spoke of.

Venturing into the cave will not be an easy task. It seems the old miner was keen to keep any trespassers out, and most of this comes down to the cave itself. The walls of the cave quickly narrow, with only enough space to walk in single file. Jutting stone will easily make those stumble and trip. Occasionally the cave’s passage becomes narrower, meaning one might have to stoop or even crawl to carry on through. Here and there, the uneven floor dips, and your feet will find themselves in shin-deep frigid water. It’s slow-going, even if the actual passage itself isn’t incredibly long.

But perhaps the worst of all is the pressing darkness. A darkness so black even with lanterns switched off, one’s eyes cannot adjust to it. It is smothering, pressing. The air is stale and damp, you feel small — and the cave itself still presses in on you. The miner also kept a few tricks up his sleeve in order to keep out intruders. There are dead-ends, making it easy to get lost. Trip wires are hidden in the darkness, causing small man-made cave-ins to fall upon unsuspecting heads.

It might be safer, saner to give up and turn back. But persevering will see the cave opening up once more, this time widening into a room. The place is fashioned into some crude shelter. There is furniture, lanterns to be lit.

With more light, the miner’s stash is revealed: the painstaking, time-costing work of a paranoid old recluse. Crates of non-perishable foods, MREs, and bottled water. Medicines and basic medical supplies, flares and tools.

A perfect supply of survival goods, ripe for the taking.

SERPENT'S BREATH

WHEN: Throughout the month.
WHERE: The entirety of the Milton area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: mentions of dead animals; malevolent creature; snakes/serpents; poison/airborne toxins; potential poisonings; potential burn injuries; potential (temporary) blinding.

It’s noticed in different ways: perhaps a trail of dead animals stands before you, each one with no particular injury other than what appears to be burned hides and flesh — it is as if the wildlife simply dropped dead, for the most part. Perhaps you notice huge, tunnel-like grooves in the deepest parts of the snow, a few feet in width — as if something long and thick had made its way through to clear a path. More worryingly for some, they might notice trails of rot: destroyed trees, decaying plant life, as if the very earth itself has been scorched in the wake of something passing through, leaving nothing but destruction and devastation.

Something is destroying the flora and fauna of the world. There seems to be no pattern, simply the random trails all over the place. There appears to be no other tracks, other than the long, smooth tunnel-like pathways. Whatever it is, it must be stopped. Resources are so precious in this world, if the beast is allowed to continue then all who live here will soon starve due to lack of animals to hunt and plants to gather.

Following the tunnels is a sure-way to hunt the beast down, although these paths will lead far from town. It is best to go prepared. But soon enough, you may come across the slumbering beast, curled up on the snow or coiled underneath some jutting space of stone along the mountains. You’ll hear and smell it before you see it: the long grumbling snores as it sleeps, and the putrid stench of rot. Everything in you tells you to flee, much like when an animal senses something toxic, or poisoning.

You press on, finally stumbling across the beast: a long, serpent-like dragon, with tremendous horns and fangs, coloured with muted grey scales and huge, glowing, flamed eyes.

The element of surprise will work in your favour to try and kill the beast, but it will give up a good fight. It will take several rounds of fights with it before it will finally be taken down permanently. It moves quickly, with scales like steel. Its eyes and mouth are its weakest spots, as is the soft underbelly of its body — fire will work well on harming this beast, especially with a well aimed shot into its mouth.

Its open mouth is where it holds its most powerful weapon. Not the fangs, no. The very reason why the air smells of rot, why the wildlife lay dead, why the earth decays at your feet: its breath. The beast’s breath is highly toxic, it will burn the skin of those it comes into contact with. Breathing in the fumes will poison those who breathe it in, and will cause a weakening, sickly illness. The breath may even temporarily blind.

These injuries are not fatal, and will heal with time and the basic medical attention available in the world. Victims will require rest for at least a week, depending on how severe the blast of the serpent’s breath. But killing the best will ensure its havoc is brought to an end.

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.

MISTY FALLS CAVE

1. Tools found would be basic survival/camping tools one might expect: knives, hand axes, rope, handsaws, torches, batteries, etc.

SERPENT'S BREATH

1. The Stoor Worm, or Mester Stoor Worm, was a gigantic evil sea serpent of Orcadian folklore, capable of contaminating plants and destroying animals and humans with its putrid breath. Assipattle, the youngest son of a local farmer, defeated the creature by flinging still-burning peat into its mouth. As it died its teeth fell out to become the islands of Orkney, Shetland and the Faroes, and its body became Iceland.

2. It is possible the harvest the beast once it is killed, particularly for its fangs and skin. The skin/scales will provide ample protection to try to use it for armouring themselves. The fangs would provide useful for crafting knives or weapons.

3. It is... technically possible to eat the meat of the beast. Care should be taken in butchering, however. And it is not advised to eat the head.

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Arrival

[Chloe had been enjoying a pizza with her friends in a crowded square, luxuriating in the warm glow of the best thing she's ever done, when everything around her had suddenly lit up, then went dark. So she can't exactly be blamed for ignoring the cold at first upon waking up in the tiny cabin, assuming one of her rivals in India had locked her up somewhere. She barely checks her surroundings at all before slamming her fists on the cabin's wooden door, yelling threats and curses at whoever's keeping her in here.

It's pretty embarrassing when the door falls open immediately. Hopefully no one saw that.

The blast of cold from outside is as shocking as it is confusing, and knocks her back into the cabin. The chances of survival out there in a thin T-shirt and jeans for more than a few minutes are pretty much nil, but staying here isn't an option. This place has been pretty thoroughly looted, but hopefully the moth-eaten wool blanket crumpled up at the foot of the rickety looking bed will be enough to get her to civilization, or at least cell service.

Anyone on the trail may encounter a shivering woman with bruises on her face, wearing a blanket cloak and talking to herself.]

Okay. You can do this, Chloe. One foot in front of the other.

Methuselah's feast

[So. She's found civilization, but sadly cell service isn't going to be a thing. Chloe's seen too many post-apocalyptic movies to eat mysterious food from a friendly but reticent old stranger in a creepy little town like this. She does accept a tin cup of tea against her better judgement, nods her way through the prepper story - is it really paranoia when the shit obviously has since hit the fan? - and then parks her ass by the fire to try and warm herself up, cup in one hand and a small bronze teardrop-shaped figure she's produced from the bag at her hip in the other.

She's looking at the figure, a representation of the Hindu god Ganesh, seemingly lost in thought, so anyone passing nearby might be surprised when she speaks to them:] Who's in charge around here, anyway? What's up with grandpa?

Misty Falls

[Chloe's not really the altruistic type, but as someone who's just arrived getting first dibs at whatever this miner's left behind is appealing. Hopefully her fellow spelunkers aren't too uptight about it. It's also a great opportunity to get herself kitted up in case she needs to split later.

The group stops at the first homemade "danger" sign, and she turns to them with a grin.]

Oh, this is going to be fun. Piece of cake.

[She may not be the altruistic type but she is the overconfident type for sure. Sorry to whoever is going to have to save her from a trap later.]

Wildcard

[Chloe will be around town, trying to get the lay of the land, being annoying, maybe trying to nick anything unattended that looks useful. Feel free to find her anywhere, catch her stealing, or hit me up at

nonhoration with any ideas.]

Louis is used to someone in a reverie addressing him. He and his little family had vampiric senses and picked up on the most tiny changes in breath and shuffling of fingers. They just don't act like humans when they're alone. So, the man wearing his long woolen coat indoors has to process his little moment of déjà vu before he bookmarks the page in his novel and answers,

"No one in charge, miss, but a few of us have started on some ventures. Rabbit farm. Library. No idea what's up with him. He don't mix much. Leaves to go who knows where. Food's good, no fatalities, if you're worried about that sort of thing," he says helpfully.

He seems friendly enough, with indefatigable Southern charm designed to weather hurricanes, but quietly pensive as well. The cold (and lack of readily available sources of fresh blood) leaves him tired and the bright green of his eyes lackluster.

"Louis de Pointe du Lac, miss." It's rude not to introduce himself.

Chloe surreptitiously slips the little figure back into her bag and barks a loud laugh.

“Rabbit farm! Oh my, we’re living large, aren't we?” They’ll circle back around to the library later. If it's any good that might be more her scene.

“Is that what the meat is? Rabbits?” She's not as concerned about fatalities right now as she is about consuming something she might regret in a more philosophical sense later, but the endorsement’s not bad. “Well, I'll keep it in mind. Tea’s decent, all things considered.”

Chloe’s never been to the US, but Nate and Elena are based out of New Orleans now and the few salvage crew guys she's overheard on the phone sound kind of like this guy. Though they seemed more likely to be named something like Jimbo Johnson than like Mr Fancy Pants here.

“Louis. Chloe Frazer. Just got here but I'm assuming that's obvious.” She extends her free hand.

All sorts have come to New Orleans over the years, and the names range from Johnson to Laveau to Moreno. There are as many subtly varied accents as there are recipes for gumbo. Louis's is indelible, but light, his culture and class affected and chameleon-like.

"Pleasure, Miss Chloe." He shakes her hand. The hold of his well-shaped fingers isn't too tight. His nails are unusually sharp and shiny, like a strange manicure.

"Good folks here make do, but we are in the middle of nowhere." He'll hear no slander against Tim or his bunnies, unless it's himself making fun of them. "Meat is anythin' people can get. Rabbit, deer, coon, fish..."

He decides not to mention the rats. That's mostly his thing anyway, and just the blood. They're there, they're pests, easier to catch in the comfort of his own home.

Chloe notes the nails - she takes care of hers in the wild too but it does hint toward priorities - and laughs as she's pulling her own hand back.

“Just Chloe is fine, no need to be formal about it. I'm not fussy about game meat, I've just seen this movie before, yeah? You get to a desolate farm in an empty world and a weird old man serves you mystery meat until one day you wake up in the barn with your legs missing.”

She's not sure whether there are barns here or not, but he gets the idea.

"Eclectic taste in pictures, miss... You don't have to stay in the Community Hall. I didn't. It's just what a lot of folks do until they get their bearings."

Louis wonders if he will get used to people telling him he's formal by their standards. In contrast, some of the Victorian folks he's met make him feel like he's sitting down to dinner with his mother and her friends.

"Lot of buildings abandoned in town. You have your pick of whatever you can fix up. All the previous residents died of mysterious causes, right around when the weather got weird."

“Oh! Houses where people died of mysterious causes, even better!” Even without the kidnapping all of this would smell funny.

“Weird how? The snow?” Isn’t this Canada? It's supposed to snow there.

Chloe Frazer | Uncharted (game)

Methuselah's feast

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Arrival/wild card?

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Wildcard!

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