TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER

[erkumods]

TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER

Arrival This time, you come out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore. Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals will be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card is already loaded up. Feel free to explore the Island, though there isn’t much to see. Most of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair, and beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. With that in mind, it may be wise to stake your claim on a rundown apartment, a tent on the beach, or a bed in the "comfortable" new barracks. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● I. Harvest Hunt As the daylight grows shorter and the muggy heat of the island’s summer gradually shifts to temperate days and chilly nights, Erku’s accessible wilderness explodes with a colorful collection of tempting fruits, fragrant-smelling herbs, and nuts and seeds plumped and ready for harvest. With warnings to beware of monsters, the robots of Erku encourage Islanders to take advantage of the land’s bounty by distributing basic camping supplies to those who are interested in exploring, hunting, and harvesting. They strongly encourage making the journey with a friend! Any surplus foods that Islanders bring home with them can be exchanged for credits with cafeteria robots! Just be careful out there - some of these fruits have strange effects once consumed. For extra protection out there in the wilds, the robots have fashioned crowns of flowers or foliage to wear on their adventures. The sweet and herbal smells from the crowns will discourage most Erku-native monsters from approaching, they assure - this is ancient knowledge from the planet’s long-gone civilization, so it can’t be wrong! What the robots don’t know is that the crowns have a deeper, more ritualistic purpose: after a few hours, the scent of flowers or herbs begins to awaken primal instincts within the wearer. Those who are wearing the foliage crowns feel overwhelmed by an urge to hunt, while those who wear the flower crowns delight in every opportunity to tease, outrun, and outwit the hunters. What happens when the chase ends? Well, that depends on the personalities and the chemistry between the hunters and their prey. While the robots are very insistent on placing crowns atop the heads of any Islander they see, they aren’t stuck on in any way and they are easy to remove, which can prevent or break the hunting trance. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. seeds and sap Of particularly high credit value, the robots explain, is an elusive flower known as the skull sunflower. It appears exactly as one might imagine: at the center of an otherwise innocuous, towering sunflower is the gruesome visage of an open-mouthed skull. Don’t worry, the flowers are harmless! Even if it’s strange how the empty-socketed eyes seem to follow your every move. And why is it that the teeth - which, on closer inspection, are actually the seeds of the flower - only seem to chatter when your back is turned? Any Islander who can withstand their heebie-jeebies long enough to collect the petals and seeds from the flowers will fetch a handsome reward in credits upon exchange with the robots. Beware the sticky, blood-red sap that seeps from the eyes of each skull, however. Those who absorb too much through their skin will begin to hallucinate, visions of frightening or emotional events from their past dancing in the shadows. One might even mistakenly imagine that another Islander is someone they recognize from their past, someone who meant something to them - no matter whether that person is alive or dead in the present. The hallucinogenic effects of the sap can last for hours, or they can be shortened by a dip in the public baths. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. Tarot Night comes, and in the darkness, a robot sets up a table by the beach. A solitary candle sits in the center, illuminating a deck of cards. F̶i̴n̵d̸ ̸y̶o̸u̸r̵ ̵f̵o̸r̷t̵u̶n̶e̷?̴ The robot reveals tarot cards and will do a variety of spreads to tell your fortune. Each fortune can be distilled into one central theme, which characters will find pervades their life for the next 24 hours. There is magic afoot: it can be sensed, and perhaps even dispelled, if luck is on your side. Though most robots on the island show a capacity for greater-than-average artificial intelligence, this pseudo-psychic 'bot -- M.S. Cl30 -- is less advanced. It only has six interpretations prepared: Always watch your back. - Characters will be compelled to walk, or even speak, backwards for the duration of the day. Those who mishear it as "wash your back" may spend longer in the shower than usual. Fake it til you make it. - Characters will feel compelled to act performatively. They will more readily fall into acts for serious or flirtatious roleplay, or try on costumes that reflect a particular persona they're interested in exploring. Faked orgasms will seem quite realistic. You will receive an affectionate letter from a friend. - Just as it is said, someone will be compelled to engage in correspondence - and whether it turns dirty or not, well, that's up to you! Characters may also quite literally receive an article of clothing with a red letter sewn on the top. What could it stand for? Hold on tight. - Characters who are given this life advice will start to feel rather clingy. They'll attach themselves to someone's side and refuse to leave, or they may find a "security blanket" item and won't let it go. You are a generous, giving person. - Characters will feel compelled to do something kind for someone else. Maybe they'll invite someone to the movies, come over and cook, or do that thing their partner is always asking for. Don't think. Feel. - Even if they weren't before, characters temporarily experience impulsive and hot-headed urges. They will also become very tactile. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

[gradual]

Well, you know as well as I do that holding grudges is a thing that runs in our family. Isn't that why we spent all those years running from our father? ( it's not as if niklaus can forgive and forget either. didn't he make that poor girl's life a living hell? had her running and hiding for centuries? what was her name? the doppelgänger. )

Luckily for you, it is entertainment that I seek. Yours and mine. ( decades spent in a coffin asleep. of course he'd be itching to have fun. ) I have to admit, I was hoping I'd see Rebekah before anyone else. Our dear sister would appreciate being here. But—better you than Elijah. I'm bored enough as is. ( he goes to sit on a fallen tree trunk, looking every bit at home on the island. kol's been here for a little over a month now. it's the longest he's ever been away from his family, and just as he'd always imagined, he's enjoying it. they should have parted ways centuries ago. sticking together hadn't done him any good. )

[rewild]

Oh well, in that case, here I am to make your existence that much better, Kol [ he spreads his arms, tilting his face up to the sun. he has to admit, that does feel nice after what seemed like the eternal doom and gloom of new orleans.

maybe he can work on his tan. klaus doesn't know if he's ever had a tan before. today would be a good day to start, wouldn't it?

sighing, he looks back at kol and moves to uncap the bottle. ]

Go ahead then. [ he gestures at kol with a flick of his wrist. ] Tell me what this place is and why I am here. And I suppose you can fill me in on what you've been doing too. Maybe I'm a little interested.

[gradual]

( kol lets out an easy grin. his post-coffin life has been nothing but a blast. there's not much to frown about lately. he's even found himself a new orleans witch to play with and not just any witch, but a descendent of mary-alice herself—who happens to be quite fond of him. however he's not going to mention davina to klaus. not after what his brother did to mary-alice and astrid; trapping them in the fauline cottage and worse still—taking away his paragon diamond. yet another thing he'll never forgive. )

We're here because apparently this island could use a little beautification. Although, honestly, I don't mind how it looks in its current state. ( he shrugs, having not bothered to contribute a thing so far, even if he has cleared out a couple of squares here and there on his card. ) Anyways, we are trapped with no way out. And if it's magic that's keeping us here, it's not anything I'm familiar with. ( and he knows plenty. )

You're not going to start huffing and puffing, are you? It would be a waste of your breath.

[rewild]

Beautification? [ klaus peers around, genuinely confused about that. while this might not be his ideal vacation spot, it does look rather nice and exactly like a spot that unimportant people might travel to with their hard earned money.

it's cute. quaint. klaus hates it but if kol is to be believed, there is nothing he can do about it.

that isn't going to stop klaus from trying, though. ]

Are you saying I've been brought here for manual labor? [ well, that's boring. and here he thought this might be an adventure. ] I'll admit I left my toolbelt back at the compound. Guess I'll have to sit this one out.