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

[devilstongue]

Gods damned... little monster!

[ Molly's holding his tail, glaring at the headless goose. It seems the bird had never seen an appendage like the before and immediately thought 'food'. ]

We're eating his entire family, as far as I'm concerned. How does it have teeth??

[ He has a lot more respect for farmers now, letting those devil birds walk around on their properties like that. ]

[halforc]

[ Laughing under his breath, he lays the dead bird down and beheads it, holding it by the feet so the blood falls on the ground and not him. ]

There, is that better? Now it doesn't have anything.

[ He pouts at the sight of that nipped tail. ]

Aw, did the big bad goose frighten the teeny weeny tiefling?

[devilstongue]

[ His tail flicks and Molly looks somewhere between amused and frustrated, followed just... kicking the blood a bit. All it does is make his boots messy, but whatever.

Glaring over at the group of geese, he moves a hand over towards them and the feather-eye on his neck pops and bleeds as he blinds one of them. ]

Shut up and get that one!

[ You know, the horrible goose thing with the now black and bleeding eyeballs. Which is totally worth using you maledict on. ]

[halforc]

That's a bit much, isn't it? Hells.

[ He heads over to put the poor creature out of its misery, beheading that one too. He shakes his head as he wipes off Summer's Dance on the grass, stashing it back in his belt, and takes a handful of goose-feathers to rip out before handing them to Molly. ]

Here, stop the bleeding on your neck with these.

[devilstongue]

We're allowed some overkill sometimes, right? See it as payback for my tail.

[ Now they have two geese and a really nice lunch-dinner.

Molly's eyebrows rise a bit as Fjord just rips a bunch of feathers out and.... aw. That's really sweet in a dumb way. ]

It already healed over. Part of the blood magic thing, you burst a vein, bleed everywhere and then it heals over. It didn't use to, but I guess I'm better at it now.

[ He taps the scars at his neck. ]

Appreciate the gesture, though.

[halforc]

Oh, well ...

[ He means to toss the feathers behind but they all whoosh up with the breeze and go everywhere and it looks stupid so never mind, hmm. ]

We should have a solid meal before we go anywhere, whatever's left of these we can pack up and take around with us tomorrow. Shall we head back to our luxurious homestead? It'll take the best part of an hour to get the birds ready for cooking.

[devilstongue]

[ Molly snorts again at the failed feather toss, and has to stop himself from hanging off of Fjord again as they start heading back. It was just second nature to him to have Yasha there to sate his tactile need (when she was around) and the weirdness of all of this immediately makes him even more touchy-feely. ]

Alrighty. You cook, I'll rip feathers?

[ About the same level of involvement, minus the soot for him. ]

[halforc]

Sure. It's been a hot minute since I cooked my own food though, I can't promise not to burn anything. The meal we had at Caleb's tower ...

[ Trailing off, he glances at Molly. He doesn't want to estrange him all over again. ]

It was nice.

[devilstongue]

Tell me more.

[ Molly counters with a small smile as he starts heading towards their strange, but at least safe home. ]

He's gotten really powerful, huh? Magical homes sound a lot better than dusty ones, even if I'm very fond of the privy.

[halforc]

Oh, there's a privy in the tower, it's downstairs. If you need extra privacy.

[ Which makes him laugh a little. He wonders what to tell him, where to start; with Caleb himself, perhaps. He and Fjord have had some deep talks since they first almost came to blows, there's almost no one Fjord trusts more. ]

Caleb's still a little awkward, but he's spent months creating this tower to be a safespace. Decorated all the rooms individually according to our tastes, made it so we can have a long rest somewhere outside of danger. It's incredible, I'm honestly blown away by how advanced his magic has become.

I bought him an Ioun stone as thanks.

[devilstongue]

[ He walks with a little smile, eyes on the road but taking in everything Fjord's saying. That Caleb grew in power was not surprising, but the difference between making a bigger fireball and making a whole home was different. ]

Tell me about your room? And what is an Ioun stone?

[ He's not as worldly as you guys! He's a wee carnie! ]

[halforc]

The stone makes him a little less of a squishy Wizard in combat, that's all. Hardier. It fucking better, it cost five-thousand-five-hundred fucking gold.

[ He will also trust Pumat. ]

As for my room ...

[devilstongue]

Five... five-THOUSAND gold?? That's... that's insane amounts of money.

[ Honestly, Molly's almost a little pale. Sure, they had a lot of money, more than he's ever seen in his life - but to buy something like that?? ]

What did you do, raid a dragon hoard?

[halforc]

A couple, kind of. We've fought a lot of weird shit and I've barely been spending anything, don't think too hard on it. [ Not going to mention how much his missing ring cost. ] Caleb was worth it.

[ Fjord was at a loss as to how to show his emotions, so obscene spending took their place. ]

Do you want to hear about my rooms or not?

[devilstongue]

That's...

[ He laughs, shaking his head. That was some supreme bullshit, or they really had done all these things, both were crazily impressive. ]

I can't believe I've missed this... I'm going to be so mad when I get back.

[ Molly gives Fjord a pat. ]

Yes, yes. Please tell me about your magical room of wonders and amazement. Don't tell me about mine, I want it to be a surprise.

[halforc]

[ That spare room isn't much to describe so he'll just avoid mentioning it isn't really Molly's, he's not that tactless. ]

I share a floor with Jester and Beau, there's an anchor on my door so you know it's mine. Inside, he made it look like a ship's cabin with portholes and a stained glass window of a ship at sea. There's a table that looks like the altar-top of a sea-witch's lair we visited, he put some books on it.

[ Not that Fjord has read Tusk Love or anything. ]

There's a meditation room with a map of the Menagerie Coast on one wall and a statue of the Wildmother opposite, and the bedroom has a four-poster as well as a hammock and bathtub, the latter perpetually filled with hot water.

[devilstongue]

[ Molly smiles like a child at all these descriptions, loving the way Caleb has just... done this. For Fjord. For everyone, just... all wonderfully made rooms with deep thought behind them.

For all the wonders, though, he utterly moans at the last part. ]

Oh, gods.... let me have that and I'd be the happiest person in Exandria.

[ Never-ending bath? Yes please. ]

[halforc]

[ He thinks about the stained glass window in the main room, the one that looked like Molly's coat. How Caleb made that so central. ]

Tell you what. You pluck these birds and then you can test out that fancy tub with the taps while I get dinner going, like I said. Go get your relax on.

How about it?

[devilstongue]

That would be amazing, but I have no idea where to warm water, and we're down a fire mage.

[ Molly shrugs a bit, smiling. It would have been wonderful, but he's happy they even have water in this strange city. ]

I can wait until we have a fireplace and things going in that house, I don't think I even saw one.

[halforc]

Well, the taps said hot and cold on them. So ... well, let's see if those are empty promises when we get back.

[ Because oh, yeah, Molly can't read. Funny the things that Fjord has forgotten. ]

[devilstongue]

[ There's a pause at that while Mollymauk just stares at his friend, before he takes off running towards their house. ]

Hurry up, slowpoke!

[halforc]

... I shouldn't have told him that.

[ Taking off at a quick stride so the bloody geese don't drip over his boots, he makes his way after Molly back to their new house. He heads into the back garden, sitting on the back step as he starts plucking the birds; there's no point holding Molly to his word when the words "hot water" have been spoken, and that's okay. ]

[devilstongue]

[ Molly's boots have been hopped out of and his clothes tossed all over the place, and there's already a sound of water running from above when Fjord catches up. However, just ten minutes later, a tiefling slinks down next to Fjord, wearing his pants and shirt.

His hair is wet, and he seems cleaner, but he's somehow here instead of simmering like a purple potato, reaching for the second bird. ]

The second knob doesn't work. It gets lukewarm at best, so at least we'll be clean.

[ This is a broken man that eventually needs to find out there's a bathhouse in town. ]

[halforc]

[ Prepared for an hour spent alone, he's surprised to see Molly and keeps a clamp on his amusement, seeing him so dispirited. Simple soul, simple needs. Poor sod. ]

Oh, no. [ That sounded genuine, right? ] You smell a lot nicer, though. Still a win?

[devilstongue]

I suppose it's better than to be a sweaty mess after our bird hunt. Still, I feel like I got my heart broken!

[ Molly dramatically sighs while ripping feathers from the goose's chest, saving some in his lap as he does. Maybe they could make another pillow, after all. They were on a really nice gold mine of quills in these wings and tail feathers, too, so he keeps those as well.

His tail is flicking slightly as he cleans the bird, like an annoyed cat that wasn't given their treat today. ]

These look nice enough to make me feel better, though. Grapes or not, still starving.