TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

[erkumods]

TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

00. 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. The Dragon's Matchmaking Welcome to the Island, cherub dragons! The auspicious actions of your fellow Islanders have foreseen the reintroduction of dragons to the world. Unlike the hulking, possessive creatures of ancient lore (and recent hot springs), these well-meaning little critters love to help. Their small size and roly-poly frames make them unsuited to laborious tasks, but they will be the perfect companion to any residents who endeavor to pick up a small item, wish for their lunch to be delivered to an absolute stranger, or need a fire started from a tiny, flaming sneeze in their drafty homes. If a cherub dragon sees an Islander they perceive in need of their assistance, they will zip right in and refuse to scram until they’ve done the job! No visible struggles? No problem! The little dragons also love to play matchmaker. Persistent dragons will gleefully nudge together Islanders they believe will have chemistry, and sometimes they aren’t wrong! Of course, even if sparks fail to fly, the dragons’ trilling songs are known to kindle romantic feelings between strangers and long-time lovers alike. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. Ruins While the Islanders have been enjoying their autumn relaxation, the ‘bots of Erku have been hard at work clearing the surrounding forests of dangers for their guests’ safe habitation. If you are of deft hand with monster slaying, forestry, or even just hauling debris and weed picking, the robots will gladly exchange credits for help with reconstructing the recently unearthed mountain temple grounds from the rubble that remains there. Just follow the path of gently glowing mushrooms to the site of the temple ruins. Beware of lurking creatures, grabby plants, and falling rocks! The temple ruins are tall and breathtaking, despite the eerie chill of the fog that lingers just beyond. Or is it the fog that sends a shiver up your spine? After all, this place was very spiritually important to the original inhabitants of the Island, the robots say to anyone curious enough to ask. Although their own programming does not include religious worship, the Augur believes the restoration of this place to be vital to the continued augmentation of Eros energy. When questioned about the strange shadows that seem to slip from tree to tree, or the unsettling feeling of ghostly hands that seem to nudge volunteers deeper into the grounds, the robots respond with nothing but bafflement. Their sensors detect no unknown organic presence afoot. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. Ritual Islanders who chase those mysterious shadows may find themselves particularly drawn to a structure that lay deeper within the ruins, beyond where the robots have made the most progress. Three sets of crumbling, moss-covered stairs join to form a central platform, which - despite the overcast skies - seems to emit a soft glow. Those who step onto the platform may begin to hear a quiet, compelling voice, which urges them to be free of their inhibitions and to offer their energy to the spirits to be multiplied hundredfold. Visions of naked bodies in the throes of carnal worship dance before the eyes. Those who are especially spiritually sensitive - or perhaps, just lucky - may feel as if possessed by a consciousness that is not their own, and that consciousness is filled with a burning sexual desire. Leaving the platform is an option if alone, but the intense and overwhelming urge to seek companionship will persist until an Auspicious Act is completed. Those who are fortunate to be joined by company within the temple will feel compelled to worship right then and there, no matter the risk of being seen. Within the walls of the temple, Eros energy is enhanced such that any erotic act - big or small - will be enough to break the spell. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

Joshua "Jasper" Dyllen | World of Darkness: Werewolf the Apocalypse OC

[mortidinally]

0. Wolf v Bots

[Some people might be startled by the fact that what seems to be a perfectly normal dog comes bounding out of the water, shaking his thick coat and spraying others that had finally begun to dry themselves. The dog himself looks like some sort of large German Shepherd/Siberian Husky mix, eyes a strangely intelligent and vibrant shade of greenish gold, almost more feline than canine. But the most striking thing about him is the pure white spot covering his left ear, standing out brightly against his otherwise consistently dark coat.

Once he's mostly shaken out the salt water he will be very eager not to actually let anyone touch him but is furiously sniffing every robot he can get close to. And... oh, sorry were you coming over to get a towel from this particular bot? Because yeah that would definitely be the dog coming up behind it and lifting a a leg to piss on the robot's legs. Oops.

Get Fucked, Augur.]

I. Dragons v Wolf

[For some reason it seems the cute little dragons have one person they're giving wide berth. It might be the vicious glare he keeps giving them but it certainly doesn't seem to deter them from others. Of course, there's just something about the man that is slightly unsettling. A kind of barely contained violence that is clear in his expressions and mannerisms, something that just feels off.

For people sensitive to that sort of thing he... almost seems to have a predatory aura around him, even curled up in an out of the way space with a sketchbook in hand, scribbling little doodles. There's just something... otherworldly and threatening about him. Clearly, approach with caution.]

III. Rituals? For Gaia.

[Anyone that sees Jasper slip into the ruins at all might find the precision with which he seeks out the ritual chamber a little unnerving. He seems to be a man on a mission, following the urging of shades that others can't make out, pausing now and then to cock his head, listening intently or... sniffing the air?

Once he steps into the chamber, however, his body language instantly changes. A stops short, green eyes flying wide and then promptly drifting out of focus. Prophetic dreams and visions gifted by Gaia herself are not new to him, though it has been quite some time. Stepping into this space, the shades and spirits lingering here eager to attempt to restore their world, it is only natural they reach out to him, just as he has had his sense open to them this entire time.

If one hadn't seen him slip into the dreamlike trance they might think it is merely how he is naturally, sitting on the center platform, calmly removing much of his clothing to reveal a body absolutely riddled with scars. Though many of the scars are expertly blended into beautiful elaborate tattoos. As soon as someone else steps foot into the chamber he is lifting a hand in their direction, though his words have the distant, hazy quality of one still in a dream.]

Come... The land is wounded... let us heal her, together.

Wolf v Bots

[devilstongue]

[ Of course that display immediately draws a snort from the purple demon-looking man(?) that's receiving said towel. At least he's quick enough on his feet to avoid getting any on himself.

Molly half-expects the robot to just absolutely destroy the dog - his recent encounter with a metal creature involved a lot more blades - but it seems like it just ignores it.

Huh.]

Good dog.

[mortidinally]

[The robot sure could try but... Jasper's pretty confident he could rip these things to pieces in a heartbeat. But the humor and the praise both have Jasper prancing around the robot a moment later, kicking sand back at it but careful not to fling any towards Molly.

So. You appreciate him, huh... weird purple being. Wow... hold the fucking phone he needs to sniff you because wtf?

He'll try to dance out of reach while still coming in close enough for a decent sniff, tail wagging lazily as he tries to get an idea of whether this is some sort of wyrm taint or just... weird.]

[devilstongue]

[ Oh, now the dog wants to say hello to him? Hopefully not in the same way... but it seemed nice enough to not fling sand in his direction.

Molly's definitely not touching, though. He likes his hands, okay?

Fiendish blood do run through his veins, even if it's heavily diluted. Almost like something evil licked him a lot? Plus there's quite a scent of blood under way too much incense and hints of ash. ]

Please don't eat my boots, they're already wet.

[mortidinally]

[Evil but not the same sick stench of corruption and pollution that came from the Wyrm. Which is strange enough as it is. Even vampires smell like the Wyrm. So. What in the hells does that make this guy?

The comment about his boots gets a decidedly un-canine sort of snort, a glance up and it almost seems like the dog is grinning for a moment... before immediately ducking back down, going for the aforementioned boots and- licking them? Almost like the childish urge to poke something when you've specifically been told not to touch it.

This dog definitely understands what you're saying Molly.]

[devilstongue]

[ Molly tries to... dance away a bit, tail swishing as he attempts to save his boots from dog slobber. This one seems a bit too smart just to be a dog, though, so he's fairly certain it's some kind of familiar. ]

Where's your wizard? Or are you just some dick with a magic spell?

[mortidinally]

[Jasper just flops over in the sand, still grinning, tongue lolling out of his mouth for a moment before he rights himself again. A moment to look around, ah... but there's too many people here on the beach. This guy clearly isn't human so that's not a concern but he doesn't know where he is so he's sure as hell not about to break the litany just because he's hopped over to some parallel dimension.

Maybe this is Mage shenanigans? Fuck.

So the dog... well, he winks at you Molly. Sorry not sorry. Then he's trotting off to duck into a tent as surreptitiously as possible. A moment later there's a man in many layers of grungy 90s clothes shuffling out of the tent, a hair tie caught between his teeth as he tries to fix his pony tail. The hair just above his left is bright white, despite the dark sable of the rest of his hair, just like the wolf's white spot of fur. And as he comes back over to Molly those vibrant green eyes are exactly the same. Just like the way he winks, finally tugging the elastic from his mouth to start twisting his hair through it.]

Okay, dude, but what the fuck are you?

[devilstongue]

[ The dog just... winked at him. Okay. That's new. For once Molly is speechless, just watching the animal fuck off into a tent and then a man exiting it.

Molly doesn't know a lot of things. It's part of his charm. Still, it's impossible to not understand what happened here.

The question is a little more common, though, and it doesn't bother him. ]

A strawberry ghost, obviously.

[ The amused smirk says that's definitely bullshit. ]