he ate my heart

[reddosmod]

AUGUST 2022 EVENT

EXTRA WARNING:

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: The shore line lit up by some sort of bioluminescent organism. ]
[Image Two: A sunken pirate ship covered in algae, seaweed, and suffering from wood rot. ]

Prompt Two
[Image One: A tentacle wrapping around a persons hand. ]
[Image Two: A close up of someone's shoulder which is turning black and cracked and dripping water. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A statue of a human face, split in half, with a golden devil mask between the two halves. ]
[Image Two: A number of golden hands reaching up for a white sphere. ]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

WE GLOW SO DIM

WHEN: August
WHERE: The Ocean
CONTENT WARNINGS: Deep diving, possible drowning, possible death

---

Early on in the month, the waves start to have a strange look to them. They seem a little brighter, even at night, and it's then that it hits you: the waves are glowing. It's easy to at first to brush it off as the bioluminescence of certain types of plankton, but the way it moves and sparkles has an other-worldly quality to it that can't be explained by science. Those who look even closer at the glow will notice that it seems to be forming some sort of path into the watery depths.

Those who choose to follow the path despite the angry waves and awful storms that plague the seas this month will find that the ocean seems to be at its calmest along these illuminated, watery roads. Diving down to follow them won't require any equipment, as Sleepers will find that staying within the glowing path allows them to breathe under water when they might normally not have been able to. The pressure changes don't seem to be impacting anyone who follows the light either, allowing them access to deeper depths of the ocean than may have previously been explored.

Continuing to follow the path will lead Sleepers to a series of ship wrecks under the water. These ancient vessels are rotted and covered in seaweed, but anyone who is familiar with the cultures of Earth will notice that they seem to come from all over the world and their styles vary by multiple centuries. But all the ships seem to be covered in this same, strange glow that has brought people here.

Exploring the ships will lead to multiple different discoveries. There are chests filled with ancient artifacts: carvings of squids, statues of various sea creatures that feel a little off somehow, and stones carved with a strange text that is almost impossible to decipher. The artifacts are covered in strange, rust-looking stains that penetrate deep into the materials they're made of. These artifacts can be brought back to shore, and if someone were to try and ask the Trenchies what the writing said, they would only be able to say that these are clearly texts of the Old Ones from long before any recorded history that Trench has in its Archives. When asked about the sea creatures, they'll think it's obvious: these are Mariana's various forms from over the years. The off qualities are her unique takes as a Pthumerian on the creatures of the ocean.

Prolonged exposure to these statues of Mariana will cause people to become more bluntly honest, more open with their emotions, and often much more prone to large outbursts from said emotions, both good and bad. However, Sleepers who keep these statues near them will also find that they are able to keep more control of their blood powers. It's up to each individual if it's a worthy trade off.

If you leave the path, two things can happen: Sleepers will either turn into their squid selves and can continue to swim or they will drown. There will be nothing of interest outside of these paths, just typical ocean creatures, and maybe some of those monsters that have been crawling out of the watery depths as of late.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

MONSTER WITHIN

WHEN: August
WHERE: All over
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body horror, mentions of potential cannibalism/vore, possible death, contagious curse

---

Soon after people start to explore the ships, a strange occurrence will start to sweep through the city. Locals start to mutter something about a curse, one that seems to only be impacting Sleepers. The early signs that there's something off is an increase in strength and stamina. For example, Sleepers will find that they might go to pick up a chair or a mug and it shatters in their hands. Some people may find that they are incapable of sleeping. Others might find they're able to move quicker and for longer periods than normal.

If they look themselves over, they will start to find small patches of skin that have started to gray and blacken. These patches will be cracked, almost scaley, and will be consistently damp no matter how hard you try to dry them off. As time passes, this odd rash will start to spread, taking over more and more of the body. The torso might start to swell and distort, making Sleepers feel particularly top heavy. And eventually, suckers will start to form on the arms and legs.

This curse isn't beasthood in its usual forms; instead, it seems to be some sort of malady in of the magical blood that Sleepers have been granted. If the blood of an infected Sleeper is looked at under a microscope, there will be black patches clinging to the cells, similar to the patches that people see on their skin. If it isn't stopped, the person suffering from the curse will ultimately turn into a monstrous form of their squid-selves: these monster forms are large, aggressive, and able to move on land. They will feel a hunger for destruction and some Sleepers may find in these forms that they are only satisfied if they feed on other, uncursed Sleepers.

There are two ways to lift the curse. One is through a thorough blood transfusion with a blood type that is compatible with your own. This becomes more difficult to do the closer to the monstrous form people get, both due to aggression from the curse, and also due to the fact that the black patches of skin are highly difficult to puncture. Once the blood is completely replaced by fresh blood, the skin patches will disappear over 48 hours and the Sleeper will be left feeling thoroughly exhausted.

The second way to lift the curse is through death. While these monster squid forms are difficult to kill, it is not impossible, and they are particularly susceptible to magic over weapons. Once a Sleeper has died, they can be reborn, and their blood will be completely free of the curse.

The blood malady can be spread outside of those who come into contact with the ship wrecks. People who touch a cursed Sleeper, particularly the scaley patches of skin, will also run the risk of being cursed. It takes roughly a week for the signs of the curse to show, and can spread as slowly or as rapidly as players choose.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

LAVISH DESIRES

WHEN: August
WHERE: All over
CONTENT WARNINGS: Personality changes, mental manipulation, hoarding, obsessive anxiety, disassociation, depersonalization

---

The high waves seem to just be getting higher at the beginning of the month. Rougher and rougher seas start to cause something anyone who's lived around water will be familiar with: flash floods. These floods are large, powerful, and fill the streets of Trench. First-floors of buildings may get extreme damage, though they can be protected with physical and magical barriers if people are smart about it. The floods happen multiple times throughout the month without warning, so it may be good to get that protection built up sooner rather than later.

The after effects of these floods aren't just structural devastation though. People who get caught up in the water, particularly those who end up swallowing it, will have one word echoing in their mind on a regular basis: More.

More of what? That seems to be different for each individual. Maybe one person wants more and more food, anything from an extra slice of cake after dinner, to wanting to stuff themselves until they just might pop. Or maybe they want to hoard all of their favorite objects or pieces of clothing, filling more and more of the space in their homes until they're ready to burst at the seems. Some might find it's their emotions that come in excess, with over the top anger, or irregular excitement that leaves them unable to sleep for days. Anything and everything can come in excess and it certainly seems to be this month. Some people may get these obsessive needs to such a degree that they start to feel disconnected from themselves, fractured by the overabundance that has taken over their lives.

If people ignore these desires, they'll start to find they're plagued by hallucinations. Strong, life-like visions that riddle them with anxiety and leave them petrified of what might happen if they don't partake in this gluttonous behavior. They'll feel shaken to the core and slowly go mad with need and desire for whatever it is they've been craving. This feeling of madness can make them become violent, lashing out at those around them, even killing those who try and help them out of belief that they're trying to force them to give in to their vices.

The impact of the water will wear off either after one week without re-exposure, or by using a Moon Drop to help to cleanse the mind.

[JUMP TO TOP]

CODING

Comments

Scorpia

[cuddlery]

A. A Deep Adventure

[Scorpia watches the waves light up with a sense of wonder and curiosity.]

It looks like... a path... [And paths are meant to be followed. She smiles and props her pincers on her sides.]

You smell that? That's the smell of adventure? ...Actually it's mostly seawater. But you know what I mean!

[She then heads right off into the glowing part of the water to check this out! Feel free to join her, or try to stop her - or jump ahead to either exploring the ship with her, or even further to when she's returned to the surface and is looking over a statue of some off-looking scorpion!]

B. Squidia

[Things seem normal initially after Scorpia's little underwater adventure. But then, some things seem off. It starts off small - as Scorpia finds herself breaking things more easily. Accidentally breaking off a doorknob here, or crushing a bag of supplies there... She tries to laugh it off with a meek smile.]

Whoops! Guess I don't know my own strength. ...Which is strange, because normally I do know it!

[Or come across her later, when suckers have started appearing on her body, and she's gradually becoming a bit more monstrous...]

C. Wildcard

[Feel free to come up with an alternate prompt or hit me up for plotting!]

Wildcard! (Middle of the month)

[imaglyphwitch]

[It had been a long, hard last month, and Luz was hoping this one was going to be a lot less intense. That was before, of course, all the flooding. First she had to work on making sure their OWN house was not going to get lasting water damage, and then she had to doubly make sure that the barn wasn't impacted or scared the animals too much. Then, of course, there were other places in Trench where she was trying to help, and by the time it was the middle of the month, Luz was pretty exhausted.

This particular day, Luz had decided to curl up on the couch to rest her eyes, and without really thinking on it, she had blinked herself right out of her body. When she realized she'd done this, Luz sighed inwardly and decided to let her physical body take a rest while she took a moment to float about restlessly.

Little did she know, a friend of hers she hadn't seen in a bit was actually not too far behind].

[cuddlery]

[Scorpia was at a bit of a loss. She thought she was resting for a nap... but now here she is, still feeling very awake. Just not sure of where she is.

But what she does know is that she sees a familiar face drifting around.]

Luz? [She says with a confused wave.]

[imaglyphwitch]

Scorpia!

[And even though they're outside of their bodies and exploring that, Luz goes for the hug. When it came to Scorpia, she always went for the hug].

No way! I didn't know you could do this too!

[cuddlery]

[She laughs and has her arms right open for a big hug too! Maybe if they're both out of their bodies it'll work?]

I didn't know I could do this either! ...Or what it is that I'm doing at all! What... what are we doing?

A

[tealeafs]

W-Wha-- Scorpia..!

[ Apparently Chizuru is not quite as excited about this adventure idea as her friend is. On the other hand, it's honestly mostly because the idea of going into the sea kind of worries her.. There has to be something up with it if it's glowing like that!

And the water has been so wild already all month that she can't help but worry-- ]

What if there's a monster down there?!

[ Please tell her Scorpia is still above the water enough to hear her. ]

[cuddlery]

Chizu!

[She's only in almost up to her knees when Chizuru calls out to her. She looks back casually with a smile and waves a pincer.]

Oh, it'll be fine. If there's anything bad down there, I'll try to stop it, or I'll run away. Either way, it'll be handled. I've got this!

[tealeafs]

[ .. Chizuru won't deny that Scorpia is strong. And cool. If anyone could handle a monster, it'd probably be her. Chizuru is Scorpia's #1 supporter when it comes to this..!!

Except.. she also knows that sometimes the dangers here are too strong for anyone to handle. Even for the most amazing people, like brave, casual Scorpia over here. It makes the girl still stand on the sand for a moment, chewing her lower lip with nerves for the other's fate. ]

I-I..

[ This is a bad idea.

Chizuru knows it's a bad idea, and yet she says it anyway. It's for her friend's sake..! She can't let Scorpia go on her own if it's dangerous! Even if there's not much Chizuru can do, she at least makes for a good meatshield.. ]

I'll come with you..! You shouldn't go by yourself!

[cuddlery]

Oh! You want to join in?

[She sounds eager about the possibility already! What better way to bond with your new roomie after all, then with a mysterious adventure that she's sure they'll both survive?]

Well if you feel sure about that, come right along! The water's nice. This can be like our first adventure together. Isn't that exciting?!

A Deep Adventure

[givetheslip]

Perhaps they're the same and all the sailors in the world are far more adventurous than we ever knew.

[Maria doubts that. But she's curious as well, drawn in by the sight of the lights in the water just as a few others appear to have been. Captivated by the sight, she ventures right up to the edge of the water but walking into it seems like a very poor idea — at least for the moment. Maria gives the white-haired woman a sharp look when good sense doesn't seem enough to stop her.]

Are you sure you ought to be doing that?

[cuddlery]

You know, you might be onto something there! I know a sailor back home who brings up adventure in pretty much every situation. That might explain a thing or two!

[Or maybe that's just Sea Hawk. In any case, Scorpia stopped her advance through the water to look back at the stranger with a smile while they talked.]

Anyway, yeah! I... think I have a good feeling about this? Like, it feels like there's a fair chance that this isn't some kind of trap.

[givetheslip]

When you put it that way...I'm still not sure it's a good idea.

[The actual words aren't terribly optimistic, even if the woman's tone is. And yet Maria finds herself tiptoeing into the water, drawn in despite herself.]

Though if it is a trap, I suppose it may be wise to have strength in numbers.

[cuddlery]

Oh, you'll see! Even if it is kinda trap-py, I'm pretty good at getting out of jams!

[She says with a confident chuckle. And she beams more as the other woman joins her.]

Teamwork does make the dream work. Come on, let's see this adventure firsthand! ...Oh, and my name's Scorpia, by the way! Don't think we've met before.

B

[threelayers]

You been working out?

[That doorknob had it coming. The door always squeaked way too loudly when it opened if you asked her. But Neopolitan was looking at it and then at Scorpia in brief concern. This was ... unusual, to say the least. Scorpia definitely was the sort to know exactly what her strength was. Huh.

Well, she tried a silent, nervous laugh to ease the tension. Yeah, everything's fine right?]

[cuddlery]

[She looks around uncertainly until she settles on Neo and her message. She smiles meekly.]

No... more than usual? Must be something I ate! [She tries to laugh it off, but she really feels confused.]

[threelayers]

[Neo frowned at that reaction. Scorpia looked a little nervous, and the doorknob definitely looked a lot wrecked. She shrugged and shook her head at first before turning over to her.]

Well, it's just a door right?
Nothing to worry about if you don't feel weirdly aggressive or anything.
Right?

[cuddlery]

Right! Right. [She says with an unsure chuckle.]

I do still feel bad about it. And, you know, I hope I don't mess up like this with anything more valuable. I'm usual real good at avoiding things like this!

C: Wildcard / Lavish Desires

[inkedspell]

[Things have been tense for Saeri the last few days. It feels like her brain has gone into overdrive with ideas and plans and potential experiments. More runes, more inscriptions, more ink-mixes, more Everything. And she may have used up the meager stores she had built up from some of her customers because of it. She was already out of coldblood and vileblood and they were exactly what she needed.

Which wouldn't do. She needed more samples, which also meant she needed to find more samples. And that meant that she maybe needed to try out her latest rune-inscription, specifically designed to resonate with like bloodtypes. She had gotten the darkblood one to react to her--but then it was her own blood she'd used, so she wasn't sure of how accurate the inscription was. The stones glowed when near the right bloodtype, but she would need to find someone else--someone on the street, to see just how well this worked.

And this might be right when the coldblood runestone starts to glow.]

Oh, perfect--

[Only for Saeri to turn the corner and see exactly who it might be reacting to.]

Oh.

[cuddlery]

[Scorpia was mostly having a relaxing day, a break from most of the wild events that transpired throughout the month. But her sense of relaxation quickly turned to stress when a certain someone turned the corner.

Her eyes widen, and worry lines her expression as she recognizes the person. That was that lady from the other month, who she tried to hassle about that tattoo. It was one of those things that Scorpia regretted once she was back in her right mind. It felt like stuff that was said by a completely different person! But there was no denying that it was still said by Scorpia herself.

And that's why she's filled with dread when she beholds the target of her persecution herself.]

Y-you. [She's frozen for a moment, but then she tries to talk.] About that other time, I... I didn't mean... I'm sorry!

[inkedspell]

[Saeri is on edge but also distracted because it's hard to completely focus when she's on the hunt for something. But the woman in front of her could be why the runestone is glowing, which would be inconvenient as she's hoping to get something out of this.

But if that guilt she's showing is genuine...

Saeri smiles, although it's closer to a half-smirk.]

You mean when everyone was getting paranoid and tossing accusations? Don't worry you weren't the only one. Everyone was really tense. How could I hold that against you? Yeah, it was kind of offensive, but...

[She trails off a bit, shrugging.]

[cuddlery]

[She shrinks back, suddenly feeling much smaller than her towering frame actually is.]

Y-yeah! That, that did seem to be a thing that was going around... [That was around the time she got into a fight with Ange, too. One where she also was acting more combative than usual.]

I- I just feel so bad about it. Even if it was something in the air messing with me! I didn't even know you, and I was being so mean... I'm supposed to be the opposite of that! So I'm truly and deeply sorry, and I'll do anything to make it up to you!

A.

[foulhussy]

[ Despite her better instincts, something in Kainé is drawing her to the sea. It's dangerous, she knows, but surely it's worth a look? If just to keep the other Sleepers safe? She stares out at the lights in the water, almost hypnotized, only looking away when the young woman with a scorpion tail and claws speaks to her. ]

Smells like seaweed and dead fish.

[ She hardly bats an eye at the strangeness of her appearance, and only hesitates for a couple seconds, before following her into the water. ]

[cuddlery]

[That description does get her to chuckle a little.]

Okay, so maybe adventure doesn't exactly have as glamorous a scent as you think, but... it's the spirit of it that counts! [She looks back at the stranger with a friendly smile, glad she's coming along regardless of what it smells like.]

Hey, now we can be ocean adventure buddies! Hooray! My name's Scorpia. [She speaks as she wades further into the water, her tail raised behind her.]

[foulhussy]

[ "Ocean adventure buddies." She's certainly chipper. Meanwhile, Kainé wears the same sullen face as she wades waist deep into the water after her. She's unperturbed by the water rising around her, somehow knowing instinctually that it won't be a problem. ]

Kainé.

[ Her voice is flat and devoid of warmth. ]

[cuddlery]

[Scorpia is indeed full of energy as she wades deeper in the water! And she does not a lack of enthusiasm from her new friend, but she won't hold that against her. To each their own! And who knows, maybe this adventure will bring some more energy out of her.]

Nice to meet you, Kainé! Everything's better when it's with company, and adventure is no exception. So I'm glad you're coming along! What do you think we'll find? [She asks with an air of mystery, attempting to make conversation while her tall self is gradually submerged more into the water.]