deercountry | he ate my heart

he ate my heart

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We Glow So Dim (CW: deep water)

Nara'a is one of the first to go investigate when he finds that the waves are glowing. He dives right in, following the path. It's easy for him to meet up with other people while swimming - he's quite a strong swimmer and willing to help along those who aren't quite as skilled in that department.

Once he gets down to the the ships he gasps, fascinated. He takes out his Omni and records some video with it, swimming along the side of some of the vessels. Afterwards he dives into the ships themselves, eager to find out what secrets they hold.

Alternatively he can be found on the beach, lining up what he's found and pondering over them. Some of the stuff doesn't look valuable, but its cultural signifigance... he'll have to ask around.

Lavish Desires (CW: flooding, obsessive thoughts, emotional outbursts)

Nara'a is always eager to help, and the flooding is no exception. He isn't from a place that floods often - or at all, really - but he's more than capable of helping with hammering things shut or moving things where needed. It's hard work, and some of the water ends up in his mouth, but he's not worried. He just keeps going, working on helping the houses and businesses where needed.

He can't help but wonder if something's going on though because he's... irritable. To the point where he's surprising even himself - he keeps snapping at people that don't mean him any harm. He tries to keep himself away from others as he notices, but even a lone adventurer has to interact with other people sometimes. It's not as if he's being totally unreasonable... right?

Wildcard

[Got another idea? Hit me up at

atrypical, Discord at Matt#6266, my plotting thread, or PM me!]

[ooc: sorry about not getting a prompt up earlier! family and work issues hit twofold this week, so my drive was shot. thanks for getting this up!]

Funny thing about intent: there's always a chance someone or something is gonna end up fucking it over. That's the only reason Dabi can give for why he's down here under the waves after determining not to do exactly this. While he's not afraid of the water or ocean by any means, it's not his preference. But as the water brushes through his hair, he has to admit to himself that being able to breathe underwater is pretty cool and kind of makes up for the "the fuck am I doing here" montage that continually replays in the back of his mind.

He flicks his eyes to his companion, still mildly irked Nara'a managed to talk him into this, keeping a close watch on the miquo'te as the pair keep within the glowing path through the seas. Occasional undercurrents brushing past them and dragging at clothes and hair, it's not enough to pull them out of the path, but enough Dabi's going to brace himself every now and then and wonder if he should be doing something... you know... tying a damn rock to his waist or putting stones in his pockets or something to weigh himself down. Rather not get pushed out into the dark ocean beyond.

"Can't believe I let ya talk me into this shit..." At least the shipwreck in front of them is a welcome sight; traveling by swimming (or staggering through the water) is a lot more physically exerting than walking.

Despite Dabi's general behavior Nara'a still thinks of him as a reliable person. Reliable to do certain things, after all. But he's not someone that can't be trusted to an extent, so Nara'a trusts him enough to watch his back while underwater.

The catlike man seems to swim as easy as a fish, training born from necessity and circumstances. He'd known how to swim before he went out on the Ruby Sea, but all that time underwater had only strengthened his training. He doesn't seem to mind the water pulling at his clothing and swims around Dabi before grinning.

"It's fun. I know this isn't exactly your element, but it's nice to feel this free, isn't it?" Able to move in an extra dimension without much effort or the assistance of any sort of vehicle or creature... at least he thinks it's nice. He kicks hard and dives down towards the shipwreck, taking out his omni to use as a flashlight.

"I don't see any creatures here, at least at first..."

He's reliable, so long as he's left to his own devices and pace. Might be late, might be burnt, but it'll get done before it's a problem. Watching Nara'a's back underwater is something he's at least willing to do. Provided the guy's open to doing the same.

How much they can watch backs while swimming more or less side to side is another question...

Nara'a makes it seem so damn easy. Dabi had to leave his boots and coat behind on the beach (buried in the sand) and his swimming is... it's certainly not graceful, but it's not a floundering dog paddle. He learned how to swim as a child, but had little real need to do so in his childhood, or his adulthood. Basic crawl, though he'd apt to stalk across the ocean floor at times when his arms and legs need a rest.

The grin earns a glare. "I can fly, ya know. This feels kinda oppressive." Dabi pushes off the ground and follows, trailing a bit of glowing sand as he approaches the shipwreck. The gutted side is an ominous mouth of sharp wooden planks, though the tips of the boards give way due to rot if pushed hard enough.

"With all this fuckin light, they're probably hidin."

Nara'a doesn't seem to be bothered by Dabi's answer. He just shrugs and does a roll, corkscrewing his body until he comes back up to face Dabi. "It doesn't feel that way to me, but I'm used to it. I spent a lot of time in the water during the Doma Liberation." Not that it means anything to the other... but that was a while ago.

The light gets turned off, and he pokes his head into the hole to look before heading in. "Good. Then we won't run into them. Hopefully." He grabs the side of the ship and propels himself inside, doing a flip as he enters just to show off.

The inside is rotted, the cavernous belly of the ship only lit dimly by the glow of the plankton. Nara'a glances around, listening... but all he can hear is rushing water and the occasional creak of the ship. He swims further inside, using the light from his omni but covering some of it with his hand. There doesn't look like there's all that much in this bottom hold, but there's the remains of stairs that lead up towards the other decks.

Dabi sends him a miffed look for the nonchalance. Not that he expects the miqo'te to do shit about his complaints, since they're already down here with the ship looming in front of them. Leaving now would be stupid. "Good. You can go first then." If something down here feels like biting out of the darkness or a trap decides to go off. Who knows with sunken ships.

Following after Nara'a, he rests his hand on the wood and gives it a tug before pulling himself inside via the grip. Even with the man's lights off, the glowing algae or whatever it is gives enough light to illuminate the area, sometimes bright enough to make it seem like a light bulb's been flipped on, sometimes just a bare enough glow to make out shapes.

Ch, show off...

Dabi holds his omni above to shine the light around the darkened interior. Looks like a buncha crap around here, with barrels and crates, some smashed to pieces and others punched open. Nothing seem to be inside them. He swims towards the stairs and peers up them towards the higher levels. "Ya ever been on a ship before?"

He starts rifling through the crates and barrels, swimming away when he doesn't spot anything. He follows Dabi and nods at the question. "Plenty of times. One of the major city-states where I'm from was founded by pirates, and they keep up the sailing tradition. Plus it's the fastest way to get somewhere if you can't go by airship... and you can only teleport to spots with an aetheryte if you've attuned to them."

... That probably means nothing to the other man, so he rephrases. "Basically you can only teleport to somewhere you've been, so ships are faster for getting somewhere you haven't been." Airships are good for a lot of things, but voyages over the sea? Not yet. He swims up towards the berth deck and blinks in the darkness, eyes wide to catch the light from the algae. "I think there's a few things here..."

He swims towards the crew hammocks, most of them rotted with age. But there's something caught in one of them... there's a strange little statue. Nara'a reaches out and grabs it, looking around. There's a chest nearby, and the lock seems rusted enough that a good kick or something similar would dislodge it.

That's a whole host of information he never asked for, but squirrels away regardless. City-states, pirates, airships, teleporting... what a world this guy came from. "Any of them sink?" He'll ask about the other things later; the present status is what matters. Are there tips for searching sunken ships? Is there a place where the good stuff is stored? What kind of things can they expect to see on a ship?

At least Nara'a recognizes the blank look for what it was and Dabi gets a better explanation. "So go by sea if ya can't go by air or teleports." Which makes sense. Kind of human tradition in the ancient world. Though Dabi's thinking airship = airplane, so... He drifts to the side to let Nara'a head up the stairs, then follows after him, a little more used to the swimming aspect no that he's got more compressed space around him. "Whaddya find?"

And hammocks is the answer. He floats up to the next deck, landing on his boots before walking to the dangling material. Looks more like shrouds in the water. But when Nara'a goes for something wrapped up in one- "Oy, could be a body." Except it's not. It's a chest. He pushes off the wall and floats over to the other man, peering over his shoulder. "Think ya can break it open?"

"Oh, definitely. But most of those have been looted already, usually by the people who sank them." Pirates are resourceful, after all. "I don't have a lot of experience on sunken ships, just floating ones." But he at least knows where a lot of things are normally kept, provided they haven't shifted around.

"Exactly." He pushes through the hammocks as Dabi points out the chest, nodding. He nudges it against the wall so it won't go anywhere and pushes off the other wall to give it a solid kick. The metal snaps under his boot, the lid of it floating open and revealing...

... Some more statues. And some stones covered in text that... well, he brings out his omni again, peering at the artifacts. "... I can't read this." It's not Eorzean, and the few words he knows of the Hingan dialect don't match up to this, either. He scoots over so Dabi can take a look - maybe he can read it?

Nara'a Sunvara | Final Fantasy XIV

late as shit

nah you're good

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Lavish Desires

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

we glow so dim

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject