reddosmod: (Deer 2)
Deer Country Mod ([personal profile] reddosmod) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2022-08-08 09:32 pm

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. ]

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.

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.

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.

CODING
hearuthinking: (Default)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-22 03:30 pm (UTC)(link)
The problem with living in a place like the Trench was that any of the solutions to this-- vacuuming the water, getting some fans to dry it all out-- were not as feasible as they would've been back home. Jason tries to think of low-tech alternatives while looking over the space. Not ideal, but he can work with it. He pulls up his shemagh so it covers his nose and mouth.

"I'll get on it," he assures Manabu. "Give me a few hours." He can clean up the worst of it, at least.
siriusly: (ahahaha......what............)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-23 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"Just like that, huh?" Manabu's voice has a waver of a laugh in it as he tilts his head. "I don't even know your name, either!"
hearuthinking: (Default)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-24 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Jason Kolchek," he introduced with a nod. "I work with the Hunters and help out at the Sanctuary sometimes. Yeah, I'll help you out."
siriusly: (let's just get this over with)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-24 11:27 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ouh, well, thanks Jason!" He smiles before pulling his handkerchief back up over his nose. "I'm Manabu. I'll be grateful for the help...maybe this won't be my entire day after all."

Maybe. And while having someone to mop and someone to alternate towels, it's not gonna be any less arduous a chore. Thankfully, Manabu had already put up all that he could up off the floor, so there's few obstacles in the way of things as they go. A couple hours, perhaps? But not even one is going to go by before Manabu feels his brain melting from boredom, prompting him to straighten up with a grunt.

"Hey, let's take a break for a bit, okay? Do you need a drink?"
hearuthinking: (Default)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-25 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Jason doesn't mind a little manual labor. It's a nice break from patrolling the area looking for monsters. And definitely nicer than actually going after said monsters. He quickly fell into a rhythm of work and was a little surprised to see Manabu stopping.

"Nope, I'm good. I can keep goin' for a bit longer." One hour of hard work is nothing to him.
siriusly: (i think he's dead.)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-25 04:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"You sure?" Manabu's head tilts. "I mean, the stink down here might make us go loopy if we're not careful with it. You know how this place is, right?"
hearuthinking: (Side-eye)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-25 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, yeah, he knows how this place is. Manabu might have a point. As much as Jason would like to get as much done as possible, taking more breaks would be a smart idea.

"Yeah, all right," he concedes, setting down his tools and heading out of the basement. "I'll take a break."
siriusly: (i think he's dead.)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-26 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Magnet meets them on the stairs (his nose had enough of that cellar much earlier on, thank you), tail wagging, eager to follow close for the opportunity of pets and general attention.

Manabu sighs loudly as they leave the downstairs behind them, pulling the handkerchief down and shaking his head to get hair out of his face. Fresh-ish air!

"I'm relieved you dropped by," he says, bending and peering over at a window to get a glimpse of the sky. "If the weather starts getting touchy again, at least I have much more of a head start on getting this place secured."
hearuthinking: (Default)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-27 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
Once he's out of the basement, Jason pulls down the shemagh so he can get his own breath of fresh air. He rolls his shoulders and stretches out.

"Don't mention it," he says. "It was a nice change of pace from huntin'. We'll get it cleaned out and get you some sandbags so you don't flood so much next time."
siriusly: (do i get any say in this at all.)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-27 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Manabu walks around the bar to grab a couple glasses, filling them up with water.

"Have the floods made it easier out there at least?" he asks, sliding one of the glasses down Jason's way. "As far as keeping monsters out."
hearuthinking: (Side-eye)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-28 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
Jason accepts the water and takes a few grateful swallows. "Nope. We just got new monsters to worry about."

Come to think of it, he's not sure he's ever gone a months since arriving in the Trench that there hasn't been some kind of monster roaming around.

"How long you been in the Trench?" Jason wonders.
siriusly: (doip)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-28 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
How long, huh? Manabu hums a thoughtful sound as he leans back against the counter behind him. It's actually been a while since he thought about it - the last time he did, it was fresh when Wu and Mako vanished.

"It's...almost been a full Earth-year, I think," he says slowly, thinking on it. His brow knits. "The calendar's twelve months here, right? Earth solar cycle?"
hearuthinking: (Up)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-28 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
"Seems so," Jason agrees. "You ain't from Earth, then?" He is curious about that, since he knows quite a few people not from Earth.
siriusly: (item get)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-08-28 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mn-nn. A planet called Tabito. Different solar system." He shrugs, taking a beat to sip. "But it was terraformed a bit to look kind of like Earth, I hear. Though it's a bit too close to its sun to be the same...a bit more arid, you know?"
hearuthinking: (Default)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-08-30 11:50 am (UTC)(link)
"I guess." Jason tries to picture the place. "Musta been strange to get used to this place, then," he concludes. It was pretty hard for him, too, but the weather at least follows some sort of familiar pattern to Jason.

"You got similar animals and shit, or is that all different, too?"
siriusly: (i think he's dead.)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-09-02 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Manabu's eyes wince a little. Strange? Sort of, sometimes. On the other hand, Deerington really rocked his world enough to teach him to always keep his footing light - best he can, anyway. It's not always easy to adapt, especially when you're from a world so devoid of such oddities.

"Similar to earth?" He tilts his head. "Mn, some. I had a dog growing up - Shutaro. He kinda looks like Magnet. Just less annoying."

Magnet growl-grunts at that.
hearuthinking: (Up)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-09-04 09:33 am (UTC)(link)
That last comment earns a little snort of amusement from Jason. "I never had a pet growin' up," he confides. "And now I got Esfir. We get along well enough. She's a bobcat," he goes on before Manabu can asks. "Usually doesn't show herself unless I need her."
siriusly: (do i get any say in this at all.)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-09-04 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's pretty catlike behavior, right?" He shrugs. "I mean...from what I know about cats is they only show up when they want to, so maybe it's different."
hearuthinking: (Default)

[personal profile] hearuthinking 2022-09-05 09:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Sounds about right," Jason agrees with an amused tone in his voice. "Probably for the best, seein' as yours is a dog." He takes another gulp of water and stretches out his limbs.

"Back to work?" he suggests. They've still got a way to go in the cleaning process.
siriusly: (let's just get this over with)

[personal profile] siriusly 2022-09-05 03:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Affirmative bark.

"Aa, yeah, we better. Before the day gets ahead of us."

It's a slog, but it's gotta be done! At least with the extra hands it'll take far less time than before...