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
aetherweaver: (smile)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-08-30 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't seem to mind the contact and grins. "Yeah, I... you could definitely say that I have." Even by his world's standards. "But you've got to find something to ground you even in all of that weirdness... and friends definitely help with that."
chessboardturn: (Default)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-08-30 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh yeah. And family..." His smile turns a bit sad, but it's still there. He's got a lot to be thankful for, honestly. Even if there's a lot that still hurts after all this time.

"So, if this is rude, stop me - but does everyone where you're from have the ears and everything? Call me curious."
aetherweaver: (smirk)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-08-30 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah... I didn't want to mention that in case you didn't have a good relationship with your family. I know not everyone does." His own is... fine? If a bit cold.

The question has a chuckle escape him and his tail twitches in amusement. "No, but there's more races than there are here. Many more. From Roegadyns that are close to double my height to Lalafell that are half of it... there's plenty of Au Ra adventurers nowadays - they have scales and horns instead of fur - and the Viera have long rabbit-like ears. There's Hyur like you of course, but most races have at least two subspecies as well. And those can look vastly different too."
chessboardturn: (005)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-08-31 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Whoa! Really? Most people where I'm from are just, you know... uh. Hyur? People like you are mostly in stories, so this is kind of new for me."

In a way. He's not sure he wants to bring up the whole "furniture" thing.

"It's kind of exciting, though."
aetherweaver: (smile)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-08-31 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Meanwhile to me it seems awfully boring to just have a single race over your entire world. There's so many cultures that you can interact with... there's even more when you consider the various tribes of what most people call 'beastmen'. They're more than just beasts, though..."

But the whole 'civilized versus not' debate is a very charged thing, so he'll set it aside for now.

"It's exciting being here too... there's so many different kinds of people. I like learning about people... a lot."
chessboardturn: (006)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-01 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"There's a lot of uh, hyur cultures. Or human, is what we call ourselves back home," he smiles, "And yeah - finding out new things, exploring new places - it's fun! If you ever have more time, I'd love to hear more about your world."
aetherweaver: (heroic)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-02 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
"I've heard the term 'human' before... it seems a lot of people refer to themselves like that. 'Hume' is the other term I know for your species, but that's from another world."

He nods and smiles, reaching up to pat the wall of sandbags, making sure they're not going to topple over. "I'd love to tell you. I'm a bit of a nerd, so a lot of it might be dry or academic... though there's plenty of adventures I've had, as well."
chessboardturn: (Default)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-02 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"Adventures! Those I gotta hear about. Quests and stuff? Really fantasy kinda things? What have you gotten up to? I'll bet it's been exciting!"

He is nothing if not enthusiastic.
aetherweaver: (smile)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-02 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes, absolutely! I started as an adventurer delivering snacks to hungry guards and I ended up saving the world..." He counts on his fingers for a moment, wonders which count, and then gives up.

"Multiple times."
chessboardturn: (005)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-03 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"...whoa, really?" He seems a bit floored by that, "Saving the whole world? From what?"

Please, tell him more.
aetherweaver: (Default)

Endwalker spoilers

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-06 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh man, where to even start? "From ancient beings intent on causing more calamities... from the war between man and dragon... I've helped to liberate nations and to save another world from horrible monsters, and even saved everything from being destroyed by an embodiment of despair itself."
chessboardturn: (007)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-07 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
"...that's cool!" Battler replies with a beaming grin, "You're a real hero! Like something out of an anime story! Fighting evil, saving the world... that's really something."

He rubs his chin, "You've got a lot of stories, I'll bet."
aetherweaver: (concerned)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-08 09:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"... I don't know what an anime is." He doesn't even know what TV is. He's doing his best. "But it does sound like something out of a work of fiction, you're right. But things keep... happening to me and around me, and I'm only doing what I think anyoneo should do under the circumstances."

Sure, he has a special gift... but fighting oppression and sadness is something everyone can do.
chessboardturn: (005)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-09 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh? It's like a cartoon, on TV, you know?" Battler, not everyone has TV. Or anime. But he's still figuring that out a bit. He offers a warm smile.

"...you definitely sound like a hero from one of them. Saying cool things like that."
aetherweaver: (eh?)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-09 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
"I... I don't know what a cartoon is. Or a teevee." Something that you can see fictional things on? It seems strange - but the technology here eludes him at times.

He blushes a little, faint color filling his cheeks and standing out on the pale skin. "I... you think I sound cool?" He knows people look up to him, but he's still not sure why, sometimes. "I just try to be honest..."
chessboardturn: (007)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-09 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, hmm. Hard to explain it I guess. But... it's basically stories and entertainment. I'm a fan," he laughs, "And definitely. You have a heart. You know what you're looking for. You keep yourself on this straight and narrow. Being motivated and driven like that... I think it's really admirable."
aetherweaver: (serious)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-09 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"I see." He doesn't, but he's trying. He's more of a non-fiction person, but he can't deny the appeal of fiction.

"Mm... I do my best. It's nice though, here. Not being famous. It's sometimes hard to go places where people don't know me. It's not that I regret what I've done, it's just... very different from what I grew up with."
chessboardturn: (014)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-10 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
"Huh. Yeah, I could see that..."

He rubs his chin, "It's nice not being known. And being able to be... anonymous?"
aetherweaver: (eh?)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-10 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah." He doesn't have to worry as much when someone pours him a drink here. "It's nice to just be able to mingle with people and not be expected to be the star of the show."
chessboardturn: (006)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-11 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, I'm happy to just be a friend... even if you have told me all about your heroics," Battler laughs, "For me, you're just that cool guy who has some amazing stories!"
aetherweaver: (smile)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-11 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
He laughs a little as well. "Well, I appreciate that. And I'd be glad to tell you stories when you'd like. I've a large number of them from all the years I've been adventuring."
chessboardturn: (006)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-11 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Then I'll look forward to hearing 'em over some food... or something. You know, when we're not stacking sandbags."
aetherweaver: (eh?)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-11 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"That works for me." He grins at the other. "... I don't think I ever got your name. I'm Nara'a, by the way."
chessboardturn: (007)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2022-09-11 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Battler offers his hand, "Battler. Nice to meet you!"
aetherweaver: (smile)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2022-09-11 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
He shakes the other's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Battler!" He withdraws his hand and pats the sandbags. "I think we've got things under control here for now."

Good place to wrap?

[personal profile] chessboardturn - 2022-09-12 02:32 (UTC) - Expand