all i know is i don't know nothing

[reddosmod]

SEPTEMBER 2022 EVENT

A SPECIAL NOTE NOW THAT THE GAME HAS BEEN OPEN FOR A YEAR: Due to the cyclical nature of the world, during certain months, prompts from the previous year may be available to use. You can see September 2021's prompts here. Please make sure to note if you are using a prompt from last year, so that others will know where to look for the original content.

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Black birds flying in front of a church shrouded in heavy fog. ]
[Image Two: Red tinted clouds with a flash of red lightning piercing through them. ]

Prompt Two
[Image One: A stack of leather bound books. ]
[Image Two: A close up on the detailed arches of a Gothic/Neo-Gothic building. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A path in the woods with fallen leaves and bare trees. ]
[Image Two: Two swords covered in blood laying across one another in an X pattern. ]

[NAVIGATION]

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

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

Leap of Faith

WHEN: September
WHERE: Alternate Dimension
CONTENT WARNINGS: Parallel worlds, violence, possible death, religious cults

---

Throughout the month, people seem to just be... disappearing. It starts off as just a few locals here and there: maybe it's a butcher that's become a staple in the community, or a textile merchant that some Sleepers have come to rely upon in their time here. These disappearances seem to vary in how long they last. Some people are only gone a few days, others may never be seen again. The ones who return refuse to talk about where they've been or what has happened to them and will adamantly shut down any attempts to find out information. Rumors spread around the city at what could be going on and there's the occasional bit of conversation that mentions the possibility of reality bending Pthumerians being behind the ordeal.

It doesn't take long before it's Sleepers who start to disappear as well. It can happen at what appears to be any moment: sometimes during the middle of the night, a bed will simply swallow them up. Others might be walking along a path or road and suddenly drop through the ground, even when there's no hole to fall into. If a Sleeper with the ability to see invisible supernatural forces sees this in action, they will notice what looks like black, charred hands reaching up out of the earth and latching on to their victim before dragging them into black mist.

Sleepers who have been grabbed will find they've been yanked into a pocket dimension, a version of Trench that seems to be even more corrupt, even more polluted, and covered in dark fog that is difficult to see through. There's a heavy humidity in the air, the sound of constantly rolling thunder, and the occasional flashes of lightning across the sky. Bright bolts occasionally crash down through the fog and hit the earth, cracking it open and creating deep caverns filled with tar that is hot enough to melt a human being. Beasts larger and even more dangerous than those regularly seen back in Trench roam the streets, ready to tear apart and devour anything in their path.

The buildings are also crumbling to pieces and many of the staple locations of the city of Trench have been completely turned to rubble in this alternate world. Only religious buildings seem to be left standing and they have become crowded by locals who have yet to escape this new world. Sleepers will find that these religious buildings are the only ones that are completely safe from the beasts in the streets, offering themselves as Sanctuary from the out of control corrupted forces of this new world.

The locals in this place aren't here to make Sleepers feel safe and cozy while they wait to get out of this dimension. They're here to convert and it becomes obvious quickly. They claim this universe is the True World, the world that the Old Ones had wanted Sodder to create, one that they think the Nightmare could have evolved into if Sodder had been given the proper guidance. They believe that a Pthumerian by Riteoir brought about the perfect world that punishes those who have done wrong swiftly and spares those who are righteous and dedicated to a just path. This cult has elevated Riteoir to a God-like status in their eyes and they will do their best to try and convince all who gather in the buildings for safety that they are protected here because of their faith and dedicated to Riteoir's ideals.

They also become highly violent towards anyone who dares to insult Riteoir or who questions their beliefs in any way. Killing the non-believers is a perfectly justified reaction to these worshippers, convinced that any doubt in Riteoir's power to protect them will cause their safety net to collapse. They justify brutal murders of those they deem unrighteous as being necessary to keep the peace they have found for themselves in an otherwise clearly bleak world.

Playing along might be the best bet, but isn't required for people who would rather fight monsters over people. Sleepers may run in to other locals who also chose to get away from the cult madness out on the roads and these locals are more than willing to share the knowledge they've found while exploring this dimension. There's only one means of escape: finding a weak spot in the veil between worlds and performing a ritual to break it open.

Two Sleepers of differing blood types must find and gather together the claw of a large beast, a silver bowl, a piece of rubble, and a single red rose. Roses are hard to come by in this alternate world, but there is a small garden that grows in one of the churches. It requires sneaking around the cult members in order to obtain and they will attack anyone they find trying to cut the rose from the bushes. Once these object are found, the Sleepers must bring them to the area that would have been known as Sleepytown in the original Trench. Here, it is now a vast, open wasteland, with smoke rising from the crack in the ground, and a never ending fire burning beneath the ground. The faint sounds of screaming can be heard under the ground, but there isn't any way to determine if they're real or simply echoes from the past.

The claw can be ground down with the piece of rubble inside the silver bowl. The rose petals should be carefully plucked and placed on top of the claw. Finally, each Sleeper must cut themselves, and add equal amounts of blood until it begins to thicken. It doesn't take much, the magic working quickly to turn the mixture into a substance almost like slime. Each Sleeper must dip their hands in the slime and spread it onto the chest of the other, right above where the heart would be located. If the Sleeper has their heart located in a different area of their body than normal, then the slime must be spread there instead. Once this is complete, it will feel like acid burning against the skin, before it glows brightly. The lights will join together, forming a laser like beam that will then slice a hole in the air in front of them.

This hole will show the original Trench on the other side. It will only remain open for a few moments before closing up again. Sleepers must jump through the hole together in order to return to Trench. If the ritual fails, they will have to wait three days to try again, and will have to find a way to continue to survive in this alternate world. If it succeeds, the Sleepers will find themselves in the original Sleepytown, and will be able to return to Trench from there.

Bringing up the alternate universe, the ritual, or even Riteoir will put the locals on edge and they will quickly close the door of their shop or turn their backs on anyone who tries. Apparently this is a touchy subject that they'd rather ignore.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

WHEN: September
WHERE: The Gaze
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A

---

The Never Mind believes in knowledge and learning above all else. He can be found beckoning many towards the Gaze, encouraging them to attend the School of Mutter or visit the Archives to expand their knowledge. His ravens will try to guide people here as well and many Sleepers will start to feel a compulsion to follow.

There's talk of a prize being given by the Never Mind himself for those who learn something new while inside the Gaze. A bracelet shaped like golden wheat that can rid a small patch of land (roughly 4 square feet) completely of pollution, allowing the area to properly grow a small amount of plants. In Trench, this is almost as priceless as the gold itself, and so many are quick to encourage anyone to go and get one for themselves.

People can't just learn anything, though. When Sleepers arrive in the Gaze to claim their prize, they will be given a specific task: get to know someone new. There's no wiggle room for interpretation in the words. The only way to obtain the bracelet is for a Sleeper to talk to another person that they have never spoken to before. Casual small talk won't earn them this prize either. Sleepers must dive into a deep conversation that forces them to truly learn about the other person. It can be about their feelings, their past, their hopes and dreams... So long as it's something that they truly learn about the other and should, ideally, no longer make them feel like a stranger.

Bracelets will appear magically on the writs of each Sleeper once their conversation ends, so long as the criteria is met. Happy gardening!

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

THE GREAT HUNT

WHEN: Mid-to-Late September
WHERE: Trenchwood
CONTENT WARNINGS: Hunting themes, possible death, large beasts, descriptions of gore.

---

An excerpt from Ancient Notable Beasts:

The story goes that as the Blood Moon rises and the farmers begin to hope for a bountiful harvest, Trenchwood begins to hear the growls of the Bugge through the trees. One of the largest beasts to ever roam the lands, it seems to only plague the woods in the autumn months, just before the leaves begin to change their color. Legend has it that the blood shed by the Bugge falls onto the green leaves from summer and poisons them, changing their colors, and slowly killing them until they fall to the ground. The Bugge hunts and feeds on any who enter the forest, but particularly enjoys to devour those who have let corruption touch their souls.

Hunters try to bring down the Bugge every year, many losing their lives in the process. The creature stands as tall as the old pine trees, covered in gray fur, and has claws said to be sharp enough to slice through diamonds. Drool pours from its mouth, matting the fur along its jaw and chest, and dying it a deep, rusty brown. Looking into the eyes of the Bugge can make a person paralyzed with fear, forcing them to relive their worst fears, and some say even freezing them into solid ice if they do not break free quickly enough. It is said that it is most important to track the beast as quickly as possible, for if you do not hunt the Bugge first, than the Bugge will find its way behind you and hunt you instead.

No one has ever managed to truly put an end to the Bugge. Even when it is slain, the shrieks of the creature are heard again mere hours later, and more who go into the woods unprepared end up never returning. Despite the danger, the farmers do no wish to be rid of the Bugge as the Hunters do. The blood spilled by both the Bugge and the Hunters who attempt to slay it does not seem to pollute the ground as it does other times of year: instead, the Blood Moon shines brighter, and the crops for the September harvest become richer than they were before. The farmers see the Bugge not just as a necessary evil for good crops, but as a blessing, a reward for all their hard work during the year.

Sleepers who go near Trenchwood will hear the Bugge from the trees. Getting too close to the woods will cause the cycle of needing to track the Bugge to begin. It does not matter if the Sleeper leaves the woods after, the Bugge will be willing to stalk them into the city, and kill them in the streets if it is not found first. Killing the Bugge is the quickest and easiest option, but the Bugge can be healed by those willing to put in the work. If a Sleeper has the ability to see souls, they will notice that the beast seems to holds a presence similar to that of a fairly large bear. However, if healed, it will run off before the Sleepers can see its true form.

Unfortunately, those who choose to heal the Bugge will find that there are consequences. Where killing the Bugge brings about a more bountiful harvest, healing the Bugge causes the crops and other plants in the farming district to suffer and wilt. The local farmers will be furious if they find out who has chosen to heal over kill and will deny any further trade with the individual in the future, seeing them as a weak link in the natural balance of this world.

Those who choose to shed blood through September, whether the Bugge's or others, will find that the legend is honest about its impact on the earth during a blood moon: while it won't rid the ground of pollution, it seems to make life around it stronger and more durable. This includes not only the harvest but all life forms, including Sleepers.

[JUMP TO TOP]

CODING

Comments

[strongroots]

[ There's a 'Same' slipped in about basketball, a raised brow, but an expression without judgment matched with a tiny smile. He was always more of a soccer kind of guy - as a kid.

But, karate? Robby seems to think about it, though it doesn't delay his answer. ]

Seems like a good thing to do. Everyone talks about monsters, and there's crabs that didn't get the memo about being -- well. Crabs. [ Surely he can look at Peter, and they both know, those crabs aren't typical crabs. But Robby raises a fist - tight, and the movement of its swing raising up is precise, has a place and point to stop at: from his stomach, to in line with his shoulder. ]

I've been talking with someone about some gear so I'm not trying to fight a magic werewolf bare-fisted. [ Because all the warnings including monsters makes Robby think that yeah, that'll go downhill quick. But beasts, they're still a rather unknown entity to him, that Robby's brow creases. ]

But... what's your experience with them? Beasts, and...defending against them. It's gotta be crazy.

[ To even have magical werewolf knocking at your door in the first place. ]

[possessum]

( The fucking crabs. Oh yes, he absolutely knows about the crabs, something that's probably made obvious by his reaction — closing his eyes for a moment and giving a grimace. Those things have kind of squashed Peter's appetite for seafood, in all honesty.

But as much as he wants to tease about the fact, make some dumb joke about crazy crabs, there's... something more pressing in him as he listens to the other boy. Robby's new and even if he comes with some skills, this place is... dangerous as fuck. There's a certain responsibility to try and help him out as much as he can, though Peter has no idea where to even start. How do you explain what this place comes with? What it does?

His eyes are peeling open just in time to see that motion of the other teen's fist. For a moment, something unpleasant curls in Peter's gut. The last time he witnessed karate moves in person, he was tied to a punching bag while Johnny had one of his students give Peter some hits. ....It's a long, weird story of how he ended up on the bad side of Johnny Lawrence, but— he tries to shrug it off, brows knitting instead as he draws his focus to Robby's question. He doesn't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but.... )

...it's bad around here. Really bad. I don't go outside too much, unless I have to.

People have found ways to help keep them away. I think... that's the better option instead of actually fighting them. There's wards and magic stuff like that. Incense — incense helps a lot.

( He pauses, a little hesitant to voice this, because there's no telling how people might take it. )

My girlfriend's kind of a witch...? She can do protective stuff, like she could put up charms and wards where you live, if you want.

[strongroots]

[ Robby is listening, at least; telling by the crease of his brow, the frown he wears as he takes the information in. The incense -- yeah, he knows about, Tory fortunately explaining to him how they work. Useful, for sure, but sounding like an item that needed a moment to be set alight, to get to working; or just knowing ahead of time an encounter with a beast was going to occur.

But a witch; nothing shows on Robby's face, but there is an internal debate. What does being a witch mean? When you have the witches who believe they're hexing famous people over instagram, the kind who promise they're making love potions, they actually exist -- and then you just have the kinda chill people who aren't doing anyone any harm, just living a way of life. ]

Magical incense is pretty witchy. [ --and that's where he has to acknowledge his uncertainty, of where this girlfriend's credibility lies; or more Robby's assessment of what he thinks about witches. The crease eases on his brow, and he gives a tiny nod. ] --Sure, uh, if she doesn't mind. I live with someone, she's been here longer than me. I dunno if she's already got anything set up, but she says beasts show up there often.

[ The cost of wanting a nice backyard. Robby wants to ask more about this guy's girlfriend's witchiness, but it feels kinda...rude, and there's probably a better - and more proper - question to ask, his arms folding lightly. ]

Would she want anything for them?

[possessum]

( It's definitely something Peter struggles a little with voicing. He's not afraid of Luna by any means, but "witch" is a word that he's had to really learn how to... process, and by that measure, accept, over time. Of course there's the associations from back home, things that were always said to be made-up: witches as some horror movie concept or something kids dress up as for Halloween.

But then Peter learned that real witches exist, where he's from. Lurking in the shadows, they'd been the ones manipulating him with some kind of dark magic. He'd seen candles in the attic, and the outline of a body, and symbols, and a photo of himself with his eyes x'ed out—

...Magic still frightens him. He thinks maybe it always will. But he's learned how there's different types of witches, and what Luna can do... really can help. She's been a tremendous help over time. She's probably saved some people's lives. )

She wouldn't ask for anything. ( He says with an assuring nod, fully believing it. He knows Luna wouldn't. ) She just likes helping people. And her kind of magic... it's not like... occulty? It's not about sacrifice or exchange or anything like that. She uses a wand— it's pretty cute, actually.

( Of course, he's also seen that very wand blast enemies apart and do other such things, but she wouldn't be doing any of that here. )

[strongroots]

[ Well, this is sure helping him get into the 'so what can she do' territory that Robby wanted to broach earlier, but didn't want to be weird about. Would even admit, my idea of witches are girls on instagram, except now they're on about wands, and. ]

She waves a wand? [ Seriously? It's both bafflement, but also like, that's really a thing? Robby blinks, settling for a second. ] What's that-- like?

[ As one normal guy to another where magical waving wands aren't a thing? ]

[possessum]

Yeah — it's like a literal wand.

( There's something almost boyishly awed about the fact, because it definitely feels like something from a fairy tale, and Peter holds up his hand to flick it a little, like in demonstration. ) The magic comes right out. It looks like... colours, sometimes. Lights, and fog.

( You're doing a great job describing this, Peter. Really. )

It's a whole thing in her world. Witches even go to their own school and everything? It's so wild.

[strongroots]

[ There's a smile spreading on his face, a show of teeth; something baffled, amused, but not condescending. The kind one would make hearing that witches with magical wands exist, and there's a real reason to believe it.

Robby folds his arms, absorbed in this absolutely unbelievable situation, and yet here he is. Talking to a guy with a witchy girlfriend. ]

What do they learn? She can do protection, but, [ but- ] how witchy are we talking?

[ What's a witch example? --oh. ]

Can she turn people into frogs?

[ Do witches do that? It turns out, Robby really doesn't know what most witches do. ]

[possessum]

( There's a laugh, something soft and amused (and with a little hush of relief, because the smile and the curiosity from the other boy ease any lingering tension about the subject matter from Peter). )

You know what? I have actually, somehow, never asked her that before. I'm gonna do that as soon as I see her again and I'll report back to you.

( It's a question that needs answering. )

But yeah, it's pretty cool? They learn how to make potions and do all kinds of spells. A lot of it's really helpful stuff for making life easier — like one time I got soaked and she dried me with magic like a blow-dryer.

She's the sweetest person ever, too. She's always using her magic to help folks out around here.

( It's definitely some gentle and genuine gushing, but also hopefully helps her seem like less of a threat than she might to someone who comes from a world without witchcraft. Because, again, Peter gets it. )

[strongroots]

[ It's a little easier to digest the more that Peter says, and oh yeah, potions! Why didn't he think about potions? But what's more compelling (and nice, very nice) to actually hear - and see - is how Peter speaks about her, than any of the tricks she can do. Sure, cool to hear about a one hundred percent authentic witch with a wand, but who can't be happy for said witch's boyfriend when he talks about her like that? ]

Well, it sounds like you got lucky for more reasons than knowing a witch. [ All implications and verbal wink winks applied, as a very friendly call-out and congratulations on the girl you're gooey for. Good stuff, Peter. ] And I'll take that text. But what about you? [ He moves out an arm where it's wrapped, just to quickly gesture at Peter. ]

She teach you anything, or... what do you do here? You had any trouble just...knowing what to do around here?

[ Spoken, from one guy to another, in a place where witches are more suitable than a guy from California or Utah. ]

[possessum]

( Peter gives a grin, shy and dumb and ducking his head downwards just a little bit, for a moment. So much of it is still new to him, and it's weirdly nice to get to talk about stuff like this with someone else his own age? Once upon a time, if things back home could have been different, maybe he'd have gotten to do something like that with his friends there. Young People Stuff.

Opportunities for that here may be more rare, but not... impossible, clearly. It's nice. )

Honestly, I uh.... I don't do much. ( It's laced in another light-hearted laugh with a smidgen of self-deprecation, but it's... also very true. ) Her kind of magic isn't something normies like me can be taught how to do, either. So I uh... I'm kind of useless.

( ....Well. He does have an entire demon king of Hell lodged inside him with a smorgasbord of abilities, but a) he is not going to drop that little tidbit on the poor guy just yet and b) those abilities technically aren't Peter's. He couldn't use them right now even if he wanted to. )

It's definitely... weird. Trying to find stuff to do around here. Like I go to the school sometimes, but I can tell you they don't teach shit like Calculus there.

Most people have powers, so they spend a lot of their time training with them and stuff like that. ( It's conversational, but there's a little needling dose of discomfort; Peter's painfully aware just how much of an outlier he is. ) I guess there's some stuff even I could try to do, but... I'm not much of a fighter. If this place ever forces us to square up, you'll definitely kick my ass.

[strongroots]

[ So I'm kind of useless. From Robby's perspective, that's more self-deprecating than one not doing much. He can't say he's doing much either, but that's also to do with his question: what do normies do around here? When your life isn't surrounded by the kinds of oddities that Trench provides in spades, and having a weapon at your side is -- well, weird, when it's not a gun.

He takes note about the school though, wants to ask, but he'll tuck it away for later. He's listening to Peter right now -- listening, because it's more about how Peter speaks that Robby thinks is worth paying attention to. Sure, he figures he could kick a guy's ass who has no confidence, but there's no pride in that. Instead, he looks Peter up and down, taking a step back to even give him a better view. Shakes his head a little, and gestures to him. ]

You've got height on me, and you could move fast. It doesn't matter what I can kick if you kick me first. [ A beat. ] I can see it.

[ His brows raise, his expression sincere. And why not? There's possibility, and that's what Robby wants to encourage: the idea it's possible. Even shares: ] I ended up in the semi-finals against a guy who'd flinch every training in practice fights. He doesn't have the upper body strength, [ and he's still lacking in confidence, ] but-- if you know how to knock a guy down...

[ He shrugs -- then what does strength matter? A bit, but it's not all about muscles. ]

I could show you. [ An offer, given after a pause. ] From one normie to another.

[possessum]

( It's not even second nature so much as... first nature, the deprecation. Peter's self-aware enough to recognise that's what it is, but it's not something he has to think about how to word or shape. He very naturally does see himself that way, because he knows it's the truth. He's always know how he is (and what he is, the word 'coward' whispering behind his own features whenever he happens to catch a glance of himself in a mirror, which is something he goes out of his way to avoid.)

Not a coward in this place, with its monsters and bloodthirsty gods and things that one would be very justifiably afraid to tackle. A coward before, when the only monster he had to stand against was his mother, and he couldn't even do that, and someone else paid the ultimate price for it.

—He doesn't have a high opinion of himself, and that just makes sense to him. It's not even something he would go out of his way to try and change, which is maybe one of the (many) reasons he hasn't yet pursued some kind of self-defense class or something. Plenty of people have offered, over time. The network often features a person announcing they're willing to train someone in this or that. Sure, most of the time it's something magical or intense or way beyond his paygrade, but it hasn't always been. He came close to asking a woman once to teach him how to throw a punch without hurting his knuckles (the kind of advice she was offering) and Peter backed down in the end.

The offer takes him by surprise, and he's blinking for a moment, almost comically slow to the uptake. )

You mean like— show me karate?

( He says the word almost through disbelief, tone lilting upwards at the end. Of course the kneejerk is to shy away from the concept, and it's not just because of his own lack of faith in himself but also that odd, uncomfortable association with karate these days. Peter's looking a little nervous, shifting slightly. It's all countered with the growing thought that he should learn how to do more to keep himself safe. )

I'd probably be really bad at it. I've never even... hit anybody, before. ( And the thought visibly curls within him with discomfort, a soft wince that he can't quite suppress. He's... very twitchy about physical violence... and that's admittedly what he's thinking karate is all about. ) Don't you have to be... kind of tough?

[strongroots]

[ The clarification gets a nod, or close to one, eyes lifting in a wordless return of 'why not?' along with the small smile pinched to his lips. But Peter does have response to it, visible when he even remarks on the idea of hitting another person. It's not a point that Robby wants to snub, and it's understandable, he thinks, not to want it in one's life. Even if a place like this seems to make the idea of lacking protection as incredulous.

(Then again, this guy does have a witchy girlfriend.)

Karate can be violent, has some level of violence to it under every move and teaching -- but Robby knows it as more than that, even if the last few months before arriving here had been about holding tight onto that aggression. ]

You get out of it what you put into it. You train, your body gets used to the moves, and your head does too. [ But it's not just the moves he wants to sell, the protection behind it. There's more to it than that, and this thing, their talking -- there was a goal behind it, one that involved sharing themselves, to some degree.

And he can share about this, can't he? This truth about himself, even if it's the same truth that's been muddied as of late. ]

When I started doing karate, there was someone I wanted to get back at; show them what I could do, rub it in their face. [ He's looking down, sheepish to a degree, but with a tone that looks back at that past him with a less favourable lens. ]

But what I got out of it, learning I could pull the moves off, feeling that I had some control over myself? It was...a lot for me. It gave me focus where I never had none. [ A shrug, as he admits: ] I was even dropping out of school back then.

[ Because what did school even matter to a guy like him? Who saw no future for himself, who didn't really see much of a present? He had ways of making money, and that was about all he had going.

And it's strange, to think that he hasn't been that guy in over a year. ]

It wasn't just the fighting, or knowing I could defend myself - it was seeing myself change, you know? [ Despite his glances away sometimes, he does look at Peter. ] Knowing there was something I could do, and it feeling right. I was even meditating. [ That deserves a wider tug of a smile, like yeah. Meditation.

It leads into a short chuckle, light on his breath. The smile still lingering after. ]

I'm not saying that karate will be that for you; everyone has to find what works for them. [ Despite how popular it is in the Valley. ] But? I say give it a go. See what you think.

If defending is all you want out of karate, then you know rule one.

[ Well, of his first dojo.... but he can have an inside joke (and true rule), as a treat. ]