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deercountry2023-06-08 11:05 pm
reddosmod) wrote in deercountry2023-06-08 11:05 pm
SOMETIMES I WISH I COULD FORGET
JUNE 2023 EVENT
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
THE PATH ONCE TAKEN
A PROMISE KEPT
CODING
Due to the cyclical nature of Trench, some of last year's June Prompts are available for use. The dream demons from Prompt 1, however, are not as numerous, as the lingering hope has been carrying over into the new month. Remina's push to remind people of the past, though, has drawn some of them out in search of nightmares to feast on. Prompt 2 is not available, as those tunnels have been cleared of their items and the holes left by the earthquakes have been repaired. Prompt 3 is available as memories from the past are strong this month.
IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Deer Statuette with Candles]
[Image Two: Spooky Bloodbourne Town]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Hurricane Waves]
[Image Two: Standing Stones in a Field]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Antler-Horned Thumerian with a Cup]
[Image Two: Skull Made of Blood Screaming in Bowl]
Prompt One
[Image One: Deer Statuette with Candles]
[Image Two: Spooky Bloodbourne Town]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Hurricane Waves]
[Image Two: Standing Stones in a Field]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Antler-Horned Thumerian with a Cup]
[Image Two: Skull Made of Blood Screaming in Bowl]
WHEN: Anytime in June
WHERE: Anywhere in or outside of Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Horrific Memories, Out-of-Body Experience, Literally Any Possible CW in the History of Deerington
WHERE: Anywhere in or outside of Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Horrific Memories, Out-of-Body Experience, Literally Any Possible CW in the History of Deerington
June is the month of remembrance. Remina is strongly present, as people face Hali's choice. Her specialty is the past, after all, reminding others of what's behind them, where they came from, and who they were. This year, it feels more important to remember what has been.
It may seem innocent at first. You're doing some chores around the house. You're running errands in town, or making a purchase. You don't think much of it, even, but, when you turn around, a small deer figurine catches your eye. You might think it's cute, or pretty, or hideous. You might admire its craftsmanship or level of detail. Maybe the art style turns you off completely. Maybe you go to pick it up and look closer. Maybe you ignore it.
If you choose to ignore it, you'll go about your day. A few hours later, you see it again. That's odd, isn't it? It's the same figurine. How did it get there? Did someone bring it along? Did it teleport itself? This will keep happening, too. No matter how many times you try to ignore it and leave it behind, it will appear somewhere else. You will never see it appear or disappear specifically. You will never see someone carrying it and putting it in place. It will just suddenly be there, like it had always been there and you just never noticed it before. But it will always be the same figurine. If you do make it to the end of the day without picking it up, and then go to sleep, it will be waiting for you on your nightstand when you awaken the next day. Someone really wants you to have it.
Should you choose to pick it up, whether right from the start or later on, you be pulled into a vision of the past. It could be Trench's past. It could be Deerington's past. Either way, you are there now, and you are in the thick of whatever's happening. Was it a great battle? Was it a plague? Was it a crazy event where people switched bodies? Was it just a normal day where people actually relaxed and had fun? It doesn't matter. You're there. You're you. And you feel like you're part of it. You cannot change the past, only live it, but you feel like it's really happening. And... maybe it is...
You see, these memories, they don't belong to any specific person who was there at the time. They now belong to you, as if you'd been there in person. And it's not just any vision. Did you stub your toe just then? That's a nasty bruise you wake up with later when the vision is over. Did you cut yourself? You might need a bandaid when you wake up. Anything that happens to you in the memory also happens to your body in the present. There is a very real danger here. You could even die.
Don't panic! You're not alone! You see, when the figurine activated, it linked randomly with another active figurine. Surprise! You have a companion. You're in this together. Will you be able to help each other survive? Or will you just both coast through, hoping for the best and that it ends soon?
But, you might ask, I've learned not to touch these kinds of things! I would never have a vision! Fear not. You can still have one! Some of the figurines are quite sensitive you see, and might activate just by your mere presence within a certain distance from it. Have fun with that.
FAQ:
It may seem innocent at first. You're doing some chores around the house. You're running errands in town, or making a purchase. You don't think much of it, even, but, when you turn around, a small deer figurine catches your eye. You might think it's cute, or pretty, or hideous. You might admire its craftsmanship or level of detail. Maybe the art style turns you off completely. Maybe you go to pick it up and look closer. Maybe you ignore it.
If you choose to ignore it, you'll go about your day. A few hours later, you see it again. That's odd, isn't it? It's the same figurine. How did it get there? Did someone bring it along? Did it teleport itself? This will keep happening, too. No matter how many times you try to ignore it and leave it behind, it will appear somewhere else. You will never see it appear or disappear specifically. You will never see someone carrying it and putting it in place. It will just suddenly be there, like it had always been there and you just never noticed it before. But it will always be the same figurine. If you do make it to the end of the day without picking it up, and then go to sleep, it will be waiting for you on your nightstand when you awaken the next day. Someone really wants you to have it.
Should you choose to pick it up, whether right from the start or later on, you be pulled into a vision of the past. It could be Trench's past. It could be Deerington's past. Either way, you are there now, and you are in the thick of whatever's happening. Was it a great battle? Was it a plague? Was it a crazy event where people switched bodies? Was it just a normal day where people actually relaxed and had fun? It doesn't matter. You're there. You're you. And you feel like you're part of it. You cannot change the past, only live it, but you feel like it's really happening. And... maybe it is...
You see, these memories, they don't belong to any specific person who was there at the time. They now belong to you, as if you'd been there in person. And it's not just any vision. Did you stub your toe just then? That's a nasty bruise you wake up with later when the vision is over. Did you cut yourself? You might need a bandaid when you wake up. Anything that happens to you in the memory also happens to your body in the present. There is a very real danger here. You could even die.
Don't panic! You're not alone! You see, when the figurine activated, it linked randomly with another active figurine. Surprise! You have a companion. You're in this together. Will you be able to help each other survive? Or will you just both coast through, hoping for the best and that it ends soon?
But, you might ask, I've learned not to touch these kinds of things! I would never have a vision! Fear not. You can still have one! Some of the figurines are quite sensitive you see, and might activate just by your mere presence within a certain distance from it. Have fun with that.
FAQ:
- The deer figurines are from Remina, and they're symbols of Deer Country's history. The smallest is about an inch in length or height, and the largest is 6 inches. They are made from various kinds of material (wood, stone, clay, metal) and can be in almost any kind of art style (cutesy, creepy, art deco, realism, etc). Some are painted. Some are natural.
- The figurines are activated mostly by touch, but some are super sensitive and react to proximity, usually about a foot away. So, if one happens to be across the room, it's likely not going to do much. You have to get close enough to actually take a good look at it.
- Events from the past can be from either Deer Country or Deerington. Old TDMs, old event posts, happenings mentioned in past newsletters, everything is up for grabs here.
- Connecting to another figurine or figurines is completely random ICly. The character has no idea who they'll end up appearing in the past with. Plot away and have fun! It can even be more than just two people if you want to do a big group thread. That's up to the players involved.
- Injuries from the visions will have an effect on your characters in current times. So if your character gets hurt while under the influence of the figurine, then they'll still be injured when they come out of it. Healing also has the same affect. If someone has the ability to heal or stop bleeding with first aid, then that will also be reflected on the character's actual body. That said, the reverse is also true. If someone finds another person in the middle of a vision (the person in the vision will physically be in a catatonic state) and sees them bleeding or being injured, then they can heal that person. The character stuck in the vision will notice while still in the vision that they are mysteriously healing. How strange!
- Death in these visions is also real. Naturally, if a character dies in a vision, the vision ends. The character will remember nothing after that point. As for their body, it will go through the normal crystallization process and squid rebirth that a character would go through if they had died in Trench.
- These "memories" are completely new! Remina, while she could share the memories of someone specific if she wanted to, is just trying to give you a general history of the world. So, what better way to learn history than to experience it? It's not Ruby's memories from Deerington that you're experiencing, though it can be if Ruby's with you and going through them. But, if Duo goes into a Deerington scenario, then it'll be as if he was actually there at the time, not just watching say, Shiro's experience of it. Consider yourself isekai'd.
- The figurines will lose their power at the end of the month, once Remina's influence wanes. So, if your character is able to avoid them the whole month, they'll be safe! But, the figurines themselves can be kept if you want your character to have one as a souvenir.
- Want to optout, but you know your character would definitely grab a figurine? Just have it so that they don't find a figurine. Remina is good, but she can't help it if someone just doesn't see it where she puts it, especially the smaller ones.
WHEN: Anytime in June
WHERE: Begins Near the Beech, Going to Somewhere Else
CONTENT WARNINGS: Hurricane, Possible Drowning/Death, Horrific Monsters (The Pthumerians are kind of monstrous after all)
WHERE: Begins Near the Beech, Going to Somewhere Else
CONTENT WARNINGS: Hurricane, Possible Drowning/Death, Horrific Monsters (The Pthumerians are kind of monstrous after all)
For some very few, the experience might be harrowing because of how familiar it is. For others, it is a fresh and new horror. As you are traveling along near to the coastline, perhaps wondering when the next catch of fish will come, or perhaps wondering why there have been no new arrivals in some time, you see it. It is an old boat, one fit more for a river or a lake than for the ocean's turbulent tides. There is a floating specter of a figure seated atop the prow of the boat, one hand holding a long river pole. It gazes back towards you and under the hood you can almost see one lonely eye, before it is shrouded in darkness. Remina.
You are not compelled to go. Riding the boat is a choice. It is a simple matter to ignore the offer, but it is given all the same. Should you take the boat, you and whoever joins you will find yourself passing through a thick and soupy mist in the veiled darkness. It is bone-chilling and time seems to flow differently. Through the passage of the waters, you can see countless vessels. Some are populated by twisted men and women who were once pirates, each of them dashed upon the rocks. None ever reach the shores of Trench. Other vessels, you watch as they sink around you. Countless explorers, some of them human, and some of them very much not, all of them are lost to the waves. The farther you travel, the more a storm looms in the distance. It rages, seethes and howls with the might of a hurricane, the likes of which you have never seen. You near the first crest of the waves, and a look back finds Remina gone. You are alone, braving the waves.
THE UNKNOWN GUARDIAN: MARIANA
This is not so much a direct fight with the Pthumerian, as encounters in years gone past were. Unlike other guardians, Mariana does not confront you directly, and instead it is a battle of attrition, one of survival. The waves bear down on you, and the moment you take to the pole, to the oars, you feel yourself surge with the knowledge of how to steer the vessel, but not where. Great waves, high as small skyscrapers, will attempt to bear you down and you must choose whether to ride them and rise over their crest, fail and be dashed to the rocks like so many who have sought the unknown before, or run. The winds that rage have the full force of a hurricane, but the boat barely seems to keep you from flying out of it. Still, she tries to buffet you with the fury of countless detritus being hurled with incredible force. Lightning streaks from the clouds above, and you may very well be forced to keep the boat from being burned to a cinder. But, like the Guardians before, Mariana can be bested. There is only one true way to do so. You must persevere and maintain courage in the face of the unknown and bear through the storm until you reach the calm of the eye. Only then does Mariana's wrath fade.
Within the eye, you feel Remina's presence return. The floating boat tender navigates the way to a small shore. It looks like a small, verdant island with standing stones. There are women there, each of them robed. All but one of them feels deeply familiar somehow, though as you come to the shoreline and meet them, three of them stand out. One is impossibly tall, robed in white. A second stands beside her, dressed in the robes of a nun rather than the druidic garments the others favor, glaring at the white-robed one. The last is only slightly shorter than the white-robed, dressed entirely in black.
"You cannot do this," the nun says, though the white garbed woman ignores her, smiling at the sister in darkness. "Once this doorway is opened, it will be forever open. A gash. A wound. We do not know what else may come through."
"The one our daughter will bring into that world. She will control that path. In the dream, she will be as a god. We will see the truth before us. Do it." The white-robed one sounded almost commanding, and all around bowed save the one robed in darkness. Even the nun bowed, sullenly. Two of them knelt with swords, burying them in the soil, and power flowed from each of them towards the dark one, a sound like a key being fitted to a lock, and a doorway opening. The dark one nodded once and reached out over the ocean. She pulled back her hood, and the hideous visage of Marian stared out into the deep, the water parting to form a path. From behind her, the gathering rose and began to pass through, led by the one in white. At the end, only one who looked so much like the boat's tender, the nun and the dark one remained.
"Until the child is ready, I will hold the passage. You will hold the key," it said, looking back at one of the ones with a blade. She turned to the nun and stared at her. "And if that day never comes, I will hold the passage forever." The larger of the two with blades rose, nodding and the nun simply sighed, following as they departed after the rest.
As the vision concludes, you are left there in a small grove. Remina is now floating between the standing stones and looking at you quietly. "I think Mariana always knew she would hold this passage forever. But, a promise is a promise. The door will be unlocked soon." She will then wait to ferry the Sleeper back through a thankfully less dangerous and choppy sea, and when they return it will feel and seem as if little more than an hour has passed.
FAQ:
You are not compelled to go. Riding the boat is a choice. It is a simple matter to ignore the offer, but it is given all the same. Should you take the boat, you and whoever joins you will find yourself passing through a thick and soupy mist in the veiled darkness. It is bone-chilling and time seems to flow differently. Through the passage of the waters, you can see countless vessels. Some are populated by twisted men and women who were once pirates, each of them dashed upon the rocks. None ever reach the shores of Trench. Other vessels, you watch as they sink around you. Countless explorers, some of them human, and some of them very much not, all of them are lost to the waves. The farther you travel, the more a storm looms in the distance. It rages, seethes and howls with the might of a hurricane, the likes of which you have never seen. You near the first crest of the waves, and a look back finds Remina gone. You are alone, braving the waves.
THE UNKNOWN GUARDIAN: MARIANA
This is not so much a direct fight with the Pthumerian, as encounters in years gone past were. Unlike other guardians, Mariana does not confront you directly, and instead it is a battle of attrition, one of survival. The waves bear down on you, and the moment you take to the pole, to the oars, you feel yourself surge with the knowledge of how to steer the vessel, but not where. Great waves, high as small skyscrapers, will attempt to bear you down and you must choose whether to ride them and rise over their crest, fail and be dashed to the rocks like so many who have sought the unknown before, or run. The winds that rage have the full force of a hurricane, but the boat barely seems to keep you from flying out of it. Still, she tries to buffet you with the fury of countless detritus being hurled with incredible force. Lightning streaks from the clouds above, and you may very well be forced to keep the boat from being burned to a cinder. But, like the Guardians before, Mariana can be bested. There is only one true way to do so. You must persevere and maintain courage in the face of the unknown and bear through the storm until you reach the calm of the eye. Only then does Mariana's wrath fade.
Within the eye, you feel Remina's presence return. The floating boat tender navigates the way to a small shore. It looks like a small, verdant island with standing stones. There are women there, each of them robed. All but one of them feels deeply familiar somehow, though as you come to the shoreline and meet them, three of them stand out. One is impossibly tall, robed in white. A second stands beside her, dressed in the robes of a nun rather than the druidic garments the others favor, glaring at the white-robed one. The last is only slightly shorter than the white-robed, dressed entirely in black.
"You cannot do this," the nun says, though the white garbed woman ignores her, smiling at the sister in darkness. "Once this doorway is opened, it will be forever open. A gash. A wound. We do not know what else may come through."
"The one our daughter will bring into that world. She will control that path. In the dream, she will be as a god. We will see the truth before us. Do it." The white-robed one sounded almost commanding, and all around bowed save the one robed in darkness. Even the nun bowed, sullenly. Two of them knelt with swords, burying them in the soil, and power flowed from each of them towards the dark one, a sound like a key being fitted to a lock, and a doorway opening. The dark one nodded once and reached out over the ocean. She pulled back her hood, and the hideous visage of Marian stared out into the deep, the water parting to form a path. From behind her, the gathering rose and began to pass through, led by the one in white. At the end, only one who looked so much like the boat's tender, the nun and the dark one remained.
"Until the child is ready, I will hold the passage. You will hold the key," it said, looking back at one of the ones with a blade. She turned to the nun and stared at her. "And if that day never comes, I will hold the passage forever." The larger of the two with blades rose, nodding and the nun simply sighed, following as they departed after the rest.
As the vision concludes, you are left there in a small grove. Remina is now floating between the standing stones and looking at you quietly. "I think Mariana always knew she would hold this passage forever. But, a promise is a promise. The door will be unlocked soon." She will then wait to ferry the Sleeper back through a thankfully less dangerous and choppy sea, and when they return it will feel and seem as if little more than an hour has passed.
FAQ:
- The "Battle" with Mariana will not result in any harm to the Pthumerian. She does not engage directly, but simply uses a torrential storm to protect this secret.
- The threat here is that of a Hurricane the likes of which your character has never seen. Massive waves, Wind, Lightning, Rain, Flying Objects are the threats that are faced. The boat makes it possible for the character to navigate the storm, but they can die here.
- If you die in the storm, you find yourself waking the next day on the shore with normal death effects. You may attempt again and again until you succeed during June.
- Remina will not answer many questions. She is as enigmatic as ever, though she will confirm that this version of events is how she remembers them transpiring, not reality itself.
- It is possible to confirm and recognize that the Doorway, Reckoning, Mariana, the Pthumerian Queen, Mother Mercy and Remina are all present amongst others in this gathering. If one searches, any female Pthumerian may be seen somewhere in the crowd. The Doorway and Reckoning are the two who assist Mariana with their power, and it is Mariana who creates the passage.
WHEN: Any time in June
WHERE: Cassandra
CONTENT WARNINGS: Pthumerians, Blood Rituals, Power Loss, Monster Transformation
WHERE: Cassandra
CONTENT WARNINGS: Pthumerians, Blood Rituals, Power Loss, Monster Transformation
Hali returns again once more during the month of June. He is attended by a second Pthumerian. The two of them remain in the heart of Cassandra, and there is enough hushed whisper that anyone in Trench or in any of the surrounding regions can easily learn that he has returned. Rather than seek out the Sleepers, he seems content to wait for them to approach and to make known that he wishes for them to visit with him. The second does not speak, though Hali introduces her as the Slumbering One. They nod once, but seem almost bored and disinterested by what is going on, staring off into the distance.
"It seems I may have been unfair to ask you what was asked before." Hali bobs his head towards the sleepers who approach. "It seems that many wished one thing, and others another. It is fortunate that the Slumbering One has awoken, yes?" He makes a sound that is closely akin to nails on a chalkboard. You aren't sure, but he might be laughing. "The Sleeper has agreed to undergo the binding ritual, to claim a new place to slumber beneath the earth, as does the Tower. And I will create the seal myself, to block off a small portion of this land, free as promised." It seems that the offer has been extended to the sleepers to grant both prizes. "Should you wish to suggest a location for the new city you would found, we will hear your suggestions."
It is at this point that the Slumbering One notices that there are people present, turning its gaze towards them. It extends the chalice in its hand and offers a second one to Hali. He takes it and both of them hold out a cup towards the sleeper. "You are not required to give of your blood. However, should you do so, there will be a return. However, only give to one of these, not to both." Hali turns to look at the sleeper. There is a crease in his features, almost as if he were annoyed a little, but it passes. Always a choice with this one.
If the Sleeper gives blood to Hali They will experience intense pain, enough to cause them to double over completely in agony no matter their resistances. For the next forty-eight hours, they will feel as if they were Warmblooded and without any impact of the monthly blood changes. They will experience a complete cleansing of corruption and not feel any push towards Beasthood. Their blood-based powers and even their canonical powers will not work during this period (unless required for survival). Their bones will ache and they will undergo a light fever during this time. At the end of this, they will awaken two days later with a small river stone with a carved symbol that looks like three legs emanating out from a head in the center. A voice echoes in their mind. "The Place set aside for you is one where none of us may know it exists. Hold this token, and you will know the way. After the first, you will not need it again and may show any but us the way." So long as the stone is found, it is impossible to get lost while seeking the protected location.
If the Sleeper gives blood to the Slumbering One They will experience the opposite effect. Immediately, they will undergo a bestial transformation, though they will retain their will in the process. They will not lose their minds, and are capable of remaining in control, though they are in their full beast form and might very well alarm others, causing a fight (or if so inclined, they could very well pick a fight). This transformation will last for twenty-four hours, during which they will feel as if their blood powers are particularly strong, but must seek to avoid the attention of the Hunters. The next day, they will awaken, finding in their grip the handle of a fresh, new Lantern. A guttural voice speaks in their mind. "For our new future." The Lantern is itself a normal lantern, capable of making a lantern location, but it will NOT work in Trench, and only in the new city.
F.A.Q.
"It seems I may have been unfair to ask you what was asked before." Hali bobs his head towards the sleepers who approach. "It seems that many wished one thing, and others another. It is fortunate that the Slumbering One has awoken, yes?" He makes a sound that is closely akin to nails on a chalkboard. You aren't sure, but he might be laughing. "The Sleeper has agreed to undergo the binding ritual, to claim a new place to slumber beneath the earth, as does the Tower. And I will create the seal myself, to block off a small portion of this land, free as promised." It seems that the offer has been extended to the sleepers to grant both prizes. "Should you wish to suggest a location for the new city you would found, we will hear your suggestions."
It is at this point that the Slumbering One notices that there are people present, turning its gaze towards them. It extends the chalice in its hand and offers a second one to Hali. He takes it and both of them hold out a cup towards the sleeper. "You are not required to give of your blood. However, should you do so, there will be a return. However, only give to one of these, not to both." Hali turns to look at the sleeper. There is a crease in his features, almost as if he were annoyed a little, but it passes. Always a choice with this one.
If the Sleeper gives blood to Hali They will experience intense pain, enough to cause them to double over completely in agony no matter their resistances. For the next forty-eight hours, they will feel as if they were Warmblooded and without any impact of the monthly blood changes. They will experience a complete cleansing of corruption and not feel any push towards Beasthood. Their blood-based powers and even their canonical powers will not work during this period (unless required for survival). Their bones will ache and they will undergo a light fever during this time. At the end of this, they will awaken two days later with a small river stone with a carved symbol that looks like three legs emanating out from a head in the center. A voice echoes in their mind. "The Place set aside for you is one where none of us may know it exists. Hold this token, and you will know the way. After the first, you will not need it again and may show any but us the way." So long as the stone is found, it is impossible to get lost while seeking the protected location.
If the Sleeper gives blood to the Slumbering One They will experience the opposite effect. Immediately, they will undergo a bestial transformation, though they will retain their will in the process. They will not lose their minds, and are capable of remaining in control, though they are in their full beast form and might very well alarm others, causing a fight (or if so inclined, they could very well pick a fight). This transformation will last for twenty-four hours, during which they will feel as if their blood powers are particularly strong, but must seek to avoid the attention of the Hunters. The next day, they will awaken, finding in their grip the handle of a fresh, new Lantern. A guttural voice speaks in their mind. "For our new future." The Lantern is itself a normal lantern, capable of making a lantern location, but it will NOT work in Trench, and only in the new city.
F.A.Q.
- There will be another poll because of course there will be! It will stay up until the end of the month.
- The poll comes in two parts: Do you want the "New and Thriving City" to be in the Outpost, in Riteior's City, or in a completely new location. The second question will be do the same, but for the location that will be sealed off from the Pthumerians.
- If, by some freak chance, there's a tie and somehow one location gets the same number of votes for both questions? We'll laugh and figure something out.
- Hali is not feeling quite as talkative, but he will indicate that though this process will drain him, he will return to full strength in time and remain in Trench and the New City, as there were Sleepers who seemed interested in his well being.
- The "Slumbering One" is not willing to talk or answer questions whatsoever.
- You may receive only one reward.