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countryclub2021-11-19 02:06 am
reddosmod) wrote in countryclub2021-11-19 02:06 am
Entry tags:
November 2021 Test Drive Meme
NOVEMBER 2021 TDM
NOT SO STANDARD ARRIVAL
FROZEN RELICS
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED
CODING
Another month, another test drive meme! Our test drive memes are open to anyone interested - regardless of whether or not you join our game!
All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.
Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.
Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!
IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Perfect dog curled up in falling snow, tilting head to side.]
[Image Two: Dead man floating in water with signs of hypothermia.]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Frozen ship wreck.]
[Image Two: Frozen staircase.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Bloody tentacles attacking soldiers.]
[Image Two: Tentacles coming out of astronaut suit.]
All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.
Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.
Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!
Prompt One
[Image One: Perfect dog curled up in falling snow, tilting head to side.]
[Image Two: Dead man floating in water with signs of hypothermia.]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Frozen ship wreck.]
[Image Two: Frozen staircase.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Bloody tentacles attacking soldiers.]
[Image Two: Tentacles coming out of astronaut suit.]
WHEN: November - December
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Drowning, freezing to death, trapped under ice, hypothermia, frost bite.
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Drowning, freezing to death, trapped under ice, hypothermia, frost bite.
Washing up on the Farther Shores towards the end of November and the beginning of December isn't the best experience. Normally there are some Sleepers who can show up without a hitch, but as winter nears, the waters begin to freeze and it gets increasingly dangerous to arrive on the Farther Shores. Many Sleepers wind up trapped under ice. Wakers must especially be diligent this month to make sure they don't lose valuable Sleepers. Drowning and freezing to death is extremely probable. If you're lucky, you might be able to break through the ice to shriek for help. Let's just hope someone's around to hear you!
Most of the Boardwalk has been converted to save the Sleepers that do make it. Tents have been put up and inside are mattresses stuffed with hay and blankets made from wool and furs. Contained coal and wood fires keep the tents cozy, but it might take a while before you get feeling back into your toes. If you have warmblood or coldblood you will not have nearly as bad of a time with all of this. Some coldblood Sleepers might not even notice the cold! Might be good to put them on the frontlines for helping people out.
Another oddity this month is that most Sleepers seem to arrive at night rather than the typical daytime arrivals. Maybe it's because daytime hours are much shorter in December...But maybe it's something else too. This has led to Wakers making search parties to try and find Sleepers in the pitch-black night. It's a precarious situation and all hands on deck are strongly encouraged.
The Dog Keeper has come out to help the efforts. His dogs can be seen running frantically around the beach to help find people buried under ice and to help break through the ice to get them to safety. Dogs are available to help Sleepers swim to the Farther Shores, and they are also available to help Sleepers warm up by cuddling up afterward. There isn't much food to offer at this time, but you can still expect to be greeted with some hot soup. It might leave you hungry, but it definitely seems to help warm you up!
Most of the Boardwalk has been converted to save the Sleepers that do make it. Tents have been put up and inside are mattresses stuffed with hay and blankets made from wool and furs. Contained coal and wood fires keep the tents cozy, but it might take a while before you get feeling back into your toes. If you have warmblood or coldblood you will not have nearly as bad of a time with all of this. Some coldblood Sleepers might not even notice the cold! Might be good to put them on the frontlines for helping people out.
Another oddity this month is that most Sleepers seem to arrive at night rather than the typical daytime arrivals. Maybe it's because daytime hours are much shorter in December...But maybe it's something else too. This has led to Wakers making search parties to try and find Sleepers in the pitch-black night. It's a precarious situation and all hands on deck are strongly encouraged.
The Dog Keeper has come out to help the efforts. His dogs can be seen running frantically around the beach to help find people buried under ice and to help break through the ice to get them to safety. Dogs are available to help Sleepers swim to the Farther Shores, and they are also available to help Sleepers warm up by cuddling up afterward. There isn't much food to offer at this time, but you can still expect to be greeted with some hot soup. It might leave you hungry, but it definitely seems to help warm you up!
WHEN: End of November, early December
WHERE: Farther Shores/Pthumerian Ocean
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mutilated corpses, frozen bodies, possible frost bite/hypothermia, disaster-centric setting.
WHERE: Farther Shores/Pthumerian Ocean
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mutilated corpses, frozen bodies, possible frost bite/hypothermia, disaster-centric setting.
Sleepers aren't the only thing struggling in the Pthumerian Ocean this time of year. Boats come crushing in through the ice, frozen over completely by blistering winds. The ocean seems to be spitting up boats from times long past, leaving their skeletons strewn along the Farther Shores. Some are small boats, barely worth a second glance, but others are massive vessels, cutting intimidating shapes against the dark sky beyond.
Some Sleepers may even wake up in the water-submerged bowels of these boats, having to navigate a metallic graveyard. Other Sleepers might just have the sense to go and scavenge the boats for useful supplies and parts. Valuable metals can be extracted from the boats as well as other mechanical pieces - but not just that. Sleepers who explore thoroughly will discover small non-magical items from their home might be on the boats, floating in the water, or in random debris. Some boats are trader boats, having entire crates of sealed food goods like rare chocolates, fruits, and other food that is difficult to find this time of year.
You will want to thoroughly bundle up for this trip because it's much colder inside of the boats than it is outside. It's as if they have been transformed into giant freezers. Coldbloods may be able to provide their companions with steady warmth, even if their abilities are typically more ice-centric. It seems like coldbloods can manipulate the cold in these boats to be less intense. Some of the boats may have more grim discoveries: dead bodies, some skeletal, others still with the flesh intact and frozen over. It's never easy to discover the corpses of those who have tried to brave the ocean and failed.
It's easy to believe that what killed these people was the ocean or the cold...But the more bodies you discover, the more thoroughly you explore these shipwrecks, you begin to have a creeping feeling that these aren't ordinary crashes. These weren't natural causes. Some of the bodies look as if the chests had been ripped open while others, the faces have been completely distorted beyond recognition. There is an undeniable presence of something on these ships and you have a feeling whatever killed these people has now been brought to Trench...Great!
Some Sleepers may even wake up in the water-submerged bowels of these boats, having to navigate a metallic graveyard. Other Sleepers might just have the sense to go and scavenge the boats for useful supplies and parts. Valuable metals can be extracted from the boats as well as other mechanical pieces - but not just that. Sleepers who explore thoroughly will discover small non-magical items from their home might be on the boats, floating in the water, or in random debris. Some boats are trader boats, having entire crates of sealed food goods like rare chocolates, fruits, and other food that is difficult to find this time of year.
You will want to thoroughly bundle up for this trip because it's much colder inside of the boats than it is outside. It's as if they have been transformed into giant freezers. Coldbloods may be able to provide their companions with steady warmth, even if their abilities are typically more ice-centric. It seems like coldbloods can manipulate the cold in these boats to be less intense. Some of the boats may have more grim discoveries: dead bodies, some skeletal, others still with the flesh intact and frozen over. It's never easy to discover the corpses of those who have tried to brave the ocean and failed.
It's easy to believe that what killed these people was the ocean or the cold...But the more bodies you discover, the more thoroughly you explore these shipwrecks, you begin to have a creeping feeling that these aren't ordinary crashes. These weren't natural causes. Some of the bodies look as if the chests had been ripped open while others, the faces have been completely distorted beyond recognition. There is an undeniable presence of something on these ships and you have a feeling whatever killed these people has now been brought to Trench...Great!
WHEN: During Bone Season
WHERE: Throughout Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Parasitic monsters, tentacle horror, crushing/bursting styles of death, a form of beasthood, mild auto-cannibalism/self-harm.
WHERE: Throughout Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Parasitic monsters, tentacle horror, crushing/bursting styles of death, a form of beasthood, mild auto-cannibalism/self-harm.
You notice specks of blood that seem to appear from nowhere among the snowdrifts. When you pay closer attention, you may see more blood dripping...up. It doesn't look like any Sleeper Blood you're familiar with but instead appears to be black-blue colored, reflecting like glass, bubbling up out of the ground. It makes a small, glass-shattering noise when it appears before it bubbles back into the ground. It leaves a rotten odor in its wake.
The moment you get too close to the blood, even a foot away, it will expand rapidly. Bloodied tentacles will grow out of the blood and start violently lashing around at whatever living creatures are nearby. These tentacles are powerful, impervious to any weapons not reinforced with Sleeper Blood. They will grab up people and break their bodies, throwing them through the air or tearing them apart, seeming to nourish from the bloodshed.
However, some people are less lucky than a swift death. Some of these tentacles may snap right into your chest, opening up some blood portal into your soul, where this Thing will consume you. On the outside, this looks like a rush of this black-blue blood rushing into a Sleeper and then nothing. You'll feel disoriented and strange at first but will become increasingly agitated, violent with those around you. You will start to gnaw at your fingers to shed your new temporarily altered blood. Eventually, you will begin to attack other Sleepers, able to summon these bloodied tentacles and destroy anything in your path.
But this is a parasitic monster you carry. It eats away your sanity until nothing is left, and then the tentacles will burst out of you, your body left to ruin. Parasitic monsters can be removed by Blood Ministers or by forcing vileblood into the infected's body. The vileblood seems to purge the parasite without killing the host body...As long as you don't use too much. Once the parasite has consumed the body, there is no saving the Sleeper except through death. These parasites can be tracked back to the boats where people can find streaks of the unusual black-blue blood throughout the boats. This blood can be contained and isolated by darkbloods and/or Architects.
The moment you get too close to the blood, even a foot away, it will expand rapidly. Bloodied tentacles will grow out of the blood and start violently lashing around at whatever living creatures are nearby. These tentacles are powerful, impervious to any weapons not reinforced with Sleeper Blood. They will grab up people and break their bodies, throwing them through the air or tearing them apart, seeming to nourish from the bloodshed.
However, some people are less lucky than a swift death. Some of these tentacles may snap right into your chest, opening up some blood portal into your soul, where this Thing will consume you. On the outside, this looks like a rush of this black-blue blood rushing into a Sleeper and then nothing. You'll feel disoriented and strange at first but will become increasingly agitated, violent with those around you. You will start to gnaw at your fingers to shed your new temporarily altered blood. Eventually, you will begin to attack other Sleepers, able to summon these bloodied tentacles and destroy anything in your path.
But this is a parasitic monster you carry. It eats away your sanity until nothing is left, and then the tentacles will burst out of you, your body left to ruin. Parasitic monsters can be removed by Blood Ministers or by forcing vileblood into the infected's body. The vileblood seems to purge the parasite without killing the host body...As long as you don't use too much. Once the parasite has consumed the body, there is no saving the Sleeper except through death. These parasites can be tracked back to the boats where people can find streaks of the unusual black-blue blood throughout the boats. This blood can be contained and isolated by darkbloods and/or Architects.
no subject
[He's not sure if he could, any more than he already is; the man is on tenterhooks, scarcely breathing, both excited and quite aware of the danger they could potentially be facing on any of these boats.
He would have appreciated a hand up, but eventually he's probably got to start doing some things for himself.
Once he's up, surveying the same thing that Chin Yisou has witnessed, he stares.]
I suppose they could have been pulled overboard once they were killed... by pirates, megafauna, or otherwise.
no subject
It's odd that the blood isn't on deck. Yet, perhaps there's hints of carnage hidden beneath the ice.
[ A sound perception, the demon believes. With another scan across the room, his eyes notice a book. ]
There's a book by the controls, maybe it's the leger you were referring to earlier.
[ Carefully, the demon walks across the floor. He finds the blood a bit disgusting . Yet, the investigation must continue. Once he reaches the book, Chin Yisou notices blood splatters on the pages. ]
How are we to review this mess?
[ The demon turns towards his fellow investigator. He wonders if Lazarus would be willing to touch the book. Oddly enough, Chin Yisou seems more annoyed to touch the bloody pages than the bones of the previous boat's residents. ]
It smells foul. Doesn't it?
[ The demon's lips curl in disgust. ]
no subject
Not so odd, if most of it was spilled off-deck. You could be right, nevertheless... the elements can hide a myriad of natural tombs.]
How else are we to review it? Hand it here...
[He's careful to shield his hands with bits of cloth from previous minor crime scenes aboard the ships.]
Not squeamish, are you?
no subject
[ The demon draws his hand to his nose. Perhaps, there is simply too much blood. Regardless, the investigation must continue. As Lazarus holds up the book gingerly, the faint letters of a captain's journal is present. Yet, with another page turn, a piece of paper falls to the floor. Chin Yisou follows his fellow investigator's lead. The demon removes a piece of his sleeve to provide a barrier between his hand and the bloody note. ]
Well, well.
[ The demon smirks. ]
It seems our friend came by earlier. To those who follow, BEWARE! This ship must be cursed for the level of carnage that has taken place exceeds any nightmare that I have had. There was nothing of worth left on deck and there's no telling of what ill may come next. Do yourself a favor, and LEAVE! Sincerely yours N.P.
[ The demon reads the letter while providing emphasis on the writer's bold letters. He muses for a while before giving a half smile. ]
It's nice to know that this bandit seems to worry about others. I'm not sure that I believe the ship is necessarily cursed. What do you think?
[ Seeing Lazarus as a logical man, the demon is unsure of whether or not he would cater to superstitious thoughts. Yet, one may think being reborn in Trench is a curse itself. ]
no subject
[Some nuance, perhaps, that his human nose can't pick up on? He doesn't rule that out, even as he tries to discern a stranger note, now. Of course he does; confirmation biases are dastardly, that way.
His brows raise under his shaggy bangs (or, at least, that's what the muscles of his face are doing. L has no eyebrows.)]
"Cursed" is both very strong phrasing, and very vague. I personally don't buy into such things, but...
[But. This man has seen a shinigami, a notebook of death, and been reincarnated as a squid, all fairly recently. He's standing beside an apparent demon, now. Who's to say, anymore, what can or can't be real?]
It's wild speculation, of course, but I think our "friend" would rather keep others from a spoil he means to come back for. If this was for fun, it'd be another taunt, not a warning to vacate.
no subject
[ The demon taps a finger to his chin. His glance peers towards a latch door on the other side of the captain's quarters. ]
Maybe there's something in the hull.
[ Chin Yisou smiles and makes his way through the carnage. He sees a broken lock by the door. With a turn towards Lazarus, the demon demon opens the port. There is a ladder which leads to the hull. The smell of soiled fish permeates through the air. Chin Yisou brings out another lantern friend to help light the area. The fire reveals broken shelves and fishing equipment. Clearly, a fight ensued here as well. Chin Yisou twitches his nose again in disgust. ]
This ship is just filthy!
[ While the two look for anything out of the ordinary, a loud tremor shoots across the bottom of the ship. ]
What's that?
[ The demon's eyes dart across the room, in effort to hear which side has been struck. The investigators may not be alone...]
no subject
L's secret, after all, is that he never really knows what other humans feel, or if he's felt that thing himself in a similar way.
He follows Chin Yisou through the door to the hull, squinting in the present but dim light. Unlike the blood, the scent of rotting fish is highly offensive to his senses, and his wrist flies to his face, covering his nose with his shirtsleeve as he tries to suppress a lurching gag.
For a moment, he's too sickened to trust himself to open his mouth for an answer. He just nods greenly at the demon's comment on filthiness, until the tremor rattles through the floor, causing him to take a few shuffling, nervous steps back.]
Your wild speculation is as good as mine, but maybe we underestimated the altruism of the note-writer, after all.
no subject
[ Upon a moment of silence, another tremor shakes the boat. Chin Yisou adjusts his stance to keep balance. Out of the corner of his eye, the demon notices a glimmering sparkle from the fire light. ]
Perhaps that's what N.P. meant to retrieve.
[ He stumbles towards the shiny object as the shaking continues. They need to return to the deck. Yet, curiosity gets the best of the demon. Chin Yisou reaches a small golden box. After placing the item in the bag, he motions to leave. ]
We can study the box after seeing whats causing the boat to shake.
[ Hopefully, the boat will not be damaged from this thrashing. The demon is certain that Lazarus would agree with that thought. Their investigation of these frozen relics has reached a climax. Once the two resurface, there is another hit to the boat. While looking across the deck, Chin Yisou can see a monstrous creature. ]
That is one odd fish...
[ His eyes narrow and look back at his fellow investigator. In front of them breeches a fish that resembles a killer whale and a crocodile. ]
So, how do we handle that?
no subject
Chin Yisou's sharp gaze beats his own to the small golden box. He'll have words of praise later; for now, there's an urgent matter to deal with, one that could threaten both their lives more than anything else they've yet encountered.]
Now is the time to reveal if you have any powers that pack a wallop.
[Please have some, he thinks, as he glances around the deck for something that can be effective, even if only by dropping on the head of a particularly fearsome beast. There's an anchor; he runs for it. He strains under the weight, but he can in fact lift it, slick with blood as it is.]
no subject
Let's see how this beast likes blood.
[ He drops his bag and removes mahjong counters from his robe. Chin Yisou takes the sharp pieces and pierces his own arm. Green blood drips onto the counters. The demon runs towards the aquatic beast. As the creature motions to strike the boat, Chin Yisou throws the counters at the beast's head. With speed, the counters are apt to pierce flesh. Yet, all depends on location. Chin Yisou takes a stance away from the ship's edge. ]
It's body has tough scales. I don't think that my counters were able to do much damage to the creature's head.
[ While the beast submerges, the demon turns towards Lazarus. ]
What's your take?
[ Chin Yisou is all ears for a solution. If tag teaming works, then the demon is willing to add support. ]
no subject
Unfortunately, scales pose their own form of a particular tough lock, in this case. L grinds his teeth as he thinks.]
The combination of weight and gravity could be an effective weapon... blunt force, as opposed to precision cutting. Do you think you could throw, or at least drop this with some force on the creature's nose or gills? It might not be enough to incapacitate it, but enough pain would serve as a distraction... maybe enough for us to get away.
no subject
[ The demon motions towards the anchor. He stumbles as the beast knocks into the boat. While grabbing the anchor with superhuman strength, Chin Yisou watches the aquatic creature circling in the water. The demon takes the anchor and shuffles it close through the boat's edge. ]
I may actually need help with this one.
[ Chin Yisou gives an awkward laugh. The demon may have more strength than the average human, but lifting a heavy anchor overboard is a little much for even his old bones. ]
We will have to be ready for when the beast returns to attack.
[ The creature’s for reappears from the depths. Once its head is in clear view, timing is of essence. ]
One, two, and three!
[ With teamwork, the anchor is sure to reach the target. Yet, how will the monster react? ]
no subject
[Things don't seem like they could get much worse; at any point, this creature could probably capsize the boat and devour them easily, after all.
He hurries to Chin Yisou's side to help with the anchor. He can barely lift it, but together, it's a job as good as done. He puts every ounce of strength he possesses into helping to guide the heave on the specified mark, and it hits the creature squarely between the eyes.
It thrashes and bellows. The waves roughen and push the ship toward shore, which could be good; it pushes them away from the other boats, though, which could have potential to definitely not be.]
no subject
Splendid! I'm sure the beast will think again about its prey next time!
[ They may have received a lucky toss for the moment. Yet, no victory is too small for rejoicing. The demon returns his attention to the box. He pulls out the intricately decorated treasure.]
I bet N.P. would be sour to know that their goal was taken away.
Prompt 1: The Beast's Revenge!
[ Chin Yisou holds out the box so that his fellow investigator can inspect its frame. Yet, just before the demon can hand their evidence over... ]
THUD!!
What the hell!
[ The demon cries out in confusion. The tremor of the boat throws Chin Yisou off balance. He scrambles in the air to catch the golden box. However, a final crash into the ship, causes an unfortunate splash. ]
It's gone...
[ With a mixture of disappointment and fury, the demon watches as the beast swims into the distance. ]
Prompt II: Another Note
[ Once the golden box opens, the investigators find yet another note. It reads:
I'm hoping no one is reading this. However, if you're as ambitious as myself, then talk of curses won't steer you away from a pleasant surprise. Let's play a game. Take this map and meet me in the spring. Perhaps you have what it takes to join myself on a little expedition. Sincerely yours, N.P. ]
I'm starting to not like this fellow.
[ The look of irritation is impossible to mask. Chin Yisou glares at the letter in hand. ]
What now?
[ With a new lead, how will the investigators react? ]
II
He exhales for longer than his inhalation, trying to slow his thudding heartbeat, leaning closer to see the contents of the box. He chuffs some grim laughter when the half-expected note is found; a certain type just can't resist leaving clues, delighted by the notion that someone might eventually find them and put them together, giving something hypothetical so much thought and effort.]
He absolutely wanted someone to read it. How do you feel about sailing in the spring?
[He asks like this is a tedious thing he'd send someone else to do, but not willingly embark on, himself.]
Re: II
[ The demon clasps his hands together in agreement. The trip ahead will yield what kind of person N.P. truly is. Well, at least the investigators will receive a new set of clues. ]
I guess we should reconvene whe the time is right.
[ Chin Yisou looks towards the shore. There is a scraggly tree past the beach. ]
That will be the place to meet. If you are fine with that, no?
[ Although the demon is excited to further their quest, he notes that the case must be put on hold. ]
/wrap? ^^
[He nods briskly, somewhere between restless and satisfied.]
We should head back.
Re: /wrap? ^^
[ While readying their raft, Chin Yisou reflects on the investigation. ]
Despite its dangerous terrain, Trench seems to be a valid place to explore.
[ The demon reasons that future investigation are in need. ]
When we meet up again, I'll be sure to share anything strange that I came across.
[ Once they land ashore, Chin Yisou provides a bow. ]
It was a pleasure meeting you. Stay safe Lazarus.
[ With a smile, the demon parts ways. He is eager to learn more of what Trench has to offer. Yet, regretful to lose great company. ]