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countryclub2023-01-06 09:48 pm
reddosmod) wrote in countryclub2023-01-06 09:48 pm
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January 2023 Plotting Post
JANUARY 2023 PLOTTING POST
CODING
Please use this post to plot with other players and keep track of your plans for this month's event! You can ask specific questions about the event down below. If you are ever waiting on a question, please feel free to reach out to Simcha directly.
This post will be updated with the Live Event once it is posted. Plotting posts are always made on the 5th and events always go live on the 8th.
Due to the cyclical nature of Trench, last year's January prompts are available for use. Please be sure to mark if your prompts are from this year or last year to avoid confusion when plotting/playing.
This post will be updated with the Live Event once it is posted. Plotting posts are always made on the 5th and events always go live on the 8th.
Due to the cyclical nature of Trench, last year's January prompts are available for use. Please be sure to mark if your prompts are from this year or last year to avoid confusion when plotting/playing.
[NAVIGATION]
Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3
Plotting Form • Event Questions • Live Event • Monthly Newsletter
[JUMP TO COMMENTS]
PROMPT 1: A NEW CITY
Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3
Plotting Form • Event Questions • Live Event • Monthly Newsletter
CONTENT WARNINGS:Seemingly living buildings, possibly paranoia and/or heavy anxiety, blood, beasts, hauntings
Those who continued to charge their compasses will find that they are finally able to go farther than they ever could before. They will have started to glow, much the way the pieces did back in October when they were searching for their other half. There will be a pull towards the new city skyline, urging the holder to explore.
The journey to this new city takes time. For the average travelling group, it would take a week to get to the edges of town. For the fastest movers, it would still take roughly four days. The forest seems to get strangely thicker and denser as the city gets closer, before it suddenly disappears and opens up to brick streets and stone, gothic buildings. The aesthetics are very much like Trench, clearly built around the same time period. However, unlike Trench, this city has been completely and utterly abandoned.
Old, rusted lanterns are attached to the sides of houses, without any candles or oil to light them. At night, the bricks lining the street almost seem to glow, allowing for people to see their path in front of them, but not much beyond it. The buildings loom above, massive shadows with an almost unnerving quality to them. At night, sometimes one could get the strange idea that the very stones of the buildings are alive: are actually moving and breathing.
There's also an unpleasant sound that follows around as the city is explored. A low hum in some places and outright whispers in others. They could be mistaken for the wind or creaking window panes that never got nailed shut. Othertimes, the whispers can become so clear, one would think that there was someone standing right next to them. These clear whispers can only be heard by the person they are directed to. The words will be direct and harsh, usually targeting a person's worst fears and insecurities, memories that still haunt them, or targeting characteristics that they hate the most about themselves. It's like having a personal ghost bully, but they can't be intimidated into being quiet, no matter how hard one tries. Hopefully you have strong self-esteem.
Those who continue to explore the city will find much of it barren and useless. The buildings are overgrown with plants and some even have trees starting to break through the stone floors, leaving cracks and rubble on the ground. Thick vines have taken over many of the streets, dark in color, and they almost look like they're pulsing when they're hit with moonlight. Another interesting thing to note: some of the trees surrounding the city, as well as the trees within the city, house the delicate mushrooms that help the ill Pthumerians. They seem to be in a much larger, more sustainable supply in this city. Maybe it would be wise to take some back home.
There are a couple of buildings that seem like they might hold useful information for those who choose to explore them. One is City Hall, a large building with all the gothic characteristics one would expect: buttresses, arches, spires, and even gargoyles line the edges of the top of the building. Looking away from the gagoyles might make it seem like they're changing positions or their wings are flapping. Inside the building, some of the stone has crumbled and is broken on the marble floors, but for the most part, the foundation seems to have held up. Moss is the biggest issue, coating the walls and much of the furniture throughout the building. Even the cabinets. Opening the cabinets will find mostly rotted and unreadable papers, but some of them look like they could have been town records at one point. Comparing them to records found in Trench will show that the city was founded around the same time, maybe even a little earlier, but there's no indication of when or why it was abandoned.
Another location that can be explored is a library. This building is not as intricately decorative as others, the windows have been smashed at some point, and vines have taken over much of the building. But it was clearly well funded, as the inside is filled to the brim with books. Most of the pages and covers are falling apart, destroyed by the elements over the years, or were shredded by the vines that took over the bookcases. There are still a handful of books that look like they're intact and possibly readable. The language isn't familiar, but for someone who is good with translating, or who has abilities that help them to translate text, they will find stories of varying worlds, just like the Archives back in Trench, as well as a few local legends and folklores. They all seem to be formed around the Pthumerians: one or two mention the Patrons that we've all come to know and... feel something about, prbably not love. The Tower is a common character in many. Another popular Pthumerian throughout is also... Riteior.
Which makes the final location characters may find of interest less surprising: a church that was clearly dedicated to Riteior still stands tall. A few other worshipping areas throughout town also exist, dedicated to minor Pthumerians that are unfamiliar to Sleepers, and whose names have been lost to time. There are also a few alters dedicated to some of the Patrons as well, particularly the Tower and Madam Generosity. But Riteior's church is the largest of them all and the decorative windows made of blood stones show just how important he clearly was to so many people.
There is a door in the back of the church that seems to be glowing at first. It becomes clear quickly that behind it, there is a great deal of red colored light shining through. It pulses gentle, never going out entirely, but clearly having a bit of a flicker to it that could cause some people, especially those with light sensititivies, to have extreme headaches.
NOTE: Currently, it will not be possible to set up a lantern in the new city or near its edges. The city itself seems to be rejecting the possibility. This restriction will be lifted in the near future!
PROMPT 2: TOWARDS A CURE
Those who continued to charge their compasses will find that they are finally able to go farther than they ever could before. They will have started to glow, much the way the pieces did back in October when they were searching for their other half. There will be a pull towards the new city skyline, urging the holder to explore.
The journey to this new city takes time. For the average travelling group, it would take a week to get to the edges of town. For the fastest movers, it would still take roughly four days. The forest seems to get strangely thicker and denser as the city gets closer, before it suddenly disappears and opens up to brick streets and stone, gothic buildings. The aesthetics are very much like Trench, clearly built around the same time period. However, unlike Trench, this city has been completely and utterly abandoned.
Old, rusted lanterns are attached to the sides of houses, without any candles or oil to light them. At night, the bricks lining the street almost seem to glow, allowing for people to see their path in front of them, but not much beyond it. The buildings loom above, massive shadows with an almost unnerving quality to them. At night, sometimes one could get the strange idea that the very stones of the buildings are alive: are actually moving and breathing.
There's also an unpleasant sound that follows around as the city is explored. A low hum in some places and outright whispers in others. They could be mistaken for the wind or creaking window panes that never got nailed shut. Othertimes, the whispers can become so clear, one would think that there was someone standing right next to them. These clear whispers can only be heard by the person they are directed to. The words will be direct and harsh, usually targeting a person's worst fears and insecurities, memories that still haunt them, or targeting characteristics that they hate the most about themselves. It's like having a personal ghost bully, but they can't be intimidated into being quiet, no matter how hard one tries. Hopefully you have strong self-esteem.
Those who continue to explore the city will find much of it barren and useless. The buildings are overgrown with plants and some even have trees starting to break through the stone floors, leaving cracks and rubble on the ground. Thick vines have taken over many of the streets, dark in color, and they almost look like they're pulsing when they're hit with moonlight. Another interesting thing to note: some of the trees surrounding the city, as well as the trees within the city, house the delicate mushrooms that help the ill Pthumerians. They seem to be in a much larger, more sustainable supply in this city. Maybe it would be wise to take some back home.
There are a couple of buildings that seem like they might hold useful information for those who choose to explore them. One is City Hall, a large building with all the gothic characteristics one would expect: buttresses, arches, spires, and even gargoyles line the edges of the top of the building. Looking away from the gagoyles might make it seem like they're changing positions or their wings are flapping. Inside the building, some of the stone has crumbled and is broken on the marble floors, but for the most part, the foundation seems to have held up. Moss is the biggest issue, coating the walls and much of the furniture throughout the building. Even the cabinets. Opening the cabinets will find mostly rotted and unreadable papers, but some of them look like they could have been town records at one point. Comparing them to records found in Trench will show that the city was founded around the same time, maybe even a little earlier, but there's no indication of when or why it was abandoned.
Another location that can be explored is a library. This building is not as intricately decorative as others, the windows have been smashed at some point, and vines have taken over much of the building. But it was clearly well funded, as the inside is filled to the brim with books. Most of the pages and covers are falling apart, destroyed by the elements over the years, or were shredded by the vines that took over the bookcases. There are still a handful of books that look like they're intact and possibly readable. The language isn't familiar, but for someone who is good with translating, or who has abilities that help them to translate text, they will find stories of varying worlds, just like the Archives back in Trench, as well as a few local legends and folklores. They all seem to be formed around the Pthumerians: one or two mention the Patrons that we've all come to know and... feel something about, prbably not love. The Tower is a common character in many. Another popular Pthumerian throughout is also... Riteior.
Which makes the final location characters may find of interest less surprising: a church that was clearly dedicated to Riteior still stands tall. A few other worshipping areas throughout town also exist, dedicated to minor Pthumerians that are unfamiliar to Sleepers, and whose names have been lost to time. There are also a few alters dedicated to some of the Patrons as well, particularly the Tower and Madam Generosity. But Riteior's church is the largest of them all and the decorative windows made of blood stones show just how important he clearly was to so many people.
There is a door in the back of the church that seems to be glowing at first. It becomes clear quickly that behind it, there is a great deal of red colored light shining through. It pulses gentle, never going out entirely, but clearly having a bit of a flicker to it that could cause some people, especially those with light sensititivies, to have extreme headaches.
NOTE: Currently, it will not be possible to set up a lantern in the new city or near its edges. The city itself seems to be rejecting the possibility. This restriction will be lifted in the near future!
CONTENT WARNINGS: Blood rituals, cursed effigies
Going through the door with the light will bring characters into a room that looks like it may have once been a nursery. There are shattered pieces of furniture that were once cribs, toy chests, and kids playsets. They're covered in moss and vines, but some of the wood may be salvagable for those who want it.
More importantly, there is one thing that really stands out here: a large hole in the wall that is filled with pulsing red light as well as swirling clouds of fog. Getting closer will show that the hole leads to the same world that people were being pulled into back in September. This Other World doesn't go to the Other Trench, but clearly an alternate version of this current city. The mirrored side is that of the very church you're currently standing in.
Those who went to explore the library will recall reading in lore about Riteior's powers. The reality warping and world-building like powers were clear, given the existence of the Other Trench, but another power that was mentioned was his ability to use his blood magic to create powerful effegies. These doll-like figurines could be of anyone and were often made of other Pthumerians in an attempt to control them. Legends say the abuse of this power was ultimately what made him unpopular among the other Pthumerians, and rituals were created to try and seal his powers away. The back and forth fighting eventually created the Other World that Riteior was banished to and ultimately ruled over.
There are books in the Other Church that will talk more in depth about his effegy creations and how it was that they were utilized. One form of these effegies created an illness, one that altered the very cells within Pthumerian blood and could be spread to other Pthumerians through close contact. This illness was said to have destroyed them from the inside out over a slow period of time. Many of the symptoms listed will line up with ones that impacted Pthumerians have shared with curious Sleepers, or been observed over the past few months: aches, pains, bleeding, power warping, personality changes, memory loss, brain fog, eventual disfigurement, and ultimately, death.
(Those who read about this might remember that, while he never mentioned feeling physically ill, the Tower's lover, Nevermind, was unable to find the answers to the illness (something he's never had trouble with before) and was unable to pull up much information on Riteior, despite having existed at the same time as him. It seems like he may have been more impacted by this illness than he realized.)
It's clear that Riteior has found a way since September to further break the barriers between his Other World and the world the Sleepers and Patrons live in. It's clear he has begun to create effegies of the Patrons. There are a few choices left to the Sleepers with this information. The easiest would be to leave it be. If you hate the Patrons and want to see them die, obviously that would be something that a character is welcome to do. Knowing the outcome is ultimately death obviously can sway some people in this direction if they wish to see the Patrons destroyed.
Some people might argue that this is unwise, considering how much chaos has come from the Pthumerians being sick thus far. They are worshipped for a reason by the natives and long time Sleepers, so perhaps getting rid of them would cause more pain to this world than is worth risking. The next option is to a temporary solution to the issue: find the effegies and destroy them. Characters who choose to go this route can go into the Other Church to enter the world and try and find Riteior's figurines. It may take time, as he could be located in the Other Trench, and it would take the same amount of days to travel in the Other World as it does in regular Trench. Asking the compass to help you locate the effegies will work: it will glow, leading you through the woods, until you find a small building hidden in the trees.
Going inside will show a series of figurines on a table, but they can not be destroyed by typical means. The texts that discuss the figurines talk about a ritual that can be used to destroy them, one that invovles making a mixture that must include a small amount of every kind of Sleeper blood. Then, a powdered form of the mushrooms from the trees must be mixed into the blood until it bubbles, similar to carbonated drinks. This mixture must then be poured over the effigy, which will dissolve as though it has been covered in acid. This will begin to lift the illness from the Pthumerians, who will take time to recover, usually over a month. However, as Riteior can make more figurines, this solution will not help the Pthumerian illness long term.
The last option involves a little more research. The ritual for sealing away Riteior's powers is hidden somewhere in the books in both the library as well as in the archives in Trench. It's deeply hidden, almost forgotten by time. It will be inside a book with a blank cover, a layer of dust on the binding, and the pages yellowed by age. It's handwritten in a local language that hasn't been used in ages, and may be difficult to translate at first, but comes together easily once the cadence is figured out. Magic of some sort has been placed on the pages to stop those who have powers from being able to translate it with them. It will only be able to be translated through good old fashioned research.
Natives will be willing to help, though, and in the end, the translation will state that the ritual again involves using each Sleeper blood type. It must be mixed with rose oil and the ashes from a burned yew branch until it forms a paste. The paste must then be used to draw a swirling pattern on the ground, one similar to a Celtic knot, though it does not need to be nearly as intricate so long as the pattern has no visible beginning or end point when it is done. Afterward, a Darkblood stone must be smashed, and its pieces scattered over it. It will glow a bright, blinding red, before disappearing as though it was never made at all.
This ritual must be repeated twice a month for three months in order to guarantee the Riteior's magic will no longer be able to impact the Pthumerians across worlds.
PROMPT 3: ROTTEN TIMES
Going through the door with the light will bring characters into a room that looks like it may have once been a nursery. There are shattered pieces of furniture that were once cribs, toy chests, and kids playsets. They're covered in moss and vines, but some of the wood may be salvagable for those who want it.
More importantly, there is one thing that really stands out here: a large hole in the wall that is filled with pulsing red light as well as swirling clouds of fog. Getting closer will show that the hole leads to the same world that people were being pulled into back in September. This Other World doesn't go to the Other Trench, but clearly an alternate version of this current city. The mirrored side is that of the very church you're currently standing in.
Those who went to explore the library will recall reading in lore about Riteior's powers. The reality warping and world-building like powers were clear, given the existence of the Other Trench, but another power that was mentioned was his ability to use his blood magic to create powerful effegies. These doll-like figurines could be of anyone and were often made of other Pthumerians in an attempt to control them. Legends say the abuse of this power was ultimately what made him unpopular among the other Pthumerians, and rituals were created to try and seal his powers away. The back and forth fighting eventually created the Other World that Riteior was banished to and ultimately ruled over.
There are books in the Other Church that will talk more in depth about his effegy creations and how it was that they were utilized. One form of these effegies created an illness, one that altered the very cells within Pthumerian blood and could be spread to other Pthumerians through close contact. This illness was said to have destroyed them from the inside out over a slow period of time. Many of the symptoms listed will line up with ones that impacted Pthumerians have shared with curious Sleepers, or been observed over the past few months: aches, pains, bleeding, power warping, personality changes, memory loss, brain fog, eventual disfigurement, and ultimately, death.
(Those who read about this might remember that, while he never mentioned feeling physically ill, the Tower's lover, Nevermind, was unable to find the answers to the illness (something he's never had trouble with before) and was unable to pull up much information on Riteior, despite having existed at the same time as him. It seems like he may have been more impacted by this illness than he realized.)
It's clear that Riteior has found a way since September to further break the barriers between his Other World and the world the Sleepers and Patrons live in. It's clear he has begun to create effegies of the Patrons. There are a few choices left to the Sleepers with this information. The easiest would be to leave it be. If you hate the Patrons and want to see them die, obviously that would be something that a character is welcome to do. Knowing the outcome is ultimately death obviously can sway some people in this direction if they wish to see the Patrons destroyed.
Some people might argue that this is unwise, considering how much chaos has come from the Pthumerians being sick thus far. They are worshipped for a reason by the natives and long time Sleepers, so perhaps getting rid of them would cause more pain to this world than is worth risking. The next option is to a temporary solution to the issue: find the effegies and destroy them. Characters who choose to go this route can go into the Other Church to enter the world and try and find Riteior's figurines. It may take time, as he could be located in the Other Trench, and it would take the same amount of days to travel in the Other World as it does in regular Trench. Asking the compass to help you locate the effegies will work: it will glow, leading you through the woods, until you find a small building hidden in the trees.
Going inside will show a series of figurines on a table, but they can not be destroyed by typical means. The texts that discuss the figurines talk about a ritual that can be used to destroy them, one that invovles making a mixture that must include a small amount of every kind of Sleeper blood. Then, a powdered form of the mushrooms from the trees must be mixed into the blood until it bubbles, similar to carbonated drinks. This mixture must then be poured over the effigy, which will dissolve as though it has been covered in acid. This will begin to lift the illness from the Pthumerians, who will take time to recover, usually over a month. However, as Riteior can make more figurines, this solution will not help the Pthumerian illness long term.
The last option involves a little more research. The ritual for sealing away Riteior's powers is hidden somewhere in the books in both the library as well as in the archives in Trench. It's deeply hidden, almost forgotten by time. It will be inside a book with a blank cover, a layer of dust on the binding, and the pages yellowed by age. It's handwritten in a local language that hasn't been used in ages, and may be difficult to translate at first, but comes together easily once the cadence is figured out. Magic of some sort has been placed on the pages to stop those who have powers from being able to translate it with them. It will only be able to be translated through good old fashioned research.
Natives will be willing to help, though, and in the end, the translation will state that the ritual again involves using each Sleeper blood type. It must be mixed with rose oil and the ashes from a burned yew branch until it forms a paste. The paste must then be used to draw a swirling pattern on the ground, one similar to a Celtic knot, though it does not need to be nearly as intricate so long as the pattern has no visible beginning or end point when it is done. Afterward, a Darkblood stone must be smashed, and its pieces scattered over it. It will glow a bright, blinding red, before disappearing as though it was never made at all.
This ritual must be repeated twice a month for three months in order to guarantee the Riteior's magic will no longer be able to impact the Pthumerians across worlds.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Food poisoning, illness, emetophobia
For those who have stayed behind in Trench, Madam Generosity's party is still going off the same as one would expect! It's a good place to go to take shelter from the cold and have a good time. Despite her illness, it seems that Generosity is living up to her name once again.
But when one isn't feeling well, they're bound to make a few mistakes. After attending the party, some people may find that they're feeling less than spectacular. Maybe it's just a hangover? Or staying up too late. Either seems reasonable. But the feeling is a little heavier than that, and it doesn't take long to see that you might actually be sick. Looking into it will bring up a simple answer: some of the food provided was definitely rotten, whether visibly, physically so or magically.
Symptoms will vary from person to person. Some might be able to walk away with some minor aches, a sniffle, a sore stomach. Others could end up having some strange things happen with their blood powers: a Coldblood could get the hiccups and set their porch on fire or freeze their sandwich. A Darkblood might sneeze and unintentionally glitter bomb someone rather than giving a spray of usual spit. A Paleblood might cough and cause the people around them to get a surge of empathy or heavy emotions. These blood impacts seem to be unique to each person and have no bounds. Feel free to create whatever outcomes from it you might wish.
There are also some who may get hit truly hard by the food poisoning in Trench. They will be hit with more classic symptoms, like fevers and chills, vomitting, body aches, and more. They could become weak and vulnerable, needing the help of another to care for them, put a cool cloth on their forehead, fall asleep at their bedside, until they feel better. Classic hurt/comfort is the goal here. You know what to do.
Regardless of severity of symptoms, they should clear up within 72 hours. After effects, such as weakness and dehydration, can last longer, but people should start to feel back to themselves within a week.
PLOTTING FORM
For those who have stayed behind in Trench, Madam Generosity's party is still going off the same as one would expect! It's a good place to go to take shelter from the cold and have a good time. Despite her illness, it seems that Generosity is living up to her name once again.
But when one isn't feeling well, they're bound to make a few mistakes. After attending the party, some people may find that they're feeling less than spectacular. Maybe it's just a hangover? Or staying up too late. Either seems reasonable. But the feeling is a little heavier than that, and it doesn't take long to see that you might actually be sick. Looking into it will bring up a simple answer: some of the food provided was definitely rotten, whether visibly, physically so or magically.
Symptoms will vary from person to person. Some might be able to walk away with some minor aches, a sniffle, a sore stomach. Others could end up having some strange things happen with their blood powers: a Coldblood could get the hiccups and set their porch on fire or freeze their sandwich. A Darkblood might sneeze and unintentionally glitter bomb someone rather than giving a spray of usual spit. A Paleblood might cough and cause the people around them to get a surge of empathy or heavy emotions. These blood impacts seem to be unique to each person and have no bounds. Feel free to create whatever outcomes from it you might wish.
There are also some who may get hit truly hard by the food poisoning in Trench. They will be hit with more classic symptoms, like fevers and chills, vomitting, body aches, and more. They could become weak and vulnerable, needing the help of another to care for them, put a cool cloth on their forehead, fall asleep at their bedside, until they feel better. Classic hurt/comfort is the goal here. You know what to do.
Regardless of severity of symptoms, they should clear up within 72 hours. After effects, such as weakness and dehydration, can last longer, but people should start to feel back to themselves within a week.
Feel free to use the following form as a general guidance for your ideas for this month's event. Tag around for new CR, build off old CR, or use this as a way of organizing your thoughts and plans.
no subject
no subject
no subject
No treats. But he will follow the leader, leader.