EVENT & TDM 014

[sticksandbonesmods]

THE OCEAN IS ONLY SCARY IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT

WAKE UP

You open your eyes to a peaceful, beautiful forest. Whatever you were dreaming about — be it something happy, something sad, or something nightmarish — seems secondary to the bright wash of greenery and the comforting, cooling breeze that washes over you. It rustles the leaves of the canopy overhead, disturbing a small nest of two-headed birds who chirp as the sticks for their nests are blown away. A hop, hop, hop later, and they return to continue their building, unbothered by your gaze.

As you walk around, you will find that Aldric’s Grove feels… empty. You pop your head into the inn only to find a fine layer of dust on the furniture, and an ever-burning fireplace refusing to be put out. The General Store is unmanned, the door locked, and the lights inside completely out. The house to the south is abandoned, and a building labelled as a clinic sports no patients. The most life you’ll find lies in the church, where the pigeons see you and swarm at your feet, cooing and asking for breadcrumbs.

Flowers bloom, a deer with a halo of horns skips through the clearing, and a small lizard shaped like a leaf climbs the well. You spend several hours alone… and then from the woods to the east comes a giant capybara and a monstrous moose two stories tall. Upon each of them, they carry a hoard of people coming back from what is clearly a summer vacation, if the inner tubes, swimwear, and overwhelming stench of sunscreen are anything to go by.

Maybe the people dismounting the two animals will be nice enough to greet you and tour you around. It’s the least they can do, since you were excluded from the vacation activities.

NOT A MOMENT OF PEACE

It’s still early in the month when a cacophony occurs; an enormous crocodile with too many eyes, known simply as “The Behemoth” suddenly rushes out of the river in a panic as some kind of blue, veinlike latticework covers the surface of it, nearly trapping her within it. It spreads across the entire length of the river from east to west, creeping onto the shoreline up to the church and across the back of the home to the south. When touched, it stings bad enough to paralyse the nervous system, and after making contact for too long while you’re unable to move? Death is imminent, unless someone saves you.

The Behemoth certainly doesn’t try to, too occupied plonking around on land to look for something to do while she can’t go into the water. She won’t attack anyone, but she’s normally searching for a meal, if you don’t mind sharing a snack. As for the other supernatural creatures in the Grove…

Ever since that latticework covered the river, the moose monster — Moder — and the gargoyle that sits on the church’s roof — Zahliya — have only stared and scrutinized. One wrong move, one fight with another resident of the Grove, means either of them are getting up to deal with the problem. It seems that they’re waiting for someone here to show the wrong hand, suspicious of everyone — including those who have been here for over a year at this point. And the second one toe is out of line? Either of them are willing and ready to kill.

Though the suspicion of the Guardians doesn’t wear off and won’t any time soon, the blue gunk covering the river disappears at the end of the first week of July, and it’s anyone’s guess what’ll happen for the rest of the month.

UNDER THE SEA

cw: thalassophobia
What happens is pretty simple if you don’t think about it: Another week passes in peace, and then a disembodied voice somewhere in the woods says, “You guys still smell like seawater and sand, and it’s putting me off of my lunch,” and if you’re new and haven’t gone to the beach yet and have no idea what the voice is talking about… too bad, you’re being lumped in with the crowd. Being lumped in also includes, well… a burst of magic, the sound of fingers snapping, and a loud splash of water. When you next open your eyes…

You’re underwater in some kind of reinforced metal base, one thousand meters under the sea, and something is slamming against the outside of it in an attempt to get in and — presumably — eat you alive. If anyone finds the on-board torpedoes in the command room in time, you might be able to kill the creature before it breaks through the hull and kills everyone inside. And with that hopefully taken care of…

Welcome to your new home for the next two weeks. Your only objective is to survive. There are several rooms here dedicated to underwater research, a bedroom with enough uncomfortable single-person beds for everyone (sadly glued to the floor, too), and a “cafeteria” type room that you can eat in. While the seabase comes equipped with supplies — torpedoes, enough rations to last for everyone but not enough for big eaters to eat big, diving suits and oxygen tanks, and underwater planter boxes growing strange fruits — it may take some effort on your part to ensure that survival is guaranteed. After all, the hungry leviathans know exactly where you are, whether you go outside of the base or not. Water, of course, may pose an issue; there’s no way to filter the seawater here, so the bottled water you have is all you’ll get.

Should you venture out, make sure you’re equipped with the proper gear first. Those of you who cannot swim should probably stay indoors, as there are no fancy vehicles to take you anywhere. Those of you capable of going out may consider braving the danger in search of additional supplies… or perhaps you’re just curious about the ecosystem. You’ll be here for two weeks, after all, there must be something to do. Travel far enough from the base and you’ll find the skeletal remains of something far larger than the Grove itself… and if you’re not careful, a monstrous, snakelike thing who wants you for dinner.

Try not to lead it back to the base for the others to deal with. Who knows how kindly people will take to that?

AN OMINOUS RETURN

As always, when one of the Forest’s “games” ends and you’re returned to the surface when the magic wears off, there’s a reward waiting for you. This reward isn’t as obvious, however. The fog wall is, for the most part, rolled pretty far back. The folks that have been here before may expect to see it revealing more of the trees, or showing off some new area that hasn’t been accessible yet, but the Grove remains quiet upon return. The Guardians, too, have little to say. Normally, they’d be a little more overjoyed at your return… alas.

No, the “reward” for surviving — or blowing up the base immediately and dying, either way — is that the fog wall obscuring the lake ever so slowly rolls back. From within it, something jumps out, a dark black shape, and disappears into the forest.

…

Perhaps you’ll see whatever it is another time.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to the empty Aldric's Grove! ...oh, here come the people, back from summer vacation! Hey hello.

NOT A MOMENT OF PEACE

The river and shoreline near it are messed up for a week. The Guardians are suspicious of everyone here. The Behemoth is taking big steppies around the Grove asking nicely for food. A week passes, and the Guardians are still suspicious of everyone. Yaaaay.

UNDER THE SEA

And then, everyone was trapped underwater in a seabase, made to survive the horrors of the open deep sea. Watch out for leviathans! And try not to eat and drink all of the rations immediately; that's all you'll get.

AN OMINOUS RETURN

Your reward for playing in yet another of the Forest's games is the fog wall over the lake rolling back. Of course, what jumped out of it and ran off into the woods could either be your greatest boon, or your biggest nuisance. It all depends on you.

OOC

Happy summer! This is a reminder that TDMs are considered game canon. For your threads, feel free to make up your own leviathans/weird fish/whatever you want for spice, or just steal from Subnautica, it's all good. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out!

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Comments

Gnosis | Arknights | Current Player

[succiduous]

i. the crane is doing science

[As everyone here knows and the new arrivals will find out, Gnosis when upset will simply throw himself into his work and not appear for multiple days. Of course, many things happen: They get back from the beach and he goes to make Nene new prosthetic legs, and then Mizuki dies and he goes insane from grief and starts collecting blood samples to make an antidote for god venom, and then there's Nethersea Brand in the river and the Guardians are suspicious and yeah he's just gonna stay in for a while he thinks.

Even after Mizuki is back and there's no Brand in the river anymore, Gnosis is still choosing to work over functioning. He's running multiple projects at once, they must get done you see, and he's barely keeping himself alive at this point. When he reappears from the lab after the Brand is cleared from the river, he looks tired, gaunt, and greyer than normal. And the first thing out of his mouth, despite the time oddities here, is simply:]

What day is it?

[He has not slept in three days and at this point he's running on nothing but the emotion of Science.]

ii. the crane is doing even more science

[While everyone else (?) might be lamenting (??) being stuck underwater, Gnosis, for once, is actually weirdly fine with this. Being in an underwater facility with an entire research room means things to do, although it sets back some of his prior projects by a significant length of time. This is fine, this simply means Gnosis needs to research as much as possible in the shortest time frame possible to call it good. He knows better than to think the Forest would be kind enough to just let him hang out for a bit.

Thus does he gear up in a diving suit and oxygen tank and set out. And he does not return for multiple hours, and when he finally does, it's probably almost bedtime for everyone (not that he can tell because the sun don't shine down here) and his entire left arm and shoulder are cut up to hell and back. In his right hand he is holding a lad and immediately yeeting it into some kind of containment tank in the research room.

He does not bother to explain the injuries.]

I have no idea what this realm's fascination with eyes is, but I found this guy swimming around the bones to the north of here. [the what] It was easy enough to catch.

[Gnosis you're bleeding—

It is of course, at that moment, that from the view out the porthole a much larger version of that little guy swims by, and Gnosis stops on the breath he took to continue speaking... and then starts running for the hatch again. Yes still bleeding. He has to see the fish leave him alone.]

iii. wildcard???

[you know i'm good for it hit me]

i

[charmpagne]

What...day?

[Oh. Oh dear, um.

Hello, Sparkling is here. He was passing by on his way to work a shift at Luca's Bar, only to run across Gnosis who looks...slightly like he's not slept for a solid year.]

That's a bit difficult to answer, I'm afraid...you know. Given the nature of this place.

[...]

Would you like to come with me, Gnosis? We should get you something to drink.

[Water he means WATER]

[succiduous]

[Sparkling THE MAN gonna hook him up with LIQUOR :) Gnosis immediately looks at least a little more like a person as he answers:]

Certainly. I'm in need of something strong.

[lmao enjoy your water fucker]

[charmpagne]

[Strong...? Oh, honey, no-]

Yes yes, you do need something alright...

[But Sparkling isn't saying exactly what yet, for fear Gnosis will turn right back around and disappear into his lab again otherwise.]

Have you been working around the clock...?

[succiduous]

Yes. I need to figure out an antidote to the snake venom, and make Nene prosthetic limbs.

[Gnosis?? A break??? Take breaks????]

Antidotes are difficult to make, especially considering the range of blood I have to work with. [also he saw Enforcer and Flamebringer arrive out the window and he cannot for the life of him to get the Sarkaz to agree to being jabbed like aren't you a big tough mercenary you can't handle a fuckin needle???] Prosthetics, too, take a while, especially since I'm making two now. They have to be perfect, or else she won't be able to walk properly.

[g n o s i s]

[charmpagne]

I understand. You have quite a few important projects you need to keep working on. But I fear they won't see very quality results if you work yourself to the bone over them without a moment's rest. Wouldn't you agree?

[He remarks, very gently, as he guides Gnosis towards Luca's bar. It fortunately isn't a long trek, so he'll be sitting down in no time.]

[succiduous]

[He sits down at the counter like he expects vodka. Hi.]

I rest sometimes. I remembered to eat...

[.........]

...at some point this week.

[charmpagne]

At some point...

[How is this man still alive.

Sparkling slips behind the counter, immediately donning an apron Just In Case he does have to start mixing, grabbing a clean glass to fill it with something clear from a bottle on the back shelf. This is what he'll pass over to Gnosis.]

Well, this should help you feel better.

[It's water :)]

[succiduous]

[Immediately goes to gun this like a drunk and

it's fucking water.

Frowns. He was fooled... you motherfucker.]

I cannot believe you brought me here to give me hydration.

ii

[purevanillacookie]

[ GNOSIS?!

It's the staff that spots the man first, bleeding and carrying an eye fish he just throws into a tank, Pure Vanilla lifting his head from where he had been lightly dozing against the research table. For a moment he looks bewildered, the Staff blinking as Gnosis explains about the fish and he makes a distressed noise to the blood he sees-

-then Gnosis is running to the hatch again. ]

Young man! You wait one second!

[ He's awake, one second, scrambling to his hooves to dart after Gnosis before he can make it to the hatch. YOU WILL BE HEALED, GET BACK HERE!? ]

[succiduous]

[AAAAAAA—

Pure Vanilla will catch up easily because Gnosis is in a whole-ass diving suit and flippers still, you cannot run in this. Even though he's trying to gun it and put his oxygen mask and goggles back on, he will be Yoinked. Sheepaw is FAST.]

The injury does not matter, there's something outside I want to look at.

[gnosis you are like 13 at the best of times]

[purevanillacookie]

[ Fucking yoinked indeed, he will grab the good arm and spin the other around. It's a lot like sheep, you gotta be quick and dizzy them before they can get it in their mind to headbutt or run more, then duck your shoulder and pull them up onto it and tada! Sorry Gnosis, you just got potato sacked by the scrawniest Grandpa in the world who reacted on instinct to fetch you like you were a runaway lamb.... ]

The injury does matter! Look at where it's situated!

[ He will approach this from a logic Gnosis view, even as he hauls his flippered child back to the research room. ]

Your arm is bleeding, and I believe your shoulder is injured as well. This not only will attract sea-life attracted to blood, but it will hamper your swimming and ability to turn, as well as severely impact your ability to use your tools. We will get it healed.

[succiduous]

[But peepaw the PEEPER LEVIATHAN—

Gnosis' very wet tailfeathers puff up (as much as they can, he is a wet bird rn) but he makes no further arguments. He will just sit there and pout while Pure Vanilla does his thing.]

The thing that attacked me was decently far out. I managed to lose it by swimming through some underwater caverns. I'm not necessarily worried about injury in regard to the thing outside.

[That bigass eyeball moves in front of the glass again and looks in and hgngnghhnnn Gnosis wants to go touch the CREATURE]

[purevanillacookie]

[ WILL STILL BE THERE WHEN YOU ARE HEALED. Even if it's a slow healing, Pure Vanilla checking to make sure his healing is knitting away at flesh. ]

It does not matter if the thing outside is friendly or not.

[ Even as it peepers in at them, the Staff blinking back in a very 'the fuck' manner that seems detached from Vanilla. That's the Staff. It wants to go say hi to the giant eye too?? ]

Blood travels well in water, and you will attract things that can smell it. And your suit is breached, your temperature will deregulate, and you will catch hypothermia with us being so deep underwater!

[ Someone has been reading all the datapads they can get on all the equipment. ]

[succiduous]

[The Staff and the leviathan are having eyeball to eyeball conversations. Outside, the peeper leviathan starts chirping loud enough to rattle the walls, and Gnosis looks at Pure Vanilla with a look in his eyes that's reminiscent of a child seeing an icecream truck.]

It's more difficult for me to get hypothermia, at least, due to my Arts. ...but I'll concede on the other points.

[Gnosis runs at a low temperature anyway, it's the heat that'll kill him faster.]

[purevanillacookie]

Hm. Very well. With-

[ Hello rattling walls, Pure Vanilla's ears tucking back into his hair as hard as they can. That's incredibly loud to him and gives him a headache. ]

My goodness, it's like speaking to two children. Fine! Go, shoo, go say hello to your giant peeping friend, who seems as inquisitive about you as you are of it.

[ The Staff is staring with adoration, as Pure Vanilla looks on in amusement. ]

You will come back in here as soon as you receive another injury, however. I will not brook no for an answer.

[ Not if, but when. ]

[succiduous]

[Gnosis would like to think it's a "when", peepaw. Thus does he happily charge off into the open ocean via the hatch far on the opposite end of the base. If Pure Vanilla remains in that room while this is ongoing, he will see Gnosis in short time, swimming over too fucking close for comfort to inspect what he's perceiving as a harmless creature.

Of course, the peeper leviathan does not mean to cause chaos. It has the brain of a peeper, which means it is essentially a large prey animal. This does not mean it does not possess a means of defending itself, and it does not mean that while it is curiously looking at Gnosis and the base at large, that it will not try to put Gnosis in its mouth.

Sorry peepaw for the heart attack that will be caused as a leviathan beak curiously nibbles at this strange ? man ? this strange bipedal fish ??? and goes right through Gnosis' shoulder.

...

He is immediately coming back inside. Don't look at him don't perceive him.]

I

[ezellotry]

[ Hi, Gnosis. There's a Sankta here and he is incredibly concerned when he sees you stumbling out with eye bags to rival even expensive name brands. Buddy... ]

...You know, eye masks work wonders if you're finding it hard to sleep. You could always borrow mine, if you'd like. You seem like you need it more.

[succiduous]

[Oh, it's Federico's??? friend????? Gnosis just blinks like he's not convinced he's really seeing Ezell there and then just—]

It's not that I struggle to sleep. [Gnosis.] It's the process of lying down that I forget about. [Gnosis you need to sleep.]

[ezellotry]

They say if you place a blanket over a bird's cage, they can get to sleep no problem. I know a couple of my Liberi friends sleep with blankets over their heads, too. Maybe it's like that? [ Ezell- ]

[succiduous]

[...sigh. Sankta. He swears to God.]

It might work with a different species of Liberi, but I assure you, it doesn't work with me. [What works for him is when Enciodes lays on him and purrs, he will immediately be out like a light at that point.] I'm confident when I state that if someone came up to me while I was researching and put a blanket over my head, I'll turn them into a block of ice instead of falling asleep.

[ezellotry]

Noted~. I still think you should give it a try sometime.

[ Smiling so sweetly! Like a Sankta who's never done any wrong in his life and certainly hasn't exploded entire buildings. ]

My eyemask does wonders for me. But I am also fairly light sensitive, so I can understand it varies. Maybe instead of that, you could try taking breaks from your work to go on walks? Not to tire yourself out or anything, though I imagine that'll achieve that as well, but rather to just clear your head of the thing you are focused on and put your mind at ease.

[succiduous]

[Ohhh Ezell isn't autistic. Got it. Hold on—]

I'd like to say that would work, but I hyperfixate and then ten hours pass. Without someone to come in and see if I'm still alive, there's a good chance that I lose three or four days.

[Gnosis also is a "bad habits" autistic you see.]

There is no "clearing what I'm focused on" because that would mean stopping focus on the thing I am focused on. Does that make sense?

[ezellotry]

...Ah. [ *Ah.* ] Have you met Federico Giallo yet, Mister Gnosis? I feel the two of you would get along very well.

[succiduous]

"Executor", right? I believe he and Enciodes have gone on missions together in the past, but I'm not much of a field operative.

[Year 1 units rise up, that is not Gnosis.]

I do know he's skilled with explosives, as am I. We may get along for that reason, I suppose.