sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 022

EVENT & TDM 022

WAKE UP

Being out in the woods is, for some people, an ordinary day. You may or may not be one of those people — you almost certainly don’t remember going camping, do you? — and yet you emerge from a tent and think to yourself, hm, that’s quite odd! Where is the nearest civilization anyhow? If you’re brave enough, perhaps you set out to seek it, walking toward where you think you hear noise in the far distance. It sounds a bit like cheering. A party? A bonfire? You can’t be certain, not at first.

As you step onto the worn trail, something nearly clocks you right in the head. A nimble dodge to the left and a quick glance at the ground tells you that it’s some kind of tree branch made of… flesh? It’s certainly flesh-textured, though the colour is a deep blue that glows white. It seems to be rapidly rotting into the ground, and as you look up… a giant, several hundred foot tree of a similar eldritch makeup is falling apart before your eyes. Your walk back to civilization will be full of dodging probably-dead flesh tree bits.

Should you make it in one piece, the source of the noise becomes obvious: the people making up this small town are cheering and yelling about something else of eldritch makeup. It seems that some of the creatures who have lived in this civilization’s river for the last year, the Seaborn, have decided to evolve to be capable of flight. Some residents of this town seem extremely enthusiastic with this. Some are wary. Some simply don’t care.

You? Well, that’s for you to decide.

Welcome to the eldritch horror fae woods, dear friend. Enjoy your stay.

A SNAKE IN THE GRASS

While the black fog returns, some paths are left clear, or at least not as impacted as other areas of the woods. Mist fades in and out, and even if you aren’t one for nature, surely exploration can sing its siren song when the size of the town is too small and all the faces look the same. Paths line themselves with daffodils and chamomile flowers, with arctic poppies and clearings of wildflowers- foxglove and lavender especially prominent. They’re lovely, all of them, and bloom far more rapidly than anything else should be this early into spring, this late into winter, but they do.

But something creeps beneath the flowers, and something large digs through the earth, leaving upturned grooves in the dirt and grass, trails of flattened mud and roots with only bushes of camelia on the outskirts left behind. It’s quiet in the forest, not even birds singing. It makes the hiss of tongues all the more noticeable.

If you’re lucky, you might see a purple and grey stone shift in the distance, gone just as quickly as it was there. If you aren’t, you don’t see its much smaller, flower-patterned counterpart strike from the shadows. Snakes are working their way into the Grove, hiding in bushes and under steps, anywhere they can lurk and strike the unsuspecting, and their bite is venomous.

One bite brings excruciating pain, bone-deep cold, an increased frailty of the body and hallucinations. A second bite brings a deep, nightmare-filled sleep. A third bite brings death. All of them scar with a black sun over the bites, a mark of divine wrath — the Fallen Sun sends his regards, and his hate.

Those who perish to the snake bite will awaken in their bed in a few days, feeling nauseous and weakened, but…

'NEATH SERPENT'S GAZE

… This simply isn’t tenable. Between the paranoia and the snake’s stealth, it’s hard to feel safe outside of your home, and maybe inside, despite the fact that once again your homes offer refuge from the forest’s attacks—they hadn’t once upon a red, hot summer, after all. How did they face this last time? It was a flower, wasn’t it? And the new flowers in the forest seem special, if only because of their strong growth compared to the rest of the forest.

But if you go into the woods, two large stone snakes wait, ready to protect the natural gardens. Breaking them does little but slow them down for a time, and their bite is both larger and their venom stronger—the true version, the one that crippled a household in seconds. The severity of the symptoms are worse, murderously so, but survivable if it’s not the third bite.

They block the way, ambush would-be travelers, coil around the flower patches, and will not be stopped. Does this confirm that the flowers could help? Or are they simply protective of their master’s property? Is it play?

Regardless, they wait and watch.

CITIES & BONES

When all the violence of the month ends, and thank goodness for that, you decide to head to bed. For once, you might sleep well — there are no threats of snakes making you wonder if you or your friends might die tomorrow, and the Grove as a whole feels much safer. It’s as if someone or something is guarding over it — different from the Guardian Deities and the Goddesses as a whole.

For the next several days after the snakes disappear, your dreams are strange, as if you’re receiving a vision from another world. A modern city, so different from Aldric’s Grove that you’re not entirely convinced it lies in this dimension, blinks in neon lights behind your eyelids. Between the cacophonous sounds of motorized vehicles rushing by, the din of people talking in a language you don’t understand, and the distant electrical humming from the street lights, perceptive dreamers might hear something else:

The soft clacking of dry bones.

Spark Notes

summary

Wake up: You were apparently camping. You don't recall this. As you head out toward the sound of civilization, bits of giant blue flesh-tree nearly hit you in the head. You'll have to dodge the remaining flesh tree bits as it crumbles while you walk back to town.

A Snake In The Grass: Flowers spring up far too early in the season, and the fog wall returns. Purple and grey-coloured stone snakes begin to attack from the bushes and flowers where they're hidden. One bite brings cold and frailty, a second bite brings nightmares, and a third bite brings death. All bites scar with a mark of the Black Sun.

'Neath Serpent's Gaze: You've heard of a flower that can cure the poison, but to get there, you have to face two far larger stone snakes who are guarding over nature here. Whether they want to play or simply kill isn't clear. You're in danger of death either way.

Cities & Bones: While you sleep after the snakes disappear, you'll have strange dreams that feel like visions and feel watched by something safe and kindly. While your dreams are absorbed in that of a cityscape that feels almost too real, you can sometimes hear the clattering of bones.

out of character

Welcome to March's TDM and Event! Spring is springing and we've got a lot of really cool events coming up in the next few months. The magic system should debut this month as well, which we're very excited about. It is a slow process but the rewards should be well worth it.

updates

Any potential updates, such as characters damaging something important or whatever else, will be put here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ March Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

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[ Given that they have fought and sparred before, Izuku immediately was able to react on pure instinct alone.

One hand coming down to block that hit easily, attention torn between reacting properly and focusing on the things his childhood friend/rival was saying to him. It didn't entirely make sense why he was THIS aggressive about seeing him show up here, unless it really did have to do with being angry that he'd disappeared back there on him. ]

I don't know--!

[ Quick. Jumping to avoid that sweep and ready to intervene when the next hit came at him. ]

Can you stop for a second so we can talk about this?!

[Look as sad as you want, brain hacker, he's not falling for your manipulation tactics. Not even if you apologize!!!!]

You should be!

[expertly navigating his way to the door backwards (thank you dynamo)(this only looks a little bit silly) and then slamming it on his way out, fuck YOU sir]

[ This shit again - it was the same song and dance. Bakugo feels his heart drop slightly - almost wondering if maybe Izuku was really just a figment of his imagination. This conversation seemed way too close to another they'd had before. ]

SHUT UP! [ Is how he snaps back because talking to Bakugo often meant fists were involved somehow... Either way, Bakugo is not backing down and he immediately raises his hand backwards. It sets off in a number of blasts, and he zips forward, moving suddenly behind Izuku. Using the Tree there to kick off of it and move to slam his fist into the other with another explosive burst to accompany it. ]

[ Fascinating!!!!!! Mephisto is so excited. He's ready to go right now to the edges of the beach, but... he knows that'll take preparations. ]

What would happen if the things they reside over disappears? Obviously getting rid of sun and moon are next to impossible for mortals, but... this is purely hypothetical, just to understand the divine and their "rules" here. What if sun vanished? Or, maybe more realistically, Sinann's river, or your forest? Does that make gods "die" or just powerless?
Are they gods anymore without power?
What is "belief" truly in this world? What does it mean to believe in something, I mean? Or to not? Should we simply ignore the forest's existence, or is it enough to assume he's just жалкая сука?
Would you consider it worth it to try and somehow reach the people outside of this world and seek help with belief in the goddesses, or do you think it's futile to try?

Not right now, of course, but would you be willing to in a few days taking me to the shoreline?

[ If anyone knew anything about Bakugo's fighting style, it was the one person who always watched him and looked up to him.

So when the blond disappears from sight with the smell of explosions thick in the air, Izuku's already turning on his heel and digging it into the dirt. The force of that hit being enough to make him grunt as it pushed him forwards, even if he'd been bracing for it. He didn't want to use it but... he exhaled a breath and activated black whip, aiming to try and use it to wrap around the blond. ]

Kacchan! Why won't you talk to me?!

[ All he wants is some answers and he's definitely not getting them. ]

WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO WHINY? [ Each retort he makes comes out with a loud snap, filled with a venomous attitude that usually is attributed to Bakugo when he speaks. It doesn't sound so different from the usual, but there is some strain hidden in a layer beneath it all. He blitzes about with the sound of explosions heating the environment around them the moment he sees a black whip come out - just like Izuku knows Bakugo. Bakugo knows Izuku, and he wonders just how much heavily on his other quirks nowadays.

It doesn't matter because although Izuku manages to ensnare his ankle, Bakugo whips his hand forward and readies to aim an upshot right through Izuku's figure. He better dodge and let go of Bakugo or risk taking it to the face - ]

[ Ugh, did you have to freak the bunnies out on the way!!!! Ezell’s gonna be busy settling them down for a bit, at least. ]

[His hands shake more than he likes, but he does take hold of it. Stubbornly he drinks it down.]

[The relief is palpable, though. It takes the edge off, and for someone inexperienced with feeling pain this acute in thousands of years, it makes a world of difference.]

...What are they? The snakes?

Struggling?

[Don't be mean to him!!]

I thought you were stronger than that, Elysium. [don't be mean to him!!!!!!] Shame that I'll have to do the rest myself.

[Maybe if he goads his bestie/beloved/rival enough the results will be hilarious and not at all stupid.]

[Wow!!! Elysium would look affronted if he weren't already having difficulties keeping this heavy box upright...

He lifts it a little higher, turning around to face the side of the ship with Thorns temporarily at his back.]

I-I'll have you know I am plenty strong! I just wasn't...prepared to be handed a box so he-

[And then Elysium is

Gone. He's not standing on the ship's deck anymore.

This is because, when he went to throw the box into the sand, he couldn't quite get it out of his hands in time before the thing dragged him completely over the railing with it, sending him sprawling head over tailfeathers into the sand.]

Rarer on land, especially in drier or frigid nations not near the coastlines. Our race's original city is deep under the ocean, but many of us were born on land. I've never gone — I do know some Aegir who have.

[He shrugs.]

You look like what we would refer to as a Terran Feline, so I assumed you were from Terra, relatedly.

[Redirecting the curse? Good, great, excellent we love not having curses.

Seeing Razlo run off holding a VERY CURSED ROCK to god knows where? That isn't very good, now is it? And Wolfwood has no idea if, like, that curse will redirect itself to Razlo or how-even-the-fuck it works, but it's not like he has time to think about it, does he?]

Mother fucker!

[He hefts both Fangs and takes off after Razlo, Clive is officially in charge of Will and the maybe-not-cursed-anymore bell while Wolfwood runs after Razlo to make sure he doesn't explode.]

They follow! Boy howdy do they follow, snapping at what would be Loop's heels if not for the shield. The dog and the deer slump helplessly against it, chests heaving- the warmth of Pure Vanilla's light hurts, too. It hurts. They're so tired. Why must they hunger so... The owl and the otter are, unfortunately, more tenacious, slamming against the shield, clawing, howling, calling- a crack forms under shining talons as the owl throws itself against the same spot relentlessly, even as it's own bones begin to break. The otter does the same.

The rabbit just... kind of runs right into a snare, though. Whoopsies.

Something turns from the onslaught against the shielded shrine, watching.

[his nose wrinkles. this sounds very inconvenient for aegir.]

My home world is called Gaea. You would just say I'm catfolk. I knew there were other worlds, but I never had the chance to... talk to people from them.

Is it worth it? Staying on land.

Edited 2025-03-21 22:24 (UTC)

[That's a lot to take in. Min-Gi stares at him in a stunned silence, really not sure how to take this. Fern clearly feels bad, but he still killed someone. No wonder he'd been so panicked when Min had mentioned Lily. It explains some of his body language back in the greenhouse too if he thinks back.]

That's how you broke your curse?

[ And Vanilla makes pained noises to their injuries, grimacing hard. He knew they would do this, that they would go without consideration for their own bodies, and he doesn't want to hurt them. But he can't heal them, and fears his healing would only harm them further. ]

Timekeeper... can you reverse them?

[ They can't afford to lose any stars to the injuries they're causing themselves, and he winces to the crack in the shield. He can keep casting it, but they will keep attacking and keep hurting themselves. But if they take one and run, it leaves Fel's shrine unguarded. ]

The rabbit, gather that one. Loop, do not touch it.

[ Take it and go his voice says. ]

[ He curls up even more, shriveling in shame. ]

Yeah.

[and then razlo exploded in wolfwood's face --

nah but on second thought, after sassing livio so much about the mind-fuckery-fire, he doesn't want to get their body eaten by the woods. so once he's a few feet in, he angles a straight shot between as many trees as he can, reels his fist back -- oops, clotheslining wolfwood in the process, sorry motherfucker you shouldn't have followed the guy who thinks that you bleeding out is hilarious -- and yeets that fucking curse rock as far as he possibly can.

which is farther than they can see, probably.

and when he turns back, he blinks at wolfwood.]

Huh. Thought I felt a lil fly, there.

[I rolled a 5, so Wolfwood gets clotheslined here as comedically as you'd expect. Just. Completely slams straight into Razlo's arm and falls flat on his ass. He's just on the ground now, winded.

He will be back in 2-3 business tags.]

[Min goes quiet for a while. He feels giddy in a way that has nothing to do with the fact he's still recovering from the snake venom. He'd liked Fern. He thinks part of him still does. But the fact he's capable of murder...

That's terrifying.]

I guess at least he's alive now.

[He hates that sentence. He knows even before he says it how badly it's going to sit with him, but it seems like a bad idea to say anything that might piss off Fern when he's right next to him.]

[ This just makes his frown deepen, pulling hard with black whip while moving himself low with a punch aimed at the blond's midsection.

Not going to take that explosion to the face in the slightest.

He'd never once hesitated to fight back when he needed to. Never intending to let himself be someone else's punching bag. What mattered was wearing the blond down enough to actually get some proper answers from him, wondering why he swore he'd heard the strain in Bakugo's voice when he'd yelled back at him.

Could there be more to this than just him not being at the battlefield as intended?? ]

[ It breaks his formation of Ap shot- but Izuku is now close. Coughing out a gasp of air, Bakugo moves immediately with all his strength to grip Izuku's wrist with his hand punching his Midsection. Then Bakugo begins to seize him upwards, aiming to slam him onto the floor with a whirlwind of his strength - explosions following after to make it easier for him to spin him hard onto the ground - ]

[ He drops his head into his hands. More excuses for him to not feel bad about ripping a man's heart out. 'He's alive now, he forgives you, you were taken advantage of.' But he saw himself in the memory Dipper showed him. He didn't care at all when he did it. He doesn't want to stop caring now. ]

It's okay if you don't want me around. I'm not- The curse is gone, you don't have to be afraid of me, but I understand if you are.

[ Even as he felt that hand grab onto his wrist, Izuku was already planning a retaliation.

One gloved hand moving to aim a blast of air at the blond's feet while simultaneously activating Float. Intending to disrupt his momentum amidst shifting mid-air.

Not about to let himself be slammed against the floor in a move he was all too familiar with. ]

[It's not so much that he doesn't think Fern should feel bad as he's kind of scared of what he now knows he's capable of. Fern doesn't look like he's about to jump from his bed into Min's and attack him, but how is he supposed to know he won't if he reacts in a way that makes him see red?]

I didn't say I didn't want you around. But you... you killed someone. On purpose? Of course I'm going to be afraid of you.

[He probably shouldn't have said that last part, but it slips out before he can think better of it.]

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EVENT & TDM 022

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hi sorry for the delay work ate me yesterday and then I died AFTER work-

cw: animal injury

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pats a chi

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