EVENT & TDM 022

[sticksandbonesmods]

THE SERPENT UNDERNEATH

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

code

Comments

[lupusxylem]

Mmm, yeah?

[Wolfwood is still, allowing Vash to guide his hand. Vash is an expert at wielding one-handed guns, so he trusts his judgement here. He rolls his shoulder just a little, looking down at his feet to readjust them.]

Guess you're right. Didn't think about that. Thing is, I ain't sure I wanna practice like you practice...your methods are crazy.

[Like how Vash trains in his room, he's seen it okay.]

[oleaeuropaea]

[The good news is that Vash only laughs at that. He knows full well that his methods are crazy. They have to be if they're going to match his equally crazy outlook on life. You don't survive as a pacifist on No Man's Land without being willing to do something stupid, time and time again.]

Naw, it's not that bad is it? I only stink up the place every now and again.

[He steps around to the opposite side of Wolfwood and nudges him once more, before stepping back. With his chin nestled between his thumb and forefinger, he gives a scrutinizing look before offering a thumbs up.]

Looks good, babe!

[lupusxylem]

"Only every now and again", he says.

[Wolfwood smirks, shaking his head as Vash gives him a once-over, waiting for his approval before...

Bang bang bang!

He fires off a volley of shots, and judging by the dust that gets kicked up way off in the treeline, it seems to indicate that his aim was dead-on with the snakes in the grass.]

Perfect. Not like bullets are gonna do a whole lot to these lil' shits, though...

[oleaeuropaea]

[Vash watches him fire, all but beaming at the effort. Look, he can forgive a little carnage when the enemies are not sentient and would otherwise be hurting the very people he cares about.]

It'll keep them at bay. As long as they're distracted here, they're not going after anyone else.

[The more he thinks about it, though, he has to wonder...]

Y'think there's like... a grand snake out there somewhere? One big hivemind, just like back home?

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood pauses for a moment to rack the guns after shooting, looking back sidelong at Vash as he muses about the possibility of more, bigger snakes lurking in the woods.]

It's possible. Might be worth checkin' out, actually. Last thing we all need is for halfway through the month, the buildings get upended by a giant one of these assholes.

[oleaeuropaea]

Well, in that case.

[He toes the ground in faux sheepishness. His expression shifts to something pleading, though it's clear he's fighting hard to keep an actual smile from his lips. In short, he's being an idiot, just like Wolfwood likes.]

How do you feel about going on a snake hunting date with me? We can make it a romantic walk through the flowers and everything!

[lupusxylem]

A snake huntin' date, huh? This any different from a bug huntin' date?

[Wolfwood asks with a sneer as he holsters the Fangs for the time being, mostly so he can turn to face Vash properly with his arms folded over his chest.]

I think I got some room in my schedule, yeah.

[oleaeuropaea]

Aw, thanks for penciling me in, babe! I'll make sure you don't regret it!

[He reaches out for Wolfwood's hand! He's serious about the date, even if he will absolutely be keeping a look out for any snakes.]

Missed spending time with you, you know! It's been like. Three whole hours!!

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood has no problem with that, threading their fingers together before starting off into the woods with him. Most people wouldn't consider "entering the murder woods" to be an ideal date, but these two are built different.]

How'd you survive without me that long, huh?

[oleaeuropaea]

[Wolfwood's hand gets a little squeeze, even as Vash pulls out his pistol and clears a snake that he spots nearby. True romance.]

You got me! Probably with lots of whining. And kisses from Angelina.

[At least someone still loves him and doesn't leave him to wither away. Unless she does. She has lots of people to love on, after all.]

[lupusxylem]

[Honestly the only reason she'd ever leave is if she suddenly discovered her favorite toy lost underneath the couch. Then all bets are off, sorry Vash...

Also yeah, true romance indeed. Like, the way Wolfwood's heart flutters at Vash just nonchalantly exploding one of the snakes is gross.]

That Angelina can be a traitor, don't let her fool ya.

[oleaeuropaea]

[Vash gasps audibly. He snatches his hand back from Wolfwood, holding it above his chest like a scandalized southern belle.]

How dare you! That is my daughter you're talking about!

[So much for whatever weird ass moment they were about to have.]

[lupusxylem]

[Vash pulls away suddenly and Wolfwood just smirks, keeping that hand loose while the other goes into his pocket.]

Yeah, so? She's a woman now, you don't know what crimes she's committed.

[You guys remember you're talking about a dog, right.]

[oleaeuropaea]

[Another affronted squawk. They're going to attract an entire horde of snakes at this rate.]

Crimes?! My precious darling angel baby would never commit a crime.

[She has committed many. Namely piss crimes and destruction of stuffed property, but Vash will never admit to it!]

[lupusxylem]

[Yeaaaah while these two are being silly they are definitely attracting snakes. It's probably fine...?]

And maybe you're only sayin' that cause you're coverin' for her crimes. Or are you gonna stand there and tell me I'm wrong?

[oleaeuropaea]

[It's fiiiine! Vash snipes a few as they get dangerously close. When one dangles down from a branch they pass by, he simply grabs it with his metal prosthetic and chucks it into the distance. Fucking romantic.]

I would never lie! And definitely not to cover up that I saw her drooling into your shoe the other day.

[lupusxylem]

[Honestly this is also what they'd be doing back on No Man's, too. Just with the worms. Taking potshots at shit while they walk along the metaphorical beach. Disgusting.

But will they continue to be so lucky, is the question...they don't know how Big the snakes get in here, after all.]

Oh s'that right? No wonder my socks were soaked that mornin'...

[Says the man who historically barely wears socks.]

[oleaeuropaea]

[After all they've been through, maybe they deserve to not be terrorized by the big snakes. Vash alone has been in enough trouble over the last few weeks to be firmly in the "I don't want to deal with any of that" territory.

He is also in "squint at my boyfriend like he's a liar territory.]

Since when do you wear socks?

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood lets the question hang between them for a moment before he swings his head back to look at Vash, sticking his tongue out at him between his teeth.]

Nah, I'm just fuckin' with ya.