EVENT & TDM 024

[sticksandbonesmods]

MONSTER MASH

WAKE UP

Where were you last? Do you remember falling asleep, thinking you’d wake up in your own home, your own bed?

When you open your eyes, the room you’re in doesn’t feel like your own. In fact, you’re almost certain you didn’t fall asleep here. You’re given only a short few moments to get your bearings before the door to that room opens, the doorknob jiggling as whoever is on the other side is unlocking it. Is it a library study room you’ve found yourself in, or an inn room that doesn’t belong to you? A home that isn’t yours? A business after-hours?

An unfortunate few of you may find yourself face-to-face with the real owners of these rooms, homes, and businesses — and surely they’re just as confused as you are. The lucky ones might instead find themselves being “rescued” from their sleeping states by a heavily scarred man with dreadlocks and an impossibly sunny demeanour.

“Mornin’, sunshine! Up and at ‘em!” he’ll say, hands on his hips and the door held open in a way that says he expects you to simply come follow him, whoever he is. “You ain’t where you’re supposed to be, but I’ll bail you out before the person who owns this place knocks your teeth out for trespassin’. It’ll be our little secret, ‘kay?”

TRANSPOREMATION

cw: body horror, monster transformations, fungal parasitism

As usual, Aldric’s Grove is something of a hot mess, and that’s especially true lately. Aside from random people popping into existence in various buildings, there’s a bit of a fungus problem lately. A wee little problem with cute little mushrooms. …a major, unignorable, horrendous problem with some very large, purplish-coloured mushrooms, fruiting on still-living trees and the forest floor. They look quite similar to meadow mushrooms, but far, far less harmless. While eating one won’t poison anybody too badly — aside from an episode of horrible stomach pain — stepping on them or touching them at all will cause them to shower you in a spray of spores, all of which suddenly curve around and cling onto you as if they have a mind of their own. Any attempt to remove them, to wash them off, to brush them away from your skin and clothes, only makes the spores cling more stubbornly. Soon, they’ve started to root under your skin, unable to be pulled out.

The resulting transformation is, for what little it’s worth, extremely swift. Perhaps you feel it, perhaps you don’t, but the spores leave you fundamentally changed no matter what.

Your bones lengthen and rearrange, grinding together underneath your muscle tissue. Snapping, creaking, where new joints form over the breaks. Wings rip through your back in a spray of blood and torn flesh, the wounds healing themselves over a short second later. You drop to the ground as your back legs become something foreign and new, toes bursting free of your shoes, claws digging into the soil as you writhe on the ground. Your spine elongates, the muscles in your neck tense and relax as it gets too long. The spores are deciding what to do with you, it seems, as extra eyes rapidly appear and disappear over your body alongside feathers and scales. Within the span of sixty seconds, it seems the mushrooms have come to a decision on what you should be, and the transformations it inflicts on you rapidfire begin evening out.

Whether that leaves you something wolflike, catlike, ghostly, chimeric, or otherwise… that seems to be up to the spores. Regardless, you’re no longer in your own skin. At least you’re still “you”, and at least you haven’t lost much more than your old form… right?

…

Well, not to worry. Try your luck stepping on the mushrooms again! This time, they might be kind enough to revert you back to normal… assuming they don’t turn you into a different type of creature instead.

TIME TREKS ON

For the foreseeable future, many people are “stuck” outside their normal bodies. It doesn’t mean that life in the Grove stops, however, as people flit from building to building — assuming their monster forms didn’t bar them off from entering most of them anyhow — and their daily routines continue. From the Church of the Golden Sun in the north of Aldric’s Grove emanates a lovely, warm light, inviting all who are loyal to the Goddesses within its halls and barring the Corrupted or those loyal to the Fallen Sun from entry. Describing it as a “church” may not entirely be accurate; instead of an altar, there sits a throne that automatically prevents anyone who isn’t the Goddess of the Sun from sitting on it (despite the fact she isn’t currently there). Instead of pews, the first room is a large combat arena, golden weapons hung up on the walls that are free to use if you need to spar. Thankfully, the doors are large enough to accommodate most monsters, though the halls in the back may not be sizeable enough for anyone over eight feet tall.

Within that church, the kilns in the back are fired up, pottery baking while animal spirits resembling lions and dogs mix paint with their paws. It’s difficult, being a little guy — help a critter out? You can paint a selection of finished pottery when you’re done, which they’d tell you if they could speak to you. If they bring you a flower-shaped plate or a vase in the shape of a tulip and a paintbrush, will you figure out what they mean? If you don’t, that’s not a problem, as they’ll nudge you toward the pottery wheels and get you clay to work with. When you make your own thing, they think you’ll be more willing to paint with them. Hope you brought your art hands, assuming you have any at all after those mushrooms got you.

In the opposite wing from the pottery room, the kitchen is going strong, the smells of freshly baked bread wafting down the hall. Here is where Ydalir is, the shadowy woman wearing silks who normally casts magic and sells items, who turns to you and extends a flour-covered palm. Come here! Let’s bake something together — it’s the least she feels she can do, since she can’t exactly eliminate the fungus problem. There’s a host of food sitting in the dining room nearby already, with Heimr and Renard setting the table, Heimr nitpicking the setup while Renard focuses too hard on decorating with garlands and candelabras.

If you can’t fit into the dining room for any reason, one of the three will bring you food. They’d hate to see you go hungry, after all.

IT NEVER ENDS

While the Guardians themselves are immune to the transformations — Moder is, in fact, eating the mushrooms when no one is nearby to get spore’d — it doesn’t mean they’re not enjoying the fact that some of you can now spend more time with them in ways you couldn’t before.

Those of you with wings or flight abilities are invited by Aurora and the newly-resurrected bone dragon Sehul to come flying. Though Sehul won’t land in the Grove (too many buildings too close together for a hundred-foot dragon to feel comfortable, you see), they’ll land on the seaside, and even invite you to race them there. They do have something of a body mass advantage, but when they eventually win, they’ll fairly concede that it doesn’t really count. Aurora, meanwhile, wants desperately to teach you to do a midair flip.

Those of you who find yourselves suddenly aquatic will be literally accosted by Callan, who swims up into the river for once only to wrap his tentacles around you and drag you off toward the lake with a watery laugh. He expects you to do the same to him in return, but the Guardian’s extreme strength might make it difficult. Worry not, because if no one comes to your rescue, Sinann will chide him until he lets go, and show you the nest the baby Seaborn have built at the deepest point in the river. You’re welcome to live with them for a while, if you want. Their pastime is singing, and they’d love to sing with you.

And to the folks with a sudden craving for plants, Moder will gladly show you where the best snacks are — her favourite trees to reach into, the best flowers to eat, a fragrant patch of wild herbs. She’s happy to stroll through the forest with you, calmer than her peers are. If you need a ride on her mossy back, she’ll accommodate, so long as you don’t mind her telling old tales of a world long gone.

The final Guardian, Zahliya, doesn’t seem too keen on playtime, and will simply perch in various locations throughout the Grove to keep watch, as he normally does. Gifts of food given his way are rejected for the time being. He has a job to do; why don’t you go play with everyone?

It’s a beautiful, sunny day. This world isn’t often peaceful and playful. You should take advantage of it before something horrible happens… you and everyone else here know the good mood can’t last too long.

Spark Notes

summary

WAKE UP: Welcome to the Grove! You've found yourself in someone else's home/business/room it seems. Good luck explaining this one, but maybe Renard will be in time to bail you out?
TRANSPOREMATION: The mushrooms in the woods will spray you with spore clouds if you're not careful, and then transform you into something else. After a potentially-painful transformation, you'll find yourself in a new, more monsterlike body for a while.
TIME TREKS ON: Despite the monster mash, Beiwe's church is going strong, providing an opportunity to get creative or cook some dinner. Ydalir, Heimr, and Renard are all happy to see you and invite you to a home-cooked meal. They'd probably appreciate help with the dining room decor, too.
IT NEVER ENDS: Despite the transformations, it seems like the Guardians are all super pumped to spend time with you guys in their own domains. Many of them will invite you and your friends to hang out, some more politely than others. It's peaceful for once, so why not take them up on that?

out of character

Happy May! Here is your usual reminder that TDM threads are game canon. Per our plotting post (linked below) please keep in mind our rules for the monster transformations, and have fun!

updates

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

submissions

❖ NPCs List
❖ Questions
❖ May Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations
❖ TDM NPC Contact

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Comments

[foreversembrace]

[It's not Oscar's fault, really. Till is just an ornery asshole who needs to learn some manners. Also yes, he's correct, he SHOULD be more careful. If his sketchbook gets soaked because he got dragged into the river, that'll be his own damn fault.]

Oh, great. Just what I needed...do you know which one it is?

[foreversembrace]

Mm...I guess.

[Imagine, being liked by literally anyone, or anything. Couldn't be him!!

He shifts his toes, watching as the Seaborn noodles up and onto the bank before jumping back in the water to do it again.]

Guess you've been spendin' a lot of time with 'em?

[foreversembrace]

[Honestly probably, but Till HAS just been kindof wandering around trying to find something to draw this whole time, so...]

...sure. That's fine.

[He's already continuing on the way he was walking though so c'mon boss-]

[sesa]

[Eepy...Sesa beams, smiling just at the sight of him (why are you SO gay), before he rememebers himself and fidgets a bit with the edge of a tattered sleeve.]

Ah, well...I don't want to disturb you, if this is a bad time. I just had something I wanted to give you.

[sesa]

That's a good point. Hm...I suppose someone willing to take the risk could chance transforming again to collect some, but what good would that do if consuming them causes you to transform a third time?

[Really, there's probably no point in trying...but he's curious, damn it.]

Is it ingestion that causes the change? Or just touching them?

[ezellotry]

How do I know that! You're way bigger than me, what if you ran into me on accident...

[ Ezell is pouting. He doesn't think Flamebringer would do anything to actually hurt him, but he's also having a hard time adjusting to his body, so he can only imagine it's the same for Flamebringer. Still, once he's on his back, Ezell hops over and very carefully sits on his paws. ]

Are you hungry or something, love? I could bring you something, you know...

[ezellotry]

[ Good! Better! Ezell is more than happy to return the kiss when it's like this, and his hands are reaching down to gently grab Flamebringer's paws. His fingers massage over those big beans of his, pulling a little giggle out of Ezell. ]

[thebladebringstheflame]

[don't lick him don't lick him don't lick him—

...

While Ezell squishes the beans, Flamebringer breaks their kiss and licks his sandpaper tongue right over Ezell's lips and nose. Sorry—]

[mushroommaniac]

[They roll their eyes as if, somehow, the answer to her question is the most obvious thing in the world. They have the decency to wait until she's properly bundled up and settled, before reaching out to take her by the elbow. They'll lead her in the direction they've been given, giving it a few feet before they start rambling.]

It's what happens when vampires get extra bloodthirsty and greedy I assume. Best way to take over and bend folks to your whim is by sending a mindless hoard of super charged vampires straight at your enemies. But that's just my opinion. No one wanted to answer my questions in Castilla. They were more bent on trying to rip my throat out for being where I wasn't supposed to.

You know. Just another day of the week for me.

[eidxiety]

Haha, really? I had something for you too. That's what he's after right now. —Dachie. [Whistles, but Dachie is ignoring him.] Dachsologie.

[RUN RUN RUN RUN oh huh he's being called. Stops. Looks at Ain and Lily with his big eyes while Ain goes over and scoops the Small Thing off the ground, then pivots and walks back to Lily to show her.]

Here! I got this guy for you.

[It's a pure white baby Dachie, whose colours have not aligned with anyone's yet because he is Just a baby with no parent. He looks at Lily with him big orbs. OvO]

[eidxiety]

Uh-huh. There's a lot of tailed people now. More than there was after the dragons, anyway.

[Double the tails, double the tripping, probably.]

You have to make shirts friendly for tails too, or they feel uncomfortable.

[forwander]

It's not a bad time at all. I'm merely more tired than usual, I imagine due to certain anatomical changes.

[His head cocks to the side.]

What do you have?

[forwander]

Are you injured?

[Now he's lifting the end of his tail up to look at her.]

[cryopathy]

[there's a muffled scoff from under the jacket.]

Did you hit your head when you got here? "Mindless" and "supercharged" are mutually exclusive.

[... knowing they were hunted while snooping around in castilla does give kiera an extra excuse to Kill, should she ever be unfortunate enough to go back.]

[cryptograms]

Character(s): Ford
Location: In his lab!
Action: Ford's gotten a hold of some of Suri's blood! He's going to investigate the hell out of it.

He'll start with some basics: color, consistency, does it look like regular blood under a microscope, does it behave like regular blood, does it have bad vibes, does it whisper secrets to him, etc?

[forwander]

Perhaps not. [To the sketchbook thing.] It may still be worth attempting. We do have a number of technologically-savvy people here, and machinery is my speciality. I'd be more than happy to attempt building you a mobile tank, though I can't promise aesthetics on short notice. Surely such a thing can be used for other things once this ends? Should it end mid-project, I'm sure Callan would like a mobile aquarium.

[A big tank that could feasibly transport objects easily wouldn't be a total loss, though. Passenger is at least experienced in making walking machines.]

[sailingfor]

[...oh, oops. Loop will feel the plant shift as Thorns brings it around to his front, and then the flytrap's maw slowly opens up to let them out. If they start to fall, Thorns will catch them on a vine pried up from the soil.]

Lo siento. Had you not spoken up, I wouldn't have realised that you weren't food.

[sailingfor]

It's the spores, I think. I'm willing to test it and see, but I'll need you to back me up. Re-transforming might cause a chain reaction that I'm not quite prepared for.

[lupusxylem]

[God, what a big sausage baby. Wolfwood will pet his back like there there, you're baby too.

Mew, meanwhile, squeaks happily as his belly is rubbed, reaching up to place a paw on Ain's cheek. It's a little difficult since his pawbs...short.]

Two? Good t'know for the future then, I guess...if he ain't turnin' colors he's suddenly elongatin'. Guess I ain't used to artifact creatures compared to, uh...I guess you'd call 'em earth creatures?

["""Normal""" creatures, looks at the Tomas]

[lupusxylem]

Eat? No, no I mean...not. Really.

[He's pretty sure. Hm.

He shakes his head a little, ears flopping with the movement.]

I ain't gonna hurt you, I promise. But I got this...urge. To like...chase you. Especially when you hop around like that.

[lupusxylem]

[Remind him why he likes you again-

Flamebringer rolls all around and is acting all cute while Wolfwood strains to push himself back up to his feet, groaning like an old man as he goes. He picks up the broom he'd just dropped, hitting it a couple times on the roof to get the dirt off before he goes back to what he was doing.]

As much as I'd love to, I gotta get these chores done first. Shit got filthy somehow in the month we were away.

[nitrotempered]

[ His tail flops onto the floor with the flair of evident attitude. ]

I did a course in the summer; my mother insisted on it, among other things.

[ A beat. ]

The new stupid nails make it easier to tailor in the finer details. I haven't done something like this in a while, though, what's it to ya anyway?

ii. stuck :(

[nitrotempered]

[ With his whole chest out and bare arms crossed around his chest, he looks up at the fawning goat thing. ]

Heh, you look like you are exactly where you belong.

[ A quick, wide flap of his wings, as if emphasizing his excitement. ]

Brant | Wuthering Waves | New Character

[shineinthelimelight]

[A. I Don't Think We're in Rinascita Anymore]

[Brant expected the usual noises of the Fool's Elysium to greet him as it does every night, but when silence was his alarm, his eyes snapped open. He was pushing himself up, looking around the room he found himself in. Confusion was an understatement. Had he had more to drink last night than he thought?

There was, of course, the possibility that he had, and his crew was playing some prank on him. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary, and that was his only explanation for now.

Snatching his captain's hat off the bed and placing it securely on his head, Brant made his way out of what he could only imagine was an Inn room and started walking.

Which only brought on more confusion. Where in the world was he? He needed to find someone!]

[B. Through the Fire and Flames]
[cw painful transformation, body horror & related trauma]

[Who would have guessed that touching strange mushrooms would have consequences!

The spores came out of nowhere — well, they came out of the mushrooms, but he'd say it was out of nowhere if someone were to ask. A surprise attack from mushrooms was almost like an attack out of nowhere!

The spores clung to his skin, to his clothes, to his lungs, and he couldn't cough before the pain started. His body convulsed, and he fell to his knees, his hands digging into the mud and dirt as a scream tore from his lips; a scream he couldn't hear over the crunching and cracking of his bones.

He could feel every tear, every break. Things broke out from under his skin, probably bone, but he couldn't see anything through the pain and the blood coating his face. He felt hot, like his blood was fire that was eating away at his skin. His screams faded as the fire devoured his throat, leaving him arching and thrashing on the ground.

Black charred like bone protruded from his back, with deep purple membrane making up wing-like appendages. A bone-like tail followed, his legs extending and breaking, talons tearing through his boots.

One final scream and purple fire burst from his mouth.](Not a 1:1 rendition of what Brant looks like, but inspiration from his Echo - Dragon of Dirge)

[C. Soaring is Just like Sailing]

[It had taken him a few days to recover from the initial transformation, and then another to get accustomed to his new body. He was adjusting rather well, and he'd chalk it up to his laid-back personality and his ability to make light of any situation.

He was taller now — not that he hadn't been tall before, but with his new digitigrade legs, he had grown another two feet, maybe two and a half if he stretched. The scale-like bone plating that covered his body in sections was also something to get used to, especially when they became too dry and itchy, and he started rubbing up against anything he could find that was sturdy enough to hold his weight.

He felt more like a bear than a dragon.

And then he realized that the wings weren't just for show, and he could fly with them, and any negative thought or emotion had gone out the window the moment his feet left the ground and he was soaring through the trees. Feeling the wind on his face, gaining speed, and taking sharp turns!

It was exhilarating!]

(D. Wildcard)

[Hewwo, this is vex, its been a hot minute! If you wanna plot something don't hesitate to reach me on discord (I don't have plurk anymore) @ cosmic.hollow :D]

A. bc I think they're both pirates??? help

[sailingfor]

[You ever just walk to your inn room and there's a fuckin Guy walking out of it??? Girl, what the fuck—

Sorry Brant, the NPCs are not here to bail you out. Instead you are being confronted by a (blessedly not transformed yet) (thank you mushrooms) man who has his Captain's hat hanging by a cord around his neck, shirt unbuttoned, y'know the whole pirate getup. Hi?]

I can't say I have anything secret in my room, but I hope you merely got lost and weren't just snooping.