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

[eidxiety]

Haha... it's okay. You didn't break my hide, I think?

[No, it was a gentle nibble, no bites for an Ain butt. That might change soon, but.]

I honestly wasn't thinking, and now I don't know where we are... I bet I could find my way back, but I wasn't paying attention to where I was running. It's just a straight bounce from the fog wall, right?

[Knocks his fist against it. And logically it is, but Ain's anxiety is like What If It's Not Though and now he wants to explode. His deer brain is making everything so much worse. What if he dies in the woods and rots—]

[lupusxylem]

[Meanwhile Wolfwood, who has no such anxiety right now-]

It’s pretty much a straight shot from here back, I think. My shades are golden glasses, you ain’t gotta worry ‘bout us gettin’ lost.

[He taps a curved claw against one of the plastic legs before focusing his attention on Ain again.

Hm…]

…could chase you back. [Glances off to the side like a guilty dog] ….that was fun. I ‘unno. If you wanted-

[eidxiety]

Ooh, that's right...

[.......pause. What—]

You want to chase me? Like... hunting? You don't want to eat me, do you?

[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.

[eidxiety]

[Floppy ears... cute... ough he love him boyfriend—]

Aha, is that it? I guess you can chase me back home, then. It's just straight back from the fog wall, you said?

[Ain stands up and shakes himself off, feathers shaking, and then takes careful strides to the edge of the clearing.]

Okay, we can try it, if it makes you happy~.

[This is all he says before he leans down to smek Wolfwood on the forehead between the eyes, MWAH he love u, and then he spring sproings forward through the trees. Bounce bounce bounce :) ]

[lupusxylem]

[Forehead kiss...

It serves as a perfect enough distraction, just a long enough pause for Ain to get his bearings and spring sprong off into the trees again. It sets off that chase chase chase feeling in Wolfwood almost immediately, his tail fluffing up and arcing over his back as he feels the muscles in his arms and legs involuntarily tense.

Ain might want to spring sproing fast, because within seconds he'll hear the sound of Wolfwood thundering after him again, though this time with much less frantic, uncontrolled urgency. No need to worry about being devoured (at least not literally ;) )]

[eidxiety]

[He was going at a cute little hop, but the second he hears Wolfwood's paws skittering across the leaf litter, his anxious deer brain kicks him in the ass again and he starts running. No more spring sproing, only full-stop sprinting through the forest.

Oh no oh no the predator is after him—

Unfortunately, in his sudden haste to get away from Wolfwood, Ain forgets that he's supposed to be running forward back into the Grove. Suddenly, he hooks a sharp right, even deeper into the woods, close to where the Pines' cabin is in that burned-out part of the north Grove.]

[lupusxylem]

[The gentle spring sproing lasted all of ten seconds...because yeah, Wolfwood is not letting up on the chase. He's not going to hurt Ain- make no mistake- but oops he's going in the wrong direction now-

Wolfwood huffs and falls down to all fours again, branches slapping him as he crashes through the undergrowth in hot pursuit of those fluffy tailfeathers. Okay, fuck, maybe he can herd him back the other way? He's a touch faster...so he'll try to speed past the direction Ain is running, until they're nearly side-by-side as he jumps into the clearing beside him coming from his left.]

[eidxiety]

[Ain is now panic-bleating just like a real deer! Congratulations! Wolfwood is fast on all fours, and when he comes up on Ain's left, the Peryton yelps and runs off to the right.

The herding is working, for a blessing. He is now headed in the Correct direction, but he may veer off path at any moment to escape.]

[lupusxylem]

[AIN PLEASE TO NOT BE GETTING LOST...the last thing Wolfwood wants is for you to slam face-first into the fog wall.

As Ain runs startled in the right direction, Wolfwood does his best to keep him on track by staying mostly at his side, though there are times when Ain suddenly jumps or flutters his wings that he manages to get ahead. And Wolfwood...can't exactly STOP either, his instincts on overdrive as he runs him down.

Please go to the Grove it's okay he only wants to nibble you a LITTLE bit.]

[eidxiety]

[Wolfwood's herding wolf behaviour does wonders at keeping Ain from veering off into the woods again, because yeah— he keeps trying to, running left or right except for when he can see Wolfwood outside his peripheral, in which case he bleats in a panic and tries to redirect. They make it back to the Grove in one piece, but this doesn't mean Ain is done running.

He, in fact, starts to dart in a panic around the well, in wide circles and large hops.

Wolfwood might have to physically tackle him to get him to stop.]

[lupusxylem]

[HE DIDN'T WANNA HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT...if that's what it takes.

(That's a lie, the wolf half of his brain does, in fact, want to do this).

Now that they're in the Grove proper, with Ain circling the Well, Wolfwood can stop for a second to catch his breath. His eyes track the taur's movements, waiting until just the right moment...

Before he leaps forward, paws outstretched, and attempts to grab Ain around the deer-half of his "waist", not trusting that he wouldn't accidentally hurt him if he tried to grab for the human half first when he's currently so bottom-heavy.]

[eidxiety]

[Ain goes down like a lead balloon, screaming like a panicked wild animal, kicking and flailing his hooves as the added weight topples him over. He's flattened onto the ground underneath Wolfwood, hooves scraping at the grass and dirt, kicking at the side of the well.

He cannot get back up. Prey brain is shrieking that he's going to die. There aren't even words leaving his lips, it's just a deerlike, distressed set of noises loud enough to alert a theoretical herd.

AaaAAAA A A AA A AAAAAA!!! AAAAAAA—]

[lupusxylem]

[Oh my god the shrieking. It's...equal parts alarming and setting off every single predator alarm bell he has. The juxtaposition is actually a little bit disorienting, his ears flattening against his head as he struggles to keep Ain pinned down with the way he's flailing all over the place. He very nearly kicks him in the head a few times, dust flying between them. Any onlooker wouldn't be blamed if they thought Wolfwood were actually killing Ain, here.

And like...to be clear, he's not! He isn't going to actually eat him! But...he can't fight these instincts anymore, and the way Ain bleats just makes it all the worse.

...he bites his ass. Not hard enough to bleed, again, but his teeth sink in to satiate that urge, paws holding him down as he gnaws on him gently through his furred rump.]

[eidxiety]

[AAAAA!!!! A A A A AAA A A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Ain kicks and flails and doesn't manage to shake Wolfwood off, he's hit, he's bitten, he will perish soon and become one with the soil—

Deer brain says to him: pretend to die, and when he gets up to investigate, then you'll run away.

So Ain suddenly stops screaming and flops his human torso forward in the grass.

He pretends to die.]

[lupusxylem]

[Om nom nom gnaw gnaw gnaw he's so happy. His tail is wagging. Nibble chew...

Oh, Ain died. The sudden lack of movement triggers something in his brain that prompts him to stop chewing for a second, his ears perking forward a little as he looks at Ain over the curve of his ass.]

...Ain?

[eidxiety]

[Ain is died. He is being eaten, so he is died.

...

Wolfwood stops and says his name, and deer brain kicks back on and says ESCAPE WHILE YOU CAN. Therefore, Ain desperately wiggles and flops until he can be free™, which may or may not work because he didn't give it very long to try. Wolfwood may very well still have him pinned.]

[lupusxylem]

Ain!

[Yeah no, if Wolfwood is able to keep a grip on his slippery ass he will, tightening his arms around his deer-half midriff. If he ends up getting kicked then so be it, because he can't do another chase through the woods like that, Ain may very well just run away and never come back.]

I ain't gonna hurt ya! It's just me, remember? Calm down!!

[eidxiety]

[SQUEAK SQUEAL SCREAM EEK EEK EEK

...

Looks over his shoulders at Wolfwood.]

Ohhh!! Nikolaus~! Hiii~.

[Deer brain vs Ain's ADHD: Fight? (They're not fighting, they're actually harmoniously married right now.)]