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

[thebladebringstheflame]

...

[airplane ears: deployed]

I didn't bite anybody. [This is a fucking lie he's been stalking people and biting them] I've been on my best behaviour.

[This, too, is a fucking lie.]

[ezellotry]

...Firstly, love, I'm pretty sure you bite Wolfwood even without being a cat, so I know that's a lie. But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. It's nothing bad, I just... I spoke with Miss Ydalir about something.

How would you feel about maybe... being able to see out your bad eye again?

[thebladebringstheflame]

[He definitely tackled Wolfwood into his own roof earlier so yeah, Flamebringer is doing real bad at lying. But his airplane ears will remain until he realises he's not in trouble, because every time Ezell says "we need to talk" or some variant, it's always about Flamebringer's bad habits.]

I mean. Sure, I guess, but I don't want to carry shit around like that Old Caprinae did. And I'm getting on better than that Shadow Milk guy too, so I'm not pressed.

[ezellotry]

Well... the solution we talked about is... hm. You have to genuinely think about it before turning it down entirely, okay? But I spoke with Ydalir about potentially... putting one of my eye's sight into the pendant.....?

[ He has a feeling Flamebringer is, in fact, not going to think about it, and just turn him down. That's how Flamebringer is... ]

[thebladebringstheflame]

[...]

No.

[He thought about it for six seconds. Approximately.]

[ezellotry]

I said to think on it, Flamebringer! [ He is unsplooting, but only so he can properly stand in front of him. This is not a sploot worthy conversation. ] You have… taken so many hits and injuries and have a scar because of me. And I… I feel so useless when I’m trying to do things for the grove and you…

[ Sigh. ]

It isn’t like it’s going to be gone forever. Whenever you don’t want or need it, you can give the pendant back to me, my love.

[thebladebringstheflame]

I did think about it. I take hits and injuries, that's my fucking job. And great, if I can give the pendant back to you, you're taking it full time. I don't need this eye, I was going to lose vision in it regardless of whether the Forest interfered or not.

[His tail lashes. He doesn't want to have this conversation, he just wishes Ezell didn't feel so guilty for things outside of his control.]

[ezellotry]

Flamebringer, I... haven't gotten it yet. I wanted to talk to you about it before I actually put in the request for it. Please, do not get so aggressive about this. This is why I wanted to talk to you about it, my love...

[ Rubbing his face. He's sitting back on his hindlegs so that he's sitting more at Flamebringer height now. Little bun paws are tucked. ] You were doing well with your treatments, and then you took a hit that was meant for me during the fight with the Forest. You got bit from the angler fish too because of me. Y-you even... you even died in your past life here at the Grove because of me... I... I'm just...

I'm so scared, Flamebringer. It would make me feel better if you had your full vision when you went out to do something dangerous.

[thebladebringstheflame]

I'm getting mad because I'm fucking worried about you!

[Ugh, no, don't yell. He doesn't need that. Flamebringer rubs his face with both hands, more agonized than he is angry, honestly. He calls it anger because he doesn't know what else to call it — but Ezell will easily be able to tell he's worried, and frustrated, and struggling to deal with any of those emotions. He loves Ezell a lot; he can't take something from him.]

What about you, huh? What do I do if you get in trouble and you can't see properly? I'm sturdy, I blew myself up on the false god and was fine. I was the sole survivor of a band of mercenaries once upon a time. I'm not gonna go down easily, and I don't wanna believe that you can, but if I don't take that bullet for you I'm scared it'll fucking kill you.

I don't want anyone to sacrifice anything for my sake. Sacrifices like that for a man who's already damned are idiotic.

[ezellotry]

[ Ezell genuinely does try hard to not cry. Truly, he does! But they still come anyway. He doesn't have the heart to look at Flamebringer anymore, either. Guilty, because he doesn't want Flamebringer to be upset, too. He isn't crying because he's yelling, honest, it's just... ]

You mean everything to me, you know. [ He manages to say very quietly so he doesn't sob on his words. ] "Damned" or not, if something happens to you, I don't...

...

I don't know what I'll do.

[ His stupid floppy bunny ears keep falling into his face and making this very serious moment less so, but he keeps trying to tuck them back anyway. ]

But... this is why I wanted to talk to you about it, instead of just deciding. If you don't want it, then I-I won't do it.

[thebladebringstheflame]

[Flamebringer raises both hands up and squishes Ezell's cheeks. He... doesn't know what else to do, if he's honest. He doesn't know if this helps, or is grounding, or maybe it's just downright demeaning.

Squish, squish.]

All that matters to me is that you stay safe. I'm not letting you die in my arms again. I don't need both eyes to keep you safe, and even if I lost them both, I'd find a fucking way. Okay?

[Unsure what else to say or how else to comfort him, Flamebringer brushes his thumbs under Ezell's eyes to catch the stray tears. He wishes inwardly that he were better at this. Maybe he can suddenly whip out some poetry that makes Ezell happy again, or be a words-wizard somehow, or... fuck, how do the Banshee do it again?]

...I love you. No one is extinguishing your flame as long as I'm still standing, alright?