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

[lovelyredthread]

He used to, though. He used to care about everyone and everything. He's not--

[ He's not going to argue the point further, though. He already knows she won't listen. Adults never listen to him. He just has to remind himself he's lucky she didn't kill him immediately on learning who he was as he cuts himself off with a frustrated huff.

She can think he's a sentimental kid if she wants. She's not completely wrong. ]

Oh!

[ He perks up a little seeing the little round creature, and just like that he's acting cheerful again. The animals at least he was unabashedly fond of. He reaches in to hold and pet the little critter before returning it safely to the ground by her feet. ]

I guess it wanted to go on an adventure today!

cw hallucinations :)

[lilyberation]

... We're all still healing, from many things, Pavlova Cookie. Give it time. Please.

( but that's the last she'll speak on this, and she smiles fondly as pavlova takes vernal. the little mochi of a critter beeps happily, nuzzling into his hands before settling there. apple picking? no. vernal picking.

a soft whisper and the scent of vanilla wafts by- be patient, my love, he's still young- and the ghost of him is gone when she blinks. ... ah, she must be tired still... )

He does like to stick with me, as we're bonded. But I hadn't expected him to be in the bag!

[lovelyredthread]

[ He giggles softly as Vernal nuzzles his hands. He's a little distracted while she's having her hallucination but it's... probably for the best he only catches her expression after its passed. He tilts his head at her a little. At least she seems to come back to her senses soon after. Maybe she was thinking? He'll put a pin in that for later.

... still, he takes her hand and squeezes it gently. ]

He's silly. I like playing with him. Maybe he was playing hide and seek?

[ He can't actually talk to the animals, but he can understand them better than most since they aren't immune to his ability. He doesn't quite understand what she means by bonded, but he can ask later. Pavlova smiles at the little puff ball. ]

I think you won.

[lilyberation]

Hehe. I think so, too. He should stay close while we get the fruit...

( there's an apple tree, an orange tree, a peach tree, a... durian tree, and the blackberry bushes. some are on the other side of the river, but this area is shallow enough to cross safely and there's also the stepping stones closer to vash's home. )

I was thinking of some apples and peaches. What would you like, Pavlova Cookie?

[lovelyredthread]

I can help with those! I think I'm gonna get some blackberries too though.

[ After the big ones, though. He doesn't want to smush them. He thinks his dad likes blackberries too, but he could be misremembering.

This is the embarrassing part, though. He can hover and flit around just fine with his wings how they are, but for anything high up he'd need a running start, what little magic he had and a prayer.

Pavlova got one of the bags from White Lily and looked around at the trees, eventually locating a peach tree with low enough branches. The attempt is... successful, but Pavlova is certainly glad his dad wasn't there to see how pitiful it looked. He'd had to run and jump at it, but he still only managed to get chest level with the branch, resulting in some undignified flapping and struggling as he pulled himself up.

But he was up! And now he could climb up to higher branches just fine. He's happily locating untouched peaches to add to their stock. ]

[lilyberation]

Alright.

( lily watches him carefully, but doesn't say anything. his wings... something brushes against her mind. a mark against freedom. something hot burns in her stomach for a moment and then its gone- she won't draw attention to it. it's not her place.

though she keeps an eye on him, lily walks over to the apple tree and starts picking a few. idly she can see the river guardian swimming in the water and all seems well, for right now.

vernal follows, but runs off to chase butterflies and play in the grass now and then, and then darts back peeping. hi! hiiii! )

[lovelyredthread]

[ Really, he's just glad she didn't laugh at him for it. He's used to compensating for his clipped wings, but it was... far from graceful. He didn't usually have an audience for it.

Not that he has any idea of how her power manifests. He didn't spend a whole lot of time with Silent Salt to have much of an idea of how it might work either.

His bag is about half full of peaches by the time he sees Vernal peek up at him. He giggles and darts behind the trunk of the tree to hide from him, playing an improvised version of peekaboo with the creature. ]

Oh, right. You said you were bonded with Vernal, right? What does that mean?

[ it felt like a very specific word but it could mean several things. He... probably has enough peaches? He got a lot of them. He flies over onto her tree, landing a little lower in the branches from the weight.

He picks a big ripe one from a bough far out of her reach and holds it down so she can catch it. ]

crying i thought i got this-

[lilyberation]

Vernal is a creature from Ain's homeworld, made from his world's specific magic called "El". These creatures connect to their master's emotions, reflecting their growth from the moment of bonding- he feels what I do, and reflects it... but he also has his own heart. He grows as a part of me.

( vernal, of course, is delighted to play, circling around with his little hops as he tries to 'catch' pavlova. beep! peep! eep!

lily laughs softly, crouching to pet him as he passes. )

You could consider him a familiar, I suppose? Ain gave him to me. He has a full grown one called Dachsologie. He's very sweet!


And chaotic.

[lovelyredthread]

Oh, I met Ain.

[ Why he's surprised she knows him, he's not sure. It's not that surprising given she's been here a while. It's really only hitting him now that maybe he's in more danger from the others in the village than he initially thought. Who knows what she's told them. ]

I don't think he mentioned any pets but we were mostly making small talk about art and love.
Oh, and clothes a little bit.

[ He's not going to ask for clothes. Not right now, but it's been on his mind. Everyone in the garden had similar types of clothing, so it has been interesting seeing the different styles here. ]

Maybe I should ask him about magic sometime! It's probably a lot different than ours.

[lilyberation]

He's a sweetheart, isn't he? I feel like if he were from Earthbread, he'd be a lily cookie~.

( which is to say, she feels a sort of... kinship with him. )

He made my outfit today, actually.

( and she's so very cozy in it! yaaaay. )

[lovelyredthread]

[ She says that and he has to hold his tongue. His knee jerk respose was to note that lilies are highly toxic. He knows that wasn't the point of her saying that. ]

Something sweet, anyway.

[ He takes the redirect and looks at her outfit from the branch he was perched on. He hadn't really paid it much mind before. ]

It's nice. He did say he made a lot of clothes for people. Looks like he's really good at it.

[lilyberation]

( lily blinks and then frowns faintly. )

... Did... I say something wrong?

[lovelyredthread]

No?

[ Not... Wrong, anyway. He doesn't really think an opinion on something hypothetical like that could be wrong, really. ]

Just thought it was kinda funny, cause lilies... they're toxic, right?

[ He knows well and good that they are, he lived in a garden his whole life. He could spot a toxic plant a mile away. Pavlova's smile quirks a little into something less happy. ]

But I only just met him, y'know? Everyone has their secrets, so who am I to judge, right?

[ Everyone has that inner darkness. She'd know that better than anyone, right? ]

[lilyberation]

Ah- well... y-yes, but- it was more that, he reminds me of the kinder parts of my village. That's all.

( ... seems she's a bit self-concious, given how she falters, holding her staff close. is... that why he seems so wary with her? vernal stops in place and looks between the two of them, whining confusedly. )

... Ah, don't mind me. I suppose I'm still a touch sensitive. I-is there any other fruit you'd like to bring back to the house?

[lovelyredthread]

Hm?

[ he's gathered an armful of apples by now and is carefully balancing them as he flutters his way down to add them to her bag. ]

Ohh that makes more sense. I don't really know much about cookies that weren't in the garden.

[ She's the only lily he's met, and of course he was only told the bad things. Her situation with Dark Enchantress Cookie, the fact that her being Guardian means she wants to reseal his parents and possibly him as well. He has a lot of reasons other than her flavor and scent to be wary despite her kindness, especially given who his mother was. Malintent guised as kindness is her whole deal. ]

Oh, I was gonna get blackberries, but I can get those later if you're done.

[ he kneels in the grass to give Vernal a playful ruffle. They can play more when he's not carrying fruit! Peaches bruise easy and he doesn't wanna bang them up. ]