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singillatim2024-06-05 12:00 am
singmod) wrote in singillatim2024-06-05 12:00 am
Entry tags:
- *event,
- benton fraser: lorna,
- bigby wolf: jelle,
- billy gibson: jelle,
- casper darling: mimi,
- chloe frazer: tess,
- cornelius hickey: kates,
- damian wayne: cass,
- edward little: jhey,
- francis crozier: gels,
- jessica hamby: devi,
- john irving: gabbie,
- kate marsh: cheryl,
- kieren walker: cheryl,
- konstantin veshnyakov: jhey,
- lalo salamanca: amber,
- lestat de lioncourt: beth,
- levi ackerman: dem,
- levi jordan: cirape,
- louis de pointe du lac: tea,
- peter parker: trace,
- randvi: tess,
- rorschach: shade,
- ruby rose: josh,
- sam carpenter: lia,
- snow white: carly,
- svetlana nazarova: kota,
- tim drake: fox,
- vasiliy ardakin: yasmine,
- wynonna earp: lorna
seven devils all around you, seven devils in your house
JUNE 2024 EVENT
PART ONE — A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME: The Darkwalker claims another victim, and that is only the beginning of troubles for the Interlopers as they face a month of endless night and green gloom.
PART TWO — POLAR SUN: As June continues, Interlopers are faced with food insecurity as wildlife flees; tensions grow as they face hunger and the Darkwalker's continued influence. On the day of the Summer Solstice, the tension finally breaks and violent chaos descends upon Interlopers.
PART THREE — REPRIEVE: The end is in sight, and an ally comes to the Interloper’s aid.
A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME
WHEN: June 1st, then onwards.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area (Carter Hydrodam).
CONTENT WARNINGS: death of playable character; supernatural death; mention of dead body; themes of death; supernatural beings; themes of terror; themes of peril.
The evening is quiet and still. May draws to a close and while the sun does not completely set, it dips low enough for the sky to grow a little darkdim with twilight. The midnight sun is almost upon the Northern Territories, the air is warmer than it has ever felt — even if it remains chilly. If this is summer, it is but a gentle brush of reprieve against the unyielding winter. The Interlopers wind down for the night, many turn to their beds to sleep, others sit awake and ponder their existence in this world. They think of home, of loved ones, of their predicament here in this place. The Forest Talkers, the strange beasts and monsters they’ve encountered.
The moon wanes in the skies, nestled amongst the stars. For those still awake to notice, they can see it: slowly, one by one, the stars begin to go out. Then the moon's light is swallowed whole, and a blanket of green gloom descends upon the Northern Territories.
The sky is dark and green and terrible. Many of those will recognise it, what this means and what will come. Others will not understand it, not know what it is that awaits them all.
They will soon find out: the Darkwalker comes.
Under a green sky, a cold fear washes over you — squeezing the breath from your lungs. Interlopers will find themselves overcome with that fear, and everything in their bodies and minds tells them to run. To flee. And so you run, heading for cover. Curtains will be drawn, some may hide under beds, within closets or wardrobes. Some desperately attempt to conceal themselves, make themselves small, unseen. Some Interlopers, in that fear, may rush to friends or loved ones to hide with them, others may simply cower alone — crawling and whimpering away from the night. The fear is irrational, unable to be overcome — even by the bravest or most stoic of Interlopers.
For those within Milton, it is further away but is by no means less potent: Interlopers will find themselves frozen with the constant loom of the Darkwalker’s arrival — even if it does not come to Milton. Those within Lakeside, however, will feel the true force of this presence: more like a knife edge — painfully gripping your heart as it draws close.
The Darkwalker howls: indescribable, unnatural, demonic. Low moans and groans. It comes from the east, the faint booms of footsteps in the distance growing ever nearer. It is coming, once more. It's coming for one of you. And still, you are powerless, unable to do anything. And it is an agony, awaiting its arrival. You cry, you whimper, you cower. Curling up for some shred of comfort, and finding none.
For those in Lakeside, through the fear, they may be able to note the path: a straight line from the east towards Carter Hydrodam. It seems to go on forever, building into a crescendo. Your heart beats so hard you fear it may burst from your chest, as if you might die of fright.
There is an almighty sound; the Darkwalker devours and even with the distance you can hear it. The sound of gnashing teeth, and… laughter. There is no scream, no bright light in the sky — Enola is silent this time. There is only that laughter, echoing off into the night.
The skies do not return to normal. The green gloom hangs in the air. It is done, but it is not yet over. While the overwhelming fear dissolves away, but a kind of… dread remains on the air — almost palpable.
The Darkwalker has devoured another. Braver souls who go out to investigate into Lakeside will find just who has been devoured once they reach the Hydrodam — although it may be a day or two before they will find the body in the medical bay.
At least it is cold enough that the rot does not fully set in — but death will certainly be here.
And this is but the beginning of the Interloper’s troubles.
POLAR SUN
WHEN: The month of June, up to Midsummer’s Eve + Summer Solstice.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of survival; food scarcity/food insecurity; supernatural weather; altered mental states; mental manipulation; themes of violence; potential character injury; potential character death; potential NPC death.
In the coming weeks and days, and weeks, the green gloom lingers. From the Darkwalker’s attack, there is no sun. No day, no night. No stars or moon or sun. No Auroras. Just the gloom and biting cold. Life becomes increasingly hard on Interlopers: higher expenditure on fuel — fires and lanterns are imperative to keep the darkness and the cold at bay.
With the green gloom in the air, the wildlife becomes more scarce — as if it has been frightened away into the deeper parts of the wilds. It will be harder to bring in fresh meat in both Milton and Lakeside, and Interlopers will find that they will have to rely on whatever stores they have — and perhaps even rationing for a while.
And it’s not the only thing frightened. Even with the debilitating fear that comes with the Darkwalker’s attack gone, there is still a kind of fear that lingers on the air that slowly eats away at the Interloper’s resolve over time.
Interlopers will find themselves anxious, on edge. Some will be prone to anger in their fear, others prone to fits of melancholy: tearfulness and sorrow. Between the cold, the lack of fresh game and the fear on the air — it’s no wonder spirits are low. Bickering and minor upsets between Interlopers are likely.
They call it the midnight sun, the polar day. It's opposite is the polar night. This is neither and both. On the day of midsummer's eve, that fear on the air is even more palpable. The air feels a little stifling at times, as if the pressure is all off — often quite oppressive, a strange kind of tension. There is something brewing, a low burning thing that begins from the moment Interlopers wake — heavy and sharp in their chest.
’So, Interloper. What will you do now?’ A voice sneers in your ear. The very same voice that has haunted Interlopers since the very beginning. The Darkwalker finally speaks after all these weeks of gloom since its most recent attack. ’When all is gone, when even the sun does not rise? What will you do then?’
A nervousness sits within you as you remember the Darkwalker’s words. What will you do if the sun does not rise? If the darkness is all that is left? If the food runs out? Your wonderings will continue to gnaw away within you. The darkness is hollowing.
’Will you lean on others, like you have always tried to do?’ the voice continues. ’What bonds you hold with them, the ones with those around you. But how strong are they, truly? Can you trust them? Will it matter when your belly is empty and your heart is low? Perhaps it is time to see.
’Never forget, Interloper. I am the Rot. And I will rot within you.’
As the day progresses into the Solstice, that tension lingers in the air, and the wonderings within you continue to wear at you. You find yourself becoming more and more agitated as time goes on. Those feelings that have been brewing for some time now have started to grow close to boiling. You may snap at others, grow restless, become enraged at the tiniest of things — the upsets wildly out of proportion for the smallest slights or issues.
You find your thoughts wandering, too. Perhaps it is to someone you know in this place, or perhaps it is to someone previously unknown to you. Maybe you have an issue with this person, or perhaps the voice’s influence extends further — not only adding to your agitations but creating them, too. A slight, a grudge, a bias.
You feel a bitter gnawing within you. The nightmarish green gloom above you persists and everything bubbles up from within. From the dark, the anger within you become too much. The tension finally snaps.
For some, it might come out as a vicious argument where you air your grievances, or finally let slip the things you’ve been holding close to your chest. A verbal beat down, incredibly hurtful in nature. For others, things may be drawn to getting physical. A literal beat down where your fists grow bruised and bloody, or perhaps even worse. Whatever it is, you want to do damage to someone else — there is darkness here, and so many things come out in the dark, don’t they?
Like a ripple, all around you: all hell breaks loose. Chaos erupts, and the air is filled with violence.
Let’s hope you might stop, or someone else stops you, before someone gets killed.
REPRIEVE
WHEN: Circa three days after the Summer Solstice.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: blood.
All things must come to an end, even the most violent of deadly storms. In the midst of the seemingly endless violence of the night, you find yourself outside. Maybe you're fleeing from another Interloper, maybe you're desperately trying to reach someone you care for, maybe you're simply trying to find somewhere new to hide. Interlopers are hunting one another, blood lies on the snow, bodies too — some breathing, some not.
Perhaps it is a trick of the light. Perhaps it's the Darkwalker’s influence still warping your already frayed mind. Or it's the blood in your eyes, your battered and bruised body struggling to get through it all.
In the gloom, you see it. See her.
A woman, dressed in furs, stones and shells glimmering on her chest like armour, stands in the snow before you. Thin and pale, eyes sunken. Her chest heaves with each breath as she looks around with wide eyes. Her hands are bare and bloody. It drips slowly from her fingers. Is it her blood? Or someone else's? You cannot tell, but you cannot mistake how thick it coats her skin.
Her head turns to look at you. You are stunned, but not frightened. Even through the gloom, after a moment or two, her eyes widen in recognition: she knows you.
Slowly and silent, other than her noisy breathing, she draws close to you. Maybe in turn you draw close to her, closing the distance between you. Up close, her eyes are blue, and sad. You cannot mistake the sorrow in them. She is tired, weary. Her hair is dark, worn loose and long. For some, you feel as if you've seen her before, but you can't quite place her face.
Softly, she says your name.
For some, there may be no recognition. This woman is a stranger, who knows your name somehow. She has been silent the past couple of months, after all.
For others, hearing her speak brings a sudden, jarring realisation: this is Enola.
She’s here. Enola. All this time, she’s whispered to you in dreams, in static, in the very air itself.
She raises one hand, dark and dripping in the green light. Lightly, her fingers brush against your chest. You don’t feel the pressure of them, don’t feel the odd heat of blood — only the weight of her stare as she holds your gaze. It’s a long moment of peace in amongst the chaos.
You feel her exhaustion, a tiredness that sinks into your very bones. Apologies, too. You have never known anything like it. But there’s something else too, something that takes a moment or two to put your finger on. Defiance. A renewal. Something shifts in the air, a growing tension, different from the kind that’s been held on the air throughout the month. It’s the coming of a storm, the rolling clouds, the growing rumble of thunder before the first lightning strike.
Enola nods, her expression grave. She pulls away and turns from you — her head lifting towards the skies as she walks. Her arms raise, bloodied hands twisting and tensing before her. They curl, almost into fists, and she makes a gesture: the slow tearing of something huge and invisible before her — a shriek spilling from her lips. A battle-cry, a last stand, a wail of agony. It echoes.
The sky cracks and splits open before you, dazzling light and colours blinding your vision into pure white. The world tilts too hard below your feet, and you don’t remember passing out.
When you awaken, Enola is gone. The skies are clear and blue, the sun is high in the sky. As you pick yourself up from the snow, in the harsh light of the polar day, blood has never looked so red. The horrors of the night laid bare. Interlopers are dead, but the Darkwalker’s influence is gone. For now.
In the wake of Midsummer, all Interlopers can do is try reconcile. Bury the dead, rebuild, lick wounds. But that feeling in the air still remains — that different, new kind of tension that has come with Enola’s appearance. The first of the lightning bolts has struck, but more are coming.
FAQs
1. Alexander Hilbert has been devoured by the Darkwalker. His remains can be found in the Hydrodam. The following note has been left by Kates concerning his death: ‘Sveta gets possession of his research notes + blood samples + creepy lab journal because it's all in Russian, lmao.’
2. Information on the Darkwalker’s attack can be found here.
3. Usually, after the Darkwalker attacks, the sky would return to normal. This won’t happen. Instead, the usual atmospheric changes that occur during Darkwalker attacks will remain in place as June continues..
1. For an idea how the setting appears for June, it's like what you see in the game during the Escape The Darkwalker Challenge. Inside, there'll be a degree of green shades to rooms etc via what comes through windows but with it being lit up via fires and light sources, the gloom will be chased back.
2. Characters are free to use this event to kill NPC Interlopers. Methuselah and Young Bill are off the table, as are two marked NPC Interlopers. Please let Mods know if you intend on doing this for record keeping!
3. These acts of violence can be physical or verbal altercations, players are encouraged to work with the prompt however they'd like! However, anything potentially world-altering (ie. building destruction) must be first discussed with mods.
4. Interlopers under the Darkwalker's influence can be stopped in a number of ways. Showing genuine care and compassion in the face of violence is one way. Knocking an Interloper out is another way. Sometimes killing an Interloper may be needed, or simply restraining them and keeping them locked up somewhere so they can't hurt anyone else until the night is over would also work.
5. Talismans made by Heartman back in March with a Ward Sigil against the Darkwalker will come into effect during this prompt. It's been an ongoing process, with new Interlopers being offered them from their arrival. Players are free to choose what kind of talisman they received, or if they chose to get one at all. Their effectiveness is dependent on the type of blood used on the talisman.
— Animal Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood from animals found in the world, such as deer, rabbits or wolves will find themselves more susceptible to the Darkwalker’s influence and disposition towards violence. They will be much harder to break out of the hold over them, and become almost frenzied state.
— Monster Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood from any creatures or monsters that Interlopers have encountered in their time in the Northern Territories, such as the Serpent from December’s TDM will find there are no negative nor positive effects. The talisman is essentially useless. and Interlopers will fall under the Darkwalker's influence.
— Interloper Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood for Interlopers will be offered protection/resistance from the Darkwalker’s influence and disposition towards violence. They may be slightly affected but will have their wits about them more compared to others. If the blood came from an Interloper with an Aurora Feat — this protection/resistance will be largely increased, an the Interloper may even feel braver, less affected by the fear in the atmosphere.
— No Talisman: Similar to the Monster Blood Talisman, Interlopers will be affected typically by the Darkwalker's influence in due course.
There are no additional affects with an Interloper using their own blood, just if they have an Aurora Feat or not.
6. Animals owned by Interlopers will be more frightened and will want to hide away in the build up — they will be disturbed by the world. Mostly lying down and whining/restlessness. They may display some signs of aggression on occasion, but not to the same degree of humans.
7. Forest Talkers are hidden away and will not be able to be reached during the Solstice.
1. Enola can only be met alone, but she will appear to all Interlopers in Milton.
2. Enola will be nowhere to be found afterwards, there are no tracks to be followed. She has simply vanished.
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It's a common injury here. I just put Francis Crozier together for the same thing.
Tell me about your head.
[She moves up, gently pushing his hair to the side, looking for lacerations or bumps.]
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[ Sveta's touch is gentle, she's leaning close. Even now he has to swallow against a tight throat at her proximity, his eyes following her as she studies his face, his head. ]
— got a few good hits in. Fists only.
[ And he hadn't tried to defend himself, aside from to attempt to block her furious strikes. She'd deserved every one of them. ]
She's— she was— someone I failed, here.
[ His words grow softer, something sore under them, as tender as any of these bruises. ]
I understand why she was angry.
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[She puts a hand on his chest gently to still him.]
No one deserves this. Anger can justified, but this is extreme. All of it.
I don't see any cuts. Can you follow my finger?
[She holds it up at him, going back and forth.]
I - I was once so angry, so hateful to someone, that I nearly destroyed Moscow.
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[ His eyes follow her finger, a little slow, wandering slightly. He's dazed from the hits, from the cold, from the shock of everything that had happened, and he finds he keeps losing his focus.
The top of a Stetson appears above Svetlana's head, followed by Robert Fraser's keen blue eyes. What're you doing lying down? his father demands. It's a mess out there. You can get coddled after everyone is safe.
Ben shakes his head, lolling it slowly from side to side. ]
I'm no use to them like this. I can't help them.
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[She stands up, leaving him there a moment to retrieve her makeshift bandages.]
You can help them. You are helping me. You can keep me safe in case anyone comes by.
[She knows that isn't true and it feels odd to half-lie, but she can't allow him to get up. She can't allow him to move around, and this sort of talk worries her. She starts water to boiling.]
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[ Soft, as he watches her walk away, one hand lifting to rub at his head before he winces and sets it carefully on his bared chest. His father, too, turns to watch as she moves around the cabin, before he looks back down at his son. If you can't get up to help the people of this town, what makes her think you'll be any use to her here at all?
He considers a moment, head cocked. I suppose she could use you as a doorstop. Lean you up against the door, if you can't get on your feet.
Fraser closes his eyes tight, then peeks one open again, hoping the apparition might have vanished. It doesn't. His father stands there, eyebrows raised. Well? ]
If someone comes here and tries to attack, a few cracked ribs and some punches to the head won't keep me from stopping them.
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I know. [She leans down and brushes a kiss along his cheek.]
I'm going to wrap you up. Tight. It will hurt at first, and then feel better.
Tell me why you're angry.
[She takes the bandages and ties them, one at a time, around his chest.]
no subject
[ He grunts with pain as she begins bandaging him, a few beads of sweat breaking out along his hairline as he struggles to keep his voice steady, watching her instead of the phantom of his father. ]
I'm angry at myself for worrying you.
[ And for more, so much more, but right now it's a burning coal of helpless frustration in his chest. She's being professional, deft and practical, but he can see the concern in her eyes. ]
I'm sorry.
no subject
Don't you worry for me?
[She takes a rag and brushes it across his face, drying that sweat, apologizing silently for the pain.]
Don't you ever apologize for it, either, Benton Fraser. You are a good man. And I - I care very much for you. But you will curse yourself, as I did, with the anger you hold. Words, intentions, are real.
[She finishes tying and then places her hand behind his head, grabbing a pillow to place behind him.]
no subject
[ Whispered, his eyes locked on her face, a little dazed but as steady as he can make them. ]
I worry about you.
[ He'd failed La'an, and the worst had happened, and if something happened to Sveta, to this sweet, wonderful woman who's being so gentle with him, he thinks he'd be overcome with despair. He shakes his head, very slightly, barely a wiggle against her hand. ]
I don't know how to— let it go. I wish it wasn't there at all, but I've never known how to do anything but just... keep going.
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You don't let it go. You forgive yourself, as you would forgive another person. You forgive yourself, because you know how to do better.
You forgive, because you are always learning.
[She squeezes his hand as she starts to feel the exhaustion creeping back in.]
When you're ready, sit up and drink this.
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[ It's advice he would give, has given in the past, and most days, he thinks he manages to follow it well enough. Today is not most days, even with the amulet he's wearing around his wrist.
He sits a little sooner than he feels wholly ready, more slowly than he'd like, fighting off a wave of dizziness before he reaches for the tea she holds out. But he doesn't drink it right away; he watches her as his fingers curl around the mug. ]
Are you tired?
[ She looks it, and he feels another stab of guilt, does his best to push it away. ]
no subject
When you're ready, you can stand and I'll help you to the bed. It's warmer there.
[She stands up, cleaning up the mess she had made, ensuring everything is back in its place.]
Your clothes can stay by the fire to dry.
no subject
I don't need to take your bed, Svetochka.
[ The affectionate name drops thoughtlessly from his lips; he turns his hand to catch hers, gentle. ]
I'm fine here. And once I've rested a little, I should go make sure no one else has gotten hurt.
no subject
You are not taking it from me, and you are not going out for twenty four hours at least. You can choose to defy your doctor or the woman you care for, but you cannot defy both.
I can give you something for sleep if you are worried, but you cannot help anyone if you are hanging on like this.
Do not make me fret for you more, Benton Fraser, or you will regret it.
no subject
His eyebrows press up, but when she's done, he only nods, regimentally brisk, his eyes wide. ]
Yes, ma'am.
[ She would make a formidable senior officer. He can just about see it. ]
... all of Moscow, was it?
no subject
A vortex thirty five meters tall. Foreign missiles ready. A plane preparing to fall. All manner of disasters.
[She stands and holds a hand down for him, ready to help.]
Come along before you think of another excuse.
no subject
If she had her powers here, maybe nothing could touch her, but she doesn't. And he can't let what happened to La'an happen to her, too. He won't.
But for the moment, he allows her to lead him to the bed, feeling a little sheepish as she does. It's not how he would have preferred to find his way there, for the first time. ]
You might be sick of me after twenty-four hours.
no subject
[She is stronger than she looks, or maybe just stubborn, but she helps him walk to the bedroom where a candle is already lit. It isn't romantic and it isn't intimate and it's certainly not how she imagined it, but it is necessary. It's neatly made with comfortable blankets and pillows, big enough to spread out. She sits him down and goes to retrieve his tea so he will have it for the night.]
There. No more moving for a while. You can rest, and maybe I will tell you a story thos time. Or a poem.
no subject
[ It comes out a little too fast, as he sits on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to return. Not sharp; just reflexive, like she'd accidentally tapped a bruise. He licks his lip and looks up at her, trying for a smile. ]
But I like stories.
no subject
She did say he wasn't going to be taking her bed. And there's plenty of room.]
A story, then.
Once there was a little boy named Egor. He was twelve when he first heard the call of a vampire.
[She smiles, baring her teeth playfully for emphasis, trying to bring a little more levity to them.]
no subject
Very frightening.
no subject
She moves closer, curling up beside him, bringing the blankets up high to keep them both warm.]
He followed the call to a couple. One established vampire and the woman he wanted for a bride. She was hungry, you see, and Egor, was young and innocent. A perfect snack.
But he was not alone, you see. There was someone with him. A seer. A sorcerer. He had been following Egor, worried for him.
no subject
[ It feels better to have her curling close to him, warm and sweet, and he settles his head back on the pillow, letting his eyes fall closed as he listens to her story. ]
Not so lucky for the vampires, I take it.
no subject
[This is where she deviates, right into the realm of fantasy. It's the way she would have wanted this story to go. Good defeating evil, Anton getting rid of the vampires before they could hurt anyone else.]
He took a stake and put it right in the heart of one.
[She gently taps his bandaged chest, over his heart.]
The girl tried to go for Egor, but he was free of her spell. He ran and the sorcerer grabbed her before she could escape.
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