singillatim | extinction is the rule

extinction is the rule

SEPTEMBER 2023 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — THE AURORA: AFTERSHOCKS: The Aurora comes, bringing chaos to the town of Milton. Electronics go haywire, and the Interlopers learn of the original citizens of Milton.

PROMPT TWO — THE HOUR OF THE WOLF: Tainted by the Aurora and attracted to the noise of people inhabiting the town, several packs of wolves descend upon Milton.

PROMPT THREE — IT SPEAKS: A voice comes to the Interlopers, one that knows them and their darkest fears and deepest insecurities, persuading them to fade into the Long Dark by any means necessary.

THE AURORA: AFTERSHOCKS

WHEN: Sporadic nights over the next month.
WHERE: Milton area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural horror; ‘ghost’ horror; hauntings; death of npcs in various ways including suicide, murder or exposure to elements.

After the feast, and making sure the newcomers to Milton are seen to, Methuselah packs up. He will explain to others that while he will return to check in, he is no resident of Milton and will not stay. He is a nomad, something he has been all his life. He lives in nature. That is where he belongs. But he does assure that people are welcome to remain sheltered in the Hall if they wish to. And sure enough, the old man leaves, wishing the newcomers well. He can still be found out in the wilderness, and will shelter and feed those out exploring should they come across him.

And so the days and nights of this world roll on. The initial time of those who have come to be stranded in this world is unsettled. The weather is always changing, even if it remains bitterly cold. On some nights throughout the next month, however, the snow clouds clear and Interlopers are given a rare, clear night. At first, it’s beautiful: without the light pollution, all the stars can be seen, the moon casts an eerie glow upon the snow in the dead silence of the night. One might even say there is a kind of peace that comes with it all. And for some of these evenings, they pass by: uneventful and silent — the long darkness of an endless winter’s night.

But on others, it isn’t so uneventful. The noise starts: faint at first, but then growing louder. Something in the heavens above. An ethereal, high-pitched chorus of sounds difficult to place. There’s a kind of electrical buzzing with it all, a low, endless hum punctuated with cracks and pops that echo. The sky is alive with sound, louder than anyone could ever expect it to. With it comes the swirling streaking of colour against the inky black of night, growing brighter and brighter as the night goes on: The Aurora has come.

And it isn’t the sky that comes to life too: the whole town does too. Streetlights, illuminating the town’s roads; lights in stores and homes will come alive, buzzing and flickering often. Previously abandoned cars will turn on, their headlights blaring but faltering. Electronics that had previously seemed broken flick on — and whilst there are no broadcasts available on televisions, and the radio waves only drone on in static, both only occasionally blaring standard emergency broadcasts. Any computers and phones will turn on, but will have no internet or reception. Instead, Interlopers may find texts and emails — many of them unsent. The everyday lives of their users stored within, now readable.

But there’s something else too. The Aurora doesn’t just awaken the electronics of the town. Dotted around, in the streets, in homes, in stores, the lights of the Aurora begin to take shape: spectral-like forms of people, their faces hard to make out, details difficult to define. They move in glitching patterns, they speak with voices distorted by static. Eagle-eyed Interlopers may recognise the forms of some, a body or an action:

These are the residents of Milton, in their last moments on this earth.

The forms act out short scenes on repeat: a desperate fight between two men over a vehicle, a murder in a store during a riot, a suicide alone in one of the many houses. An argument over the communication lines going down. A sobbing teen curled up on his bed. A child stares up at the skies, their hands over their ears, crying in fright. A woman begs for her father to leave his home and head to the coast with her, to try to make it to the mainland, but he refuses to leave. A man succumbs to the cold walking alone in the outskirts of town without proper clothing for the elements. Several of these ‘ghosts’ are people fleeing before they stop and simply gasp, staring off into the distance for a few seconds before they drop dead on the spot.

There is nothing that can be done to stop these endless loops. Nothing to help these poor souls. Each of these moments are captured by the Aurora: final, desperate and tragic moments in some unknown, chaotic time. Some of these ‘ghosts’ maybe stop after so many loops — flickering out into nothing, others will last all night. But all will be gone by the morning and the Aurora comes to an end. There are answers, and there are none.

THE HOUR OF THE WOLF

WHEN: Sporadic nights over the next month.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: (wild) animal attacks, altered wildlife, possible character injury/death, possible (wild) animal injury/death.

The growing presence of people within the town of Milton has meant more light, more warmth, more noise. The Aurora has created great change, but people are not the only thing the ethereal lights in the sky has brought down upon this old mining town.

When the sun slips below the horizon, and the clear skies of burnt embers and inky blues alight with stars, they come.

A lone howl, long and haunting. It is the first signal, which carries on the air. You can’t seem to place from which direction it comes from, it feels like it encompasses you. Then another voice joins it, and another, and another. A chorus of them. As the sound echoes off, another fills its place: a strange feral chittering, snarling and snapping — the drumming of feet upon the snow, heading right for you.

Wolves.

Unnatural, glowing green eyes in the dark — tendrils of light seeping from them as they rush in and encircle those they come across outside. They come in packs of three or more, and they are clever. They’re quicker than any wolf you’ve ever known, bigger and hardier too. They will try to strike fast by zipping in when you’re distracted, snapping and nipping at legs or trying to take quick bites out of arms before drawing back. They work together to bring their prey down, a solid unit of noise and teeth. They will hunt down those who hide inside, try to claw their way inside of homes and buildings — dead set on finding you and tearing you apart. There is no hiding from them. They will find you.

But breaking the pack can send them back. If they’re broken, their morale is depleted. Fire is your biggest friend: torches, campfires and flames will keep them mostly at bay and only the bravest of these packs may attack. Striking them with flares or flames will actually send them into brief retreats. Bullets and arrows are effective with both noise and injuring the wolves, and although hitting one will be difficult due their speed, it’s possible. Killing one of these wolves will dissolve the pack’s morale entirely, and the rest will flee off into the night.

Until next time. Maybe it’s best you don’t stick around. They do hold a relentless determination.

IT SPEAKS

WHEN: Over the next month, possibly longer.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: psychological horror; mental manipulation; themes of suicide; themes of depression; potential self-harm; potential feelings of isolation; potential attempted suicide.

There are whispers. Small, at first. Distracting. Perhaps it is only the wind you hear. Milton is so quiet, even with the new hustle and bustle of the new people to this place. Wood creaks and the trees rustle, there are plenty of sounds you could mistake it for.

‘Interloper.’ It is an old voice. Something deep and dark and ancient. Something impossible, older than the earth itself. It floats into your ears and nestles there, sending an ice-cold shiver down your spine. Even to the most stoic and unshakeable souls, it is a unnerving voice. It feels wrong. It feels like an ending. To hear the voice is deeply unsettling... and yet... you recognise it.

It comes to you, in the dead of night when sleep is far. In the long stretches of day as you go about your business, as you travel across the frigid landscape or gather firewood or try to pass the time within whatever home you’ve made for yourself. For some the voice will be clear as day, for others it may be some distant whisper — something gently murmuring in your ear. But the voice will be heard, no matter the person.

‘Interloper. Do you know what it means?’ It asks. ‘It means one that involves itself in a place it does not belong. You do not belong.’

That it isn’t the only thing it tells you. For everyone, it’s different. It knows you. It picks up on any weakness, any insecurity. It makes you feel small, insignificant. It tells you all the quiet, terrible things you hide down within yourself. For days, weeks, the voice is there. Speaking to you. It will wear you down, insist you are not wanted, that you do not belong here.

... And wouldn’t it be better if you weren’t here at all?

The voice seeks to break you. It will push you to your limit. Sleep will become hard to find, your spirits low and hollow. In time you might seem to believe it. Maybe it’s better if you weren’t here. You don’t belong in this place, why should you stay?

‘Disappear, Interloper. Go into the Long Dark.’

Perhaps you next find yourself atop the steep cliffs, looking down into the Milton Basin below. Perhaps you find yourself with a gun in your hand, or a rope. Perhaps you find your feet carrying you out into the snow. You’re going to disappear. You’re going to go into the Dark.

Or maybe the voice isn’t so loud. You can push it down, ignore it. Perhaps Faith is what keeps you steady, perhaps knowing who you are despite your faults stops the voice from taking over. Maybe you can help those who can’t block out the voice. Words of encouragement, affirmation, kindness, determination, even spite. The voice wants you dead, but you will not let it. You will not fall. You will not let anyone else fall, either.

FAQs

THE AURORA: AFTERSHOCKS

1. While examples are given, players are encouraged to come up with their own ghostly loops of similar loops. The key thing to remember is that the people of Milton have descended into public disorder. Fights, arguments and murders have occurred, as have suicides or other unexplained deaths. People are frightened. They want to leave the town.

2. Ghostly loops cannot be interacted with, only witnessed.

3. There is no way of putting these 'ghosts' to rest. These loops are more like residual memories, as if the energy of the townsfolk remained, and have been reconstructed by the Aurora.

4. The wolf attacks and Auroras occur on sporadic nights over the course of the next month, with the Aurora being the first thing, then the wolves. It's unlikely you'll get both on the same night. While the wolves are attracted to the Interlopers' activity, the Aurora's light and noise will keep them away from the town during Aurora Nights.

5. Sharp-eyed Interlopers may notice that the 'ghosts' of those who are staring off into the distance before gasping and dropping dead are looking skyward, towards the east.

THE HOUR OF THE WOLF

1. Due to the Aurora's influence, these wolves are harder, ~~better~~, faster, stronger, than typical wild wolves. They do not die as easily, and are much more difficult to wound and kill. But not impossible. Scaring the wolves will be far easier to accomplish.

2. Wolves will return, sometimes more than once on the same night, or on other nights during the month. The only sure-fire way to have them stop coming back is to kill the pack.

3. Wolf meat is technically edible. But not advised due to parasites. Characters are still welcome to harvest the wolves they kill, however. ~~Who would say no to a cool ass wolf cape.~~

4. The wolf attacks and Auroras occur on sporadic nights over the course of the next month, with the Aurora being the first thing, then the wolves. It's unlikely you'll get both on the same night. While the wolves are attracted to the Interlopers' activity, the Aurora's light and noise will keep them away from the town during Aurora Nights.

IT SPEAKS

1. Characters can be talked down and broken from the voice's influence by others. Genuine connection and empathy will work massively, but even encouragement and affirmations to keep surviving will be powerful enough to break the voice's hold.

2. Players are welcome to play with the length of time the voice can be heard with characters. Some may want to have it over a short space of time, others can have this progress over a longer time period.

3. The voice can come at any time over the next month.

PLOTTING POST

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OOC plotting | Permission post

Threads go here.

-a) General
[If there was something Erichthonios had never seen, it was the night sky in all its glory. His entire life was spent in a facility surrounded by stormy clouds and since he arrived in Milton the weather hasn’t been much kinder to him, so you can guess his surprise when the sky opened up revealing the stars above them. He had been been busy collecting sticks and pieces of wood to warm up his little house in the outskirts when the sky initially turned various shades of pink and orange and he found himself stopping in the middle of the road with his nose up to study the strange phenomenon. It was the sun setting, delicately setting behind the horizon, and it was beautiful.

The man found himself spending time on a bench instead of returning 'home', just staring at the colors of the sky and by night he could still found by one of the benches, red nose and cheek showing how cold his body really got by that point but his mind fully captured by the show above the city.]

-b) Night of the Aurora
[The Aurora itself got him by surprise. Erichthonios was done sketching on his little notebook for the sake of taking another good look at the sky since the clouds seemed to part in the evening... and he found himself staring at lights in the sky he couldn't even begin to explain. While he heard of electromagnetic fields and such, some of the creatures in the Pandaemonium had the potential to interfere with them and were well guarded, not once it occurred to him that they could manifest in such a manner.]

Do you have any idea of what... that is?

[A simple question to the first person who happened to pass by, no matter if he met them or not. Just him, his red and shiny eyes, his colorful and non matching warm clothes and a... handmade journal? Since his arrival in that remote place, he had been hoarding journals, taking all white pages from them and stashing them all in an organized pile to make his own notebook.]

Is that a magical manifestation? Perhaps aetherical flows visible to the eye? A creature showing their presence in such a way?

[He knew the best idea was to run back home and make sure 'this' was nothing dangerous before deciding to step outside again, but his curiosity was too strong. Erich did jump away from the car he was leaning on, though, when its circuits sparked to life and the lights turned on with buzz and cracks. What the-]

Oh... Electric aspected aether then?

-c) Ghosts

[If at first Erich was terrified of the 'things' that started to appear around them, he almost immediately calmed down as soon as his brain registered they weren't a threat but more something like... a reflection stuck in a loop? It was heartbreaking to watch them in their last moments of life, truly, but that didn't distract him from trying to gather all possible informations.

The researcher can be seen moving from a spectral manifestation to another, taking notes on his little pile of paper and trying to gather all he can from them.]

Excuse me, could you move? Spectral entity #48 will probably soon get out of that door and I wanted to track his movements.

Edited 2023-09-10 12:53 (UTC)

[ Bigby actually does have an idea of what that is. Even if he's never seen the Northern Lights before, he's sure heard of them, and this looks similar enough to them that he's pretty sure it's that. Especially since the weather in this place does seem to indicate that they're somewhere up north - wherever that "somewhere" might be.

And while he's about to tell the stranger that, the man is stopped by the sudden shift in town. It's one thing for little sounds to occur here, it's what happens when you're out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people gathered in one place, but the way this place comes to life with electricity almost feels overwhelming, sound-wise.

Especially to someone so relatively sensitive to it.

So Bigby's eyes grow wide in surprise, staring at the car for a moment like it's a monster come to life-- but then the man tries to snap himself out of it enough to look at Erichthonios. ]

Electric aspected-- what?

[ Sorry, man, he didn't really catch something sounding that complicated, especially when he was pretty distracted by everthing going on here. ]

It activated the carriage-thing, so it must be some kind of electric energy, right?

[Apologies about the growing excitement, Erich never really got to see the night sky until a few days before and this? This is magnificent and fills him with joy. What is it? How does it work? Does it affect the wildlife somehow like some creatures in his world mutated or adapted with the right conditions? Tonight Erich may not be the only thing with glowy eyes around town!

Even the other lights turning on don't seem to faze him too much, nor the flickering sparks, his interest as a researcher is just too strong. It takes him a moment to realize that Bigby's reaction seems to be stronger than him, even if he still doesn't suspect any sound sensibility or not, but when he does? Erich does lower his own voice. That will certainly help over the sound of so many things going off at once like the horn of a car honking nonstop in the distance or random electronics turning on with static inside houses.]

So... do you know what's going on? I never encountered such a peculiar natural phenomenon. [A pause] Well, assuming it's natural. Should we seek shelter, perhaps? Oh, by the by-

[Please, also ignore the fact he's rudely cleaning his gloves on his jacket, fingers are covered in both dirt and snow, before offering his hand.]

I'm Erichthonios!

...

[ You'll have to forgive the way Bigby just stares for a moment. It's almost comical, really, especially since the pause in the conversation is filled up with just the blaring sounds of car alarms and televisions in the distance..

But he's just a little baffled by the other's attitude. Which is probably saying something, given the experience Bigby has with lots of weird Fables, but he has been away from Fabletown for a little bit already. Maybe he's desensitized, ever so slightly.

After that moment he does manage to reach back for the hand though, with a: ]

Bigby.

[ That's his name.. Presumably.. Would it murder you to show a little bit more politeness, Bigby. ]

I, uh.. [ Hold on, he's still snapping himself out of it. With a shake of his head he seems a little less dazed, though the sound is still killing him. So awful. ] I think it's 'cause of the Northern Lights, though I'm not sure how they're causing something this big. Maybe there's something special to them in this weird place.

[It's okay, even during the pause he's taking notes, especially as more and more devices around the city activate. Power lines seem to being most energy around, but considering there is plenty of things coming back to life while not being connected it's clear they're not the main source of things but only a mean of distribution... and that's absolutely fascinating in Erichthonios's eyes.

He doesn't even seem to be bothered by Bigby's attitude as he gives the hand an energetic shake. That's how he heard people greet each other and that's what he's going with.]

Northern Lights... I like the sound of that. [He takes note of the name and then hums.] And yes, it could be. Or the lights themselves are a manifestation of something that's going on on on ground level and, like the electricity on our machines, it's just an extra way to be aware of what's going on. Oh, to be able to perceive changes in the aether around us...

[But he's always been bad with that sort of things, even back home. ]

Still... all we can do for now is to document what's happening, right? Hopefully others will come with further informations. Oh! Do you think locals had any kind of communication device? If it's working now we may be able to obtain some kind of info from it! Even if the village itself is quite loud right now...

Alright. Hold on.

[ Because the other is speaking at mach speed over here, at least when viewed relative from the sheer amount of things he's saying, and so Bigby holds up his hands after the handshake, like a universal stop sign. ]

Let's just go look and see if they've got phones in any of these homes, alright? Hopefully something with a landline. [ Because there's no way any cellphone is going to get reception all the way out here. Bigby refuses to believe it.

And after saying that, he turns and just starts walking - not even looking behind him, like he just believes Erichthonios will follow him either way.

A fact that's made even more obvious by the fact that he speaks up again as he starts to head in the direction of one of the nearby houses. ]

So with all this 'aether' talk, or whatever.. Are you some kind of wizard?

[ Or just a ma.. gic.. user..??

God knows Bigby can't keep up with the ten thousand terms they have for this stuff. He couldn't even back home. But he's pretty sure aether's got to have something to do with that magic mumbo jumbo. ]

[Gets the fact that he's talking too much and immediately shuts up. Both hands are raised in front of his body and the young man nods.]

Phones. With a landline. Got it.

[It's be good if he had any idea of what those were, in his world people send messages through familiar or with other way more advanced methods, but he's confident he can find communication screens or- nah, this place is so ancient looking it's better not to risk things.

He's hopping after Bigby, taking out a small notebook and offering to the older man, pencil and all.]

Could you gently... show me their general shape? Most things in here look almost alien to me.

[Drawing or not, they're inside the house now and he's glancing around to see how many things are activated. The lights flicker and the electric outlets occasionally spark, like they've overcharged. There are sounds coming from a weird metallic box in the kitchen that has a screen in the front and occasionally spins an empty plate inside it, but Erichthonios has never seen a microwave before so he simply assumes people used to display their favorite edible products.

The television does seem to catch his attention, though, and it still seems to stay active even when he unplugs it from the outlet. Huh... it wasn't probably supposed to only play static, but that's all they're getting from now.]

Huh? Oh, no no, I wish. No magical powers whatsoever. Lots of theoretical knowledge about it, buthat's where the line ends. I was a researcher and, to put it simply, a zookeeper, that's all. [A short pause follows as he looks outside for a moment.] What about you?

Do I look like a magician?

[ The answer is 'no', clearly. Or rather - the tone Bigby is using is all by itself enough to show that the answer is no. It's basically a rhethorical question.

But at least it's not like he's being entirely unhelpful here. He was kind of hoping to find a phone right away to just show it to the other that way, but since Bigby can't spot one in the room from a cursory glance, he does turn his gaze back to the other's notebook he's still holding, opening it up and using the pencil to draw in it.

Bigby's art skills are absolutely nothing to write home about, but.. you know, it's still recognizable as a phone. One of those old ones with a rotary dial and all.

He holds out the notebook towards the other when he's done, a few moments later. ]

I doubt we'll be able to reach anyone from out here though if the TV also isn't working. [ And since he figures the other also won't know what those are, he does gesture towards the thing the other unplugged a moment ago. ] This place is probably in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.

[ A very clear, concise description, clearly. ]

I... don't know? Are magicians even supposed to have a specific look?

[Says the one who despite wearing variously colored stuff to keep himself warm, is still wearing a long tunic under the jacket and over his trousers. Erichthonios could easily pass for either a priest or a mage himself.

Still, it hardly matters as he follows the other man and studies the little drawing he obtained. This is a phone, apparently, and it's a device used to communicate in that world. Okay, he will- oh!]

I think there is one in the house I moved in, I was wondering what it was! It's not attached to anything, though and the building is quite distant.

[At least he knows what he's looking for now and may or may not start collecting them even when they're inanimate. And at least inside the house the outside noises aren't too crazy, right? His attention shifts to the television and he moves to go touch the screen, swiping on it a couple of times. Nothing, still static alternating a black screen, not that anything would happen considering he isn't using the devices remote at all in his attempt to interact with it.] I don't think they're actually working. And, well, as someone raised in the middle of nowhere? This kind of places have at least one good way to communicate with the outside world. The difficult part is finding it. Hoping that it will work, of course.

[ Bigby lets out a low sound of consideration.

He pauses after it - not for too long, but just for long enough that it's obvious he's busy thinking - and then speaks up again. ]

What do you think that 'good way' could be here?

[ He himself isn't used to it, after all. There hardly was communication in the Homelands - at least, none with him - and by the time he got to mundy civilisation, he was stuck in a big city.

Bigby has no idea how these rural areas are supposed to stay in touch with anyone. ]

Edited 2023-10-02 18:07 (UTC)

Erichthonios | FFXIV

The Aurora - OTA

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c - ghosts

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The hour of the wolf | OTA

The hour of the wolf | Locked to Levi

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It speaks