i was following the pack all swaddled in their coats

[singmod]

MAY 2025 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — THE SHUDDERING EARTH: Quake activity in the area, paired with decaying infrastructure, reveals a way for Interlopers to make their way to the coast.

PROMPT TWO — THE LONG ROAD: Interlopers can now embark on the long and dangerous journey to Silverpoint, and make some grim discoveries on the way.

PROMPT THREE — TRY HONESTY: A dream leads to Interlopers being a little more honest with one another, in different kinds of ways.

THE SHUDDERING EARTH

WHEN: Early May, onwards.
WHERE: Everywhere, Carter Hydrodam.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of natural disasters; earthquakes; potential avalanches; themes of exploration/survival; potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.


Seismic activity is well known within the Northern Territories. Both last year, and over the last month or so, Interlopers have felt intermittent tremors — the ground quaking beneath their feet, enough to upset some objects around homes but never quite enough to cause some serious damage. Interlopers have been fortunate, but the damage caused by these quakes have long left their scars over the years in this world: railroads and roads buckled and crumbled, bridges destroyed and tunnels and pathways caved in, cutting off access. The quakes can cause some serious damage.

Interlopers will find that out in the late evening of one otherwise calm day in May.

Animals will notice the signs of the impending quake before humans do, growing restless and agitated in the hour or so before the shaking starts.

A low tremor that makes items in homes quiver, the ground vibrating beneath your feet. It quickly grows more violent — items can be sent flying if they’re not secured. Light fixtures sway overhead, furniture will shake and topple over, dust and debris could rain down from above — some places worse than others, depending on the building.

Diving for shelter is the best thing to do, out of the way of windows and objects that can fall over. Finding something sturdy to take cover under. The shaking grows intense, especially in the Lakeside area. There is a strange and terrible churning of metal and stone, a crash, something giving way. Roars and crackles of noise.

In Lakeside, where the quake is far more intense, the sound reverberates around the area, but the sound can even be heard so far as in Milton — distant but noticeable. It comes from the direction of the Hydrodam.

The quake is fortunately short-lived and finally dies down. Interlopers will be able to come out of hiding and assess the damage and check on one another for injuries. Within Milton and Lakeside, some buildings that have never been inhabited by Interlopers and remained empty for a long time (and thus in states of disrepair) will be found severely damaged. Water pipes may burst, causing flooding in some unused buildings — ultimately rendering them now useless and uninhabitable.

Generally, it looks like large swathes of the area have come out unscathed — but there is a risk of avalanches in some of the more remote locations near to the mountains. It might take several days for Interlopers to take stock and assess properly, even check further afield.

Interlopers who choose to investigate the Hydrodam will come to find that sections of the dam itself have given way, the metal burst open and water spilling outwards and down the river towards the coast. The huge gorge which separates Lakeside and The Coast is a raging torrent. In time, these waters will eventually calm but it looks like the previously flooded sections of the dam that had meant it was completely inaccessible might be now free to explore with the fact the water had .

The Hydrodam has been in a state of disrepair for some time. Before The Flare, it barely had a skeleton crew running things. Now, with no one to maintain the dam itself following previous quake activity — it looks like this quake has been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Traversing through the dam will reveal that the lower levels are now accessible and can be entered. But Interlopers should take caution: while the lower dam is now free to explore, this section of the dam still contains freezing cold water that can reach knee deep on the average person. What’s worse is these sections are filled with debris: equipment, furniture and even random junk and industrial supplies that had been once stored there. Some are broken, and can can injury to the unsuspecting traveller.

Travelling through the dam through an Aurora would be incredibly dangerous due to damage in the building, with exposed wiring and partially flooded areas not mixing great companions. The utmost care should be taken when exploring and finding the way through, or it may spell trouble.

But what it will lead to is a way out. On the other side of the dam.

And a way out to the coast.

THE LONG ROAD

WHEN: Early May, onwards.
WHERE: Carter Hydrodam, The Coast
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of exploration/survival; potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk; corpses; dead npcs.

Coming out and down from the other side of the Hydrodam will bring Interlopers to the destroyed Connector Bridge and onto Coastal Highway — the main road that leads to Silverpoint. There are a few extra outbuildings on this side of the dam which are dry but not particularly comfortable — but it’ll make do in the face of recovering from getting through the dam itself.

But after that? The world is far more open compared to Lakeside and certainly less sheltered than Milton, meaning winds are incredibly biting and difficult to contend with whilst travelling. There is little in terms of cover, and thus Interlopers may need to really plan well in order to keep themselves alive. Hopefully Interlopers have come well prepared for the journey ahead of them.

A great deal of the landscape has been damaged by quakes, making the terrain difficult to navigate: with huge, icy ridges and gorges in the earth and roads — providing ample danger to travellers. But sticking roughly to the road means a straight-forward way down but it will take several days to walk down, given the difficulty.

There is nowhere indoors to shelter on this journey save for a single garage and gas station about half-way through the trek south. Interlopers will need to brave the outdoors, even sleeping out doors or in the shallow, sheltered caves that may be seen just off the road. Interlopers will need to huddle for warmth, keeping an eye on one another to make sure they make it through the night. The gas station will provide decent shelter and warmth, however, and even boasts a few supplies left of food, water and fuel. Some one has definitely been here, but with it being so remote, it’s no wonder it’s generally been left alone.

The reasons why will soon come to light.

On the road down, Interlopers will make grim discoveries: frozen, partially mummified remains of people, half-hidden in the snow and ice. Many of them appear poorly dressed for the journey, and look to have died from hypothermia or some other kind of cold-induced injury. Some may be found as if they had simply collapsed in the snow and died. Others may be found in small groups, huddled and slumped together — having succumbed to the cold. Suitcases and bags will be littered around with them — sometimes luggage will be left abandoned alone, as if someone just gave up carrying it.

Some Interlopers will realise: these are the remains of Milton’s original residents. The ones that made it out of Milton and Lakeside, only to die on the way to the coast. Dozens upon dozens of bodies, making you wonder if anyone ever made it out alive at all.

One long road, a graveyard.


And then, in the distance, where the ocean stretches out before your eyes: the outline of a village can be seen before the land meets the water. Civilisation? People?

As twilight falls, more curiously, a light blinks slowly on the landscape. It may be easier or hard to spot, depending on the time of day. What… is that?

Silverpoint.

TRY HONESTY

WHEN: May and into June.
WHERE: Everywhere.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of honesty/forced honesty; potential body horror.

It begins with a dream. You stand in the atrium of a large cave, lit by a large campfire — the smoke drifting out an opening in the cave’s roof above. Someone sits by the fire with their hands covering their face and as you draw closer and closer to the flames, you realise it is a woman who sits on the opposite side of the flames. For some, they will not know who this woman is but some will recognise her: Enola.

She does not speak, does not look at you. She keeps her face hidden behind her hands, almost-childlike as she sits. The light is low but it’s a pleasant, peaceful kind of ambiance — even if Enola’s actions are a little strange, almost troubling. If you listen carefully, you’re almost sure you can quietly hear crying.

Across the campfire, on your own side of it, there are three stones laid out on the floor, each of them carved with a rune of sorts. It’s hard to tell what the runes mean, exactly. They don’t appear to be in any symbolic or runic language you’ve seen before. Even if you don’t understand them, you find yourself drawn to one of these runes.

You move to kneel on the cave floor and you reach forwards. Your hand hovers over it — a strange thrum in the air, like you can feel some kind of energy of vibration coming from it. You reach for the stone, Enola doesn’t move. As you move to pick up the stone, you feel the sharp burning sting of pain—

The dream ends.

You awaken. Not the sharp snapping of sleep to waking. Just the simple, natural waking that comes when one wakes up. But you feel… different somehow.

Honest. But honest, how exactly?

It all depends which rune you picked in your dream.

HEART RUNE: Interlopers who chose this rune will find themselves more emotionally honest. How this manifests is an aura of colour that surrounds the Interloper which will reflect their current emotional state — ie. golden for happy, shades of grey for exhaustion/tiredness, pinks for romantic feelings. The aura is dynamic and can shift with colours and even have multiple colours in play, depending on the complexities of the emotions.

MIND RUNE: Interlopers who chose this rune will find themselves with an honest mind, and will feel compelled to speak it. They are honest with their words: blunt and to the point, avoiding lies or bending truths. They may even feel compelled to reveal things that have been playing on their mind for some time — choosing to clear the air, and potential dirty laundry.

FORM RUNE: Interlopers who chose this rune will find themselves physically honest. Their previous hurts and injuries will become visible on their skin. This can be previous injuries or sicknesses the Interloper has sustained over the course of their life — even if they are now long since healed. It could be a physical manifestation of emotional or mental pain in some way. Your body no longer holds it secrets, they’re now plain and open for the world to see.

FAQs

THE SHUDDERING EARTH

1. Players are free to destroy their own homes/make them uninhabitable if they wish. Please amend the Housing Spreadsheet to reflect this. Commercial/Public buildings are off limits for destruction but players can handwave any other random buildings/empty homes in Milton that have been destroyed in the quake.

2. THE HOT SPRINGS ARE OKAY. Just a little snowed in.

3. The Hydrodam (and it's hot showers) will have seen damage done to it and will require repairs/maintenance.


THE LONG ROAD

1. The Coast is now accessible to all players. Please see this page for further information.

2. Beach.....................

3. As a reminder. It takes about 24 hours to get from Milton to the Carter Hydrodam. Once out of the Dam, travel down to Silverpoint will take a number of days.

4. Three minor NPCs have been introduced! Molly, the owner of The Frozen Angler; her teenage son Jace; and Father Thomas of St Christopher's Church. There will be an opportunity to ask them questions, a top level of which can be found below!

5. Marra will not be open for interactions just yet.

TRY HONESTY

1. The durations of the effects are down to player choice, but will last at a minimum of three days or can last up to a full month or so and even continue into June.

2. The Form Rune's effects are purely cosmetic and will not actively harm the Interloper.

3. The Heart Rune's effects will only be visible to Interlopers.

4. Players can only play with one rune, they cannot choose to go with more than one.

PLOTTING POST

Comments

[meadqueen]

It is true that the Vinlanders that had lived here do not seem much like the ones in Randvi’s own world, but she is also aware of how this particular god perpetuates itself.

“Yes. We can show them what respect we’re able. Without them we may not have survived ourselves.”

[extramuralise]

This particular God is, too, especially well-known for working in mysterious ways, meaning (in Christian-speak, that is) that supposedly, everything that happens has happened for a reason; a wisdom which Irving is no longer certain he can still believe in. He still wants to, of course, lest all the pain and suffering so many of them have lived through (or else died as a result of) have been for naught, but then, what could these mysterious reasons possibly be?

In this case: maybe these brave souls died so that later they, the Interlopers, could live on. A grim thought indeed.

"Indeed," he agrees softly, removing his cap and standing at a cross section of the bodies to begin his prayers. Trying, for now, not to think about potentially having to move the bodies into piles for the fire. "We owe them very much, I'm sure."

[meadqueen]

Randvi believes that all of fate has been pre-written, woven into a tapestry by the Nornir, but also that fate can feel capricious and things can happen for seemingly no reason. Her own gods can be as petty and short-sighted as any human. These people may have died to provide aid for arriving interlopers, or because a god lost a bet.

“We do. The homes they abandoned in their escape are what has sheltered us since our arrival. This is the only way we can thank them.”

At least for her building the pyre isn't such a horrible thought.

[extramuralise]

Irving once again nods stoically in agreement, though this time it's with a somber and heavy silence, holding his officer's cap firmly against his chest in an increasingly numbing grip. He takes a long moment just to gather himself a bit more, before finally, releasing a slow and unsteady breath, he then begins making rounds to murmur a quiet, heartfelt prayer over each body.

There are, thankfully, not quite so many of them here that this takes him especially long, but still he takes his time, sprinkling leaves and soil over them one-by-one as he finishes.

[meadqueen]

Randvi works quietly on preparing the pyre site with their limited supplies. When the man finishes his prayers, she asks quietly, “What is it that your people prefer be done, if I find a body like this and I am alone? I'm still learning about your rituals.”

It has all been so strange in England.

[extramuralise]

The question gives Irving brief pause, given he'd just been pondering very similar, himself, but he does thankfully know how to answer it.

"Well, a traditional Christian burial is what is typically preferred, but in the event that can't be done, cremation is considered an acceptable alternative— fire, that is."

[meadqueen]

Randvi nods. “My people practice such rites, so that can be done. Is the prayer required to get them to where they need to go?”

If it's necessary, she can learn it.

[extramuralise]

"It isn't required, no," he begins carefully, not wanting to de-emphasize the significance of prayer even when there's a distinction to be made. "But it helps to move their souls along to wherever they belong. Deaths like these..."

Without looking too closely at them, Irving glances around at the scatter of frozen bodies littering the path again, exhaling slow and heavy.

"They're more difficult to move on from."

[meadqueen]

Randvi nods, looking around as well. “We have that belief in common. I have no interest in converting -” always best to cut these Christians off at the pass - “but I have no desire to leave these people out here to feed the ravens.”

[extramuralise]

Irving smiles in a weary, rueful manner, not much looking to convert or convince her of anything just now as it is, nor having the energy — be it physical, mental, or emotional — leftover to do so, besides. As with all other things, there is always both a time and a place for spreading God's Great Word and Message, but somehow by mass-graveside doesn't exactly feel appropriate in either case.

"Shall we... er, attempt to gather them, then, or shall we simply burn them where they lie?"

The former is perhaps more... traditional, Irving supposes, and almost certainly it would be more efficient, yet the very idea of moving that many bodies — or, quite frankly, any bodies — into piles feels infinitely more terrible to contemplate.

"I-I might recommend giving them all individual pyres, myself."

[meadqueen]

Randvi looks over the open land in front of them, a bit uneasy herself.

“These people have been here for a long time. If they have been frozen to the earth, moving them may prove to be deeply unpleasant.” And that might be describing it a bit mildly. “On the other hand, I have very little material for keeping the flames burning on hand, so if we approach this individually the bodies may not be destroyed as completely. Is that an issue?”

[extramuralise]

Irving considers this solemnly, then slowly shakes his head.

"We'll simply have to bury whatever still remains beneath a layer of soil and then hope it'll be enough to keep away any scavenging animals," he says after a bit of thought, though without much certainty. While he isn't wholly convinced that this is really much of a solution either, it's still the best he can come up with that won't involve them having to physically rearrange all the bodies. "If you feel that would be appropriate."

[meadqueen]

Randvi thinks for a moment then nods decisively.

“That is acceptable to me if it would be acceptable to your people. Once you have said your prayer, I will do my part.”

It's difficult work, but there is something heartening about being able to do this ritual with someone so different from herself.