nature offers a violence

[singmod]

NOVEMBER 2023 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — WHITEOUT: Methuselah makes an unexpected early return to Milton to warn Interlopers of an impending monster storm, and boy does it surely come.

PROMPT TWO — A CHOICE: Following the storm, sightings of a mysterious stag prompts a hunt down in the Basin and out in the Outskirts.

PROMPT THREE — REST MY WEARY BONES: While the storm causes a great deal of mess, it also uncovers some far more pleasant surprises. Hot springs.

WHITEOUT

WHEN: Early to mid-month.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: extreme weather; storms; blizzards; themes of survival; possible character cold-related injuries; possible themes of peril.


In the times that he is no longer occupying the Community Hall in the center of town to help tend to the newcomers, Methuselah is out in the wilds. Despite his growing age, he is a hardened survivor, and has been more than accustomed to life living as a nomad, out in the thickest, deepest parts of nature. Sometimes he can be encountered, sheltered in a cave or out in the woods, huddled by a warm campfire, or busying himself with his latest game catch. He seems to be always on the move, never staying for too long, and never coming into town — unless it’s to begin preparations for the latest batch of new arrivals.

To see him returning to Milton outside of these times is a curious sight, and the grim expression he carries is enough to make anyone wary. Even his voice is grave. The warmth and kindness usually found in his expression is gone, replaced with a deathly seriousness. He doesn’t speak in jest.

"I am long used to this world and its weather, even with the changing times to more bitter nights." he will say. "I have seen the years rise and fall, too many to count. Please, I beg that you hear me with this— a storm is coming. Greater than some of you may have ever known. It is in the air, and we must prepare to see it through. We do not have much time. Three days, perhaps. But no more."

He will tell anyone and everyone; encouraging the word to be spread around. He will instruct on what needs to be done, what needs to be gathered. The storm will be long and hard, and will last for some time. With that, Methuselah will begin to prepare the Community Hall as a place of refuge with a stock of food, fuel and water to get through the storm. Interlopers will be free to join Methuselah and bunker down together, or can choose to bunker down on their own in their own homes, or with others.

You have only three days.

And sure enough, the storm comes. Maybe you can notice the signs too: the sudden updraft, the slow gathering of clouds, the drop in temperature, the changes of pressure in the air.

Halfway through the third day, the storm rolls in: a ferocious snow-storm unlike anything you’ve seen before. Even with the fading amount of daylight as mid-winter approaches, the sky turns as dark as night as will stay like night for the duration. Strong howling winds batter the town, and even the sturdiest of buildings creak and groan under the weight. Trees will be felled, some buildings might not fare the storm.

Relentless snow that falls so hard it’s a complete whiteout, and will be impossible to navigate if one were to step outside. Even then, it isn’t advisable. The temperature is bitter, with a frigid windchill. Going out in this kind of storm would be a death sentence. Staying out in it for longer than a half-hour will certainly kill you.

It would be best to wait it out, to huddle around warm fires in the darkness. It may certainly be a test of patience, depending on your choice of place to stay. The storm will last a full week, a stark reminder of what you are, the words you have heard in your arrival: thrown to Mother Nature’s mercy, the Interloper in her design.

But will you persist?

A CHOICE

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards to end of month.
WHERE: Milton Basin, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: survival themes; themes of hunting; possible animal death.


After the storm passes, there’s a certain kind of hush that falls upon Milton and its surrounding areas as Interlopers are left to pick through the wake. While the temperature certainly doesn’t get that much warmer, there’s days and nights of clear, calm weather — short afternoons of weak sunshine and nights of chilly peace, the moon hung high in the starry skies. Winter is drawing ever-closer, but it’s still for a little while.

In the early evenings, before the sun sets, there’s strange sightings of a particular white stag that can be found roaming the area — particularly down in the Milton Basin. It seems quite elusive, but there’s plenty of Interlopers that have been able to capture a glimpse over the coming days. Even Methuselah himself has seen this beast before, remarking there has long been tall tales of a ghostly stag that roams the Northern Territories and is said to bring good fortune to those who manage to hunt it down.

Perhaps you’re a little low on luck. Perhaps you’re feeling lucky. You’re going to find that stag.

Hunting down the stag, however, will take a great deal of patience and time. You might find yourself waiting several hours to wait for it to appear. Building a snow shelter, or hunkering down in some old shack might be needed in order to keep warm. But if you’re patient enough, and able to withstand the cold for long enough — the beast will soon make an appearance.

In the dying light of the day, it is there. It’s unlike any deer you’ve seen before: tall and majestic, with thick, soft fur of brilliant white. It almost looks ghost-like in some angles, it’s an incredibly beautiful creature. But it seems to have also noticed you, just as you have noticed it. It doesn’t dart away, however. Instead it stands before you, waiting for you to act.

You have a choice: slay the creature, or let it go.

It will not move until you make your decision, holding your gaze until you raise your weapon or until you lower it and give up your hunt. But there is a consequence to either action: if you choose to kill the stag, you will be rewarded with a sizeable bounty of venison. Eating said meat will help you feel fuller for longer, and the meat will keep for far longer than any other deer slain.

However, if you choose to spare the stag, the creature will lower its head, as if bowing to you. Then, it will disappear with a swirling of powdered snow. When you return home for the evening and go to sleep, the next morning you will find a gift at the foot of your bed: a pair of deerskin boots, or a deerskin blanket. These boots are supple, tough and waterproof — allowing for a great balance of mobility and warmth. The blanket is incredibly toasty, and will provide a great deal of comfort in the long nights ahead.

REST MY WEARY BONES

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards indefinitely.
WHERE: Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: n/a.



The storm has blown in plenty of snow to make traversing the area much more difficult, but there’s something else of note that comes with its passing. While the storm has brought much devastation, and some places have been buried in snow drifts, plenty of snow in areas has been blown away, uncovering otherwise lost secrets within Milton. Clouds of what looks like steam can be noted not too far from town, towards the mountains of the north.

If Interlopers head to explore the clouds, they will find old trails leading up towards the mountains. It isn’t a particularly difficult journey, for once, and they will soon discover that the storm has blown away the previously blocked access to a cave. It appears that this is the right place.

The air is warm here, pleasantly so. Warm enough that hats and mittens and coats seem a little unnecessary. One might wonder if someone lives within, and that a great fire is stoked to keep the place warm. But there’s no one in sight, no sounds of life: human, animal or otherwise. If they press on, they will discover that the cave floor is well worn with footfall: plenty of people have come here before, and the reason why is soon revealed.

The air grows even warmer, and more humid. The space opening to reveal small pools of slow-flowing water, warm water. The stone houses a natural hot spring, and following the cave out the other side will lead to another space in the rock open to the air, where there are even larger pools of warm water, perfectly sized and deep enough to bathe in. It seems that this place was frequently used by the people of Milton, where their life of hardship could be forgotten for an hour or two.

The water is pleasantly hot, and incredibly inviting. After so long in the freezing cold without modern appliances and utilities, a natural hot spring sounds like an absolute luxury.

FAQs

WHITEOUT

1. Characters are free to play around with this prompt how they want. Maybe they're dumb enough to go into the cold and get injured or sick. Maybe they're stuck in the Community Hall for the week. Fights might break out as tensions run high whilst everyone's stuck together, or maybe you're actually having a nice time.

2. For those stuck in the Community Hall: there are board games and old school textbooks stored in cupboards. There is also a piano.

3. A floorplan of the Community Hall can be found here.

A CHOICE

1. .... Yes, you can pet the ghost stag.

2. Characters will get one choice only with the ghost stag, meaning they can't keep going back to find it to get extra gifts.

3. If characters can't agree on a course of action, whoever acts first will get their gift. The second character will have a chance to try again another time.

4. If both characters agree on sparing the stag, but players want different gifts (ie. one player wants the boots and one wants the blanket), characters will get the gift the player wants their character to receive.

REST MY WEARY BONES

1. The hot springs will now be a permanent fixture in the Milton Area, enjoy!

PLOTTING POST

Comments

[amo]

[ He's already expecting the answer that comes, quick and easy, but he's no less pleased for it. All the more so when Bigby says he stopped a long time ago. ]

That's good.

[ His judgement wasn't wrong then. People can change, he's been a staunch believer of that fact and it seems like he's found yet another perfect example of that walking right beside him. If anything, it only convinces Vash more.

There's a soft hum, thoughtful, as he chooses his next words with care. ]

We all have done things we regret in the past, some more terrible than others. What matters is that you made the choice to change and by the sound of it, you have. That's admirable.

[ Vash is nothing if not utterly sincere. It's there in the tone of his voice and his smile. He might be too forgiving by a lot of people's standards, but he's forgiving nonetheless. (At least of others, never himself.) ]

I won't judge you for a past in another place. You're here now and you've been kind. That's enough.

[bigbaddy]

[ Well, if there was ever a predictable answer from Vash, it'd be this. It's almost strange how Bigby expects it from him now, given how relatively low his standards are. He never expects anything from anyone. Nothing but the worst, anyway.

And yet here he is, walking next to Vash, and the other tells him that he's admirable - as laughable as that idea is - and it feels almost.. normal. Expected.

It's so damn weird. Bigby wants to shake it off entirely and yet at the same time hold onto it. ]

A whole lot of people think I didn't.

[ He has to admit to that - if not just due to that conflicting desire. ]

Guess you have the benefit of never having seen the old me. [ While many Fables back home had.

.. though even the ones that didn't still judged him similarly. This may be one of the few times where someone has decided to actually forgive him. ]

[amo]

[ Bigby has always reminded Vash of his dearly departed best friend, but in this moment there's a more personal kinship to be found. He knows all too well what it's like to be an outcast, to be viewed as a monster no matter how much he tries to do good. A past of destruction and death is not an easy thing to shake; rightfully so. But Vash, as usual, has hope in spades to share.

He hums, soft and thoughtful, before responding. ]

It can take time for people to catch on, but so long as you persist, I'm sure your actions will convince them eventually.

[ Wishful thinking on his own part, maybe, yet it's a belief he holds fast to. It always comes down to time. Time changes everything, it's inevitable. Some just have more of it than others, unfortunately. ]

Even if I had met the old you, I'd still say the same.

[ He can at least say that with full conviction. Granted, he's never been in the company of someone who's eaten people before (that he knows of), but when his best friend had been an assassin, suffice it to say he doesn't judge someone by their dark past nor has he ever been swayed from trying to persuade even those who are unrepentant about their actions — past or current. ]

[bigbaddy]

[ There's no way Bigby can believe at this point that people will truly come around on him. It's already been such a long time, and they still hold everything against him, every single day. None of them were willing to give him a chance. He wasn't even sure how he stood with even the people he felt closest to by the end.

He knows nothing he says will change Vash's mind though, so he doesn't.

Instead he just continues stepping through the snow, speaking up about something else entirely.

Or rather-- it's related. Just in a way that's a little more thematic, than anything else. ]

When we find that stag, I'm going to kill it, you know. [ There's nothing menacing in it. Not even something intimidating.

It's just an announcement. Maybe a touch of a warning.

Don't have too much faith in me.

Because he doesn't know how to handle that. ]

This is a hunt. That's the inevitable end of a hunt. And if someone is gonna have to bloody their hands, I'll do it. [ He always does, after all. Someone as soft on the inside as Vash shouldn't have to. ]

[amo]

[ It's not a surprising announcement any more than the change of topic is surprising. In a way, Vash has been expecting it and it's met with another hum from him. Not nonchalant, but acknowledging the warning for what it seemingly is. It's not that he doubts what Bigby is saying, it just doesn't change a thing. Vash is plenty prepared to keep trying to dissuade him. Especially after what Bigby says next.

It hurts how much he reminds Vash of Wolfwood sometimes — the reminder somehow both a balm and a stab to his grieving heart at the same time. So protective and willing to be the beast of burden so others won't have to carry that heavy weight...

If the fact is meant to change Vash's mind then it's doing the exact opposite. ]

Why go after that particular stag? Because of the rumors?

[ He's not so naive that he thinks they can survive by not killing animals at all, he's well-aware that it's necessary. Even if he leaves most of the hunting to his brother, it's not like he doesn't help. It's more that he feels for the stag, being hunted simply because it's rumored to bring luck; for being different.

Vash understands all too well what that's like. ]

[bigbaddy]

[ There's an affirmative hum. ]

Methuselah is just about the one thing in this place that has only provided us good stuff so far. If even he's talking about that stag, then it must mean that hunting it down is going to bring something good to the village.

[ It's not like Bigby, really. He doesn't do blind trust. Maybe that's why he puts the emphasis on what Methuselah has done for the town so far - it feels like the only lead they have to cling onto. And when Bigby knows the canned rations in town are going to run out one day, he knows he has to be prepared to always be chasing down leads to try and keep the town alive. ]

I'm not going to pass up on an opportunity like this if it's something that could keep us alive further down the line. [ Or rather-- he doesn't want to regret not having done it later on. ]

[amo]

That's true, he hasn't steered us wrong. But I don't know, it sounds like it could be superstition to me.

[ Methuselah is only human (... as far as they know) and humans are prone to believing things. Vash has grown up learning human history, knows of all the wars they waged in name of various religions and all the species they drove to extinction simply because they believed parts of them to hold mystical powers. It had made him cautious of humanity then as a child where his brother wouldn't lose his bright-eyed hopeful optimism that they could be accepted and get along with mankind until later when they were confronted with humanity's cruelty up close and personal.

Vash has chosen to believe and think better of humans now, but he still knows. That Methuselah means well is something he doesn't doubt. Just as he doesn't doubt that Bigby does, too. ]

It's kind of you to look out for everyone like that. [ He doesn't hesitate pointing that out because it is. Deal with it, Bigby. ] I just feel bad for it, y'know? Being hunted because it's different somehow.

[bigbaddy]

Are you projecting?

[ Sorry for the callout, Vash. It may partially be because Bigby really wants to escape that compliment, but it's also because Bigby can easily see through these sorts of things. Sure, he can't be 100% sure about what he's assuming here, especially with how little he knows about the other's life, but..

This feels right. Somewhere between that very specific wording and Bigby's experience as a sheriff-turned-detective-most-of-the-time. ]

Is that why you're saying all of this? [ There's no hardness to it, no accusation in the usual Bigby style.

Maybe it's just him still figuring out how Vash works. Why he's always spouting the nicest possible shit anyone could say in any given situation. Why he seemingly wants to spare anything and anyone. ]

[amo]

[ Is he really sorry though?

The abrupt direct question hits the nail on the head and it's obvious from the way Vash startles a bit: the slightest falter of his steps, the hitching of his shoulders, the brief widening of his eyes. The tell passes as quickly as it came, but given the sharpness of the astute observation itself, there's no way it was missed. So Vash laughs, sheepish and caught, heart ever on his sleeve. ]

Ahaha maybe a little?

[ Maybe a lot. But it's not a one to one comparison. Being the most wanted man on the planet is a bit different and Vash can't say that the hunt for him was entirely unjustified. Even if he never meant any harm and hasn't always been in control of his powers, there's no denying that he hasn't left devastation in his wake before. His reputation as the humanoid typhoon wasn't unfounded and people wanting him caught and detained (or dead) to prevent further disasters from happening couldn't really be faulted. Vash never blamed them for it. ]

I know what it's like to be hunted down, that's all. It's not fun!

[bigbaddy]

[ There's a slight pause on Bigby's end.

It's saying more than one might imagine, really. After all, if there's anything that's easy for Bigby to argue for, it's topics like this one. Hunting. Eating. It's his very nature, and that can't change so easily, no matter how human he looks now. Bigby is well aware of it, considering how often people back home point it out to him.

And yet he's pausing. For Vash's sake, presumably, though he'd never admit to as much. Even though he is looking for words, like he's trying to argue this a little more gently or thoughtfully than he usually would. ]

.. Isn't it how nature works, though? Out there, nothing can survive without sacrificing something else. Else everything would die.

[ They're like that too, he means. Their village could run out of supplies, especially with their numbers increasing.

Sometimes there's no choice. ]