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

Whiteout

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie would ordinarily have waited the storm out alone in his cabin, but he’s come to realize very quickly that even he isn’t especially well prepared for what sounds like a storm to rival the Blizzard of ’78, and there’s no way he’s going to be prepared on time. So he takes a hit to his pride, and he and his guitar move into the Community Hall for the week.

For the most part, he does’t cause a disturbance. He busies himself with scribbling something on a pad of paper he’s found, digging through the cabinets for interesting books and gives off the illusion he knows what he’s doing when he plinks out a few bars of Great Balls of Fire on the piano. He plays his guitar, but if you recall his little Aurora concert, this is’t quite like that. The electricity is dead again, leaving him with an unamplified guitar, and he’s polite enough to stop playing when people are preparing to sleep. This isn’t his space, and he’s willing to respect that. He will take requests, though, assuming it’s a song he knows.

After a few days, with the snow piling high outside, he hops up onto a table, cups his hands over his mouth, and shouts to the rest of the Hall. ]

Hey!

[ Sure, he could have used the stage, but he’s more likely to get attention this way, right? ]

I’m bored, you’re bored, and I know not even a quarter of you have played Dungeons and Dragons before. What better way to blow off a bit of steam than with fake swords and sorcery? So get your asses over here, and I’ll help you fill out character sheets.

[solitarysoul]

Have played...what?

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie turns towards Levi and rolls his eyes, though not unkindly. ]

Dungeons and Dragons. It’s a fantasy game. You pretend to be something you’re not and defeat something that probably doesn’t exist.

[solitarysoul]

[He shakes his head.]

Like war games or something?

[satanicpanics]

Uh…sure?

[ He drops down onto the floor, relieving the table of his dirty boots. ]

But less military strategy, more storytelling. Realism is kind of out the window, you know?

[castitas]

[ The boy looks about her own age, maybe a little bit older, but Kate hasn't approached him in the days they've been occupying the same small space together. She is like... 95% this is the same person who was blasting all that guitar the other month, and she's a little annoyed because people can't really sleep well anyways in this place without someone rocking out into the early hours. As much as it... actually is kinda cool there's someone else who plays music, here.

She's sitting on the next table down, quietly doing a little bible study to keep herself occupied — studying passages and making little notes in one of her school notebooks from home when she visibly startles at the boy hopping up on the table. She stares for a long moment with wide-eyes in some kind of stunned silence.

The first thing that comes to mind after such an offer? ]

People— people have to.... eat off that table, you know. [ It's more of a fretful thing to voice than a telling off, almost like she's not entirely sure of what his reaction might be and it a little frightened of getting him pissed off. She absolutely doesn't have it in her to tell anyone off. But like... you know... it's not considerate to stand on the tables, okay?

There's a long pause, shrinking back a little. Something about... character sheets? Okay, she's a tiny bit intrigued. So eventually she does ask: ]

... What is Dungeons and Dragons, anyway?

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie is definitely loud and wild and in your face, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s the least of him. More often than not, he’s quiet and respectful, and that’s mostly the Eddie that’s been present this week—up until this moment.

Sure, people eat off of these tables, but they’re not eating right now, and Eddie just makes the whole thing a little worse, honestly. He strides right across the tables and comes to sit down cross-legged right in front of Kate, resting his elbows on his knees and steepling his fingers like he intends to be here for awhile. ]

Fantasy game. You pretend to be something you’re not, do a bunch of shit you wouldn’t or couldn’t do in real life.

[ He grins, and there’s nothing but kindness there. ]

Or something that correlates with who you already are, just cooler. Like...you like Jesus, right? [ Like she and Jesus are besties…he gestures to her Bible. ] Do you know what a paladin is?

[castitas]

[ It would have been nice if he'd just hopped down, no harm no foul. But instead he just makes his way down and Kate's staring with wide eyes in disbelief as he pops himself down to sit in front of her, on the table. She's in a bit of a fluster for a moment, sitting up a little rigidly in her seat. What is happening right now

But his smile is a kind one, she can see that much, and she does relax a little as she sits while he explains. A fantasy game. Playing pretend, basically? ]

Um. I mean— like is not the word I'd use. [ She replies tentatively. Eddie, please. She loves Jesus. ] I have love for Him, and His teachings.

[ There's a little shake of her head at the last question. No, she doesn't know what a paladin is. ]

What is it?

[satanicpanics]

You and Jesus are pals, that’s all I need to know.

[ Eddie’s had some not-so great run-ins with religious people over the years, but that was small town Indiana—and they all scared themselves into believing Hellfire was a satanic cult which couldn’t have been farther from the truth. But he doesn’t inherently judge people like that, especially if they seem to be a bit smarter than the people back in Hawkins. He grins easily to show that he’s not being totally facetious, he’s just trying to make a point. ]

A paladin is basically like…a knight for god.

[ He grins, because he knows if anything is gonna win her over, it’s that. ]

Powerful spellcasters who crusade in the name of all that is good and orderly, technically required to be lawful good but in my games, there’s always a little wiggle room to keep things from being boring.

[ployboy]

[--it's Guitar Guy, and Tim battles with the urge to duck out and leave. It feels suffocating to be so close to the dude; it feels suffocating to be near anyone lately, but given their circumstances Tim can pretend that's perfectly normal.

He's shed his heaviest coat in that little corner of a nest he's staked out for himself. A red shirt collar peeks out from an ugly mustard-hued hoodie. Tim would like to see whose hair is more matted, his own or GG's-- but that's just plain rude.

Quiet as a mouse, as a Bat in Gotham's shadows, Tim slinks by just to reach for a book with his good hand, a small Sorry escaping him. And, before he stops himself,]

How's the homebrew coming along? There's some trinkets down behind the stage that'll work as minis.

[satanicpanics]

[ To be totally fair, Eddie tends to inhabit a great deal of space. Even when he’s not waking the entire village up with his guitar at maximum volume before dawn, his hair is big, his movements big, and his personality is big. Polite and quiet as he’s been in the Community Hall, there’s just a sort of energy that radiates off of him. [

Oh, it’s coming.

[ He hums, only lifting his gaze when Tim slinks into view, and smiles an oddly infectious smile. ]

I don’t think I’ve run into anyone else who’s played. What’s your go-to as far as characters go?

[ployboy]

[It's weird.

It's weird to want to question the smile, small talk having devolved into must-have territory years ago before dissolving from his life altogether. Living alone, working alone, always alone

Tim notes he's been doing a lot of talking because of this storm.

It's kinda tiring.

He shakes his head, small and shy. Which is also weird, because Tim's not a shy dude.]

Human... paladin. [Creative. He smirks, wry and nostalgic.] Barely ever got to take him out. You're looking at the... the forever DM.

[madginger]

[She was grateful Eddie jumped in to help The Party the way he did. He made a good impression on her in that last attempt to stop Vecna. But, then Eddie is on a table and mentions Dungeons and Dragons.]

[Right then, Max doesn't even have the energy to sarcastic (she also suspects he'll use that against her if she is), so she crosses her arms, settles back to look up at him and gives Eddie a flat:] No.

[satanicpanics]

[ He rolls his eyes, because he expected as much from Max Mayfield. If her friends couldn’t get her to come to Hellfire, even as a temporary substitute, there’s no way Eddie can do much better. ]

Hey—

[ He points right at her, like he intends to scold her or call her out for something, but he just grins. ]

You know, I know it seems like weird nerd shit when it's Mike Wheeler’s basement, but I run a classy ship here.

[ Debatably. He was running Hellfire on good graces and favors for awhile, just to set up shop in teachers' rooms after school. ]

I’m also a better DM than Mike Wheeler can ever hope to be, so, uh…what could convince you to even consider playing?

[madginger]

[ Oh, she would welcome a scolding she could bite back at, some place to shove her ire at for a hot moment, but of course, Eddie fails to give her an excuse to spit fire. Not a huge surprise. ]

[ She does get to roll her eyes at his classy ship comment, but when Eddie mentions if there's anything that could get her to consider, Max's entire demeanor changes, subtly. ]

[ Max turns to him, a spark of genuine curiosity building. ]

If you're such a better DM than Mike, then you can figure out how I can be a zoomer, right?

[aetherialshackles]

[He blinks in the other man's direction, confused by his words. He's.... definitely not even sure who Eddie is, but he definitely got his attention, distracting him from the book he was reading.

Dungeons and Dragons? Charater sheets? What? It does make him curious enough to lleave his corner, though, and after putting his belongings on the side Erich finally sits at the table where the other man is.]

So... we're supposed to play pretend since we have no current access to actual magic? That sounds like a game for kids but... pray tell what do we have to do?

[He's so going to make either a strong wizard, something he always wanted to be in his world but always failed at.]

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie strides across the table to crouch down in front of Erichthonios, beaming ear to ear. He doesn’t normally extend the D&D offer to just anyone. It’s typically reserved for the misfits and outsiders and dregs of society, but that’s kind of all of them here, isn’t it? He doesn’t think he’s met a normal person yet. ]

Some of us don’t have access to real magic either way, but if that helps you get the idea, sure.

[ He hops off the table and pulls up a chair, flipping open his pad of paper. ]

Alright, so, we’re gonna start with the absolute basics. Dwarf, Human, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, or Halfling. Pick your poison.

[aetherialshackles]

[He doeesn't seem to mind the person crouching right in front of him and stepping on the papers he was reading at all. This is a socialization moment and he is not going to say no, quite the contrary.]

Well, that's true, I suppose.

[He's part of that category even back home]

They all look rather silly... [If he had a way to know how his world will become, he'd see the similarities with the races of his Star, but no... right now he just knows he's a weird mix of an elf with human ears, so...]

I pick this funny looking guy here. The Dwarf. Now what am I supposed to do?

[jackdawvision]

[A pause, before Edward gets up from his solitaire game and comes over.]

...it's funny, I know all of those words, but you've somehow put them together in a way that makes no real sense to me. What the devil do you mean, Dungeons and Dragons?

[satanicpanics]

I mean, the devil’s in there too, depending on the campaign.

[ He grins like a jackal, and hops off the table to speak to his fellow Edward on common ground. ]

It’s a game. You make a character—could be based on you, could be something else entirely. Good, evil, neutral, whatever you want. Sometimes there’s dungeons, sometimes there’s dragons. It’s basically oral storytelling, with a few rules.

[jackdawvision]

[Dungeons this Edward knows a little too well. Dragons? The only dragon he knows is the one his mother used to tell him about, the lizard what got vanquished by St. George.

But he knows storytelling, and that's what he catches on:] Like telling stories around a bonfire? Aye, I've done that. What are the rules of this storytelling game, then?

[fidior]

[ It's rare that Edward actually sits down; his time spent holed up through the storm in the Community Center mostly consists of Doing Patrols, Guarding the Food Stores down in the basement, and otherwise Looking Fretful. But even the diligent Lieutenant Little has to take a breather sometime....

He's sitting at one of the tables with a mug of coffee held between gloved palms, perpetually clad in his uniform as always, taking slow sips of the drink to warm his bones and give him a needed boost of energy so he can resume his Tasks, when the young man jumps right up onto a table and makes some sort of announcement.

Edward recognises.... most of those terms, but all together is.... strange. But, well, he can be sociable sometimes! He's not always a sad wreck of nerves. So after a few moments he gets up and makes his way over to where Eddie is, sliding into a seat closer to his position and setting his coffee down. ]

You're speaking of a... game? [ A pause, and he gives his eyebrows a lift. By now, he's pretty familiar with Eddie's nature... ] ...Is it safe?

[satanicpanics]

Yeah, it’s safe. I mean, I did have a couple guys end up lobbing dice at one another once, but that’s the most violent I’ve seen a game get. It’s not a physical game. There’s a reason the guys who play it are labeled “nerds”.

[ Which will probably mean nothing to his fellow Edward, but he’s trying here. Eddie snorts all the same, grinning. ]

Think of it more like storytelling. With a couple rules.

[fidior]

[ He definitely doesn't know what "nerds" really means, but it's clear from the context provided here that it's not associated with violence.... so they must be a more peaceful category of people. ]

Is that what you're known as? In your world. A "nerd."

[ He doesn't say it in any sort of teasing tone; no, Edward's only earnest, sincerely curious as he asks the younger man. But a game of storytelling... sounds like it could be quite nice, actually. He'd enjoyed a nice book from the ship's library back when he'd allow himself time to sit down and actually read it. ]

Rules for storytelling? How does that work?

[moralabsolutism]

[Alright, so the idiot who'd been playing the guitar had a point about being bored. But Rorschach wasn't quite sure what he was talking about. Look, he was woefully out of touch with what the youth participated in for fun these days. Still, he was curious as to what was going on, so over he went.]

What is this?

[Blunt, straight, and to the point as Rorschach usually was.]