singillatim | nature offers a violence

nature offers a violence

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ruby stares right back, but if Bigby thinks there are thoughts running through her head, he is sorely mistaken. She wasn't the type that really knew how to stop, and a trip through worlds and a near death experience hadn't quite been enough to change her mind on that.]

Yeah, but as long as I get back to the community center before it snows, and we get the supplies to survive the snow it doesn't really matter, right?

[Because she could just rest through the storm, right? That made perfect sense to us.]

And yeah. Maybe I am- but it's not supposed to hit until tomorrow, right? We've still got plenty of time to go.

[And she starts to try and pull herself to her feet. There's a wince and a little groan but she does manage to pull herself up. She just looks like an old lady as she does it.]

[ She's right about that last point, at least.

On the other hand, with the way Ruby is moving right now, it might just take her until tomorrow to get back to the community centre. Maybe not literally, but it sure doesn't look like she's going to have an easy time getting back either way. Especially if she also has to haul back all that wood.

Bigby stares at all of it for a moment, and then makes a decision, letting out a sigh. ]

Alright, but don't pretend it's gonna be easy for you to get back like this. [ He can see the way your bones are creaking like a granny's, Ruby! ] Let me help you.

[ It's okay, m-maybe he can just say it that directly.. Just for once, though!! And just because no one else is around!! ]

[Ruby isn't really used to having someone fretting over her like this. Not that her team and family don't care about her wellbeing. She just had a responsibility as leader to carry the brunt of taking care of others. She wasn't used to her work affecting her like this so fast- It was a new experience.]

Ugh- Fine. But I'm not exactly going to complain about it either if that's what you're looking for. I'm proud of my work.

[She stumbles over to her pile of wood and starts to collect what she's chopped up, but she does leave a share for him to grab too.]

...And thanks. It's nice to have some help.

[She's never going to let him forget this.]

Don't mention it.

[ No.

Literally.

Don't mention it. Don't mention this ever again. Even as Bigby is actually moving to gather some of the wood into his arms. More wood than she's carrying, but to be fair, Bigby is quite a bit bigger than Ruby. It'd be weird if he was carrying less than her when he's got so much more arm estate here to use up.

At least he doesn't seem too bothered by the weight while carrying it. He's not as strong as he was back home, but Bigby is used to working hard, and used to throwing weight around. This is nothing new. ]

We're all stuck in this place with each other. And I'm not looking to make any enemies. [ Because it would be a huge pain in the ass, okay. Speaking from experience. ]

[She's going to mention it.

A lot.

He's never going to escape it. He will forever be known as Bigby the Super Helpful Guy.

Ruby watches as he gathers up the wood and she feels her smile grow despite the aches she's feeling in her arms at the moment. She starts to move along toward the community center.]

That's a good point, I really hope everyone feels the same way. I've known some people who were really bad at dropping grudges back home.

Do you uh have a lot of them back where you're from?

[ Almost without hesitation: ]

Most people hate me where I come from.

[ Maybe not such a great thing to casually drop mid-conversation, but.. on the other hand, it's also just true? It's a fact he's had his face rubbed into more than just a few times during his most recent investigation back home too.

Ruby seems weirdly spunky enough that he doubts that kind of statement is really going to bother her much though, if he's reading her right. She certainly doesn't seem like the type who'd go running for the hills after hearing it. ]

So, yeah, I sure know a lot about that.

[Oh jeez. That is a big thing to drop mid-conversation, and Ruby does look to the ground when she hears that, but only just a little. Her voice is empathetic when she speaks up again.]

Well- I think you're pretty swell and we only just met.

Some people just have bad taste. Or maybe you're just still working your way up to being your best self.

[ He glances at her sidelong.

It lingers for a moment, then he turns back to look ahead of them, making sure he doesn't bump into a tree or something similar. ]

Yeah?

[ He can't help but think about home. About Faith, about Nerissa, mere moments before he instead found himself out here in the snow all of a sudden. You're not as bad as everyone says you are.

Words that felt as befuddling then as this feels now. ]

You're awfully quick to say that to someone you've only just met.

[Wow. Awkward sideways stare much? Ruby was kind of used to these by now and she manages to shrug off the next comment pretty soundly.]

Yeah. But I figure you wouldn't have stopped by or helped me out if you were up to anything sinister and shady.

I guess it's just a feeling I have or a vibe you give off.

There's plenty of people out there who'll pretend they're helping you, just so they can actually do something bad.

[ It's something Bigby has seen often enough, and.. well, it's not like he's never employed that very same thing when he was younger, back when he had to keep eating and eating.

He's changed, though. That's why he can't help but warn people about the same thing now. Especially when they're saying something as naive - even if it's naive in a way Bigby wishes more people in the world could be, just straight up good - as Ruby is saying. ]

You always have to make sure to be careful. Especially in a place like this.

Well yeah, but...

[Ruby wasn't unfamiliar with getting one pulled over on her like that. She thinks to how Emerald, Cinder, and Mercury had infiltrated Beacon, the way Professor Lionheart had his entire kingdom deceived, the way Ironwood flipped on them. It was certainly a lot.

But a the same time she did consider how Emerald switched sides down the road.]

It doesn't mean that they're outright bad or anything. Or that they can't come around at some point either.

It just- Doesn't help if we close ourselves off, you know?

[ Please, Ruby, closing himself off has worked great for Bigby. He really enjoys living by himself in his shitty apartment with no friends whatsoever. Really the best life possible, okay!!

He's a little quiet for a moment, just walking as he considers her words. Not to adopt them on a personal level, obviously, but-- it does say a whole lot about the girl herself. ]

You've had people come back around at some point, kid?

[Wow Bigby. It sure does sound like he's got everything together and doesn't need an intervention or anything.

She keeps on marching toward the cave beside the waterfall, not thinking much of the silence until he speaks up again.

She brings a finger to her lip briefly as she considers it.]

Two people, I'd say.

Someone was definitely fully on the other side of what I was doing. She had done a whole lot of harm- And I never got the full story as to why she switched things around.

But she did-

The other was a teacher of mine- He was pretty set in his ways. For awhile he just kind of gave up on everything instead of trying to turn things around. Not way too long before I wound up here he decided to come around again.

I mean- That's the stories in a nutshell- But yeah. I can tell you more later if you want?

[ He huffs. ]

I don't need your life story, kid. [ It doesn't sound as dismissive as it could, though. Like Bigby is holding back just a little bit.

(Don't tell anyone he's a softie deep down!) ]

But it sounds like you got pretty lucky there. A whole lot of people have trouble ever changing their ways. They probably feel like they've got to stick to what they've got going on, especially if they've thrown a whole lot away for it along the way.

Edited 2024-01-03 19:24 (UTC)

[Ruby blinks at the response. It- Wasn't quite what she was expecting. But maybe it should have been.]

I was just explaining-

[It takes her a second but she realizes he's more just giving her a hard time, and she gives a little nod.]

Yeah. You might be right there. But that's kind of the point, just because they feel stuck where they are doesn't mean they actually are.

Everyone has the chance to change.

[ Bigby is quiet for a moment after that one. Just-- silent walking, no quick retorts or anything. Like he's really letting this one spin around in his mind for a moment before he replies to it. ]

And you'd give them that chance.

[ It's a statement. Not a question-- Not after everything Ruby said. It made it pretty clear how she views all of this. ]

That's a pretty rare thing. Maybe it's just personal experience, but.. I've seen a hell of a lot of people who refused that sort of thing. Where I come from, most people just believe the way things were is the way things will always be.

[Ruby let's him think this one over, staying quiet and just walking along as they enter the dank cave. It's a little dark but for the most part she can make out where they're going.]

It is- And you're not wrong. I've seen that too. But I think it would just make things worse if we didn't try to make things better.

For the people who deserve the second chance, and for those not kind enough to give it. You can't let them just win either.

So what'd you say, then?

[ Apparently he's at least willing to hear her out. Ruby's perspective on these sorts of things seems rather.. unique to him, after all. Not even in a bad way. Not necessarily.

He's just not used to it, so he has no idea what she might be about to say when he asks her this question. ]

To the people who won't give that second chance. What would you do to not let them win?

[Ruby considers how best to put this. It hadn't exactly gone well the last time she had really given it a try. But- Might as well be honest about it.]

Well- I'd stand my ground on it. I'd fight to defend the person every time I could. I'd wouldn't give up until- well if they didn't change their mind, at least had to deal with the fact that someone had a different view on how things worked.

[She rubs at the back of her head sheepishly.]

I mean- I did it back home too. Pushed back against someone who refused to stand up for the people he should have.

[ .. Ruby is too young to be saying all of this, he thinks.

And she has to be truly as young as she looks. Sure, Bigby has seen people with her sort of appearance who were way older, but.. something about the way Ruby talks about this has some sort of youthfulness in it. It's mixed with a maturity that should be beyond Ruby's years, but the youthfulness sticks out too much for Bigby to assume Ruby is anything but a mundy teenager. Or at least a teenager.

He'll have to keep an eye on her, he decides. Just to make sure this girl doesn't work herself to the bone with that mentality. So she doesn't get hurt by someone who'd hurt someone with good intentions like that.

Of course Bigby says none of this though. Please, being open about that? Not Bigby!! Not ever!! ]

.. well, good thing that all you have to stand up to here is firewood.

[ You know, since they're still carrying it. Maybe Bigby is trying to bring the conversation back to that level before he's forced to say something corny he'd rather not say.. ]

And that fight seems pretty successful.

[After letting this conversation fall into something so serious. It feels like a little bit of an awkward step to have it suddenly shift to into something so mundane.

But there was a point to what Bigby was saying that struck a real cord with Ruby. She tended to get so wrapped up in things that were out of her control, and that one person likely wouldn't be able to change on their own. But just a simple task, a simple act of kindness could be the spark to ignite change. It reminded her fondly of the conversation she had with the Blacksmith before she returned to her own world.

She glances down at the firewood, and then up to him with a smile.]

Yeah, I guess I did do pretty good, huh?

Now all it has to do is burn and keep us warm to take on whatever comes next.

[She steps in lightly to give him a nudge.]

Thanks for that, by the way.

[ N-No, Ruby!! Nooo, not the nudge... Not the light, friendly nudge..!! ]

Don't mention it.

[ No, literally.

Do not. Mention this. At all. Whatsoever. Not to him, not to anyone!! ]

I'm just making sure you're not still out there when the storm hits, that's all. [ H-Hmph!! ]

[Take that, Bigby! And there's another one like that on the way if you aren't careful!]

[She gives a little grin, because he does have a point there. Her muscles are aching and she's happy to have someone help her along.]

Pfffft. It's going to take more than a little snow to take me down. But I do appreciate it.

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Probably good to wrap it here?