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

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[Rorschach knew the impression he tended to make on people. He was disconcerting at the best of the times, even for those that knew him well. It was a deliberate tactic, allowing him to have a good bit of distance between himself and anyone that might have tried to get past his walls. He could tell the other man wasn't much at ease with him there on the other side of the table, though for once Rorschach honestly didn't mean any harm.]

Never sleep at night. Spend it patrolling the town.

[And since he couldn't do that right now, Rorschach was starting to feel just a little stir-crazy being cooped up indoors. Still, he was doing his best to keep from taking it out on anyone around him. It wasn't the fault of the other Interlopers that he was stuck with them in close quarters.]

Seen you doing it too.

[The town was small enough that he'd taken note of Edward doing much as he did, walking through the town like he had a distinct purpose in mind, and had written down about the behavior in his journal. Granted, most of the time he saw the other man starting just as Rorschach was starting to head to bed, so they were on opposite schedules. That was why it had taken this long for the two of them to meet.]

[ There's a lift of his brows; despite his controlled expressions, Edward can't help but show a bit of surprise at that. But then he's nodding, mindful of his manners even through all that is quite strange to this. ....And after all, many things about his life are quite strange, as of late. ]

I try to keep an eye on things, [ he confirms, settling back into his seat a little. ] I suppose I'm used to it — patrolling. Much of my time aboard Terror was spent that way.

[ There's a faint thing that's not quite a smile to touch his face then, and the man dips his head slightly for a moment before looking back to the other — not able to make any true eye contact with him, for the odd mask upon his face, and trying to maintain his composure despite the discomfort of that fact. It is an odd thing to be seen, and not able to see in return. He's reminded of how a prey animal would feel. ]

...I haven't noticed you yet, however. Patrolling. You must keep quite hidden.

Terror? Was that a ship?

[What a name. Someone had been going through a bad day when they decided to christen a ship with that moniker.

Rorschach was pleased he hadn't been noticed by some people here. He'd only met two others who liked to travel by rooftop. If people didn't see where he was at, then he was doing his job right. Stealth had always been one of his greatest allies when it came to fighting. A small bit of the emotion entered his flat tone and the blots on his face clustered down near where his mouth was as he smiled briefly.]

Most people only look at what's right in front of them. Never look up.

[He pointed, indicating the roof of the Community Hall. He spent a majority of his time patrolling by being on the rooftops or in the trees.]

Ah— yes. The HMS Terror. She was a warship, before I served aboard her in the name of exploration and advancement. [ He gives a faint thing that's almost a smile. Terror was a strong, powerful vessel, and had been reconstructed since her wartimes, sitting at the height of scientific advancement. They had utmost confidence in her.

It is a strange loss that he will never see her again.

But Edward's pausing at that, following the man's gesture... upwards, brows lifting. Does he mean...? ]

....Are you one to haunt the rooftops, as well? [ He almost looks amused, even in his stun. So Kenway isn't the only one... ] I know another man here who takes to them quite often. I suppose it's safe up there, supposing one is agile enough to stay safe.

[ He does worry about Edward Kenway falling... but the other man moves like a cat. ]

Exploring where? [Rorschach had thought once or twice about traveling in his life but 90% of the time he'd ended up staying just in New York. He would have felt guilty going somewhere else when people there needed his protection. It was a product of his one-track obsessive mind.]

Know who you're talking about. [He'd seen Edward climbing around as if he were part-squirrel and had even talked with him when they'd been captured by the jackal figure. There was only so many people in this town who liked to be on the rooftops after all. He may have even had more skill than Rorschach himself in that area.]

Haven't fallen in years. [Rorschach said confidently. Thanks to a background in gymnastics and learning some martial arts along the way, he was able to move around with a clear amount of agility that most normal people didn't possess.]

The Arctic — Canada. Perhaps not far from here. I am not certain. [ It's a strange thing to admit, not knowing his current position, but this place is a strange mixture of being familiar and unfamiliar to what he'd known. This is not the cold beach, or the endless stretch of frozen ocean beyond it. It's... snow, further inland. He knows it's "Canada", but where exactly....? ]

...It's certainly not the Canada of my time, in any case. It was 1848 when we were given order to abandon our ships. We became trapped in the ice for some years.

[ Voicing it aloud is also strange, uncomfortable. It feels as though a stranger is speaking in his place. ]

Mr. Kenway? You know him? [ Edward offers a slight smile as the man says he hasn't fallen in years, although he manages to look a bit unsettled all the same... the thought of this odd stranger skulking around the rooftops is a bit distressing, if he's honest... but he tries to be helpful, adding on, after a moment— ]

...I suppose it's good that more than one pair of eyes are keeping an eye out for things. This place... presents dangers I could never have imagined possible.

[It was interesting to note that so many people here were from different time periods. This was the second time he'd taken note of such a thing. Was that going to become a standard question around here? 'Hello, what's your name? Are you hurt? What year did you come from?' He flipped open to a page in his journal and scribbled down a note about it. His handwriting was atrocious, perhaps even moreso considering the penmanship for someone from the 1840s.]

Must be used to the cold.

[It was colder, certainly, than the New York winters that Rorschach was used to. But he'd always had a high cold tolerance, given his unfortunate neglectful childhood, and had learned out of sheer toughness to bear it when things got miserably icy.

He nodded at the mention of Edward Kenway.]

Learned he's a pirate. Not to be trusted.

[So dictated the black-and-white morals in Rorschach's mind. Even though the assassin had done him a good turn in freeing him, it wasn't enough to erase the stain Rorschach saw upon him.]

Seen unimaginable things before. Danger just takes a different form here.

[ Edward's eyes drop down to the journal that makes an appearance, though quickly lift again, not wanting to be impolite by watching what this man is writing down. He can appreciate the gesture, however; it's wise to keep notes of things, to keep records. It's with a soft, grim line of his mouth that he nods — 'Must be used to the cold' — he is, although he can't say he feels any more resilient against it, necessarily. It's... strange to think about, that he's been cold for years now, that he doesn't know what it truly is to be warm anymore.

But then comes the next part, and Edward's visibly startled, eyes widening. What—? ]

A.... pirate? Mr. Kenway?

[ Of course he's well-familiar with the concept, although his own time is a bit past the Age Of Piracy, as it were. Still, it's certainly a thing considered a threat and a crime. And.... well, he hardly knows Edward Kenway, but he has been amiable enough, and they have helped one another more than once by now — teamed up, so to speak. ...In fact, the recent attack by wolves could've ended up in one of their deaths if they hadn't been working together.

Edward's frowning deeply, hands tense against each other as he leans forwards just a little. It's not that he doesn't believe the man's claim, but he's someone who relies on hard evidence before making judgment and action. Is this... a known fact? ]

How do you know this?

He told me.

[Rorschach said in a very matter-of-fact tone. Then he elaborated.]

Was trapped with him by some monster with a mask on. Said to confess or they would kill us. Said he was one to get free and didn't sound like he was lying.

[Rorschach had a pretty good measure for being able to detect the bullshit in people's lies after a lifetime of interrogating them. After all, not everyone he got information from was done so after breaking their fingers. Sometimes, a little more finesse was needed.

Edward hadn't sounded like he was lying and indeed had debated with Rorschach regarding the fact he'd left that part of his life behind him. The vigilante didn't believe it. In his mind, once a pirate, always a pirate.]

[ A monster..... forced confessions. All of this is... a lot, and Edward's confused, uncomfortable, horrified.

It's not enough evidence to make him so certain — but he's definitely rattled by the idea of it. If it's true, well then.... Kenway is a criminal.

He's quiet for a few long moments, brows raised, mouth opened but no words forming as he just stares down to his own gloved hands, mind churning through his own thoughts. Finally— ]

Do you have reason to believe he's.... dangerous? That he could be a danger to the people here?

[ Gossiping about a man like this makes his stomach twist, but this isn't coming from a place of personal opinion or desire to know. He is an officer, a figure of authority, and he's meant to protect the people here. He needs to know anything that others may tell him. ]

[Rorschach shifted a little in his seat and moved his hands around as well, fiddling with the pen that he used for his journal as well. It was the signs that he was thinking hard about what he wanted to say. Too often, it was difficult getting the right words out, but he felt what he had to say about Edward was important. When he did speak, the words came halting and slow.]

Someone who has killed before doesn't stop. Maybe he won't right at this moment. Might benefit him more to let people live. But killers never stop.

[Which is why if the pirate put one toe out of line, Rorschach was gunning for him with all the fury of an avenging angel.]

[ The words remind him of Hickey, and the particular horror of that situation. Of his fear and dread that the man will harm and kill again. He could never seek to condemn someone without ample evidence, but..... his heart is constantly weighted with the worry and horror of what may come.

He stays quiet for a few long moments, disturbed, uncomfortable in the face of all of this. He doesn't know how to handle it, what to do.... finds himself wishing, yet again, that he could go to the captain with this issue. But Crozier is not... capable of such things. He has been through so much. He stays distant from everyone else here, tucked away in the igloo on the border of the town.

Eventually, Edward replies, tipping his head forward in a serious nod. ]

I see. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I am grateful for others keeping an eye out on things.

[ He doesn't look happy about it, but.... it's better that he know. ]

I'll not make lightly of what you've informed me to, and I assure you that I will handle this.

Will you? How?

[Rorschach echoed, his voice full of challenge and skepticism. It wasn't a statement made just to be contrary. Rorschach knew that doing the right thing wasn't always easy and so many people chose instead to take the easy way out. He blamed society a lot for that. People kept choosing what was quick and easy instead of what was moral and hard. Thus humanity fell into corruption and degradation with no way out.

It took someone of very strong moral principles to follow through on a task that many would consider to be very unpleasant and Rorschach didn't know enough about Edward to judge whether or not he was the type of fellow who could do so.]

[ Edward tenses at the challenge, bristling a little bit with some kneejerk tension, but he keeps his shoulders squared. ]

I'll gather more evidence. Speak to Mr. Kenway myself so that I may understand the scope of this. These things must be handled with fairness and decency.

[ Edward nods, folding his gloved hands atop one another. He tries not to think about what will happen if this all proves true.... What will he do from there? He can't just lock a man up for crimes of piracy in this town where such laws may not even hold merit. Should he propose they form their own laws? Whom would he even propose such a thing to?

One step at a time. He'll talk to Kenway. ]

I won't give your name, you have my word. Nor will I speak of this to anyone else until I have assessed the situation properly. It would not do to cause any more unrest amongst the town.

[Edward reminded Rorschach of a cop in the best way possible. Some back home were corrupt and as evil as the men they went after. Those had nothing but contempt and hatred from him, for they were hypocrites, pretending to be good and just while being no better than the criminals that they arrested. At least criminals admitted they were doing bad things for their own selfish reasons.

But others he knew from experience really did believe in law, order, and justice the way they were supposed to. There was a reason he hadn't attempted to kill any of the cops who had arrested them, merely leaving a few with some quite grievous injuries. He respected what they stood for and refused to hurt them. Edward was like them. Rorschach could tell he believed in what he was saying.

Whether or not he'd have the fortitude to go through with what needed to be done when it came to the pirate was something he'd have to hold back and wait to see if he'd be able to go through with it. But for now, the vigilante was satisfied with what he heard.

He gave a brisk nod. Though it couldn't be seen, he was making eye contact with the lieutenant right then.]

Need help dealing with him, come find me. [He paused for a moment before he added a bit more on.] Tell me what happens no matter what.

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nature offers a violence

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cw: child abuse mentions

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