September Plotting/Event Post

[monstertruckers]

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Hello Drifters, and welcome to the Badlands! Harsh temperatures, sandy deserts, and towering red rocks make up this section of the trip… Along with the odd structure fused into the rocks. For whatever reason, the Moon Warps have caused various libraries and data bases to become part of the canyons.

Drifters can examine these data bases to learn various things about the world of Revan; history of the world, hunting logs from the Steel Wardens, how to tune up machines or modify the Convoy, etc. Sometimes these books offer a clarifying touch which can restore a Drifter’s mental state. But there are also hazards in the library, in the form of Husk monsters, and even the potential for other books to transform Drifters into monsters.

This includes our Event Monster for this month, the Sphinx. We will also be giving special attention to Manticore as well! Both these monsters are closely linked to guardianship, knowledge, and protecting places. In some cases, the libraries almost want to keep the transformed Drifters here, acting as protectors.

There are also rampant storms sweeping through the canyon, though bold Drifters can modify their vehicles to catch the lightning and use it to power the Convoy. This means no more powering down the electronics, and the machines can run all night!

There is an extra hazard with the canyon; the rocks can sing and reflect various sounds back on Drifters, once again from their pasts. This can renew the Haunting Echo from last month. But there’s a price to all this, as this time Drifters are susceptible to a Dark Echo. (Particularly if they have been out exposed to thunder storms!) This can potentially overload a Drifter’s mind and cause them to develop amnesia. There are two outcomes to this:
Reset: wipes memories back to the Drifter’s original canon point, with no recall of the game events they’ve taken part in.
Blank Slate: makes Drifters believe they’ve ALWAYS been a monster, and their traits have always been a part of them; or that it’s natural for them to be manifesting.
These effects can wear off through magic, cleansing touch, restorative waters, or the passage of time… Though the later will take an extra month to wear off.

Finally, Drifters can find a Desert Oasis at the bottom of the canyon with restoring waters. These waters can either revert a transformation, heal injuries, or restore a Drifter’s mind… But it’s advised to fill up quickly, given the cactuars swarming the area.

For our TDM this month, new arrivals will be dealing with extreme temperatures up on top of the mesas and canyons, as well as the Event Monsters… And swarms of unfriendly Husk Monsters! We’ll also be posting an EMP once the second Saturday of the month rolls around!

And that is our route planned for the month! We hope you enjoy this event, and feel free to plan in the comments below!

Comments

EVENT FAQ

[monstertruckers]

Questions regarding this month's event? Post them here!

[solitarysoul]

Is it just non-fiction/in world lore stuff in the libraries?

[monstertruckers]

There are occasional fictional stories folded in there! They take a tone similar to fairy tales and myths, and all seem to be sourced from "the dawn impact" and tell stories about fledgling kingdoms, rulers, and making pacts with primal forces and strange creatures arising from them.

[facethefacts]

any non-fiction that's not lore centric? philosophical texts or textbooks of any kind? learning material that's not history, basically.

[monstertruckers]

There are a surprising number of car maintenance books in the shelves, and some standard text books that you would expect to find from colleges or in standard libraries.

[faceguy]

are any of the fictional books comics?

[monstertruckers]

There is a series called "The Blades" detailing the exploits of a group of monster hunters. They are extremely pulpy and sometimes feel almost borderline preachy/propaganda-ish. (A little similar to the stuff in the Autodale short "Friendly Shadow.") There is also a comic book series about monster heroes, though made on radically different paper stock that suggests an underground/indie run.

...There is also one extremely spicy monster romance comic. It has been carefully filed away and stamped "ADULTS ONLY."

[hexrot]

in regards to blank slating a character to having them believe they've always been a monster— would they forget their canon memories in the process/believe that only their time in the game/before that has always been their canon or not? are we given some liberty in adjusting canon memories, if that can be the case?

[monstertruckers]

You are given utmost liberty in adjusting canon memories, and you may apply this memory wipe to either their canon, or believing that they are a native of this world.

[taediosum]

for the Check Out prompt, would it be possible for drifters to either find old library cards among the ruins, or maybe even fool the defenses with some kind of stand-in? (i have to be honest this was the first thing i thought of)

[monstertruckers]

This also came up on the game plurk, so I'll expand on that real quick:

If it occurs to a Drifter to do create a spoof/stand-in card out of the stationary in the library, yes they can fill out a card and the weird powers haunting the library recognize it as such.

[solitarysoul]

does the increased body temperature that comes with the infernal fire resistance trait alter the effects of the heat this month? would someone with that find it less of an issue or would they overheat faster?

[monstertruckers]

Someone with a fire resistance trait would have an easier time with the heat!

[undyingcrow]

Would Drifters be able to find more thorough documentation regarding the moon's fracture and the world's decline? Additionally, would there be anything related to the summoning ritual or the sigils?

[monstertruckers]

There is a document that seems to be hinting at such, however its pages and recordings have been badly damaged, so this much is legible:

"This is the history of our world, as best as we know. Taken from the records of the Wardens and the prayers of the Tears, pieced together. I fear we will be hunted by both factions soon enough, so I record this scripture, copy it to page and data, and hope it survives whatever is to come. The cries outside grow louder, both the mourning and the terror. This is what led to this point.

In the beginning was a still void and two forces, more magic than physical, orbiting each other, and drawing closer together with each century. Until at last they crashed together. In the aftermath, our world was formed, ringed with wild and chaotic remnants of magic. We call this the Dawn Impact.

It was also at the dawn of civilization. We were born from the chaos and the sparks; the visions of the moon grants us that knowledge. We were forged from motes of magic with spells of our own, refined through the centuries… though as this happened, chaos bled into our forms. The Wardens claim that the monsters are a blight on our bloodlines. A curse or a corruption. The Silver Tears claims the monsters are a blessing of a deity they call the Creator.

As near as we can tell, the truth is between; rather, the monsters were a safeguard against the stasis, and stillness the world was sparked from. They are shards from the first collision, a power that has been alongside us since the beginning. Each monster embodies and Aspect of the world, to guard against the original Stasis we sprung up from."

If there is anything related to the summoning ritual or sigils, it has been torn from the pages and/or burned. One or two of the books in the library (mostly related to cars, of all things) has had sigils characters have encountered prior scrawled in the margins, along with whatever Aspect they are associated with; all things that have been discovered and recorded before, but have more evidence stacking up.

[undyingcrow]

Is there any additional information about stasis itself?

[monstertruckers]

A couple blurbs about it being some sort of ominous scary thing that happens to people in assorted stories. Usually treated as a tragedy or a punishment, though it's clear this is tinged by the views of whoever is writing the tale.

[bufudine]

When it comes to the Steel Wardens' hunting logs, when they describe the monsters they hunt, do any of the entries include monsters that have traits from multiple monster types (like the player characters)? Or do the hunted monsters only exhibit traits within their monster type?

[monstertruckers]

The monsters only exhibit traits within their monster type!

[undyingcrow]

Is there any information on the "Midnight Impact" in the library?

[monstertruckers]

Just one scrap of information, the pages damaged and/or the data corrupted, so fragments are all that is legible:

The Silver Tears tried to correct this, but became greater zealots… Until finally they decided to take drastic measures and [...]

This was the Midnight Impact.

[...] Instead, they released all the curses that still needed to be purified. A wave of stasis now [...] must flee to the last city, Nirvana.

[undyingcrow]

Akechi will be all over that lore. Give him the history. Give him the knowledge.

He may need someone to pull him back, lest he get too fixated on nerding out.

I'm also thinking I'll be giving him some Sphinx traits in his secondary monster form (the nekomata), so he'll have to deal with wings regardless of which monster form he takes. I am tempted to give him pride mentality for funsies, too.

[solitarysoul]

Levi will pull him back and/or stand guard while akechi nerds out!

[propatriamori]

Edward is going to be so mad; libraries and books everywhere, and here he is, unable to read any of them. That said, he'll be happy to scramble around and fetch books from high places if anyone asks him.

In the meantime, he'll be suffering in the heat and dealing with his new monster form, the Spider Butt(tm). Fortunately, he'll be able to shift in and out of this one. He'll also start making silk, so if anyone needs silk for anything, he's your guy.

[purplexing]

He can experience this boy geeking out at libraries.

...please don't tell him about where that silk is coming from.

[propatriamori]

C'mon, Donnie's a smart kid; he's going to figure out exactly where that silk is coming from.

[purplexing]

Yeah but that doesn't mean he wants to hear it!!

[propatriamori]

Don't worry, bodily functions are not polite conversations so Edward is going to very pointedly NEVER bring it up.

It's all fair game if anyone interrupts him making a web, though.

[purplexing]

LoooL

Donnie's had previous experience back home with a mutant jorogumo but she spit the web....not that that was an experience he enjoyed either.

[propatriamori]

Edward solemnly promises to only use his webs for good and not evil. So no spitting them at his friends haha

[purplexing]

Much appreciated.

[hauntcursed]

Andrew might be a bit cranky with the desert heat, but also! Libraries! He might poke around a little for information and lore, but cautiously. Also maybe some transformation or husk shenans.

I also want to do something with the singing rocks/reflecting things from his past, but maybe just something nostalgic and/or bittersweet. I'm thinking I might tie in the manifestation of his fire breath with this, which will absolutely be triggered by emotions until he figures out how to control it.

I'm unsure if I'm going to do anything with the temporary memloss, but I'm mulling things over. Not going to do anything with memloss, but might still do something with the oasis, especially if Andrew ends up with some temp event monster stuff.

[phantomshow]

since i failed to do things last month imma shove ren at andrew this month. maybe lore collecting?

[hauntcursed]

That sounds good! Andrew always needs a lore collecting buddy. And he really does want to try to find helpful information, and he'd appreciate some company even if he's a lil awkward.

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph's still pretty new to the game so forgetting events is kind of out in regards to him. Could bring up more Echo stuff I suppose, since that's what was mainly affected him, but man he is going to hate the heat.

The libraries might be the best bet for him getting into trouble - he's the shield type of character so he could definitely get sucked into wanting to stick around one of the libraries to protect it. Maybe get annoying about removing books.

I'm slowburning his Demon traits but having him just accept it for what it is (maybe one or two of them start to activate this time) might be fun! He still doesn't know what he's turning into so might consider the event traits to mess with him.

[solitarysoul]

Levi's not that interested in non-fiction or fairy tales, so he's not going to be very interested in the library but he will be more than willing to stand guard while anyone searches them and reads things. He may actually become interested in some of the books if people mention what's in them.

I think I am going to have him think he's always been a monster, so that means he might be running around in doggy form! And having a breakdown after remembering this is in fact weird and new and not right, but don't worry about it.