pumpkinhollow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pumpkinhollow) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ph_logs2026-05-09 10:15 pm
pumpkinhollow) wrote in ph_logs2026-05-09 10:15 pm
Entry tags:
May Event - Welcome to the Jungle
May Event - Welcome to the Jungle
To Kill a Dragon
Since its discovery back in March, the fossil dig up near Ripjaw Falls has seemingly progressed without many hitches. Dr. Coldwood and Dahlia Leeds head up the project, though there are a handful of other locals who have some degree or other of expertise on the matter--- people who came to the island long before the barrier to study and learn, who had put such things behind them in favor of survival until now. You'll hear about it on the news, periodically. Voices of arcane biologists or historians or dragon aficionados or occult specialists on the radio in an interview.
"We have reason to believe that this has been here since before Marrow Isle even meaningfully existed, possibly back when this was just sheer rock face in the ocean above a section of Hepogaia---"
"---and the type of ghost activity that's been reported has been really unusual, lots of non-human entities that suggest---"
"---really is surprisingly complete, most fossilized bones usually have some pieces broken off or missing. You almost wonder what might have happened to very quickly kill off such a powerful creature, possibly even in its sleep, and----"
Some of it is rather lofty, but from the bits you pick up while listening idly to the reports, it's easy enough to get the gist.
Then, one day, the answer to the question, "what killed the dragon?" is given. And if it could do that to a dragon, imagine what it can do to you.
"We have reason to believe that this has been here since before Marrow Isle even meaningfully existed, possibly back when this was just sheer rock face in the ocean above a section of Hepogaia---"
"---and the type of ghost activity that's been reported has been really unusual, lots of non-human entities that suggest---"
"---really is surprisingly complete, most fossilized bones usually have some pieces broken off or missing. You almost wonder what might have happened to very quickly kill off such a powerful creature, possibly even in its sleep, and----"
Some of it is rather lofty, but from the bits you pick up while listening idly to the reports, it's easy enough to get the gist.
Then, one day, the answer to the question, "what killed the dragon?" is given. And if it could do that to a dragon, imagine what it can do to you.
Evacuation Procedures
Alarm bells. Just after 1pm on an otherwise idyllic Saturday, they scream out, clanging their warnings. Phone and sending stone trees spring into action, the radio quickly picking up the memo and spreading it, Bizzyboys taking to the streets, all with one message--- evacuate now. Get to the north, to the mountain. Take nothing but what you carry. Go back home for nothing, gather nothing, whatever it is, it isn't worth the risk.
Any questions about what caused this frantic fleeing must wait, taking a back seat to the evacuation itself. If you see the diggers that are coming from the excavation site, however, the way they look certainly offers a few hints. Many of them must be carried, burned skin and maimed faces and exposed bone run rampant. Some of them are missing entire limbs, but they don't look cut or torn--- the ends appear to be dissolved. Eaten, one particle at a time. Some of them look due for a hard reset, as it were. The scene is grim. It's best if you look away. Behind you, as you flee, you can see an eerie fog blooming from the direction of the dig site, hanging over the town like a foreboding blanket in a strange lilac hue.
Paradesium, the magically sustained subterranean jungle discovered some years ago, is where you are led. Determined to be an overgrown cavern once belonging to the sprawling underground nation of Hepogaia, abandoned by its original residents several decades ago and then cut off from the network of cave-highways that connect Hepogaia by the barrier, Paradesium is rife with plant and animal life not typically seen on the rest of the island. But it's also a dangerous wilderness, and scarcely travelled save for the areas very close to the main entrance at the base of Crane's Ridge. The fact that this location was deemed the safest place on the island is beyond strange, and goes a long way toward speaking to the level and spread of the danger in the open air.
Despite the best efforts of constables, public safety board members, and Bizzyboys alike, the evacuation is clumsy by virtue of its unorthodox destination and haste. Not everyone ends up in the same place, splitting off into a few groups. But once everyone's settled in, that's when the details of the situation are divulged. There in the humidity and the mud, you learn what put you there.
At the excavation site, someone's pickaxe hit a pocket in the dirt that released a long-trapped gas beneath the earth. It caused the gas to burst forth, quickly revealing its nature as corrosive, devouring several diggers in seconds and accosting many more. The volume and speed of the gas's spread was daunting enough that the call was made to go to Paradesium, which is so humid and produces so much of its own oxygen from all the plant life that even if the gas were to make it through the entry tunnels, it would have a hard time making it very deep in. This seems to have been the right call, as in spite of the circumstances, everyone seems to be able to breathe easy down here.
In the kerfuffle of getting to safety, it was hard to collect actual data about the nature of the gas or what exactly it's corrosive to. Clothing and held objects on the diggers seem wholly intact, and trees and rocks were of course not impacted, but it's not really recommended for non-organic lifeforms to try their luck, as it wouldn't be unheard of for magical properties to cause the gas to be dangerous to anything sentient. Cleverer pets and Pokémon followed their owners down into the depths without issue, but farm animals weren't so lucky--- however, rumor has it that some people saw Serranai sprinting around the farmland on her powerful satyr's legs, touching livestock animals to turn them to stone. Old fables about this happening are common on the Emerald Isles, the Mother of the Land turning its creatures into the land itself temporarily to save them from disaster. One less thing to worry about.
Which leaves you to worry about yourselves. You have nothing with you except the clothes you were already wearing, your sending stone (if you were carrying it), and anything you normally carry on your person in your day to day. It's next to nothing. There's no plan, no real leadership, no contingency plans, no guessing how long this will take or any idea how to figure out when going home will be safe. Just you, your neighbors, and the jungle.
Let the fun and games begin.
Any questions about what caused this frantic fleeing must wait, taking a back seat to the evacuation itself. If you see the diggers that are coming from the excavation site, however, the way they look certainly offers a few hints. Many of them must be carried, burned skin and maimed faces and exposed bone run rampant. Some of them are missing entire limbs, but they don't look cut or torn--- the ends appear to be dissolved. Eaten, one particle at a time. Some of them look due for a hard reset, as it were. The scene is grim. It's best if you look away. Behind you, as you flee, you can see an eerie fog blooming from the direction of the dig site, hanging over the town like a foreboding blanket in a strange lilac hue.
Paradesium, the magically sustained subterranean jungle discovered some years ago, is where you are led. Determined to be an overgrown cavern once belonging to the sprawling underground nation of Hepogaia, abandoned by its original residents several decades ago and then cut off from the network of cave-highways that connect Hepogaia by the barrier, Paradesium is rife with plant and animal life not typically seen on the rest of the island. But it's also a dangerous wilderness, and scarcely travelled save for the areas very close to the main entrance at the base of Crane's Ridge. The fact that this location was deemed the safest place on the island is beyond strange, and goes a long way toward speaking to the level and spread of the danger in the open air.
Despite the best efforts of constables, public safety board members, and Bizzyboys alike, the evacuation is clumsy by virtue of its unorthodox destination and haste. Not everyone ends up in the same place, splitting off into a few groups. But once everyone's settled in, that's when the details of the situation are divulged. There in the humidity and the mud, you learn what put you there.
At the excavation site, someone's pickaxe hit a pocket in the dirt that released a long-trapped gas beneath the earth. It caused the gas to burst forth, quickly revealing its nature as corrosive, devouring several diggers in seconds and accosting many more. The volume and speed of the gas's spread was daunting enough that the call was made to go to Paradesium, which is so humid and produces so much of its own oxygen from all the plant life that even if the gas were to make it through the entry tunnels, it would have a hard time making it very deep in. This seems to have been the right call, as in spite of the circumstances, everyone seems to be able to breathe easy down here.
In the kerfuffle of getting to safety, it was hard to collect actual data about the nature of the gas or what exactly it's corrosive to. Clothing and held objects on the diggers seem wholly intact, and trees and rocks were of course not impacted, but it's not really recommended for non-organic lifeforms to try their luck, as it wouldn't be unheard of for magical properties to cause the gas to be dangerous to anything sentient. Cleverer pets and Pokémon followed their owners down into the depths without issue, but farm animals weren't so lucky--- however, rumor has it that some people saw Serranai sprinting around the farmland on her powerful satyr's legs, touching livestock animals to turn them to stone. Old fables about this happening are common on the Emerald Isles, the Mother of the Land turning its creatures into the land itself temporarily to save them from disaster. One less thing to worry about.
Which leaves you to worry about yourselves. You have nothing with you except the clothes you were already wearing, your sending stone (if you were carrying it), and anything you normally carry on your person in your day to day. It's next to nothing. There's no plan, no real leadership, no contingency plans, no guessing how long this will take or any idea how to figure out when going home will be safe. Just you, your neighbors, and the jungle.
Let the fun and games begin.
Settlements
The haste of the evacuation and the lack of information about Paradesium made splitting up inevitable, but there was at least enough communication to ensure that groups were able to gather. Ultimately, the town ends up divided into three distinct camps for the first leg of our time in the wilderness --- one at Action Park, the inexplicable water park along the paths near the entrance of Paradesium; one in a cave, at the base of a large waterfall in Paradesium's large and thundering main river; and one deep, deep in the wilds. Where have you found yourself?
Action Park Campsite
Last summer, a mysterious, strangely modern waterpark was erected close to the entrance of Paradesium nearly overnight. Those who come from worlds where the original Action Park existed filled others in on the context--- a recreational park known for its callously blithe approach to safety, beloved by its original attendees but notorious for the abundance of injuries.
The park remains, and has remained. It only makes sense that some people remember from the year prior that the roaring water and stink of chlorine kept hostile wildlife away, and an invisible staff run a small concession stand, causing appropriate fare from their menu to appear upon command. It's nothing glamorous nor healthy---- hot dogs, french fries, pizza, soft pretzels, a small selection of cheap cocktails and off-brand soda. But it is a guaranteed food source, which is nothing to turn one's nose up at. Water park cabanas and adirondack chairs make for unorthodox but reliable shelter materials, and the pools can be used for bathing--- the park even provides its "attendees" with a free swimsuit in its locker rooms.
However, despite the abundance of water, none of it is particularly safe to drink. It's chlorinated and has been used to house many bodies over the past year, thus making it remarkably unfit for consumption, and the concession stand for some reason cannot provide water. So water is something that will have to be acquired from elsewhere.
While this camp is likely the cushiest of the three, it isn't without its problems. Notably, the fact that the waterpark itself is rickety and dangerous, and the layout is bizarre, full of raised platforms and large staircases to reach. The slides and attractions are functional, but at least one contains a vengeful spirit and most of them are good ways to get hurt. Proper drinking water is a substantial trek away, as Paradesium's main water sources are much deeper into the jungle, and while the food is guaranteed, eating it constantly is liable to make you sick. Still, it's hard to deny that creature comforts like proper bathrooms, pools for bathing, and pre-assembled accommodations make the location comparatively appealing. The lack of wildlife encounters is assuredly a selling point. Surely a bit of foraging and hunting will make up for the trouble.
The park remains, and has remained. It only makes sense that some people remember from the year prior that the roaring water and stink of chlorine kept hostile wildlife away, and an invisible staff run a small concession stand, causing appropriate fare from their menu to appear upon command. It's nothing glamorous nor healthy---- hot dogs, french fries, pizza, soft pretzels, a small selection of cheap cocktails and off-brand soda. But it is a guaranteed food source, which is nothing to turn one's nose up at. Water park cabanas and adirondack chairs make for unorthodox but reliable shelter materials, and the pools can be used for bathing--- the park even provides its "attendees" with a free swimsuit in its locker rooms.
However, despite the abundance of water, none of it is particularly safe to drink. It's chlorinated and has been used to house many bodies over the past year, thus making it remarkably unfit for consumption, and the concession stand for some reason cannot provide water. So water is something that will have to be acquired from elsewhere.
While this camp is likely the cushiest of the three, it isn't without its problems. Notably, the fact that the waterpark itself is rickety and dangerous, and the layout is bizarre, full of raised platforms and large staircases to reach. The slides and attractions are functional, but at least one contains a vengeful spirit and most of them are good ways to get hurt. Proper drinking water is a substantial trek away, as Paradesium's main water sources are much deeper into the jungle, and while the food is guaranteed, eating it constantly is liable to make you sick. Still, it's hard to deny that creature comforts like proper bathrooms, pools for bathing, and pre-assembled accommodations make the location comparatively appealing. The lack of wildlife encounters is assuredly a selling point. Surely a bit of foraging and hunting will make up for the trouble.
Waterfall Campsite
For millennia, settlers and migrants across all planets and societies have been united by one tried and true practice---- when building a settlement, do so near a source of abundant water, and you will thrive. The same mentality was present when choosing the site of this camp.
There are a number of small lakes within Paradesium, but its main water source is a wide river that cuts through the center of the cave, carving a vein of life-giving water into the heart of the jungle. Clean, drinkable water, almost crystal in some of the stiller sections, as well as plentiful river fish and rich soil at its beds that vegetation favors. To the northern end of the cavern, there is a steep and thundering waterfall with a sizable cave not too far from its base, which is the perfect place to create a small campsite.
The benefits of this site are clear--- the nearby water source means that bathing, cleaning, and drinking are a given, and the noise of the waterfall and the concealed nature of the cave mean that it's a fairly simple matter not to attract any dangerous wildlife. There's also a pre-built shelter, which means that this campsite suffers no exposure to the occasional magically-possible weather events within Paradesium, and tents can focus on privacy more than durability. There are also enough ventilation holes in the stone that it remains safe to build a fire within.
However, food access is a little trickier. There are edible plants and places to fish down-river, but that means straying a fair way from camp in an area that's quite popular with large, hostile wildlife that's also come looking to eat. Larger creatures tend to spook off easier to hunt animals, which means that hunters must go even further afield than foragers to do their work. Thankfully, the camp itself is highly defensible, even if it does take a bit of extra work to get decent lighting.
There are a number of small lakes within Paradesium, but its main water source is a wide river that cuts through the center of the cave, carving a vein of life-giving water into the heart of the jungle. Clean, drinkable water, almost crystal in some of the stiller sections, as well as plentiful river fish and rich soil at its beds that vegetation favors. To the northern end of the cavern, there is a steep and thundering waterfall with a sizable cave not too far from its base, which is the perfect place to create a small campsite.
The benefits of this site are clear--- the nearby water source means that bathing, cleaning, and drinking are a given, and the noise of the waterfall and the concealed nature of the cave mean that it's a fairly simple matter not to attract any dangerous wildlife. There's also a pre-built shelter, which means that this campsite suffers no exposure to the occasional magically-possible weather events within Paradesium, and tents can focus on privacy more than durability. There are also enough ventilation holes in the stone that it remains safe to build a fire within.
However, food access is a little trickier. There are edible plants and places to fish down-river, but that means straying a fair way from camp in an area that's quite popular with large, hostile wildlife that's also come looking to eat. Larger creatures tend to spook off easier to hunt animals, which means that hunters must go even further afield than foragers to do their work. Thankfully, the camp itself is highly defensible, even if it does take a bit of extra work to get decent lighting.
Deep Wilds Camp
The final campsite is well off any beaten path that remains, situated instead on a brand new one, forged by the island's most capable survivalists. Deep within the jungle, the location was chosen to get the group on somewhat higher, dryer, level ground a healthy distance from the mouth of the cave, eliminating any danger of fog. The mossy, soft patches of ground in the raised clearing make for decent bedding, and the nearby thicket of trees make for decent cover from any wild creatures that might make their way here. Food is fairly easy to find, some foragables growing close by and a reasonable amount of game near the perimeter if one makes a short hike. Water, as well, isn't too difficult to come by--- a nearby lake serves as an appropriate watering hole, but the camp is far enough from it that there's less chance of one of Paradesium's megafauna stumbling upon the camp by mistake.
The odds of this, however, are still not zero. And as it stands, the tree cover alone does not make the area defensible. Being exposed to open jungle on all sides beyond the thicket with no sides facing anything like a rock face, it must be protected manually by the combatants within its ranks, and because it was founded on a completely virgin patch of land, any accommodations must be built entirely from scratch. Tents, shelters, beds, cooking apparatuses, fires, fences, and more will need to be made by hand. Thankfully, some of Pumpkin Hollow's most capable are present, including the Chief Constable who spent the better part of a year surviving this very jungle, a pair of life-long wilders, and a smattering of special ops space marines. Their expertise will go a long way towards making things easier, but by no means will it make things easy. This is by far the most challenging place to camp, but for those with the chops to set it up, the effort will surely pay off.
The odds of this, however, are still not zero. And as it stands, the tree cover alone does not make the area defensible. Being exposed to open jungle on all sides beyond the thicket with no sides facing anything like a rock face, it must be protected manually by the combatants within its ranks, and because it was founded on a completely virgin patch of land, any accommodations must be built entirely from scratch. Tents, shelters, beds, cooking apparatuses, fires, fences, and more will need to be made by hand. Thankfully, some of Pumpkin Hollow's most capable are present, including the Chief Constable who spent the better part of a year surviving this very jungle, a pair of life-long wilders, and a smattering of special ops space marines. Their expertise will go a long way towards making things easier, but by no means will it make things easy. This is by far the most challenging place to camp, but for those with the chops to set it up, the effort will surely pay off.
Unified Camp (Occurs May 25th)
With many people still holding their sending stones and the potential for foragers and explorers to run into each other, it'd be next to impossible for people not to find each other eventually. In fact, it likely happens fairly early on, but the problem is less the knowing where other groups are and more the fact that none of the extant camp sites are large enough to house an entire town. Finding another one isn't impossible, but it would be a great deal of work, which only increases the more established each settlement gets. For the first two weeks or so, it is enough to send messages between camps and make the occasional delivery. Godpoke makes their home at Action Park, but they make daily rounds for deliveries between camps, clever little mail carrier that they are. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that it would be beneficial to find some way to reconnect.
Enter Esmeray, a sphinx who has made Paradesium her home well before it became a part of Marrow Isle. She guards an abandoned Stenholm, a fortress city belonging to a dwarven clan, specifically the subterranean Bedrock Dwarves that live in Hepogaia traditionally. At the center of the city is a temple to Serranai, whose sacred flame still burns in its brazier under careful watch of Esmeray. Some residents of Pumpkin Hollow already know her, but many still have yet to meet her due to how remotely she lives. Upon discovering the disaster levied against the town, she begins making repairs to the abandoned town where she can and clearing spaces for tents and shelters to be placed. Finally, toward the end of May, there is a space cleared.
The Stenholm, you discover, was once named Regnskog, and was home to a healthy population of Bedrock Dwarves who adored this place for its lush foliage and vibrant wildlife facilitated by the extremely rare Yllgara crystals embedded in the ceiling of the cave that simulate the effects of sunlight on vegetation but with a fraction of the brightness. Like most Hepogaians, they favored Serranai for her connection to the earth itself, and maintained a temple with a burning brazier whose fire was never meant to go out or be abandoned. For many decades, Esmeray maintained this tradition, standing watch by the flame, but now she travels beyond it. This might come as surprising to those who know the significance--- until they catch sight of a glass pendant around her neck which seems to carry a living, burning flame inside the round fixture, framed on both sides by flower-shaped beads of carved stone. Clearly the doing of Serranai herself, a flame to carry always with her, relieving her of the duty to the brazier.
This campsite, being in a town, features far more creature comforts than any prior campsite, though they are all constructed for much smaller individuals than the vast majority of the town. Still, paved roads and stone shelters make for much easier days, and old bedding materials can be refurbished by those capable with a needle and thread. Not to mention that the fortress walls are far more protective than anything that could have easily been built in two weeks, even if they are a bit dilapidated.
Even so, it is a ruin, and far from perfect. Getting food and water from outside sources remains a concern. Hunting and foraging are imperative skills. Someone will also need to start investigating whether or not the fog has left periodically--- surely it can't stay forever. At least you hope not. But the only way to know is to brave the mouth of the tunnel.
Enter Esmeray, a sphinx who has made Paradesium her home well before it became a part of Marrow Isle. She guards an abandoned Stenholm, a fortress city belonging to a dwarven clan, specifically the subterranean Bedrock Dwarves that live in Hepogaia traditionally. At the center of the city is a temple to Serranai, whose sacred flame still burns in its brazier under careful watch of Esmeray. Some residents of Pumpkin Hollow already know her, but many still have yet to meet her due to how remotely she lives. Upon discovering the disaster levied against the town, she begins making repairs to the abandoned town where she can and clearing spaces for tents and shelters to be placed. Finally, toward the end of May, there is a space cleared.
The Stenholm, you discover, was once named Regnskog, and was home to a healthy population of Bedrock Dwarves who adored this place for its lush foliage and vibrant wildlife facilitated by the extremely rare Yllgara crystals embedded in the ceiling of the cave that simulate the effects of sunlight on vegetation but with a fraction of the brightness. Like most Hepogaians, they favored Serranai for her connection to the earth itself, and maintained a temple with a burning brazier whose fire was never meant to go out or be abandoned. For many decades, Esmeray maintained this tradition, standing watch by the flame, but now she travels beyond it. This might come as surprising to those who know the significance--- until they catch sight of a glass pendant around her neck which seems to carry a living, burning flame inside the round fixture, framed on both sides by flower-shaped beads of carved stone. Clearly the doing of Serranai herself, a flame to carry always with her, relieving her of the duty to the brazier.
This campsite, being in a town, features far more creature comforts than any prior campsite, though they are all constructed for much smaller individuals than the vast majority of the town. Still, paved roads and stone shelters make for much easier days, and old bedding materials can be refurbished by those capable with a needle and thread. Not to mention that the fortress walls are far more protective than anything that could have easily been built in two weeks, even if they are a bit dilapidated.
Even so, it is a ruin, and far from perfect. Getting food and water from outside sources remains a concern. Hunting and foraging are imperative skills. Someone will also need to start investigating whether or not the fog has left periodically--- surely it can't stay forever. At least you hope not. But the only way to know is to brave the mouth of the tunnel.
Points of Interest
This general information about Paradesium and its structure and environment will be applicable throughout the event.
Paradesium is a massive cavern deep under Crane's Ridge. The cave is sprawling, the size of a city and then some, and full of lush vegetation both familiar and unique. Many of the plants here feature familiar tropical fruits--- this is indeed where most of the island's citrus comes from. Ferns and mushrooms are also abundant, as are other jungle trees and shrubs, river plants, and hot-weather foliage that thrives in humid climates such as palm trees, kapok, rubber trees, mahogany, gaboon, monstera, bromeliads, and more. There are even patches of thick bamboo in some areas. There are also some more fantastical plants, some of which bear unfamiliar nuts and fruits that it might be worth your time to try!
As for fauna, there are also plenty of familiar jungle faces, but the primary residents are of a more fantastical nature as well. During an earlier expedition, Dr. Coldwood and his team created a fairly comprehensive bestiary of all the unique creatures here, some of which are megafauna and not all of them are friendly. It's worth it to travel with care.
[Mod Note: Feel free to use existing creatures or "discover" new ones! Make up fantasy plants too! We'll canonize 'em. <3]
Entrance - The main mouth of the cave, located to the far Southwest corner of the cavern. A short series of tunnels which contain a multitude of evolutionary stones for Pokemon lead up and out of Paradesium.
Action Park - Located a short distance Northeast of the entrance (about a 10 minute walk on average). It is a surprisingly modern, if not somewhat slapdash, functional waterpark with working slides and a magically operated concession stand. It has a somewhat complex tiered layout with numerous pools. No lifeguards on duty.
Ventureheart River - The main central river that cuts a curve through the entire cavern, flowing in from outside the cavern through openings in the side of Crane's Ridge and exiting Paradesium through a drop off, ostensibly into a deeper underground reservoir that would appear to be where Pumpkin Hollow's wells draw from. It is incredibly clean, in no small part due to the fact that it flows over some of the magic crystals used to sustain Paradesium on its way in. There are a number of bridges, some stone and some wood and rope. They are quite old. There is a waterfall to the northern part of the cave.
Regnskog - The Dwarven Stenholm that has been abandoned for many decades, located toward the very center of Paradesium along the river. Once a small but thriving fortress city, now a ruin. Most of the stone bridges are near the citadel.
Collapsed Roadway - To the Eastern edge of the cavern, an entrance to the Underway, or the Hepogaian road network that connects the various larger caverns that make up the sprawling nation. It was collapsed when the remaining Dwarven residents moved on to prevent any monsters from following them.
Unnamed Lakes - There are a number of lakes that dot the area, most of which don't have names, either due to never getting them in the first place or those names being long forgotten. They vary in size and speckle the whole area.
Fungal Hollow - A small offshoot cave to the Southeast full of mushrooms, a common source of food for Hepogaians. It's hard to tell what's safe to eat. There is also an enormous spider that frequents the cave.
Rubiginosa's Den - To the far Northwest. The Rubiginosa, or Thorned Wyvern, is migratory, but it has a preferred den that it tends to keep close to during breeding season. The great news is that breeding season is right now, so the four of them that live down here won't be migrating too much. The bad news is that they're more hostile while breeding in the interest of protecting their eggs. Do not get too close.
The Vinewilds - An area to the central South that is difficult to traverse due to heavy cover by vines of a predatory plant that grabs whatever it senses movement from. A good place to get eaten by an overgrown pitcher plant. There's a grove of delicious looking papayas and guava on the far side of it.
The Crack in the World - On the Southeast corner of the cavern, near where the river drops off, there is a starburst-like crack in the stone that emanates a strange pale light. It has a powerful energy coming off of it. Surely sticking your hand inside is completely safe.
Skulltree - To the south of the Stenholm, there is a really weird thicket where the trees have fused together into the shape of a skull. There's an eerie glow coming from the eye sockets. Signs around it are not in Emeran (the local language you were given fluency upon arriving at Pumpkin Hollow), but they appear to be warnings. Approaching it will cause a skeletal arm-like section of tree roots to emerge from the ground and attempt to kill you, but defeating it will cause the skull to crack open and present you with an enormous fruit that looks like a brain and tastes like beef for some reason. Success!
Strange Hut - Just a little further South than the Skulltree, you can find a mysterious hut. There are never any lights on inside, but there is a smoking chimney. Does someone live here?
Create Your Own! - Add more as you like! Paradesium is a big place.
Remember all those "May rewards or upgrades" promised to TAG OR DIE! participants throughout March and April? Here's where those come in. Occasionally, in seemingly random places in Paradesium, you may come across what appears to be an abandoned campsite that once belonged to someone else.
Inside their tents or crates, you can find supplies that will help you out---- conveniently sized clothing, tools, non-perishable foods, weapons, things of that ilk. If you have multiple rewards, you can stack them to make a single item higher quality or more useful (such as upgrading a small knife to a larger utility knife to a machete) or you can separate them out into multiple objects.
I leave it to the players to decide exactly how you classify an upgrade, but please use the above example as a frame of reference and do so in good faith. I am also willing to give a little extra leeway to something if it is funny. Items are encouraged but not necessarily required to be time period appropriate.
Additionally, due to achieving the stretch goal in TAGPOCALYPSE, there will also be a large cache of interdimensional care packages located near the Crack in the World! They come with three items from your character's home world, and there is a package for each character. TAGPOCALYPSE stretch goal contributors may pick one character to give five items to. These items can be nearly anything, but should be relatively small and/or wearable and should be small and light enough that the person they belong to could carry them all back to the unified camp (a fairly long distance) without aid. They also cannot be electronics, as the modifiers to make electronic devices powered by magic must be applied deliberately by someone who knows how.
General Environment
Paradesium is a massive cavern deep under Crane's Ridge. The cave is sprawling, the size of a city and then some, and full of lush vegetation both familiar and unique. Many of the plants here feature familiar tropical fruits--- this is indeed where most of the island's citrus comes from. Ferns and mushrooms are also abundant, as are other jungle trees and shrubs, river plants, and hot-weather foliage that thrives in humid climates such as palm trees, kapok, rubber trees, mahogany, gaboon, monstera, bromeliads, and more. There are even patches of thick bamboo in some areas. There are also some more fantastical plants, some of which bear unfamiliar nuts and fruits that it might be worth your time to try!
As for fauna, there are also plenty of familiar jungle faces, but the primary residents are of a more fantastical nature as well. During an earlier expedition, Dr. Coldwood and his team created a fairly comprehensive bestiary of all the unique creatures here, some of which are megafauna and not all of them are friendly. It's worth it to travel with care.
[Mod Note: Feel free to use existing creatures or "discover" new ones! Make up fantasy plants too! We'll canonize 'em. <3]
Landmarks
Entrance - The main mouth of the cave, located to the far Southwest corner of the cavern. A short series of tunnels which contain a multitude of evolutionary stones for Pokemon lead up and out of Paradesium.
Action Park - Located a short distance Northeast of the entrance (about a 10 minute walk on average). It is a surprisingly modern, if not somewhat slapdash, functional waterpark with working slides and a magically operated concession stand. It has a somewhat complex tiered layout with numerous pools. No lifeguards on duty.
Ventureheart River - The main central river that cuts a curve through the entire cavern, flowing in from outside the cavern through openings in the side of Crane's Ridge and exiting Paradesium through a drop off, ostensibly into a deeper underground reservoir that would appear to be where Pumpkin Hollow's wells draw from. It is incredibly clean, in no small part due to the fact that it flows over some of the magic crystals used to sustain Paradesium on its way in. There are a number of bridges, some stone and some wood and rope. They are quite old. There is a waterfall to the northern part of the cave.
Regnskog - The Dwarven Stenholm that has been abandoned for many decades, located toward the very center of Paradesium along the river. Once a small but thriving fortress city, now a ruin. Most of the stone bridges are near the citadel.
Collapsed Roadway - To the Eastern edge of the cavern, an entrance to the Underway, or the Hepogaian road network that connects the various larger caverns that make up the sprawling nation. It was collapsed when the remaining Dwarven residents moved on to prevent any monsters from following them.
Unnamed Lakes - There are a number of lakes that dot the area, most of which don't have names, either due to never getting them in the first place or those names being long forgotten. They vary in size and speckle the whole area.
Fungal Hollow - A small offshoot cave to the Southeast full of mushrooms, a common source of food for Hepogaians. It's hard to tell what's safe to eat. There is also an enormous spider that frequents the cave.
Rubiginosa's Den - To the far Northwest. The Rubiginosa, or Thorned Wyvern, is migratory, but it has a preferred den that it tends to keep close to during breeding season. The great news is that breeding season is right now, so the four of them that live down here won't be migrating too much. The bad news is that they're more hostile while breeding in the interest of protecting their eggs. Do not get too close.
The Vinewilds - An area to the central South that is difficult to traverse due to heavy cover by vines of a predatory plant that grabs whatever it senses movement from. A good place to get eaten by an overgrown pitcher plant. There's a grove of delicious looking papayas and guava on the far side of it.
The Crack in the World - On the Southeast corner of the cavern, near where the river drops off, there is a starburst-like crack in the stone that emanates a strange pale light. It has a powerful energy coming off of it. Surely sticking your hand inside is completely safe.
Skulltree - To the south of the Stenholm, there is a really weird thicket where the trees have fused together into the shape of a skull. There's an eerie glow coming from the eye sockets. Signs around it are not in Emeran (the local language you were given fluency upon arriving at Pumpkin Hollow), but they appear to be warnings. Approaching it will cause a skeletal arm-like section of tree roots to emerge from the ground and attempt to kill you, but defeating it will cause the skull to crack open and present you with an enormous fruit that looks like a brain and tastes like beef for some reason. Success!
Strange Hut - Just a little further South than the Skulltree, you can find a mysterious hut. There are never any lights on inside, but there is a smoking chimney. Does someone live here?
Create Your Own! - Add more as you like! Paradesium is a big place.
Supply Caches
Remember all those "May rewards or upgrades" promised to TAG OR DIE! participants throughout March and April? Here's where those come in. Occasionally, in seemingly random places in Paradesium, you may come across what appears to be an abandoned campsite that once belonged to someone else.
Inside their tents or crates, you can find supplies that will help you out---- conveniently sized clothing, tools, non-perishable foods, weapons, things of that ilk. If you have multiple rewards, you can stack them to make a single item higher quality or more useful (such as upgrading a small knife to a larger utility knife to a machete) or you can separate them out into multiple objects.
I leave it to the players to decide exactly how you classify an upgrade, but please use the above example as a frame of reference and do so in good faith. I am also willing to give a little extra leeway to something if it is funny. Items are encouraged but not necessarily required to be time period appropriate.
Additionally, due to achieving the stretch goal in TAGPOCALYPSE, there will also be a large cache of interdimensional care packages located near the Crack in the World! They come with three items from your character's home world, and there is a package for each character. TAGPOCALYPSE stretch goal contributors may pick one character to give five items to. These items can be nearly anything, but should be relatively small and/or wearable and should be small and light enough that the person they belong to could carry them all back to the unified camp (a fairly long distance) without aid. They also cannot be electronics, as the modifiers to make electronic devices powered by magic must be applied deliberately by someone who knows how.
Return Home
At long last, the report comes in. Godpoke carries the message all throughout Regnskog and sending stones jingle throughout the camp with the good news. It's time to return home.
First thing in the morning on June 4th, you will be able to pack up anything you wish to keep and return to Pumpkin Hollow. Any animals left behind may still be stone for a few more hours before Serranai can come around to undo them, and you'll find that most things are undisturbed, but some thinner trees and swinging signs or lanterns were dissolved. It will be a few more days before research clears up that the fog would disintegrate anything that moved. Good thing you weren't here!
There isn't a lot of time to prepare for the Cucumber Festival when you return, but at least there's something to look forward to. It's been a long month.
First thing in the morning on June 4th, you will be able to pack up anything you wish to keep and return to Pumpkin Hollow. Any animals left behind may still be stone for a few more hours before Serranai can come around to undo them, and you'll find that most things are undisturbed, but some thinner trees and swinging signs or lanterns were dissolved. It will be a few more days before research clears up that the fog would disintegrate anything that moved. Good thing you weren't here!
There isn't a lot of time to prepare for the Cucumber Festival when you return, but at least there's something to look forward to. It's been a long month.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
no subject
no subject
no subject
Simon Petrikov | Adventure Time
No time to think, no time to adjust. He was barely a day or two off the boat when alarms reaped chaos in this nonsense town. I mean- really isn't THAT much nonsensical in comparison to OOO but he wasn't IN OOO! Or Vampire World or Fionaworld or ANYWHERE he probably should be! Instead jostled and dragged into the unknown and deep growths of jungle and caverns with the rest of the befuddled and chaotic masses.. It wasn't that long ago Finn himself dragged him along an adventure like this but that had.. at least more of an air of whimsy to it..
Action Park - Beginning of the Event - OTA
Simon is.. at least attempting to make himself useful. This is both an alarmingly familiar and unfamiliar setting- the concept he got, he's even been to something like this before but he wasn't fond of dressing down then OR now to go for a splash or soak in the lazy river..
You can find Simon in various places during his .. efforts to contribute here.
For some time he picks at the almost-absolutely-not-Halal options at the concession. You might find him entirely dissecting one of those hot-dogs and trying to determine what meat is used in it more than making any effort to actually eat it himself. Maybe you see him rummaging through the stand itself- trying to determine how it functions in its magical means or where it gets the mixers for the cocktails- and what exactly is supplying the drink base or fluid for ice in general.
Otherwise, a week or so in he can also be found skulking around a bit suspiciously even around the actual mechanisms and boilers of the park. Most often lingering where others have made themselves sparse with a utility toolkit he seems to have pilfered from a janitorial closet. Sometimes, when it's late and only some sparse watch is posted.. Simon has seemingly resorted to trying to break into the filters for hot tubs or sauna attractions to try and pick out parts to use for actual water filtration for drinking rather than swimming.
The Southern Caverns - Mid-Event - OTA
It truthfully doesn't take too long for his feelings of insignificance to begin mounting to a frustrating degree. It's suffocating. He shouldn't have been so reckless. He should have watched his back as much as he was trying to keep Fiona and Cake safe- he has no idea what's becoming of them now or what he'd even return to once he earns his way out.. Earns it. He has to EARN it!
It feels futile, so he does what any person a little less than sane with too much to prove does- wander out on his own.
The first place he treks about is Fungal Hollow. He spends most of his time rummaging about the mushrooms and trying to apply any degree of his past experience foraging and mushroom hunting with Betty to use- whose to say if it's all backwards here but he does at least set up a small camp to try and test out distilling and picking apart, cooking or preparing- any number of things to test on the many mushrooms about.. maybe you're drawn in by the scent.
Maybe you come across him scrambling away from a giant spider too once he's lingered too long, or hear him wailing and thrashing about in an unfortunately placed web before it returns..
The second place he ventures out too is probably even LESS safe or smart. He'll definitely be in need of a guide through The Vinewilds. He could be approaching you to get help through it without being swept up into the vines. You could also be once again helping the damsel himself once he gets entwined trying to approach the tempting patch of Papayas across the way, he certainly doesn't seem to know how to swing a machete that well himself...
He also spends a bit of time staking out the Strange Hut.. unsure if it's worth the risk approaching it but with enough cuts and scrapes he seems to finally be mustering the courage to go forth and knock.
Unified Camp - Nearly the end... - OTA
People have hope. That's more than Simon can say. Even as camps gather and congeal.. he doesn't seem all that relieved by combined effort. He's lingering on the outside. Mostly seen stumbling about at night mumbling to himself in Serbian tongue with bitterness laced on his meek voice. He doesn't talk to anyone by choice- you'd need to approach him first. He does seem to idly spend time mending when he's about in the waking hours. Both of clothes and materials for himself but he also seems to hunker down and help patch up others beds or tents and things of repair need around the unified camp without prompting. His hands have enough bandages and gauze to show his pace is less than steady now...
The Crack in the World - ...But not soon enough - Closed to Nyarlathotep
Something lit a fire in him, just barely, just enough to CARE when he hears talk of those packages found near the Crack in the World. He thought about approaching it back when he was exploring but lost his momentum before he ever did. Now? Talks of things from their worlds, things that are helpful, or at least personal to them. What has he left to gain? What does he have left to save him? What is it he needs more than anything now? or when he finally finds his way back..
Simon ventures off in the dead of night, under the cover of dark into the jungle depths too quiet to be anything but eerie and uncanny. Still... in spite of the odds he makes it there in as much of one-piece as he has left after the arduous month. Nobody else is there- so far as he's aware. His eyes are drawn even past the crates and packages- many already rummaged and dug through. People taking their pickings as they came and go far before him.
He feels his stomach turn the longer he stares into the raw energy emanating in a starburst from the deep stone crevices. "..They called you the Star." He speaks quietly without thinking. Not even realizing he was making noise as he thought to Marcy of Vampire world. How he used to resent the crown for the life it led him with her.. only to realize before death itself it was the kinder alternative.
It's ironic.
Crack in the World
"Don't worry. They're labeled. What's your name, my friend?"
no subject
Quick as he was disoriented Simon straights up and clears his throat. Keep your head cool, Simon.
Heh.
...Okay not that funny.
Simon glances around the packages, his eyes lingering a bit longer on the magical pool of light as he passes it with his gaze.
"Petrikov- Simon, Simon Petrikov. Sorry I- Eh heh... I didn't notice you there! Almost had me convinced there's a mimic hidden among all this. Would be just about my luck!" An edged laugh. He wrings his hands awkwardly. Nailing it.
"Ah- And you? I don't think I've seen you about but I'm not exactly getting my bearings too well out here.."
no subject
He scans over the packages, humming thoughtfully. "Mmm, Petrikov.... Petri--- aha, there we are." The stranger grabs a box. Wooden and crate-like, with a simple metal latch, easy enough to lift with two hands without it being too heavy. "Here you are, my good man! Bit taller than some of the others. If I didn't know better, I'd suspect it was a hat box. You didn't lose any sentimental top hats or bowlers on the journey here, did you?"
no subject
He blinks and his eyes drop to the package, his body locking up stiff and his hands folding in against himself without grabbing it just yet. His eyes fix on it as the lighthearted dialogue plays against his mind like sandpaper grit to choppy wood face.
"Glob- it'd be swell if that were the case..." He mumbles as he continues to stare it down like Neil across him was holding a bomb.
He stays frozen in place for a good moment, wringing his hands slowly as he steps a bit closer finally. Eyes peering it over like if he stared hard enough he'd x-ray through the thing to confirm his suspicions.
"..eh- might be a bit weird an ask but it's not particularly.... cold, to the touch? Is it?"
no subject
The words of that last sentence seem to seethe from him in a way that's difficult do describe, smoke-like and hypnotic. A feeling comes over him, like a boa wrapping around him once, twice, three times, slowly, almost tenderly, coiling. But Neil doesn't move. It's just that... something in his eyes has changed. And for some reason, there is the looming feeling that there are more eyes around than can be seen.
"They're gifts," he very nearly croons, so sweet and cloying in its delivery as the world tunnels around their hands. (The air feels heavy. It is difficult to breathe.) "I am certain that whatever is in this box is here because you wanted it. Because you needed it."
no subject
The eyes around him- he's felt this before hasn't he? Or he's imagined as much... A towering red obelisk with four watchful eyes he's tried so- so hard to meet once more...
This was not that. He felt like a bug pinned to a display, needle points skewering his joints and locking him still and silent staring down this box.
He wheezes faintly, trying to breathe through the suffocating sensation wracking his body. "It's not just- me..." he speaks meek and faint. Like a doe's fawn quietly crying for its mother.
"It's not about me. I'm-.. I could leave it, right? I don't- Don't need to be like that again.."
His voice trembles as he tries to talk himself out of it.
"But .. back- back home, even here there's.. people who need help. People I can't help like this. I'm.. I'm just too simple, too.." Useless. Weak. Powerless.
What an act of will, of desperation that he manages to tear his eyes to Neil's face as if praying he'd disagree and toss that box far- far away.
Enoch Gloomsmere [New Lore NPC]
There is a strange hut to the south of the Dwarven citadel. It's small, modest little place, made of dark wood and stone with a moss-covered roof that makes it blend in with the surrounding area of the jungle, vines hanging down from nearby trees to conceal it. The windows are dark, but the little stone chimney coughs up smoke steadily, and every so often you can see a shadow pass by one of the simple windows.
Runes are drawn on the ground outside--- ones you don't recognize. Effigies of bone dangle from tree limbs, looking like macabre mobiles for some gruesome child, adding a slightly intimidating air to the sight of the otherwise cozy-looking home. Knock on the door, if you wish. But tread carefully, and be respectful.
-Toll the Dead-
Not too long after the unified camp is set up, there is a stranger among your ranks.
An older man, with deep grey skin with a purple undertone. Wrinkles set deeply into his face, and twisting grey veins run through dark, muted-purple locs that are tied back into a thick bundle, looking more like a bouquet than a ponytail. A pair of tall, elvish ears stick up from either side of his head, each bearing a number of bulky silver piercings, and he wears a pair of goggles with round purple lenses that obscure his eyes. Decorative spikes poke up from the metal fittings.
Carrying a walking stick made of gnarled black wood topped with a small skull whose eye sockets are set with amethyst held in place by copper wire, he stands close to a wall, shrouded in purple robes and looking like a corpse someone propped upright. He appears displeased beyond measure, though the reason for this is unclear.
no subject
"People need you," Neil insists, as if the crown itself speaks through the man in front of Simon, all that seductive power curling and twisting its way into Neil's voice to grip Simon's heart. "You can use it to help. To get people through. To get yourself home, to the people who need you there. To get back to her. Isn't that what you want? Isn't that your purpose? What are you but what you can do for others, no?"
no subject
Was it cruel to shun that chance? Hasn't he already? What has he truly done but cause more grief? A whole world at risk in his mind that he just had to suck the magic out of to be.. this. Normal. Nothing.
He expected it to weigh heavier. Eyes back burrowing into the box he now held in trembling and bandaged grasp. He was pathetic like this, he knew that. At least as.. as Ice King he didn't have to be so conscious of that.
Simon swallows the lump in his throat as he begins to nod. Those saccharine sweet words planting their seeds through tendrils of reassurance so effectively- so efficiently.
"My.. purpose." He repeats softly as he flicks open the latch of the box and a rush of cool air and chilly fog rolls out of it like a smoke machine. He shudders and winces as he stares down at the reflection of his face.. plastered over pointed gold peaks embedded with red crystals.
A laugh, unsteady and wavering like he was trying not to cry. Trying not to break.
"That's.. all I need really. Purpose.. oh glob, I'm such a fool."
He tenderly lifts the Crown from the box and lets it clatter to the floor as he cradles this- beautifully horrible thing in his hands.
"I can fix it, I can get out of here.. fix that mess and she'll have to underst..and..."
Then something cracks in the trance, a nagging curiosity, something didn't add up.
Dazed eyes break up to look at Neil once more, brows pinch ever so slightly.
"N-Now I... I'm fairly certain I never said who I - Who I was going back to.. you said her?"
-Gentle Repose-
The forest is dark, well-fed and overwhelmingly thalergetic. Labyrinthine, if that labyrinth had been haphazardly disassembled, and made no less confusing because of it. And something is after her. This is a new normal she's seriously beginning to resent.
Harrowhark runs. She bleeds from three long scratches on her calf. She hadn't noticed it, how well it disguised itself amongst the underbrush. Then it leapt for her— flash of green, gnarled claws and leafy shoulders— a vocal pop-and-click, like the terminal congestion of her House's people. Now, it makes no secret of its pursuit— and it's fast. Faster than she can outrun. One-half crippled by the injury to her leg (and with no time to stop and attempt healing herself), and one-half crippled by her life-long neglect of PE class, Harrowhark will surely lose this race.
The house is a Godsend— so much that she swears, the minute she's safe and alone, to drop weightily to her knees and give thanks to the Kindly King. She spots runes and bones— even better. The truest protection. The pinnacle of taste. The chimney is breathing, exhaling fat gouts of smoke into the tree canopies, and that must mean someone is home. Someone will let her in. They must.
She all but smacks into the door. Her body, that first thud— her fists, the second.
"Please— someone, please— open the door!"
Aloy || Deep Wilds Camp
-With your faith, you'll trigger a landslide-
The evacuation is chaos, of course. No amount of familiarity with disaster can ever truly prepare one for the sight of a strange fog dissolving half a tree and a rush of people. But Aloy does what she can. She's strong. She can lead, she can carry. She's fast. She can run back for those who've stumbled. And when she sees the place where they're going, when the maw of the jungle yawns before her and they plunge into a strange wilderness, Aloy knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is her time.
She's no use in puzzle games, has no relevant skills to a castle or a dungeon, but this? This she can do. More than can do, she can excel. She can teach, she can keep people alive. Aloy trained her whole life for this.
When camp is made, Aloy springs into action. She looks around, and quickly ascertains that she is the youngest among them, save for literal children. This does not deter her.
"The first order of business is shelter," she announces, no fear of taking the lead. Dressed in handmade leathers and scrap metal armor, she looks like she belongs here. She's all business. "Then water and food. You can make a lean-to big enough for one or two out of fallen branches and big leaves. Use shiny leaves, they're waterproof. Those of us who are very strong should start looking for long branches, and everyone else should find leaves, as well as sharp sticks and bones that can be used for tools and weapons. If you're quick and have a good sense of direction, we could uses scouts. I'm still armed, so I can hunt for us by myself until we have more weapons. We also need someone to build a fire. Does anyone need help with figuring out what to do?"
Only once does she break from her look of determined fire, and it's to look at Rost, quietly seeking approval.
-To kill off this common sense of mine-
Hunting here is strange. There is no sun, but there's light--- crystals in the cave roof. There is wind, but it's... slight, and uncanny. And the animals here are largely unfamiliar to her, though Aloy supposes that's not too different from hunting new machines as she traveled. Follow their tracks, learn their habits. Figure out what's good to eat. Herbivores tend to be safe choices. This is a different wild, but it can be learned. Anything can.
"Anyone looking for a hunting partner?" Aloy asks at camp early one morning. "I'm also happy to help with foraging."
-Everybody sing like it's the last song you'll ever sing-
Evenings back at camp are spent near the fire, crafting arrows and weapons or tools for others. Very little downtime is taken--- there's a lot of people here, and they all need to be able to defend themselves or have the tools they need for making. You can easily find Aloy sitting on a stone seat by the campfire carving something or other, or near her own shelter field-dressing something she hunted or stringing up a pelt for tanning. Feel free to ask her to help you with anything, or bring her dinner. She keeps forgetting to take a break to eat.
-Tell me, do you feel the pressure now?-
Stay low, stay silent. Tricks learned early in life, mastered over a decade and change. Aloy's Focus never leaves her face, subtle glimmers of light from beside her eye scanning the ground for tracks, picking up signs of movement. Like every day, she is looking for food. But anything that moves catches her eye.
A purple silhouette only visible to Aloy shimmers in the distance, traced through the trees. A powerful looking creature stalks using similar methods to the huntress herself, slim and sleek-bodied with two piercing eyes and an impressive pair of tusks. Silkhide chimera, she's heard these called. Prolific hunters, best left undisturbed. Not worth a fight unless for a specific purpose.
Aloy very nearly turns about face to get some distance between herself and the chimera, choose another, less competitive hunting ground. Until her Focus traces the outline of what the creature stalks---- a human, seemingly unaware.
Bow strings taut, eyes set on the beast, she aims for the chest just as about to make a grab for its target.
Breath held. Release.
The arrow connects, burrowing deep, but not deep enough. These things have thicker skin than it looks like. "Dammit," Aloy hisses, loading another arrow. At least the kill was interrupted.
"Hey!" she shouts to whoever nearly got their head bitten off just now. "Get somewhere safe!" Ideally either back to camp, under some kind of shelter, or behind Aloy herself.
-We were born for this-
[ Wildcard! I didn't have anything specific in mind for the unified camp, but it can be similar. Additionally, Aloy can help with assembling shelters or barricades because she's a beefcake, I just didn't feel like writing a whole prompt for it! ]
Everybody sing like it's the last song you'll ever sing
"Hey, wildchild," Alex opens, light and easy, appearing at her side with meals in hand. "You've been doing all that hunting, how about you actually take in the spoils?"
Alex couldn't begin to explain the relief she felt at Aloy's presence, down here, knowing what she does of what she can do, the world she's lived in. By comparison Alex has been... struggling, to say the least, spending much of her time sequestering herself to work on necessary tasks alone as the emotional aura of the camp rises and falls.
Usually, with everyone back in for the night, she'd be over in her favoured shelter, but well. Here she is, instead.
no subject
Ravenous, Aloy wastes little time digging in, using her fingertips. "Mmm. Is this goat or okapi?"
no subject
Alex sits down beside her, getting as comfortable she can before settling her own leaf full of food securely in her lap to pick through. "This issss the Okapi, I'm pretty sure. Nothing like being stuck in a magical jungle to get you eating exotically."
Most of her pickiest eating habits died in the system, so she has little trouble with it all, at least. "Also, don't mention it. Making sure you eat something is the least I can do when you've been helping everyone else so much. We'd be way worse off already without you."
Gentle Repose
Absurdly, Anzu's clothes have not gotten ruined yet — he's in his summer linen suit, complete with matching dark blue fedora, and carrying the polished blackthorn walking-stick (silver cobra handle and all), and he strolls through the wilds of Paradesium with as much nonchalance as he can muster while feeling not-quite-here-at-all. The gravity of the predicament the town is in has not sunk in yet. He's not allowed it to sink in. If he thinks about it too hard, he'll freak out. And just in time for Shvues, too ... wrong time of year for it, he thinks. If it'd happened around Sukkes, it'd have been perfect, but alas. Expecting unnatural disasters to accommodate the Jewish calendar is clearly entirely unreasonable.
So in trying to avoid thinking about all that, he's taking a walk to try and ground himself. And because he doesn't wish to get lost, he picked the (seemingly) derelict cabin he'd seen when doing quick reconnaissance with Qingqiu earlier. But right now, as he gets closer, he can see there's smoke coming from the chimney. Huh.
Maybe it's not a cabin, he thinks. Maybe it's some kind of monster that disguises itself as a cabin and eats people who knock on the door.
... okay, that's an absurd thought. But he's getting tired — a barely visible old path through the jungle is not a sidewalk — and hell, if he dies, he'll come back after a day or so. Even if he gets et by a cabin-mimic.
He lights a cigarillo to steady his nerves, and knocks on the door. The cabin does not grow no mouth to bite his hand off, which is encouraging.
Waiting for a response, he leans on his walking stick, and fidgets with his hair. He'll have to ask someone to help him braid it or twist it later, to keep it out of harm's way, he thinks.
trigger a landslide
She waits for a pause in the ensuing discussion, then approaches. "I'm quick and good at moving quietly," she says, "but I'm not familiar with the wild, and it's clear that you are. I can scout near the camp if you can give me a good idea of what I should be looking for."
no subject
no subject
Aloy takes her spear from her back and hands it to Cassandra. "You can borrow this while you're out, in case you need to protect yourself. I can manage with just my bow. If you make a short perimeter around camp, I can use my Focus to follow your same path later."
no subject
"That sounds like a story," Alex says, leaving the opening if Aloy wants it. Hit or miss, tone wise, the kind of story that can teach you that lesson. She resists probing at her emotions too closely, but it's hard not to look. "I— think I know what you mean, though. I sort of had a lesson of my own, about what I could be doing for people, that I've tried to hold onto."
Esmeray of Mountain's Song | NPC
[ Early arrivals in the jungle ]
The spring is upon us, follow my ornate song
[ Action Park Camp ]
Settle down with me by the fire of my yearning
[ Unified Camp; Festival Night ]
You should come back home, back on your own now
[ Wildcard! ]