Priority Log - Part 1

[locomodo]

Log 02 Priority (Part I)
The Mine Car

As characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new message…

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> OVERRIDE: TUTORIAL MODE DEACTIVATED.
> OBJECTIVE:

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NAME: The Mine Car
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT: Gothic era
DANGER LEVEL: High
GENERAL STINKINESS: High
COMMON DENIZENS: Humans, ornithrops, bearkin
CUISINE: Peasant gruel, bird seed

There is no sender. Or objective?

But that's fine, probably! The car itself is completely functional, and features a fully developed society.

Passengers will arrive in this car and be immediately greeted by a fog that chills them to their core. The car around them is vast, and yet deathly silent. They'll find themselves starting off in a forest of petrified wood, the ground hard and unyielding underneath their feet, with flora and fauna in various stages of decay around them. While the fog around them is thick, the lights of a nearby village can still be seen from a distance, and as they travel, the dirt road will give way to cobblestone.

Eventually they'll be greeted with a signpost, welcoming them to the town of MINECRAFTIA.




While Minecraftia's denizens are harrowed and distressed, they're quick to warn the passengers traveling through of the ailment, a mysterious illness that is plaguing their town. It's been leaving even healthy youths bedridden, and while the town mayor has passionately declared that he will find a solution, it appears that there's no cure in sight.

Locations

Minecraftia is a foreboding little town, even in the daylight, with murky skies above and fog blanketing the roads. Still, the denizens persist through their daily routines, and won't stop the passengers from exploring.

Clinic: The town's only clinic with the town's only doctor. It's a small, rickety building that operates all hours of the day. Between the rapid spread of sickness and the steady depletion of supplies, it's a grim place to be nowadays. Anyone healthy who visits might be roped in to help, and those who look ill will be quarantined with an uncomfortable bedroll and thin blanket.

Cemetery: Located on the outskirts of town, the cemetery is home to dead bodies, even deader earth, and a deadpan gravekeeper. The exit door is here in a flower-covered plot, but cannot be opened.

Chicken House: A barnyard building home to the town's chickens. Lately they've been more worked up than usual, and taken to flying the coop and finding refuge by digging their claws into the scalps of bystanders. Agitating one chicken may cause a whole flock to descend on you!

The Dark Woods: The village is surrounded by what was once lush woods, but the trees now stand dark and eerie, an unusually thick fog rolling between them. While there are some of the usual, woodland creatures chirruping in the dense silence, they're hard to find. Monsters, meanwhile, are much more common.

The Mines: In the heart of the woods are entrances to the town's expansive system of mines. Stepping inside shows that the dirt and stone is laced with beautiful gems and minerals, but passengers will be shooed away by miners if they try to explore any deeper. It seems there's several dangerous mine shafts underfoot, as well as past attacks by what seems to be mole monsters.

Mayor's Mansion: The largest building in Minecraftia, situated on a hill. While Mayor Chadsef's staff welcomes guests, they will be cautioned not to explore past the lobby, which just smells a little like cleaning chemicals thanks to a diligent maid crew.

Denizens

Players may use denizens as convenient in threads, as well as these NPCs, except for the Mayor. He's a very busy man!

Madam Vermeer: The Madam is a human extremely afraid that she'll die before seeing her son marry. Which means that she is hunting the streets for eligible men and women, and whisking them in droves away into her mansion to be made over, trained in the art of serving, etc. before presenting them to her son.

Cassy Cassatt: Cassy is an ornithrop and the owner of the chicken house. She's shorthanded nowadays, but business-savvy enough to prey on considerate bystanders. She'll rope anyone she sees into helping out, whether it's collecting eggs, feeding or breeding.

Turner: Turner is a bearkin, and one of the nurses at the clinic. He's taken to drinking his weight in mead whenever he's off the clock, and it's not uncommon for his body to be seen unconscious on the road. He'll try to flee or swat blindly if anyone tries to help him, but he really does need help getting home.

Chadsef: The mayor of Minecraftia, who is notably wealthier than the rest of the citizens. He's young and inexperienced, but carries a Birds of Economics degree, and is determined to bring jobs to the town. He'll just need to make sure people are alive to do them first!

Other

The longer that passengers remain in the car, the more they'll learn, and soon they'll realize the following:

1. They are not immune to the illness. They can't determine what it is that triggers it. At first it's a sense of fatigue, then hunger and irritability. Then, the numbness will begin, starting in their extremities and spreading up their limbs, until that numbness turns into pain. Eventually that pain will lead to madness, a state of delirium where they begin to behave erratically, endangering themselves and those around them.
   
   
2. There is something in the woods. Though the passengers saw nothing when they arrived in the woods, at night they can hear growling. Venturing outside will reveal grotesque creatures emerging from the fog, rampaging into the town and tearing flesh and stone with their massive claws. These creatures appear rabid, familiar but warped, and they swarm the town with no regard for their own safety or benefit. Examples: (1) (2) (3) (4)
   
   
3. Corpses are disappearing. Despite deaths, the cemetery isn't seeing any more business. Rumour has it that a certain wealthy denizen has been paying to have the corpses taken away. But to where, and why, remains unknown…

Numbers

Numbers! Everyone starts with one that glows on their bodies — as a fun thread mechanic, we suggest they're somewhere visible, but it's up to you!



Because while this is not IC knowledge yet, numbers are determined by how troubled your character is. This may be based on their past actions and crimes, but also alienating habits, regrets, personality flaws, trauma, etc — a higher number does not necessarily mean they're a bad person, but it may signify a difficult time in their life, or substantial personal issues.

As passengers enter this car, they'll notice that their numbers may begin to change in response to certain actions and decisions. The general rule is that numbers change as characters work through their issues. If they make a decision that serves to better themselves, their number will decrease. But if they make a decision that is ill-intentioned, their number will increase. Players can change their number as they see fit going forward.

OOC Notes

Exploration: Players may submit on-going threads here to get a short mod tag with further discoveries in any given location. Characters can potentially earn items or clues as to the car's objective this way. Please limit your explorations to one per player; we will let you all know if we have the capacity to do more!

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Comments

Nanu | Pokemon

[kahunanu]

✦¹ Intro | but the cat came back the very next day
[ Might not be first time Nanu woke up in a graveyard, but would be the first time he woke up in one without Acerola peering over his head and interrupting his nap, someone who'd drag him to graveyards just for fun. No Acerola here, no sunny Alolan sky behind her. No, this place was dark and deary, contrasted only by the conspicuous amount of white gardenias under him. Come to think of it she'd probably like it for that too, but the unease of unfamiliarity creeps up the back of his neck like a cold chill. ]

...Acerola? [ He tiredly mutters as he rises from the stone slab he was resting on. No answer. He tries again, louder and firmer. ] Acerola. [ Nothing. No, not Alola at all. Quick personal assessment; no cuts or bruises but a minor lapse in memory between here and before. He was on a train and... now this. He checks his pockets--all his Pokeballs were gone except for one... but in addition he feels something else. A phone? It's a phone. He peaks down his shirt--Darkinium's still there but there's three faintly red glowing numbers on his chest right below where it hangs from his neck, illuminating the dark crystal. 418. They don't hurt but they don't belong there, for sure. Not his triple digits. ]

Cripes. [ His back hits the tombstone again, already exhausted by these discoveries. Instead he scowls at the dark sky for several long moments as if whatever brought him here could see it... or bitterly, if Tapu Bulu could. ]

[ Eventually he rises fully to his feet, joints softly crackling from the effort. To his own credit, if he were any more bear or bird he looks like he'd fit in with the aesthetic of this place; Nanu's a pale, morbid looking man with red eyes and dark clothes and walks with a lazy hunch. There's no obvious rush in his steps but make no mistake his ears are on high alert for anyone other than him as he wanders. ]

If I'm dead I hope it was from the sushi last night.


✦² New phone who dis
[ After getting his bearings and doing his own exploration he decides to make prudent use of his new phone. The directory catches his attention, at least until he finds his own profile plastered on there. The irony is palpable to a former intelligence officer. Thanks, he hates it. ]

Still wrapping my head around a lot of this but anyone know what guardians or spirits or gods or whatever you want to call 'em around here are the ornery types? Require sacrifices or prayers? Wasn't inclined to upset the ones back home, not inclined to do it on accident here, especially since the cemetery isn't seeing so much business.


✦³ Sacrifice a chicken to the lord of light
[ The thing about cats is they need to eat, and Pokechow wasn't exactly lining the shelves of the shops here. Nanu knows Persian can fend for herself and trusts her to not go overboard with the local fauna, but unbeknownst to him she'd been feeling the affliction before him, perhaps as an unfortunate result of having to otherwise chow down on some diseased looking rodents. Her hunger grows as does her agitation, and that chicken coop starts looking more and more enticing each passing day. She slips away from Nanu just long enough and by the time he nears the barn it's too late. There a screech of chickens, the crunch of bone, and then the panic feathered scuttle flutter of dozens of angry birds.

Nanu runs in to catch the culprit red-handed... or red-mouthed, as it were. ] Persian! That's too much! [ He tries to wrest the chicken from her mouth but as soon as it's apparent it's not salvageable he gives up. More disturbing, she also turns to snarl and snap at him, mouth full of blood and feathers. He immediately recalls her into her Pokeball. With the large target gone, the chickens all turn their ire on Nanu. Cassy Cassatt watches all of this unfold, horrified, then shrieks at him with angry trills and chirps, "GET OUT! GET OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU OR YOUR MONSTER CAT AROUND HERE EVER AGAIN!"

He doesn't need to be told twice, hikes his black over-shirt up over his neck and does his best to cover his face with his arms as he bolts out of there. What a sorry sight to witness.

The chickens have every right to be angry and for that reason Nanu's escape is one of obvious self-flagellation. He doesn't hustle, doesn't fight back, makes only half-hearted attempts to protect himself, and jogs only as fast as the chickens batter him to do so. Claws and beaks puncture his skin. He bleeds. He never wanted this to happen of course but were it not for his sloth and apathy he could have done better to prevent this fairly obvious risk. The numbers on his chest go up just a tiny bit, 428.

However, the moment he sees someone (maybe that's you) walking his way he does break out into a real and deceptively fast run. He's had enough collateral damage for one day and waves his arms.] GO. RUN. [ He'll literally push you into the nearest house, home, or door. ]


✦⁴ Into the woods and down the dell
[ With Nanu banned from the barn and Persian banned to her Pokeball he's more invested in trying to find a cure for this illness. On Alola that would frequently mean looking for medicinal herbs and so runs on the dim hope maybe there's something worth finding in the those creepy foreboding woods. It'd be a lot easier with Persian's nose but he'll just have to rely on his Kahuna intuition in the mean time. Nothing weird about an old man poking around the base of trees or sitting on his haunches for a prolonged period of time taking way too much interest in something in the grass.

Obviously that means he needs to be accosted by a friend or a monster. Or maybe both. ]


✦⁵ used Metronome | wildcard
[ Like these prompts but want to tweak them a little? Go for it. Want to just hang out and pet Persian before she gets too sick? Get a drink at ye olde spooky tavern? Mistake Nanu for the gravekeeper while investigating the cemetery? Interrupt Nanu napping somewhere incredibly inconvenient? Maybe napping more conveniently and sick-ly at the clinic? WHATEVER YOU WANT don't let dreams be dreams, etc. ]

1!

[philandery]

[ The way this man is talking... could be senile. Or, could just be saying a bunch of words Sylvain doesn't recognize... (Acerola? Is that a person's name? That's a terrible name. And what's sushi? Some sort of dangerous sport?) ]

Maybe this isn't the news you wanna hear, but I'm pretty sure you're still alive and kicking.

[ Spoken in a "sure grampa let's get you to bed" kind of way. (Is this guy okay??) ]

Anyway, this isn't the best place to catch a nap. Are you lost?

[ Or... maybe he's a new arrival? (Dimitri had mentioned he'd been on the train weeks before Sylvain had been forcibly boarded himself...) Hmm. He doesn't remember seeing anyone in the directory matching this stranger's description, but he admittedly doesn't remember the face of every single passenger on the train, either... ]

[kahunanu]

Damn shame. [ He rumbles, dry and as deadpan as any of the folks six feet under their feet. Looking up at this young man is a bit of an effort--Sylvian towers over Nanu and so Nanu regards him with a once up and down, enough to figure he doesn't belong here any more than he does. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. ]

Yeah. Don't recognize this place. Where are we?

[philandery]

[ Sylvain just chuckles awkwardly, like he isn't sure if this guy has a genuine death wish or just a very dry sense of humor. (He'll wager the latter, he's probably seen Some Sh!t in his lifetime if he's perfectly calm about waking up in the middle of a graveyard...) ]

A delightful village called [ ...what was it again... Minecartia? ] Minecraftia.

There isn't much to look at, [ other than fog, and decay, and hideous monsters ] but we're pretty much stuck here until we figure a way to get out.

[ Here, he gestures at the bright red exit door a few plots over. It's just A Door standing upright in the dirt, like a tombstone. Nothing on either side of it.

Sylvain will answer whatever questions Nanu may have to the best of his limited ability, before he remembers, ] —Oh right, you were calling for someone in your sleep...?

[kahunanu]

Minecraftia. [ He repeats in a rumble. Nope. Never heard of it. He could care less about this place, especially when Sylvian gestures to a potential way to leave it. Nanu blinks as the bright red door reveals itself, conveniently obfuscated by another door-sized tombstone from his slightly shorter perspective. Explains how he missed that. ]

Figure a way out? It's a door, you just open it, right?

[ Which he immediately tries. Of course it isn't going to be that easy but if he's got someone here willing to answer questions he's going to ask them. And hypocritically not answer any of his own. ]

Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a set of red numbers, would it?

4

[soulshard]

[ While Ardbert would not go so far as to say he's now familiar with these woods, he has ventured into them and cut down some of the mutated creatures that call it home. It doesn't mean that he'll let his guard down as he continues to search high and low through it for clues, but he does have a more assured gait as he explores both down worn paths and through undergrowth.

The other passengers have also been doing their part in trying to help the town and so he's hardly the only one who's tried to map out the forest. That being said, he is still slightly alarmed when he comes upon an older man who's crouched down and staring at who-knows-what without seeming to have much consideration for his surroundings or any potential threats.

More than that, he doesn't appear familiar from any of the previous cars. Is he a denizen? ]

Have you found something?

[ He speaks up mainly to announce himself so that he doesn't accidentally give the stranger a fright. Not that he's a particularly stealthy type, but the dark earthy colors of his outfit might allow him to blend in among the trees. ]

[kahunanu]

[ Nanu had considerations for threats, he just didn't have a lot of consideration for his own health and well-being. That said he wasn't having much luck so far in the herb hunting department. With a lazy groan he rises to his feet and makes a show of cracking his back. All that effort for nothing other than the small handful of mushrooms and vaguely familiar (read: probably not deadly) looking plants stuffed in one of his pockets. No reason to give up yet, but... ]

Not yet. But you found me. [ He regards Ardbert with a quick up and down. Kid's all decked out and ready to fight something. Might be useful. Might be annoying. ]

Someone send you?

[soulshard]

[ Ardbert did find this stranger, though it's not as if he'd been looking for him. No, he'd been expecting to find things far more fearsome out here than an older man with a creaking back. Though those pops of his bones are audible enough that Ardbert could almost swear he feels them as well. ]

No. Who would have sent me?

[ Mayhap this man was the sort who would wander out into the woods and get lost, so the villagers were concerned for him. Maybe he had a worried wife or daughter back in town. Ardbert doesn't quite know what to make of him just yet. He doesn't see any obvious number on him, so he still can't make the call between passenger or denizen. ]

Ah... are you lost? Did you need an escort back to town?

[ His own plans aside, he'd be happy to help. ]

[kahunanu]

[ Ardbert has a good imagination that is unfortunately wasted on Nanu. To be fair Nanu's questioning the same (or even if he needs to be wary of a guy with a giant axe) but ultimately he shrugs nonchalantly. ]

Not yet. Lookin' for something that might help all this sickness going around. You got good eyes, right?

3

[testgasm]

[To say that Wheatley is afraid of birds is not quite true--they're all antics from a distance, and he has to admit he quite enjoys the antics of the chickens, bumbling around with no brains doing chicken things. Amusing to watch.

How did he get here??? Don't think too hard about it. The most important thing is that he's in the barn, watching over all the chickens when Persian busts in and starts murdering them. It's horrible. There are chickeny screams and feathers everywhere, to say nothing of the additional chaos that occurs when Cassy shows up.]

Ah!

[He can do nothing but sit, immobile, as he watches all of this unfold. He can't say the short human doesn't deserve this, but he knows it's only a matter of time before someone turns their wrath on him instead. He needs to get out.]

Wait, wait! You've got to--don't leave me in here!!!

[Wheatley isn't sure he wants to go with the guy whose giant purple cat just murdered all the chickens, but he knows he doesn't want to stick around for the wrath of the owner, to say nothing of the birds that are now dangerously close to flapping around in his eye-face.]

[kahunanu]

[Oh that's... that would be the most unfortunate looking Magnemite he's ever seen in his life if it wasn't speaking in full sentences. He'd even creatively chalk up the accent to a Galar regional variant if he didn't have bigger things to worry about like getting out of here in one piece.]

You'd better not slow me down.

[He grumbles and grabs Wheatley by one of his handles. Or he hopes is a handle. Either way this dumb robot just cost him a well deserved chicken walk of shame because he's got something other than himself to care about for the moment. Nanu breaks out into a sincere sprint, clutching Wheatley to his chest and using him only once or twice as a cudgel to swat away any chickens that catch up.

The daring escape into the nearest building goes relatively without incident, except maybe for Nanu having to force his way through a bush or two, spare the errant leaf or twig still lodged in his hair. Nanu's back hits the thick wooden door and he crumples immediately to the floor, out of breath. The chickens are far behind them which is the only part that matters.]

[testgasm]

I'm literally inert, mate! Whether or not I slow you down is entirely dependent on your ability to carry thirty pounds! Approximately.

[None of this is his fault!! He's just a terrified little robot guy, along for the ride!! The good news is that Nanu seems to be capable of picking up approximately thirty pounds and running for his life, so once that gets going Wheatley will (temporarily) shut up (except for the parts where he is used as a blunt weapon), until they're out of danger.

Once it's clear they've outrun their avian assailants, however, Wheatley is quick to voice his displeasure.]

What did you think you were doing, back there! Letting your animal out and about like that!?

[kahunanu]

[ Nanu starts picking the leaves and twigs out of his hair and clothes with a frown, not wanting to immediately answer to that question/accusation. ]

Cat's gotta' eat. [ He dismisses. 430. ]

Lucky she didn't have a taste for you, whatever you are.

un: batman

[of_steel]

It doesn't seem like people around here are particularly religious, but that's an angle I haven't thought of. What makes you think it might be a deity of some kind?

un: 000

[kahunanu]

Honestly, I hope I'm wrong. They're capricious jerks. Piss 'em off proper and they'll flatten a whole village just because they didn't like that it was there.

Who knows if this plague isn't because someone didn't do their due diligence.

[of_steel]

I've known a few powerful, capricious jerks who called themselves gods... Giving them what they want hasn't typically been an option.

I'm getting the impression that your gods are a little different from mine.

3!

[overruns]

[ Dimitri is carrying a small crate of supplies, ferrying goods from one place to another for the clinic, when an enraged B'CAWWW clicks out loudly somewhere behind him. He only starts for a moment before looking back at the collective crowd of hysterically angry chickens chasing and pecking an older man.

He immediately runs over to shoo them off (or try, and fail, probably), but—the distance between them is suddenly quite small? They're both pretty fast? ]

Ah—

[ And so he goes from trying to help to suddenly being shooed himself, off towards the other buildings. He shoves his box under one arm and deflects a chicken that flies into his face. He's not going to draw his sword against a bunch of birds, so they're going to need to find shelter.

But first, slightly harried, ]

Are you all right!? [ Should Nanu be running? He seemed to be moving much slower earlier. ]

[kahunanu]

[ Definitely moving much faster, far more spry than he lets on. Damn kid had to go and get in the way of his chicken walk of shame and now he's got to worry about someone other than himself. Nanu plants both his palms against the back of Dimitri's shoulders and pushes him, grumbling irritably. ]

What's it look like?

[ By now he's managed himself closer to town so there's plenty of buildings nearby. Nanu will push and shove the both of them into the nearest open one. Duly noting Dimitri has at least one hand occupied by the box, Nanu will fling the door open first and pull him inside, slamming the door shut on the angry birds behind both of them. Immediately he slumps against the back of the wooden door and slides down it. He's out of breath but the adrenalin has staved off any pain he's incurred from the scratches, of which there are many over his arms. ]

Wrong place, wrong time boy.

[overruns]

[ He really ought to be worried about himself, though. Dimitri suffers, at worst, a small scratch or two from chickens that just bounced off of him. He's not even winded, what with how quickly Nanu's got them to safety.

But they're stuck here until the chickens calm down, considering they're still flying up against the door and trying to get at them. After a moment spent on figuring out what in the hell just happened, ]

...I wouldn't say that.

[ He frowns, setting the crate down, crouching beside it and popping the top off it. ]

Seems to me that if you'd been left to your devices, you would've just let those birds scratch you to a pulp.

un: ben

[onlyhope]

An interesting theory. Are you referencing this car specifically or our situation as a whole?

un: 000

[kahunanu]

Yes.

oh my god

[onlyhope]

It's entirely possible something with enormous power brought us to this train, but I don't think offering prayers or sacrifices is going to alter our course very much.

Your perspective could have weight in this town. That said, I have yet to hear anyone speak on such a legend being the cause of this place's ill fortune.

4

[unrepentant]

[Anakin isn't a healer. Sure he's picked up a few things over the course of the war (and maybe also to keep Kix off his back) but he's spent more time on the front lines than the first aid tents. So it isn't a medic's instincts that bring him to help at the clinic in town. It's just- him.

In the low light of this place he finds himself crouching down to look at leaves and roots. And sometimes climbing up- like he has now. The flowers in this tree are small and pretty far up, but that also means they aren't yet touched by disease. High in the branches Anakin reaches- and the tree a passing old man rustles.]

[kahunanu]

[ While Nanu had kept his search fairly low, him not being of particularly tall stature and the woods in this land not particularly inviting to gaze up at, the rustling of tree limbs is not something to be missed. Too dangerous not to.

He squints up, trying to make out the figure through the twisting branches. Looked humanoid. Good. Good...? If it was dangerous and wanted to make a meal out of him it could have done so already, though paranoia still keeps him from shouting out--for what else in these woods could be listening. While he considers pulling Persian out to do his bidding, but she'd been increasingly irritable and she could be something dangerous. Not work that risk. He'd sooner risk himself and picks up a small rock from the ground. Another squint and he aims for what he thinks is this person (he hopes is a person)'s thigh or butt to get their attention. ]

[unrepentant]

[it's about time someone tried to solve the plot of star wars by throwing a rock at anakin skywalker.]


[He doesn't really look over his shoulder or down his middle to make his way back towards the ground so much as he just lets his feet pick the way. Anakin tests each branch his boot comes to with a short push, then lowers his weight onto it. Like this its hard to be surprised by a twig or a branch jabbing at him just by virtue of staying so close to the trunk itself. That's why the rock, when it lands, startles him as much as it does.

Anakin jolts reflexively and he grips hard for whatever limb is nearest. This is fine for his left hand, which is flesh and blood- but less so for his right hand, when the servos and steel respond to his instinctive panic by crushing the branch in his palm.] Wha-

[The sudden loss of balance make his stomach leap. It also makes him fall. Anakin teeters too far to the right and crashes into the bristly branches around him, managing not to catch himself in the process, but to at least make sure that he was face up when he finally landed. He lands on his back with an audible oof, the breath knocked out of him as tiny pieces of broken twig and leaf follow his descent.]