achates | [DAY 0] TDM.

[DAY 0] TDM.

Error in final launch sequence:
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹͚̽𝚡̰̍̂𝟸̠̯̘ͭͧ𝚌̭͉̺͖ͥ𝟿̳̰̒̇ͅ𝟷̦ͣ̉͌̅𝚋͓͎̈̒̀𝟻ͭ̌͂𝟷ͩ̓𝟾̦
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹̖͇͕̃𝚡͉̹̯͇̻̉̓̂𝟸͚̹͈͓̩͚̲̼͒̾𝚌̱̠͙̝̪͇̈̌̂̃̄ͭ𝟿̱̜̪͓̳̹ͤ̊̈́ͦͥ̑𝟷͖̱̝̀̒̇̂̄̈́̓̇ͅ𝚋̥̯͉̹͛͛̊ͤͦͩ𝟻̬̮̈́̋ͯ͛̉̐𝟷̋ͩ̔̔𝟾̼
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Debugger connection lost.
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Debugger connection lost.
Shutting down...
Rebooting
Download in Progress:
File download complete
Time elapsed during download operation: 00:12:33.131
Rebooting
Launching Demon Summoning Program. . .

You open your eyes to the end of the world, but you do not see it.

Instead what rouses you is screaming and crying, blood and tears: all around you are signs of life. Inside the overturned train, people begin to awaken, sprawled on the ground as if thrown violently from their seats, broken bones and bleeding wounds struggling to rise from the carpet of shattered glass from the windows at their feet. Emerging from the wreck, characters will find themselves at the edge of a dense forest, a towering stone wall at their backs. Bright eyes peer out from the shadows of the foliage, more and more blinking into view like stars in a darkening sky, but despite being drawn to the scent of blood that hangs heavy in the air, nothing steps out of the forest. Not yet.

None of the passengers can recall what happened, what they were doing on a train, where it was going- there's more they can't remember, but overshadowing the gaps of memory are things they have gained in return. A familiar item that is not theirs. A gemstone that feels lighter than it appears, as if hollow inside. And a device that wraps around their wrist (or rests on their head, or hangs around their neck, or however it presents itself to each character) that starts up on its own the moment the character turns their attention to it, as if waiting. Each character's COMP has a "navigator" selected at default, either "A☆L☆A" in bright neon orange, or "K5" in cool slate blue, although the presiding navigator can be freely switched between them.

Heya, boss! My name's Ala, your new navi!

You wanna know something really funny? Go ahead and touch the map on the corner of the screen to enlarge it. See all those little red dots? Those are demons out to kill you. Haha! You're surrounded!

Heya, boss! You can call me Keigo, your navigational AI.

If you touch the map on the corner of the screen, you can enlarge it and see the positions of all your allies. Looks like some of you are already heading out: see those little blue— oh. That one just disappeared. ... Try to stick together.

Along with providing a map with enemy/ally positions, the navigators will walk characters through the demon interaction, recruitment, and summoning processes, with advice varying between the two navigators (click to expand)

Just beat 'em up and force 'em to join! They can't say no if they're dead!

Nobody is immune to bribery, not even demons. What do you even have, though...? No matter what, don't let them get that life stone.

More demons incoming! Ooh, you're screwed. You'd better run! Don't worry, I won't tell.

Let's hide here. We'll wait here until that demon passes, then move!

Look, a body! Are they still alive? Wonder what's in their pockets...?

It's already too late to help. But better them being demon food than you.

Or, you could stay. There is nothing forcing anybody to leave the relative safety of the train. Those who stay behind will find the conductor's cabin empty, save for a small black cat perched on the headrest of the driver's seat that peers out with bright golden eyes at those who enter. Otherwise, there are no signs of a fight or struggle inside the cabin. Elsewhere, there is unclaimed luggage in the overhead compartments with an abundance of clothing and blankets, although characters will not find any of their own clothing except what they're already wearing. The dining cart is still stocked with enough food and beverage to last each passenger at least two days— maybe longer, if people keep leaving/dying... But at the same time, maybe shorter, considering the pervasive hunger that gnaws at the pits of everybody's stomachs, an emptiness that yearns to be filled by something... more.

As minutes stretch into hours, it becomes painfully clear that nobody is coming to help. Everybody only has each other, this town, its inhabitants. The forest is dark and unforgiving, near impossible to navigate even with a map. Strange creatures jump out from the shadows, eyes bright, mouths salivating, hungry. Strong hands claw through the dirt underfoot to grab at people's feet, pulling themselves up, mouths wide open, hungry. Sharp talons swoop down from the skies above, snatching characters up into the air, crushing skulls and snapping spines. Hungry. The demons here seem delighted to see such a feast wandering right into their home; those who are stopped for attempted conversation express surprise that characters are able to see them, but ultimately the hunger wins, and hunger does not listen to reason.

Casualties are inevitable. Blood mist permeates the air, and follows even as characters break out of the forest and across town, all the way to the fraying end of the world. Out in the open, however, the sun rays beat down bright and harsh, and those hungry eyes shy away from the sunlight to remain in the shadows, inside husks of buildings and thickets of overgrown fields. Characters will be able to find refuge in the greenhouse and the church, and some of the standing houses are truly vacant (as opposed to "surprise! there's actually a demon inside!" vacant); the only eyes that follow you are those of photographs hung crooked on the walls, of familiar strangers and forgotten friends. Look, there's a picture of you too.

Other locations require more caution to explore:

The sound of crying can be heard from the upper stories of the school building, thin wails echoing up and down the deserted halls, and human-like shadows peer out from the broken, unboarded windows, as if watching. A barricade inside the front doors makes it difficult to enter from the main entrance, and with most of the windows boarded up, the hallways inside remain dark even during the day. The smell of rot is prominent, heavy and cloying, especially in the auditorium-become-mausoleum that is littered with crushed bones, thin and brittle, every last scrap of flesh already nibbled away. A flock of demons crowd around outside principal's office, where a blizzard blows through the entire hallway, rendering visibility near zero and temperatures below that.

The hospital is also deathly cold, breath visible in puffs of mist that sometimes form into screaming faces, and when all is still and quiet, you look up and see yourself. Shadows form into mirror images of the characters who enter the hospital, silently approaching others and attacking once the person's guard is down. If a demon borrowing your face isn't bad enough, Phantoms go a step further and take the form of people who are close to your character: friends, family, foes. Exploring the hospital may or may not be worth the potential backstabbing, considering the fact that the supplies found are maybe not the most sterile, half the equipment is rusted or corroded, and a lot of the medicine is unlabeled tablets and capsules inside unlabeled bottles (essentially, take at your own risk). Moreover, hordes of all sorts of demon ghosts will bar characters' way down to the basement, gathering in massive numbers anytime somebody tries to descend. Electricity bounces around the top of the stairway down, while bright flames lick the bottom of the stairs; particularly unlucky characters may be hit with a confusion spell, liable to throw themselves headfirst down the stairs to be consumed by the waiting demons below.

Hauntingly beautiful music can be heard from within the concert hall, and listening to their song puts you fast asleep— possibly in the middle of the street if you're not careful— while those who manage to make it past the front doors are immediately frozen in a hunk of ice or electrocuted to a crisp before being kicked to the curb. The concert hall appears to be actively guarded, and it's clear that strangers are Not Welcome. Even the other demons keep clear of this building, drawn to the music but lingering far enough to not be overwhelmed. Characters may have an easier time of initiating conversations with demons from around town or inside the houses nearby the concert hall.

The crackle of electricity can be heard from inside the power plant's upper stories despite the blackout, and the entire building shakes from time to time, as if caught in a thunderstorm, or an earthquake. A slow drip... drip... drip... can be heard throughout the building, of amorphous demons clinging to the walls like mold and leaving puddles of caustic acid Everywhere. Anybody who enters the power plant's front entrance is met with a massive agglomerate of black Ooze that has expanded to fill the entire first floor from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, preventing anybody from going upstairs while it remains. Arms and legs poke out of the demon's body in places, desperately clawing and kicking, weaker, weaker. done.

OOC

Welcome to Day 0! What better meet-and-greet is there than everybody being tossed into the fray to fight for their lives? ('': For convenience, here are the game info, locations, and demon compendium pages; please use these as reference for what more can be found in the setting.

The characters' COMP will turn on only after they notice and focus on it. If they do NOT activate the COMP, they will not be able to see the demons or interact with them in any way other than being killed. Activating the COMP will allow characters to see demons and somewhat understand their language, with an added effect of allowing physical attacks to harm demons, and mitigating the damage taken from demons.

For characters who app and are accepted, please report demon recruitment here. Characters who are just tdming do not have to report. Recruited demons are inclined to listen to their summoner, but are not necessarily friendly at the beginning: if your character shows weakness, the demon may be just as likely to eat them as they are to protect them.

There will be no NPCs in this game other than the two navigators and some key demons. You're on your own for now!

This first event/tdm is open to the public, and can be used for test driving at any time after the game starts. I'll be keeping a pulse on threads for when characters have gotten their bearings and seem to have a general idea of how they want to proceed into the next day, and we'll go from there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The mage taps the young man's shoulder with a hand, COMP wrapped around his wrist, in hopes of breaking him out his apparent trance. ]

Interior decor doesn't make for a good conversation partner, my good sir.

[ Dimitri's shoulders immediately hitch up on contact and he whirls to face the man. At first there is a dark look and a frown on his face, but it shifts when he sees the affable face. He doesn't necessarily relax, but there's no longer an edge of malice in his eyes. ]

...Yes, apologies. ...Did you need something?

[ Satisfied that Dimitri has broken out of whatever trance had him in a hold moments before, he responds with a sunny smile. ]

That's my line! You looked a bit out of sorts there.

[ He makes a waving gesture with one hand, the other still holding onto his staff. The smile on his face fades a bit, settling back into a more neutral expression. ]

Then again, I don't blame you. Most people would be, after all that's happened today.

[ Merlin is...not one of them, for the most part, but he's spent enough time amongst humans that he can say with full confidence that that's the "normal" reaction. ]

[ Dimitri takes in what the man with a staff says with almost wary confusion. Out of sorts from what happened today? But just now he wasn't doing anything out of the ordi-right. He's no longer alone in a prison cell, Dimitri shouldn't keep talking to his dead parents where people could see.

Visibly straightening and shifting his weight Dimitri's expression looks almost as if he put on the mood of 'calm and comfortable' like one does a shirt... or a mask. ]

Perhaps you're right... I've forgotten myself. It wasn't my intention to trouble you.

[ He can still feel his father's ghost standing behind him. Watching. Waiting. ]

No need to get all apologetic on me. I'm not troubled if you aren't.

[ "Troubled", he says. The taste of Dimitri's thoughts just now still lingers in the half-incubus's mouth. Bitter, murky, the dregs of something unpleasant clouding up the mouthfeel for sure, but he can't put his finger on it. Not that he'd want to, either. If Merlin thinks anything about it though, he doesn't let it show at all. Yet again, he gives him a casual wave, easygoing smile back on his face.

(ooc: lmk if this level of thought-tasting is okay with you or not 👍) ]

Now then sir, can you move over for just a second?

[ He points at the drawers Dimitri's blocking, worn down as they are. ]

[ At the mention of "troubled" Dimitri gives a tight smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, but he nods all the same. His coping mechanism is pretending to be fine. ]

Ah, yes, of course. [ He quickly steps out of the way. ] Are you looking for something in particular?

[ Don't mind him being nosy, he isn't the best at sitting still and doing nothing. ]

{ ooc: oh definitely! You can go as far as you want with your thought tasting on Dimitri, he has zero magical resistance. It's his main weak point. Let me know if you ever need any more details 👍 }

Information.

[ Is all he says, before stepping in to pull open the drawer with his free hand. After that, he slowly feels around the drawer, and stops, a smile spreading on his face. Merlin carefully pulls out an old, dusty tome. More specifically, what seems to be a religious book of some sorts. ]

Jackpot!

[ ~~It's best that Dimitri or anyone else doesn't ask why a guy from medieval Britain knows what a casino is. Or how he does. The answer is more than they'd bargain for.~~ The writing on the cover is unrecognizable, it's brittle with age, and there's no telling if the translator will even work that well on it, if at all, but it's something on the what sort of religion this church would have been dedicated to. Small jackpots are still jackpots. ]

[ A look of surprise crosses Dimitri's face. ]

Oh! I had not thought to look for that sort of thing. Perhaps if we knew more about what these people worshiped we could...

[ He casts a nervous, but not altogether uncomfortable, glance towards the remains in the pews. ]

Well. Before lingering here too long I would like to find out what happened to them.

[ Because clearly it isn't the demonic beasts. ]

[ He nods in agreement, wasting no time in gently cracking open the scripture book. ]

Great minds think alike! That's the big question, isn't it? When, how, why... It'd be cruel irony if the people here sought salvation from those demons by hunkering down here, only to find out that it was no salvation at all.

[ As expected, he doesn't recognize a lick of the script, but that's what these wearable devices are seemingly for. Merlin rests his staff against the wall for the time being, and uses that now-free hand to tap at his COMP's screen. ]

[ Dimitri glances at the text and sees it to contain the same- if not similar- language the academy's library had. Bothersome, but at least it's consistent. ]

Agreed, a cruel and twisted joke. I would rather none of us meet a similar fate. I'm going to take a look around and see if I can find anything else telling of this place.

[ If one wants to not repeat the errors of the past, one needs to know the past first and foremost. ]

[ Merlin nods, the smile on his face staying on beneath the hood. ]

Sounds like we're on the same page. Well, may I get the name of my comrade in this collaboration, to start with?

[ He does know his manners, fortunately, so he'll start. ]

You can call me Mister Mystery, Mister M for short, or Caster. Whatever rolls off the tongue for you best.

[ Dimitri is a little surprised the man wants to work with him, but finds it relieving nonetheless. If he looks past Merlin he can see the ghost of his step mother looming in the pews amongst her fellow dead- something he would very much like to not focus on at the moment. ]

Well met, Caster. [ He gives a nod. ] My name is Dimitri.

[ He looks out at the church- eyes avoiding the ghosts. ]

Let's see what we can find.

Edited (HTML hubris) 2024-09-20 20:56 (UTC)

[ Merlin nods once more in acknowledgement, and with that shared goal in mind, carefully closes the scripture book, stowing it away for safekeeping later in a bag he picked up from the train (which he has now designated as his). Taking up his staff from where it was resting against the wall, the man takes it upon himself to do some footwork as well.

Mage that he is, his immediate thought is to look for any sort of magical ward, sigils, any sort of mechanism, anything, so he spends more time looking at the ground for any traces of magical circles than not. A painting catches his attention in the corner of his eye, which prompts him to look back up at the young man in blue.

Some time passes before he looks over at Dimitri, trying to gauge his well-being physically while asking for a status update. ]

Find anything juicy?

[ Dimitri, after a cursory scan of the church's layout and in contrast with the mage, spent a lot of time around the skeletons sitting in the pews. He didn't have any expertise in examining the dead, but he had hoped to find some sort of clue on how these people died.

Alas his ghosts didn't have anything constructive to add either.

If Merlin has access to knowledge around mental health he might be able to pick up the fact that Dimitri is currently coping via unconsciously dissociating. His outside demeanor is one of calm, but his feelings are currently coming off as pretty numb. ]

Not much, I'm afraid... Although, it's a little puzzling. These skeletons... they're significantly older than the dismembered bodies that were here before us.

[ The ones the demons have been gnawing on for awhile, before their train showed up. ]

[ For the incubus, Dimitri's thoughts are...odd to taste, to say the least. Flickers of flavor that last but a single moment in his mouth, only to dissipate upon contact, a few times. ]

Significantly older, hm?

[ Merlin saunters over to give the skeletons a once-over himself. He was never a huge fan of necromancy magecraft himself, but unfortunately, medieval Britain had no shortage of the dead for the court advisor to examine, whether it be due to wartime or other manners of death, mundane (illness, famine), or not (curses, Phantasmal beasts). ]

You're right; these bodies decayed before the ones scattered about outside. There's not a single speck of biological tissue remaining.

[ And demons seemingly don't approach this structure much, if at all. A Bounded Field of some sorts set up to drain the life force of any inhabitants, maybe? But he hasn't found neither hide nor hair of any sigils or magic circles drawn to do so. ]

...Perhaps it wasn't the demons outside that claimed these people.

Edited 2024-09-30 07:04 (UTC)

[ Dimitri hated that he had to clarify which dismembered bodies he had been referring too: fresh from their arrival and from some time before hand. But these bodies here? Strange. ]

That was my thinking. Do you see how intact all of them are?

[ He motions across the pews to not just the ones before them. ]

There are no bite or claw marks. The marrow hasn't been... Well, the bones aren't cracked. Even their cloths are barely disturbed.

[ In some ways these bodies were worse than the ones littering the town. Not knowing what caused their lives to end... ]

[ Merlin lets out a soft "hm", of both thought and agreement. ]

No signs of struggle, in other words.

[ No, if anything, the skeletons seemed to be in typical worship positions. ]

I would normally think this to be the work of a magical field [ A Bounded Field, something like Blood Fort Andromeda that drained the life force of those caught unaware, but on a smaller scale. ], but found no signs of any magical circles or sigils on the premises.

[ It was chilling. ]

Whatever did this to them did it without giving them a chance to react. So, they were either paralyzed... or it occurred in an instant.

[ He looks at Castor and wonders what country he grew up in where they rely on sigils and circles. Annette would be fascinated, he's sure. ]

I'm not familiar with the practical applications of magic, but it is my understanding that such things don't need to rely symbols. Rather, it's the understanding of the mathematics behind it or the strength of will or faith that powers it. At least, that's how it works where I am from.

[ Still... he can't imagine what spell could have caused all of them to die in an instant. Nosferatu maybe, but it would have had to be strong and a quick cast. He's never seen it hit multiple targets before though. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 0] TDM.

church;

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cw: hallucinations

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