achates | [DAY 0] TDM.

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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

[Although Armin does get the impression that Kaito is, perhaps, not the most aware type of person, he recognizes that skills and strengths present in various ways, and he's impressed by Kaito's immediate assessment of the safest entry point. He gives a firm not, and a smile, earnest.]

Right, then. [The plan has been set. Armin sets his eyes on that point twenty yards away, then begins his march.

[Assuming Kaito follows, their quest through the forest will begin. Armin wastes no time, slicing through the overgrowth and beginning their run. As promised, he attempts to move as quietly as he can, though doing so quickly renders complete stealth impossible. He'll have to trust his companion to call out if he notices any incoming interference.]

[He certainly is following! It indeed is impossible to move stealthily, especially since he's carrying a backpack that, although is not packed excessively, still is enough to make some noise. It shouldn't be surprising that, around them, the forest comes to life, and not in a good way. In the COMP, the red dots are beginning to make their way towards Armin and Kaito. Some are faster than others, but it's unmistakable: if they don't hurry up, they'll be swarmed.

Kaito can't be staring at the COMP while moving all the time, though, so he relies on his senses, and among them, his hearing. The sound of wings is increasingly loud, and Armin, who is leading, may not hear it right away, he thinks]

Up above, something is coming!

[Demons are coming! They're Zhen]

[Up above is, for whatever reason, not what Armin was expecting; luckily, a battle he's used to fighting, but not so much on bird-sized targets with wings.

[He makes a quick decision. It happens in a flash - one moment, he's on the ground, and the next moment, he's not; a winged demon is crashes against the forest floor in two pieces. It's done with the use of his maneuvering gear - a grappling hook fired into a tree, and a motor, propelling Armin to follow its path, blades still poised.

[Armin lands in a crouch beside Kaito, then jumps up again. He grabs his companion by the sleeve and yanks him along.] Keep going!

[An afterthought, called out over his shoulder:] And good work. Keep it up.

[He sets his eyes forward and keeps running. There are too many eyes on them now to worry about keeping quiet.] I can't say that I'm used to enemies that fly, but I am used to fighting high up. Keep your eyes above you when you can.

[Hopefully, that's the last of them - it was a risky move to begin with, and he needs to conserve his fuel; still, he'll do whatever he has to.]

Man, you're impressive.

[Kudos where they're due! Hitting anything flying is difficult. Kaito follows along, his head swiveling around and seeing vague silhouettes in the distance]

There are too many to fight. If we get caught we're not getting out of here unharmed! Damn it, that train should have had something to use as a weapon!

[But no, nothing had looked sturdy enough for that, and it's not like he can stop and take his time choosing a good branch to swing if needed! He can tell, any wrong move at the wrong time can spell doom.

Case in point: a long, gnarly, blue hand snakes from the underbrush, trying to grab their ankles. Kaito jumps at the last moment, so close the tip of the nails raked against his pants when he moved, and he takes the time to slam a heel on the middle of the hand as strong as he can.

The forest is sloped in this area. To a side there's an elevation about seven feet high, not too far away from them. A flimsy-looking bunch of rocks seem like it'd be a stable enough place to step on to go upwards. Giving a glance at the COMP to make sure there's no swarm of demons awaiting at the top, he pulls from Armin]

Get up there!

[Gaining some terrain advantage over the pursuers coming in the distance should be good, he thinks. Even if it's just a few seconds of advantage, it could be enough to be safer]

[The impulse to conserve fuel is rapidly waning as the swarm of demons approaches them. One shot up to that higher point shouldn't waste too much. If they both die before they reach the other side of the forest, then it doesn't matter how much damn fuel he has.]

Pardon my touch! [And Armin grabs Kaito around the waist with one strong arm, gripping him tight.] Hold on tight!

[He fires a grappling hook into one of the trees on the slope, firing them upward to its peak - and then it's time to start running again.]

[Things he didn't see coming: this. Kaito had been psyching himself up to clamber up there, do some good ol' rock climbing up there, and suddenly Armin grabbed him and got them up there in no time flat!]

I gotta get myself one of those...

[Kaito glances at the COMP while running, and he grins]

We'll make it!

[No important threats incoming, from what he sees! Demons keep getting in the way, but they're stray ones. They'd be threats to anyone unprepared, but to these two they're not big obstacles -- and Kaito hasn't been shy about punching anything that tries to sink teeth or talons onto anyone here]

[DAY 0] TDM.

YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL!!!

no subject

I promise he won't just slice through every demon but I wanted to give him cool points LMAO

Characters should always have chances to shine! Definitely give him cool points, yup

lmk if this is okay lol

Definitely okay, yup