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.

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[ On the one hand, Minato is moving toward safety. On the other, the Princess doesn't fail to notice the teeming eyes in the shadows. It'd be better if they had someone there to defend them, yet pursuing right now would see this demon chasing them all down.

The Princess narrows her eyes. Dimitri's weapon bruised the beast at best, meaning it's a toss-up as to whether the Pristine Blade could do meaningful damage or not. It's the singular weapon that had been intended to slay her, whatever that truly means, whereas what Dimitri wielded was improvised.

Maybe she could disable it, but the way it moved just now... They'd have to be clever, just like when she had to dance around what had happened with her would-be slayer, knowing some other presence could try to force his hand again.

Buy time.

Buy time for Alice and Minato to get away, and look for an opening to escape when they do. That's the surest chance of survival. She spares only a moment to fumble with the device on her wrist, to send Dimitri a hasty message.

Delay then run.

Then she begins circling, not just to keep the Stonka's interest without provoking attack (yet) but also to covertly look for a direction they can take. ]

[ Dimitri is sorely missing his strength and an actual lance. In his periphery he can see the girl carrying Minato make a dash for it- good. It looks like this thing isn't going down easily. That's fine.

His eyes alight on his wristlet seeing a flash of a message. He really needs to figure out how this thing works-- but it gives him an idea. With his grip tightening on his weapon Dimitri shifts his stance readying for movement, then gives a command to Keigo. ]

Summon Raiju!

[ The bolt of lightning strikes down between Dimitri and the one-eyed bull. The hazy form of a lion can be made out of the electric bolts as it roars out a crack of thunder. Dimitri addresses it, ]

Keep the Stonka busy, we need to buy them time.

[ Raiju immediately charges in. Hopefully that'll keep it busy while he and the Princess can devise a route out of here- one that won't lead the beast right back to Minato. ]

[As funny as it would be to keep princess carrying Minato, Alice sets him down the moment she knows they're out of range. Now all that they need to do is Trafuri out, and-

Of course those two dumbasses are trying to fight the Stonka. Alice considers abandoning them and making a break for it (no she doesn't, at least not seriously), but anything less than total victory would leave a bad taste in her mouth (at least that's what she tells herself).

She doesn't have many options, though. As the katakirauwa advance, Alice curses under her breath, summoning Poser and giving it a gentle kick in the shins to wake it up. But even if she deals with the pig demons, that Stonka is unlikely to go down easy without another push, and Poser can't be in two places at once...

...but there's another demon, watching from where it must think is a clever hiding spot, green eyes shining. A Cait Sith. If it's not attacking, then it's not a feral demon, which means that it's contracted, which means...

No more time to think. Alice runs full tilt at the Cait Sith as she points behind her, ordering Poser to strike with,] Xio! [Electricity is the Stonka's elemental strength, but it should at least make it flinch and give Dimitri and Princess the chance to run.] And...

[She scoops up the Cait Sith with one hand.] Agi! [Then tosses it, along with the fire spell that's the katakirauwa's weakness, at the mob of pigs.

This is when Alice and Dimitri get another message:]

Self-sacrifice is for losers, get over here for an express ticket to Trafuritown dweebs

Edited 2024-09-09 04:11 (UTC)

[ mrrEOOOOW!!? The poor Cait Sith goes flying right into the center of the piglets, flames sprouting upon impact and catching on the dry grass underfoot. The Katakirauwa squeal in hurt and surprise, the noise high-pitched and grating (nobody gets to appreciate/suffer this except Minato and the other demons, though), some running away from the flames while others haven't yet given up on their prey. Alice has sent two demons out, and now neither are at her side; Minato is likewise unaccompanied.

The wind begins to pick up as the Katakirauwa approach, fanning the flames. Between the fire and the flashing lightning, there is little space to move about, let alone for any of them to gather.

Further away, both the Shadow's and the Raiju's lightning zaps the Stonka, the bull taking little damage from it but it does take damage. It wrenches its attention away from the Princess to instead try and catch the Raiju by lunging at it with its horns: it may be quick on its feet, but it's slow to throw its head, and it keeps missing the Raiju that flits around like an annoying fly.

Minato pulls away from Alice. He's the easier target. He knows he is. Alice is out there commanding demons but him? His hands are empty, his COMP is empty, he stares down at the Katakirauwa and feels his bangs whip about his face with the rising wind— and launches himself off to the side, dodging the blade of wind that one of the Katakirauwa unleashes: Zan misses him, and hits Stonka head-on, causing it to reel back and stumble.

Lightning crackles. The flames roar. All around them is the smell of roasting meat, and they're all so hungry. ]

[ The Princess, unaccustomed as she is to help — let alone the successful kind — finds herself momentarily stunned when Alice and Minato halt. They're not fleeing to safety anymore, even though it would be the practical choice. For that matter, the expected one, and she doesn't quite know how to process this turn of events.

She had a plan. Just like the one she'd had when locked in the basement of a cabin, it was a plan she hadn't voiced. Back then, it wasn't safe to. In this case, there wasn't the time to do so. She'd rushed to help Minato — they all had.

It's still surreal to her that they all had.

Maybe it's finally time she tipped her hand, so she nudges the bag slung over her shoulder, prompting a familiar-looking pair of ears to emerge before the rest of her hare companion follows suit. The Princess may be reckless, but she's determined to live. Determined to be free, for once in her long and short memory.

This place had deprived her of that, when it was finally within her grasp. ]

Not dying.

[ It's a brief, hasty reply, because she's still maneuvering. Getting close enough to Dimitri as his electric demon keeps the boarlike one occupied. ]

With their numbers [ The abbreviated message sends as she nears Dimitri, her dagger arcing up to cut down one of the squealing piglets that leaps at her. A pause before she can resume her thought, catching Dimitri's cape. ] Get closer to the church?

[ Perhaps it's to their benefit that more than one of them can disengage. They can use that, can't they? They might run afoul of more and worse even when they rid themselves of these squealing, shrieking foes. So if Alice and Minato can get nearer to the destination, away from these enemies—

She yanks on Dimitri's cape when another piglet leaps his way. ]

[ Dimitri is equally as surprised when the woman and Minato halt their escape. Hadn't she harshly judged this rescue mission to begin with? Perhaps she is like Felix. Presents as cold and uncaring, but is actually the exact opposite. He feels like his guess is confirmed when he gets her message- Trafuritown- that's the escape maneuver. How many people can that effect? He doesn't know, he just wishes she'd use it to get Minato out of here.

Then Minato does something worrisome, but equally brilliant. Goading the boar into attacking him, but dodging so it hits the bull's weak point.

Just as he's debating summoning his other demon the Princess clutches at his cape distracting him. Closer to the church? But that would lead the demons in pursuit- Dimitri really needs to learn how to use it's instant-notice function. But then he takes note of her Hare which also knows Trafuritown. That changes things. He gives a firm nod to her and is surprised into a stumble when she yanks him out of the way of an attacking boar. Felix would find it rich if he was done in by one of those.

Dimitri misses his friends and classmates- they'd become a well oiled machine in battle ~~under Byleth's tutelage~~ while everyone here has no idea how to anticipate each other's moves. ]

Raiju! Becareful of the Katakirauwa! [ It's weak against the wind. ] Cover our escape with a shock!

[ So, maybe he's yelling because his ears are plugged and he can't tell how loud he's being. Dimitri waits for an opening then moves quickly with the Princess, batting away any demonic boars that come near with his make-shift lance (a sturdy sharpened deck brush handle). ]

[As soon as those stitched-up ears poke out of Princess's bag, Alice changes her plans. Now? Now they have options. While Dimitri and Princess break away, Alice grabs Minato's wrist and summons her own Frankenbun.]

Later, dorks. Don't die.

Trafuri!

[Even though she doesn't know where Frankenbun will take them, Alice hits the ground running once the light fades, dragging Minato behind her. She briefly considers going to Kate's house to split up the horde, but there's no way she's running the risk of leading the demons right to her doorstep. However, she still doesn't make tracks straight toward toward the church- or even make tracks at all.

Alice leverages her expertise at hiding from agents sent by her whackjob family to take a slow, silent, hidden route toward safe ground if she can—Frankenbun's Trafuri always deposits her somewhere outside of the immediate reach of other demons, which should give her the opportunity to stay low and evade their notice as long as she doesn't rush ahead like an idiot and run into another mob.]

Edited (i am SO SORRY for all the edits) 2024-09-09 18:40 (UTC)

[ When Minato and Alice vanish from view, the Princess just has to hope they'll be alright. The enemies are numerous, and neither of them appeared to be armed. She'd rather they didn't need to divide and regroup, but it can't be helped now. With any luck, they'll keep their wits about them and find their way to the church.

Dimitri surely wouldn't have told them to head that way were it not safe ground. She trusts that's the case. He'd come to their aid when they were in a tight spot, and he'd come from that direction.

She's never been keen on relying on others, on hoping, but the die is cast now. ]

Let's go then. [ With the others in the clear, the Princess turns to her hare. ] Trafuri.

[ With a jarring abruptness, they find themselves in a quiet building. The Princess glances around, squinting into the dark. The railing of a staircase suggest multiple floors, but the important part is they aren't surrounded by creatures trying to maul them.

It takes her a few moments longer to let go of Dimitri's cape, almost unwilling to accept their sudden safety. ]

Thank you, Hare. [ Hare of Inaba is a mouthful, but seeing as she goes by Princess, she has no objections to calling the demon what it is. ] We should keep moving.

[ After her misadventure exploring the school with Kuja, she's at least accustomed to finding her way around while avoiding hostiles. That ought to help them. Still, she waits for Dimitri to respond before pressing on. ]

[ Dimitri wasn't sure how the Trafuri worked, but now that he's seen it for himself he wonders why it isn't called 'warp'. Then again, for all he knows Trafuri might mean warp.

He takes the stuffing out of his ears and does his best not to notice how long the Princess's hand lingers on his cape. Perhaps she is more rattled than she lets on... ]

Agreed. It sounds like they are given strength by moonlight... But the demonic beasts won't enter the church. Nor the train for that matter, but I don't think we could make it through the woods.

[ Dimitri steps near a window to peer out the curtain, gaging the situation in the street. Looks like Raiju vanished when they warped. ]

[ She pulls the makeshift plugs from her own ears just in time to hear Dimitri's reply, tucking them into a side pocket of her bag. ]

I wonder what makes the train and the church unique.

[ The Princess muses as she strides over to another window, facing the building stationed beside it. If they avoid the street level, they should still be able to move toward the church, provided the buildings aren't riddled with demons too. ]

We could cross from here.

[ She gestures to the window beside her. It leads out to the neighboring building's roof, and at least for the time being, she can't see more of those creatures hovering above. Old crates and debris litter the roof, which should make them easier to spot.

The remains of an old gardening project aren't recognizable to her as anything but cover. ]

[ It takes a stumble or two, but then Minato is able match pace with Alice, eyes wide and blinking as he tries to regain his bearings which his COMP's map only sort of helps with. It shows the red dots, the way Alice has them skirt around and weave between the gaps; she clearly knows what she's doing, which leaves Minato free to split his attention between following and looking around for Princess or Dimitri or that poor flying cat...

No such luck.

But they're both capable people, they surely will make it back. Dimitri had told them to go to the church, back then, despite Minato being the only one who could hear it but thank goodness he did so Minato will know where to reconvene, trust that the two of them will be there when he arrives. They'd better, or... ]

Thanks. [ to Alice, whenever they make it somewhere safe long enough to stop and catch their breath. ] For coming.

[ For not leaving him to die. ]

I am not certain, although Minato made reference to some sort of angelic statue in the church yard. Perhaps tomorrow we can investigate it further.

[ Certainly not now, unless the statue also keeps the demonic beasts off the yard. Still, best left for the morrow- he doesn’t know magic and he doesn’t want to accidentally break anything.

Dimitri crosses to her and looks out the window taking in the remnants of the garden. Navigable. A look to the sky shows nothing… not at the moment. ]

We best be quick then. Before more of the flying ones come.

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[DAY 0] TDM.

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