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revivalprojectooc2023-10-05 11:14 pm
trpmods) wrote in revivalprojectooc2023-10-05 11:14 pm
[Storm] Stranger Danger
Content Warning: The following event post contains language and some linked images related to: blood, mouth related body horror, sentient vines/tentacles, choking, 'animal' attacks.
It starts the way that some months do. Those who have been around long enough will know the tell-tale signs by now. There’s a building pressure in the air, the sort that builds up in the temples and brows of those sensitive to it. Over the course of a day dark clouds begin to gather on the horizon, flashing with distant thunder. And of course, people might realize it’s been such a long time since the last storm. So there is time, if one chooses to heed the warnings, to avoid the part that comes next. Time to flee to Sh’Ka, where the storms are often gentler, where you can get by with losing your powers and electricity for a bit without truly suffering as badly from visions and ghosts trying to pull you into danger.
Regardless of whether one stays in Temba or goes, on the tenth of October the storm front bears down on the city and demands attention. With the first crack of lightning power goes out and all technology across the city dies. Along with this expected issue comes another recurring set of annoyances. All superhuman abilities are drained from He Rows still in the city, the dark skies and thick fog make it hard to navigate, and of course there are the ghosts. Everyone knows the storm ghosts by now, don’t they? The images of people you know, and sometimes those you don’t, that lure people into danger. As ever one might choose to try and pass the storm indoors or perhaps they will find themselves lost outdoors, calling for assistance or perhaps chasing a voice in the wind.
Honestly, compared to the last few storms it’s rather tame. The moon, which glares balefully down with the hideous face it shows only during the storms. This may worry some, as in the past the moon has screamed at night, restoring powers in a temporary and dangerous way. Yet tonight it is silent. Perhaps, just perhaps, this storm will be easier. No blizzards, no horror stories come to life, no confessions of your greatest secrets.
When the change comes, it comes over the sky suddenly. One moment there is a blinding peel of plasma-white lightning, making all the fog shine. The next there is another bolt, this one crimson and foreboding. The clouds around it change, growing crimson and blood red from within. Along with this comes a drop in temperatures. Not enough that you can see every breath you take, but not far off of that point either. Something in the cold seems to make the fog congeal, make it sink to the ground and linger only a few inches, swirling and eddying like something is passing through it.
Not an hour later comes the first sounds. Inhuman roars, unearthly hisses, horrific screeching. These are sounds wholly unnatural on Agra-10, and unrecognizable to He Rows. Unless, of course, you are one of a few very unlucky souls hailing from a small town in Indiana.
These sounds represent a new and highly dangerous threat, ones issuing at irregular intervals from great crimson gashes in walls, and in one notable instance, in the bottom of the fountain. The holes start small but grow as time passes, becoming fully fledged gates. Lingering close to them is a bad idea if you are not armed, and perhaps even if you are. Come too close and a long, thick, sticky vine may shoot through and grab your leg. If the vine isn’t stopped you will be hauled through the tear in space and into a place both familiar and unfamiliar at once. Welcome to Temba’s very own Upside-Down. Your best hope to survive is to get back out the way you came in as quickly as possible.
Of course Temba proper is only moderately safer than the other dimensional version of it is. The noises you’ve been hearing? Those are the Upside-Down’s horrific local fauna, predatory creatures that have decided to take advantage of the open gates to come do a bit of hunting. All of them are dangerous in different ways. Perhaps it’s best to hide from the flocks of demobats, the packs of demodogs, and the solitary stalking demogorgons, because to them you look tasty. In fact, it’s probably also wise to avoid bleeding, because the demogorgons at the very least seem to have an enhanced sense of smell for blood specifically, which is impressive given they have no obvious noses. Or eyes. Just horrible, horrible mouths filled with a terrifying number of teeth and wickedly sharp claws. Actually this is true of the demodogs too. At least the bats only have teeth. And wings. And three tails all the better to choke you with.
Yes, it might be a lot better to hide from the horrible creatures that roam the streets and prowl through the skies. Then again, if you do that, won’t it just get more dangerous for everyone? Who can say if the creatures will linger past the end of the Energy Storm. What if you need to go out for food? What if you need to get medical assistance? Perhaps it is time to make a stand, to show the storm and your observers that you are not scared. That you can brave whatever is thrown at you, and that you can survive. You are the He Rows of Agra-10 and you can face anything, with a little preparation.
On the third day things change yet again, in the most shocking manner of all. Around noon lights flicker back on, and… communications return. In fact, most technology seems to work for about two hours. Which means there is a chance to talk, to coordinate, to plan. Those who are familiar with the phenomena will be able to give details, those who are ready to fight can find allies. And those who want to strike back can start to act in concert, because apparently there is an answer to stopping all of the creatures roving through Temba, and the answer is to close the gates.
Things only get more interesting on the fourth day. Electricity begins to flicker in and out throughout the city, but it’s irregular and unpredictable, though more common close to certain areas: the fountain, the power station, the arcade, and the alien target. All locations of gates. All places where people might be on the other side, moving around, perhaps unknowingly distorting the flow of power in the ‘real’ world. At around midday those with superhuman powers will start getting the smallest hint of them back, the powers coming and going unpredictably and at only a trickle of what they normally represent. By the end of the day the storm still rages, but electricity and tech seems mostly back on, though very weak. It’s not enough to run the replicator, but there are lights, and communications seem to have stabilized.
On the fifth day comes the true spark of hope. The storm still rages, the creatures still rove, but something in the nature of the storm itself seems to alter, and just like that, superhuman powers seem to be back on the table in their full force. Now what chance could those monsters possibly have against you? What chance could the things beyond the gates?
And what, you ask, is beyond the gates? At first glance everything seems almost identical to the city you just left, from the broken roads to the ruined buildings to even those improvements made by He Rows over time. But the world is cold, colder than it is in Temba. There’s no water anywhere there should be, not even in the fountain or coming from any spigot or faucet. What’s more, the sky at night is a gray blue that seems to cast the whole world in a shade of blue that makes no sense, and during the daylight hours the crimson storm rages overhead, making the heavens look like an expanse of blood. Hanging in the air and falling from the sky are large, floaty motes that look almost like dust, or ash, and they taste of death if you inhale them so maybe cover your mouth and nose.
The major difference beyond the ambience of the sky and the chill in the air comes from the plant-life. Any growing thing from Temba proves to be dead here, very little even having a presence except dead and bare trees. Meanwhile there seems to be local ‘plants’ manifesting as a large network of moist looking vines that twist and turn and cover most surfaces, leaving the ground a broken place to try and walk. Try and touch them and they will prove sticky and covered in a strange ooze, and they might try and grab you back. Worse than that will be finding out that bothering the vines in any way will bring the attention of first demobat scouts, and then perhaps the larger predators. Your best option is to find cover and not upset the vines or creatures.
Oh, and one other thing. Stomping around the immediate area of any gate there will be one other being. They are twenty foot tall monstrosities that seem made up of smoke and dust and anger. These creatures seem to be trying to open the gates wider so they can break through, though thankfully their progress is gradual at best. Now if only there was a way to stop them. They are easily distracted by people though, and will chase any He Row they see, though what they will do to the He Row if they manage to catch their target is a mystery. Thankfully the moment one passes through a gate, intentionally or otherwise, any powers they might have had return, so perhaps they will be able to get away safely until they can find a solution to their problem. Now if only they could find a way to get back, or perhaps merely communicate with the other side.
Ultimately two things are very clear. First, the monsters will not stop attacking Temba until the gates are closed. Second, the gates won’t respond to any attempt to close them from the ‘Right-Side Up’. So someone, or more than one someone, is going to have to go in and stop this horror. And until they do, everyone’s at risk.
Work together, He Rows, and maybe you’ll all survive.
Before anything else we will give our players a reminder. This event can involve a lot of potentially triggering content. Please make sure your logs are posted with the relevant CWs/TWs that relate to specific text in your top level, and you add anything needed as a subject line warning if it becomes relevant in a thread. We have done our best to compile a list of possible Stranger Things canon related trigger warnings to the top of this event post, and encourage you to copy-paste those at minimum to your logs. If you are going to have non-event logs/threads as well, we ask that you avoid putting them them in the same logs as you are using for event related content to keep potentially triggering content separate from standard material. Thank you.
What are the dates of the event?
October 10th: Energy Storm.
October 11th: Storm turns red, four gates open
October 12th, Approximately Noon: Two hours where comms function and some tech as well
October 13th: Intermittent access to technology/electricity, irregular access to weakened versions of character abilities/powers
October 14th: All powers and technology becomes fully accessible and powered, the first possible day where all gates may be closed.
As an additional note, once creatures come through the gates on October 11th, the days get a bit of a pattern to them. Democreatures will be more active during night time hours than they are in daylight hours. So take the daytime hours as a chance to prepare for the periods of greater activity at night. Find/make weapons, set traps, find other He Rows, patch yourselves up.
When does the event end?
For this we’re putting faith in our players. While we don’t have a specific end date for this as players must close all four gates to end the event, we are assuming that this will be achieved by the He Rows by October 17th at the latest. So while we aren’t stating a specific date (you all might be so badass that you finish it all on the 14th, the first possible date where you can close all the gates), if you want to set something for ‘post-event’, set it on the 17th or later.
Can we opt-out of this event?
Yes. As ever, Sh’Ka will be your option. It will experience one day of standard energy storm effects on the 15th, if you want to have those.
Can we reach Sh’Ka once the storm starts?
Unfortunately no. Once the storm rolls in on the 10th, you are stuck in whichever city you have chosen until the end of the event.
What if I join the game or return from hiatus during the event?
You will have the choice of either arriving in Temba during the event (watch that fountain gate), or in Sh’Ka’s fountain.
What are the goals of this event, what options do we have?
Players can do one or more of four different options for the event.
2. Hide from the monsters while in Temba
3. Defend Temba and your fellow He Rows from the monsters
4. Actively seek out the gates and try to seal them
If we can hide, does that mean there are safe spaces in Temba?
Indeed, there are three. He Rows will find that the Library, the Whale Comb Sent Her, and the Residential Towers are the safest locations. These locations will only be attacked once, on the fourteenth, and they will be extremely meager attempts that won’t actually make it into the buildings before the creatures are forced to retreat because of other activities like distractions/attacks on the gates/defenders saving people hiding.
It is possible to hide in other locations as well. However we suggest people hiding in a place that isn’t in the list of three safe zones above find their hiding place attacked by some form of creature at some point. If you want true safety but still being tied into the event as supporters/planners/weapon makers/etc, choose the three safe zones. Otherwise, be prepared to fight or run.
How do we defend Temba/other He Rows?
You’ve got a variety of options. The Democreatures (Demobats, Demodogs, and Demogorgons) are not immortal and can be killed by conventional means. Bats are probably the easiest to take out with enough stabbing/crushing, Demodogs require more effort, and Demogorgons are particularly hard. The good news is that the creatures do have weaknesses. Removing/crushing/otherwise destroying the head seems to put them down real fast. Fire not only repels them to a degree but causes MASSIVE damage. And these three types of creatures are not so smart as to be able to recognize/avoid traps.
Just remember to work together in teams, jump over your own traps, and watch each other’s backs. You don’t want to die here.
How do we seal the gates?
Remember those twenty foot tall monstrosities we mentioned? Those are miniature Mindflayers. These creatures seem to be made of smoke and ash and darkness, but they are a bit different here in the Temba Upside-Down than they are back in Hawkins. These creatures can be physically harmed, as there is something tangible below the swirling mass of smoke and darkness. Of course it is VERY HARD to do so. We suggest a lot of fire, high tech weapons, guns, melee weapons, and teamwork. The Mini Mindflayers must be killed to close their associated gate. Please note that they are likely to call any nearby democreatures to them to help fight in their defense.
Below in the comments you will see one comment for each of the gate regions. We ask that players use these to decide their teams for the assaults. Anyone who was here for the giant mini-event in March will be familiar with this process. If you find there are a lot of people signed up for the gate you’re interested in, or all already have some team or other, consider making a secondary support team whose job is to fight off the democreatures while the main attack against the Mindflayer is underway.
Any group that desires it may ask in the general questions thread at any point for an RNG decision as to who gets the final blow.
You mention fire specifically as a weakness. Why?
Because all creatures of the Upside-Down are weak to fire, and what’s more, they are a hivemind (more below in ‘You mentioned vines’). That means burning one causes pain to any connected creature, especially in close proximity, and even their associated Mindflayer. Fire and heat are your friends more than anything else. But that doesn’t mean they need to be your only weapon. They are just a great distraction and a great tool for causing stagger damage in a large area with little effort.
I want to fight the creatures/defend Temba/attack through the gate but my character has no weapons/powers. What do you suggest?
Improvised weapons are useful if you’re strong or they are sharp. Traps are really helpful and might be valuable to set out to either ward off or actively kill/trap/harm the democreatures. There is also going to be a need for people to try and keep others patched up and fed, so that’s a useful thing to be doing even if you don’t want to be in fights. Finally remember that once power is back even intermittently on the 13th, it’s possible to take the Security datapoint and grab one of the guns. The energy scythe tools are also an option with the security datapoint, however they will still react the same way to blood and so will only be good for a single attack before they need to be repaired by someone with the Engineering datapoint. Please note that if you’re taking the security datapoint only for the duration of the event and then going back to another one, you are not obligated to report it as an expertise change on your AC thread. We’re happy to assume you bounced to it and back out later.
Can we die?
If you specifically would like to drop a character and have them go out dramatically, reach out to the mod team. This is far more likely to be allowed in the Upside-Down than in Temba itself. Serious injury is possible. Otherwise remember that all near deaths and potential maimings should be directed to the Death Intervention page. We’re happy to let you nearly die on your own terms, but it should still be discussed so we can determine what, if any, assistance the Agrii might try to provide (which is usually reduced/weakened in a storm, so it’s possible to be VERY injured in the course of this event).
What is meant by ‘weakened versions of character abilities/powers’?
We leave this up to player discretion, but are willing to give some examples. Say you have a character that can create hurricane force winds at will. During the period of weakened powers they can still create wind but it’s probably only going to be light breezes or maybe a gust that makes someone stagger but not fall. Or if your character could lift a car over their head with their powers active but without them might have trouble lifting a large bag of dog food, with weakened powers they might be able to lift two or three bags of dog food, maybe even four, but they aren’t lifting a car.
Is it possible to communicate between Temba and Upside-Down Temba?
Yes and no. You’re not going to be able to use your communication device across the dimensional rift, but there are ways to communicate otherwise which vary based on the side of the gates you are on. If you are in the Upside-Down it is possible to hear raised voices if you are sharing the same ‘space’ as another person on the other side (e.g. if you are in the diner and someone is talking loudly/shouting in the diner, you will hear them in the Upside-Down).
Meanwhile the presence of living things in the Upside-Down have an impact on the ‘real’ world Temba. Anywhere that a device that uses electricity is, whether it is on or not, results in the presence of a faint golden glow and sparkles in the air. When touched by someone in the Upside-Down they can effectively manipulate the amount of electricity going into a device. This allows one to use the sparkling energy to send what amounts to messages in the form of Morse Code or some other manner like answering yes or no questions or even as a spelling board if someone is creative enough to string electronics together with some means of representing letters.
Using these two methods, shouting in Temba and faint electrical surges in the Upside-Down, careful communications are possible.
Are there other major differences between the Upside-Down and Temba?
The effects of the energy storm in inhibiting powers does not seem to be in play once one crosses into the Upside-Down. Once you pass through that portal, it’s all fair game. For environmental questions, please continue on, we will cover that below.
Can I tell where someone is in the Upside-Down if I’m in Temba?
If you are in Temba and there are lights around you that are off, you will be able to ‘see’ the passage of people in the Upside-Down. This can be passive like lights going on and off in a hallway, or more active like holding up a powered off flashlight/torch and following the glow to track someone in motion.
How are people supposed to find the gates?
Well, you could trip over them, so to speak. Just be in the right place at the right time. The other reliable method is with a compass. Gates to the Upside-Down distort electromagnetic fields over a large area, and if you are near one any compass, even improvised ones, will point toward a gate. Guess it’s time to get out those homemade compasses. Time to show off your merit badges and summer camp skills.
In addition, the toxic/corrosive nature of the Upside-Down spreads from the gates. This means that plants in the area will, over time, die. We imagine this to be a roughly twenty to forty yard radius of dead plants around the areas with gates, though as the gates are mostly in buildings this will not always be noticeable as there may not be plants in the area.
You said the Upside-Down looks like Temba. How much like Temba?
The Upside-Down will be identical to Temba as it was in the exact moment that the storm first turned red. That’s down to the placement of chairs or even messes on your bedroom floors! The items that were there before are still there, including food. Perishable food will rot by the end of the first day. Non-perishable food is still going to be there. Water and electricity, though, will not be available.
You mentioned vines and issues with stepping on them. Can you explain?
So all lifeforms in the Upside-Down are actually part of a singular hivemind, and the vines, while the most sedentary of all of these lifeforms, also serve as something like a security net for the rest of the Upside-Down. They’re also mobile. It might help to think of them not only as vines, but as tentacles. If they are stepped on, all local democreatures will know where you are. They may even move to try and restrain you. They are very strong if they get you pinned, but can be cut or burned off. It is better to try and not tread on these when you can. Of course, you won’t know that if no one has warned you or you haven’t seen it in action before…
Is there a level of common/uncommon/rare encounter rate for the different democreatures? Also, tell us about the democreatures.
Demobats will be the most common within the Upside-Down and can make flocks of anywhere from three to a hundred individuals, or can be solitary scouts. They will make it through into Tembas as well, though in fewer numbers and will have a fondness for high places with good lines of sight. These creatures are often scouts or distraction tactics for other creatures. Their most common method of attack is to try and isolate an individual, usually with one demobat using its three tails to wrap around a limb or throat to pull the victim over and make it hard for them to get to their feet, and they can choke someone to death like this. Other demobats in the area will then land on the victim to try and get bites out of them. Their wings are particularly fragile, and someone with sufficient strength and leverage can actually rip their wings off or them in two.
Demodogs are less common in the Upside-Down but more common in Temba because they will be quick to head through the gates. These can show up as individuals or packs ranging from five to fifteen individuals. When you want to think about their method of attack, think about pack hunting animals (or the velociraptors from any Jurassic Park movie). They will often try to circle their prey and are predators used to running down their prey with persistence and stamina. Where there is one demodog you can bet there’s probably another two or three around. They are actually about the size of a medium-large dog, and can tear your leg off. They like to go for soft, fleshy areas though. Their legs are particularly susceptible to breaking, and they are small enough that enough blunt force trauma can take them out. While not overly durable they benefit from their hivemind allowing them to work together as a good hunting pack, and aren’t scared of anything but fire and demogorgons. The good news is that they are happy to feed once they have made a kill, unless they determine something else is a threat, so distractions with meat are viable.
Demogorgons are the top of the ladder predators here. When a demodog lives long enough and eats enough, it becomes a demogorgon, but that takes a long time to achieve. Demogrogons are bipedal, solitary, and ambush predators. They prefer to use either their hands/claws to cut into people, or to ambush them by coming up behind someone and eating their whole head in one crunching bite. Sorry, we can’t think of a gentler way to describe that. Unless there is other prey in the immediate area that they can see, demogorgons will stay to feed on their kills, or even other democreatures. Demogorgons are slightly more intelligent than their kin, and do not see people as threats. As such they are overconfident and may toy with their prey, switching between targets if they don’t feel threatened just to have some fun. They do not, though, recognize traps at all, so leading them into one is easier than you would think.
How do Mindflayers attack?
Stomping on you. Forming a mouth from their elongated and pointy heads to try and eat you. Forming tentacles full of angry sharp bits like teeth to grab and try and eat you. Summoning other creatures to do their bidding. Luckily, there are only four of them.
Is the Upside-Down on its own dangerous for extended periods of time?
The Upside-Down’s atmosphere can be toxic, so it is best to avoid prolonged exposure if possible. It is also advisable to wear something to keep larger particulates from being inhaled. In addition the area is very cold, which can lead to hypothermia if poorly dressed and stuck there for extended periods of time. There are also occasional tremors that can lead to falls (or tripping onto vines). All creatures from the Upside-Down will prove toxic if you attempt to consume them.
Oh no you didn’t answer something OR oh wait you didn’t mention this one thing about Stranger Things canon!
Please ask it below. We want to give you as many details as possible to help you in your adventures and your fight against the encroaching evil. We ask that questions related to this be asked on this page only and to the mod team. Anyone familiar with Stranger Things should not assume answers, not everything is perfectly identical after all.
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