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pluviooc2024-03-18 02:45 pm
pluviosamods) wrote in pluviooc2024-03-18 02:45 pm
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TEST DRIVE 02
TEST DRIVE
Hello, and welcome to the second Pluviosa Test Drive!
This Test Drive corresponds to Days 4-12 in the ship calendar, and will run until around the game's next major event. You can get a better idea what's going on in the most recent Game Update which covers Days 5-8. Currently, character IC housing is not in operation yet; it is expected to open on Day 9 (part of the way through the Test Drive period). Otherwise, the ship is largely in the state described on the Setting page and in other game information.
Test Drive threads involving characters who are accepted are considered canon to the events of the game unless otherwise agreed by players/mods. Pluviosa does not do welcome mingle logs nor does it have any kind of in-character welcome information, making your test drive threads your character's arrival to the game setting. That said, mod-run interactions such as formal exploration and/or interactions with the Ship as an NPC are not available on the Test Drive.
It is advised that potential players familiarize themselves with the Premise page, the Rules/Session Zero page, and at least the first few paragraphs of the Setting page. As Pluviosa is a horror game, we especially encourage players to be aware of the content warnings that will be major themes of the game. If you have any further questions, you can ask them on the QUESTIONS header in the comments!
If you're test driving a character, you're welcome to join the game Discord and hang out and meet your fellow players!
You wake up. You remember waking up, right? In another place, another time...
There's blood running down your fingers. Outside, the rain isn't pounding, yet, just a gentle patter...
Or is it?
As characters gain fuller awareness of their surroundings, they will realize that there is, in fact, no blood on their hands (save any that might have already been there). It feels as though they lost focus for a moment and hallucinated, but the hallucination ended with them somewhere else entirely.
There is not actually the sound of rain. If characters are near enough to a window, balcony, or even a hole in the ceiling, they will find that it is cloudless, beaming sunlight outside. The emptiness in the distance rolls on and on, completely absent any signs of life.
That being, of course, because the signs of life are all in here. Characters might wake up on any of the decks on the upper side of the ship - anywhere that isn't the cafeteria or lounge where previous arrivals spend most of their time is free game. This also means, of course, that they have the jungle of plants to contend with...
Most areas in the ship are dark when characters arrive. That doesn't mean that they stay dark. Occasionally, lights overhead flicker on and off for a few minutes at a time.
The problem with this isn't the lights themselves (cool white and kind of industrial). It's the reaction that the addition of the extra light causes the plants in the dark areas of the ship that's cause for alarm. To describe the growth as explosive isn't an understatement - vines, saplings, and even thicker branches surge with growth, pushing outwards towards the distant sunlight and upwards towards the flickering bulbs.
The growth is sudden enough to take all but the most aware characters by surprise, and if they're in the wrong corner of the room, it's very easy to get tangled up, wedged in by a tree trunk, or otherwise trapped against some corner or wall. If you're lucky and skilled, you might be able to cut yourself out from there (or break down the wall you're shoved up against), but otherwise, there's only one solution left.
Yell like your life depends on it, and hope somebody out there can hear you. And that whoever hears is someone who is inclined to help, rather than leaving you there. Or worse.
Oh, and the lights flicker back off after a few minutes, of course. Hopefully you're not waiting for rescue in the dark (with the smell of mold and the general faint dampness of the forest) for too long.
Occasionally, the whole ship tilts.
This is not simply the side to side motion of a ship on the water (or the equivalent motion brought on by the way this particular ship moves); it's an extremely forward or backward tilt that sends things sliding across the floor if they aren't secured by roots or something else. Unlike storm-tossed ships, the tilt is somewhat prolonged - rather than everything sliding back and forth a couple times a minute, the tilt lasts for five, ten, maybe as much as twenty minutes.
Although it's not enough to knock a well-balanced character off their feet, it's quite likely that new arrivals will not be particularly on-balance. And attempting to traverse the ship with the tilt is a tall order... especially when the ship's angle does unexpectedly change... to the exact opposite direction. All that goes up the mountain must go back down, and a glance out the windows reveals that that's exactly what's going on, as the ship progresses across a mountainous landscape without real regard for the concept of mountain passes.
And for characters who have managed to make their way to the "civilized" parts of the ship, namely the cafeteria and the lounge above it... None of the furniture in these areas is secured. The cafeteria carts under the direct control of the Ship don't seem as inclined to go anywhere, but the tables and chairs in the cafeteria and the couches and armchairs upstairs... Well, it's a good thing both spaces are surrounded by railings. Large chunks of tree trunk also still littler the lounge, sliding back and forth and occasionally rolling with great force across the floor.
Better hold on tight.
While wandering around the ship's interior, characters might occasionally hear a person whistling.
The sound always seems to be coming from just around the corner, but it sounds alive in a way that other sounds don't. Maybe more alive, even, than the rustle of leaves, the occasional drip of water, and the sounds of things sliding back and forth across the grimy, leaf-covered floors. The whistler, whoever they are, doesn't actively respond if called out to - but the whistling does pause, as though indicating that the call was heard, before starting up again.
If characters choose to follow the whistling, they're inevitably led to the same place - somewhere overlooking the great gap down the middle of the ship, whether an internal suite's balcony, one of the bridges crossing between the two halves, or one of the hallways that runs alongside it. Once they're there, there's no whistler in sight; however, characters will be filled with the overwhelming urge to look over the edge of the railing and down into the lower parts of the ship.
Exactly what they experience after looking down varies. Some will hallucinate that they've fallen over the side, feeling their balance go haywire and seeing the floor rushing up to them right up until the moment of "impact," at which everything returns to normal. Some will feel a stranger's hands on their shoulders, threatening to push them over with a great shove that goes through them with incorporeal fingers. Some will just hear unidentifiable laughter right up close to their ears, and experience the distinct sensation that there's someone laughing at them, in a haha-made-you-look kind of way.
But whatever happens, when they look up, there's no one there - or at least not anyone that physically close to them. The one good thing about being drawn to the middle section of the ship by whatever prankster this is is that it makes it a lot easier to run into people if you're all drawn to the same, highly visible place.
And at least the other person is flesh and blood, right? Probably.
This Test Drive corresponds to Days 4-12 in the ship calendar, and will run until around the game's next major event. You can get a better idea what's going on in the most recent Game Update which covers Days 5-8. Currently, character IC housing is not in operation yet; it is expected to open on Day 9 (part of the way through the Test Drive period). Otherwise, the ship is largely in the state described on the Setting page and in other game information.
Test Drive threads involving characters who are accepted are considered canon to the events of the game unless otherwise agreed by players/mods. Pluviosa does not do welcome mingle logs nor does it have any kind of in-character welcome information, making your test drive threads your character's arrival to the game setting. That said, mod-run interactions such as formal exploration and/or interactions with the Ship as an NPC are not available on the Test Drive.
It is advised that potential players familiarize themselves with the Premise page, the Rules/Session Zero page, and at least the first few paragraphs of the Setting page. As Pluviosa is a horror game, we especially encourage players to be aware of the content warnings that will be major themes of the game. If you have any further questions, you can ask them on the QUESTIONS header in the comments!
If you're test driving a character, you're welcome to join the game Discord and hang out and meet your fellow players!
ARRIVAL - LIKE THE RAIN
You wake up. You remember waking up, right? In another place, another time...
There's blood running down your fingers. Outside, the rain isn't pounding, yet, just a gentle patter...
Or is it?
As characters gain fuller awareness of their surroundings, they will realize that there is, in fact, no blood on their hands (save any that might have already been there). It feels as though they lost focus for a moment and hallucinated, but the hallucination ended with them somewhere else entirely.
There is not actually the sound of rain. If characters are near enough to a window, balcony, or even a hole in the ceiling, they will find that it is cloudless, beaming sunlight outside. The emptiness in the distance rolls on and on, completely absent any signs of life.
That being, of course, because the signs of life are all in here. Characters might wake up on any of the decks on the upper side of the ship - anywhere that isn't the cafeteria or lounge where previous arrivals spend most of their time is free game. This also means, of course, that they have the jungle of plants to contend with...
LIGHTS ON, SHOW START
Most areas in the ship are dark when characters arrive. That doesn't mean that they stay dark. Occasionally, lights overhead flicker on and off for a few minutes at a time.
The problem with this isn't the lights themselves (cool white and kind of industrial). It's the reaction that the addition of the extra light causes the plants in the dark areas of the ship that's cause for alarm. To describe the growth as explosive isn't an understatement - vines, saplings, and even thicker branches surge with growth, pushing outwards towards the distant sunlight and upwards towards the flickering bulbs.
The growth is sudden enough to take all but the most aware characters by surprise, and if they're in the wrong corner of the room, it's very easy to get tangled up, wedged in by a tree trunk, or otherwise trapped against some corner or wall. If you're lucky and skilled, you might be able to cut yourself out from there (or break down the wall you're shoved up against), but otherwise, there's only one solution left.
Yell like your life depends on it, and hope somebody out there can hear you. And that whoever hears is someone who is inclined to help, rather than leaving you there. Or worse.
Oh, and the lights flicker back off after a few minutes, of course. Hopefully you're not waiting for rescue in the dark (with the smell of mold and the general faint dampness of the forest) for too long.
TILT-A-WORLD
Occasionally, the whole ship tilts.
This is not simply the side to side motion of a ship on the water (or the equivalent motion brought on by the way this particular ship moves); it's an extremely forward or backward tilt that sends things sliding across the floor if they aren't secured by roots or something else. Unlike storm-tossed ships, the tilt is somewhat prolonged - rather than everything sliding back and forth a couple times a minute, the tilt lasts for five, ten, maybe as much as twenty minutes.
Although it's not enough to knock a well-balanced character off their feet, it's quite likely that new arrivals will not be particularly on-balance. And attempting to traverse the ship with the tilt is a tall order... especially when the ship's angle does unexpectedly change... to the exact opposite direction. All that goes up the mountain must go back down, and a glance out the windows reveals that that's exactly what's going on, as the ship progresses across a mountainous landscape without real regard for the concept of mountain passes.
And for characters who have managed to make their way to the "civilized" parts of the ship, namely the cafeteria and the lounge above it... None of the furniture in these areas is secured. The cafeteria carts under the direct control of the Ship don't seem as inclined to go anywhere, but the tables and chairs in the cafeteria and the couches and armchairs upstairs... Well, it's a good thing both spaces are surrounded by railings. Large chunks of tree trunk also still littler the lounge, sliding back and forth and occasionally rolling with great force across the floor.
Better hold on tight.
SOMETHING WHISTLING
While wandering around the ship's interior, characters might occasionally hear a person whistling.
The sound always seems to be coming from just around the corner, but it sounds alive in a way that other sounds don't. Maybe more alive, even, than the rustle of leaves, the occasional drip of water, and the sounds of things sliding back and forth across the grimy, leaf-covered floors. The whistler, whoever they are, doesn't actively respond if called out to - but the whistling does pause, as though indicating that the call was heard, before starting up again.
If characters choose to follow the whistling, they're inevitably led to the same place - somewhere overlooking the great gap down the middle of the ship, whether an internal suite's balcony, one of the bridges crossing between the two halves, or one of the hallways that runs alongside it. Once they're there, there's no whistler in sight; however, characters will be filled with the overwhelming urge to look over the edge of the railing and down into the lower parts of the ship.
Exactly what they experience after looking down varies. Some will hallucinate that they've fallen over the side, feeling their balance go haywire and seeing the floor rushing up to them right up until the moment of "impact," at which everything returns to normal. Some will feel a stranger's hands on their shoulders, threatening to push them over with a great shove that goes through them with incorporeal fingers. Some will just hear unidentifiable laughter right up close to their ears, and experience the distinct sensation that there's someone laughing at them, in a haha-made-you-look kind of way.
But whatever happens, when they look up, there's no one there - or at least not anyone that physically close to them. The one good thing about being drawn to the middle section of the ship by whatever prankster this is is that it makes it a lot easier to run into people if you're all drawn to the same, highly visible place.
And at least the other person is flesh and blood, right? Probably.
An Executor must use force when necessary (ie. dragging Argenti along by the wrist)
“Greetings, then, Argenti of the Honorclad,” Executor says flatly. His head tilts just a fraction. “I am…well versed in the many cultures of Terra, but I have not heard of an Aeon, or this…Idrilla. Are they a religious leader?”
He goes silent as the knight discovers his injury for himself. Argenti's face seems to slacken in confusion, staring at the crimson liquid on his fingers. The man truly did not seem to notice…and there is a cloudy look that passes through his eyes periodically, letting several minutes pass in silence.
Executor needs to gather more information before making a conclusion, but the current factors were not promising for Argenti’s wellness of being. Especially when the clearly injured man tries to refuse help. Executor takes a step closer…then another. He watches the knight search for supplies that aren’t there, then rip off a piece of dirty cloth contaminated with plant matter and press it to the open wound.
Various alarms for danger and breaches of safety protocol go off in his mind. He steps even closer, eyes narrowing slightly, the corners of his lips turning down just a little. “Negative. Your injury appears to be impairing your cognitive abilities, and as the nearest Operator capable of aid, I insist you cooperate with me,” Executor states, his voice firm and brokering no room for argument.
The reassuring smile is lost on him, as he’s more trained to watch for weakness and pain, to know when to strike and when to take over—he sees Argenti bite his lip to suppress a cry of pain. Why…why does he insist on taking the painful route when Executor himself is clearly here and willing to help? He does not understand. It’s baffling, and he pushes those circling questions to the back of his mind to piece together later. He’s…been doing that more often lately.
“Remove that immediately, Argenti,” Executor says, a not so subtle order in his tone. He reaches for the gauntleted hand holding the ragged, stained cloth to the gash, forcibly removing it with a firm grip (he makes sure to be relatively slow. He does not want to hurt an injured person further.). The blood continues to drip down sluggishly, unhindered. “Head wounds bleed profusely. Minor or no, you risk infection using unclean material to stop the bleeding. I have a small medical kit on my person with the essentials. All clean, all prepared for treatment for battle wounds such as this.”
This close to the knight, he can hear…abnormal breathing. The man’s respiratory rhythm is strained and unsteady. Is he actively hiding further injury? Why? Or is he truly not aware? Executor frowns a little more, the most severe expression he’s made in a good while. “You are injured. There are stairs over here. Come sit so I can see to your wounds properly.” He tugs on Argenti’s arm as if to make his point, a physical insistence if his words fail.
Parried! (man's really shoulda just let his butt be sat down.)
Before he can regain his train of thought he's caught up in holding the tattered cloth to his head and trying to reassure this new companion that he was well within his margins to care for himself.
Sometime between him finding the cloth and putting it to his head, Executor Federico had moved in closer, it startles him slightly but not enough to make his smile waver, his expression however quickly falls into a frown as he addresses Argenti again, tone serious and attempting once again to direct Argenti.
This close its easier to make out the man’s expressions, the way his clear blue eyes focus on Argenti’s head wound and his eyebrows furrow upon his observations of the knight, Argenti himself finds himself frowning in response, frustrated that his attempts to convey his well-being are not lessening the man’s concerns, in fact they seem to be doing the opposite.
“I promise, I am thinking clearly,” he says, still keeping his tone even, calm, “and I insist that I have this situation handled. I am accustomed to dealing with my own injuries swiftly and competently.” Verbal communication was not his strong suit, he was much better with actions, but even his actions seemed to be failing him at the moment.
The man’s tone grows more stringent, addressing Argenti for the first time by just his given name, almost as if he was an officer or worker underneath the man’s command. He allows the hand to pull at his wrist and remove the cloth from his head, barely registering the blood falling into his eye again as his own frown grows more deep and frustrated. “I am familiar with the nature of head wounds,” He placates, “And please save your medical supplies for someone who needs them more. This is not a permanent solution, only a temporary one, it should be brief enough that I do not risk infection.” He wasn’t sure what he’d clean it with, but facilities like this usually had sinks, and since the vessel was still operating he could fairly safely assume there was running water.
Truly he did not wish to pick a fight with this man, but everything he did seemed to make the man more and more stressed about his own situation, regardless of the actual state of peril Argenti was in. Which was none. Argenti himself was fine, he could handle this himself. But how did he communicate that effectively. He locks eyes with the man for a brief second, brilliant green meeting misty blue, his brows furrowed, but his expression is not one of anger or rage, but one that looks almost pleading, lost, desperate. How? How could he fix this-?
((For context, he kinda looks like he might cry? Desperate, almost biting his lip kinda frown))
He didn’t register Executor Federico’s request to sit down, he didn’t hear the words at all. His head screamed with the thoughts racing through it and his building emotions. He could barely think- He needed to put a stop to this-
He abruptly pulled down his arm, taking Executor Federico’s hand with him, then pulled it closer and spun it so Executor Federico’s wrist was now no longer at a stable angle for maintaining his grip. He then quickly flung it outwards and the man’s fingers slipped off entirely, freeing Argenti from his concerned grip.
He was free, but he had no plan past that, he took a step back on instinct to defensively put distance between them-
He stumbles slightly over a vine with a yelp, and collides with the wall behind him again. Its not half as strong as an impact as the first, but he feels it from this head to his toes, as if every bone in his body vibrated with the contact.
He bites the inside of his cheek to keep from any noise escaping him besides a strong exhale and a quiet groan- he tastes blood in his mouth.
He opens his eyes- when had he closed them? And the world is, spinning slightly. It feels like there's roaring inside his head and his chest hurts and he can barely breathe-
He coughs and chokes, raising a hand to cover his mouth to smother the sound, forcing air back into his lungs as quickly as possible, every heaving inhale felt like it twisted his chest, throat, lungs, and head, wringing them out and misshaping them and leaving him with nothing but the roaring sensation of pain, pain, pain-
When the fit stops, it takes everything Argenti has to not slide down onto the floor.
Time for more super clumsy social navigation!! Uno reverse, Fedi's sitting now
"There is nothing to 'save' medical supplies for. This is the situation I have prepared them for, and if they are depleted, I will procure more. It is no trouble." Argenti seems reluctant to remove the cloth. "This place is foreign to the both of us. You have no idea what pathogens might be carried in the local flora. Infection is not a risk to take lightly-" Like Oripathy. He'd not seen the telltale black crystals anywhere, but it's always a possible cause of the plants' strange behavior...
The man's eyes lock on his own, emotion roiling in them that he cannot...begin to parse. There is an intensity, bordering desperation that he'd seen in battle, but...there is no battle here. Only a wounded man refusing medical treatment. What is distressing him so? Is the wound worse than he'd anticipated? He spares his own attire a glance, wondering if he'd been covered in blood, bringing distress to a victim once again. No, just some plant residue. That is not the problem here.
How can he get this man to cooperate, to see reason-
Argenti moves abruptly, executing an expert self defense maneuver that leaves Executor both startled and even a little impressed. He'd not expected such struggle-
And then the knight stumbles back, tripping and colliding with the wall-
"Argen-" he starts, reaching forward again. But he'd already pulled away. And the man was coughing, a horrible, grating thing, a frantic scramble for air that left him breathless. Executor holds still, assessing, watching sweat pour down the man's pale face, and a spot of crimson blossom in the corner of his mouth.
Executor feels...cold. It is very rare he is at such a loss. Did he do this? Did Argenti hurt himself further to get away from him? His mouth opens, but no words form. He does not know what to say. He does not know what to do. His outreaching hand closes, forming a fist and lowering to his side.
Normally, there are other Operators around to offer insight. Normally he can visit the Doctor to ask for guidance, such as to why Vermeil yelled so much at him, her tail puffed up in fear that day. There is such emotion here he feels woefully ill-equipped to manage. And the tactical approach failed so miserably. It's just him here. What can he do? What would...
What would Ezell do?
That cold feeling from before eases, warming as he considers his fellow Sankta; bright, easy smiles; steaming, too bitter too black coffee; careful patience with a small, scared little girl with no one else in the world to call family...
What would he do? What would he say?
Sir. Senior Executor Federico, you need to drop your weapons and listen to the man for once before you engage in further conversation with him.
Exasperation. Sincerity. Warmth. Care.
All things rather out of his grasp. It does not make sense. But it would be ...reasonable to try a different approach.
Executor lets out a slow breath, eyes closing. He lowers himself to the damp, vine covered ground into a sitting position. His body is a weapon. He'd distressed Argenti by grabbing him. He shall lower himself in an attempt to ease tension.
"Apologies. My work normally involves working with people on death's door, rather than the living. My social skills lack refinement. I have not listened." His eyes open, and he raises his gaze to the other man's. "How would you like to proceed, Sir Argenti?" He has many strategies in mind, but pushes them aside in favor of this strategy. He must listen. He must learn.
An olive branch of sorts between the both of them
The room is spinning... less. He feels like at least now he can... somewhat maintain his bearings.
Exectur Federico has sat down on the ground... paying no mind to the foliage and mire... his eyes raised to meet Argenti's... expression... sincere...
Argenti considers the man's words and his mind is... blank.
How would he like to proceed? What was his plan?
He- he didn't have one.
Argenti allows himself to sink onto the ground... it was only fair... that with Executor Federico lowering himself... he should... meet him on even terms...
His legs extend in front of him, although still somewhat bent at the knee... He closes his eyes again to focus on breathing. Considering the man's question...
He grits his teeth against another small wave of pain... forgetting that time to mask his expression... "I... was... exploring this vessel, in hopes... of offering aid to anyone... who may need it." He opens his eyes now to meet Executor Federico's again, "I... I have no other plans... besides that one..." he admits.
And now he is injured... and he can barely breathe... and he has caused this man undue worry and stress...
The room starts spinning again with an inhale and he closes his eyes to stave off the nausea that comes with it.
"I... simply need a moment... I am sure... This will pass..." Or at least... he dearly hoped so... he'd caused... enough trouble...
Executor takes the olive branch and ponders deeply
But then something lurches within him when he watches the knight slide down the wall. His hand reaches forward without his input, and he quickly pulls back. He does not want to exacerbate the situation. He shall not.
Wait. Listen.
It's...difficult that listening makes it increasingly obvious that Sir Argenti is truly struggling to breathe. He needs medical attention, a thought only enforced when he watches the man unable to withhold a grimace.
Even so, he speaks. And Executor listens.
Traveling to offer aid...he nods slowly, feeling some understanding. Laterano is not here, and yet Executor had to do something to offer aid here. The whys and whats and hows were irrelevant in the need to act
and he finds himself reluctant to analyze those questions for some reasonso he self assigned a contract with this strange ship until further notice. "I...think I understand, a little. Please understand that I am also simply looking to help, Sir Argenti. I have been...removed from my place of jurisdiction, and aim to do what I can with the circumstances present."No other plans... for some reason his chest. Tightens, at that. Perhaps the sight of someone, defeated and slouched against the wall, blood dripping down his chin, was...too familiar to--
....Federico takes a deep breath, pushing the inexplicable memories of the gardener away. That is irrelevant to now.
The person before him still has a chance."You...must be aware that allowing your injuries to worsen negatively impacts your own efforts to offer aid, correct? It is imperative to seek maintenance when your body is not functioning properly." His brow furrows, a thought occurring. "In an indirect sense, I suppose that could further your goals. You are of no help to anyone in this state."
Executor Bertoni was unable to carry himself home as per the wish of the heir. He sacrificed himself, but that also went against the heir's wishes. Illogical. If one is unable to carry out the objective, then they should allow aid. Executor Federico can carry the objective; he carried Executor Bertoni. He can offer aid. So why is it not allowed, here?