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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.
Re: Argenti |~ Honkai Star Rail~| Tilt-a-World/Lights On, Show start
Veritas makes a face at the notion. He’s sure he could agree that there is wonder and mysteries to uncover here, perhaps that’s one of the few things he can indulge in while he’s here: his intellectual curiosity. But Aeon’s forbid, could it have not been in a cleaner, more sterile condition?
"You could say that," he vaguely answers. It is certainly one way to describe a mysterious case of spiriting away.
"Don’t be so modest. It’s only fair after hearing about how you handled the Giant Sting in the Rosette Star Cluster." He wasn’t exaggerating. The Intelligentsia Guild’s research into the Swarm’s activity proved fundamental to understanding the characteristics and properties of the species. And the intel shared to him from the IPC about this particular case study had been enlightening to say the least on their current scale and scope in isolation.
"How did that resolve anyways? I assume the Astral Express had lent their assistance, being involved in the dilemma themselves." He can believe that they along with a Knight of Beauty could mount a fierce enough offense to neutralize something capable of consuming spacecrafts.
His interest in the matter is barely disguised. It’s rare he gets a first hand account of the actual Swarm disaster in the vast cosmos. The specimens at the space station from Ruan Mei’s experiments were one thing, wild species were another. He’s grateful for the offer to help. But funny enough, he approached the man with intentions to help rather than be helped. So perhaps he’ll make use of Argenti’s energy and eagerness to help another time, seeing as how he’s swaying back and forth on his feet. … Hm?
The ship seems to have settled down, but Veritas is more than aware that this could be the calm before the storm, remembering the steep cliffs outside the windows he passed before coming here. Something to not forget during this investigation. For now, he's content to pick at this knight's gray matter to ascertain what he's working with here.
This QnA answer segment sponsered by Argenti's many concerning life choices.
"Well then by all means, if you require aid, whether it be safety in numbers, a helping hand, or anything else, as a Knight of Beauty it'd be my honor to offer it." He could not yet tell from the man's disposition or words if he was someone who could hold his own in a crisis, although he did note his well toned build.
Argenti was surprised, the case with the Giant Sting was a very enclosed case, not many were present on that day, very few could've heard about it... He brightens visibly, "Ah! Are you mayhaps friends with Velite of the IPC? Or perhaps the fine company of the Astral Express? Its not many people who would even know that event occurred." A friend of his friends was a friend indeed, he'd be thrilled to get to know them.
Argenti smiled, gaze a little distant as he fondly recalled a young trailblazer, determined to talk him off his path of fighting the Giant Sting single handedly... a gaze full of concern, and firm, worried words. The memory was still dear to him, "The Astral Express and I put a valiant effort into discovering the culprit behind our hallucinations. Given you're familiar with the Swarm, you are probably also aware of their... particular brand of disturbance causing attributes. However when it came down to facing the Giant Sting, I insisted on handling it myself. The Express successfully escaped while I provided a distraction, and I was able to make my own way out after the fact."
He attempted to continue to make eye contact with the man, he was... almost certain his expression was one of interest... but his face kept swaying and blurring before his eyes. He attempted to blink away the sensation, shaking his head minutely in an attempt to focus. It helped. A small bit. He tried his best not to squint on instinct. His head throbbed behind his eyes in what might have been protest at his actions. He would check himself over. Soon. When he was no longer engaging with this gentleman.
squints Hmmm Concerning
Veritas squints at his cough. The wet sound of it doesn’t inspire confidence in him nor the prolonged stay the fit had. "No apologies needed. I will keep your offer in mind, Sir Argenti," if he’s a knight, then it’s only fair that Veritas acknowledges such a title. Especially since he has been nothing but demonstrative of Knight of Beauty’s Code of Chivalry upheld in Idrila’s, the Aeon of Beauty’s, honor. He could feel the gears in his head turn, reading through numerous references: Master Diviner Fu Xuan’s manuscript Glimpse into the Beyond, publications on the Stelleron crisis in Melustanin within the Candelagraphos’ data banks and libraries, and the myriad resources on the history of Aeons he cross referenced and utilized for his publications. Theology was one out of many of his fields of interest, and he almost felt nostalgic at the memory. Almost.
Veritas smiles. "I am familiar with both the Astral Express and... the IPC, yes." Though admittedly his time on the express was before the incident, so he hadn’t heard about the occurrence until he returned to the Intelligentsia Guild for his research. "Velite was a name that came up in my files. The Intelligentsia Guild is touted as the marketplace of information.” He states factually if not derisively at the notion. "I’d be an idiot to not know of something as dangerous as a Swarm occurrence happening on some corner of the galaxy with the resources at my disposal."
His eyes narrow in scrutiny. There are many publications on just how disturbing they are. And his lips purse when he hears of the knights' solo efforts. "Excuse me. Did you just say you insisted?" On his own? Without the Astral Express that apparently escaped with his distraction? He leaves his own sense of dumbfounded incredulity at the door in favor of looking at how… dazed the man in front of him seemed after recounting the sordid tale.
He isn’t sure if he could believe in this account of such a dangerous matter. Especially not with the way Argenti’s viridian green eyes couldn’t even focus on him properly during their conversation. He closes in on the knight, raising both of his hands out towards him, not touching. "As… grandiose and," he pauses trying to find the words to describe his thoughts on the matter presented to him, "astounding that tale is, but are you alright? That cough doesn’t sound good. I am a medically trained doctor, do you mind if I check your vitals?"