the sunken | part i

[groundrules]

THE SUNKEN

---

Image source.

Welcome to the first log of Arc VI: the Sunken, which covers 15 May – 2 June and doubles as a test drive meme.

Back/forward date as needed! The calendar date suggestions are indicative.

The TDM is open to everyone! If you decide to apply to the game, you can get an invite from current players or the upcoming enabling meme — or participate in the test drive meme and get in touch @ groundrules to chat things over. We currently have 13 slots available for new players.

Test drivers can use this post for logs and network posts — old timers, please make your network posts at eastbound.

LOST AT SEA | TEST DRIVE TOURISTS

Image source.

You wake, gasping, in a stormy sea, your thoughts slowed to a confused trickle. Skill, floating wood or a kindly stranger — who you can’t understand — help you to reach shore.

Villagers discover you collapsed on sand and provide critical (if rickety) communication and translation devices. They say you are in Sunken Yancai, a fishing village progressively overtaken by waters and cursed by the secretive ‘ladies of the lake’ to transit through time.

■ Rescuers group newcomers and supply questionable village couture, warm meals and accommodations in abandoned, half-flooded homes or spare small boats anchored in Yancai’s waterways. Huddle up, recover your strength and don’t think too hard on why your memories are hazy over the next three days.

■ Come morning, you visit village leader Quanze Tsaymien, then the sorceress Karsa — who explains you are otherworlders summoned into Akhuras by undead lords who wish to weaponise you in their battle against humans and one another. Karsa is an associate of the Merchant, who leads otherworlders towards ancient transport beacons east.

■ One such beacon rests dormant in Yancai. The group must infiltrate the village and wait a few weeks until it shifts to a point back in time when the beacon was active.

■ Newcomers are handed passport papers with their new identities in Yancai, where they may be known as a bankrupt merchant, perpetually drunk sailor, whale hunter, raft surveyor, mermaid who has just gained their legs, crab collector... feel free to invent a dutifully hilarious apt role for their seaside sojourn.

OLD TIMERS | THE DRIFTING

Image source.

You dragged yourself here in a haze. You arrived long ago, as if in a dream. You were born and bred in this village. In truth, your memories of reaching lively Yancai feel nebulous and alarmingly inconsequential.

Characters are facilitated new identities and dwellings by the Merchant, or believe they have had them all along.

■ A weary Karsa warns to say nothing to party members with altered memories, until the sorcery that affects them runs its course.

■ Memory-altered characters progressively regain their memories within three to five days (by 20 May). They have their memories partially or fully back at night ( midnight to 5 a.m.). Throughout the day, memory regains can trigger migraines, eerie confusion and paranoia.

■ Hauntings begin once characters have fully regained their memories.

■ Once everyone is ‘back to normal,’ Karsa explains that Yancai periodically transits through time. The memory alterations are a magical solution endorsed by the village council, which ensures locals mentally weather these shifts. Villagers continue to blithely accept you as part of the community.

(DON'T) HOLD YOUR BREATH

Image source.

Karsa reunites the existing party and newcomers, issuing first assignments. The Merchants’s information suggests the beacon of Yancai will be online once the village travels in time within weeks. A dubious Karsa asks the party to check on the beacon, located in the former House of Commerce of the largely inundated merchants’ district. Reach it by rowing boat.

■ Villagers say the Master of Commerce, a famous musician, took precautions against intruders.

■ All ground and lower floor entryways of the palatial House were boarded to restrict flooding. To enter, pick locks or climb the putrid stairwell towards upper balconies.

■ Inside, the hissing of running water — and, in the lower levels, of thin, slippery leeches whose bite numbs your limbs, while they attempt to feed. You seem to experience pronounced vertigo when entering any decaying rooms covered in black mould.

■ The beacon is located on a dais in the basement vault room, where water rises near 1 meter. Only a few scattered scrolls and golden decorations remain among decorations, while a large ceiling carving writes, greed deafens man to the cries of his conscience; music sets him free.

■ Some tiles of the marbled floor stand out as you wade — step on one, and all doors abruptly slam shut, while dozens of obscured holes in the wall start to rapidly spill water, threatening to fill the room to the ceiling within the hour. You hear the tinny, waning sound of a village song played from a hidden source.

■ To stop the pouring water and open the doors, sing the song you hear, or find the music box that produces it amid debris on the water-covered floors. Wind it, and it plays its song in reverse, revealing the voice of a laughing elderly man who says, Depressingly, Anurr was right to worry.

■ Don’t forget to check the beacon — and report back to Karsa that it looks structurally untarnished.

THEY SLEEP

Image source.

After surprising revelations at previous citadels, Karsa tasks you to investigate just how… permanent death is in Yancai. Villagers share that their dead are buried in a strange rite at sea — part of which will take place within days.

■ The dead are ‘entombed’ in one-man sarcophagi ships with carved and chained lids that depict their likeness. These burial boats are set at sea on the first day of each season and return three months later.

■ Join the harbours around 22 May, when mourners gather to receive the burial boats. Characters must pretend to be greatly anguished relatives, acquaintances or debt collectors to join the grieving.

■ The boats float towards you, seemingly of their own volition. Gaze afar and spot a boat carrying a man in black — the same who haunts some characters — who observes until the last burial ship has reached the piers, before he disappears.

■ Sailors draw up the boats and unpeel the untouched chains and lids, to reveal… no corpses. Peer closer and find neither biological signs (stench, liquids) of discomposure, nor the magical chillness of spaces where cadavers have lingered long. Scratch marks litter the inside of some boat lids.

■ Mourners seem grateful that the waters have ‘accepted’ the bodies. Some say that their relatives whose boats have yet to return must have been stolen by the ‘ladies of the lake,’ a villainous witch coven. Speak to mourners or sailors for clues.

■ Linger long near opened burial boats, and you feel tempted to throw yourself into the sea, slowly losing consciousness — until someone rescues you.

AMONG US

Image source.

On 25 May, village leader Quanze Tsaymien drags the chained and half feral mistress Miang-si to households and Yancai’s largest market square.

The young woman, he says, was seduced by the ladies of the lake — the furtive witch coven that condemned Yancai to time travel. Luckily, the village elders have… coaxed Miang-si back onto the righteous path.

■ Miang-si is brought door-to-door to point out her 'accomplices.' Ill at ease, villagers whisper of similar witch hunts leading to false accusations and blood-curdling repercussions.

■ Both men and women are suspected and brought before Miang-si. Perhaps she takes an eerie interest in you, getting especially close to catch your scent, touch or remark on (in)visible hurts, or even dotingly kiss you. If you whisper quickly while she’s near, you might be able to ask one question.

■ If you are patient and kind to Miang-si, she briefly squeezes your hand as she withdraws. Within the hour, you find blood writ on your palm that warns, Our fat moon rises red.

■ If you are agitated, or if Quanze rushes her during your visit, Miang-si erupts into sudden, side-splitting cackling — while you find yourself croaking like a toad, or transforming into one and retaining human speech. The spell dissolves after eight hours.

■ Quanze’s long-suffering men say this sorcery breaks faster if you kiss one of the curmudgeonly emerald toads that hide in some of Yancai’s lakes. Catch one such delightful, slime-spitting creature or barter it from merchants at a costly premium.

ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT

Image source.

A full moon is set to rise within days of Miang-si’s visit, on 27 May — just as Yancai shows signs of time shifting. Villagers are prone to stilling and staring askance, seeming lost or adrift.

The village itself evolves: one moment, the same house appears freshly new, then drowned, while waterways overfill with water, then seem barren. Overall, the village deteriorates.

■ That day, the sun suffers a midday eclipse, while droves of black birds circle the woods and village outskirts, attacking those who come close.

■ The waters increasingly thicken and darken, preventing boats from entering certain waterways.

■ An exceedingly bright moon and a diffuse lunar replica rise with nightfall. Come midnight, the village is alive with the sounds of ripping, structural collapse and shrieks. Tar-covered corpses emerge from the waters, clawing on and climbing up piers. They swarm, drawing passers-by into waters to drown them. Help them — and foremost, yourself.

■ Light and fire keep the dead at bay. On some waterways, wildfire now spells, WHAT IS WET WAS WRONGED

■ Weaker alone, fresh corpses climb into your rowing boat, pretending they are innocents who seek shelter. They betray themselves by speaking very slowly, struggling to keep track of the conversation or obliviously peppering it with details of their death. They stubbornly ask questions about you, repeating your answers, and become violent if you say they are dead. Push them into the water at first opportunity.

■ Quanze Tsaymien and other men of the village take arms, urging villagers to barricade in the nearest home, harbour or warehouse and weather the night. They advise to be silent and beware the dead who imitate living voices, warning not to touch any black mould or water that suddenly appear in your home — which alert the dead of your presence within.

■ Some dead try to tear you apart, while others seek to feed you a disgusting, tar-like black mould. A small taste of it makes you sluggish and feeble for two-three hours, while an entire fistful can kill.

■ If the undead infiltrate your house, hold your breath, do not move and keep from screaming. The dead have weak sight and olfactory senses and might pass you by, as long as you stay silent. It can be more efficient to fool than kill the dead.

■ By 5 a.m., houses start to replenish themselves, gaining a new appearance, while water and mould retreat. The dead withdraw into waterways. Outside doors have been marked with blood: vertical lines tell how many living people remain inside; horizontal ones count how many within died overnight.

■ You step to seize a brave new day — while Yancai enters a new time period (further details due in the next plot update).

NOTES

■ The game enabling meme goes up on 25 May.

■ Hit up available NPCs here or in their new inbox!

■ QUESTIONS.

Comments

[makemeasong]

[ Clara's hand goes to cover the spot, feeling her heart race with adreneline. ]

What the hell was that!?

[ Which doesn't answer the question, so she swallows and wets her lips, moving her hand and trying to see if there's any damage. There's blood, but that isn't what makes her frown. ]

It's numb. This spot, my whole shoulder. I can't feel anything.

[ She yanks down the sleeve of her shirt and pinches the skin on her shoulder until there are half-moon marks embedded in her skin. ]

Nothing.

[clavesregni]

I'm not sure. [The priority had been to get it off of Clara. She hadn't thought to hang on to the thing - she certainly hadn't wanted to risk it biting her. But tossing it in the vent means no way of knowing what it was, unless Caitlyn wants to go searching for it. Which she very much does not.

The priority now is to get Clara out. Get her to a doctor, an apothecary, anyone who might be able to figure out what's wrong and treat it. They can come back for the beacon another time.

There's a door in the room, but a quick tug on the knob doesn't budge it.]

Stand back. I'm going to get you out of here.

[She pulls out her rifle and, in one clean shot, obliterates the door lock. Which will hopefully be enough to get the door open.]

[makemeasong]

[ Clara does stand back, still holding her shoulder, but then she shakes her head. ]

We came this far, we can't go back now. I'm numb, not dead. If I start going downhill, then okay, but a way home might not be that far away. And let's face it, it isn't like I was going to be using this arm to fight.

[ Maybe they should go back and she's just being unnecessarily reckless, but she nearly fell and quite possibly could have died then. She can't let a weird bite from an unknown creature stop her. ]

Please, Caitlyn.

[clavesregni]

[Caitlyn shoves the door again, and this time it creaks loudly, giving a little as the area around the lock splinters. Another good shove with her shoulder, and it gives a little more.

At Clara's plea, she looks back at her, worry for her friend warring with sympathy. If she were in Clara's position, she'd be making the exact same plea. She had made such a plea to Vi, and if Vi had listened to her... they might not be separated now.

She nods.]

Alright. We'll keep going.

[Once more, she turns her attention to the door.]

Help me with this? [Maybe if they both ram it at the same time, it'll give.]

[makemeasong]

I can't feel anything on this shoulder anyway, might as well come in useful, right?

[ She's being cheeky in light of recent events, but if she isn't, she'll panic or otherwise not be able to keep going. If only to get Caitlyn back to her dad and Vi, she wants to get to the beacon. ]

Okay, on three? Also, I'm flattered you think I weigh enough to be effective.

[clavesregni]

[The levity that Clara's aiming for is lost on Caitlyn, who merely frowns miserably at the door. They're stuck in this house that may as well be collapsing around them, trudging through mould and sludge - which is still seeping into her hair - with no apparent exit other than the highly dangerous way they came in. And she's not sure she can think her way out of this predicament.]

You should be more careful with it, since you can't feel it.

[She doesn't mean to be patronizing; if anything, it comes across as a gloomy, dire warning as her frown deepens.

She nods.]

One. Two. Three. [On three, she slams her shoulder into the door.]

[makemeasong]

[ Clara follows suit and even though she heeded Caitlyn's advice, feels the jolt even through the numbness. But the door breaks inward, the sound echoing around them. ]

I think I'll let you lead this time, if you don't mind swapping leadership duties back and forth. Honestly, I'm more than willing to share.

[clavesregni]

[Caitlyn goes stumbling through the broken remains of the door, managing to catch herself before she faceplants forward into the water. Barely.

Next step: retrieve the torch. Its light sputters when Caitlyn picks it up and tries to shake some of the water off of it, but after a concerning moment, it holds steady. She offers it to Clara again.

And then it's a matter of leading the way downwards. She's more than happy to take the responsibility, looking out as best she can for any more black mould or... small things with numbing properties waiting to leap out at them. Finally, they come across a door leading to a set of stairs downwards towards what she hopes is their ultimate objective.

Just in case, and more than a little on-edge from the ordeal they've been through getting to this point, Caitlyn pulls out her rifle, readying herself in case there's trouble down there.]

Stay behind me, [she urges Clara quietly.]

[makemeasong]

[ With the torch in hand, Clara follows behind Caitlyn, trying not to think about what it was that latched onto her, the numbness, and whether or not it's permanent. There's a steady drip that seems to be landing somewhere nearby and echoing off of the walls.

At this point, she doesn't argue the request and stays behind the other woman, whispering. ]

Be careful, okay? Go slow, there could be anything down here. If it's mold, then we turn back before we can't.

[ There isn't any practical reason to say this aloud, she knows Caitlyn knows all of this. But something about saying it out loud is grounding, like they have a (fake) plan. ]

[clavesregni]

[Caitlyn nods, treating Clara's plan, such as it is, with grave seriousness. It does help to have it said aloud.

Slowly but deliberately, she begins making her way down the steps, peering down the length of the rifle into the darkness past the edges of the torch beam, half-expecting something massive and flesh-eating to leap out at them. It's quiet, except for the steady drip of water that feels like it's echoing around the inside of her skull, putting her more on edge.

When she finally makes it to the bottom of the stairs, it's with a wave of relief that she sees the half-submerged but intact beacon. And there doesn't seem to be any lurking horrors in the room waiting to leap out at them, either.

She lowers the rifle.]

I think it's-- [She doesn't even finish her sentence before she feels something shift beneath her foot. With a sudden, sickening crack, the door at the top of the stairs slams shut.]