blood & sand

[groundrules]

Hi folks! Welcome to Eastbound’s last test drive meme and the second event of the Ephes Arc, stretching until 25 October. Applications next open over 20-25 October, with invitations required for new players (but not returning ones). Individual cast and game caps are off.

Test driving characters can use this space for both network and log prompts, as well as play both the newcomer and shared prompts. Enjoy!

BLOOD & SAND

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NEWCOMERS-ONLY PROMPTS

You wake to the creaky swaying of a large wooden cage, in the back of a cart. Balmy sun pinches your cracked, dried skin. Haziness and nausea assail you, your legs weak. Your supernatural powers are muted, due to recover within 48 hours. Several other carts trot by. You share your cage with a dozen others — largely farmers — and sacks of freshly harvested wheat, their bottoms stained dark.

The farmers point you towards a heap of rusted pendants that allow you to speak and glean local tongues, and access a network. They say you were recovered following an earthquake at a Hive — one of the agricultural clusters feeding the extravagant Senate-led city of Ephes. The Ephes army, the elite Hand, was patrolling nearby and is taking you to the citadel for healing.

■ Gather your bearings and distribute the scant water that Hand soldiers dole out — the earthquake, you hear, has dried the Hive wells.

■ You quickly learn why the Hand encaged all of you, as one of the Hive farmers starts to jerk, growl and shake, weeping black water as he strikes at anyone around him. Fend for yourself, before the Hand soldiers come to remove him!

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You arrive at the main gate of Ephes, where crowds vie for passage. Your carts are inspected, and an irritable woman enters each cage, checking each passenger — before taking you and a handful of others for ‘further customs investigations.’

In the back of an alley, she introduces herself as the sorceress Karsa — and says you are otherworlders brought into the realm of Akhuras by undead lieges of the Brotherhood, who seek to weaponise you in their wars. Her patron, the Merchant, leads otherworlders to ancient transport beacons that can deliver you home.

One beacon sleeps in Ephes, where the rest of Karsa’s party is scattered. The citadel has mysteriously accrued an elite, nearly supernaturally strong army that the undead lady Messalina seeks to borrow from the Senate, in her quest to free her undead companions from the Brotherhood. The Senate is yet to vote on her request.

The black water that has touched you, Karsa says, has previously been found where the undead rally. For now, Karsa gives you a little coin, passport papers identifying you under various civilian roles (player’s choice, but keep it Ancient Rome-themed) and an iron pin of an eye with a sun for a pupil to identify other party members.

SHARED PROMPTS

Decadent Ephes is overrun by rumours, after several Senators who intended to support undead lady Messalina were mysteriously assassinated at the banquet of prominent Senator Maximus Faustus — who, Karsa informs, is one of Messalina’s shapeshifting creatures. Messalina offers her protegees demonic hound escorts.

Hand army recruits protect official buildings, while the rich hire gladiators to watch their homes. Both move freely.

The Senate fears further retaliation against those who champion the dead. Senate leader Caius Justus distantly mourns the Senatorial murders from seclusion at the temple of the Chained God.

Civilians face increased tensions and whispers of curfews in the market. Crowds frequently quarrel over undead allegiances

Following an exercise in divination, priests of the city’s patron, the Chained God, spread word that the deity holds strong despite his Chaining, and he still wishes to destroy and rebirth the world.

Karsa informs the existing party that more otherworlders joined Ephes and wear iron pins depicting an eye with a sun for a pupil. She gives the party similar pins for identification purposes. Newcomers and old timers can recognise each other by their pins or engage over the network!

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THE PROSCRIPTIONS
OBJECTIVE: procure proscription lists.

You hear from the city crowds that partial target lists are circulating with the names of politicians targeted for bounties. Karsa tasks the team to recover the lists, which can be used as political currency. Find them by either:

■ Infiltrating a tavern run by the ruthless city gang of Livius Decimus and packed with unscrupulous bounty hunters, thugs and professional assassins.
A local ‘delicacy’ drink of wine and pickle juice is often inflicted on strangers. Brawls erupt randomly. Coax shady patrons to share target lists.

■ Visit the empty marketplaces just before dawns and raid the chained wooden submission boxes of news shouters, who receive anonymous tip-offs about fresh bounty lists. The boxes are pinned to the ground and tightly locked, but rusty from the cold seasons — allowing you to break them or pick their locks, while someone keeps watch. Tampering with a news shouter’s box is a jailable offence.

■ Turn in a finished thread to receive a clue!

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AT SEA
OBJECTIVE: investigate abandoned ships and rescue sailors.

One early morning (OOCly: Oct. 13), as you entertain sailors for gossip on the docks or fish breakfast, you witness the port authorities screaming for help as several small merchant ships appear abandoned at nearby sea for reasons unknown.

Lookouts spot no activity on board, while sailors organise rescues.

■ Row a small boat some 15-20 minutes to one of the merchant vessels. All merchant ships have roughly three hours afloat, as they slowly sink from numerous small erosion holes in their sides.

■ You find no crew on deck, and doorways to the cabins below are locked from within. Below deck, you find numerous sacks of wheat from the Ephes agricultural clusters, the Hives. A black liquid, thick and tar-like, is seeping out of the sacks — corroding the ship’s wood and creating leaking holes.

■ You find a handful of dazed sailors who claim a dark, slithering creature knocked them out. They were selected by Narula, leader of the elite Ephes army of the Hand, to transfer grain onto the vessels of the ‘merchant’ Matthias, much farther at sea. If you mention Matthias to Karsa later, she reveals he is a man (?) who potentially created the undead Brotherhood.

■ Seven sailors who did not know each other were chosen to man the ship. Eight men are in the room, meaning one ‘man’ is the assailing creature. You must decide who to release upstairs for evacuation.

■ Tips: the creature, disguised as a human sailor, has no pain receptors and isn’t afraid of typical dangers (fire, drowning). It does not bleed if hurt. It sometimes forgets to blink and increasingly, unwillingly, slowly morphs its features into yours, the longer it speaks with you. Lastly, the creature has a tattoo on its forearm identifying it as a soldier of the Hand.

■ Once found, the creature turns violent, dissolving into wisps of shadow and materialising once more to strike from behind you. The shadow creature cannot be outright killed — but you can lock it inside the ship.

■ Leave by small boat before the vessel sinks & claim a question if you saved sailors. Merchant vessels can be patched up, if successfully returned to port.

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THE RATTLING
OBJECTIVE: survive & explore the arena.

To stoke her popularity in Ephes, undead mistress Messalina organises a sumptuous gladiator game at the Colosseum (OOCly around Oct. 20), inviting plebes, patricians, politicians, soldiers — and you.

Gladiators may be hired (or coerced) to perform, while servants supply copious amounts of wines, oysters and honey pastries. A tiny mechanical golden mouse, passing by each seat, drops folded pieces of parchment with fortunes and riddles, ranging from teasing to morbid to philosophical or sweet. Pick up yours and make sense of it with your neighbour!

Politicians often interrupt the games to announce donations or make elaborate speeches. Toss peanuts to signal your discontent — or join in with your own speech.

■ The games start with matches between humans, but are building up to face-offs with reptilian demons, mounted rhinoceros and flying gargolyes whose voices thrall you frozen put.

■ During the games, you feel slight vibrations, and — if supernaturally sensitive — an undefined magical tension. By 15:00, this ramps up into earth tremors that worsen over 12 minutes — as columns and seats topple over, and the ground breaks in deep rifts, releasing black, chilled, tar-like water.

■ Crazed mobs rush for the exit, stampeding carelessly, while columns and decorations tumble down.

■ Dozens of the monsters brought to gladiate free themselves and hunt down spectators. Soldiers of the army of the Hand — disturbingly fast, strong and disciplined — intervene but it’s best you look after yourselves. Some spectators shout these Hand recruits practise some of the techniques performed by a recently missing gladiator — the Beast of Brenne.

■ Passing by the earthquake rifts, you see wisps of the tar-like liquid that gushes from them is gradually assuming the shadowy shape of humans. Stalking after you, they do not speak or bring you harm, but slowly steal your likeness and drain you of vigour and stamina. You get the sense that all they want is a shape. Encountering shadow creatures leaves you with a sense of bitter loneliness that only living company can soothe.

■ If you study the arena, you see the same black liquid is gathering around freshly downed corpses, slowly reanimating them. These newly-crafted undead struggle to walk and speak naturally and remember their lives, often unaware they died. Anguished, they beg help to escape, before inevitably succumbing to the instinct to harm you. Remind or convince them they are dead, and they withdraw.

■ The largest earthquake rift in the arena is overrun by the black liquid and by nearby undead. Within it, you notice a bloodless hand that seems to never sink — Enter a RNG draw to collect it and its clue.

■ As you gather your wits outside, you see followers of the Chained God rallying in the streets, comforting the traumatised crowd that all will be well now — for the Chained God’s destruction will be mercifully swift.

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THE QUIET HOUSE
OBJECTIVE: Explore the abandoned gladiator barracks.

NOTE: a Halloween special, this area is entirely opt-in and features several frights. Mind the warnings!

As chaos consumes the Colosseum, you notice the earthquake has destroyed a previously locked arena gate, revealing a decayed tunnel. The corridor leads inside a closed-off barrack whose doors and windows have been barred from the outside with wood planks and chains. Touch these restraints, and your unhurt hand leaves behind a fading blood print.

The barracks building is withered and clearly abandoned, with scarce furniture and a few weapons in a training room.

Several discarded torches stay alight on wall fixtures. Pre-prepared braziers have been filled with spirit-fending incense of sandalwood and sage. Explore for clues.

■ THE HALLWAYS ( cw: guilt haunting ): corridors flow into each other, often leading back where you started. You run into shifting wall engravings, some listing the name and ranks of Hand soldiers, or precepts such as GODS OF THE ARENA and BECOME AS STRONG / AS FAST, AS NIMBLE / AS GLADIATORS. A large portrait of Hand leader Narula is increasingly more scratched, every time you encounter it, while the painted man looks healthier, younger and stronger. Inevitably, you hear heavy steps — a deep-shadowed spectre, the Drillmaster, who starts to stalk you with slow persistence. Visible to you and your companions, the Drillmaster fluctuates between assuming the appearance of Narula and the distorted, monstrous figure of someone from your past, who heavily criticised or intimidated you. The corridor lighting changes depending on your proximity to the Drillmaster: green for safe passage, white to tread lightly, red to stop. You can make the Drillmaster disappear out of your way by facing or acknowledging whatever weakness (true or self-perceived) you have that has caused extensive criticism or self-doubt.

■ THE BATHS ( cw: doppelgangers): a long marble hall featuring a large swimming pool, now drained and filled with mould and debris. Steam overwhelms the room, except for a wall-length black mirror at the end of the hall. The more you look into the mirror, the more the black substance that covers it slips down, flooding the floors and also dripping from walls and the ceiling. As the mirror clears, you see your black-eyed reflection that suddenly screams out verbal abuse or plunges at you. Once you subdue the doppelganger (claim a clue), it dissolves into more black water, while the mirror shows scratched inscriptions of A RIGHTEOUS HAND SHAPES EACH OF ITS FINGERS.

■ THE DORMITORIES ( cw: membranous cocoons): hollow, empty, quiet, the dormitories sport strange membranous cocoons in the walls, from which shadowy hands reach out. You hear young wo/men, whimpering and murmuring that they aren’t afraid and want to change to make Brother Narula proud, before erupting into screams or laughter. Break the cocoons without getting trapped into their webs — only to find nothing inside, except stone dog tags, engraved with the names of Hand soldiers. On the floor, you find primitive tattoo needles and ink.

Luck strikes at sunset, when a previously barred door opens to release you from the house — back into Ephes.

NOTES:

■ QUESTIONS

■ NPC inbox (for test drivers)

■ Event title shamelessly pilfered from a gory gladiator show!

Comments

kamala khan (ms. marvel) | mcu | old timer

[cosplayqueen]

[Catch-all for starters as I write them! Please feel free to PM this account if you want to wildcard something or otherwise plot. Both action and prose are welcome.]

the rattling

[cosplayqueen]

[She's here to watch Allison and Emilia. Kamala doesn't like the idea of either of them in a dangerous situation. By now the whole thing has been underplayed enough that she can sit through it. It's like wrestling back home. Allison is a really good actress so of course it seems real. She is hoping to steal a second or two with both women after the show is over.

Of course, it's never that simple, is it? The tremors hit and it all goes to Hell. At least not literally this time, she thinks.

Kamala initially focuses on helping people out. She generates light constructs to shield people from the debris, the monsters, and even each as needed. If needed she'll even battle off the monsters as well. Her agenda is literally to get people to escape in a way that doesn't get everyone killed along the way.

She can't save everyone. Sooner or later that black tar becomes impossible to ignore. Kamala associates it with those early days of arrival when she lost her memories and rested in the water for who knows how long before Allison came to her rescue. The sight of it drains the blood from her face. She can work past it if there are people left to save.

Sooner or later, she's left facing a shadowy creature. Kamala can't help it- she screams and makes a run for it. She doesn't want to lose her memories and sense of self ever again. This would be a pretty good time for someone to step in. This is the one time she is scared enough to act like the child she still is.

Eventually, in her attempts to help she is left watching a corpse slowly reanimate. It is horrifying especially when they beg for her help. Kamala agrees to it until they turn on her. She is left shielding herself while trying to convince them of what's happened. She does eventually. The encounter does leave her crying as much for the victim as for herself.]

the rattling.

[valeas]

( A familiar ring of protection will encircle Kamala, its fiery pink and golden hues suggesting Emilia is nearby. One of her hands is outstretched in Kamala's direction, concentrating on the shimmering field that keeps the shadows from enveloping her.

Her other hand faces toward one of the straggling monsters that freed themselves the moment all hell broke loose and it saw opportunity. A beam of radiant fire extends from her outstretched palm, until all that is left is the sickly odor of rotting flesh. )

To your right!

( It's a cry of warning, but the newly animated corpse that lurches toward Kamala doesn't seem to approach with the intent to harm her. From where Emilia stands, she can't quite tell, but the corpse looks anguished, begging Kamal for escape. )

[cosplayqueen]

[She nearly bursts into tears at the sight of that ring of protection. Her beloved Emilia once again comes through. The woman reminds her once again she is not alone even when faced with something that truly scares her.

Kamala turns all her attention to her, ready to say something to convey her relief and gratitude in equal measure when the warning comes through. The hard light comes up to keep the distance between them on reflex. The reanimated corpse walks face-first into it. Kamala winces. They're asking for help after death. She doesn't know what to make of that. She doesn't have the heart to deny them.]

I'm sorry! I swear I'm not trying to hurt you. I just need you to take a breath for me, okay? I can help you if you stay calm.

[She even models that breath despite how shaky she is.] What happened to you?

[Kamala asks earnestly. This evidently isn't the right move or perhaps too much time has passed. The reanimated corpse starts to intentionally throw itself against the hard light barrier Kamala still hasn't dropped. It claws at it like a desperate animal to destroy her. She can't hide her horror at the sight.]

[valeas]

( Despite what her temper may suggest at times, Emilia loathes indiscriminate violence. The unnecessary death of innocents and not-so-innocents alike. If there's a way to peacefully resolve the matter, as Kamala tries, she would want it.

But there is no saving this corpse. They've succumbed to the hunger, to the instinct Emilia saw yesterday from the new recruits. Indecision is the enemy, and there is no time to waste: one of her vines wraps around the corpse like a thorny whip.

With what strength she has left, she yanks it toward her as opposed to Kamala, right as a column nearby crumbles. The corpse ends up buried underneath the rubble, one of its hands sticking out toward Kamala uselessly.

Emilia runs toward her right after. It isn't the first time she approaches the younger girl with blood splattered on her face, but it is the first time that she wraps Kamala up tight into her arms, pressing the girl's cheek into her chest to shield her if she allows. )

Don't look yet.

( It isn't just the creatures that pose a danger at the moment. The crowd is surging, becoming a stampede — the visuals of it are the stuff of nightmares, bodies crushing and piling on top of one another. Emilia's eyes are wild as she looks for the smartest exit, and then finally starts to move diagonally with the flow of the crowd in search of an opening. Their combined shields will hopefully protect them, as well. )

[cosplayqueen]

[Kamala lets out a soft sob at the sight. She's seen horrors both in these adventures and back home. It's a credit to her that it never stops breaking her heart. She mourns for them all while finding a way to stay positive.

That said? She doesn't fight the protection Emilia offers. Kamala could technically fight in this battle and win. Kamran is proof enough of the destruction she could cause if it were in her nature. It very much is not.

Kamala accepts the shielding from the horrors of this. She focuses her energy on the light she wields with increasing ease as she trains with Five and survives more of these encounters with the horrors of these worlds. Even without being able to see, it hardens to keep the bodies at bay. She flinches against Emilia as the bodies crash against her shields, but they never waiver. None of them could ever hope to break the hard light she wields with their bodies alone.]

I'm sorry I'm scared. [Kamala apologizes. She's crying while they are fighting for their lives. She can't help it. She's no soldier. She's a child from Jersey City who only wishes to help. This should have never been her fight.]

[valeas]

( The sounds alone are honestly the thing of nightmares.

The barrier of Kamala's light and Emilia's magic makes their cocoon harm-proof, but there is no drowning out the sounds of the bodies crashing(crushing) into it. Some of them are flung from up above, having been private alcoves for the show.

Others are just violently flung into it, pressure against pressure.

Emilia ignores it all to find them a reprieve, and once she does, she shakes her head. Holds her tighter. When she pulls back, it's to place her hand on Kamala's cheek, thumb wiping at some of those tears. ) You need never apologise for that. Your fear is your humanity remembering. Are you all right?

[cosplayqueen]

[She can't stop crying. The entire scenario is worse than any nightmare Kamala has ever dreamed up. It hurts right down to her very soul. The only comfort is Emilia's embrace and soft reassurances. She wants to be strong and brave like Captain Marvel. She wishes she could look out at the battlefield with that fearless conviction she is only doing what is right.

Undead things are crashing against her shields. All Kamala feels is wrong. She is entitled to self-defense by her faith. It doesn't mean she has to like the results of it.] I'm alright. I just hate this! These people didn't deserve to die and become this!

[She sniffles.] What are we going to do, Emilia? [Her love and faith in Emilia is by far more mature than what she feels towards Carol Danvers. She still thinks of her as someone who knows best like with the Avenger.]

network | un: slothbaby

[cosplayqueen]

So we're back to living in a horror movie. NGL, this is a lot. Like a lot of a lot. I think I need a hug. Or ten. I'll settle for a high five at this point.

Since this is basically as close as we are getting to the internet, can we maybe share some nice things? I really need to picture some nice things right now.

un: glow is me

[massrez]

It truly is a lot to take in. I'm sorry to hear it's taking such a toll. What sort of things would you consider nice? Just memories from home?

Also...could I ask what an 'internet' is? I had some guesses, but I didn't want to assume.

[cosplayqueen]

Cute things. Like cats! No one is ever sad with a cat or dog. Or really anything fluffy.

Oh! Right sorry. So the internet is a place where you can get access to all kinds of information. It can take a ton of different forms like text, audio, or video. You can also use it to contact people if they let you.

[massrez]

Oh! That makes sense, I suppose. It wasn't too far off from what I was imagining. Thank you.

Hm. I do have a mechanical dog following me around. It's...a little cute. But not very fluffy at all, and I'm not sure it's really the same.

Although if we were going with animals, I'd have to say I do rather miss Reverence. My horse.

[cosplayqueen]

!! I love dogs!!! Even a mechanical boy is still a good boy :)

Horses though!! What's it like to have one? Do you feel like a prince? I'd totally feel like a princess.

[massrez]

He's a very good boy. Very obedient, although I'm not sure he understands what 'fun' is.

Ah. Well. Yes, I suppose I did. Though I was a prince when I was first given Reverence.

[cosplayqueen]

You have to teach him! That's an important part of being a good boy. :) !!!

NO WAY. What's it like to be a prince? Is it fun? Being a princess seems fun. How do you stop being a prince BTW? Did you guys form a democracy or something??

[massrez]

I can certainly try.

And...I'm sorry to say it's not as much fun as it might sound. Especially with an overprotective father.

I stopped being prince the way most princes stop, I imagine. By becoming king.

[cosplayqueen]

NOOOO YOU'RE A KING????? SORRY, AM I BEING DISRESPECTFUL?? AMERICANS DON'T DO THE KING THING SO I HAVE NO CLUE IF I'M BEING A JERK.

[damnable]

Where are you? I can hook you up with a hug.

As for nice things.... ( ah shit this is where being cynical as fuck makes this difficult, but- ) when I was sent back to my world this last time, I got my first ever cat - Furball's the name, alley-cat mostly. Surprisingly not frightened or pissed off by my whole dog-energy-thing.

Now you name a good thing. You got any pets back home?

[cosplayqueen]

I'm at [insert location here]. Please bring many hugs.

And !!! love this for you!!! Cats are so cute!!!!!

No pets back home sadly :( I always wanted a dog. I think Five lowkey got us one here so I'm counting that as a good thing.

[damnable]

Every hug is on its way.

They are pretty damn adorable, and I like they've got a whole mind of their own.

Yeaaaah, saw that all these Messalina people got themselves hellhounds. Didn't know they were just handing those out these days. ( coming from one hellhound to the sight of so many more. ) What kind of dog would you want if you could choose from all the kinds?

[cosplayqueen]

Yay! It is cool!

Oh, wait. Is the hellhound thing weird for you? Should I not have brought it up? But, oh man I'd love a big dog. St. Benard would be so cool.

[damnable]

Nah. I mean it is a little weird, but Wrath already got one awhile ago, and they're not exactly like me anyway - obviously. I don't see any of them primarily walking around as more person-like after all.

St. Bernard, big, slobbery, fluffy. A+ choice. Now for the name of your cute canine.

[cosplayqueen]

Okay true. That little guy is so cute! [Let the record show this is strictly from Kamala's pov. This does not in fact reflect reality in any shape or form.]

Oh wow something really silly or iconic!! Would it be tacky to name him after an Avenger? He could be a fluffy Hulk!

[damnable]

( Red laughs a little bit. ) I think you're one of the only people who might call him that, but yeah.

Nah, not tacky at all. Hulk sounds pretty fitting, but wait an Avenger called Hulk? Like the wrestler?

[cosplayqueen]

Oh I know nothing about wrestlers so IDK.

I think they called him 'Hulk' because he's so big when the change happens.