TEST DRIVE MEME 001

[rubimods]

⚰︎ ⍢ ⌲ ⍚ TEST DRIVE MEME:

CONTENT WARNINGS for this game include: monsters, body horror, dub-con, non-con, religion, blood/violence, and marking/branding, loss of autonomy/self, and mental influences.

This log additionally has warnings for: nudity, spiders, waxplay, character death, and references to children in proximity to sexual situations.

✧ ✧ ✧

Welcome to RUBILYKSKOYE — a dark, horror-smut game where player choices will drive a mod-run storyline about the world and its NPCs. For the first round, this test drive serves as characters' arrival into game.

THESE THREADS CAN BE GAME CANON if both players are accepted into the game and agree to it. However, if players who'd prefer to start fresh are welcome to reuse these prompts in their own personal logs upon acceptance into the communities.

If you have QUESTIONS about the test drive prompts, please ask HERE. Questions about the game itself or the general setting should be directed to the FAQ.

FAQ ✧ SETTING ✧ CALENDAR ✧ RESERVES ✧ APPLICATIONS

AWAKENING IN PAJAK WOOD

The chirping of partridges in the treetops rouses you. Light barely filters through the canopy, just enough to suggest warmth of the sun. By the time it reaches the forest floor, the daylight has taken on a sickly green tinge. You lie amongst the mosses and ferns, the soil cold and just a little damp on your bare skin. Wherever you were before this moment, whatever you were doing or wearing, when you awaken in this forest, you find yourself naked and helpless as the day you were born.

Fortunately, you seem to be alone. The birdsong continues as you sit up and get your bearings — aside from a brief wave of disoriented nausea, you seem to be no worse for wear than you last remember. Amongst gnarled oaks and moss, you see nothing around. No sign of civilization or sentient life. Movement flickers at the corner of your eye, but it's just a curious animal — brave squirrels or lizards who have come to see what stirs in their home.

Then, like the rippling of the horizon at noontime, the ash-gray soil around you undulates. Sea, not earth. Something else has come to greet you — their grey bodies blended in so easily with the floor, but as you stagger to your feet, you see them. Thousands of spiders roll like waves underfoot. They crawl towards you from the darker edge of the forest.

attack

Individuals who attack the spiders will find the small spiders are easy to kill, but the pheromones released by their corpses draw larger spiders in their place. Huge, blood-red spiders the size of hunting dogs drop from the treetops. In addition to their venomous bite, which contains a fast-acting paralytic, these creatures are clever: they will attempt to use their webbing to handicap any trespassers, binding limbs together or to trees. If you're unfortunate to become fully cocooned, you don't have long before this forest will be the last thing you see.

FAQ: DEATH RULES

hunt

Any aspiring monster-hunters enterprising enough to try to follow the spiders to their nest will move eastward. This way, the forest grows darker and darker — though the sun never grows warm red-gold with sunset.

In the void, the birdsong is replaced by the click of mandibles and the skitter of many legs, but soon it is impossible to see. Even with the brightest magical light does not reach further than a few inches. The air grows heavy and thick, as if it were not air at all but some more solid mass. Almost like liquid-smoke, it presses down upon you. Slowing your movements. Soon, you cannot move at all.

Turn back while you still can — collapsing out here is dangerous. The void can play tricks on your senses. You may find yourself reliving unhappy memories or hallucinating your worst nightmares.

SETTING: THE VOID

But flee the spiders westward and you will discover that the wood is well-populated with the survival resources that someone might seek — berries bushes and trees bearing stone fruits; sticks and dry leaves to aid in the building of a fire; rocks big enough to fashion into crude weapons; small animals that can be hunted or caught; hike long enough, and you might just find the freshwater stream that runs north-to-south, populated by both poisonous toads and delicious crawdads.

What's more, you may run into others with stories just like yours. Some may have already formed clumsy nudist hiking parties, others may still be naked and confused and processing how they have no memory of how they got here. They all stagger vaguely, as you do, with only the sun for a waymarker — and even that won't last long.

Now is a good time to overcome any hang-ups you have about modesty, as it's going to be a long hike. If you sneak a good look at your new companions, you may four varietals of marks on their bodies. Maybe someone will even point out that you have one, too.

FAQ: CURSE MARKS

EVERY DAY LIKE THE ONE BEFORE

Hike far enough — or long enough that the sun does go down — and signs of life come into view. The glow of fires and lights, the smooth curve of a stone wall. A town sits at the edge of this wood, a reward to the survivors.

The fifty-foot wall of beige stone protecting the town's perimeter has only a single entrance — an iron gate positioned on the southern edge. When you arrive, the gate is already open, welcoming people into town from the winding dirt road. Attentive eyes may note that the road itself bears the mark of many wagon wheels and horse hoofs, but not cars.

guards

The guards grant entry to anyone who attempts a conversation with them. However, if your character is more likely to attempt to sneak in, overcome the guards, or attack them, please reach out HERE.

Inside the wall lies a quaint, historic town with a population around five thousand. The streets are cobbled, and their signs are lit by gas lamp. Wooden shutters protect otherwise open-air windows on the buildings, which are all under three stories with gabled roofs. A number of businesses hug the main street — a clockmaker, a cobbler, a bank — while residential homes sprawl outwards towards the wall. At the far end of the main street, visible about a mile to the north now that the trees and the enormous wall is out of the way, sits a castle with three towers.

No matter what time you pass through the gate, the streets are full of people. The climate of the bustle befits a night market or a busy friday downtown — plenty of people to ogle at your exposed body. But despite any efforts on your part to hide or make excuses, the locals don't seem offended by your nakedness. Even families with children don't gawk or look twice. In fact, the further into town you go, the more you may notice that they all wear revealing clothing that, to your sensibilities, may seem sexually suggestive. Some individuals openly expose their breasts and nipples, while some others may incidentally reveal when they turn around to tend to their errands that their dress is backless — entirely! If anything, they seem to be under the impression that you're naked to participate in the evening's events with the rest of them.

Those still determined to find proper clothing will find that modern clothing stores aren't a thing here. The closest this town has is a tailor's shop, which is closed for religious observance, and a stand in the central marketplace selling scarves and blankets.

Fortunately, the people of the town are very generous! The locals will gladly share what they have with those who ask politely — but those items are as revealing as what they're wearing. You might get a mesh bodysuit or drape outfit. Remember not to be ungracious! it's only appropriate for the occasion.

steal clothing

Anyone unwilling to ask nicely for help could break into someone's house or yard to steal some of their clean laundry. Notably, inside their homes, the people of the town also appear to own some more modest apparel. Be sure to alert us HERE if your character pursues this option.

SETTING: CRIME

And what is the occasion? The locals are excited and flattered by any interest in their ordinary weekly prayer: the folks dancing and selling their wares are all offering their energies to give thanks and ask for their god's patronage! The abstractions are all familiar — fertility, harvest, peace. Smalltalk makes them eager to chat and draw you into those festivities — including some ceremonial wax-dripping on the exposed parts of your body!

Anyone who chats at length with the townspeople will gather that the locals feel it's better for the newcomers to dive into the deep-end because, since you'll be settling in here, they expect you'll want to participate down the line. They seem to be under the impression that the new arrivals are a boon from their god.

In addition, many of the locals' choice of clothes reveal the same four types of marks on their bodies as the folx who were wandering out in the wood!

ROOM AND BOARD

Once you're tired out, the locals will help you find a place to stay. The boarding house is several stories tall and spacious, accessible through an embellished iron garden gate and obscured by hanging plants, trees, and vines. Beyond the overgrown yard is a bright red door, which opens into a spacious cottage.

The house has clearly been empty for some time — dust has gathered on various furnishings — bedding, sofas, curtains, wooden tables. According to the locals, it has remained empty since its last occupant passed away, and that's all they'll say about that!

Each floor of the house has a shared sitting room, but only the first floor has a kitchen — large enough to support feeding the entire household. Here, a few of the townspeople will help out — they stock the kitchen and help make dinner for the new arrivals.

finding roommates

Don't spend too much time in the dining room going for seconds, though. You'll want to claim a bedroom quickly because each one only has two full-size beds, and there aren't enough spaces for everyone. The last people upstairs will need to double up to squeeze in. Roommates will not be mod-assigned; players should coordinate directly with one another to determine their living arrangements.

Get a good night's rest. By the light of day, locals will help get the new arrivals set up on the coal stove with breakfast. You may notice they're dressed in a way you would almost call normal — at least, in a manner befitting 19th century Eastern Europe. As you find your way around town to get your bearings, folks are eager to help you find a place to apply your skills so you can contribute to your new home.

Comments

nicolò di genova — the old guard — wilk

[umarell]

001. awakening.

[ Things could be worse.

Nicky reminds himself of this as he scrambles thoughtlessly through the undergrowth of an unfamiliar forest. He's aware, vaguely, that he's naked, only because he can feel foliage whipping against bare skin, feel sticks cracking under his feet. His heart races, his hands scuffle in the dirt and dig fistfuls as he moves low and fast like a beast as the swarm of spiders follows behind, their collective rustle like the sound of torn fabric dragged over broken glass. It's a long time since he's felt like this, the raw and rough and instinctual urge to survive taking over all else, but he's not staying among those creatures, and he certainly does not have a weapon to fend them off, so running is the only choice. Survival comes easier to him, but even almost a millennium with this knowledge cannot overcome human nature. In any case, now more than ever, he's aware that any death could be his last.

That's how he comes across someone else, whether they're trying to fight the spiders or follow them to their nest: wild and untamed and with something animalistic in his eyes. His voice when he speaks is perhaps disconcertingly calm by comparison even in its urgency, low and tinged with a heavy Italian accent. ]

You should not stay here. We should leave, now.

002. hiking party.

[ It's hard to work out exactly how long it takes until the sickening skitter of spiders is a memory, but once he's far west enough, with only his thoughts and his resting heartbeat and no arachnids at all for company, Nicky can take better stock of his surroundings. They're unfamiliar, to say the least, and he doesn't remember how he got here. The most important thing right now is to find his family; everything else is secondary. But the more he walks, the more reassuring it is to know that he isn't completely alone, even if the faces are unfamiliar.

He stoops by a bush bearing cheerily red berries. Once he's plucked a few from the stems and let them roll into the palm of his hand, he offers some berries to anyone nearby, but not before he's tasted one first. ] They're edible. You should eat.

[ Anyone paying very, very close attention to him may notice that, despite the scrapes and nicks everyone must undoubtedly have suffered in their escape from the forest, Nicky is remarkably free of injuries. There may be small smears of blood on his arms and hands, but no wounds to match. There's an air of authority, or at least expertise, about him that might have some gravitating in his direction. He knows how to survive in the wilderness, at least, and so it's not long before he suggests a small hunting party to anyone who's been pulled his way. ]

I've seen animals here. Small creatures, woodland fare. We should keep moving, but it may be wise to hunt here while we can.

003. return to civilisation.

[ It's a long hike, and the relief Nicky feels when he sees the town almost outweighs his apprehension. Another unfamiliar place, though the landscape and architecture is not entirely alien to him. At least there are people and buildings; at least there is light.

Not one to balk at a religious ceremony, no matter how strange, Nicky mingles comfortably enough once he realises what it is. He asks for clothing when he can, and for his politeness receives a swathe of deep blue fabric that he can vaguely arrange on his body in something approximating a toga. It'll do. Wax drying on his arm and over one still-bare collarbone, he moves through the swarm of people with keen interest, like an anthropologist observing some far-off culture. ]

004. room and board.

[ Nicky selects a room without much rhyme or reason, sitting on the edge of the bed with a furrow in his brow and a distant look in his eye. That's how he can be found if someone wanders in, either entirely lost in thought, or absently peeling dried wax from his skin very delicately. In fact, he's so consumed by either of these tasks that he doesn't immediately react to an intrusion. ]

005. wildcard.

[ hmu if you want to do something else! you can catch me on plurk at crowders. ]

return to civilization

[babyguard]

[ Nile passes through the crowd with more confidence once she's donned her pilfered tunic. It's less than she would normally wear, stopping mid-thigh and loose over her shoulders to expose her throat, her collar bones. On the right side of her chest, just under the clavicle, a new mark she hasn't noticed yet glimpses in and out as she moves, the triangle with two dots that seems to match some of the locals.

It takes her a second to notice the familiar face in the crowd. All of her senses are tuned to seeking out threats, trying to gather information and because he is neither a threat or new her eyes initially slide right over him--until her brain catches and she does a full double take, twisting herself around in the crowd and pushing back past two locals to reach him.]

Nicky?

[ Her voice is strained, caught somewhere between disbelief and relief and maybe an edge of panic--it's been a weird day and she's not quite as pulled together as she'd like--and her hand wraps around his elbow, tugging him toward her even as she fights the urge to wrap him in a hug ]

What the hell are you doing here? How are you here?

[umarell]

[ He recognises her the second he hears her voice, which is funny, because now it feels bizarre that he hadn't seen her before now. He turns in her direction, his gaze already intense as he gives her a once-over to make sure she's alright. 'Alright' for them is different – she looks unharmed, but she looks strung out too, and just as confused as he is. He'll brush past the greetings for now, but he does guide them a little way off to the side of the throngs of people, his voice low. ]

I don't know. I woke up in a forest. [ He squints out at the crowd again, jaw firm. At least they've found each other now. ] What is the last thing you remember?

[babyguard]

[ She follows easily, at his guidance. Old habit, maybe, for all that it's new, and she brackets her shoulder against his, eyes tracking the locals. They shift his way, quick and cutting, as he mentions waking up in a forest, before sliding back out to assess any threats. ]

I woke up in the same place. There were--spiders.

[ her face twists at the word and its associated memory, emotions easy enough to read. She's still working on any kind of pokerface ]

Being shot. Point blank. Except instead of just waking back up where I was, I ended up here. The others? [ if they're here, it assumes maybe Andy is too. Joe. Maybe Booker. ]

[umarell]

I haven't seen any of them.

[ They've been separated before; it's not like they came together and stayed together all those years, or like they never took time apart. It's natural. It's the nature of it that's different – not their choice but some outside force's, pulling them apart. That's what makes him uneasy. ]

If they're here, we will find them, Nile. We always find each other.

[ He says it with confidence that borders on blind faith, but you tend to believe in that kind of thing when you have dreams about each other. It's the other half of that if that needs more thought. ]

And if they're not... Then we'll make do. Until they come.

awakening

[illicitly]

[Nie Huaisang isn't going to go argue with anyone suggesting a retreat from this place. He drops the tree branch he'd carrying on him in a feeble attempt to arm himself with something, anything as means of defense. Weapons of flesh and blood are more his style and he's much more efficent at wielding them as a means of self-defense, anyway.

He feigns nervousness and uncertainty, not hard to do when he is genuinely feeling those things to some degree.]

Know anything about surviving in the wilderness? I fear I'm out of my element in this place.

[He's not, not really Not exactly. But it's true enough that the words come out sounding completely genuine.]

[umarell]

Enough, but it's been some time since I've needed to test that knowledge.

[ He moves quickly, trying to keep his footfall light; if there are spiders in this forest, then who knows what else they might disturb if they go thundering through the undergrowth thoughtlessly? He makes sure the stranger is close – now he's seen him, it's going to take explicit instructions for Nicky to leave him behind now. ]

The branch was not a bad idea.

[illicitly]

There's probably more lying around in the forest somewhere. Maybe even sturdier ones that can take more of a beating if you look. I'm just as likely to hit you with it on accident as one of the spiders myself.

[The words are spoken in a matter-of-fact manner without the slightest hint of embarrassment or shame. He knows the scope and limitations of his fighting abilities and they're not very good at all.

Nie Huaisang follows the other man's example, keeping his footsteps light. Stealth comes easily to him, at least.]

[umarell]

We should both agree now not to swing weapons of any kind in each other's vicinity.

[ Was that a joke? Sort of. Nicky is not really the quipping type, but he also understands the value in good humour in extremely humourless situations like this one. ]

Out of curiosity, do you remember where you were before you were here?

Awakening

[killersong]

D'you know where we're going?

[Dinah was hasty to cover her breasts and her crotch when the stranger approached. She hadn't been fighting the spiders but detangling some of the small ones from her hair.]

It's trees all around How d'you even pick a direction?

[umarell]

[ It's hard not to notice the way she covers herself. Nicky is a little less concerned with that on his part – his sensibilities are much too old-fashioned to actually be uncomfortable with his own nudity – but he does understand that this woman feels differently. He keeps his head angled definitively upward. ]

There are ways. We could follow a river or stream. If nothing else, the sun is a good guide. [ A pause. ] I don't know where we are, but I know where I don't want to be.

[killersong]

I can’t even see the sun.

[Dinah looks around the trees, eyes squinting through the dappled light to see if she can spot the glimmer of a stream. She listens intently.]

I can’t hear nothing. But you’re right - and I don’t wanna see where these spiders are going neither. Can I just follow you for a bit? I mean, shit sorry. I’m Dinah.

[She smiles awkwardly.]

[umarell]

Nicky.

[ He doesn't smile back, but the look he gives her is warm and friendly enough that it's clear he doesn't resent her presence. ]

Please, walk with me. It's good to meet you, even in these circumstances.

hiking party

[blueshit]

[ There is something oddly reassuring about the other man. It's unspoken and hard to define, not anything Jesse could explain or is maybe even consciously aware of, but he finds himself sticking in proximity as the ragtag group makes its way through the woods.

Even so, he's not expecting the food. He stops when Nicky offers him the berries, blue eyes wide and vulnerable. It's clear things haven't been good for him lately, even before they ended up here - he's skinny and malnourished, scarred and wounded, and it's been a long time since he had a proper shower or a shave. The hand he extends is tentative, as if he's afraid Nicky's going to yank the berries away before he can accept them, or worse. ]

Y-you're sure?

[umarell]

[ Nicky can sense that apprehension on him. Anyone could; it's so close to the surface that it's almost painful, not least because he can see that the man's clearly suffering. His wounds are concerning both because of their scope and because of their depth: some are fresh, and some are old. It's clear that he's been fighting to survive for a long time. ]

They might be a little bitter. I don't know if they're ripe. But they're safe – I tried some myself.

[ His expression is encouraging; not quite a smile, because Nicky's smiles are small and they don't come easy. But he's confident. ]

[blueshit]

[ The taste couldn't matter less. Nicky's confident, reassuring, and just the fact that he isn't taking the berries back, that this doesn't seem like a trick, is enough for Jesse.

The expression he gives him mirrors Nicky's own, the ghost of a smile so small it's nearly invisible. He accepts the berries Nicky tips into his outstretched hand, just staring for a moment before dumping them all into his mouth at once, practically inhaling them like an animal. He'd been right, they are bitter, but it doesn't matter. It's food, food given freely and without any conditions attached, and he closes his eyes as he chews and swallows. It's only once the berries are gone that he comes back to himself, wiping the juice off his face with the back of his hand and shooting Nicky an embarrassed look. ]

Sorry. Uh - thanks. Thank you.

[umarell]

[ He reminds Nicky a little of a trapped animal, which isn't a particularly flattering comparison, but it's hard to shake it. There's a pang in him, stronger than he's felt in a while, to do good, to look after the lost souls here. Moving forward and doing what he thinks is right without clear reason behind his predicament is what he's always done after all.

He offers Jesse a nod, an acknowledgement of his thanks, but after a moment he has to clarify. ]

No apologies necessary. I think we're past the point of table manners here. [ Naked in the woods with the only others being in the same predicament, it's not like Nicky would have expected him to use a salad fork. ] I'm Nicky.

002.

[muqatil]

Mhm.

[Joe is frustrated but won't deny the berries when Nicky pushes them his way. He grabs a couple and pops them into his mouth like breath mints. They're bitter, but not the worst thing he's had to eat, and so he does and as he chews the grainy skin into jelly with his back molars he surveys their current situation and the tapestry of the landscape before them.]

Nature's skittles. You eat too, we'll both need our strength.

[umarell]

[ A smile tucks a dimple into the corner of Nicky's mouth for a moment, as he has the rest of the berries in his palm, letting them burst bitterly on his tongue. Nicky is here, so Joe is too; that almost goes without saying. It's everything else that needs to be addressed. ]

Do you recognise this place?

002. hiking party.

[dadyl]

[ Hunting has been on Daryl's mind all day. The game hasn't exactly been scarce despite all the noise the confused and naked pilgrims have been making but the pressing lack of everything and his complete disorientation has kept him focused on other things. Daryl hates not knowing where he is. The sun isn't telling him shit and even as it sets, he can't make sense of their positioning. The stars have to do it once night rolls around but dusk is still a few hours away and until then, he has to focus on other things or else let panic get ahold of him.

Panic, because the animals and the birds he keeps seeing just don't seem right for where he last remembers being. Not to mention those spiders that he half suspects they're about to walk into at any second. Just where in the fuck has he ended up?

In a group with at least one competent guy, it seems. Daryl can only hope, anyway. ]

You got any gear?

[ Asked with a lift in his voice that means doubt. He can rig a snare with very little but he's seen nothing at all so far, not even little vines that he could try and braid, that would be of any use. He doesn't like to hunt with traps, it isn't a death anything should have to endure, but he doesn't think they could even stand to stop that long. To wait on luck and prey patterns right now seems worse than pointless to him.

They need to keep moving, but if this guy has an idea, working in smaller groups will make far less noise and make any hunting much easier. He's willing to listen. It's a relief when he doesn't have to be the one to speak for people. ]

We could make do if we found a river but I ain't seen a sign.

[umarell]

I would have to be hiding it very well if I did.

[ Half a joke, because Nicky knows there's at least some value in cracking one now and then, if only just to keep his own mood from crashing. The fact is that this man is right – they need more than just their bare hands to catch anything scuttling around in the brush around them. ]

Even without gear, the animals around here may be of some use. We could follow them. They will know where to find water.

[dadyl]

[ Daryl gives him a flat look because he can't laugh about their situation, definitely not yet. It does get a rare burst of eye contact out of him, however, even Daryl looks a little resentful about it. ]

Trail we're on now is the best one I seen all day. Somethin' has been making a routine here.

[ But it's getting hot enough that this guy might have a point. Something needing a drink as much as them could point them where they need to go. ]

You find me a stream, I'll catch you a fish.

Hiking Party

[ragnarsson]

[It was very clear that the young teenager with the wasted legs couldn't walk at all. He'd been crawling for some time now but seemed completely unbothered by his slow, painful method of transportation. Look, this had been Ivar's life from day one, so it was either bitch about how unfair the hand fate had dealt him was or just get on with living.

He eyed the strange man warily, looking up at him from his position on the ground, propping himself up with his arms. Well, who was he to spurn the offer of free food when he was in such a precarious position? He'd need to eat if he was to make it out of this forest alive. He grabbed some from Nicky's hand, his own fingers rough and callused from a lifetime of his preferred method of movement.]

Thank you.

[He'd heard accents like the one Nicky had in Kattegat when he'd spent time down in the trading market that now had ships come in all the way from across Europe and Asia, though he wasn't entirely certain from which country it marked the man as being from.]

[umarell]

[ Nicky nods his acknowledgement. A lot of people have come stumbling out of that forest, and he's trying to keep a keen eye on as many as he can, to make sure nobody grabs a fistful of something poisonous, to make sure nobody starts any fights. They're bound to happen sometime – so many people in close proximity, already anxious for themselves and ready to blame anyone around them for their predicament.

After a moment, he gestures to a spot near the young man on the ground, as if it's an empty chair. ] May I sit with you?

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar shifted, moving himself into a sitting position as he rested against the trunk of a tree, giving his aching arms some relief. He forced himself to eat the berries slowly despite the fact he was starving. He had no idea when the next time he might find or be offered food might be.

There was a look of quick surprise on Ivar's face when Nicky asked him if he could sit down. He clearly wasn't used to being asked his opinions on anything. Hell, even his brothers often dismissed him when he offered his suggestions on how to do things. Then he nodded.]

Go ahead.