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

[pigeonblood]

[ She takes him in. His height, his build, any marks she can distinguish in the lamplight. She ought to have lit the room better instead of indulging her moroseness. Genya weighs the risks of allowing him to stay. By the number of naked wanderers she saw, losing the luxury of a room to herself seems inevitable. And by that same token, the rooms around her will fill with plenty of potential witnesses. Were he to attack her, and she find her combat abilities bested, a dozen boarders would hear her scream.

She trusts those odds over the air of charm he has about him. "A friend?" will remain a question for some time. ]

I wasn't. [ Genya holds his gaze. Nothing predatory lurks in his eyes -- active nor patient. She'll be vigilant for any shift thereof. ] Come in, then. You may have that bed. [ He nods towards the one against the far wall. The sheet around her was claimed from the one nearest the door. ]

[ludomania]

[ perhaps Felipe should have done a similar risk assessment before opening the door, but he likes to take chances and it looks like it paid this time. she seems welcoming enough and he trusts that they'll be buddies by the morning. the living nightmare hasn't affected his confidence in the least. ]

If you're sure? Thank you, miss.

[ his face lights up with gratitude and he reaches to close to door after himself – a closing to the deal. ]

After this morning I hardly remember what a bed feels like. This will be a wonderful reminder.

[ he mutters as he moves across the room, lightly shaking his head to himself. it's been a lot to take in and he hasn't quite accepted everything yet. when he's about to pass her by, he stops and turns to her, giving her a proper look. there's no malice in his eyes, only curiosity and compassion. the woman seems perfectly capable to handle the situation, but there are signs of something that has been wearing her down way before she came here. ]

Truly, your kindness means a lot to me.

[pigeonblood]

[ Most people would find it difficult to be personable after a day like they've had. Genya isn't one of them, though she's choosing not to slip into the smile. Noteworthy that he has the will. That's all. She's noticed, she has too little information to feel a particular way about it.

She follows him with her eye, lowering her elevated countenance to regard him levelly. She sees no pity in his face. Questions, certainly, but they're preferable to assumptions. It doesn't occur to her that he might be wondering about the bags under her eyes or the eyelashes stuck together with undried tears, rather than her disfigurement. ]

Think nothing of it, [ a play at a small smile, lasting the length of the ensuing syllable ] friend.

[ His assessment is correct: This woman is Tired. ]

[ludomania]

I'll remember this.

[ it may be a small favor, but such things hold a great value when everything familiar is gone. he nods to her before he moves to the bed that the woman pointed to him and sits down on it with a heavy sigh.

for a moment he just leans down and holds his head in his hands, brushing his fingers into his messy hair. ]

What should I call you?

[pigeonblood]

[ Well, now so will she. She watches him make himself comfortable, then, with a glance out the window, weighs whether or not to carry on brooding as if he never entered. It's tempting, but it's not her. She could do so in Baghra's company because their misery was known to each other, and all her hope was lost. Her present circumstances are too incomprehensible for her to be sure of anything, even death.

Genya crosses to her own bed, sheet trailing behind like a gown. Once seated, she pulls it back over her exposed legs. Modesty is a luxury the day hasn't afforded her until now. Indulging it is meaningful by virtue of having the choice. ]

Genya Safin. [ It's bliss to be off her feet. Genya leans down to smooth her fingertips along the bottom of one, an inch's breadth from contact. Knicks and scratches zip themselves closed, emerging callouses vanish back into soft skin. Amid her ministrations, she asks, ] Did you not fare well in the woods?

[ludomania]

That's a lovely name, Genya.

[ not like any name from where he's from. in his youth he sailed from port to port, visited foreign countries and cities, but never met another Genya Safin. with his head still bowed into his hands, Felipe tousles his hair like he often did when he was lost in thought. it was a casual way of drawing eyes to his dark curls, something he mostly did unknowingly while happily welcoming the attention, but this time around the routine is just a tired man trying to sort his thoughts. ]

The woods were fine, it was the spiders that did not fare well with me-- [ he begins and then looks up. his immediate reaction is a frown, not because the view doesn't make sense to him but rather he looks concerned. not scared, just worried. ] I'm...

[ it's just one thing after another today, isn't it? he straightens up on the bed, settles his jaw as he thinks of what to say. for Genya it seems like the most natural thing to be doing in the presence of a stranger, healing her foot with her magic fingers or whatever. ]

You know, you don't have to worry about that with me. [ he finally mutters, lifts his hands up a bit and averts his gaze like he was trying to appear unthreatening. ]

[pigeonblood]

[ Were she not preoccupied, she'd acknowledge his compliment with a gracious nod. Focused until the task is done, she sits up straight again and assesses his reaction. He may not have noticed or have been unable to discern what it was she was doing, and that would suit her fine. The gestures with which she tailors are different from those of a Healer, even when healing is the work she's engaged in.

On the contrary, he both saw and identified her use of small science. And his response is the first to make any sense to her. No bewilderment, no ambivalence. She has tested the word "grisha" on a handful of strangers today and been met with confusion. This isn't a rounding up of her kind. Based on who she's met, she's the outlier. ]

You know of Healers. [ Which she isn't, but very few people know of Tailors. Those that do tend to hold Healers in higher regard. More useful. A better bargaining chip. ]

[ludomania]

[ the word "grisha" would be lost on him too, but the difficulties and the prejudices connected to it would sound awfully familiar. ]

Not personally.

[ no healers in his close circles, sorry. he's heard of magic users that can heal others, but they're extremely rare and have every reason to stay hidden. thus his reaction to her powers. his smile is not quite there, but he attempts to soften the curve this conversation is taking with one. ]

I won't tell anyone. [ although it seems a little pointless to be saying that out loud when she has apparently trusted him enough to show off her powers when he could easily see it. ] If you're hurt... Go ahead. [ he gestures at her to continue. maybe that's what he interrupted when he came in here. ]