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

[aban_aqun]

Bull groans quietly but doesn't protest as Bashir's fingers press against his thigh.

"Not going to stop you, doc. Like I said, I know the drill." Tamassrans, Stitches, even Krem had taken care of him over the years. Bull is a pain in the ass patient for immediate, new injuries, but for this? He'll submit.

"I won't even kick," he promises with a smile in his voice.

[patientman]

"Your forbearance is a joy and my lack of black-eyes thanks you." Bashir makes a thoughtful noise as he continues to (none too gently) work out the worst of the aches and stiffness. He's got nothing else to do this evening and, frankly, if he doesn't keep himself busy he'll ...well, best not think about that.

"If I was home, I could grow you new cartilage, but that doesn't seem to be an option at the moment, does it?"

Did you know: the reason rhinos (and toddlers) can run so fast is that they have ridiculously thick cartilage in their knees that allows them to bounce along. Two inches in rhinos!

[aban_aqun]

"Grow it...? That medicine or magic?" he asks, voice tight as Bashir hits a knot. Bull breathes deeply and lets it go slowly to keep from flinching. Talking is better than not talking, so hopefully Bashir won't mind the conversation.

Bull would love rhino cartilage these days.

[patientman]

"Medicine. My home, we don't have 'magic'." From his tone of voice, Bashir is still having some trouble accepting the concept that magic is not fake, nor some sort of long con. "There may be things I don't understand, but there's always a rational explanation."

"There we go, slow and steady. I'd walk you through breathing exercises, but I'm not sure what your nervous system is like."

[aban_aqun]

"Sounds great," he sighs. A grin tugs at his scarred mouth. "Maybe the rational explanation is magic."

Bull has lived with it too long to discount it, even if he doesn't like it. He can even acknowledge that it's useful. He just doesn't want it used on him if he can help it. So, this is about his speed.

"Probably not that different than yours, if you're human," he says. "Our physiology has a lot in common."

[patientman]

Human enough. Depending on how well Bull can read microexpressions there might be something he picks up there.

"In that case, if you breathe in for four beats, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four, and start again it will depress your vagus nerve --" He gestures on his own body towards his breastbone. "And that helps manage pain response."

"And I pointedly refuse to accept that 'magic' is the start and end of the explanation. There has to be more to it than just a black box of 'I don't know, it just is'."

[aban_aqun]

Bull does catch something. Reading people is his job, and it's kept him alive this long. He catches the subtle flicker of something, and he wonders what it means.

"Didn't know it had a name," he admits before he does as he's told. Bull is familiar with breathing exercises, especially ones that are meant to mitigate pain or anxiety. His big chest rises and falls, and he closes his eye for a moment. Whatever Bashir is hiding, Bull is pretty sure it's not a knife.

"Depends on who you are. I'm not a mage. One of them could probably explain magic to you as a science. But it's still something they're born able to tap into."

[patientman]

"We don't have mages where I'm from. Never had. Only the occasional charlatan or someone who truly believed." Tell us how you really feel, Bashir.

"Alright, next leg," he says with a pat to the side of his knee. "If you don't balance them out, you'll just make one or the other worse."

Time for him to floor scoot over to the otherside and get Bull's leg up on his shoulder.

[aban_aqun]

Bull moves when Bashir tells him too. Whether or not he's a good patient, he's good at following orders from someone competent. He shifts his weight carefully, getting one leg down before getting the other up. He leans into his seat, allowing it to take most of his weight.

"Some of the worst of these are a decade old or so," he says as he looks down, watching Bashir work as much as he can. He considers his next question, then asks: "How is this fucking with my back?"

Because he knows that it is. It must be - it's his leg. But he rarely takes into account how.

[patientman]

"Several ways, most likely. Along with your gait being uneven, which will affect your hips, you need to compensate in other ways and that adjusts which muscles are stronger, which pull on the bone and tendon more or less." And there we go, he's digging his thumbs in a particularly troubling spot.

"All of which can be exacerbated by the sort of work you do with your body." Will he have to work on Bull's back next? Probably. Better if they've got a bed for it. "I've seen similar injuries among Klingons - a race from my home. Often warriors, and some of the few that still prefer bladed weapons and close combat."

[aban_aqun]

Bull breathes in sharply as Bashir's thumbs dig in, and he exhales as slowly as he can. Big as he is, he still feels pain like anyone else. Mostly.

"A lot can be accomplished with a blade," he mutters, intent on continuing the conversation. It's keeping his mind off the worst of it. "Even if there's other means available. And it's personal. Makes you really think about what you're doing, even if you're enraged."

[patientman]

"Mm, so I've been told. I tend to avoid most blades when not involved in surgery or eating dinner - pointedly, I do not cook." Or knife fight. Unless he has to, in which case he's not too shabby at it.

"On my world, there was a gruesome thought experiment. Scientists had invented a weapon so terrible, nothing could stand against it. It could level cities and poison the ground for generations. Of course, humans being the creatures we are, some nations stockpiled them." He moves on from the worst spots, still trying to help where he can. "The idea was that the key to launch these weapons should be embedded in the heart of an innocent and if the leader wanted to kill millions on the otherside of the world, he would have to use a knife, in person, on one man."

[aban_aqun]

Bull considers that as he listens, turning the ideas over in his head. Maybe it's because he's tired, or maybe it's because he's seen the very worst of what people are capable of, that makes him say:

"Maybe a good idea... but that really depends on the person with the knife, doesn't it? People can reconcile a lot of decisions if they have the right rationale. Especially if they think they're doing it for the greater good - what's the life of one innocent against thousands? Millions? Not saying it's good, just that it works."

[patientman]

With that, Bashir stills and his expression softens. Pulled into a memory, he looks almost fond before shaking it off and returning to what he's doing.

"It really does, and I don't know that there are many, maybe any, people I'd trust with that knife." Another gentle pat-pat against the skin at the inside of his knee and Bashir is done. "If you want, and you can find somewhere flat and comfortable, I can do your back in a bit, but that ought to keep the worst of it away."

[aban_aqun]

Bull moves his leg to rest his foot on the floor again once Bashir is done. He considers the offer, then nods. If he's honest, the physical touch alone is comforting, and if Bashir is offering....

Yeah. He'll take it.

"Floor's as good as anywhere," he says with a small nod toward the rug in front of the fireplace. "But take a break if you need one."

OOC.

[patientman]

Apologies, life ate my face and I dropped this thread. Would you prefer to continue here, shelve it, or tag in on the new TDM. I'm planning to put up a top level there.