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apocalypsehowcomm2023-08-01 07:39 am
apocalypsehownpcs) wrote in apocalypsehowcomm2023-08-01 07:39 am
Entry tags:
Into the Wyldwoods
Who: Milo apocalypsehownpcs, Raine Whispers rainestorms, Steve Rogers punched_hitler
When: August 15th
Where: The Wyldwoods
Summary: Raine and Steve have taken it upon themselves to uncover more information about the lower levels of ADI and the illusion that disguises the non-humans at ADI. They encounter Milo, a Perfectly Ordinary Person, who has some information to share.
Warnings: Gaslighting, manipulation, illusions, uncanny valley, potential for loss of name, sense of self, and memory or memory modification
It's not easy getting to the very lowest level of ADI Headquarters. Asking around will indicate that it's where ADI once kept an avatar of the Dark named Katie Dunn. No other prisoners are being kept on that level, but access is severely restricted. By ill-got means or some very serious persuasion, though, two people have managed to gain access to it.
There was also a cryptic bit of guidance found or obtained to 'bring milk and honey,' which may or may not have been listened to.
The elevator door opens to a small, metal room with two sturdy doors leading off from it. The one to the left is labeled Containment. The one to the right is labeled Wyldwoods. Both require keycodes to access, but the infiltrators have acquired those by their various means. Containment is a small cell block with only three cells. There's nothing and no one in here. It seems ADI was telling the truth about Katie Dunn being their only prisoner.
Wyldwoods is a different story, the door opens and the one entering will find themselves immediately hit with the scent of loam and pine. It is pleasantly warm with a blue, partly cloudy sky, and there's the sound of birdsong and wind rustling leaves. It looks to be a full pine forest in the middle of a lovely summer's day. Moving into the room, they'll find themselves stepping out of a door that's appeared in the trunk of a tree. Said door closes and vanishes immediately behind them.
Beyond the trees is a meadow filled with flowers. Sitting in the field is a young and beautiful-looking person. They seem to be lounging and plucking flowers for a chain that they're weaving together. There's a slight frown on their face, though. Approaching, it might become apparent that some of the meadow beyond them isn't meadow at all. It's just metal, much like the walls out in the entry room. The patches flicker and flowers and grass grow back, but more patches appear in other spots, instead.
Raine Whispers (first to arrive and leave)
The person turns to look toward Raine when they approach, whether directly or with stealth. "Ah, hello? You're someone new."
Steve Rogers (second to arrive and leave)
"Two new visitors in one day!" It doesn't matter if Steve is approaching with stealth or not, the person seems to know where he is and looks over at him or whatever hiding spot he's chosen. "I feel very lucky, indeed. Hello? May I have your name?"
(Warning for Both Players: Providing a full name to this character at any point in the conversation will result in negative consequences for Raine and/or Steve.
Additional Information for Raine: In their general exploration and investigation, Raine would have turned up the following information.
1. ADI has not found a way to send people home. Arrivals and disappearances continue to be at random from all paperwork and other documentation that is available. There seems to have been a slow down in recent months, which is concerning to ADI in a different way. Possibly it signals that whatever is doing this has collected what it wants?
2. Artifacts contained by ADI are anything seen in the Dogged event that has not been destroyed or hampered by PCs.
3. Oculus seems to have been a cult that was active several decades ago, particularly in the 1990s. They attempted a ritual in Oracle, AZ that involved the Biosphere 2 experiment. ADI wasn't actually all that involved in disrupting that initiative. They had looked at it and deemed it doomed to failure. And it was. After the failure of that ritual, members of Oculus splintered and there was a lot of in-fighting that ADI watched from afar. Current records indicate that the larger cult is dead with some minor pockets here and there. The largest pocket was dealt with in Gloucester recently. The only other notable grouping of Oculus seems to be out in Arizona where they're trying to get funding for Biosphere 3.
Dogtown has grown increasingly strange since the arrival of the first offworld NPCs. It was always a threat, but it seemed to have Hunt and Dark as the primary Entities lurking within it. 'Primordial' ones, ADI's information calls these. The Wolfe House at the center of Dogtown is a documented site for significant hauntings, but ADI has always dealt with those in the past without too much incident.
Hammond Castle is the only other location of interest. Notes indicate that ADI has a Special Relationship with the castle given the Hammonds' interest in the occult. In the past, ADI has used the castle as a front for acquiring cursed artifacts.)
apocalypsehownpcs, Raine Whispers rainestorms, Steve Rogers punched_hitlerWhen: August 15th
Where: The Wyldwoods
Summary: Raine and Steve have taken it upon themselves to uncover more information about the lower levels of ADI and the illusion that disguises the non-humans at ADI. They encounter Milo, a Perfectly Ordinary Person, who has some information to share.
Warnings: Gaslighting, manipulation, illusions, uncanny valley, potential for loss of name, sense of self, and memory or memory modification
It's not easy getting to the very lowest level of ADI Headquarters. Asking around will indicate that it's where ADI once kept an avatar of the Dark named Katie Dunn. No other prisoners are being kept on that level, but access is severely restricted. By ill-got means or some very serious persuasion, though, two people have managed to gain access to it.
There was also a cryptic bit of guidance found or obtained to 'bring milk and honey,' which may or may not have been listened to.
The elevator door opens to a small, metal room with two sturdy doors leading off from it. The one to the left is labeled Containment. The one to the right is labeled Wyldwoods. Both require keycodes to access, but the infiltrators have acquired those by their various means. Containment is a small cell block with only three cells. There's nothing and no one in here. It seems ADI was telling the truth about Katie Dunn being their only prisoner.
Wyldwoods is a different story, the door opens and the one entering will find themselves immediately hit with the scent of loam and pine. It is pleasantly warm with a blue, partly cloudy sky, and there's the sound of birdsong and wind rustling leaves. It looks to be a full pine forest in the middle of a lovely summer's day. Moving into the room, they'll find themselves stepping out of a door that's appeared in the trunk of a tree. Said door closes and vanishes immediately behind them.
Beyond the trees is a meadow filled with flowers. Sitting in the field is a young and beautiful-looking person. They seem to be lounging and plucking flowers for a chain that they're weaving together. There's a slight frown on their face, though. Approaching, it might become apparent that some of the meadow beyond them isn't meadow at all. It's just metal, much like the walls out in the entry room. The patches flicker and flowers and grass grow back, but more patches appear in other spots, instead.
Raine Whispers (first to arrive and leave)
The person turns to look toward Raine when they approach, whether directly or with stealth. "Ah, hello? You're someone new."
Steve Rogers (second to arrive and leave)
"Two new visitors in one day!" It doesn't matter if Steve is approaching with stealth or not, the person seems to know where he is and looks over at him or whatever hiding spot he's chosen. "I feel very lucky, indeed. Hello? May I have your name?"
(Warning for Both Players: Providing a full name to this character at any point in the conversation will result in negative consequences for Raine and/or Steve.
Additional Information for Raine: In their general exploration and investigation, Raine would have turned up the following information.
1. ADI has not found a way to send people home. Arrivals and disappearances continue to be at random from all paperwork and other documentation that is available. There seems to have been a slow down in recent months, which is concerning to ADI in a different way. Possibly it signals that whatever is doing this has collected what it wants?
2. Artifacts contained by ADI are anything seen in the Dogged event that has not been destroyed or hampered by PCs.
3. Oculus seems to have been a cult that was active several decades ago, particularly in the 1990s. They attempted a ritual in Oracle, AZ that involved the Biosphere 2 experiment. ADI wasn't actually all that involved in disrupting that initiative. They had looked at it and deemed it doomed to failure. And it was. After the failure of that ritual, members of Oculus splintered and there was a lot of in-fighting that ADI watched from afar. Current records indicate that the larger cult is dead with some minor pockets here and there. The largest pocket was dealt with in Gloucester recently. The only other notable grouping of Oculus seems to be out in Arizona where they're trying to get funding for Biosphere 3.
Dogtown has grown increasingly strange since the arrival of the first offworld NPCs. It was always a threat, but it seemed to have Hunt and Dark as the primary Entities lurking within it. 'Primordial' ones, ADI's information calls these. The Wolfe House at the center of Dogtown is a documented site for significant hauntings, but ADI has always dealt with those in the past without too much incident.
Hammond Castle is the only other location of interest. Notes indicate that ADI has a Special Relationship with the castle given the Hammonds' interest in the occult. In the past, ADI has used the castle as a front for acquiring cursed artifacts.)
no subject
Perhaps Raine blinks in the darkness or maybe they don’t, but in the next breath, Milo is barely a finger’s length away, voice low and echoing all in one.
“You ask so many questions. You might be polite about it, but you’re all the same. I grow tired.” Another breath and they’re gone, a low murmur of tension rises from the unseen audience.
“Pick two.”
no subject
"Milo, wait. I'm not- I'm trying to help you."
They stumbled backwards when Milo reappeared, their hands quick to grab their violin. They're still and quiet, body strung tight even after Milo told them to pick two. They considered their options, and everything they'd just learned.
"What are you using to feed to power the glamours?"
no subject
“Before it was only one person. Given to me like a pet to keep me happy…but the new Warden didn’t approve. Now it’s so many tiny bites from so many different places: a glance, a glimmer, something not quite right. You all…so fearful of the veil falling…of losing who you are. You feed me and I cover for you…one more.”
no subject
"How... How much of us can you see?"
no subject
no subject
There was no use arguing. Milo was right. Raine closed their eyes only for a moment, enough to not phrase their question, as a question.
"I'm assuming you're part of the Stranger, then." They looked around for Milo, squinting against the green spotlight.
no subject
“Am I strange? I don’t feel Strange. I told you before that reality is…negotiable.”
They appear their in the weeds and offer a wide smile and a small ear. “This has been pleasant. I hope you can find the door soon, my Songbird. Simply search where it isn’t.”
And all at once they seem to melt into the grass, a patch of impossibly colored flowers sprouting far across the stage and into the faceless yet watchful audience.
no subject
And just like that, they're gone. Raine cursed under their breath, and looked between the new growth and the audience. They bristled at the audience, They tried not to spend too much time looking at the audience, but turning away from them made Raine feel equally as deeply aware they're being watched.
Still, Raine began to look on the floor, and on the ceiling.
"None of you know where the door is, probably," Raine quietly gestured to the crowd, but doesn't look at them.
no subject
no subject
Raine focused on the crowd, and watched them part. Their breathing stilled as they processed it through narrowed eyes. They stepped closer to the crowd, violin lifted to their chin, bow lifted, but they're ready to do what they need to if they're touched.
They inched their way into the parted crowd, but everything about them is on edge.
no subject
Unless Raine takes too long, and then it's less hands on them or even movement so much as the crushing press of out.
Now.
A pushing, clamoring, urgent press towards the door.
no subject
Terror.
Raine let out a rather strained yelp as they tried to flee, stumbling over themself, over the crowd. They reached for the door handle, and twisted it, pushing against the door.
no subject
no subject
“Before it was only one person. Given to me like a pet to keep me happy…but the new Warden didn’t approve. Now it’s so many tiny bites from so many different places: a glance, a glimmer, something not quite right. You all…so fearful of the veil falling…of losing who you are. You feed me and I cover for you…one more.”