test drive — winter

[villagemod]

WINTER TEST DRIVE
Welcome to the test drive and thank you for your interest in The Village. This test drive is not game canon but will allow players the opportunity to experiment with game mechanics, the setting, and the flexibility of choice allowed by this game. The following prompts are examples of typical situations characters might face in the game. At least one thread from the TDM is required as part of the game's application process.

The setting details and locations are still being unveiled in the game, so prospective players are welcome to play with established locations or create their own within the general setting of Mathias.

( Recommended listening: ♫ )

---

INTO THE ENDLESS
Winter has arrived in Mathias. Snow falls steadily, big puffy flakes that pile up quickly in drifts as the wind blows them around town. The trees in the forest are covered in it, the branches bending under the weight and shaking when the piles fall from them to the forest floor. The roofs of buildings become solid white and drifts form in doorways as the wind tries to rush inside anywhere it can.

New arrivals wake in the forest, with its winding paths twisting back on themselves as they branch in either direction. It isn't safe to stray from the path, there is a menacing fog that waits just a few yards inward in any direction, but for now, there is nothing impeding movement along those snow-covered paths that cut through the trees. Continue stumbling in one direction and you'll reach the small town, coming out near the mishmash of quaint houses that nestle beside crumbling ruins that used to be homes. But choose the other and you'll seem to stumble on forever, huddling against the wind until there seems to be a clearing up ahead—

And then nothing. The earth opens up before you in a ravine so deep that the bottom cannot be seen. The other side can be seen, tantalizingly out of reach, and there is the sense that safety is just beyond, if only you could get there. But with that sensation is also the knowledge that if you stay here, you will die. The edge seems unsteady, like getting too close would set it crumbling and send you tumbling into that dark endless nothing that waits below...

BODIES WITHOUT SOULS
Benedict Books is nestled quaintly on the square surrounding Mathias's Town Hall, a thick layer of dirt covering the front windows. Looking through those windows provides a much different view than looking directly into the shop through the doorway — vague shapes and forms of figures seem to be inside, though no details can be determined through the streaks of grime. Flickers that resemble flashlights can be seen passing along the windows from time to time, and on occasion there is even a muffled tapping sound that comes from behind the glass, as if someone is trying to get your attention. The same distorted figures can be seen looking through the windows from the inside outward, but moving from one side or the other reveals... nothing. There is nothing there, and perhaps it is all in your imagination.

A portrait hangs at the front of the store to illustrate the namesake of the little shop... that may, in fact, not be so little. Dust covers everything in sight and detritus litters the wooden floor, as if someone left the door open and allowed half the forest inside.

The books are mostly familiar titles from the 1990s and earlier, but close examination will reveal that key details seem to have been changed. They fill shelves in neat lines along the walls and rows in between, the building almost seeming to stretch on forever until, finally, a small office can be seen tucked away in the back. A glance back toward the front door gives the impression that the room isn't that big, after all. Strange that you previously thought so.

Prying the door open is the only way to get inside the small office; the hinges have rusted and are caked with dirt and grime. Search as you might, there are no interesting bits of information to be found here beyond a few inventory lists on the little desk. There is, however, a green and gold safe in the corner that, no matter how many times one turns the dial, simply clicks and clicks. Scratches around the safe indicate that someone tried to get in at one point, though there's no indication as to whether they succeeded.

THE END APPROACHES
Standing at the center of Mathias, the town hall is a modest two-story building that would be welcoming if not for the faded sign, chipped paint, and deafening silence within its empty halls. It's a typical government building, with a reception desk at the front and rows of identical offices within, the names half faded from each door. But what catches the attention is a large bulletin board on the main wall beside the reception desk, once meant to hold flyers or announcements for the community.

What it holds now is decidedly different. Tacked onto the board are scraps of paper covered in an assortment of handwriting styles — requests for supplies should anyone find them, pieces of information shared in the hopes of someone understanding the strange symbols and mathematical equations, notes about those missing or recently deceased. And over the center of the board, tacked on top of other papers, is a map discolored with age. Mathias Township can be read in the corner, a stretch of forest displayed beneath it, but everything else has been smeared to illegibility with red... ink? Upon close examination, a keen eye will realize that the ink is actually blood, though whether it is human is unknown. And scrawled across that forest, nearly covering the illustration of a clearing and a large house within, are the words

he is coming
A number of tarnished metal pushpins are scattered around the edges of the board, waiting for future messages to be shared, and a stack of pristine white paper and pile of cheap ballpoint pens rest on one of three chairs beside the board. The chairs are clearly meant for those waiting for meetings and are covered in the same layer of grime as everything else in the building — everything except the pens, paper, and bulletin board.

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Comments

Dale Cooper | Twin Peaks

[coopercoffee]

(OOC: Canon compliant up to Season 2 Episode 9 - still working my way through 2nd season, no spoilers pls)

a. Into The Endless

[He thought this might be a dream.

It's so cold though, he wonders if this might just be real.

He has a trenchcoat over his suit but it's barely enough even as he trudges through the snow--he looks around, wondering if the trees are Douglas Firs, wondering if maybe he can get his bearings, maybe if there's someone here? If it's a dream he would expect the usual dream imagery he's become accustomed to, but the bite of the cold is just a little too real for him to accept it completely.

Which begs the question, who brought him here?

And for what reasons?

Cooper huffs on his hands before sticking them in his pockets, as he starts to follow the path in front of him. One foot forward is always a good first step.]

b. Bodies Without Souls

[Cooper knocks on the windows, utterly baffled--it's almost amusing if he wasn't so concerned about what he's seeing here. He moves from inside to outside, to see if he can replicate the phenomenon.]

Diane, the longer this lasts the less sure I am this is a dream.

[He speaks into a small, analog tape recorder as he goes back outside to tap on the windows.]

Still, this unexplained phenomena is not encouraging. I can only suspect this has something to do with my previous visions, but for the life of me I can't be sure what they're trying to tell me.

c. The End Approaches cw: blood

[Well. He can say that is extremely worrying.

Forest. A mysterious he. Blood smeared on the map.

Cooper reaches forward to try to see if he can scrape a bit off with the end of a pen. He doesn't have a plastic bag but he's attempting to get a sample in a piece of paper from the supply over there. Albert Rosenfield isn't here to do any forensic work but that didn't mean he wouldn't be here eventually, or if by some miracle, he could find a working lab nearby.

Or at the very least, a place that had decent coffee and pie.]

c;

[cluing]

Quite theatrical, don't you think?

[ Sherlock's stopped by to see if there's anything new on the bulletin board. There isn't, but there's a man trying to clearly obtain a sample, and that's new.

Truth be told, Sherlock's almost a little mad he hadn't thought about it himself. Stupid mistake, really. How else will they know if it's human or animal? Not that there's somewhere as of yet to test it. ]

[coopercoffee]

[Cooper turns to see the newcomer and seems cheered up that he has someone to talk to now. He smiles as he turns towards him, still scraping off what he can with a pen.]

Certainly is. It's a message, all of it, and not just the words themselves. It's deliberate choice. Did they mean to scare us? Make sure that we notice the words?

[He shrugs, but turns back towards the map as if it would provide answers right then and there.]

Maybe it's both.

[cluing]

Oh, certainly to scare us. People aren't quite themselves when they're afraid, are they? One small seed of fear is all it takes.

[ But it seems like it's not working as effectively as maybe intended, since, given the notices on the board, people are very aware of the words and seem to be keen on finding results. ]

Perhaps we can set up some sort of surveillance to see if they return with another cryptic message.

[coopercoffee]

And that's a deliberate choice. We now know something about our captors.

[He seems quite cheered up at this, as he finishes gathering the sample.]

Fantastic idea! It's very likely that it will happen again. Do you have any video recorders here? If not, we'll have to set up some kind of watch.

[cluing]

[ Sherlock does a good job of not preening. Yes, he thinks it's a fantastic idea, too, but it's always nice to have people agree with him. He finally decides to turn and give the man his fullest attention. ]

I've not found any but the technology here, while rudimentary, isn't entirely useless. I suspect if one looked hard enough a video recorder could be found. Doubling down on both video and in-person watches isn't a terrible thought, either.

[coopercoffee]

Excellent! I'll make it a priority and go looking for one right away. I doubt we'll find a stash of tapes but even if we get one we could reuse it over and over again.

[He sounds downright excited about this. Now that they had a plan, he feels the tiniest bit more like they have a chance of figuring this thing out.]

In-person watches could tell us things video can't. Smells, feelings--a sense of dread, for example, could be really telling.

[cluing]

[ Sherlock can't quite decide if the man's enthusiasm is nauseating or just a bit annoying. Still, it means that Sherlock himself could focus on other things and leave the work of surveillance to this stranger. ]

Oh, absolutely. Feelings are very important in these circumstances.

[ They absolutely aren't, but Sherlock can play along. ]

You'd be likely to find one in one of the abandoned homes.

a;

[endlessflask]

[ Eliot's trying to find more berries and leaves out in the forest. It's hard going, now that the snow is falling and blanketing everything, but right now it's the best he's got until the greenhouse is fixed up.

He's found some mushrooms on the ground after carefully clearing away some snow with his foots, and he's plucking them up from the ground when he hears footsteps to his side. ]

-- Hey.

[ Eliot stands up, frowning a bit. The guy doesn't really look equipped for a walk in the forest in the winter. ]

[coopercoffee]

[Another person! Well, that's certainly a good sign. Not that he thought he'd be walking these paths forever, but then again, he really couldn't be sure that wouldn't happen...]

Hello!

[Cooper raises a hand as he stomps through the snow. His jacket is far too thin for this weather and it's clear he's suffering from the cold but it somehow doesn't show in his demeanor. He sounds downright cheerful.]

I'm afraid I'm a bit lost!

[endlessflask]

No shit.

[ Eliot keeps frowning a bit, and then he looks around, as if trying to decide if he's really seeing this man or if it's some trick of the forest. Eliot decides, given the state of him, that the guy's probably like him and everyone else - thrown into this town against his will. ]

Well - The town's just up the path a bit. I'll show you. We should be able to find a jacket for you somewhere.

[coopercoffee]

A town?

[It makes sense that he's somewhere close to civilization, what with the paths and all. He's cautious, but still friendly in his approach.]

I appreciate that very much. It was certainly not winter the last time I checked, so I'm not sure if I've been passed out this entire time, or if I've been taken to the mountains, or past the border to the far north. What's the name of this town?

[endlessflask]

Mathias.

[ Eliot's not prepared to be the Welcome Wagon for new arrivals. He doesn't even actually understand what's happening himself, but he at least has the advantage of this not being the first time he's ended up in some other world or whatever is happening here.

He motions for the guy to follow him and he starts down the path that will be pretty much a straight shot to the edge of town. ]

It's - Not really normal. All of us that are there, we're not locals. The same thing happened to us that happened to you.

[coopercoffee]

...strange.

[He sounds a little more troubled and a little less cheerful as he starts to follow the other man.]

I'm not familiar with Mathias...say, how many people are there, you think?

c. the end approaches.

[notanemptymotto]

I can't say that it's the most conventional way to test blood.

[ Helen uses that to announce her presence. She steps from the front door and behind the man at the board. A gentle smile is offered as she pulls her makeshift hood down, brunette locks tumbling down her shoulders. ]

[coopercoffee]

Best I got, for now. Unless you know where I can get some small plastic bags?

[Cooper sounds cheerful as the stranger approaches--he takes a moment to pause in his sample-gathering to look over at her.]

Unfortunately I'm not working with the best tools and materials, but I'll make do.

[notanemptymotto]

I imagine there are some left in this town. There is a General Store.

[ She gestures behind her at the door - in case he had yet to travel that far. ]

None of us are, I'm afraid. I've left my rather state-of-the-art facility back myself.

[coopercoffee]

I'll have to make a shopping trip then.

[He seems quite happy about it, at least, and not at all daunted. He continues scraping until he's satisfied he's got enough and he folds up the paper very carefully.]

Oh! What sort of facility might that be?

[notanemptymotto]

You and me both.

[ A tired smile is offered to him. ]

Medical... but also something of a treatment facility. Private practice, as it were.

[coopercoffee]

I see! I'm sure you miss it greatly, especially the state-of-the-art part.

[He misses it and he doesn't even know what it is. Even with the successful sample he's not going to get much out of it without proper equipment. Forensics was not his specialty anyway.]

I'll hang onto this for now until we can do something with it. Unless you'd like to give it a try?

b

[40seconds]

So, who's Diane?

[ Coulson happens to come up next to Dale just in time to hear that comment, and the following one about visions. ]

Sorry to interrupt, I just couldn't help overhearing.

[coopercoffee]

My secretary.

[He gives a cheerful smile and waves his tape recorder so that the other man can see that he wasn't exactly just talking to himself.]

I know I can't exactly send this tape to her right now, but the information will be invaluable once we get out of here.

[40seconds]

That's assuming we can get out of here. I don't mean to be a pessimist, but I've been here for awhile now, and based on appearances, we're stuck.

[ He shakes his head and offers the other man an apologetic look. ]

Sorry, that's not very reassuring. It's possible we just haven't uncovered the secret, if there is one, or the way out.

[coopercoffee]

Really?

[He lowers his tape recorder, both disturbed and curious. The disturbed wins out, though.]

That's...unwelcome news, I suppose. How long have you been here?

[40seconds]

Unfortunately, yes. It's hard to believe and even harder to swallow, but it's been almost a month now.

Whatever the timetable is, if there is one, there's no telling where we fall on it.