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test drive — winter

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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[Beth's a little taken with watching what he's doing. She hasn't seen anything like it in years. Not since she was back in school and girls would write and fold notes to trade after classes. But this was different, it was a way to help calm her nerves and help her relax.

She politely keeps her distance until his paper starts to take shape. When she recognizes what it may be, she finally speaks up.]

I haven't seen a cat in years. A real one, I mean. [It's not like she sees paper origami cats often either.]

You're good at making them.

[ Ah. Now he's got company.

Gabe keeps his head down, focusing on getting the folds just right. He's positioned himself with his back against the post so he can push off quickly if it comes to that, if he needs to move, but he's got no weapons. Whatever's happening, whatever game somebody's decided to play, the rules aren't clear. Only point now is surviving long enough to get back to his people. His nanotech's still kicking, enough to give him a general sense of his surroundings, of any nearby movement, but he's still blind. The moment anybody realizes that, the moment they notice his eyes don't track, is the moment he's well and truly fucked.

Better not let that happen just yet. ]

Cats turn endangered when I wasn't looking?

[ He finishes folding the cat's ears, tapping his thumb against the point. Sounds like a woman's voice. Sounds young. His nanotech clocks her position, but he can't tell much more than that. If she's fast enough to close the distance, then she's fast enough to fuck him up.

Better get ready for that. Better get real damn ready.

He doesn't move. Just taps his little paper cat, so she'll watch his hands and nothing else. ]

Who're you?

[She's easily led into watching only his hands. There doesn't seem to be anything off about this to her, and she's all too happy to indulge in a distraction. ]

Beth, [She answers his simple question before trying to tackle the much more depressing one.] And the place I come from isn't safe for cats. Or much of anything else that's alive either. My daddy's farm lost most of the animals after the virus hit.

[She steers clear of walkers or anything related to zombies for the time being. No one here needs to pity her for having to go through that. She wants to earn their trust and respect out of who she is as a person, not because of what she's had to endure.]

[ Beth, she says, offering it out easy. Thicker accent, maybe from one of the outer colonies. Not one he recognizes, though. Not that strange. Universe is a wide, wild place. People get themselves squirreled away into all sorts of little corners. Except now here they are.

Farm, she says. Got hit by a virus. He's heard that story before. Gabe hums to himself, tapping the cat again. Trick only works for a little, though. He's out of paper now. Gonna have to stand up and be social. Gonna have to take the risk.

Gonna have to talk to people and not be an asshole right off the bat. Not his strong suit. ]

Whatcha doing all the way out here, then?

[ Nice and easy, nice and calm. They're just talking. ]

Well, if that ain't a loaded question...

[She softly laughs at her own misfortune, finally looking away from his folded paper cat up to his face. She's studying him closely now, as if she can judge whether or not he's dangerous or just the kind of guy that sits around folding paper animals when there's a message written in blood on the wall nearby. Either way, he's the first person she's talked to all day. So she guesses he's alright no matter what.]

But I woke up by myself in the middle of the trees. It was either stay out there alone or be here with everybody else.

They're my specialty.

[ His own accent is softer, smoother. He came up on Echo, which had infrastructure and too many company men in their crisp suits. Had their clean little accents, too. Everybody picked up the cadence, just like the taxes. Like the uniform. These things stick with you.

Sitting pretty isn't getting him anything here. Gabe stands up slow, careful to keep the handcuffs tucked into the sleeve of his jacket. Worst comes to worse, he can use them as brass knuckles. They're only clicked around his left wrist, aren't holding him back or restricting his movement. Right now they're just an inconvenient question, one he'd rather bypass. So long as he's careful with how he moves, no one needs to know.

Beth sounds young. Doesn't move like she's wearing body armor, but you never can tell these days. People start training younger and younger, don't they? ]

Funny. I did, too. You're the first one I've run into, though.

Really?

[She doesn't bother trying to hide the surprise and joy that she feels at hearing that. She hates the fact that he's been here alone, but also enjoys knowing that she could maybe provide him with what little information she has. If it's the one point of happiness she can get right now, she's going to take it.]

I've only run into one other person. I think he woke up right near me.
I haven't seen him since I came in here to see what was inside.

[Which brings her to her most pressing point-]

What do you think about that message in blood?

[ Yeah, she sounds young. Could be an act, could be a lot of things, but he's got an uneasy feeling that it's genuine. And what is he supposed to do with that now? Eli was good at talking to the civilians. Thomas, too. None of them are here, though. There's just him.

He hums, rocking back on his heels. Message in blood, huh?

That's great. That's real fucking great. It probably said something important, too. ]

Old school. Dramatic. It mean anything to you?

He is coming is pretty cryptic. But it probably means somebody dangerous is coming for us.

[The way she says it is flat, accepting. Like it's something that's just a normal part of life. She's still not convinced that they're not in some random neck of Georgia or one of the states barely up north, and all of this is The Governor's work. She wouldn't put anything past him.

Not even sending one of his men to keep an eye on this seemingly empty town. This guy seemed too decent to be one of his men. Beth stole another little glance at him before looking back toward the bloody map with a small smile on her face. Yeah, he'll do as far as a first ally in this place goes.]

So I guess to me it means I should've learned how to fight when I had the chance. Or at least gotten my hands on a weapon. Do you think there's anything here we could use?

[ He is coming. Yeah, okay, that's creepy as fuck. Gabe's survived some weird shit in his day, done his time running against company men and company women in their fancy armor and fucked up implants. He's seen plague towns and dead planets and cults that worshipped broken glass like it was a metaphor for everything that was wrong with their lives and all the ways they planned on fixing it. He's no stranger to games.

This is new, though. Someone, somewhere, took the time to set the stage. He doubts Contrix would bother letting it play out this long without trying to draw blood.

Though apparently someone has been bleeding. That's a cheery thought. ]

Probably.

[ Just how it goes, isn't it? There's always something. ]

Haven't found anything yet. You know how to fight at all, or this gonna be one of those fun adventures where you wing it?

[ Because it will come to a fight, eventually. It always does. ]

[Does she admit that she's still learning, or lie through her teeth in an attempt to appear useful? Her need to feel strong almost outweighs her general penchant for honesty. She bites at her lip and ducks her head.]

I learned a little from a friend. But I'm used to winging it.

[Her heart aches a little thinking about Daryl. He had been like family to her. He was the only one who thought she was capable of trying to fight for herself.]

What about you?

[ Learned a little from a friend. Great. Well, at least his nanotech hasn't given up the ghost just yet, or they'd be really screwed. Gabe shrugs, flexing his hands briefly. It's better to offer out small motions than to go completely still. People notice when you go stock-still. It makes them nervous. ]

I get by.

[ He'd feel better with his rifle, but apparently the universe hates him and wants him to suffer. ]

Call me Gabe.

[ An afterthought. But it's the polite thing, isn't it? ]

[She wonders if it's short for Gabriel, like the angel. Something about that makes it feel like a sign. That she needs to stick close to him, at least for the time being. Maybe he has people nearby and he'll go his own way eventually. It's what she's hoping for herself too.

When she lifts her head, it's just in time to take notice of the flex of his hands. She can slightly see something beneath his sleeve move along with the motion, but she doesn't make any comment on it. It's not her place to ask just yet.]

Do you want to look around and see if we can find anything? It'd be better to stick together and get supplies.

[She doesn't want to come across as a liability, so she tries to stand a little taller. It starts to finally dawn on her that he isn't directly looking at her in the way that someone like Rick or Daryl might when faced with the possibility of being stuck with someone that can't fight. He doesn't seem to be studying her, isn't sizing her up. Part of her wonders if it's something she should ask about, but it doesn't feel any better than asking about what's beneath his sleeve. She keeps any questions stored in the back of her head for now. What's more important is moving forward and trying to establish a sense of safety.]

[ It'd be the logical thing, looking around. Getting a lay of the land, figure out if there's anything salvageable. They're going to need water if this turns out to be a long game. Food too, probably. He'd commit violence easily for the chance to get his hands on a rifle, but that seems a touch too easy. But hunting around for shit means taking the risk she'll size him up and realize something's off.

Refusing isn't going to get him anything, though. Ain't that a bitch.

Gabe shrugs. He keeps his head angled slightly away from her, so it'll look like his gaze is on something in the distance. Not on her, so it won't matter that his eyes don't track her movement. ]

Somebody dumped us here for reason. Might as well see if there's anything worth taking.

[She nods in agreement. The motion is maybe a little too eager, as is the smile that ends up plastered on her face. After dealing with The Governor and countless other terrible people, this is a breath of fresh air.]

Well, come on then. We can get some supplies and find someplace to lay low for the rest of the day. I'll make us something, if we can find any food.

[The smile on her face is evident in her bright tone of voice, and she brushes past him to make her way over toward the door.]

[ Well okay then. Gabe snorts, tipping his head back. Eager, isn't she? ]

Lead on.

[ She can take point, he'll follow. See what that gets him. ]

Where're you from, Beth?

[And he's letting her lead? Beth feels like she's walking on a cloud right now. No one's ever been so willing to let her put herself in danger before. She readily takes the lead and keeps an eye on their surroundings as best as she can while they walk. She's still looking for any sign of people that might jump out at them, but her focus is primarily on Gabe. He's asked a question, it would be rude not to answer.]

I grew up in Georgia.

[She thinks of her earlier encounter with someone who didn't seem to know about the virus or the walkers or any of the awful things that she had to deal with in her neck of the woods.]

This may sound crazy, but where you come from, were there any...undead things walking around? Like people that used to be alive but come back.

[ Georgia. Not a name he recognizes, but he'll roll with that. Universe is a big place. Plenty of colonies tucked away in corners he's never been to. But the follow up question, now that's a touch more interesting.

Gabe raises an eyebrow. ]

Heard some stories. Some of 'em were probably true.

[ Universe is a big place. People go strange. ]

Ran into a soldier once who swore he'd been cursed. Said he couldn't die, that he'd been shot before and gotten right back up. Didn't test it, but he sounded convinced. There's all sorts of crazy shit these days.

But he could talk and make sense? That doesn't sound like the walkers back where I'm from. They're mindless. Like zombies.

[But clearly he was from a place that didn't have the same problem. That makes her worry even more about how far away from her friends and family she was. The worry nearly overcame her and she had to stop walking long enough to focus on not getting visibly upset.]

Do you remember how you got here?

[ There was more ranting than anything else. Gabe shrugs. He hasn't thought about that man for a while, doesn't remember if they learned his name or not. He hadn't bene the target. Just some stranger who ran up to them, going on and on about curses and nanotech that clicked under the skin. Eli gave the man some water and then they went on their way. Just another story, just another stranger in some fucked up corner of the universe.

Maybe he should've paid more attention. ]

He could talk. Didn't make much sense. Thought he'd gotten his head knocked around one too many times.

[ Maybe, maybe not. ]

Woke up on the ground.

[ He frowns. ]

Might've gotten drugged before. Can't remember.

[The panic she's feeling starts to ebb when she hears he may have been drugged. She can only nod a little at first as her breathing quickens and she feels tears coming. She can't cry in front of someone she just met, especially not when she's trying to prove that she's useful.]

I could've been drugged. But the last thing I remember before I woke up here was being shot.

[She wipes at her eyes before continuing along. She has to keep putting one foot in front of the other here.]

[ Her breathing changes. Hitches a little. He's close enough to pick it up, but he can't see her face to read her expression. That might be a problem if he misjudges things. ]

Shot where?

[ People can survive that, if they're lucky. If they're armored, or if they've got a good corpsman. But she doesn't move like she's injured. ]

[Beth touches at her forehead. She traces her fingers across her face. She can feel the injuries she obtained at Grady, ones that are still painful and stitched together. The gashes above her eyebrow and across her cheek are the worst. But there's no sign of injury across her forehead.]

My head.

[She murmurs in response after a long delay.]

Or maybe it was somewhere else. I can't really remember what happened.

[ Gabe pauses, considering. Sometimes people take killing blows and just don't realize, keep on walking right up until they can't anymore. The way she moves doesn't speak to an injury, though. She's too coherent, too steady for shock to have killed the worst of the pain. Something else is going on. ]

Could've been a beanbag round. They'll drop you like a rock and they sound like the real thing.

[ Usually they leave a mark, though, and she's touching her head like she can't find a wound. ]

Somebody's playing games.

Yeah, no shit.

[She dryly laughs and tries to act tough so she doesn't cry. She fails and winds up sniffling a little. But she wipes at her eyes to try and get rid of the evidence of her tears.]

When we figure out who's doing this, maybe we can get some answers.

[Until then -

Beth moves past him and reaches over to tap at his arm on her way by. She's guessing any of these buildings around the town hall they were just in is good to start looking for supplies.]

test drive — winter

the end approaches

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