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thecrossinglogs2025-05-16 05:09 pm
thecrossingmods) wrote in thecrossinglogs2025-05-16 05:09 pm
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE #3
TDM #3
Welcome to The Marsh, wayward souls.
It's good to see you again.
The TDM is game canon and will be active MAY—JUL. For further details about the setting, please reference our current setting page. All the information there is fair game for this TDM.
It's good to see you again.
The TDM is game canon and will be active MAY—JUL. For further details about the setting, please reference our current setting page. All the information there is fair game for this TDM.
arrival
— TANGLED BELOW ( NEW CHARACTERS ONLY )
CW: trapped underwater, drowning
Your journey begins as it has for all of those before you: in The River.
The water is lukewarm, and murky with dirt and vegetation. The surface isn't far away— but it might be hard to tell what direction you need to go in to reach it. To make matters worse, you are tangled in the plantlife around you, and will need to break free in order to escape The River's grip. There are others here who may be able to help you... but they'll have to find you first.
It's not possible for you to drown here; you may or may not recognize that you don't need to breathe, even down here. But every moment you spend with your head below the surface, you will spend trapped in the memory of your death, as if by a flashback. Depending on what brought you here, it may exacerbate your panic and confusion: maybe it isn't reeds, holding you back - maybe it's an assailant's hands; maybe it's not water clouding your vision, maybe it's something else, claustrophobic, smothering you. Or, maybe it's the dreamy, floaty peace you were expecting when you closed your eyes.
Regardless, you'll need to push through — to even start your journey, let alone finish it.
— BALANCED ABOVE ( EXISTING CHARACTERS ONLY )
You've traveled a long way to get here. Finally, there is a reprieve from the heat and chaotic energy of the Desert: the environment emerging around you is cooler and calmer, if not quieter. There are quite a few creatures populating the Marsh, both fantastical and not. Frogs croak quietly from the reeds; fireflies float along the surface of the water.
Wading around and through the muddy shallows of The River isn't exactly comfortable, so it may be a relief when the group comes across a wooden walkway rising out of the water and leading deeper into the Marsh. The planks creak under your weight, but they hold firm, and draw something like a path through the dense same-ness of the environment.
That path is anything but straightforward, though. And in the seemingly-perpetual dusk around you, it might be easy to get turned around: whether you have to retrace your steps from a dead-end, or lose track of others in the gloom.
You must be tired. But surely it's only a little bit further... right?
a marsh less traveled by
— THE VILLAGE
However much further it is, eventually you reach it: a small village, mainly comprised of wooden, multifamily homes lifted above the water on stilts. (Be careful which ones you choose to rest in, though — some of them might wander off with you still inside!) As with the shelters in previous locations, the homes are decorated as if by many tenants before you, continuously building on top of what was there before, and you may happen upon small items you recognize from home.
Unlike previous shelters, these don't seem like they've been abandoned for long. The items you find might be in better condition than they would have been elsewhere, and there might be newer or more comfortable amenities. Beds with softer sheets and more numerous pillows; pantries stocked with shelf-stable foods; unbroken toys or even board games with all their pieces.
Given the nature of The River here, this is also the closest The Ferryman has kept their vigil to the group's living quarters so far. While they still remain on the outskirts of the village — seemingly as separated as they can manage while still casting the Lantern's light where it needs to be — it's not as much of a trek out to see them. You might even pass them more than once on your regular goings-on during the day.
If you continue following the walkways, out to the edges of the village, you'll find a small pier with a number of rowboats lashed against it. They're small, and maybe a bit dusty or mossy, but they're sturdy, and large enough to accommodate two people at a time. There's no one else here but you — presumably no one will mind if you take one out deeper into the Marsh?
mist of memories
— AND BEYOND
There's plenty to be found, if you venture out: from the burping firedamp, to curious reflections of familiar places, to the choking mists of the mangroves.
Try not to get lost in those mists. It's a disorienting situation on its own, but certainly exacerbated by the wraiths that will follow you in great numbers, their misty forms often camouflaged within the mist itself. It's stressful. That must be why you might feel like you're seeing other ghosts in the mist as well, figurative or literal. Snatches of familiarity, just at the edges of your vision; maybe a face you never thought you'd see again.
It's not all dark and dreary, though. There are patches of brightly colored wildflowers growing throughout the Marsh as well, hidden among the leggy roots of trees and patches of reeds out on the water. In particular, the same bright orange marigolds that dotted the path you traveled in from the Desert also peek out in places throughout the Marsh, usually in clumps of three or four. They almost seem to follow you as you pass — maybe, even, smile knowingly at you. But surely that's a trick of the light?
Harder to ignore are the rarer, but unmistakable, bioluminescent blue flowers scattered among the others. If you touch one, it may have something to whisper to you — but if it's a voice, it's almost too soft to hear, and even if you could, the words themselves are unfamiliar.
But there's no one else here but you. Right?
Image credits: 1, 2 + stock imagery unless otherwise noted
Your journey begins as it has for all of those before you: in The River.
The water is lukewarm, and murky with dirt and vegetation. The surface isn't far away— but it might be hard to tell what direction you need to go in to reach it. To make matters worse, you are tangled in the plantlife around you, and will need to break free in order to escape The River's grip. There are others here who may be able to help you... but they'll have to find you first.
It's not possible for you to drown here; you may or may not recognize that you don't need to breathe, even down here. But every moment you spend with your head below the surface, you will spend trapped in the memory of your death, as if by a flashback. Depending on what brought you here, it may exacerbate your panic and confusion: maybe it isn't reeds, holding you back - maybe it's an assailant's hands; maybe it's not water clouding your vision, maybe it's something else, claustrophobic, smothering you. Or, maybe it's the dreamy, floaty peace you were expecting when you closed your eyes.
Regardless, you'll need to push through — to even start your journey, let alone finish it.
— BALANCED ABOVE ( EXISTING CHARACTERS ONLY )
You've traveled a long way to get here. Finally, there is a reprieve from the heat and chaotic energy of the Desert: the environment emerging around you is cooler and calmer, if not quieter. There are quite a few creatures populating the Marsh, both fantastical and not. Frogs croak quietly from the reeds; fireflies float along the surface of the water.
Wading around and through the muddy shallows of The River isn't exactly comfortable, so it may be a relief when the group comes across a wooden walkway rising out of the water and leading deeper into the Marsh. The planks creak under your weight, but they hold firm, and draw something like a path through the dense same-ness of the environment.
That path is anything but straightforward, though. And in the seemingly-perpetual dusk around you, it might be easy to get turned around: whether you have to retrace your steps from a dead-end, or lose track of others in the gloom.
You must be tired. But surely it's only a little bit further... right?
a marsh less traveled by
However much further it is, eventually you reach it: a small village, mainly comprised of wooden, multifamily homes lifted above the water on stilts. (Be careful which ones you choose to rest in, though — some of them might wander off with you still inside!) As with the shelters in previous locations, the homes are decorated as if by many tenants before you, continuously building on top of what was there before, and you may happen upon small items you recognize from home.
Unlike previous shelters, these don't seem like they've been abandoned for long. The items you find might be in better condition than they would have been elsewhere, and there might be newer or more comfortable amenities. Beds with softer sheets and more numerous pillows; pantries stocked with shelf-stable foods; unbroken toys or even board games with all their pieces.
Given the nature of The River here, this is also the closest The Ferryman has kept their vigil to the group's living quarters so far. While they still remain on the outskirts of the village — seemingly as separated as they can manage while still casting the Lantern's light where it needs to be — it's not as much of a trek out to see them. You might even pass them more than once on your regular goings-on during the day.
If you continue following the walkways, out to the edges of the village, you'll find a small pier with a number of rowboats lashed against it. They're small, and maybe a bit dusty or mossy, but they're sturdy, and large enough to accommodate two people at a time. There's no one else here but you — presumably no one will mind if you take one out deeper into the Marsh?
mist of memories
There's plenty to be found, if you venture out: from the burping firedamp, to curious reflections of familiar places, to the choking mists of the mangroves.
Try not to get lost in those mists. It's a disorienting situation on its own, but certainly exacerbated by the wraiths that will follow you in great numbers, their misty forms often camouflaged within the mist itself. It's stressful. That must be why you might feel like you're seeing other ghosts in the mist as well, figurative or literal. Snatches of familiarity, just at the edges of your vision; maybe a face you never thought you'd see again.
It's not all dark and dreary, though. There are patches of brightly colored wildflowers growing throughout the Marsh as well, hidden among the leggy roots of trees and patches of reeds out on the water. In particular, the same bright orange marigolds that dotted the path you traveled in from the Desert also peek out in places throughout the Marsh, usually in clumps of three or four. They almost seem to follow you as you pass — maybe, even, smile knowingly at you. But surely that's a trick of the light?
Harder to ignore are the rarer, but unmistakable, bioluminescent blue flowers scattered among the others. If you touch one, it may have something to whisper to you — but if it's a voice, it's almost too soft to hear, and even if you could, the words themselves are unfamiliar.
But there's no one else here but you. Right?
Image credits: 1, 2 + stock imagery unless otherwise noted
no subject
Nagito stiffens noticeably when Frieda reaches toward his prosthesis, but he does allow her to help dry it, even if he doesn't quite take his other hand off it either. It's not entirely clear he even realizes he's doing that.
Nagito's scars are many and varied. Bullet wounds, burn marks, various cuts... With his prosthetic and the silicone that covers the rest of his arm off, it's clear there are a few very long, angry-looking marks from some sort of blade not too far above where his arm ends. The end of the arm itself--perhaps six inches below his elbow--has been sewn up with near-supernatural surgical precision.] Of course, that may just mean I hallucinated someone I knew! It might not be related to anything strange about this place, more than any sort of marsh is a little strange.
no subject
Any sort of marsh is strange? How so? Because of the grim tales of murders and hauntings?
[Is that a staple across worlds and dimensions?]
no subject
no subject
[Little does she know that even some of the plants can cause ill effects!]
Please be really careful to not fall in again. That slug I encountered really might have eaten me, it was so large!
[She may not be able to die again, but she doesn't want to spend the rest of her time in the afterlife in a giant slug's stomach! (And all the less does she want to consider whether she mightn't undergo the digestion progess even in her incorporeal state).]
no subject
[Probably best to avoid the slugs.]
no subject
...
I think I just saw a ghost, too.
[It may have been just her personal imagination, but who knows if Nagito didn't also catch a glimpse of a small, frail-looking older man with smooth grey hair, clad in white clothing similar to Frieda's? Despite telling herself that it was only an illusion, she restlessly stares into the mist, as if holding herself back from pursuing the apparition.]
no subject
Best not to go chasing after them, I think. [But he does see them too.]
no subject
[There's a painful strain in her voice - she misses him. But Nagito is entirely right; chasing after ghosts in the fog will only send them into the water, and as adults, they need to be responsible.]
We have to warn the others. Especially the young ones may just go chasing after a loved one without a second thought.
no subject
[Nagito looks thoughtful.] Just to confirm, the man you saw was someone who was dead, right? Mine was.
no subject
Yes. He is dead.
[I killed him. I ate him. Mercifully, she doesn't remember the deed, as is standard for new titan inheritors, but there's no pretending it didn't happen, not when she inherited his memories, along with her grandfather's and those of everyone who came before them.]
...
Do you think there's a chance that we might meet other groups on our journey? They can't all travel in succession with the same Ferryman, can they?
[But already, her mind supplies absurd but possible theories to dash that faint hope. What if there are multiple timelines, dimensions, or whatever else layered on top of each other here? What if each group gets sent to their own afterlife, so to speak? What if in this location, the barrier between the afterlives has holes through which we can glimpse each other?
She suppresses a mirthless little laugh. Is she making up ghost stories now, when she's ghost herself?]
Let's tell the others at the party for good measure, but if you have your book with you, it can't hurt to already send them a warning now.
no subject
Warning people via the network--Nagito can do that. He pulls out what looks like a smart phone.] You're right, utilizing the network for this isn't a bad idea.
[Nagito types up a quick network post, where he is only a little rude about sticking his nose into peoples' business.]
RNG says they meet a dianoga!
...
Nagito?
[She's trying not to sound needlessly urgent - whatever it is, it's not attacking them -, but chances are he can hear the alarmed undertone in her voice. Once she has his attention, she simply points at the creature.]
no subject
Still, he sounds perfectly calm.] Well, there's another reason to try and stop people from falling into the River. That eye stalk is different from the slugs, right? For one, they have two.
[He hasn't seen this creature before, in that case.]
no subject
[She stands on her toes and strains her neck, attempting to get a better view of its body under the surface without moving closer to it, but the water is too murky.]
I'm not sure if it's worth trying to find out. Perhaps we should head back to the village centre.
[It's not that she isn't curious, but her concern solidly outweighs her curiosity! Perhaps, it's a good thing that Nagito came by... and it certainly is a good thing that she was there to pull him out of the river's hold.]
no subject
They lost this RNG--
--!
[Acting on instinct, Frieda tries to make a run for it - and she succeeds. But what of Nagito? Once she feels that shes a safe distance away, at least for the moment, she turns back, praying that he's right behind her.]
cw: eye gore
They're efficient motions, is the thing. Practiced. This is the first time he's stabbed a squid monster in the eye, but there's no way it's the first time he's stabbed anything at all in the eye.]
no subject
As soon as the cephalopod has disappeared, she runs back up to him, already feeling the expected rush of shame for leaving him behind.]
Are you alright?! Let's hurry!
[If he is hurt, she'l grab his clothes for him.]
no subject
The wildlife here really is a hassle, isn't it? [He'll take his jacket and t-shirt back so he can put the knives away again. He makes a note in the back of his mind to wash them.]
no subject
But back then as now, who is she to judge? She may never have killed anybody in person, but there's still innocent blood on her hands. Once the knives disappear in Nagito's pockets, her gaze scans the water around them, but after the commotion, the surface remains quiet.]
...
We have to caution the others all the more strongly.
no subject
Chasing a hallucination, falling into the water, and getting attacked by a strange squid would really be particularly unfortunate! [It's a good thing he got pulled out of the water when he did.]
no subject
Let's go.
[Leading the way back to the village centre, she tries to mentally map out where their fellow souls are... hopefully, none of them have gone exploring on their own like she and Nagito did.]