TDM #8 - Harvest Havoc!

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette: September Issue

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Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

9/19/24 | TDM #8 - Harvest Havoc!
Weather Forecast: Detailed report within!

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW

By Yorick Aberdeen

The crop for which the town is named.

TOWNWIDE - Hello and welcome, one and all! As time marches on and the ferry continues bringing newcomers to our fair land, we start our newest edition of the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette with a warm welcome to anyone who has just made landfall in our accursed but cozy little town. It’s autumn, which means you’ll be just in time to join us for festive fall affairs such as Pumpkinfest and the Dance of Celestine! And we are predicting with 87% certainty that they will not go horrifically wrong in psychologically traumatic ways, per the recent numbers provided by the Pumpkin Hollow Board of Safety.

We invite you, as with all those who came before you, to enjoy your stay at the Oak & Iron tavern inn while you settle in. Please stop by Town Hall to discuss opportunities for work and more permanent housing! All newcomers get 100 Brass in their pocket upon arrival as well, so we encourage you to take advantage of this as well. Reach out to your neighbors for help if you need it, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette whenever you need the local news!

WHO’S HUNGRY? AUTUMN HARVEST SEASON BEGINS!

By Timothy Stoker

A brief glimpse into the orchards of Starr Farms.

NORTHWEST HOLLOW (Farmlands) - Each season has its own unique charms, but few will argue the fact that fall is, without a doubt, the best season for food. And that’s never more true than when you’re living in a town with home-grown feasts finding their way from a local farm right to your table. Over the course of this year, Pumpkin Hollow’s farmers have been hard at work to provide for the town, and these next couple of months are when we’ll be seeing the payoff of their efforts here in town.

Due to high demand, it’s recommended you get your pumpkins early! They’re in no short supply, of course, being Pumpkin Hollow’s most iconic and abundant crop, but trust us when we say you’ll want to beat the rush for Pumpkinfest. There is a fantastic selection of pumpkins for carving and for cooking available at the market.

Last but not least, Pumpkin Hollow now has its very own u-pick apple orchard! The Mr. Mime of the former owners of Starr Farms, who were called back to the ferry some months prior, has turned their apple orchard into a lovely community feature with some help from friends and neighbors. For a small donation of wild berries for the little guy running the place, you can get yourself a hefty bag of fresh apples picked right from the tree by your own hands, including the first crop of “ghost apples” developed specially by the orchard. These pure white apples are said to be super sweet, great for eating raw or for juicing, and might even make you feel a little spooky.

Check the community bulletin or the information boards by the farm for apple schedules. Great as an outing with friends, as a date, or just as a way to get yourself some pie ingredients!

SEPTEMBER WEATHER FORECAST

By Phil Connors

A calm night after a long day's storm.

MARROW ISLE - We're finally getting a break from the heat waves, folks! The temperature is beginning to drop. Expect some chilly, foggy mornings, especially further into the season. That's when we could even start seeing frost on the ground. Don't put those umbrellas away just yet: the thunder might be done, but the rain isn't, and it can come on fast. Don't let it into your house. It just wants to sell you something.

SPECTRAL VISITORS RETURN WITH PLUS-ONES

By Cecil Gershwin Palmer

Strange, easily-befriendable creatures of all shapes and sizes!

LOCKWOOD FOREST - Making their repeat visit from their ghostly homelands, the spirits that visited us this time last year from Lockwood Forest--- the very same that have become near and dear friends to so many people in our town--- have returned! During this new stay in our forests, however, they've decided to bring along companions of their own. These new creatures, though distinctly more tangible, are not only just as mischievous as their counterparts, but are more emboldened to cause mild to moderate havoc in town, including thievery from our force of intrepid reporters. The little gem-eyed rascal that pilfered this reporter’s preferred pen remains at large.

The Gazette reminds residents that while these little guys are exceedingly cute, just so very cute, we do recommend an abundance of caution, an awareness of one's surroundings, and a keen eye on anything that you would like to have continued ownership of. They have also been known to cause collateral damage to their surroundings and to each other, via setting things on fire. Or crushing them under rocks. Or freezing them in ice. Or hurling shadowy orbs at them. Or shooting leaves at them. Or casting psychic spells.

RESIDENTS WARNED AGAINST WOODLAND TRAVEL AFTER REPORTS OF WOLF ATTACKS

By Yorick Aberdeen

A photograph of the animals taken in prior years.

LOCKWOOD FOREST - Though there are many delightful visitors in our midst during these fall months, the changing of the seasons hasn't come without the anticipated perils. This year, it seems as though the wolf population of Marrow Island has increased dramatically - not only that, but they've become quite aggressive, and have begun seeking out those who go deep enough into Lockwood Forest. First-hand reports have mentioned that the wolf population this year is not only larger in number, but also in size, and have a few somewhat-odd mannerisms, but seem to be otherwise entirely normal wolves.

For the time being, Town Hall has advised for most of our townsfolk to steer clear from any forest strolls beyond the edge of the woods, and for the farmers of Northwest Hollow to exercise caution on the forested edge of their land. Additionally, Town Hall would like to request the assistance of any adventurers to attempt to push back the wolves. Adventuring parties who are successful in doing so will be rewarded with free food and drink during this year's Pumpkinfest as thanks for their tireless work to keep our community safe!

DISCOUNT DRINKS FOR OPEN MIC NIGHT: NOW WITH REAL MICS!

By Timothy Stoker

The lovely interior of the Empty Pockets Music Lounge.

DOWNTOWN HOLLOW (Empty Pockets Music Lounge) - After a great deal of confusion between locals and newcomers about the use of the phrase “open mic” to describe their “volunteer performer nights” at the local music lounge, Empty Pockets is pleased to announce the addition of new equipment for their stage! Through a collaboration with offworlders to create drawings of what a “microphone” ought to look like and a commission project with local engineers, we have now officially reinvented the microphone for use in Pumpkin Hollow. The local music scene is a flurry of excitement about this development--- local luthier Juniper Sweetwater already has expressed an interest in electric guitars and amplifiers. Seems like music and electricity will be getting a big boom here in town!

In the meantime, owner Dottie Siward has announced that drinks will be 30% off during open mic nights in celebration for a limited time! Check out the Empty Pockets Music Lounge any Friday or Saturday evening during the fall to take advantage of a little liquid courage, and hey, maybe put yourself out there. Could you be Pumpkin Hollow’s next big thing? You never know!

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Further Details...

Pokémon

Befriendable Pokemon make their semi-annual return! For the fall season, we will be seeing Dark and Ghost type Pokemon (with the exception of legendary Pokemon) in the forest that can be befriended up until this TDM leaves circulation in early December. Any character can have up to six Pokemon friends, and pre-evolutions of Dark and Ghost types that don’t have the correct type yet are also obtainable. (ex. Sprigatito, who can later evolve into a Dark/Grass Meowscarada.) We do not have Pokeballs in Pumpkin Hollow, but enough snacks or attention should be enough to get one to follow you home! Any Pokemon that have not chosen a friend to stay with will leave the island at the end of November.

Wolves

The wolves mentioned by Yorick are, contrary to his assertions, not normal wolves. They are actually monstrous creatures from another world known as Balverines, who were once people.

The Wiki entry for Balverines can be found here, but we'll summarize them down below as well!

While werewolf-like in many respects, there are several key differences. Balverines can change at any time, night or day, regardless of the status of the moon. Commonly when first turned, a person will become a “lesser” Balverine who will transform by force every night after dark and lose all sense of self to the urge for bloodlust. However, with training and practice, that person can eventually become a “greater” Balverine, capable of controlling their transformations and retaining their faculties. This “greater” status can also be achieved automatically if the person is changed within the hour of midnight. Additionally, if the victim is infected at midnight during a full moon, they can become an exceptionally powerful White Balverine, marked by a pallid coat of wiry fur.

Infection occurs when a person is bitten by a Balverine while still alive. Dying to a Balverine bite or being struck with claws, which are more likely to happen during an encounter, do not cause a transformation. Existing greater Balverines do not intend to make many conversions to their fold, and lesser Balverines will generally only do this by accident, so actually acquiring the infection is quite rare. However, if this does happen, it can be cured by having silver placed inside the body, either via insertion (like with a weapon) or ingestion (such as swallowing silver shavings). Doing so is exceptionally painful and may result in death, but dying to any other means will not rid you of the curse. However, you may wish to stay a Balverine once the greater status is achieved, as Balverines are exceptionally powerful creatures. Things to consider!

As previously mentioned, Balverines primarily fight with their strong arms and long claws with the occasional bite or lunge. They are also capable of jumping so high in the air that they remain airborne for several seconds and often use this ability to travel quickly or get behind enemies. They have incredibly thick skin and are challenging to kill without silver. They also tend to hide until they can lure prey into an ambush unless pushed to defend themselves. On very infrequent occasions, they may come into town to terrorize folks, but they will largely be attempting to get the jump on people who have gone into the woods. They prefer to keep their presence subtle and are also not necessarily accosting everyone who gets near. Good luck if you plan to fight them!

Open Mic Night

Drinks at Empty Pockets can be handwaved for costs--- existing players can consider it part of their grocery budget, and test driving characters can just not worry about it. This prompt is just for funsies.

Comments

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Mm. Kind of worrisome when stuff like that goes quiet for too long, though," he says, thinking hard about the way news about former Umbrella employees always seems to go dark for a bit before another incident pops up. Which isn't the most scientific observation of his, but it's enough to put him on edge at times. "Good to hear about the flood not having an encore performance, at least."

And don't think he doesn't notice the way she takes her drink much more casually now. Under normal circumstances it might not have been as striking, but when 'months ago' for her was literally 'this morning' for him even subtle differences seem pronounced.

"Mind telling me about what happened, though? I can always just pick up back copies of the newspaper if you'd rather talk about something else, but it'd be nice to get your perspective."

[misbegottendreamer]

"About the cult, sera? There's quite a lot to explain, and quite a lot that I still don't know. Is there any information you're looking for in particular?"

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Or anything else of note," he says, easily. "Good or bad. I'll admit I'm still having some trouble getting my head around having so much time pass in the literal blink of an eye. Might help a little to hear about what people've been up to while I was out."

[misbegottendreamer]

"Well, if you'd like, I have some things I need to take out to muthsera Salazar's farm. Perhaps you might accompany me, and be a part of receiving whatever news he has to share?"

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Sure, happy to help if you need it, or just tag along if you don't. I was just about done here anyway. You wanna head out now?"

[misbegottendreamer]

“That works for me. We’ll need to stop by the Infernal Arms and Armor to pick up the shipment. I’m trying to recall how long I’d been working there before you left.”

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Not sure I'd heard about that, actually," says Leon, standing up and stretching before stepping out of the way to let Drelasa lead. "That's River's place, right? How's that treating you?"

[misbegottendreamer]

"Oh, I'm having a wonderful time! I've been able to find my own niche, being the only one in town who seems to be capable of hand-sculpting hot metal."

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

That gives Leon some pause - he hadn't wanted to assume anything about what Drelasa was or wasn't doing in the shop, given her blindness on one hand and general ability to compensate for it pretty casually on the other, but by his figuring working the forge would have to be a pretty sight-heavy activity, right? Of course, he's imagining a set of heavy gloves in between her and the metal, unaware of just how literally she might mean hand-sculpting.

Well, either way, he's happy for her.

"Really? Glad to hear it. It's good to find helpful ways to use what you're good at. You ever do metalwork before coming here, or did you just happen to stumble across a new hobby?"

[misbegottendreamer]

“We all learned a little metallurgy, back in Kogoruhn. The Unbroken House was in need of repair when we were all freed from the long dream, which meant there was a high demand for nails. Fortunately, we had some access to old Dwemeri forges, as well as natural forged where Red Mountain had bared its veins to us.”

She laughs softly.

“I know I tend to give the impression of an unassuming old womer, but I’m a stronger hand at the forge than you might think.”

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Leon laughs too, a little at his own expense for being so surprised.

"Didn't mean to doubt you. But - 'where the Red Mountain bared its veins'? You mean like, a lava flow? I thought those were all way too hot to get close to without serious protective gear."

[misbegottendreamer]

"For men and most mer, it is. But the people of my House are the sons and daughters of the mountain, untroubled by its fire. It would be a difficult matter to sculpt metal otherwise, I think."

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Finally, things click into place.

"Oh! You mean you can sculpt hot metal with your bare hands? Without getting burned?"

He sounds pretty damn wowed by that, because he is. Maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise - he's seen what Drelasa can do with magic - but it hadn't quite occurred to him that it could be used for such relatively mundane things. Assuming it's magic and not something else like a wild quirk of biology, which he also guesses might not be a meaningful distinction in some places. Either way, the point is he's impressed.

[misbegottendreamer]

"It is a fortunate thing. I cannot test the shape of my works with my eyes, but I can both feel and shape my works with my hands. My every curse reveals a new blessing."

Then she adds, sounding almost sly, "I'd like to see a Nord make an iron hook that has fingerprints."

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Sounds handy," says Leon, the dumb self-satisfied expression he pulls whenever he makes a bad pun audible in his voice. "But no, really, that's great. You should show me some of your work when we get there, if there's time. I don't know much about metalworking, but I'm sure I can appreciate it in a basic way."

[misbegottendreamer]

"You're a man of practical applications, muthsera. I would appreciate your feedback in what is and is not useful to you, in the defense of our home."

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Of course. Be happy to give whatever feedback I can."

He likes to think at least by now he knows his way around a fighting knife pretty well, and he has been thinking about picking up a dedicated one since his doesn't seem to have made it here with him. Anything else he might struggle to be helpful about, but he'll do his best.

In any case, her choice of words strikes him as - interesting. Maybe not a surprise, but not exactly expected, either. 'Our home', huh? He takes a second to think about that, before continuing.

"Sounds like you've been settling in here pretty well," he says. "It's good to hear. For all the drama, it is a pretty nice place to live."

[misbegottendreamer]

"Perhaps I can show you the shrine I played a hand in constructing at the temple as well. I know you are not one who takes much comfort in the gods, but I feel like you might enjoy the stories of some of my favorite saints nonetheless. I think we discussed that a little, actually, before you had to leave for a time."

She holds out a hand. Her claws aren't as heavily bandaged and obscured as they once were, and the red tips seem shaped and well cared-for. This womer is clearly growing more comfortable in her own skin.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

"Yeah? I'd love to hear more about them. Honest."

He considers the gesture briefly before taking her hand, his own broad and rough with calluses. He's as awkward as ever about physical contact, but by his figuring it's like leaving someone hanging on a high five. You can't do that. It's rude.

"I know I'm not the most devout guy around, but I'm... trying. Don't think I'll ever be a regular churchgoer again, but..." He trails off for a moment, trying to work up to what he's about to admit. "I think I like the Mothers, here. And I like what you've told me about your faith. If it means something to you, that's worth a lot, in my book."

[misbegottendreamer]

"It gladdens me just that you permit me to share my stories with you. It brings me great comfort to speak of my home. Whatever you make of it matters only to you."

They chat for a while, and upon arriving at the temple, Leon is likely to notice there are actually quite a few new shrines set up. One in particular is set rather strangely, seemingly laden with a bunch of odds and ends as offering. A cup of tea, some dried flowers, a head of lettuce, a smooth river stone, a skein of yarn...