TDM #2 - Down in the Underground [REPRINT]

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette Issue #3 [REPRINT]

[Moderator Notes]

Since our TDMs go out bi-monthly, this is a test run of reposting the TDM at the beginning of "off-months" in order to optimize visibility for toplevels in the second month of a TDM's lifespan. If this turns out to actually be helpful, then brand-new TDMs will be labelled "FIRST EDITION" and reruns will be labeled "REPRINT" going forward! If not, we'll just go back to posting bi-monthly. Let's give this the ol' college try and make sure to look out for new toplevels so that we can figure out how helpful it is!

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

8/5/23 | TDM #2: "Down in the Underground"
Content Warnings: [Article 2] claustrophobia, caves, drowned corpse
[Article 4] Various violence by monster

We're glad you're here!

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW!

By Yorick Aberdeen

JACK'S MARINA - Reports from the Pumpkin Hollow Port Authority indicate that arrivals by otherworldly newcomers to Marrow Isle are continuing at a steady rate. The first batch of new arrivals, which had been the very first travelers to Pumpkin Hollow in at least five years’ time, began in early June of this year and have already proven to be an incredible boon to both our economy and our overall quality of life. We now have a new farm on the island for the first time in years, as well as clever new members of the constabulary, a few helpful craftspeople, and even our own brand new local musical act. Not only that, but the prestigious Ms. Dahlia Leeds has taken a personal assistant, which this reporter is pleased to announce has gotten him out of a number of mundane tasks. (No offense is meant to Ms. Leeds, of course--- the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette certainly harbors no ill will toward its most consistent donor!)

According to interviews with a number of these newcomers, they appear to all come from realms far beyond our own, to the point where they have homelands with unfamiliar names and have never heard of the Emerald Isles at all. Those willing to share more details report that they each met with a strange woman in a bland-looking office building who offered them a chance at a new life, then found themselves on the ferry here. None of them seem to know anything further, as far as the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette is aware. Curious circumstances indeed.

That said, we are beyond pleased to welcome even more new neighbors to our fair town. Any newcomers should feel welcome to come to Town Hall if they are in any need of assistance. Mayor Poe and any member of Town Council would all be more than happy to lend a hand.

Additionally, the Temple of Sacred Roots will be holding a small gathering on temple grounds to welcome any wayward souls who could use a bit of help adjusting. Reverend Degas Clayton would also like to remind everyone that he is always available to offer guidance after any of his Sunday sermons unless otherwise stated. He has expressed an interest in personally welcoming as many new residents as he is able.

Hopefully things will continue to look up for Pumpkin Hollow as more arrivals land upon our docks. This will be of particular importance as we draw ever closer to Autumn. October in particular promises to be an especially difficult time, as usual. The Pumpkin Hollow Gazette will report further on our paranormal forecast as the season of spirits draws near. We hope to keep local casualties to a minimum this year after last year’s record high.

In any case, best of luck to our new residents, and welcome again!

NOTORIOUS 'RIVER WALKER' SPOTTED AFTER LONG ABSENCE; EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED

By Yorick Aberdeen

The Paring River Bridge in Lockwood Forest.

LOCKWOOD FOREST (Paring River) - Woodland travelers beware! And not just for all of the usual reasons, either. This past weekend, local shepherd Joseph Peterson reported to the local constabulary that he had an encounter with a creature that had been presumed to have moved on from our fair isle. Peterson, 37, allegedly came across the beast colloquially known as the “River Walker” while crossing the Paring River bridge near the entrance of Lockwood Forest, where he was grabbed and knocked out. Once he regained consciousness, Peterson then reported being lost in an underground cave system whilst being pursued by the monster for an unknown amount of time estimated between six and twelve hours.

The River Walker, a spider-like creature with the face of a human corpse, is so named because it appears to exclusively use the Paring River as its hunting ground. The creature is apparently completely unique to Marrow Isle, as the Pumpkin Hollow Historical Society was unable to uncover folklore or recorded sightings of anything matching the River Walker’s description in any of the texts they have access to. However, through collecting data from resurrected residents who were its victims, the Town Hall Safety Board was able to glean information about this menace that should help citizens avoid yet another timely demise.

Firstly, all residents traveling in the Lockwood Forest should steer clear of the Paring River if possible. While it is true that the Paring River cuts directly through the forest near the entrance and arcs through the majority of the woodlands, and also that the main path through the woods which goes over the Paring River bridge is the only way through to Crane’s RIdge or any of the hunting areas, the river should still be avoided whenever residents are able. This will minimize potential contact.

Secondly, be aware of your surroundings when near the river. Data indicates that the creature will make a soft chittering sound before reaching up to grab a victim. Many prior victims also report the surrounding area seeming “too still” when the creature was in the area. If you experience any of these phenomena, it would be wise to run--- though most reports suggest that outrunning the River Walker aboveground is impossible. But still, it is important to do your best.

And lastly, should you be taken below ground with this monstrous creature, it will transport you to tight underground caves where you will be forced to crawl, squeeze, and climb for your life. All the while it will follow you, taunting and toying with you. Utilize these long, grueling hours to your advantage! Studies have shown that the River Walker struggles to attack groups of two or more effectively, so while you are being tortured, search for a traveling companion!

If you do encounter the River Walker, please report the sighting to the Town Council or the Historical Society regardless of whether or not you die. Those killed by the River Walker are encouraged to stop by the Oak & Iron for a copy of the Safety Board’s Advice Pamphlet for the Recently Deceased after resurrecting. And remember, quitters are tastier prey, so don’t give in to despair! Even if you are caught and killed, you can at least say you persisted out of spite.

BLUE ISLAND CRAB HATCHING SEASON BEGINS AS SUMMER HEAT PERSISTS

By Yorick Aberdeen

A little sketch by yours truly.

TAWNY BEACH - If you’re out on the beach enjoying the last month of warm sea water, be mindful where you step! Earlier this spring, the local Blue Island Crab population had their mating season. Males of the species came up on the shore with clusters of tiny but durable eggs bundled up in their claws and buried them in the sand, and they’ve been warmed by the summer sun all season. As we enter the last month of summer the new crabs are finally ready to emerge from their birthplaces and begin their lives.

It is worth noting, however, that newborn Blue Island Crabs tend not to go directly back to the sea. In fact, it is common for them to spend the first few weeks of their lives searching for food and nesting materials such as seashells, driftwood, broken pottery, or small pieces of metal roughly the size of the average piece of valuable jewelry. They are also very adept climbers and are capable of scaling stairs and countertops with relative ease. Additionally, they seem to be able to communicate well with others of their species and are capable of collaborating. Many townsfolk have even gone so far as to describe their behavior as “scheming.” Blue Island Crabs are also notorious for not being very picky about what they eat. All this is to say, expect to have your food, personal items, and practically anything that is not tied down stolen by small blue crabs.

An unfortunate side effect of the hex has been that the beloved and highly anticipated Cucumber Festival, which normally takes place in early June, had to be canceled due to a lack of cucumbers. This has earned the ire of a great many residents who have cited the festival as “their last source of a modicum of joy on this goddess-forsaken island”, among other more colorful statements.

But there is good news! Hatching season and the subsequent early life of the crabs, all told, will not last more than a few weeks before the crabs mature enough to return to the sea with the rest of their kind. And of course those lucky enough to catch some will report that they make for a fine meal. There is no finer party dish than a Blue Island crab boil!

INCREASED PINE DEVIL SIGHTINGS SPELL BAD NEWS FOR LOCAL PEDESTRIANS

By Yorick Aberdeen

A painting of the Pine Devil provided by Mayor Poe

ISLAND-WIDE - In more concerning news, reports have been coming in from all over the island that there have been an uptick in sightings of the Pumpkin Hollow Howler. Otherwise known as the Pine Devil, this extremely dangerous man-eating beast has been a staple of Marrow Isle’s rotating cast of horrors for at least the past 15 years. Much like the aforementioned River Walker, the Pine Devil has a tendency to come and go and sightings fluctuate with some regularity. It seems that as we draw closer to prime haunting season we will be faced with increased appearances from the island’s least-favorite celebrity.

Here’s what we know:

The Howler’s primary motivation is to eat and he prefers larger prey. This includes pigs, cattle, deer, and humans. He has no known den and is apparently nomadic. No one has ever been able to locate the Pumpkin Hollow Howler when he is not actively hunting. At full height, he stands a whopping eight feet tall on unguligrade legs. He has clawed hands and large fangs which are its primary method of attacking and is capable of flight, and his eyes glow blue in the dark. He is a strong, fast creature who has no qualms about coming into town if necessary. Surviving encounters with the beast is notably rare.

If you have any encounters with the Pumpkin Hollow Howler, report to Town Hall or the constable’s station at your earliest convenience to make an incident report. The constabulary is taking reports 24 hours a day, so please make your report either immediately after the incident or upon resurrection. May your lanterns stay lit, and be safe out there!

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Captured by the River Walker? Click here…

Perhaps you didn’t read the paper. Perhaps you didn’t take the warnings seriously. Or maybe you simply had no other choice. Whatever the case may be, the Paring River Bridge lies before you, and the world around you is unnaturally still. The sounds of chirping birds, burrowing mammals, and chittering insects have all died and left the air uncannily silent.



You attempt to hurry across, hoping to make it before anything unsavory catches your scent. But the moment you place your foot upon the stone pavers of the bridge, it is already too late. Behind you, you can hear the scuttling of much too large insectoid legs and a soft rattling sound, almost like the sound of a woodpecker drilling into a tree but somehow… wetter.



Instinctively, you turn to look behind you. A bulbous, lumpy abdomen drags the ground, and from it extends a set of eight black legs, chunky and irregular, as if they were wooden stakes hewn into rough points with a careless knife. Long, spindly fingers extend from thin arms on either side of an emaciated torso covered in shiny black insect carapace. And on top, the face of a human woman who looked as though she’d been drowned, bloated and rotting. White eyes, matted brown hair, and a wicked smile framed by patchy blue lips.



You black out before you even have the chance to scream.



When you awaken, your head is pounding as if you’ve just woken from a bender. You are on a dirty, irregular stone floor. The beginnings of stalagmites jab into your back. In the distance, you can hear dripping water and the shifting of something moving. It is dark, but light enough to see by, allowing you to see plainly that the ceiling above you is significantly too low for you to stand.



Then, you hear a laugh, hoarse and cruel. “Rise and shine, little morsel. Oh, how I do love to play with my food…”



That’s your cue to get moving.



For the next several long, grueling hours, you crawl your way through this tight and unrelenting fortress of stone on hands and knees as rocks cut into your hands. In caves that are tall enough to stand, you have to walk sideways to proceed or even hold your breath in order to make it, and all the tunnels look more or less the same. The River Walker’s raspy voice echoes off the walls, making its location imperceptible… but it’s close.



You need to find a traveling companion. And soon.

Interested in encountering the Pine Devil? Click here...

The Pine Devil is a mod-run NPC and we can only handle a certain number of encounters at once. For this TDM we will be favoring new characters on a first-come, first-served basis. However, you may still handwave or summarize the encounter by rolling a D20 with 15+ to survive and 18+ to walk away unscathed, and write out the aftermath. You do not need a mod’s permission to do this!


You also do not need to fill out a Death Certificate if you're not fully apped in, but can if you want to. Your character will resurrect as normal either way!

Comments

Mary Dahl (Baby Doll) || Batman the Animated Series || OTA

[i_didnt_mean_to]

[OOC: Just testing things out! Not sure I can commit to a game, but this looked fun anyway.]

My Eyes Are Down Here [Arrival]
Mary has had to do a lot of... not quite shouting, but speaking much louder than normal to get people to notice her as she walks around town. Honestly, you'd think no one here had ever seen a dwarf before!

(And that's a human affected by a form of dwarfism, not the fantasy race with the beards.)

At least her new arrival linen clothing fits her, boring as it is. Imagine how much more embarrassing things would be if she was swimming in the shirt and tripping over the pant legs.

Since the newspaper said that the Reverend wants to meet new residents, she's on her way to the Temple of Sacred Roots -- funny name, sounds like something Dr. Isley would be into, though -- but anyone is able to catch her on her determined walk through town.

Mary the Caver [River Walker]
One good thing about being so short is that tunnels which normal-sized adult humans would need to crouch in are just of a comfortable height for Mary. Of course, her legs are similarly much shorter than normal, and tire easily.

She runs through the dark, or crawls on aching hands and knees, in a bid to avoid the horror of the River Walker... even as it sounds closer, closer... ever closer.

Wildcard
“The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.”

Arrival

[graveling]

Even before she quite reaches the door of the Temple, she encounters company; something shaped very much like a grown man, sitting under a tree on the grounds, watching as she makes her approach. He is, however, neither blinking or breathing.

"Huh." Surprised at the sight of what appears to be a child, he raises a single hand to wave a loose greeting at her.

[i_didnt_mean_to]

So close to her goal, she almost ignores the greeting... then she considers that this might be the man she's seeking out. She alters her course.

Until, that is, she notices those little movements he lacks. Mary stops in her tracks and ventures,

"Solomon?"

[graveling]

"Sorry. Angel, I go by Angel. I, uh...fairly new here."

Another outsider, is what he means.

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"You look like... someone else I know." There's a faintly wistful look on Mary's face, as she observes, "It would have been nice to see someone from home, even him."

She approaches without hesitation. "You're definitely not the Reverend. There was a different name in the paper... but maybe you know him?"

[graveling]

"I've met him. He's a good man, a kind man. He's inside, far as I know. Do you have business with him?"

There's a faint note of apology behind Angel's words, sorry he's not someone familiar for her to cling to. Sorry to be mistaken for someone from home, even him.

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"The newspaper said he wanted to welcome new arrivals, so it seemed like the place to go. That's all."

Mary hesitates for a moment, unsure the question will be taken well... and then she forges ahead: "Angel? You called him kind. Is that... unusual here?"

[graveling]

It's a very interesting question, isn't it?

"No. But it's unusual for my life. People here are aware we have only another to rely on. It means there's a local mindset of collaboration, of accepting others and meeting them where they are. Things are heavy, we have to be a community about it."

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"I don't know what this place wants with a failed actress of my stature," (that's a pun) "but I suppose I'll have to do my best. Maybe I'll join the church choir if they have one here."

[graveling]

"There are performers. Shows at the tavern, things like that. If acting is what you want to continue to do, I mean." He doesn't know much about him. The arts aren't exactly this corpse's thing.

Eye of the Beholder

[skeletonkeay]

As Mary is making her way to the Temple, a man coming out of the printing press workshop across the way carries a stack of newspapers to the news stand nearby. It's not too high, but it does somewhat block his view. He's an odd sort, dressed all in black with a duster coat that nearly drags the ground and a vest covered in hand-embroidered patches. All of his joints and even his throat are tattooed with eyes.

As he's crossing the street, the man nearly trips over Mary, unable to see her past the stack but realizing she's there at the last second. He staggers back and peeks around the side of the stack. "Ah--- sorry, ma'am. You alright there?"

[i_didnt_mean_to]

Mary gives an affronted squeak when she's nearly tripped over and stumbles backward out of the way. "Watch it!" she barks, voice brassy and obviously grown-up, which might get a few odd stares from onlookers.

She has to move to one side to get a good look at the man behind the stack of newspapers... and her demeanor softens ever so slightly when she does. (Perhaps she takes his appearance as a sign that he's a fellow outcast of some sort.) Mary gives a little huff, tossing her hair, and says, "No harm done this time, sir."

[skeletonkeay]

The dissonance between her voice and stature do draw some odd looks, but the man in front of her is not among them. Instead, he just flashes a smirk, which reaches his stormy gray eyes despite its subtlety. There is something oddly knowing to his gaze, like he's seeing something others can't.

He had called her "ma'am" the moment he looked at her.

With a snort, he sets down his burden. "You'd think with all these eyes on me, I'd look where I was goin' a little better," he joked, holding up his tattooed hands. "Judging by the threads, I'm guessing you just got here, yeah?"

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"I think that only works if they're magical," Mary replies, with some skepticism (at whether his tattoos are magical, not that magic exists. She knows it does.)

Mary heaves a world-weary sigh at Gerard's actual question. "Yes, I've been running along behind the welcome wagon. And that's only because I kicked him in the shin when he tried to pick me up." She doesn't offer him a hand -- people are often so awkward about handling her in a handshake -- but she says, "My name is Mary Dahl. It's an unexpected pleasure to meet you, sir."

[skeletonkeay]

"Gerard Keay," he replies, accepting her hand and giving it a quick, firm shake. "And same to you. So, aside from Yorick making an ass of himself, how are you finding it? Better than being dead?"

[i_didnt_mean_to]

She looks genuinely surprised at his welcoming behavior, then smiles softly.

"More familiar than being dead, certainly. Though I'm not quite sure what to do with myself now that I'm here. Life's but a walking shadow." She glances over at his bundle of papers. "Don't let me keep you from your work, either."

[skeletonkeay]

"Ahh, theater type, ey?" He's far too well-read and British not to know a Shakespeare quote when he hears one. At her reference to the stack, he just sits on it instead of picking it back up. "Eh, the papers can wait. It's not like anyone's running me over to grab one. I run the print shop up the way there. I also print and bind books. Town Hall's pretty good at getting people sorted out as far as work. What'd you do back home?"

[i_didnt_mean_to]

Mary smiles broadly at the fact that he recognizes the quote, and mimes a curtsy at him in response. "Indeed. If things had gone better... well, never mind that."

There's a brief look of annoyance on her face -- Town Hall is where Yorick took her, and she doesn't like the reminder of the man. Mary can be one to hold a grudge, so it may indeed come to lamenting a Yorick once again...

"I wish I'd been told that before I was let loose to wander. My poor legs can only take so much walking with my condition." She sighs. Nothing to be done for it at the moment. "I was an actress. Not all that well known, but I had a moderately successful sitcom once. I also sing and dance, though I won't be able to demonstrate that last one without a bit of rest after the day I've had."

Arrival!

[preacher_in_reticence]

Outside of the Temple, near the front door, an older man can easily be spotted sweeping the grounds. Summer is starting to give way to fall, or maybe the trees were just done being attacked by crabs, but there's a boatload of leaves to be taken care of.

He doesn't notice anyone approaching, but he's the sort that looks very approachable none the less!

[i_didnt_mean_to]

Mary stops a short distance from him to stay out of his sweeping path, clasps her hands together behind her back, and calls out, "Are you Reverend Clayton?"

Her natural voice is somewhat low for a woman's, and if his gaze goes over her head when he looks her way... well, she's used to that. She does sound like an adult, despite her height and overall child-like looks.

Mary the Caver

[thelatechrisfreeman]

There's a voice echoing through the caves, but it's not the River Walker. Whoever it is sounds like they are talking to the River Walker.

"That was really rude! Right in the middle of our conversation? No wonder you live under a bridge, you troll!"

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"Are you arguing with the corpse spider?!" Mary can't help herself from yelling. Her voice sounds shrill, and so awful, echoing confusingly in the terrible underground maze.

Something bony and claw-like grabs at her while she's distracted, and Mary shrieks with terror.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris isn't that bony, thank you!

"Shh!" Chris whispers, "I think I pissed it off. I'm going lead it off away from you. Run in the other direction!"

Then Chris lets her go and starts crawling away as fast as they can.

[i_didnt_mean_to]

They... think they pissed off the monster. They think.

Mary moves in the opposite direction as she was told, hiding in the dark and holding her breath as the River Walker skitters through the tunnels after Chris. Once she's sure the monster is out of earshot, Mary sighs...

And picks up two of the largest rocks that she can hold in each small hand, running after the monster to try to save Chris.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Mouthy little morsel..." the River Walker hisses, half to itself, "I'll save your lungs and heart for last, so I can hear you scream as long as you can!"

For now, Chris just keeps crawling, hoping for another fork in the path. He hears some pebbles scatter before him and fall, and he takes the chance to tuck and roll. The drop happens a few moments later, and that heart the River Walker mentioned feels like it lurches inside of him. He lands heavily on his left shoulder, but it should just be a bruise.

There's another monstrous hiss, and the spider thing begins to crawl down the cave wall toward Chris. At least he can stand now, and does so.

Dying is always terrible, but it's better to face it on your feet.