TDM #10 - Wither and Bloom [First Edition]

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette: Spring Issue

We ask that all toplevels include the age of the character (or at least a rough estimate) for TDM posts, to ensure that players both old and new can quickly make informed decisions about how to interact with a given character. We also ask that if someone lists a prompt as having an age preference, that it be respected. This is specifically for TDMs unless otherwise stated. Thank you!

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

12/13/24 | TDM #10 - Wither and Bloom [First Edition]
Spring Pokémon Types - Grass, Fairy, Ground, Bug, Normal

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW

By Yorick Aberdeen

The crop for which the town is named.

Greetings, Hollowites, old and new! We are pleased to bring you yet another riveting issue of the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette. Or perhaps this is your very first one?

For nearly two years now, the mysterious ferryman has brought new and interesting faces across seas and stars and dimensional planes to reach our fair island. Since then, our community has grown larger and infinitely more interesting--- and we’re glad you’re joining us! Just in time for the weather to be just lovely.

This time of year tends to be a bit lighter on town-wide events due to this being a vitally busy time for our local agriculture industry, but we urge you to get involved with planting season and spend some time in nature. Who knows? You might even catch sight of our goddess of Land and Spring if you spend enough time among plants! Just don’t look into the trees--- they look back.

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!

SPRING WEATHER REPORT

By Phil Connors

The breeze will make your clothes smell great!

Start dusting those homes and beating those blankets! The days are getting longer, and with it, the winds are getting warmer. Spring is here! We’ll see some days that are still chilly and windy, but the more warm and temperate phases will get more common later in the season. We’re also entering the rainy period, meaning flowers are springing out of the ground and we’ll be seeing some very beautiful sunrises on misty mornings. Color is coming back to the isle, the frogs are in the rivers, and the insects and lambs are in the fields. It’s a good season to be outside.

Which means it’s also a good season to do laundry! Join us for our Community Laundry Day, where we all do our much-needed chores together and hang-dry our laundry in the warm and breezy weather! Join us on the green for some team washing. Water provided. Bring your own tubs, soap, and of course, clothes!

COMMUNITY EVENTS KEEP TOWN LIVELY ALL SPRING

By Timothy Stoker

The gazebo in town square, beside the festival green, is the place to be this season.

Legend has it that this time last year, a packed ferry arrived with a mass influx of offworlders, and an emergency potluck dinner was held to welcome the crowd. Now, this reporter wasn’t here just yet when that happened, but stories tell of a gathering of epic culinary proportions that heralded a new age of prosperity for Pumpkin Hollow. Sounds like something worth celebrating! Now that the weather has turned lovely once more (as elaborated on above by our own Phil Connors), the town has decided to celebrate the anniversary of the newly dubbed “Harbor Day” by revisiting that potluck idea. Drop by the Temple of Sacred Roots every other Friday from now until June to sample the cuisine of your new neighbors and local businesses. New residents need only bring themselves!

Also, in the spirit of spring cleaning, residents will also be selling or giving away their old items every weekend, weather permitting, in a series of mass yard sales. Some of our more modern residents supplied the term “yard crawl” for the event, which was deemed to be fitting. So come out on Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons to see what useful used items you can take off your neighbors’ hands! It’s a great way for new residents to decorate their new homes cheaply and get some new clothes.

And finally, on Wednesday evenings the Festival Green will be hosting “Swift Social” events (to be held in the Oak & Iron in the event of rain). A reimagining of last year’s popular charity speed dating event, this new Swift Social is expanded to include individuals seeking platonic relationships as well--- though that doesn’t mean romance is off the menu! The 10 Brass will be used to support the town’s medical community and the Autumn Leaves Dormitory House for Young Residents. So come out and make a friend or meet someone cute--- it’s for charity!

Fearsome Fae Antics Cause Town-Wide Trouble

By Melanie King

Up to no good, probably.

Things have been getting tricksy around town as, apparently, the fae population are staging the prank war to end all prank wars—or so local experts are telling us. If, like this reporter, you thought you were just having terrible luck with forgetting where you put things down or waking up with horrible bedhead, surprise! You've actually been caught in the crossfire of the fairies' games and may be entitled to financial compensation. (Not really. That's a joke.)

It looks like their antics are escalating significantly over time from harmless inconveniences to active dangers, so beware of any unusual sounds, behaviours or visual phenomenon you may encounter. Alluring or pleading voices from the woods, ghostly lights, critters acting oddly—if it's out of the ordinary, think twice. Or it might be the last time you think at all (at least, until tomorrow morning).

Fiendish Floral Figures Take Root Around Town

By Yorick Aberdeen

How eerie!

Spring is a time of year characterized by new life and by fresh floral blooms. It’s said that the land is Serranai’s canvas, and flowers are her paint. There is no debating that watching the Spring goddess’s artistry come to life in her season of power is an activity beloved by all! However, the Department of Supernatural Affairs is currently investigating some strangely behaved plant life.

While sightings have been somewhat rare, locals have been reporting eerie structures made out of flowering vines or woven flower stems that take the shape of hollowed out humanoid silhouettes. The poses seem to indicate motion and appear capable of springing to life at any moment, but the strange figures never seem to actually move --- at least, not that anyone has actually seen. However, many have cited that upon looking away from the figures and looking back, they appear to be closer. Those who have had direct contact with these floral armatures of people are also reporting some kind of ongoing allergic reaction from the encounter. Symptoms include severe shortness of breath, unpleasant itching that feels like it is coming from beneath the skin, and intense bouts of emotion which vary from person to person.

The Pumpkin Hollow Board of Safety is currently investigating long-term effects of contact with these beings and advises residents to avoid them. They seem highly resilient to fire, impact, and tearing, and while cutting with a sharp implement seems to have some success, it’s inadvisable to get close enough to the things to use such tools in the first place. Local alchemist Aeryn Sallek and local non-magical chemist Sally Boyle are currently working together to develop an herbicidal blend that is safe for human skin contact and potentially consumption to try and deal with the flowery menaces, which the Board of Safety has begun calling “Hanahilators”. But don’t let the name frighten you--- steering clear of these freaky floral followers should be a more than sufficient safety measure until the threat can be dealt with. Probably, anyway!

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Further Details...

Yard Crawl

Participate in the Yard Crawl as either a buyer, a seller, or both! When you take on a job in Pumpkin Hollow, you are supplied with permanent housing outside the Oak & Iron as part of your start-up kit, and most of them are full of old and worn furniture and clothes left behind when they were abandoned. Get rid of some of it or find something new at the Spring Yard Crawl! Plus, some of the native residents will also be selling or giving away their own old things.

Here’s how the Brass shakes out:

• Buyers can spend 50 Brass and get a haul of their choice of used or free clothing, furniture, or small decorative items. All of it will be of decent to low quality and relatively unremarkable design, so nothing extravagant. (Although a lone exciting knick knack could be considered passable!) Reminder that newcomers are given their first stipend of 100B upon arrival, so new characters are welcome to participate--- you’ll just need to mark that on your ledger if/when you app in. Ask for help if you have questions about this!


• Sellers can make 50B off of their participation but must make a toplevel. Only apped-in characters that are not Laggards can participate as a Seller.


• Those who are both buying and selling end up with a net zero of Brass, but all the aforementioned rules apply!


• Transactions related to the Yard Crawl can be applied to a character’s ledger three times --- once per month for the duration of this TDM!

Swift Social

Under the Swift Social toplevel posted from the mod account, join the fun by posting a starter with the provided code to create a profile card! Then comment on someone else’s starter with one of the following icebreaker questions to get started:

Which would be more surprising to see on your doorstep, a unicorn or a walrus?
If you could commit any crime with no consequences, what would it be?
If you were caught in a trap and the only way to escape from it with your life was to do something genuinely impressive, what would be your approach?
If you had to live on only one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
If you were held at knife point and instructed by your assailant that you must call someone on their sending stone, and if they do not answer, you die, who would you call?
Which would be most frightening to encounter in a dark alley: a ghost, an alien, or a horse?
If you could have any wish granted for you, no matter how big or small, what would it be? (Cannot ask for more wishes, that’s cheating!)
What’s a subject that you could confidently teach an hour-long class on with no preparation?
If you could instantly become an expert in any skill, what would you choose?
Make your own!

Be advised that you must post a comment with your profile card so that any Swift Social partners you have can reference it for your age and preferences.

Fae Pranks

It’s a fairy prank war! A few of the local fae courts are using Marrow Isle as their battle ground, since the demons made it trendy. They’re mostly out to prank each other--- but they’re also happy to practice their tricks on you! And fairies have some very odd ideas about boundaries when it comes to pranks. Here’s a few examples of some of the tricks you might encounter, ranging from silly to genuinely dangerous:

• A truly outrageous amounts of butterflies


• Sightings of Edwin the Headless Postman, a Dullahan (this is a played character that a mod will tag out with, please leave an OOC note if you’d like to opt out)


• Will-o-wisps that lead you in circles or into danger


• Fae dance parties that will have you dancing yourself to death!


• Missing objects


• Mysteriously spoiled milk


• Your hair got braided or extra tangled while you were asleep


• Weird sounds in Prague Mill after dark. Is it haunted?


• Strange women crying in the forest or by the Bluffs, but when you approach them to try and help, you find yourself suddenly in life-threatening danger!


• Create your own! Have fun with it, get spooky or goofy as you see fit.

Floral Fiends [cw: body horror, death]

Loosely inspired by the Hanahaki disease and the film Annihilation, Hanahilators are uncanny figures made out of flowers that move when they are not being watched. If they catch you, they will grab you, but seemingly have no interest in harming you as they will relent as soon as they’ve touched you.

However, once you have pollen on you, the effects begin to take hold, and flowers begin growing within your body, first in your lungs and then pushing into the rest of you. These parasitic blooms feed off of your strong emotions and are influenced by the emotions which define you. (Feel free to use the Victorian flower language to determine what kinds of flowers you get!) Once strong enough, the vines begin feeding on your body, destroying it and leaving behind a brand new Hanahilator. But don’t worry, you’ll be back to your old self tomorrow, so enjoy the opportunity to explore the island as a ghost! Apped in characters should remember to fill out a Death Certificate! It’s a relatively rare encounter, so don’t worry about running into one if you don’t want to.

Pokémon

Each season, new types of Pokémon can be found in nature around the island! They cannot be captured as the technology does not exist on Marrow Isle, but they can be befriended and kept as pets. Since there is no PC, each person can have no more than six. You can befriend any Pokémon whose primary type matches the list at the top of the newspaper. (Eevee can be caught in any season.) Legendaries are off limits for obvious reasons, and mythicals can be encountered for fun but not kept! Evolutionary stones can be found in Paradesium, the magical subterranean jungle beneath the mountain to the North. Every type will be available at some point throughout the year, so if you don’t have access to your fave yet, check back next season!

Comments

[misbegottendreamer]

"Hmm. We could ask the owner to hold it aside for you, in case you want it for the house, but I wonder if you have much need for soft rugs on a day to day basis. Perhaps it has some visual appeal as well, but I'm hardly going to be able to weigh in on that," she laughs.

[checkyourmath]

"That's quite alright. I don't have any use for the rug in mind, I was simply curious about its composition," Siebren explains. "It is best to save one's brass for objects of more immediate utility," he adds, hoping his use of 'brass' as the local currency feels natural.

"I am willing to depart at any time; just lead the way!" He hopes her vision isn't so impaired that she expects him to lead the way, but given the masked woman is at the market alone she presumably has experience navigating safely, her earlier stumble notwithstanding.

[misbegottendreamer]

“Then let us go! We can talk about… the science of textile composition, you might call it?… once you are settled back in. I’m so glad I thought to pick up a little extra tea at the shop- you’ll welcome a warm drink, I’m sure?” she’s already leading, a spring visible in her step, bells jingling with every move.

[checkyourmath]

"That sounds lovely," Siebren agrees, allowing himself to be pulled along effortlessly by their clasped hands while staying out of the way of other shoppers.

He's been keeping close to the ground, doing what he can to avoid drawing attention to his levitation, and Siebren feels rather pleased with himself for staying 'under the radar' in a sense. With each obviously non-human resident they pass in the crowd, however, he wonders if unexplained flight simply isn't worth commenting upon.

"This is, ah, a lovely day for a sale. Were you looking for something in particular, before you noticed my presence in town?"

[misbegottendreamer]

“I was just out for a walk, actually. I suppose I could shop around a little, but I worry about letting the house get cluttered.”

She pauses.

“I’ll have to make sure I have enough oil for the lamps, if you’re staying late. My house isn’t wired for electricity yet, and I haven’t bothered with lighting the house since you left. Usually, I socialize in other places.”

[checkyourmath]

So she is blind, or at least doesn't rely on her sight for everyday tasks. It occurs to Siebren that, like much of the population here, this woman may not be human. The hand he's still holding has prominent claws, after all, so perhaps her species navigates by scent or sound? Does the face beneath her mask resemble an enormous bat, or a miniature dolphin? A star-nosed mole-woman would be quite striking. Hypothetically.

"No, I... I wouldn't want to impose, and I believe I have a meeting at the Oak and Iron in regards to my, ah, my return."

[misbegottendreamer]

“A meeting? I wonder with whom. Normally the Oak and Iron is a starting place for newcomers to receive directions and advice, but you’ve been here. Although… kena, do you think it could have something to do with your station? There have been some shifts and developments in the demon court lately.”

There’s some quiet part of her mind that realizes that he no longer smells faintly of peppermint syrup, but the thought stays in the back of her mind.

[checkyourmath]

"Perhaps it is an oversight. Perhaps I could be considered a newcomer of sorts, given my absence. Might I ask how long it has been since we last spoke?"

He hopes the question isn't suspicious. He also hopes her answer will be at least somewhat intelligible; Siebren's internal calendar has automatically shifted to that of the Emerald Isles, which he isn't quite sure how to measure against the world he came from.

The mention of a 'demon court' brings up far too many questions, most of which would immediately betray his current disorientation, but Siebren is too curious to let the matter drop completely.

"What sort of developments?"

[misbegottendreamer]

Were he anyone else, there would be questions. There would be suspicion. But one does not maintain a relationship with a memory demon without extending some measure of faith. She trusts that Siebren de Kuiper is not the sort of man to mislead her.

"It's been around two months since you left. During that time, Prince Ephrain has made a bid for control over the island's inhabitants twice- once at Merrymeet, and more recently, during a strange compulsion that forced everyone to relive their worst memories or experience their deepest fears as an operatic performance. The second incident ended with Ephrain being slain, so we are down another demon prince. No one is terribly torn up about Ephrain's death, of course, but this is different from when Mendel was slain. This time, it wasn't a mortal resistance that took him down- it was Prince Aster's doing. He's moving openly now, kena. The Prince of the Dark Feast is emboldened, and that's worrying. I do not think you are one of his immediate targets, if this purge is meant to continue, but considering your position in the late Prince Mendel's court, I cannot help but feel some concern."

There's a pause.

"If you do not want to tell me why you left, you do not need to. I understand that you must be under a lot of pressure right now. And yet... and yet, you remain aloft!" she jokes.

[checkyourmath]

"That is... quite a lot to take in," Siebren answers honestly. "I appreciate your concern for my safety, friend." He hopes friendship isn't overstepping. If the woman is willing to invite him to tea, though, surely their relationship is a positive one?

"It was not my intention to hide information from you, I assure," he adds, somewhat less honestly. People don't take kindly to being forgotten, in his experience, and this masked woman has been so kind thus far he can't bear to break the illusion.

He chuckles softly at her play on words but also pulls himself a bit closer to the ground, feeling chastised.

[misbegottendreamer]

“So, to the Oak and Iron, first? Or do you think it would be wiser to stop by my place first, perhaps take some time to make a plan in case this does turn out to be a demon trap?”

[checkyourmath]

Could all of it be a trap? The boat journey, the mayor, the strange figure who told him he was dying? How much are these 'demons' capable of? For that matter, he has no obvious reason to take the masked at her word, but--

No. Siebren takes the woman at her word. He can't afford to doubt what's in front of him, strange as it is.

"Your home may be more secure for this type of discussion. And... quieter, I would imagine."

[misbegottendreamer]

“Quieter for the most part. I do have chimes hung up throughout the house, but those shouldn’t be too disruptive.” She gives his hand a gentle tug, leading him without any hesitation.

“But I am much more likely to notice eavesdroppers because of them.”

[checkyourmath]

"That shouldn't be a problem."

Siebren follows, equally without hesitation. Are these chimes recent additions, he wonders, or has the woman begun to suspect that some amount of context has gone missing since they last spoke?

"You know, wind chimes will give off their clearest tones when the attachment points are placed around twenty-two percent of the distance down their length. The same is true of instruments like xylophones."

[misbegottendreamer]

“Yes, that is quite important when working in matters of tonal architecture,” she agrees.

“I think the ones I have at my house are the cleanest batch I’ve managed to produce yet. I welcome any critique of my work, of course, particularly if it is from your expertise, kena.”

[checkyourmath]

"I look forward to hearing them!" Siebren agrees, silently wondering what qualifies him as an expert on windchime construction. He certainly knows how to model the vibrations of a beam in a mathematical sense, but he doesn't recall ever engaging in the sort of metalworking that would be required to manufacture chimes out of them.

Then again, he doesn't seem to recall quite a few things at the moment.

[misbegottendreamer]

She laughs, briefly, warmly. There’s a hint of reverb to it that is too much for the mask to explain. And as they walk, the words between them momentarily paused, she begins to hum. There is something very tonal about this woman’s whole being. Something very musical.

[checkyourmath]

Siebren isn't familiar with her chosen tune, but finds the humming oddly relaxing as the pair make their way across town to Drelasa's home. Other sounds-- less pleasant ones-- have a tendancy to follow him, and proper music makes for an expediant distraction.

[misbegottendreamer]

Eventually, they arrive, and she ushers him in with a quiet motion. Given the time of day, the house is lit well enough by natural light, even without the inclusion of lanterns. Embers crackle in the hearth, keeping a stew pot warm, and near the hearth sits a fresh loaf of bread on an iron rack. The house is tidy, if plain, though true to the woman’s word, chimes hang in every room.

“Make yourself comfortable, kena. I’ll start the tea.”

[checkyourmath]

"Y-yes, thank you."

There isn't any real benefit to taking a seat while levitating, but Siebren settles himself in the general vicinity of a chair nevertheless. He pulls up his knees, one leg crossed over the other to give the impression of sitting casually, and promptly kicks off the shoes the island had involuntarily supplied him.

The bread is taunting him. Siebren can smell it, fresh and warm and entirely within his reach. How long has it been since he's eaten freshly-baked bread?

...well, no more than two months or so. Possibly less, depending on where he's been in the time since the masked woman last saw him, but it feels longer in a way he can't articulate.

"The chimes are very good."

[misbegottendreamer]

“It’s still a long way from a full sound-scape, but I feel such coverage is becoming less and less necessary. My echo-sight has only been getting stronger. Still… I’m probably going to keep adding to the array whenever I have time.”

And lo and behold, a slice of bread is placed in front of him, dense and fragrant, before Drelasa goes back to measuring the tea.

[checkyourmath]

Aha! So she does navigate through sound! Perhaps her mask dampens whatever natural form of echolocation the species evolved to make use of (presuming they did evolve; her casual mention of demons may imply the existance of purely supernatural organisms. He has quite a bit to investigate!).

Siebren suspects the bells at her waist serve a similar purpose to the chimes throughout the house. Their tones blend together well from what he can discern, but... no, windchimes really aren't his area of expertise.

That slice of bread is gone from its plate nearly the moment she sets it down, Siebren tearing into the soft warmth of it with enthusiasm.

A sheepish and somewhat muffled, "Thank you, s'very good," follows after.

[misbegottendreamer]

“You’re free to help yourself to more,” she calls, tone clearly amused.

“I can only imagine you’re hungry from your travels.”

[checkyourmath]

If only Siebren knew where he has been travelling.

"I-I would imagine so, yes," he agrees, wondering how much of the bread he could get away with taking without offending the woman. He'll do his best to act reasonably, gently cutting another slice without immediately shoving it into his mouth.

[misbegottendreamer]

She soon returns with a tray, on which sits a tea set. She sets it down on the surface nearest to him, then pours a cup for herself, placing a fragrant sachet into the steaming water. It smells faintly of fruit and bitter herbs.

“Now, where do I even begin with getting you caught up?”