maskormods: (Default)
Mask or Menace | MODERATORS ([personal profile] maskormods) wrote in [community profile] maskormenacelogs2019-05-17 01:15 pm

There must be something in the water

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: Lake Tahoe, the Nevada side
WHEN: May 17 all day
WHAT: Swear-In
WARNINGS: Some violence

Welcome imPorts new and old to the lovely city of Jeopardy! For the five minutes the swear-in is here, anyway. See, there’s been some unusual activity at the (relatively) nearby Lake Tahoe. The Better Believe It Museum of Cryptozology has appealed to the government for help, and the powers that be generously volunteered this Swear-In as a chance for imPorts to be voluntold to help. Of course, you can always skip the swear-in or just decide to kick up your feet at a nice lakeside property in May, but the local natives would really appreciate the assistance. So much so that they’ve rented out a legion of party buses to transport you from Jeopardy to the museum in style. Yes, there’s a bar and snacks (though only juice for the kids). It’s about a three hour drive, try not to get too sloshed on the way over.

Just what is the issue? It seems that Nevada’s most famous cryptid, Tahoe Tessie has...well. Been seen. And, yes, of course, there is that whole museum you are going to at the edge of the lake dedicated to fuzzy, shaky-cam ‘sightings’ of Tessie and other cryptozoological marvels over the years, but this is different. Like, ‘oh no, we actually found her’ different. And by all appearances, Tessie’s pretty pissed at being found. Any boats that attempt to go out into the lake are sunk, divers have vanished to never be seen again (whole, anyway. A few parts have washed up), and police have noted a sharp increase in random, violent attacks around the lake shores.

That’s where you come in.

The museum has requested Tessie be captured and transferred into their crypto-aquarium where she can be studied (and rubbed in the faces of all those ‘real’ scientists that called them crazy over the years). There are other options, though. The police are just fine with you killing the creatures; let the scientists dissect the corpse. And a very well funded individual party is more than willing to pay an exorbitant amount to the imPorts that hand her over to them.

While you ponder about the ethics and money involved, here’s the lay of the land.



First there is the cryptid museum itself. Not the tidiest of places, the museum is three floors of winding narrow aisles between shelves heaped with curiosities and walls covered in fuzzy photographs with plaques explaining what cryptozoological marvel is depicted in them, or poster sized print outs of ‘testimonials’ of alien abductions, bigfoot sightings, etc, along with artists interpretations of events described. There is also, of course, quite an expansive gift shop. Get your BELIEVER t-shirt before supplies run out. Please no powers in the museum, the owner is quite forceful about how everything in there is one of a kind.



For those of you not into monster hunting, or hunters that need to recharge, the cryptid museum is right next to a resort that has thoughtfully opened its doors to imPorts. It’s lingering around 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit at the lake, not exactly swimming weather, but there’s charming outdoor seating, fire pits to gather around, and free drinks and finger foods abound for every one to mingle with. There’s plenty of nice walking paths around the lake, some low-key events like horse shoe tossing or croquet to pass the time with. Just a nice break by the lake to recharge after a rough month.



Then there’s the lake itself. The locals have provided you with canoes, small fishing boats with radar, diving suits and snorkels, fishing nets, pretty much anything they could think of that will help you catch dear old Tessie (if you have a specific request for an unusual item, ask here if it will be provided!). A certain eccentric (the one offering cash money for Tessie to be turned over to them) even provided a one person submarine for use- though it doesn’t have any arms to grab with or much in the way of catching power, the gesture was still nice?

But catching a cryptid isn’t that easy. See, turns out that surge in violent attacks isn’t just dear old Tessie. If you just pressed A and skipped to the lake itself, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise. Those that took time to view the museum first, or chatted with the hotel staff about local legends, will have some warning of what is waiting for them. They’ll learn that in addition to cryptids lake Tahoe has a very real monstrous history- it’s a known mob mass graveyard. Through the 1900s, possibly up to today, the lake served as a very convenient spot for mobsters to send people to ‘sleep with the fishes.’ No one knows how many bodies have ended up under those placid waters, but it’s an unpleasant number. Just an interesting historical tidbit until you actually enter the lake. There you’ll see these dead are, somehow, awake. And not that happy about it.



The lake is crawling with revenants. These angry undead will fight tooth and nail anyone that comes into the waters of the lake, trying to pull you down to meet the same watery fate as them. We’re literal on the tooth part, their bites are strong enough to rip out chunks of flesh. They will follow anyone that disturbs them out of the lake, focused on destroying the life they no longer have. These creatures will need to be destroyed or laid to rest for the lake to be safe again. This can be done through sheer physical assault, break enough of the bones or destroy the skull and the creatures will collapse into the muk. Or they can be put to rest one by one with rituals specifically made for putting the dead to rest (from any religion or philosophy). Those that can talk with the dead and have the dedication can talk the spirits into releasing their mortal coil and returning to the void. Just remember their first emotion is rage at the living, and their first instinct will always be to attack. Those going for a more peaceful route may need back-up to keep the creatures at bay until they start seeing results.

Finally, there’s Tessie.



While legends have reported, and the cryptid museum lead you to expect, a more serpentine creature, characters are once more in for a surprise. Those that finally get past the undead to Tessie herself will discover she is none other than a legendary lusca: half shark, half squid, all attitude. For those still trying to apply biology to this, Tessie’s front half looks like a bull shark, a species infamous for its ability to swim in both salt and fresh waters. There is a little good news: unlike the revenants, Tessie isn’t looking so hot. Some of her tentacles are rotting off and teeth are falling out. She is mostly working to avoid anyone that wants to bother her, darting to deeper waters and running away from close encounters. Anyone that does get too close will face a fight, but it’s that of an animal in its death throes. While an unlimited number of characters can see Tessie, the final decision of what happens to her will be decided by a poll.

After a long day at the lake, imPorts are bused back to Jeopardy in the same party buses. Hopefully still more or less in one piece.

OOC PLOTTING AND QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED HERE!
drivesadesk: (Considering Lizard)

[personal profile] drivesadesk 2019-05-23 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, me neither," he says, taking a mighty swing and managing to knock a zombie's head right of it's shoulders. "Usually there's a consistent theme to what tries to kill us, but apparently not this time."
drivesadesk: (Considering Lizard)

[personal profile] drivesadesk 2019-05-23 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well...it depends on how much blood they draw."

He is assuming with zombies that blood is drawn, after all.

"I have acid blood, though, so for anyone who isn't another Reptilian...yeah, I'd recommend rinsing any areas that come in contact with my blood with water for fifteen minutes."

Then he smirks.

"Why, were you planning on biting me?"
drivesadesk: (Smiling Lizard)

[personal profile] drivesadesk 2019-05-23 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah!" Kurt remembered something. "It's called a cow. It's made from their milk."

He grabs another cheese cracker.
fireandhoney: (magic)

[personal profile] fireandhoney 2019-05-23 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nice one!" Finn continues to be impressed by how strong Jonathan is, watching the revenant's head go flying. The brief distraction gives a few others a chance to get closer, reaching their arms out to claw at him.

"Ven!" The word of power causes a small whirlwind to show up, which turns into a water spout, tossing a few of the revenants away from them, back into the water.
youarespecial: (Smile)

[personal profile] youarespecial 2019-05-23 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
As long as Kurt's going to be stuck here, he might as well learn a thing or two. Kurt has only a vague idea of what milk is, though. He examines the cheese oozing out of the breading on the mozzarella stick.

"And there's so many different varieties of it. This cheese tastes a bit different from that orange stuff."
the_horror: (Reading)

[personal profile] the_horror 2019-05-24 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
He's read about this thing before. Bodies dumped in Tahoe isn't a new story, really. It's hit papers before. He liked stories about mobsters too, so it was up his field of interest in a way.

"I mean, I suppose there could be a lot of dumping grounds in lakes and things before this too, but Tahoe has that right mixture to keep bodies down and from resurfacing. As for the attacks reported, and the fact that a lot of boaters haven't returned? No clue. I haven't ran across anything about it else where yet. If it has happened, I'm missing it."
the_horror: (Hoodie talking)

[personal profile] the_horror 2019-05-24 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
"It might have helped, it might not have. I hear reading others thoughts can be a double edged sword sorta deal. if it was me, I'd want to pass on it." he said with a faint nod.

He leaned back in his own seat, head tilted, watching her as she stretched and talked. "So do they understand you as well? Like, you can talk to them and they get what you're saying? Because that would be mighty handy, yeah."

He'd like to know what his cat Star was thinking once in a while. Then again, maybe not.
the_horror: (Fuck this is dumb)

[personal profile] the_horror 2019-05-24 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
"You got that close to her..." he said softly, feeling a bit amazed at that really. "I didn't even get a chance to see her, myself. Things... came up." He said with a snort. Still, he was looking over that nasty looking bruise and gave a low whistle.

"If something was doing it, or someone, you'd think they'd be more interested in finding out who, because clearly knocking a few zombies around isn't going to be the end of it." He said with a frown, running a hand o ver his own neck.

"Ah. You're missing Luther, Five and Vanya for Hargreeves Bingo then. Which isn't surprising as two of them don't get too involved in these things." He smiled faintly at that.
irwins: (Default)

[personal profile] irwins 2019-05-24 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
[Shaun glances over at his sister at that tone. He has no idea what is going unsaid here (which may be for the best? somehow?) but he knows there's something.

But then he's startling at the floating words too. Nifty trick.

Without thinking, on pure learned reflex, he's reaching out to settle a hang against Georgia's back to make sure she's steady before looking back to Allison.]


Huh! [Very interesting trick.] But yeah, don't mention it. Every person not bitten by a zombie is one less zombie to worry about. [At least back home. They haven't gotten confirmation about whether these revenant things can spread the walking undeath to the living.]
choosetruth: (bex3)

[personal profile] choosetruth 2019-05-24 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
He's so good to her. She takes the Coke with a slim smile and shifts over, making room for him to sit next to her.

"These assholes seem to think I should bribe them for an interview. Like me talking to them all when they're apparently out to kill us isn't favor enough."
choosetruth: (bex12)

[personal profile] choosetruth 2019-05-24 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
Georgia raises an eyebrow behind her sunglasses. Even without her shiny new lie detecting superpower, she knows forced casualness when she hears it. Not that she has any intention of keeping it secret. She doesn't do secrets. For the most part. Certainly not about something like this.

"Failing to comprehend journalistic integrity." She flashes an aggravated scowl down at her phone, then tucks it back into her pocket. "Not that they're alone there."
112ounces: (They told me don't go walkin' slow)

[personal profile] 112ounces 2019-05-24 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
Carl, well, he's not used to touch by strangers. He jerks back, reflexively, taking a step back. But in a crowded bus and roads that desperately needed an infrastructure bill or two meant that it was easy for Carl to lose his balance and stumble to the floor.

Oh. How embarrassing. Carl ducked his head down, so his hat would hide his embarrassment as he attempts to go back up to his feet. "Sorry," he mumbled, not really looking up at the person who collided with him.
112ounces: (Open mind for a different view)

resort

[personal profile] 112ounces 2019-05-24 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, that was pretty good."

Said Carl, who was carefully choosing his rock before he made a final selection. He picked it up, feeling the smoothness and how round it is. He toss it.

Not even one skip. It just plonks to the lake, like any other boring rock.
by_candlelight: (Default)

[personal profile] by_candlelight 2019-05-24 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
"That's true. And it wouldn't have done anything for my paranoia when I was even younger." She gives a small laugh, thinking about how jumpy she'd been around those of her father's men who hadn't been explicitly left in charge of her, and how much worse it would have been if she'd had more than mere reason to believe they wanted to hurt her.

"They do. It's a two way thing. There's kind of a limit to how complicated you can get, and it varies based on both species, and each individual of that species. While in general, crows are amazing and smart, you occasionally get really stupid crows once in a while." There's a long sigh. "Okay, buddy, sure you can take on that bear. Suuuure. And then, Bam! The bear swipes and it's dumb luck the crow survives, and the next thing you know you're spending the rest of the summer with a healing bird on your shoulder while you train a bunch of other children how to do an obstacle course properly."

For what it was worth, she absolutely enjoyed having the crow on her shoulder, making her look more intimidating, and maybe a little mystical. It definitely made the newer kids look at her with expressions of awe.
by_candlelight: (Default)

[personal profile] by_candlelight 2019-05-24 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Which type? As in not understanding the integrity of other journalists, or flying in the face of basic integrity with their own?" Ruby might eventually admit that she didn't know what counted as journalistic integrity here in America. Hell, she arguably didn't know what it meant back in Japan, since standards she'd thought were there to protect minors didn't do shit for her.

Until she admitted that however, she was going to get some context, if at all available.
solarcharged: (54)

[personal profile] solarcharged 2019-05-24 09:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Don't worry, it didn't work for me the first time I tried, either," Apollo confides with a grin. He quickly scans the beach and selects another smooth stone, and shows the boy how he holds it in his hand.

"Try holding it like this, see? With your index finger around the edge of the rock. You need to give it a bit of spin as you throw it..."

He stands back and whips it across the lake with a quick flick. Four skips.

"Try again?"
nightfallallegro: (Default)

Re: Party Bus

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-05-24 02:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh! That's quite a long time ago. How are you adjusting to everything?" Nightfall's concern is at least somewhat genuine.

She was only a few years out of flux here, but she'd met a few time travelers from various points in the time stream and it always seemed very hard on anyone who was from ten years in either direction. She even knew of a junior hero in another state who was less than five years from his original time, but due to coming from a nearly identical world he still struggled because of all the minute differences that made him feel crazy.

Time travel was not nearly as pleasant in reality as it looked it media.
dawg: (WD0054522)

[personal profile] dawg 2019-05-24 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Rene looks intensely skeptical, in a way only someone with as many pilfered snacks as he has had can manage.

Generally speaking, he takes too-snooty-for-free-luxuries as someone-never-had-to-go-without-them, but for once in his life he doesn't throw that assumption out as a barb. He is, in fact, much too sat down and relaxed to be acting like too much of a dick right now. That takes energy and focus! "Your loss," he shrugs, instead of even considering that she's got a point.
dawg: (WD0003764)

[personal profile] dawg 2019-05-24 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Rene's eyes skip down over the various spots for holstering knives on Diego's harness (and the rest of him) in a way that's deliberate and obvious. Not a single one seems to be missing. "Uh huh, you know you can just say if the number is zero." That's gotta be why he's so shy about it, right? Because tactically, Rene assumes everyone keeps in mind the number of hostiles they've taken out of the chaos, and also the number remaining on the field. In this spawned-from-the-lake situation, the latter becomes more difficult, but to him it's still good sense in any active engagement.

Granted, most people wouldn't use that count for bragging rights, but that's neither here nor there.

"And I can swim just fine hoss, so don't worry about that shit." Still slightly offended, to be honest.
nightfallallegro: (Default)

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-05-24 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Nightfall nodded a little. "That's true. But I think there are plenty of other reasons to register, and you can always unregister." She made it look like she was pausing to think for a little bit. "I think they want people to give some sort of sign of faith. Reading the rules here, it looks like imPorts cause a lot of problems. So it probably makes the general population feel a little better if we sign up for citizenship."

This was admittedly one of her theories on the issue, as registration didn't have many obvious strings attached. It seemed more of a shallow effort to calm minds or inspire the barest sense of loyalty than it did a true attempt at control. While she wouldn't put 'it's a long con' out of the question, it seemed that this government hadn't found ways more forceful than an honor system to keep superpowered people in-check.
dawg: (WD0122229)

THANKS....

[personal profile] dawg 2019-05-24 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Rene is, actually, mid-kicking the revenant in the nose (or what used to be a nose... its general mid-face area? nasal-adjacent?) when he gets unceremoniously yanked back into the much appreciated air. He gasps a breath, then hollers a curse as his ankle gets bitten by the clingy lake zombie, and once it gets shaken back down into the water, he finally has the time to pay attention to what is suspending him above its surface.

You know, the 13 foot demon. His savior.

"What the fuck!!" Rene yelps yells, in a manly way. He means thank you, honest.
nightfallallegro: (Default)

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-05-24 02:32 pm (UTC)(link)
She puts on a thoughtful expression, pretending this isn't something she's thought about before. Something she's dealt with before. (Even if that had simply been a genetic mutation caused by a mad scientist rather than a genuine Sasquatch.)

"I think it would depend on if they were ancestors to humanity, or come from something similar to convergent evolution," she made sure to make it sound like she was having a slight difficulty with the word 'convergent'. She gives him a smile. "A lot of people are always looking for the missing link between humans and apes, but they always overlook that the missing link would probably have evolved in that time, too. Maybe into another, similar species."
nightfallallegro: (Default)

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-05-24 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Nightfall only wished that her training would let her look at the floor. Allowing herself to be embarrassed like a normal human being in this moment would have at least felt a little better than keeping her chin up and getting to her knees.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" It was remarkably hard to both shout over the music and sound sweetly concerned, but she was pretty sure she pulled it off.
by_candlelight: (Default)

[personal profile] by_candlelight 2019-05-24 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)
It was for the best, perhaps. Ruby would have had a few choice words, including asking him if he'd ever spent years on the edge of starvation in a forest. It would probably have not been pretty.

Instead, she laughed a little. "I mean, maybe? But this way I can enjoy both before I go down to see what I can do to help. I get to experience basically everything, just not in as big of a chunk as someone picking one or the other." There's a small pause. "I do have to admit the food is nice. I didn't expect to like so many different variations of 'food on a cracker' as much as I do. I mean, I know I'd still like it, because I like just about anything edible, but I had no idea there were crackers that tasted so good."

As far as she was concerned, the snacks weren't pilfered if they were being offered.
decoyqueen: (015)

[personal profile] decoyqueen 2019-05-24 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Truly?"

Sabé glances over at him and raises her eyebrow. "And here I thought it was nothing but propaganda to get people to fear non-humanoid beings."

Well- that seems to be the case here at least. In his world there's the excuse that abductions happen, even if not in the exact way suggested.

Page 7 of 20