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!
pushygirl: (have puppets)

[personal profile] pushygirl 2019-05-30 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Perhaps," Kira shrugs. She sips a little of her drink (not too much since she wants it to last). "Everything about this is strange."

It's not just registration. The idea of traveling to an alternate universe of foreign to Kira. The sudden addition of ten years to the calendar doesn't help. Given that she knows that memory altering powers exist (having gotten her own memories wiped not too long before getting pulled here), Kira isn't sure that she didn't get wiped again only without leaving instructions to guide her actions this time around.
nightfallallegro: (Default)

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-05-30 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
That caused Nightfall to smile just a little. "I think I might be used to this sort of thing. I've been to several alternate Earths, and this one is the most like my own compared to the others. I feel a little spoiled because it's so much easier to adapt than usual.

"If there's any way I can help make things less strange, let me know! My job is helping people." She absolutely gives one of those charming little laughs she's been trained to do.

In reality... Well, she wasn't actually fibbing in any way, or even bending the truth. The hardest part of adaptation here (aside from how much it hurt her soul to see how poorly organised this place was concerning superpowered individuals) was the fact that she didn't have any of her teammates with her. The only other time she'd been sent to another world without at least one team member was when she was dragged to a nightmare world, which quite frankly gave her far more power than was ever reasonable to give to a then-eleven-year-old.
pushygirl: (waking up on dock)

[personal profile] pushygirl 2019-06-01 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
"Here or were you came from? Do you usually offer to help random strangers."

Most likely it's something the girl decided was something she was supposed to do. After all, she looks very young and, at that age, the main thing kids are supposed to worry about are schoolwork. Not, Kira admits to herself, that it always works out that way. But aside from the unusual clothes, easily explained by the situation they find themselves in, there's no reason to suspect the girl had a very unusual life.
nightfallallegro: (Default)

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-06-01 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, both really. I'm a part of the Illinois Junior Hero League back home. Here I'm just trying to do what I'm able to." She gives a bright smile. "That's one of the reasons I'm coming here today. I want to offer whatever aid I can."

To Nightfall, it seemed very clear that she was, in fact a super hero, and that everyone would be able to recognise that. However, she took it for granted that perhaps some worlds would create children's clubs with similar systems. Or maybe even organizations like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in other worlds might be similarly branded. She didn't think that in a world with a(n admittedly crude) hero system anyone would come to the conclusion that she might be cosplaying, rather than a professional.

Nightfall had no idea how little she knew about the workings of an average child, because if a normal child had been thrown into another world and given super powers it was very plausible that they would put on a cute costume and attempt to fight crime. Especially if they had been in an after-school club that dedicated itself to super heroes.
pushygirl: (4100 Nick)

Feel free to ignore this

[personal profile] pushygirl 2019-06-26 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
For Kira, it's difficult to think of it the idea that superheroes are anything other than children's entertainment. Even with the information she's gotten of this world, even with the information Nightfall has given Kira about seeing alternate universes, thinking of prancing about in a costume to fight criminals seems nothing short of ludicrous. In her own world, no psychic would have gotten away with behaving as though life were a Saturday morning cartoon.

"Well, I guess I'll come to you if I need any help, then." Most likely she wouldn't actually since she barely knows the younger girl. But she can't forsee a situation she'd need to ask for help rather than using her abilities to get help from others either.
nightfallallegro: (Default)

[personal profile] nightfallallegro 2019-06-27 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
She gives another smile at that. "And I'll keep an eye out for if you need any help, too!"

Nightfall looks for all the world like someone who thinks she's made a new friend and made a promise with them. Though, in reality, she's just reaffirming the fact that she's there to help.