Season of the Laughing Trees

[Daedalus]

Season of the Laughing Trees

Concept

When a bus full of the region's most talented young adults breaks down in a small town in the middle of the forested mountains, it's an annoyance.  However, soon they find that things are not as they seem at all.  A deadly doom is placed upon them, and it seems the only way to avoid it...is to become a monster...

Rules

There will be no changes to the basic MMG rules found here: Rules.  Inventory will be handled like this:  You can carry 4 inventory slots worth of items.  Something you can lift and carry in one hand is one slot.  Something you can lift and carry with two hands is two slots.  Some very small and light items will be no slots.  How exactly you are carrying it all is flavor, so if you have picked up a cellphone, a ring of keys, a flashlight, and a diary, you are at max inventory.  Claiming you have extra pockets will not help, but if you have no pockets you don't need to worry about how you're holding everything.  There will be some items that will give extra slots.

Combat between PCs is not intended in this game.  If a PC intends to murder, the murder is planned out well enough, and nothing occurs that disrupts the plan, the murderer will succeed in their killing.  If something happens that makes it so combat between PCs does occur, it will occur in Discord DMs, moderated by me, and in the end be decided by my judgment.  Each side will present a discussion of why the combat would go the way that they think it would, and I will choose the one that seems most likely.

It's not realistic, but this is a game.

Characters

All characters for this game are to be human or human-equivalent.  No particular advantages compared to your average homo sapien. They are allowed to be on the stronger or smarter end of the scale, but not to the point of being world-class or even nation-class.  Although all humans would be preferable, I will make allowances if a player really wants to play non-human.  However, if they do not look fully human, it is purely cosmetic (i.e. if you are a catboy, you cosmetically look like a catboy.  You have no inherent bonuses for claws, or balance, or darkvision.  It also means there are other catboys in the world.)


The exception to this is that each character is allowed one SCLA (Super College Level Ability.)  In this one ability they are a star.  This does not boost them to supernatural levels, but they could be the best in the nation.  This also cannot be a blatantly supernatural ability (though things like clairvoyance are alright, on the understanding that it's unclear whether it's truly supernatural or just superior intuition, for example.)  This will be put in the application, and we will discuss it prior to approval so we're both on the same page as far as what it allows for.  As the story progresses, these Abilities may end up being enhanced.

Setting

Coolwater, CO, USA.  An old mining town that has hovered on the brink of becoming a ghost town for decades.  It has managed to hang on though, with a remaining population of about a dozen or so.  Still, beggars can't be choosers when a bus breaks down on a long road.

Season Baseline

You and the others, your friends/acquaintances/rivals/strangers of a similar age, were supposed to be going to a convention in Aspen dealing with exceptional people in an ever-changing world.  However, that was before your bus broke down.

Now you've all hiked a few miles along dirt roads towards the nearest 'town', though it's charitable calling it that.  You all were just hoping for some food and to find a decent mechanic, or at least a phone that has service.  Little did you know that this would be the moment that changed your life forever...or ended it.

Night has fallen.  You and your compatriots have tried to leave a few times now, but any time you enter the strange mist that is surrounding the town, you find yourself getting turned around.  There's creepy noises outside, and the brave ones who went out to check it out haven't come back.  You know in your bones something unnatural is happening here, even as your logical mind tries to deny it.

That's when you heard the voice.  "I am the Emissary.  I have been roused from my long slumber.  One among you has begun to build the way to me.  Build it further or destroy it forever.  To leave it as it is is to invite punishment from my servants.  The way is built with the souls of the prey.  Those predators who feed their fellows' souls to the way shall have power.  Those who capture and kill the predators shall be be blessed.  I shall greet you when the way is complete, and the one who has brought the way into being shall be granted a gift beyond imagining.  We shall speak again when the next step is placed."

Clearly you are going insane, you think to yourself.  However, the mists, the noises, and everything else you've witnessed since you arrived in town.  Could it be possible?  Something demanding...sacrifices?  For power?  You wouldn't kill for some weird unknown power though, and no one else here would either...right?

You look to the others in the room with you.  Are those looks paranoia...or plotting?

Special Considerations

None that I can think of.

Hosting Times

Time zone: U.S. Mountain Daylight Time (UTC -6) at present, Mountain Standard time (UTC -7) starting November 7th.  I can host Mon-Thurs nights starting at around 5:30 p.m. until around midnight, or 1 a.m. if pressed.  I can host Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.  I would prefer to only do a few sessions per week tops, as opposed to all.  Final times to be decided by player base.

I think that should do it.

[The City [EclipseZwolf]]

Accepted.
I have created a board with a Game Map and Rules/Applications section under Upcoming Seasons for your use.