polymods: (Default)
polymods ([personal profile] polymods) wrote in [community profile] polylogs2021-07-02 03:00 pm

Something in the air...

POLYMYTHOS: THE ISLE THAT BLOOMS

The Isle That Blooms


Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
This is the first isle you can smell before you see it rising on the island. It starts with the faint hint of growing things that blossoms into a floral scent that teases you with the combination of familiarity and the unknown. The next breeze seems to carry you closer even as it coats everything in a delicate wash of golden pollen that only the Ferryman seems to be able to avoid.

Do you like your lips to taste the gritty sweetness? Or are you already starting to sniffle? Either way, the island starts as a smudge then turns into a riot of color as it reveals itself.

The Isle that Blooms lives up to its name as flowers vie in a silent war of roots and strangling vines to cover every viable surface with sprays of color and vibrant pulsing life. There are signs of human life in the form of a village built on stilts and full of little anachronisms like a glowing neon sign that hint that the island sees a large number of Travelers come through this place.

And who wouldn’t be drawn to the abundant flora, brightly painted houses, and lively locals?

Everyone seems to be glowing with health as the locals gather near the dock to welcome the latest set of tourists. They come with arms full of flower wreaths and friendly smiles, clearly in control of their faculties and interested in trade. Their clothing is as bright as the paintings on their buildings, as the flowers that surround them, and perfect for the warmth of the day.

Do you notice, though, the absence of any babies or prepubescent children? Or that while there are old people, no one shows signs of the infirmities that come with age? It might be easy to miss, especially as the Isle starts to affect you, too.

The ache in your back from that terrible fall, the craving for that next drink, the trauma that’s too close to the surface, all the petty hurts the build up in a lifetime start to fade as you, too, start to bloom.

Notes:
1. NO GUNS are allowed on this island. The Ferryman will keep them safe for you.

2. These residents of the island are normal humans. Killing them is possible and may affect the color of your Scrywatch.

3. Any type of flower could exist on the island, blooming somewhere, regardless of its real world requirements. Rare ones are difficult to find and magical ones need a check in with the mods.

4. There is nothing preadolescent of any animal species on the entire island, including insects.

5. The island’s ability leaves people as the healthiest, most energetic version of their current selves. Examples: A blind person in otherwise good mental and emotional health would notice minimal changes. A person with a disorder would find themselves having a string of good days. A 50 year old probably hasn’t felt this good since their thirties.



Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
Orchids in shades of yellow and pink so bright they glow have been trained to grow along the walkways and bridges of the elevated village to guide Travelers to this island’s Temple. The building stands alone at the edge of the Village, extending out in the ocean of flowers that fill most of the isle.


The temple is made of simple stout wood that has been carved and painted in patterns ornate and lovely in a way that speaks of hundreds of hours of creation and maintenance. The same orchids that guided you here gild building and act as camouflage the sleeping porches ring the outside. They are kept private and safe from insects by fine netting, and you will find the bedding soft and fine.

This Temple’s Guardians are a pair of lazing cats with strange spots and scaly wings that regard you with affectionate disinterest as you explore the facilities. There are toilets and sinks, but no baths or showers. The pantries are stocked with edible flowers and fresh fish and the space and tools to cook. If you are brave enough, the Guardians will probably give you practical advice on how to use those supplies. There are new clothes and sandals better suited to the heat, and even practical machetes.

Notes:
1. The Main Temple is still open to those who are brand new to PM.

2. There are paints and carving tools if you want to add to the temple decorations. (Maybe mention it during the Oracle Event if you do.)

3. All fabric items are ridiculously bright and vaguely tie dyed.

4. The marker orchids have a distinctly strong smell of vanilla with a hint of lime.



Ⅲ. THE LOTUS BATHS
CW: fantasy setting drugs.
There’s only so long a person can stand to be covered in pollen, and when you ask the locals, they grin. Oh, you want a bath? There’s a path back to the ground and through the tall flowers to a natural spring. Make sure to head out early, they warn.

It’s always better to be in the village before nightfall, and you are clearly going to take a while.

As you walk the winding path to the baths, the everpresent flowers seem to thin out and even disappear as ground warms and rock rises from rich soil. You can smell the mineral richness of the bright blue pools that form waterfalls over a series of rising ledges. There is life, though, even here, in the form of delicate lily pads that float in rafts around vivid lotus flowers.

If you test the water, you’ll find it’s warm enough to melt the knots out of muscles and make it easy to understand why the few bathers seem to be so languid and relaxed. If you sink all the way in, well, not only will you manage to get clean, but you might find yourself mellowing out even more. So mellow you’ll hardly notice when the pleasant hallucinations start.

You’ll find yourself drawn into visions of your most private joys and of the pleasures you keep to yourself. Maybe it’s a matter of shame or maybe it’s because they’re too precious. There’s one small problem, though. If someone else gets in the same pool, not only will they start to share the same vision, but you’ll start to see theirs too.

Will the fantasies become a nightmare or will you manage to navigate them together? Will you ever be able to look at each other the same way again?
Notes:
1. The hallucinations will end when you leave the water, but only once you and your bathing partner are both out.

2. The flowers are magical and will affect everyone, even robots or super powered people.



Ⅳ. NIGHTBLOOMING
CW: abduction, violence.
You are warned to stay in the elevated village at night. The flower fields are safe enough during the day, but things happen at night. It’s hard to imagine during the day when stingless bees that glitter in jewel colors bumble along and hummingbirds the size of chihuahuas feed from the abundant flowers while squeaking their strong opinions at each other.

But as the moon rises, and most of the flowers close, there’s rustling sounds that make it clear that there are big things moving through that growth. Things that make the hair rise up on the back of a person’s neck. It would take a big prize to make it worth finding out what makes those sounds. A big prize or a reason to face your fears.

There’s a scream in the night. You can ignore it, of course. Not everyone is meant to run towards the scream. It might not even change the color of your ScryWatch.

But if you go to the source of the sound you’ll find a mother weeping openly while other locals gather around to comfort her. It seems her teenager decided that the best way to woo their lover was with glowing flowers that only open under a full moon. The teen has been gone for hours, and the grim expressions on the people around you say his chances aren’t good.

You have a choice to make. Will you go into the dark to face the unknown dangers? Will you offer some other form of comfort? Or will you go back to hide in the safety of the Temple?

Notes:
1. The danger in the flowers consists of six foot tall nocturnal orchid mantises who have the teen pinned in a tree. They are currently singing a human language lullaby to the kid to get them to go to sleep and fall out of the tree.

2. The mantises have a hive mind and will retreat if one of their number is killed, but can also be talked to and negotiated with. They will be willing to trade a regular supply of fish for no longer hunting people.



Ⅴ. SPECIAL EVENT: THE FLOWER ORACLE
In the center of the village, there is a giant flower bud that is bigger than a man is tall. The villagers tell you that you are lucky. You will be here when the Flower Oracle blooms. You will have a chance to speak directly to the Ancient One through the Oracle, and She even answers. All it takes is a little sacrifice.

Notes:
1. During the week of July 12-18, there will be a special event post where characters can choose to interact with the Flower Oracle for a chance to be rewarded, get an answer, get silence, or get punished by the Ancient.

2. Any starter posted during this window will be honored, specifics to come.

3. This event is optional!

Bonus: music to watch the flowers bloom to.


Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

grayshulk: (pic#12896317)

Temple

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-04 07:03 am (UTC)(link)
"You missed the chance for hand tailoring on the last island," Jen says, walking into the storage room. She's clearly already given in to the tie-dye, and is dealing with the lack of stretchy material by wearing oversized shirt and wrap dress in shades of purple that practically sear the eye.

"I'd say it was good to see you, but, well, the whole abduction thing."
speed_of_snark: (yeeeees)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-04 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, well, if it isn't the lawyer I hired to keep me from being deported from the dumbest country around," Jean-Paul says. "Obviously a non issue now, you should really refund me." They both know he was breaking border crossing laws on the daily.

He's almost smiling. "You look well, at least."
grayshulk: (pic#12883351)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-05 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
"Given what I remember about the amount of good work I did for an extraordinarily stubborn client, I'm pretty sure I won't be doing that," she answers with a ghost of a smile.

She shrugs, "It wasn't the worst time for me not to have to deal with the rest of the world. How about you?"
speed_of_snark: (uh huuuuh)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-05 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm certain your client was absolutely reasonable," he says loftily.

"Mm, I'm pissed," he says. This isn't exactly an uncommon emotion for Jean-Paul. "One minute I'm drifting off to sleep in my bed with my husband, and now I'm on Allergen Island, where apparently I'm supposed to begin my journey of... I don't know, hugging my inner child or some nonsense."
grayshulk: (pic#12883349)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-05 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
"Never a day in his life, but heaven help the person who tries to convince him of that."

The smile evaporates as she listens. While Jennifer is quietly convicted by her presence here, even relieved by it, Jean-Paul doesn't fit. At least not at the time he described. "It's not as gentle as it looks. We had undead, cults, gangsters, and weird magic at the last island. Working on ourselves is the theory, the reality is...aggressive."
speed_of_snark: (uh huuuuh)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-05 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm going to ignore that."

Jean-Paul waves a dismissive hand. "Ouais, the guy piloting the boat didn't seem to imply it was going to be a walk in the park. It still seems a lot like some new age therapy bullshit but in hell," he says. He still looks put out. "What I'm hearing, Jen, is that this place is probably hiding an Audrey 2 somewhere. Maybe we have to fight it to conquer some Freudian fear."
grayshulk: (pic#12883298)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-07 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
She shrugs with a hint of a smile again.

"It wouldn't shock me. Though I don't know if Freud made it here." She wraps an arm around her middle. "I honestly don't know that much about what they plan to do to rehab us other than it's one month of aggressively weird shit and one month of calmer weirdness. And I get why they picked me and Deadpool, but, well, you're shockingly well adjusted most of the time?" But she remembers the other people from the boat who seemed mostly well adjusted, and gives herself another squeeze.
speed_of_snark: (qu'est-ce que c'est?)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-07 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"I know, right?" he says, gesturing at himself. "I'm the pinnacle of having-your-shit-together." He pauses, then groans.

"Deadpool? Chrisse. Well. HE'S never getting off the islands," he mutters. He looks around and sighs.

"I suppose even the very perfect - like yours truly - might still have some issues. Very few, mind you. And certainly none so dire that they require THIS nonsense. Still. I suppose for the moment I'm stuck."
grayshulk: (pic#12883343)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-09 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
Look, she was on his side, but that was a lot and she's already rolling her eyes a little before he makes the statement about Deadpool.

"He might not," she agrees. It doesn't sound like she thinks that's a terrible thing. Never leaving the islands in general, more than Deadpool.

"You are. Which means dressing like a monk and sweating to death or dealing with excessive tie-dye."
speed_of_snark: (welp)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-09 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"Can't get onto one island, stuck on others. There's some sort of irony there."

He groans. "Chrisse. Fine. I'll pretend it's Pride. Help me find short-shorts."
grayshulk: (pic#12896315)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-10 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
"A very Deadpool one."

"You got it." Is she going to dig in the pile until she finds the shortest and most obnoxiously colored short-shorts she can? Yes. Yes, she will.
speed_of_snark: (han)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-11 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
Jean-Paul groans. "Blue would be better," he says. "But if you think I'm going to be too embarrassed to wear something ugly then you've forgotten Alpha's Maple Leaf phase."

He takes the shorts and looks for others. "How long have you been doing this? The islands, not the sales associate thing."
grayshulk: (pic#12883308)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-11 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, I know you'll wear it. That's part of the joy."

He gets three different colors of tiny shorts before she actually starts tossing him reasonable shirts and shorts.

"I think three isles...it's weird? Time and distance are foggy. This one. Carcosa. The vampire island. So, about four months, maybe five?"
speed_of_snark: (uh huuuuh)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-11 05:32 am (UTC)(link)
'Reasonable' pfft.

Jean-Paul frowns. The loss of time seems to be universal, and it's disturbing.

"Do you hate it?"
grayshulk: (Default)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-11 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"I probably should."

She stares at the clothing for a minute. "I don't like what it does to the people who really don't seem like they belong here. Or don't want to be here."
speed_of_snark: (uh huuuuh)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-11 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"Does anyone WANT to be here?" His tone implies he doesn't think that's even possible. Jean-Paul is of course just personally sick of being kidnapped and forced into lives that aren't of his own choosing. It's happened too many times in recent memory.
grayshulk: (pic#12883373)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-12 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
She shrugs. No point in making too much of an argument with that tone. "There are people who don't seem to mind that much."
speed_of_snark: (ouais?)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-12 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Jean-Paul looks at Jen a long moment with his unsettlingly frank gaze.

"You're one of them," he says. Not a question this time.
grayshulk: (pic#12958689)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-13 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
She shrugs. "There's no island for hulks. Of course, one of us probably would have broken it."
speed_of_snark: (han)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-13 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Jean-Paul makes a soft sound - hn - and looks away.

"Probably ALL of you," he says. It's unclear if he's joking.

"So. Is it working? Are you improving yourself?"
grayshulk: (pic#12958691)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-13 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
She shrugs. It's pretty hard to disagree with right now, and the wounds are real.

"Can't say I'm trying to hard." She folds some of the clothing she disrupted. "Having some breathing room so the worst isn't all at the surface all the time seems like a lot."
speed_of_snark: (uh huuuuh)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-13 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
He watches her, his face its usual slightly-grumpy mask. Then he sighs.

"You're not wrong," he concedes. "If it's all on the surface you just get stuck in it. There's something to be said for mild disassociation."
grayshulk: (pic#12896313)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-14 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
Mild dissociation has her looking up at JP with an amused arched brow. "Depends on how hard I dissociate. It's bad enough I go grey now, who knows what else might escape?"


[OOC: Holy cow, you managed to make something of that last word salad reply of mine, bless you.]
speed_of_snark: (qu'est-ce que c'est?)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-07-14 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Jean-Paul's eyebrows take up residence high up on his forehead.

"...you're being serious. Hn. Well. I guess that's why your cute little bracelet isn't sitting at green, which would be more appropriate."
grayshulk: (pic#12958753)

[personal profile] grayshulk 2021-07-19 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
"Shoot a bomb at me and kill my cousin and my powers go a little wacky," she tries to sound like she's joking, but the strain is strong.

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