(Player Plot) Leitners: Cursed Books!

[itknowsyou]

Hey, everyone! I'm Rona, and I am here to add some eldritch spice to your good soft April/May.

Content Warnings for Plot: Spiders, mental manipulation and compulsion, claustrophobia, violence.

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴛʜɪs?
In Jon’s world, there are books generally known as "Leitners." A Leitner may be a duplicate of an existing piece of literature, though with some passages eerily altered, or it may be a completely new work. Each contains a bookplate on the inner cover that reads "From The Library of Jurgen Leitner." For the magically-inclined, the books will also give off INTENSE vibes of power and evil, as though someone took a major eldritch entity and crushed it down into the shape of a book.

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs ɪᴛ ᴅᴏ?
Each Leitner has three effects:

1. The books compel their readers to keep reading; without interruption or intense willpower, a reader will always finish the book.

2. Reading a Leitner causes unnatural effects in the reader. These effects have been warped to make for more fun and accessible plot hooks. See below.

3. Leitner effects apply to every single reader, not just the first person to discover the book.

4. All books are waterproof and oddly durable, but can be destroyed via burning, ripping, or some other violent end. In canon, these methods have varying results... but to add extra spice, I have introduced "destruction effects" for every book, which will occur no matter the manner of violent destruction. These will generally affect a 50ft (15-meter) radius, including the reader, and effects may last several days.

ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠᴇᴅ?
Each of the 14 Leitners (one of each; no duplicates) will spawn into town over the next several weeks. They will appear anywhere books might normally be found: on household shelves, in the library or bookshop, etc. You can...

1. Sign up to discover a Leitner! First-come, first-served. I will reply with approval, and then you can spawn the book in-game anytime in April or May. When you spawn a book, please respond to its comment below, so I can keep track of which books are in play.

2. Even if you don't discover a book, you can comment below to get involved! You could interrupt someone reading, rescue a stranger from horrible side effects, attempt to research the books... or even be a hapless passerby who gets caught up in the destruction effects.

3. Throw your character into an open Leitner log, even without plotting here first. Not all logs need to be open (for example, discovering a book in your house might be closed to housemates) but my personal goal is for the books to encounter as many people and cause as much chaos as possible! A book may be the topic of several logs or network posts if it gets passed around a bit.

4. Or just watch Jon and Martin lose their shit on the network when they finally realize this is happening.

ʜᴏᴡ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʜɪs ʀᴇsᴏʟᴠᴇ?
Consider the following:

1. Jon wants to burn all the damn things, because they are extremely evil.

2. I, the player, just want to provide fun prompts for everyone to play with! If your character would collect the books, or use them to cause harm, I totally support that— so long as you're still giving other people a chance to get involved. The more IC drama and CR-building that comes out of this, the happier I'll be.

3. There is no timeline for this plot: books can remain in play indefinitely. If a Leitner IS destroyed, please reply to its comment below, so I can keep track of which books are in play.

sᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ?
Here’s the list of Leitners to be introduced in this player plot:

A Disappearance, author not listed. A slim black volume. Reading a few words causes temporary invisibility lasting 1-20 minutes (not consistent); reading the entire text will render the reader totally unnoticeable to all senses (though still able to leave written messages) until the book is destroyed. Destruction effects: everyone in a 50-foot radius at the time of destruction is affected by the poltergeist effect for up to 72 hours.

A Guest for Mr. Spider, author not listed. A children’s picturebook with unsettling artwork. Reading the entire text will compel the reader to knock on the nearest door, upon which a massive spider attempts to drag them inside a pocket dimension and devour them. Destruction effects: everyone within a 50-foot radius of destruction finds themselves connected to someone else present by indestructible threads, similar to the Spinning Wheels effect, for up to 72 hours. Get comfy.

A Journal of the Plague Year, by Daniel Defoe. Reading causes the surrounding structure to rot or natural environments to wither. The spread can be stopped only by destroying the book. Destruction effects: the rotting effect is immediately applied to surroundings up to 50ft of the destruction; this may collapse a house or other building. The rot does not seem to spread.

Book of the Dead, author not listed. It tells stories of gory deaths, including a seemingly imminent and terrible end for the reader in Deerington. Every time the reader looks, the prophesied death is more imminent and more horrible. Destruction effects: everyone in a 50-foot radius at the time of destruction witnesses a past death, or a possible death, of someone else present.

Dig, author not listed. Just the word "dig" repeated on each page. Partial reading conveys the urge to dig into the ground relentlessly, even with bare hands; effect is lifted only when the book is destroyed. Destruction effects: a 50ft-radius sinkhole opens at the site of destruction. This may harm surrounding buildings and characters unlucky enough to fall in.

The Seven Lamps of Architecture, by John Ruskin. Reading part of the book gives a sense of the walls pressing in around the reader; reading the entire text will warp nearby architecture to entomb them until the book is destroyed. Destruction effects: if destroyed inside a building, it will immediately collapse.

The Stalwart Hunters' Almanac, author not listed. Describes attacks by large and dangerous animals. The reader will spontaneously sustain the injuries they read about. Destruction effects: everyone within a 50ft radius of the destruction is immediately affected by life-threatening lacerations, as if mauled by several large animals in an instant. They will likely need urgent medical assistance.

Untitled Small Grey Book, author not listed. Contains the secrets, great and small, of its readers— including the current reader— as described by a neutral narrator. Once opened by a reader, their secrets remain printed; new readers seem to add additional pages. Destruction effects: everyone within a 50ft radius of the destruction has a truth about someone else present placed in their mind.

The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen. Reading one or more poems compels the reader to attack the nearest target; this "berserk" state is concluded only by destroying the book. Destruction effects: everyone within a 50ft radius of the destruction is immediately effected by the "berserk" state for up to 72 hours. They will likely need to be restrained.

蜘蛛が食べている (kumo ga tabete iru), translated as "Spiders Are Eating." Author not listed, and text is all written in Japanese. Reading more than a few pages of the book (even without understanding the language) summons a huge, people-eating spider. Destruction effects: those within a 50ft radius of the destruction are immediately bound in tough, sticky webbing. They may need help getting free.

Ex Altiora, author unknown, written in Latin. Some woodcut artwork throughout. Tells the story of a village at the edge of a cliff, the villagers watching a god/demon/monster approach from the distance and despairing that it is so vast. Conveys a horrible and growing sense of vertigo to anyone attempting to read or translate it. Destruction effect: Reverse Gravity for all people within a 50ft radius of destruction. As with the rest, it lasts up to 72 hours. Good luck not falling into the sky.

The Boneturner's Tale, author unknown. Canterbury Tales fanfic. When left in proximity to other books, it makes the books bleed. Reading causes sharp, painful spurs of bone to grow from the body; this can include horns, fangs or tusks, bone claws, or even (with sustained reading) elaborate skeletal wings or tails. Destruction effect: instantly applies this effect at full power in a 50ft radius. It hurts, but it looks super metal.

Untitled Volume of Sanskrit Poetry, author unknown. When a poem is read, small animal bones fall from the pages. This is fairly harmless. Destruction effect: the animated skeletons of small animals materialize and pursue the reader.

Untitled Book Made of Human Skin, author unknown. Each page is made from a different person's skin, upon which their last moments of life are described in detail. Reading or translating the majority of a page will kick the reader out of their body and into a spectral form: they can be perceived, but cannot interact with the physical world. Being in spectral form feels viscerally wrong and uncomfortable, and leaves the unconscious body vulnerable. Duration may last 1-24 hours (not consistent). Destruction effect: this effect is applied in a 50ft radius around the destruction, and may last up to 72 hours.

Lastly, if you'd like an example of how a Leitner looks and acts, I recommend TMA episode 081 about Jon's childhood experience [cw: spiders], beginning with the phrase "I was eight years old when my grandmother gave me the book."

Please enjoy this offering of chaos.

Comments

QUESTIONS?

[itknowsyou]

Re: QUESTIONS?

[threelayers]

So... when does this plot happen? Cause Ruby's player and I are plotting awful, dumb things.

[bardish]

QUESTION: how long would the reanimated animal skeletons stick around to pursue the reader? Until they're destroyed, or would they de....animate after 24-72 hours

(Look I have to ask because Jeff's a wimp)

Re: QUESTIONS?

[survivalthroughhate]

Just a question for clarification purposes: are the effects from The Boneturner's Tale permanent or do they have a finite amount of time before they wear off?

A Disappearance

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[laminae]

Claiming this for Fern, as it sounds useful for book stealing.

[itknowsyou]

As of 3/12/21 this is with Fern and Paimon!

A Guest for Mr. Spider

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[itknowsyou]

—except I'm totally claiming this one for Jon because I am mean to him. It's going to spawn in his home at 35 Blackwood Run.

He's not... actually capable of burning a book, due to inconvenient eldritch compulsions, so he may need help disposing of it. I'll probably make an open log out front of his house, which means any visitors or passersby could be caught in the destruction effect. Return of the spindle curse!

[itknowsyou]

Book was spawned in and destroyed here.

A Journal of the Plague Year

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[droptheious]

Varian's going to find this, likely in the high school library because that's the best place for this book to be. It'll be like a little slice of home. Yay. As always I'm down for anyone hopping into this chaos with me.

[laminae]

I would love for Fern to die either by being in proximity of someone else reading this or when it's destroyed!

Turns out being made out of grass makes you weak to books that makes things wither, who knew.

Book of the Dead

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[11calls]

Claiming this one for Alex if it's cool. She can find it looking for books connected to things back home while in a dusty market stall?

Dig

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

Re: Dig

[threelayers]

I... am sorely tempted to have her find it and read the whole bloody thing before she just takes a shovel and starts randomly digging a hole in town because she's not going to be able to explain what the hell she's doing to anyone.

The Seven Lamps of Architecture

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[itknowsyou]

Also, the mods have a note about this book's destruction effect:

"We would only request that none of the major buildings in Deerington could be destroyed (ie; the Town Hall, the schools, etc). You may have individual homes destroyed or smaller businesses where no playable characters are currently working. If one of the game's smaller buildings are destroyed it will reconstruct itself within a week. If any character's homes are destroyed due to the book, we figure it would fit with the plot for the characters to have to do the repairs themselves."

The Stalwart Hunters' Almanac

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[brandnewtech]

Yes. Hello. I would like this carnage in TB's life, but he doesn't have to be the first to discover it if someone else wants to get mauled. Really looking forward to others sharing in the collateral damage if he happens to have it at time of destruction.

Untitled Small Grey Book

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[labyrinthinedark]

May I? Gee could find the book in the bookshop while he's putting away other things, and after a bit of exploration, he'd probably tell Jon about it! Also I feel like he is the worst person to get a book full of secrets. Or the best. He may or may not casually hand it to other people just to see what happens.

The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[volunteertomatoes]

I would love for this one for Q! He's a bookworm in general so him picking up a random book and reading it definitely vibes with his personality. It would definitely open up to CR I haven't had before either in an interesting way~

蜘蛛が食べている / Spiders Are Eating

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[finaletea]

Hey there! I think I'd like Mami to find it if that's okay. She's fluent in Japanese and destroying monsters benefits her.

Also there's irony since she has ribbon magic used to trap people too heheh

Ex Altiora

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[yourule]

i'd like to sign up to have robin discover ex altiora, please!

The Boneturner's Tale

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[driving]

Claiming this one for Billy if that's ok! (or rather, claiming this one for the mind flayer and leaving Billy to wonder what the hell happened...)

Untitled Volume of Sanskrit Poetry

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[bardish]

BOOOONES. I want Jeff to get inundated with an unexpected animal bone collection.

Untitled Book Made of Human Skin

[itknowsyou]

Comment here if you want your character to deal with this book! How do you want to get involved?

First person to claim discovery gets to find it.

[lookattheglass]

Signing up Lindsey for this fun and delightful romp.

GENERAL PLOTTING

[itknowsyou]

Got ideas but no specific book to apply 'em to? Put 'em here!

[laminae]

So in the spirit of getting those books circulated around as much as possible, Jhey and I are hoping to have Paimon and Fern be antagonistic and steal books from people in order to either hoard them (and prevent their destruction) or recirculate them (so multiple characters get a chance at a book before it's destroyed).

Their aim will be to study the books, either by reading them or watching the effects reading has by observing other people read them. While they're both pretty vicious, we won't be looking to have them directly kill anyone (but hey, if your character happens to die by one of the books they recirculate....). We're open to assuming they swoop in and steal a book, or threading it out.

Let us know if you're interested in this! We're available either here or on plurk (diremuta and skeletals).