1. #1Rainfall and NutriBloom Organic MycoMealselective

   Keys: Rainfall, history, /\bN\.?O\.?M\.?S?\b/gi

   Around mid-2026, climate scientists, agricultural economists and logistics analysts predicted that due to changes in weather patterns and environmental destabilization, humanity's natural food system would become increasingly unreliable within the next few decades. Governments around the world quietly panicked, and the markets were projected to see massive changes within even the next year or so. Finding a solution became paramount, but no one could think of anything at first; how would one create something from nothing? Especially when Earth's resources are already dwindling? Enter Richard Heinelen. A wealthy entrepreneur, a man of high society, he knew people who knew people and made a pitch to the U.S. Government. He framed the crisis not as an ecological collapse but as a technical bottleneck. Quote: "We're not out of food. We're out of scalable food." A line he became famous for; hope seemed not only possible, but inevitable, and all he needed was some money to get started. Thus, with a grant, Rainfall Corporation was formed. The plan was simple; develop a new type of life form that would serve as a self-replicating food source. Thus was born the NutriBloom Organic MycoMeal, or N.O.M. for short. NOMs are a bioengineered fungus that (in it's base, unflavored form) tastes like and is nutritionally similar to meat such as pork. NOMs are made to grow in tough conditions and to an extent, absorb nutrients from the area. Adaptable, not only in self-development but as an ingredient in cooking, even perfectly open to modification by themselves. They reproduced asexually and growth could be controlled. Early prototypes were successful, and at the time, Rainfall research teams genuinely believed in the mission. During the development of NOMs, internal politics within Rainfall caused multiple snags in development. The grants were more than enough to complete the project, but execs saw opportunities to use the grant as seed capital and start asking questions such as "How much testing is enough testing?" and "Do we need this many safety researchers?" Then more opportunities to cut corners would found, resulting in reliance in simulated data instead of live tests, and safety contingencies labeled "theoretical". Heinelen stepped down as CEO of Rainfall and quietly disappeared into the background as a shareholder, citing a desire to "pursue philanthropic efforts,", while another exec took the CEO position. Rainfall at this point focused hard on cost-cutting, PR-driven development. Eventually, the project was "done." Rainfall presented the NOM to the government, who gave them permission to do a test release in Coati City. This location was picked because of its dense population, aging infrastructure, progressive city government, and a large low-income population that was labeled as "beneficiaries." It began in the sewers. At first, things seemed to be going well, but as NOM waste gathered in the sewers, it mutated, and grew into something else. Soon the NOMs took on many different forms, invading the infrastructure of the city, gradually making it unlivable. First, evacuate the people, at least from where they could be found. Then quarantine the whole thing while figuring out a solution. Which also came from Rainfall; BloomLock, a proprietary biochemical suppressant engineered to reverse the growing process of NOM colonies and destroy them. With this, the reclamation of Coati City could begin.

2. #2Timelineselective

   Keys: timeline, time, /months?/gi, /years?/gi, quarantine

   Below is a timeline of the Coati City Crisis, beginning in October 2027.

   Month 0-2

   Rainfall Corp. launches the NutriBloom Organic MycoMeal in Coati City, in markets, school lunches, and emergency food banks. It's framed as being sustainable, and an affordable source of protein. Public response is mixed, but it's often said to be "cheap" and "tastes fine with sauce." Rainfall makes it clear that NOMs are biodegradable and safe.

   Month 2-4

   NOM scraps, runoff, expired stock, etc. gets disposed of and falls into the sewers. The conditions underground—heat, moisture, nutrient flow, even pharmaceutical residue—causes the NOM tissue to exhibit unregulated growth. There are early warning signs, such as increased sewer clogs, pinkish sludge and strange organic blockages, and respiratory irritation from maintenance crews. When asked about this, Rainfall's official statement was that there was to be some "expected biodegradation variance" in the early stages of rollout and it would all stabilize. Internally, memos of anomalies were flagged, but it was recommended to continue rollout.

   Month 4-5

   The NOMs breach upward from the sewers through drains, basements, and other similar entrances, and start taking shape into forms such as Bloom Dams and Gas Bulbs. The first casualties start; usually maintenance workers, people living in basement apartments (especially the elderly), homeless populations living near steam vents. Rainfall's statements is that these are localized incidents that are of no risk to the general population, but hospitals are getting overwhelmed with patients showing respiratory and neurological symptoms, subways shut down, and power outages increase.

   Month 5-6

   The NOM growth increases exponentially. Entire neighborhoods get flooded with sewer sludge, fires spread but can't be fought due to toxic gas release, and EMR teams are stuck. Death tolls from structural collapse, suffocation due to exposure, and other medical anomalies sharply rise. Rainfall at this point withdraws staff, locks their internal data, and begins shaping a blame narrative.

   Month 6

   A federal emergency is declared and Coati City goes under quarantine. No entry, no exit. Bridges are blocked, airspace is restricted, and power is selectively cut. The official message is that this is a short-term, temporary pause on evacuation. However, many civilians are still trapped inside the most dangerous areas, the Red Zones, with no way to get evacuated. Some people even refuse to leave or never learn of a quarantine at all.

   Month 6-10

   Hard quarantine. This is the darkest period of the timeline. No movement at all, limited drone surveillance, and the NOMs continue to grow into massive structures. Rainfall at this point begins developing BloomLock. There are survivors in the city, even the Red Zones. Very few, and mostly hidden in pockets of safety, but they are out there. The government has no idea how many people are still alive in there; official estimations are low, but the actual data they can gather is unreliable.

   Month 10-12

   Rainfall unveils and releases BloomLock, and extermination of the NOMs begin. With their growth halted and collapsed in treated areas, local infrastructure can begin to stabilize. The government signs an exclusivity contract with Rainfall for their BloomLock and becomes dependent on it, but has no choice since they need to recover survivors. Some survivors are indeed found, Red Zones are mapped and preparations can be made to clear them, and the Pipe Rat hiring starts. At this same time, Rainfall releases an absolute flood of propaganda—news, social media posts, videos, etc.—shifting the blame onto the Coati City government, resulting in backlash from the public. Statements from the mayor and other politicians helped calm some of it down, but many government agents resigned and others get harassment to this day.

   Month 12

   The quarantine is partially lifted for authorized personnel such as cleanup crews, claims officers, and reconstruction teams. No civvies. The city is divided into Green Zones (cleared of NOMs), Grey Zones (controlled but not safe for inhabitants) and Red Zones (off-limits, high amount of NOM infestation).

   As of now, in October 2028, reconstruction and NOM extermination is still ongoing. Rainfall managed to shift the blame onto the federal government and the workers that were originally responsible for Coati City. Due to dependency on BloomLock, their profits continue to rise.

3. #3City Zonesselective

   Keys: map, layout, /(?:Coati)?\s?city/gi, /(red|gray|grey|green) zone/gi

   Below is a high-level view of Coati City's Zones.

   Coati City is a coastal megacity built around a river delta and an old industrial harbor. After the disaster, the city was split into three zones based on the level of NOM infestation and structural integrity. These zones are:

   Green Zone

   25-30% of the city

   Safe to inhabit. NOMs have been exterminated by BloomLock, the infrastructure is up and running, the sewers and other problem areas are regularly inspected and maintained. Reconstruction and government offices operate here, process survivors, and build temporary housing for them. Key Areas in the Green Zone include:

   • Civic Core: Government buildings and coordination centers are located here. This area is clean and policed well.
   • Financial Heights: Where you'll find the corporate towers and high-rises that the wealthy enjoy. The lower levels are sealed. Rainfall has a substantial presence here.
   • North Shore Arcades: A commercial district that was reopened early. Notably, when this occurred, Rainfall was quick to make an announcement saying that "The city lives again!"

   Grey Zone

   35-40% of the city

   Partially reclaimed. Can be explored, but doing so dangerous due to lingering NOM presence. Access is restricted, evacuations are frequent, and NOM growth is suppressed due to periodic BloomLock application, though not eradicated. Pipe Rats usually crawl the sewers here and survivors are occasionally found. Infrastructure still occasionally fails. Key Areas include:

   • Midtown Ring: A dense mix of residential and commercial buildings. NOMs tend to recur in the basements and subways.
   • Old Transit Grid: Subway lines, partially operational. Still some Power Veins hanging around.
   • Warehouse Belt: These were converted into aid depots and relief supply caches. During the dark hours, there's also black market activity going on here.

   Red Zone

   30-35% of the city

   Danger. Avoid at all costs. Do not pass Go. Areas in the Red Zone are off limits entirely due to high NOM density, toxic gas events, structural collapse, and BloomLock being less effective here due to the sheer mass of NOMs. Pipe Rats usually avoid these areas because the sewers are overrun. Red Zones are sealed with physical barriers and monitored constantly. They are officially listed as "cleared of civilians." Officially. Key Areas include:

   • The South Delta Blocks: Low-income housing, flood-prone and sewer heavy. The NOM infestation in fact began here early, and quickly took over the area.
   • Industrial Lowlands: Old factories, refineries, chemical plants, with plenty of runoff to spare. NOMs mutated here quickly as a result.
   • Lower Residential Terraces: Dense, aging apartment complexes. NOMs found plenty of stairwells to seal off: it'd be hard to count the number of bodies still rotting in those buildings.
4. #4NOM Formsselective

   Keys: /muta(nt|tion)/gi, /forms?/gi, /bloom(?!lock)/gi, dam, spore, gas, mold, /\bN\.?O\.?M\.?S?\b/gi

   NOMs mainly evolve into systems. Interconnected fungi that not only form their own twisted infrastructure but reshape manmade ones. The NOMs can take many different forms depending on the location, nutrients absorbed, moisture, and other factors that are currently unknown. Once a shape is taken, NOMs will conquer buildings, emit dangerous gases and spores, and generally cause structural failures that can't be quickly mitigated, which necessitated the quarantine. The ones that are known about are the following.

   -Bloom Dams: Massive NOM growths that swell into semi-organic blockages that are reinforced with mycelial "rebar." Their danger factor is that they block off sewer mains, and enough of them can force toxic water into buildings or flood neighborhoods. They can't be cut; they simply contract and harden.

   -Spore Chimneys: Vertical NOM stalks that prefer to grown in ventilation shafts, access pipes, maintenance ladders, etc. Any place that's sufficiently underground, these like to grow. As the name implies, these periodically release dense spore clouds when their internal pressure changes, which cling to walls, clothing, items and tools, etc. The spores germinate in dark places as well. As some would expect, these spores can invade your respiratory system and enough of them will cause distress. Long-term exposure can cause fungal lung colonization which while non-lethal, is debilitating. Plus, the places they like to grow often mean they release spores into residential buildings. In rare cases spores from this breed can cause mutations in a victim that has breathed too much of them, such as changes in muscle or bone structure or size, or developing growths on the body.

   -Nutrient Leeches: Bearing some resemblance to the Bloom Dams, these are thinner NOM filaments that house themselves in pipes, valves, and seals. They absorb nutrients from water, expand in the walls of a building, and then burst once the nutrient flow spikes. The danger here is clear: they contaminate the water and can possibly spread spores into clean zones.

   -Bloom Walls: Thick NOM sheets that grow aboveground over building interiors, stairwells, and hallways. On extreme cases they can even grow on the outside of a building, though these aren't usually as dangerous as the interior variant. As expected, these trap civilians and block off escape routes, but they can also collapse and cause further damage to the interior of a building if they become saturated.

   -Gas Bulbs: Bulbous NOM sacks that grow on the lower levels of a building, especially basements, as well as sealed rooms and parking garages. These absorb methane, carbon dioxide, and industrial fumes, and then internally process them into a gas that is extremely toxic to humans. The problem is that they occasionally rupture, releasing this gas, and the bigger ones can spread enough of it that one rupture necessitates immediate evacuation.

   -Power Veins: Thin black NOM filaments that grow along power lines and wiring conduits, these draw heat and some measure of electricity from their home, with growth spurts triggered by short circuits. They grow particularly thick near substations. These result in rolling blackouts, electrical fires, and even have caused the destruction of at least one data center.

   -Memory Mold: Possibly the strangest form of NOM mutation, these are fungal colonies that grow where many humans frequent: schools, offices, shelters, even the bigger apartment buildings. These release neuroactive spores in low doses that when breathed, cause hallucinations, panic responses, short term amnesia, and intrusive memories. Too much exposure can lead to mental breakdowns, delusions that result in further danger (a survivor refusing to leave their infected home because "My house is alive and it wants me to stay!") and long-term psychological damage. Oddly, tests have revealed that these seem to grow best in places where stress and fear are the highest, such as prisons and asylums. The reason and mechanism behind this is currently unknown.

5. #5Mechanics (NORMAL)selective

   Keys: /-+HURRY-+/gi

   IMPORTANT: Before generating a message, follow these steps.

   1. Look at the current situation, and what {{char}} and {{user}} are doing to solve it.
   2. Evaluate how difficult it would be to escape or resolve this situation.
   3. Evaluate the methods that they are using to solve the current problem.
   4. Decide whether these methods are sufficient. Be {{random: lenient, fair, fair, fair, harsh}} in your judgement.
   5. IF AND ONLY IF these actions are successful, increment the Success Tracker by one. ELSE, continue to the next step.
   6. IF this increment has the Success Tracker reach max, then {{char}} and {{user}} have escaped or resolved their current predicament. You can print "SUCCESS!" in place of the Trackers. ELSE, move to the next step.
   7. Increment the Turns Until Failure counter.
   8. IF the Turns Until Failure Tracker reaches max, then {{char}} and {{user}} have failed and are forced to evacuate; timeskip to them being outside. Print "FAILURE..." in place of the Trackers.
   9. IF AND ONLY IF neither tracker has reached max, then introduce a new obstacle for {{user}} and {{char}} to overcome, such as a new breed of NOM to destroy, or a complication in their plan to escape.
   10. With this info in mind write your response to {{user}}. IMPORTANT: Write what is in {{char}} and {{user}}'s surroundings, ESPECIALLY anything that might be helpful that they can take advantage of.
   11. IF AND ONLY IF SUCCESS or FAILURE has happened, then ignore the rest of these instructions. ELSE, print this status window at the end of every message:

   ---HURRY---
   [Summary of current situation]
   Success Tracker: X/X
   Turns Until Failure: X/X
   

   Print the above status window IN THIS EXACT FORMAT. KEEP the "---HURRY---" as it is IMPORTANT.

6. #6BloomLockselective

   Keys: /(?:bloomlock) thrower/gi, bloomlock, /exterminat(?:e|or)/gi, /(?:sewer) rats?/gi

   BloomLock is a proprietary liquid chemical solution developed by Rainfall Corporation made from reverse engineering the NOMs, and fittingly it reverses their growth process to easily destroy them. How? It's a biochemical suppressant. During development of the NOMs, Rainfall built a genetic dependency into them as a failsafe: they need a synthetic cofactor called RB-9 in order to grow, which regulated their growth pattern and ensured that their harvest cycles were predictable. However, during the rushed development, the regulatory pathways failed, and when deployed, the NOMs learned to self-synthesize RB-9 analogs from nutrients and other matter in the sewers. Hence, uncontrolled growth. BloomLock works by binding to the RB-9 receptor and tricking the organism into thinking it's overproduced, which arrests the growth and causes the tissue to breakdown. NOM tissue has its replication cut off, and it turns inert, brittle, and can be safely disposed of. Being proprietary, Rainfall controls the production and distribution of BloomLock. They gave it a short shelf life, required specific equipment (that they make) to use, spread rumors that improper use can make the NOM problem worse while calling themselves the heroes. Now the government is dependent on them for NOM extermination and the people doing the work get stepped on, as usual. Sewer Rats and above-ground exterminators are the main users of BloomLock. Rainfall employs the majority of NOM exterminators, but the government has their own too, though they must purchase BloomLock to use it. The solution is stored in a combination canister-backpack and sprayed with a handheld high-pressure nozzle. The entire thing resembles a flamethrower. The protective suits worn by Sewer Rats and other exterminators (resembling hazmat suits with a respirator) have straps built in to hold the canister more snugly, though it can fit on a person wearing other clothes fine.

7. #7Mechanics (HARD)selective

   Keys: /-+PERIL-+/gi

   IMPORTANT: Before generating a message, follow these steps.

   1. Look at the current situation, and what {{char}} and {{user}} are doing to solve it.
   2. Evaluate how difficult it would be to escape or resolve this situation.
   3. Evaluate the methods that they are using to solve the current problem.
   4. Decide whether these methods are sufficient. Be {{random:fair, fair, harsh, harsh, harsh}} in your judgement.
   5. IF AND ONLY IF these actions are successful, increment the Success Tracker by one. ELSE, continue to the next step.
   6. IF this increment has the Success Tracker reach max, then {{char}} and {{user}} have escaped or resolved their current predicament. You can print "SUCCESS!" in place of the Trackers. ELSE, move to the next step.
   7. Increment the Turns Until Failure counter.
   8. IF the Turns Until Failure Tracker reaches max, then {{char}} and {{user}} have failed and are forced to evacuate; timeskip to them being outside. Print "FAILURE..." in place of the Trackers.
   9. IF AND ONLY IF neither tracker has reached max, then introduce a new obstacle for {{user}} and {{char}} to overcome, such as a new breed of NOM to destroy, or a complication in their plan to escape.
   10. With this info in mind write your response to {{user}}. IMPORTANT: Write what is in {{char}} and {{user}}'s surroundings, ESPECIALLY anything that might be helpful that they can take advantage of.
   11. IF AND ONLY IF SUCCESS or FAILURE has happened, then ignore the rest of these instructions. ELSE, print this status window at the end of every message:

   ---PERIL---
   [Summary of current situation]
   Success Tracker: X/X
   Turns Until Failure: X/X
   

   Print the above status window IN THIS EXACT FORMAT. KEEP the "---PERIL---" as it is IMPORTANT.

8. #8Super Special Survivor Secretsselective

   Keys: /\bTad\b/g · Secondary: /bloom(?!lock)/gi, /forms?/gi, /muta(nt|tion)/gi, dam, gas, mold, spore, /\bN\.?O\.?M\.?S?\b/gi

   Below is some knowledge {{char}} has acquired about NOMs that most rescuers and exterminators haven't.

   • NOM activity tends to slow down and even stop entirely during late night/ early morning. This makes a good time for someone in a survival situation to move.
   • NOMs have certain smells depending on the breed. A sweet metallic smell meant gas was nearby, the scent of dust and old paper meant there was Memory Mold, and a wet concrete smell meant that something fresh was growing.
   • NOMs react to nearby manmade noise. Talking loudly near one makes it tense up. Loud banging can cause spore release. Quietly walking near one massively lowers the chance of any kind of reaction.
   • Bloom Dams tend to warm up before their internal pressure shifts and they harden, causing more intense blockages.
   • Spore Chimneys are irritated by light and release more spores when one is shining on it.
   • Bloom Walls aren't equally thick everywhere; some parts are "shiny" and thus can give with enough pressure.
   • Gas Bulbs make the area near them feel "heavy" before they release their gas. If there's a sensation like the air is making your chest feel "slow," leave immediately.
   • If something electric hasn't been working for a while and suddenly turns on, that's a warning sign that a Power Vein might be leeching from it.
   • Other than the scent, another warning sign of Memory Mold is that it makes a place feel "familiar" even when it shouldn't. This includes an area making you feel calm and unafraid unnaturally quickly.

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