![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
expiationlogs2023-09-11 06:30 am
- !event,
- ai tsf: mizuki date,
- arcane: caitlyn kiramman,
- arcane: jinx,
- arcane: silco,
- arcane: violet / vi,
- blazblue: ragna the bloodedge,
- bungo stray dogs: nikolai gogol,
- bungo stray dogs: sigma,
- final fantasy xiii2: noel kreiss,
- fire emblem three hopes: marianne,
- fma:b: pride,
- magia record: mitama yakumo,
- original: astralin turnont,
- persona 3 portable: kotone shiomi,
- persona 4: yosuke hanamura,
- persona 4: yu narukami,
- persona 5 royal: goro akechi,
- umineko wtc: ange ushiromiya,
- x-men movieverse: scott summers
{EVENT #4} ADVERSITY 2933165.9475
| MOD NOTES: Please direct any questions to the corresponding comment below. Note that character decisions and actions taken on these prompts will affect future events, storylines, and relationships with other peoples of Expiation. You can find the OOC poll here. Please pick from the corresponding options with the appropriate character journal. If you use a personal journal or a journal not part of Expiation, your votes will not be counted. Remember that if your character did something different than what is in the prompts given, leave a comment in the OOC poll entry and link to your comment in the option made available. We will provide an IC post in exactly ten days with the results of the poll that will wrap up the event. You may mingle on it if you like, but the most important purpose is to share the effects of character decisions on this event. The various prompts are, of course, optional. |
WHEN THE FOG ROLLS IN
On the night of September 10, an impenetrable fog covers the town of Aldrip. When characters wake in the morning, they find that Aldrip has disappeared, replaced by a large, enclosed maze.
Characters will wake up in one of three different levels of this maze, and they may—but don't have to—find that they are not alone. As they explore the maze, they will encounter trials and stumbling blocks both physical and mental. It seems the maze is testing them, poking at their fears, their past, their feelings. Confronting these questions about themselves and their very nature will allow them to progress through the maze in hopes of eventually finding the exit—and hopefully the town along with it.
While they do not all wake up in the same level of the maze, all characters do, in theory, have to complete all three trials in order to leave. This may not be so easy to achieve; due to the nature of these trials, if someone cannot get past one area, they may remain stuck there. Other characters are able to help them confront these issues, and may instead (or in addition) pass through that way if they choose to. Aside from the level where they wake up, characters may approach these levels in any order as they so choose.THE GROUPS
GROUP A:
Serah Farron
Elidibus
Nakahara Chuuya
Tsunayoshi Sawada
Rei Suwa
Caitlyn Kiramman
Ragna the Bloodedge
Kotone Shiomi
Monkey D. Luffy
Yuja Wightshade (WoL)
Yosuke Hanamura
Astralin Turnont
Dazai Osamu
Ange Ushiromiya
Hythlodaeus
Ethlyn
GROUP B:
Violet (Vi)
Silco
Mizuki Date
Claude von Riegan
Noel Kreiss
Kazuki Kurusu
G'raha Tia
Jinx
Marianne von Edmund
Goro Akechi
Sooyoung Han
Saito Sejima
Nikolai Gogol
Erichtonios
Emet-Selch
GROUP C:
Yu Narukami
Pride
Sigma
Usagi Tsukino
William G Maryblood
Scott Summers
Gundam Tanaka
Quentin Quire
Akira Kurusu
Mitama Yakumo
Med'an
Ken Amada
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Izuku "Deku" Midoriya
Echo
EXPLORING THE MAZE
The walls of the maze are made of stone slabs; tall, solid, and imposing. As far as one can see, there seem to be no cracks or seams in the wall. They're cool to the touch, perhaps a little dampened by the foggy weather. Some of the stones seem to glow with a dim, inner light. Most of the corridors are stable, but some are a little more risky. Walls or ceilings could collapse, leaving passages blocked and some Chosen trapped within tunnels or rooms of the maze.
Some corridors within the maze are less built up, as well, more like dug-out caverns that look somewhat like mining tunnels. In these tunnels, you can find the raw form of those glowing stones, which seem to light the darkness, allowing the Chosen to see at least a bit. They're enchanting, and some may have a hard time resisting trying to pull them out of the walls.
Occasionally, characters may find larger rooms with small tables of food, equipment, and supplies set up. These areas seem to be safety zones, untouched by the trials, where Chosen can eat, rest, treat any wounds, and replenish their energy.
ii. PERILS IN THE DARK
As the Chosen progress through the challenges of the maze—both illusions and real—the air itself may begin to feel more oppressive and heavy, making movement feel very difficult at times. As the week wears on, characters may find themselves worn out faster or feeling more sluggish than normal. More than that, they may find that their emotional lows become more intense: characters may become more easily frustrated, paranoid, scared, or impatient. In general, this seems to exacerbate the worst parts of their personalities.
On other occasions, Chosen may feel as if they are being watched. They get the feeling that something lurks in the shadows of the maze, that they are being watched or followed. They may hear something scratching or skittering across the walls. When they look…there is nothing there, nor any evidence of creatures stalking them through the halls. Characters who had bad luck in the Casino are particularly prone to this feeling; occasionally, they may feel as if someone—or something—is tugging at their hair or clothes, or breathing against their neck. Try to keep your head, Chosen. The hardest part is yet to come.
THE TRIALS
iii. A DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL [TRIAL A]
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what location or event triggers the beginning of the trial; it seems to be different for every character. Chosen will find themselves in a long corridor, laced with fog. As they progress down this corridor, they begin to see and hear hallucinations and illusions that highlight their greatest insecurities: their flaws, their weaknesses, the darkness they suspect dwells within their soul.
These illusions may come in a variety of different forms. Perhaps they experience voices or images of peers issuing criticisms that they fear are accurate, or they may face a shadowy figure that bears their appearance that embodies all of their worst qualities. The form these illusions take is up to you, the players, and whether other characters are able to see those illusions can also be decided between players. Confronting, challenging, debunking, and/or accepting these criticisms and claims is the key to exiting this level.
Once they have confronted this challenge, the illusions and hallucinations stop immediately. The fog lifts, revealing a turn in the maze they didn't notice before. They may progress in their exploration.
iv. THE SHAPE OF YOUR FEARS [TRIAL B]
Similar to the first trial, this seems to trigger with little warning or fanfare. At some point in their exploration, characters will find their way blocked by something representing their deepest fears. This can be literal—a dark hallway for those who fear the dark, as an example—but can manifest in a myriad of other ways, too. A character could see someone from their past that represents this fear, or a monster, or an object or memory of something that connects to that fear. These fears will be made tangible and visible to anyone around them, leaving them exposed and vulnerable. In order to progress, they must be able to pass by these fears, and may do so in any way the player chooses, whether it requires fighting a monster, negotiating with an authority figure, finding a light in the darkness, or anything else players and characters can imagine.
The nature of this trial can be as massive or mundane as you, the player, chooses. Whether they need to simply turn on a light to abate their fear of the dark, or whether they need to take down a massive beast to confront something bigger, the area they find themselves in seems to accommodate the size of their trial. Once they have confronted this fear, it disappears, revealing a hallway that might not have been there before, allowing them to progress.
v. IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE [TRIAL C]
As with the first two trials, this one seems to emerge from the darkness when a character is ready to face it. They enter a room lined with obsidian mirrors. When they approach these mirrors, characters are confronted with memories related to the crime they have been charged with. This can be a specific moment or a series of moments related to their crime either directly or indirectly. Characters may become lost in these memories and may need help navigating through them from other people: the longer they remain lost in these memories, reliving them again and again, the more they run the risk of losing those memories entirely, either permanently or temporarily. Only by addressing the crime, the way they feel about it, the relationship that crime has to reality and to who the character is, can characters be free of this particular trial.
Once they have surpassed this trial, characters find themselves able to step back through these obsidian mirrors back into the maze, where they can continue their journey.
Navigating all three trials elicits no special fanfare or celebration. Upon completion of the third trial, they find themselves in a foggy corridor, where they will find an exit from the maze.
OPT-OUT AND AFTERMATH
Those characters (or players) who do not wish to interact with the maze will occasionally find quiet corridors that mysteriously place them outside the maze, unable to reenter. They will find that the town is, indeed, gone, as are their living quarters—hope you don't mind roughing it for a while. However, thanks to recent efforts to bolster the town's supplies, some of the underground storehouses organized by Claude and Marianne seem to remain intact and are available as temporary emergency shelter, should your character choose not to camp out.
After one week, the maze will disappear and life in Aldrip returns to normal. As for the locals? They don't seem to notice that anything strange has happened at all. Maze? What maze? Strange weather we're having this week, eh?
Just because there’s not a prompt for it doesn’t mean that your character’s actions aren’t acceptable. If you wish to do anything that hasn’t been directly addressed by the prompts, leave a message for the mod team to say what your character would do. If you choose to go down this path, note it as a comment on the OOC poll when it goes up, and leave a link to your threads so that we can take all actions into consideration for the next State of the Game.
no subject
But what made him different? The fact that he could speak and reason? But could a beast not be trained?
"Even those that kill for sport rather than to feed? What would the alternative be?" She finally asks. "Would you lock them away somewhere? Would that truly be living? What if they attack and kill a person?"
no subject
no subject
"Bear with me for a moment and think about it. Someone creates a creature meant to be a guardian of sorts but fails to do the job it was created for, instead, it kills indiscriminately. Mayhap it is bored or looking for a challenge, either way, it kills just for the sake of killing. What do you do when it only lives to take the lives of others?"
She moves forward, wanting to show him a taste of what she's lived through. It should be easier with the influence of the maze, after all, none of this is real. But would that make things worse?
no subject
Hermes doesn't have an easy answer for that. Even for creatures like that, their lives have meaning don't they? But he can't deny that her words have weight.
"Even so, they are alive. Every living creature deserves the dignity of dying on their own terms. It isn't for us to say they need to be erased simply because we disagree with their way of living."
no subject
"Then what do you do with them to prevent them from taking others' lives?"
no subject
Emet-Selch shifts his weight. No idea he had come up with had satisfied this fake Hermes. Teaching just simply doesn't come naturally to him.
no subject
"Anyroad, you're taking charge of Elpis, aye? Mayhap you could see to things changing for the better?"
no subject
Hermes presses his lips together and shakes his head. "I'm sorry. Please forget I said that. Their contributions here are what saw them nominated for the seat of Fandaniel."
no subject
"I think one should fight for what they believe in. And it sounds like you have a good cause to fight for."
no subject
"...There is an idea I have, of a concept not unlike the Elpis flowers here. I thought perhaps it could be used to help people understand one another better. Do you think Venat-- that Azem would like such a concept?"
no subject
"I don't think working to change how things are done is that trivial. And I'm sure she's helped with things others might deem silly."
Her eyes widen a little at the mention of his creation idea. The problem that came about with the creation before was that it seemed he had little input from others on its creation, so maybe if Venat is to give advice... "I think she would take great interest in such a creation. I think many would be interested."
no subject
Hermes smiles at her. He and their surroundings begin to waver and fade. "Thank you," he says, and the words echo slightly before it all completely vanishes, leaving the pair alone.
Emet-Selch does not move. He's frowning at the Warrior of Light. The way forward hasn't quite opened yet but it's close.
"...How do you always manage to do that?" he says eventually.
no subject
As everything begins to change around them she looks a little surprised before returning Hermes' smile. "You're welcome."
Left alone with Emet-Selch in the maze once more, she turns to him. His question is met with a slightly confused expression. "What do you mean?"
no subject
"Relate to others. I never understood how..." --you made so many friends.
no subject
"I don't know. Mayhap it has something to do with the echo? 'Tis easier to understand others when you can live their experiences against your will."
no subject
"If you wish to learn to control it... I suppose I could help you. After we find our way out."
The blackness slowly melts away, revealing the walls of the maze and the way forward - but only for Yuja. She'll have to lead him forward.
no subject
Yuja tenses a little as their surroundings melt away and they're back in the maze. Almost immediately she gets the sense that someone or something is watching them.
"Let us find the exit." She says as she begins forward.
no subject
But as they walk he sees the way forward lighten a little and falls silent. He does not speak until the walls of the underground labyrinth emerge and the way forward becomes clear.
"...Thank you," he mutters.
no subject
The words of thanks take her by surprise, muttered or not he still uttered them. She offers a small smile, "You're welcome, though I'm not sure we're done just yet."
She'll stay with him until the maze decides otherwise. Like with many things in life, it's easier to get through with someone else.
no subject
Perhaps by accepting her help when he otherwise wouldn't have? All that matters is he is free of the torment of the birds.
"...If you have other people to tend to then don't let me stop you." Even if he really would rather she stay.
no subject
"I know not where others are, 'tis better we stay together until the maze decides otherwise." As she doesn't doubt it will in time.
no subject
Better to pretend that it is her idea, yes. Anyone looking closely at him may notice him walk just a tad straighter though. And with with slightly less reluctance.