expiationlogs | {EVENT #5} ADVERSITY 3386435.8364

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{EVENT #5} ADVERSITY 3386435.8364

THE TRAIL WE BLAZE

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.

- This event is forward dated! The characters will be going to Rumpitur on the 17th, and the second part of the event will be going up on the 25th.

- There will be a second part to this log! This will include some RNG sign-ups that will be affected by how the first part of the log shakes out.

- Please note that for RNG sign-ups, for those who sign up, there is a possibility that your character could be injured or even killed. You will not know what you’re signing up for in advance, as there are several different ways it could go. Please be aware of this when signing up!

- We're putting this event up a little early because we were unable to get the event done enough in time to outline it for everyone at the beginning of the month. If you'd like to do a plot with me with people, the post is here! The poll will be going up on Monday, which was the original day the event was to be posted.

- We very much encourage questions for this event OOCly to the mods, as this is an exploratory sort of event. It's very important to us that everyone gets the information that they want!

The various prompts are, of course, optional.

The chilly November weather seems reflective of the chilly attitudes of Aldrip’s local population. With their fellows still missing, most of them aren’t warming to your presence at all. On the other hand, messengers from the nearby city of Rumpitur have arrived at Aldrip’s gates wanting to open a trade route and strengthen relations between the two towns.

Those who have been here a while have been to Rumpitur before, and remember the snake people as being welcoming and friendly. To get to the city, Chosen will have to travel through Pessiria Forest down to the coast. The road forks at this point: go one way and you arrive in Rumpitur. The other way leads to the mysterious walled city of Ketsora, a place that seems…well, a little unfriendly.

Aldrip’s locals seem more open to working with them than with the Chosen right now, so they readily agree to a trade deal. They even agree that the Chosen can be involved. Rumpitur locals offer to bring wagons to make the trip easier, and say they will arrive on November 17.

SHE'LL BE COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

True to their word, on November 17, a few Rumpiturians arrive to deliver several wagons, each of which can carry up to a dozen people. They weren’t using them anyway, they say–they were just gathering dust. Well, whatever the case, you don’t have to walk all the way to Rumpitur now with tons of stuff to carry.

Which is good. Because in spite of the fact that Mr. Expedition has poked his nose in to see what everyone’s up to, he adamantly refuses to help anyone travel.

”Absolutely not,” he says airily, ”you couldn’t pay me to set foot near that place.”

Why is he so wary of it? He…doesn’t say, of course.

That’s fine. Everyone has their thing, right?

Anyway, the wagon seems like it’d be faster than traveling on foot, but do take into account that the horses (or chocobos, for those who will) pulling them will have to stop for rests, because they’re hauling quite a load! The trip will take one full day, meaning you might need to camp out for the night near Pessiria Forest.

That’s also fine. Very, very fine.

THINGS'LL BE GREAT WHEN YOU'RE DOWNTOWN

The Chosen arrive in Rumpitur just in time to witness a big commotion happening at the center of town. One of their own, the renowned restaurateur Agantha the King of Spices (bold claim, but okay), has gone missing! Clues are slim, unfortunately, and the Rumpiturians urge their guests not to get involved. They’ll handle their own matters.

But…curiously enough, they mention something about a flyer, and a meeting the famous chef was interested in attending.

i. A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

Rumpitur has changed a bit since the last time the Chosen came to visit. Before, it was a bustling city, full of life and seemingly at the height of success. Looks like they hit a plateau. There are “for sale” signs in the windows of various buildings, all in various states of disrepair. The Rumpiturians don’t exactly look like they’re having a great time: a little leaner and less well-groomed than last time you were here, they all seem a little like they could use more sleep and a chance to rest in general. There’s an air of nervousness in the air.

No wonder they’re looking for trade partners. Pickings in town seem slim.

They’re all excited to see the Chosen, and most regard them with friendliness and almost an overabundance of hospitality. In spite of the shabbiness of the town overall, the market is hopping, full of strange and exciting goods and trinkets. Jewelry, weapons, armor, books–all things that might pique the curiosity of those who like the finer things in life. They’ll be selling these things cheap, either for coin or trade. Food seems to be at a premium, here, getting you twice as much as you paid for.

Overall, Rumpiturian hospitality may remind the Chosen of what things used to be like in Aldrip. For the first few days, the inns in town offer rooms for free to those who will, and even once they start charging, they offer the same incredibly low prices and exchange rates as their merchants. If this gives you the impression that they can be taken for more, you would be correct. Rumpiturians are slightly desperate, especially for food and other staple goods. They won't argue any price the Chosen wish to take for it. Their distracted state means they make easy marks for theft, as well, for those who may be so inclined to use their five-finger discount.

Investigations about their missing person are met with uncharacteristic stonewalling, thoygh. They refuse to talk about it, for the most part; when pressed, they make vague accusations that this sort of activity is why they cut off trade with Ketsora ages and ages ago. Apparently they sent someone recently to try to negotiate a new relationship with the elusive city. It…didn't go well. Can't trust those shifty bird-worshippers, so they say. This is what they get for trying to mend old strife.

ii. STOP! HALT!

Hospitality aside, there are a few areas of Rumpitur that have been cordoned off, both with signs and with guards posted outside. What they’re guarding seems completely unclear; the areas look fairly average, with nothing notable about them.

The first area is the docks where Rumpiturians keep their boats. When asked why this area is off-limits, the guards will explain that they have recently run into trouble with bandits stealing boats in the night. They have no proof, but they seem to suspect Ketsora of meddling and taking their things. It seems the two towns don’t always, or often, see eye-to-eye.

The second area seems to be a block of warehouses and derelict buildings. With things being visibly worn-down, their explanation seems to make sense: with all the new people, they don’t want anyone wandering into a dangerous area where they might get hurt! It all checks out; you may even see a few stones falling while you ask about it. Still, for some reason, it looks like one or two buildings have lights on inside.

Those industrious and stealthy enough to manage a stakeout will begin to see weak spots in their watch patterns; when the guards change shifts, there is opportunity for infiltration.

TO BOLDLY GO...

After the kidnapping of their famed local chef, bad feelings from Rumpitur about Ketsora couldn’t be higher–not only do they suspect the isolated town of kidnapping their fellow townsperson, they also seem to blame the neighboring town for all manner of other woes that have befallen the town. A surplus of injuries keeping people from working, a poor harvest, shipments going missing by sea…it seems they’ve become more of a scapegoat to blame for everything that might go wrong.

Which is weird, because the whole town is walled off, and has been for ages.

Being very large snake-people, Rumpiturians aren’t exactly great at stealth: they’re slow-moving and can be a bit loud. So they finally relent to those Chosen who have been asking around and investigating. Their request? Infiltrate Ketsora and find their missing person. Please.

iii. NOT SO FRIENDLY

The road to Ketsora is fairly short, once you’re in Rumpitur. It only takes a few hours to get there, but you can see the wall even from a distance. It’s large and solid and very very intimidating, circling the enormous city like a barrier ring. Approaching the wall almost instantly seems like a bad idea: anyone approaching will be greeted by a warning arrow shot at their feet, with a threat of more if they don’t turn around and go back where they came from.

So much for hospitality.

Off the road to the north of Ketsora, Chosen can get a better view of the extent of the wall by way of a few large rocky hills. From what they can see, there seem to be archers posted at regular intervals along the entire top edge of the wall. The more daring among the Chosen might take the space between archers as a blind spot, especially under cover of darkness or when the archers change shifts. But getting to the wall is just part of the problem; after that, you have to figure out how to get past it. And the large, heavy gates at the front of the city don’t look like they’re opening any time soon…

Those who wish to investigate Ketsora should also be wary of local fauna. Specifically, monsters. They seem more prevalent here than in the areas around Aldrip, and unlike home sweet home, they don’t seem wary of the Chosen at all.

For now, this is as close as Chosen can get, unfortunately. Maybe some further investigation will reveal ways to get in…or maybe eventually they'll be willing to open their gates in the future.

WHAT ELSE YA GOT? (WILDCARD)

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A. NOT SO FRIENDLY. — ❝ rain come down & fall forever. ❞

(CLOSED TO WHOEVER REPLIES TO THIS FIRST) CW: BLOOD, SELF-LOATHING, DEATH TALK, & BRIEF HALLUCINATION

( the arrow that strikes down to her feet, jinx takes it not as a warning but a challenge. it's almost laughable to think they believe arrows can beat bullets which are known to be far more deadly. did anyone teach these idiots to never bring a knife to a gun fight? so jinx does the opposite of turning away, she zips forward with her fingers curling tightly over her pistol. there's a stab to her right shoulder, a graze to her cheek and waist, and yet the girl pushes her body forward still, feeling absolutely nothing to each injury. this is the beauty of shimmer -- to not feel pain but to feel invincible and indestructible, to be what they fear. with the bullets and arrows soaring at each other in such rapid speed, it's hard for her to make out if she shot someone down (or at all). but all the while, she's grinning and chuckling in sheer delight over this one versus four battle. because what they don't know is that her body is unbreakable, and no amount of arrows can bring her down to submit.

except she is breakable. the flying darts jab both in her kneecaps sends the girl tumbling down flat to the earth. and while she is down and yanking all the spears out of her knees and shoulder, another strikes into her shooting arm with her pistol flying out of her hand; completely out of reach. the force of it is enough for the girl to fall onto her side, grunting over the impact but still not over pain. but on the ground and ready to pull herself up again, that's when she notices something. ... no matter how much she tenses her muscles to move, her legs won't respond. it seems the guards hit the exact point in her knees to get her to be immobile. her eyes swell up in fury and she grits her teeth so hard -- she wouldn't be surprised if they shatter right there on the spot. jinx lifts her head up in attempt to get a look up at the wall and the guards, doing her damnest to just move again but... nothing. )

I'm not... done.

( she mutters to herself at first; her voice quivering and horribly unbalanced. her nails grip on the dirt and grass as she crawls -- dragging her body along in desperation to not give up yet. )

I'm not done!! — I can still fight, I can still fight!!

( jinx exclaims to them at the top of her lungs and with the guards seeing she's no longer a threat (if not snickering over how pathetic she's becoming), they lower their bows and disappears from her sight. )

Come back!! ... I said, come back!! I'm not weak, I can fight...!

( why does this keep happening? she was so strong and unstoppable back home in runeterra. but now? it's like she's just some ordinary human with limits again. she couldn't fight off jerry, the council has some sort of power over her, and now she can't even get over this stupid wall and these guards. when did she become so useless? what kind of weapon is she if she can't do the simplest things? what good is she? she can't attack or protect anyone. is that what this place is trying to teach her? inhaling a shaky breath, she lowers her head back down onto the dirt and sinks into silence. "mylo" towers over her, staring down with such a disgust curl in his lip. 'Ugh! You really are pathetic. I can't believe anyone would even waste their time on you.' ... he's right. maybe it'd be better if she tossed in the towel and let herself rust. she's no good to anyone now. )

B. RUMPITUR INN PT.1. — ❝ drain the dirt into the wasteland. ❞
• (OPEN)

A.
( in rumpitur inn and by the fireplace, there's someone familiar (not familiar if you don't know her) curled up with a blanket draped over her shoulders. she's been sitting there for a good hour or so and hadn't uttered a single word since she got placed here to rest. whoever is taking care of her left to tend to something and given how chilly the weather has been, putting jinx near the fire to stay warm would be best. if one approaches closer, they can spot the bandages soaked in pink blood over both her knees. there are other injuries too, but given how she's curled up in a ball -- they're hard to seek out. the expression the girl wears is not exactly sadness and not anger either, somewhere in between? it's such a default look to her that one can't even imagine just what the hell is even going on inside her head. )

B.

( whether she wants to sit here forever in silence or not, it doesn't stop her stomach from talking. it's rumbling so loud that her lips pucker in very frustrating notion. jinx is nowhere near in a mood to eat, but even she knows if she doesn't -- her body will wilt away like a flower on a summer day with no rain. reluctantly, her eyes shift over to the nearest person and asks:)

Hey. Can you grab me some grub? I'm starvin' over here...

C. RUMPITUR INN PT.2. — ❝ pray for the sound to quiet the howling. ❞
• (OPEN)

( she should be resting, shouldn't be up -- but jinx can feel herself going insane if she doesn't attempt to do something with herself. one can find her hugging a wall with her knees buckling as she forces her body to take another step. the teen doesn't seem to be grunting or look as if she's in pain, but there's pure determination on her face. her eyes are dead set at the entrance and doing her damnest to make it there. but will she make it? given the way she's scratching on the wall for any kind of grips, the chances of her making it are fairly slim. although, that doesn't stop her stubborn ass for trying. because she has to be still useful for somebody, right? )

for wildcard feel free to make your own top-level to this comment. or if there's something else you want to do with jinx, hmu! contacts are:

buttlet or bunchew on discord.

Edited 2023-11-20 18:13 (UTC)

[ Normally, a wall like that would be a walk in the park to get through (or so Ragna thinks, at least); he'd just blow a giant hole in the thing and kill whatever guards he'd come across, simple as that. Right now, however? With his Grimoire disabled, the best he can do is watch from some safe distance as some poor, unfortunate souls attempt to get close to the city, only to get shot at. Idiots, all of them. What are they even thinking, approaching a place like that without a proper plan of attack? ... Okay, so maybe he's not some kind of genius strategist himself, but he knows that approaching a heavily guarded place like this requires a lot of firepower if you're gonna waltz in through the front entrance.

His thoughts come to a screeching halt when he recognizes one of the idiots approaching the wall ─ and how could he not? It would be difficult to miss her blue hair even from here. The man mouths her name to himself, and as the sounds of bullets flying through the air begin to ring in his ears, his heart skips a bit. And when he sees her falling to the ground, he's already on the move before he even knows it, the only thought in his head being that he has to get to her side as soon as possible. ]

Jinx...!

[ Once he gets close, he lets out a relieved sigh; sure, it doesn't look great, but she's alive, and that's the most important part. Ragna kneels down next to the girl, shaking his head slowly. He understands why she's frustrated, he really does, and if his right arm and eye were working right now, he might have finished what she started, but as things are right now? He'd rather focus on her safety and well-being. ]

... That's enough for now. We're heading back.

( she doesn't bother to look his way, she's too ashamed to. jinx is meant to be one of the strongest people here next to ragna, and yet here she is, bloddy and in several pieces of herself. how is he still talking to her after a moment like this? he should be leaving her for dead or off to find a new partner to run things with. if she were him and she saw herself this pathetic, she'd turn away in a heart beat. because what use can a wounded beast be to anyone? )

Leave me alone.

( jinx mustters, voice broke and raspy from all the cries of anguish from before. her head shifts away to shield her face, gripping tight on the earth again for more dirt to dig underneath her fingernails. )

Get outta here, will ya? — I'm washed up, alright?! Our partnership's null and void. You're free to go now...

[ Ragna's eyebrows are drawn together in a frown as he looks over the girl's miserable form. Hypocrite much? If he recalls correctly, she was singing quite a different tune back when the roles were swapped. ]

Don't give me that shit. You don't get to decide what I do. 'Sides, weren't you the one who was spewing crap about how "partners help each other" and "I won't leave you alone" and whatnot when you found me grovelling on the ground?

[ No, he doesn't like bringing that up, or even thinking back to what happened in that damn maze, but that's how it went, so he sees no reason to sugarcoat it. The man extends his hand to her, clearly having no intention of actually doing as told. ]

Think you can sit up?

( those were the things she said back then, yes, she won't deny it. but jinx had always thought their relationship was a little shaky or at least one-sided. except there had been little moments where he shown genuine care and sweetness. jinx always had wondered why when usually he is full of gruff and short with others. is there something she is doing specifically to get those treatments? hm.

turning her head back to him, her eyes dart to his hand and then to him. if she could shake her head as a response, she would but she'll have to vocalize it for now. )

My body isn't moving. I've been tryin' and... I can't really get it to do anything.

[ That's the thing, Ragna doesn't really know the answer to that one either. All he knows, he doesn't want to see the girl hurt, and she makes it increasingly difficult with each and every dumb idea she comes up with. And while he'd love to berate her for being an idiot who got them into all this, but that can wait until they're out of the arrows' range. ]

That sucks. Well, no way around it, then...

[ Instead of helping her out, the man puts his only working arm around Jinx's waist and pulls her up, placing her across his shoulder in a rather unceremonious manner. For what it's worth, he is trying to be gentle with her, but it's kind of hard given his current condition. She'll have to grit her teeth and bear it for a little while. ]

It's not gonna be comfortable, but deal with it. We've gotta get outta here before the guys up there decide to go for round two.

[ If the guards above have taken note of the commotion in front of the wall, they're at least not taking action quite yet, probably because it's rather obvious neither Ragna nor Jinx are any threat to their city at this point. ]

( this is so insanely embarrassing and she is thanking janna or whatever god that's in control of this place that there's no one else here besides the two of them. she doesn't grit her teeth, however, shimmer still having a massive effect on her nerves and muscles -- but she does growl underneath her breath. )

If I feel one hand on my ass, I'm knocking your brain outta your head and blasting it 'till there's nothing left. Got it?

Edited 2023-11-27 23:57 (UTC)

[ For his part, Ragna doesn't really think it's that big of a deal ─ a complete opposite of how he would feel if the roles were reversed, of course. As things are, however, he simply rolls his eye at the threat, not taking it even remotely seriously. What makes her even think he'd try that? Geez. You'd think she would've learned to have some faith in him by now.]

Gimme a break... it's not like there's anything to grab there, anyway.

[ She's so skinny it can't possibly be healthy. ]

( while her body can't necessarily tense up due to such an insult, her tone of being offended makes up for it: )

Uh, are ya blind? I got the curviest lumps in the family...!! You better take that back, asshole!

( so many mix signals coming from this teenager! first she didn't want him to touch her ass, but now she wants him to compliment on it? how strange. )

jinx — arcane.

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cw: eye poking needle fun

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