{event #5.5} adversity 3386435.8364

[expiationmods]

PART TWO: THE BAD END

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. - The kidnapped and attempted kidnapped have been chosen. - All questions will be answered and addressed by the 28th, as half of the mod team is being slayed by Thanksgiving weekend. - If you wish, you may give a summary of what has happened to your character here. There will be no poll for this part of the event. - There is a CONTENT WARNING for prompt iv. RED SKY AT MORNING for brief mention of suicide. - Reminder that there is possibility for character death in this part of the event. The various prompts are, of course, optional.

Until now, the Chosen have enjoyed a fair bit of hospitality during their stay in Rumpitur, and Ketsora’s attitude aside, they’ve been made to feel quite welcome. After the first several days, the kidnapping investigation seems to hit a quiet lull, leading to Rumpiturian demeanors becoming…strangely relieved? Starting the 26th or so, Chosen will begin seeing news of various meetings–Rumpiturians only. They may think little of it, for now.

Overnight on the 27th, this changes.

NOVEMBER 28TH

i. THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

     

The early morning brings a few discoveries–this will be different for different groups, as determined by results of the RNG selection. Those who didn’t sign up for RNG (or who were not chosen) will wake and discover that some of their friends are missing, with little evidence to point at what has happened.

The Rumpiturians are tight-lipped about this development, but some attempted kidnappees among the Chosen may be willing to talk about what happened to them. Those who go looking for answers will find a trail of struggle signs (drag marks, an occasional discarded rag or blunt object) leading from the inns all the way to the docks, where their one remaining boat is still chained up…at a different berth from before. One of the boathouses, previously locked and unavailable, also stands ajar: it contains a small stack of rowboats in various states of repair, all seemingly free for the taking.

Those who have made friends with the Rumpiturians will be able to access information a little easier. Tug on their heartstrings and they may even whisper that while they don't know anything for sure, they would check the island ruins off the mainland first.

ii. RED SKY AT NIGHT

     

The characters chosen by RNG have a very different experience. They wake in the morning with their faces in the dirt, cold and a little woozy, very much outside and in an unfamiliar place. They can see the water…some sort of island, perhaps? On the north side is a tall ruin, a building facade with no interior remaining. Those who have looked across the sea from Rumpitur may recognize it: the Ruins of Forlinet.

The Chosen have no idea how they got here, for the most part. They may hazily remember some hints of suspicious activity designed to get them alone, they may even recall being knocked out or rendered unconscious. Maybe they remember going to sleep in their bed. Either way, they are here now, and there are no boats. No way to get off the island. The only thing they can see is the ocean barring them from returning from the mainland, and a forested island to explore. They have no personal items on them–most kidnappers aren't kind enough to bring you your stuff–but those still wearing charms will find that they still work. They seem to be at the outer limits of their range, and there may be some static, but they can still send voice or text messages this way.

So. What now?

NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 4

iii. THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

     

Whether by way of clues or straight from the mouth of an attempted victim, the Chosen remaining on the mainland are slowly able to piece together what has happened to their missing friends: they have been kidnapped by Rumpiturians and sent offshore to the Ruins of Forlinet.

Why? A younger Rumpiturian, cornered after messing up and letting someone escape, is willing to talk. He's too terrified to say much, but the most useful thing he says is this:

”We haven’t been able to find another way! The monster…it drains the life from our lands! It leaves us alone if we feed it well enough, so…so…”

The Chosen are able to find, through this admission, that it’s the Rumpiturians who have been behind the other kidnappings as well, for similar reasons. That they thought the Chosen would be onto them, so they faked a kidnapping of their own to throw off suspicion. That they’ve been doing this for a long time to stave off the mysterious blight caused by an even more mysterious creature.

And now, it seems, they want to make the Chosen into its next meal.

Rumpiturians will offer resistance if the Chosen try to get past them, to the docks and the boats. If they save their friends, then the Rumpiturians will be left at the mercy of this creature. But can they really leave their friends out there…?

Any who dare to get past the Rumpiturians and to the boats will find that the waters are a little choppier than they had been days prior, and that it will take some effort to get to the island. But with enough luck, and some basic boating knowledge (we’re talking really basic, like “this is how you row”), they will be able to make it within the day. However, not all is as it seems: as the boats make land, human-sized octopus-like monsters will descend upon the shores, dragging whatever they can into the water and revealing unnatural rows of sharp teeth in the process. They’ll take whatever they can get: boats, shoes, weapons, people, and anything they get their tands (tentacles?) on will be torn apart. They may follow inland a bit, but not more than a few yards past the shore.

iv. RED SKY AT MORNING

     

Those who were unfortunate enough to wake in the Ruins will have plenty of time to explore during the next several days…and a good thing, too, because they can learn quite a bit about their predicament by doing so. The island is fairly long, but thin; find a high enough vantage point and they can see from one end of the island to the other. There is also a fair amount of rubble and garbage around–or what looks like garbage. Looking closer at it, it looks more like personal effects left behind by someone long gone. Items of clothing, weapons (swords, spears, and bows), perhaps the remains of some non-perishable food: canned goods, bars, things like that. These things look old, as if they’ve been left out in the elements for months, but most are still in shape to be used.

As they explore the island, the Chosen will see a number of alarming things. First, bones, all humanoid in appearance, some intact and some in pieces, as if they’ve been fractured by some force. There are some that form complete skeletons, but not all do, and they are scattered as if they’ve been tossed here and there. Second, they will see a number of trees that seem to have been downed either at the roots or by being torn in half. It looks like this island has seen some struggle. Most alarming, they will be able to find a handful of charms, not unlike the ones some of them wear. Not unlike the locals from Aldrip. One or two of these can be accessed for a moment, confirming what they may be dreading: this is where the missing locals were taken. And there’s no sign of the people these charms belonged to.

Near a small freshwater pond in the middle of the island, the Chosen will find the remains of a tent. There’s a cooking pot and a recessed firepit, as if someone spent quite a bit of time here: days, maybe weeks. There is some canned food here, and fishing materials, along with the freshwater in the pond. Inside the tent, they’ll find a number of articles of clothing, as well as another charm, this one a little more worn with age. They’ll find some text messages still embedded within it.

Ten of us were taken. May Those Who Were There protect us. We do not know why we are here or how we got here, but we will do the best we can to look out for one another.

Three days on this blasted island and no sign of any reason why we are here. Food supplies are dwindling, and so is morale. They look to me for advice on what to do next. I wish I had an answer. I wish I knew why.

Day five. Ainsworth flung himself into the ocean, attempting to swim to the mainland for help. We watched him swim into the deep water. We watched something grab him from below and pull him down. We watched in horror as the water began to churn, and pieces of him began to drift away. Are we going to die here?

Day seven. They’re dead. They’re all dead. The monstrous creature rose from the sea and swallowed them all. It took them into its tentacled arms and drained the life from them. I do not know how I escaped, but maybe it cannot reach me here, in the very center of the island, so far from the water. I am terrified. I see their faces when I close my eyes. This is hell.

Day eight. It came back. It has come back and it’s coming for me. I hear it storming through the trees. I know nothing but death awaits me here, but I will leave my charm in hopes that someone will find it. That someone will learn of what has happened to me. If anyone else is unlucky enough to find themselves here: run. Find some way to run, and never come back. All who come here are dead. All who come here will die.

At the south end of the island, a grisly sight awaits. Around a dozen human remains, decked in the tattered, weathered scraps of cloaks, their bodies worn down to bones and surrounded by the damp smell of decay. Those who have been in Aldrip long enough will recognize these robes: the cultists who previously caused so much trouble for them. So that's where they went. There are few personal artifacts around, though each of them seems to have some sort of small, handheld weapon. Looking close enough to one of the dead bodies, the Chosen can find scraps left in a leather-bound book: handwritten, clearly some sort of journal. The only legible article reads as such:

”Our final day nears, and having found no other way, we have reached our consensus. With the tools available to us, we will seal our fate for ourselves. We would rather die by our own hands than be sacrificed to their blasphemous monstrosity. May Those
Who Were There welcome us into their arms and into the loving embrace of paradise.

Damn these evil creatures and their accursed city. Damn them all.”

To the east, the Chosen will find the ocean; off in the distance, if the weather is clear and cloudless, they can see the mainland, a bare sliver on the horizon. If the drag marks in the dirt are any indication, this seems to be where the Rumpiturians have been landing on shore and dumping victims. For how long? It’s hard to say. There are no boats to be found, but there may be some scraps of old vessels: wooden boards, some tattered sailcloth. Not much, but it’s better than nothing.

DECEMBER 5

v. ALL WILL TAKE WARNING

The promised day arrives. Seven days after the weary Chosen woke up on the island, anyone left there will be set upon by the monster they have been inadvertently warned about. Those who have been here for a while will note that this creature, while slightly different, has some similarities to an old foe fought once before. It rises from the deep: gargantuan, a golden beast of tentacles with an enormous mouth, too many teeth within. It’s large enough that it could easily grab onto a person and lift them into the air, swallowing them whole.

This creature seems to be in control of the small octopus-like monsters reining terror upon any boat trying to escape the island. Distract the giant creature, and the smaller ones seem to go still for a little while, as if they’re in a trance–or maybe awaiting orders that have not yet come. The creature can be distracted by being made to fight, or chase…and of course, it will be distracted while eating, as well. But be warned: those chosen by RNG will be of particular interest to the creature, and the smaller monsters will do everything they can to stop those characters in particular from leaving. Perhaps it bonded with them over their seven days on the island. Perhaps it feels that it knows them better.

The smaller monsters can be thrown off in other ways besides distracting the big one, of course. They can be fought and injured, slinking away into the water, or even killed. For those not inclined to fight, they’ll follow sudden movements or sounds, such as something being thrown.

Anyone left on the island after the very last boat leaves will not make it back. They will become part of the creature’s next meal, and it will be an agonizing death. So. Now is the time.

Get out while you can.

---

vi. A RECKONING OF WILLS

As the Chosen head for shore, the giant monster sinks beneath the waves. Maybe enough people missed the boat that it’s gotten a good meal. Maybe it just decides that they weren’t worth it. Either way, the monster disappears, slinking back into the deep of the ocean, and the smaller creatures pull away once Rumpitur is in sight.

It’s a quiet moment, now, a good opportunity to tend to wounds and injuries. To mourn any who were not so lucky to leave.

The next question comes into clarity as soon as the Rumpiturians start appearing from their homes: what should you do with these kidnappers, who were so ready to feed you to the beasts?

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.

Comments

Tsunayoshi Sawada | Open

[theskyaccepts]

[A - Detritus on the Shore]

[The morning of the kidnapping, Tsuna can be found lying on the shore.

He looks roughed up, like he's been in some kind of struggle or fight. His shirt is torn and he's definitely got a few cuts and bruises. It looks like he was just left on the beach for dead after that. Not worth bringing along to whatever they had planned.

Eventually, he forces himself up. He has to find out if anyone else escaped. He has to tell everyone else. So even if it hurts, he's got to stand up.]

[B - Kidnapped; Network; Video]

[Tsuna looks, rough in the video. He looks tired, and there's a few cuts on his cheek. Probably some sand and dirt to. His eyes are tired, but focused. Like he has to get all the information out before he forgets.]

I...I was kidnapped, last night. The Rumpitarians. They took a bunch of us.

I don't know where. I just woke up on the beach after I tried to get away. But I think there were boats?


[C - Takoyaki Time]

[There's no way that Tsuna isn't helping with the rescue effort. Not while people are in danger. He's still a little scuffed up, but he's fought with worse injuries.

The Octopus People come as a surprise and Tsuna has a familiar memory of Mafia-land and getting attacked by Skull and his Octopus. But he's a bit more prepared now and his power flares to life. Once again, a brilliant orange flame appears in his forehead and his eyes become a similar colour rather than their usual brown. He wears a pair of gloves, almost gauntlets, that cover his forearms. They're a bright red with a large X on them. He's done holding back.

Tsunayoshi Sawada, Neo Vongola Primo, is here to help.]

We just have to get through them, right?

[D - Brow furrowed and fists swung as if in prayer]

[Hyper Dying Will Flames can be used in a lot of unique ways. But Tsuna isn't really the type to show off so a lot of those tend to be hidden. Or at least, he remains tight lipped, because explaining Dying Will could potentially lead to eventually explaining about the Vongola. And once Vongola is part of the conversation, there is no avoiding the Mafia.

But when faced with this kidnapping, and a giant monster, that needs to be put aside. After all, people are in danger.

So as the boats get closer to the monster, Tsuna will eventually take to the air, launching himself up with a bright blast of flame. He's focused on taking out the tentacles mostly, striking fast and quick, with a grace that he probably does show on the regular. If there's a chance, he'll swoop down to get someone to safety or try to block an attack.

And he seems to be doing alright, until a moment's distract leads to a tentacle smacking him down towards the water.]

[ooc: further plotting can be done at urbaninja]

B

[beshackled]

[The response that comes from the other end is... decidedly garbled.]

Y-u e--ca--d?

[theskyaccepts]

[Garbled though it may be, it's still something.]

S-somehow, yeah! I don't think they liked how I was struggling.

Are you okay? Where are you?

[beshackled]

[Erichthonios can barely make out the explanation... something about struggling. Enough to piece together the boy was alright.

He's glad. The voice sounds so young.]

My h--d hur--... but - am w-ll aside fr-- th--...

...They used ----thing on me...

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna frowns, trying to work out the missing words.]

I...I think they tried using something on us. To knock us out.

Where are you?

[beshackled]

[For some several seconds there is nothing but soft static as Erichthonios looks around.]

......--ere -- a stru----- that --inds -- of --- -orizon -- - saw it --m Rum--tur...

[theskyaccepts]

You're breaking up! But it's close by right...if we can see it from Rumpitar?

c;

[laserguy]

[Maybe it's fitting that the first time he sees Tsuna's power is at a crisis like this. Scott wishes that he has the time to appreciate it, but now isn't the moment for that, not with the crawling octopi and multiple people that need help still. His hand is already positioned at his glasses, ready to take them off and blast all of them to hell, but he gives his friend a brief nod.]

Push through and save anyone along the way.

[His fingers tighten on his frames.]

Shouldn't be too bad. I'll try not to look in your direction.

[theskyaccepts]

Right, we can do this.

[He takes a deep breath, focusing in. It's been a long time since he's had to fight a crowd like this. Usually his fights are one on one, and he misses having his friends as backup. There is something to be said for the unity of the Vongola family.

But he isn't alone.]

Don't worry, I'm pretty fast. But I'll focus on the guys to the left if you want the right?

[laserguy]

[When Tsuna mentions that he's fast, Scott isn't quite sure how fast he actually means. Something superhuman? Or just a quick guy? For the upcoming battle, he hopes that it's the former.

But... he trusts him. Honestly, between the two of them, Tsuna probably has more battle experience, even if that's not saying much. A brief feeling of uncertainty passes through him, but the mutant immediately pushes it down to focus. No time for self-doubt now. He can't be like that, and he can't make Tsuna worry about him now.]

Sounds good. Less chance of friendly fire that way.

[With that basic plan carved out, Scott turns his head to the right and with a slight flourish, pulls his shades off. The familiar noise of a blast going off resonates through the area, followed by the sounds of flesh being torn apart as his optic blasts run straight through some of the smaller creatures.]

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna tends to use his fists to fight, firing off blasts of Dying Will flame to give him a boost, and switching from soft to hard flames to adjust his movement and hovering. It's graceful in a way that Tsuna regularly isn't. And Hyper Intuition keeps him abreast of the dangers that come his way.

It's a dangerous combination, and perfect for taking out the small fry.

From the corner of his eye he can see Scott's eye lasers ripping through the enemies. Like Hard Flames.

It's also from that glance that Tsuna can see the larger shadow coming up behind them.]

Scott, look out! There's a big guy!

[laserguy]

[The warning is all he needs to immediately turn on the spot, his eyes still wide open and piercing through whatever is front of him. It's definitely a good thing there's no friendlies nearby, other than Tsuna, and there is something almost cathartic letting his power loose on mindless sea monsters.

Unfortunately, his powers are finally slowed down by the larger octopus, one that's definitely a bit bigger than the smaller forces that they've been decimating. His optic blasts manage to push it back, at least one of it many large tentacles, but it's not quite getting completely demolished like the others. Maybe an extra hit will bring that limb down, but don't get caught in the crossfire, Tsuna!]

[theskyaccepts]

[It's hard to say exactly why, but Tsuna is more alert today. Maybe it's the fact that he's actually letting himself go full out in a fight, or the focus that comes with a set tasks. Hyper Intuition sings and and he's able to avoid Scott's blast while moving in for a heavy flame-filled punch to take out one of the tentacles.]

D

[strength_of_will]

[ Caught up in his own fight for survival, William doesn't see exactly who gets flung down into the water. All he knows is that someone is likely in danger of drowning. He reacts immediately, attempting to force a path towards the water. ]

Araneum!

[ He's never used this spell to drag someone towards him, but Gus had said magic is all about visualisation. So why shouldn't the Word for 'web' not create a net for him to catch the fallen with?

Threads of magic, like spider's silk, wrap around Tsuna in the water and William attempts to pull the other young man to safety - a difficult task when the monsters are determined to interfere. ]

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna is a bit dazed as he hits the water, and it always takes a moment to recover and start his flames back up. They are unique, but water is always going to have some victory. Especially to someone who can hardly be called an expert swimming (though not from a lack of trying). So to find himself wrapped in a net and not sinking further into the water is a welcome surprise.

Of course, the monsters starting to swarm is an issue.]

Thanks! But...can you pull faster?

apologies, it's been a rough week

[strength_of_will]

I'm trying!

[ He can't use fire, he can't use thunder. He can only use his spear to drive off the creatures as they come. William is a competent fighter, but he can only do so much alone.

Still, he backs up the beach, pulling the magicked net with him. He'll apologise for the mess of seawater and sand later. ]

Flammo ignis!

[ His fire sears the skin of the beasts, forcing them to release the net (and Tsuna) with violent writhing. ]

no worries, seems it's been that way for everyone

[theskyaccepts]

[Fights are fights, and you're going to get messy. It's something Tsuna has comes to terms with. And once he's free of the net, Tsuna will strike back at the monsters with several firey punches. He wants to get back in the sky, to deal with the tentacles, but one thing at a time.]

Looks like I owe you again.

[strength_of_will]

Don't worry about it!

[ It's part of the job. Seeing William as their most present threat, the octopus creatures swarm him with a vengeance. Several manage to get their tentacles around his ankles and restrict his movement. ]

They just never seem to end-- Vastare!

[ He directs this closer to the tideline. A loud explosion blows up a significant portion of the beach and the creatures. Watch out for the guts and blood raining down. ]

[theskyaccepts]

[Oh, that's gross and were he not in his Hyper Dying Will mode, Tsuna might have been inclined to freak out. But for now, he brushes it off. There will be time to break down later.]

No kidding. I've been fighting them since the beaches. And it's bad enough with that big guy over there.

[But that explosion seems to have bought them some time.]

A

[heir_conditioned]

Shoto has been doing his best to try to find people that have been taken. He can't find certain persons either and moving along in sections of the area he's unfamiliar with is all he can think of. Thankfully enough as he comes upon Tsunayoshi. It's not even a thought in his mind to move over to someone who he's thinking is in trouble in some way. Maybe even knowing something more than he does, or at least what happened that Shoto can handle on top of his search.

First and foremost, he moves quickly to the young man without concern for himself. It could be a set up, but he's not going to chance it isn't. "Are you okay? What happened?" He asks, trying to offer help up carefully to mind for any injuries he's looking for.

[theskyaccepts]

[All things considered, Tsuna has probably looked worse. He still looks like he's been in a fight and spent a good while knocked out on a beach, but he's definitely been worse.]

'm okay...

I...I think I managed to escape. There were a bunch of us. Taken.

[heir_conditioned]

Okay doesn't feel like it sums up the problem at the moment, but it looks at least like he isn't in a way that his mortality is threatened. Shoto still kneels down and helps him regardless, urging him silently to not stand just yet by helping him sit instead.

"What... What do you mean taken? You were kidnapped? Did you see which way they went? Any details you can remember?"

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna shakes his head, more in an attempt to try to clear it than providing an answer. Help is here, he has to remind himself. He doesn't have to run for help.]

Last night...they tried to take a bunch of us. There were boats, I think.

I tried to get away and...yeah.

[He points vaguely out to the water.]

I think that way.

Sorry, I'm still recovering from the dumb cold lol.

[heir_conditioned]

Help is most certainly here when Shoto is involved and yet as soon as he hears exactly what happened, he almost isn't the help. He admonishes the feeling and listens instead to what's being said. There's no one else around right in that moment, and he has to know first.

"Did you see a man with green hair, green eyes, freckles? Was he with them?" If Midoriya is over there with him, then Shoto will resist going to play support and get this man safe and tended.

No worries, hope you are feeling better

[theskyaccepts]

I...I think so? There was a group and it was dark, but I think I saw people I recognized.

[Being kidnapped that way is rarely fun and it's hard to keep an eye on all the details. Plus he's been roughed up.]

I don't know if anyone else got away either.