{event #6} adversity 5648654.484

[expiationmods]

WHAT MAKES A MONSTER

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 various prompts are, of course, optional. EDIT: there is a coordinated group made by William that had sign-ups here! Of course, you may fight the monster still without being in the group, but characters may notice this pretty large group fighting the Big Bad. William's top level is here!

The corruption affecting land and characters has not gone away on its own; indeed, in some people and places, it may be getting worse. The Chosen can try to fight it if they’re taken by these effects, but it won’t go away on its own. Luckily, some characters are trying to find a source and solve these problems…

EASTWARD

i. INTREPID ADVENTURERS

     

Around January 15, characters who are investigating the corruption will be able to follow a trail of rot and destruction that leads out of town to the east before winding to the south. They’ll pass Rumpitur and Pessiria Forest on the way. Following this trail is not without danger: the monsters affected around town continue to be aggressive, attacking characters and, unfortunately, spreading more of this affliction through bites and scratches.

Characters who make this journey will be on the road for at least a day, maybe longer. They may need to set up camp along the way, but with Rumpitur still closed off, they’ll be exposed to the elements as well as to dangerous monsters. Might want to take this one in shifts…

ii. THE SCOURGE FROM THE SEA

     

Eventually, this trail of destruction leads to the coast just outside of Rumpitur, and as soon as characters are close enough, the same octopus-like monsters that first started appearing near the end of November begin to emerge from the sea. Getting an up-close look at them, they will find that these monsters are afflicted by the same rot that seems to be plaguing Aldrip. Just like with the Chosen and other surfaces exposed to this rot, if the monsters make contact with the glowing stones, the affliction recedes. However, their aggression–seemingly targeted at the Chosen–remains. They’ll surge forward as if on a mission, not just to attack the Chosen, but also to get past them, up the road and out of sight. Wonder why that is…?

They’ll have little time to think on that. The ground beneath their feet begins to quake, causing surging waves and crumbling rocks. The huge creature that plagued characters at the Ruins of Forlinet rises from the ocean just near the shore, streaked with the same black marks and still controlling the smaller monsters. It wastes no time in attacking, trying to grab onto anything or anyone it can reach with its deadly tentacles.

At this time, the Aldrip locals who were guarding Rumpitur and putting the town on house arrest come to join the fight. A little while later, shockingly, the Rumpiturians also join the fray. They’ll take up whatever arms they have, as well as extra materials containing the glowing stones, and help hold off the smaller creatures. Some brave souls even turn their attack on the large creature. Perhaps they feel that they owe Aldrip and the Chosen a debt. Perhaps they feel grateful that there was no violent retribution for their crimes. It’s hard to say…

Just like with the smaller monsters, the corruption recedes when it makes contact with anything created from, or infused with, the stones. Curiously, however, when the large monster is affected by the stones, the smaller ones seem to stop attacking, just for a few moments…and the more the larger monster is affected, the longer the smaller creatures seem to react. Eventually, some of them might even crawl back into the ocean, retreating entirely.

Eventually, maybe the larger monster will even slow its attacks. Does it seem as if it’s becoming less aggressive over time? Interesting…

COLLATERAL DAMAGES

iii. A CALL FOR AID

     

Aldrip’s local blacksmiths, weapons masters, and artisans have come together to create useful tools containing the mysterious glowing stones gathered from the caves. Chosen will be able to find, among other things, arrows, jewelry, hand grenades, spears, knives, shovels, nets, and other various useful items that have been either created entirely from these stones, or have the stones fused into them in some way. Some Chosen have been coming up with interesting ways to use them, as well.

All of these methods serve to help keep the rot at bay, even pushing it back when enough are in use. In an uncharacteristic display of generosity, characters are encouraged, even asked, to take and use these things both outside of town and in Aldrip itself, to hopefully fix some of the damage caused by this affliction.

iv. DOWN TO THE ROOTS

     

It may seem obvious, at this point, but Aldrip has no shortage of troubles during this time. There are two very critical problems, as locals see it: one, shortages of fresh food due to compromised crops, and two, structural damage, caused by the rot making its way into building foundations. Two buildings seem to fare better than the others: the inn and city hall. There’s no reason given as to why this is so…which is strange, isn’t it? But–no, it’s probably fine. Yeah.

Any Chosen who stay in town are asked to collect more glowing rocks and shore up damaged foundations, lest they begin to crumble. No one wants to lose their home, and the buildings made for the influx of Chosen are not immune to this! As time wears on and the corruption progresses, building collapses become more and more common. For buildings that are too far gone, characters may find themselves leading an evacuation effort to get people out before they’re seriously injured. Many locals will be reluctant to leave buildings unless they prove to be entirely structurally unsound, but…you wouldn’t really just leave them there to find out the hard way? (Right? Guys? …on second thought, maybe don’t answer that)

Crops far outside of town in the fields may still be viable, but it’s hard to say without close investigation–which is encouraged. Those who venture far enough outside of town may find any number of fall or winter vegetables, though they’re a little smaller and less robust than one might like. It’s not exactly a bountiful harvest, but it’s better than nothing.

v. DISRUPTION

     

After the monster attack begins, Aldrip finds itself with a whole new set of problems. The earthquake made by the sea monster creates aftershocks that hit Aldrip hard, in some places, causing more buildings to go down. More distressingly, after a few hours, more of the octopus creatures begin to show up in the distance outside of town. Chosen are quickly employed to create barriers, both physical and magical, as well as evacuate any locals to a safe place, most likely the inn. Some brave fighters may even be asked to charge out into the fields and fight the monsters before they’re able to get to town.

This siege will last for a few hours, and is much less of a swarm than the characters who went to the coast are experiencing. After a while, suspiciously, the monsters just stop. They turn westward, toward the nearest entry point to the ocean, and make their way toward the water.

(Assuming they don’t all get slaughtered first, of course.)

ACTION AND REACTION

vi. THE LONG ROAD HOME

     

The immediate aftermath of the battle is fairly standard: tending wounds, cleaning up wanton destruction… Oh, and the Aldrip locals return to their posts, putting Rumpitur under house arrest once more. In spite of their (completely understandable) distrust and current dislike of the Rumpiturians, those locals are quite grateful that they lent a hand. Maybe the Chosen are, too. Whatever their feelings, however, Rumpitur remains off-limits, for now. Trust is easy to break, and slow to rebuild.

Whether the monster is killed or not, it seems that the glowing stones used in the attack were enough to make the rot affecting it recede completely. As our adventurers make their way back to Aldrip, they will notice that the trail of corruption they followed on the way there has faded significantly, and the closer to Aldrip they get, the more it seems to have receded. Nature is healing! The crops and buildings that corroded due to its influence are still a loss, of course, but maybe it won’t plague the town anymore, at least. (For now? For good? That remains to be seen.)

---

vii. NEXT STEPS

     

Back in town, there is lots to do now that things have calmed down. Distressingly, even though the rot affecting the land has receded, Chosen and locals who have been affected have not been cured. Luckily, Ethlyn has been working on a solution of her own, and by the time things are quiet enough to heal the injured, it will be perfected enough to be called a cure. It’s not tasty, having a sort of gritty, chalky taste and texture, a little like eating liquified chalk dust. Gross. But it works, for the most part.

Additionally, locals who have seen the Chosen’s powers in action may ask some healers to see if they can find a way to use some of the stones to infuse the effects into their healing abilities. This could be fun to experiment with, right? We see no way it could possibly go wrong. Have fun!

During the next few weeks, clean-up and rebuilding will be a central focus in Aldrip. Extra food harvests and animal/monster hunts are encouraged, to ensure that there are no serious food shortages. Healers might have their work cut out for them, not just with the corruption but with normal wounds as well. New buildings will start going up quickly, but it’ll still take a few weeks for them to be ready. Until then, maybe get cozy–any Chosen who have lost their homes may need to find a new place to stay, at least temporarily.

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

QUESTIONS / COMMENTS / CONCERNS

[expiationmods]

[driving_from_the_backseat]

Can the octopi be telepathically contacted? I was thinking along the lines of trying to manipulate their thoughts and emotions to make them think Aldrip is dangerous to them or something, or just generally cause fear. If this would work, it won’t be enough to single-handedly stop the attack, obviously. It would just be enough to get a few octopi to turn back.

[strength_of_will]

Could I possibly ask that a link to William's coordinated group effort to fight the monster be included somewhere? At the moment it gives the impression that everyone is fighting individually and it might give some conflicting impressions later, especially if other players don't realise that there WAS a group effort and think they were fighting on their own canonically.

[heartstopping]

i.

[Rolo's still in town when the aftershocks hit. Lingering in a shop where he'd been gathering information and avoiding the cold weather, he pauses as the first of the quakes hit. The building shakes and creaks, dust raining down from the ceiling. There's a few shouts and anxious chatter from the locals, but Rolo pays them no mind and moves towards a window to look outside and see what's happening.

He only makes it a few steps before the ceiling caves in, the world abruptly dissolving into chaos around him.

For a moment, his loses track of everything. It was so sudden, and even if he'd seen it coming, he couldn't stop the time of a goddamn building. It's momentarily dark and loud and everything around him is spinning, and he must have fallen because he suddenly finds himself on the floor. His shoulder is throbbing in a way that suggests something hit it, or maybe he'd slammed into the wall. It doesn't take even a full minute for everything to settle, but it feels like forever.

He'd been lucky, at least. The support of the wall he'd be near had kept the ceiling from dropping directly down onto him, leaving its remains hanging over him angled to the ground in a precarious triangle of life. The center of the room had fared much worse. He can hear screams and crying from the mess of rubble and debris, but random strangers are no concern of his right now. Rolo shakes his head to clear away the ringing in his ears, grits his teeth and tries to carefully wriggle his way out from under the collapsed second floor before anything else can fall on him.]


ii.

[Rolo hadn't noticed the black streaks creeping up his fingers and then his arms. His hands were so dirty and scraped after digging his way out of the rubble that the corruption was easily missed, and then he had bigger things to worry about.

Literally bigger, as in monsters attacking the town. Rolo's not really interested in protecting it in general, but self-defense – and the knowledge that his brother is also somewhere in all this mess, potentially in danger – spurs him to fight back. Besides, that one guy had told him the locals might pay for monster hunting, and they're in need of funds.

Normally, he'd have been more wary about using his abilities in such an open area. He's an assassin after all, not a soldier, and the less people that know what he can do the better. But those concerns aren't touching him for once. There's a mental fog, rot and adrenaline and the very immediate distraction of literal fucking monsters, and he forgets about his surroundings as he cuts into one creature after another. They aren't flashy kills, but it's strange enough to attract notice in all the chaos – as a monster approaches, he looks its way and it suddenly freezes in place, along with any other creatures or people nearby, and with a blank expression Rolo stalks forward to sink his knife into it.]


iii.

[He'd pushed it too far. He was usually more careful about this, but there were just so many targets and he had someone to protect–

The pain and tightness in his chest intensifying, Rolo finally retreats from the fighting at the outskirts, staggering his way over to the side of a building where he slumps against a wall. The blood pounding in his ears is loud and arhythmic as his heart struggles to find its natural beat again. He doesn't look significantly injured – though perhaps its hard to be sure after all the monster blood he's been splattered with – but he's worryingly pale and shaky.

Where is Lelouch? Rolo grabs for his cell phone instinctively before remembering that it doesn't work here. But there are those tablets. he fumbles for his, but it slips from his trembling hand.

Fuck. His next breath comes out more as a wheeze, his vision swimming as he stumbles and sinks onto one knee. Fuck.]


wildcard.

((ooc: Toss a custom starter of your own at me if you prefer! He'll be staying around Aldrip through all the mess, either running through town or out in the fields fighting off octopi, or later on recuperating at the inn. Hit me up at tinybro if you'd like to hash out anything specific!))

i

[geass]

[Lelouch had been planning on meeting Rolo in said building when he felt the tremors. immediately he considers running for cover, but then he hears the sickening sound of the building being dropped right in front of him.

where Rolo was.

there's so many warring emotions in his being as he processes this for a moment, but it's panic that sets his feet into motion first. he's not entirely sure why this is the emotion that sends him running to the building, but it does.

when he gets close enough to the building he has to take a minute to catch his breath (lmao), before he cups his hands over his mouth and calls, voice cracking at the volume of his cry:]

Rolo!! Rolo, are you in there?

[please don't say he's dead again, please don't say he's dead again is the only thing dominating his thought processes right now.]

iii

[entreats]

[ It's hard to notice anything in the utter chaos that has been going on. Buildings collapsing, monsters attacking, the corruption that's been creeping up on some of the monsters and even some of the people certainly not helping any of it-- Ange has just been running around and doing what she can, for once not bothering to hide the fact that she's helping people out. Sometimes the situation is a little more pressing than carrying on your useless pride.

So in the middle of all that chaos maybe it's just utter coincidence that she does manage to spot Rolo there. She didn't see him fight earlier, so she doesn't assume that he's suffering the aftereffects from that-- if anything, she wonders if maybe he crawled out from under the rubble of a building, or maybe he got hurt by a monster. ]

Hey!

[ Her voice is sharp, more alive than the flat tone she spoke to him in the last time they saw each other, and she runs over towards his slumped over form. It's only when she approaches that she realises he looks.. strange. Yes, he's pale and shaky, but he doesn't look injured. Is the injury just somewhere she can't see?

Ange doesn't look so great herself - soot in her hair, a cut on her cheek - but she at least looks like she's doing better than Rolo. Some odd stake-like objects seem to float in the air behind her, but it's easy to miss them with the other's current state. ]

What's wrong?! Are you hurt?

ii

[conflictresolution]

[The quake had disrupted many operations, and the corrosion of buildings wasn't unexpected. That is caused collapse didn't particularly bother him as he had made as many arrangements as possible to protect his assets as soon as he realized the glowing stones played a part in keeping the rot at bay.

He had been out in the streets when the monster seize had begun moving between his businesses and his homes. He had to skirt combat, unwilling to engage unless he absolutely had to defend himself. His new glow-stone enhanced blade was in hand when he noted the boy moving between octopi monsters, killing each one effectively and methodically.

From the shadow of a half caved in building, he watched until all the creatures in the street were dead. Then he eased from his out-of-the-fray spot, tapping the flat of his blade against his thigh as he cautiously moved forward.]

You, boy, are you alright? [He quite frankly didn't care, but it was the most 'friendly' way to announce one's self to a would-be murderer.]

slides in here ... (i)

[skelters]

[ he feels it before the shaking properly hits the city - it is like a trill in the air, a minute vibration that makes the back of his neck prick with sensations, and vash stops dead in his tracks as he is walking through the busy streets, oblivious to the annoyed sounds the people make as they step around him. it only takes a breath, maybe a heartbeat, before it descends to utter chaos.

the buildings shake - windows rattling, the signs falling down with a crash, and vash grabs for the nearest person and pulls them out of the way of a broken cart that overturns around the corner, away from the debris. beyond the street in front of him a series of screams alert vash of what's happening, and he jerks his head up, mouth dropping open to shout - just in time to see the walls crumbling down in a cloud of dust.

rolo, as he is slowly trying to wriggle his way free of the rubble caging him in, might hear a voice talking - accompanied by a series of gritty, grinding sounds of rocks and stone being moved away - and slowly getting closer. vash talks quickly, but in a gentle tone - soothing away the crying and the sobbing of people who are likewise trapped and injured in the quake. the way the wall is leaning doesn't escape his notice, so vash makes his way over to the precarious lean - squinting his eyes to see as he peers into the bits of rubble that are blocking his view. ]

Hello? Is anyone in there? Can you hear me?

yu narukami | ota

[izanagis]

[The atmosphere is totally different from the last time they came down to the coast: tense, tired, anticipating the worst. He's normally quite amicable, but right now, Yu doesn't make for very good company. He's been having so much trouble controlling himself recently that he's sort of shut himself off, limiting his engagement with other people. All the same, he does want to be here. If they can find the source of the corruption...maybe it'll help them come up with a cure. Until then, he's just—trying really hard not to go off.]

i—friendly fire [monster]

[Yu cannot be trusted to lead in this state. He tries a bit, at first, but quickly takes himself out of the role; he refuses to sit this out completely, of course, but even he can tell that he's being reckless, and giving reckless orders is going to get somebody killed.

His entire demeanor changes once the larger monster surfaces, his mind immediately thrown back into the horrifying events from November. Horror, devastation, anger—he's angry, he's so angry, and seeing the creature like this, again, he can't contain it. But it's different from last time, too, because now he has his Personas back. Now he can fight. The card is in his hand instantly, shattering without hesitation. He might shout a quick warning ("Out of the way!") but he's focused entirely on this fight. His attacks are powerful, either lightning-based or physical (I really did make these choices), and set off with zero hesitation.

So, here's the thing. Yu is normally a very careful, calculated fighter. Today, that is not the case. If you happen to be in the way when he fires off one of these attacks, you're likely to get hit, and it's probably going to hurt.]

ii—damage assessment [aldrip]

i. [Once they arrive back in Aldrip, it's easy to see that the people who stayed behind have had a tough time. That being said, common sense would dictate finding a cure for the corruption before getting involved in any damage control. Unfortunately, common sense is still taking a backseat, so it's Angry Yu who is trying his absolute damndest to help out, in spite of the tenuous grip he has on his own composure.

His first stop is the edge of town, where some monsters affected by the corruption are still roaming free. He's absolutely spent, of course, exhausted and nearing his limit. But he summons Kikuri-hime anyway, letting Agi rip a fireball through one of them. He downs one more in the same way, but finds himself utterly exhausted by the effort. Fine. No more Personas. He pulls out his sword instead.]

[note: this would be a good opportunity for friendly fire, if anyone wants, but he can also be stopped if that's more like what you wanna do!]

b. [It's mere moments before he gets there that the bookstore collapses. Yu was only close enough to watch from a distance, and he makes it to the debris just as the dust begins to settle. Immediately, he's looking for survivors, picking through the mess with a surprising amount of delicacy, for his current condition. Finally, he sees a hand moving feebly beneath the wreckage, and starts frantically pulling stones away.]

Hey—hey! There's someone under here! Help me move these.

[... He keeps digging at the stones even after the hand has stopped moving.]

[note: couple of options here—this could be used as a rescue attempt, if your character is trapped under the rubble; could also be a chance to get punched in the face if you look at him the wrong way; OR, those daring souls trying to corral the corrupted into getting cured could try to drag him in. i'm up for any of those]

aftermath/wildcard

[It takes a day or so, after he does finally receive the cure, for Yu to show his face around town again. Part of it is certainly a deep need to rest, but...he's feeling no shortage of shame for the way he's acted, too. During this time, he's got two objectives. One, he wants to help—really, he does. He's never wanted to cause harm or trouble, and especially after the last few days, he feels he has a lot to make up for. So he'll be helping to fortify buildings, clean up rubble, and can sometimes be found out in the fields, too. Anything he can do to help. Which brings us to two: he has a lot of people to apologize to. Anyone he mistreated while he was affected by the corruption—he'll eventually be seeking them out to apologize and see how he can help in the aftermath.

I'm up for other wildcards too, of course! If you want a personalized starter or want to plot something out, you can ping me on plurk at posolutely or just throw something at me for other prompts.]

friendly fire i do what i want big time

[invinciblemikey]

(manjiro's just been watching. that's mostly what he has done through this entire ordeal. this is the first time he stepped out of the dojo, and it's only to assess strength. the highest point is his resting space, and dissociated as he is, he looks awfully bored. that is, until he sees yu. that also is - when he sees the behavior the other is sporting.

what a fucking dumbass. his feet hit the ground, and he dodges whatever comes his way, only for his foot to meet yu's side from behind.)

You're in pain? I should take you out of your misery if you're going to be like this. You think Yosuke died to see you like that?

iib.

[earnedmystripes]

[Kotetsu does not need to be asked twice to help rescue someone in trouble. He doesn't even question the hand having stopped moving, because it's not his job to question whether someone is still in need of rescuing; if it's too late, he'll deal with that then.

He's grabbing and pushing at stones alongside Yu for several minutes with -- some progress, certainly, but not very much when Kotetsu feels a familiar shift in his mind, that sort of clicking into place of his powers having recharged. It's been a very long hour since he's last used them, back on the road into town. He doesn't activate them right away, though; those sixty seconds are inordinately precious and he isn't about to waste any of them on explanations.]

Hey, step back a little, huh? My powers are back on, I can take it from here.

ii-b

[driving_from_the_backseat]

[Avalon is not in a form that anyone would recognize as them. They wear the body of a well-muscled man. Their failed victim was physically strong, and his appearance came easily to their mind. Now that form is being put to use. The only part of their default form that remains is their bracelet.

They help Yu dig at the stones, lifting larger pieces of rubble out of the way.]

aftermath

[garbagecanned]

[even though the cure's lessened the effects, Yosuke's still tired. he hadn't slept well through this whole situation, but he's still got to keep up with Yu. not just because he wants to be around him, but because he wants to help too. it's a tragedy what's happened to Aldrip while they were off fighting a monster. obviously they're not together 24/7, because that wouldn't maximize their effectiveness in what they can do for the city, but it's moments like these that Yosuke feels like he's got to finish up the task he's set for himself and dig out Yu from overwork.

so that's what he's doing right now, coming up behind his best friend and tapping him on the shoulder. it doesn't really matter what Yu's doing or in the middle of, he's going to be doing this regardless.

his tone is friendly as usual, but insistent.]

Hey. Finish it up so we can go get some dinner and call it a day.

[at least in this case, Yosuke knows when to quit.]

friendly fire 💥🤛

[gotbrains]

You get out of the way, dumbass!

[ With a loud crack, a bolt of lightning lands right in Narukami's path, the ground almost seeming like its sparking in irritation afterwards before sizzling out. That was calculated. That was Ziodyne.

Sure enough it's Adachi on the other end of that shout. Hand in his hair, catching his breath, he's actually joined the fight to help. (And maybe get a hit Big Mama like he didn't manage to before.) Now, though... ]

You've been bowling people over out here left and right like a maniac! What the hell's gotten into you!?

friendly fire but-!

[orphne]

[Man, Yu being able to summon his Personas just using a card is way more convenient. Kotone, on the other hand, has to rely on the Evoker holstered on her hip, cycling through her Personas in an attempt to find her biggest damage dealer while still leaving enough stamina for healing, just in case. Really, she's relying more on her skills with a naginata than anything else, trying to keep an eye on the other Persona users in case they need backup.

What she's not intending to do is give them orders. Mitsuru, Shinji, or Ken? If they're within earshot, she'll shout occasional commands to them, but SEES as a unit has always acted relatively independently. She had been trusting Yu to watch his own stamina, but-- well, she knows reckless attacks when she sees them. It's not until she has to summon her own Persona, Helel, and drop a Makarakarn to absorb one of his electric blasts gone wayward, that she shouts,]

Yu! Conserve SP!

[He's going to burn himself out at this rate, and maybe take a few others down with him if he's not careful.]

manjiro sano "mikey" / tokyo revengers / closed

[invinciblemikey]

(manjiro is not contributing to anything, to be quite honest. he's watching everything from a tree, a rooftop, somewhere high and mighty. those who know him will tell he has a rather vacant expression in his face, almost like he's not entirely there. on top of his own curse acting up, the corruption is clear in his hands.

he isn't all there. don't come near. he's just to popcorn. closed starters will go in this top-level!)

takemitchy

[invinciblemikey]

(fuck, he's all battered, all over. aches and sores, a result from biting more than he could chew, and the price of his own arrogance. manjiro sleeps on his own thereafter for two days, parts of the dojo broken, but so is his body. once he's in a better condition, the doors to the sano family dojo open again, and there's another resident whose presence manjiro awaits.

the text is simple.

"i'm sorry. can you come home, takemitchy?"

now, he waits inside, sucking teeth as he attempts to eat something. he'll pretend he's not in such pain once the other is home, but fuck, it hurts.)

William G Maryblood | The Faraway Paladin | open (will match format)

[strength_of_will]

(ATTENTION: There's a group effort to fight the big monster happening. If you didn't sign up that's completely fine, just know that there's a coordinated group out there who are hard to miss. And if you DID sign up, that link has the general outline of the group's strategy for your perusal.)

1. Battle: Start

William is glad that he had the foresight to camp near Rumpitur ahead of time. All signs point to the monster emerging from the sea soon and they can't afford to be tired from a trek if they want to fight these creatures off. After calling for everyone to make one final check, he leads the way, following the trail of corruption to the coastline. They don't have to wait long.

"It's coming!" he shouts to the rest as the ground begins to shake. While he doesn't expect them to act as orderly or disciplined like the warriors back home, he can't help but fall back on that habit of leadership. It helps regardless, he thinks, to have someone to look to during a frenetic battle. William readies his spear and shield as the water heaves.

"Fortis vita." He extends the blessings of protection and resistance to everyone considered a part of the group. It's not immunity of course but it could still save a life. As soon as the octopus-like creatures break the water and touch the shore, he charges forward. "Go!"

(ooc: Feel free to tag him at any point in time during the fight. He's going to get hurt at some point while keeping the big creature's attention.)

2. Aftermath

William has somehow found a clean(-ish) rock to take a seat on, tired beyond all measure. Having been on the frontline distracting the main host, it's inevitable that he has ended up with a number of injuries. But in spite of them his expression carries a measure of grim satisfaction. They had successfully captured the creature thanks to the combined efforts of Toph, Erichthonios, and Elidibus. The glowing stone walls had chased away the corruption from the creature, leaving it comedically small. William hadn't bothered to chase it when it slipped out afterwards; somehow, he felt that there would be no need to.

His goddess' blessing could easily take care of his injuries but, perhaps unsurprisingly, he insists on healing others first.

"Here, let me help you."

Those who ended up stained with the rot will receive priority treatment. Of course, he's not going to be helping anyone if he tires himself out first. You might catch him falling over as he tries to stand from his kneeling prayer position.

3. Homecoming

William takes the time to thank everyone he can who helped in the fight against the creature. While others may immediately head back to Aldrip, he lingers to check on the state of Rumpitur, its people, and the surrounding lands. Eventually, he does start the long trek back and returns to a partially ruined town. The quake seems to have done quite a bit of damage...

He's exhausted though. So exhausted that he ends up sitting on a piece of rubble and staring out at the rescue efforts in a daze. If his friends were here, they would have told him to rest long ago. William has the unfortunate habit of pushing himself too hard.

4. Wildcard

If you'd like to interact with William in a different situation, feel free to write a custom starter or PM me to discuss!

2

[garbagecanned]

[by now, Yosuke's corruption has crawled up the back of his neck and curled up to caress the side of his face. he's plenty beat up too, but when he sees William struggling to stand up... he frowns.]

No, you're going to sit down and rest for a bit. That's what you're going to do.

[he's more tired than he normally would be after a fight like this, but it's okay. he's gotta make sure everyone else is fine too, after he takes his own bit of rest.]

next steps; ota

[laserguy]

[Returning from the big fight with the scourge of the sea? Or just helping out with repairs of Aldrip? Well, apparently Scott hasn't gotten the memo that things are getting better now, despite the corruption fading from the town, because the marks on his skin are still present and visible and it sucks. He hates this, he hates feeling this way, and the fact that all his friends heroically went to stop the giant creature while he stayed behind, fearful of his own powers. Afraid of hurting others. He's so useless.

If only he could control his powers in the first place...

It's strange how that dull emptiness, the depression he's felt all month, swiftly changes into raw anger, hands curling into fists by his sides as he stares at the nearest building-- which so happens to be the club building. Good and bad memories mix through his mind staring at it and it's hard to focus on the ones that he cherishes, anger continuing to build up until he finds himself ripping his shades off his face.

A scream that bursts from his chest, as loud as the noise resounding through the area, accompanies the bright red beams shooting from Scott's eyes, smashing through the entrance and breaking apart metal with ease. Debris continues to fly everywhere as the damage expands, his head snapping up to slice through the floors that make up the tall building.]

[ooc: Scott's having a moment, feel free to stop him! I just ask that you don't kill him, and if you want your character to be hurt, that's cool! Just know that his beams are pretty much instant death, so it would be shrapnel from the building or something similar hitting your character. I'd also prefer if Scott doesn't outright kill anyone.]

[thegtg]

[is gojo's number one talent actually being in the wrong place at the wrong time? he's been wandering around aldrip, helping out here and there with various small tasks but mostly being a useless observer. he hears explosions, of course, but that's par for the course and he cuts down the back alley next to the building scott is demolishing, emerging just in time to catch a beam directly to the face--

--but seconds later, he steps out of the cloud of debris, untouched and waving the smoke away with one hand.]

Wow, you weren't kidding with the "super powerful optic blasts", were you?

[he says as he cautiously moves away from the building. he only gets five minutes of Limitless, after all, no need to tempt fate.]

Elidibus | ota

[heartofsalvation]

1)

[Though he's been careful enough, Elidibus knows he cannot fend against the rot infection much longer. Where it started in his hands, it has spread like a smudged ink stain up his wrist, one that has dripped venous paths along the way. At some point, he stopped keeping track of what he'd touched with or without gloves, long after the rot had taken hold.

He may be standing in the middle of a field of octopus blood, with smaller bodies littered about. He'd been one of the most ardent voices about not killing them if possible, and yet... here he is, doing just that. He may also be encountered after the battle, sitting curled forward on some wreckage trying to catch his breath.

If approached, he smiles sheepishly and turns halfway around.]

Have you any of those purifying rocks, friend? I fear I may need one...

[He holds up the hand with the rot. It's not easily distinguishable from the dirt marring his hands alongside it, but those who look closely enough will know the pattern.]

2)

[Whatever the result, the battle sees Elidibus finding himself dizzy after the fact. It's a struggle to get back to Aldrip, but he manages, only to see the state of the city after the fact. His home with Erichthonios didn't escape completely unscathed, either; upon assessing the damage from the outside, he turns his back to the wall and slides down it, thinking to rest for just a moment.

What he doesn't expect is to slump over until he passes out on the ground. It's not hard to spot him, a speck of light colors amid the destruction, but it seems so much aether expenditure in recent days has taken its toll.]

3)

[Wildcard! Either hit me with a scenario or DW PM/crystalzero/quko on Discord for plotting and custom starters! If the plan to capture the monster pans out, he'll be part of the containment team, as he and Erichthonios have a potent sealing spell that should, in theory, capture the monster in a crystal, not unlike a poke ball. If the thing ends up dead... well, we'll see, but he's definitely on team "don't kill it", if only because of what they could potentially learn from its behavior.

I may also come up with more prompts when the result of the battle comes in; stay tuned!?]

1

[likethestars]

[ Yuja's been going where she's needed. She knows that the idea to capture and cure the corruption of these creatures was floated, but she's much better suited for killing. Especially if the creatures are going to be such a nuisance.

It's while she's out helping those in need she catches sight of Elidibus looking a little worse for wear. Wasn't he supposed to be conserving his energy to help capture the big one? ]

Elidibus? [ She rushes over to get a better look at him. She's not much of a healer but she'll do what she can if she sees any wounds. Though it's his hands that she's taken aback by. ]

Why do you not have one with you already? [ She shakes her head as she reaches into a bag hanging from her hip and fishes out a stone. She presses it into his hand. ] Please don't lose it.

[heir_conditioned]

i. INTREPID ADVENTURERS
Camping isn't Shoto's thing. He can do it, he knows what he's doing and in survivalist situations he can make a decent go of it. Here he has had to hit the ground running. If someone needs a fire started, maintained, or put out, he's on hand (pun unintended) to help. Someone needs something regarding their tent, or breaking a tent down, or even sleeping arrangements. He will be there to help.

For his own go around, Shoto can be found making certain that he is looking out over other people that pass by. He remembers Izuku speaking on doing a headcount, and while he can't be certain... It sticks out to him enough that he does try to at least look over who is there. Now if he does it inconspicuously or not, that's another thing coming. He'd rather just look directly at someone, recognize their face as someone he's counted at least and then go back to his fire. If they look like they need help, he will get up from it and go to them instead.

iii. A CALL FOR AID
Manga Spoiler Warning.
At least here he can be of use. Fighting creatures and rescuing people is what he's used to, more the later than the former. He isn't opposed, Shoto's whole life is geared toward disaster management and mitigation. But here in the Blacksmith area he's at peace with putting his quirk to use. He can be seen tending fires, helping make water for quenching, even ice to keep the blacksmith's cool if they need to take a step back. At least in this environment his separate, or in tandem abilities to negate even the hottest of the heat have come in handy.

vi. THE LONG ROAD HOME
Shoto is happy that their efforts aren't gone to waste. That he got his ass whupped figuratively by someone who didn't even know him enough to set him straight. Izuku's death, permanent or not, shouldn't have made him so bitter. It had and he has been trying to make up for that ever since. That includes by getting back to his roots, if that means that he has to hide the corruption creeping up his arms, then he will. Longer sleeves, even less time around someone so they don't notice. As far as he knows it doesn't spread that way if he makes certain not to make actual contact with them that aren't through winter gloves or his jacket over his hero costume.

If it's for someone or not, he does what he can to help. Even superficially.

If someone notices his corruption, he will take his leave as not to alarm them or anyone else. He can think about it later when there isn't so much to do.

vii. NEXT STEPS
Now Shoto can rest. Or at least what constitutes as rest. He's been on the go non stop since things kicked off and he doesn't feel like he's slept in months. The gritty concoction and his very helpful if not nosy neighbour trying their best to keep him from over-working himself have done wonders for his issues with the corruption. Things are getting back to normal and, he's one of the lucky ones that didn't lose his home. He's thankful for that considering that there is more than him there.

Be it collecting rocks, helping others carry parts of their home, helping them move it with his ice to slide it on and arm strength willing to be put into good use-- So be it. He's there to help, wants to help and is ready to help. ...And then maybe sleep for a month. Any kind souls out there trying to get him to stop will have their work cut out for them, too. Convincing him isn't impossible, taking small breaks is a good thing, but there is a lot to do.

Wildcard
Anything else you'd like to do. I'm alright for any of the prompts with him. That includes him saving your character, your character saving him from something he didn't notice creeping up, dealing with corruption, helping your character save people. Go nuts. Just clearly mark which one you're doing and we're good. If you have any concerns or you just want to ask first, please PM this journal or you can get me on plurk/Discord using tlymphoCytes. If something doesn't sit right I promise to contact, too. I tried to leave a lot of these open-ended because there is just so much to do (which is great!) so that I didn't limit the scope.

I

[can_i_punt_it]

INTREPID ADVENTURERS
[A white haired man in medievalesque garb walks over to you, hauling a smaller monsters corpse] Do they pay you for the monsters materials, or should I leave it intact?

Silco | Arcane

[conflictresolution]

Aldrip

Silco wasn’t a fighter, and he didn’t care to be. While the veins of black corruption spreading was of concern to him, he wasn’t the type of person who would follow them to their source. He’d seen similar veins of living twisted roots before, and that’s how Shimmer had been created. He also knew that Shimmer in its purest raw form was benign but insidious with repeated long-term exposure.

His concern remained in the city of Aldrip, especially since Rumpitur remained out of reach to him since he had been dragged back the previous month. So, he would do what was necessary to preserve Aldrip while the heroics took place elsewhere. He would hear all about it anyway as word spread fast; everyone liked a good story with all the associated embellishments.

iii. A Call for Aid

First thing first, Silco commissioned a new dagger that had the necessary elements of the glowing stones to fend off any potential attacks. He might not care to fight, but he understood the value of having an effective weapon if he wasn’t given the choice. So there was a new addition to his belt that looked very, very similar to the other dagger that he happened to carry on his person.

That completed, he began to assist in the efforts to arm people by collecting and transporting the raw materials necessary for fabrication. From wood for fire burning to sacks of the glowing stones in a cart, Silco managed both locals and whichever Chosen had agreed to assist. He organized groups and gave them priorities on what to acquire from forest, cave, or dirt.

Carts were loaded, their inventory cataloged and the supplies were rolled around town to where they were needed. Silco stood with one such cart outside one of the blacksmiths. He was counting inventory – again – and looked over at someone passing by. “You there, I need assistance unloading this cart. I’ll pay you for your time.”

This was probably what being voluntold should feel like.

v. Disruption

Out in the fields, he had been investing the crop for his restaurants and tallying what was necessary to keep the harvest in good stead. He had wandered far afield to where the edge of the crops to examine the black corruption when he noted the octopus-like creatures heading in his direction.

Fighter, he was not. He looked around to judge the distance between himself and someone who might actually be able to tangle with these creatures. He, of course, was not looking to run so out in the open, both for ego purposes and the fact that running attracted attention. He began to back away, careful not to trod on the crops.

They came on faster than expected, and he was forced to actually draw his knife as he retreated hastily. Where was some heroics when he actually needed some? Jinx? He’d even take the brute. Or anyone!

Wildcard

[Don’t see anything that would entice your character to come visit crime daddy Silco? Either make your own starter, and come and discuss with me a closed starter on discord: apomorphine or plurk: apomorphine

iii. A Call for Aid

[heir_conditioned]

Shoto was used to voluntold. It rolls off his back as he was headed over, anyway. At the idea of compensation for his time, he shook his head and offered a simple. "No, that won't be necessary. Just tell me where you'd like it, and I will help."

No reason to start making people pay him for an effort that was beneficial to more than just a few people. Shoto didn't need to be constantly pretending to be part of the inner workings of the bellows, after all.

Emet-Selch | Final Fantasy XIV | open (will match format)

[emet_sulk]

1. Scourge from the Sea (Someone call for a medic?)

He's not here to fight other's battles. Emet-Selch is not that charitable. However, he can grudgingly offer his healing as part of Ethlyn's little group. They only number three and he did promise his aid, so...

The Ascian listens to the furore of battle taking place out of sight: the shouts, the inhuman screeching of dying creatures. It's a familiar sound. He has overseen many a battlefield.

When the first of the injured start arriving, he sighs a little but straightens, making his way over to assess the person. "Now, what have you done to yourself...?"

2. Picking up the pieces

Aldrip is in shambles. Emet-Selch's own home did not escape unscathed. It's unfortunate considering how recently they managed to have it built. He can be found standing before it, arms crossed, with a resigned look upon his face.

Well. Not much he can do about it now. If he had access to his full strength, he could repair it in a heartbeat. Instead he will have to settle for the slow process of manual labour.

He turns away and returns to town, picking his way through the rubble of collapsed buildings. A wave of his hand easily shifts heavy masonry off of trapped people but he doesn't really stop for anyone in particular until he encounters a more serious situation.

Someone is trapped beneath a mound of tenuously balanced stone and timber. A bit of magic won't save them; in fact if he disturbs the pile, it might just kill them instead. He stares at the mound as the locals yell for more assistance. Emet-Selch's soulsight can't help him with this problem.

"Don't just stand there - lend a hand!" someone snaps at him, startling him out of his contemplation. He bites back a retort. Using a little bit of aether to lift something is one thing, but something in him baulks at actually stepping up and offering to help here.

3. Wildcard

Any other ideas/situations? Feel free to PM me.

picking up the pieces

[snowslip]

[ Marianne responds to the call for help without hesitation, coming to kneel by the pile of fallen debris trapping the poor soul. Upon closer look she sees what Emet-Selch has already noticed and her expression grows conflicted. Her thin limbs don't have the strength to lift the rocks, especially ones as tenuously balanced as these. Trying to help may make things worse. Her eyes turn to her fellow healer, imploring. ]

What should we do?

caitlyn kiramman | arcane

[bulleting]

i: eastward

[Caitlyn had been itching for a fight. She wasn't usually one to rush right into trouble, but given everything that she had been dealing with the past two months, she really wanted to shoot something. Sentencing had been rough, and now she was seeing the repercussions from bringing in Silco. Vi was being distant after getting infected with the corruption. It was just not a great time.

As much as she didn't want to leave Vi alone, when she got word that a group was getting together to follow the rot and find the monster, she wasn't going to stay behind. She wanted this to end, for Vi's sake, but also for everyone else affected but this sickness. It just meant sneaking away when Vi was asleep, since Vi was adamant about Caitlyn staying out of the imminent danger.

She loaded up Toby with supplies, as well as her new collection of rocks, and joined the group in the trek back to Rumpitur. Between monster attacks and just the fact that it was a large group, travel was slow. Eventually, sunlight was gone and camp was made. She volunteered to be one of the first to take watch, and once most everyone was settled for the night, she found her a place to sit and keep an eye out, but slipped one of the glowing rocks out of her hand. She'd been drawn to them, like she was with any metal these days, but her idea was proving to be a bit harder than just simply making metal move to her will. She was trying to change it's shape. If the stone pushed away the corruption, what kind of effect would it have against the monster?

It seemed reasonable to try, but she's still new to this magic. Catch her in the act of trying? Or maybe you just can't sleep, in anticipation of the upcoming fight. Either way, Caitlyn is awake and fiddling.]

ii: scourge from the sea

[Caitlyn is grateful guns gives her distance from the chaos. After hunting it for the past few days and fighting off the onslaught of strange octupi, the monster has finally revealed itself.

She finally succeeded in turning the stones into bullets too, and as she fires off shot after shot at the corrupted creatures, it seems to be helping. It's working. It's really working.]

Look out! [She sees a monster approaching someone's blindside, and she throws a knife at it before it can make contact with the person. She sighs of relief, rushing to them to collect her knife and check in.]

That was close. Are you alright?

iii: the long road home

[With the monster taken care of, it's a relief to be back in Aldrip. While it's encouraging to see the signs of corruption dissipating, the destruction is heartbreaking. While Aldrip will never be Piltover, it's still become somewhat of a home to her. She wouldn't wish this sort of catastrophe on any city.

The damage only becomes more and more apparent as she gets into the residential areas. It's at this point that she drops from her chocobo, continuing her search on foot.]

Vi? Has anyone seen Vi? [She poses her question to anyone that passes, her worry increasing with every step closer to the house the two had claimed. If something had happened to her after she had left....she didn't know if she would be able to forgive herself.]

iv: wildcard

[surprise me! or feel free to hit me up at crystallium]

eastward;

[skelters]

What are you trying to do?

[ it's a quiet voice, pitched to reach her but not to wake anyone else from their slumbers. it might be a half-familiar figure a few feet away who speaks to her - a blond man, huddled into the voluminous folds of his red coat (he'd given the blanket away to someone else, figuring that they needed it more). when he catches caitlyn's eyes vash will tip his head to one side, the faint light of the fire glinting off his tinted glasses.

he recognises her in the next moment, it seems, because vash's expression brightens with a wide smile, and he straightens up somewhat from where he's curled into himself. ]

Oh, it's- Caitlyn, right?

[ he has always had good memory for faces and names. don't worry about it ... ]