expiationlogs | {event #6} adversity 5648654.484

Entry tags:

{event #6} adversity 5648654.484

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.]

[It's like Scott isn't even aware of Gojo's presence, his words not even acknowledged as the screaming continues. All he can feel, can even concentrate on, is this burning anger that's clouded his vision, turning it more red than it normally is. The mutant doesn't stop, still swinging his head around, his blasts tearing through the clubhouse and letting more debris start falling around the older man.

If this continues, there probably won't be much left of the building, the structural integrity about ready to collapse.]

[oh, the kid is having one of those days...gojo slowly circles around him, pondering on whether he should try to talk him down or just...

making up his mind, he steps directly behind scott and flicks the back of his neck, hard, right where a certain nerve usually is. if successful it should cause scott to collapse and gojo readies himself to catch the teen.]

[The technique thankfully works, the screaming immediately cutting short along with those red beams, as Scott starts slumping forward, eyes closing while his glasses fall to the ground from limp fingers. Thanks, Gojo, for catching him, so that he doesn't just eat dirt, oh and please pick up his shades too while you're at it, what a bro.

It definitely feels like Gojo just flicked a switch though, all the noise and destruction immediately stopping from one little attack, perhaps showing how out of his depth Scott is, despite the destruction he can cause.]

[with a grunt of effort gojo heaves the now limp scott over his shoulder, snagging the glasses from the ground as he does so. now time to drag the kid home and put him to bed, as a responsible adult would do.

scott will wake up in his own bed, glasses placed neatly on his face. should he investigate the house, he will find gojo sprawled on the couch, apparently playing a game on his tablet. listen, when scott says "get out of my house", gojo hears "make yourself at home". every time. does gojo even have a house of his own yet??]

[A light groan leaves the young teen as he slowly wakes up, those familiar shades thankfully on him as he opens his eyes to the familiar world of red. Was... was he sleeping the entire time? That engulfing rage, the anger he felt... was that all some horrible dream? He can almost feel a dull hope spread through his chest, because while that anger is gone, for now, the corruption hasn't fully left him, leaving him drained.

But maybe... he didn't destroy the club building. Maybe none of that happened?

Scott cautiously pulls himself up from his bed, still uncertain of everything but wanting to investigate to some degree, maybe check the building to be sure. Yeah, that would be a good idea. So, he steps out of his room-- only to be greeted by a familiar man sitting on his couch.]

...Gojo? What are you doing here? [He doesn't have it in him to really be annoyed this time.]

Scottie!

[he practically cheers, straightening up and actually giving scott the attention he was previously giving the tablet.]

I see we're feeling better? You were really out of it before.

[he doesn't even really give scott time to answer before moving on.]

But hey, you weren't kidding about the optic blasts. Really impressive, I mean it.

[...So all that did happen, huh? That wasn't some terrible dream; he really lost control of his powers, of his feelings, and destroyed a building that not only meant a lot to him and Kotone, but to others. It's a place where people fucking gather and pretend to be normal for a while, host clubs and just have fun, and he ruined that. Tears prick from behind his eyes as everything starts to pile up, with the mutant really only being able to stare down at the ground.

He doesn't even know what to say to Gojo's 'compliment,' because right now, it doesn't feel like one. Scott feels like turning back to his room and lying down on his bed once more, although some of that anger is slowly returning back as well, because he's such a fuckup, isn't he? He ruined things, he hurt people, and--]

Leave me alone.

[Sulky angry teenage angst.]

[oh, teen angst. how well gojo knows thee. and how well he completely ignores it.]

C'mon, don't be that way. After I carried you home and everything.

[He knows that he should probably thank Gojo, not only for carrying him back, but for stopping him. Scott's at least assuming that he did, a little hard to be certain when everything suddenly went black, but why else would Gojo be grinning at him and being as annoying as before?]

Thanks, appreciate it. [Before he starts crying in front of Gojo!! That would be really embarrassing. So much for keeping his emotions at bay and being more calm, because it's not happening now. Maybe he can give himself a pass this once, because shit sucks.]

Just go away. [...] Or sit there, I don't care. I'm going back to my room. [Part of him wants to check on the club building, see the damage that he's done, but just the mere thought gives him pause. He doesn't want to see it, not right now. Not when he's already feeling like this.]

It was just a little property destruction, you know. Not like you blasted anybody that I can tell.

[a beat.]

Well, except for me, but I'm awesome.

[its like he can tell scott needs a little propping up but isnt self aware enough to do it properly.]

It wasn't just property destruction!

[Outside of his house and maybe Kotone's room, the club building is probably the place that holds the most sentimental value to him and now it's destroyed, or at least heavily damaged, by him. Logically, he knows that it can just be repaired, but he's just so upset, feelings still heightened by the marks.

Hands curl by his sides as he glares at Gojo from behind those shades, cheeks red as he starts yelling at him again.]

You wouldn't get it! [Even though he should be relieved that no one got hurt, he can't focus on that. Looking on the bright side? Sounds fake.]

Okay, explain it to me then.

[totally unbothered by the yelling??]

You're not going to understand!

[His teeth clench around a quivering lip, still trying his best not to cry. Somehow, it feels worse than getting angry, although that same rage almost caused him to kill someone else. Everything is just overwhelming and he can barely think, even without the voices shouting in his head. This whole month he felt almost nothing and now it's all slamming back into him at once and it's fucking awful.

Can't he just feel like himself again? He wants his friends or Kotone or Dazai--]

You just got here and everything. You wouldn't care about a stupid club building. You probably just wanted to show off. [Cause this guy's clearly an asshole.]

Hey now, I was just minding my own business and happened by. No need to start throwing accusations around.

[but he is slowly cottoning on to what might be happening here.]

So it was some place you liked to hang out, huh? What made you decide to, you know...

[he points to his eyes, points to scott. you know. that thing.]

I don't know!

[How does he explain that splitting anger that engulfed his entire mind? The corruption that made him feel so empty before quickly shifting and turning, until all he could do was scream and fire at anyone or anything nearby. Scott barely understands it himself and maybe that's even worse. He wasn't even in control of himself and for someone that can't even control his powers in the first place, it just feels like a double whammy. Makes him feel like a dangerous freak.

Shoulders tensing underneath his building feelings, Scott finds himself shouting once more, although his voice cracks with a wet sob as he feels his vision blurring.]

I didn't want to! It just happened, okay?! I... I didn't want to...

[Except he sort of did?? At least a tiny part of him did. File that with the confusing emotion bit.]

[oh no, not the crying!! think fast gojo, what can you do to make the crying stop.]

I'm sure it'll be fine. After all who amongst us hasn't destroyed a building at some point? It's just part of growing up.

[...or being a grown up, if gojo's actions are to be believed. destroyed buildings? that's someone else's problem.]

[Scott remains completely silent in the face of Gojo's reassurance, shielded eyes staring at the other man for a few seconds, before shoulders start to shake with a small gasp breaking out past those quivering lips. He was trying really hard not to cry, but emotions suck. Feelings are hard. And he can't handle it.]

J-just go away.

[He turns his face away, his arm coming up to wipe his eyes and push his sunglasses up, before starting to openly sob in front of Gojo. He feels embarrassed and angry at himself and maybe that's not a good combination, because teenagers are normally volatile under stress. He doesn't care though, he'll just fucking blow the roof off his house next. Scott's still feeling emotional enough for that.]

[EMERGENCY EMERGENCY THE CRYING DIDN'T STOP. what to do next??? gojo slowly rises from the couch and, stopping at arm's length from scott, reaches out and pats his shoulder.]

Oh, boy. Uh, there, there. No use crying over spilled bricks?

[wow he sounds so confident! not.]

[His shoulders tense when he feels a hand on him, because he doesn't want anyone near him, especially not someone who's still making fun of him right now.]

I'm going to fucking blast you if you don't leave!

[Scott shouts at Gojo, but the threat probably doesn't land the way he intended, not with how he's still crying against his arm, loud sniffling escaping past hiccupping breaths as he tries to get himself under control. Maybe a decent effort, but an emotional teenager is just that, not really succeeding despite everything.]

I think we both know that's not true.

[if anything now he just sounds patient.]

You've done enough blasting for the day, right?

I-I want to be done, but.

[The patience goes a long way to settle Scott in some ways, but he's still visibly upset, his shoulder shaking underneath Gojo's grasp. He hates feeling this way and how it's building back up, his eyes squeezing tighter behind his arm as he tries to push back the pain in his skull to no avail.]

My head still fucking hurts, and the shouting's coming back. I-It just doesn't stop, Gojo!! Why won't it?!

Just gonna venture a guess here, it proooobably has something to do with the corruption.

[he squeezes scott's shoulder and lets go, the better to pose thoughtfully.]

Do we even have a hospital here? You should probably have that looked at.

There isn't a cure, that's why everything here is all corrupted and shit!

[Okay, so there is a cure now, but Scott doesn't know about it yet, because he was too busy being angry and destroying stuff. It's sometimes hard dealing with a bunch of feelings while also having uncontrollable eye lasers stored in your head, okay!! The anger starts to spread more and Scott clenches his teeth, knowing that he's about 5 seconds away from blowing up his house.

He yanks his arm away, this time looking in Gojo's general direction with his eyes snapped closed.]

Just do me a favor and knock me out, okay? In fact, just keep knocking me out if you see me wake up!

[Scott this is probably a bad plan.]