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expiationlogs2024-01-14 12:09 pm
{event #6} adversity 5648654.484
| 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
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…
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
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.
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.
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
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.
aftermath
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.]
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That's certainly not the only reason he's glad Yosuke is here. But it helps.
In this case, he knows not to argue, not just because of that tone, but also because he's starting to feel it, too. Still, his voice is reluctant, even as his hands slow.]
... Alright. One minute.
[But he's meticulous as ever, shaking excess dirt off of the gardening tools, cleaning them before putting them away, wiping his hands before he pats a few spots of dirt off of his pants.]
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Yosuke waits, because he's not going to go anywhere until he's satisfied that Yu's going to actually get ready to leave. his expression softens a bit though, and he makes himself relax.]
What're you thinking tonight? I'm thinking ramen, or some soup or something. It's too damn cold out here.
[but it's okay, because everything was starting to calm down now. Yu was beginning to be more like himself again, which is quite honestly a relief. even if it might take Yosuke a little bit longer, it's fine. because at least he's getting there. it'd been so weird with his partner not being himself over the past weeks...]
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The moments of clean-up give Yu a little bit of time to get his head back on straight; he's been doing a lot of thinking, sometimes on the verge of brooding, and even though he knows it's no good to anyone, he just keeps replaying things over in his mind. Mistakes, fights, feelings -- it's all so much that he's not sure where to even start processing it. Maybe if he tries hard enough to act normal, it'll start to feel better. More natural.
He hums thoughtfully at the suggestion, and then nods.]
Soup works. Eat in? Or do you want to go out?
[... It does help, strangely enough. Talking about things like this, as if they're still in Inaba --at home, he almost thinks-- figuring things out after school.]
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[the less time spent outside, the better. also he kind of wants to sit in the relative quiet anyway, after all the drama and chaos of the past few days. now that Yu's feeling better, it's even more incentive to just sit at home with him. at least for today.]
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[He's a little relieved by the at home suggestion, himself. The quiet is helpful, and if he's being honest, working in the kitchen is, too. He pauses, then gently bumps his shoulder against Yosuke's.]
Might need an extra set of hands to help get things ready, though.
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Maybe I won't even cut myself this time.
[he nudges Yu back before he starts walking, glad that there's some semblance of normalcy again. he's got his Yu back... or at least mostly.
mostly is fine.]
Times like these I'm glad I got a partner that knows how to cook.
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I'll make an excellent housewife, someday.
[He's even got jokes, I guess, hands sliding into his pockets as they walk.]
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Hm...
[oh my god............................................]
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Yosuke is squinting at him oddly...]
You know that's a joke. Right?
[?????]
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Maybe I still have a maid outfit somewhere...
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Hmm. It did look cute on you.
[REVERSE UNO]
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Yosuke fights back the urge to shriek.]
No, no! You're the housewife here, not me!!
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Housewives don't usually wear maid outfits, though.
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Not according to some of my magazines at home...
[STOP]
Or they wear nothing but an apron.
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Just the apron, huh... There are easier ways to get burns, if that's what you're into.
[How is this really happening...help]
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Yosuke's face warms at the thought of it.]
Dude, it's not supposed to be for actual work! Just to look at some ass and legs... kinda like a role play scenario, you know?
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Is that something you're into? Role-playing?
[Does this count as irony...just asking for a friend.]
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I... well... maybe a little...
[he's gonna hook a finger into the neck of his shirt and give it a tug.]
I mean... isn't that essentially what the nurse thing would be... ?
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Mhm. [He's doing this thing where his voice pitches lower as he hums his agreement. It's a targeted attack, designed to fluster; almost like he's urging Yosuke to keep thinking about it. But he leaves it at that for now, infuriatingly, leaving Yosuke in suspense about what might be on his mind.]
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Don't "mhm" me, you probably have weird shit you like too! You've never fessed up to it, but I definitely know it's true.
[:////]
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You're probably right, [he says, stupidly enigmatic, as if he doesn't know or something. And of course he leaves it there for a few minutes as they walk, like he's not going to give any more than that. Then, after a pause, maybe a block or two from the house,]
... The red lipstick from the pageant. [You know the one.] I don't think that counts as "weird," but. [He shrugs a shoulder.]
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Bruh.
he tenses as if hes going to holler about it, then considers it for a moment... and then shrugs. you know what--]
It... could definitely be weirder, I guess.
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See? Not that weird.
[Shoes go off, left in the genkan. He's doing that thing again, keeping his answer enigmatic, like some dumb mystery.]
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I bet you've got weirder, and you're just saving it for later.
[he doesn't know why or what Yu would even be hiding... but he's suspicious!!]
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