{EVENT #1} ADVERSITY 131425.845119

[expiationmods]

THUS DO WE HUNGER

MOD NOTES: Welcome to the first event! Please direct any questions to the corresponding comment below. Note that characters can be involved in multiple prompts (whether you choose to thread that out or not), and that character decisions and actions taken on these prompts will affect future events, storylines, and relationships with other peoples of Expiation. In two weeks from this event, the moderator team will be posting a poll on the OOC community that will allow players to share what actions their characters took and two weeks after that, there will be an announcement made sharing said results, how those actions have impacted the state of the world, the game's story, what information can be used ICly, and so on. The various prompts are, of course, optional, so you're not required to travel to Rumpitur if you don't wish to. You're not required to help the locals or other Chosen during the food shortage. There is an option to simply not be involved, and that too can have potential repercussions on the future of the game's overarching story and other characters.

WE'RE STARVING HERE!

HOW TO REPAIR A REFRIGERATOR 101

     

Do you remember the fishing tournament where a variety of locals and Chosen alike submitted a bunch of fish for a very modest and unimpressive wooden sculpture? Well... about that...

Aldrip's refrigeration has catastrophically failed and as a result, the food stores that the locals have been keeping are now on the verge of total and utter collapse. The townspeople are in an absolute uproar. According to them, this has never happened before and though they would normally just pray to Those Who Were There for a resolution, they kind of need something immediate. Otherwise, all residents of Aldrip are facing the very real threat of starvation.

The good news is that you can help!

The more handy of the Aldrip townsfolk are going to get right to work on repairing the refrigeration units. At present, the only units that exist belong to those who are making food and providing them to the townspeople. This means people like the tavern keepers, the inn, bakers, and other miscellaneous cooks, are those who possess and control these refrigeration units. If you've got some handyman skills, put them to work, though be aware that working on repairing the technological malfunction might just be an electrifying experience. Literally.

---

THE ALTERNATIVE TO COOKING MAMA

     

There sure has been a lot of opportunities to cook, but now Aldrip needs cooks and would-be cooks like never before!

Those not necessarily good with repair work might find themselves better suited for hunting the local wildlife, whether that's on the meadowland plains or taking, yet again, a fishing pole into hand. A good deal of the meat, vegetables, and fruit that was already preserved has spoiled and will need to be replaced hastily if people want to continue eating.

With bodies going to retrieve replacement food, there's suddenly an open and demand for people who either already have experience with cooking or just really want to learn. There's no better way to learn than some truly hands-on experience. For those with some cooking in their background, even if it's simple at its best, the kitchens are free and available. You might not have your choice cuts of meat or whatever else you might be accustomed to preparing, but fortunately the dried spices and herbs aren't impacted by the food shortage. Consider making something flavourful or just really spicy. (Alphen, we're looking at you.)

If you haven't cooked before and you're one of those who's just dying to learn, pair up with a buddy in the kitchen, or fumble along. Beggars can't be choosers, after all, and we're facing a crisis. Maybe the threat of having no food will encourage people to try whatever you make, no matter how black, crispy brown it might turn out.

The more innovative and creative individuals may find a way to dry / dehydrate anything caught or harvested. Or we can just have a huge impromptu grilling adventure where people hold raw meat over fire. Your choice!

WE'RE OFF TO SEE... THE NAGA?

WE COME IN PEACE

     

Aldrip is hardly the only settlement on the continent of Expiation and though the various peoples of these settlements can often stick within their own, when times are hard and adversity encroaches on livelihood, they're not against seeking the aid of others. Some of the more well-travelled of the Aldrip locals are planning an expedition to visit Rumpitur, an impressively-sized village on a peninsula to the east of Aldrip.

They are ready and willing to take all volunteers who are interested in accompanying them to barter for food and other potentially needed supplies. The visit to Rumpitur will require travel through the Pessiria Forest, a thick veil of trees that one can be easily lost in, but if everyone's together, then it shouldn't be an issue.

Consider joining the expedition and getting to know some of Expiation's other peoples.

Rumpitur is home to a race of naga-like people with scaled features, tails, sharp teeth, and forked tongues. Their way of life is considerably more simple in comparison to some of Aldrip's fancier advancements. They are skilled combatants and a fishing people, whose diet primarily consists of seafood. In Rumpitur, one may take note of their many-in-number stone constructs, depicting a notable and perhaps significant naga.

Although they may seem intimidating at first glance and can have terse ways of speaking, they are amicable enough and will be willing to do business with Aldrip and her citizens.

---

OR MAYBE WE DON'T

     

The visit from Aldrip, which is a rare occurrence indeed, results in much confusion for the Rumpiturian people, and this may or may not be considered a blessing to those who could be more unscrupulous in nature.

Although the visit to Rumpitur is meant to be one of peace, locals of Aldrip and the Chosen alike have the opportunity to steal supplies from the people. If they choose to do this, they may find that there are no immediate repercussions for this course of action. The likelihood is that this visit has caught the Rumpiturians so off-guard that they're not expecting to be robbed. Of course, how this will impact things in the future remains to be seen...

Individuals may grab as much as they can carry, depending on what they've brought with them. The locals of Aldrip who planned this expedition provided convenient-to-carry containers that can be filled with anything retrieved from the village and her kind. Larger containers will require at least two people to carry when filled, so perhaps you're inclined to work with a partner-in-crime. Just remember that for every action, there's a consequence, even if you're not seeing it right away!

Rumpitur will not notice that they are missing inventory until well after Aldrip has left and travels back through the forest to town, so no one need fear the chasing and hissing of snakes into Pessiria.

Probably.

HOLD ONTO YOUR VALUABLES

IT'S NOT REAL... RIGHT?

     

Those who've decided to brave the forest will find on their adventure to Rumpitur that it's rather straight forward and proceeds without incident.

The sky above the trees is a difficult thing to see, blocked out by the way the evergreens stretch and imposingly tower above. At times light may scatter through various openings in branches, but it is a largely darker atmosphere, and at night requires the assistance of candlelight or related.

Travellers with the courage to make way through the forest with the others may hear occasional snaps, cracks, whispers, and more enigmatic sounds that are difficult to justify with logic. Of course, whether this is all in the head or something truly more sinister at play is up for debate. Despite the strange occurrences that one may experience, no members of the Chosen will find themselves harmed or otherwise physically disturbed initially. That said, some may later find themselves haunted by strange dreams and visions of the forest in the future if they are especially sensitive to such things.

Were those sounds real? Were you just hearing things? It's probably wisest not to investigate further. At least, maybe not now...

---

COUNT YOUR NUMBERS

     

Aldrip has a great many stories about Pessiria Forest and many of the other towns, landmarks, settlements, and people scattered across the continent. Most of these stories seem to depict folklore or a certain mythological feeling about them, implying that many of the locals don't truly believe in any of the more macabre tales. Pessiria Forest has no shortage of poetry and song that pertains to its supposedly 'holy' grounds and mysterious happenstances.

There are several alleged accounts about people having gone missing in the forest, due to how complicated it is to navigate by one's self. The more people travelling together, the safer it is purported to be.

Before leaving for Rumpitur, heads have been counted to ensure that wherever they start is also where they end up, however, for the more observant, one may find that the returning party is short of a few heads. Maybe some of them stayed behind to further the diplomatic efforts with the Rumpiturians. Maybe they're going to catch up later. Maybe they took a different pathway through the forest with some of their mates. Maybe there's something more untoward going on.

If this is brought up to the locals, the leaders of the expedition will warily make note of it and conduct their own investigation. At least, they say they will. Either way, it's suspicious no matter how you may turn it. Perhaps put heads together with another and see if you're just miscounting.

Comments

Ritsu Shikishima | Caligula: Overdose

[suicideprototype]

we come in peace

[Ritsu has multiple reasons for joining this expedition. 1. Diplomacy is undoubtedly his forte, so this just seems like the task he's most well-suited for. 2. He is very curious about what lies outside of Aldrip, so why pass up this chance to investigate for himself?

Fortunately, the task doesn't seem particularly difficult. Although the people of Rumpitur don't look like the friendliest of neighbors at first, they seem amenable enough to the idea of doing business with Aldrip. And just when Ritsu is about to breathe a sigh of relief, he spots a theft in progress.]

...What are you doing?

[His voice is soft, but although he has a smile on his face, his eyes are cold.]

or maybe we don't

[...And it keeps happening. Again and again, until Ritsu's patience really begins to wear thin. Which is why, if this is when he catches you trying to steal something, his usual friendly demeanor is absent.]

Say... Are you trying to sabotage us, or are you simply very stupid?

hold onto your valuables

[As night begins to fall, the forest suddenly seems a lot more sinister. He doesn't remember it seeming so unfriendly on the trip out, but then, the expedition had headed out with hope and a clear goal in their hearts. That was a factor that could very well have played a large part in making their surroundings seem a little brighter.

Now, with everyone just eager to find their way back home, it isn't so surprising that the road should seem longer and more fraught with danger.]

This place would be perfect for a test of courage.

[He grins a little, and because he's not the type who's scared of ghosts...]

Want to hear a ghost story to pass the time?

wildcard
[Feel free to hit me with something else if there's another part of the journey you'd like to play out!]

valuables

[grappler]

[a test of courage...whatever.

Vi just looks at Ritsu when he mention the ghost story, thinking about telling him to just beat it. but she doesn't. instead:]

Why a ghost story?

[just wondering.]

[suicideprototype]

Because the atmosphere is right.

[It's like how people wait until it's nice and dark out before they watch a horror movie, right?]

[grappler]

[. . .

she rolls her eyes.]

Okay then. Do your worst.

[suicideprototype]

[Truth be told, he hadn't expected her to take him up on it, let alone issue a challenge like that. He's silent for a moment, wracking his brain.

She may have said do your worst, but it would still be a dick move to tell a story that involves too much gore, he thinks. Anything that involves him raising his voice all of a sudden in an attempt to jumpscare her would also be over the line — what if it does cause her to jump or stumble? She could end up getting hurt in this forest.]

In a forest in Fukuoka, past an old tunnel, they say that there's an abandoned village that doesn't appear on any map.

[They're in a forest, so to do his worst, he should tell a story about a forest, right?]

A long time ago, the people of that village fell victim to a mysterious illness. They looked to the outside for aid — for a doctor who might be able to cure them, or medical supplies that might be able to ease their suffering.

But when someone from the outside finally came, it wasn't to help; instead, the tunnel — the only way in or out of that village — was sealed, and all the villagers were trapped inside. The authorities had deemed that it would be better if the illness wasn't allowed any chance to travel beyond that village.

The villagers died cursing the people who'd abandoned them, and today, if you find yourself in that forest, they say that you can hear strange sounds and see strange shadows in the dark. They say to run if you do, or you might not make it out of that forest alive.

After all, the spirits of the villagers still roam the area.

[grappler]

[is it because she's a girl that he thought against gore and all that stuff--

she snorts, rolling her eyes at the end of the story.]

So, you're trying to relate it to this forest. You saying the spirits in the dark would be the scariest part?

[even though that would be really fucking creepy...in a story, it's not so much.]

Kind of like a monster under your bed. Pretty lame.

valuables

[aintyourdad]

[ Joel turns to face the strange kid - he's got most of his attention on the forest, alert to anything that might be approaching their party. ]

A good place to get killed, you mean. And I don't believe in ghosts.

[suicideprototype]

[It doesn't seem that dangerous yet, but Ritsu can understand the sentiment. He's sure there have been cases of people stupidly getting themselves killed while on a test of courage.]

Are you the type who believes there's a scientific explanation for inexplicable phenomena?

[Ghost stories can still be fun even then, because then you can spend time trying to work out a logical explanation for every strange thing that happened in the story — that's what Ritsu might ordinarily say, anyway. But Joel's clearly wary of their surroundings, and Ritsu's not tone-deaf enough to try to convince him that something so silly is worthy of his attention in such a situation.

Joking around probably isn't the route to take for lightening the mood around this guy, or at least, that's the sense Ritsu gets. So he makes an attempt at being more solemn.]

To be honest, this place has been so different from what I'm used to that I'm not sure what to expect from any of this.

[aintyourdad]

I'm the type who knows that dead is dead.

[ If ghosts were real, he'd be haunted by a lot of them. ]

It's a forest. There's dangerous things in forests. [ And he's turning back to said forest, scanning the gloom for threats. ]

[suicideprototype]

[The type who knows that dead is dead... Someone Ritsu got along very well with once gave him a similar answer when asked about ghosts. Even though Joel's temperament is entirely different, Ritsu can't help but be reminded of him.]

Dangerous things...

[What level of dangerous, though? Dangerous like a hungry wolf that sees humans as a hearty meal, or dangerous on a much worse level?]

If there were something seriously bad in here, the locals would have mentioned it... right?

[Or would have at least shown more hesitation about taking part in an expedition that involved trekking through that forest, surely?]

[aintyourdad]

[ Joel shrugs. ]

They wouldn't have sent us on this little expedition if there was no chance we'd make it back. But what's the alternative? We starve to death if we can't get a regular source of food and a way to store it.

hold onto your valuables

[inemeraldfaith]

Oh, that's true...

[A test of courage. Aerith has to wonder what just such a test would entail. If she were travelling it alone, she can imagine things would be a great deal different. In the company of others from Aldrip, even the darkening sky doesn't seem to dampen her mood terrible much.

When he makes mention of ghosts, she thinks back to the train graveyard, the memories there, of Cloud and Tifa, and a vision of a younger version of herself.]

You must not be very superstitious if you're looking to tell stories here and now.

[She's not telling him 'no,' though, so...]

[suicideprototype]

To tell you the truth, I just wanted to see what kind of reaction I'd get.

[You can learn a lot about a person from that! And also, he may have been guilty of once freaking out a friend by pretending he saw a ghost behind her.

It was only meant as a light bit of mischief, though — really, he's more interested in Aerith than he is in stories.]

What about you? Do you consider yourself superstitious?

[inemeraldfaith]

Hm... That's a good question.

[One that she doesn't seem to have an immediate response to. Is she superstitious? Perhaps more than the average person living in Midgar, though it isn't really superstition that has her act the way she does. It's simply a truth that only she is privy to in a way that only she can be.]

I do believe in ghosts, if that's what you're asking me. I've seen them back home!

[suicideprototype]

What were they like?

[Were they little wisps of fire? Maybe the partially-transparent-but-still-human type is more accurate? He's very curious.]

[inemeraldfaith]

[...What were they like? Aerith looks thoughtful. Reverent, even. They looked a little more scary than they actually were, honestly. So maybe it would be more accurate to think that ghosts tend to be misunderstood.]

I think they looked a little more frightening than they actually were. It's hard for me to describe them. Long sleeves? Multiple hands? Long claws? And uhm. I guess... a tail? I'd know if I saw another one, but I haven't seen anything like that here yet.

[Probably sounds a little nuts objectively, though. She looks curious before she continues.]

Have you ever seen any?

hold onto your valuables

[emyoji]

[ To be perfectly honest, Seimei did nick an item or two during their trip. He also slipped them right back, creating a pretty pointless minor loop just to see if it could be done. The snake-like locals seemed completely unaware, with no secret defenses or security sprung on him, and nothing had happened during the whole event, so other than possibly getting caught and lectured by another Chosen, his experiment resulted in confirming only that they were peaceful and seemingly non-threatening.

That didn't clear up much. On the way back, he ends up walking alongside Ritsu. Whether he was caught by him or not, he definitely doesn't seem bothered by the other man. At the mention of ghost stories, though, his eyes go wide. Maybe a little exaggeratedly so. ]

Do you know something about the area? Ah, it's unlucky to tell ghost stories around haunted places... but all right. Tell me.

[suicideprototype]

[Truthfully, Seimei struck Ritsu as particularly interesting the first time they'd spoken. Having him as company on the trip back is a welcome addition, so far as Ritsu's concerned, even if he might have been less enthused about Seimei stealing.]

I wish I could say I knew anything about this place, but it's more that it reminded me of something from back home.

[Come to think of it, perhaps Seimei might be familiar with it as well. Seimei is one of the few other Chosen who also happens to be Japanese, after all.]

Have you ever heard of Inunaki Village?

[emyoji]

[It was all an innocent game, he'd said. He was just seeing if he could do it, and he had never intended to keep anything ill-gotten. Which, of course, was true. Seimei hadn't wanted to keep the stolen goods. Luckily for him, Ritsu doesn't seem to hold a grudge and Seimei is happy to go along with polite cooperation when it appears Ritsu has moved on from his minor criminal activity.]

Oh? Inunaki... isn't that the tunnel where some unsavory crimes took place? I haven't seen it myself.

[As if people might actually go there and he just hasn't had time. But then again, it's hard to discern truth from rumor.]

[suicideprototype]

That's right.

[The area is probably sealed off now, he thinks. So he'd be surprised if Seimei has seen it for himself. (But if he had, Ritsu would have so many questions for him about what it was actually like.)]

They say the forest near that area is dangerous, right? You can see shadows at night — and if you get close to the tunnel, you can hear something that sounds like the wailing of a dog.

[Because of course. It wouldn't be 犬鳴村 without the 犬鳴 part of the name coming into play, right?]

Some people say it's probably just the way the wind bounces off the tunnel, but... what do you think?

[emyoji]

[Maybe he should have gone. Maybe he should have at least attempted to investigate, but there were so many places shrouded in rumors and urban legends these days that really had nothing to do with oni anymore. The old places were few and tucked away, so could it hurt that much even if there was something there?]

There are a lot of stories about crimes in that area, right? Maybe it's just something people made up to avoid trouble.

[If that sounds like an excuse, well, maybe it's secretly an excuse.]

It's possible to mishear things when you're already scared and out of familiar territory. Wouldn't it be more likely to be a misunderstanding than a monster or ghost dog?

[Seimei smiles as if that might ward off the possibility of anything being real.]

I've been hearing things recently here too. Maybe trees are just creepy at night! Do you believe in magic, Akabana-san?

Or Maybe We Don't

[nonbinding]

[With the would-be thief rebuked and sent on their way, Eiji can't help but share his own scorn as he watches the fool scurry off.]

Idiot.

[He clicks his tongue as he speaks. Disgust drips off the word, as if tangible and solid.]

You'd think they had no sense of self-preservation.

[suicideprototype]

I'm always surprised by the number of people who can't seem to understand that short-term benefits don't always outweigh long-term costs.

[If the situation were more desperate and it looked like negotiations were doomed to fail, Ritsu would understand it more. As is, it's beyond his comprehension.]

I suppose I should be grateful that you at least operate on the same wavelength as me.

[nonbinding]

We barely know who these people are.

[Well. Snake people. But after Hell, Eiji doesn’t see why the fuck it would matter. They’re sapient beings, intelligent enough to organize a town and society.

That means they’re basically a resource. Who the fuck would throw away a resource this great immediately.]

It’s no way to start a partnership. But I suppose lice wouldn’t care about that. They just eat whoever they ride upon.

[suicideprototype]

[Perhaps Eiji is doomed to always bear witness to such behavior. If the thieves here are lice, Ritsu wonders how Eiji saw Ayana when she was terrorizing Stork instead of trying to get him to cough up information on μ's whereabouts. He'd been nothing short of cordial during that entire incident, but Ritsu doubts Eiji's thought processes were as polite.]

...I think I'd really have liked to get a peek into your mind during Mobius.

[They did speak quite often in Mobius, but Eiji never really allowed Ritsu a peek behind the curtain. Can Eiji tell that Ritsu is fascinated?]