{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

Sephiroth | The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII

[iravehementi]

i. Rumpitur / ...Or Maybe We Don't

[Sephiroth had been sitting lotus style at the base of a massive crystal beneath Lorentia Cave in silent meditation. His astral projection wandered Aldrip, listening to snippets of conversation and watching panicked citizens comment on a food crisis. None if it had been interesting. If Aldrip starved to death over night, Sephiroth would have felt nothing.

But then he heard about an expedition being sent out to a nearby settlement, one occupied by Naga. This, he thought, was interesting. Unfortunately his illusions and astral projections couldn't travel so far from his body. If he wanted to see this new people, it would have to be with his own flesh and blood eyes.

So he has come to Rumpitur with the other travelers. He walks silently around the stone buildings, seemingly lost in thought but always very aware of his surroundings. Sometimes, he notices people tucking away valuables and quietly follows them until he has the opportunity to step out into a path or a street, blocking their way forward.

He eyes them and smiles.]

Find anything?

ii. It's Not Real...Right?

[The journey back to Aldrip is much more interesting to Sephiroth than the one to Rumpitur. All around him he sees, hears and feels the creaks and moans of the forest in a way simple logic can't explain.

Magic, he thinks to himself. Professor Hojo used to chastise him for his fondness for terms like "magic" and "special powers", arguing that every phenomenon could be explained by science. Sephiroth sees things differently. Magic exists and it is everywhere. He knows this as a creature who, himself, exists beyond the limits of scientific reason.

As such a creature, he is insatiably curious about phenomena he can't easily explain. So he quickly wanders off from the group, vanishing into the darkness of the forest.

It is not enough to see how the forest reacts to his presence, however. He wants to know how it will react to others. People might see illusions in the distance: Dancing lights, humanoid figures, shifting creatures, and children running off into the foliage. Whatever the illusion is, it will quickly lead them to the base of a vast tree where, at first, nothing happens. But are those black feathers drifting down from the branches?]

((want to plan something else? Hit me up at the CR/Plotting meme))

ii

[grappler]

[Vi is nosy and kind of a rebel. so when people say don't wander into the creepy forest, she's obviously going to end up doing it. it's one of her first times outside of Aldrip after all, and she wonders what else she can see.

she finds herself at the tree after seeing everything out of the corner of her eyes. a touch, almost a tickle lands on her nose, and she looks up and snatches a black feather out of the air in front of her.

...?]

What the hell...?

[iravehementi]

[Sephiroth is crouched like a gargoyle on a sturdy lower branch, his considerable weight braced against the trunk

A simple cantrip has turned him invisible but the dark feathers continue to swirl from the wing he'd used to lift him up into the canopy.

When Vi wanders close he lets the invisibility fall slowly away, revealing first his bright, cat-like eyes gleaming in the shadows then the rest of him, clothed in black leather. It's a dramatic reveal but he enjoys a bit of dramatic flair. He would conjure storms just for mood lighting.

Once he's certain he's captured her attention he lifts a gloved finger to his lips. All around them the trees seem to rustle, their pine needles rattling together in a way that sounds at once like a breeze and like a chorus of susurrus voices.]

[grappler]

[she looks up when she sees the flicker of light, frowning. she'd kind of expected a jumpscare, but other than a momentary tensing of her shoulders, she doesn't get all that spooked.

mostly, she just looks unimpressed.]

Fucking dramatic, much?

[yeah, she doesn't really care too much about being quiet. but she does listen when he trees start to rustle, and she crosses her arms.]

You waiting for them to come alive or something?

[iravehementi]

[Sephiroth rises and walks out to the end of the branch. Despite his size, it does not bow beneath him.

His bright gaze watches Vi. This one doesn't scare easily, that's obvious. How, he wonders, will the forest react to her?

He quietly lifts a hand out, fingers splayed in a silencing gesture. The whispers groan on, then he finally speaks over them.]

We are not alone here.

[grappler]

[she looks around her when he tells her to stay quiet, almost bitching at him again. but then the whispers made the hair on her arms stand on end, and she clenches her jaw.]

Yeah? Tell your friends to come out. I'll sort 'em out.

[aka she'll punch the shit out of them.]

Or are they too scared?

it's not real... right? - you know what we doan

[inemeraldfaith]

[Aerith has very specifically kept herself busy with this, that, and the other thing. Whether it was something back in Aldrip, the trip through the forest to Rumpitur, or the trip back. There's no shortage of things to keep in consideration. The number of people who would rather stir up conflict than actually try to wield diplomacy is... a bit of a concern. Not necessarily anything she feels she can do something about, no matter how well she'd word things.

If anything, it's more like a similar resignation she feels with the people of Midgar.

She is more quiet on the way back, reflecting on what she's learned and witnessed for herself. Folding her hands together, she could be content to stay that way for quite some time, but what catches her attention instead is the small pitter-patter of feet.

A young girl in brightly coloured clothes and long waves of dark hair. She dashes off into the forest and Aerith tries to recollect if she'd seen her before. Why would they even take a child with them to begin with? To label it as dangerous is a shocking understatement. Regardless, it doesn't take Aerith very long to follow after, eventually the others of Aldrip becoming a faded presence in the background of twisting and embracing trees.]

Did you come this way? [She asks into the emptiness of forest. That girl seems to have mysteriously vanished. Too quick on her feet perhaps?] We should go back to the others.

[iravehementi]

[A figure rises up in the murky shadows between the nearby trees. If the looming height doesn't give him away, the mako-green eyes glowing like a cat's in firelight do.]

Looking for someone?

[He rumbles as he emerges from the darkness.]

Always so eager to rush to the defense of others. How noble.

[inemeraldfaith]

[Could she call it intuition? She doubts that. There is always something that she feels whenever he's in her vicinity, though. It is likely that she feels it even before he fully comes into being. Before he even speaks with the strangely luring and darker tone that he's always seemed to hold about himself. An eerily composed tone as though nothing could ever begin to catch him off guard.

She slowly turns, leaving a hand pressed along the cold, slightly musty feeling of tree bark beneath her fingertips. Her eyes scan along the way, finding no trace of the child she's certain she saw go in this direction. ...Provided there ever was one at all. Maybe she only saw what she wanted to see.

Aerith is quiet for several moments, simply studying the consistent glow of his eyes, beast-like and a touch feral, she'd say.]

Don't tell me you decided to come help me look. That seems unlike you.

[Although perhaps once upon a time... he might have been that kind of man.]

[iravehementi]

[Sephiroth continues to hold Aerith in his cold, unblinking stare as he slowly lifts a hand.

There is a soft giggling and the same little girl steps from the foliage as if made from it and bounces up to stand beside him. She sways twice then disappears with a shimmer.]

[inemeraldfaith]

[She watches his display and the pieces fall into place. Maybe he did it intentionally to get her attention. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered who he grabbed, so long as he grabbed someone. Somehow, she thinks that's not necessarily the case. They are, after all, drawn together by what feels like fate.

Like a fate that neither of them has ever asked for. She imagines if he had his choice, he would not have chosen her. Aerith looses a sigh, expressing her wordless displeasure.]

If you had something to say to me, you could just say it instead of playing little games with me.

II

[nonbinding]

[Eiji, for his part, keeps his composure through most of the forest. He understands the place is meant to mislead him, though he's careful to keep his wits about him whenever he hears a snap or crack. It would be possible, after all, for someone to use the odd nature of the forest as a natural camouflage. He doesn't stray much from the path.

But there is one figure he thinks he sees due to the illusions he can't help but follow. He knows that it's illogical to think that the rat bastard is here...but he was in Mobius too, wasn't he? Somehow, Tadokoro had followed him there, too.

Silently, Eiji follows the scumbag's illusion before it disappears at the base of the tree. Eiji picks up one of the black feathers by the base, looking at the feather. Then notices they're still coming down.

Silently, Eiji squints up, looking to see what he can spot.]

[iravehementi]

[Sephiroth steps to one side on his branch, revealing his presence through the needles. Bright, jade eyes give him away first. Second, the feathers swirling around him, though no wing appears to be present.]

Careful, you can lose your way in the dark.

[nonbinding]

[In the back of his mind, some primal instinct, Eiji knew this was coming. Despite how bizarre and out of the natural the sight is, some part of Eiji just expected it. The last few years have just been full of the unnatural; why on earth would that stop now?

Despite expecting it, it is still a surprise. Eiji can’t help but raise his brow and make a small sound as Sephiroth appears. He takes a step back, then corrects himself.]

Are you the mysterious figure all the stories warn us about?

[Despite his calm demeanor, Eiji is still on guard. He’s no fool; he knows he could be in danger, but he refuses to let his composure break yet.]

[iravehementi]

[Sephiroth smirks and crouches down, so his face can be seen more clearly. He still doesn't descend from the tree, enjoying the sense of power he gets from being up high.]

Oh, I don't know about all of them.

[A gloved hand gestures through the air at their surroundings.]

This forest is a mystery as well. Do you feel it?

[nonbinding]

I do.

[He says that sincerely. Quite honestly, Eiji doesn't think there's anyone who couldn't feel it about the forest. To say it is odd wouldn't do it justice. Eiji is not one who would use the word 'mystical' or 'supernatural' much of the time. Abnormal, perhaps.

But it's definition doesn't really matter.]

It's quite a mystery as well, you're right. Places like this are rare where I'm from, if they even exist at all.

ii

[oracledriven]

[The dim twilight of the forest is not Noel's favorite backdrop, but he's here now, so he'd might as well make the best of it. Evening swallows up the trees, the underbrush, everything, really -- and as it continues, it starts to feel more and more like the chaos of Valhalla swallowing Pulse. It sends a chill down his spine.

It's not real, he tries to remind himself, but he follows the illusion anyway, further away from the group. Deeper into the forest. He realizes, of course, that he's being lured, that he's probably making a stupid choice or falling into a trap. Some part of him knows that. But he continues anyway, because some part of him can't stop and because, just for an instant, he thinks he makes out the sound of a voice--

The woods open up suddenly into a clearing surrounding a tree. He opens his mouth to speak the name, and no sound comes out. After a breath, he starts again.]

... Is someone there?

[iravehementi]

[Sephiroth prowls to the end of his branch and peers down at the stranger. His eyes are visible, glittering like a beast's between the needles.]

Just you.

[oracledriven]

[He holds his breath for a moment at the sight of those eyes watching him through the tree branches. The voice sounds...human, or almost human. But between those eyes and those words, he can't be as sure as he'd like about it.]

Yeah? [Still, he puts some bravado into his voice, trying to sound unbothered.] Then who's talking?

[iravehementi]

Hm hm!

[Sephiroth chuckles in his deep baritone and steps from the branch then slowly levitates to the ground. His boots don't make a sound when they touch the forest floor.]

Nobody at all.

Just a curious old wizard.

[oracledriven]

A wizard.

[His voice is flat as he repeats the word.]

Sounds like something you'd hear in a story. So, what kind of magic do you do, wizard?

[Maybe he's buying his own bravado at this point, or maybe the response is disarming enough that he lets his guard down. Either way, some of the tension eases out of his stance as he sizes up the so-called wizard.]

i - since no one else has picked this one

[superstring]

[She stops with a slightly irritated huff. He needs to stop being in places where she almost runs into him. Sure the first time might have been her own fault, but there's no way she'd ever admit to that anyway. He was clearly in the way then and he's clearly in the way now.]

Nothing for you, I'm afraid.

[Nothing really useful in general. Just a small piece of jewelry she picked up half hoping someone would try and stop her (not Sephiroth) so she could get into a fight. Unfortunately the snake people don't seem to care.]

Why? Is there something you seek?

[iravehementi]

I seek a font of endless power.

[He answers dryly. While it's true, his voice is so flat it could be a joke.]

But, other than that, to satisfy my curiosity.

What did you find?

[superstring]

Perhaps I'll tell you.

[But not now.]

But -- if you seek endless power, then you want the place where stars are born. The holy land.

[She doesn't sense anything like that nearby though. There's life on this world, but nothing close to that power. ... And she can't get off the planet to see what else is there.]

[iravehementi]

[The holy land where stars are born...

It does sound like the Promised Land he's been searching for. Not the Promised Land of the Cetra, but his own. He's always felt it was out there in boundless space waiting for him to find it, consume it and become infinite.

His smile remains, but his gaze sharpens slightly.]

...Do I?

I've never heard of such a place.