expiationlogs | {EVENT #1} ADVERSITY 131425.845119

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{EVENT #1} ADVERSITY 131425.845119

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sephiroth prowls in circles around Noel, eyes narrowing into predatory slits. He can read the emotion in the air: Solitude, loneliness, loss, mourning...

The clearing around them doesn't magically shift but he can feel a faint, almost imperceptible change in the forest's energy.]

Don't resist it...

[Sephiroth's deep voice rumbles out as a purr.]

Follow it. Dig into the pain. Face what scares you most...

[Noel bristles at the prompting, even as he, too, feels something change. A shiver down your spine, or something in the air. It's hard to say, but suddenly, just for a moment, everything feels too still. Then the wind rustles,just a bit too much, as if it's changed in some way.]

Stop. You think you can scare me like that? I faced up to all that a long time ago.

[But in spite of his bravado, or perhaps in the face of it, the feeling continues. What scares him the most? He doesn't have an answer. It might be death, for most people, but death has been a steady companion throughout his life, and loss, too. Both parts of life that he's come to accept, that he accepted long before any adventures beyond his village. He grits his teeth; it feels like something is prowling through his mind, and he hates it, but he can't seem to stop the train of thought now that it's started.

"Back in your time, you protected your village and your friends."
"I wish we could stay together.
"It's the end of our journey."
"No-- not now, please!"

Is he hearing those echoes aloud or in his mind? He can't tell, for sure, but the forest seems to change around him, just a bit, darkening, desaturating, as if the color is slowly fading from it. Sephiroth seems to fade along with it, leaving him alone. The last man in the world, once again.

"You're wrong. I couldn't protect anyone."]

[Sephiroth observes Noel closely as he continues his slow circling. He watches Noel's breathing shift and gaze grow distant and he knows the other man is seeing and hearing something.

For several long seconds, Sephiroth is quiet, watching Noel's reactions with deep interest, then he prowls in close enough that barely an inch separates him from Noel's back. He leans his head forward, lips just a hair shy of touching the other man's ear.

Sephiroth doesn't know how his presence will be interpreted but he knows what he's hoping for: He wants to be seen as an anchor; the one real thing in a world of illusions. Oh, he thinks, how much easier this would all be if the other Chosen had Jenova cells to exploit.]

What do you see? Tell me.

[What do you see?

A vast, empty wasteland, stretching out toward the horizon. Dead sands and dark skies. The silence in the air is oppressive and all-encompassing; not even the sound of a breeze to break it. This is it. This is all he knows. All that is, all that will ever be, and when he finally lays down to die, there will be no one left to bury him. The last pathetic gasp of humanity, wandering into the desert in search of an easy death.

What do you see?

Piercing eyes and dark clouds -- the chaos of Valhalla. A flower. A feather. The end of everything. The beginning of a nightmare. A world of possibilities that will never come to be, frozen in time, decaying and crumbling to dust. Noel has remained still until this point, frozen, paralyzed by the past -- he didn't realize it still had such a hold on him. But he can see the steps of the path that have brought him to this moment, to this eternal paradox, this world of death and misery. Every choice he made, every foolish thing he did, every moment he never noticed or sign he brushed off, every boast and brag that signed the world's death warrant. The same choices he's been replaying over and over for decades, for centuries, and someone else who thinks they can use that to control him. Not again. Not now, and not ever.

Maybe it's time I stopped living in the shadows.

He grits his teeth, balls his free hand into a fist. When did he draw his sword? He's not sure, but it's in hand, now, and he's shaking, not with fear but with anger. With a tremulous exhale he whirls on Sephiroth and strikes out with his sword. He's not exactly intending to strike him so much as he's hoping to end whatever enchantment the man has over him.]

What do I see? [He speaks through gritted teeth, clutching onto his sword like it's the only real thing in a world full of lies.] I see someone just as lost as I am, trying to find anything he can control in a world he doesn't even know.

[Sephiroth draws back as Noel whirls on him and reaches out to catch the other man's sword arm in a firm grip.

What a fun reaction!

Fun and interesting. Sephiroth notes that Noel moves with deliberate strength and speed, suggesting that he actually knows how to use a blade.]

Oh, you misunderstand me...

[He grins, narrows his eyes and blinks slowly before letting Noel go.]

I am not trying to control anything. I am trying to understand. Once I know how this world works I will find a way to leave. I can save us.

[Well, at least one of them is having fun. Noel grits his teeth as Sephiroth grabs onto his arm. He readies the smaller sword in his left hand, but never has the chance to use it; the man lets him go unexpectedly, and he backpedals by a step from the force of pulling his arm back. He steadies himself, brandishing both swords, ready to attack, but waiting to see what Sephiroth is going to do.]

Save us?

[The words of a would-be savior. He spits them out with palpable disdain, his mind flashing back to Lightning, the so-called Savior of a god that can't be trusted. To Caius, who wanted to burn the world to save one soul. To Snow, who wanted to sacrifice himself in order to save the people he loved...and even himself, the would-be Guardian who couldn't protect anyone.

He's had enough of saviors.]

You think you're some sort of divine protector? You really think any of us needs you to swoop in and save us?

[Sephiroth watches Noel draw back and prepare himself to attack but doesn't take any defensive action in response. He just grunts; a sound between a sigh and a laugh.]

Am I wrong?

[He slowly lifts his arms, fingers upturned to gesture broadly at the world around them, his gaze drifts skyward.]

We have been dragged from our worlds against our will, forced to wait out a sentence for supposed crimes.

I could deliver us from this prison, but only once I know all I can know...

I am your ally. I don't think my actions warrant such hostility. It was the forest that showed you troubling things, not me.

[He doesn't answer the first part, because as stubborn as he is, he knows there's some truth in that. But-- even if it's true, that doesn't make him right. No more than Caius was right for what he did, or the Order, or the Children of Etro. They all acted like this, like they knew what was best, like they had the only answer. Like they knew more than anyone else. It was a load of garbage then, and he can't help thinking it's a load of garbage now, too.]

Ally? You really expect me to trust you, just like that? I haven't exactly heard any good reasons to, so far.

[And yet, even as he says those words, there's that small, hopeful voice in the back of his mind that urges him to work together with others. Like he tried with Hope and Snow. Like he did with Serah. They didn't even know him, but they put their trust in him anyway. Could he really do the same for someone else? Is that what he's meant to be doing, here?

... He doesn't know. But he wishes like hell that he did.]

Why not?

[He shifts his gaze back Noel and smiles.]

You have drawn your weapons on me. Have I drawn any on you?

All that means is you don't see me as a threat.

[Besides. He's seen Sephiroth use magic. You don't have to draw a weapon to be dangerous.]

You're right.

[He doesn't, but he doesn't think of anyone here as a threat. Who could ever stand against him as he is now?]

...But if you feel differently...

[Sephiroth steps toward Noel with deliberate, graceful strides and stops a couple feet away to regard him through narrowed eyes.]

If you think I am a threat to you then go ahead.

Strike me down.

Edited 2023-04-16 03:32 (UTC)

[It's uncanny, isn't it, how similar this is to conversations he used to have with Caius. The vague hint of a challenge, like someone much more experienced trying to bait their protege without them knowing.

Noel doesn't take his eyes off the man, but he doesn't move to attack, either. Rather, he returns the smaller blade to its sheath in the larger one and then shakes his head.]

I didn't come here looking for a fight, and I don't plan on starting one. But not drawing a weapon is a long way from being a reason to trust someone.

My point was that I had no intention of harming you.

[Sephiroth rumbles out a throaty chuckle and draws away again, grinning slightly to veil his disappointment. A fight would have been fun, he hasn't had the chance to really swing his sword since he got his body back.

Gripping the Masamune with his own hands after so many gears would be... He pushes that aside for now.]

I only wish to know what the forest told you.

[Does Noel really believe that? He goes back and forth on it. The fact that this guy is so eager to invade peoples' personal space, to tug at their emotions like a toy, like he's trying to see what they'll do...well, the truth is, he doesn't know what Sephiroth's intentions are. He said he wanted to figure things out. Maybe he means people, too.

But is that a bad thing, by itself? Hard to say. The biggest thing that matters is why.]

Personal stuff. [Putting his sword away, he crosses his arms over his chest. Maybe he's feeling a little defensive, but who could blame him? Seeing things like that would shake most people up.]

Why? You feel like sharing what it's told you?

If you wish.

[He lifts a hand and the clearing darkens. Shadows become deeper and colors turn gray as Sephiroth uses his powers of illusion to project what he'd seen in the forest when he wandered away from the group.

Slowly, sounds start to fade until only the rustling of leaves remains. The rustling grows louder until it sounds less like leaves and more like whispers. Whispers whimpering, weeping, sobbing...

Then a wind blows through the branches. Beneath the creaking is the sound of screams.

Soon the whispers and screams rise up in a chorus of pain. Voices shriek and plead desperately.

Don't.

Stop.

Please stop.

Sephiroth allows the shrieks to spin around the clearing for a few seconds before dropping his hand. The illusion dissolves.]

Edited 2023-04-18 20:23 (UTC)

[It's hard to listen to. The whispers on the wind aren't exactly pretty. They sound desperate, pained, terrified -- Noel can barely make sense of some of them, but that doesn't mean he doesn't understand them. The pain, the despair...those are things he knows intimately well.

Are these something the man has witnessed, or something he caused? That, too, he can't be certain of.

Noel fixes an analytic gaze on him, trying to make heads or tails of what he's witnessing. Who is this guy? Why is he so keen on having Noel's trust? ...and how much could Noel have to lose by giving it? He lets the sounds dissolve, leaving behind the sound of rustling leaves. That sound lingers in the air for another moment before he finally speaks.]

... Why do you want to know what it showed me? What good would it do for you?

[He's still not answering questions, but some of the defensiveness eases out of his voice.]

I want to know what it sees...

[His voice is even, chin lifted slightly.]

What does it draw forth from within us to lay before our eyes? Moments from our pasts? Reflections of uncertainties? Does it ever show anything beautiful?

If I can know these things, I can know this forest...

[And he can learn what scares the other Chosen in the process.]

You talk about this place like it's got a mind of its own. What makes you so sure it's the forest? Maybe it's just picking up on things we're projecting ourselves.

[He speaks carefully; the last time Noel put his trust in the unknown, he nearly killed Lightning over it, and even before that...well, he hasn't exactly had the best track record when it comes to trust, it's best to leave it at that.

... On the other hand, he wants to know what Sephiroth is really after, too.

With a resigned sigh, he lets those previous thoughts back into his mind, allowing the forest to pick up on what it will. A vast, empty desert; the hollow sound of a desolate wind blowing; the silence of a dead world. It's been so long that it's almost nostalgic, in some messed-up sense, but he still tries to keep his eyes off the horizon.]

And if it is, wouldn't you like to know why?

[He blinks slowly at Noel.]

Why it reflects our thoughts?

Edited 2023-04-24 20:14 (UTC)

[The sky overhead takes on a grayish quality, thick with sickly-looking clouds. Even the sound of the wind dies, and while Noel tries not to think about it --tries not to even look at it-- he can't deny...that part of him misses it.

Or maybe he's just missing the person he was when he called that place home.]

Of course I would. [He tries to focus on Sephiroth's words, instead. The man's got him in one, damn.] But there has to be a better way to figure it out, without subjecting ourselves to it, right?

No.

Experience is the best way to learn.

[He lifts his own eyes and sees a sky glowing with jade light.

The Lifestream

Whatever Noel is seeing, it can't be this.]

...Now, tell me... What do you see?

[To be honest, part of him goes right back to growing up with Caius as a mentor, hearing something eerily similar while training with a sword. That same part of him has the urge to mouth off in some way, but he manages to keep a lid on it.

Experience is the best way to learn, huh.]

Depends on the experience.

[... Okay, so he only mostly keeps his thoughts to himself. Either way, his reluctance is so strong it might as well be tangible. But he responds anyway.]

My world. The place where I grew up.

And...?

[His deep voice purrs as he looks back to Noel.]

...I doubt it is showing you anything that gladdens your heart.

Edited 2023-04-28 00:23 (UTC)

And, [he repeats, scowling pointedly. Gods, he hates this guy right now, and he doesn't even know his name.] ... it showed me the end of the world.

[The way he says it is fairly blasé, for the subject matter. Like it's no big deal... because for him, it's not.]

The world I grew up in was dead long before I was born. By my time, there weren't many survivors left. I was the last one.

[Noel is quiet for a moment, watching the horizon. He doesn't know if Sephiroth can see what he sees right now... he's not sure if he even wants him to. But it's not like he doesn't know what it means. He always has.]

So. Worst fear? Losing everyone I had. Being alone. Didn't know it could still be something you dread when it's already happened.

[He breathes out a sigh, giving the man an almost surly look. Happy now?]

Edited 2023-04-28 02:47 (UTC)

[He folds his arms over his broad chest and smirks slightly. Solitude...loss... It seemed like everyone had the same fears deep down. Sephiroth had those same fears once. He remembers losing what few friends he'd had, losing his identity as a SOLDIER, losing his last hope in his legacy as a Cetra...

When he'd fallen into the Lifestream he had nothing left except his voice. But in the void where his lost life had been he's gained so much more...]

It showed me the end of my world as well.

Hm... Or, should I say it showed how my world could end; drained of all energy by corrupt, parasitic humans. Even now my planet cries out in its death throes.

[And it's past saving. Or at least he thinks so. When he thinks about his planet he thinks of a planet breathing its last breath. While he feels nothing for the world that had turned its back on his suffering he does think letting it die would be a waste. A merciful god would save it, even if that meant sacrificing everything it used to be, even if that meant all life would perish and be reborn as one with the god. His world will be a sweeter place with a gleaming future.

His gaze becomes dream-like for a moment before he realizes his mind is drifting.]

Strange, isn't it, that the forest would show us both such things?

{EVENT #1} ADVERSITY 131425.845119

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