EVENT #11: ADVERSITY 4590683

[expiationmods]

EVENT #11: REMEMBER YOU ARE MORTAL

This event takes place in conjunction with a player plot that is open for participation! Participation in that plot is not needed to experience the world effects outlined in this log. You can find the log for the player event here!

THE STORY SO FAR (click to expand)

-Over time, characters have discovered that the world of Expiation is actually a large, elaborate simulation run by an AI that seems to be intent on helping them atone for their crimes. This news is well-known by the Chosen, enough so that any new character who wishes to handwave this knowledge is able to do so.

-In September 2024, that AI needed to be reset as a consequence of some catastrophic systems failures. So far, there has been no downside to this reset–but the AI has also been strangely absent since then.

-Things have been quiet in Aldrip since September, aside from the routine arrival of new Chosen. The locals seem less than happy with the Chosen, though, as if they have already branded them all criminals. As if they no longer trust them…

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11

The moon looms large and full over the buildings of Aldrip this morning.

… Wait. The moon?

It’s true: Aldrip seems to have settled into an eerie perpetual twilight, lit by the full moon and little else. The ambient lighting is dim, but not dark, still light enough to see by. Which is good, because nothing else seems to be serving as a source of light. No sun, no street lamps–nothing. How odd is that?

In fact, it seems that no electronics are working during this strange week. Tablets don’t turn on, computers won’t work, even the lights inside the houses are unresponsive. STEM club’s dark web devices remain capable of some rudimentary communication, however.

The Dark Hour permeates Aldrip entirely. Well. Almost entirely–more on that in a minute. But first: monsters of all kinds will be more prominent during this time. If you would like to add new monsters to the bestiary, you can do so here! Monsters will be more aggressive and enterprising, freely roaming the streets of the city and attacking more boldly than they otherwise would.

Now, all is not lost, here. Because some Chosen-owned spaces remain immune to its effects. Notably: the Inn, the Willow Clinic, and some other player-run businesses can serve as safe houses, as well as some storehouses that were constructed long ago. The lights will still go on in these locations, though the network restrictions above still remain in effect.

For the most part, monsters and other event happenings will avoid safe houses, though if you’d like to play around with that, we see no reason why you shouldn’t. Just remember that characters and players who choose to limit their participation in the event are making use of these spaces, and be respectful of that.

As for outside of the city…who knows? A thick, impenetrable mist surrounds Aldrip, keeping all characters within the city for the duration of the event. Anyone who may have been outside of Aldrip before the event began will mysteriously find themselves inside the city as the Dark Hour takes hold. Better make your way to a safe house…and good luck out there.

MY OWN WORST ENEMY

Who is the monster and who is the man?

It seems that monsters aren’t the only obstacle roaming the city. The Chosen may find themselves facing doppelgangers, of themselves or of fellow Chosen. In terms of appearance, they may be identical to the Chosen they reflect, to the point of being difficult to tell apart. Some may have minor changes–different eye color, different clothing, things like that. But in many cases, it may be impossible to tell which is real and which is not based on looks alone.

These doubles reveal a dark reflection of the characters they look like: their deepest fears and regrets, repressed desires they refuse to admit, feelings and experiences they’ve never told anyone about…all of these things and more will come to the surface with them. These doubles desperately want to see a character’s accused crime confronted, and they will do anything to make that happen, even resorting to violence if they must. The doubles have all the original powers and abilities of their real counterparts, making them extremely difficult (but not impossible!) to fight one-on-one.

Some characters may find themselves inexplicably drawn to their doppelgangers, as if called by some force. They may feel compelled to seek them out, as if they’re unable to rest so long as their double roams free. This is an optional effect, but should you be looking for an excuse to get your character out and about–please feel free to utilize it.

Doubles can be injured and incapacitated, but not killed; the only way to eliminate them is through acceptance and recognition. Characters do not have to do this alone; in fact, having some moral support or coaching may prove useful. Confronting the double and accepting or seriously reflecting upon the crime they’re charged with will make the doppelgangers first turn docile, and then disappear, leaving the original character feeling lighter and more sure of themselves.

A MINOR TECHNICALITY

What happens to a simulation when the electronics stop working?

Good question.

Occasionally, you may see what looks like a strange, thin line, just from the corner of your vision. Early in the week, trying to look at this line straight on reveals…nothing. It seems to vanish.

As the week continues, this strange happening seems to intensify, bit by bit. By midweek, Wednesday or so, you’re able to look at this line head-on. It seems to be a small crack, little more than a hairline fracture, outlined in light. As the weekend creeps closer, this crack seems to grow, bit by bit, becoming more pronounced, the gaps between it getting larger.

By the weekend, it’s wide enough that you can see through it.

What you see is difficult to describe. You seem to be looking into a large metallic structure, so large that the end seems to curve off into the horizon. How far does this go on? There’s a ceiling overhead, so high up that you can’t make out details. Much of this structure seems to be empty within, but you see a floor at foot level, made of metal.

The gap is wide enough that you can stick your hand right through it. When you do so, you begin to feel a strange tingling, starting at the tips of your fingers and extending to the part of your arm that goes into the crack. Nothing about your hand changes, really, but when the tingling subsides, you get the strange sensation that you’ve been unable to feel anything with that hand, up til now. Something about the air against your skin feels more real, here. As if your senses were muted before…

The crack never widens more than this. It is sometimes visible to just one person, and sometimes it can be visible to a group. This crack can appear in any surface, in any location, but it always looks the same and always reveals the same structure within.

Interesting…

ENDING

In conjunction with the conclusion of the player plot, the Dark Hour comes to an end one week later, on November 18. Monsters vacate the city, the sun reappears…this happens slowly, over the course of the day. By Tuesday, the network and electronic usage is restored. By Wednesday, the crack in the world seems to be gone for good. By the weekend after the event, all doppelgangers seem to have vanished.

This is fine, we always say. And it is! Everything is back to normal!

…

Or is it…?

WILDCARD

Make your own fun! Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Have at it! Go crazy! Try not to break anything (too much)!

♡

Comments

[traumaticus]

[Richard looks the woman up and down, measuring her with his gaze as he goes through his options. Does he trust this woman, who had labeled herself as a witch during their first meeting? Absolutely not. But at least at the moment she appears not to be out for attack, so he lowers his sword, letting it rest against his side.]

Adequate, at the least. I see you have your own way to face these beasts.

[elfsplaining]

[She simply smiles, both in the face of his distrust and at his answer. It's kind of fun, really. The scandal and distrust that followed her in the courts had become less about her being a mage and more about her closeness to the Empress. It was almost refreshing to get back to people just distrusting her on sight for something not related to royalty.]

I am a mage. [Duh. She waves her hand, ice forming and freezing over the land a good few feet around behind her, assuring nothing could just walk right over to sneak up on her from behind as she talks.]

Shapechanging just happens to be my specialty. If the spider bothers you, I could become a wolf instead, or a bear.

[traumaticus]

Aye. You did claim that before.

[Richard says, observing the woman with attentive eyes. He had done immense progress when it came to meeting his previous fears face-to-face. Witnessing witchcraft and other magic had become nothing but an every day occurrence for him. And it was thanks to that mental work of desensitizing himself to it why he could watch the witch to perform her craft, summoning the ice around them, without flinching or any fear.]>

Somehow I doubt your other forms would be any more pleasant to gaze at. [He hums nonchalantly. Sorry, he's not the most sensitive guy...] Wolf, bear, spider. It matters not. Whatever you feel like can accomplish the mission is good enough.

[elfsplaining]

[Morrigan immediately huffs a little, rankled despite herself] I assure you, I'm a quite beautiful wolf.

[Her spider form and the swarm of insects aren't cute, no, but hdu Richard. She takes GREAT care of her fur in other forms. And her bird form is beautiful!! She shoots him a withering look and sniffs derisively] Humans have no eye for beauty in any world, it seems.

[There's a rumble of noise, the sound of approaching monsters stomping their way toward them. Morrigan tilts her head to listen better, then waves an impatient hand.] I will overlook your poor eyesight in this for now. You, with blade, and I will tooth and claw-- These monsters are a better outlet. So, I propose an alliance, for now.

[More or less, anyhow. She doesn't give him much of a chance to respond, mostly because she doesn't care what the response is. She's going to kill these monsters. He's welcome to join in.

She transforms into a snowy white wolf, sitting back on her haunches and watching Richard, head tilted in question]

[traumaticus]

[It's really impossible to not notice the way his comment makes her bristle. Well, he supposes that it is given, but Richard still stands by his words. After all, it was not unheard of witches taking forms of great beauty and what not to lure people into their traps. But form that's all that it was though, an unnatural trick of an eye, illusion created from the black magic. Impressive, breathtaking and mind shattering? Absolutely. But there is no way that under God's eyes could any of that be viewed as truly beautiful.

But then again.. There is no God in this world. Richard had learned that early on.

Well, either way. Richard stays still and motionless in front of her clear annoyance -- eyes unimpressed and neutral. Though, it is quickly interrupted, not by her any means, but by the sound of tumultuous feed steps and roaring in the distance. Richard turns his eyes away from the witch, focusing on the sight past her shoulder and the ice. Guess they won't be alone for long. And then, just like that, the witch takes another form, though this time instead of monstrous spider it is one that he is more familiar with -- if it wasn't for one fact.

White. Not grey. Hah, a true sign of witchcraft.]

Very well. [He says eventually, eyes narrowing as he raises his sword once again. What a day. To think that he was actually going to form an alliance with a witch. Well, if she proved out to be any trouble Richard had no issues with following his noble father's footsteps, and deal with her as he had once upon time dealt with Joan of Ark.]

[elfsplaining]

[There was a dog that once traveled with her and the hero of fereldan once upon a time. Keep it up Richard and she'll take a leaf from the dog's book and pee in your bag.
>:C

Morrigan stands then, tossing her head back to howl--a warning and a challenge all at once. She waits, poised to lunge.

It could bring her back to 'the good old days' if she felt like indulging in the feeling. She doesn't, because it's tinged with the bittersweetness of parting, but it's nice all the same. Richard, however, is not her lover. He wields a sword, not a bow or daggers. There are no pointed tips to his ears, or a swirling tattoo upon his face. He and Morrigan can not move in the fluid motion as one whirlwind of steel and claw as she once was able to.

But it's a fight against monsters aside form another person, and Morrigan is used to fighting alongside someone whom she doesn't know the fighting style of. She's adaptable. She won't get in his way, so long as he doesn't get in hers', and she can shift her style to compliment his own.

The first monster appears and Morrigan lowers herself before lunging for the throat, aiming less to kill and more to incapacitate for Richard to deal an actual final blow.]

[traumaticus]

[Despite being seasoned war veteran and a skilled fighter, Richard has to admit that this was a quite new experience for him. Hounds were not completely unheard companions for knights and soldiers, but they were more utilized for hunting and protecting rather than battles. Richard, for an example, mostly used his hounds to help pick up the scent of a prey and that's that. He preferred to handle the rest on his own.

So, yes. Fighting alongside of a wolf, which or no, was a wholly novel praxis for him.

With his sword raised, Richard allowed Morrigan go and make the first move. He waited a beat and watched as she surged forward and aimed her sharp canine teeth at her target. And once she had caught the monster between her jaws did Richard plunge after her. He might not have prior experience with having an animal companion, but he could recognize an opening when he saw one. With one swift movement, he thrusts his blade right between the monster's eyes and pierces its brains. After that he pulls his sword out and aims a second blow -- not wanting to take risks of leaving the monster intact -- and the sharp edge sinks into its neck. Minding Morrigan's position, he nearly beheads the monster.]

The next one is coming.

[elfsplaining]

[Morrigan holds the monster until Richard drives his blade in, letting go once the creature's head severs from its neck.

She backs up, tail swaying lazily, pleased despite herself. She lowers her head to sniff at the ground, and then the air, trying to get a read on just how many and how much energy she needs to actually expend here. But as another monster starts to head their way, Morrigan lowers herself to...quickly hurry away??

Well, not completely. She circles around so she can come up behind the monster, eyes watching Richard. The second she gets a sign, she's taking it down from behind, a wolfish grin on her face. This is way more fun than she's willing to admit right now]