EVENT #13: ADVERSITY 8765546

[expiationmods]

EVENT #13: THE BEAST INSIDE US ALL

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…

EARLY MARCH / MARCH 11TH

Something doesn’t feel quite right, does it?

There’s a strange feeling in Aldrip, something tense and strained, as if something’s about to happen. The black lines outside of the Aldrip travel further into the city and begin to spread the miasma. The fields, crops and the portion of the forest continue to wither away as a result. The signs of catastrophe. The air is thick, as if it itself is waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Very abruptly, it does.

The earth quakes as something erupts from the ground: huge, snakelike heads, towering as tall as a two-story building. These heads seem to circle the city of Aldrip: a ring of threat, keeping everyone and everything within the city limits. These heads don’t change locations, and they only attack if someone gets too close. They seem almost like they’re waiting for something. At first, however, they’re invulnerable to damage. Those who get too close may be injured or even killed if they try…

TRANSFORMATION

As soon as Fauna hears the rumblings of the Beast, detects the presence of a monster, she's off without waiting for any information. Confronting monsters is what she does, after all. She transforms and attempts to destroy the Beast with her full might, but despite the fierce fight, she's unable to land any decisive hits. Eight heads are too much to fight alone, and as the fight drags on, she's cornered, and takes the Beast's attack head-on, canceling her transformation and sending her flying. But as she's blown away, from her pockets, seeds fall- A pair of seeds to grow trees from, or something greater. The seeds, divine items with no divinity to empower them, fall to the ground, and are absorbed into the Beast's black body...

What is it you wish for, deep down? What do you desire?

Those Chosen unlucky enough to be affected by wish seeds may find this wish consuming their thoughts and driving their actions. Slowly, surely, they find themselves…changing, turning into something that is not a human. These changes may be slow and painful, or they may be instantaneous. We encourage you to be creative in these changes, both physical and mental, but also to warn for potential body horror or any body part trauma that might need a content warning.

I wish… I wish…

Driven nearly to madness by their own desire, by whatever’s happening to them and whatever physical changes it brings, these Chosen may be dangerous, with uncontrollable urges or new powers they aren’t used to. Can their aggression be directed toward the coming fight? Time will tell.

SLAY THE BEAST

So much anger, hatred and pain, all rolled into a single calamitous entity, baring its fangs at the entire world. It's almost a little embarrassing for it to be out in the open like that, even if the other Chosen don't necessarily realize it's a part of him. It's not too long after the Black Beast's first appearance that Ragna makes his way to face it, though not before he makes sure everyone else has some information necessary to finish the job afterwards. But first, he would need to ensure they even stand a chance against the monster, and he came up with only one solution that could work ─ and that's to do so from within the Beast itself. And so, with a final sigh, muttering "What a pain in the ass," under his breath, Ragna approaches the giant creature unarmed. The nearest heads turn their attention to the man, immediately attacking and ripping him apart, devouring the remains.

Something has changed. Impervious until now, the Black Beast soon shows evidence of wear and tear: hits land, cuts remain, and its fighting becomes more vicious…but more desperate, too.

If the Chosen have any hopes for defeating this creature, now will be the time. Maybe if they hit it with everything they’ve got, they’ll be able to bring it down–one head at a time.

SAFE...TY?

In the past, there’s been protection. In the past, there’s been so-called “safe houses” that have been created by the environment for noncombatants or those who don’t wish to fight.

But no such thing appears.

Nothing will hold the monsters back, nothing will hold the effects of the Black Beast back as they rain destruction on the city. It seems as if the Chosen are on their own – for those who don’t wish to fight, or can’t fight, they must band together to find protection of their own. Characters who are able to fight may need to help protect these areas where those sorts of Chosen have decided to hunker down for safety. The locals have vanished completely, locked so tight into their own houses that Aldrip businesses come to a halt.

That is, unless Chosen work together to keep it going.

AFTERMATH

The Black Beast is finally put down after the hard and exhausting fighting. The black lines around the city fade away, and it seems the Chosen who have transformed… are unaffected. Those Chosen who find themselves confronting their “wish” will discover that they soon change back, shedding monstrous forms for their familiar forms. However, the Chosen who don’t confront their wishes will keep their monstrous forms, either fully or partially, for the indeterminate future. They might continue to struggle to keep their sense of self and fight against the monstrous urges. Maybe they continue to be more aggressive, have a hard time recognizing a friend from a foe and have a distorted view on what is their wish. Effects don’t wear off over time, this time. There’s no magical “reset” where they wake up one day and find themselves back to their normal selves.

No, either they confront their wishes, or they stay like this for… ? It’s up to the Chosen.

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

monster

[jaganshi]

[ Thankfully Hiei, as a demon, is not too fussed about the creatures he's seen around. If anything that is a good thing in the moment, as Hiei turns his eyes upward to see just who (or what) is speaking to him about not going down narrow streets.

Red eyes watch him quizzically for a moment.. all 4'10" of him from the ground, before Hiei coils and hop up to the nearest roof. It isn't for a better look, really, his eyes are keen enough - he's just concerned with making sure he is heard more than anything from that far up. ]

I am fine on my own. [ Since, of course, that is the part he feels the need to respond to first. ]

You are still.. of your own mind.. like this?

[mysophobic]

[ Shigeru's head nods and his tails also sway in a way that indicates that he's heard the other but is also calm about it too. He's definitely been trying not to terrify people?? Um, but you know, when you look like this it's a bit hard!! ]

Me? Yes! I-I'm totally fine. Well, as fine as I can be...my-my powers went a little haywire with helping people.

[ Mm. So he's kinda stuck like this for the moment?? ] But you don't have to be afraid! I wasn't affected by...whatever is going on.

[jaganshi]

So you could turn in to this normally? [ He's trying to figure out what the haywire bit is, honestly, head tipped slightly to the side as he looks him over. A lot of demons in their world have interesting transformations, not all like this though, so he might as well catch a look while he can.

The fire demon makes an annoyed tch in the back of his throat as Shigeru tells him he doesn't have to be afraid, red eyes narrowing. ]

Why would I be afraid?

[mysophobic]

I-I don't know, I guess?! I've never...turned into something like this before! I'm not used to my new powers still. [ Shigeru did not know that he could turn biblically accurate?? But he's just learning all sorts of new things about himself here. ]

Well, I'm just...I look like one of those-those monsters roaming around. So I didn't want people to think I was going to hurt them or something.

[jaganshi]

New powers that you gained here or in your own world? [ Look, he's curious ok. If he can gain new powers here that are different from what he would have been able to normally in their home world it's definitely worth a shot. Particularly if he can find something to replace the darkness flame in the midst of it all. ]

You are hardly the most horrifying thing I've ever seen in the demon world.

It's simply that the people here are soft.

[mysophobic]

Oh! Um, my own world! I went through a pretty big change back home. I-I guess this is one of the powers I got from it. I haven't had the time to try them out, so it's as surprising to me as it is to you. [ Who knew that turning into an eldritch god would allow you to transform into eldritch terrors! ]

Demon world?!

[jaganshi]

Mn. So not something that happened here. [ Well that's two for two on things not developing here in this world. Mentally, he's cursing. Outwardly... Hiei sighs.

He should be used to this reaction when so casually dropping things about demons, and yet here he is doing it anyway, without any thought. ]

Yes, demon world. I am a demon but not all of us... pass. I guess you could say.

[mysophobic]

Pass? What do you mean by pass? [ Shigeru's head tilts curiously, though in this form is looks bizarre, but he's doing his best with what he's got! ]

Is there like a test or something? You don't look like the demons I'm used to back home, so I was just surprised, is all.

[jaganshi]

As in looking human enough no one will look twice.

[ he isn’t going to say that he looks human even though he very much does. With the jagan covered Hiei doesn’t look all that demonic unless someone hones in on his ears or his overly sharp nails.

… which most people wouldn’t, really. ]

What do they look like in your world?

[mysophobic]

Mm I don't know. You look pretty human to me, and I've dealt with all sorts of things back home. [ But Shigeru does hum a little as his multiple tails sway behind him. ]

More tentacles, eyes, amorphous forms...things like that! Most of them couldn't keep a human form so it was pretty easy to tell...

[jaganshi]

[ Hiei set himself up for that one, but the demon still looks very annoyed about being told that he looks pretty human. If his brow wasn’t hidden under his Jagan ward it might even be obviously twitching.

Thankfully they move on to what they look like in his world and distract Hiei from his own pit fall. Instead he’s huffing a soft sound, head tilting slightly. ]

Many here seem to have demons that.. blend less, like that. I wonder if there is a reason for that separation, between the different worlds.