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expiationlogs2023-05-19 08:15 am
{EVENT #2} ADVERSITY 168518.2092
| MOD NOTES: 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. You can find the OOC poll here. Please pick from the corresponding options with the appropriate character journal. If you use a personal journal or a journal not part of Expiation, your votes will not be counted. Remember that if your character did something different than what is in the prompts given, leave a comment in the OOC poll entry and link to your comment in the option made available. Our State of the Game, which will include results of this event and changes of the world, along with some future goals and events we would like to work towards will be posted 1 week from today (May 26, 2023). The various prompts are, of course, optional. Consider that taking part and not taking part both have their potential effects on the world and how Expiation moves forward in terms of overarching storyline. |
A FAMOUS DISAPPEARING / REAPPEARING ACT
Those who were plagued by nightmares and visions after venturing into the forest awaken to find that a mark has appeared somewhere on their body. It’s unclear what made it, but its function quickly becomes clear. Upon discovering the mark, whispers begin to sound in their minds, beckoning them to a secret clearing in Pessiria Forest. Something awaits them there.
After some time, a faint image of an unnaturally tall, lanky man appears in the mind. He wears a hooded robe that bears several runes resembling the strange marks and is surrounded by acolytes wearing identical robes. Raising a single hand, he calls the afflicted his Branded, and presents them with a simple offer: “Pledge yourself to my glorious cause, and you shall be granted overwhelming power to twist this world into your personal paradise.”
The offer repeats itself in the minds of the afflicted, slowly intensifying over time. It's clear that this man will not relent unless he gets what he wants. Those with strong willpower, however, may be able to reject his dark offer.
I. A TEST RUN FOR NEW POWER
For whatever reason, you have chosen to accept the whispers’ offer. Some may have been overwhelmed by the mental link that demanded your fealty, while others found the offer of overwhelming power appealing. Regardless of your reasons, this decision finally brings you a strange peace, as the intense demands are replaced with your promised reward. Now, the brands start to feel like a blessing as they begin to spread across your body. They feel good and natural—almost as if you have found a missing part of yourself that you had never known.
You begin to feel an unknown power coursing within your body, but you aren’t entirely sure what it is. Some will gain powers associated with the mind, allowing for psionic powers ranging from telekinesis to possession. Others will gain a mysterious power to cast elemental and blood magics that they had previously never been able to use. Once you reach the secret clearing, its nature and usage will become clearer to you.
Things are odd at the place you’ve been summoned to. In the clearing, you’ll find strange stone monuments and tablets containing text in an indecipherable language. At the centre of this collection of monuments, descends a pit-cave with several winding paths, each containing cells with bruised and battered prisoners. The more perceptive among you may notice that these are the people who have gone missing over the past few months.
You and your fellow Branded are free to do as you like. Will you make these prisoners into experimental pawns to test your new powers with? Or will you try to resist the power you’ve accepted?
II. ABDUCTION
Unlike your possessed fellows, the brand doesn’t take. The whispers intensify with each passing hour, demanding that you give in. Still, for some reason, you never accept their offer. Perhaps somewhere in your heart, you know that this is wrong and have managed to hold on through pure force of will. Maybe your latent powers managed to hold the brand’s influence at bay despite their constant demands. Either way, the hooded figure knows that it has been denied a thrall, and it does not take rejection lightly.
A piercing shriek can be heard from the forest before all hell breaks loose. Shadowy figures emerge from its depths and press into Aldrip. If you are claimed by the shadows, your character will be enveloped in darkness and pulled back to the hidden grove. This will take you out of the action for the duration of the event, only to reappear in Aldrip sometime after the chaos subsides. However, others may choose to flee from the shadows and seek help from other Chosen. This is optional, primarily for those who need a reason to be absent from the event for a portion of the time. For characters who are present and unbranded, consider this an opportunity to interact with those who are, and to be susceptible to their abilities, or experience an odd desire to serve or otherwise demonstrate loyalty toward them.
SPEAK NOT OF THE OLD ONES
Unfortunately for those who were marked, their struggle mostly goes unnoticed in those critical first moments. For most people, it just seems like just another day. Some strange people are rising at strange hours of the morning to venture into Pessiria forest, but for the most part, life goes on as usual. While some of the Chosen may find themselves struck by a sense of unease, the locals go about their normal lives, unaware of what is to come.
However, that quiet was only the calm before the storm. After some of your fellow Chosen venture into the forest, a piercing shriek can be heard across the entire region as a gargantuan creature emerges from the earth a mile away from Aldrip. At first, all you see is a giant tentacle made of dark crystal. However, the abomination’s upper body soon emerges, flailing its limbs in an absolute frenzy. Golden tendrils course across its frame and into the ground, draining the life from the surrounding land and leaving rot in its place. Meanwhile, its many tentacles could fell a tree in a single swipe.
This unnatural event causes Aldrip to erupt into absolute chaos. Most of the Aldrip locals take to the street, taking anything valuable they could find in their homes before sprinting away. Others cry out for some kind of divine intervention to save them from their trial. However, there is no order to the escape effort, leaving most either trapped at the city, or at risk of being trampled in an onslaught of fleeing locals.
III. TAKING ON THE UNKNOWN
If the Chosen are to have any hope of dealing with this impending crisis, they need to act soon. For now, the strange beast flails about clumsily, almost as if it is unaccustomed to its corporeal form. However, there’s no telling how long this will last. The golden tendrils emerging from the creature’s body seem to be sapping the life out of the nearby land, strengthening the monster as it prepares to finish climbing out of the ground and destroy Aldrip.
Several opportunities seem obvious at first glance. Brave Chosen may choose to take the gargantuan creature on directly, banding together to bring it down before it can reduce Aldrip into a lifeless husk. However, those who are not as proficient at fighting may instead try to do something about the spreading golden roots that are sapping the life from nearby area. It might not be as glamorous, but it will buy valuable time, nonetheless. Either way, this is not a one-person kind of job. You will need help from your fellow Chosen if you want to see this through.
IV. WHEN CHOSEN CLASH
Characters who have accepted the brand’s offer will hear a call in their minds. It’s the hooded figure that granted you the power you’ve been gifted. His order is clear—the creature’s rebirth must not be disturbed. Protect it at all costs. This will give you a fantastic opportunity to show off your new powers. Band together with your fellow Branded to cause a little mayhem or face off against the unbranded as they struggle to stop the behemoth.
Fighting against former comrades will not be easy for the Chosen. Those bearing the brand have all gained strange powers based on their personalities. They include possession, mind control, elemental and blood magics, the ability to create areas of silence, life draining, or even the ability to capture others in shadowy grasps. Worse yet, the Branded are becoming stranger by the minute. As the Brand spreads across their body, their behaviour becomes increasingly violent and erratic, drawing out the worst of their personalities.
Some of the Chosen may discover a strange quirk about the new abilities that have appeared among the Branded. While the abilities may be powerful, Chosen who act selflessly to help their enthralled comrades will discover that they have become entirely immune to their influence. It won’t remove the mark itself, but it will equalise the playing field for those who want to convince their comrades to renounce the hooded figure.
THE ONE WHERE THERE’S A WILDCARD
V. LEADING—OR BENEFITTING FROM—THE SITUATION
As the creature’s scream resonates across the nearby area, residents of Aldrip begin to panic and flee from their homes. Unfortunately, such processes are often messy. In fact, plumes of smoke are even emerging from a few houses that were left just a little too hastily.
Whether you decide to assist in the process or decide to take advantage of the mayhem is up to you. The evacuation effort could almost certainly use some people to arrange the panicking mass into an organised exodus. Alternatively, you could try and attend to people who can’t get out on their own. Whatever you choose to do, people rarely forget the faces of those who personally come to their aid, and the villagers will almost certainly feel indebted to you if you ensure their safety.
Chaos can also bring opportunities. With everyone leaving their homes, there’s almost certainly plenty of unattended valuables left in the town. If thieving is up your alley, the opportunity to loot to your heart’s content is ripe. Just make sure that no one is watching. It would be a shame if one of your more justice-minded Chosen saw you doing something naughty, after all.
VI. FUCK IT, WE BALL (WILDCARD)
Just because there’s not a prompt for it doesn’t mean that your character’s actions aren’t acceptable. If you wish to do anything that hasn’t been directly addressed by the prompts, leave a message for the mod team to say what your character would do. If you choose to go down this path, note it as a comment on the OOC poll when it goes up, and leave a link to your threads so that we can take all actions into consideration for the next State of the Game.
foreboding call | open
The evening before all hell breaks loose, her hands shake as she drinks tea in the inn's dining hall. ]
I just have a bad feeling.
[ The call in her head has become deafening. She knew it was in her blood all along, that compulsion for destruction. Was this how her ancestors felt before they succumbed to the curse? If that's what's happening to her, she...she needs to tell someone before something terrible happens. ]
Will you hear what I have to say?
no subject
He's come back to the inn to drink and think, when the woman speaks up her warnings. Oh, he's absolutely going to listen.]
A bad feeling, you say? What's on your mind? [He's definitely going to need this drink after this talk, isn't he?]
no subject
[ She tugs subconsciously at the cuff of her shirt sleeve, the black marks on her skin concealed underneath her long sleeves. The tattoo-like marks have spread down her arm so much that they've become just visible on the back of her hand. She knows what she's saying is going to sound mad, but her eyes implore the man to listen. ]
I can't understand the birds anymore, and the animals are frightened of me.
no subject
She’s thought that perhaps some tea would soothe some of those nerves, but Marianne’s heavily-weighted words leave her feeling uncertain and wary at best. Her companion’s condition doesn’t help. Marianne’s looked more tired as of late. And that is surely understating whatever may truly be going on.]
You know you can always say anything to me, Marianne.
[She tries to sound reassuring, but she doubts that she’s hitting that particular note this time around.]
no subject
[ Marianne sighs out gratefully. Aerith's presence is steadying, and Marianne trusts her...enough that she begins to roll up the sleeves of her shirt. She had considered the mark that had appeared on her a shameful sign of ill omen and kept it carefully concealed under her clothes. Now the sleeve is pulled back to reveal black lines that form undecipherable symbols. Without a doubt, she is one of the marked. ]
Something's not right with me.
no subject
There's the deal with the forest. She thinks about the number of dreams she's had about the place even before the markings ever came to be. Like she should have known something like this would happen. She couldn't possibly figure that out, however.
Aerith reaches out and pauses before she offers her hand, implying she means to touch. If Marianne will allow her to.]
It's not you. There are others who are experiencing something similar. It's not your fault. How long has it been like this? Was it always this bad...?
no subject
It's been getting worse ever since we returned from the expedition.
[ She doesn't know what the others are experiencing, but she knows the blood that runs in her veins puts her at risk of something terrible happening. With the voices in her head growing louder each day, she thinks she just might lose herself. ]
I think...I think there's a reason why it chose me. Do you remember when I said I'm bad luck?
no subject
[Aerith shakes her head. Marianne always seems to think the worst of herself. For a little, Aerith has thought maybe she could help ease Marianne through it, but... Maybe it's just a side-effect of the markings. Aerith doesn't share any of the brands. Leaning onto her arms, she wears a thoughtful frown. She's patient, however. Maybe Marianne is just reading all of this wrong.]
Or... are you just saying this because you're scared? Who made you think this way?
no subject
[ Marianne shrinks away from the questions. She doesn't know exactly what's going on, and she can't deny that she's frightened. Maybe that's led her to be hasty in blaming herself, but she can think of no other explanation. Not after this morning. ]
When I visited the stables today, the horses were frightened of me.
[ It's never happened before, and she trusts their judgment more than her own. ]
no subject
[That seems like the most important thing Aerith could say in the present. An important reminder. She'll say it as many times as is necessary. Anything to help things proceed forward. Or to keep things from getting out of hand. If she's capable of just such a thing.
Still wearing the thoughtful frown, Aerith folds her hands together patiently. If it were her, she wonders if she'd be able to be so calm. Perhaps yes, out of necessity. It certainly feels as if she's had to do little more than be the ever optimist in most situations.]
Animals are... creatures of routine, right? I don't think it's you they were concerned about. I'm sure they know you well, so they're used to seeing you a certain way. If you show up differently to them, of course that'd make them uncomfortable and wary. It's not you. They're probably worried about you. That isn't the same thing. You aren't the problem here. It's whatever has done this to you. We're gonna figure out what that is and I'm gonna give it a piece of my mind.
no subject
[ Marianne looks relieved for a moment, Aerith's words filling her with hope. It pained her to have Willow pull away from her in the stables when they had been so close. But when Aerith says she'll take on whatever was causing this... ]
No...no, it's too dangerous.
[ She shakes her head, her troubled expression returning. She doesn't wish to put any of her friends at risk. They've already done so much for her. This is something she has to carry herself. Part of her has already resigned herself to what she must do next. ]
You should stay away from me, too. I could pose a danger to you. I just wanted you to know before I go.