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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.
no subject
It’s fine, I’ve survived worse. I just need some time to breathe. Can you cover me as I fall back?
[Using his sword as a makeshift cane, the Kuranta knight slowly props himself up and regains his footing. Unfortunately, he finds that the endeavour isn’t quite as easily done as he had expected. Each breath causes the knight serious pain as he stumbles around, confirming that he had at least broken a rib or two during the impact. After a few shaky steps, Młynar jabs his blade into the ground, leaning into it as he feels his strength leaving his legs.]
I rescind my statement. I might need some help falling back. Just for a short while though, I’m sure others will need you.
no subject
[Very readily, at that, it seems, though what follows after his very confident words don't exactly instil her with the same confidence. As he teeters this way and that, not at all what she would consider particularly stable, she's torn between offering him a hand and just letting him swallow his pride.
Eventually it seems the latter is what kicks into gear. She doesn't doubt that what he has to say holds some truth, too. Others likely will need her, but from observation, there seem to be a fair number of people who have skills somewhat similar to her own. Probably not quite in the same way... but close enough. Somehow, she highly doubts there's a high population of Cetra in this world.
Kind of hard to be when she's the last one.
As he leans onto his sword, she offers him a sympathetic smile, though it's light at best.]
Don't worry about it. I'm not the only healer here. I'll be back to help out others as I can anyway.
[Because she just can't leave well enough alone, as it were. With some care, she attempts to loop a slender arm about him.]
Here, you can lean on me. Let's get you somewhere safer and I can cast a proper Cure spell on you. You get to be my guinea pig, because I haven't had to try that since I arrived.
no subject
[The large Kuranta man’s arm wraps around Aerith’s shoulder, while his sword plunges into the ground to make a makeshift cane of sorts. It’s a shameful use for his blade, but considering how much larger he is, it’s necessary. He shudders to think about what it would be like for this twig of a girl otherwise.
The walk isn’t a pleasant one. His body is more broken than he cares to admit, only confirming that his nigh-invulnerable status is practically gone. Each step brings a sharp sensation as the broken rib jabs into his internal structure, though luck was kind enough to stop any major ruptures from happening. He’d seen a knight choke on his own blood once when that happened. It’s not a pretty sight.]
I’m glad for the offer, though the mention of Cure spells catches my attention. Where I am from, we don’t have magic. Usually it’s medkits or Arts, which are both bound by science and rules.
[He’s not usually one for chatter, but it distracts him from the pain for now. Besides, it seems like this girl is a talker anyways, so he doubts that she’ll have many complaints about that sort of thing.]
no subject
[But she can understand why some would hesitate to accept that kind of kindness. It's easier to just not feel like one owes anything to another. Not to mention that someone who is so charitable is the kind of person who puts others on edge. There don't seem to be many people like Aerith who would be inclined to do something for others without getting something in return.
She doesn't push him any quicker than he's comfortable going. In fact, she lets him dictate the strides, the pace, anything that he might need. She can feel what she imagines must be moments of hesitance or apprehension. Pain, perhaps, though she doesn't address that outright.]
Medkits or Arts... I bet your Medkits are probably similar to Potions and things like that back home, which don't use magic. I just happen to have some magic that lets me heal others. I can't really take away ailments, but I can help with abrasions and probably broken things. It won't be a cure-all, but it'll probably at least alleviate some of the pain.
[Not a cure-all. Get it? She's made a funny.]
no subject
You clearly don’t know many knights, girl. Debts of gratitude are something repaid as a matter of honour. While I may not have much of it left, I still observe those old ways.
[While Aerith is being considerate, Młynar still pushes himself to go as fast as possible. The Kuranta man discovers parts of himself that he wasn’t even aware were capable of pain, and his ability to think straight is overwhelmed as he struggles to breathe. Still, he manages to make decent time thanks to her help, and tries his best to not give any indication of how much pain he’s dealing with.]
And I’ll take what I can get. There’s a saying we have in Kazimierz. If you can hold your sword, you’re in a condition to fight. If you can take a step, your blade can pierce their heart.
[Kazimierz is a very depressing kind of place, to have sayings like that. A grim, capitalistic place founded on antiquated ideals of knighthood that treats lives like fodder. Still, it also breeds resilience in knights like Młynar.]
no subject
[Zack. Always about honour. Maybe he could have been considered a knight, too. When she thinks about the storybook definition, it certainly seems like he would have fit right into that slot. And as she's on the subject, Cloud's kind of a knight, too...]
Well, we might have to argue on that one. I can be pretty stubborn when I want to be. I'll find a way for you to make it up to me if you're really insistent.
[It'll probably be as simple as bringing her some flowers.
As she's peering up at him, inquisitive and imploring, she listens intently to what he feels inclined to share. He sounds old-fashioned. Or maybe just very committed to the cause. It's impressive, regardless. Maybe a little reckless. But then it seems like whether one's a Soldier or a knight, life expectancy isn't exactly an extensive thing it seems for those types.]
On the other hand, if you're not at full form, you can't protect anyone very well, and you can't do much piercing of hearts either. At least, not with your full potential.
no subject
[While Zack would have probably annoyed the hell out of Młynar, this is one topic they agree on completely. Though the SOLDIER program is more or less everything that the Kuranta man considers wrong. If a sword ties itself to money and corporations, it is a sword that has lost its way.]
Besides, you… [Młynar grits his teeth at Aerith’s argument, realizing that she’s not wrong. He hates it, but she’s not.] Are correct. And I’d be a burden to anyone else if I continued fighting like this too. Fine, we’ll do it your way.
[The old knight winces once more as he keeps on pushing forward, trying his best to let his body’s weight keep carrying him forward where his legs struggle to do the same. It reminds him of his days on the battlefield. Every battle was won a single step at a time.]
You seem used to doing this sort of thing, girl. I can only wonder about what kind of world you hailed from for that to be the case.