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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
Hasn't she admitted to that before since her arrival? That she's often thought less of herself and more of those she wishes to guard?
She strafes across the ground, her movements slow and measured, wordless for those moments. Those well-versed in combat can size up their opponents by saying next to nothing. They can exchange blows in ways that aren't always physical. They can develop an understanding, without needing much to do so. Such is the way of soldiers.]
I can't expect you to understand. I won't put that on you. I can only tell you that I'm doing what is necessary. You don't have to agree with me. I can't let you stop me, however. If you insist, I have no other choice than to face you.
no subject
Necessary for what? Necessary to kill everything here? Well done, you truly are a hero. I'm sure the country you told me you serve so proudly would think the same. And what of your comrades? I bet they would love to see you made into a pawn by a mere glyph.
[The Kuranta knight’s words are sharp as his gaze, which tracks Kisara as she continues to move around. She’s observant and disciplined, in a way that the other members of his family are not. In different circumstances, he would have loved to train her. Still, there was no time for such thoughts here. Instead, Młynar quickly dashes to a nearby boulder, which he manages to kick up from the ground and kick towards Kisara as if it was nothing more than a child’s toy.
Surely a mere human wouldn’t be able to parry that so easily, right? At least, that’s what Młynar expected. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t exactly familiar with Dahnans.]
no subject
[Well, not when it comes to her own reputation. Somewhere inside of her continues to linger the woman who is so devastatingly devoted to the people of Viscint. Her people, regardless of the things that have happened in that fair city. If he knew of her, if he was one who truly wanted to grasp at Kisara's heart, she doesn't suspect she'd have the same level of even composure if Migal were to be used against her in such a way.
He would not be proud of this either, however, and certainly a part of her (quiet and suffocated as it is beneath her resistance) is well aware of it.]
I commend you, however, for making the attempt.
[It seems effortless for him, the way that he flings up that boulder in her direction. If she were any run-of-the-mill Dahnan slave, perhaps she would not be so prepared. In this instance, Renan technology has very likely saved her. She parks herself stiffly behind her looming shield. It wouldn't be the first time she's had to protect herself from an oversized rock or two.]
The innovation is welcome, but I didn't get my reputation because others thought to underestimate me. I may be slow, but I'm not defenceless.
no subject
It is clear that you’re something special. As much as it pains me to put you down, I respect your talent and discipline.
[Once again, another thing that she has in common with his nieces. He’d probably see her in a fond light if not for the fact that they were engaged in mortal combat. A shame, it really was just an absolute waste of a good potential companion.]
Still, a mad hound must be put down, and so too must you. It’s a shame, I would have probably trained you myself had this not happened.
[The tip of Młynar’s sword lights up again, gaining an almost blinding brightness before being jabbed straight into the ground. After a short while, Kisara may notice that the soil beneath her feet is starting to heat up, as a pillar of light starts to break through.]
no subject
Maybe she never will be.]
A discussion for later, perhaps. When we aren't caught up in this.
[She adjusts her grip on her mace as she shifts, ever keen to eye him. To find out where his next move may come from. What she feels beneath her is something she experiences far too late. Light reaches through under her feet and she attempts tilt down the bottom of her shield, driving its edge against the ground in an attempt to blockade herself where she stands.]
no subject
[It’s a good thing that she chose to place her shield as she did, as a flood of light quickly comes up to meet it. It seems insubstantial at first, yet it quickly gains enough force for Kisara to be sent skyward, though thankfully unharmed. Thankfully, the blow came at an angle, meaning that the trip was only ten or so feet into the air, but Młynar was almost certain that Kisara was unfamiliar with this kind of aerodynamism.
If they both lived this, he’d have to experiment with this later. The idea of making an improvised knight-launcher seems rather amazing to Młynar, despite the seriousness of the situation.]
Good reflexes too. You really are making this harder, Kisara.
no subject
It is likely to be a less-than-pleasant experience.
As she approaches the ground, gravity having its way with her, she relies on the force in her strike, just something to buy her a moment's time. The rest of her collides with the ground right up against her armour before she rolls across the ground to help absorb some of the shock to her system. A scattered mess of blonde hair as sprawled on musty ground as the rest of her.
She can hear him loud and clear as she begins to put herself back together.]
Did you expect me to just surrender? You don't know anything about me.
no subject
Can you blame me for trying? You would do the same in my place, I’m sure.
[They were distressingly similar in some ways, after all. That dogged determination of hers, for one, was something he recognized quite easily. She may be down, but her eyes are still plenty alive. People with those eyes make for dangerous foes, doubly so when they have their backs against the wall. It's enough to get under his skin and make him hesitate. She's already surprised him this much so far. What else could she possibly be capable of?]
Still, what motivates you to keep standing? Are you truly so loyal to this… thing?
no subject
[Not that they have much of a chance to find out given the nature of the situation. It's her defending the creature. It's him squaring off against her. Should the roles ever be reversed, they can have a little comparison. Otherwise...
Well. No point in discussing hypotheticals now, really.
It's a struggle to bring herself back to her feet. Hardly the first time Kisara's ever been knocked down. It will likely not be the last either. Her armour feels heavier than perhaps it ought to. As if she's somehow grown unaccustomed to its weight.
She manages to take her shield back into hold, assessing it for damages. A soldier is only as good as the equipment they keep. Defending a creature or not, Kisara's core ideals appear to remain the same. Ever dedicated, ever dutiful to her charge. Except this time it's not a redheaded lord.]
I told you already. I'm doing what I believe is right. That's the only way I know how to be.
[It's the only way she'd want to be.]
no subject
They’re words I’ve spoken quite a few times. Still, I learned better eventually.
[And he’d do the same with her. Once again, the Kuranta knight raises his sword, pointing it directly at Kisara for a moment and letting out a long sigh as he charged his Arts into the tip of his blade for another beam of overwhelming light. Luckily for Kisara, the whole thing was an act. Better to let her think that he was resigned to killing her, so that he could do what he had meant to do this whole time.
Młynar is quick to swing around his sword with a quick flick of his wrist, changing the beam’s path to go past Kisara and towards the beast itself. With any luck, he’ll be able to scorch it and whatever connection that the two shared in a singular blast of overwhelming energy. At worst, he’ll be putting it down like he set out to accomplish in the first place.
What, did she think he would duel her honorably or something like that? Not a chance, especially after this conversation of theirs. There's a place for honour, but lives come first- it's a lesson he had learned no few times in the past. It might be a pain, but he’ll have to somehow get around her. Best to try and do that in one.]