expiationlogs | {EVENT #2} ADVERSITY 168518.2092

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{EVENT #2} ADVERSITY 168518.2092

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Thanatos isn't supposed to be here. She'd fused him with Orpheus to create Messiah. In some ways, it's a relief to have him back, like the presence of an old friend settling a warm blanket around her shoulders. Hand pressed to her heart, she can feel Thanatos rising above her, readying his sword to protect her.

Someone's yelling at her. Thanatos turns faster than should be possible, free hand snapping out in an attempt to grab the owner of the offending voice. She doesn't need to take orders from anyone. She can just let Thanatos handle it.]

[Well, RIP Akira, we knew you well-- He makes an attempt at somersaulting out of the way, but this is not the Metaverse and he does not have superhuman catlike parkour abilities, so he gets caught by his ankle. There's a squawk of sound as he gets thrown like a ragdoll, but he has the sense to land and roll without curling his dagger closer to his body and flat-out impaling himself.]

[It's still a world of hurt, and now his heartbeat is absolutely thunderous in his ears, but he gets back up despite himself and the scuffs and bruises now littering his gangly limbs.] Not just as planned. [He raises his voice again.] Kotone, can you hear me?

[The only answer Akira gets in response is a roar toward the heavens as Thanatos stretches out, the chained coffins flaring out like so many feathers before settling over her like a shroud.

And then Thanatos charges forward, sweeping Kotone along on stumbling feet in his wake as he reaches out with both hands in another attempt to grab -- this time, with the intent to tear the offending voice limb from limb.]

Akira?

[From within, it's hard to hear what's happening. Thanatos is protecting her, she knows that, but that was Akira's voice outside, wasn't it?]

[The terrifying realization that he has no idea how to defend himself from a Persona without one of his own makes the world sort of shrink until its only occupants are himself, Thanatos, and Kotone, and then keeps shrinking until all he is aware of are the hands outstretched toward him. They're too big, and Kotone doesn't seem to be in control of them (he didn't know you could lose control of a Persona!), but if he tries to move he'll just get thrown again. It's a lose-lose situation, really! The fear is like acid in his stomach, but he plants his feet and extends his dagger, knowing it's not going to do shit, until the hands are just Too Close and he flinches, bringing his arms up in some futile attempt to protect himself--]

[--and the acid catches fire and it's blue, and the sound of chains and the lack of Being Obliterated leads him to open his eyes to find himself staring at the strange spiked heels on the back of Arsène's boots. Kotone's voice filters in through the static, and he looks up, finding Arsène grappling with Thanatos to prevent it from getting to him.]

[Convenient,]

[But he has no time to be relieved. Tossing his knife to change the direction of the blade, he runs beneath the grappling Persona above.] Kotone! Shot in the dark here, but I think your Persona's gone rogue.

[Oh. That's a Persona. Wait, why is Akira fighting her? Why is Thanatos fighting Akira?! There's a weird static in her ears as she slowly lowers her Evoker, staring up at the two Personas grappling above and only slowly managing to turn her head to see Akira running toward her.

...Huh?]

Why are you fighting him?

[Thanatos can't go rogue. Thanatos is her, kind of. A part of her. Overhead, her Persona roars again, the telltale bright balls of Megidola starting to form as the precursor to an attack.]

[He skids to a halt and reaches out, aiming to set a hand on her shoulder, seeing if he can really ground her. She's clearly not completely aware, which is particularly concerning given the attack Thanatos appears to be charging.] Uhhhh, maybe because he threw me across the room and then tried to possibly-crush-possibly-dismember me? Could be wrong.

[The longer those balls gather light, the more anxiety floods Akira's limbs, and he throws his other arm-- the one with the dagger --in a gesture for Arsène to move out of the way. He's close enough to Kotone, now, he can't figure Thanatos will attack him so close to her, but he doesn't want to attack her himself, either-- him or Arsène. He pivots, curving the blade so it rests against his forearm harmlessly, and taking her other shoulder.] Can you stop him?

[Arsene moves, and Akira's right -- Thanatos won't unleash that attack so close to Kotone herself. The white-hot balls of light coalesce into tiny pinpricks before exploding out in indiscriminate lasers, slicing through trees, dirt, roots, and-

Her head turns sharply toward Akira before she can see if it hits anyone, trying to make sense of the idea that Thanatos was trying to hurt Akira. He wouldn't, would he?]

Thanatos!

[Her voice is a command, and her Persona turns toward her -- and then lunges forward with inhuman speed, sword coming down in a hard arc as if to physically separate the two of them.]

[Akira chooses not to look at what gets hit with the lasers of light from Thanatos' partially aborted attack, because it's hard to assume none of the Chosen were harmed. Either from an errant beam or something dismantled by one, it was nearly inconceivable to assume a scot-free getaway. So he watches Kotone, instead, and when she bellows at Thanatos he thinks, just for a moment, that it'll be okay.]

[He's still too close, though, clearly-- Thanatos lunges, and Arsène is too far. His agility is bugfuck insane, last Akira checked, but starting after a streamlined attack would just be futile, and Akira can't be certain enough that if he moved, Thanatos wouldn't just hit Kotone. He takes a step backward, in closer to her, and then shoves her, intent to knock her backward and away.]

[The sword would only hit him, like that, right?]

[Her eyes go wide as Thanatos lunges toward them both, a scream rising in her throat. He won't attack her, but that only leaves Akira-! She opens her mouth to shout again, but only manages an aborted yelp as she's shoved back and away, stumbling on one of the clods of dirt kicked up by Megidola.

And just like that, it's like something clears in her mind, her voice ringing with greater authority,] Thanatos!

[And her Persona turns, faster than should be possible, the attempted Brave Blade slamming full-force into the ground beside them. All she can do is scramble forward on hands and knees, breath coming hard through her mouth as she can only beg that she'd managed to redirect the attack in time.]

Akira? Akira!!

[He's familiar enough with Brave Blade to know it when he sees it. He's only vaguely aware of Thanatos turning when it happens, as fast as it is, but moreover he's startlingly aware of the fact that it wouldn't completely put him out of the attack's range. It lands, the closest of the three blades grazing him from his navel up, but at least he's not been cleaved into three equal sections. He'd tilted his head back, so the laceration only clipped his chin above his collarbone, but rest in pieces to his polo. A harsh exhale later, he goes to turn and console Kotone-- he's fine, after all --and he slips.]

[It's not until he's dropped to his hands and knees and staring at a startling amount of blood for such a shallow cut that he registers he might not be completely fine, and he'd slipped on his own fucking blood. His breath is taken in sharp gasps, but he sits back on his haunches and tries to focus on Kotone.] 'm fine-- I'm okay. Not in pieces. Good to go. [He might throw up.]

It's okay! You're fine!! I-I can heal you, I can-

[She sits back on her heels and scrabbles for her Evoker, bringing it to her temple and firing without hesitation. Never mind that Thanatos shouldn't still be hovering there after that attack, or any of those attacks, not without her will, but-

She pulls the trigger. Click.

Click.

Click. Click-]

Helel! [Thanatos keeps drifting there, bobbing gently up and down as she keeps trying to pull the trigger. She's trying to cycle through, but it's like something's jammed in her brain, static keeping her from turning the metaphorical barrel in her heart to release a different Persona and-]

Okay, hang on- [She holsters the Evoker with a shaky hand and just grabs for her bag-- her bag, which isn't with her. Okay. No medicine. No healing items, because of course not. She strips her own school uniform overshirt off and presses it to his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding.] It's okay, you're fine.

[Watching her click the trigger of her Evoker on repeat is Decidedly Awful, but his mouth is sort of stuck together while his brain bluescreens so he can't quite ask her to stop. She pulls off her jacket and presses it to him and he slowly brings his arms to cover her hands, sluggish and dizzy from shock, but settles to sit a little more securely with less concern of falling over.]

In one piece, better than I figured, [Mumbled, because he still can't quite unstick his mouth.]

[Arsène hovers, as well, and he wasn't inundated with healing skills but Akira had had the foresight to give him a few low-level ones-- Dia washes over him in an odd, soothing green glitter shower and all but the deepest part of the cut up his chest stops bleeding completely. Akira drops his head onto Kotone's shoulder.] 's yours done, you think.

You're fine.

[It's given as an order, not reassurance, falling into the habit from when she'd have to get her team through just one more floor of Tartarus, when she had to make them believe that just one more floor would do it, that they'd be fine. She wishes Akihiko were here, he knows the most about sustaining injuries. No, she wishes Yukari were here, Yukari could heal anything, Mitsuru could heal, she wishes she had some medicine or even some bandages because-

Focus. Don't panic. She applies greater pressure on the shirt, feeling the tingle of a weak healing spell run over her fingers and sink into the wound. Okay. At least one of them can heal. Thanatos can't heal. Thanatos can only fight. She can feel him, even now, something scratching at the inside of her skull like it's only a short reprieve. But she's a leader. Kotone tilts her head so the side rests against Akira's, unwilling to remove her hands from the shirt just yet.]

I'm okay. You should have dodged, Thanatos won't- he won't hurt me, no matter what, I know he won't hurt me.

Couldn't risk it,

[Dodging, that is. His left hand paws at the ground, swiping through the blood there in idle fascination because he's not actually sure he's seen that much of his blood in one place before, and he's also definitely still in shock. He angles his head, looking up at her, and then past her to Thanatos.] Could have hit you if he hadn't turned. He probably didn't realize.

Can you heal yourself again?

[She pulls the shirt back, trying to guess how deep it is and genuinely not knowing what she's supposed to be looking for. It's not like her team hadn't gotten hurt before, but usually injuries weren't so obvious; they were absorbed by their respective Personas, or healed before the end of combat, or healed more completely long before-

With a shake of her head, she returns to the present, trying once again to dismiss that itch, that desire to just let Thanatos take over.]

I think he just wanted to get you away from me. If it- [Her throat closes up briefly, but she forces herself to work through it, glancing up to meet his eyes with complete seriousness.] If it happens again, you've got to run. Promise me.

Prob'ly, [He follows her fussing, realizing Thanatos sliced his shirt neatly down the middle and sulking a little at it-- he liked this shirt. Swatting gently at her hand, he dabs his own down the angry red line that stops just above his navel, closing his eyes and raising his hand. Arsène administers another Dia, and Akira drops his head back against Kotone's shoulder at an angle.]

[He grins.] Not a chance, babe. Sounds like you've gotta get him under control, instead.

It's not-!

[It's not that easy, she wants to yell, but she presses her lips tightly together and swallows it. He's right. She can't lose control, she can't, even if it feels like there are nails scratching and whispering inside her skull.]

...Sure.

[She'll just have to be the one to run, then. If she starts losing control, she'll have to get as far away as she can.

Around them, there's still the sounds of combat. Still the sound of whatever that creature is crashing through the undergrowth. She ties her now-bloody jacket around her waist and grips her naginataa with one hand, the other coming up to gently touch his cheek as if in reassurance.]

Are you okay to fight?

[He hums, reaching up and waving his hand over hers. He doesn't want to touch her when his hand is all bloody from swiping through the shallow puddle of it. A smile, and he sits up a little, nodding.] Might have to stop to puke in the bushes, but it be like that sometimes. Help me up?

[He should not be fighting, and Arsène makes a warning croon of sound somewhere behind him, but Akira waves him off. It'll be fiiiine.]

Sit for a few more minutes, then. That's an order.

[Rushing into battle when he's distracted is only going to get him hurt worse. She looks up to Arsene as if to gauge him, then turns her hand to brush her knuckles against his cheek gently in something that would almost be tender if her eyes weren't so dispassionate with the compartmentalization of everything she's going through.

She uses her naginata to force herself back up to her feet and nod to Thanatos. It's still itching in the back of her skull, still driving her forward -- she can't stay here.]

I'll take care of this.

[One way or another.]

Nooo, that's not helping me up.

[Arsène swoops a little closer when Kotone gets up, making another sound-- he worries for her, too, the same as Akira. His wings fold down around just Akira, since Kotone is insisting on getting up, but he watches her while his dumbass of a rebellious spirit child waves a hand at her from the fucking floor.]

[She has to fight. She has to fight. Her skull hurts, and even as Arsene wraps his wings around Akira, Thanatos' own chained coffins comes to rest around her. They have to go.]

Stay until you're ready. I'll see you out there.

[Her voice sounds distant as she starts forward, first a few steps, then a run. She has to get back in there. She has to stop this.]

[He mumbles something at her as she runs off, but allows himself to drop over backward and lay still for a while. Who knew getting nearly cleaved into threes to become a neat little Protagonist Brochure could be so tiring?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{EVENT #2} ADVERSITY 168518.2092

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uses this icon for comedic effect

dsjkfhldsf

listen,

i'm listening!!

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