January Event: Setting Fire to the Sky

[lifeaftr_mods]

JANUARY EVENT: SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY

Who: Everyone!
What: The sun dies, and the creatures of the night emerge from the depths
When: January 21st - January 28th
Where: Everywhere! Ensō, Monsun, Chol, and the Islets
Warnings: Character death, possible body horror and violence. Please mark any additional warnings as needed!

So We Can Take the World Back From the Heart-Attacked

The night of the 21st, the sun begins to dim. It dips in the horizon, sinks to nestle itself in the center of Chol like a star falling in slow motion, where it begins to smolder quietly - massive, smoking, and hot, like a massive egg. The night grows colder, the sky reduced to an inky black. The surface of the surrounding water is still but for the occasional ripple, the odd, strangely subdued wave, with not even the hollow lights of distant stars to glint off its reflective waves.

The Jormun gather around the sunken, dying sun with their scaled hands on their weapons, their expressions grim. They fan out across the island of Chol with arms in hand. Their fortifications have settled around the island's center in a dense ball of bristling weapons. They have been preparing for this. They are ready to fight.

Are you? No island is safe. From the well-trodden mainland of Ensō and its islets to the stark dichotomy of Monsun to the craggy shores of Chol, all manner of strange things have begun to haul themselves, dripping, from the watery dark.

No more preparation. No more running.

From here on out, it is fight or die.

One Maniac At a Time, We Will Take It Back

As the Storyteller has promised, there is sanctuary in their temple on Ensō, which will keep out the worst of the creatures. It will not, however, protect characters from the cold and dark, and so they will have to keep themselves warm some other way.

The Jormun fight fiercely, but they do not fight alone. Aside from the help that the willing of your number have offered, you may glimpse the Storyteller battling alongside the rest in a flurry of strange, shifting animal shapes: a heavy-antlered reindeer, a shrieking owl with outstretched talons, a slavering grizzly bear with the Storyteller's signature tome strapped across a broad, furry back, to name but a few. Those creatures that the Storyteller defeats will burst into a flurry of paper and dark, spattering ink, rather than being felled in the conventional manner. How odd.

As this is an event with a high risk of death, the Storyteller will impose death penalties for one week only. However, deaths succumbed during the event will count towards the character's total.

Then I'll Raise You Like a Phoenix

Come the sunrise on the 28th, the sun will launch itself into the air with a victorious shriek, its wings trailing plumes of fire behind it. The phoenix takes flight, reborn from the ashes. The shores of Chol are littered with corpses, both shadowy and scaled, along with an even smattering of crumpled paper and splotched inkstains. Despite the triumph of the fight, it did not come without its costs. The Jormun gather their dead and prepare to mourn them quietly. Those who perished in the fight will not see the sunrise from this unique perspective, watching the murk of the night tint to soft, milky yellow and pink, and then to a glorious new day.

Munin will greet the survivors with a mixture of solemnity and relief, thanking them profusely for their help. There is not much more that her people can offer you, at this point - they must grieve their dead, and she must return to the sea to prove that she has cemented her worth as a leader in the eyes of the other Jormun - but that does not mean that your stories will part forever.

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] January 20th: Monthly Storytelling occurs as usual
[ ♆ ] January 21st: The dark arrives, the temperature drops further, and the first hostile creatures begin their assault
[ ♆ ] January 28th: The dark ends and the sun rises
[ ♆ ] January 30th: Those who perished are revived, suffering from a reduced death penalty

Event Specifics

[ ♆ ] If you have any questions, feel free to look over our OOC Info Post.
[ ♆ ] Feel free to make your own logs if necessary!
[ ♆ ] If your character perishes in this event, please let us know!
[ ♆ ] Item trades with the Jormun can be found on the OOC plotting post here! Even if you were only recently accepted, you are free to participate!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

Tataru | Storyteller's Temple

[alittleditty]

I. Heart of a lion, this one...

[Logically she knows she's safe. Knows that the Storyteller has garuanteed that this place will keep the monsters out, that the only dangers here are the dark and the cold. But her instincts are not so easily swayed. And she's never had an adventurer's heart for danger.

She starts out in the corners, near the walls, though that doesn't last long. Next it's behind stacks of supplies, and ultimately near the campfires they make. But she spends much of the first day or two not actively doing some task (often with trembling fingers even then) curled up and shaking. She has no heart for this. None at all.

She'll often squeak and jump when addressed, too. Especially if surprised.]

II. What we Must

[Eventually she starts adjusting, and devoting herself more to the mundane tasks. Tending the fires, helping cook the food. Making clothes for anyone that might be looking cold (she's brought most of her house's here, actually, as far as supplies go).

That also might include fussing over anyone injured or ill a great deal more than is strictly necessary. This is how she deals.]

i.

[ichininyaanshi]

[Staying in the corners, where it feels safer but isn't, Ichimatsu can relate to. It's why, the first couple times his gaze passes over the girl, he leaves her be. What else should he do? he's a weird stranger; pretty much useless. There's nothing he can do for her except maybe make her feel even more uncomfortable. People who shrink away don't want to be seen. He can at least pretend.]

[But then he keeps seeing her, in all the shadowed places his own eyes keep drawing to. It makes his insides twist in unwanted sympathy. Doesn't she have any friends or something? Why isn't anyone looking out for her? He's -- definitely not the one for the job, but he finds himself watching her, eventually; seeing her attempt some task or another with shaking hands, quietly withdraw to herself when she can.]

[By the end of the first day, when everything is still quiet (but for how long), Ichimatsu decides that enough is enough.]

[He tries not to sneak up on her; if she's anything like him, being startled oftentimes leads to violence.]

... hey, you.

[alittleditty]

A-ah!

[He does a good job not sneaking up, for what it's worth. She's just so easily startled right now. In this case though it just means standing upright with a jerk, hands over her heart.]

Yes? Did you need something?

[ichininyaanshi]

[And he still scared her? Even when he's not trying to do his creepy shtick.]

Not really. Noticed you were alone.

[He cringes, glancing away from her. right!! that's not weird or anything!!]

Where's, uh, your friends?

[alittleditty]

Well, I'm, ah- I'm actually the only one from my world here!

[At least that's what she assumes he means, initially? Or wait, could he just be... talking about people she knows?]

Most of the others are out there taking part in the battle, I expect. I can't really defend myself, so I knew I'd just be in their way elsewhere.

[So, here she is.]

I.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet is making one of her check-ins as she tries to guide any remaining stragglers to the safety of the temple, seeing how everyone inside is doing. Noticing Tataru off in the corner, she approaches with a gentle smile and greets her:]

Hello, dearie. Have the supplies been holding out well, do you think?

[alittleditty]

Oh, Muffet!

[Thank you Muffet. Distractions are absolutely more than welcome, and logistics make for a wonderful distraction.]

So far as I can tell thus far, yes. Nobody's been a problem about it, either.

[You know, people arguing about rations or trying to hog supplies, that kind of thing.]

O-out there?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[For all their impressively eccentric personalities, the castaways can be surprisingly civil to each other in the face of disaster.]

That's good to hear, I was a little worried about making sure we had enough clean water.

[At Tataru's question she makes a noncommittal gesture with one hand.]

I've run into a few unpleasant things, but nothing unmanageable, and I don't think we've had any casualties yet. Everything seems to be keeping well away from the temple, presumably because of the Storyteller's protection, so I've been making sure to send any stragglers I find here.

[alittleditty]

Th-that's good to hear...

[That there've been no casualties, that everything seems... under control so far. And that the monsters have, on the whole, been giving the temple a wide berth. Which means that most of those sounds she keeps hearing, the skitterings and creepings and things, probably are just her imagination....]

I'll make sure to keep an eye out for anyone you send here. They'll probably be cold.

[Again. Distractions.]

i

[catpiper]

[The child catches her eye immediately. The obvious signs of fear she's exhibiting, especially when Ren is prone to those same habits herself, is impossible to turn a blind eye to. Trying to hide, trying to cower away-she gets it. It's scary right now and Tataru might not understand the area is safe because cats are here or that it's possible to doodle 50% of your problems away.

So Ren's gonna fix this.

When Tataru comes to one of the fires, she ambles over herself to ask-]

Do you want to hide with me?

[alittleditty]

[Oh she knows this place is safe? It's much more of a logic versus emotion thing. Though that doodling part might still be new for her. Still, Tataru looks up smiling a bit weakly to see Ren there. You really are such a sweetheart.]

Ah, I... I may not mind that, actually.

[She feels foolish - she's an adult, but... well, here she is.]

[catpiper]

[Good.

The only logic she uses to find hiding spots is Do I feel safe?-unwilling to leave the safety of the temple, she thinks the greatest comfort is being together right now. They can hide together. Eat together. She can wrap this small girl up in and let her sleep peacefully.]

It's back that way-by that wall.

[So, not too different from where Tataru is now, but she can press her back against a wall and Ren can make sure she remains hidden.]

[alittleditty]

[The walls have been kind a mixed bag. It does feel safer to have something at her back, but at the same time she swears she can hear things, scratching and scuttling about out there. It could just be her imagination, though.]

O-one moment. Let me get Cicina.

[Cicina, as it happens, is a small black sheep with a curly nose, covered with warm wool.]

i ...........im sorry

[thejaw]

[Brian recognizes her. This is the one who insisted on him keeping warm.

He kneels beside her, and pulls out his notebook to scribble a message. It seems as though she feels the same way he does; like this whole 'no monsters here' thing is likely bullshit. He's not staying here long.]

you're smart
people should not take safety for granted
an attack could come from anywhere

[Which is definitely, absolutely not what someone who is scared wants to hear, but like. He tried.]

[alittleditty]

[Absolutely not what someone who is scared and has absolutely no way to defend herself wants to hear, indeed.]

I, but...

[She's looking at the notebook, wondering if she should be writing too. But he understood her well enough last time and she's not sure she could write steadily right now anyway.]

We have to be safe here. I can't fight at all. If this place isn't safe, wh-what should I even do?

[thejaw]

[She sounds far more scared than he expected. As if it's less smart, more fear driving her actions.

Suddenly, Brian feels like a big dumb idiot.]

arm yourself.
do you have a weapon
anything at all. think outside the box

i.

[postictal]

[He stops by the temple to check in, relatively early on. It's not shocking to discover that there's more than a few people here that look like they're not ones for the fight. He isn't either, technically. Usually.]

[Things have changed.]

[He tries to approach her slowly, quietly, digging something out of his knapsack as he goes.]

Hey. Tataru?

[alittleditty]

[She squeaks when addressed. She is very jumpy right now to say the least. Though she brightens a bit when she sees who it is.]

Oh, Tim! Apologies, I seem to be... a little nervous at the moment. What is it?

[postictal]

[All he has is a wreck of a shirt - once checkered red flannel, now thoroughly muddied and torn, and looking even a bit scorched at the edges. Maybe he's making it worse, by dumping this on her, but if it were him? He'd want something to do. Something to occupy his time.]

You up to doing a little patch job?

II

[souris_keteer]

[Mickey had only come to the temple for a brief rest, heal his wounds, and check on his friends. He doesn't intend to stay for too long - although Tataru's making him want to leave sooner.]

For the last time, I'm really okay!

[alittleditty]

Ah- right. My apologies.

[She... she was overdoing things, wasn't she?]

Just wanted to make sure everything was all in order, before you head back out.

[souris_keteer]

... I know I don't look too great, but... I'll be okay. I can't afford to close my eyes for too long.

ii

[daydreamy]

Huh? Oh, hey, Tataru-chan!

[ even in your downtime, F.O.E.!, here comes Kyouko, popping up out of seemingly nowhere to Lend Some Assistant. She's made her appearance in the middle of a session of putting clothes together and she's doing her best to smile. ]

You're keeping really busy, huh?

[alittleditty]

Doing my best to!

[She pulls the shirt she's working on upright to check how the dimensions are looking so far. Not bad. Better than when she'd been working in the caves, at least.]

Have things been going well for you? You're among those fighting out there, right?

[Since Tataru hasn't seen her around here too much.]

[daydreamy]

Yeah! Me and Yuka-chan. We're just taking a little break right now and then we're gonna be out there and back on it soon!