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

[lightlessfuture]

[ The knight had simply watched for a moment - they understood the necessity of fighting to get something out, if nothing else, and Chara hadn't seemed scared, just angry.

But they're taking too many wounds for the little bug to stand idle, and when the fake Frisk lunges for Chara yet again, it finds its knife parried by a sword strike as the knight leaps in front of its intended victim. Another swift slash makes it step back a little.

They look from Chara's face, to the clone, and back again. What do they want to do? ]

[achievementhunter]

[As It scrambles back, Chara takes the briefest moment to look down at their new assistant. The Hollow Knight looks back at them, clearly questioning, and after a moment, Chara bares their teeth.

It is not a smile. It couldn't even begin to constitute as a smile. But they step forward with knife held high, and that's the answer.

Time to keep fighting- two to one, this time, but Chara can hardly say they mind not fighting fair, particularly when the suddenly far more wary shadow seems unsure how to approach this new addition to the battle.]

[lightlessfuture]

[ They recognise that look; it's the look of someone out for blood, for violence. A hunter - a Hunter, perhaps. As they had deciphered the scribbled notes, they had begun to understand that life a little more.

They understand that. And they can respect it. (This, too, is a feeling not unfamiliar to them.)

And if this is a hunt, then this shadow is not an opponent to be dueled to show worth, or a battle for survival - it is prey to be harried, to be brought to ground. With this new strategy in mind, the knight dashes away from Chara's side, coming to a stop behind the enemy and drawing their blade again.

They slash, with intent to drive the thing forward towards Chara's waiting knife. ]

[achievementhunter]

[Had they but the mindset for it, Chara would have approved of their actions. It's the advantage they need to press in on a creature that has no choice but to meet them, a hard slash across its arm enough to pull an eerie gurgling sound from its throat.

(But it sounds nothing like them, and in that, they can be grateful. It is one step away from killing them, all over again.)

The creature has no choice but to attempt to meet them, fumbling a strike that Chara darts away from with a whistle of air between them. Glancing behind, it is- physically incapable of conveying confusion at the Hollow Knight's interference, leaning over as it stabs downwards in an attempt to make up for the height difference between them. After stalking their prey for some time, this is unprecedented- their prey, being aided by a companion.

It does not know what to do, past attempting to eliminate the aberration.]

[lightlessfuture]

[ They parry the clumsy strike (though their blade slips a little, shaky; the false knife nicks them, and with the size difference it's a more substantial wound), taking advantage of the fact it's leaning down to drive their sword upwards into the shoulder of its dominant arm, weakening it.

(If they knew who this creature was imitating, they might have hesitated. But they don't, yet. There is only focus.)

Another hard strike across the torso, to drive it stumbling back towards Chara. ]

[achievementhunter]

[Their little sword digs in only a few inches before the creature rears back, low, rumbling noise that escapes it too inhuman to match the image it's stolen. Chara's lip curls as it shudders and jerks, back towards them from the hard slash across its chest.

Game Over.

Hopefully their little friend is fast enough to dodge out of the way, as Chara leaps on the shadow's back, driving their knife into its neck and sending child and creature toppling to the ground.]

[lightlessfuture]

[ Despite their weariness, the knight is indeed quick enough to dodge, sheathing their sword once they realise that the danger is over.

After a moment, they approach Chara once more. They might not have a healer's touch, but they can still bandage their injuries if allowed. Besides, they want to know if Chara is okay. ]

[achievementhunter]

[They're slow to rise, wiping their blade on their shirt as they stare down at the prone creature beneath them, expression inscrutable. The last time this had happened, they'd taken days, to recover.

They don't have days this time. Barely even seconds.

So with lips pressing into a thin line, they look to their surprise aid, instead, not quite sure, but surveying them to attempt to identify any wounds they may have taken in turn. Would a creature such as them even show signs of physical injury?]

[lightlessfuture]

[ They're injured enough that the wound left behind is bleeding shadow into the air; sluggish, but it's not sealing up like it normally would. They pull their cloak over the injury, paying it no mind.

They walk closer, looking up at Chara, clearly looking them over. They tilt their head to the side and point, questioningly. Are they hurt anywhere? ]

[achievementhunter]

[Hm.

A slight purse of their lips, fingers straying into their sleeve to pull out a roll of bandages. There's a reason they're continuously requesting the things, after all. A temporary cure for most problems.]

There is a wound on my leg that could benefit from some attention, however, I allow it under one condition.

Your own wound requires dressing, too.

[lightlessfuture]

[ The little bug seems surprised at the offer, and then nods firmly. If that simple agreement allows them to tend to the other fighter's wounds, they'll be fine with it.

...But perhaps Chara won't allow them to touch first - an understandable reaction, especially for a cautious hunter. They push their tattered cloak over their shoulder again, revealing that slow-bleeding wound, and bind it with the burlap they'd salvaged from the Jormun's sacks earlier. It makes a neat little strap around their shoulder.

They approach, then, carefully, and look up at them with another headtilt; asking silent permission to proceed. ]

[achievementhunter]

[Not precisely what they intended- however, their little companion seems more than capable of dressing the wound on their own, fixing the fabric in place with confidence. As they make another attempt to get closer, Chara relents, shifting on the ground and rolling their pant leg up to reveal a long, deep gash.

Looks like something took them by surprise.]

A bandage will be fine- in a few hours, I will be capable of tending to this more effectively.