July Event: Riding the Wave

[lifeaftr_mods]

JULY EVENT: RIDING THE WAVE

Who: Everyone!
What: The Jormun reappear to allow some transformative fun...and potentially some underwater exploration as well
When: July 10th and onward
Where: Ensō and the ocean floor around it
Warnings: Potential (and fully optional) body/transformation horror may arise when undergoing shifts from land-based to sea-based shapes, and vice versa. Otherwise, tag as you go!

I'll See You on the Other Side
The Jormun resurfaced to greet their old allies on July 8th, bringing with them the offer to explore the ocean floor alongside them. They're not the only old friend that's made a return, however. The kaleidoshells, placid, rainbow-tinted creatures reminiscent of sea turtles, have also made their way to Ensō's shores for their nesting season. For much of the month of July, you'll have to tread carefully around mounds of sand hiding delicate heaps of kaleidoshell eggs. Those of you uninterested in sea exploration can remain on the surface, if you like - the kaleidoshells can make for a stunning sight if you're glimpsing them for the first time as their shells throw off vibrant rainbow swirls of light reflected into the ocean waters.

Predators are always keen to feast on easy prey, and kaleidoshell eggs are no exception. If you feel like protecting them from any hungry slypers or pterax, you'll find that some of the Jormun are happy to stick on the surface with you and assist. They'll even lend you a schlacknorkcvic, which is the Jormun equivalent of a simple driftwood training staff, to help keep any thieving creatures away from the nests of kaleidoshell eggs - though they recommend that you do so peacefully, if possible.

Get Carried Away
Or you can brave the sea waters with the Jormun, instead. With the help of the sne'akleriad pendant, your new, aquatic shape will allow you to navigate the waters just as easily as they. Whether you intend to make use of this new skill to go roaming about and explore some of Ensō's uncharted ocean squares, take a look at that underwater structure that's been sighted before, or just have a joyous time beneath the waves with your new scaly, tentacled, flippered, or be-gilled form, the choice is yours.

---

In the meantime, the following links may prove handy:

[ ♆ ] OOC Event Info and Plotting Post
[ ♆ ] Underwater City Exploration Page
[ ♆ ] Jormun NPC Information
[ ♆ ] Ensō's Locations Page

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] July 8th: The Jormun and the kaleidoshells return to Ensō's shores
[ ♆ ] July 10th: Underwater exploration begins
[ ♆ ] July 17th: Part Two of our second year anniversary Test Drive Meme goes up
[ ♆ ] July 20th: Monthly Storytelling occurs
[ ♆ ] July 22nd: The final island in this voting round appears
[ ♆ ] July 25th: The Jormun return to their home beneath the waves

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

ii.

[a_shadow]

[ The nice thing about the Freelancer armor is it's possible to totally seal it off—for use in space, or handily here, underwater.

So Tex is on the sea floor in armor when she starts to realize something is going on not too far distant. Something violent.

Fighting underwater in armor is nothing like it is on land, though. She can tell the creatures have someone trapped in a net. She's pretty sure this someone is a member of the population that lives on the islands, considering what has been going on with the pendants the Jormun have offered up. So she intervenes, slashing at the apparent leader of the pack and delivering the most walloping punch she can, even with the denseness of being underwater causing her blow to land more slowly than it would have on land. The blow was enough to loosen the leader's grip on the net and Tex takes her knife out to slash at its strands. ]

[counterblows]

[Somehow, it's not surprising that Tex has decided against using the resources offered to her and just elected to fight in armor. But that's her choice; Wash is currently learning that he really should've taken the time to adjust to his new, aquatic body before going any deeper.]

[He still can't untangle the net from where it's clinging to his fins, but the leader's relinquishing of its grip mean that he can get some distance between himself and the rest of the Tursa - enough distance to get the shield off his back, and use it to plow into one of the Tursa, driving them back.]

[a_shadow]

[ Tex's efforts, which are to slash the entire net out of the leader's grip just below the place where it's being held, yield one cut to about half the ropes before her attention is drawn back to the leader's struggle to hit her back. She shoves him.

Shoving isn't the most effective move underwater, it appears. The leader grasps for her arm and finds purchase, and she's dragged down with him. Tex sweeps her legs up to kick with both legs, a move which is simultaneously easier now than it would be on land but also significantly more slow motion, which throws her off a bit.

Meanwhile, the other tursa are splitting up to attack and delay her and whoever is in the net. The leader lets go of Tex's arm after her kick, and she ends up sort of washing by where he's fallen. Another tursa grabs onto her back and she's left thrashing to try to throw the creature off. She's increasingly desperate as she doesn't typically have this much trouble fighting. Adjusting to underwater moves isn't as easy as she expected. ]

[counterblows]

[They're better at moving under the water than either him or Tex, that's for sure. He's got a knife, but its reach is limited, and he's probably better off disarming one of the Tursa to steal their longer-reaching weapons. So he does. As he bulls forward with his shield, a pair of golden, feathery wings manifest on his back, ethereal and ultimately purely decorative, but that is an assurance that the shield is working.]

[Catching the Tursa on the shield, bucking it upward, and seizing its driftwood spear to twist it deftly from its grip. He only has to aim for a second before thrusting it point-first at the Tursa caught on Tex's back, aiming for the back of the neck.]

[a_shadow]

[ The Tursa releases her abruptly. She finds purchase on the sea floor and turns, and, seeing what Washington has done, turns her attention back to the Tursa leader. The leader is back upright, and swipes at her when she approaches. She grabs the Tursa's arm and twists. ]

[counterblows]

[These things clearly weren't expecting a fight of this magnitude. They're starting to scatter, especially when Tex targets their leader. Wash yanks the spear from the dying thing with a curt jerk of his wrist and spins the spear around to skewer another of the Tursa through the middle.]

[The spear gets lodged in the layers of blubber and skin. So he lets go, settles for swinging his shield and using it to brain one of them across the temple.]

[a_shadow]

[ Something seems to shift then—Washington has escaped and the others are starting to rush away. The leader makes a gesture of surrender, and possibly of distress. After a moment of contemplation, and an additional twist to his arm, Tex lets him go. He snatches up the remains of his net and follows after the others.

Tex folds her arms and watches him, standing stock-still, but once he's gone she turns toward Washington. ]

You all right?

[counterblows]

I'll live.

[He always does, doesn't he? It takes him a second to give himself a once-over and make sure nothing vital has been damaged; he's not used to having this whole other, scaly part of him to account for. It's not an untrue assessment, though; he'll live, and that's the important thing.]

[The Tursa are retreating, and giving chase would be more trouble than it's worth, so he only sighs. Or he does the underwater equivalent of a sigh.]

Still in armor even down here, huh?

[a_shadow]

[ Tex waits while he checks on himself. When he addresses her she gives a little shrug. ]

Yeah...I didn't know whether to trust the whole magical route.

[ Tex doesn't really trust anything about this place and nothing about that assessment has improved with recent events. ]

[counterblows]

I guess I'm living proof that you can.

[The fact that Wash has long since reached a point where he can casually engage in shit that may or may not kill him is not worth discussing here. He's fine. He can be collateral. That's easy.]

[a_shadow]

So it would seem.

[ Tex is not exactly known for being too cautious, but something about the idea of magic being involved, after what happened in her last universe, just sets her teeth on edge. She looks at Washington and eventually gives a small shrug. ]

How did you decide to start?

[counterblows]

Mostly I just watched other people do it. No side effects I could see, so might as well take advantage.

[He's met the Jormun before. He knows something of what they're like. Can't say he "trusts" them, because trust is a hard-won sentiment, but he does believe that they're reasonably well-intentioned.]

[a_shadow]

Nobody started sabotaging or spying on people or anything, I suppose then.

[ She still worries. But maybe next time... ]

[counterblows]

Not that I could see, no. These guys, the Jormun? They were around when I showed up last year. Apparently some people here've known them for a while.

[So they apparently mean well enough to be considered reliable allies.]

[a_shadow]

Hm.

[ Well, that's good enough evidence for Washington, but she's a hard nut to crack when it comes to giving up trust. She looks at the dead Tursa. There's blood wreathing its way through the water. ]

I suppose we ought to get to it. Doesn't that spell have a time limit?

[counterblows]

Yeah. It does.

[He's still got plenty of time left on the clock before he has to head back to the surface. It's fine.]

I've still got something like twenty hours.

[a_shadow]

All right. Just checking.

[ Not because she cared or anything. ]

Have you gotten down to the site yet?

[counterblows]

Not yet. Not sure what's been uncovered and what hasn't, but it's worth a look. Might be our only chance to.

[There might be limitations to how deep they can go otherwise. In fact, he'd be pretty surprised if that wasn't the case.]

[a_shadow]

[ After a short nod, she starts walking in the direction of the site, leaving it without saying that she thinks he's got a good plan going there. ]

[counterblows]

[Welp, guess they're going this way now. Wash isn't the strongest swimmer in the world, but he's getting there. Adjusting to his new body.]

'Kay, take it we're going this way. Business as usual.

[a_shadow]

[ Tex glances back at him and slows her stride just a smidge. ]

I hope you didn't expect anything else.

[counterblows]

Who, me?

[The words are wry.]

You realize that you haven't changed a bit.

[a_shadow]

I didn't realize you knew me so well.

[ They had interacted a few times, but she can't help teasing him a little about it. ]

[counterblows]

I know you enough.

[At least, part of the memories he has knows her. Or the her that she was. Who's to say if she's even the same person, anymore.]

[a_shadow]

Well, I'm glad to know I'm consistent. At least consistent enough to get your stamp of approval—or of consistency.