lifeaftr | August Event: The City is at War

August Event: The City is at War

AUGUST EVENT: THE CITY IS AT WAR

Who: Everyone!
What: You pick a side, or you pick up the pieces
When: August 16th to August 23rd
Where: Primarily Nastrandir, though also Ensō
Warnings: Violence, injury, forcibly altered mindsets via magical influence, possible character death. Potential (and fully optional) dissociation and identity crises. Potential (and fully optional) spontaneous combustion. Otherwise, tag as you go!

We All Lose in the End
On cue, the recently uncovered...and decidedly faulty merotome shatters on the morning of August 16th. Those close enough may recall an odd popping noise, like a lightbulb exploding, or find a shard of some odd, rubbery substance caught in their hair. The wave that shoots out across both islands barely seems to stir the air, but the aftershocks of its passing are to be felt for the week to come.

Whether or not you noticed the sweeping burst of light as it roared over just about everything, you're bound to hear the loud, wailing sound that starts to emit from all over Nastrandir. It sounds like the world's worst kind of alarm, and it just keeps on going.

That's to say nothing of the automatons rising steadily from the murk, or the fact that you might find that some of your fellow explorers are suddenly seeming a lot more trustworthy...and some of them are seeming a lot less. Maybe you latch onto personal terrors and preexisting grudges to justify the new onset of violence that starts to divide you from some of your fellows...or maybe it just feels right in some unquantifiable sense.

Regardless, those impacted by the merotome will find themselves gravitating towards Nastrindar sooner rather than later. Members of the Red Team are likely to initially head towards the ruins on C4 and D4. The swampy water flooding the island will eventually drive you to seek out more mountainous areas; the need to keep dry will vary from a strong desire to an absolute necessity, depending on the individual. As territorial instincts rear their head, this group will find that the war automatons no longer view them as hostiles. Now, these mechanical killers may even take basic orders, such as watching a certain location, fetching some basic materials, and, of course, upon whom they should aim their primary fire.

Meanwhile, the Blue Team will congregate along the shorelines, striking out inland through any route that keeps them close to a body of water - or in it. More likely to travel and fight in a pair or group, it's unlikely that members of this group will stay from the main party for too long, as their power is largely in numbers. While no automatons accompany them into battle, the waters surrounding and soaking into Nastrandir are their greatest ally, as they are capable of replenishing strength and healing minor wounds. Members of the Blue Team will be capable of continuing the fight for much longer than their Red counterparts, and their affinity with the waters will make them difficult to locate or pursue unless they wish it.

You Don't Get Another Shot
For those more resistant to the effects of this sudden shift will find that they're now unfortunately adrift between two warring factions, potentially with friends on either side. There is hope, however - those previously silent sirens are now blaring constantly, and it's very possible that their destruction could turn the tide against this needless bloodshed. The more of those you break, the looser the grip of this altered mindset will become, and the less hostile the automatons will be.

Keep in mind, however, that while you may feel unaffected, the possibility stands that you've been marked for one side without your knowledge. And though this may prove advantageous to getting through to those that identify you as their own, those that do not may take your attempts to shake their morale badly.

Even violently.

Stick Around and See How It Ends
Thus far, the teams are as follows. If you see any problems, inconsistencies, or wish to change teams, please don't hesitate to contact us! While we're no longer accepting sign-ups to be RNG'd into a team, you can still decide retroactively which side you'd like your character to be situated on, if at all!

RED TEAM	BLUE TEAM
Alexei Dinoia Amaterasu Anthony J. Crowley Asgore Dreemurr Connor Murphy Edward Elric Erika Fisher Jules Dagger Samari Leonard Church Muffet Tim Wright Yukio Okumura Zidane Tribal	2B Alisaie Leveilleur Agent Washington Ben Hargreeves The Drifter Epsilon Héctor Rivera Herbert West Horatio Nullbuilt Kravitz Legion Mollymauk Tealeaf Ren Rin Okumura Steve Rogers

In the meantime, the following links may prove handy:

[ ♆ ] OOC Event Info and Plotting Post
[ ♆ ] Nastrandir's Intro
[ ♆ ] Nastrandir's Locations Page

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] August 16th: The merotome breaks, issuing a mind-altering wave; the sirens go off, and definitive sides in a conflict start to form
[ ♆ ] August 23rd: The conflict ends when those who have not been freed from the mind-altering influence either break free or burn to death
[ ♆ ] August 24th: The monthly Storytelling occurs late; characters who have died are revived in time to participate
[ ♆ ] September 4th: Extra time is allotted to those participating in the monthly Storytelling to compensate for the later date, and the Storytelling closes

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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[Asgore folds his arms against his body, claws digging into his elbows. This isn't right. This can't be right.]

I don't know what you mean.

[Or is he just being a coward? All his memories are of him doing his duty, protecting his people, fighting where he could. He feels like he's done the best he could. He's okay with himself.

Yet something in that self-directed accusation rings true.]

They have been attacking us this whole time. You were there.

[Crowley watches the way Asgore holds himself, his own expression shifting into something a bit more troubled, a bit worried, but he presses on past it.]

They're the same as us, caught up in this blasted lie. [He has no idea how people ended up on the sides they did, if there was some choice made by someone or something, if it was just luck. He doesn't really care.] But I got out of it, yeah? It just took someone knocking me upside the head with the truth, so... so I'm hoping it'll work for you. Doesn't seem worth dying over, something like this.

[Asgore frowns at that, looking away. If all that were true, then has he just killed some random innocent people?

The thought of it fails to impact him the way it ought, still caught up in their team affiliation, and for once he notes the lack. He doesn't...even with the humans, he never hated them like that. After all, there was - ]

You should not have come back here.

[It's not the words Crowley was hoping for, and it troubles him a little. It feels almost like a step backwards. It feels almost like a warning.]

Pro'ly not, had a bit of a tiff with the angel about it. Didn't seem fair to leave you, though. Not when you haven't had a choice.

[Ah, there it is. That's what's really sticking with him about all this. It's another damned war that no one was given a choice to fight, they were dragged into it against their will, at the whims of some unknown force.]

I killed some of them.

[Asgore says it far more straightforwardly than he otherwise would, and that is starting to concern him now. The skeleton is dead; he saw him dust. The human from the forest...well, he didn't see that one die, but he wasn't doing well.]

If - if what you say is true, then...

[He covers his face for a moment, just to breathe.

Why worry about trying to save some murderer's life?]

[It'd be easy to be dismissive. Crowley isn't a fan of outright killing, but with all the temptations he's been responsible for over the years, he knows he's indirectly responsible for a lot of blood shed.

Not that most of the humans he tempted needed much help, but the point stands. He's got blood on his hands, he knows it, he's (mostly) fine with it. But not everyone is a demon. Killing probably shouldn't be easy.]

They'll come back. That's the thing about this place, or so I've heard. I don't think they'll hold it against you, once they're back. I've got no hard feelings for the bastard that nearly got me.

...oh.

[He says it like he's come to some kind of realization. He's done that, hasn't he? He's died before, and now here he is.

It's not the most pleasant topic to dwell on.]

Who was it that shot you?

[That reaction is more along the lines of what Crowley's been hoping for; something like recognition, realization. If he can keep nudging Asgore towards the truth, this might not end as badly as he'd expected it would.]

Couldn't tell you, I'm afraid, one of those lot in the armor, didn't get a look at his face.

[Crowley is a vain sort of creature, and he has a decent amount of pride, but it's not the sort of pride that worries about whether or not he won a fight. He doesn't feel any need to say anything about how close he was to killing the guy, that's not the kind of bragging he goes in for.]

Perhaps it was the same one I fought.

[Asgore's trying to get angry, to work up that same old revulsion for the enemy. But it's not working. It's all churning now - the fear that he may have done something terrible, the familiar dread of things unknown that always crops up when he thinks too hard about this.]

Something is wrong. I think...I have done something terrible?

You want to tell me about it?

[It's not an offer Crowley has made a lot, to make himself available for any kind of unburdening, although he's spent millennia talking Aziraphale through guilt.

But he's trying, here.]

I might be one of the few people here who've certainly done worse, so there's no need to worry about me judging you.

[This isn't any kind of self-pity, it's just a simple fact.]

Oh, come now. I am sure that is not true.

[What could Crowley have possibly done? He seems perfectly nice.]

I am not quite sure what it was, anyway. Perhaps that is for the best.

[If circumstances were slightly different, Crowley might find that comment more amusing, or — he might be more inclined to show his amusement, as it were, but he doesn't think this is the right moment for that, so he just hums, noncommittal, and moves on.]

Could be. [It might not be worth dwelling on, if Asgore would prefer to avoid thinking about it.

Regardless, Crowley is fairly confident that he's gotten through to the monster, so he decides to try pushing a little harder.] Any chance you'll come back to the other island with me? It gets easier to remember what's really true, once you're away from this place.

[It did for him, at least.]

Would that...be alright?

[Asgore glances doubtfully over the camp. There's nobody else left to protect Nastrandir. What if the invaders came while he was gone? Crowley says they are not really invaders, but they still might do something awful to his people.

...then again. There is nobody else here. He's afraid they'll hurt Nastrandir, drown the island in their water, but the rocks themselves aren't the most important thing.]

Is that where the others went? [They cannot all be dead.]

It'd be alright by me.

[Crowley doesn't think Asgore is asking for his specific permission, but that's all he can speak for in the end. He can't say much about anyone else, where they all scattered off to.]

Some of 'em, I'd say. Haven't really been keeping track of 'em all, not really built for this sort of business.

[Worrying about people. Caring about whether they live or die. Oh, he cares in the general sense of not really wanting anyone to suffer needlessly, but the one-on-one stuff is trickier. Asgore made an impression during their first conversation, and Crowley felt something of an understanding with him. That's why he's here.]

What business is that?

[He's not following at all. But at least he doesn't seem like he's gonna press for a follow-up, if Crowley doesn't want to get into it. He's still feverish and hazy, and he wants...something more comfortable than this lonely mountain camp, perhaps. He still feels tied to Nastrandir, but if any of his remaining people have gone to the other island, then he should too. A kingdom is not really the land it sits on.

Asgore extends a hand and summons his trident again, planting the end in the dirt so that he can lever himself back upright.]

I suppose I had better, then.

Oh, people, community, that sort of thing.

[He didn't fit in much as an angel, definitely didn't fit in as a demon, and he's purposefully held himself apart on Earth. It wouldn't do to start liking any particular humans too much, they all die so quickly.]

Couldn't hurt to get some rest by a mana pool, too. [Crowley gets to his feet much easier than Asgore, he's still worn out, but getting better by the minute. A proper sleep and a meal and he should be back to normal.] I'm sure you've been burning through magic like I've been.

I have. I find it comes harder, of late...

[He's been forcing it anyway. It hasn't helped his illness, to push his body and soul like that. His memories have blurred together - their conversations before, the burned and broken mana pool. Did he help clear the rocks blocking that path, or is he the one who put them there?]

Did we not...destroy that?

I don't think we ever got 'round to it.

[Crowley remembers the conversation, the rocks in the mana pool the first time he showed up in this place, and in retrospect he's realizing that maybe the actual Nastrandirians had the same idea that he and Asgore did.]

Oh. I wasn't sure if we had or not...

[Did he imagine it being blocked? Maybe he did; apparently he's doing that a lot lately?]

Is it...a very far walk? I am not feeling quite my best. [King of understatement right here, he looks a wreck]

[Crowley would offer to teleport them, but he's honestly not sure if he can, it was hard enough with him and Aziraphale going the shorter distance they did, and he hasn't tested if he can even move anyone with him, when he teleports.]

Afraid it's a bit of one. Would food help?

[He could manage a small miracle.]

Oh - it's...monster food?

[That would help. Regular food wouldn't, he thinks.]

I'm gonna miracle it up, so... describe it for me? What's the difference between monster food and regular food?

[Might not be the easiest minor miracle, but Crowley's clever, he's imaginative. If he has a rough outline, maybe he can make it work.]

It is just any food made with monster magic. It has minor healing properties - rather, the magic that goes into it does.

[That's not a very specific description of anything but it really could be whatever.]

Well, I'm not a monster, but — [He snaps the fingers of his right hand and a bright red apple appears in the left. Normally, when he creates something, he doesn't think about it too hard, letting instinct do the work, but he's tried to push a little of his power into it this time, as best he can. Almost like creating Hellfire, adding something infernal to a regular object.

He offers out the apple.] — maybe demonic magic will work?

I...am not sure. But thank you.

[Asgore would literally rather die than refuse an offered gift, at any rate! He'll bite into it. Who knows what demonic magic does to a monster, honestly, but as long as it lacked negative intent it'll probably all be fine.]

You did not have to come all this way.

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