lifeaftr | February Event: The Sound Resounds

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February Event: The Sound Resounds

FEBRUARY: THE SOUND RESOUNDS

Who: Anyone who wants to deal with some crystalized monstrosities!
What: Something buried becomes unburied
When: February 16th and onward
Where: How could something so terrible reflect so much light?
Warnings: Potential warnings for character illness and body horror; be sure to mark your headers if things get more intense!

I Wish the Tide Would Take Me Over
The Water did a lot of work with the heavens to get that cloud cover to be nudged aside so that you all could access those floating islands. And hopefully you'll be able to get quite a bit out of those fragments of reality while you can still traverse them, because what awaits you on solid ground isn't going to be anywhere near as pleasant.

It seems as though the effort of unveiling those islands has put a lot of strain on the balance of water surrounding Ensō. So much so that those flooded caverns underneath the island have started to overflow. Not very many of you might be left to remember, but those caves already weren't most ideal to go trekking through, even without the discovery of the horrible, humanoid creatures that frequented those areas. The consequences of adventurers' first (and last) excursions into those caverns can be read up on right here, for the curious.

The important part is that, after an awful lot of adventurers perished down there, the Storyteller was able to get everyone to safety (only after being the one to send them down there unprompted in the first place, it should be noted), and immediately prevented the problem from escalating by sealing the underground shut. And for years, that solution has more or less worked out just fine!

Until now. On the morning of February 16th, travelers who live near the monkey compound or the mountain temple will hear a loud rumbling, like the sound of rushing water...right before those big stone doors break violently open and water comes pouring out.

It's highly recommended that those who live in either of those regions, or those who keep any important belongings in those regions, do their best to evacuate immediately. It might be possible to rebuild or repair any damages that might be done to those surroundings, but the immediate danger will be very much present at the event's start.

We are happy to leave the choice of damage to individual homes and resources up to you, but at the very least, you can expect that much of the area surrounding both the monkey compound and the mountain temple will be flooded for a few days at the very least - and suffering a great deal of water or structural damage at the most.

Burn Down Our Home
The more pressing issue will be, in all likelihood, the hulking green, humanoid shapes that look to be composed almost entirely of a greenish crystal. Almost immediately after that initial flood of water sweeps over the area, the creatures known as the quartzalcoatl are going to start spilling out as well. While they move slowly, you definitely don't want these things to so much as touch you, for they're capable of spreading a crystalizing "virus" that will steadily consume living tissue and cause crystalline growths to start spreading throughout the body.

This virus is just as awful as it sounds. The crystalline disease spread by the quartzalcoatl cannot be repelled by regenerative abilities, and characters with chances of immunity at 50% or higher will have to RNG the results. Even worse? The local fauna on Ensō is going to be just as susceptible to the spreading virus as any of you. It's in your best interest to dispose of these creatures before they start consuming everything on Ensō.

Now, you could just...shatter them and hope that'll be enough. These things can be destroyed with the application of enough force, though you'll probably get overwhelmed if you don't have some kind of strategy on hand. As we mentioned, you really don't want this infection to spread to too many other parts of the island. The last time this infection swept through the ranks of the adventurers, there was no known cure...but fortunately, such is not the case this time! There is a way to cure those afflicted, as long as the affliction is recent - which is to say, that it occurs during the course of this event.

An important thing to keep in mind this event is that much of these quartzalcoatl have been down there for a long time. Those who either succeed in killing or curing any of the quartzalcoatl who originated in the caves (that is, any that were not formed because someone got infected during the course of this event) will find that when they break apart, it will be to something...familiar. For ease, we have unscreened any comments from that event from our Deaths page, and will also be linking the item claim thread for an idea of what other items you might uncover from the dead.

If you want to find something extra special in some quartzalcoatl, however...we've got a special thread for that, in case you go busting open any of these things that were stuck down in those caves before this nightmare began. Just let us know, and we'll be happy to give you a personalized treasure to uncover, if you so desire!

Things Have Gotten Closer to the Sun
So, for those of you who don't want to resort to pure brute force, you have two options, listed below Characters should be advised that if they undertake one solution, they will not be able to go to the other god for the other - the Storyteller will not help someone who has accepted the Water's aid, and vice versa. There will be advantages and disadvantages to aligning yourself with one or the other, just as there will be advantages and disadvantages to aligning yourself with neither!

If you go to the Water for help, they will bestow upon you their blessing and a powerful symbol that might appear to be familiar, to some. Once you accept this gift, the Water will inform you that need only engrave or draw that sigil somewhere on the crystal casing of the infected and recite the following phrase:

"We live and die free of the draperies of our fiction."
Once this incantation is uttered, the crystal will harden and drain of color and then start to crack and flake away, leaving its victim disoriented and frail and probably quite confused, but alive. The central drawback to this is that as long as the sigil remains on them, they will be unable to contact the Storyteller for any reason - including Item Requests and Death Penalty Removals! The Storyteller will be, in fact, incapable of even perceiving them. The sigil must be removed if your character wants to contact or interact with the Storyteller again. The sigil will be present on the character's body even after the crystal has all flaked off, whether cut into their clothing or dug into their skin. It'll have to be...removed in whatever way you see fit if you want to make use of the Storyteller's services again.

On the plus side, you now have the Water's blessing, and with it the sigil magic that will not fade even once the threat of the quartzalcoatl has passed. Those who take this route may now use it to repel or keep the Storyteller out of any area they wish. This magic will work virtually anywhere, with the exception of the Storyteller's temple. Those who align themselves with the Storyteller may find themselves extremely uncomfortable with remaining in any area engraved with the sigil.

If you go to the Storyteller for help, they will bestow upon you their blessing, along with one of their little paper birds. Once you accept this gift, this bird will silently follow you about. You need only direct it and instruct it by drawing a line across the ground and issuing the following phrase:

"Take your leave, never to return."
Once this incantation is uttered, the quartzalcoatl will not pass the line you draw, even if the physical line is obscured or destroyed. The area of effect is somewhat limited - the incantation will only work on an area of five feet across at a time - but it will ensure your protection from the creatures for a long, long while. Just the same as the case with the Water's sigil, this ability will endure even after the event's end, and your paper bird will continue to follow you, though you can bid it to stay behind or take its leave if you wish. Anyone who aligns themselves with the Water may find themselves extremely uncomfortable with crossing any such line as well.

By February 29th, the primary threat of the quartzalcoatl and the flooding of parts of Ensō will have...receded to manageable levels, one way or another. The Storyteller will reseal the doors to the caverns, this time for good. So it's recommended that you shepherd any of these quartz abominations into those caves before this happens, in the case that you never want to see them again. Though you could always just...kill them. That works too.

This doesn't mean that the threat of the quartzalcoatl will be gone completely - whether or not the quartzalcoatl are completely exterminated or not depends on how thorough you all are in dispatching them.

I Could Bring Paradise
Of course, there's a lot going on in the background as well. Characters are not required to face this threat, as it is only present on Ensō; you're free to explore any other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. You are always free to create your own individual logs and posts as needed!

Also remember that if you died this month or this event, to fill out the corresponding form over on our Deaths page! Due to the possibility of a cure, death penalties will NOT be reduced for the duration of this event.

If you have any questions about this event or any others, please feel free to ask them over on our Monthly Rundown post!

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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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[ Aziraphale turns when he hears Crowley curse, and, in one last burst of adrenaline, he's quick to rush over, sword raised, and ports himself behind it, yelling as he swings for the head.

And in one last terrible smash of metal against quartz, the beast is cracked and toppled over, a piece of the sword definitely breaks and flies off somewhere, and Aziraphale nearly meets the ground as well. ]

Edited 2020-03-30 23:00 (UTC)

[Crowley was hardly a damsel in distress, but his angel coming to the rescue was certainly heartwarming regardless.

With the beasts out of the way, Crowley let himself sit on the ground for a moment, catch his breath, and evaluate what the hell just happened.]

You okay? Did one get you?

[ Aziraphale stood over the last fallen quartzecoalt, broken sword in hand, and took a moment to look over the garden and the creatures they took down. As the adrenaline begins to run out, and everything is far more quiet and mostly peaceful again, he's left disheveled, with an ache in his lungs, and his body feeling unpleasantly like mushed jelly.]

I, hum... Oh... [He brings a hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath as well.]

I'm- fine. [ Safe, anyway. He can feel his arms shake. ]

You?

Fine. Sure.

[And oh-- his poor garden! It's wrecked, probably. But maybe when his angel's rested he could do a bit of fixing to any damage? Time will tell.]

Nothing got me, I don't think... we should... [Still catching his breath, wiping dirt from his face.] Go inside... check for wounds... whatever you're supposed to do after a fight....

[ Well, the angel hardly feels like he could do anything at all. Even standing up straight is taking a bit more effort than usual. This is not ideal. ]

Yes, I-- I believe we...should... [ He trails off, looking at the downed creatures around them, and feeling a particularly unpleasant feeling in his stomach. And his chest. And all of his body, really, none of it feels particularly good right now. ]

Right, er... Inside. We should do that.

[With what little strength he has left, and still shaking with adrenaline, he pushes himself up and dusts himself off, offering a hand to Aziraphale. He's clutched his trusty weapon in his other hand, feeling it necessary to keep with them, just in case something returns.]

Come on, angel... let's go lay down.

[ He looks at Crowley, but his eyes quickly move back to the creatures again, their stillness not really bringing him any comfort or relief.]

But what if there's more of them? What if these are still--

We can't just leave them here. They might spread the- their-- their condition.

[ He still holds the broken sword. Part of the blade is gone, but maybe it could be of use still. You know, before it inevitably falls apart entirely.]

Even more of a reason to rest now, then. [He replies, shaking his hand impatiently for the angel to take so that they can move inside.]

We can. They'll still be here after we've rested. We can clean it up then. Bury them or something... I don't know.

[ Aziraphale gives him an unsure look, but takes a deep breath and steadies himself.]

Right, you're-- you're right.

[ Rather carefully stepping over some shards, he moves closer and takes Crowley's hand, squeezing it to stop his from shaking.]

[Crowley helps him to the cabin, only a few feet away, and there's already a heavy wave of relief just being inside. He turns to shut the door as soon as they've entered, wondering if he should barricade it. ]

Go on and lie down, I'll make us some tea... I'm... my chest's still pounding too hard to rest... I'll be right there.

[ Aziraphale looks around the hut, distractedly wiping dust and dirt off of his shirt, as if to make sure there really isn't any damage, or, God forbid, any hiding intruders. Not that those creatures seemed particularly smart, or able to hide in small places. ]

Hum, alright. [ Only partially listening to Crowley, and in fact looking out the window to the creatures outside. ]

Tea sounds good.

[Luckily the fire has been kept pretty steady in their home, especially since they've been consuming tea daily, needing a place to roast food, etc. Crowley moves their little kettle over the fire, already partially full of water, which he assumes will be enough for them both to split. Once it's ready, he brings two cups to their makeshift bed and hands one out to Aziraphale, ready to flop down onto the bed with his own and never move again.]

[ As the demon goes about making the tea, the angel spends a lot of that time just staring out at the downed creatures, running through any other possible attack scenarios in his head. Would they infect the land? Are they actually dead? How will they bury them if they can't touch them? What about wild animals?

He suddenly comes to and looks around, stepping across the room to the little odd mud pile in the corner. He crouches and looks into it, squinting into the dark, and, to his strange relief, finding 5 beady eyes looking back at him. He stands back up, sighs, and makes his way to the bed, dropping the broken sword next to it, and gingerly, very gingerly, sitting on it and rubbing at his face.

When Crowley approaches with the tea, he smiles faintly up at him and takes the cup. ]

Thank you, dear.

[ He holds the cup in both his hands, welcoming the warm comfort. And he sighs again. ]

That was dreadful, wasn't it?

It wasn't ideal. [He replies, climbing into bed beside Aziraphale and relaxing against the wall for support.]

Once we're sure no more are coming we should think of how to get rid of them all... [He groans just thinking about it, muffling all of the sounds that escape his throat with his tea. It's almost too hot, but Crowley doesn't care. He could drown himself with it right now. Every inch of his body feels sore, and something about the heat of the tea soothes him just ever so slightly.]

Maybe I should have manifested a broom.

We could ask others. Apparently, it's not the first time these creatures have been an issue.

[ The others--oh, they're surrounded by other huts. Did anyone else get attacked? Legion is their closest neighbor, had they been in their own hut? He'll have to check later, when he can move again.]

Are you sure you're not hurt? [ He eyes the demon, just in case.] No cuts, or... Well, shards of any sort?

Fairly certain. [He shifts, looking at his clothing, nearly tempted to take it off and shake it clean, but hesitates... such actions require energy to do.]

And you? You weren't scratched, were you? Can't bloody handle that again...

[ The angel falters for a moment, for a moment not sure how to react to the comment. But he looks at himself, inspecting his arms and hands and legs. ]

No. Just some stains that are never coming out. Well, more of them.

[ He finds a scuff on the knee of his trousers from when he fell, and huffs in resigned disappointment.

He rests back against the wall, letting his head fall back against it and closing his eyes for a moment.]

That was far too close.

Hm.

[Crowley himself can live with the stains. In the grand scheme of things, stains are the least of their problems. He rests back with Aziraphale, weight equally distributed between the wall behind him and the angel beside him.]

Always is.

[ He can live with the stains. He can live with a lot of things. Like not having his shop, not visiting his favorite restaurants and parks, not being able to choose where to go. He can live with and without a lot of things, but that doesn't mean he'll be happy about it.

He rests a hand on Crowley's knee, and sighs, falling into recuperating silence for a moment.]

I must say, [ He speaks again, after a while.] you're quite handy with a shovel.

[Crowley scoffs, but it's such a weak, tired scoff that it barely registers. His hand moves to meet Aziraphale's on his knee, clasping it gently with the last bit of energy he has.]

There was a time when the two of us were expected to wield swords, you know. The Black Knight doesn't get stories told about him if he doesn't know how to use one.

[ Aziraphale gives Crowley's fingers a gentle squeeze, rather comforted by the touch. ]

The armor would certainly come in hand in a time like this. [ He muses, thinking back. ] Although, I dread to think about how much sand would get in them.

Probably rust apart.

[He exhales a low groan of defeat, and then, in his ultimate state of weakness, rests his head softly against Aziraphale's, turning his face just enough to press his lips to the angel's head. He stays like that, letting his eyes fall closed, resting there.]

You're still quite good with a sword, yourself, you know. Dashing.

[ The angel leans against him in turn, closing his eyes too. But he scoffs faintly at the comment. ]

I would have liked to believe I was quite done with swords. [ Alas. ]

I'll have to admit I'm a bit rusty on my footwork.

Fooled me.

[His replies are fairly lazy, as if he were drunk. He's coming down from all of that lovely human adrenaline and he is... exhausted.]

You were very heroic. Valiant.

[ He can feel himself, well, not recover but at least settle, as if for a moment he could simply forget the gruesome sight outside, and the endless possible dangers that threaten to destroy them.

At least it's quiet, in the hut. Just the two of them. Probably, hopefully safe. ]

Oh, you. [ He huffs a chuckle. ] Hardly think that was worth the praise... [ But he does welcome it. ]

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