PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

[synfluxmods]

PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: natural disaster, PTSD, mind-control, psychological trauma, violence, delirium from heat, temporary blindness, hallucinations, dead bodies.

▶ 001. STORM CHASERS.

After weeks of searching for clues on the kaiju and missing people, the desert landscape begins to blend together. Didn’t you pass that cactus earlier today? That rock formation looks exactly like the one you passed the other day. It’s natural to loop back around when conducting a search but doesn’t it feel like everyone has been going in circles more frequently?

The heat isn’t helping either. Temperatures start to rise and continue to rise to all time highs. The sun is unrelenting and the only reliable shelter they have are their campers. Prolonged exposure outside will result in heat exhaustion, dehydration, and delirium.

Warnings will be sent to the Outsiders via their implants to keep them up to date with the weather as well as providing health tips such as reminders to stay hydrated or seek shelter during the hottest parts of the day. They will also receive warnings for sand storms and tornadoes called dust devils. The storms start of short and relatively weak but gradually begin to last longer and become more powerful. Pretty soon, Outsiders will not be able to see ahead from the dense sand and wind.

Outsiders will be told to chase after the storms and if they progress far enough, they will begin to find traces of people. They will find random belongings, articles of clothing, and occasionally, human remains in varying states of decomposition. Eventually, however, they will start to find survivors suffering from extreme fatigue and dehydration. They speak incoherently to themselves and as soon as they regain their strength, they try to run into storms while calling out to things that people can’t see.

Outsiders can wait for emergency caravans to arrive from Vegas to take survivors back to the city or they can take back the survivors themselves and use the opportunity to restock on supplies.

▶ 002. THE STORM CALLS.

The sandstorms increase and grow stronger until eventually, they last entire days. The sands shift, the grounds shake, and something thunderous can be heard in the dust. It becomes harder to see out in the desert and it’s almost like the storms are trying to hide something. At the edge of a storm, sharp eyed Outsiders may catch sight of a great shadowy serpent in the heart of the storm. Messages to their implants will urge them to get closer and investigate but be careful.

The storm grows stronger as they approach and the camper vans may slow down or get stuck in the shifting sands forcing some of them to proceed on foot to make visuals. Eventually, they will get close enough to finally establish clear visuals on their target: A giant sand worm. It’s size is not immediately clear due to the poor visibility and it being partially underground. However, the worm also sees them and when it does, it glows. The light catches on and reflects against the sand particles and that’s when it hits some of the Outsiders: A sudden splitting headache followed by an inability to look away.

Some outsiders may suddenly find themselves entranced by the worm; hypnotized. They will begin to see mirages and hear voices calling out to them in the storm. Captivated Outsiders will find themselves wanting to run into the storm to chase after the phantoms, some of them images and figures of people from their past and present back home. If anyone attempts to stop them, they will become irrational, violent, and turn on their friends and allies. Some Outsiders may begin to view their allies as enemies and attack, turning on one another in a gruesome frenzy. Some of the hypnotic beams will effect those still in their campers, turning on their friends and other Outsiders.

Outsiders will have to restrain each other to keep them from running into the desert or harming each other. In the chaos, the worm disappears into the storm. The psychic effects of the monster will weaken after the worm disappears and the storm dies down but it may leave some characters feeling overwhelmed and confused in the aftermath. Some will remain in an erratic state for several days, occasionally acting normal. In the insanity of all of this, Outsiders may have picked up another Outsider into their camper van for their protection or camper parties remain shuffled. It's up to the ones unaffected by the psychic attacks to watch over the others while retreating from the desert.

▶ 003. CITY OF DREAMS.

Following the disaster of the first sighting, LILITH will order characters to return to Vegas so they can assess what happened. En route to Vegas, some Outsiders may notice some side effects from the prolonged exposure to the sandstorm. They may experience shortness of breath and coughing as a result of breathing in so much dust. Furthermore, they may experience a splitting headache or pain behind their eyes. Their implants may lag, glitch, or go completely offline which will render them temporarily blind in one or both eyes. It seems that the fine sand and dust combined with whatever psychic damage the worm did may have messed with their implants and crossed some sensors which is all the more reason to return to Vegas for treatment.

Outsiders may become lethargic and experience vivid daydreams while they are awake or regular dreams while sleeping. In these dreams, they may relive memories. Some of these memories may be pleasant but others may be traumatic or things characters would rather keep secret. Unfortunately, being in close proximity to someone suffering from these effects will force a link through a glitch in their implants and drag other characters into the dream.

These links will function similarly to how simulation training works. The dreams they visit appear to be very realistic and characters can experience pain and be hurt within the memory. They will be able to interact with the memories. While in these memories, they can try to wake up the memory holder to bring them back to reality. Who knows, maybe helping each other understand what is real and a dream may even make them more resilient to the worm’s attacks the next time they go into the desert...

▶ 004. REST & RECOVERY

As characters recover from the psychic effects and implant glitches, LILITH will try to assess everyone’s biometrics to understand what happened. Characters who need therapy or counseling after reliving some horrible memories of theirs will be provided sessions via their implants. They now understand that the worm has some sort of psychic mind control power that it can use on victims. It is currently too dangerous to go back into the desert until they can come up with a proper defense against it.

Outsiders will be ordered to stay in Vegas and focus on recovery, given two queen side bed hotel rooms again OR if they would prefer to stay in the camper vans, that is also fine, with their same room mates or new ones. They are confident that they can fix the implants with the right upgrade but they aren’t sure what to do to stop people from following the call of the desert and making them act erratically. What is important is that LILITH sticks together.

In the meantime, those who have recovered, and even those who are experiencing these issues are ordered to remain close to one another; a buddy system of sorts. Each Outsider will be given designated groups to keep tight watch over one another while in Vegas. They will be responsible for physically checking on those in their groups and making sure one another’s whereabouts are properly tracked in order to avoid losing anyone to the desert.

LILITH encourages Outsiders to hang tight and wait for instructions before adventuring back out into the desert.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

In light of the results of the scheduling poll, here is our first event with a preview of the kaiju. All side effects from either the sandstorms or the worm kaiju can last for as short or as long as players would like.

For the daydreams/memory share, players can decide how they would like characters to experience the memories, whether it plays out in front of them like a movie or if they're reliving it by acting out the scene all over again or a mix of both. We encourage you guys to have fun with it and use whatever format feels most comfortable.

As always, feel free to leave questions under the QUESTIONS thread. All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards June AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. STORM CHASERS: Outsiders, still in the now expanded Mojave Desert, face problems with heat and sandstorms, resulting in dehydration and delirium. Still, LILITH encourages them to press onward in their camper vans and desert approved attire. Many dead bodies are found, but those that survive, Outsiders can keep an eye on survivors until emergency care can come pick them up.

2. STORM CALLS: A glimpse of the creature causing the problems is seen beneath the sands surface: a giant sandworm. It attacks LILITH recruits with psychological damage, causing Outsiders to hallucinate memories of their past, act erratic and violent and turn on LILITH crew. Outsiders are tasked to wrangle in one another and retreat back to Las Vegas to recover.

3. CITY OF DREAMS: Seeking refuge back in Las Vegas, character's implants go haywire from the psychic attacks, causing a memory share between characters that are close enough to one another.

4. REST & RECOVERY: Outsiders are placed in hotels again, or if they prefer to stay in the camper vans. They are tasked to keep an eye out on one another and sit tight for further instructions while LILITH assesses their data and next move to wrangle in the sandworm. Outsiders are to wait until given instructions.

code

Comments

3D

[cranekin]

(He's never been in a place like this before. The closest he can liken it to is Neo Tokyo itself but been that doesn't feel quite right. The view outside is beautiful, though. He'd never thought he'd see a place like this before and he wonders how close the nearest moon may be.

(Could he maybe see the Tranquil Sea from here?)

But he feels more driven to explore. As he does, he thinks what a pitiful song he's listening to. It reminds him of a certain song he'd once heard once upon a time. What he doesn't expect, however, is the source. )

Eh? How cute!

(He wants to crouch down and get a closer look. In fact, he does and just before he can reach out to pet it... he hears a sigh and looks over,)

And what's wrong with that?

(Being irritating and noisy?)

[curingidiocy]

[ The man with the alabaster head tilts his head towards Tsurumaru. His posture doesn't change further, suggesting that he does not recognize Tsurumaru as an intruder to the memory. ]

Unlike you, I do not enjoy losing my hearing to such piteous creatures, nor do I enjoy the foolishness with which they cry for Ruan Mei over and over again. She cares not for any creation that fails to meet her expectations.

[ He looks down at the little creatures nearby his feet, and without mincing his words: ]

She will not come back for you. Stop your pathetic sniveling.

[ To which he is met by silence for all of three seconds before the whole lot of creatures burst into loud wails. He flinches from the sudden burst of noise, and then appears to sigh, which cannot be heard over the din of crying creatures. ]

[cranekin]

Now, now, it isn't that bad.

(Can he reach down and try to pet some of them... maybe tug their tails just a little for fun. That is, until he speaks his last part and Tsurumaru looks up, pale gold eyes studying his marbled expression carefully as if search for something,)

Does anyone love them?

[curingidiocy]

[ Some of distressed little creatures will crowd around Tsurumaru, eager to receive comfort from him, while others will squish themselves into nooks and crannies and face the wall to cry. Poor things. ]

No. They are unwanted by their creator, Ruan Mei, and only the technology behind their creation is of interest to the Intelligentsia Guild. Their existence is a pitiful one.

[ It's not that he doesn't care, on some level, but he is not a bleeding heart. He doesn't have the time or capacity to care for them, and he suspects this is the case for many of the researchers board the space station who otherwise might be interested in them.

...Perhaps, if there is little value in studying the creatures themselves, he will suggest to Asta that she have them be taken by a few individuals to test their suitability as pets. They can't reside in the space station forever, at least not if Asta hopes to restore the secluded zone to its former glory. ]

[cranekin]

(He doesn't mind. He's happy to spoil them, alternating between scratching different ears and under chins for each curious creature around him. If he could, he'd gather the more anxious ones over but it's a little difficult to move.)

Surely, there must be someone in this world. I don't know how many people are in this guild but "Ruan Mei" is only one person.

(And he shakes his head,)

But never mind.

(He won't argue it, not with someone who seems so set,)

What will happen to them, then?

[curingidiocy]

[ They preen under the affection and cry for more when he turns his attention to the other cake cats. Very needy, these creatures are. Some of the more anxious ones have stopped crying to peek out at Tsurumaru cautiously, but they aren't approaching yet. ]

Perhaps. But it is her attention they seek foremost, despite all other possible choices available to them. Perhaps it is the instinct of a child wanting their mother's love.

[ He looks down at the little creatures, who have gotten a lot calmer thanks to Tsurumaru showering them with affection, though some still whine and cry quite noisily. Ugh. ]

Once their use as scientific specimens has concluded, I imagine they will be disposed of ethically. Though that may sometimes involve adoption to be kept as pets, if these creatures are found to be unsuitable for that purpose, or if there are not enough individuals interested in adopting them, there may be no other choice but to euthanize them.

[ He pauses for a moment, thinking. ]

Though, I suppose with Lady Asta's finances, they may be able to live here indefinitely, if she so chooses.

[cranekin]

(They're just like small children, he thinks, and lucky for them, he's always had an affinity for caring for those who need it most. )

Well, one doesn't just forget their connection to their mother, I think...

(But, ah, that revelation... knowing that they'll just be tossed aside, thrown away, and simple be disposed of if no one will step up? He looks up at Ratio, his attention caught and--)

Then let's ask her.

(He has no idea who Lady Asta is.)

If there's a problem and we have a solution... let's try it.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio stays silent, head tilted down and watching as the little cake like creatures come back up to his feet again and look at him with wide, trembling eyes. One meows pathetically and nudges against his foot as if to encourage him to take pity on them.

He sighs. ]

It will not be necessary.

[cranekin]

(He is surrounded by cake cats and trying to give all of them the scritches they deserve but he will stop for just a second to look up at Ratio. Tilting his head curiously to one side,)

Why is that?

[curingidiocy]

[ He kneels down and places a hand on one of the creatures—one with a plain grey outer shell and a black body. It leans into his hand, meowing happily. ]

I do not foresee them failing to adapt as house pets. Without the specialized Synesthesia Beacon, they cannot communicate easily, but they have the capability to be resourceful. With an owner that provides them sufficient attention and care, I believe they will learn to accept their circumstances.

[ He's giving into his softer side now, but even he had been thinking of procuring a few of these creatures for a certain someone who would benefit from having such companions in his life. ]

[cranekin]

(Oh, so his stone faced friend does have compassion... Tsurumaru smiles.)

It may take awhile for them to open their hearts up to someone, especially after you've lost someone you hold dear, but if they meet someone else who will take care of them and treat them well... I'm sure they'll learn.

(In a way, he understands this.)

You sound like you're thinking.

(An invitation to tell him what's on your marble mind......)

[curingidiocy]

[ He continues running his hand over the plush body of the plain cake cat before him. This one is quite affectionate, and has been generally quiet save for a few pleas for attention. Perhaps he'll take this one to that gambler. But it will need a companion, for when both of them are too busy to keep it company... ]

It is nothing of import. I am merely struck, once again, by the thought that people revere members of the Genius Society far more than is warranted. Knowledge wielded without empathy can only prove to be disastrous.

[cranekin]

(A question he'd been wanting to ask is momentarily forgotten and he frowns. "Knowledge wielded without empathy can only prove to be disastrous." Something about it strikes Tsurumaru and he goes quiet for just a moment.)

...

(But he chooses not to linger on it. Not now. Not in someone else's moment.)

"Genuis Society?" Is Ruan Mei a member?

[curingidiocy]

That is correct. Genius Society member eighty-one. Her tenacious focus in the biological sciences earned her Nous' gaze.

[ He lowers his hand to tickle under the cake cat's chin. The creature chirrups happily, prompting more cake cats to approach him with subdued mews for attention. See? They've already figured out how to appeal to him. ]

Creating life is like child's play to her, yet she readily admits that she holds no love for her creations. Perhaps, in many people's eyes, her accomplishments are nothing short of miracles. But to me, it is a cruelty to these lifeforms.