synflux | PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

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.

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(It isn't his first time experiencing existing without a physical human form. If anything, this state feels familiar to him. It reminds him of his time before he met his most recent master, back when he was just a spirit attached to a tool. It reminds of that time way back when he was a young spirit, when he was in that dark place...

All he can do is exist and "live" like this. So he does what he used to always do. He listens.

Ah, so this is why it feels so familiar, he thinks and he feels like he could just settle here. That is, until a familiar enough face finds him,)

Yo! (As if nothing is wrong, he greets her brightly,) Are you surprised?

[ Oh no, that soul is trying to speak and she can't understand anything. But the emotions appear to be positive. She looks sad for a moment, but quickly hides her sorrow beneath a smile. ]

Ah, I can't understand you either...

[ Okay, she needs a new approach to ease those new souls in... What if she tries acting the way they expect a Goddess of Death to? Right! That should work well. She clears her throat and looks at Tsuru's soul, trying to sound as confident and scary as possible! ]

Well, you're in the Underworld now. That means you belong to me! I hope you didn't have any plans for the afterlife. Now that Ereshkigal, the Queen of Kûr herself is here, you'll never be free again, ehe!

(Ah, so she can't hear him? Well, that's nothing new but he doesn't mind.

So he watches her shift her energy, stand up a little straighter, and put on her best show... If he could clap, he would. Maybe it isn't the most impressive display but he can see her effort and that's good enough for him.

But more than that, he seems a little confused?)

This is the afterlife?

(He looks around...)

This really is a surprise...

(Because for someone like him, there is no afterlife.)

[ Is it scared? She can't tell and she starts panicking! She takes a step forward and closes her hands around the little soul. ]

Are you scared? S-Sorry, I was just trying to make things more exciting!

[ Please don't fade... It's so painful whenever she fails a soul and it fades. Never again. This one, she'll protect. ]

I'm still new at that whole thing... It's hard to know what's best for you when I can't understand what you say.

[ She looks down at it and smiles. ]

But so long as you're down here, I promise to do everything within my power to keep you warm. You can decide to leave and move on to rebirth, to fade into nothingness, or even stay here forever. Until you've made your choice, you can dream and find peace with yourself. [Is this comforting to hear...? She has no idea, but she hopes so.] That is your choice. Under my rule, the Underworld will always be a safe place for souls like you.

...

(He goes quiet, her words striking him such a way he didn't expect. He can decide to leave and be reborn? To disappear into nothingness or to simply stay here forever?

It's almost like he's really thinking about her words. This is something... that should not be possible for someone like him. What awaits him has always simply just been "an end." But now, if he could decide...

He looks around, unsure,)

Is it really peaceful?

(Maybe he can make his spirit do a little circle as if motioning to this place and... light up? Try to look unsure???)

[ Is he... Is he trying to say something? She focuses to try and understand... But nothing. Sniff. Who designed the rules of death to be that way? And why can't she change them if she's now in charge? Honestly... She tries to look and sound confident for the soul's sake though. ]

You'll see, there is nowhere that's quieter and calmer than the Underworld.

[ She pulls a book from under her cape and opens it up, flipping through a few pages. ]

Tsurumaru Kuninaga... [What an unusual name, she's never heard anything like it before!] According to my death records, you died spontaneously after... A Kaiju attack?

[ What is a Kaiju? What the Kûr is happening on the surface? She looks at the soul as she closes her book, still smiling as she kneels by him and closes her hands around him. ]

I'll bring you to one of my cages, alright? I-I know it's not exactly the best home... I wish I could have proper houses for you all, but that's the best I can do on my own.

(He'll bob up and down, as if nodding his head to say yes. That sure is his name but... well, the cause of death makes him draw pause.

Killed in a kaiju attack? Oh, he's really dead? That isn't how he really expected to go out but well, it's definitely a surprise. And that's all he could want, right?

He settles in her hands. This isn't really about him. Instead, he just thinks...

If this is what the afterlife is like, it isn't so bad. To be greeted with a smile, to be taken care of, to be treated with kindness in what would surely be a difficult time for most...

(He likes to think Sadayasu would have been greeted the same way.)

And then

he blinks. Flickers?)

A cage?

[ Oh no! Is he panicking?! That's causing her to panic in turn! But she must keep her cool. She's like a mother to those souls, right? She must be confident and radiant for their sake.

As she walks with the soul in hand, she tries to speak with a comforting tone. ]

I-I'm going to try building houses like they have on the surface, I promise. And I'll grow a garden that will make this the most beautiful resting place there is. Just give it some time, alright?

[ There must be a way... If the flow of soul slows down, she'll be able to free some time for side projects, like building a city for the souls. And if it doesn't slow down... She's going to have and find a way to create more Gallû Spirits. The energy spent in their creation will be energy she won't be able to spend in building the city.

Ugh... The more she thinks about it, the more impossible it sounds. But she can't give up! She's barely started, there must be solutions she hasn't thought of yet. ]

But until then... That's all I can provide. [She stops before a pretty tall golden cage and open its door.] It will stabilize your existence. You risk fading when you're outside, you know? And it'll keep you warm!

[ She brings the soul to the cage's entrance, but doesn't put him in. Not yet. ]

You can dream... Rest and find peace with yourself. [She tries smiling.] I'll check on you as often as I can. There are days I may be busy with other souls... But I'll never be far.

(She promises to build homes. She promises a garden... and he recalls their meeting at the flower shop. Ah, he thinks he understands a little more, now. It sounds like she has plans. It sounds like she has dreams. And he thinks he'd like to see her dreams come true.

And in her defense, it is an impressive cage. He lingers at the entrance and if he can, he'll will himself to come a little closer to her up at eye level,)

Who will check on you?

[ What is he doing...? Does he want to stay with her? Aww, what a sweet little soul! That makes her smile brightly, at least. No sparkling though... Whatever is the strange source of her sparkling power, she hadn't acquired it yet so early in her life. ]

Are you worried for me? Don't worry, I'll be alright. There is nothing I could ever need or wish outside of the Underworld.

[ Somehow, she's better at lying than her future self. Maybe because she's still very full of hope so that's not as much of a lie. She very gently nudges him back towards the cage's entrance. ]

I'll stay until you fall asleep, alright? Once you're dreaming, it'll all be easier, I promise.

(He nods. Yes, he's worried and even if she smiles... he isn't wholly convinced. He remembers how she was at the flower shop. Still, it's not like he can call her out like this, right? So while she tries to nudge him back in, he rests on her hand again. If he could hold her hand, he would.)

If you're lonely, you can come back.

[ What an oddly affectionate little soul! That's weird, this isn't a child or someone who needs a parental figure according to her death records... Yet again, her death records are surprisingly vague about that soul. Mhm. She'll have to check if something's malfunctioning after this.

She smiles and very gently keeps nudging it to the cage. It's not that she doesn't want to spend more time holding him, but she can't start playing favorites! And there are so many others who also need her. ]

There. [It's... Warm in the cage? Not suffocating, just warm enough. It feels surprisingly cozy.] Now I'll find a good spot to place the cage in, and you'll be all set, alright?

[ Thankfully, he doesn't get to spend an eternity in there. Instead everything around him turns into a blur, and back to the real world it is!

Or well, as real as a world in a journal roleplaying community can be. ]

(It's surprisingly comfortable in this cage which is a strange thing to think of. He's curious what will happen next. It's all kind of exciting. So this is the afterlife, huh? Or, well, a version of it.

He doesn't have much time to linger on it because the next thing he knows, he's back in a bright place. The lights of the hotel lobby shine brightly and he feels the cool air from the air conditioner instead of the warmth from the cage.

He looks around for Eresh.)

[ Eresh is sitting on a bench nearby. From her perspective, she had been alone in that memory. After all, she had been unable to tell it was Tsuru while he was a disembodied soul. She wonders why this memory in particular got triggered...? It wasn't the most painful of her memories...

But what followed had been painful. And just thinking about it, it kind of hurts. How hopeful she had been, only for all of her hopes to be crushed. She had never managed to build the houses she spoke of, let alone the garden. Nothing had changed in the Underworld, even after tens of thousand years.

She only snaps out of her thought when he finds her. ]

Tsurumaru...?

Yo, Eresh-chan!

(He's going to lean over the bench from behind, propping himself on the back support and look over at her,)

Are you by yourself?

[ Ah, he's full of energy today, isn't he? Not that it's unusual with him, ehe. Even if today, she's not sure she'll be able to handle a proper conversation what with the thoughts going through her head right now. ]

Yes I was... Reminiscing, I guess.

[ Though she's not sure why. ]

(Oh, did she not notice...? He's quiet as he realizes this and he sort of swings over the bench to sit next to her,)

Would you like to talk?

I was thinking about... I guess you could call it my "youth."

[ More like childhood even. Does it even make sense to call it like that? It's not like she's changed much. If she has, it's for the worse. She tilts her head down. That memory had been a bit weird, hadn't it? But... ]

... It's nothing for you to worry about.

Hm.

(He hums and nods along. He won't press it if she doesn't want to talk about it but then again, she doesn't know what he knows, right? He's quiet for a moment and thinks for a second before speaking,)

When I was young, I was buried with my first love. I was supposed to stay with him until the end... but actually, that could never happen. Eventually, I would rust away and cease to exist.

(This seems sudden but he'll lead into it,)

For someone like me, there is no afterlife. There is only "the end." So I wonder who would keep my master safe in the afterlife when I was gone.

(Turning to look at her. To watch her,)

What's it like, Eresh-chan?

[ Ah... Do kami such as him not move on to the afterlife? She wonders if that's by design or if something in their soul prevents it from happening. Regardless, she takes a moment to answer. She could describe her underworld as a cold and hostile place... But what he wants is reassurance now, does he not? ]

Everything ceases to exist eventually, Tsurumaru. Some sooner than others... [A smile.] The brevity of life - of existence - is what makes it so beautiful.

[ Like a shooting star. Some shine so bright, yet you can miss them if you blink. Maybe his is an existence shorter than others, but it is also one that shines oh-so brightly. ]

Yet for all of its beauty, life is exhausting. Memories and emotions accumulate. For every joy and happiness a human know, their pain and suffering is tenfold. [She marks a pause.] Death is rest for the soul.

[ That's in part why gods - unavoidably - disappear. She's a prime example of this, she thinks. Not that she wants to die, but... Resting must be nice. ]

Then, once at peace, the souls can choose. Most move on and reincarnate. They make the choice to face the joys and hardships of life once again. Some, however, decide to fade away or stay.

[ Yet again... Different civilizations have different pantheons and in turn different afterlives. She's not sure how Izanami goes about it. But she knows she's a goddess who suffers a lot and unjustly gets a bad reputation because her husband is a pathetic worm. She's sure she's doing her best as well. ]

(Yes, he knows. All things return to the earth eventually. Everything that stands tall and alive will eventually fall and become one with the ground. Even someone like him will eventually break down, rust, and turn into nothing more than red dust. Its' the temporary, fleeting nature of life that makes it beautiful and he only listens in agreement as she explains.

When she finishes, he can only let the words settle between them. He takes them in, reflects on them, considers how he might feel... and well, he isn't sure. It's sad. Of course, he can't help but feel sad but when she speaks so gently with such kind and beautiful words, how can he not also feel some warmth? Some hope?)

... I see. (So that's how it is. Leaning back, he can only really smile.) So that's how stories end where you're from.

I like it.

(But he won't dwell on it too much. If he does, he'll begin o feel uncomfortable. He'll have to face things he doesn't want to face just yet.)

You're a kind goddess, Ereshkigal. I hope everyone knows that.

[ A kind goddess...? That takes her aback. Normally she should try putting on the "proud and confident" goddess act right now, claim that she's more terrifying than kind. But she doesn't want to. It's exhausting putting on that act all the time. She'd learnt to be more relaxed with Ritsuka...

Maybe it's time for her to learn to be more comfortable around the other people whom she can call friends as well. ]

You... You really think so? [She smiles weakly and looks down.] Be they gods or humans... All who live fear death.

[ People avoid what they fear, they hate it. They blame it as the source of their woes and gradually, it becomes "evil" to them. It's unavoidable. ]

It used to make me feel... [She trails off and marks a pause. It still makes her feel awful to this day, but things have changed.] But not as much now. Because I have people who see me past my duties.

[ She looks up and smiles brightly at him. ]

I don't know if I am worthy of such kind words, but... Thank you.

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PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

▶ 001. STORM CHASERS.

▶ 002. THE STORM CALLS.

▶ 003. CITY OF DREAMS.

▶ 004. REST & RECOVERY

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

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