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synflux2024-09-28 12:07 pm
synfluxmods) wrote in synflux2024-09-28 12:07 pm
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TRAVEL LOG #3: KIDNAPPED CHARACTERS ONLY
THE CHOSEN
โถ CASTLE BRAN
The last thing you remember might be speaking to a friend, making merry with a stranger, or enjoying a quiet night against the backlight of the bonfire. Your memories between then and now are a blur—one moment you were in the village, and the next you are here, arising from your slumber and finding yourself in a lavish room with gothic and archaic decor. The windows of the castle are bolted shut so no light goes in and no soul escapes, but candles have been so kindly lit for the captured to find their way. If you can manage to unbolt a window and peek outside, all you will see is a dark fog, obscuring all light and thrusting the castle into an eternal night. The room is old, dark, and eerie, but clean, looking very much lived in and cared for. Within every room, the skull of a wolf has been carefully placed, almost like it oversees the inhabitants.
Welcome to the Castle Bran.
Outsiders, whom attendants within the castle will so reverently refer to as the โChosenโ, will find themselves waking up spread across the many rooms of the castle. All their belongings were left behind at the village, and theyโll find that theyโve been cleaned up and dressed carefully in fresh, white linen. Another thing they might notice immediately is that they have been completely stripped of all their powers and weapons, rendering them as strong as any other human.
They are free to roam the many rooms and hallways of the castle but they cannot go any deeper than the ground floor. The attendants of the castle, who appear to be villagers from the town, will follow them and try their best to tend to their every need, be it food, water or a fresh bath. Attempting to question the attendants is a fruitless endeavor: they sing praises of the Lord of the Forest but provide no other useful answers, always diverting the topic back to how wonderful their protector is and how blessed the Outsiders must be to have been chosen by him.
Welcome to the Castle Bran.
Outsiders, whom attendants within the castle will so reverently refer to as the โChosenโ, will find themselves waking up spread across the many rooms of the castle. All their belongings were left behind at the village, and theyโll find that theyโve been cleaned up and dressed carefully in fresh, white linen. Another thing they might notice immediately is that they have been completely stripped of all their powers and weapons, rendering them as strong as any other human.
They are free to roam the many rooms and hallways of the castle but they cannot go any deeper than the ground floor. The attendants of the castle, who appear to be villagers from the town, will follow them and try their best to tend to their every need, be it food, water or a fresh bath. Attempting to question the attendants is a fruitless endeavor: they sing praises of the Lord of the Forest but provide no other useful answers, always diverting the topic back to how wonderful their protector is and how blessed the Outsiders must be to have been chosen by him.
โถ HOSPITALITY TREATMENT
Chosen who try to break their way out of the castle will be hit with a psionic wave, forcing them into a state of calmness, placidity and contentment. They might even be treated to pleasant hallucinations or relive happy memories. Thereโs no reason to be afraid, after all. The Lord of the Forest will take care of you. Any attempt to hurt or kill the attendants will be met with no resistance from them, almost like they are content to accept their fate. They will then be replaced with another attendant right away, rendering the effort meaningless. The bodies of any dead attendants will be left there to rot until someone complains about it enough, at which point the corpse will be carted off to the dungeons.
At this point, escape seems futile. The dark fog surrounding the castle renders it virtually invisible to the outside world and communications between the Chosen and the Outsiders in the town have been cut off. It may feel like there's nothing you can do but sit pretty and await your fate ...
At this point, escape seems futile. The dark fog surrounding the castle renders it virtually invisible to the outside world and communications between the Chosen and the Outsiders in the town have been cut off. It may feel like there's nothing you can do but sit pretty and await your fate ...
โถ WE SAVE OURSELVES
After days of strange dreams and curious findings, it seems that help will take some time to arrive. The Chosen will have to save themselves even without their powers. Based on some observations, they may infer that something is cloaking the castle and making it difficult for others to locate it. They have to find a way to disrupt whatever is keeping them hidden.
With each day, they may notice something about the wolf skulls that hang in each room. Every time they look at one, it will trigger their flight response as if they are prey facing off with a predator. Some may feel frightened, anxious, hopeless, or submissive until the skull is out of their sight.
If they can push through those feelings and draw out their fight instinct, they can take the skulls and destroy them. After destroying a skull, a wave of energy will come from it. The energy will give them brief headaches, vertigo, and a short bout of irritability and impulsiveness. Some characters may recognize the feeling as Rift poisoning.
Each time they destroy a skull, the character will receive a microdose of Rift poisoning. Without their LILITH suits to protect them, they can experience extreme poisoning which results in flu like symptoms, mental and physical fatigue, and hallucinations which will make them more vulnerable to the psionic waves. However, with each skull destroyed, the fog around the castle begins to lift ever so slightly. After the air has cleared, the rooms feel safer and less oppressive, making them the perfect place to rest and recover. Unfortunately, if the servants notice, they may replace the destroyed skull with a new one.
With each day, they may notice something about the wolf skulls that hang in each room. Every time they look at one, it will trigger their flight response as if they are prey facing off with a predator. Some may feel frightened, anxious, hopeless, or submissive until the skull is out of their sight.
If they can push through those feelings and draw out their fight instinct, they can take the skulls and destroy them. After destroying a skull, a wave of energy will come from it. The energy will give them brief headaches, vertigo, and a short bout of irritability and impulsiveness. Some characters may recognize the feeling as Rift poisoning.
Each time they destroy a skull, the character will receive a microdose of Rift poisoning. Without their LILITH suits to protect them, they can experience extreme poisoning which results in flu like symptoms, mental and physical fatigue, and hallucinations which will make them more vulnerable to the psionic waves. However, with each skull destroyed, the fog around the castle begins to lift ever so slightly. After the air has cleared, the rooms feel safer and less oppressive, making them the perfect place to rest and recover. Unfortunately, if the servants notice, they may replace the destroyed skull with a new one.
โถ AFTERWORD.
Chosen characters may use this log to interact with each other and investigate the situation. It is HIGHLY encouraged to collaborate with other characters and share the clues you have been given.
Everyone who is kidnapped will have their ocular implants turned off, thus rendering communications between Chosen characters and characters who were not captured impossible, and any sort of location tracking will not function. However, certain characters will be given the opportunity to send a short message to the rest of the Outsiders. Players may use this post to have IC discussions about what information they want to provide to the rest of the team. If sending out a message, please submit your message by 11:59 PM GMT on the 10th of October so that mods may post it on the network.
Furthermore, characters can destroy skulls to slowly lift the fog around the castle. The number of skulls they will need to destroy is not specified, but it will lift during the next log.
The purpose of this log is for investigation and collaboration. We understand that players are excited to have terrible things happen to their characters. You can expect that information to be given on the 15th. Timeline-wise, characters will be kidnapped late at night on the 7th and then be freed around the 15th.
Everyone who is kidnapped will have their ocular implants turned off, thus rendering communications between Chosen characters and characters who were not captured impossible, and any sort of location tracking will not function. However, certain characters will be given the opportunity to send a short message to the rest of the Outsiders. Players may use this post to have IC discussions about what information they want to provide to the rest of the team. If sending out a message, please submit your message by 11:59 PM GMT on the 10th of October so that mods may post it on the network.
Furthermore, characters can destroy skulls to slowly lift the fog around the castle. The number of skulls they will need to destroy is not specified, but it will lift during the next log.
The purpose of this log is for investigation and collaboration. We understand that players are excited to have terrible things happen to their characters. You can expect that information to be given on the 15th. Timeline-wise, characters will be kidnapped late at night on the 7th and then be freed around the 15th.
EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1. CASTLE BRAN: Some Outsiders will awaken to find themselves in a mysterious castle and referred to as 'Chosen' by the castle servants. They are stripped of their belongings and powers, and have been freshly bathed and dressed. They are allowed to wander the castle but cannot leave or go further than the ground floor.
2. HOSPITALITY TREATMENT: Outsiders who try to leave will be hit by a psionic wave that leaves them feeling placid and happy, and may even cause them to hallucinate pleasant events or relive happy memories. Since there is a heavy fog around the castle and communications are cut off, there appears to be no method of escape.
3. WE SAVE OURSELVES: After several days, Outsiders may begin to infer that there is something cloaking the castle and preventing it from being discovered. The source is a multitude of wolf skulls hung up around the castle. Though the skulls induce fear and hopelessness in anyone who looks at it, destroying the skull will cause the fog around the castle to slowly lift. Outsiders who destroy skulls will suffer the effects of Rift poisoning.
no subject
Awww... You're so cute when you're blushing...
[ She slowly moves her hand to gently (affectionately?) pinch his cheek. So cute! So adorable! Unfortunately, the way Ereshkigal is staring at him with swirly, empty eyes probably makes this a lot less cute than it could be.
That and the creepy giggling. ]
Ehehe... Ehehehehehehehe...
[ She leans against him and closes her arms around him.
Somewhere, Dearka is yelling and screaming. ]
We'll be together forever now... Even in death I'll take care of your soul...!
no subject
E-Ereshkigal!
[ Her name escapes his lips with a much higher tone than he usually has. He is so uncomfortably tense one might think he'll snap into two if she hugs him any harder, and she's not even holding him very tightly now. He's like that trend of throwing a piece of cheese on your pet's face and watching them freeze and short circuit.
Yzak shakes his head (a bad idea, it hurts because of the fever) to try and clear his racing mind of how indecent this feels (yzak she's hugging you calm down)
Snap OUT of it! Or else she never will!
And if she never does, this is only going to continue. That's all Yzak needs to try and gather himself so he can escape this as quickly as possible.
He grips her shoulders and half attempts to pull her off of him, half shakes her. ]
Listen to me! I'm not - whoever the hell you think I am!
Who do you think I am, anyway?
no subject
That's how mighty the power of love is! ]
My sweet... Precious, adorable, special, cute Ritsuka, of course...
[ Yzak? What's that? Can it be eaten? She doesn't know, all she sees right now is her beloved red-haired Master. She's confessed to her and they're having the most romantic moment ever! She expects Ritsuka to scoop her up and carry her bridal style to their wedding any second now. ]
You came just to rescue me, didn't you...?
[ She rubs her head against Yzak's shoulder. Why hasn't (s)he returned the embrace yet? Is (s)he shy about it? Ehehehehehe. That's so cute and adorable, but she's supposed to be the shy one here and she feels nothing but pure happiness! ]
no subject
But, Ritsuka, she says. That's who she mentioned back at the gala, as well. And her reaction then made it obvious enough how she felt about this other woman...
God, Yzak thinks to himself, she's going to be SO EMBARRASSED about this later. Maybe even more embarrassed and uncomfortable as he feels right now, because he has never known the embrace of a woman......... aside from his mom, and even she doesn't hug him like this. ]
You're at least half right about the rescue thing. We're rescuing ourselves from this place, no matter what it takes!
Which is why you need to clear up that head of yours! I'm Yzak, not Ritsuka! And even if Ritsuka was here, this is hardly the time to reenact a romance novel!
no subject
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]
I-Is your hair graying already...? You really should work less...
[ That's it, that's the explanation for this all. Of course! The trauma would be too much if she accepted she has mistaken someone for her sweet little grape. And so the delusion just keeps growing and shifting.
It's Ritsuka with grey hair. She's cute like that too. The panic is definitely not rising. Her laugh is definitely not getting more and more broken. ]
Eh... Ehe... [She finally lets go of him, though it hardly gets better as a hand comes to profusely pat the top of head and the other gently pokes his nose.] We should get you to sleep before they get any whiter...!
[ Thankfully, she doesn't have her A-Rank strength in this castle so pulling him to bed won't be easy. ]
no subject
Any scowling in that retort instantaneously drops, disarmed completely by that nose boop. ]
!!?!
Cut that out!
[ He reaches up to grab her wrist. ]
If anyone needs sleep right now it's you! That or something to knock some sense into you but I am not going to strike a woman! Or something until whatever's going on here wears off! Just how many of those skulls did you break?
no subject
I don't know, I lost count...
[ At least double digit numbers is a safe bet.
Alas, she's not deterred when he says she needs sleep and grabs her wrist. How romantic! ]
You want to cuddle me in my sleep...? How shameful...
[ If it was more she would probably go into a panic, but hugs and cuddles? She can do with! ]
no subject
N-no! No I don't! Not in the least!
I'm not Ritsuka! And I'm not doing any of these things with you! I'm Yzak! Yzak! And I'm sure she'd be lucky to have you but I'm not interested!
no subject
Ritsuka...
[ She boops his nose once more before all but collapsing on him, on the verge of passing out.
Her denial and delusion are becoming harder and harder to maintain, that's super exhausting on top of how sickly she feels! On the bright side, that mean his torment nears the end? When she speaks, she sounds very sleepy. ]
I know... I knooooow Yzak is a cute and pretty boy... But... But you really should stop thinking about him...
[ Yet again, things always get worse just before they end. ]
no subject
[ Thankfully for Eresh, Yzak's reflexes are still on point, so he catches her when she suddenly falls against him, legs shifting and knees bracing to hold her up. ]
Hey, are you...
[ He trails off when she mumbles in her hazed state. And he still remains red from blushing and sickness, but it's a different sort of feeling behind the former this time around. It's something ... softer? More sincere? Still awkward but not the comical sort of awkward like just a moment ago when he was flustering and carrying on. Because Ereshkigal's half-conscious admission here also sounds genuine, and genuine is what strikes Yzak's heart right at its core.
Her saying this, Dearka saying (lighthearted, but still likewise honest) he was in fact, a catch, March calling him good-looking and not a bad guy... it's almost like Yzak doesn't really hear these things on the norm so when he does he has trouble handling and navigating it.
Maybe it's good for him that he doesn't really have to, right now, because Eresh is finally starting to power down. ]
M-maybe you're the one who needs to get to sleep, here...
no subject
But he's right. She needs sleep, the denial has taken the last of her strength away. ]
Mmmh... Good night...
[ And lo: she falls asleep in his arms. Now he has to carry a goddess to bed. But that means his torment is finally over!
... At least until they meet again after that and they both awkwardly have to pretend they don't remember this ever happening. ]
no subject
Which he does, no question about it! As stated many times before, he is a gentleman, as well as a soldier who always looks out for his team. ]
I didn't mean fall asleep right here...!
[ His complaint goes unheard, as it's just the two of them out here, but it doesn't stop him from grumbling after that just the same as he scoops the goddess up into his arms with ease. Bring princess-carried is probably something she's read in her novels and likes the concept of, too, huh...
He's glad she's out, because this probably isn't her preferred scenario for it to happen in, much less her preferred person to do it. (he's cute though she confirmed it so at least he can feel Cool and maybe like he CAN fit that image of being someone else's Handsome Romantic Dream Man one day) So at least she's saved from this embarrassment. Not that being saved from this part of it is going to lessen how awkward she's going to feel later once these effects wear off.
Yzak trudges down the hallways, ignoring the skulls decorating the shelves - restocked by the attendants no doubt, after Eresh's smashing spree. He stops at her door, and... ]
...
[ ...
He glances down to sleeping beauty here, face pinching into a scowl. ]
I do not want to enter a woman's room without permission, but I'm going to assume you'd have wanted me to not just leave you on the floor somewhere! Just so you know!
[ Yzak she's passed out.
Awkward about this now because he's a clown, Yzak opens the door to her room so he can go deposit her onto her bed. And yes, he does make sure she's under the covers and tucked in nice and comfy before he takes his leave. ]