๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ผ๐๐๐ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
synfluxmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
synflux2024-09-28 12:07 pm
synfluxmods) wrote in synflux2024-09-28 12:07 pm
Entry tags:
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
or does she mean she wants to look after strays? That's... Kinda strange, but she's too out of it to express that. Instead, she just somehow manages to find it cute and endearing. ]
Ehehehehehe.... I will be your stray kitty if you want...
[ That's so surprising, but if that's what her precious little grape is into, then she will do it! Though she's not sure how you're supposed to go about it. ]
Meooow?
[ Is that how you do it? A shame she doesn't have her visor with cat-shaped ears, that would help sell the meowing better.
... This may just end up being far more traumatic than her punishment if she remembers that. ]
no subject
Oh well, there's no helping it. ]
Alright... I think you need to go lay down. A big confession like that must've taken it out of you.
[ Kaga awkwardly pats Eresh on the back, looking around the hall for the nearest guest room she can escort the poor girl to where she won't be a danger to herself and others. ]
Let's get you to a bed, shall we?
[ That's probably the exact wrong thing to say to deescalated the situation but Kaga has no idea how much of a minefield she's walked into. ]
no subject
To bed...? [Blinks blinks.] R-Ritsuka...! How shameful... I only just declared my flame to you...!
[ On the bright side, Ereshkigal is no longer white as a cloth. No, instead she's become red as a tomato and her cheeks are emitting palpable heat in spite of how cold she normally is.
On the less than bright side, Kaga is just making this more and more awkward with her attempts at deescalating things. ]
Can girls even do those things with each other...?
[ Forgive her, most of the humans books she has feature hetero romances, she didn't even know she swung that way until she met Ritsuka! ]
no subject
W-well of course they can. Theres... ways around certain things besides hands, like-
[WHOA FULL STOP, ENGINES FULL REVERSE. She does not need to explain this nor think about how little experienced she herself actually is!!!
Kaga shakes her head absolutely mortified, her face resembling Eresh's in a cherry tomato hue of red. ]
That isn't the point...! You're unwell, you need to lay down. C'mon.
[ Kaga does her darnedest to transition the hug into a more manuveeable stance, trying to get an arm around Eresh's back so she can guide the poor girl to a room. ]
no subject
I-I never suspected you were so daring...!
[ That's way too sudden! Her heart isn't ready for that. It probably won't be for another ten years, at the very least. What should she say? What should she do?! ]
I.... I'm sorry... I... I can't do it! [She very suddenly covers her face with her hands and screams.] Aaaaaaaaaah!!!
[ She's going to be so disappointed with her, but she has to be honest! She's sure she'll understand and if she doesn't... M-Maybe that's proof she's not good enough for her precious Ritsuka! ]
no subject
H-hold on...! It's not like that, I just.... ugh.
[Oh dear Creator she's going to have to say this, isn't she? She hasn't even said it to the Commander yet... but it's nit true, so it should be fine! ]
I... I love you too! [ She is so red faced now she might pass out...] And I'm concerned about you. You don't look well, d-.... darling. Let me see you to bed, please?
[ If this other girl remembers any of this, somebody just kill Kaga please and thank you. ]
no subject
She starts crying. ]
You... You...
[ She's so happy, she feels like she could just fade away. The tears just won't stop coming. She buries her face in her hands, she's cried out of happiness quite a lot these past months, but she doesn't think she's ever cried out of happiness that much! She's even called her darling. ]
Right...
[ At least she's more amenable to going to the bedroom and resting now. ]
no subject
Alright, good. Thank you.
[ She means it too. Ereshkigal is still clearly out of it but it's a relief to get her atleast a little bit calm. Kaga proceeds to steer her to one of the rooms, opening the door and gently ushering Ereshkigal inside with an suppprting arm around her. ]
Would you like something to eat or drink? Getting something in you should help clear your head.
[ Wow that is an INCREDIBLY poor word choice... ]
no subject
H-Has she heard this right? Has her "precious little grape" said those words? In that context? After everything she's said and asked?
M-Maybe she didn't mean it to be taken that way?! B-But she's truly been far more audacious than expected. That's... That's way too...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]
Gwah...
[ And lo: the Goddess of Death has passed out! At least that means she'll sleep now and Kaga is free. ]
no subject
Well... that certainly makes this easier.
[ With some effort Kaga proceeds to carry Ereshkigal the rest of the way into the room, deposit the poor girl in the bed, put the sheet over her so she's warm but not too warm. It's not as if Kaga is going to strip her out of the clothes she's wearing to sleep, after all.
Once her temporary charge is nice and bundled up Kaga takes a moment to check her handy work, nods in satisfaction, and leaves the room. She'll swipe a chair from somewhere and park herself outside the door until the other girl is well enough to move again. ]
no subject
In fact, by the time she regains her senses, the cultists come to do whatever they've decided to do with them all! At least she's full of energy to resist and promptly fail.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Does she remember what happened with Kaga? Dos she not? Only time will tell! Perhaps they will have an awkward reunion after this, after they're both done praising the Lord of the Forest. Maybe Ereshkigal will be able to give her a hand then. ]