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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
ā¶ 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 āChosenā, will find themselves waking up spread across the many rooms of the castle. All their belongings were left behind at the village, and theyāll find that theyāve 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 āChosenā, will find themselves waking up spread across the many rooms of the castle. All their belongings were left behind at the village, and theyāll find that theyāve 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.
ā¶ 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. Thereās 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 ...
ā¶ 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.
ā¶ 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
Ah.
[Itās not...quite a yell of a surprise, but thereās still some surprise in her comment. She really wasnāt expecting to see someone there and with the skull addling her, thereās still a bigger reaction than there wouldāve been other wise.]
Are youā¦
[Sheād say all right, but the answer is clearly no. Turns out the people dealing with the skulls seem to be suffering quite a bit more than Makima whoās mostly been trying to endure them.]
Maybe I should take care of this one.
[Sheās offering, kind of. She wonāt stop Maki from doing it if Maki doesnāt respond or goes for it. But if thereās some clarity there, sheāll take the hit from this one.]
no subject
so even as makima offers politely to get it done, maki grabs the skull and throws it against the wall...
...only it doesn't break. cracks, but is still intact. had her body not been stripped away, had her strength remained as it was, she could do it with ease. but no, she can't break it in one go, so she seethes with anger. ]
Goddammit. Why can't I do it...
no subject
Not that Makimaās judging it. Their time here has affected all of them and thatās only become more and more true as theyāve started breaking skulls. Makima herself isnāt an exception, sheās less worse off, but she knows sheās not her usual self. Otherwise she wouldnāt be studying these things. Or being startled either.]
Iām guessing because youāve done quite a bit already.
[More than her anyways, a curious look given to Maki before turning her attention to the cracked skull. Still likely effective, if Makima were to make another guess. And likely still carrying that instance of rift poisoning. Despite her offer, she's a little wary to go near it, part of viewing it as almost the way someone would a dangerous animal.
Not a feeling she'll miss once this is over.]
no subject
(Only later, when it might be too late, will she realize it's akin to rift poisoning. It never hurt her before because of her body. A body she doesn't possess for the moment.) ]
They've taken my body away from me. [ Her eyes are on the skull, and her words are slow and heavy. ] I have to get it back. Breaking the skulls might be the way.
no subject
I think so.
[It's not like she knows breaking the skulls will help, but they...well, no actually they do hurt, but it's still for the best.]
But I think I'll get this one. After all, we should all help each other to get back what we need.
[She says, walking over to pick up the skull. Her hand trembles for a moment before she grabs hold of it, that unwelcome sense of dread before she grabs it and slams it into the wall. It's not quite broken yet, but there's more cracks splintering across it.]
no subject
she walks up to the skull and takes it off the ground, then walks to offer it back to makima. ]
Try to make more of an impact. Your throw wasn't proper. Keep your elbow bent and put more power into your wrist.
no subject
Like this then?
[Following Maki's instructions and trying again, the skull impacting the wall once more.]
no subject
[ this second impact leaves a lot more cracks, a couple pieces chipping off from the top. these aren't old skulls. it leaves a lot of questions. ]
One more throw should do it. Put your anger in it.
no subject
Yes, she probably should be. Still, she views it as channeling that frustration, but it's probably the same thing as she hurls the skull at the wall again. Those cracks widen, shattering it, which is good for getting out of here. Bad for Makima since she gets hit with a dose of Rift poisoning, but she'll live. Just a little unsteady at the moment, though not as bad as Maki was when she first entered the room.]