♥ April (Lasai) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

April (Lasai) Event Log
Lasai is a beautiful month. The weather is warmer, the sky is a breathtaking blue again, and with the flowers from Ainir growing nicely, the entire city of Havenwell just feels more alive with every breath. It's a time of renewal, of rebirth, of Ainea's greatest strength as her adherents open the temple gates to invite people and robots from all walks of life to enter and share together. What should be a joyous time, however, is suddenly interrupted as the earthquakes mount day by day through the start of Lasai. Those messages that people have been receiving since Nalom? It seems it's time for the gods to deliver on their promises.

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❥ PROMPT I: The Wild Wild West (East, South and North)

As Ainir gives way to Lasai, one morning the earthquakes, which had been growing more frequent again, suddenly mount in their intensity. The entire city is shaking and the native residents cower despite their faith in their gods' protection. The guards along the wall shout alarm and abandon their posts as the walls start to shift under the strain. When the last of them are safely away from the walls, the barrier and the wall itself quivers. The citizens cry out in alarm and fear until they realize that the walls aren't falling - they're moving. And they're moving further out. As everyone in Havenwell looks on, the walls and its surrounding barrier fluctuates and expands, sliding through the city streets as if on hidden tracks, avoiding buildings and ruins, pushing the toxic air and the storm further away. They finally come to rest and snap back into place, new walls rising from who knows where to fill in the gaps. The barrier strengthens and the earthquakes stop, and as the dust settles, a cheer rises from the citizens.

"Praise the gods! Praise the off-worlders!"

Among the din of their celebration, however, other cries start up among the newly incorporated ruins. Cries that sound like howls and screeches, and certainly do not sound human. Grab your weapons and steel yourselves, off-worlders, with the addition of this new space comes the need to clear it of anything potentially dangerous that got caught up in the expansion. Not all creatures you'll find are hostile, but some certainly are. Docile ones might just fetch a nice price from the Research Towers and the Conservatory if you can capture a mating pair.

OOC: These are the creatures you can encounter in the city as you go through to clear it. It's not an invasion level of infestation, as the majority of creatures will prefer to remain inside their known territory beyond the original barrier, but you will on occasion need to take up arms and fight. Next to their names are the frequency with which you can find them, ranging from common to extremely rare.

• Inky Black Spiders (common - hostile): These relatively small, black spider-like creatures have very basic melee attacks, using their fangs and their sharp legs to bite and claw at people. Those who were around in October when the wall broke will recognize them as the most common enemy back then. Their exoskeletons are hard and when they die, they smash into a black goo. They tend to travel in packs, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey.
  
• One-Eyed Lizard (uncommon - docile): An iridescent scaly purple and green lizard approximately 8 to 10cm in length from tip to tail. It has a single eye at the top of its head that can rotate to see 360 degrees around it. This creature's main defenses are its tough hide and a spine on the tip of its tail which it whips at predators to dissuade them from eating it. It's more likely to run than fight, however, and can usually be found sunbathing on exposed rock with its eye closed.
  
• "Bone Giraffe" (extremely rare - hostile): A nearly 20-foot tall, long-necked skeleton of a four-legged creature long dead with a single curved horn protruding from its skull and a sharp snout. It's usually found lying in a heap, as if it laid down and died that way. A black seven-petaled flower sometimes (but not always) grows from the skull and beneath the skeleton is an oily black film. Touching the oil slick activates the creature, which draws the oil up into the skeletal cage. Its main attacks are brute force, using its bony legs and neck to kick and slam against its prey, and its acid breath. It breathes a black fume that sizzles and burns anything it touches.
  
• Rive Talon (rare - hostile - medium): In the past these creatures may have been canines of some form, now they seem to have melded with the detritus of the fallen buildings and creatures of the landscape. Extra spikes, ridges, and protrusions extend from its body at odd angles. Many of them are metal or stone, rather than bone. And some of the bones clearly were not originally its own. (Suggested by Sierra!)
  
• Outskirts Hare (uncommon - docile): A shy creature, roughly the size and shape of an earth hare, covered in fuzzy-looking, curly pink hair and cat-like whiskers. Normally quite timid, this creature's poor eyesight causes it to flee when it feels threatened, and relies largely on a sense of touch to navigate its surroundings. Contact with this creature's fur is markedly pleasant, but its skin discharges an oil that causes mild skin irritation on contact when it's nervous. Active mostly at night time. (Suggested by Mel!)
  
• Ansaurini (rare - annoying): a bipedal feathered bird with sharp claws and teeth good for chomping; some possess flight capabilities, but the majority are prone to a lazy waddle. Mostly harmless and deceptively unassuming until you turn your back- and suddenly it's run off with something it stole off your person! They are excellent at escaping, though they can be traced back to their hoard, and if their collection is raided they will make a lot of noise in protest. Just watch your back- they will try again until you leave their territory. Truly, a horrible thing.
  

❥ PROMPT II: Welcome to the (Urban) Jungle

Once the creatures are mostly taken care of and the newly revealed area is deemed safe enough to venture into, the city council will put out a call for those willing and able to assist the natives with a clean-up effort. The city outside the walls is badly damaged, left to the ravages of the time and the ever-present storm, which means clearing dust, debris, and flotsam is a high priority before people can begin to repair the new districts and salvage material or live there. Thick brown vines cover large parts of the city, grime from the storm is caked onto windows, rocks and scattered rotted bones and twisted metal can be found in roads and crashed through buildings. The atmosphere in this part of the city seems to mirror the decrepit state of the land, too, feeling heavier and grayer and more depressing than it has any right to be. Going out with people and helping together, taking breaks to lean against one another tends to help clear away any negativity that this land seems to bring to your thoughts, however. Since it's dangerous to go alone, be sure to take a friend.

The biggest concern is the vines, so natives offer to lend machetes to the offworlders to help the hack them away. The vines look brown and dead, the leaves withered and curled up. When characters hack into them, the vines release a puff of yellowish dust. Inhale the dust or get it anywhere near your face and over time, you'll begin to get sleepy - very sleepy. It's hard to keep your eyes open, no matter your resistance to poisons or magic, and eventually you'll find yourself falling asleep wherever you are. And once you're asleep? The vines start moving, crawling toward you at a snail's pace. Hopefully you did bring a friend because you'll need their touch to wake up and stay awake long enough to get away from the vines before they pull you deep within their grasp.

❥ PROMPT III: Take a Load Off

Not everyone can fight or clean or even wants to do it, so while those who are more suited to being on the front lines are off doing their thing, those who remain behind must begin the effort of preparing everything that people will need to live in these new areas. At the temples and in the main square, the priests have set up large rest areas with blankets and pillows, and are busily putting together repair kits for mechanics and explorers to use as they go through the ruins. Those who want a place to rest that doesn't require going all the way back to their homes might find these waystations more convenient.

At each, characters can find hot soups with chunks of hearty replicated breads and both hot and cold drinks available for any who wish it. They're trying to replicate pain medications and bandages for people who have been injured while exploring or fighting off the monsters who were unlucky enough to be left inside, and will ask you to try it if you're injured. Taking this medication might have some unintended side effects, however, like a feeling of euphoria or delusions of grandeur or even something as banal as turning your hair a shocking shade of chartreuse - the effect, if you want one, is up to you! The rest areas also have robots "skilled" in giving massages that are looking to test their newly acquired skills and with four pairs of arms, they can work on two people at once! In fact, they're rather insistent about giving you a free massage if they hear even the slightest hint of fatigue in your voice and will usher people into their curtained off booths regardless of whether they know the other occupant or not. These robots are still learning though, so anyone curious enough to try may need to work with their partner to give these robots pointers. They're trying, but not having fragile little flesh bodies is a major obstacle in learning how to have a gentle touch.

❥ PROMPT IV: That Which Remains

With the opening of the city, there seem to be a lot of buildings that need cleaning. Some are so dilapidated that they're better off demolished than repossessed, and most are residential and commercial buildings reminiscent of the ones the offworlders are used to seeing everyday in the Havenwell they've all known up until now. However, among the ruins of these older sections, those intrepid enough to venture and explore may find a few unique gems awaiting them. Just remember: the first rule of urban exploration is to never go alone. You never know what might be lurking in those abandoned buildings or what obstacles might be in your way. Doorways blocked by rubble will need more than one person to remove them. Frightened (and frightening) animals might be lingering in the dark. And, most importantly, you don't want to fall through the floor and vanish into a basement. There seem to be quite a few weakened floors out there. In the following parts of the expanded city, characters can find these interesting ruins:

• Northwest: The Arena - In the northwest of the newly opened area, characters can find what looks to be a ruin of a large open air oval building. The building itself is almost 3 stories tall with walls overgrown with brown vines and dead foliage. There are doorways that have no doors, instead being high archways through which people can access in the interior. Stairs lead up into what looks like worn stone benches and down below is a rubble-strewn open area. Part of the walls have collapsed over time but it's very clear this place was used once as some sort of viewing area. It'll take a bit of work to clear this place until it's usable!
  
  There are archways with stairs that lead downward, but you'll need some help clearing away the rubble to get to what's below! If you're successful in getting beneath the arena, you'll find hallways with empty rooms that vary between large enough to possibly be some sort of training room to small enough to be just enough space for someone to put a slim single cot or bed and maybe a wardrobe to have a small private room. Some rooms have rusted metal that may or may not have been weapons at some point, while others have faded wall paintings, chipped and worn with age. It's hard to make out, but with enough reconstruction work, you may just learn who used to haunt these halls.
  
  
• Southeast: The Baths - In the southeast of the newly opened area, characters will find a domed building unlike the rest of the architecture around it. It's extremely large, for one, and squat, while the rest of Havenwell's buildings seem to be lean and tall. The walls are made of the same stone, but the dome above is broken glass. There are several metal sliding doors set in the walls, but many are fused shut with grime and years of disuse. One main door, larger than the others is sightly ajar, however, and with some help characters may be able to force it open.
  
  Inside, they find an expansive lobby with white floors that must have sparkled before all the grime, dirt, and broken glass took over. The dome overhead reflects the light, making the interior of the building as bright as outside. At the center of the lobby is a dry fountain with two broken statues - four armed humanoids holding urns. Their heads are missing and many of the arms are broken and lying in the dry basin. From the lobby there are alcoves in every direction and two hallways that lead further into the buiding in opposite directions. In each alcove are low stone seats and round basins sunk into the ground that are either dry with a black film around the inside, or full of a dark oily substance that's nearly coagulated.
  
  Go down the hallways and you'll find identical looking chambers. First, you enter an open area with broken sinks and mirrors, with stone cubbies on the walls. Then when you pry open and push past the metal sliding doors, you'll find yourself in a wide open semicircular area filled with baths of different sizes, shapes and depths. Some are free-standing stone tubs, others are large basins sunk into the ground, and still others are rectangular and just big enough for one or two people to lie down in. Each of these basins are like the ones in the lobby, either filled with that same coagulated black ooze or dry with a black film inside. Looks like it's time to get cleaning because each basin also seems like they might be able to be retrofitted to produce water perhaps.
  
  
• Southwest: The Factory - In the southwest, closest to the wall, the characters can find an imposing square building. It has small thin windows and boasts a plethora of chimneys and smokestacks on the roof, some of which are crumbling or broken with age and exposure. There are two square doors, both of which are large enough to drive a truck through and made of metal which needs to be pried open before accessing the inside. Once inside, the characters find a massive operation geared toward ore and mineral processing and metallurgical refinement. The machinery is old, but extremely well laid out, as it seems this plant was used to process huge volumes of minerals and ores before being lost to time. There are stations for every imaginable part of the refining process separated neatly so they can work efficiently, but all of the machines are broken or currently inoperable and will need significant work before they can start functioning again.
  
  Explore the refinery and you may still find one or two of the ores lying about. They contain an unknown metal that gleams a slick oily silver. At the back of the refinery is an industrial elevator which is currently inoperational. Peering down through the cracks, however, reveals that the shaft goes a long way down. The view of just how far is obstructed by a shimmering rainbow-colored barrier, not unlike the one that is just outside the walls.

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This event will run from April 15th to 30th, although due to the areas and effects not technically vanishing, feel free to continue playing with it for some time beyond. Click on each prompt's title to see the text. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread.

Comments

[original_is_best]

I? From him?

[The shock and doubt in his voice was palpable. He couldn't think of anything that the boy could teach him. Verstael had excelled in school and was one of, if not the, top scientist in the world. He already knew quite a bit. What could Prompto know that he didn't already?]

[iustaegis]

[ He sounds vaguely shocked. Why is this?

Her eyes crack open, then shut again. No, she's still to tired. Her thoughts are a mess. This world is sometimes too much.... but the people here are good. ]

Is it so surprising?

[original_is_best]

I don't see what I would learn from him. I am the research chief for the Imperial army. He didn't take his studies seriously.

[iustaegis]

[ And now?

Comes a long, low whine: ] Stooooop.

Stop that. Y'gotta stop that. That... that-- looking down on him. Stop. If y'want anyone as family... anyone to love or be loved-- you hafta stop that.

[ She said stop four times! as if he didn't hear it the first time-- or more likely, she hadn't even noticed she repeated herself. ]

[original_is_best]

[He let out a lengthy, low sigh, but reluctantly held his tongue. Why couldn't she be delirious in a more unintelligible way? He continued picking his way around bits of rubble without a word, as if he didn't plan on speaking more, giving him some time to bite down his pride and speak more evenly.]

What do you think I would learn from him?

[iustaegis]

[ Much better worded, and her appreciation for it shows in how she relaxes against him. ] 

What a home is. What a family is... Maybe what even love is... How to make friendships. 'Cause anyone-- anyone can study biology or engineering. [ Easy. Simple. It's all numbers, mathwork. Technicalities. This tells her very little. The laws of her universe follow components that are ultimately broken down into basic principles that humans have attempted to discern over millennia. Perhaps one day they'll unlock everything, know how the world truly works in all of its intricacies. But they'll figure that out before they even remotely be able to quantify all the nuances as to what makes friendships, care, trust, and love, the desire for it, the loneliness that might come without it. Emotional intelligence is so much more difficult. ] But not everyone can make bonds.

[ She could get used to being carried over people's shoulders....

She feels as if there's something more to say, so after a few beats of silence as he walks carefully over the rubble, she continues: ] Aaaand 's nottabout... You. You have become someone who's... worthy of him. You hafta be better than you are now. You have t'realize that emotions are more than chemical reactions. Stop separating yourself from 'em, like they're not a part of who you are, and start... feeling them.

[original_is_best]

[All this sentimental nonsense... He knew he was different. Always knew that, since he was a kid - it was pretty obvious when other people would always point it out. But he had never considered himself broken nor inferior. If anything he felt quite the opposite. He was happy with who he was and didn't want to be like everyone else. He always rose up above all of that and did what needed to be done, while others were busy wailing and complaining.

The idea of him having to better himself to be worthy of someone else was preposterous. Especially the boy, who seemed to fall surprisingly short as far as competence went. He'd inherited the greatest genes in the world, ad what had he accomplished with them?

He couldn't argue the family part. Of course, he'd had one at some point. Before they died. He didn't fuss much about that, though. War orphans were hardly a rare thing. Friendship, on the other hand...]

I have a friend.

[See? He already knows all about how to make friends.]

[iustaegis]

[ She knows, he's mentioned having a friend before. It's a start, and if nothing else it means he's not hopeless... And she nods sleepily, head bobbing up and down in some manner that is approving. ]

And if that friend leaves... how will you feel?

[original_is_best]

[That gave him pause. He stopped for a moments in his movement. Generally, he didn't prefer to consider such things, because there was no point in it. His grip on Pyra tightened slightly, and with a frown he forced himself back forward.]

I would be... disappointed.

[iustaegis]

[ She quietly offers another word: ] You'd miss them, wouldn't you?

[ Then, when he continues walking, she exhales, refraining from saying more. This is what she wants Verstael to focus upon. His feelings. ] You might miss them... because you liked them and cared for them. That the time you spent with them-- it's nice, isn't it?

[original_is_best]

Naturally. He is a valuable ally, and amicable. I would prefer that nothing happen to him.

[That part - well, it wasn't the first time he'd said as much. He had no problem admitting to that.]

I have always thought as much. I don't understand what I'm supposed to be learning.

[Though, perhaps he shouldn't take it too seriously. She was high, after all.]

[iustaegis]

[ Brah she's higher than the clouds. This is the best damn thing that's happened to her in a long while. ]

Learning... how to cherish... this. [ Upon his shoulders, she shifts, and her hand which had been grasping at his uniform moves to his chest, palming where his heart should be. ] Feelings. Friends. Family.

[ This hurts. ]

While having another friend... or connecting with someone cannot replace them, it might make things easier. You can have that joy with another. With Prompto, maybe, if you are good to him.

[original_is_best]

[He stumbled a bit as the weight moved around on his shoulders, his grip on her tightened and he paused to steady his footing. His armor was mostly decorative, a status symbol, but it was still fairly solid in a lot of spots, and the metal and leather hanging in front of his chest was one. It clicked slightly as metal lining tapped against metal.

It was also thick and heavy to begin with without even accounting for the added weight. After all, besides being armor, he lived in the middle of a frozen wasteland.]

Don't move so much.

[If only he had one of his subordinates here to take care of this for him.]

That's just cardiac muscle, it's nothing with to with thoughts or feelings, though I certainly value it.

[He never understood why people gave such undue credit to the heart for what the brain did.

He highly doubted Prompto could be on par with Will. Will had a lot to offer, and Prompto... he didn't see it. Though he had not bothered to try much. He'd spent more time with people around Prompto than with Prompto himself. Never particularly had any interest in him besides the fact that he was a clone.

Perhaps... he was making a mistake somewhere. By all accounts Prompto should be capable of everything he was. They shared the same genes, perhaps with some minor adjustments to Prompto's for improved performance. Maybe it was an issue of being poorly raised. Verstael had been exposed to the harsh environments of Niflheim, exposed to the plague early, lived through famine and been involved in war. His life had made him strong and capable. He didn't detest his upbringing. He survived and thrived because of it.

Prompto had lived a sheltered life away from the war, hiding in his bed with plush toys and afraid of shadows. Perhaps he needed something. Encouragement, or something of the sort, to increase his performance. He considered the freckled-faced boy who seemed so weak and incompetent and pondered for a moment. Could they possibly be anything more than what they were now? And what would that even mean? What would come of it?

Of course, there were other issues as well.]

...You understand that he will kill me in the future.

[It wasn't in his journals. He was too dead to write about it. But he had put it together based on the journals written during the darkness and information he had been told.]

[iustaegis]

[ As much as a shocking truth that that is, the sleep dulls her senses. She remains calm, undisturbed. ]

The present. Focus... on the present. Jus' for now. [ Her hand remains upon his chest. It's metaphorical, of course, when she speaks of a human's heart to feel such emotions. She can only imagine what it must be like, feeling it flutter when one is happy, or feeling as if it sinks or tightens when being presented with something terrible.

Quietly, ] ...Did you know? [ She speaks after another yawn. She wants to sleep, she really does, but this topic of friendship and family is one of her absolute favorites.

Even if it's actually crushing her inside. Having family is wonderful. Having lost it is terrible. ] Prompto worked as some sorta'engineer on a fleet before.

He really likes taking pictures.

He's excellent at coding.

He smiles like the sun. You don't.

Perhaps-- you can try to connect with him that way. [ Maybe they can ask him to join them in working on that engine. Pyra is of the mind that the project won't actually get anywhere significant without help from the locals, but it would provide opportunity for Prompto and Verstael to bond. Maybe. ] You... you try to help in your own way. [ Even if some of those ways are yikes. ] Prompto helps more. Touches more lives. There he goes-- [ She lifts that hand against, as if motioning to the path before him. ] --what he has, beyond your reach. The way you are now... you'll be left behind. You gotta catch up with him. You can do that. Here.

[original_is_best]

[He knew of the photographs. The engineering and coding, not so much. And smiling, he didn't care much about. People tended to get scared when he was smiley, though that didn't stop him.

But he shook his head for an entirely different reason.]

I believe you misunderstand. Given the circumstances, I wouldn't necessarily say that he made the incorrect choice.

[After all, if he were to be the next to fall unconscious and come back as his older self, he'd already made a request to be killed. He knew things went very wrong.]

What makes you think that, were I to even try, that he would be interested?

[iustaegis]

I... don't know. [ Truly, she doesn't! Prompto might not care for Verstael at all, but Pyra believes in the importance of family. If Somnus and Ardyn could love each other despite all of their grievances, then there's likely hope for the two of them, too, of some semblance of reconciliation-- rather, understanding in this world.

Also, she's pretty much sleep talking. ] Jus'... start out with something little. A gift. Or-- reassurance. Family is-- family is... you'll love them. That's important, for family. You gotta tell him that, if you wanna be his family.

[original_is_best]

Tell him that I love him?

[His tone completely reflected how absurd he thought that was.]

We hardly know each other. If I said such a thing he would simply point out how ludicrous it was.

[At least, that's what Verstael would do.]

[iustaegis]

[ What, it's not unreasonable! Psssh. (Or so her mind in this moment believes.) Clearly, she sees nothing ridiculous or embarrassing about this. ]

'S... simple. Repeat after me:

[ Is he ready for this. Is he?! ]

I... love... you. I love you. [ A pause, and then more tenderly, ] I love you.

[ Unbidden a memory comes to her, words spoken softly, sincerely in return. "As do I." ]

But if that's too difficult... say that you will be there for him.

[original_is_best]

What is...

[This was so far out of his playing field. He'd never said something like that to anyone. It was like trying to fill an engine with water instead of gas - it made him want to die a little.]

If I agree to contact him later can we switch the topic?

[iustaegis]

[ If they had been facing each other, Verstael might have been able to catch a satisfied smile from Pyra. As they are with her draped over his shoulders, he may only hear a pleased hum from her, as if to quietly declare "I win".

What does she win? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Possibly a headache, whenever she wakes up fully. ]

Whaaat d'you wanna talk about?

[original_is_best]

[Good. They could move on from the love and family nonsense.

They still had some ways to go, especially with him moving so slowly, so they were going to have some time left yet.]

...Tell me of your world. You have said little about it. What is the name? Date? Type of civilizations?

[iustaegis]

[ --And just like that, she quiets. It seems that she's more easily prone to showing her emotions while like this. ]

We call it Alrest.

[ Date? Civilizations? It seems she's simply caught up by the name itself. ]

[original_is_best]

[He waited for more, but she was quiet.

Well.

That wasn't much information. Had she fallen asleep on him?]

Alrest. And what else?

[iustaegis]

Mmm... It doesn't matter. [ She shakes her head, resting her forehead against his shoulder. Suddenly, she sounds pained. ] 'S not gonna be there for much longer.

[original_is_best]

[He wondered whether to consider this more delusions or if there was more behind it.]

Why do you say that?