♥ 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

[iustaegis]

[ Exhaustion tends to lend to mental strain. It’s difficult to believe she’s experiencing this. Why. Why—

Instead of answering directly, her voice calms, steadying, although it feels as if the turmoil grows within her. She was smiling, teasing just a few moments ago. Now it’s come to this. ] You... when you see a threat, you conquer it. How do you conquer it... how do you eliminate it.

[original_is_best]

It depends on the threat. There isn't a solution that works for every situation.

[But he did always believe there was a solution. To believe otherwise meant being helpless.]

What is the threat?

[iustaegis]

[ She turns her head to the side. ]

A weapon.

[ Of enormous magnitude, clearly, although she doesn’t specify its origin without extra prompting.

Her world is dying already, no thanks in part to humanity’s hubris, entitlement, and lack of foresight. What little time it has left will be scrapped if they do not stop it from being utterly annihilated. ]

[original_is_best]

Then it can be stopped. Do you have the schematics for it? I can outline a method for neutralizing the threat.

[In a way it was very simple to him. Of course, he had little reason to see Pyra as anything but a fairly normal human with potentially some powers due to her otherwordliness. Maybe a little overly emotional.]

[iustaegis]

..You... [ Her pause is careful. ] You want to help?

[original_is_best]

Hmm...

It seems to be troubling you, and you have done much to assist me in the past, so I would simply be returning the favor.

[He did, after all, appreciate when people helped him out. He recognized the value of a good ally, and the benefit of maintaining good relations, even if he wasn't the most socially adept. To him, this sounded like a simple enough problem to fix, even if Pyra was claiming it to be world-destroying.]

We need only to analyze the problem and create a plan to solve it.

[iustaegis]

[ Seems to be troubling her-- he is correct. But the more he speaks on resolving the "problem", the more she does appear to calm. Indeed, it seems as if she's calming. ] ...You're... you're not gonna like what I hafta... what I have to say.

[ She'd like it too, for everything to be resolved, to end. That would be nice, for the danger to stop, the constant fear that in fraction of a second, all would be gone. ]

It's impossible.

[original_is_best]

I have found that every time I may have thought something was impossible, it simply turned out to be improbable.

[Did she think he would be discouraged so easily?

Though he was getting pretty tired. With an inward grunt he let out a heavy breath, adjusted his shoulders, and pushed through it.]

[iustaegis]

[ It's faint, but there's a smile in her voice now. Slowly, she's regaining consciousness. ]

...That's... that's right. Not impossible, even against the divine?

[ --Sadly, this is wholly untrue. It would be impossible for him. ]

[original_is_best]

[Against the divine? That brought a smile to his own lips.]

I have seen the divine brought to their knees.

[Such was the fate of the Infernian already. Beyond that, he knew what came in the future. Ifrit wasn't the last to be defeated.]

Even against the divine. [He reaffirmed.]

[iustaegis]

[ From what she knows of Eos and apparently what happens in its future because of it, it doesn't sound like it's something he should be proud of.

.....Pyra stirs, finally awake. ] I cannot speak for your world... but in my own. If you destroyed this dangerous weapon, you would save all.

[original_is_best]

Then the path is a clear one. We should be grateful. Solutions aren't always so obvious.

[Now they were finally nearing the rest areas. It had been a strenuous journey, no doubt, but the end was at least in sight.]

Tell me more of the weapon.

[iustaegis]

Ah... [ She taps his chest again, seemingly ignoring his request. Her tone still contains that tiredness from before, but there's something different about it now, something hollow. ] You can put me down now.

[original_is_best]

...The beds are close. You should rest for a while.

[Bracing himself, he carefully lowered his body until he could slide her onto her feet. They'd gone much further than he'd ever want, he could use a rest himself.]

Perhaps you should give me further details when you are more roused.

[With her weight off, he rolled his shoulders a few times, reaching over to gently massage one with his hand.]

[iustaegis]

[ She stretches, giving one more yawn as if to dispel the rest of her drowsiness. It doesn't work as well as she'd have liked, but she does feel capable enough to walk.

Give him further details...? ]

Ah. Because my world interests you?

[ Or just the prospect of tackling another divine entity? ]

[original_is_best]

You haven't given me details that would allow me to devise a plan of action.

[Straightforward enough. But after a beat.]

But your world also interests me.

[iustaegis]

[ Like just another puzzle to solve for him.

Before she says anything, she extends her hand for him to take. ]

[original_is_best]

[Every problem was a puzzle to work out. But at least he wasn't a quitter.

His eyes turned down to the extended hand before he took it. Either she still needed assistance or she was interested in monetary gain. Either one was acceptable to him.]

We should head into the rest area.

[The suggestion was immediately followed by action. He might need some rest himself after this.]

[iustaegis]

[ There's one lingering glance down at their hand before her gaze raises to his as they begin to head to the rest area. Lightly, ] You know...

You're pretty strong, carrying me all this way.

[ Prompto, too, has more strength than what his frame lets on... ]

[original_is_best]

[He glanced back at her. While compliments, to some extent, were expected - he was a genius, after all - he usually didn't get them about his strength. Or height. Or much in the way of physical prowess.

He didn't get bashful, but the briefest hesitation in response hinted at his surprise.]

I often work on large machinery. It requires its own amount of strength.

[It wasn't much compared to many in Havenwell, and his aching shoulders were starting to show his age creeping up.]

[iustaegis]

It's impressive. [ She inclines her head to the side, as if she's now looking at him in a different light.

It seems another question has occurred to her. ]

...Have you seen the factories in the new southwest area yet?

[original_is_best]

Hmm.

[Strange thing to comment about. Considering what he knew of standard human interactions though, he did come up with something.]

Are you attempting to flirt with me?

[Because that seemed like flattery that women might engage in when trying to entice a man.

Not that he seemed bothered. It didn't matter much to him if she was or wasn't.]

I have not seen them yet. Was there any equipment within that might be repairable?

[iustaegis]

[ The topic of the factories will have to be dropped because--

"Are you attempting to flirt with me?"

Her eyes grow wide, and she nearly stumbles over herself. ]

Am I-- what?

[original_is_best]

Compliments regarding strength are typical of women attempting to seduce a man.

[So simple, really! See, he knows all about humaning.]

1/2

[iustaegis]

[ Architect, take her now.

She stares at him for a few beats more, blinking as if entirely bewildered. ]