♥ 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]

[ Just a smile. ]

You have a natural talent for inspiring, I think.

[ It comes out when she least expects it, and probably without any though on his part. It's not like she's ever heard a more authoritative, traditionally "kingly" tone from him. ]

[carbungle]

You're pretty easily inspired, you know. I think you might be biased.

[He's not giving any rousing speeches, at least. Inspiring seems generous.]

[iustaegis]

[ An airy side. Yes, she knows! She becomes impressed easily! how can she not, there are so many incredible things about incredible people! ]

As if you don't inspire your brothers? [ PuH-LEASE. ]

[carbungle]

Hmm, I dunno. I feel like that's more likely to go the opposite way.

[He's only half-serious... but by all means, keep praising him. You'd almost think he's encouraging it for once.]

[iustaegis]

Ah. [ Well, as another king has said to her: ] Nothing can be accomplished alone.... Inspiration goes both ways, I suppose. [ Between him and his brothers, that is. ]

[carbungle]

Guess that's so.

[He leans in, bumping his shoulder against hers.]

You've done plenty of inspiring, yourself.

[iustaegis]

[ She feels the bump, and she turns her head to look at him. Oh? ]

How kind of you to say.

[ This is how to respond when being given a compliment. Accept it and move on, even if it’s doubted upon. He’s been miserable, so much for inspiring him. ]

[carbungle]

[It's not her fault that existential misery isn't cured in a handful of days. Or that he hasn't told her about it. The reverse is true, on her end.

As it is, he really is trying.]

I mean it. I'd be a lot worse off if you weren't here.

[iustaegis]

[ She knows he’s trying. He’s doing so every day. It’s marvelous, especially after everything he’s gone through... and she attributes more of what he’s been able to do to his own internal strength.

However, she only believes she’s not doing enough.

His insisting puzzles her. What’s this all of a sudden. ]

Oh...? I was thinking you don’t give yourself enough credit.

[carbungle]

I don't know if that's something I get to decide whether or not I credit for. [He's... trying not to be so self-serving. Training for the inevitable.] I should be telling people that I'm grateful, though.

[The phrase "too little, too late" has been on his mind a lot lately. There are people who would die to protect him, who've given everything to support his journey. They deserve his honesty and appreciation. After all, why would anyone fight for a leader they have no faith in? The Glaives betrayed his father. Ravus and Aranea turned on the empire. Gladio-

...His hand tightens a little, voice softening as he shrugs his shoulders.]

A king should be supporting those with him.

[iustaegis]

[ ...Definitely not giving himself enough credit, then.

They’re standing within the shadow of the building, and the two large doors, rusted shut, are just in front of them. Instead of proceeding she stops and turns to look at him, feeling how his hand tightens within his hand. Again, her expression is puzzled. ]

....Aren’t... you...?

[ Isn’t he supporting them— ah. Perhaps he’s like her. Perhaps he doesn’t feel he’s doing enough, either. ]

[carbungle]

[He pauses, finding her scrutiny a little uncomfortable, and rather than respond he starts forward again, reaching for one of the doors to try and push on it. It doesn't budge, as if the world itself is telling him to stop dancing around the subject.]

...I mean... I am, just... opportunities aren't unlimited, is all.

[There's not much time left for that sort of thing. Why waste the chances he has here?]

[iustaegis]

...No. They are not.

[ She's been suggesting from the beginning that he should hug others and say he loves them, especially for those here. Luna and his father come to her mind. She wonders if he's ever thought of why she suggested this "homework" in the first place. Whimsy? Naive innocence? Being of a purely good heart? The playfulness is a cover, the truth is harsher: she's lost too many, before. She did not appreciate them, she did not show affection, and in the end it was too late. Noctis doesn't need to learn that lesson the hard way. ] So. More hugs from you to others, is that it?

[ Of course, this does come with some discretion and social intelligence. Pyra herself loves so many despite how it conflicts against her nature, but even she knows not to randomly go about and tell people when it's not appropriate. So, she tries to show her gratefulness and appreciation in other ways: in her attempts to be kind, in praising others, in compliments, in pointing out when others have done something impressive even when they might not think so. More: in listening to others' pain, in attempting to be mindful of what they've been through, trying not to cause them more harm...

But none of this is enough. The only way anything will be enough if she returns to her world and finds that end. It's not about her, but about preserving the future for all she holds dear. She cannot plant trees whose shade she might never know herself, but she can at least ensure there will a future there for someone else to plant that tree... for, hopefully, generations afterwards to indulge in its shade.

Pyra's hand unlinks from his to press against the door. ] On three.

[carbungle]

[He makes a noise in response that is neither a yes or no.]

More of something, at least.

[Hugs aren't really his main go-to for affection; he disagrees that they're strictly necessary, as long as the feelings can be conveyed in other methods. Not that they aren't useful. He'd given one to her only minutes ago, when nothing else served the same purpose. When he woke up and sense returned to him, he hugged his father like he'd never let go. Sometimes they're useful. But if he abruptly changed his ways, those around him would know he's not okay.

He's not much better with words, most days, but... trying. Always, always trying. He'll grow into that, too.]

One... two... three-

[At the word, they push together; he braces his foot and leans into it with all his might. He may not look like much, but magic fuels his muscles to wield swords mightier than his small stature would allow, and he suspects she might be the same way, now that he knows certain secrets. Regardless of their nature the door creaks and screeches its way open, the base grinding across the floor as it swings. Halfway through its pivot the rusted hinges crumble into dust, and the whole thing pitches forward, catching on a pile of rubble on the other side and hanging at a lean. It's stuck that way now, but there's enough of a gap that they can climb in.

He gestures towards it with a small, teasing bow.]

Ladies first?

[iustaegis]

[ The ensuing clang of metal against rubble echoes throughout the gloomy interior. She smiles at she catches the tail end of his small bow, entering forward...

Aaaand of course instead of bringing out her own flame, she opts to turning on the flashlight function of her communicator. ]

....Noct. [ She calls his name, and there's a hint of excitement in her voice that accompanies a gasp. ] Come quick--

[carbungle]

[He follows her in of course, though at least for now it's more intrigued-hurry than panic-hurry, since she'd sounded happy about what awaited them within. He ducks through the opening and straightens up to find... well, a huge mess, but a somewhat recognizable visual. He hadn't spent a lot of time in factories growing up - duh, royal recluse - but as her flashlight casts around the first open area, there are obvious hints as to what this place must have been in the past. Huge machines laid out in a way that spoke of the kind of industrial processing that had occurred here. The smokestacks rising up towards the ceiling indicated heat used to be funnelled out into the sky. Supplies and tools were strewn about, messily abandoned, but aside from a few obvious standouts, he doesn't recognize what they might have done.

He reaches for his chest towards his jacket, where he'd always kept his light pinned, but- oh, right. Pyra's wearing it now, and he can't recall if he'd even packed it. Instead he opts for the comm light to join her in shining it about, searching for clues.]

It's huge... wonder what they were making here.

[iustaegis]

[ She's immediately reaching for his hand. ]

This way-- let's follow the production line backwards!

[ Pyra tugs him along after her, stepping over the rubble. And while her excitement at this discovery is readily apparent within her tone and upon her expression, it does get the better of her in how quickly she pulls him along. Hopefully he won't trip.

As they hurriedly walk: ] This facility is huge. There must have been... hundreds of workers here-- ah, if it wasn't fully automated.

[carbungle]

Judging by the tools, there had to have been at least a few folks doing manual labour. Looks heavy, though.

[Must've been hard work, whatever it was. He allows himself to be pulled along, though after a few near-stumbles he tilts his light downwards so they can see what they're tripping over rather than going blind. Factories in general aren't super exciting, and he's been to enough ruins that this is nothing to get hyped about in his mind (besides this being new territory after being stuck in a small, quiet city for this long), but her enthusiasm is infectious so he's content to let her take the lead here. May as well give her a chance to have some fun with... whatever this is.]

[iustaegis]

[ She leads him down a row of machinery. With the tools left out, everything appears abandoned in place, as if it all had been hastily left. Pyra approaches one of the sides of a machine, pocketing her communicator as she places a hand upon the metal, squinting.

She would like more light. ]

This section... If I'm not mistaken, they're smelters. Used to extract ore from their raw form. These furnaces would have been extremely hot. [ And to have so many in one place would mean a powerful source of energy was providing for all of this, and that a sophisticated cooling system had been in place. A part of her is glad to see it's not just some magical system set in place. ]

[carbungle]

[With her light put away, he leans in closer, holding his comm over her shoulder so she can see better- and so he can see, as well.]

Smelters? So they made metals here?

[Makes sense, then, why the facility would be so big. And this is only one building- there's still a huge portion of the city left undiscovered. There could be more places like this.]

If they were converting the whole world's population into robots, it makes sense that they'd need a lot of machines like this to build them.

[iustaegis]

[ Her fingers trail over the plating of the machine. Some illumination is granted upon the crystal adorning her hand, revealing the finer nicks of wear into the surface. Who knows how long it's been since they've last been used-- and who knows if it's safe to refurbish them.

Bringing her free hand back to herself, she looks down the row of smelters. ] ...A supply as well. [ Months ago, she had been wondering if there were any mines to help rebuild the walls from the breach, but it seems that all materials were repurposed from older buildings. She doubts this could be the only factory. ] Let's backtrack from the inflow-- maybe we can find it. [ Whether that be a source or another hangar where supplies might have been shipped in, she'll be interested... but they have a long ways to travel, from how large the facility is. ]

[carbungle]

Right. Uh...

[He waits until she picks a direction - because he has no idea where the inflow would be based on the layout of the machinery they're at - and follows her down the proper path, fiddling with his communicator so he can take photos as they go, the light flashing through the area to briefly illuminate their surroundings in fits and bursts. It's something of a map of their progress the further in they go, though he doubts he'll be able to make much sense of it. The machines sort of blur together, especially in the dark.]

We'll have to get in here with way better lighting than this later. Like some kind of big spotlights, maybe? Or if we could get the windows cleared up, let the sun in.

[iustaegis]

[ It'll take a lot of refurbishing, a lot of labor to restore even a section of this mine.

She lowers her voice. Then, hesitantly: ] ...Shall I... create a fire for light?

[carbungle]

[In contrast to her hesitance, his answer comes with none at all.]

That'd help, yeah. Can you direct it to corners the flashlight doesn't reach without burning anything?

[Based on her earlier control with it, he'd guess the answer is yes, but better safe than on fire.]

[iustaegis]

[ She nods quietly.... And with a blink a few small, fiery, and spherical lights appear around her. She sends them off down the open hall of machinery, and for a few moments it’s all she can do but stare as they hover off. Expression now hinting at wistfulness, she steps over some exposed cables to proceed.

It really has been too long...

If she’s using him as a cover, hopefully what she’s doing with this fire is something of which the Crownsguard are capable.

Pyra turns her head to look at him as if seeking approval. ] Is this sufficient?