kaisou | JANUARY EVENT LOG

Entry tags:

JANUARY EVENT LOG

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Kaisou + First Gate
WHEN: The Month of January
WHAT: January Event Log
WARNINGS: Psychological danger, death mention, noots

January Event
Dominant Element: Water
Waning Element: Fire

※
After a idyllic holiday season, the full depths of winter has reached Kaisou. Throughout the month, temperatures will remain stubborn in a deep cold. Every few days, snow falls and adds a few more inches to the ever growing snowdrifts.

Winter Carnival: January 9th - 16th

The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean this is a month without celebration! Over in Blue Fish Lake Park, Kaisou's Annual Winter Carnival is in full swing! Scattered across the snowy park, magnificent ice sculptures have been set up as part of the yearly sculpture competition. The crown jewel of the ice sculptures is an extensive ice castle maze, which visitors are welcomed to venture through. Different games and activities will be found throughout the maze, most of them typical carnival stuff like aiming snowballs at a target or answering trivia questions about snow. The prizes for completing these events range from candy to small toys to winter-themed plushies. Fun for the whole family or a date, really!

The winter carnival is more than just ice sculptures of course. A section of the lake has been set up with holes to do ice fishing, while another section is reserved for any ice skating you want to do with a ice skate rental plate included. The skateboard park has been converted into a spot for snowboarding and cross-country skiing. The park restaurant is serving lots of warm foods and drinks to help stave off the cold. Hot chocolate, funnel cake, fried cheese curds, poutine, mulled ciders, and a whole host of other items. And of course, one of the soccer fields has been converted into a full on battlefield for snowball fights. Build a fort and trench and hunker down, it's gonna be a long war.

However the most famous part of the carnival is the medallion hunt. Every year, the Winter Carnival medallion is hidden somewhere in the city. Traditionally, the person who finds the medallion will be rewarded $10,000 (if a group finds it, the prize is split among the group). With a prize like that, it's no wonder so many people try to find it. However as the festival draws to a close halfway through the month, there's still no sign of the medallion. You'd think with this many people looking, it'd turn up by now. Right?

Penguin Resolve

Remember that question about New Years Resolutions on the network a few days ago? Seems like it was more than just an icebreaker question. Throughout the month whenever you're doing an action related to your resolution, you will be sporadically visited by a group of penguins. If you're keeping to your resolution? This group of penguins will cheer you on, clapping their wings and rewarding you with fresh fish. If you're breaking your resolution, the penguins will be quite displeased and begin to throw snowballs at you until you apologize or try to amend your behavior. Didn't make a resolution? Don't think you'll get off easy. The penguins will then act as your lifecoach and try to push you into doing what THEY think you need to do to improve your life. Go run some laps, call your mother more, catch some fish -- it's a new year so it's time for a new you!

When the penguins are satisfied with your progress, they will waddle on to find the next person to check on. Any attempts to harm the penguins will magically fail, and likely result in more snowballs being thrown at you.

Helheim: The Frozen Hell

On January 17th, a new message from Zodiac is sent out.

SHIFTING GATE IDENTIFIED IN KAMI STATE PARK.
Element Classification: Water
Danger Level: B, Environmental and Psychological Hazards
Designation: Helheim
A new shifting gate has been located in Kami State Park. It's been linked to the freezing of at least four civilians. If you plan to investigate, bring winter clothing and means to defend yourself. You will be compensated if you bring the plant Hel's Bramble to the Zodiac office in Undertown. Supplies necessary for gathering will be loaned upon request.

Going to the Zodiac Office will yield only an little additional information from the customer service representative. A potentially dangerous gate to the Spirit Realm has been identified in Kami State Park. It's been linked with the freezing of at least four civilians who stumbled across it. Zodiac won't force anyone to go, but if you decide to investigate it yourself to see if you can figure out what's going on or gather resources for them? They'd be happy to compensate you with a generous sum of money. A bag's worth of Hel's bramble, a type of plant found in this particular realm, will yield about a week's worth of pay at a full time job - with an even higher bonus if you deal with the source of the gate's appearance. For those of you who need supplies for a dangerous mission, Zodiac is willing to loan some out to you, with an understanding that they should be returned once the mission is complete. Weapons made of silver and/or spirit tree wood, infused with elemental energy. There's a variety to choose from, so characters can pick whatever type of weapon they'd be most comfortable with.

Once one is geared up and ready to go (or you skip visiting Zodiac altogether), it's off to the park. When you arrive, the Libra app will act as a navigator, leading the way. Deep in the forest and near a pond, a large stone gate stands erect. This gate was never here before this week, anyone whose been to this park before can verify that. A deep cold emanates from the glowing portal that stands open within the gate. Around the portal, you can find the four civilians the text messaged mentioned; all thoroughly encased in ice. Studying them it'll look like it was a group of male hikers somewhere in their twenties, all who look like they were in personal anguish as they froze.

Once inside the gate, you'll find yourself in a completely different landscape. A frozen and desolate landscape, with a cold so sharp it cuts through the bone. It's a dreary land, with no sign of sunlight and a persistent veil of fog. Scattered across the landscape are more frozen figures, but these ones appear much older with clothes and braided hairstyles that indicate the Viking era. All of them appear to have spent their final moments in torment and agony. In the distance, characters can make out an impossibly large tree, one so large that it'd dwarf the skyscrapers of Kaisou. You cannot see the top of the tree, as it's grown so high that it vanishes in the foggy clouds above. Built into the tree is an entire city's worth of buildings, all of which stand empty and falling into ruin. Habitant wise, there's almost nothing but flocks of ravens that fly around the scenery. You get the sense they are watching you, as if it was their duty. And if you weren't feeling watched enough, on one of the tree's large branches sits a bird-like creature the size of a ten-story building. It watches over this land, monitoring for any disturbances. Harming the ravens will draw its attention further, and continuing to do so will eventually cause the large bird to spread its wings and swoop in for an attack. Be warned, trying to fight it would be nothing short of suicide.

Thickets of Hel's Bramble can be found scattered around this desolate landscape, overgrown and wild with no one around to tend it. It's a tough plant, only harvestable by using elemental powers or an enchanted blade (better hope you stopped by Zodiac). Touching it without any gloves will result in pain from the sharp thorns, and prolong contact could cause painful rashes and potential poisoning. Eating it is definitely not recommended. The thickets become more plentiful the deeper you go into the realm, so if you want to get that bag full as Zodiac requested, you'll won't be able to loiter around the entrance. Best that you be dressed for the cold, as the persistent cold and icy winds could prove deadly if you went in unprepared.

However the characters will soon discover it's not the cold or the Hel's Brambles that are the real threat of this realm. On occasion, the fog will condense and play out echoes of one's past regrets and sins, from this life and the one before. Anywhere from a great atrocity to an embarrassing moment you hate to think about. They are visible to anyone around and have sound, the words holding a distant echo to them. Even memories that you have yet to recall are fair game to the fog, adding an extra level of confusion and distress to the situation. These echoes don't last long, but they appear frequently enough that they can torment a soul if one lets them. But the more someone gets lost in the echoes, the deeper the realm's chill will become. An unfortunate soul who gets too lost in them will have ice start to form on their body, as the realm attempts to entrap them here forever.

The Valkyrie

If one makes it halfway to the tree, they'll hear a woman's voice, calling out in a haunting melody that's being carried on the wind. Following it will lead them to the city built into a tree. Most of the buildings have been abandoned and are in total ruin, much like most of this realm, save for a single light that's flickering from the city's arena. Inside the arena is a winged woman with full battle Viking battle garb: a Valkyrie. You best prepare for a fight before you get too close to her, as that's exactly what you'll get. She does not speak, but draws her scythe and lunges in for an attack. With superhuman speed and strength, she's a formidable foe. She unleashes brutal ice attacks and even her feathers can cut flesh. It'll take skill, determination, and teamwork to bring her down.

Nothing short of a fatal blow will stop her onslaught. Should one managed, she'll choke out a single word of gratitude, before disappearing into light. On the ground where she fell is the medallion from the Winter Carnival. After her defeat, the conditions of the realm will become less severe, making it easier to gather any Hel's Bramble you wish to collect.

Aftermath

With the Valkyrie defeated, the gate to the Spirit Realm will close by January 31st. The four civilians will be thawed out, still alive but with no memory of what happened to them. Interestingly, anyone who pays attention to police reports might notice a missing persons report of a woman in her early twenties who went missing around the same time as the gate's appearance. There's been no leads on her case.

Zodiac will pay for up to four bags of Hel's Bramble, for those who want to spend that much time harvesting. Failure to return their loaned out weapons will result in being sent a bill of $2000 and a mild curse so anyone who uses your name will call you "THIEF" instead. The curse will last until either pay your bill or set up a payment plan with their office. Returning the weapon after this point will get the bill reduced down to $500 (a late fee, they explain). As for the medallion, you're welcome to turn it in-- but since you found it well after the carnival ended- that grand prize has been reduced down to $100 and a free meal voucher to the Cheesecake Factory to anyone who helped find the medallion (aka fought the Valkyrie). Great!

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is water! Anyone with an affinity to the water element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for fire will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

Any fights or interactions with NPCs will be handled by the players! Feel free to thread out things however you'd like! If you have any questions, please ask them on the plot questions thread below!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The ice maze looks like fun. Roxas does not trust his sense of direction, though, so he stands near the entrance. Looking wary as more couples and families go in. Was this supposed to be a group activity? Ugh... as usual, he came to an event alone, and now would miss out on something interesting.

Since he has an angry thinking face at the moment, there's not really any strangers who want to come close enough to invite him into their group.]

I could do this alone... follow a group around...

[No, Roxas. That would be creepy.]

[It's a chilly day so Sora has a scarf wrapped around his neck and mouth. He's leaning against an old building's wall as he clicks through his phone. Laughing softly at something posted to his feed. Then he looks up at the ice castle maze and thinks it would be great to do this with a friend but the one he was supposed to meet up with today was feeling sick. Not one to just head home because of that!]

Hey!

[Sora notices someone who hasn't been partnered up yet and he comes over with a friendly wave and warm smile. Time to make new friends!]

Looks like you're going solo too? Wanna team up? It should be easier that way!

[Being in his own head, it takes Roxas a moment to realize someone was talking to him. The voice was what pinged him to pay attention right away and-.... He blinks a few times before he looks around.

Ah... he was the one being talked to. Sora will get another owlish blink before there's a reply.]

Me? Are... you sure?

[Wow. A soft, squeaky voice. That's embarrassing...]

[Oh, whoops. Did he interrupt something? Sora keeps smiling and looks a little apologetic!]

Yeah! I'm sure! Unless you're waiting for someone else?

I'm not! I'm just...

[Feeling a little star-struck. Roxas drops his voice as he leans a little closer.]

You're Sora. So I'm a little confused why you'd ask me to go in there with you.

[Oh. Wow, that's kind of cute. What if Sora just leans in back? Yep!]

Oh, you know my name! Does that mean you've seen some of my streams or something?

[He beams.]

Then I definitely wanna go in the maze with you!

[Would it be rude to pull away? Yes. So Roxas does his best not to despite suddenly being that much closer to a cute guy.]

Yeah. A few.

[He's rarely missed a single one... This is kind of like a dream come true? Or at least meeting Sora, not the whole being pulled into entering an ice maze with him.]

O-Okay? I think we should be able to get in fast. The line's died down some.

[Sora has always been a really friendly person so when he meets people from his streams he's the same person. Friendly and outgoing and ready to meet new faces. What's wrong with that! Nothing! Hopefully, that doesn't get him in trouble someday!

Since they're so sneaky and leaned in right now he'll jostle his shoulder against the other and then leans back with a grin.]

Ahah, sure. Come on, let's go get in line before it gets any longer.

Edited 2022-01-12 15:30 (UTC)

[Just as nice as on streams... Roxas, for one, is not going to read into anything Sora does. He's just excited to at this moment exist in the same space as one of his favorite streamers. Even if the shoulder jostle makes his face turn red.

Tugging the hood of his coat closer to his face for a few seconds, he nods and starts walking to the back of the line. Groups were being let in with a few minutes between each group to ensure there's not too many people in at once.]

Uhm... if you need me to hold your phone for streaming or anything, I can do that.

[Once they're in line Sora will still be all smiles and excitement for the maze. And at the question, Sora can't help but smile and tilt his head.]

I'm actually not streaming today! I might take a few pictures, though.

[He winks.]

You should tell me your name before I give you my phone, though.

[At least the cold is a good excuse as to why Roxas' cheeks are red already. Though the blush from that wink might be making it worse.]

Uh... like the name I use when watching you stream, or actual name? I haven't shared that one with anyone on stream.

[Mostly in case there's classmates watching, too.]

[Sora laughs softly.]

Your actual name! I'm not asking you to call me starfruitsora, am I?

[This guy is pretty cluelessly cute.]

Oh. [WOW HE'S SO DUMB please end him now...] It's Roxas.

[..................... but what would Sora know him as...?]

Though my twitch un is "fastaslight".

[This feels like airing out dirty laundry somehow.]

[...! Oh! He recognizes that username! A user that chats a good amount! Sora smiles brightly.]

Wow! It's nice to meet you, Roxas!

[Then he'll hand his phone over.]

If you want you could put your phone number in there.

[;D]

[That smile in person is almost blinding. Or Roxas is just way too enamored and starstruck.

Till he's asked to put his number in Sora's phone. That causes a bluescreen moment.]

...... you want my number?

You said you wanted to hold my phone for me, right? You might as well put it in there!

[Yes, he wants that number! One, because Roxas seems pretty nice so far so why not talk to him? And two, he's really cute when he's kind of freaking out?

Maybe he should let up...]

Oh. That's true.

[Roxas smiles shyly as he adds his name and number. Setting his Twitch un as a note in case Sora might forget. He hopes Sora doesn't forget. Though being called out on a stream might be embarrassing.

... and then he remembers some of the flirty comments he's made to Sora and really, really hopes Sora does not remember those.]

T-There. I think we get to go in next.

[Sometimes his chat scrolls so fast that he doesn't catch everything. So he might have missed it! But from now on he might just notice a certain chat name more often than before!]

Thanks!

[When he takes the phone back he's positively beaming.]

Let's get in there, huh?

[He'll lead the way into the entrance of the maze once it's their turn to enter. It's a little spooky. But Sora's into it.]

[Since there's no mention, Roxas feels safe. For now.]

Y-Yeah.

[He follows and is more in awe and curious about how they made the ice so opaque. From a visual standpoint it's stunning and he wonders if he can replicate it in the art he does.]

Do you think they'll have props or anything in here? Or hints on where to go?

Maybe! From what I know of these mazes they've set up in the past you're kind of on your own, though.

[Not that Sora minds he kinds of likes the challenge. What he doesn't like is how chilly it is since he's not much of a winter person. But he'll get through it.]

Is this your first time at the winter carnival? I used to come here a lot as a kid.

Huh. So a challenge.

[If Sora asks, Roxas would let him borrow his scarf. Or might just offer if Sora is openly shivering.]

I moved here for school last year. Was too busy with freshman year classes to get a chance to go... so yeah. It's a first.

Yeah! We've gotta make your first time in here a good one then! If we work together it should be a piece of cake, right?

[Sora grins again with a signature little wink. Together is better!]

[Thanks. Just pierce him in the heart directly. That wink was even more dangerous in person.]

........... I can try helping, but I'm super bad at mazes in video games.

Hey, they can be pretty tough! I don't blame you!

[Sora puts a hand to his brow to seek out the path in front of them. There are about three different ways they can go so this is going to be tricky.]

All you gotta do is try. So which way should we go first?

[....... cute....]

Uh.... from the footprints on the ground, most people have gone straight.

[Should they try that way or another?]

Winter Shenanigans - Closed to Sora

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