kaisou | JANUARY EVENT LOG

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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

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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

[Making sure to support his awkward giraffe of a father as he gets his footing again, slowly skating them to a nearby exit]

Mm, I think so! We've been out here quite awhile, so it'd be good to get warmed up.

[ how is he even less coordinated now?? who knows, but he's a bit more wobbly as he grips onto Jun's arm with both his hands for balance. god, ]

...Hey, by the wa-- WAY-- [ oh lord, some pair skates by them quickly and Abel does one of those jerky almost-flails, ] ...What do you think of that Libra app popping up out of the blue? A little... strange, don't you think?

[God. He's so big and so uncoordinated. Jun has to move at a snails pace in order to keep them from falling. It's probably only slightly faster than crawling across the ice on hands and knees.

He'll go along with the subject change. Maybe that'll help Abel get his mind off his nerves. And unlike with other people, Jun won't evade questions. His dad knew his past, after all.]

....Mm, very strange. I feel like it's Zodiac's attempt to keep an eye on us, but why now?

[ well, it seems to be working a bit; he is mildly steadier as they wobble their sad way toward non-icy territory. ]

Mm, and-- it's the scope that's got me scratching my head, you know? There's quite an odd assortment of folks who seem to be inv-- volved, ah--

[ WHOA, another back-and-forth wobble, but. Jun's got him!!!! such a good boy. ]

Ah- Steady now.

[He has to slow further to keep them from falling, but he manages!! Man, this is tough. Time to use the school weight room if Dad's set on learning how to skate...]

Me too. I understand August being on the app, it was only a matter of time before he caught someone's eye - but why An? From what I can tell, she's normal as she can be...

I know-- and I've been wracking my brain trying to find some kind of pattern to it all, you know? [ Abel's giving a little huffed exhale that leaves him in a white puffy cloud in the cold, inelegant wobbling momentarily ceasing as he lets himself coast with Jun's momentum. ]

I was wondering if it might be some kind of casting of a web, so to speak. You know, like... keeping tabs on the contacts of people of interest? But I'm not really sure what the point would be.

If there is one, I haven't figured one out. [Sure there was a lot of people he knew on the app, but there were just as many that he didn't know]

Mm, that's possible. Or there's something that connects us that we're missing. [Also...] Have you talked to any of the people that claim to be from another world?

Mm, it might take more than a few surface level conversations to get any real hints, but... well, there's too many people to speak with them all, and it might be suspicious to go poking around too much, you know?

[ hm. it's a tricky pickle. ]

--So you saw some of that, too? [ Abel's still trying to wrap his head around that one, personally. ] What do you make of that...?

Yeah...if we poke too much, they might start poking us back in turn.

[As much as he wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery, he didn't want to jeopardize the life they've built here. And as Jun understood, keeping things a secret was the only way to do that. ]

...I believe them. Amal really seems like he's out of his element, just like I felt when we first came here. [The feeling of everything being so different and alien, constantly having to catch up. Jun could really relate to that] Not to mention his ears. It'd be really hard to fake those.

[ Jun's definitely got the right of it; perhaps it's selfish, but... Abel prioritizes the safety of his family above all else. he loves this city, he loves their home, he loves the people in it-- but Jun will always come first. he isn't willing to put a magnifying glass over the two of them and risk their quiet, hard-won existence. ]

Do you think it has something to do, with...

[ ...well, there are only so many ways that one can be 'altered' and carry 'inhuman' traits. and it might be a bitmore plausible than truly being plucked from another world, right? even so... they can't rule out anything. ]

[Jun is aware of this about Abel, that the secrecy was for their own safety. His own safety. And so he had learned that behavior in turn.

...He considers, and shakes his head]

I don't think so. Even someone like that would know it's abnormal to find a dozen bears outside of town to fight and collect their as-- [QUICKLY changing the word to avoid swearing in front of dad] rears.

Amal really acts like he's from another planet.

[ JUN?? he is suffocating a laugh which just comes as an indignant.... snort. ah. ]

Bear rears, hm? I see, that is even more suspicious than the ears if you ask me...!

[ god, he wonders if it's true. other worlds...? ]

It can't be a coincidence, right? Outworlders, 'Libra'...

[Jun totally hears that snort! Ah yes, he did good. Catching himself from swearing.]

Yeah. He didn't even seem to understand what a hunting license was.

[So you know, this is a grade-A weirdo alright. Either the dude is completely off his rocker, or he's telling the truth.]

...Mm. They have to be connected. [Finally they are reaching one of the exits. Carefully he'll help Abel step off the ice and towards a bench where they can get these skates off. All the while, he hesitates before finally admitting] ...There's something else too. The night we got the app on our phone, I was talking to August and...I had some kind of vision, I think.

[ wow... well, whatever quip was on his lips at Amal's expense-- not knowing what a license is?? really... where the heck did this weirdo come from, especially collecting BEAR ASS-- abruptly dies at the second part of that.

Abel's halting in the process of unlacing his ice skates, blue eyes abruptly sliding to the young man beside him. Jun... ]

A vision?

[ he keeps his voice low, even if the din of wintertime excitement around them generally keeps their conversation from carrying. ]

What kind of vision? What do you mean...?

[ why is he just hearing about this now?? this is... worrisome, isn't it? ]

[Alas the mystery of the bear asses and where they came from will remain unsolved.

Jun will give a little nod and bite his lip, slowly unlacing his own skates.]

Yeah, at least...I think it was a vision. [He frowns a little] I was in a church listening to some priests talking. Not about anything meaningful, I don't think. Just normal religious talk.

The strange part is it felt familiar? Like a memory. But that can't be possible since I don't recognize the priests or that church. [...] Also I could understand what was being said despite everyone speaking Italian.

[Which yeah, as bright as Jun is, he can't claim to speak a word of Italian beyond pasta names.]

[ ah...

Jun has Abel's full attention as he divulges his tale, and there's the faintest knit at his father's brow as he takes it in. priest talking at church...? ]

And it wasn't-- I mean... I know you know the difference between being awake and dreaming, but--

[ but... man, that sounds surreal. understanding a language neither of them speak to boot? it definitely sounds dreamlike, doesn't it? ]

Maybe it's the influence of something we can't see. People like Amal popping up out of the woodwork... the Libra app, Zodiac's behavior...

[ more than a little troublesome, too, if it's happening on so large a scale. hmm... ]

Then-- will you let me know if anything like that happens again, Jun?

It wasn't a dream.

[He's a little insistent in his tone. He knows what a dream is, there's no way that could be it. Nor was it a telepathic image like he could project. It was too vivid, too emotionally resonate.

Something was going on, even if they couldn't see behind the curtain. ]

...Yeah, I will Dad.

[ if Jun says it isn't a dream with confidence, then... Abel believes him, as simple as that. it doesn't do much to lessen the quiet worry in his eyes as he gently prods at his glasses in a habitual tic, but... suppose maybe this is something due a little consternation. ]

It's alright. We'll do as we've always done and take things as they come, okay...? We'll figure this out.

[ in the end, as long as they're together-- that's the most important thing. ]

[Hearing that from his dad? It was reassuring as always. Even if his dad was a disaster in many ways, when it really counted he knew he could always count on him to be there, to support him. ]

Right, we will. [He lets out a little sigh of relief followed by a smile] Thanks Dad. I'm really glad you're here.

[ yes, Abel "Dadaster" Nightroad, reporting for duty, ]

Hey... you took the words right out of my mouth, mm?

[ lord knows he'd be a mess without this kid, so... it goes both ways.

Abel's passing Jun his shoes as he slips his boots back on himself; phew, good to be on solid ground again-- and perhaps overdue to get nice and warmed up, start thinking about dinner. life goes on, Libra and visions or not, you know? ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

JANUARY EVENT LOG

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