kaisou | July Event Log

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July Event Log

July Event
Dominant Element: Water
Waning Element: Fire

Full Moon: July 2nd - July 4th

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July comes to Kaisou and brings with two things: heat and rain, leaving the city a humid mess. Time to get dehumidifiers and make sure your AC works, because otherwise, you might just end up melting. The summer storms seem heavier and more frequent this year, with one occurring every couple days and lasting for several hours. All this rain is enough to flood basements and low areas. Wonderful.

Beat the Heat With the Power of Anime

Despite the miserable weather, it's still summertime in the city, so that means the city is alive with activity. With Kaisou being in America, you can fully expect the fourth of July celebrations to be in full swing during the first week of the month. Attend a barbeque or watch the firework show at the beach, which thankfully isn't rained out.

However if you want to go a little more nerd in your summertime celebrations - KaiCon, Kaisou's local anime con, is back in town! Normally, this would have been held in June, but thanks to the tornado last month, it got postponed. Held the week of July 16th, the convention brings in a ton of tourists both in and out of cosplay. There's lot of to do at the convention, from shopping for merchandise, trying Japanese foods, attending panels, entering cosplay competitions, and sitting in a ballpit. For once, those app users with odd changes or body parts won't stand out so badly!

Finally, if you're looking for a more educational way to pass the time, the Kaisou history museum is holding a special exhibit about artifacts from the ancient world. Throughout the exhibit are a collection of artifacts from the Ancient Greek era that are in remarkable condition. In fact, those with archeological training might find it a bit too remarkable, finding pieces in such a pristine condition. Those with a keen magical sense will detect energy signatures indicative of the Spirit Realm. There's even a few objects that hold curses from the Greek pantheon that could be triggered in the wrong hands.

Crystal Rain

It's never fun to be caught in a summer microburst. Even under normal circumstances, they will drench you within a minute and you can kiss any electronic device that hasn't been waterproofed goodbye. And unfortunately, thanks to the damage done to the Spirit Vein, these summertime annoyances have only gotten worse. While regular rain will still act normally, should you get caught in a microburst, you will find your limbs begin to stiffen as crystals begin to form on your skin. The longer you stay out in the crystal-inducing rain, the worse the effect will get and the harder you will find it to move around. Be careful not to let it get so bad that you're stuck as a crystal statue for a while.

Fortunately, the effects seem to be temporary. Once you get to a dry place and dry yourself off properly, the crystals will fall off and your limbs will return to their normal mobility range. While the plant life (which is still growing out of control) doesn't seem to be affected by the rain, animals caught in the microbursts do seem to be. It wouldn't be a bad idea to help out your fellow creature and help dry the crystals off their furs or feathers. As for the normal people, they don't seem to notice the actual crystalizing effect and will just blame any mobility issues on their muscles and bones not handling this rainy season well. Sure Jan.

Mysterious Fathoms Below

Blue Fish Lake has always been a decent sized lake. It's large enough to be a good place to take a take a boat onto it and spend the day fishing the healthy lake fish population. That said, it's not that big. You could always see the other side from the shore, and it's depth couldn't be more than thirty or so feet. A good sized lake, sure, but hardly one that's going to be in any record books anytime soon.

On the night of July 6th, there is an extremely heavy rain storm - one that stands out from the other storms throughout the month. Torrential rains and strong wind blast the city. Make sure not to drive through any standing water, as you might end up with your car getting submerged in water.The next morning, after the storm has cleared and people can begin to (relatively) dry off, there will be reports that not only has Blue Fish Lake flooded, but it's gotten much deeper from the rain. Thousands of feet deeper.

While the normal people in the city don't question why Blue Fish Lake is now as deep as the ocean, it's pretty easy for app users to conclude that there's no way a summer rain storm could cause Blue Fish Lake to get that much deeper. And Zodiac seems to agree, as on July 7th they send out a message over the Libra app.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM GATE DETECTED IN BLUE FISH LAKE.
Element Classification: Water
Danger Level: High
Designation: Atlantis
Zodiac has detected a Spirit Gate within Blue Fish Lake. Early reports indicate that this may be the lost city of Atlantis and might be worth investigating. Please go to the Zodiac offices for more information.

Should you head to the Zodiac office, there's a sense of excitement in the air. After all, the lost city of Atlantis isn't something you happen upon every day. The (fuzzy) Professor is there, and he's more than happy to tell you what he knows about Atlantis: It was a country that the philosopher Plato wrote of, one that fell into the ocean thanks to its hubris. Since then, there's been loads of people throughout history who have attempted to locate where the lost city was at, though usually with no success. A Zodiac intern will chime in to add that even many paranormal-based researches suspected it to be nothing more than a fanciful story, what with how long it had been since it'd been supposedly sighted. So the chance to confirm that Atlantis really does exist? It truly is a once in a life time opportunity.

That said, there is the issue of how to get to that realm, with it being so deeply underwater. In order to pull it off, Zodiac has decided to pull some strings and use what resources they can afford. They've been able to get in contact with the Bermuda Brotherhood - a paranormal group that specializes in researching and safeguarding the Bermuda Triangle - and convinced them to loan Zodiac a submarine and crew. Black Order and POKEGO members may have heard of the Bermuda Brotherhood before. They have a reputation for being an ornery group that is extremely territorial about the Bermuda Triangle and, convinced it's the crown jewel of supernatural hotspots. Not bad people by any stretch, but could probably stand to go to shore and touch some grass. Still, eccentricities aside, there's no doubt they're experts on deep sea diving and you'll be in good hands.

Once you're done preparing, it's time to head off. Sitting in Blue Fish Lake is an old-timey-looking submarine. It wouldn't be far out of place in a Jules Verne novel. Ancient as it looks, this is everyone's ticket through the spirit gate, which is submerged under the lake. The geese are, naturally, furious about this, and can be seen swimming around it and occasionally pecking ineffectively at both it and the crew sent by Zodiac to man the damn thing. The sub is big enough to hold a decent number of people, and once everyone's aboard (after dodging any of the angry geese nearby) the sub descends under the waters of the lake.

The sub goes deeper and deeper, much deeper than any lake should be able to go. Seaweed starts to appear, jutting out through rocky outcrops as schools of fish hurry out of the submarine's wake. It's clear you are definitely no longer in a lake, but under the ocean depths. Deeper and deeper you go, as light fades from dappled rays to almost nothing. Eventually, the only lights around are those from the submarine itself, lighting the way down.

At some point in the journey a deep, guttural, pulsating call can be heard in the darkness. For a moment, you could be forgiven for thinking a whale is making the noise, but as it gets closer and closer, it's clear that this is something completely different. The lights of the sub sometimes catch a shadow on a rocky crag, before it vanishes once again. Eventually, though, whatever is stalking you makes an attack on the sub. The craft is suddenly and violently jarred to one side as something very large slams against it. If characters aren't holding onto something, they're going to hit the deck HARD. The crew starts panicking, rushing about trying to assess the damage as the sub is slammed into again, and at this point, the submarine is definitely taking on water. In a desperate attempt to save everyone, the captain orders the submarine through a tunnel in the rocks the lights have just glanced off. Thankfully, this works, and as the submarine moves into the tunnel, a current picks up the downed craft and pushes it through to the other side, where it breaks the surface of the water into a cavern. The submarine is seriously damaged, and the captain states it will take time to fix it. However, the cave does seem to have a way out, and it might well be worth exploring that while no one can go anywhere else.

The Lost City of Atlantis

Following the exit to the cave, you will find yourself entering a beautiful city. Ancient temples rise to the sky, with huge columns of stone decorating the entrances. It looks almost ancient Greek in origin, but not quite. Stranger still is that even though this looks like a city from ancient times, the people seem to enjoy many modern conveniences, magically powered by the crystals worn around their necks. The city runs in a circle, living and thriving. There are people here, who will happily welcome you to Atlantis- the first explorers that they have seen in...well, forever! If you squint and look to the very borders of the city, you can see stone monoliths holding up some invisible barrier. The ocean shifts behind it; fish and seaweed abound in an undersea world full of life. The people are excited to show you their city, though they come across as a very pious lot. If you comment on the city's beauty or vibrance, they downplay it, almost fearfully. If that strange behavior is brought up to them, they quietly point out that their pride and avarice is what angered the Gods enough to sink their city. They do not intend to incur the wrath of the Gods again.

Luckily, there is plenty for you to do in the city. You can eat almost wholly seafood-based meals from people only too happy to open their meals or food stalls to those explorers looking for a bite to eat. If you really want, you can go and get yourself a tattoo with glow-in-the-dark ink. If you request a tat of anything that existed after 1000 B.C, though, you will likely get very confused looks. Better stick to fish or Atlantean symbols. You can also get involved in crafting- though as might be expected, a lot of the crafts involve making fish spears or nets. Speaking of, natives will be glad to take you out on boats to the tranquil waters that surround the city, where there's plentiful fish and sea life to catch- you might even be able to catch your own meal! The natives will be very nervous about getting TOO close to the barrier, though, muttering that things have been unsettled with that as of late.

For the more academically minded, you can investigate the crystals all the Atlanteans wear around their necks. They are more than happy to hand one over to you to check out, explaining that the crystals were a gift from the Gods and were what allowed them to be such a thriving utopia in "the old days". For those with either an ability to sense or otherwise investigate the crystals, you will find them to be a perfect blend of magic and an unknown, almost alien technology. You will find that the crystals power everything - from lights, to starting fires, to boat engines, to even acting as a magic translator (just in case you were wondering how they speak English). You can also use them to power stone, fish-shaped vehicles, which you can ride somewhat like a motorcycle. These fly into the air, giving you a chance to view the city from above.

Unfortunately those hoping to find reading material will be out of luck. While the most important events are recorded through murals and stone tablets, scholars will explain that the humidity from being under the ocean makes preserving paper basically impossible. As such, most of their stories are pass down through the oral tradition, with storytellers and theater performers being treated with reverence. You'll be welcome to attend any storytellers performance if you wish to hear about tales of Atlantean history. If you're more interested in the arts, Atlantean theater offers a wide variety of plays- so long as you don't mind all of them being morality plays about the virtues of being pious.

Meanwhile, members of the Black Order who are keeping a watchful eye will notice that somehow they acquired an extra person that wasn't on the submarine. As it turns out, a curator from Kaisou Museum has been using one of the magic stripper poles from the Goodwill to go into different Spirit Realms and grab up relics to put into the museum. The Ancient Greek relics in his exhibit now? Were lifted from the tear Ash was dragged through last month. The curator seems to have no regard for the actual safety or origin of the items, rather just grabbing whatever he thinks would attract visitors. The Black Order will need to figure out how to deal with this man, and return any unsafe items back to the Spirit Realm where they belong.

The Price of Hubris

Once you have enjoyed the city and gotten to know the people well enough, they will lead you to the tribal council, leaders of the city who watch over all that occurs within. They explain that there have been breaks happening in the barrier which blocks Atlantis from the ocean- that leaks have been appearing, and they are worried if this continues, the city will once again sink, and this time the Gods will not protect them.

Finally, with the blessing of the elders, some of the native Atlanteans will take you to the borders of the city. You can see for yourself small cracks in the barrier, water leaking through them. Some have been hastily patched with pitch or mortar, but it's clear this will not hold forever. The people are frightened - they've been so careful, so pious. They've been sure to never let their pride overtake them again, and yet it feels like the Gods are threatening to finish the job. They will allow you to explore, explaining there are some ancient parts of the city they will not go near as they are blessed ground to Atlanteans, but perhaps outsiders would be able to go there.

The "blessed ground" ends up being an ancient cave, untouched for millennia. Ancient texts are stored here, as are cave paintings, made with the same glow-in-the-dark ink that is used for tattoos these days. While you look through the cave, it's clear that things were put here to be hidden away; to avoid, like a dirty secret. Eventually, once you put enough clues together, you learn that "the Gods" did not sink Atlantis, nor did they give the Atlanteans the crystals that they're so proud of. The Crystals were plundered from the Spirit Realm by the Atlanteans themselves. Taken and crafted for their own use, to power their cities and give them an upper hand against the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the Spirit Realm is temperamental and prone to taking back what belongs to it. When it reached out to reclaim the crystals, it took the whole city with it, pulling it into the realm the crystals originated from. It was the ancient Atlanteans' own magictech that saved them, the barriers they'd built against potential invaders sealing them safely from the oceanic Spirit Gate that swallowed them whole.

Battle with Leviathan

As you exit the cave with all this newfound knowledge, the barrier is SHAKEN by another shockwave. This time, however, you're close enough to see what's caused it. This is no act of the Gods either. A huge sea serpent is slamming against the barrier, full of snarling, frothing rage. Get close to the city and the Atlanteans will offer a terrified explanation- that is the Leviathan, a sea monster which has haunted their city since it "sank". You realize quickly this is what attacked your sub when you were coming to the city in the first place. The Atlanteans say it was only a threat to anyone trying to leave the city previously, making it impossible to explore outside their literal bubble. It's never attacked them directly like this before, and they don't understand the change in behavior.

Regardless of what can be causing the increased aggression, this needs to be dealt with, or Atlantis really will be sunk beneath the waves. The Atlanteans luckily do have a means to breathe underwater- thanks to the crystals, they have invented a breathing mask to allow you to breathe underwater for about an hour at a time. They could never use it to truly escape the city thanks to the Leviathan's presence, and they were too fearful of it to actually attempt to fight it. But now you're all here, and maybe things can be different! Maybe you can be rid of the creature for good!

If you head to the cave where you originally entered, you will find the captain still working on the sub. He explains it's not ready yet- but you have other fish to fry. Literally. Using the flying fish vehicles, you drive into the water and use the apparatus to follow the tunnel out into the open ocean again, where the Leviathan is waiting for you. You will have to be able to swim and fight at the same time, and if you're a fire user ... well, good luck. The creature puts up one hell of a fight - it's fast and it's HUGE. Easily fifty feet in length. It can churn the water around it, sending out blasts of the stuff like aquatic projectiles. It will not be an easy battle at all. During the fight, you might notice it stop to swallow a discarded crystal- it seems this is what the creature feeds on, which would also explain the attacks on the city itself. Either way, it will give no ground, and you will have to work together to dispatch it for good.

Aftermath

Once the waters have settled and the Leviathan has been defeated, the barriers will slowly begin to show signs of repair. The Atlantean elders are surprised by the revelations of what actually caused their downfall, and they will request discretion as they sort out how to go about telling their people (after all, news on this scale could completely undo their way of life). Should you ignore their request and tell the population on your own, you can expect Atlantis to experience several instances of unrest throughout the month.

Either way, the people of Atlantis will be thankful for your help. The elders will grant you permission to keep your own power crystals, should you wish. Which leaves characters with a choice. A magic energy source like this could easily give you the power you need to build your own version of the Libra app, and even break free from relying on Zodiac or any other faction. However, if not handled carefully... these could drag all of Kaisou into the Spirit Realm, just like Atlantis.

It's not an easy decision to make, so characters should probably talk it over with one another before deciding.

No matter what you decide, the submarine will be repaired and ready to go within a few days. Once everyone returns to the surface, with the waters now safer, the city of Atlantis will be available to visit for the rest of the month before it disappears back into the dark oceans of the Spirit Realm.

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.

NOTE REGARDING THE POWER SOURCE: Whether characters decide to take the Atlanteans offer on the power source will have lasting consequences in the game, as such this will be put up to a vote among players that'll be open until July 12th. The vote can be found over here.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up July 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I was hoping to make that sound a little better, but...yeah, that's about the idea of it." Tapping one hand idly on his cane, he adjusted his sunglasses with the other.

"Don't know about you, but I'm a little too used to making shit up as I go along."

"Well, all of the singularities and lostbelts were different from each other, so we never really knew what would happen until we got there, anyway."

And even then there'd often be further twists and surprises.

"So figuring out what was going on and why is pretty important, but sometimes things just happen that you have to deal with."

"...Sounds about right. If not the disaster you plan for, then a half-dozen smaller ones tripping you up on the way there."

This is an adult mage who definitely actually plans for all possible situations.

If he thinks he gets into some crazy stuff, he should ask for a detailed account of Chaldea's... adventures, sometime.

"Like rain that's turning things into crystals?"

"Precisely so, yes."

In his defense, he's seen some shit.

"Though... How'd you end up getting turned into some kinda bird, anyway?"

Look she was trying so hard to use some self-control and not ask, but... She's kind of really curious now.

"I was talking to someone about their horribly inconvenient animal-based curse, and clearly forgot Rule #1: Do Not Talk Shit About The Fae. Within a week I started turning into a bird when I was stressed enough."

And...well, you've met him.

"Cosmic irony of sorts, I guess."

Professor Permanent Scowl? Yeah, Ritsuka's familiar with that.

"Do you think there's a way to undo it?"

"...Probably? To tell you the truth, I don't mind it all that much. Phoenix feathers sell for more than you'd think to the right people, and flying around keeps me from fucking up my leg worse than it already is."

Monkey's paw and all that.

"So I'm not in all that much of a hurry to be rid of it just yet."

"Oh, yeah, the feathers would be pretty valuable..."

Let's not get into mat grinding. Let's just not.

"I guess it makes sense as long as you can turn back when you want then it's not that bad."

He doesn't know what 3-turn farming is and let's hope he never finds out.

"It can be a little difficult at times, but controlling it just means controlling my emotional responses."

And...again, you've met him.

Nobody needs to know the hell of attempting to loop while the devs are dead set on preventing you from doing it.

"Well, if you ever need help or anything, just say so."

Because of course she'd offer to help out. No matter how much she might already be dealing with.

"Somehow I doubt there's a lot you can do to mitigate a curse dropped on my head by faeries, but I appreciate it."

She's got the spirit.

"A little challenge keeps things interesting. And a light curse isn't going to kill or severely inconvenience anyone around me, so I can handle it."

"Maybe not, but if you get stuck like that at a bad time you might need a hand, right?"

Look, Ritsuka actually has a pretty realistic awareness of her abilities. It might also be horribly self-critical at times, but at least she knows what she can and can't do.

"...You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

He sighed, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head.

"Look, I get that you must have been working unimaginably hard where you came from. And I respect that, honestly. But I don't want you to feel like you have to handle every single problem that crops up, at least not on your own. I'm a little tougher than I look, and I don't want a kid my sister's age feeling like watching my back is her responsibility, you know?"

"Huh? But..."

She'd really mostly meant it as just a friendly offer, as one does. She's not even put out about said offer being declined, either. No, what really gets to her is being called a kid. Sure, it might be true, especially if she's not thinking too hard about how much time's passed since she came to Chaldea (which she'd still rather not think about) but having it pointed out is a reminder of how much she's the one constantly in need of being protected.

It's an old, familiar familiar feeling though, so Ritsuka doesn't show it.

"Well, if you're sure, I guess."

"Trust me, I'm sure. I've survived worse than this city--not by much, mind you, but I can look after myself."

Even knowing he had problems remembering to rely on others instead of trying (and failing) to handle everything himself, it was going to be a cold day in hell when he let someone as young as Ritsuka put herself on the line for him--whether bird or human, he could manage well enough.

"In fact, I should be the one saying that. If there's ever a time you need help, just...let me know, and I'll help."

"Right."

She's not going to try to argue the point. She's used to being told what to do at times, and even if this is a somewhat different Waver from the one she knows, he's still close enough for her to see him as a sort of authority figure. Definitely someone whose knowledge and expertise can be trusted, at least.

"And I think with Nagiko and everyone around I'll be fine, even if something happens." And yes Gil is included in that general 'everyone', it's just that's a little complicated right now. "So you shouldn't have to worry, either. But if something does come up I'll let you know."

Ritsuka's not just saying that to pacify him, either, unlike some people she actually means it. She's all too aware of her own weakness; usually the only thing stopping her from calling for backup is simply being in situations where there is no backup to call upon.

"Who said I was worried? Of course I'm not worried. I don't doubt you're capable, that just also doesn't mean that I think you should worry about everyone else before yourself."

Said the man assembling a trebuchet in a glass house. Waver glanced out of the corner of his eye to Ritsuka briefly before looking away under the pretense of watching the rain.

"I was curious about something, a while ago--I knew Chaldea had some staggering number of Servants, so I asked Nagiko if she knew of one in particular."

God forbid he make eye contact when he knew damn well he was about to say something mortifyingly sincere.

"...She said he was doing well. That's all I really needed to hear to decide that you were a decent person."

"....."

Even if it weren't so unexpected, that's the kind of thing that there's really no good response to, so Ritsuka just doesn't say anything at first. Especially since she of all people knows how close the bonds between a Master and Servant can be.

So instead she just watches the downpour in silence for a moment or two, before finally speaking up again.

"I know I just got here, and you said this isn't a singularity or anything, but I really do want to try to find a way to fix things here, if I can. I don't like not doing anything if there's people in front of me I can help."

"...I could say the same. It would be easy to just focus on finding a reliable way back home, but it wouldn't sit right if I did. There's not a whole hell of a lot I can do, but working together with everyone else here we've managed to get by."

"Maybe fixing things is the best way to get back."

If it's damage to the Spirit Realm that's pulling people from other worlds here, well, it's not unreasonably to think that repairing it might create a means to send everyone back.

"That is admittedly my current theory. If we can repair the worst of the damage, it stands to reason that stabilizing whatever causes our arrivals may also be feasible."

The 'how' of it was a little out of reach, but the logic seemed to hold at least.

"Hmm..."

Ritsuka considered that a little, then glanced over at Waver.

"Have you ever had a chance to examine the damage? Try to figure out what's going on?"

She vaguely recalled having the impression that he was, well, reasonably good at that sort of thing. Analyzing stuff. Presumably part of the reason why Zhuge Liang found him to be a compatible vessel.

"Not directly, at least not yet. Most of what I've been doing so far is helping resolve the results of Spirit Realm gates rather than observe the cause of their opening in the first place."

It was a little hard not to when those results were 'the apocalypse' a nonzero amount of time.

"Even if I did, I'm sure as hell not Zelretch. I don't know if I would be able to discern a whole lot from seeing exactly how and where effectively 'the walls in reality itself' are damaged."

In other words: he's good, but not that good.

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