May Event Log

[kaisoumods]

May Event Log
Dominant Element: Shadow
Waning Element: Light

Full Moon: May 22nd - May 24th

※

As Kaisou steps into the final month of spring, they'll be treated with a month full of pleasant weather. Flowers are blooming everywhere and the trees are covered fully in leaves. During the day, the weather is mild and pleasant. But with the Spirit Vein shifting into the shadow element, the nights will seem much darker than normal. In the sky, the Spirit vein will be glowing dimly with hues of black and purple. Those without night vision will need to remember to bring some type of light source should they go out at night. However, it might also be an excellent month to go star gazing, as the dimness of the spirit vein allows you to see things you normally wouldn't.

Town Event

♪- Joy

The city is a hive of activity as the warmer weather finally brings people out to enjoy what's on offer. Blue Fish Park has an outdoor movie event on the weekends- bring a deckchair or a picnic blanket and snuggle under the stars to watch some on the screen. Vendors can be found selling snacks and glow sticks for the occasion. Undertown is far less flashy, but it does have some fortune-telling booths dotted around- palm reading, tarot, runes- whatever floats your boat, there is someone promising that they can read your fortune. Some might even be accurate!!

Big Bang Burger has a much-advertised burger-eating contest. The whole restaurant is festooned with banners and excited onlookers. Those who want to take part need to eat as many burgers as they can in the space of half an hour- you will be sat at a table and brought burger after burger until you win or can't eat any more. Competition is stiff and there are some city residents who have clearly been prepping for this for a long time and are taking this far too seriously. The winner gets a year's supply of burgers which... honestly is probably the last thing you want after eating almost your body weight in the things.

For those in high school, prom is a big event, as is college graduation. It's time for those youngsters to celebrate these huge life milestones! Adults can (and probably should) be roped in for chaperoning to prevent any underage shenanigans. Or you can just stand in a corner, upset about your misspent youth. Whichever floats your boat. An art fair can be found in Brick Alley - there are stands of all sorts of art and craft skills- with local creators selling their wares. A few even have the opportunity to try the skill out for yourself- be that painting a still life, trying your hand at a pottery wheel or spending some time in a knitting circle. Maybe you'll get a perfect, unique gift for someone or maybe you'll pick up anew skill- the sky's the limit!

Light in the Darkness

♪- When the Moon is Reaching Out Stars

A few days after the Dark Hour begins, you will come across adverts from the local scam artist Kitsune in Blue Fish Park. Somehow, they've heard rumors of shadow beings that attack during the night. They promise a means to protect yourself against the current threat and for the low, low price of your most traumatic childhood memory. If you still haven't learned your lesson, you can go and check this out. Should you be willing to share some trauma with them, the Kitsune will happily present you with a floating, glowing orb which follows you wherever you walk.

While these lights do help with the darker nights thanks to the Spirit Vein, they do absolutely nothing against the shadow monsters around town. Worse still, they emit an obnoxious florescent light hum the WHOLE time which only attracts more of the monsters. You will find these orbs abandoned all around the city- either abandoned by disgruntled customers or left behind by someone who fell foul to the monsters. Either way, wherever they are left does create something of a hotbed for the monsters - best to try and clear them out from more populated areas before you end up with certain areas overrun.

The Dark Hour

♪- Fearful Experience

At the start of the month, everything feels completely normal. In fact those who sleep through the entire night will swear that they feel more rested than usual- like they got more sleep than they were expecting. Or maybe you find yourself waking up an hour before your alarm, finding yourself fully rested. Maybe it's a little strange, but hardly something you could see as a bad thing.

But for those who tend to stay up late? Well, it's a completely different story. Every night in May, as the clock strikes midnight - the entire world changes. The sky starts to glow an unsettling green color, and random pools of blood are spattered across the streets. And in every spot you know a non-app user was just moments before silently stands a coffin. The coffins can't be open, but those with presence sensing abilities will detect that there's someone alive in the coffin, sleeping away. It is possible to wake them from their slumber, if you really want... but considering what else is going on, it might be safer to let them rest.

If you're outside the safety of your home? You might come across shadow monsters that roam the streets and will attack any human not in a coffin on sight. These shadows can come in all shapes and sizes, and can be rather dangerous if they catch you unaware. While the Shadows seem to ignore all the coffins - if you manage to wake anyone in the coffins? They will become immediate targets for the shadows to prey on.

This hellish version of Kaisou will last one hour every night. As soon as the hour is over, everything will return to normal like it never happened. Even your clocks will read as 12:01am, as if no time has passed. And sure enough, anyone who isn't on the app? Will have no idea it occurred. There's no message from Zodiac is sent out addressing the matter, and asking them directly will get nothing but confusion on their end since none of their sensors have noticed anything. Even the Professor (fuzzy) doesn't seem to be around anywhere, with the Zodiac staff saying he went on sabbatical with an unclear return date.

But if you work or attend Cygnus, don't worry! He's left a trusty replacement behind that'll attend all the meetings and classes the Professor was covering. He even seems aware of the Dark Hour and will sit with people through it. Though you'll quickly discover that while Professor Koromaru is indeed, a very good boy, he is very much just a dog.

Seems whatever is going on this month, you'll have to fix it without Zodiac's help.

Tartarus

♪- The Voice Someone Calls

However, it looks like you won't be entirely on your own this time. After a few days of experiencing this mysterious hour of time, there will be a message sent out to Libra App users... from the Black Order.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM ANOMALY DETECTED.
Element Classification: Shadow
Danger Level: High
Designation: Dark Hour

A dangerous place, birthed from a hidden extra hour--There's naught but danger here, so do not come without proper firepower! A serious mission has arrived--one we cannot leave to the wayside. To rid us all of the --

Enough of the poetry, clown! This is serious. Listen up, you lot. The Dark Hour’s hit Kaisou. Any of you that don’t know what that is, it’s another hour of night that hits when the clock strikes midnight. It’s an anomaly that ain’t supposed to happen and if we let it linger we’re all right fucked. Lucky for us, there might be a way to get rid of it. ‘Place called Tartarus appears with the Dark Hour, and you crazy bastards might just be able to do something about it if you band together. This ain’t your normal kinda Gate, though. You’d best come in with a plan if you don’t wanna get your arses handed to you. Let’s get together and finish this once and for all.

It's certainly an unusual message from the two newest Black Order team members. How much you trust it is up to you. However, next time the "Dark Hour" comes, you do notice that the crystal tower has changed shape to something much more omnious. If you want to get rid of this extra hour, your best hope is to head to that tower. You better go prepared, however, for it's going to be a long road ahead.

Once you manage to reach the tower, now called the Tartarus, you'll find the entrance to be a large lobby with a massive staircase leading to a giant clock. There aren't any shadows in the entry area, so it might be a good spot to collect yourselves and prepare for the long climb ahead.

First Block: Thebel

♪- Thebel Block

It's time to begin your journey. As you ascend the grand staircase in the lobby, you'll come across several floors that look similar to one another. They have black-and-white checkered floors and an all-around classical design. They'd look rather nice... were it not for the random pools of blood and ominous lightning. Strangely, these floors layout aren't laid out in any sensible manner. In fact, the entire layout of the floors seem to change every single night, almost at random - making the place difficult to map out.

Throughout the halls are the same weaker Shadow monsters that you found roaming around the city. Skilled and powered combatants shouldn't have any trouble with them, but don't let yourself get caught unaware. Your goal is to try to find the stairs to the next floor as soon as you can. Should you linger too long in on particular floor... you'll start to hear the rattling of chains before an extremely powerful Shadow with two guns begins to roam the halls, searching for people to attack. For most people against the Reaper, running to the next floor is your only chance of survival. Even the strongest app users will have a tough time taking this down on their own. Either work as a team, or get the hell out of there should the Reaper come calling.

The tower will continue like this for about fifteen floors. Luckily, there is a teleportation machine on every fifth floor that once it gets turned on, it can take people take you to the teleportation machine at the entrance. It'll be a good way to save time with your tower explorations, as you only get an hour each night to explore before the Dark Hour ends.

Finally at the fifteenth floor? You'll be faced with a moderately powered shadow. Get past that, and you'll reach a dead end. You know you're nowhere near the top of the tower, but the staircase is blocked. Looks like you'll have to figure out a way to unblock the staircase before you move on.

ALERT: Missing Person

As you head to the tower, some people will notice a particular person hasn't been seen or heard from in awhile. Fugo can't be found in his home or his usual locations, nor will he answer any attempts to contact him. It's just like he's vanished into thin air.

Just as his friends and family start to get really worried, a worrying message will be broadcasted on the Libra App from Fugo. Those who remember the Metaverse incident last year might recall the similar messages, and realize what's going on. Fugo has been whisked away into a special Spirit Realm, and needs to be saved.

Using the navigation app that POKEGO designed, they'll be able to track Fugo's gate down by the Eaglewing library. During the Dark Hour, the gate will open up. It has the appearance of a gate welcoming you to town, but almost like a set piece it's made out of cardboard. But there's no telling what will happen once you go past this cardboard gate, so you best be prepared.

HEAD TO FUGO'S GATE

Once Fugo has been rescued from his dungeon, the stairway on the 15th floor will unblock itself and allow passage onto the higher floors.

Second Block: Luna

♪- Il Vento D'oro

Starting on the 16th floor, the appearance of the tower's interior will change dramatically. While it's still an labyrinth that changes every night, it now has the appearance of a dilapidated theater. Worn out red curtains line the walls, and the place is dimly lit by old stage lights and the occasional large window that lets the green moonlight glow through. Long abandoned theater props are scattered across the floor, along with the occasional collection of old moth-eaten theater costumes.

There's plenty of dangers to be found amongst these floors. Should you be unlucky, you'll come across clouds of hazy purple gas that hangs around the hallways. Breathing in the purple gas can cause any number of status effects. Which one you'll get affected by seems to be random, but at least most of them are temporary in their duration.

The haze isn't the only thing to worry about. Shadow monsters affiliated with the Moon Arcana roam the floors, attacking anyone they spot. The best way to fend off these fiends is by hitting them with their elemental weaknesses to stun them, before going in for an all-out attack. It's not always clear which element will do the trick, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring along someone who can sense such things to navigate.

When you reach the 30th floor, you'll come across a large open area. But before you can get past, the way turns out to be blocked by a massive 8-headed serpent. This one isn't quite as large as the one that tried to take over Kaisou last November, but it'll be a difficult battle all the same. Work together to take out all eight of the heads by any means you can.

Once this variant of Yamata-no-Orochi is defeated, you'll find that the way up to the next floor is blocked like this section was earlier. Seems you got no choice but to wait until something changes.

ALERT: Another Missing Person

Perhaps it's easy to overlook due to all the chaos with the Dark Hour. However, in the days leading up to May 6th, people who know Rose may notice that she's nowhere to be found. She won't be found in any of her usual places nor will she respond to any attempts to contact her. Considering the last time she went missing she became a victim of Krusnik, no one would be blamed for having a sense of dread.

Then on May 5th during the day, a message from Rose appears on the network. Just like the message from Fugo, there's something incredibly off about it. Most likely it's her Shadow talking rather than Rose herself.

You'll have a couple to prepare, and then once the Dark Hour on the 6th hits, it'll be time to save Rose. This time, the gate will be located in the Vogue, in the back area behind a rack of clothes. The gate has the look of an entrance of a garden, but you should know by now that this will be no pleasant trip.

HEAD TO ROSE'S GATE

Once Rose has been rescued, the staircase on the 30th floor will open up, letting you move forward.

Third Block: Onnakyoukou

♪- Dun Scaith

As you step onto the 31st floor, the interior of the Tartarus will shift once again. This time the halls are lined with plants like a wild overgrown garden. But while Rose's garden was lush and beautiful, most of these plants are dead or dying. All of this is made even more eerie by the fact the only light continues to be the green light from the Dark Hour's sky. It'll continue on like this for the next several floors, try not to get too unnerved.

This block seems to be rather light on the Shadow monsters, with only a few from weaker or medium-strength Priestess Arcana monsters roaming the halls. Most of them will be defeated with ease by anyone with combat ability.

However, this area isn't without it's challenges. Every couple floors, the doorway to the next floor is blocked by a gate. These gates have an old fashion waterwheel attached to them. It seems you'll need to make the waterwheel move in order to get the gate pulled open. Should you look at the floor, you'll realize that the hallway floors are made to be water channels - you just need to find a water source.

So, it's time to explore the floor. Each of these floors will have a water source hidden somewhere, such as a large reservoir of water, or a waterfall that's falling from who knows where. But these water sources seemed to have been blocked by various obstructions. On some floors you'll need to move some heavy debris out of the way, on other floors there will be a shadow that's blocking it, and meanwhile on other floors it'll be an intricate set of levers that you need to open in the correct order to get the water flowing towards the waterwheel.

Should you manage to get the water flowing to the waterwheel, the plants in the room will start to revive themselves as they are watered. While it is a more beautiful sight, many of these plants will turn out to be the carnivorous type and try to attack you. And of course if you take too long on any of this, you always risk an encounter with the Reaper. But fortunately with the waterwheel moving, the gate will be lifted and you can run to the next floor.

Finally when you reach the 45th floor, there will be another open area that is lined with roses. There, the demon Scathach will be waiting for you. Fight her with all your might to best her. Once you're past her, you'll find that the stairway is blocked once more. At this point, you probably have a good idea of what's going to happen next.

ALERT: A Third Missing Person

On the days leading up to May 9th, people who know Caleb won't find him anywhere. Just like Fugo and Rose before him, any attempts to contact him will go nowhere. Considering this is the third time it's happened, everyone will probably immediately guess what's going to happen next.

Sure enough on May 9th during the day, there's a worrying message from what could only be Caleb's shadow. By now, most of the app users will be aware of what's going on and the next step. Not only that, but anyone who had previous run-ins with Douman and Dickson will find themselves able to remember them clearly and for the heinous people they are. However, there isn't much success in tracking them down for now...

When the Dark Hour arrives once more, they'll find that there's a new gate at Caleb's house. It sits in his yard, looking like a crack in the world, glowing hues of blue, black, and gold. Just like the other dungeon, you best make sure you're prepared before you head in.

HEAD TO CALEB'S GATE

Once Caleb has been saved, the blocked staircase on the 45th floor of the Tartarus will repair itself, allowing everyone to proceed further.

Fourth Block: Yunshi

♪- Aventurine of Stratagems

Starting on the 46th floor, the Tartarus changes once more. This time, the area looks like a futuristic train station that one might see in a science fiction movie. Though, it's far from the cleanest train station around. Throughout the halls, there will be piles of trash and opened dumpsters lying around. If you're lucky, you might find something valuable in these dungeons- but it's not recommended you take too long searching for stuff, with the Reaper still an ever present risk.

Through these halls, Shadow monsters from the Fortune Arcana will roam. There aren't too many of them, but they can be pretty difficult if caught unaware.

As you roam these floors, you'll realize that it's even more difficult to navigate. Large train stations are famous for being confusing, and this place is certainly no exception to the rule. Signs don't lead where they say they will lead, and there's no clear indication where the stair case will be. However, if you hold still for a moment, you'll notice one of the trash cans stand up on legs and start to run down the hallway. Follow these trashcans, and they will lead you to the staircase of the next floor. Don't let them know you're following them though, as they may turn around and attack you.

When you reach the 60th floor, you'll encounter another large space. In the center of the space, stands the shadow Norn. Defeat the keeper of fate, and you'll finally complete this section of Tartarus. However yet again, the stairway will be blocked at this point. All you can do now is wait.

ALERT: The Final Missing Person

Perhaps you tried to circle the wagons, and try to keep everyone safe. There's been enough chatter by now suggesting that people aren't just being whisked away by the Spirit Realm, but rather someone is putting them in. And eyewitness accounts keep pointing towards the newest Black Order members, Douman and Dickson.

Unfortunately, the intel came a little too late. Douman and Dickson are nowhere to be found in the city, and as his friends and family will quickly realize... neither is Wolfwood. Just like Fugo, Rose, and Caleb before him- he's nowhere to be found in the city and he won't respond to any attempts to contact him. The only clue left behind is evidence of a fight that took place in Vergil's antique shop.

Like clockwork, on May 12th during the day, another message will appear on the network from Wolfwood's shadow. And in the following Dark Hour, the gate will be found this time on Cathedral Hill, at the entrance of the cemetery. Prepare yourself for a rough ride ahead.

HEAD TO WOLFWOOD'S GATE

When Wolfwood is saved, the blocked stairway of the 45th floor will open up. From what you can tell, it shouldn't be much longer until you reach the top of the tower.

Fifth Block: Carnifex

♪- Rakuen

As you cross into the 46th floor, the interior will change. Now it has the appearance of an abandoned church, but with dunes of sand lying all over the ground. Trees and plants are found amongst all the sand, but all of them look like they're either dormant or dead. The sandy terrain will be a bit of a pain to walk through, and you'll have to worry about getting sand in your shoes, but at least nothing about the terrain itself appears to be too dangerous.

There are Shadow monsters from the Hanged Man arcana that wander the sandy dunes. Thankfully they are rather low and number and not too difficult to fight. Even more lucky, the entire area seems rather straight forward with no hidden puzzle mechanics. It should make for an easy trip up, and a bit of a reprieve from every other challenge you've had to take on this month.

When you finally reach the 60th floor, there will be an open area that's surrounded by sand dunes. At the center, is a Hell Biker, who'll drive around the dunes on his motorcycle as he attacks you. You can either try to defeat him on foot, or grab one an abandoned motorcycle lying in the sand and chase after him.

Once the Hell Biker has been defeated, the stairway to the top of the tower will be clear. It's time to stop the source of all this, for once and for all.

Grand Finale

♪- Engage the Enemy

As you enter into the top area of the Tartarus, the layout will change one final time. In contrast to the church-appearance of the previous block, this place looks like it came from Hell itself. Fire and scorch earth line the entire place, and the flames will very much burn you if you touch them. The air itself is pungent with the stench of sulfur, that and the sweltering heat making it difficult to breath.

Immediately on the first floor of this section, you'll come across a clearing with a (CW: NSFWish) massive shadow riding a chariot acting as a guard. You'll have to defeat Mara in order to get past him, and he gives quite a fight. When he's defeated, you'll find that the path branches two ways. One staircase has the name "Douman" etched in stone above it, while the other has "Dickson" etched above it. There's no other Shadows around, so you can take the moment to gather yourselves.

Both of them will need to be dealt with, so you'll need to pick which ones to confront. Better make sure that you're ready.

Dickson Confrontation
Douman Confrontation

Aftermath

Once the two Black Order Zealots have been defeated, the Dark Hour will cease to be. Their bodies will disappear along with the Dark Hour, so you'll have some time before the rest of the Order comes sniffing. The rest of the city continues to be none the wiser to the hell gauntlet that you just faced. But at least now, you can spend the rest of the month resting. Though some may find it difficult to get any rest, knowing that this is not going to be the last time the Black Order tries something.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Shadow! Anyone with an affinity to the earth 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 Light 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.

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

Comments

RAID BOSS ALERT

[kaisoumods]

< Ashiya Douman | oqɯᴉ˥ oƃƎɹǝʇl∀ >

[ridiculecat]

>>__ i. [ introduction ]

[ Upon reaching the highest floor and topmost point of the Tartarus, the path through the gate is followed by a en enormous forest--thick with brush and impossible to traverse through--save for a single, bright red tori gate. The light of the entire place is the same eerie green as the Midnight Hour and the rest of the Tartarus has been--and at the top of a set of overgrown stone steps into that forest stands a familiar face. Instead of his friendly, overbright smile--a look of a quiet, feral cat sits on his face, eyes glowing with an eerie light as the sound of the bells hanging from his hair echo down the corridor of stone.

Jump to reach him, attack him, has you ascend to the top of the stairs and the image fades as an illusion, echoing with cacophonous laughter--as a scene of a large house surrounded in spires of stone and curling, gnarled trees comes into sight. That green glow continues until Douman makes himself known again--appearing on the roof of that mansion, dressed completely differently than his first appearance.

A true demon now, the jester appearance canned for that of the Rakshasa he is--the cacophonous laughter is nearly deafening as dozens of twisted trees start growing out of the building, around those rock formations, and even under the feet of those who came to this final confrontation.

The green glow slowly being replaced by that of bright, blinding orange as dozens of lantern-like fruit start to sprout and grow from the trees, ablaze with roaring fire that starts to leak out onto the ground the trees... a great black sun rising behind the building, many eyes floating around its voidblack form; wreathed in fire red.

Flaming fruit falling from those lanterns, setting everything they touch ablaze as the demon inside the fire laughs and laughs and laughs... ]

Welcome all who find themselves in this, my Mandala Hell. This will be your final resting place for I, Limbo, have judged you all unworthy of living the dangerous lives you live. Unwilling, selfish, mournful children you all are, living lives that could be used for the betterment and salvation of this world, and yet, you cling onto your simple lives, thinking only of yourselves.

While taking the life of one of those who actually did work for the wellbeing of this world. Theresa may have had a terrible personality, but her work was invaluable--while you're all parasites who cling to this world while doing nothing to help her heal.

Your chance to come clean has come and gone. You now face me, your judge and your executioner. Dangerous beings like you can't be trusted to live free of chains. So come, let me unmake you.

ENCOUNTER: VS. DISCIPLE DICKSON

[areal_hisname]

[[ top-levels below ]]

Edward Kenway | Assassin's Creed

[jackdawvision]

[starters in separate comments below! hmu on Discord at foggytealeafs or Plurk at mollymauktealeaf if you want a separate thing.]

non-tartarus starters.

[jackdawvision]

[one: after twenty-nine years i'm finally going to prom]

[Edward would like to say he has no idea why he's been hired to be a chaperone at the local high school's prom night. He would like to, but he does know why: the principal offered him a great big fat wad of cash and Edward, never one to turn down an opportunity to make money fast, took it and the job. So now here he is, awkwardly standing around at the prom, watching the teenagers dance awkwardly in their most stylish evening wear, and feeling very, very old.

He'd tried the punch. It had immediately turned to vinegar in his mouth. Now he's nursing a Coke Zero and clearly contemplating something. He turns to the chaperone.]

Mate, the hell kind of dance are they doing? Is it one of those TikTok dances?

[He doesn't have a TikTok, but the intern who works for him on the Jackdaw does. So he's sort of aware it has dance crazes, but he has never kept up with any of them.]

[two: the menagerie]

[Do you ever just wake up one day and realize that you alone are going to have to walk your many pets out in the park?

Yeah, so, Edward (and a rat riding on his shoulder and what looks very much like a Pod floating beside him) is currently trailing right behind a small troop of pets, consisting of a catke who looks very much like him, a Kingler, a Tatsugiri and a Mareep with Yarny sitting on her head and using her horns as handles to hold onto. Every so often the catke will trundle off to try and go climb a tree like an Assassin, or the Mareep will scamper off to try and snack on flowers when she shouldn't, or the Kingler will glare at a dog in challenge, or the Tatsugiri will...

Actually the Tatsugiri seems like he's just sticking very closely to Edward and doesn't want to range further out like his terrible friends. Good job, Bellamy. You're doing great, Bellamy.

But as for the rest? When one of them tries to trundle off, Edward shakes his head.]

Damn it—Kidd, [this he addresses to the Pod,] watch them for a moment, I'll not take too long. [To the offending pet:] Get back here, you rascal!

[And then he runs off to go grab his asshole pet before they eat something they shouldn't or jump off a goddamn tree or pick a fight they maybe shouldn't pick.

Maybe come help either him or Kidd? The Pod's clearly doing their best to do the task they've been assigned, but they could use some help before Edward gets back. Or, hey, the faster Edward gets his wayward pet back, the sooner he can get back to the rest of the rambunctious little rascals.]

tartarus: first + second blocks. (cw for body horror in persona pic)

[jackdawvision]

[one: thebel]

[A monster of Shadow looms menacingly, its mask coming closer and closer, and then—a chill wind blows. Its movements grow sluggish and feeble as the ice takes hold of it, and it makes a noise that sounds as if it can't quite understand what's just happened before something slams into it.

That something is Edward, wearing a nice winter coat, slashing at the monster with his two swords. His Persona is right behind him, a ghostly, half-skeletal pirate whose breath is so cold it comes out as white smoke, which may explain the coat Edward's wearing.

He jumps back once it's stunned, and glances toward the other person.]

Let's finish this thing off soon as possible, then I'll take you to the stairs.

[two: luna]

[Guess who was in Copenhagen when everyone was facing off against Yamata-no-Orochi the first time?

Yeah, Edward is having a significantly worse time than he really should be. As the battle rages, he ducks behind cover and frantically reloads his guns, tearing one of the ammunition packets in his pocket open with his teeth before loading it into the barrel. It's a fast process just because he's been doing it this way so long, but it's not fast enough and he knows it.]

Bloody hell. [Peeking out from behind cover again.] How did we take this thing out the last time, again?

tartarus: third block

[jackdawvision]

[one: how does your garden grow?]

I, [Edward announces the second he sets foot on the 31st floor,] am sick to the core of my soul of gardens. If this one has a hedge maze as well I will set it afire.

[Wow, somebody went through Rose's dungeon and come out of it with brand new trauma to stuff into the back of his mind. Hah. Haha. Anyway, Edward is mostly kidding, but he holds his swords tighter, his shoulders tensing. Any shadows in his way he cuts down with brutal efficiency, cleaving through them with a sword or shooting them down with a gun or simply sneaking up on them and jamming a hidden blade into a weak spot.

During a lull in the fighting, he seems to be staring very intently off into the distance, then at their surroundings, before he sighs and shakes his head. More to himself:] Nothing. Not even a clue. Damn it, if only they could've left even a scrap of cloth to go on...!

[His fingers flex, and six inches of cold steel flick out from under his arm. Another flex, and the blade retreats back into its housing.]

Maybe we'll find something further in.

[two: brain food]

[Edward looks at the lever puzzle for this floor, clearly thinking it over. It looks complicated enough, not helped along by the fact that the levers are covered in dead vines and not a few dead flowers. Something about the flowers...

There are four levers. His eyes alight on the one in the middle, with four dying lilies clinging to it. Then the realization hits him like a truck, and he hurriedly opens his second sight to see: the dead flowers are shining gold.

Oh. Oh.]

Try the one with the single dead orchid. Perhaps the number of flowers covering each lever might help us here.

Jun Nightroad | Tokyo Xanadu

[whiteshroud]

[Going to add toplevels here as the month goes on! Find me in the game discord chat or neutronstar for plotting!]

The First Dark Hour

[whiteshroud]

[At midnight that first night, Jun was doing what he always does- chilling on top of the roof of 7-Eleven. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so far this night.

Then, midnight strikes, and the sky turns green. Even Shroud jumps at this, with surprise showing even through his voice modulator]

What the-?!

Thebel

[whiteshroud]

[Shroud, in his full uniform, can be found in the entry way of the Tartarus. He seems to be inspecting the area, as if trying to get a good idea of what's going on before he heads on up.]

Hm...

[What thoughts he has, he doesn't vocalize out loud. But he does take notice of the other person in the area, speaking with that unrecognizable voice modulator.]

Are you planning to ascend the tower?

Closed to those on standby for the boss fights

[whiteshroud]

[With Venti, Zhongli, and Vergil agreeing to go fight Dickson and Douman - Jun hadn't felt like he was that needed in those fights. Instead he decided to stay in the floor below, to be there if something went wrong and to make sure no shadows surprise them from behind.

He's in his Shroud uniform, standing silently as ever.

.... At least until he gets bored enough to pull out his phone. No phone reception in this place outside the Libra app, but at least he can play some Cooking Mama. He forgot to change his phone case this morning in his exhaustion after the last few days, so Shroud's phone is a lot more magical girl than one would suspect.]

Diarmuid ua Duibhne | Fate/ (servantswap AU)

[twofoldfury]

[[ tl's listed below, more to be added as we ascend! ]]

thebel

[twofoldfury]

i. thebel

[Diarmuid didn't know much about the Crystal Tower, that was the wheelhouse of the "Warriors of Light" like Rose and Takame. And he just tried to climb it once.

It didn't take a message from the Order to know this wasn't normal. And so as he and several others entered into this structure that stretched well past the heavens, both swords in hand, he looked back to any others who may have joined him.]

Allow me to take point.

ii. luna

[The layouts changed each night... like a maze. This place was meant to disorient but it would not succeed with him. Regardless of how this tower opted to trip him up, one doesn't easily make a man on the run for many years lose his way.

Given his nature as a Servant or maybe that thing he got from Gacha Goodwill once he's not so easily affected with these statuses either. But he will warn about them.]

Filter your breathing if you are able to, this isn't ordinary haze.

[At the end when they face a much smaller Yamata-no-Orochi, Diarmuid almost seemed pleased. They had inherent advantage knowing its weaknesses.]

So we meet again.

Waver Velvet | fate/ servantswap au | ota

[fionnuisce]

[you know the drill, toplevels to be added as we go along]

[fionnuisce]

[i; tartarus]

[In a stylish flash of light and silvery liquid, Waver's clothes had changed, a pair of gold and crimson pistols on his belt and a sigil on the back of his jacket. Tapping his right foot experimentally with the sound of thick metal against the ground, he seemed satisfied by whatever result he was looking for and took a carefully measured breath.]

Above all else, we need to have a levelheaded approach. We can't afford to make critical mistakes now more than ever. Everyone watch your step, stay alert, and try not to do anything alone.

[ii; luna]

I remember you being a lot bigger. [Facing down Yamata-no-Orochi again, Waver dropped his sunglasses over his eyes and scowled.]

Scáthach!

[The figure of a woman appeared briefly behind him, disappearing with a gesture of her hand that cast a faint glow around the twin pistols in his hands.]

I can hold its attention--two or three of it, at least. Any more heads than that, and I might have a problem.

Ardyn | Final Fantasy XV | ota

[scourgingstars]

[local shitkicker container]

[scourgingstars]

[i; dark hour]

[Ardyn, prine to being more nocturnal than most, was out and about around midnight. Minding his own business, for once--then he blinked, and everything was decidedly less an average evening than it had been immediately before.]

...Hm. [Looking up at the sky, down at the ambiguously bloody street, around at the few scattered coffins...then at his watch.]

That's new. [Was it? Something felt oddly familiar here, a sensation he was thoroughly tired of by now.]

[ii; thebel]

[The longer he stayed in this city, the more Ardyn thought this whole assignment was an excellent argument for quitting his job and leaving the country. Fighting against the daemons Shadows felt inexplicably backwards, as he wandered idly around the halls of Tartarus with a greatsword over his shoulder. Trying to piece together just what specifically was wrong with him this time.]

[Eventually, the faintest sound of chains echoed in the darkest corners of Thebel, and something about that metallic noise made him stop cold in his tracks.]

Husk | Hazbin Hotel

[wiseoldbartender]

[Starters for scrungle cat! Plot with me at teeff or on the game discord! ]

First + Second blocks

[wiseoldbartender]

Thebel: TW: Spider

[Husk should really ignore all of this. He doesn't NEED to get involved in any of this bullshit. He can just continue living his life and not stressing himself with the nonsense that this bullshit city keeps finding itself in. But turning his back feels wrong, and he's got a stupid bleeding heart he deeply wishes he didn't that's getting in his way of ignoring the problem.

So he's been dealing with the shadows- a few of his knife-playing cards fly in lazy circles next to his head, which he sends flying into the shadow monsters when they go on the attack. He's smart enough not to solo the Reaper, though. He manages to evade the thing with uncanny skill, almost as if he can tell where it is ahead of time. At one point he might come across you, gesturing for you to quiet down and lay low- just in time for the thing to go lumbering past. Husk lets out a breath as it moves on- and the reason for his uncanny ability to know where the damn thing is appears. His water summon, a little tarantula, scurries down the wall to sit on the top of his hat. ]

That fuckin' thing'll be out of our hair for a few minutes- might give us enough time to get to the next floor if we're lucky. Which I'm almost not, but what can you do.

Luna TW: Clippy

[Husk really wasn't kidding about being unlucky. He should have known he was fucked the second he stepped into the purple gas and breathed it in. Because one minute he was his usual fuzzy self and the next his left hand was slowly turning into stone. He lets out a panicked hiss, waving it like he can somehow shake off what's happening to him. ]

What the FUCK?

[Thankfully, the whole turning to stone thing wears off by the time he gets to the 30th floor- tired and annoyed. He stops dead when he sees the Yamata-no-Orochi clone. He wasn't in Kaisou when they were dealing with that, and the reports really, really did not do it justice. ]

...Holy fuck how the shit are we supposed to deal with that?

[And that's when Clippy, useful as ever, pops up beside him. Ready to dispense great wisdom.]

Hi there! It seems you're having trouble with insurmountable odds! I can help with that!

[Husk looks almost embarrassed, glancing your way.]

It can't help. Don't engage with it. Just ignore it- we got bigger things to deal with.

< Ashiya Douman | oqɯᴉ˥ oƃƎɹǝʇl∀ >

[ridiculecat]

Ashiya Douman || NPC || Open

[ridiculecat]

i. // The Dark Hour . __OTA:

[ ...and what a beautiful hour it was. The colors were divine, his favorites, truth be told, and the shadows that wandered it were likewise beautiful. Were he not here for a job he may work to try to find a way to control the monsters for his own use, like he does his own shikigami, but alas, they will have to remain faceless, nameless monsters seeking out those who may get in their way in the shadows of the green, stagnant hour.

Wandering around this hour was a faceted event for Douman. On one hand, he wants to see what sort of affect this 'time' has on the city--and on the other, it's time to make himself look good in the eyes of the app users.

Which is exactly why you may find your character witness to Douman destroying a shadow that's descending down upon him with a calm look on his face.

...Or, for extra points, exploding one into scraps of shadow via his curse magic moments before it takes a swing at your character from where it was hiding in the darkness overhead.

All with a silent, calm expression on his face, and a little bow towards you, a large, clawed hand on his chest. ]

This one thinks you should go inside, or find a safe place to wait out this darkness. Nothing good comes out of air that's been cursed to be so still as this.

If you're like me and wish to wander and find out the secrets of this strange happening, however, I would accompany you. I'm quite curious to what's going on, myself.


ii. // Tartarus: First+Second Floor. __OTA:

[ as promised, after Dickson's rather curt addressing of the network, Douman can be found inside the bottom floor of Tartarus. He's very quick to offer a hand to any who might wish to climb the tower, as he promises he is a strong and reliable party member to watch your back.

Don't trust him to go with you? It's fine--he'll offer medical help if you return back to the first floor if you wish to go on your own, too. He has magic that can remove curses, as well as toxins, poisons, and other nasty side-effects suffered while fighting the monsters above.

He's also brought a rather large basket of food and bottles of water for those who need a small break. ]

iii. // WILD CARD . __OTA:

[ this is your last chance to interact with Douman in a way that's on neutral ground. I am fine with whatever sort of scenario inside Kasiou you wish; before the event or during; before he's outed as being half responsible for this whole mess. Just hit me with a starter! ]

Yasuho Hirose | JoJolion

[youwouldntdownloada]

[[ OOC NOTE: Yasuho will be focusing all of her efforts on clearing the tower bit by bit during the Dark Hour- especially so after Ritsuka is attacked- to reflect that, different prompts will be added below as the tower itself is updated.

As well, for reference to the below; as a reflection of how Light Strong months affected her in the past, Yasuho will be emotionally affected by the elemental dominance; where Light Strong December made her full hallmark, she's going to be incredibly self-sabotaging and negative when acting for herself.

Fortunately for everyone else though, she has luckbringer. ...So the rest of y'all should be fine. If you want to plot though, feel free to buzz me at Plurk under usagisquared or Discord at usagisquared !]]

MAY DRIZZLE - NON TARTARUS PROMPTS

[youwouldntdownloada]

{CLASSES}

Exams have been over for a while now, but that doesn't mean classes are over for Yasuho; at the very start of the month and indeed even just before it, she can be found lingering at Enki and rifling through some forms from a waiting room chair. It'll be Paisley- pink, semi-goopy, and ever one eyed- who gives some audible beeps of greeting to whoever walks near before Yasuho can possibly notice. Even then it takes her a minute to realize if someone's actually lingering to say anything.

The woman- with hooves, with tail, with nubs for antlers and sharpened teeth- looks up. "Huh?"

{FEELIN' CRAFTY?}

The fact is, nothing is going well this month for Yasuho.

At least, that's how she sees it. She spills her drink once at a movie event and ends up cursing to high heaven. All the pottery and crafts she tries her hand at seem to come out wrong and never right. It's especially frustrating because everyone beside her is...well.

They're doing fantastic. "Ugh!! What am I doing wrong..!!" she laments, and honestly that's a good question. Because it doesn't seem like anything is actually going wrong-

More like she's...Jinxing herself? Setting herself up for a fall?

{CAN WE OFFER AN ORB IN THIS TRYING TIME?}

The Foxes aren't helping, as not so long after the Dark Hour begins to make itself known she finds herself talking to them in Blue Fish Park. After all, they came through the second time with the Faeries, so it's bound to be fine right? Talking about her most traumatic memory as a child is..............not great, given it's the entire reason she's going into therapy as a hopeful career, but it does mean she feels a bit better seeing the large light. This. This will help.

Briefly.

"No! No no, UGH!"

Now you can catch her throwing the thing like a beach ball after the hum becomes too much, only sitting down herself after she drives her sword through the last shadow monster in the street remaining. "Damn it..!!"

...She's not having a good night. ....Week.

.... ...It can't possibly be all month right?

Ritsuka Fujimaru | Fate/Grand Order | open

[prunedworlds]

Part One - Prior to Caleb's dungeon

[I. Day in Town]

The month not only started off normally enough but, well, there wasn't really anything much to do outside of that mysterious hour at night. Which means plenty of time to check out some of the events around town, like the art fair or the outdoor movie night. Perhaps she'd even run into you there!

Or, perhaps, she asked you to come along, because Waver did make her promise to be extra-careful after the whole kidnappings thing started. But hey, at least it's probably more fun with company, right?


[II. Shadows in the Streets]

However it was she first realized something strange was up, once Ritsuka was aware of the bizarre hour and its roaming monsters, well, there was no way she could not try to do something about it. Geared up in her mystic code (and a few other goodies she'd acquired in her time here), she was here to do what she could. Perhaps you're a friend she called up to team up with, or perhaps just someone she spotted, either way she was quick to approach.

"It should be easier if we work together..."


[III. Up the Tower]

As much as she can, Ritsuka was helping out at Tartarus. She didn't know most the kidnapped very well, after all, and if the tower really was the key to stopping this mysterious dark hour... Well, then someone needed to focus on that too, right?

So, whether it was fighting ordinary monsters or the guardian bosses, Ritsuka was here to help. Be it with support spells, illusions to run as a distraction, or tactical advice, she'd team up or give an assist whether she already knew you or not.

Alternatively, given that nobody can be that lucky, especially when their element's in the wane, perhaps you stepped in to timely assist or save her.


[IV. Fading Light]

Try as she might to help, however, Ritsuka was discovering the downside to some of the powers she'd come to possess here in Kaisou in the last few months. Namely, the effects of it being a month when her element was on the wane. While perhaps not as obvious at first, it became increasingly difficult to just shrug off, and Ritsuka had to acknowledge that those nice newfound abilities simply weren't working as easily or as powerfully as they ought to as the month progressed.

Still, she wasn't about to let that stop her from helping wherever she could, of course. And should anyone express concern...

"It's fine. I can definitely make it for the rest of the hour, at least."


[Wildcard/Notes]

These prompts are geared for the first part of the month! Stuff for after that will be added in the second comment later. And as always, if none of these do it for you, you can feel free to hit me up on Discord (Altocumulus) or PM, or just toss me a tag!

Network Post - Voice

[prunedworlds]

Not long after a certain zealot openly revealed his hand, a new post appeared on the app. Unusually for Ritsuka, it was an audio-only post. Made perhaps even more odd by the fact that she'd been pretty much entirely out of contact the last few days...

"Ashiya Douman was originally an onmyoudo who lived in the Heian era. He was powerful, and famous as a rival to Abe-no-Seimei."

He voice sounded... strained, and tired, like it was taking a lot of effort just to get the words out.

"Douman--no, Alter Ego Limbo, was a past life of the one here from the Black Order. We fought several times in my world. An incomplete version of the original, with all of his power, and evil, but without his humanity.

"One of the reasons he fought so many times is he had a way to cheat death. He could imbue some of his life force into his shikigami, so if he was 'killed' he just possessed a different shikigami. We were able to stop him for good because someone used shugendou to sever his connections with all of his shikigami at once. I don't know how that worked, though, sorry, but... if you can destroy all of the shikigami, then you can probably still beat him that way, too."

A pause, then:

"If you do that, if you corner him, he'll be even more dangerous, though, so be careful."

Knuckles the Echidna | Sonic the Hedgehog (movie-verse) | Open!

[ampersand_me]

[I. New (e)Kid(na) in Town 2]

Technically, Knuckles had already arrived in Kaisou. But he'd then headed off to the strange island in such short order that, well, for all practical purposes the city itself was still new to him. And he to the city. Which meant he had no idea where pretty much anything even was.

So, wherever you happened to be in the city, chances are you might spot a short, red alien echidna just strolling by like there was nothing odd about it in the world. Often with near total disregard for little details like the presence of fences or other such property lines, whether other people were stopping to stare at the strange kid(?) wandering through the middle of downtown, or even oncoming traffic.

Also, no matter what it may look like, he definitely, absolutely wasn't lost. Not at all. That said, if you try to approach him, or even happen to be staring a moment too long, he might turn to ask a question while pointing (with his pointy knuckles) to some unfamiliar landmark or object.

"What is the purpose of that?"


[II. Night Shadow Fights]

Now, Knuckles wasn't particularly bothered by the idea of strange, shadowy monsters appearing around town in the middle of the night. It just meant something he had to fight, after all, and like any good warrior he was ready to meet the challenge.

At least, so he thought. As it happened, however, you might find him frowning in consternation after fighting off a smaller shadow, or perhaps even in a bit of a pinch himself. Whatever the case, he at least wasn't shy about voicing his frustrations:

"Why can I not use my power??"


[III. Midnight Tower Zone]

Missing powers or no, Knuckles wasn't about to back down. He was a warrior, after all, and his pride meant that, once it was clear that the mysterious tower was the work of an enemy, he was there to contribute his spiky fists to the cause.

"So, we are to climb the tower, defeat all within, and that will restore the city to normal once more?"

He also may or may not be getting in over his head. Please, someone, keep an eye on the kid...


[Wildcard]

Have some other idea? Feel free to hit me up on Discord (Altocumulus) or PM, or just throw a tag my way.

II

[wiseoldbartender]

Husk often works late at night- freelance barwork doesn't really keep sociable hours, after all. So he was out and about when the Dark Hour hit. He's quick to fight off one of the shadow monsters on the attack- looking to get the fuck off the street and back to his apartment because like hell is he gonna play hero and help people through this.

Or, you know, that was the plan before he clocked Knuckles. God fucking damnit that was a kid. He couldn't leave a kid out here to fend for himself. He moves swiftly over as the shadow Knuckles was fighting goes down.

"I dunno, but c'mon Kid. You can't stay out here."

Lucy Westenra | Dracula

[honestyandpluck]

[around town]

[Lucy can be found around the town events, doing her job! She's taking notes on everything going on, from the burger-eating contest to the outdoor movie event and even the outdoor art fair in Brick Alley. She strikes up conversations with various organizers with her recorder out, and can be found late at night before the Dark Hour at the radio station in the Entertainment District, doing her job.]

[tartarus]

[During the Dark Hour, it's a different story.

She can't broadcast during the hour, she's sure of that. She knows fully well her own capabilities: she can't fight unless she lets the demon take her over, and that's upsetting enough that she doesn't want to even try. So for the most part she avoids them, but it's rather clear that Tartarus is going to draw every app user toward its doors.

So she stops at the entrance doors, and parks herself outside the tower or somewhere in its vicinity every night. She can't stay too long in one place, but she can do one thing:]

Hey! [Whistling to grab the attention of another app user.] I have water and food. You're not planning on going in there without either of those things, are you?

tartarus

[aslowburn]

[Persephone is naturally going to gravitate towards a fight. She wouldn't be much of a diety if she did not help protect this realm- as much as she is an unwilling inhabitant of it. So she's striding off into the building, Cerberus at her heel, a sword dangling from her hip.

She turns at the whistle, and Lucy does at least get a flickering smile as she crosses over to her.]

I don't know how much I would need it, but if you are offering, I wouldn't turn it away. [Her head tilts to one side. ] Are you not joining the fray yourself? You fight very well.

[She SAW it, Lucy.]

dickson | npc

[areal_hisname]

[[ tl's listed below, more to be added as the confrontation approaches! ]]

[areal_hisname]

i. double dealing (tartarus lobby)

[Well, two of them are being paid this month from the Order. Is that gonna stop Dickson from trying to make a separate profit? No. Sure, he doesn’t have enough of his shit to make customized weapons, THANKS DOUMAN, but he has some pre-made things set to go. Easy use swords and shields and some very well refined armor in light, medium and heavy variants depending on what you favor.

The prices are very exorbitant. Use your imagination. I was not joking when I said he overcharged for this shit canonically.

But maybe you’re made of money there’s a bunch of rich eccentric weirdos in this place, right?]

Oi, you need something more to go in with than the clothes on your back right?

[In his defense, the quality of the shit made IS stellar.]

ii. triple crossing (thebel/onnakyoukou)

[They can say they’re going to get people out of the Metaverse as much as they can, there’s no way Fugo or that dumpster rat are gonna survive. But Dickson still had his part to play in between finding his next target. At the very least if you opted to go along with him as you scale Tartarus, he is an excellent shot and a decent healer, shockingly enough.

He’ll certainly keep you patched up.]

How you doing over there, mate? Keeping up?

iii. note!

[[ this is your last chance to interact with dickson prior to his boss fight below! these prompts are taking place BEFORE the memory charm wears off, so Black Order members will still have loose memory of him. he’s a chill uncle i promise :) ]]

eunie | xenoblade 3

[medicgunner]

i. throughout the event, after the third block is opened

[It'd be nice if shit didn't explode for one Spring while Eunie was around. But fine, this is her job. If she's gonna be a healer, she's gonna be a healer. As much as she'd like to give whatever asshole took Fugo a piece of her mind, there weren't a ton of people left to make sure the bloody idiots going up and down didn't get themselves maimed.

So much like last year, she's set up a makeshift medical area by the foot of the Tower. The good part of this is she knows exactly what to expect after a year here, she has more supplies at the ready and seeing a med tent tends to keep the normies away.

She could probably use a few more hands!]

[wiseoldbartender]

[Husk doesn't need healing anymore- regaining his regeneration finally put paid to that. But he's still an old man with the aches and pains of one. Regeneration doesn't really fix that. He can't really overdo it like he used to. So he's come here to take five.

He still has dried blood in his fur from some injury or other, already healed, as he slumps into a chair outside her tent. After a moment of consideration, he pulls a flask out of his pocket to take a swig out of it.]

Hey, Wings. Screamed at anyone for being stupid yet?