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kaisou2024-08-03 10:43 am
August Event Log
August Event Log
Dominant Element: Fire
Waning Element: Wind
Full Moon: August 18th - August 19th
※
July ends and the Spirit Vein shifts from blue to red as fire takes over as the dominant element. If you were hoping for some relief, however, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's drier now, sure, but it's somehow even hotter and there's hardly any breeze to speak of. Stay hydrated, stay cool, and try not to get sunburned.
Kaisou County FairWith the high heat of the summer also comes the Kaisou County Fair- set up just on the edge of Blue Fish Park. The first thing you will notice upon entering the fairground is the smell of fried food. Multitudes of stalls can be found dotted around, offering all manner of food to eat. Some are standard fare like burgers, hot dogs and doughnuts- delicious and deeply unhealthy. But the stalls offer some more... unusual treats too. You can find deep-fried jelly beans (they won't turn you into a puppet, probably), chocolate-covered bacon on a stick, and pickle lemonade. Some mad chef even managed to make a cheeseburger with ringed doughnuts in place of a bun- for those who really want to make themselves suffer. Whatever wild combinations of food you can think of are likely on show here and are even more likely deep-fried and put on a stick.
At the outskirts of the fair, livestock pens are set up. They promise pony rides, pig racing and, worryingly, the most attractive sheep competition. The Terrible Geese have somehow got into this, and can be seen strutting around with little red bows around their neck, occasionally stealing people's belongings. It's probably bets to leave them to it. Finally, you can see the triceratops that always makes an appearance at the fair since the Jurassic Park Incident. The normies still believe it is a prize bull.
There are many fair rides to partake in at the fair. There's a huge Ferris wheel for romantic rides that boasts an amazing view of the city. There's a thrilling, if slightly rickety roller coaster and a spooky ghost train amongst many other rides to try. The fair also has multitudes of carnival games to play. Ring toss, milk bottle toss, shoot the target- all kinds are available. Naturally, they're all also various levels of rigged in the carnies' favor. Not to be outdone by this (and because the fair IS in their territory) the Kitsune have set up a little fairground game in which you need to catch floating rubber ducks with a hook on a pole. The ducks have stickers on them promising fabulous prizes! For once, this doesn't seem to be rigged but the prizes, well...
A Meance To SocietyThe Kitsunes have properly got into the spirit of carnie games. As always, they require a secret or an embarrassing story to play the game, but the prizes they offer from their little hook-a-duck game are very legitimate. Each sticker under a duck denotes a prize, and you can play as many times as you like. Naturally, like all things the Kitsune do, everything is just a little bit cursed:
Red sticker: Invisibility scarf - A scarf that makes the wearer invisible. Except for their skeleton. Taking off the scarf does not make the wearer visible again.
Blue sticker: A goldfish - When you fall asleep, the goldfish sprouts legs, escapes its bowl and eats all the food in your kitchen. It then returns to the bowl, the legs vanish and it acts like a normal fish. Giving the fish away only passes this curse onto someone else.
Yellow sticker: Rainbow candy laces - Eating these will turn your hair a bright rainbow colour. Cutting it off will still mean your rainbow hair grows back.
Purple sticker: Lava lamp - A lamp which, once turned on, makes you hallucinate that the floor really IS made of lava. It definitely isn't, but the hallucination is pretty convincing, it feels hot and everything! Turning it off does not end the hallucination.
Orange sticker: A mime beret - A cute little beret! Like the mimes wear! Putting it one makes you unable to speak in anything but mime. Taking it off does not remove the curse.
If you bring your cursed items back to the Kitsune's stall, they remind you they work on a strict no-refund policy, and refuse to take the damn thing back or lift the curse, even if you offer it back for free. Even if you offer to pay for it. They do tell you that you can contact the guy who runs the Goodwill shop, he might be willing to take the item off your hands and remove whatever curse is befalling you. The shopkeeper, when told of your plight, will consider for a moment and then say that "the stars" have told him that he can help you- but only if you partake in a series of quests for him first. These "quests" involve picking up his dry cleaning, going his grocery shopping, cleaning his store and other such banal chores. Once these "quests" have been completed, he will take the item away from you, freeing you of the curse it holds. You walk away free of that nonsense, but can't shake the feeling you've just been the victim of a racketeering scam.
The Calvary is Here!Towards the end of July, several members of the Black Order (and a few former members) received interesting phone calls and text messages. Apparently, it was not only the Kaisou team who were fed up with the way the Order's been run. Quite a few guardians are fed up, actually, and are coming as support.
They're not all coming together, though, so it's over the course of a day or two that a total of thirteen allies all arrive. Some arrive by bus, though doubtlessly some in Kaisou really wish at least one of them hadn't. Some, mostly those stationed in Europe, come by plane and train. A few come by means of a farm truck, which seems to surprise some of the other allies. And the Florida Crew themselves arrive by van... though if you were expecting a certain earth malak you'll be sorely disappointed. Eizen's fine, he just got left somewhere in Tennessee and no one noticed they'd picked up the very lost and confused Acheron until they were across the Kentucky border. It happens.
It's not a lot, but it's thirteen more people than anyone expected, and they're all fairly skilled fighters. Some members of the Order might want to use this chance to catch up with old friends, and perhaps the app users might make new ones. (Or maybe you'll just end up fighting, given who some of these allies are.) Either way, they're here to help in whatever form that takes. Try your best to be welcoming hosts... most of them lack hinges.
Encounter: The Steel MaidenA couple days after the arrival of your new allies, Zodiac will send out a message on the Libra app.
ALERT: THREAT DETECTED IN HYRULE
Element Classification: Unknown
Danger Level: High
Designation: Hyrule
Zodiac has received a message from the Steel Maiden, one of the leaders of the Black Order. She has issued a challenge to the Libra app users, asking to meet her in the fields of Hyrule where she can "test your conviction". We'd like to caution anyone who chooses to take up her challenge to take extreme caution.
Should you head to the Zodiac offices, the staff there will seem... understandably anxious! These are folks who joined Zodiac in order to get a comfortable corporate jobs, not fight a whole revolution against the Black Order. They will explain that the Steel Maiden came by with the challenge earlier today. She was polite enough ("and pretty!" one of the female interns will chime in), but extremely intimidating. They speculate that by choosing to go to Hyrule field, she's hoping to avoid any collateral damage in whatever onslaught she's plotting. In other words, she's not planning on holding back.
If you plan to meet her challenge, you should make sure you're well prepared. Those who have met her in the past can warn you of what you'll be up against, and all the stories sound daunting. You don't want to wing this fight that is coming.
When you're ready, it's a short trip through the portal to Hyrule. In the center fields of Hyrule, with the backdrop of the ruins of Hyrule castle behind her, you can see an armored figure standing patiently in the field. With her, she has a massive lance that is easily the size of two adults.
It's time to take on the first of the unyielding.
Encounter: The Seraph♪- End of a Thought (Beat the Angel Remix)
Just as steel begins to clash on the fields of Hyrule, an alarm will sound in the Fortress of Meropide. The room containing Yggdrasil, which has been dormant this whole time, will activate the gate from Asgard. Anyone who is unlucky enough to be in the room at the time (such as the Zodiac employees assigned to figure out how to get Yggdrasil working) can watch through the gate will come a redheaded swordsmen. While he seems rather ordinary looking, anyone with any kind of power sensing will be able to tell he is incredibly strong.
Upon seeing others in the room, he'll draw his blade. It seems the Steel Maiden's challenge was a diversion to try to draw some of the stronger combatants away, while the Seraph deals with stragglers. Fight all you can to beat the angel.
With the attack by the Steel Maiden and the Seraph, one thing has become painfully clear: the critical moment in the rebellion is finally here. No more Zealot fodder being thrown at you, they were now dealing with the leaders themselves. It is time to take the battle to them and show them that they are no longer the ones in control. At least, once Zodiac's ready with preparing the way to Asgard. Until then, you have about a week to recover and prepare for the next phase.
On the evening of August 10th, the Zodiac employees will signal that the passage to Asgard will be open tomorrow morning. They've had their own fairshare of hardships collecting the materials to make a proper bifrost key, but it seems all their hard work won't be in vain. But now you'll have one final evening to prepare for the final battle. Make sure your equipment is ready, get in one last sparring session, confession your love, drink the night away - the evening is yours to do as you see fit.
The next morning, it's time gather in the Fortress of Meropide. There's a lot of hustle and bustle going on as people gather and make their final preparations. There's an energy in the air: nerves? excitement? It's hard to say what it is. But once everyone is gathered, it's time to head down to the sluice gate area under Wriothesley's office. Past the sluice gate, sits the room with part of Yggdrasil that you guys found in the previous month. The Zodiac employees will use the key they device to get the rooms mechanisms working, and as soon as they do, the bridge that leads to the Asgard gate will weave together from the branches of Yggdrasil.
Once you activate the gate and step through it, you'll find yourself on a path atop a gigantic tree. The tree that was in the other room? Was just a piece of the world tree. The Zodiac employees will tell you it's extremely important that you do not leave the path, unless you want to either die from the fall or wind up a snack for Nidhogg. Those brave enough to look over the path's edge might even catch the glimpse of the legendary beast near the bottom of the tree. Even from this high up, it's clear she's extremely massive. At this time, she pays no notice to your group... better keep it that way and keep moving on.
Keep walking on the the path. After a few minutes of walking, a glowing gate will appear in the center of the path. This is your last chance to turn back before stepping into Asgard. But if your nerves are steel, then just step through and onto your destiny.
Welcome to AsgardAs you step into Asgard, you're hit with a desolate and eerie version of the realm known to be the home of the Aesir gods. Those who've been on the Libra app for awhile likely has their run-ins with the divine and their realms. Compared to the breathtaking Jade Palace, or the Great Library of Alexander, or the vibrant Land of the Remembered... this realm feels so much emptier, and lifeless. Like a party hall after all the guests have gone home, but on a divine scale. Even the famous rainbow bifrost bridge you walk on seems more drained of its color.
A few of you will know the reason why: Ragnarok, the world-ending war between the Norse gods, took place a long time ago. And with the death of Odin and most of the other Aesir gods, this realm has been abandoned and the divinity that was once housed here has slowly depleted away. Off in the distance you can see the shattered remains of other parts of the rainbow Bifrost, still hanging limply in the sky. And the climate in this realm is cold compared to Kaisou's summer heat, thanks to the lingering effects of Fimbulwinter. Patches of snow are laying around, and you might even be able to see your own breath in the air.
It's truly an unsettling place. No wonder the Black Order made it their base of operations.
It's a short walk down the bridge before the main building comes into view. The base of it is a grand keep, one that wouldn't be out of place in the fjords of Scandinavia. However even from far away, you can tell that throughout the centuries there's been plenty of renovations and additions added on, such as extra space or electrical wiring. None of it quite matches the original architecture, as if the Order prioritized utility over restoration.
But even those who don't pay much mind to architecture choices will notice that the keep is tall. About twenty-seven stories tall. You best hope there's an elevator inside, or you're going to be faced with quite a climb.
As you approach the front gate, you'll see that there are several Black Order guards that stand in your way. It's a combination of left over gardemeks, trained magical beasts, and human loyalists to the Unyielding that have chosen to fight to preserve the Order they know. Perhaps you can convince some of the loyalists to flee with enough luck, otherwise you're going to have to fight your way through and show no hesitation in your conviction.
Get past the front guard and through the gate, and you'll find yourself in the grand entry hall of headquarters. There's loads of corridors and stairwells leading you to various parts of the headquarters. Interrogating a loyalist or asking one of the older Black Order members on your team will reveal the likely locations of the last three Unyielding: the library, the chapel and the throne room at the top of the keep.
Unfortunately, despite all your searching, you'll quickly realize that even with the modern upgrades, this place is missing one thing: an elevator. The entire place only has stairs.
Better get walking.
Exploring the KeepEven if they aren't the Aesir gods, the Black Order has made this their home for a long times, and there's plenty of signs of that as you wander through the halls. All the common areas have been well maintained, with not any specks of dust to be found. Curiously, while the Black Order members would remember there being lots of personnel staff around normally, not a single one of them can be found. It seems they had been told to evacuate not long ago, aware that you were coming.
If you're being thorough in your search, or you're simply lost, there are plenty of places of note to check out along the way
The Mess HallFound on the second floor is the mess hall, where the Order members would cook and eat their meals. It's a rather spacious place, with long wooden tables stretching across the room to sit at in the middle, while much smaller tables stood against the walls for the folks who preferred to eat alone. No doubt this was once a hall where the Aesir would hold a great many feasts, and judging by some of the broken tables and chairs stashed away in the corners - the current occupants were capable of getting just as rowdy as the Viking gods.
Attached to the mess hall was a kitchen, one large enough to easily cater to an entire banquet hall of people. While it was clearly originally built in ancient times, there's been plenty of modern upgrades added through the years. Fridges, sinks, cleaning supplies. Most of the food in the place seems to be a collection of food you'd typically find in Denmark, but there's a number of ingredients from other parts of the world that must've been put on special order to cater to some people's personal tastes. There's even a few fridges that are marked for people to keep personal items for themselves.... with several memos telling people to make sure to clearly mark if something is yours, and a passive aggressive sticky note about someone taking "Dale's sandwich".
Take a moment to rest, grab some food, or steal more of Dale's lunch before moving on.
The Temporary DormitoriesA good chunk of the keep are dedicated to the living quarters of the various Black Order members. Between the Guardians and the support staff, the Order could have hundreds of members at any given time, so it's no surprise the living areas would take up so much space. Black Order members would know that the Order was flexible with their housing, allowing the Guardians to choose whether they wanted to have a permanent residence in the Keep, or live elsewhere.
Those who didn't want a permanent place to stay in the Order, but needed to stay at Headquarters for awhile would find themselves staying in the temporary dormitory wing. This area looks like a shared living area, with communal bathrooms and common areas. The sleeping areas are sectioned off with a few beds or bunk beds in each of the rooms. There were a couple private sleeping rooms for those who insisted on privacy, but actually getting one could sometimes prove to be a herculean feat. Most of the beds do look like they were well kept by the house staff before they left, though notably- one bed, the one that Ardyn would always call dibs on, is currently covered items that seem more in line with a certain Earth dragon's taste: old books, a Chinese zither dating from the Song Dynasty, other priceless antiques ranging from $2000-8000 dollars in value. There's a passive aggressive note nearby, asking Ardyn to talk to the house staff about getting a proper room rather than leaving his possessions in an open room without saying anything. As for Ardyn's actual possessions? They've been shoved in a random storage closet on another floor, along with any possession that Fugo and Ash left behind when they left the Order.
The Permanent RoomsFor those who choose to take up the Order's offer to have a permanent living space, their rooms can be found in another wing. In this wing, there's a series of long hallways full of doors with Guardian names on them. Behind each door is a small studio-sized apartment for the Guardians to live in, complete with their own bathroom (no full kitchen though).
Most of these rooms are inaccessible, as they are warded with a powerful magic that only allows the tenant of the room and their allowed guests to enter. Guardians (and their friends) are allowed to access their own rooms, either to reclaim stuff they left behind or simply take some time to relax.
However, should the Guardian in question be no longer alive (such as the zealots you fought), the protective ward on their door will have faded and you should be able to enter their room without any issue. That is, so long as you don't have any issues with snooping around a dead person's belongings.
[OOC Note: If there's a zealot's room you wish to explore, go ahead and indicate which one in the questions section of the OOC plotting post, and we'll be happy to supply you with the info you need!]
The Training GroundsWander enough on the ground floor, and you'll eventually find yourself stepping outside into the training grounds in the back of the keep. It's a wide expanse of land, with various stations set up to serve as a training ground for the Guardians to fight. Everything from target dummies, to obstacle courses, to a shooting range, to an open area that's clearly designated for duels and spars. Not far from the fighting ring, there is a cot set up underneath an awning with some of Cu's personal belongings. Seem he rather stayed here rather than sleep up in the barracks.
On the far side of the training grounds sits a stone and wood shack that looks like it hasn't been upgraded in ages. Inside is the living quarters of Kratos, though to call it a living space is rather generous. The entire place is rather spartan, with barely any decorations. The straw and linen bed looks like it's never been slept on, and there's dust gathering on the single bookshelf. The only personal item is a locket on his nightstand. Inside the locket is a painted portrait of a woman and her brown hair baby. There's no indication of who the two might be.
The ArmoryNear the training grounds is the armory. Unsurprisingly, the armory is full of weapons and armor that are at the disposable of the Black Order Guardians to use. Anything from old fashion swords to modern weaponry. Looks like for the ordinary weapons there was a pretty lengthy rental process the Guardians would have to go through, judging by the various instructional signs and paperwork lying around. All the weapons themselves are locked up with regular locks, so you'll need someone with lock-picking abilities in order to grab any.
Past the room with ordinary weapons is a room that's been magically sealed off. From the signs, it seems this is the room where they keep all the magical or special weapons. While some of you may have your curiosity piqued, it might be better to move on for now. You came here to stop the Unyielding, not to loot.
The DungeonShould you manage to get into the basement floors, you'll find yourself in the dungeon. While most of the Order's prisoners would get shipped to the Fortress of Meropide, there were some that were best kept in Asgard properly. There's two main levels of the dungeon. On the upper floor, there are cells that are built to hold human size prisoners. Guardians would recognize this area as the place they kept temporary prisoners, such as people they needed to interrogate, or when a Guardian got out of line enough to need a time-out. Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any prisoners being held currently.
As for the lower floor, the cells are much larger in size... much, much larger. It seems this floor is dedicated to the prisoners that were otherwise too big to fit in the Fortress of Meropide. There is a large empty cell that once housed Azhdaha before the break-out that happened last year. Further down the hall, there is cell that's been magically sealed. Should you peek through the bars on the door, you'll see an enormous black and purple dragon that's also been placed in a deep slumber with various magic charms. It's... probably a good idea to leave that one alone for now.
At the end of the hallway on the lower level, there will be a door that's labeled "RESTRICTED", and has been heavily sealed by magics. One may wonder what's behind this door, but for now it's probably best to keep moving on.
Encounter: The BookkeeperThe Library never stands unattended. But while entering the library, there seems to be no attendants--one still can't shake off the feeling of being watched. As if the books have eyes themselves--or perhaps, because there's something watching you from the shadows. There's something deeply unsettling about this library, and upon entering, there are glowing glyphs on the floor. Don't worry--they're not traps, but rather, anyone who enters the library will soon find any sort of magic ability they have that can cause them to grow in exponential size has been disabled.
Nothing personal, a low, dragging voice echoes from the ceiling, its register deep enough to rattle someone who's not heard it before. I just can't risk you destroying anything. The voice cuts deep as a man emerges--unnaturally tall, but slumped in posture, a beautiful golden kiseru in one hand curling a plume of smoke up towards the expansive ceiling. A small fox sat quietly on his shoulder, the man will give a long-suffering sigh. He doesn't seem to want to be here, much less does he move to attack.
Until the room starts to distort as the floor drops out underneath your character--and all of a sudden you feel intensely, unshakably tired. Exhausted enough to fall off into a deep sleep...
It'll be better for everyone if you just don't wake up, okay.
With the fall of the illusory magic trapping people within twisted dreams and sweet nightmares, The Black Order's expansive library can now be fully viewed in all its glory. Bookshelves are as tall as the ceiling and has a couple of ways to gain access to specific books. One is the old fashioned way of getting a rolling ladder to climb up to the higher shelves. Another is for those of spider-inclination since the top of the library has some magical webbing to allow the Bookkeeper to traverse quickly. The last way is by going to what appears to be a podium and writing down either the title, author, or specific subject you're looking for and the books will magically fly over to you. Be very careful that it's specific or else you might summon an entire swarm of books!
There are not just books from recent print within the bookshelves, either, but ones that are ancient, lost, possibly stolen reclaimed, and ones that are distinctly otherworldly. Some books are sealed by complicated magic to prevent them from being so much as touched, such as one that is labeled The Book of Night with Moon and a series with the title The Sibylline Books. As The Bookkeeper warns, you should definitely not touch such books or else there will be some extremely dire consequences.
Other than the files the gloomy spider will encourage you to stay away from --for your own safety--in his final moments he's allowed he will pass on information about other parts of the library that aren't dangerous, but hold information that his fellow unyielding would have sought to destroy were it not for his incessant desire to protect all knowledge at all costs.
Among this is a well-kept section that is more like an archive than a place for books and tomes of great knowledge. It's an entire corridor that seems to go on forever--but it's very well alphabetized and neat, and one will find files describing several hundreds of thousands of individuals that have been in the employ of the Black Order throughout the years.
This includes current members from Kaisou, as well as the allies who have come to aid in the battle. There are many files that are empty with their names torn away and smudged--but the file still exists, despite how hauntingly empty it is. And interesting, there's some files among them that belong to app users that never have been in the Order, and yet the files read as if they are. Though, looking at the dates, all of them are accounted for years well before your current life was ever born. The app users native to this Earth already know they've been reincarnated once from a previous world, so what's to say this life cycle isn't the only reincarnation you've experienced?
However, as you read these files? You'll notice that for some, it wasn't a simple matter of a single lifetime serving with the Order. Rather, their files record many lifetimes of service. One or two lifetimes could be reasoned as just being a funny coincidence of fate, but more than that? It feels much more... intentional.
And if there was any doubt in your mind about the intentionality of these lifetimes of service, the research reports that are amongst these files all but confirms any nagging of paranoia in one's mind.
So therein comes the Order's darkest secret: in order to ensure they'd have a consistent supply of Guardians, the Order has resorted to truly dubious methods. First by using the Bookkeeper's ability to see their future and their potential utility, they track down new recruits (in fact, now that you think about it, it is odd how quick the Order would show up after someone's past memories and abilities activated). Then, should someone prove themselves to be a good Guardian? The Order would use various means to... increase the chances of being able to recruit them again the next time they reincarnated.
The methods they came up with didn't have a perfect success rate. There wasn't any guarantees where and when a person would reincarnate, or if they would do so at all. Perhaps that's why the Order was so invested in the idea of controlling gods, as an attempt to find a way to gain mastery over the world's lifecycle itself. Not only that, but it seems whatever triggers people's past lives memories varies from person to person. But for those they did find out the specific trigger, they'd utilize it again and again, all to gain a Guardian for another generation.
[OOC Note: should you wish to have your AU character to have been a former Order member in their past life, you can! Just talk to the mods about it and we can work something out!]
As for the Otherworlders among you, while there's no indication you've served the Order at anytime- you still have your own files marking you as people of interest. In the files, are information sheets that was gathered from Order intelligence reports, and the Bookkeeper's foresight abilities. Throughout them, are general assessment reports about whether they should attempt to recruit them, or seal them. Basically, they were really interested in the potential and/or threat of the Otherworlders, and things surely would've escalated had the Order continued to have been left to their own devices.
At the apex of this section lies several large tomes and folders that relate to the lives of the Unyielding themselves. The spider's own section losing an odd glow as what seems to be protective glyphs are slowly wearing off of it, giving any who choose access to his files--as well as the files of any of the other Unyielding who have been put off the map. There are two, the Ghost General and the Executor, that are still under heavy protection, and any who try to touch them will find them completely impenetrable.
As some might remember, there were originally seven members of the Unyielding. Yet so far, everything indicates that you're only dealing with five of them now. Well, it seems There are also two sections that name a pair of Unyielding that have so far been MIA. Studying their files will provide a quick and easy answer as to why: they had originally been part of the Unyielding as valued allies, but eventually were deemed an enemy and slain by other members of the group.
Their names are listed as Edea Kramer and Sousuke Aizen, and their files are unfortunately, free to read.
[OOC: if your character would look into their files, let us know in the questions section of the Plotting post and we'll be happy to give info!]
Confrontation: The ExecutorAs you travel deeper into Asgard, pushing open a pair of heavy wooden double doors leads you to a spacious Catholic chapel, dimly lit and rarely visited. Wildly out of place in what was once the home of pagan gods, looking hard enough might lead one to determine it was remodeled over the course of many years; logic would dictate it was previously some form of grand hall before its current inhabitant took residence.
Before the altar at the far end of the room stands a tall and imposing man in a long coat, hands clasped in silent prayer. As he turns to greet you with an empty-eyed smile, those with a sense for magic will immediately realize something is wrong here. Though he may not look as immediately dangerous as Kratos or Arianrhod, his presence alone is like the feeling of missing a step on a flight of stairs.
The air is thick with malicious intent and a strange sense of something decidedly ungodly; you may want to consider your next move carefully.
Encounter: Ghost GeneralUpon entering the throne room, the first thing you will notice is that this room is a fusion of two cultural architecture design philosophies: Old Norse and Chinese. Along the left and right walls streams down glowing, clean water straight from Alfheim. The back wall has an intricate yet ancient map of the Nine Realms and how they’re placed on the World Tree at any given second. It seems to be tracking the Realms’ movements in real time, even though the original masters are long gone from this place. In front of the map is a tall throne that’s very clearly of Chinese make. Twin dragon-lion statues made of pure gold stand proudly halfway between the doors and the throne itself, as if protecting the man who sits upon it.
The man who sits on the throne is calmly composed yet severe. His bearing is one that commands respect, and it’s clear to see why many followed him as a general. He’s dressed in armor befitting an old warrior of China. A sword hangs from his hip, which gives off a sinister aura as if it has a will of its own - and that will is full of killing intent. The Ghost General Jun Wu doesn’t seem as if he’s surprised to see you here. Indeed, he seems to have expected you to have made it this far.
You’d best steel yourself for a brutal fight to the death ahead.
As the final members of the Unyielding fall, so does the Black Order as they know it. This war has finally been won. No more will people have to fear being forced to serve the Order, in this lifetime or in the next one. While many of the Unyielding once held to noble ideas, it's clear in their final hours they had fallen wayward of their original vision. And now with them gone, new eyes can start envisioning things anew.
For many app users, this is a job well done. You're free to go back to Kaisou through Yggdrasil and enjoy a peaceful rest of the month. However, for some of you, the work is only just beginning. As corrupt as they were, the Black Order had an important role in the Paranormal World. Without their might, folks who seek to use the Spirit Realm for ill will can now run uncheck. You'll have to figure out what your next steps are now, and how to manage the power vaccuum your actions caused.
Have a celebration for all you accomplished, and then? Get back to work.
The dominant element this month is Fire! Anyone with an affinity to the fire 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 Wind 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. This log will be updated on August 10th to include the second half of the log, so stay tuned!
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But there's no time for that. Arianrhod casts that golden eye over herself, and if that and her declaration hadn't clued Yasuho in on the battle starting, the abrupt charge would.]
Fort- SHOOT-!
[Not the best time to try casting maybe! Arianrhod's lance comes swinging, and in her rush to avoid Blade's backward motion she nearly trips over her own tail (8+2). Her own Pod- Paisley at the 'wheel'- does a better job.
Fortunately she keeps footing- steadying herself and taking a deep breath to blow out a few spells as fast as possible.]
FORTUNA....SHINING....!
[It's their- Venti, Faye, Blade, and even herself- turn to gain a floating gold eye- and hopefully with those boosts they can even the field just a little.]
no subject
The stage is set,
And you'll lose this bet!
With my song
We'll be strong!
[He then starts to shred on his lyre as he begins to sing. Fire magic infuses his voice and strengthens Blade, Vergil, Ash, and Viv.]
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Though she tries to be ready, and regardless of who she used to be, Faye has only recently taken up her swords. The entire fight with Homura had been at a distance, so calm or not, Faye isn't as prepared for the sudden charge as she'd have liked to be. The sweep of Arianrhod's lance breaks her stance -- forces her to stagger back several steps and drop to her knee to avoid toppling over even worse. She only barely manages to keep hold of her weapon, but her entire arm aches from the impact, and she's fortunate Blade rushes forward, buying her time to fall back regardless of intention. (5+3)
Fine. If she can't get in close without losing this battle of strength -- at least not yet -- then she still has options.
With Blade's range of attack being as wide as it is, Faye takes a moment to move to the side -- just enough that with Arianrhod dealing with his sword and wind blades, she gets the sort of opening she's looking for. Flaming sword still held down at her side, Faye's left hand lifts to conjure up a fireball -- basketball-sized will have to do -- and launches it with a flick of her wrist toward Arianrhod as near as she can manage to the tail-end of Blade's strike. (17+5)]
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However, it's only half a second. When Faye throws that fireball, Arianrhod immediately recovers and dodges out of the way. Holding out her free hand, she'll fire a bolt of lightning in Faye's direction (14+8 aka 22).
She then turns her attention back to Blade. The first swing of her lance manages to miss as it goes wide (4+5 aka 9), but she immediately follows it up with a second strike as she swings it back, as if the first one was meant to give a false sense of security (17+5 aka 22)
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Watch your distance!
[He has half a mind to see if Faye makes it but he can't afford a distraction right now. Arianrhod swings at him again, but Blade is just fast enough on his feet to roll underneath it (14+2). He needs to close the distance—so he leaps forward and tries to slide his blade between the segments of her shoulder armor, though his aim could use some serious work (4+7=... 11).]
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Maybe she should ask him about that later..? (Is he a god of music? He's a god of somethiing she knows and trusts in that at least...)
She watches the other two make- and only somewhat land- their blows, eyes widening when Arianrhod dodges and counters in turn.] OH-! FAYE-
[Don't move- She reminds herself that it'll be more help to everyone if she stays here, and focuses (19). She needs to trust them to look after themselves, needs to trust her friend to look after herself, and so rather than panic and blast through the last of her magic energy she goes for her bag.
...Not the ethers, god, not those.
Not yet.Two water bottles! One for her, and-]
For your throat, to be safe?
[Here, Venti- stay hydrated. She tries to keep her eyes on the others while passing him the bottle. If things go sour, it'll go sour Fast.]
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Thank you! I definitely appreciate it.
[He uncaps it and takes a sip. Then, he says casually:]
Wanna see this become a weapon?
[Venti sets the water bottle down on the ground and assumes a standard tai-chi stance. As he moves his arms with grace, the water responds and a stream flows upwards. He then motions sharply, swift as a snake. The water responds by whipping out at Arianrhod's head (15+4).]
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She'd heard Yasuho's voice while she was focused on dodging, so rather than shouting back, her friend will get Faye's voice in her head "I'm okay, don't worry."
Faye doesn't have the luxury of time for more reassurance, her eyes staying on the fight specifically between Blade and Arianrhod. She's being careful about keeping her distance, keeping the reach of Arianrhod's lance in mind.. while still keeping the idea of if something goes terribly wrong she's near enough.
Her left hand has lifted with the intention to attempt another fireball, but the small flame is short-lived when she aborts the decision early at the sight of the water whipping at Arianrhod. In spite of herself, she hesitates. (5+2=7) It's good that she's out of melee range -- it gives her time to consider how to proceed without the elements clashing.]
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As for Venti's attack, Arianrhod didn't earn her reputation just based on raw strength alone. Instead she's paying attention to every angle of the battle field, and hears Venti's little quips - giving it away he's about to attack with the water. This gives her more than enough time to nimbly dodge out of the way of the water whip (17+2=19).
And in response? She's taking the hit on Blade as her opening, launching her and her lance forward at an extremely fast speed directly - enough to cause a force of energy to radiated around her. Moving past Blade, she speeds at Yasuho (18+3 =21) and Venti (18+3=21) directly, until she blows past them. ]
Take this more seriously, William!
[Words that she's probably said to him before, in different times. She then swiftly turns around so she's facing the whole team - which now has their positioning in reverse.]
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I'm not done with you yet!
[He gathers his ability to fly, if only briefly, so he can try a plunging attack from the sky. Unfortunately, not even Shining can help him here (7+5=12).
Annoyed by how hard it is to track his target, he reaches for the power of his Vision instead. A fiery glow erupts around him, turning the grass beneath his feet into a field of red spider lilies. Tank Life has been activated, for all the good it'll do now. Standing in this field also gives him a moderate heal over time effect, all the better to supplement the fact he's been using his vitality to power those sword moves.]
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[Yasuho doesn't get much time to respond. She hears Faye's mental shout that she's okay at least, but then the next thing she knows is Venti's slinging the water from the bottle in Arianrhod's direction.
She of course, dodges.] Not really what I was going f-
[And from there, commands the rest of Yasuho's attention with a burst of energy that tells her to get out of the way. Arianrhod charges, and Yasuho bolts to the side with Venti (19+2), eyes captured by the blur of steel and gold. It's hard not to be taken by the composure of the 'Steel Maiden'. Hard not to look at the figure, now standing directly before them, with fear and some sort of awe alike.
Fortunately she's good at having her mind in two places at once.
The Pod- Paisley, darts to where her host and partner still stands with rapid beeping of alarm. A shield grows, and in the same moment it takes to grow and cover hers and Venti's small portion of the field, Yasuho's friendship bracelet shines; pilfered black bell giving a single jingle as a greatsword of similar look and structure to Shio's appears in her hand.
The sword is just a sword- but at least it's the type she's most familiar with, grasping the handle with two hands. But the shield can protect as many as 4 people...
........For 30 seconds, anyway (18).]
I'll cover you, we can't stay this close!
[She's referring to Venti, of course, but Faye might take advantage of the shield as well. Blade, on the other hand, has presumably launched himself quite nicely to the side that has Arianrhod on it.]
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While he's slowly floating down like a dandelion, one might get the impression that he's pouting.]
Alas, not even Zhongli
Could make me serious, Jeanie!
[Despite saying that, the bard then abruptly slashes downward with his arm. A rain of fire in the shape of feathers shoot down like shooting stars at Arianrhod (16+7). They're tightly focused on the lady knight so as not to impede Blade or any other melee fighter. At the same time, he gently floats down to the ground away from Yasuho to avoid bunching up too closely. Although, for those who know him, there's guilt in his eyes for using that move. His thoughts in this moment:
I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry oh my God I'm going to hell for doing that to her—]
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There's no way she could get there even half as quickly as Blade had, but that isn't about to stop her. Faye shifts her fiery sword from her right hand to her left, reaching near Yasuho and Venti by the time she sees the spider lilies and the rain of fire. At this point, there's no better moment.
A few more steps and the first flickers of fire alight over her right hand -- another step, two, and she can see Arianrhod just past Blade. Markings like cracked porcelain slowly spider their way up her neck and over the curve of her jaw, glowing as brightly as the fireball she ignites above her palm.
"Careful on your right--!"
With that being all the warning she can afford to give Blade, even as quick as telepathy is, Faye launches the fireball toward what is now the frontlines. This time though, she isn't about to leave the trajectory at the mercy of her initial aim -- Faye is turning her right wrist as she skids to a stop finally, taking a knee as the fireball turns, arcing past Blade's side to turn directly toward Arianrhod's more exposed waist. (Nat 20.)]
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She knows what you did Venti.
Perhaps it the dramatic look that gives Faye her opening, as she wasn't expecting a fireball from the side. It collides into her, and she gives a pained sound. Not much of one, she's a stoic person, but it's enough to know it caused actual pain]
.... I see. Very clever, Faye.
[The helmet was already knocked askew from Blade's hit, and now with all the fire things were heating up-- so she'll take off her helmet, tossing it aside. To Venti, she doesn't look like she's aged a day from last they saw each other. That is, besides her eyes, that have long lost their once fiery spark and instead look tired and cold.]
But now that you've all seen fit to play with fire, it's time I respond with some of my own!
[She charged up a power, the aura around her glowing gold as she does. She raises a lance, summoning a lightning filled tornado around her- debris flying everywhere. The tornado then goes flying at the entire party, grabbing them and lifting them up into the air like rag dolls]
I am steel! She who cuts through all!
[She then races towards them at a blinding speed, hitting Blade (15+9=24), Yasuho (19+9=28), Venti (9+9=18), and Faye (7+9=16) as she zooms past them with her lance. As she does so, they will find themselves bound to a cross made of lightning energy. ONce they are all pinned, she'll drop back onto the ground and turn to look back at them]
This is your end! Grand Cross!
[On cue, the crosses all explode at once into an explosion of lightning that hits all of them before dropping them onto the ground (NAT 20 WHY NOW)
Note: if you are protected by a shield, the explosion will break the shield but you can roll to see if you manage to somehow. dodge an explosion. Or something IDK]
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... That's almost kind of insulting.
Still, he weathers it as best as he can, like he did with Jingliu's torture. Compared to a thousand thousand times being cut apart, this is nothing. Every cut that does hit him, redirected from his party members, only makes his blood boil (2 7 15 16 18). Thankfully, it doesn't appear like everyone was caught in it.
He lands on one knee, still surrounded by the spider lilies gently swaying with the wind. Some twisted regeneration magic gathers about him, an enchantment that reads like a curse to those with magic sensing, and he steps forward to retaliate with a wicked sword counter charged by all the health he's lost in the past few rounds. At the same time, that curse heals him so he's not hanging on the edge of consciousness, though he's still bloody and looking worse for wear.
He's not out, though.]
You're strong... but if you want to hurt them... you'll have to go through me!
[Then, winding up his sword arm once more, he sends another X-shaped Forest of Swords at her for good measure (11+5).]
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But just as she even starts to move her hooved feet from the ground, something else, something far more powerful rattles against the shield. Arianrhod slams against the shields and bodies of all of them with enough force to send them all into the air, and as the ozone of an incoming storm gathers Yasuho realizes something vital.
She can't move.
She can't move, and the pod is down there, the already flickering shield useless-(7+2)
......and then nothing comes.]
Huh..?!
[It's not hard to see why either- Blade is taking all of it. She doesn't get much more time to gawk however, as the final part of Arianrhod's S-Craft blow makes its mark.
Namely, the part where they have to land again.]
AUGH-!
[Ow. (2)
She's not nearly as injured as she could have been- a blessing, surely- but the same can't be said for Blade. And what about the others?
Just a moment and she'll be able to see for herself. But for now, the woman groans and tries not to think about how she probably almost died just now.]
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Like Dvalin, like Zhongli, he failed to be found in time to prevent them from suffering this crushing despair and loneliness. Unlike them... Venti has the sinking feeling in his stomach that there's no saving Jean. Although there's a point to be made about his old friend being too stubborn to ask for help in the first place, he... still feels he's failed her greatly.
He can't help wondering if this is what would've happened to Dvalin if he hadn't woken up in time, if he hadn't been able to finally reach the Anemo dragon....
It's in that moment that the bard is, unfortunately, wide open to Arianrhod's S-Craft. He feels himself bound by the lightning, and it's painful. He's a god of freedom. To be bound, to be chained even temporarily is an agony unlike any other he's experienced before. He can't even tell if it's something he's experienced as Barbatos or if it's unique to this life in Kaisou.
The explosion goes off, but he feels no pain from that. The moment Venti is released from crucifixion, that pain stops. His body feels weighed down and there's a light sheen of sweat on his face. Yet he still stands.
Seeing how injured Blade is after that, and putting together the pieces of what happened, Venti's eyes harden. He summons his lyre and sings an old, soothing melody in Welsh. Wind magic infuses into his music, bringing a sudden breeze to soothe and heal Blade, Yasuho, and Faye regardless of if they need it.]
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Her fiery sword tumbles from her left hand as she realizes she doesn't even have the freedom to struggle against what force is holding her in place. For the first time since combat began, her calm cracks just a little and she can feel very real fear tightening her chest. Even so, she doesn't -- can't -- close her eyes against what happens all around her.. and when Arianrhod's strikes seem to do no damage to anyone except for Blade, an odd sense of certainty begins warring with her fear.
After the explosion around her causes no pain, she is quite unceremoniously dropped from where she'd been suspended in the air. Faye can only really attribute it to how focused that flicker of fear had made her, when she manages to keep upright upon landing -- though she does stumble a couple steps backward.
One step, then two, and she's knelt to grab her sword by the time a soothing breeze flutters her coat just a little. Where her right arm had still ached from Arianrhod's initial strike.. the pain feels as if it's simply swept away on the wind. She would have to remember to thank Venti for this once everything was over.. but for now her eyes never leave Arianrhod and Blade.]
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Nngh!
[That was a sound of pain and surprise from the Steel Maiden, incredibly. The attack certainly does damage. But unfortunately, it doesn't hinder her so much that she's stunned- allowing her to parry the X-Strike with her lance (19+2=21)]
Well done... but we're only getting started.
[Congrats! You've progressed to Phase 2!]