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kaisou2025-05-13 11:29 am
May Event Log
May Spirit Realm Event Log
Dominant Element: Shadow
Waning Element: Light
Full Moon: May 11th - 13th
※
While the weather has been typical of a pleasant late spring, there's no missing how dark the nighttime hours are. Not only is the Spirit Vein darker with hues of black and purple, but even the city lights don't seem to light up as well as they normally do. It's so easy to feel like you're constantly enveloped in a looming darkness. It's made even worse by the increase of spirits in the city, that whisper and haunt several spots around Kaisou.
Haunted NightsKaisou is no stranger to hauntings - a city with an active spirit vein will always see more paranormal events than one without. This month however? There is a significant increase of ghostly activity. Where once you might caught the odd poltergeist knocking things over in a store, or see a floating orb passing you in the night, now the city is lousy with ghosts. Some are your standard Kaisou ghost fare - souls who have not yet passed on who are haunting the living world until they can - but others are not that. If you are born of this world, or especially if you're an otherworlder, you will start to notice ghosts of people you recognize. Even of people who, last you remember or saw them, were absolutely not dead.
Some of these ghosts may be a comfort to you- a chance to reconnect with someone you loved long ago. And some are just that- happy to talk to you- to ask you to help them move on from this world, acutely aware they are not supposed to be here. These ones are easy to deal with, they don't want to be hanging around, they just want to move on and find their peace. Some, however, are angry and are aiming to cause as much destruction as they can. They want to harm the living and will outright attack anyone who comes near them- some even seek out property to damage. If they knew you in life, they might lash out - calling you out on your wrongdoings in life, anything that might have cause them harm - perceived or otherwise. These ghosts will not pass on easily, and will need to be exorcised.
Some paranormal residents of the city will suddenly take up ghost blogging as a hobby, running around with cameras trying to interview and sometimes outright provoke the ghosts into action, hindering your efforts to keep the peace. Regardless of how you ultimately deal with the ghosts, it's clear that their numbers are not going to slow. That by helping (or forcing) them to move on, all you're really doing is putting a band aid on a bullet wound. You need to cut the invasion off at the source, to prevent the flood of ghosts from continuing into the city. Luckily, Zodiac have an answer on how to do just that.
Land of the ForgottenOn the morning of May 5th, your phone will receive a notification from the Zodiac on the Libra app.
ALERT: SPIRIT REALM GATE DETECTED IN CATHEDRAL HILL
Element Classification: Shadow
Danger Level: Extreme
Designation: Land of the Forgotten
Zodiac has detected a Spirit Gate on Cathedral Hills. Reports indicate it's the Land of the Forgotten, and may be related to the increased paranormal activity in the city.
When you had into the Zodiac office, you will find the place to be rather quiet. Apparently a lot of the staff have been in a lot of meetings since a recent PR fumble by one of the staff. Professor Barbie is rather unaffected by this, however, and she's much more interested in discussing the matters of the Spirit Realm. You see, Zodiac's also noticed the increase in spirits. It turns out, these ghosts have been escaping out of a tear of one of the afterlife realms- the Land of the Forgotten, specifically.
Those who have been on the app for a long time might be getting flashbacks to that realm, as it's the place where several app users died during a ritual sacrificial game of soccer during the first year of the app. Not to mention it's covered in ruins of the past worlds... all in all, not a pleasant realm to visit. But Professor Barbie insists that the tear needs to be investigated, and since you guys are the experts in dealing with such issues... it's up to you. Professor Barbie's even gone far enough to get clearance from the Black Order to allow you access to the realm... so you might not have much of a choice.
The gate is found in Cathedral Hill, in an old nearly-forgotten cemetery behind the church. It appears as a majestic mausoleum of sorts, with a foreboding dark energy radiating from it. Sure enough, at any given time, there are a couple Black Order Guardians posted nearby it, monitoring and making sure no one tries to go into this realm that shouldn't be there. However, once they realize you're an app user, they'll PROBABLY let you through. Some of the more thoughtful ones will give you word of caution- this will be far from an easy journey.
Ruins of OldAs you enter the realm, the sight that lays before you is a grim one. A land of ruins, covered in ash. This is the Land of the Forgotten, where those who are no longer remembered will eventually find themselves. The landscape is littered with ruins that have been forgotten by time: pyramids, towers, and castles, slowly eroding away and turning into ash themselves. As anyone born of this world wander these ruins, they will notice some buildings look familiar to them. Places from AU character's memories can be found scattered among the ruins of the realm: the schools they attended, their old houses, the place they once worked, and so on. These places can be explored in full, though they are in a worse state than they were in the memories. Still they look in better shape than some of the other buildings, almost like remembering them slows their descent into ash.
As you explore these ruins, you may want to be careful as you aren't the only ones in this realm. Numerous denizens live in this realm, serving as both the guards and the threats of the realm. There's the Tlahuelpuchi, female vampires that can shift between human and vultures or an monstrous form in-between. These vampires are out to drink people's blood, but can be fought off using metal. Any bodies of water (forgotten streams and lakes that are among the ruins) have Ahuizotl lurking within, a dog-sized creature with a hand on its tail that'll grab anyone who gets near with the intent to drown and feast on their flesh. And through some ruins prowls Dzulum, large jaguar creatures who are territorial and have claimed certain ruins as theirs. Any of these beings can't be reasoned with, and will attack on sight when they spot you outsiders to their realm.
However even with these monsters, the most numerous beings are the souls of the forgotten. They have a skeletal look to them, and can be found throughout the realm. Unlike the souls who still held enough memory and will to slip through the tear and into the city, these forgotten souls have grown too weak from the erosion process to cross the veil. A few of them might recognize you and call to you, but it's a person you've long forgotten either in your current or past life. Try to jog your memory as much as you can, but their name and face always slips out of your grasp. Most of the souls have resigned themselves to begin forgotten and eventually fading to ash, some even embracing it and making the best of it. However, some have not accepted their fate and have grown so resentful they've lost themselves in another way. Their skeletal forms are more monstrous and they will attempt to attack the living. Try to avoid or fight them off as best you can. Once defeated, they will crumble into ash.
Ruins of NewFor those here intent on sealing the tear, they'll quickly come to realize that this realm is far too massive and dangerous to explore blindly. So, your best bet is to track down the ruler of this realm, Xibalba, and have him tell you where there tear is. However, those with presence sensing or enough charisma to ask the various souls will come to learn that Xibalba isn't in his castle today. Rather, he's on the edge of the realm attending to some duties... and he's not alone.
So after a long trek, you'll reach the edge of the main area of realm, which cuts off as a jagged cliff. However... you'll notice beyond the mainland there are several floating islands that are being connected to the mainland by means of large chain bridges, and they're being slowly dragged to the main land. Each of these floating islands contain ruins of various locations, but ones that are much more intact than anything remaining on the mainland. Instead of singular buildings, there's entire neighborhood's worth of places, or maybe even small towns. And for some unfortunate otherworlders... some of these locations may be places they recognize from home. In front of next each chain bridge connecting an island is a tombstone. Chiseled onto the tombstone is the world's name that it came from, a long string of numbers indicating which version of that world it is, and the cause of its destruction.
Should you cross the chain bridge and reach the islands, you'll find it is in fact fresh ruins from other destroyed world. The newest of these islands still have souls lingering, waiting to be processed and move onto their next life. Some of them will remember their deaths, while others it came too fast for them to recall much at all. You can chat with them awhile, for the otherworlders it may feel as a tearful reunion. Some of these familiar worlds are clearly alternate universes from your own homeworld.... while others, it's too difficult to be sure which version it is.
Whether you wait with the souls, or go to find them on your own, eventually you will come upon the death god Xilbalba. He's not alone today, as this time he's accompanied by his wife and fellow death god -- La Muerte, who is a tall and beautiful skeleton woman. Fortunately thanks to the presence of his charming wife, Xibalba is much more personable today than the last time app users encountered him. If asked what they are doing, they will explain these islands came from recently destroyed worlds and whose remaining fragments were drawn to this world, so they were doing their duty of processing the souls and sending them to their next destination. For some of the souls, they'll be joining this world's reincarnation cycle, and for others... they'll be heading to their own respective afterlives, wherever that might be.
And so, upon seeing the two death gods, the souls will begin to line up to be processed. Xibalba will try to shoo you away so they can do their work, pointing in the direction of the tear so you can deal with it and get out of their hair. Meanwhile, La Muerte is empathetic enough that she'll encourage any otherworlders to say their goodbyes to any loved ones -- though she'll gently refuse allowing anyone to actually watch the soul processing, as some things about death truly cannot be known by the living. So... this is your time to say your goodbyes, and make your departure with the hope that one day, either in this life or the next life, you'll see your loved ones again.
As for anyone who tries to disrupt or stop the soul processing? Will get one singular warning from the gods not to intervene. However should you ignore these warnings and persist.... depending on how they go about it and how aggressive they are, the character will find themselves immediately being teleported out of the realm and unable to re-entered.... or just killed on the spot. Turns out you shouldn't mess with death gods.
[OOC: Please note that it's optional for OU homeworlds to be part of the newly destroyed worlds, and requires the approval of the whole cast (aka, please talk to your castmates!)! It's also up to players if these destroyed worlds are the ones the OUS came from or are just alternate universe versions! Also, should your character insist on fighting the death gods, you will need to fill out the death permission form, as that's basically the only result of that.]
Remain ForgottenOf course, you're not just here to deal with these destroyed worlds. You originally came to this realm to deal with the ghost problem, and that is still a prevalent issue. Xilbalba and La Muerte both say it's unusual that so many spirits would make a break for the land of the living. They normally would only do this on Día de los Muertos - respectful of the rules between the living and the dead. The fact they're doing it now suggests someone else is influencing them.
It doesn't take long to find exactly who that "someone else" is. Perhaps you noticed him among the fortune tellers in the park earlier in the month, perhaps you're seeing him for the first time, but the man who is causing this cuts an intimidating figure. He is very much alive, and not supposed to be here. The ghosts are congregating around him, swirling around him before sweeping off towards the tear. When you approach him, he acts as if he was expecting you. With a voice as smooth as honey, he introduces himself as Doctor Facilier - and that he has a proposition for you. He'll tell you that he's taking advantage of the tear and using the ghosts of the departed to help him cover some "delicate business up top, you know how it is, old debts, tricky magical complications that need a little extra push to complete". Exactly what any of that is, he doesn't say, but he remains slippery as an eel, making everything he's doing sound extremely reasonable. All he needs is for you to just turn the other way and let him get about his business - easy as pie, right? Just walk away!
If you choose to not walk away... well, Facilier turns out to be a formidable opponent. With a puff of some purple dust from his pocket, he can conjure a very convincing illusion around you. It will be something you want, something in your deepest darkest hearts desire. Perhaps you a wanted someone to tell you they loved you. Perhaps you have a dream job. Maybe you lost something extremely dear to you in your past, and now it's here, in front of you. Whatever it is, the illusion feels so very real. Facilier will use you being distracted by the illusion to go onto the attack. He might turn you into an animal. He might turn the ghosts swirling around against you. He might feed your illusion into someone else's, getting you to attack one another. And, if all else fails, he'll just try to bludgeon you with his cane.
Luckily, if you're able to fight through these illusions and all of Facilier's magic, it's clear he's not one for sticking around to fight a battle he can't win. As soon as he realises this is not a fight he can come on top of, he'll give you a tip of his hat and vanish in a puff of smoke like he was never there. The real issue gone, you will now need to help the death gods close up the tear (being sure to shepherd any remaining spirits back to where they belong) to make sure the problem never happens again. There's no sign of Facilier after the battle- but that doesn't mean he's gone for good.
[OOC: Facilier is an interactable NPC if you wish to thread out his confrontation! If you wish to thread with him, it can be done here!]
With the tear sealed, the influx of deceased spirits will come to an end in Kaisou. The only ones left are the ones that managed to leave while the tear was open. It's up to you folks to help those remaining souls move on, either by fulfilling whatever last wishes they have or simply telling them it's time go. The Land of the Forgotten will remain accessible until the end of the month, so people will get their chances to view stuff from their past lives if they wish. But at the end of May, it'll be time to say goodbye to the past, and keep moving on.
The dominant element this month is Shadow! Anyone with an affinity to the shadow 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.
no subject
He starts at the sound of Ratio's voice, crumpling the poster tighter in his fist, turning to look at his teacher. His mouth opens and closes wordlessly at first, trying to find... any way to make this right. ]
I... this is where I come from. [ Where he comes from, not home. This isn't home anymore, it hasn't been for a while. Home is Kaisou. It's his father, it's Jun. It's the family and friends he made there. ] Corona. But it's- [ his brow furrows] This is wrong. It... it didn't happen like this. The- the attack on the city was stopped. I know, I was there. It doesn't make sense.
no subject
Well, if something doesn't make sense, then we need more information. [It sounds so simple when he puts it like that, but that is the core truth of the situation. He raises his eyebrows concernedly.] Would you be able to tell me what you remember, while we continue looking for evidence?
no subject
Looking for more evidence is terrifying, he knows one day Ratio may learn of his past - but the concept frightens him. Especially here- in the chaos of what his vendetta against the kingdom could have culminated in. With the ghosts shooting him dirty looks as they drift past him.
Varian takes a deep breath, pointing out the red symbol. ]
That's... that's the mark of Saporia. It's... another country that joined Corona - but there was a group who felt it should have been separate. They... wanted to destroy Corona.
[ And I helped them, I helped them, I helped them. ]
no subject
[He can tell how close Varian is to panic, but it doesn't seem unreasonable. Even if this isn't his home anymore, of course he'd be upset to see the place he comes from in this state, especially if something's changed for the worse. There's no reason to think anything is strange about that. Surely the best thing he can do is to keep Varian focused on investigating, to help him keep a handle on his emotions.]
no subject
But what if it was him.
Something went wrong here. Something happened that meant the Saporians used the weapon he created on Corona. Did he join them? It's a thought that disgusts him. Even when he was working with them, Varian drew a line at mass murder. But once upon a time, that line felt a lot easier to cross. When he was so full of hurt and anger. Time had tempered that... but what if it hadn't?
He blinks, realising he's been staring into nothing as the dread sets in. ]
I uh- They... got their leader out of prison so I- guess. [ No. ] ... I know it started there.
no subject
Maybe Ratio's being too hard on him. He hesitates, then gentles his tone.]
...Nothing about this situation suggests that haste will alter it. We could start by looking for your friends first, or simply finding somewhere more quiet to rest. I can imagine this sight must be a shock for you.
no subject
Does he want to see his friends? What if he's the one that actually caused this? Would they want anything to do with him? Would they hate him? What if he was the monster of Corona again.]
...Somewhere quiet would- would be good. I'm feeling overwhelmed.
[ Where can he even go, though? If he's still an enemy of the state, there's nowhere. He had nowhere. He closes his eyes, damnit. ]
I know somewhere that might give me an answer but ... it's bad. You're not gonna like it. [ You're not gonna like me, is what he means. ]
no subject
[He thinks about offering to save them the walk by carrying Varian through the air, and remembers just in time Varian's response to the university tree and why that would be a bad idea.] ...You know this place better than I do, so I'll follow your lead. Whatever you think is best.
no subject
[ Varian lets out a laugh as Ratio's hand falls on his shoulder. It's not a happy laugh, it's a scared, tried thing. He shoves the poster into his pocket, where it can stay crumpled up. He doesn't know how to broach this at all- this isn't like talking to Amal, Jun or Haru- family, people who love him anyway. He's not sure if his professor would take any of this well. What if he loses his place at school? The worry churns in his stomach as he nods.
He starts uphill, heading towards the ruined castle. He knows where he was before the Saporians were planning to raze Corona to the ground. He needs to know if he's still there. Or... was, anyway. Given the state of the city, he doubts anyone survived this. ]
It's this way, below... below the castle.
[ And he MEANS below the castle. Once they get there, he takes a turn to a sidedoor, taking steps down into a dungeon- it takes a few turns before they get to the floor he needs- the place is dank and dark- only a little sunlight filtering through the barred windows. A lot of the cells are collapsed, and they have to clamber past some rubble as they go. The cells that are functioning still are miserable things, stone beds chained to the wall - uncomfy and miserable.
Varian can already feel panic rising again. After he found his freedom, he largely avoided the dungeons, he didn't want to be back down there anymore, and he certainly doesn't now. A horrible year flooding back to him. Eventually, he stops at a cell, the cell bars are closed tight, and the floor above has fallen into it, crushing anything inside. Varian stands there for a moment, staring at it numbly. ]
I would have been here. We... we didn't get out in time. [He almost sounds relieved. It wasn't him. He didn't do this.]
no subject
He wasn't ready for that one.]
You were here when the attack started. [He's shocked, horrified. He looks at the cell and its narrow confines, imagining Varian behind the bars, and then immediately forces himself to stop because he doesn't need to also imagine the roof falling, what must have happened after. He's seen Varian dead once. Once was more than enough.
He takes a deep breath, tries to calm down and think it through. Varian's alluded to some deep regrets from before arriving here. He's also said he was only sixteen when he was brought from this world, still a child. What he's said now indicates that this incident is, for whatever reason, when he escaped the dungeon.]
...How long did they...how long had you been here? [How long had they locked a child behind bars in this dismal place?]
no subject
I think so. The... the people who dropped the bombs - my bombs on the city made sure I was stuck back in here before they left. In... in my timeline, we got out and stopped them in time. I guess... not so much in this one.
[ Something must have happened to Eugene and Lance. Something to stop them from getting to them, for getting them out. They didn't have a wide space of time between being locked away again and the bombs getting ready to be dropped- ten minutes at most. Something stopped them from getting there.
He stills at Ratio's question. There's no real getting around this, no evading the point anymore. No more half-truths. ]
A year. [ It's said hollowly, distant. He doesn't like thinking about it, remembering, being down here. Living in this dank, miserable place, eating cold cruel and trying to sleep on a stone bed. ] I was fourteen when I first got brought down here.
[ So somehow worse than sixteen. He sinks to sit on the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest. After a moment, he reaches into his pocket and with a shaky hand pulls out his wanted poster, before handing it to Ratio. His eyes stay fixed on the cell. His cell.]
I deserved it. I told you I was a bad person.
no subject
Fourteen years old, and they locked him in this place for a year.
He only glances briefly at the wanted poster before shaking his head.]
...People only know things after they learn them. That seems too simplistic to need to say, but- everyone learns different things, at different rates, depending on their environment and their own capacities. [He's going somewhere with this, really.]
This is true not just of technical skills or the knowledge found in books, but other more vital things - how to plan ahead, how to process emotions, how to see things from other points of view besides one's own. Children are reliant on their guardians to teach these things, and to keep their ignorance from causing trouble for themselves or for others until they have learned.
[He gestures to their surroundings.] This...is not a place of learning. Varian, if there is one thing you can take from this day, please believe me... [And he kneels down beside Varian, staring into his face, eyes wide with dismay and sincerity.] There is nothing that could justify locking away a child in this place for a year. I don't care what you did to "earn" it, this was not an answer anyone should have arrived at.
no subject
He knows better now. It's an uphill battle, but he's getting there. Slowly but surely. Having people in his life who were unafraid to look him dead in the eye and tell him he wasn't worthless. That he was allowed to exist and be happy and he didn't have to push himself to be useful every waking second he remained alive really had helped.
His eyes drift up to Ratio's as he comes into his life of vision, his expression still crumpled. ]
I know it's not. They didn't want me to learn anything. I- I kidnapped the queen. Tried to kill the royal family. I- I was scared and angry and was trying to... to save my dad from something that I did to deal with something ELSE they covered up. But I still did it.
[Ratio said he doesn't care, but he needs to know anyway, in Varian's opinion, to understand. ]
I wasn't put here to learn. I was put here to rot. I... I would have probably just been executed if Rapunzel hadn't stepped in and asked the king for leniency. And I only got out after when my cellmate helped me out. But... he turned out to be a monster who just wanted to destroy Corona. He turned on me when I refused and I ended up back in the cell again.
[That awful, miserable cell. ]
In- in my timeline, I escaped with Rapunzel and helped stop them. I... guess not so much in this one. I... I know it wasn't right, putting me here, like... I didn't, for a long time. And a part of me still doesn't always believe it. I'm- it's something I'm working on. Lots and lots of therapy, you know? But it's just... hard, sometimes. To not believe the things they taught me to think about myself.
no subject
[A simple restating of the facts. Ratio doesn't know anything about what this particular royal family was like, but he doesn't hold any special esteem for them simply because they happen to have been born royal.]
And then you continued to refuse to target those who weren't responsible for your pain, even when given a proximal outlet. That's why you wound up back here.
[He sighs, downcast and melancholy.] ...I'm glad you're seeing someone about all this. I've never been very adept with emotional toils myself, and I certainly can't provide you better guidance than a professional. But...the young man I know is a kind person with a bright future, and these people would have thrown all of that future growth away through their own short-sightedness.
[It's the same story again and again. Across worlds, across ages.] That is exactly the sort of lazy ignorance I want most to see eradicated from the world: the failure to acknowledge and nurture potential. And for those who cannot be made to face their own ignorance, I have no cure to offer.
[He gets to his feet, brushing dust from his slacks before offering Varian a hand up.] ...We can speak on the matter further if you'd like, but why not do it in the open air? I don't think these environs are doing either of us any good.
no subject
[He felt justified at the time, but then he got arrested. Spending a year in this cold, miserable dungeon, having the guards treat him like a rabid animal really took that out of him. Eventually all the guilt and shame rushed in and he lost sight of the very good reasons he had for lashing out. But here is Ratio, reassuring him, as have the other people he's spoken to about this, that his behaviour was understandable. Born of an impossible situation from someone far too young to handle it. He can take comfort in that. ]
Towards... towards the end I wanted to take it out on everyone. When everything else was... gone. But I was stopped in time, and then when I had the chance to do it for real... no. I didn't want that. I knew it was wrong. I didn't want to burn this place to the ground.
[ That had been dragged out of him, slowly and miserably ad the guilt weighed him down to the point of drowning in it. It had been a long road to not hate himself over that, and he still has bad days. Sometimes he has real bad days. But they're becoming less and less, as the days pass onto years. ]
Yeah, me too. It's really helped with me getting the tools I need to deal with... everything. [To help him see the signs of a spiral and pull himself out of it before it gets too bad. But Ratio's words do hit home and they mean a lot.]
Thank you. I... I'm really trying to put good in the world, you know? That's what I wanted at the start. To-to help people. At least here I have a better chance of doing that. Without the ghost of... everything I was before haunting me. It's why I don't... I don't tell people, really.
[Because he doesn't want to be known for his past crimes. He had that hanging over him no matter what good he did in Corona. People could forgive but they'd never forget. He wanted to be able to get a fresh start, and Kaisou was it. It was his own quiet way of asking for Ratio's silence on this. Not that he thinks the older man would spread this everywhere regardless- but still, the fear is always there.
He takes the hand, getting to his feet. ]
Yeah... I really hate it in here. I don't wanna stay any longer.
no subject
[It had taken Aventurine months to admit to the particulars of his own past even after the two of them were together; but he was rewarded for his refusal to pry, and he's convinced more than ever that leaving people's history alone unless they want to reveal it is the best move.]
Then let's go. Leave this place behind for good. You have so much more waiting for you than the small minds who put you here could have imagined.
[As Varian gets up, Ratio will stretch out a wing behind him to gently nudge him back toward the entrance. It's not quite a hug, but it isn't not one either.]
no subject
[ Varian appreciates him not prying too, honestly. Even if no one has proven the nasty, spiteful voice in the back of his head telling him that people will hate him is even slightly true. Everyone he has trusted enough to tell has given him nothing but love and support. One day he might learn to trust in that, rather than the self-loathing he knows is a liar.
Something feels warm and comfortable in his chest at that comment. He's had so much of a better life here. He has a better future. People like Ratio who think he's worth something. Who don't dismiss his mind as a weird quirk. It makes him feel like he really could do good in this world. BE someone who brings good to those who need it.
He welcomes the wing, leaning into it a little as they head up the steps, towards the open sky, away from the dank place that he'd wasted a year of his life in. ]
Thank you. That... that really does mean a lot to me.