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wildestlogs2021-10-31 08:54 pm
wildestmods) wrote in wildestlogs2021-10-31 08:54 pm
INTO THE WOODS ※ GAME EVENT
INTO THE WOODS
The faerie faire goes on into the evening, the faire filled with the sounds of revelry. For those who've spent the day there, the cool evening air is welcome respite from the bright sun that's shined all day. Those who still have some faerie gold might even want to invest in a cloak if they haven't gotten one yet, because it may get chillier as night falls.
As evening descends and various floating flowers start to glow to provide light, the spring faeries start to bring out night-time merchandise and amusements, like brightly-colored phosphorescent flower jewelry. Fireflies are charmed to blink in different colors and magical fireworks paint the sky in vibrant light. They're quieter than normal fireworks, but there are still satisfying snaps and hisses.
It seems like it'll be a pleasant night at the fair and those only just arriving in the evening will find a charming scene opening up before them.
But one thing that isn't noticed as evening begins to fall is the way the winter faeries suddenly slink away into the rising dark. Or at least it isn't noticed until it's too late. Some of the summer faeries start to react to it with alarm.
"Where did they go? The winter faeries are supposed to provide security, they signed an agreement. Go tell Ponto and get some faeries with warding magic to shore up the wards." Faeries start flying with purpose to speak to others that need to be put on security. "We can handle it ourselves but we need to get enough people out to the borders."
"Should we disperse the faire?"
"No, there's no sign of any threats and if we re-ward it, they'll be safer here than people scattering in the woods at night. Even if we had the bad luck to be attacked before the wards are re-done we can defend them with our magic - and we're contracted to."
Unfortunately that bad luck hits too soon. While the faeries scramble to re-do the defense wards, an unearthly fog rolls in. Terrible screeches start to rend the air, sounding similar to the screams of foxes. Warning bells ring from warning wards placed in certain areas of the woods.
"Nightrenders!" someone calls out and people in the crowd start screaming, gathering their loved ones closer. Horrifying beings start to pour into the faire and the hand stamps of all the people who bought tickets ahead of time start to glow. Faeries rally around those people, casting powerful defensive spells. Due to the panic, several stalls start to go up in flames due to knocked over cooking fires. Fortunately the stalls are small enough for people to escape them easily and spread far enough apart that they can be avoided, but smoke joins the fog in the air.
If a faerie sees one of the squad of otherworlders, and their lack of glowing hand stamp they're quick to offer a warning. "You have to run! The people who bought tickets ahead of time entered into a magical agreement of protection. The warding takes time to charge. We can do nothing for you, without slow-charge wards we're not powerful enough to protect you. The Nightrenders will devour your brain, or your soul."
Apparently that little disclaimer about not being fully protected that some of them read while coming in (for those that had arrived earlier in the day) was more important than it seemed.
The faeries always point the same way, still trying to help the people without tickets. "To the north! There's a place in a canyon with a large, glowing crystal. It looks like an abandoned market and dwellings. You'll be safe there, the magic of the Heartstone will protect you."
USEFUL LINKS
NIGHTRENDERS
The beings known as Nightrenders start amassing on the faire. Their movements are quick but clumsy, as if every one of their movements is made up of a hundred janky, smaller fits and starts, like they're made of clockwork. The faerie magic summer faeries use seems to do no more than stagger them back or temporarily knock them over, but at least makes it clear to the squad that they at least can be knocked over and slowed down. At the very least it seems to take them some time to get off the ground and back to their feet.
Attacks
They attack anyone they see in different ways. Some they wound with massive claws. Or they squeeze someone's torso and nearly suffocate them to give them a chance at possibly chomping into the heads of their victims to get at the brains. Most dangerously of all, they breathe in with a loud sucking noise, clawed hands guiding the magic that lets them drawn out someone's soul to devour it. It looks like a small delicate thing, sometimes in the form of a glittering star or a flower, as its drawn out of the victim's mouth.
This process can fortunately be interrupted if the Nightrender is attacked. As long as the soul hasn't been sucked into their mouths, it goes back into the victim.
Cursed Aura
But the whole thing is complicated by the magical aura caused by the Nightrenders. When they draw close, everyone around them is choked with fear, grief, and dread. Some succumb to visions of their worse memories playing out in their heads over and over. Some might be able to still stagger away in this state, trying to see through the visions, especially if someone helps them along, but others will find it nearly impossible to do anything other than curl on the ground. It is unknown why some don't have the flashbacks or can power through them more than others, though it's thought that those that repress their bad memories or negative emotions struggle more.
Anyone that helps someone who's having visions may get a glimpse of their memories - and empathically feel a flash of the pain, fear, rage, or grief they felt during the memory. If two people try to help each other move forward when both are having visions, they may transmit glimpses back and forth.
Weaknesses
The Nightrenders cannot be destroyed, only knocked down, or slowed down. However, those with "holy" weapons, spells, or powers, or those who have weapons, spells, or powers that can hurt "ethereal" beings or evil spirits will find they can cause them enough pain that sometimes they run away. Spells and abilities that create magical manifestations of good will and happiness, as well as spells of light, or purification can also harm them and drive them away.
THE SISTERS
The Nightrenders don't speak, but some have the misfortune of hearing two voices echo out of the fog. The come in stereo, only just slightly out of sync.
"Chosen Ones, you must be so confused. You've become lost in the forest, and the Dark Lord's nightmares already pursue you. Fortunately for you, our mistress desires your company. You'll adore obeying her will. Don't run, embrace a better destiny."
Two woman in white masks and straw hats, with cloaks made from the feathers of ravens, come out of the fog, body language almost identical. No eyes can be seen through the eyeholes of their masks, just darkness.
They start attacking, and when they beset their victims they stop speaking, refusing to talk or answer questions, instead filling the air with wild, mocking laughter. One wields twin katanas, the other a kusarigama with a painful claw at the end of the chain that closes down when it hits something.
Nets
While they're extremely willing to injure the squad they seem to be trying to capture them instead of killing (albeit capturing them after they're maimed), occasionally tossing out nets of glowing silver of moonlight. Being caught in the nets renders someone paralyzed and weak, a deep cold settling into the marrow of their bones. Some may even hear the shrieks of dying loved ones, whether they've actually died in reality or not. The Sisters apparently have the strength to carry even the largest of the squad in the air and will attempt to fly away when someone is ensnared.
The nets are difficult to destroy, but can be with great force of some kind. It has to be aimed at the part closest to the Sisters' hands, because the force required to break the nets would also injure those trapped inside them. The cold and paralysis fades when the victims are free, but some of the rescued may feel weak and need help staying on their feet. Unfortunately, even when they're broken, the nets of moonlight seem to be something they can recreate within several minutes.
Smoke Monsters
For some, they don't attack directly. Instead, one of the sisters pulls out a pipe and smoke monsters pour out of it. They try to drag their victims closer to the sisters so they can be caught in their nets. Fortunately, they can be destroyed with enough force.
While the Sisters seem impossible to injure, they can at least be caused pain with extreme enough attacks, something that makes them teleport away before risking any further injury.
PROMPTS
a) RENT
Uh oh, a Nightrender has you. Either it's squeezing you so hard you're suffocating and about to chomp into some juicy brains, or it's in the process of sucking your soul out through your mouth. In either case, you're likely broadcasting visions of your worst memories in small flashes to whoever is near. You're in desperate need of rescue and the summer faeries can't help - their magic is all but useless on the Nightrenders if it didn't have time to build by a covenant. Only others that fell into the Wilderlands like you did can save you.
(Feel free to provide multiple memory options ala a memshare, but keep in mind they'd only be flashes instead of a full memory!)
Uh oh, a Nightrender has you. Either it's squeezing you so hard you're suffocating and about to chomp into some juicy brains, or it's in the process of sucking your soul out through your mouth. In either case, you're likely broadcasting visions of your worst memories in small flashes to whoever is near. You're in desperate need of rescue and the summer faeries can't help - their magic is all but useless on the Nightrenders if it didn't have time to build by a covenant. Only others that fell into the Wilderlands like you did can save you.
(Feel free to provide multiple memory options ala a memshare, but keep in mind they'd only be flashes instead of a full memory!)
b) NABBED
The Sisters have got you, their smoke monsters are trying to drag you away, or you're still trying to fight them to avoid being caught. It'll be a lot easier if you have help - otherwise you're outnumbered and possibly outclassed. The only way to stop them is fight back hard enough that they feel you're not worth the effort and teleport off.
The Sisters have got you, their smoke monsters are trying to drag you away, or you're still trying to fight them to avoid being caught. It'll be a lot easier if you have help - otherwise you're outnumbered and possibly outclassed. The only way to stop them is fight back hard enough that they feel you're not worth the effort and teleport off.
c) RESCUE
Perhaps you're not affected by the Nightrenders or are just good at powering through the haze of painful magic they're inflicting on the area. Either way, you're out to help the people around you. Perhaps you run into another member of the otherworlder squad that needs saving - or maybe they join you to protect a third otherworlder, or a denizen of the Wilderlands that also forewent a ticket and is therefore at risk. Unlike many of the people from other universes, many of the denizens of the Wilderlands are powerless and thought they were in for a day and night of safe fun.
There are also other hazards to rescue people from. Maybe a small child has been separated from their parents and is disoriented by smoke, in need of rescued from some flaming tents. Or maybe an elderly person has fallen and is at risk of being trampled. There are lots of reasons people might need help, due to fires, panicked horses, collapsing tents, and panicking crowds.
Perhaps you're not affected by the Nightrenders or are just good at powering through the haze of painful magic they're inflicting on the area. Either way, you're out to help the people around you. Perhaps you run into another member of the otherworlder squad that needs saving - or maybe they join you to protect a third otherworlder, or a denizen of the Wilderlands that also forewent a ticket and is therefore at risk. Unlike many of the people from other universes, many of the denizens of the Wilderlands are powerless and thought they were in for a day and night of safe fun.
There are also other hazards to rescue people from. Maybe a small child has been separated from their parents and is disoriented by smoke, in need of rescued from some flaming tents. Or maybe an elderly person has fallen and is at risk of being trampled. There are lots of reasons people might need help, due to fires, panicked horses, collapsing tents, and panicking crowds.
d) RUN
It's time to run! Perhaps, after some screaming and confusion - and teleportation - you finally grab a buddy and bolt through the woods. You better run fast because the Nightrenders and the Sisters may give up chase at some point but it may take time and moving through difficult terrain in the fog to lose them. Perhaps you and a partner have to help a third, injured otherworlder because they're having trouble walking.
Better head north like the faeries said. The faeries were right that this Heartstone to the north may be your only hope - and you'll have to reach it despite the fading evening light, skies overcast with dark clouds, and fog.
It may be easier navigating in the dark with a partner or two.
It's time to run! Perhaps, after some screaming and confusion - and teleportation - you finally grab a buddy and bolt through the woods. You better run fast because the Nightrenders and the Sisters may give up chase at some point but it may take time and moving through difficult terrain in the fog to lose them. Perhaps you and a partner have to help a third, injured otherworlder because they're having trouble walking.
Better head north like the faeries said. The faeries were right that this Heartstone to the north may be your only hope - and you'll have to reach it despite the fading evening light, skies overcast with dark clouds, and fog.
It may be easier navigating in the dark with a partner or two.
e) WILDCARD
Maybe you decide to do none of the above. Go nuts!
Maybe you decide to do none of the above. Go nuts!
❧ Quest magic: Players can handwave that the quest bond magic is tugging the group northward to the safe place, with the mysterious Heartstone. They can also use the quest magic as an excuse for many different threads. As the group tries to run, their scattering movements will affect the magic and cause people to teleport at random, allowing for many different encounters with many other characters. This can explain why two characters that might otherwise stay together through the whole thing might get separated.
❧ Network: The network can now be used. Mirrors can and do float if someone is trying to talk through one and running, and can follow someone as they move, allowing people to communicate on the go or during action. Feel free to start using the network in parallel with the log events.
❧ NPCing: The mods won't be npcing but players are free to npc the actions of bystanders, the Nightrenders, and the Sisters. The Sisters won't speak, just continue laughing, and players can npc their specific attacks, capture attempts, and teleportation. Please just don't have them talk or godmode them dying - they're currently a little too sturdy for that. If you have a question about whether/how something will affect them feel free to ask the mods in the first comment below.
❧ Environment: Feel free to manipulate the environment. There are things left over from the faire people can work with like bow and arrow sets from the competition, horses (which can be temporarily stolen, though we'd like to limit any that are permanently stolen to the (1) horse another player already requested), and even explosive faerie fireworks (they're quieter than the normal thing but still create a big bang). Abandoned stalls also have weapons and supplies to grab as people run for it. If they didn't think to steal or buy useful things during the day, please limit this to only grabbing one or two items as they run, like a cloak or sword. They won't have time to loot for more.
❧ Experimentation: We'd like to encourage people to experiment! Obviously ask other players if they're down first, but it could be fun to do something other than 2 person threads, like maybe 2 PCs banding to rescuing a 3rd. Players are also encouraged to set limitations if they think it'd be more interesting, like locking their final escape prompt from the faire grounds to a single thread partner and playing out the drama of a full escape.
[OOC: Plot is visible so people can see and start plotting together but not open until Nov. 1. The mods will enable comments then.]
Stacia Novik (open to all)
Stacia looks around, wild-eyed, at the fog and the approaching monsters within it.
"Uh-uh," she says, shaking her head. "Oh no. Fuck that."
Then, to the surprise of anyone who overheard her, she runs toward the horrors, shoving people along as she travels the opposite direction of the fleeing crowd.
"Get out of here!" she yells. "Run! Move!"
Once she's passed the bulk of the crowd, she explodes upward and outward, floral romper vanishing beneath brown and gray fur, fingers curling into taloned claws. The bipedal wolf-monster screams a challenge into the fog.
II: Rent!
The horrible rickety-looking things are remarkably resistant to Stacia's claws. It's one of many things that Stacia doesn't like about them. She's too big for a single one of them to grapple, but she did make a distraction of herself and she's very much regretting that now. There are several on her, trying to corner her, and their combined presence is making the flashes of memory (violent, horrifying, full of monsters and blood and screaming) worse. She can feel her Rage boiling under her skin, but it won't do her any good unless she has some space to move.
III: Nabbed!
Oh does Stacia scream when she's wrapped up in the silver nets. It tears through the fog like a siren, equal parts pain and fury, before the hulking beast slumps and collapses inward to reveal the teenage girl beneath. The teenage girl who is, unfortunately, much easier to carry away into the night.
IV: Rescue!
In this shape, Stacia's not very good at guiding people away from danger. She looks like danger. She has to be careful not to send someone fleeing into the arms of the Nightrenders or one of the burning tents. Fortunately, there are people who seem to be keeping their heads in the chaos. She spots one such person and lopes toward them, shifting back to Homid as she does.
"I'll keep the monsters and the creepy twins off you," she says quickly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Just focus on the people who need help."
V: Run!
This isn't a fight they're going to win. Stacia's hurting, and she has Garou healing going for her. It's time to retreat before this fight turns into a loss.
Tearing through the woods in Crinos is a bad idea, but that's what Lupus form is for, isn't it? The big bad wolfmonster disappears, leaving a wolf in its place.
III Nabbed!
She bellows a challenge and dives in. The one with the sword intercepts her; the bitch with the chain scythe moves behind her, thinking Saturday won't notice. But she can feel them, unnatural in their passing, like razorblades along the weave of the world.
She ducks down and rolls. Sword-bitch's blade bites the earth, and she has to jerk back as scythe-bitch's chain hisses past her face, aimed at the place Saturday's back was a moment ago. Saturday is already by the net as they recover, pulling at the strands. Then she sees their captive's face.
"Stacia?"
And the net is silver -
"Fuck. Fuck!"
Behind her, the sisters regroup and advance.
Re: III Nabbed!
Her eyes snap open as soon as the net is pulled away, filled with a wild fury, and her mind echoes with screams: those she's heard with her ears, those she's heard inside her head, and those she's only ever had nightmares about.
Kill them. Kill them all, kill them kill them--
She snarls and tries to shove herself upright, only to immediately topple over again due to the awkward angle. Her eyes widen as her Rage clears enough for her to see what's coming.
"Behind you!"
Re: III Nabbed!
The sword-bitch swings. Saturday parries from the ground, grunting. Stacia can see the blow jar her.
"Get the edge - " she tells Stacia, shoving the slender side of the net at her with one foot, and then scythe-bitch is on her and she can't think about anything but the next blow, not even Stacia's safety. She pirouettes away, blade flashing, and the masked women giggle as they pursue.
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II: Rent!
She ducks and weaves between the running people and the attacking Nightrenders with unnatural grace until she stands behind the monsters who have caged in-- well, a monster.
Elle steels herself against Stacia's memories of blood and violence and screaming (as well as a few of her own), manages to makes eye contact with the werewolf, winks, and lets her Rage loose.
As Elle transforms she manages to knock away one of the Nightrenders, distract a couple of others, and gives Stacia an opening.
Re: II: Rent!
Re: II: Rent!
She goes for one of the Nightrender's legs, toppling it over before she picks it up by an ankle, swings it as hard as she can, and lets go. It lands on a couple of its friends and Elle gives a chirp of victory.
Elle leaps on the back of another one, digs her claws into where its head connects to its neck, and pulls. When she fails to decapitate it, she uses her grip to flip off and throw the creature into-- Stacia.
Oops.
Re: II: Rent!
Re: II: Rent!
Re: II: Rent!
Re: II: Rent!
Re: II: Rent!
II
That doesn't stop him riding right back into the thick of it for even a second.
And thank goodness he does, because he sees a familiar face and small frame being menaced by nightrenders, awful violent memories flickering around her like light being cast off headlights in the rain. And he's never been so happy to see her, and yet so frustrated it's under this circumstance.
"Hey! Over here!" He fires an arrow off into the back of the head of one of the nightrenders and urges Concrete Blonde to rear up, to make it a spectacle that Dan's arrived. "You don't want her, you want me."
He shoots another one, hoping to agitate them enough that they'll chase him and give Stacia room to shift.
Re: II
Note to self, she thinks as she expands into fur and fang, do not scare Dan's horse.
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As he swings around Stacia again, he shouts to her as he fires another arrow to his four o'clock at a nightrender's face, as loud as his quiet, scratchy voice gets. "Do you need time or an escape?"
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/end?
end!
: Werewolf? Therewolf!
"With you."
He rumbles from his helm.
Re: : Werewolf? Therewolf!
Stacia makes a noise that could generously be read as 'pleased' by the standards of huge wolfmonsters. Her tail swishes once, at least. Fighting with an ally is always preferable to fighting alone.
She doesn't have much of a plan yet, other than hit things really hard and to not stick anything she wants to keep into the glow coming from their helmets. As she strides forward, she also moves to give Loken enough room to work with that massive sword of his.
Re: : Werewolf? Therewolf!
"Are your claws finding purchase?" He doesn't sound nervous, more annoyed, obviously aware his weapons aren't functioning as well as he'd like, and his bolter has seemingly gone entirely missing.
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IV
You know, she can practically hear Root's voice now—and it's not just the lingering effects of the Nightrenders dragging up memories like crap from the bottom of an old well—saying how if she had an ounce of sense in her, she'd have bolted north ten minutes ago. Maybe twenty. Instead, she's still here, running around helping people. With none of her usual gear.
She catches the hulking silhouette in the corner of her eye first, and honest to Frond she almost has a heart attack thinking it's one of the monsters coming her way, and getting a better look only makes her think it's a new monster— until said monster turns into a teenage human. A teenage human with a very no nonsense attitude to the situation, apparently.
Uh, what?
There's a lot of things she could say right now, but instead of any of them she just says, "...sure, I can do that."
Re: IV
"I saw some kids trying to hide in that booth," she says, gesturing to indicate which one she's talking about. It's taken some damage, but it's at least not currently on fire. "I think they're too scared to run on their own, and I'm not the most reassuring person around."
Even when she's human-shaped, kids are scared of her. Good job, supernatural Rage.
"Come on!"
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"No kidding." She's seen adolescent trolls shorter than... whatever this girl just was. She's not even going to try and unpack that one right now when there's people to rescue, first. She can, in fact, prioritise. "Alright, keep those things away so the path's clear and I'll try coax them out."
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IV
Truthfully, the thought of rescuing anyone didn't cross her mind. Self-preservation comes first, especially when you're in a strange world, with strange things out to harm you, while even stranger Sisters try to capture you. Stacia transforming does get her to stop, though -- mostly due to the shock of seeing that transformation than because she believes she's safe.
The order doesn't do much to reassure her.
"Wouldn't that be pretty much everyone around here?"
For someone who was in the middle of trying to flee, such a question is made calmly, as if this all normal and mundane. But in a way, she's got a point: the number of people who are able to do fight effectively is pretty low. There are plenty more civilians and people that, for one reason or another, can't do much against the Nightrenders. Even being able to fight doesn't guarantee you will do well against those.
Re: IV
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Well. No point in bitching about it. Urgent situations need quick action, and complaining is only going to waste time. She takes a deep breath and looks around.
"If I'm supposed to herd them then some sort of way to get their attention will be necessary. A banner, a flag, something visible. Too bad anything they will see probably will get those things' attention as well"
Herding defenseless people and attracting the attention of the Nightrenders and the Sisters at the same time is pretty terrifying, truthfully! It'd be like serving everyone on a silver platter! Ange is trying to figure something out, thinking as quickly as she can.
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III: Nabbed!
But she recoils suddenly as a fist-sized rock strikes her mask directly on the forehead, knocking her back, and the ground beneath Stacia falls away, taking her and the net with it.
Stacia tumbles with surprising gentleness down the hole, rolling back out onto even ground, as Bunny leaps out of the tunnel beside her and begins detangling the net from her.
"You're fine," he says, knowing Stacia wouldn't have recognized his scent in her human form, but that she'll recognize his voice. "You're all right. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he says, trying to be comfortingly upbeat about it as he checks Stacia for lingering wounds. "Anything hurt more than it should?"
Re: III: Nabbed!
"Bunny!" she says, woozily, but still in the same tone she usually greets him with. "Missed you!"
She's having a little trouble shaking off the effects of the net, but she tries to focus on what he's asking.
"No," she answers. "Just bruises."
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v
That's... probably a wolf, running. He's got a lot of eyes, but they don't see the world quite like an Andalite or even a human does.
<Stacia. That's you, isn't it?> Thought-speech isn't directional the way sound is. It seems like it could be coming from anywhere, or everywhere. <I'm up here.>
He's a delta-wing with a trailing tail, almost invisible against the dark sky except as a moving patch of no stars, and a shimmer of teeth in a Y-shaped mouth, and orange eyes arranged around it.
Re: v
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III: Nabbed!
Then the Sisters swoop in and GASP.
The werewolf is the girl he met! The girl he met is a werewolf that fights monsters! Oh that is just cool. Just like some of the good guy crew in Wendy the Werewolf Stalker.
Unfortunately, Kon has no powers (he thinks.)
He does have the capacity to throw bricks. One is conveniently there from where someone was using it to weigh some of their stuff down at their stall.
"Hey!" She dodges just fast enough to avoid a head injury but it knocks her hat off. The distraction causes her to drop the net containing Stacia. "Leave Dorothy alone!"
Re: III: Nabbed!
Stacia moans and struggles to push herself into a sitting position.