INTO THE WOODS ※ GAME EVENT

[wildestmods]

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

Setting Background/FAQ | Major NPCs


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!)

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.

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.

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.

e) WILDCARD
Maybe you decide to do none of the above. Go nuts!

OOC DETAILS
❧ 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.]

Comments

[unsealthecatbox]

[Ange scoffs. She gets the joke! And truthfully, she does find it amusing, but instead of chuckling openly she buries her face on his back for a moment in an effort to hide how it amused her even a bit. This is a serious situation, no laughing matter!]

A horse, a grin, and inane commentary. You truly are the cavalry arriving in the nick of time.

[She looks behind her]

It almost makes me wonder if I'm making a mistake. You finding me feels...a tad too convenient to be true.

[Ange's own paranoia and cynicism makes her think that perhaps she may be making a mistake, but it's not like he has any option but to accept this guy's help. It's her best chance of survival! Still, part of her keeps evaluating how feasible to jump off the horse if, say, it turns out he's a monster in disguise about to deliver her to those supernatural Sisters]

[hallelujahjunction]

Well, I try my best.

[Dan knows as well as anyone that feeling that any stroke of good luck is somehow a trick. He still, without letting it show, treats almost every good thing as suspect, not as a simple joy but as a cover for a sucker punch.

Dan isn't running towards the Sisters - he's running parallel to their path, not wanting to draw their attention by straight bolting or risk running Ange straight into danger. He tries not to push the horse too fast, knowing Ange can't use her arms if she's got his bow.]

[unsealthecatbox]

[That's such a mood, Dan.

It takes a full minute before Ange relaxes a little, noticing that indeed, Dan is going in the right direction. Perhaps she really got lucky, she thinks. Finally letting out a shaky breath, she turns his head back]

I don't know what's what in this world. Those...things were obviously bad news. The problem is that you never know when something that seems good for you turns out to be your doom.

[And that's so true for Ange Ushiromiya. More often than not she ends trusting the wrong person and pays with her life for it. What'd be one time more?]

[hallelujahjunction]

You're telling me. [Dan gives a huff of a laugh, a little breathless from the effort it takes to stay on the horse when Ange is in the saddle and he's straddled across the creature's shoulders, clamped on by nothing but his thighs and a whole childhood of experience riding.] But if there's a way I can make you feel safer, tell me.

[It's partially because Ange is younger than him, but truly, he would be doing this for everyone. Dan's nature is to defend and protect, or rather, to shelter others.

With a shriek of a laugh, the Sister with the kusarigama swings out in an attack.]

[unsealthecatbox]

[At the sight of the Sister, a part of Ange immediately thinks ill of Dan. That part was smothered immediately because, despite everything, Ange does want to trust him]

Watch out!

[As if the Sister was being subtle at all! Ange shouted the warning anyway, pretty much a kneejerk reaction. She looks at the kusarigama, always keeping her eyes locked on it, thinking feverishly. That thing is going to hurt like hell! And if it hits Dan, she thinks, then they're both done for. As she sees it there's only one action that makes sense, given how she has nothing to fight the Sister.

She has to get in the way of that weapon if the Sister tries to attack, sparing Dan]

Don't you dare!

[Ange shouts that at the Sister, hoping to get her attention. Of course, such things doesn't work -- the Sister does aim to capture as many of them as they can! But what Ange tries to do is to catch the kusarigama any way she can before it can reach Dan. Typical of a reckless girl like her!

The claw is crossing the air towards them, the Sister seemingly not caring which one it gets. Probably suspecting that, no matter who it gets, the other Chosen One wouldn't just run away and leave the other behind?]

[hallelujahjunction]

Holy-!

[Even as he can see the logic of what Ange is doing, there's no way Dan would rather someone else take a hit for him, especially not a kid. But he can't react fast enough to block the kuragisama from aiming for her, nor can he justify taking the hit himself when it'll bring them both down.

All he can do is try and turn the horse on a dime, which the horse does not like, and hope they just barely avoid the blow.]

[unsealthecatbox]

[Ange had raised a hand, bracing herself for the weapon to reach her and probably jerk her down to the ground. That was not going to be fun at all, and truthfully, she isn't very good with pain, but at times like these she doesn't really think things through. Truthfully, that the Sisters had announced they wanted to take the Chosen Ones somewhere else was part of the reason why she was willing to put herself in danger -- it seemed they weren't going to kill, after all.

Dan turning the horse catches her offguard, forcing her to desist on what she was doing, the claw of the Sister's kuragisama passing a mere inch over her shoulder. It'd have grabbed her if he hadn't moved the horse like that, that's for sure. Ange grabbed onto Dan to not fall, letting out a startled scream]

We'll both get caught at this rate!

[Not that...she had much of a plan for after she was caught, truthfully. All she had figured was that if one of them had gotten captured, the other would be fine -- and since she was the one who couldn't do a thing against them, the other had a fighting chance...it's a pragmatic train of thought, but that doesn't make it right, really]

Do you have anything that could be of use against her?

[She should have asked that much sooner before enacting any harebrained plans, she thinks. Hindsight is 20/20.

The Sister retracted her weapon, staring at them with the calmness of someone who feels has the upper hand and, taking out her pipe, she releases smoke monsters. Trying to spook the horse to make them both fall, perhaps? The smoke monsters are far less of a threat than the Sister, at least, but not a negligible one]

[hallelujahjunction]

Well, that ain't ideal!

[Dan does not have anything that could be of use, but this isn't the first time he's ended up in a position like that, nor is it the first time he's ended up defenseless while trying to escort someone else. He hunts ghosts and powerful creatures for a living. This comes with the territory.

The smoke monsters aren't particularly shocking either; Dan's already seen them attacking someone else, someone he couldn't get to in time. The good news is that those awful things can be actually pummeled - which is why he turns the horse against and drives right into them.]

Hit them with whatever you got! [The panicking horse's hooves are doing a lot of their work for them.]

[unsealthecatbox]

[The gambit of trying to spook the horse enough to get it to throw them down didn't work, and in fact, it gave them an out. True, the horse is terrified, but that made it run, not throw them down. If that vexed the Sister or not, she sure didn't show, instead laughing mockingly like those efforts would lead nowhere. Ange looks over her shoulder, watching the Sister's movements.

Truthfully, she really respects Dan keeping his calm at a time like this]

Head down!

[Ange ducks her head, the chain of the kusarigama swinging in the air at the level of Dan's head, once, twice, three times. The Sister, identifying Dan as the one likelier to succeed in getting them out of there, aims for him, leaving Ange alone for the time being. At least it gives Ange liberty to warn him of what the Sister does, to try to keep him safe]

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan's more than calm. Dan's alive in this moment, energized by the life-or-death stakes, loving being in that state of mind where the future doesn't matter, only the next split-second decision.]

Thanks, [he gasps, breathless from the effort of holding onto the panicking horse and steering her and coughing on the smoke - but soon, the smoke clears. The monsters are behind them, trying to regroup from being trampled by a very large, very spooked animal.

They have a clear shot out, so long as they make it fast. The treeline isn't that far, and Dan knows the Sisters and their monsters haven't been following people in there. He urges the horse faster; the horse gallops at top speed.]

[unsealthecatbox]

[Only when they're far away enough from the Sister and her weapon she allows herself to let out a sigh of relief. Oh, that was a close one. Ange tries not to let show this left her shaken -- she did get too close to the Nightrenders' aura some time before Dan found her, with the expected consequences -- but the way her hands tremble while she grabs onto him says it all.

For a while she's quiet, just holding onto Dan. This is such an odd situation. Truthfully, it's not the first time she's plunged headfirst into a bizarre, magical situation, but at least she had gotten into that willingly, even recklessly. This time she didn't have a say in any of this. The thought is enough to make her furious! But she can't allow herself to vent, not when she isn't even in a safe place]

...thanks. The odds of me getting out of there unscathed were too low.

[If she had been rescued by someone she knew, she probably would have given a snarky comment by now, but Dan is a complete stranger who didn't have to help her. In such a situation, she can't muster the disrespect to do that. She actually owes him for this, after all]

[hallelujahjunction]

[Once they hit the treeline, Dan slows the horse, which is sweating and huffing for breath. There's no good in running the horse so hard that she collapses or stumbles. He lets her canter, trot, and them once they're far enough into the woods, stop.]

You saved my life too a few minutes ago. [He helps her down off the horse, although he stays on.] Head north. I'll meet you there.

[And with that, he turns the horse around, urging it back towards the chaos so he can continue his rescuing.]

[unsealthecatbox]

[Ange watches him go without comment, taking a deep breath to calm down. She's not out of the woods, both metaphorically and literally. Is there really such a thing as a safe place? Well...no choice but to go north anyway.

Having made sure to at least look like she's keeping herself under control despite the circumstances, Ange sets off to the north. That guy...she's going to have to remember him]

...stay safe, won't you?

[She mutters that to the air and doesn't look back. He probably will be fine, she figures. People like him wouldn't die so easily]