❪ march event log: taken! ❫

[natha]

CW: This event log will contain descriptions and threads involving extreme violence, torture, and possible death. While we do not intend to push beyond any boundaries indicated in sign ups, players may opt out of any aspect of their group write-ups that they find uncomfortable. Characters who have been assigned a role for this month's plot will find specific information about their groups and locations in headers below. We encourage that you thread among your groups within these headers, and as a reminder, only characters with plot roles may participate in rescue threads or hostage situations. All characters, however, are welcome to toplevel and tag in this log. To receive special commendation and be recognized as heroes in a future post, hostages and rescuers must submit a short summary of their event participation HERE by March 24th. OVERVIEW     While the riots and fanatic celebrating in Olympia and Wyver have subsided, neither city is naive enough to believe that life has yet returned to normal. There remains a tension among the citizens: not the slow simmer waiting to boil over that had preceded the aforementioned events, but an apprehension and fear that, despite the Royal Guard and Knightryder’s best efforts, the worst is yet to come. In Olympia, as night falls on the 18th, their fears are proven true. With their previous attempts at revolution through the riots having fallen short, the anti-Simwe radicals in Olympia carry out a more covert operation in their efforts to seize power. Having compiled a list of persons of interest, observed them, gathered intel and taken efforts to ensure that their movements will not be tracked, the radicals strike on the night of the 18th. The entire operation is discrete, and one by one people go missing from streets, homes, and businesses. News that the kidnappings were a large scale operation doesn’t break in Olympia until the following day, but whispers have already travelled to a similar group of radicals in Wyver, who, fearing what a political coup in Olympia would mean for Wyver—or, more specifically how this could affect their chances to stage their own coup should Shanrian choose to step in—launch their own gambit for power with a similar scheme in the early hours of the 19th before dawn. Many are taken straight from their homes, or on their way to work. For all their historical tension and division, Olympia and Wyver aren’t that different once the authorities become aware of what has happened. Both cities remain on the alert. In Olympia, Simwe orders immediate action from the Royal Guard, eager to win over the loyalty of her citizens by showing her commitment to freeing the hostages, while in Wyver, Shanrian is equally quick to take action with the Knightryders. The Altar of Volkkra is one of the most sacred institutions in Wyver, and the threat of the radicals drawing followers using its banner is too great to ignore. ABDUCTIONS AND THE SEARCH     1. Radical groups in both cities have decided that certain citizens of their respective cities would prove to be valuable hostages. Perhaps you've been traveling between cities. Or maybe you've drawn their attention by being outspoken, excelling at your city job, or being an active citizen with a great reputation. What were you doing before you got snatched up? Did someone attempt to stop this terrible thing from happening, to no avail? Did you put up a valiant fight? Regardless of how it happened, you will be forcibly outfitted with an accessory that renders you completely powerless. The extremists are no strangers to magic, either. 2. Those that didn't sign up can still witness characters being abducted and attempt to stop it, though in the end they'll fail to stop the radicals. Characters who either witness these kidnappings or notice the absences can spread the word via missing persons posters, making calls to action, or embarking on searches. Characters that would ICly look for hostages but did not sign-up for the event can still go investigate, but will ultimately not find any kidnappers. All characters may also conduct investigations in locations not included in the clues. 3. With key figures around the cities abducted, several shops and organizations are left stressed and short-staffed. Characters may find themselves working long hours, and can volunteer to help the Guard/Nightryders as they're stretched thin, as well as other key locations such as the Institute, the Fields of the Exalted, etc. There are also children, elderly people, and pets who have been left without care, due to their guardians being kidnapped. Everyone is asked to lend a helping hand. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS     1. As rescues take place, extremists will be fleeing the following locations: Simwe Institute, the Sanctuary, and the Royal Guard Academy for Olympia, and a cave high on Namarak Mountain, or an island tower off the coastline for Wyver. Characters that did not sign-up can still catch and round up fleeing radicals as hostages are rescued, with additional details on what the extremists in a particular region are capable of in the group details below. 2. Hostages, both NPC and PC, will be gradually found and recovered between March 18th to the 24th. With how harrowing the experience is, rescuers and abductees alike may require medical attention and a helping hand. Perhaps you hope to support them with a shoulder to lean on, or by being there on Natha Station when any dead awake. Either way, the extremists may be defeated, but morale across both cities has taken a hit. 3. Healing doesn't always mean taking care of just the physical harm. Affected people in the cities, both PCs and NPCs, may have significant emotional scars from their experience. These are much harder to heal, and may not be going away anytime soon, but the people are doing their best to provide happy distractions to those who were taken hostage. Acts of kindness are encouraged and appreciated. Perhaps you can cook a few meals to take a burden off their shoulders, organize a fundraiser to help with relief efforts, or read a book to someone in recovery. A little bit of your time may go a long way. FINAL OOC NOTES     Once again, hostages and rescuers may find detailed info on their scenarios in subheaders below. These may also be used as top levels for each group! Additionally, all characters, including those that did not sign up, are welcome to toplevel in this log. For characters that are dying, please be sure to review the FAQ on death! We've updated it to provide more details for everyone this event. Don't forget to submit a summary of your event participation to guide our plot forward and earn influence with the NPCs! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

Justice | Rescuer

[whatisright]

Investigation

Justice does not like this. Suddenly all these people went missing, and it's then that the edges of his sense of other people's thoughts and deceptions became dull. It's too convenient. Especially in a place where he's already seen how powerful mind-altering magic can be, he's suspicious that the timing isn't a coincidence.

But he's still trying to work with it, because it's what he's got and the hostages may not have time for him to figure out what's wrong with his power.

So when they find someone to interrogate, Justice doesn't waste time. "Do you know where the hostages are?" he asks. He gets to the point because he can usually tell when whether or not people are lying, and also he has the social skills of a dead iguana.

Someone stop him.

Rescue - Attempted Hypnosis

Ideally, he wants to capture the kidnappers so that they can provide information on future violence from their organization and face justice after their victims are given a chance to process their pain and sentence them. But Justice is not above killing these wrongdoers if it seems like the only other option is to let them escape.

So his sword is drawn when he meets one of the extremists trying to run. The extremist backs up, but instead of surrendering, he just raises a knife and says, "You won't hurt me. I'm an innocent."

It's clear what the man is attempting to do. The magic layering his words is clumsy with his fear, unfinished. It reminds Justice of blood magic, and he detests blood magic.

He prepares to simply disarm the man, but then he says, "The enemies are the people you came with. You should kill them."

The attempted coil into his mind feels more like the prod of a limp lettuce leaf than an invasion, so clumsy as to be pathetic, but the attempt--oh, the attempt is enraging, so much so that a deep blue glow comes to his eyes. He's spent his whole life fighting demons born to snake into minds and tear them into ghastly facsimiles in a wink, and this human thought he could wave his hand and say a couple words and Justice would be his thrall?

"What did you say, mortal?"

Panic flashes over the extremists' face. He's too dangerous to keep alive. Even if his power is no match for a demon or blood mage's, it could still have an effect when given time and focus. There's still no telling what he has done after being given all this time alone with the hostages, and he has proven he is not above using mind control to kill.

Justice sweeps out his blade and decapitates the extremist in a blink.

Rescue - Help the Thralls

Justice is covered in blood, but none of it is his. He has experience undoing the sinister hold demons can have over mortal free will, so he thinks he may have a chance snapping the hypnotized thralls out of it.

He sheathes his sword first--he has no intention of doing violence to the victims--before holding up his hand, gradually edging towards the closest hostage. "I am here to help you."

He watches for signs of understanding, or worse, signs of hostility. He hopes he will not have to fight.

Wildcard

[Comment with your own starter or ask me for one!]

[meinwaifu]

[The hostage he approaches looks like he needs more than a simple helping hand. With the extremist who cast the spell over Mephisto now dead (perhaps even by Justice's own hands), there's no one left to give him an order. But at this point, that hardly seems to matter.]

[He's practically coated in blood, missing an eye and standing awkwardly on an injured leg. Judging by the slash marks and bullet holes in his formerly-white suit, much of the blood is his. But if that were the case-- how the hell is he alive?]

[Mephisto stares blankly at Justice's hand for a few moments before he starts to laugh. It's a strange, broken and unhinged laugh -- his voice already hoarse from how much he was cackling and screaming earlier.]

Are you, now? I don't know how much good that will do... I think I'm rather beyond it at this point.

[whatisright]

Perhaps.

[Justice is clearly very good at soothing people. He moves forward anyway, deciding that the risk this victim posed to him far outweighed the risk that he would collapse without anyone steadying him.]

But it is worth it to find you a healer. [Justice is pretty sure that this one should be dead now, but he's getting the idea that he's not quite mortal. He takes the hostage as gently as possible by the arms, ready to carry him to a bed if necessary.]

[meinwaifu]

[Strangely enough, the blunt honesty works better at making him cooperative than soothing lies would be. As such, he doesn't really fight back when Justice reaches out to grab him by the arms -- though he also won't be moving from his spot.]

I suppose... I'm in no position to argue. But I feel as though I'll never stand again if I allow myself to lay down now.

[Because he knows he's going to die soon. His human body has taken on far too much damage, and for the damage to still be here even now that his powers are restored, that means it's stopped healing all together. At this rate, he'll start falling apart any minute now.]

But if I am to die regardless, may I at least choose my final resting place? I would hate to think that, in the end... that I was never able to escape this hellish place.

[It says a lot for Mephisto, a demon of Gehenna, of Hell, to describe any other place as hellish.]

[whatisright]

[Justice considers, looking the man up and down. Justice has seen a lot, between dreams and memories and darkspawn, but the mutilations this man has suffered are definitely up there. The fact that he's alive at all is a miracle itself, and Justice isn't certain that healers would be able to save him even if they were able to start working immediately.

So he supposes that at this point, it is a greater justice to respect this man's requested final resting place than to try to scramble to save a life that is likely lost already.]

Very well. Where would you like me to take you?

Investigation. Also whoops, look like I picked the location wrong :'D

[dontgiveabuckland]

Cam has been watching this guy's... unique tactics for a little while now, standing back with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Without an insight to the guy's uncanny abilities, it just looks like he's relying entirely on trusting people not to lie which is... well, at least the guy's heart is in the right place.

When Justice's most recent target shuffles away with a muttered excuse about how he doesn't know what's going on, Cam decides to intervene, approaching with a slow gait and a casual air. Arms still crossed, “...Don't think that's helping much, pal.”

Normally, he'd be fine to let the guy do his thing, but they really need some clues on the hostages soon, before anything terrible happens.

[whatisright]

"He was not being deceptive," Justice said, frowning after the man shuffling away as fast as possible. "I feel that it is best to get through this as fast as possible." They don't know what's happening to the hostages. Justice normally is a fan of going through things methodically, but this is a situation that calls for speed, and asking broad questions to get a sense of how much a person knows and releasing them if they know nothing seems like a good way to sift through possible suspects as any.

[dontgiveabuckland]

“No argument there,” About getting through this as fast as possible, anyway. Every minute they spend looking for the victims weighs heavily on Cam’s mind, although there’s only a touch of stiffness to his normally relaxed posture to express it outwardly, “I don’t know if you’ve ever done this before but… he could have been lying.” Crazy concept, he knows. Justice mentioned that he didn’t believe the man was being deceptive, but Cam is skeptical, it’s pretty hard to pick up insight on someone’s intent after only a simple yes or no question.

[whatisright]

Justice is not a particularly expressive person--it comes with the territory when one isn't supposed to have a physical form and appearances can be malleable enough to appear to be an inanimate object--but when he turns to look at Cam, he still manages to squeeze some obvious incredulousness in the way his eyebrow quirks.

"I know that humans lie," he says very slowly, like maybe Cam is the dumb one here. "I can sense it when someone is lying."

Attempted hypnosis.... Justice you're wild

[enarms]

John's not above violence here. He's not even above killing, though the few bullets he's loosed so far have been aimed at legs and feet mostly, designed to stop but not to kill. Not for the sake of the spared lives so much as the people who deserve answers. The point is, killing doesn't frighten him. The death and blood caught in this building now don't frighten him. Soldier, doctor and detective, it takes a lot to shake him.

But there's a difference, isn't there, between the clean disappearance of bullet into flesh and the clean removal of a head. Even if not in theory, the reality of it leaves John wondering for a second if he's seen it correctly - but a body falls in two parts, and he swallows hard. There's no time for letting instinct shape his reaction. They're in the middle of a highly fraught situation and the issue needs to be dealt with now.

Justice has been an odd one to watch in action over the past week. Forthright and determined if subtle as a brick - ultimately fine. So despite the severed head bearing witness to the interaction, John approaches without fear, cutting through the mess of violence and panic around them to stand near Justice. John's focus is trained outward but his words are clearly directed to Justice, cutting underneath other noise as best he can.

"Don't do that again. These people think we're the enemy. If they see you cutting off heads we don't have a hope of convincing them otherwise."

By these people, he means the hostages. The rest of them he can do what he wants with, so long as it doesn't further unsettle the ones they're here to save. (He'll process having to say cutting off heads out loud sometime later.)

Ain't no party like a 'lop off head' party

[whatisright]

Justice seems to barely register that beheading someone might be a disturbing thing to do. His motions are practiced and clean, his eyes barely sparing John a glance before they fix on the hostages and extremists again, keeping them firmly in his sites. Justice wipes the blood from his blade with the automation of someone who has done this sort of thing often and finds little remarkable about it.

"He attempted to make me kill you and the others. Were I human, he may have been more successful." His voice is even and calm, though somewhat distracted, most of his focus on the hostages rather than this conversation, even as he pockets the bloodied cloth and leaves his newly cleaned sword unsheathed. "He was too dangerous to leave alive."

It doesn't occur to him that the human might be taking issue with the method of killing specifically. Justice's world was a violent place where life could be very cheap, and beheading seems to be a perfectly reasonable means of death compared to some alternatives.

[enarms]

Were I human. At this point, John's mostly immune to discoveries of this nature, but that doesn't mean they don't present themselves as a jarring influence. It's a question he pushes into the Ask Later pile. Justice seems unfortunately oblivious to John's point.

"That's fine," he could honestly care less, "but you need to be more subtle about it. All they're seeing is you decapitating the people they think are on their side. Which means you might do the same to them."

[whatisright]

"You wish me to be more subtle about killing threats?" Justice glances down at the corpse. He's not sure how one can really be subtle about killing, especially with a sword. "What would you find more agreeable? Stabbing would simply unnecessarily prolong their death."

Justice doesn't mind killing threats, but he frowns on making the killing unnecessarily long or painful. Decapitations may not be clean, but they are very fast and painless when done correctly. Stabbing and impaling don't have the same benefits.

Investigation

[otiosity]

Hawke doesn't know where the hostages are. In fact, she looks like someone who had been on the receiving end of a brutal beatdown in the last day or so. Which she had so, there you go. Fitting the part. So in response, she raises her arms, which causes her to wince spectacularly, damn her need for theatrics, and shakes her head.

"I don't. If I did, I'd be moving at a determined brisk pace, instead of limping around like a clueless mabari who just got stomped on by a dragon."

[whatisright]

Justice considers for a moment, mentally pawing around for even the vaguest sense that she might be lying. Even through the blanket over his senses, he doesn't sense anything to indicate any kind of uncertainty, so he relaxes.

"Very well." He forgets sometimes that people don't realize why he might just instantly believe what someone says to him. "Do you require assistance to find a healer?"

[otiosity]

"Oh no!" She waves a hand and then winces. "I know a healer, I'm just far too busy to go find him. As you know because you just threatened me, kidnappers have taken people. And you aren't really supposed to take your time when that happens. It's sort of a "time is of the essence" thing."

For all her attitude, if he is able to prob any feeling from her at all, it would be that she is deeply distressed over what's going on. Not that she'd ever admit it.

[whatisright]

"Is it your intention to find the hostages?" Justice glances back in the direction of his companions, all teaming up to search for them. More heads can't hurt, but... "Are you certain that you are in a condition to?" Even if she can drag herself around the city, would she really be able to save the hostages if she found them?

Investigation

[bruxisms]

Truth be told since his own ordeal, Stannis has still not been at his best. He certainly would not embark on such a rescue mission, lest he cause more grief for the captors. Be that as it may, that doesn't mean that he is not going to help out a friend. Particularly when the man had done for much for him to begin with.

Though, if Justice had hoped that he might help with social interactions, he will find that is far from the case.

"I would speak, were I you and choose your words wisely. In some realms, liars have their tongues removed."

It's a statement of fact, and hopefully one that will have the right effect. While he certainly will not be taking justice into his own hands, he knows well enough that a frightened man is a weak man.

[whatisright]

Not a day goes by that Justice isn't reminded why he likes Stannis so much.

He doesn't think that lying really should warrant tongue removal, but the threat still seems to unsettle the man.

"I don't know where the hostages are," he said, and Justice didn't sense deception, but the uneasiness radiating off of him was far too great to be entirely innocent.

"What else do you know?" Justice asks. "Speak quickly."

[bruxisms]

Justice's approval is something that fills him with pride, though he is not likely to admit it so openly. Especially not when they have a task at hand that demands completion.

"There are truths and truths, and yet we have only heard a scarce few from you. You are trying our patience. Again, I will ask you to speak truly, unless you believe in sheltering kidnappers and traitors." Certainly, when one did not have the power of a kingship, it made for more difficulty when speaking. But Stannis still had other alternatives.

"If you answer our questions, I will speak on your behalf to the guard. Should you choose not to, when the victims are found, I have no doubt your days as a free man will be numbered. Many have long memories. I suggest you remember that."

[whatisright]

The man is clearly out of his depth. He shakes his head, holding up his hands. "I don't know anything! Nothing useful!"

"We will decide what is useful or not," Justice says, crossing his arms.

"I don't know! I just noticed that some people at the Temple have started acting strangely, that's all! A-and someone asked me to make a kind of sketchy delivery, but I said no!"

Justice glances at Stannis, dipping his head to indicate that he doesn't sense deception.

attempted hypnosis

[dianano]

[ Steve misses most of Justice's exchange with the extremist, only catching the end - that is to say, the moment Justice slices the kidnapper's head off. Steve has seen some pretty horrible things during the war, but nothing quite like this. He's speechless for a moment, but his shock quickly turns to outrage. ]

Have you lost your mind? [ His voice comes out as a furious hiss, trying to keep his voice down from attracting more kidnappers for the moment or worse, hostages who've managed to escape, stumbling upon the comforting sight of a beheaded corpse. Yeah, they'll definitely look like the good guys when they see Steve and Justice standing over that. ] Christ, Justice, you can't just go around beheading people!

[whatisright]

[Justice is not particularly expressive, so he only seems mildly surprised when Steve has his outburst. Justice, for his part, seems perfectly at ease standing next to a headless corpse, and he wipes the blood off his sword with a cloth like this is the most normal thing in the world.]

He was attempting to use magic to take control of my mind and have me kill the rest of you. He may have been more successful if I were human. His death was necessary.

[Yeah, he's just assuming that Steve is taking issue with Justice killing the man rather than his methods. And even then, he just assumes that the main issue with killing him would be that they need to get information from these extremists.]

[dianano]

But you're not human. [ Steve points out, and maybe that's the problem here. ]

You know how savage this looks? [ Steve is no saint, he's killed people too, but not like this. ] Some of the hostages aren't in their right mind right now. If they see we did this, we look just as bad as the people who kidnapped them.

[ He's less angry when he hears the extremist was trying to take over Justice's mind - obviously he reacted out of instinct, but it worries Steve that his instinct was to behead that person. ]

Kill someone like that again and I'm confiscating that sword. [ And now Steve is cleaning up Justice's mess - dragging the body to somewhere more hidden. ] You can get the head.

[whatisright]

[Justice's mild surprise turns into confusion, his brow creasing.] I do not see how killing in defense compares to kidnapping and murder.

[But he tries to follow Steve's line of thought, because Justice knows full well that he misses a lot of stuff that mortals take for granted. He follows Steve's instructions, picking up the head with about as much nonchalance as picking up a football. What's so more blood on his armor?]

Beheading is a quick and painless way to kill someone when done correctly. Would you prefer that I stab them in the chest and leave them to slowly expire on the ground? [From some, this may be mocking, but from Justice, it's a sincere question. It's hard to cause non-fatal damage with a blade and still keep someone from talking. It's not like he has the time to hogtie each possible hypnotist in the middle of battle. He could have disarmed the human and then bashed in all his teeth and broken his jaw, he supposes, but he doesn't see how permanently disfiguring and disabling someone is any kinder than killing them. Do mortals starve to death if they have no teeth and their jaw is broken? Justice doesn't know. This seems like the kind of thing he should probably ask Steve about before trying, but Steve seems to be angry right now.]