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Entry tags:
- *event,
- avatar: mai,
- blood bank: reign fear,
- blood bank: shell overlord,
- blood+: diva,
- blood+: solomon goldsmith,
- bungou stray dogs: atsushi nakajima,
- bungou stray dogs: chuuya nakahara,
- dragon age: anders,
- ffxiv: alisaie leveilleur,
- ffxiv: krile baldesion,
- ffxiv: x'rhun tia,
- ffxv: prompto argentum,
- fire emblem: frederick,
- got: jon snow,
- got: ramsay bolton,
- got: sansa stark,
- got: theon greyjoy,
- guilty gear: venom,
- gundam: setsuna f. seiei,
- jjba: rohan kishibe,
- killjoys: dutch,
- kingdom hearts: sora,
- kingdom hearts: terra,
- kingsman: roxy morton,
- les miserables: enjolras,
- little witch academia: atsuko kagari (ak,
- love live: you watanabe,
- loz: urbosa,
- mcu: gamora,
- mcu: peggy carter,
- mistborn: vin,
- ouat: emma swan,
- outlander: claire fraser,
- overwatch: jack morrison (soldier 76),
- overwatch: reinhardt wilhelm,
- pandora hearts: elliot nightray,
- penumbra podcast: peter nureyev,
- rivers of london: thomas nightingale,
- rune factory: dylas,
- rwby: lie ren,
- saiyuki: genjo sanzo,
- star trek: james t. kirk,
- stargate: john sheppard,
- teahouse: linneus,
- tenchi muyo!: ryoko hakubi,
- torchwood: ianto jones,
- voltron: allura,
- yuri!!! on ice: jean-jacques leroy
❪ event ❫ hour of ruin
|
HOUR OF RUIN  Sometime after midnight, after preparations have been put aside in favor of drinks and rest, a thunderous beating of wings shatters the air — the High Dragon Ysverai, once again risen. The sound echoes high off Namarak Mountain, but travels easily to both Wyver and Olympia: scream after scream rends the still night, as though a creature were dying rather than being born again. Having only had days to plan their defense against the creature, Olympia and Wyver snatch up their arms. The Royal Guard and the Knightryders can be seen on their steeds hurrying through the cities, because Ysverai doesn't remain isolated at the mountain's peak for long. There are pictures of Ysverai in abundance throughout both cities, but the creature that circles in the sky looks nothing like the majestic creature spoken of in history books. Even from far below, wounds and lacerations can be seen marring what should be smooth scales, and blood falls with every beat of the dragon's wings. The damage becomes more clear when moonlight illuminates Ysverai, revealing the rotting dragon for all to see. The sight of flesh peeling away and thick blood where it oozes from his cracked, greyish hide is as frightening as the power he possesses. REASON'S TRANSCENDENCE
Mad from the anguish of his forced revival, Ysverai will show none of his renowned wisdom or compassion, mindless and seeking to inflict his pain onto whatever emerges in his path.
His very presence creates chaos: animals (Olympia | Wyver) domesticated and wild, flee from the merest hint of his approach, panicked and stampeding in wild droves. The reason is obvious: organic matter exposed too long to his presence begins to rot and decay. A field he lands in rots and lies fallow. Buildings crack and crumble, their supports pitted and corroded as though they've been left in disrepair for years. Even the ground that Ysverai walks upon is tainted; a corrosive sludge bubbles up in his massive, clawed footsteps, the ground beneath him putrefied and toxic, oozing corruption. This sludge can be tar-like, poisonous and sucking people in like quicksand; panic, and you'll only sink faster. Prolonged exposure to Ysverai takes a mental toll on anyone in his proximity as well. Effects similar to those from being near his heart — selfish desires and lowered inhibitions — will begin to fester in those around him. Every time Ysverai roars, pain will run through all those that hear him — a pain not just physical, but of true, anguished heartbreak. Those who hear Ysverai will feel (to a degree of your choosing) a sharing of his pain, the agony of flesh rotting from their bodies, blood oozing from under their skin, and a terrible, incandescent fury — and beneath that, a gut-wrenching sadness. This effect is further enhanced by any exposure to Ysverai's blood, and being drenched in greater quantities will cause one to become more in sync with the dragon. Finally, Ysverai is aggressive, attacking anyone and anything that approaches. He starts by breathing out a smog, acidic and putrefying — characters caught directly by this attack will find that medicine and healing magic of any kind hurts them for hours after exposure. The dragon will ignite the smog to breathe fire, if sparingly. IN WYVER
Ysverai's shadow falls over the near reaches of Wyver first. Upon hearing Ysverai's cry, the dragons in Wyver become completely frenzied, turning against their partners among the Knightryders without the slightest resistance. Those familiar with dragons might deduce that they're in pain, though they don't show any sign of injury. The dragons knock their riders off their backs in midair and dive at citizens, jaws wide. Any attempts to soothe them will be long fought, achieved with great difficulty, and will see them retreat into a cowering state.
It's not just the airborne Knightryders taking to the defense of the city however, and people on the ground are mobilizing as well. On rooftops across the city are cannons set to fire harpoons. And if the spearheads alone aren't enough to injure the beast, they're coated with a paralyzing poison as well. Unfortunately, the soldiers stationed on the rooftops are prime targets to the frenzied dragons populating Wyver's skies, leaving the cannons open for ordinary citizens to use should they choose. Left alone too long, and cannons may fall under the control of the few remaining radicals that had opted not to flee the cities to join up with their leader Raysc, choosing instead to wait for an opportune moment to unleash their anger on the people of Wyver. These radicals will need to be dealt with before they can turn the cannons upon Wyver's defenders. IN OLYMPIA
In Olympia, the gryphon partners of the Royal Guard react with immediate hostility to anyone showing signs of Ysverai's influence. Their keen senses allow them to pick up the smell of Ysverai's blood and they attack anyone with so much as a drop of tainted blood on them. Those who bear lingering effects of Ysverai's mental attack and who remain in sync with the dragon after hearing Ysverai's cry are also targeted and must face the gryphons' wrath without mercy or restraint. The gryphons must be disabled, for Olympia will not look upon any injury to their prized steeds lightly. However, the gryphons also show some resistance to Ysverai's cry, which is a great boon in battle against the dragon — gryphons that have lost their riders will be available for use, able to carry two passengers at a time.
The people of Olympia aren't planning to restrict their offense to pure brute force, and the mages of the city can be seen across Olympia wielding enchanted chains, using telekinesis in the hopes of restraining Ysverai and assisting in the airborne troops. But like the decaying buildings and wildlife, Ysverai is warping the magic around him, the chains faltering as they approach him, whipping back toward the city instead to cage whoever happens to be closest. It's not just the enchanted chains either, but other magic might behave erratically in his presence, as if the very essence of the spells have been corrupted. VIRTUOUS VERSE
Both cities realize they need to seek survival rather than victory against Ysverai, switching gears to carry out diversion efforts and evacuation plans. It falls to refugees to continue the offensive while the Royal Guard and the Knightryders devote their attention to ensuring the safety of the citizens as they flee.
With official forces stretched thin, civilians and refugees alike will also need to step up to help herd citizens toward safety among a maze of collapsing buildings. Others will need to see to gathering resources for the evacuation, and while gathering non perishables is easy enough, it's considerably harder to wrangle livestock into cooperating amidst such chaos. Those fighting may be asked to act as bait for Ysverai. Chatter through official troops speaks of a switch in strategy: the objective now is capture the dragon's attention and draw him away from the populous cities and towards the South Outpost. Whether or not it's possible to defeat the dragon remains uncertain, but there's no question that it will be easier to battle him without worrying about civilians. THE RAGE  Luckily, the dragon is indiscriminate in his rage, and easily lured so long as a suitably infuriating target is before him. It doesn't take long to draw him to the South Outpost, but the trail of destruction he leaves in his wake is vast. Once there, the combined forces are greeted not just by Ysverai, but also by the appearance of Ysverai's master. Raysc lifts a gleaming device as he issues his command. Red lights blink and blood, the same oozing liquid that drips from Ysverai's many wounds, runs in clear tubes through the device. Ysverai rears back as Raysc makes adjustments to a control panel — and then lunges forward, mouth agape. With a single swallow, Raysc meets his end. Raysc's attempt to control the dragon has only enraged him further, spurring Ysverai on to new heights of fury. It's become more vital than ever to face the dragon and take him down here and now. A few effective strategies are learned from research efforts and observed while defending Olympia and Wyver: goading the dragon into breathing fire will hurt him, burning him from the inside out, and attacks to his joints, eyes, wings, and exposed bone are effective. Ice is a natural repellent to dragons and can be used defensively or to weaken the dragon's hide. Healing spells will also react unnaturally to Ysverai's flesh, hastening his decay. However, while concentrated efforts will lock him down, Ysverai cannot be permanently killed in this state — his flesh constantly rots and spawns anew. Attacking him here is to protect civilians, keeping him busy to avoid mass destruction elsewhere. Therefore, the battle is one of attrition, a matter of a race against time. You must destroy his flesh faster than it is able to regenerate to have any hope of victory. Finally, when Ysverai is weakening, little more than bones with a few last vestiges of rotten meat hanging from a skeleton, the pathetic remnants of the last High Dragon takes to the skies. His wings are barely intact enough to carry him, yet desperation lifts him, higher and higher, until he lets out one great, earth-shaking roar. A roar that carries across the battlefield, sending all who hear it to their knees. A roar that shatters the swords in soldiers' hands, that rends apart the very air itself — Ysverai's last act, a great curse upon El Nysa, to bring down the sky. AND THE WORLD STOOD STILL  The terror of Ysverai's destruction hangs overhead — a tear in the sky, darkness pouring through, tendrils reaching down towards El Nysa to swallow up the planet in the dragon's final act of revenge. And yet nothing moves. A halo of brilliant light surrounds the rift in the sky, holding the grasping, hungry tendrils in check. And on the planet, not a creature moves. Not a blade of grass stirs. You're not able to even draw a breath. No matter where you are, not even the heart in your chest is beating. Everything has stopped — time has come to a standstill. In a wash of light, an aurora of transport, you find yourself delivered to Thesa Station. Darma stands before you, her expression solemn, perhaps even grim, though that may just be a trick of the station's harsh lighting. She explains what has happened in short order: planetside, time has been completely frozen. A bank of monitors behind Darma displays the battlefield below: Ysverai's frozen, looming figure and the breach in the sky, and the Natha's halo, holding the destruction back. Though time passes normally on Thesa Station, El Nysa remains frozen, and all Refugees are unable to return to the planet until Ysverai's menace is dealt with. Luckily, with the Natha's return, full functionality has also returned to the station. The lights and environmentals are back to full power, access to all areas has been restored, the cafeteria is serving its normal offerings, and there's no evidence of any glitching or malfunctions. Doubtless, the period of rest is much needed after the hard-fought battle. For now, with time on El Nysa at a standstill, there's little else to be done but enjoy the reprieve aboard Thesa Station. FINAL OOC NOTE
Characters that reach an AC length action thread in this event will receive 2 rep for all factions, including Natha. Note that while these are split up for ease of processing, players may submit for all three.
Players can expect this event to run three days ICly before everyone is teleported to Thesa Station! From thereon, all characters will be grounded at the Station until the Test Drive Meme later this month.
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no subject
No. Simply destroying the vessel isn't enough to kill the demon inside. I need only to summon it into a different umbrella.... still, I regret that it had to come that. I was quite fond of that one.
[Once he seems sure that the dragon won't be busting through the trees like the goddamn kool-aid man, he walks back to Chuuya and kneels beside him.]
How are your legs? If there's even the tiniest bit of rot left, I'll deal with it for you. Necrosis is far more dangerous for something like you than something like me.
no subject
[Please no surprise dragons!
At the question Chuuya gets up on wobbly legs, and while one is fully healed, the other has spots of necrosis still visible. Chuuya frowns as he inspects it, the pain of the rot trying to spread finally hitting him once the adrenaline has worn off.]
Guess there’s some left.
[But now that they’ve got a moment to rest, he might as well ask the biggest question here...]
What’s with the mask? Is it because you’re sensitive to rot?
no subject
I mentioned it back in Khalo, didn't I? It's one of the few elements that I have trouble with. And seeing as Ysverai has more or less been turned into a ghoul, a type of rot demon, I'd rather not spend the battle fighting the urge to sneeze.
[And then looking up, sounding way too excited--]
Besides, don't I look like a superhero!?
[Naturally these aren't his only reasons. But maybe he can keep Chuuya from asking anything more specific.]
no subject
Yeah, sure.
[Chuuya is gonna be real rude and walk right up to Mephisto before trying to pull his scarf aside.]
I saw your wounds. You got touched by it too, didn’t you? The rot, I mean.
[There’s nothing Chuuya can do to help him, but if Mephisto is literally falling apart then they should beat a hasty retreat.]
There’s gotta be someone around that can heal you.
no subject
...I didn't touch it, no. [Oh, how he wishes he could lie right now.]
However, being this close to something of this magnitude is causing my body to deteriorate at a faster rate than usual. It's nothing I can't handle, seeing as the rot is only skin-deep. It just looks gruesome.
[And it hurts like crazy, of course. But when it comes to this sort of pain, Mephisto hd a rather high tolerance. Speaking a bit softer, he reaches up to touch the bottom of his mask.]
The face under here is one I dislike showing to my familiars. I would rather not you not see me like this.
CW: mention of body horror
...I’ll assume you’re not lying about being able to handle it.
[Obviously, but still, Chuuya has to wonder just how much Mephisto can take before his host body deteriorates completely...
That softer tone isn’t one Chuuya is used to hearing, and it does the trick for making him back off of the subject. Much as he’s unaffected by pretty much any gruesome sight these days, he’s not about to force the guy to show his face if he doesn’t want to.
As if he could anyway.]
...all right. Not like I can tell you what to do.
[Their rest is cut short by the sound of another ungodly roar, and Chuuya’s insides twist in agony for a split second, like his guts are being corroded, but it’s gone as quickly as it came, leaving Chuuya pale and covered in sweat.]
What the hell kind of magic is that?? A roar shouldn’t be that goddamn powerful!!
no subject
It shouldn't, but it is. The curse of an undying body, mind clouded with agony and rage... I wouldn't be surprised if he intends to take the whole world out with him.
[A painfully familiar story for Mephisto.]
[But just as he starts to recover, he sees something. Resting in the palm of his hands beneath his gloves is a small blue crystal, gifted by the temples of Thesa, that can predict the future through sound waves. It's not terribly accurate most of the time, but this time--]
[Springing back to his feet, he reaches out and grabs Chuuya by the arm, pulling him to the ground beneath him to shield him.]
Get down--!
[And not even two seconds later, hot flames surge through the forest above them, just a scant few inches below where they once stood -- incinerating it in an instant and leaving burning, charred wood all around them.]
[Overhead, the dragon roars again and starts to circle the newly created clearing. But just before it can land, something strikes it in midair -- reinforcements had finally shown up!]
[But as the dragon flies away, beating its rotten wings, thick blood rains down over them -- soaking Mephisto, who'd been shielding Chuuya when he first pulled him down.]
[And as it leaves, Mephisto rolls off of Chuuya and curls up, his whole body trembling as if in pain.]
no subject
He barely has time to recover from Ysverai’s roar before he’s being pulled to the ground and shielded by Mephisto, and Chuuya is terribly confused for all of five seconds before white hot flames spread across the landscape, devouring everything in their path. He can feel the heat as they burn any and all vegetation to a crisp, but he doesn’t dare move until the coast is clear.
But then Mephisto rolls off of him, and Chuuya is treated to the sight of him covered in blood and trembling like he’s never seen before. He immediately rushes to his master’s side, face twisted in concern.]
Oi, did you get hit? Or is it the roar?!
cw: gore (link is from the manga)
[In the distance, the dragon roars again -- and when it does, Mephisto responds in turn... by laughing.]
[Pulling himself to his hands and knees, he stays there chocking on laughter -- or are they sobs? -- for a few very long moments. But then he snaps upright, throwing back his head as he cackles with wild abandon. He tears the mask off his face, scratching his nails through his gloves and up along the side and into his hair.]
[There's a reason he was keeping himself hidden. He's practically unrecognizable underneath, his face covered in mysterious wounds as blood drips down from his eyes and nose. The wounds even appear to be spreading, further aggravated by the rotten blood coating his body.]
[He's probably never before looked as demonic as he looks right now.]
no subject
Oi...can you hear me?
[Chuuya’s voice wavers, because he’s truly afraid for Mephisto’s sanity, and he tries to think of something, anything that could snap Mephisto out of this.
All his thoughts come to a screeching halt when he sees what’s beneath that mask. Mephisto is literally falling apart.]
Master...?
[The word comes much more naturally than it used to, and for once Chuuya doesn’t feel flustered about it. He’s far too shocked to see Mephisto literally breaking down to care about that right now.
He needs to think of something, and quick. He has to remember what worked the last time Mephisto lost himself...!]
Hey, this isn’t you, the dragon’s fucking with you, so snap out of it!
no subject
[The look on his face is one Chuuya hasn't seen before -- the sort of face he should be glad he hasn't seen before, because it's a face generally saved for those who've fucked up -- the face Mephisto makes when he's actually angry. He may not look angry, but right now sorrow and rage and practically overwhelming him -- his words coming out almost labored, as if he's having difficulty speaking at all.]
The dragon...? This whole world has been fucking with us since the very beginning! Maybe the dragon has the right idea! This world shouldn't even exist!
[But perhaps the worst thing of all is that he's still holding true to his deal with Chuuya. As far as he's concerned: nothing he's saying is something he believes is a lie.]
[He laughs again, but then coughs, doubling forward on his hands and knees as he chokes up a mouthful of blood. He cries out with a sound far more like a sob than a laugh now, one hand gripping his face as the other wraps tightly around his stomach.]
Ahh, it hurts, it hurts... forgive me, Brother... I didn't understand before, but now-- perhaps this is the only way...
no subject
Chuuya frowns, that sentiment not sitting well with him at all.]
I dunno if it should exist or not, but I want it to exist. I have too much to lose to let it be destroyed.
[Despite the very real risk of being seen as a target instead of an ally because of the dragon’s influence over his master, Chuuya kneels down in front of Mephisto and reaches out to him with hands that tremble from adrenaline. There’s so much blood, and Mephisto is obviously in indescribable pain. Just how much can that body take before it completely falls apart and becomes irreparable...?]
Master...
[The word had seemed to have an effect earlier, so he says it again, much softer this time. It’s much the same as the time he’d called out to Mephisto using his true name to bring him back to himself, but perhaps Samael isn’t the name he needs to hear right now.
Brother...Lucifer? Chuuya remembers Mephisto immediately trying to drop him when he’d asked more about that connection before. Obviously there’s plenty of family drama going on there, but Chuuya ignores it for now, and despite Mephisto’s unstable and likely volatile state, Chuuya carefully wraps his arms around him in the best show of comfort he can manage. Such touches have never come easy to him, but what better time to reach out than now?
When he speaks his voice is clearer than before, with a hint of determination. He can’t just wait and hope this goes away, after all.]
It’s fine. Even if you think that this world would be better off destroyed, I still want you to come back to me, because you’re my Master now, and you’re not just gonna leave me here, got it?
no subject
[But then it stops. And in that moment, a switch is flipped inside Mephisto's mind. The rage he feels subsides, and he allows himself to lean into Chuuya's embrace. But he's not freed from it just yet. For all that his mind may be clearing up, that sorrow is still weighing heavily upon his heart, filling him with a feeling of anguish stronger than anything he's ever felt before.]
[Weak, trembling arms reach up to cling back onto Chuuya. He's here.]
...I won't leave. [He takes in a short, shallow breath, his voice coming out with a breathless near-sob.] But someday... you will... won't you?
[His grip tightens, and despite the fact that he's surely getting Chuuya covered in his own blood by now, he rests his face down against his shoulder.]
Such is the nature of a demon king. Even if this world were destroyed and this body of mine gave out... I can never follow you to the other side. The king of time is fated to be the only one standing at the end of the universe, long after everyone and everything has ceased to be...
[It's something he's long since come to accept. But things are different on Nysa. Time flows differently here than it did back home. And it's only here that he's been forced to a consider the notion of time passing in a singular, finite line. A long and lonely road to the finish line -- except Mephisto is doomed to never reach it, wandering forever so long as time itself continues to pass.]
[It's never bothered him before.]
[But perhaps those fears of being the last one left were just never pronounced enough for him to process them. And now, now, when he's been forced to face the reality of potentially being mortal-- he's been forced to consider it.]
[And yet even so, he's still not sure which possibility is worse.]
How strange... eternity never felt so long before...
no subject
The rage and near madness that had taken hold of Mephisto pale in comparison to the utter despair that grips him once Chuuya has succeeded in breaking the dragon’s hold, and Chuuya can’t quite believe that anything could make the demon tremble and cling to him like this. It shakes Chuuya down to his very core, and his grip on his Master only tightens, as if he’s the only thing anchoring Mephisto to this world.
Chuuya’s voice is soft when he speaks, but there’s a certainty to it that makes it sound anything but weak.]
I promised I’d be your familiar till I die. Even if it’s not forever, I want to follow you for as long as I can.
[He can’t change the fact that he’ll grow old and die, not unless some magic on Nysa allows him to extend his lifespan, nor can he do anything to comfort Mephisto about the fact that he’ll most certainly linger long after the rest of the world has perished. When he thinks about those things and how utterly powerless he is to stop them he feels like his heart is being torn in two; such a sad, lonely fate...
Chuuya simply holds Mephisto for as long as he’ll allow it, one hand coming up to cradle the back of his head and hold him close. Is this really all he can do...?]
You said it before, right? How you’re all about enjoying life? Even if it’s not exactly the fate a human would have, you might as well live it up while the world still exists around you, right?
[Ah, he really doesn’t know what he’s saying, but he rests his head against Mephisto’s anyways, because he wants to.]
Eternity doesn’t have to feel like a curse.
no subject
[It's hard to say which he's referring to -- the sadness still thick in his voice. But he pauses with a short breath, his mind scrambling to catch up with his thoughts and pull him back together.]
But... that's how it should be. Humans would be very different creatures if they too were forced to carry the weight of an immortal life.
It's better this way.
[His arms grow steadier, and he moves them up to Chuuya's shoulders, gently pushing him back. But before Chuuya can get a look at Mephisto's face again, he pulls one hand back entirely and covers it, bowing his head to allow his hair to hide the rest.]
...can you hand me mask?
no subject
Chuuya doesn’t want to be pushed away so soon, but it’s best if they move on, and though it pains him to see someone as proud as Mephisto hiding his face, Chuuya won’t protest. He reaches for the mask and hands it over, thankful that he’d at least managed to snap Mephisto out of his crazed state.]
Here.
[He wants to say that there’s really no need for the mask anymore, at least not between the two of them, but Chuuya can’t say that he wouldn’t want to cover his own face if it were rotting off.]
...where do we go from here?
no subject
For now, we make a tactical retreat. It seems something else has taken the dragon's interest. We should use this opportunity to regroup with others who are fighting and work on a strategy to prevent this from happening again.
[As he speaks, he reaches up and pulls his black coat open, shrugging it off his shoulders and tossing it aside -- only for it to disappear in a little poof anyway. His clothes underneath are similarly dark colored -- a wine-colored dress shirt and black slacks -- but now it's a bit more obvious why. While some of the blood staining his shirt had simply soaked through the coat, most of the little spots here and there are Mephisto's.]
[And even without the coat, he still reeks of blood.]
...you did well in bringing me back. I can see now that I made the right decision in choosing to keep you by my side.
no subject
Sounds like a plan.
[He gets to his feet and tries dusting himself off, though the grime of the battlefield isn’t so easily dislodged. At least he’s better off than Mephisto, who seems to be bleeding through his dark colored clothes. Chuuya is concerned, of course, but he figures it’s futile to try talking him into taking a rest when he himself wouldn’t do the same.
The praise is unexpected, and Chuuya removes his hat for a moment in a gesture of respect. Maybe he’ll add a tiny little bow as well. It’s the end of the world, after all, so might as well show off a little of his “Mafia executive” persona.]
Of course. I’m sworn to stay by your side. You have my loyalty for as long as you want it, Master.
no subject
[For a moment, he just turns and admires him -- admires the strength behind that loyalty, knowing full well that Chuuya would gladly follow him into hell if he gave the order. To have someone so proud take off his hat and bow like that... damn, a demon could get used to this.]
[But since Mephisto is still Mephisto-- he opts to ruin the serious mood this moment has afforded them by reaching out to tousle Chuuya's hair. Good boy.]
That's what I like to hear.
Now then-- let's be off.
[And then they made their way back to regroup with other refugees, avoiding the dragon as best they could. Maybe Meph should invest in a blood-proof coat...]