❪ event ❫ spirited away

[natha]

PRELUDE     I'll get straight to the point, Thesaens. Dranbu is in dire need of assistance. I have received confirmation that the disappearances we were investigating last month have... escalated. Be cautious as you make your way through Josa Forest. Ideally we could go straight through, but it seems the main entrance to Dranbu is overgrown with thorns and vines, and there's a bit of a glitch with the rail system - the train is having trouble recognizing the Dranbu station as a destination. I've uploaded a homing beacon to your devices with this message. Once enough of you have arrived in Dranbu proper, it should communicate with the train and register it as a stop. With any luck, that will make getting back and forth much easier for you all from now on. Best of luck. Entry to the forest is not only overgrown with vegetation, but seems to be growing at an increasingly alarming rate. Any attempts to clear the vines will be met with even larger ones growing in its place, and it only confirms Nurray's findings as true. The only way in is across the sound from Nadril, entering the forest from its snowy back yard. It doesn't stay cold for long; as one ventures further into the forest, the snow will disappear, as though it was completely out of place in the first place. The red sun's warmth will take its place soon after— and before long, you'll feel too warm for the clothes you came with. That's when you know you've entered the heart of Josa Forest. WITHIN THE FOREST     The forest seems to be thick with a profound presence that can’t be ascertained. While venturing through it, one will feel like there are being watched or followed. This feeling will only intensify as metallic-scented drops of rain begin to fall between the clearings in the trees. Unfortunately, what many don’t realize at this point is that this is how the forest itself eats. How it subsists and lives through the minds of those who eventually get lost in it. Wandering this far in is akin to walking into a lion’s jaw, or rather… straight to its stomach. But, the forest has a way of making one stay. While it swallows someone up, it shows them sinfully beautiful and picturesque sights. Even showing them people or things that are familiar to the lost. All of which will urge them to go in deeper and deeper. But, while the forest begins to prey on the mind of their victim— they will suddenly hear an elegant and alluring voice urging them back. This voice promises them comfort and safety. Promises to be kind and open. Promises she has a place for them where they will never feel displaced or unwanted, or lost. Before they can fully accept, they will find that they are whisked away in Barthala’s embrace. Some will be taken, wiped of all their previous memories and inserted new ones. Others will find they have no prior memories at all of themselves, only urged to go on with regular life. What is prevalent is the forest's desire to turn you. Metamorphosis is a phenomenon that occurs only to certain individuals, and there is no rhyme or reason to them. Some adventurers would find themselves changing by the minute, the hour, or the process may even take days and weeks. The forest toys with you, but it only wants to draw you closer to its core — as though there's a story there it wants you to see and understand. Will you go on anyway, knowing the forest has already has its claws on you? I. ALL ROADS LEAD TO — Exploring the forest is not a perilous experience - Barthala's blessing ensures that paths remain clear of any dangerous obstacles, and keeps anyone who enters the woods from losing their way. However, it will not always lead adventurers where they want to go. Stressed? Your path leads to a meadow, grass drifting gently in the breeze. Tired? You'll find your way to a tree with roots perfectly curved for a nap, the shade a peaceful retreat from the sunlight. The hungry will find streams full of fish or bushes laden with berries, and the curious will come upon elder trees, unique and beautiful. Only those who are truly satisfied with their circumstances, with themselves, can forge their own path, and venture to Barthala's Grotto. II. BARTHALA'S GROTTO — The deity's home is host to an abundance of life. Butterflies drift through the air, brilliantly colored and unbothered by any intruders. Foliage blooms in a rainbow of colors, many plants unique to this area alone. With trees arranged to provide a canopy over the path and small clearing, the scene is something out of a fantasy. Any plant life taken from this area will not survive long, though even in its dead, dried state, it retains a curious beauty. Explorers and creatures finding themselves in this area will suddenly find their clothing to be an unnecessary burden - what could be better than feeling the wonders of nature against bare skin? There is nothing unbecoming about such a natural state, any perverse inclinations are an aspect of personal preference. While the presence of Barthala can be felt here - a warm, comfortable sensation emanating from your core - she is nowhere to be found. Only one will have the opportunity to pass under a veil of willow branches and emerge to the cool air of a clear-as-glass spring. Another nearby grotto is home to a plant with intoxicating effects. Just smelling the leaves is enough to entice most animals, and consuming them has effects on both mind and body. More easily amused, with thoughts that weave deep and distant, along with increased sensory perception can bring the user on a pleasant trip lasting up to five hours. III. INFLUENCES — (18+) Every five days, a weed scattered in patches among the forest underbrush blooms. The flowers are small and white, unremarkable except for how clustered they grow. When their petals fall, after only hours of blossoming, pollen drifts through the air. It clings to clothing, to hair, in the throats of the sensitive animals dwelling in the forest. Even those unaltered by Barthala's magic can be affected. The locals of Dranbu claim the pollen enhances fertility, but in practice, it simply serves as a poignant aphrodisiac. Those affected won't differentiate between the warmth of another or their own, a simple need to experience sexual ecstasy overwhelmingly pervaded. The pollen loses its potency after about three hours, leaving behind only a sweet smell. YOUR NEW (NEW) LIFE    Adapting to an entirely new setting isn’t always so simple. People often say that assimilating oneself to the environment happens fluidly, and before you know it, you’re a part of it. In Dranbu, these words hold an uncanny sense of truth. When you awake, your day begins like it always has. Your daily routine meets largely unchanged, except a few tinier details. Perhaps, you’ve realized your true calling is an occupation within the villages itself. Maybe in farming up strange medical herbs, maybe in acting as a witch doctor for the people, or maybe you find yourself drawn to the arts and you really enjoy sculpting fellow villagers in the nude. Once you commit these tasks, you realize, it feels like what you’ve always done. As if it were natural, as if you’ve done them for years, and maybe you have? At least that’s what your gut is telling you, and slowly your memories will too. At the end of the day, when you return home, you realize you’re not alone. You have a partner who shares the same values and whom you love deeply. Or maybe a spouse whom you’re always arguing with. But, even that will feel as commonplace as the rest of your day. All you know is that the day that might have started off not being yours is entirely yours and yours alone. IV. THE HUNT — Those taken by the forest, animal features adorning their bodies, will find that their palates have changed as well. Carnivores crave raw meat, while herbivores don't mind snacking on a patch of grass or pulling leaves from branches. For most, there's no reason to cook a meal; once prey is captured, instinct says dig right in! It can be a gruesome sight, mangled bodies gorged upon leaving bloodstained faces, but it's natural. As is the hunt itself - any size of game can be found in the forest, and no one will go hungry for long. The magic that dwells here ensures a catch even for the clumsiest predator. Just take care not to stalk one of your own. For a hungry predator, there's no difference between a deer and a deer-like human. THE BOUNDARIES BEYOND     For some, placated is synonymous with bored. While there is a sense of wonder in the beauties of nature that adorn the woods, serene forest life isn't for everyone. Those seeking more adventure can explore the challenging slopes of Waco Mountain. Barthala's influence is weaker on those bluffs than in Josa Forest itself, so thrill chasers won't be disappointed. Lose the path, slip on loose rocks, fall into a stream and spend a night wet and cold, there are many perils that come with traveling a mountain-side. Scattered ruins offer some shelter, their walls carved with images resembling Barthala, a dragon, and three other stranger creatures. While the deity's pacification does not flow as deeply through this region, all are still save from mortal wounds, and the veil cast over their memories will not lessen. If you have made it this far, however, there is no reason to try to return to the main city of Dranbu. Accommodations are always available in the neighboring villages: Phares in the north, and Stroln in the south. These villages are in friendly competition with one another, and will tempt travelers with women and men of their kind in order to draw in business to their hotels. FINAL OOC NOTES     No REP is available for this log. REP will now be primarily available through achieving NPC quests, which will be available on the 19th! Please keep an eye out for that! Dranbu is entirely available for exploration! You may find that most of Wyver and Olympia Flora/Fauna may be found in the forest as well. For more information on your characters' (opt-in) Metamorphosis, please refer to the November Outline! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[deadthenred]

[ Bucky isn't much to look at, really, dressed in sturdy Olympian clothes with a good bit of dirt on them from the trek through the forest. His arm is covered up, and not obviously made out of metal. ]

I'm not in charge of the Avengers. [ He replies hastily. It's something he used to say a lot. ]

And anyway, Hawkeye usually falls from further up.

[spideys]

[ Yeah, he might not look a whole lot like the Avengers (TM) as he knows them, all colourful and bright, but these are different times. Maybe the Avengers team here could be a little more grimdark. ]

So what you're sayin' here is that I still have a chance?

[ It's said jokingly, even through the breathlessness. He starts to sit up, groaning as he does so and eventually gets to his feet.

He exhales. ]

So - you know who I am, but I can't say I recognize your understated suit for anything but a really authoritative guy from the Olympian Guard. [ Beat. ] Which isn't a bad thing, of course. Just - you know. [ He gestures to himself in demonstration of what he's not: ] Subtle.

[deadthenred]

Oh, right. [ He isn't wearing a costume, is he? ] I used to be Captain America. [ When he was with the Avengers, anyway. He hasn't been a part of the team for a while.

He hasn't told anybody here that, yet. ]

I'm not with the Olympian Guard anymore, either.

[spideys]

Huh. I always thought you were supposed to be ... blonder.

[ At least that's as far as his recollection from the papers goes. But he's got no reason not to believe him anyway - or at least take that fact of information as far as it'll get him.

He crosses his arms, canting his head. ]

Kept the uniform for a souvenir?

[deadthenred]

That's the other Captain America.

[ He gets that a lot. Or he used to, anyway. ]

I needed something to wear. [ He doesn't have a very big adventuring wardrobe. ] Did you bring that get-up from home?

[ It looks different, but he hasn't paid enough attention to the changes in Spider-Man's uniform to figure out exactly what about it has changed. ]

[spideys]

[ Spidey gives himself a quick glance, as though he's had no idea he'd been wearing the costume the whole time. He shrugs a shoulder.

Nah.

Obviously he knows. ]

Yeah - don't leave home without the trusty spider-suit. Turns out you never know when you might need it, especially when your world gets destroyed and you're a refugee on some unknown alien planet.

[ :DDD???

For all that Spider-Man jokes about it, he's glad for the mask. It might not mean quite the same thing as it had back in New York City, but it's ... a comfort to him. It's familiar. In a way, it's a piece of home that he's unwilling to give up. ]

So, you used to be Captain America, and now you're -- ?

[deadthenred]

Uh, Bucky Barnes?

[ He realizes immediately he should've said, "the Winter Soldier", which is the callsign he still uses. Or maybe, "still officially dead." Though who knows how many people still buy that story.

But instead, he says his name, his real name, like it's a question. ]

[spideys]

Oh. [ Okay, that's ... not exactly what he'd expected as an answer, but he'll take it.

He'll recognize it, even, as one of Captain America's closest associates. ]

Glad to put a name to the face.

[deadthenred]

Yeah.

[ This is very awkward. He wonders, reflexively, if Steve ever felt this tricky, because Steve's pauses always felt like they belonged there, and not like he'd just run out of things to say. ]

Nice to have a name for the not-face.

[spideys]

[ It's okay. Spider-Man has no issue with filling the silence in using bad jokes and needless, humorous quips. ]

Aaand now that we've gotten those delightful introductions out of the way, my sources - namely the internet and a couple of really good books on the war - say you're a pretty good guy to have around in a fight.

[ He rubs at his chest to ease the pain of getting KO-ed by a branch, and rolls his shoulder. ]

They're not wrong, are they?

[deadthenred]

Sure, I can fight. [ Bucky Barnes, ex-Captain America, is pretty good at fighting. ]

But even the bad books about the war oughta be able to tell you that. I wasn't exactly a footnote. [ It isn't like Bucky to brag about his service, but some part of him still festered at being called a sidekick. But he allows: ] Maybe it's just one of those other-universe things.