godsoffortune: (Default)
The Far Shore Mods ([personal profile] godsoffortune) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2018-05-03 07:07 pm

28 - The Hungry Forest (Final Battle)

Who: Everyone!
What: At the heart of the mysterious forest lies a magical trap.
When: Nov 14, evening
Where: Within the forest
Summary: Working together, and with the (reluctant) help of some menaced cultists, the rescuers have pierced the wooden wall into the heart of the forest.






The sky is clearly visible here, but it’s an evening one – it’s taken the day to work their way through this far. Those with some astronomy knowledge will also be able to tell it’s a sky on Earth, and anyone who can climb up above the treeline will see a vast, mountainous and wooded area, with the lights of roads, train tracks and small towns glittering here and there. They're clearly not in the Heavens anymore. Somehow, in their journey through the forest, the rescuers have emerged onto the Near Shore.

An icy breeze is blowing, and although the vegetation is unseasonably green and lush in this clearing, there are patches of snow visible at the foot of some of the trees, hinting that they're fairly far up the mountain.

Rescues

The clearing here at the heart of the forest is vast, and five colossal sigils are etched into the earth, each one holding an incredible amount of power. It’s on these sigils, North, South, East, West, and Center, that the trapped gods and shinki can be found. Those unlucky enough to be at the Center sigil are bound by hypnosis, each staring at a firefly spirit that hovers before their unblinking eyes. These victims are still and unresponsive, and the spirits will need to be destroyed to free them. The firefly spirits can be harmed by both physical and magical attack, though they likely won’t stay still to let themselves be easily extinguished.

The captives trapped on each of the other sigils are around the edges of the clearing, entangled in vines, brambles or whatever other limbs the trees could provide to bind them to this place. Some may also be under the effects of the hypnotic fireflies if they’ve been particularly troublesome, while others who have fought less might have only those bindings needed to prevent them fleeing. Regardless of how tightly they're restrained, all of the kidnapped gods and shinki on all of the sigils look drained, the severity depending on how long they’ve been there. Some are merely tired-looking, whereas others are barely clinging to consciousness. Whether their power is being used to feed the spell or being stored for something else to come, one thing is clear – those trapped need to be freed before anything more can be done.

Sigils

Those sigils beneath each group of trapped gods and shinki are powerful constructs, brimming with energy and meticulously maintained by the cultists up to now. It’s the same power as what blankets the entire forest, but it's focused on each of those five points. They must be the source of the spell that's caused all of this.

If the spell is to be broken, the sigils need to be broken as well, but it’s going to take more than just scuffing out the etched lines to break the magic. Attacking with shinki in their vessel forms or using blessed water to wash away the magic will be most effective, but for those who didn't bring blessed water or don't have the energy left to transform, there's one other option. The clearing is lit by traditional paper lanterns hanging from the trees all around, and any object set aflame with these lanterns can be used to burn the spell out of the ground bit by bit.

The trees and any remaining soulless shinki are still furiously opposing the rescue efforts, the surviving cultists are continuing to work on maintaining the spell, and it will take time to fully destroy the sigils. However, as the sigils deteriorate, the effects of the spell will begin to fade, and characters will find it easier to access their supernatural powers to speed the process along. Gods' and shinki's powers (that is to say, the special power they gained as a god or shinki, rather than canon powers) will be as effective as a shinki or blessed water against the sigils.

But be careful. As each sigil breaks, some of the magic escapes, but some is captured by the remaining sigils. For the spell to fully disappear, all five must be destroyed – and quickly, because there’s only a matter of time before this power becomes unstable.

needsteaplz: (Concerned)

[personal profile] needsteaplz 2018-05-13 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Saori opened her eyes blearily when she heard a voice. It wasn't her god but she'll take any help coming her way.]

Ugh...I feel like I could use a few days of sleep after this. Thank you.

[Once some of the brambles were cut around her, she checked to see if she can move her body parts. She winces slightly from checking her right hand.]

Okay, that didn't heal up as fast as I'd like. So, is there any way we can make any contact from here?
kagenonadeshiko: (content to serve)

[personal profile] kagenonadeshiko 2018-05-14 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think the forest is letting anyone go. But I think it has something to do with the spell the enemy is trying to cast. I'm afraid I don't know much about magic.

[Ayumu's tone remains conversational as she continues to hack away at the woman's bindings. It's only a matter of time before she'll have her free. She might not know much about magic or magicians but this part she can manage well enough. It's almost like gardening, in a way.]

And you're welcome. I think we all could use some rest after this. It's been a long day. But probably much longer for you. Once you're free, I can take a look at that hand. I've studied some medicine.
needsteaplz: (A smile for the customers)

[personal profile] needsteaplz 2018-05-15 07:23 am (UTC)(link)
I see. Sounds like whatever they're trying to cast is huge if they've gone out of their way to get some of us captured then.

[Saori gives a small smile and nods as Ayumu finishes up on getting her out. The last of the vines give away under Ayumu's hunting knife, letting Saori finally stand on solid ground again. As for her injured hand, some of the bones are still mending. The swelling and bruising has gone down a bit.]

Seriously, thank you. When we're all done with this place and rested, please let me repay for this. My name's Saori.
kagenonadeshiko: (attentive; nonthreatening)

[personal profile] kagenonadeshiko 2018-05-21 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
I'm Ayumu. And it's no trouble. I'm just glad I was able to help.

[She graces Saori with a kind smile, looking over her hand. It's certainly fractured, she thinks, but should be easy enough to treat.]

Can you walk? It'd be best to get you away from here. And you'll need a splint for that hand. I'm sure I can find something usable in the woods.

[As for bandages, she has her own clothes on underneath the robe she's wearing and said robe's outlived its usefulness. It'll work well enough as bandage fodder.]
needsteaplz: (Default)

[personal profile] needsteaplz 2018-05-23 08:50 am (UTC)(link)
It's nice to meet you, Ayumu.

[Saori looks down at her legs. No bones exposed and no immediate pain upon touching the ground were good signs in her favor.]

Hmm...nothing feels broken so I should be okay to walk.
kagenonadeshiko: (content to serve)

[personal profile] kagenonadeshiko 2018-06-08 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
'Kay. Let's get going then.

[She smiles and starts to lead the way away from the circle. The others can handle destroying the sigil.]