32 - Blow Your Top

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: A volcano eruption threatens the Western District
When: Jan 14 - 16
Where: The Western District of the Heavens
Summary: The Western District volcano is erupting again, endangering nearby temples and sending ash sprinkling down across the Heavens. Is it natural, or another attack? Those who dare climb the volcano can find out.






Earthquake Warning

On the morning of the 14th, an earthquake rattles windows throughout the Heavens. It's not strong enough to knock down buildings -- unless they're about to fall down anyway, like some of the older abandoned temples -- but it's strong enough to knock things off shelves and startle any late sleepers out of bed.

After the earthquake, strange sights abound around the Heavens. The poetic koi are swimming in organized schools in all of the canals, heading upstream towards the east. Springs of pure water burst out in some areas, and in others, normal springs or fountains have gone temporarily dry. Blue and green lights bob and weave across the landscape.

Falling Rock

The volcano begins erupting with a roar and a bright scarlet glow on the horizon. Ash and bits of rock fall across the Western district, and may even reach into the Southwest, Northwest and southern Central districts. Volcanic glass fibers that look like golden hair collect on trees, fences and buildings.

Trails and fountains of lava are also erupting from freshly opened fissures and wending down the sides of the volcano. Gods and shinki who live in the Western District are going to need some help clearing ash and glass from their roofs, trying to re-route lava flows (the good news is, if you cool one side down enough, you can turn them! the bad news is, that takes a lot of work) or just offering them a spare room to stay until things calm down.

Swamp Gas

It's not just lava and springwater erupting from mysterious new crevasses -- and it's not just mundane volcanic gases, either. Divine volcanic vents are blowing mind-altering fumes all over the Heavens. Anywhere across the Far Shore, but especially as characters get closer to the volcano, they may experience one or more of the following effects:

• Confusion
• Intense emotions
• Anger and irritability
• Impulsive behavior, loss of emotional control
• Hallucinations
• Unusually clear insight into other people and situations
• Coughing, eye and throat irritation, difficulty breathing
• Irresistible impulses to speak in poetry

Most symptoms will clear up after a few hours in fresh air, and all of them will be gone within 48 hours of the last volcano gas exposure.

Mountain Climbing

Natural disasters don't just happen like this in the Heavens... do they? Amaterasu's white-robed shinki are convinced that something is wrong, and they're organizing into search parties to go up the mountain and seek out the cause of this eruption. New and old gods and shinki are welcome to join them, or form their own groups. All of the hazards -- tremors, lava, ash, and volcanic gas -- will get worse as characters ascend the volcano. Strange little spirit flames, in shades of red and blue, dance on the rocks, dazzling, confusing and threatening to singe interlopers.

And there's someone up here, too. A mysterious figure with glowing red eyes is keeping watch on the intruders and vanishing behind boulders whenever someone turns his way. He won't let anyone traveling with one of the white-robed shinki get too close, but solitary gods or shinki might manage to lure him into conversation, if they try....

OOC: Please comment to the 'NPC REQUEST' thread below in order to talk to the mysterious figure on the volcano.

Those climbing the volcano will have a chance to battle the mysterious figure should their characters choose to do so. If you're interested in a fight, please comment to the 'NPC FIGHT' thread below before the top-level is posted. A top-level for the fight will go up on IC Jan 16/OOC Sept 4.

In Summary:

• Don't get rattled
• Help out the Western District with their volcano problem
• Watch out for volcanic gases
• Find out who's behind the eruption
• Have fun~

Comments

[myblueskies]

Earthquake warning For Elfnein

Unknown to Romeo the earthquake brought an end to his four day nap. He woke with a start when he toppled from his bed.

What was going on? Why was the temple shaking? Was it going to fall down?
Romeo pulled himself to his feet. "Elfnein? Elfnein are you alright?"

The moment the shaking debated he was rushing for his door to go and check on his god!

Climbing a mountain

Though Romeo was staying quite close to Elfnein as they climbed to investigate what was happening on the mountain it didn't stop him branching off or going to help any of his friends that he saw. Or get distracted by the flame sprites.

He was learning lots about volcanoes, he knew they were dangerous but they are also very interesting!

He spotted what he thought was a person a few times, behind a rock, in the distance.

Eventually curiosity gets the best of him and he gets closer. "Hello?"

Swamp gas

A little later Romeo can be found scrambling up a steal climb looking very panicked. His eyes were wide with fear and his breathing fast.

Sometimes he stopped and changed direction like he had seen something blocking his path. Sometimes he stood and stared in horror at nothing. Other rimes he might point behind a person.

"Hurry! The fire wolf might eat you!"

Climbing a Mountain

[sassywelshcatgirl]

At the sound of that familiar voice, Nia jerked straight upright from her lean against the rock, then all but clawed her way around it in her hurry to make sure she hadn't heard what she thought she had.

Aaaand she had. "Romeo! What are you doing up here?!"

[myblueskies]

Oh it was Nia! That was reassuring! Romeo scrambled across the uneven terrain to reach her side.

"Elfnein came to investigate the volcano because it's really interesting!" And the white robed shinki had told them they should, because volcanoes weren't normal in heaven. "What are you doing here?"

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Shock and fear, where did one end and the other begin? "This is no place for kids!" she said, jerking her head around like all the lava and gas and rocks and everything were all about to tumble down on him. "You're gonna get killed!"

[myblueskies]

"I wanted to help! And Elfnein's just a kid too and it's my job to protect her!" He looked around at the lava and gas and rocks.

"We're being careful though!"

[sassywelshcatgirl]

"You're on a volcano! It isn't careful enough! Nothing up here could be -- how are you even moving?!" Nia had her Blade's support to keep her protected from the heat, but what did Romeo have?

[alchemists]

[ Elfnein was trying to regain her balance, the shaking wasn't horrible and nothing seemed to be falling off the shelves. ]

I'm ok! Just be careful with walking, you might be knocked off balance.

[myblueskies]

Okay! [He walks carefully to her side, using the wall to balance himself. Once he is next to her he helps her stand up straight.]

Why is everything shaking?

[alchemists]

It might be an earthquake? That or a bad thunderstorm?

[ Elfnein gives a small thumbs up after Romeo helps her stand up straight. For now they'll just have to be close to the wall till things calm down. ]

[myblueskies]

A really bad thunderstorm! Will the temple blow away? [That is worrying!] Shouldn't we go outside?

[Staying by the wall is good for now! Romeo kept hold of Elfnein. He's not too worried. As long as they stick together everything will be alright!

[alchemists]

The temple won't blow away, buildings are built with lots of safety regulations to keep people safe in these types of situations.

Swamp gas

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku's pretty sure he's never seen a volcano erupting in person before- pretty sure- but he never would have thought lava would make cherry blossoms bloom. That's pretty weird. It doesn't quite make sense. But it's what he's seeing as he makes his way around the mountain anyway.

It doesn't matter too much. Goku can ignore flowers. Romeo, meanwhile, seems to be having a bit more trouble ignoring that empty space on the path in front of him. Goku stands behind him for a second, trying to see what's got the kid standing so frozen, before giving up and coming closer.]

Romeo? Hey, Romeo?

[myblueskies]

Goku? [Romeo turned around, eyes wide, face twisted in fear.] Goku! Run!

[Goku is his friend! He won't let the fire wolf eat him! It's bounding closer and Romeo turns back to it, screwing up his eyes in fear and spreading his arms out, as if to protect Goku from the giant beast bearing down on them.] Run! Go!

[rockthemonkey]

[Alright, even if there was a giant wolf running towards them, Goku wouldn't be running away and leaving Romeo to fend it off. That wouldn't look cool at all.

Goku can't see or smell or sense anything attacking them, but he steps in front of Romeo anyway, a protective hand on the boy's shoulder.]

Hey, it's okay. Lemme handle it, alright?

[myblueskies]

[Goku was so brave but the wolf was almost on them now and they were both going to get eaten! Romeo clutched at Goku, he doesn't want his friend to be eaten! He has to do something!] Line!

[A borderline springs up but the wolf jumps right through it!] No!!

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku can see the line, at least, and feel Romeo tense up when it fails so-]

Got it!

[Goku kicks out at the air, probably nailing Romeo's wolf right in the neck. Not that he can tell, or feel anything at all, but still. It's a very good kick.]

Climbing a Mountain

[veiledflame]

"Goodbye!" the figure calls, both hands cupped around his mouth, and darts back into the shadow he'd just stepped out of, behind a twisted outcropping of volcanic rock.

After a few long seconds of silence, he pokes his head back out. His gray hoodie shades most of his features, except for his eyes, which glow as red as coals.

"What're you still there for?"

[myblueskies]

Goodbye? Where was he going? Romeo scrambled closer, "What are you doing up here?

Up here being so far from the... It wasn't really a path, but the part where everyone else was!

"You got to be careful!"

[veiledflame]

"I'm okay," the boy says, staring at Romeo. "You're gonna get burned, though. Why are you up here?"

They're a long way from the others, after all. And the other kid doesn't look much older than he is.

[myblueskies]

"I know not to touch the lava!" Elfnein had at least made sure he understood that much before letting him stray from her side! "I came with my god and then I saw you and I got worried because you were all the way up here! You might get burned too! You're a long way from everyone else!"

[veiledflame]

"It's not just the lava that'll burn you, dummy," the boy says, propping his fists on his hips. "There's hot steam, and ash, plus the rocks can be hot even if they're not liquid.

"I don't burn," he adds, displaying soot-streaked palms as proof.

Climbing

[lookingforhead]

The person he found was not the person everyone was looking for, though this one was on the hunt too. In fact this woman seems an odd sort herself; she's certainly dressed oddly enough. Black biker garb and a helmet are probably not the best choice for a volcano given the heat and all, but she doesn't seem like she's too badly affected by it either.

Celty turns as she hears him and raises a hand in greeting before turning back to look at the fork in the path she'd been following.

[myblueskies]

Romeo raised a hand back in greeting and clambered further up to where the figure in a hemet was. He had a gas mask over his face, given to him by Ebisu but he wondered if the helmet was a similar thing, if it helped them breathe better with all the ash and dust in the air.

"Hello!"

He looked down both paths. "Are you trying to decide on the best way?"

[lookingforhead]

No, it was just a normal motorcycle helmet, plastic and foam, nothing particularly special. There was another factor at play that was protecting her from the volcanic fumes though, at least for the most part.

He offered a curt nod in reply to his question, looking around again before fishing out her phone. She typed something into it and then held it out for him to read.

'I know I need to head up in general, but I don't want to cause any landslides while trying to take a shortcut or climb over anything.'

[myblueskies]

Romeo blinked when she got her phone out but learned forwards to read it. "Is that you miss Ginia?" She was the only person Romeo knew who wrote on a phone instead of talking!

He looked at the paths again, landslides were bad! So it was important they tried to avoid them!