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

the world is lava

[myblueskies]

Joss! [Romeo has been trying to help everyone! Lots of temples were in danger and he was trying to make sure everyone had somewhere safe to go! He still didn't fully understand why fire was raining from the sky, Elfnein had tried to explain as best she could but it was all very confusing! He had focused on what he did understand, helping people!

He hadn't known Joss lived here but he saw his friend just in time to see him dodge the boulder and swear.]

Are you hurt? Do you need help?

[dredefulchilde]

[Somewhere down the line Joss has acquired a cut on his cheek that is bleeding freely, mixing with all the ash and soot and muck on his face, but he doesn't seem to notice it. Besides that, he seems physically unhurt. He reties the white handkerchief around his nose and mouth and goes back to hefting a bucket.

He doesn't notice Romeo until a beat too late.]

I'm fine. Can you carry a bucket? We need to wet the roof so that it doesn't catch a spark and go up. Won't do much if the lava comes, though.

[myblueskies]

[Romeo has his scarf wound round the bottom half of his face to cover his mouth, it was good to stop the smoke out!]

I can help! [Wetting the roof is a smart idea! He grabs the bucket and nods. The lava would burn everything but hopefully it wouldn't come this way!] Let's go!

[dredefulchilde]

[Well, at least it’s another pair of hands. Joss hands Romeo a shower basin and a plastic mixing bowl—they’re all out of real buckets.]

Fill them up in the kitchen and keep handing them to me. I’ll wet the roof and hand them back down. Then fill it up again and we’ll keep going from there.

...I wish I had a hose.

[myblueskies]

I don't know what a hose is but maybe someone else has got one! [He grabbed the basin and the bowl before turning to run to the kitchen to fill them with water! It's a good job water comes from inside the temples! It would be a lot trickier if they had to run to the nearest river! Soon the basin was full and he passed it to Joss before rushing to fill up the bowl.]

[dredefulchilde]

[Oh Romeo, you pure soul. You don't deserve the exasperated sigh that Joscelin aims in your direction.

Still, he gratefully accepts the basin, and not a moment too soon. A spark has caught in the tiles.

How on earth will he be able to defend the temple with only a couple of buckets and another kid?]

Good. More. Get me more water.

[myblueskies]

[He's running back in even as Joss gives him more orders. To fill up the mixing bowl.

Exiting is a bit slower, just because he doesn't want to spill any water.] Here Joss! Pass me the other bowl again so I can fill that up!