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]

[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.]

[myblueskies]

[Goku is so strong and brave! The fire wolf goes down with a thud, but not for long! It growls and starts to get back on it's feet. Romeo reaches out to grab Goku's hand and pull him along.] Come on we got to run!

[The wolf is scary enough that he's forgotten all about the many other dangers of this mountain.]

[rockthemonkey]

I didn't feel anything...

[Did he even kick anything? Goku doesn't think so. He lets Romeo tug him along, but he's definitely not matching the frantic pace.]

Hey, Romeo... I don't think that thing can hurt ya.

[myblueskies]

[Why wasn't Goku running faster? Didn't he know they were about to be eaten by a fire wolf?]

It will! It's huge!

[rockthemonkey]

Just coz it’s big, doesn’t mean it’s tough. [Goku deliberately slows down, still keeping Romeo close to him.] You’re pretty small, but you’re tough, right?

[And Goku is both the smallest person in the Sanyo Party while also being the team tank. It just works out that way sometimes.]

Come on, trust me. Lemme try something, okay?

[myblueskies]

[That's true. Romeo was tough even though he was small and so maybe even though the fire wolf was huge it wouldn't be as tough as Romeo and Goku were!

He nodded.] Okay Goku. [It seemed he had a plan! Romeo calmed a little, Goku would help beat the fire wolf away!]

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku stands guard between Romeo and the... whatever it is that's apparently chasing them. He still can't see or sense anything. But Romeo can and that's the important thing.]

You just watch me, alright?

[Because nothing is getting past Son Goku.]

[myblueskies]

Okay! [He watched Goku, trying to ignore the fire wolf who was quickly catching up with them. He had to trust Goku because he had a plan and he was going to save them both!]

[rockthemonkey]

[ The plan right now is to just guard Romeo from any threats. If there even is a threat. Goku stares in the direction Romeo is obviously concerned about. ]

... Hey, Romeo, what's this thing look like?

[myblueskies]

It's really big! Bigger than you and it's got red and black fur and fire in it's eyes and coming from it's mouth! It's teeth are really sharp and huge too!

[He's still scared but he's trying to be brave and keep his spirits up because Goku is really strong and as long as they stuck together it would all be alright!]