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

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai keeps eye contact as the other man takes a dangerous step forward. He's close enough to see clearly now, close enough that Hakkai is confident again in his ability to handle it if Fushimi turns out to have more knives on hand.

(And it's a foolish knife thrower who would throw every weapon in the first attack.)]

No. I'm gathering branches to get my car unstuck from a mudslide.

[He'd dropped them when the knives came flying his way; he bends, deliberately, to regather the armful of wood at his feet.]

[monkeyblue]

And not calling someone with super strength?

[reformedsinner]

I'm afraid I don't have anyone who can lift a car on speed dial.

[His tone is very dry.]

[monkeyblue]

...seriously? In Heaven? Surrounded by gods?

[reformedsinner]

Are you volunteering?

[He glances down at his arm, and makes a face. The cut may be shallow, but it's deep enough to still be bleeding freely, and his sleeve has a growing red stain.]

As apology for my shirt, perhaps.

[monkeyblue]

No, I'm no--

[He whirls around, throwing knives at what to Hakkai looks like nothing off to their left.]

Dammit.

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai turns reflexively to check the target, but even with the strange fog in his vision, he's sure there's nothing there. It's an empty forest.

A muscle jumps in his jaw.]

Your phantom?

[Had he just been in the wrong place when the other man saw something? And is he imagining it, or is Hakkai missing something? He can't feel anything suspicious, but his sensitivity to energy isn't as precise as he'd like it to be.]

[monkeyblue]

Stalker, yeah.

[reformedsinner]

There's no one there.

[It's possible he's missing something... but, no matter how carefully he scans the area, there's no sign of any lurking figure. Certainly not anyone who might be mistaken for Hakkai.]

[monkeyblue]

There has to be. They've been following me!

[reformedsinner]

It's hard to see out here with all the ash....

[This is diplomatic for: he's fairly certain that, if anyone's been following the other man, they aren't anymore.]

But perhaps you saw someone else looking around?

[monkeyblue]

Then why would they be laughing at me?

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai clears his throat.]

Is it possible you could've misinterpreted what you heard...?

[monkeyblue]

No. What idiot mishears laughing?

[reformedsinner]

With the eruption, and all of this smog in the air... it's easy to get confused.

I've thought I've heard things I know I didn't, too.

[No laughing, so far, but a few screams from areas that turned out to be empty; the rustling of an ambush that wasn't there-- the wind, he supposes, and sounds from the volcano that are distorted by unfamiliarity and bad visibility. It would make sense.]

[monkeyblue]

...hm.

[Hakkai's the first person to make a valid point.]

Have you seen Izumo? ...if you know who that is.

[reformedsinner]

I know him, but I haven't seen him today. He isn't at his temple? [Hakkai's frown is acquiring an element of concern.]

[monkeyblue]

No, we came up here to find whoever's causing this.

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai sighs.]

I'll keep an eye out for him.