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

[revolutionfalcon]

For now, Shun figures Ginia and Celty will have an easier time looking after themselves without having to factor in him too, so as soon as the stone starts to heat up, he leaps up onto the back of the metal bird and climbs up towards its head. It provides a different vantage point to what's coming, as well, and means it's a bit harder to aim for all three of them at once.

That weak excuse doesn't help Sotero's case, though, and there's a marked anger in Shun's tone when he speaks again. The towering metal bird's eyes focus clearly on Sotero, and it shifts forward, looming, ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

"We came up here ourselves, because your attack hit the Western District - as far as you could get from the oldest gods and longest-standing powers of this place, if you were gunning for 'them' instead of us. You've attacked weak gods and complete innocents, so if you're going to stand there and act like you have some sort of moral high ground, don't give me such a pathetic excuse!"

Shun actually shouts that last bit - he can get a bit heated (ha) in the middle of battles like this, and his temper is already short as a result of the attack.

[lookingforhead]

'With them', well that's clear as anything else. And yet while this might be a misunderstanding that doesn't mean that this boy still isn't a danger to everyone somehow, nevermind this small group right now. The heating ground is particularly unpleasant and this time she uses her shadows to create a cushion under her, writhing dark and ominous as it lifts her up.

But she keeps her focus on the borderline as Ginia lines hers up. Another one might be a too much of a drain on the dullahan as she manipulates two different spiritual muscles at once but she reaches down to try to find the energy for it in case she needs to.

And in all of this she does sympathize with the emotional state of this boy. She can understand the confusion and fear, at least in the speculative sense. But Shun is the defacto spokesperson for this group. She'll have to watch out for him too in case he goes overboard, she thinks.

[veiledflame]

The flames seem to be flickering, burning lower under the force of Ginia's spell, but they are growing stronger again as she shifts to boxing the boy in. Two borderlines cut off his retreat in two directions, and his gaze flicks from Ginia to Celty before he scowls and sprints towards the one open route left. He's not going to let them trap him.

"Who said it's an excuse!" he shouts up at Shun, and raises one fist, flinging a ball of red-hot, soft stone the size of a baseball at the bird's underside with force that doesn't match his small stature. "I said I'm not letting you beat me, that's all!"

[unlucky7]

Ginia drops her borderline as he moves away. She trusts Shun and his bird can fly away fast enough, but still drops a borderline in front of him as a shield from the projectile. The heat, the choking ash and gases, those are wearing far more on her temper than the drain of borderlines. After a long night sustaining a borderline for an ablution, a few seconds even under attack is nothing.

Beating him. It really isn't about that at all. It's not that they want him dead or captured or anything, they just want answers on why a volcano erupted in their backyard. But with only one spokesperson and two tempers fired up already, it seems like stopping him in his tracks is the only way to get any progress. Ginia slices the air with her fingers in the halberd position, sending two attacks slashing at his legs before trying her song spell again, focusing on ice and snow and cooling the heat of his flames as she whistles and signs the words.

[revolutionfalcon]

Shun's bird shifts one of its bizarre limbs to take the impact, but Ginia's borderline gets there first regardless. Shun, on the other hand, while he may be designated spokesperson, has little patience for this sort of thing, and as soon as Sotero's attack fails, the tips of the bird's guns begin to glow slightly with what appears to be some kind of charge. He usually has more patience for kids, but at the same time, he won't hesitate to attack one who's attacked him first.

"You won't let us win because 'we're with them'. It's your excuse for thinking you should get out of this victorious. But people like you, who think you can do whatever you like because of your misguided beliefs, are no better than them in the first place!"

Without warning, and almost before Shun has finished talking, the guns tilt down towards Sotero and release a short hail of what appear to be energy bolts, slamming into a wide swathe of the rock where the young god stands.

[lookingforhead]

Like Ginia, Celty drops her borderline, but this time to try her shadows again. Rather than a tendril sneaking along she goes for a full press, black shadows pouring from both her sleeves and below her feet, lashing out in multiple tendrils trying to simultaneously snare him, block his path and muck up his footing. She doesn't want to hurt him any more than necessary, and if they can get him to stop moving she likewise hopes that maybe they can force a calm.

And perhaps it's a tad foolish but Celty begins to move up as she does this, trying to close the gap in case she just has to tackle him herself. She'll be fine, she thinks, her regeneration can handle it if he attacks her...she hopes.

[veiledflame]

Borderlines slash down at Sotero's feet, and as he's jumping back, a hail of energy beams follows the attack. He's not wasting breath on shouting defiance anymore; they're trying to kill him, and that's more than enough reason to fight back. He bolts, running along the edge of the crater, and lava fountains vigorously in his wake, red-hot rock spattering towards the bird, the two women, the white-robed shinki, everyone who's after him.

His leaps are as light and airy as any god's, covering far more distance than a child's legs should be able to, but he's still a child, and he's not running all that fast.

[unlucky7]

The new burst of lava spilling everywhere is enough for Ginia to temporarily abandon her attacks. Shun, Celty, she checks to make sure they're out of harm's way, leaping over - light, airy, a graceful arc and fall full of focus - to scoop up one of Amaterasu's shinki as they trip in the process of running. She sets them out of the lava's way before turning back, watching the child god flee.

Fresh rivers of lava streak through the area. It's passable with jumping, but one misstep is all it'll take. Shun has the advantage of air, she'll let him give chase as she focuses on making sure all the shinki around are safe.

[revolutionfalcon]

The red-hot rock scars the metal plating of the bird, stripping paint and leaving the occasional welt in the metal, but it doesn't seem overly hindered by it, and after a glance back to ensure everyone else is unharmed, Shun directs it after Sotero. All of Shun's raptors are considerably faster than just about anything on two legs can run, so the gap closes quickly.

The guns are still trained on Sotero, but Shun is somewhat curious where it is he thinks he can run to. Not to mention that the blasts take a lot more out of him than just maintaining the shape of the bird does, so he needs to be careful about when and how he employs them from here.

There is one other option, though - with a gesture from Shun, the bird swivels its long, massive legs forward, talons extended to try and grab at the child. Capturing him without killing him would be ideal, as annoyed as Shun might be.

"I'm not going to let you get away with hurting people as you like, boy, but whoever sent you in here clearly didn't prepare you for what you were going to be facing. Some care your side must have for you."

[lookingforhead]

Damnit! This wasn't working out as she hoped. Maybe it wasn't so good an idea to leave Shooter behind! Celty starts to give chase but the lava that fountains up in front of her reminds her that her decision was likely the right one. The dullahan is thrown back but she lands on a broad ledge even further from the fleeing child. It's a rough landing but nothing she can't recover from.

Struggling to her feet and brushing off a few sharper stones that managed to cut through her clothing, she makes for some higher ground to resume the chase.

[veiledflame]

[The bird swoops down at the boy, legs extended to grab at him with massive metal claws, and the boy jolts backwards, looking from side to side with the whites showing around his eyes. He's on the crumbling edge of the volcano's crater, with lava seething and spouting below, the white-robed shinki dashing in behind the three closest fighters, and no route of escape.

He spins, and flings himself, arms spread, out over the crater. Lava fountains up around him, surrounding and swallowing his small form, and abruptly hardens into a solid spray of black stone.

The volcano rumbles violently, and the glow of molten stone begins to vanish, darkness spreading out from the point where the boy had vanished as if the heat is being sucked from the lava.]

[unlucky7]

With everyone back on their feet and no injures besides scrapes and non-critical cuts from falling onto volcanic rock, Ginia rejoins the chase. As he jumps over the edge of the crater, Ginia tries to throw out a barrier to catch him, but she's too far and it's too late. The heat from the fountain of lava holds them back; Ginia throws down a barrier in front in case more lava spills their way.

As everything cools around them, it feels like it should be a success of some sort, but Ginia can't shake the feeling they've made a mistake. Still on guard, Ginia carefully takes out her phone and takes a few pictures and video to document the scene.

[revolutionfalcon]

Shun pulls up sharply when Sotero flings himself out over the crater and the lava bursts up around him - Final Fortress Falcon could probably survive that, but Shun himself is significantly less fireproof. There's not much he can do before the young god vanishes into hardened volcanic stone, and Shun lets out a rather bitter hiss through his teeth.

It does seem to have stopped the eruption, though...for now, at least, and Shun watches the glow fade out of the magma with a difficult-to-read look on his face.

"Well, we got something we wanted out of it, at least," he says, though his gaze travels back to where Sotero had disappeared. Had he simply sealed himself away for another attempt later on, or teleported to safety...?

[lookingforhead]

If Celty had eyes they would have gone wide at the boy's leap into the lava plume. Her whole body tenses up as she pushes herself to run faster to do...she's not sure what. She comes up to one of the sides of the pit in time to see the light fading. She's no expert but she's fairly sure that this isn't how any of this is supposed to behave.

Spotting Ginia taking pictures she shoots her a thumbs up and starts to do the same. Multiple angles might be of help in breaking this all down in the end. Once that's done she makes her way back around to the others.

'I'm sorry. I was trying to slow him down but he kept slipping away.

So what should we do now? Tell the others to keep an eye out for him?'

[unlucky7]

Ginia drops her borderline to move closer to document more pictures. It's slightly less stifling with the rocks cooling off and she unzips her jacket, clothing underneath drenched in sweat. Barring the god's immediate return, at least this buys them enough time for some damage control further down the mountain and in the Western District. She nods at Shun and looks over as Celty joins them, looking at her cellphone message before typing her own and playing it.

"Don't worry, you were great. Nice flying too, Shun." Ginia looks at Amaterasu's shinki still on the mountain, adding onto her message. "I'm going to stick around and see if they need help, keep an eye on the situation."

[revolutionfalcon]

Shun inclines his head slightly in agreement with Ginia's summation - he doesn't have a problem with how Celty worked, himself, and her suggestion is a good one. With one last glance back towards the quieted volcano, he brings Final Fortress Falcon back from the edge and gives it a grateful pat on the head before leaping off, letting it disappear back into motes of light.

"I'll be doing that as well. I don't completely trust that he's gone, but if we can get a start on cleaning up the mess now, it's better than nothing."

They can send out a warning later on if necessary, as well, and see if anyone else encountered the kid on the way up the volcano.

[lookingforhead]

[Celty nods and for a moment it feels like her helmet is a bit wobbly. She's going to have to make sure it didn't get badly melted or something. Shun's falcon is also given a little wave before it vanishes.]

I'll check around and see if anyone needs help getting up or down the mountain. And I'll keep watch if he resurfaces again.

[unlucky7]

"You two stay safe. If either of you see any movement from me, let me know. I'll do the same."

Ginia gives the encased god a final glance, unable to shake his scared expression from her mind. But what is there to do now? It's another regret on top of so many mixed feelings. Ginia gives her companions a nod before bounding off to check in with the white-robed shinki. Taking orders could be good; she no longer trusts herself to stake out on her own.

[revolutionfalcon]

With Ginia already departing, Shun inclines his head slightly to her and Celty as well before turning on his heel and starting to head in a different direction, around the lip of the volcano. He wants to canvas the area properly at least once before he starts asking anyone anything.