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]

As it should be. [Hakkai's eyeing the wreckage.]

-- Judar, I'm not convinced this is making the volcano less dangerous.

[Ah, incoming boulder. His shield snaps back up just in time.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

It sure didn't sound like that was your goal before.

[ And honestly? Right now, he's kind of having fun with all of it. (Impulsive much?) But at the very least, he can have some of those dragon-looking forms in the tornado start sparking and looking like they're chomping on chunks of rock. Mostly to use the lightning to shatter through them, but probably in part to look cool. ]

You sounded like you were just curious about whether the heat would make it more intense. I don't know about the heat, but the lava added an intensifying element.

[reformedsinner]

It certainly did. Aren't we all up here to reduce the damage, though?

[Hakkai pauses, and surveys the scene. He doesn't sound too bothered by the raining basalt boulders, although the way the dragons are tearing boulders apart with lightning within Judar's tornado is admittedly very impressive.]

More or less?

[kuroi_taiyo]

As long as the lava didn't go too far, right?

[ That, and with people insisting that it wasn't natural, to find the cause. ]

... Can't say I really cared whether or not the damage was reduced, though. It just seemed like a good chance to try some spells out.

[reformedsinner]

Exactly. [He chuckles.]

Though it is a good chance to try things out. And that's impressive.

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Wait, what? What's this- Wait, is Hakkai being demeaning or something? There's no way it's an actual compliment. He generally doesn't get those. ]

... 'Impressive'? Really?

[reformedsinner]

It's a lava-spouting tornado filled with ice dragons. [Hakkai's tone is gently teasing, in response to the prickly expression on Judar's face.

Yes, don't you think that's a little impressive?

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ He looks back to it for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulder in a dismissive way. ]

It doesn't feel impressive. It's not like it's all that draining of a spell.

[reformedsinner]

You really do have a remarkable amount of magical energy.

[Hakkai raises his eyebrows at Judar, and adds:] What sort of spell would you consider draining?

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ He... Actually has to think about that. And yet the answer doesn't change from before he was. ]

Don't know. Haven't used one yet that was.

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai's pause is long, and thoughtful.]

In that case, I suppose you probably shouldn't try something to see.

[If none of this is really exhausting, the sort of spell that would exhaust him doesn't sound safe for anyplace that's inhabited.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

There's probably something in the books I filled out. It's not like I really went through them all.

[ Sorry, Hakkai. You can't put the genie back in the bottle after bringing that thought about. ]

[reformedsinner]

Haha, you'll have to let me know what you find out!

[He eyes the tornado dubiously.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

If I do, there'll probably be a large demonstration. You won't miss it.

[ The joke ends up being that it's healing magic and teleportation that's the most draining for him. Nothing destructive at all. ]

[reformedsinner]

Ahaha, I do look forward to it.

[He pauses, thoughtfully, before he adds:] Do you suppose it'll be safe for me to head down in that direction?

[Really, this translates to "please make sure the tornado doesn't hit the road if you can"; he's pointing down along the road that skirts the flank of the volcano.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Oh, he can gather what the translation is. ]

... Depends on whether you trust me or not, I guess.

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai's eyebrows arch briefly, although his smile doesn't falter.]

Well, in that case... I'll see you around?

[He turns and heads towards the road he'd indicated.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

Probably. The temples are close enough.

[ He doesn't really wave or anything, so that seemed to be enough of a goodbye. As Hakkai keeps going, the tornado starts to still. It's still a cyclone, but it's not pulling anything in or going anywhere.

In fact, as Hakkai passes it, he could see better that it was comprised of many 'dragons' made of wind, spiraling and turning into their own currents to make the shape. The only reason why it's obvious that they were dragons is because there were distinct shapes of such heads in them, accented with ice to really make the look stand out. ]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai pauses briefly, passing by the cyclone, to look up appreciatively at the wind-dragons that wind around one another within it. He has to admit he appreciates Judar's aesthetic sense.

There's still too much to do, though, so he only lingers for a moment before continuing back towards the spot where he'd left Jeep.]