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

[sing_for_me]

[ Her brows furrow. Ginia..wouldn't speak that way about Caster..not in that tone. ]

You are but--[ Her own mouth forms a tight line for a second. ]

Ginia, what's the matter..?

[unlucky7]

Nothing's the matter! I want to help you!

[There is nothing like a natural disaster to help realize how little she can actually do for people. She doesn't have magic or special abilities or anything that can help with a volcano. Ginia is herself and that's all she can offer and it doesn't feel like enough. Maybe it never was enough.

Something moves in the corner of her vision. She turns, a giant snake-like ayakashi rising up, eyes twitching in every direction, multi-colored coils rolling as it surges forward. Ginia moves to block Alex, throwing out a slashing borderline and a barrier in front of them.

There's no ayakashi. Just smoke and ash and the two of them.]

[sing_for_me]

[ She's about to respond when Ginia suddenly moves, appearing behind Alex and throwing up a borderline. But there was nothing to get in between. ]

Ginia, there's...there's nothing there...

[ She places a hand on her shoulder. Ginia is on edge, tense. She's ready to take on whatever was there--but what was she trying to take on? ]

[unlucky7]

[That can't be right. There's an ayakashi right there. But while the mind and eyes lie, Ginia knows Alex would only tell the truth if ayakashi were involved. She closes her eyes, opens them again. The ayakashi twists and lunges, but never gets any closer. Forcing herself to turn back to Alex, Ginia signs:]

Have you seen ayakashi on the volcano?

[sing_for_me]

No, I haven't seen any--is that what you see..?

[ It's no wonder then that Ginia is so on edge. ]

There's no ayakashi, Ginia. You don't need to be in a vessel form.

[ She reaches out to hold GInia's arms, maybe in an attempt to try and steady her, giving her a little squeeze. ]

[unlucky7]

But what if there are?

[What if there are and she isn't careful and Alex is hurt? What if there's something else out there? The question turns over and over, overlapping on itself.

A person moves behind Alex; a short woman with shoulder-length black hair. She smiles and raises a finger to her lips before disappearing. Ginia winces and looks away.]

Sorry. Should I leave?

[sing_for_me]

[ Her hands slide from her arms to Ginia's hands. ]

No..No, you don't have to leave.

[ Just like Ginia wanted to help Alex, Alex wanted to help her...Protect her from whatever seems to be getting to her right now. ]

[unlucky7]

[The only thing Ginia needs protection from is herself. There is no force as destructive - not even the volcano - as her own existence. Her mood may be shorter, tenser, running on impulses that flash and sizzle and burn like fireworks, but they're all her.

She can't feel Alex's hand though the work gloves she's wearing, but Ginia squeezes her hands before pulling away.]

Name me, Alex, let me protect you.

[She hisses through the mask, eyes lowering.]

But I won't ask again if you say no.

[sing_for_me]

[ Somehow, she has a bad feeling about what would happen if she were to say no. Ginia isn't her usual self, and Alex worried about her safety... ]

I'll do it. But once this is done, I will take it back, okay?

[unlucky7]

[Ginia nods readily, a happiness in her eyes that can only give way to regret later at forcing Alex's hand. Yet the joy is real; she likes Alex, wants to protect her, this can only be good. There's no regretting that, how could she?

It's immaturity in the guise of selflessness and protectiveness, grasping at anything to give her life meaning and fulfill a sense of self.]

Whenever you're ready.

[sing_for_me]

[ Despite the happiness Ginia displayed, Alex still worried deep inside. Would this hurt her later on? But she had to think of the now as well. ]

My name is Oshun. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Migaku. The vessel, Sa.

Come to me, Saki.