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

[veiledflame]

They punish you if you don't.

[Sotero hesitates, but admits:]

My dad.

[rockthemonkey]

Don't worry, I'm pretty tough.

[And it's not like he hasn't been punished by Heaven before!! Goku smiles.]

Your dad's here? Is he a god too?

[veiledflame]

[Sotero shakes his head.]

He's on the Near Shore. He's human.

[rockthemonkey]

Oh. [Goku didn't know gods could have human parents. But he doesn't know a lot of things, so that makes sense.]

... Does he know you're here?

[veiledflame]

Um-- why does it matter?

[He rocks back on his heels for a moment, eyeing Goku with sudden nervousness.]

What if he doesn't?

[rockthemonkey]

Just thought he might be worried about you, that's all. Isn't that what parents normally do?

[ Goku shrugs. It's not an important question, not one that merits any nervousness. It's all chill here. ]

I never really had any, so I don't really know how it works. I didn't even know humans could have god kids!

[veiledflame]

I'm ten already, and it's not like I'm just a human.

[Goku's shrugging it off, but Sotero's glance is still wary.]

Anyway, it's not like I'm his kid the way a human could be. I'm here because of his wishes.

[rockthemonkey]

Ten's still a kid, even if you're not human. And you're real little anyway!

[Goku is sensitive and good at getting along with others.]

... Wait, he wished for a kid and got you?

[veiledflame]

No, that's just one of the things that makes gods. Humans wishing for something... we exist to answer their prayers, right?

[Sotero shrugs, looking a little mutinous and a little uncertain.]

So, I exist to answer his wish, which makes him basically my dad, right?

[rockthemonkey]

[The closest Goku can ever remember having to a father is Genjo Sanzo- and even he knows that’s stretching it. He’s in no position to correct anyone else on what makes someone a dad.]

If you say so, I guess that makes sense! Basically.

[If this kid says someone is his dad, that’s probably all the evidence he needs. ]

But don’t gods have loads of people prayin’ to ‘em? So shouldn’t you have a ton of dads?

[veiledflame]

[He shakes his head.]

Praying afterwards is different, and besides, it's not like a bunch of people pray to me. Most people don't even know I exist.

[rockthemonkey]

Different, huh...

[Goku looks back up at the volcano, ash still raining down around them. Even while they're talking, it's all still happening.]

... Do you want people to know you exist?

[veiledflame]

I don't need them to.

[He shrugs, and stuffs his hands into his hoodie pockets, looking at Goku.]

The people who matter know, so who cares about everybody else? Most mortals are dumb anyway. I've seen the kind of stuff they ask for.

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku smiles again at "people who matter". It's good to have people like that.]

Yeah, prayin' is pretty dumb. If ya want something, you should just get it yourself.

[Good attitude for a god to have. Huitzilopochtli's followers are so blessed.]

[veiledflame]

Yeah, that's what I think too!

[The best attitude for a god, clearly. He smirks.]

So who needs a bunch of whiners asking me to fix things for them?

[rockthemonkey]

Right! I do 'em sometimes 'cause I get bored, but I'm not doin' anything that doesn't sound like fun for me.

[Granted, Goku thinks helping people and making them happy sounds like fun. So it works out for everyone. But the principle is still the same. ]

You're pretty smart for a god! [Goku, that's rude.] What's your name?

[veiledflame]

Oh, I forgot.

[Maybe it's rude, but it's rude to other gods, not him, so he's swelling with unrepentant pride.]

Sotero. You?

[rockthemonkey]

[ This kid may have set off the volcano next door, but Goku kind of likes him anyway. Sometimes things just work out that way. ]

I told ya, I'm Goku!

[veiledflame]

Oh, yeah. [He grins.] It's a dumb name so I forgot.

Anyway, nice to meet you, I guess, Goku.