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

[towards_okeanos]

(ooc: so did mine, so i feel your pain)

[He smiles and waves dismissively. Last thing he wanted was to worry her. They got away all right. Even the temple doesn't look that bad. The major lava flow luckily missed it. Even if everything is under a thick cover of ash and the garden is a bit battered it's not disastrous.]

All is fine. Do not worry! No one was hurt. As you said, buildings you can be rebuilt and gardens regrown. I also didn't hear about any casualties and that is one thing we can be grateful for.

Still who could hold such a grudge?

[lookingforhead]

Ayakashi.

Or maybe a god? One that was cast out maybe. That happens a lot in mythology, doesn't it? Gods wanting revenge because they feel like they've been rejected or something?

Maybe both?

I'm still not sure why everyone has been brought here to stand in for other gods, but maybe that's just something that they felt didn't need to go into the Shinki pamphlet.

[towards_okeanos]

Wouldn't you say?! That was my first thought when this thing exploded! Someone here is royally pissed about something and I intend to find out who!

[It is a pleasant surprise to hear she also had a similar hunch. The mountain is angry. That's for sure. So who or what is making it angry? Can they maybe stop? Because Iskandar would make them stop if only he knew who the perpetrator is.

Still mention of the shinki pamphlet reminds him of his own introduction to the Heavens. He lets a sigh. Didn't look better from his side.
The so called gods training? It was but a first clue the local authorities aren't exactly that much in control of the situation as they would like to convey. While he does understand their reasons of trying to project such an image he's yet to see them doing anywhere near good job with that. Of course given their situation he himself would made absolutely sure everyone was under impression that everything is fine and he's totally in control. That would be the most obvious thing to do. You certainly can't afford panic even if your own court is in turmoil.
Unfortunately, apart from a few exceptions he didn't see much being done to foster such an image. All the new gods are pretty much left to fend on their own.
Not that it bothers him much. It's just worrying that the locals are looking a tad inept. For now, he's just keeping an eye on them. In time there maybe a need for the incompetent to be replaced but there scarcely ever is lot to be gained by rushing things.]

Did they not? Ha! I'm afraid they're not hiding it out of prudence. It's more probable that they're just oblivious to the answer.

[lookingforhead]

That's what I've been thinking too. There might well be some grand conspiracy, but at least I don't think the children like Amaterasu or Ebisu are in on it. Maybe one of their shinki or their guards knows something, but I think they're sincere. Though the Shinki of Ebisu's who I've met all seem to care for his safety more than anything else, so I can't imagine them doing this.

[She has no specific suspicions, but she figures that if someone really was at work orchestrating or committing the various disasters and murders they've had lately, it seems more likely that it's someone who has access to power and authority via someone else than the conspiracy going all the way to the top.

Or maybe alien bodysnatchers or mind control.]

[towards_okeanos]

I have no knowledge of the head goddess so I'll have to take your word for it. As for lord Ebisu, he offered me and Satya shelter and that deed may speak to his advantage. Yet it is unfortunately not uncommon for one's own court to turn against it's ruler.

[Iskandar lets out a sigh. Speaking from personal experience no less.]

That's why I hate courtiers. Scheming slimy lot all of them. Well, with a few exceptions. [He shrugs] Certainly, there's a lot to untangle here [Another sigh. Gods, how he hates intrigue] and whoever is organizing it or even barely stoking the fires for sure has some power. Yet not enough it to openly challenge the established order. I just wish the had the guts to come forward and fight like a man.