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]

"There's earth, there's the underworld, plus this isn't the only 'land of the gods.' It's just the one Amaterasu runs."

Sotero shrugged.

"So the only gods here are the ones who obey her."

[myblueskies]

"There are other heavens?" He guessed gods could live on earth and he's heard talk of the underworld though he doesn't know what it is. But he had had no idea that there are other heavens.

[veiledflame]

"Yeah. The world's a big place."

[myblueskies]

"It is! Where are the other heavens? Do you live in one of them?" He paused as he remembered he had promised to ask only one question at a time.

"Sorry Sotero! There's lots of things I don't know!"

[veiledflame]

"Whatever, it's fine," Sotero scoffs, and glances away. "I don't live in any heavens, so how should I know where the other ones are? I guess you'd have to ask gods who do live there."

[myblueskies]

"Oh." He didn't know anyone who lived in a different heaven to this one. Maybe it was something he should try and find out! He puts that question aside, which doesn't mean he hasn't got plenty more.

"So why are you in this heaven right now? How did you get here?"

[veiledflame]

"Why's that any of your business?" Sotero snaps, suddenly prickling aggressively. "I'm here, that's all! I'm just visiting. 'Cause I don't listen to this place's rules."

[myblueskies]

"I'm just asking! You don't got to be so angry all the time!" Romeo didn't quite snap, but he pulled a face again. It might not be any of his business but it was strange that a boy that didn't like it here was sticking around on a dangerous volcano when he was a god and so could teleport away to safety!

[veiledflame]

Sotero hesitates, then sticks his tongue out, settling down.

"Yeah, whatever," he mutters, "fine. Why not, though? I can be here if I want."

[myblueskies]

"Well you don't like it here and if I didn't like it I wouldn't come here at all!" Especially if there were other places Sotero liked better!

[veiledflame]

"I did it 'cause they can't keep me out if I want to see." He shrugs, and turns as though to leave.

"--Anyway I've got things to do. Go find your god."

[myblueskies]

Romeo frowned, he had more questions but it seemed like Sotero wanted to go and Romeo really should and go make sure that Elfnein was okay, it was dangerous on this volcano after all!

"Okay! I'll see you again, Sotero!"

[veiledflame]

"Yeah, sure," Sotero called back over his shoulder, and jumped easily to the top of a tall boulder, seeming to survey the land behind before he jumped down again and vanished in the rocky landscape.