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

[killercoat]

[Oh, yes, that slight detail of being named. Several people have mentioned that as well, but Akutagawa has been a bit stubborn about following directions. How can he sit tight when there's a volcano erupting within the Heavens?]

Yes, but I refuse to wait. While the Heavens are twiddling their thumbs about which god to assign me, I can at least prove my worth here.

[He doesn't know if Yata will understand, and he's very aware that his actions are reckless. Though he refuses to sit on the sidelines and be some spectator. He resides in the Heavens, and he has a responsibility to protect it.]

[thevanguard]

Usually, most new shinki have a god right away. [ Yata looks perplexed for a moment. ] Maybe they just had a hard time finding you. Or they've got their hands full with... I dunno, sometimes there's some weird shit that happens around this place.

[ He hoped that there weren't suddenly gods missing again, like with the forest. That's the last thing they needed right now.

But he shakes his head, understanding that all the same. ]

But yeah, I get it. I've had a couple gods vanish on me without warning while I've been here. Sitting around and doing nothing is the worst. If they don't find you, though, you can ask a god to name you, if you find one you want. Or... keep waiting, too, I guess. It's not long between assignments usually. Do you... have you found a place to stay in the meantime?

[killercoat]

I plan to wait for them to find me.

[Whatever the circumstances might be, Akutagawa doesn't really care. If his god disappeared, then he finds himself lucky to not have made some connection to them before vanishing.

Though he's aware that's it unsafe for a shinki to be alone, he hasn't really come to the shinki sanctuary. He's just been hanging around the Far Shoe, and although he's not keen on being homeless, it feels better than being a charity case.]

I don't have a place to stay, but I am fine. I've been fine since my arrival. At least with this volcano, I have something to preoccupy my time. Weren't you on your way up?

[thevanguard]

[ Yata studies him for a moment longer before lifting one shoulder in a shrug. ]

Yeah, there are plenty of places to find shelter, at least. I've had a few gods vanish on me before and had to fend for myself for a week or so before a new one got assigned to me.

But if the weather turns nasty, you can come stay with us, My god has plenty of room. Just look for the temple in the Central District with all the crows around it, we're not hard to find.

And yeah I was. [ He casts a glance up the volcano for a moment, a frown on his lips. ] Want to come up with or are you staying down here?

[killercoat]

I'll keep that in mind.

[ Although, he has no intention of accepting Yata's generosity. He's a bit too proud and stubborn to ask anyone for shelter, even if it could be detrimental to his safety.

At the question, Akutagawa's face looks even more serious than before. Being nearly squashed by a boulder hasn't deterred him from wanting to ascend up the mountain.]

Of course, I'm going up. It seems the only way to figure out what's going on.