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

[futhark]

[ If there is a divine dominion he could call a claim on, then stupidly heroic decisions would be definitely one. Maybe if he was more of a responsible adult then he would be less considerate about her courage and more considering their safety. But while he's not a picture of "responsible adult" he's still protective in his own way. They got it under control, she's protected from fire, and should anything happen - he is certain he would be able to react. Likewise, she has good reflexes if it’s him who would be in need of assistance ]

Hey, how about: you cover ground level, I take the upper floor-- [ He says as they run into the inferno and he notices a scorched gallery leading upwards. The whole warping skill might come in handy there. But that wonderful idea has to get thrown into a trash bin, because a scream- more like a howl, reverberates across the first floor ] --or scratch that, there is someone trapped here.

[reloves]

[ While they were just talking outside and even as they walked into the building, Minako may have seemed like she was at least planning on being reasonable and careful about this whole deal, despite insisting on going into a burning building. But any sense of caution flies out of the window the moment she hears that sound, her head snapping in the direction it came from. Someone in need of being saved takes precendence over her own safety. ]

Let's hurry up and get to them..!

[ She starts heading in the direction from which she heard the noise, but her path is soon enough blocked by a big beam that seems to have fallen down from the ceiling, completely blocking a doorway with the way it landed. Minako frowns and looks back at Caster-- ]

.. I don't suppose you have supernatural muscle strength, or do you?

[futhark]

[ Servants are bullshit. Even if Caster's strength is embarrassingly low for a Servant, it's still a lot more than what a normal human could exhibit. Plus he got a means to share a bit of that, who would have guessed mages are useful as buffers. He just draws a rune on his own arm as he goes closer to the beam- just to not have an embarrassing moment with Strength rank E, and picks up said beam without making a comment. At least until he realizes there is not enough space to put it or throw it away without further damaging the structure. Shit- ]

Tch, no place to put it- I'll hold it, get them out! [ He urges Minako with a nod of his head. Not showing off for once. ]

[reloves]

[ Minako might not have any kind of super strength (or even real strength compared to some other people), but the upside of being a slim teenage girl is that it's very easy to get past him while he's holding the beam out of the way like that. She doesn't waste any time either - the moment he tells her to get them out, she's already on the move and getting into the room.

It doesn't take too long to notice the person - a shinki, seemingly passed out from the smoke after letting out that last howl - and Minako tries her best to scoop them up into her arms. Honestly, she's lucky it's someone relatively young and small, since carrying a grownass guy would just be impossible. Even just carrying this one takes her some effort and a lot of adrenaline fueling her, but she manages to make it out of the room and past Caster once more. ]

Quick-- [ She sounds a little out of breath from the rush already, the ceiling creaking above them. ] Let's get them outside!

[ She doesn't wait for him to answer, they simply don't have the time for that. Instead she moves out of the temple as fast as she can. ]

[futhark]

[ Caster lets the beam fall as Minako and the passed out shinki are past him, he reaches out to put his hand on Minako's shoulder and warp them outside. Suddenly air with a lot less of smoke fills their lungs. Just the change makes him cough a bit- ]

Good job, Minako. [ He says as he takes the cape off his shoulders and throws it on the ground, gesturing to put the passed out shinki on it and helping her with it. ]

Depends on her state- [ Or is it him? Hard to say ] -we might have to look for Li Tieguai.

[ But first that state has to be determined. He can do some simple healing but he'd rather not give too much hope and then face something he can't help with ]

[reloves]

[ It's almost a little dizzying. One moment she's barely thinking, wanting to rush, honestly even forgetting about his powers as a god, and the next moment they're outside. The change in their surroundings is so extreme that Minako's legs shake a bit, threatening to give out, but with his help she at least manages to put the shinki down before she crumbles to the ground with it in a pile. ]

I wonder if it's not too bad and they'll wake up soon..

[ She kneels down next to the unconscious shinki, if not just because Minako needs a moment to just sit there and regain her senses as well after that extreme venture back there. She pulls a hand through her bangs.

Just breathe. Slow down for a moment-- except Minako is exceptionally bad at that, and her thoughts are still racing. ]

Can you tell? Should we find someone right now who can tell?

[futhark]

[ Things he really should start doing more - learning medicine. Sure he started a bit, got some bit off knowledge from the field. You better know how to dress your wound or one of your friend if you want them to live to the next sunrise.

Which oddly enough, is useful now. First aid is something he can do. He gives the unconscious shinki a quick look around ]

Breathe is slow, but steady, but should be watched closely. Inhaling the smoke can kill you faster than the fire. [ He glances at Minako and argues with himself. In this state does she need to rest more, or does she need something to focus on? They just ran out of a building that is soon to crumble under its own weight and fire, panic is a completely valid reaction. ] Can you do that Minako, can you watch her breathe?

[ He takes the hand, and checks the bare feet. Quickly writing a rune of healing on one ] Just one minor burn, but nothing really serious- clothes are also damaged only where it's furthest to the body.

[ That would mean. ]

She probably had her own means to protect herself from the fire. [ A spell, a talisman, you name it. Shinki magic is mostly unknown to him. ]

[reloves]

[ Minako nods to his question, even though she still seems a little out of it. Not that she doesn't still follow up on what he asked her and does watch the shinki breathe, but part of her mind is sinking away in thoughts of how scary it must have been to have been trapped in a building that's burning and crumbling, seeing all that destruction around you.

His words dawn upon her a moment later than they usually would have. But once they do, she slowly reaches out to pat the unconscious shinki on the head. ]

You did well.. Your god will be proud of you.

[ It's not like the shinki can hear it in her current state, but Minako feels like she has to say it anyway. It's what she would have liked to hear in that situation, after all. ]

[futhark]

[ Caster confirms that the shinki condition is stable, but there is one more thing- They can't leave her here. But looks like they won't have to. A small group of shinki approaches them. "Hey, they found a survivor!" "How bad is her condition?" "Is she awake?"

A barrage of questions but one important thing is said. "Bring the wounded to Ebisu temple!" It's clear that they might be the ones to take transporting the injured but- ]

I'm a god, I can take her to Ebisu's temple instantly- [ He says his words quietly to Minako. Given that he can teleport in a blink of an eye, and return soon later. ] I can take both of you.

[ But he doesn't want to force his choice on her. There are more people to help still- On the other hand, injured at Ebisu's temple are definitely requiring help and attention too. ]

Or would you rather stay?