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

[alchemists]

That is very true, using it to take a break or get fresh air would be the best use.

[artificialrose]

Right... [She really is quite stubborn, he has to say.] Shall we go now, then?

[alchemists]

Mm, let's head back down for now!

[artificialrose]

Then, I'll leave it in your hands.

[Smiling, he offers his own to her.]

[alchemists]

[ Elfnein takes his hand and teleports back to the front yard of her temple. ]

This should be far enough away?

[artificialrose]

Oh-

[One of these days he'll get properly used to teleporting... For now, he just gets his balance back and straightens up.]

I should think so. Do you think something to drink would help your throat? I imagine breathing in gas couldn't be good.

[alchemists]

I'm ok, and well trying to go into my temple right now might be an issue. All of the books and shelves have been thrown all over the place due to the earthquakes.

[artificialrose]

Oh dear. [That sure doesn't sound good.] You can't even make it to your kitchen or anything...?

When all of this is over, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

[It's not right for a young girl to face this kind of thing on her own, after all, even if she does have a shinki who could help her.]

[alchemists]

Thank you for the offer, but I think we'll be ok. Before me and my shinki left to investigate we cleared a few pathways to get to the back of the temple where the bedrooms are.

[artificialrose]

If you sound sure...

[Garry sure doesn't, but, hey.]

How long do you think it will be until your lungs return? Make sure not to rush it just because you want to look further into the volcano, alright...?

[She's very clearly that kind of person, after all. That much has been shown with how she acted up on the mountainside.]

[alchemists]

I won't go back to the volcano for at least the next few days, I promise.

[ She holds her pinky out, Romeo said that you need to pinky swear for promises.]

[artificialrose]

[Oh jeez. Wow. Garry's expression melts into an expression of gooey fondness, because this is the most endearing child-like thing he's seen in a while. Of course he offers his hand to carefully hook his pinky around hers.]

Good. Make sure to call me if you need anything at all. But in the time being, I'm going to go find my god again, alright?

[Possibly have him teleport to find him again. Whups.]