april event, phase one: seeds of unrest 🌱

[beleos]

THE BEGINNING

Summertime in Springstar has been on its way out, heralding the arrival of fall; winter has likewise given way to spring in Highstorm - at least, according to the calendar. Yet there is an unseasonable bite on the breeze - one growing as frigid as the mood among Meris and Zenites in their cities. Between Alenroux’s occupation and talk of ‘the Blight,’ worries have been on the lips of the citizens with increasing frequency - and with good reason. The reports of plant life dying, of objects crumbling, of people whose bodies are deteriorating are dominating the rumor mills and local papers.

Everything comes to a head early in the second half of Pelu.

After an unusual pocket of commotion in the Seat of the Tribune and the courtyard of Yima’s manor, an urgent announcement is made on behalf of both cities: both Great Trees have been quarantined, and no one is permitted in either location without clearance. New rumors spread of an ‘incident’ that saw those in the immediate vicinity of the Trees rapidly demonstrating symptoms of an illness that was becoming all too easy to identify. It had stricken with frightening speed; not long afterward…

The unrest had spread into the streets, and it wasn’t just about the Blight anymore.

Cetina and Kathova wasted no time in reaching out to the Bearers via Communion to offer them guidance from their leaders and incite them to action.

SPRINGSTAR: THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE

Day by day, changes unfold that render the city increasingly dangerous...

ROOTS:

Vine-like roots have begun to thread the streets, creeping upon and over buildings, spreading outward from the Tree in Heliopolis. Over the next two weeks, they will continue to grow in size and become more troublesome, slowly blooming ice-like leaves that radiate a sickly glow.

• GROWTH: Contrary to the Blight’s normal behaviors, some people and things around clusters of vines or leaves can experience a burst of vitality, growth, and splendor as if transforming to beyond peak condition. In a normal citizen, this may result in an almost manic level of energy, reckless behaviors, and aggression. In objects, they become more durable and efficient, but dangerously so - for example, a stovetop cooks faster but burns uncontrollably hot. In plant life, this results in overgrowth that can overwhelm and choke nearby flora, objects, or even people. Then, they burn out an hour after exposure and immediately succumb to a dire state of Blighted.


• CHILL: The temperatures will continue to drop throughout the next two weeks. It will be coldest where vines have clustered and outright dangerously so near where flowers have budded or bloomed in great numbers. This will force some people from their homes.

TIME POCKETS:

In seemingly random parts of the city, areas referred to as ‘time pockets’ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.

• REGRESSION: NPC’s in these areas will appear to freeze in time once a Bearer has breached the pocket’s radius but appear normal from the outside. Time within has halted at the point the pocket manifested ( typically covering an area like a city street or inside a single large building that sees regular use ). Objects can be freely manipulated but will not fall if thrown, etc.
  • The pocket cannot be left until the Bearer has achieved their objective. Attempting to exit the way they entered, they’ll run into an unseen barrier that is painful to the touch, a sensation of frigidity that travels to their Shard.
  • Their goal will be to locate a past version of themselves hidden from immediate view. This past version of themselves can be from any point in their lives but must be from a moment when they felt extremely vulnerable, isolated, wounded, or fearful.
  • Once finding this past version, they will feel the compulsion to either find a way to reassure their past selves somehow or kill them. Whether it is the Bearer themselves who performs these acts or another Bearer in their company does it for them, as long as their past selves are pacified enough ( to player satisfaction ) or dead, they will gain immunity to the pocket and may leave. The immediate area will remain frozen, however, and the past version will be revealed to be made of roots that will shrivel and die.
  • Note: Bearers will be able to see other Bearer’s past selves, even after they have been freed. Whether the past reflections are capable of speech while functional is up to player discretion.

HIGHSTORM: THE ROOTS OF CHANGE

The snows continue to fall over the city, feeling brittle against your skin...

ROOTS:

Vine-like roots have begun to thread the streets, creeping upon and over buildings, spreading outward from the Great Tree in Yima’s manor. Over the next two weeks, they will continue to grow in size and become more troublesome, slowly blooming ice-like leaves that radiate a sickly glow.

• SACRIFICIAL: [ CW: self-harm ] Where the roots snake and gather throughout the city, NPC’s in several locations are falling victim to the quiet, slow pulse of the flowers and their buds. They will sit and stare at the flowers for hours, unblinkingly, as their body begins to succumb to the Blight. If they are disturbed in any way - a loud noise, an attempt to move their person, etc - they will calmly look up from their worship and crack off a piece of their brittle body before returning to their reverie.
• In order to save them, a pair (or more) of Bearers must sneak up on the NPC - one using a pacifying spell given by one of the faction leaders while the other crushes the flower. If the NPC is not pacified before the flower is crushed, they will become hysterical and the Blight will rapidly consume them, causing them to perish. If they are pacified and the flower is not crushed, the spell will wear off within ten seconds with the same result.

• CHILL: The temperatures will continue to drop throughout the next two weeks. It will be coldest where vines have clustered and outright dangerously so near where flowers have budded or bloomed in great numbers. This will force some people from their homes.

TIME POCKETS:

In seemingly random parts of the city, areas referred to as ‘time pockets’ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.

• REFLECTIONS: NPC’s in these pockets are moving in surreal blurs, pieces of them moving forward as others move backward, some changing as if time were rapidly passing as others remain frozen still. The Bearers’ surroundings are distorted as if reflecting multiple realities simultaneously.
  • Their goal will be to locate a tall standing mirror situated alone in the center of the time pocket’s radius. The Bearer who first touches their reflection ( henceforth called “mirror-Bearer” ) will cause the world inside the pocket to suddenly stop, reflecting a comforting environment they have fond or pleasant associations with. The mirror will be gone.
• Something or someone the mirror-Bearer highly values, deeply misses, or sees as imperative to their character, goals, or desires will be present. If they make contact with this object or person, the Time Pocket loops and sends them back to searching for the mirror - but they will have no memory of this occurring. Their partner, however, will recall everything.
• Both Bearers will be released if five loops occur without the mirror-Bearer being stopped from causing the loop or if the mirror-Bearer is stopped from reaching their goal for five minutes ( willingly or otherwise ). The longer they refuse to make contact with this object or person, the more tempting and dire the need becomes inside of them.
• Once the Bearers are released, the Time Pocket disappears. If they manage to avoid contact with the temptation inside the Pocket, the roots and flowers in this area will be withered and dying, buying the NPC’s and buildings in this location some time. Otherwise, they will be thriving and dangerously blooming.
• Note: the mirror will not respond to the non-mirror-Bearer once it has been touched the first time.

ENTREE-TING HELP

The Tree of Life is in danger, and you know it. Both Yima and Cyrus have directed all Bearers who might listen to increase visitation to the Tree and monitor it for signs of the Blight - of its leaves changing color, of any frostbitten bark, of its roots withering.

And then, during a moment in which you find your mind at ease, at rest... you dream, even if dreaming is unnatural for you. You dream of yourself sitting beneath the massive bows of the Tree's breadth, at peace. The perpetual dawn's glow warms your skin in a way that seeps into your bones, leaving you certain you are safe from harm. The Tree reaches out, and though it cannot speak to you in words, you feel it is trying to convey a message: one of urgency. One of plea.

But you cannot understand...

Soon, the branches of the Tree are reaching out to others. You cannot see them, but you know they're there; a spiritual tether connects your Shards together, bringing you all into a place of wordless unity. And once your fellows have been summoned, you know what you are here for.

You feel it rather than see it: some meager, barely-there brush of something cold in the warmth of the island's comfort. The Tree is already infected, and the clock is running down for all of you.

When you wake to yourself, a feeling of dread not entirely your own will chase you, and you will find a single violet leaf in your hand.

MISC NOTES

• Bearers start with immunity to the Blight. They will not succumb to the effects of the Blight even if they handle the vines and flowers directly without precautions or care.
• The above effects will occur in small clusters and are not yet spread city-wide during phase one. The escalation of frequency characters will come across problematic clusters or Time Pockets will be slow building.
• For context, it takes about a month from infection to death or dissolution for the average person or object to succumb to the Blight. By the 21st, it will be three days to a week.
• Bearers will be directed by Cetina or Kathova to make efforts to protect the civilians and investigate the manifesting changes around both cities. Both factions are working on their own methods to attempt to counteract the Blight, but neither has produced a failsafe solution.
• The roots will remain mostly outdoors, for the most part, these first two weeks.
• Tensions will slowly ramp up in Alenroux, and there are checkpoints for any non-PC visitors to screen for signs of infection.
• Player characters who die inside the Time Pockets are dead and need their Shards brought to the Tree of Life for revival.
• HAVE FUN!! ♥

CODING

Comments

[sharethememory]

Do not rush anything that should not be rushed.

[ Even worse than civilians getting mixed up in this mess would be something to happen to Gavial as a result of hastiness. He too wished to come to the aid of anyone unfortunate enough to wander too close to the vines, but she was too valuable to the Blight's research to have something happen to her. So she is given his full attention until her head peeks over roof, samples in hand.

Zhongli does not flinch when he takes the flowers from her, but from the way his brow is furrowed it is apparent their temperature is quite a shock. Somehow they manage to pull the warmth from his hand even through the thick leather of his gloves. Ah, this was certainly not improving his opinion of all things cold and unknown.

Another stele rises off to Zhongli's left, this time only four feet high so that Gavial can use it to step down easily from the roof. While she is doing that, Zhongli busies himself placing the flowers carefully in their storage containers with quicker, half-written notes meant to be filled out more completely later. ]

Regardless of their reasoning, they should either not be here or be escorted by someone who can provide adequate protection.

[ Zhongli shuts the bag with an audible click, slinging it over one shoulder as he turns back to address their new problem at hand. ]

I suppose the both of us fulfill the requirements for the latter.

[kinaesthesia]

[She’s glad to have the samples out of her hands for now, idly wondering just how well the storage containers might hold up, considering the nasty behavior of the Blight. Regardless, they’ve at least managed to accomplish what they’ve set out to do here. One little detour and they can get those pesky little plants where they need to be.

She swings down onto the next little stone platform her partner has summoned for her, hopping to the ground from there with ease and a smile. While Zhongli wraps up with the labeling of containers, Gavial busies herself with taking care of those tools she’d used. They’re wrapped carefully in a rectangular cloth and then carefully deposited into a container of their own; no use letting them hang loose after probably getting contaminated themselves. Then with those tucked into her own bag, she glances over in the direction their hapless civilian had been.

Yep, still just… standing there. She frowns, but glances Zhongli’s way at his assessment and nods.]

Well, let’s go make sure they stay out of trouble then.

[And with that, she turns and begins making her way over to them, shouting as the two of them get closer.]

Oy! What do you think you’re doing out here?!

cw: frostbite and disease

[sharethememory]

[ The containers mysteriously frost over as if they were housing ice rather than supposedly live plant samples, frost almost tinged black at the edges. Unusual and perhaps even unworldly - such even a mysterious plague have such a power. But stuffed into multiple layers of containers, the chill of the flowers and vines seems to not pose too much of a problem. Not enough for Zhongli to notice as he carries it anyway.

Zhongli keeps two steps behind Gavial as they approach the civilian. This situation had all the forebodings of a trap waiting to catch them unawares, but the vines and roots do not get any closer as they approach - only feasting and twining around what has already captured their attention. The civilian - a younger middle aged man upon closer inspection - does not react to Gavial's calls nor does he tear his eyes away from one perfectly bloomed flower in front of him. He gazes at it in slack-jawed awe, mouth slightly agape as the black coloring of the Blight begins to creep up his fingers and across one palm.

It is that affliction that first catches Zhongli's attention. ]

He is not even touching it, and yet the Blight spreads.

[ Then why had he and Gavial had been spared thus far...? ]

cw: self-harm

[kinaesthesia]

[Something is definitely wrong here.

For someone who’s wandered into this area not all that long ago, the fact that he’s practically catatonic as he stands there staring at that flower doesn’t bode well. The Blight’s always been eager to spread, from what she’s observed, but this is something on a whole ‘nother level. The appearance of the roots and their blossoms all across the city really is heralding something much worse, by the look of things.

She’s suddenly feeling a lot less great about the fact that she and Zhongli were handling those things pretty casually. It hasn’t gone and bit them in the ass yet, but maybe it’s only a matter of time.

She slows a step, glancing back toward her companion.]

Don’t like that it’s working this fast now… He should be fine if he just got here, right?

[And yet… there’s that tell-tale creep of black across his hands. She can’t help but make comparisons to seeing splashes of black across patients' skin back home. It’s never a good sign. It’s no crystalline infection here, but no less dangerous for it.

As their approach draws them within 10 feet or so to the man, Gavial tries once more to nab his attention, cupping her hand up by her mouth to project her voice.]

Hey! C’mon, it’s not safe out here. You gotta—

[This time, it seems to get past whatever reverie he’d been trapped in. The man turns his head slowly to face them. Then, very carefully he raises his Blight-blackened hands and, deliberately and without hesitation, snaps off one of his little fingers.]