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

[bakedapple]

[ At the slightest hint that Dimitri is trying to rise to his feet, Link springs into action, jumping up to his own so he can step to Dimitri's side. He is careful not to touch him — he would not presume that such a thing would be welcome from anyone right now, even someone Dimitri knew well, and that's putting aside the fact that he has no right to touch a king without permission — but he hovers next to him, one hand vaguely held out in a quiet offer of assistance. Watching him rise, listening to his labored breaths of cold air, Link does have reason to worry. He's seen something terrible. Link can't imagine the extent of the wounds that might have been reopened. ]

The... the grief. The grief is still there.

[ Frowning gently, his eyes move to the roots again. Although he has no way of knowing exactly what Dimitri is referring to by "it," it's not difficult to parse the general idea.

He does not have it in him to look Dimitri in the eye once he's standing. Intentionally glancing back towards the way they came, he murmurs firmly, ] We need to get out of this place.

[hauntedking]

[ Oh. Dimitri is a little startled by Link's sudden movement, but he doesn't particularly mind the offer for assistance. He's just... trying to keep himself together. He pauses and then reaches out and takes the offered hand without a second thought. ]

It always is. And I think it always will be.

[ Perhaps it will simply overwhelm him less. Or be less likely to well up. ]

...you're right, though. Let's see if we can leave this place...

[bakedapple]

[ Link's grip on his hand lingers for a few seconds after Dimitri is already on his feet. Although he does not know the other man very well, certainly not well enough to call him a friend, Link regards him as something more than just an acquaintance. And he worries for him. He looks terrible, like he's balancing on the verge of tears, unable to let them spill forth or choke them back.

But his palm eventually slips away from his, and Link turns his head to glance back in the direction they came. ]

I saw an older version of myself too. Right before you found me... [ after hesitation, he begins to walk, and quietly murmurs: ] I put it out of its misery.

[hauntedking]

...I'm sorry.

[ He can't imagine that. He wouldn't want to harm his old self - even if it were a false image of his childhood. He follows, silent and a touch morose. ]

...would you like to discuss it?

[bakedapple]

[ Link says nothing. The sound of their footsteps echoing darkly against the frozen street and buildings around him helps to keep the silence from being deafening. Truthfully, he offered that information for the sake of comforting Dimitri: to change the subject and get his mind off what he just witnessed. But, uh... maybe he's only made things more awkward. Dimitri is royalty, as it turns out, so what reason would he have to care about Link's woes? He has more important things to worry about than soldiers doing what they're supposed to do — die for their country.

With the reflective barrier coming into sight ahead, Link offers a simple response. ]

No. Just... I couldn't have done for him what you did for your past self.

[ A somewhat cryptic answer that he seems uncertain about elaborating on. After a moment, he looks back to Dimitri. ]

Do you... do you want to talk about... [ His question trails off, twinged with uncertainty. then — ] Why didn't you tell me you're a prince? Or are you — were you made king, after what happened?

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri, in the moment, opts not to press the question. He's still a little rattled, after all, and dealing with his own thoughts. Trying to get into himself once more in a way. He pauses and trails to a slow stop a he considers Link's question. ]

...it didn't seem relevant. My kingdom is not here and I am striving to restore not just it, but my entire world. To claim to be superior or above others, to claim that title while it's still missing... that did not set well with me.

[ He offers a weak smile. ]

...I was not crowned king until many years later. It was... a journey. In many ways.

[bakedapple]

[ Link's footsteps come to a halt, following Dimitri's lead before he even answers his question. The weak smile is met with raised eyebrows, a subdued external response that fails to convey the way Link's heart seemed to leap in his chest. ]

I've — I haven't treated you correctly. I'm sorry. [ These words spill from his mouth very quickly. He takes a half-step back, as if he's about to drop to one knee, but immediately stops as he realizes how unnecessary that probably is. It's not like Dimitri is his king. But, still... for him to have been speaking so casually with him all this time... for him to have sparred with him! What if he had hurt him?

No. He can't think like this. Blinking the thoughts from his head, his shoulders relax and he looks to the floor. If that's how Dimitri is thinking about it, that his position does not matter for as long as his kingdom remains lost, then... Link has to respect that. Even if he is taking a completely different approach to his own duties while his world is lost. ]

...sorry. Sorry, this is just... coming as a shock to me, too. I was a solider in my world.

[ An oversimplification, of course, but Link does not want to get into all the prophecy and war and endless eternal reincarnation stuff. It mixes too confusingly with legend, even if this were the time to get into it. ]

[hauntedking]

No - no. You've treated me as correctly as you could have. I couldn't ask for more than the courtesy you've offered me-

[ Dimitri, even trying to work out his own head, is still also trying to be as courteous and genuine as he can be. It's in his nature. He gestures at Link, perhaps trying to get him to understand. ]

I understand soldiering. Being a warrior. Being a general, even. So... I understand you may not understand why I am so willing to be casual. But please, rest assured - I am content to have you as a friend. Not just someone to bow because of a title and a burden I bear.

[bakedapple]

[ Hearing this, Link's expression dampens. Friend, he says. He's the first person to say that word to him in Kenos. Although it takes the old young man a few seconds, he finds that he is not against the idea. Actually, if all that Dimitri is saying is true, then... he'd like that.

Looking back up at Dimitri, he nods. Now is not the time to comment on what he said, but he tucks the topic into the back of his mind for later. ]

Alright. I understand. [ Smiling with slight sheepishness, he looks to the reflective barrier just a few yards away. ] ...Let's get out of here. There's work to be done in Springstar.

[hauntedking]

Agreed. If more of these... bubbles... are popping up, they need to be dealt with.

[ He's doing his best to push forward. And he will. At least for now. ]

We can discuss this when we have more time. Is that agreeable?

[bakedapple]

[ Link nods, and without thinking — ] If that is your wish.

[ ...but seems to immediately realize how not very treating each other as friends that was, so — ] I mean, yes. That's fine.

[ Without waiting again, he eager heads with Dimitri toward the barrier, telling himself that it's time to get back to work in Springstar. ]