the boy is back in town [diplomanon conclusion]

[beleos]

Who: Manon, the Shard-Bearers, and special surprise guest(s)!
What: Manon has been revived, and there are questions to be asked
Where: The Tree of Life
When: March 3rd

MANON'S REVIVAL

A few days prior, Manon’s Shard had been planted at the Tree of Life (Tier 2 Meridian and/or those involved with the purification process would know it was by the Tribune himself), and as promised, his revival is providing a neutral ground in which to meet and talk to the man. The Meridian involved in purifying him have been given some basic clothing for Manon, including an eyepatch since just like every other Shard-Bearer who has suffered dissipation, he’ll be hatching from a cocoon the tree weaves. It’s at least a little dignity to be given as a belated “apology” for his revival being a spectacle.

Indeed, when he frees himself from the cocoon, he won’t be ready to be questioned. He’s weak and shaky on his feet, but he’s still rather quick to collect himself and get dressed. Surprisingly, with no apparent shame over being that spectacle!

Some people have “met” Manon already by Communing with his Shard, but otherwise, this is the first that most will be able to see the man causing all of this fuss. He’s short with rust-colored hair and one eye completely covered by the eyepatch he’d been given. He doesn’t exactly seem pleased to be here, though. He looks like he’d much rather be anywhere else. But he’s eventually ready to talk. Best to get this over with.

INTERRUPTIONS

People are given their chances to question Manon and ask him whatever they wish, but not for long.

Quite suddenly and with no more preamble than a strange, crackling feeling throughout everyone’s Shards, a portal suddenly opens behind all of them. First, out steps a small, slight looking girl whose eyes immediately fall on Manon. But a much larger, more monstrous figure steps out behind her with odd, misshapen hands plodding onto the ground and gripping the roots.

A massive creature plods out, and the flowers that surround the skull ripple as if alive. Both the petals of the flower and the very human hair that drift on the creature’s neck are lavender. A very specific shade of it, in fact. And it howls in a way that would be deafening, were it heard with your ears. No, this scream tears through your very Shards in a way that’s almost paralyzing, and as the portal starts to close, other, smaller creatures skitter out along the larger ones’ feet. It seems someone doesn’t want Manon to talk at all.

And for one of the Shard-Bearers among you, that scream digs deeper. Like a poison into their Shard, it pulls out something vicious, something feral, something they had long wished was left behind—But the past isn't always the past.

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OOC NOTES

This portion of the log is divided into four portions because the majority are limited for the mods’ sake. With the exception of number four (which is not limited), you may only sign up for one of these sections or to chase Manon (see next section) because these are all taking place essentially simultaneously.

1. Vander ; Vander (exhound, played by Thirteen) has entered a berserker state and will attack friend and foe without being able to solidly distinguish between the two. Vander can be injured (even severely), but this thread will end with Vander’s capture by Aetós. You can find this toplevel here.
   
   
2. The Girl (Adelfoúla) ; This is a NPC who will be played by Prince, and is limited to a group of no more than three characters. This thread will end with Adelfoúla’s capture since she will be interrogated to find and rescue Vander. You can find this toplevel here.
   
   
3. The Creature (Aeternae) ; Is limited to a group of no more than three characters, but will be controlled by these players a la a PvE encounter. The Creature is able to attack with psychic powers (similar to the Force in Star Wars or biotic powers in Mass Effect) and is otherwise very large (Hayame-sized the size of a very large horse) and strong, but not overly so. It will regenerate from all attacks unless the skull is smashed, and it can close the petals of the flower to temporarily protect itself. You can find this toplevel here.
   
   All characters that participate in this thread will also be given psychic information about what happened to create the creature, so comment here to note your participation so I can give you that info! The Creature will also subject everyone present to opt-in effects, which are not limited to only the thread participants.
   
   
4. Smaller Creatures ; Are not limited encounters, and are controlled by the players a la a PvE encounter. These are smaller, more easily killed monsters that are able to use minor psychic attacks as well as poison when someone is clawed or bitten if you want to go a combat route or can cause more temporary versions of the Aeternae's effects as listed. You can also make up your own style of lil' skullbeast! This is free for players to get creative with and create a fun encounter however you see fit. All characters that participate in this kind of thread will also be given psychic information about what happened to create the creature, so comment here to note your participation so I can give you that info! In addition, please place all threads to engage the smaller creatures here.

GIVING CHASE

As soon as the chaos breaks out, the first to take advantage is… Manon. Though weakened from just hatching from the Tree of Life, Manon immediately runs into the labyrinthine maze of roots that make up the Tree of Life. He’s not so honorable as to stay and fight, and this may be his only chance to actually escape. However, it does also leave him without the protection he was promised…

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OOC NOTES

This section is limited to a maximum of three characters from each faction, and they will not be able to participate in the previous section. Manon is fleeing immediately, so giving chase means that these characters similarly will not be sticking around to witness what happens.

We encourage discussion of which characters will be participating in this portion of the post in the associated Discord Thread for this plot since the factional makeup of this team is likely very tied to Manon’s fate. As Loremasters, we’re truly cool with whatever, so we encourage players discuss how to make a satisfying narrative and future plot opportunities out of Manon’s overall fate rather than trying to “win” the encounter. Also to note, Manon is weakened, but will be attacking anyone that attacks him assuming (probably correctly) that they’re trying to kill him. There is a risk of dissipation in this encounter!

If a conclusion to this thread is not reached by Wednesday, March 8th, Christy will reach out to all thread participants, and we’ll come to an OOC conclusion for Manon’s overall fate to prepare for the Setting Updates that Friday! We can obviously continue to thread it, though! The toplevel for this chase can be found here.

CODING

Comments

[sharmat]

(past encounters with demons have always been drawn-out by discussion and deals, voryn decides that he should act violently and without delay, pressing his will against aeternae's to resist its howl. if only he'd had the forethought to leap through the portal before its closing, one that would have undoubtedly led to the schemer behind the scheme; however, it's enough now to know that meridian and zenith were both right.

someone did attack to silence manon.

that was tricky of aetós. voryn smirks. the instability of his legs caused by his shard resonating powerfully and painfully with the initial outcry is fading enough that he's able to catch a real breath. they've been caught by surprise in a disadvantageous position. forced deeper by aeternae's first attack at a larger group that's quickly scattered by powerful telekinesis, they are abandoned to a clearing of thick, winding roots that have essentially formed a cavern. sphagnum makes the wet earth feel springy beneath his feet, soaking them through to their soles. another muddy battle.)

Steady... Steady up.

(johnny of meridian and kaeya of zenith are at his left and right, and they three form the last bastion before the trunk of the tree of life. the shard-beast makes another chilling sound from hollows in its skinless jaw, clawing a small trench into the ground in an instinctual show of strength, the way a mount might paw when anxious, agitated, or angry. anticipating the creature is made easy by watching. its petals fold around the off-white bone of its skull as its chest muscles flex beneath its skin like tightening steel cords.

a battering ram.)

It's going to charge! (he calls to them now, forthright with his intentions.) We must stop it from advancing toward the Great Tree or retreating to pursue the others. Quickly, can either of you throw it off balance?

[comelately]

[ he came here prepared for a fight, and he's sure as hell getting one - just not the one he was picturing. Johnny expected that he'd be squaring off against Yima or Silco or another proud Zenite who'd be willing to get their hands dirty. The nightmarish beast standing before him is another matter entirely. The initial blast had parted him from his wheelchair; he's not sure if it was the force of it knocking him out, or if he'd unconsciously thrashed his way to the ground while in the grip of the paralyzing psychic grasp. His shard feels like it's buzzing where it's seated in his neck, a chime rung too hard.

It's looking at him now, the monster - looking at them, rather, as he glances up and sees two others in its sights. Kaeya and Voryn. Not that it matters. It's do or die. In the back of his mind, he's still worried about Manon escaping, getting assassinated in the confusion by someone - and maybe that's part of the plan - but he can't do a goddamn thing about that if he's dead. ]

Don't worry about me! [ it's not self-sacrificing, it's advisory, because he knows he looks like he's a sitting duck here on his lame legs, but neither of them know what he can do and he's hardly got the time or want to tell them. In a hurry, he lifts a muddied arm, extending his index and middle fingers as bright stars light up along his skin like glowing tattoos. ] Tusk!

[ he acts out of instinct rather than listening to Voryn's request. A robotic-looking creature appears, half-ethereal, at his side, and a fingernail rockets off his pointed finger like a miniature whirlwind, blasting into one of the creature's legs with the force of a magnum bullet. ]

[subsist]

[ They weren't given a whole lot of time to gather their thoughts before all hell broke loose. Kaeya's actions are almost instinctual: he focuses all his efforts on protecting the Tree of Life rather than worrying about where Manon is headed or whatever is going on with Vander. He can only hope that his allies won't be overwhelmed when they go to deal with their own messes, but maybe that's exactly what's going on here— the interruption is meant to scatter their efforts, to make it easier for the culprit to attain their ultimate goal.

Question is, what is their ultimate goal? Kaeya knows right now isn't the right time to be worrying about that.

The creature roars when its legs are hit by Johnny's attacks, soul-piercing in that awful, terrible way that isn't so easy to shake off. It doesn't appear to be enough to completely throw it off-kilter so Kaeya is quick to summon a burst of pure cryo energy, flowing from his fingertips until ice creeps around the creature's legs, freezing it solidly in place. This will only be enough to stall the creature for a short period, but at least it'll afford them some precious time to consider their options. ]

—its skull. [ He remembers Childe and Vander's encounter with the beast that Manon used to be, and how they had focused on its skull back then too. ] If we're dealing with the same person responsible for the beast from Alenroux, then its skull is likely a good place to start targetting.

[ In his other hand, a beautiful sword manifests in a glimmer of golden light. The creature is busy trying to free itself from its icy prison, but Kaeya is already preparing a defensive move just in case the creature charges at them yet again. ]

I'll slow it down as best as I can. I won't let it anywhere near the Tree.

[sharmat]

(conjuration: johnny summons an animunculi to join them in the fight, dealing the creature's leg considerable damage. its nature is unique, unexpected coming from the meri because of his disability. there will be no underestimating him in the future. destruction: kaeya projects a fan of ice that spreads to the ground, locking the creature in its next vulnerable stride securely in place. another battlemage, a zenite, and a future enemy. result: the combination is temporarily crippling.

the core of their abilities is something voryn innately understands for it is magic, and magic can be enhanced beyond reckoning by his own. but as a spell designed for both of them is readied instantly and cast upon them, spiking their proficiency at both launching projectiles and manipulating the elements, aeternae, with its psychic ability, releases a shockwave felt not by their bodies but by their minds. sensitive to having something mentally intrude, the pathways having all been forced wider by an entity from before his birth in kenos, it sends him heavily to one knee.)

Damn this thing... then we ought not to delay. Its petals will make that difficult... they don't look as fragile as if they were created from cellulose! (impressions of cruel things make the blood vessels in his own skull throb as though they might burst, and voryn becomes angry, casting the fortification on himself, too, before a fire, controlled to be voluminous and laced with something wicked, forms in his ready hand.) Get out!

(it's thrown as he pushes himself to stand, and when it connects, the ice forms steam. improved damage is layered on kaeya's, creating a melt combination that makes the creature howl and buck, exposing its belly and everything that may be vital in the areas around it. perfect for their sniper.

adrenaline makes voryn pant, and he flings his arm out to point with the flourish of a long sleeve.)

Johnny!

(note: you have been buffed with "fortify magicka." your characters will do 30% more damage.🙏 this lasts one minute or several tags—like dnd turns! for flavour, it's ultimately up to you when it dissipates!)

[comelately]

[ he can't fall any lower than he already is; the psychic quake has his posture faltering instead, arms lifting in front of himself protectively as if that might somehow shield him. It doesn't. His mind is punctured with little bits of debris cast at him from the beast, flashes of things he doesn't understand: his throat constricting, the all-too-familiar numbness of nothing spreading from his legs to the rest of him, the brief vision of a mask. He gasps for breath, strangled by memories that aren't his own. When the pressure relieves, it's in the wake of Voryn's spell, not that he understands what it is. Tusk feels livelier, and perhaps it's the Stand's invigoration that pushes him back to his senses.

Why are they so obsessed with the Tree? He doesn't get it, but it doesn't matter. While he was caught in the throes of - whatever that was (he can't think about that now, either), Voryn did something to it, and the creature is equine enough that Johnny immediately understands what Voryn's calling on him to do: hit a weak part. ]

-- Didn't he just say to aim for the skull?! Fuck!

[ he snaps out a frustrated comment, gritting his teeth together, but there's no time to do anything other than complain; his angle's not right to hit the head, anyway. Another nail fires off, spinning in a greater, faster arc than Johnny's seen before - there's something going on - and his aim, as ever, is true. The brief window afforded by the Aeternae rearing up closes just before his "bullet" reaches, but it doesn't seem to matter. The projectile blasts a hole straight through muscle, travelling towards the beast's heart - or where its heart should be, anyway. The creature releases a guttural bellow, crumpling down onto its front legs. Johnny catches his breath.

A normal animal would be dead from that, but he doubts it's over yet. Eight nails left. ]

[subsist]

[ Soon after the creature's pained cry, a follow-up attack to its earlier one strikes at them again — and this time, the invasive quality of it hits Kaeya a little bit harder than expected. He staggers backwards, reeling from the rapidfire snapshots of memories that don't belong to him. Is this similar to what Childe experienced, when he faced Manon as the shardbeast of Alenroux? He doesn't know what to make of them. This isn't really the time.

So: he regains his balance, reinvigorated by the spell that Voryn has casted. He can feel the thrum of energy flowing through him, similar enough to how his Vision used to feel before he ever woke up here in Kenos. Johnny's aim rings true and it affords him an opening that he wouldn't have had otherwise, but at the same time, the creature reveals another one of its tricks. It remains oh-so-very still until every sinew and nerve begins to regenerate, the squelch of muscles and the crack of bones cutting through the noise.

Shit. Now that's going to be a problem.

He isn't going to wait until it's done reforming itself. In a blink of an eye, several icicles manifest in front of him, varying in sizes but not their sharpness. He sends them all flying, aimed right at the creature's head while it's busy stitching back its belly together. Some dig into the petals, frost spreading out from where they've pierced the surface in an attempt to slow down the Aeternae's attempt to close them on itself.

Perhaps if Voryn triggers another melt reaction, then they might be able to get rid of them. ]

[sharmat]

(the comment goes unanswered; they know to take every opportunity to cripple the creature, even if it means it gets back up again, and it will while it possesses that regenerative ability. johnny's attack strikes aeternae's vitals through layers of flesh and ribs, and this noticeably weakens it—temporarily.

they don't have much time, but everything has stamina, everything has a limit, and they're about to find it. their temporary zenite ally also shoots projectiles, which leaves him free to advance on it. while it's pinned by old and new wounds, kaeya's icicles embedding themselves in the large petals framing its skull, voryn delivers a bomb: a fiery touch from his hand that's further enhanced with an endurance debuff cast several times in succession to make regeneration effectively pointless.

immediately, the spells' results are clear. it takes every concentrated point of damage inflicted by johnny, kaeya, and himself, in its most intense form. the way mortals experience pain and die. the way all life should experience pain and die. the ice melts again, steam forcing the petals to curl outward with a shriek from within. its death knell, one final psychic blast that feels like a barb striking him in the shard, the headache immense enough to make him stagger back and away.)

All together now, (voryn shouts, eyes narrow, half-blinded by images that have crawled into his mind and laid its memories there.) Let us return this foul thing to the earth—ready!

(unsteady, lacking aim, instead of helping johnny and kaeya directly, he enhances their attacks again. a burst of adrenaline, reassurance that once they hit that thing again, it won't get up this time.)