Fissures of Time: Ongoing

[voidtreckermods]

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FISSURES OF TIME: ONGOING

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... POI 10-12

FOR SOME, THE MISSION HAS BEEN MORE MENTALLY EXHAUSTING THAN PHYSICALLY. Distortions sprout around the domain without rhyme or reason, and the camps must be moved every new day to meet them, as well as stopping a distortion from deciding to form under them from their presence.

While there's bare-bones vegetation, at least they have their own resources to help one another, as well as what can be retrieved from the Ministry base during return trips to take misplaced civilians to safety. It's straight-forward so far...

...but that wouldn't be standard for the Voidtreckers, and some in their ranks don't want straight-forward. Starting during the early hours of Poi 10, there will be occasional rumblings throughout the land. They last for a few seconds and then stop, seemingly for hours; but then they return, and as the days go on, so do the tremors increase.

It seems the distortions too have become affected...

THE UNQUIET CITY. (CW: People unable to die/rising from the dead, body horror)

A city of rubble and ruin stretches far out around them, where once there were hills and vegetation. Much of the rubble is still smoking as fires smoulder. The fighting isn't over, heard before it's seen.

It must be connected to the same skirmishes seen in other distortions, and so most of you are prepared to meet warriors on foot and mount. But what awaits isn't only the horror of bloodshed. No: the reason that the fighting still continues even as the city lies in ruin is because fighters fall and rise again, as if death were nothing but a short rest.

Puncture marks litter skin and armour, holes from weaponry and blessed-magic visible in torsos, even the spaces of where portions of one's skull and brain should be.

Yet they cannot stop fighting. They cannot fall to the ground, rest. Whatever drove them to fight this war still inspires them to continue, screaming as much in pain as in some sort of twisted ecstasy. Perhaps they are too shocked to do anything else. A city locked in eternal war, distorted in time, doomed to repeat itself.

It's hard to set the equalisers here. Not much is stable and fights are likely to break out wherever there are people. The people of this city have their factions, but they will not hesitate to band together to fight intruders.

EYE OF THE STORM. They might feel this distortion before they enter it. A spine-chilling thrill, the feeling one might get at the edge of a storm.

—For a storm it is. The moment they enter it their vision will be obstructed, winds howl around them and rain lashes down furiously making a swamp of the ground below them. It's freezing cold and as they walk they will feel something in the storm. Almost as if there are icy hands, reaching out to grab at them, to pull them further into the worst of the weather.

It's hard to know where to place the equalisers, hard to see where the edges of this distortion are. Easier, not by much, to move further in, to find the epicentre and try and take it down from there.

It's a treacherous journey, but the centre truly is calm, water frozen like crystals. Yet temperatures are dangerously low, so it's in everyone's best interests to set the equalisers quick and get out.

MEAN AND GREEN. As the rumbling continues, there comes a strange and worrying distortion. Worrying, as this distortion can be seen from the outside. A hazy blur that seems to move across the countryside, along the left side of the camp you're stationed at. It gets dangerously close at times, and when it does...

Green tendrils of plant life burst out, entangling people to pull them into the distortion. Or chains of flowers spread from the distortion out across the countryside. Beautiful and colourful in the otherwise sparse environment, but those flowers work as anchors, spreading the distortion, expanding it.

To get rid of it they will need to enter, and inside is a thick jungle of vines and bright colourful flowers awaiting them. The foliage is thick and the air musky and sweet. It's easy to get separated, and getting lost is only a matter of getting turned around. The leaves are sticky and vines move seemingly on their own, curling around unsuspecting limbs, trying to trap people in this colourful paradise forever.

And up in the sky above, a woman's laughter can be heard, the heat of the sun bearing down that becomes uncomfortable quick. But don't look up - you may find a large yellow eye - yellow iris, yellow pupil, golden yellow everything - peering back at you, and find yourself being pulled in by the very ground itself by a powerful force.

NO SANCTUARY. Protecting the camps hasn't been difficult, despite it being a Purple task. Other than rowdy refugees breaking out into fights, little else has appeared to disturb them.

'Eiiiiliiifii.... Siiiiliiifiii...
Merios? Herios?
Don't hide... don't hide...

Everything will be so perfect soon...'

People are woken abruptly in the early hours of Poi 11. If by some special sense, or by a grab at their throat, by a body falling on top of where they sleep, someone else stopping the refugee who was about to take a knife to them.

The refugees have become uncontrollable, raving about wanting 'their Gods back'. The ground rumbles as the woman's voice from the hazy jungle - ethereal, so divine - speaks from below. Grass rises and the sky above burns with a brightness like an approaching sun.

Setting an equaliser will calm the refugees, but only those in the camps. Starting from lunchtime, more warriors and civilians will be found appearing from the distance and from thin air, seemingly knowing where to find the Voidtreckers' camps - and after some very specific people.

Those with divinity, control over weather, nature, and death will be especially targeted, along with anyone who received blessings from the Gods.

OOC NOTES

OOC post. Ask questions here. Let us know about shenanigans here. NPC requests here, set up a thread here. Rewards go here.

TL;DR: Starting on Poi 10, there will be odd tremors around the domain, and more aggressive time distortions. From Poi 11 refugees will lose control of themselves and start attacking Voidtreckers, in and out of the camp.

It will happen abruptly to begin with, but some keen to reading energy will find that it is shifting; like something is breaking in from somewhere else (similar to the time distortions).

Extra equalisers can be picked up from the Ministry base and they will be there to help, but there are also more distortions happening around the domain, so they'll be dealing with those. The Ministry will advise that any non-combatants should stick to the base, and even use the scouting drones to help from afar, if they really need to help.

Undead warriors can be found outside of time distortions, and not all of the people outside of distortions will be 'permanent' people. Equalisers can be kept going for a few hours to keep these people away, but will also need go into recharge/cooling mode.

Don't worry if you're still busy with the Starting log! Or if you've been meaning to tag, jump in here!

Comments

[blitzcheer]

"Always," he puffs, a wide smile, a promise, before he's up on his feet and breaking into a run around Taiki and the equaliser. The vines are coming in from the same direction, curling around the camp as they can - but that means they can't thrash at him as easy (or so he hopes), coming in at their body.

His sword appears as he jumps at one of the roots, thick as a tree trunk, but just as dense. From somewhere inside the camp and easier for Taiki to hear, there's a thrash in response, the end of a vine lifting, knocking into something.

But there's more than just one or two vines, and even where Tidus is, more are coming from where the distortion is - one seeming to rush at him, as if it sees him, and Tidus has to jump back.

[longforgottenpromise]

He smiles back, it's a tight, worried smile but a smile nonetheless. He trusts in Tidus and knows that he will keep the roots and vines back as Taiki works on the equaliser.

He works as quick as he can, fingers pressing buttons as he places the machine in the right place and adjusts the controls. It begins to hum, so far so good... He can see Tidus being rushed by the vines and wills the machine to hurry, holding the controls still.

At least until a vine wraps itself around his ankle, pulling him backwards. Taiki tries to wriggle his leg out, holding onto the equaliser, trying to keep everything in place.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus escapes getting grabbed himself, but not without the vine thrashing up and slapping him across the face with a force that staggers him back. A signal for him to move back, jumping with enough distance to give him the space he wants. The time he needs to focus magic for the next swing he intends to take.

But he isn't keeping at bay all the tree roots, vines, whatever they are. Behind him he hears crunching, but Tidus can't let himself lose focus, going in again with a sweeping strike as a thick appendage thrusts itself at him. It clips his shoulder, but Tidus jumps in with a spin to spread the paralysing magic in his blade, to cause a portion of the greenery to freeze in place.

Which is good, when he lands on top of them. His eyes are focused around him, not sure for his safety; but he does manage a glance back, and sees --

"Taiki--"

A force grabs Tidus from around the gut and picks him up, his magic lacking to completely freeze it. A startled "Whoa!" leaves him as he's lifted, his grip on his blade lost as it clatters on the ground below. There's nothing under his feet but air, and Tidus starts to whack at the vine with hard - but useless - thumps.

"Stupid plant! Lemme go!"

[longforgottenpromise]

"Tidus!" He shouts, even as he is dragged backwards. He keeps hold of the equaliser as best he can, pressing the next buttons even as he kept glancing back over his shoulders.

Tidus was in danger. He can't fight, he can't so anything. But he can press these buttons.

He clenched his teeth, struggling forwards even as another vine came to grab him.

He pressed the final button. Not... long... now...

[blitzcheer]

The box for a machine hums as it's activated, and the centre of it starts to open up, the stalk of the equaliser rising high. Tidus gives up on his uselessly bashing of the vine, mainly because it's decided to pull him back down to the ground, dizzying him with the knock to his head and back.

And it's dragging, the vines also attempting to drag Taiki too. There's a burst of flame that Tidus manages to spit out from his hand at the vine around himself, but it catches at his skin too, flames licking at his face.

It's not enough - but Taiki will find first the vines around him disappearing into nothing as the equaliser finally blossoms, a light glimmer in the air as it spreads it effect outward from itself.

[longforgottenpromise]

"Tidus!" He sees that flame from Tidus, on Tidus, he panics. More than he does from the vine dragging him away from the machine. He struggles, trying to free his leg. He dug his fingers into the dirt.

At first he doesn't realise the vines have vanished, but then he realises, there is no pressure on his ankle. He isn't being pulled away anymore but instead the world is going strange around him.

He scrambled to reach out to try and grab hold of Tidus, as he distortion bubbled around them.

[blitzcheer]

They might be magical flames, but magical or otherwise, there's still a stinging to Tidus's skin, a pain that's fortunately numbing - for now - for the adrenaline sparked by everything else going on around him. There's the dragging he now has to worry about, fingers digging, scraping for any grip or refuge, but doing nothing but chipping his nails--

--except the grip around his wrist. Tidus doesn't see anything, doesn't know if it's friend or foe, except for the yank around his midsection of the lower root attempting to continue to take him away. A small struggle that Tidus can't even take a decent part in, but that doesn't last for long. Tidus doesn't know immediately, not looking up; he just pulls with his other free hand, arm, trying to pull himself away.

Except when - there's no resistance. He manages to raise his upper torso before he dares to pause enough to look ahead, and sees Taiki there holding onto him. The sight's perplexing, but he's not ready to believe it over, to get distracted just yet; flipping, still with his wrist in a way where Taiki can hold it but now on his back, to see if he needs to be ready with a spell.

But nothing's there. The vines, roots, whatever they are, dissipate into nothing as the spread of the equaliser's effect showers out. Not enough to get rid of them completely, but refusing any to exist within the sphere of the camp.

[longforgottenpromise]

The pulling stops as the world calms again and he finds himself half clung onto Tidus, lay in the dirt as the vines disappeared from around them.

It takes him a moment, blinking up at the world, to realise it's safe and he lets out a small breath before his focus is fully on Tidus.

He sits up, but doesn't let go of his friend. "Are you hurt?"

[blitzcheer]

He lets out a breath when he realises he can, about the time that Taiki gets up, speaks to him, lets him acknowledge the peace they've gained. A noisy sound before he drops back his head, his usual response of, "I'm alright, I'm okay" at least convincing, and honest in the moment.

But as he gives himself more time to relax, to finally consider shuffling up into a seating position, his body welcomes him to every ache he's gained, to the sharp burning pain on his lower face.

"Iii...probably need to heal up," he answers again. He hasn't got any real cuts, but there's a few scrapes where some blood might be, particularly around his arms. A sting that doesn't mean as much to Tidus as the pain on his face, which he raises a hand near, but doesn't dare touch. "Ow ow ow ow..."

Sometimes, the biggest hurts are the ones you do to yourself.

[longforgottenpromise]

He can smell it, the sharp tang of blood but he doesn't move away. Being near Tidus and helping him is more important right now. He stays close whilst letting Tidus shift into whatever position is most comfortable for him.

"Are your healing potions in your arms band?"

Taiki probably has a couple in his as well, he carries them to give out if he sees anybody without and he can move to get one, it will just mean untangling himself from Tidus.

[blitzcheer]

"Yeah, I've got something." He just needs to get it, sounding tired of the effort. But he'll put his mind to it, and make appear a small vial to open.

It's got a strange taste as he downs it that his tongue doesn't like, and it'll take a few seconds for the liquid to start working. He shakes his head and shivers, like a kid who just took icky medicine.

"Blergh." Exactly like a kid. "Glad Webs is around, but that medicine is..."

Gross!! But after a beat, and his gaze coming onto Taiki. "Hey, are you okay?"

[longforgottenpromise]

If Tidus has one then that is good and it means Taii doesn't have to move. Which is good because he feels slightly dizzy, he doesn't want to move away from Tidus though, not when Tidus is hurt.

He looks up at him as he shudders and nods, regretting the movement the moment he did so. "Yes." He whispered.

"It didn't hurt me."

No more than some bruises, being bashed about a little. He's fine.