voidtreckermods: (train)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2022-01-19 06:02 am

Fissures of Time: Ongoing


FISSURES OF TIME: ONGOING



... 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!
  • crouching_sin: (look to the sky)

    No Sanctuary

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-21 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
    The tip of a blade emerges from the torso of the attacker, who looks down at it in surprise. His grip slackens as Naoya pulls the man away from Taiki, retracting the demon dagger and shoving the attacker to the ground.

    "Are you unhurt?" His voice is calm - he's glad he remembered to charge his COMP before sleeping last night.
    longforgottenpromise: (blood)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-21 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
    For a moment there was just him and his attacker, the tip of the dagger at his throat and their eyes locked together. The smell of blood overwhelmed his senses but he tried to fight past him, to find words again. He wished to resolve this, to talk him down and find out what was behind this attack.

    It's a moment that seems to last for many heart beats, but that is perhaps because Taiki's heart is racing so fast.

    Then it speeds up. Everything happens far too fast. The smell of blood intensifies as a blade plunges through his attackers torse.

    "No!" He gasps, a strangled cry as he watched in horror as the refugee was pulled away from him, his eyes not leaving him until he hit the ground.

    Then his eyes moved, dragging up to his rescuer. Naoya. He doesn't answer the question, his eyes practically rolling back in his head as waves of dizziness wash over him.
    crouching_sin: (calm and thoughtful)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-21 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
    He looks at Taiki and then at the attacker, snatching the man's dagger and throwing it to the ground. He wipes the blood off of the demonic blade and sheathes it, going over to Taiki.

    The poor kid... he seems so gentle. "Just breathe. You're safe here now. I won't let them harm you." Someone so innocent... he doesn't deserve to be in the middle of chaos like this.
    longforgottenpromise: (blood)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-22 06:59 am (UTC)(link)
    He just stares in horror as Naoya moved, his eyes still fixated on the man, on the blood, the weapon, Naoya wiping blood off the weapon.

    He's seen blood before, far too much of it. He's seen death before, more than a kirin ever should. He's caused death before but he's not thinking about that because he's already clinging on to calmness by a thread.

    Naoya is speaking, telling him to breathe. He does, taking a deep breath and instantly regretting it as he is overpowered by the smell of blood.

    He reached out, even if Naoya had just killed he is still someone he knows, someone safe. It takes a lot to move at all, his hand where it touches Naoya is burning hot.
    crouching_sin: (mysterious stranger)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-22 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
    He frowns as he feels how hot Taiki is, immediately going to pick him up if the boy will let him. "Come on. You feel like you're feverish. You shouldn't be that hot - unless that's normal for you in your world? Either way, you look like you need to see a medic."

    The shaking, the hesitation... he's not sure what else it could be. "You need help."
    longforgottenpromise: (sad)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-23 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
    He doesn't fight being picked up. Naoya smells of blood but everything smells of blood. The whole camp is filled with the sound of fighting. He trembles and clutches onto Naoya's shirt shaking his head.

    "It's just... the blood. I'm a kirin..."

    He doesn't know if he's told Naoya that before, he doesn't think he has.
    crouching_sin: (calm and thoughtful)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-23 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Oh." There's a light of recognition behind his eyes - he knows what one of those are. He gives Taiki a gentle squeeze and makes a decision.

    "I'll take you away from camp for a bit." He heads out of the tent, holding on to the boy carefully before picking up speed. It's easy with his COMP boosting his stats - the attackers here are basic humans. Still, it'll take a minute to get out of camp.
    longforgottenpromise: (thoughtful)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-23 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
    He was glad for that recognition. He just hopes that kirin are similar in Naoya's world, that he understands.

    He thinks he does, if the offer is anything to go by. Taiki nodded, holding onto him as they moved.

    He is warm with fever but leaving the camp clears the air a little, even if he is still with Naoya.

    "Thank... Thank you." He whispers, even though his heart still hurts with what Naoya has done.
    crouching_sin: (call me 'cute' and die)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-23 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
    He sets Taiki down as they get out of the camp, sitting down nearby to make sure there's no one approaching. After a moment, he inclines his head towards the other.

    "You're welcome. If you're anything like the kirin I know of, I know you're not really the sort of creature prone to violence." Not unless forced, at least. "I'll keep watch. You just rest."
    longforgottenpromise: (listening)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-24 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
    He curls up the moment he's set down, letting the fresher air clear his head as he fought back tears. He's worried, worried for everyone in the camp, concerned about what was going on. He hates that there has been violence and death.

    He tilts his head over to Naoya sadly. "You know kirin?"

    In many worlds they were just legends, not real at all.
    crouching_sin: (looking over my shoulder for a chance)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-24 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
    “I know they exist. There’s sufficient belief in them for a corresponding demon to exist. … Even the old gods are classified as demons, it’s a general term. There’s different races, like Tyrant or Snake or such. But I’ve never met one in person aside from you. I doubt they’d want much to do with someone cursed like me.”

    He offers Taiki a thin smile and nods. “Are you feeling better now?”
    longforgottenpromise: (confused)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-29 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
    He understands enough about different worlds to listen to the whole explanation. Demons seems to be their word for a powerful being. Powerful beings that exist through belief like gods and such.

    He tilted his head. "I... A little. It will take a while before I recover but it is something I am used to, I know how to handle it."

    Being in the fresh air certainly is helping. "Um... You are cursed?"
    crouching_sin: (maybe i'll humor you once)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-29 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
    "All right, good." He relaxes slightly, leaning back. "And I am. Every time I die I reincarnate into another body with all of my memories. I've been doing it for thousands of years." He doesn't mind telling people now - especially people who might not know 'his story' and have preconceived notions of what he might be like.
    longforgottenpromise: (confused)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-30 08:15 am (UTC)(link)
    "Ah..." He looked at him in interest. He reincarnated, keeping his memories, for thousands of years. He must have seen so much, know so much.

    "Is that normal on your world... Or are you a rarity?"
    crouching_sin: (moment of peace)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-01-30 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    "No. I'm the only one - as far as I know, but I'm reasonably sure." He shakes his head and feels the breeze ruffling his hair. It's... nice out here. A lot calmer than camp.

    "That's the 'curse' part."
    longforgottenpromise: (thoughtful)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-01-31 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
    "Ah..." He looked at him sadly. He still smells of blood, of violence. Taiki had just witnessed him doing a truly terrible thing. Yet his heart still aches for him. He shifted, reaching out a hand, to lightly touch Naoya.

    "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be difficult, to hold such memories when no one else does."

    And to be cursed, it was a terrible thing to be.
    crouching_sin: (calm and thoughtful)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-02-01 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
    He doesn't pull away, letting Taiki touch him. He smiles slightly and nods. "It... is. But I'm managing. And I have ideas for what to do next to try to break the curse."

    Well. One major idea. But other ideas are always forming on the edge of his mind. "You don't need to concern yourself with that, though. ... Just know that I haven't given up."
    longforgottenpromise: (thoughtful)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-02-03 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
    "I am glad you haven't given up." He looked at him sadly, not moving his hand. "I hope you can find success."

    He might say that Taiki doesn't have to concern himself and Taiki doesn't want to pry but he also like Naoya, he is concerned, because he doesn't like to think of anyone being cursed.

    He closed his eyes as another wave of dizziness ran through him.
    crouching_sin: (a gentleman and a scholar)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-02-04 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
    "Ah - are you all right? Do you need to lie down?" He's not sure what would be best for Taiki, so he'll let the kirin take the lead on this. "I'd offer to run back and get you water, but I don't want to leave you alone out here."
    longforgottenpromise: (sleeping)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-02-04 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
    "Yes..." Lying down would be smart, he shifted so he was lying down, curling up on his side next to Naoya. It felt a bit better to be lying down, though he probably needed a plan that wasn't lying out here. This world wasn't exactly safe with the distortions popping up.

    "It's okay... You've done so much already."
    crouching_sin: (hey i just met you)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-02-04 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
    He rests a hand on Taiki's shoulder, just giving him a little contact so he can stay grounded. "I've... done what anyone could do. You don't belong there. Not right now." Not someone as peaceful as a kirin - and this one seems disinclined to show a more ferocious nature.

    "Just breathe. You're safe. Everything will be fine. Just take your time."
    longforgottenpromise: (sleeping)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-02-05 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
    He took a breath, easy to obey, to try and calm down. Naoya was right he didn't belong here, not when all this was going on. He let the touch ground him as he looked up at him.

    "I... I hope everyone is alright."

    It's terrible to think on, what might be happening back there.
    crouching_sin: (but here's my number)

    [personal profile] crouching_sin 2022-02-05 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
    "I'm sure everything will be fine." He runs his fingers through Taiki's hair, trying to ease him towards calm. "Things will turn out okay."

    He starts humming a tune, soft and gentle - a lullaby from long ago. He's not sure if it'll help, but he might as well try.
    longforgottenpromise: (sleeping)

    [personal profile] longforgottenpromise 2022-02-06 12:11 pm (UTC)(link)
    He's not sure it would be fine, one person is already dead that he knew of and how many more would be before this day was through? It didn't bare thinking about.

    He started slightly as Naoya began to hum, he wasn't expecting that. He blinked at him a couple of times and then closed his eyes, he's worried and scared but Naoya is kind, even if had killed...

    Tears prick his eyes and he blinks them away, letting himself listen to the tune, reminding himself that he is safe.