epidemiology | EVENT ★ THE BOOM

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EVENT ★ THE BOOM

EVACUATION

Under Undyne’s supervision, recruits will be directed to begin evacuation procedures on the islands closest to Nalalona, where the volcano resides. Nalalona itself is unpopulated, so there’s no need to spend time searching for Nalawi here, but the closest islands may be in danger from errant debris following the forced eruption.

It’s up to you if you want to tell the Nalawi the details about what’s going on. The older, more religious may have a problem with the sacrilege of forcing an eruption, and may become belligerent and aggressive. The younger ones may agree with the idea and ask what they can do to help. You have two weeks until the bomb is ready to be launched, but don’t be fooled -- it’s not a lot of time to waste arguing with some stubborn deer.

Either way, the Nalawi should be moved southward, away from Nalalona. The southern islands are well beyond any danger, but getting there will be difficult without powers at full strength. Better hope you know how to sail a boat.

SCAVENGER HUNT: NALAWI EDITION

The following items will need to be scavenged by recruits in order to assemble the bomb:

METALS: Metal ore can be found and harvested along the more rugged terrain of Nalawi, but there's also the strange, more refined metal scraps and sheets in the depths of the water, remnants of an old war.
OBSIDIAN: Also known as volcanic glass, obsidian is easy to find and useful for makeshift weapons, should the recruits have any extra. Fragile, but sharp.
FISH HEARTS: The local fish use a strange chemical compound that helps oxygenate their blood, most highly concentrated within their hearts. The Nalawi also share this trait, but will not take kindly to people trying to kill them.
SEA URCHINS: Plentiful, but prickly. The toxins in their needles can cause severe fever and hallucinations, so handle with caution.
NALAWI WILDFLOWERS: Red flowers with black stems that need to be ground into a powder. Breathing in the pollen or the powder will induce strange allergies in any recruit, causing one of their senses to go haywire for fifteen minutes -- they might lose it completely, or perhaps they’ll find themselves seeing things that aren’t there or hearing their companions talk about them behind their back. Effects can continue into the second part of the event, if players wish.
COCONUTS: The coconuts on Nalawi look more or less the same as regular coconuts. However, the coconut water here is also highly flammable and volatile -- raittling or handling them indelicately may cause them to explode. On the bright side, they're extra delicious.
WOOD: Trees are made of it.

CONSTRUCTION

The blueprints provided by the ALASTAIR NPCs are detailed and well-drawn, with thorough enough instructions that even laymen could put it together with enough time and effort. However, local, monkey-like creatures will be drawn to the commotion and ingredients. Expect them to sneak around, pulling wires in their curiosity, knocking over coconuts, and otherwise causing trouble. What happens when fish hearts are mixed prematurely with wildflower powder? Let's hope no one finds out.

There is one difference between them and normal Earth monkeys -- the Nalawi monkeys have fins. They seem to be a strange cross between fish and monkey; try not to think too hard about how that happened.

The monkeys are largely nonaggressive, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t annoying. They’ve never seen anybody who looks like the recruits before, and will be understandably curious.

At best, they’ll crawl all over you while you attempt to combine highly reactive ingredients. At worst, they’ll be curious about what happens when they throw said ingredients at you. At the end of the day, they’re just cute, sociopathic little fish-monkey toddlers.

NOTE: When all the scavenger hunt ingredients are prepared properly as per instructions, they will create a stable compound with no ill side effects. Incorrect combinations and accidents may result in whatever problems that players would enjoy playing out.

DEMOLITION

With the bomb and catapult complete, the risky plan to restore the magical flow to the land can commence. Under Pearl's direction, the bomb will be launched from the base of the volcano, landing and detonating exactly as planned. The blast is so powerful it can be felt in the ground below, reverberating through the heart of the volcano.

The plug of ash and steam is burst, lava spewing forth in a violent eruption. The effects can be felt immediately -- the air turns muggy and hot, and characters that have lost their powers will feel them return in a rush. Some will find their powers uncontrollable and unpredictable, and will need to get out of range before they accidentally start shooting lightning bolts into the sky. In this state, powers are likely more of a hindrance than a boon. And those without powers will want to get out of the way, since things are about to get… interesting.

There's another resounding bang. A second explosion, clearly not linked to the first. Something blasts outward from the inside of the volcano, sending lava, ash, and rock spewing out for miles. It's difficult to see exactly what is escaping from the new opening in the side of Nalalona, but you'll find out soon enough.

Countless impish creatures made of flame crawl their way out of the hole. If you listen closely, you might hear them laughing. They’re actually quite intelligent and seem to understand what characters say. They’re hot to the touch and will burn any flesh that comes into contact with them, so all attacks will need to be at a range. A non-violent way to defeat them is to lure them into the water, although some are smarter than others and may start luring characters towards them, compelling them to follow like moths to a flame.

Anyone who lets their defenses down will find themselves more and more hypnotized until they’re following the fire imps back into the volcano; the only things that can break the spell over them are their fellow recruits, whether it’s through defeating the imp, knocking the victim out, showing them reason, or any other alternative.

There are also larger, more menacing fire golems that lumber forth. Despite their hulking size and molten rock pouring from their mouths, they're quite a bit faster than they look, and near unstoppable once they sense body heat. They will chase relentlessly, plowing or scorching through any obstacles to get to their prey.

Each one has a glowing, vulnerable core, but it's not easy to reach -- they're only exposed while attacking, or after its sharp, obsidian exoskeleton is shattered away from it. This can be done via rockslides, cleverness, or brute force, but be careful not to get slashed up too badly in the process. Golems will also not follow into bodies of water or approach active geysers.

The major threat, however, is lava. Contrary to popular media, it's not safe to stand around it in any capacity. It pours quickly down the side of the volcano in a wave towards the recruits. Characters will need to escape the lava's path as well as the creatures that have been set upon them, while helping any of their comrades who may need an extra hand.

AFTERMATH

Once the eruption ends and the lava cools, characters may investigate Nalalona itself. There is a temple nestled inside of it, where the second explosion occurred. It seems the shrine there has been converted into some sort of prison, wrought iron bars raised all along the sacred grounds to keep something penned in. Whatever was being kept there has been whisked away, though it must've been recent: there are signs of life such as freshly scuffed earth and maps with scrawled notes that don't seem to match any Nalawi handwriting. Each one has an area of westward, open ocean circled fervently. Strangely, there are no remnants of food or water to be found. Whoever was holed up in here simply didn’t need it.

everquest next concept

For characters capable of studying the volcano (or asking the ALASTAIR NPCs), the strange energy readings are now gone.

For magical or otherwise supernatural characters, the power surge will only last for the duration of this log. After that, players have one of two options.

POWER BURNOUT: After the sudden spike of powers, players may opt for characters to completely lose their abilities for the time being. For magical characters, this means they can retain non-human characteristics, but will be reduced to a physical, mortal form. This means they will no longer require magical energy or similar substances to survive, but will no longer have any supernatural abilities.

POWER REDUCTION: Similar to what's already happened, characters can continue to coast on nerfed abilities.

This will remain in play until otherwise noted, so please pick whatever option is most sustainable for you. Please note this is not optional: magical characters will be affected in one way or the other, and all powers (including AC Rewards) will need to be removed or severely toned down.

OOC INFO

The actions in this log will take two IC weeks. Gathering, construction, and evacuation will take up the bulk of this time.

REMINDER: we always take player plot suggestions! Please see the suggestion page here.

If you have a question about the Nalawi mission in general, please use the mission overview page to help keep questions in one location for easy player reference. The questions thread below should only be for questions that pertain to this specific log.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, I'm always right, you'll get used to it.

[ She glances down at him for his observation, quickly regrets it, and stares ahead again just in time to step them over a particularly large, gnarly root. ]

If I tried that I'd squish you into one of their trunks. [ She snorts. ] Which would be fun, but maybe later.

[There's a beat, then makes a noise at that, something between humor and pain. It took a moment for the innuendo to kick in, because really? Right now?

Well, what the hell, when else? He huffs, though this time he's careful not to wrinkle his nose with the not-quite-laugh.]

Do you just like guys you can literally pick up, or are you having a joke at my expense? [Maybe his humor while struggling to stay present through bloodloss could use work, but this is the best way his strained mind can come up with to cloak a legitimate question he's had since the moment she stated her stakes. He is not used to being pursued, even casually.]

Don't see why it can't be both.

[ She grins, which she would normally aim down at him, but this time she's learned her lesson. She'll just have to trust he catches it.

She ducks past one last tree and breaks out onto empty ground, with the slope even mostly behind them. There's the catapult that kicked this whole thing off, which sounds like a pretty good place to find some kind of responsible adult. She starts for it, picking up the pace a little without any trees or roots to avoid. ]

Ah. [he huffs again, having caught the grin more in her voice than in her face. He's having to squint his other eye shut, too: though the bleeding is less of a terrible torrent now, it's all over his face and it's getting in his other eye. The irony is not lost on him, and he feels queasy for it.

Breaking back out onto the beach does little but ratchet up Evan's tension more. The day is already a bizarre one: the roiling clouds from the explosion and subsequent volcanic eruption hang heavy in the sky, and the air is full of the smell of burning from those lava flows.

He's saved from having to answer aloud by the way she speeds up, which jostles him enough that he feels lightheaded.] We're, we're close?

[Indeed the shore shall yield a responsible adult. (Stay your tongue, Ramir, your opinion was asked for by none.)

Achilles had held the front lines for as long as he could while from Nalalona poured forth the torrent of fire imps and golems: but his spear was intended to spill life from flesh, not taunting flames and unyielding rock. Thus, he had used his nimble feet to his advantage and down the slope of the mountain he ran, leading the crackling little monsters into the stream which cuts through the rock. The last had met its end upon the waves which break the shore.

It is as he surveys the scene and debates what next he shall do that his eye falls upon the familiar visage of Ramir - and the bloody bundle in her arms. His muscles tense as if already prepared to act upon her answer without yet knowing what it will be.]

Daughter of Jolanda, what has happened?

[ Someone. Thank god. Ramir pauses only slightly when she sees this someone is Achilles, because for all the guy's an asshole, he might know what to do. People were losing all sorts of parts of their bodies back then, maybe he's equipped for this kind of thing. ]

We're closer than close, we're there. [ That's down at Evan, then she lifts her head again to address Achilles. ]

Shitty business with an imp. [ She comes to a stop when she's close enough and hesitates, not really sure what to do with Evan from here. ] He, um... his eye. I need one of our healers, or something.

Edited 2016-05-25 02:04 (UTC)

[Evan is a sight, positively gory with blood from his ruined left eyesocket. He's pressing a wad of fabric torn from Ramir's uniform over the wound with both hands, but he's bled through it and all the bleeding he's done has been onto himself. His face is red in entirety, and his uniform is likely going to be relegated to the rag bin for the stains it's going to come away from this with.

And suddenly -- despite the fact that there's really no more appropriate time to be carried around like a baby than after a traumatic injury, despite how comfortingly solid Ramir is -- he's struck by the need to be on his own two feet.]

Ramir, I think -- If you put me on my feet, I think I could stand. [He's like 70% sure, anyways. It's not his legs that are injured, right?]</small?

[His eyes are sharp upon Evan: and if this he cannot see for the blood drenching his cheeks, Achilles' voice cuts through just as keenly.]

What god has robbed from you your wits? You are fast losing blood, yet you think to help yourself with attempts to walk!

[He then speaks to Ramir.]

I have not the god-granted gifts that some here possess, but I am learned in the art of medicine. I shall do what I can to keep him despite the limited resources at hand. [His gaze sweeps the landscape and lands upon a Nalawi cabin squatting at the edge of the trees, toward which he inclines his head.] There he should at least have a proper bed upon which to rest - with haste bring him.

[Speaking thus, he begins for the hut.]

[ Alright, she likes those old timey disses when they're not aimed at her. Any other time Ramir would snigger, but now she just rolls her eyes and looks a little grim.

He's right, I'm not putting you down.

[ She looks a little doubtful to hear that this guy, of all people, knows medicine, but... beggars can't be choosers. So she nods and falls into step with Achilles. ]

You're, uh... not gonna need any help with this, right? Because I'm really strong right now. Like, too strong. [ And she doesn't want to accidentally break the guy because Achilles wanted him held down, or something. ]

[Evan, so chastized and still carried, falls into silence as Ramir talks to this fellow, who Evan recognizes only obliquely. In truth he's a little relieved that his request has been ignored: his dizziness has not disappeared, and the mix of worry and relief that goes through him to hear such an archaic declaration of medical prowess would not have done anything for the strength of his knees had he actually been standing.

He squeezes his good eye shut and bites back a hiss as reflex makes the muscles in his other ruined socket flex too. His whole face is throbbing with pain, the empty orbit being the ugly epicentre of the agony.]

God what I wouldn't give for handful of tylenol. [That's said mostly to himself, small and tight, as he's plainly surrendered to whatever these two have in mind for him.]

I know not yet if restraint shall be necessary - I must first assess the wound more closely ere I know what ought to be done.

[So answering her question, he quickens his pace: with the divine energy so thick in the air, his godlike speed pushes past the realm of what might be believed, and in no time he has abbreviated the distance that lies between him and the cabin. By the time that Ramir arrives with Evan, Achilles is already gathering what materials he can find in the Nalawi house. Upon a table beside the bed he sets a large bowl and all the washcloths he can procure.

His next words he addresses to Evan, as he directs Ramir to the cramped bed.]

Fear not, for it was Chiron the noblest of all centaurs who taught me the art of medicine. There is none who bests him in matters of healing, you have my word.

[Yes, this is meant to be reassurance.]

[ Ramir makes a beeline for the little bed as soon as they're into the hut, who cares if Evan's feet almost stick off the end of it. It's a bed. She sets him down with extreme care, even more than she'd use usually, and pulls away quickly when she brushes the bedframe and hears a warning crack.

Still, though, to Evan: ] You're gonna be fine. This guy's a piece of shit but he knows his stuff. [ She leans down to press a quick, still gentle kiss to his cheek, then leans back away to brush the back of her hand over her lips. Augh, blood. ]

Great, put those horse-smarts to work, sounds good.

Chiron -- uhh, centaur?

[His confused exclamation is hazy enough to easily be ignored as Ramir puts him down so delicately. He uncurls on the bed, which feels like it's still rocking with the cadence of Ramir's steps.

And then he flinches from the kiss. Where the gesture would have distracted him from most other hurts, having something come at his face just then gives him a start, and then when he realizes what it was, he makes a noise of surprise and something like indignation.]

Hey -- hey, no fair, collecting on that now...

[He turns from his hastening about the cabin in time to catch Ramir as she straightens from the kiss she had pressed to Evan's bloody cheek, and he thrusts a wooden bucket toward her.]

Leave your lover be - I bid you hurry to fetch water, that I can boil it upon the fire and with it clean his wound.

[There stands over the hearth a swollen-bellied kettle, beneath which he will light a fire. But fire-starting is slow work, and time is of the essence when before him lies a patient held firmly in pain's grip.]

[ She turns into the bucket and, surprised, grabs it on instinct — and flinches when her explosion-heightened strength cracks it. ] Fuck.

[ She almost misses the lover comment, which is hilarious and she'd love to see Evan's reaction to it — but the bucket thing's more important. She starts forward, determined to dig some other container out of this hut, but jerks her head back toward Evan as she leaves him. ]

He can do fire. Even now, I bet. [ These powers going nuts make things like that really easy, if the wounded bucket, abandoned by the bed, is any evidence. ]

[Before the crack of the bucket, Evan had just caught the lover comment, and had huffed embarrassed protest,] Uh, we're not, um--

[But then the bucket cracks and Ramir is so casually letting this stranger know Evan's unusual skillset and a handful of days of being out is not quite enough to overcome a lifetime of having to keep it a dire secret. He blanches automatically, has to struggle to remind himself it's okay, that no one here gives two damns how human -- or not -- he is. All that on top of pain that's making it hard to think.]

hff, yes, I... as long as it's in something that won't burn.

[His gaze falls upon Evan once more, alight with surprise and awe both. Already he has witnessed how Aqua shapes and commands the wind as if a daughter of Aeolus, and so to do the same with fire seems no stranger.]

You are one who bears such a gift as given by the gods? The immortals who watch over your land must indeed be generous with sharing their divine power. Come now, and set fire to the kindling which sits beneath the cauldron - I shall gather more that the heat my grow ever more fervent. See you well enough to use your gifts?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ THE BOOM

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3000 years later