epidemiology | 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

[ Volcanos blowing up, lava flowing, fire monsters coming out of said lava- it's all very chaotic, isn't it? But Papyrus seems to be fine and dandy, joyful even! He has his magic back, and with it, the ability to be as energetic as he wishes to be! Which is all the time.

Ford, on the other hand, looks like he has had better days, as he begins to walk towards the lava flow. ]

Hello there, human I haven't met before!

[ Papyrus begins with a wave, jogging up to the hypnotized Ford. ]

You seem to be headed in the direction of that lava! Which I would recommend against, because I am at least half sure that humans are NOT fireproof!

[ And yet, the zombie-like walking seems to continue. ]

I see! Well, maybe you are, but I would still advise against it! There really isn't much fun to be had in lava! You can really only die in lava.

[ Finally taking some action here, Papyrus places a gloved hand on Ford's shoulder, shaking him a little. ]

[The fog that clouds his head isn't dissimilar to what he had been used to, a long time ago, but that had had some degree of willingness. He really wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't stopped to observe the fire imps, but thems the breaks. And maybe if he hadn't been dead on his feet tired after working on the bomb and catapult, he wouldn't have let his guard down, and the imps wouldn't have been able to hypnotize them.

Maybe it's because he was trying to snap himself out of it internally that Papyrus' simple shaking of his body seemed to bring his senses together. Ford's eyes blink before they gain clarity and he stiffens at the touch, grabbing for the hand on his shoulder and throwing him over with a shout.]

Get out of my head, you one-eyed demon! I...!

[There's a pause as he inhales, breath shuddering out and, with fists raised, glances down at the skeleton as awareness starts to sink in, fists dropping.]

Oh...oh my I apologize...

Edited (I'm also sorry about this reaction. maybe.) 2016-04-23 06:10 (UTC)

[Aaaand down he goes. Good job, Grandpa, you threw a skeleton who weighs like, twenty pounds. He lands with a series of clacks, having been taken by surprise, and coughs (somehow) out a puff of dirt.]

W...Well, that's... not the reaction I was expecting! You're much more energetic than I thought!

[Papyrus still sounds as cheerful as one can, with the wind temporarily knocked out of them as he makes his way back to his feet.]

Good job... on being so physically fit!

Y-yes, well...thank you.

[Ford wrings his hands together before reaching to help the skeleton back up, figuring it's the least that he could do after knocking him down. He inhaled deeply, sighing at himself before shaking his head. One of these days he was going to do something he regretted, but there wasn't time to dwell on that fact.

Up Papyrus goes with an easy lift, Ford making sure that he had a good footing before letting go and allowing his hands to drop, one going to rub the back of his neck.]

You have my sincerest apologies. I'm not used to being caught off guard.

It isn't a problem! I should have been prepared for that!! Promise me if you know Undyne, you won't tell her!! She's training me!

[And he's back to his feet, giving a little excited hop at the end, to also emphasize how okay he is to reassure Ford.]

But you're alright now yourself, yes? You looked like you were sleepwalking, and while I had heard it wasn't nice to wake people up during it, you were also about to go firewalking, which is slightly worse.

EVENT ★ THE BOOM

demolition

apologies for the wait!

ford what is wrong with you!!!

sorry papyrus he's Paranoid

The Worst Uncle Grandpa