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Shadow Mods ([personal profile] shadowmods) wrote in [community profile] outofshadows2014-03-20 05:47 pm
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Event: Wyld Storm

The Wyld is a place between worlds, thinner than paper but bigger than the sky. And it's everywhere, worlds constantly brushing up against it, applying pressure, creating friction. It's no wonder, then, that occasionally, something will break. And when it does, what do you get? A Wyld Storm.



On Day 243 (March 25-27), astute characters will begin to notice a change in the air. The morning is humid in every part of the Wyld. Mild at first, it will grow oppressive into the night. As the humidity increases, there will be a taste of ozone and the faint scent of sulfur in the air and as the night slowly shifts into day, there will be rumbling thunder. Still not a cloud in the sky, but when the light is set to change the morning of Day 244 (March 28-30)...it won't. The sky will remain dark and, one by one, the stars will go out, filling the entire Wyld with inky blackness. There's something supernatural about this darkness. Something terrifying that might rattle even the most stalwart of hearts. Although sound travels as normal, light (even magical light) can't seem to go further than five feet in any direction.

Fortunately, there's going to be lightning. A ton of it, in fact. Four to six bursts a minute, accompanied by booming thunder and, all of a sudden, driving rain. It's a storm of epic proportions, hitting every single area of the Wyld (including the tundra and yes, it will be rain water, not snow). This is no ordinary rain. It's painful when it hits exposed flesh. Characters with magical abilities in particular will feel the sting of the rainwater, as it raises welts on their skin. Try to cast a magical spell to protect yourself and you'll find the spell dissolving under the water, like paint in turpentine. Structures created with magic are faring even worse. The only place safe from the rain seems to be homes built the old-fashioned way and the natural caverns in the foothills of the mountain range.

As if that weren't trouble enough, the ground is trembling a little bit, and it's probably not from the thunder. As characters make their way to safety of some kind, they may encounter sudden fissures that erupt in the ground. The openings will spew forth black smoke and long tentacles, about ten feet long and two feet in circumference. These tentacles will grab for hapless passers-by and do one of three things to them: Squeeze the life out of them like anacondas; toss them around like the Hulk playing with Loki; or, in the case of magic-users, sucking the magical essence or lifeforce out of them with those suckers. Fortunately, the tentacles are squishy and fleshy. They can be stopped if you or a friend manages to slice them clean in half.

The Memory Plot
For characters who signed up with a memory, there will be an added bit of unpleasantness to the whole affair. While making their way for cover, these characters will encounter puddles. Reflected in these puddles is a scene from another character's life (the mods will be RNGing who gets whose memory after this post is put up, watch your inbox and this thread; please note, the person you get may not necessarily be the person who gets you). It's a little bit like watching something play out on a TV screen. The memory will appear in the puddle and characters will find themselves paralyzed, unable to move, until the memory ends.

And now for some FAQs...

I hate this event. Do I have to participate?
As always, participation is optional. However, the storm is covering the entire Wyld, so you will need to, at the very least, acknowledge that it happened/is happening. Day 244 is not a good day to post a log detailing an outing on the beach in the warm sun.

Do all characters have to end up in the mountains?
No. This "safe zone" was included primarily for people looking for an opt-out of the plot. Anyone who wants to go there is certainly more than welcome, but it's not necessary.

What kind of damage is the rain going to do to my home?
Any structures that were built with materials from the Wyld (lumber, stone, adobe, reeds, etc.) will only suffer the kind of damage that comes with a driving rain. Your character's craftsmanship is up to you. Buildings that were constructed with magic, however, will suffer significantly more. After speaking with Faye, the cottages built by Ming, will dilapidate like a Dali painting, twisting and deforming, holes riddling the roofs and sides. After speaking with Claire, the castle created by Glinda will maintain its structural integrity. However, the walls will be hit hard by the rain, making it look as though the castle's been under attack. There were will gaps and holes everywhere. A lot of rainwater will seep inside, pooling in various places, causing extensive water damage.

What kind of damage is the rain going to do to my character's body?
We are leaving it largely up to you how much damage you want to take. The rain specifically causes pain to exposed skin, so your character could legitimately cover up completely and be safe. Magical characters will suffer from welts, if the rain hits their skin.

Do my character's abilities count as "magical?"
We are, by and large, going to leave that to your judgment. If you have canonmates, we ask that you discuss it with them and come to an agreement, for the sake of consistency.

What's the deal with these tentacles again?
The tentacles will rise out of the earth through fissures and either try to squeeze you, beat you, or suck the lifeforce out of you. You can decide what, if anything, they do your character. They can be killed by severing them completely. Once a tentacle is destroyed, it and the fissure it rose out of will magically disappear, leaving nothing behind but unpleasant memories.

Yeah, but what are the tentacles connected to?
Excellent question. Unfortunately, they are unlike anything that any character has ever seen before. And they are horrifying.

What, exactly, does "lifeforce" mean, in terms of these super sucky tentacles?
We're leaving that up to individual characters and canons. For some canons, it might mean ether. For others, it might mean blood. For yet others, it might mean simply the will to live. You can also just make up what it means to your character. Again, if you have canonmates, consult with them. Keep in mind that whatever is lost will eventually be restored, either by magical means or just by time. No one can die in the Wyld, which means characters have to live. Roleplay this as you see fit.

I don't like the memory the RNG gave me, can I opt out or trade for someone else's?
We are not going to be policing how the memory plot is played out. Just remember the golden rule of RP and make sure to communicate to the person whose memory you've been assigned. If the memory you've been assigned contains something unbearably triggery for you (most of them are marked with warnings), you may talk with other players to trade for a non-canonmate's memory. We're all adults here, the mods trust you to handle extreme situations.

What if my character is traveling with other characters when they see the memory? Does that mean that the other characters see the memory too?
No. It's very strange, but you're the only one who can see it. Other characters may urge and encourage yours to keep going, but for some reason, your character is stuck. Trying to pick them up and move them is no good. Until the memory plays out, there's no moving them.

How does it all end?
On the morning of Day 245 (March 31-April 2), the rain will taper off and stop. The light will shift like a sunrise (minus the sun), and all will be still. A beautiful and glorious double rainbow will stretch over the sky (happy game anniversary, by the by). As stated above, fissures caused by the tentacles (and the tentacles) will have mysteriously vanished, even if they weren't cut in half. The puddles of water that remain will behave as normal water, drying up in the desert, icing over in the tundra, and so on. All the magical properties of the water are gone. The damage caused to your bodies and buildings, however, will remain and need to be dealt with in more traditional ways.

Can wounds caused by the rain be healed by magic?
Once the rain stops, yes, assuming that your character is responsive to magic. It will hurt a great deal, however, even if such healing typically doesn't hurt at all. It will also take twice the time, energy, and effort to use such spells. You may be better off getting bandaged up.

Will there be an event log posted for this?
No, since we had an event log for the last event, we'll leave it up to you to make your own posts this time around. Please tag in as well as creating your own logs.

Hey, is the network working during this storm?
Yes, it's working. However, the locking function will be down. All posts are going to be public. The locking function will be restored on Day 245.

Great. So what do I do now?
Feel free to use this post as a plotting post. Keep in mind, too, that you don't have to plot out anything at all. You can just throw yourselves willy nilly into things. You can just tag in at random! We're looking to mix things up a little bit. Make some new CR. You never know where it'll lead.

Geez, I have so many questions still. You suck at these FAQs, Wizera.
Feel free to comment to this post with additional questions, in the appropriate sub-thread. Even if they're questions that will only impact your character, please ask them here rather than on plurk or by PM.
vdova: (Default)

[personal profile] vdova 2014-03-22 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Hell yes!!
notrosesshadow: (Default)

[personal profile] notrosesshadow 2014-03-22 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, now I'm really looking forward to this.
overdraws: (Default)

[personal profile] overdraws 2014-03-23 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
me too omg!! Martha can stumble across Natasha fighting off one of them after she's viewed the memory?
notrosesshadow: (Default)

[personal profile] notrosesshadow 2014-03-23 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds perfect to me!