ENDPLOT | ROLL THE BONES, PART 1

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: Early/Mid November
Location: Under the shell
Situation: It's either Malicant or the Foreigners... and their worlds.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The Foreigners had begun their counterattack by trying to possess the Great Turtle whom Malicant had taken, and although the movement had failed, some vital information had been uncovered. Under the shell lay Malicant's weakness, and inside the Dreaming was where he could be fought.

Any help from the kedan is uncommon. They're wary, watching, as a group beginning to lose sight of the community. Their family groups are more tightly-knit than ever, and any approach from the Foreigners is answered by suspicion at best and violence at worst. That makes daily life difficult, when the majority of the city refuses to have much to do with them. Why aren't you doing anything? they seem to say. What good are any of you? All you've done is make things worse. We'd be better if you'd never come.

The Foreigners are unwelcome in Keeliai. The cultists are becoming a majority. Now is the time.

There aren't many left of the Foreigners left, but inside the Dreaming the limitations of the waking world no longer exist. For every Foreigner and their worlds, their loved ones, this is the chance to make themselves safe for good. And all of them will be needed.

---

LINKS
Beneath The Shell/Midnight Hotel | Malicant’s Tools/The Vilii Stone | OOC Plot Post

OOC
There are two main headers, one for preparation at the Hotel where Milyn and Eva will be available to speak with The second section where they will be able to search the caves beneath the Shell inside the Dreaming to find the Vilii Stone, and where the boon'd characters will be affected. If you are threading something that doesn't fit one of those categories, just add it to the bottom of the post. Questions go to the plotting post, please! Once the Stone has been acquired the second half of the plot will go live in the logs comm.

Comments

MALICANT’S TOOLS/THE VILII STONE

[ironwood]

The stone is Important. Important enough that Malicant hid it deep within the Great Turtle’s shell. The Hotel has brought the Foreigners as close as they can come, settled in a cavern between the stone and the rest of the caves at large. The main doors are locked and barred, and Malicant’s pressure beats at them, making the wards glow bright.

But the back door is unlocked and unguarded, and when the Foreigners step out into the cavern where the stone lies they will find the overwhelming telepathic presence has lifted. The walls of the caves shine with the same light as the turtle’s shell from underneath, but slick and congealing with a layer of almost-darkness. If touched the walls will yield a vibration of the pressure outside this room. It’s as though they’re in the eye of the storm.

The stone itself rests in a little pool, like the petal of a fungus growing from the trunk of a tree. It’s several some feet above their heads, but not all that hard to reach as long as those trying to do so can climb.

But that eye isn’t unprotected. Those under Malicant’s influence, the tainted and those who had accepted Malicant’s boons, will feel something inside their minds and souls shift. A haze will settle over them, and though they’re aware of what’s happening it feels dream-like, and they’re having trouble waking up, and Someone Else is in control, using those boons as a weapon. Whatever those gifts were meant to do, now they’re working against their owners and the Foreigners at large.

Just outside the hotel| Possesed via Taint |OTA

[royalguard_style]

Dante had been ready for this trip since before the foreigners would have to trek down here. These were the moments he lived for- the time when he could march up to the big bad's front door, knock three times, then stab whoever answers the door. So needless to say, what was about to happen was a nasty shock.

Oh hell no. Dante had been possessed once before, and he knew exactly what that sensation was when it overcame him. He tried to do something to stop himself, but he couldn't even speak up before the darkness overtook him. The first sign that something was wrong should have been the fact that Dante was quiet. And not because someone told him to shut up, either. That would just make him talk more.

No, 'Dante' was busy plotting a slaughter.Ooh? I wonder how much damage I'd do with this one. The briefcase in his hand started to change form, when-

Yeah, that's a really bad idea. I should just put that down right now. Something deep down told him to stop, and everything stopped right there. Perhaps Dante wasn't strong willed enough to completely stop the slaughter, but he wouldn't allow himself to blow everything up on the spot. He refused to become him.

"Heh." Dante, or whoever this now was, finally spoke up. "We really thought this would work, didn't we? Well, I mean, we gave it a hell of a shot."

"You know, I have this great idea. We turn back now, or I'll kill everyone here!" He finally managed to draw his sword, after the resistance the more lucid parts of his mind put up. Dante was ready to attack the first foreigner who dared to venture further.

[skeletonenigma]

Skulduggery had already ventured further. He'd already been taken control of, already been snapped out of it, and now he was turning his attention to others. He'd noticed Dante several minutes before, loudly smug enough to draw the skeleton's gaze before he went on and the Hotel disappeared from view. Skulduggery hadn't been able to do anything then, and it had given Dante a short time of unbridled access to the other Foreigners.

Not anymore. It would be a shame if Anton lost his favourite employee to a revenge killing.

"Dante," Skulduggery called, drawing his gun. "You're frightening everyone in the Hotel."

Everyone who was left, anyway.

Possessed via Taint | OTA

[lordhotman]

It seemed that the bad feelings Zuko was having were not unfounded. For as soon as they started out, he felt... off. He tried to push it back, but the further they went, the more heavy it became until he couldn't ignore it anymore.

The firebender stopped in his tracks, his hands gripping at his head, eyes wrenching shut.

"No... stop!"

His eyes then snapped open again, a completely different presence filling them. With a growl and a malicious expression, flames suddenly erupted in the palms of his hands. He turned on the people closest to him and immediately lashed out. Sending fireballs and blasts of flame at any foreigner he could reach.

"Let's see how well you burn!"

[oceanblue]

She had noticed he was off, but as she had promised, had stayed by his side, saying nothing and only focused on their completion of the mission. When he slowed, she paused as well, tilting her head and reaching out in concern.

"Zuko? ....!"

His sudden outburst made her heart leap, and in an instant she was tense, her eyes locking with his as they snapped open.

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

As the flames erupted from his hands, she threw herself backward, pulling out the water from her skins as she fell. The firebender would quickly find a large sweep of the gathered water rushing toward his legs in an effort to knock him down, and the waterbender's blue eyes wide with fear and despair.

"No...!"

Possessed via Boon | initially closed to Tony

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene's halfway to the pool when it starts.

A tremor passes through him, and he suddenly finds that something else is moving for him, speaking with his voice. It's almost like the mind control from the disks that Stark had given them to test years ago, unwittingly turning his friends into AIM's guinea pigs - only this time he's as terrified as he can be without access even to his own autonomic nervous system.

This is exactly what he'd been worried about. And it's happening. He's trying to fight it, screaming and yelling and locked up in a little box inside his own head, but Malicant's hold on him isn't budging.

If he hadn't been in full armor, anyone looking would be able to see his eyes go dead.

Trying to fight it, but failing, he raises his arm, trying to do what he'd promised he'd never do again - use the crimson ring to control Tony. After all, he's one of the few that Malicant doesn't already have some sort of foothold on. And swelling the ranks to sow discord among the Foreigners is encouraged.

[highprofilerichkid]

It takes Tony a couple seconds to realize what's going on.

He's been trying to stay behind Gene, to keep an eye on him, but he'd turned his back for just a moment, and that's when Malicant makes his move.

Tony stares blankly at the wall of the cavern, trying to remember what he'd been doing. Something important, he's sure, but he can't recall what it was, and it doesn't feel all that important anymore. He feels purposeless, and compliant; he's sure that all he needs is for someone to tell him what to do, and everything will be okay again. Maybe he should— No. Something's wrong.

The alarm bells screaming in his mind break through the mental fog, and he shakes his head, trying to shake off the obedient stupor. This isn't anything like the violent mental assault of Malicant trying to take over Extremis. It's something much more insidious - but just as familiar.

Tony turns slowly, still fighting the pressure of the crimson ring. He forces his mouth to move, his vocal cords to produce sound, even though the effort it takes is immense.

"Gene..." he chokes out. "Please, Gene... Don't..."

Possessed via Boon | OTA

[jinzhong]

Jackie's been using his boon a lot, so it's easy for Malicant to sneak in and seize control of him. And this boon is a doozy - it allows him to copycat any two powers he's seen and use one at a time, and right now, Zuko's firebending looks like a choice selection.

A look of evil glee that he's never worn before in his life twists his face, and he summons fire, throwing it at anyone nearby, trying to cause chaos.

And he doesn't know how to stop it.

Possessed via Boon | OTA

[raavashing]

Wan felt the fire blossom behind him, coming toward his back. From where it shouldn't have come. He spun, jumping to catch the flame with his foot and redirect it's energy. Dissipating it while he landed and tried to figure out where it came from. As far as he new, the only other firebenders were clustered elsewhere.

firebending vs shadow magic GO

[denyamenti]

It had been perhaps Bakura's mistake to try and approach Jackie without making his presence known before he got in range, but he certainly had not expected the Chinese man to fling an arc of fire in his direction. The thief leaped backward, though not entirely clear in time as flames singed the edges of his clothing and blistered heat up the side of his arm. The expression that Jackie wore was startling, and alarming. Bakura had known about the taints, but he hadn't realized that Jackie was one of those affected.

"Get hold of yourself, akhekhu!" he snapped, readying the magic of the Ring in case he had to defend himself from another attack.

Possessed via boon | Closed to Anton

[skeletonenigma]

It didn't happen right away. That was arguably worse, as Skulduggery had a few extra minutes to wonder if, once again, he'd been overlooked. He'd discussed the specific precautions with Anton - if everyone who'd taken a gift from Asti turned at once, which certainly seemed like it was the case, then the pair of them had to focus their attention on Skulduggery and no one else. The armour was a problem. Individuals were going to have to wait.

That was part of the reason why Skulduggery didn't leap to anyone's aid. It wasn't the reason he stopped dead a little distance down the cave.

Within the shadows of his skull, hidden from view, the armour swirled, but didn't manifest. As if trapped within a cage, it stayed silent, a weapon placed aside, while Skulduggery snapped his fingers and turned to hurl a fireball into his friend's face.

[gistful]

When they left the Hotel, even knowing how many others would likely be compromised, Anton kept his focus on Skulduggery and followed his friend closely with Daisy in his hands. Pointed away, for the moment; Anton didn't intend to shoot Skulduggery unless he had to. They might need him after, and Daisy was powerful enough to shatter half the skeleton's bones with a shot.

Then Skulduggery stopped and Anton did too, tensing. He was expecting shadows, the swirling manifest of the armour. The flames were something of a surprise.

Not too much of a surprise. Anton jerked aside with a grunt and the fireball seared the side of his face but missed. He used the dodge to slide forward, lifting Daisy not to fire but to cold-cock Skulduggery with the butt of the shotgun.

outside of the hotel ?? | boon, baby | ota i guess??

[akito]

Akito knows right away that something is wrong. He's lived in his mind more often than he's lived in his body for the past few years, and when something is amiss he's the first to know. Realizing what was happening didn't give him much of an advantage - quite the opposite, in fact. At least at first. It was cripplingly terrifying, because it was so similar to when Agito or Lind was in control of their body, yet not.

It takes only a couple of minutes for Akito to regain his composure, and a few more after that to put up blocks in his mind; metal bars and chains to keep things out. He'll drown the uninvited in the black pools of his mind if need be. He's had years of practice wrestling back control of his body, though never for this particular reason.

Once he no longer feels distanced from himself he falls to his knees (feels it too, though ignores the discomfort). He's shaking and scared and on the brink of a panic attack. He wasn't tainted by the cultists' blades. He's sure of that. So what could it have been?

There are some clues he could piece together if he tried, and he has an inkling, but for the moment would rather not think about it. He'll focus instead on not falling apart before he can be of use to anyone, though he thinks that now he might be better off strapped into his straitjacket and kept locked away until everything is over.

[skeletonenigma]

Akito's one of the people Skulduggery seeks out, partly for his knowledge of the Vilii and partly because Skulduggery doesn't think Quintus would be very happy with only one foster parent. Manipulating water was Akito's boon, he remembers. At least Skulduggery knows how to counter that, if it comes to a fight.

It doesn't look like it will. When Skulduggery finds Akito, the teenager is either fighting the mental battle of his life, or he's succeeded and hasn't yet recovered from the shock. Until Skulduggery's sure, he stays a short distance away, wary.

"Akito?" He hesitates a moment, and then adds, "Gazelle?"

Posessed via Taint | OTA

[fearlessherosheart]

Tazendra had forgotten that she had been tainted. Given how much battlelust was currently in her mind, she was also not terribly mindful of a more foreign haze clouding her vision. Including her sense of who was allies and who was enemy, and what had brought her here. Ironically, it drew on her anger against Malicant, on seeing others start to succumb to possession, on an enemy that she couldn't fight with spell and blade.

With a cry, Tazendra drew her sword and attacked the nearest target.

[i_speak_softly]

As soon as Donatello follows the others out of the Hotel, it's apparent that something has gone very, very wrong. Either half of their number have turned traitor, or...

He doesn't have time to form theories about or right now, because someone is swinging a sword at him. Reflexively, he brings his bo up to defend himself.

"Hey! I'm on your side! -- I think!"


((Possessed via boon but not affected yet.))

Possessed via boon; at least initially closed to Skulduggery

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine had been relatively prepared for some kind of an attempt to subvert her will; she'd been expecting it, honestly, and had thus initially set out from the Hotel on her own, trying to distance herself from the others at least a little. This was a mistake. She knew that. Should have known that. The best way to neutralize her casting was a physical disruption of her focus, and she was a scholar and mage, not a fighter. Close quarters with someone used to fighting would have been the best way to ensure she could do little actual harm if the worst happened.

She realized this with a peculiar sense of detachment, and as her error in judgment sank in, Raine felt something shift, and a cold calmness overtook her. Curious. She retained some awareness, and it might even have been partially her decision to reverse course, to start finding a place from which she could see the other invading Foreigners, but there was a vital disconnect somewhere.

Somewhere that became very obvious when she caught sight of Skulduggery. Raine tipped her head to one side and studied the skeleton briefly. She never had gotten that question from their first meeting answered, if he reacted to light magic like she'd expect monsters that looked like him to. He's your friend. There were a number of questions about his existence, honestly, that just begged for detailed investigation and proper experimentation in search of answers.

And it did look like he was going to get in her way. He's your friend.

Distract him first. She could cast and talk, she knew the patterns of Holy Lance well enough for that. All she needed was a few seconds. "Hello, Skulduggery," she said, bland, and reached to gather mana, and oh, how it responded! She revised her estimate downward from fifteen to twelve seconds as white light spun up beneath her feet. Something's not right.

[skeletonenigma]

Like dominoes, it seemed. One person fell to the taint or the corrupted power of the boons, and everyone else followed.

Skulduggery knew too many of the Foreigners to try and take down every single one individually, but there were certain powerful people he needed to make sure of in order to save as many as possible, and Solomon Wreath was one of them. The problem was that Skulduggery had serious doubts he'd be of any help in talking Wreath down, given the ambivalence of their past history. Dante was able to survive fatal injuries; Wreath wasn't. Skulduggery needed help, preferably help of the unconventional sort, and the first person to come to mind was Raine.

That was about when he remembered Raine also had a boon. Something about strengthening her magic, wasn't it? Not that it mattered, since Skulduggery made it a point never to underestimate anyone - particularly sorcerers, regardless of what world they came from.

As luck would have it, she was relatively easy to find.

"Raine," Skulduggery acknowledged with a tilt of his head. His hand was on his gun, and his eyeless gaze was on the white light at her feet. "You're alone?"

Enjolras was a charming young man, capable of being terrible...[Boon AND Taint possession/OTA]

[solo_patria]

It had potentially been a very stupid idea to actually join the others under the shell, given what had happened with cultists, but Enjolras was fairly sure he would be fine, and he had wanted a chance to face Malicant again, under terms that were much more his own. He had been fine too, as the groups had started out, using his light a little, as they'd started making their way beneath the shell, to act as a sort of guide, when suddenly, things began to change.

He noted it, before it happened, at least a little, the idea that he felt strange, and almost as though he was going to faint if he did not sit down, or stop or...much of anything at all. Things were not exactly going dark, but they were going white if that were possible, and then the light he'd been emitting grew still brighter and he found himself hitting the ground on his knees almost at once, unable to stop the nearly blinding light. At least, at first it was merely only blinding, but shortly after, it started to emit a distinct heat as well, becoming something more akin to energy than simply light.

It would be impossible to say whether or not Enjolras was at all aware of the fact that he was doing this, but soon enough, he was standing, darting ahead of those he was with along the passage, pausing when he reached a much narrower gap, and drawing a foil from a scabbard at his waist. His eyes glinted with something darker, much more fell than he had ever looked before, and his jaw and face were set, determined that none should pass.

"I think no more of you will be coming to help them fight." He jerked his head over his shoulder, indicating the rest of the path. "And why should you at that, my good messieurs? Gentlemen, please. Why would you throw your own lives away?"

[gistful]

Somewhere a long the line Anton had been separated from most of the fellows whom he knew, not quite by design though certainly he had made rounds to ensure there were no others under Malicant's thrall. Anton stopped when the Frenchman blocked his path, keeping his shotgun lowered to the ground. He recalled this man, though not his name, and they had never spoken; but Anton didn't think that the man was anything other than human, which meant Anton would have to be careful not to kill him.

Luckily it seemed the man wished to talk, first. Some would say Anton wasn't the type for inspirational dialogues--but in this case, it was a subject he had lived for quite a while.

"It is no waste to give one's life for the right cause," he said evenly, watching the man carefully in the event he chose to make a move. Anton had a machete, and with the gauntlets and Daisy-the-shotgun, he ought to be prepared enough for a duel.

Solomon Wreath | semi-possessed via boon | initially closed to Cain but otherwise OTA

[peacefullywreathed]

Before Solomon ever stepped through the door into the Dreaming-cave and outside the protection of the Dreaming-Hotel, he put on Shudder's bracelets. He'd worn binding restraints before; he knew how they felt. Solomon still wasn't prepared for the way his magic and death-sense guttered and then cut off, as though he'd lost a limb. It was almost worse that it was painless--surely such a loss should have some effect other than just being gone.

His mouth drew to a straight line as he tightened the wrist-guards. Shudder had padded them inside for comfort. It didn't make a difference to their being restraints, but at least it meant that Solomon was somewhat physically comfortable while he couldn't be controlled. No magic, no boon, no possession. If he was lucky.

As it turned out Solomon was both right and wrong. He made it some distance from the Hotel before the effects kicked in, and it did so first with a tightness in his chest that spread through his body. The restraints burned cold and Solomon gasped, and his vision flickered between ordinary sight and the sight of the aura, even though no aura was present, because it was impossible; Solomon's magic was blocked.

Except, he realised belatedly, it wasn't completely. Solomon had broken these sorts of restraints before. He had broken them by nearly dying and using his own death to break the manacles from within. His magic couldn't go any further than the manacles--but it could still use him.

To the outside observer it looked like he stopped short, trembling and with laboured breathing and a face tight with pain.

[insertdadjoke]

Being in the Dreaming was weird. Not something Cain ever thought he would experience. It seemed like putting a foot in the grave despite the purpose of his presence meaning that was entirely impossible. Still, he imagined this was kind of what it would feel like, or at least the closest he would ever get to it. Although he walked alongside Solomon rather than in front or behind, he kept a close eye on him and his attention was focused on the possibly-dangerous man he was escorting. Quite a lot was rising on everyone getting through with as many of their faculties in tact as they could manage, and Cain would do his part to keep this particular foreigner reigned in.

Solomon stopping as if he had suddenly come down with a thought or been pulled up from behind had Cain stalling next to him immediately. He studied the necromancer, then came up in front of him to place one hand on his shoulder and snap his fingers in front of Solomon's face with the other. "Hey," he said, a bit of false casualness tempered by the seriousness in their situation. "You still with me, Solomon? Give me something here."

Possessed via Taint | OTA

[redlightgreenlight]

The moment she stepped outside the hotel, she felt her mind grow hazy and shook her head. Others were beginning to act strangely, but she couldn't focus on that now. The soul energies within her surged slamming themselves against the barrier protecting her soul. Then her body began to shift almost of its own accord. Valdis snapped at the souls, but was repelled by whatever force had taken control of her body. She knew it was Malicant, and everything she had feared since Evandau's death was coming true. He was capable of controlling her, her power and thus the void.

The Void slammed against the soul barrier again, but though the magic barrier trembled, it held. Terror of what might happen held her mind frozen. All of her senses were still connected, she could still feel the ground beneath her paws, still smell the other foreigners, still hear and taste, but it all felt wrong. Then that hyena-like laughter issued from her jaws, her laughter and yet not hers.

A sort of false peace settled over her, the Void would not turn against her, all she needed to do was embrace it once more, as she had as queen. No one denies us, the souls whispered. They offered their power, more power than she could ever imagine, if only she would take the souls of the foreigners and cast them into oblivion. She wanted that power, it had felt so good in the ritual chamber, so wonderful and unending. Her eyes blazed red and she released a hunting cry.

Possessed via Boon | ota

[unetrustworthy]

[It would happen on her 13th birthday.]

[The previous year, she had gotten into a fight. Not a big one, but at the time, it had felt that way. Weeks had gone before they'd spoken to one another again, and while things had turned out for the best, it hadn't made for the most reassuring of memories.]

[And now...]

[The transformation was subtle. Not unlike the effects of Riva whenever Midii was in a state--in fact, there was some little voice in the back of her mind that could have only been her not-so-baby Turtle. Calling to her. Saying...something. Only she was too far away to hear it now. Both physically and otherwise.]

[Her gift had been one of language. Communication. The ability to read and understand the locals. And several of the Foreigners; there weren't many who spoke her native French, nor where there many others knowledgeable of her second language of Japanese. English had been an asset. So had kedanese. But now?]

...idiots. All of you.

Morons. Selfish, stupid...it's a wonder you've all survived this long, having to listen to you all prattle the way you do.

Let's get the Vilii Stone!

[theideaguy]

Sokka, at his core, feels a little bit out of his league in this place. This whole Dreaming thing, using his mind as a literal weapon against the darkness, the venom running through his veins, people being possessed as if by bloodbending, and the eventual retrieval of some mumbo-jumbo stone that they didn't even know why it was important despite knowing that, well, yes, it is important just put everything a bit off kilter here. Really, where was the common sense of this place? The science, the physics, the unfallible? Did that mean nothing to this world?

Whatever. They had a mission to do, and he was going to see it through, no matter how little sense it made.

After dispatching Zuko and dealing with that nonsense, Sokka had decided to forge onward with those available to do so because, well, at least someone needed to find the stone, steal it, and then get back to the Hotel in order to secure it. And then maybe kill Malicant? But that's getting ahead of things; the sooner this first part was done, the sooner they could get out of this lovely place. What would happen after that is beyond Sokka's grasp; the spirits knew that he didn't know how any of this was related. He didn't know any of the lore, and even if he did he still felt like he'd be nowhere closer to the truth. But he was bound and determined to finally pull his weight amongst the Foreigners and not just be along for the ride; he was going to help them get that stone no matter what. They just had to find a pool of some sort of liquid, ideally with a stone deep within.

Sokka steps into one of the bio-luminescent chambers, one of the points on the complex map that he had drawn that seemed to be a nexus point of several passages. It was marked as one of the "safe" paths he'd outlined earlier as there were many exits available to them. He didn't know if the stone was here, but it seemed to be a likely candidate at least, so it was worth some investigation at the very least. Even if there wasn't anything at eye level that resembled exactly what they were looking for.

"Okay, really, all we have to work on is the fact that we're looking for a pool of liquidy stuff with a stone in it? We could be down here for hours, and I'm not exactly sure the décor down here exudes all that many... happy thoughts."

Of course, Sokka hasn't yet looked up yet or else he might have found something that might have resembled that thing that he was searching for.