tushanshu_logs | EVENT | LANDFALL | KITHIKA

EVENT | LANDFALL | KITHIKA | DRAGON

Characters: ALL!
Date: February 12th - 28th
Location: Keeliai
Situation: The discovery of an artifact from the first war against Malicant reveals the land of Kithika within a dimension of the Death Plane... and just happens to be contained inside a bottle.
Warnings/Rating: Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

OOC INFORMATION ♦ CITY OF KEELIAI ♦ INSIDE THE BOTTLE ♦ THE WORLD EATER
For nearly two days the brave quest takers have been sequestered at the sullied Temple and its grounds, the thick jungle and swamp preventing them from leaving. There are faint tremors that run through the ground and in the middle of the third night, the ground gives a great heave, jostling everyone from their rested states. In one of the Temple rooms, a sinkhole has appeared to reveal not spongy ground beneath, but a dark tunnel leading down into the earth. It doesn't take much to widen the entrance and follow the gentle downward slope that leads out to the north, and a walk of about two hours (which surely would feel like longer to those who don't enjoy being trapped in low, dank places) leads them under the swamp itself. By the time the tunnel slopes upward, the muddy ground has turned hard and packed with small chips of rock and sand; the terrain above is changing and as they emerge upward through a fissure in the ground...

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OOC NOTE: The Aftermath comment will be unfrozen and its direction posted on February 23rd, based on the outcome of the other threads.

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Emerging from the fissure at this end of the tunnel, they may find that the ground beneath their feet seems to shift as if it's breathing. Off in the distance, there is a mountain that appears to have the same difficulty. This is a massive corrupted dragon, known colloquially as a WORLD EATER. It's head and rolling sections of it's scaled back break the surface of the rocky plain, each are bearing massive pustules of this corruption (which seep black fluid) all over its sinuous body, the bulk of which is still trapped beneath the earth.

World Eater is an immense and old dragon that is displeased about being awoken (and about waking up with a mountain atop it, to make matters worse). To fight, they must band together and attempt to fight the dragon, noted as being the source of the corruption, or they can leave it be and search for other ways to lift the corruption. Those with greater strength and fortitude may find themselves better served by combating the dozens upon dozens of clawed legs while those smaller in size and higher in precision may prefer to attack the corruption directly.

Characters will have to attack the corrupted spots in groups. Its key weakness is the corruption and it will howl whenever a pustule is ruptured or cleansed. But the dragon, as it's attacked, will become increasingly more agitated and will shake itself free from the mountain (destroying it in the process) to fight back. It's a few hundred miles long, so characters will need to work together to bring it down. World Eater will do all in its power to stop the irritants that have poked and prodded at it, showing no hesitation to stomp upon, chomp down, or bury them in an avalanche of rock and corruption, so it may take a fair share of coordination to deal with it. Leaders and soldiers alike will be needed for this battle, for it is said that only an army can bring the corruption to an end.

Attempts to communicate with the dragon are met with a blank wall, its consciousness locked down and the creature having no desire to let anything in... probably.

With each pustule destroyed, there will be a brief eruption of a blisteringly hot goo that will cascade down around the combatants. Once upon the ground, the goo will begin to amalgamate, the corruption reforming into a multi-legged creature that will try to latch onto the dragon (or the nearest living thing) and overtake it. Its bite is a poison of the mind, darkening thoughts with uncontrollable rage and blinding the victim's perception of friend or foe. Everyone becomes a foe and they will fight until the creature that has attached is killed -- a strike to the heart is sufficient.

If, however, the creature is left to feed upon the dragon or another victim, it will shrink as it feeds itself into the body, forming into a pustule that will require a renewed attack in order to dispatch it.

While the corruption incited by the stone idols or the poisonous effect of the dragon's shed black ooze, some of those it has affected are taking matters into their own hands.

((OOC: Please see the plotting post and follow up and contact Al or July for more information on this portion of the plot. Please keep all side plot related threading under this header for organization purposes. Thank you!))

Should characters venture across the rocky plain they will eventually come across a pool of pure, clear water. This water can be used to cleanse the corruption from the dragon and the land. But be careful! It's being guarded by a pair of Fu dogs, who will ask riddles of the characters before they will be permitted near the pond. Those characters that drew something from the GOOD LUCK POND and LEFT SOMETHING IN RETURN will be allowed to pass without answering a riddle.

Once the trial has been passed and your character is allowed access to the pool, they will find that the water is potent but its potency limited. The Fu dogs would explain that use of the water, if asked and engaged appropriately: it must be used within four hours of being drawn from the pool otherwise it will lose its effect and the characters will have to try again. There are silver jugs nearby the pool that one can use to carry the water, trying to use anything else – such as a magical construct or something from the outside world, will slowly turn the water brackish and it will be useless at that point.

With each pustule cleansed, there will be a high-pitched scream that denotes the death of the corruption at that point. The pustule will melt away and there will show a brief glimmering of tiny iridescent blue/orange feathers overlaid like scales and a pleasant, warm aura before it fades into a grey haze until all of the corruption is dealt with.

Defeat of the dragon by any of these means will reveal a beautiful creature beneath all the corruption. If solely cleansed with water, it will curl back up and renew its rest once more. If the corruption is killed instead, then its body will lay in death, destroyed by the fight that was wrought upon its body. If a mixture of the two, it will be gravely injured and require medical assistance, but will no longer try to destroy those that touch it.

It is the choice of those who battled and defeated its contamination to decide what to do with the dragon now...

The Foreigners have spoken and chosen to mercifully spare the dragon, which is able to purge the last of the corruption by calling down great beams of light from the heavens.

The fog will lift in the outside world, and the bottle's world will become as beautiful as it once was. The temple will be restored, the swamp will disappear and be left instead with a beautiful, warm ocean. There will be bright light and warmth, and the statues will pick themselves up and become people once again, who will interact with the foreigners politely.

At this point, characters will be able to choose to leave the bottle and return as they would like.

Edited 2014-02-24 00:35 (UTC)

"Anet, Calew, Ferhan!" The marks became silver blades as they left her fingertips, each aimed at a separate pustule. Each struck true, and Sabriel was rewarded with a shower of ooze- only for her triumph to be cut short when she realized the stuff was starting to reform into three- three creatures.

Sabriel's sword seemed wreathed in golden fire- the marks on it burning as brightly as they ever had as she drove it into the heart of one of the smaller monsters that had sprung from the corruption- only to find herself backing away from the other two. Perhaps attempting to fight alone had not been so wise.

[Holy shit, that was a huge dragon.

He had known there would be a dragon at the end of this bottle, but he hadn't expected this. This was so completely out of his league that he didn't have a word for just how out of his league it was. It had made fighting the energy creature and everything in the tiny universe seem like child's play. He should have stayed home and dealt with the consequences.

God damn it.

With a flick of his wrist, he shot a strand of webbing onto the neck of the creature and swung into the air, his death sword from the magical weapon tree in hand. Might as well start hacking away at the neck...

One of these days he really was going to kill (his) Peter Parker.]

Edited 2014-02-18 01:30 (UTC)

[Teddy decides to take to the skies for his assault. It only makes sense since he has the ability to reach areas of the dragon that many others can't without some help. And the more angles they can hit at once, the faster they can get this done. Teddy is so ready for this to be over.

He flies up above the dragon, lowering himself just enough to allow himself to land blows on the corrupted spots along the dragon's back. He claws at the spots with all of his strength. The dragon's howling causes him to flinch just a little. He doesn't want to do this, but he has no choice. Not now. None of them do. It doesn't make him feel any better.]

"Would you look at that..." There's no hint of fear in his voice as he looks upon the dragon. If anything, he sounds utterly impressed by it. The size of the beast is far larger than the high dragon that Hawke once fought. In fact the World Eater dwarfs it completely. An utter shame that the creature is so thoroughly corrupted. At least Hawke can do it a service by putting it out of its misery.

Magic blade in one hand and an axe in the other, Hawke prepares to fight. He spares a quick glance to Notch. "Watch my back and help anyone that looks like they could use it." The hound barks once and Hawke makes his move. Darting nimbly about the dragon, Hawke leaps at the nearest spot of corruption driving his weapons into it as deeply as they'll go before leaping away. He may not have the powers that others do, but it's not his first time fighting a dragon. Hit and run tactics are the way to go for him.

When Sabriel had stumbled, exhausted from the battlefield, trying to find a place to sleep for an hour or so to regain her strength. What she hadn't expected to find was a pool full of fresh water- or two talking dogs, who let her pass after glancing at the pendant she'd taken from the pool and spoke to her of a way to cleanse the corruption. To Sabriel, whose general distaste for bloodshed had only been heightened by the vision of the monster she might have become, the idea of cleansing the corruption without the death of the dragon seemed ideal. Thus, after resting as much as she dared, she filled one of the silver pitchers and set out.

Finding her way back to the fighting was not hard, but Sabriel stopped every so often- just long enough leave behind a charter light on the ground to mark her path.

When she finally reached the dragon, she threw the water on the first pustule she could reach- and gasped at what she saw underneath the corruption.

Turning back the way she came, she grabbed the wrist of the first person she could find.

"Come with me- I think there's another way to do this!"

[They had both been trying to keep quiet, keep on the shadows. They were both proud and protective, yes, but they were also smart enough to realize jumping into an attack without the necessary knowledge was also the most foolish course of action. But being on the dragon's side ('for now', Kal had remarked to his father more than once already) meant protecting it from harm, if only to get on its good side. And if youngest Kryptonian was honest with himself, slapping away the ants was also kind of fun.

It isn't long before they begin actually enjoying the job. Kal is the first one to speak, arms crossed and hovering a couple feet of the air with his eyes bright red- for show, rather than actual anger. His father is close behind.]

Go on, attack the World Eater. Give us a reason to step on you like an ant. Try to hurt us. Or simply run.

It's always funnier when they run.

[The first noticeable thing are his yells, a mixture of pain, anger and frustration.

By then it's easy to figure out where Kal is, and that he isn't exactly happy. If you get close enough to him the sound of his laser vision can be heard, and after a couple minutes he steps out of the shadow and it's clear what he had been doing with the laser.

He's missing a leg up to his knee, and even if the wound has been cauterized there's blood everywhere in his suit. His own, Jor-El's, other people's blood- it doesn't matter, what matters is that what had been supposed to be a fun activity had turned into a nightmare because his father could never understand true power. How could he, when he had been born into a red sun? Kal was the one who had had his powers since birth, Kal was the true last Kryptonian. Kal had to become the most powerful around before he took the dragon matter into his own hands-

which is why, if your character hadn't looked for Kal the moment they had heard the screams Kal is the one looking for them, ready to punch them without giving them any kind of explanation. There's a lot of powerful people around, but two of them are the last ones standing with a powerset similar to his own.]

[The Kryptonian's shenanigans had been discrete at first, taking down people the dragon would consider dangerous to get on its good side. After losing a leg and killing his own father, Kal is kind of done trying to keep things in the down low. He's screaming in anger, lashing out with his laser vision without looking around to whoever he might be hurting, stepping around with enough force to leave craters on the ground- the dragon is awake now, what's the point in being careful? And it may even attract nice distractions to wherever he is. He wants to fight, wants to lash out, wants to hurt because his phantom leg is hurting and it's no fair that everyone else isn't hurting along with him,

As far as he sees it there's only little pests left to deal with, no one really worthy of worry and definitely not anyone he cannot deal with if the situation arises.

Or so he thinks.]

He'd started out fighting the dragon, but after being knocked to the ground for the third time, Tony was getting frustrated. He drew back, pausing before his next rush, and came to a conclusion that stopped it completely.

"You know, I don't think this is working."

And that was what pulled him away from the fight. There had to be some other way, some resource they were lacking, because as far as he could tell, the giant monster wasn't all that impressed by their efforts. Or maybe that's just what dragons with the title "World Eater" did when they got a papercut. Either way, he was taking a better look around. Maybe, like the whole hero attempt, they hadn't been the first ones to do this. He moves back, away from the battle, over the open plains. Why did that area seem better off?

"Oh, my god."

Stiles just stares up, and up, and up at the thing, his eyes wide. Maybe Batman was right. Maybe he wasn't ready for this. Already the other heroes are starting to attack, repeatedly diving for what looked like weak spots. And Stiles stands rooted to the ground, momentarily frozen by the enormity of what they're all facing.

Hayley had made the mistake of touching the child statue hours ago. Once she realized the resulting compulsion, she wandered off from her group to try to find a safe place to wait out its effects, citing discomfort as the reason. Admitting to discomfort in general was bad enough that sharing it with near strangers unprovoked was only frustrating.

"I hate this place," she called out to no one in particular, wandering through the sort of clearing not far from the temple grounds. Mostly because she was weaponless, the girl was constantly on the lookout for threats and was more careful than she might normally be if accompanied. Hayley didn't want to die again.

Always the type to cut the Gordian Knot for good or for ill, and knowing he's not really a damage output guy anyway, Kurt went ahead and skipped the actual combat in search of a better option. If he hadn't found anything he'd have eventually returned to run interference and possibly do evacuations, but the pool was a much better idea. And having Fu dogs let him walk by because he had a pebble in his pocket and give him the instructions was just about the coolest thing ever. He'd always thought those things were great, even when they were just plaster statues outside old fashioned Chinese restaurants as far as he knew.

It wasn't hard to keep track of where the fight with the continent-sized dragon was going on. He went ahead and teleported back in a few jumps and hopped right onto the dragon's back to test out his find. Awesome.

Well, that worked. He'd better get at least a few passengers in on this. "Anybody want a ride to where you get the I-don't-wanna-fight-something-the-size-of-Iceland-that's-probably-mind-controlled-anyway juice?" Kurt had been attacked by psychically manipulated gods, space whales, and super-powered cowboys. He just kind of assumed at this point.

[Kal's lying on the ground, the piece of Kryptonite stabbed deep into his chest. He's unconscious, but the discomfort and pain are pretty easy to read from his expression. If it doesn't get taken off soon he'll die from exposure.

By his side, Batman's inert body- a reminder of the deeds Kal and his father did under the corruption's influence. They have the weapon to make him pay for it- the question is: will they?]

[This was becoming a waste of his time. Had been since the start. It was interesting enough at the beginning, taking part in and watching the deaths they were causing, but mindless slaughter was only so stimulating. At least that was the case for him.

Kal-El, naturally birthed experiment that he was, clearly took more out of it. Mindless indeed. Even Zod would have found it boring sooner. There were only so many methods before torture, too, would become tiresome. If they were going to continue this, it would need to be with more efficiency, and less debauchery.]

Kal. Your antics are no longer amusing.

"Miss Sabriel?"

It wouldn't be surprising if she did not recognize him at first-- Armin was covered head-to-toe in muck and mud; even his blonde hair looked dingy and brown from the dirt. But he began to approach her as he noticed her carrying an odd jug, looking at an unusually colorful and clean patch of ground in front of her.

What was that? As soon as he realized that the ground they walked on was one giant, living being, he was doing his best to make sure it died. Those monsters that erupted from the boils he cut open were attacking them, after all. Nothing good could possibly come from letting it live... Right?

"What's going on? What are you doing?"

But I don't know if she's dead. [And really, what was the fun in doing all this if he didn't get to at least crush his enemies under his feet? Literally, this one time. His father didn't seem to get the need to actually make them fear them and make sure they know who's the most powerful, but his father doesn't seem to get anything lately. Not surprising, considering he's living on borrowed power- but he's been useful so far.

Eventually, though Kal gets fed up with the machine. And by fed up I mean he kicks it in the direction of the unexpected watcher with a growl. Whatever, it wasn't really alive to begin with.]

"Did you hear that, father? Hayley's complaining. Should her inability to cope and deal with the simplest of situations be considered a superpower? Maybe she's been a metahuman all along and she didn't know."

Kal was hovering, refusing to walk and touch the ground unless really necessary like he'd been doing since he touched the statue. So he doesn't even bother moving Hayley out of her way, simply hovering up her and keeping on his way- before turning around to check if his father is following.

Edited 2014-02-18 21:03 (UTC)

[It was the nonchalant tone that first drew her attention.]

[Zatanna was bored. Beyond bored. Bored and left...disappointed by recent events. Which meant she was doing little more than wandering around at this point, pausing just long enough to let off another burst of energy at the nearest victim she could. Until she heard his voice, and turned her attention in time to catch the large Kryptonian kick a pile of scrap metal in her general direction.]

[She watched the crushed bits bounce against the floor harshly, coming to a stop mere inches from her boot. A curious tilt of the head one way, then the other. It looked like...a robot? Or what was left of said robot; she glanced up just in time to catch one piece Superman had obviously missed. Hidden just beyond his near-omnipotent sight, scuttling away like the insect it was.]

[For some reason, that thought alone was more entertaining to her than if it had died completely.]

Not bad. [She offered a slow, almost mocking putter clap in response. Not caring who or what she was drawing attention to herself.] But didn't your daddy ever teach you to clean up after you're done playing?

[The taunt was heavily laced with multiple layers of sarcasm; like hell she would have given a shit about what her hack father told her to do. Although, as if to prove her point, she extended a hand towards the bits of metal at her feet.]

ʇı ʎoɹʇsəp

[The spell--a twisted, dark echo of her familiar style--summoned each piece into the air, where it levitated idly for a brief moment before...each piece spontaneously disintegrating into little more than piles of dust, each accumulating on the ground.]

[Kal was in the middle of a hearty laugh when Jor-El went and decided to be a party popper- so the laughter stops right away and he instead turns to glare at his father with a scowl. He's been letting him tag along because that's all his father was ever good at: letting others get their glory, get the actual true power while he let their home-planet die around him.

But getting in the way of his fun? That won't do. Still, always better to not jump to conclusions right away- and if he's honest, his father might have 0 finesse with his powers but he's still powerful enough to be a threat.]

What is it now, father?

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Page 1 of 20

EVENT | LANDFALL | KITHIKA | DRAGON

Battling the Dragon

Soul's Poison

Kryptonian Rampage

The Guarded Pool

Weighing the Options

Aftermath

Open

Open

open

Open

open

Meeting both Jor-El and Kal-El

Meeting only Kal | CW: Mutilation

Take down | CW: mutilation

open

open

no subject

Open

The decision

Patricide: Death is a Science | CW: Mutilation

no subject

Pulling the rabbit out of the hat

no subject

no subject

no subject