[EVENT | FOURTH WALL] THE DREAMING'S FLATULENCE | APRIL 15-30

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL and plus ones. (Yes, fourth-wall characters, that means you.)
Date: April 15-30 2016 (2017 in-game)
Location: Mod-posted comment starters are for the immediate aftermath of the odd explosion which starts the event, but this log can also be used for anywhere in the setting anytime between April 15-30.
Situation: The College went BOOM. Weird people began appearing randomly in the city. After that, other buildings went BOOM even though nothing actually exploded besides the College. After that, scattered buildings developed spontaneous structural damage overnight. Could these events be related? You be the judge.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings in subject headers as needed.

The morning of April 15th dawns cold, but clear. There isn't a cloud in the sky, the sun's barely risen, and in general the kedan are going about their daily lives - opening shops, heading to work, leading kirin through the city streets. In particular, there's a small but steady stream of people moving in and out of the College.

Then, without warning, a section of the College implodes.

During the following few days, an influx of strange Foreigners appear, seemingly dropped randomly by the Dreaming throughout Keeliai. Someone might end up in a canal, or on a rooftop. Someone else might find themselves flying through the air to land heavily in a disused alley. Someone might wake up in the corner of a kirin stable. A few might even land in Hatal on the mainland, and feel a curious draw leading them back towards the turtle. They arrive in the same unexpected manner as normal Foreigners; the only differences are the sheer amount of people arriving at once, and that none of the newcomers seem to possess any soul gems.

Also during the next few days, kedan and Foreigner alike might be startled by an exact replica of that thunderous boom from the College explosion echoing around Keeliai. This only occurs for about a week, but it occurs regularly, and the source of these strange echoes is impossible to trace.

Once the explosion echoes stop, investigators might notice that specific and exact sections of structural damage from the College appear on other buildings in Keeliai without any obvious cause. These cases of spontaneous long-term damage continue all the way through until April 30th.

Apart from those disruptions, life on the turtle is generally normal for the next two weeks - or as normal as it's possible for life to be when one lives on the back of a turtle where the most powerful gang makes the rules. No one can say for sure exactly when the strange Foreigners vanish again. Some will swear they all vanished at once; others will be equally sure they disappeared one by one over several days. One thing's for sure, however -- by the time April 30th draws to a close, not one of the strange Foreigners is left in Keeliai.

---

LINKS
The College | The Echoes | The Structural Damage | OOC Information post | Fourth-Wall Character Check-In

OOC
The top-level comments are for the explosion and its aftermath, but fourth-wall characters should feel free to use the rest of the post for anything within the setting! Just remember to label the top-level comment for location and date. You can also add more fourth-wall characters throughout the event at the character check-in, linked above. Please direct any questions to the OOC post.

Fourth-wall characters are also free to tag into player-posted logs and console/radio posts dated between April 15th and 30th! A quick reminder that fourth-wall characters will not have soul jewelry, and will not be able to create their own network posts or logs.

Comments

[dorkvader]

"All too often. Some took longer to rid myself of than others." Perhaps his young apprentice will benefit from knowing he is not alone in his frustrations. More importantly that he can move beyond them.

"Everyone has a weakness, arrogance is a powerful one. Be mindful my young apprentice and you will find your chance to use it to your advantage."

[no_light]

There's a small smile on his lips now as he realizes that this is something they have in common. It's not much, but shared frustrations are a beginning.

And he really, really likes it when Vader calls him his apprentice. Why, he might feel just a little bit like he is floating.

"I will, Master. When I go back I will bring him down. He has fallen out of favor now, and it will be harder for him to regain it than for me. With your teachings everything is going to change for me."

[dorkvader]

"You will be powerful. Together we will destroy the Jedi and any others who would oppose us."

Because obviously the end goal is to sieze power and find a way to return to where they should be. But that will take time and planning.

[no_light]

He gets a bit twitchy at that, as destruction really hasn't been going well for him lately.

"Yes, of course, we will destroy them," he echoes after a moment of hesitation. "I don't think there are many Jedi." Although one untrained adept and a traitor were enough on Starkiller...

[dorkvader]

"How many they are is irrelevant. I will see them fall."

Every. Last. One. His hatred toward the Jedi may have faded some with time and if the Emperor lied to him about killing Padmé and his son, then what else had he lied about.

Still, that doesn't mean he will fail to follow his masters command. Not without a very compelling reason.

"Perhaps you feel that you are incapable of facing them? Quiet your doubts, it is only a matter of time before you will be strong enough."

[no_light]

"I..." His face crumbles, the façade of strength just falling apart to reveal the anguish underneath. This is why he wears a mask. No sabacc face whatsoever.

"Grandfather, there was... There was a Force user. Young and untrained. She resisted my mind probe when I captured her, and then she and Hux's traitorous stormtrooper defeated me in battle. It's where I got the scar on my face. I was..." He inhales sharply, squeezes his eyes shut. "I was weak. Weakened by Han Solo's death and by the Light that can't be quieted." He shakes his head. And he was injured, but that won't be an excuse to his grandfather, or to him. No excuses.

[dorkvader]

"Then you have paid the price for your weakness. The next time the price will be higher."

He looks at his grandson, searching. The boys conflict is strong, as is his shame of it. It's something he felt once, long ago. Something he now resists feeling sympathy for. He can't help but wonder what made him join the dark side in the first place. It's not a choice made on a whim.

"The pull of the Light is strong, but it can be overcome. You will learn."

That last bit isn't encouragement so much as an implied threat of what will happen if he doesn't.

[no_light]

A threat noted, and understood.

Kylo Ren's face is solemn. "I will, Master." Or he will try, at least. He hasn't managed it in all these years, so his actual confidence that he will succeed now is low. But it's not like he can voice these fears.

"I had... I have had doubts." He swallows hard. "The path seemed impossible. Maybe it isn't so impossible anymore now." He's got to believe this, at least, cling to it. If Darth Vader can't help him be as Dark as he needs to be, nothing will. "I will learn from my weakness."

[dorkvader]

"You lack commitment. Your devotion is weak."

That could be a problem. He doesn't want to kill his grandson. But if he won't turn fully... He won't have a choice. That would suck.

He holds his mug out to Kylo. "Drink and ease your mind. Then tell me of your journey to the dark side."

He will find a way to avoid having to kill the boy.

[no_light]

He looks at his grandfather in astonishment and reaches for the cup slowly, almost reverently. "Thank you," he breathes.

The espresso surprises him a bit with how bitter it is, stronger than how he usually drinks his caf, but he quickly takes a second and third sip. "It's good."

He looks down at the mug. "My Mas... Snoke. He led me to the Dark Side." He swallows hard. "I heard his voice. He told me... many things. I was a Jedi, helping rebuild the Order was to be my future, but Snoke opened my eyes to the Dark Side, and to the corruption and betrayal of my own family. He told me to give in to my anger, that it would make me stronger than the Jedi ever could." He takes another sip. It helps to hold something in his hands. "So I killed them all, Luke's students," he adds, his voice devoid of emotion.

[dorkvader]

Well... That's a lot more to take in than he was expecting. Luke didn't turn, the Empire was gone... His master was right, Luke had destroyed them.

He's strangely okay with that, actually.

Mostly he hopes his death was cool. Maybe with a big explosion. Wouldn't it be weird if they blew up the other Death Star...

Anyway. "That was this the first time you struck someone down in anger?"

There's no judgement behind the question. He could almost be mistaken for any guy asking about his grandsons life. If not for the subject matter.

[no_light]

He nods, even smiles a little bit, for it feels so incredibly good that there is no judgement in Vader's voice. He hasn't been able to really talk about what happened with anyone in... ever.

"It was the first time. It was... hard, at first. It felt wrong." He looks down at his gloved hands. No blood underneath the black leather, but he still remembers how it felt. "But it got easier with each one that fell. I stopped seeing their faces. They were just obstacles standing in my way."

Quieter, he adds, "I did see their faces later."

[dorkvader]

"Then you must face them and purge yourself of the feelings you once had for them. Attachment is a weakness that you must not allow yourself. It breeds conflict."

Says the biggest hypocrite ever. His grandson jumped headfirst into the darkside. Smoke should have taken more care.

"Anger is a powerful ally, but it can be fickle. Do not rely on it alone to sustain you."

Most Sith were founded on a lust for power and anger was developed through training. Or steeped in the dark side from a young age. He was somewhat unique in that hate came to him so fiercely early on and now... His existence was fueled by it.

"I will teach you how to channel it properly."

[no_light]

"Thank you, I need the help." Not an easy admission to make, and he clings to the espresso mug all the tighter for it. "My rage comes quickly, but it never..." He sighs in frustration. "It stays. It is always there. But it doesn't give me power. It doesn't keep the Light away. It just flares up and makes me careless and then I make stupid mistakes like letting myself be defeated by someone without any training and..."

His free hand balls into a fist. It hurts, but he welcomes the pain.

"I don't even know if I can purge myself of it," Kylo Ren confesses. "Killing Han Solo only made it worse."

[dorkvader]

"Your feelings for him are strong. You struck him down too soon."

Another sloppy mistake in his training.

"The Light..." He pauses carefully, choosing his words. "You may never fully rid yourself of it's influence... But it can be overcome."

[no_light]

"Too soon," he breathed, and felt something unclench within him. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted from him. Too soon meant it wasn't some deep flaw within him, but something which could be changed and improved.

"I have been losing faith that I can overcome it," he admitted, "when I killed him..." He struggled for a moment with the words that came too hard to him. There were so many things he could say, but all he found the strength for was, "it made me weak."

[dorkvader]

"Quiet your mind for now. Do not focus your thoughts on your conflict anymore today." It's both advice and an order.

"I will hear no more of your weakness."