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childrenofbahamutlogs2025-02-01 12:10 pm
diceofthegods) wrote in childrenofbahamutlogs2025-02-01 12:10 pm
EVENT #2: BRAIN BOGGLING
A CRASH IN THE NIGHT
In the dark hours of a snowy early morning, a sudden BOOM can be heard all across Town. It is swiftly followed by sounds of warping metal and then a screeching crash. Curious, albeit groggy, residents emerge only to find a smoking wreck just a mile outside of Town.
The strange craft appears to be almost nautiloid in shape with wrenched, broken tendrils streaming out the opening.
Much of it is metal although some of it almost seems... organic.
Those who with to get a closer look will be met by Charlie and Dimitri who are already on the job. They request curious onlookers keep their distance since this craft is, without a doubt, tremendously dangerous.
Later in the day, there appears to be an outfit of officials coming from the west to investigate and clean up the wreckage. Thankfully(?), you will all find out soon enough what's going on.
The strange craft appears to be almost nautiloid in shape with wrenched, broken tendrils streaming out the opening.
Much of it is metal although some of it almost seems... organic.
Those who with to get a closer look will be met by Charlie and Dimitri who are already on the job. They request curious onlookers keep their distance since this craft is, without a doubt, tremendously dangerous.
Later in the day, there appears to be an outfit of officials coming from the west to investigate and clean up the wreckage. Thankfully(?), you will all find out soon enough what's going on.
INVESTIGATION & PROTECTION
Deathcard Cabin by Jonah Senzel
4:07 / 13:06
▶︎
From the Inscryption OST: A unique and haunting sound paired with a unique and haunting game.
Charlie reports to the citizens of Town that an Illithid cargo transport. The pilot did not survive the crash, but they appeared to be transporting some kind of new breed of Intellect Devourers.
"We do not yet know what this new breed is capable of, but..."
Charlie does give everyone a rundown of what an Illithid and what an Intellect Devourer is, what they are capable of, and a keen warning to tread lightly. Many dead ones were discovered in the cargo but several of the enclosures were damaged in the crash and the likelihood of escapees is high.
Charlie reiterates: These creatures are to be killed on sight, or contained until someone can kill it. If you are not confident in your combat abilities, please remain in your homes as much as possible and seal all openings to your dwelling. Those who are capable though are urged to begin patrols of Town alongside Slayd, Dimitri and himself to ensure that Town and the surrounding areas are safe.
Please travel in pairs or groups, do not be alone! Attack from a distance when possible. Hoshiko will offer her assistance as a markswoman as well by picking off any Intellect Devourers from a distance that she can for those that are forced to travel alone. (Don't worry about any jokes she makes of her service not being cheap though. Charlie wouldn't actually let her charge you anything.)
Unfortunately, not even they can predict the blizzard that rolls through Town in the midst of all this. If you happen to see anything skittering through the snow, don't panic too much. It could just be a tiny woodland creature looking for a warm burrow to hide away in!
At least you hope it is.
"We do not yet know what this new breed is capable of, but..."
Charlie does give everyone a rundown of what an Illithid and what an Intellect Devourer is, what they are capable of, and a keen warning to tread lightly. Many dead ones were discovered in the cargo but several of the enclosures were damaged in the crash and the likelihood of escapees is high.
Charlie reiterates: These creatures are to be killed on sight, or contained until someone can kill it. If you are not confident in your combat abilities, please remain in your homes as much as possible and seal all openings to your dwelling. Those who are capable though are urged to begin patrols of Town alongside Slayd, Dimitri and himself to ensure that Town and the surrounding areas are safe.
Please travel in pairs or groups, do not be alone! Attack from a distance when possible. Hoshiko will offer her assistance as a markswoman as well by picking off any Intellect Devourers from a distance that she can for those that are forced to travel alone. (Don't worry about any jokes she makes of her service not being cheap though. Charlie wouldn't actually let her charge you anything.)
Unfortunately, not even they can predict the blizzard that rolls through Town in the midst of all this. If you happen to see anything skittering through the snow, don't panic too much. It could just be a tiny woodland creature looking for a warm burrow to hide away in!
At least you hope it is.
PROMPT #3
Hybrid intellect devourers are unique from the regular ones in that the goal is not to kill their target, but to gather intelligence and act as a kind of spy network.
They will flee when confronted directly by greater numbers, but will attack a lone target. They do this by jumping at the target's head and wrapping a wet tendril around their neck. They will choke who they've wrapped around if anyone tries to remove it. They are also far more likely to try and attack sleeping target (hence the advice to keep your homes closed!).
These hybrids emit spores that will keep the target asleep during feeding. Their primary goal appears to be infiltrating the targets' minds and absorbing some of their memories. The target will have their mind left mostly intact... though they may suffer short term memory loss, confusion, distress, fatigue and head pain.
Here's where the fun starts!
Once one of these critters has fed on someone, they are onto their next target. When a fed Intellect Devourer feeds from another target, that target may absorb some of the previous target's memories. This can span across multiple victims and be erratic in whose memories taint whose mind. The memories will cross-pollinate in the form of dreams or waking visions and hallucinations.
If one of these creatures is killed, it will explode, releasing a powerful psionic wave and the memories it had absorbed from any recent targets. Anyone within ten (10) yards of the dying creature will be afflicted with extreme head pain in the short term and also witness the memories of it's previous victims.
Enjoy your muddled memories and leggy brain-hunting!
The outfit of people who have come to investigate are from New Svihelen's disaster containment squad and are investigating the hybrid creatures and the possible reason for an Illithid ship to crash here of all places. Right now, the running theory is that interference from the selfsame summoning circle that brought you all here could have caused the interplanar navigation systems of the ship to malfunction but nothing has been determined yet.
Eventually, these creatures will all be rounded up and taken care of. They are persistent and stealthy though in their efforts to survive above all else. Charlie assures that they're doing all they can to make Town safe once and for all but it will take some time.
They will flee when confronted directly by greater numbers, but will attack a lone target. They do this by jumping at the target's head and wrapping a wet tendril around their neck. They will choke who they've wrapped around if anyone tries to remove it. They are also far more likely to try and attack sleeping target (hence the advice to keep your homes closed!).
These hybrids emit spores that will keep the target asleep during feeding. Their primary goal appears to be infiltrating the targets' minds and absorbing some of their memories. The target will have their mind left mostly intact... though they may suffer short term memory loss, confusion, distress, fatigue and head pain.
Here's where the fun starts!
Once one of these critters has fed on someone, they are onto their next target. When a fed Intellect Devourer feeds from another target, that target may absorb some of the previous target's memories. This can span across multiple victims and be erratic in whose memories taint whose mind. The memories will cross-pollinate in the form of dreams or waking visions and hallucinations.
If one of these creatures is killed, it will explode, releasing a powerful psionic wave and the memories it had absorbed from any recent targets. Anyone within ten (10) yards of the dying creature will be afflicted with extreme head pain in the short term and also witness the memories of it's previous victims.
Enjoy your muddled memories and leggy brain-hunting!
The outfit of people who have come to investigate are from New Svihelen's disaster containment squad and are investigating the hybrid creatures and the possible reason for an Illithid ship to crash here of all places. Right now, the running theory is that interference from the selfsame summoning circle that brought you all here could have caused the interplanar navigation systems of the ship to malfunction but nothing has been determined yet.
Eventually, these creatures will all be rounded up and taken care of. They are persistent and stealthy though in their efforts to survive above all else. Charlie assures that they're doing all they can to make Town safe once and for all but it will take some time.
Notes
⁂ The partner plotting post for this event/quarter is also up!
⁂ Additionally, we have a state of the game post available for people to read about updates, clarifications, and housekeeping items!
⁂ If you have any further questions or feedback about this event specifically, please comment here!
⁂ For even more ambient event music, you can check out this this playlist!
⁂ Full Navigation ⁂
⁂ Additionally, we have a state of the game post available for people to read about updates, clarifications, and housekeeping items!
⁂ If you have any further questions or feedback about this event specifically, please comment here!
⁂ For even more ambient event music, you can check out this this playlist!
There's no forgetting this face
Nevermind that it's probably not a good idea to leave it just... wherever for those little brain things to hide out in it.
Noct is, for the moment, pacing lazy circles around the panel (maybe it was a door once?) only his lower legs and feet transformed so he can use the broad spread of paws to stay atop the snow. Convenient, really, that the pants of his go to outfit are so short.
The slow pace of those paws comes up short the moment he sees Ardyn, immediately tense and shifting his stance to brace for a possible attack. Especially after the last time the asshole had torn open his side. That he comes up and just.... offers to help only has Noctis bristling even more. "What the hells are you playing at?"
no subject
"No, you- You're not supposed to be here." Here as in- Where? This world, or out in the field with the people where Ardyn was? If Somnus was around, that meant a purge of the infected was due to happen and he wouldn't stand for that. But these people weren't infected from what he could see, so maybe- Maybe they'd be spared.
"Did you think I couldn't handle this?" he asks, accusatory. It wouldn't surprise him if Somnus didn't believe him to be capable of this task. It wasn't often anymore that he was confident in Ardyn overall, it seemed.
no subject
"Som- Uh... The only Somnus I know is the Mystic and I'm sure as hell not him." No, he's the Last King, not the First. The thought alone makes him flinch slightly. "I'm surprised you're trying to help at all? Or are you out here just to fuck with people that are trying to keep the rest of safe?"
A mean accusation, maybe, but considering the faint lines that still scar his ribs... a valid one.
no subject
"I am helping," he counters, convicted. "Just because he doesn't agree with my method of doing so doesn't mean it isn't true."
They're having two entirely different conversations, unfortunately, but Ardyn's still stuck in the past with only snippets of his future and as they relate to Town.
no subject
It's well beyond Noctis to jump first and foremost to a dead man that might be the one disagreeing with Ardyn. "We've seen your version of helping. Slapping a bandaid over the mess you made in the first place." Cleaning up the evidence but doing nothing to correct a damn thing.
"Just taking advantage of the mess this time?"
no subject
"Somnus. Who else? It's not exactly a secret our methods of handling this crisis differ." Ardyn takes more to tackling it personally and heals where he can; his brother, meanwhile, razes their own countryside and innocents for the 'greater good' of the collective. "I'm not taking advantage of anyone or anything either. Anyone infected is having a difficult time enough of it already."
no subject
"Why the hells are you talking about a dude long dead like he's actively pissing in your cheerios?" He's starting to go beyond pissy and confused. More like... too baffled to really be mad exactly. "And what infection? the little brain creatures skittering around are dangerous, sure, but not infectious. How scrambled did they get you?"
no subject
"He might not be here, but back home- He's probably just fine, hardly noticing my absence." Considering the long stretches away from home that the healer indulged in, he doubted Somnus fretted overly much anymore when he slipped away.
"I had a run-in with one of those things, but they're not infected with The Scourge at least. Not that I've seen. Small blessings, considering how it seemingly spreads so easily already."
no subject
He does hear the rest of what Ardyn says but he isn't really processing it, not exactly, not yet. He's too busy pacing away from Ardyn, one hand brought to his brow as though warding off a headache. Too late for that. He circles the sheet of debris in the path, moving closer to the redhead, both hands raised in a halting gesture. "Okay. You're... clearly all sorts of fucked up from the stupid brain thing. So we're on the same page here... Somnus. As in Somnus Lucis Caelum. The Founder King. My one hundred somethingth ancestor. Who... definitely can't be your brother cause you know me. There's like a couple millennia in there."
no subject
His amber eyes trail him as he paces and seemingly processes this new information. What he says next though has Ardyn furrowing his brows in confusion. Ancestor? Founder King? Just like his statement was a lot for Noctis to unpack, that alone is quite a bit for (this) Ardyn to take in.
"Yes, Somnus. A Lucis Caelum, same as me." That much has to be clear. Right? "He..." the man starts, but pauses as he tries to think of what to say. What he's feeling. "So, the gods chose him as king." He isn't surprised, necessarily, but he is a bit seemingly disheartened. Why would he not...?
"If what you're saying is true, anyway, and you're from Eos' future."
no subject
It pulls Noctis up short leaves him staring and bewildered again before he shifts his weight, crosses his arms over his chest and that brilliant blue gaze hardens, striving for a sort of distance that his ancestor excelled at but Noctis has always been too driven by emotions to ever achieve. He huffs an exasperated breath, looks away as though he doesn't care anymore but there's a wariness, an alertness in the tension of his stance that belies him.
"You're fucking with me." Firm and certain and something he desperately wants to be true. "Didn't know the Imperial Chancellor took up acting on the side. Tch-"
no subject
"Imperial, what?" He racks his brain for what 'Empire' this boy could be referring to and while it's already long declined, he does point out: "I have no association to Solheim." It's nothing but ruins now besides, a harsh lesson in hubris already on the edges of people's memory.
no subject
Noct finally huffs out a growl of frustration, shifting to lean his weight against the stupid hunk of debris in the path with the sullen annoyance only a teenager could muster. Part of him wants to just tell Ardyn to fuck off. Most of him, even. There's enough fury there under the surface, rage that's been simmering since he found out what the man did to Prompto, that he almost wants to do more than tell him to leave.
But there's no sense in it just now, not with how Ardyn is behaving. Lost and confused and either a damned good actor or genuinely unable to understand what's going on.
"You really don't remember..." He intends for there to be more there but he is at a loss for words to explain. Especially when he hasn't personally experienced most of it. He'd only briefly met the man, had no idea the weight of who he was at the time.
no subject
"Although I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm forgetting either," the man adds. Noctis acts like he knows him. Of course, he'd hope that even if his brother took over as king that he'd still be remembered for his deeds someday. He figured it was just that; he was a footnote in the stories about Somnus' reign.
But Noctis is acting like he knows him, personally, and he isn't sure how that could be when he's talking about a distant future where Somnus - and by extension, Ardyn, he realizes - is his ancestor.