EVENT #2: BRAIN BOGGLING

[diceofthegods]

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.

INVESTIGATION & PROTECTION

Deathcard Cabin by Jonah Senzel

4:07 / 13:06

▶︎

Click here to listen.

From the Inscryption OST: A unique and haunting sound paired with a unique and haunting game.

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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.

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.

Notes

⁂ The partner plotting post for this event/quarter is also up!

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⁂ If you have any further questions or feedback about this event specifically, please comment here!

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Comments

Firelight Wildcard Combo

[firsteditionbfs]

With passionate professionals such as Elidibus, Mithrun, and even Angeal himself involved in the hunt, well, it's not a surprise that progress goes fairly quickly against the Intellect Devourers even with the blizzard taken into account. There's almost certainly still some unaccounted for... but that could just be because people are off on their numbers, or they've fallen to wild animals, or even the blizzard itself. There are a lot of ways for something to die out of sight. All that's really necessary is finding the corpses, which is tricky with all the snow.

But that's enough to help soothe Angeal... slightly. At the very least, he has to admit that he's done his rounds about Town and on the outskirts, so there's not too much he can do before trading off with some of the others.

Anyway. If he's honest, he has to admit that there is something bothering him, and, well. He does remember a conversation he had once the last time this sort of thing happened.

So after sending a message to Themis to make sure that he's not on patrol as well right this moment, he makes his way over to the lovebirds' home and knocks on the door. Opening it will reveal that apparently he's managed to learn some measure of control over his appearance as well. No more are there the bothersome horns or the scales all along his forehead, and no tail drags along behind him on the ground. There are still some fearsome claws, but... he's working on it.

"Hey, Themis." Don't mind how tired he looks. It's all a mental kind.

[zodiheart]

When Themis looks up at Angeal, he recognizes that particular brand of turmoil intimately. Oh, love he cannot help but think, please, let yourself be. His own exhaustion is a combination of physical, mental, and emotional, but here in his home he looks better than he has been.

It's nothing to take both of Angeal's hands and draw him into his sanctuary. To shut the door behind them both and remain, thumbs slowly smoothing over the backs of his hands and deftly avoiding catching on the claws. His smile is soft, full of affection.

"Hello, my love. We may find more privacy upstairs, if you wish for it." He does not probe for the reason why Angeal is here, not yet. He trusts him to explain when he's ready.

[firsteditionbfs]

Considering he's pretty sure he looks like he feels, it's hardly a surprise that Themis can see through him so easily. Well, there's no arguing from him on that front. Especially if it means getting out of the cold, and putting a little less of himself on edge.

"Upstairs might not be a bad idea," he admits. "We could all probably use a bit of privacy." For numerous reason. Like how being stuck in one place can make people go feral for some space. Or how shared memories is always a little bit... too much. And for him? Well, for him, he's just going to be revealing a little bit too much of a sore spot.

"Just so long as there's room. Don't want to take anything from no one."

[zodiheart]

"My bedroom is expecting no bodies save for my own and Erichthonios, and he is busying himself elsewhere at the moment."

He does not manhandle Angeal, not really, merely progvides him with encouraging guidance as they make their way up the stairs. Themis knows that he will appreciate the guidance at present. It is easier, sometimes, for another to make the simple decisions for one undergoing as much mental strain as Angeal appears to be going through. Nothing horrendously invasive, never that, but the pace at which they move - a hand on the waist, to shepherd towards the intended room.

Another, pressed to Angeal's shoulder to sit him down on Themis's bed while Themis settles down next to him. With the door securely shut and locked and the windows sealed with bolts and magic, they are in as safe of a location as the Emissary can provide.

The curtains are drawn. A soft glow illuminates the room - a glowing crystal set in a holder, used as a lamp.

"My shoulder is open to you," said with a soft smile, "I have been told that it is especially comfortable as of late." But he will not press.

[firsteditionbfs]

While Angeal has almost certainly made visits here and now, in the months they've been here, there's no argument in letting Themis just sort of... guide the way a bit. He made the choice to come here, so he has to commit to it. That's what Angeal tells himself as they make their way up the stairs, into the quiet little room that Themis and Erich make their own.

Still. Despite that, he hesitates just a moment there by the bed, and it takes some force of will to settle down. To just... put himself in place for the next step.

"Yeah, I bet you have," he mutters, scrubbing at his face. This feels like having his fur brushed backwards, all wrong ways. Eventually, however, he does get himself to lean against Themis.

"...What the hell is it with the rest of the universe and dragging out old memories that should've stayed buried? I don't need so many people taking a look into my head with some of the shit that I've gone through." He doesn't need them knowing.

[zodiheart]

Slipping a hand around Angeal, Themis leans back into him with slightly lesser pressure. He is a firm pillar of support - not commenting on his being used often of late as a source of comfort. It was only to be expected, considering how he'd made of himself a bulwark, impenetrable to the creatures and their seeking of memories. That he was untouched came from skill and will and fervor combined, and he was glad to provide some measure of succor to those without a drive as intense as his.

"I do not know." His lips twist into a wan sort of expression. There was something to be said for how this situation had happened more than once to the two of them. "But it is why I have worked so fervently to avoid it myself. None should see what I have, least of all those not even to be called of age."

But it is not about him, right now. He sighs.

"It is a violation of the highest order. Not only that your memories have been once again peered into, but that they may be shared with others without you even knowing. It is... rather singular in its terrible nature."

[firsteditionbfs]

Themis might not think it's about him, but that doesn't mean that Angeal is ignoring him either. Hearing about his own boyfriend's worries is enough for him to reach over, rubbing at his shoulder with one firm grip.

"You do got a lot of time to choose from. And I know well as anyone that it wasn't pleasant." Nothing pleasant would have lead to that moment out in Sikalina, in the dark, Themis frantically trying to find his own face again. "But for what it is worth... I wouldn't judge anything, if we ever had that stroke of bad luck."

At least not enough to bring undue worry to Themis.

"For me, it always seems to be the same thing... Makes me worry in a way."