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!

⁂ 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!

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Comments

Wildcard - Home Repair

[swordlily]

For all that Gladio's life has never been what one might normally call sheltered, with his being perfectly familiar and comfortable with heavy labor and working with his hands, never shying away from hard work or menial, everyday tasks as being beneath him...nonetheless, living in this world has exposed some areas of privilege he'd never considered before. For instance, in all his life, he's never had to worry about winter maintenance on a building before. Presumably Amicitia manor had required it, but it had never been something he had to think about, much less personally do. He wonders if his father ever even put in orders for it, or if it was part of some arrangement older than his immediate family. Or, perhaps, Jared might have managed it - though it'd be more likely he'd coordinate with the workmen rather than it being a task he did himself.

And so they've had to learn on the fly, along with some helpful instruction from the locals. Even in Iggy's far-reaching quest to be able to do and be anything for Noct, under any circumstances, Gladio doesn't think he'd ever considered needing to know how to re-shingle a roof for him until they'd ended up here.

The weather could be better, but it could also be worse. There's snow, fine small flakes that haze the air and hinder visibility, but the temperature is surprisingly tolerable despite that - Gladio doesn't even think that's Lawrence's heat keeping it at bay. And the wind only comes in the occasional small gust, mostly letting things lie still instead of whipping snow into their eyes. It's the seasonal temperature more than anything that has them out here, despite the snow; good weather for hands that have to be bare in order to handle the tools.

"Iggy," he says patiently, taking the hammer from him, "I don't care how many fish Noct catches. We can't eat fish every night. If it's just fresh ingredients you want, I'll go out and get us rabbits, or a deer, and we can eat like kings - but if you serve one more thing with scales tonight, Prom and I are gonna stage a revolt."

[parer]

If Gladio, for all his rugged independence and living a life far more rough than Ignis can begin to imagine, knows very little about helping the winter maintenance on a house... Then the young teenager who has lived in an apartment all his life certainly knew nothing about it. Indeed, it was never assumed that it would come up in any capacity. After all, Ignis would always be a load bearing wall for a great other things. No need to add something like this to the task.

And yet here they are.

At least, indeed, he has made sure to talk with a great many people in Town on the proper measures to take. While there are some negatives to living in such a small town in the middle of nowhere, at least most people all know someone who knows something. It's been... enlightening.

Not that Ignis really likes being out here as him and Gladio do maintenance, however. There are still those intellect devourers scurrying about, as far as he can tell. They've ensured that nothing can get into the house generally speaking, but being out here for so long... All sorts of things can happen.

He doesn't trust it.

Also, while the weather has become a little better than nonstop demanding wind, it's still far too cold for Ignis with the way that he is, and he can't wear his thick furs if he wants to be able to maneuver as is necessary for maintenance, and he's just rather sulky about it all.

What helps with feeling sulky? Seeing someone else grump about something, and a puff of warm hair fogs up in front of his glasses for a moment in his amusement for all that he surrenders the hammer. If he's going to be like that, then he'll just pick up the small box of nails, too. "Now now. He was so glad that there was some part of the river not completely frozen over. Still, I won't refuse a good rabbit if you're so insistent, even if I haven't heard a word from Prompto."

This is a fib. Prompto has definitely made a dramatic groan or five, meaning Ignis has definitely heard him.

What he might not be hearing now, as they move around tools and materials, wood and metal clattering... is potentially something making its way through the snow.

[swordlily]

Really, it's a shitty time for home repair all around, there's no denying it. But even without the intellect devourers - and there's plenty of reason to be nervous about them, nervous about them finding any weaknesses in the cottage to pry open, especially with so many stories floating around Town of them sneaking into houses in the night for feasts - there are other, more subtle invaders. The cold isn't pleasant, but even worse, any snow that gets in is likely to cause water damage. And the snow can creep in places far too small for any creature.

The intellect devourers are a potential hazard, but the snow is a definite one. Just because it's a shitty time for home repair doesn't mean their priorities aren't in order; it just means that sometimes pragmatism makes some really unpleasant demands.

"And it's got nothing to do with you encouraging him to fish, right?" Gladio says, shooting Ignis a cunning look. "Trying to make sure his moping over Regis doesn't weigh him down too much? Trying to get him back into his favorite hobby and not think about how his dad isn't fishing with him?" Gladio knows his boyfriend. Knows him, he dares to say, better than anyone. He's pretty sure Iggy has some strategy at play in bringing Noct out of his funk, and their piscine diet recently is part of the fallout of his schemes.

And while he loves his boyfriend for all of that, aside from the lack of variety in their food lately, he's not about to let Iggy pretend he's fooled Gladio about it, either. Iggy needs to remember he's not the only smart one in the relationship.

Gladio isn't listening for an approach, either, too intent on his callout of Iggy and the potential response. And with their own movement, the stealthy padding of something approaching through the snow is difficult to discern.

[parer]

Truly, to be known is a rather troublesome thing, and Gladio gets a somewhat flat look before Ignis turns his head away with a small sigh. "Really, if you already knew that, you could have simply hushed." After all, of course he wants to try and help Noctis a little bit. To let him delve into one of the things he loves to do the most. To encourage that.

But must it really be pointed out so obviously.

Not because Ignis is embarrassed by how much he adores Noctis and will do whatever he can for him, but because he knows is still running off of some old habits born from when Noctis was at his most prickly. Being known so well sometimes seemed to bother him, back then... and despite how much Noctis has grown considerably, well. Sometimes Ignis, at this age, cannot help but err on the side of caution. On being a little more hush-hush when he's trying to do his prince a favor, or some measure of kindness. Mostly during times like this, when the stakes feel a little heavier than normal, and he wants to not mess up.

He'll get better in time; certainly he got better by the time Gladio is from.

A time that will perhaps be relevant in short order.

Because there's still a lot for work to be done on the house, and Ignis is already turning away to reach for something else left behind from their work. Trivial, mundane. Nothing special.

Nothing special save for that is when the Intellect Devourer decides to make its move.

Needless to say, this isn't the most ideal situation for such a creature... but perhaps it is all it can do right now. Perhaps it is desperate. Starving. Ultimately, no one can really speak with such a creation.

Ignis can't. All Ignis can do is turn when he hears a noise, and finds a Devourer leaping at his husbands neck, tacked on tentacles going straight for his throat and a haze of spores already gathered thick around it. All he can do, in that one second, is feel how his heart freezes.

But only for that one second.

Then Ignis is moving into action immediately, a long nail grasped in his hand and his feet launching himself from where he is. "Gladio-!"

[swordlily]

Really, Gladio just points out how well he knows Iggy sometimes because of how much Iggy tries to hide of himself. How private he tries to keep everything. The reminder that someone knows him so well - that he's allowed someone to know him so well - that he doesn't have to try and hide things is an idea Gladio tries to help him hold on to. And, perhaps...perhaps Gladio's worried that Iggy will forget how smart Gladio is, how close Gladio is, and will start trying to fool him, too. Or start thinking he's already done so. Then it would feel like they were on different sides of things - Iggy on the side of knowing, of being allowed to know, and Gladio kept at a distance.

Gladio just likes to keep emphasizing that they're on the same side of things, always. That they're equally informed, equally smart, can equally be trusted with Iggy's inner workings. Sometimes he swears Iggy tries to forget out of sheer self-consciousness.

Perhaps Gladio's caught up in such thoughts when the intellect devourer attacks. Usually his sixth sense is a little better...but there is snow in the air, Iggy happens to be moving at the same time(which covers some of the snow-crunching behind him), and - well, frankly, attacking two people together is just an unwise move. Not one Gladio would expect. The creature probably is desperate to try it.

All Gladio knows is that he picks out the sounds behind him just an instant too late to do much about it, and it's just as well because frankly if he'd turned around when the creature leapt on him while he was turning around he'd probably be getting that mouth in dangerous proximity to his entire face. Instead, tentacles wrap around his neck like ropes, Gladio's hands immediately reaching up to try and prevent them from squeezing off his airway. Is that even a thing this creature would do? He doesn't know, and frankly he's not thinking coherently. It's kneejerk reaction.

[parer]

The scrape of a boot sliding too hard against snow and ice. That's what has Ignis turning his head, and he hears the guttural intake of breath just a split-second before he can see what's happening.

See that creature wrapping itself tight around Gladio's throat, trying to throttle him into unconsciousness, trying to devour all it can as it presses its maw against his head. Not physically devour, but something else.

Ignis knows this. Knows the briefing he was given by Charlie and Dimitri. Just like he knows they will cause a psionic explosion upon death.

And yet his first immediate instinct, all violence and panic, has him lunge forward. "Gladio!" Perhaps the sound idea would be to pull a dagger out from the Armiger, but this Ignis hasn't quite gotten into the habit yet. What he does have is a long nail in one hand.

And teeth.

Surprisingly sharp teeth.

One hand grabs at Gladio's shoulder, primarily to make sure the other doesn't thrash about or move too much, because the other hand is driving the nail directly towards the base of one tentacle. Not enough to sever it - especially not with a nail, not meant for cutting - but enough to damage the muscles there surely. Enough to make it weaken its grip.

And if that's not enough, then he's already digging his teeth into the flesh to do a much better job of severance.

[swordlily]

Even while Gladio struggles, even while Ignis attacks the creature clinging to him...it's impossible for Gladio to miss that Iggy is attacking the damn thing with his teeth, and equally impossible not to fall in love with Ignis a little more for that. How could anyone else have a better partner than this? Who else would bite a tentacle like a feral animal to save him?

It's not something he lets distract him, of course - he can hardly afford, or manage, to be distracted from what's currently happening. It's just a little side note that, even under the circumstances, almost makes him laugh.

No doubt from Iggy's efforts, he feels the grip on the tentacle around his neck weakening, and without even thinking consciously about it, he changes his tactics. Iggy's damaged it, which means it has weak points now, a fact he incorporates instinctively as his hand closest to where Iggy wounded it shifts its grip to closer to where the wound(s) are. Then, rather than trying to pry it away from his neck - he simply holds the tentacle at those two separate points and pulls, with terrific force, in opposite directions.

The creature makes a horrible shrieking sound as, at one of the points of injury Iggy has inflicted on it, Gladio manages to rip part of its tentacle right off. It's hard to tell if it actually loses its grip because of this, or whether it lets Gladio go intentionally trying to get away, but it falls off him onto its back, legs flailing wildly as it tries to right itself.