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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!
no subject
"Have you found anything worth fixing? I could keep watch for you, if you have." Angeal is well capable of taking care of himself, but it's easy for even the strongest fighter to get overwhelmed when outnumbered in such harsh elements.
That and... Byleth could do with the company himself. The winter was not his favorite season.
no subject
And with how bloodthirsty some of them are? Well, if he weren't himself, and were instead a brain with some slippery limbs attached, he'd try to hide as well.
As it is, well, he doesn't have to hide too much. All he does hide is how he can guess what Byleth is also asking for. There's just a nod. "Honestly, yeah. I've put a couple of temporary stop gaps in place, but I need to make them more secure so that I know for a fact they won't fall. Need to get anything from your place? If so, we can meet up back in the center of Town. Otherwise, you can stick with me as I fetch some things from our barn. Good thing I'd already been stocking up, honestly." He thought it'd just be stuff for winter-proofing the place at worst, and then preparing things in the spring... but this works out too.
no subject
"I don't need to fetch anything, I'll tail you. Who knows, maybe we will get lucky and something will take you for an easy target." He wants to hunt the damned things. Honestly he's not sure if it's the draconic influence or simply his own restlessness.
Either way, he spreads his wings and with a haphazard take-off he lands on a nearby roof.
"I'll follow from above."
no subject
Angeal rather doubts it, personally. Yeah, he knows that he's just one guy as he turns to start making his way out of town to another place on the outskirts... But he's also a pretty big guy to start with. That's before you take into consideration his massive horns, claws, and the way that the path he forges through the snow is a pretty melted one before the cold comes over it again in his wake.
What he's saying is that he doesn't make a particularly appealing target just now, but he's willing to be proven wrong as he makes his way to the dormant orchard waiting for him. Rather than heading right to the large main house, he goes instead for the large barn that's nearby.
It's going to take a minute to undo the doors - of course he'd shut this place down tight too at the news.
And they'll see if that's enough time for something to be tempted, or otherwise.
no subject
When he stops at last, Byleth posts up on the roof. Alighting, he moves as little snow as he possibly can, crouching like some kind of absurd gargoyle and allowing his ears to swivel, listening for any movement apart from the man below.
It's hard to tease apart, but eventually, his head snaps to a direction- was that scuffling he heard?
no subject
So even if he can't quite nail down what has him suddenly so on edge, he does know he's feeling it. Never one to ignore his own feelings, he takes a bit of extra slowness in undoing the locks on the barn doors before carefully opening it just enough.
If it is what they're hunting, then it may be better to slip inside. Give it less open area for it to run out into.
And if not, then, well, it's not a problem, is it?
no subject
It's two at first, that burst from the dirty snow at their quarry. A third thumping hard against the door that just isn't quite ajar enough for it to fully fit through, though its claws grasp and splinter the wood as it scrabbles madly to escape and join its comrades.
Byleth also explodes into motion, leaping from the roof with claws and teeth bared.
no subject
Angeal manages to duck in fast enough to avoid the first two, but this body still isn't as fast as he's truly used to. There's no time to grab the pitchfork that he was hoping to aim for, with instead his time being used to dodge from the two that are chasing after him.
"Be careful about killing them!" he reminds Byleth as he ducks away from one ID, following the statement up with a puff of fire to make the other skitter away.
no subject
No. His wings will have to do. As he digs his claws in and takes off, pumping his wings, higher and higher. He climbs until he is satisfied before sending the thing plummeting back toward the earth. It meets its end on the corner of a frozen stone wall, splattering with a sickening pop and releasing it's psychic payload safely out of range of both of them.
There's no time to celebrate though, as he quickly returns to help Angeal deal with the others.
no subject
Rather, he's busy getting a shovel and smacking an ID back like it's a baseball.
Byleth might catch snippets of the trash talk as he makes it back to the barn door. "Better not mess up my barn, took a whole two days to clear this out-" And that wet thud would be an ID smacking up against one of the wood walls.
The other ID seems to be taking a more cautious approach, considering what Angeal is waving around, and might even try to make a break for it... which is awkward, considering Byleth is at the exit.
no subject
Byleth lunges for it, though he is now a great deal further. He does at least take care not to slam headlong into Angeal. As much of a meet-cute as that could be, they have far more pressing matters at hand, and now is not the time for mistakes or happy accidents.
no subject
Well. One could opt to be clever and try to skirt around both of them by going to the side.
But then, considering how Angeal throws his shovel to knock some boxes off from the loft to topple right in front of its path, that's harder said than done.