childrenofbahamutlogs | EVENT #2: BRAIN BOGGLING

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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.

INVESTIGATION & PROTECTION

Deathcard Cabin by Jonah Senzel

4:07 / 13:06

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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!

⁂ For even more ambient event music, you can check out this this playlist!

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If there's one good thing to have come out of his recent experience with the Final Days, it's that Lahabrea knows, without question, what the sound of someone shrieking in terror sounds like. It's not a comforting sound, perhaps, but it is very much one he knows.

He does not, at the moment, stop to register who has been shrieking. It's less important.

Instead, a fireball comes hurtling out of the fog, striking the Intellect Devourer head on. It's not a killing blow, perhaps, but it does serve as a moment of distraction. A breath of space before Lahabrea himself steps into view, glowing chains loosely wrapped around one arm as he turns to Rosie.

"Are you unharmed?"

When in doubt: fireball.

It's a tried and true tactic. Although her element is ice and she should have the advantage here, these things are stupidly slippery. Until it launched itself at her, she wasn't sure if it was going to make a move at all. Thankfully, even though she was prepared to face it, the creature is blasted with heat and smoke away from her.

On instinct, she immediately moves closer to Lahabrea and nods her head. "Yeah, I'm alright," she answers. "Thanks for the assist. I know I should be out on my own, I just didn't think they'd be so fast." Coming from her, whose strength is speed, that is a concerning statement.

Tried and true, and something Lahabrea has found to be effective on a wide variety of creatures. That it also happens to be his preferred element - if not perhaps the one his scales would suggest an alignment to - is a convenient bonus. Still he says nothing of the fact. Simply lets the fireball stand for itself, as he keeps an eye on the intellect devourer as Rosie comes to stand closer to him.

(Something he does not see as anything other than a tactical maneuver, at the moment.)

"You would not be the first to choose to go out alone, regardless of the warnings."

He himself has, after all, and he cannot well blame someone else for doing precisely the same.

"Still, if it is their speed that is the problem..."

He makes another sharp gesture, and the chains around his wrist vanish. Or at least vanish from off his person as they instead wind around the intellect devourer, holding it firmly in place in those same chains, no matter how much it should struggle.

Good to know she hasn't been the only one bending the rules. Look, she'd just say her faith in Hoshiko was that great! The same way she'd say she was just moving closer as a tactic for safety. Both of things were technically true but also...

"Oh?" she questions, watching the chains disappear and then instead re-emerge wound around the intellect devourer. Already weak, it gives out a hiss and thrashes but as expected isn't able to move but that. The blond blinks at the sight, impressed.

Also, she's trying to stop her stupid horny lizard brain from thinking 'wow, that's so stupid hot he can do that' with almost no success. At least she has the decency to not say so outright. "That's pretty handy," she manages instead, relaxing just a touch.

Edited 2025-03-07 00:05 (UTC)

Bending the rules is not typically something Lahabrea might engage in. But he has faith in his own abilities, if nothing else. Enough that he feels no need to have another person around for the sake of his protection. After all, he has and likely will face worse.

But these too go unaddressed. There is no need, and he does need to spend some of his focus on maintaining the chains imprisoning the intellect devourer.

"The magic was created to hold the creations held within Pandaemonium."

Though it seems they also do just fine on things of this world besides.

"Still, they will not persist forever. Better to see it dead before it should find its way free."

Still, he doesn't move to immediately do so, likely to give Rosie the opportunity to make the killing blow should she wish.

She would understand that sentiment, at least. She has - and probably still will - face much more frightening than brains with legs. The woman didn't have to like it though and could be grateful someone else swooped in to help.

"Oh, right- That place with all the deadly creations, right?" Well, maybe 'deadly' is a bit harsh. "Or the more... rambunctious ones." It honestly made her think of her own world. Not all demons were bad, but they did have their nature to follow. No one condemned predators in nature for hunting prey; it was only when they were the prey that things became uncomfortable.

Ah, well.

"I was trying to avoid having to kill one of these things if I could, but I know they're probably better off taken care of." The pacifist in her though isn't sure even if it's a 'mercy' killing.

"It would not be incorrect to call them deadly. If only in potential."

Though in fairness some of Pandaemonium's creatures are more immediately volatile than others. Even if that particular distinction is not something that he wants to get into when they are already handling a very different dangerous creature. And one that Lahabrea certainly does not intend to let at either of them.

"Nor do I wish to see these remain here. But should you prefer to avoid such deeds I will not force you."

His hands are already stained, and with something far worse than the blood of a dangerous creature. But he says nothing of that. Instead, the chains dissipate... and then flicker of a moment later a stronger blast of fire engulfs the already-weak intellect devourer. An immolating pyre that sees the job done as neatly as any weapon might have.

Okay, well, as long as she didn't unintentionally offend. In a way, she kind of gets it. She's supposed to be 'deadly' too and has been; and while she'd much rather be known for her gentle nature than the one people ascribe to her, she also knows it's... part of her that can't be denied either. No matter how hard she keeps trying.

"Thanks," she says, genuine. It's not that she couldn't, but it's important that she was able to avoid it. Too often in her life she wasn't given the choice.

Still, she blinks at the way it suddenly ignites. The way that it squeals also makes her uncomfortable even if she doesn't actually flinch. A sign that she too has seen much worse, probably. "You know, I thought maybe it'd put up more of a fight-" This said as she takes a step towards it. (Does she know about the way they explode? Not yet.)

There's a nod in answer to her thanks, but nothing else. Lahabrea sees no need to add anything further and so he does not. That much of his focus is also on his spellwork also contributes, but he's ever been inclined to not say anything more than is necessary.

It's only a moment later, as Rosie steps forward, that the intellect devourer does in fact explode. And though Lahabrea is able to swiftly see to the scattered flames that result, he cannot do anything about the psionic wave, nor the memories that it carries along with it.

To those who are not used to it, the halls of Pandaemonium no doubt look at best faintly gloomy; the somber darkness not at all helped by the cages hanging heavily overhead. But Lahabrea walks them with a practiced ease; as if has known them for eons, and has nothing to fear from them. Nor do Erichthonios and Themis, following behind him in the company of yet another individual whose appearance is somehow... indistinct.

Still, they are not walking long before Lahabrea turns to the others and speaks.

"Stay here. This will be over soon."

With that, he turns and approaches a woman with short reddish hair. A woman who seems to be confused as to why Lahabrea has asked her to where they are given her comments about there still being a great deal yet to do. Something Lahabrea does not deny, turning instead to ask after her time in Pandaemonium. A fact that even for a memory might seem all but meaningless until he indicates that she is now the most senior keyward within Pandaemonium.

(Something that might well only mean anything thanks to the memory itself, and the fact that Lahabrea himself knows what a keyward is.)

The memory does not dwell on it, and Lahabrea continues on.

"As such, you deserve to know a secret few others are privileged to hear. One concerning myself." A pause, as Lahabrea briefly hangs his head. "Removing Hephaistos from myself required removing part of my soul."

There is, again, nothing save the background information of the memory to explain this.

"A necessary sacrifice, but one which came at no small cost to my natural talents. I am but a shadow of the man I was at the time of my appointment as Lahabrea." Another pause, as he raises his head to meet her gaze, his look almost accusatory. "I could never hope to wield the same magicks that Hephaistos used to shackle the warders minds, let alone break their shackles."

This time, the woman demurs, commenting that the tone of defeat with which it has been offered does not suit Lahabrea, imploring him to not give in to despair. An answer that Lahabrea does not seem to appreciate, given the way his eyes narrow nor the unimpressed tone of his voice when he answers.

"There is no despair - only truth. I do not confide in you to garnish cheap sympathy. Hephaistos left behind fascinating research. His conclusion was that to transform a vessel into a hemitheos, absolute control over their mind was essential. As you well know, the magicks used to achieve such dominion exploited strong emotions within their victims' hearts. In the case of Hesperos and Agdistis, their respect for me. Upon slipping his bonds, Hephaistos took steps to throw Pandaemonium into chaos. With their attention divided, keyward and warder alike were easy targets. But there was an act that came before. Regardless of Hephaistos' prowess, he could not have won freedom on his own."

The woman's lips tighten, but she says nothing. Instead, Lahabrea continues.

"For long days and nights I pondered who might have released him. I could only conclude that Athena's plans were set in motion long, long ago, when she claimed the mind of one of her admirers."

A pause, just long enough for Lahabrea to draw a breath.

"Hegemone. None would question your pride in your position. Your devotion to Pandaemonium. But you do not believe I am fit to lead it, do you? Your loyalty lies not to my vision of Pandaemonium, but Athena's."

It is an accusation, and Hegemone reacts in kind, asking what has prompted such an accusation and insisting there is a proper explanation. An explanation Lahabrea is not inclined to hear, as he instead reaches out a hand and, using nothing more than magic itself, drags Hegemone into an air - to not just her shock but those who had come with Lahabrea from the first, with Erichthonios demanding to know just what Lahabrea is doing. A question for which Lahabrea's only answer is a sharp demand that he not approach... which to his credit, Erichthonios obeys as Lahabrea turns back to Hegemone, drawing a scarlet crystal from out of his robes as he does so.

"As I have already stated, even should I detect Athena's tinkering, I am currently powerless to dispel it. And so I have come to a decision. One which was made with the best interests of the star in mind. In order to build a better future, I require the strength I have lost."

A red glow erupts from the crystal in his hand, echoed by the flare of red from a mask - a glyph rather, rent in half, that appears just in front of his face.

"I must embrace these odious memories!"

The crystal rises into the air then, before all but shattering, bathing Lahabrea in a reddish glow, as he raises a hand to cover the fractured glyph.

"Mark well this sight - engrave it upon your very soul." His voice has taken on the tone of pronouncement as he snaps his hand across his face, the glyph filling in to its full form as he continues. "You now bear witness to the true Lahabrea!"

The rest happens in all but the blink of an eye. He raises his hand again before Hegemone is all but engulfed in fire before falling, all but insensate, to the cold floor of Pandaemonium. And there the memory fades to an end, as the others come rushing in, Lahabrea's glyph fading as they do so.

Edited 2025-03-20 20:54 (UTC)

The explosion is startling not just for the fact that it happens but because of what follows. The memory that she peers in on is strange. The halls of Pandaemonium are eerily reminiscent to her own life caged in a fighting ring for creatures like herself from what she can see. Although given more roam, it was clearly meant to keep things from leaving that shouldn't. Gray, grim, and with such an ominous aura- She'll think about that for some time, honestly, even if she understands why it was built the way it was.

(He might catch an echo due to the psionic wave of the place she compares it to in his own mind's eye. A flicker of herself - even if with white hair and woflish ears, still clearly her - sitting and leaning against a cold brick wall and staring out through a line of bars across the small room.)

It's only a few seconds that she lives those longer moments of his memory. Some of it is only contextualized by, as suspected, the fact that it's Lahabrea's memories and he knows what it means. Still, it's disorienting when she blinks away the images to see the ground beneath her palms. She must have fallen forward after losing her balance but managed to catch herself, at least, and tries to steady her mind and body both.

"Ah, you... Huh." That's all she can say, really, as she processes the information she's just been given. "A memory about memories. Sure, that's- Why not?"

Even had he not been caught up in the same psionic wave, Lahabrea would almost certainly have known which memory Rosie had been caught up in. There are few enough points in his life where memories have directly been under discussion, and while none of them are something he would have willingly shown, there is nothing he can do about it now. To say nothing of the relief that at least he has found where his stolen memories have gone to, for good or ill.

(He says nothing about the brief echo he sees of her own world - or what he assumes to have been her world. It does not seem a particularly appropriate time to mention it.)

"Hegemone yet lives, should you wonder."

It's offered without any trace of remorse. Merely an acknowledgement that it might well seem otherwise, given the memory as a whole.

"But it would not have been the first time the matter of memories was of import, even during the events that necessitated that encounter."

She'll be glad if she ever learns he decided to not address it immediately. While not something she'd hide from anyone asking, well- It's also not a subject she gets into without good reason generally.

"I mean, I was hoping so," she admits. Not that she could fault a man for killing someone over perceived betrayal. Honestly, she's seen plenty of men kill for far less. "But good to know." Besides that, she's still trying to process and piece together the... everything of that gained memory of his. While she knew they were from different worlds, it always is so strange to be reminded how different sometimes.

"Glad you got your soul back though? Well, the part that was missing. I mean, if I'm understanding all... that right."

"The part that I had previously excised, yes."

The part that had continued the seed of Athena's corruption, though he sees no reason to directly acknowledge that, should she not have managed to pick on it through context. Though he is well aware of its existence, it is not currently any significant problem. Nor does he imagine it is likely to, with both Erichthonios and Elidibus likewise aware of it and no doubt capable of knowing what to look for should it grow beyond its current state.

"All because of her," Rosie says, which- Maybe that's a bit insensitive. The woman didn't get much of Athena beyond what was said, but his feelings about her were complicated to say the least.

Though of all people, Rosie understands the desire to remove a part of one's soul in the midst of grief. To take away any of that pain. He was doing it for a more pragmatic reason, in the end, with the aforementioned corruption but still.

"I'm sorry," she offers, next. "That all that happened, I guess, but also just... that you had to do that in the first place?"

"Yes."

Though Lahabrea cannot say for certain how much of a sense for Athena Rosie will have gotten through his memories, he sees no reason to deny it either. Her ambitions, amplified though they may have been, had yet been the cause of all that had plagued both his soul and Pandaemonium itself.

"I cannot deny that I have wished it had not come to what it did."

Both in having to kill Athena and his choices afterwards.

"But I saw no other means by which to rid myself of that corruption. Regardless of my later decisions regarding that fragment of myself."

It may be but a seed of corruption, yes. But it is one that he cannot again rid himself of. Not short of repeating that which saw his soul split in the first place.

"Yeah," she answers, at first. "It's not the same, but... Well! I get, maybe, also hoping that things wouldn't turn out as they did. Or wondering if there wasn't more you could have done?" She's trying to commiserate but not make it all about herself.

"For me, it was kind of... My partner back home could be difficult. Stubborn. Angry, even." She knows. She knew then, too, but it was easier to deal with when in the midst of things. It was also easier to deal with when it was just her. "It wasn't as bad when I first met him, but the longer things went on then the more stressed he got and the more he lashed out. I kept thinking I could do something to help or have things go back to the way they were but- I couldn't."

And she sometimes still wonders if that isn't a failing on herself, but- Again! This isn't about her.

"Which is kind of comforting sometimes, I guess is what I'm trying to say. Maybe things would have always ended that way? No matter what I did. And you did all that you could as it happened, which is all anyone could have and anything else might have not changed things either. I'm kind of rambling, I guess, but! I hope that helps a little."

There's a slow nod in answer from Lahabrea. Though he speaks of emotion rarely, and rarely as openly as has already been the case thus far, he can understand at least some of what she's trying to say. Of the point, generally speaking, of her offer.

"Many are the questions I have asked myself, only to be forced to leave them unanswered."

Which has been unsatisfying to say the least, even though he knows none would be expected to know the answer. Even should it be some small consolation to have that very same answer he knows he will not find.

"Never will I know if there could have been another path. One in which her ambitions were less consuming, or in which I had seen the truth sooner. I know only that the ambition that spurred her actions did not come from nowhere. That whoever else she may have been, that would have yet remained."

Be it for good or for ill.

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EVENT #2: BRAIN BOGGLING

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