The Demon Plot: DEATH OF GRINDING MADNESS [July Player Event]

[pillz]

Who: Ensemble production, all individuals who opted in to the plot
When: July 9-21
Where: Two inhabited planets around the Ingress
What: The demon plot kicks off, in which malevolent shadow beings, copies of existing characters, begin to materialize and harass the PCs across the worlds. Plotting post is here, and a network post will go up within the next 2 days from several PCs advising on how to end the plot.
Warnings: Violence, psychological themes, possibly past trauma, etc.

Death of Grinding Madness
The Demon Plot
(mild spoilers for The Raven Cycle)

On July 9, a demon begins to make its way through the Ingress, summoned through by a shitty teenager.

July 9-12
Harrying

It's innocuous in the beginning. A movement in the corner of your eye, a shadow through a curtain-- merely a tree. But then the shadow figures begin to emerge into full being. Black-eyed wraiths that look like enemies, friends with whom you've had past conflict, or even you yourself. At first, it's merely harrying, minor harassment. Threatening gestures, broken gestures, jump scares.

Pursue them, and they disappear-- you might even catch a glimpse of how. They melt down into black slime, racing away across floors, through sewer grates, up walls, impossible to follow. By now, the worst of the climate freeze is over, but residual ice does pose a needles extra obstacle.

July 12-15
The Violence Escalates

In the days that follow, the situation only gets worse.

Sporadic harassment turns into outright attacks. The targeting is unmistakable. The shadow beings who can speak tell cruel tales of animosity, spite, even hatred. They are as deadly with their hands or strange powers as their doppelgangers are, and worse, they're functionally indestructible. Rip off one's head and it merely reforms out of sticky black ink. Limbs regenerate just as easily. The being might dispell for a few hours, but no doubt— it'll be back, if not to hurt you then someone you know.

The Savrii begin to notice. It's hard not to. While there is hardly an epidemic of panic, the disruptions are hard to miss-- broken windows, screams, random violence. Soon, the authorities begin to open safehouse facilities at which characters can seek shelter.

July 15-18
The Golem

On July 17, something horrific begins to happen— several shadow beings merge to form a massive golem in Kauto R1. It is a grotesque, horrifying spectacle, of limbs and eyes and pulsating flesh. It reaches almost sixty feet in height. Combined together, this shadow creature is considerably less intelligent than the individual beings were. However, it is also immensely strong and regenerates just like the smaller ones did.

Within the mall, hundreds of daytime shoppers are trapped within. Luckily, they have food and climate control. Perhaps you're one of them-- or perhaps you're trying to get in to provide medical care.

In the meantime, the attacks from the individual shadow beings don't stop. Despite the intelligence exhibited by some, all of them seem mindlessly bent on tormenting their targets until they are killed.

July 18-21
The Sacrifice

On the 9th day, a network post goes up (link pending, will be OOCly forward-dated to July 10th latest) revealing how to remove the invincibility of the attackers.

And by the 21st, the remaining beings utterly vanish without explanation— unless you happen to bear witness to the events that take place at St. Monmouth.

Comments

[startpoint]

[ Shit! They look similar enough now that the shadow has reformed its helmet that Carolina isn't sure who to take a shot at. She knows York would rather she run but she won't.

Not without him.

Thankfully the solution hits her a moment later. ]

Delta! I need a way to tell York from the copy!

[infailtration]

[ Delta appears over the real York's shoulder, then dissolves into a glowing green light that surrounds him head and torso. The shadow reflects it a bit, but it's easy enough to tell them apart. York hears Carolina yell and can see the light, mentally thanking D for his help.

He's trapped on his back but manages to get the shadow by the throat and hold him up at arms length, getting enough distance between them for Carolina to shoot again. ]

[startpoint]

[ The moment Delta distinguishes York from his double she starts lining up a shot, one that she takes the moment York shoves the shadow up and away from himself. One shot that takes it through the temple and sending it off him to melt into a puddle. ]

We should get out of here before it gets up again.

[ She's not going to mention how her arms hurt from the recoil. Everything sucks when you aren't wearing powered armor. ]

[infailtration]

[ York picks himself up, backing towards Carolina. ]

Yeah... run. Maybe if we get away before it reforms it won't be able to track us.

[ He'd rather see it die but they need more intel -- it might just keep getting back up and he's not willing to risk Carolina. This way, he gestures, bolting back through the crowd that's gathered towards transit back to the complex. He wants to get Carolina's injuries looked at. ]

[startpoint]

[ She's hot on his heels as he makes a break for the crowd, adrenaline helping to numb the worst of her aches as they retreat. When they're safe, or at least reasonably safe, on board the transport she sits down as the fight starts to catch up to her, that fight or flight energy draining away.

She looks at York and smiles slightly, exhaustion and hurt softening the edges of it. ]

Thanks for the rescue. I was starting to think I might have to call Tex when you showed up.