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

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

For once, his persistence to insist and press on certain subject aren't met with anger or frustration but instead with more softness and relief. Sometimes it's good to see that some things don't change.

take a wild guess

[pillz]

u fell down a well ym baby darling
i don't know
demon come after u?

There are worse guesses. Better too. She's right, of course. He knows. There is one primary catastrophe in this world of late.

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

no worries about that lassie
nothing as that dramatic

just that few fuckers decided to let some steam off on me

Well, it's only half of the truth. The one who had attacked her had been Rinzler's shadow copy rather than the program himself. But somehow J doubts that his feelings about her were too different from the shadow's.

[pillz]

sounds pretty fucking dramatci

He is... whatever passes for 'concerned' where Kavinsky is involved.

can i cum visit

;)

... :(

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

you want to have conjugate visit or something??

be my guest im at hospital

→ action; (cw drugs)

[pillz]

[he's at the hospital in three hours. skinny little thing in an asymmetrical leather jacket, rumpled hair, a little hollow around the eyes, but that's nothing new for a long-term coke addict. when she awakens, she finds his feet propped up on the edge of her bed. he's playing with his phone, his tattooed fingers darting jittery and too-quick over the glassy screen. someone's anxious.

and dealing with it by hospital visits. worse things to do.]

Morning, sunshine. [he glances up when he senses movement, eyes settling on the shape of her in the bed.]

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

[J is sleeping almost completely under the covers. Only thing that's visible, and giving it away that it's her are the few golden curly looks peeking underneath the blanket. She had fallen asleep pretty quickly after their short conversation over TABs -- probably thanks to medicine they're pumping into her system.

She wakes up and hears his voice. So he really came -- had that been what they talked about? It takes a moment from her before she moves again, her body uneasy and slow, and turns to her side and looks at him. She's paler than usual but that's not the notable change. Half of her face is covered with a big white bandage and a splint wrapped around her wrist. She doesn't say anything while looking at him with tired eyes. She doesn't have voice -- or at least so might the finger shaped bruised around her neck and throat implicate.]