pillz: (Default)
joseph kavinsky ([personal profile] pillz) wrote in [community profile] thisavrou_log2017-07-09 01:05 pm

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

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.



frostedplum: (sorry! sorry. i'm sorry. sorry.)

[personal profile] frostedplum 2017-08-15 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Mei sits without protest, because confiding in him is what might get rid of her shadow for good, and she doesn't have to rush back out to find her. But her eyes stay fixed on the floor. It's somehow easier to talk if she's focusing on that instead of on his face.

"I suppose so. They might feel insulted if I don't put my trust in them, but if I take care of myself, they never have to know." Her forehead wrinkles in thought. "I know that not every situation will turn out like Antarctica, but it's hard to let myself be taken care of. It's something I need to work on, though. What if I really need the help someday?"
warandpeace: (Wнeɴ тнe worĸιɴɢ dαy ιѕ doɴe)

[personal profile] warandpeace 2017-08-16 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
He tips his head and looks down at his hand, his right hand, that half invisible thing.

"I felt helpless for a really long time. Losing my arm and leg actually felt more like people could finally see how it was. But then I finally was forced to accept a helping hand. I didn't have any other choice.

"I don't want you to ever end up in a situation where you have no other choice. I think the fact of the matter is, if you're anything like me," which she is admittedly different but her traumas were just as real, "you probably need help now."
frostedplum: (sorry! sorry. i'm sorry. sorry.)

[personal profile] frostedplum 2017-08-18 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
"I can't imagine what that's like," she says, voice subdued and sad. She's never lost a physical part of herself and hopefully never will. But he's not the kind of man a person pities. He's strong in a lot of ways, especially now when he's keeping his head and helping Mei sort out her issues. He doesn't have to do any of this, but he is.

"I do. I have to admit I do. I can't stop her with ice, or fights, or any of it. But with you here, I can. I can tell you that I'm not over what happened, and I probably never will be. And it's made me have to face being helpless and afraid to accept help to solve it. That I can change. I can't do everything on my own, and I'll start accepting help." She blows out a breath. "Trusting people will be hard, but I know I can trust you."
warandpeace: (Iт'ѕ eαѕy тo мαĸe Tнe ѕтυpιd мιѕтαĸe)

[personal profile] warandpeace 2017-08-18 09:10 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't know if that'll be enough to get rid of the shadow demon, but he knows that the confidence is rare and appreciated; he doesn't trust himself, but at the very least he would very much like to not let down her trust.

"I think you're just human. I know someone who acts like he's fine with everything. To be honest? I don't like him very much."

He would rather an experience like that bothered someone. He wants her to heal, yes. But it's not something that should be forgotten and discarded, in his mind. "You ready to get out there and go find your friend?" Just in case the admission to him in particular didn't cut it. After all, he wasn't involved.
frostedplum: (do you want to build a snowman?)

[personal profile] frostedplum 2017-08-18 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Because it's not honest?" She gets that. With her, it's more that she's truly tried to be fine, instead of never being fine and then lying about it.

Nodding to his question, she leans in quickly to hug him with one arm around his shoulder before pulling back to get to her feet.

"I'm ready. Thank you."