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.



redshitlord: (A glorious existence)

[personal profile] redshitlord 2017-08-21 06:46 am (UTC)(link)
[His head jerks back. His whole body follows. Like it's pulled on a string.]

[Staring, the reality of what's happening dawning on him slowly. Coldly.]


... you're not my dude.
lavelly: (promote synergy)

[personal profile] lavelly 2017-08-30 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
[It smiles at him. No, it sneers.]

Figured that out all on your own, did you?

[And it keeps moving forward with easy confidence, but there's something brimming under the surface. More than just magic. Intent.]

I'm proud of you. Using your head for once.
redshitlord: (Swallowed into space)

[personal profile] redshitlord 2017-08-30 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
[He wants to take those words and hold onto them. He wants to hear them so badly. Isn't that what he's always wanted? Someone to be proud of him.]

[That's what freezes him in the spot.]

[He knows this isn't really his friend. He knows this is dangerous, but... but... how long has it been since someone said that to him?]


You.. are?
lavelly: (my own privy)

[personal profile] lavelly 2017-09-08 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Its grin spreads wider.]

Of course I am. How couldn't I be? Trying so hard, again and again, despite how much you fail. Always failing. It's so admirable.

You're an
inspiration, Sideswipe.
redshitlord: (a place you've never been before)

[personal profile] redshitlord 2017-09-09 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
[It feels like the shadow just shoved a blade the size of a Decepticon fist through his internals, or pulled his spark out of his chest.]

[This wasn't what he wanted.]

[He just... wanted someone... anyone, to be proud of him. Anyone. For anything. Anything at all. And for a second there, he thought it was going to happen. For a short while, for any while.]

[He'd have taken it.]


You're not.

No, you're... you're not. 'm not...

[Not worth it. Not anything more than everyone thought of him. Not part of the team, not grown up, not capable, not a warrior, not...]

[Anything.]
lavelly: (eat a poultice)

[personal profile] lavelly 2017-09-20 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, no. Don't be so obvious, Sideswipe. It's like blood in the water.]

But you are. Looking at you, I know there's always farther to fall. It gives me hope when I'm at my lowest.

[It's close enough now to give Sideswipe a condescending pat on the side it's the highest it can reach.]

But I understand if you're at your limit. Everybody has their breaking point, after all. There's nothing wrong with being tired. With realizing it's time to give up.

[And then, suddenly, it's holding a sword in its hand.]

Would you like me to help?
redshitlord: (And something in the distance)

[personal profile] redshitlord 2017-09-21 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
[How does something that isn't even his own shadow know what to say. How does it know all of this? Like it's digging into his spark and pulling out the pieces.]

[He flinches, when it touches him.]


No... No it -- I gotta do this. I gotta...

[The sword catches his eye. He may be breaking, may be torn up to pieces inside, but Sideswipe is nothing if not fast. Ducking away into a crouch, one hand braced against the ground.]

No! You're not him! So... what the scrap do you know! He wouldn't talk to me like that!
lavelly: (micromanage)

[personal profile] lavelly 2017-09-25 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[It doesn't seem perturbed. The sword dissipates, but it spreads its hands conversationally.]

But I'm born of him, aren't I? Isn't that how this works? I'm the little secrets in the back of his mind that he'd never dare voice. I'm what he really thinks of you.

[Without even flinching or changing its expression, it shoots a stream of fire from its open palms. Right at Sideswipe.]
redshitlord: (Headlights on the highway)

[personal profile] redshitlord 2017-09-26 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
How should I know!

Do I look like a creepy black goo shadow expert!?

[He's yelling. For the sake of yelling. For the sake of indignation blotting out the way hearing those words makes his spark clench and twist.]

[It's what they've always said. Even when he thought he made friends, even when he thought there were people who saw beyond the goofy exterior, it's true, isn't it. They're going to leave him like everyone else.]

[He bolts to one side. The fire scorches the plating on his back, but he just... keeps running.]

[Like they say he will.]