April Event and Final Game Log

[savmods]

Who: Anyone and everyone
When: April 1-17
Where: Avagi
What: The end of an era
Warnings: Description of body horror. Label your content.

With the breach of the Namalos' locked building, and the rescue of the individual inside, it doesn't take long for a path back to reassert itself. Silver light blossoms around Avagi's residents, pulling them back to their own home... if not necessarily to precisely where they'd left it. All characters, regardless of their location when they fell through Avagi's portals, find themselves winking back into existence at the new Memorial—the one discovered by the away team. There, they will have a chance to rest, recover, and learn from their new friend. A descendant of the intermediaries and former inhabitant of Avagi, Tamen is indebted to the group that perfomed his rescue. He speaks freely and readily, cataloging his own experience aboard the station as well as tales of what came before. The survivors of Thisavrou's fall have venerated Ingress technology for generations—for the peace it brings, and for the odd disappearances known to happen nearby. But Tamen has heard older stories too, of the twin worlds that used it as a gateway. And of a time, centuries and centuries before that: when Thisavrou's first settlers discovered a strange light. Living Energy: something that felt them and... reached out. Thisavrou's founders harnessed that source for their machine—and Avagi's newest residents know as well as anyone how their society came to an end. But whatever their perspectives on the energy that powers this station, it will become clear in short order that the time to learn is quickly running out. The halls remain clear, all trace of Mirtos purged by the persisting glow—but tremors wrack the station's framework intermittently, a deep, erratic shaking accompanied by flickers of the silver light. The process is slow, and poses no more immediate danger than a small earthquake. But the balance between the Living Energy and storms outside has broken, and given time, the station will literally shake itself apart. Tamen volunteers readily to return to his people—and retrieve a supply of the purifying crystals the away team had set out for in the first place. Once installed, the air clears quickly, and in a handful of days, the Avagians' home will be as functional as ever. Still, any solution is short-term against the quakes now rippling through the interior. To resolve this problem, they will need to reach its source.

Allies

Given the difficulty of travel—and the dangers a specific few know are waiting at Avagi's heart, some amount of planning is definitely warranted. But when it comes time to assess resources, locals may find a few unexpected surprises. The light that pulled them from the station in the first place is dimmer, but still present, a strange illumination independent of any source. It glows the strongest in places where many people gather, and those who linger in its presence long may feel inexplicably revitalized. Exhaustion and pains will be alleviated, and injuries will heal twice as quickly as they should. But the current residents aren't the only ones who've been affected by the Living Energy. Or, perhaps, the only ones it values or remembers, too. Motes of light draw together here and there, coalescing in the familiar flash of silver that precedes a new arrival. The figures that emerge, however, are anything but new. Friends, enemies, acquaintances or allies—those who traveled on the Moira or called Thisavrou their home. Harnessed or not, the Living Energy is founded on connection, and in this time of need, it reaches out to those you knew. Unlike the usual newcomers, these visitors can appear anywhere within the station. At the time of their arrival, no return path will be apparent.

Threats

Once underway, all parties will face difficulties: some, much like the travels before. The inner levels of Avagi were every bit as shattered as the outer spaces by the explosion that tore the station apart, and care and skill will be required to navigate toward the center. The activation of the Memorials has burned away the storm from the interior, and will protect all travelers from casual glances or incidental contact. Still, it presses at the outside, fluxing violently as each bout of tremors wrack the station. Immersing oneself in it directly remains very much to be avoided, and those journeying must keep their path inside Avagi's ruins. With the storm's expulsion comes safety from the Mirtos who stalked its halls before. Of course, your goal isn't entirely unguarded. Wrapped around the center of the station is the being who ripped it apart: Mother, a psychic swarm of shapechanging flesh who once feigned alliance with you and your friends in order to hasten Thisavrou's fall. As observed in the vision a few months back, Mother has taken up occupancy in the center of the station, and will go to any lengths to maintain her hold on the Living Energy inside. Individuals may encounter Mother in any of several forms: The Barrier: Entirely obstructing all paths of approach, this wall of flesh is the outermost manifestation of Mother's form. Swelling and sagging faintly as it draws in air, the surface is peppered with haphazard organs: eyes and mouths, limbs and claws, all pulsing and changing with each moment. The barrier reacts violently to any approach: with wordless shrieks and new tendrils, ready to rend or crush. That said, careful investigation (or sufficient destructive force) will reveal an important fact: this part of Mother is less a solid mass and more a membrane, and once a gap is created, quick-moving travelers can make their way inside. The barrier will seal behind them so long as there is sufficient flesh left to do so. The Hunters: If the barrier is a chaotic swarm, Mother's next line of defense is more capable... and detailed. Full-formed bodies roam the interior hallways, taking on a variety of aspects: from innocent children to monstrous terrors to visages close enough to be mistaken for your friends. Their abilities are as varied as their shapes, and while some will charge unthinkingly, others may work as teams or call for help—if only for the purpose of entrapment. Although clever in a short-term sense, these bodies are physical manifestations of Mother's survival instinct, lacking the complexity to maintain their facade through any lengthy conversation. The Avatars: Imbued with a measure of Mother's personality and power, these bodies are the closest to a "true" form that can be found. Mother's avatars can be identified by the gold light flaring from their eyes and skin, and the aura of rage she projects on any who come close. While as vulnerable to destruction as any organic shape, the avatars will rip into the minds of any who come near, determined to do whatever damage she can, whether through words or psychic energy. [ooc: While players can assume the presence of avatars in their own threads, they will be NPCed in a thread below. This will be opened up for tagging on April 7th.] Combatants might oppose these threats directly, but to reach the innermost remnants of the station, Avagi's inhabitants will need a variety of resources—and a variety of skills. Shortly before their fall, the local Savrii upgraded security around the Ingress platform, installing an array of barriers, countermeasures, and weaponry that has lain inactive for the last several centuries. While some approaches remain locked off and require skill to open, accessing other systems could give opportunities: to arm, reinforce, or safeguard your allies in this fight. Once destroyed, all traces of the flesh that composed Mother's bodies will recede, dissolving into light. An odd feeling of sorrow lingers in the places where she fell.

Renewal

By the time all obstacles are bypassed, the quakes shaking Avagi come more frequently—and threaten the integrity of its outer parts. Still, at the very center of the station, all is quiet. The Ingress platform itself appears to have been shattered long ago, but the halls around are miraculously nearly intact: a maze of components and systems that once composed Thisavrou's Ingress. Here, in the relative peace after their battles, those touched by the Ingress will find the time they need to study what remains. Many travelers by now have their own familiarity with the Ingress—whether here or earlier on the Moira. More information can be found in the Savrii's secured systems, once they are re-activated and repaired. Present are the control schematics: the means for activating the Ingress and selecting worlds for travel. There are even notes on the machine's instability, including a sharp increase in visitors pulled in from other worlds—logged in the last year before Thisavrou fell. But the power source, the factor bridging all the worlds, is conspicuously absent. Or, depending on one's perspective, all around. Light shines softly in these halls as well, the silver glow of Living Energy untethered from the machines that once used it as fuel. The systems designed to contain it have been almost entirely shattered... but a few remain, gleaming faintly from within. It might be possible at this point to rebuild. Or, to dismantle what remains of the containment. The choice is yours. Whatever outcome is decided will take time—both to settle on and to enact. In the meantime, reconnect with friends. Salvage your supplies, tend any wounds you gained through the battles. And make your last farewells: to this place and, for many, to each other.

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[OOC: For questions, information, and to cast your vote on the game-ending choice, please check out the ooc post here. A final post will go up in the network comm on April 18 with the final results, but this is the last mod log for threading on. We hope you enjoy the ride!]

Comments

[inconsequence]

However long you would like it to be, [says Chara airily.] I think it brings out your eyes, personally.

[It's fleeting, but it's there - a smile, a flash of something softer than the cut edge of their usual fare. Perhaps it's because they're too tired to bother pasting on that familiar mask, when they both know that the plastic would inevitably have to flake away beneath Shepard's familiar, unrelenting pressure.]

I'd ask how long I was away, but the answer appears to be "not long enough."

[squadgoals]

Oh yeah? At the moment, it's doing a pretty good job of hiding one of them. [Shifting the wreath out of her line of sight, she pushes her bangs to the side—but does not remove the flowers. On the contrary, she shifts it into a more secure position, glancing up at her own actions, as if trying to catch sight of the creation without removing it.

Flowery adornments secured, she leans over without lifting her hands, and bumps Chara with her shoulder—or, at least, the side of her arm.]

The answer is "too long". Should've seen me when I realized you were missing. Had to drink all that tea by myself, find someone else to bully into reading books to me--you know, in between the skeleton monsters and the hive mind planet.

[inconsequence]

Oh, had Sans made his reappearance by then? I wasn't aware.

[It's probably a joke, issued with a little too much forced innocence to be anything but. It's...easier, easier to smile and not feel like it's some sort of forced travesty, when it's her, even when she's nudging them with one elbow. Even if they must duck their head to hide the way it curls up across their cheeks.]

[She's familiar to them in ways that so few people are.]

[squadgoals]

[There's a genuine scoff of a laugh, appreciative and amused.] You know, I wondered—but these ones were way too easy to get rid of. Couldn't've been him.

[Eyes on Chara, she executes a once-over check without laying a hand on them, drinking up every little rumple and scratch.]

How are you holding up?

[inconsequence]

What a relief.

[Way too easy to get rid of. Isn't that just the way.]

[But the conversations turns to questions as to their well-being, as these conversations inevitably do. They didn't meant to. They earnestly didn't. But they now have people concerned about them, and no means of alleviating it.]

[Pinched finger and thumb plucks at the sleeve of their sweater, a nervous tic they don't catch and smooth into stillness quickly enough.]

...I could ask you the same thing. You're the one who's been on your feet for far longer. I've been asleep.

[squadgoals]

Healthy and hale. [ish.] Even better, now that I've had a nap. [As if to confirm the statement, she offers a thumbs-up, perhaps to detract from the bags under her eyes.] I imagine yours was about as voluntary as mine, though. [As long as you're okay.]

So. Quick summary.

Storm broke in to the station while we were on the exploration mission—or I guess, the storm skeletons did, and it followed. Everyone it touched dropped. We activated some Avagi memorials, and ended up being pulled on to a planet that was essentially a group consciousness, which is exactly as bad as it sounds. Turned out, some Avagians had been transported there, years ago—relatives of the intermediaries left behind. Hive mind couldn't control them, so it trapped them in an ivory tower. There was one survivor.

The light that pulled us to the planet pulled us back once we'd confirmed who he was. Also, the light I keep mentioning? Has a voice, and as far as we can tell, intelligence and feelings.

Once we got back, we started trying to fix up what we could—but the station is shaking itself apart. We've done what we can, but now it's imperative we get to the core of all this, and figure out the source of the issue.

[There's a beat as she shifts her legs, jumping her eyebrows with a twitch of a smile.] Comments, questions, feedback?

[inconsequence]

[Yes, she's the picture of health. They're hardly one to talk, really, so they let that little shred of hypocrisy lie where it may.]

[All told, the summary is succinct. They sit through it patiently, hands folded in their lap, schooling their expression into something acceptably disconnected. Perhaps they've been getting worse at it. The hint of a smile leaking onto her features is nigh impossible to ignore.]

[They frown slightly, instead. Focus on what needs deducing.]

Given that the light is evidently sentient, I would submit that it may be at the core of this already.

[squadgoals]

I think you're absolutely right. [What was it they said about kids? Something about being able to see right to the heart of things.] Faster we make our way there, faster we'll get everything under control.

[She pauses, and holds up a single finger.]

Small problem, something I forgot to mention. Remember Mother? [How could anyone forget?] Remember how we found out she was still in the station? Let's just say the way to the core isn't exactly going to be uneventful.

[inconsequence]

She made herself difficult to forget when she shattered the Ingress.

[Their eyes narrow, gaze drifting away and fixing on some distant point on the wall. She's still on the station. And she's unlikely to allow any of this to transpire without a fight. Given what she's capable of, it's certain to be a bloody scrap.]

[Finally, something they know without question they can do.]

And what is her stake in this, now? To make herself an obstacle, simply because she can?