PHASE I [ 9 00 ] The peace of the morning in the Residential District shatters just as the wall caves through. It’s a small segment of wall -- no more than five feet across at most. And yet the crash and groan of the metal being stretched is ominously accompanied by the distinct piercing screech of metal and another sound. A raucous noise, a combination of ungodly wailing and sharp, victorious laughter spills forth from the hole left in the wall as a myriad of ghosts and spirits erupt from the newly created exit. Characters with any type of spiritual sense will find themselves nearly overwhelmed by the amount of negative ghostly energy that suddenly floods Cerealia and characters with no sense of preservation will find any attempt to enter the hole blocked by the fiercest of ghosts, met with deadly force if they try to pass, as the ghosts won’t hesitate to do things such as reach straight into your body to try to stop your heart.
These ghosts are out for blood, and they don’t seem to stop no matter how you try to talk to them -- they just hiss out, over and over again, “Murderersmurderersmurderers.”
From there, the ghosts move on. Their true target, after all, is CERES… but to them, there’s no difference between the character players and CERES. They’ll go for whoever gets in their way, phasing through walls and becoming tangible long enough to reach for characters before fading away again. Characters with special abilities will find themselves in a similar state. Their abilities may increase and decrease in power sporadically, or be completely gone. They may attempt to cast a spell only to find that the wrong spell is cast instead, or an attempt at healing may end up a more dangerous spell. Be careful with your own magical skills!
Those with items or powers specifically intended to ward off spirits will still fulfill their intended purposes when used – unless malicious spiritual energy gets to them first.
PHASE II [ 1400 ] It seems the ghosts have more tricks up their sleeves. It seems that a not-so-friendly ghost has decided to play a game with you. It doesn't matter where you are, or what you're doing, because a moment later a voice calls out -- Hey. Can you see me? -- and once you turn your head, you’ll come face to face with a surprise.
Who is it in this world (or your world, or any world) that you have managed to disappoint the most? A family member? A friend? Yourself? They face you now, eyes full of sadness, and they say, “I need you to do something for me.” Without another word, they’ll turn away and begin to walk. Your vision grows foggy, focused solely on the need to do whatever this person wants – they need you, after all. Your legs move to follow them, unless you manage to somehow resist.
But you apparently don’t seem to notice that you’re the only one who can see this person – or that they’re leading you stray toward that monorail track with the sound of the train coming closer, or that busy intersection, or right off the sky bridge.
PHASE III [ 600 ] Other ghosts don’t feel like borrowing faces in order to inflict damage. No, they’ll inflict their damage on a far more personal level. They manifest suddenly and without warning – then all it takes is a simple touch. A ghostly hand reaches out to you and it feels like the cold wraps around your heart, and your vision skews, and then... they leave just as suddenly as they came.
Those who have been around for awhile may very well recognize the ghosts, at that.
But the damage has already been done. Depending on a character’s assigned sense, they will feel one of the following changes:
Sight: Hopefully you aren’t in the habit of bending the truth. Dead men tell no tales, they say. But what happens to a living person unable to tell lies? Any attempt at telling any lie or falsehood will cause the character to feel as though their throat has closed off, and they can do nothing more than choke.
Smell: The cold passes, but in some way that it never really leaves. And then everything seems perfectly normal. Nothing has changed, right? You're fine -- except that in a short period of time with how crazy things are, it becomes apparent that you're unable to feel pain. The damage to your body is the same as ever, but dangerously, you can't feel a thing.
Taste: It would appear as though the ghosts have a sense of humor. From those who rest in eternal slumber, try a few days of being unable to sleep. Everything seems fine at first... but slowly but surely, that lack of sleep will start to take its toll.
Hearing: Most others would feel relief once the ghosts left, finally a moment of peace. But you? You don’t feel anything – nothing kind, anyway. Rather, you have been left unable to feel joy. Everything seems either bleak or as though it simply has no emotional impact at all.
Touch: How many deaths have been caused in the name of heroics? Apparently in an attempt to keep future casualties down (or perhaps for their own laughter), the ghosts have left you unable to be brave. Suddenly, a situation you'd face fearlessly is one that has sent you running, panic sharp in your chest.
These effects will last throughout the event, if a character is caught by them.
PHASE IV [ 1000 ] While chaos erupts throughout the city, some of the more misguided ghosts (but still bloodthirsty, so very bloodthirsty) just happened to run into the wrong part of town and don’t know how to give a proper scaring. One ghost seems to think that it was a great idea to possess a masseusebot from the Spa. You’re grabbed suddenly! You fight for your life but can’t seem to get yourself out of its metal grip! With expert precision that only a robot can mange, it finds your pressure points – and releases all that tension from this Incredibly Bad Day. The ghost inside the robot is confused, distressed -- why is this human suddenly so relaxed? It only wants to murder. But the only illegal thing happening here is how good this massage makes you feel.
Maybe later you’ll walk down the street and get stopped by the ghost that possessed a balloon dispenser. Perhaps a ghost has possessed the friendly McCERES mascot, and is now handing out coupons with murderous intent. And of course, there are always the hug bots...
Look, they tried really hard, okay.
Of course... they might end up possessing technology a little closer to home as well, at which point it's not so funny.
BONUS [ xxxx ] Hopefully you have friends who have ghost-fighting skills. Or ghost-taming skills. Or ghost-bellydancing skills, who knows, we won't judge them if you don't. But what of those poor people who come from worlds where the supernatural is some weird television show?
Worry not, poor souls, for CERES is here to provide! Some time after the ruckus begins, characters will find what looks to be a hand-held vacuum cleaner situated innocuously in their rooms (only one per person, you greedy gus). The logo on the side will helpfully inform you that this is of CERES make, because the paper pamphlet beside your new device? Well, it's more like a picture book. Observe Stick-Man Sully as he uses his vacuum cleaner to capture ghosts! Learn from his stellar example! Do not stick the hose in your mouth or attempt to give the vacuum CPR, there's a big X over that picture. Also of the one where Stick-Man Sully sets his captive ghosts free once more, we don't want that, do we?
Your new ghost vacuum should prove effective against any ghastly ghoul that shoots your way, but beware! Should you capture a ghost and not turn in your vacuum to CERES for weekly ghost disposal, your ghost will serenade you in the wee hours of the morning with its song of choice. If you capture a whole horde of ghosts, well, congratulations. You have a boy band living in your vacuum.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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no subject
As for the Bizarro Duo in front of him, it all clicks a moment later--]
Ah. This is the "armatization" you spoke about before. [Apparently. He wasn't expecting a magical girl transformation, but you do you, Sorey.]
As for what happened...I was certain there was--
[... Stahn. He was sure there was Stahn, but now that he lifts his head again to look around properly, Stahn is nowhere to be found (obviously, he never would've been that quiet). He does see the pond that way though, expression tightening even further.
Ah. Of course. There is no Stahn, there never was a Stahn here; he must be somewhere else. Which means...]
Tch! [He got played for a fool, and the fact that he was sort of brainwashed doesn't matter at all. He holds himself to a higher standard than this, so this is just infuriating.] These damn ghosts!
no subject
Ah, yeah. This is what I meant. [ Pretty cool, right? At least he's already told Leon about this and doesn't have to explain it now that it's actually happening.
He just watches Leon as he works through his realization, though. ]
So it really was a ghost, huh?
[ He won't ask what exactly it did to him, though. He doesn't want to pry, and now that he's back to normal, things should be fine, right? All he knows is it wasn't something good that happened, obviously. ]
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So, it really was a ghost, huh?
[See, this is why he doesn't like ghosts.]
These things are far more dangerous than I'd imagined.
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Ghosts are the worst though, Leon's starting to agree. He's not afraid of them, but... he's certainly pissed.]
It was a troublesome irritation, that's all.
[Not... like it almost killed him or anything! A...hahaha...ha... (he doesn't want to think about it.)]
Just like any other threat, they can be dealt with.
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They're way too dangerous to just leave alone. [ So Mikleo's right about that. What with all the things he's been seeing them doing, and putting people into these weird trances like Leon was in ... He can tell he won't be able to stop trying to fight them for a little while. He has to do what he can! Even if he's still not feeling particularly well. Honestly, he's not sure how much longer he can even hold their armatization. ]
And that's why we're like this.
[ Because they're stronger together like this, and it seems to be doing a good enough job so far. ]
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For now. We need to separate soon and recover our strength.
[He knows that Sorey doesn't want to, not when so many people are in danger, but they can't risk their own deaths, either. They are only two very sick people, after all.]
Attacking the ghosts isn't doing a whole lot of good, though. There are just too many of them. We need to find a way to stop them at their source.
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So Leon will focus on the problem at hand.
Honestly, despite his general fussiness and his young age, he's good at what he does; he's a captain in Seinegald's army for a reason, and all he has to do is think before it starts to come together.]
The Residential District.
["Young master...?" Chal can't help but pipe up--he doesn't like when he can't follow Leon's thought processes. But for Chaltier, Leon will explain himself.]
Those strange noises at night, those were from the walls around the Residential District. I did not hear them anywhere else. [And he went poking around.] I suspect the concentration of ghosts will also be higher there, which should mean that the source is somewhere within that District, likely along the walls.
First, we need to ascertain whether that is the case or not, and the threat level, before regrouping and properly handling it.
[Sorry, he's just... he's used to this sort of order-giving.]
no subject
Hey, that's great, isn't it? We have a lead! And if that's really the case, then we should be able to take care of this sooner rather than later!
[ And save everyone!! He knows it's dangerous and they have some careful planning and things to do first (he's not so reckless that he'd forget that), but ... having a lead is better than nothing, and the sooner they can figure this out, the sooner they can help the colony. And he does remember hearing weird noises at night, so it'd make perfect sense ... ]
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I agree, Leon. We should proceed with caution, especially as we get closer to their source. Korra tried getting close to where the noises were coming from. The next thing she knew, she was back in her bed and an entire day had gone by.
[Whether that place is the source or not, it's still a good lead on the exact location.]
Sorey has a point, though. There should be at least one person who's able to sense spiritual corruption in a scouting party. We'll have to see whether we'll need to destroy the source or seal it away.
[Mikleo's starting to think that it's a good thing he has a talent for seals.]
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[Duh. Hmph. Someone who... isn't him, because Leon knows jackshit about seals and exorcisms and what-have-you.
Alrighty then.
He crosses his arms, inspecting Sorey.]
If you get in my way, I will leave you behind.
no subject
But — wow, Leon. Haha ... ]
H-Hey, I won't, I promise! [ Well, he'll try not to. He's hoping his sick feelings go away so he can stay armatized longer at least. ]
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[Or...well, he's actually not sure if Sorey's senses are as refined as a seraph's. Sure, he shares that power with them, but to what extent is something Mikleo hasn't thought about before.]
We promise.
[Excuse, both of you.]
no subject
That remains the case for you as well, Mikleo.
[But... well, Mikleo obviously already knows that, so he's not going to dwell. Instead, he starts to stalk off with a swish of his cape.
Thanks, Leon.
At least after the little mishap he almost had, Leon is on high alert now; he keeps Chal out and at the ready. Any time there is the slightest hint of a ghost, Leon's flinging earth artes that way because nope don't touch him. He's shoved it under the rug somewhat, but... dealing with stepping that close to that pond without any ability to control himself is still something that is going to be terrifying to consider later.]