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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That would work if any of us were direct descendents to these spirits. As none of us hail from this city, that restriction alone will prove to be a problem-- unless they're indiscriminant and don't mind anonymous offerings from strangers.
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[he glances subtly over his shoulder at Koumei, then] ...you've heard their chant, haven't you?
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He didn't wish for lectures either.]
...I have, [came the quiet reply, impassive and cold.] the accusation isn't new to my ears. After you've overwritten the government and culture of the many lands your country has conquered, such remarks lose some meaning.
Besides, my accusers can't see the larger picture. It's no fault of their own, so they can hardly be blamed for feeling that way.
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Don't worry. I don't think our current crop of foes means you, when they say that. Or me, for that matter. But it is proof that they're vengeful; it's not clear who they want vengeance upon, but I have a guess or two.
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What is your other guess?
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...or even who, or what, they really are. [with a grunt of dissatisfaction, since these books are of no help at all]
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[He sighed wearily.]
Do you think an offering of tea and rice will help?
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[he turns and leans on the shelf, folding his arms]
We can try it, as an experiment, but I prefer to exhaust more realistic avenues before turning to superstition.
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What if there are no casualties? What if they cannot actually harm us in their form? They would become nothing more than irritants. But at the moment I have very little evidence that they are enemies of ours. [he hasn't seen one manifest and lure people to their deaths, or possess dangerous technology] Attempting to communicate with them should be a priority, but if they have nothing to say or are incapable of saying more than 'murderers,' then it comes down to whether they actively pose a threat.
[he stops to fish out his CEREvice, looking at it. Silent.]
No one is crying for help. I find that very odd.
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[but for the rest, he's so not worried about familiar phantoms. He cut down a phantom of his father, once; familiar faces won't be his downfall.]
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That's where my own skills have come into play. I can redirect damage, but it's far more draining than it ought to be. I don't have the Magoi reserves to maintain that ability for long periods as it is, and that limit isn't something that I wish to test right now.
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It sounds as though there isn't much to be done in terms of learning what these ghosts are or how to get rid of them. I feared as much. We may do better simply being on the streets, prepared for those whose magic is out of control.
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My next step would have been to seek out anyone who does have experience, at least in their own worlds, with spiritual beings. They would know better than I how to handle the invasion, if it needs handling.
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I do, because their illnesses exacerbated when the ghosts began to break in.
If you know of anyone to ask for information, I'll be glad to go with you so we can question them. My housemates have treated me well since I arrived, and I don't like to see them in this condition.
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A moment later, he sighs.]
Unfortunately, I have not met anyone like that, yet. Or if I have, they haven't revealed as much to me.
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[the library might be nice later when he has time to peruse history books, but for now, it's back to the streets. Pi is doing his best not to openly admit that he's at a loss, but for now, just being out there where he can pick up information by observing people is the best he can do.]
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[There were too many details to go through, both written down and in observing the rest of the city's residents, and too little time. Koumei was anxious to get moving.]
Shall we?
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[off he goes, and he'll gladly keep Koumei at his side as a sounding board for as long as he can, though he wouldn't be surprised if eventually they had to split up. So much city, so much mayhem, so little in the way of intelligent tacticians to monitor it.]