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ximilialog2021-07-04 05:26 pm
- ! event log,
- ! open,
- caos: zelda spellman,
- doctor who: clara oswald,
- doctor who: river song,
- doctor who: the doctor (11),
- grishaverse: the darkling,
- gundam seed/destiny: yzak jule,
- mcu: daisy johnson,
- mcu: erik stevens,
- original: dusty fields,
- pacific rim: newton geiszler,
- ratchet and clank: ratchet,
- star trek aos: james t. kirk,
- the untamed: jiang yanli,
- the untamed: wen qing,
- undertale: sans,
- voltron: lance
MISSION: GHOST GIRL
● ● ● M I S S I O N 1 . 1
Finally, after weeks of radio silence, Viveca’s voice filters through the earpieces.
The other thing I’ve been busy doing is scanning for the closest orb signal, and the good news is that we’ve got a strong one, finally. I’ve connected the platform, so we’re ready to go. I’ve sent files about your mission to all of you, so read it carefully. We sent a vision of sorts to those who are in charge of the city you’ll be going to, so they know to expect you… we had to get a bit creative, there, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.
They’ve got some expectations of you, but it’s up to you if you want to work with them or not. As long as you get the orb and do the task it has given you, that’s enough. When you have the orb, I’ll get you all back to the station.
But before you go, there's something you should know. If you die during a mission, there’s nothing I can do to help you… so be careful. We don’t want to lose anyone.
After Viveca’s closing statement, a message alerts the team to the fact that they do, in fact, have a file labeled Gyeongje Orb waiting for them. After they have familiarised themselves with the situation, they should pick up their things, whatever they think they need on the mission, and head to the center of the station.
There, the previously-quiet platform is whirring with power, bright lights on the floor making your clothes seem darker than they are. When the last person in the team steps on it, suddenly the hum of the machine amps up until the sound is almost unbearable, the lights burning so bright they hurt your eyes, so bright you have to close them —
When you do, there’s a voice; no, multiple voices, like a chorus of sounds that form words but aren’t quite human. What this chorus tells you is a goal: one goal you must complete in exchange for power.
And then the sounds die away, leaving you with a one-sided demand… when you open your eyes, you’re not on the station anymore.
Around you, a courtyard opens up, surrounded by the tall peaks of a palace that rises sky-high, its golden roofs glinting in the sunlight. There’s not much time to look around, though, as the team is surrounded by guards in red uniforms, the arrows they point crackling with purple energy and the blades of their swords elaborately carved.
One guard steps forward.
“At peace! These are the ones who were promised. Our Lady has given orders to bring them to her… unharmed.”
She looks at the rest of the guards, and slowly, they lower their weapons and step back in two neat lines, leaving the way to the staircase that rises towards the palace free.
“Our honored saviors, please follow me.”
The captain will not wait, but starts leading the way up the stairs — the staircase rises steeply to a heavy, reinforced door that is still beautifully decorated. The door leads into the palace proper; there, the team is led to a large room with two thrones at the back of the room.
On the thrones, two people rise to greet them. The captain of the guard introduces them as Lady Jeung-Sun and Lord Suk-Ju.
The lord steps forward, arms open with a wide smile.
He then steps back with a gesture to his wife. She, in turn, is not smiling; instead, her voice is quiet and serious when she starts to speak.
With those words and a look at the captain of her guard, she sits down; it is clear this audience is over.
1.0 The captain leads the team to an open hallway full of rooms. In each room, there are lanterns illuminating it, with low-lying furniture and two beds… which means if you were one of the lucky ones on the station to not have a roommate, no such luck here! The rooms are large enough that you could drag in an extra bed and make it a room for three, though the guards may give you some strange looks.
However, not all of the rooms are in pristine condition. It seems that as the rulers didn’t quite believe the “vision” they received, they also didn’t prepare for this many people to arrive. As such, some of the rooms have dust gathering in the corners, perhaps some cobwebs, and the bedding may have seen some rats during its lifetime.
If you’re not stuck with a room that needs cleaning, you may wander to the small courtyard that the hallways circle; there, you will find enough space to get in some training or light sparring, or just find a bench and enjoy the clean air!
2.0 That evening, you will be led to a large hall: it seems it is time for the promised banquet! Eat to your heart’s content, taste the traditional foods that are served… the music played is perhaps not the best for dancing, but why not try? Or maybe, if you’re skilled like that, you can take over for the musicians and provide your own music. Whatever you decide to do, you'll find the nobles invited are quite curious about their prophesized saviors, and with a few drinks in, perhaps it would be a good time to get cozy and chat.
3.0 Should you wander outside the banquet, though, that evening or any day after, you will find that while some parts of the palace welcome their supposed saviors with open arms, like the kitchens or the courtyard where the guards go to train, some do not. The guards’ quarters will only accept inside those who don the guards’ red uniform, and the throne room and the rulers’ personal quarters behind it are guarded at most times of the day and night. It is not impossible to enter them, though: those crafty enough may find a way in.
You’ll find that if you want to leave the palace, it is not easy — it seems Lady Jeung-Sun was serious when she said outside the palace is not safe. But when there’s a will, there’s a way: follow the servants into the tunnels beneath the palace, duck behind corners to not be seen and make your way to a back alley in the merchant district; or if you’re good at disguises, dress up as a servant or a guard and simply walk out. Just be careful not to get caught; though the guards aren't angry if they catch you, they will start to follow you around until you return to the palace. Or perhaps you come up with some other way to leave...
… and if you do, the city of Gyeongje is open to explore. Right outside the palace within the inner city the houses are large, the people dressed well — and if you are not, or haven’t changed to fit in, you will be on the receiving end of some very judgmental looks.
4.0 However, once you leave the inner city and enter the merchant district, the inhabitants are far more welcoming. Some start immediately waving the new travelers to their shops, where you can find intricately carved wooden items, beautiful swords and other weapons, and clothes that will make you fit in instantly — if you have the money to pay for them. If you don’t have silver or gold from your homeworld with you, hope you took something valuable from the palace to barter with!
5.0 And though the houses in the merchant district bear no signs of battle like the inner city does, not everything is perfect. There are people who have built little huts of rags and wooden logs wherever they fit, huddling underneath. Their shouts echo after you: Please, lend us a hand, we can’t live like this!
There are beggars, too, homeless people on the streets with tattered clothes, who turn their tired eyes to you as you walk past. Some will try to grab your clothes or legs, whispering Help me, they drove me from my home... others do nothing, like they don’t even have the strength to ask for help. Whether you stay and try to get them food, drink or a place to stay is up to you — but if the guards see you doing so, they will take you back to the palace with a stern warning to not interact with “the outer ones”.
6.0 Once you walk far enough, you will come face to face with a tall, wooden fence that bears bright red markings — those warning of plague. And though the guards patrol the area, there is a chance to sneak inside, though at the risk of getting caught and spending a night in the palace’s magically reinforced cells.
If you do sneak past, you will find that some houses have the same red mark on their doors and walls, and are in terrible condition: doors ajar, windows broken, scratch marks on the floors — but no signs of an illness having been treated. Outside, the streets are empty, and further inspection of the houses not bearing a mark shows that people have left in a hurry… or have been forced to leave. Upon further inspection, it seems there is not one living or dead soul in the entire outer district… unless you’re very lucky, and happen to catch the sight of someone dressed in white entering one of the houses.
From both the merchant district and the outer district, there is a way to the woods surrounding the city. The trees grow thick and heavy, the air under them still with waiting. There are no paths in the forest, at least none easily seen, and though there are animals like birds and squirrels, they seem easily spooked.
Once you have had your fill of exploring the city, it’s time to get to what you’ve come here for.
An informal council, attended by both the Lord and Lady of Gyeongje, is held in one of the larger war rooms, a space big enough to accommodate a greater party than expected, and to demonstrate how desperate the city is for help as well as their trust in you, regardless of whether you’ve really shown you deserve it. There is an expansive map of the city spread over a table in the middle of the room with small red flags pinned across it. The discussion is aggressive, fear of the Ghost Girl and her army being the driving force behind the intensity of speech, but the important thing is that there have been plenty of recorded sightings of the Ghost Girl worth investigating with one area in particular noted by a small cluster of red flags at one end of the map. Perhaps it is you who points this out curiously, but before the captain of the guard can elaborate, a sharp horn pierces the quiet tension of the palace with urgency, followed by several more in succession: the palace is under attack.
7.a Some of you might be more keen than others to take initiative and investigate the new commotion within the palace. Pushing the doors open onto the courtyard will offer you a first glimpse of the infiltration over the fortified palace walls, and they are creatures that could make your skin crawl, or at the very least cause you to do a double-take. The captain of the guard bravely leads the charge, pushing forward and calling the rest of her army to her with the intent to protect the Lord and Lady of the palace with their lives. There is nothing being said to actually enact any kind of violence, even while the guards have their weapons drawn before them, but there is clear posturing between the two parties — strange. The monsters turn their sights on you instead, twisting their misshapen heads to meet your eyes, mouths open and full of teeth as though to speak, but nothing comes out except a guttural growl.
And then they launch themselves forward.
7.b If you prefer to stay within the war room, you won’t be alone. A cluster of the guard have taken to assembling a kind of protective shield from the oncoming monsters, and it becomes clear quite quickly that the monsters are here for one thing — the Lord and Lady themselves. The monsters within the room are more hostile, intent on getting to their target now that they’re so close. They clamber past the threshold, a mass of different discernible shapes, colours, sizes, and smells. (Yeah, smells. Gross.) One of them steps away from the cluster, a blue cloak draped over its shoulders — it’s distinct; familiar in some way.
Either way, the creatures amble towards you with heavy, weighted steps, and are more than willing to exact their aggression on you without a thought as though purely running on some primal instinct. After all, you are just one more obstacle in the way of them reaching their goal. Their punches are heavy, and some of the creatures have sharp teeth eager to sink themselves into whatever soft and fleshy part they can find of you. If you try and call one of the guard for help, you’ll find them hesitant to come to your aid, partially because they are afraid but there’s something else there too — a reluctance to fight them at all. What will you do now?
7.c Whether you’ve decided to defend the palace from the courtyard (or other locations in and around the palace) or choose to stay with the Lord and Lady of Gyeongje, the monsters have fully invaded the walls and are everywhere to be found.
If you’re lucky, you’ll live for another few minutes but your victory if you choose to kill one of the monsters is met with a haunting message, an uttered warning (some might tell you ‘it wasn’t fair’ or ‘this is all their fault’) or an apology (a simple: ‘I’m sorry’ before their last breath), clearer in your ears than anything you might have otherwise heard from them this day.
You might try to fend for yourself, your fellow orbers, or the guards, with some amount of success, escaping the sharp teeth and claws from catching onto you — but not all of you will be so fortunate. In your attempt to dodge an attack or defend yourself, you might be ambushed by a sneak attack from behind, or perhaps it is your trusty weapon that fails you. Either way, you’ve been wounded. Instantly you’ll notice one thing — where once your skin was healthy and, well, skin-coloured, it has now started to turn dark and unnatural, accompanied by a scent you might recognize from earlier. It’s a little too sweet, a little too strange, like something rotting. Only now it’s a part of you. You’ve been infected.
In the short reprieve between one fight to another, you may lift your eyes towards the ramparts and spot a figure standing with her back straight, her expression vague and unyielding. White fabric flows and unfolds around her like ribbons, and you can immediately put a name to the figure — this is the Ghost Girl you’ve heard so much about. She will suddenly meet your eyes with unreadable stoicism that reflects the rest of her posture before she turns away and vanishes, tortured cries and calls following in her wake. With her disappearance past the palace walls comes a slowdown of the fighting, as though the creatures no longer feel the same vigor they came in with … and soon they begin to retreat, climbing the walls and over clay tile to follow their leader.
The fight is over — for now.
We’ll leave it up to you to decide the difficulty and success of defeating a monster of your choosing for that Dramatic Effect.
Shortly after the palace has been cleared of monsters and the guards can look after their own, the captain approaches to assess the orbers.
8.0 The Wounded (CW: body horror): Those who have been significantly wounded in the fights against the creatures will find that they simply aren’t feeling well, and it’s going to be difficult to hide the black wound-marks or the smell. Lord Suk-Ju immediately summons the captain and orders her to take the wounded to the Infirmary, assuring them that they will be taken care of there.
If you were wounded, you and your fellow wounded Orbers will be led through a series of corridors towards one end of the palace with a large set of gates guarding a formidable wood door painted black. Hmm — ominous. Within it are the usual comforts of a medieval hospital: beds, vials of medicine, bedpans, the works. You are assured you will join your non-wounded comrades soon and you go along with the procedures. But as the hours pass, you’ll find your symptoms begin to worsen. Some of you will find painful growths starting from your hands and your feet as they begin to form sharp claws, tearing through the fabric of your clothes or the leather of your shoes. Some of you will feel your mouths become fuller as your teeth begin to grow. Other transformations will begin to change your body from what you remember, eyes turning red or jet-black, or your skin changing colour and texture, turning you into something else, something other.
Before you can let the panic overtake you, someone administers a powerful draught to help you sleep — or maybe to subdue you — and then you begin to dream.
In this dream, you are standing on a wooden balcony and in front of you stands a girl dressed in white; her dress billows around her, and her dark hair is long and hangs unbound. When she turns, revealing her face… you see that up close, she is certainly nothing like the rulers would have had you believe: young, her expression unthreatening.
They say I command the monsters, but that isn’t true. I help them. I’m the only one who helps them. It’s a sickness, and it’s been passed to you. Soon, the Lord and the Lady will turn on you, too. They will try to kill you the way they have tried to kill everyone else like you. But I am offering you sanctuary. Leave the palace and come to me. In Yuryeong I will protect you.
When the effect of the draught wears off and you blink back to awareness, you realize that there is a map in your head: the knowledge of exactly which path to take to reach what the Ghost Girl — So-Yeon — called Yuryeong. The only decision you need to make is whether to go, with whom… and whether you do it as a friend or a foe. But take note — there are guards abound and the wooden door heavy with locks. It becomes quite clear that this room is meant for people to come in… but not to come out.
9.0 The Survived: Those who have managed to avoid taking any damage are escorted back to their rooms and reassured that the rest of their team are in good hands, that they have nothing to worry about, and that they will be fine. Of course if you make any attempts to ask about visiting any of them, you’ll be told — in a not-so-gentle manner — that it simply isn’t possible, not at this time. And any further attempts to ask to see them will be met with a firm “no” and nothing else. Finally, if you try to leave the quarters to see the wounded orbers, the captain’s guards will forcibly stop you.
“It’s for your own good,” they’ll say.
Later, out of sight of the guards, you might try and make your way over to the hospital wing anyway but this seems to be a fool’s errand. Not only are the corridors more confusing than they should be, as though someone has done this on purpose, but when you’ve finally found the door, you’ll find that it’s impossible to open it or break it down. At least the comms devices in your ear will still work so there is some line of communication between you and your wounded friends, right? Better yet, if you happen to have some teleportation abilities or something similar … well, it wouldn’t hurt to give that a go either, would it? After all, the enforcement spell isn’t familiar with such things — best not to get caught in the process, however, and test the ‘generosity’ provided to you through the rulers of this land… right?
F Y I
• As each event log and interaction may bring about more information regarding the mission, players are highly encouraged to continue using the OOC plotting post. It will be the only mod-created one for the mission until the voting begins on July 18.
• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them here.
• To submit a search request regarding speaking to any of the NPCs, or exploring a specific part of the palace or any of the districts, please do so here.
• From the intro onwards, Viveca is back, meaning that characters may speak to her whenever they want. You can thread that out here if you want.
• Voting about the actions the characters will take regarding the Ghost Girl, the monsters and the rulers will go up July 18. Though voting will be done in an OOC post, it is an IC vote in the sense that you should pick a choice your character would ICly make. What the characters choose to do will determine the direction of the second log, as well as the conclusion of the mission.
• And finally, have a soundtrack for this log (parts I, II and III, respectively)! ♪ ♪ ♪
3.0
[ At his height, Sans doesn't have to kneel down far to grab the handkerchief. Knelt down with his hood drawn up, it's easy to miss his appearance. At least, for all of the few seconds it takes to stand back up and extend his hand (with hanky) towards Hermann.]
No hard feelings, buddo.
no subject
With a clenched jaw and a tight grip on the handle of his cane, he exhales.]
Likewise, sir.
[The hood covering Sans' face certainly obscures a majority of his appearance. But there need not be a reason for a reaction. Unlike some scientists around the Ximilia, Hermann is capable of not regressing into a pre-pubescent wild child.
He takes said “hanky” and nods in gratitude.]
Please forgive my snippiness. Tonight is proving to be much more of a challenge than expected.
i'm obsessed with your hermann, sorry not sorry.
Apology accepted. [ He winks, chuckling softly to himself as if in some sort of private joke. ] I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here. Parties aren't your scene, are they?
asjskaj thank you buddy!! same goes for your sans
No, they aren’t. [His eyes wander to the side.] I’ve done my part by being there for their welcoming ceremonies. I was merely perusing the palace grounds before retiring for the evening.
no subject
[ He smiles, tipping his hood back. ]
I can give you a few pointers if you want.
no subject
[Such a peculiar fellow, but if he knows a thing or two then...]
Now, if you would be so kind to show me the ropes. I would greatly appreciate the assistance.
no subject
[ Sans rolls his shoulder with a few audible cracks and pops, looking at Hermann expectantly to mimic the gesture. ]
no subject
But he won’t turn his nose away on this one. Not this time. He goes ahead and attempts to replicate Sans’ action to the best of his ability.]
I’ll have you know I stretch every morning to keep limber. I hardly see how this will assist me in getting around.
no subject
He's pretty sure he deserved a medal for that. Maybe, like, ten medals. A plaque, at the very least. ]
Good, that's good. You're a natural. [ He rolls the other shoulder, then shifts into a very shallow squat before standing upright again. They aren't exactly complicated stretches, but Sans watches Hermann the entire time to make sure he's following along to the letter. ] Now, are you any good at math?
no subject
While not the most athletic, he can handle whatever Sans dishes out. His cane was already set to the side.]
Over ten years of decorated experience in mathematics, [Half-squat.] computer science, [Shoulder roll]. engineering, [Half-squat], astrophysics, [Shoulder roll], and quantum physics. [He pauses for a breath.] Let’s just say I’m no stranger to the subject.
no subject
He catches up in the pause, joints popping one final time as he set his arms by his side. ]
Wow, okay. So, you're not just good at math. You're like... that's your whole deal, isn't it?
[ Another pause, fixing Hermann with a sly, narrow-socketed stare. ]
... Pick a favorite.
no subject
Quantum mechanics.
[And follows it with an expression best described as “You’re not pulling a fast one on me, rapscallion!”
All the while ending his exercises, massaging the slight crick on the side of his neck.]
Now, this is quite the invigorating workout but I hardly see the relevance of trying to traverse palace grounds.
no subject
Patience, buddy. [ That said, he stops the exercises, letting his (now very loose) arms hang at his sides. ] Now, do me a favor and estimate the area of this hallway for me.
[ It's an out of the blue request, made with such insane nonchalance Sans may as well have been asking him the weather. ]
no subject
He squints his eyes, forgetting he has a pair of spectacles in his pocket. It takes all but a few seconds for him to quantify the measurements.]
Roughly 15’ x 13’.
[Once more he looks back at Sans.]
Is this how you usually greet people you’ve met for the first time?
no subject
[ Sans assesses the space, coming to the same conclusion. He's not particularly surprised -- people like Hermann didn't really defy expectations, when it came to looks. Sans is pretty sure he'd find his picture next to "physicist" in just about any encyclopedia. ]
Okay, now grid the space out. Where you're standing right now, that's 0,0,0. [ He nudges him a little, winking. ] We're talking 3D space, so don't forget your Z-axis.
[ He scans the room, sockets settling on a particularly ornate rug. Pointing it out, he looks back towards Hermann. ]
Can you get me the coordinates of that carpet over there? Top right corner oughta do it.
no subject
Then I presume you go around asking for “favours” of those who are experts in their field? [He scoffs with a smug look on his face.] I would dread to see the look on the philosopher’s face.
[Quite the peculiar request yet, Hermann begrudgingly indulges in the inquiry. Walking a few feet away from Sans until he reaches said carpet.
Typically, you would require a measuring device to plot the numbers. Hermann, on the other hand, has it all plotted within his head. The butt of his cane traces along with the fabric of the carpet, against the grain of the flooring and upwards along the wall.
He mutters a few calculations under his breath with each tap of his cane.]
Now, by my estimates, I’d say we’re looking at a coordinate plane of 38.553, 30.400, and 50.259.
you get an A+
Are you kidding me? All philosophers want in life is an interested stranger. Now quit stallin' and get solvin'.
[ For all Sans' pithy commentary, Hermann actually was solvin'. He watches him trace the room, organizing the space into neat, plottable lines and axes. When Hermann concludes the assessment and returns to stand at [0,0,0], he's both faster and more accurate than he expected.
Satisfied, Sans sidles up alongside Hermann with an appraising nod. ]
You did good, buddy. Now. [ He looks up at him with a quick wink. ] Ready for the final step?
no subject
[He's being half-serious. His patience is wearing thin at this point in the evening.]
You might as well tell me to incorporate all of our “work” into a game of tic-tac-toe.
no subject
Just close your eyes and focus on those coordinates. Like, really focus. And don't open your eyes until I tell ya, capiche?
[ Oh so lightly, Sans ghosts a finger against the back of Hermann's jacket. ]
Got 'em closed? Feeling focused?
no subject
Hermann knew this was all mindless entertainment. A distraction, if you will, to keep his head preoccupied. And now…he sees no other choice but to oblige. Closing his eyes with his cane firmly planted on the ground.]
There. Satisfied? I'm meditating in the middle of the hallway and you haven’t even told me your name.
no subject
[ With a grin -- and a little more speed than usual, thanks to Hermann doing the mental math for him -- Sans transports them both into a featureless black void. To most, the area would be impossible to traverse. To Hermann's closed eyes, he might not detect any real change, save the sudden sensation of the floor disappearing beneath his feet.
They were unmoored by both gravity and physical plain, but only for the space of a few moments. When reality reorients, Hermann is standing directly over the patch of carpet he'd mapped for Sans moments ago.
Behind him, the sound of chuckling laughter can be heard, along with Sans' amused assessment. ]
Nice work, buddy. Made it work on your very first try. That's what I call an A+.
[ The words are as fleeting as the man himself. If Hermann were to turn around -- either to demand an explanation, or merely reflexively -- he'd find the space Sans occupied suddenly empty.
Efficient transportation, indeed. ]
1/2
That’s soon answered when Sans awards him with that A+.]
This is absurd—!
[And no one is standing there behind him.]
no subject
Immature delinquents! The lot of you!