acatamods: (Default)
acatamods. ([personal profile] acatamods) wrote in [community profile] acatalepsy_logs2019-01-04 10:22 am

PHASE 3: AKVOS: THE END.






the great escape.
The Circle has quite a lot on their plate, this time around. Multiple players are fighting for the control of Akvos, and many difficult choices to make. No matter what path you choose, though, one thing is for certain: it is a bitter fight to the death to ensure that Akvos remains standing, one way or another.

There are three main areas for the characters to explore in the final log of Akvos: (1) The Kingdom of Akvos, where the King is fighting to seize control; (2) The Rift, where the characters will encounter the Dreamscapes; and (3) The Kingdom of Polankos, which is where King Ka'pouli has reigned since his arrival in the pocket dimension. Decisions made in all there areas will affect the outcome of Akvos, so get to exploring.




THE ASSAULT ON WAHINE.
The King’s forces will attack in three different fronts. There will be mermen attacking from above, riding saddled giant seahorses and manta rays, launching spears at the mermaid-warriors below with terrifying precision. They seem to be indiscriminate, in their aim -- the weaponry, charged with the same dark energy that the shadow creatures seem to be made out of, find their target in civilians and warriors alike, raining down a sea of terror upon the central stronghold of the Kingdom of Akvos.

The mermen will also be attacking at the ground-level, attempting to burst their way through the Palace Gates to flood the city with numbers. While the mermaids outnumber the mermen, the mermen are certainly more brutal than the mermaids. Some of them, though, in finding the city, are more concerned with looting it than with senselessly murdering everyone inside. Indeed, this is the most food they have seen in a long time -- and markets are destroyed in grabbing as much food and riches as they can, pressing closer to the Palace, and toward the Queen's stronghold.

And, finally, they will be attacking from below, navigating their way through a network of tunnels meant to transport goods and bursting their way into people’s homes, to sneak their way closer to their ultimate goal, which seems to be the Palace itself.

The Circle's main goal, here, is to protect civilians, usher theminto the underground strongholds beneath the Palace, and fight for their own lives should they attack the mermen first. Man the wall, if you so choose, to attempt to block the air attacks from the mantas. Fight on the ground, to protect Akvos from destruction. Or make your way to the underground strongholds and tunnels, to block access to the Palace. All of these will certainly assist in keeping Akvos safe.

In addition, please remember that shadow creatures (which can only be killed by magical means) are still making their way through the entirety of Akvos. While King Ka'pouli's forces are targeting the Palace of Wahine, the shadow creatures are still present everywhere. Get to killing!



INTO THE RIFT.
Some of you, however, have elected to traverse into the mysterious rift that appeared in the midst of the Fields of Akvosia. It looks like a black hole into nothingness, crackling with odd energy . . . and passing through it feels as though you have stepped through an icy waterfall. For a moment, you cannot breathe -- and then, you are treated to beauty.

The gaps between time and space are full of sparkling lights, bolts of rainbow starlight winding around you as you move through the uncertainty that is the void. It seems endless, but something inside you is tugging you forward . . . and, suddenly, there is a soft voice in your ear. A familiar one, to those who reside within the Circle . . . the confused voice of Astoria.

"Hello? My Travelers? How are you within the Void?" The Void? That word hadn't been used to describe whatever this magical place is before, but . . . well, a witch with the ability to send you all across the universe probably knows what she's talking about, right? "That should not be possible . . . who opened this doorway?"

You can tell her, or you can not. It seems to matter not, because: "Is this not getting through? Why can I not hear you . . . but I can feel you, I can -- please, if you can hear this, be careful. The Void is not something for mortals to interact with, and it can show you terrible things -- terrible things, so please--"

And, right before you have the opportunity to respond to our benevolent witch (or captor, depending on your point of view), you see a bizarre glass-like surface in front of you. It looks like a mirror, and you see a perfect reflection of yourself. It is absolutely captivating, and it beckons you . . . almost urging you to touch it. And Astoria's whisper grows a bit louder, more urgent:

"My dear Traveler, be careful what you encounter here -- can you hear me? Can you see me? I am trying to get you out of there, to bring you back home--Akvos is--"

But it is too late.

Your fingers graze the edge of the mirror, and you are pulled -- a sensation that is familiar to you, the same pull in your stomach that you feel whenever Astoria thrusts you across the universe, into new realities. And, when you blink your eyes again, and look around . . . you are no longer in Akvos, or the Void. You are somewhere entirely new.

Welcome to the Dreamscape.




THE KINGDOM OF POLANKOS.
Once the Circle emerges from the Rift and the Dreamscape, they will stumble into another world . . . but this one's wateris shallow, in comparison to the massive depths of the crystal-clear kingdom of Akvos. You can quite clearly see the surface, here, and there are shallows that allow you to come up onto islands, tropical in nature with fruit, odd creatures that appear to be multiple-headed monkeys and parrots, and sandy shores. It's a bit jarring to see, after spending so long underwater. Indeed, you emerge to trudge onto land, and look around, somewhat mystified that the deep-dwelling mermen would be from a place like this.

However, exploring the islands (which is not very difficult to do, as they are all small and will not take very much time) will yield the discovery that on the islands themselves are tunnels -- underwater caverns that thread through the islands to much deeper water. It's almost as if the islands themselves are barriers to the underwater caverns below -- shallow water, a layer of land, and then a (mer)man-made bubble of water below the barrier of land. And that whoever lived on these islands tunneled through them to find deeper water. Princess Kea, (who will attend on these journeys, while remaining in the water), will tell the Circle members that King Ka'pouli told her that when the mermen were cast out, they landed on solid land, and had to slowly dig deeper to their salvation.

Navigating through these tunnels will be somewhat perilous -- and the Circle members will need to carry Princess Kea to the nearest tunnel to get her into some water, because while she can breathe on the surface for a certain period of time, she cannot navigate the land as quickly as you people with legs. Additionally, underwater caving isn't exactly a blast, but the deeper you go, the more clues of civilization you can find. And, eventually, once you go deep enough, you emerge into a massive underwater cavern to find the small Kingdom of Polankos.

In comparison to the Kingdom of Akvos, Polankos is witheringly depressing. It is not brightly colored, nor open -- indeed, it is tiny, with mermen huddled together waiting patiently for the forces that went through the rift to return. There is not a lot to find here, save for some interesting weapons that possess a dark energy, versus a lightning energy -- and those weapons will be given to the Circle members who ask for them, because those who wield them are in no condition to fight. There is little food, little room to sleep, and these are a people clearly in need of assistance.

In order to get them out of Polankos, you will need to usher them through the tunnels back up to the Rift above -- it seems that King Ka'pouli opened the Rift on the surface, rather than risk the city below in case it did not work. The mermen there (who seem to be elderly and weak) will be eager for the assistance to get out Polankos, and at the promise of being brought into Akvos, they will happily go. There will be no resistance from them.

You may also see Princess Kea, who has filtered in and out of the Rift to assist on the journey -- teary-eyed, heartbroken at the sight of these individuals who require rescue, organizing the mermen with the promise of keeping them safe in Akvos.

"Hurry," she tells you, as she rouses another merman into getting to the nearest tunnel. "We do not have a lot of time to pull this off, and we must work quickly."

Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These areas of the world are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore -- you may use as much leeway as you want in order to come up with what your character will do, especially in the Dreamscapes.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before!
tamerinblue: ([rena] Steady)

[personal profile] tamerinblue 2019-01-21 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
It created the goo, yes, but the goo is also a part of it. It's a creature from another world that crossed into this one by taking one of my friends.

[She had to assume that much was still true. She wondered if it had someone grabbed a vajra? How had it gotten here in the first place though?]

Perhaps it's not an actual vajra. The D-Reaper can take on various forms it is familiar with...but then how did it encounter one?
lonered: (s710)

[personal profile] lonered 2019-01-21 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. We've... had a lot of time. It's only my mother and me here. And him.

[Though hang on wait. Keith frowns at Ruki.]

And now you too. How did you get here?

[This particular dreamscape has its claws in him deep.]
foundafamily: (Thinking for once?)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2019-01-21 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
If they were, I couldn't find 'em.

[He thinks of leaving it there, but the look on Prompto's face wins over his reticence. While it's embarrassing to admit his search has been for nothing, he worries about Prompto's good nature spurring him to look for the "missing" people.]

I think they're probably gone. For good, I mean. At least from here.
foundafamily: (Lurking)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2019-01-21 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
[The only response Firo gives to that look is a shrug before he continues walking ahead. Coincidentally, this means he doesn't have to look at John when he answers the question. He doesn't know how his dreams might be incriminating, but either way he's not too wild about talking about them--it verges too close on weird touchy-feely stuff that you just don't talk about.]

...Sometimes. Not a lot--I wasn't there for that long before I wound up in Astoria's temple. Does it matter?

[There are more rattlings farther down the tier, in the direction that Firo's idly heading towards.]
punshots: (✘ ultraviolet.)

[personal profile] punshots 2019-01-21 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ Of course it isn't going to be that easy. He didn't think it would be, but her flat-out refusal pulls at his heart. How can he pull her away from this? How can he do something that's going to make her so unhappy?

She didn't even seem to see him...

— Well, if there's anything Prompto has ever been good at, it's drawing attention to himself. He just needs her to snap out of this stupor that she's in, right? And then she'll probably...punch him, or something, but at least then she might come to her senses. But right now...

This isn't her. She's not in her right mind like this. This world has cast a spell over her by offering her the one person she wants, but can't have.

He moves closer, hesitating a moment before reaching out to take her face between his hands, turning her head gently but firmly away from Louisoix and towards himself. ]


No. I hate to be that guy, but we need to go. Don't make me carry you bridal style...w-were definitely not to that point yet! [ And then, more softly: ] Please...we need you. In the now-times. Please, listen to me.
foundafamily: (pic#9611934)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2019-01-21 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Firo's eyes flick to Hank's hand. For a split second, he's almost ready to let himself react, even if Hank is a cop. Because it's Hank, damn it. Right?

He pushes out a sigh through gritted teeth.]


It's me trying to figure out why the hell you wound up in front of my--in New York. We were just--

[They were just... Hang on, how the hell did Firo get here, too?]
adelphoi: (🍰 ɢᴀʀɪʙᴀʟᴅɪ)

[personal profile] adelphoi 2019-01-21 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ it is a strong spell indeed, the influence of it weighs heavily on her, like the blanket of sleep. it wraps her up and whispers to her in her grandfather's voice, bidding her to stay, to never leave this place. this is where her heart lies, isn't it? this is what she has always wanted. her grandfather, and her brother, and her home.. gods, how she yearns for sharlayan's shores. here in akvos, in el minha, and struxta, and the temple, it has felt so very, very far away..

but something else is pulling her too, a different voice, and there are hands on her face, forcing her eyes away from the thing that matters most. ]


What..

[ she starts, tensing against his hold, but his hands are strong. her unfocused eyes flicker to prompto's face at last, pupils blown wide and black, and she searches his features as if she is seeing him for the first time. he's just a dream, isn't he? this place is what's real. her hand on louisoix's tightens, though her eyes remain on prompto, even if they waver.

we need you. ]


B-but..
archaeo: (03.)

[personal profile] archaeo 2019-01-21 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
You're welcome.

[She does a little bow, looking very proud of herself. Maybe this hero stuff isn't all that bad.]

By the way, I figure we gotta hang here til the Rift stuff sorts itself out. Or maybe we're stuck, who knows.
courtmagic: (speak.)

[personal profile] courtmagic 2019-01-21 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
No idea.

[and that's because he has no idea who Deku is, having not crossed his path.]

And as for what it does? It changes from person to person. What it brings out of you, what you can do - even I can't predict what's going to happen. Only that it will aid you, temporarily. If I could nail it down, I could make a much bigger deal out of it.
courtmagic: (speak.)

[personal profile] courtmagic 2019-01-21 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
The world we've been set in is definitely having its unhappiness.

[it's not an answer, as the pair keeps on. it's not their place to interfere - this couldn't happen, so it's only a dream. the only place that happiness could shine.]

Just a reminder that not everything is terrible. The sort of thing we're meant to fight for, and all of that.
courtmagic: (steady.)

[personal profile] courtmagic 2019-01-21 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
Secret? Nothing.

[he shrugs - he has a lot of secrets, but emotional detachment has been a skill cultivated from his youth. it makes him either great to be around, or pretty shady.]

Only that I can make a pretty good guess that with us here, we aren't going to let this world fall into tragedy. There's too many heroes for that.
punshots: (✘ backscatter.)

[personal profile] punshots 2019-01-21 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ At last, something seems to connect, and desperately, he reaches to keep ahold of that thread, to not lose her yet again to the mesmerizing sound of her grandfather's voice. He's doing the right thing, isn't he? Even if she...comes to hate him for this? But there's no other option. They can't stay here. This isn't real. ]

P-please. Remember. I know how much you love your grandpa, how he was...the most special person to you in the whole wide world. I know...this is gonna hurt, to leave him. Again, after you lost him once...but this isn't what he would want for you.

[ Maybe it's bold of him to speak on Louisoix's behalf, but of this, Prompto is relatively sure. After hearing his voice, and hearing Alisaie speak of him, he feels like he knows the man well already. His heart is honest and good and strong, and he would want only the very best for her granddaughter, who he no doubt believed in unquestioningly. ]

He would want you to move on, and not stay stuck in the past...wouldn't he? He would want you to keep fighting.
heartslight: (89)

[personal profile] heartslight 2019-01-21 06:22 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know ... But there's got to be something wrong here.

[ She just doesn't know what. She has no idea what happened to them when they got brought here — they're going to have to solve that mystery first and foremost. Or rather, maybe something else needs to be solved before that, as she looks at Prompto who still seems to be clearly out of sorts.

She places a hand on his arm. ]


I know it's hard but ... calm down, Prompto. We should try seeing if anything else might react to us.
adelphoi: (🍰 sᴇᴍᴘʀᴏɴɢ)

[personal profile] adelphoi 2019-01-21 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ his words ring true in her ears, and also in her heart, painful as it is to realize that. the spell begins to fray at the seams, though it clings to her still, sucking at her like quicksand tugging her into the ground - but prompto pulls her from it with equal strength, more strength, lifting her up.

she knows, with complete certainty, that he is right. in no way would her grandsire want her to waste away pining - but he's here, isn't he? he's real - no, he is not. it's an illusion. the rift..

the rift.

all at once the illusion snaps, the spell dissolving, the fog lifting from her vision, brightening her eyes. she remembers where she is. she remembers prompto's voice. ]


I-I.. of course..

[ she starts, her voice tremulous, even as her eyes fill with hot tears. ]

Of course..
extirpator: (Default)

[personal profile] extirpator 2019-01-21 09:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ somehow, someway, his life manages to get stranger by the minute. the girl is volatile, her demeanor doing a 180 within seconds — it isn't the aggression in of itself that surprises him. he did have kaine for a friend, after all...

his thought process is interrupted by the sentient tome that hovers around him. by the gods, what is this girl? and what exactly is that contraption she's wielding? the bullet tears through the shade's forehead. it stifles its movements for a moment. ]


Focus on protecting yourself. [ he flexes his fingers, the tome flipping its pages once more. a red orb emerges from where its spine seperates the pages. suddenly, a garantuan dark hand materializes — it seems to be moving along with nier's movements. like the relationship between a puppet and its master. he flexes his fingers and reaches forward, grabbing the monster by the head. he grits his teeth, channeling as much of his strength into the movement as he can. the shade roars until its head slowly, surely rips off. ]

It's going to regenerate again. Now is our time to move. You can either go back to the library or go up the bridge with me. [ nier extends his hand towards her. ] Come on!
theseuschip: (↻ there must be a way to know)

[personal profile] theseuschip 2019-01-21 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ Simon notices. only a few feet away when Hank touches the backlit film. His gaze shoots over to the X-rays, but by the time his eyes have focused on them, the change he thought he saw has disappeared. ]

Uh- [ He does that thing where you scrunch up your face and press your thumb and second finger into your eyes like you’re the problem and the issue is that you got 4 hours of sleep last night or something and not that you’re in a soggy psychological torture chamber. Hank’s question floats back up to the surface. ] I don’t know.

[ Simon starts this contemplation cautiously, creeping into the very subject with some kind of wariness. In the world of the WAU’s creations, some were monsters. There had to be Just Monsters. There are only so many parallels he can afford to accept, only so many asterisks he can add to the validity of his own existence before he drops off some kind of precipice into god knows what. ]

Maybe it’s the brain scans that make the difference. The robots with those— the WAU can’t control them. They’re themselves, usually, just... [ He pauses, uncomfortably, trying not to wade into how he was once that delusional, that he maybe still is, being this new entity that thinks he is Simon. That he once looked at himself down here and still saw a human body until he was forced to accept it and thought every robot he encountered who claimed to be human was insane, malfunctioning. ]

Confused. The dead people brought back are like puppets, most of them.

[ Ego aside, it’s unsettling to imagine that there is real pain behind the frozen screams of the gagging, writhing Proxies. And probably nothing else. He’d rather not consider that.

and he concludes, soberly, ]
Hope she’s a special case.
lumberlady: (ひどい…)

[personal profile] lumberlady 2019-01-21 12:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[It at least helps, even if she doesn't know anything about this world, to focus on what the woman says. Apparently this Kaz fellow wasn't in need of any help... and "merchers" ran the city with business...

Not that she knew much about that, either, but.]


Sorry, I don't know much about trade... I just work in a lumberyard, my boss handles all the coin.

[The wider path she appreciates, though- because there's dirty children underfoot here and there and when she isn't focusing on it... there's a few equine instincts she can't fully be responsible for in the hoof and rear regions.]

There will be smart people at the university, right? So maybe they know the way out.
hackedhistory: (Default)

[personal profile] hackedhistory 2019-01-21 01:49 pm (UTC)(link)
This way.

[She leads the way back through the various sliding doors. Mick doesn't sleep far from the bridge - being the muscle, if something goes wrong he likes to be close enough to set the intruders on fire if needed. But Zari does stop Inej before they go in to preface this with:]

Be careful where you step. He doesn't trust anyone, so he booby traps his stuff.
hackedhistory: (Default)

[personal profile] hackedhistory 2019-01-21 01:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[She glances over with a bit of a smirk.]

Probably. It's Gideon's favorite thing.

[That being said, if his magic works, hers probably does too. Her fingers press against the totem around her neck, and lifts her hands gently, having the wind pick up various items in the room and suspend them in front of them so that they can be more easily searched through.]

The original bomb was really small, but it was hidden in something super out of place.
hackedhistory: (Default)

[personal profile] hackedhistory 2019-01-21 02:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Find the bomb, somehow disarm it. It isn't where it was the last time, and I keep running out of time.

[And while she's been searching the ship systematically, it's too much to do on her own.]
fuck1ngusernam3: (uhhh)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-01-21 04:58 pm (UTC)(link)
New York? You been smokin your own product, look-

[He half-turns, waving a hand at Detroit behind him. There's a nice apartment building right across the road from Firo's totally legal and not at all dangerous operation, which is fine, and the noise from the raid and Hank's team starts going quiet as Hank focuses on it. A woman hurries out the building's doors, looks both ways over the street, and hurries across, yanking her hair out of its bun.]

Hank, oh my god, next time you're telling the criminal underworld where they can shove it, if I have to spend one more stupid dinner party oohing and aahing over that twat's fancy new android all by myself you're gonna have to arrest me.

[She doesn't even slow down as she gets close, just barrels right into Hank's side in full confidence that by the time she makes impact he'll have his arm raised to clear a spot for her. He does, of course, and then turns back to Prochainezo and nods toward him, eyebrows raised, looking a little amused.]

Tell him yourself hun, he's right here.

[She raises the hand that isn't settled over Hank's hip and points it at Firo.]

You guys better lay off, you ever have to wade through a pack of morons all on your own? You've got to tag team it or it's not even fun. So you'd better clear out of Detroit, bud.
billionaires: (342)

[personal profile] billionaires 2019-01-21 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh... that distraction worked a little too well. he tugs on steve's arm to try and get him to calm down some. ]

Hey, it's fine. I'm over it now. I stole a ball bearing from him to fix my Rube-Goldberg machine anyway, so. No harm done.
rightfully: (pic#11648310)

[personal profile] rightfully 2019-01-21 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Cousin.

[ It's a quick, breathless correction. It doesn't make much difference beyond a semantic level - they grew up together, all three of them, the royal children, the most lost, the most expected of.

It doesn't matter, and Sheryl is correct. After helping her back out the window, Lucina rushes back into the open square, very visible by sunlight...

And no one else is there. Just the two of them. ]
billionaires: (205)

[personal profile] billionaires 2019-01-21 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Great.

[ it's like another scene cut to the restaurant, the avengers filling up most of the place as they laugh and joke, the tiredness around their eyes the only thing betraying what they'd all just been through. ]

Order whatever you want, on me. [ ha-ha, jokes. he's staring right at thor who obviously can't see him. god, he misses these people. misses who they were on this day. it's why he'd been trying to reprise them, bring them together, when stupid astoria happened instead. ]
foundafamily: (Startled)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2019-01-21 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's a lot for Firo to process right now, so much so that thoughts of the ocean (where they should be?) are banished from his head. For one, his corner of crime is largely a man's world, so a woman charging in is enough to have him gaping like a fish on dry land.

For another, he's pretty sure he's never been scolded like that by anyone besides Seina, at least not since he was a little kid. A man would be about to lose that jabbing finger, but what the hell do you do when it's a woman?

And for yet another--Hank is married?!

If he hadn't seen her willingly cozy up to him, Firo'd ask her if she needed help to get away from that freak. His eyes dart to her left hand; maybe this is some sort of weird joke and Hank hired her to prank him, maybe--

Nope. That sure is a wedding ring on her finger.]


I-- Wh--

[What. He turns his head towards Hank and finally manages to force out an intelligible thought.]

Somebody married you?

[Gross. The Hank that he remembers--bearded, sometimes drunk, sometimes unclothed--is one no woman should experience. He might be tempted to warn this lady if that type of conversation were the kind of thing you could talk about in front of a woman.]