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! |
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acatalepsy_logs2019-01-04 10:22 am
literally everything i require out of this cr honestly.
the rift often yields surprises, and this is no exception -- finding himself in an alien world, sword in hand, ready to fight whatever monstrosity has come his way . . . but it's in the voice, that causes lotor to turn on his heel, the demon manifesting itself. it's a horrific sight, to be sure, and lotor is about to strike out and fight when he hears a familiar voice.
looking to his left, and seeing morrigan . . . interesting. but as the magic manifests, and the ice pierces through the demon form, lotor takes half a step to his left, closer to morrigan.
mother. family matters. how familiar, and how messy. ]
Morrigan.
[ quietly, gently -- cognizant of the fact that he knows he's intruding on a personal memory, but also not wanting to open himself up to attacks by morrigan who may think she's alone. ]
What are we fighting?
[ purposeful use of the we. she is not alone here. ]
same here. this will be interesting. 🍿?
Lotor.
[She's about to answer when the nightmare itself does so instead. The ice and thorns give way to a swamp the scent belongs to, and a small cat runs to a hut in the middle of nowhere--a golden mirror held in its teeth. She drops it just as she shifts back into a human, no older than five, and clutches it to her chest. A middle-aged woman with the same black hair that now has streaks of silver cutting through it and yellow eyes glowers at her, takes the mirror and smashes it on the ground before smacking her across the face with a staff.]
Where did you get that?! [the woman demands, and Morrigan forces herself to look into her eyes.] I-in town.
And did you shift in the process of stealing it?
...Yes, moth- ah! [Another strike, before the woman grabs her by the hair and forces her to look at the shattered remains.] Foolish girl. Beauty and wealth are fleeting, worthless things you do not need. And you went and risked discovery for the sake of a pretty bauble. [She whimpers and Flemeth roughly lets go.] Survival and power are all that matter in this world, and when you are older, I will teach you.
[The Morrigan beside Lotor finally speaks again as anger burns in both their gazes.]
Flemeth is an ancient being, kept alive by something far older. Yet her body withers and ages with time. So she has a daughter. One she can mold into her next vessel. I once asked another to kill her, but she will return... She will always return.
[The scenery fades back to the void supported by glass and spiderwebs. And now, should he look... it isn't just webbing that forms the "lines" in the floor. It is cracked; broken like the mirror that had been shattered on the ground.]
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How many daughters has she sacrificed for her own benefit? Or are you the only one?
[ a question, to morrigan, as lotor watches the scene unfold . . . his eyes moving to the cracks in the floor, spidered glass. ]
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[If any exist in the same time as her, that is. Certainly there are tales of other Witches of the Wilds, but if they were borne of her mother... Well, that was a chance she couldn't take out of self-preservation.
The words on the page come back to her with ease, and thanks to this place, it does to Lotor as well: that it is easier for the soul to take residence if the person is highly trained in magic. If they are a shapeshifter. The pages are old as well, yet well-cared for. It's a book that still waits for her back at the Temple, along with its orange tinted leather-bound twin.]
'Twas only I, Flemeth, and the Templars who would hunt us down until the day she sent me away.
[The moment she says it, the woman steps out of the shadows. Long white hair bound in the same red-violet Morrigan wears, stylized like a dragon's horns. So, even her nightmares have stopped pretending that she is simply an old, old woman.]
Well, well. What have we here? [She rests a clawed gauntlet-bearing hand on her hip, smirking.] Another that my Morrigan has gotten to dance to her tune?
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he has to get out of here, find allura, and get the hell out of akvos. but first: ]
Indeed. The pleasure is mine.
[ with all the airs and graces of an emperor, and lotor inclines his head, placing a hand on his chest, in greeting to flemeth. but his tone has a certain sharpness to the undertone, a catty knife-life edge that is only barely audible: ]
Your daughter and I have taken to swapping stories about obsolete parenting methods and mystical lost artes, as it were.
[ horrible parents are horrible parents, human, galran, or not. lotor has no sympathy for flemeth's plight, if morrigan is telling the truth, and he has no reason to doubt her. ]
We were going to leave, if it was all the same to you.
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Flemeth's laugh is enough to send a chill down most people's spines. Good thing neither of them are exactly most people.]
Oh, I like you. [Danger, danger. The old high dragon has fangs.] Yes, Morrigan was always like that. As though she has many examples to base that off of nor enjoyed our little games.
[Must not shift... must not shift... Red briefly flashes in yellow eyes before she bites it back.]
If you are attempting to pull on some figment of regret, you are sadly mistaken. [Oh, she has them. Most of her other dreams that she's had to help others break out of as well can attest to it. This?] I do not regret surviving you.
Of course you don't. [And yet, the ghost almost seems pleased... proud, even. She examines the tips of her gauntlet with a bored expression.] And why not? I raised you to be as you are. Believing you know better than myself or anyone... Yet you are the one who has trapped the two of you within a barrier of ice and barbed vines, not I.
[...Shit, she's right. Morrigan feels out with her magic and the exit is, like the old hag says, behind the very woman that is speaking to them. Either she forces the dream to shift, or she breaks the barrier. Either way, it's obvious the memory of her mother is toying with them.]
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[ lotor doesn't seem remotely bothered, by the supposed predicament; instead, he raises his sword with a level arm, narrowing his eyes slightly toward flemeth. he doesn't look toward morrigan, as he does so, trusting that she would know the way out of this particular memory far better than he.
still, he can buy time, until she either shifts the dreamscape or gets past this idiotic barrier. ]
I suppose we will simply need to break it.
[ morrigan an assist if you will ]
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The crone laughs.] That would involve her going against her very nature.
[Survive. Love has no meaning. Beauty has no meaning... Lies. Her fists glow brighter as her own voice echoes around them.
"And what of your mother? Few are abominations of legend, 'tis true, but I find myself curious nonetheless."
"I love her," a man's voice responds. "What more do you wish to know?" The scent of a fire surrounds them, the outdoors as ice begins to crack; vines begin to burn. Another voice. "Is my being upset really so hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you? Just what would you do if your mother died?"
"Before or after I stopped laughing?" Only, there never was any laughter. Survive... Protect. A shrill, inhuman cry escapes her lips as she gives herself over to the change. Fiery scales replace skin as the light surrounds her. Claws dig into the platform and a red-violet wing spreads wide over Lotor's head.]
You will not have me. [She promises, a roar echoing in her voice.] You will not have my unborn child, and you will not have my colleagues or friends.
[Flemeth's eyes widen slightly, but as the barrier shatters... there's nothing but pride in her yellow irises. Morrigan roars, and the memory shatters. In its wake, a small campsite just off another takes hold. Wood crackles as it burns in the fires and Morrigan slumps to the ground; still a high dragon and exhausted as though it ripped a lot out of her to break that hold.]
Blasted nightmare... Thought it was over after we'd solved those runes.
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. . . your mother is a charming woman.
[ what else do you say, to such a thing? but lotor sheaths the sword, feeling comfortable enough with the dragon to let down his guard slightly, particularly given they're not trapped in a hell void anymore. ]
Are you alright, Morrigan?
[ physically, but perhaps emotionally, too. bad parents are bad parents. dealing with them is never an enjoyable experience. ]
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[At least she's well enough for sarcastic quips. Her dark humor is still there; that's a good sign. Then her tired mind registers the comment he'd made and a noise that sounds akin to a tired, bitter laugh escapes the dragon at the statement.]
Oh, you have no idea...
[She does. Her mother loved to tell bedtime stories of her... conquests with men until they were used up and then killing them. He doesn't need to know that, however, so she doesn't say it. Slowly, light and smoke play around her scales until it leaves her in human form, leaning against the wall and clutching at her sides.]
Nudging history when required... sometimes shoving it when some person who'll soon become legend needs saving. She can be very persuasive when she decides to put on her wizened old woman mask.
[At least her dreams let him see the real her. She glimpses at the imagined stars above their heads.]
I have almost found our exit. Any questions before the ground decides to open its maw and swallow us? [She's just kidding... or IS SHE? ...It she?]
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I would rather be thrown into the void than have a warm and loving discussion about family histories.
[ read: he's not asking questions and having morrigan have the footing to ask about his own gruesome and awful past. but he pauses, before offering her the tiniest tidbit: ]
But I will say that your mother, and my father, would have gotten along famously. We could be siblings.
[ what a monstrosity that would have been. ]
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I was more referring to magic in Thedas, but fair enough. [A sardonic grin tugs at the corner of her lips.] Is that so? For I have heard all the stories of her conquests, and she tends to kill after using them up if fate has no other plans.
T'would explain the inhumanity, however.
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I could ask countless questions about magic, but it seemed avoidant to ignore the obvious. [ and lotor is anything but that. but he offers morrigan something of a grin in return. ] And while I know I have no human lineage in my veins, I'm not entirely certain about dragon.
[ zarkon was certainly monstrous enough. ]
You seem to be doing well with or without her influence, at any rate. Carving your own path separate from what's expected of you is no easy task.
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Oh, if only she knew...]'Tis overrated, I will give you that. [Humans in her reality do nooot make the best life choices for themselves or those around them, including their world half the time.] And I know not if there is any dragon in mine, but I do not need to be related to a beast to transform into it's shape.
I expect most will. [She crosses her arms.] For a time, at least. Unfortunately, I doubt she did not expect me to tear away from her. She would have done the same to me if I had let her.
[Have her killed, that is. Whee.]