WORLD JUMP #7: Shulon

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players welcome to shulon. QUICK LINKS WORLD INFO: A NOTE FROM KATH | THE PEOPLE | THE PROBLEM | THE MONSTERS | MOD NOTE COMMENT SECTION: MOD QUESTIONS A NOTE FROM KATHASHUN. It's a normal day, when your watches light up. Something almost familiar about the sudden note that is shared between you all. But it's a different face you find in the video. Rather than the effervescent smile of Astoria, as some of you may have expected, Kathashun's appears. Hello, everyone. I know things have been...less than comfortable as of late. There is still a lot to be done here, I am aware, but as I've feared your work across the universes is not yet complete. I don't understand it wholly myself, but I've tapped into a source of magic here and it's leading me to another world specially. A next mission. While my magic is nowhere near that of the witch who brought you all here, I can open the rift for a short period of time. Something is there, and it's pulling us to it. Something needs our attention, in this world, I know it. But I'm not going to simply drop you there as you have been abandoned in the past. I will be going to this world - I believe its called Sholun - and can take whoever wishes to join me. I cannot promise your safety. I know not of what is in this world. But something is happening that is causing destruction, and we have to find a way to stop it. We have to. [ there's a beat, where he looks concerned, before a thought occurs to him. ] Except for trees. I did sense trees. Larger than I've ever seen, but... It’s different than you’re used to. There’s no sudden feeling of waking up, of looking around to see the changes Astoria’s magic has made. Instead, it’s a rush - if you’ve decided to go, you’ll have to step through a rift. An actual, physical rift made into the space in front of you. You step in, and feel a rush. SHULON. The world around you is shrouded in oblivion. and when the feeling settles you’re met with the sight of a large forest. When you awake in the forest, only the howl of the wind greets you. The bushes rustle faintly, and leaves crack underneath your feet. Every single sound pierces through the deafening silence of what feels like an endless canopy of trees towering over you, and you may find it to be a tad off putting to say the least. Suddenly, there are footsteps nearby. Fortunately for you, it’s another Circle member. But what will it take for you to realize this? A throw of the rock, or a showdown perhaps? Will you tail them in secrecy or call out to them? Regardless, you have company, and you’ll need help navigating the forest until the people of Shulon come to your aid. THE PEOPLE A town meeting has been arranged in preparation of the attacks, and as a means of welcoming the Circle members. The people of Shulon have gathered around the elder. The elder extends a hand forged from wood, and leaves you with a handful of luscious, red berries. Each one will provide you with a boon — from increased energy levels to agility, strength and more, it is his way of offering a blessing. The berries may be a bit hard to handle at first, however, and leave you with a rather dizzying or embarrassing side effect. The People offer you their share of leafy greens during the meeting. Even in spite of the tension, they try to remain as amiable as possible and celebrate the situation. But once the festivities come to an end, it’s decided that a strategy must be put forward. What should be done about the monsters? How will they be fought, and what do your fellow Circle members have to say? This is your time to speak, so use it well. THE WORK The people of Shulon are on edge, even during times of rest. It’s the monsters — the shacks they call “home” are brittle and susceptible to attack, so they have no choice but to keep watch after sundown. With you and the other Circle members providing help, they've decided not to move their village for the next few nights. With the added number of bodies and mouths to feed, it just doesn't make sense. But that does leave them more open to attacks, and you can feel the fear start to rise each day as it gets closer and closer to sunset. They make it obvious that you do not have to help them, you are their guests, but they would be ever grateful if you did. Should you be interested in serving as a defender, they’ll assign you a shift. They are not exactly the most skilled or organized when it comes to how to defend themselves, so any help or assistance will be needed. In the dead of night, you’ll either be 1) standing guard in the instance of an attack, 2) tending to other members of the village (this ranges from cooking, to nursing to scavenging), or 3) part of the scouting troupe to hopefully find answers as to how to stop the monsters for good. Where will you join the efforts? Because no matter what decision you make, the monsters will appear. And they are out for the lives of the natives, and the Circle Members as well. They seemingly materialize at random, but when they do, they arrive in packs. They linger outside of the village, and push forward as much as they’re able. Devise a strategy or get moving, stat! A MOD NOTE Hello everyone and thank you again for your patience while we've been getting everything resituated for Chapter 2. A quick reminder here that while the World Jumps have been changed ever so slightly, the heart and soul of Acatalepsy is the same. This is your world to explore, your choices to make. If you have any questions, you are free to ask us here, even after this post has gone up. Have fun! Save the new world! Bring peace to the universe. And don't forget to make it back in time to be brought back to the Temple. We wouldn't want you to get left behind. :)

Comments

Lady Ilde | Open

[invasif]

THE FOREST (SNEAKY ACTION)
[ Someone had asked her what skills she had acquired in her unfortunate and fraught childhood as a refugee in the midst of a war of mages and monsters. She had learned how to move quietly. She had learned how to go unseen. It might be her that you think you hear just at the edges of your senses. Tucked into the brush in her usual black clothes. She's long since shredded up her long gown to make it more functional, and there blood stains and burns marks throughout. She still prefers black, not only to show her continued mourning for a king she murdered, but it is also the color of quiet stealth. Even her blonde hair is covered carefully. ]

THE BERRIES (CONVO)
[ She listens quietly as the effects of the berries is explained... Then she closes her hand around them without eating one. She may also reach over to gently close yours as well, ]

Save these. Keep them safe. We don't know when we may need them, even when we are long gone from here.

KEEPING WATCH (ACTION CONVOS)
[ She knows her skills aren't really suited to going back out into the dark to hunt secrets. That was proved to her well enough on the Horologium where she had been attacked from all directions and only barely able to defend herself. It had been a foolish, defiant thing to do, but she'd also gladly bring it up any day to remind everyone of their roles and her needs.

Not today though, today she is her usual grim self but determined, ]

I can light the perimeter here, and those who gather around me will be enhanced. Continue to save your berries in case you are separated from my effect.

[ She also has a dagger that crackles with lightning-- someone(s) should make sure she knows how to use it. ]

abigail hobbs | open

[theminotaur]

𝚂𝙷𝚄𝙻𝙾𝙽 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃

[ abigail awakens in the forest the same way she awoke at the temple, a dog licking her forehead in concern before her fingers knot through his fur and she sits up. the rift, the king, they are in the trees, just as he said. abigail hasn't had time to orient herself to the chaos at the temple or kathashun replacing astoria so she doesn't try to think about it, pushing to her feet and letting the dog lick her hand. ]

It's fine, Winston. Just like home. [ there were monsters in her woods at home, human monsters. she draws her knife, her father's knife, and tries to find comfort in the weapon but she can't quite keep her mind from imagining blood on the blade or the feel of it cold against her throat. she adjusts her scarf, keeping the pale skin of her throat covered by the blue, silken fabric. ]

Just like home. [ winston whines, perhaps sensing the anxiety in her repetition before he decides a direction and sets off, abigail following behind him. ] Let's find a friend.

𝙴𝙻𝙳𝙴𝚁'𝚂 𝙱𝙴𝚁𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂

[ abigail doesn't speak during the meeting, content to stand in the back with her hands clasped in front of her, listening to other people debate and discuss the strategies and tactics. this is not her area of expertise (if she even has one) and she knows she wouldn't have anything to offer to the discussion. instead she nibbles on the greens offered and occasionally slips outside when winston decides nature is calling.

but still, despite the solemnity of the situation, she can't help herself from half whispering as she inspects the berries she is offered: ] They're elder-berries.

𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙶𝚄𝙰𝚁𝙳

[ volunteering to stand guard is dangerous, but less dangerous than being taken unawares, at least abigail thinks so. which is why she is paired up on guard duty, along with a snoozing dog that would probably lick an assailant rather than attack. winston graham is a lover not a fighter, but he seems to be abigail's constant companion now that they're both missing will.

she sweeps her dark hair back from her face, but the wind sees it fluttering in her face all over again. it's not a minnesota winter, she will be fine. ]

You'd think the trees would block the wind. [ and yet. ]

𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙳𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙳

( run into abigail (and winston) anywhere! this is not her first world jump, despite looking new to the temple. )

⚡ Lorna Dane ❝Polaris❞ | OPEN

[geomagnetically]

FOREST—
This isn't Lorna's first rodeo in the world of the Circle, and, hell, it's not even her second. Third time's the charm? Something like that. But she jumps right into the fray of the objective once she's given the chance. So, when she wakes up again -- this time in the forest -- it feels eerily quiet. Alone. Nature snaps and crackles beneath her footsteps as she moves, long green hair falling loosely over her back. Her more tactically prudent uniform than her norm (a green ensemble with a cape) would at least help her seem more.... natural.

She knows it won't work, but she has to try lifting a hand and trying to flow her magnetic mutation through it. No dice, as expected. "Here's hoping I've still got the mind immunity." She says to herself, her arm falling back to her side.

"There's a god damn joke in here about not seeing the forest for the trees." She amuses herself with the joke, and turns right into... a person.

Hi.

WORK—
Of course she's going to help. She switches between keeping watch, and scouting. When doing the former, she's trying to keep her chill, but some restlessness does sneak its way out despite her best efforts. Some pacing. She'd love for this place to not go up like the X-Men mansion has been known to do a lot. Kaboom.

When she's doing the latter, she starts by trying to get more people to come. So you may find here trying to talk you into something. Or, if you're already in, she'll probably break the ice asking if this is your first rodeo with a world jump.

ET CETERA—
( hit me! )

risa hawkeye | open!

[efface]

SHULON

[ it's a new experience, having the choice to step through into the new world rather than waking up there. new, but not bad. riza has been doing these jumps for long enough to know that not all worlds are safe for everyone, and while they don't exactly have the information to tell others to stay behind, at least they have the choice. but that also leaves the fact that those who can handle these worlds, need to.

riza steps through the rift without a second thought, prepared for whatever she finds and motivated by the fact they at least have a goal, or a directive. kathashun is on their side here, rather than astoria simply dumping them off, and she's definitely on board with it.

the forest isn't her first choice of a place to show up in, but there's not a lot of time to focus on that - the footteps catch her attention first, and her gun is up immediately after. ]

Show yourself!

SCOUTING TROUPE

[ after the initial planning and ideas have been put forth, riza decides she's not staying around the camp this time around. she pipes in when necessary and gets things moving as quickly as possible, knowing the danger they'll face out in the woods at night but knowing that if this does connect to the same rifts kathashun is using, they need to get it closed. quickly.

riza is fairly quiet moving through the forest. not extraordinarily skilled, but she knows what to look out for. how to control her body. she'll do her best if she notices any of the others falling behind, stepping in close and whispering some help. ] Avoid the underbrush. Here- { and she will show you, or whoever else, needs the help. we're trying to not get killed here, remember? which also might prompt her to reach out and push your head down if she notices anything amiss around you.

and if you turn to her to say something, a finger will go to her lips, the universal sign forshhhhhh. something is close. ]

WILDCARD

[ COME AT ME or message me on plurk! disarmingly ]

Cole | ota!

[hurtcomfort]

the people
[ Cole still has yet to fully wrap his head around the concept of 'eating.' He's managed it enough not to starve, but he's also discovered that some things just don't taste good (which honestly, isn't fair. If the birds or the animals can eat it, then why can't he?)

So when he's handed some leafy greens, Cole just stares at them for a moment. These are leaves. And he knows that some of them he can eat. But others of them burn his tongue, make him itch, hurt him in some way. And he's got no idea if these plants are helpful or hurtful.

Finding another Circle member, Cole walks up to them with a hesitant frown on his face. ] Should I eat these?

the work
[ This is what he knows to do. This is more his speed. Silence, scouting, trying to find and fix the hurts. They found the problem. A black mass deep in the forest. And Cole, true to his nature, wants to fix the problem.

He helped close rifts back home. This is more of the same. Granted, he doesn't have an anchor. The Inquisitor had that, they were the one who closed the rifts. But he could at least fight things coming through while seeing if this is at all like what he knows.

Cole's about to sneak out of the camp, away from the rest of the Circle members, when he spots another Circle member looking in his general direction. He stands still for a moment, trying to draw upon his 'you can't see me' powers, realizes that he can't actually do that now, and instead awkwardly stands around before talking. ]

A shattered sky, bringing things through. It's familiar. I can fight it. [ awkward paaaaause. ] I'm going out. Do you want to come with me?