[Event] Into The Deep Blue Yonder

[trpmods]

Into The Deep Blue Yonder
Waking up not entirely certain of where one was can hardly be considered new territory for most He Rows. Happenings like that were just another bump in the metaphorical road they had been placed upon. But waking up uncertain of where one happened to be while also feeling weightless, well that would be far less common, now wouldn't it?

Awoken by a voice that crashed and roared like waves on a beach and the number of He Rows who had gone through something like this before probably dwindled the low single digits. If even that many.

"Rouse thyselves! Her Majesty summons you!"

The command is punctuated by the sound of some sort of horn.

How quickly one He Row or another opens their eyes will be up to them, at least for a few minutes. Fail to act quickly and one might find themselves prodded rather aggressively. What by? Well, opening eyes would really be needed for that. And chances are once one does so they might find their attention caught up elsewhere. Namely with processing how unlikely where they are happens to be.

After all, waking up undeniably underwater, without drowning, and looking at the changed forms of the other heroes around one might be disorienting.

A quick check will reveal to a hero that they themselves are changed, made to be more suited to the current underwater situation they are in. All around are fins, scales, perhaps tentacles, or webbed feet and hands. Is this a dream?

No, the strangers in the room that awake you probably make this more real. Two guards, for what else can they be with thick plates of shell and coral clasped over their chests and the coral or tooth hewn blades in their hands, frame a beautifully iridescent pearl door. Between them floats a being with the torso of something like a man and the lower body of a green jellyfish, with a massive shell in their hand. Probably the same one that was just blown.

Around the large room floats your fellow He Rows, perhaps looking as awkward and out of sorts as you feel. Those that do not seem awake yet are being prodded… by a bident in the grip of something that might be called a hippocampus if it didn't have hands instead of forehooves.

Hopefully that ends up being the strangest thing you will see, but what are the chances of that.

At last the guards and the shell holder round everyone up and get them swimming through the corridors. They answer any and all questions or comments with ‘Her Majesty will speak to you’. Creative bunch, right?

After a while the twists and turns of the corridors – nonsensical and almost organic in design – open suddenly into a large, nearly cavernous design. It is surprisingly well lit, not with glowing creatures or plant-like things as in the area before, but by blue-green fires in cauldrons shaped like many different sea creatures. Sometimes they hold bowls of fire, sometimes it flows from open jaws, sometimes it just dances over their very forms.

Water shouldn't burn. And those colors are quite weird. Plus there is the fact that the waters here feel no warmer than before. Actually, if you really think about it, temperature hasn't really been a thing that you've been sensing so far. How strange.

Not that there is much time to consider that for the average mind. After all the ‘fires’ are flaring and she is there. Immediately a name comes to mind: Yurebia. She is the ruler of this deep sea realm, her temper is as sudden as a sea storm, her love is nourishing as a massive school of fish when hunger gnaws at you. Queen, goddess, sea witch, and your Hostess.

Also, in a way, your captor.

Later He Rows might compare what she looks like between themselves and find no two descriptions are identical. All agree she possesses an unrivaled beauty that is as breathtaking as it is terrible. Everyone agrees she shines with impossible light, though it could be from eyes or skin, scales or spots or stripes. She looks like the maiden and mother and crone, but also like the sea and river and shore.

She is lovely. She is terrible. She is your safety while you are here.

And when she speaks, it is like songs of sea creatures and like waves rasping gently against a calm shore.

"You awaken at last. We are glad. Soon we all will feast to celebrate your visit and how you will assist Us. But as We promised before you drank of Our blessing, We must remind you of what you have forgotten."

With each thing she says, a bit of your memory comes back, though only in vague, imperfect shapes. First there are memories of two weeks ago when Venidelosia announced that she had finally cracked some of the recovered data fragments from your last trip. Through which she has compiled a list of what worlds she find that her makers visited, especially planets that would suit known Agrii biology. As the list grew, she culled it down by distance, gaps in records as to who the noted 'semi-intelligent’ inhabitants were, and even data such as day and night cycles.

So you had set out for one of the two worlds flagged as ‘most likely’. Which is about where the more concrete memories end. And where Yurebia enters.

"Our foresight has spoken of the coming of this day for long. So upon your arrival, We summoned you before Us by our magic into this very space. You waited in a bubble of your own atmosphere while We explained Our need. These ‘Agrii’ are not of our realm, but We know how to guide your next steps. So you shall serve Our people for a short time to solve problems they cannot, and in exchange We will give you our information, aid, and personal boons."

Perhaps this seems reasonable. Perhaps not. But someone raises the important question.

Why can't you remember agreeing to her bargain?

"We sensed your trepidation, no doubt, over your memories. This We understand. The magic required to grant you a temporary place in Our realm is… unpleasant and painful. To shelter your minds, We found it necessary to block some of your memories. You were warned it may result in this, so We bid you use your little note takers to reassure yourselves. You may check."

She must mean the communication devices, which now hang on pearl, silver, and polished coral chains around some part of each He Row’s body. Some might indeed find messages – in text, audio, or video – for themselves. Others may not, merely for not being the sort to do so. Whether it is comforting or not depends on the He Row. But once the messages are reviewed, Her Majesty clears her throat to draw attention again.

The noise makes the whole place shiver just a bit.

With a wave of an appendage – hand or fin or tentacle depending upon the beholder – the fires flare along one wall of the room. The light washes upon a large, well, board is the best term. It seems of carved blue-green stone, and upon it waves pale lengths of what must be leaves. Leaves with murky dark marks upon them.

"Upon this board We shall place Our requests and the needs We have of you. Handle those you feel you can. Ask any of Our guards if you need information, unless they are marked with a moon. For those you shall need see Us."

Another gesture and fires upon the other wall flare, framing a tunnel.

"Through there you shall find those places We have prepared for you. Places to rest, to dine, to converse. In one you shall find a mirror by which you might speak to your great boats. If there is aught more We might provide, you need but ask Us. And now, please, feast with Us."

And so, He Rows, begins your short term, deep sea life.

FAQ
When does this event run?

This event will start with the He Row’s awakening on September 10th and will run through October 5th.

Can we opt out of this event?

Only through a hiatus. All He Rows will be on this planet and will be part of the event. How deeply you choose to involve yourselves, though, is up to you.

What if my character is brand new?

You are free to either assume that your character joined the others during the trip to this planet, or to just wake up in one of the undersea rooms later in the month.

What sorts of forms can we take?

The only limitation is that it must be based on a sea creature and your imagination. You can go for a traditional mermaid, you could go for something more like a sahagan, or you could go for a sea serpent. You could choose just to be a human with webbed fingers and gills, or you could go as strange as possible with one or two details that will make your character recognizable to others. It should also be noted that if your character is traditionally non biologic, such as an Android, Exo, Droid, or something else, you have the option of some kind of robotic creature or getting a month as something biological in origin. Wouldn’t that be weird?

Will these forms give us any special abilities?

Other than the ability to swim effectively, handle deep sea pressure, and be able to breathe water, no, there will be no other abilities. However, if the biological structure that you chose comes with something like tentacles, spines, sharp teeth or claws, you would be able to make use of those. Your strength, if you do not already have powers, will be roughly equivalent between forms.

I have an ability or power, do those carry through into this?

Absolutely, provided it is, as usual, not game breaking. That said, if you have a character coming in with extra things from technology, you can feel free to incorporate those into your biological form. For instance, if you were someone that is wearing some kind of power gauntlet that allows you to shock other people, it would be reasonable to still be able to shock people upon touch.

Will our weapons still work underwater?

Oddly enough, yes. Please don't question the physics. I don't want to find out how to make them work. If you could normally come with a gun that uses some kind of chemical reaction, such as gunpowder for some reason, that's going to work under the sea. If you have a sword, somehow, you're going to have the leverage to swing it properly. And yes, if you do not already have a weapon, you can borrow one from the Queen and her guards. The same is true for armor.

What kind of quests will be available to us?

The Queen has set up a quest board for you, with requests set up both by herself and by residents of her domain. Which basically means that you're free to make up a lot of different kinds of quests for yourself that would please your specific characters. If you're having trouble coming up with something, ask a question in the question thread below and the mods will throw out a few different possible ideas for you.As a general starter idea, consider things like fetch quests, harvesting rare and exotic animals or plants for ingredients. Or my personal favorite, go find a sea dragon to fight.

Why can't the Queen’s people take care of these problems themselves?

It's entirely possible that they can solve some of these issues, but you do need to help her in some manner to get her help in return and she kind of has you trapped here. So really, working within the limits that she set down seems a lot better than being trapped here for an extended period of time. Let's not piss off the powerful sea Goddess Queen who clearly managed to take you from your ship without you being to get back?

Did my character really leave a message to themselves? Can I be sure of that?

Anyone with the necessary specialties or experience can analyze any message that was left behind by themselves or for someone else, and they'll find that the messages are completely genuine. You may even note that there is some nerves or emotional tension, or even a person flat out saying that they're kind of not sure about this lady, but the messages are genuine.

So are we gonna have access to food here? Do we play out the feast?

Well, we won't be setting up the feast for you. Yes, you'll be able to eat. In fact, think of the weirdest things that you like that scream deep sea to you and have at it. These people are not vegetarians. They just don't eat other intelligent creatures.

Are all of the Queen's people kind of human with animal feature?

Oh dear me, no. You'll find plenty of intelligent creatures that are sort of akin to sharks or dolphins or whales. You will absolutely find a wealth of things that would fall into the category of octopi, and there are probably a lot of other types of species that are present that would not strike you normally as a thinking creature. You'll be able to tell the difference because all inhabitants of this domain are pretty proud to decorate themselves with pearl, coral, or other worked items.

You know, I've gotta ask, can I seduce the residents?

Of course you can. We're not gonna stop you from getting your freak on, provided the character is of age. In fact, if you're particularly brave, you can attempt to seduce the Queen herself, though that one you will have to tag out with a mod. If successful, there will be a fade to black, but we can't guarantee that anyone will be successful in seducing the sea goddess.

Can I talk to a resident or the goddess into providing the things that we need without me doing service?

Again, yes, but those things will have to be threaded out with a mod. Please remember per the out of character announcement that recently went up that Mod Churby will be a bit slower on these things due to her health, but she will try.

Is there any way for us to get back to Venidelosia without serving the woman's desires?

Yes, teleporters are magic. Users could in theory get you back to the ships. The problem is that you are currently in a form that does not breathe air through lungs. Making that decision could end up with you dying. Or she could use her magic to pull you right on back. But don't let it stop you from trying. In fact, if you do, let us know and we'll tell you some outcomes.

Can we actually talk to Venidelosia while we are here?

Yes you can. All you have to do is put a request in the questions thread asking for her presence in a thread and we will get her to you. If you don't want a thread out of conversation, just let us know the general gist of what you want to ask and we will try to give you answers.

I had another question that isn't addressed here. Where should I ask it?

Please direct your questions to the appropriate thread below, as well as any requests that you might have for NPC interactions. We just ask that you allow for patience because of things covered in recent sitewide news posted on Dreamwidth, as well as the announcement posted to our out of character community. These may cause delays from the current mod in charge.

Comments

Questions and Comments?

[trpmods]

Ask them here, or request NPC involvement. Any way we can help, let us know

hgeoajf where did last month go

[thepurpleone]

Since I have totally lost track of everything I guess

so what would have happened if some sassy turtle boy(s) decided 'naw' and asked Veni for a pick-up

Re: hgeoajf where did last month go

[trpmods]

Sorry for the delay

Veni would tell them that the agreement was reached and she is not capable of picking them up. The shuttles do not handle the level of pressure required to get as deep as they are. Please continue to work hard. Be safe, friend Donnie.

[thepurpleone]

Oh, I meant by the teleporty means mentioned above, sorry, I saw Veni mentioned and automatically assumed that would be the default. XD;

[trpmods]

Ah, no, sorry. We meant in those characters that can use teleportation as a skill. Sorry for the confusion.