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revivalprojectooc2022-10-11 06:31 pm
trpmods) wrote in revivalprojectooc2022-10-11 06:31 pm
[Storm] When Stories Come True
Dark skies over Agra-10 aren't unusual, but they can be ominous because any overcast sky could be the start of an energy storm. The fact that the gray skies arrive above Temba with no immediate repercussions might be a comfort to some. Then again there might not be much comfort in the fact that the gray spreads to the skies of Sh’Ka the next day without fading from Temba. Then with the rise of the third day of gray skies above Temba, and the second over Sh’Ka, fearful truth arrives in the form of a thick fog. Seeing much further than a few yards away soon becomes very difficult for those outside.
With the arrival of the fog comes a sure sign: communicators stop working and those with powers find them missing. Soon after that the ghostly figures appear, leading as ever into the fog. These figures could be anyone: loved ones from home, former He Rows, or even current friends not already at your side. As always the storm ghosts will remain just out of reach and all will seek to lure you into danger. And when night comes, the skies clear and you will find a familiar face above. As with the last storm, He Rows in Temba will find the moon screaming hourly each night, and when it does, their powers will briefly return and prove to be out of control.
New problems arise on the second day with the return of the fog. Lightning and thunder begin and strike only during the ‘daylight’ hours, bathing the cities in crimson light and terrible noises that sound like screams and pleas. During these flashes of lightning new shadows appear in the fog and quickly solidify into dreadfully real forms.
The specific manifestation of the shadows will depend on those present at their forming, but at least one person in any group out in the storm will immediately recognize what is created. This is because each manifestation comes from the memories of the heroes, taken from a story heard in their past. Some of the stories were passed down through families, some were told around campfires, and still others were made by the entertainment industry. No matter the origin, the stories find physical form and begin to haunt the foggy day. All will have one thing in common to mark them for what they are: some part of them will radiate the same crimson light of the lightning.
The bad news for you is that once they form, the manifestations have physical presence and will follow the course of their stories. Vampires will seek blood, ghosts will want revenge, and possessed dolls will stalk people. Some stories might even be whole haunted buildings that might seek to trap you forever. Each story, even ones you’ve never heard before, will grow familiar to all who see them over time, their whole form remembered by any who encounter them, even if they were never told the tale.
The good news is that these stories all seem to be ones that had a path to escape in them. A silver bullet, a plant that repels the monster, a method to escape the haunted tower. So He Rows who remember the tales have ways to banish them. You might want to act fast before others get tangled in their stories though.
Every night the fog fades and the forms of the stories fade in the light of the moon. But with a new day and the return of the fog and lightning, they can form again. Or, perhaps, new and worse stories might take their place. Happily the crimson lightning seems less common than even the screaming of the moon, so there shouldn’t be too many stories to deal with, right?
Now and then there also seem to be stories that don’t seem to come from the He Rows themselves. You might run into a towering giant stomping around, almost stepping on you. At other times you may suddenly be trapped in a great box of stone or steel or glass, holding you in a great space that you can find no easy escape from. Then there are the great crimson shapes glinting like metal, crashing to the ground from the skies in clusters around you. These linger for what could seem like a few minutes or a few hours before suddenly lifting up again, spewing smoke and gouts of fire from their bottoms that seem just as dangerous as almost being smashed when they crashed down. All of them fade well before night, without you acting on them.
Where did these specific shadows come from? They clearly aren’t from your own past, even if they sometimes echo stories you might have been told or seen in entertainment media. Whose stories are these if they aren’t yours or that of your fellow He Rows?
Maybe the answers are out there in the storm itself. Or maybe you should stay safe inside.
When does this event run?
Clouds gather over Temba on the 11th, Sh’Ka on the 12th. The storm starts with the fog on Thursday the 13th and will end on Sunday the 23rd.
What is happening?
Another energy storm has arrived, with the usual attachments of seeing people in it that will lead He Rows into dangerous situations, powers not working, and electronics going out.
Where am I safe/where do I go to opt-out?
Both cities will have safezones that will still have power and running water. In Temba shelter is available at the Whale Comb Sent Her. In Sh’Ka shelter is available in the Residential Tower. In both cities the greenhouses, ships, and hangars are safe. The overhead hangar doors shut just before the storm starts.
Do Comms work and will the train/ships be in motion?
No, not for this event.
There is a storm but there is no wind or rain?
Indeed. At night during the storm the air is still with a clear sky and bright moonlight. During the day it will be foggy, and starting on the 14th, there will be flashes of crimson lightning.
Are the storm ghosts still going to be a thing once the lightning starts?
Yes. It is possible for characters to experience any combination of storm ghosts and shadow manifestations. You are free to run into only one or the other sort of disturbance in the fog, or even both. And there’s nothing to say that the figure that looks like your best friend can’t lead you over to where someone else is dealing with their shadow manifestation of a werewolf story.
What’s up with the Moon?
He Rows might remember the new grinning moon from March. Guess who’s back? The previous event answers some specific questions about it, but in general know that it screams once an hour every night, in Temba only. Those who hear the scream and don’t cover their ears in some manner find that powers/abilities they have are back and on the fritz for a short time.
So these shadow things, what are they?
Any and all scary stories a He Row has heard are fair game, especially those that they were told when they were young, or are traditional stories. Be as creative as you wish. The only rule is that there must be a way to defeat/repel/escape the shadow manifestation.
What kind of weaknesses do the shadows have to have?
Anything that seems thematically appropriate. If you’ve got a vampire, you can go with any classic vampire weakness, or perhaps a new one like a special song. Silly, serious, or difficult to pull off is all good, just have a means to deal with the shadow in mind.
Can the shadows hurt us?
Yes, but they will always seem to either stop short of actually killing, or you will somehow get lucky enough to avoid a serious wound. It’s almost as if the story isn’t meant to end that way, as if the fear is more important.
Could you describe the giants?
In Temba the giants that are around thirty feet tall, their skin a gray-pink color, and with four long, spindly arms. These giants have three glowing, crimson eyes and massive mouths with fangs. These ones seem to topple things around them and are more likely to seem close to crushing you. In Sh’Ka the giants are twenty feet tall and look like massive, snarling bears with crimson eyes that almost look too large for their heads, and pug-like muzzle. Liquid drips from their muzzles and whatever the liquid touches seems to melt. When giants fade it becomes clear that no damage has actually been done by either, that too was just a shadow. These are most common of the non-He Row stories and last only a few minutes before fading.
And the shadowy room?
This is a sealed space you can’t escape, being trapped there either alone or with other He Rows. If a He Row is in it long enough they may begin to notice that it isn’t just a large space, but that there are massive structures around them that might be furniture on the scale of the giants. This shadow tends to last for a few minutes to half an hour.
If these giant/trapped/crashing objects stories aren’t from the He Rows, who are they from?
Those with keen senses, and a bit of luck, might notice that there is another presence near them in the fog just before them when the story forms. In Temba these will be an individual Funfrond. In Sh’Ka, it will be a solitary Barry.
Anything else?
Ask below! And feel free to use the post for plotting.
Questions?
Dustin
Dustin will be stuck in Sh'Ka for the entirety of the event, because he went there to go talk to some Barrys and now he can't take the train back, whoops
Things I definitely want to do:
Things I am also interested in doing:
no subject
Any of mine you might like over on Sh'Ka side to
make things worseuh...endure, I guess? XDno subject
no subject