[Storm] 'Ware The Blizzard Winds

[trpmods]

Do you ever get the feeling that things have been going too well lately? That there’s been a bit of peace, and the Agrii have been helpful and supportive, and that maybe there’s been some headway in trying to figure out how to live here? Life on Agra-10 rarely stays this peaceful this long, and things haven’t been really bad for months. It’s a run of luck that can’t quite keep.

So is it really surprising when there’s a sudden, frantic audio message from an Agrii?

He Ro- … hide! Bad storm … soon! Much cold … shell her need … so live! … hide!
The message is garbled with static, words are missing, and it’s impossible to tell which Agrii in particular is speaking. Chances are there was more said, or might have been more said. Perhaps you’ll never know, because the audio cuts off abruptly as all comms go out, and soon after lights are flickering out. The wind picks up, heavy flakes of snow are falling, and clearly the source of the danger is clear, with the rumbling threat of thunder in the distance, and thick clouds approaching. There isn’t much time to find shelter before the blizzard blows over Temba.

Hopefully all He Rows find somewhere to stay safe from the storm, and contrive ways to stay warm. The good news is that it won’t be hard to find water, as snow can be gathered and slowly melted to drink. He Rows who are lucky might end up in one of the buildings that also have food, such as the diner, the green house, and even the whale comb sent her and the residential towers where The Deep End is. Or perhaps they are the sort of He Row who keeps their shelter stocked with emergency supplies. Either way they’ll have several days to pass and keep themselves going. But it can’t get worse than just the storm itself, right?

The apparitions start to appear several hours after the storm begins, just when a He Row finally feels like they might be safe, when they are starting to get used to being deprived of technology and any powers they have. The form of someone familiar appears before them, someone they care about. It could be a friend, a lover, a family member; it could be a He Row that is here, someone that left, or someone from home. No matter who it is they appear like a ghost, and stare at the He Row for a few minutes before they speak.

The apparition will speak of a secret of a He Row, something they are ashamed of, something they wouldn’t want others to know. They can speak at great detail, or with enough vagueness to make an already shameful situation seem even worse. When they have told their tale they fade away. This might not be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that any other He Row around will also be able to see and hear these secrets. What you wouldn’t want another to know is now out there, for someone else to hear, to know, to judge you for.

For some people the storm is worse than others, though. Those He Rows who chose to be involved in a recent destructive action in Sh’Ka will find themselves suffering from something else in the storm, something new. A deep fear and paranoia that whatever shelter they have chosen isn’t safe. This isn’t something any other He Rows will understand the reasoning behind. Nor will they see the final apparition that will appear only to these destructive He Rows.

At last, on the morning of the fourteenth the snow will stop falling, the sun will come out, and the storm will have passed. Time to dig yourself, and others, out. Provided you haven’t already done that.

FAQ
When does this event run?
In Temba the blizzard will start suddenly on Friday the 10th and will end on the morning of Tuesday the 14th. A lesser version of the storm, lacking the typical Energy Storm elements will then follow in Sh’Ka. This will hit late on Wednesday the 15th and end on Thursday the 16th.

What is happening?
Another energy storm has arrived, with a new twist. This one will lack lightning, fog, and rain, and instead be an overwhelming winter blizzard. Expect several feet of snow to drop during the storm, along with a lack of access to He Rows’ powers as well as no functional technology.

What about these apparitions?
Wherever He Rows are waiting out the storm in Temba, they will see some ghostly form of someone they know, whether they are another He Row or someone from home. This apparition will repeat stories, memories, and thoughts the He Rows have had and are ashamed of.

And if my character has no sense of shame?
Then the apparition will list things they should be ashamed of. Because perhaps this time the experience is not just about you, but about the other He Rows who might be listening.

Where am I safe/where do I go to opt-out?
During the core event, characters can opt-out by having been in Sh’Ka. The character is then likely to experience the lesser intensity storm in Sh’Ka, which will not trap them as much and won’t have the manifestations.

Do Comms work and will the train/ships be in motion?
No, not for this event. The Hangars will shut and the train shut down just before the storm with little warning. It will take two days after the storm passes in Temba before the trains can move again and the hangars will open. So basically no transit between the cities between February 10th and February 16th.

Will the Moon affect Temba this time?
He Rows might remember the new grinning moon from last March. While those who dare the outdoors will see it at night, it will not be screaming. Maybe it hates the cold.

Can we stop the apparitions from speaking?
Nope. This is the way they are presenting this time. The best you can do is try and get away from them.

You mentioned that some people are experiencing additional affects?
Oh indeed. Those He Rows who were involved in the Sh’Ka Palace Explosion will find themselves taken by a deep concern growing into borderline paranoia over the course of the event. The source will be a growing certainty that any shelter they are using is not strong enough to hold up to the weight of the falling snow. They will have a growing fear that the building may collapse around them, or the walls are coming in to crush them, or that any floor they walk upon may fall through at any moment.

Furthermore, just before the end of the storm, they will be faced with another apparition. This one will not manifest as a familiar form, but something tall and shadowy. It will tell them ‘You know what you did, and your punishment has not yet come’. Only the characters who were involved in the palace explosion will see this final apparition, even if they are with others.

Can we go out into the blizzard?
Of course! The question that comes in response is do you really want to? This is a very serious winter storm, with white out conditions and several feet of snow piled up. Navigating outside will be difficult, even without there being the usual fog out. The temperatures will be low and thus risk of exposure is rather high. Getting between buildings won’t be easy either, as you will either have to shift snow or tunnel through it.

He Rows out and about in the weather should show extreme caution, and probably have a means of getting back to where they started. As always if there is Death Intervention that can be requested, though as this is an energy storm, the Agrii may not be able to prevent all injury.

Anything else?
Ask below! And feel free to use the post for plotting. We understand that this event limits locations of characters a lot more, so the space could be useful for figuring out who you’re going to be holed up with and where.

Comments

Questions and Comments?

[trpmods]

Ask them here!

[doubled_speed]

Hey, are the ships in the hangars a safe location to hang out for the storm?

[trpmods]

Well now that's an interesting question. This is a 'yes and no' sort of answer.

Yes, the ships are secure, enclosed places, so they would protect you from the snow. But the important thing to note is that their systems too will shut down when the storm fully hits. So anyone who is ALREADY ON ONE OF THE SHIPS at the time the storm strikes will be trapped there in a whole other way. The doors need electricity to open the hatches after all, or to use manual overrides. Of course then hatches are just OPEN open. So the elements can get in.

See the problem?

If you choose to stay on a ship, though, there will be enough air, but they will be dark, and the food dispensers will work but only in an insanely sluggish manner, and everything will be room temperature. Which, without heating on, will drop.

Re: Questions and Comments?

[tempredmental]

I'm a little confused by the response about the comms. You mentioned that the ships and trains are not running. I'm guessing that the "No, they don't" also applies to the comms? My brain just isn't registering things in a way that makes sense right now, so I'm just making sure. Thanks!

[trpmods]

The comment of 'No they don't' does apply to the comms question. We add more detail on the ships/trains in that FAQ question because it gets asked in many Agra-10 based events.

As per all previous storms the simple rule is this: any technology/electronics that is not vital to life functions (think pacemakers/insulin pumps), serves as a limb, or is an associated character like a droid, will cease to function in a storm. If it needs electricity, it's not going to work.

[deal_me_in]

WELP Time to provoke a ghost

[trpmods]

Provoke?

[the_freak]

Will the apparitions re-appear after having faded or is it a one and done?

just to be sure

[the_freak]

Will comms start working again on the 14th?

[wearingthestars]

If 2 of the palace explosion gang are together, would there be 2 final apparitions of doom, but each can only see their own, or would there be 1 they both see?

Re: Questions and Comments?

[sinistral]

Oh boy here I go.

First, last paragraph of the second to last question, looks like you have some html error around the Death Intervention link. I'm mentioning it in case there might be other text missing.


Aaaaand I just got called for a sev 1 for work so my actual questions will come later.

Re: Questions and Comments?

[saltnpepperbeard]

Since 'the Agrii may not be able to prevent all injury', is it possible for Ed to do some improvised surgery on Tony's frostbite? Once Tony's Extremis returns he will be able to regrow any lost...digits, so he will ultimately be fine, but we wanted to have fun gross drama if allowed.

[quark_assassin]

Late question but: Can the apparitions interact with the characters at all (touch them/hurt them, like in the last storm)?

Churby Plotting!

[doubled_speed]

Hey all! So, who wants some blizzard buddies? Like, seriously, just pick a character and snuggle up.

I've got Tommy who will be at the diner with Dustin, but they can have more people there (you just gotta deal with Dustin being mopey).

You just know Reeve is going to be in his own building. So if you want him as a blizzard buddy, come shelter with him. His place has a bed, and boxes of meal bars because Mini has absolutely been using Reeve's replication allotment to make sure Reeve eats SOMETHING. Update: York's gonna be with him too, so if you wanna join them make sure you can live with the angroid.

Lark will most likely remain in the hotel, because a lot of her winter time has been there. She'll have food and water stored in her room, and has a warm doggo and all that cloth. Very good choice.

And as for Gladio he can end up anywhere anyhow, though the greenhouse is tempting because he'd be so fucking confused for what to do. Though I'm happy with anywhere and any buddy. And yes, Gladio is the sort you could talk into trying to tunnel your way out to help others.

Links to Logs!

[doubled_speed]

Reeve at the Temba Restoration Coordination Building.
Tommy at the Diner

Devon Plotting

[the_freak]

Billy: Will be suffering. TBD where, but will be with Soldier when the storm hits. Possibly they end up with others, or maybe out there on their own being paranoid together. He is sorry he can't help you lovely people with his magic :(

Ed: Will come up from his beach shelter with the storm warning. Not sure how far he'll get. Might get stranded in the caves? Might make it up and force his way into where ever you are crashing? Anyone want a blizzard buddy?

Eddie: Will either be at the hospital or the hotel. He's had some experience with passing the time stranded and with limited food, so he'll be good for entertain when he's not being terrorized by...his apparition. That might trigger a bit of a breakdown. Bit of a downer for anyone he might be trapped with.

[sinistral]

Hey buddy

Where are Voot's idiots?

[beholding_archivist]

Jon
Easy. He will obviously be in the library surrounded by mothcats that will absolutely make sure to share whatever they catch outside in the cold. Because kitty gifts are best gifts. Also sicne this is a Storm of course his powers will be disabled and he will be notably slower with his mental capacities. No real secrets to spill for him but apparently he gets to be overly paranoid \o/
Will Tony join in? Maybe.

Wilson
Will sit the storm out in true survivor fashion. You may actually encounter him out in the snow if you really want. No shadow monsters around at least? He gets to be less insane during the Storm.

Wesker
Actually.... I don't know where he'll be. He's fairly new and that apparition may have a novel to unpack, so if anyone wants to hear about all the stuff HE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF BUT DEFINITELY ISN'T... This is your chance to experience all the second hand embarrassment. Also the virus obviously is disabled, so no menacingly glowing eyes. Yay!
And I should probably note that he won't be taking kindly to anyone learning any of his secrets. So this is a fair warning that threats are very likely.

[ziedrich_bearer]

I just need to be here staring at Wilson like WTF?

Thalia Plotting for the Sad Boy

[quark_assassin]

Looking for a blizzard buddy (Snow Snuggler? Cold Companion? Flurry Friend???) for Dustin! He doesn't get around much in the winter already, so he'd be either near the Hangar (for anyone that wants to try - and fail - to hide in a ship), the Diner, or his shop in Orange 9 when the storm hits. Reasonably he could try to run into any of the buildings along or near that path as well.

Anyone stuck with him will have a lot of fun dealing with Dustin's loss of powers, having a very awkward exchange with the shadow of his adopted mother, and then later the cold plus his non-power-boosted immune system will make him get sick and miserable. Also willing to have him try and venture outside and swap buildings depending on where he gets stuck, so if anyone wants to come save him when that inevitably goes tits-up, absolutely down for that.

[doubled_speed]

With Tommy at the diner per plurk comment?

[quintet]

okay so



it would be funny, and they could develop past their initial bad impressions

whole new bad impressions

Kinz Plotting

[ashwantstobattle]

At the moment I just have Ash and by default Pikachu. I'm open to suggestion as to where he ends up. He'll remain as positive as he can and try not to be too worried about the cold. He'll be far more concerned about everyone else in the storm and might occasionally complain about being hungry. His apparition will appear in the form of a Pokemon he just wasn't able to save.

Also, Pikachu's not gonna be able to use electric attacks which will really worry Ash.

Re: Kinz Plotting

[crystalmaster]

Radley will either be at the diner or the hotel, so Ash and Pikachu are welcome to be where he is! I'm leaning more towards the diner since it sounds like there's going to be several characters he knows there who can witness his apparition. But that will be the case at the hotel too, hmm.

Radley

[crystalmaster]

I'm debating between whether Radley will be at the diner or the hotel. The hotel sounds more comfortable and he does have food in his room, but either location would be interesting for others to witness the apparition. He will be seeing Kalin Kessler, who will tell everything that's been haunting Radley the whole time he's been here. So if anyone's particularly curious to hear it, that could be a factor in where he is. Radley will be devastated to see a Kalin that's not really Kalin. That will probably bother him more than having everything revealed, although he won't be happy about that either.