We're all MAD here... (the miniest of mini events)

[nightmare_scientist]

On the 20th of March, an odd structure appears near the fountain. The Obelisk may not tower over most of the buildings surrounding it, but it's certainly there. Getting too close to it fills you with an uneasy feeling of doubting your surroundings, your own senses and even your rationality.

Or to put it very simple: The Obelisk slowly drains your sanity. Stepping away from it stops the effect.

However, MORE Obelisks appear around the city over the following days and it seems they are really just there. Bothering your mental capacities and in some cases even plain blocking your way. Rude, indeed.

Luckily they won't be your biggest worry for long, considering something decidedly bigger is stomping in to take your attention away from any bothering Obelisks on the 25th. And they are, indeed, big.



Deerclops, Bearger, the Moose/Goose and Dragonfly appear in Temba and they arrive to DESTROY!!

Or... Well. Possibly. Maybe not. You never know with these things? They sure stomp and roar and swipe their claws/antlers at things, but they never remain long enough to cause any actual damage. These giants appear, only ever one at a time, cause a ruckus and disappear again soon after, long before any He-Row can swoop in and properly fight these beasts. As if these Obelisks being rude hasn't been enough, now the big bad monsters are also rude!

Speaking of the Obelisks, though... Isn't it odd that the giants always seem to magically appear around one of these sinister structures? There certainly isn't relation between these. Clearly not, nuh-huh.



WHAT THE FRICK IS GOING ON?!?? - or the FAQ bit I guess...

Long story short: Wilson inherited Beck's toys and mad science'd Beck's holo tech and his own shadow magic into what fundamentally is a bunch of very shady holo projectors and randomly spread them around the city. Why? Because he's bored. And not the sanest person.


Can the Obelisks be destroyed?

Unfortunately, yes. But knowing how everyone here loves to blow up stuff, I'm afraid that's not the most effective way to go about it. They're basically 90% shadow and 10% nightmare fuel, which is not only the reason for the sanity drain, but also the key to properly destroy them. Once a character stays around an Obelisk long enough to lose all their sanity, the Obelisk will retract into the ground to the point where only the tip remains visible. If it gets attacked then by whichever means (kick it, hit it, shoot it etc.), the thing will simply shatter and be gone.


Is the sanity drain permanent?

By no means. They will recover swiftly enough after stepping away from an Obelisk. How much these affect your character remains entirely up to you as usual.


Anything else?

Aaaaaaaask.

Comments

[newmemorywhodis]

A couple of questions on this!

1. What happens if someone attempts to climb an obelisk? (Can you climb an obelisk? Are they holograms?)

2. Link also happens to possess a magical sword that glows in the presence of evil / supernatural malice. I'm not sure this would count, but I should probably ask anyway just in case

[nightmare_scientist]

1. Oh, he sure can try climbing them, but it will be an... Experience. They may look smooth and solid, but their consistence are more like semi-solid gelatine. Not as sticky, though. And certainly not sweet, sorry. But they at least wobble back into shape only to appear smooth and solid again.

2. Let if glow, let it GLOW! I mean sure, why not. Shadow magic and nightmare fuel easily count as evil~

...also since I'm also playing Jon, ohhh boy. That sword will illuminate the library, won't it?

[newmemorywhodis]

1. Ahaha WELL that should...certainly help the descent into madness then...

2. Glowing it is then! Which is probably going to need to prompt the following question - what would happen if said magic sword is then used to attach the obelisk? (said glowing also makes it more powerful, it is basically a sword made for fighting evil and whatnot)

and WELP that might be a thing we should play out sometime then, haha. If Link walks into the library and his sword starts glowing...he might think there's some hidden evil somewhere around there that he needs to go defeat

[nightmare_scientist]

Interesting question. Needless to say, the Obelisks won't like the sword and very actively want to repel it. Think of it like trying to bring two magnets together that push each other away. Enjoy the push back. Though the sword will have a field day with a lowered Obelisk for sure.

And yes. We need to plot something out when Link ever decides to visit the library.

[newmemorywhodis]

Guess Link might not get close enough to attempt climbing then, haha. Although technically the sword can also do beam attacks from a distance - would the obelisk also be able to repel those?

Also, just realising I also have a logistics question - will an open log or something be going up for this? Or is this the kind of event where everyone goes and posts their own thing?

Will do! He'll definitely pop into the library sooner or later, if only because Link has a need to explore everything.

[nightmare_scientist]

The Obelisk will swallow the beam of light and shoot it back out in some random direction. If Link is very unlucky, it will come straight back at him. Because we all want to see Link play ping pong with an Obelisk and a beall of light hurled back and forth between them.

But no. No open log is planned. It's more something for players to engage and use with as they like. No one will control how many Obelisks get destroyed or if any remain at the end of it all.

[newmemorywhodis]

I did not know that Master Sword and Obelisk ping pong was a thing I wanted until the opportunity was presented to me, but yes

Awesome, good to know!

[newmemorywhodis]

Couple of follow up questions - first how back will the obelisk push the sword (and therefore Link)?

Second, if Link can get close enough, what effect would using Urbosa's fury (which is basically a lightning area effect) have?

And third, what would happen if someone just...attempts to throw large rocks at it from afar?

[nightmare_scientist]

Okay. Let's see.... I'd say he can get close enough to ALMOST put a hand on it. Any 'energy' based AOE will be happily shlorped up by the Obelisk. The rocks bounce off.

[newmemorywhodis]

Awesome, good to know - thank you!

[ashwantstobattle]

What happens if say, a certain lightening mouse were to use thunder bolt on the obelisk?

[nightmare_scientist]

It will fizzle, absord the electricity and glow for a few hours. Oddly enough these things are great lightning rods and if charged in the evening can also serve as weird street lights.

[ashwantstobattle]

Oh boy. A way for Pikachu to discharge excess electricity \o/

[quark_assassin]

I also have an ask!! If someone spends an unfortunate amount of time close to one of these obelisks (a totally hypothetical someone, obviously, not Dustin desperately trying to Science a thing that doesn't make sense), and then someone else that isn't under the obelisk's sanity-draining influence shows up to look at it, would the first person see a retracted obelisk while the second person sees a non-retracted one? Would any other Weird Shit happen?

[nightmare_scientist]

The Obelisk will be in its retracted state for both.

[quark_assassin]

Interesting. Thank you!

[thepurpleone]

Say someone has goggles that let him get energy/technical readings and reveals any mystical properties or true forms hidden by mystic means- what sort of things will he be able to see, if anything?

Also, how well will the obelisk hold up to a laser rifle, a giant drill, or a mallet. Asking for a friend.

-oh wait, scratch that I can read. Not going to overkill, no sirree

[nightmare_scientist]

Your fancy goggles will show youuuuu....... A BIG, BLACK OBELISK!! It's shiny.

[thepurpleone]

STUPID OBELISK

[in_extremis]

Do the obelisks just like.... pop appear, or grow up out of the ground like they go, or are they being put there?

And if this is meant to be a mystery, do they do something conveniently weird to cameras?

[nightmare_scientist]

No, they don't do anything to cameras. But they will grow weirdly out of the ground like some sort of balloon made out of jelly. You know. Kind of like cartoon mushrooms grow. The entire process only takes a few seconds. Enjoy.

[out_of_order]

Are the holo-projectors locatable?

[nightmare_scientist]

Laaaate response. The Obelisks *are* the projectors. You can loacte them. With your eyes.

[doubled_speed]

Because link has prompted the need to try:

Can the obelisks be exploded through Tommy's powers? He's normally not held back by stone/metal, but things always play weird here.

[nightmare_scientist]

Had to think about this for a bit, then went to read what I even wrote in the first place and based on that I'm fairly certain that Tommy can give the Obelisks a REALLY good shaking.

Hope the experience won't be too disturbing for him. They wobble incredibly good.

[quark_assassin]

/rolls in here literal months later BUT this just came up in a thread, so

What, if anything, is left behind after an obelisk is destroyed?

[nightmare_scientist]

There are no drops from the obelisks, I'm afraid. They will simply be gone.