EVENT 008

[larkers]

WHO: The Displaced.
WHERE: New Cairo, Mt. Everest, New Oslo, and New Rio de Janeiro.
WHEN: Late February IC, with some handwaving of time!
WHAT: Travel to the gates. Time to be Indiana Jones!
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Abduction, mention of IVs, tampered-with food, violence.

> EVENT #008

Preparation for a trip can sometimes feel like the storm before the calm: packing bags, getting hotel arrangements in order, and ensuring that hours and shifts are covered while going out of town. It doesn't help that little about the trip ahead is known. Where are they going and why? What's the purpose of this, except for the vague promise of answers?

Anyone leaving for Mt. Everest will need to leave earlier for their trip. Make sure to have hiking gear on hand or a plan to pick it up in New Beijing. Going empty handed will make customs wonder about the trip ahead. It's a long one, with the Displaced stopping briefly in New Beijing before heading on a fishing boat toward Mt. Everest. It would be wise to hire some sherpas to guide the way.

Trips to New Oslo will take a lot less preparation. Tell customs it's a vacation, that it's time to take a good chance at being away from New Amsterdam after the way this past year has gone—tell them anything but the truth. That might stand out.

The mercenaries hired to monitor these trips will move into position as the Displaced head toward their destinations. Their roles won't always be obvious. Are there several sherpas leading the expedition to Mt. Everest? One of these sherpas is a mercenary in disguise, paid to keep an eye on the excursion itself. This is just one example. Anyone can feel free to find gaps in this mercenary's knowledge and may feel justified in being suspicious of them.

These mercenaries are here to both direct the trip and ensure that some of the Displaced are detoured toward a different destination altogether. They know little about the reason why they're on this trip, and little about their bosses. They just know that they have to chaperone this band of Displaced: drugging them heavily and following instructions where needed. One by one, some of the Displaced will begin to disappear, picked off and sent to different locations. Anyone who stayed back in New Amsterdam will be ripe for the taking: why would they need to worry about their safety when staying home?

> NEW CAIRO

The abducted Displaced will arrive in New Cairo via a commercial train with no identifying characteristics except that it's clearly meant to carry goods from one destination from another. The Displaced will be kept on uncomfortable stiff seats for the entire ride, bound in place and unable to move. Before they were restrained, they were drugged and set up with an IV to keep them that way (though the drug in question won't have any compulsory effects). The drug will keep them sedated, and anyone who shows a resistance to the IV drip will have a stronger dose moving through their veins.

New Cairo is entirely underground, largely due to the water restrictions with the diminished precipitation nourishing the Nile and the scorching heat. The people building the region got creative, bringing everything below ground and creating a cool, bustling city. As the Displaced leave the train, they'll see multiple AR displays announcing where they've arrived, as well as reminders about water rationing, ones that don't seem to have an end date in mind.

They'll only be in New Cairo for a short period of time before they're piled into a service elevator that takes them up to the hot and dry desert surface above the city. No matter what time it was when they were abducted, it's late in the afternoon just outside of New Cairo and miserable. As they're boarded onto a large bus, there will be a hint of AC fighting with the unfriendly conditions outside. Their IVs will flow with more drugs before the truck takes off.

◉ When the Displaced next come to, they'll be within the Great Pyramid of Giza itself, just outside a vault that was discovered in 2017 and never explored. Unlike the rest of the pyramid, this area hasn't been touched in centuries. If they attempt to run an image search of where they are, they'll confirm that this area was simply tagged as a void, and it likely houses numerous secret chambers. In recent times, the area has been disturbed only briefly, and most likely any disturbances were directly related to this trip.

◉ Each of the Displaced will have a backpack full of goods: a sleeping bag, a better pair of boots (if they were lacking them), as well as rations that should last up to a week. There are also several containers of water.

◈ The rations themselves may be tampered with, making it difficult for the Displaced to know what is and isn't safe to eat, as well as what is changing them and the others around them.

◈ These status effects will begin with nausea and fatigue before evolving into a feeling of rage and a misdirected sense of vengeance. They will also run the risk of their eyes turning golden and long canines forming in their mouths, as well as hallucinations and false memories of bloody displays of violence. They will struggle to tell the difference between fiction and reality, thinking that these memories belong to them.

◈ Any Displaced under the influence of this tampered food will be able to heal from any injury quickly. They will not be able to regenerate limbs or retain their life if their head is chopped off, but any bumps and scratches will quickly heal up. Once they are cured, this effect will go away.

◈ This status effect can be cured by touching the affected Displaced's skin for five minutes. This "cure" will cause a searing pain before transitioning to a feeling of peace and then sadness.

◉ The mercenaries are around, but act as little more than guards for what lies ahead. They're free cannon fodder for supplies. Feel free to take them out! They'll bark orders directing the Displaced toward the unknown part of the pyramid in front of them, insisting that whatever lies beyond that is up to them to figure out.

◉ As the Displaced come closer to the untouched area called the "void," the walls will light up in response to them, showing a story not unlike the ones they may have seen on shrines around New Amsterdam. Only this story is a little different: in golden, blue, white, and indigo colors, there is a tale told via pictures of the pharaohs of old descending into this forgotten section of the pyramid. At the center of their chest is a bright light, varying between an unnatural dark light and a golden one, before they place their hands against the wall to head inside.

◉ For anyone familiar with Egyptian ruins in other versions of Earth, some of the symbolism around the lit-up drawings is the same. The Eye of Horus, Eye of Ra, Ankh, and Uraeus are all present, adding some of the familiar to the unknown. The Eyes of Horus in particular glow with a bright, brilliant golden light, shining the way.

◉ There will be five indentations for right hands, pointedly lit by the glowing Eyes of Horus. Once the Displaced touch these indentations all at once, they will be let inside the "void" to explore the ruins within.

◉ The path down into the ruins is a steep, yet surprisingly well-preserved staircase that leads deeper and deeper into the pyramid. The walls are tight around the staircase, and covered in those same golden eyes, leading the Displaced inside. When the mercenaries begin to follow, these lights will dim, as if they're not welcoming the other interlopers who have decided to arrive. (Assuming, of course, that they weren't all knocked out or killed before the Displaced headed down. They can definitely be taken out.)

◈ In general, the mercenaries are not going to find themselves welcome inside of the ruins. Anyone who's tailing a mercenary may need to watch out for themselves as the ruins will have various security measures built in to reject their presence.

◉ Once inside the ruins, it will be brightly lit and welcoming to the Displaced. The walls are covered in beautiful art, the oldest of which is a dedication to the relationship between Khufu and the earth deity Khnum. Much of the imagery around their relationship is looped in dark (even black) and golden lighting, with the other Egyptian gods drawn into the imagery itself. Ra, Osiris and Horus act as patrons of the relationship between Khufu and Khnum in this art, with all of them appearing in several forms to act as guardians.

◈ Ra is connected to light and the sun, with the golden lights in the wall seeming to shine brightest around his images. Osiris is connected to images of Khufu in life and in death: as a bird in life and a moon in death. Horus overlaps with both, being both the sun and the moon, and a bird as well.

◉ There is a general sense with the art, Khufu, and the imagery itself that this was a private chamber celebrating Khufu's time on Earth, as well as his connection to the gods and how he created a bond between them and the people.

◉ There are many different passages and doors. While untouched, that also means that the chambers within the ruins haven't been explored or maintained for hundreds of years—perhaps even thousands of years. While many objects remain undisturbed, the walls, doors, and floor beneath everyone's feet will not be fortified in any way.

◉ Beyond that, the ruins act as a labyrinth as well, inviting the Displaced inside—so long as they can decipher the imagery. Some of the imagery is well-preserved, while others seem to be missing instructions. Several of the chambers within involve puzzles and tricks to get inside. Some will have full, visual instructions with hints that can be drawn out via touch, while others will be ruined, showing signs that they once held clues to help someone go deeper within.

◈ Be cautious of touching any symbolism that seems disconnected, as it may lead to a trap. The ouroboros is a definite sign for danger ahead, as if it's a hint to the fact that there is no difference between life and death for the divine.

◉ Getting through the ruins without falling through the floor will be just one of the many challenges, aside from the ruined puzzles. There will be unique creatures moving throughout the temple to act as guardians. They will have vivid golden eyes. Many of these creatures are dangerous and ferocious, as well as weird blends of Egyptian animals on the walls themselves. How are they in here and alive? How is a serpent moving with a cat's head? No matter what, these creatures intend to test the mettle of the invading Displaced.

◉ What's the point of a dangerous plundering mission without stealing some goods along the way? Unlike the rest of the pyramid, these chambers being untouched means that a great deal was left behind. Anyone can feel free to pick up vessels (clay and stone vases), amulets, jewelry such as beaded necklaces, bangles, earrings, and small figurines. Many of these figurines seem to show god-touched people, with an indentation in their chest for a familiar glow.

◉ The eventual goal is the gate itself. After trawling through the various and seemingly endless chambers, the Displaced will come upon it, ringed in seven different colors: blue, gold, indigo, white, black, red, and orange. These colors appear in the same order around the gate, lighting the way. As the Displaced draw closer, the blue lights will shine the brightest, responding to them.

◈ It's very apparent that whatever the gate is, it's not activated. For now, it looks like an unfinished piece of art, with the creator surrounding it in various lights that seem to float in open space, inviting the Displaced closer.

> MT. EVEREST

After a stop in New Beijing (linked for informational purposes) and a surprisingly uneventful boat trip to New Delhi, the Displaced will be sherpaed up to the protected region around Mt. Everest. For the first twelve hours, they will need to sit in quarantine and prove that they have the supplies and guides at hand to help them head up the mountain. At this time, the sherpas will be available for questioning about what they might be looking for given that they're seeking out an old religious site. The mercenary sherpa won't know much about this, as he'll have been directed to say nothing that would give him away.

Once the time in quarantine has passed, it's time to head up the mountain. The sherpas will insist on stopping at Rongbuk Monastery, and anyone who does a preliminary search online will likely see that this is a solid plan.

◉ Before heading out, the Displaced will have to spend 24 to 48 hours acclimating to the elevation (it's 16,340 feet). For anyone who's struggling, they will be advised to return to the quarantine point and wait for the Displaced to finish their trip. Anyone who's not eager to wait that long can take a hover truck back to New Delhi, and then take the reverse trip back home to New Amsterdam.

◉ There are lodges set up to help with this acclimation to the environment. The sherpas will frown on anyone who decides to set out on their own. Trying to head up a mountain will be tantamount to suicide and the sherpas may order that they go back to the quarantine station.

◉ Anyone who's observed the sherpas during this time will find that all but one of them have their arms covered in familiar tattoos, with a large protective bird covering several of their backs and stretching outward, the symbols themselves nestled within the feathers. The odd one out is the mercenary.

◈ These tattooed sherpas are here to help. Feel free to ask them questions about the road ahead, as well as the meaning behind their tattoos. They're a very spiritual bunch eager to talk about their beliefs, though they seem unaware of the worship surrounding the Displaced in other locations.

◉ The monastery ahead is a sacred site. On the morning before it's time to leave for the site in question, the sherpas will give a lecture about what lies ahead, and how they need to be cautious about where they step. The sherpas will be unaware of the Displaced's goal in going there, and will see the monastery as a typical step in heading up the mountain.

◉ Rongbuk is in disarray when the Displaced come upon it, as it was always built into the stony region. Despite being a frequent stopping point for sherpas throughout the centuries, its religious usage has long since fallen by the wayside, as the United Nations government made it difficult to maintain a civilization this far away from any of the megacities. The sherpas take great care as they tread through the monastery, and seem to be eager to take their time to clean it up. It appears that expeditions like this are the only time they are allowed to do this.

◈ Once the Displaced are at the monastery, they will see a beautiful view from the monastery itself. While their journey will end here, they will be able to vividly take in the rest of the mountain range that could have lied before them.

◉ There are numerous hermitage meditation caves throughout the monastery, allowing further isolation from the outside world. While some of these are standard, there are four that will lure the Displaced inside, with a symbol of spread wings lighting up in blue and white light when they draw close. Four of these meditation caves will open up the ruins below, with the Displaced activating them by joining together in each of them in pairs and initiating their empathy bond.

◈ There will be poorly maintained mani stone walls and reliefs throughout the monastery. While many of the words are sacred syllables and prayers, within them there are patterns that only the Displaced can perceive, laying clues to how reach the ruins within.

◉ When the ruins open up, the entire monastery will rumble and shake in response. What will feel like a major seismic response will not be felt by the outside world. Any checks in to social media will show that there aren't any concerns for what just passed within the remains of the monastery. The tattooed sherpas will stand in shock, while the mercenary sherpa will be shaken by what happened. Most notably, they will not see what just happened, as that's for the eyes of only the Displaced.

◉ Thanks to the meditation activation, the Displaced will find themselves heading down into a lost, hidden valley that has been untouched for years. To the sherpas behind them who can't follow, they will see a cloud of snow and mist, and snow leopards will step into the path between the Displaced and their once-guides, growling and warning them away. If the fake sherpa is still alive at this point, he likely won't be for much longer.

◉ The descent into this hidden valley will be treacherous, though it will be a matter of leaving higher elevation and heading deep into rocky, uneven terrain. Heading down won't be easy, but it also won't be impossible. There will be odd blue and white lights overhead, casting clues along the way to ensure that the Displaced can head in deeper.

◉ At the end of this treacherous terrain is what appears to be a monastery not unlike the one that the Displaced left some time ago. Time itself seems difficult to ascertain. The deeper the Displaced head down into these ruins, the more difficult it will be to track the passage of time. It may even feel as if they've just slipped from the realm of the waking to the realm of the sleeping—though they are most certainly awake at this time. Aren't they?

◉ The trials themselves will vary. Some will be metaphysical in nature, hinting toward faith and belief in others and in themselves, and will require the Displaced to share a memory with a stone relief. Others will be physical in nature, or seem that way, asking for the Displaced to succeed at a particular feat of strength—or falsely leading them down that path. These trials will vary from Displaced to Displaced, and there will always be a way around them.

◉ Throughout the hidden valley's ruins there will be numerous relics associated with Buddhism, as well as ones that depict the large bird that was tattooed on the backs of the sherpas. There will be large vases, as well as ornamental plates, pearls, and smaller figurines. Most notably, there will be no relics in the shape of weapons throughout the valley.

◉ As the Displaced travel through the craggy terrain and into the valley itself, they will come up against numerous creatures with golden eyes set to protect the area. Many of these are misshapen yaks, some of which stand as still as statues before someone passes. While the Displaced are welcome inside the ruins, these guardians don't seem as if they're happy to see them.

◉ Pass enough trials and there will be a loud, whirring sound at the end of the valley, beckoning the Displaced closer. As they reach it, they'll find several indentations in the ground and a gate. The gate will be lit in blue and white, with hints of red, gold, orange, indigo, gold, and black fading through in a gradient. The gate itself isn't activated entirely, and there will be more mani stones in the area to direct them the rest of the way.

> NEW OSLO

Aside from anyone who may have been taken along the way, travel from New Amsterdam to New Oslo is, by and large, relatively painless. The trip only takes three hours by maglev train, and there will be no stops between New Amsterdam and New Oslo as a result. By the time everyone arrives, they will first see the vast, green land that makes up the surface before diving deep into the city itself. Much of New Oslo is beautiful up and down, with every aspect of it designed to be pristine in nature. Beautiful, ivory pillars appear to hold up parts of the city, and it's clearly not as heavily populated as the rest of the megacities that the Displaced have visited up to this point (as it only holds a million people in comparison, and they're spread out over a larger expanse of land).

Settling in will be priority number one for anyone on this trip as the coordinates pointing to this city only directed them to its center. Since that's a geographic default for a location, the Displaced will need to begin to dig in and ask questions. What are the historical sites? Has anything managed to survive on the upper surface? Before long, they will have a few leads, with the most notable of these being a statue on the westward side of the city. The Displaced will need to use public transit to access the other side of the island.

Along the way to this information, the Displaced may feel as if they're both being watched and dismissed by the locals. The people of New Oslo aren't particularly spiritual, and any lost religious sites seem to be more significant to their governor than them. Unfortunately, the governor isn't the easiest fellow to reach, so they'll have to go it without him.

◉ The monument on the west side of New Oslo is in a portion of the country of Norway that was once underwater called the Five Wayward Virgins. It currently stands in a reclaimed part of the city, and as the Displaced draw closer, there will be sigils along the pillars indicating that they have reached the correct spot. These sigils glow red and orange, inviting them closer.

◈ Activating the pillars is step one for finding their way into the ruins and on their way to the gate of New Oslo. In order to do it, ten of the Displaced must touch the pillars at once while activating the empathy bond between them. When they do, their chests will briefly glow a different color: red, then orange, and then back to blue, and a floating set of lights will show the way to where they need to go.

◈ For anyone who looks up this monument, they'll find digital images of St. Olaf, a long renowned king of Norway who chastised them for offering themselves sexually to the king and followers. However, the guidance this monument offers should put this specific legend in doubt.

◉ Eventually the orange and red lights will lead them to a secret subterranean passage, one that appears as if it should be doused in water. Oddly enough, the longer the Displaced move through this passage, the more aware they'll become that they've left the constructed underwater portion of New Oslo and have gone somewhere else entirely. Even though the passage isn't underwater, it will smell musty as if it is, and putting their hands against the wall itself will lead to them coming away covered in a thin layer of dew.

◉ At the end of the passage, the Displaced will come upon a large, seemingly never-ending maze with walls covered in mildew. The imagery here harkens back to medieval Norway, with the coat of arms for St. Olaf pictured near the entrance. However, the imagery is also contradictory in nature: Near the entrance, the picture of Olaf is incomplete, while other images have been scratched and scraped off the wall and left as little more than gashes.

◉ There is limited lighting within the maze itself. The air will be thick and humid with mildew, yet it will still be chilly as well. The orange and red lights that guided the way will act as overhead lights, but their tone and coloration provides little clarity on what lies ahead. Hopefully someone brought some flashlights to get them through this particular trial.

◉ There is a narrative throughout the maze, and it's a narrative connected to the maze itself and the history of the people who built it. The maze appears to act as a trial of some sort for those who entered it before, though it's unclear on who these people might have been apart from kings. Along the walls, there are numerous coats of arms, some hastily painted over others, and the adept may be able to pick out a story: a nation at odds with itself.

◉ This imagery eventually gives way to an idea: that those shining with red and gold could unify the country, unify the people, and unify themselves, building a bridge between the gods and humanity. Norse gods like Thor and Freyr are pictured walking tall behind the kings of Norway, guiding them as they look down over vast, beautifully ornate pictures of their people. Thor carries a large hammer and Freyr walks among tall stalks of grass, the vines cutting in close to him.

◈ While St. Olaf and King Harald appear most frequently among these images, shown clearly by their red and blond hair respectively, numerous other kings are pictured to dictate the tumultuous history of the Nordic kings.

◉ In time, the imagery revolving around these two figures gives away to a story: that the kings held a great deal of power, and that this power may not have been natural in some way. In some, St. Olaf's chest glows with a red light, illuminating the way down another path within the maze itself. The tumult in Norway may have been caused by a desperation to gain this power for themselves, while only a few rulers proved worthy.

◈ Whoever created these drawings reused two forms of symbolism a lot: the shape in the chest of each of the kings is always five sided, and there is often a union of land and sky, as if they hope to unify the two.

◉ In fact, unity is a large part of these images. Unity leads to healing, and when the king comes into power and has proven himself worthy, he can heal his people. Unity leads to love, romance, and passion. Unity gives these kings the power of the gods and their people, making it so that they can strike down trolls and giants.

◉ There will be creatures prowling throughout the maze. Many of them are large and shaggy in nature, easily upset buffalions with bright golden eyes that light the way even within the darkest parts of the maze. They will be snuffling a fair amount, the musty, dewy nature of the maze unsettling them as well. It doesn't appear to help their moods anyway.

◉ The trials in this set of ruins are largely based on shows of unification and perseverance. At some point, someone may feel as if they're drowning and encouraged to give up. Another time, they may feel as if there is a crushing weight on their lungs. Asking for help is a key way to get through struggles here, though finding a way around facing these trials by finding rusted and weakened sections of walls won't hurt.

◉ Before long, it will become apparent that whoever had the means to access these ruins treated this as a burial site. Many of the relics littered throughout are heavily ornamented axes, broadswords, spears, and jewelry. Any shields are covered in orange and red jewels, the hue given off by them shining with an unnatural light.

◉ As the maze opens up bit by bit, the Displaced will find themselves alongside an unnatural body of water under a dark, ink-colored and similarly unnatural night sky. Several boats will surface, inviting them to get on. As they ride the boats over, time will seem to be little more than an illusion, just before they come up on large, steep hill that moves up toward a large, glowing fixture that's awaiting: the gate. The glow itself is bright from a distance, but it takes shape in time, that of a triangular doorway with a iron frame. It glows various shades, but when they leave the boat, it will shine blue, inviting them forward. Like the other gates, this one is not yet activated.

> NEW RIO DE JANEIRO

Like with New Cairo, travel to New Rio will take place in an uncomfortable commercial train, with the seating and positioning being less than pleasant, especially with the IV in the arms of the various Displaced splayed throughout the train car itself. Some sit and lean against hard metal benches, while others are left on the floor, haphazardly sitting up. Whoever was appointed to this particular leg of the journey put far less care into the Displaced on board. It's as if they're nothing more than cargo.

After the Displaced leave the train, they will only see scant portions of New Rio, and will notice how much of the continent that they're on is covered in water. This will be all the more apparent when they're carried on a bus over to a part of Mt. Corcovado that's been excavated for the purposes of this journey. Throughout all of this, they will be sedated, and that sedation will continue until they're carted off the bus and left near a construction site. It appears that whoever started this excavation wasn't happy enough with their progress to finish it. That may even be why the Displaced are here.

For anyone who's trying to grab snippets of conversation from their captors, they will catch word that their means of reaching their site is less than legal because it's a protected area. Hover buses like this one aren't meant to be able to leave the city limits, and yet they did all too easily. One of the other mercenaries will bark that their boss has contacts in "high places" to ensure this all goes smoothly.

Once off the bus, the mercenaries who act as their unhappy armed guards will try to force them into action, roughhousing them soon after the IV is removed to "get to work."

◉ Before they do, the mercenaries will be "kind" enough to leave a bag at the feet of every Displaced. Each of the Displaced will have a backpack full of goods: a sleeping bag, a better pair of boots (if they were lacking them), as well as rations that should last up to a week. There are also several containers of water.

◈ The rations themselves may be tampered with, making it difficult for the Displaced to know what is and isn't safe to eat, as well as what is changing them and the others around them.

◈ These status effects will begin with nausea and fatigue before evolving into a feeling of rage and a misdirected sense of vengeance. They will also run the risk of their eyes turning golden and long canines forming in their mouths, as well as hallucinations and false memories of bloody displays of violence. They will struggle to tell the difference between fiction and reality, thinking that these memories belong to them.

◈ Any Displaced under the influence of this tampered food will be able to heal from any injury quickly. They will not be able to regenerate limbs or retain their life if their head is chopped off, but any bumps and scratches will quickly heal up. Once they are cured, this effect will go away.

◈ This status effect cured by touching the Displaced in question for five minutes. This "cure" will cause a searing pain before transitioning to a feeling of peace and then melancholy.

◉ No amount of roughhousing is going to make the sedative leave the bodies of the Displaced easily. It's cold and uncomfortable up here, with a cool breeze hitting the skin of all the Displaced present. They might want to settle in, grab a meal (oh no), and wait until they don't have a foggy brain.

◉ The surroundings will be familiar to some people who know Brazilian geography and landmarks. While the statue is no longer in the condition it was in during the 20th century, the landmark of Christ the Redeemer clearly stands overhead. What remains is only a faint shadow of its past self. It stands without a head or hands, with moss growing over it freely. The statue is now a much darker hue, as restoration costs proved too expensive to continue to use concrete and soapstone. While it does seem as if this landmark stood for some time after the AI war, the last 300 years have seen it fall into disarray.

◉ Wildlife around the Redeemer statue is thriving, with a lot of hefty overgrowth. Large trees extend outward, making themselves unlikely points of safety for anyone who wants to climb up one and ditch all the excitement below. There is moss and underbrush everywhere, making it difficult for the Displaced to move. It doesn't help that only the mercenaries have machetes on hand, and they couldn't be bothered to do any of the work that the Displaced should be doing.

◈ There are also giant columns of mushrooms. While some of the mushrooms are a normal size, others grow as tall as seven or eight feet. Most are porous and uncapped.

◉ Unlike the other ruins, the wildlife around the Redeemer appears to be native and natural to this area and not touched by any of the strange golden eyes and ferocity that the others will be facing (at first, anyway). It's time to remind those who've wandered into the forest that they're at the bottom of the food chain.

◈ There are oversized insects with long, threatening stingers. These aren't just for show: these stingers are poisonous, so it's better to avoid them altogether. They'll cause large, red welts on the skin that will remain swollen for 48 hours. Too bad there isn't any bug spray.

◈ There are beautiful, multicolored snakes with poisonous fangs. Being bitten can cause muscle spasms and temporary paralysis of the limb or body part targeted. Luckily, this poison can be sucked out locally before it spreads, but it needs to be done quickly.

◉ To top off the horrible foliage experience, the weather is deeply unpleasant up on the mountain. In the ride over, it will be raining heavily with frequent bouts of lightning shooting across the sky. That downpour will only seem to get worse as the Displaced try to move through the large stalks of grass and mushrooms as they try to get close to the statue itself. Unfortunately, the statue is more of a clue rather than their final destination.

◉ Underneath all of the underbrush are the hints of a monastery that's been lost to history. Finding it won't be easy, and it may be little more than an accident for the Displaced who do come across it. How? Well, they might just fall inside, hurtling down a 25 foot drop until they reach the bottom of what was once that monastery's basement.

◉ There is a ladder inside of the monastery, but it's rusted and brittle. Taking it down might mean that there's no obvious way back up.

◉ The imagery inside of the basement itself is heavily Catholic in nature, with the walls painted and somehow unnaturally obtaining the appearance of stained glass. They shimmer with the same reds, blues, and yellows that might be visible on ornate Catholic churches. Down here, these walls seem to be oddly well-preserved, as if the outgrowth outside had done well to keep it safe.

◉ Hidden within these "stained glass" paintings on the wall will be familiar sets of symbolism. Triangles that need to be turned, as well as pieces that look as if they're out of place. Before long, it will become clear that this is a puzzle. Once the mercenaries join them, it'll be apparent that only the Displaced can move these puzzle pieces. Of course, this is assuming these mercenaries are still conscious. They deserve to be knocked out (or worse?). Really.

◈ Go ahead and take them out, Displaced. Why would someone send such heavily armed cannon fodder otherwise?

◉ Once they solve this first puzzle, the walls will give away, grinding loudly and sending a mild shaking through the area to let them inside.

◉ If the stained glass puzzle impressed, the bright light that shines through the ruins here in an unnatural way will certainly astound anyone, especially if they have an appreciation for art. The walls are painted from top down in beautiful, ornate shades, along with a metallic sheen that's unnatural in nature. None of the paint seems as if it could be of this world, especially given the imagery itself.

◉ As the Displaced move through the ruins, these images will alter and change, showing new pathways. There will be a number of obstacles and climbing puzzles along the way that are required to be solved before they can make it to their destination.

◉ Not helping matters, there will be golden-eyed creatures trotting on through like they own the place, looking for prey. Unlike the creatures at the other locations, or even the wildlife just outside, these creatures seem to be slender in appearance and half-starved. Their hunger is palpable as they draw closer, cutting the distance between themselves and their prey in a flash. Their unhealthy appearance appears to do nothing to hinder their strength.

◉ Throughout this abandoned portion of the monastery, there are relics galore. The problem is: Catholics loved their relics, so it will be difficult to parse out what's legitimate and what isn't while escaping hungry monsters and trying to be a real-life platformer. There are skeletons, crucifixes, teeth, and caskets, many of them filled with ornate but heavily damaged metal pieces that may have once been something else altogether.

◈ There are also endless reliquaries filled with teeth, bones, and more. Some of these will be coupled with manuscripts dictating the names of various explorers who traveled to Brazil, and after they died, they were split among these different reliquaries.

◉ Once the Displaced have traveled far enough, they will hear the rumble of thunder outside and it will strike the statue of the Redeemer, sending a volt through where they stand. At the same time, the walls will light up, indicating a puzzle for the next step. The gate isn't visible, but the weather overhead might be a clue as to how to get inside and activate it.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Please refer to the OOC EVENT POST for this event for all OOC info, including suggestions for directions on how to engage with the event. Given the spread out nature of this event, as well as the amount of additional details provided here, please direct all questions to our QUESTIONS thread below. We do encourage that all of our players use the event planning post for any additional ideas and for touching base!

The outcome of this event will depend on whether or not the characters will activate the gates! We will have an OUTCOMES THREAD below, where you can decide on success or failure for your respective gate. This is an IC decision and will depend on what your character wants, as well, so please keep that in mind.

There is also an ARTIFACTS THREAD to inform the mods of what your characters will be taking so that we can be on the same page! We'll work on what these do or what they are in the aftermath!

Please make a note in your subject line for the location your character is at!

Please do not begin to thread out any aftermath until February 8th, which is when we will put up the aftermath log and OOC post.

As a reminder, there is one power level up available for this event. This will be granted for a thread of at least 5 action/log comments containing your character inside of the ruins. This will not count for any action outside of the ruins or in transit to the ruins themselves. They will need to reach the 5 comments required by MARCH 6 to be eligible. Submission will be handled on the wrap up post.

Our Activity Check will be posted FEBRUARY 1 at 12 AM UTC. It will run for seven days and close on FEBRUARY 8 at 12 AM UTC. We will not post a warning list.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

Trevor Belmont | New Rio

[doesitanyway]

i. arrival

[ Trevor was one of the unlucky ones left in a heap on the floor with an IV in his arm, and moves stiffly from train to bus and off again, his head fogged by drugs in a way that a near decade of alcoholism could never have prepared him for. He picks up the backpack he’s been given with a scowl at the mercenaries, stumbling off was far away from them as he can get while still sticking with the group in general. He has no particular desire to get lost here, or left behind… he’s only just figuring out the city they first arrived in, after all, and no idea how to get back to it.

Which is the first thing he’s going to try and look into, tapping a fellow displaced on the shoulder and speaking in hushed tones. ]

So being kidnapped again has me feeling especially disinclined to do whatever it is they want us to. Are you with me?

ii. tampered supplies (potential cw violence)

[ Unfortunately for Trevor, no one he spoke to had any idea of how to get back, so he’s stuck here going along with the others. His stubbornness belies his natural curiosity about the place, but he’s still extremely unhappy… and hungry, and still foggy from the drugs. It seems prudent to eat something and sleep it off, but of course none of them could have known that the rations are tainted.

He begins to feel sick soon after, and tries to write it off as more of the drug’s effects until the rage begins. How dare they take him again? Take all of them. As if they’re pawns, chattel, meant to do whatever their kidnappers want and fuck their own well-being. He’s furious, sitting there soaking in his own anger and blinking away vivid images of what he’d do to those mercenaries if they returned. What he’s going to do to anyone who tries to make him do what he doesn’t want and— his fingers curl into fists as he tries to clear his head. This isn’t like him, he doesn’t… the other displaced are innocent, he doesn’t hurt innocents, he…

Something is very wrong.

Others may see him sitting by himself, breathing hard, eyes glowing. He hasn’t discovered the fangs yet, hasn’t struck anyone, but it’s clear he knows he isn’t exactly himself. Approaching may be unwise — Trevor is a formidable opponent. ]

iii. weather and wildlife

[ This climate is definitely not something Trevor’s experienced before, or something he enjoys. What he does enjoy, however, is all the creatures they have to fight on their way to get where they’re going. They’re something to take his aggression out on, his anger at the re-kidnapping and whatever they did to affect him and make him so violent — okay, yes, he’s being violent now, too, but out of necessity and he’s got control of himself.

He’s also not eating any more of the rations, so whatever he kills he’ll be dragging over to other displaced, letting the rain wash away the blood a bit. ]

Do you think this could be edible? Or is everything here likely too poisonous to deem it safer than the drugged supplies they gave us?

iv. ruins and relics

[ When the mercenaries return, Trevor isn’t certain if they’ve been sent to help or merely enforce that the displaced do as is asked of them. He won’t attack them unless they move to harm someone in the group, but if someone else were to attack, well……. He wouldn’t be averse to taking their weapons and armor, either. It’s not a whip but it’s something, and his small blades are inefficient against all the enemies they’re facing here.

What’s lucky is that Trevor is in good shape and at this point, stone cold sober, making him quite a skilled platformer and combatant. He examines the relics they pass, less concerned for if they’re real and more if there’s anything else he can use as a weapon.

If anyone needs someone to watch their back while they investigate, or help traversing a worryingly unsteady area, Trevor will offer a hand.

For his help, though, you have to listen to his grousing. ]

What are we even here for, anyway? The gate, yes, but why would so much exist that only we can interact with when we’re not native to this world? It seems too deliberate, doesn’t it?

v. wildcard

[ if you'd like a custom starter or a trial or something else, hit me! cuddlebug or koutavi#1461. ]

arrival

[devilsun]

[ For her part, Hama has spent the last ten minutes or so alternating between puking in the bushes and clutching at the backpack one of the mercenary guards shoved at her like a lifeline. The sun is up and high in the air, and while the weather isn't particularly nasty, she keeps glancing up worriedly at the sky. Checking for storms, for the distinctive flash of lighting or the smell of ozone. The boom of thunder, anything that might hint at a coming storm. She's gotten used to New Amsterdam, more or less, but this place is different. Wild in a way that feels dangerous to her, just like back home.

No one survives out in the open, back home. Not when the storms come. It was an easy lesson to learn.

She jumps when she feels the tap on her arm, eyes wide. ]

Oh. You...you think I'm a warrior?

[ She shakes her head. ]

I don't do that, sir. I don't...

[ There's a knife tucked into her jacket pocket and she knows how to stab someone, in theory, but she's never actually done it before. That was always Kol's job, or Diogo's. She clears her throat. Stands up a little straighter. ]

I won't stop you. Of course. But....don't kill them, please. They're still people.

Re: arrival

[doesitanyway]

I-- kill? No, no, I meant only to slip away and try to get back to where we came from. I simply don't like the look of this place, or the manner in which we were brought here.

[ He seems to only just now notice her state, and frowns worriedly at her. ]

Are you alright? Have some water.

[devilsun]

Oh. That's okay, then.

[ She gives him a hopeful smile. He's tall and strong-looking. Built like Kol is, broad in the shoulders. Probably a warrior. That's good, right? Maybe he'll protect her. He's not one of the Charborn and she didn't have a chance to speak with him at the safehouse, but she thinks she remembers seeing him around. Another of the Displaced, a designation that she shares and has yet to fully reckon with.

This world is strange. She no longer knows quite how to define herself when she's away from her mother and the others. She's never had to.

But she's not alone, no matter how strange this place seems, and there's some comfort in that even now. ]

Thank you, sir. I'm okay. but I don't...I don't know where we are, [ she admits, accepting the water readily and drinking quickly. ] I don't know what this place is. We shouldn't be out in the open. It might not be safe.

[doesitanyway]

Neither do I, I'm afraid. [ Trevor lets the girl drink, glancing around again. Hmm. ] It feels like a storm is coming, though. I don't know the likelihood of finding shelter until we're less unsteady, but we can look now can't we?

[ And it may sound trite, but he means what he says next. ]

I'll keep you safe. It'll be alright.

[devilsun]

A storm?

[ She glances at the sky again, worrying. There are plenty of big trees around and the guards hadn't seemed worried, but what if they're wrong? What if everyone's made a mistake and this planet has places just like the Char on it, tucked away and out of the major population zones, but still very real? She'd worried about that the first few days on New Amsterdam, even though the situation had been patiently explained to her more than once. And logically she'd known that it wasn't like home. These people have established cities, skyscrapers; they're comfortable in their lives, and live where they please. It's not like the Char, where everyone must stay moving, always moving. But sometimes she catches herself thinking in those patterns, trying to apply the lessons from home to this place and finding they don't fit.

It's fine. She just needs more information, that's all. ]

I don't — no. I know this. [ She nods, more to herself than him. ] I know this. People survive these storms. I looked it up. The average lighting strike only carries an electric current of 30,000 amperes. We'll be fine if we stay out of the open. People survive them all the time.

[ It's not like home. She needs to focus on that part. Apply only the relevant data.

She blinks, then smiles at him. ]

My name is Hama, sir. Hama Sun. Thank you.

[doesitanyway]

........lightning is extremely unlikely to strike us, miss, it goes for the highest point and object. Of course we'll survive, it'll just be uncomfortable.

[ Trevor is perplexed by this woman, already. How she seems to know so much that he doesn't and yet not the common knowledge. Has she never been in a storm, or are they different where she's from. ]

Trevor Belmont, pleased to make your acquaintance.

[ See, he can be nice!!! ]

iii

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade's been one of the Displaced lucky enough not to succumb to the effects of the drugged rations (somehow), but that doesn't mean he's trusting them any farther than he can throw them. It had taken him a while to equate his companions' sudden strange behavior (and appearance) to the rations, but now that there's a clear correlation in his mind, he's not touching them with a ten foot pole. He's had enough drugs pumped into his system to last him several lifetimes, thankyouverymuch.

Which of course leaves them with the problem of food.

One of his fellow Displaced, a scruffy looking man with a scar across his eye, seems to be contemplating the same thing. Wade makes his way over to the man and his large quarry, popping a squat down by the carcass to examine it.]

Nice haul. You kill that yourself?

[doesitanyway]

[ Trevor has never been drugged before Meadowlark, and he's already had enough for his lifetime as well. He drops the limb he was using to drag the creature as the stranger approaches, a well built fellow who seems appropriately enthused by the kill, and wipes his muddy hand on his trousers. ]

I did, indeed. It put up less of a fight than I anticipated, so all's the merrier really.

[ The problem now is something Trevor has less experience with. He huffs slightly, eyeing the damp ground of this place, waves a hand through the humid air. ]

I don't suppose you have any experience starting a fire in this climate... I could gut it decently but this place is simply so wet...

[ishotyouuu]

Heh. Got high standards for monster-killing, I see. I can understand that.

[He's in the business of hunting humans, after all. There's something about bringing down something challenging and dangerous that gets his blood singing in all the best ways. His inspection of the creature finished, Wade rises to his feet.]

Haven't camped in a good while, but we Canadians have woodland survival built into our genes, y'know? If you want, I can see if I can scrounge up some wood for a decent campfire... if you'll let me have some of the spoils, of course.

[All this wilderness exploration can work up quite an appetite, after all.]

[doesitanyway]

I do, I do. The monsters I fight tend to be sapient, more like people but.... distinctly not, at once. You must be a fighter, yourself.

[ Trevor likes this fellow already. He grins and nods in agreement at the wood gathering and spoils sharing. ]

Of course. As if I'd keep this entire beast to myself. Shall I take care of it while you search for wood?

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade grins at that.]

Figured that out with just a look, didja? Made a career outta bein' a fighter, tell you the truth. Least I did back home-- I'd like to do it again here, if I can.

In the meantime, lemme gather up some tinder while you focus on the icky parts. See if we can get a decent enough fire goin' so we can get to work barbecuing that beastie, yeah?

iv

[inherited]

Is now the time to point out that all the worlds are connected? [Riku doesn't think so, but that's one way of making sense of it. He doesn't think that applies the same way here. There are parts of this world that were parts of many different worlds that he and Sora had been to before, so it doesn't entirely make sense. But then, it's likely different representations of worlds, with some of them being weirdly huge.

He shakes off Trevor's hand as it's offered and leaps onto a pillar beside him, only landing with a slight bend of his legs. Riku's also a decent platformer. Worse, though, is the part where he's a show off. He's likely to do that here without even thinking about it. He can't help that he looks so cool.

(Riku's grown in a lot of ways, but he's still showy. It's too ingrained in his movement these days.)]

Otherwise—we're all linked together in some way. We share dreams with no one but each other. We share emotions. I'm pretty sure there's something to all that. And if not?

[He leaps onto another pillar, landing with one leg and spinning quickly back toward Trevor.]

At least we got to see more of this world while we're here.

[doesitanyway]

In some way, obviously, but this one? Is this how we came here? Wouldn't they be activated already, then? What would they need us for?

[ Trevor has a million questions that he doubts the boy before him can answer, but he asks them anyway as if just to hear himself speak. To validate his anger at the situation, and how they were brought here. ]

I'm not questioning there's something to all that, but this location wasn't even one of those requested we visit and I resent how we were brought here. Pardon me for being disinclined to prod around this world's ruins, all curiosity aside. I'm used to traveling on my own terms.

[ He's still exploring, but yes... grumpy!! And doesn't look particularly impressed with the parkour, Riku, sorry. ]

[inherited]

Well, if they're not activated already, then it's obviously not how we got here. [Otherwise, they wouldn't be here, nor would they be kidnapped to be here. Riku is curious about whether there'll be a keyhole at the end of it, but he's doubting it. Without his keyblade, anyway, he can't do much good. It's just right out of reach in his heart, unable to be touched.]

Besides, if you don't want to do something, you can sit and wait for the snakes to find you. Me? I'm betting it's safer the further we go in. I've seen the damage those things can do.

[doesitanyway]

Why would they only mention two, rather than three? Or more? There may be other locations people were forcibly brought to...

[ This just doesn't make sense to him, but Trevor breathes out and crosses his arms. ]

Safety out in the open is not my primary concern, it's those soldiers, but I would like to get to the bottom of this. Shall we?

[inherited]

It wasn't two or three. It was four locations. Someone mentioned it a while back. [Riku obviously didn't retain who the "someone" was because it was Clarke, whoever that happens to be.]

But you're right. Let's get moving. If they follow us, it might give us some clues, too.

iii. snakes is good eatin', trevor

[bivariant]

The snakes aren't, for sure. Animals that are venomous tend to not be poisonous, as well.

[ with the exception of like, a certain type of sea snake. considering these are all terrestrial, she's willing to take a risk and eat the animals rather than the rations. trevor has the right idea, and as she approaches him in the rain - her hair matted down to her face and scalp - she holds out the dangling bodies of several pretty, multicolored serpents to him. an offering! ]

I think you have a solid idea. [ no, really ] We can't trust what we've been given, best to resort to our own means.

[ to that end, she finds a patch of dirt and crouches in it, to look over what he's killed and deigned to share among them. ]

Thank you, for this.

Re: iii. snakes is good eatin', trevor

[doesitanyway]

Wonderful, thank you for the expertise... they're not native to my homeland. But now the challenge will be finding a way to cook things in this constant rain. It's generally not safe to eat things raw, either, we may wind up with a different ailment entirely.

[ He does take the snakes to admire them as the woman crouches to examine his kill, a semi-feline creature that should have enough meat on it to feed most of the group if they could find a way to eat it safely. And nods at her thanks. ]

I don't suppose your special power is something related to heat?

[bivariant]

Oh, how I wish. I'm cold and wet and would kill for a proper fire right now.

[ rubbing her hands together only exacerbates her chill, her coat already wet with rain and sweat, dragging against her goosepricked flesh as she gives the furred pelt of the creature trevor has felled a cursory tug. shouldn't be terribly hard to skin something like this, not when the flesh still has give. ]

I don't know what my power is, to be honest. Roguish charm, maybe?

[ there's a knife in her boot, sharp enough to carve through the bigger animal but nowhere near as delicate as needed to open a snake for its meat. she takes it out, offers the handle to trevor - it is, after all, his kill! ]

But, I can at least see about finding somewhere mostly dry. There's a tarp in my bag, stole it off one of the mercenaries, bet we could keep the worst of the rain off a fire with that, yeah?

[doesitanyway]

[ Trevor finds himself smiling, and takes the knife gratefully. His own blades are wooden or small enough to throw for now, not ideal for such a task. ]

Thank you... and that would be quite a useful ability indeed. My own is rather embarrassing.

[ He says it almost conspiratorially, like he's telling her a secret when really it isn't. He nods at her offer of finding somewhere dry. ]

That would be excellent, yes. I suspect our true struggle will be finding something burnable, but we can do our best. I'll prepare this beast while you do that.

[bivariant]

Keep it.

[ two fingers find her temple and she flicks them out in salute before striking off into the treeline to search for a place to put it up and clear out the damp undergrowth and shore up the edges to keep any muck or water from trickling back in. it takes longer to find dry wood, picking up the edges of packed greenery ( careful of more snakes! ) and set it together. that's about the point where she returns to trevor to let him know what she's managed to piece together. ]

Did my best. How good are you at-- [ she mimes striking rocks together; that's the archaic way of setting fires, right?? ]

arrival

[variate]

[ guess who's disinclined to do whatever anyone wants him to do, period? ]

There's more options than just doing it and not doing it.

[ because he has an idea of what's happening here—he doesn't like it. ever since he arrived his autonomy had been taken from him again and again. it not only made him want to revolt, it inclined him toward a few more types of nefarious heroism. ]

Whatever it is, we should take it for ourselves.

[ low, quiet and serious. it's as if he has an abundance of confidence to spare. ]

I DON'T KNOW HOW I LOST THIS i'm sorry ;o;

[doesitanyway]

[ Trevor glances at Ren curiously, then back at the mercenaries. ]

You think such a task possible, do you? Or worthwhile, not knowing what we'd be taking a stand for? It may be useless to us and our endeavors, and they can far outnumber us if they like. They managed to bring us all here against our will, after all.

[variate]

It's not useless because it's important to them.

[ when he had stolen hearts, the outcome of the item that caused the corruption was always something that wasn't entirely useful, but it was important to that person. whatever they were kidnapped for he considers the same: while it might not be worthwhile for them, it was important to someone else. that's what a treasure was. ]

We might be in the minority, but we've also got abilities up our sleeves. If they have access to drug us again, they haven't. Wouldn't that be easier for them? There's a reason they need us aware.