EVENT #010

[larkers]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam and any other megacity the Displaced happen to be in/travel to!
WHEN: May 28, 2512
WHAT: Golden-eyed monsters stream into New Amsterdam and other megacities the world over.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Violence, death, body horror, mind control, and transformation.

> EVENT #010

It starts in the middle of the night, when most everyone should be fast asleep in their beds, whether they're still taking up a cot in the safehouse or staying in their own apartment. One moment it's quiet, with most of the rest of the city having also turned in for the night, and then in the next? It isn't.

There will be mass confusion as the scope of the situation becomes clear. Monsters stream out onto the streets, thundering up the stairs of a train station, skittering out of construction sites, or climbing up the walls. Some of them fly. Others slither. Others run, loping forward with only one goal in mind: to find something to sink their teeth or claws into and to leave destruction in their wake at every turn. They are a horde, a swarm, a teeming mass of creatures that have no intention of stopping. All of them have eyes or bodies that shine gold and wherever they go, they seem to leave decay. Concrete turns black and porous where they step; plants wither and die.

There is no real preparing for an attack of this scale. New Amsterdam will awaken as the sound of these monsters crashing down on cars or bursting through storefronts or into homes forces people to run screaming from their dwellings or places of work. There is no discrimination in who these beasts might target, and no discernable pattern in where they go.

All that one can really tell is that they seem to want to spread out. They're constantly on the move, leaping from victim to victim, and they're relentless. No one knows why they've come, where they're come from, or what will make them stop. At least for now, the only option seems to be to cut down their numbers. It's time to fight the horde.

The first night will be utter chaos as everyone reacts to the monsters' sudden appearance, but by the morning hours news reports will start streaming in. This is not only happening in New Amsterdam, or wherever else a Displaced might be staying, but seemingly everywhere. Some cities seem harder hit than others, but practically every megacity is overrun with the creatures.

With no way of knowing who might have unleashed the monsters, all of these cities have essentially been turned into battlefields. Not many civilians are prepared to fight for their lives, and it will take a mobilization effort from the police, Morningstar, the Displaced, and anyone else who's willing to take up arms in order to survive.

◉ As a note, this attack starts simultaneously in multiple cities. While it's the middle of the night in New Amsterdam, the monsters will appear at other times of the day in other parts of the world depending on the timezone!

> BESTIARY

So as to not make this post overly long, we have compiled all of the monster descriptions into a Google doc here for everyone's reference!

> (NOT SO) SAFEHOUSE

For those Displaced who stay at (or spend any time in) the safehouse under the hoverbike shop or the Red Wings bar, they may become aware of the presence of the monsters sooner than others, due to the fact that at least a few of the giant mole monsters will end up burrowing up through the concrete basements to wreak havoc. The screeching noise of steel claws tearing through the floor will be sure to wake up even the deepest of sleepers.

This won't just be an occurrence on the first night of the attack, either. Unless something is done to deter them, tunnels leading straight into the safehouses will continue to be created, allowing even other types of monsters to find their way through (the smaller ones, that is). Where exactly they're coming from won't be entirely clear, though it's a safe bet to assume that they must have originated in the cave system somehow.

Suffice to say that El won't be happy about the safehouse being compromised in this way, though this isn't a possibility that ze or anyone else could have really prepared for. While ze can't do much to physically help with containing the invasion of the monsters, ze will offer whatever resources ze can—though Morningstar is going to be busy in plenty of other locations, as well, and they only have so many resources.

The Red Wings, being a Displaced-operated location, will also be in need of assistance, especially if it's meant to be a point of safety and a hub for handing out supplies. Speaking of—

> RED WINGS HQ

As things begin to deteriorate, Clarke Griffin and Stephen Strange sink their resources into Red Wings, adapting it into a base of operations for the Displaced. Clarke also called in PRESERVE to set up a checkpoint here, too, and anyone—from the Displaced to civilians—will be able to seek aid here. (Of course, Red Wings will be just one of a few locations throughout the city where they attempt to set up shop, but Red Wings may prove to be more fortified thanks to the talents of the Displaced.) Civilians will not have access to Red Wings' safehouse, however. That's still something that Clarke and Stephen want to keep under wraps, for now.

In the bar proper, there will be medical aid, supplies, and even weapons for those who can use them. During rare moments of downtime, the gang at Red Wings will also work on reconnaissance missions to find safe spots throughout the city to provide much needed protection and safety for the people of New Amsterdam. This task may be much easier said than done. Gathering intel on the monsters is a high priority, too, and for anyone who tries to capture a monster to learn more about them, the basement might be a good place to hold them. If the Displaced are going to be able to fight back, they need to know exactly what it is they're fighting.

However, the truth of the matter is that this attack happened quickly, and in the middle of the night to boot. As much as the group at Red Wings tries, resources are stretched thin, and they didn't have time to prepare as much as they wanted to. Supplies need to be rationed, bandages and stitches used for wounds that really need them, and if you're not a great shot, it might be best to let someone with more training take that gun you're eyeing.

More than anything, despite the difficulty, this is a way for the Displaced to help out as many people as they can, and a way for them to cement their humanitarian efforts and affect the population's opinion of them. The citizens of New Amsterdam are sick of this cycle of destruction, and are just waiting to be empowered. Now's the time to teach them to fight back and help them protect their city.

Red Wings' safehouse underground will be damaged by burrowing monsters as well, and will need protection. The bar itself will escape relatively unscathed.

> INVESTIGATING / GATES

Maybe the best way of dealing with the monsters isn't violence at all. Maybe there's a more strategic way to deal with this.

The monsters will be moving from city to city via the gates, just like the Displaced do. There might be a way to keep them from spreading, or at least slow them down, by shutting down the gate network. Of course, with the mag trains shutting down, getting back home could be an issue. One option is the delivery network of hover trucks. They'll still be running to get supplies from city to city, but their batteries don't run indefinitely, so these will be relatively local trips only. No getting from New Tokyo back to New Amsterdam with this method, unfortunately, and convincing a driver to let you hitch a ride might be a challenge, but it's doable.

Of course, there's also the question of where these things are coming from. Intrepid characters might be able to track them back to their nests, which are tucked away in wildly different places depending on the city. In New Amsterdam, they might be in the caves below the city. In other places, they might not be in the city proper at all, but just outside of it. It's important to keep in mind that the nests are far away from any of the action taking place elsewhere. Tracking these origin points may provide some answers, but the cost would be less involvement in the crisis taking place.

And then there's the matter of the monsters themselves. How can you fight an enemy you know nothing about? For those determined or crafty enough, capturing them might be an option, although this will take some creativity. Once these creatures are captured, they'll need to be kept contained, and kept alive. Just because they're monstrous doesn't mean they don't have to eat, after all, and some will need special environmental considerations as well, such as the mind control slugs.

What happens after that is up to the Displaced. Is dissecting them the best bet? Their internal anatomy won't be wildly different from most "normal" animals, with the exception of some creatures who have strange appendages or the like. Still, this might give the Displaced a better idea of how they operate and what their weak spots are. Sending samples to a lab is another possibility, if the Displaced can figure out how to safely store those samples. After all, the world is in a crisis, and no one is running tests at the moment.

All monsters, though, seem drawn to the blue light. When a Displaced uses a power or activates the empathy bond, the creatures will lock onto it, utterly transfixed, and if this is done enough times, that gold glow of theirs will intensify. What does it all mean? Maybe figuring that out will be a pathway to stopping their attacks.

> PITCHING IN

While all of this is going on, it certainly won't be just the Displaced who are heading out into the streets to try and stem the flow of the monster attack. These creatures are certainly not holding back, and no matter how much work might be put in, their numbers are overwhelming. Plenty of people will end up dead as a result, ripped to shreds or dragged off somewhere to be eaten. Yet, for some reason, these monsters are not as vicious toward the Displaced. They'll engage them in a fight and injure them, but they never go so far as dealing a fatal blow.

Seeing how that's not the case for the rest of the populace throughout the world, however, some groups and organizations will be rising up to do their part.

Police departments will be mobilizing in every megacity to put the monsters down, and while they are armed, it's not on the same level as the UNA. They also don't have any sort of training that's prepared them to fight monsters, but they'll still be putting their lives on the line to put a dent in the monsters' onslaught. When it comes to enforcing regular law and order, they certainly won't have the bandwidth for anything like that. Then again, most people won't be in any position to take advantage and commit crimes either, given the chaos that will be a constant everywhere.

Morningstar will also be jumping into action around the world. The New Amsterdam branch will be most likely to work alongside the Displaced and share some of their resources, particularly with those who are signed up as official agents or those who've supported them in the past. In cities like New Prague and New Beijing where the Displaced have made some contact with Morningstar before, they'll also be open to working with the Displaced. However, their resources are by no means robust. Morningstar is an organized rebel group, but they're hardly an official army in any sense of the word. They might be able to hand out a weapon here or there and they have a safehouse set up in almost every city, but beyond that, they'll mainly be getting boots on the ground to help with the fighting.

UNA soldiers who have been left without any sort of purpose or guidance will now have an opportunity to put some of that training to use. Their involvement will be much more scattered, though in some cases small groups of these soldiers who used to work in units together will reconnect in their effort to fight off the horde. However, having been cut off from the UNA in an official capacity, they won't have much in the way of gear or weapons. They're still formidable fighters, though, and now might be the perfect time to reach out and make a connection with some of them.

Mercenaries belonging to various different outfits, depending on what city they're based in, will also be joining the cause. Whether they're acting out of a basic desire to survive the attacks or if they're actually being paid by someone to go out there and risk their lives will be less clear, but they're some of the best-equipped fighters (other than the police). They also won't really find much reason to protest any of the Displaced pitching in to fight with them. The more firepower, the better, right?

A group of regulars from the New Amsterdam fighting rings will be rising up to add their fuel to the monster-fighting fire, as encouraged by Hawke and whoever else might know them well enough to reach out. Given that some of these people have illegal mods to enhance their strength or cybernetic attachments that can do impressive amounts of damage, some of them might hold their own against the monsters. Hell, some of them might even ask the Displaced to demonstrate some of their powers if they end up fighting together, as word of their abilities has become more known among their ranks. Either way, they'll be jumping into the fray with quite a bit of gusto.

PRESERVE will be involved on the other end of these efforts and will be doing their best to tend to the wounded and the dead, along with finding shelter and safe spots for people to barricade themselves from the attacks. It's not like the grand majority of civilians could stand a chance against these monsters, after all, yet not all of them can rely on their homes to be safe enough to stay in. They'll be quick to accept an offer of Displaced help, as they'll be doing their best to try and drag the recently dead to hospitals to get them put into medi-units before they're too late. Along with what's set up at Red Wings, they'll also be cobbling together other relief spots throughout the city for taking care of wounded and offering up what supplies they have (food and water, medical supplies, etc).

And what are the corporations doing in all of this? Well, suffice to say, mainly just panicking. Unsurprisingly, they're not much help during a crisis like this, with most of the super-rich opting to hide away in whatever highly secure bunkers they might have. Too bad that these bunkers might not prove so secure in the face of these attacks. Could that prove to be an opportunity if someone went looking?

> FINAL OOC NOES

Please refer to the OOC EVENT POST 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. This is, naturally, a huge event in terms of scale, and so we're certain there are aspects of it we haven't covered and questions that have yet to be answered. We do encourage that all of our players use the event planning post for any additional ideas and for touching base!

Please do not begin to thread out any aftermath until AUGUST 8, 2020, which is when we will put up the aftermath log and OOC post. If this date changes, we will provide a gamewide update as needed! As a note, the August calendar will be posted alongside the aftermath!

As a reminder, there is one power level up available for this event, granted for a thread of at least 5 log/action comments containing your character utilizing their power in some way during the event itself. They will need to reach the 5 comments required by SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 to be eligible. Submission will be handled on the wrap up post.

Our Activity Check will be posted AUGUST 1 at 12 AM UTC. It will run for seven days and close on AUGUST 8 at 12 AM UTC.

Have fun and fight some monsters! Or … whatever else you might do with them. 😉😏 Your secret's safe with us. 😙

> NAVIGATION

Comments

wildcard-ish;

[powerofgod]

( it is... easy, now, to exist among humans. he has adapted to being one of them again. adjusted. he has made friends, as odd as the word sits in his mind and on his tongue. but ephemera was the first, which is why godric seeks him out. once he finds him — )

Take your shirt off.

( what a greeting.

he intends to draw a rune on ephemera's skin, and the back or chest are the easiest areas to cover and the least likely to smudge or take other damage, but. he probably could have.

lead with that. )

[requiemshark]

[ Okay. This is sure happening.

Ephemera tips his head to the side, his eyebrow raised. He's in the process of getting his armor back on, a task that was always calming to him and is working to keep him centered now. It's not his old rig, just the set he stole from a merc back in New Cairo, but he's made it his own in small ways. The armor looks plain from a distance but up close, a careful observe might catch the geometric patterns he's painted onto the surface with black and very dark blue ink. Mandalas and repeating motifs of triangles, hexagons. Simple work, for now. But his own. ]

Why?

[powerofgod]

Surely by now I merit more trust than a why, Mr. Ephemera.

( but ah, he forgets his manners. there's a slight twitch at one corner of his mouth, and then he tugs the loose collar of his shirt down, exposing the blood lines overlapping with the faded tattoo across his collarbone. the runes have a faint reddish glow emanating from them. )

My power. I can enhance your physical ability some small amount. Best to put it somewhere it will be less likely to smudge or flake off as the blood dries, as that will render it null and void.

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera huffs a little, flashing Godric a smile. ]

Been meaning to ask what yours was.

[ Might as well get a practical demonstration while they're at it. He begins unbuckling his chest plate, setting it down carefully. It's taken some hits already. Underneath, he's rocking some nasty bruises. Maybe a couple bruised ribs. He moves like he doesn't notice them, though. He's fought through worse.

Then he strips off his shirt, baring his tattoos and his scars alike. Redemption like a brand across his chest and Sun Tzu printed crooked on his back. Teeth, fire, and water. ]

Go nuts. I'm not gonna turn down help when I can get it. The armor's holding up, but it's not like my old rig.

[powerofgod]

( that smile gets a thoughtful hum of consideration. as the man shucks his clothing — )

The runes have to be in blood. Hopefully that does not trouble you.

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera shakes his head. If there was ever a time that blood bothered him, he's long since forgotten it. ]

Mine or yours?

[ Seems like a relevant question to ask under the circumstances. ]

[powerofgod]

Mine.

( it does not bother him. seeing his own blood is almost a novelty now, given that he does not heal from damage immediately any longer.

he pulls a small switchblade from one pocket, makes a shallow incision along the inside of his forearm where it is least likely to bleed later should he come to blows over it. he prefers to be left-handed wherever possible, though most vampires become functionally ambidextrous out of sheer longevity, so the incision is made upon his right arm.

daubing his left index finger in blood, he gestures ephemera forward. )

Strength or speed? I cannot do both, unfortunately.

[requiemshark]

[ It's a little strange how easily Ephemera steps forward. Not so long ago he would have balked at this, at letting anyone come this close with a knife in hand, at the thought of anyone touching him without violence. So much has changed, a twist that Ephemera still doesn't fully understand. He started out in this place as one way, as one person, and now he is someone else. Not a stranger, or at least not entirely, but someone new. The change came upon him slowly, and not always with grace. But here he stands. ]

Speed.

[ His voice is low, rough. It always has been. He meets Godric's eyes, and does not hesitate. He missed this, Ephemera realizes. Being able to trust other people. ]

[powerofgod]

( humans change so quickly. they have known each other a matter of months, and yes, the trust is there. little wonders. such fragile creatures, and yet they love, and have faith, and endure injury for one another.

his fingers flex, blood drips off his hand before he can begin the process. it isn't terribly complicated, simple ancient runes from prehistory. his mother's tongue. )

You have, I suppose, enough of the former.

( a quiet jest, as he paints the sigil on. it is an odd thing, still, to touch human skin and feel it to be the same temperature as his own.

the empathy bond is a quiet thing, but present at the contact. godric's emotions are a controlled calm, and an endless, aching fondness. )

[requiemshark]

Something like that.

[ He's not strong the way Crow or the twins were and he doesn't have his old armor to back him up, but he'll make do. He's got this armor, painted and turned into his own, and enough training to see this through. If he's faster, if he can react the way he was trained to, then he can compensate for his missing eye and shitty depth-perception without his HUD to course-correct for him. It's a gamble, though one he's confident of.

He holds very still as Godric works. The empathy bond pulses blue between them. Ephemera misses his family suddenly, a strange thought to have now of all times. He wonders what they would make of Godric.

Hunter would have liked him, Ephemera thinks. Maybe Barrows, too. ]

You gonna go out and fight?

[ Probably. Godric certainly knows how to. But he's human now, and that will matter in the end. ]

[powerofgod]

( when the rune is finished, godric steps back and away. he knows that ephemera does not like the empathy bond and does not wish to inflict it upon him longer than is absolutely necessary to ensure whatever small protections he can upon him. )

I cannot imagine doing otherwise.

( he is a warrior. mortality changes nothing of that. he has died twice and both times was reborn as something new. as a concept, death and the resultant non-existence hold neither fear nor mystery for him. )

I've procured a bow. A little outdated, perhaps, so far as your arsenal is concerned, but it's more familiar to me than guns would be.

[requiemshark]

[ And just like that, it's done. Ephemera glances down at the mark with curiosity. He knows it won't hold forever against his skin, but it's an advantage he doesn't intend to waste. He has armor now, enough weapons to even the odds. He can make a difference here.

He can protect people. He thinks that matters. ]

It'll work.

[ Godric's probably a crackshot with it. Ephemera has no reason to question it. ]

You want to come out with us? Me and some of the fighters got a squad together. Haven't got a lot of ammo, but we haven't lost anyone yet.

[powerofgod]

( he has some evidence by now that ephemera considers him a friend. but being asked to join him on a hunt is curiously endearing, and godric nods his acquiescence. )

I would be honored. Do I know your other comrades, by chance?

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera smiles a little. It's going to be rough going, but it'll be good to have Godric in the group. ]

Maybe? Depends how much time you spend around the fight clubs. None of them are Displaced, though.

[ Or at least not right now. They might pick up more later. ]

Got a couple who've seen real combat before, but they all know how to fight and they adapt quick.

[powerofgod]

( he has not spent considerable time in the underground. explaining why a boy of his years knows how to take down a fullgrown man is difficult enough. )

Very well. I will trust your judgement. What is your plan of attack?

( he is a leader, born and bred to it. but ephemera is competent, and godric will obey him. )

[requiemshark]

Got a decent map of the area, so we're clearing sectors. Deal with what we find, get the civilians back here.

[ It's rough, messy work, but they haven't lost anyone yet. ]

Your bow will be good, we're running low on ammo.

[powerofgod]

Do you know how to use one?

( he has knives. ephemera may be stronger than him, but he has only a fraction of the experience. should it come to that, he would gladly give him the bow. )

[requiemshark]

No.

[ He's a fast learner, but there's always a risk in putting someone out in the field with a new weapon. Ephemera hums to himself. ]

Better not risk it, with my eye.

[ He's learned to compensate with the rifle and his other weapons, but it'll be a risk with a new weapon. ]

[powerofgod]

Very well. Then let us go.

( he accepts that explanation easily enough, and straightens. he will enjoy fighting with the man side-by-side, he thinks. )