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

[braveoff]

Uh... baton. You should keep something sharp, you'll probably do more damage with it than me and I've already got a knife.

[ It's smaller, but he'll have a little more space with the baton. ]

Does that work?

[ He wishes he had his axe, or even the bow and arrow, at this point, but proper weapons are hard to come by here even with people making them for the cause. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera nods slowly and unhooks the baton from his armor, holding it out. ]

It's better than nothing, if you aim it right. Eyes, if they have eyes. Joints. Head.

[ He hasn't seen Drake fight in anything but a memory. But if Drake says he can handle it, then he can handle it. ]

[braveoff]

[ Drake takes the weapon gratefully, giving it a skillful spin to test the weight -- maybe a gesture Ephemera wouldn't have expected from him, but he learned from the best. It makes it clear that he does at least halfway know what he's doing, anyway. ]

Thank you.

I've been covering people moving out of the south of the city, apparently they came up from the ground there so they needed help evacuating but it's quieter now. Want to keep moving north and circle back towards Red Wings at the park?

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera nods in approval, watching how Drake handles the weapon. There's an easy familiarity there. Someone trained Drake, showed him how to move. ]

Yeah. We can clear territory, be systematic about it. Get people clear.

[braveoff]

[ Drake nods back, it's what he was already doing but he'd be happy for some backup. Familiar backup, too -- Ephemera might not remember how he fights, but Drake's pretty sure they'll fall into step with one another easily. Ephemera's adaptable. ]

I've heard there are some damaged buildings to the northeast, people might need escort out of those. Start there?

[requiemshark]

Yeah.

[ Ephemera grins. It'll be all right. He's not in power armor but he's got enough gear to make it work. Between Drake and the other fighters, they can do some good. And Ephemera realizes he wants that now. To do some good.

Funny, that. It took him a long time to realize. ]

Let's do it.

[braveoff]

[ Yeah, they'll do some good. That's all Drake wants, really. Their continued survival here might depend on goodwill, sure, but he really just wants to help. To save people. He told the other Ephemera once that he didn't think he was cut out for war, but monsters are another story.

It isn't long before they hear screaming up ahead. Drake has to curb himself from just charging in -- he's human now. He drops into a ready stance and creeps forward, peering around the corner to see what they're dealing with. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Drake's a welcome addition to the party. The other fighters range from people who like showboating to a couple who've seen real action. A couple might be former UNA soldiers. Ephemera hasn't asked, just like nobody's asked where he got his armor and weapons. Either way, they know how to get shit done.

And they do. Ephemera sticks close with Drake, holding up a hand as they assess the situation. Two civilians pressed up against a wall, looks like they turned down an alley and didn't realize it was a dead end before one of the panther monsters crept up behind them.

Ephemera draws Ginia's long knife, getting ready. ]

I'll go left.

[braveoff]

It's gonna be tight.

[ Drake thinks fast, looks back at the crew they've got and the size of the alley, the civilians pinned at the back. He shakes his head. ]

Think we should lure it out?

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera exhales, already fighting the urge to just go and get it done. He could fit with his armor, he's got Godric's speed enhancement thrumming against his skin. He could get it done. The knife feels right in his hands, it'd be easy.

But he's part of a team now. He has to remember that. ]

Yeah. Safer.

[ Better tactics. ]

I can do it, I've got armor.

[braveoff]

Okay.

[ He signals to the others to take position on either side, readying his weapons like he's done this a thousand times, because he kind of has. ]

We've got your back.

[requiemshark]

[ And then it's simple. Ephemera meets Drake's eyes and nods, serious. It's like running ops with his squad all over again, a feeling he never thought he would know again. That immediate synchronicity, everyone on the same wavelength. That perfect calm before the blood starts flowing.

He breathes out. And then he moves. There's a dumpster by the opening of the alley, perfectly positioned. He can angle himself to the side and make a whole lot of noise without exposing himself straight on.

Easy. He's done this a thousand times before. More.

So he moves. There's no hesitation. He clangs the handle of Ginia's big knife against the dumpster, making sure to scrape his boots against the ground as he goes, and then gets into stance. Ready, ready, ready. ]

[braveoff]

[ It works, if not entirely as intended. The monster-cat turns away from the civilians and roars, but it actually spots one of their team peering around the corner and not Ephemera where he's hidden behind the dumpster. It seems to sense that they're a threat more than food and thus need to be handled first, and charges towards the exit of the alley.

Right past Ephemera. Drake is ready if it gets past him and pounces on their comrade. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Shit. It doesn't go for the dumpster but one of the team who poked their head out too fast. Ephemera doesn't bother cursing; he just moves. Barrels out from his hiding place and uses Godric's speed enhancement to slam into the creature. He's got enough momentum to knock it sideways if not down, and that's enough to start stabbing.

It screams. And then it swipes him across the chest plate hard.

He doesn't feel the blow. Doesn't stop to check if it's claws got past the armor. He keeps fighting. ]

[braveoff]

[ Ephemera might not be slowed down by the blow, but Drake sees blood splatter off the beast's claws and that's enough to get him to break formation, running into the mouth of the alley.

Shit, he was right. It's too tight in here to fight. Instead he lifts a hand and reaches for his power, which he's never tried to use on a monster but there's a first time for everything.

...the thing is? It actually works. The giant cat stops attacking, looking up at his chest. He wouldn't call it tame, but the rage is gone. He can feel that this is pulling more from him than usual, though, like how the bond hurt when he was curing Will of the slug. Still, it's not mauling Ephemera further, which is all he wanted. It should be quick to finish it off now, even though he's outed himself to the others. ]

Ephemera! You okay?

[requiemshark]

[ There's heat in his chest, pressure. Not pain. He fights through it, recovers his stance in time to see the flash of blue, to hear Drake's voice.

Oh. Fuck.

The cat doesn't attack. It stares at Drake like it knows him or feels something from him, some recognition or whatever the fuck is going on with this bullshit, and Ephemera swings the blade and takes its head straight off.

He presses a hand to his stomach. It comes away wet. And the whole squad just got a first-hand view of Drake's power. ]

Shit.

[ This could get complicated. Ephemera lowers the blade but keeps it ready, his weight evenly spread as the other fighters get in closer. ]

Drake, you good?

[braveoff]

[ Yeah, the others are staring. Drake couldn't care less, all that matters to him is that Ephemera's okay, and... he isn't sure of that yet. ]

I'm more worried about that wound. We need to get you back to Red Wings, to Lance or Gene or... somebody.

[ He turns back to the others, asks if they can handle the civilians. Instead of calling him out, or Ephemera, one man steps forward and nods, tells Ephemera to get the gashes looked at. They can meet back up later, the blood is going to draw more enemies to them.

Drake is pulling his overshirt off to press to the wound as he thanks them. For backing him up as well as the discretion -- he has the feeling they kind of already knew. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera's ready to kick off a fight again, to protect Drake, but the others don't go for him. They don't even look all that surprised. Hannibal, the older man who throws all his fights but could probably give Carolina a run for her money, gives Ephemera a single calm nod before he gets the others herded off.

Huh. ]

I'll live.

[ Though, huh, that's bleeding a lot. Ephemera grimaces, tipping his head back. He doesn't feel much of it. Probably a good thing. It'd slow him down otherwise. ]

Biofoam would be awesome right now. How deep is it?

[braveoff]

You'll live until this blood draws more in, then who knows. I can't tell how deep it is unless you take off the armor and we can't do that here, but at least your guts aren't spilling out.

[ As usual, Drake sounds calmer than he is. He can feel the cloth soaking through, but it's holding the worst of it. ]

Keep the pressure on, I'll take point on the way back.

[requiemshark]

[ Yeah, that's the fun part. All these monsters like something out of a storybook, or a bad horror movie. At least the Covenant didn't come when they smelled blood. Ephemera nods grimly, pressing his hand over the shirt.

It won't kill him. Ephemera knows himself that well. He's survived much worse. ]

I've got some ammo left. It'll keep some at a distance if we get cornered.

[ The shield would've been helpful now. ]

I'll follow your lead.

[ Ephemera's expression softens momentarily. He trusts Drake to get him back. ]

It'll be okay.

[braveoff]

We won't get cornered. Think positive.

[ The shield would be great right now, but they have to work with what they've got. And mostly, that's each other. Drake is trying to plot the fastest way back in his head when Ephemera's expression softens, his voice reassuring. It earns him a faint smile, and Drake has the urge to press their foreheads together before he remembers himself. And doesn't really want Ephemera to feel how freaked he was when the other man took that hit. He just nods instead, gently. ]

I'm holding you to that. This way, let's go.

[requiemshark]

Not my strong suit.

[ It's starting to ache. The pain hasn't gone sharp but it's harder to ignore without his adrenaline kicking into full gear. Ephemera takes a deep breath and then lets it out. Focuses. Steadies himself. He's okay, he's made it through worse, all they have to do is get clear.

He keeps pressure on the wound. It's bleeding more than he likes, but there's nothing for it now except to survive. And he will.

He promised Drake. And then he follows the man without hesitation. ]

[braveoff]

[ They only run into one monster on the way, since they're headed mostly back the way they cleared -- a bat that swoops down directly for Ephemera. How it can smell the blood with no nose, Drake has no idea, but he's able to get between them and drive his kitchen knife brutally and fearlessly into the thing's throat as it tries to get to the injured man behind him. Its claws swipe his shoulder, but it's shallow. He isn't worried about it, it's nowhere near as bad as the treated gash on his leg is.

He's pretty messy now, but fuck it. He needs to clean his own wound and change his bandage and clothes soon anyway, get some rest... check if the apartment is compromised or not. A little extra monster gore won't make a difference now.

As soon as it's dead he's back at Ephemera's side, hustling him down the last few streets and into Red Wings to find a seat. Unfortunately, all the medics look busy... he's going to have to handle this himself. ]

...get the armor off, I'll find some spare medical supplies.

[requiemshark]

[ They make it back without any real trouble, Drake proving once again that he can handle his shit and that Ephemera's worry--confusing and persistent as it is--wasn't founded. They're okay. They're the motherfuckers who survived, who made it through. Ephemera sits down slowly, running through a mental checklist. He's not swaying on his feet, but he's starting to feel the ache. The bloodloss is stacking, the adrenaline dumped, and this is the aftermath. Already, Ephemera knows he's going to be exhausted when it's done.

He powers through. He doesn't fall. Ephemera winces a little as he gets the armor off, one piece at a time, but he takes his time. He sets each individual piece aside, marking the areas that will need to be repaired or cleaned. It's important to take care of your gear. And then, when it's done, he lifts his shirt up to examine the wound.

It's deep. Three distinctive slashes across his stomach, arcing slightly to the left. None of his guts are showing, though, so he decides to treat it as a win. Ephemera takes Drake's bloody shirt and holds pressure to the wound, in the meantime. ]

Those things pack a hell of a punch. Miss my power armor.

[ He could've shrugged this off like it was nothing. ]

[braveoff]

[ The first thing Drake thinks when he gets back with supplies is, 'holy shit that's a lot of blood.' It's okay. He can do this, he's helped out at the clinic and aside from the very edges the cuts are pretty clean... he just needs to flush them out and stitch them because yeah, they're deep. He takes a deep breath and gets down on his knees in front of Ephemera, easing his shirt away gently. ]

I miss your power armor too, man. Take a deep breath, this is gonna sting like hell.