achates | [DAY 1-]

Entry tags:

[DAY 1-]

The night drags on.

The moon, full and bright, illuminates the world below as demons rise in indulgence of the hunt. All those who are not securely tucked away become prey, whose blood runs freely down the streets, whose screams fill the air in symphony, whose lives are snuffed out one by one as the night grows darker- but not quieter, no. Towards the far west, wind picks up in a deafening howl that tears through the forest violently enough to uproot trees, followed by a thunderous explosion atop the wall that sends large chunks of rock crashing down on parts of the immobile train, creating shockwaves felt all the way into town. Dark clouds gather overhead, smothering the moon and unleashing a downpour that continues unrelentingly until dawn, when the paltry sunlight behind the clouds is only enough to see that the rain that falls is in fact blood, thick and warm, coating the rooftops and the streets. Rivulets trickle towards the east, where they spill over the edges of the world and into the cavernous abyss of a mouth below.

Those who sleep will dream. They dream of being flat on their back, lying on hard metal, a warm breeze caressing their cheek, the faint scent of cherry blossom in the air. They dream of their bodies feeling like lead, heavy and unable to move, hardly able to breathe— and all the while in complete darkness. Whether they give in to exhaustion or struggle valiantly against it, they will eventually open their eyes to a different scene: of somebody's home before here, you and that person reliving the very last memory they had before waking up in the train just yesterday. It's a memory that culminates in darkness. Give in. Struggle. Open your eyes again and again and again, and eventually you will wake up to what you wish were just another bad dream: the unfortunate plane of existence we call reality.

It may not be a good morning, but it's morning. If characters glance at their COMP, they will see a bright number 7 on the screen that disappears as their chosen AI chimes in with a good morning greeting ("Whoa! Congrats on surviving the night, boss!" or "Yikes, you look like shit. Did you get any rest at all?"). Pulling up the map function shows fewer blue ally dots as expected, but perhaps unexpectedly, much fewer red enemy dots as well: there are very few demons to be seen, and those that are, show little interest in hunting unless they are attacked first. The forest is still and quiet, red Mandrake leaves littering the floor in abundance but the demons remain rooted underground, the Hares of Inaba huddled snug within their dens, bird demons taken roost underneath the canopy to keep out of the blood rain. The concert hall is silent today, guards at the door watchful and ready to snipe intruders. Inside the powerplant, the giant Ooze spreads lazily across the first floor, filling the space wall to wall, acid seeping underneath the front doors and burning its way outside. Indoors, outdoors, demons keep to themselves, seemingly sated.

It's almost peaceful. If you didn't know better.

The drizzle of blood tapers off over the course of Day 1, replaced by normal rain once night hits. The water that falls is clear, though bitter and metallic tasting, and the stormy weather continues for several days more. The temperature outside dips, even during the daytime, and the hunger that continues to persist (unless you're BB, who ate a Pixie, maybe) is made worse by the appearance of a hot dog stand that has been set up in front of the school building. Its existence in this place is wholly suspicious, entirely nonsensical, manifested as if out of a yandere devil summoner fever dream— and yet the mystery meat smells divine, and you are so so hungry.

"Hee-ho! Get your hot dogs here-ho! What? What kind of mee-hee-t is in it, ho? Don't worry about it, ho!"

JACK FROST

LOCATION
hot dog stand

STRENGTH
ice

WEAKNESS
fire

INFORMATION:
Jack Frost is a spirit originating from England who brings in cold weather during the winter and is responsible for the frost that forms on the windows of homes and buildings. Though it is usually friendly and innocent, it also has a mischievous personality and will freezes those it dislikes to death, smiling all the while.

SKILLS:
Mabufudyne: heavy ice damage (multi-target)
Megidolaon: mega almighty damage (multi-target)

NOTE: This demon is non-recruitable.

Can anybody resist that cute face? never mind the sales pitch. Jack Frost will operate on a barter system, though it really only seems interested in people's gemstones, or if they're willing to slaughter and bring it a Katakirauwa in exchange for a cold but still delicious hotdog dressed up in any variety of condiment. For those who muster the courage to go demon hunting to earn their meal, they will find that a single hotdog will stave off hunger for up to three days. For those who gave up their gemstone instead, K5 will be screaming at them not to do that, but also, please tell me. Maybe they'll rethink the offer, noticing that the gemstones they'd found on their person now feel slightly warm to the touch- growing warmer when in proximity to another person's gemstones, their colors more vibrant, stones faintly glowing as if with internal light.

Generous as Jack Frost is with providing dubious sustenance, it's a different story when it comes to the vending machine beside its stall. Inside are various drinks guaranteed to be cold, and include bottled water, coffee, teas, juices, blood and tears and many other questionable unlabeled liquids among its touted 100!!! varieties of beverage ("""beverage"""). Two problems: 1) there is no selection button, so you do not get to choose your drink; and 2) the machine will only take macca. Where to get macca? Figure that out yourself and earn your drink gacha.

[ Locked pending: SCHOOL investigation ]

[ Locked pending: GREENHOUSE investigation ]

[ Locked pending: HOSPITAL investigation ]

[ Locked pending: CONCERT HALL investigation ]

[ Locked pending: POWERPLANT investigation ]

OOC

Since I know a handful of you are still working on apps, this event log in general will be open to all players, but Investigations will be closed to current players only. See below for more information.

On Day 1 only, wild demon encounters will be scarce and it will rain blood all day, after which the weather will transition into normal rain and demon encounters will also return to normal rates, less during the day and more frequent after dark.

When characters fall asleep any time in the next several days (including victims of the concert hall lullaby that will begin again starting Day 2, as well as inadvertent naps for those of you who are like lmao yeah whatever, i don't need sleep, i'm fine), they will be able to see the circumstances around other characters' canonpoints. This dream may take the form of being a bystander, or from the point of view of the character, whichever would be more fun/interesting to play.

Players can advance time by posting new logs set on the current or next IC date— don't be afraid to advance time as needed! Plot beats will be adjusted accordingly, and there'll be ample warning if plot necessitates a deadline or specific event date for any reason. If you have any trigger warnings, please let me know here! Comments are screened, and warnings will be listed in the log format post for player awareness.

As characters investigate different locations in the setting, more aspects of the game will be unlocked and will be updated in the post above. In summary, from the previous TDM event, characters have found doors sealed by barriers in the school, greenhouse, and hospital. The concert hall and powerplant are still both heavily guarded by demons that prevent thorough investigation until dealt with.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Merlin's having Keigo transcribe his voice to text, for anyone who wants it in writing instead of not. He simply doesn't have enough hands for this. ]

Good morning, and good day to all of you fine folk. I hope your slumbers were restful as they could be in this situation.

[ A vain hope, considering what's actually happening here, but it's the thought that counts. ]

I've finished compiling my current findings regarding this place, free for everyone's perusal. I'm sure you'd all prefer to start your day off reading or watching something more pleasant, but hey, beggars can't be choosers, can they? If anyone has anything else to add, be my guest! They say that knowledge is power, and sharing is caring, after all. Now, then...

[ Merlin breathes in, then out, subconsciously bringing a hand to his chest. The court sage begins his report to the king—the collective populace here his liege(s). ]

on the town;

[ The wizard switches to video ala A☆L☆A, holding his COMP for a top-down view after unfurling a local map he managed to snag and laying it out flat on a table for the COMP to capture, in that sweet, sweet high-res. He'll then go ahead and send a photo of the top-down view of said map and send it to everyone. ]

I believe this is a map of the town we are currently in, in its heyday. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a town name label, and I don't recognize any landmarks or location names, either. However, the eastern half appears to have been mostly residential, and situated near an "Achates River".

As for the void that has apparently engulfed said eastern area... Rosie and I strongly advise staying away from it. The darkness is like a pitfall of cursed dread and malice from which nothing returns.

...Like an abyss that will consume all it can—even the world, if it spreads that far.

[ Like a hole opened in the world itself. "What if it's just like Faerie Britain?", wonders man who is incapable of not thinking about Britain for 2 minutes. His eyes narrow momentarily, though the video feed doesn't capture it, COMP still hovering over the map as it is. Naturally, the mage follows up with a casual: ]

I'm going to perform daily checks on it.

on the greenhouse plants;

We're not done yet, people. Enough of the dreary stuff, though.

[ Next, he pans the COMP's camera over an already-opened set of book pages. The book is a life sciences and botany reference book, one of the 7 that Merlin managed to pilfer from the school's library the other day.

There are written-on paper slips near a decent amount of illustrations and photos, but not all. The visuals are those of various listed-as-edible plants, paper slips folded on the edges of the book's pages to serve as non-sticky labels that denote which plants are edible, to what degree they're edible, and which parts are edible. All run through the translator, of course...which could also be a concern in and of itself.

A muttered "Keigo, if you would?" later, the prepared photos that Merlin took earlier of the labeled reference book pages and pictures should be distributed to everyone's COMPs shortly. ]

It's not comprehensive, but this should hopefully save your stomachs from a bit more experimentation when it comes to the goods in the greenhouse.

[ His voice turns easygoing and joking. SHUN'YA. ]

I won't stop you if you prefer to test the edibility of foreign plants in a more hands-on way, though.

[ ARMIN. ]

If you don't trust the translation functionality on this thing, and want to disprove or confirm these writings yourself, by all means! I'll never say no to more data.

on the literature in the school library;

[ The camera pans to the stack of the other 6 books he managed to retrieve from the school library. Arts, sciences, mathematics, a fiction novel. ]

A pity that the other books I found haven't been as helpful. I couldn't find any history books at all, and the other books I found don't seem to have any historical context behind the teachings... The scant few pieces of context I could find [ Countries, names, locations, time periods. Things like "Isaac Newton" not being the one associated with the theory of gravity. ] weren't recognizable to me, and I couldn't find any writings on the demonic creatures lurking outside, either.

It's all very peculiar, wouldn't you say?

[ After all, a school is usually where the information that a society wants to preserve or pass down is, well, passed down. ]

There were a couple of fiction novels in the library too, but none that I recognized. Sorry to all the Sherlock Holmes fans out there. I couldn't find anything on your favorite consulting detective.

[ Believe him, he tried. Sorry, Chaldea's administrative advisor. ]

on church scripture;

[ Yet again, the camera pans from the stack of library books to...a religious scripture book that he and Dimitri found in this very church yesterday. Cracked open, pages worn, script visible. ]

The literature in the school's library isn't the only oddity here when it comes to the written word.

This church's followers seem to be polytheistic. The portions of the scripture that the device could translate seem to be typical religious writings, praising the gods for things such as prosperity and longevity...you know, all that good stuff. [ And then sometimes when you meet actual Divine Spirits, they're both everything you expected but also not. ] You'd think a church would be the place if you want to find anything on demons or the phantasmal occult that isn't in a library, but no dice. It's mostly hymnals around here, too.

[ That disconnect between folklore, printed books, religious scripture, and the reality outside is the oddity here. ]

That begs the question of where these demons came from, and how. Mm, I have my own theory on the "how", but...

[ He trails off. ~~People should totally ask.~~ ]

Anyway, that's all I have to report for the time being. I haven't worked that hard in a while... That took a lot out of me, so now I'm just gonna lie down and do nothing.

(church) wildcard;

[ True to his word, he cuts the video/voice feed after that, lying down on an unoccupied pew near by the table he used for his impromptu report, doing nothing in particular except curling up with a stuffed lion plushie. The aid to King Arthur has been a busy, busy bee thanks to not having to eat human food like the rest of the crew. The cat scratches on his face are proof of that.

However, Merlin won't turn down anyone who wants to discuss things in person with him or do anything else. He's an incubus who feeds on mental activity, after all; he won't say no to a little pick-me-up :) ]

[Finally some good fuckin food.]

You've been quite busy. I have to say, I'm impressed.

But tell me - where you do you think the demons came from?

[Akechi already knows!!! He knows exactly what this shit is, but why not hear the peanut gallery take on it. He isn't opposed to new perspectives - even if it's wrong, it can prompt an idea. A way out. Form a break in this cognitive world.]

I'm a helper! Don't be shy with the praise, now ✩

[ Now that he's done ruining Akechi's first impression of him...

The switch between wise guy and wise man is smooth and seamless. ]

Where? If I had to hazard a guess, a world where there is a planet called "Earth". And on that planet were many human countries and civilizations that rose and fell, some of which that still persist in modern day, including but not limited to:
- Japan, known as the land of the rising sun.
- France, a country and land on which a Hundred Years' War was waged.
- Rome, home to an empire that was said to be one on which the sun never sets, but eventually did.
- Greece, surrounded by seas on which the Argonauts of myth were said to have sailed upon.
- The United Kingdom, home to the foggy city of London.
- The United States of America, e pluribus unum.

[ Merlin will just casually forget to mention Camelot because he is definitely not related to it!! ]

- Mesopotamia, said to be the cradle of civilization.

[ A proper human history, if you will, with parts and aspects and countries namedropped in the demon analysis and compendium lore. ]

As for the "how", my current theory is summed up in one word: flotsam.

Edited 2024-09-18 23:44 (UTC)

[This assessment isn't far from the mark - the collective unconcious pulls from the people in those places. Warps shadows to the form the public perceives them to be. Akechi could confirm this - chooses not to. It's not his problem, but it's good to know this person is intelligent enough discern this much.]

I would agree with your assessment. I'm from Earth. Most names are familiar to me, most appearances are the same.

To your theory, I find that fascinating.

The reality we exist in does give the impression of being a forgotten wasteland of discarded beings. I wonder if we're all meant to rot alongside it.

Though I refuse to do so. My assumption is most feel the same.

You've got a fire in you. Good, good. You're going to need it.

[ If that sounded ominous, that's because it is. ]

That said, it's difficult to ascribe meaning to a system. Assuming that the force behind this is a "whatever" and not a "whoever", meaning there isn't any particular emotional motivation behind it, it could be a case of a dead end of a world trying to correct itself by pulling in whatever's in (figurative) arm's reach, to fill itself back up again after a collapse.

[ See: the void on the eastern edge of town. Well, he made it to an incredible 1 minute and 30 seconds of not thinking about his ex or Britain before this— ]

That's why I say "flotsam" is the basis of my theory. To me, it seems like whatever is behind this is drawing in detritus such as people and objects from other worlds, letting them wash ashore without much rhyme or reason.

Edited (shuffled metacommentary positioning so it actually makes sense :melting_face:) 2024-09-23 17:46 (UTC)

[He doesn't make a comment on fire - a goal to simply return to his true reality, and right a madman's wrong. One that will end in his own death. A fire burning bright just to put itself out - it's hilarious.]

It's poetic, in a way.

If we weren't considered collateral, or being used as unwitting pawns, I would find some degree of amusement in this scenario.

There's clear evidence around of us of the world's destruction, or at a minimum, this town. Your theory holds some ground, though I have an alternative one. Would you care to hear it?

network (voice/text + video); morning

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