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Entry tags:
Power/Swap Event
Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: Power fluctuations across Xistentia affect not only the electricity of the city, but also the supernatural abilities of the residents. Will you get caught up in the chaos, or try to help out the next poor bastard who accidentally sprouted telekinesis overnight? Check out the mod announcement!
Date(s): Month of March 2018
Warnings/Notes: Potential violence/accidents
Early Saturday evening, the power goes out across Xistentia. Of course, if you were out in the woods roasting marshmallows or hunting elk, it doesn't make much of a difference until you approach the city and find the twinkle of lights has gone out. However, if you were enjoying some of the city amenities, it's immediately obvious that something is very wrong. Almost all stoves, lights, stereos, and heating systems cease to work. Television is right out. Devices running on indepedent power— such as cars, and cellphones and earpieces that relay the daemon network-- continue to work as long as they have battery power.
Or maybe you'll take advantage of the rise of community spirit in the nighttime, and come together to drink and tell stories in the one part of Xistentia that seems to continue to offer a little light— the Temple. There, people congregate to play a drinking game of truth or dare, or possibly complain about them millennials and their dependency on technology.
On the third day, residents begin to find that their daemons are malfunctioning a little. Accidental shitposts, distorted audio, and bizarre typographical errors are the least of it. It's as if your sentient personal assistants have gotten terribly drunk, though they reassure you that it's just part of the repair process...
On day four, the power comes back on and the daemons begin to sober up. It's awesome.
Except that that's when everybody's supernatural powers promptly go haywire.
For some, this is a sudden amplification of powers— superstrength or speed suddenly doubling in measure, or stone skin and magic swords will suddenly jolt into activation in the middle of brunch. A couple of werewolves wake up fuzzy on the morning after a new moon, whereas several wizards find themselves casting unintentional, messy spells while mumbling "shit" over something ordinarily innocuous. Arguably worse, a few people find their powers nullified. It's easier to manage, assuming you arranged your life so that a normal person could go about it. You may have to help one of our local giants escape from their seventy foot suburban home through a towering window, though.
And then there are the swaps. You'll hear about it on the network mainly— people squawking in dismay, that not only have they lost their old powers, but now they have something completely new. Keep your eye out— maybe someone will need your help, managing a terrifying set of abilities and weaknesses that you are familiar with.
Though many PCs have powers available for swap, several NPCs have also unleashed their abilities into the pool! Brief descriptions are below. Players may choose to handwave some off-screen help or instruction from these NPCs, or try and figure it out with the help of PCs.
Summary: Power fluctuations across Xistentia affect not only the electricity of the city, but also the supernatural abilities of the residents. Will you get caught up in the chaos, or try to help out the next poor bastard who accidentally sprouted telekinesis overnight? Check out the mod announcement!
Date(s): Month of March 2018
Warnings/Notes: Potential violence/accidents
Power/Swap Event
That sing the ecstasy of the soul and senses
Blackouts & Brownouts (March 10-13)
Early Saturday evening, the power goes out across Xistentia. Of course, if you were out in the woods roasting marshmallows or hunting elk, it doesn't make much of a difference until you approach the city and find the twinkle of lights has gone out. However, if you were enjoying some of the city amenities, it's immediately obvious that something is very wrong. Almost all stoves, lights, stereos, and heating systems cease to work. Television is right out. Devices running on indepedent power— such as cars, and cellphones and earpieces that relay the daemon network-- continue to work as long as they have battery power.
Or maybe you'll take advantage of the rise of community spirit in the nighttime, and come together to drink and tell stories in the one part of Xistentia that seems to continue to offer a little light— the Temple. There, people congregate to play a drinking game of truth or dare, or possibly complain about them millennials and their dependency on technology.
On the third day, residents begin to find that their daemons are malfunctioning a little. Accidental shitposts, distorted audio, and bizarre typographical errors are the least of it. It's as if your sentient personal assistants have gotten terribly drunk, though they reassure you that it's just part of the repair process...
Swaps and Supercharges (March 14-24)
On day four, the power comes back on and the daemons begin to sober up. It's awesome.
Except that that's when everybody's supernatural powers promptly go haywire.
For some, this is a sudden amplification of powers— superstrength or speed suddenly doubling in measure, or stone skin and magic swords will suddenly jolt into activation in the middle of brunch. A couple of werewolves wake up fuzzy on the morning after a new moon, whereas several wizards find themselves casting unintentional, messy spells while mumbling "shit" over something ordinarily innocuous. Arguably worse, a few people find their powers nullified. It's easier to manage, assuming you arranged your life so that a normal person could go about it. You may have to help one of our local giants escape from their seventy foot suburban home through a towering window, though.
And then there are the swaps. You'll hear about it on the network mainly— people squawking in dismay, that not only have they lost their old powers, but now they have something completely new. Keep your eye out— maybe someone will need your help, managing a terrifying set of abilities and weaknesses that you are familiar with.
NPC Swaps
Though many PCs have powers available for swap, several NPCs have also unleashed their abilities into the pool! Brief descriptions are below. Players may choose to handwave some off-screen help or instruction from these NPCs, or try and figure it out with the help of PCs.
- Telekinesis— 2 tonne maximum left (equivalent of a player vehicle), may throw or catch knives. Special feats, such as flight, may also be available but require study to master.
- Elemental Control
- Hydrokinesis— 15 cubic feet of water may be moved at one time, such as the volume of a square room of 'typical' adult bedroom height. This volume may be shaped or hurled around with the force of an ocean wave (for surfing, rather than storm). Water cannot be generated, but with effort and concentration, it may be pulled from the air or smaller bodies at a distance. Bodily transformation into water is an option.
- Pyrokinesis— the ability to generate and manipulate flames. Fires will start small, such as fireballs the size of a fist, and be fairly easy to maintain. However, with greater effort, larger, shorter-lived fireballs may be summoned for attacks, such as they may destroy 1 normal passenger vehicle in one shot. Bodily transformation into fire is an option.
- Terrakinesis— shockwaves through stone/earth/sediment or 15 cubic feet of earth may be moved at one time. Characters may raise pillars or shields of earth for offensive purposes, generating enough destructive force to flip or destroy a car in a single shot. With less offensive goals, they may reshape landscapes. Bodily transformation into earth/stone is an option.
- Touch Telepathy - Characters may read or affect the thoughts of others by coming into physical contact with them, with effect proportional to effort. Weaknesses will include that the target's willpower can overcome the ability, as characters learn to detect intrusion over time; they may also suffer from difficulty 'shutting out' the thoughts of others that they touch. Opt-out/consent pages will be required.
no subject
Huh.
[The second thing he sees is Era. Specifically, Era's breasts? Half-covered, of course, by a very pretty patterning of lace and translucency over her pale skin and tautly muscled parts. The next moment, he's looking at her face, her expression of consternation as she swiftly buttons up the goods.] Did you and your stuff teleport into my workshop, or did me and one of my stuff teleport into your... [a long pause. He glances around.] Tastefully decorated abode?
no subject
[ She says that as though it's supposed to mean something to Tony, momentarily forgetting that no, Teleportation is not a common mode of travel for the people of Earth, nor is Aethernet a term they would be familiar with. Arms crossed over her chest, brows furrowed and lips pursed with disapproval (the faerie standing on her shoulder is an eerie mirror to both her mistress' pose and expression). If Tony were to glance at her left hand he would find it adorned with both an engagement ring and a wedding ring - a big upgrade from when they last met in person.
Era isn't certain if Tony is sincere in his compliment of her and Aymeric's home, but she imagines he isn't.
The living room is set up very traditionally though with more modern furniture, walls decorated with pressed flora and landscapes Era has painted (of varying skill - she's been working on improving). There are books of all kinds everywhere, filled with bookmarks made out of anything on hand.
Sheafs of paper can be found on every flat surface, most of them littered with what are obviously mathematical formulae and geometries, though others are a mix of the Latin alphabet and Eorzean, as though someone is trying very hard to learn English. Ink wells and quills, modern ball-point pens and pencils, the occasional marker... There appears to be a writing tool within arm's reach no matter where one might sit or stand. ]
You're lucky my husband is out.
[ Not that Aymeric would be Tony's main concern between the two of them, really. But Era's promised to be good and that means taking it easy, so no combat for another few days (thus the absolute mess of their living room - she's not good at staying idle). And it took enough convincing to get Aymeric to go out with Estinien and do whatever it is those two do when they spend time together - probably shooting things in the eyes with arrows, knowing Estinien - that she's loathe to risk causing him to fret over her again. ]
no subject
A wedding ring on the half-naked woman he seems to have popped in on, on the other hand.] Aethernet, [he repeats, casting around further. Reassuring himself that this is still Xistentia. He cranes his head at one of the windows, and sees through the tastefully drawn obstructions that the trees and buildings look as environemntally conscientious as ever. Definitely not Earth. Definitely not on fire. His skin crawls with nerves.] The intranet definitely runs off more advanced technology than any kind of cabling, but that doesn't seem to be what you're talking about, [he mutters.] Look. I very appreciate you not trying to kill me right now, because I caught that reflex. Thanks. I m--
[BAMF.
Abruptly, he's gone. Actually, the little device he'd been working on falls through empty air, and clanks on her floor. It doesn't spark or anything; it's just metal.
BAMF.
And suddenly he's behind the couch, peering toward the television.] This seems educational, [he says. His voice is terse. But she can probably catch it, the anxiety rising in his voice.] Good taste in--
[BAMF.
BAMF. And he's back again, tottering in her kitchen.]
no subject
With Tony out of sight in the kitchen it's no matter for Era to quickly activate one of her glamour plates so she is instead wearing a very modest, flattering red corseted dress. Never has Era appreciated the ability to change outfits in the blink of an eye so much.
She walks into her kitchen (very tidy, in sharp contrast to the living room. It's fairly obvious at least one of the couple has a sweet tooth if the obscene amount of birch syrup, biscuits, and pastries is any indication) and eyes Tony speculatively, trying to figure out how she might offer assistance.
It does no good if he panics, so Era decides to start there: ]
Mister Stark, how many digits of the number 'pi' can you recount for me?
[ Numbers and geometric patterns have always been one of her go-to methods of calming herself down when she is particularly anxious. It isn't unlikely that the man might be similar, but even if he isn't her question is liable to pull him out of his head for a moment. ]
And then please tell me how your body feels at this moment.
no subject
BAMF.
BAMF. But he only moved a few feet, beside the diminutive woman and her red clothes, this time.] Three point one, four, one, five, and there would be others but I take your meaning. How did you change so fast? That's incredible. [He can certainly appreciate better-than-human (?) fashion swap abilities, even if he doesn't like the vast majority of her attitudes toward alternate lifestyles either.] I tend to have problems with breathing, heart rate, and-- [he presses his fingers and thumbs together, giving a quick rub back and forth. His voice is still coming out sharply bitten and quick, but not as much as it was a moment ago.] The perspiration. Sympathetic nervous system activation.
Typically. Helpful. Occasionally less than, [he finishes out, drawing a breath down low into his diaphragm. His image flutters for a moment, but there's no bamf.] Are there any documentaries about Molboro?
no subject
[ She's done enough reading (with Emerald's assistance translating for her) to understand that glamours were a fairly common form of magic in Earth lore, so it is likely that Tony at least has a vague idea of what she means when she says that.
Another thing Era gathered through scouring various medical texts is that Tony's symptoms line up quite well with an anxiety attack. She has various dried herbs hanging in the kitchen windows used to ease episodes of post-traumatic stress. Tea might not be ideal, but it's a more pleasant option than potions. ]
An anxiety attack. I have remedies for them if you wish for it.
[ She furrows her brows in thought, because if Tony didn't bring up exhaustion, vertigo, or loss of feeling it's unlikely that any of her scant knowledge of teleportation will be of any help. ]
I've yet to find any films pertaining to my world, but that is likely because the technology does not currently exist for them them. [ A head tilt, and an amused smile. There's only one person who would have reason to bring up Marlboros. Era can't help but find her husband's particular distaste for them to be incredibly endearing. ] But I've slain hundreds of Morbols. What is it you wish to know about them?
[ Era keeps a close eye on the man. It seems as though staying calm, or at least focused on something else, helps somewhat. Perhaps an unaspected crystal shard would assist with grounding him? Tony may not have aether, but aether is essentially life energy - something all beings have. As long as it has no elemental charge Era can't see the harm in trying it. ]
...If you aren't opposed to it, I have an idea that might assist you. It will cause you no harm should it fail.
no subject
And I'm open to hearing about your ideas.
[He glances left and right around his immediate vicinity, looking for anything he might accidentally teleport onto. Into. So many potential disasters to choose from. He has some respect for material property, more for objects of actual sentimental value, then his own life and limb-- and funnily enough, for hers. She might recognize it, the look dawning on his face when he measures the distance to where she's standing. The worry that he might teleport himself into the space she's occupying, perhaps.
Grisly thoughts.]
Make your pitch, lightbringer. I'm all ears. [He spreads his hands, by way of expression as well as to keep his balance. And perhaps a little grudgingly, he acknowledges,] This-- isn't. The first one I've had.
no subject
[ She is, of course, one of the rare exceptions. Adventurers are a dime a dozen, and it's a dangerous job, but Era has never minded Morbols or Stropers as long as they kept their breath to themselves.
It takes Era a moment, but she does indeed recognize the look of one coming to an unpleasant realization. What she doesn't understand is the cause of it, because someone teleporting into the space another occupies is not something any Eorzean has ever need think of.
It's easy enough to assume he's concerned he might hurt her in some way, to which Era has a simple enough answer: ]
You need not concern yourself for my welfare. If I am in danger of death the Echo will warn me.
[ Though it's entirely possible that this moment is an Echo vision - she never finds out until she's awoken from her unpleasant visions. Putting all of that aside, Era clears her throat in preparation for a lengthier speech. ]
In Eorzea teleportation is common - expensive and exhausting, but a daily occurrence. It is facilitated by the Aethernet I mentioned earlier; a network of large crystals of condensed aether called Aetherytes. The Aetherytes act as a guiding anchor - a tether of sorts - pulling the aether of the person traveling toward it via the Aether Stream. When a person teleports they lose their physical form temporarily and the Aetheryte helps them reform back to the way they were prior to teleporting. It is this aspect that limits how frequently someone is able to use the Aethernet in addition to their natural levels of anima.
There is more to it than that, but I admittedly have not looked into the details of Aetherial travel all too closely.
[ She clears her throat, taking a moment to recover her voice while she pulls out an Unaspected Crystal from seemingly nowhere, holding it out for him to inspect. It's too large for her to fit her fingers around, but it isn't much bigger than her hand. ]
I don't have a miniature Aetheryte on hand, but this unaspected crystal might provide sufficient grounding for you.
no subject
Of course, he's probably undermining the placebo effect by thinking about it this much. But whatever. Whatever, whatever.] I think Nightcrawler's thing may have a different mechanism of effect, but crystals and electricity metaphors are--
[BAMF--
—BAMF.] A big favorite of mine, [he says, now standing a little bit to her right. Conveniently within reach of handing over small objects, like the stone in her hands.] Do you know him? Kurt Wagner. Teleporter, probably never heard of Aetherytes.
no subject
[ Now that he's within reach Era will hand the crystal over for him to take. ]
I have more, so you may keep it even once your situation has resolved.
no subject
In which case, maybe this is serving. [He hazards a smile in her direction. It barely reaches his eyes, but it does.] Thanks. Appreciate the souvenir. [Carefully, he takes a step toward the doorway.] What did you call this? And why the documentary?
no subject
If you're referring to what I gave you, it is an Unaspected Crystal - an elementally charged crystal that has lost its charge for unknown reasons. [ they are very mysterious. all the crystals are pretty mysterious, really, since they naturally form from dead people. +_+ ]
I am watching documentaries because I cannot explore firsthand today.
no subject
His attention drifts back to the television when she answers.]
Don't tell me you figured out a way to get to Earth without D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. breathing down your neck, [he says, with an odd little bubble of hope, then an odd little deflation of guilt after. Pepper, Pepper. He thinks briefly of Pepper, and his image flickers again.] You've been exploring? What's stopping you today?
no subject
The cats, who have been largely ignoring what's been going on, haven't taken their eyes off of the birds on the screen. There is a particularly bright and strange looking bird prancing around on it at the moment and even the raggedy old cat seems very into it.
Era herself is momentarily distracted by it as well (what strange birds!) and misses the flicker of Tony's form. She inclines her head towards the man at his question. ]
My methods involve going to the library.
[ She's confused by Tony's following question, though the look of confusion she wears is replaced by realization rather quickly. The people here don't know what her title means, nor her expertise as an adventurer. They wouldn't know that it's a given what her time is spent doing. ]
If I am not training I am exploring. [ Pretty much everything she does is some manner of training, really. ] An accident took me home recently, and I returned with grave injuries. I promised Aymeric I would rest and recover, and so I am.
[ Appreciate how candid she's being with you, Tony!! Hopefully it will keep him from teleporting into a wall or something!! ]
no subject
I think I remember you talking about that. On the network. [A beat.
He stares at the birds on the TV, a little absently.] Have you been trying out the native healing tech? [It sounds a little like that isn't the real question that he wants to ask.]
no subject
I used it to rapidly regrow my horn. [ It's easier to admit to that now that it's back in all its strong, sturdy glory. She will be glad to never again enter one of those machines. Despite knowing that they heal Era doesn't trust them entirely. ] I've had no need to try it out beyond that. Anything less than a lost limb or death can be healed with my magic.
[ The more severe injuries would need focused healing over a longer period of time, but in combination with practical medicine done by chirugeons the success rate is very high. Perhaps if she can return to Hydaelyn one day with memories intact it would be beneficial to have blueprints for the machines, or at least the more advanced medical technology available here.
She's awful at diplomacy, but she's gotten fairly good at judging body language and tone (at least when it comes to combat - outside of battle it's a bit more hit or miss). Deciding there's nothing to lose even if she's interpreted things wrong, Era asks quite bluntly: ]
What is it you wish to ask?
no subject
His attention wanders to her, next.] In your subjective opinion, [his voice is wry, the way he tends to get ... always, but especially when he's getting clinical,] did you feel like our work here was really paying off?
[He remembers at least one post that indicated she did. But time has passed. They've been through Panultima. Apparently— and he glances at her head-- she's even lost a horn. It's been chaos. They're less than they were before, 'depowered' somehow, with fewer resources at their disposal. And all for what?] What did you see? D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. agents crumbling to ash and blowing away. Vaginal dentata opening out of the ground, consuming them en masse.
no subject
The upper half of her tail begins slapping the couch cushion with a faint thwap once Tony asks his question. It's a slow rhythm brought on by thoughtfulness rather than restlessness. Or at least more thoughtful than restless.
She speaks up after a long stretch of silence to consider her words. ]
I do not have full faith in what we are doing. [ Worrying absently at her bottom lip, Era continues: ] There has been progress in my world, but only for stretches of a handful of months at a time. Inevitably something goes very strangely awry and I fail, leading to another calamitous event.
If you're asking what I saw in terms of the catastrophy being averted my answer is disappointing: I saw nothing. Events changed back to what I imagine they were meant to be all along. An enemy I should have been able to kill had become invincible, and when I returned it was no longer invulnerable to my attacks.
I believe Aymeric would likely be able to offer more insight, for he actually witnessed some of our world's destruction himself while I had been unconscious at the time.
[ When the safekeeping of your world depends almost entirely on you even when disregarding D.E.S.T.I.N.Y's nonsense... Well. It certainly doesn't need to put in much effort to bring Eorzea to ruin - not when it can simply interfere with one small thing and watch everything fall apart around it.
Era tries not to think about the last thing from home she remembers. ]
I trust neither side in this war, but I am willing to continue doing as F.A.T.E.S. desires for the time being. Risking my world is something I am not willing to do unless I have absolute proof what we do here is not helping. Thus far I only have proof that it does, if only barely.
[ Her voice is quieter by the end of her long answer. Thinking about how horribly she keeps failing - interference or not - makes it difficult to speak. It's a heavy burden, though she's glad to have Aymeric by her side to help ease it. Still, the stress is nigh unbearable at times, squeezing her chest in an invisible vice and buzzing through her skull.
She breathes in and out in careful, measured breaths. ]
...It's likely my voice will desert me soon, but Emeraldd will act as my voice when it does.
no subject
It's a little reassuring for him to think, that if he runs into an enemy that's functionally invincible against the Avengers, he could mark it off as D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. Right? That's what she means. (heh heh heh)]
It's all right, [he says.] I think you should take a break. You look— [and there's a mean joke somewhere on the tip of his tongue, but he bites it back.] --like you could use it. I'm gonna try to use that door. [he points over his shoulder with one hand.] And this rock. [He holds up the rock, cinched now between forefinger and thumb of his other hand. He twiddles it by way of illustration.]
Enjoy your stories of Earth, Era.