veritati mods / the collector of 2685564 mottos ([personal profile] falsitates) wrote in [community profile] veritati2021-07-16 01:45 pm

mid-july event [tdm + fourth wall].

JULY 16 ~ 31

The fireworks and festivities are over. It's now the middle of July. Outside, it's dreadfully dark as the sun hides behind the clouds. Cold air fills the atmosphere and the sudden change of temperature may signify the start of something ominous. Along with the cold air and strange sensation, there's a white flakey substance lightly falling from the sky. It looks like snow from a glance, but upon further inspection, it's salt.

The city streets are quiet. Those who once inhabited the city of Vitae are no longer to be found anywhere. For seven full days, the citizens and authorities will be suspiciously missing. In their place are something new.

  NEW ARRIVALS
    In the distance, disfigured creature with a shadowlike body and golden eyes stands.

    It doesn't appear to be particularly fast or powerful, but as soon as it detects anyone nearby, it will begin hunting and pursuing. More and more appear as you run away, breaking through windows and jumping off rooftops. Heading towards the edges of the city only brings out a more powerful wave of monsters. These larger shadows, who are equipped with a variety of spells, fire a barrage of magical bullets at you, leaving you exhausted and weak.

    None of them make any attempt to communicate, and they don't seem to understand what you're saying. They attack without regard for who they are attacking and reach out with their long arms. They wrap themselves around you, holding on tighter and tighter until you start to feel weaker and weaker, your energy draining away as time goes on. Taking them out only seems to increase their numbers and force, but they can be killed in the same way that any other living being can die. With enough strength and persistence behind your attacks, they will fall, but before they vanish, red blood oozes from their bodies.

    Those with the ability to sense supernatural presences and entities can feel human souls lingering within the monsters.

  SURVIVAL
    There's no one left except for you, other holders of the app, and these monsters. Without anyone to run the city, things begin to quickly shut down.

    The first thing to go out is the electricity. Then there's the running water. In a city the size of Vitae, there is plenty of food and supplies, but it won't last forever. The monsters appear to recognize the value of food, that it is necessary for survival, and they go after it. They destroy perishables and lurk in grocery stores, waiting for anyone desperate enough to come by.

    The sun never does come back. The clouds continue to block it out, and the rain of salt never stops. It gets too cold to bear, and no explanation is given to newcomers to the app as to what is going on. They simply appear out of nowhere and are left to their own devices. They may enlist the assistance of current app users, but that depends on whether or not they are even capable of assisting themselves.

    Everyone (including the newcomers) has been strapped with a watch since waking up in this hell. The voting results have been released and they appear to directly correspond to it. They're visible in the app, showcasing who picked what and who. The number represents the number of betrayals you've experienced. If you've been chosen twice to be betrayed, the number will appear as two. It appears as zero if you haven't been betrayed at all.

    Those who have been fortunate enough to receive allies or no betrayals enjoy freedom and knowledge. Every hour, the display briefly transforms into a map, outlining the surrounding area and the exact locations of the monsters. It's useful for avoiding confrontations and sneaking into places, but for those who have been betrayed, they enjoy no such benefits.

    The screen changes to read 'punishment time' at random intervals. It's at these times when you receive painful electric shocks. The higher the number, the more excruciating it is. There is simply no rhyme or reason as to when it will happen. They appear at the worst of times and last for indefinite periods.

    There is no way of knowing when this hell will end. The app is unusually quiet, and no one can respond to your inquiries. So, what are your options? If you decide to travel, you will only find a clue to the end of your misery.

    Past the forest and the shrine, there's a castle.

  THE CASTLE
    At the front of the castle, there are two marble statues. In addition to this, there appears to be a magical seal preventing entry through the front door. The seal can be broken by finding the stone key hidden behind one of the statues. It's not too difficult to spot with the naked eye.

    When you go through the door the first thing you'll see is a long corridor. It's decorated with foliage and beautiful flowers. But wait. When you go to the end of the hallway it just loops you right back to the start. That can't be right. The only way to escape from this place is to speak with the doves chilling right next to the fountain.

    "To whom does the true form show itself? I ask: Why did humans disappear from the world? You must answer."

    Answering the question will grant you access to the next room.

    There's a large ballroom that gives off a strange feeling as soon as you enter. There are Shades here too but they only seem interested in dancing. The sound of a waltz might reach your ears. When you look outside the window you'll see an unfamiliar city. It doesn't look like Vitae or America. In fact, it might seem like a city from an entirely different world with how all the buildings lack colour. Off to the side, there's a spiral staircase.

    Going down that route will take you to a massive library. There's a ton of books that cover any topic you can think of. The older books have writing in them but contain illegible runic scriptures. Killing all the enemies in this room will open the door. They're tougher than the monsters outside of the castle.

    A strange figure stands within sight.
breweries: (pic#14768419)

survival

[personal profile] breweries 2021-07-31 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ meanwhile, shylock has been doing fine... ish. except not really, because despite regaining his specialty magic a while ago, he's still pretty much stuck as a human. getting separated by johannes also makes things a little worse, but...

well, he should focus on himself first and foremost. the noise coming from a nearby shop alerted him, and upon taking a peek inside the first thing he sees is a familiar tuft of blond hair before his gaze lands on the monsters who have been chasing him. oh no, they won't-- ​]


Inviebelle.

[ the monsters slowly come to a crawl, before crumpling onto the ground in deep slumber. shylock breathes a sigh of relief before running towards his fellow wizard(?). ]

Heathcliff? Are you all right?
ojiya: (Default)

[personal profile] ojiya 2021-07-31 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Excuse him as he tries not to have a panic attack.]

Wh-

[On the one hand, he's been saved from the monsters! Hooray! On the other hand, who is this man and why does he know his name? And, like, how did he make those monsters fall asleep? Was that magic?

It's not like he can pretend magic isn't real after all of everything that's been happening, but. But. He still has so many questions.]


Who are you?

[Deep breaths, Heath. Deep breaths.]
breweries: (pic#14768427)

[personal profile] breweries 2021-07-31 12:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ shylock pauses for a hot second, blinking at the cowering wizard near him. surely heath would've remembered a fellow sage's wizard who has worked with him for more than a year, wouldn't he?

he looks up at the moon as if blaming it, then offers heath a smile that's a little apologetic. ]


No time to answer that, I'm afraid. It's up to you if you'd trust me for now, or wait for them to wake up.

[ roundabout as always. the monsters are snoozing away, but it's only a matter of time. ]
ojiya: (pic#14963184)

[personal profile] ojiya 2021-08-03 10:59 am (UTC)(link)
[This is all so much. He’s not built for this kind of stress??

He pales at the mention of the monsters waking up, which is enough to get him to… Maybe not trust the man, but at least realizing he’s safer with him then on his own.]


Okay…

[Wait, where are his manners? (Do manners even matter right now?)]

Th-thank you for saving me, uh, sir.

[Now excuse him as he scrambles over to Shylock’s side to put him between himself and the shades.]
breweries: (pic#14768423)

[personal profile] breweries 2021-08-04 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ ah, how cute... but this isn't the time to fawn over heath at all. it's actually quite troublesome how the other wizard doesn't seem to remember one of his upperclassmen - does this mean he's forgotten how to use magic as well?

no use dilly-dallying over that either. he keeps heathcliff close as he leads the way, his strides calm as ever - as if he's merely out on a stroll. ]


You're quite welcome. Now, were you hungry? There are some shops around this area that haven't been ransacked yet.