asgardmods: (Default)
ᴀsɢᴀʀᴅ ɢᴇɴᴇsɪs ❧ mod account ([personal profile] asgardmods) wrote in [community profile] asgardchrysalis2020-01-17 06:53 pm

EVENT LOG: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Who: ANYONE leaving Asgard to fight the demons at the Qliphoth
What: the Devil Is in the Details event
When: January 14 - 22
Where: three days north of Asgard's kingdom
Warnings: blood, gore, death, ridiculous gross stuff

january 14-16: departure.
On January 14, the gods summon everyone to the castle ground to announce that Asgard is moving out to face the newest threat on the horizon. what seems like the whole of Asgard prepares and departs the kingdom. From the youngest to the oldest of the able and willing, all hands are needed as this mission serves two highly critical purposes: to defeat the current threat and to build outposts that can be used as midway safe houses on missions like these.

Similar to the last time Asgard embarked on such a journey, a long train of wagons guided by the eight-legged horses and several of the gods pass through the thicc barrier of the forest into what appears to be a blinding light for any that remain in the city. As the caravan breaks through the treeline, that brightness barely fades as a blistering sun gleams off of what appears to be a solid landscape of pure ice. An odd chill travels from the top of your head to your toes as Honir calls out "Hold onto your limbs!" in a strangely cheerful warning to match the unusual warmth that envelops you afterwards.

Over the course of the next three days, the caravan travels northward through the strange landscape of Yggdrasil in winter. It seems like ice and snow rise and fall at whim, clear skies turning into a swarming blizzard from one stretch of land to another. It's like it can't quite decide what type of winter it would like to be, and the caravan is left to navigate and make camp through this fitful weather. On January 16, the caravan halts as the gods declare this to be the safest point between the kingdom and where the Qliphoth is growing. Construction of the outpost will begin here in the morning, as those moving on to destroy the wretched tree prepare to confront the demons of another world.

january 17-18: descent into hell.
On the morning of January 17, everyone sets upon their separate tasks as those prepared for combat continue onward to travel through rocky and mountainous terrain, passing solitary homes and small settlements along the way that are all empty and destroyed. While there are clear signs of a struggle, there are no bodies and no other signs of life to be found until you continue onward.

A smell will reach you first, the stench of iron and rot that some might recognize as the telltale signs of carnage, and it won't be long before you find the source. Wicked vines as thick as a humanoid body appear snaking up from the ground and winding around the mountain pass, covered in nasty thorns and pulsating masses of blood that harden for protection as anything approaches. As you follow the trail, you begin to see human corpses impaled upon the vines' thorns, frozen in suspended horror, that turn to dust and fade away if touched.

It isn't long before the crux of this nightmare comes into view as a massive tree rises into the sky and is lost behind a raging storm of thunder, blood, and destruction. The city that was here - and it was itself a developed city, not a settlement or encampment as the minor signs of life you've encountered elsewhere in Yggdrasil - is decimated entirely, the ground ripped up and buildings obliterated by violence untold. The environment becomes increasingly hostile the further in you go as the vines (now more clearly presumed to be the roots of the tree) thicken, corrupted plantlife bare angry teeth, and the ground transitions from solid to unpleasantly organic (cw: blood, gore).

It quickly becomes apparent you aren't here alone, either. While the only signs of human life you find are gore and death, other beings stalk through the ruin searching for new victims. Demons patrol the city, taking various forms like walking nightmares bent on destruction. Their goal is to find more humans to feed the tree with their blood, and they will attack relentlessly on sight, only stopping once they've been destroyed.

Once you've made your way into the city and assessed the present threat, it's unclear where to go or what to do next. Making way towards the tree at the center of it all seems an obvious course, but with demons lining the path and these violent roots twisting into the city with ominous intent, there may be more to contend with than simply the tree itself. To reach the conclusion of this event, your characters will spend the next three days searching for answers and trying to survive in a hellish landscape.

See the event post for broad details on what surviving in the city looks like and this thread to find what challenges your character might face as they seek and destroy various seals to bring down the Qliphoth. Characters that die in this event will receive one death consequence.

january 19: boss faito.
Midday on January 19, as everyone continues searching through the city and fighting for their lives, it will be nearly impossible to miss the moment the battle turns in Asgard's favor. As more of the seals are broken, the roots winding throughout the city begin to wither and die as the blood is drained from them. The demons shriek and howl as the Qliphoth begins to crumble, sending them all into a frenzy. Their attacks become more feverish and vicious, desperate to revitalize their efforts with fresh blood in spite of their clear and obvious failure.

The tree stands, however, and the storm above it roils with thunder that booms over the cries of the panicking demons. With almost every inch of the city searched already, the only place left to look is throughout the Qliphoth itself (cw: blood, gore) and the many challenges that come with it.

It isn't until someone traverses to the top of the tree (cw: blood, gross stuff) that the last seal is found in the form of what may have resembled a fruit given a chance to fully form. As it is, those that come across it find half of it collapsed on itself as blood drains from it onto the ground. With even the slightest of pressure, the fruit shatters like glass - and immediately afterwards, the surrounding hellscape bleeds away rapidly.

The vines and corpses turn to dust, scattered into the air. The demons give a final mournful wail as they vanish from sight. The Qliphoth itself cracks and splinters into jagged shards that crash to the ground in a violent display before disappearing completely. As the magic that brought this nightmare to Yggdrasil is dispelled, all signs of the carnage vanish, leaving only the ruins of a city with no one left to remember it.

It's a victory, but a harsh one. There are no survivors to be brought back to Asgard. Whatever civilization may have been here before this, your characters are left to wander through the abruptly empty and abandoned streets as they make their way back to the encampment. They arrive by nightfall to find the outpost successfully completed, each party with their own stories to tell of the recent days' trials.

january 20-22: return.
With the Qliphoth destroyed and the outpost established as best it can be, the caravan makes its way back to Asgard on January 20. While the load is a bit lighter for the supplies it took to build and battle their way back home, some carry new burdens and memories of the strange happenings that took place here. The magic the gods warned of has shown its powerful capacity to overwrite the landscape of Yggdrasil, and new creatures in the world are becoming increasingly aware of the Wanderers' presence.

All along the three day journey back to the kingdom, the gods and the natives can't help but discuss and speculate what this means for the future. A nervous energy travels back to the city with them in spite of their victories, the vast and mercurial landscape of Yggdrasil providing a frigid reminder of their isolation at the heart of it. Asgard may come to contend with the fact that they are safer within their kingdom and the veil of obscurity - and the fact that the veil has been lifted, leaving an open window for them to see out into the dangers of the world, and for the world to look back at them.

[ OOC NOTE: This is the event log for the Devil Is in the Details event! Your characters will be left to survive in a demon-infested city for three days as they solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and destroy seals to bring down the tree. Details on the quests and challenges you can play with are here; there are solutions to each challenge that depend on what your character tries to do to solve it. The success rate for this event was determined by how many people attempted to solve the puzzles in each route. For the sake of this event, you successfully destroyed all of the seals in time to stop the Qliphoth from fully producing its fruit and inviting a powerful new evil into the world. If you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to hit us upon the mod contact page. Enjoy! ]
lan_wangji: (concern and soft)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-22 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
"Am I hurting you?" he asks, face dismayed as he ought to be able to keep Wei Ying steadier than this. "Do not summon anything," he huffs, shuffling carefully to the edge of the road as they speak.

He'd hoped the pain medicine would be stronger, would simply put Wei Ying to sleep. It might be harder to carry him, but Lan Zhan knows every step is agony for him. He should have asked Wen Qing more questions, had more thorough knowledge.

"Do you need to stop?"
yiling_laozu: (Shoulder.)

[personal profile] yiling_laozu 2020-01-22 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
Wei Wuxian quickly weighs the positives and negatives of stopping. Their escape will be delayed, yes, but they might be attacked at any time regardless, and Lan Zhan will need all the strength of his arms if that happens.

"Just for a moment," he tries, and he at least doesn't need to feign the sheen of sweat on his brow as he looks up at him. "It's not your fault. The thorn was too cruel."
lan_wangji: (concern and soft)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-23 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
Lan Zhan disagrees on fault but there is no use arguing, no use forcing Wei Ying to use energy and breath defending him. He simply nods, looking around before he walks to a nearby alcove, half covered in debris. There is a natural opening that he thinks will shield them from view but it takes ducking and jostling to wedge them in.

"Sorry," he murmurs as he crouches and holds Wei Ying tighter to get them inside. There is enough room for him to sit and pull Wei Ying in between his legs, trying to support as much of his weight as he can. "Okay?"
yiling_laozu: (Leaning.)

[personal profile] yiling_laozu 2020-01-24 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes," Wei Wuxian murmurs as fatigue rolls over him. Lan Wangji holds him as if he were porcelain, but even so the jostling of travel is painful, and he hadn't realized how much so until they had a short respite. It's a struggle to keep his eyes open, and he tucks his face beneath Lan Zhan's chin.

"How much distance remains?"
lan_wangji: (Steady)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-24 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Lan Zhan carefully tucks Wei Ying's head underneath his chin, gently brushing his sweaty hair out of his face.

"Not far," he whispers, confident that they are close to the camp. He will get them both back, he will take Wei Ying to a healer and he will stay with him. Wei Ying is priority and Odin can find another fighter, in the meantime. "Let yourself rest. Lan Zhan will not leave you. We will get back, find a healer and I will rest with you."
yiling_laozu: (Drifting.)

[personal profile] yiling_laozu 2020-01-24 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
Wei Wuxian nods, allowing his eyes to close, just for a moment. They will be out of danger soon, and will perhaps even reach healers that will allow them to return and help before the danger is passed. There are so many seals - Wei Wuxian regrets only defeating one of them.

But the thought of resting, especially with Lan Wangji - Wei Wuxian aches for it. "I hope there is room on the cot for two."
lan_wangji: (Listens to You)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-24 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
"Lan Zhan will make room," he mutters darkly, hoping no one has an issue with it. They will regret it. He kisses the top of Wei Ying's head and smooths down the unruly hair, gone wavy in all the chaos. Lan Zhan had always been pleased with his own pin straight hair but he finds this suits Wei Ying, well.

"Then we will return home. Soon the house will be finished. Will spend every night together. Will make a warm, good home."
yiling_laozu: (Quiet.)

[personal profile] yiling_laozu 2020-01-24 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
Part of Wei Wuxian is both terrified and intrigued by the inevitable day when Wen Qing and Lan Wangji clash. As much as he cares for her and her skill, he very much hopes it's another physician that finds them today.

"I wish it were now," he murmurs. "Our home, our bed, a bit of peace in this strange land."
lan_wangji: (softer)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-24 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
He nods, still running his fingers through Wei Ying's hair, scratching against his scalp in the way he knows he enjoys. It's a small thing in the face of the kind of pain he is in, but it's all Lan Zhan can offer.

"Lan Zhan will cook every day for Wei Ying. Grow peppers like Master Ye," he promises, intent on indulging Wei Ying in every way he can think of. "Anything Wei Ying wants."
yiling_laozu: (Quiet pleased.)

[personal profile] yiling_laozu 2020-01-24 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
Wei Wuxian hums, relaxing further in Lan Wangji's arms. Those long fingers are heaven in his hair, enough so that he could almost forget where they are.

"Wei Ying will be satisfied with just you," he replies, closing his eyes again. After a few moments more - "But wine and spices would not be unwelcome."
lan_wangji: (look up)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-24 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
"Enjoy doing these things for Wei Ying," he murmurs, eyes catching the change in the light that means they need to move. They must return during what counts as daylight in this place. Wei Ying cannot afford an entire night of this.

He ducks down, kissing Wei Ying's temple before he starts to shift him in his arms.

"Will be much shorter, this time. Are nearly there. Brace yourself."
yiling_laozu: (Shoulder.)

[personal profile] yiling_laozu 2020-01-24 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
Wei Wuxian sighs, but the resistance in his own body to be moved is further proof that he must be. Between the medicine and the blood loss and the stress of the day, he is drifting ever closer to unconsciousness, and he will not be a burden to Lan Wangji.

"I'm ready," he says, even as his face collapses with pain as Lan Wangji rises. "Be swift and careful, Lan Zhan."
lan_wangji: (stoned face)

[personal profile] lan_wangji 2020-01-24 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
Lan Zhan picks Wei Ying up as smoothly as swiftly as he can as he carries him to the mouth of the their shelter and back into the street. They are losing light and they are far enough that he prioritizes speed over everything. He keeps his eyes moving as he ducks and weaves through the carnage, unable to provide Wei Ying the stabilization of earlier. There is no time.

He whispers an apology before grabbing Wei Ying more tightly and running. Finally, two blocks away and then only one reveals the first sight of tents in the midst of rubble.

"Made it," he murmurs, not daring to look down at Wei Ying's face, not yet. Not until he passes halfway into the camp and halts in front of the healer's tent.