destinystrings | The Purple Lion's Pridelands

The Purple Lion's Pridelands

⊙

Who: Everyone (guests and non-guests alike!)
Where: Geartopia
Summary: The plot rears its ugly head
Warnings: Rumors and shootin'
EVENT INFO: Read about it here if you're a newcomer!

The days continued to pass quietly without incident. But that was the problem therein: the days continued and no progress was made. The mayoress had gathered all of the visitors several times, each time saying that they were still looking into the issue. Each day a few more faces showed up. If this kept up, the town would be filled beyond its capacity to provide.

The the rumors began. Whispers in saloons and bars spoke of the town having done something to anger the Wild Ones, the protective spirits of the city that stood in its outskirts. Still others spoke of this being a punishment of what happened twenty years ago, in that moment where Geartopia could have, too, taken to the skies and its civilization advanced. The strongest rumor, however, spoke that Snidley Pridelash, the man who had been killed twenty years ago, source of both fortune and downfall, was somehow alive and had been gathering bandits in the Outlands to attack the city and the newcomers...

...needless to say people aren't as happy to have you around anymore.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to go look for some answers. There's a few places where you can head out - maybe go speak with the mayoress or head into the forest to talk with those so-called Wild Ones.

The mystery wasn't going to solve itself, after all.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

The town hall was simple enough; a small wooden hall that stood in the central area. For most of the day, the sheriff, mayoress and a few bodyguards would converse on how to run the city.

These days, however, more time was spent trying to figure out the strange happenings for the past two weeks. She probably didn't even see you enter.

[You are free to create tags in reply at different times during the day.]

Nightfall. The sounds of the frogs, fireflies and crickets filled the sky. For a dessert area, the forest surrounding has always seemed out of place, but the townspeople have always accepted it as normal daily life.

No one likes venturing out there, however. It's very dangerous.

But there might be answers.

Or there might be death. You're not sure which one yet...

[Same as above, except characters can only go in during nightfall. During the day, they will find that the branches keep pushing them back out.]

[Danger? Sam laughs in the face of danger...well, when there's no one else around, anyways. But he's still on the search for water, and the fact that there is a forest here seems to suggest there's more than just sand and dryness around.]

[So, in the dead of night, he'll enter, wandering in to see what's inside. But then he realizes that it's very dark- he shakes his head at his own stupidity.]

Shoot. I should have brought a light or something...

[ An armored figure approaches the town hall at about 10 AM, helmet removed and stowed on his hip, his expression hard to read, his face harsh and unyielding, as if hewn from stone. ]

Good morning. [ He rumbled. ] I understand you are having problems with bandits?

Ehehehehe...

[Low laughter can be heard for a few moments before the voice of a young woman sounds lightly from further in.]

Oh, don't be such a baby. Come along - just a few steps and the canopy opens up.

[Flynn overheard the rumors that were being spread around by the farmhands. Something about Wild Ones. When he asked them for more information, they quickly shut their mouths.

When night falls, and everyone is asleep, he quietly sneaks out of the workers' house with his sword in hand.

He ventures out to the edge of the oddly-placed forest.]

[Apollo got an idea and tried to investigate the forest during the day. When he found that he couldn't, he mustered up his courage and came back during the night and finally got access to the forest. He is currently wandering around the entrance of the forest, using his Persona Hammurabi's Treasure Radar to search for any "evidence" that may help to solve the mystery. So far, he hasn't found anything.]

Still nothing... [To the one pixie that came with him:] Do you think someone who can fight will come? If they did, that'd make exploring further much easier.

[The thickness of the forest surrounds them until they get to an opening in the middle. A sort of canopy where they can admire the stars....but it seems to continue on much deeper, however.

The strangest thing they might notice, however, is the farther they go in, the less noise is heard in the forest. Are the creatures avoiding something?]

Well there's an opening if Sarah's ever heard one. She steps out from behind a nearby tree, very carefully making noise as she does so.

"I can watch your back."

She lays the offer out on the table carefully - not too eager, not too cold; safely neutral. And it does look like she'd be able to back up her offer with how easily she's hefting what looks like the kind of gun you'd expect to see on a tank.

That's... one huge gun. Apollo jumps, surprised by the sudden intrusion. He wasn't actually expecting anyone to come help. "Uh... okay, sure. Thanks," he says. "Let's go a bit deeper into the forest, okay?"

Sarah nods.

"Understood. Lieutenant Sarah Snowdon, moving out."

And with that, she's all business, her crimson long coat swishing around her legs as she spins about, gun at the ready, and moves forward. She casts one glance back at Apollo as she does so.

"What are your capabilities?"

"My capabilities... um..." Sometimes, he's not even entirely sure. "I have something called a Persona, and it helps me search for items and sometimes attack. I'm really just a normal person, though. A lawyer."

Sarah nods.

"Got it. Ah you one of the people from Hinoto-Ri? Seems like there's a lot of them here."

Huh? Who's there?

[He looks around, peering into the darkness. Really, it would be easier if he could just turn into his true form- those eyes had better vision in the dark. But if someone was here...]

[He follows the voice anyways, curious, and finally comes into the canopy. He spends a few seconds staring upwards.]

Not a bad sight...ugh, can't stay long for here...though...

[And he keeps muttering as he presses on, not exactly noticing the noises going away just yet.]

[The voice sounds again as Sam steps into the light.]

There.

Isn't that better?

Now you can see me.

[At the word 'me', Sam will be graced with the beauteous sight of an enormous mouth and rows of sharp, shiny teeth when he blinks.]

GWEAHAHAHAHA!!

[This is entirely not conducive to discovering anything interesting in the woods but oh well.]

Edited 2013-10-23 03:05 (UTC)

AAAAAAAAGH!

[Okay, okay, he wasn't expecting that. Sam falls backwards onto the ground in his shock, dark eyes wide behind that mop of messy hair. Usually, he's not afraid of these things, but it coming up hen he least suspected it? Totally shocking enough to get a reaction.]

W-what the heck are you?!

[Stupid. Stupid. This was stupid.]

[Nothing could have been wrong with just waiting this thing out. Enough time passed, and he would go home, right? But could he take that for granted? Possibly worse, could he take for granted that the suspicion of the natives wouldn't eventually turn to hostility - and then to action? Either course presented a risk.]

[Still, there were plenty of other people here, outsider and native alike. Doubtless there were capable fighters among them. No doubt the whole mess would resolve itself if he simply let it be.]

[And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling - strong, personal, and surprisingly embedded - that this was the reason he was even here, that he'd been meant to do it. Besides, it would fix a lot of things if he found out the cause of all this trouble and panic, right?]

[Or it could bring trouble and panic down upon him. There was that.]

[A call for heroes meant a call to adventure. Suited him fine - he'd had enough kickin' about and taking it easy. Now it was time to make things happen. Good things, if his skills were up for it.]

[While Saul wouldn't tell himself he didn't feel a touch nervous, he tried instead to focus on the excitement of it all. His powers, while muffled, were still sharp for now; he could take on a few bandits. He almost wished they'd hurry and show up, but he knew his chances better than that. If they were in here someplace, they'd be hiding out. He'd have to go deeper.]

[So it'll be.]

"That's right! I know a lot of people from Hinoto-Ri did come here. I wasn't here in the first days, but I got kind of nagged into coming." Cautiously, Apollo took a few steps forward. "Do you think there are more people from Hinoto-Ri here or other people? It's kind of hard to tell."

"I've been asking around, and it seems like about...half the people here came from Hinoto-Ri?"

Sarah pauses for a second, eying the trees around them. Coming to some sort of internal decision, she adjusts her grip on her gun, and with a mechanical clunking sound it transforms into a giant, wing-shaped sword, each 'feather' a sharply pointed red spike.

Your worst nightmare.

[The mouth fades away now; her smug voice sounds next from a few steps behind him.]

I'm a ghost, of course. What are you?

I-I'm Sam! Sam! S-s-sam Erstwhile!

[He clutches his forehead as he slowly gets up, nerves still a little frazzled by being 2SPOOKED. he lets out a sigh and starts to calm down, though.]

You can't be an actual ghost, right...? What are you doing all the way out here?

[Oh a man after hear own heart then! She gives him a warm smile despite the situation at hand.]

That's right. We always have our share of 'em but they've been gettin' thick'er the last 'ew days. It's got me thinkin' that they might be plannin' a coup on the city at this point.

[The woods, on the other hand, continue to be silent. Once in a while they might hear something brushing against a tree, but it's gone in a flash...]

Just tell me where they are, the bandits won't trouble you soon after that.

[ He doesn't return the smile, just nods slightly. One Astartes against an unknown force of bandits? It won't even be a challenge. ]

...Is that a trick question or did you forget what just happened already?

[Having received her thrill for the day, Bow will pass straight through Sam before flying off further into the woods.]

And you know... I don't think I'm the only one. Hmhmhm... Do you hear that?

"Half... that sounds about right." Apollo jumps a bit when Sarah transforms her weapon. "Whoa, that's noisy! That might attract monsters or something!" He takes a quick look from side to side. Nothing seems to be coming immediately. "Um... So I guess we should go deeper now?"

[He sighs and shakes his head, not wanting to answer that question. He shudders when she passes through him, though he raises an eyebrow at her observation.]

Um. What? Hear what? Isn't that just the animals?

[The woods don't seem to offer anything unusual, apart from the stark darkness. Well, apart from the fact that the forest appears to offer no noise. Not even night creatures out singing as they should be.

Something may be out there frightening everything...]

"Sorry. I didn't have the sound-muffling parts installed when I got here."

She waits a few seconds before nodding to herself.

"We're clear for now. Let's move."

Be careful Master.

[He walks in. The trees that were once giving way to an entrance suddenly closed up behind him. He draws his sword in case for anything. There's no other direction but forward.

What seems to be a few hours, he's deep in the forest. So far, nothing menacing has come up other than the occasional branch or root in the way. The eerie silence is disturbing. He continues until he reaches a clearing.]

"That's... understandable, I guess. It's not like anyone outside of Hinoto-Ri was given much notice about this."

Cautiously, Apollo takes a few steps forward, checking over his shoulder to make sure Sarah is behind him as he does.

Sarah is right behind him, her sword held parallel to the ground as she advances, checking in all directions.

Then she pauses and kneels down to scoop up a handful of acorns.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

The Purple Lion's Pridelands

Speak to the mayoress

The forest

no subject

Re: Speak to the mayoress

no subject

Open

Open!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Open! Your character can be going in with him or suddenly surprise him, as you will.

Open - same caveats as Len.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject