annivurtstag, princess lazuli! - hunting down the sources (21st)

[powergamer]

Who: Those who signed up for the event.
What: Hunting down the sources.
When: Redheiss (June) 21st, anytime between morning and late afternoon
Where: Specified below.
Rating: PG, may get higher.

An hour after Ossidia's announcement, the four groups are dispatched to the four sources of the magic cast upon the city of Goldvale. Watch out—the levels of magic here are so intense that there's no telling what might happen next. When the groups arrive at these sources, they'll be met with a surprise. As these sources the cause of the apparitions appearing around town, their magic manages to reach a bit further where it's most concentrated. In each group, one character will be randomly chosen to have an apparition representing a memory appear to stop the group from destroying it. These are complex illusions based on that random character's most traumatic memory and will affect everyone in the group. For example, if a character's most traumatic memory was failing to prevent the death of his wife, the source will recreate where it took place and represent itself as the wife.

Subthreads and descriptions of each location can be found below. Those who have been chosen must describe their character's memories so that everyone can participate.

Comments

[someonetocarry]

Destroy what? Can't even see that statue anymore, and that dragon thing don't seem t'be hurt much from my bullets!

[Zoe looks around sharply, looking for some kind of hole through this... whatever it is. Illusion, vision, strange transportation. Are they even still in the city anymore?

She still hasn't figured out that this is something Ninian has been through before, a memory. She'd need more information for that. She does know where the statue was, though.]

Is it still there?

[afrozendance]

[Ninian nods a bit weakly, desperately trying to hold on Zoe's presence to remind herself that this is not really happening again and it's just the magic in the air. The voices and images are still lingering around, she can still remember what happened next and it still shows in the surroundings, but she wants them to stop and Zoe is the one who can do it...]

I'm sure that nothing has changed behind the illusions... It's trying to attack our minds as a defense. But it can't go beyond and change the place itself... so yes, it's still there!

[someonetocarry]

Illusions. Attackin' our minds. Gorram magic.

[Disgusted with it all, Zoe looks around again, this time for someone she might actually recognize. There are supposed to be four of them, right? Where in the hell did the other two get off to?]

A'right. A'right. It was... where that big portal thing is.

[She straigtens again, levering her shotgun. She needs to be a little closer to do any real damage to the thing, but there's... a dragon in the way. Ninian had better be right about it not really being here, because otherwise she's about to get squashed as she steps cautiously towards where she remembers the statue being.]

[afrozendance]

[Ninian focuses on trying to block these cruel images out of her mind, and specially on recalling where is the statue... She knows what will follow anyway. The Dragon's Gate will be closed. That unfortunate "Child of Flame" will collapse and die, and take the cloaked man with him. Everyone will manage to escape from the Gate itself. The red-haired man will die in the arms of his son. His son...

She frowns a little and extends her hand, pointing at the place where she's now almost sure the source is.] The child of flame can't hurt you... But the source is behind him. I'm sure of it, Dame Zoe.

[someonetocarry]

Good t'know.

[Zoe takes aim for where she thinks the statue had been, aiming low but not too low. Even the power of a shotgun at this distance won't do much to the base or the body of the horse and rider-- but a lucky shot to a leg might start toppling it.

The buckshot goes off and there's a spray of sound to go with the shots: a couple thuds that hits the stone base, a couple pings that either glance off or hit a small, and one loud metallic thunk that probably hit the body. Zoe mutters, mostly to herself,]

Little low.

[And she reloads.]

[afrozendance]

[It's working... The visions start to fade, the illusions around them are more transparent than before, the voices sound weaker. Ninian quickly cleans up any traces of dirt or tears on her face and focuses on helping Zoe as much as she can, they must stop all of this and fulfill their mission.]

It's still there, and it's working... Its power is getting weaker. It should stop creating illusions soon.

[someonetocarry]

Good. S'gorram creepy.

[Zoe refocuses on where the statue is flickering through, this time raising the gun just a hair to try and hit somewhere around an ankle. She takes another step, fires again.

The statue rocks a little on its base, flickering more fully into view.]

Gettin' there.