Possession Event

[lucetimods]

Who: People in Luceti
What: Spiritual possession
When: The 26th to the 1st
Where: Luceti!
Summary: Check out the previous mod post.
Rating: If it gets smutty, move it somewhere private.


Starting at midnight on the 26th, Luceti and its inhabitants will find itself the focus of the Filial spirits, usually quiet and reclusive, now stepping out to deal with one of their own.

As promised, here is some additional information to help figure out how to play around with the spirits and interacting with similarly possessed people.

First off, each spirit has a certain time or place when they are at their most powerful. Consequently, characters possessed by them will enjoy these boosts and this in itself can be a deciding factor in what would otherwise be a stalemate. Here’s a quick run down:

Sona - She’s most powerful around lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Mostly this is concentrated at the southern lake.

Kipinn - He’s most powerful in high places, like mountain tops and the roofs of community buildings.

Faeren - She’s most powerful in the farmlands alongside things that grow.

Tsinku - He’s most powerful in the village itself, where technology thrives.

Eferin - He’s most powerful in the center of the forest where his heat may cause trees to burn. In fact, the upcoming forest fire may cause some trouble if his followers get too rowdy.

Hyt - It’s most powerful during the daytime under a bright sky.

Twila - It’s most powerful during the night time.

Nala- She has no domain and is generally welcome wherever she goes.

How possessed characters will deal with other possessed characters will depend on the interactions of the spirits themselves. A useful spreadsheet sums up these relationships. Those that have a friendly attitude to one another will generally allow ‘trespassers’ into their domain, but those they are not so friendly with may cause conflict.

Finally, to elaborate on Twila-possessed characters. Those with a natural affinity for darkness are likely to be possessed first. Once they have, they can try to recruit others less-compatible candidates to ‘join the cause’. Their goal is numbers. The more who are working with Twila, the better. Once they do, they’ll be inclined to act in their own self interest and if necessary, deal with others who try to get in their way. In the long term, the spirit Twila wants to stay this way, bonded to the Lucetians as hybrids, that way it cannot be imprisoned again. Think of it as pure survival instinct of an animal that’s spent way too long in a cage.

All isn’t lost. The other spirits may not be able to cage it again, but they won’t accept Twila reacting in this manner. Though it’s hard to tell what their beef with Twila is, they have an instinctive familiarity with the dark spirit and seem to act as its jail keepers.

They have the power to free people from Twila, but given their poor communication skills, figuring that out might just be a challenge. After all, the spirits can only communicate in shades of feeling and intentions, but not actually verbalize directions or marching orders. However, there will be a Malnosso post mid-event that will give everyone, possessed or otherwise, the info they need to turn things around.

Comments

[ledbythewind]

[That earns him a laugh!]

Wonderful! Do you think you could manage to do that to mine as well?

[Rainbow clothes are so his thing, okay.]

[musubi]

[Pleased that he's made the other man happy, Isamu manipulates the light around Richard's clothing as well.

It won't last, of course, but at least for now the king can be just as colorful.]

[ledbythewind]

[Richard laughs again, and turns this way and that to admire his new look for a moment... but then he freezes, his gaze slowly shifting back to Isamu. It's accusatory, hostile, a far cry from what it was mere seconds earlier.]

Trying to lull me into a false sense of security so that I will trust you. But I'm no fool-- I'm not going to fall for a few parlor tricks this time.

[musubi]

[Hm? Isamu gestures to Richard's clothing.

Doesn't he like it?]

[ledbythewind]

What do you want from me?

[Yes, he's suspicious. People always want to use him and then just throw him away.]

[musubi]

[Isamu waves a hand, and behind him the image of Richard smiling appears.

That's all.]

[ledbythewind]

[He stares at it for a moment, then just shakes his head and looks away.]

You can't give me that. No one can.

[No one except for her, that is. He feels comfortable with her.]

[musubi]

[Isamu's smile vanishes, and he paws at the front of his shirt a bit before finally tugging a chain free from under it. Attached to the chain is a ring, the same one that Richard had given him.

The image behind him remains.]

[ledbythewind]

[As he looks at it, Richard is suddenly aware of the weight of the ring on the chain around his own neck. The rings signify a promise of sorts, he knows that.

But promises don't mean anything. He also knows that much. All promises are good for is being broken. Twila coils round inside his consciousness, agreeing with this. People promise you things and then turn around and stab you in the back. That's the way the world works. The two of them know that better than anyone, don't they?

So he says nothing, just looking at that ring, expression growing cold.]

[musubi]

[Abruptly, Isamu shoves the ring back into his shirt, frowning in return. Something seems to be forcing itself to the surface, and his gaze sharpens.]

Stop being an idiot. [His voice is hollow and quiet.] You already know... you're about all I give a damn about here.

[Then he flaps his wings and lifts off the ground. He'll be back. Richard isn't going to be rid of him until Twila has given up.]

[ledbythewind]

Isamu!

[The voice is his own this time, devoid of any darker undercurrents to it.

No. No. This isn't right. She's wrong on this matter, because Isamu has never betrayed him. He won't believe that. He can't believe it.

She's wrong.

But then Isamu takes off, and the part of him that had managed to suppress her influence temporarily wavers, uncertain and afraid because he really is leaving this time. That's all it takes for Twila to move in again, preying on that doubt and reminding him that she will never, ever desert him like that.

And he says nothing more.]

[musubi]

[The voice does get Isamu to stop, though. He's not so upset that he wants his flouncing to ruin whatever good he's done here so far.

He turns in mid-air and lands on top of the nearest building, peering down at the blond with a curious look, eyes a bright yellow.]

[ledbythewind]

[When he sees Isamu alight on the building rather than leave, his own eyes widen just the smallest bit with what might be hope. He isn't leaving. Not completely, not yet, and that gives Richard the strength to push Twila back down once more.]

Don't go.

[It's a struggle to keep Twila out of his consciousness long enough to say even that much, but it's important that he do so.]

[musubi]

[The young man slips back down to the ground, still watching Richard carefully, but once more silent.

Of course he won't leave him. He's been stalking him all this time, hasn't he? (Never mind that he was about to fly off in a huff.]

[ledbythewind]

[And oh, Twila is mad at that. Isamu isn't SUPPOSED to come back, especially not while he's influenced by Hyt like this. She digs her claws deeper into Richard's mind, murmuring to him that it's just because Isamu wants something from him, that he's lying about not wanting anything.

Because he's broken. He's broken and useless and only good for being used and then discarded, betrayed just like she was.

He isn't sure what to think anymore.]

[musubi]

[Stepping a bit closer, Isamu once again holds his arms out.

Let him fix you.]

[drawnbythesword]

[At that moment, Asbel walks up behind Richard, placing his hand on his shoulder. He'd arrived on the scene sometime earlier, but wanted to let Isamu handle things. But it seemed he needed to intervene now too.]

You're not alone here, Richard. You're never alone.

[ledbythewind]

[Richard hisses and jerks away from that touch when he feels Asbel's hand on his shoulder, a reaction born more from Twila than from anything else. Asbel was here now too? Just how long had he been watching things?

... but he was here. He'd come to find Richard, just the way Isamu had. And while Richard is still suspicious, there's just the slightest glimmer of hope now that maybe they really do mean what they're saying to him.]

[musubi]

[Well that's... a little sappier than Isamu would have put it, but he agrees with Asbel all the same.

He steps closer, getting right up in Richard's personal space too. He doesn't need any of that right now. Have to keep the king surrounded by those who care about him.]

[drawnbythesword]

[He removes his hand from Richard's shoulder, but doesn't pull away, instead holding it out open in front of him.]

I could keep telling you that we're your friends and will always be there for you, but... I guess none of that really matters if you don't believe that yourself, Richard.

[ledbythewind]

[Richard's eyes narrow as he tries to back away, only to find himself fenced in on his other side by Isamu. He bristles, not liking this situation at all.]

You're lying. You're going to betray me in the end, just like everyone else. It's the same thing that happened to her too.

dammit, I thought I'd tracked this one.

[musubi]

[Isamu bristles at that, giving Richard a hurt look.

The king knows better!]

Re: dammit, I thought I'd tracked this one.

[drawnbythesword]

[Asbel tries to keep his emotions in check. The things Richard's saying hurt deeply, but... He knows this isn't what Richard truly thinks. A part of him may think this way, fearing what could be, but that part's being brought to the surface by Twila.]

Richard, as long as we've known each other, have I ever done anything to imply I would, or even could betray you? And look at Isamu. [He gestures to the other man with his other hand, keeping one still outstretched towards Richard.]

Even after everything that's happened here, he still tries to stand beside you.

[ledbythewind]

[Logically, he does know better. Should know better, at least, but Twila is wary and suspicious, just as he used to be, and she's preying on Richard's own insecurities the same way Lambda did. She doesn't want to trust anyone again.

It doesn't take too much influencing to get Richard to agree with her, not after how much he's lost over the past few months.]

For how long? Until I'm no longer useful to you?

[musubi]

[Isamu glares again, and an image of light forms behind him. He could argue out loud again, but why do that when he can do this?

The image is of himself and Richard. He's standing in front of the king, a wooden plank in hand, defending them both from an enemy not visible in the illusion but one that should be known to both of them.

Do moments like this mean nothing?]