New Moon/Zahliya Event START!

[mooninthewater]

NEW MOON, WHO DIS?

!

"INVITATION"

Everyone will get a recounting from Mizuki about his encounter with the creature in the woods, regardless of whether or not you had your own run in it with. He knows it was brought up before, but he just wants to make extra sure everyone is up to speed! He gives a general outline of information that he learned from Ydalir, the Trader. (And, yes, he calls her that to everyone.)

One, the creature's name is Zahliya, but has many overall titles. His full title seems to be "Zahliya, The Purifier, He Who is the First Sentinel, the Grove's Guardian". It's kind of a mouthful, but Mizuki seems adamant you do your best to remember it all.
Two, "Purifier" seems to imply his capability to ward off and, well, purify corruption from the forest. This is obviously going to be very useful to the Grove as a whole.
Three, the fog is apparently at its weakest during that of a new moon, hence the timing. Which is tonight, Mizuki happily reminds you!
Four... "Zahliya needs our help."

He doesn't seem to elaborate further on that last point. Feel free to ask him about it, or just go to your fellow neighbors and be like "hey, what the fuck is that cryptic twink on about???" Regardless of what you do with that information, Mizuki strongly encourages your to meet with everyone at the edge of the fog closest to the inn tonight.

!

GATHERING

...And by "strongly encourages", it means he will drag your dumb ass to the meeting if you need an excuse to have them actually show up. Mizuki seems very adamant about this. Zahliya is their friend now! We don't leave friends behind.

Mizuki explains that it seems relatively simple, all things considered. Simple relative to other things within the Grove, anyway. They just all gotta... "wish" for Zahliya. Sort of like believing in fairies, or calling out one's name for them to appear. Sort of.

He's certainly not going to lead in this, however. He's just here to provide the information! If anything, he's more hopeful that someone else will take the reigns from him the moment all knowledge about this is out there.

!

OOC

The OOC post about this event is here. I figured I should make the post about it initially, considering Mizuki dug for the lore about Zahliya, but considering he is not the leader-type, he will simply defer to the group from here. This is helpful for both chaos reasons and so everyone can more easily be involved. I also left the first prompt open for any pre-discussions about this you'd like to get out of the way, though if you would just like to read through Mizuki's discussion with the Trader and handwave knowing it, I'm totally fine with that, too. Mizuki wouldn't make any attempts to hide information from anyone, assuming they asked him the question first.

Recap of the Event so far! (Click to Expand!)

• The event begins with characters learning and talking about how to go about the information above. Caoimhe's brought a song. Natsuno brought knives. BB brought herself (unfortunately). Add brought... medical attention. All's well!
• Until it isn't, as when the moon is at its zenith, there's a horrifying roar and two mysterious sets of footprints within the fog. Using the goggles from the Shopkeeper, Add is able to find a twisted looking creature and a humanoid. It's decided that it's now or never to call out for their Guardian friend.
• And he does, in fact, appear! But he certainly doesn't seem to be doing so hot...
• ...but taking care of him might have to come second to the very angry monster beyond Felicity's barrier.

Comments

[harmacy]

[Alas, he did not account for the dread aura and is now very visibly panicking. The fog really is poisonous and now his hand is going to fall off and he's infected he'll start sprouting and he is too close to the forest but Elsword is stopping him from backing away any more and]

D-don't! Don't touch it, I'm— [is it contagious????????? he has temporarily forgotten Elsword is already infected with forest stuff, but maybe if he catches this his arm will get worse, so...

he's going to try and stumble away from Elsword as well, the only reason he doesn't trip and land on his ass is because Dynamo is being overprotective. three drones support his back while the other two scan the affected area... is it an actual burn or just a spooky psychological burn? are there any weird marks? he needs cool and logical data to calm him down, help]

[simplicitas]

[Oh God okay something is Happening, and Elsword has to chase after Add with a whole Creature in his arms... he's going to take a second and try to get them onto his back before following after because this is too much. Literally carrying around an animated statue and his arm is falling asleep.

Okay.]

Add, hey, it's okay, just let me look. You can't do anything to me that the forest hasn't already done.

[ < mod voice activates > Add has a psychological burn, do you know those fuzzy caterpillars that when you touch them it makes your skin burn but you're not really burning, it's like that. As for weird marks, there are little pinpricks where the thorns cut him, but they're very shallow and easy to heal, and he notably isn't infected with any forest parasites.]

[harmacy]

[Add, shaking, close to tears, face buried in a holoscreen, still trying to keep Elsword from touching him...

but data would never lie to him. deep breaths. keep it together.]

I'm fine... I'm fine, it's nothing. [he sure doesn't look fine, but he does stop squeezing his wrist like he's ready to rip his own hand off... carefully rubbing the little cuts through his glove. he is Fine. he is manifesting it.] ... hallucinatory effect, some sort of...

[...

he is not going to admit out loud it might be poisonous]

[simplicitas]

[Babe...]

Why don't we go home? You look... [kind of like you're going to start crying, but Elsword knows better than to point that out, so:] pained, and your patient is still conked out on me [his arms are fucking falling asleep dude] and it's late, too. If you're hallucinating, you should lay down.

[harmacy]

No, I can still go!

[He's fine!! He answered that maybe a little too quickly, like it didn't matter if he was really fine or not. He has to go, no matter what.

He looks down at his hand again, then out towards the fog... his momentary bravery quickly starting to shrivel up. He was already in denial about his fear of the forest, but now that he can't pretend the glasses will protect him...

His expression falls, the reality starting to set in. No, no, he has to go tonight. If he doesn't...]

I... If it's weakest tonight, then what if it's even worse by tomorrow? I can't put this off, it has to be now. There's no time to waste on this, I'll make it through somehow.

[he can't make her wait another month. then she'll really think he hates her, or worse...]

[simplicitas]

Add—

[Unstoppable force versus immovable object.]

I know you have something to do, but we both know it's dangerous, and there's a new factor to consider, right? A variable. [Trying to throw Add's usual words back at him here.] It hurt you so badly that you kind of yelped. You don't yelp. Normally.

[Not helping.]

We don't really know what's up with the fog wall, or the forest anymore. It was all dark and evil-looking and stuff. [thanks] And you just said you were hallucinating, so how are you gonna do anything while hallucinating? It's not that I don't trust you to go, but I think maybe we should wait for the Guardian to wake up and ask questions. Maybe they know what's going on? Or maybe the Shopkeeper and Trader know?

[harmacy]

[Ugh... there is a new variable.

He's making a sour face, an unpleasant mix of irritation, embarrassment, worry... he doesn't want to admit Elsword is right, but the data doesn't lie. It would be more logical to wait, at least until he can get more information. If the fog is weak now but has additional, unknown qualities, compared to the fog being stronger later but with understanding of those unknowns...

Eventually he sighs, deflating.]

... I'll just have to go in without the new moon. [It's fine. He'll make it work. He won't force Nene to wait too much longer...] Sorry. I'll admit I may have been too hasty... but I can't keep putting this off. A perfect opportunity isn't guaranteed to appear. I'll have to settle for something that works.

[But he'll at least give up on tonight's attempt. He can do that much for Elsword.]

I should check on the others, let Mizuki know... ah. And, if you could help me with Dynamo... [there's still a drone stuck under a tree, save them]

[simplicitas]

I know you can't, but no one wants you or Mizuki to get hurt going in. That's why Mr. Gnosis gave you that cloak, isn't it?

[Literally interrupted their useless lesbian pining for each other with that stunt and all.]

There will be more moons. Felicity said the moon was weird here, right? Maybe there'll be a new... new moon. Soon. [That's a rap line right there.] I can get Dynamo for you, so don't worry about it. Just go do your thing, okay? We'll meet up at the house.

[He's just gonna wander off to go lift trees with one fucking hand, gargoyle in the other, until the drone is recovered. They can rendezvous back at the house afterwards.]

[harmacy]

[maybe if he tries again but with the cloak on ok no elsword would smack him

He's sulking a little, but he nods.] Right... We'll meet at the house. I'll let you know if I find out anything else.

[also taking his glasses back he needs those, thanks

slightly depressed but putting on a strong face for the rest of the sticks crew, off he goes]