A bizarre, crystalline comet flew past the Earth and pieces of it bombarded the planet. The devastation wrought by hundreds of meteor impacts was only the beginning. Earthquakes shook the very foundation of civilization itself. Clouds of dust and debris from the various impacts and volcanic eruptions that followed lingered in the sky for years, sending the planet into an Ice Age. Billions of people died, and millions more followed in the years to come.
Humanity was on the brink of extinction.
The Aftermath - Nature
The crystals have radically changed the world in the past few hundred years. Where the crystal shards exist, they influence nature around them in new and alien ways. Coral reefs congregate around large shards buried in shallow waters. The water around them glitters so brightly, it can be seen from shore.
In many jungles, a network of crystal-touched fungus has turned the forest floor into a glowing blanket of crystal threads. Trees bleed glittering sap, sightless birds stalk the underbrush, and lithe predators dominate the canopies.
The crystal's influence has changed every part of nature in the millennia since it arrived. Places where the its influence has been seen are called 'crystal-touched', or simply 'touched'.
The Aftermath - Society
Mankind has not been spared from the crystal's influence. Those who live close these 'crystal-touched' places, gain strange powers and often go insane. The folk tales surrounding the 'crystal's curse' are pervasive, and in many rural villages, people who discover their powers are frequently ostracized or lynched. Many kill themselves, fearing the backlash from their family and community more than death.
Still stranger are the 'Scourged', those who find themselves infected by the crystal itself. These pitiable souls lead cursed lives. The crystal grants them immortality at the cost of corrupting their humanity. Unlike those who simply awaken to new powers and can choose death, these people cannot even die. The crystal they have been bound to, regenerates their body, mutating it more and more until nothing remains except a scarred human shell empty of thought and emotion.
The Scourged
The Touched
The Seekers of Skadhi
Useful terms: Shards, remnants of the meteor storm which struck Earth.
Also, as someone that unironically does not like GoT at all, and found grand happiness in its fall from grace, the comparison to Joffery falls flat on me. Sorry. :(
I hated the character (in a good way) and loved the actor. The comparison was meant as a compliment, despite whether you interpret it as one or not. I can't please everyone. xD
@The Irish Tree Got more news from work today. And I have one more weekend of freedom before the shitstorm arrives.
We can work out an exit for LCB before middle of next week I think. Or you can annihilate him in the current scene with the body horror tree.
Either way, at least you have some advanced warning.
Geralt ran through the woods. Wind beat against his dark cowl and buffeted his clothes. Beads of sweat ran down his neck. "Gods preserve us, what was that thing? How did it do that to Broen?" He grimaced as the vivid imagery replay in his head. Beetles, flies, and maggots wriggled beneath his comrades skin, crawling out his mouth and eyes. The bone-chilling screams echoed in his ears even still. "I have to warn the others-"
In one moment, Geralt was running to safety. In the next, the world flew out from under him. He felt a sharp pain in his leg as he landed with a hard thud. His senses screamed in alarm, urging him to his feet. He pushed himself up, and immediately fell again. He stared at his legs, and noticed one of them had been wrenched around backward and broken. His eyes bulged as the pain suddenly caught up with him. An agonized growl erupted from his chest.
A rustle in the bushes caught his attention. His head snapped around for a look, but there was nothing. His eyes scanned the treeline as he itched at his hands. His skin tingled uncomfortably, a strange prickling sensation which spread rapidly. A breath caught in his throat and coughed. Something clung to his mouth. He spit and wretched, as a mucus-covered centipede undulated its way across the ground. Panic gripped him, heart hammering against his ribs. "No." A painful itch in his ear was accompanied by a strange noise, like a thousand tiny bubbles popping. He cried out as blood ran down from his ears. One after another black flies crawled out and tried to dry their wings.
He growled in pain. Thin worms instead of tears wriggled out of his eyes.
His vision grew dark as a small antlered creature stared at him with three bright green eyes; it's lithe body sheathed in short, blood-flecked coat of white and brown. An oily ichor bubbled up from the ground around it, steaming and hissing at it blackened the earth. Writhing tendrils wrenched themselves from the roiling pool and slowly slithered toward Geralt.
"Monster! My master will mount your head on the wall." The man chuckled grimly as he reached for the knife at his belt.
The creature spoke in chorus, its voices pounding the air. "Your master will know a thousand subtle shades of pain.." It took a slow, deliberate step forward. "A hundred ways to die..." Another step. "Until I lay his worthless body upon my table..." Another step. "Sleep, little morsel. For the feast has just begun~"
The Tyrant of Nightmares lived up to his name. He licked is lips with satisfaction as yet another headless corpse settled into his magic gullet. He peered deeper into the brush and watched as spells fizzled and backfired; flesh shriveled to nothing or boiled away. A divine infestation wracked the bodies of the stubborn few who struggled to escape. Insects clawed and bit their way out of each one, erupting into black clouds of pestilence.
He had just clawed out the tongue of his most recent plaything, when Ashara arrived. Frantic and disheveled, she smelled of fear.
"Lord Chompy, Sir Gromgard... Something-" She began, but unsure of how to word it."-something is not right. The deeper we go in this forest, the more I sense something... A presence." She placed a hand on her chin, thinking of how to describe it. "It feels like... An aura of incredible malice, pure, simple and unadulterated evil. Like a fog or miasma of choking gas... It lies at the heart of this forest, and it seems to be just as powerful as any of us." Ashara said, thoughtfully and concerned. Her many tails were moving in a disorderly fashion.
Although he was immune to fear himself, anything powerful enough to shake Ashara's confidence was a legitimate threat indeed.
"Oh dear~" His voice held a note of concern. "Our foes have such good taste. Its a pity we're obliged to slaughter them wholesale. They would have made an excellent addition to the Dreamlands." He sauntered past Ashara, confidently holding his tail high. His burning green eyes stared into the dark of the forest.
"I'm sure the General will agree that we have the advantage here. My curses are slowly spreading through their ranks, a plague upon them. If they believe their magic sanctum will protect them, they are gravely mistaken." His eyes narrowed to slits.
"But the lady believes them to be a threat, no? Let's just reap them now and be done with it." He met the listless gaze of his most recent victim. His torso was twisted unnaturally, but he still lived. "It would truly be a mercy."
Several layers of arcane glyphs encircled the feline, casting electric blue shadows upon the trees. A pale ethereal spire lanced through the the man's chest and blasted the skin from his body as he rose into the air. His charred bones turned to ash before they hit the ground. Spectral fire ignited and wreathed Ashara, Gromgard, and all of his nearby goblins in a veil of harmless blue-white flames. The ghostfire dissipated quickly, but left a faint silvery glow behind. Though few chose the ability, High Warlocks had the option to empower spells using willing or helpless sacrifices, but it always made the spell【 Evil 】.
The gloominess of the atmosphere around the small cat changed rapidly, as a foul wind kicked blood and dust into the air, instilling in all allies nearby a lust for violence.
"Enjoy my blessings while they last." He said dryly.
【 Eye of Ra 】 Extra Holy and Fire damage on all attacks; combat spells included 【 Aura - Bloodthirst 】 Minor HP steal; Severe bonus to PHY. ATK and MAG. ATK 【 Balefire Blessings 】 Increased HP and MP Regen; Severe bonus to resistances; potency increased with sacrifice.
Unrelated note: I have some good news and bad news.
Bad news: Just got a late night text from my boss that I've been promoted! And I will be managing an active dumpster fire a new department. Workload in the next few weeks is going to be really fucking intense, and I may need to drop from this RP. .-. ....need a drink too
It's more the issue that, consistently, almost every post Enkryption has made for Chuuni has received a comment like this. It's hard not to get the impression that its mean-spirited.
I really don't see what you see in this context.
If a Chuunitrix post impacts people that way... doesn't that mean Enkryption is doing a good job writing the character? Everyone loved to hate on Prince Geoffrey from GoT too when it started airing, but the actor that portrayed him nailed it imo.
I get a similar vibe from Chuuni, where she's a flawed, self-centered, and sometimes awful character that I like reading about precisely because Enkryption does a good job of making Chuuni believable and interesting.
Nalini felt it before she saw it, but she was too vexed by the sensation to react. Bright flames shot into the air and plumes of dark smoke mushroomed beneath it. A foul wind rushed past her. The acrid, bitter taste of gasoline fumes was sharp on her tongue. A knot of hunger lodged in her stomach. She balled her fist and gritted her teeth, choking down the strange new feelings and pushed forward.
Before she could regain her senses, she saw Marcus take off towards the explosion without a moment of hesitation. Nalini spared one last look at the crowd, seeing fear distill on the faces of those around her. Panic crept into her as well. She turned to see Marcus's back fading into the distance.
Time to decide...
Frustrated and desperate, she let out an inhuman growl. "You're going to get yourself killed you idiot!" She chased after him, pumping her legs as fast as she could with a mile-eating stride. She had no intention of being a hero, but she wasn't about to let the first and only person who understood what she was going through face the danger alone.
