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- !event,
- attack on titan: gabi braun,
- attack on titan: hange zoe,
- attack on titan: historia reiss,
- attack on titan: jean kirstein,
- attack on titan: levi ackerman,
- attack on titan: reiner braun,
- d4dj: rinku aimoto,
- end roll: kantera,
- everhood: purple mage,
- fate grand order: oryou,
- fire emblem engage: alcryst,
- genshin impact: aether,
- genshin impact: kamisato ayaka,
- genshin impact: tartaglia,
- gintama: hijikata toshirou,
- honkai star rail: caelus,
- my hero academia: midoriya izuku,
- original: chipp,
- original: evangeline,
- original: nenonen,
- original: noah leclair,
- original: shigeru miyata,
- tales of vesperia: judith,
- tales of vesperia: yuri lowell,
- trails into the sky: estelle bright,
- witch hat atelier: qifrey
Event #3: Can't Defeat the Temple


Can't Defeat the Temple
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
A new message appears on everyone's smartphones. There's been a change in the Temple of Life: the door has finally opened! No one knows how or why, but the sensors left by quest goers alerted them to it suddenly being open. Preparations are made in each guild to finally explore what's inside it.
Those interested in helping are greeted by researchers in the guilds that will provide everyone with one single use item: Escape Rope: an item they found out about while investigating the temple. Should the Temple really prove to be a place "no one can return from" they should be able to use this rope to escape. It should teleport the person using it (just one) outside of the place they're in (can only be used indoors). Of course the rope can be saved for later use if it becomes unnecessary. Everyone also gets basic climbing and survival items, just in case. They have no idea what to expect inside, but better safe than sorry, right?
The new Teleport Crystal system will get you to the Temple of Life in a minute, but no one is forbidden to use a longer route if they want to travel rather than take the easy route. Once they get to the Temple (the teleport stones take them to the surroundings of the fountain in the courtyard) they will notice a lot of natives collecting various tropical fruits as the area is safe and the fruit are nice and nutritious. Anyone eating a fruit will notice a boost in stamina, too.
All that's left now is to climb the stairs and enter the Temple of Life.
Inside the Temple of Life is a "lobby". It's actually just an empty room made with the same stone as the temple, but it has four different doors, each with a different symbol: lightning strike, snowflake, fire and a hurricane of sand.
Characters inside will notice that the door they walked in from is now gone (of course) and they may feel different as the temple has stripped them off of all their powers, including Seasonal ones. Instead they may feel like they're lighter (their jumping ability has increased to triple their normal one) and that they have three holographic hearts on top of their heads.
There's a holographic display near the doors and a shelf for laser guns. The display says the following:
This is the Gigaman simulator. Welcome, players. Each of you have been given three extra lives. Once all of your total of four lives have been used inside the levels you will get a Game Over. For native participants this unfortunately means you Die.
However, otherworlders! You are in luck. If you die four times inside the simulator you will be thrown out of the simulator, into the courtyard of the temple and you can try again! Dying is painless. Getting hit, unfortunately, is not. You have ten regular hits before you lose a life. Your lives are indicated by the hearts on top of your heads.
Things that will instantly kill you include: lava, falling into an endless pit and spikes.
Please take a laser gun and enter the level. You may bring any other items as well, but your powers will be gone and so will the special effects of the items. Except for the legendary "Escape Rope". That is something that can bypass our system. Keep the rope at hand if you get scared. If you lose your other items inside the levels, do not worry, they will appear outside. However, if you lose your laser gun it will reappear next to you.
Oh and you may keep the laser gun afterwards.
The question is: cAN yOu deFEAt [redacted]?
Well, the choice is yours. Do you enter one of the doors or use the escape rope to get out of the temple?
All of the levels start with a normal room of just the environment of the level. But there, in the starting point of the place, there are natives of Ellipsa sitting around with a look of defeat and desperation on their faces. They're physically fine as the simulator grants you the ability to just ignore hunger and other basic needs, but they're also stuck here. It seems the simulator is just too hard for them to get past. Most of them have no holographic hearts over their head or just one: they're close to dying and don't want to take the risk.
Escape ropes are their only hope of getting out of the place and they promise anything if you give them the item and help them escape.
If you give away your Escape Rope, the only way to leave is to either Game Over or Finish the Level. Good luck, players.
(There are also some natives in various other parts of the game, too scared to go further or go back. They can also be saved by taking them with you to the end and defeating the boss monster together but if they die, they die, so there is a risk in that method.)
The Levels [ Click to Expand ]
All basic monsters and boss monsters are weak to the laser gun. Some can even be jumped on to decrease their health.
Electricity
Design: A factory with plenty of platforms and conveyor belts over bottomless pits (or spikes) that change directions occasionally. The main hazard of the level is the beams of electricity that will damage players. They can be switched around with buttons, but deactivating one beam will activate another.
Instant Deaths: Bottomless Pits, Spikes
Basic Monsters: Ufo Catcher (a claw with googly eyes that will try to drop characters into a pit or spikes), Small Robot (small robots that throw wrenches at players), Slinky (slinkys with googly eyes that won't stop for anything)
Final Boss: Squirmle: A slinky minion mass-producing machine (looks like one of those Worms on String with googly eyes, but mechanical). Occasionally fires electric shocks that stun players for 5 seconds while the minions attack them. Weak to Smokescreen as the sand jams its machinery and makes it temporarily lose the ability to produce minions.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Electric Shock (damages and has a chance to stun the opponent)
Snowflake
Design: A snowy mountain cave with active waterfalls. The ground is slippery (ice physics!) and some of the platforms have a limit as to how many times you can jump/walk on them (they reappear after a time). Occasionally, while on a normal platform, a strong stream of water will fall on it, intending to push players into a bottomless pit (it can be predicted by a few drops of water before it).
Instant Deaths: Bottomless pits
Basic Monsters: Snowmen (throw very sharp carrots at players), Skeletal Fish (fish that appear from the waterfalls and spit out lasers), Yeti (a monster that will try to stomp on players)
Final Boss: Frosty: A bipedal monster made of spiky ice (doesn't have a distinct form to refer to, just looks like a giant block of animated ice) that breathes a frosty breathe that both damages and makes players go slower. Tries to stomp players by jumping high in the air. Weak to Fire Bullets, as they will melt it little by little.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Ice Beam (damages and has a chance to slow down an opponent)
Flame
Design: Inside of a volcano where all bottomless pits are lava pits. Platforms are mostly normal, until a notorious section where the only way to get over a lava pit is to jump on disappearing blocks. Learn the pattern and follow it. Occasionally lava rocks will fall from the ceiling (but luckily not during the disappearing block section).
Instant Deaths: Lava
Basic Monsters: Demonic Fireballs (fireballs that jump around from spot a to spot b and hurt a lot when they hit), Lava Bomb (occasional lava rock with googly eyes that can move towards players like a homing missile), Fireman robot (a robot that will try to douse fires with scorching hot water).
Final Boss: Lavadoom: A volcano headed monster (a volcano with eyes, mouth, arms and legs) that shoots fire bullets and lava rocks at players. Occasionally makes part of the floor be literal lava that burns players health little by little. Weak to Electric Shock as it will stun the monster for long enough to turn off the volcano on its head and then you can jump on it.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Fire Bullets (damages and has a chance to cause burn damage over time)
Sandstorm
Design: A desert area full of bottomless pits and rocks with spikes. The floor is mostly quicksand that can only be crossed if you stay constantly in movement. Late in the level massive sandstorms will block players' view and push them towards the pits and spiked rocks, making movement during it very dangerous.
Instant Deaths: Bottomless Pits, Spikes
Basic Monsters: Walking Cacti (cactus that shoot spikes at players), Angry Missiles (ride the sandstorms and try to hit players), Sandworms (appear from the sand and try to bite the player)
Final Boss: Hurrisand: A bipedal sand monster (looks a bit like a it could be a human, but at the same time has animal features, not to be mixed with a certain Looney Tunes character) that will turn into a literal sandy hurricane that makes it hard to see anything and makes bullets miss. Weak to Ice Beam because it slows it down so that it can't turn into a hurricane.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Smokescreen (enables easier escape from situations)
You're free to challenge all of the levels and gain all of the upgrades to the laser gun, which you can then use outside the temple as a weapon. Even after all of the natives are rescued or all of the levels have been beaten, you can re-enter the levels and do them again. You won't get the boss loot again, however.
Back in the city, the weather is strangely cold in every district (except the central one that's safe due to the artificial weather there). Even the hottest of them, Solarpeak, is advising people to wear long-sleeved shirts, just in case, even if the temperature only drops to +10 Celsius/50 degrees Fahrenheit at worst.
The reason for the unexpectedly cold weather is simple: a cold breeze travels through the whole city. Sometimes the wind even appears white, as if it's laced with snow and ice. It's easy to tell that this is not a normal sort of wind, but a very magical one.
The wind indeed has a special effect: there's a chance of the wind freezing someone's heart. This doesn't instantly kill anyone, but instead it starts to freeze people from inside out. This effect especially targets people who either have secrets or have feelings that they hide. The freezing is a slow and painful process, taking two weeks to completely encase someone in ice. Once that happen they will end up breaking into pieces and die.
Somehow this wind doesn't affect the plant life or animals at all.
Scientists are quick at work to work on a cure. They have found that there are certain ingredients in all four of the Segments that when mixed together into a potion will undo a frozen heart. So, to help those affected, there are some options that you can do.
Stay in the City to take care of the affected. The key to healing a frozen heart is not only the potion that they will make but also affection. So those brave enough to touch someone who feels cold as ice to touch are encouraged to hug and cuddle, tell them positive things about them and making sure they're comfortable. This will ease the pain and slow the spreading down.
Head to one of the Segments to find the ingredients. The guilds are helping with the preparations to go outside and providing anyone interested clear instructions and maps on where to find them:
• Winter Segment: Bottom of the Unfrozen Lake, a coral that can survive in cold temperatures
• Spring Segment: Breeze Hills, the eggs of a monstrous Firebird (a bird that has wings made of fire that spits out fireballs, not to be confused with a phoenix)
• Summer Segment: Deserter's Desert, a special cactus flower that only blooms during a sandstorm
• Autumn Segment: Mushroom Sanctuary, a special mushroom that only grows on top of the mushrooms that are a size of a house
Once all the necessary ingredients have been found and delivered, people can also participate in potion making. The more people helping with making potions, the quicker everyone affected can get their potions and be cured. The potion is successful if it smell like a warm fireplace during a winter night.
The VR Arcade of the Underground is holding a special event: they have managed to come up with a technology where you can minimize yourself and enter board games! They're looking for volunteers to test this new way of gaming.
For example, there are games like Jenga, Monopoly, Chess, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Checkers, Scrabble and many, many more! The games are made to fit the tiny people, but are also very realistic. Oh and Monopoly has an actual jail, but the money is as fake as can be.
It seems Jenga in particular is at its regular size and people will have to climb to push pieces out. That definitely seems like a fun challenge? Everyone gets a safety rope that's attached to poles around the Jenga towers, that will act as sort of a safety bungee jump rope.
Usually the minimized effect wears off once you end the game and leave the game board, but occasionally the technology glitches and leaves players small. The unexpected side effect wears off between 2 to 12 hours.
Anyone who did participate in the experiment will either get a month of free VR gaming time or a handheld gaming console with classic 8-bit games like Tetris.
Those stuck in a tiny form longer than expected may discover jumping platforms to the fairy mall. It's located in the ceiling of the Underground Mall and is fit for small people like fairies. Here the fairies are all visible as they go about shopping and relaxing. They're all friendly and will make sure you have a lovely time relaxing in this small fairy oasis. Be warned, however, that the food here is strictly for fairies so if you eat it, you might end up sprouting fairy wings for a week. And not necessarily on your back.
Don't worry, you can't turn back to your regular size in the middle of the fairy mall. The magic there prevents that for the duration. Once you return by jumping onto one of the cushions left below the mall, you will return to regular size.
For souvenirs, why not buy a little bit of fairy dust? It's useful for potions, as it gives them stronger magical capabilities but used as is will make anyone be able to fly for 24 hours. The problem is you cannot use it on yourself or else it will horribly backfire and turn you into a talking frog for 24 hours.
• Ask event related questions here.
• Smut is not allowed on the event post, so if your thread is heading that way, please move it to a private entry of your own (your own entry or a new locked post on the comms).
• Remember to content and spoiler warn as necessary!
• All of the prompts happen around the same time but you can get affected by the frozen wind after visiting the Temple of Life or the other way around.
• All natives will be rescued by the end of the month, but the Temple can be accessed later just for fun.
• The frozen hearts potion will be done by the end of the month as well.
Temple of Life
• More Escape ropes can be picked up from the guilds to save more natives, but there's no way to tell there's someone trapped inside until someone goes in, so they'd have to get back after the first visit.
• Smartphones do not work inside the Temple of Life.
• You are very much allowed to work together inside the temple.
• The boss door will only open once the previous group of players has defeated it and have been transported out of the Temple. Then the boss will respawn.
• No one will have basic human needs inside the temple. It's basically a simulator so it doesn't matter how long you spend in there. Once you get out you might need to refuel on touch energy and food as soon as possible, but other than that all one needs to worry is surviving the temple.
• We admit the inspiration for this came from "I can't defeat Airman" without shame.
Frozen Hearts
• The event can affect anyone, not just those with secrets and hidden feelings.
• At the same time, the event can completely miss people as well.
• Samples of the wind can be collected and analyzed but it will turn out as a classic "it's magic" explanation.
• Reminder that this month is Activity Check-in month and check-in ends on July 31st, at 23:59 PST.
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[Especially since Paimon is not around.]
I'll think about it.
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[ Maybe there are people from Teyvat who could use a place to stay in! ]
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[Everyone has their own place and it's a good thing as long as they feel at home there!]
Thoma and Ayato once came over for a sleepover though. It was nice.
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[ It must have been fun! She's never done anything like that before... ]
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[Now that he thinks about it, it was not a very eventful sleepover. But it was definitely very cozy.]
It was some time after Ayato... well, you know. He was doing his best but he was still far from well. At some point he got quite stressed out and turned into a mouse. Then eventually we all fall asleep on the couch.
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On one hand, she's determined to become stronger so that she can protect Ayato, and it isn't the other way around at all times. On the other... ]
I am in your debt. Thank you for being there for my brother.
[ This isn't about her. So she bows her head to show her gratitude. ]
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And so, he shakes his head.]
You have nothing to thank me for. Thoma really did the most here. I am glad Ayato has someone like him by his side.
[He reaches out to her offering his hand.]
In reality, I felt pretty useless, especially that... this isn't the Ayato I know. Even though we're friends, I still have a lot way to go.
[Much needs to be done to build this friendship.]
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[ Aether talking about the Ayato in this world isn't the one that he knows somehow hurts hearing, though. She knows she has difficulty trusting someone, after all the Kamisato Clan has been through. Her brother has his walls up even higher. She imagines it must be difficult for her brother to think of him the same way he does Lumine... She, on the other hand, wishes not to treat either sibling differently. ]
I had feared that things would be different between my brother and I when we realised we were not from the same... Teyvat. He assured me that nothing would change, though— I would still be his sister. But. . . I imagine it would be different when it comes to others.
[ She offers Aether a small and apologetic smile. Hopefully Aether understands, even though she really shouldn't be speaking in this way on behalf of Ayato. ]
I can only truly speak for myself. [ Reaching for Aether's hand with both of hers, she gives it a gentle shake once to show her support before letting go and resting her hands back on her lap. ] I hope you will not be disheartened. You are the Traveler, after all. And I have always known you to be kind, brave, heroic, and not to mention, trustworthy. These are all good qualities that are worth the attention of my brother.
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[Aether had witnessed that many times during his journey. Plus, it is his brotherly love towards his sister that drives him forward no matter how difficult his adventure becomes.
The other issue though... It's difficult, but Aether could hardly blame Ayato for anything.]
I'm not surprised. He loves you and... I'm just the same. Lumine will always be my dear sister, no matter if she's the one from the Teyvat I know or from the other version of it. As for Ayato...
[He squeezes her hand back, but feels a little disappointed that she lets go so quickly. Still, he tries to keep a smile on his face. A small reassurance that he's not giving in.]
I can understand him, too. But that doesn't change the fact that I want to be someone he can rely on. He's helped me a lot so far, even though he may still not trust me as much.
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Cloud has met Ayato for the first time twice now. In Nippon, the world we met in, and in this world. I do not know how difficult he found it all to be, but Ayato did not like Cloud at first, even when I had already told him about our relationship. And it took many months for him to truly warm up to Cloud. I know our living situation now is not the most ideal, were we in Inazuma. I do not know how accepting the people would be, if they knew about Cloud, even but... I'm very fortunate that Ayato has welcomed Cloud into our home.
[ But that's enough of that. Ayaka wants to go back to what Aether said about Lumine. Because she... doesn't really know anything beyond him traveling the nations to look for his sister. It is weird to think that there is another version of Teyvat out there where Aether is the one missing. It almost sounds as if their paths were never meant to cross.
Ayaka looks a little hesitant to ask, but she looks into Aether's eyes anyway and does so. ]
Lumine— that is, the Lumine you are searching for... is she different?
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When Cloud is mentioned, Aether nods.]
Ayato actually told me that it took him some time to warm up to Cloud and I can't say I'm surprised. He wanted to make sure that Cloud would always put you first before anything else.
[It's a brother thing, so obviously Aether can understand it.]
As for Lumine... [His expression falls a little.] She used to be just the same, but... I actually found her. It was nothing like what I imagined it would be, though. She seemed so oddly distant and she left without much explanation.
[He looks down at his hand lying uselessly on the table.]
Ever since then I'm not only looking for her but also trying to figure out what happened.
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[ Oh dear. Ayaka doesn't really know all the details, but hopefully there was a good reason for it. But the Lumine here doesn't seem distant, either. ]
Do you think Lumine would say the same about you? About how you're different?
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[He doesn't know what her intentions are and it worries him. He knows he should trust her, but at the same time she's with the Abyss. The very same Abyss that so many people suffered because of.]
I think she would. And despite that I still can't imagine what would make me leave her alone like that.
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[ And perhaps it is her mistake for not asking whenever they saw each other. She closes her eyes, gathers courage, before she stands up from her seat so she can sit next to Aether, rather than across from the table. Hopefully he'll forgive her when she takes his hand, protects his one with both of hers as she keeps it in place between both her palms. ]
I... cannot imagine being in that situation. [ Perhaps she is fortunate in that regard, but... ] Thinking about it is painful enough.
I'm sorry.
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As Ayaka speaks, Aether shakes his head and smiles at her. It's soft and fond. Then he shifts closer, enough so he could gently rest his head against her shoulder. Perhaps it's a little too much, especially when they're in public, but he wants to show her that he's comfortable leaning on her for support, that her presence is soothing.]
Don't apologize. You couldn't have known because I never talked about it... But don't worry. Sooner or later I'll get to the bottom of this and get the answers I need.
[His eyes close.]
And then I'll be finally able to understand her. I'm sure she has a good reason for her actions.
[Or at least "good" in her mind. But then again, Aether needs answers to understand her reasoning.]
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Her shoulders relax moments later, and one hand lets go of his so that the other can give his hand a squeeze. ]
I have faith in you. And please know, that the Kamisato Clan will support you with what assistance you may require. All you need to do is ask.
[ Here, in Teyvat, it doesn't matter. Ayaka will always do what she can for Aether. ]
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I know. You and Thoma always offer me nothing but kindness and warmth.
[He's very thankful for that.]
Ayato helped me out, too.
[He's glad they're here. He's glad to know that he can always count on them.]
But I hope you'll remember that I'm here for you as well.
[The feeling is mutual.]
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Thank you.
[ Right now, there's really nothing that's bothering her a bit too much. She's cried her heart out when she went to Coldreach with Cloud last month. But it makes her feel glad to know that she has people to come to, if she ever had any problems. She likely won't, far too reserved and shy to trouble other people, but... maybe. . . ]
I am so lucky. I'm surrounded by so many good people. [ It seems Ringo
has not been forgottewas listening, because he does a little "eevui" to remind Ayaka that he's here, too! ] And of course, who could forget my new companion?[ One who deserves a good pat on the head! Ringo still stays on Aether's lap, though. ]
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That's why this moment feels all the more important.
Aether laughs softly when Ringo reminds them of his presence and he pets the Eevee as well.]
Such a good companion, too. Look how quickly he brings smiles to our faces.
[He straightens his posture for a moment to lean to Ringo next, gently nuzzling his cheek to the Pokemon's head.]
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She thinks she's been able to help! And that's good to know. ]
In case you start feeling cold again, why don't you stay at our home? [ After what he shared about Ayato, she hopes it would not be uncomfortable... ] At least Cloud and I can help you, if you need anything. Ringo, too. You can stay in my room.
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Are you sure?
[He doesn't want to cause her trouble. A part of him wishes to handle all of this alone.
...But then he reminds himself that he shouldn't. That it's fine to accept help.]
I can sleep on the couch though.
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But there is a bed in my room.
[ What is this guy on about ]
I cannot imagine the couch to be comfortable to sleep in.
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[So staying there would be pretty awkward!]
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[ '^' is she too trusting? She knows it isn't really proper for a lady to invite a man into her bedroom, but she's gotten so used to Cloud coming in, even in Nippon. Besides, it's just Aether. ]
I shall stay in Cloud's room, to give you privacy.
[ Or is that... weird? Would Cloud be uncomfortable if Aether stays in her room? Hmm... Maybe they should get a room extension for a guest bedroom. ]
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In that case... it's fine. But maybe it would be best to ask Cloud, too.
[Just in case he had something against Aether's presence in the house.]
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