seasonsrpg | Event #3: Can't Defeat the Temple

Event #3: Can't Defeat the Temple

Can't Defeat the Temple
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Game Start

Part 1

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.

Part 2

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?

Part 3

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.

When Your Heart's Not Open

Part 1

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.

Part 2

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 Towering Jenga Heights

Part 1

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.

Part 2

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.

OOC TIPS

• 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.

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Somes we just need to be a little reckless to get to where we need to be.

[Estelle declares. When they're both ready, she marches in only to nearly falter at the girl's comment]

... seriously? Now's not the time for flirting. Inside lets go!

[And to the final boss they go]

[ She might not see it, but Noah winks at the girl as they passed. ]

Right behind you.

[ Opening the door they're met with a lot of....nothing new. A singluar large circle stage with - oddly no lava. ]

...

[ There's something he wants to say but keeps his mouth shut just in case he jinxes anything, but he had already thought it - all of it. "It's quiet", "There's nothing here", "Is that it?", every single phrase one could think that would make things bad for them was thought and someone heard it.

The ground rumbles and in the middle of the room a mountain started to rise until the top exploded in spectacular fashion. Then, in accordance to dramatic boss entrance, a pair of red eyes opened and an angred frown appeared followed by a pair of arms that pushed it out of the ground revealing legs before it roared to intimindate them.

If Noah could be intimidated that is. ]

.....Right then.

[ He quickly whipped out the gun and shot the monster right in the eye which made it recoil for a second before roaring again. ]

I think I pissed it off.

[She senses stupid flirting behind her and she does not approve.

But there's more to this at the moment and she readies her gun, shielding the girl behind her]

Well. That was always bound to happen.

[She takes a few shots at the legs, hoping to get one to drop off and lower its movement]

[ He lays down supressing fire while analyzing it's range of movement. He's unsure what this thing is but it's...weird. Is this how video games are? Just weird creatures that have no business standing up? Not to mention having a face. He's pretty sure it's made of dirt. ]

Hey! What's the plan? Just shoot it to death? Cause this is starting to feel a little too ea-

[ Before he could even finish the volcano monster roared and sucked in some air before spitting rapid fire bullets at them with Noah going to shield the girl while still firing to throw off the aim of the monster instead of ducking. ]

Hey, if you have any better ideas to find its weak point, be my guest! For for now, keep shooting!

[Estelle dashes forward since Noah was going in to protect, running in closer to shoot away at its joins with a war cry]

Eat this you stupid big lump of dirt!!

[One of its legs buckle and crumble, exposing a vulnerable point]

[ Oddlly timely, usually he has to shoot it a few more times. Still, he took this chance to tell the girl to find somewhere high up to hide which she does without any reservation.

The monster, while toppled, was not without it's methods of attack and it was getting ready to do just that as the top of its head starting to bubble. This caught Noah's eye and he almost went to shoot it until he felt some extreme heat behind him. Turning back, right on the rim of the stage, lava started to show but not quite rush towards him. The girl who was beyond it saw it and paused too looking at him and Estelle with concern.

He signalled her to keep running while he turned his attention back to the monster and Estelle, finally spotting what was happening. One of it's arms was buried under the earth and lava was also pooling around it and a brief shake of the ground told him all he needed to know. ]

Estelle! The ground!

[ He warned but too late, the monster drew it's arm and like flipping a table, broke a big part of the stage that was closest to her. ]

[Estelle moves before she's told, leaping backwards and uses her gun as melee weapon, knocks back some debris, even as she gets hit with another piece.

Down goes a heart, but that's fine]

I'm okay! It's entering the second stage. Get it now-!

The second what?!

[ Someone has to sit down with him and make him play a video game, or at least explain it to him. ]

Pull back! Alternate fire!

[ He starts to strafe away from where it's attention is focused, firing at the eyes but also setting up a pace for them. He fires one shot, waiting for her to fire the next before firing again. This does get the volcano's attention and it bellows again, though it gets back the leg it lost by forming out of rock once more and before waddling it's way to Noah while spiting fire in his direction. ]

Pincer it! Pincer!

[ He says he continues to dodge in one direction, making the monster turn it's back to Estelle. ]

Most monsters have two stages!!

[Estelle goes rolling out of the way of some blasts of fire, and then begins to aim at the weak point opened up in the armor]

We nearly have it! Just a little more!

[It's wobbling!!]

[ No they don't???? Hello???? At this rate Noah is never ever going to play a video game.

He deals with the continues onslaught of fire balls headed his way seamingly with ease. His foot is still giving him some problems but Noah is quick on his feet, dodging with no wasted movements though still taking a few small hits. Enough to knock him down another heart.

He kept up the pressure as best as he could but one stroke of genius and careful aiming would give them the opportunity they need. He lowered himself into a steady stance, dodging in place waiting until the monster was close enough and he fired as he spat a fire ball - the combustion causing a chain reaction that caused a giant explosion right on it's face to make it reel back and stumble. ]

Now!

[Boss monsters do!! At least, says the girl who comes from a world that may be a little like a video game. Don't worry about it.

Estelle brightens at the opening. She's always done better in close combat because she doesn't hesitate, running up with yell]

HYAAAAA!!!!

[She gives the monster a running kick and unloads a round of bullets point blank into its face]

Eat this!

[ He supported her from a distance, taking a knee to steady himself and firing at the arms as it tried to pry her off of its face.

It flailed as much as it can, breaking the ground at different points like earlier but to smaller extents.

The boss monster is unable to really do much but be upset, but soon enough cracks start to appear along its face and body that let out a glow whilst it roars. ]

What the-?

[ That doesn't look good. ]

Ugh, it must be a final attack! We need to take it down before it releases it!

[Rapid fire shooting! Time to go all in!!!]

[ He would complain, but he sort of understands enough to say that it's doing something and it needs to die. He continues to fire and support her still concerned that something isn't as it seems, and it wasn't until heat kissed his cheek and drew his attention that he saw something curious.

The lava exposed from it's attack was flowing towards it, drawing in as much as it can and with each passing second it glowed more from the bottom up. An idea was forming and he pulled a strand of hair out to prove if it was true or not. The blonde lock danced in the wind, or rather heat, and it was going past him and coming from the monster. ]

Oh no...

[ He mustered all the strength he can, ignoring the pain in his leg and dashed straight for Estelle, wrapping an arm around her waist and hoisting her on his shoulder before running away from it. ]

To cover! Now! It's gonna blow!

[ If she squirms to get out of his grasp, he does let her go but doesn't stop running since the boss was starting to glow and pulse an alarming hue of gold and orange. ]

[Estelle shrieks as she's picked up--but she's familiar with rescue operations and doesn't struggle out of Noah's grasp as they go sprinting across the rocky platforms. They find cover just in time as the boss explodes, sending lava and rock across the arena.

The girl they're protecting screams as well--but she's safe at least.

Then all is quiet, and still.

Then.

VICTORY. Is this the correct game? Don't worry about it]

[ He gets behind the cover the girl was using, it was big sturdy and close by. Sort of. Noah was able to climb up the slope and hop behind it just in time to cover both the girl and Estelle just as he heard the bang and everything sort of went white for a moment.

There's a powerful rining in his ears which he shook off as he blinked the world into view and then....came the music. ]

....What the fuck is this?

Let's just go with this stupid mission and get out of here.

[Estelle is officially 100% done. Not even her sunny nature can help here. Collect their rewards, get out, and heal the poor boy outside.]

Agreed.

[ He gets up with a groan, helping their charge up before following Estelle to where the boss was and a box now remains. A treasure chest to be specific. ]

So, I take it we open this?

[ Bending down he opens the chest which pops open and glows, Noah leaning back and taking a step too, while their laser guns make a sound and words appear on top. Fire bullets, it reads. ]

...I reckon that's good? Cash would have been nicer.

Maybe if you're a gunner. [Not at all her style!! But that's fine. There's an exit popping up at the end once they collect their prize]

Let's get out of here. I need to heal that boy--

[Taking the girl's hand and then Noah's and out they go!!]

[ He lets himself be lead on, tired and too bothered by all of this to care. When they step of the exit and find themselves magically back in the lobby, the native girl their with dashed off, crying, as the injured brother was there in the care of first aiders and doctors, alive and seemingly doing well by the tired smile on his face. ]

Well, I do believe that is a job well done. And one less thing we have to worry about.

[ Noah says as he turns his head back to the temple doors. ]

There are still other souls trapped in there, but I've got nothing in the tank. Not to mention missing a perfectly good shirt. How's about you, Estelle? You going to take five or...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event #3: Can't Defeat the Temple

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