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

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You are very "sweet." That means you are kind and thoughtful, not that you are sweet like sugar.

[ Nen knows that now because they've kissed him a whole bunch h e h. They wrap their arms back around his shoulders as before, making sure both they and their pack are secure before they give him a short 'ready.' ]

I want you to be happy too, okay?

“Sugar” is in my name! [Since the last kanji is the same “tou” as his mother’s name.

Yuuto lifts Nen up and teleports them both to the ground first. He’s cold, but the physical contact with Nen does ease that significantly. Which is good, because the question of how to make him happy makes his brain buzz. He’s not sure how to answer. He doesn’t ever think about being happy, so much as he’s worried about not making others unhappy.]

If you’re happy, then I’ll be happy! Deal?

It is?

[ Yuuto will need to explain the system of Kanji to Nen to get that point across, but! Although they cling a little tighter to him with the teleport, they do wind up near-smiling at him as they land. ]

Alright--deal. We will be happy together.

Mm! Have I shown you how my name is written, Nen? [Before they can answer him fully, Yuuto lands from another teleportation jump- And he follows it up by playfully spinning them both around-] I should have done that sooner. I'm sorry for being careless.

[ Yuuto and his being utterly charming here making Nen let out a happy little sound when he spins them. Their toes even curl inside their shoes! ]

I've seen your name on the network. Is that how it's spelled?

There’s another writing system that we use in my world. I’ll show you sometime, okay?

[Since he’s teleported them closer to their exit point, Yuuto pauses and prepares to let Nen down. Even if that sound they made makes him want to hold them forever.]

I’ll teach you how we would write your name in my home too!

[ I mean, Nen would not complain if he wanted to--Chipp carries them around so much now that their instinct to hold onto someone's shoulders is nearly as strong as the one to accept any hand held out to them. If Yuuto kept carrying them, their eyes would just continue to sparkle. Probably.

~~they are sort of on a mission at the moment after all~~ ]

Okay--as soon as we've finished the cure! Promise?

Edited (lalala forgetting to choose an icon) 2023-09-07 21:59 (UTC)

[Well, if Nen isn’t scrambling to be released then Yuuto will just keep them! They’re warm. Carrying them around helps combat his frozen heart. Which-]

Mm, sure. Maybe… two weeks? So you have time to look after everyone, hm?

[And so he has time to revive. Yuuto figures that if no one notices when he swaps places with himself back home, then maybe no one will notice if he dies here? He’ll just come back, right?

Is this optimism???]

[ YEAH, ABOUT THAT MISTER YUMENO... ]

Yes... I want to make sure they have all recovered first.

[ There's warmth in Nenonen's tone when they speak, but anxiety as well. For as well as things are going, they can't help but worry about the others. Kenta, Chipp, Shigeru--Duval. All of them are waiting for help to arrive.

Nen suppresses a shiver and leans in closer to Yuuto, only to blink at the faint chill they feel when their forehead brushes his neck. ]

Are you cold, Yuuto?

[ It's the Autumn Segment--it shouldn't be that chilly. ]

[How dare something as nice as holding Nen betray him this way-

Yuuto flinches in surprise. He'd been so comforted by their warmth that he didn't stop to think it might give him away.]

Um. N-Nnnn... Nnno..? [why is lying so hard when he's lying to nen???] Sorry, should I put you down? Am I uncomfortable to be around?

No, not at all. Are you sure you aren't cold?

[ Distracting Nen by asking them questions about their own comfort isn't going to work when Nen is on High Medical Alert, mister!! They reach up with one hand to cup the side of his face--which should be warm--but it's cool enough that even they notice (despite their own core temp being lower than the average human's). ]

Your skin is cool.

[Already, Yuuto can feel his mind beginning to spin. He knows that lying is wrong, but it was never a lie if Nen never really asked. And so long as he sunk comfortably into his own denial, then Yuuto could technically pretend he didn't know that he was lying.

But they're right. Yuuto is so cold than their touch is a welcome comfort. Now that he's been figured out, this is causing his heart to race with rising panic.]

That's... um. It's probably fine, I-I- [He swallows. Breaths in, tries to steady his voice and lie calmly;] I don't get sick, right? Are you warm, Nen? Should I worry?

Oh... Let me check.

[ It's a pretty good distraction, if short-lived; Nen brings no shortage of basic medical supplies with them on any given occasion because of their health. They've got a glucose testing kit, a wristband that will keep track of their heart rate and beep if there are any irregularities...and of course, a thermometer.

Nen places two fingers against their neck just to count their pulse the way they usually do, and once that comes up clear they retrieve the ear thermometer from their bag. It only takes a few seconds to come back completely normal. ]

My internal temperature is within acceptable parameters. Let's check you next.

[That's okay. It's plenty of time for Yuuto to decide that Nen is about to abandon him on the side of the road. A thermometer has never looked so terrifying before. Yuuto can't get the words out at first with how tight his throat is.]

Ah... ahhh, r-right. Okay. If you don't mind... I'm sorry for the trouble.

[ Of all things to undone his clever ruse...it is the simple thermometer. Nen lifts it to his ear, presses the button...and reads the temperature that comes up with a blink. ]

...What is your normal range on any given day, Yuuto?

[He really should lie. Then Nen won't worry. They have enough people to be concerned for.

But it is so hard to lie to Nen's face. Yuuto's shoulders slump and he meekly gives in.]

... I-I'm sorry. I didn't want for anyone to worry.

Yuuto...are you sick?

[ What the flying heck, mister?? Why would he push himself if he was already starting to feel the initial symptoms of the sickness? He should be at home resting, not teleporting them around on gathering quests.

Both hands come up to feel Yuuto's face now, thermometer be damned. It's not hugely noticeable since their own temperature tends to be cool, but even then Nen can tell: Yuuto's skin has a chill. ]

[Yuuto flinches. He's so ashamed that he can't look Nen in the eyes, instead turning his gaze away. They may be able to feel how he's starting to tremble from fear or notice his belt wrapping around one leg.]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry... No one was supposed to find out.

Yuuto...

[ Maybe they'll be upset later that he tried to hide it from them. Maybe they'll give him a stern talking-to and then definitely make him practice best rest...but right now, they're just going to grip his face for a brief moment, anxiousness written across their features. ]

We must go back to the city immediately. You need blankets, and hand warmers, and warm clothing.

[That look on their face sets off alarm bells in Yuuto’s heart. He’s not used to being looked at that; He works hard not to give anyone a reason to worry about him. When they make that face, it means that everything is about to fall apart around him and it’ll all be because Yuuto was too weak and selfish to be “okay.”

So he tries to shake his head, even with Nen holding his cheeks. And he tries to seem calm. Instead, Yuuto is noticeably beginning to panic.]

No, it’s fine. I’m okay. I need to help you find the cure for your friends. You can’t go alone, it’s dangerous- If you get hurt- I-If something ever happened to you, everyone would… [Nen could get really hurt!]

Edited 2023-09-13 21:44 (UTC)

[ They can see it, and while in itself is worrying because Yuuto never looks like that, the situation's seriousness dictates that be put on the back-burner in favour of the more pressing concern: his health. ]

Yuuto, you are sick. You need to go back to the city and rest--you will get colder and colder until you freeze and crack if you do not!

[Yuuto isn’t normally the type to argue. He will compromise any time that it’s an option.

But right now, it doesn’t feel like an option.]

I can’t go back… Tau-san will notice. If I get sick, then I’m not the “Yuuto” who doesn’t get sick. She’ll find out.

[A frantic whisper that will make more sense when he had a breakdown in a few weeks.]

I can’t let her find out. I have to stay away.

Then you will stay at our house. Shigeru and Chipp and Kenta are sick, and you can stay with them. I will bring the cure to all of you.

[ If he wants to hide it from Tau, that's fine--Nen will keep him someplace they can be sure he'll get the cure as soon as it's available. ]

I will protect you.

[It's scary to get help. It goes against everything that he's taught himself about living. But Nen doesn't seem to be budging on this issue.

Yuuto's belt is still wrapped around his ankle. He's still scared as he nods, his movements hesitant and shaky. The nod ends with his head bowed.]

I'm terribly sorry... I'll never cause you trouble again. I-I can still help until the freezing gets literal, s-so... [Please don't be angry. Or even worse. Don't be sad.]

[ Health and proper sanitation protocols are the one things Nen will never compromise on!! They've seen firsthand the consequences of being lax when it comes to those. Nen's experience may be a bit extreme given how they grew up and where they lived, but, well. That's what's left an impression.

Nenonen pulls his forehead down so they can bonk theirs into his in a gentle gesture. ]

You will only cause trouble if you do not rest when we return. Alright? We still need to get back to Ellipsa. Until we are back...I request that you hold my hand. And stay close. I will keep you warm.

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spacialeyes - 2023-09-20 12:40 (UTC) - Expand

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essenceborn - 2023-09-21 03:27 (UTC) - Expand

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