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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{ ayato is very glad he sees the process of nen activating the barrier on themselves because if he'd heard that from behind himself he would have been so worried.

as soon as he sees the water spray he's already sprinting towards the ledge of the cliff he needs to climb to get the eggs. he has the bag on him, at least so he can rush to get them in.

his breath is still level once they're in, hesitant to leave nen to their own devices for long. he also doesn't want to distract them by yelling out, so once he's jumped down and landed in a crouch, eggs safely wrapped in a blanket inside the bag, he'll dash forward and activate his burst so a field of water appears around them both. it should help nen's attack power go up a little at least. }

How are you doing?

[ Ayato is quick. Much quicker than even Nen has estimated, but in this case? That's a good thing. The fire bird is not at all happy to have been disturbed with that jet of water and sends a burst of fire at them in retaliation. Nen's quick to throw up a thick wall of water to block it, but it boils almost immediately, steam hissing angrily as their powers collide.

Even from where they're standing, Nen can feel the heat and throws up their arms of reflex as it washes over them. They've just barely got time to block another burst by the time Ayato's burst hits and drops the temperature around them by several degrees. It startles them, but it's the fire bird's angry shriek that holds their attention.

Another blast comes their way and this time they throw up an even thicker wall, waiting to make sure it holds before they answer. ]

The bird is very angry...but I am alright. I do not think I can outrun it though.

{ thankfully the eggs are secure in the bag. nen likely would be weighed down if they were to carry that as well, so he keeps it against himself for now. }

No need to worry, if you can get a head start I would be able to catch up. But to begin with, we can give it a cage to sit in.

{ he doesn't explain what he means with words, but leans as his stance switches. hydro bursts forth, but the ground creaks as it twists up to curl around the firebird with pillars curving at the top, trapping it in a cage made of earth. the hydro twists around each one before sinking into the ground to make it more dense. }

It won't keep it for very long, so please set off now.

Dip...

[ Not time to stay and watch that, however much Nenonen may want to. They've never seen magic used like that before...but the fire bird isn't Happy, and it's time to go. Nen turns on heel and begins running back in the direction they came from, but it's....it's really jogging at best. But at least they can do that now without being winded straightaway.

The fire bird struggles against its cage, flapping its wings and sending off a wave of heat with each beat; it lets out another shriek and flames ignite around it...but the cage keeps it contained for the moment. ]

{ ayato is, to say the least, inventive. plus, a tad artistic in the way those pillars intertwine as they meet above the firebird's head. it screeches, wings trying to flap and failing for the moment as soil hardens and tightens. it takes effort on ayato's part, sweat forming on his brow as his hands move to use water to block each wave of heat.

nen needs time to get enough distance away before he can set off to follow them, and though his magical energy is depleting, he closes his eyes to feel along the ground with his seismic sense to get an idea of how far nen has made it so far.

not far enough, with the way the soil starts to melt amidst all the fire it's flapping around itself. }

Keep running as fast as you can.

{ the voice will come in nen's head, just like ayato's own would. }

[ It's a good thing they're used to that thanks to Shigeru, or they probably would've stopped from the surprise of it. Being told to keep running pushes Nen further, but they're already starting to pant. They're doing their very best, but maybe they should have skipped this request. Ayato's going to be disappointed in them, isn't he?

Nen battles with that thought as they hurry past the treeline, trying not to slow down. ]

Come on...Ayato...!

{ while nen may be worrying he will be disappointed in them, he's entirely the opposite. he remembers nen's stamina from their early days here, how they had struggled with the snow skeletons and even how tired they would get from walking. it may not be to the level like a person who has been always free to move as they please, but for them, he's impressed.

and as he feels nen's steps feeling lighter the further they make it away, he starts to back away before turning and running to join them. he's a lot faster than nen, however, and it's when he's made it so far away that earth made cage bursts at the edges. soil splatters all over the ground, some flying through the air and falling like rain. }

You're doing very well, Nen, just a little more and we should be left alone.

{ the message comes before nen will hear the patter of feet against the floor as he catches up. }

I don't think I can...run...!

[ much longer doesn't quite make it, because Nen is struggling to run and speak at the same moment. Ayato probably can't even hear them unless they yell, and that comes out no more than a huffed wheeze. Their chest aches from their panting, but still they try to keep going just long enough for Ayato to make his escape.

It's times like this they wish they had telepathy. Then they'd be able to communicate without having to breathe.

He'll catch up to them in no time, their pace already less than half what it was just a minute ago. ]

{ he can't hear over the huffing and wheezing, no, but he can more or less guess that nen is running out of steam quickly. he catches up faster than nen probably realises or expects, not stopping as he approaches but heading towards nen's right side so he can reach for their arm, somehow moving to place the bag over nen's shoulder instead.

he doesn't have the time to explain, given that the firebird is breaking free, so instead once the bag is in place he's ducking down and pulling nen's arm up until it's over his shoulders as he drops to one knee. }

Get on.

[ Ayato has never looked more cool and heroic to them than in this moment ~~not including the memory portal, that's a different kind of heroic~~. It's surprising to find themself holding the bag of eggs, but less so once Ayato kneels in front of them.

The Nenonen of months ago would have hesitated, but the loud, angry shriek of the mama fire bird behind them makes the current Nen hurry to clamber onto his back and wrap their arms around his neck. ]

Thahh...Thank...you...!

{ after what happened with kaveh, he's very particular about letting others being in danger because of his own mishaps or shortcomings, so there's no hesitation on his part as he lifts them up onto his back. thankfully nen doesn't have much muscle and is fairly light, so they aren't too difficult to carry.

he can't run as quickly like this, but it's faster than nen could have managed. }

If you can look back to check how far behind it is, that would be helpful. Just make sure you don't let go.

{ he has to use telepathy to ask though, needing to regulate his breathing properly so they can keep this speed up. }

Oh...okay!

[ That's something they can do--and a good thing to draw their attention to. They can still hear the fire bird in the distance, but the forest seems to be doing a good job of covering their escape. There's only a few times that it gets close enough overhead for Nen to feel the air get hotter...but each time it does, they create cooler temperatures to counterbalance it. ]

I think... [ puff, puff ] I think it does not know...where we are.

{ he keeps up the pace until nen gives the indication they should be safe for now. }

Thank you. { he drops into a brisk walk instead, catching his own breath while his back and arms ache. yet, no word of complaint leaves his lips or mind. } I can't use seismic sense for something that flies, so keep your eyes on it please. I'll keep carrying you until you get your breath back.

I will remain...vigilant.

[ It's the least thing they can do with him having distracted the bird and carried them this far. Nen's neck cranes so they can keep an eye on the sky, but for the most part they seem safe. The fire bird circles over a few times, but it's reluctant to stray too far from its nest; as far as it knows, its eggs are still there, needing to be protected.

It takes about five minutes for a final shriek to be heard in the distance. It's retreating. ]

I think it gave...up. You can put me down. Are you...okay?

[ Nen's still out of breath, but that will be their general state for the next twenty minutes or so. ]

{ he can hear the screeches as well, but nen's confirmation is enough for his steps to slow further, until he slows to a stop near a tree so he can lean and help nen down. }

I'm fine.

{ he's also a little breathless, but he has better stamina and breath control than nen likely does. }

Are you? You didn't get any injuries?

[ Nen's legs fail to support them any longer than it takes to lower themself to the ground without collapsing, so that's just what they do. They fumble onto their bottom and lean back against the nearest tree, continuing to pant for breath. The desire to fish out a water bottle from their bag is strong, but their body is not yet willing.

The road to physical fitness is a long one indeed. ]

No...injuries. Just. Tired. I will recover.

[ Nen looks over at him, impressed. ]

You move...fast. Even with me.

{ ayato will move to kneel next to nenonen, trying to make sure they aren't going to pass out from exhaustion. }

You don't exactly weigh a lot, Nenonen. { the smile ayato gives them is fond though. } You've improved a lot since our first adventure together.

I have...?

[ Ayato knows just what to say to them. They don't expect it, but that doesn't mean hearing it means any less to them. If anything, it makes it all the more impactful to hear it now of all times, when they feel as though they're struggling the most.

Nen looks up at him with surprise and earnestness. ]

Was I not a burden...?

You were not a burden at all.

{ he rests with one knee on the floor, reaching for the bag still over nen's shoulder to lift it off for them so they don't have to deal with the extra weight. next, he'll dig into the bag around the eggs to pull out a peanut butter protein bar for him. }

Will you be able to eat this? I brought it just in case, and given how you said you love peanut butter... I thought it may help.

{ nenonen may not be a blood relative, but the praise now is pretty similar to how he'd praise ayaka when she's done something well--even to the point where ayato's hand comes to rest on nen's head, gently giving soft head pats of approval. }

Ohh... Peanut...butter!

[ Their eyes light up as much as an exhausted person's can at the sight, and the look only becomes more fond as that gentle hand places itself atop their head. The gesture is so thoughtful--the assurance that they helped, carrying them, checking on them, and now...this.

This moment right here is the exact moment where Ayato truly becomes someone truly dear to Nen. ]

Yes, please. Thank you... Thank you, Ayato.

[ It takes effort to bring their hands up enough to take that bar, but when they succeed? They hold that tiny protein bar like it means the whole world to them. ]

Edited 2023-11-12 21:20 (UTC)

Of course. You've used up quite a lot of magical energy and while resting here will help a little, food and water is much faster at helping I've found.

{ he'll keep a hand underneath until he's sure nen truly has it in their grasp, and when he's certain of that he'll gently brush nen's hair aside so it doesn't stick to their face as much, before moving to find the water in either of their bags next. }

[ Ayato that is so soft... Nen's going to be so attached after this?? Family member acquired. A very fond look is sent his way before Nen start to fumble with the protein bar's packaging. It's slow and gradual work, but they do get it open; and their breathing is starting to return to normal levels as well.

It's a much slower recovery than your average person, but Nen begins to perk up after a few small, careful bites. ]

I heard that food and water...and sleeping is the best way. To recharge. Holding hands helps, but those are...better.

Exactly. The touch mechanic can be used for a small boost, but it isn't a proper recovery. Here.

{ he'll pull out nen's bottle first, placing it gently next to their side where they can reach before getting his own bottle of water. he doesn't bother eating anything, but a drink is definitely appreciated. }

Take your time, now we're too far away, we seem to be out of sight.

Thank you.

[ Nen will take one more bite before they swap out to have some water. They only hold the bottle for as long as it takes to drink from it though. They're just too tired to hold it any longer than that, and set it down as quick as they are able without, you know, dropping it.

They close their eyes for a few seconds and lean back against the tree, focusing on their breathing. ]

...Do you think we will make it back in time? For the cure?

{ while ayato carefully sips at his own water, his eyes are trained on nen, just in case they need assistance. he doesn't want to crowd the other either though, so all he does is watch for now. }

If you're willing to let me carry you for a while longer while you recuperate, we should make it back with time to spare. I'd advise we do that, just in case we come across any hindrances on the way.

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essenceborn - 2023-11-20 18:00 (UTC) - Expand

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acquirement - 2023-11-26 21:31 (UTC) - Expand

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