CONFLUENCE 04

[metamods]

Who: All everybody
What: A Confluence strikes!
When: March 27, 2022
Where: Sunset Falls
Content Warnings: Comic book violence, ghosts and demons.

CONFLUENCE

Weird things happen in Sunset Falls.

This is a given. The residents of the town have never known a time where the paper didn't feature a mysterious occult murder as a headline, or a student wasn't being outed for using a little mystical enhancement to boost their athletic prowess.

So when the Alliance arrives, stating that residents must vacate the area as quickly as possible, nearly every person grabs a go-bag and gets the hell out of dodge. If something is big enough to earn the capes' attention, then it's surely not worth risking life and limb to find out if they're bluffing.

Guild members receive an emergency bulletin telling them to teleport to Sunset Falls at their earliest convenience. The notice warns them to prepare themselves, grimly remarking that if Confluences have been bad in the other cities then they will be a complete and utter nightmare in Sunset Falls.

This time, however, there is no great fall to kick things off.

New arrivals come into awareness seconds before they make impact - but this time, they're flying up and through the floorboards of Sunset Falls' high school gymnasium. The ground underneath flickers an ominous purple, a lingering gaze may feel the void gazing back in confusion... and then there's a burst of burning wind. Something rushes out of the void as it closes, leaving you to crash back down to the ground. There’s nothing left but broken shards of gym flooring scattered around you…and the lingering touch of something angry and malicious being freed.

Exiting the gym brings you directly into the main lobby. You can see people standing outside the doors, seemingly unaware of what has transpired behind them. Suddenly, there's a rush of wind and energy behind you, making a mad dash for the doors. They swing open hard enough to crack the windows, and then all is suddenly quiet.

01. SPRING THAW

Spring thaw has come swiftly this year. In the span of a few moments the temperature has gone from frigid to a balmy summer day, and only continues to rise.

As the disoriented new arrivals step outside, they find themselves standing in what could be a sweltering summer day. The heroes standing guard jolt in alarm as the doors behind them swing open. Air rushes out, a blast of frigidity that's a relief in the suddenly sweltering night. They turn, and spy the new arrivals. It seems like they’re almost - though certainly not quite - as confused as the rest of you. The recent Confluences have all happened with a bit more fanfare than this.

But the night is only getting hotter. If that’s the end of it, no one’s going to complain. And it must be over now, right? The citizens of Sunset Falls have already started to return, vague figures in the distance trickling out of alleyways and from behind buildings. Fantastic, the squad leader on this expedition, attempts to radio back to headquarters with this news - only to drop the communicator when it begins to wail in unearthly woe.

The people gathering around the school are getting closer. One by one they step into the streets, into the halogen glow of the streetlamps, and...

Something seems a little... off about them. Their eyes are distant and they appear to shimmer slightly in the dim light. Heroes and villains alike pause and glance between each other, a confused murmur breaking out as some recognize certain faces amongst the crowd. Some of the heroes born in this world shout out names in elation; others shrink back as they spy a less friendly face amongst the ghoulish collection.

The metas closest to the doors — Fantastic of the Guardian Alliance and Chaos Gate of the Society — take a few steps back. They're not naive enough to believe this is a good sign. Fantastic gestures for the new arrivals to get back inside the school and shut the doors. Chaos Gate extends a hand to summon her staff and gives a merry shout: everyone should prepare for a mess! This is a horde of ghosts, and they probably aren't that friendly.

Some of the apparitions appear to be wearing costumes that belong to decades past: spandex and capes in bright neon colors and embroidered with psychedelic shapes. Others simply look human, wearing civilian clothing marked with arcane symbols.

Either way, they're metahumans, to be sure - all of them know how to use their powers, and they’re looking to use them on all of you. Former hero or former villain, it doesn’t seem to matter. None of them seem to entirely register who or what it is they’re fighting; they won’t respond to attempts to talk them down, even from those guild members they used to know. They’re just attacking, lashing out with something like desperation. If you want to get through this, you’re going to have to fight back.

Spectral though they are, striking one of the ghosts feels like hitting someone of flesh and blood. But the more damaged they are, the less human they look. They begin to crumble and decay, looking less like living people and more like ghouls the more they’re beaten down. When they’re finally defeated, they burst in an explosion of unknowable spiritual energy…and also ectoplasm. Slimy!

02. SUMMER SWELTER

Should new arrivals, or metas who came along to help with the Confluence, break free of the throng of ghosts and flee into Sunset Falls, they won’t find themselves entirely safe. The ghosts won’t pursue, but they aren’t the only thing that slipped through the cracks in reality tonight.

The farther you get from the school and its host of the dead, the hotter it gets. The heat is oppressive; a shimmering haze rises over the pavement, and all the various birds and bugs of the evening have gone utterly silent.

The first sign is a pressure in your lungs, the air growing scalding to breathe. Then, without warning, pieces of your surroundings begin to spontaneously ignite. The roofs of the dark and vacant houses start to smoke; power lines burst and shower sparks and bits of melted wire and plastic. At the epicenter of the inferno, you can see a luminous shape shimmering through the air: a fire elemental.

It needs to be put out before it incinerates everything! You won't be able to rely on punching or regular fighting here - fittingly for a creature born of Sunset Falls, you'll have to rely on a more creative use of powers, and maybe some magic.

For each event with a clear antagonistic NPC force — such as the Vlog Squad, in the February arrival — interested players can pitch their characters' encounters with those NPCs. Whether characters are heroic and suited to the role or not, the aim is the group effort of pitching in, so we highly encourage collaborating on these encounters. Once enough NPC encounters have been submitted, we'll determine if and how the trouble has been addressed, and select one of those encounters to be the final, conclusive one in the game. Everyone else's encounters will also have taken place, but may have been temporary stopgaps in addressing the conflict rather than a conclusive blow. For this Confluence, we are asking that submissions be finalized by 3/5.

How it works:

• Reply to the relevant top-level comment with an encounter and/or questions about the encounter. The mods are happy to go back and forth with before locking in exactly what a character or group of characters does. Any conversations between characters and NPCs will most likely be happening prior to combat unless specified by the players.


• The mods ask that players present two options. In one version, the character or group of characters kills, immobilizes, or otherwise apprehend the villain(s). In the other version, one way or another, the villain escapes or overcomes the character or group of characters. Players who wish to have a specific spot in the timeline (near to the beginning or near to the end) should make this request explicit, and the mods will make efforts to accommodate this.


• The mods will RNG the results for the final encounter. For all other submissions, the escape/overcome option is selected. Open calls for collaboration which result in multiple player characters contributing to an idea or solution (see: Kamala Khan's solution to the Cerberus fight) have a much higher chance of being the final encounter, as we want to reward player collaboration and innovation. Please be sure that after everyone has weighed in you return to the top-level comment to report exactly what is happening and who is doing what.


• The mods will reply to player submissions with a brief outline of how all of the run-ins go, whether it's a fight or a slapstick series of hilarious accidents that involves the character(s).

Request NPC encounters using the following form —
<B>Characters involved:</b> Name (username) <b>Details of the encounter:</b> What's the plan? <B>How might the villain escape or overcome the player character(s)?</b> <B>How would the player character(s) kill, immobilize, or apprehend the villain?</b>

EXAMPLE—

Character(s) involved: The Iron Giant and Hank Hill
Details of the encounter: Hank will ride in Iron Giant's hand as they search the city for the Vlog Squad, eventually spotting them in a public park. They land explosively in the middle, throwing all of the squad off of their feet while the Iron Giant sends out a signal to scramble their livestreams and begins trying to catch the offenders up in both hands. Hank will try to tackle at least one of them.

How might the villain escape or overcome the player character(s)? Playlist slow motions Iron Giant and they easily duck its grasp, and Filter leaves Hank floating upside down as they make their escape.

How would the player character(s) kill, immobilize, or apprehend the villain? Iron Giant grabs Playlist before she can slow it, then picks up and captures all but Emoji; Hank throws a branch and beans that guy right in the head. Iron Giant gathers him up too, and they turn them in to the first batch of emergency responders they find.

03. SAFE AND SOUND

The foes finally vanquished, Fantastic - covered in ectoplasm, scorched, and thoroughly pissed - shouts that he's radioing back to HQ. If anyone doesn't want the ride back, they have five minutes to get out of his sight. The new arrivals have less of a choice in the matter as he's not bothering to clarify what "a ride" means. He simply slams the button on the communicator and barks into it that they've handled things and are ready to go. With a rush of arcane power, those who haven’t vacated the area find themselves somewhere else.

The gymnasium has been foregone in favor of a more permanent arrival space. Powers are still dampened here, but not turned off entirely. Anyone displaying intentions to harm others in the space is met with a swift time-out. Fantastic can be approached for conversation, although he doesn’t seem terribly interested in offering any actual assistance.

The guilds check over new arrivals, and once given a clean bill of health, a hot meal and the option to take a nap in a secured space, they are shuffled off into the Diadem Hotel. Recruiters from both the Society and the Alliance approach in the hotel lobby, each pitching an offer to join their respective side.

04. PACTS FORGED AND BROKEN

Evil is a very real presence in Sunset Falls, lurking in the shadows and waiting to manifest in the hearts of men. The more angry and down on their luck a person is, the easier it is to sway them to make things just a little easier on themselves.

The new arrivals have escaped and made their way to Central City, seemingly safe for the time being. But not everything that slipped free from that strange void was a human spirit. It seems that something may have followed you home.

It begins with the sound of whispering. Your deepest desires, your greatest fears: this voice knows them all. It waits until you're alone, or in a moment of desperation against a foe far stronger than yourself, and then it begins to beckon.

The demon will offer pacts, offering their greatest wish in exchange for but a shard of their soul. Power, money, fame - all of it can be yours if you're willing to offer succor for this starving creature who only wants to make your dreams come true. He's got a compelling voice and you may find yourself inclined to agree, offering what he asks. How could you ever refuse such a deal?

Agreeing will result in a sharp pain somewhere indescribable, as if your very existence is being splintered. For but a split second you're incomplete - and then something slips inside the crack that is left in its wake. Each pact made seems to make the world just a little worse - Sunset Falls and Central City in particular seem to have increased amounts of bad luck, as if it’s following the new metas around.

One does not make a deal with a demon lightly. Please report any pacts made here.

SUMMARY

• New arrivals will be erupting through the floor of Sunset Falls High’s gymnasium. After the fighting ends, they are brought to the Guardian Alliance HQ. Older characters are given the option to teleport with them or can make their own way home.


• The breech has also set free a number of souls who were laying dormant. These souls manifest in the streets and will attack player characters. They appear confused and disoriented but cannot be talked down.


• A fire elemental has also manifested. Player characters will need to work together to put the fire out. Players are encouraged to use the OOC comm to coordinate, and can report their attempts here to find out how they’ll play out.


• A demon has tagged along. He will tempt people into forging a pact with him, granting them a wish in exchange for a fragment of their soul. This is a player plot opportunity and the consequences of this are not immediate. Please reply here if your character strikes a deal with this demon.

Comments

[nerdylilspidey]

[i. SPRING THAW]
[Peter is one of the last people to come staggering out of the building, only to be greeted by a throng of... Well. Monsters? Ghosts? Zombies? He's not sure, but he's pretty certain that he's in no shape to even try to fend off this mess. He should find someplace to wait it out, lay low, maybe an ambulance will come screaming in soon and he can sneak into it and snag a decent first aid kit, sit down with it and try to patch himself up. That comes first. He can't find a horde of ghost zombies. He can barely keep himself upright! He'll be of no use to any of the people who are probably definitely going to get hurt in this wild fray and he's just going to do more harm than good and he can not fight them.

Right?]


...Ugh. So much for Plan A...

[And on goes the Spider-Man mask. He attempts to repatch the wound in his side (which somehow doesn't seem to be bleeding as much, go figure) with some more web-fluid, straightens up with a confidence he doesn't actually feel, and marches right in.]


[ii. SAFE AND SOUND]
[The exact instant the coast seems to be clear, Spidey just kind of drops down onto his butt with a heavy, shaky breath. He's a real sight to behold, costume torn up, burnt in places, covered in blood and ectoplasm... It's a straight up miracle the eyes of his mask are still in place. And that he somehow manages to pump a fist into the air and let out a weak victory cry.]

Wooo... Nap time, anyone? No? Just me?

[When they're all whisked away to... someplace, he wants to be more suspicious of the people flitting around and offering food and medical attention and a place to sleep, but his body is screaming at him after what he's put it through. Spidey does at least insist on his mask staying firmly in place, and he knows someone pointed out a bed he could lay down on, but the rest of it is kind of a blur. He's much too preoccupied with the soft spot he's parked his tuchus in and the bottle of water he's somehow obtained and with just thinking What in the WHAT is happening?]

ii

[azulescarabajo]

[ Jaime is also in the mask-stays-on-club. Luckily for him his suit is made of alien technology and is able to repair most of the minor damage it took during the punch-up, so he's able to look almost good as new. Groaning, Jaime sinks down to sit next to Spidey and swigs from his own bottle of water. He glances sidelong at the other bug-themed hero. ]

...You look beat, man.

[ A pause, and he offers a hand. ]

Blue Beetle.

[nerdylilspidey]

Well... [There's a little chuckle, just before he sips his water again.] Pretty sure I was dying before all this.

[Is he joking or is he serious? Who knows!

Spidey doesn't even have it in him to properly shake the extended hand. Maybe he doesn't even realize that it's an offer for a handshake. What he does instead is go in for a loose fist bump, and that obviously works out well for everyone.]

Hi. I'm Spider-Man.

[azulescarabajo]

Oh, nice. We're both bugs. What's your deal? You spit webs at people or something?

[ Jaime returns the awkward fist bump, smiles. ]

I don't recommend dying. Almost did that a couple times and it sucks. Like, really sucks.

[nerdylilspidey]

[He's smiling under the mask, but he can't resist-] That's- That's speciesist. Technically we spiders aren't insects.

[Shut up Spidey only nerds care about that. So he quickly moves on, wiggling his fingers in the air.] No no, I'm just sticky.

Mmm. You know, they should put that on the brochure. "Keep out of reach of death."

[azulescarabajo]

Only technically!

[ Jaime grins. ]

Oooh literally climbing the walls. Nice.

[ He snorts, sounding more exhausted than amused. ]

They need to tell you all the weird stuff you're signing up for when you start the heroing business, honestly.

[nerdylilspidey]

Yep, that's me. The amazing wall-crawler. [He kind of-- mimes the way he climbs up walls, hands and feet in the air and everything, only to stop abruptly and point dramatically at Blue Beetle.] Dude, yes! Spread all the cards out on the table. Like- "Get ready for the craziest of the crazies to get obsessed with the idea of killing you for fun." Or "By the way, make sure your likeness doesn't get registered with a pro wrestling circuit!"

[azulescarabajo]

"There's a non-zero chance of getting stranded between dimensions and losing a year of your life," or maybe "evil aliens might blow up your house and try to kill your family!" But no, it's all about how you get a chance to work with Batman or Superman...

[ Ugh. Thankfully that stuff is far enough back that he can laugh about it. ]

No one tells you that local car salesman will want you to do a spot for their dealership, either.

[nerdylilspidey]

[Spidey almost springs into an upright position so he can talk more animatedly, except doing so pulls at every single point of pain in his body and he just ends up shrinking back against the mat with a hissing grimace.

He'll keep talking though.] oof... Yeah, the superhero gig... It needs better ads.

Oh! Or a reality show. But an actually real one. Like- "Tune in next week to see- uh- SilverTongue get stalked on patrol by Mad Max, oooooohh~"

i

[slidesrightoff]

[Eddie knew something weird was going to happen, but he definitely didn't have "zombie ghosts" on his bingo card. By the time he accidentally bumps into Peter, he's just a little bit gross with the ecto goo.

It is something he is desperately trying not to think about.]

Ah, sorry! [He ducks to avoid a flying energy spear, flecks of goo sliding out of his hair and onto his shoulder. Eddie makes a face.] Could this fight be less gross, please?

[nerdylilspidey]

[The being bumped into doesn't bother him as much as, say, that energy spear flying in his direction does. So Spidey is quick to duck out of its way, wincing to himself at the way he has to maneuver himself to do so, but quickly fires a line of webbing into the face of the nearest ghostie to hopefully blind it.]

Nngh- Seconded. Where do we go to pass that motion??

[slidesrightoff]

I'd say the head hero in charge, but I think he's too busy having a conniption. [Eddie shoots a look towards Fantastic across the crowd.] Or maybe an anuerism.

So I think we're stuck getting covered in goo. [Eddie chuckles.] Welcome to another world? I'd say it's not always like this but I'd also be lying.

[nerdylilspidey]

[He glances in the same direction his new companion does, but... He can't tell who he's actually looking at. There are a lot of ghosties and costumed fighters out here in the thick of it; this Head Hero could be anybody!

Besides, his head whips right back around at those shiny key words and for a second the fighting around them becomes white noise.]

Another world??? What- What're you talking about??

[slidesrightoff]

[He's looking at the angriest one. Then again, some heroes are naturally angry so it might be harder to see.]

O-oh. Uh, you sort of just got pulled into another world. Usually people drop from the sky, but that didn't happen this time.

Sorry to tell you.

[nerdylilspidey]

Another... world. Another world. Another world???

[Is there an echo out here?]

A-Another world as in, like-- like another planet?

[slidesrightoff]

[He really should work on his delivery.]

Uh... [Eddie pauses, considers it. The guy is speaking English and he's seen similar costumes before, so...] no. This is Earth.

It's just not yours.

[nerdylilspidey]

Not-- Not my Earth..?

[It doesn't actually take that long for him to put two and two together. But when it does click, one could swear it does so with an audible ping! sound, and Spidey could vibrate right out of his skin with the excitement this brings him.]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God, the multiverse is real. You're telling me I'm- I've literally been transported into a parallel universe.

i

[doctopoda]

[Otto had frankly not even intended to be here for this Confluence at all. Evidently that just happens sometimes!

He's been holding his own here, keeping his feet on the ground and lashing out at any ghosts that come too close. He's been trying not to do anything too...alarming-looking, since he came here. Mostly, that's been easy! He's kept to himself, he's tried living a normal life - this is the first time he's ended up in any kind of real fight. It's honestly a bit unnerving. These are clearly...ghosts, or zombies, or something, but they look so terribly human. Like any of the random people he's attacked in the past. Maybe that, too, is part of why he's trying to restrain himself: he doesn't want to feel like he did back then.

Then, across the fray, he spots a slight figure in a familiar costume - and the ghost who's blasting bright energy attacks in his direction.

Otto sees red.

Actuators lifting him up, he starts to stamp across the parking lot. On the way, he snatches up some unfortunate ghost to bodily hurl at the other one. Incoming!]

[nerdylilspidey]

[It catches him in a bad moment. He's just had to swing one guy around by a line of webbing to smack into a bunch of other guys, and the one good thing is that doing so has kind of cleared a nice little area for him to catch his breath. Except it does mean that he's in the middle of catching his breath, curling an arm around his ribs that are definitely at the very least bruised and squeezing his eyes shut to stave off a bout of dizziness that hits him. And of course that's when the new guy shows up.

He's saved by his spider-sense, helping him to avoid the blasts as he tries to make his way toward some decent cover. But Spidey's slower than he would be otherwise. The car he's trying to duck behind isn't even all that far. If it not for that body getting flung into his assailant, he may not have made it there. It makes him heave a sigh of relief, his body visibly slumping a bit.]

Oh-- Oh man... Thanks--

[And as he turns to face whoever it is that's come to help him, Spidey's words die in his throat. He'd curse if he could even think of one appropriate for the moment, so all that comes out of him is a bunch of shocked gibberish as he tries to scramble back toward that car he was aiming for.]

GAHH-- DOC- YO-- MMGHH, HOW- WH- BEEHH?!?!

[doctopoda]

[As the ghost tries to rise back to its feet, Otto's already bearing down on it. Two claws smash it down into the pavement again, before one picks it up and throws it hard. It flies over most of the melee, smacks into the brick wall of the school, and explodes into ectoplasm.

Otto looks to Spider-Man, only to see - oh. Oh, he's freaking out! It was obvious even at a distance that this wasn't one of the older Spider-Men, but that definitely isn't the young Peter either.]

Ah. You're another one.

[What's that now, four? Why does this keep happening? Otto slowly lowers himself back down to the ground, ready to launch into his whole "I swear I won't try to murder you" spiel, but hesitates as one of the actuators sways over to look, providing a little more visual information.]

Wait, are you - [He removes his glasses for a slightly better look. Yep, he looks like shit.] - are you bleeding?

[nerdylilspidey]

[He keeps scooting until his back has successfully hit the side of the car and only there does he take a minute to take stock. It's been... a while since the last time he saw the good doctor. But there's definitely something different about him; he looks similar, and it's subtle, but there are definitely some changes that Spidey's not entirely sure he could just say came from the passage of time.

And then there's the comment. "Another one." It's hard to say if it's a good thing that the mask hides just how high Spidey's eyebrows arch upward.] Uh... What?

[He'd have a lot more to say to that, too. Except then he's got one of Ock's arms getting up into his space and when he quickly raises an arm to try to push it back he's wincing under the mask.]

Oh, no. Well yeah. No. A- A little. [He waves that hand dismissively, trying to get comfortable while heavily injured and leaning against a car in the middle of what's basically a battlefield.] You can thank our buddy Osborn for- for that. Mostly.

[doctopoda]

Norman?

[He says, with what's probably an inappropriate amount of surprise. Otto knew from the second he found out about his own counterpart - counterparts, now - that Norman probably had similar troubles coming, but this is the first real confirmation of that. It isn't important in this moment, though. He'll talk to Norman about it tonight, assuming he can get back to the hotel by a reasonable hour.

The arm retracts quietly when Spidey pushes it away. It's already done its job. Otto raises his eyebrows, giving the boy one last once-over before sliding his glasses back on. That seems like an alarming amount of blood even for Spider-Man. He knows they generally have an advanced healing factor, but he also knows better than most people that there's limits. This kid doesn't need to be out here fighting ghosts.]

Right. [He looks around for a moment, figuring out what their options are.] Why don't we get you back inside the school? There's a lot of folks out here, you know, you don't have to fight every monster.

[nerdylilspidey]

[It's probably not hard to tell that Spider-Man is still tense, his free hand still clenched into a loose fist just in case something else comes at them. Or Otto decides niceties are done and decides to attack. As far as Spidey knows, it's a fair toss up between the two. He does wince a little to himself before glancing back in the direction of the school. However complicated his feelings about the good doctor, this... does not seem to be the Otto he knows from home. Maybe he can trust him. His spider-sense doesn't seem to be going off, at least. And he does make a good point about staying out of the fight. He's still badly hurt from the events back home, and honestly his head hurts a little just trying to reconcile his memories with the fact that he's somehow standing here. A break would not be such a bad thing. ...Except.] No-- No, I can't just sit here. [And Spidey promptly starts struggling back to his feet, using the car as an aide.] I have... no idea what's going on, but people could need help out here.

[doctopoda]

[A tentacle shifts as if to instinctively reach out and help, but Otto holds back. He has a solid idea of how that'd be received.]

I don't know what these are about - [gesturing to the ghosts generally] - but this is a Confluence. It's an event that drags people here from throughout the multiverse.

[He's honestly just hoping that talking will help delay Spider-Man from running off to rejoin the fray. If the boy pushes it, Otto will probably have to let him; he's not going to physically stop him. But honestly - he shoots him a Look over his glasses.]

You can barely stand. If anybody here needs help, it's you.

[nerdylilspidey]

[He nods his head emphatically once at that magical word - multiverse, ohmyGod - and then starts shaking his head again because seriously, what the what has become of his life.]

No no, I'm fine- [He's got a hand over the webbed-up hole in his side and he's definitely starting to struggle to breathe through his mask, but sure, everything is fine here.] - I just, y'know, need a sec.

[Spidey tries for a deep breath, using that moment to look this Otto up and down again. He's definitely not the one he knows from home, but those arms sure are identifiable.]

..So- So I heard it from someone else, but... Multiverse. The multiverse is real, huh?