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

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki huffs in response, even if the tension in his shoulders uncoils slightly. bad, because nothing is more dangerous than a loki, but what danger does he have to fear these days?

his neck aches. ]

Yes, actually. Unless there is something you require?

[thecoolerloki]

There is much that I require.

[So no. He's just being annoying for the sake of it.]

What are you doing?

[dothelokimotion]

I'm looking to understand the magic laid into this place.

[ and possibly tap into it for his own uses, but he doesn't need to say that. ambition is instinctively understood. ]

It reminds me of the Convergence, but not quite.

[thecoolerloki]

Convergence? Do you mean the confluences?

[dothelokimotion]

No. The Convergence was when the Nine Realms were perfectly aligned, allowing for travel between as easily as breathing or being in the right spot.

A rare event, but not impossible to replicate.

[thecoolerloki]

Oh. I travel between the Nine Realms all the time. Is it more difficult then, in your universe?

[dothelokimotion]

[ that prompts a wry chuckle. ]

Not for us, but for others, yes. Needless to say, it is an event that generates magic across all the realms. Like this place does.

[thecoolerloki]

I see... I'd offer any insights I've gathered, but I'm afraid my knowledge of magic is a bit limited.

Have you considered discussing it with our other other self or Stephen Strange?

[dothelokimotion]

[ his brow furrows, perplexed. why would another loki's abilities be limited in magic? but then he scowls. ]

The third-rate magician is here?

[thecoolerloki]

You're close, I take it? A version of him is, aye. He lives in this town too, so I wouldn't be surprised if he senses you here.

[dothelokimotion]

[ ugh. the worst news. ]

Undoubtedly. I suppose I'll deal with that later.

[thecoolerloki]

He's not been too much trouble, in my experience. Claims he's only met the Loki of his universe very briefly. But that Loki did do some Loki things so... there is that.

[dothelokimotion]

[ a light scoff. it might be another stephen strange, it might not be. either way, loki's less keen on being generous. ]

We've all done things. What of it?

[thecoolerloki]

[He rolls his eyes, thinking the implications obvious.]

It means he might be cautious. Most people who know us are, if they're not outright hostile.

[dothelokimotion]

If it is the same one, he threw me into a bottomless portal without warning. He skipped caution in favor of aggression.

[thecoolerloki]

He claimed you only spoke for about thirty seconds? Is that close to what you remember, outside of the bottomless portal?

[Wait, easy way to figure this out. Loki pulls out his phone and shows him a candid of Strange, clearly taken without him noticing.]

Is this him?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki narrows his eyes at the photo and &mdash yep. it's him. the fucker. ]

Thirty minutes. And he certainly did not speak to me in any shape or form.

[thecoolerloki]

Congratulations, you have a multiverse buddy. Or same universe buddy, rather? He hasn't told me much of your relationship besides that, I'm afraid.

[dothelokimotion]

We don't have one. I didn't even know there were magic-users on Earth until recently.

[thecoolerloki]

Ah. Well. He's my legal guardian in this place.

[said quickly but casually]

[dothelokimotion]

He's your what.

[thecoolerloki]

Due to my apparent age, they were going to assign me to a caretaker so I asked Ik- the other Loki to intervene, he refused to do so directly, suggested Strange in his place, and here we are.

Personally I just wanted to do an illusion of Odin and be done with it.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki squints at all of this. ]

An illusion of Odin would better suffice. Surely they don't think a mortal caretaker can do all that much?

[thecoolerloki]

I've been told I need "a good role-model".

[dothelokimotion]

That is the most inane thing I have ever heard.