Luxuria Intro Log

[cancrymods]

PROCEEDING...

With the real super power of teamwork, the Executors have successfully managed to make their way through the Gula Underside and defeat the previous Authority there. With Gerda now freed from her past regrets and given the power of an Executor, Gula and its inhabitants seem to be in safe hands... for now at least. More interesting – or concerning, perhaps – is the tentative ally you've gained in the form of Birdie, the mysterious girl who attacked some of your number in the Superbia Underside. While she seemed to be nothing but an enemy back then, a surprising connection has been formed with who you now understand to be the Authority of Purgatory itself. While she doesn't necessarily believe the Executors will be able to repair Purgatory, she is at least willing to admit that she shares their goals of wanting to see Purgatory restored... either to its former state, or to something new. But what does that mean for the Executors? And what does that mean for Rei supposedly born from the Authority's discarded heart? There are still many questions the Executors need to answer and as a blast of dry, hot air blows up from the next layer, you can only hope that Luxuria holds the key to at least some of them...

LUXURIA

♪♫ Wet & Dry – Sakuzyo After the humidity and noise of the Gula Underside, passing down to the Lust Layer of Purgatory initially seems like a relief. The air here is dry and sharp and though you hear noise drifting up to meet you and see a whole rainbow of lights clustered together in the dark, it doesn't seem as though it'll be quite as overwhelming as some of the bustling Layers you've had the pleasure of exploring before. But as you set foot down into Luxuria and feel the heat of the ground under your feet, you begin to wonder if you might just have hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire...

Comments

NPC CONTACT & INVESTIGATION REQUESTS

[cancrymods]

If you plan to investigate Luxuria, place a comment under this toplevel detailing your investigation.

You may also use this toplevel to communicate with any of the party NPCs. Currently available are Rei, Birdie and the mysterious butterfly who lead Ariel to the Superbia Underside. Be sure to mention in your comment header which NPC you want to speak to!

Intro (OTA)

[syrinfacet]

[ How closely have you been paying attention to the Specters in Purgatory?

Surely, after the travels you've had, they all blur together. Maybe you'd keep tabs just to make sure Revenants don't form. But, well...

A Specter's been following you all, quietly but steadily.

Its form hasn't been completely set. Sometimes it's a butterfly, a gentle lavender in color. Sometimes it's a person, feminine in appearance. Lately, the form has solidified - dark skin, lilac colored hair - but has changed, bit by bit with every layer you've delved in.

Horns adorn their head now, glittering scales across their skin. Dark colored nails more akin to claws. A crocodilian tail sways. All of the features the same deep, dark purple, like amethyst.

As the train comes to a stop in Luxuria, a Specter steps off the platform. Lightbulbs around them flicker - and then pop as electricity crackles in the air, seemingly generated from them.

The Specter walks forward, the brightly colored carnival all around them. The noise, it's so -

So -

The dullness of the Specter's eyes sparks to life.

And then, along with her sense of self and existence, memories come flooding in. All at once, she is something, someone, crushed by both her memories of her life before and her untimely death.

Maybe it's Luxuria pushing her to it. Maybe it's the emotional toll. Or maybe it's that she's terrified and that fear brings out the worst of anyone. But that electricity around her crackles even more - and a sound burbles in her throat, fangs bared as her form trembles from a sensory overload.

She snarls.

Her expression is wide eyed, draconic eyes mere slits, as her brain immediately skips the panic stage and heads straight for wrath.

She's inhaling, mouth opening wide, and the lightning crackling in her mouth is impossible to miss. She's charging up to fire...

...you might want to stop her before she hurts someone. ]

[emberserker]

Oh, do not --

[In a flash, Wolfsbane has transformed and shoots out a shard of ice from her hand to stop just short of the dragon girl.]

I've got enough problems without some would-be Revenant. Kindly tell us what your issue is.

[syrinfacet]

[ The ice is enough to make her stumble, just enough to shake loose the instinctual wrath response - but not enough to stop the already charging lightning breath. It fires from her, tearing up the ground in a line in front of her, sending debris flying everywhere. It thankfully misses Wolfsbane - and in retrospect, didn't seem to be aimed at her at all.

She stumbles back, eyes darting too and fro, the state of Luxuria too much of a sensory overload when you're already dealing with a lot. It's clear she's panicking, breathing heavy and shaking, before she clutches her head, eyes shut tight.

She doesn't answer, instead just stumbling back another couple steps. ]

[emberserker]

[Okay. Breathe in and out, what would Medic do -- okay, do not do what Medic would do, that way lies intrusive questions about how one breathes lightning and whether those horns are anchored to her skull. Veil? Absolutely not. Mona? No. Ugh, fine, she'll deal with this her way, and never say she didn't try.]

I'll thank you to explain why you tried to kill us. Do you have a name?

[syrinfacet]

[ Her brows crease, eyes scrunching shut tighter as she tries to focus just on the sound of Wolfsbane's voice.

Too much noise. Too much - ]

Hhh...

[ It comes out as a hiss. She had...attacked? What? She... she'd... ]

P-panicked. I - sorry. N-not hurt?

[ The words are disjointed but come together quicker as they leave her mouth. It's like she's trying to remember how speech works. It's getting easier, just focusing on one thing.

Her...name?

Well, that was a stupid question. Her name was...

... obviously it was ...

It...

Her eyes snap open in alarm as it hits her - something she regrets, given the half hiss, half whine noise that escapes her throat as her senses go into overdrive again. She focuses on the girl in front of her instead of the carnival. ]

I don't...I-I don't remember.

[ Electricity crawls around her form for a moment, panic building - and then she grits her teeth, trying valiantly to keep her panic at bay. Baby steps. ]

[emberserker]

...Of course you don't. It'll come, or at least a suitable alternative will.

[Wolfsbane looks the girl over narrowly and frowns. The group's there, not that half of them talk to her; surely someone will come fussing over this girl and have her adopted on the spot. That isn't Wolfsbane's style. With all that's going on, she needs to focus herself.]

This place looks to be a chaotic disaster, I'll give you that. Better than that hellhole we just left, at least. Though given you look to have just woken up, as it were, it's hard to tell whether you've got the context for that. Regardless, focus, will you? It'll help you calm down.

[syrinfacet]

[ It's funny, she's over a whole decade older than Wolfsbane, but between her status as a new eidolon and their similar shorter stature, they're on the same level anyways, more or less. ]

I...thank you. This - it's a lot.

[ She doesn't even really know how she got here or what here even is. ]

Does this...happen often?

[ You know, the whole suddenly realizing you exist and nearly having an existential meltdown over it. ]

[emberserker]

Not to everyone, but enough to note. It's the transition between Spectre and Eidolon. Most of the Eidolons who exist are either Executors, like us, or Authorities. I'll get to that bit later. You've obviously got enough to deal with as it is.

You can call me Wolfsbane. We're Executors, under our leader, Rei. Moving through this place to try to repair it.

[syrinfacet]

[ Hoo boy this is a lot, huh. One could practically see the question marks floating over her head as she regards Wolfsbane with a clueless expression, head tilting. So many terms...

Something about the other girl's name, though... ]

...aconite. Wolfsbane.

[ It comes out unbidden, like an instinct. ]

It's a flower. Used mostly in poisons, but it has its medicinal purposes.

[ She blinks, confused at the knowledge she has. ]

...how...?

[ ........the question of why the hell this teenage girl is named after a toxic flower has not even occurred to her. It's fine. No one tell her. ]

[emberserker]

Good, you know some things. More will come back from when you were alive, in time.

[syrinfacet]

[ girl how do you make a compliment sound like an insult, that's impressive ]

That's a relief.

[ She mulls over things. Spectres - was that what she was before becoming aware? The way Wolfsbane talks about it seems so. Eidolons though, and Executors and...Authority...?

And... ]

What is this place?

[ The obvious question, albeit a delayed one. It makes her feel a bit on edge, now that the worst of the sensory overload has passed and she's beginning to feel...well, person shaped, at least. ]

[emberserker]

The tacky carnival? It's a layer of Purgatory. I'm not sure which one, given we've just arrived, but there aren't that many choices left to go. It's got to be better than the last one.

[alcahest]

ARRIVAL

[ on the way down, Mona feels... uneasy, for some reason. it's not a sensation that she can pinpoint a source for; there's just this strange discomfort that has come over her mind like a fog. perhaps she's just nervous, worried about the new Layer beneath them, but — Birdie keeps coming to mind. her cold, blank expression. Rei, a pale reflection, looking back at her mirror image in horror.

it keeps bothering her, and there's nothing she can do, so after some initial marvelling at Luxuria's lights and colour, seeing all there is to see — Mona takes a train up to Limbo, and when she returns, she can be found on a bench in Luxuria, filling out pages in the Executor book. ]

CARNIVAL GAMES

[ you can catch Mona at any of the games and smaller rides in Luxuria, so if there's a thread you want to do, just go for it. she lingers, particularly, at the shooting range. even though she's a spectatularly terrible shot, and she seems to be at least somewhat crestfallen about that. she sighs, and mumbles sulkily: ]

Van Helsing, you could have at least taught me a little...

CASTER

[ considering what a quiet lady she is, you might not expect Mona to go for either of the roller coasters. but sure enough, here she is, gently yet insistently pulling you to the queue for Caster. she bounces on her heels a little when waiting in line, her eyes sparkling and glued to the ride as the cars rocket past. ]

Do you think it's going to be scary...?

FERRIS WHEEL

[ she can't help thinking about how much the people she knew in life would have loved this place. she feels like she has to appreciate the incredible machines and engineering in Impey's place; like she should win prizes not because she wants them, but because Lupin would have. it's not that she's not happy spending time here with her fellow Executors, but — she wishes this could have been something she experienced when she was alive, with the people dear to her.

if she were with them... it would have been Saint-Germain, she thinks, to take her on the Ferris wheel. something peaceful amidst the chaos, with a spectacular view from above the world. even if she rides it alone, she'd like to see it.

(this can either be a chill Ferris wheel hangout prompt OR threading out investigation as we get details from the mod thread!!) ]

INVESTIGATION: FERRIS WHEEL

[alcahest]

mona is particularly taking the time to observe the visible details of all the machines in luxuria, since impey taught her to take an interest in engineering and all of this is Very Impressive. so for starters: what's visibly strange about the ferris wheel carriage that stands out?

investigation!

[emberserker]

Wolfsbane is going to check out the arcade to listen in on the people mumbling about Xtreme Death Rides. And possibly get tilted at the games while she tries not to blow her cover. Is anyone mentioning anything in particular about where these might be found?

[cancrymods]

That depends! Is she checking just the inside or outside, or fully investigating both?

[cancrymods]

Not that you can tell! For the most part, it just seems like people giggling and gossiping about fun rumors and not something anyone takes overly seriously. The common theme that Wolfsbane picks up, however, is the idea that people will only get an invite to the more 'extreme' rides if they 'prove themselves'. But no one seems quite sure how you'd go about doing that.

[alcahest]

she's getting a look from the outside first, and if she can see that it stands out for some reason she'll hop in it and check out the inside!

[syrinfacet]

[ Purgatory, huh. Something sinks in her stomach as the fact she's dead starts to click.

This doesn't make sense. Dragons didn't die like people did. Their souls returned to the earth or were imprisoned until freed.

Maybe it's the second one. It has to be the second one. Otherwise...

She takes it all in - the carnival, the train, the strange heat permeating all around. This place, filled with these people - spirits? - like her.

Something else Wolfsbane said sticks out. ]

...you said this place needed fixing, right?

[ When all you have is a hammer... ]

I may as well help you all, if you'll have me.

[cancrymods]

The outside of the car is mostly notable for the fact that the lights attached to it seem to be damaged. They're flashing and shifting out of sync with the others and occasionally they just go dead altogether, leaving the car and its spoke sticking out like a sore thumb.

Once inside, there's nothing immediately apparent – at least not until the ferris wheel gets moving and the car gets a ways into the air. A draught finds its way into the car and some inspection will reveal its source to be a maintenance hatch in the top of the car that's been tampered with, so it can be easily pushed open at any time.

[emberserker]

Prove themselves, huh. She casually butts in on one such conversation to ask how many times everyone's tried the death coaster for themselves. After all, doesn't that sound like something that would provide the necessary bragging rights?

[emberserker]

Oh, good. It's better than the alternative. We may as well take you to Rei, then -- she is still the leader, even if we've got that other girl hanging about now. She can bestow you the power, even if it looks like you've got plenty of your own.

[syrinfacet]

[ Oh! A compliment! ...maybe? It's hard to tell with this girl and her hot and cold attitude. ]

Where do we find this Rei anyways?

[cancrymods]

The huddle of Specters she interrupts look a little put off to be interrupted by a stranger, but it doesn't take much to get them gossiping again. They're a group of five, but only two of them have dared ride Pollux and they both agree that while it was interesting, it's not an experience they're hasty to repeat. Even with that under their belts, they don't seem to know anything more about the Xtreme Death Rides than anybody else.