realmofstories | Nightmare on Index Street

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Nightmare on Index Street

Nightmare on Index Street—

After the final hours of Halloween are coming to an end and everyone is slowly beginning to gather their things and return to their homes to prepare for the clean-up to come in the later days, a strange, eerie silence falls throughout the Index along with a mysterious gray fog. It seeps over the ground like a veil dragged behind an invisible bride and soon engulfs the entire city. The sound of hooves clattering over the cobbled streets echo over every street like an army followed by a chorus of loud, high maniacal laughter. In the next instant everything turns pitch black, as if the light of the world had been shut off.

And then just as suddenly, the light returns. But the sight that greets those who bear witness sends chills down every spine. Pumpkins lay smashed along the streets, cobwebs cover almost every window and doorway, and scarecrows swing from nooses tied to various branches. A cold, black frost covers the ground, steam rising from the thin, icy sheet before a new sound echoes around.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Big, heavy footfalls and then—

VRRRRRMMMMMM WHEEEEEEENNNNN

An ear-splitting roar of motor and metal as sparks fly from a giant chainsaw. The thing wielding it? A giant skeleton several stories tall, its mouth open wide as another shrieking laugh erupts, its eyes glowing fire. As it laughs, those closest to the abomination scream in terror before it suddenly swings its weapon out, cleaving everything and everyone in its path.

YOU THINK YOU CAN DESTROY ME, OUTSIDERS? YOU THINK YOU CAN BECOME HEROES? I'VE EATEN THEM ALL, DEVOURED THEIR SOULS AND TAKEN THEIR POWER. NOW I WILL TAKE YOU AND YOUR WORLDS! I WILL CONSUME EVERYTHING!!

From its open mouth a black vortex appears, growing larger and larger until it hurls outward to smash onto the street in front of it. At first nothing happens—only a gaping, black hole exists. But then the first claw reaches out, the first tendril, wing, tail, head. Black, hellish creatures rise up and locals scream the words,

"Erasers! It's the Story Eater's minions run for your lives!!"

By now the journals of each Aspect will have begun to burn, a loud buzz drumming in their ears as the Storyteller reaches each and every one of them.

Aspects! The Story Eater has sensed of your arrival and has breached the barrier of this world. It must be repelled, but there are only so few of you and it has grown so strong. We fear you will not survive if you face it now. But with the aid of the one known as the Father of Christmas, you may be able to weaken it enough. Quickly, find his gifts, use your powers, and weaken him until I can write a new barrier to expel him.

Please, hurry!

§ prompts.

¶ I. Unwrap Those Presents! So what are our would be heroes to do? The Storyteller is utilizing the essence of—if you haven't guessed already—Santa Claus to create special presents that will help damage and delay the Story Eater. Again, it won't be enough to defeat it, but it will give the Aspects that extra oomph and time to chip away at that giant HP bar for the Storyteller to do its magic to reconstruct the shield and expel the Story Eater.

There are four types of presents:

Big Red. Big red presents will summon giant snowmen that will fall either on top of or around the Story Eater. They can't really attack, but they will create a lot of ice and snow in attempt to freeze the Story Eater place. It will also help make parts of the Story Eater a bit more brittle, so those who do try to do direct attacks can deal some damage and chip away some of that bone structure. Nothing massive, but at least some cuts and small bones can be hacked off.
Polka Dot Blue. Blue, polka dotted presents come in various shapes and sizes, but they all do the same thing when unwrapped and opened—create a lot of noise. Technically they're choirs singing various Christmas Carols, but doesn't really sound like it up close. Fortunately, they also come with special ear muffs and a small note saying, "Cover your ears before opening," but if disregarded then those who hear it will find themselves stunned and a little hard of hearing for a good while. Closing the flaps will silence the noise. What needs to be done is to direct the opening of the present towards the Story Eater. The "music" will amplify and stun it, giving a few precious seconds of vulnerability.
Orange Gift Bags. Large gift bags with black ribbons tying them close will unleash an explosion of pumpkins once opened. These pumpkins will rise into the air laughing before raining down in a wide area and explode on impact. So be careful! These will need to be brought over near the Story Eater to deal damage.
Black Envelopes in Black Stockings. These gifts are a bit harder to find, but it's also easy to notice a giant sock hanging from somewhere and a black envelope sticking out of it. They're up high, so some climbing or flying will be required. But once reached, opening the envelope will produce one of two cards. A card that is labeled "TRICK" can be used and thrown at the Story Eater. The card will expand in size and turn into steel to slice at the Story Eater, dealing a lot of damage. A card that is labeled "TREAT" can be used to help heal or boost those fighting, even allowing characters to immediately learn abilities that could help with the fight.

And around all these presents will be Erasers trying to reach and destroy them first. Some will be easy, but some may require a bit of fighting, so be prepared!

¶ II. Erase the Erasers. Erase the Erasers. The Erasers are pouring out of the black vortex and it seems as if there's an endless army of them. They are going after the citizens, so try to intercept them and defend the populace. They come in all shapes and forms, some even looking like creatures straight out of the lost stories themselves. Alternatively, try to see if you can plug up that massive hole. Perhaps a few well placed snowmen and pumpkin bombs? The gifts will also be effective against the Erasers, although it might be a little overkill.

¶ III. Help the Injured.The site where the Story Eater’s avatar landed has been reduced to rubble, and the monster is bent on more destruction as it plows through the city, any citizens caught in its wake bursting into torn pieces of ink and paper. Not everyone’s essence or heart is geared for offense, and there’s more than one way to help save the day. Those who still wish to help can try to save those who haven't been lost, or perhaps heal them if they have the knowledge or power at their disposal. Don't forget there are magical healing potions that everyone received on their first day, and it's not too difficult to find more, possibly buried underneath the rubble. Finally there are the "TREAT" cards that could also be used to help heal the injured.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Especially in regards to the festival, anything can really happen.

[Mod note: Refer to the accompanying Game Notes for more information!]

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I--... I believe so. [ She says, placing a hand over her chest as if it might slow down her racing heart. But besides that rather dangerous situation, she can only turn to him, her eyes wide with awe. ]

But nevermind that-- you! [ She waves her hand. ] How did you learn something like that?

[That's a huge relief. And they managed to completely avoid all those exploding pumpkins... It's thanks to Ophilia, really. Were it not for that gift bag, the Erasers would still be after them.

He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck in response- actually it's less impressive than she thinks, or that's how he feels anyway. He just felt something, but hadn't known what the result would be.]

Oh, uhhh, I'm not sure. It just sort of came to me. [but he remembers exactly when he felt different] Do you think it had something to do with that strange light?

[And she had a similar light, so what does that mean for her?]

It could have. [ She begins pensively. ] But... I'm not feeling the urge to start playing a musical instrument or even sing. And even if I could, it's not as if I could simply make up a song on the spot!

[ Which leads her to-- "it just sort of came to me"-- what? How?! ] To compose an entire song in an instant, and one with such power as to freeze them like that-- [ She turns to him, still beaming. ] You never told me you were a song-sorcerer!

[ She's clearly misunderstanding something here. ]

[While it's a nice compliment (certainly more fitting than 'warrior'), it's not entirely accurate. He wishes he could come up with songs on the fly, but, truth is, they take a bit more work than that. And he kind of likes slowly composing pieces...

Now he's just blushing profusely, and stammering.]

N-No, no, It's nothing like that. Um, h-how to explain...

[There's a brief pause as he weighs how to describe it, because he's not even sure himself. Guess he wasn't very clear, but how could he make it clearer? He can't really explain the feeling. It was like a distant memory-

Oh. Wait.]

It's like I knew the song all along, but had forgotten about it until that moment. Does that make sense?

[ Ophilia considers for a moment, his words resonating with her for a moment. The light from the envelop had touched upon the very feeling he describes-- as if recalling something innate to her that had once been lost.

She looks at him carefully. ] It... does make sense, actually [ She begins slowly. ] Do you feel that it has to do with your Essence?

Well... [he thinks it over for a second, sure, he used other songs that were similar back home, and Tamino had a couple, but nothing quite like this] I definitely didn't know any songs like that before coming here, so it probably does.

[That most likely is the case. Either way, it will come in handy.

--But he pauses suddenly, looking around. Somewhere nearby there is a strange scratching sound...]

Do you hear something?

[ Ophilia's shoulders grow rigid, and she looks to her side. ] It's.... [ Straining, it sounds like there is something coming from just beyond the shadow of the alleyway.

So of course when she peers towards the darkness, three more Erasers leap out at them. These ones appear the size of horses, but instead of hooves their six legs taper off into treacherous spikes. They're fast-approaching, too, bowing their heads towards them in their charge. ] Capell--!

[ She'll call out to him worriedly, and then channeling her abilities she throws up a barrier around them both. It's not the new power she has re-learned, but one she's managed to make in her own time. It will have to do to give them time to prepare their counter, though, as the Erasers encircle them. ]

More of them-?!

[And it had been so quiet only seconds ago- they came out of nowhere! Though it's really not all that surprising considering the town is overrun with them. But still, if they can sneak up on people that quickly, that only makes them more dangerous.

He had been quicker to reach for his sword, unsheathing it, just as something surrounds him.]

What is this thing?

[He's going to reach out to see if it can be touched.]

A barrier. [ Abe no Seimei was good at those. She's glad for that, because she's still getting used to it as an ability. One of the Erasers charges at them, and when it knocks into it the cleric flinches in surprise. It does keep some effort to maintain. ]

But we must act quickly, for I am unsure for how long it might hold. [ Wearily she grips her staff, looking towards one of the Erasers. Ophilia's magic might have saved them a hard charge, but now they're surrounded.

Still, she's beginning to feel a new power dance at her fingertips, and the sensation is so strange to her that she fidgets. Strange, but familiar. It's as if she has a new sort of power that's just waiting to be unleashed. Could it be what Capell had been talking about? ]

[He looks around them as the Erasures swarm, surrounding them completely. There are no gift bags near them, none that he can see. Nor did he notice any on the way here. And when that barrier falls, they will be overwhelmed.

His flute might buy them some extra time, but to come up with how to take out all these Erasures? He doesn't know. Better than nothing, though!]

I can hold them off with this. [pulling his flute out] But you'll need to find a way to defeat them.

[Since he won't be able to stop playing. Maybe she could smack them to death with her staff??? Either way, she's resourceful, and he's certain she will figure something out. He has faith in her!

So he starts playing the same tune from before, causing the Erasures to go completely still.]

[ The song causes the three of the monsters to stop in their track, only the slightest twitch of their resisting muscles giving away that they are not simply detailed statues. When he's played a few bars of the song, only then does Ophilia lower the shield she's constructed.

It's like I knew the song all along, but had forgotten about it until that moment.

She closes her eyes, bringing back his words to help guide her as she focuses upon the feeling within. It's almost as if she's reminiscing of a power that once was, only to find it again. And it is something familiar-- a warmth, a light, a blinding light. She had that power once, a power to call it down from the heavens and render her opponents both blind and to dust.

No, not had. She has it. She's remembered it. It's different, but it comes back to her in an instant.

Ophilia suddenly whips up her hand into the air, her fingers then clutching as if pulling something, and like striking an anvil she throws her arm down to the ground. Beams of light follow through, attacking all three of the enemies at once.

Twice.

And on the third strike they dissolve into the light completely. It is over. ]

[About halfway through all of that, Capell stopped playing, wrenched from his concentration by light and the crashing sounds that followed.

He stands there completely mesmerized by the display, squinting and trying to see past the splotches of colour staining his vision. Magic. He's seen that sort of power from those with lunaglyphs, and even though that very power was a source of pain for most, it didn't make it any less mystifying of a display. Especially when the one wielding it is using it for good.

The Erasures dissolving into thin air is followed by silence, leaving Capell awestruck for a moment, rubbing his eyes in an effort to regain his vision, until he finds his voice.]

That light... Was that you?! [it had to be, right?] That was amazing! Not only can you create barriers to protect people, but you can fight too! Was it something you just remembered?

[Like he described. Like something was lying dormant until that very moment?]

[ The battle is over just like that, and they are safe-- for now.

But man does she look exhausted, and she leans wearily upon her staff even as she smiles at him. Still, she's relieved that the fight is now over. ] Yes, it is just as you said. I remembered something I had once forgotten... [ And knowing it once more just feels right to her. ] That sort of attack magic is something I had in my own world... Only now, I am pulling its power from my Essence.

[ coming here is basically like being level 1 again. with having super low starting SP to begin with. ]

[He's certainly grateful that she remembered it when she did. Else this might not have ended too well for them.]

Lucky for us that you know magic like that. [he's sincerely impressed] I feel a lot safer having you around; I couldn't have taken care of them that quickly... [he's curious about her magic, but as he looks her over more closely he notices the weariness] You don't look too good though, did you want to sit down for a bit?

[He will offer his hand if she needs help settling down somewhere-- inside one of these buildings might be safe enough for a brief respite.]

[ She'll take his hand, smiling softly at him as he leads her somewhere to sit. Is she really this weak? It's so strange. ]

...I wouldn't mind a bit of a break, yes.

[ So that she'll be able to recover somewhat. ] But I should be fine on my own. You, on the other hand--... you can surely help more.

I'm going to continue to do my best.

[He's doing everything that he can, which is hopefully enough. He doesn't run away anymore, but he does wish he could offer more. There are a lot of people here, all from different worlds, and he's seen the things some of them are capable of. There's a bit of doubt lingering inside him, though his confidence is better than it used to be, he still can't help but make comparisons.

Capell carefully leads her into the nearest building, listening for anymore noises while opening the door and helping her inside. The place looks like a storage space of some kind, and he makes his way to the farthest wall, facing the door, just so they can keep an eye on it. Just in case.]

Okay. This place should be safe for now.

[And he will help her down onto the floor, if necessary, joining her.]

Ah, I was wondering... Is the magic in your world something you're born with?

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Nightmare on Index Street

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