keeperoftales: (Default)
Forgotten Tales Mods ([personal profile] keeperoftales) wrote in [community profile] realmofstories2018-11-02 08:01 am

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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!]
starseeing: (pic#12648911)

[personal profile] starseeing 2018-11-03 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
A: Snowmen:
[ If the point of a present is to be gifted with a surprise, well, the Storyteller did it right. Giant snowmen popping out and then falling atop a femur, a clavicle, or a mandible is not what she expected when she opened the present.

Instead of being frozen in fear of a giant skeleton, Ophilia stands frozen in awe of them as they impede the Storyeater.

And then it occurs to her that it's actually working. ]
--Now! [ She'll call out to anyone who is beside her, grasping her staff tightly. ] Let us strike it so that it doesn't take one step further--!

B: Orange Gift Bags
[ Maybe your character has decided to see what's inside one of the orange ones, reaching to open it. It's then that they'll see a black gloved hand take their wrist to stop them. ] ...Not that one. [ She'll tell them gently with a smile.]

At least, not here. [ Ophilia looks to giant skeleton still wrecking havoc just a few blocks away. She can feel the reverberations of its stomps even at this distance beneath her feet, and the brutal scream of its chainsaw. Her lips almost tug downward ] We should use them against that monster.

C: Oh No, You are Hurt:
--Wait! [ They're now on the defense for whatever reason. Maybe the erasers began overwhelming the fight against the Storyeater, or maybe you got caught up in a friendly fire of pumpkin explosions. Whatever the case, before you leap back into the battle or make a break for it, Ophilia will grab your arm insistently. ] You are hurt. [ Even if she's never met you, her worry deeply wrinkles her forehead. ]

You need help.

D: Black Envelope
[ Whether it reads "trick" or "treat", Ophilia will eye it skeptically. ] ...What do you think it does?

E: Wildcard: [ Have something in mind you want to play out? Put it here! Feel free to PM or ping me at [plurk.com profile] drinksteapots
rokubro: (‡ 153)

[personal profile] rokubro 2018-11-03 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
» i. present fiasco «
[So, even though Rokurou had gotten the whole, "You won't be able to deal much damage on your own!" message, he still went for it, anyway. As expected, he really didn't do much, but at least he had a better feel of the giant skeleton. It may be huge, but that could be to their advantage. ...If these presents are really what they're cracked up to be.]

[ a. clearing the way ]
[Some presents are guarded by the Erasers, and while he hasn't quite figured out everything there is to his essence, he at least figured out how to use his weapons more effectively.

Ish.

He's still sticking to using mainly the blades, slashing through a few, but an occasion shot will be fired for any flying around.]


I got this, just get that present and open it!

[...Such a weird thing to say, but it's what they have to do!]

---
[ b. what does this present do? ]
[When there aren't any Erasers to worry about, Rokurou will be a little curious as to how these presents actually work. After all...not exactly the first thing he'd think of as an effective "weapon." So he'll approach one and stare at it dubiously.]

So we just open it? Any idea what might be inside?

[Just a small poke. IS THIS REALLY SAFE...

(Feel free to pick from 1-3 which present they're dealing with!)]



---
[ c. distraction ]
[Who's a crazy war daemon that's willing to get into the thick of things even if he really shouldn't? This guy.]

I'll distract the big guy, just do what you need to do!

[Yes. That's right. HE'S GOING TO CHARGE IN AND SMACK AND SHOOT AT THE STORY EATER EVEN IF HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING. To be fair, it's actually a pretty sound strategy. So whether someone has a present ready to fire or just trying to get people to safety, Rokurou will be acting as bait to try and lure the Story Eater either into position or away.]


» ii. wildcard «
[Rokurou's pretty much fight all the time rotflmao, but any other prompts can go here!]
hatesviolence: (☣ break away from everything)

[personal profile] hatesviolence 2018-11-03 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ii. sending back the erasers ]
[No really. Shizuo had managed to make his way towards the Erasers are coming from and has uprooted one of the city's streetlamps to use to swing around and slam into the Erasers. Any that weren't immediately disintegrated from the sheer force were sent flying back into the black vortex.]

T'ch, there's no end to end! We need to cover that thing up!

[But...with what?



—Doesn't matter. Shizuo is about to display his monstrous strength with the added help of his Frankenstein essence and pick huge broken slabs of concrete to hurl towards the hole. Will they fall in or actually cover it, he has no idea. But he's also hitting a few Erasers in the process so it's not completely useless.

Just...hopefully he doesn't accidentally hit someone else.]



-----------
[ iii. helping the helpless ]
[When not dealing with the Erasers, Shizuo will be quick to try and offer his aid to those trapped or being attacked. After clearing out a few Erasers, he'll hear some muffled cries for help under some rubble of a collapsed building and quickly jump in to try and get closer.]

Hey, I need a hand here!

[...Or...does he? He seems to be pulling out the heavy debris pretty well on his own, but really he would appreciate any help. Especially if he has to hold up a particularly heavy piece so that the trapped can crawl out.

And if he's not calling for help, he'll be quick to assist others who might, lifting up heavy pieces to help free anyone trapped underneath.]



-----------
[ iv. wildcard ]
[Any other prompts here!]
chippedsoul: (telling all your lies)

C

[personal profile] chippedsoul 2018-11-04 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
[The sudden grab gives him a start. For a split second, there was a dark look in his eyes, but it quickly goes away.]

...I can still fight. [He says while there's blood on his clothes. It wasn't serious, just a flesh wound here and there. The Disciple may know how to fight, but this is beyond anything he's ever confronted. So he may have overdone it, even when he was trying to be strategic about it. One misstep with an exploding pumpkin has left him with the injuries he has, but he's still able to do something.]
chippedsoul: (black sheep)

ii

[personal profile] chippedsoul 2018-11-04 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
[Was Shizuo also expecting the concrete to be sent back in his direction? Well he should.]

Watch where you're throwing, idiot. [The culprit appears to be just a person, who had a few Erasers around him that had been sliced through with his sword. He had this bored disinterest in his yellow eyes, as he runs a hand through his pulled back hair.]
hatesviolence: (☣ by something that's real)

[personal profile] hatesviolence 2018-11-04 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Wow?? Rude???


Only except not because whoops. He did not realize there had been a guy there. He'll catch the concrete with his bare hands, sliding back a few feet from the weight—after all, it would kind of suck if it hit someone else since he apparently already almost made a casualty.]


Sorry, didn't see you there.

[Because of the Erasers...that were now dead around him.]

Just tryin' to fill up that damn hole so those things will quit showin' up.
hatesviolence: (☣ i will not bow)

A

[personal profile] hatesviolence 2018-11-04 06:54 am (UTC)(link)
[...YEAH giant snowman suddenly appearing out of the box and hitting the giant skeleton was definitely not what he expected, either, and he'll also be staring an surprise before he hears her.

...Hm. With the snowmen freezing it over a bit, it does seem to be stuck there for a moment.]


We just need to beat it down, right? [He still has yet to figure out how to create his own weapon, but he's used to using his own bare fists and whatever else is around him. He can deal with that.] Okay, leave the heavy hitting to me!
sparrowrain: (pic#12631278)

B

[personal profile] sparrowrain 2018-11-04 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Well, she came here for a reason, and this is it. Admittedly though, Aya's used to using her bow and arrows to fight, not the presents. So, once she'd figured out how to best use the red ones, she'd focused on that, following up with arrow shots in the hopes that the cold caused enough freezing so she could knock off pieces of their opponent. And that... that's only been partly successful so far.

And then, Orange had been her next choice. But being stopped by Ophilia makes her pause. ]


That's what I'm trying to do..? Don't they work like the red packages?
sparrowrain: (pic#12644158)

B

[personal profile] sparrowrain 2018-11-04 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Aya is crouched near one herself, fingers touching the shiny blue wrapping. Like Rokurou, these aren't her idea of weapons... She closes her eyes and gives a sigh. ]

Your guess is as good as mine.

[ She taps the box thoughtfully. ]

I mean, maybe there are knives inside?

[ They don't all look big enough for swords or anything. ]
slovenlyserenade: (pic#12631833)

D.

[personal profile] slovenlyserenade 2018-11-04 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[A suspicious black envelope sticking out of a suspicious black sock. He looks it over, flipping it around, and pondering whether or not to open it, when he hears a familiar voice. The card reads "TREAT."]

Umm... maybe it will give us snacks?

[Not really sure how that might be helpful in this situation...]
chippedsoul: (I smell the blood)

[personal profile] chippedsoul 2018-11-04 06:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Well you've certainly made them angrier. [They don't seem to like things being thrown at them and are trying to break through all the concrete, or pulling them into the void to open up more space.]

Whatever is on the otherside of that hole seems endless.
slovenlyserenade: (pic#12604325)

b.

[personal profile] slovenlyserenade 2018-11-04 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's an orange gift bag, one that Capell is feeling awfully suspicious about, given the colour. He stares at it, standing beside Rokurou.]

I mean, these are here to help fight off the Story Eater, so they can't be bad, right?
sparrowrain: (pic#12644159)

iii

[personal profile] sparrowrain 2018-11-04 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ With the Aspect of Princess, Aya doesn't quite have the strength she's used to having at home. But she can't help but be drawn toward the destruction, wanting to do anything she can for anyone impacted. Hearing Shizuo call for help pulls a string inside of her - even if she was how she was back at home, she probably wouldn't be able to do anything. It doesn't stop her from trying. ]

I'm here..!

[ Her fingers pull at the stone, the bearskin heavy in her satchel, like it's trying to tell her something. She just grimaces as she keeps trying to dig some of the debris away. ]
rokubro: (‡ 120)

[personal profile] rokubro 2018-11-04 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Unless they're special knives, not sure if they'd do much against that thing. [Hmm.] But guess there's only one way to find out. Want to do the honors?

[Of opening the present. Truthfully he IS a bit curious how these could be so special so maybe there really is something cool inside.


IT'S TOO BAD THE EARMUFFS WERE DETACHED AND LYING ON THE GROUND AWAY FROM THEM.]
rokubro: (‡ 031)

[personal profile] rokubro 2018-11-04 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[Orange... It's kind of sad because orange is actually one of his favorite colors. But yeah, he's having a sense of dread as well.]

Not against us, at least. [Staring at it.

Staring at it.]


Do we just...untie the ribbon? There's also paper inside...

[How do you "unwrap" a gift bag??]
hatesviolence: (☣ from this nightmare)

[personal profile] hatesviolence 2018-11-04 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
T'ch, damn pests...... [Just a very annoyed click of his tongue, a few bolts of electricity sparking off his shoulders.] You got a better idea, then?
hatesviolence: (☣ no time for goodbye)

[personal profile] hatesviolence 2018-11-04 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah, it's that girl from before.]

Hey, you'll hurt yourself going at it like that.

[He can lift this by himself, but it's still pretty damn heavy and he's been using his strength nonstop since this whole thing started. More importantly, he doesn't want someone hurting themselves trying to help others.]
slovenlyserenade: (pic#12631831)

[personal profile] slovenlyserenade 2018-11-04 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[More staring. Like the gift bag might start moving any minute now. He's also not making any move to open it either. Who will be the one brave enough???]

Untying it would cause it to fall open...

[Does he not know how that works.]
sparrowrain: (pic#12631274)

[personal profile] sparrowrain 2018-11-04 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Presents are always good, right? Aya smiles, and gives a bit of a shrug. ]

Why not? Someone'll need to do it eventually.

[ And she tears into the paper, as pretty as it is, and then - the sudden loud noise has her dropping the package immediately to clasp her hands over her ears. ]
rokubro: (‡ 076)

[personal profile] rokubro 2018-11-04 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Look he's not sure if there's some extra trick to this thing okay???? Also because he doesn't really want to be that close to the opening.]

...Okay just staring at it isn't going to get us anywhere.



Unless we slash it open with our swords.

[That. That is definitely a way.]
rokubro: (‡ 206)

[personal profile] rokubro 2018-11-04 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[OH MY—all expletives are censored by the unholy choir of hellbeasts unleashed by this box. His own shout is drowned out by the sound as he also clamps his hands over his ears, really, really wishing his daemon senses weren't still a thing in this world. But alas. They are. This sucks.

After another moment, he's going to try and reach over to close the box...which does mean he has to let go of his ears but SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO END THIS HELL.]
slovenlyserenade: (pic#12631822)

[personal profile] slovenlyserenade 2018-11-04 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[He was only playfully teasing, but... Well. There's only one way to find out what's inside. Though he's not sure Rokurou's suggestion is the solution. Even if it might potentially be the safer solution.]

But what if we damage what's inside?
sparrowrain: (pic#12644165)

[personal profile] sparrowrain 2018-11-04 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
But I can't just stand by when there's something I can do.

[ Except... she can't. Her hands are entirely ineffectual at this... ]
sparrowrain: (pic#12631275)

[personal profile] sparrowrain 2018-11-04 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Thank god someone had the sense to close the box, Aya couldn't because she was half curled into a ball. The sound is unrecognizable to her and while her senses aren't

What in the world?!
starseeing: (090)

[personal profile] starseeing 2018-11-04 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She catches that glare, but Ophilia holds her ground. ] Come, let our comrades handle this beast.

[ Her hand still hasn't left his arm yet, and she's eyeing the blood upon his clothes. Even small wounds add up, and if they are shallow... then that's an even better reason to treat them now before they get worse. ] Believe in them to hold their own, just for a minute. I can heal you.

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