manhattan ♔ there is no knot so steadfast | it won't go broke in the middle of monsoons

[silvermaid]

♬ two years before the mast - astronautalis

WHO || Violet Reedhym, Luthir Reedhym, Myrilandel de Tanos, Finnick Odair, Anastacia O'Keefe, Faith O'Keefe, Nicholas Starkweather
WHAT || The Knights attempt to free Vi from the influence of the Nightmare God Malaak'a
WHERE || Manhattan, New York
WHEN || June 7th, 2014
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

Some choices are almost impossible to make. For a year, the Knights have watched Violet fading, the way she always does with the winter thanks to her connection to her mother Persephone. Except in this case, there was no getting better with the arrival of spring. If anything, she's only spiraled further into depression, and it's clear that if this continues, it will spell the end of her sooner than later.

Keijen Blade appeared to several of the Knights in their dreams, to caution them of Vi's impending fate, and to tell them that their plan to save her will end in blood. Of course, he had his own alternative to offer: that she take a deal from Malaak'a that would allow the god to see through her eyes into this world. Realizing that the plan offered by Sehanine to use Faith O'Keefe's dreamwalking ability to sever the connection might simply result in someone giving their life to save hers, Vi agreed to take the offer in one month. However, on the evening of their wedding, Luthir talked her into going through with the goddess' plan, promising not to go into her dream with them.

Their car pulls up in front of Des' horrible rundown apartment building, where they're meant to track down Nicholas Starkweather - a friend of Des', who is apparently also a unicorn. Look, he knows people.

Comments

[witchwoman]

[Myri looks slightly less calm but thankfully didn't fly into a panic (will 18). She jolts to sit straighter, eyes wide before she stands as well. While Finnick consults with Ana, she takes a very cautious step towards Faith to try to catch just what that sound is or make out what is being said maybe?? (listen 31)]

[silvermaid]

[ ♬ falling - woodkid

as myri steps forward, suddenly faith all but vomits something black and shadowy of her mouth, and it coalesces into a form right in front of the knight. the creature forming is something out of a nightmare. it has a vaguely humanoid shape but its a shape without features. from the waist down, it trails away into vaporous nothingness, leaving a faint trail of fog behind. it mutters and whines to itself, suicidal babble and strange bits of madness. the effect is almost hypnotic, and they must make a will save dc 16 or be hypnotized for 3 rounds. ]

[witchwoman]

[Thank goodness for torture helping her develop a stronger sense of will.... I guess... Myri brushes off those effects without blinking an eye (will 29 bitches).]

No. [It's a ghost of a sound as she watches the shadowy creature spill from Faith and form in front of them. She's terrified for what that might mean for the four of them in the dream world. But that fear only makes her more determined to do something this time. Instinct causes her to raise her palm. From the center, a bright light starts to glow and a piercing ray shoots from her hand at the creature (ranged touch 20 total, 39 damage).]

[silvermaid]

[ the spell strikes true and the blast of light scours away at the darkness in the thing's chest. it writhes against the holy energy, but manages to raise an arm, reaching out to grip myri's wrist (atk nat 20). she feels an icy coldness run through her and then a horrible wave through her mind of the madness that composes the thing - the insanity that defines it. she takes 3 points of wisdom drain, and feels the thing growing slightly stronger as it feeds on her sanity (+5 hp for it!)

anastacia cries: ] No! [ as well, and casts undeath to death, a burst of white light expanding rapidly through the apartment. when it strikes the creature, however, it passes right through it harmlessly. ]

[65]

[finnick, on the other hand, only had a will save of 12. so he's fucked. just standing there paralyzed with a vacant expression while a blob of nightmare goop attacks his fiancee, nbd.]

[witchwoman]

[Myri tries to yank her arm back, but not before she can feel herself slipping a little, like that wall she's built up in her mind is not quite as strong. She staggers back towards Finnick where she notices his face and grows immediately concerned.]

Finnick? [She will spend her six seconds this round trying to wake his ass up without giving him shaken fiance syndrome.]

[silvermaid]

[ as she turns towards him the creature brushes against her back as well (atk 23, another 2 wisdom drain), and anastacia takes a moment to cast break enchantment, freeing finnick from the thing's hypnosis ]

[65]

[he snaps out of it, and looks down at myri shaking him with confusion. WHERE DID THE LAST LIKE 18 SECONDS GO???] Myri? What — [and then he realizes the shadow thing is like right behind her/them and yanks her back from it. even though it's too late. HE TRIED IDK WHAT YOU WANT FROM HIM.]

[witchwoman]

[As Finnick pulls her back, Myri gives a shudder from the cold feeling that washes over her from the shadow's touch. She tries to cast searing light again, but the beam of light misses (attack 14).]

Don't let it touch you! [learn from her mistakes plz]

[silvermaid]

[ the shadow sinks into the floor, out of sight entirely and anastacia casts protection from evil, giving a +2 to saves and defense. ]

That thing is called an allip. It's... a shade created from suicides. Myri's right - don't let it touch you.

[65]

How do we fight it?

[silvermaid]

It can be hurt with weapons or healing spells, like any undead, but it's a ghost. Your attacks might pass right through it sometimes.

[65]

[well fuck that shit. finnick pulls a knife off his belt bc he came prepared. he's like a boy scout now.]

[witchwoman]

[Healing spells? Well Myri has those. She also has a spell that could restore the lost wis points but she won't measure her magic in herself were there is a a shadow thing to fight. Holding action and glancing to Ana.]

I have to touch to heal.

[Technically she now has one spell where she doesn't have to BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW THAT YET. Mostly just not interested in getting zapped by that thing again.]

[silvermaid]

[ the allip rises out of the floor right behind finnick .__. (atk 13) apparently he is on this shit and can dodge the hand that tries to grip his shoulder. anastacia does another undeath to death burst with a shout to finnick... and this time it bombs its will save, and i rolled a 4 for the hit die destroyed so POOF. /init as the creature evaporates with a cry.

however, a spot check of 14+ notices the black veins slowly climbing up luthir's face, and vi begins to toss in her sleep restlessly. ]

[65]

[his ref save was 24, so ... he probably managed to escape oogie boogie's hand. but then his spot was 8, so i guess he didn't notice shit while putting back his knife and being relieved that they survived the nightmare goop monster.] That was something.

[witchwoman]

[Even with her reduced wis score, myris spot is still over 20 so she will be running for the other half if their group.]

Something's wrong! [Vi's tossing has her concerned but it's Luthir that draws her attention. Those lines don't look good.]

We have to get them out of there.

[silvermaid]

[ ana hones right in on that too, but shakes her head, eyes widening as she looks at faith ] We can't pull them out of there before they're ready. If Faith doesn't bring them all back, they could get trapped in Vi's dream.

[witchwoman]

We have to do something! What's happening to him?!

[Vi would never forgive her if she let something happen to her husband. She can't just sit there.]

[65]

Isn't there — surely there's some kind of spell one of you has that could help. [magic = duct tape right????]

[silvermaid]

Without knowing what's happening, I can't--

[ oh but hey, abruptly those black veins spread hella fast... and then violet cries out in her sleep, and before they know it, luthir's body changes before their eyes into black dust, crumbling away.

she told you things happen faster in the dream world. so fast, in fact, that at that very moment, faith, nick, and vi... wake up. ]

[graveflowers]

[ ocean breathes salty - modest mouse ]

No. [ it's the first nightmare she doesn't want to wake up from. faith yells hold on and violet doesn't want to. any nightmare, every nightmare, would be better than what she opens her eyes to. the rest of the room is unimportant. faith and nick and anastacia are forgotten, myri and finnick vague notions in the back of her mind.

all that matters is luthir and he's the only thing she can't get back. her hands tremble as her eyes drift down and she crumples, falling against the floor like a broken marionette, weeping. her thin arms curl around herself like she's her own life raft but she's still drowning. ]

[65]

[he doesn't need a wis check to realize that things didn't go very fucking well. seeing how luthir can now fit inside a dust buster. finnick moves to vi's side and gives her a hug, the same way he did when she first started having the nightmares almost a year ago. the same, yet different — stronger, tighter. because they're closer now, and the loss was real.]

[witchwoman]

[She should move to comfort her sister. She should be there for Vi. But all Myri can think about is the concert and Jade and way that she had watched that life slip away. She remembered how much it had ripped so many of them apart, but Vi's pain had been the hardest for her to witness. And now the life literally crumbling away was that of the man she had married just one day prior.

Falling to her knees, Myri tries and tries to will her magic to do something, anything to help this. She didn't know Luthir well, had never spoken to him much, but Vi loved him and he was that one piece of happiness for her that never seemed to fade.]

Stargods, please. [She calls out for deities that would not even answer her prayers when she was locked in a cell on Andres. If there was hope that they might listen now, she would beg for their help.] We cannot face this pain again.

[moonheart]

[ faith comes to and takes a staggering step backwards, clutching at her mom's arm with one hand, before looking back to where myri is begging to the gods. she casts a look at her mother, a knowing understanding of exactly what will and will not conspire as a result of myri's pleas.

she shakes her head, sticking to an explanation ] They faced Malaak'a. His presence in Vi's mind has been shattered. But the only way she managed to free her spirit was for Luthir to fend him off.