[Nexus] Riverside X: Take a Walk on the Wildside

[Hattish Thing]

Residential Areas

Inspector Thenadier limps about, cane and big navy trenchcoat and hat, looking much like a strange character from Sherlock Holmes. His scarred, almost unrecognizable face is curled in disgust. The people's faces and words reeked of revolution. He was in the last Revolution of Fractis, fighting against the people. It was going fine until Romeo, Elio, Elkandar, and that pathetic Aceford killed the King. Marciano rose to power frrom the ruins, and Thenadier was possessed by a demon. He had killed Reinholdt and had lost his left leg. He had been trapped in a bottle for 10 years, forced to live in the endless deserts. Thenadier had always been a strong, surly man, but over the years he had become tough as nails. He frowned. He'd be sure to get involved.

[Lost_Deep]

Kami Hunting

"I know a bit... about the area or math or physics, but I don't really know what I am." The Kami isn't actively trying to get away now, but does not seem trusting.

Mouth of the river-two days into the week

"Here is the scource, where the god implants his will into the water." A woman comes up to the vines, orating to an unknown audience... perhaps herself? "What does he want, affecting the water so? Will the seeds grow to chaos or peace? Death or life?" She isn't human, but purple-skinned with odd, tentacle hair. Her eyes look as if they don't actually see anything... or perhaps that they see things that no one else does. "No matter the intent, the risk is too great."

She wades into the water a bit, looking at the vines. "I bet I could bring Cobwebs over with some depth charges..."

[happyturtle]

Dionysian Meeting Place

Billie arrives, dressed to party. She's been particularly affected by the water, having consumed it directly from the god's cup, but the only change it has made in her behaviour is to make her more directly focused on her new religion. She spoke of Dionysus to every drinking buddy and bed buddy she made all week, and her enthusiasm in *ahem* sharing the good news probably has brought him some npc followers.

One of her rebellious activities was to pick every yellow rose she came across growing anywhere in the city and remove all the thorns. Her hands are scratched all to hell, but she picked out the five best blooms to bring as a gift to her god.

She also has a new jaunty hat. Which she shoplifted.

If she sees Dionysus, she'll go directly to him, hand him the roses, and kiss him passionately in greeting.

[Slii Arhem]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"You really ought to choose a different way of operating. Showing up where the gods tread makes you far too predictable." Lenai comments from the riverbank, looking distinctly uncomfortable with being away from her trees. An orchard nymph shouldn't have to suffer walking through cities for her father's whims damnit!

"I suppose I'll have to wait for you to come back to yourself before dealing with you." She says, tapping a finger to her chin in thought.

Dionysian Meeting Place

"You're a bit early to be arriving now don't you think?" Comments a satyr that prances out of the shadows of a nearby alley, "I was told to wait around and guide those that showed up, but I didn't expect to be on duty until tomorrow. Just what did that paper of yours say anyhow?" He peers at Billie with a pair of twinkling, goat-like eyes as his forehead wrinkles questioningly.

For reference, Billie's paper said to come to this address, outside of a liquor store, exactly when she's here, and be ready for anything.

[happyturtle]

Dio's Meeting Place

"Now is that any way to greet a lady? Scolding her for arriving?" Billie says, giving the satyr an up and down once over. She's carrying the same bottle that the note arrived in, but refilled it with some sort of hooch. She takes a drink, and offers some to the satyr. "You should be delighted that I'm here, whenever I choose to arrive!"

[Lost_Deep]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"It's pretty far to the bottom... perhaps the madman would be a better choice? But you must be discerning. Mustn't be allowed to-"

She suddenly turn to Lenai. "Do I go where the gods tread, or do they happen to cross my path?"

She then turns back to the river. "Perhaps the ice that Cobwebs uses will be enough? No, that would stop on the surface."

[Earl of Purple]

Westside- Residential Area

All the crimes that occur here, especially those in the wealthier neighbourhoods, are observed by skeletal monkeys watching from the rooftops, trees, and anywhere they can hide whilst still watching what occurs. They'll pass the information to their master, and he shall give it to Ramiro should he be asked. He'll let Ramiro know he has the information, first.

Eastside- Underneath Fallow's Furry & Feathered Friends

Whilst not in a residential part of the city, Fallow's Furry & Feathered Friends uses a lot of water to keep the slaves concealed in the grey market complex beneath its pet shop façade alive. And with the revelry in the water (unless I have misunderstood) they are getting bold, especially the newer ones that haven't been fully broken in yet. The private guards, primarily ogres, are liberal when applying their cattleprods to subdue them, and several die. Those are then taken into a separate chamber where they are rendered into cheap food to feed the ogre guards, with any leftovers given either to the animals chained above in the pet shop or to the surviving slaves.

[Devixer]

[Augedine Residence]

Jane Doe approaches the house of her targets. The augmentations she's picked tonight are for stealth, so she's invisible as she hops between rooftops on the way to this manor.

[Slii Arhem]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"They are not doing so intentionally, I assure you. After all, you're the one wandering into their domains so wantonly. Now, are you ready to hear my proposal for the mead? I did not come here just to listen to your ramblings as to how you think you'll stop my father." Lenai waits impatiently for a coherent response that lasts longer than a few words.

Dio's Meeting Place

The satyr gestures behind him to the alley he came from, and if Billie looks to where he's pointing she'll see barrels upon barrels of liquid behind him, "You being here means work for me, so let's get to it so I can get back to relaxing until the next one comes. He wants you to take a few kegs and set them up in the streets. You can either serve personally or leave them unattended, but once you're done setting up however many you can, start heading around and rousing up some people. If you see a fight, start cheering them on. Heck, start a few brawls of your own if you want. Make sure folks know it's in good fun, and help them up at the end of it. Same goes with breaking things and public nudity. You must know the drill for all that by now." The satyr scratches his nose, as if he's forgotten something.

"Oh right, don't worry about the barrels getting into the hands of kids. Soon as it touches their lips, it'll be plain old cider."

Aegidus Manor

((I believe you meant that post for me RB? The family name is Aegidus.))

The Manor has expansive grounds surrounding it, preventing Jane from making use of the rooftops all the way to her target. Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of security except for a wall around the entire estate and bright lights illuminating the lawns, especially around the finely trimmed topiaries.

A carriage sits in front of the main door, attached to an improbably tiny car that the chauffeur must have to ride in.

[Lost_Deep]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"The mead? What of the..."

...

"Oh... right the mead."

There she is. She looks at around, annoyed. Not at Lennai, just in general.

"Blast it! That was the eighth time in two days! What is going on?"

[Devixer]

[Aegidus Manor]

((I have a good memory for names, I swear.))

Normally, Jane would just kill any security, but this couldn't look like an outside murder, which meant that she couldn't even knock any guards unconscious. Instead, Jane merely slides down the wall of a nearby building. She spots the carriage and makes sure her cloaking aug is working optimally. Then she sneaks nearer to the carriage, pulling a small spray bottle from one of her many bandoliers.

[Slii Arhem]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"You tell me. I've been expecting you or one of your compatriots for a few days now, although the mead was finished ahead of schedule. Somehow, I figured you would know when it was done, but I suppose that was too much to ask. Instead, I find you hip-deep in the river, chasing after vines." Lenai shakes her head. Was she really prepared to deal with these people? So far they've been... troublesome to say the least, and now apparently this woman's alter ego wanted to ruin her father's ill-thought-out plans.

Aegidus Manor

There's no one on the grounds to stop her, so she makes it to the carriage with ease. Once there however, she can spot that the edge of the roof has a concealed camera every few feet, giving excellent coverage of the entire lawn without being visible from the street.

Still, it shouldn't give her much trouble cloaked as she is. It's hard to tell whether or not the cameras can see infrared, but they do look fairly expensive even from where she stands.

[happyturtle]

Dio's Meeting Place

Billie pours out her inferior liquor and fills it from one of the kegs. "You got it, boss." She'll squeeze his ass as she walks past, tuck a yellow rose into one of his horns, and spread the rest out over the kegs. It would have been great to see Dionysus, but clearly there was work to do to get this party going. "I'm strong. I'll set up kegs until there is a prominent need for nudity and debauchery."


*all actions attempted

[Gullara]

[Northside Hotel]

"They might consider it, but they will likely just put you away anyway. Just in case." Astrana replies before Valente touches the orb, an aura os silence suddenly surrounding him as well to ensure utter privacy.

The tiefling sigh, "Alright, here is the thing I haven't told you. On my way back I was contacted by the fourth tower by mental projection. They are right in the city and now they like me to meet them. I'm not sure what to do."

[Northside Hotel]

"Oh, the group you were with before we met? Is that a problem?" The vampire asks. The way Astrana is reacting certainly gives that impression. "What do you want to do about it?"

[Lost_Deep]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"Ooh, was that today? I need to check if my sister is in town yet. I can give my friends a call to let them know, are you ready right now?"

She looks back into the river. "Why are there vines across the bottom of the river?"

[Slii Arhem]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"They're there because that's where the one who planted them wants them to grow. And they're going to stay there because he wants them to stay." That was about as simple as it got.

"The mead is out in the forest, but I am ready for you to pick it up. My question is, what do you have to trade for it?" They did mention that they would like to be the go-between for distributing it, but she didn't trust them not to just take it and use it for themselves. If it was traded, then at least she would have something of value, and they could trade it once more to the people of Riverside and elsewhere at their leisure.

Dio's Meeting Spot

The satyr cackles, "Not exactly my type, but I can see why you chose to follow him. Get some more hair on your legs and maybe we might have some fun when this is over mm?" he doesn't bother disguising his leer, not after Billie groped him so openly, but waves her off to do her end of the work. He was stuck here handing out jobs until things started running smoothly, so there wasn't much time for him to be thinking of dalliances.

[Devixer]

[Aegidus Manor]

Jane pauses when she sees the cameras. Total coverage, and she was forbidden from disabling them. She tries to see if there are any blind slots in the surveillance, assuming the cameras can see infrared or thermal. She didn't get far as an assassin being careless.

[Morty]

Democracy Now

"Okay. How can I help? I'm not a skilled public speaker, but I pride myself in my logistics skills."

The woman hasn't noticed that she was scanned; presumably the affect is limited to preventing the scan (and presumably other effects?) from working. Similarly, it's not advanced enough to specifically fool the scan.

"We could use people good with logistics. Once the movement gains momentum, there will be a lot of things to keep track of. What sort of experience do you have, exactly?"
Looks like the brash-looking man is smarter than he looks.

[Residential Area]

The Hunters are worried. Something is affecting the citizens of Riverside on a massive scale. With their social movement still in its infancy, this is potentially disastrous.

The groups of chatting people are closely scrutinized by Hunters using Edges to grant them a keen insight into the nature of any supernatural effects affecting them.

[UncleWolf]

Wildside

Deep in Lenai's Orchard stands a very special tree. Sure, all the other Blood-Trees here are special, but not like this one.

This one is soon to be a mother.

It had taken just a few days for the first signs of its new state to show, the bark swelling slightly and cracking around the vacuole that swells within the deep heartwood. It takes two weeks for the swelling to be obvious, and two more before it's ready to burst.

At the end of the first lunar cycle, a slow creaking can be heard as it splits open, releasing an ooze of bloody sap. Moments later, a small form falls out, gasping for breath and struggling to get to her hands and knees. The young dryad opens her weak eyes and looks down at her clawed hands as she gathers her strength. It takes several moments, but she's able to stand eventually. Any watcher would see a young fey girl, about fourteen years of age in form. She seems to be covered in a gray-green leafy fur and settles down a bit to sit on her haunches as she looks around. In the moon light, her leafy hair unfurls and her flowers bloom. Her ears twist slightly as she hears the buzzing of bees and the creak of wood, and she can't help but feel at peace.

Until a second flood of godblood-sap falls over her body, followed promptly by the body of another, more serpentine, dryad landing on her head, pinning her to the floor. "Ow!" She shouts, hearing her voice for the first time as she struggles under her twin. "Get your fat butt off of me!" After a moment more, she falls limp and sighs, resigned to her fate.

[happyturtle]

Dio's Meeting Spot >> Kegs!

Billie places a few kegs out, then sees a breeze-top someone left with the keys in, and helps herself. She manages to attract a few friends to help her load up the convertible and drive around to set them up. The population of the car changes throughout the evening, but it's generally well past safety limits at all times, and lots of groping and necking and general naughtiness is occurring during keg delivery. Billie sits high or stands, waving at people and directing them to the kegs while praising Dionysus and drinking very generously from her own bottle. She manages to hold on to her hat, but her dress is hanging open at the front. It's a very merry group.

This doesn't preclude any of the other PC followers of Dio getting involved as well with this task, of course.

[Shadowcaller]

Kami Hunting

"It's an It. Can we just eat and run?" Harnel's getting a headache from prolonged exposure to forgetfulness.

Kami Hunting

"We can't just eat it. That would be... wrong." It might not actually be dangeorus though. It was just confusing. That's all. She rubs her forehead tiredly. She couldn't think straight, maybe they should just leave a while so he could think through this away from the kami. "Let's just leave, I need to think."

[Northside Hotel]

"I don't know, I didn't exactly leave the fourth tower after all. I was forced away from it by a third party which also cut all my ties. If they know I'm here though I'm not sure how long I can avoid an encounter with them." Astrana explains, seemingly very nervous and restless. "In my world Valente, the fourth tower is big. People don't always understand it but they got connections everywhere. Gods, spirits, demons, devils... they use it all to gain power. Or eventually become them. They want to met me tonight in Eastside and they like me to bring you with me."

[Lost_Deep]

Two Days In - River Mouth

"What do you need? We have money, but I somehow think that you don't want that. It's beyond me what you could need, so it is left up to you to begin the bargain."

She slogs up out of the river, there wasn't any real reason to stay there now.

Democracy Now

"I made trade arrangements for the Masselvein corridor caravans."

...

"That's international trade through a hot zone. I made the arrangements to make sure the caravans were well-stocked and had enough ammo. That was the highlight, of course, I have experience other than that."

[Gullara]

Wildside

Deep in Lenai's Orchard stands a very special tree. Sure, all the other Blood-Trees here are special, but not like this one.

This one is soon to be a mother.

It had taken just a few days for the first signs of its new state to show, the bark swelling slightly and cracking around the vacuole that swells within the deep heartwood. It takes two weeks for the swelling to be obvious, and two more before it's ready to burst.

At the end of the first lunar cycle, a slow creaking can be heard as it splits open, releasing an ooze of bloody sap. Moments later, a small form falls out, gasping for breath and struggling to get to her hands and knees. The young dryad opens her weak eyes and looks down at her clawed hands as she gathers her strength. It takes several moments, but she's able to stand eventually. Any watcher would see a young fey girl, about fourteen years of age in form. She seems to be covered in a gray-green leafy fur and settles down a bit to sit on her haunches as she looks around. In the moon light, her leafy hair unfurls and her flowers bloom. Her ears twist slightly as she hears the buzzing of bees and the creak of wood, and she can't help but feel at peace.

Until a second flood of godblood-sap falls over her body, followed promptly by the body of another, more serpentine, dryad landing on her head, pinning her to the floor. "Ow!" She shouts, hearing her voice for the first time as she struggles under her twin. "Get your fat butt off of me!" After a moment more, she falls limp and sighs, resigned to her fate.

[Wildside]

The second dryad is as odd as the first. Her lower body is long and very much like a snake's body. It's scales appear to be strong and made of small chunks of bark. Her upper body gives way to smooth, brown skin. She shakes her head, rustling her leafy hair.

The young dryad looks down at the other with slitted eyes. "What if I don't want to move my "fat" butt?" She asks with a grin, showing off her long, sharp fangs.



[Northside Hotel]

Valente nods slowly. "I guess there's not much we can do to avoid it." Jeez, couldn't they get a break? They have enough problems right now. "I wasn't going to let you go alone anyway, so I'm definitely going."

[Reinholdt]

Kami Hunting

What on earth would be wrong with it? Harnel's tempted to try and eat it right there himself if Cessie won't, but eventually nods and turns to head away with her.

[Lost_Deep]

Kami Hunting

As the two leave, the Kami will sit down (?) in the fountain. Never having been manifested before, it doesn't really know what's going on. It's just going to stay here and see if she goes back to normal...

[Zefir]

Spoiler

Show

Northside, Eastside, and Westside Residential Areas

For the past week, authorities and those who study such things in their spare time may have noticed a recent upturn in petty crime such as vandalism, bar brawls, break and enters, and so on. It's been a steady rise spreading down from Northside until three-fourths of the city seemed on edge, yet among those caught and charged for their crimes there has been very little tying them together. Few common links exist between one crime rash and another, and the only goal so far seems to be pure anarchy.

The streets are abuzz with something new, different and strange. People talk in low whispers with flushed cheeks, huddled in groups of three or four. Despite the surges of violence and destruction, there seems to be a camaraderie to these people that draws in the lost and lonely, and they never begrudge another joining their hushed conversations.

One thing is certain, whatever is happening now the mood of the city is tinder dry. Despite a few metaphorical fires here and there that were quickly put out by those in charge, the whole city feels as if it is on the edge of a massive conflagration.

Just waiting for the right spark in the right place, where no one will be able to put it out in time.

On the seventh day, Dionysus judged everything ready, and messages began appearing in bottles. Followers are being called and making their way here, ready to perform their requested roles. Tomorrow, everything begins and ends.

[Eastside on day four]

It's some time after the party with the anthropomorph theme. Fade had many time to spend since both places he work have nothin to do for him. Due to hat he spend much time in Riverside just walking around all day and night, sometimes visiting a bar or only standing in the street for no reason.

In that time he had consumed a some of the water filled with the gods essence. And now the effects seem to take place in his body. Fade fees the sudden need to do things he don't wnat and more strangly things came up he never had befor. At some time Fade falter through the streets reaching for one of the groups he saw often in the last few days.

With a broken voice Fade speaks up to them.

"Hey! What is going on here."

[Shadowcaller]

[Northside Hotel]

"It's the fact they want to met you as well that makes me worried actually. If I know them as well as I think I do, they might ask you to turn some of their members into vampires." Astrana replies as she pulls away the stone from the vampires grasp and start pulling on her coat.

[Gullara]

[Northside Hotel]

"Oh." Valente doesn't seem to like that idea. The last time he turned someone never went well at all. And he's aware he's not exactly a normal vampire anymore either. "I guess we'll find out."

[Shadowcaller]

Kami Hunting

As her thoughts slowly become clearer the sorceress moves to sit down at a nearby bench while looking in the direction of the kami they just left behind. Could she really let it wander around like that?

"Are you alright Harnel?" She asks the half-dragon, while she was partly resistant to the spirits abilities, her friend her likely weren't.

[Northside Hotel]

Astrana nods, but instead of walking out the door she takes a seat at the table. "But before we go, I think you need to explain your changes. I wasn't going to ask this until later but I feel like it's important now."

[Slii Arhem]

[Residential Area]

The Hunters are worried. Something is affecting the citizens of Riverside on a massive scale. With their social movement still in its infancy, this is potentially disastrous.

The groups of chatting people are closely scrutinized by Hunters using Edges to grant them a keen insight into the nature of any supernatural effects affecting them.

Residential Area

There is indeed something affecting them all, in the form of a low level compulsion that induces camaraderie, lowered inhibitions, rowdiness, and a general good mood. The most interesting thing about it is that while the effect is mild on its own, to the point of being easy to ignore if you have a good grasp on your emotions, it reacts like a flame when in the presence of other effected individuals. When two or more come together, the effect flares up larger and hotter than the sum of its parts.

[Aegidus Manor]

Jane pauses when she sees the cameras. Total coverage, and she was forbidden from disabling them. She tries to see if there are any blind slots in the surveillance, assuming the cameras can see infrared or thermal. She didn't get far as an assassin being careless.

Aegidus Manor

The closest she can see to a blind spot is her current position behind the carriage, as it provides decent cover from the angle that the cameras are pointing. From here, it's a straight shot to the front door if she wants to take it, thought that would put her under the eye of the cameras for a brief moment. There was also a servant's entrance she may have noticed during her approach, on the west side of the building tucked between some hedges for discretion.

Two Days In - River Mouth

"What do you need? We have money, but I somehow think that you don't want that. It's beyond me what you could need, so it is left up to you to begin the bargain."

She slogs up out of the river, there wasn't any real reason to stay there now.

Two Days In - River Mouth

"Animals, exotic and dangerous ones that will do well in my forest. I plan on expanding it so that it can support a small ecosystem, so if you can get a hold of some interesting animals to fill it with, it would go much more quickly than waiting on them to find it on their own."

[Eastside on day four]

It's some time after the party with the anthropomorph theme. Fade had many time to spend since both places he work have nothin to do for him. Due to hat he spend much time in Riverside just walking around all day and night, sometimes visiting a bar or only standing in the street for no reason.

In that time he had consumed a some of the water filled with the gods essence. And now the effects seem to take place in his body. Fade fees the sudden need to do things he don't wnat and more strangly things came up he never had befor. At some time Fade falter through the streets reaching for one of the groups he saw often in the last few days.

With a broken voice Fade speaks up to them.

"Hey! What is going on here."

A burly thug with a coarse red beard looks up from the huddled conversation, and his face splits into a grin when he sees Fade, "We're just talking mate, no harm in that right? Come over and join us!"

The man waves a big, muscled arm, and the other members of the group move aside so that Fade can take a place among them if he wants. It's almost as if they expected him.