[Nexus] Riverside 12

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

Oh... this will be awkward. "Lying... okay. Let me think. I don't know enough about the human condition to get into the history or the origin of lies, really, but I can tell you some. Humans also have unconscious gives on falsehood, but they're less obvious. I don't remember what they all are... hmm... you know, in comparison to your species, humans probably seem very distant life forms. They primary method of communication is sound, with a secondary focus on sight, both ranged methods of communication. I bet that helps; and without the luminescent aspect of visual communication the visual tells are easier to hide if you're aware of them. I guess overall, it's easier for us and as such it has a much larger role in our culture."

"The basics behind lying is really less obscuring the truth and more making others think what you want them to think; manipulation. It's a very simplistic method of manipulation: give someone incorrect information to react to and they will react incorrectly. I'm making it sound a lot more complex than it is (I think) but that's about the basis for it. The trick is that it's also easily corrected for the most part: if the target gets information that contradicts with what they have, they have to decide which information to believe, and therefore the solution with the most evidence is often accepted, which is often the truth... unless a lot of effort has been put into the lie. Of course, as a general rule (often due to the emotional reaction to being misguided) the bigger the lie the worse the reaction when it is found out."

"On the other hand, I bet that more advanced methods of misdirection, especially half-truths and emotional misdirection, are probably more what you're thinking about. Telling too little amounts of information, and then leaving the target to fill in the missing information with probably incorrect conclusions. Again, there are unconscious tells but they can be hidden."

Kate stops to think for a minute. "However, I am going to go as far as to say that misdirection is not always bad. Without it we probably wouldn't have fiction."

[Shadowcaller]

[Suncrest Manor]

"Umm..." Irena starts, trying not to be distracted by the nymph in the coach. "Maybe try in front of a mirror and picture yourself with cat ears?" She suggests.

[Malechenar]

"That's good to know at least. I'm sure it's going to turn out well however if everything you told me about your parents is true." Astrana replies with a smile. "In any case, maybe we should get packing. You probably need to take a shower too. Not that I'm saying you need one, but you need to get used to sweating now that you're alive again."

[Gullara]

[Suncrest Manor]

"Okay, let's give that a go." Nadia gets off the couch and grabs Irena's hand to lead her upstairs and into their bedroom. She goes and stands in front of the big mirror.

"Visualize myself with ears." She glances back at Irena. "This is so weird, you know? I mean, trying to change myself just by thinking about it. I have no... feel for it."

[Malechenar]

"So that's a no to making out then..?" Valente laughs and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Alright, I'll go take a shower. You can start piling things on the bed and I can help with packing once I'm out then?" With that sorted, Valente heads off to shower.

[Terumitsu]

[Streets]

"Xoxial dixtanxe ix.. It hax been noted, yex." came the succinct reply with just a flutter of bronze. "I xuppox that the divide comex when a xtory ix told for entertainment and a xtory ix told for mixinformation. I would conxede that our xtoriex are... I xuppoxe there ix a reaxon why there ix xuch a faxination with fiction from other culturex with my xort." the dwenic said. "Though the art of inferenxe ix well known to ux, mixdirection is moxtly praxtixed in the manner of ximply not xpeaking on the xubject for ux. I xuppox the xoxial conditioning hax xomething to do with it. In that perxpective, it makex xenxe of xome of the xteriotypex I have heard."

Fiddling with the band on her wrist, the dwenic paid the bill accrued before turning back to Kate. "Or at leaxt the kinder onex." she added.

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

"In the Nexus, stereotypes are not your friends. You never know what to expect when meeting someone; I've learned that a lot of times." Kate gets up, and then awkwardly asks, "Did you want me to pay for my part?"

[Gnrlshrimp]

[The Riverside Plague - The Beginning]

With the squirrels released across various squirrel-appropriate locations across Riverside, I suppose it is fair to say that AMEN's evil plan to spread plague across Riverside has well and truly begun.

See the cute furry little squirrels, their fur extra-thick to hide their yellowed skin.

See how friendly they are!

See how close they get to passers by, seemingly rather tame in comparison to your average squirrel.

...but you don't see the spores they're spreading, do you? Those poor unfortunate passers by don't see the spores landing on their skin, already starting to take root. Perhaps after a little while they may notice their skin looking a little red, feeling a little itchy. They might scratch it a little, serving only to drive the spores in deeper.

But this is only the beginning. The events occurring in each park, each tree-filled area, anywhere suitable for squirrels, a few minutes after their release. It will take a little while before things develop any further.

[Terumitsu]

[Streets]

"It ix tradition that the initiator payx, yex?" Kate had been more or less dragged into this after all. It would be rude by any measure to expect her to pay for it as well with no extenuating circumstances. "And I wax xpeaking in referenxe to my xort but that ix good advixe." the dwenic said as she slid out of the harness and began cleaning up the area she had occupied.

Checking the bracelet and bringing up a flicker of strange characters set against the same sphere as before, the alien made a quiet chirping noise as a hint of olive trickled across its lower set of shoulders. "Do you xtill have time? Might I be able to get an excort to where I am xtaying, perhapx?" she said as the display quickly faded away and Kate was again made the main point of attention.

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

"I probably don't know where it is, but I like to walk and talk," Kate answers as she cleans up her part of the mess.

[Darkcomet]

[Message to Ramiro]

It seems DC's sending word.

The plague is being spread by infected squirrels via spores. Spread the word, and do what you can about it.

Plans to obtain the cure are proceeding.

[Gullara]

[Riverside]

Soon after the message is received, the word goes out to the other factions and the general public. Squirrels are being used to spread the plague and should be avoided at all costs.

[Westside]

In Westside specifically, the pest control efforts are being directed toward squirrels specifically. They are being shot and the bodies are burned.

A quarantine site has been set up as well for people that are exhibiting what are presumed to be signs of the plague. There are some false positives, but many that have the plague should be isolated.

That said, these measures can't stop the plague outright. People will still be affected.

[Terumitsu]

[Streets]

"I at leaxt know he addrex xo it xould not be too difficult with a bit of xerching." she said as she began skittering along the sidewalk, keeping her pace somewhat slow so Kate wouldn't have much trouble just trying to keep up. "If I could inquire after the xubject xtill, could you tell me more about your family unit xtructurex? They are moxtly juxt groupingx baxed upon common lineage, yex?" the dwenic asked. Depending on how Kate answered, or if it was as close in length as her last answer on the subject of misdirection, then it was possible that they may reach the dwenic's dwelling by the time she had finished if they made all the right turns.

Or they might just be more lost at the end of it. Even with computer aided navigation systems, being unfamiliar with a new area was a bit taxing.

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

Kate beings to talk, but unfortunately isn't quite sure what to talk about and as a result this explanation does not go as smoothly. "Um, yeah. A normal family...unit, I guess is generally considered to be parents, a mother and a father, and their children. One's parent's parents are called grandparents... um, I don't think I quite understand what you're asking. You mean like family trees? Last names are passed down from the father, traditionally, most places... I don't really know what to talk about here. How much do you know already?"

[ThirdEmperor]

144 Trebuchet House

"Oh. Huh. Nice of you." Looking a little shaky there, Ant. "Whew. I should... I should probably be going now..." Stumbling a little as he goes to leave, and laughing dumbly at his own weakness, the kid stops in the doorway.

There's something he's supposed to say... "Uh, not sure what I'll be going with. Blood or gold, whichever, y'know, whichever works. Guess it has to be human, right?" No, wait, that's not it. "Bye!" That's it.

[Terumitsu]

[Streets]

"Well, one thing that I alwayx gave me xome trouble wax the usage of xurnamex. Why ix there xo mux emphaxix plaxed on lineage in the firx plaxe?" While they might make identification somewhat easier for a communication method that was limited only to sounds, beyond that it seemed like it was rather superfluous. Maybe if it was used as an identification of something useful like occupation or perhaps social status then it wouldn't be so odd. Still, as it stood, she couldn't figure out why anything other than tradition would have preserved the practice.

"And you xaid it wax normally paxxed on from the...'Father' ix the male parent? Why ix that? Ix there xome tradition behind thix or ix there a more xubxtantial reaxon?"

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

"Ah, yes, those are both mainly lingering traditions. I'm not sure on the history of those, but last names were originally connected to one's social status, profession, who someone was the son of... I really don't know the details. As for why the father, which is the male, yes, I don't know that either. A lot of cultures just had males as the dominant gender for some reason."

Kate thinks a moment... "You know, a lot of stuff like that just is never changed because no one wants to go to the trouble of fixing it. You can overthrow a government, but there's only so much you can do to improve the naming scheme. Last names mainly attach you to your family anymore, and no one is bothered enough by them to try and refine the system. You would have to talk to a sociologist or something to get the details, though."

[Terumitsu]

[Streets]

A shift towards a light bluish green and a rhythmic chirping issued from the alien as Kate mentioned the possible and once practical uses of surnames. So they once had been useful and simply were never discarded... Really that made sense as it was inobtrusive enough in its own enviornment that it wouldn't necessitate being dropped. Really much like how evolution worked in that respect as it wasn't necessarily something that created a disadvantage so much as just something held onto. Like the appendix, really. Or was that the gallbladder? Human biology was not her strong suit although understanding the gist of such was surprisingly helpful for interaction.

"Might it be due to gender dimorphixm? Or-Oh, I think thix ix it." the dwenic said as they stopped at a rather vine-covered brick apartment complex. This was an area that bordered the Northside of the city so natural sunlight could still filter through but it did seem to still be somewhat stormy on the horizon. "Would you like to come in?"

[Slii Arhem]

Westside Orphanage

"I really enjoy tinkering with things, and if something gets broken I'll enjoy putting it back together and improving it, if I can figure out how." Although it is pretty much guaranteed that things will get broken around him because he can't wait for the chance to put it back together again. He can fix most of it so it's impossible to determine that it was broken most of the time, too.

[Westside Orphanage]

"I wanted to get to know all of you," Sophie says, smiling at the children.

Westside Orphanage

"Oh, so you're a new caretaker then? That sounds nice I guess." Caretakers come and go, not as often as children do, but it's just a fact of life. Lily doesn't seem to pay it any more mind than Michael did.

[Wildside]

A nod, a pause, and Affidavit is gone.

Blue stumbles slightly as it regains control of its own body. "Well, it would seem that I am your servant now. Would you believe that was Father trying his best to remain polite? He still managed to cause an outburst in your beekeeper though...I knew he'd end up angering someone, somehow." The creation sighs, shaking its head.

Meanwhile, in a suitably quiet part of the forest, another creation appears and knocks three times on the nearest tree.

This creation is white. Another one of the handful of uniquely coloured creations, and the one Affidavit has put in charge of carrying out the experiments.

Wildside

"I don't like it..." the drunken boy chants in sing-song from his tree. "Father will be angry." The latter is only projection. Cole has no special insight into what Wolfy might think of the issue.

Wildside

"If he disagrees with it, he can come give the word and the deal will be off. He has all the time in the world to disapprove of my decisions, but unless he is going to do something then I have to do what I think will save my trees and his blood from being ransacked by those that want his blood for even worse purposes." Lenai explains calmly as she tracks Affidavit's movements. She takes a moment to ensure nothing of importance is hidden where he wants his clearing before directing the trees and roots to withdraw from that area. The roots pulling back causes the ground to sink nearly a foot, as the thin layer of hibiscus flowers and topsoil loses the support of the massive net of wood that was just beneath the surface. He's left with a small but serviceable clearing to work with.

Only after this is done does she turn to Blue, "His presence agitated Kell more than his demeanor, I believe. Technology and civilization have been nearly exiled from this forest, and it has become a bastion for those that shun or fear those things. A man who has made himself into a series of machines would warrant more than caution, especially in the primal state the mead instills in you."

[happyturtle]

Wildside

Wildside

Cole remains in the tree, rocking himself and humming until a squirrel goes to hop over him. He reaches out, snatches it with one hand, and breaks its neck.

Cole takes out a small knife and slices the squirrel's skin down its midline, then uses his fingers and teeth to open it up and gnaw at the raw flesh. When Lenai speaks, he tilts his head and thinks, slowly turning the idea over in his mind.

"Good. I hope Father comes soon. Maybe He'll come today." he says, and then returns his attention to his meal.

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

That's far enough for Kate, she realizes that this might be completely normal for his species (or even just highly personable people in general) but she isn't comfortable with it. "Thank you for the offer, but I don't think I will. I hope you find out a lot about the Nexus, and find someone who can help answer all your questions on humans."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Wildside]

First thing first: prepare the test subject for experimentation. Once the clearing is formed, a single drone is brought in. Shorter, simpler, the most basic of Affidavit's creations, hopefully it will prove to be an ideal test subject for these experiments. With such a simple body to begin with, any changes brought about by the blood should be noticeable more quickly.

And with the drone come various pieces of equipment with which to examine it in as much detail as possible. White swiftly gets to work going over every part of the drone, noting down every little abnormality, anything unusual, ensuring it's all captured at the start to avoid generating false positives.

This may take a while...

*****

"Be careful not to use that word around Father. I doubt you'll have to speak to him directly again, but he gets furious when people label his creations as machines. We are living beings. He did not make himself into a series of creations, but was forced to transfer himself into us when he was killed. But as I said, hopefully you won't need to talk to him again anyway. It'll be quite a while before the experiments begin. He's first ensuring that the test subject is examined as thoroughly as possible so he can detect any changes accurately."

Best to keep them informed, right? Blue doesn't want Lenai thinking that Affidavit is deliberately stalling or wasting time or anything.

"But, I simply must ask you something. If this is a bastion of nature, free of civilisation and technology, does my presence here not corrupt that? Why do you want me to remain here?"

[Earl of Purple]

144 Trebuchet House

"It doesn't have to be human. It could be elf, dwarf, goblin, kobold, orc, and so on. Not cow, dog, horse or anything like that, though. You can affect non-humanoid blood, but virgin animal blood is no more effective than non-virgin animal blood. Blood or gold, both are as acceptable as the other. Now go; I need to refresh myself before my age catches up with me." Her dreadlocks seem to be slightly greyer than they were when Ant arrived.

Westside Orphanage

"Well, there's me, Lily, Michael and... ooh, I can use that cog to upgrade my radio. Put it there, and I can take that bit out. But... What can I use that bit for? Isn't it the battery?" Gemalphin's got a little bit distracted as he lists names, instead gazing into a mental blueprint of his radio and how he can upgrade it using a small cog. Even though it seems he isn't too sure what all the pieces he takes out are.

[Morty]

[Eastside]

The safety measures introduced in Eastside are quite similar to those in Westside - squirrels are culled, with regret, and people who exhibit symptoms of the plague are quarantained. Of course, it won't be enough to completely stop the plague and the safety measures as well as the spread of the disease cause unrest.

However, the Hunters do not kill all of the plague-bearing animals. They attempt to capture some of them and take them to hospitals for careful study.

[Terumitsu]

[Streets]

A few feathers of scarlet and bronze managed to break out along the dwenic's arms like a series of ripples but they were quickly washed out though not entirely hidden by a gentle surge of pear skin green. "Oh ix that not.. Well, no matter." she said, fidgeting about with her bracelet.

It appeared as if she was taking a moment to compose herself as the slightly turbulent currents and patterns slowed and came to a rest. "Well it was quite an enjoyable experienxe today. Xould (should) you be partial to converxing again, then I would be glad for your company." the alien said, calling up the sphere display again although now there were a few things there that Kate would be able to read now. It appeared to be contact information as well as what appeared to be a perfectly readable name although it lacked any indication of a second or surname. With the bending of its forelegs and the opening of its lower arms wide in what might be seen as a gesture of welcome, the dwenic went on to say: "My name ix Tethea and I wix (wish) you well" she said, becoming a whirling blend of color as she spoke her name. It was up to Kate to decide what she did but perhaps now it might make a little more sense as to why it avoided the subject in the first place.. Or maybe it might just confuse things further.

[Lost_Deep]

Streets

Kate gets out her phone and notes down the information. "It was nice to meet you, Tethea. I'm Kate Kyland." Kate will them share her contact information, and then bid her farewell.

[Slii Arhem]

[Wildside]

First thing first: prepare the test subject for experimentation. Once the clearing is formed, a single drone is brought in. Shorter, simpler, the most basic of Affidavit's creations, hopefully it will prove to be an ideal test subject for these experiments. With such a simple body to begin with, any changes brought about by the blood should be noticeable more quickly.

And with the drone come various pieces of equipment with which to examine it in as much detail as possible. White swiftly gets to work going over every part of the drone, noting down every little abnormality, anything unusual, ensuring it's all captured at the start to avoid generating false positives.

This may take a while...

*****

"Be careful not to use that word around Father. I doubt you'll have to speak to him directly again, but he gets furious when people label his creations as machines. We are living beings. He did not make himself into a series of creations, but was forced to transfer himself into us when he was killed. But as I said, hopefully you won't need to talk to him again anyway. It'll be quite a while before the experiments begin. He's first ensuring that the test subject is examined as thoroughly as possible so he can detect any changes accurately."

Best to keep them informed, right? Blue doesn't want Lenai thinking that Affidavit is deliberately stalling or wasting time or anything.

"But, I simply must ask you something. If this is a bastion of nature, free of civilisation and technology, does my presence here not corrupt that? Why do you want me to remain here?"

Wildside


Cole takes out a small knife and slices the squirrel's skin down its midline, then uses his fingers and teeth to open it up and gnaw at the raw flesh. When Lenai speaks, he tilts his head and thinks, slowly turning the idea over in his mind.

"Good. I hope Father comes soon. Maybe He'll come today." he says, and then returns his attention to his meal.

Wildside

"Because times change. If I can't keep the world out then I have to carefully pick and choose what parts I let in. Certain technologies, such as you creations, are less abhorrent than the belching smoke and bricked roads of cities. You did not come in here trampling roots and snapping branches wantonly. And if you are living creatures that are simply made differently than I'm used to, then so long as you don't act like a bumbling dunce then any discomfort I have is superficial."

"And I enjoyed our discussion. Which is more than I can say about most I've spoken with recently." Cole is too deferential when he's normal, and too temperamental when he's tasted the mead. And the less that's said about her "grand-daughters'" behavior the better.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Wildside]

We'll get back to the experiments in a little while. It'll take some time yet before things really get started there.

"I suppose whether or not we count as living creatures depends on your definition of what a living creature is. We are different in many ways from your typical living creature. Many are just a result of Father's attempts to make us more efficient. The main one, I suppose, would be that we do not reproduce. Although again I suppose that depends on what you consider reproduction to be. Father created us initially, but now we create ourselves."

Lenai's words do not please Blue, however, that much is clear from the expression on its face. Within the Nexus, Affidavit has learned over time that one cannot simply trample roots and snap branches. Do anything with disregard for those around you and there is almost certainly someone around capable of punishing you for doing so.

Outside of the Nexus?

The same is rarely true.

There was plenty of trampling involved. There still is.

Affidavit is exactly the sort to crush a forest and build a vast city on its ruins.

*****

[The Riverside Plague]

A logical response, when word reaches parts of Riverside, to kill and burn the squirrels.

Also a reasonable precaution to quarantine those exhibiting signs of infection.

But what are those signs?

Well, by the time word reaches Riverside, the squirrels have already been loose for a few hours. It took a period of hours to release them all, and it was some time after that when Isabelle was captured and eventually forced to talk.

In the first areas the squirrels were released in, by this point it's probably been about eight hours.

Initial signs, beyond a little itchiness, develop within one hour. A yellowing of the skin, that spreads across the body as the spores multiply. The earliest victims will by the five to six hour point start feeling numbness in the area of their body initially affected, a numbness that will spread in the same manner.

By the time word spreads, nobody affected will have yet reached the half-day mark, by which point their skin would be completely yellow.

But there is a bigger problem caused by this delay.

Targeting squirrels and any people exhibiting signs of infection makes sense, sure.

But the modified squirrels are also rather attracted to warmth. Many of them will have already found ways into warm areas. Buildings tend to be warmer than the surrounding area, don't they? Unless the pest extermination effort is taken beyond the streets, they will not find all the affected squirrels.

That's one problem anyway.

The other, is their decision to target only squirrels and people. The squirrels have also spread the plague onto any other animals they've come in contact with. And those other animals are, in turn, capable of spreading the plague further.

Not immediately, mind you. After the five to six hour mark, when parts of the body first start to feel numb. And that applies to any people infected too. But since it's already taken quite a while for word to reach Riverside? Well, by the time people are exterminating squirrels, every animal that went anywhere near an infected squirrel could well already be capable of spreading the infection further.

Attempting to capture the infected squirrels will not be too difficult. They are modified to be tamer than normal, and therefore comparatively easy to capture. But bringing them to hospitals sounds risky. Those spores get everywhere, you know. Why, if the hunters themselves did not take appropriate precautions, they could easily get infected too.

In summary: Since the precautions taken are far too limited, they may well do little to stop the spread of disease. It goes far beyond people and squirrels, and the squirrels themselves are looking for nice warm places, meaning they're not exactly staying out in the open.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Riverside Plague]

Celestel, the stewardess of Malechenar steps out into the recording circle. Hopefully sending this message to the other factions would explain their actions. The lords didn't want to strain their relationships with the other sides at a time like this but this kind of situation needed firm, effective actions.

She looks into the green orb and smiles. "This is Celestel Arand, Stewardess of Malechenar speaking." She begins. "As you all know a plague have been unleashed upon our fair city and to protect our citizens we must take defensive actions to keep this plague from consuming us completely."

***

At the streets of northside people turn to look upwards as clouds darkness to pitch black. Turning the constant greyness into a sea of darkness.

***

"We are not sure from which worlds where you're from, but the one we came from is constantly trying to kill us. If not with monsters, then with plagues just like this one. We are therefore somewhat experienced in dealing with these kind of situation even if the plague itself is new to us. So we're going to fight this plague at a city level. Our methods simply won't work at our side only. We need to target the entire city, it's the only way."

***

The ominous black clouds starts to spread from the skies of northside to the rest of the city. Soon looming over the entire city like the top of a mushroom cloud.

***

"The plague is spread by squirrels, but is targeted to people. It's then reasonable it will spread not only to humans, but to other creatures as well. We can't be sure yet, but we can't take any risks. This plague must be fought at every price."

***

A rain starts, the black clouds unleashing their loud in the form water as thick as oil which soon drenches most of the city (unless certain places like say southside have protection against it of course). The rain seems harmless enough however. Not even drinking it seem to cause any harm.

But the blackness in the rain seem to have faded, swallowed by the ground and the streets. Running deep into the ground, giving birth to something deep underneath the city.

***

"So you must understand. We simply couldn't ask you for permission first. It would turn into a long discussion which we simply couldn't afford to have. We had to act first, we can discuss this once this is all over. I assure you we're willing to deal with the consequences for our actions once we defeated this plague."

***

A group of rats living in the sewers can suddenly smell something delicious. Cheese!
It's odd to smell something like this deep in the sewers, but the rats simply doesn't care. It doesn't even seem to be poisoned. It's not until black figures burst out of their stomachs the rats realize they probably shouldn't have eaten that particular cheese.

The same thing seems to happen through the sewers, rats all over the city being killed one way or another.

***

"Our solution might seem crude but we have tried to take every other step so far. We have attempted to seal off northside from the rest of the world so we possibly can keep the plague in or out depending on the circumstances. The hospital have been closed for now. We can't risk the disease spreading from there. Instead doctors and nurses with the proper disease protection will be deployed at outbreak zones which we then will try to seal off. But unlike people animals can't be so easily controlled. They might not even realize they're sick, unlike people. So by eliminating them, we believe that we buy the ones that really matter, the people, a second chance."

***

A group of doves sitting on a statue in riverside suddenly realizes their feet are simply stuck to it somehow. So as the statue comes to life and starts to devour them whole, they simply can't escape the carnage.

***

"Therefore all animals within the city walls must die to put it simple."

***

Miss Nora the third was enjoying a nap on the drying cabinet in the bathroom as something black came out the draining sink. Not even the cats sensitive ears could detect it until it pulled the screaming cat down from the cabinet by her tail.

After eating the cat whole, the creature dove down into the sink again, leaving little Sarah and her two fathers one cat poorer.

***

"You will start to notice animals of all kinds start... disappearing. The beings we sent out devouring them whole to reduce the chance of their dead bodies possibly spreading the plague. Don't think we're only targeting animals however, we're restricting how people can move all over the city. It's just that these beings have been specifically summoned to deal with the animals. They won't hurt anyone else, not even sapient animals."

***

In the skies a group of seagulls watches as they fly over a park how a squirrel is suddenly flattened like a literary pancake by something. It's like it was run over by a invisible bulldozer.

The birds, not caring especially much about a squashed rodent, flies on though. Not even noticing that something follows them from behind. That something opening it's wide mouth, eating one of the seagulls whole. The rest of the flock scatters but it's too late, the creature is already busy devouring the rest of them. Hunting them down to their nests, eating their eggs.

***

"It will take awhile to exterminate every animal in the city of course, even with these beings. Just rest assured, we are trying to target the animals people are most likely to come in contact with first. Then we'll move down to other animals. They have been instructed to stay out of wildside of course. We very much respect the inhabitants of the forest. and will leave them alone. In any case. Thank you for your time, I hope this message made things clearer for you what is happening right now. We're just trying to contain the plague the best way we can without hurting anyone. If you have have any further questions I'll be happy to answer them."

***

The beings seem to instinctively be able to tell sapient animals (such as wish-granting fishes) apart from normal animals and avoids killing them. It's also possible to defend against the creatures. For instance they avoid holy places such as churches and appears to be weak against holy magic as well. Your average Joe or Jane can chase them away by simply reading from some holy book or something else they believe strongly in. Faith alone seem to work just fine.

[Eastside - Hunter Headquarters]

As the plague recently have broken out Daeva comes wandering to the hunters headquarters followed by a large spider-like creature. Seeing people likely are coming in and out of the building all the time, she will simply attempt to get inside and try to talk with the secretary. "Excuse me? I have some information for the hunters."

[Suncrest Manor]

"That's since you're both a cat and a lampade at the same time. Sort of. Being a cat feels as natural as being human. Your body simply doesn't notice the difference anymore." Irena explains. "Think you can get a tail too?" A thought hits the lewdest parts of Irena's mind but she keeps that thought at bay... for now.

[AmberVael]

[Southside]

A plague begins to spread through Southside, the animals going largely unchecked. There had been no preparation, with the Devoured Legion taking no response, and the Queen having remained as reclusive and distant as she had been for some time. Even if the warnings had been heeded, there was little infrastructure in place that could effectively combat the incoming plague. The protection of Southside was its knights and its Queen- and what use was a sword against disease, and what could an absent monarch do? No matter her power, or her reasons, the Queen was not to be found or petitioned, and so the faction was leaderless and without direction, unable to come to a unified solution.

Even as ominous black clouds and its dark rain fall upon Southside, the only response seems to be general havoc and fear from the populace. The shades begin to flit through the streets, the Devoured Legion notable only in its sudden absence, vanishing into the crystal structures from whence they originate. The silence and inaction of the Queen begins to take on a more ominous tone in just how complete and deliberate it seems to be.

And then, finally, a reaction comes.

The river begins to glow, its brilliant light swiftly spreading outwards from the five central structures of Southside, swirling in strange patterns as it connects the entire section of the city. Racing down the great streets that form the main circle of Southside's borders, the verdant energy crackles and hisses like fire as it continues to build, radiating from the Court of One to cover all of its territory. The alien magic roars and blazes with such might that surely none within the city could miss it.

"It is enough." The long unheard voice of Genesis crackles from the river itself, enveloping her faction and as surely as her magic. Her words coil through the city as easily as the river, leaving none in doubt of what occurred. "I will allow no more transgressions against my sovereignty. My jealously demands that I allow no other to lay claim to what I have taken as my own, and that I suffer not those who would misuse and lead astray its patterns. As I said once, I shall say again- I set no boundaries on my rule. My territory claims nothing but those who claim me as their rightful Queen. So I have said, so shall be: Let no longer my domain be constrained by the mean clutches of earth, let it be set apart from all those unworthy who seek to alter its course. We will forsake these restrictions and ascend to what we were always meant to be."

Unleashed from its restraints, the strange working of the Queen of the Rings scours Southside, burning away the disease and shades that had threatened it. Yet this is but the least of its designs- every work and magic that flowed from the hands of Genesis is stripped away, every citizen who had pledged to her their allegiance, each man who had sought the refuge and blessings of her rule simply evaporating under the influence of her emerald light. Without satiation or satisfaction, the power consumes every scrap of Southside, from the greatest of its structures to the smallest insect. The land shudders as its very surface disintegrates, its ever dwindling remains drifting upwards into the light with everything else.

The seeming annihilation is complete and merciless. In the space of a few moments Southside is utterly removed, leaving nothing but a racing river, a flat plane of dirt, and a column of emerald light that swiftly narrows, then vanishes altogether. Southside as it was is no more.

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See OOC explanation here.

[Lord Magtok]

SouthsideMagside

"First!" Magtok proclaims, planting the first of many flags into the ground at the edge of where Southside used to be. He's not about to waste an opportunity like this, even if he has absolutely no idea what's going on or what he'd even begin to do with the land. That stuff can be figured out later, when he's not busy planting MagCorp banners in the soil.

[Lost_Deep]

Southside

A group of purple-robed individuals scrabble out into the new opening, near the center of the city. They begin to sketch some kind of ritual circle into the dirt, except for a few that set up simple shelters. What they're up to isn't clear, but right now they don't do anything more than set up.