003 - Memories of a False History

[tabularasa_mods]

Memories of a False History State of the World ▲ Locations ▼ Bestiary
OOC ▲ Comments Please refer to the original Event Announcement for more information or to ask any questions you might have! For the disaster prompt, players are not restricted to the versions given, but they are intended to be the most common. Feel free to borrow ideas from the disaster suggestions thread as well!

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The Sound of All Things Bad
The sound comes without warning. What the sound is cannot quite be made out - it is at once artificial and natural, bestial and mechanical, rumbling and roaring and crunching, shattering and crashing and screaming. Everything about it feels like a threat, warning of danger. The cacophony of noise reaches throughout the entire Void, loud and inescapable, the mangling and clashing of different sounds leaving each individual with a different idea of what it could possibly have been. It sounds different to everyone, each person able to pick out a part of the sound that ties to their own fears.

What if...?

How long the sound lasts would depend on how the individual perceives time. It might last for seconds, or it might last for minutes, but once it stops it does not repeat. Where it came from or what it is does not become the slightest bit clearer, and people are left to only speculate.

Disaster
No one can quite be sure what has prompted them to remember that day. It might have been that noise of approaching doom, or perhaps it is seeing the crumbling ruins of Hammerlocke itself. Once a stray memory surfaces, it is easy enough to look into the details and recall in full the vivid memory of Hammerlocke’s destruction - the ‘truth’ of what caused the mountainside city to crumble into ruins, as so many have wondered since their first appearance. Though the memory is clear and detailed, vivid enough to have been witnessed in person, it is out of place and does not belong, and anyone who can recall the events knows it.

Attempting to discuss the matter will soon reveal that while others recall the event with similar clarity, the details vary from person to person. Over time, their own memory changes and adapts, occasionally changing to something new entirely, yet the original is never completely forgotten. Memory is a strange and fickle thing, so easy to influence and manipulate, that the truth is difficult to find.

While memories differ from person to person, there are three particular tales that recur:

From the Sky

Though the sky above did not change from its paper-like blank white, the land grew darker and darker as though cast in shadow. The source of the shadow was clear: above, slowly descending towards the wings of the castle, was... something. Something immense, yet shrouded in crackling storm clouds.

As it continued to grow closer and closer, something in the clouds began to swell. It grew larger and larger, an electric hum of energy in the air, until with a resounding crack it burst and a great shadowy beast fell to the ground, landing with such force that the resulting shockwave shook the earth and tore through the stone buildings, causing so much of the city to tumble in an instant. It moves, and it screeches, raising its head up as the great storm above continues to swell and crackle.

This would not be the only beast.

(Based upon: Meteor, the Lunar Cry, and the Darkest Day)

The Battlefield

It was never clear why the fighting eventually made its way to this defenseless city, but it came without warning. The chaos was heralded only by explosions as the city walls were blasted through by tanks that had somehow made their way along the treacherous and narrow mountain path that simply was not meant for such heavy machines. The thundering explosions and the collapse of buildings could surely be heard for miles, and people and animals alike were quick to flee.

Though they reached Hammerlocke first, the tanks seemed like nothing compared to the enemy. The enormous shadowy monstrosity that swooped in from the sky seemed to be made from far more advanced technology. Even just the one towering machine, as large as the castle falling to ruins beneath its feet as it lands, proves deadly as it fires upon the approaching tanks, blasting them all to pieces within an instant before turning fire on whichever buildings remain standing.

(Based upon: Tanks, and Reapers)

The Mysterious Storm

There had been no way to predict the change in the weather, never mind how destructive it would prove. One moment, everything had been still and quiet, and the next the city was assailed by howling, violent winds and freezing, glittering snow and ice. Though the city was built of stone and had stood the test of time for centuries, it could not stand against these combined forces. The only shelter was underground, for the furious storm was so powerful it could rip through earth, lift up and fling any object in its path with devastating force, shattering windows and toppling buildings.

Propelled by such force, the ice and hail proved destructive in its own right. As the storm froze everything in its path, the hailstones became like bullets and great chunks of ice became missiles. By the time the winds began to grow calm, there was little left standing.

Something about the storm seemed somehow unnatural, but where it came from was anyone’s guess. Some, however, may have spied a vague figure through the tempest, of unclear appearance but its presence somehow threatening.

(Based upon: Weather, El shortage, and Diamond Dust)

Misplaced Memories
Worries about whatever disaster must have befallen the ruined city of Hammerlocke aside, people quickly become aware that memories of the disaster are not the only invasive, foreign memories. How the other memories come to them seems, on the surface, to be very similar: a connected thought occurs, and upon realizing the memory is not theirs, people are compelled to think more about it until the memory is uncovered in full detail. Unlike the memory of the disaster, however, this one quite clearly belongs to someone else. Someone who is here.

On puzzling this out, some might find they have more than one stray memory sitting in their minds. More importantly, however, is the feeling that something from their own memory is missing, and whatever memory is missing feels like it is something important. It could just be their own phone number, or it could be their name, or the face of whoever is most important to them. It could be something small, it could be something big, but all people know is that it’s something important and it’s gone.

There is no clear, immediate answer as to what people can do about their lost memories. With regards to their new memories, however, the path might seem a tiny bit clearer, for surely it seems a bit unfair that they can see into someone’s past in such a manner without their knowing. Perhaps it’s best to talk to them about it?

Although the lost memory is not always the same as the ones borrowed, taking the memory back to its source and prompting them to discuss and think about it proves a great help - as they talk, the invasive memory leaves, a lost memory is restored, and those who succeed are able to tell others the solution.

While the invasive memory is gone, people can still recall having it, and can still recall the details, but they will no longer remember it from the other’s point of view. Perhaps it might change how they see each other from now on?

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

The Sound

[bridge_princess]

[She was whapping at her head, clearing her ears out when she heard Aerith's voice. There was a definite tone of annoyance there as she spoke, folding her arms and grunting in irritation. A grunt and she frowned.]

It almost sounded like something showed up but the place didn't collapse completely, and that sounded huge. there should be a crater after that...

I think it's having trouble with sounds.

[anciently]

"It?" The void? [ It has trouble with light, with time - why not sound? ] Good point...

[ "There should be a crater after that" sends a chill up her arms. Hopefully, it'd never come to that... ]

I've never heard anything like it. [ Aerith murmurs thoughtfully. ] Have you?

[bridge_princess]

I suppose I do mean the Void. After all, this is all the void given orm, right? [A shrug.] It's hard to tell, even with my experiments so ar.

Nope, nothing like that before in my life. Flashy stuff back home sounds different. Brighter, sharper usually.

[anciently]

I'm just assuming...but, I guess we really don't know much about it.

[ There's another little shrug. She's okay with not knowing, because she figures it'll make itself clear with time, but... ]

Yeah...me, either. Well, we'll just figure it out together, then! Did you have anything else happen? Besides the sound, that is.

[bridge_princess]

I've been trying to figure it out. It ... gives me something to focus on, which is usually a good thing in my opinion.

[Whereas Parsee was obsessive, and in this case? it kept her from being 'as' jealous ofpeople sometimes.]

No... well, yeah... actually? Do you remember that broken stadium? I think I remember what happened to it suddenly, like it jogged loose. Weird. I think it's related but that doesn't entirely make sense. Maybe the sound just happened again?

[anciently]

Hammerlocke? [ She nods, thinking of the coliseum, and of Raihan, who called it home. ] I...think I saw it, too, actually. What happened to it...

[ Aerith shakes her head, though, braid bouncing back and forth behind her. ]

How can that be? We never saw how it came to be in ruins, right? We were brought in afterward...

[ Then again...memory in the void is a funny thing. They've seen the effects it can have on them already. ]

[bridge_princess]

It wasn't even here until we got here, and it was broken to start. The hell?

[She fussed with it. Her hands whacked her head and she grunted. Time didn't work right here, so could it have taken their minds back in... no, that didn't even make sense.]

You think maybe the Void's trying to tell us what happened? What're you remembering?

[anciently]

It's pretty confusing... [ And it had clearly upset Raihan greatly. ] But, I'm sure we'll get it all straightened out. We just need more information first!

[ Hmm. Good question! Aerith hums thoughtfully, pacing a little as she thinks it over. ]

It could be... But, why did it just show us now? What's happened that it's only recently able to get a 'message' through to us?

[bridge_princess]

It might have only been able to, just now. Or it might have only remembered that we didn't know and figured we should. It might have just been bored or realized it could tell us? Might even be an accident.

It's really hard to pin this world down like that.

[anciently]

Yeah...it really is. Could be a whole bunch of reasons, and we're not exactly in a good position to understand it...

[ Not many of them have any experience with a place like this, after all. This world is still so unknowable. ]

If you had to guess - to pick a theory - what would it be? I'm gonna say...it wasn't able to tell us, before now, but that something changed.

[bridge_princess]

That honestly sounds like about as reasonable an explanation as I can imagine under the circumstances. Every time I've seen something change it's like it couldn't understand, and therefore couldn't do something.

So why should this be different?

[anciently]

[ Aerith nods in agreement, though her expression still suggests she's somewhere else, mentally, going back and forth on the possibilities of their situation. ]

Guess we won't know until we know, though... So, for now, we'll just have to do the best we can. And we all have each other to think it through!

[bridge_princess]

Hmmmm, you have a point, and this isn't really high on my list of things to use my brain power on. So if we're outsourcing the question to everyone that might help us reach a conclusion.

...

And as long as another meteor isn't coming down, what's there to worry about?

[anciently]

Hmm... You've got a good point. It might be worth having another group meeting again, to try and see if we can piece together any more answers. [ Aerith hums thoughtfully, glancing in the direction of Heavenly Blanc. ] Maybe...once this dies down just a little, so people have a chance to breathe...

[ Hopefully - as Parsee expresses - 'another meteor isn't coming down' in the meantime... ]

[bridge_princess]

It's a good idea, but maybe give it a little more time. I'm not sure anyone's learned enough quite yet...

[After the nightmares, though there might definitely be some opinions to share. She was pretty sure people were starting to build them up a lot over time.]

[anciently]

Good point. Maybe take some time to gather more data before meeting up, then!

[ For now, they'll just have to wait. She doesn't love that fact, but Parsee is right in that trying to take action now might not be a worthwhile endeavor based on the information they all hold. ]

[bridge_princess]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I believe we might have enough to go off of in a little bit, but we're still ... this is all kind of new for us. I want to look into it a little. I'm sure you do to.

Ngh. This place is so weird sometimes isn't it?

[anciently]

I'll say. [ She utters a laugh, somehow fondly exasperated with their temporary home. ] I'd even go so far as to say it's weird most of the time!

[ And getting stranger every day... ]

But, it could be worse, right? And we've got each other to lean on, after all!

[bridge_princess]

Yeah, there could definitely be a lot worse things going on, so we're probably better off not thinking too long and hard. Never know if this place will decide something worse could be that much more fun to handle, after all. I'm not wanting to tempt fate.

...

Pretty sure it listens to us.

[anciently]

Seems like it. [ Aerith giggles, thinking of her church. ...And, of Zack. ] Sometimes that can be nice. It's like it gives us little gifts that it thinks might make us happy.

[ And, boy, do they. At least, most of the time. ]

[bridge_princess]

I do think you're right. This place seems to want us content, not uncomfortable. I'm not quite sure why, though. Lul us into a false sense of security maybe?

... sorry, always a cynic.

[anciently]

[ Aerith laughs lightly, shaking her head to dismiss Parsee's apology. ]

No "sorry" needed! Besides, I get it. This place is...tricky. And, it isn't as if it's all positive, either. There are things to be worried about. But...like I said, we'll get through it together! Okay? No need to worry. Even if that's easier said than done.

[bridge_princess]

I know it's easy to say, but never say I didn't warn folks in case I get to be less positive. [Grunt] Buuuuut, I'm also starting to pick up that I'm not going to scare the lot of you away, so there's that.

[anciently]

See? It's not just me! We're all sticking with you, no matter what.

[ Aerith gives a thumbs-up, the other hand planted on her hip. ]

No matter how negative you may try to be! You can't scare us away that easily.

[bridge_princess]

[She snickered softly and sighed.] Yeah, I've noticed. A few of you are out there trying, definitely. You are all so stubborn. I really should be jealous of that, heh. I am. I give up more easily.

But I guess that's not entirely a bad thing is it?