OPT-OUT EVENT LOG: SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, WEEKS ONE AND TWO

[asgardmods]

The volunteers from the LOCUSTS! event last month found in Odin's office endless research into Ginnungagap and a handwritten note from the King prior to his collapse. All arrows are pointing in the direction of the sacred canyon, and so it is that the Travellers will be initiating their own investigation into whatever Odin believes may be down there. It will be done without the eyes of the gods, however, so the trip will be a dangerous one without a map to lead the way and there may be many unforeseen obstacles along the way.

Week One: Day 441 / May 1-3

Day 441 ( April 30/May 1 )
As per the whispers on the street, the Travellers that've decided to go on this trip will meet up in the earliest hours of Day 441 at the Gate of Fire. Pack and prepare for a long haul, as this one will be a difficult journey. Any of those that went on the Down This Road opt-out event may want to offer up their memories as a vague guide into the canyon, but either way - without the guidance of the gods, making it to Ginnungagap safely will be nigh impossible.

After the Travellers sneak their way out of Asgard, they will make way towards the canyon to the east. Travel will be slow and difficult, particularly in moving through the forests that have been ravaged by the recent flooding. When they make camp for the evening, they will suffer the same strange sensations as those in Asgard just before 11PM: they will simultaneously feel a flicker in their bodies, like a missed heartbeat or a cut-off breath. Those in Freyr house that were present for the god's death and those that were present for the Friendly Fire event will recognise the sensation; it will happen twice more before one final blip. In that moment, everyone will essentially have a minor blackout: their vision will fade, their bodies will freeze, and there will be an internal sensation of dropping.

After this, the Travellers outside of the city will feel something of a drag towards Ginnungagap. It will feel like an outside force beckoning them inward, to someplace they belong. The compulsion will be relatively easy to overcome, but it will linger all throughout their journey through the depths of Yggdrasil.

Week Two: Days 443-445 / May 4-9

Day 443 ( May 4/5 )
Approaching the border between Asgard and Ginnungagap will bring the Travellers closer to the Fire Giants' kingdom of Muspellheim. From this distance, they will just barely be able to make out the great volcano, still lit at its peak, and a heavy black cloud that lingers over most of the kingdom. In this area, it may behoove them to keep an eye out for Giant patrols and pockets of defects from Surt's ranks, all seeking safe ground somewhere in the relatively neutral territory of Ginnungagap. They will be volatile and attack upon sight, but no groups will be any larger than five, maybe six at most.

As they sneak and fight their way across the plains, they will find that Ginnungagap is sparsely littered with old trees and short, soft grass on the outskirts of the canyon, streams flowing from varying mountain peaks into the vast space below; deeper within, it is sheer rock and sharp edges that are harsh and unyielding. If one were to look at it from above, they might think someone stabbed a knife into solid stone and carved out a jagged wound, and so it is moving through the canyon itself, where one false step can lead to certain and painful death.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for WEEKS ONE AND TWO of the Something Significant plot event! Remember that your only characters who signed up for this opt-out event by the deadline will be able to participate. Please put your character's location in the title, as well as either OPEN or CLOSED and the DATE. For more details, please head on over to the full rundown HERE. If you have any questions, please let us know, and have fun! The event log for the SOMETHING OMINOUS opt-out plot log can be found HERE.

SPECIAL NOTE: As of the power expansion plot, bracelets will work outside of the city along with god powers. Characters WILL be able to communicate with those inside of the city of Asgard, as long as the party has his or her bracelet on him. ]

Comments

[sufferably]

Yeah, exactly. ( which is still scary to him, but not the pertinent part of this story. )

Anyway, I guess looking up at the stars so much gets you a bit crazy. You might start thinking you're invincible. And when you're as smart as some of these kids, you get all kinds of crazy notions.

Like the idea that you can fly, maybe. Beat the laws of physics and gravity and everything else.

[tonsofpun]

... did anybody ever jump?

[An awful seriousness laces through the question. No jokes, now.]

[sufferably]

That's the question, isn't it? ( he says that with all due gravitas. )

You'd never see it happen, or hear about it. But sometimes, if you lie up on that roof and look at the stars... I swear, you can hear 'em. Maybe they just flew away and are whispering back from the stars, or maybe they crashed and died and are haunting the place... You can't really know.

[tonsofpun]

What do you think they did?

[Ellie tips her head back, peers up at the stars themselves. They aren't the stars of her home, the constellations, the north star. The milky way. This isn't their world.]

[sufferably]

I think that people get drunk and fall more often than they learn to fly.

[tonsofpun]

Dumbasses.

[She gets quiet for a time, just walking with him.]

Did it live up to your dreams? Going to space, I mean.

[sufferably]

( he walks with his eyes mostly trained on the ground, but at the question he looks up with a short laugh. )

My dreams of space are mostly nightmares. But for the ones who have those big, sweeping, inspirational dreams? I think it holds up alright.

[tonsofpun]

[She drops her voice again, almost a murmur.]

Do you ever regret it?

[sufferably]

No. ( the answer is immediate, and assured. )

I can honestly say that I don't.

( he looks down at her, curious. )

There something you're thinking about?

[tonsofpun]

[It's quick, but Ellie glances back down the line, at Joel, then slowly smiles.]

There might be some stuff I wish hadn't sucked so hard. But I don't regret anything, either.

[sufferably]

( he actually smiles, reaches over the ruffle her hair. )

Well, then it's alright. That's probably the best attitude to have.

[tonsofpun]

[He isn't the first person to ruffle her hair. Ellie's starting to get the meaning behind the gesture, to start to appreciate the touch rather than have it make her jumpy.]

Hey, cut it out-

[The laughter gives lie to her words, and she ducks her head with a grin.]

It's fucked up enough without you helping.

[sufferably]

If that's the case, it won't matter what I do anyway.

[tonsofpun]

I said it's fucked up enough, not that it can't get more fucked-

[She covers her hair with another laugh, fending him off even if he doesn't bother to reach over.]

[sufferably]

( he pauses a minute, holds up both his hands in mute surrender. )

It's camping-- your supposed to get a little unkempt.

[tonsofpun]

What are you talking about? This was my normal, everyday style-

[She smooths her hair back with both hands, affecting a cheesy smile.]