It seems a thief managed to infiltrate the museum of sacred artifacts after hours and abscond with one of its most rare and prized possessions - the equinox astrolabe. It was just another day when the employees of said establishment arrived to find it gone, and a rather catty note left in its place. It read, "Hahaha, haha, haha." When questioned, security had this to say: "It is a great tragedy. The fact of the matter was that we were simply overpowered and were not, repeat, were not taking a nap in the visiting bouncy house exhibit." Stirring words for a trying time.
While the artifact was insured, money is not the prime concern, the museum manager insists. No, according to legend the equinox astrolabe contains special powers that, when harnessed correctly, can empower its master to near superhuman levels. While hard evidence has not been revealed to the press regarding such claims, in this reporter's opinion, you'd be stupid not to believe it.
A full out man hunt has been released to bring the culprit to justice before Gaia is subjected to yet another attempted takeover. It seems the criminal is lying low, and according to police most likely abandoned the astrolabe until the heat dies down.
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 8:39 am
P . l . o . t .
As the latest edition of the Barton Times says, the ancient equinox astrolabe has gone missing! It has extraordinary power and in the wrong hands could mean disaster for Gaia. In their investigation the police have deduced that the thief probably ditched the relic in the heat of escape and is lying low for a while. The race to find it is on! Will your character be the first to locate it, and how will he or she use it? Return it to the museum or harness its incredible power selfishly? Its most likely whereabouts are somewhere in the old, abandoned fairgrounds between the museum and city housing. Your characters can explore the site, run into each other, wreak havoc, fight, team up, try to activate the old games and rides, anything you want while looking for the astrolabe, as long as it abides to Gaia Terms of Service, of course. Some fun places to explore and write about are the house of mirrors, haunted house, roller coasters, snack stands, game booths, basically anything you can find at a fair...at night! Dun-dun-duuuuun~
S . t . u . f . f.
For this casual mini-rp we're giving away one Zodiacal Equinox 7th Gen.
* So I think I'll determine our winner February 9th (congrats Lady Ravena Vauville!) because that'll make it one month since this thread started and it'll give people time to focus on their anons for the upcoming Valentines' Event. I'll keep the thread open though so you can keep posting for as long as you like. <3
M . a . p.
( If it helps you visualize...up = north, down = south, right = east, left = west ) *main entrance at the south end of the park*
South End: Food Stands
North Side: Roller Coasters & Other Rides
East Side: Game Booths
West Side: Other Attractions (Haunted House, House of Mirrors, Tunnel of Love, Side Show Tents, etc.)
Radiant Anon Solsi
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That Green Gentleman Anon
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:12 am
The sort of people one might expect to be lurking in abandoned fairgrounds during nightfall are typically of the shady, rather suspicious kind. The kind to watch you from the shadows, waiting... And this is no exception. Then again, most people might say that zombies hiding out in piles of stuffed animals are the least frightening kind there is, and they may very well be right...
Orrin had discovered the mystical, magical place only a few days earlier, soon finding the massive teddies that had once been grand prizes in the fair games. He was not there for the same reason as the rest. In fact, he hadn't read a newspaper in years, though he had been found chewing on a few. No, the green guy was only there for fluffy, huggable things and popcorn kernels, and was yet unaware that the calm might soon be disturbed by treasure hunters. If he had instead put what little braincells he had to use and actually read the news, just this once, then one could be sure that he would have already left his fluffy new friends behind, fleeing the scene. But alas, there he was. Enjoying what little peace was left before people would come searching for the precious artifact.
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 12:45 pm
Wherever there was trouble, the radiant anon was on the scene! Sort of. Well not really this time. Sammy couldn't afford to transform and risk people discovering her secret identity. It's not like all those sparkles and lights would fix her arm or anything - all anyone would have to do is put two and two together and realize the two pink haired girls with identically broken arms were in actuality the same person. No this time Sammy went as only herself, maneuvering carefully through a hole in the chain link fence to sneak inside after hours. Not like there were any hours anymore though. This dusty old amusement park had been closed for quite some time."Gotta move quick, before anyone else catches wise,"she muttered under her breath to herself."Can't let them find it before I do..."
Scythes, Watermelon, and Flowing Breezes. These are the things that bring me Joy.
*A new RP, huh? Might be just the spark I need to get back in the writing thing. Count me in!*
"Trust me, it's gonna be a piece of cake!" "I dunno...And tell me again why we're looking for this thing anyways?"
Xashowd and Thanaphyr chatted with one another as they approached the ramshackle fairgrounds, long abandoned (for 5 months, according to Thanaphyr) and the supposed location of the lost artifact. The Reaper-in-training was celebrating the month of his birth, so he wore an ensemble of assorted Garnet Items the vendors of Gaia sold over the years, and his long dark hair flowed in the cool night wind. The Little Reapling at his side wore his trademark black cloak, floating through the air while Xashowd walked along the path. Xashowd still wasn't sure he agreed with Thanaphyr's idea...he'd been a Reaper-in-training for a few months now, and though he did get work on occasion, him not being a full Reaper yet meant that they didn't give him a lot of work, much to his chagrin. And now there was word that an artifact called the Equinox Astrolabe had been stolen, and that the thief had supposedly hidden it among the abandoned attractions. "Because the Astrolabe has a huuuge power, something about manipulating the stars...At least that's my guess. It's an Astrolabe after all, it's gotta be about Stars." Thanaphyr replied eagerly. Xashowd shook his head. "Still doesn't explain why we're out here instead of back at the Closet." Xashowd replied. "Dude, it's an artifact with immense power that was stolen and endangers the world by not being where it should. Reapers are balance keepers by nature, so if you find it and return it the Reapers have gotta promote you!" Xashowd wasn't certain of Thanaphyr's claims. It wasn't that he doubted his friend, but the Reapers seemed too wary of him whenever he spoke with them. They weren't in a hurry to give him a task that would prove he was up for the job, and he got these odd looks when he and all the Reaplings went out for a night on the Reaper Realm. He could never tell if it was fear or envy though...but they were wary given that he was the youngest Reaper (in terms of time being a Reaper) to not only Bond with seven Reaplings, but also bond with more powerful ones like a Heaven Reapling and Hell Reapling. Xashowd wondered what they really thought, but few Reapers spoke to him these days.
"Yoooooo! Earth to Xashy!" Thanaphyr stated as he was deep in thought. "Sorry, just...I'm not sure if I'm going to be promoted anytime soon, no matter what happens." "Ahhh, don't worry about it. It'll come in due time. But we need "due time" to be "pronto", so we've got an artifact to find!" The Reapling replied, pointing a finger out towards the horizon in a dramatic fashion. Xashowd chuckled, Thanaphyr was always eager and enthusiastic. "Alright, alright...So, intrepid explorer, where do we go first?" Thanaphyr's arm dropped. "uhhh...Got any ideas?" He asked sheepishly. "Well, you brought that map, right?" Thanaphyr's eyes lit up. "YES! Jut gimme a sec..." The Reapling flew over and rummaged through Xashowd's bag, pulling out a rolled up piece of parchment a few moments later. Xashowd raised an eyebrow at the fact that the Map was a piece of paper instead of a holo-projector or something. Thanaphyr caught his look out of the corner of his eye. "The old owners of the place wanted it to have an old-timey look, so the maps look like old-timey maps. It was free, so I keep it around." He unrolled the parchment so the two of them could see it. There were a large number of attractions around the fairgrounds, divided into a few sections. Xashowd's eyes were drawn to the Haunted House attraction. In a place that had become decrepit so rapidly, the scare factor of such a place would be magnified, and few would venture in for long. He pointed to it, sharing his suspicions with his floating friend, who nodded in agreement "Makes sense. Of course, we're assuming this guy is smart. There's a lot of places it could be, but if not a lot of people are going in there it's a great place for us to start!" Thanaphyr put the map back in the pouch and the two of them headed in the direction of the House. Xashowd figured that all they'd find at the most were a few spirits, and maybe the Astrolabe if they were lucky. It might take a while to scan the whole house depending on the number of floors it had, but it would be an interesting diversion at the least.
In the back of his mind, he wondered if there were others looking for the artifact as well. The news story about it had reached the whole Guild he was a part of, so there may have been others out here searching. Only time would tell.
I am Xashowd, the Nocturne Zephyr!
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:46 pm
The mermaid fidgeted nervously as her eyes darted around the dark fair grounds. It was quite the frightening place, and not one she would have volunteered to go to on her own. However, her friend Monster needed someone to hold the flashlight for him, and being the helpful little thing she was, she couldn't turn him down. Thus, there she was, outside the abandoned fairgrounds, in the dark, though she hesitated to go in. At least not alone. She'd wait for her monstrous blue friend to lead the way.
It didn't take too long for the speedy werehog to arrive at the dark fairgrounds with a knapsack and a newspaper clipping gripped tightly in his powerful paws... though it's cause of those chubby claws that he needs a flashlight buddy in the first place. ...And hey, this place is spooky, the buddy system is always nice, not that Monster would admit to being scared in the slightest.
Skidding to a halt beside the mermaid, he gave a smirk and greeted her with a confident, "Hey River! Hope I didn't leave you hanging too long. You ready to help me search?"
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 11:43 pm
Mister Monster Guy
The mermaid turned around quickly, hearing someone coming up to her. Seeing it was only her friend, however, she gave him a small smile, though it was a bit of a nervous one.
"R-r-ready? ...I g-g-guess s-so..." She stammered nervously, clutching the flashlight. "I-I-I b-b-brought a f-f-flashlight!"
An old Voyager van pulled into the lot outside of the fairgrounds. Finding himself a spot between debris and garbage, he shut his headlights, cut the engine, and waited. The pale man behind the wheel observed the scene for a moment, checking something scribbled on a paper and debating with himself. "This is the place right? You sure you wanna go in there Doc?"
Sciurus studied the the paper a moment longer, turning over the information his informant had provided him. For years after the accident, the surgeon had been hunting for a creature -a person he should have never helped create; and recently he'd been led to believe it was hiding nearby. "You'd know if he was there, right off the bat, wouldn't you? You can feel each other..." Voyager was nervous about this and hoped the information was wrong. The idea of exploring sounded fun and he knew Sciurus was a tough cookie, but if their target really was in there, this could only go bad.
The surgeon definitely knew whenever Zippers was nearby, but the trouble was he seemed to have a similar feeling he couldn't place. "I don't know..." He finally spoke, "But let us have a look anyway." Sciurus got out then, taking a medical bag with him and a flashlight out of it. "Voyager, with me." Not reading a paper recently, the surgeon didn't know anything about the robbery or the Astrolabe, and unless it was connected to Zippers he probably wouldn't care. The man had only come to see about finishing an old debt.
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:32 pm
Scythes, Watermelon, and Flowing Breezes. These are the things that bring me Joy.
The duo passed an assortment of mini-game booths on the way to the Haunted House, each left in a derelict state. Stuffed animals were either torn to pieces or infested with insects, and the water in the duck pond game was a murky green that simmered with a pungent aroma. "Peeeyeeeww! Who know a place could get this bad in just five months!" Thanaphyr exclaimed. Xashowd nodded, the state of the place had degraded rapidly...perhaps too rapidly. It didn't seem natural. "Do you think some kind of spell was placed here?" he inquired. Thanaphyr shrugged. "You know, I don't remember exactly why the place shut down. It was a nice place to be in the summer, but once fall was on its way, something happened and the owners closed up shop. I do know some friends of mine had work here back in October...some wise guys figured they could hide bodies here." He explained, floating along the path. Xashowd wondered just what could have caused the owners to abandon it so readily, and without taking anything with them. Apart from the decay, it looked as though nothing had been moved from its original place. The air was stagnant in places, and wound in a set path as though it was keenly familiar with its surroundings. That only happened if something had sat for a long time, which baffled Xashowd in this case since most business owners would try to at least sell the property. Which would mean someone would be maintaining the place, but given the state of the fairgrounds that clearly wasn't the case.
A shift in the wind told Xashowd that others had arrived. He turned in the direction of the wind and focused upon it. Thanaphy noticed and stopped moving. "Who is it?" The Wind was not only Xashowd's primary element, but one he shared a deep connection with. Attuned to its energies, he mentally followed the wind, seeing what it saw. there were a few faces he recognized, one being Monster the Werehog who had come with a friend he did not recognize, but seemed familiar...the other, some distance away from them, was Dr. Sciurus, who walked beside a van with...no driver? Odd, but not the strangest thing he'd ever seen. He smiled knowing that people he recognized had arrived, and ones he was friends with. He turned to Thanaphyr after thanking the Wind for the information. "A few friends, probably here for the same reason we are." "Competition, eh?" Thanaphyr said with a smirk. "friendly competition, if that. It's not a race Thanaphyr. If they can help us or we can help them, it makes the task easier." Thanaphyr sighed, but nodded in agreement. "True, true. Still, the search just got more exciting, huh?" Xashowd chuckled. "Interesting, yes. Exciting? not so much. It's still a treasure hunt at its core, so unless we come across the crook or something unfriendly, it shouldn't be too strenuous." Thanaphyr folded his arms. "Okay Mr. Lack-of-imagination. Come on, if it's gonna be as 'tedious' as you say, we've gotta make it fun! Oh, I know! We could be the Phantom Pirates! YAAAARRR!" The Reapling exclaimed, swinging his little Scythe like it was a cutlass. Xashowd burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I think you'll bring enough fun for the both of us." He replied with a smile. Satisfied, Thanaphyr resumed floating in the direction of the Haunted House, while Xashowd followed. It was starting to be a rather interesting night indeed.
Minty was concerned. Orrin had missed their pie-date and wasn't by any of his usual garbage dumpsters. A trail of sweet wrappers and what could really only be described as "general zombie funk" (although she would never use the z-word around her friend) lead to the old fairgrounds.
A light flashed from across the plot and there was the familiar growling of a van engine. It seemed treasure hunters were already out after the article in The Barton Times today. Was that the reason Orrin had abandoned his usual haunts?
Minty's brow knit with effort to remember if the green gentleman had a habit of reading newspapers. She'd have to ask him, if she found him. Carefully slipping through where someone had cut the chain link, Minty began to wander the abandon grounds.
"Orrin! Orrin, are you here? I brought your pie!"
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:16 pm
Sammy stumbled in through the hole in the chain link fence and brushed her skirt off with her one good hand."Sucks to have to come straight from work but there's really no time to lose..."She muttered to herself as she straightened out and looked around. When it came to scouting it was always best to have a plan. If one went about haphazardly it's easy to overlook something and wind up having to do multiple laps. Better to go slow and precise. She looked to her left, then to her right, taking note of which attractions were closest and which side of the park she came in on. If she worked her way through in a grid formation she'd certainly find the astrolabe. She started in the direction of the top left corner of the park - according to the entrance - figuring it was easiest on the mind to go from the upper left to the bottom right, as that was how one read a book. She passed stands and rides on the way, shuddering briefly at the chilly night air."Really sucks..."she muttered under her breath again."Huh? What's that?"The shadows were stirring ahead of her, like someone was there. Stashing herself behind a wall she peeked out with squinting eyes. Someone was there all right, emanating a dark aura too. Sammy frowned, trying to size the stranger up - no wait, strangers. Unbeknownst to herself, a dim light started to emit from her body."Of all the days not to be able to transform..."
Xashowd
Radiant Anon Solsi
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AlwaysFadingAwaySlowly
Otherworldly Specter
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:27 pm
The smokey figure had found his way into the abandoned fairgrounds, slipping in past the fence without a sound as he usually did where ever he went. After reading over the article a time or two, he had debated coming here to look around. Being dark and abandoned was no bother to him, he did much better in this lighting. Night time felt more like home, and that in more than small part was really what brought him on this search. The article said the equinox astrolabe, according to the manager, can empower its master to near superhuman levels. This didn't interest him, but he did wonder if it could do anything else. That being, was it at all capable of letting him return to or even see his home again? In all likely hood this would be a long shot, but if nothing else better to get such an object back to the safety of the museum. Tobias paused at that thought with a smile. In this case, safety would be a relative term, he supposed. Looking around, the horned male decided he'd try the first building he spotted a ways off. The sign above had seen better days and from this distance was hard to make out. Once he did get closer, he would find that his first choice of exploration was the house of mirrors.
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:22 pm
... headed towards the fence. He had brought a fence cutting tool with him, but a rough, medium hole proved them unnecessary. Sciurus carefully worked his way through the fence and shined the flashlight around grimly. "Try to make as less noise and destruction as you can Voyager... Voyager?" The van appeared behind on his side of the fence then, tunneling under the fence instead of mowing through it. "I hear ya. The less we're detected, the safer we'll be." Voyager looked around, keeping his headlights off to further hide them. "Wow, look at this place. Really seen better days, eh? It's swampy here too. No wonder it was so easy to tunnel through.""It has been a long time since regular traffic passed through here... Now, where to start?"
There was a dilapidated, musty looking tent to their right. further up there appeared to be larger structures... Rides perhaps? The pair started walking that way towards the remains of large wooden framework, Sciurus tensed for any warning to drop the bag and whip out his cleaver. "Hey Sciurus, think anyone might be living here? Like squatters maybe? Wonder if there's any food left somewhere?" It was certainly possible. Someone had made that hole in the fence, why else would anyone be running around here? "I wouldn't doubt it. Though if our target is here, it's likely they didn't live here very long. Where would such squatters sleep, do you think?" Sciurus and Voyager had started climbing around and through the framework where they could. It would seem they had found an abandoned roller coaster of sorts.
Monster smiled back at her, though careful to not get a face full of flashlight beams. "Thanks! It won't take long, I promise." He then held out the newspaper clipping to the mermaid and showed her a picture of the artifact. "See? That's what we're looking for. We get it, bring it back to the museum, and get rewarded with chili dogs maybe! ...Or use the reward money for chili dogs. Either way~" A pretty typical Monster reasoning for an adventure. Still, it seemed like he wasn't being completely transparent about his motives for the search...
Putting the clipping back into the knapsack, Monster went over to the fence surrounding the fairgrounds and tore a hole in the chain-link fence big enough for a werehog and girl to fit into. "So come on, partner, let's get sleuthing! We'll be in, out, and back home all in time to watch Inventory Hoarders!"
