Event log: Who What Where Wendigo

[hadrielmods]

Who: Everyone participating in the wendigo event!
What: The accidental-cannibalism-turned-horrifying-monster event that is the Who What Where Wendigo event!
Where: All around the city
When: Feb 14th-March 1st
Warnings: Cannibalism, body horror, evil monsters lurking around.

Don't forget to check up on the Wendigo Guide that Ami posted!

On February 14th, Rage and Fear decide to give Hope a little bit of help taking care of the residents of Hadriel - they'll provide some food for awhile. How nice! Except, of course, that there's an extra ingredient in this food. A can of beef stew? Yeah... that might not be beef. But hey, it still tastes pretty good! Unfortunately, some spirits slipped through the Door last time it opened, and they're ready to possess anyone who participates in cannibalism - even if they don't know it.

Anyone who eats the provided meat will be possessed by a wendigo spirit. Over the course of twelve days, they will transform into a monster that feels little but rage and hunger. While at first it can be explained away easily enough (people are super annoying, and isn't everyone a little hungry most of the time?), by February 18th, wendigo transformations are impossible to ignore. A few days after, on February 22nd, the anger and cravings of the wendigo spirit will overcome all other emotions, and possessed characters may begin hunting.

The physical and mental transformation will be complete by February 26th. The possessed characters will have lost themselves completely at that point. While physical healing (done by a character with Hope's blessing or another healing ability) can turn back the physical and some mental effects, they will remain possessed until death or until Hope removes the wendigo spirit - which can only be done on the altar of Hope's temple. So have fun dragging your angry, possessed friends there!

On March 1st, Rage does Hope a solid (because she feels sort of bad) and kills all remaining wendigos. Upon revival, the spirit will be gone and the character will be fully recovered. Hopefully no one holds what they did while possessed against them!

► This log covers February 14th-March 1st.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► Please report any character deaths right here!

Comments

[closerift]

It is. [ She says immediately, trying with all she has to keep the desperate plea from her voice. Don't do this. She can't bring herself to ask him to assist if the worst should come to pass, and... in any case, it seemed that another of the Inquisitor would be better suited, if fire was really the most effective way.

It makes her shudder and, despite that thought, she feels very, deeply cold. ]

This time, it is. [ Cecily wants to reach out and grasp his shoulder, to offer some kind of apology, or reassurance that he's absolved of any duty in this situation, but she doesn't. Even though they'd said it wasn't contagious, the idea of even briefly touching another person (a clean, healthy person) seems wrong.

She remembers briefly, vividly, the pair of them standing across from each other with bars between them. It seems like a lifetime ago. ]

Be careful what you- [ Eat, she almost says, but the word sours on her tongue. Instead, she shakes her head and adjusts: ] ... Just, be safe. All of you.

[ She'll be back eventually, if Hope is to be believed. Before that, though, will be a lot of hell. ]

[theresolve]

[He doesn't want to do this, he doesn't want to let her go, and there's a terrible fear inside of him that if he does, he will never see her again.

People come back if they're killed here, that's been proven to be a solid promise by now, but even then there's the what if, what if there's some further catch they have not yet been told, what if it doesn't work thanks to this illness, what if.

He felt this way before, that she would walk away and he would never see her again, but that was different. That time it was Rainier's life on the line, a walk to the gallows secure in the knowledge that Cecily was alive and safe.

Dying is so much easier than being the one who has to live.

His hands relax, and he lets go. It's done with such great care, so slowly, like every heartbeat has him second-guessing and considering changing his mind.

Ultimately the resolve for obedience to someone he trusts wins out. If it was anyone else at all... But Rainier's faith in Cecily is absolute.]

... Should you need us... for any reason...

[Rainier will be sleeping restlessly if he sleeps at all, the phone always beside him, volume turned up as loud as possible to not miss a single message.]

[closerift]

[ I do need you, she wants to say, I need all of you. He must know that she couldn't have made it this far in Hadriel without the three of them. That she would have gone crazy being alone in a place like this, that their presence is far more than a simple comfort. She hates the look on his face, feeling deep within herself that she's let him down in some way, and hates even more that she has no answers. Once again, the local gods have complete control, can use and manipulate them all without any trouble. Once again, people's lives are in danger, and she could be the one putting them at risk, rather than last time, when she did all she could to save them.

It twists at her gut and is amplified by the foreign emotions that the wendigo spirit offers, but she can't go back with him. Painful as this interaction is, as much as she wants to go home and believe there will be an answer before she's too far gone... she can't. Not when it isn't only her own life in danger.

His hands slip away and she stiffens her shoulders, already feeling infinitely more alone than she had a moment ago. Where can she go? All the real houses are together, so, in all likelihood, she'll have to camp out far away from town until there's some real sign that the danger has passed. If any. If it can, or will, pass. ]

And you. [ Cecily says faintly, trying to keep the shake from her voice. ] You... know how to reach me.

[ There are other things she wants to say and apologize for, but what good will it do? Instead, she ducks her chin, taking a steadying breath. ]

You're a good person, Thom. [ The Inquisitor draws her hood over her face again, not meeting his eyes as she speaks and then begins to walk away. ] I think you always have been.

[ And then she leaves, not looking back. ]

[theresolve]

[The Inquisitor might not look back, but Thom doesn't look away.

He stays where she leaves him, watching her go, looking for all the world like a dog abandoned by its master, not quite willing to give up hope that she'll turn around and return any minute now.

Even then, he doesn't return to the house until she's long since gone out of sight.]