⇨ WISMUTH ENDGAME

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Evening Day 27
Where: The Wismuth Super Dome, Round 2
What: On the verge of creating a world ending army of Harbingers, CY-Ren and her followers are challenged by the carnival and the Star Guardian team. It's time to stop.
Warnings: Singing

THE LAST REQUIEM↴ CY-Ren's planning of a charity concert has been well received - news of bomb threats and harassment from fans have painted her as a victim in the media spotlight, and her generous attempt to make amends is getting plenty of attention. She's been busy spinning things for as much focus as possible, and the threat of potential danger has the news focusing in on the proceedings. The date is set for Day 27 in carnival time. You won't want to miss it! ► BUILD UP: In the last couple days before the concert, CY-Ren will be reaching out to all of her Harbingers, regardless of where they might be at the time - yes, this means that even if you ran off, she'll come to find you! (Unless you're in the carnival like Taako, then you're fucked.) She'll tell you that her plans are coming to head, and that if you help her with one last task then the planet will be on its way to destruction. There are multiple ways you can aid her: you can help amp up her performance as evil backup singers/musicians, or you can set yourself up around the perimeter at specified locations, using your sparks as a beacon to her magic. She's certain that she's perfected her musical formula, this time - when the concert gets underway, all those present with the capacity to be a Harbinger will awaken, and the end of days will begin. ► THE CONCERT: By the time the concert arrives, the Star Guardians will have the idea that there's something unnatural about the way the new Harbingers were made - this isn't how it usually happens, and that sets them apart from someone like CY-Ren. Maybe that means that they can be pulled away with less drastic measures as well, given that the Void didn't have the full right to their souls in the first place. Anyone coming to help (and those who aren't Star Guardians will be encouraged to come as well, given that if they are making attempts at friendship, super powers aren't required) will gather in the area early, determined to stomp this one out before it can get too far. ► HARBINGERS: This is when they will be encountered by Harbingers guarding the perimeter, as well as a small army of void creatures defending CY-Ren's last performance. Star Guardians will become aware through the power of Creation that the Harbingers on the perimeter must be neutralized in order to disrupt the concert - CY-Ren is feeding on their negative energies, and it will make it too dangerous to attack her directly. Confrontations with any Harbingers can be worked out on an individual basis via plotting - just make up a location around the concert and have your Harbinger providing a beacon of their own design. As the concert ramps up, however, the excess of Void energy will cause the newly made Harbingers to destabilize - mentally or magically, their powers will be harder to control, and their negative emotions will be running wild. However, with that instability, there is also room for a breakthrough - for someone to blast the darkness from their Sparks with friendship and light. Now is the time to reach out. ► STAR GUARDIANS: If a Harbinger is successfully turned away from the darkness, they will briefly regain control of their Sparks, and be able to manifest as a Star Guardian for the first time. This will allow the Guardians to outnumber CY-Ren's forces. Their look and powers will still be based around the same Spark, but purified by Creation and aimed towards positive things. Time to win. ► DANCE OFF: Given that the Spark of Music and the Spark of Dance are colliding, it is perhaps not a surprise that this all manifests as a big ass musical number. As CY-Ren and Noa have a music battle, everyone present (even if you aren't a Star Guardian) will find themselves magically inspired to join in. You can dance, sing, or anything in between - the more people who support Noa's side, the stronger she will be. There will be a megathread for this part of the conflict, and at this point any unturned Harbingers will awaken and be able to turn their Sparks towards the light. As CY-Ren begins to lose power, what the players do with her will be up to you.

Comments

[kingsroads]

No he can't zoom it out, scrying doesn't work like that. Strange turns to Yuya, with an expression of slight aggravation...before wait. He's doing this with a mirror. Oh, the spell's a lot easier with a basin of water but mirrors are more mobile.

That aggravated expression quickly swaps to a slightly delighted one. That's right! Strange moves the necklace around, spinning in a circle as he moves it, trying to find something of use. As he moves the necklace, the image changes and moves to view different parts of the environment itself. He stops for a moment, squinting at something interesting..

"Here we go! I can't read the first part of this label but the second part says 'High Speed Turbine.' Any help?"

[hippocarnival]

"Uh... high speed, right? Maybe he's at a race track?" Yuya sounds completely unsure. Not because racing isn't well suited for Yugo, but what's a turbine? Hell if he knows, he's not the mechanical engineer of all his counterparts.

"What else can you find?"

[kingsroads]

"No, there's too many objects for there to be a race track. The space isn't open enough." Which just means he needs to look further. And so begins another awkward round of Strange just holding the mirror up and moving it around to actually try and see something useful.

In the distance, the earthen barrier Strange put up starts to crack worryingly. At the same time, Strange lets out a short laugh of triumph. "I've got it! Something says 'power and electric'. Just trace the Harbinger's magic to that electricity place!"

There's plenty of problems with that plan. One, Yuya doesn't have the same sort of magic viewing ability that Strange does. Two, power plant. The word that Jonathan 'still running off of hazy 2017 AU memories' Strange is looking for is power plant.

[hippocarnival]

"Electricity... oh!" Yuya perks up, luckily being a teen from the 2010s who is familiar at least with very basic ideas like 'where the power in the city comes from'. "The power plant! I got it!"

He smacks the side of his fist to his palm, grinning. He can't trace any sort of magical signature, but he's kind of got a homing dragon, and he can just... find a map, or get a moment to de-transform and do a quick search on his phone, he's sure he can find it.

"Thanks Mr. Strange!" He bounces back, his shield dropping--and then he looks around, remembering the immediate danger. "You should get inside the concert now."

[kingsroads]

Well, there we go! At least Yuya knows what he's talking about and it seems like he's at least got a vague idea of where to find it. Strange gives him a wild grin before nodding at Yuya's request. He should get inside.

"I know you're a Guardian now but be safe," Strange gently chides. Of course, considering this is coming from the person they normally have to tell be safe in the first place, that doesn't mean much. "Good luck," he sincerely says, before poofing into smoke and starting to float over towards the concert.

After all, he remembers the immediate danger as well. Best to be intangible for the moment.

[hippocarnival]

Truly, neither of them are the pinnacle of self-preservation.

"Mm. I will!" Yuya grins and offers Strange a mock salute. "Good luck to you, too. As soon as I'm done, I'll be at the concert too."

As Strange turns to smoke and floats away, Yuya turns to run back deeper into the city to find a way to the power plant... as well as pick up a couple things and a certain spirit he needs for the task.