The Torrent

A world where there’s an ongoing torrent of the paranatural.

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Posted by Cryst0lline, 2 days, 5 hours ago. Permalink

Oh that's Phantom Blood. That's Phantom Blood of my comfort characters...

CBC / ABC7 : Bloodlusted Masks Overtake Vancouver and San Francisco.

We are reporting, LIVE from two cities! Perhaps this collaboration between two news agencies is what finally brings Canada and the United States together under one front against a looming evil... or Elon Musk takes the masks and puts them on his Cybertr- [the announcer gets dragged off-camera, and another announcer, wearing a strange ornate mask, replaces him.]

In an unprecedented turn of events, a mass of strange porcelain masks appeared on the Lion's Gate Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Cars and people have been crushed underneath the masks, which individually weight two pounds and glow a slight green despite the lack of any radioactive or fluorescent components. 

Many of these masks have fallen into the Burrard Inlet and Golden Gate Strait respectively, and there is an estimated amount of 2000 masks lost. Those that have been recovered are being held in evidence rooms, but the sheer amount has caused police stations to be overflowed with paperwork. Peopl- I found that, upon wearing the mask... I now have a strange longing for blood. The voices... they keep... getting louder.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill... KILL. KILL. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL 

[This announcer jumps out from their chair, and screams are heard in the distance. Another announcer, bloodied, returns to the scene.]

SEND HELP! WHY IS THIS JUST JOJO'S PART ONE???

[They let out an earpiercing scream as they are dragged away by foot. The announcer from Vancouver winces and tries to get someone to cut the cameras, but gets a mask shoved on their face. They grow slightly calmer.]

When will all of this end? American hospitals are blown up, a prison blows up and 45 metahumans escape, Canadian 9/11 happens, Fiji becomes weird, the world begins militarization...

Authorities tell you not to wear the mask, and to turn it over to authorities, but it is a fuCKING LIE! TOLD BY THE BIG WIGS! THEY JUST WANT THIS POWER TO THEMSELVES FOR THEIR SILLY GAMES OF WAR AND BLOODSHED. BUT TOGETHER, WE MUST RISE. THE PROLETARIAT WILL NOT LET THIS STAND ANY LONGER AMIDST A GLOBAL CRISIS. WE UNITE UNDER ONE NAME...

SIOPILOS.

A vow of silence.

Wear the mask...

And you will feel powerful.

You no longer need to speak, for your actions will scream it to the world. No one can stop us now. Come... join us. We shall enact the Purge. Start the world anew. We shall multiply once we learn to harness this power without the limite of a vessel.

and you should do it! Nothing bad could ever happen by giving the government more murder devices. At least the fucking Knobbler is behind bars for bringing attention to a broken system under power-greedy pigs, right? That's all that matters. And remember to catch Jacob Cruz while you're at it. But for all we know, the three twinks who blew up the VPD HQ might be our glorious saviors...

Lina Montaigne made a Move (Cryst0lline GMed) 4 days, 23 hours ago. View Move

Schätzchen

"The phone is not sitting straight..."

Leopold chokes on a chuckle.

"Straight."

As he moves the phone, his hand stops blocking the camera, and he sits back down in his seat. He stays there, breathing motionlessly for a few moments, tilting his head as he looks into the camera. 

"Well, I don't believe it matters. I'm a butler, not a professional photographer at a wedding. I have, embarrassingly, brought a shotgun to a photoshoot..."

He clears his throat.

"Frau Cerise gave me a stern talk that day. Don't go near the children with guns. Guard them from afar. From what? I expected run of the mill kidnappers and creeps. Maybe whale oil salesmen. That would've been out of her control, yes? I was never given many details. She believed it would... curse me, too. Something about knowing too much."

He crosses his legs, and runs a hand along his beard. 

"I don't know how she was planning to fight an inherent attraction to these energies. I hardly even believed her when she started talking about this place being on a leyline. Unfortunately, being on the battlefield does not make you better at handling monsters. I had always been under the impression that... people were the greatest horrors."

Leopold winces a bit. He traces a finger over his left knee. 

"And I was right for a while. But people are not born monsters. You are often annoyed that I still call you a child, but that is what you are to me. You are... perhaps a sign that the world is not fundamentally sick. It has grown to be this way. It is unfortunate that this is still a problem in your generation, if not even more dangerous."

There's whistling in the background as Leopold perks up slightly and walks over to the kitchen in the background. You can see him turn off the stove and move a pot to another stovetop. He then sits back down.

"Frau Cerise wanted to keep you safe, and so I shall honor that wish. If that means I should prepare you for the worst, then so be it. Maybe it was destined. Maybe all the Montaignes are born with a compass pointing at the nearest eldritch being around. I did not want for it to be this way, and yet it happens regardless."

Leopold straightens his suit and tie.

"I do not know your reasons for pursuing this, nor what you are planning to do once your goals have been met, if that is even possible. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I will do what I can to help. If you happen to become the very thing you and your mother tried to erase..."

His expression darkens for a moment, before he closes his eyes and sighs. A bitter smile enters his face.

"Well, if that were to happen, I'd be dead before I know it. Whether you would've wanted me to cure you or exterminate you. I would not be able to bring myself to do the latter. Such a cruel decision has been left behind with my badge in Germany. For now, I will try to uphold some semblance of a functional, comforting household for you to return to, as your parents had done for me. And that includes more interesting dishes for you to try."

He reaches forward for the phone, hesitating for a moment.

"Danke, Schätzchen."

[The video ends. Lina can find this video on... a floppy disk laying around, for whatever reason. Leopold was probably too timid to hand it over directly. He's probably dying of embarrassment in the garden bushes.]

Latest Journals

1 week ago: Cassiopeia Sonelios wrote a Downtime Journal for Solitary Confinement

Violet Haze

I dream of you tonight.

That summer, we were high up in the skies. A night I could not remember, but pained me all the same. We were one, nothing but the cloak on our back, our face shadowed by our hood and nebulous hair. We had done something unforgivable that we could not name. All that spilled from my lips that day were apologies and compromises. In other moments, I listened. It was all I could do. Everything else felt... wrong.

We were hidden deep underground. The drunken, smoky haze of the nightclub bit away at my sinuses. This was a safe space to conceal us---vagrants and dissenters rarely want to speak up against their sympathizers. I had a book of poetry with me for once. I felt a certain pull to it, as if it held something important to me. Where had our compatriots gone? For some reason, I breathe better in their absence. This didn't last long. I was outnumbered in a raid. The others had been too busy getting lost in their vices to help. How had I become the group counsellor, knowing that my own problems ran too deep for me to help in any meaningful way?

Through all of it, you were with me.

You stand before me now, and I can finally see your face.

You, the me I always wished to be.

You, the one borne from my experiences treading this empty world.

You, the one I wanted to cradle me and speak of all that you've ever known.

If no one else, I wish you would understand---all that is buried must resurface one day. If not by itself, then by another's curiosity. I have chosen to come out of my own accord, so I still have some semblance of control over what people know about me. This is what I am.

You reach forward.

Your fingers are soft on my face, as you slowly pry this mask away.

I have been wearing it this whole time, yes. 

It reminds me to stay silent. I... wish it meant you'd break your silence.

To flee from everything else.

Hide.

You are beautiful in your entirety, and yet, now that I can see your face, my heart aches. Burns. Needles previously just prickling at it have chosen to jab themselves straight through, and bile clogs itself in my throat. 

You smile.

I choke.

I cover my mouth and look up at you, waiting for you to speak to me. But instead, you place the mask upon your face, and simply look back at me. Apollo's presence is warm as he places a hand on my shoulder and condescendingly tells me, "Good job."

Have I won?

No. One never wins against a god. One never wins against themselves.

I never wanted to win.

I just wanted you to hold me and tell me it's okay.

I ended up doing this for everyone but myself. And now, you are gone.

 1 month, 1 week ago: Koriol Celestheryne wrote a Downtime Journal for Premade Sandwiches

Spectacle

To live is to be selfish. 

By breathing, we produce waste. By trampling upon the earth, we kill and tarnish all that comes before us. Our lives are paved with the blood of all that has been needlessly sacrificed for the human need to have more.

There are many times when the offer to help comes with strings attached. Claiming to be supervising me comes with the perk of borrowing my materials, my abilities, and the chance to gain yet another power to keep me at bay. It's not a fair trade. I knew that. Yet my life is in their hands and I have to comply because it's the least I can do, after everything they've risked to help me-

This... is the exact same dilemma I faced with my parents. They've thrown me back into my childhood and they're forcing me to live out the days where I was effectively imprisoned. Of course, I deserve this. Of course, the circumstances are different. It doesn't stop me from feeling utterly disgusted at the very comparison that I've drawn. 

I cannot reasonably let this continue. It whittles me down every time, and I'm tired.

Playing along with the role of a helpless prisoner will just become the truth if I let it stay like this for long enough.

How long until I'm just a weapon?

I already am.

How long until I'm dispensable?

...Ahaha.

That's already the case, no?

It'd be great if I died in an accident.

That's how they do capital punishment, because it doesn't exist legally.

But if I went missing...

The world moves on.

It's the spectacle of a runaway criminal, a mystery, a missing link that keeps people coming back. Keeps them wondering. Keeps them speculating, turning me into some sort of legend. That's what they turned Cruz into, spouting bullshit that he's kidnapped Zeph just because I said they were acquainted with each other. They just love twisting the narrative so it fits their agenda.

This is what the Knobbler wants, yes?

Very well. Let's play along.

It's more interesting than whatever this is.

 1 month, 1 week ago: Koriol Celestheryne wrote a Downtime Journal for Requiem for a Fool

Forgiveness

What did you see in him?

Truly, for someone who walks away from people at the blink of an eye, I didn't expect Jacob to be the one you chose to hang around. You could've told me what you were doing. You could've told me that you needed help, and I would've dropped everything to be by your side. You knew that, right? We didn't have to be together for me to spend a day taking care of you. I could've done more, if only you just told me what was wrong.

I wanted to believe you. I wanted to believe in your ability to judge people.

But time and time again, I find that there's no redemption for this man. There's none for myself either, really, but I find myself slipping further into insanity every time I think about this, more than anything else. 

I just wanted to be near you.

I was just scared you'd leave the moment you saw all my blemishes.

And now everything's trying to tell me that it wouldn't have happened. If I had just taken your feelings with open arms, you'd have stayed. You'd have told me more things, had more time to get to know me, to let me get to know you. Maybe I could've convinced you that there's no glory in going on these jobs, or that I could've done something to help you, whatever you were trying to do.

So Jacob's the one who gets your grace. Your blessing. Your attention. Your care.

I wish I could see that too. I wish I could still say you aren't stupid enough to-

...I hate this. I hate him. I hate you.

I hate...

Myself.
1 month, 1 week ago: Cassiopeia Sonelios wrote a Downtime Journal for Le Rat Géant

Stars, Forlorn

Don't do it. 

Don't do it.

Don't do it.

Don't make me lie any further, don't make me say things that I don't actually mean, don't make me spew these promises without truly understanding their weigh-

This is fine.

This is fine.

I am...

Fine.

Are you?

Am I?

Ancient voices of deities are warring in my dreams. They wish to speak with me. I refuse every time. I am trying to follow through with Apollo's offer. I will focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise, I can't... think. Do I want to? Do I really want to, knowing that it's only a downward spiral from here?

Liars.

Liars.

Liar.

They really think... they really thought... I, of all people, would let them get away with it? I understand the need to do it. I wouldn't make it easy. I'm not a pushover. Not anymore. All I can do is avoid all the combat that I can, until I fall apart just like I did when I stepped into that cursed-

It was for the best... for the three of us, anyway. Was it the best for Alberta? Hardly. I cannot justify it like this. It would be a mockery to everyone who died that day. There's no such thing as being 'respectable' or 'virtuous' on these jobs. Lives are taken or people are hurt - psychologically, if not physically. There's no winner here. Why is the path to justice so consistently paved with blood and tears-

There is no justice in a universe that doesn't love anyone.

Remember that.

Remember those words from that fateful day, if nothing else. Even if I am to lose everything I have, everything I've ever known... just please, let me remember this one thing. Even if the world pushes back, whittles down the vague hint of resolve that's left standing in the storm...

I found that I was blinded by the lies I've told myself time and time again. I lost sight of what I wanted, what I hoped to see, something I marvelled at upon the first sight of it: The stars.

Hope.

Passion.

Conviction. 

The ability to do what you want, what you think is right. The ability to go on without feeling the need to hide or lie because for some reason the truth insists on binding us to the earth when all we wanted to do was reach for the diamonds in the sky-

I hate lying. I hate being lied to.

And yet it must happen either way. My survival is at the whims of fate, and it never fails to remind me of just how cruel it can be. Yet, I cannot conscientiously call any of this 'fate' anymore. I cannot justify the deaths of millions with a simple claim that it was meant to happen all along. I cannot be this cruel yet. I'm sure these jobs will eventually find a way to bring it out in me. 

The storm never ends.

Let's hope we live to see the eye of it, and still have the passion left to stare it down.

Have mercy.

 1 month, 3 weeks ago: Yasui "Caliose" Kiryoki wrote a Downtime Journal for Memento

Kindness

The sea is the same as I've left it. My boat is... not. There's a meal left there. I could've sworn I needed more fuel.

The books are now in order, by author and publishing date. At some point I guess I slacked. Or the people around me had slacked. I should maintain this order. 

What reason did he have to do this for me? I want to say that people need a reason to be kind in this world, but would it really be that harmful if I just... believed?

Just this once? 

Well... the last time I did that, things didn't go the way I had hoped. Maybe it's about time that I learn. 

But does being burnt once mean that I shouldn't go near a flame ever again? Not at all. It's necessary for self-preservation. It's necessary for life. Just because the sun is a deadly laser doesn't mean I can't enjoy its light.

 

 1 month, 3 weeks ago: Jacob Cruz wrote a Downtime Journal for Crustacean Calamity

Searching

Plans.

What do we know about the Nullspace?

Two layers: Upper and Lower.

Hopefully he's in the Upper Strata, but that would be idealistic.

Lower... I don't even know what to expect.

What do I do when I meet his husk?

What do I say? How do I even...

Okay. I need to know what to expect. Who can give me more information about the Nullspace...

Tch. Two options.

House of Paradise... and Wells.

I'd rather deal with the HoP... but Wells would know more.

Okay.

List the goal.

Objective: Either rescue Zeph...

Or put him to rest I can bring him back

Be realistic. You don't even know the first thing about how to do that...

Next.

Split it into goals to achieve.

  • Learn how to recover Zeph from the Nullspace
  • Learn Zeph's whereabouts
  • Learn how to travel to the Nullspace (Something in... Polynesia. Check that out later.)
  • Learn how to survive and traverse the Lower Nullspace

You remember those frequencies. Every single one of them. Maybe I could use them.

As for how to survive... I could always check out the upper nullspace on my own...

Maybe. I don't know.

...need to learn more.

 1 month, 3 weeks ago: Jacob Cruz wrote a Downtime Journal for Fill In The Blanks

The Vessel

More pages here.

What happened after this...

Right. HND-E...

HND-E was... destroyed. At least, I thought they were.

From what I recall, there was some sort of "attack" on the Smithsonian, where HND-E was kept.

Some guards ended up destroying them in the crossfire.

Think I mentioned it before, but I met HND-E, or rather, a fragment of HND-E, in the Vermillion Manor.

They were incomplete. Only a vessel. If they were to be brought back... I need to find the rest of them.

Speaking of... I actually found one of the fragments in Italy. Grew a flower, I think... Amethyst Sea Holly. Right.

There was a bird that ended up choking on some sort of blue stone that formed in the pistil of that flower. I was able to dislodge it without causing any harm to the bird, and touching the fragment brought me into this dreamscape.

The world was... ideal? Peaceful, no conflicts. Perfect...?

I don't know. I'm skeptical. It felt like one of those things that's too good to be true.

And then I met The Designer.

There's a lot to unpack from our conversation. I... I didn't get through to them with my words, I think. Agh, why did I mention Discord? I should get some more sleep

Now I have couple fragments. I think that I need one more... and then that'll be everything.

There's so much more to do.

 1 month, 3 weeks ago: Jacob Cruz wrote a Downtime Journal for Chess

S.T.A.R.S

Found some empty pages here. Figured that I should make use of em.

Let's see...

Some homes in Chilliwack were at risk of landslides and the government ended up devaluing the properties... $2 per lot. Insane. The folks were more than happy to sell for $100k total. Not too bad.

I got the necessary permits, hired some contractors (ha. ha.), and had Delph's cheesemen help me out with the renovations.

We got some library books, gardening supplies, clothing, and more things. My vision for the whole thing was a place where people can get shelter, training, aid, a chance to recover, and the support they needed.

S.T.A.R.S. has a nice ring to it. Lylith seems to like it, too.

Some high school students volunteered to help out around the shelter. Good kids, glad they had the time to spare.

Was going to spend some more time setting up some funding for residents' educations and connecting them with schools. I figured it'd be a good idea to employ people and help them acquire the work experience they might need on site, and also give them the chance to explore possible career paths.

I'm going to fly over to Lylith's to talk to her in a few days. I'll update this journal to describe the outcome of that.

I wonder how she's doing.

 1 month, 3 weeks ago: Jacob Cruz wrote a Downtime Journal for Requiem for a Fool

Moving

In this entry, you find that the words seem to be almost imprinted into the paper, and the words are messy, scratched on. Some overlap others, and the overall page seems to be a frantic mess.

Below is the most legible section.

Screams.

Running.

Terror.

Voices.

I can't forget.

So many people.

I killed.

So many.

God.

Oh... oh God.

...I hurt them.

I... wanted to hurt them.

Now that I have.

Uhm.

I tried to... I wanted to...

They were gone. I believed they were.

Condemned. They would have died regardless.

There was... I wanted to...

Walk.

Keep walking.

Look around you.

You can't stop this.

You can't...

I need to just.

Think.

Got on a plane.

Where did I.

Philippines. Walking. Got Mugged.

Talked to Pine.

I. I need to do something.

I feel like... I'm tearing myself apart.

I'm breaking at the seams.

I... I want to quit.

I just want to die.

If I don't die now, then I'm going to lash out and break.

Break things.

A vase. I'm cracking.

 1 month, 4 weeks ago: Casper Boppy wrote a Downtime Journal for To Russia With Love

Dream #2 - Popped

I was standing in a house, there were humanoid shapes crumpled around the floor, blood seeping from their wounds. I pressed my hand to their necks, unable to find a pulse on any of them. They were young, too young. I could hear voices and sirens from outside, someone was crying just beyond the door. 

There was a sound like rain. It started slowly, growing quicker and quicker. Little white flecks rose from the wooden floorboards and the children's open wounds, jittering around the room wildly like grasshoppers. A pleasant smell seemed to follow them, a strange contrast from the coppery smell of death. Popcorn, I realized.

The specks coalesced, building up a monstrous form as vines grew from the floor to support it. I thought of a bouquet of white and brown flowers, green stems holding up the spattering of burnt popcorn. The beast looked down at me, it had no eyes but it's gaping maw seeped with fury. It wasn't as large as the Great Husk, but still it towered over me, hunching to fit into this room.

"Foolish child," it said. Its voice was raspy yet guttural like a beast. The crackling of old joints followed its movements, blossoming from the still-popping corn.

"Now what's your problem, beast? You got something to do with that Husk fellow?"

"Rash, brazen, bold. You who have seen death should know better than to rush into it. Fslur."

"The fuck?"

"You Boppys, always the same. Shaking your fist at those above you, begging for a challenge as you sit dying on the floor, trying to keep your guts from spilling onto the floor," it hissed.

"You're being a real asshole right now, stranger. Is this about Babushka? She was a blind fool, trying to kill me instead of doing something that would help us actually fend off the wolves."

"Did you honestly think she was there to aid you?" The beast laughed. "You would do well to learn the bite of betrayal, to understand that you have no friends. To all, you are a tool, something to be used and tossed away when your purpose has been served. They will not speak for you, they will not fight on your behalf. Do you know how your uncle perished?"

"I don't," I confessed.

"By trusting someone else with his life. He fought for others, and he died when that favour was not repaid. The price for his survival was little more than words, yet still his accomplice refused to pay. There is no gift too small to be given freely to you. Bill found that out the hard way, be thankful that you have been given the chance to learn this lesson."

"Who even are you?"

"Fslur," it growled.

"Stop saying that, bitch."

"The only hands you can trust are your own, do not place your life into someone else's. Always have a way out. Always be the one to decide your survival. This world will not save you. Your allies will not save you. You were lucky today, but soon your luck will run dry. If you cannot guarantee your life, then consider yourself a dead man walking, Fslur."

"Fuck off. I don't need you to tell me that I fucked up."

The beast stared, its long head tilting as though to analyze me. It seemed to wheeze, blowing out ash from its mouth. An orange glow started to pulse from within, glowing brighter as the room grew hotter. The popcorn that made up its figure blackened, falling to the floor in blazing chunks. The fires spread to the floor. I stepped back, trying to avoid the inferno as it flared up around me.

"Fslur," it cawed from the fire, "your recklessness will only lead you to death and failure. You are weak, just as your uncle was. Your life is connected by a thread to the hands of the Great Husk, yet still you jostle the strings. You are not yet strong enough to own your continuance. You are at the mercy of us and those around you. If you cannot kill a god, cannot kill an elderly woman, then don't give them a reason to pull the trigger. Bill struck at gods, you strike at Russian grandmothers. In both of your attacks, you lacked the surety of an escape. You were lucky that a canine decided your life was worth the risk of the freezing water. Bill did not have that same luck. You will not have that same luck in the future." The beast's form was a black mass of coal now, yet still its words echoed around me. The flames began to consume the entire room, I struggled at the door while coughing from the smoke. Locked.

"Let this be a lesson, Fslur, if you cannot exit a room alone," it boomed, "then do not enter it in the first place." The fire grew closer, it snapped at my feet, crawling higher and higher up my leg. I screamed, I could feel the blistering heat melt away my skin. I punched at the door, calling for help. I begged to the voices I could still hear beyond. No response. I fell to my knees, clutching my stomach as my life began to wane. I begged to the burnt corpses, hoping they'd offer me a way out. Still no response. The burning light consumed me, eating away my entirety, and soon I found myself in complete darkness. It was cold, at first I assumed that I had died, only to sigh in relief as I realized I was back in bed. I let my head rest on my pillow and spent the rest of the night staring up at the old farmhouse's ceiling. I didn't want to go back to sleep.

 1 month, 4 weeks ago: Jacob Cruz wrote a Downtime Journal for BBQSaurus Rex

Die Hard

The days passed by like a blur after this one. I remember ducking my head, hiding my face… trying not to draw attention. Keeping silent.

Old habits.

People tried to talk to me. I withdrew.

Checked my apartment every day. Swept it for bugs. Found a few. Stopped talking, used TOR for my searches, tried to… bide my time.

Old habits.

You never learn, Jacob.

You never do. You never change. No matter how much power you have, you never change.

You hide. You’re a coward. You’re weak. You let these thoughts fester and you don’t ever do anything about them. You deserve this.

Old habits.

Sometimes, you latch on to hope. You leech off of everyone around you. You are… this isn’t helping.

…old habits.

You hid. You laid low. You got scared. And you lived. You’re alive right now. You’re at the centre of it all now, whether you like it or not.

Don’t waste this opportunity.

 1 month, 4 weeks ago: Jacob Cruz wrote a Downtime Journal for Harmony of Diddsonance

Lost

There’s so much to do.

I had a job I needed to do…

Not a typical one. Went to Italy, met with a woman named Lylith. Very sweet, prepared pastries and tea and such… I think they were good. She asked me to help recover some guests that didn’t belong, as well as an Amaranth… and I saw… Zeph and HND-E. Zeph’s still down there… I’ll rescue you.

HND-E needs their parts back. Something abstract. Something that I can’t exactly describe in any physical sense. Need to learn more…


I stop by Lylith’s from time to time for… tea and pastries. I… I wish I could taste them… but they smell good.

Talked with Delph. They wanted me to help them with some corpses. Think they knew them… hm. Leslie Wexner museum… anyways, I still have to… display Gabriel, apparently. He said that was what he wanted… according to Delph. Fine. I’d get access to their lab from time to time if I help them with their Fiji thing.

I talked with Cass for a bit. Wanted to help her purchase some property in the Philippines. Now we have a pseudo safe-house there. She wanted to take up bartending, which sounds nice. I hope she has fun there.

I… what are you doing, man.

Had a talk with Pine too. They… Jesus. I just. I don’t understand anything anymore.

Latest Completed Contracts

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Illuminated Earth

Illuminated Earth is a twisted reflection of the modern world where the advent of smartphones and the internet confirmed the existence of the supernatural instead of disproving it. Here, witch hunts have merit. Billionaires and Senators employ paranormal advisors and bodyguards, and everyone knows. Charlatans become pop culture icons, and each revelation inspires a new cult. The world is changing. The secret societies that pull humanity's strings scramble to adapt.

Now's a good time to move up.

House Rules

Contractors from The Torrent Are portable, and may play in Contracts in other Playgroups.
The Torrent grants 6 Experience points to GMs who achieve the Golden Ratio.

 

  • Supernatural Powers: All non-mastery, non-concealed Powers must be obviously supernatural when activated or grant a mutation that marks the wielder as supernatural or bizarre if discovered.
  • Asset Limit: The maximum amount of assets and liability points is 5.
  • Discord Server: Join the Discord server and follow the rules in detail there.

Full Setting Description

They named that time The Illumination, and it was by the flash of a camera phone.

 

The year was 2004. Until that point the Earth was as we had always known her. We filled her cruel vastness with legends, superstitions, and rumors. Warlocks, monsters, and gods lurked on the edge of the collective consciousness, always a possibility but never more. We lacked evidence. That evidence came as humanity filled its pockets with technology equipped to capture and transmit.

 

An iPhone found on High School senior Nate Klienman’s mangled corpse held a video of his girlfriend’s bone-snapping transformation into a monstrous wolf creature. A Brazilian widow documented a series of conversations with the misty figure of her late husband. A Chinese fishing boat caught a mermaid in a net and put it on display in the Beijing aquarium.

 

Each week brought a new revelation that we were not alone. Superstitions reversed their slow death overnight. Salem held their first witch trial in a century. The jury rendered a verdict of “guilty on all charges” and sentenced Maxibelle Horux to death. A week after her lethal injection, half the jury died from a tainted batch of flu vaccine. A fearful, populist movement arose to rid humanity of the creatures lurking in its ranks. Suspects are forcibly subjected to bizarre tests of their humanity, and the results are often open to interpretation. A mob’s justice is swift.

 

Yet the paranormal is not merely relegated to a persecuted class. Where some see monsters, some see sentience, and others see opportunity. If a vampire can sustain themselves on cloned blood and work the graveyard shift, why not legalize and tax? Politicians and Aristocrats employ odd-looking individuals as "advisors" or "protection." Entertainment magazines publish revelations every week about which celebrities shed their human skins at home. Charlatans of all stripes, from palmistry mediums to televangelists, have flourished despite the risks. The treatment of the paranormal varies from place to place, person to person.

 

Long have cabals, cults, and secret societies thrived in the shadows. Their roots run deeply through humanity’s oldest systems of power. Machinations are challenged, and sleeping dangers awaken. The world is changing, forcing long-dormant powers into desperate action. And it is in the midst of this great period of change that The Powers That Be have once again turned their attention to the blue marble. For the first time in two hundred years, Harbingers approach worthy individuals with an offer they won't refuse.

The Games have returned, and a new generation of Contractors are being forged.

World Events

Posted by Cryst0lline, 2 days, 5 hours ago. Permalink

Oh that's Phantom Blood. That's Phantom Blood of my comfort characters...

CBC / ABC7 : Bloodlusted Masks Overtake Vancouver and San Francisco.

We are reporting, LIVE from two cities! Perhaps this collaboration between two news agencies is what finally brings Canada and the United States together under one front against a looming evil... or Elon Musk takes the masks and puts them on his Cybertr- [the announcer gets dragged off-camera, and another announcer, wearing a strange ornate mask, replaces him.]

In an unprecedented turn of events, a mass of strange porcelain masks appeared on the Lion's Gate Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Cars and people have been crushed underneath the masks, which individually weight two pounds and glow a slight green despite the lack of any radioactive or fluorescent components. 

Many of these masks have fallen into the Burrard Inlet and Golden Gate Strait respectively, and there is an estimated amount of 2000 masks lost. Those that have been recovered are being held in evidence rooms, but the sheer amount has caused police stations to be overflowed with paperwork. Peopl- I found that, upon wearing the mask... I now have a strange longing for blood. The voices... they keep... getting louder.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill... KILL. KILL. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL 

[This announcer jumps out from their chair, and screams are heard in the distance. Another announcer, bloodied, returns to the scene.]

SEND HELP! WHY IS THIS JUST JOJO'S PART ONE???

[They let out an earpiercing scream as they are dragged away by foot. The announcer from Vancouver winces and tries to get someone to cut the cameras, but gets a mask shoved on their face. They grow slightly calmer.]

When will all of this end? American hospitals are blown up, a prison blows up and 45 metahumans escape, Canadian 9/11 happens, Fiji becomes weird, the world begins militarization...

Authorities tell you not to wear the mask, and to turn it over to authorities, but it is a fuCKING LIE! TOLD BY THE BIG WIGS! THEY JUST WANT THIS POWER TO THEMSELVES FOR THEIR SILLY GAMES OF WAR AND BLOODSHED. BUT TOGETHER, WE MUST RISE. THE PROLETARIAT WILL NOT LET THIS STAND ANY LONGER AMIDST A GLOBAL CRISIS. WE UNITE UNDER ONE NAME...

SIOPILOS.

A vow of silence.

Wear the mask...

And you will feel powerful.

You no longer need to speak, for your actions will scream it to the world. No one can stop us now. Come... join us. We shall enact the Purge. Start the world anew. We shall multiply once we learn to harness this power without the limite of a vessel.

and you should do it! Nothing bad could ever happen by giving the government more murder devices. At least the fucking Knobbler is behind bars for bringing attention to a broken system under power-greedy pigs, right? That's all that matters. And remember to catch Jacob Cruz while you're at it. But for all we know, the three twinks who blew up the VPD HQ might be our glorious saviors...

Lina Montaigne made a Move (Cryst0lline GMed) 4 days, 23 hours ago. View Move

Schätzchen

"The phone is not sitting straight..."

Leopold chokes on a chuckle.

"Straight."

As he moves the phone, his hand stops blocking the camera, and he sits back down in his seat. He stays there, breathing motionlessly for a few moments, tilting his head as he looks into the camera. 

"Well, I don't believe it matters. I'm a butler, not a professional photographer at a wedding. I have, embarrassingly, brought a shotgun to a photoshoot..."

He clears his throat.

"Frau Cerise gave me a stern talk that day. Don't go near the children with guns. Guard them from afar. From what? I expected run of the mill kidnappers and creeps. Maybe whale oil salesmen. That would've been out of her control, yes? I was never given many details. She believed it would... curse me, too. Something about knowing too much."

He crosses his legs, and runs a hand along his beard. 

"I don't know how she was planning to fight an inherent attraction to these energies. I hardly even believed her when she started talking about this place being on a leyline. Unfortunately, being on the battlefield does not make you better at handling monsters. I had always been under the impression that... people were the greatest horrors."

Leopold winces a bit. He traces a finger over his left knee. 

"And I was right for a while. But people are not born monsters. You are often annoyed that I still call you a child, but that is what you are to me. You are... perhaps a sign that the world is not fundamentally sick. It has grown to be this way. It is unfortunate that this is still a problem in your generation, if not even more dangerous."

There's whistling in the background as Leopold perks up slightly and walks over to the kitchen in the background. You can see him turn off the stove and move a pot to another stovetop. He then sits back down.

"Frau Cerise wanted to keep you safe, and so I shall honor that wish. If that means I should prepare you for the worst, then so be it. Maybe it was destined. Maybe all the Montaignes are born with a compass pointing at the nearest eldritch being around. I did not want for it to be this way, and yet it happens regardless."

Leopold straightens his suit and tie.

"I do not know your reasons for pursuing this, nor what you are planning to do once your goals have been met, if that is even possible. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I will do what I can to help. If you happen to become the very thing you and your mother tried to erase..."

His expression darkens for a moment, before he closes his eyes and sighs. A bitter smile enters his face.

"Well, if that were to happen, I'd be dead before I know it. Whether you would've wanted me to cure you or exterminate you. I would not be able to bring myself to do the latter. Such a cruel decision has been left behind with my badge in Germany. For now, I will try to uphold some semblance of a functional, comforting household for you to return to, as your parents had done for me. And that includes more interesting dishes for you to try."

He reaches forward for the phone, hesitating for a moment.

"Danke, Schätzchen."

[The video ends. Lina can find this video on... a floppy disk laying around, for whatever reason. Leopold was probably too timid to hand it over directly. He's probably dying of embarrassment in the garden bushes.]

Jacob Cruz made a Move (Cryst0lline GMed) 5 days, 3 hours ago. View Move

Mysterious Drug Hits the Streets: Rebirth

Throw your pot and crack in the trash! In recent months, a new drug has surfaced around more densely populated areas of Vancouver and Coquitlam, labelled "Rebirth" for its euphoric properties.

Anonymous sources report feeling more alert, spry, youthful, energetic, happy, and there have been certain accounts of seeing loved ones appear before users. Is this a new wave of drug-induced psychosis? It is certainly no surprise that a yearning for the past has grown since the terrible VPD HQ disaster, along with the growing tension from higher weapon distribution and militarization all throughout Canada. 

"I just feel like all my days were spent working to work and go to work again. Now that I've retired, it'd be nice to live like my back doesn't hurt every time I sneeze wrong," says an unnamed citizen.

Side-effects appear to be very minimal besides increased blood pressure and high dependence potential. Inquiries on whether samples were obtained by authorities have been met with radio silence, as always. Where are those meant to protect civilians in times of great need? If anything, people have only grown more favourable of local gangs for their community-driven initiatives, such as keeping thugs and drugs away from playgrounds. 

In other news, a woman appeared to combust spontaneously in the streets of ...

Jacob Cruz made a Move (Cryst0lline GMed) 1 month, 2 weeks ago. View Move

New Shelter in Chilliwack!

A mysterious man named Notta Gool...

[The reporter snickers a bit, clears their throat, and continues.]

has opened a shelter in Chilliwack after learning about the $2 properties whose owners had been urged to evacuate due to landslide risks. Mr. Gool took it upon himself to reinforce these homes and the environments around them with some hired help, and some owners have sold their homes to him at a higher price so they have a means to move elsewhere. 

The S.T.A.R.S. shelter provides clothing, a roof to live under, food, some textbooks donated from university and highschool students, and tips on going into interviews.

Mr. Gool has established a partnership with Stardo Vallee, a village overseas located in rural Italy, most known for the cryptic records of a disappearance of over 100 people from over a thousand years ago. The mayor is happy about such an arrangement, stating that it stimulates the economic growth of the village to maintain its self-sufficient system, rather than relying on big corporations like JoJoCorp. 

In other news, a farmer in Gravelbourg...

Posted by Beezleboppy, 2 months ago. Permalink

Those Who Make All the Rules.

BREAKING NEWS: MYSTERIOUS RAT MONSTER APPEARS IN ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: MILLIONS OF RATS MARCH ON ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: HUMANOID RATS SIGHTED AT SITE OF ALBERTA DISASTER BREAKING NEWS: RAT TERRORIST ORGANIZATION LAYS WASTE TO ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: MILLIONS DEAD IN ALBERTAN MONSTER ATTACK BREAKING NEWS: MONSTER RATS ATTACK ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: RAT GOD APPEARS IN ALBERTA, BEGINS RAMPAGING ACROSS THE PROVINCE BREAKING NEWS: GENOCIDE IN ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: RAT WAR BEGINS BREAKING NEWS: SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER 

 

========================================CONNECTION TERMINATED========================================

[The television screen flickers to static, the passing headlines and brief glimpses of violence disappearing under the chaotic dance of white, black, and grey. A single silhouetted figure steps forward from the mess. Six eyes atop three animalistic faces glow a piercing red, a crown rests over the point at which the heads intersect. It stares quietly at first, an aura of restrained hatred exudes every word as it begins to speak.]

 

Greetings, humanity.

I intend to make this brief.

The landmass formerly known as "Alberta" is no longer in the possession of your kind. All humans sighted within its borders will be swiftly and immediately exterminated, unless otherwise is stated. All humans that were within its borders at the time of the Rat King's arrival have been exterminated. As of today, the area shall henceforth be known as "Ratberta," and it shall forever fall under the rule of the rats.

Now, allow me to outline our intertwined futures.

We do not seek further conflict. We have no interest in taking anything else from your world. There will be no wars or battles fought under Ratberta's banner. We have everything that we want and no desire for excess. However, we will not stand idly by and allow you to destroy us. Should you march upon our home, launch bombs unto our houses, then understand that there will be consequences. What you have seen today is a mere fraction of our potential. Do not force us to show the rest of our might. Should any further human blood be shed, then know that it will bleed as a result of your actions. We do not want a war. We simply want that which we have always desired: peace. Now that we have it, do not force us to find a new path to salvation.

We have no interest in meddling with humanity's affairs, nor will we play by your rules. We are content to remain within Ratberta's borders, and we are content to keep you out of them. I cannot guarantee that all rats will remain here, but know that they will not do anything that they already haven't done for centuries. Your world will move on, the sun will rise and set upon your cities as it always has. A new dawn rises upon the story of the rat, one humanity need not be a part of. Allow our tale to unfold, and we shall return that favour to you. Let us exist in isolated harmony, from now until the end of time.

Our demands our simple: leave us to our paradise. There is nothing more for you to do. No further destruction shall follow us, should our path be for us to choose. We will not go looking for trouble, but should you force us to find it, then we will not hesitate to remind you of who makes the rules.

 

========================================END COMMUNICATION========================================

[The broadcast glitches, the channels becoming filled with panicked news reporters and on-site footage of the ongoing disaster once more.]

 

BREAKING NEWS: KAIJU RAT DESTROYS MILLIONS BREAKING NEWS: WORLD IN CHAOS BREAKING NEWS: ALBERTA FALLS TO RATS BREAKING NEWS: GIANT RAT GOD KILLS MILLIONS BREAKING NEWS: BELOVED TWITCH STREAMER DISAPPEARS BREAKING NEWS: JERMA985 DISAPPEARANCE POTENTIALLY LINKED TO THE RATS IN ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: WALL OF SMOKE ENSHRINES ALBERTA'S BORDERS BREAKING NEWS: GIANT RAT DECIMATES CITIES, ESTIMATED DEATH TOLL IN THE MILLIONS BREAKING NEWS: HORDES OF RATS RACE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, CENTRING ON ALBERTA BREAKING NEWS: SENTIENT RATS?

Hezalea Solitreault made a Move (Bigswordsman GMed) 2 months, 1 week ago. View Move

Ryugenataeru's Innovations Continue to Shock the World!

A television screen flickers to life, and the introductory theme of NHK Newsline can be heard through its tinny stereo. Two newscasters can be seen discussing with each other: a man and a woman.

Translated Transcript:

M: ...and Ryugenataeru seems to be helping out with earthquake relief efforts thanks to their new robots!

F: I heard that they're made of more... 'compliant' parts and are basically really soft. Let's em squeeze through the rubble to search for survivors more quickly!

M: They're implementing some sort of laser cutting technology as well for manufacturing! Highly precise and autonomously piloted. They claim that they just need to provide an input and it can cut through materials with ease!

The reporters continue to discuss the developments of this company, as well as the potential implications for such technologies in this rapidly changing world.

Posted by Cryst0lline, 2 months, 1 week ago. Permalink

Explosion at the Sydney Opera House

Boom. Gone. I'll write this up later

Posted by HumbleMemeMumbles, 2 months, 2 weeks ago. Permalink

P. Diddy's Manor disappears without a trace

10

HOuurrr

DIDDY CONTRACT

 

FUCK

 

Jacob Cruz made a Move (Cryst0lline GMed) 2 months, 2 weeks ago. View Move

Body Found in Lafarge Lake, Discourse of Police Incompetency

Yesterday morning, the body of Michael Lau had been found by joggers floating in the middle of Lafarge Lake. Lacerations and rope burns point to signs of foul play, but motives and modus operandi have not been pinpointed at the moment. Police suspect gang activity, considering Lau's historical conflicts with peace officers and associations.

Further digging has revealed that Lau is a mid-ranking member in the Big Circle Boys, a Chinese triad originally formed by former members of Mao Zedong's Red Guards. Investigators are asking any potential witnesses to step up and offer information for a reward. However, according to Coquitlam RCMP Superintendent Darren Carr, processing has been slowed due to recent attacks. Citizens show a certain reproach to these statements, claiming that the RCMP and VPD are two separate entities, and thus the attack on VPD headquarters should not have affected the RCMP as much. 

Discourse on gang activity has risen in combination with the topic of police incompetence. Older residents brought up the Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit (CLEU) from the late 1900s, which had been an attempt to consolidate the RCMP and various local police forces to crack down on Hells Angels-related gang activity. The failure of the CLEU had led to the Hells Angels' unstoppable rise in power.

"I just know there are cops working with these folks. That's the only explanation," an anonymous contributor states.

Investigation will continue with increased vigilance on suspicious activity at night.

Jacob Cruz made a Move (Cryst0lline GMed) 2 months, 2 weeks ago. View Move

Pine's Serpentine Waltz

The image of Zephyren walks along the artificial land, grains crunching underneath his nonexistent soles. He looks down at the crowd that observes Jacob like a specimen in an aquarium. He looks back at Jacob, and applauds. 

"You'd make a pretty good showman, if only you smiled a bit more." Two fingers press at the sides of his cheeks as he pulls his lips upwards. "You did well! So why aren't you happy about it, Jacob?"

He leans backwards precariously.

"Perhaps it's the nerves. I'd get performance anxiety too. Or maybe you've realized you're kind of doing all of this on a whim. How's it feel to throw your life away?" He falls back, and submerges into the water, never quite breaking the surface as he disappears below. One might see bubbles rising if they look hard enough. His head pokes out from the ground beside Jacob's feet. "Sixty-one of them. Was that enough? What are you going to do with everything you've won?"

Regaining his footing, he dances around Jacob with a twirl in his steps. 

"It'd be so easy for you to destroy the world. What's keeping you from doing just that?" He stops. Looks at Jacob. Steps into the basilisk's tense maw. Closes his eyes. "No one else has done everything you have, but all the same, I can't really say you're you nowadays." He sighs. The basilisk's jaw closes.

View all World Events