-30 for rerolling Anger
-10 Trilobite Retal
Red Fever (4) - Anger x10
Burning ichor dripped from Corsair's hands, staining the table. "Again," she said, the word hard. Endlessly repeatable. Science was a circle interrupted only by success.
She grabbed another Trilobite, pulled its soul out, and tore it apart with her hands, ripping flesh from bone and sifting through the remains for its magical core. She saw something but it had ruptured in her violent exploration.
Sam shook on her shoulder, filled with the creeping wishes of a dozen trapped souls, each forcing unfamiliar movement into his magitech limbs. Corsair put him in a glass bowl so he didn't wander away or fall off the table.
"Again," she said through gritted teeth. She snatched another of the creatures out of the bin, cracking its shell as she held it. The pond spirit kept some semblance of mind inside her, tranquilizing her as her hands and limbs burned and she wanted nothing more than to rip apart everything in this over-sterilized and over-crowded hell hole.
Nearby, other MIT hopefuls like @Ash Vargold and @Lucy worked on their own trilobites, operating with considerably more care than Corsair was at the moment. It reminded her of biology labs in high school. She ground her teeth, refusing to engage with the terrible memories associated with her childhood academics. That way lay only bitterness and loathing.
She tore out the trilobite's soul, swift as pulling a string from a sweater. There was so little connecting these base creatures to their bodies. Then she bisected it laterally with her bladed hand, opening the halves like a sandwich. She spread its innards, searching for the gleaming pearl at its core.
There. Amidst the black muck was a silver bean. She chopped away at the body until it was all that remained, and then scooped it into a bowl, depositing the curbing essence. Her brutal, inevitable success.
MIT Member (Freshman Researcher)
Red Fever (2) Joy (x10)
Things seemed like they might be looking up! People were scurrying around preparing ingredients and they had quite a few stockpiled at this point. The people that had been injured were getting treated as well! And thanks to @Tristaria's drones flying around and cleaning, the lab was looking cleaner than ever.
"Wow! Thanks for cleaning up the place, it looks great now!"
Nodding happily, Pollux returned her attention to the final preparations for the mist. Given the number of preparations that had already happened, she settled for preparing another of the glowing mushrooms. Using aeromancy, Pollux was able to use jolts of lighting as a sort of way of outgassing and therefore conduct the stored mana into the environment.
Satisfied with her work, Pollux placed her glowing pile of shrooms with the ones the others had already prepared.
Unaffiliated (MIT disillusioned) Red Fever (3) Fear (x4)
Sepulchre's self-satisfaction quickly dissipates into panic as the miasma of negative emotions swirling in the makeshift lab feed into faer Dark Magic, causing it to flare up in a dark purple burst. "H-help!" fae call out desperately, glancing around for @Kaede Hoshi. She knew how to control Dark Magic... but she was also nowhere in sight. Was that her laughter? Sepulchre's lip quivers and she bites down on it hard. Fae knew fae wasn't skilled in this game at all... fae were excited for puzzles, but not a rush against the clock like this!
Sepulchre lets out a scared yelp as faer magic cracks and snaps, that last bit of negative emotion overpowering it beyond faer limited control. Fae stumble backward and hit the ground hard, as the Dark Magic slams backward into a crate of amberslimes, destroying several beyond use.
"Ahhhh! Nonono..."Fae stumble toward the devastation, unaware of faer own sniffling even when fae pauses to wipe at faer tears. Please... please let there be something useable here! Even if they kick faer out after this...
The little Faerin falters as @Nero's laughter resounds with Kaede's, absolutely mocking faer. Sepulchre collapses by the ruined and curls up small, burying faer face into faer knees so no one can see how much their laughter affected faer.
Rolls
Roll Result
1d6 (5) = 5
Sepulchre af Umbral | Red Fever (3) | 550C5B Mastery Check
1d100 (9) + 0 = 9
Dark Magic | Sepulchre af Umbral | 550C5B | Amberslime Core
MIT Member - Freshman Researcher
Red Fever (4) Disgust (x10)
+20 hp from @Pollux heal
As the race to find a cure was steadily advancing in a more advantageous phase, Tetsunosuke then set himself in creating a magitech-powered atomizer of the industrial size so that the cure will be dispensed effectively as a fine mist. He had seen those researchers use a small spray to test the reagents, maybe he should replicate that and create a larger one.
While he was working, however, he could not fail to notice the boils that were on his body. They were not throbbing to be sure, but he then felt more and more disgusted with these boils. He was feeling a massive urge to tear them off his body, but he knew that it will get more messy than usual, and as he was thinking of what would happen, he got even more disgusted with this flesh sack that he called his body. As he then heard @Tristaria ranting again in some corner, maybe what she was telling was right: it should be the time to ditch this body for something that would not look like cooked lasagna when it suffers burns.
Fortunately a woman (@Pollux) then came and, using her time magic, rewound his wounds to what it has been prior to the irritating spray. As he then was about to thank her for removing those disgusting boils, his eyes were then focused on something on the ground. Wait, was that an Amberslime Core? Why was it just on the ground. Damn it, those cleaners were not doing a good job. Every material was found strewn on the ground and they did not even spare some time picking them up. What a bunch of dirty pigs.
After properly thanking the woman, he then picked up the core, gave it to the custodian, and then continued on his work.
Unaffiliated
Red Fever (4) - Fear (x10)
Subtract 30 from same Emotion
Add 11 from AoE Heal from self
His broad chest heaved in and out from the constant panic attack his body was going through. But for a moment, just a brief moment, he felt everything easy itself in his favor. This was fine.
They were getting somewhere.
Nothing at all to be worried about.
Who the fuck was he kidding? EVERYTHING was about to go wrong he knew it!
The man's gaze first rested on @Sylpha Astarte in his a frenzy, sweat rushing down his temples with eyes still wide. And judging by what she was doing, it occurred to Alonso that people were still injured! Yep, things were definitely going wrong how could he let this happen why did he let things get out of hand was he drunk did he take anything!? Spiritual energy enveloped his hand, the Felis rushing to Sylpha and patting her on the shoulder to force a bit of healing magic into her. "Don't be angry with me, I'll do better! Shit! Crap! Crap crap shit! I-I can handle this maybe, probably not, oh fuck," Alonso said as he ran off to elsewhere in this loony bin of an establishment.
He needed to find someone else and help them out in order to be useful. Shoulders were hunched, head low with his tail almost curling between his legs. "N-NOBODY PANIC!" His brow twitched rapid pace, now finding himself noticing @Corsair . Bounding up to her, Alonso gave her a few pats on the shoulder as well to instll his healing, "Calm down, oh god, this should help. Don't be pissed at me please I'm VERY stressed right now I h-have it under control." Then he took a few steps away, realizing something he should have done before.
Heal himself.
Alonso pat the bites on his arms, sighing a little as he did. Buuut he was still losing his mind. "D-Did we lose anyone? ANYTHING ELSE EXPLODE SOMEONE TELL ME PLEASE I'M HAVING MORE ANXIETY THAN I SHOULD AT MY AGE!"
Rolls
Roll Result
1d6 (3) = 3
Alonso Thorlion | Red Fever (4) | 550C6B
Heal (AoE)
1d20 (2) + 15 + 15 = 11 (Total divided by 3)
+11 HP to 3 targets
Spirit Magic | Alonso Thorlion | 550C6B | Target Alonso, Corsair, Sylpha
This time, as an overwhelming sense of sadness came to Ayna after wondering how her friends were at this point in time, she decided to use some manashroom for the concoction. Although it wasn't, the ingredient felt like an onion to Ayna and she was the first-time cook about to fall prey to its tear-jerking chemicals. Ayna sniffed as she went on her way, dragging herself to and fro, dark thoughts swirling in her head. Never mind that people could suffer worst effects if the remedy to this Red Fever was never found. Everything was just so sad.
She was reminded of how much she felt she had wasted her real life in her work, never really reaching out to make new friends, socialize. Every opportunity she had, she tossed out of the window. Her family needed the money, she needed the money... Those were the excuses she frequently employed to distance herself from her peers. Now she was far from her friends in the game, and it all just felt so real to her. Sadge.
Rolls
Roll Result
1d6 (3) = 3 (Sadness) Ayna Nietzsche | Red Fever (4) | 550C6
Unaffiliated
Red Fever (4) - Fear x10
-5 HP from getting punched by Lucy
The sudden punch to Eve's jaw caused him to reel back. He was about to snap at @Lucy for it, but as he caught a glimpse of the sheer amount of rage in her eyes and held his tongue. She was furious--and getting swarmed by mechanical drones, all wielding knives and shrapnel. There was a maniacal girl slinging ice around the entire area. A man suddenly moving in odd, jerky motions, something off and terrifying about him in a way that Eve couldn't put his finger on.
All around him was chaos and pandemonium. He didn't know what was happening. Landers and players alike, MIT researchers and anyone else around, it didn't matter. There were people laughing on the ground, screaming at each other in rage, sobbing in the corners. There wasn't anywhere in camp free of the chaos.
Eve couldn't take it anymore! He couldn't. He tossed the mushrooms he was working on to the side--why was he even trying in the first place? What good would this do, this haphazardly-tested cure whose effects may be even worse than the Red Fever?--and dashed towards an edge of camp as far away from anyone else as he could manage. He had to duck a thrown branch and stray parts of a drone wielding a scalpel along the way. When he was as far away as he could stand to be--because what else could be out there in the fungal wilds???--he dug through his palm menu, opening it up and finding a spell to begin constructing a barricade of earth, just something to hide behind, something to lean on as he slumped to the ground and tried to catch his breath.
Rolls
Mastery Check
1d100 (78) + 5 + 15 = 98
Geomancy | Eve Lightscar | 550C6B | Manashroom
Roll Result
1d6 (5) = 5
Eve Lightscar | Red Fever (4) | 550C6 (1-2: Anger, 3: Sadness, 4: Joy, 5: Fear, 6: Disgust)
Faction-curious
-50 HP from emotion selection Red Fever (10) ANGER
Although Nero was laughing at first, the fourth wave of the Fever hit him like a storm. His blood boiled as his muscles seized up from the energy surging through him at the time. The explosive anger that was building up inside Nero threatened to blow the skinsuit apart if he didn't channel it outward, soon.
When his laughing partner (@Blank) started to blast her surroundings with freeze, he partially jumped out of the way and shouted at her, "What the hell are you doing?! You're gonna ruin all of our hard work, you bitch!"
When he saw @Pollux rewinding @Tetsunosuke's injuries, he pointed at her, "HEY! You're going to KILL him by making him feel that injury again, are you NUTS?!"
When @Tristaria became hysteric, Nero threw himself at her, grabbing the Magia girl by a shoulder for a shake, "OY! Snap out of it, toaster, first you're angry and now you're just crazy, FOCUS GODDAMMIT!"
And to @Lucy, he snapped on her like a flying alligator ready to strike, "Stop it, if you keep this up, your man is LITERALLY going to explode, get back to work, WENCH!"
He pointed at @Sylpha Astarte, who seemed the most level-headed of them, was starting crack and throw her anger all over the floor, expecting others to deal with it. "HEY YOU! YEAH, YOU! STOP BEING SO GODDAMN ANGRY, YOU'RE MAKING ME ANGRY!"
Even as his mind was overridden with anger, when he saw @Corsair, the brunette steered clear of that one. His danger instinct was stronger than his anger, it seemed.
When he noticed the little faerin @Sepulchre af Umbral having a phase, he shook their shoulder, "YOU CAN'T FALTER NOW, GET THE HELL UP, REMEDY NOW!"
As Alonso started to lose his cool and began yelling, Nero felt the need to outyell the large lionfolk. "STOP YELLING AT ME!"
When he saw @Eve Lightscar building a mudhut, Nero truly lost it, jumping toward the barricade and began kicking at it. "OUR ALLIES ARE DYING OUT THERE, STOP HIDING YOU COWARD, MORE INGREDIENTS STAT!!!"
As the MIT began to break down in order and the progress on the medicine slowed, Nero in all of his angered wisdom decided to try a completely new strategy to hopefully reorient everyone on the goal. He had something to do in the game and dying to the asshole fever was not one of them.
He grabbed the nearest beaker at his feet and smashed it, forming a cutting edge with the broken glass, which he immediately dashed toward @Caelia Etterni and took a hold of her holding her as a hostage. "HEY, INGREDIENT IN THE POT NOW OR THIS ONE GETS IT!!!"
A lander MIT got spook and immediately tossed a Mandragora Root into the pot.
Magical Institute of Theory Member (Freshman Researcher)
Red Fever (3) Fear x8
Being a human test subject didn’t go as badly for Avery as it had for others, as far as she could tell. She felt normal. Her Red Fever UI did change, which should raise questions, but right now the alchemist was focused on the task at hand. The disease was getting worse, and they had yet to find a cure. Avery walked back over to the ingredients, determined to subdue another trilobite. However, at the sight of the bug, chill shot up the girl’s spine. She willed herself to reach for the insect, but her arms didn’t move. She was frozen in place, gaping stupidly at the creature. I should go for something less… alive. And creepy. She resolved to go for the manashroom instead. She couldn’t waste anymore time, for it was of the essence.
Speaking of @Essence. Avery had thought that she could become friends with her fellow researcher, but maybe now wasn’t the best time. The fever had everyone worked up. Though being called ugly did sting, Avery couldn’t focus on that. They had more important things to do. @Lucy, however, didn’t take it lightly, and swifty shot an insult back at Essence as she stormed off. Now Avery sat alone with Lucy at the table, and couldn’t help but notice that her lab partner seemed quite irritated with… everything. Avery tried her best not to cross her even more. “Yeah, that was uncalled for.” She shrugged. “Let’s just keep working.”
She couldn’t focus. Every little noise put her on edge. BANG. She jumped. CRASH. She flinched. People were yelling and throwing things, and every bit of commotion made her more fidgety. Avery started muttering to herself in an attempt to keep her mind on track. “Focus. Breathe. This is really important. Don’t mess this up.”Eventually, Avery was able to zone into her work, quietly mumbling words of encouragement and reassurance. Apparently, she wasn’t being as quiet as she thought.
“Just shut up for one second.. I swear.” From Lucy. “It’s not my fault you can’t handle pressure, Lucy. Don’t take it out on me.” Whether it was from already bubbling anger, or just from the words Avery spoke, Lucy screamed. This made Avery drop everything she was holding with a loud clang on the table.
What a mess.
Still shaking, Avery cleaned up her station and finished her task. She hoped with every bone in her body that this would all be over soon.
Rolls
Roll Result
1d6 (5) = 5
Avery Aphelion | Red Fever (3) | 550C5
Unaffiliated (MIT disillusioned) Red Fever (4) Anger (10x)
The shoulder shake from @Nero causes the sniffling Faerin to yelp in surprise and flinch as fae gets shouted at nearly in faer face. Sepulchre's trembling quickly shifts from self-doubt to blind rage as this mf'er goes on a tirade worse than the Silverfish (@Tristaria) from earlier. Fae narrows faer eyes as fae stumbles to faer feet, brushing off faer skirt calmly.
With the same level of calm Sepulchre steps over to the destroyed crate of amberslimes and locates one that seems salvageable, but anyone close would notice faer hands clenched tight around the 'slime and trembled slightly. Fae turn and calculate where Nero's wrist is holding his makeshift knife and with a mighty "Haaaa!" fae lob the Amberslime with all faer might toward his hand, dashing in with a headbutt at the man's stomach.
Whether fae succeeds or not fae wedges faerself between the brute and @Caelia Etterni, breathing hard with uncovered eye ablaze. Fae point an accusatory finger at Nero, "I've had it with assholes like you and Silverfish lecturing everyone to work harder, test more, while you waste your own damn time THREATENING THOSE DOING JUST THAT INSTEAD OF GETTING THE DAMN WORK DONE! We'd have this cure solved by now if motherfuckers like YOU stopped shouting and lead by example! Saving people by threatening them??!! What kind of fucked up world do you live in to think that makes any sense! If you wanna get pissed, take it out on the goddamned fever and the not the people working alongside you, idiot! Punch a trilobite, go outside and punch a tree! But for crying out loud, TAKE IT OUTSIDE AND LET THE REST OF US WORK YOU NEANDERTHALICMONKEY!"
To emphasize faer point, Sepulchre af Umbral summons a spirit wisp to drag over a nearby manashroom and crush it in a blue haze. "See?!? I can shout and get work done, get your ass moving and do the same!!"
Not many other words could describe it. Nothing else could encompass so many mixed emotions, physical, magical, and psychological mayhem that was unfolding throughout Nisus. The other teams as well surely were beginning to lose themselves whatever this Red Fever was...
A strong rattling at the cage as Elynn growled like an animal. Wide-eyed as she desperately reached for the knife so close to her grasp. Her daze of joy was now replaced with absolute blood-lusting rage at being imprisoned.
@Blank unleashes an ice storm in the middle of the lab The combined forms of corruption have brought her to beyond the breaking point. @Alonso Thorlion completely at a loss for the madness around him, only to be adding to it in his own way. @Lucy 's enraged frustrations are unleashed upon the group, while @Kaede Hoshi is lost in the most ill-timed laughter imaginable. @Nero is prepared and willing to perform the murder of an innocent without hesitation A monster in human skin.. @Haru had lost himself to the entity within. Lost after experiencing the call of the unknowable. @Tristaria had proven quite clearly that machines were powerless against a force that could reprogram and overload their behavior, soul or not.
And the pain and suffering of others such as @Tetsunosuke leaving the smell of burnt flesh and horrors for the eyes as much as the mind.
In this madness, a glow would radiate on one side of the room. It was colorful...perhaps even could be described as a prismatic aura. A fitting mix of colors to fit the mix of insanity like a rave set in hell. Several would look only to see the light gone.
I45x2673+2-36747...=111....
83651...
(A twist, a clank, a bang. more random mathematical problems being spewed from her mouth as Nin's arms moved. A single researcher brought many of the finalized components to her desk as she worked.)
"..ZER01"
A hand shot into the air with a clear glass bottle, within was a colorful substance. The top had an attachment for being placed into the machine she now held in her other hand. Nin stormed into the center of the room and placed both on the table. Her face looked tired but her eyes were energized, was it from the fever... or SCIENCE?.
The device reached her lips.
The announcement came.)
"EVERYONE!! The sum has been reached!"
A smile forms across Nin's face. Although she continued to occasionally speak too loudly causing much cracking of the sound amplifier.
"1+1 ALWAYS EQUALS 2! Ahem, and with that always comes a solution. We have here, the cumulated efforts of all... THIS! "
(A small wave of her hand around as if to signify the entire group. She looked at Elynn as she removed her glasses and wiped them with a cloth.)
"We will use the Forever Freshman as the final test. The digit is in great distress,"
The researchers connect the bottle to the machine and spray the mad Yladian. What could they expect? Was it at the mercy of a dice roll? Their fate?
....Arrrgh... Arghhhhh.......ahhh uh... huh? What am I doing? ... my glasses!"
(Elynn grabbed at the broken glass at her side. Still shaking and frantic but she could at least speak coherently. A mix of anger and confusion on her face. After several moments the researchers released the girl. She still seemed irritable but seemed fully in control of her faculties.)
Nin returned her own glasses to her face and she took another deep breath before speaking.
"It is against the rules of math but this will have to be adequate. We do not know the variables of the long-term outcome this mist will have. However, we do not have the time to fractionalize our options. I am also... VERY TIRED now... and...
(She seemed to become lost in thought a moment before continuing, her brows furrowing making her look much older than she originally came off.)
"It's time to ORGANIZE the factors in this place! If someone could PLEASE tell the others... in UNDER the acceptable time limit? TODAY?"
Nin moved to a chair and crumbled into it. sweating profusely. She gave her assistant instructions to protect the finalized remedy from any further madness, then, waved her hand to be left alone. Her head fell into her arms and she looked to have fallen asleep.)
R&D Result
Amberslime (DC 30)
Soothing: 4 = eases side-effects
Burning: 3 = causes damaging side-effects
Manashroom (DC 80)
Glowing: 9 = small boost on the most dominant traits
Magically-charged: 6 = heavy boost on the most dominant traits
Mandragora Root (DC 60)
Poisonous: 0 = amplifies Red Fever damaging effects and damage
Strengthening: 4 = medium boost on dominant side-effect related effects
Trilobite (DC 70)
Infectious: 2 = spreads Red Fever effects
Curbing: 6 = remedies Red Fever effects
5★ Perfected(?) Serenity Mist
Event Item
A colorful mist filled with the combined blood sweat and tears of the Magical Institute of Theory and Adventurer's Guild. This item can be sprayed on all expedition personnel to gain the following effects.
The distribution will be automatic, but you may flavor your character using it on others next cycle if the other groups complete their task.
Immunizes against the emotional effects to self and allies on the battlefield.
This item cannot cure Red Fever until the source has been found.
In addition, the concoction heals 10 HP and grants a +10 to all actions to self and allies for the remainder of the event.
May have unknown long-term side effects...?
Notice
Mind Over Red has concluded, No more posting is allowed.
Good Job Scientists. Excelsior!
