Event Seventeen.

[awashmods]

I went to the wood and got it; I sat me down to look for it And brought it home because I couldn’t find it.

he magical vines creep ever onward, slowly infringing upon the Town. No matter how many are chopped down, no matter how many are set on fire, they keep coming even so. And slowly, one by one, the people in the Town start to fall to the curse that they bring along with them. Stay and tend to the cursed? Venture out into the woods to find the castle at the source of these vines? Whatever you choose to do, you'd better decide quickly; the curse only seems to get worse and worse the longer everyone is afflicted. Welcome to Awash's seventeenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to make your own logs and posts for this event! If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[holycurse]

Me? Oh no, I don't assign tasks to anyone--at most I used to split my own tasks with my subordinates. [Waving off that notion!] I occasionally receive jobs through the head literary god, but where I come from most of us are busy enough handling prayers from our followers.

[Sorry kid, this guy's a junk god. He glances at the book in Percy's hands, back at the books on the shelf...doesn't seem like they'll be finding anything useful here.

He pulls out a book about carpentry though, putting it in his sack for later.]

[expulsions]

[He almost asks "what kind of a god does that" but manages to stop himself. Even Apollo who's no longer immortal tried to dictate what everybody should be doing back home.]

That's...impressive, actually. Our gods don't always listen and have us do most of their bidding. [He shoves the book away finally and he sighs to himself.] Too bad whoever's running this place doesn't operate like you do. Maybe then we'd get some answers.

...what's the literary god do? [With that said though, he's going to turn and motion for Xie Lian to follow him out of this mini library. So much for that.]

[holycurse]

You called yourself a demi-god, didn't you? Would that be similar to a servant or subordinate, then? [If you're doing all the tasks for your god...]

Where I come from, the officials of heaven are split into either martial or literary gods - martial gods are generally renowned for their great military prowess or skill in battle, and those who pray to them often pray for protection or the like. [He lifts his sack back over his shoulder, heading for the door as he talks.] Literary gods are more, ah...refined, I suppose? You could say they fight with words and wits rather than with fists and blades--they're also rather better at magic than I am.

[That last part is said in a lighthearted tone of voice, but he also slows down as he approaches the door. Gotta be cautious about that weird statue outside...]

[expulsions]

Not the words I'd use, but I'm sure the gods would agree. [He's not thrilled but yeah, close enough.] They're our parents. So think of it more like we "have" to listen to them for that reason.

[The difference in only having two categories of gods is fascinating because even the Romans have similar domains split amongst themselves. He's keeping a hand wrapped around his ballpoint pen in case he has to fight a statue but his focus is more on what's being said.]

I don't know if the Olympians could be split evenly like that. They're all kind of doing their own thing but we do have the major gods and the minor gods. That's probably close enough.

[holycurse]

[Parents? Well, being obedient to your parents makes sense and all - though saying your parents think of you as a servant seems rather rude......he'll chalk it up to youth.]

Oh, we've got an upper and lower heaven, where I come from--though I suppose it's upper and middle heaven, now.

[Semantics. Also: speaking a little more quietly as they move forward, the bandage wrapped around his arm lifting one end to look around like a snake on alert.]

It's rare to hear of gods having children, and practically unheard-of for those children to reach heaven themselves. But you say your Olympians have enough to form multiple camps?

[Are there more statues than there were before, out in that hallway?]

[expulsions]

[He's keeping his own footsteps light and his eyes sharp, not quite looking at him but more on their next destination which happens to be a door just past and to the right.

Which would be fine if three more statues hadn't manifested in the time they were in the library. Great. Give him a second to gesture for Xie Lian to press flat against the opposite wall. If they go slow, maybe they won't draw the attention of the statues that are facing each other.]

The Olympians only have one Camp. [His voice is lower but he'll answer the questions.] The Romans are in charge of the other, but they're all still gods. Some of them will never have kids, but others have dozens of them. It's hard to keep track sometimes.

[holycurse]

[He'll press to the wall as suggested, inching his way along as quietly as possible--which isn't exactly difficult, considering his battle experience.

The problem here is his ungodly abysmal luck: Just as they're passing the second statue, it........sneezes. Is it even possible for a statue to sneeze? Regardless, the other two statues are now staring in their direction.]

.....We should probably run.

[expulsions]

[He jumps a little because statues really shouldn't sneeze, but yeah, cool, they've been spotted and PErcy's immediately grabbing for Riptide and preparing himself to uncap the pen.]

Good plan. Up and to the right on the count of three?

[holycurse]

[Xie Lian would pull out his own weapon, but there's only so much a piece of cloth can do against stone, soooooo he's just gonna nod.]

One - two - three!

[And he's off! The guy's capable of running literally about as fast as a cheetah, so he's gonna rush to that door, pull it open, and in the short moment where he's waiting for Percy:]

Ruo Ye, trip them!

[The cloth on his arm flies out and wraps itself around the statues' legs, doing its best to turn this into the three-man equivalent of a three-legged race as they try to chase after the intruders.]

[expulsions]

[WHAT!! Off he goes and Percy's flabbergasted by the burst of speed. He's not that fast but he keeps up decently well and darts into the open room without looking.]

How is it doing that? Isn't it just a bandage?! [He asks, while he'd managed to uncap Riptide while running and brought forth his three-foot bronze sword. This shouldn't surprise him but with everything else in this castle he has to wonder if it's something Xie Lian picked up or something he owns himself.]

[holycurse]

It's a bandage, but also a magical artifact! I should be asking you about your sword!

[Seriously, first there was Jim with his magical light sword, and now this kid's pulling swords out of....whatever that little stick was, ballpoint pens didn't exist in ancient China. What's with all the crazy pocket swords! He wishes he had one, that'd be really cool.

Anyway! Shutting that door! The cool thing about magical cloths is they can just slip in under the door on their own.]

Hopefully they won't try to follow us in here.

[expulsions]

It's a long story but also kind of an artifact, I guess? [Riptide is a whole big Thing and he'll happily explain it when they're not being chased. The door slams shut and Percy watches the bandages slither their way back from under the door, holding Riptide in front of him and aimed at the door just in case.]

I'd say "let's barricade the door" but unless you see another escape route somewhere...[Where even are they? It looks kind of like some weird linen closet.]

[holycurse]

You must be quite talented, to be able to wield an artifact like that. [Not that he's seen it actually being used, but--honestly he's still a little confused about the whole "demigod" thing, children of gods don't get any special treatment where he's from.

Anyway, Ruo Ye slithers in and immediately goes to wrap itself back around Xie Lian's arm again, nice and cozy. Xie Lian, meanwhile, busies himself looking around for any sort of clues or escape routes. Let's see, towels, a pile of treasure maps, a couple ratty old tunics, a painting of a horse.....]

--Ah, I've found something!

[It's a big ol' square grate at the veeeery back of the bottom shelf....the statues are banging on the door now, by the way.]

[expulsions]

Someone once told me it's kind of had a pretty long history. [Long. Tragic. Whatever. He knows bits and pieces of it but that's not really important either. The bandages curl away and wrap around Xie Lian's arm and Percy narrows his eyes in thought. It's still different than what he's used to which means it's automatically more interesting, but he keeps an ear out for the statues as he feels alone one of the back walls for any sign of a secret passage. There's a seam in the wall, but just as he's about to mention it Xie Lian points at the grate.]

I think I found something, too. [They don't have a lot of time, but:] Which way? Should we split up?

[holycurse]

[Two people, two exits, and three angry guards at the door...Xie Lian takes only a second to think on it before nodding.]

Let's split up. It might be dangerous, but it's the more efficient solution.

[Having said his piece, he immediately moves to pull the metal grate off the wall, tearing it away about as easily as an old wooden board. Hopefully nothing will come out of it before he can crawl in...]

[expulsions]

Good plan. [Give him a moment to start prying at the seam to open the hidden door, sliding it back to give himself enough space to slip through.] If I don't see you after this? Good luck with the rest of this castle. See you on the other side.

[And there's a wave as he slips himself into the door without even checking if he's alone, watching it slide back into place and sealing him into a small tunnel to crawl his way through down to a cellar. Farewell, Xie Lian.]