escordvi | The Dying Gasp (EX-cordvi Edition)

Who: Emet-Selch and YOU!
Status: Open
Where: Lunare and Sipsa
What: As per this post, Emet-Selch has been possessed by a moonshadow and is wreaking a bit of havoc late in the month
Warnings: Inevitable descriptions of harm both physical and mental; imperial rhetoric; also 5.0/6.0 spoiler references for FFXIV

1. Possession

A single look is all it takes.

Emet-Selch glances at one of the lunar pools right as the moon emerges from behind the clouds. His reflection wavers. A blink later and it steadies as a pale, ghostly imitation of himself. That wouldn't be so alarming on its own (he had already heard from the rabbits about it) if it didn't then climb out of the pool and snatch him.

What steps away later looks like Emet-Selch. It walks like Emet-Selch. It even speaks like him. But there is a coldness in his gaze and a grimace of distaste upon his lips whenever he looks at you now. You are wrong. Everything is wrong. The world was once better than this and it is his duty to set it right - starting with these islands.

"You desire the warmth and fertile fields of Solare? They could be yours." He addresses a small crowd of rabbitfolk, gesticulating grandly as he makes his speech. "You think those slow, pampered tortoises have your resilience? Take away their sun and they would starve within a sennight! That you have managed to thrive here in spite of such harrowing circumstances is a testament to your superiority. All you need do is show them that."

If the rabbitfolk had been more inclined to militant action, his words may have more effect. But instead they cast uncertain glances at each other and whisper. Emet-Selch observes their doubt and his expression twists. Pathetic things, of course they don't understand.

2. Imagenae

When the Grand Sipsa crosses over again, Emet-Selch is compelled to follow the moment he sees it. He pushes through the mist, navigates through the nonsense almost effortlessly, and finds himself once more at this garish place. He remembers this. He remembers the strange ability to Create and realises that his efforts to remake the world in his ideal image could begin here, by building armaments for his cause.

The gormless face of the Sipsa seems to mock him. Annoyed, he focuses his mind and tries to Create a magitech gunship to fire upon the horrible thing. Yet...it comes out wrong. The shape is distorted. The guns fire confetti instead of bullets. And it has a silly, painted face on the front full of comical shark teeth.

Emet-Selch tries again and again, running through a gamut of various magitech war machina before he finally settles for simply hurling raw elemental magic towards the looming face of the Sipsa.

"'Tis you interfering with me, isn't it?!" he shouts at the fish.

3. Soul-less zos Galvus

In the end, he does not obtain weaponry. He does not obtain an army. He is alone, as he has been from the beginning, and that paradise in the sky had proven to be utterly useless. With none of his immediate brethren to rely upon, it falls to him to complete their long-standing duty.

Still, he does need manpower. Even if unwilling, he can still raise these sundered souls and turn them towards service.

He starts in a small township. It's always best to begin one's conquest modestly and work up to the grander scheme. He snatches the first rabbit he encounters. Eyes locked with theirs, he plunges deep into their soul and rips up memories buried deep. In their place, he plants his own: a memory of a city - a star - collapsing beneath an onslaught of terror both real and imagined.

Their scream falls upon deaf ears.

He moves on to the next one while the first is still reeling. If they survive then they will join him. If not, they were never going to be strong enough to help. He leaves behind a trail of prone rabbitfolk, either dead or insane, with the latter babbling incoherently about the 'End of Days'. Monuments here and there are destroyed - anything which does not match his memory of the moon back home.

(ooc: Della should be putting up some kind of network post warning about Emet's actions, if you need some kind of excuse to find him! I will link when it's up.)

4. "Then again, with a soul like that..."

Is there something...unique about that soul?

Emet-Selch pauses. Vanishes in one blink and reappears the next, right in front of them, snatching at the nearest limb before they can run away. Pale, unblinking irises coldly bore in, assessing their worth. Fighting back is an option of course, but if they stay frozen beneath his scrutiny he will eventually lean in with a smile that does not reach his eyes.

"You'll do."

5. Wildcard

For anything I missed or maybe you want to do differently! Emet-Selch will pursue anyone with a notably different soul, particularly if it's one which could be considered stronger than usual in a character's canon. E.g. Deities tacked on, mutated in some way maybe, I don't know. If in doubt, I have a plotting post here for questions.

The ultimate conclusion will be that he gets dunked into the lunar pool by someone or some people with the help of the sun and moon leviathans and then will eventually face Consequences for his actions. If you want to play out the aftermath later instead, let me know so I can make a note of it!