Endgame OOC: The Aftermath

[hadrielmods]

THE AFTERMATH

The Null have fallen- the team you sent to the ice planet has been victorious and now it's all over- or is it? Sure, there's no more imminent danger by the Null, but there's still plenty left to do... and the first order of business is probably going to be to run, because as the power to all Null was cut, the Null ships also begin to fall out of the sky and crash into the city.

The first ship falls onto the Colosseum, crashing the supporting pillars and flattening the stone that once held everyone's first impression of Hadriel. Then the next smashes into Spire 2, toppling it to the ground, and goes on to decimate the various shops in the center of the city, missing the sewing shop by mere feet. Another levels the moped lot- and another smashes through Silent Hill.

There's very little time to react to the ships crushing half of the city under them, but should anyone be crushed, they'll be revived momentarily by Hope, who has gained some strength back due to the surge of inspiration after the immediate death of the Null.

And now it's over. The immediate damage is done, and what a damage it is- the city looks worse than it did before anyone showed up, with the roads littered with Null corpses, many of the buildings completely leveled from cannons or crashing ships. Glass is shattered everywhere, with rubble blocking many of the paths and a thick layer of dust that has yet to settle from the near-constant explosions that took place during the battle.

Everything is quiet. For the first time in over a full day, you can hear yourself think. You can step back, take a seat, and rest.

THE RESCUE MISSION

Oh right, there's still those of you who are trapped on the Ice Planet after Fear abandoned you.

Unfortunately, Fear is too weak to make the entire trip with all of you as passengers, and so the first order of business is to clear the path to the Door. With nearly all the gods weakened, this is going to be slow going without help from you guys, so we hope you're not too tired from all that fighting! Sorrow then addresses everyone near the door and states that rescuing those stuck on the ice planet is his first priority, and so everyone has to wait just a few days longer before he can send them home.

Anyone who wants to help him reprogram the Door is welcome to, but be warned that the madness-enhancing properties of it are still very much in effect. Sorrow himself works tirelessly and without celebration, still injured from the battle but he does not rest for two days, until 6/21 when he is able to utilize the Door to bring everyone from the ice planet back into Hadriel.

It happens in a flash- one moment you're shivering in the snow and the next, you're unceremoniously tossed into Fear's temple with all of your companions, a few extra dead Null that you may have fought, and a small mountain of snow. It melts away soon enough, leaving just our travelers- both the living ones and the dead (whom Hope quickly revives) here to enjoy our victory.

THE END

What more is there to do, truly?

The city is in ruins, three gods are dead with two more on their last legs... but we have Hope, who emerged almost completely unscathed. What has been destroyed can be rebuilt again, and the remaining gods band together to give one last network post on the 22nd, thanking everyone for their time, their energy, and their lives. It hasn't been an easy task in the slightest, but we did it- somehow, it's over.

And so, still without rest, Sorrow and Hope begin to man the Door again, inviting everyone who wants to leave to form an orderly line at Fear's temple where they will methodically, one-by-one, send you home.

Or... maybe you don't want to go home? He'll send you somewhere else if you prefer- to another character's homeworld or simply somewhere far away. Sorrow offers the option to wipe your memory, while Hope offers to heal your physical scars upon leaving, so you can forget about the atrocities done to you and the horrors you've witnessed here in Hadriel. Of course, this is optional and he expects many of you to refuse, so don't worry about being coerced to forget anything!

Additionally, everyone who leaves through the Door and retains their memories will be offered a small blessing orb. Unlike the other god orbs, this one has clashing colors, dark blacks and purples and greens inside of it, eerily reminiscent of the Door moreso than any god. Through this, if you want to return to Hadriel- well, just smash the orb and the Door will connect to the small fragment of itself and pull you back into the city. Just in case you were having second thoughts!

Some of you may not wish to leave at all- and if you want to stay in Hadriel, the gods will welcome you with open arms. With the Hosts now slowly making their way from their hiding spot in Hope's temple, they will tentatively begin to inhabit the city in the empty rooms left by those of you who are returning home. These hosts will satisfy the gods' needs for power and so they promise no more events or manipulation- just a peaceful coexistence where all your needs can be met by their magic. They'll take care of you until the end of your days if you like as a thanks for helping them when all hope seemed lost.

Of course, there's still a lot of rebuilding to be done! With the city in ruins you might want to lend a helping hand- or you might want to sleep it off for a few weeks. Regardless, there's plenty to be done if you feel like doing it and the game will continue as an open sandbox to those of you who would like to play out the city coming back together.

...AND THEN WHAT?

This is our last OOC post for Hadriel- there will be a Love Meme/Greatest Hits Meme going up this weekend to recap some of our favorite moments in Hadriel with one another and to say goodbye.

As this is the end of Hadriel, we want to keep things as open ended and as workable with everyone's plans to see their CR play out as possible. To that end, we welcome you to continue playing in hadriel and hadriel_logs as long as you like, though we will no longer be maintaining any of the communities, nor will we be logging into the mod email after the 30th.

And so, what happens to Hadriel? The gods essentially disappear, with no further need to present themselves to anyone- though their presence can still be felt in their temples and in what they provide for free in the shops, which they will continue doing forever. The hosts will be more clearly visible as they slowly reclaim the city and work to rebuild it, eventually having offspring and prospering in their new beginning. Over the course of the months, the temples are slowly rebuilt. One morning, Love's Temple lights up again with a soft, pink glow and the hot springs return to functionality. Several months later, Confusion's Temple comes back to life.

The hosts build a beautiful, alien shrine in Delight's Temple, which is forever dark and lifeless.

Hope and Fear leave the city together to search for any other colonies that may have survived- and their presence in the city and in their temples is gone for well over a year. Just when it seems like they may never return, their temples finally light up again... and elsewhere in the city, a soft spark of joy begins to radiate outward, enveloping the entire city with warmth. The hosts make haste to build a new, ninth temple, which feels... fun, lighthearted, and a pleasure to be near- and just like that, the city is whole again.

Thank you everyone, for your participation in Hadriel. We hope that you enjoyed our game and we wish you well wherever you may go from here!

TO RECAP...

► June 21st: Those of you who were abandoned are brought back through the Door into Hadriel again
► June 22nd: NPC post
► June 22nd (eve): Sorrow begins sending everyone home