hold your breath.

"Though this be madness, there is method in't."

[mxbathysmal]

By the time the Council arrives, the castle is in a state of mayhem and destruction.

It’s a blur as volunteers rescue the hostages and diffuse the situation-- the rebels and soldiers alike have become victim to the madness that plagues the entire castle, leaving them susceptible to their worst desires and qualities, seeing a world that does not truly exist. It’s an easy task for King Seokhyeon to subdue them, causing the building and all of it’s inhabitants to fall into a stupor with one simple spell.

“It’s a shame this is how your life ended, my old friend,” the Faery King murmurs as he steps over the bodies, looking down at the corpse of King Bonhwa. “You were a great man, but I always warned you that your hubris would be the end of you.”

Still, as the volunteers start to gather the hostage survivors and begin their ascent upward, there remains a feeling of unease in the water. Bonhwa may have been an egotistical man with too much of an appetite for power, but he would have never orchestrated something like this of his own accord. It reeks of outside influence, and Seokhyeon can feel it’s oppressive force trying to break through the barrier he put up, to poison even his own heart.

But not today. That would be dealt with on a later date.

“Make sure the survivors are safe before starting the body count. Members of the Royal Family are the priority-- dead or not, make sure they are all accounted for if they were ever in the castle to begin with when this disaster happened. We shall not leave until ever mer with royal blood has been found, so get started now.”

Above water, the Council volunteers have a handful on their hand as the hostages come to: trying to explain everything that has happened, and the outcome while the morning sun peeks over the horizon, painting the sky with orange.

“No one is particularly sure what’s going to happen now, as both sides were decimated; we’re not sure if the rebellion even has a leader anymore, let alone any forces,” one volunteer admits in passing. “But we do know that the soldiers were holding the throne room. That’s the only thing for certain. Merfolk politics aren’t really something I pay attention to, though, so take that as you will.”

For the naturals, it’s a bit easier to explain: King Bonhwa went crazy because of what they believe to be some kind of spell, one that no one can trace yet, which eventually took over the entire castle and caused all of the inhabitants to follow in his footsteps. Right now, no one is to blame for the tragedy yet, and the merfolk have been dealt a severe blow not only to their kingdom but their pride. For humans, it’s a bit more basic: naturals exist and they fucked up big time. Please don’t tell anyone. Sorry.

You can’t say they aren’t trying to be upfront about it.

All hostages are given the option to be personally driven home by any of the volunteers, regardless of who or what they are-- that is, if they don’t need medical attention. Should they need medical attention, they’ll have to stay a little longer as the faeries work their magic, trying to get to as many of the wounded as possible. At this point, it’s just a matter of getting people home safely, so that this terrible night can be over.

Characters, if they were not aware of the natural world or the species’ of their friends, are aware now-- Council volunteers have explained everything, trying to be as calm and careful as possible. All wounds have been healed, and anyone missing proper clothes has been offered a blanket or towel to cover up with, as well as dry off. Any remnants of the madness is gone, but not the consequences of it.

They also have the option to be driven home by a Council volunteer, regardless of how far it may be-- it’s the least they can do to try to put an end to this horrible night, and the volunteers are more than happy to cooperate, especially since most of the survivors are too shaken and traumatized to have any business driving themselves anywhere anyways.

It’s extremely likely that most muses will need extensive therapy or at least time to mentally recover after this tragedy.

While it isn’t required, we do ask that you write one final solo whenever you get a chance, depicting the aftermath and fallout of the event and your muse’s reflections on it, including any revelations that have come about due to the events that have conspired-- please tag this solo with #bathysmal:manus. We remind you again that your muse will likely be extremely shell-shocked and traumatized, and that this event will have ripples across the natural world, touching every natural in Busan.

This commences the end of Bathysmal. We hope you had fun!

[mxbathysmal]

The madness has already spread throughout the majority of the entire kingdom, affecting nearly everyone still within its crumbling walls. As their worst qualities begin to manifest into something uglier within the soldiers, doubt and suspicion and anger are all they manage to feel towards each other the longer they watch each other’s actions. It isn’t long before they start to turn on each other while brandishing their weapons, diminishing the royal servants in growing numbers the longer the madness settles into their heads.

Those who side with the soldiers will too start to feel a sudden urge to turn on those on the same side and assault them as well, though not as bloodthirsty as the soldiers’ influence. Be careful out there!

[mxbathysmal]

After hours of work, the doors that protected the entrance to the armory are blown apart. The rebels finally infiltrate the castle’s armory! They grab all weapons that were stowed away there to bring back to their makeshift base camp in the throne room. They intend to arm all of their allies. There’s an abundance of typical weapons available such as: longswords, daggers, knives, axes, etc.

Those sided with the rebels now have access to any weapon of their choosing but they’re only allowed one! Choose wisely!

[mxbathysmal]

The longer the night goes on, the worse it all becomes.

By now, the two groups have split into different, distinct parts of the castle: the rebels have taken the northern end and are holding the throne room, while the soldiers are keeping them locked in by barricading the walls and holding most of the southern and western parts of the castle. Much of the violence has ended as the two sides consolidate their forces and look over their wounded-- for now.

Both groups have a main goal in mind: for the rebels, they wish to take the armory, so that they can arm their people better so that they can cement their claim on the throne. The soldiers, however, are desperately trying to find an exit to the castle to let in the reinforcements to take back the throne room-- above all else, they wish to collect their king’s body, if only so they can bury him properly once this is all over.

However, the same madness that had infected King Bonhwa has begun to affect the entire castle.

Every person, natural or not, has one greatest weakness: for some it is their pride, or others their gluttony, and some their lust. The ‘seven deadly sins’, as they’re called-- the madness that has begun to spread throughout the ranks of soldiers, rebels, and hostages alike brings out their worst quality, amplifying it more and more until it consumes them. A rebel who only wanted the throne to do better for her people will become thirsty for power, while a soldier who dedicated his life to saving others will be consumed by wrath after witnessing all the needless carnage and destruction.

The hostages? Well, only they know their own worst qualities themselves, and only the one pulling the strings will be the one enjoying the show when even they lose themselves.

Players will find themselves noticing a change in themselves-- whatever their worst quality is, coinciding with one of the deadly sins, will start to show itself, causing them to become more and more volatile as their mind clouds over and distorts the world around them. The cause of this sickness is unknown, but it’s infecting everyone within the castle, and becoming worse the longer the fighting goes on.

Those who sided with the rebels will likely find themselves filled with some kind of bloodlust, a desire for the same power that the rebels are fighting for, but for far less democratic reasons. Those who sided with the soldiers may discover a desire to kill anything they see that isn’t on the same side as them, whether that is rebels or even simply members of a different species.

Once you are prepared to complete the challenge and event, write a solo of your character either succumbing to their desires (to let out their rage in violence, to claim everything desirable as theirs, to stake claim on someone to be theirs regardless if they want to be, to enact revenge against someone else, et cetera) or overcoming the urge to, continuing on instead of giving in.

[!] As we will post at least two plot updates/prompts between now and the end of the event, we recommend that you wait on posting your solos until the final day of the event. Please tag your solos as #bathysmal:abysso. You can also incorporate these elements into your current, ongoing threads.

[mxbathysmal]

It’s chaos.

Where before, it had been a situation of silent fear under a mad king, it was now mayhem, catching both the hostages and innocent civilians alike in the crossfire. At some point, partners and friends become separated-- with all the violence, it was too easy to get split up in the winding halls of the castle and the oppressive weight of water bearing down on those imprisoned inside.

It’s not hard to wind up alone, even if it doesn’t last long.

An explosion shakes the entire building, sending waves through the water and rocks flying-- and each muse, wherever they are, finds themselves confronted with a choice.

There are two people, both injured, and only one can be rescued with certainty that they will survive.

On the left lies a rebel, and of course, on the right lies a soldier. From the rock debris and the increasing frequency of explosions in the castle, it’s knocked them both out, and there is only so long before this area becomes unsafe.

The choice relies on the character alone to make, and either one will both grant the player something in gratitude. But is potentially sacrificing the other victim worth it?

Players will be confronted with the choice of saving a member of one side or the other, but not both. It is not certain that they will survive if left behind, and the back exit is blocked off. Your character’s reward will depend on which side they choose to rescue, and their alignment should have no bearing on their choice.

[!] Please write a solo of your character, alone, rescuing one of the two merfolk who are injured and post it under the tag #bathysmal:mortis. You may then continue your previous threads as planned.

[mxbathysmal]

An explosion has erupted in the northern part of the castle! The cause is unknown, but it is assumed the cause is either magic or explosives.

Those who sided with the soldiers will likely be driven towards that part of the castle, due to the soldiers wishing to save anyone who was injured in the blast. On the other hand, those who sided with the rebels will be steered away from it.

Various servants are fending for their lives in the midst of the chaos and violence-- saving them, regardless of whose side you’re on, will count towards victory!

[mxbathysmal]

In a sick sort of way, Bonhwa enjoys watching them struggle.

He had ordered the guards to leave out tools to let them break free-- in his hubristic, manic state, he truly doubts any of them could break out of his castle. But it doesn’t hurt to let them think they can.

The Oceana King arrives with a booming noise, the large door at the back of the throne room being pushed open without warning while he enters, an entourage of (terrified) soldiers backing him. He sweeps his gaze across his captives-- his people, his brain answers, registering and dismissing them all at the same time, seeing them only as an audience to order and address-- before swimming past them without a word. He cares not if any of them are shoved or injured, only that they aren’t in his way, allowing his soldiers to remove them from his path however necessary.

(More than one of his soldiers apologize beforehand, hands shaking while they try to move the captives, just as terrified as the hostages themselves. Fear holds them all, even the King himself.)

Once Bonhwa has found his seat, he descends slowly, jewels resting against his bare chest while he looks down at his people. He opens his mouth-- thinks better of it-- and then smiles, turning to one of the guards beside him.

As if on cue, the captives erupt into flames.

It is a harmless flame, of course, enchanted to only burn away the ropes that hold them still. Bonhwa watches with sick satisfaction, until it has finished. “You may wonder why you are here-- from all walks of life, but mostly that of dirt. Well, your precious Council has threatened me-- so I shall threaten them back. I am the King of the Oceana Kingdom, and I do not take kindly to being threatened. The little rebellions here in my domain are quelled just as easily as angry words from little ants who mingle with soil, and you shall make it easier for us all. Simply put, you are my people now. If the Council wants you back, they shall have to answer to my demands.”

That sinister smile opens again, and he twists his trident in his hands. It’s obvious he is a shell of the man he once was-- driven mad, although by what remains a mystery. All he can do is consume, gluttony overpowering him. His lips open to speak again--

and a blade is thrust through his back, puncturing all the way through, stopping him in his tracks. Bonhwa stops, startled, looking down in disbelief. It disappears again, before being swung high above him, coming down-- slicing down into his skull.

The King wavers in place for a moment, before crumbling on the spot, eyes rolling into the back of his skull, and all hell breaks loose. The rebellion has arrived.

Players, from this point on, will find themselves at an impasse-- the castle has been overtaken by the Pearl Rebellion, who used the opportunity of Bonhwa’s madness to stage a coup, as well as rescue the hostages. There is no way to leave the castle yet, however, as Bonhwa’s loyal ranked officers refuse to let the castle fall into the hands of the rebels-- despite their fear and disagreement, most of the soldiers under the Kingdom have been ordered to corral the hostages away from danger and fight off the rebels at all costs. Likewise, however, the rebels wish to save the hostages, but they are inciting the violence-- it is a choice between two sides of a war.

There are two exits into the rest of the castle: one on the left, which is held by the rebels, violent yet claiming to stand for what’s right, promising to help the hostages get home; and one on the right, which is the larger of the two, held by the soldiers who would keep the hostages safe at all costs no matter what, and likely release them after they have reached safety as Bonhwa’s death no longer requires them to keep them. From this point on, no matter what choice muses make, the rest of the castle has been opened up to explore, however there are battles taking out the entire building as rebels fight for control over the Kingdom. All exits have been locked down, trapping everyone inside.

Whichever side comes out on top decides solely on the hostages, and who they choose to align with, even if they do not fight themselves.

[!] Please send an ask to this blog with which side your character will choose to side with. Once your character chooses a side, they may change alignment at any time, but they must choose aside to at least cooperate with if they wish to escape-- if they change alignments, please message the blog again with what their current choice is. The entire castle is under attack, and characters cannot avoid that violence no matter what, which means they will likely be attacked while traveling throughout the building if they are traveling with either the rebels or the guards. Your muse, again, cannot leave the castle. All starters/solos/threads should be tagged with #bathysmal:regis. There will be updates posted each day that will serve as miniature prompts that your characters can react to in their threads to continue the plot.

[mxbathysmal]

In the deepest parts of the ocean, far beyond any human has ever ventured, a war brews.

“King Bonhwa, please--” an attendant begs, desperate, eyes wide and pleading. The monarch pays her no mind, striking her with the back of his hand, sending her tumbling away through the water. He’s gone mad, crazed-- the entire castle has gone on lockdown, the king’s paranoia sending waves throughout the sea. “Please, this is-- this is madness-- we shouldn’t do this, the Council would--”

“Damn the Council, they have no bearing on how I run my kingdom.” Bonhwa’s voice thunders, echoing in the massive throne room, and his attendant flinches. His fists are clenched while he sits in his throne, long hair swirling around him in angry rivulets as he seethes. “You will do as I say. Gather the soldiers, and take to the land. If they wish to blame needless death on my kingdom, then I shall bring them needless death. Take anyone and everyone you can.” He goes quiet for a long moment, almost breaching lucidity, before insanity fogs over his face again. “And if they fight, kill them. We shall not hide any longer.”

The poor girl nods hurriedly, before pulling herself up to swim away, leaving behind little swirls of blood in her wake. Bonhwa enjoys the silence of the dead of night, and he waits.

And somewhere, on the banks of Busan, are the first screams.

basic information -- !

BATHYSMAL will take place from August 8th to August 26th– prompts will be issued to players throughout the event, and activities will be posted in the #mx:bathysmal tag from the event blog that all are welcome to partake in. This tag will also serve as the tag for all starters and threads. Players will be randomly assigned one primary partner to roleplay with throughout the event, although they are more than free to interact with any other muse they could come across!

In BATHYSMAL, muses will find themselves kidnapped from their homes in the dead of night by merfolk who have risen from the sea to take them. There is no care for who is taken, but they are taken by force-- anyone who tries to fight being taken will may be injured, or knocked out to prevent hassle. They are thrown into the ocean, bound and gagged with a necklace, and left to sink down alone. They will find that they can still breathe, however-- once they are retrieved, they are taken into the Oceana Kingdom (past thousands of scared, terrified citizens) and into the castle, to await judgement from King Bonhwa himself.

guidelines -- !

Muses have been kidnapped and taken to the deepest part of the ocean, where the Oceana Kingdom lies, regardless of their species or faction affiliations. Unless they are nixies or merfolk, they will drown if they take off their necklace. The necklaces are simple, a single oyster shell strung along a string and tied with an unbreakable knot. When they first come to, they will be tied to their in an empty throne room, left alone with the other hostages without any idea what to do or what’s going on. The ropes will be loose, but if they are too difficult to break out of, there are several knives nearby each couple to help them break out of their confines easily.

While the event itself will last for two weeks, roleplayers are more than welcome to continue rping/start new threads outside of the event– it won’t interfere with Bathysmal’s plot line, so there’s nothing to worry about!

You are required to have at least one active thread with your primary partner, but there is no limit to how many threads you can have, or what kind. We do, however, discourage rpers from making their first thread with their primary partner anything lower than two paragraphs per reply– we say this only to ensure literacy and engaging threads when first starting out.

The castle is on complete lockdown-- any attempts to leave will be futile, as it is sealed shut. Various guards are stationed at the doors between corridors and exits, but most are not as hostile as the King himself-- they, too, are just as scared. While the pressing weight of ocean would normally be lethal, muses are immune to it as long as they wear the necklace-- taking it off spells death.

All naturals have their normal powers during this event, although they may function differently while underwater (for example, casting a fire spell will essentially do no good) so it’s up to each mun to decide how well their muse can utilize their abilities in their situation.

Likewise, any muse who was not aware of the natural world likely is now. Surprise!

partners -- !

As stated before, each muse will have a partner assigned to them that they arrive with. To be assigned a partner, please like this post and message us to let us know you wish to be added!

Your first thread should, of course, be with your partner; your first thread should simply be a description of how your muse got to this point (kidnapped and tied to someone else) and from then on, your muses collaborating on trying to get out of the ropes and figuring out what’s going on. If you have any inquiries, please let us know!

@mthyixing & @mthmingyu

@mxsomi & @mxtaehyung

@mthamber & @mxnana

@mcxmomo & @mxjune

@mcxjeongguk & @mthminah

@wheeinxmc & @mxyoongi

@mxyifan & @mthseoyoung

@mxjoohyun & @mxyeeun

@mxjimin & @mxhoseok

@mxtaeyeon & @mcxtaeil

@mxnamjoon & @mthjunmyeon

@mthminseok & @mthseokjin

@mthjessica & @mcxrose

@mcxkangjoon & @mxeunbi

@mxmihyun & @mthmark