Author Games: Brave New World

Task Six: The Eye of Balor

When Bres the Usurper was cast from power among the Tuath Dé, his anger and shame were too much to bear. With a vengeful heart, he turned his face from them and approached his uncle, a powerful chieftain of the Fomoire named Balor. 

Balor hated the Tuath Dé, their power, and their beauty; for the loveliest among them was not as beautiful as Balor was hideous. His head was huge and misshapen, and he had but one eye whose lid required four men to lift. However, once that eye was opened, whatsoever it beheld fell dead where it stood, and the land around for a league was poisoned. 

With the excuse of his kinsman's deposal, Balor turned his armies against the Tuath Dé. His eye was opened against them, and in their terror they scattered.

Captain's Log. Date: 0.22.2.11.2150

Another two disappearances, both from Eden. Hai has no idea how they could have left, and it's driving him a bit crazy: there hasn't been a perimeter breach in three days. Nonetheless, Dr. Wilkie and Hai's secretary, Lydia, haven't been seen in two days. Thalia's group seems to be mostly intact, but strange substances have been discovered in the structures on Parthenos. Preliminary analyses have yielded nothing useful.

I do hope Thalita will be careful with this new material. I've managed to negotiate an agreement between Eden and Parthenos that will give Eden's biochemist a chance to examine the material. I expect they will be able to get a better idea of what it is than Thalita; Dr. Sharma is one of the best in his field, and he has the advantage of Eden's more advanced equipment.

I hope they'll be careful. Caution is one of Hai's primary character traits, but we have no idea what this substance is, and Eden has taken losses at an uncomfortable rate. A large number of people in Parthenos have already been exposed to the substance. 

I need to go. O'Shea says she has a message from both Thalita and Hai. 

(indistinct voice)

Could you repeat that? Something about blood--

(indistinct voice)

[Entry Ends]

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Requirements

-The substance Thalita's group found in the forest has an unpleasant property-- it carries a deadly plague.

-Symptoms include (in order of the disease's progression:) coughing, fever, hallucinations, increased aggression, insanity, extreme bloodlust, internal bleeding, and finally death caused by hemorrhages though eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc. Basically, it's the zombie virus crossed with Ebola :D

-Your tribute must encounter someone infected with this plague. If you catch it, you die. It is spread by the substance of origen, as well as contact with the bodily fluids of the infected.

Kills: One ENTRY death, and two in any combination of entry and ballot deaths. This is the only task to permit entry deaths.

Due Date: Friday, April 8 at 10 PM EST