faileas: (Default)
aefenglom log posting account ([personal profile] faileas) wrote in [community profile] middaeg2020-05-03 03:07 pm

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

I. Boaltinn (1st - 3rd)

    Boaltinn comes around again. A handful of Mirrorbound will remember the holiday from last year, but for others, it will be brand new. In both Residential Districts, bonfires burn in central locations through the night, frequented by the residents celebrating another summer come to Aefenglom. Curiously, while last year the bonfires seemed quite segregated by human or Monster, this year, there is more of a noticeable mix at each, and Mirrorbound are invited to join the games and festivities quite happily. Characters are invited to try and jump through the bonfire's flames to burn away any poor relationship experiences, be it romantic or platonic, past or present; to aid them in this, those at the Eastern Bonfire will give those participating rune-etched accessories to protect them from the fire.

    The city has quite a bit to offer for this holiday: shared rose baths at public bathhouses and pleasure establishments that increase feelings of friendliness and talkativeness, poles draped in ribbons meant to be danced around, wrapping a ribbon around the pole to bring good luck for the summer, food stalls whose offerings are meant to be shared, and fortune-telling set up by Divination students of the Coven, who can tell your day is going to go.


To see last year's Boaltinn prompts, you can take a glance right here! Much of it, including the bonfires, baths, and entertainments will be similar this year, so feel free to use those in your top levels.
II. An Unusual Arrival (3rd on)

    A full year from the arrival of the first group of Mirrorbound, the 1st passes quietly, with no one showing up in the mirror-lined halls of the Looking-Glass House. Dates and times are important in most kinds of magic, and this is strange enough that some Witches of the Coven get together on the night of the 3rd to try a probing ritual, attempting to gather some kind of clues that could be useful in prying out the cottage's secrets. Boaltinn is the best time for such things, when the boundaries are thinner, and magic is stronger.

    Those who are awake that night at 3 am might notice a pulse of harmless silvery light that spreads like ripples on water throughout the whole city, originating at the Looking-Glass House, but nothing further happens, and the Coven receives no answers.

    Well, nothing happens in the Looking-Glass House.

    Before long, the reports start coming in: people are emerging from mirrors, regular old mundane mirrors, all over the city. Anything with a particularly reflective surface could be an entry point for someone from another world! Inhabited homes, businesses closed and locked for the night, pools of still water in fountains or the river, these unorthodox Mirrorbound pop up anywhere and everywhere, causing chaos for the City Guard (folks aren't happy to find strangers in their bathrooms at 3 in the morning) and the Coven both.

    Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. If you are one of these unfortunate arrivals, it's likely a rude awakening for you, to find yourself somewhere inconvenient, somewhere other than where you've been. It only makes sense to be confused. Hopefully someone finds you and explains to you what's happened to you.

    Resident Mirrorbound will hear a message from Miss Nessie shortly after it begins, a call to arms: "Dears, I'm quite sorry to disturb you, but it seems your fellows are arriving elsewhere than the Looking-Glass House this month! We're trying to track them all down for the usual welcome, but we could use a hand or several! If you could just bring them by the Coven, the usual spot, that would be lovely." She'll give her usual orientation and pass out Watches, but no doubt the Mirrorbound will be more helpful in this regard, with so many arriving.


III. The Goblin Market (All Month)

    Life goes on in Aefenglom, despite the addition of so many new residents. With the City Guard decidedly busy dealing with the sudden flood of break-ins (or, more accurately, break-outs?), the vendors of the Goblin Market find opportunity to set up their stalls more openly than they have since the crack-downs some months ago. They pop up all over the city, but clustered more often in the Residential Districts and the Harbor District, where there are even fewer law enforcement agents out and about to run them off.

    These sellers, while not as devoid of morals as those major players of the Black Market, still have very few compunctions when it comes to lying, cheating, fencing stolen goods, and misrepresenting their wares to unsuspecting buyers. It's also the place to find those things that are- not quite legal, shall we say. They won't say a word if you don't. If confronted, they are quick to pack up their things and slip away, however; they know this city and its hiding places a lot better than you do.

    With a brand new batch of what the natives assume are Mirrorbound, many undergoing rapid transformations into their Monster forms, many of the wares on display are potions: supposed cure-alls for aches and itches, calming draughts for the full moon restlessness, some even claim their brews can halt changes entirely! Some concoctions are meant to increase a Witch's magical ability, or decrease it, or provide them a finer control. They offer potions that they say will eliminate the need for a Bond, or temporary Bonding potions of their own that they claim are more pure, stronger, than the ones offered by the Coven.

    Claims are only claims, though. A few remedies for the pain of changing or some regular temporary Bonding potions can be found here and there, but for every potion that works, there are twenty more that have less than pleasant side effects. A brew that will cause everything you touch to turn to solid gold for up to an hour; a potion that will invert your sense of direction - trying to turn right will make you turn left, trying to go forward will cause you to walk backward; a potion that will remove all traction from your feet, causing you to slide around as if cobblestone are the slickest ice. Worse, some shadier vendors sell things more sinister, including a potion that gives you the appearance of being moderately to heavily infected by the Cwyld.

    Even if you don't drink any, the vendors are not at all careful where they're sloshing those bottles around, trying to show them off, and they all activate on skin contact.

IV. A Wilde Hunt (7th - 22nd)

    All Mirrorbound, temporary or not, are likely to feel it. Monsters are always affected by the full moons, but this month, it is more. Stronger. Instincts rise to the surface as the Sisters emerge full and visible in the night sky, and for many Mirrorbound, they are undergoing rapid transformations into whatever type of Monster they are meant to be. Curiously, the natives get along like they usually do, noticing nothing out of the norm, other than the increased agitation and restlessness from Mirrorbound Monsters.

    Monsters' aggression fades when the Sisters start to wane, but as the new moons approach on the 22nd, Mirrorbound Witches will notice their magical reserves overfilling, and will find themselves stricken with the overwhelming urge to use it, until casting spells, pushing one's magical limits, is almost a compulsion. Those who are not in proper Witch-Monster Bonds will feel it even stronger, with no stabilizing magic to consume (for Monsters) or avenues to expend magic (for Witches) other than casting spells. (For those who are interested, the Coven does offer temporary Bonding potions which can be used to help alleviate the effects somewhat.)

    The Coven Witches notice the signs, and they take decisive action on the morning of the 6th, the day before the full moons. So many Mirrorbound, likely to be so heavily affected by the lunar cycle this month, many of them coming into new features and abilities at a breakneck pace, only spells danger for the city. They barricade off a massive chunk of Wilde outside Aefenglom, largely free of Cwyld and totally bereft of farms, homes, and Wilder outposts. They invite anyone who feels the effects of the moons too strongly to control to come out for a Hunt. The hunting grounds will be open nightly to anyone who needs to work off restless energy or overflowing magic; all participants will be warned that their safety cannot be guaranteed from others, but they won't be able to harm bystanders out here.

    The woods are thick, with the river cutting through them, and full of wildlife. There is room to run and chase prey, or room to play with your developing magic. Play cat and mouse with your friends or Bondmates, or stalk a stranger. If playing games isn't your thing, there is something else to hunt out here as well.

    With the deep Wilde entering into Winter, this patch of land so close to the city is much warmer, and fearsome Shades have emerged to search for prey. These were once living beings, Monsters, Witches, or animals, who have been overtaken by Cwyld infection long ago, leaving them dead but for the infection, white-eyed and seeking out sources of magic to consume and infect. Anything could become a Shade, but the most common out right now are the ferocious remains of bears, wolves, and nomadic Arachne and Turnskins. If not killed, these Shades threaten the people of the Outer City, when they inevitably escape the barricade. Careful to limit your contact, though; anyone infected upon their return to the gates will be escorted straight to the infirmary.



    Welcome to May's Fourth Wall event, An Inauspicious Arrival! The comms are now open to comments from all registered users and will be until June 1st. Current players, if you don't want fourth wall characters tagging your posts, just say so in your text. Fourth wall characters can use this post for their own network top-levels, or this post for log top levels. This event is game canon; threads from this fourth wall can be used as application samples later and current players may use these threads for AC. As always, be courteous to each other! Let the mod team know if there are any problems and we will handle things.

    As always, please direct your questions to this thread!

exsoldier: (zurako9)

[personal profile] exsoldier 2020-05-13 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ While Tifa's verbal response is mild as can be, especially considering everything that's happened since they last saw each other, the look in her eye tells a different story. Zack suspects that she knows something, if not all the details, but it's true that they're not in the best situation to compare notes right now.

So when she focuses back on the task at hand, Zack's right there with her. This may all be surreal, but he's willing to roll with the punches.

At her question, he lets out a sigh and shakes his head. ]


Not yet. Wanna see if we can find one together? Not sure if I want to engage since I don't have a weapon yet, but I at least wanted to get a look.

[ He can't stop himself from giving Tifa a once-over. It's been five years. Does she know how to take care of herself in a fight? She's obviously in shape and Zack feels as if she carries herself differently now, so he wouldn't be surprised if she's trained up. ]
fairyherder: manhua (15)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ah... there it is. the expressions on their faces has him guilty for even saying anything. but of course, his father already knew and they'd find out sooner or later because of Suihua. but he'd do anything to keep the guilt from their minds for not being there. for dying. it's not their fault, it's...

...

he knows exactly who to blame (or who he'd rather not blame, Xiaoshu is still important to him) for the mess he's somehow in the middle of. he hates all of these emotions because they're complicated and pulling him in too many directions at once.

he curls his fingers tight around Suihua and steps forward so he can reach, though he hesitates for a beat before he accepts his mother's hand. ]
radishlobbyist: (45 - DfhD1Zb)

[personal profile] radishlobbyist 2020-05-13 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ A clock tower does seem very fancy and official, so she nods. ]

Let's go.

[ As they walk, she keeps watching Wen Ning out of the corner of her eyes, searching for signs of more smoke or discomfort. ]

Are you feeling better now? Are you in pain?
jichengren: (119)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-13 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ As A-Ling steps forward, Zixuan sets his own Suihua across his lap and reaches out with his free hand to rest it on A-Ling's arm, completing the circle. He does his best to keep the emotion out of his voice even though his every inch is thrumming with it... Too much feeling, too much to keep in check! And yet he has to. Someone must, and it falls to him to be that someone. ]

We're together now. A family. The way we always should have been.

[ Yanli's grip on his hand is so tight his fingers are losing circulation, but he doesn't care. He will hold onto her like a lifeline, as long as he needs to. He worked so hard to become the right sort of man, a man who would love her as a wife, and treat her the way she deserves to be treated. He had planned on becoming the right sort of man to raise a good, strong son. It looks like he failed in that endeavor, but he wants so badly to right that wrong. Be there for A-Ling now, even if he couldn't be then. ]

Talk to us. Tell us who you are, what we've missed.

[ He turns back to A-Li, explaining what he's gleaned so far. ]

My brother gave him a spirit dog, named... Xiānzǐ.

[ He almost forgot! How could he almost forget the one salient piece of information he has about his son's life??? He'll have to try harder. ]
fullgauntlet: <user name=michrure> (13681910)

[personal profile] fullgauntlet 2020-05-13 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I've never- done this before!

[Izuku yells and then jumps to the side when the rain of fire starts showering down on him. All he can do for the moment is dodge and run out of the way of the splashes of fire with quick feet.]

Get out of the sky, Kacchan!

[He's just... yelling.]
livingimpaired: (Default)

[personal profile] livingimpaired 2020-05-13 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
An overseer, too, huh? [ He responds somewhat absentmindedly. ] Yes, I was a Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War and an Overseer in the Fifth.

[ His shoulders lift and lower in a shrug. It be that way sometimes. ]

I am. The Servant I had in the Fourth Holy Grail was was you. [ Kirei purposely leaves out a lot other pieces of information regarding how that came about. The priest smiles. He finds himself in an extraordinary situation -- and he decides the way to handle such a situation by savoring it. ]

That dog? ... ah, I see. [ He is once more amused. It seems like he continues to be connected to Cú Chulainn. Much to, he suspects, the chagrin of the Lancer. ]

I'm afraid that in the time that I come from... he has already been eliminated from the Holy Grail War. [ His lips press together in a thin line. He almost wonders if he has been eliminated from the Throne of Heroes given how Lancer met his end, but that's just ... being foolish. ] So, no.

Why? Were you looking for a rematch? I fear that would leave much to be desired in terms of a fight.
sealeted: (to your face)

weeps

[personal profile] sealeted 2020-05-13 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, well...

[How to put it? Certainly, that had just been another role he had been forced into, same as being an arbiter, but altogether...]

It just seemed to me like you had enjoyed it, back on the Far Side.

[She really hopes she didn't just give him an unfortunate idea.]
clickclickbloom: (Hope and peace are lost forever)

[personal profile] clickclickbloom 2020-05-13 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Aw come on, I'm just playing~!" That was until the growling started and then she was quick to scramble off her "prey." Jeez this got a lot more serious than she expected, on the bright side the weapons had been dropped so it didn't seem as dangerous as it could be.

"Bu-Wai-Hold on!" Oh wow. She was pretty quick. Ruby scrambled up to her feet and tried to run but her wings were spread and that slowed down any sort of escape plan she attempted.

She was a sitting duck.
livingimpaired: (Default)

remember that f/extella comic where he says that he doesn't take sakurament anymore... the worst

[personal profile] livingimpaired 2020-05-13 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
The Far Side. [ The priest repeats her words carefully before his eyes close. ] I see.

[ His eyes open to regard her once again. ] I regret to inform you that the "Father Kotomine" that you encountered is not me. [ What an odd feeling. Certainly, he has encountered people that never "met him," but that is more figurative than literal. To think, there is some other Kirei Kotomine that opens shops. ]

In fact, I would be remiss not to tell you that we've never met before this moment.

[ So, with that out of the way!!! ] Who are you?
sealeted: (you haven't found)

her pulse rate legitimately jumped seeing him this close to the marketplace

[personal profile] sealeted 2020-05-13 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
...!

[Where someone else might be taken aback, understanding blooms in her gaze without missing a beat.]

Oh. You must be the 'original human' Kirei Kotomine, then.

[Whoops.

She sketches a quick bow.]


Sorry for the confusion. I'm Hakuno Kishinami, a Master from the Moon Cell Grail War of the 2030s.
Edited 2020-05-13 19:31 (UTC)
xaela: (a world divided;)

[personal profile] xaela 2020-05-13 07:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I... see...

[Her nails massage against the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache brewing. Of course something like this would happen. Of course.

Moni will just hope she's not in the transformation category. But using magic... That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.]


Is there a reason why we're brought here? Did someone horribly botch their summonings - [Gotta put in that slight dig at Exarch, of course.] - or is it something else?
lookslikeacinnamonroll: (33)

[personal profile] lookslikeacinnamonroll 2020-05-13 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ While walking, Wen Ning makes sure to keep his hands tucked inside his sleeves to shield his skin from the sun, and keep the brim of the hat pulled low enough to block out any sunlight but not so low that he can't see where he's going. ]

I feel much better now. No pain anymore. I'm still really thirsty, though. And... [ He isn't sure if he should say this next part. But he knows Jiejie will get it out of him eventually just by giving him one of her patented Looks. ]

...And I keep hearing things, I think.
lookslikeacinnamonroll: (13)

[personal profile] lookslikeacinnamonroll 2020-05-13 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The more fingers she ticks off, the more impressed Wen Ning looks. ]

Wow! You must have a really powerful Golden Core to fight that many Night Creatures.

[ He was never all that strong or skilled as a cultivator. His ill health held him back a lot. He was better suited to helping his sister do her healing. That all changed when he nearly died, though, and came back as the Ghost General. ]
fairyherder: manhua (9)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he's noticed the lack of access to his golden core, and of course the sword is less useful now than before, but he can still use it. ]

Ah... what kind of abilities then? If I'm turning into a dog...

[ he mostly just sounds dejected because that doesn't sound as impressive as being able to cast spells. sure, Xiānzǐ is amazing and he loves her a lot and she's great at sniffing out danger, but is that what he's turning into?? ]
seemstressed: (04)

Goblin Market Wildcard-ish

[personal profile] seemstressed 2020-05-13 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[It would be hard for Tataru to mask her delight at the sight of Alphinaud, seemingly wandering about the market bright-eyed and bewildered. She's happy to see him, relieved in a way, and wastes no time hurrying over to where he's loitering nearby the stall of a goblin merchant. She bounces on her toes in typical Lalafellian fashion, eager to grab his attention.]

Alphy! Alphinaud-!

[Small hands wave in the air, voice chirpy and clearly happy to see him. She's missed her Elezen companion, after all.]
fairyherder: manhua (13)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he goes red in the face, pointing and yelling. wow, that's incredibly unbecoming and also rude! also look, he's not good at the friendship thing. when you grow up with people whispering behind your back and pretending they like you, trusting people to be genuine isn't easy! ]

W-what?! That's not what I said! I said Lanling! My clan!
fairyherder: manhua (18)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he will fight you tooth and nail!

at the counter to his exclamation, he just completely gets caught off guard, but then he scowls. ]


I didn't say something is wrong with dogs, I love them, and I have one at home. But I'm not one myself. I'm a cultivator!

[ and through his grouching he's again caught off guard as he's given the potion, and he blinks, accepting it out of pure confusion. is this safe? is it the same potion he wanted? ]

...is this going to help?
Edited 2020-05-13 20:17 (UTC)
fairyherder: manhua (eYPXwmd)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he reaches down to pick up Suihua from the ground, curling his arm around it to hold it close to his chest. facial expression lost between indignation and horror. ]

How... how? You were there, you tell me how!

[ he knows it's not Wei Wuxian's fault, he knows he didn't do it. but he knows he was there, he's been told. he knows he probably saw it, though. ]
Edited 2020-05-13 20:22 (UTC)
usurpers: (Default)

[personal profile] usurpers 2020-05-13 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ eren scoffs sardonically, a click at the roof of his mouth that breathes into a hiss— jean afraid of him would be more of a laugh if he laughed so often. was it his way of saying “it’s not going to work on me”? asshat.

fucking asshat. after everything, jean (and connie) still covered his ass and, apparently, went to find him. he can fill in the blanks of time and could only assume the space he’s from is . . . trans-rumbling, and that realization sets a massive stone in eren’s gut. the farthest it shows is the dull frown he wears, which isn’t much. ]


All I’m saying is stay out of it. [ jean would argue otherwise and probably knew what he even said to armin and mikasa at this point, but push comes to shove. he’s not taking any chances so soon. he won’t get into how time works here, or how long it’s been since he’s actually arrived. too much time to waste and— he doesn’t want to ] If you want to say something, say it.

[ it won’t matter, but they’re here, aren’t they? ]
fairyherder: manhua (4)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he forces himself not to pull away, but absolutely does look up to pin him down with a stare, caught between wariness and familiarity. ]

You... you tried to kill me. You killed a lot of people. How am I supposed to trust you?

[ pinned the blame on an innocent man, got his father killed... ]
Edited 2020-05-13 20:26 (UTC)
livingimpaired: (Default)

KILL BILL SIRENS GOING OFF!!!

[personal profile] livingimpaired 2020-05-13 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
So, it would seem.

[ The priest smiles. It's a wry smile for once, because he thinks the description "original human" Kirei Kotomine to be one that gives him an emotion. He isn't quite certain what that emotion is, however. He can't say that it is bad; he can't say that it is good.

I am a machine that worked very hard at being human... and failed. To hear there is a some being that is based after me. It's laughable. ]


Hakuno Kishinami, huh. [ He repeats her name carefully and commits it to memory. ] Moon Cell Grail War? The war is still going on, is it? I am honestly surprised that it is. The Greater Grail had suffered corruption in my timeline and so I assumed that the Fifth Holy Grail War would most likely be the last.

[ And he would get his answer. ]

How fascinating to know that it's still being carried on. [ Anyway!! ] If you are a Master, you must have a Servant. Might I inquire as to who that is?
shinkunochou: (017)

[personal profile] shinkunochou 2020-05-13 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sae winces and waves her hand placatingly, looking guilty at the initial yelp.] Sorry, sorry...! [And then looking bewildered at the bad language. Ann?? You’re a girl what are you doing??

But after a moment of listening she can conclude that there doesn’t appear to be anyone coming to their location at least so she reels in her shock.
]

I suppose so. As weird as it seems... I’m sorry, Ann-san. I’m afraid I’ll have to be a burden to you a little bit, since... All of this seems much more foreign to me than it might be to you. [Everything here seems a lot more advanced to her than what she’s used to, anyhow. Her fingers curl uncertainly against her kimono, which she looks to with a dull feeling that the blood should be evoking some kind of reaction in her. Well, something more than ‘oh well would you look at that?’

Ah, well. This is more important to focus on.
] Where are you from...? Maybe where we were has something to do with this? You said you were...in a class?
fairyherder: manhua (r6Debfl)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ rubbing furiously with a sniffle before glowering up at Killua. he's a little more relaxed as it's just another kid, but he's still on guard, tense. he's got a bow and arrows strapped to his back and there's a sword laying in the grass beside him. ]

You just surprised me, that's all. And I wasn't crying, so don't look down on me.

[ all of this is different, and he didn't exactly ask for a dog transformation, okay. he hesitates as the other offers his name and mutters in return. ]

Jin Ling.
fairyherder: manhua (nMY2Xai)

I'm still a little floored at so many tags

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-13 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he falters a little at, blinking in a stare and uh... wait. this isn't a spirit, though she looks like she's been killed several times over? he can't tell, he has no spiritual sense here in the same way. ]

Oh... I... well, if you didn't know you shouldn't have replied.

[ because that's logic, Jin Ling. he pauses again and realizes he's probably too forward and rude. he looks around himself, and then back at her. ]

... did you step out of the pool too?
arturiarex: (11)

[personal profile] arturiarex 2020-05-13 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
It was my wings for me, honestly. Having to adjustm y clothing and learning how to move with them has been an exercise in frustration...

[ She's just glad she can talk to other people about this. Even if she'd normally keep it bottled up. ]

Did you have to learn how to walk on them or did it come easily?