Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

[faileas]

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!

Comments

[rootstalks]

Mm, apparently this is the wrong market. [ Which explains the trouble they've been having... she hopes he hasn't gotten into too many altercations. She looks him over briefly, but everything seems fine.

She subtly reaches over and tweaks the fold of his sleeve so it falls properly. There, perfect. ]

Zixuan, this is Reno. He's kindly offered to show me the way to the shopping district.

new username, still me

[disasterstraight]

[ Zixuan also wouldn't mind the arrival of someone else to come explain things. Someone who had a better idea of everything that had happened. Perhaps someone a little less emotionally tied to the whole ordeal.

But speaking of emotions, it would seem that Yanli is feeling rather a lot of them right now. Zixuan reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder, steady and calm, allowing her to lean on him if need be. ]

This is... a lot for your mother to handle, A-Ling. [ It would be a lot for anyone to handle. It's a lot for him to handle, to be sure, but he's holding it together for the sake of having at least one person in this conversation with a level head. ] Give her some time to adjust.

[beguiledcard]

[ He winces a little at the smell... and is immediately grateful that sense isn't heightened, at all.

But the look on his face is full of concern. Steel-colored eyes narrow a little, thoughtful as he thinks. ]

I've seen a few girls with that hair color, but not with that eye color. And... unfortunately, no guys that look like that.

[ There's a glance over his shoulder. ]

I can lead you to where most new arrivals wind up? Maybe someone already took them there.

[wordsinthesoul]

That name sounds unusual to him, but- well, there are certainly people from all sorts of stars. No doubt it's common enough where he's from.

"Ah, so you've knowledge of a variety of applications? I'm sure that would certainly be of use here. Do you believe you could replicate any of those here?" Though- their destination does lie ahead, in the end- the building perhaps a little simpler than others in the Haven, but certainly capable of housing a good many people. "Ah- here we are. Perhaps you would prefer to become acquainted with matters here, before that?"

[ranyaulf]

( with soren on top of him, ranulf squirms slightly underneath the dragon, his smile wide as he wraps his arms around the tactician. )

H-hey! Be careful, I'm just one helpless Laguz. ( he gives soren's back a few taps, snickering as he does so. ) What if you missed with that breath of yours?

( though he doubts soren would, intentionally or accidentally. he was that accurate with his magic, after all. )

new username, still me

[disasterstraight]

[ Time truly is in flux here, if Jin Guangyao has been here for months, and Jin Zixuan saw him just this morning. He just adds it to his mental list of things about this city that don't make sense. ]

That, I will do. [ He can't just... turn into a bird. That would be entirely too ironic to permit. He knows people call him a peacock, but this is a little much. ]

Do you have any, ah... tips, on how to best resist the changes?

[ If he's truly been here that long, he must have come up with something, right? Jin Guangyao was a lot of things, but an idiot was not one of them. ]

get the imposter

[rootstalks]

[ This won't do. They have important matters to discuss, years of Jin Ling's life to catch up on. They're sitting in a strange mirror realm, or she's having the most intricately detailed daydream of her life. Except, no, it can't be the latter, because she can't believe she'd come up with something that would hurt this much; it has to be real, and that makes it worse.

She takes a deep, fortifying breath, which only serves to make the air catch in her throat, leans into Zixuan's hand, which helps just enough that she can try again. ]

I'm fine. You should... don't stop on my account.

[devilyouknew]

Come on.

[With his free hand, Takizawa grabs Kaneki's shoulder again in order to pull him along with him. He wants away from these goblins. Preferably he'd like to find a table or a bench or some place to sit at the edge of the marketplace where he won't have an audience while he's eating.

He never thought he'd be embarrassed to eat a pastry.]

And don't apologize to him. He would have screwed you over anyway.

[Is that a racist comment? Now that he thinks about it, it might be. There are probably decent goblins out there, but so far the only ones he's seen are the ones trying to hustle people here. Maybe he can contribute the bad aspects to the marketplace goblins only and feel a little better about judging them.

Or he could just not care.

He leads the boy to what he finally considers a decent open seat and slumps down in it, releasing him. The sweet-smelling package is moved into his lap where he stares at it.]

You're kind of a handful.

[He says this as if he hadn't been the one to cause a scene only moments ago.]

[livingimpaired]

Is that so? [ The priest smiles, seemingly amused. ]

I'm afraid that my heart wouldn't listen to that kind of advice. [ He's hilarious. ]

[livingimpaired]

Hoh?

[ His own eyes seem to fill with emotion at the words "mapo tofu." He looks around like the dish might actually be available somewhere to purchase before frowning, disappointed. ]

To think that is what he remembers most... I find that quite hilarious. Of all the things to remember... that is what holds his attention? Truly, the King of Heroes never fails to amaze me.

[oathkeeper]

Yeah, sure! I'm not gonna just leave someone out in the cold and freezing wet.

[Sora has zero qualms with letting a stranger into the house and helping them out. In fact, he does just that. He opens the door and motions for her to follow him before he quickly makes a beeline for the hallway closet to retrieve some dry and clean towels for her. He returns and offers them.]

Here, start with that. I can put some tea on the stove too if you want!

[What a good boy next door.]

And I think Aqua should have some dry clothes that could fit you! I'll be right back!

[So generous, he's even giving away his roommate's clothing.]

[sparkstrikes]

No time to think.

[Quite literally, because the Shade comes back down on all fours in front of them and roars again.

She hadn't expected to have some kid come by to her aid, but this place is full of surprises, isn't it? It's a little concerning and having someone so small next to her makes her stomach twist in an unsettling way, but she also knows that there's no way in hell she'll be able to take this thing down alone. Not with her magic on its own.

But if anything happened to this girl on Lightning's watch, then she'd never be able to forgive herself.

Which is why she shoots a bullet, point blank, in its face. It doesn't do much to hurt the creature – the metal bullet is absorbed and eaten away by the acidic slime coating its body – but it does anger it enough to attract its attention to her.]

... Come and get me. [Quickly, to Orchid:] Make sure to aim.

[And then she takes off, drawing it along behind her with more gunshots. It's large, but its size makes it slower to navigate the trees, so Lightning takes advantage of that by leading it to where they're thickest.]

[sparkstrikes]

Here.

[The coins jingle and notes rustle when she digs into her pockets, and she places an unknown handful onto the surface of the bar between them.]

Should be enough to cover two or three glasses.

[Both for him, if he chooses.

Lightning remembers what it's like, being new here and having nothing but the clothes on her back. It's hard, and even harder for someone like her to find her footing and build some semblance of a life here, so this is simply her way of paying it forward for the people who were so adamant and stubborn about helping her.]

They won't take your money, but if you visit the Coven, you can ask them for some to spot you.

[sparkstrikes]

[Lightning lets out a mirthless breath of laughter, choosing to wait on her answer as someone visits their table to ask what they would like. Two beers seems safe and simple enough. It isn't until the girl leaves that she hands the information over.]

The Coven.

[She keeps her voice low enough that only Zack will be able to hear it. The bar isn't too loud, but there's enough background noise that she shouldn't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping. Most of the people are too engaged in their own conversations to care, probably, but she can never be too careful with what she's about to say.]

They're the band of Witches who supposedly run this city. And help other Witches... like me... with magic.

[moneytwin]

..Less colourful, though. [She's still staring at him. It's just..so good to hear his voice.

The loss of him is the cause of that visible ache, knowledge of their failure to protect him, fury at the machinations of a vile woman who's dismembered corpse is now destined to be the ugliest tree on Glintshore. There are so many reasons for the wave of emotions she feels, many of which she doesn't dare look at too closely (or she'd have to admit something she isn't quite ready to yet), but all she can hear is "good".

Good, as if there wasn't anything else to be said.

And perhaps there isn't. That fight is over now. Has been over for him for a year, in fact. She's the one playing catch up.

And so it is that at the end of his comparison to the Feywild --one she will certain discuss the merits of later-- she moves, instinct overriding natural caution as she becomes a blur of dark hair and red scales. Moving, so that she might throw her arms around him. Part of her almost expects to pass straight through, to find all this to be the illusion she fears it is, but instead taloned hands find purchase along the back of his coat, and she buries her face into his shoulder.

Behind her, the wings flare open, stretching wide, before mantling around witch-man and monster-elf. A secondary hug; a shield from prying eyes. ]

[oathkeeper]

Hey- Wait. No?! ...

[Sora looks startled and he almost throws his hands up in the air. He was about to explain but then she continues on her tirade to get the merchant to 'pack it up, shithead' and Sora's lost for words.

His poor poor Disney ears...]

I guess if it's getting the job done.

[Because look- the man is scampering to gather up his wares under the death glares he's receiving.]

[weiward]

Then you'll practice until you'll good at it.

[he smiles and makes it sound easy, but all it takes is wei wuxian levels of pig-headedness....

a little determination.]

We don't spring forth knowing how to do everything perfectly, do we?

[anthropophagite]

[ kaneki ends up being dragged once again, but since he feels he is being a burden, he doesn't say anything or fights back. In the back of his head, he still wonders if Goblins won't be the best people for him to get food exactly because they would easily "screw people over". that's probably racist as well

But that's something to try to figure out later on. Right now Takizawa-san seems to want him around and while Kaneki is far too shy to ask why, he is at least a bit glad he isn't completely alone and there is someone this willing to help him.

At the comment, Kaneki lowers his head, a bit ashamed, and looks to the ground ] I'm sorry. [ even though he doesn't think what he did was particularly bad, and he truly wasn't the one causing a scene, Takizawa did ask him (demand?) for him to stay put and he didn't (at the same time, Kaneki feels like he is being treated like a child, but once again, he doesn't say anything about that).

Eventually he sits down too ] Takizawa-san, are you Japanese? [ he has a japanese name, so Kaneki hopes he isn't wrong ] Was your world very different from this one?

skipping tag order here for a sec

[hypomeneo]

[Urgh. He doesn't know. This is going to be fun.

Iskandar then focusing in on the Grail sends a frisson through Waver. This is starting to feel a little too familiar... but he did bring it up. Damn Grails. They never seem to go away. Having them throughout the Singularities seems like mockery to all the effort and sacrifice made in taking the original system down.]

Yes. Yes, I did. Along with Rin.

The Grail was irrevocably corrupted with All The World's Evils. There was no wish that wouldn't end in utter destruction. Besides, it was never meant for granting wishes. The whole premise of the war was a lie.

[shithogs]

[Actually, the pun is kind of appreciated, although she doesn't say as much.]

We don't have 'em either, but I've picked up a few things about monsters since getting here. Not much, but a little about the different kinds, and the Shades.

[Those, of course, had piqued her interest especially, sharing a name with her foes from back home as they did. As for his question, she shakes her head— there are much ruder things he could have asked her, and while she doesn't usually worry about manners or formalities, his are actually pretty refreshing.]

Witch, so they tell me. Magic isn't anything new, but it's different here.

arrival

[cleansingking]

[Okay, so he just arrived and barely has much of an understanding of the place himself, but when Haruaki sees the human come crash landing in almost at his feet right in front of the market stall he was browsing, can he really resist taking advantage of an opportune moment like this? He looks down at the stranger and smirks, not unfriendly, but still a bit smugly.]

How? With magic, of course. Psychic powers. They can summon anything from other realms.

[gynvael]

[ No. He supposes she wouldn't be, seeing as none of them were. That isn't the interesting part. It's the dragon eggs. The fact that she's had them long before this world ever took her.

But the Shade's a more pressing matter than her dragon child. Geralt's hunted monsters his whole life. He knows that they're all different; that the last thing he wants is to fight something he isn't familiar with. Which is apparently why he's wound up doing exactly that.

Whatever changes have overcome him, it at least hasn't fucked with his speed. The Shade is fast, but it's also single-minded in its hunger. He ducks under its elongated arms. This close, he can see the faint markings of feathers on its shadowy skin. It's blacker than the night, almost absorbing the moonlight into itself. When it charges a second time, he pins it to the ground as its teeth snap, bringing his sword down to pierce where the heart should be. Whether it still has one that matters, he has no damn idea. ]

[finesseblade]

[ His ears flick back at her hissing, clearly startled by the sound and uncertain how to react. He takes a step back, cautiously sniffing at the air, and after a moment he settles back on his haunches, letting out a low, gruff sound. ]

It's dangerous that way.

[ The energy of the Sisters runs high in the wood tonight, but with it there's a sickly stench of Cwyld carrying on the wind. Felix isn't certain what that means, but it can't be anything good. ]

You can't smell it, can you? You're fae. More susceptible to the sickness. You ought to be more careful.

[weiward]

[wei wuxian smiles and nods at her, happy to deliver the news about jiang cheng. no matter how strange things are between them, one thing can't be touched: they both love and are loved by yanli.]

I saw him earlier. He's also growing scales.

[it must be a yunmeng thing. after a lifetime of growing up near the water they become a monster that's comfortable in it. it makes sense, as much as any of their changes here do.

his pout returns, exaggerated enough that she won't worry too much about him. he mourns his appetite for meat, but at least it wasn't alcohol.]

But at least I have you here now to make vegetarian dishes delicious and not like bitter medicine broth.

[wei wuxian shudders, and somewhere lan qiren disapproves.]

[weiward]

[oh, okay. so maybe dog ears aren't so bad after all, as long as they're on his nephew instead of actual dogs. ]

Sure, just a nose. And Hanguang-jun is just a cultivator. [nothing special at all there, nope.] Speaking of Lan Zhan, we should find him. He's definitely still hunting out there.

[and could likely answer anything that wei wuxian can't...like things covered by the welcoming speech when they first arrived. you know, the one that wei wuxian didn't really pay much attention to because it was boring.

wei wuxian looks at him again and smiles.]

Don't forget that I'm with you now. No need to be scared anymore.