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

[honesthearts]

[ Hey, wait, where are you going? I could use a man of your talents!

it's the fading words of the shopkeeper that stick out in isaac's ears, scoffing as he unclasps his cloak and starts making his way out of the marketplace. he draws his hands under the cloak to avoid any potential hand contact as he flees, trying to think why this must be happening. the seller he spoke with did not make him drink anything, no, but did a splash of whatever vial he was waving at him touch his skin? he feels foolish and too seen, a dangerous thing when he has been cut off from his magic. a dagger is still a dagger, but isaac is not prepared to be run out of town less than a day since arriving.

he molds into the crowds, makes distance between him and the scene of his incident, then escapes out. the exit is not far judging by the signage and maybe he can--

his thoughts are stopped as he gets past a couple people and then sees a familiar man just some distance from the exit. that distance is not clear, between the people looking at the stands to the sides and those that are walking the path to get to their next destination, but the familiar visage of his old master's son is a striking flash among the flow of people.

and he's looking right at him. ]

Shit.

[ isaac curses low and annoyed under his breath, and turns to weave back into the crowds he was trying to get out of. there must be another way out of this market, and the sea of people he dives into will make excellent obstacles. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[What the fuck.

Hector is here already. That much Alucard knows and has enjoyed approximately 1% of, and that 1% is the Cezar. The presence of this other man, no name, no identity, only the knowledge that he was within Dracula's employ? It concerns Alucard more than he well and truly cares to admit.

He sees the direction that Isaac redirects his course to. Alucard was headed that way in the first place, he has to in order to get home. So he continues. Face grim. Not anticipating what comes next, only aware that it will be a very, very bad time.

No part of him calls out to the man. He only continues on, until the crowd thins. Only then:]

We're bound to cross paths in this city. We may as well get it over with.

[honesthearts]

[ a bad time indeed. isaac knew his path would cross with alucard, committer of patricide against his (former) master, but like this? here, in a strange land, beyond far from the path he was on? he is not ready for this fight and thinks the only reason alucard has not yet lunged at him is because of all the people here. yes, the people he loves so much he would rebel against his father.

isaac is tempted to grab at something, anything, to throw at him. it would turn to gold, heavy and damaging, but the truth is he does not have a hope of fighting him as he is. he cannot forge night creatures and he is not as fast as he assumes alucard to be. extinguishing godbrand with a surprise maneuver does not give isaac the illusion that he can defeat all vampires.

he sees no other choice but to stop after alucard calls out, turning around to face him as the man approaches. the crowds have thinned but there are still plenty of people here. witnesses to possible aggression, and people isaac can use as shields both metaphorically and literally. ]

Alucard. [ he addresses him knowingly, piercing thin daggers at him. ] You remember me then.

[ they never exchanges pleasantries but isaac remembers spotting his lord's son from the base of the spiral staircase. so much chaos that night and it ended in a tragedy he did not bear witness to. ]

[cryptsleeper]

I did, yes.

[He remembers every moment from walking through the main doors of his home to emerging into the sunlight after a truly long and heartbreaking battle. Isaac was seen for all of two seconds, but Alucard remembers.

They've crossed their paths, but the question is now what?, in the end. And it is a fine question indeed, as well as one Alucard has no answer to. He has no desire to let the man know about Trevor or Sypha, and quite frankly, Hector can deal with this on his own.]

You are without a name to me. If you wish to keep it that way, I will not fight it.

[That may or may not be a lie depending on how he's feeling, honestly.]

[honesthearts]

Isaac.

[ he could very well choose to not give a name, or even provide a fake name, but that is not isaac's way. even if the world is without loyalty, without compassion, he is a man of honesty. ]

Hm. I knew our paths would cross again in the future, but not like this. [ he knows only because it was his intention to pursue alucard, after dealing with other pressing matters that is. ] What do you intend to do?

[ he could have just let him go into the crowds, but he pursued. that he has not striked yet means he does not intend to make a mess, at least not in public. ]

[cryptsleeper]

That depends entirely upon you.

[In a moment, the arrogance and coldness that Alucard had upon being awoken in Gresit. While being here has been good for him overall - working through grief, grappling with the messy emotions of loss and new beginnings - there are some things that demand the coldness of the crypt. For now, Isaac seems to be one of them.]

Do you intend to repay what you believe I am owed for my father's death?

[honesthearts]

Yes... but not now.

[ he has other business to attend to, matters more important than a hateful son who would kill his only surviving parent. or, rather, he had other business. now his plans must change again, and they cannot include the urge to act on revenge. he cannot waste the life dracula gave him by letting alucard kill him, the obvious outcome if he were to challenge him at this moment.

isaac looks at alucard with hate, but it is cold, quiet, and patient. ]

[ ooc: sorry for the delay, feel free to drop if it's been too long. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[It is one of the responses Alucard anticipated. That anticipation is the only reason he can respond.]

It is a small city, Isaac. [A statement of fact. Not a threat. Nothing of the sort.]

For both of our sake's, I would prefer coming to some kind of agreement to ensure that there is no violence for now.

[ooc: I am a firm believer in the power of backtagging, I am still here for this thread and or other!]

[honesthearts]

What?

[ the word and question in it is measured, cold, and confused in the same breath. angered disbelief. ]

You are the one calling for no violence. The instigator? [ after all, it was alucard who raised his hand against dracula. not once, but twice, and won out on the second time. ] Do you mock me?

[cryptsleeper]

[There is a part of Alucard - small, but not insignficant, still wrapped up in the worst of all the grief - that wants to rise up and snap. It takes true effort to clamp it down. It shows on his face, a passing moment of pain.

Thank God he wasn't here last month and could walk through memories, as Hector did. Alucard cannot imagine a worse situation.]

I have no love of your decision to support my father's worst impulses and encourage him to be so destructive in his grief. [Anger wants to rise. Alucard forces it down.]

But we are not in Wallachia, and no citizen of this place deserves to be collateral from any confrontation that might arise between us. I only ask that you consider the following: for the time being, we give each other wide berths and stay away from each other.

[honesthearts]

[ worst impulses? he would argue otherwise. dracula's want to wipe out humanity is reasonable in isaac's eyes. however it is an argument wasted on alucard. he knows his point of view, right as it is, is not well regarded. ]

You approach me with an offering of peace. [ dry and with mild questioning, he does not truly believe alucard. though, truly, alucard could kill him before he blinks. ] Do you consider me a threat?

[ he has lost his army, his craft, and now much begin anew. he will have to sort all this out and he will need time. ]

[cryptsleeper]

It is genuinely meant. [That point feels important to be clear about. Alucard has no reason to assume that Isaac can read him as honorable. Alucard murdered his father, and in that action there is only shame. Shame he has learned to live with, along with the guilt.

But the question merits consideration. Alucard gives it freely, letting out a quiet, thoughtful noise before responding.]

I know that we will never agree, and that things I have done merit violence from your perspective. [That much counts as stating the obvious.] It is a consideration for people who could become collateral damage if we were to come to blows.

[It is a response Alucard knows is consistent with himself and his choices in the past.]

Do you want me to see you as a threat?