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

[fairyherder]

[ he doesn't smile back, but it's nice to not be alone. though he won't say that outloud! and Zewu-Jun has always been kind, and of course he's met him more than a couple of times because of his Xiao Shushu. ...that part is all a bit of a mess to him, though, and he tries not to think about it too much, not on top of his current situation.

he looks up at Zewu-Jun's words, a little alarmed. ]

Instincts? So... does that mean I'm turning into something else? I'm not turning into a dog for real, am I?

[zewu_jun]

[ As long as Jin Ling agrees and he can watch after him, he doesn't have to be friendly. Lan Xichen is content to be his companion and help him as he adjusted to what are clearly monster changes. ]

Ah, well, not a dog exactly... [ He doesn't want him to panic, but he wants to be honest. ] Many of the people that come to this city turn into something more than human. They gain certain hunting instincts and have stronger senses, but as you see, there are some new things that may be hard to accept at first.

[ He really doesn't want to say the word monster around Jin Ling. Can't someone else do it? ]

But I am sure you will be fine. I just don't want you to risk being on your own with so many new things to learn.

[fairyherder]

[ you're just a big brother to everyone, aren't you?

he frowns a little, but listens dutifully, trying to make heads or tails of what's all going on. so he'll need to learn new things, he can... do that, sure. there's one thing he doesn't understand, though. ]

Why doesn't anyone leave? It's not like we come from here, so why should we have to accept this?

[ it doesn't make sense, unless they're forced to stay there, but his thought process hasn't stretched that far yet. ]

[zewu_jun]

[ Always the brother, never the bride.

Ah, that is the problem. Lan Xichen shakes his head a little. ]

If it were that easy, I am sure that most people would be gone within the first week. But the magic that brought us here is unpredictable and seems to act on its own will. It may be... some time before a pathway to go home reopens.

[ Sorry, Jin Ling. He doesn't like being the one to say such depressing things, but apparently no one else informed him! ]

[fairyherder]

... oh.

[ that's really kind of unsettling and annoying. he he's not going to freak out he's a cultivator he can manage! even if he'll have to do it with ears and a tail. a tail that's currently wagging, agitated, but he's totally fine, just a little unsure. ]

So we're supposed to do what in here... hunt spirits?

[zewu_jun]

Shades. They are the risen corpses of corrupt monsters. But we can also practice without hunting. That might be a more comfortable first step. After all, we won't have the same ability to use our swords.

[ If that sounds like taking a puppy out to chase squirrels and hone some hunting instincts, well, just ignore it Jin Ling. He isn't taking you to a dog park, really! Probably? ]

[fairyherder]

[ 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?? ]

[zewu_jun]

Well, you are more than just a dog.

[Is that helpful? He is trying to make it sound better than what it seems like at face value, but that is difficult when there's no avoiding the obvious transformation.]

You are still able to do some magic, if I understand it correctly. There are certain magical traits that belong to individual types of monsters. And... a dog does have keen senses?

[Sorry, Jin Ling. He really is trying to reassure him.]

And during the full moon, monsters transform into fierce fighters as well. It is part of their natures.

[fairyherder]

[ now you've just essentially said they're monsters. ... that's... fine. he can deal with that. getting dog ears is definitely not normal. he looks to the sky by reflex the moment Lan Xichen mentions the moon, because wait, is that also a thing he has to go through. ]

The full moon... I thought I was transforming already...?

[zewu_jun]

[And there is a quiet look of guilt from Lan Xichen. He didn't really want to give Jin Ling a bad impression, but explaining the transformation process makes it hard to avoid.]

...Yes, and during the full moon, transformations become more acute. Monsters feel instincts pull them more persistently and the urge to hunt becomes stronger as well.

But it is safe. If you exercise your nature properly, you can control it.

[fairyherder]

[ IT'S FINE. HE CAN TAKE IT. he's a cultivator!! he looks a little resigned, but also determined. he's not going to let this set him back. there are worse things to go through, he's experienced it. ]

How do I learn to control it, then?

[zewu_jun]

[ He is a cultivator, so it isn't as though he's completely unprepared for things, although the poor Jin heir is still too young for something like this in Xichen's opinion. ]

You will have to become more used to these instincts. I'm afraid that does mean practice with them, although I recommend not hunting alone in the beginning. As I understand it, keeping control can be more difficult during a full moon. It would be better to have someone you trust around while you become accustomed to those feelings.

[fairyherder]

[ he's a kid, it's true. 15 and having had a lifetime of shit going down already. ]

Everything requires practice, I know that. And I... see. Someone I trust...

[ he looks like he's wilting a little at that. he doesn't trust anyone, he doesn't know anyone here. well, besides Zewu-Jun, of course, but he doesn't know him very well... ]

[zewu_jun]

[ The way he sees Jin Ling's expression fall makes him feel bad for mentioning it. Being out alone can't be easy for the younger cultivator, never mind the transformations involved. He can't let him face all of that with no one at his side. ]

Will you allow me to accompany you? I may at least provide company. And I would appreciate your strength if you are willing to lend it.

[fairyherder]

[ if only he had his trusty Xiānzǐ here! he also manages to look sufficiently flabbergasted and surprised at Zewu-Jun offering to accompany him and help him of all people. ]

Ah... sure...

[ he even forgets to sound indignant and puffy. ]

[zewu_jun]

[Lan Xichen is happy to be able to offer something. He might not be Jiang Cheng or Jin Guangyao to Jin Ling, but that's no reason for him to leave the young man to work things out alone. He can still provide some help.]

Thank you, Jin-gongzi. I'm sure with your help we can be rid of more dangerous Shades.

[fairyherder]

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