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

[zewu_jun]

[Lan Xichen is already at the edge of the lake in moments, the water up over the bottom of his boots as he extends his hand to Jiang Cheng. If he didn't mean to end up in the lake (which should definitely have been obvious from the start) then he must be in need of help. Once he is sure that the other sect leader is safely on the bank, he removes his outer robe and offers it over.]

I am afraid that is difficult to be sure of at the moment. There are mirrors in this city that bring people from many different lands, but I have never heard of people appearing through the water. There must be something wrong. Please, take this. You should at least remove your wet clothes.

[He should have practiced more spells. Something to draw water out of objects or a warm wind, perhaps. But without those skills, he's stuck doing things the normal way.]

You should go inside and dry off where it is warmer. I suppose we should just be grateful you are a strong swimmer.

it has been five minutes, let him live

[sandu_shengshou]

[ getting out of the lake on his own power would be easy enough, but of course, Zewu-Jun just has to go an offer a hand to help. Jiang Cheng only hesitates a moment before accepting it, finding himself on the bank and steady, trying to push the water from his face along with his soaking hair. he has every intention of just dealing with the wet robes (it wouldn't be the first time that he found himself in a situation like this, though usually, he had more choice in the matter), but Zewu-Jun has other plans.

plans that make Jiang Cheng sputter, words crowding and tumbling off his tongue hurridly.]

I'm fine! You don't--- you don't need to trouble yourself. I have dealt with worse. [ honestly, despite the cling of his robes, he isn't cold. ] I wouldn't want to ruin your robes.

[ he turns to look back at the water, takes in the surface of it and hums, voice quiet.] Perhaps the lake was still enough to pass as a mirror. Though that really doesn't answer anything when it comes down to it.

[ like why mirrors were bringing people from where they were to where they are now. how that would even work, but Zewu-Jun doesn't seem distressed, well beyond the fact that Jiang Cheng is wet but he is fairly sure that is just the kindness in the man. a kindness that he is pleased to see has not been broken despite recent events.]

Mmm, I would be grateful for somewhere to dry off though.

he's come in all wet idk what you expect

[zewu_jun]

[Once he is sure that Jiang Cheng is safely on the bank and not half-drowned after being dumped in the water like Lan Xichen assumes he was, he lets go and observes the state the other sect leader is in. Even if he says it is fine, he's soaked through and to the older man seems like he could use a far better introduction to the city. He smiles and shakes his head, pushing the robe into the man's hands with gentle persistence.]

My robes will survive. They are hardly as important as your health.

[If there is a hint of disapproval in his voice, it is cast toward the lake, which was clearly rude for putting such a good person through that dunking and leaving him like that. What if he got sick? How would you compensate for that, Aefenglom?]

Let's go inside. You can ask me what you like and once you've had time to rest, perhaps we can look for your brother as well.

[Because he's reasonably sure Jiang Cheng will want to question him, and also just assumes he'll want to meet with Wei Wuxian. That is how family works. But first, he will at least get the man to a good pub for warm food and tea.]

[sandu_shengshou]

I am not so frail that some damp robes might do me some harm.

[ ignore the fact that he is, in fact, far beyond damp. and that he is taking the robe anyway because he is fairly sure it is some kind of crime to refuse Zewu-jun much of anything when he is being so goddamned polite about it. Jiang Cheng would rather deal with the scowls of Hanguang-jun than this kindness, at least then he wouldn't feel like an asshole by just existing.

the robe is nice, heavy as he wraps it around his shoulders, mindful of edges of it, making sure that he does not drag the fabric through the mud and dirt of the embankment. however, that means he is not looking at Zewu-jun when he mentions his brother and it leads him to snapping his head towards the other, eyes wide. ]

Wei Wuxian is here? [ there is less anger in his voice than there would have been even a few months ago, and while he is not healed (has not managed to forget the past like his brother), the bitterness and hatred that had festered for years has tempered, has been understood.

but that doesn't mean he is pleased about this news.]

Of fucking course he is here, why wouldn't he be. [ a scowl, one that he doesn't quite manage to wipe from his face despite trying.] I would much rather have some answers if it is not too much to ask.

[ a pause, before, quietly:] Is he well?

[zewu_jun]

[He doesn't say anything in response to the comment on dampness. Jiang Cheng deserves to keep his face so as long as he is properly drying off and kept from catching cold or some other unfortunate illness. Lan Xichen doesn't even think of the robe, looking over instead to make sure Jiang Cheng is watching where he's going. The jerk of surprise when their eyes meet again is understandable. He knows the brothers have a tumultuous relationship, but what brother doesn't worry after the other? He naturally needs to know that Wei Wuxian is there.]

He arrived when I did, I believe. Along with Wangji.

[You go right ahead and read into what that means, Jiang Cheng. Although Lan Xichen is pretty happy with the way things have turned out.]

They are both doing very well. Adjusting to this place is difficult as you can guess, but they are stubborn and resourceful.

[He at least doesn't add more to it than that. He leads the way to the nearby pub and gestures for Jiang Cheng to enter first.]

I am at your disposal. You can ask me whatever you like and I shall try to answer with what I know.

[sandu_shengshou]

[ the relationship between the brothers has always been something volatile; there are times when together they were a storm that was unleashed, then there were times when they were opposing forces relentless in their opposition of each other. no matter what, they were always together in some sense. perhaps that was why Jiang Cheng took it so hard when Wei Wuxian chose Lan Wangji (chose the Wens, chose a narrow path) over him. to hear that his brother is in this place is both comforting and disturbing.

it is also unsurprising that where Wei Wuxian is, Lan Wangji has followed.

taking a moment to wipe some water from his face, he hopes that the flicker of hurt is hidden. if Lan Wangji is here then Wei Wuxian will be fine, he will not need to see Jiang Cheng. and that-- that is fine.]

You could stop at stubborn, I would not argue with you. [ he knows his brother, and he knows Lan Wangji. the man was resolute in his choices during those years, and even more so once Wei Wuxian returned. it would take more than what this place could throw at them to break those two apart.

following the gesture, Jiang Cheng makes his way into the pub, eyes taking in the setting as best he can. it is foreign but-- the air is familiar enough. it is also warm and dry and for that, he makes little fuss as he finds someplace to sit. ] I would like to know what you can tell me of how this place works, in regards to being able to leave.

[ which, considering Zewu-jun is still here might not be an option. unless the man was seeking seclusion in a far different manner.] I cannot in good conscience stay here while Jin Ling deals with the fallout of--

[ shit. wait. goddamnit Jiang Cheng. he snaps his mouth shut, thankful that at least he didn't continue that sentence.]

Fuck, I just-- I can't leave him without support. [ he knows how hard it is to be that young and have that much weight on your shoulders. he refuses to let his nephew face it alone. ]

[zewu_jun]

[ The relationship between the sect leader and first disciple of Jiang has certainly always been tumultuous. there was a time in the past that their difficult, unstable push and pull between them had been evident to all the other sects and had been part of what had caused the two so much trouble, but even then Lan Xichen had always assumed that a brotherly bond could not easily be severed. When he looks at Jiang Cheng now, face stormy as he hears about Wei Wuxian, he can't help but smile. The younger sect leader might try to hide it, but his heart has always been in support of the wild young man he grew up alongside. Even his surly comment is somewhat charming.

But of course the tension is still there. Wei Wuxian isn't the only person that Jiang Cheng worries about, and as soon as the thought seems to enter his mind, Lan Xichen can see the panic rising. He raises one hand in a calming gesture, hoping to keep the man from tearing himself up. ]

Please, Sect Leader Jiang, you must not let your concern overwhelm you. Honestly, it is not easy to just return. Especially now when the magic appears to be unstable. But the Coven is working on a solution and I have been told that our return is assured to do no harm to anything that we left. It seems that actually we come and go from many different times, so the Witches should be able to find the right one for us when they reconnect to our world.

And it is also possible that you will see Jin-gongzi even before that.