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

[supersoldier]

[Not an asshole, is it? While that certainly leaves an opening for a snide remark, Sephiroth is also not that big of an asshole to take the shot — and so he doesn’t, merely waiting patiently. There’s no argument to be made on his end, and in fact, once she’s through, he follows her out into the cool night air, offering a mote of advice.]

Then you’ll need to find work. The Coven will be kind enough to provide you with free housing, but the rest you’ll have to manage on your own.

[And there’s plenty to do month to month, though the jobs range from practical to ridiculous to boring to dangerous.]

I assume those swords are not just for show?

[shithogs]

['Free housing' sounds too generous to possibly be true, and even as she steps out into the night, she shakes her head.]

What the hell is a 'coven?'

[Or Coven with a capital 'C', in this case— either way, unfamiliar as the term may be, sounds like they're in some position of authority here.]

I don't need charity.

[Better than foraging, too. She's not used to opportunities for honest work.]

And no, they're not for show. Assuming there are things here that need hunting, I'll be just fine.

[supersoldier]

The Coven is a prominent organization of Witches in the city. Beyond their role of the study of magic, they’ve provided protection and guidance for the Mirrorbound — likely in part because it’s difficult to know what to do with us, otherwise.

[Perhaps that’s a bit of his skepticism shining through, though even Sephiroth cannot deny that their aid is integral in allowing newcomers to find their footing on this planet. Even he took advantage of the free housing, waiting for the “catch” to come — but it never did.]

You might not want charity, but you do need it. Stubbornness will land you without a place to stay, no matter how well you put those swords to use.

[He’s turning to walk, now, and she may follow if she wishes.]

I can lead you to the Coven, but I won’t try to convince you a second time.

[shithogs]

Witches.

[She's actually mildly surprised, rather than skeptical. She can't remember ever hearing about witches outside of children's stories, but it's not like magic didn't exist. She was intimately familiar with it, and the things Emil could do would put even the most powerful fairy tale witch to shame. Hearing that witches were some kind of governing body here?

Well. About as unexpected as stumbling through a goddamn mirror, she guesses.]

Right. Of course. Witches.

[What the fuck is this place? She grits her teeth and sets her mouth into a hard line. Why the hell does he have to keep calling her out like that? She's used to sleeping outside, so it's not like not having a place to stay would be the worst thing, but arguing that seems pretty pointless right now.]

... fine.

[No 'thank you,' just 'fine.']

I'll hear them out, but they can't seriously expect people to just trust them about all of this shit. Protection, guidance, a place to stay— that all sounds good, but nobody would give all that shit away for free unless there was something in it for them.

[supersoldier]

That might be the case. But that doesn’t mean we don’t utilize them in a similar way — relying on their good will, their resources, and their willingness to further investigate why we’re here. In turn, our own talents and experiences help them to better protect this city.

[He walks, making certain to keep Masamune vertical and angled just behind his shoulder. It glints in the moonlight at such an angle, but when walking with company, it’s the only way to guarantee it remains safely stowed away. The path they take — just down the street — is lined with shops filled to the brim with magical oddities. They’re all closed, like the one she found herself in.]

But that’s right. This is a planet of Witches and Monsters, and the symbiotic nature of their magic. The Coven can tell you which one you are when you meet them.

[shithogs]

I don't need a goddamn Coven to tell me I'm a monster.

[The response is almost immediate, automatic, and yet as weary as it is angry. Some things she could figure out for herself, thanks— or in this case, it's something she's already known for a long, long time. She's come to terms with it, as much as a person can.

It becomes obvious as they walk that the shop she'd found herself in had been one of many. She can't remember ever seeing so many businesses all in one place— even in Facade, they were spread out, and most of those shops were little more than a hole in the wall. This place, whatever it is... it's nothing like anywhere she's ever been before now.

She huffs a breath, folding her arms as they walk in avain attempt to ward off the cool night air, her own swords safely stowed away on her back for now.]

So they take care of the 'Mirrorbound' in hopes that we'll protect their city for them. Who's to say they didn't bring us here themselves in the first place? That 'investigation' could easily be an act.

[supersoldier]

[The remark is not a reply he would have normally expected, automatic and almost knee-jerk. Sephiroth wonders what it means for her, that word “monster” and all of its normally unflattering connotations. Why she’s quick to call herself one, conflating — or maybe not caring about— the context a Monster subscribes to in this world, versus what it means in others.

It isn’t shameful to be a monster on this planet. It isn’t worthy of disdain or disgust; it’s a natural part of the world, a normalcy in their differences, the bad associations stripped clean or never in place to begin with.

But he doesn’t know her. Doesn’t care to start another argument that would act as a waste of time and breath. His efforts are better spent responding to the latter, offering information that she can twist around to her own liking.]

Unlikely. They don’t know who comes through the mirrors until they’re here. If an organization’s goal is to conscript what amounts to a resource pool, it’s reckless to assume everyone will be willing. Or a non-threat.

[shithogs]

[She snorts derisively. Well then— that theory doesn't hold water, apparently.]

Convenient.

[She's not entirely convinced, but even if she doesn't feel like admitting it out loud, he's right. It wouldn't make sense on their end, handling things that way.]

This place is...

[She pauses, surveying their surroundings as they walk. More shops, streets, houses— people seem to be doing well for themselves here, 'monsters' and all.]

Big. Lot more people than I'd expect.

[Or at least buildings, which implies people. What she has for comparison isn't great. Her temper, at least, seems to be cooling somewhat, some of the fire dying down as she considers just how many unknowns she's currently facing.]

... guessing you're what they'd consider a 'monster.'

[The feathers, and all.]

[supersoldier]

[It is a big city, that much is true. But Sephiroth comes from Midgar, a great steeled structure of engineering that reaches desperately for the sky — or blocks it from view, if you’re one of many who live on the Lower Plate. The anachronistic, oddly old-fashioned architecture of this place had been more jarring to him than the number of people, or the size of its sprawling shape.

So he notes her observations, making the natural assumption that her city, or town, or world, is bereft of this kind of scale, for whatever reason that may be.]

A harpy. [Sephiroth offers an answer to her unspoken question. Yes, he has an inane amount of feathers, and not all of them are located in his hair. Many are pressed against the curves of his form, but well-hidden beneath his clothing for now. His back is the worst offender, with black feathers clustered around the shoulder blades, where he believes the eventual wings will grow in.]

I’m still in the beginning stages of my transition.

[His perfectly detached tone means that he doesn’t want to linger on the idea of his body changing its shape, even if he has accepted it as an inevitability. A SOLDIER’s body was their weapon, in the end, and to watch it undergo transformation beyond his control is disturbing in a way that he isn’t used to, if he thinks on it overlong.

Kainé's temper appears to be abating, which at least leaves room for a question related to his initial thoughts.]

Your planet doesn’t have cities like this one?

[shithogs]

[The remark she offers given his pending transformation is a quiet grunt to confirm that his words hadn't fallen on deaf ears— he doesn't owe her any further explanation than that. Any at all, for that matter, but it's another step towards understanding what this place is, what kind of lives the people here live. It's enough, for now.

So, he's a monster— though he doesn't look like any monster she's ever seen, not counting herself. This world apparently has a much larger variety of them to offer than her own.

She shakes her head, one gloved hand curling into a tight fist at her side once more as they walk.]

Not that I've ever heard of. Not enough people left. Towns don't get that big.

[The places that do sprout up where people settle down? In some cases, real shitholes.]

And you can bet your ass that anyone branded a 'monster' would be chased out of most towns with a fucking pitchfork, first change people got.

[Her tone, at least, implies that she doesn't exactly approve of that method.]

[supersoldier]

[He tries again to not let 'Monster' resonate too much with him. Ignores the context from home -- the faces associated with it -- and focuses instead on how it would be treated here.]

That isn't something to worry about in this city. As I said, Monsters and Witches have a symbiotic relationship with each other. They're an essential part of the equation, and it wouldn't make sense to drive them out.

[This seems to be a nice segue into his next question for her.]

Do the monsters on your planet have anything to do with the lack of people?

[shithogs]

Well, isn't that novel.

[Not that she doesn't believe him, it's just so hard to wrap her head around. She's never known a place like that— she's never known people to be accepting in general. It stands out when they are.

She gives him a curious, sidelong glance before answering.]

They've killed a whole fucking lot of them, if that's what you mean. Shades don't care if they're tearing apart someone's family. No reasoning with bloodlust.

[They're just like her, if she's being honest with herself— although she rarely is.]

[supersoldier]

[He doesn't need your sass, young lady.

But the wording seems to catch Sephiroth's attention, gaze hooking onto her expression a second time.]

'Shades'?

[What kind of coincidence would that be?]

What are they like?

[shithogs]

[ continued! ]