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

[timenace]

[ The response earns a soft "ohhh" as Sougo nods his head in understanding. Any sense that Felix might have been less than impressed by Sougo asking the obvious seems to be ignored or completely missed. It's hard to tell with this kid sometimes.

Even the clear suggestion that he won't exactly be much of a help when the Shades come crawling out of the shadows is met with a smile that's almost sunny. A little off, given the situation they're in right now. ]

Oh, sure. I fight all the time.

[ It's not a lie at all, even if it sounds like it must be one. ]

[finesseblade]

[ Such a vague answer definitely sounds like a lie to Felix, and he turns back around, jaws opening in a low, toothy growl. He leans in close, the sound rising to a crescendo, both eyes intent upon the boy.

His teeth snap shut a fraction of an inch from Sougo's face, as though to make a point. ]

Slow me down, and I will leave you for dead.

[ He won't. His conscience, still all too human, won't allow it. But hopefully the point gets across: take this seriously.

He whips back around, loping a couple of steps in the direction of the wind before he glances back over his shoulder. ]

Come on.

[timenace]

[ Not surprisingly it does make Sougo blink as he flinches back. He's tougher than he looks, but he doesn't know Felix well enough to know for sure he won't just bite his nose right off his face. Though when it's clear Felix isn't going to actually do him any harm, he grins a little uncertainly, somehow less phased by the threat than he should be.

Honestly, one of his closest friends has made pretty similar comments to him multiple times in the past. It's actually kind of funny how much this reminds of him of Geiz right now. ]

Got it!

[ A response to both things, and again just a might too plucky sounding for the tone of the situation. But he is at least taking off in a run to catch up to Felix. Will he be able to keep pace with a wolf? Probably not, but he will at least run at a somewhat decent human speed after him. ]

[finesseblade]

[ Sougo is not fast, and that's the most frustrating part. His wolf's instincts want to run, to hunt and tear into Shades with his teeth, but he must stop every few paces, head swiveling back around to peer balefully at Sougo, to make sure he's still keeping up. He can't leave the boy behind. Odds are good he'd be a sitting duck out here in the dark.

Eventually they crest a rise, and Felix spots movement down in the ravine below. A hand darts out, snagging claws in Sougo's collar, dragging both of them down low to the ground. ]

Down there. Do you see them?

[timenace]

[ He's doing his absolute best! Not everyone gets a new set of wolf legs when they show up in a new world! Some people get magic they could use to travel at faster speeds, if only he was better at that particularly type of magic, but unfortunately for them both that hasn't been what Sougo has been focusing on.

At least he is fast to catch himself when Felix yanks him to the ground, popping his head up just a little to look for what Felix is talking about.

He might not have a wolf nose, but human eyes are pretty damned sharp, and it doesn't take him long to catch the movement. ]

Mm.

[ Glancing at Felix. ]

Did you have a plan of how you wanted to approach them, or are we just going to run in fighting?

[ Which, for better or worse, is Sougo's usual style. ]

[finesseblade]

[ Felix flexes his claws, digging them into the earth, a low growl emanating from the back of his throat. Did he ask for this? No. Is he stuck with this? For the time being, so long as neither of them dies, yes. ]

Were I alone, I would have simply ambushed them under cover of darkness and torn them apart.

[ Simple. Effective. No way that plan could go wrong, right?]

Look. There's three—puca, chimera, and harpy. The puca's easy enough, but the chimera will need all of my attention, and I can't do that with the bird hounding me. How are you with projectiles?

[ Tell him you know how to sling a fireball, Sougo. He's begging you. ]

[timenace]

[ Felix is in a lot of luck, because that is exactly what Sougo has been working on of late. He's got the burns on his hand as proof of that. Well, that and shield hands! They're basically magical barriers he makes it front of his fist that--

Ah, well. That's not important right now, but might come up later. For the time being what matters is his face lights up (not literally, he hasn't activated that fire yet), and he squares his shoulders off a little with confidence about something he's certain he can actually do with his magic. ]

I think I'm pretty good at them. Sometimes my aim is a little off, but if I just make something big enough it doesn't matter too much.

[finesseblade]

[ Felix watches him for a moment longer, sharp golden eyes unblinking in the dark, and then he exhales quietly through his nose.

He turns his gaze back down on their quarry, intent now on hunting. ]

Count to twenty, then burn the harpy to the ground, [ He huffs quietly, and then thinks to add after a moment: ] Do not set me on fire.

[ Then he's gone, an ink-black shadow vanished into the undergrowth, surprisingly stealthy for a creature his size. He is a wolf, after all.

Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen.

At twenty, Felix bursts from the bushes down the ravine in a blur, his claws wrapping around the puca's neck and snapping the struggling Shade's neck in one smooth motion. Make your move, Sougo. ]

[timenace]

[ It's a fair concern considering what Sougo just admitted, and a fair worry that he might not be leaving himself in the care of the most capable backup.

The good news is this though, despite Sougo being new to literal magic, he's not new to using projectiles at all. When he said his aim was a little off, he meant just a little to adjust for a whole different style of fighting.

At twenty seconds on the dot a streak of unnecessarily stylistic purple fire cuts through the air above Felix's head and smashes directly into the harpy.

It's not too big, but fire is a gas that expands heat past what is visible to the naked eye, so there's a chance Felix might have felt a little extra warmth on his back during his initial charge, but probably very minimal amounts of singeing! ]

[finesseblade]

[ Yeah, he feels that. Scorching hot and singing at the edges of his fur, just enough to sting unbearably for a moment, but that is nothing he hasn't dealt with before—he's used to fighting on battlefields amongst mages, slinging howling spells into the ranks of whole battalions of soldiers. He can tolerate a little heat.

The color's a little more startling, and for just a second his ears pin flat against his head, his claws dug deep into the neck of the screeching chimera in his grip. ]

Ha. You're not so bad after all.

[ The chimera's distracted too, slack in his claws, but a twist and a sickening snap and the beast goes slack. Felix whips around to where the harpy was only a moment ago.

It's dying, but not dead—wreathed in flames and thrashing violently on the ground like a fallen star. ]

Finish what you start! [ He snaps. ] Don't let it suffer.

[timenace]

[ This is the part that Sougo isn't necessarily good at yet, and he really should look into the purchase of a sword. It's the weapon he's most comfortable using beyond his own fists, and something that could definitely help with finishing off these monsters. Most of the fights he's fought before have ended without death, but of late in this world it doesn't seem like that's often an option.

He winces at the thought of it suffering, but he doesn't have a good spell to finish it off from a distance. It means that he's having to rush down the hillside towards the fallen monster as well, feeling a sick twist of guilt for every fraction of a second he's taking to get over to it.

And here's the worst part for him. No weapon means that what he can do is encase his own fist in another glow of purple as he brings it down hard directly onto the harpy's head.

The good news is that it at least goes still after that, but that's probably the only good news here. Sougo certainly doesn't look happy about what he had to do, even if he knows the necessity of it, and at least Felix didn't have to deal with a third monster in this fight. ]

[finesseblade]

[ It's not a quick or clean finishing blow, but it'll have to suffice. Better than the alternative. Huffing, Felix extracts himself from what remains of the chimera and wanders over, glancing at the smoking embers of the harpy, and then at Sougo.

A long moment of silence passes before he speaks. ]

You did well.

[ He tilts his head, nostrils flaring, and as he does his eyes fall to Sougo's hand and the smear of blood on it. He rumbles out a low noise—not one of aggression this time, but maybe closer to pity.

Not everyone takes easily to killing, it seems. Nor should they. ]

I will escort you back to the city if you'd prefer to leave, but clean that off first. You don't want to catch the disease yourself.

[timenace]

[ Yeah that's not great, huh? Sougo smiles somewhat nervously as he glances around him for something to wipe it off, before opting to just let his hand sort of catch fire there.

It doesn't feel good, and he's definitely burned himself a bit in his attempts to learn to do this, but it probably won't do any serious damage to him.

... Hopefully.

Just on the off chance though. ]

You don't happen to have any water on you, or...?

[ He's speaking very calmly for a boy whose entire hand is engulfed in flames right now, and is visibly wincing in pain, because it is just a little too hot for comfort even if it's not searing his skin. ]

[finesseblade]

[ Felix whuffs out a short, barking noise that sounds irritated, and takes a step closer without saying anything in response. He can see the problem, but he does not have water.

Instead he seizes Sougo by the elbow, and drags him down, pressing his hand into the loamy earth where the nighttime damp and the moss can stifle the flames licking around his fingertips. ]

You must learn to control that, for your own sake, and for others'.

[timenace]

[ Ah, well that certainly works too! It's a little surprising, and he stumbles quite a bit as Felix yanks him down, but he does look more relived than upset by the whole thing. He'll even roll his arm around as much as he can in the dirt for the moment, it feels cool and if there's any lingering blood on his hand this should take care of that problem too.

While doing that he does glance up at Felix and nods somewhat solemnly (though maybe not as grave looking as one might want him to be). ]

I'm getting a little better at it.

[finesseblade]

[ He lets Sougo go only once he's certain that all the flames have been smothered out, tilting his head to eyeball him severely for a moment. ]

Good. Get a lot better at it before next time.

[ He glances down at Sougo's hand once more, surveying the damage. Not as bad as it could be, but definitely in need of a witch who knows how to heal. Felix no longer possesses that skill, unfortunately. He's traded that in for some extra pointy bits. ]

Do you want to go back to the city now?

[timenace]

[ It doesn't seem that bad to Sougo, but then again he's been burning his hand plenty during practice, and it's far from the worst damage he's received. Magic has never been his forte, but without his suit his ability to brawl isn't as good as it used to be either. He can still dodge well and land a punch, but a lot of these monsters can shrug it off without anything helping to enhance his strength for him.

That's probably where he should be focusing his magic instead of fire, but in theory fire seemed so practical. It's what is used the most often to help stop things from spreading here, after all.

He flexes his hand, ignoring the pain that comes from the movement, and frowns at the question. ]

I wasn't planning to yet.

Good to wrap it up here?

[finesseblade]

[ Felix considers that for a moment, rumbling quietly, but eventually he rolls his shoulders, grunts, and turns his attention to the night air again. ]

Then do as you will, [ he growls shortly, taking a couple of steps back and giving Sougo his space. He's not going to argue if the boy wants to push himself. ] I will watch to make sure you don't get yourself killed.

Works for me!

[timenace]

[ There really is something about Felix's whole disposition that reminds him so strongly of his friend Geiz, from the threats, to the annoyance at Sougo botching some things, and even down to the agitated attempts to not see someone get hurt. It's weirdly homey feeling, and something that should have Sougo feeling bad about wasting another man's time, but mostly has him grinning broadly.

Again, he did just kill something with fire, and badly burned his hand in the process. The whole chipper attitude really doesn't seem totally in place for the situation, and yet... ]

Thanks. I think I'll be just fine then if you're watching out for me.

[ It's so genuine it's almost sickening, but in his defense Felix did do a stellar job of proving his own competency a moment ago. ]