Intro Log: July

[faileas]

Intro Log: July

I. ARRIVAL 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. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "I think this is the most of you there's ever been at once! And all of you properly bound this time, it seems." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their Mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to handwave interaction with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. All responses will be summarized answers rather than an IC thread. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. THE CIRQUE MYSTIQUE (3rd-5th) It drifts into the Bright Bay early in the morning of the 2nd - a painted ship, garishly bright, with billowing night-sky sails that sends the Harbor District, and then most of the rest of the city, into a flurry of interested activity, putting the rumor mill into overdrive. Onlookers can witness a mess of equally ostentatious people - Witches dressed in brightly colored clothing, Monsters with fantastical coloring and embellishments the likes of which are rarely seen on Geardagas - deboarding with supplies. (Just a few curiously are what seem to be fox-like Monsters with multiple tails and mischievous expressions - they're also the least likely to want to bother talking.) Parliament offers the use of a little-visited park, temporarily enchanted to be somehow bigger than it should be, and the new people work quite quickly, setting up decorated pavilions and stands in a style quite different from Aefenglom's usual, utilizing many paper decorations and fluttering fabrics. Those who try to talk to the workers are often rebuffed - they're quite busy, don't you see? Despite being foreign, they speak in the common tongue of Geardagas with different degrees of fluency and accents. Many will pretend they don't speak the common tongue at all if they don't want to talk, however. They finish within the day. Enchanted fliers go out overnight proclaiming "The Cirque Mystique is Open!" Explained to be a traveling circus from a land far away (the name of said land not offered to "preserve the mystique") they proclaim to offer a unique experience to the people of Aefenglom. a. Come On Down All throughout the days, a mini marketplace is open, selling goods and foods from another land. Unlike the more western Victorian-style fare in Aefenglom, the treats boast new flavors and textures. Elaborate little cakes made with exotic fruits and teas, egg tarts, cold shaved ices with floral or fruit syrups, dumplings and mochi can all be found along with savory foods with new flavor profiles, and exciting new alcoholic drinks. The styles of clothing offered are more elaborate and made with fine embroidered fabrics; the cloth is available on bolts as well. Trinkets such as small enchanted figures of the performers, cheap jewelry, and souvenirs are available at every stand for likely inflated prices. Other stands run enchanted carnival games: ring-toss (where you always seem to miss), guess the number of candies in the jar (you're always wrong), a wheel of prizes (that always seems to land on the duds), bobbing for fruits (this one seems fine, but the prize for winning is the fruit that's already been in your mouth), and a game to knock over milk bottles (which seem firmly planted). Well, you know what they say about carnival games, right? It's fun to try, at least! Or maybe you quietly break their enchantments in order to win the toys and cheap jewelry they offer as prizes. Those running the games will grumble and grouse, but you'll get your due. The main draw, however, is the performances. Smaller ones happen periodically all day, in small staging areas around the newly set-up fairgrounds: knife-throwers, fire-eaters, tight-rope walkers, magicians, acrobats and contortionists displaying feats of strength and flexibility, jovial Monsters with painted faces telling jokes. The Cirque Mystique has it all. The most elaborate, put-together performances happen after the sun sets, though, an astonishing display with all of the above and music, woven through with storytelling and fireworks, and even more flashy magic. It's hard not to feel awed by it all at the end... b. The Lunar Eclipse The major performance on the night of the 5th coincides with the lunar eclipse, when the Sisters darken in the sky above. It goes as the other performances do. It's flashy and elaborate, inspiring plenty of awe. The Diviner Witches' predictions apparently come to pass, however, and the light enchantment placed over the audience at end of the performance to subtly better their moods and perception of the show reacts... unexpectedly to the surge in magic. All around the city, natives and Mirrorbound alike might find themselves feeling... good. Uninhibited. Brain-to-mouth filters fail and loosen lips, or they may find their fingers stickier, feeling inclined to simply take whatever items or foods please them at the time. It doesn't necessarily cause violent thoughts, but if a person is so inclined already, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. The backfired spell simply makes one seek whatever delights they might desire, even if they haven't admitted those desires to themselves. It's quite possible to resist the spell still, and many do, just not enough - no doubt there will be some joyous chaos to contend with as excitement and revelry spread through the streets. Luckily it wears off by sunrise, or before in some cases, probably leaving many embarrassed about their uninhibited behavior. After the night of the eclipse, the Cirque packs up with practiced efficiency, and by the afternoon on the 6th, their ship has departed, heading on to their next location, leaving most of Parliament quite irritated at having to clean up after the mishap. A traveling circus like this, sailors from the Harbor District explain, never stays long. They stay as long as the cash flows and then they head on to the next city or the next continent. The rogues conveniently timed their departure to miss any potential fines from Parliament.

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the July's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[halfbloodhatchling]

Stalking's an honest way to make a living.

Don't need to take a test to tell me I'm a monster.

[ And the less time he spends at the coven the better. ]

[awryprincess]

It is! I can't disagree. There's always someone or something that's going to need killing or saving.

[She says this with only the most chipper of tones. No matter how worrying that statement might be.]

No? There are a couple of people that look like Monsters that are Witches. I guess it doesn't really work vice-versa, you're one of the few ones I've seen that don't already outright look human and aren't Monsters transformed. [This is her tiptoeing around the elephant in the room, yes it is. Who knew she could have some form of tact.] But if you're a Monster, you're a Monster. I guess I am, too.

[halfbloodhatchling]

Yeah? You let that Coven tell you that?

[ Respectful, Kai definitely is not. Kai ducks down a side alley, and she can either let him go first or trust that he's not leading her into a trap like it looks like, but no matter what she chooses there is a tavern back there, looking disreputable. ]

You want to separate while you get your first drink?

[ In case his presence - non-human as she's pointed out - would keep people from answering her question. ]

[awryprincess]

Well, figure it goes one of two ways. Either they're right, or for some reason I can't do any of my old little tricks and I'm really going to be in trouble.

[She does let him go first, though. After all, attacks from behind are attacks of opportunity, and if she sees him do anything too shady, she is not, actually, unarmed.]

Sure. It even looks small enough that I'm sure two of us is all we need to catch up on gossip.

[She gives a half-grin. Oh this should be great. The door opens, and she waits by it for a couple of moments, to let him get the lead on her. Luckily, there's no one outside to watch her, and she shifts stances as she finally walks in, and toward the bar. The jaunty enthusiasm is gone from her step, and everything is a bit more measured. Her face remains neutrally pleasant - a hint of a coy smile curling the edges of her lips. She exudes confidence here, more than friendliness, but she remains open.

There's a small handful of people scattered around the bar, and she walks right to where a couple of them are talking to the bartender. While Kai does his thing, she waits for an opportunity to get in on the conversation, and then she navigates it, nicely. Even at one point smiling and canting her head up and back, and catching the overhead lights to really bring out the luminescence of her gemstone-like eye color. It definitely grabs attention.

There's a friendliness, a bit of flirtatiousness, and a lot of sharp observation to how she works, and when she's finally done, she seeks Kai out again by wherever he may have ended up. She has a glass of some kind of blood red wine in hand. If he noticed, she didn't pay for it.] Well... that wasn't too difficult. Did you catch anything?

[halfbloodhatchling]

[ The crowd is mostly, well, it's not elfin, and that's enough for Kai to manage a level of comfort with it. Rather than Heralia's careful working of the crowd, Kai's easy flirting and getting to know them is all genuine.

He's charmed a glass of whiskey out of someone, but he's reasonably sure he's not just going to go home with one of them, that that would be a bad idea in a city he doesn't know, where everyone talks about magic like it's something they're comfortable with.

He leans away from the person he's flirting with a wink and refocuses on her while he sips her whiskey. ]

A thing or two. Apparently that wall's real important to them. To stave off infection, or something.

[awryprincess]

I guess that tracks with what they mentioned at the Coven. Cwyld, I think they called it. I! Learned that the black market has gone really deep underground because of some stuff that happened a while back. They also have this thing called a "Goblin Market" that is... sort of like a black market? But I guess they have more... plausible deniability.

I guess they're mostly underground, too, but I think... I think I know where to start to figure out where they went.

[She winks, taps her nose, and takes a sip of her wine.] But I guess we'll have time to go that way later.

[halfbloodhatchling]

[ Kai considers for a moment, then shrugs. ]

You know if cigarettes are legal here?

[ That might be the next on his list after the drink. ]

Or-- heck, it sounds like those wheeled monstrosities are the only cars they have, or you're back to horses. Horses!

[ Basically this place sucks. Kai drains his whiskey, sets it aside. Good thing he has a faster metabolism, a much higher tolerance for alcohol. The idea of not being able to get in a car and speed along the highway anytime soon is just adding insult to injury.]

[awryprincess]

Mmm, can't say I know anything about that. That's a question for one of those big, gruff guys at the bar. [She laughs on the heels of taking another sip of wine, and swirls her glass a bit before putting it down.] And what's wrong with horses? They're cute, and they're better company than a machine.

[No bias, but she has one.]

[halfbloodhatchling]

[ She could smoke too, but apparently she doesn't. And more importantly, she apparently prefers some dumb animal to the most remarkable of human inventions. ]

There's no way a horse is better company than a car. They don't even begin to compare to the speed, the power, feeling the thrum of the motor in your skin and the seat gripping you while you rocket over the highway.

When it comes to practicality I'd pit Oketsu against a horse every day of the week. About the only thing he can't outrun is a dragon, and that's hardly his fault.

[ Kai is...maybe a little attached to his car. ]

[awryprincess]

I suppose if racing is all you care about... [She gives a bit of a confused laugh.] I can't really say whether or not Aurua would beat anything in a race, but that's not what she's bred for anyway. Besides, she's basically a pet that you can use to carry stuff and yourself around. What's not to like? You don't keep machines as pets where you're from, do you?

[halfbloodhatchling]

Of course racing isn't the only thing I care about. It is the most fun, though.

I have a cat as a pet. Don't know that I could handle having one bigger than me.

[awryprincess]

See, but that's the fun in it. All the companionship, but twice the potential for going out and getting into trouble together.

[Yep, that's what she likes to do. Get in trouble.] Aurua and the others in our stables also come from magic-touched stock, so while they cannot talk or anything, they're smarter than the average horse.

Of course, that also means they can get bored easily, and a bored horse will do things you don't want it to do, but not any more or less so than a dog.

[halfbloodhatchling]

Just not really into the animal steed thing. The thrum of an engine, the acceleration of a combustion engine, it's like riding a dragon that isn't trying to kill you.

I'm not a dog person either, as it happens. The one cat's enough for me, and that's just because he got attached.

[awryprincess]

... You ride dragons that have tried to kill you? [She laughs, and it's a long, lilting laugh. Hey, this is somewhat relevant to her world.] Can't say I've ever done that before. They all agreed to it.

[The others... well... they were enemies, they needed to die.]

So it's... other people or nothing, huh? Or I guess, a machine. Interesting. Guess I will continue to like my horse. I'll not be replacing Aurua with a combustion engine anytime soon. [She chuckles at the end of it. She's really just agreeing to disagree on that one. She likes animal companions, and steeds.]

[halfbloodhatchling]

[ Continued here ]