Event Log: September, The Price of Revolution p1

[faileas]

Event Log: September, The Price of Revolution Part 1

I. The Freedom Festivities Behind the fortress-like walls of Dorchacht, what was once a gloomy, imposing city is lit up for the festivities to come. Septeril brings with it many mixed emotions for the citizens of what used to be called The Black City, though the overwhelming atmosphere is positive - this is a celebration of freedom hard-earned and prosperity hard-fought-for. The triple stars of the Resistance, now the current reigning party, feature heavily in decorations and in clothing: in pins, on hats, golden stars enchanted into fabric to dance merrily across skirts and cloaks. Stars light up the streets in decorative strings hung from lamppost to lamppost, flickering gently over the cobblestones. Mirrors, as well, feature into the decor, tiny round ones hung in multitudes from awnings and in windows like ornaments, catching the light and playing it across the otherwise-utilitarian architecture, lending it a sort of understated beauty. Much of Dorchacht has been rebuilt and repurposed by necessity since the uprising last year, and many new small businesses and restaurants are being featured at the festival - their goods or their foods on display in markets of street-side stalls or on the feast tables. Local handmade wares and crafts are out for sale for modest prices, and every sale helps out both the small business, many of which are started by former slaves, and helps the local economy, which is better these days but still recovering. The festivities go for six days, almost a full week, with feasting and bonfires every evening, and tours and tales of the city by day, as they display the changes for the better they have all made. And then, on the final evening, all are invited to watch a grand fireworks show that will be put on in the skies over Dorchacht, presided over by the Circle of Three themselves. Mirrorbound are welcomed warmly, whether they were present last year or not, and treated much like family - get ready to be pulled into activities and plied with food left and right. a. Join the Fun The children of Dorchacht are out by the dozens during the festivities, excited by all the freely-offered, special sweet treats and the magical sparklers and poppers being handed out by the fistful. The poppers explode when thrown to the ground in bursts of bright colors, completely harmless, and the sparklers are enchanted not to burn little (or big) hands if mishandled. Mirrorbound passing through may find themselves roped into elaborate pretend games of revolution by eager faces: the children name themselves either Resistance members or Mirrorbound, and 'do battle' with their magic fireworks against scarecrow-like constructions cloaked in dark bed sheets as 'the bad guys'. Depending on one's perspective, it may seem dark, but this is what these children have known very recently in their lives, and their caretakers or parents (there are more of the former than the latter, especially for the young Monsters) let them play as they will. If asked, they'll just explain that some of those kids even remember the fighting when it happened; this is just another way that they try to understand how the city has changed. More organized, family-friendly reenactment performances are also common, with several of the orphanage groups putting on small plays about the uprising, or moral plays about kindness and togetherness between Witches and Monsters. This includes a prominent set of performances by the Mirrored Hearts Home for Children - maybe you're helping out with their sets or costumes, or maybe you assisted with their scripts and songs. Those Mirrorbound volunteers will want to see the kids do well, right? They'll be heartbroken if you don't show. Of course, kids aren't the only ones doing reenactments. The newly formed Dorchacht Historical Society, dedicated to protecting Dorchacht's history going forward, puts on several - and may drag in passers-by to play different roles! Only the luckiest are begged to play the role of The Dragon, who valiantly rose up against their cruel former master, Morgana, and helped lead Dorchacht to where they are today. b. Forget-Me-Not While the overall air is celebratory, among the adults who are old enough to understand just what was lost as well as gained, there is an undercurrent of sombre remembrance. Many visit the burned-out Old Coven, left as damaged as it was when the fighting ceased, as a monument to how freedom fighters suffered and fought. Plaques dot the grounds and buildings there seemingly at random, until you realize that each metal plate bearing names is laid where someone died. To decorate these plaques, and homes and businesses as well, there are tables set up in the yard of the New Coven, heavy with a rainbow of small magical flowers called Forget-Me-Nots, and the supplies to make remembrance wreaths. In this new tradition, the flowers are chosen with a dead, missing, or simply absent loved one in mind, and woven together with glass beads, small wooden charms, and a spell written on a slip of paper. The enchanted fragrance of the Forget-Me-Nots allows whoever smells them to witness short, happy memories of the person the wreath was made for - whether they knew that person or not. The memories come from the wreath-maker, and are only short flashes (less than a minute long) or mere impressions, but all are pleasant or warming. With the spell woven in, they'll last for an entire year without wilting or losing their effects, a souvenir from the festival to take home. Mirrorbound are encouraged to join in, and make wreaths of their own, whether or not they lost someone in Dorchacht's uprising. It can be for someone who has disappeared from Geardagas, someone who died long ago, someone living they miss from home, anyone who is not currently with them.

II. The Uninvited Guests On the 25th, the final day of the celebrations, the partying lasts all day. Food and drink are abundant on every corner, upbeat music is played by street performers and over the radios that can be found in nearly every household and shop, and the bonfires have been enchanted to let the flames take fanciful shapes. Drinking games and dancing, storytelling and general partying all last clear into the evening, but once dusk falls, everyone gathers in the center square of the city for the fireworks show. The Three are there - the Witches Bryn and Hilda, and the Monster known as The Dragon, Starlight, or formerly Fafnir - with Nessie and Mhairi as guests of honor, and Hilda is the one to set off the first enchanted fireworks, after a brief speech thanking everyone for coming out to celebrate a year of freedom and independence with them. It's with bursts of colorful light in the night sky behind her that she seems to appear from nowhere: tall, dark and imposing, a sharp-eyed Witch that exudes power. Morgana Drummond is not alone, either, flanked by a dozen rough-worn Witches and a host of others. The chaos that ensues is immediate and violent. "All of this for me?" Drummond sneers. Attacks bounce off her, no matter how powerful - even Nessie's considerable spells. Witches will be able to sense the strong barrier spell close-fit around her body, and the others around her will not let Monsters get close. It's The Dragon who speaks, voice rough from disuse but loud enough: "How dare you return here-" "I built this city in all the ways that matter. I was never going to let you have it. You burned away my Dorchacht, so now I will make sure there is nothing left of yours but ashes." a. To Sleep, Perchance Unreachable, Morgana Drummond's form limns in a sickly violet light, the circle of a spell forming beneath her feet, steadily growing as her power gathers. So much magic gathered in one spot is bound to be felt by all the Mirrorbound, Witch and Monster alike, oppressive in nature as if it could steal the breath from your lungs. Perhaps it truly was a fluke that she was driven from Dorchacht, a happy accident caused by a timely distraction. The spell circle spreads, glowing, until it envelops the entire city, and it pulses once, blinding, before it sears itself across Dorchacht's streets and buildings in burnt lines and symbols. The fireworks continue to pop and burst overhead, casting shadows that seem suddenly sinister. Nothing happens for just a moment - and then all the people of Dorchacht collapse in waves. Next to a stunned Nessie and furious Mhairi, Bryn, Hilda, and the Dragon fall into a heap as well, the final three bodies to hit the ground. Mirrorbound and citizens of Aefenglom do not fall prey to the sleeping spell despite being in its area of effect. It happens in the span of just a few minutes, and then Morgana is gone in the blink of an eye, leaving her people to sow terror on the sleeping city. b. Battle on the Streets While she brought with her only a dozen Witches from her former Coven, she's collected a force in the Wilde. Blank-eyed rogue necromancers, mind controlled the way the Monsters of Dorchacht used to be, storm the streets controlling in turn their dead Monsters and creatures. A few even have with them dead Nuckelavee, which will require multiple fighters to take out. Wilders from Dorchacht gone missing on expeditions in the last year bear the signs of mind control as well - the ones who aren't dead, shambling around the necromancers. Maybe you recognize them, maybe you don't. Maybe you can help them, or maybe you can't. The mind control enchantments can be dispelled with a lot of effort or with the specific spells used often by the Resistance a while ago, for those who still remember it. In the slums of Dorchacht, the people who were convinced of Morgana's return, those who want to return to the days of slavery and terror, break free from the now-sleeping guards and failing wards that kept them contained and join the fighting, manic in their glee. The spell that put the rest of Dorchacht to sleep seems to slip right off them, perhaps sensing their loyalty to terrible causes. It is chaos, as the insurgents set fires and attack at will with magic, claws, weapons, anything they have. Mirrorbound will soon realize that they and the visitors from Aefenglom are not the only targets. The sleeping people of Dorchacht are ripe for the killing, unable to react or defend themselves. The fighting will continue into the night until the invaders are all dead or captured.

III. The Aftermath When the fighting ends, the work begins. An entire city deep in the throes of an enchanted sleep is a worst-case scenario that none of them could have predicted, even those who had a hunch Morgana didn't die out in the unexplored Wilde. Miss Nessie and Mhairi will remain on the scene helping to direct the aid efforts in the aftermath of the battle. Fires must be put out, corpses must be rounded up to be buried or burned, captured attackers must be secured and questioned, sleeping citizens must be whisked from the streets to safety and shelter, and buildings ensured to be safe in the meantime. Aefenglom's Coven are called in to assist, anyone who is available, and Mirrorbound help is more than welcomed. They will need everyone they can get to make sure not all is lost in this tragic attack. Nessie herself will ensure the Three are taken to safety in Aefenglom until the people of Dorchacht can be woken. Action needs to be taken quickly. Morgana needs to be found as soon as possible, and capable hands will be needed to search the Wilde far outside Dorchacht, the most likely place for her to go. More urgently, however, are the sleeping citizens. Nessie announces late the next evening, the normally-bubbly woman gone solemn and serious: "I believe I've found a counter-ritual for the spell that nasty woman used, I have. I will need your help, though, Mirrorbound. Volunteers only, of course, of course, as it's likely to be quite dangerous, though the Dreamers and I will take every precaution we can. Discuss among yourselves, decide if you're willing. Those who are, meet at the Coven at midnight on the 27th. It's not right to just leave them all like that, not right at all..."

Welcome to September's event log, Part 1 of The Price of Revolution! This event will continue in the TDM posted on the 21st, with a foray into purposeful dreamwalking. It will be a hybrid test drive and event that current characters will be allowed to top level on as well. Quests into the Wilde to search for Morgana will currently bear no fruit beyond small clues, but Part 2 in early October will deal with her whereabouts and her final fate. As always, direct your questions about the event HERE! And finally, for those who are wondering what's up with Dorchacht, we have a Setting update for you.

Comments

EVENT

[moustre]

[fulgency]

I have a bunch of questions regarding the Witches supporting Morgana!

First, do the Witches also bounce when Morgana does, or do they stay behind after she vanishes? If they stay, would they be liable to bounce if they thought the situation were getting too dicey for them or would they keep fighting to the bloody end? Does that differ from those who were released from the slums? Will any of the Witches be trying to enact mind control on Mirrorbound or Aefenglom citizens or are they just focused on going straight for the kill?

Second, power-wise I wouldn't think any of them would be as powerful as Morgana, but how do those that show up with her stack up? Similar to the above, is there a difference from those released from the slums?

Lastly, if a Witch who showed up with Morgana were captured, would they have any valuable information? Would they cough anything up and betray her or nah? Which relatedly, what exactly is questioning the captives going to entail?

[moustre]

1. They do stick around to fight. They are loyal to Morgana until the bloody end and will see the fight out, choosing death rather than running.

The people from the slums (not all Witches, there are a few Monsters in those numbers as well, surprisingly) are more taking advantage of Morgana's sudden return to cause some chaos and get revenge - they didn't know it was coming, but they're happy for it.

Generally speaking, they'll go straight for the kill, though attempting to use mind control magic on PCs is certainly not out of the question if that's something players want to use.

2. The Witches Morgana came with, her former Coven members, are not comparable to her or Nessie, but they are on par with some of the best Witches Aefenglom's Coven has to offer, so difficult to take down. Those from the slums are far less skilled than the average Coven Witch, and the few Monsters are not combat-trained. The mind-controlled parties from the Wilde are of variable skill but if the control isn't broken, they will fight until they physically cannot any longer.

3. Any Witches who are captured will be pressed for information on where Morgana has gone by members of the Coven, and Mirrorbound can assist with this, but the Witches are loyal to a fault and will bite off their own tongues rather than be forced to answer questions. Most of what they say are doctrines from the old Dorchacht.

[foundfamilies]

A couple of (groups of) questions regarding villainous priorities!

1. Regarding the mind-controlled necromancers, the witches who came with Morgana, and the people from the slums, what are their targetting priorities like? That is, how much do they favour easy targets versus difficult ones?

To give a concrete example of what I mean: say some Mirrorbound brought a bunch of sleeping Dorchacht citizens inside of a building and used Abjuration magic to ward it/put barriers over any entrances. Would the attackers consider it worth their time to assault this more fortified building, or would they be inclined to pass it up in favour of softer targets elsewhere, since I imagine there will be a lot of people in vulnerable places when they all pass out in the middle of a festival? Do different groups react differently? (Like, say, if one group might be more likely to move on while another might view it as "here's a bunch of victims all in one place"?)

2. Also, when it comes to killing Dorchacht citizens, do they target people who could fight if awake differently from people who likely could not? Would they be more likely to kill adults who could be a problem in the future and spare the children as easier to control if they take over again, or do they slaughter indescriminately? Or do they target the weak even more to try to break the will of the citizenry? Do they take hostages among the sleeping citizens to try to force the actions of the defending Mirrorbound?


Thank you for your time, both in prepping this great event and in answering questions like mine!

[moustre]

1. They'll go for an easy target over one fighting back (or one they have to fight to get to) nearly every time. The intent is to cause death, destruction and mayhem, as much as possible and as quickly as possible. The people from the slums are less in on "the plan", however, and may react in more unpredictable ways - they're just taking advantage of their good fortune in escaping to get some good old fashioned revenge for how they feel that they've been wronged (whether they actually have been or not).

2. Indiscriminate slaughter. Morgana was not kidding when she said she would leave only ashes of the new Dorchacht. Hostage-taking is possible if players want to use it threads, as they would be quite happy to take down Mirrorbound while they're at it, but generally speaking, it isn't the priority.

[foundfamilies]

GOOD GOLLY GUMDROPS THIS IS INTENSE. Thanks mods!

Re: EVENT

[gynvael]

1) Aside from vague rumors that she may not be dead, are there any hints that all may not be well either prior to, during the celebrations, or in the moments leading up to her appearance? Or does Morgana just pop into existence?

2) What do the rogue necromancers smell like? Are they dressed or appear uniquely or do they blend in well? And can they physically fight or do they rely on their shambling buddies?

3) Did Dorchacht have any special wards or protections in place, either before or erected specifically for the celebrations, that Morgana broke through or did she get in so quickly and easily because the city was largely left unprotected? (Basically, could the Coven be considered at fault for not taking proper precautions during such a big event?)

Thank you!

[moustre]

1. There isn't any discernible hint of anything being wrong before Morgana makes her move. The people of Dorchacht really were just trying to have a nice party. Morgana isn't the type to make her entrance extra flashy or build it up - she's very much a woman of action who has planned this for close to a year.

2. The rogue necromancers frankly all stink of rot and unwashed bodies. They roam the Wilde in exile from proper civilizations who do not approve of their chosen magics so they are quite ragged and dirty in appearance, and many have lost limbs or eyes from Cwyld-related amputations. They aren't much for physical fights and will always try to put their dead Bondmates and thralls between them and an attacker.

3. Dorchacht has protection wards against varying hostile magics and the Cwyld engraved on the walls, Morgana simply has the skill, knowledge, and raw power to break through them. If characters choose to blame the Coven for not taking enough precautions they can, but in reality, it's hard to keep a woman like Morgana out of anything if she wants in bad enough.

[usurpers]

1. is the perception of morgana’s presence immediate with her announcement, giving no time for gradual growing reactions or will characters with heightened magic sense/smell/taste something slightly “off” the closer her appearance is? things like smelling/tasting rot from the necromancers, something feeling not right but not being able to put their finger on it, a “heaviness” from morgana’s oppressive energy before it hits full throttle— those kinds of things!

2. are there any hints of cwyld to any of her followers that have hung around in the wilde, mindless, necromancers or otherwise (nuckelavee included)?

3. do these maddened witches free from their cells have an average amount of magic content or does that depend? are there any monsters accompanying them? alternatively, how would the witches react to a monster consuming their own kind? frightened, outraged or something else? asking for a hungry friend. and then an addendum: are there any consequences to man eaters having at the enemy for now? whether a stink eye from wolf mom or a later talking to orrrrrr anything else eren is quite upset and will finally eat his first. first few. maybe. it’ll depend on these!

[moustre]

1. Immediate with her announcement. She isn't one for a flashy or building entrance, preferring to show up, do her thing, and disappear. Practicality wins over gloating - in her mind, she can lord it over the ashes of Dorchacht after its destruction.

2. Absolutely. Some, though not all, of the unwilling soldiers from the Wilde bear signs of Cwyld infections in varying stages of seriousness, as well as amputation injuries from past infections. The dead Nuckelavee are mostly uninfected but there may be one or two that bear signs of it.

3. The slums Witches are generally of lower skill than the average Coven Witch, though it varies from person to person depending on what kind of life they had before the uprising (whether they were in the Coven or just practicing the usual types of oppression magic on the side). Monsters consuming their own will garner shrieking reactions of fear, outrage, and we told you so - they've always believed Monsters capable of such bestial acts if not tightly controlled. It would be proof, to them, why Morgana Was Right.

Addendum: No strict consequences for fighting back against attackers, even in an unorthodox and frankly worrying way. Legal consequences wouldn't apply as they are in Dorchacht and not Aefenglom, for Dorchacht business, and the Three are not awake to have their say. If she actually found out, which it's possible to miss in the chaos, Wolf Mom would not be pleased. Do you want to disappoint and upset Wolf Mom?

[usurpers]

perfect, thank you for these!♥ my final comment is just that eren will, in fact, possibly disappoint and upset one (1) wolf mom with at least one (1) rogue witch in his belly if she were to ever notice :(

[stopfen]

How intelligent would the mind-controlled people be? Or is that up to players?

Asking because Mikasa is likely to try and throw up a wonky fairy ring and hope it works better than the last one.

Speed edit; ALSO. I remember hearing somewhere that fae were chased out or really rare in Dorch, plz ignore this if that's wrong. But if it's true would the followers react differently to an obvious fae?

[moustre]

We're leaving it largely up to players and what they want to play with, whether they're mindless attacking machines or a little more clever.

Yes, this is true! Fae were wiped out in Dorchacht, and none have made their home there since. Sorry, all you Fae, Morgana's followers think you guys especially should get dead.

[stopfen]

Thank you mods.

Awww fuck, nows a really bad time for to be recovering on crutches. I love it :>

[stopfen]

Oh, what are the general population's thoughts on fae? Would they be wary of the things the old leaders wanted dead?

[moustre]

The regular citizens are more likely to be curious about Fae and ask possibly prying questions about what they're like, but they won't shun them or be hostile - they believe that all Monsters deserve a chance. They just don't see many Fae, other than Mirrorbound and occasionally that red-headed fellow from Aefenglom's Coven.

[cointosser]

Jaskier's basically been relying a bit on a sleeping spell he's worked on a few months, so I am wondering if this sort of thing would affect the mind-controlled, the undead, or the people from the slum? Probably just long enough that he could run away! He will not miss the irony of making people fall asleep in order to help the people... who fell asleep. :(

[moustre]

It can affect any of the living enemies! So all but the undead puppets - though those would collapse when their controlling necromancer went unconscious.

[wordsinthesoul]

I'm taking it a lot of the people are mind-controlled, so how likely is a charm to take effect on them?

[moustre]

Mind-controlled people are not immune to charms or enchantments, so spells can have an effect on them.