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

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard doesn't even pause to consider letting the necromancer go. Once he's roped in, she's already darting forward, slamming her sword through the man's chest and impaling his heart. In, out, the simple movement ending him in a gasp of blood.

Once the thralls are down, she surveys the scene, tilting her head.]

I don't...hear any more heartbeats from them. So we must have killed them, or wounded them so badly they are bleeding out.

[not bad!]

[yesdoubt]

[With the necromancers gone, the thralls drop anyway, at about the moment Momo was disposing of the arachne anyway. He rebounds from the body quickly enough, though the fact that Momo hasn't met many vampires probably shows in how his brows arch at her observation.] Huh. Can't say it doesn't make sense, but I didn't realise vampires could hear that.

[But then, he figures they have to know where their next source of blood is coming from. Not much point chowing down on a dead body or someone else undead or whatever else.

Nonetheless, with that confirmation, he shakes his arms out and dispels the ice spikes, bending his fingers back a bit and rubbing some warmth back into them. It's not quite the same as if he'd gone and shoved his hand into a bucket of ice or something, but a few minutes of it was still a bit chilly.] That went well. Assuming I'm not going to jinx us by saying so.

[unyieldingmarch]

It went well enough.

[Edelgard relaxes slightly, but remains on edge, her eyes flitting around the battlefield in a wary posture. They had won, yes, but they weren't safe. This was a battlefield, and the fighting could draw the attention of things like Nucklavees, things they weren't ready for.]

We should head back towards the portal. Friendly lines, where the Coven has set up a perimeter.

[yesdoubt]

[After warming his arms up a bit, Momo looks ready enough to head out again, but when she suggests moving back to the lines, he tilts his head a bit, looking concerned.]

Friendly lines are safer, sure, but don't the sleeping people further out from there need protecting too? They're being pretty opportunistic.

[And sleeping targets are decidedly easier to kill than the fighting back Mirrorbound and Coven. It's at least obvious his questioning comes out of worry for the people of Dorchacht more than anything, though.]

[unyieldingmarch]

We need to be strategic.

[She says that flatly, though there's a pain in her eye.]

We'll need help if we're to push further. That means more than you and I. If we run into a Nucklavee, we're dead and then we can help nobody. But if we have a group, then we can do more good.

[yesdoubt]

[Momo looks like he really doesn't want to hear that, but at the same time, he was part of the original fight with the nuckelavee and he can only imagine the dead ones are even more stubborn about dying a second time. It's enough to make him let out a reluctant breath and nod.]

Fine. Lead the way, I hadn't gone back in that direction until now.

[He didn't even know there'd been lines set up, honestly, he'd just been picking off necromancers as he found them.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Good. I...know that backing down is hard, but sometimes a retreat to regroup and marshal our forces is the wiser move.

[She starts in that direction, wary and alert, careful about exposing either of them to the larger, open streets and the chaos on those.

Better to stick to the shadows, and then return with reinforcements to smash the enemy.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo nods again, more understandingly this time.] Yeah. I guess it's just that I'm more used to strategising outside of fights and fights too sudden to give much time for strategy.

[So he's used to both factors, just separately from each other and usually when he gets into fights back home they're ones he can just throw himself at. In consideration of Edelgard trying to keep them out of sight, though, he keeps his tone low in saying it. No point drawing extra attention.]

[unyieldingmarch]

It's a learned knack when fighting a war, unfortunately. Don't worry, just trust my experience and your own instincts. We'll be fine.

[They are definitely making it back towards safety at least, and without much difficulty. It seems that they've culled a major force on this street at least.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo is still very high-tension, but that's another side-effect of not being as used to these fights - he's still used to just being at that level of ready to punch someone in the teeth the entire time.]

It's not really me I'm worried about. [Usually he wouldn't admit that, but here it feels more acceptable to say that he's less occupied with what happens to him than what happens to everyone else tangled up in this.

Though, on that note.] ...Have you seen many other Mirrorbound before running into me?

[He sounds a bit preoccupied, so he might have someone specific in mind.]

[unyieldingmarch]

I have. I've been directing those that aren't combat ready towards the portal and out of the city.

[She gives him a look, because yes, she picked up on that.]

...Is there someone in particular you're concerned for?

[yesdoubt]

[Momo's mouth twitches in a bit of a grimace, though it's more worry than anything.] My partner, Yuki. Delicate guy, long silver hair, plus the usual merrow-on-land stuff. But knowing him, he would've refused to go through the portal while I'm still here, so I'll have to keep looking.

[Momo sounds quite certain of that second thing. As much as Momo hates it, because Yuki really isn't a combatant at all, he's horribly stubborn when it comes to Momo putting himself in danger and trying to keep him out of it.]

[unyieldingmarch]

I haven't seen anyone matching that description, unfortunately.

[That being said, they're coming close to the portal.]

Look among the crowd, perhaps pop through and see. I would avoid using the watch to call him though. If he's near trouble that could alert a foe.

[yesdoubt]

I figured he probably wouldn't hear it with everything going on anyway. [Either way, it's probably a bad idea. He's upset they got separated, but it feels like he's going to have to let them find their way back to each other naturally.]

But I'll check. Even if I don't think he'll be there, I can't lose hope that he might've suddenly developed some sense.

[His tone is a bit deadpan joking in saying that. He loves Yuki, but he's really hard to compromise with sometimes.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Good. I will leave you to it. I should find my retainer and my grand marshal. We need to organize.

[She nods her head in a crisp, militaristic way.]

Be safe, Momo. We will speak again, no doubt.

[yesdoubt]

[Anything Momo says about keeping himself safe is probably a lie, but he offers a small, sober smile nonetheless.] I'll do my best. Thanks.

[He offers her a more casual saluting-type motion than the one he gave earlier as he heads off towards the crowd lingering around the portal. Time for a once-over of who's around.]