Intro Log: October 2020

[faileas]

Intro Log: October

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. "My goodness. In the middle of the month! We weren't expecting you, we weren't!" The woman smiles broadly, with her Bonded glancing over the newly arrived and those who may have followed them in to volunteer explanations and assistance to the newest addition of their Mirrorbound bunch. "Let's get through the introductions, shall we? This here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament, and of course, my Bonded. And I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven -- but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds with a wink. "I know you must all be tired and confused after all that. We're here to help get you settled, dearest. Let me just..." 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 -- namely, if they have magic potential or not -- 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 the trek to where you'll be staying. As you're leaving -- with Coven and/or Mirrobound escorts as guides -- you'll be given a peculiar-looking device. It's a very special watch, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament. These watches are passed around to all the new arrivals, who are given a quick rundown on their functions and encouraged 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, free of cost. 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 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. Much of the housing already has furnishing as well: standard items such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind by the relocated owners for those moving in. Though some are fairly newly-unoccupied, the dust on the floors of other houses suggests they were left long 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 them for -- so long as the legality isn't questionable, at least on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses -- and even some of the smaller ones, or the shared rooms in the barracks -- the Coven put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven a while back. 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 simply reads the information you've offered up yourself -- or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs if you prefer! 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 throughout the month 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 October's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans or if you have any other questions, just let the mods know here!

Comments

[unsundered]

"That's likely for the best." Lahabrea and Mettaton were bound to incite one another the more they came into contact, and promises or no, the city had a way of influencing the mind. Though the Ascian was likely incapable of hurting the robot at the moment, even an attack wouldn't exactly go over well. Lahabrea could bleed his frustrations out elsewhere, on people Emet-Selch had no stake in.

The criticism over his careless overabundance of Bonds gets a tilt of his head.

"Why trust the information they give without testing it?" he says with a steady frown. "Is the limit truly three, or is that only what they tell us in order to keep our power manageable, weaker than their own?"

That, and after being captured and tortured, the thought of amassing enough magic to defend himself next time (because there would always be a next time, when it came to humanity- even now, he believed that) was appealing- and surely his soul was capable of supporting any number of smaller, lesser entities?

"Unfortunately," Emet-Selch admits with a shrug, "their advice seems to have been true. Or at least my combination- three beasts and a mage- wasn't sustainable. Still, it was worth the attempt- I haven't noticed any long-term ill effects."

Not that it mattered, "Though if you're intending to remain at the base strength this world gives you, you've nothing in that regard to concern yourself over."

[fuelingfire]

"Did you test it, beyond the single incident?" He sounds mildly curious; it's not an investment he really has but if there had been some sound science going on it doesn't hurt to know. He damned well isn't going to trust the average person's opinion around here, but Emet-Selch is somewhat higher in his evaluations. "A two witch, two monster pairing, or merely the triad of beasts?" If not, well, it can't be helped, and he's certainly not going to volunteer to find a few people and give it a try.

An Ascian soul certainly should be able to support three, but if it's merely a matter of aetheric drain, and the changed requiring far more than they put in..

It's an easier subject to consider than what would or would not happen with Mettaton. He's convinced of his own inevitable victory, but right now the puca had all the advantages, and then some. "I doubt I'm likely to find a mere mortal that is up to my standards, two or three far less likely. I'll content myself with 'lesser power' during re-education. Mayhap one can be caught and trained into usefulness, if the stay here drags on."

He really should be considering the fact that he might not even be a mage anymore.

[unsundered]

"Oh, only the one time, thus far." He says it with a smile; no this was not remotely scientific. "Open-minded as I am, it's not as though I'm eager to tie my soul to every passing mortal."

Though his standards had certainly changed since he'd first arrived. He was entirely willing now to Bond to people he didn't know particularly well, so long as his initial impression wasn't terrible and the whim struck him. It wasn't as though considering his Bonds carefully had worked out at all, while his careless one to Mettaton had, so- he's ended up a bit fatalistic about it. Success or failure was as good as random.

"But if I find my way into another overbonded situation, I can keep you informed as to its success."

But he waves off the idea after a moment regardless. "Who knows, perhaps you can find yourself someone suitably impressionable and inoffensive. Not that I expect you'll be looking."

[fuelingfire]

For all her hinting about, Lahabrea's vaguely surprised that Emet-Selch had not named the Warrior of Light among his bonds. He may have misconstrued her constant efforts at implication.

"..Do so. At the very least should you find yourself overburdened, it will be easier to stay ahead of severe or lasting harm with two keeping watch." If nothing else, Lahabrea would keep tabs on such a hypothetical situation. Undue harm to their kind simply in the pursuit of curiosity would be lunacy.

...A lunacy he can actually recognize. It's ill-advised, but if it happens..!

It's certain Emet-Selch's assumption is true. He's not going to go looking. "Of course not. There's other things to be doing than roaming the streets attempting to find a single pebble in a shoreline." He's pretty sure there's simply nobody who WOULD meet his standards, and since he also doesn't buy the idea that he'll just explode if he doesn't find a partner... there's no real rush. Not for him.

"You needn't concern yourself with any of it." He's certain there is some level of concern, too, by the way the matter gets tracked around. "I have managed quite well for all this time, that's not going to change."

[unsundered]

He'd certainly been Bonded to a Warrior of Light, Irhya included. At one point he'd been Bonded to three of them at once. But two he'd discarded and one had vanished... and while he'd yet reconciled with Irhya (something that Emet-Selch thought might be easier to maintain now that his own perspective was more... complete (also dead)), he was currently unbonded to her.

His history with all of these Warriors is something he decides not to volunteer, though. There was tolerating mortals, and there was tolerating enemies, and there was deliberately tying his soul to three of them. Though he had realized it hadn't been the best of ideas afterward, that's another thing he'd be unlikely to admit.

"Your interest is duly noted," such as it was, and such as Emet-Selch is not at all certain over having Lahabrea's assistance, either in regards to his safety or in his decision-making abilities.

"And I wouldn't worry- my concern is reserved for those who require it." That's not to say that he wouldn't keep some tab on Lahabrea (if partially out of a morbid curiosity for how he'll fare), but the man hardly required fussing over. Neither of them would appreciate that, and while Emet-Selch could argue that Lahabrea hadn't exactly managed well, considering his deterioration over the years... he knew just as well that it was a lost cause.

But he would be there, observing, as he was wont to do. "Well, I should let you get on with your business then. Housing is unlikely to claim itself, and if you'd care to avoid housemates, you'd best work quickly."

Even now, that announcement board was occasionally chirping out suggestions for roommates.

[fuelingfire]

It's honestly for the best that he doesn't really know about that yet. It wouldn't surprise him in truth, Lahabrea's rather used to Emet-Selch doing his own thing whenever he so chose to do it, but bringing one of Hydaelyn's champions that close had some risks even he wasn't sure would be worth it.

THREE OF THEM would be absolutely worth some alarm.

Eventually he might be able to handle such an idea better, but for now.. some secrets are best kept! "I've a small idea growing as to handle such an irritation as finding 'housing' amongst such a place as this."

That pineapple from earlier is plucked off the ground. "This had been meant for Halmarut, as finding a tropical fruit growing healthily in the northernmost parts of Dravania should be enough of a mystery to keep him happy a while, but it is not to be. If this miserable place is like unto other temperate climes of little advancement, there may be some value to it."

And if there's a LOT of value.. he's going to get himself somewhere nicer than a hole in the wall. "All I require is someone foolish enough to part with enough coin to see my way forward for it."