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

[worldcleansing]

[ More than a good side, Light wants to know if they're starting with a semi-blank slate or from a place of hatred. Hatred would make him more dangerous than he seems to be naturally. There's already an aura about him that says it's probably not too safe to turn you back to him when walking down a dark alley. ]

If you're free, walk with me to the library. I'm curious. I don't think I've met a monster like you before. Chimera?

[cyclopticsadist]

[Exiting class to head immediately to the library? No wonder they were friends.

Niles briefly considers a flippant and dramatic exit, but Light's willingness to engage with him still is intriguing. The fact that Light is interested in his physical changes wins him over. He hadn't been flustered much by his earlier insinuations, but how would he handle the advances coming directly at him? Niles twists his torso to face Light, a potentially unnerving display of feline flexibility.]

I am.

[Then he straightens himself out to fully face Light once more.]

Although we're more common than you might think. If you've got a consistent color scheme some of us are easy enough to confuse with turnskin.

[worldcleansing]

[ With casual steps, Light moves to close the distance and catch up with Niles. ]

I'm sure they are. Since I'm new, a lot of things are still pretty rare for me. I'll get used to them in time.

[ There's still a lot of things for Light to learn, a lot of things to familiarize himself with. He's working on it, but he can only manage so much in a short time. ]

There's a lot of different forms for every monster so it's not always easy to tell right away. Is your change something that bothers you to talk about?

[ It seems to have traumatized some people. ]

[cyclopticsadist]

[He falls into step just half a pace behind Light, still easily within comfortable conversational distance, but clearly letting Light take the lead. He of course knows where the library is, (knows more than a few routes to, in, and around it even), but he's interested to know how familiar Light is with the city. At that question he lets out a low chuckle.]

Absolutely not. I'm more than happy to- [Here, his tail swings broadly around, trailing up the outside of Light's outside leg with a little shiver just for flare.] -indulge your curiosity.

[worldcleansing]

[ Light's knowledge of the streets isn't as intricate as Niles'. It likely won't ever be. While there's something to be said for traditional intelligence, street smarts shouldn't be ignored, either. However, he's spent time exploring the city and committing it to memory.

If Niles wanted a reaction out of Light, he receives one. His body freezes, eyes widening in surprise. In spite of the earlier insinuations and the conclusion that they were meant to intentionally shame, he didn't expect to become the next target.

It's not real interest. He's popular enough in real life to recognize real interest, and Niles didn't seem like someone actually interested in that kind of connection. This is to throw him off guard, too. ]

That's not what I'm curious about.

[cyclopticsadist]

[Getting the reaction he wants is enough. Rather, proving he can is the point. There'll be time later to make him squirm. When he's earned it on his own merits. When the state of the truce isn't as fresh. He backs off. Tail swishing back the other way out of Light's personal space.]

Well then what about me does whet your appetite?

[But he's not going to stop making things sound suggestive. He has a reputation to establish here.]

[worldcleansing]

[ He has fun with that, doesn't he? While Light knows Niles moves to get a reaction, he also knows he can't not react. Either way, if Niles hopes to establish himself as an intentional pervert, achievement unlocked. ]

Your change. How it happened. What it allows you to do. A chimera is a mixture of a lot of things so it's not the same thing as understanding a dragon or a mer.

[cyclopticsadist]

[Then all is as it should be. He'd be appalled if he found out someone thought he was respectable. The question sees his ears perk up, and his tail flick in low swiping motions. A wide grin stretches across his face, but he tempers it. Again, his ears move but this time it's deliberate, a full demonstration of their range of motion.]

It started with the senses. Smell, then I grew the ears, and that full moon my sight improved. [Well, sort of. His motion detection is off the charts, but color recognition is a little down. No need to get into his new weaknesses though.] In the days following I got the fur, caws, teeth. Accessories like that. During all that I thought I was a turnskin, but when my tail came in later- [He sweeps his tail away from Light, curling it around his own side and catches the tip in his arms when it gets close to his chest. It ends in a stinger. Only the curved and pointed tip shows through the fur, but Niles helpfully parts it to show off the venom filled bulb.] -it had this. [Next, he bends his head down, giving Light a better view of his horns, and finally stretches out a hooved leg for him to get a look at.] Horns took a whole week to grow in, my slowest change. [His lip twitches in annoyance at the memory] Itched like hell. And the hooves were last. Took a bit of getting used to, but now, as for what I can do~

[His smirk reappears with full force, and he speeds up for two strides before doing some sweet jumps and flips using the side of the building.]

[worldcleansing]

[ Niles likes the attention. That's fitting for what Light has noted about him so far. Is that why he'd connected to L so strongly as to form such an antagonist relationship? It would have been negative, but when L sets his sights on someone, when it's in earnest, it's a unique sort of obsession. As someone who's had cameras in his home and a chain around his wrist, Light can attest to that.

As per usual, while his mind digests the information he observes, his reactions don't note the full extent of the process. ]

Accessories?

[ Most of the monsters he's spoken to have been annoyed enough with their changes that they wouldn't joke so casually about them. Niles really must enjoy his.

Brown eyes watch at the acrobatics. It wouldn't be easy to hit him with a spell. ]

Careful. If you keep doing things like that, I might actually think you enjoy being a monster.

[cyclopticsadist]

[There's an agitated twitch that runs the length of his tail, and although his smile stays in place his ears pin back for a moment. He's good at coaching his expressions, but his new muscle groups still largely react on instinct. That came dangerously close to hitting a nerve.

Witch superiority was...less of a problem in Aefenglom than Dorchacht, but not nonexistent. In particular Chimeras were seen by some as unnatural or deviant by their mere existence. The unintentional implication that all monsters are woeful conflicted beings rankles Niles, but he reminds himself how green Light is. There's no way he was already savvy to the nuances of witch/monster power dynamics yet.]

And why shouldn't I? [He gives another demonstration seemingly out of pure spite, leaping nearly 10 feet straight up for a single backflip. His tail rotates in a wide circular arc to add enough momentum to get his feet back under him for a landing, which he sticks.] I was called a monster long before I came through my mirror, at least now I get the perks along with it.

[worldcleansing]

[ Defensive. He projects the annoyance as clearly as if he'd branished the shield. ]

I wasn't serious. I didn't realize there was enough doubt that it wouldn't be obvious.

[ While he hasn't found many monsters who enjoy being a monster, Light sees no reason to inherently hate it if the drawbacks are limited. Niles seems to be on the luckier side, the side not forced to die or slither on the ground. ]

Like you said, why shouldn't you be?

[cyclopticsadist]

[His posture relaxes with a sigh, and his expression becomes more somber. He moves to continue their trek to the library.]

Exactly, but not everyone sees it that way. [A beat, and then he asks] Have you been by the refugee district yet?

[worldcleansing]

[ His head shakes. The more prominent areas were his immediate focus. ]

I haven't. It's not a place I've heard very much about. What are they refugees from?

[ In spite of his intelligence, Light is still very much new. ]

[cyclopticsadist]

Just one town over. Dorcharcht. Up until some months ago it was a place where monsters were magically bound to obey witches, bought and sold, and forcibly bred to keep up with demand.

[His expression sours, no longer looking at Light, but rather past him. Looking at the memories of what he'd seen, felt, and done in that wretched place. His ears lay flat against his skull once more.]

That's been stopped now, and a lot of us mirrorbound played a role in ending it, but that division doesn't disappear overnight. There's still factions that would gladly see me and my fellows in chains and charms again.

[worldcleansing]

Slavery.

[ A form of that, based on something unrelated to magic, did exist in Light's world. Does exist in some places, though thankfully not on the scale as it once did. Light has never been a victim, nor has he met a victim, but it seems he may have now. ]

Then it's good that it was stopped. Monsters are different from witches, but they're not lesser, and it's not a man's place to put another in chains and force them to be slaves.