Player Plot: The Salvation of Geardagas, Part 1

[faileas]

Event Log: January, The Salvation of Geardagas: Part 1

The Evergreen Circle Something is happening in Aefenglom. A rash of disappearances has finally caught the attention of the authorities, but only thanks to a strange twist: a handful of the missing individuals are starting to turn up again, and not as they should be. It began with a harpy. After a week of nothing she returned, fully transformed into a Shade and too far gone to save. The same happened with a trader the next day. And the next with a witch. All three were infected, albeit to varying degrees, and only one of them was able to be brought back from the brink. Naturally, this is a huge cause for concern. There's little sign that the Bright Wall is damaged and none of the victims were known to have left the city. Questioning the survivor, Owain, doesn't produce any leads either as he can't remember anything before his disappearance. It's only after he's had some time to recover that he notices something off. As the blackening of the Cwyld fades, a small tattoo on his palm that wasn't there before becomes visible. To the concern of the Coven, it's a symbol that's familiar to them as the emblem of a rising spiritual movement favoured by the wealthy called the Evergreen Circle, led by a witch called Cillian Alder. Their purpose, he claims, is to provide hope through interrogating the Cwyld from a scholarly and philosophical perspective. In spite of this, Alder has developed more of a cult-like following than anything. Mirrorbound of standing (business owners, members of parliament, public figures, etc) might have already received one of their pamphlets. Naturally, it's an incredibly sensitive subject. The Evergreen Circle has been entirely peaceful up until now, and with such influential and powerful figures among its numbers, the Coven is reluctant to make any outright accusations. Instead, the task of investigating them has been covertly passed to the Mirrorbound. As outsiders, they stand less of a chance of causing political unrest. However, they explicitly warn against taking any hostile actions for the time being: this is an information-gathering request, nothing more. They can provide basic information about the Evergreen Circle meetings but that's about it. a. Preaching to the Choir (Every Friday Evening, Mid-Ieneuer to Early Feoveuer) Cillian Alder Art by Rachel The hall is buzzing. Though there aren't even enough people here to fill the place, everyone seems to be bubbling with excitement, exchanging loud greetings and introductions. They're particularly friendly to newcomers and are quick to offer up their experiences with the group: "Cillian is a truly free thinker!" "I haven't felt so positive about our future for a long time." "There’s a real sense of hope and community here in the Circle." The meeting convenes at 8 o’clock sharp and silence descends upon the room as a figure takes the stage. With his commanding presence and charismatic smile there's no doubt about who this is: Cillian Alder. A man in his late fifties with greying hair, he speaks with an accent crisp as cut glass and a strong voice, no doubt amplified by some kind of spell to reach around the room. He's hypnotising, those cool blue eyes of his impossible to look away from and piercing in their intensity. "How wonderful to see you all tonight, both familiar and unfamiliar faces alike! You are all welcome. I have only one request." He brings his hands together with a smile. "That you keep your hearts open. How else might our minds grow Evergreen?" Alder's speech is nothing if not passionate. He paces and proselytises, responding to the audience's interruptions and cheers with enormous enthusiasm. Throughout, his message is clear. "Who are we to immediately decry the Cwyld as a curse? Fear of the unknown, of what we have yet to control, can only hold us back! We must instead seek to understand it and be at peace with its presence! This is a test of our conviction! Our will to survive!" It goes on for the better part of an hour and, afterwards, he descends into the audience to receive their praise and questions with the gracious smile of a beloved king. He might even turn that magnanimous presence on you, affording you a few crucial moments of conversation (limited to 2 RNG characters). Will you stick around to find out more or try and slip backstage while everyone is distracted? For such a warm, welcoming atmosphere, there seems to be a lot of security around the doors leading back there so it might take some quick thinking to get through without conflict. Those who are caught will have to face the consequences, but the results might be… unfavorable. b. Spirited Away (late-Ieneuer to mid Feoveuer) Those less inclined to subterfuge won't have any problems finding trouble to get into either. As the month goes on, more and more people disappear, and that might even include Mirrorbound. Whether you're intercepting a kidnapping or fighting off your own, you're more likely to get caught up in it the longer the month goes on. It's easy enough to fight off the attackers but nigh impossible to actually catch or identify one: each is dressed in black and smells of the tell-tale decay of the Cwyld. But even assuming you do manage to apprehend one, they will refuse to talk in anything but vague, confusing comments about salvation and new beginnings. c. Cast Out (mid-Ieneuer to early Feoveuer) Likewise, the number of locals who have been abducted and released continues to rise. The victims, anywhere from badly infected to fully transformed into Shades, require subduing, healing and, in the most dire of circumstances, permanently dealt with before they can hurt anyone. Without exception, they're aggressive, reacting violently to attempts to heal as well as harm them and there are no discernable patterns when it comes to victims. However, the eagle-eyed might spot the Evergreen Circle's symbol on some of their palms if they're not too heavily corrupted.

[ ooc: More information about the event can be found on the plotting post along with comments for questions, and RNG sign-ups for directly interacting with Alder! ]

Comments

[loverboi]

Shiro! [ Oh thank god. Someone who can possibly talk some sense into Keith. Lance purses his lips together and looks over at Keith, then back at Shiro -- ]

I don't think either of us are hurt. That guy, though...

[ He looks down at the cultist and crosses his arms over his chest. He's not super concerned with the guy being a threat, given how he's keeled over and all, but he doesn't have a good feeling about this. He doesn't think this is the way to do things. ]

Keith, there's gotta be a better way to do this. I want answers, too, but -- I don't know how I feel about this.

[ He doesn't think that'll be nearly enough to stop Keith from pulverizing the guy, given how much he cares about Allura and all. ]

[marmoron]

[ It's when Shiro comes barreling in that Keith tenses up far more visibly. It'd been bad enough that Lance had to see any of this, but he genuinely can't bring himself to look up and face Shiro's disappointment head on. Hands curling into fists, he keeps his head bowed, teeth grit as he looks down at the petrified cultist. ]

Look. [ He says, ironically not looking at either of them. ] What better way is there? I know it was these guys who took Allura.

[ A beat, then he swallows. As much as he realizes the optics of this are bad, a part of him that's growing louder refuses to be ashamed of this. He'd much rather be the asshole that beat up some cultist for information than be the coward who did absolutely nothing while his friends were in danger.

She's terrified, okay? I can feel it and I can't do anything about it. So just, let me do this.

[galrarm]

I'm glad you're not hurt.

[ Physically, at least. But seeing Keith like this-- it puts a sour taste in his mouth. The thing is, he gets it. Shiro's had more than his fair share of being ruthless.

After all, being the Champion is part of who he is, his past. But that doesn't mean he wants to see anyone he cares about face that drop into darkness. ]

Keith... [ She's terrified, Keith says, and Shiro takes a measured breath and tries to exude calm. ] We're all desperate to find her. Allura's important, but we don't have to resort to this. With the three of us, we can figure something out.

We've faced down hundreds of Galra. Finding Allura-- that's the least impossible thing for us. And we're not about to let you go it alone, right, Lance?

[loverboi]

Yeah. We all care about her, Keith -- we're in this together. Promise.

[ He puts a hand on Keith's shoulder. It's tentative, and a part of him is worried that the touch is probably unwanted given how agitated Keith is. But he doesn't like that Keith's beating this guy to a pulp and he hopes that this will at least get it through to his head that he doesn't have to be alone in their quest to find Allura.

He wants to suggest a better idea. He really does. But with Shiro here, he thinks that the other man will have a better plan. Help a guy out, Shiro?? ]

[marmoron]

[ Lance's hand on his shoulder makes him flinch a little, but Keith doesn't make any moves to push him away. He might've, but it's the calming vibe coming through Shiro's end of the bond that makes him pause long enough to think before reacting.

Mind you, that doesn't mean he's about to take his foot off the cultist's shoulder. The guy on the ground has gone very quiet though, unnaturally so. ]

This is different. [ Keith starts insisting, without knowing exactly where he's going with this. ] It was my fault. It was my idea to sneak past the guards at the meeting. I have to fix this -- I have to make things right.

[ None of which necessarily negates their argument that he doesn't have to do it alone or resort to this, but that's besides the point obviously. ]

We'll find her faster if we all try different methods anyway.

[ Though wi that said.... if anyone is paying close enough attention to the guy on the ground, they may notice that he's not looking so good. The discoloration from his infection is spreadking fast. ]

[galrarm]

[ He's got you, Lance. He nods to Lance, then looks at Keith. ]

We're a team. We help each other out. That's what teammates and friends do.

[ After all... Shiro hadn't gone it alone when he'd lost Allura. Shiro's mind is racing about a mile a minute, but he keeps that steady calm permeate their bond. ]

If you try to handle this alone, you could end up in trouble, too. There's powers in numbers, and having two Witches as backup isn't a bad idea. But first... we need to figure out what to do about this guy.

[ This fuckin' guy. Because, yeah, Shiro's noticed.

And it's not looking too good for the cultist--and them, the more it spreads. ]

[loverboi]

[ He'd argue that it's not Keith's fault but he knows that's not going to help, so he bites his tongue and lets Shiro speak. He nods in response, but remains quiet otherwise. He's glad that Keith's coming around --

but yeah. That cultist. Lance thinks he needs to suffer repercussions for what he's done, but not this. Still though, if they tend to this guy then it'll take them longer to find Allura. ]

He's not gonna make it if we don't do something, but -

[ He keeps switching between looking at the cultist and looking at Shiro and Keith. He's at a loss right now, and it's clear Lance is starting to panic. ]

[marmoron]

[ Well now that both of them are talking about the guy, Keith finally looks down again and steps back, recoiling a little. Where the cywld hasn't blackened his skin, it's turned pale and ashen, his eyes now oddly blankas he starts mumbling again. The words are hard to make out through his labored breathing, but the phrase evergreen and become one with the cwyld are audible.

Keith looks up at both Lance and Shiro with alarm. They're right, of course. The guy is in desperate need of a healer, but with the infection this bad does he even have time? ]

I don't think he's gonna make it.

[ The panic in Lance's voice? Keith's not quite there yet, but he's getting there. ]

I didn't know it was that bad. Why wouldn't he have gone to the Coven?

[galrarm]

[ This is-- Alright. He takes a breath, and even if they need to find Allura, even if Shiro's worried about her...

No one deserves this. Shiro looks to the other two, and he's careful to not show any alarm or distress. He's worried, though--enough that a whisper of it can be felt through the bond. ]

"Evergreen." [ Oh, boy. Even worse is that... ] Nevermind. Right now, we need to do what we can to get a healer here.

[ He's not good with healing magic. Right now, he wishes that he had tried more. He can't dwell on that, though. ]

Even if it's a small chance, it's still a chance. Can one of you try to find a healer?