intro log: august

[faileas]

Intro Log: August

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 brighter with the absence of the sister moons in the sky - it's the new moon, after all. 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. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of insanely colorful seats are summoned; half of them are wooden (sturdy and comfortable besides that), with the rest being misshapen and bag-like. Regardless, the seats fill the foyer and spread out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch, should they have come to check on things. 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 interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, for us to summarize an answer for, or you can request an IC thread. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. 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 - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - 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 a trek through a bit of leftover ice and snow to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid 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 - 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 themselves 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 due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left 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 it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. 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 reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. LÙNASA Just like three months ago, those new to Aefenglom have found themselves brought to the city in the middle of a celebration. From dusk of Aguril 1st to the dusk of Aguril 3rd, Aefenglom celebrates something fairly special: Lùnasa. Traditionally, Lùnasa celebrates all kinds of traditional marriages sanctioned by Parliament, generally of the arranged kind, and handfastings, a ceremony based more on love and how long it lasts. The Coven's Bonds err on this side of things, though some Witches do have official spouses - Miss Nessie and Mhairi are an example of this, though not everyone marries their Bonded, either. Many of them are made during this festival, prompting the city to dress for the occasion just in case they find themselves in the middle of a ceremony, and just as many of them are formally renewed. Like during Litha, shops offer lovemaking potions, but only to those renewing vows or taking them; smaller fireworks, like sparklers and fountains, are also a common sight. Lùnasa is also home to the city's largest fashion show, showcasing fun and upcoming trends in the city. No experience is required to sign up to show off designs or to model them, and hundreds of tailors and needlework experts come together to quickly make dreams into reality for the end of the festival, when the show happens in genuine. The clothing is often wild and sorted into three categories: children, where those 14 and younger can submit their designs and model them as well; popular, where those 15 and older can do the same to try and vie for the judges' vote on what's in and what's out; and bonding, where all ages aspire to modify and make personal the traditional garbs of marriage and handfasting. While circumstances might be a little weird - and the month is a little cold coming in, given the snowstorm that happened at the end of last month - there's plenty to do, plenty to see, and plenty to take your mind off of just what a weird experience this all might be. Though those who have been in Aefenglom for a while now might notice something different over the course of the festival: they're a little more powerful than before, almost similar to the free-feeling that Boaltinn encouraged. Spells can still go awry, but the results will be much bigger - but it's frowned upon to use magic during festivals. Then again, characters will feel as if they're about to burn up if they don't use it a little... Well, just one spell beneath the shadow of the new moons wouldn't hurt, would it? a. JUST IN CASE While the city is dressed up on the off chance they might be roped into an impromptu wedding ceremony - it's likely that those who aren't native to Aefenglom don't have such luck. Thankfully, the tailors of city are offering free clothes on the caveat they advertise for them by wearing them around the festivities - they're long yet breathable garments, with colors that are fairly muted oranges and reds, not unlike the coming fall. It'd seem the fear of red skies from Litha has started to fade as nothing else too terrible has happened to the city at large, at least on the surface. And as it turns out, those offers might be better timed than they think: characters will be pulled into ceremonies at random to act as witnesses, to serve as dance partners for lonely folk, or just because they really needed someone to even out the numbers. b. ON THE CATWALK An annual occasion, the Aefenglom Fashion Show is always a bustling, bright time for those young and old to strut their stuff and try their best to either follow the latest trends, or spark them into being. Unfortunately, they're running a little low on models this year - many of their other ones decided to try their hand at sewing themselves - and so they're accepting volunteers! Willing or not; many of the more aggressive youths aren't above dragging those they deem perfect enough to wear their clothing to the back of the stage set up in the center of the Shopping District and pushing them out onto the catwalk dressed to the nines in all sorts of ridiculous-looking styles. c. EYE-CATCHING A few of the newest fashionistas in town have tried their hand at some rather... peculiar-looking clothing - but none so peculiar as those found in Precogstitchin' or Arwel's Tailory, in two completely different ways. While those who try on a piece or two of Precogstichin's wares will find themselves the center of attention due to their rather avant-garde shape, color, and pattern choices - not to mention accessories and rumor of being made of arachne silk! - those who try on Arwel's wares will find themselves being stopped quite frequently in the street despite the rather plain and dull colors and formless shapes the tailory provides as free samples. d. NEW MOON RITES While native Witches bemoan their weakened magics - some even expressing relief the new moon happens to land on a festival this year so they don't have to notice just how weak they are, mirrorbound Witches will find themselves feeling just the opposite: they're stronger. For those that chance a little magic despite the unspoken rules of the festivals in Aefenglom, they'll find the expelling of energy to be very relieving, as if a weight lifts off their shoulders. For those that refuse the siren's song of release, however, sparks of magical energy will fly from them, with a myriad of results - enchanting inanimate objects, transforming animals from one thing to another, starting small fires, creating illusions of the person or creature they fear the most... and so on.

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. 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 now 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 August's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know, and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[scatmaam]

[ iii - the haven - don't walk if your feet don't know the way ]

[ Scathach hadn't opted to linger, either at the mirror house or the welcoming party. She'd asked what questions she'd needed answers for, and promptly left the others to their confusion with little to offer them. Given all that had come to pass in the dream, in the battles she witnessed and participated in, she'd learned a great deal about the situation already. Moreover, however, she wanted to spare herself conversations with those she had met in the dream that she'd be having all over again, and didn't feel particularly inclined to know any of them better. There was that one girl, Emerald her name had been, that she'd have to deal with later. But later would be just that, and in the more immediate time, she had other matters to attend to.

Namely, now being keenly aware her spirit origin had been altered, and was going to need actual, proper shelter and access to food and water on a regular basis, on top of whatever changes may come with this new body, she needed to find housing.

Spear in hand, slung over her shoulder, she wandered the streets of the Haven. In particular, she was looking for two certain people, or anyone that might know them. ]

You'd think a dog could find a dog... [ She huffed, taking to sniffing the air. Which probably looked a bit unusual to anyone passing by, if the blood-red spear itself wasn't threatening them away. ]

[ iv - a - the apple now is sweet, oh much sweeter than it ought to be ]

[ Well another thing had been made quite clear to her; no longer having a proper spirit origin meant she needed to put together an actual wardrobe. As much as she preferred her bodysuit, she knew she was going to need something else to wear for day to day affairs and leave her combat gear to just that. Unfortunately, she'd almost forgotten how troublesome fashion of a certain era could be, and found herself getting frustrated with her options. ]

Can't hardly move in any one of these. [ Lancer scoffed, tossing aside one garment after the next. One would probably be wise not to treat what were essentially gifts so harshly, but... ]

Tell me, how can you stand to wear things like this so often? At least modern fashion is more flexible than this... [ She grumbled to the person nearest her. ]

[ wildcard ]

[ i both had trouble braining out some other prompts besides these PLUS i have to scoot off to work soon BUT if there's a specific scenario you want to do that isn't covered under these two HMU! i'm open for any and all scenarios! you can catch me on discord at gsai#7107 and on plurk, too. ]

III

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Uh oh. Uh oh.

Avoiding this confrontation is impossible. There's no turning back without it being extremely obvious. He knows there's no escaping Scathach -- by now, she's already spotted him for sure and it's all he can do to not run away. Their shared dreams has weighed heavily on him and he doesn't want to talk about it. He hasn't even spoken about it with Diarmuid, just chosen to let it fester in his mind instead.

Berserker says nothing, just tries to keep his distance for now. He knows it's a losing battle, but you gotta give him points for trying. ]

[scatmaam]

[ She awarded him no points and may god have mercy on his soul. His scent was definitely the stronger of the two 'dogs', made that much more keen by his transformation and his general habits. His was the one she picked up on first, and she took to stalking him throughout the haven, though not approaching just yet. He knew she was there, after all. She could bide her time... see where he would go. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He's not about to lead her back to either of his homes right now -- that's not a discussion he wants to have. Really, though, if he truly wanted to escape her, he could fly away. Maybe he wants to see how long she'll track him.

Berserker's demeanor changes a bit as he feels like he's being hunted now. Not a feeling he likes....Maybe he should head to a shop, any shop. Anywhere but home. He's moving faster, but not necessarily with a purpose. ]

haven

[sageprincess]

[There is a lot that is unusual about the woman walking around the Haven in the wee hours of the morning with a giant spear casually slung over her shoulder, but honestly? Zelda thinks she's seen weirder, at this point. She doesn't seem to be wielding it aggressively at the moment, which is all that the princess considers to be her business, so Zelda politely decides to not comment on her sniffing of the air and instead asks:]

Are you... looking for someone?

[It's not like she can sleep much tonight anyway, between the life of the festival and the dull ache pounding behind her eyes. Might as well do something useful with her time.]

[scatmaam]

[ The woman turned red eyes to the girl, pulling her mask back up over her face before speaking. ]

That I am, lass. Two stray 'dogs'... [ Without having to specify, it was pretty obvious she was being metaphorical. She sniffed the air around Zelda, as well, before letting out a small chuckle. ]

And it would seem you know one of them, or at least have spent enough time around him to have some of his scent about you.

1/2

[sageprincess]

[are you



are you saying she smells]

E-- Excuse me...?

[why are celts so fucking rude--]

[sageprincess]

[Zelda shakes her head, both to clear it as best she can from her mildly indignant surprise and as a rejection of this strange woman's claim.]

I fear I have no idea of what or whom you speak.

iv

[ua_duibhne]

[Wouldn't you know it, that first discarded layer smacks a certain Lancer- unfortunately not the one Scathach actually wants to see- straight in the face. Seems like you can't go five minutes without accidentally blinding a Celtic hero these days.]

Ah- hold on a second-

[Blowing the gauzy overskirt fabric away from his face, Diarmuid scrambles to pull back off of his head and gather it over one arm- just in time to catch the next item of clothing in his free hand. At this rate, he's going to be holding almost an entire outfit.]

Believe me when I say you get used to it. Most of the time. [You won't be catching him in a corset anytime soon.] ... I take it you're a newcomer, my lady?

[The title isn't simply instinctual; this woman radiates regality.

And perhaps, deep down, there's a small part of him that feels the sense not so much that they've met before but that he should know of her. How peculiar.]

[scatmaam]

[ Scathach's unique spirit origin gave her something that was both curse and advantage at times; memory beyond what the throne normally allowed for the spirits. And she found herself recognizing the voice before she finally turned to face its source, and then stopped in her digging through the garments to stare at him for several moments as that memory pieced itself together.

America. The war. The Fianna. ]

Ah. It's you.

[ She didn't sound particularly impressed. ]

So it's not just my disciples and the red Archer here, then. I should have asked them what others were here, since not a one of them thought to volunteer that information.

[ua_duibhne]

[Well. There it is: she's a Servant. For a few moments, Diarmuid continues to watch her in uncertain silence, trying not only to work out where they might have met but whether his thoughts are simply becoming entangled with either of his Bonded's. No, there's a far simpler explanation and it's one that he lands upon fairly quickly upon dismissing the alternatives.]

I'm sorry to say that I don't know you as you apparently do me. [He gives a slightly helpless shake of the head.] But... if you're from Chaldea like some of the others, then maybe I just have yet to meet you as I am now.

[However it is that it works. He knows of America and the institute and singularities but piecing it together with his own experiences has proved more difficult. Wordlessly, his gaze shifts from Scathach's face to her spear- and almost imperceptibly, his eyes widen. The curve of its tip, the engravings along the flat side, that unmistakeable scarlet glint. Isn't that-

Quickly, he flashes her a small smile to hide his confusion.]

We're of the same Class, I see.

iii

[boneofsword]

[Archer recognizes the red spear at first glance. So she's been summoned here as well. He approaches quietly, not even tring to hide his presence, and offers a polite nod. That's as close to a formal bow as he's going to get, at least for now.]

Lady of Shadows.

[scatmaam]

[ This one again. Well, she'd had a perfectly serviceable conversation with him in the dream, so she had no reason to turn him away. Besides, he might be of use. ]

Red Archer... I don't suppose you've seen either of my disciples about, have you?

iv

[shitpit]

[Most of the clothes weren't exactly Tora's style, he preferred them looser and baggier, but he had to admire the quality of them and the fact that they were free. Nothing could beat that really, but he could understand where the lady next to him was coming from.]

Can't complain if it's free.

[Don't mind him, he was picking up as much as he could carry, so long as it looked to be about his size. They definitely weren't going to let him out with as much as he was trying to carry, but no harm in trying. He leaned towards her slightly, considering.]

Maybe if you ask nicely they'll tailor it to suit your needs.

apologies for this coming in late!

[scatmaam]

[ The woman shot him a glare, eyes narrowing. He probably hadn't meant offense in what he was saying, and she really shouldn't have taken it so, but something about her new body's nature made it difficult for her to not be a little defensive. Dogs would be as dogs would be, after all. ]

I'll ask nicely for nothing that involves some stranger placing their hands on me. If they cannot accommodate a warrior, they aren't worth my time.

IV

[loadme]

Isn't it just like anything else?

You expose yourself to it long enough that it becomes easier to deal with. Why, I bet it'll all seem normal to you if you give it enough time!

[Probably.]

... Did you need some help with that?

[scatmaam]

Lass, you are no warrior. [ She felt confident in that assessment, despite speaking to a stranger. ] You have no need to be concerned over what concerns me.

... But if you'd like to be useful, you can help me search.

devil's dance floor

[hallucinogem]

I can't. There's only a few things clothes like this are good for.

[her response was quick, quicker than it had any right to be—as though she'd been waiting for someone to complain about the clothes so she could say something. and without the, um, definitive outfit, she couldn't be sure who she was looking at exactly, but Emerald narrowed her eyes and tilted her head all the same. she could've... sworn she recognized this person.]

Wait.

[scatmaam]

[ Wait? Did she look like a waiter? Scathach, upon recognizing the voice, narrowed her eyes, and turning to the face, was quick to drop the clothes in her hand and approach Emerald as quick as death itself, backing her against a wall and placing her forearm against the girl's chest. ]

You. [ They'd been allies in the battle in the dream, but that was part of the problem... ]

Speak clearly. What do you recall of the dream?

3ish?

[futhark]

[ It's meeting someone that has just arrived that alerts Caster to the possibility— some people he met in the Dreams never showed up but in this case? Hah...

Runes no longer work, and he hadn't yet sought Divination classes to replace the tracking rune. But if Scathach arrived here they will run into each other, sooner than later. So instead of hiding, and slowing down the inevitable, he makes his presence known. Joining the celebrations, not to the extent of getting lost in them, but he's not holding back

And while Divination is not his forte, Enchantment is. Enchanting his own senses to feel more, hear more and see more— that gives him a clue someone is indeed on his trail. So he grabs a bottle (ale not whiskey, sorry) and moves away from the main crowd. ]

[scatmaam]

[ She was glad she didn't need to spend much more time tracking him down, but she didn't approach him just yet. Knowing full well he was aware of her presence, she found herself curious as to just where he'd lead her for their inevitable meeting. She kept to the shadows, a comfortable place for her, and watched as he moved. ]

III

[gorgeously_unrestrained]

[The cheerful voice that responds belongs to neither of the hounds she's searching for.]

Generally speaking, a well trained dog will come when it's called.

[He should probably know better than to tease Scathach.

But here we are anyway.]

[scatmaam]

[ It earns him the broadside of her spear being swung out to slap the back of his head. ]

I didn't ask for your opinion.

iv

[fulgency]

[Ozymandias makes no effort to catch or collect the garments as she tosses them aside. He leaves that task to their creator, who is furtively trying to clean up the mess and get the clothes back on the rack and shelves. Ozymandias only glances in their direction to see they've made the wise decision not to complain about how their work is being treated and to simply focus on cleaning up after the hurricane currently sweeping through their wares.]

You find ways of coping.

[Whether it's sucking it up or having to tailored even further to suit one's preferences, doesn't matter.]

Re: iv

[scatmaam]

[ Wise on his part. Scathach recognized his voice, but didn't bother to connect the voice to the face in her mind and just continued her search, hyper focused on digging. ]

I doubt my usual method of just going with a loin cloth would go over so well in this sort of society. [ Scathach groaned, giving up on the women's garments entirely and looking through the men's. ]