☆ Event: Fright Night

[moustre]

Event Log: October, Fright Night

I. The Mist It starts in the middle of the night. As the bells chime for 3 am, a slow fog creeps across the city from all four cardinal directions, swirling low to the ground, shining purplish in the light of the twin moons. It goes without notice for a while, an oddity, easily brushed off as too much rain and the changing temperatures turning it to mist over the cobblestones. The first ones to get caught up in it are the night workers, the drunks leaving the bars, the sailors returning to their ships, anyone out on the streets when it begins. In most cases, the effects are not instantaneous - it takes a little time to sink in before… a. The Transformations Even if you don’t find yourself out on the streets in the middle of the night, the mist creeps its way into buildings through cracks and openings, until exposure is almost guaranteed for everyone in Aefenglom, and even some just outside the Bright Wall in the Outer City. Though a lucky few, Mirrorbound and citizens alike, will find themselves wholly unaffected by the substance and will retain their physical forms and their own right minds, many more find themselves bent to its whims, changing in ways that could never have been predicted. There is little rhyme or reason to what changes occur or how - some simply wake with new parts, uncomfortable, while others run from their homes, panicking as wings tear painfully out of their backs or claws burst forth from their hands. The mist does not discriminate. Humans and Witches find themselves gaining the parts of Monsters, or even creatures that live outside the Wall. Monsters gain parts that don’t match up to their species - Arachne with wings or gills, Turnskin with antlers and Merrow tails, Puca with the teeth and claws of predators or the horns of unicorns or the scales of lizards, such strange sights become more and more common as morning approaches slowly. Mirrorbound may find that they can even gain the features and mannerisms of creatures from their home worlds. It all seems to happen wholly at random. These parts may not even last; plenty of citizens lose their new additions after just hours, only to gain new ones in the meanwhile. In the dark, wee hours of the morning, the city erupts into chaos. b. Widespread Chaos There’s no chance of peace tonight. Some may be lucky enough to escape the mists or its effects somehow, but the vast majority of the city hasn’t -- and it’s telling, from the sounds of people in the streets, that no one’s particularly happy about the turn of events. Many are in pain, many are blind with panic and upset. How could this happen? What’s going on? Many of the shouts attribute blame to the Coven allowing the practice of at-times experimental magics, while others turn it into anti-Monster sentiment, claiming the Monster population wants them all to suffer the way they do. Other tinfoil-hat-ists spread their conspiracy theories loudly, laying the blame squarely on Dorchacht - retribution for the Monsters the Mirrorbound stole from their city. This is an attack, they shout! The actual truth remains to be seen, however. There are plenty who don’t care about the truth and pay little attention to the rumors. They’re opportunists at heart, and a city in chaos is good for lining pockets. Some less-affected and less-moral citizens take to the streets of the Shopping and Aristocratic districts, throwing rocks through windows, banging down doors, looting shops and the houses of the wealthy of whatever valuables they can carry with them. Even a gang of kids from one of the orphanages in the Harbor District, sporting their own mismatched new features, can be spotted roaming the city, looting stores and homes, stealing from people incapacitated in the streets. They can’t pass up an opportunity when they have so little to begin with. c. State of Emergency Parliament, in contact with the Coven, is quick to declare a state of emergency in Aefenglom. A magical announcement rings out all through the city, loud and impossible to miss. Those who can keep it together are called upon to help find some sort of order before things devolve too badly and more damage is done than can be fixed. People will get hurt if things continue like this, they could even be looking at casualties. Those who have learned healing magic are asked to report to makeshift first aid stations scattered around the city to help those dealing with more violent, bloody transformations. Anyone with prior law enforcement experience are tasked with helping contain and stop the looting and the muggings. More still are called to try and figure out some way to get rid of the mist, or reverse its effects. None of the assignments are mandatory, plenty are unable to assist as they deal with their own afflictions, but any help is greatly appreciated.

II. Damage Control The chaos of the first night dies down somewhat by noon the next day. The air of forgiveness and cleaning up for the new year that was present at the beginning of the month is gone as the violet mist still spreads, wreaking havoc with the citizens of Aefenglom. Human citizens take it worse than the Monster half of the city, but one of the side-effects hits the Monster community harder. It quickly becomes apparent that the effects of this never-before-seen magic are not only physical. Fights break out over anything from minor slights to things worth fighting about, blossoming from a few thrown punches to all-out brawls that spill into the streets. Anger and agitation increase in most affected citizens, and you can cut the tension in the air with a knife. Relief efforts have to be redirected. Some can keep it together just enough to go about their daily lives as best they can with their new ‘additions’, but others rapidly start to lose their minds in ferality, even those with strong Witch-Monster Bonds. Miss Nessie is quick to whip the Coven into action to help preserve the peace as much as possible. There isn’t enough room to contain so many feral citizens, but they try to make do. All available Mirrorbound, Witch and Monster, who are able and want to help contain the people of Aefenglom or each other are taught a simple knock-out spell, or given slips of paper enchanted with the same, to literally knock some sense into the ferals. It won’t hurt them in the long term, but it will give them a time-out and help pull their minds out of their pits of animal instinct. Plenty of citizens will be thankful for this. That doesn’t mean everyone is happy to see the Mirrorbound around town. They may notice that they get more scowls while they’re out and about, more whispers and dirty looks. They come from humans the most, but especially the wealthier people of the city, dealing with their own share of terrible transformations, who mutter under their breaths words like, “Knew they would bring trouble with them. Knew it right from the start.” Known Mirrorbound may find themselves being kicked out of higher class shops in the Shopping District, or even spit on in the streets. Poorer citizens, especially Monsters, see things differently, however: they’ve seen the refugees from Dorchacht, they know what was done for some of their kind. They’ll admit that the Mirrorbound have brought trouble with them, but a little trouble isn’t always a bad thing - sometimes you’ve got to shake things up and disturb the status quo. Though they’re dealing with bizarre changes and an increased risk of going feral, they have faith that the Mirrorbound will help solve this problem. Of course, this difference in opinion just means both sides argue louder and fight harder.

III. The Refugees For those who’d found themselves rehomed, mostly Monsters and what few Witches came with, this is not what they had expected from a “full moon”. They’d been warned that certain urges would be stronger, that magic could wax and wane like the moons themselves, but this? This rampant disorder, the odd turning present in so many citizens and Mirrorbound alike, the Coven and Parliament’s bid on attempting some sort of damage control--? Is this what they left Dorchacht for, from one far too controlling city to one that didn’t seem to have any control at all? They aren’t in chains, at least. They can choose their Bonds if they’d like one. But it’s put them on edge enough that some linger by the docks, both wanting to leave to someplace “safe” in their eyes and wishing to stay. The latter wins out in most cases, seeking to help the Mirrorbound as they were helped themselves, though they may be suffering from the mists themselves... oddly, they seem to be more aware of themselves in a way that the natives are not, likely learned behavior leftover from Dorchacht to keep themselves in check; the compulsion spell had only helped compulsion, after all, there’d been a genuine want to remain secure and safe in their minds even with the situation as it was. Unfortunately, there’s plenty of locals who see the refugees as part of the problem -- before the Mirrorbound, before Dorchacht, Aefenglom had been fine, and in continuing these thoughts, they’re not... the friendliest to outsiders. Some are more likely to retaliate violently with new-found additions to their physiology and skillset when the refugees attempt to help, with whispers, conspiracy theories, and nasty rumors all the while spreading at a rapid pace. As bad as Dorchacht had been, maybe they had a point about the strange, suggestive magic used across the city. Maybe it’s something Aefenglom should look into too, during the fuller moons, should this be the beginning of something worse as the new year rises at the end of the month. But hopefully -- and this is the hope of all -- it simply remains a one-off, freak happening at the end of the year, and they pray the new one fares better.

IV. The Aftermath Thanks to quite a bit of Mirrorbound assistance, the city is still largely in one piece by the end of the day after the full moons. The mist, an unstable alchemical compound, eventually breaks down into nothing after a day or so, and the effects all fade or reverse, leaving everyone in their normal bodies and feeling clear-headed as the moons start to wane again. There are issues of property damage, stolen goods, and political discord to deal with, but the hardest to handle is perhaps the guilt of those who went feral and attacked their friends and loved ones. Samuin preparations continue with an unusual gloom hung over the city as clean-up and reparations commence. While before, though, humans and Monsters could often be found on the bridge over the River Temese, making amends with one another, the activity almost entirely ceases, leaving the bridge empty most days from now until Samuin.

Welcome to October's event log! This event takes place ICly on the 12th, 13th, and 14th. The Questions thread can be found HERE! Please help us and other players out by putting the subject(s) of your questions in your header! Investigation briefs will be going out soon on the OOC Sign Ups thread to the teams who were chosen by RNG, so keep an eye out for that. And as always, while we do encourage you to use this log, you can feel free to thread things out on your own log or elsewhere.

Comments

[unyieldingmarch]

And I am relieved you are, as well.

[She starts moving, staff at the ready.]

Though, I fear I'm not wholly unaffected. My...eye teeth...are bothering me.

[Her canines. Where she'll grow fangs.]

[bloodypath]

[Hm. So this is how it begins, is it? Hubert spares a thoughtful glance at her before he starts moving ahead of her.]

I see. Better that than you among the raving. [The fog made it harder to see than he'd like. Something rapidly clicked on stone, perhaps a street over.] They remind me of Demonic Beasts...

[Their little welcome party, and his classes at the Coven, covered the full moons. Everything he'd heard so far led him to believe that the Monsters here were nothing like that, unless something pushed them over the edge to behave like an animal. He might have never seen the full moons before, but none of this seemed right.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Yes, they do, in a way. Like Miklan Gautier, in a way.

[Edelgard hears it too. This is unusual, weird, and she dislikes it.]

Less in control than the 'monsters' defined by the Coven. I've heard that the full moons make changes more evident, and control more difficult, but this I think is the work of the mists.

[That's the only logical conclusion she can come to.]

[bloodypath]

Exactly. If this were normal, panic wouldn't be so widesp—

[The clicking was suddenly approaching from behind them. A lanky wolf-creature, with far too large claws, fur striped like a badger's, and forward curling horns lopes into view. It doesn't immediately approach; instead, the Monster (?) tips its head back and howls, presumably to signal to something else.]

...This is becoming tiresome.

[Hubert attention doesn't linger on that one long; he turns his gaze out back into the fog ahead, trusting Edelgard to deal with the one before her and focusing what little magic he could into his hand. There was probably more.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Hells.

[Edelgard half turns, ready to make a fighting retreat until they can find some position that's more defensible. The benefit of a staff is that she has reach, and that's something she'll need to get around those claws.

The wolf-creature rushes forward, and she skips back easily, dodging a clumsy, feral swipe and cracking the thing across the jaw.

It continues to advance, snarling, but more cautious...]

I think there's a person still in there.

It's no mere beast.

[bloodypath]

That may be the case for all of them. [The "Monsters" were citizens not long ago, weren't they? And he's seen beasts tonight wearing tattered clothes, sized for human.]

[Contemplation and a more defensible position would have to wait—a second creature dashes through the mist from the other end of the street. This one was a wolfhound, bearing a rhino's horn and feet.]

[Hubert was ready for it, at least. He has to wait for it to get close—too close, where he can clearly see the thing's teeth as it reaches for him with its maw—before he throws his waiting spell in its face. The spell is a weak, basic thing, but the mutated wolfhound shrieks and pivots sharply away regardless. No living thing enjoyed acid in its eyes and mouth, no matter how small a quantity.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard uses the caution of the creature she's facing against it, making several quick jabs with the tip of her staff to force it back. She deliberately falls into a rhythm, giving it an expected pattern, and then breaks the beat. Vaulting forward, she sweeps the staff low, knocking the unfortunate down, then slaps it on the side of the head sharply to knock it out.]

Are we able to move forward?

[She asks, moving back, not turning from her end of the street and trusting to Hubert's expertise.]

[bloodypath]

[His expertise, unfortunately, was limited to little more than tactical judgement until he found his magical footing again. The half-blinded one circled around again, snarling furiously, stamping a foot in agitation.]

Not safely.

[It charges wildly again, much more aggressive than its partner, this time thrashing its horned head. Hubert dodges out of the way best he can in his state. He flings his hand again, but the spell fizzles, and he makes a sharp Tch!]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard is already moving to assist when she notes his struggle, her staff jabbing forward and straight into the charging animal-man's rushing stomach. It stumbles, it's own force driving the wood in deep, ripping a breath from the attacker. It wheezes and drops to the side, trying to recover it's breath.]

Did it hurt you?

[He does seem fine, but safer to ask. She'd already encountered one creature that spat acid at her.]

[bloodypath]

No.

[He's a lot of things right now—exhausted, suspicious, embarrassed, and deeply frustrated—but hurt isn't one of them. Hubert deliver's a swift kick to the underside of that one's chin, and it goes still as well.]

We do not have long before the other comes to. [He starts moving, not as quickly as he'd like; she'd be able to easily outpace him.]

You have my gratitude. For arriving when you did.

[unyieldingmarch]

[She follows, keeping her pace the same as his, not intending to leave him a step behind her.]

You've done the same for me countless times. I'm just glad you're alright.

[This is madness.]

It's as though the town's gone mad. We'll need to barricade ourselves indoors, I think. And trust Caspar's skill to keep him safe.

[bloodypath]

[This is Aefenglom.]

[Hubert doesn't respond immediately. Some part of him had been trying not to think of Caspar—he had his hands full as it was, and knowing their hotheaded general...]

Who knows what sorts of trouble he's started, even if he remains unaffected... He's supposed to be begin changing, as well.

[His worry distracts Hubert enough that between that and his fatigue, he stumbles over uneven cobbles. The mage catches his footing before he falls, but doesn't acknowledge it other than gritting his teeth.]

[unyieldingmarch]

He likely is. But in small ways, as I am yet.

[It hasn't been that long.

And she is there, the moment his feet catch, to steady him. she doesn't comment on it directly, it's a wordless gesture on her end, no less than he'd do for her.]

We are close to home now. I recognize this street.

[bloodypath]

Yes. Left, and at the end of the block. [Even in the fog, with the light of the moons choked out, he recognizes exactly where they are. The other Eagles probably wouldn't thought something wrong with him if Hubert didn't memorize the surrounding streets within the first few days of picking a residence.]

There's no telling how long this chaos will last. As ideal as staying inside is, we don't have enough food and water for more than a couple days. [Especially on the off-chance Caspar comes to his senses and joins them. There's no guarantee whatever's going on would last longer than the single night, either, but Hubert was hardly an optimist.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Yes. Yes...that would be very off. She turns, taking the corner a bit more slowly to cover all angles of possible attack. Fortunately, there's yet to be another attacker closing in, and that's a good sign.]

Hopefully daylight will alleviate some of the problem by burning away the mists.

[She doesn't have much hope of that, but it's alright.]

If not, we'll live lean until I can sneak out. You will be staying off your feet until such time as you've recovered.

[bloodypath]

...

[He wants to fight it. There are plenty of things Hubert could still do, he just... virtually couldn't defend himself in an emergency, at the moment. It'd be better if he'd had his lance with him when the fog edged in, but even then.]

I despise being rendered useless. [His complaint is a reluctant agreement. It's the only logical course of action. Leaving Edelgard to watch the street, he retrieves his key, pressing his ear to the door for a long moment before unlocking it.]

[unyieldingmarch]

You're not useless. You can't fight right now, but I imagine you can still help me with the logistics of rationing food. I've no head for supply management.

[It's a weak attempt to give him something to do, but it is true and he knows it. She isn't much of an organizer, when it comes to the minute details.]

And if it's simple anemia, it will pass soon, once you've had something solid to eat. And a little sugar.

[bloodypath]

[He appreciates the consoling effort anyway, even if it does nothing to ease him. Not being able to fight in a time of crisis is a large part of the problem, but not all of it.]

A simple matter.

[He enters their shared home silently, cautiously, despite having heard nothing. Paranoid habits of behind-the-scenes warfare die hard. None of the fog-feral seemed to have gotten in at least, and he moves to light a lantern.]

Would you like something to eat as well, Lady Edelgard? [He's certain there's still red meat, and as much as he dislikes well-done food, he'd cook it that way if the chewiness might alleviate her... teething issue.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[She follows close behind, locking the door and making sure to keep out of the main window, not wanting to tempt something into bursting through. Frustrated and annoyed with the evening's events, Edelgard sighs, making her way into the lantern light and setting down her staff in a rack by the door. She still has Aymr, and her belt knife, if trouble has made it's way inside.]

I would not be opposed. Something...even bread...would help.

[Shamed as she is to admit it, the itching is beginning to truly trouble her.]

[bloodypath]

[Hubert releases a long breath, and after a beat, a second light manifests in his hand. The light it casts is low and unsteady, flicking not unlike a candle dancing in a breeze from his unsteady magic flow. Leaving the lantern for his liege, he trudges towards the kitchen.]

Is that truly all that's bothering you? The Coven made the coming of the full moons sound more... dramatic. [You know, the chaos of rampaging Monsters in the streets aside.]

[The stove Hubert lights manually. Even at his current skill he could probably manage it, but fire is something he's determined not to evoke until he had a much stronger grasp on things.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[She settles for following, as far as the closest seat, then stops and thinks better of relaxing just yet. Heading for the hearth, she strikes a match and begins setting about warming the house. It's chilly enough that it could use the heat.]

Yes. I'm quite alright. I feel tired? But nothing more. [She huffs.]

Though, I suppose I am bothered by the thought of becoming as those creatures. Feral and beyond control.

[bloodypath]

[Servant though he may be, Hubert was no butler and still a noble in his own right; though he'd had more chances to practice it than Edelgard, his cooking was only a means to an end and lacked any refinement. Fat into one of the few pans they had to keep it from sticking. As that warmed, he dug through the strange magitech ice chest installed in the house.]

[(They really had to figure out how to recreate these in Fódlan.)]

It's unsettling. [The thought really did distress him, deep inside. Hubert couldn't bear to imagine his liege like that, and he was aware of her fears.] Foreign as we are, it's difficult to say if that was a result of their nature, or whatever is causing the panic.

[Returning to the stove, he adds the unremarkable cut of meat to the pan.]

The Coven talks of the danger of it—that there are many different risk factors. I will do whatever I must to keep you in good health. [Mental and physical both.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Anything is better than nothing. She'd practiced cooking a little at the Monastery with Bernadetta and Annette. And some on the campaign trail with the same duo, though Bernadetta was clearly the superior cook. Strange, that.

With the fire beginning to blaze to life, Edelgard takes a seat, sinking into a large armchair after undoing Aymr's sling from her back.]

I am aware. I received an education on how to avoid 'going feral' as they put it, and it seems I'll have precious few options in the long term save for forming a Bond.

[She looks up, watching him quietly for a moment as he begins cooking the meat.]

You will need to, as well. As I understand it, a balance must be achieved in us both.

[bloodypath]

[He didn't turn from the stove, instead focusing more of his attention on the little orb of light in his hand while he waited for the steak. Hubert's tone turns thoughtful.]

Yes. The thought did cross my mind that we might form a Bond. It seems it would spare us both quite a bit of trouble.

[It'd crossed his mind the moment he'd learned of them. Edelgard's fate as a Monster would be arduous, and if as a Witch he could ease that any, he'd do it without hesitation.]

I've been reluctant to mention it simply because it seems... too convenient. If there's a way to exploit such a connection, it could incapacitate us both in one stroke.

[Because of course he's looking for weaknesses, both in others and themselves.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Did it now?

[She asks, letting a minor, minor amount of amusement creep into her voice. Oh of course he had. She had too.]

I've been thinking much the same, admittedly. I think it something that we should investigate the possibility of it being exploitable, but after tonight? Seeing those people...I am thinking perhaps that it may be a risk worth taking.

[The good humor fades from her voice...]

I do not want to come any closer to being a ravenous beast. I will likely seek out others, as well. Take on enough to ensure that I remain as stable as I possibly can. Three, I believe, was the safe limit.