☆ 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

I am 100% down for that

[curruid_coinchenn]

Ah...Rider. They're good at missing each other and Berserker still spent time at Ozymandias' home. Still, it's ridiculous they somehow haven't met before now. At the mention of Dorchacht, though, he looks a little bit uncomfortable. That's still a bit of a tender spot that weighed heavily on him. The cost of having emotions and caring is a heavy one.

"It was the least I could do for an ally."

Calling Waver (or anyone) a friend is still something that's difficult for him. Normal human emotions and normal human attachments and relationships are something he's adjusting to. It's such unfamiliar territory for him.

"He would have done the same, or at least what he could have, for me."

This is his way of saying "You're welcome": justifying his actions.

[towards_okeanos]

Iskandar smiles. So alike and yet so different.

"Yes, he would. Yet it doesn't make what you did less deserving of praise and gratitude. I wasn't for him there, you were. I won't forget that."

That is all he has to say on the subject. No excuses, no justifications. You did good, Berserker, own it.

And an ally is good. Ally is enough. For now. You just got yourself another one. Start getting used to that.

"How is this crazy night treating you? If you need medical attention, you have come to the right place."

[curruid_coinchenn]

Iskandar's statement sounds so final that he doesn't protest anymore; he simply accepts it for what it is.

"I thought getting out would help, but it's only made it worse," Berserker admits.

The offer of medical treatment is refused, however -- while he has wounds on him, they're minor. He'll let them sit for now.

"I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle."

It's all superficial scratches and bites from some questionable decisions made earlier in the night.

[towards_okeanos]

Iskandar nods. The man knows best the extent of his own injuries and Iskandar would be last to force help on anyone. They have enough work here already.
Yet he cannot leave the first statement without comment. It's not that easy...

"There's no telling if barricading yourself at home would be a better idea," he says "Unless you happen to live in a completely deserted part of the city. When you're out at least someone would notice if anything were to happen to you."

The mere thought of Berserker going feral gives even him a pause. He'd be viciously difficult to contain.

[curruid_coinchenn]

Berserker is well aware of how dangerous he is. Unlike most of his class, he's remarkably sane and in control of himself. Under normal circumstances, he's not a danger to anyone unless they're his enemy. A wrench has been thrown into that, though: these are very much not normal circumstances. Not even contact from his Bonded was enough to calm him completely or even stem the tide of his feral thoughts.

"There's no good option. If I completely lose control, I doubt anyone would be able to stop me without killing me," he says with a shrug, as though it's a fact everyone already knows.

"But I see this night had an effect on you, too. Is it just your appearance or is it preying on your mind as well?"

terribly late but gentlemen are having a conversation, it's rude to interrupt

[towards_okeanos]

Iskandar smiles when Berserker emotionlessly recites his own judgment of the situation.

"Stop? No, I don't think that's possible," he says. "I was thinking more in line of confinement. It would be fiendishly difficult but not impossible."

We are no longer Heroic Spirits here, after all. Just mortal men. Even dragon strength has its limits. And no, Berserker, that's not a challenge. He's just worried.

"It is, however, my hope and wish that there won't be a need for any such action."

For either of them.

Even if he wasn't already aware that those being dropped here as Monsters have it harder than the rest, this night would have given him ample evidence supporting it. It's not the physical changes that are the worst. Even if they disadvantage those that have them. Even if they make them less than human in the eyes of those lucky enough to be spared such traits. That's not the worst. It's what it does with your mind...that is truly the worst.

"It is. And I certainly don't like it."

One who has not mastered his own mind cannot say he has mastered anything at all.

And Iskandar is worried he's losing his own iron grip on his worst instincts. The cursed mist didn't have to add anything, it just needed to unearth what was already there. What he worked so hard to keep buried forever. Is this why he's trying to work himself to death? Most probably yes.

[curruid_coinchenn]

Berserker doesn't want it to be a challenge -- he's built a life worth living here. If he were to truly lose control over himself, it would threaten everything he's worked for and everyone he's close to. He's not interested in that.

"Only if something were to happen to my Bonded...That's when I would worry about it."

It's an honest answer and one he feels like puts a cap on any further concern about it. It's a moot point right now...sort of. Berserker really hasn't been having the best of nights and can barely keep a hold on his more violent urges. It's irritating.

"That makes two of us. Keeping control over my mind is why I sought a Bond as soon as I could...Not even that is letting me maintain control," Berserker admits with a brief grimace, "...you're keeping yourself busy to fight it, aren't you?"

[towards_okeanos]

"That part is obvious. Mist or no mist, anyone meaning harm to one of our own can't really count themselves among the living for too long."

Iskandar doesn't need dragon's instincts nor magical poisonous air to be fiercely protective of his people. Doubly so of his Bonded. He can imagine how it is for Berserker.

"Yes," he answers not even surprised by the question. Even if it's more a statement of the fact than a question.

"There's a blessing in being mortal and having human limits again. If I indeed do work myself to a point of exhaustion than if, or rather when, I lose control on my less savory urges I would be too tired to act on them. I'd be too exhausted to cause any damage. It's as simple as that."

Is it healthy? Not exactly. It is, however, a calculated risk. He'd definitely feel better about himself afterward if instead of launching into a murderous rage, he just dropped down from exhaustion and slept for two days.

[curruid_coinchenn]

Work until you're exhausted...for some reason that never occurred to Berserker. That's only because he rarely does more than necessary and always does more than necessary when he has to. There's no holding back, no limits. Now that he's mortal, of course, those limits are there, even if he refuses to acknowledge them. Going until he's completely exhausted is normal, but he still doesn't sleep well. He's used to existing while bone tired and it still won't stop him from going into a rampage if something can't be done to control his feral urges.

"Hm...It makes sense. It's better to risk being exhausted than be a risk to anyone if you lose control. I should've expected that from someone like you."