☆ 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

[enkidoh]

[Finally Enkidu moves to sit on that roof, legs stretched out in front of them while they listen to Cu's words and when he's done speaking they remain silent. It is what each Servant tells them. That they're human here. That they are not tied to Masters or Grails. This is a new life.

And for Enkidu such a concept is difficult to define.

They rub their ears briefly before they speak again. The moon is being loud.]

There is a big difference between being human and being alive. You mean that we've casted our spirit forms aside and returned to our true forms. [And Enkidu's true form is very human-looking. And they behave very human-like. They eat like a human as well. They possess the intelligence of a human. But that is how far it goes.] We aren't Heroic Spirits summoned from the Throne, we are what we have been all those ages ago. You might have been a human made of flesh and blood and I am a divine weapon made out of clay.

[They aren't sad about it. They know what they are. The only problem is that they feel a bit lost.

Enkidu leans forward a little, placing their hands in their lap.]

Hmm, I can be very hungry. And I appreciate some good ale as well.

[futhark]

[ Caster listens, Enkidu's voice is louder than the Moons so it's easier to focus. He still wants to spread his wings and reach the sky— but that temptation is easier to ignore. Instead, he settles down, puts his knees close to his chest as he sits close

"Weapon made of clay" ]

Your origin doesn't make you any less alive. [ That he says with certainty. A question remains how long they stay like this— There is a man here who was once a machine of metal and gears, but as time went on he found himself more of flesh. Two more were like this, where do they go? What happened to them? A question, but he does not ask it. Time will tell ] But you're right in that I do not know enough to make a good judgment. Nor am in the right mind to try.

[ Not an easy thing to admit, especially with all the impulsiveness amped up, with urges hard to ignore. Caster sways on soles of his feet, tilting his whole body closer to Enkidu as he puts his hand on their shoulder. As if he was about to say a secret ]

I feel restless like I have to move or— [ Go mad ] So what do you hunger for right now? Or what do you want to see— I will take you exactly where you can find it.

[ No more surprise flights, this time it's for very professional Fae delivery service ]

[enkidoh]

[The entire subject is confusing. A big part of them can't accept this as a new life. Perhaps the other servants see this as some sort of freedom, where they can return to their true selves and carry their true names.]

Perhaps we should speak of this later. When we are both in a right mind. [They smile a small smile.] It seems I need to make a couple of difficult choices soon. [Even though their choice to choose a human form has never been particularly difficult. But this is another matter and they are not sure if they like it. It makes them feel a little uneasy.

So it is pleasant that Caster suddenly mentions food. And food seems good. Even when its food amidst a lot of chaos.]

Ale. And meat. [The smile on their face brightens a little.] Bread as well. [Clay or not, they like to eat.]

[futhark]

[ Fae are fickle and their moods change easily. Like Caster needed the transformation for that, nevertheless, it does enhance what is already there. ]

Then I know an absolutely perfect place for exactly that— [ And yes, even amidst the chaos. He makes a small bow, almost exaggerated one ] May I have your permission to sweep you off your feet? Getting elbowed can affect the flight.

[ That's progress, he's asking. ]

[enkidoh]

[Yet, Enkidu is quite sure they already made that choice but how to uphold it is an entire different matter. The workings of this world are so strange and unknown to them that they are not entirely sure how to avoid the consequences.]

You may sweep me off my feet. [It is said with such a neutral voice that it sounds as if they're not entirely getting the joke.] I think I want a lot of ale.

[After that they raise their arms so the other can grab them properly. It looks a little ridiculous but Enkidu truly does not care how things might look.]

[futhark]

[ Caster has enough reason in him to cast a spell first, one that he likes to use for slow-falling, making his passenger lighter. ] Cleite

[ After that, he takes Enkidu in his arms. It makes for a more stable flight and a better experience. He carries them high enough for the whole city to unravel under them— direction?

The port. Sly Seadog is one of the more fun taverns. ]

end it here?

[enkidoh]

[Enkidu focuses on the way how the city disappears underneath them and close their eyes when they can feel the wind going through their hair. It is a calming thing. Just to be high above that dreadful city and its dreadfully large buildings. They wish they could be outside of it. They wish they could dig their feet into the mud and truly feel the earth again. Signals, tremors, presences.]

Ah.

[They start to feel somewhat sad and awfully melancholic.]

Perhaps I need even more ale.