Event Log: January, Return to Dorchacht

[faileas]

Event Log: January, Return to Dorchacht

I. A Tarnished Reality The teleporter to Dorchacht becomes operational by the 4th and the ambassadors return to their city with the first open, ceremonial operation of the device - along with any Mirrorbound who wish to join them, and Theodore Rosethorne and Sowilo, who make the trip as representatives of the Coven to ensure that all is well. Those who missed the first teleportation, never fear! Now that both waypoints are functional, Mirrorbound and others may travel freely between Aefenglom and Dorchacht at any point they choose to. Notably absent from the group, though - most of the Dorchacht refugees originally smuggled into Aefenglom. Only three or four are going back with the ambassadors, and they're primarily Witches. The rest have chosen to stay. Upon return to Dorchacht, it's obvious that some major changes have been made with the new regime. The sky is overcast, but it's merely fault of the weather at this time of year - the oppressive fog that used to hang over the Black City is gone, along with its effects on the natural lunar cycle. The auction blocks, damaged in the fires of the event the locals now call "The Rising", have been fully torn down, not a trace of them left to sully the streets. Where the triple stars of the Resistance used to be worn in secret, a majority of citizens now bear them openly (and in many cases, proudly) on pins and on clothing. In fact, any Witches who do not display the triple stars on their person somewhere, are generally regarded with suspicion, disgust, or fear unless they're recognized as Mirrorbound Witches - careful not to be mistaken for a Drummond sympathizer. The Monster citizens won't be outwardly cruel to any Witches, but will be somewhat fearful, hurrying their children along or crossing the street to get away. Recognizable Mirrorbound, those who were there during The Rising and before, are treated a bit like celebrities on the streets, though any Mirrorbound are given a warm welcome, albeit a little less warm for Witches. Storytellers share tales of how diplomats treating one another, Witches and Monsters alike, as equals so publicly and openly within Dorchacht gave them hope that such a life is attainable, or how a band of Mirrorbound snuck into the city under the cover of darkness and helped give their Resistance a leg up in the good fight against Drummond's extremists. Others share stories of being rescued from burning buildings or cruel Witches during The Rising by brave heroes. Many of these tales are shared in the form of song, as homage to those Mirrorbound who brought hopeful music to Dorchacht through the radio, which is still operational and playing a selection of music with a little more variety. Still a bit soft, their speakers and songs are, but as time passes, they grow a little more experimental, branching out from the lullabies that used to be played. Overall, the Black City is much less black these days, a little greener and brighter from the plants left by Mirrorbound before. Where the old Dorchacht could take your breath away with its feeling of barred oppression, many of those barricaded windows have been opened, reinforcements on the doors broken down. Though things are never perfect after a revolution, and it's clear that the work continues. Armed Resistance guards patrol the streets in trios, normally two Monsters and a Witch, to keep the peace. Their first priority is the protection of Monsters, many of whom still seem anxious and scared as they go about their days - not of the guards themselves, who they often greet with smiles, but of the Witches and humans they pass on the streets. In some cases, keeping the peace means breaking up fights between their own and those humans and Witches who do not want to accept Monsters as their equals, and in some cases it means putting Drummond sympathizers in their places with intimidation and force. While they do their best to keep skirmishes out of Mirrorbound sight, it's clear that despite the improvements, Dorchacht is still no utopia, and the road to a true peace is fraught with speedbumps. As noted, characters are free to travel between Aefenglom and Dorchacht by teleporter as often as they'd like! The waypoints will remain open even after this month and travel will be unrestricted; we will note if this situation changes in the future. Dorchacht quests are also now available ICly!

II. A Few Alterations a. The Coven Major changes are still underway. One of the biggest that Mirrorbound will notice is that the new administration of Dorchacht have moved the Coven. The old building is in a state of disrepair right now, doors and windows wide open, the interior stripped of trappings. The library has shed its books to somewhere else. The basement where so many horrors took place is abandoned. Instead, a sign has been erected outside it, stating that this center of Drummond's operations will be turned into a museum to remember their unpleasant history, and to memorialize those who lost their lives fighting for freedom. It's still a work in progress, and not high on the priority list when survival and care of the citizens have to take precedence, but inside, characters may still find small shrines set up in various places to Resistance members who died there. Instead, Dorchacht's new Coven is currently based inside an old manor located just a handful of blocks from the town square, and it's a much more informal affair. Magic lessons have continued with Resistance Witches, though the subject matter has changed instead. They experiment with different types of magic based on their own interests, but many are studying plant magic, medicine, and defensive spells that can be used out in the Wilde. Anything that will prove to be practical going forward. Lessons are also open to Monsters now, so they can see what their magical brethren are learning (and know that the compulsion and control spells that Morgana loved so much are no longer being taught). With the Coven being moved, visitors from Aefenglom are offered places to stay either within the manor of the new Coven, or in various empty houses around the city. Stay as long as you'd like, they say, and apologize that the accommodations aren't nicer - reconstruction is still obviously ongoing all over the city, repairing damages from The Rising and the fighting that happened afterward. They don't really have anywhere as nice as the rooms their ambassadors were given in Aefenglom. b. The Walls One of the biggest on-going projects in Dorchacht right now is removing the Monster control spells from the set of enchantments on their city walls. High on the list of priorities is making sure that Monsters can feel safe again, secure in their own minds and bodies. As the spells are made visible, particular sets of runes have to be ground down and smoothed over. A spell is either cast or provided to soften the stone temporarily, and then it's basically going at it with magitech-powered sanders created by Hilda. The particular runes that need to be gotten rid of will be provided on reference sheets - please don't touch the others, they chide! Those are to protect from the Cwyld, and are still very important. While help is welcomed with open arms and enthusiasm at most sections of the walls, those guards posted at one particular small district, guarded with trios of Resistance members at each entrance and warded with alarm magic to warn of escape, turn Mirrorbound away; these runes are being altered, not removed, to help contain unruly Drummond loyalists, they say. The people who now live in that guarded district are all human, whether they're Witches or no, and all refuse to bear the triple stars. "Troublemakers," the guards will explain grimly. "We have to contain them for now. It isn't a perfect solution, but they've hurt people, or tried to hurt people, since Drummond was run out of town." c. Bond Lessons Bonding is a bit of a tricky subject in the new Dorchacht. Many Monsters are afraid of the idea, as it was once used as one of the collars around their necks, but the Circle of Three recognize it as an important way to wean citizens off the lullabies and calming draughts that prevent going feral during full moons. As part of encouraging others to form Bonds, partnerships at the very least the way most Resistance members describe theirs, there are demonstrations and public seminars that pop up around Dorchacht on the regular. They may be as informal as a circle in what's going to be a park or as official-seeming as a talk held inside a shop or lecture hall, but they have one thing in common. Many of the citizens are keen on getting Mirrorbound in on it -- mostly by dragging them in, asking if they have a Bonded, and if they do, they tell the Mirrorbound to talk about their Bonded. They're interested in the ups and downs (but mostly ups) of having one in order to show that if the Mirrorbound are into it, you should be too! They accept all stories but prefer the happy ones - the aim is to encourage their Monster citizens and help them be less afraid of taking that step with Witches. And for those who aren't in a Bond, or decline to talk -- well, they get what amounts to a "flour sack baby" in the form of a Dorchacht citizen of the opposite role of their own (a Monster would receive a human/Witch, a Witch would receive a Monster) that they must hang with for a day, ensuring no harm comes to them, bound by one of the temporary Bonding potions so popular in the Wilders' ranks. (As a note, for the second option, you have free reign of the NPC; do the personalities you find fun, be they cooperative or mischievous, shy or loud, abrasive to your character or someone they can genuinely get along with. They are all willing - no one is being forced into this. No Fae or Dragons allowed for Monster NPCs, unfortunately, as they are still very much not about.)

III. Ahoy Mateys! With Dorchacht opening up again after the last few months of closed off internal fighting, plenty of trading ships' Captains are ready and raring to go build business relations with the new regime and find a new market for some of their wares. There has been increased interest in finding a shorter route to Dorchacht by sea - the teleporter is useful for small groups of people, sure, but it can't handle much cargo. The only problem? Ships are being turned back, barely halfway there, with significant damage to their hulls. Brave individuals looking for a seafaring adventure are asked to come aboard and help the crew navigate tumultuous waters, hopefully figuring out along the way what's causing the damage to previous ships. It's a three day trip to Dorchacht if the waters are kind, and characters can simply teleport back home once there. On board the various ships brave enough to return to the sea, Mirrorbound find the problem halfway through the trip: a colossal squid that's made it home at this point, thrashing ships that come too close to its den. While uninfected, it does have injuries on its body, which may be the source of its lashing out. The ships are able to bring themselves close enough for longer ranged attacks, and the Harpy on board are careful not to be captured by the churning waves caused by the thrashing, but there's others who want to seek a less violent mean to end this surf and turf conflict. Killing, healing, subduing, or relocating it are all valid options, but getting in close to do any of those will be difficult, as it has a tendency to ink up the waters around it and reduce visibility to nothing. Be careful of any creatures swimming around that are interested in the weakened squid as well, such as various carnivorous fish, sea-plants, and things that appear alike to Merrow, but rely only on instinct. The Merrow cannot be spoken to, nor are they infected; the Captains of the ships will explain that they're "wild", and refer to them as distant cousins to the Merrow that sparsely populate Aefenglom itself.

IV. Back At Home Back in Aefenglom, the stir caused by the Circle of Three's arrival takes time to calm. It's the talk of the town for days - many seem happy about Morgana Drummond's apparent demise. "Good for them," is the general sentiment in the residential areas more populated by Monsters and the Harbor District. They're glad to know that things are on the way up there. Others think this is a boon; should anything happen, now Aefenglom has an ally city to stand with them, one in their debt. Others still don't really care either way, and go about their lives as if nothing's happened. The refugees, in their neighborhoods on the far reaches of the Haven, seem happy to hear news from home and find The Dragon/Starlight/Fafnir freed, and while a few of them choose to return to Dorchacht, having never put down roots in Aefenglom, more still don't wish to leave the homes and families they've formed here, or the Mirrorbound who have helped them so much over the months. Some even doubt that things are as good as they say, and choose to remain for that reason - slavery and ill treatment from the upper class in Aefenglom instilled in them a sense of (well-earned) paranoia regarding the intentions of Witches, especially those back home. They hear that things have changed, but don't necessarily want to find out for themselves. Even still, the mood is upbeat, with a general consensus that if Morgana is really gone, that's at least a solid step in the right direction. In the Aristocratic District, though, the atmosphere is sour. The general sentiment is that they wish the refugees would have left with those ambassadors. The kinder ones think Aefenglom should focus on its own citizens - the people from the Outer City brought in to weather the blizzard have never left, after all, still living in the neighborhoods with the refugees. Those who are more vocally outspoken about the Mirrorbounds' presence in the city think they should have all left to Dorchacht. Let another city shoulder all the misfortune they bring with them! Many of the people grumbling about that are ones who were directly affected by the Mists back in October, either through temporary changes themselves or through being attacked by ferals. Some of the more hot-headed young people try to spread this message - through graffiti, on homes and businesses in the Haven and the refugees' district, though if caught, they're quick to run away and not willing to enter into a confrontation. The graffiti is wholly mundane and not particularly difficult to remove, just unpleasant, telling Mirrorbound and refugees alike to "go home" or "go back to Dorchacht", in so much colorful language. Seems there's still some work to do at home, as well.

Welcome to your establishing post for the current situation in Dorchacht! This log takes place through the entire month; characters can come and go as they please. As always, you can direct all your questions HERE. This month we're also putting up a City Tracker for PC actions, both in Aefenglom's plot later on and Dorchacht's log here. Let us know what your character is doing, good or bad! The cut-off for the tracker is February 3rd.

Comments

[morbide]

[Henry thinks that he could launch into how it was never a matter of whether he wanted to eat the eyeball, but rather, that being part of a religious state meant doing things just to keep your hands on your arms... But he thinks better, based on her overall responses. The sorcerer nods.]

You got it. See an eyeball? No way from me. If I ever eat one again, you bet your toes that it would only be for a good reason.

[Perfect. He hopes that does the trick. Henry points to himself.]

I'm Henry, by the way. What's your name?

[integrous]

[ That definitely does the trick. At the very least it seems to make the girl look a bit more at ease again as she nods at his statement. ]

Oh, I'm Asahi. [ Maybe it was kind of rude to freak out before even introducing herself, but.. to be fair, eyeball eating is kind of a distracting thing! ] .. So, did a lot of people test our your soap already?

[ She can't imagine that being the case with his odd kind of sales pitch. ]

[morbide]

Oh, riiiight. The soap!

[He'd almost forgotten about that, even though he's the one holding the batch! Henry lifts them in both hands and takes a look at them as if beholding them for the first time anew, before giving her a single-shouldered shrug.]

Eh. Could be worse, could be better. But, hey, do you wanna try? It's speeecial soap! And using it, I have a plan to get that soap-selling Witch to pack up shop and go elsewhere. What do you say?

[integrous]

Well...

[ Although it seems that she kind of had the wrong idea about him - he seems quirky moreso than actually dangerous.. probably? - she's still feeling a little iffy about the idea of this soap. But he's been nice to her, so she doesn't necessarily want to be super rude about it either.

Asahi lifts a hand to awkwardly scratch the back of her head. ]

How exactly is it special?

[morbide]

I'm glad you asked!

[Curiosity's the key to learning, after all, and he thinks it would've been pretty ill-advised to accept his offer without asking. Henry lifts one of his bars of soap.]

Orin and that Witch both sell regular old soap, which is totally normal. I don't want that to stop. But this soap here... is enchanted, by me! It enhances your sense of smell twenty-fold. Now if you try smelling her soap versus Orin's, there's no WAY your reaction won't be 100% genuine when you have to give her a bad review.

[He holds it in his palm like an offering, and laughs.]

Pretty awesome, right?

[integrous]

[ Henry may be calling it pretty awesome, but Asahi looks.. a little apprehensive. Now she's glad she didn't just try out his soap right away when he offered. Thanks for working out well for once, paranoid senses! ]

Isn't increasing it twenty-fold a little much though? I mean, that would probably overwhelm just about any person!

[morbide]

Yeah! It's supposed to. But based on my calculations based on personal experience, it's just enough for most people to smell Orin's soap with eeevery lovely nuance...

[He sighs dreamily, before wrinkling his nose.]

And for all of his competitor's soap to smell noxious as poison. Twenty-fold's not a random number I picked or anything like that. It's science.

[integrous]

R.. Right, I get that, but..

[ She pauses, as if she feels unsure about even saying this much. Surely Henry must have calculated the side-effects into his little plan here too, right?

.. right? ]

It's not like the soap will be the only thing they'll smell if their sense of smell is enhanced that much! They'll end up smelling everything around them too-- which will probably end up being super gross!

[morbide]

Super... gross...

[This is a newsflash to Henry, whose attention drifts skyward while he lets her words sink in. The possibilities start hitting him, one after the next: a Puca smelling cold steel on a human's belt, a Witch smelling the pheromones of a Fae, or even smelling someone's smelly socks, all possibilities Henry hadn't yet considered. They're fascinating to think about, but certainly not his intended effect.

The sorcerer hums thoughtfully, staring at his bar of soap.]

Oh, yeah. Yeah, you might have a point there. Yeesh. That would be a one-way ticket into sensory overload. Instead of smelling her soaps, they might be smelling someone's trip to the bar, or something. [He looks at her, a heavy pause hanging in the air.] ...Sooo. Does that mean you don't wanna try it?

[integrous]

[ Oh, sweet god. It's such a relief to see Henry understanding her point. It sure drives the point home for Asahi that he's not a bad guy, just.. a kind of weird one? But then again, it's not like it's hard to come by weird types when you go around in a place like this. ]

I'd rather not. [ At least the way she views Henry makes her be rather polite - by Asahi standards - about the refusal though. ] I mean, I already get sensory overload enough at times-- bird eyes and all, you know? I don't need to also start smelling way too many things on top of it!

[morbide]

Ah, well. Worth a shot.

[Thank goodness for her understanding! Sometimes that's all it takes for someone who isn't quite on the same wavelength as most. Henry doesn't mind the refusal at all, and he dumps the soap, tray and all, into a messenger bag he carries over his shoulder.]

Bird eyes... Yeah, you're a Harpy, aren't ya? [This suddenly takes him, and he has a new brightness about his features — one less of causing market mischief and more about the splendors of Monstrous transformations. Henry adores the Mirrorbound Monsters just as much as the native ones.] So you have super great vision now? When did that settle in?

[integrous]

[ He's definitely getting some points too for just rolling with her refusal! You may be a weirdo, Henry, but you're a pretty alright weirdo in Asahi's opinion. ]

Yeah, I am. [ She nods. Even if she'd be the type to want to hide it, it's kind of hard to do so with those huge feathered wings on her back.. ]

I think my vision got like this.. hmm.. maybe a few weeks ago? I still had normal human vision for the longest time, but all of a sudden I started seeing things really clearly. I guess it's kind of the opposite of what most people experience when they realise they need glasses.

[morbide]

Wow. I don't know what it's like to need glasses, but even describing it that way... What a nice surprise! I'm happy for you.

[He sighs, staring longingly at her wings. Henry shifts away from the wall, stepping out into the open a bit more as if defecting from his place as the alley-dwelling creep. He still remains close enough to Asahi to be within conversational closeness, but the daylight casts on him more brightly now.]

If I could pick a Monster that I wish I could be, I'd pick a Harpy sooner than you could pick out a bird in the sky with those sharp eyes of yours. Are you happy like this?

[integrous]

.. Not really.

[ It's said with slight hesitation. Not because she isn't confident in that opinion, because she knows she doesn't like it. She's certainly not happy with it, anyway. But he sounds so weirdly excited - or, well, at least longing - as he talks about the subject that the total contrast with her own opinion throws her off for a moment.

Just a moment though. Then she raises a sceptical eyebrow. ]

Are you saying you wish you could've been a monster? [ He definitely seems more witch-y with the lack of monster traits and the fact he was talking about putting magic on that soap or whatever. ] I don't think many people here would agree with you on that.

[morbide]

[Henry sighs again; her answer doesn't surprise him all that much.]

Aw. Yeah, most people I meet are in agreement with you. I guess that's the reasonable approach. But the way I see it, this could've been a brand new start for me. I love beasts!

[More than he loves humans, it goes without saying. His smile takes on a warmth, truly reaching his eyes as he giggles. He doesn't meet her eyes, still focusing on the feathers of her wings. Lovely, he thinks.]

I was practically raised by animals. So, if given the chance, I'd be a Monster in the skip of a heartbeat! If I were a Monster, I wouldn't have a choice in putting a history of dark magic behind me, or... Anyway, it's always been a dream of mine. Flying away on wings of my own. That's why I think you're sooo lucky, even if you don't see it.

[integrous]

[ Oh god, he was raised by animals?! This explains so much to her. It's like some puzzle pieces click together in her mind. Of course he'd act so weird if he wasn't raised by humans! ]

W-- Well, I'd gladly trade with you if I could. [ Asahi awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. Despite the realisation, it still just feels kind of awkward and weird to hear someone be so enthusiastic about something she completely hates. ] But it seems we're all stuck here the way we are now. It's not like I really had any say in ending up as a Monster, after all.

[morbide]

The Mirrorbound would be lining up to trade magic for talons, if it were possible! The sheer amount of people I'd get knocking on my door and asking to trade... I could be a fearsome Dragon, or a fluffy Turnskin, or a swift Harpy, or a sleek Merrow with a selection like that! It's as they say, right? You don't know how nice you have it 'til you lose it.

[And the same could be true about being a Witch, he supposes. Or even being a human, even though he can't wrap his mind around it. He's thought about it long and hard, and it's forced his learning trajectory in Aefenglom. What do Monsters want, and how could he help them? Henry laces his finger together in front of his middle, trying to think about it from her angle. Asahi's already admitted that she doesn't like being a Monster, but it feels like she dislikes it even more than that.]

What about being a Harpy don't you like? ...Is it anything I can fix?

[integrous]

Huh?

[ The first question isn't too surprising. But the second one most definitely is, and it's that one that makes her look over at him with obvious surprise and wide eyes. Even though Henry seems alright despite his weirdness, Asahi has such a hard time trusting people. And someone she's only met just now offering to help so quickly? That definitely rings every single suspicion bell present in her mind. ]

.. Why are you asking that? [ Obviously the answer to that would be to help her out, but she doesn't trust people as a whole enough to assume that. ]

[morbide]

Well, it's just like you said. You're stuck this way, for better or for worse.

[He returns to her side, erring on the side of too-close-for-having-just-met, but trying to find the boundary that works for people — key word, trying. Truly, he's just a person who likes to be of service to others: if he can help a Monster ease into their transformation, he'd consider it a successful use of his magic as a Witch.

Henry raises his pointer finger.]

If it's that your feathers are too itchy coming in... or you can't stop catching cold with those hearty lungs of yours... or that your eyes strain from all you have to see... Maybe I can do something to make it easier? So you can find joy in being a Monster, and stop being unhappy about it.

[integrous]

[ This is so weird. This is so weird! Every single time she feels like she might just get used to Henry's really oddly nice brand of weirdness, he manages to say something else that catches her off guard.

It shows too. Asahi's wings are even more emotive than she is at times, and they awkwardly curl around her a little as she isn't sure what to answer to that. He seems so oddly excited about this whole Monster business, while Asahi is on the complete opposite side of that spectrum. Would he even understand? ]

I-- I just don't want to be a Monster at all! But there's no way anyone could do something about that.

[morbide]

[Henry hums, withdrawing his pointer finger and tucking his hands behind his back. His expression hardly changes, though perhaps it freezes more than it does allow for genuine expression. She seems very upset. Maybe more upset than many of the other Monsters he's met, at least in expression.]

Yeah... You're right about that, Asahi. Nothing stopping me from trying, but... They told me I can't just become a Monster. I doubt I could snap my fingers and BOOM — Asahi's a human again.

[Apparently he's asked.]

Do you want me to keep looking into it? Finding some magic that can turn you back into a human? Would that help you?

[integrous]

[ At least it's not too much of a surprise by now to hear him implying he asked if he could become a Monster.. He seems pretty excited about the idea, after all. But the rest of what he's saying still leaves the girl looking half-unsure, half-bashful. ]

Well.. I mean.. [ Apparently she can't even find the right words for what she wants to say. But she clears her throat, trying to force herself to find some anyway. ] I guess that'd help me.. if you really don't mind looking into it that much for someone you only just met.

[morbide]

[Henry's smile brightens, and he gives Asahi a spirited nod.]

You got it! I'll pour through texts people haven't read in centuries, if that's what it takes. I'd rather you be happier, even if it means you won't be an awesome Harpy anymore.

[That's the biggest bummer about this whole thing. Henry has a fondness for Harpies over many other Monsters: they're so pretty, so different from other Monsters. It's too bad that she doesn't want to be one.]

In the meantime, maybe you'll find something you really like about being a Harpy. Then, by the time I learn all of the magic, you won't wanna stop being one! [He laughs.] Well, a guy can dream.

[integrous]

.. I guess a guy really can dream. [ She scratches her head through her hair. ] And by that, I mean.. You know. I'll try to see if I can find something about it.

[ That feels like the least she can do in return for how much effort he's apparently willing to put into this for her. She looks kind of bashful, since she really doesn't know how to deal with all this niceness aimed at her.. ]

Does that make it sound like a fair deal?

[morbide]

You will? Really?! Thanks!

[Fair deal, in other words. He's glad that she'll try, even if she says she's not so keen on being a Harpy. In fact, he's pretty convinced that she'll find being a Harpy pretty great if she sees a light at the end of the tunnel.

As long as he can provide that light. He'll have to work hard at that, and he's not sure it can be done...]

I'd better get busy, then. There's so much in that library I haven't read, that I could study myself to death if I dedicated myself to it! And... [He raises his pointer finger, flashing a smile.] You have things to try enjoying, as a Harpy. Maybe flight, or speed, or lie detecting, or your pretty, pretty feathers. If I were you, I'd like the wings and feathers... But the hollow bones must be cool too...

[Nod nod. Wasn't he about to head off to the library...]