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lunaecalamitas2024-05-04 01:06 pm
promittere) wrote in lunaecalamitas2024-05-04 01:06 pm
look at me, i'm the wound you tried to hide
ANDANTE ALLA WANING CRESCENT
Another day dawns for the Sage's wizards. It's been a month, now, since arriving in this world and being given a task nobody seems to fully understand—though after the jobs the Southern and Central wizards have taken on, it seems like it might just be possible after all.
And it seems like there's another task for the wizards, from the Eastern nation. However, unlike the other requests the Sage has been fielding, this task is far too big for five wizards alone. This is a task everyone will need to help tackle, whether they like it or not. Those that aren't particularly altruistic will still be whisked together by Tatara and Lazuli both, and they may still find the journey...illuminating. Answers to what happened to the original wizards may be just within reach.
Traveling via the elevator at the manor is familiar to some of you, at least, Lazuli setting a mana stone into the control not a surprise in a the slightest. The fact all of you can, somehow, fit in the elevator comfortably may be a surprise, but it's best not to dwell on it too much. You'll be staying at the City of Rain, Lazuli tells you with the air of someone reading you a court sentence, but you've been tasked with clearing up the site of some sort of disaster. He doesn't have much information beyond that—a fact that seems to greatly annoy him—and he warns you not to break any of the City of Rain's laws well before you're out of the elevator.
Which that shouldn't be too difficult, right? Right...?
Perhaps not, as the rules of the city are extreme. There are certain areas which forbid socialization and talking entirely, some areas where only talking to strangers is forbidden, only a handful of businesses allow chatter of any sort, and the list goes on. The most pressing law of all, though, is very simple: no use of any sort of magic within city limits. Do your best to follow the rules because breaking them will result in an arrest, and do you really want Lazuli and Tatara bailing you out? With the rules laid out and lodging sorted, Lazuli ushers you to the site you're tasked with dealing with. You will have downtime to explore the city, though, as it's expected to take several days to clear things up.
The site is a terrible, terrible mess. In what must have once been a peaceful patch of wilderness, there now sits a terrible gouge in the earth, several meters deep and twice as wide across, hollowed by what must have been a powerful force. The dirt is gray and sandy, dead in the manner the Southern wizards will recognize. Plants on the edges of the crater are dry and withered and splintered and broken. Permeating the air is a lingering dread, one both Southern and Central wizards will immediately recognize...
But it is clear now, now that your magic is considerably stronger, that the spirits are agitated by the disturbance in the fabric of magic. Dark clouds hang low over the site, and low thunder rumbles in the constant threat of a storm that will never come. The spirits' agitation, coupled with the dread hanging in the air, will feel uncomfortable, and perhaps leave the more sensitive of the bunch feeling on edge. This is not something that can will resolve on its own, so your most important task is to calm the spirits. That means doing the things they like: playing music, dancing, praying, telling stories, wearing fanciful and whimsical clothes to soothe their temperaments.
Your second most important task is to clear out monsters. The unusual energy in the air is attractive to beasts magical in nature—they slink out of their hiding places in the deep wilderness to the area, and their presence is threatening the humans who regularly use the nearby routes for trade and to commute. Kill them, take their mana stones for yourself. Win-win.
The third task is general clean-up. Remove the dead plants from the earth, remove the broken trees and any natural debris that might prove to be a hindrance. Characters are more than welcome to search inside the crater for any hint or clue as to what might have caused this strange explosion, but they'll find the site picked clean, earth having fallen into cavities where there might have been larger objects present at one point...like someone was here to clear out any evidence.
And it seems like there's another task for the wizards, from the Eastern nation. However, unlike the other requests the Sage has been fielding, this task is far too big for five wizards alone. This is a task everyone will need to help tackle, whether they like it or not. Those that aren't particularly altruistic will still be whisked together by Tatara and Lazuli both, and they may still find the journey...illuminating. Answers to what happened to the original wizards may be just within reach.
Traveling via the elevator at the manor is familiar to some of you, at least, Lazuli setting a mana stone into the control not a surprise in a the slightest. The fact all of you can, somehow, fit in the elevator comfortably may be a surprise, but it's best not to dwell on it too much. You'll be staying at the City of Rain, Lazuli tells you with the air of someone reading you a court sentence, but you've been tasked with clearing up the site of some sort of disaster. He doesn't have much information beyond that—a fact that seems to greatly annoy him—and he warns you not to break any of the City of Rain's laws well before you're out of the elevator.
Which that shouldn't be too difficult, right? Right...?
Perhaps not, as the rules of the city are extreme. There are certain areas which forbid socialization and talking entirely, some areas where only talking to strangers is forbidden, only a handful of businesses allow chatter of any sort, and the list goes on. The most pressing law of all, though, is very simple: no use of any sort of magic within city limits. Do your best to follow the rules because breaking them will result in an arrest, and do you really want Lazuli and Tatara bailing you out? With the rules laid out and lodging sorted, Lazuli ushers you to the site you're tasked with dealing with. You will have downtime to explore the city, though, as it's expected to take several days to clear things up.
The site is a terrible, terrible mess. In what must have once been a peaceful patch of wilderness, there now sits a terrible gouge in the earth, several meters deep and twice as wide across, hollowed by what must have been a powerful force. The dirt is gray and sandy, dead in the manner the Southern wizards will recognize. Plants on the edges of the crater are dry and withered and splintered and broken. Permeating the air is a lingering dread, one both Southern and Central wizards will immediately recognize...
But it is clear now, now that your magic is considerably stronger, that the spirits are agitated by the disturbance in the fabric of magic. Dark clouds hang low over the site, and low thunder rumbles in the constant threat of a storm that will never come. The spirits' agitation, coupled with the dread hanging in the air, will feel uncomfortable, and perhaps leave the more sensitive of the bunch feeling on edge. This is not something that can will resolve on its own, so your most important task is to calm the spirits. That means doing the things they like: playing music, dancing, praying, telling stories, wearing fanciful and whimsical clothes to soothe their temperaments.
Your second most important task is to clear out monsters. The unusual energy in the air is attractive to beasts magical in nature—they slink out of their hiding places in the deep wilderness to the area, and their presence is threatening the humans who regularly use the nearby routes for trade and to commute. Kill them, take their mana stones for yourself. Win-win.
The third task is general clean-up. Remove the dead plants from the earth, remove the broken trees and any natural debris that might prove to be a hindrance. Characters are more than welcome to search inside the crater for any hint or clue as to what might have caused this strange explosion, but they'll find the site picked clean, earth having fallen into cavities where there might have been larger objects present at one point...like someone was here to clear out any evidence.
JOB BOARD
Reinforcement. Peace in Granvelle Castle has been restored. A liveliness and energy has returned to the castle and the surrounding parts of the city that hasn't been seen in nearly a month. Thank your Central friends for their hard work!
Their issues aren't quite resolved, however. The castle is asking for help in creating and then reinforcing a magical barrier around the castle. The barrier is a bit bigger than what one wizard alone is capable of at this point, so band together to create and reinforce what parts you can. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to use your own hair or blood as a conduit.
The type of barrier is specific, however—they want one that masks magical signatures. If you step inside, you'll feel a faint, but powerful presence within... What are they guarding?
Their issues aren't quite resolved, however. The castle is asking for help in creating and then reinforcing a magical barrier around the castle. The barrier is a bit bigger than what one wizard alone is capable of at this point, so band together to create and reinforce what parts you can. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to use your own hair or blood as a conduit.
The type of barrier is specific, however—they want one that masks magical signatures. If you step inside, you'll feel a faint, but powerful presence within... What are they guarding?
Recycling. The Eastern country is known for its expertise in all things mechanical, particularly when it comes to clockwork. While not as bombastic or flashy as Western technology, the use of magic and mana stones being deeply frowned upon and rejected, Eastern artisans can create truly fantastical things just with gears and cogs and a bit of know-how... But, of course, sometimes it's better to scrap something and create something new than let the old items waste away, so some Eastern craftsman have asked for help gathering clockwork automatons and other creations in order to melt it all back down. Some of them seem a bit nervous and harried, but it's an easy enough job to scrap automatons and cart junk around.
Monster hunting. The few settlements in the North have been sending in frantic request after frantic request. There has been a disturbing increase in monster activity in the North, and the native Northern wizards are as unreliable as ever. They need your help in thinning the numbers, and that's all they really ask for—you can keep all the mana stones you earn.
For those of you who haven't been to the North yet, the weather is harsh, no matter the season. Protection on oneself to survive the negative degrees is crucial; make sure your magic is up to snuff enough to keep yourself at least room temperature. And using your magic to battle on top of that? This isn't going to be an easy job, not at your level. Be cautious, and good luck.
For those of you who haven't been to the North yet, the weather is harsh, no matter the season. Protection on oneself to survive the negative degrees is crucial; make sure your magic is up to snuff enough to keep yourself at least room temperature. And using your magic to battle on top of that? This isn't going to be an easy job, not at your level. Be cautious, and good luck.
Mana areas & amulets. You've been here for a month now, and living in an unfamiliar place, alongside unfamiliar people, using unfamiliar magic must be wearing you down. Isn't it? In that case, it's time for the last piece of your wizardhood puzzle: your mana area.
Mana areas are spots where wizards feel most at peace with themselves, most whole, and a place where they can refill on the emotional load they've been chipping away at for their magic. It can be a specific location, or a conditional circumstance. Find more detail on the magic page. Your task—given to you by your sage and your mentor—is to traverse the continent, find your mana area, and recharge your batteries, so to speak. While there, make an amulet to take back with you, like a portable battery.
Mana areas are spots where wizards feel most at peace with themselves, most whole, and a place where they can refill on the emotional load they've been chipping away at for their magic. It can be a specific location, or a conditional circumstance. Find more detail on the magic page. Your task—given to you by your sage and your mentor—is to traverse the continent, find your mana area, and recharge your batteries, so to speak. While there, make an amulet to take back with you, like a portable battery.
WANDERER TASKS
Listen to the spirits.
You've been here long enough that it's time to see if you can actually communicate with the spirits who've laid claim on you and have been empowering your spells. Try your listen and see if you can hear what they have to say to you.
OOC Note: For those attempting this task, ping one of the mods and roll a dice! Based on the dice roll, your character will get a little tidbit from the spirits... Or they might not hear anything yet, but they can always dedicate themselves to their studies and try again after leveling up!
You've been here long enough that it's time to see if you can actually communicate with the spirits who've laid claim on you and have been empowering your spells. Try your listen and see if you can hear what they have to say to you.
TATARA ACTIVITIES
Don't make promises.
If you've made a promise, don't break it.
If you break a promise, you'll lose your magic. And I don't know if I can help you anymore or send you home if that happens. I'm sorry this is so late. But please...be careful.
If you've made a promise, don't break it.
If you break a promise, you'll lose your magic. And I don't know if I can help you anymore or send you home if that happens. I'm sorry this is so late. But please...be careful.
OOC NOTES
🌙 Welcome to your third event! Everyone's lasted a month, congratulations! Keep working on your magic, keep forging those bonds.
🌙 As your characters settle into the world, they might find themselves irresistibly drawn to crowds, to music, to dancing. It's hard to resist the allure of a gathering, and it's hard to keep yourself from swaying to music when it fills your ears, no matter what sort of person you used to be. You're changing...
🌙 As we enter the second month, we are announcing a deadline for finding your pairs. This will be Friday, June 14 at 11:59 PM EDT. Remember, you may submit a guess at any time, and there is no penalty for getting a guess wrong, so long as you have a thread to back up your guess and consent from your partner. The pair page is here.
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting on this post, as not everyone checks plurk or discord frequently.
🌙 Next up for missions is East. Let's hope they don't have to talk to anyone for this one.
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[Urianger tries to interject the moment he senses that tension rising right back up, but there's no stopping it. This is just going to have to run its course, isn't it? Still...it's hard to watch. A comrade, panicked and covered in blood that isn't even his own. It's too familiar.
He takes a deep breath and rises to his feet as Bruno attempts to flee. While he doesn't reach out to touch him just yet, he quietly implores:]
Prithee, Bruno. Allow me to assist in thy return.
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Return? Return?! Wh-what, to the manor?! N-no! This place is... is insane! We... we're all gonna die, Urianger! This keeps happening!
[ He stumbles a step away from the elezen even though he's made no move to touch him. He stares up at him with wild eyes, then away, almost like he's trying to find some magical escape to safety somewhere, anywhere! ]
We... we need to... just... we have to find a way home! I! I don't even know if... if any of this is related to what w-we saw! What if it's not?! We're all gonna be dead before we... before we even get that far!
no subject
It's hard to not look taken aback by the realization of how far Bruno's spiraling this time, but it's harder still to not have anything to offer up to assuage those fears. This does keep happening. For some here, it's too much to bear.
He keeps his hands at his sides, remaining calm in contrast to Bruno's outburst. But he can't mask the quiver of emotion in his voice when he speaks. He's not unaffected by all of this. Not at all.]
I've no right to deny thy fears, but I implore thee not to flee to parts unknown.
'Tis true, we need to seek a way home. But not in this state. Not like this. Let us take time to rest and recuperate. [Easier said than done, he knows. But they have to try.] We can then discuss what happened today in comparison to what we saw. I've my own thoughts about that.
[A slight glance is made toward Wanderer and the smoldering fire before he returns his gaze to Bruno.]
Prithee, Bruno.
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[ He will not calm down! He will gradually make even less sense as this goes on because he isn't thinking calmly in any sense of the word! ]
no subject
[That completely catches him off guard and he stands there, dumbfounded for a good few seconds.
He doesn't have an answer for Bruno's honestly valid question, but he can at least translate his old English in a quiet, very tired tone.]
It means "please." [He'll even drop it completely for a moment.] I am asking you to please calm down.
no subject
i can't believe he stopped speaking in tongues for bruno that's amazing i meanBruno stares at Uriagner for a tic. It's wild that after all those fancy words, to hear him speak plainly, almost off-putting even. On top of that, his request is confusing, or more like, he isn't in a good state to make sense of it. ]Calm? Calm?! I have been calm! I'm calm! This is me! Being calm! See?! I'm! I'm...
[ Oh. He's yelling. He isn't being calm, is he? He's exhausted and that's catching back up to him. For better or worse, that's dragging his panic down along with everything else. He lowers his arms and staggers another step in some random direction as he returns to looking at his bloody hands. ]
I'm... I... [ He's quieter now, at least. ] I thought. I thought I could do this. This is. This is too much.
no subject
As Bruno's shouting dies down, Urianger takes another moment to breathe. He understands. He really does. Some of the group really weren't ready to be thrust into this veritable nightmare of a situation. It's not pleasant even for those who have experienced something like this.]
I... [He hesitates to continue with this train of thought, but he does press on.] I know not the extent of what thou hast experienced. I cannot claim to understand thy turmoil. But I did witness thine efforts. Thou didst, in part, save multiple lives this day.
[At least the blood that Bruno currently wears isn't of the dead.]
It will all end in due time. But we must ensure it endeth in our favor.
no subject
...sure... until something else comes along to kill them...
[ Which is a very defeatist way to look at it. It's still worth saving them, it will always be worth saving them. He knows that, he does, but right now? He's just tired, the same as everyone else. ]
I. I need to go. Go clean up.
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With the outburst of panic subsided for now, Urianger exhales and nods.]
Aye. Thou shouldst.
[Then, to make what he wants to ask clear...]
May I escort you back? I wish to ensure that you do not collapse along the way.
[Sir you can barely stand right now.]
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He'll be seeking out the bathing area. Even if he only needs to wash his hands and try to scrub the blood stains out of his ruana, there's a lot of room to sit down there, and, with luck, far more solitude than the nearer kitchen could ever offer. ]
no subject
Ah, right, bathing area first. He's about to leave Bruno to it, but then it occurs to him that he's not without stains of his own to clean off. It's not blood, though. It's the odd liquid energy that seeped out of Wanderer's many, many wounds. He lifts up a part of his robe to examine the faint glow of it as he heads inside with Bruno.]
I wonder if magic would remove all traces of this.
[For the both of them, really.]
no subject
[ Bruno finally speaks up again when Urianger says that. If magic can rearrange Ahito's guts, there's no way it can't clean stains off of clothing, and yet Bruno still chooses to crouch down by the warm bath in the room and wash his hands there. Once those are clean, he feels it safe enough to pull his ruana off and dunk it in.
It's going to take a bit of scrubbing, he thinks, which is a tiring thought, but figuring out a spell to do the same thing feels just as exhausting. ]
But I dunno if I want to fiddle with magic after... that.
[ All of that. Ugh, but he also doesn't want to get back up now that he's down, so he'll kick his sandals off, roll his pant legs up, and sit on the edge of the wide pool of water, taking a load off and soaking his feet alongside the green wool cloak. ]
Could you, um, find the soap?
no subject
[As convenient as it would be, they're both pretty spent in the magic department, so he probably shouldn't try it and end up overdoing it. He still hasn't gotten used to his reduced magical ability, nor is he sure that he ever will.
Well, scrubbing it will have to be, then. While he's still on his feet, he ventures further into the bathing area to locate two bars of soap. One of them is handed to Bruno before he carefully lowers himself down nearby to begin working at his robe. That stays on, obviously, but he doesn't seem to mind dealing with damp clothes for now. He'll change when he gets back to his room.
The silence takes hold once again, for Urianger doesn't plan to speak of this morning's events until they've both had time to rest. Ah, but...he can't stay totally silent.]
I...apologize, for further agitating thee.
[He knows it was probably a multitude of things that caused Bruno to panic, but he's sure that he didn't help matters. It wasn't his intention.]
no subject
There's a moment where he wonders what to say back, where he carries on just being quiet, but eventually, he does reply. ]
It. It wasn't... [ It wasn't his fault, truly. ] Urianger, you didn't do anything wrong. It's me. It's always me. I don't know how everyone else here seems to shrug this stuff off but me? Sure, folks don't like me much back home, but the valley is peaceful. People aren't... they aren't attacking one another or. Or fighting or. We don't have evil moons or angry ghosts or vampires or anything like that.
[ Apart from his family and the miracle, it's normal. Normal, peaceful, safe. ]
I used to think I'd... like... being on an adventure, maybe, like in the books I've read, but that was when I was young and not. Not as bad as I am, y'know, now.
no subject
'Tis not thy fault for being unaccustomed to it, either. Those of us hailing from stars of monsters and conflict would do well to be more understanding of that.
[He exhales slowly as he splashes a bit of water on his jewelry. He'd noticed some residue trapped in the crevices.]
However, such adversities taketh their mental toll on us all. Perhaps not as visibly—some are adept at masking their emotion—but we are all bearing an enormous burden that we did not ask for. 'Tis difficult to truly "shrug off".
This is all to say that thou art in more like-minded company than thou mayest have presumed.
[Urianger had previously thought that he was free from this sort of life. So. Yeah. He's definitely tired of all of this too.
However, he does manage to quirk a small, rueful smile when Bruno mentions his adventure books.]
Mm. If only true conflict was as fun and fanciful as those stories depicted. Wert thou an avid reader in thy youth?
[He'll spare Bruno and just gloss over the self-deprecation.]
no subject
Yeah? I wish people would be, I dunno. Honest about it, then, but, um. I'm not really owed everyone else's suffering, either, so... [ It would make him feel less useless if he saw he wasn't alone but he also doesn't actually want to see additional suffering, thanks. He lets out a slow, quiet sigh. ] I wonder if I'll end up like the rest of you, then. If this keeps happening.
[ A grim thought. That he might stop panicking merely due to how often they face horror after horror. Ah, but books, books are a good topic to shift to. ]
Ha, avid? Sure. Not much else to do somewhere as small as my home, although I can't say we had a huge selection. Just. Just whatever Casita had lying around and what folks brought into the valley with them before the mountains went up.
no subject
Before he moves on from the subject entirely, he allows himself to speak candidly.]
I cannot speak for the others, but thou mayest consider this an admission of mine own honesty. [Of his concern, of his exhaustion.] Furthermore, thou art welcome to speak with me on this subject if thou fearest thou art becoming too accustomed to all of this. 'Tis a long journey- one that I did not expect to experience a second time.
[Haha, anyway, books. Sensing a longer conversation coming, Urianger follows Bruno's lead of soaking his feet for the time being.]
I can certainly understand that feeling of isolation, having grown up on an island. 'Twas my chosen hobby as well, and how I discovered both my love of prophecy and poetry.
[That bit about poetry might explain a few things, honestly...]
no subject
[ But life isn't fair. Bruno knows this. With another quiet sigh, he finishes scrubbing what he can out of the ruana, but at this point, what's set in will have to be dealt with some other way. With magic, most like. So, he hauls it out and begins wringing the worst of the water out. ]
It's even less fair to all the kids here. I don't want to think about what they've seen that makes this just... normal to them. I. I mean, you're probably better off offering them an ear instead, but I'll. Yeah, if it starts feeling too regular with me, I might take you up on that.
[ Still, books. He'd like to move on to something a little less grim, too. It's no good for his already frayed nerves to dwell on the situation they're in. Just when the success in the South had made him believe this was going to be fine... oh well. ]
Poetry, huh? Guess that's where you picked your fancy way of speaking up?
no subject
Thus, he nods in agreement that he should be checking up on the kids too. Provided they even want such a thing.
Back to the subject of poetry, Urianger lets out a small chuckle:]
Aye. I am well aware of the difficulties that my manner of speaking presenteth. [His gaze drifts somewhere out into space.] However, long has it been more than a mere preference. ‘Tis an integral part of who I am.
[And maybe a hint of stubbornness, but he wouldn’t say that.]
no subject
[ He'll understand 'prithee' next time. It's all good. ]
I still find it weird how we all understand one another, though. Like, not just you talking fancily, but in general. Are you all speaking Spanish? Are we all speaking something else? I mean, my incantation is definitely in Spanish. I can tell the difference, y'know?
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In the event that I do speak another word that thou art unfamiliar with, I shall gladly translate. Thou needst but only ask.
[Just so we don't have an anxiety-fueled misunderstanding again...
That said, Bruno's got a good point there. Urianger brings a hand to his chin as he thinks about it.]
I imagine the spirits must have something to do with it. 'Twould be a spell of massive undertaking for any of us in our current state. As for why certain words and phrases doth penetrate this filter, I cannot say. Perhaps the involved magick interacteth with us in unique ways.
no subject
Hm, spirits. That would make the most sense. They're the reason there's magic here at all, right? So I guess they could do whatever they want. That said, uh, I think there just... isn't a word for 'prithee' in Spanish, but there is for 'please'. It's por favor.
no subject
Por favor... [Urianger repeats, letting it roll off his tongue.] It hath a lovely sound to it.
[He means it. It's so unique- unlike anything on Etheirys. Aside from...Tural, perhaps? But he knows so very little about those lands, so it's difficult to say.]
Is Spanish the primary language of thy star?
no subject
Nah. It is in the region I live in? But my world has, like, hundreds of languages. Maybe thousands? Spanish is the only one I know, though.