lunaecalamitas | look at me, i'm the wound you tried to hide

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.

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?

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.

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.

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!

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.

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Huh. You figured out your mana area already? [ Since why else would Solomon be thinking of his amulet otherwise? ]

Edited (typos,) 2024-05-06 19:18 (UTC)

I have a suspicion, yes, though the weather hasn't been kind enough for me to test it just yet. [He'll nod them towards a jewelry shop, opening the door for his fellow wizard. After you.

The storekeeper looks wary as they enter, but Solomon waves nonetheless, seemingly unbothered.]

What about you, Day?

[ He's noticed this is the case for most of the businesses Day (and probably the others) has visited in the City of Rain. They're not always unwelcoming, per say, but they're cautious.

Day peers at the jewellery on display, as if he might get some clues as to what Solomon's mana area could be based on what sort of inspiration he's looking for. ]

Uh, honestly? Ain't sure where to start. [ Or rather, while he can think of some places that might work, he doesn't know where to find even approximations of them in this world. They're so tied to specific experiences or things that he feels aren't really the same here. ]

[There's not too much of a tell, other than he seems to be gravitating towards gems of certain colors.]

Mm. Well, starting with what you know is always a good foundation.

What do you usually do at home to relax?

[ Hmmm... ]

Playin' the erhu. [ Floor 2 is well-acquainted with it, as are people who hang out in the courtyard, especially later in the evening. The people in the rooms above and below him probably can overhear it too. ] Sometimes I have a drink or two. [ ...In the evening, he'd normally say, but he's also already gone day drinking twice within a month, so... ]

Ah, you're the local musician! It's very pleasant. If we find a piano, perhaps we can play something together.

[That aside, though:]

Are either of those things you do to settle your heart as well?

Does the instrument become a challenge when you're at your lowest? Does the alcohol become a vice?

Now you're makin' me wonder exactly how many people know how to play an instrument here, 'cause I ain't the only one. [ Between Leo and Tatara, and Yamato also being a performer.

At that though, Day goes silent, which probably says quite a bit.]

...Well, you're right on both counts. [ Music only helps with stress so much, and he deliberately avoids drinking when he knows he's beyond stressed and actually feeling low for that exact reason. ]

I wouldn't be surprised if there's more. Music is pretty transcendent no matter the species.

[His glance towards Day shifts, softening in empathy.]

With that in mind, then... think of those times where you were at that lowest point. Exhausted, or stressed, or losing your way.

Where would your heart long to be?

[ The way Solomon looks at him with empathy reminds him of Mirror. It reminds him of a lot of his senior colleagues, really, especially back when he first joined the Division of Serenity. Maybe that's why he takes a while to think before he answers honestly, or as honestly as he can be out where people might overhear. ]

I come from this small farmin' town out in the countryside. The kind where the next town over's like, five days or so away. The local shrine's on a hill, eighty-nine steps up to the top damn pain to sweep it all. It ain't anything fancy—pretty sure the fanciest thing we still got there's the statue of Sextes Jylis—but since it's all small, it's quiet 'cept durin' prayer days or festivals. I grew up there, but it's been years since I went back. [ And he speaks about it with the kind of nostalgia that can only come from wishing he could. ]

...And I guess the other place would be under the stars, but... [ This night sky still feels too unfamiliar to him. The stars here don't tell him anything. ]

[A little country boy... Solomon listens patiently, attention staying on Day as he weaves a picture of young-blooded nostalgia. Comfort and familiarity in the secluded, the hardworking, perhaps the religious - though he does not recognize the name of the statue.]

Perhaps somewhere in the South might remind you of those feelings. It could be a place to start.

Why your hesitation on the stars, though?

[ He really is a country boy at heart, as much as he was in a hurry to get out of small-town living back then. It's why being in the South sometimes gives him a surge of complicated emotion, but in the end, he cannot bear to look down on people preserving against the odds in togetherness. ]

...I suppose I could start there, yeah.

The stars here are... [ He falters for a moment as he tries to find the right words. ] They're different. I mean, makes sense that they are, but it feels weird to look up at them and not feel...something. [ A connection. The reassurance that even if there are people who can no longer be with and ones whom he will inevitably part form, they still share a sky that he will be intrinsically tied to until the day he dies. ]

Mmm. I could understand that. It's hard to feel connected when it's not the sky you know. If the feeling isn't there, then I wouldn't force it. There's something to be said for following instinct.

[He hovers over another gem - a brilliantly blue stone spackled with white. Not quite. Not quite.]

They have an interesting legend in my world about the stars of the sky, you know. Would you like to hear it?

[ "Following instinct", huh. His eyes follow where Solomon's hand hovers over the blue stone. Still not the one? ]

Sure. We've got time to kill.

[ The poor shopkeeper, ]

Hahah - nothing that complicated, so don't worry too much.

[He settles his cape just so, the ring on his middle finger glinting in the light.]

All of the realms of the world have their own constellations, their own starry skies. But-- [He holds up a finger, before drawing his hands in a subtle but dramatic gesture.] --some say that, in the bands where the stars gather at their brightest, where color and light mix... it's said the sky has torn, to spill out on itself in its splendor. To some, it's where the realm of hell, heaven, and earth all truly meet. You could reach through from the fiery pits and see the same light as the angels do.

[ Day is watching Solomon's gestures. Notes to himself that's it's kind of funny how this is the second? Third? Northern wizard who seems to have a bit of a flair for dramatics. ]

Like where the three realms converge, is that it? [ ...Angels again... ]

Exactly that.

[There's a mischievous lilt to his smile.]

I wonder if the sky here can't be similar? Perhaps if we stare into its depths, the spirits and wizards and humans will all see in one accord for once.

It's a nice idea. Serenity beneath a shared sky. [ It's an ironic thing to talk about while they're in a jewellery shop within the City of Rain, of all places. ]

...Can't say I know any real legends or anything, but I can share somethin' interestin' 'bout the stars back home? [ A fair exchange, though he's afraid that what he has to share isn't quite so potentially hopeful. ]

[Oh! Nobody ever gives him a story in return! His attention immediately draws to Day with a sudden perk of energy.]

I'm all ears. I'd love to know more about where you're from.

[ This is weirdly cute coming from someone who keeps giving Day the kind vibes he'd expect from some senior member of the Division of Secrets. He doesn't know what to do with this. ]

I've been gettin' the feelin' where I'm from isn't like what most people seem to be used to.

Where I'm from, all the stars are visible and high in the sky no matter where you're lookin' at it from. They don't move, 'cept for the planets. They're what we call the Five Maidens; Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. And they're the goddesses of the stars, fate and destiny, so... [ Right, how was this explained to him back then... ] They see the world as it could be, not as it is. Each of them oversees different aspects of fate, and within their purview, they see different strings and permutations of how things can play out.

I ain't gonna say they can really be called "people" any more than you could most gods, but they're more like..."natural law", I guess. They ain't saints, but they ain't crooked either, they just care that the things that ought to happen, happen. You can say they're kind and cruel, or neither, but never just one or the other of those things.

[Huh...... the planets are familiar, but why would the stars not move? Was Day from some version of the world where the planet had stopped spinning? But wouldn't that kill everyone????

Hm. He'll have to think on that more some other time.]

Like the Fates... I see.

Time and destiny are delicate topics with delicate means of approach, so it makes sense to have them be both cruel and compassionate in the same strokes.

Are these only legend, or do your goddesses play a more active role?

[ Hmmm. Debating how to answer this. The way Solomon talks about these things from a more intellectual perspective (as well as Day remembering that demonic incantation, by the gods) suggests to him he probably would not find the idea of the Bureau of Destiny alarming, though it's not like Day intends to mention it just yet. ]

Judgin' by the name, yeah. They are the more or less the Fates. These days, they delegate, and where I'm from, legends tend to not entirely be legends, either.

I think that much is true anywhere. Legends have to come from somewhere, after all, whether an exaggeration of imagination or simply a story of truth that has long outgrown its roots.

[He settles his eyes towards another gemstone. Mm, no, this one wasn't quite right either. The blue is closer, deeper, but it was missing something crucial.]

Is the world aware of their delegations, or is that kept to a realm beyond?

[ Day just watches Solomon browse through the gemstones, still trying to figure out what it is Solomon is looking for, exactly. ]

...A realm beyond. A couple of Maidens don't have much in the way of cults these days, even. [ This probably already says quite a bit, actually? ]

[He's definitely sticking to the blues across quite a few pieces, so it looks like the gemstone is what's important to him here.]

So that must mean you have some close ties to that side, if you know about all that? [why does he suddenly look so at home...] I wonder if you'd consider yourself angelic.

Edited 2024-05-10 16:45 (UTC)

[ Why does he look so at home. It's not helping the senior colleague vibes at all. ]

I didn't even know what an angel was 'till I met Ginger. [ So not quite. ]

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