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.

» NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Exactly. I wouldn't want to be too late to an incident again.

[ Jing Yuan would prefer that he'd be able to avert one should one occur again, actually! But, he thinks the sentiment is universal, at least. ]

...Ah. Trust me when I say that I don't intend to make it routine.

And this time the injury was not quite so bad. In fact, I was able to, as you say, walk it off.

[ Get it? Walk it off? ]

[ He rolls his eyes. ]

Well, I'm glad you were able to walk it off.

[ You know what? He's going to lay back in the grass too, uncrossing his legs so he can flop back onto the ground. ]

...You know, I'm glad no one got more hurt than they did. Including you.

Hm?

[ Jing Yuan blinks a bit.

Ah. He remembers when Mika came by and asked about his injury, but it seems he hadn't anticipated people to be worried. Though that is natural, isn't it?

That said... ]

...I am glad as well. It could very well have easily worse than it had. Yet, everyone involved emerged alive, as best they could be.

By the way, how has your condition been since last we spoke? No strange flareups?

[ Hm. Interesting. Does Jing Yuan really not expect others to worry about him? That in itself is concerning, but it's not like Kurapika can call him out on that without being a hypocrite. ]

It's happened a few more times, but I think that it's simply random. There isn't anything I can do about it coming and going, not outside of managing the symptoms.

[ Hypocrites R Us:

Attendees that are known...potentially many. ]

Hm. Unfortunate, but there is still time to find a remedy.

[ Jing Yuan has to wonder if there is a way to ameliorate it further, but he certainly hasn't got a clue as of yet. Still, something to ponder as he realizes he never asked something, so time to correct that. ]

What do these strange flareups look like?

[ He wishes he was as optimistic as Jing Yuan, as he's essentially written off every finding a remedy. Maybe it's easier to mitigate his disappointment this way. ]

Pain, somewhere in my body. It varies in type and intensity, but it's been especially bad before. [ Like his chest was being ripped open... that was a fun time. ] My eyes turn completely red and I lose my vision.

It dissipates after some time, thankfully.

[ Jing Yuan is optimistic in ways that are painful because accepting defeat means accepting Kurapika is dead, and he doesn't accept that. Or maybe he's just stubborn. ]

Hrm. Things can't go on like this, however.

Maybe there is a way to put together something so it can mitigate the pain somewhat. [ Like, a remedial concoction? Unfortunately he can be realistic too by worrying if it'll be even effective. ] In addition, when this pain appears 'somewhere' in your body, is the location always different too?

It's different. I've felt it in my head a few times, once in my chest, and I've felt it in my legs once or twice as well.

[ It truly is random in many senses of the world, which makes it difficult to control at all. ]

[ It does sound quite random in every sense of the word, but Kurapika laying it out like that does make it easier to envision. ]

I see. I do appreciate the elaboration.

[ ... ]

...Is this the first time you have found yourself in quite such a difficult position, Kurapika?

[ Wow, Jing Yuan, you sure know how to ask pointed questions, don't you? Kurapika breathes in and out, letting the breath exit his lungs slowly. ]

No, it isn't. [ ... ] This isn't as dire.

[ Which probably explains why he's so nonchalant about it all. ]

[ Quite so.

...Though, he does have enough tact that he does try not to be too blunt. ]

That does explain how you have been able to handle it as you have.

[ ...Which makes sense in the end if Kurapika has experienced even more dire situations, given his job occupation. ]

I can find ways around what happens to me. I've been training myself to fight while blindfolded, just in case.

[ And the pain? He can push aside the pain. He's done it before. ]

I see this as something I can still work with, even if it's incurable.

So that if it blinds you, you'd be able to still react?

I suppose if you need assistance in that, I can always offer a hand.

[ Jing Yuan would prefer Kurapika take it easy. The problem is that even if he did, this condition seems supernatural, not unlike the onset of someone being Marastruck. Which means to him that even if he rested, it wouldn't really abate or decrease the problem.

He also doubts Kurapika would listen, and might just feel frustrated at being able to do nothing about it. ]

I should hope it is not incurable regardless. However, it is also true that in the absence of a solution or mitigation as of yet, backup solutions must be considered.

[ He'd be right on the money when it comes to Kurapika listening—he'd simply go behind Jing Yuan's back and practice anyway. ]

Mm, and the only solution I've thought of so far is working on my reaction times while blindfolded. [ ... ] Are you sure you wouldn't mind helping?

To be quite honest, I would most certainly prefer you'd be taking rest rather than practicing.

[ Jing Yuan will point out, because he sees no reason in hiding that!! Most might just straight up lie, but really, he sees no point in that. ]

There is a great risk in pushing yourself too far if you do take practice. This is an affliction that, while has not been as dire as what you have experienced previous, could prove to ultimately increase in its duration or severity.

However, I also realize I wouldn't be able to stop you if you decided to go it alone. Which is infinitely more dangerous than if you did not have assistance.

At least you recognize that.

[ And it isn't as if Jing Yuan's words don't hold some weight with him, because he very much does like and respect the man. However, there are certain things about Kurapika that won't ever change, and his propensity for overworking himself is one of those things. ]

I think it's that worry that it could grow more severe that I want to take countermeasures. I don't want anyone to get hurt because I need to be protected out on a job.

[ Jing Yuan truly knowing an overworkers' tendencies when he spots one in the wild (flashbacking to the conversation over weeds and also because he is one too, actually. It's fine) ]

I understand.

[ Even if he pointed out his worries, he does. ]

Avoiding being a liability is paramount. Particularly as time goes on, and matters will eventually become all the more difficult for us all.

Right. I can only hope that we don't run into monsters we can't defeat.

[ Because boy was Central mission difficult! ]

I'm good at combat, so I'd like to be of help and not rendered useless because of a curse.

I'll have faith that monsters will be able to be defeated soundly through combined efforts. Even if it may be difficult.

[ Jing Yuan thinks of so many people here as combat proficient. That being said, he supposes this is the first they've truly delved a bit deeper into such matters. ]

Ah, while we're on the subject...do you fight with a weapon or are you the type to use other methods instead?

I'm well-practiced in hand-to-hand combat. I also know how to use various weapons like swords, knives, and guns.

[ In other words, he's tried to be an all-rounder when it comes to combat, which isn't that far off from his magic here. ]

I mainly use chains that I conjure myself, however.

[ Swords, knives, and guns...truly an all-rounder coupled with martial arts capabilities. ]

I see. I typically use a glaive, though I have great skill in general martial arts, and can wield a blade as well.

[ Not exactly too all-rounded in comparison, but there are Options. ]

The chains you call forth is something like a form of magic?

Edited 2024-05-14 03:32 (UTC)

[ A glaive, huh... that's not one Kurapika is familiar with. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have Jing Yuan teach him how to use one. ]

Yes. Or at least, my world's equivalent to magic. Conjuration has a lot of benefits—you can create conditions on your conjurations to make them stronger, you're able to expend more of your "magic" to turn them invisible, and you can materialize and dispel them in an instant.

[ Jing Yuan would be more than happy to teach him how to use one! ]

Oh? That does sound quite beneficial to have.

Are you one of those strongest at it as well?

[ He wouldn't be surprised. Kurapika seems the type to train and hone his craft well; keeping mastery in a variety of differing weaponry isn't something, for example, that can be done by a lazy fellow. Not to mention, his good work ethic. ]

[ future room thread for sure :peepoPantsWalk: ]

I'm flattered you would make that assumption.

[ And Jing Yuan isn't exactly wrong, either. ]

You could say that I am, though only against certain opponents. I've tailored my skills to be specific. Their usefulness outside of their purpose is questionable.

[ Training times incoming...! ]

I see I was not wrong to make such a presumption.

[ He says cheerfully, as he does most things. Jing Yuan has a lieutenant who is rather skilled as well for his young age; though, Kurapika is probably older. Maybe. ]

Even if it is particularly strong against certain opponents, would you still say it encompasses a wide net of possible effective targets even so?

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