promittere: (Default)
lunae calamitas mods ([personal profile] promittere) wrote in [community profile] 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.

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
๐ŸŒ™ Welcome to your third event! Everyone's lasted a month, congratulations! Keep working on your magic, keep forging those bonds.
๐ŸŒ™ 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...
๐ŸŒ™ 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.
๐ŸŒ™ Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting on this post, as not everyone checks plurk or discord frequently.
๐ŸŒ™ Next up for missions is East. Let's hope they don't have to talk to anyone for this one.
jokey: (0141)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-11 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
[Damn. Day's been robbed!]

Okay. We'll circle back around to that. What were you going to see in the theater? Kabuki?
troublereduction: (day105)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-11 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
Any kind of play will do.

...Maybe not a romance just yet though.
jokey: (Y13mKgJ)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-11 03:12 am (UTC)(link)
No? Why not?

[Touchy subject?]
troublereduction: (day74)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-11 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
Gimme a bit of time after gettin' stood up 'fore I've got the palate for it.

[ That is the scenario they're working with, after all. ]
jokey: (0141)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-11 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
What? Oh.

[Right. The scenario!! Day totally wasn't talking about real-life heartache. That could've been juicy though...]

Alright, then you've got two options: a play about pirates plundering the deep, and a slapstick performance that centers around physical comedy. What tickles your fancy?
troublereduction: (day104)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-11 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ Day will not let Akira know that he also technically isn't wrong, ]

The pirate play. Something excitin' sounds good.
jokey: (4MrORWP)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-12 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Good choice. A play full of excitement and drama... but watch out! One of the actors loses his grip on his scimitar and it's flying right at your face! What do you do?

[Too bad lawsuits weren't common practice in the age of swords-and-sandals.]
troublereduction: (day102)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-12 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm dodgin' it.

[ Said instantly, like it's the most natural thing to do. ]
jokey: (a4ICRvF)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-13 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
You dodge the scimitar and it hits the person behind you instead!

[This story is getting only slightly out of hand.]

There's blood everywhere. Children are screaming. An anguished husband cries for an ambulance, but it's too late. Because you dodged the scimitar, his wife is dead.
troublereduction: (day92)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-13 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
Wait, wait, hold up, why's an actor using a real weapon?
jokey: (2875116 (6))

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-13 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
[He's so glad you asked! Akira throws his arms open wide and shouts.]

That actor wasn't an actor at all! He's an assassin paid to take you out!
Edited 2024-05-13 02:44 (UTC)
troublereduction: (pic#17020437)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-13 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ Why is this like home already... ]

Akira, why're you tryin' kill me in this hypothetical that's supposed to help you figure out what flowers to get me?
jokey: (X1z4ZZc)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-13 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not trying to kill you. The assassin-turned-actor is.

[Obviously! Akira does a super cool wizard maneuver with his hand (read: flails his hand about) and out of his palm pops a little sunflower. He tucks it back behind Day's ear.]

Thanks for playing along. It's gonna take a little while, but I'll grow you some real sunflowers to fill that vase.
troublereduction: (day55)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-13 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
Ain't you the one proposin' the scenario?

[ There's no heat to it, though. Day personally would take some points off for the hand flailing (if you're gonna do a cool wizard manoeuvre, at least do it with style), but the sunflower catches him off-guard enough that he has to give Akira props for that. ]

...Thanks. You feelin' a little better now yourself?
jokey: (Cfxv1QW)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-15 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't mention it.

[It wasn't the most eloquent delivery, after all, but he does hope the sunflower reveal was worth it. Now... is he feeling better? Admittedly, yeah. Akira's smile is a sheepish thing, but he nods.]

Honestly? Yeah. The distraction helped. I haven't screwed up this badly in a while, so it's nice to have something else on the mind for a change.

[And with that said, he goes to secure the shards of Day's shattered pot.]
troublereduction: (day109)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-16 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
Glad it helped. [ Day smiles, letting Akira go collect the broken pieces. ] I'm sure you already got plenty of people fussin' over you, so I ain't gonna say much, but... You're a good kid, Akira.
jokey: (IPk58FA)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-16 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
There you go calling me a kid...

[Akira exhales a very dramatic, put upon sigh, clearly not the least bit offended. Everyone even an iota older than him calls him a kid, so he's used to it.

With all the pottery shards gathered up, Akira takes another look at that hole in the floor. It's an experimental fix, but it's one he's been practicing for this very scenario. With a few chanted words, the walls and floors begin to shimmy and sway, the hole in the floor slowly but surely closing up, the wood grain restored.

He... probably should've warned Day that the whole room would shake? But it's fine. By now, Day's surely begun to grow accustomed to his antics. Akira turns back to him with a bright-eyed grin.]


Good as new. Real men know how to make their wood expand.
troublereduction: (day131)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-16 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
I'm pretty sure I got a solid five years on you at the very least. And you're the one who started it.

[ So "kid" it is.

That said, once he feels the room shake, Day is somewhat confused but not alarmed, if only because he can tell it's Akira's doing. ]


...Heh, that's one way of fixin' this.
jokey: (2875116 (3))

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-16 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
No need to brag about being old. I still have the power of youth on my side.

[Akira hops over to take Day by the hand and guide said hand to the floor.]

Feels just like the real thing too, right? The spell only works on small patches, but that's real wood. It won't wear or deteriorate.
troublereduction: (day98)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-16 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ Somehow Day isn't surprised that Akira is exactly the sort of person who'd just grab someone's hand, huh... ]

Huh. This is pretty impressive. Kinda like expandin' a concept to fill in the gaps... [ Don't mind him, he's just getting some ideas.

...Though, speaking of which... ]


...You still takin' flower requests? Somethin' just came to mind.
jokey: (82xYQ9I)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-16 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Right? I'm pretty impressive.

[Not to toot his own horn or anything. At the mention of a flower request, Akira visibly perks.]

Sure. What do you need?
troublereduction: (day82)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-16 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
You ever heard of winter daphne? Really strong fragrance, takes forever to grow. I've been lookin' for some to make my amulet.
jokey: (4 - 1C8Pr3y)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-17 10:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Winter daphne? No, doesn't ring a bell.

[But if Day needs it for his amulet, that's incentive enough for Akira to take on his task. Moreover, "takes forever to grow" sounds like a welcome challenge. He'll see about that.]

Tell me more about it. I'll look for seeds at the market.
troublereduction: (pic#17020440)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-05-17 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a kinda shrub, so if you can get a cuttin' or some smaller shrub that'd be better than seeds. Kinda... [ He's trying to remember what he does know about this plant. ] Kinda picky 'bout the soil. Should be kinda loose and well-drained.

I need the flowers to make a potpourri for my amulet, so if you manage to find some 'fore you're done growin' them, that'd also help.
jokey: (4 - 1C8Pr3y)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-05-17 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[Akira listens and nods, pulling his planner out of his pocket to jot down some notes.]

That's one picky plant. I'll have to check out the forests to the north.

[Surely no harm will come from venturing to the Forest of Dreams in search of shrub clippings. Surely not.]

I'd offer to take you with, but it's dangerous up there. Are you fine waiting here while I go look for it?

(no subject)

[personal profile] troublereduction - 2024-05-17 22:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] jokey - 2024-05-17 22:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] troublereduction - 2024-05-17 23:04 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] jokey - 2024-05-17 23:16 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] troublereduction - 2024-05-18 00:08 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] jokey - 2024-05-18 00:24 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] troublereduction - 2024-05-18 00:30 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] jokey - 2024-05-20 00:40 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] troublereduction - 2024-05-20 05:43 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] jokey - 2024-05-20 05:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] troublereduction - 2024-05-20 05:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] jokey - 2024-05-20 06:04 (UTC) - Expand