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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.
no subject
This one is the knight. [ The burgundy one, which is obvious in his mind. ] That's the damsel. [ He points to the yellow, because it's close enough. ] And that's the—
[ Except he has a paper in his face before he can finish, and he peers curiously up at Jing Yuan. He takes it. ]
What is this?
no subject
And perhaps this is a little inelegant in some respects, but it is also going to be easier than simply keeping track of, because... ]
You have a sharp mind. As for this...
...It's the script to the puppet show, in full. I thought since you were interested, I would give you a preview. Though, since I prefer hardly anyone to steal my ideas, it's written in a language only a Sage and his allied wizards can understand. I'm sure you understand, no?
[ Why is he handing it to him now? Truth be told, Jing Yuan was going to wait until later, but since Tatara is approaching now, he changed his mind. Anyway, whether or not Tatara looks at it now or later, is up to him. You know, since it's about the Western Magitek Army doing dubious things. ]
no subject
You have a whole script already? [ He jokes; he sets the spare arm in his lap and gently plucks the paper from Jing Yuan's hands. He is genuinely expecting some kind of script or outline, so when he reads what's written on the paper, his expression immediately snaps to something much more serious.
Slowly, he sets the arm on the dirt and stands up again, his eyes fixed on it.
A Western research team, looking for hidden labs? Caught in a blast, here? In the East? Why were they in the East?
Tatara looks up at Jing Yuan. ]
Is this true?
[ He's not doubting Jing Yuan, or the veracity of what the paper says. He did see the man with his arm in the sling. All he wants is to make sure is that what he's about to add goes to a solid base. ]
no subject
I do.
[ Jing Yuan waits for the other to read over what's written. Once again, as their Sage, it's imperative that he is to get this information ASAP, so it is what it is.
And it could very well be bad news bears. ]
It is true. Those words were spoken and communicated as thus, at that time and place.
[ So, yeah. ]
no subject
A thought comes to him. ]
Jing Yuan, would you mind if I added a few lines of my own?
[ He pulls out his pen and wiggles it; anyone looking from afar might think they're both still playing, but the look on Tatara's face is dead serious. ]
no subject
There's only one answer he has to that. ]
Not at all.
Please, do go ahead. I consider this also a script in which collaboration is open for the current moment.
[ Jing Yuan is more than glad that the other is going along with the pretense. But also, taking it as seriously as the situation warrants. ]
no subject
With a nod, Tatara gets to adding his own bit to this "script." With his other hand as a surface, he writes.
The request we got from the city about this site cleanup mentioned an explosion several weeks ago happening here, and I'm guessing that's what caused it. The letter also mentioned that the site was cleaned up, but doesn't mention by who. I think if the city cleaned it up, they would have said so.
Maybe these explosions are one and the same. Do you think the guy is involved somehow?
When he's done, he hands the paper back, smile on his face. ]
What do you think?
no subject
Jing Yuan begins to immediately look through the addition put to the written 'script', absorbing the words that have been placed upon it before his eyes with calculated interest.
So, perhaps, it isn't entirely surprising that there is a momentary pause. Where he starts to see the silhouette — the pieces, and the shadow at the other end (call it an extensive imagination of sorts, alrighty?) — and then, he lets it go, blinking back at the paper. Then, he looks back at Tatara. ]
I believe that it is quite a thoughtful addition. Perhaps not only thoughtful, but potentially correct too.
I hadn't quite thought of this angle to the script before. I can only wonder what else is behind this character...though even that can be found out as the story is truly polished, no?
no subject
He tilts his head up at Jing Yuan. ]
How did you find out about this character? Did you talk to him?
no subject
Anyway, whatever consequences will be on the West to bear, wouldn't it? That's going to be really fun...
Imagine if it erupts into a war. ]
A little birdy by the name of Ahito may have told me.
no subject
He just tilts his head, sheepish little smile on his face. ]
Ooh... I should talk to him, but Ahito-kun really doesn't like me.
no subject
Jing Yuan does give a thoughtful pause. While telling Yamato to give it another go at talking to Tatara definitely probably went over well, Ahito is probably a different story. ]
Hm. Did you two simply just...immediately get off the wrong foot?
no subject
[ Mmm... ]
I don't think I get along with people who worry.
no subject
[ It doesn't sound like merely an issue of just concern. Though... ]
...That being said, I do hope you have been able to get along with the others well enough.
no subject
I guess so? The Eastern wizards don't seem to like the way I do things either, but I get along pretty well with everyone else...
[ The Souths, the Centrals, the Wests...
Oh, right.
Tatara's smile drops and he looks back up at Jing Yuan, curiously. He seems almost guilty before yet another sheepish smile spreads over his face. ]
Er... I need to apologize, Jing Yuan.
no subject
Well, there is always room for improvement. Though, even with that, there may be those who are critical of one's leadership.
[ As for the other matter, seeing the shift in demeanor, and then the apology...well, that certainly is something. He smiles faintly and tilts his head. ]
About what, exactly?
no subject
However. ]
I...didn't realize it at the time, but I ended up lying to you when I turned you down.
[ He feels bad, he didn't really want to think about how he felt in the moment. But— ]
I already liked someone else. So...I'm sorry.
no subject
I also do believe it is for the better, as I can't quite afford to get distracted.
[ Jing Yuan has to take back his role when he returns, whereas he thinks Tatara certainly won't hold onto his position following this; just a feeling. He also realizes keenly for all those thoughts he had for sharing the other's burdens, he never considered letting Tatara do the same for him.
How could a relationship like that hope to ever be equal? And how can he ever expect or allow anyone to shoulder his burdens? He won't think too hard on that now, though. ]
So, it is with that I wish you unconditional happiness and joy for the rest of your life with the one you love, Tatara. It is what you deserve.
no subject
The last statement, though, has a different kind of smile spread across Tatara's face. It's relieved, shyer, smaller, but no less genuine. ]
Yeah. [ The rest of his life. That isn't going to be very long, is it? ] Thank you, Jing Yuan. We'll do our best. Oh—
[ Thoughts moving at light speed, he's back to the note again. He points to it. ]
Would you mind if I kept that?
no subject
Either way, he considers it a good thing to at least lift spirits there, so, that's good enough for him. ]
Feel free to do as you please with it.
I was originally intending to let you keep it either way.
[ He intended it to be something like a report as originally a hand off; it's only now that they've actually discussed it properly. Either way, he will begin to scoop up some of the automatons and properly toss them into a sack like he should've been doing, oops. ]
no subject
Thank you!
[ He'll tuck that away between the pages of his tome.
And, yeah— Back to work. Well, regular work. He stoops to pick up the arm he was playing with earlier. ]
Oh, and keep up the good work. Thanks for helping out, Jing Yuan!
no subject
...If a merely humble wizard like myself can be of any modicum of assistance to the great Sage, then I have certainly started to surely fulfil my purpose.
[ Only to crack a little amused smile like haha just kidding! About the all-too-serious aura even if he doesn't take back his words. ]
All that said, you are welcome. But, please don't spend your time too much here. I'm sure you have grander matters to take care of. Such as doing what you need to do with that script.
[ Whether or not Tatara will listen, Jing Yuan's smile turns more simply friendly as he picks up the sack, to deliver what he's grabbed to whoever so happens to be taking these in. ]