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
🌙 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.
fallingsand: (37;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno, who's been hovering nervously and uselessly nearby, clears his throat and interjects, ]

Um, the moonstones aren't really useful, actually? Unless they're different from the one we brought back from the South? I've. I kinda. Tried experimenting with them already.
foresightis2020: (17)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-17 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well. That brings his attention immediately on over Bruno to question the following: ]

Oh? How did they work when you attempted to use them?
fallingsand: (34;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
Not. Not well? Like, poorly. I. I thought they could be used for plant fertilizer and... and enchanted them to make plants grow faster? The whole bunch did grow super fast, but then just. Died. B-but there wasn't any corruption or anything from it.

[ He did not release more terrible things into the world, honest. ]
lustro: (052)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-05-17 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think we need them to last long. We just need them to... enhance important spells at the right moments. A couple of seconds of protection makes all the difference. Do you think... that's also no good?
fallingsand: (27;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure I would trust those things to protect me, Ginger. When the plants went, they withered real badly. What if that happens to the person using the protection?

[ That said... ]

B-but, I mean. If you do experiment with them, just. Just don't do something that'll affect someone? To be safe?
lustro: (118)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-05-17 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
I don't have much experience with them. But I trust you.

[ So whatever Bruno says, Ginger believes. ]

Hm. I know you said not to, but I can use myself if we need someone to experiment on. Just... as an option, if we need. But I think we should use them to our advantage in some way.
fallingsand: (34;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
Wh... th... f... Ginger, what did I just say?!

[ Trust him his ass, wow. ]

Use a training dummy instead, not you! You're made of stuff that will kill you if it gets all withered!
lustro: (068)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-05-17 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
A-as an option I said! My uniform is made of divine thread, so...
fallingsand: (26;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
Uh huh, sure, so does that protect your face, too? Or your hair? You want your hair to all wither off? 'cause that's how you get your hair all withered off.

[ Probably??? ]
lustro: (053)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-05-17 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Probably is not definitely!! ]

Well, if my uniform falls apart and I'm standing there butt naked, then we'll know to not rub those stones all over me like lotion.
fallingsand: (11; and the family fumbling)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's predicted one man going bald, he can damn well do it again! ]

Okay, that isn't an image I needed in my head.
lustro: (058)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-05-17 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Help? Will he still be attractive (to Mika) when bald... God, please answer?? Serious prayer here - ]

Anyway - that's just one thing to look into. There's someone out there with really strong magic, so we need to watch out for that, too.

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shortleash: (pic#17103472)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-05-17 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
( why is the common pattern in people he likes a willingness to get experimented on. why,

Mika is not like, coherent enough to articulate objections that Bruno hasn't already made with more coherence, so Mika is like, gonna grab one of Ginger's hands (that isn't supporting the bulk of his weight), and he's gonna pull his fingers toward his mouth,

and he's gonna bite them (without his fangs) (it's just a regular ol' owie bite) (but not that hard)

* Mika disapproves. )
lustro: (048)

/3

[personal profile] lustro 2024-05-17 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ … Mika???

Ginger actually doesn’t understand what’s happening for a second. ]

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foresightis2020: (117)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-17 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hmmmm.... ]

It could be that the energy of the moon is still far too disharmonious to things not from it. As in, it would be spread less equally...less balanced.

[ And all things must have a balance.

...

Not that he knows for certain. He didn't check the way the magic/energy looked within the plants or anything like that. ]
fallingsand: (17;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
Someone else did suggest it might be that our magic was, like, the moon's enemy, s-so it would reject it. I can't tell you for certain, though. I just know it killed the plants in the end.
foresightis2020: (39)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-17 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm, well that's a possibility as well.

[ ... ]

Either way, I have no interest in using them personally if those are the potential effects.

[ The plants dying...nthx. ]

And everyone else should be wary of doing the same.
fallingsand: (91;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
At least you agree... That's a relief.

[ Unlike Ginger, who is likely going to end up withering all his hair off or something, so. ]
foresightis2020: (100)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-17 01:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Help.

Poor Ginger and all of his lost hair...(in the future???) ]


I don't doubt taking risks can generate good rewards, but this is far too unpredictable to land in anyone's favor.
fellheart: (can yoυ мaĸe мe)

[personal profile] fellheart 2024-05-17 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
On the one hand, the unstable rapid enhancement sounds like it could be utilized in spells that aren't meant to last anyway, or are meant to be damaging already ...

On the other, I grow increasingly unconvinced that we won't simply end up blowing ourselves up on accident with an uncontrolled cast should we try to harness whatever power the stones might grant.
fallingsand: (93;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
I mean, if we really, really want to be sure, I could... look into the future and. And check but also? I kinda hate doing that? Plus the last time I tried, it was just a huge mess of different possibilities, and...

[ Overall, bad vision, not at all helpful. Anyway. ]

Yeah. Let's just say my bet would be on the blowing ourselves up part.
fellheart: (тнe wιnder oғ тнιѕ вroĸen world)

[personal profile] fellheart 2024-05-17 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think that will be necessary. You've made your point well enough.

[ ... ]

Well, mostly, it seems.

[ ginger... ]
fallingsand: (58;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-17 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah? Okay, that's. Good. Great.

[ The relief is palpable. ]

...and I'm sure Ginger will, uh. Well, we do know he isn't going to rub them all over his body, so, hey?
fellheart: (gιve мe yoυr lυng)

[personal profile] fellheart 2024-05-17 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
Small mercies, that. Imagine what would happen with a lotion made from those accursed things.

[ ... and because he has overheard some of the other chatter between ginger and bruno: ]

... I wonder what avenues of investigation that Laz and our Sage might actually have available to them.

[ what... exactly, will telling them manage to accomplish? what resources have they to tap ... ]
fallingsand: (17;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-18 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I don't know, but maybe they'll have an idea or contacts that the rest of us won't...?