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lunaecalamitas2024-05-18 12:19 pm
promittere) wrote in lunaecalamitas2024-05-18 12:19 pm
thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters
NEW MOON ADAGIO
Between the constant requests from the North and the sense of tension that pervades the manor, Sage Tatara makes an executive decision: we're going North, baby.
Of all the things that have happened thus far, let this be the ultimate test of your magic. Even as we near summer, it's frigid. Protect yourselves and your allies from the cold. Protect yourselves while also fighting off monsters (or other territorial wizards, should you make the terrible mistake of wandering into another's territory), flying through the vast wilderness, or protecting the poor humans who need your help to survive. Time to blow off some of your steam. Just be sure to obey Tatara's one rule: don't kill each other.
One particular problem of note is in the Forest of Dreams. Without its guardian, many of these rogue monsters and dangerous predators, displaced from their normal habitats, have found their way into the forest. Many of them, however, are unable to survive against the fatal toxin, and there are plenty of animal corpses and mana stones that litter the forest. It might be best to clean these up before the forest guardian returns...
That said, the toxin is yet another thing you must protect yourself against in addition to the cold. While you can likely keep yourself from dying from the toxins, you may not be immune to its effects. This deadly toxin causes anyone who breathes it in to dream and hallucinate vividly, be it images of the past, imagined futures, thoughts of the present processed and warped...
Strangely enough, those nearby may end up sharing in your dreams... Did you want the darkest recesses of your thoughts, hopes, and fears unearthed for others to see?
Those who decide to venture far past the more populated (in relative terms) parts of the North may find themselves stumbling upon what looks to be an abandoned bandit hideout. It seems it's been abandoned for quite a while—nothing to loot here, sorry!—but there sure are a whole lot of monsters that have decided to make this hidden corner of the North their home.
While you're at it, you may find a nearby cave. Beautiful crystals dot the walls and the floors, and there are small pools of hot spring water free for relaxing. It seems to be relatively free of monsters, too. So maybe this wouldn't be a bad spot to relax, away from everything else?
However, there's one thing that makes this cave truly unique, and it isn't the vistas or the springs—it's the bats. These bats hear echoes of the past and replay them for visitors. Should you stay a while and listen, a bat may pay you a visit. And when it does, it may play for you the voices from the memories of visitors past, whose stories may hold a clue or two to your circumstances...
Of all the things that have happened thus far, let this be the ultimate test of your magic. Even as we near summer, it's frigid. Protect yourselves and your allies from the cold. Protect yourselves while also fighting off monsters (or other territorial wizards, should you make the terrible mistake of wandering into another's territory), flying through the vast wilderness, or protecting the poor humans who need your help to survive. Time to blow off some of your steam. Just be sure to obey Tatara's one rule: don't kill each other.
One particular problem of note is in the Forest of Dreams. Without its guardian, many of these rogue monsters and dangerous predators, displaced from their normal habitats, have found their way into the forest. Many of them, however, are unable to survive against the fatal toxin, and there are plenty of animal corpses and mana stones that litter the forest. It might be best to clean these up before the forest guardian returns...
That said, the toxin is yet another thing you must protect yourself against in addition to the cold. While you can likely keep yourself from dying from the toxins, you may not be immune to its effects. This deadly toxin causes anyone who breathes it in to dream and hallucinate vividly, be it images of the past, imagined futures, thoughts of the present processed and warped...
Strangely enough, those nearby may end up sharing in your dreams... Did you want the darkest recesses of your thoughts, hopes, and fears unearthed for others to see?
Those who decide to venture far past the more populated (in relative terms) parts of the North may find themselves stumbling upon what looks to be an abandoned bandit hideout. It seems it's been abandoned for quite a while—nothing to loot here, sorry!—but there sure are a whole lot of monsters that have decided to make this hidden corner of the North their home.
While you're at it, you may find a nearby cave. Beautiful crystals dot the walls and the floors, and there are small pools of hot spring water free for relaxing. It seems to be relatively free of monsters, too. So maybe this wouldn't be a bad spot to relax, away from everything else?
However, there's one thing that makes this cave truly unique, and it isn't the vistas or the springs—it's the bats. These bats hear echoes of the past and replay them for visitors. Should you stay a while and listen, a bat may pay you a visit. And when it does, it may play for you the voices from the memories of visitors past, whose stories may hold a clue or two to your circumstances...
While the Forest of Dreams is a memory/dreamshare free for all, the aural memories replayed by the bats in the Cave of Time will come from one of the original wizards only. If you'd like an audio replay of a perhaps significant moment either in their personal life or a clue as to what happened to them (it will be randomized), then please reply to this comment!
JOB BOARD
Clean-up and repairs. While thanks to the hard work of your Eastern friends the worst was prevented, the City of Rain emerged from their short ordeal a little worse for wear.
Buildings need repair, blood needs to be cleaned off the streets, the injured need help. This is, perhaps, the only time you will be allowed to use magic openly in the city (you've been given permits and everything!), but you still are not allowed to talk outside of designated zones. Please, please don't get arrested...
As for the scrap that litters the streets? Unfortunately, you'll have to take it back to the scrapyard. But this time, there's a big, roaring bonfire out there. Just chuck all the scrap and debris in the fire. The city isn't taking any second chances—extreme situations call for extreme measures.
Buildings need repair, blood needs to be cleaned off the streets, the injured need help. This is, perhaps, the only time you will be allowed to use magic openly in the city (you've been given permits and everything!), but you still are not allowed to talk outside of designated zones. Please, please don't get arrested...
As for the scrap that litters the streets? Unfortunately, you'll have to take it back to the scrapyard. But this time, there's a big, roaring bonfire out there. Just chuck all the scrap and debris in the fire. The city isn't taking any second chances—extreme situations call for extreme measures.
Reverence. Several Northern villages are currently outside the protection of a wizard, and have requested the sage's wizards' presence. They're terrified of the monsters and worried the barriers for their villages will fail sooner than later. They don't simply ask for help for free, however, and these smaller villages are steeped in their tradition—they'll pay you their respects, praying to you, offering you gifts, groveling at your feet, in hopes for a modicum of your time and protection. Do their offerings please you? Then assist them with what you deem appropriate for their worship to you: kill a few monsters for them, or a lot if you're pleased. Strengthen the barrier a lot, or not at all if you're displeased. It's up to you! You have the power here. What's it like to be a god for a day?
Ladies' night. The monthly lady officers' gathering is coming up in the City of Affluence—it's an exclusive meetup for the women involved in and related to Western military and bureaucratic affairs. Anyone is welcome, so long as they meet two requirements: they are outwardly presenting feminine, and they have an invitation to the gathering. Here's your chance to flex your transformation and glamour spells! Infiltrate the meetup with a disguise and a fake invitation, mingle, enjoy the drinks, the jazz, the entertainment, and find out what you can... What's the Western army up to? Be careful, though—don't get caught and kicked out!
The attendees seem to be excited about the new phantasmagoria technology and the upcoming display, and many whisper about the upcoming Venator meteor shower...
The attendees seem to be excited about the new phantasmagoria technology and the upcoming display, and many whisper about the upcoming Venator meteor shower...
G'RAHA TASKS
Greetings, new friends! I am G'raha Tia, and while I hesitate to call myself a mentor or a replacement for the one you had, I am eternally grateful for the assistance I received and will do my best to help your cause in any way I can. To that end, I feel I may need to be caught up to speed on the events and get to know all of you.
We can have some tea and sandwiches and have a discussion! That's the best way to learn, sometimes.
We can have some tea and sandwiches and have a discussion! That's the best way to learn, sometimes.
TATARA ACTIVITIES
Even if we're not here for very long, I think we should leave our mark (not literally! Don't paint on the walls!). I got paint and big paper in the dining hall, but no brushes... Do you know what that means? Finger paint! Finger paint a portrait of yourself with your name and I'll hang it up in the library when they're all done!
Thanks to Cid and Khun, my camcorder works now. The thing is, what's the point of filming anything if we have no way to watch the film?! Could you guys work together to make some kind of projector? Or like...VHS player? We could have a movie night together!
OOC NOTES
🌙 Welcome to your fourth event! It's your dreamshare and memshare event! Ready to open up with your deepest and darkest secrets?
🌙 We're halfway through the game. How do you feel?
🌙 Back at the manor, Kurapika and Maya have set up a bulletin board! Leave comments, argue with your neighbors, have fun. Be nice. Don't set it on fire.
🌙 On the admin side of things, Lav has swapped out Wanderer for G'raha! Please say hello to your new mentor NPC.
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting to the post, and remember to check back frequently, since not everyone checks plurk or discord all the time.
🌙 The next country to go on their mission is North. Do you think a PVP-enabled mission will go well?
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[Malice cuts himself off when he notices something strange happening nearby. The forest shimmers and begins to fade away to something that must be some kind of illusion. There's an older woman, slightly stooped from age, with white hair held back in a clumsy bun. Some curly strands have already escaped and frame her face. Though she's surrounded by quite a few children who seem to be causing all sorts of headaches for her, her smile is bright and gentle.
It seems like Malice recognizes her, because his good eye goes wide.]
That's—
[Before he can continue, the children begin to fade out one by one, leaving the woman looking sadder and more resigned... until she finds a small child with purple hair that doesn't quite cover one of his eyes. That eye is covered in a cloth tied around his head to keep it hidden, while his other eye is a very familiar bright yellow.
The woman crouches beside him even as he shrinks back and bares his fangs in some sort of feral hiss; she offers her wrist to him and he wastes no time in sinking his tiny fangs in.
Malice doesn't say anything else, simply transfixed on the scene playing out before them.]
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[He turns to look where Malice does, eyes alighting on the woman and the children... only to rest on the woman alone, once the children have vanished.
He was already getting an inkling, but when the purple-haired vampire appears, he becomes certain.]
...Your past...?
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[The scene shifts - a point later in time, it seems, given that the Malice in the scene is older. He's sitting at a table with the woman next to him. She seems to be explaining something, pointing to a book and then to the piece of paper little Malice is working on. Writing lessons, it seems, though little Malice keeps getting frustrated and eventually he overturns the entire table in a fit.]
...She was the woman who raised me. Never knew my parents, didn't have anyone else, growin' up. But she was there for me, an' she was...
[Kind, gentle, patient - all words that become pretty clear as the woman cleans up the mess and gently sets the book back on the table to try again. She takes the lessons slow, and slowly little Malice starts to settle, looking at the book with interest even though it's clear he doesn't quite understand.]
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...A good teacher, at least. ...A good mother too, looks like.
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[The scene changes again, this time to Malice sitting by the door, staring up at the night sky. He seems to be waiting for the woman... but time passes, the sun starts to rise, and Malice returns indoors. This happens a few more times before the scene shifts again.
Malice is sitting on a bed in the house, tiny face twisted in... anger? Grief? Pain? It's hard to tell, but it isn't a pleasant expression. He's holding a bracelet and mumbling to himself. The bracelet might look familiar - the woman was wearing it on her wrist in the previous visions. It's a nice-looking one, centered with a yellow and purple stone.
"You said you'd come back. Why did you leave me all alone? What did I do wrong?" Little Malice's tears start up and he swipes an arm across his eyes angrily. "I trusted you! So why... Mama, why..."
The scene fades out.]
Ametrine... That's what she called that stone, isn't it?
[Malice seems lost in thought. Though he vaguely remembered some of this, having these long-lost memories put on display have helped him recall some things he thought lost to time.]
That was... My name. She named me after the stone.
[A name he thought he'd lost, replaced with one of hatred and pain and a desire to make others suffer as he had.]
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You forgot?
[His voice is soft.]
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[Absently, he summons his focus - a different bracelet, a simple tied string with a star charm on it. For a moment he allows himself to pretend that it's a different bracelet, the one the woman left behind on that day she never came back.]
I don't... really remember a lotta things from my past. Probably got hit in the head too hard, y'know?
[It's said lightly, like a joke... but it doesn't really make it there.]
But that was the name she gave me. An' since I forgot it, I had to come up with a different one. So I became "Malice".
[A name given to him out of love, turned into a name born of hatred.]
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[It's funny, it used to seem like "Malice" fit him perfectly... But every day here makes him wonder if he's been clinging to that pain and hatred because he was too scared to try letting go and becoming someone else.]
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...No. Everyone here's been real good to me. Even in the beginnin', when people were still a little wary, no one was cruel. So I guess... maybe it ain't such a fittin' name here.
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[They may not be the most agreeable bunch, but the majority want the best for people, and the minority seem to be largely willing to play along even if it's just for the sake of returning to their own worlds.]
...
Would you want to go back to it?
Being called "Ametrine."
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[It gets a wry grin from him, though. The people here certainly are quite the unique bunch. He's grown really fond of them.
That question gets Malice to pause, head inclined a bit as he thinks.]
...I dunno.
[He can acknowledge how much he's changed here, that's easy. But somehow, taking on his original name again feels... like a more active step, like something he's not sure he's ready for, despite everything he's said to Ahito. He isn't really Malice anymore, but is he Ametrine?]
I'm gonna have'ta think 'bout it. But it's... really damn nice to remember what my name was, now.
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