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lunaecalamitas2024-04-04 11:33 pm
promittere) wrote in lunaecalamitas2024-04-04 11:33 pm
if you say it's magic, then you're my wizard
WANING GIBBOUS OVERTURE
The seconds tick by, the elevator rattles. There's a soft, musical chime announcing your arrival before the elevator doors creak open, leaving you and a number of others in the courtyard of a stone manor. The manor is large, looming over the trees surrounding it, and the gardens are well maintained, rows of hedges and beds of blooming flowers as far as you can see. The doors linger open until you clear the threshold, as if waiting patiently for you. Dawdle too long and you’ll feel a gentle push, nudging you out into the yard. The doors shut with more rattles and a cheerful ding!, and if you turn to look at it there's nothing to be seen behind you but the milling strangers.
Then there's a sting, mild at first. But soon, the spot where your sage's crest is starts to burn. It's as though you have been branded, and the searing heat clings to your skin. Should you look at your crest, you'll find it glows a faint red, like the dying embers of a fire, but given enough time it will cool to black and no longer hurt.
Once the pain fades, you notice is that the air around you feels distinctly different. It's hard to say exactly what makes it different, or how. It feels brittle, but malleable. That perhaps if you said or did the right thing, you could command reality to your liking—
The wind blows, stirring leaves and flowers, and that's when you notice there are two people in the courtyard that did not emerge from the elevator like everyone else. The taller of the two looks briefly shocked, before a warm smile blots it out, while the shorter of the two looks remarkably unimpressed—for as much as you can make out his expression under the large hat he wears. He glances at the taller man, the charms that hang from his hat clinking, and crosses his arm over his chest.
The taller man nods, turns to the group, and says, "Sorry. I know you were probably in the middle of something important. But...I need you. My name is Tatara Totsuka. I'm your sage, and you are my witches and wizards."
He looks up to the moon hanging in the sky, still pale and visible despite the light of day, and lays it all out for you: a wizard under the sage's guidance is supposed to fight off the Great Calamity—the moon—when it nears. But you are not meant to carry out this task. The original sage and twenty-one wizards suddenly vanished not long ago. No one knows what happened to them, or where they are. They aren't dead. They are gone.
That you are here, that there are so many of you, that you came from different worlds, means that this is a mistake. Something, somewhere, isn't right. Yet the world has decided to claim you in a frantic attempt to keep itself together.
This world is breaking. If you don't fix this, then you'll be stuck here fighting the Calamity yourselves.
When Tatara looks back down to the rest of you, there's a smile on his face, tinged with apology. "But I think it'll be okay. We'll figure this out... Right?"
The golden light of sunset is oddly cold. It settles over you not in a welcoming embrace, but in a possessive hold. There is a sinking feeling in your gut: whatever your home was before matters no longer. Welcome to a world on the brink of destruction—let's hope it's not for good.
The day begins to draw to a close. You're given the rest of the day to process Tatara's words and to familiarize yourselves with the manor. There are plenty of empty spaces in the manor with sparse furniture where you can rest and try to unwind, and hopefully get some sleep. Everything about today might be a lot to unpack, but surely you can at least relax and prepare for the next day.
The morning starts with the sound of bells. A cacophonous racket of them, ringing in your rooms, in your head, jolting you from whatever slumber you can grasp. The source seems to be a note, unassuming if not for the way it shakes with each toll of the bells, and the noise only stops when you read it.
"Go to the courtyard," it says, and if you try to ignore it the noise returns, growing louder and louder until your vision swims and you find yourself standing in the courtyard with everyone else—and the shorter of the two men from yesterday.
"Practice starts right now," he says, looking bored and just as unimpressed as he did yesterday. The sun has barely started over the horizon—it's early, almost absurdly so. "You need to learn magic sooner instead of later, unless you want to die like miserable worms. If you do, just quit now so we can replace you with someone useful."
His explanation on magic is brief—he explains that magic is a deal struck between caster and the spirits of the world, using a meaningful word or phrase to communicate your will to the as-of-yet unseen spirits of the world, who will respond to your desires and power your magic. A focus, an object of significant meaning, will help strengthen your ties to the land and direct the magic for your spells. If you have nothing that would work as a focus right now, he says, chances are the perfect thing will find you anyways.
While he looks unhappy to do so, he emphasizes that magic—as it works here—is all tied to your emotions and your convictions, and then he assigns you a challenge for the week. He wants you to come up with your incantation—the words you'll use to cast all of your magic—as well as find or draw forward your focus, with the final task being summoning a magic broom you'll use for transportation.
Then there's a sting, mild at first. But soon, the spot where your sage's crest is starts to burn. It's as though you have been branded, and the searing heat clings to your skin. Should you look at your crest, you'll find it glows a faint red, like the dying embers of a fire, but given enough time it will cool to black and no longer hurt.
Once the pain fades, you notice is that the air around you feels distinctly different. It's hard to say exactly what makes it different, or how. It feels brittle, but malleable. That perhaps if you said or did the right thing, you could command reality to your liking—
The wind blows, stirring leaves and flowers, and that's when you notice there are two people in the courtyard that did not emerge from the elevator like everyone else. The taller of the two looks briefly shocked, before a warm smile blots it out, while the shorter of the two looks remarkably unimpressed—for as much as you can make out his expression under the large hat he wears. He glances at the taller man, the charms that hang from his hat clinking, and crosses his arm over his chest.
The taller man nods, turns to the group, and says, "Sorry. I know you were probably in the middle of something important. But...I need you. My name is Tatara Totsuka. I'm your sage, and you are my witches and wizards."
He looks up to the moon hanging in the sky, still pale and visible despite the light of day, and lays it all out for you: a wizard under the sage's guidance is supposed to fight off the Great Calamity—the moon—when it nears. But you are not meant to carry out this task. The original sage and twenty-one wizards suddenly vanished not long ago. No one knows what happened to them, or where they are. They aren't dead. They are gone.
That you are here, that there are so many of you, that you came from different worlds, means that this is a mistake. Something, somewhere, isn't right. Yet the world has decided to claim you in a frantic attempt to keep itself together.
This world is breaking. If you don't fix this, then you'll be stuck here fighting the Calamity yourselves.
When Tatara looks back down to the rest of you, there's a smile on his face, tinged with apology. "But I think it'll be okay. We'll figure this out... Right?"
The golden light of sunset is oddly cold. It settles over you not in a welcoming embrace, but in a possessive hold. There is a sinking feeling in your gut: whatever your home was before matters no longer. Welcome to a world on the brink of destruction—let's hope it's not for good.
The day begins to draw to a close. You're given the rest of the day to process Tatara's words and to familiarize yourselves with the manor. There are plenty of empty spaces in the manor with sparse furniture where you can rest and try to unwind, and hopefully get some sleep. Everything about today might be a lot to unpack, but surely you can at least relax and prepare for the next day.
The morning starts with the sound of bells. A cacophonous racket of them, ringing in your rooms, in your head, jolting you from whatever slumber you can grasp. The source seems to be a note, unassuming if not for the way it shakes with each toll of the bells, and the noise only stops when you read it.
"Go to the courtyard," it says, and if you try to ignore it the noise returns, growing louder and louder until your vision swims and you find yourself standing in the courtyard with everyone else—and the shorter of the two men from yesterday."Practice starts right now," he says, looking bored and just as unimpressed as he did yesterday. The sun has barely started over the horizon—it's early, almost absurdly so. "You need to learn magic sooner instead of later, unless you want to die like miserable worms. If you do, just quit now so we can replace you with someone useful."
His explanation on magic is brief—he explains that magic is a deal struck between caster and the spirits of the world, using a meaningful word or phrase to communicate your will to the as-of-yet unseen spirits of the world, who will respond to your desires and power your magic. A focus, an object of significant meaning, will help strengthen your ties to the land and direct the magic for your spells. If you have nothing that would work as a focus right now, he says, chances are the perfect thing will find you anyways.
While he looks unhappy to do so, he emphasizes that magic—as it works here—is all tied to your emotions and your convictions, and then he assigns you a challenge for the week. He wants you to come up with your incantation—the words you'll use to cast all of your magic—as well as find or draw forward your focus, with the final task being summoning a magic broom you'll use for transportation.
Threading out magic practice and ICly discovering your characters' magic words, manifesting their foci, and summoning their broom will count as three different jobs, and will be eligible for a set of rewards each. While not technically classified as a job this time around, this is a special circumstance. When you've accomplished any of these things, please submit them to the rewards page as a job submission.
If you're having trouble coming up with a focus or incantation, think about your answers for the first and third mandatory questions on your app! Your focus of choice does not have to be in your character's inventory—if what works best for them as a focus did not come with them, then they can focus and reach across universes to bring it here with them.
If you're having trouble coming up with a focus or incantation, think about your answers for the first and third mandatory questions on your app! Your focus of choice does not have to be in your character's inventory—if what works best for them as a focus did not come with them, then they can focus and reach across universes to bring it here with them.
JOB BOARD
You may have just gotten here, but people across the continent still need the sage's wizards to do things for them. The job board will typically have 2 - 3 requests each event that can be turned in for rewards when completed.
Sugar delivery. Confectionery shops and pharmacies put in regular orders for wizard sugar to the manor, and despite the unusual circumstances, now is no different. Wizard sugar—sugar spontaneously created through a wizard's magic—is said to have restorative properties and said to bless those that consume it, so it's no wonder it's in high demand. It also happens to be one of the first things young wizards learn to do. So once you've perfected your sugar, go deliver it to the shops in Central capital and to the Southern merchants waiting for shipment near the Central tower.
The Southern merchants, in particular, seem rather anxious to receive as much sugar as possible, as soon as possible.
The Southern merchants, in particular, seem rather anxious to receive as much sugar as possible, as soon as possible.
WANDERER TASKS
The wizards' new mentor knows that this must be an incredibly overwhelming experience, so he has a list of things that should help break down the process of learning and understanding magic. Or that's what he says, at least, but it feels like he's trying to make things more difficult...
Nobody is going to hold your hands for you, and the best way to learn is to understand the root cause of an issue. Use that paper being left around for something actually useful and do some research on the spirits of the countries you've been tasked to represent. I'll be expecting some actual thought out papers within the week.
For the idiots who can't research to save their lives, prove you can actually manage the bare minimum. There's a spot you can't reach without magic within the manor grounds—bring me one of the trinkets you find there.
For the even bigger idiots who are overconfident, come find me and we can spar. I won't go easy on you.
TATARA ACTIVITIES
Tatara knows things are tense and uncomfortable for his new wizards, so he'll offer up a few activities each event post to help them relax if things get too tough.
We're all new here, but we'll be friends before long, I know it! There's a table in the dining room with paper, pens, markers, glitter, and pins so we can all make name tags and get to know each other better. We'll go from strangers to neighbors to besties before you know it!
Oh, you should probably get a feel of the manor, too. This IS your new home, after all! And what better way than...hide and seek?! Sounds fun, right? I'd tell you MY favorite spot to hide, but then that wouldn't be fair!
I don't know how long we're going to be here, so it probably wouldn't hurt to settle in. Grab a friend or two and head to the market in the Central capital to stock up on whatever food you like and stuff for your room. May as well get comfortable!
OOC NOTES
🌙 Welcome to Lunae Calamitas's first event post! Yer a wizard, whether you like it or not.
🌙 While not technically jobs, ICly working out your character's focus, incantation, and broom are all separately eligible for rewards. Good luck on your basics, little wizards! You'll need them...
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Please keep all your plotting on the plotting post, since not everyone uses discord or plurk.
🌙 The South will be going on their mission next week to get this party started. Keep an eye out, Southies!
no subject
Huh? It's mine. From back home.
[He gestures with his good arm - there's actually a second metal arm on the table there too! This one has a proper hand unlike the other one. So he technically has three arms, I guess.]
But it ain't workin', so it's totally useless here.
no subject
Anyway bro how many arms do you have. Cid has opened the door a little but still not stepped inside because he hasn't decided if he wants to get all that involved with an arms dealer(?)... even if they're basically living in the same building. This building is So Much At All Times already and he is also rather inconvenienced by that. But the thing that he is most put off by is that there isn't an exciting story behind the arm like it was lopped off an evil robot or something. Lame.
Still, though, he does his presumably obligatory normie duty of staring dubiously at the multiplying amounts of disembodied limbs.]
Oh. I was wondering what all the noise was about... this place is kinda loud at night. [stares at our Nocturnal spreadsheet column] That's strange, though. I could've sworn souls and spirits are kinda the same thing.
no subject
Oh, yeah. Didn't really think 'bout it, I'm usually up late anyway.
[What with being a vampire and all, of course.]
An' I've got no idea 'bout that. Magic's not exactly somethin' I know much about, anyway.
no subject
It's fine. There's all different sorts here, but a lot of them seem to like being out at night. I've run into a few now... I guess technically it makes it safer if more people are up.
With the moon being evil or something.
[He is also nocturnal, but that's neither here nor there. Don't perceive him.]
This is a bit different from the magic back home, but maybe you've just gotta... make the spirits like you? Incantations are sorta like prayer, anyway.
no subject
[It's a joke. We are not going to fight the moon, right??]
But yeah, I guess that's a good place to start. Ain't really a religious sort, but I guess I can try it an' see if that'll help. Can't hurt any, anyway, an' I've not had too much luck here so far.
no subject
[He says it lightly, but he's totally serious. At least, as Cid. In his heart of hearts he thinks it would be kind of cool to take on the moon, but not like this. The setup is all totally wrong for his aesthetic????]
Oh, I'm not religious either, but religion and magic tend to have a pretty big influence on each other from what I know, so that's what I'm going off of. I'm not trying to convert you to the J-- to anything. [he nods encouragingly!] That all looks like magitech though -- something like that. You usually have somebody to help with the arm?
no subject
Good eye; yeah, it's magitech. I've had a few people help me out with it in the past but... well, they ain't here, are they?
[And also he betrayed one, another betrayed him, and he ditched the one at Rosalie's place, so...]
I'm no expert with this, but I can maintain it well enough 'til I can get home. [...] Probably.
[If we're stuck here for awhile he may be in trouble, but that's a problem for future Malice!!]
no subject
[There's something a touch dry about this.]
But I guess that doesn't help anybody here... [Malice is right about that, even if his arm problems appear to have arm problems] ........ so how many arms do you have?
[If they keep getting more complicated there are more problems for future Malice, but what Cid really wants to know is whether they get cooler.]
no subject
Just the two. This one's for fightin'.
[He gestures to the clawed one. Obviously. And then, after a moment of thought...]
Well. Three, if you're countin' this'n too.
[He wiggles the fingers on his good hand with another laugh.]
no subject
Must be a pain to have to keep all this around just in case you have to get into a fight and all.
[He examines all of these closer since he's now shimmied into the room. He's committed. Slightly committed. It's not like there's all that much else to do tonight other than whatever he'll get up to once he's no longer hanging around other folks.
(He also wonders what he'd do with one arm? He'd probably just add a few more arms and maybe go full Thousand-Arms Deity. That seems to be the best way to go, if you think about it. No installation time.)]
... Maybe you can add more if you ask around.
no subject
[He is absolutely from a world where fighting is the norm. Malice shrugs a bit.]
I don't really need more than these, but since they ain't workin' right now... I guess I'll have to ask Tara 'bout it. Maybe he can find a way to make 'em work with magic.
[Tatara's name is already so short he doesn't need to give him a dumb nickname... but Malice does it anyway, so.]
no subject
[Well, it's also just pragmatic in general.
Midgar isn't a super downtrodden place, but you can still run into serial killers and crazy conspiracies all the time. Or maybe his perspective is skewed, as an Eminence (nominal). Surely not.......]
..... did we have somebody in the place named Tara??
[He's already bad with names, save him.]
no subject
[............oh right—]
Guess his name's Tatara, but it's easier for me to remember shorter names, so.
[and yet he remembered the full name, hmm.]
no subject
I just remember him as the Wannabe Cult Leader guy.
[It's not like Totsuka ever actually refuted it. It has been added to his repertoire of titles now. They are doing great, collectively, at being good little Sage's wizards (no).
But maybe Malice is better off considering Cid managed to somehow replace the relatively short name with a ridiculous long title.]
... I think the other guy knows more about magic, though?
[The real question is what names he actually remembers at this rate.]
no subject
Oh, you mean Laz.
[A brief pause.]
Lazuli. 'S what he told me to call 'im when I pressed.
[But again, dumb nicknames, here we are.]
no subject
[He says it thoughtfully but also bemusedly because while it slots into his general impression of their grouchy instructor so far (literally short fuse, likes baubles and appearances, possibly a spirit in disguise or popped out of the ground fully formed?? it's just wild mass guessing), but to some extent he's filing the information away.... in some fashion.
Who knows what final form it'll end up in. Cid nods to himself and to Malice. Yeah, that sounds about right.]
Yeah, that sounds about right. He's a pretty tricky one, so you might have to make some offerings, but I get the feeling he could be helpful if you figured out the trick to being the teacher's pet.
no subject
[The idea is legitimately hilarious. Poor Wanderer, bullied by everyone...]
no subject
[That is absolutely not what Wanderer said at all, but see: bullying.
Sometimes you have to do a little mutual bullying to bond. Or bond over a bullying target?? Nah, Cid would never bully a fly, I narrate, fakely and dubiously.]
So it's all about the actions and the end result. You just need to figure out what makes the best br-- bartering material. You never know. The soulstone thing's pretty, so that could help.
[Is Wanderer now a crow, drawn by shiny things. Shrug.]
no subject
[Wanderer is totally a crow, confirmed.]
no subject
[Capitalism! Profit! The not-so-free wizard market above all else!! Or something.
Cid glances over the array of arms one more time, just to satisfy his curiosity, before he gets up and stretches.]
Hmmmm, anyway, you should also show me whenever you get the arms working. It'd be good to see those in action...
For now, good night.
[He's been here long enough, and he has other commitments of his own later, so he'll skeddadle for now ~]
no subject
Hah, no problem. See ya later!