you opened your eyes, spreading it wide

[promittere]

THIRD QUARTER ALLEGRO

While our newly-arrived wizards have been settling in, learning their magic, and getting to know one another, the sage and their mentor have been busy with a different kind of work behind the scenes—bureaucratic work. It hasn't been particularly exciting, but it has paid off.

Because now, the world is ready to receive them.

Put on your finest clothes, because Granvelle Castle invites you to a welcome ball in your honor.

Didn't bring any fine clothes with you? No need to worry—specially chosen tailors from Central Capital have been commissioned to take care of you, and they will be visiting the manor to get you gussied up in the fashion of your choice for the day (by this, we mean feel free to pick whatever fancy clothes you want for the ball).

As the sun sets on the designated day, all the residents of the manor make their way to the castle. Granvelle Castle stands proud in Central Capital, its lights a beacon in the darkening city, and its doors open to outsiders for the first time in weeks. Upon arrival they're greeted by brightly lit halls, welcoming staff, and a grand ballroom, windows flung open to let in the spring breeze and pale moonlight. Everyone and everything seems determined to make this a cheerful affair, despite the underlying sense of dread and tension.

Live music fills the air, played the greatest musicians in the world. There are some larger ensembles, solo acts; some pieces are of more traditional folk dances, while some are slower, and some are upbeat and avant-garde. Regardless, the floor is open for dancing—grab a buddy and dance the night away!

Lining one wall is a long banquet table, filled with plenty of food and drink, both alcoholic and non to sate the new arrivals. The hors d'oeuvres and small plates comprise an array of delicacies from around the world, with everything from savory lobster bites to the sweetest portions of tres leches you have ever tasted. It seems someone has also put in a specific request for Japanese food—a part of the banquet table has been set aside specifically for Japanese dishes, and this includes small portions of ramen. There also seems to be a plate on the far end of the table filled with lovingly stacked pieces of charcoal... Is that meant to be food?

You aren't the only ones in attendance tonight. Representatives and dignitaries from around the world are also present—they have quite a lot to say about the unusual situation, and they are most curious about these otherworldly individuals tasked with fending off the moon under their national banners. The most dignitaries are from Central, West, and East, while there do seem to be a few representatives from the less populated North and South. Those from Central, West, and South in general seem to be the most social, while the rest are more reserved. There are also a few of the castle staff that seem (begrudgingly) willing to speak with the new wizards. Most are here to chat and mingle—lend them an ear, you may learn something new...

For those tired of socializing, the ballroom opens out onto a breezy, spacious balcony. It looks out over the main thoroughfare leading to the main castle entrance, and the nighttime lights of the Central capital twinkle in the near distance. For those that would rather take a breather, there is a small patio table and a couple of chairs. Despite the waxing moon in the sky, it is a very nice evening.

If you would like to have a chat with an NPC, then please respond to this comment. NPCs will be assigned randomly if no preference is given. While everyone has something valuable to say, they're not giving potentially sensitive info out for free—let's hope your diplomatic skills are up to snuff. We're doing our best to give everyone meaningful conversations, so please bear with us!

JOB BOARD

Rejuvenation. Thanks to your Southern friends' hard work, the South has been saved from a potentially devastating crop failure, and these fledgling towns can continue to grow as they're meant to! Give them a pat on the back and a round of applause.

But the South is not without its scars. While the root cause has been taken care of, the damage has been done. A town's wheat field has been partially destroyed—help them tear out the blackened, dead wheat, till and fertilize the soil, and replant what can be replanted. The City of Clouds, the most prosperous of the Southern settlements, have also offered extra tools, hands, and seeds to help set the town back on the path to recovery. Transport these supplies to the town. Let's hope your broom skills are up to snuff too, because it's a long ride.

Shadows in the night. The residents of the Central capital have recently been reporting eerie sightings after sundown: shadowy figures lurking in corners, the constant feeling of being watched, and, in some extreme cases, these shadowy figures attacking when traveling alone at night. Many reports seem to indicate an odd concentration of these creepy figures lurking around the Granvelle Castle moat, as though trying to find a way into the castle. Residents are understandably frightened and unnerved and cannot go about their nightly business—beat back what shadows you find and make the streets safer for the Central capital residents.

While physical attacks don't seem to do much against them, they dissipate rather easily under magic. Try not to wear yourself to the bone, though—there are a lot of them.

Escorting nobility. The Eastern Blanchett noble family have called an important meeting, inviting nobles and others of import from across the Eastern Country. However, their castle lies beyond Sherwood Forest, a very large, dense, and deep wood—while a fine natural defense for the Blanchett family, it's a bit of trouble for those looking to visit. While the Blanchett's own forest guard is absent, it is your job to safely escort these nobles to the Blanchett abode, and back out. But be careful: lurking in the shadows amongst the trees are all sorts of territorial predators like bears and wolves, not to mention the magical beasts that sneak up on unsuspecting prey. You may come across a brigand or bandit or two, since the forest is a near perfect hiding place for illegal activity. And please—try not to get lost.

Typical of any Easterner, the nobles are reluctant to make much small talk and are a bit suspicious of the new wizards, but they are otherwise pleasant and will generally comply with most requests.

WANDERER TASKS

Can you go a week without ruining food or the pots and pans? Stop being so wasteful and learn how to cook or stop trying.

Learn how to use magic to repair things. Again, if you're going to keep ruining the kitchen at least learn how to put it back together.

TATARA ACTIVITIES

I need milk. I'm trying to perfect latte foam art, but I haven't really gotten the hang of it yet... I used up all the milk (oops, sorry!), so I need more. Actually, could you grab me other kinds of milk while you're at it? I want to experiment! I'm sure other markets in the farther reaches of the world will have weirder milk... Please!

We should start a veggie garden! Or an herb garden? Doesn't matter! I found a nice sunny patch of grass in the training forest—we could dig up that spot, right? Help me get it set up! I need people to dig, and till... Oh! We need seeds to plant, too! Please and thank you~

OOC NOTES

🌙 Welcome to your second event post! Get out your snazzy outfits. It's time to party.
🌙 As you grow into your magic, your character might start realizing they can differentiate between everyone's magic. Everyone has a unique signature, and you may be able to start sensing who cast what, where. Someone put a magical seal on the kitchen door? Smells like Shinjiro's magic. Akira had some of Solomon's sugar? You can sense that, too!
🌙 As you start getting past the basics, your character might realize they have a much easier time with certain kinds of magic over others. For North, this will be offensive and attack spells; for East, this will be intricate seals and curses; for West, this will be manipulative magic like illusions and transformation; for South, this will be healing, purification, and protection. Central? A little bit of everything. Read up on your country if you need a refresher!
🌙 It's been peaceful at home in the manor thus far, hasn't it? Do you think that will last?
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting contained to the OOC post, since not everyone checks plurk or discord frequently.
🌙 Our next group to go on their mission is Central. Be ready, heroes...

» NAVIGATION

Comments

[revengier]

They're surprisingly weak.

[ And he can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing right now. ]

I'm sure there are stronger ones running around, using the weaker shadows as a distraction.

[dyingtohealyou]

That, or more of them. There's been way too many incidents for just a handful.

[And as a matter of fact, there are some approaching!

...But Ahito would need either a fully working right eye, or the shadows would need to make a sound for him to notice. Spot check failed.]

[revengier]

[ Kurapika notices them with no issue, but the fact that Ahito misses them on his right side doesn't escape his notice either.

In fact, he'll go ahead and stand on his right, just to be safe. ]

More over here. Let's hit them at once.

[dyingtohealyou]

[-?!

He turns quickly once alerted - a little too quickly, compensating for the slow reaction overall.]

So it's numbers, not quality, huh.

[Annoying...

Actually, that annoyance rears its head with an extra long spear this time, launching itself trying to skewer as many of them in one shot as possible.]

[revengier]

[ Kurapika joins him with a whirlwind that knocks the shadows prone or off balance, making it much easier for Ahito to hit them with his spear.

Like that, they drop with no real issue. ]

That was quick.

[ It really is quantity over quality, but their teamwork is certainly helping too. It's strange... Kurapika hasn't fought with someone else in a long time. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

They're a lot easier to handle with two, aren't they?

[He... doesn't have any experience fighting alongside anyone else. It's a welcome change though, since they definitely would've gotten the drop on him if Kurapika hadn't spotted the shadows first.]

Shall we see if there's more to hunt down?

[revengier]

[ He nods. They are. It's a discovery that Kurapika isn't so sure he's comfortable with just yet, but he can tackle his feelings on it when they finish it. ]

We should. Can you recall other hotspots around town that were mentioned?

[dyingtohealyou]

[Tipping his head down a bit in thought.]

If the rumors are to be believed, it's mostly around the castle... specifically, the moat.

Maybe that's their base?

[revengier]

I would think so.

[ Hm. He brings his chin up to his hand. ]

There may be stronger ones there, if that's where they are all concentrated.

[dyingtohealyou]

Not the kind of thing you want to walk into without a plan.

[Hm.]

It might be best if we can use our magic to corral them all in one spot and take them out all at once. It's not like it takes much to get rid of them.

[revengier]

I was thinking something similar. I have a few spells I've been working on specifically for crowd control, so we could try one of those.

[ It would be a great way to test his progress too. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

Oh? Care to share the details?

Maybe I can work off it with my own spells.

[revengier]

A chain that binds multiple targets together. They aren't exactly that strong right this moment, so you would need to kill the shadows off quickly.

[dyingtohealyou]

...If I can cool down the area beforehand, I can create a spray of ice bullets.

Wipe 'em all out in one go.

[revengier]

I'll hold them still while you cool things down... it sounds like a viable plan, if you ask me.

[dyingtohealyou]

I'll try to make it quick.

Shall we?

[revengier]

Let's go.

[ He heads off towards the moat without another word, figuring that Ahito will follow without problem. ]

I wonder how often we'll be called out to do things like this.

[dyingtohealyou]

[He does indeed follow!]

There are two combat-oriented jobs this time... maybe it's the start of a new trend.

[revengier]

First the diplomacy, now the combat...

[ He sighs. ]

We'll be keeping busy, that's for certain.

[dyingtohealyou]

At least it keeps things interesting. I don't know about you, but I like having some hands-on practice every once in a while.

[revengier]

It's a good way to test out our magic, but I don't really know how much I actually like fighting.

[ All of his combat experience is simply a means to an end, after all, and not because he enjoys it. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

Oh? Even with how experienced you are?

[Surprising!]

[revengier]

It's always been a necessity for me. In order to do what I sought out to do, I had to become a Hunter, and to become a Hunter you have to be able to fight.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Huh. This is surprising to hear, and it shows, if mildly, on his face.]

...If you didn't have to, what would you prefer instead?

[revengier]

[ What would he prefer, indeed. That's the real question here, and it takes Kurapika a moment or two to think about it. ]

...Traveling.