the truth is in the gallows

[inferus]

WHO: Wrath and YOU
WHEN: first half of August
WHERE: around Taravast especially Beacon/Necromancy District
WHAT: Learning about new magic, gaining disciples, plus whatever else.
WARNINGS: tbd. potential violence, dark emotions.

Necromancy District

Wrath spends much of the first half of August within the Necromancy District, interested in observing their more extreme methods of healing people, and especially interested in learning how to break a curse through magical methods according to what they know. Information is powerful, and he is well-informed about magic, which makes what he knows a commodity. Throughout the month, he slowly conducts lessons and gains three disciples within the district. Heard of his lessons? Want to join in on one?

If others are exploring the District, they may find him in any of the shops or rooms where healing/experimentation is happening that he has managed to trade his way into. He stays near a back corner, observing. Even with his mask on, he gives an aura of being off (otherworldly, angelically attractive, demonically predatory). He primarily observes, but sometimes asks questions, offers a hand in assisting if he has the chance.

He surveys the illicit potions, inquiring to the effects of each, hoping to find one that might cause incompetence. Emilia has many suitors, most of them hapless save for one. Wrath senses dark emotions that would make his brother Lust grin from ear-to-ear. Not trusting this suitor to know the meaning of a safe word, he is on a mission to find a potion that will take him out of the running and teach him a lesson. It is not murder he is looking to do. Yet.

Miscellaneous

You may find him at any of the following:

- Wrath spends time at the Beacon, visiting it several days, asking about it to locals, collecting information about it. It is warded and locked away like an ancient relic, like an item to be observed but never touched.

- Keeping an eye on Emilia di Carlo, but from an appropriate distance most of the time so as not to raise suspicion. Studying her suitors from afar and then being annoyed by their existence, especially when they are the ones who get to dance with her at the parties. Then being annoyed to find himself annoyed. This is fine, and he doesn't care at all.

- Wrath sometimes teleports into secure rooms within the two academies of magic when he thinks he can do so without being seen. This leaves the clear scent of fire and brimstone behind when he does so though he attempts to do so when no one else is around. Others might be sneaking into rooms that he teleports inside of. For the most part, he uses his influence and lessons of his own magic to study visions at the Attaryl school of magic, sitting in on lectures.

- He attends the parties with the air of someone who has been to many before. With ease, he speaks to the nobles around as if he has always been here, playing his role, performing miracles when asked to. These miracles include changing the temperature of the room, lighting fire with a few magic words, or even healing minor ailments. If he sees anyone struggling, he will assume they are part of the group and offer advice on how to keep up appearances if only so they will not be discovered. You are welcome.

[ ooc: hit me up with wild cards freely or simply contact me through pm/plotting post/plurk and I'd be happy to write something else. reminder there is always the potential for being near Wrath to increase angry feelings your character is having if you want to play with that. :) Wrath does not do this on purpose - it's just a side effect of being angry near him. ]

Comments

Party! Please rescue this idiot

[sergeant_slick]

Slick's life has changed a lot in the past few months. First, he was absolutely certain the Separatists were going to kill him, and soon. Then, the Jedi were going to kill him, immediately.

Now neither of those are a problem anymore. And because there was no such thing as mercy in this galaxy, something else had come along to take their place.

Parties are going to be the death of him. Slowly.

"Sir, it's not in my nature to brag," he fends off yet another question about his apparently storied military career. The bugger who'd outfitted him with the medals had done too thorough a job of it, these things were real, and he hadn't a damn clue what they meant, up until locals started chatting him up about how their uncle had been at the Battle of Whereverthefuck, did they know each other? What was it like?

He was just doing his best to be boring. Take his higher-ups back in the army as inspiration--act like a flawless little meat droid, spew some humble nonsense, then try and get the hell out of this corner he'd been backed into.

the beacon

[lancifolium]

It wasn't the first time she'd caught sight of the gentleman studying the beacon. In truth, Lily had come to do much the same, often circling it with her notebook in hand, jotting down observations about the structure as she moved.

This was the thing that promised to set everyone's lives back to right and transport them out of this world and back to where things made sense again.

Obviously, she wanted to know everything about it.

That she didn't seem to be alone in that sentiment was intriguing enough to have her amble in his direction early one evening, after spotting him there a few times.

"Fascinating, isn't it?"

/extra tl;dr for being late

[somebadnews]

There is a correlation between having something constantly on your mind and seeing it everywhere you go. It's like that for Five and the apocalypse, no matter how different the city he finds himself is. He can feel the streets burning before he blinks and reveals the people fully done up in masks that barely show their eyes. The Commission comes next, so fond of their masks that would make it easy for them to slip into this crowd. He has family here now, and with his affliction, it would be so easy for them to take advantage. His thoughts get so tangled up in the possibility that he's ready to attack anyone who approaches him if it just meant releasing some of the agony he's carrying.

Wrath had told him it would get worse.

It could perhaps be a complete coincidence that he continues to see the demon out of the corner of his eye nearly everywhere he goes in Taravast. Mask or not, he stands out in a way that makes him aware of his presence, whether he's in a group or alone surveying the beacon. He's an unknown threat, and that would be enough reason to keep his guard up, but there's likely another reason he gets his attention. There are others who seem to take an interest in Five the way he did, and all of them point towards the same area where the Necromancers gather. And where he notices Wrath is constantly drawn to. They all want answers.

He can appreciate the desire to study something that he doesn't understand, but when it's something inside of him, he's equally unsettled by any offers to help. That's the feeling he gets when men done up like plague doctors look up as he walks through the winding alley to the shop where he saw Wrath enter. Before they say a word, Five disappears in a brief flash of blue, and appears behind a table towards the back of the densely stocked room. He only needs to take one glance to find the demon perusing the various ornate bottles.

There's something ominous about the space, dark and smelling of things he can't quite identify, and he's suddenly not sure that this isn't all a front for some other type of activity. He could ask, but he's the type who likes to see it with his own eyes.

It only takes him a few seconds to gather himself and slip on some casual indifference when he's near. It's difficult to read anything in the dim light with the mask covering his face, so he lifts it as he plucks one of the bottles from a shelf. He looks Wrath over, but soon turns his attention to whatever he just grabbed. Obviously he hasn't been stalking anyone, he's simply here to shop.

"What do these do?"

keeping an eye on emilia di carlo.

[valeas]

Acting is not among the skills Emilia possesses.

Oh, she can sneak around undetected with the best of them when it suits her. In moments of cleverness she's resorted to trickery, most often against Wrath's brothers. She can hide, the way she's been forced to hide most of her life. Contain the parts of herself that were, are, Other. The big and dark and fathomless parts — tells she was not meant for a human world.

But active deception, embodying a role that makes her chafe whenever she must lean into it? Not in her wheelhouse. It's with both nerve and nerves alike that Emilia steps into the latest gala of the season. She's still not used to it, that first moment, that first step — all eyes acutely on her. If there is a moment she considers turning on her heel to run, however, she squashes it. Immediately.

How will she conquer the Seven Circles if she cannot maneuver herself in Taravast?

Practice, she tells herself. This is practice.

Squaring her shoulders and steeling her spine, she descends further into the awaiting court of colors and music. She moves like she is meant to be here. Like she is meant to be anywhere she chooses to be, unbowed. Emilia brings herself to a stop before her first welcomer, and that's when she feels it. A spark of energy scattering across her arm, letting her know he's here, too.