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westwhere2021-04-26 07:49 pm
groundrules) wrote in westwhere2021-04-26 07:49 pm
sa-hareth | the imperious
But you’re short on time for belly shaving. In a brief window of weather opportunity, the long-stalled, majestic vessel Imperious has approached the port citadel of Sa-Hareth for discharge, bringing along the dregs of her reputation in slave trafficking. She docks at 00:49 of the morning, with the captain, a two-man delegation, the chief of vessel trade and several guards heading to customs to declare her merchandise, then liaise with high merchant Torsten.
Onboard the Imperius, they leave behind an ancient treasure Torsten’s eastern partners have commissioned for delivery to reinforce local undead warlord Unhalad — along with several captives, fit for sustenance.
And in the roiling sea, circling the vessel, restless ripples as ice storms stoke.
NEW CHARACTERS | HERE COMES THE FRESH (FISH) MEAT
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• New characters find themselves aboard the vessel Imperious, in the last five to seven-day stretch of its voyage at sea. They come awake before a mirror in an otherwise wastefully deserted hall in the ship’s hull, to the sound of dying whispers. • Captives are temporarily drained and missing abilities or memories. Players can use this to cap powers as much as needed so they don’t sink the ship! They will recover their bearings in two and four days, but may be brought back to feed the mirror periodically. • Characters targeted to fuel the mirror again will spend a restless night of nightmares and hellish whispers prior. Memories of interacting with the mirror are nebulous. Those who recently faced it are given white masks during their recovery, which put them at ease. Those due to visit the mirror are offered red masks. • At sea, characters are kept unarmed and captive. They reside communally and must wash the decks, sew sails, or cleanse and gut the fish catch. • Sorcery aboard the Imperious allows characters to understand each other freely. |
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• While on deck, characters will notice a swarm of fishy pursuers — mermaids or their creature companions, who will attempt to hypnotically woo onlookers to bring them the mirror. Careful: they all have sharp fangs and appetites. • Two days before scheduled docking, vicious snow storms engulf Sa-Hareth and ice the seas, delaying the Imperious’ discharge. The mermaids fall increasingly sick as they circle the vessel in the cold. • After a time, the sea creatures return undead, feral and exclusively focused on the mirror, with some bodily throwing themselves against the ship in an attempt to submerge it to reach their target. • Finally, the Imperious docks, with some crew and sentinels exiting for formalities. Within the hour, explosions can be heard outside, and parts of the Imperious catch fire, sending most guards to investigate and leaving captives less closely monitored. • Run, fight your way out, find your dashing saviours, beware the fire and a sudden raid of (yes) humanoid undead aboard the vessel, jump into Sa-Hareths’ freezing embrace — just don’t fall overboard. • Characters will need to steal or receive thralled translation quartz pieces to understand each other once they’re off the Imperious. Guards have some; rescuers will bring more. • Inventory items can be recovered from the captain’s cabin. • Head here with all your mod questions! |
EXISTING PARTY | YO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF... FIRE
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| • Word of the Imperious’ voyage spreads, but the vessel is delayed from docking by worsening weather conditions. • Ahead of the vessel’s discharge, characters may observe strange rippling in the water: mermaids and other sea creatures, circling the Imperious. They are alert, agitated, ready to hiss and claw if onlookers come near them. They speak incoherently of a coveted mirror. • Private guards are trotting around the port at Torsten’s behest, wary of a second robbery. Heist participants scouting the port should cloak and shield themselves as much as possible. • As the storms strike, the mermaids perish and return as undead. They grow exponentially violent as they hunt the mirror, actively trying to pull those who walk the piers into the water and shred them to pieces, to coat themselves in their living warmth. • The storms let off enough for the Imperious to dock. Seagulls alert Su Xunxian of its discharge past midnight, with Karsa also sending word. Her people use the party’s 13,000 coins to set off minor explosions and fireworks in front the Imperious, starting small fires aboard the vessel. • Characters can infiltrate the Imperious to rescue the captives in the cargo hull — an exhausted, confused and masked lot, who will need Karsa’s quartz pieces. Guards and slaves mention captives’ possessions are in the captain’s cabin. • It’s about to get crowded on the Imperious. Sighted, now and then: Unhalad’s undead, Karsa and her cloaked people, Haltham and even some of Anurr’s deathless factions — recognisable because of their red sleeve arm tattoos. In the water, mermaids start brutally attacking the Imperious. • Those who search the ship will find an eerie, raided hall, with a large shattered mirror. • Return the captives to the House of Dew. The final fate of the Imperious is in your hands. Consider damage to the port! • Go here with any mod questions! |
OLD & NEW (AND MAYBE BLUE) CHARACTERS
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Congratulations, you’re off the floating death trap. Characters can trot through the freezing Sa-Hareth, but beware the effects of long-term exposure to the magical cold: listlessness, fatigue, the urge to walk out into the mountains, and to burrow oneself in warmth. Head back to the luxurious, if declining House of Dew brothel that has been offering sanctuary to arrivals so far. For now, mistress Tamaiu also welcomes newcomers into the decrepit servants’ quarters. Old and arriving characters will have to share dinner, hot beverages and blankets for a few days, while further accommodations are arranged. The sorceress Karsa will rally newcomers to briefly explain the status quo: captives are in the frozen western citadel of Sa-Hareth. They have been rescued from the undead forces of reining warlord Unhalad, who faces new pressure to defend his territory from his deposed, but resurging rival, Anurr. Unhalad and his brethren use otherworld arrivals as an exotic resource, to absorb their skills or vital strength. The land’s only hope is to evacuate these strangers through long-lost eastern portals — a voyage in the works under the stewardship of her master, the Merchant. The long-unused portals might return everyone home, but the trip requires discretion and finance, and the weather’s an enemy now. Karsa will withdraw shortly, probably in a foul temper. She has not found her mirror. This isn’t a party, but celebrate staying alive. |
OOC HOUSEKEEPING
- • The event is optional, but counts as game canon if you participate.
• Applications opens at 00:01 GMT @ 3 May. If you think you’d like to throw one in, dropping a comment on the reserve / notice list helps give a heads up on how many apps to prepare for! Thank you in advance!
• Participating in the Test Drive Meme is not mandatory to apply, but all new characters accepted in this session will have been brought in as captives aboard the Imperious.
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Surprise and confusion went through him shortly afterwards as he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of the Luminary's cloak and hood. Never in his life had he ever been accused of standing out too much and his eyes looked at the other as if he'd consumed far too much sea water.
"I am your oath sworn sword and your shield. And yet here you would have me cower under a hood to hide who I am?" This made absolute zero sense to Hendrik. It was his duty to protect the Luminary no matter the cost, especially in unfriendly places. Had he forgotten that during his tenure here? Places they traveled to back home the Luminary was under constant threat in his quest to banish the darkness from their world. And the knight hadn't had to hide himself in any way shape or form, yet it was being requested of him here in this strange place.
Had the boy forgotten all of their battles and all of the danger?
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"Please, Hendrik. I will explain everything when we're safe, but you won't be able to protect me for long if you don't do this."
Goddess, but they didn't have time to argue.
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"Very well."
It took him a few tries with the wind picking up and threatening to take the hood from him. Finally though he got it tied and scowled. Just because he agreed to this for the other's sake didn't mean that he had to personally think it was the greatest idea ever. But keeping the other safe no matter the cost was what had won Hendrik over.
Even if that meant wearing a stupid hood that he was sure looked ridiculous and didn't fit his head at all. The knight was still very sure that his long purple hair still hung out from the back somewhat defiantly.
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"Thank you." He shifted around the man and tugged the cloak down around Hendrik's shoulders and back. It certainly did not fit the man and only looked marginally less conspicuous than his purple hair- like someone was trying to hide himself- but it would have to do.
"Okay, let's go."
They managed to catch up with a small, lingering group from the rescue party where they were meant to meet up and after a brief discussion, split off to arrive in smaller, separate groups at the House of Dew. Ducked out of sight across from the building itself, Eleven glanced back to Hendrik with a grimace, wondering how the man might feel about the nature of their refuge. Best to get that over with while they had a few moments.
"Yes, it's a brothel. Most of us have been staying in the servant's quarters for the past month with plans to leave soon. We don't have any alternatives right now."
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Hiding in the shadows wasn't his cup of tea either and he growled low a time or two. It wasn't easy for him to keep out of sight with his six foot six frame, so he simply crossed his arms over his chest.
However, nothing could have prepared him for the shock of staying in a brothel and his eyes narrowed. "And this is how you have been surviving in this place? Sleeping in quarters meant for servants?" Somehow the Luminary didn't deserve that, especially as he was born a Prince of a kingdom that had fallen some time ago.
He wasn't mad, he was moreover indignant at what the boy had gone through in his absence.
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Only it was, given where they were and the rather active nightlife he did his best to avoid and tune out where possible. Still, sleeping in a modest room full of others didn't bother him unduly.
"This is a different world. We're fugitives here, so we've had to live like it. But we're leaving soon, so it shouldn't be for too much longer."
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Hearing the news they were fugitives somehow didn't sit well with the knight but then again he supposed that's what they were when facing any of the darkness denizens at any given point. Still, it wasn't adding up. Surely one of their companions from back home had been trying to assist the Luminary in his quest to get back home to save their world?
"Leaving, so you are speaking of returning to our world, correct?" And that of course only gave rise to more questions.
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Eleven peeked out from the corner of the building, glancing both ways down the street for undead.
"None of my other companions are here, either." He waved the man forward. "Come on."
He stepped out of the alley and strode up to the House entrance with Hendrik in toe, relieved when both of them were admitted inside. Wonderful warmth washed over them. Eleven's eyes slid over a short-tempered woman speaking to a handful of new arrivals about the undead and the situation there, but moved past the group in favor of heading back toward the servant's quarters.
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At hearing the others aren't here has him frowning when he was waved forward. Well the sooner they got to wherever they needed to so he could get answers, the better. And when the boy moved forward, he of course followed. Tried as he might, he couldn't quite get all of the information on the undead, but continued on and tried to keep his eyes fixed on the back of the Luminary's head.
The knight had a lot of questions.
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Eleven set to divesting himself of his armor.
"To the distant East somewhere is said to be a possible way back to our own worlds," he said finally. "We've recently brokered our passage out of this city, but we need to wait until we're given word of our planned departure."
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Hendrik didn't know this world and didn't trust it. But the quick explanation did little to allay his fears, so a hand went up in the air briefly as he spoke. "Brokered your passage..and who is going to give you this permission you seek?"
There were so many other questions, but this line of questioning was first.
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"He refused to give us his name, but it's being orchestrated by a merchant looking out for his own interests. If the undead capture us, we'll be consumed and added to their forces, our strength turned against the world. Apparently they've discovered that killing us results in much the same."
His disgust with the idea, though as reined in as he could manage for a basic explanation, still rang clear. He forced a hard breath and shook his head.
"For the sake of his profits, the Bloodbonnet wants us gone from this world, so that's where we are."
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"In being gone from the world I can agree on that. But as far as eliminating us, they would have to be stronger than what we have already faced back in Erdrea." In their combined strength Hendrik had faith though he was no fool. Back home they also had Lord Robert, Erik, Serena, Sylvando, and Jade.
"But you have allies here, correct?" Maybe it was just a matter of combining strengths.
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"..A few," he admitted, removing his chest plate. "Archeval, Xingchen, Wei Wuxian.." More tenuous connections to others. "The whole of us have a loose alliance as it stands. We have a common goal, so that's enough for now, but for most, it isn't companionship or loyalty, just.. deemed necessary for survival."
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He didn't feel as if he should remove the armor he just got back on so that wasn't happening for a little while. This place was still far too new and unfamiliar for him to believe he could take a break.
So he remained quiet for a few minutes, pondering over this new information before his eyes went back to the boy. "I take it you have devised some sort of plan?"