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This log covers 7-25 April, drawing from previous discoveries. Feel free to tag in here or make your own posts/logs!

Sign-ups for NPC threads remain open until 23:59 GMT on 9 April.

THE LION’S DEN

WEN QING’S RESCUE | THE HUNTRESS’ CURES | THE HUNT | THE OLD MOUNTAIN

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SWEET HISSED NOTHINGS

CONTENT WARNING: MENTIONS OF SNAKES, SERPENT CREATURES

Prior to the Huntress’ arrival, the group’s healer Wen Qing is captured by a feral half human, half serpent creature. Characters might overhear visiting woodsmen who say a woman was heaved into the woods at night by a large serpent.

After journeying through the illusion-casting forests of Ke-Waihu, prospective rescuers discover that traces of struggle lead them to a 20m-deep, wide pit on brittle pale soil, close to the Fortune fetters ruins:

■ If you cross the Fetters, local prophetesses cryptically advise you to shed torches or clothes and to run to cold streams, if you encounter danger. A distressed Hyang-Tai pleads kindness for ‘ancients’ and ‘children.’

■ The surroundings of the pit are eerily silent.

■ Rescuers can spot a sleeping Wen Qing at the bottom of the pit, patches of her bared skin covered in a slick shine and showing the start of growing scales. She is surrounded by dozens of dormant snakes and nagas, tightly and peacefully coiled around her.

■ Wooden stakes have been thrust into the pit walls — serving as challenging, but workable steps.

■ Some snakes are poisonous — with many cures available in the forest or back in Ke-Waihu — but most bite viciously without venom. Some nagas emit phlegm that briefly impairs the vision or blinds.

■ Watch your step! The creatures are drawn to warmth, fire magic and sound. They stir and climb the pit to attack if they feel threatened.
■ Rusted weapons and broken shields litter the bottom of the pit, dropped in by previous… visitors.

OBJECTIVES

■ Remove Wen Qing from her dire straits.

■ Wen Qing is left with serpentine sensitivities, instincts and scales. To cure her, healers advise a seven-day brew treatment of widow’s lace — an opiate plant found in large forest bushes.

■ Grab a few flowers at a time and store them well — collectors exposed extensively to widow’s lace experience four-six hours of light euphoria, paranoia or bizarre visions — swindling foxes and philosophical parrots are apparently commonly imagined.

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THE MAIDEN’S WATCH

The Huntress joins the group, deprived of her powers and absent her steed. She pointedly stares at the ground, but those who meet her gaze may revisit harrowing moments in their lives.

Following group conversations, her shelter is rotated between two locations: a shallow forest cave and the now deserted snake pit that previously hosted Wen Qing.

Take turns shielding her from the animals that seem drawn to besiege her. The Huntress spends her time in tears or penitence and speaks in a maddened tongue. Voice coarse and wet, she summons the composure to share her knowledge:

■ The Beastmaster and she both seek to witness the imminent eruption of the Ke-Sanwon volcano, expected within a month. The Beastmaster will become more human as that time draws.

■ Ravens excepted, local animals obey the Beastmaster and spy for him.

■ To avoid the pull of the Beastmaster and his Hunt, seek out:

THE SHRINE

Trek through Ke-Waihu’s haunted forests and find the village’s only shrine devoted to ravens, outside of the elusive House of Ravens.

■ Wear pebbles or wood splinters from the shrine to disrupt the Beastmaster’s thrall on you. These items must be replaced after three days.

■ Fox spirits have raised dozens of illusionary copies of the shrine. The stone of the original altar is marked for ravens in a small wooden carving, while copy shrines worship foxes.

■ Young fox spirits imitate ravens or play distant bells to distract travellers from finding the raven shrine.

■ Sometimes, fox spirits swarm, offering to show the way if visitors perform a small dare or tell them a meaningful secret.

■ If asked, Ke-Waihu locals share the shrine was raised by a wanderer, who spent a month in the village many years ago. He was disgusted with the arrogance of Ke-Waicai’s zealots, who insist ravens are sacred and can only be worshipped in the House of Ravens.

THE BRIDGE

Ke-Waihu has briefly reopened its gates to the nearby village of Ke-Waiar — to which it is connected by a fragile and narrow bridge high above a misted abyss.

■ Wind gusts shake the ropes of the rickety bridge, and several wooden steps are putrid, dangling or loose.

■ Ad you near the bridge’s end to Ke-Waiar, you may find a couple of fox spirits are purposefully rattling the ropes to unsaddle travellers. Plead or barter: you can offer anything from riddles to treats, a good performance, a poem, a favour, a shouted confession of true love…

■ The village gates open between sunrise and sunset. Characters who arrive early find many villagers sleep until late in the day. By sundown, some locals become frantic, alert, increasingly irritable.

■ Water can be freely taken from any of the wells within Ke-Waiar to satisfy the quest. Villagers offer it gladly — they too suffer from resurging drought and dark waters.

■ If you arrive at sunset or night, you can see villagers turning to werewolves in various stages of transformation, between humanoid and large wolf beast. They are lured out of Ke-Waiar, gates closing behind them, and released into the thick, vibrant woods — with you.

■ Take cover in the forest, to escape the pack of werewolves and wolves. Some might prove lenient if they catch you, while others feel compelled to draw blood.

■ To wait out the night: climb the forest’s sturdiest trees with help of the ropes purposefully bound from tall branches. Some trees even host rudimentary treehouses.

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THE HUNT

The Beastmaster, his xenomorphic creatures and mutated animals arrive in Ke-Waihu to behold the ‘imminent’ volcanic eruption.

The Beastmaster’s creatures possess sharpened senses and hearing, intense speed and hard carcasses that provide additional but imperfect protection from blows and missiles. They often hunt in packs, but behave themselves in Ke-Waihu during daytime.

The Beastmaster excuses himself from the underground Hok-Shinn clan’s attempts at a welcome celebration, taking residence with his beasts in his village hut. He may be encountered walking the village beside five or six of his creatures, inspecting the markets and even advising new huntsmen — his manner slow, speech rough in a way that suggests oral injury beneath his facial bandages.

THE TRIBUTES

The Hok-Shinn and an envoy of Ke-Waiar each present 10 distinguished but eerily listless youths of their village to the Beastmaster.

■ These tributes are then held in groups of five across four abandoned homes, each closely watched by six-seven men of the Hok-Shinn.

■ Team up, rescue some tributes — and get out alive.

■ For easier infiltration, try the forest-facing back of the houses, or the generously large, defective chimneys. Beware slippery or broken roof tiles

■ Hok-Shinn guards possess great brute force… and gratefully accept liquor.

■ Some tributes might fight their rescuers and attempt to alert the guards. Some claim it is their privilege to join the Beastmaster, while others say they should be sacrificed to the volcano Ke-Sanwon for their families.

■ You can hide the rescued tributes in the witches’ huts or the Fetters — gather them coin so they can book seats on the next ship out of Ke-Waihu.

THE HUNTING SEASON

The Beastmaster’s creatures are mannered during the day, but join the Hunting season that kicks off after the full moon:

■ Participation is (OOCly) optional.

■ For five nights, come moonrise, some characters feel compelled to flee into the forests and run, hide or avoid detection — alternatively, they join the Beastmaster’s creatures as hunters, chasing this quarry and forest animals.

■ You can chase each other or ‘pack’ up against a common target or enemy.

■ Anyone can ‘hunt’ or ‘be hunted.' Roles can swap across the five nights.

■ Characters can develop overnight instincts akin to an animal of hunt or prey of your choice, and they will be helped by these animals for the night. Snakes and ravens do not participate.

■ Hunting can be vicious (seeking to injure, kill or consume prey) or symbolic (just violently giving chase).

■ Certain characters feel especially compelled to join the hunt and to protect the Beastmaster outside of it. These include characters who are given to war, hunting, violence, wrath, gluttony or feral/animal characteristics. It also applies to those who previously turned xenomorphic during the Beastmaster's trip in Taravast, or whom he marked.

■ To avoid the hunt, stay out of the forest, apply the Huntress’ cures or lock yourself firmly indoors.

A couple of fun locations for hunt participants:

■ A tree enclosure where characters can hide for up to an hour, invisible to their pursuers. They can still be heard or scented.

■ A small lake, silvered at night, in whose waters you can breathe freely.

■ A fox spirit shrine, where a group of four-five vulpine friends defend you alongside their territory.

■ Abandoned wells and the forest streams previously touched by dark waters. The Beastmaster’s creatures seem very curious about the liquid, but ultimately pull back, as if obeying instructions.

■ Areas with strong fire or utter dark deter the Beastmaster's creatures.

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OLD MAN MOUNTAIN

Dormant volcano Ke-Sanwon shows signs of upcoming eruption: soil swells, increases in local temperature and small, low-grade earthquakes.

■ Characters with magical powers may find their strength sometimes fluctuates, suddenly swelling or briefly waning completely.

■ Dark waters fill out some of the ground cracks that follow earthquakes. The liquid is cold, settling as if it were iced. This dark water heals shallow wounds on any skin it touches, or gently revives vegetation over one-three days on any ground it is set on.

■ The strength of the dark water fades over a week’s time.

■ Digging through the ground cracks reveals thin rivulets of the dark water are present all around Ke-Sanwon.They are more numerous the closer you get to the volcano. Dark water also smears the mouths of hell.

THE JEWELLER

A few days after the earthquakes state (after 20 April, for network posts), characters wake to distant screams, as a group of 10 of Ke-Waihu's masked concerned citizens drag handsome young jeweller Dong-Yun out of Ke-Waihu.

■ The group is taking Dong-Yun through the predatory forests.

■ You can play out finding the captors’ convoy separately, or tag into the jeweller’s rescue here.

■ Bring the jeweller back to Ke-Waihu. Dong-Yun can share that his abductors intended to sacrifice him to the Ke-Sanwon volcano. One of the participants in the rescue: please share with the rest of the class!

”I’ve heard, but I’ve never — they used to, when my mother was young… she told, me even when she had me, all the mothers hid their young. She told me, they used to give them to Sanwon. The prettiest, the smartest, the most skilled. Give it all to Brother Sanwon, give it to… so it won’t take everything else. Give it our best, and it will leave us the rest. But this doesn’t happen anymore. The mountain doesn’t want it.”

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QUESTIONS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Moran's eyebrow... twitches at being addressed by his first name. No one should be calling him that except those closest to him, and as agreeable as he finds the company of Master Five's brain, he still wouldn't count him as that.]

I was lost in thought and apparently wandered farther than I believed I had..

[ He comes to a stop on the other side of the path and tilts his head at his lazy attempt at a lie. That very unlikely scenario tugs at his well-honed paranoia, and he's reminded of how easily he spotted him. It isn't the first time. ]

I see. [ Shrugging lightly, even as he continues to eye him. ] That's quite an unfortunate coincidence. It isn't safe to be separated from the pack.

[The most hilarious thing, though, is that it's not even a lie. Moran did get lost in thought and wandered somewhere he didn't want to. He can believe some it is probably due to whatever is going on right now with the Beastmaster's presence.

The words said to him carry some clear meaning, but Moran just shrugs back.]

I can take care of myself.

[A few people have seen him fight, but maybe Five wasn't among them. he doesn't necessarily hide the fact that he is an Army general, but it's true he doesn't advertise it either.

He's just hoping his power won't decided to stop helping, because if it does, he is for sure in trouble. Fighting in those robes is already going to be a pain.]

[ That's a phrase he's heard from others here before, and every time, it grates on him a little more. It's their way to dismiss the advice of someone who generally should be listened to, because he really knows what that means. Tonight he takes it as more of a challenge. He doesn't make the same point to Five, so he wonders if he already picked up on his suspicion. If not, he'll figure it out soon enough.

It doesn't really matter that he doesn't listen. He's seen all of them fighting for their lives at one point or another, but never been the one to test him.

He leans forward. ]

I'd hope so. Otherwise we'd just be wasting time.

I don't see how any of what I am doing could be wasting your time, Master Five. I'm just planning to go back to the village and my bed.

[Of course, he wagers things aren't going to go as smoothly as he plans, but one never knows. maybe Five can still be reasoned with.

And if he can't... Well, that's another hurdle. Were he entirely without his power, Moran isn't sure he'd be able to overcome it. Even with it, his main goal is not to win a fight, but simply to escape relatively unscathed.]

[ It doesn't seem like he should care, but he just keeps waiting for something to shift. The same thing that he suspects Moran is waiting for. Most people would have overlooked the subtle threat Five was making, but he'd always been a little smarter than the rest.

That's what got his attention to start with. Only someone with something to hide would be trying this hard to convince him of his innocence. ]

What's stopping you? [ He could have kept walking. He should have. ] Did you have a vision of how it would go?

I don't need a vision to know how it will go, Master Five. I have commanded armies before.

[And it doesn't take a genius or even a military mind to see you're waiting for an opening.]

Clearly, you have something in mind, and I don't think I can dissuade you of it, so why would I even try?

[ Five hums at his ploy to sound overly confident, because he already seems to have jumped on his assumptions. Which is interesting, for someone who claims to have been out here for no other reason.

He takes a step closer and holds open his arms. Not a weapon to be seen. He's eager to see what he'll do when he's challenged, but there's no reason for it to be over too quickly. ]

What's on my mind?

[Moran doesn't answer. Instead, his gaze flicks to Five's hand, and the blood there, and then back to his face.

He's not going to attack first, Five. He knows better.]

[ He follows his gaze, looking down at his blood-covered hand like he's surprised it's there. It might seem alarming to some people, but not Moran, and his smile grows when he looks back up through the curtain of his bangs. He's assuming it isn't his blood, but doesn't ask. What more of an invitation does he need? ]

Always a good talk, Moran.

[ Five disappears in the next blink, and a second later he's behind him rounding a kick at his feet. Nothing immediately debilitating, but sometimes they need motivation to get moving. ]

[And as soon as Five disappears, the sigil on Moran's forehead glows again, and he takes a side step.

He misjudged the distance a little bit, so Fives kick still hits his ankle, Which does hurt, but at least he's still standing, which wasn't Five's plan, he is sure, and he's also facing Five again, which definitely was not the plan.]

How aggressive. What exactly have I done to deserve this?

[ Moran's reflexes are sharp enough that he doesn't land on his back, but he can tell in an instant that they aren't going to save him; not if he thinks he can rely on familiarity. Even if he weren't in a heightened state, Five doesn't trust anyone who holds his secrets. Dimly he still thinks that meeting out here is no coincidence. He should have known better than to come alone.

His question is one that Five has heard before, from countless targets who never got an answer, or understood why their existence became a threat to the timeline. He's not any more inclined to give Moran that satisfaction. They're dragging it out as it is. When he makes no move to counter, Five straightens and holds his fists in front of him. ]

Do you think you've earned a head start?

I'm not going to run, Master Five.

[Once again, Moran's eyes glow silvery purple, and his sigil appears briefly on his forehead.]

It's not the right time for it. Not yet.

[ Five narrows his eyes at the subtle glow, after which nothing follows. He was hoping for more of a challenge, but maybe he's already had a good enough look into how this ends. Unsatisfying, but the night is still young. ]

Not yet. [ He scoffs and is about to roll up his sleeves and put him out of his misery when a shadow enters the edge of his vision. Another predator has been stalking them. The forest is full of them, and for as long as they were standing around, it was a matter of time before they grew impatient.

He doesn't need any gift of foresight to know when the creature is ready to pounce, and at that moment Five blinks away again, leaving Moran to face it alone. ]

[... Oh, of course.

Moran is, thankfully, forewarned enough to jump out of the way... Jump high enough to land in a tree, too, which that creature, whatever it is - he can't ee well in the dark - apparently cannot climb.

So he'll take a moment to try and assess if now it's only that one foe he needs to be acreful about, or if Maybe Five is still lurking about.]

[ Five watches from a distance, and sure enough, Moran runs from it. Jumps, rather. He notes where he lands, then gives consideration to the beast he avoided. Granted, he's forgotten what a lot animals looked like after spending decades in the apocalypse, but this one seems unique to where they are. All fangs and anger after being denied its prey.

A sharp blow with a rock to the base of its skull gets its attention when Five appears next to it, and despite being a third its size, he's able to get his wiry arms around its neck. It falls shortly after with a final snap, and Five huffs a breath and looks back to the trees.

He adjusts his shirt and keeps a sharp eye upwards, waiting for any sign movement. ]

[Well, yes, Five, he's going to avoid the beasts with the claws and the fangs because it's easy to do. You're another piece of work, as demonstrated by what literally just happened.

It's useless to run away from someone who can teleport to be in front of you again anyway. He's almost raised a person whose power, while not identical to yours, manifests in the same way at times. Choosing your battles is an art form.

(And also, you killed that thing with your bare hands and you had blood on your hands before he came across you.)

He'll jump down from the tree to the ground, straightening his robes and dusting himself off.]

You dealt with that quite efficiently.

[ Five apparently didn’t have to worry about finding him again. He casts a brief glance at the beast he killed and shrugs. It didn’t have a particularly thick neck, so long as he didn’t give it time to fight back, it was easy. Even in this body.

He’s used to efficiency, but most targets don’t actively ask him to finish a hit. Most would take advantage of a distraction if they knew what was coming. Moran returning to parade in front of him, praising him, is a confusing strategy.

After a moment a thought occurs to him, and he shakes his head. ]

Were you concerned?

I haven't seen you... in action before, so to speak, and not many people could tackle this situation the way you did. I certainly wouldn't do it without a blade.

[And since he isn't carrying one, that's why he jumped in a tree.]

Apparently I shouldn't have worried. But I figured you would simply use me as bait and run, to be honest. Were you concerned?

[ So that’s why. He’s wildly misinterpreted the situation he’s in. Five is a killer, unique among killers in the forest, as that brief moment of violence reminded him. ]

It was in the way. [ And it didn’t wait its turn. Five found him first. ]

[It's a constant game of reevaluating and analyzing... but that only confirms that running would have been useless. He would have ended up exhausting himself for uncertain results.]

Tell me, Master Five, how exactly do you envision this encounter finishing?

[ Five gestures to the body near his feet. He can tell Moran is stalling, but he lets him, just to see what he'll do. ]

I’ll eliminate the threat.

And who would that threat be?

[Come on, Five, say it. If you believe you'll come out on top anyway, what's the harm in saying things straight?]

I would say you're not acting like yourself, but that would actually be wrong. You're acting... a little too much like you usually do. As if I'm your enemy, for some reason.

[ He might be insulted if he were in his right mind, but even if he wasn't compelled to cut their conversation short, he's not totally off the mark. Taking Moran out of the equation, they're all people who exist outside of time. They recklessly endanger everyone around them if they mean to or not. It should have occurred to him before, but better late than never.

He looks thoughtful for a second, then bends down to pick up a sizable tree branch and tests the weight of it in his hands. He's satisfied when it doesn't crumble at his touch. ]

Imagine that. [ All this talking. He's entertained him long enough. ] I can waste both of our time by telling you what you already know, or the reasons you can't possibly comprehend. Or we can finish this.

[.... Yeah, he's going to raise an eyebrow at that because seriously? He's not even armed, and you just strangled a beast with your bare hands, and now you want to knock his brains out with a tree branch?]

That's not going to finish it, Master Five.

Have you forgotten? I can see you coming.

[One more time the sigil on his forehead glows.]