sand in your eyes

[groundrules]

And onwards, through the cursed desert. The mini-journey Arc covers 6-21 January and doubles as a test drive meme. Participants do not need an invite to apply this round. Have fun!

SAND IN YOUR EYES

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TEST DRIVE TOURISTS | ONE SAND WASHES THE OTHER
A HOUSE UNITED WILL SAND | SOILMATES | A PYRAMID SCHEME

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A SANDING OVATION

Sand in your eyes, down your throat, stifling. You wake half-buried in high dunes, crawling towards helping hands. Thirst vanquishes you.

You are quickly offered a translation and communication pendant and introduced to the leader of the caravan that saved you — good Mazyar, who thanks the stars for your most incredible luck to be rescued by his generous and humble self. For he is not a man for idle praise, but he has sold salt to salt makers, he was courted by seven of the five great trade guilds and brought peace to the Stairs of Sighs…

Mazyar reveals you are in Akhuras, where undead lieges seek to weaponise you in their war for dominion. Mazyar’s good but less successful friend, the elusive Merchant ferries otherworlders east, where ancient beacons can transport them home.

Retire for now and regain your strength. Come morning, further otherworlders will arrive from Serthica — and your journey may begin.

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ONE SAND WASHES THE OTHER

The veteran party reunites with newcomers in the desert, and with the merchant Mazyar — who once guided them through the Stairs of Sighs. His caravan is protected by the Scavengers —deathly a tribe of hardened desert raiders. They bring water flasks, supplies, cooling suits and tents to share. Their snail-like carriage mounts can transport the weak.

You are bound for the seized citadel of Alem, swarmed on each side by undead battalions. To access it, you must obtain one of the enormous sand worms that trawl the deserts, which can be deployed to create underground passageways.

The Scavengers will lead the caravan through haunted dunes, the worms’ traditional hunting grounds and temple-fortress Uruksithar.

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A HOUSE UNITED WILL SAND

The group first reaches the Valley of Unchaining, bordered by high cliffs and fang-like stones. Here and there, discover bloodied footprints, half-buried shackles and red chains. You might even stumble upon an eroded tombstone inscribed, H R SL EP THE UNCH IN D. At its feet are dulled dagger blades and rough calcar stone.

COULD DIE FROM LAUGHTER

You fool, never eat alone. Happen by the camp’s outskirts with your dinner, and you might glimpse the silhouettes of starved desert hyenas, their eyes glistening green. They will come close if you bear raw meat or bleeding wounds.

■ Scavengers say, if you see the hyenas, throw them food or a cloth drenched in fresh blood, then run without looking back until you no longer hear their cruel cries.

■ Some hyenas mimic rasped human voices, begging help or calling your name. One feeble hyena wears a chain of red shackles around its neck.

■ If you look back while chased, you find the green stare of the hyenas fixed upon you. You are gradually overcome by starvation, violence and the urge to dismember prey and feast on raw flesh. Player’s choice on whether characters can resist this compulsion, which disappears at dawns, or if they taste blood.

■ Scavengers will deny you entrance into the camp if you appear possessed in this way.

SANDIMENTAL VALUE

You walk the Valley, Scavengers say, and Mother Death walks with you. A once handsome crone might appear beside you, bare-footed and dressed in clean linens. She remains silent unless spoken to and flinches if you move suddenly, as if she fears being struck.

■ Treat the Crone kindly, and she entrusts you with a small pouch holding a fraction of her ashes, which she wants scattered from the hills.

■ Use rope and climbing hooks and take cover behind stone formations. Beware the violent sand whirlwinds that batter the cliffs, threatening to plunge you down or choke you with sand.

■ If you succeed, the Crone appears to watch her scattering ashes and bless you with good luck for the rest of your journey. Your kindness, she says, reminds her of her daughter.

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SOILMATES

The three-day walk to Uruksithar traverses the sand worms’ hunting grounds, where dunes shift periodically in sharp, tectonic waves. Watch your step and don’t be surprised if your tent sinks at night.

■ The Scavengers organise daily reconnaissance parties in the desert hills. Stay with them to unbury dune treasures.

■ The brave & brazen can try to catch sand worms. The massive creatures erupt overground periodically, catching prey in their large mouths, or crushing it beneath their heft as they plunge in the depths — creating large sinkholes in the process.

■ On its back, each sand worm has a few darker scales that draw the shape of a rune. To tame a sand worm, you must find its rune, then write the symbol on the worm’s back using blood from your hands. Report your catch by 23:59 on 17 January!

■ The sand worm bonds with you for three weeks until the next full moonrise, or until you draw the same rune on your cut hand.

■ Those who secure a sand worm find it grudgingly follows them underground for the rest of the journey. The creature can only be steered or ridden.

■ Some sand worms are vicious, old and sufficiently magical to retaliate by taking the link over and forcing their bonded humans to experience their lives — briefly sensitive to light and strong sounds, or unable to speak. Some might experience mild fevers. All symptoms disappear when the bond breaks.

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A PYRAMID SCHEME

At last, welcome to Uruksithar, former jewel of the desert — now reduced to rusted gates and tattered walls of wind-lashed stone.

The abandoned palace-fortress features a row of minor temples and barren gardens that surround a great, ruinous pit. The state of residential furnishings suggests the grounds were lived mere years prior. Walk north to find a a large pool of thickened black water that exudes a cold, unsettling presence. Veteran party members know what to expect.

Nail scratches on some temple walls read, we, who did not sleep or i ask the wind to grieve our chains. By the pit, a stone plate helpfully says, drop by drop, even base water turns to poison.

The Scavengers disperse to raid the temples, advising you to carry water everywhere. One raider mentions that the local Temple of Ra’esh stores silver waters that can woo sand worms.

OCTOPUS PRIME

Uruksithar’s great gong strikes every two hours, to groans and shudders from the abyssal pit. Scavengers immediately take cover behind walls, bind themselves to columns or rush into crumbling residences.

■ For five minutes, as the gong sounds a pathetic dirge, a bouquet of tentacles erupts from the pit, sweeping nearby streets to capture living things.

■ Throwing water on the tentacles forces them to retreat, while black liquid from the northern pool burns them down. Further tendrils emerge until the gong quiets.

■ Should you fall into the pit, use your climbing hooks to latch onto the walls and don’t look down. A grotesque, sharp-toothed mouth awaits below to devour you, amid the squelching sounds of the tissue and material it has been masticating for decades. It won’t give up its lunch easily.

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TOMB AND GLOOM

Ra’esh the Bright-maker, he who saw but peace beneath the skies. His humble temple is anonymous among numerous worship grounds. Scavengers say, four years ago, a wanderer sculpted an eye with a sun for a pupil on the entrance door. Take a torch and head in.

■ Long-stripped of its glory, the maze-like Temple of Ra’esh is now cold stone, stale window-less corridors and heavy doors that snap down from the ceiling.

■ Distant susurrations of water point you towards your destination.

■ As you walk in, pay attention to the engravings near the entryway of each temple room. Some depict arrows, forecasting spikes will burst up from floors tiles. Sculpted drops hint pouring water in this spot will open a door. Open a door with an engraving of large serpents, and… well. The engravings can help characters navigate the maze and completely avoid its traps. Feel free to make up your own engravings & traps, if you want!

■ The altar room contains a pool with pearlescent waters that surround a woman fully bandaged in gauze, her sight obscured. She is bound to a column with chains and shackles akin to those found in the desert. Rare peeks of her skin show it rotting or sickly pale.

■ She asks either if you are her mother, come for her at last. Do you engage?

■ Take water from the pool, and you can lure a sand worm to you once you have exited Uruksithar. Hazed, but sweet-tempered, it will follow you underground and allow you to ride it for the three weeks until the next full moonrise. These sand worms won’t give you a hard time during the bond period. Report your worm too by 23:59 on 17 January!

NOTES

■ Test driving & in-game characters can top level logs here — test driving characters can also put up network posts in this space c:

■ Feel free to investigate the mystery of the chains and shackles, but no pressure — it’s not critical to Arc V.

■ Hit up NPCs!

■ Navigation top.

QUESTIONS

Comments

vanessa ives (penny dreadful) ✘ veteran

[matermali]

NETWORK } open (video)

un: headless ragdoll

[ It's evening and a woman draped in a cloak sits outside one of the tents. Her hood is cast aside and a dark braid hangs over one shoulder, with bits of sand and flyaways visible in the candlelight. Signs of another active day. Even with weariness pulling at her eyelids, there's still a glint of curiosity in her pale blue gaze. Vanessa is in better spirits lately. ]

There are new faces joining our ranks. To arrive in such a harsh climate with a promise of further danger can only be disorienting, but you are among allies to call upon should you need.

[ Her voice drags with her whispers—a low rasp. ]

My name is Vanessa. Miss Ives, if you like.

[ Not that she expects it. ]

Why not share your name...and perhaps something interesting that you've seen? I invite the veterans of our alliance to join in. Any confusing trinkets? Anything to spark delight? Fear? Did you witness the sand shift like water where the worms burrowed? Did you feel its pull?

[ Just a touch of a smile before the video brings a small lantern into view, with the candle flickering innocuously. The video can't catch the smell it gives off, but currently it's akin to a sickeningly sweet rosy perfume (the awful, overpowering sort your grandmother bought fifty bottles of years ago). Apologies to anyone walking near her while she records; she is having fun experimenting. ]

I've come into possession of a curious lantern. It emits different scents when lit. Not all of the scents are favorable. Earlier it smelled of a fish stew that was slightly off.

WILDCARD } open

[ Vanessa gets restless and is likely to end up anywhere around camp or somewhere more dangerous. Surprise me (and possibly her)! She might especially be wondering what it's like to catch a sand worm. ]

[ ooc; If you want a personal prompt, PM or ping me at cherto; I will embrace all the things. Check her permissions if you want to opt-in to sensing Weird things about her or vice-versa. ]

SANDIMENTAL VALUE } miss oswald

[matermali]

[ She had been on her way to see Clara when the Crone appeared at Vanessa's side, near enough that the other woman may even witness the bizarre interaction as Vanessa asks after her constitution. Vanessa is patient through the interaction, too curious to ignore an old woman and staying ready with her water bottle, but then the Crone entrusts her with a responsibility that's far too virtuous.

Confusion furrows Vanessa's brow when the mysterious old woman vanishes, leaving her with a strange clench in the gut and a tiny burden in her hand. She casts her now murky gaze down to the small pouch. When her steps pick back up and she lifts her attention, she can see that a similar pouch has been offered to Clara.

The Scavengers had made mention of this. ]

Mother Death calls to you?

[makemeasong]

[ Clara's far too helpful to be unkind, but she'd mostly said a hesitatnt hello out of curiosity—the old woman looked far too tidy to have been out in the desert long. There's no sense of danger coming from her, not the way the ghosts or mannequins made Clara feel back in Serthica. So, she engages, and before she knows it, she's been given a sad little package.

Something tugs at Clara and she's thinking of her mum, her heart knowing before her mind that she'll do what she can to complete te task. She hasn't yet thought of how when she spies Vanessa coming closer. The package in her hands looks the same as Clara's, and she stands to meet her. ]

Not that long ago. Thought I'd find someone to come with me, safety in numbers and all.

[ Plus, she's really trying to keep her promise to the Doctor this time, that she'll be careful and won't take any unnecessary risks. But she has to do this now, not wanting to let the old woman down, even without knowing her. ]

It looks like you found me, first.

[matermali]

[ Although Vanessa had wanted to find Clara to speak to her, she now struggles to recall what it was even about. The old woman had been too captivating, apparently. Vanessa is unsettled in a rare manner. That's usually enough to draw her in before she can think to say no, but now what?

Though she doesn't shy from danger, she is a bit more cautious about pursuing certain death these days. There's a lot more to live for than ever before, and what of Clara's safety? Vanessa would go far to protect her, but she can hardly fly.

Well—

No, she can't fly.

A look over her shoulder lingers towards the cliffs, and Vanessa sighs into the dry air. ]

I have a feeling I would only endanger you further. Climbing is not something I'm practiced in.

[ Yet, she knows she's going to have to try. How could she resist Mother Death? ]

[makemeasong]

I've never climbed anything in my life, except for a fake wall used to help train people who do.

[ The blind leading the blind in this case. ]

But I feel like I can't let this go. Even if we leave this place behind tomorrow and we never see the desert again, I have to help her.

[ Clara isn't sure why her conviction is so strong; she doesn't doubt Vanessa wants to help as well, but neither of them expected to climb. ]

If we go slow and carefully...

[ She meets Vanessa's eyes, trying to convey that she's just as unsure about their safety. But as much as she can, Clara will look after Vanessa, too. ]

I think we can do it.

un: dollhouse

[thedreamer]

[ The Doctor is...wandering. Somewhere. Doing important things, probably. Well, of course he is! Everything he does is important. Even when he's just mucking about after dark building a sandcastle a bit of distance away from her. To be cheeky, he responds with a text, and a joke. ]

There are some who call me...Tim.

[ An obscure reference to a film she won't know, but the jest delights him nonetheless. ]

You won't believe what I've found in fact!

[matermali]

[ She knows he's being cheeky, but how! Might as well switch off video to match (and not at all because he left her in the proverbial dark). ]

What did you find, Tim?

[thedreamer]

[ He's pouting a bit on the other end. Of course, it backfired because now he can't see her. He could head back, and he will soon enough, but, he enjoys the banter with her, too. ]

No, you have to guess! It's more fun.

[ As of now, he offers no helpful clue. ]

[matermali]

A diary that never runs out of pages.

SOILMATES } wanda maximoff

[matermali]

[ Though the size of this particular beast might not seem quite as grandiose as its older kin that occasionally burst from the distant sands, it is a colossal thing, and Vanessa knows that she underestimated what that means as soon as it dives under the sand to escape her attempt to control it using her own means.

The sinkhole stretches much further than she predicted, and Vanessa's frantic spellcasting is interrupted as she loses her footing and is sent sprawling. There isn't anything to grab onto, but her panic is somehow controlled while she tries to drag herself through the spilling sands to avoid the vacuum below. If she could open her mouth without choking, she might get the opportunity to try a different spell to save herself, but mostly all she can do is choke and spit as the sands try to swallow her. ]

[westviews]

[Despite knowing her magic will be an asset in this task, Wanda hesitates, letting others take to the shifting sands. That is, at least, until she sees Vanessa out there, losing ground and clearly in need of a hand.

Wanda realizes her hesitance comes out of making a spectacle of herself, but in the chaos (ha), she thinks no one will notice the wave of red magic keeping Wanda's position steady beneath her, a magical platform of sorts, as the same red wraps around Vanessa and yanks her to Wanda's feet. It's not graceful and she's not sorry, but it stops her from sinking and gives them both a place of safety, for the moment. She reaches down to grab Vanessa's arm to hoist her to her feet.]

Hey. You okay?

[matermali]

[ Vanessa previously had a sense of the chaos that might spread from Wanda's touch, but when she feels it reach and pull her through the sand, it momentarily floods her senses. A scarlet hue overwhelms her sight and cinnamon burns at her throat instead of sand, but then she's being pulled to her feet and as her vision clears, Wanda comes into sight. Rough as the rescue was, she'd rather be a bit shaken than, well, dead.

She might take the time to be more grateful if time wasn't of the essence, but she does nod to confirm her state of...okay. Vanessa has never learned a trick quite like that, at least not consciously, but she's already seeing where it can be useful.

Gripping at Wanda's arm in turn for balance before finding her footing again, she'll squeeze her arm in silent thanks before letting go and looking to the rippling sands she'd been rescued from. What's another near-death experience in the rush of the moment? Back to the task at hand. ]

I don't suppose you can use that powerful art to pull the sandworm back to the surface?

[westviews]

If I do [because she has yet to try her magic with something this large here, where things do not feel quite as they should], what's your plan?

[Vanessa gets a glance before her eyes stay trained on the sands, her very bones seemingly feeling the vibrations beneath.]

network ; @taken for granite

[rumorate]

[Allison's video comes up, but it doesn't show her face. What it does show is her wrist, bearing a gold and amethyst bracelet, that's actually quite pretty if it weren't for some of the ... dramatic side effects.]

This bracelet decided it belongs to me now, but when I wear it, anytime a man comes within three feet of me it starts screaming.

[And given that her closest companion here is her male brother ... it's been a time.]

[matermali]

[ Vanessa is impressed by such a lovely piece, but to hear of the caveat makes her grimace. ]

That...is unfortunate. Sounds a bit like the droid that served me in Minaras. Ceaselessly...protective of me in the presence of men.

[ Which...she is also wearing in a bracelet! No screaming from this jewelry, fortunately. The droid parts adorning her wrist are 'repurposed'. ]

How do you mean, it decided it belongs to you? Can't you be rid of it?

[rumorate]

It comes off once the sun goes down, but if I get too close to it in the morning it snaps right back on again.

[She makes a face.]

I've already been married twice, I'm not sure what virtue it thinks needs protecting.

[matermali]

[ Vanessa can appreciate the sentiment, even if she hasn't been married. These things have attempted to guard false chastity, it seems. She'll have a small smile for that. ]

I might suggest burying it in the sands in the dead of night, but it would be a shame to lose such a treasure. Have you attempted to remove or replace the gemstone, merely to see if there's any change?

text; un: sticks and stones

[perceptive]

Funny lantern. It's like a box of jelly beans or chocolates. You never know what flavours you're going to get and sometimes it's downright awful. How did you come into possession of it?

[matermali]

[ More than happy to take the attention off her face, she'll switch back to text. ]

You make me sorry that I didn't think to bring more desserts from Serthica or the inn.

[ Though, chocolates would have become a disaster in this heat. ]

I discovered it when I decided to play scavenger for a day with our newfound friends. How could I resist the call for danger and discovery?

[perceptive]

( look, look. he's not dressed appropriately to be interacting with a lady via video chat. )

You remind me of someone I know back home. He's quite the magnet for trouble. It's a shame you didn't find a genie in a lamp. I wonder what you'd do with three wishes.

[matermali]

[ She has most definitely seen worse, sir. ]

Three, is it? Once upon a time, I wouldn't have hesitated in offering up my wishes. Now, I must think.

Tell me of this friend and I'll consider the possibilities of what three wishes might grant me.

private. audio. un: nah.

[growlies]

( Red has been keeping it pretty lowkey since Serthica - because that was a whole fucking mess, and it was easier to just kind of check-out especially with it all finishing up like it did. But now that she knows she wasn't the only one to get a really weirdly personal gift at the end of Serthica, which means it probably isn't actually from Hades. Wrath got his own personal cerberus-like hellhound, which doesn't help with how she's associated him with Big H in the past, but she trusts Emilia and it's not like Wrath's ever done anything. It probably means it's about time to figure out what the collar actually does though.

Seeing Vanessa's post reminds her acutely and intensely of how grateful she is that she came back when the beacon took her away. Red has read the letter by now, keeps it on her person still but for a different reason: to remember what it said, how much it means to her. Vanessa seems in much better spirits lately too, which is a relief to see after the airship. She'd worried. )

A lantern with different scents? Anything good at least?

[matermali]

[ However jovial she might have seemed before, she quite lights up as Red's voice filters through the pocket watch. Would the scents be too overwhelming for Red? That would be unfortunate, but now she's terribly curious about it. ]

It smelled of something that reminded me of lemon cakes when I first discovered it. It's fortunate this isn't to remain my only lantern, or I would be hard pressed to ever find company.

[ A head tilt. ]

And you? Something interesting you've seen or noticed since we arrived upon the sands? You must share.

[growlies]

( ...lemon cakes - that is a particularly good scent then, which is nice. there are a lot of terrible scents out there. )

Oh. It's-

Mine's from before the sands. I got it after Serthica. ( She's been hiding it because she's not actually all that good at being open, at sharing, at any of that shit. Things have been very busy, and she hasn't really wanted to acknowledge the item given to her. )

I wanted to show you. Do.. you have a second?

[matermali]

[ Hm? Her interest is piqued. She also has something from after Serthica, but she doubts most in their group would find it of any interest. ]

Yes, of course. You have me quite curious now.