the sunken | part ii

[groundrules]

THE SUNKEN | PART II

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Get your toes wet in Part II of The Sunken, stretching until 28 June.

THE MORNING AFTER

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Waking from Yancai’s undead attack, you find the village has gone three years back in time.

■ Yancai remains flooded, but there are fewer waterways and some dry grounds. You can safely transit by raft, alongside row boat, though the waters run more turbulent.

■ Houses are sturdier, less drenched, their paints and furniture less eroded. There are fewer piers and minimal mould. The dual moons appear less… bloodthirsty.

■ Most locals don’t recall the future. The elder council, including leader Quanze Tsaymien and Kuthuba, remember, but feel compelled to re-enact the past, like an itch they must scratch. Those dead in the undead attack are alive, feeling as if they never perished.

■ Telepaths can hear echoing screams from the undead attack over the two days that follow the time travel.

■ The House of Commerce is less sunken, its beacon offline and musical boobytrap unarmed. The Master of Commerce yet lives and may be contacted.

■ Some struggle with partial or full amnesia, or might undertake their assumed identities. These effects wane within 24 hours — but vertigo, nausea and a sense of displacement may persist.

LIVING FIRE (NEWCOMERS, OPT-IN)

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Spooked by the memory meddling, party witch Karsa rallies newcomers, who have least experienced Yancai’s magic, to assemble ingredients for an elixir that will help settle clouded minds. ( ”Minds? What minds? You learn to use them now? You’re too old. You only take your little drink to stop staring like fools.” )

■ You must locate red-eye root on the outskirts of the forests that border Yancai. The plant lives in ancient, immense trees that have been burning from the inside for decades.

■ The red-eye root grows within these endless fires.

■ Briefly stop, divert or enter the fire wall to collect the root — but beware that flames stoke, if you loiter nearby. You can also find the resident fire gnome, who’ll surrender a handful of roots — if you amuse them by fulfilling requests ranging from playful (songs, dances) to humiliating (pretending to be animals, sharing uncomfortable secrets) to cruel (asks for blood, punching a comrade… )

■ Dilute the red-eye root into a painfully bitter elixir, then distribute it and coax the reluctant to drink.

■ You can enlist anyone’s help with the quest!

HOME AT SEA

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Slowly, surely, Yancai sinks — a fresher reality for villagers who reward help to raise piers, wade through waterways to reach their families, or design new boats, infrastructure and safety mechanisms. Cash in on your good deeds here.

You overhear veteran fisherman Temiu mutter that mould dregs have knotted his nets — while newly arrived Captain Alia of the New Brigade wonders how Yancai can be so flooded, amid quiet seas. The population seems tender, weary.

FARE THEE WELL

Once more, the village observes a funerary rite — this time, setting dead bodies at sea. Hostile, sullen and silent embalmers contracted by the elder council prepare corpses for final farewells before laying them to rest in one-man casket-vessels. The ships are bound with thick, weighty chains, closed and set on water — destined to return empty after the dead are claimed.

Drifting distantly at sea, the Man in Black of hauntings awaits them on a ragged boat.

■ Some villagers murmur that many casket-ships have gone missing, leaving those dead without rest. They argue the wisdom of burying their dead at home — but superstitious family aggressively object.

■ Stay among the grieving to collect information on the dead. You can also inspect the bodies by… borrowing coarse, greyed robes, and painting your eyes and lips with wood ashes to mimic the embalmers.

■ You recognise a small minority of the bodies sent to sea as the undead who attacked in the future.

■ There are unused casket-ships, built for lovers who perished together. Partner up, descend into a casket and fake… perfect… stiffness, to experience the disappearance firsthand.

THE MOON, HOWLING

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A sight to be seen are the twin moons that steward Yancai, one true and one diffuse. In the future, they gleamed cold and waiting — here, those with a lunar or astral connection become increasingly and inexplicably convinced that these moons are… not real. No distraction, no reason, no proof convinces you. The true moon is captive.

In your moon-hunt, you are drawn to the dam-fenced, heavily flooded south-western district of Yancai — into the now deserted former seat of the elder’s council, the drowned but majestic palace-mansion of the Storm’s Stage.

■ Can’t hurt to tell other party members your suspicions and enlist help. Alternatively, they might follow you because of your strange behaviour.

■ Scale the great wooden dam, mindful of guards.

■ You find the district overwhelmingly submerged, with waters thick, unnaturally cool and darkened (but not black). Refugees have removed row boats, and remaining rafts are threadbare, forcing you to swim, leap or scale rooftops and balconies to advance. Beware deep rotting and crumbling architecture.

■ The Storm’s Stage is a flat, one-level building, where waters run 1.5-2m high. Its large, wide and labyrinthine corridors have made it a favourite hunting ground for Weepers: carnivorous 1m-long sea creatures with cruel teeth and human intelligence. They produce a sobbing, hiccupping sound — their cackle of enthusiasm, before they attack.

■ These obscene creatures spear the decaying bodies of their former human or animal prey in their teeth, propping them up and mimicking voices to lure you closer.

■ Make it far enough into the twisting building, and you may encounter a magically locked room, behind which, the sensitive are certain, lies the moon. Elders’ leader Quanze Tsaymien might have the key you require — or find a way to open the door yourself. Are you in yet?

THE LADIES & THEIR LAKE

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You hear that beautiful maid Miang-Si has come of age, and her rich merchant family now accepts marriage offers. Jubilant, modestly attired, kind and in good health — this Miang-Si is a far cry from the spiteful, sly creature you met before.

Yet, in a small village, murmurs abound: some of Miang-Si’s friends hint that her reputation won’t survive more sneaking out at night. Others say that Miang-Si appears… distracted, her appetite lessened. Others, still, say the girl has returned to her obsessive fixation with a beautiful woman glimpsed in the forest years prior.

Miang-Si could have information on her future accomplices — the allegedly ladies of the lake.

FOR RICHER OR FOR POORER

Miang-Si’s parents have exacting marital standards: you must be rich and publicly righteous, all genders welcome. An exotic gift might go far to gain you a private audience with Miang-Si.

■ Choose and present a potential suitor: dress them in the village finest, polish their manners, hire an entourage and commandeer a suitable courtship gift. Swat if they complain.

■ Raise the suitor’s odds along with their public profile by flaunting their feats and virtues in the marketplace.

■ Woo your would-be parents-in-law by capturing golden scales from a rare Mura-sirri lake fish. It spits slime on its pursuers, who instantly flee, irrationally startled.

■ To the seeming ignorance of Miang-Si’s parents, their dark, dusty, mausoleum-like house appears haunted: strange women appear in reflective surfaces, or run down corridors. Joining your hosts for tea, you feel inexplicably covetous of your ‘intended,’ certain that you must have Miang-Si at all costs and that jealous rivals oppose you. Invisible to others, a beautiful woman clings to you from behind and whispers you need only verbally or physically eviscerate everyone at this table to claim your bride. Hopefully, your wingwo/man can prevent bloodshed.

■ Sign up here for one of three RNG-drawn audiences to speak to Miang-Si or investigate her quarters.

AT NIGHT, WE DALLY

You can also trail after Miang-Si on one of the nights when she slips out of her dead silent house. She leaves when the main moon is full — while the twin moon feels disapproving. Follow Miang-Si to the outskirts of Yancai, to the Silver Lakes. Here, she tosses in a silver coin and wishes for safe passage, then takes a small boat.

■ If she discovers you following her, Miang-Si firmly tells you to go home. The twin moon seems at ease as you heed, however unwillingly.

■ If you also drop a silver coin in the Silver Lakes and wish for safe passage, your ship turns invisible for two hours.

■ Miang-Si stops her boat in the middle of the Silver Lake and touches the waters with her hand. She is answered by several skeletons, who swim to surface and gather by her boat or climbing in. The parts of their bodies that exit the water gain flesh, then skin and the likeness of beautiful women — the rest stay skeletal in the depths.

■ One such woman greets Miang-Si as queen of the night and kisses her on the mouth, about to drag her in. If you only follow, you notice she disappears for hours, then re-emerges with a look of dark conviction, before returning home.

■ If you seek to intervene, the skeletal women capsize your both then look to embrace and kiss you, also dragging you into water. The kiss allows you to breathe underwater, while your lips are locked — but steadily steals stamina. Your captor progressively decays back to bones, losing sentience, as you reach the bottom of the lake.

■ Here, you find dozens of skeletons and mismatched bones, webbed in wisps of familiar black water, along with rags of clothing — including shreds of a white shroud.

■ The waters hold no bodies, once Miang-Si leaves.

A-HUNTING WE WILL GO

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Village elder Kuthuba urges the crafty and the brave to a forest incursion after several lumberjacks are a week late returning. He fears the men lost. The village’s numerous piers, pillars and boats depend on timber, and Kuthuba seeks to retrieve both wood and any prospective casualties.

■ Two dozen people leave at dawns with daggers, bows, arrows. Some say they previously entered the forests before being driven out by vicious animals, but are not keen to speak further. The grounds are inhabited by woodland creatures, but eerily silent. Predators are scarce, thin and terrorised.

■ A thick mist drenches the forest, deepening until you struggle to see past 3 metres ahead, or to spot the waning sun in a grey sky. Network devices do not work, and torches are essential. You feel increasingly paranoid and hunted, distrusting your companions.

■ If lost in the woods, villagers say to set your dagger on hard ground and spin it. If the blade lands on you or your companion, wet it with your/their blood, until it no longer does so. If it points in a proper direction, head there. If it starts to cackle, bury it in dirt or flee — it has caught a taste for blood and will now seek out your throat.

■ The forests brim with diffuse whispers, women’s laughter, shrill growling and heavy steps — until amorphous many-bladed beasts descend from trees or burrow in soft ground. Aim between their carapace plates and run. Happily, rivulets abound and the creatures fear running water.

■ Deep in the forest, you find the resplendent vegetation thins into a small barren clearing where nothing grows. Here, even the earth has cracked, showing signs of black mould spores, while animals and birds avoid the region. You discover the belonging of the lumberjacks, but no bodies, along with a few scattered diary pages.

■ Take the belongings back to the lumberjacks’ families. The hunting party returns with sundown — only to realise three days have passed in Yancai.

NOTES

■ Feel free to investigate other regions of Yancai!

■ NPCs for this event!

■ QUESTIONS.

Comments

[cosplayqueen]

[The teen is visibly shocked when he starts to actually tell her what's going on. Not enough to actually interrupt him though. Kamala shows a great amount of self-control for a change by allowing the story to unfold without comment or question. It sounds like something out of one of those twisted fairy tales.

She touches her chest reflexively as she imagines having something like that inside of her. It seems pretty gross and horrible in her imagination. She wishes briefly she pushed harder for answers despite knowing better than most people that share their truth at their pace.

Kamala deflates, hands falling from her side, as her eyes shine with unshed tears. She's a sensitive kid. She cannot stand the fact he was suffering so much.] Five... [This time he is getting pulled into a forceful hug. She pretty much collides with him and holds on tight.] You are such a dummy! This is literally why people worry about you!

[somebadnews]

[ It speaks to Five's inexperience with the human condition that he's completely unprepared for Kamala's emotional reaction to his story. It was supposed to erase her concerns, and instead she latches onto him the way no one ever does, unless they're moving in for an attack. He tenses reflexively, as he has before when she surprised him with a hug, but doesn't pull away as that strange feeling hits him again.

He might later reflect on why he decided to tell her the truth, when the truth only proves that her worry was justified. In the moment, the novelty is too strong for him to fully process his reasons. His family has never embraced him like this. They're practically the same height, and there's something comforting in that it doesn't make him feel smaller than he is. He shouldn't need to be consoled at his age, but it's been... a hard couple of years. After a hard few decades.

It's still not right to have her care this much, but he finds himself lifting his arms and placing them behind her — tentatively, like he's only figuring out how this works. ]

You shouldn't. Not about me. [ Except he knows she has every reason to. He's been unstable, and could have done a lot more damage. ] ...I thought that the cure would be worse than the disease. I was wrong, and I wasn't there.

[cosplayqueen]

[She smiles when he awkwardly start to return the hug. Kamala's heart still aches for him. She wishes she was a better friend. She wishes she asked more questions. Life very rarely comes with redos. The best the teen can do is try to be a good friend now. He suffered a lot. The best she has for that is warm hugs and something from the heart others would probably be too embarrassed to ever admit.] Even when this is over and we're back on our worlds again, I'll still worry about you guys. That's what friends do.

[Maybe that's sad to some to worry after people who she is destined to lose forever one day. Kamala knows that's part of life. She accepts it as the consequence of growing to love Allison, Five, Emilia, and so many others as much as she does now.

She draws back enough to look at him, offering a watery, but supportive smile.]

It's okay. We all screw up. I'm just glad you're better now and you have a way to stay that way. Things would really suck without you.

[somebadnews]

[ None of this is normal. Five hears her words and understands them at some basic level, but it's like he thinks she must be talking about someone else. It feels like he must have tricked her into investing herself in him and he's distracted by the swirl of guilt and selfish need for comfort. Kamala is a good person who deserves better. As hard as he's worked, he knows it was at the expense of his own humanity, but she doesn't see that.

He's silently staring at her for too long at that simple, childlike remark that he can't totally reconcile with. Look around. Would things really have been worse without him? ]

It's not. [ Not okay. How he acted was inexcusable. Telling himself he could handle more than he could. ] It shouldn't have taken me this long. I should have been able to fix things. That's the reason I did everything I've done.

[ Without explaining to her what that involved. He'd rather she not know, but in the moment he thinks it's important to tell her that he had a reason in case she ever finds out. ]

I don't even know if it was worth it.

[cosplayqueen]

[Her hands hold loosely onto his arms as she waits for his response and after. Kamala doesn't consciously think maybe he needs some physical support. She just follows her heart. Things work out until they don't.

She hears him out once again with a surprising show of patience. The teen frowns at how hard he is on himself. Yes, they all need to do better. It still breaks her heart a little to hear him hold himself to this standard.

Her eyes are full of empathy as she replies.] Five, this isn't all on you. You can't expect yourself to be perfect all the time. There's no guidebook to any of this. They're just us.

[She shrugs.] A bunch of super confused people faking it until we make it.

[somebadnews]

[ Five's eyes fall to Kamala's hands as he quietly puzzles over what she says. Her gentle reassurance should be simple enough to understand, but it feels misplaced. Things look different when you're young and innocent, and he thinks she projects that onto him to give him that excuse. He's not like everyone else. ]

When you can control time, you're always responsible. [ He isn't perfect, but who else will save his family, if not him? ] The math isn't adding up right and I don't know why. Magic complicates everything.

[ He shakes his head. If he doesn't figure it out, what was the point? ]

I'm supposed to... Something has to work.

[cosplayqueen]

[To Kamala's credit, she does seriously consider his argument. It doesn't hold weight for long. There's blame to go around with the players Kamala barely knows much less understands. Maybe some of them too. Once again she doesn't think this is all on him.] I mean we're all responsible for ourselves and each other. You didn't put us in this situation. A lot of really scary, mysterious people did.

[She hums thoughtfully, finally letting his arms go to cross her arms. It helps her think. Kamala soon has an answer for the rest.] I guess what I'm trying to say is to have some grace with yourself. You messed up, you should think about how you can do better in the future, but don't treat yourself like you're the bad guy because you weren't all there when things were bad. You're constantly trying to help us figure out all this craziness, you look out for me, your sister, and probably a lot of other people I don't know about. Those are good things.

[somebadnews]

[ Five stays perfectly still as he stares at Kamala like he's trying to recall a long forgotten memory. Even at his age, he can hear the voice of his father echoing that his failures are the result of his arrogance. Even Dolores would hold him more accountable. Trying isn't enough when the consequences are this great, and he's always struggled to accept his own limitations. ]

I'm sorry. [ It ends up being an imperfect apology. He doesn't know how to explain that he's not some kid who doesn't know any better, just an old man stubbornly clinging to the dream of saving a world that wants to end. So it mattered.

He recognizes the spiral enough to pull himself back from it, and because it's Kamala, he puts effort into forcing a brief smile. He isn't the only one trying. ]

I should give you more credit. I know you can take care of yourself. [ He doesn't want to think of what would have happened if that weren't the case. — As much as he'd like to say he won't be defined by his mistakes, he still sees them any time he looks in a mirror. To forgive himself for them would feel too much like accepting that there are things he can't change. ]

People like us... [ He shakes his head before finishing the thought. ] I've got some work to do.

[cosplayqueen]

[Her eyes light up immediately at the compliment. She smiles wide like he's given the biggest gyro he could find. Five's approval does mean a lot to her. Frankly, any confidence in her ability to handle anything is very new to Kamala. She treasures every bit of it immensely. Kamala nods and answers cheerfully,] I kind of figured. That's pretty much my entire heroic pep talk for the day.

[She raises a finger because of course, she is going to give herself a job to set his mind at ease. The rest of this is way over her head. She can handle looking out for his sister.] I'll check on Allison. I promise no matter how I feel about the Avengers if he's giving off bad vibes around her, I'll punch him in the face as hard as I can and immediately call you for backup. He has no clue I have powers so we totally have the element of surprise on our side. It's going to be fine.

[somebadnews]

[ A more genuine smile tugs at his lips. Reginald would have sooner ripped out his own tongue than given out a compliment like that, and her reaction makes him wonder how that would have felt to hear it as a kid. It's surprisingly reaffirming. He's not his father, so maybe he can train someone without scarring them for life.

Her offer goes a step further in endearing her to him, and gives an amused huff at the imagery. Without asking, she knows exactly how she can help. It's rare that he's run into that kind of loyalty outside of the family, and it means something to have someone on his side to look out for each other. ]

Thanks for the pep talk. [ He regrets making her worry, but at least now he won't have to explain whatever happens to him after Wrath does the ritual. Kamala is a smart kid, she would have figured it out anyway. More than that; he prefers Allison having someone that can give her the kind of emotional support that he lacks. ]

...You're important to her. She's been through a lot. More than I could make up for, so it's good that she has you.

[cosplayqueen]

[Her expression settles into something warm and kind. Kamala does feel for Allison's pain without even knowing the extent of it. She likes that she can be there to see her through whatever crisis comes. Once upon a time, the woman saved her. What else can Kamala do, but try to save her every day in return?

She wonders if she should point out Five doesn't have to make up for it. They all live through things. It's not really on him. He already heard that line today so she drops it. Instead, she casually bears her heart in a way only kid can.] She's important to me too. You both are. As long as we're on this crazy journey together, I'll look out for you guys. Promise.

[She holds up the peace sign, turns on her heel, and starts jumping away onto her platforms. Time to see how Allison is doing.]

[somebadnews]

[ Five stares after her as she turns, half bemused and half oddly moved by how easily she shares what she feels. He knows that part of her attachment comes from the dangers they've had to face together, but there's a novelty to being called important that renders him speechless until she hops away.

He's spent such a long time only caring about his siblings, willing to kill for them, or fight against time itself to bring them back from the dead. For the most part, finding them has been in the forefront of every action he takes — but instead they found her.

It's good that she agrees to chase after Allison. She's a grown woman, but he knows what she sees in Kamala and the comfort she takes in having her around. Besides that, he's got nothing but problems to work out, with little room for error. He wasn't exaggerating that he has a long way to go before he finds the right answers.

That much is his responsibility, no matter who insists that it isn't. He's stubbornly determined to save the world. So his family can have a chance at a life, but just maybe she added another reason to why he's trying. ]