let's set d o w n some (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
groundrules) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
westwhere2023-08-17 06:16 pm
groundrules) wrote in westwhere2023-08-17 06:16 pm
Entry tags:
- arcane: caitlyn,
- assassin's creed: jacob frye,
- assassin's creed: ratonhnhake:ton,
- doctor who: clara oswald,
- harry potter: hermione granger,
- horizon: aloy,
- kingdom of the wicked: emilia,
- kingdom of the wicked: wrath,
- last case of benedict fox: benedict fox,
- legend of fei: xie yun,
- lockwood & co: anthony lockwood,
- lockwood & co: lucy carlyle,
- mcu: america chavez,
- mcu: bucky barnes,
- oh! my emperor: beitang moran,
- oh! my emperor: su xunxian,
- owl house: eda clawthorne,
- penny dreadful: vanessa ives,
- star wars: cal kestis,
- star wars: merrin,
- tian guan ci fu: xie lian,
- umbrella academy: allison,
- umbrella academy: five,
- untamed: wen ning,
- warcraft: anduin wrynn,
- warcraft: wrathion,
- warframe: kahl 175,
- wheel of time: lan mandragoran,
- word of honor: wen kexing
unkharil | event
Leaving the House of Manouk through waypoints, the party arrives back to the present time of Akhuras, in the jungle swathes of Unkharil. Those undergoing a canon update fleetingly detour into their home worlds. Old or new, you wake with a start, on high alert — body ablaze with static electricity. Some characters might struggle with vertigo, misted memories and dimmed powers for up to 48 hours, while their bodies readjust to no longer being lost in time.
You are in the care of a highly disciplined, if largely nomadic caravan — the refugees of most holy Alem, the kingdom built upon hell that succumbed to the undead. Karsa informs new recruits that the party assisted Alem’s king Deimar with evacuation efforts and with sealing the gates of hell, months prior. Their kingdom lost, Deimar has now taken his people to his mother’s ancestral grounds of Unkharil — a temple-fortress in a valley bordered by four tall mountains that serve as its protective walls.
Legend says the four mountains pillared the heavens, while snake god Kharil-asuk nested in the valley below to recover after birthing the world. So long was his sleep that cloud gods sent down the first bursts of lightning and thunder — frightening awake Kharil-asuk, who slithered into the jungle, never to be seen again. Since, sacred Unkharil has served as site of worship and coronations.
King Deimar — whimsical, breezy, but cuttingly sharp — welcomes you in Unkharil, until the Merchant finalises your travel arrangements east. His people are weary, battle-worn and starved for kindness. Where applicable, some might optionally remember you under the false identity you wore in Arc V.
Seek out accommodations in the stone huts of the temple-fortress or the humble, often single-person cells that were dug bluntly into the mountain walls for hermit monks. Unkharil was deserted over the years as Kharil-asuk’s cult lost worship — but superstitious bandits have kept their looting away from temple grounds. You may still find furniture, pieces of clothing and worship, while refugees can spare clothes and food supplies.
TASKS
- ■ Assist with cleaning and reconstructing the destitute grounds of Unkharil, raising new stone columns and cleansing altars. Those with a connection to nature or the animals sense this is a quiet, revered territory.
■ Many survivors of Alem’s siege suffer from burns, cuts or trauma you can allay. The orphaned, widowed and wounded appreciate a kind word, company or help settling in.
■ Find a thin golden stream in the jungle, whose tepid waters may accelerate healing, improve your spirits or give you a day of staggering good luck. Bring back waters for recovering refugees.
■ Learn to use mountain scaling gear (rope-bound pairs encouraged) — or tame a 3-meter Kalioperus flier (useful for scouting and the Wailing below). Refugees and the few remaining temple monks may assist, but it’s learning by doing on the slippery mountain sides and with the thin-tempered fliers.
■ Largely warriors, Deimar’s people lost numerous troops defending Alem and now replenish their forces by teaching their youth weapons combat and light magic. Come dawns, join them in the courtyard to learn a skill or offer your own lessons. Alem instructors are strict, disciplined and martial — but fair. Characters who lack natural magic can learn to operate gem-triggered spheres that generate shields or a burst of fire/lightning. You may keep the gems after, but your character will need a few weeks of study to achieve mastery.
■ (Learn to) fish, hunt and forage to renew supplies. Beware flesh-eating fish in some jungle rivers. Ride an okapi?
■ Yet wary of traders, Deimar (grudgingly) invites merchants to revive their routes to Unkharil, with many caravans, errant scholars, priests, necromancers and sorcerers arriving to study his proposition. Some arrive all the way from magical jewel city Taravast — including an exuberant acolyte of old master Wrath! — and may offer exotic food and drink, or unique items. You may trade or earn coin by selling services or performances. Musical, art and thespian instruments can be found on the grounds.
QUESTS
THE HEART(H) OF IT
”Rise and shine, lads! Heat of a jungle’s sun won’t be waning, no use waiting it out. The iron here’s rung cold too long. What little’s left of it. Shows the place was run by monks. They abandoned the smithy, once the fires guttered, and the mines, soon as the mouths collapsed only a little! Ha. Spoiled devils. Even left behind the ore already dug out. You go right in and fetch some iron… some copper, some silver… whatever yo find. We’ll get the blaze going. Time to forge. Don’t worry. We’ll make it worth your while.”
— Eitam, master forger
Deimar’s ironmongers revive the smithy of Unkharil but require precious ore and materials for manufacturing. Scale the steep mountain of Masida that walls in Unkharil to the east and infiltrate its abandoned mine to recover some previously discovered, but abandoned goods. Beware crumbling paths, rotten wood stairs and moulding ropes, as parts of the mines threaten collapse. Refugees supply golden fireworks that can shoot out to alert anyone within the mine you are in danger. Blacksmith rewards await.
PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS
Visiting merchants are willing to resume trade, but have ongoing safety concerns.
- ■ Meet a first set of incoming grain-bearing caravans in the jungle and escort them on the last six-hour leg of their voyage to Unkharil. These are hefty and slow wagons, frequently targeted by bandits who dam their paths or pretend they are wounded, while their brothers attack from tree outposts.
■ Destroy the encampments of the vicious jungle-based Red Claws bandits. These outlaws typically attack in groups, share nightly meals and drink to strengthen their ties, providing excellent ambush opportunities. They cover their faces with a cinnabar or blood print of their leader’s palm.
■ Hold talks to appease the merchants Balthazar (easily impressed by shows and the arts) and Anathula (who wants a clear business pitch). Give diplomacy your best!
THE WAILING
”… they were so happy, so holy, then why do they shame themselves with tears now? You must be wondering. The truth does not honour us: first, Unkharil’s priesthood only accepted brothers from among those who survived snake’s poison. But the chosen were few, and the lands needed tending. Then, Unkharil accepted brothers from men of great skill, literacy and wisdom. But the learned were few, and the lands needed tending. Then, Unkharil accepted orphans, survivors of the jungle, men of the snake’s vision. But wanderers were few, and the lands needed tending. And soon, what recruits Kharil-asuk did not provide, in his mercy — his priesthood took… from the breasts of widows, from pillaged homes, from bandits. They kept even the most unwilling.”
— groundsmaster Kayik
Unkharil’s new residents soon find their beauty sleep disrupted by nightly wails, projected from several of the monk cells dug into Mount Nathadi, which walls in Unkharil from the south. These are the ghosts of former monks, whom you can appease by scaling the mountain and cleaning their cell, recovering their bones for burial (where applicable) or providing a minor service for the ghost (your choice of what the monk might desire: perhaps the recitation of a poem, an update on the weather outside, a good deed, etc.) Many of the monks were especially devoted to Kharil-asuk and to theories of reincarnation — for the lives of men are to the soul like a snake shedding its skin — and may impart you their wisdom.
WATER MY CROPS
Help Deimar’s people to revitalise local soil, seed gardens and crops, build dams and redirect jungle rivers. Water or lunar tide sorcery also work. Alem refugees were primarily warriors and will need you to illustrate the basics of gardening and land care.
TO DAYS GONE BY
To welcome the start of their new lives, the refugees hold two nights of celebrations. During the day, you prepare tall bonfires or purify the lands with incense and sage-infused water, finding you are readily welcome in every home.
- ■ The first banquet night (OOCly on 25 August) pays homage to the lost: the survivors of Alem remember the siege and encourage you to speak of your own dead. Letters of penance, love or remembrance are written to the dead, read by the witness of your choosing and burned in bonfires. Heavy, syrupy and thick drink abounds.
■ The second banquet night (OOCly on 5 September) honours the living: everyone must show and express gratitude to someone alive, for any reason. Grit your teeth and offer thanks.
SERVANTS OF AFIRU (warning: snakes)
”There was no strength left in the bones of Kharil-asuk, after birthing the ground and the sky and the moon, and man and his mountains. And the first son of his likeness paid the price: brave white Afiru, small and feeble, but how proud he was! And the dozen men who caught him, not knowing his right divine, thought they did him a kindness to cull his pain young: to set him on a slate of stone and cut him in small parts, and eat of him for their dinner. Fools! Each bite of Afiru took root within them! Come morning, a dozen men woke in the image of Afiru: half snake, half human, beastly and cunning, their roiling bellies only quenched when they ate of their brothers. So, Afiru seeded his curse, and that same stone plate is now his altar: and just as he washed it with his life’s blood for men, so too must men now pay the price of bleeding.”
— old village tale
Within the jungle depths sleeps the minor, ruined temple of serpent god Afiru — malicious son of Kharil-asuk — whose mind-thralled servants abduct hapless innocents as sacrifices to the deity’s naga emissaries. Infiltrate the decayed temple to ruin Afiru’s altar — releasing his servants from their thrall and ending his worship. The naga priests are half beasts, half men, but deathly silent and possessed of fiercely sharp and venomous claws and fangs. If poisoned, your wounded limb swells, then numbs, then darkens as the toxin spreads through your body. You have 12 hours to get back to Unkharil, increasingly groggy and stiff, and drink a cure — or may pre-emptively carry a few doses, going in.
A HUNDRED MOUTHS (newcomers only)
Large stone gates carved into the northern mountain that walls in Unkharil hide an ancient granary whose wares could allay starvation… and interest visiting merchants. To open the doors, you must fit missing ruby beads back into the gate’s carvings. The gems, you learn, were picked out and dragged away by feral Kalioperus fliers — larger and more vicious than the ones you ride — and taken back to their nests at the very tip of Unkharil’s walling mountains. Report your ruby finds — rewards await.
ANOINTED (warning: snake)
”I saw him! With my mind clear, and my eyes shut, and my heart open. And he was beautiful! I ran in high grass, and my feet tore, and my dress ragged, and do not listen! I was not as the others are, greedy. I wanted nothing, nothing! He asked, ‘Daughter, what do you wish of me?’ And I said to him, ‘Only to see you.’ And he said, ‘So be it.’ And after mother Moon rose, and the good rain downed, and it was silence in this world he gave us, but for this breath, that was the murmur of the skies! No vastness greater than the drums of his heartbeat, and his sundered gaze: one eye, it was blood, and the other gold. And together, they saw me. He saw me. And he loved me! So he gave me the silk of his shed skin, to remember him by. In the morning, old women say, hunters found me in the jungle, stroking a piece of old, mouldy rope. But I know, it was him, it was the Father. And he saw me, as they do not see him”
— Laila, weaver
Deimar inherited his mother’s lands, but his uncles are likely to contest the claim of a pauper king with a feeble army. To legitimise his rule, Deimar wants the blessing of snake deity Kharil-asuk. The few remaining locals of Unkharil say the great serpent may be seen on stormy nights with lightning and thunder by those who wait at night in the jungle, after purifying themselves with meditation or partaking of ‘mind-cleansing’ asuk — a strong drug that triggers hallucinations and prophecy. The enormously large serpent body of Kharil-asuk — two-kilometres long, 100 meters wide — slithers before his chosen and must be chased into the depths of the jungles, no matter the animal and bandit dangers, before it disappears.
Inquisitive and untamed, but not necessarily malicious, Kharil-asuk often seeks to shrug off his pursuers, camouflaging in the landscape. He speaks as a voice in the heads of his pursuers, assessing them with questions about true worth and what entitles men to land, wisdom and nobility. He may attempt to drive those he deems unworthy for their past sins (betrayal, murder) in the path of mortal danger (cliffs, bandits, traps). Anyone can chase Kharil-asuk and speak with him. You can still sign up for a RNG to receive his blessing.
NOTES
- ■ Newcomers may be introduced to the large undead dragon, now bound to the party since Arc V. Formerly a tormentor of Alem, she keeps her distance and flies outside of Unkharil for now.
■ This downtime event lasts until 15 September and is followed by Arc VII. Pace yourselves and engage in as much or as little as you want, quests-wise!
QUESTIONS
NPC INBOX
no subject
Her face falls, however, as Clara describes the issue of class in her world, which doesn't sound that far off from Piltover.]
There's quite a literal class division in Piltover. I mentioned once that Vi and I come from opposite sides of the river? The side I grew up on is fairly affluent. The side she grew up on... [She's still haunted by her memories of Vi's childhood home, the run-down empty shell of rusted steel and rotted wood at the very bottom of the fissures, the walls covered in children's drawings. There's a trace of anger in her voice as she continues.] Lack of access to clean water and food barely scratches the surface.
no subject
But then they keep talking about home, and it's depressingly clear that some things never change no matter what planet you're on.]
Yeah, that sounds about like Earth. I was really lucky, we weren't rich or anything, but I lived on the beach, the ocean was my backyard and that was privileged. A lot of my students have the exact opposite experience, and it just makes me sad for them, makes me wanna try to give them the best I can while they're in my classroom, you know?
[ She's been speaking softly so as not to startle anything they may be able to find for food. ]
no subject
Caitlyn's got to do something, too.
Very intently, she says,] I'm going to fix it. When I get home.
[She doesn't know how, exactly, yet. But her mother and her best friend are Councillors. Once they really understand how bad things are in the undercity, they'll... they'll fix it. They'll have to. Assuming they haven't started a war in her absence.]
no subject
If anyone can, it's definitely you. All the more reason to make sure going home sticks next time for all of us, yeah? Maybe somehow with all you're teaching me, something will come in handy that helps us get there.
[ She doesn't know how, but that doesn't mean she should stop trying to learn. Especially if she's going to be here longer than she imagined she would. ]
no subject
[She's told Clara that she comes from wealth. But there's a difference between mere wealth and the vast fortune and power that the Kirammans have accumulated over the past two centuries. Talk of Jayce and fears of what the Council is doing in her absence may well lead to a discussion of her mother's position as one of the seven rulers of Piltover. And she doesn't want Clara to look at her the way everyone inevitably looks at the Kiramman girl, thinking her shallow and selfish or sheltered and foolish.
But they've known each other for a long time now, and Clara's been a good friend. It would be wonderful to have someone with whom she could speak freely.
And, so, speak freely she does, all of the fears that have been gnawing at her coming out in a rush.] He won't have any idea what's happened to me. And given that I was attacked before arriving here, and no doubt left behind nothing but a ransacked bathroom and a bloodstain... Jayce spoke of war the last time I saw him. If he suspected that I was murdered by someone from the undercity, he might start one. I fear when I return home the undercity will be suffering from more than starvation and homelessness.
[Her scowl deepens.]
And Vi's back there now. Alone.
no subject
You can't protect Vi. [ She'd never really gotten to know Vi, but she doesn't need to know her deeply to know that what's between the two of them is special. ]
We'll get out of here, Caitlyn, okay? I have no real right to say that, but I believe we will. And when you get back, Vi'll be waiting for you.
no subject
And yet.]
The last thing I said to her was that I'd protect her.
[Rather than allowing herself to dwell on that, she fishes in her rifle case for her notebook, and flips through it to find the right page.] She likely won't make it easy to find her, but I've written down everywhere I'm going to look. [Not really very productive, but it feels better than doing nothing. She continues, her words still coming in a rush.] There are a few people I can speak to, as well, who might know of places I don't. There are-- She has enemies. But I've met a few people that she seems to trust. And if I can't find her, I'm sure word will get to her that I'm searching for her, and she'll find me. We'll be able to work together to fix things. And once we are together... [She frowns at the memory of Vi walking away from her in the rain, telling her they'd never work, oil and water.] I won't let her leave again without telling her how I feel.
[She starts flipping again, searching for another page.]
I wrote that down, too. Just as you suggested. [Her fingers tap awkwardly against the notebook.] Perhaps you'd take a look? [Clara's the one who suggested it, after all. And she knows a lot more about this sort of thing than Caitlyn. She could probably offer
She offers the notebook, held open to the correct page.]
no subject
[ But then the notebook is handed to her, and Clara doesn't move it from the page offered, she just reads quietly to herself, face softening the further she goes. When she's done, she's smiling and looks up at the other woman. ]
This is perfect. It's honest, and it's you. The two most important things. How much you love her, it's obvious in this.
[ Clara holds up the notebook before handing it back to her. ]
You both really deserve that kiss.
no subject
I'd like very much to kiss her. [A bit of an understatement. Every time she thinks about it, she feels as though her chest will burst with how badly she wants to kiss Vi. How badly she wants to wrap Vi in her arms and never let her go, to protect her from everything in the world that would harm her.]
I wish you could come with me, too. I'm going to miss you very much, Clara.
no subject
I'll miss you a lot, too. I don't jump into danger with just anyone, you know. You and the Doctor—you're in pretty good company.
no subject
Jayce is an inventor. If... [If he hasn't started a war.] If everything's alright back home. I'll speak to him. Perhaps he can invent a way to move between worlds, so we can travel together. I'd like to see your world, as well.
this is ancient in rp time, sorry! Def feel free to drop for new stuff!
[ She's imagining everything Cailtyn is saying, including the beasts and mountains. When Caitlyn stops herself, Clara offers a small smile of understanding. Instead of calling it out, she moves on instead. ]
When we're done here, I'll write all of my contact information in your notebook. If there's any way at all to find me, I know you will.
[ And the same goes for Clara, she has no problem commandering the Doctor's TARDIS for whatever she wants (within reason). ]
Earth has so much I think you'd love. In the States, which is across the ocean from where I live, there's the Grand Canyon. It's this...deep, deep area of the earth that's eroded so far down, if you fell off the edge, no one would hear you hit the bottom in some places. But it's beautiful, with so many lakes and rivers. The time it took for that to happen, millions and millions of years of water slowly carving things down—it's pretty cool when you think about it. There are other things too; building that go up into the clouds, fields that have rows and rows and rows of beautiful flowers. You'd like it, I think.
nw!
[The buildings and the fields... she wants to see every corner of Clara's world.]
If you make your way to my world, all you need to do is find your way to the city of Piltover. Almost anyone there will be able to direct you to where I live. [The Kiramman mansion is difficult to miss.] I'm sure we'll see each other again. Whether the Doctor knows how, or Jayce can invent something, there'll be a way.
no subject
I'm from a town called Blackpool, but I'm pretty sure there's more than one place on the planet called that. I'll narrow it down in your notebook, best I can.
[ Looking out at the woods ahead of them, gestures forward and to the east just a little. ]
I think something went that way, guessing by the way the leaves are messed up, here.
[ She looks at Caitlyn to confirm she's actually comprhending what she's being taught, applying it the correct way. ]
no subject
Yes, I think you're right. And look here. [She points to a few branches that have been broken off. The ends are still fresh-looking, broken off recently.]
I think we must be fairly close.