hatthevar | blood rains

[groundrules]

Drawn to undead creator Matthias, the party heads into Hatthevar — former wasteland of myth and superstitions, now city of ghosts.

The first log of Hatthevar spans until 31 January.

A small part of the event is open to players both in and out of the game, who can bring dead characters in the bazaar!

HATTHEVAR

---

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The party enters blood-rained Hatthevar during a daily one-hour truce between the citadel and the undead forces that assail it. At the gates is undead Lord Rathakku of the Brotherhood, keen to usurp his distracted maker Matthias; in the skies dart the forces of dead wind lord Anurr, who has no love for the Brotherhood.

Hatthevar’s ghostly champions — including enormous ghosts that consume men and floating spirits that strangle with chains — defend the grounds. Matthias neglects the war, persistently summoning spirits from various worlds and points in time to revive them.

KNOCK, KNOCK

Wispy, shadowy silhouettes closely watch the lone gate of Hatthevar. The party infiltrates at sunrise.

Characters who have died, practise necromancy or are death-touched enter freely. The living must consume Karsa’s foul potions that absorb their shadows and partly mute their powers to pass for dead. Holders of Matthias’ severed limbs or organs, or of dark mirror shards or dark water, are closely watched by the dead and perhaps pursued.

Everyone must create new names and stories covering their identity and circumstances of death. Crafty ghost sellers will try to learn your true name to capture you in slavery.

Image source.

Spend a few days acquainting Hatthevar, its constant rains, vicious gambling dens, bazaars, oracle halls, wish shops and nests of memory thieves.

Show kindness to the newly revived spirits who struggle to remember themselves and roam in the citadel’s bazaars of curiosities.

Optionally, some characters are struck by misfortune. Capture a crafty, palm-sized spirit rabbit to improve your luck… or stumble upon a larger, dark hopper to ruin it.

Most sleeping quarters are available at downtrodden inns or in lavish gambling dens, for exorbitant prices. You can’t shake the feeling of someone watching through holes in your walls.

MATTHIAS

Three days after arriving, the party receives a note from Matthias that reveals the origins of his pact with the dark water to propagate the dead in Akhuras. Matthias says he has been working to bring the spirit of his dead daughter Cosette through the beacon for revival. She materializes briefly in Hatthevar but disappears before he can find her. Retrieve Cosette, and he will surrender the party his power over the undead.

Full note

” Well, hello! Is it nippy beyond the walls? Not cold here, just… the rain. Tried wishing it away, but… waste of money, those wish shops. Not like, what is it you call it? The dark water? It’s ancient. Back in Ellethia, we thought it came from the sea. All began with a mirror shard. That, and constant pressure to race against decades of Taravast research into curing death. We got there first! That’s… my claim to fame: I wished death gone. It was work. Work ate me. Then, the dead woke up, killed everyone, and there wasn’t much of a profession left. Or of Ellethia. The dark water wants flesh, so… I’ve made it death lords and armies, and I’ve left parts of me to anchor it. In return… it gives me revival. But, look. I had a… daughter. Cosette? Blonde and eyes green and blue and like her mother’s, and only five summers old, but she thought she was so clever, kept telling her doll so. That’s all you’re left with. Memories. She died, of course. I’ve been working to resurrect her, and her spirit shows up every few days in Hatthevar. She disappears before I can find her. I’m not… good at bargaining. I’m a magical engineer, really. Tinkerer! But my time’s running short, isn’t it? Just look outside. And all I want is Cosette. You want the beacons? Have them. You can have my power whole. I’ll give it. Some of you will need to help hold the walls up, and others might want to look into the funny business in the lagoon, if it’s linked at all to Cosette, though I doubt it. But, truly. Bring me Cosette, and the deed’s done. You can have everything.”

The Merchant distrusts Matthias’ proposal, but sees potential leverage and urges the party to investigate the girl and the lagoon. From here onward, everyone heads to their assignment:

COMBAT

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Assigned: Bucky Barnes, Carol Danvers, Deimos, Emilia, Jiang Cheng, Luffy, Natasha Romanoff, Nynaeve, Stephen Strange, Wrath, Wrathion, Zoro

The first line of defence against the swarming undead, you must hold off swathes of enemies across three territories:

THE WALLS

Despairingly tall and uncomfortably narrow, overseen by Matthias’ ghostly cannibal titans, who neglect to discern between friend or foe in their broad, relentless strikes. Blood rains pour down thick and nearly blinding. From the skies, you face the frost-breathing 10-15 meter-tall wyrms of undead blizzard lord Anurr, unaffiliated with the Brotherhood. Stick together: when alone, Anurr’s winds speak to you of your deepest doubts and fears, compelling you to surrender — or to let go of restraint, briefly berserk, and attack your own.

■ Serthica survivors may call their dragons to assist. Through Jon Snow, the party can also summon the giant, but slow and poor-sighted frost dragon Irenia to help on three occasions.

THE COLD PLAINS

Just outside of Hatthevar sprawls a desert-like cold plateau, where treacherous dunes shift to swallow you whole and the bestial forces of the Brotherhood’s most capable undead general, Rathakku, hide in wait. Hard-shelled, slippery and sleek his creatures lie buried and thrust up their arm-rows of hundreds of blades that cut into the legs of passers-by, drawing them into sand.

THE UNDERPASS

A series of subterranean tunnels connects Hatthevar with the cold sand outposts. Scour the myriad of dusty, tunnels and purge it of large scorpion-human hybrids that carry multiple weapons and whose sting leave men hallucinating. Oversized serpents abound, their venom prone to paralyzing their prey. You can make or procure antidote potions from Hathevar. Matthias’ ghostly titans are closing off all tunnel entrances to Hatthevar — don’t end up sealed in on the wrong side.

! Collectively, the party must kill at least one frost wyrm, one scorpion/serpent and one sand lurker to keep all three levels safe. Turn in your threads before 28 January… or let the citadel suffer in part II.

EXECUTION

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Assigned: Five, Lockwood, Mo Ran, Vanessa, Yelena, Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu

Your objective is to locate Matthias and secure the beacons that are currently in heavy use. Securing one or more beacons will help you get home.

■ Your best bet for intelligence are the treacherous networks of underground memory thieves and slavers, who attempt to steal your freedom or your recollections.

■ Your next option is the gang of Erkul, who ruled over local oracles and Hatthevar whole before Matthias’ arrival. Coarse, slippery but cunning, Erkul sullenly nurses his weight in wine at the gilded Sanctuary, Hatthevar’s foremost gambling den. Street sources say the establishment’s passcode each day this month is a fruit name. Erkul’s crew sell highly potent opiates.

■ Ransack some Whispering houses for information, equipment, poison or arsenal. Small, dusty, cluttered and often creaking, Whispering houses hold a wealth of dangerous artefacts, from haunting poltergeists you might accidentally release by reading out their names from tomes to flying rope that throttles you. Large dread hounds instil blood-curdling fear in anyone who looks into their eyes.

■ The five beacons of Hatthevar are only briefly active each day as Matthias makes his summons. They are guarded by swarms of colossal leonine-shadow creatures that only attack if they feel any fear in your soul (of it, or anything else), pouncing to claw and shred you apart. To claim a beacon, Karsa may provide a cold, coal-like token that must be placed in the middle of the transport dais, within inevitable sight of the shadow lions. You must wait 15 minutes in place for the token to take root. Report your conquest before 28 January!

■ Every six hours, Matthias sends ravens to check on the shadow-lions. You must either trick them, leave the lions alive or capture the ravens.

CARE

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Assigned: Allison, Eda, Hermione, Kamala, Lan Sizhui, Sanji, Winnie

Carer’s have the lion’s share of all duties — and the party’s few lingering resources. You must look after the group and the ghosts of Hatthevar: meandering, disoriented and fragile, the spirits who were freshly wrenched from death’s snare become easy prey for the Undead Brotherhood, the elements and the ghost slavers. Rescuing or attending vulnerable spirits can gain you allies.

■ comfort ghosts who recover from revival or struggle with their memories. Many are stranded in the Whispering houses or chained into servitude in the gambling dens.

■ rescue spirits from the immense slaver clan of Ras’Kalur, which tricks newly summoned, dazed spirits in the bazaars to sign away their freedom, promising someone to look after them. Ras’Kalur’s people often raid streets and shelters, forcibly dragging spirits back into their camps at the outskirts of Hatthevar.

■ barter to rent or buy abandoned taverns to give the party a resting space during their stay in Hatthevar. You may need to pay locals in favours, from helping them carry out petty acts of revenge to making up with a grudge-bearing wife or paying penance to their ancestors.

■ heal, cook and provide for combatants on the walls, taking care not to fall in the crossfire or frost wyrms or of allied but negligent 12-feet ghostly titans.

■ as the least suspicious party members, negotiate for information or supplies on behalf of the group: make friends with gambling den owners and the two-bit shady crooks who know their daily passcodes to enter, or with the regulars of the Whispering houses.

INVESTIGATION

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Assigned: Ben Hargreeves, Benedict, Caitlyn, Cal Kestis, Jon Snow, Merrin, Nami, Rin, River Song, Wei Wuxian, Wen Qing

■ You know from Matthias that, as a result of his beacon summons, the spirit of his daughter Cosette appears every fifth day in Hatthevar for a few hours at midday. Despite this, a young girl matching Matthias’ description (5-6 years of age, green-blue eyes, blonde, prone to laughter) is never seen. Matthias alerts you whenever Cosette appears.

■ Day of first appearance: Matthias feels her presence in the bazaar, where the day’s main attraction is a puppet show that draws a heavy crowd. At midday, a chime sounds, and the puppet show performs the sad story of a daughter quarrelling with her father over his absences. The daughter-puppet flees into the woods, while the puppet-father refuses to reconcile and follow her. The girl is killed by animals, and the puppet-father grieves, heartbroken. All the women or girls in the crowd, including you, find they burst into tears.

■ Day of the second appearance: Matthias senses Cosette is in the alley of Whispering Houses. You notice the typical bustle of the alley and shady movements, as discreet, embarrassed, or desperate patrons scuttle. You see no small girls but hear of three trades that took place at the Whispering Houses, carried out by different women: one bought a memory, one sold one, one had a memory replaced. Pay for a memory trade to learn more.

■ Day of the third appearance: Matthias feels Cosette near the Oracle Hall. The hour passes by the time you climb the stairs and are received. The Oracle confirms only one person has visited — a blonde woman — and says to “tell your master that an hourglass keeps track of new time, but can’t give the old one back.”

You get three clue questions/character and should communicate with fellow investigators. Please share key findings by network before 25 January!

EXPLORATION

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Assigned: America Chavez, Buggy, Connor, Elayne Trakand, Lan Wangji, Licyn, Red, Wen Ning

The river Liu neatly divides Hatthevar, its clean waters progressively darkening towards the edges of the citadel, where they pour into a vast, serene and heavily misted lagoon. Veterans sense an eerie chill from the familiar dark waters that so often accompany the undead.

Like Matthias, Karsa says a strange power sleeps at the heart of the lagoon.

■ travel by raft with a companion through the lethargy-inducing fog, as tar-like people peer up from the waters or swim below, never quite attacking you unless you fall into water. They (and the currents) try to upturn your boat.

■ Scattered lit candles drift on water as you advance. Pick one up, and you find one of the floating creatures of Hatthevar has joined your raft, carrying a rope-chain. It says it and its kind are former oracles and truth-speakers of the citadel — and urges you to speak, pledging to kill the first person who lies before you leave water.

■ Farther out, you discover four half-sunken ships that have crashed into each other over time, their decks now forming a rocky square-like structure. You can carefully navigate your raft to reach this construct, or make your way by hopping onto floating deck parts and the debris of other rafts.

■ Once aboard the square structure, you find all the decks are heavily rotten, creaking and prone to collapse. You hear a maddening, shrill scream that steals control of your now convulsing body, until you find yourself driven closer and closer to the end of a plank or a deck hole against your wishes — unless you are physically detained until the shrieking ends.Sharp-toothed mermaids swim below.

■ Reach and explore the curious ships’ graveyard, to peer into the black well in the middle of the square infrastructure.

QUESTIONS

NPC INBOX

Comments

QUESTIONS

[groundrules]

Yes, ghosts count as dependents on your tax forms.

CLUES: INVESTIGATION ROUTE

[groundrules]

Ask your questions for the investigation route here, limit of three per character! Please don't forget to check in with your fellow investigators to stitch up all the clues together, and communicate major findings by network before 25 January c:

COMBAT SUBMISSIONS

[groundrules]

Turn in your threads defeating a frost wyrm, a scorpion/serpent or a sand lurker before 28 January!

The party must collectively kill one creature from each category... or Hatthevar might bear the consequences in part II.

Please note: you only need to have finished the part of the thread where you defeat a creature by the time of the submission!

BEACON CONQUEST

[groundrules]

Captured a beacon, did you? Turn in your thread before 28 January!

You may wish to figure out a way to deal with the ravens too, or you risk losing the beacon after.

Note: you only need to have completed the part of the thread where you conquer a beacon by the time of the submission!

PEER INTO THE WELL

[groundrules]

Not bad, getting all the way to the heart of the sunken structure, mermaids and all! Please turn in your thread before 28 January.

To keep things fair, threads where you start by being at the heart of the well, but didn't defeat any obstacles at all (whether the raft ride, the candles or the mermaids) to get there don't count.

Note: you only need to have wrapped up the part of the thread where you get to the dark well by the time of the submission!

[matermali]

1. Does the rain blood have a particular type of scent, like human blood or some other being, or is it just 'unknown source, but definitely bloody'.

2. Do the bodies that spirits are revived into read as alive, or more undead, or something else?

2b. To that note, do they bleed? If so, would the blood taste human?

[mustact]

Question about the candles prompt in the exploration! I'm a little confused about the floating creature's request. Does it know if someone lies and gets away with? Does it need someone to die? And what happens if you don't do it? bc that's a little intense, buddy.

[matermali]

Hello! I was wondering how the ghostly titans might appear. Will they look humanish?

[matermali]

Hey it's...ya girl. Again. Some questions about the ravens!

1. Are the ravens compelled or otherwise magicked by Matthias? Would Vanessa sense anything?
2. They're one of the animals Vanessa has a connection with back home, will that help her at all in trying to communicate with them?

Erkul Intel

[somebadnews]

In the interest of contributing something: Five and Wen Kexing are attempting to bargain with the Erkul gang for info about Matthias' whereabouts/possibly weaknesses by bargaining with the drugs Wen Kexing brought from Ephes (unless Wen Kexing really decides to try to sell Five to them, which definitely wouldn't backfire.) We're at about that point in the thread where we need to see how successful this plan would be. Is there anything they might be able to get out of them?

Thank you. :>

THE BAZAAR | VISITING DEAD CHARACTERS AHOY

[groundrules]

Image source.

Sprawling, savagely cluttered and the frequent site of artistic performances and scams, the bazaars of Hatthevar bring together a kaleidoscope of magical artefacts, legendary creatures, curses, magic and necromancy — and droves of the recently revived dead.

Perhaps you are one of them: drifting until mere moments ago, when you stirred into awareness in an unfathomable crowd. You recall dying, or the memory comes in tender, violent increments. Your obliviousness betrays you: other onlookers realise your... condition and carefully pass you a mirror pendant with translation and communication features, along with confirmation that, Yes. You are a spirit — and you are in Hatthevar, home to luck, oracles and wishes, now cradle of the dead.

The patron of Hatthevar, master Matthias, has been drawing in and reviving ghosts from other worlds: it must be fate that brought you here, giving you a second chance. You should find your own purpose now — with apologies that your fellow ghosts can spare no more than this pendant and a cloak.

You’re on your own.

Tread with care, as vendors swarm to sell you… questionably luck-bearing tokens. Have you tried the latest laughter potions? Delightful. Your teeth will shine from all the grinning. Or is that poison? Children ask you to write their wishes on wish-making lanterns and release them in the night. Pick-pockets attempt to relieve you of the burden of your coin, and shady, handsy individuals seek to convince you to surrender yourself in their care… while they aim to collar you into ghostly servitude.

The incessant tepid rains of Hatthevar turn briefly bloody every few hours and slowly drain those stranded without cover of their appetite and stamina. Find shelter and remember the rule of the land: you cannot buy an umbrella. You must always receive it from a local, in exchange for a boon — a bow, a boon, a kiss, a tale — and return it by nightfall.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

■ Both current players or players outside of the game can bring in dead characters to thread around with.

■ Dead but revived or undead characters count. If they were previously in Eastbound, it’s down to player’s choice whether you want the character to remember those events.

■ Visiting characters are either fully or greatly depowered.

■ No doubles of characters already in game, please!

■ Visiting dead characters are confined to this thread: if you’re playing one, please either top level in a response to this comment, or tag around the top levels of other visiting dead characters posted here.

■ Visiting dead characters can’t leave the bazaar. Alas! ~ Magic ~

■ Characters currently in Eastbound can only tag around the top levels of visiting dead characters!

■ Dead characters can have top levels featuring log prompts inside the bazaar or network prompts.

■ Have fun!

ming yi/he xuan | tgcf

[lostfate]

i. the bazaar.

[ He Xuan looks far from his usual appearances as the Earth Master. Tall and thin, with pale skin and a sharp forehead, he's a sullen, withdrawn figure who seems to be a fixture of the Bazaar. He chews on some dumplings as he walks around the Bazaar, easily moving between crowds, until a child bumps into him.

It rattles him enough that he drops his dumplings, making him sigh. The child apologizes but hastily and scampers off, and He Xuan sets off in hopes of finding something else— he's always hungry, you see. He's likely to be found in line for more food, wherever he's seen, or eating.

Stop him, and he'll offer a suggestion: ]

Avoid that vendor. [ He points off toward one cart in the distance. ] They'll cheat you, never give you the right amount of food.

ii. blood rains.

[ Of course, the blood rains aren't entirely new, but he isn't always paying attention to them. So the first time they hit, he's surprised, the hunger evident on his face, and he hurries off to find shelter, or someone with an umbrella.

He's polite enough when he stops people, and he does take no, if someone doesn't want to share their umbrella, but he glares at anyone who refuses, and hurries off to find someone else. If accepted, he'll talk, if necessary. Otherwise, he'll stand there, like a lump. ]

iii. wildcard.

[ Please throw anything you feel like at me, and I will roll with it. Or let me know if you'd like a custom starter! ]

five hargreeves | the umbrella academy

[somebadnews]

[ Prompts being added below. Plotting comment here for anything you'd like to discuss ahead of time. Also very open to wildcard if you've got an idea for your own prompt. Will match action or prose to preference! ]

knock, knock

[somebadnews]

[ When they reach Hatthevar Five has the growing suspicion that Rathakku finally managed to break open the gates to Hell after they left Alem, and the apocalypse has finally come back in full force to consume them. It looks grim. He never did finish what he was working on in the castle before they moved on; still hopelessly stuck at the same point he always is, and a breakthrough is probably years away. Which means he has no safety net to fall back on. He would question their decision to confront Matthias when they're ill prepared, but once he sees it with his own eyes, he doesn't think they'll wait for them to rise to the occasion.

The foul potion Karsa doles out does nothing to brighten his mood. Here he is, willingly drinking poison from someone he's never trusted, and nodding along as his shadow disappears like that's nothing to worry about. He goes along until he's informed that they'll need to come up with fake names and death stories to go along with them. It feels like a joke, but no, they're serious and Five can only smile sharply and silently accept that they're screwed.

How is this their best plan? ]

Cover stories work on the dead now? [ He complains to anyone nearby, because he's stressed out, they have huge problems here and it's easier to be petty in the moment. Changing his name is apparently where he draws the line. ] Even if none of them can read minds, I'd be surprised that none of them remember us. We're probably responsible for a few of them that ended up here.

lan wangji | the untamed

[downswing]

( Hit me up with a widlcard or ping if none of these starters work and you'd like to do somethin-somethin! )

hatthevar ► the rains

[downswing]

( Drip and drip and drip and — plopping.

Like cinnabar, like letter wax unwinding — thick and trickling, but rancid. He withdraws from the first spatters, dances around the next wave. Is struck, with quiet inevitability, when thunder and lightning milk fat clouds’ fill in their wake. Red crawls down in long-clawed streaks over his shoulders and arm.

His silks, spell bound to shrug off stains in Wei Ying’s finest gift since their arrival here, do not absorb it.

He thinks, foolishly, the skies are easing, the tide is turning. He need only wait until the storms settle and dispel — only thunder roars again, the pace of dripping quickens to drum the earth and batter it, and he feels, alone at the heart of the street, it would be a fool’s gamble to attempt delay.

Luck is a kind mistress, forgiving. He knows the back of his unexpected saviour, darts from behind to slip beneath their umbrella. )

We head north. ( He has apparently not only shamelessly commandeered the umbrella, but also you, to ferry him to his destination. ) At brisk step.

wen kexing ( word of honor )

[wifedup]

a. Knock, Knock

Your name.

( The ghost at the market stall is taller than Wen Kexing, who had ducked beneath the canopy for only a moment, the feeling of eyes on his back. It bleeds a little at the edges like smoke, formless and black. Wen Kexing's nose wrinkles but he does not reply straight away. Instead he pauses a little, pursuing the wares, face morphing quickly from deadly worry to easy charm. ) I haven't even said I'd buy anything yet! Can't a man simply look? No. What if these - ( A pause, eyes lingering on a bracelet depicting a woman being swallowed by a snake. Another twitch of his expression and then just once, the glance behind. ) - what if they don't suit me, mm?

( He's being furtive, even for Wen Kexing, and the first person to step up to the stall beside him gets the full force of his dramatics, flinging an arm around his companion like they're old friends. ) Ah, there you are. You won't like these either. You're more a silver, aren't you? I think I've seen something better a few stalls down.

( He tugs the newcomer along with him, out into the open of the market. ) That one doesn't seem to be trading in coin, better avoid it.

b. Sanctuary

( The gambling den is loud, boisterous, full. Wen Kexing is glad for it, stalking his way slowly around the edges. It had not been hard to find out the passcode, or - it had been for the person he'd beaten it out of - and his entrance had been quick and slippery. Now he nurses a drink in one hand, the slow fluttering of his fan obscuring his face with the other. He's deep in thought, shoulders taut underneath his colourful robes. There are options, of course, he sold opiates long enough in Ephes that he could try and make an in-road there ( he has some still, squirreled away in his supplies, kept back at his room ). He could always try his hand at gambling too, something showy enough to garner attention. And there might also be a scene to cause. He thinks he could take on a whole gang, but these days he's aiming for subtly.

Plus, he doesn't exactly see the beacon. Better to be sensible.

And so he finds his way back to the bar, emptying his cup as he comes and sliding up onto a nearby stool. A quick glance to his right and his left and another drink secured and Wen Kexing sighs gustily. )

The décor could do with being better. What do you think?

c. Whispering House

Oh, this is disgusting.

( The dust stirs with the hem of his robes, and Wen Kexing makes another irritated noise, hand smacking to remove a caught cobweb from his skirts. ) I know there might be something useful here, but do they have to make it so cramped? I can't even hear myself think.

( He almost knocks a stack of heaped books flying when he sidesteps them, skirting the edges of the room with one eye fixed upon the entrance. Whatever fussy attitude he's putting on, it does very little to hide the level of alertness that's currently zipping through his body. He's aware - of something - anyway. ) I thought the jungle was upsetting but I think I'd take being hot and sticky over this place. If there are organs in any of those jars I'm leaving!

d. OOC

( I'm at discord: sadgaydna or qingya if you want to plot. )

B

[somebadnews]

[ Let no one say Five isn't putting his efforts into finding Matthias, between his vigilance over his family and the absolute disasters he keeps stumbling on whenever he runs into someone from their group. It feels like he's always pulling someone out of the fire, and it's already starting to run him ragged. What was wrong with the buddy system? He wouldn't care so much, but seeing them locked into slavery or losing all of their memories hits a disturbing chord with him. So he keeps at it.

Five's appearance in the gambling den has nothing to do with the gambling and much more to do with the gang he was tipped off on. His physical appearance makes him stand out more than he'd like to, but that's nothing new. The crowd makes it easy enough for him to hide in. He's just getting comfortable at the bar when he recognizes the man taking a seat next to him. Points for not being in immediate danger, but he still scoffs and shakes his head. ]

Brilliant observation. [ He eyes his drink and his expression softens. His teleporting has been off, so getting served alcohol might mean cutting some slack. ] What are you having?

hermione granger (harry potter)

[reparo]

[ Prompts to follow, and they're still very much OTA. If we've had some vague plan/idea over here and you can't see a prompt where our idea can fit, shout my way on shortitude (or same username on discord) or HMU with a wildcard! ]

HATTHEVAR. GAMBLING DENS

[reparo]

[Do the spirits take coin, or do they trade in something else altogether? She's heard of the gambling dens in the few days since arriving in Hatthevar with the others, and if she had to guess, she'd guess that this is where the money is. Or if not, where the currency is.

So she is standing in front of a shady little gambler, his pockets full of riches, trying to look confident in herself.]

So, you some kind of princess then?

No - I mean - [She heaves a dramatic, pitiful sigh.] I can't be sure, my memories are fuzzy ever since I - you know - died... [She stops clutching her imaginary pearls and crosses her arms.] Anyway, you were going to share the passcode to the den with me, right?

elayne trakand | wheel of time

[daughterheir]

[prompts to follow, feel free to wildcard me or hmu here for plotting]

THE GAMBLING DENS

[daughterheir]

[It's curiosity, mainly, that draws her here, a desire to see what the people of this place consider luxury. Or entertainment. It's a strange thing – though she grew up in a royal palace, she still finds herself almost overwhelmed by it. The halls and chambers of the palace at Caemlyn are homey compared to this display of hedonistic decadence.

She frowns as she passes by a table of spirits gambling, calling out their bids of memories or years.]

Why would anyone do that? [she inquires of her traveling companion.] Why would anyone risk their memories or years of servitude just for a handful of coin?

emilia di carlo, kingdom of the wicked.

[valeas]

OPEN TO ALL: please comment here to let me know which of the following prompts you'd like to thread with me. I'll write us a custom starter, or you are free to wildcard your own! Prompts I am most interested in:

♢ Emilia was assigned to combat, so let's kill some frost wyrms and sand lurkers...
♢ Acquainting Hatthevar: would you like to poke at some bazaars? How do you feel about gambling dens, etc?
♢ Do you need to be saved from shrieking mermaids? Would you like to save her?
♢ Let's go shopping for some beacons!
♢ Wildcard

Her IC inbox is also open for anything and everything. I love text threads to go alongside logs. If you have any questions or would like to plot something out more in-depth, PM or find me at moonstones.

[downswing]

( lmf this citadel needs to STAND gdi, so I'm happy to throw him into some dragon frost wyrm combat! )

exploration - ota

[damnable]

( ooc: planning on doing navigation of deck parts and debris -> sound/mermaids -> black well. )

This has been one long and creepy ride so far. She didn't dare reach for any of the candles, and kept her gaze out of the sea - Poseidon always freaked her out of all the gods she'd heard of, and so she's no fan of the water. It doesn't help that her Cerberus form is so closely associated with fire. The idea of falling into the water is unsettling to say the least.

She's been taking turns with the one who shares this raft to use the oars to navigate after they introduced themselves, but now they've reached an area that seems much more difficult to actually navigate. There are too many obstacles in the way, and she's not the most confident in her ability to turn this raft where it needs to go when it's surrounded by debris on every side.

She takes in a breath as she eyes the way ahead and then looks over at her companion:

"So how are you at jumping?"

[blackscales]

The raft is unpleasant.

The water is unpleasant, especially with the... creatures in it. Wrathion looks at them and vividly remembers the mass of black water taking Anduin's form.

All of it, on the whole, is getting a low review from here. Would not recommend. Would not visit again.

It would probably be wiser if one of them was good with water, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Wrathion sighs.

"I can jump quite well, as it happens."

He can also cheat, if the worst comes to it.

"However, I'd like to request we visit somewhere more pleasant next time. Drier, too. Titans, everywhere here is so wet lately."

caitlyn kiramman | arcane

[clavesregni]

[prompts to follow, feel free to wildcard me or hmu here for plotting, if anyone would like a more specific/custom starter, just lmk]

RABBITS ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD

[clavesregni]

[It's with a heavy scowl that Caitlyn realizes she's misplaced several of her bullets. There's a little spot for them, inside the rifle case, and she's always meticulous about placing them there. But she must have absent-mindedly put them somewhere else, because she can't find them, and...

She's standing in the middle of an alley, sifting through her possessions in hopes of finding the bullets, when she catches sight of a rabbit.

If she didn't know better, she'd say it was staring at her.]

Hello. Are you-- [Is she speaking to a rabbit now? Perhaps she's finally gone mad.]

Asano Rin | Blade of the Immortal

[revengeisalie]

BLOOD RAIN

[revengeisalie]

Ugh. Blood! Why is it always blood?

[ Honestly. Rin thought she ended up blood-spattered more often than not anytime she did anything at home, but this? This is worse. She covers her head with her shoulder bag in a somewhat futile attempt to at least keep the stuff out of her hair, but still shudders in dismay at the contact with her skin and clothes.

If only Manji were here. He'd make some sarcastic remark about how she should stop making such a fuss. Comments that shame her because they point out her weakness, but also ground her in reality, pull her out of her needlessly circling thoughts.

She looks up at what lies ahead and lets out a gasp when she sees what they're up against -- the looming giants, the restless spirits. More things she'd hardly ever even dreamed about, at home. ]

How... how are we going to get through this?

Eda Clawthorne | The Owl House

[traaaaaash]

THE BAZAARS

[traaaaaash]

[ Once again, Eda feels strangely at home here. It feels a lot like the seedier districts of Bonesborough, or the night market. Having been a saleswoman herself for a long time, she is curious about the bazaars and what they have to offer.

Most of her appearance covered by a cape, she walks along the stalls, ponders the artefacts and if she might use some of them -- until one offer in particular catches her interest. ]

"Curse-breaking?" [ She harrumphs, dismissively. ] Hah! As if anyone would fall for that, ya dirty scammers.

vanessa ives (amunet) | penny dreadful

[matermali]

( Wildcard me, PM me, or ping me here if you want to plot something else. I welcome everything! )

{ knock knock: bazaar memories

[matermali]

a long and lingering sleep, the weary crave.

[ While wandering the bazaar, her pale form cloaked in dark dress, Vanessa will happen upon some spirits in upset who have so far managed to evade the chains of slavery, but remain vulnerable with so little to recall.

It's against her wiser judgement that she stops to help, and she can help. Nothing is easy, but some memories they seek are only hidden, not stolen, and Amunet thrives in the Hidden. So they find a spot out of the way where they can sit, and after several minutes of what looks like Vanessa simply staring at them, the spirits are pulled from their trance with a few more memories returned and tearful gratitude plenty vocal.

Quietly, Vanessa is quick to move on once through. She has no desire to be so perceived.

Unfortunately(?), someone from their traveling party is near enough to perceive the exchange, and she is still within her senses enough to acknowledge others (usually). Her clairvoyant gifts aren't often something so openly displayed, but there isn't much to say about them, by her opinion. ]

We must practice caution. It seems impossible to keep track of one's memories in this city.

merrin ☾ star wars

[nochnaya]

i. hatthevar

[ As death-touched, Merrin entered the city freely, without having to undergo the unpleasant potion many of the others did. The necromancy probably also helps her feel entirely comfortable walking around a city of spirits, even one as stark and grim as this—after all, her clan's fortress wasn't all that different.

This place is cheerier, even. There's actual daylight, underneath all the rain.

So, nonplussed, she approaches anyone she might recognize, even if they haven't spoken before, and asks conversationally: ]

How did you die?

[ "Die," that is, for their cover story—though it might not be obvious from her tone. ]

ii. the bazaar

[ The bazaar is certainly an experience to be had, as rowdy and chaotic as any shadow-port she's passed through in her travels across the galaxy. Merrin takes her time exploring the place, stopping to window-shop the stalls and watch street performances, though she doesn't buy anything.

Unfortunately, at least one shop owner—a little old lady—takes a shine to her for some reason she couldn't even begin to fathom, and she finds herself on the receiving end of a lot of fussing. ]

That really isn't necessary.

[ The old woman is pushing candies into her hands, undeterred. ]

iii. investigation: first appearance

[ As it turns out, trying to find one particular child in the bazaar is like searching for a teardrop in the ocean. Merrin splits her attention between the puppet show and scanning the large crowd for a girl that matches Cosette's description, though she's growing more exasperated with Matthias and his wild bantha chase by the second.

By the time the girl-puppet is killed by animals, though, her gaze is fixed on the show. When it ends, she brings her hand to her cheek, surprised—and a little confounded, frankly—to find tears there. ]

What is this?

iv. investigation: second appearance

[ It's dark in the alleys surrounding the Whispering Houses—dark and devoid of any tow-headed girls Merrin can see, though there are definitely a number of patrons, loiterers, and urchins to be found instead.

She mostly ignores them as she searches, summoning a ball of flame-like ichor to her palm that casts pale green light down a shadowy alleyway, also devoid of girls.

With a sigh, she finds her companion and asks: ]

Have you found anything?

i. hatthevar

[somebadnews]

[ In contrast, Five has never been more tense as he navigates the city while being extremely aware of the dangers of being surrounded by death. This could go one of two ways, and he didn't travel east for this long only to watch some selfish asshole doom them all just for the chance to get his daughter back. No, changing the world to get your family back is Five's gig, and they obviously can't both have what they want here.

He lifts an eyebrow when someone asks him that question, and he scoffs once he recognizes her from their group. Go ahead and quiz him, his story is airtight. ]

Freak accident in the forges of Beom-Soo. Rumor has it I haunted it for years. [ And since she isn't bothering him, he'll humor her with the smalltalk. ] You?

ota. combat - scorpion/serpent

[inferus]

( OOC: we need a thread w/ at least one of these other monsters to be finished by the 28th to save the citadel. the other 2 monsters are being taken care of in other threads, but want to make sure we get this one too so the citadel won't suffer for it! so feel free to hop in here w/ anyone, and I'll do my best to tag at least a couple of times daily to get us to the killing portion. if you want your character poisoned/paralyzed, we can play with that too - wrath can help. )

Wrath holds the hilt of his dagger with serpent at the hilt in one hand as he approaches the tunnels with tension in his muscles. The dagger has been recently cleaned, but in the other battles he has done this day, he's allowed a small amount of blood to get on his face. His eyes flash gold, and the blue fire of his wings extend from his back as he steps further into the tunnel, lighting the area around him, but they're cold. He is cold - of ice as his wife is of fire.

He can hear it.

A serpent recognizes another serpent after all - its hissing is a familiarity to him, and then there is something else skittering in the dark. It's large, and he intends to hunt them both down to rip them limb from limb as it dies within his bare hands, but he'd like the beasts to fear him first, to run in fear from a real monster so he might give chase. Many call him Death after all when they don't refer to him as the devil. In many ways, this entire place is familiar to him, but the dead need to be sent on their way.

His voice is low when he speaks in the low voice of command given to the General of War:

"Quiet. It isn't far."

[companionsgrasp]

They really needed to stop meeting like this. Always on the cusp of battle, facing off against some unknown and terrifying beast. Benedict was used to fighting against forces large and unfathomable, but he was not so used to having backup in a fight. At least not any from another physical being--only his Companion and the abilities granted to him by their bond. This was different.

"I can hear," he hissed under his breath defiantly. The commanding voice had that effect on him. He was the Fox that never wanted to listen to his superiors and always wanted to do things differently than by the books.

He kept low and quiet from then on out. He could barely see in these dark underground passages but that, too, was something he was used to. His Companion helped to keep him on track and from knocking himself silly or causing a ruckus with uneven rocks at least. The cold fire from Wrath's wings helped. He crept forward, ready for an attack or the sight of what creature(s) they hunted.