he rode in, a king

[groundrules]

HONEY, WE’VE GOT VISITORS

Sa-Hareth-brand Cassandra tries to flag the future, gets left on read. True story — and then, the dead come. His offer neglected, a desperate Unhalad resorts to sieging the farmhouse in search for the mirror that was previously on the Imperious.

He’s in for disappointment, while the party prepare for... house guests over the early-morning 16 June to 17 June period.

Around 3:30am (16 June) of a storming night, those who are awake or sensitive to the supernatural may hear the winds and fleeing rats whisper that something comes. At 3:45am, Karsa’s wards around the farmhouse set off, briefly shrieking. Within minutes, Unhalad’s undead infiltrate the farmhouse, with one slight creature first entering down the kitchen chimney. A small faction of undead remain on the roof, while a swarming majority circle the farmhouse. Throughout the night, they attempt to break in through doors and windows, making slow progress. They are warier of the forest-facing back entrances. The attackers comprise droves of undead, some clearly only recently converted in haste. They are weaker for it.

Over time, the undead drip into the farmhouse. They lack the coordination for a concerted effort. Attempting to exit within the first three hours of the siege will prove disastrous, as too many undead wait outside. The undead will seek a mirror, being first and foremost drawn to Winnie, who carries a similar item on her person. Fox and Five will also be of interest. Fox can escape attention by discarding the shards. Any character that was bound to Anurr’s tree still bears the lingering marks of Anurr’s undeath is especially perceived as an enemy. Regulus enjoys the same treatment, given his extensive recent stay with the free people. The undead will savagely wreck the house in their hunt, striving to kill those in their path. They can be slain regularly. The older, "properly" summoned undead (identifiable because of their clear state of rotting) should be incinerated or severely amputated to avoid further resurrection. Because of the overwhelming number of undead, it is best to keep lean, mean and mobile within the house. Karsa joins the farmhouse around 6am. She’ll teleport in, but the density of undead outside will prevent her from teleporting out safely. Alongside three party volunteers, she reinforces some of the wards, decelerating the advance of the undead. Her group will also throw away any of Unhalad’s markings (salt and ash) out of the house and into the inner garden pond.

Come sunset (16 June) Unhalad himself will ride outside of the farmhouse, holding distant vigil over the hostilities with his retinue. On his arrival, unbound farmhouse animals will flee into the forest. Unhalad will be recognisable because of the immensity of raw power he emanates — a feeling of great and overwhelming despair and hunger. Options to evacuate the chaos include sneaking out, fighting the undead, calling on reinforcements from any local allies, or holding position until around 8am of 17 June, when Unhalad’s last-minute forces start to disintegrate because of the haste in which they were summoned. The minority of Unhalad’s forces that were summoned back alive with the appropriate diligence will not break down and will need to be banished. The free people will not intervene, unless they are called in.

If you’ve made it this far into Sa-Hareth’s worst hazing ritual, congratulations. A few more days of crud to go. Over the next few days before the 21-22 June departure, characters will have to make do with their shattered lodgings and dearth of supplies, or can seek sanctuary back in Sa-Hareth. Any money spent on accommodations will have to come out of the travel fund. You're on your own, kids. The animals can return from the forest, and the free people might spare some food and water, gifted to those who stood out during Anurr’s trials. The Anurr cultists of Sa-Hareth could also part with a few provisions for their good friends, Xie Lian and Xiao Xingchen. To opt out of the event, have characters out of the house on the night of the siege. It will be difficult to re-enter. The OOC plotting floor is yours!

FARMHOUSE LAYOUT

Comments

[bearshermark]

Yes.

[That presence had been difficult to miss, even for his diminished senses. Overbearing and oppressive, provoking a dire worry for their lives and defenses. But somehow, in a way he hadn't been witness to, they'd managed that as well]

You'd have to ask someone else for details of course, but I know it was the combined efforts from a handful of us that defeated him. Archeval and Lan Wangji among them.

[A touch of pride at that; he'd entrusted Archeval with the fight at the front lines while he retreated to heal. In a way, hearing he'd been involved in that clash felt like a personal victory, although he hadn't physically been there]

[somebadnews]

[ One would think that news like that might elicit a smile, or at least a congratulatory remark, but Five is dead silent as he absorbs the implications. What he felt in Unhalad's presence hasn't left him. That incessant phantom pain inside mixes with sudden nausea at the abrupt realization that they've lost the one who might have led him to the rest of his family. With him gone, how is he supposed to find them?

He needs to check on Vanya. Pulling on his powers, he rips space open to take him outside -- only to miscalculate and come out by the door of the same room, then promptly bends over to empty the meager contents of his stomach out on the floorboards. ]

[bearshermark]

[In a blink, he's gone, but Eleven's eyes snap to the doorway to the sound of retching, and he follows it]

Five?

[He looks terrible. Eleven reaches out a steadying hand for his shoulder]

Let me at least get you some water before you go. You're likely dehydrated. I reckon a bit of hardtack would help settle your stomach as well.

[somebadnews]

[ Five coughs at the same time he tries to swat him away, scowling up at him once he settles. Nobody needs to tell him that it's a pathetic display. Despite what people might say about him, he's fully aware of his own shortcomings. Chief among them his inability to... well, there's no point dwelling on it now.

It's obvious that he made a mistake. ]

You've helped enough. [ His voice is raspy from the burn in his throat, and it comes out more bitterly than it ought to. It's like a bad habit with him. ] I'm fine.

[bearshermark]

[Eleven withdraws his hand with a wince, but he can't expect anyone to be happy about having been slept against their will. It isn't normally a course of action he'd take, though it had seemed a prudent move at the time as someone responsible for the well-being of those under his care. Five has every reason to reject his help now, but neither can he simply let him go in good conscience]

Please. A few minutes- just enough to drink a bit of water and eat a little. You're likely to collapse after too much longer, otherwise.

[somebadnews]

[ It's his last comment that sharpens his gaze, but he can't seem to hold it for long. His stomach feels marginally better from the mess he made on the floor, and the surprisingly restful sleep might have done him some good, but now that he's awake there's no denying the shape he's in.

His memory still feels hazy, muted under the pulse of whatever is torturing him, but he seems to recall Eleven being there in the moments before he passed out. ]

A few minutes.

[ He sits back and wipes at his face with a dirty hand. Eleven may soon regret that offer, because now that he's looking at him he's suddenly interested. ]

What did you do?

[bearshermark]

[Eleven settles with a relieved breath, eyes sliding off Five as he turns to rinse his hands and fetch him a cup of water and wafer of hardtack]

Do... [The question puzzles him a moment, as it had seemed Five was already aware, but recalling once more those haunted eyes that looked as though they couldn't parse friend or foe, it's possible he didn't.

Eleven hands over the meager offerings with a twitch of what attempts to be a reassuring smile but only manages to look nervous and tired]

..I put you to sleep. It looked like you were.. distressed.

[somebadnews]

[ Five watches him as he moves about, and he's still got his eyes locked when he takes what he offers. Somehow that hadn't occurred to him. He should be outraged, or at least horrified that he was defenseless against a magic-wielding teenager, but he's resigned to the fact that he wasn't in his right mind. He wonders what he saw when he found him if he felt he needed to knock him out and drag him away.

After a while he looks down at the cup he's holding, frowning as more of it starts coming back. ]

The sword came in handy.

[bearshermark]

[No outburst, as he'd feared. Perhaps he's simply too tired to manage it.

Eleven leans up against the opposite doorframe. It's almost surprising that it held, but given the various wards and charms, and how staunchly defended it had been, well it's something to take hart in- proof of their resilience to the onslaught.

He looks over Five again and hums a short, curious note]

..Which one?

[somebadnews]

[ It's a lucky break. Misery outweighs his anger, and he's too distracted to focus on it for long. Nothing feels right. ]

Some more than others.

[ He takes a drink of water, wishing it were coffee, and looks back up at him. In hindsight, he might have been better off if Eleven had refused him once or twice. That sticks in his mind when decides to tell him this one thing. ]

I used it on the... that body, in the lake. Before all this happened.

[bearshermark]

[Eleven blinks, not having expected that]

Oh. [He doesn't know too much about it, other than the echoes of a mirror that could release the undead from their curse. That the body itself had been undead shouldn't be a surprise. Now that he thinks about it, Five had mentioned something about helping the dead.

So that's what he'd needed the sword for? Although he still doesn't quite understand why any other blade wouldn't work, he's too tired to try asking about that again]

Did it.. help?

[somebadnews]

[ At the time, it served a purpose. One that he'd agreed to easier than he should have, in retrospect. As usual. He scoffs at that thought and grips the cup tight in his hand. ]

It did something. Killed it again, I guess.

[ He feels like he's going to be sick again, and he's quiet until it passes. Which is ridiculous. He's halfway to thinking this is all in his head the more he talks about it. Telling Eleven about his paranoid suspicions certainly won't help anything; it's bad enough that he caught him when he was vulnerable. ]

Doesn't matter now, anyway. If I saw this coming I wouldn't have bothered.

[bearshermark]

[Eleven hums shortly with a careful eye on Five's pallor. There isn't much more he can do for him, save for perhaps finding a pail for him. It gives him something to do, a way to focus himself while he muses through the vague remarks.

The dead should be allowed their peace, but Five had never seemed terribly interested in trying to put undead souls to rest. A change of heart possibly, but it still strikes him as a side of strange. The body in the lake hadn't been just any ordinary undead, infused as it had been with the power similar to the mirror on the slave ship]

..Was killing it meant to accomplish something?

[somebadnews]

[ The pail is appreciated and uncommented on. By now he doesn't have much dignity left to save, and he'll use it if he can contain at least part of his mess.

He tilts his head at the question, which seems to be the same one asked at a different angle. That should be expected. Five did bring it up in the first place, even if he's not sure why he did, other than it being on his mind. ]

If you're wondering why I did it, I told you before. I made a deal. [ A bad one. Because that's what he does. ]

And I thought it might... I don't know. Fix whatever was going on in the woods. The jury is still out on that.

[bearshermark]

[That's right; he'd said that before, without detail. But the latter reasoning holds his attention for a few moments. There had been a number of concerning things about those woods]

..You mean the spirits? Hm. I guess that could be possible, if they were bound to that body in the lake in some way. The battle drowned them out if they still linger. We'll find out tonight, I imagine.

[somebadnews]

[ He sniffs and shrugs. Then he regards the hardtack in his hand for a moment before taking a bite and chewing slowly. His stomach twists as he swallows, but he keeps it down.

It hasn't escaped him that he might have recently been on the verge of a mental breakdown that started at that lake, and he's still dealing with the aftermath. He almost wants to ask what he did, but it'll probably come back to him eventually. ]

... What does it look like out there?

[bearshermark]

[Eleven's eyes flick up to the patches of missing ceiling and patchwork walls even charmed and well-defended as they had been]

Hendrik's gone out to check.. I'm staying here in case of any last-minute emergencies. But so far as I've seen and heard from here, the farmhouse itself isn't looking well. But overall, we seem to be doing okay.

[somebadnews]

[ He's still thinking about his sister. How he blindsided her by hiding her quartz, and then couldn't contact her when the siege started. They're still here, so it's apparent that he should have put more trust in her ability to control her powers.

Then there's Eleven. He deserves some credit for... possibly saving him. Which is a strange thought. ]

We were lucky, then.

[bearshermark]

[His shoulders sag, smile tired under the weight of relief]

Yes, it seems that way. I had faith in our strength, but it's still... I'm grateful.

[somebadnews]

[ Annoyed at his own misery and weakness keeping him there, Five turns all of his attention to the boy in front of him. He looks tired, but no obvious injuries. If circumstances had been different, it would have been a good opportunity to see what else he's capable of. Aside from knocking out a trained assassin. ]

Have you been in a fight like that before?

[bearshermark]

[Eleven's eyes swing back to Five, still maintaining that faint smile]

Not one that long. And I was fighting then, not.. doing this. [He gestures to the chaotic organization of the study turned medical ward with a soft sigh] But.. it seems like not many of us have healing abilities, while we had plenty of fighters, so..

[He gives a soft shrug] This was where I was needed.

[somebadnews]

[ Five distantly notes that he didn't see anyone else in here, which means he was the last one who needed babysitting. ]

So that's why you're stuck with me, hm?

[ He flashes a humorless smile, but follows that logic. ]

Someone finally decided to delegate. -- Who was it? Lee Chang? He seemed to be itching for the opportunity.

[bearshermark]

[He nods, though frowning a little as the details of the panicked chaos of the start of the fight blurred a bit]

I think that's right. He'd decided this room was the most defensible, so it became something of a medical ward and temporary refuge for those in need of it.

[Which, yes, includes Five himself]

I'd remembered the packs Wei Wuxian and I were putting together so that's where most of these supplies came from. We'll need to restock again..

[somebadnews]

[ He's sure he saw Lee Chang at the start of this, so that makes sense. Good for him. ]

Right, the packs. [ He remembers talk of those too. This might have been an opportunity to compliment them on their strategy, but Five lets the moment pass with barely a thoughtful hum.

That phantom agony gnaws at him while he tries to recall more. He hadn't stayed in any one place for long. The undead seemed to be targeting him, and he's covered in enough gore to show how successful they were. Then... after a while the edges of reality started to blur. He obviously hadn't killed anyone in their group or Eleven wouldn't be treating him like this, but a hazy memory suddenly raises a question. ]

What happened to it?

[ He looks around his immediate vicinity, but nothing stands out. ]

The sword. I was trying to hold onto it this time.

[bearshermark]

[He blinks, then breathes a soft sigh and shrugs because of course]

You didn't come here with it.

[He's never known anyone to be able to lose or damage weapons so quickly as anyone as Five seems to be. A result of the carelessness of his apparent age? Or ill fortune, he wonders]

With luck, we'll find it in the wreckage.