the harp(y) was a big winged lyre | event + test drive meme

[groundrules]

Hello, hello! Fresh out of the box is the action spanning 14-31 July, also serving as our second test drive meme (TDM). The event is broken in three parts: one exclusive to TDM participants, one that's for the existing crew, and a communal section, as... sparks literally fly, when characters cross paths.

OOC planning & questions are HERE. Existing players can use this log to party, or you can alternatively make your own logs & network posts. Our TDMers are stuck in this playground only, but — to replicate the game experience more faithfully, they can ask questions and briefly interact with NPCS HERE.

Tiny reminder: eastbound is an invite-only game for size control, but if you found yourself here, love the setting or the playerbase but don't know anyone — PM @ groundrules, we'll figure something out. You're welcome to make a note in your top-level comment title, if you're a TDMing newb, shiny and chrome!

TDM TOURISTS | OLD TIMERS | COMMON TIMELINE | NOTES

TDM TOURISTS

A great day to be alive, chipping manicures and clawing out of a salt mine just in time for a befuddled undead cavalry to whisk their visitors away, one by one as they're recovered.

TDM characters receive quartz stones that function as translation and (network) communication devices, before they are presented to Haltham.

Cursing his luck, Haltham informs newcomers they are in the frozen citadel of Sa-Hareth, controlled by undead warlord Anurr. Characters were wrenched free from the mines of deposed death king Unhalad and... two weeks behind the eastbound caravan that is the Merchant's troupe — their one ticket home.

IS THERE AN ACCOMPLICE IN THE HOUSE?

As Haltham brokers their getaway, newcomers are foisted on Caspar and the Lucky Hands, a gang of thieves set to hijack a port delivery of silvered powder. The Hands handle the theft on D-day, but pairs of newcomers are each saddled with a stolen pouch to transport furtively across Sa-Hareth.

They must escape frequent sentinel searches and other petty thieves to rendez-vous within a day at the dark, dusty and overpriced Hog & Mead tavern in the Merchants' Arena.

Anyone caught by local enforcement can spend a few hours imprisoned in a converted fishermen's warehouse, guarded by three underpaid officers, before breaking or talking themselves out. Thank your predecessors, who ruined the only decent jailhouse.

ALL ABOARD

The travel hell punishment fits the larceny crime: after rendez-vous, Caspar, Haltham, two undead and the TDM tourists join some noble passengers, who seek refuge in Taravast after vocally supporting Unhalad.

They board a seven-wagon streetcar pulled by twelve mechanical horses, heading out of Sa-Hareth down the haunted Stairs of Sighs passageway.

To keep the peace, newcomers must pretend to also be disgruntled Unhalad supporters — and to know nothing about the many bags of exotic opiates that Caspar has dragged aboard.

As they advance down the Stairs canyon, characters may observe each night brings a full moon and blood rains that disappear without trace, come morning. They can also hear the melancholic, indecipherable song of a woman — and find themselves dreaming nightly of burning alive, or being buried under hot tar. They will wake alert and increasingly distrustful of their companions.

At one point, the express train horsecar will pass by a galloping arctic bear, which will stop to salute. Do not feed it.

Characters receive a red helleborus brand on their left wrist to identify each other. It disappears within a week's time.

Test drive questions HERE.

» THE NEXT STOP

EXISTING PARTY

THE WAR IN WORDS

The recent emergence of the dark tar-like creatures gradually unsettles Lord Arha and his ghostly armies into violent outbursts. Throughout the day, the legions become progressively corporeal, no longer flickering out of existence and retaining their memories. They remain dead.

The following morning, the harpies throw down their usual homages of splintered aged bone, now alongside withered parchment. The strips feature excerpts from the letters of Arha and the Lady Hatisse — which Mazyar and his people can translate.

After reading one such parchment, a soured Arha takes unasked command of Mazyar's caravan, imposing benevolent but firmly enforced curfews. Grim-faced ghost soldiers start to keep watch of characters at all times. Some will accuse caravan travellers of being witches or spies of Taravast's Attaryl school.

Those crafty enough to pick up Arha's discarded letter can see his hands have smeared it bloodied. Translated, the missive encourages Arha to turn back with his armies from Taravast.

DON'T HARP ON ABOUT IT

All hell breaks loose as Allison, Lily, Wei Wuxian and Five follow tar harpies inside their makeshift "nest" — going down a steep pit into one of the canyon mountains, and reaching the cavernous and shifting corridors of a stone temple. The passageways lead to small chambers that host stone tombs, many opened and still holding the remains of bones and drips of tar.

Angered by the intrusion, the laired harpies turn aggressive and exit into the canyon, starting an attack spree. They throw rocks, claw or fly down and pick up stray animals and humans. Arha and his army can help you defend against the creatures.

With their main entryway compromised, some harpies will leave the lair through the fissured canyon wall, creating a crude and claustrophobic opening. The sorcery contained within the temple will seep out, with magically sensitive characters finding they can no longer quite tell the difference between the living and the dead. (All) characters can now sometimes briefly see the flickered figures of people they deeply miss around them.

Existing character questions HERE.

» AND THEN YOU GET VISITORS.

OLD TIMERS & TDM TROOPS

FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BU—

Gone rogue, some harpies will target a rapidly incoming seven-wagon streetcar, destroying or flying away with eight of its 12 mechanical horses, and the sad coachmen. The remaining steeds are completely unmanned.

The existing crew can wave their handkerchiefs as the train horsecar speeds by the caravan, set to crash into a canyon wall — or lend a hand to evacuate our TDMers, more Sa-Hareth refugees, and... our good friend Haltham and two of his creatures. Also, opium.

TDMers can meanwhile (haphazardly) board off or try to take control of the mechanical horses.

Write your starters as you will, or plan out the fate of the train horsecar HERE.

FRIENDS & FAMILY PROGRAMME

Following their unlikely survival, newcomers can join the existing party as part of smuggler merchant Mazyar's prosperous caravan. They will receive food, decent clothes and a donkey, horse or elk mount — a rare upside from the ongoing blood rain weather forecast, and the tar-drenched harpies that throw down aged bone.

They will also notice that Mazyar's caravan has been escorted by a ghost army led by the Lord Arha. He travels to free his lover, the oracle Hatisse from her alleged imprisonment by the witches of Taravast. All characters will experience a blood-curdling dread whenever they think to tell Arha or his men that they are dead — but speaking the words is now possible. Report HERE, if you'd like to break the bad news.

As the caravan stops for a few days, the existing party and newcomers can make merry, recover or raid the open haunted temple — where they may find several untouched stone tombs, including one engraved with a sculpture of Lord Arha. It will prove highly difficult to remove that lid without a group effort... but for that, or any other tomb questions, GO HERE.

NOTES

FRESH MEAT GONNA EAT

TDM events count as game canon, if you app in.

You can do network-style posts & log starters. Invent a username for communicators — but you're stuck with it after!

You can use the two allied NPC undead during the train horsecar disaster portion. Deploy them as you see fit to keep your character alive. The undead come with higher strength, speed, hunting instincts and a... disturbingly cold presence.

Haltham can make last-stand miracles happen for you, but at a heavy price. Inquire here.

OLD TIMERS, THINE WRINKLES SWEET

Existing characters won't be able to tell whether the newcomers or each other are living, dead, memories or ghosts, as a result of the (temporary) temple magic.

...yes, any leftover opiates are up for grabs. Hooligans.

You're welcome to respond to network posts from TDMers — but please keep your network posts in eastbound, think of Ye Olde AC.

Comments

[wenderer]

[ He’s frozen in shock, both at the embrace and at being fussed over. After a while, his hand comes up, to grasp Zhou Zishu’s wrist. His grip is firm, though not excessively strong, as if he’s holding a precious, irreplaceable treasure.

Wen Kexing’s eyes drift back outside the window. Against a darkening sky, the white bear is still running alongside the wagon train.

Like one possessed, Wen Kexing asks: ]

Is this a dream?

[ He glances back at Zhou Zishu with fear in his eyes. Nothing about this place has made any kind of sense. Amid his loneliness, grief, and rage he’s sought solace in alcohol. Has he truly become so drunk that he’s begun to see someone he misses this much? ]

[fated_dance]

[ For once, he doesn't fight the grip. Kexing already knows, so there's no point in shoving him off, right? Zishu does, however, urge the other to sit back. He turns to keep facing him, unable to help his concern for this more drunk than usual state. A dream? That has him offer a small, somewhat amused smile. ]

If it is, do you think it's a good one?

[ He can't resist reaching up to smooth fingers over his soulmate's hair, responding to those emotions in the other's eyes. ]

[wenderer]

[ The last time they’d met, Zhou Zishu had been angry at him, after having been forced to reveal the secret of his nails. Wen Kexing had been angry too; he’d believed for once that fate had smiled upon him, to bless him to meet this man who could understand his heart, with whom he could happily spend the rest of his life.

How could he have been so foolish?

Anger gave way to grief, and he’s spent his time since waking up in this place trying to drown his misery in alcohol. Therefore: being embraced and treated with such loving care now, this certainly is a dream. It’s all his hopes wound up together, how could it possibly be real? “Zhou Zishu” isn’t even denying it.

The fear in Wen Kexing’s eyes goes away, replaced by a mask of playfulness. ]

Mm, very good, so far. But it could be even better!

[ He’s got “Zhou Zishu’s” wrist captured in one hand, so he uses his other arm to loop about the man’s shoulders and attempt to draw him into a kiss. ]

[fated_dance]

[ He had been. He would never deny occasionally getting so angry or hurt by Wen Kexing that he sees no other alternative but to leave. But they always find their way back to each other, don't they?

Even in this strange world they have found each other again.

Zishu doesn't look away, so he sees how those emotions fade, turning to another familiar expression. One that has his eyes narrow a little as he finds himself pulled closer at that comment. This time he resists...more in play than annoyance, giving his soulmate another wide-eyed look, face turned a little away in case Kexing does push through the resistance, his cheek would get the kiss instead. ]

What if it isn't a dream, Lao Wen?

[wenderer]

[ …

He’s gone so far as cutting Zhou Zishu’s sleeve, spoken words to him dripping with innuendo, but Wen Kexing has never taken a liberty like this before. Because he’d been convinced this couldn’t be real, he’d given into his desires, but if it is…

Dramatically: ]

Oh! How drunk I am…

[ He closes his eyes, lets his body go limp, and sways—with the express aim of leaning on Zhou Zishu and resting his head on the man’s shoulder. ]

[fated_dance]

[ Honestly he loves them all - hasn't he answered in kind? Perhaps not as blatant as his soulmate, but still there. Does he let just anyone drape themselves over him like he does Wen Kexing? No. He even wants to live, now, because of his Lao Wen. He regrets putting the Nails into his body.

Feeling the other go limp like that, after so dramatically announcing what anyone could see, Zishu finds himself chuckling as he wraps an arm protectively around Kexing and settles them both down on the bench. He lets that head settle against his shoulder, and even lets his cheek rest against the other's head as he holds him securely. ]

Sleep it off, Lao Wen. I'll wake you when we get there.

[wenderer]

[ He leans bonelessly on Zhou Zishu’s shoulder and luxuriates in the warmth and protectiveness of the man’s embrace. He’d partially sobered up the moment Zhou Zishu said this wasn’t a dream, but he’ll go on pretending to be dead drunk, to make this moment last as long as it can.

If only it could last forever.

He sighs, one hand surreptitiously curling around the folds of Zhou Zishu’s robes, hanging on. Happiness and grief comingle—enhanced by alcohol, that fickle friend—and together fill his heart to bursting.

His heart and his eyes, too. Tears slide down his face without stopping. He’d wipe them away, but he doesn’t want to disturb the moment. Maybe Ah Xu won’t notice. ]

[fated_dance]

[ He runs his free hand over Kexing's hair, tucking it tenderly behind an ear, smoothing it back down. Enjoying getting to hold his soulmate. The hand curling into his robes isn't shaken off.

Sitting here like this...makes him wish for what might be impossible. Probably is, here. Unless Wu Xi is near with his cure, and if it even works. How pathetic he is! Giving up on everything and wishing to die, believing there was nothing left for him in life. Only to find his soulmate. Pushing Wen Kexing away hadn't worked, doesn't work for long. They always end up side by side again.

So lost in thought he ends up being, he almost does miss those tears. Almost. But he doesn't comment. Only uses his sleeve to gently clean them away and nuzzles the top of Kexing's head. ]

cw: fire

[wenderer]

[ Thus embraced, with his tears dried, this drunkard finally does nod off to sleep. A faint, melancholy tune rings in his ears, but he can't be sure that isn't part of his dream.

It wasn't. His actual dream is brutal. Zhou Zishu is inside a house, lying unconscious on a bed, and the house is on fire. Flames lick the walls, approaching the bed in the center of the room. Choking smoke flows out. Wen Kexing can see this through an open door, but dark figures are holding his arms. He can't get in. He can't save Ah-Xu. ]

Ugh!

[ Still sleeping, he stirs as if struggling. Finally, in the dream, he breaks free of his captors and rushes into the room, reaching into the flames to lift Zhou Zishu's lifeless body. Just as he's about to carry the man to safety, a burning roof beam falls, knocking him over. Zhou Zizhu somehow rolls out of his grasp. Wen Kexing is trapped by the beam. He has to watch as his Ah-Xu is consumed by the flames, just out of his grasp. The white hot fire burns him also, causing searing, blinding pain— ]

Ah-Xu! AH-XU!

[ He wakes with a start, sitting bolt upright, covered head to toe in cold sweat. ]

[fated_dance]

[ He holds his soulmate up, keeping him close and guarded. The music sinks into him as well, but he holds it at bay through force of will as best he can - but then Kexing starts to struggle in his arms. He tightens the embrace, trying to shake the other man awake. ]

Lao Wen!

[ No effect. Worry seeps in, making him frown and his brow crease a little as he searches the other's face for hints of how to help.

It ends up not being necessary, as his soulmate wakes calling for him, so he shifts, turning to press a hand to Kexing's forehead, then stroking over a clammy cheek. ]

I'm here. [ His eyes ask the question his mouth doesn't - what happened? What had his Lao Wen been dreaming of to scare him so badly? ]