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

[beitangmoran]

[Hearing the 'ghost' speak is even more of a shock than seeing him was, rooting Moran to the spot once more.

This is partly why he thinks ghosts are a thing of fantasy. His older brother left many regrets and unresolved things behind, but there has never been a trace of him after his death - nor of anyone else that Moran is aware of, really.

He might have stumbled a bit into Xunxian's embrace.]

[topoiran]

[ Xunxian's arms come up around Moran properly without hesitation even as his heart clenches. He smiles apologetically at the other familiar face. ]

Your Majesty, please excuse us for a moment? There is much and more to explore here, even if the proper comforts are few.

[ He will ... try to lead Moran away because if nothing else, a bit of time to compose himself should help. ]

[beitangmoran]

[Yes, please, he needs a moment. Coming face to face with his brother looking just like he remembers him was not on the list of things he was planning to do today, and having the apparition interact even less. So he won't resist the pull, even if he still looks dazed and the apparition cheerfully waves at them before turning to survey what they can see around them.

There is little that can unmake Moran in a few seconds, but this, this very much can.]

... I want to confirm that I am not 'seeing things', except that I know for certain that I am seeing things. And other people can see it too.

[topoiran]

[ Xunxian closes his yes for a moment, but his back is very straight and his arm very protective around Moran. ]

Perhaps they are not truly ghosts, but maybe constructs. The magic gives them shape and personality such as those who are missed or wanted, but something exists for that magic to shape.

[ ... don't at him, it makes sense to him. ]

[beitangmoran]

It feels very... intrusive.

[Moran can be charming and he certainly knows how to behave in society, but he's very private, and his brother is one thing he keeps close and almost never mentions. To see him there, and to think he might have been pulled from his own memories...]

I used to always think about what I would tell him if I could see him one more time, but now...

[topoiran]

Moran, I understand. It is not as though you are saying them to him, but to who has made his likeness. No?

[ So, so quiet. ]

[beitangmoran]

[Of course Xunxian understands.]

This is not really him. Whatever caused this, it is not really him. He's dead, and he won't come back.

[Because back then, the one who could have saved him was the one who had to make the drastic decision to kill him to save all of Huangdao.]

[topoiran]

[ ... for a moment, Xunxian's lips tremble as the thought occurs: ah, but then, my love, is this really me? is this really you?

But this exact moment is not the time for these questions. ]

Of course it is not him. But whatever caused this, it might give us a little more information and let us be better armed for what we are heading into, maybe, if the likeness of his presence would bring you comfort, knowing it is only for a little while.

If it is the opposite, then we can make our conjectures separately.

[beitangmoran]

[You know it's not the same, Xunxian.]

... Right now, I don't know. I wish I hadn't seen him at all.

But I think if we leave him be, he'll probably find his way back to us anyway. It would make sense. No one else here knows him.

[topoiran]

[ Right now, he's not sure he knows that. What if it is the same, and they are just more durable because, well, not dead originally.

Xunxian wonders. ]

Of course. But we can delay a little more.

I'm here.

[beitangmoran]

[Yes, well, just let him turn around and walk right into you and drop his forehead on your shoulder and just breathe for a moment.

This is so tiring. Much more than the constant travelling on horseback with monster attacks.]

[topoiran]

Moran...

[ Without letting go, Xunxian shifts one hand to slowly stroke over the other man's hair. The words get stuck in his throat for a moment. ]

I don't want to see you hurting anymore. If he is too much, let me be the one who talks to him, and if you think of questions, you can tell me using the crystal.

[beitangmoran]

Please.

[He'd much rather not be in the presence of a specter of his brother.]

... I don't think there's any questions I need to ask him. And I don't think he'd know about this place. If he does, then that only proves this is a fakes thing somehow pulling things from my memories.

[And he's not sure how to feel about that.]