westwhere | the harp(y) was a big winged lyre

Entry tags:

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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ wrath rolls to his feet a moment after they fell out as well, noting the practiced ease with which the woman pushes herself on to her feet as if ready for battle. he is doing the same, preparing for further battle. no more harpies come yet. he moves toward Emilia out of instinct though she likely loathes that, but the sharp hunger for battle in his eyes shows he is ready to spring forward in a moment should anything return to them.

it is clear from the smoothness of his movements that he is okay as well though he does not answer in words.

The question is a good one. ] They are angry. [ he would know after all. ( angry by their mere presence? if so this was a poor choice of place to put a means of transportation) so he waits for the answer. ]

Yeah, we kinda made them mad.

[We, Allison? Is it we? Is it not you, that made them mad?

Let's not go there.]

We were trying to get some information out of one of the temples here, hidden in the mountains, and they were our way in. They didn't like that very much, and have been taking it out on the caravan ever since.

[But moving on:]

We should get closer to the group. Safety in numbers.

[And then, after another beat:]

I'm Allison. Sorry, I should have said that sooner.

Emilia.

( she thinks if nothing else, wrath may appreciate that someone remembers their manners, even as she wonders what name he will give.

emilia, on the other hand, was about to bypass courtesies altogether in the pursuit of answers. what sort of information were these travelers gathering? what sort of temples would house creatures such as these? she can't help but empathize with their anger, her own still burning so bright. )

Were the temples anywhere close to ... ( her voice trails off as she points to the canyon. hopefully the wagons have been emptied by now, because the ~~train~~ streetcar is most definitely about to careen straight into that canyon wall. )

[ if wrath does appreciate it, he does not participate in these good manners for now. he neatly sidesteps answering if only because he has no interest in pretending, and no patience to explain why he would ask to be called wrath.

the questions about this world are far too important for the time being. he doesn't know what forces they are up against, but they are strong enough to diminish the power of a prince of hell.

his golden black gaze watches where emilia point as the streetcar is slammed into the canyon wall, crushing it. it would have been them if they had stayed inside any longer. ]

You said there was a group? A group from this world or from another? [ like they are? ]

[Allison's brother name is Five. She probably wouldn't think it's that weird. Then again, Allison spent most of her life being referred to by a number by her father figure so her mileage on these things is not the norm.

Still, she points back to where the caravan is.]

A mix of both? I'm still kinda new here, but some locals were nice enough to take those of us from another world to a city called Taravast.

[ emilia's gaze drifts toward the caravan.

she is skeptical on a good day. recent events have left her far more mistrusting than that, and she never forgets her lessons. the niceness of these locals is in question, along with everything else, but emilia must swallow this bitter truth: they have little else in the way of options. ]

We were told of this Taravast, and your caravan, too. Haltham said you were headed east — that it was a way home.

[ emilia doesn't trust this, either. but the alternative was to stay in the frozen citadel of sa-hareth. ]

[ something inside wrath bristles. if this were all true, they would not be returning her home but to the underworld, directly to pride as she wished when she sold her soul to him. he does not say anything, and his expression does not change.

instead he lifts his gaze to allison once more, lingering, studying her expression as he asks the next question: ]

Do you believe it?

[ she may be new, but she knows more than they do. maybe she has reason to believe or not believe that they are truly being led on a path 'home'. wrath does not like being so unsettled, so without knowledge. his shoulders remain tense. ]

That's the first I've heard of it.

[She thinks if Taravast held a way home Five would have mentioned it. Then again, they still have three more siblings to collect before they get there.]

I don't know who Haltham is though. I wasn't involved in the last city we were in.

[ suspicion grows, along with biting frustration. she doesn't unleash it on allison, as she doesn't deserve the sort of ire emilia is capable of. certainly not after allison stopped to help them. but the feeling expands in her ribcage as she takes a steadying breath. ]

He was the one to broker our getaway. You might get a chance to meet him if he survived the attack.

[ if he indeed survived, one can bet that emilia will be asking more questions than she already did. ]

If Tarvast is not the path to return to our worlds, why has your group been heading there?

[ or why does allison believe they are heading to the city? it does seem strange she never would have been told so before. were they lied to? it has always been clear to trust no one, to question all, to never reveal too much.

this is further proof. they cannot know what to believe yet. ]

They weren't ... welcome there anymore?

[That's why the Hargreeves are asked to leave most places, honestly. See also, the harpy situation. They're strong personalities.]

There was a standoff with a pair of undead kings, and they pissed one of them off enough they had to leave town. Or at least, that was the rundown I got. As for why Taravast ... I'm not sure. It was the decision the group made before I got here.

Edited 2021-08-04 03:56 (UTC)

Unhalad and Anurr.

[ the first thing emilia wishes to procure once she's able? a notebook. vittoria was the diary keeper between the two of them, but emilia likes doing her research, and having a space where she can jot everything down can't hurt. for now, she's mentally filed away all she's learned since arriving.

unhalad is not the king emilia thought she would be contending with, and neither is anurr. but such is life. ]

Edited 2021-08-04 04:44 (UTC)

[ he remembers hearing the names as well. they are undead. like what they encountered in the mines is all he can assume, but there are kings of them? it must be more than what they encountered in the mines in that case. he glances at emilia and then his gaze rests upon allison again. he walks with ease, with purpose despite never having been here before. ]

Your group appears to have a habit of inciting anger.

[ wrath will not likely help with that- how ever unintentionally. ]

We've got some strong personalities.

[To say the least.]

They also robbed a bank to fund this trip, so I'm not sure that did us any favors either.

[ if a strong personality is the requirement, both wrath and emilia should fit right in.

she hardly has room to talk, in any case. stealing is a small crime in comparison to what she has been up to. she's already decided she'll do that and more to achieve her ends, no matter how uncomfortable it may make her in the process. her most immediate end, for the time being, is to head east. ]

No, I can see how that would not. But I'd already wondered how this journey would be funded.

[ especially now, that there's more of them. ]

Edited 2021-08-08 05:07 (UTC)

[ wrath walks alongside them, lifting an eyebrow at the news they robbed a bank in order to fund the trip. apparently, they are all invested enough in making it to this city.

do they all believe it is a way to return to where they came from? they have to at least believe it is a step in that direction to be willing to commit such a large crime. granted, people do not always need much of a push to sin. he isn't one for stealing himself, but it seems they are left with little choice. ]

You said there were those from this world among the group? Those who were... nice enough to take us to Taravast?

Have you met them? [ wrath believes everyone has a motive, everyone has a goal, and rarely is it simple nicety especially on a scale this large. ]

Some of them. The guy leading the charge is a real character.

[Unclear from her statement if they're a good or bad character.]

He's been giving us tips for how we can make some extra cash on the way.

[ the merchant, emilia surmises.

it's subtle, at least at first, the way she begins to slow down. she feels a slight tug in her center, an emotion that is as familiar to her now as it is foreboding. ] What sort of tips has he been giving you? [ does it include more thievery? they already became drug dealers of sorts, so. ]

[ wrath grows quiet as he walks alongside her if only so he can hear the answer to this. of course, he might be giving tips like that about making more money, especially money that he could get his hands on.

there may be something more in it for him. control alone can be a powerful factor for some. ]

Finding goods that will be good to trade or sell for in Taravast. He's the kind of guy who's always thinking of his next deal. The harpies were part of that too.

[Thought she doesn't know if anyone actually manages to catch one.]

[ she's nodding along when — the sharpness in her chest grows and emilia draws in an unsteady breath. ]

Wait.

[ ... she gives no further instruction as she turns on her heel to head back from whence they came, following an unnatural tug. it's fine. ]

[ wrath stops and turns, staring at her in confusion. ]

...Emilia?

[ of course, he does not wait a moment longer, but stalks after her in whatever direction she's headed. there is something about her stance that tells him she feels something, senses something out there- something magical. ]

[Allison watches them both turn to go, and she's highly confused. But she'll follow after them because that definitely seems like the smart, safe plan.]

Guys? We kind of need to go away from the harpies.

[ the wise move, the one emilia herself would champion, is to undoubtedly put space between themselves and the harpies.

but she's ignored her instincts before to her great regret, and she knows this magic, this magic that wishes to lead her right to — emilia gives a quiet gasp. there, there beneath some flimsy pieces of rubble and dirt, is a horned amulet pulsating with a strong light. like it still recognizes her, despite the fact she —

she's quick to snatch it from the ground, curl her fingers around it. as though she may be able to conceal its glow. ]

I'm sorry. [ and she means that, not wishing to put them in any more danger. her heart beats so fast. ] We — [ they can go now. ]

[ wrath recognizes it immediately as she snatches it up from the ground. his senses are tuned into the fast movement, and he easily sees what's lying there. on the ground. he is relieved she returned despite the risk of the harpies. that is not something they would want in anyone else's hands. something clenching up in his chest at the complication of it all.

but he also knows there is no way allison did not see it too.

his gaze lifts over her shoulder toward the potential danger behind. his hand rests on emilia's arm brief before he is urging her to start moving in the opposite direction again. ]

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rumorate - 2021-08-22 03:36 (UTC) - Expand

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