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

[rumorate]

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.

[valeas]

[ 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. ]

[inferus]

[ 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. ]

[rumorate]

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.

[valeas]

[ 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. ]

[inferus]

[ 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. ]

[rumorate]

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.]

[valeas]

[ 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. ]

[inferus]

[ 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. ]

[rumorate]

[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.

[valeas]

[ 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. ]

[inferus]

[ 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. ]

[rumorate]

[She does see that. She notes the glow and the way Emilia keeps it close. It must be important to her. She's not unsympathetic. Her three items from home are currently her most prized possessions and she can't bear to lose any of them at the moment.

But any questions that can be asked about it, can be asked far away from here.]

Okay.

[No judgement, Allison just nods as she gestures for her to follow.]

Let's go.

[valeas]

[ it's not exactly charitable, but she half-expects wrath to snatch the amulet right out of her hands. maybe he'll demand it of her later. she gave up the right to claim the horn of hades the night she removed it from her neck in all her righteous fury. the night she agreed to marry his brother.

she wonders if finding themselves here and not in the underworld is why the amulet continues to respond to her at all. whatever the reason, the relief that floods into her upon feeling the smoothness of bone within her hand is great. the absence of this amulet felt torturous, wrong.

and there's relief too, and not an insignificant amount of gratitude, that allison does not ask questions she wouldn't know how to rightfully answer.

it may be why she listens, for once, allowing herself to follow the urgency of allison's words and wrath's touch.

following them to the caravan where they'll join with the others at last. ]