![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
expiationlogs2023-10-23 02:25 pm
- !event,
- arcane: jinx,
- arcane: violet / vi,
- blazblue: ragna the bloodedge,
- bungo stray dogs: nikolai gogol,
- fh2 termina: levi,
- magia record: mitama yakumo,
- marvel comics (earth 616): quentin quire,
- persona 4: yu narukami,
- persona 5 royal: goro akechi,
- reiwa no dara-san: dara,
- umineko wtc: ange ushiromiya,
- x-men movieverse: scott summers
MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER
Aldrip locals are buzzing with excitement as the end of the month draws near. According to them, two beloved traditions are just around the corner: the gathering and the witch hunt!
Let's get started!
WE GATHER HERE
I. EVERYBODY MAKE A SCENE
Those who come from worlds with trick-or-treating will find that this sounds pretty familiar: dress in costume, get treats. Rather than going door-to-door, however, the locals have set up a whole line of booths in the bustling marketplace. Participating locations will have pumpkin-shaped lanterns over their stalls, and will hand out various items: candies are traditional, of course, but pastries, treats, and even savory foods may be available. Some booths may also offer drinks (alcoholic or not) or small trinkets like pins, stickers, or scarves.
What's the catch? You must be in costume, of course! Some Chosen may welcome this as a fun activity—costumes are available at Rin's Shop from now until the end of the month. A number of traditional costumes will be readily available, of course, but the Tresed locals who have taken over the shop also have some...let's call it "eclectic" original designs. They also take requests. And they seem even more excited than the Aldrip locals, if you can believe it. Some reluctant Chosen may find themselves bullied into participating, if they're not careful.
We leave these costumes entirely up to you: they could be generic costumes like "witch" or "ghost," or something from your character's world. The tailors currently operating Rin's shop are capable of making mostly anything.
At various points during the night, Chosen could discover that they've been either TRICKED or TREATED by participating in this tradition. Comment in the thread below if you'd like to participate, and we'll roll you a random effect.
A WITCH! A WITCH!
The Aldrip Witch Hunt is a symbolic tradition that, according to locals, goes back by countless generations. Local opinions seem to be mixed on whether there is a real witch to speak of: some claim that the Council has chosen someone to act as the witch every year since its inception. Others claim that it's all conceptual. Either way, with a small number of frightening fruits still on the loose, locals are willing to let the Chosen deal with any dangers.
Those intrepid Chosen who wish to seek out the witch are told to head into the forest, where small electric lanterns will show the way. These lanterns seem to be scattered across the forest, in some cases leading Chosen off course or off the beaten path. Some may end up lost in the woods. But some lanterns do seem to light the way to different locations. Visiting these locations may yield some…interesting results. If you’re interested in investigating these areas, leave a comment in the thread below to let us know which location(s) you visit, and we’ll roll something for you.
Following a stream in the woods eventually leads to a cave opening. The floor of the came is wet and a little slippery, so take care where you step. The cave is deep, and as explorers move through it, they're going at a gentle descent, the Chosen will uncover old cave paintings, faded and worn with age. Most of these are little more than marks upon the wall, but occasionally some may find images that look almost like worship, figures captivated by strange boxes, hands in the air as if in veneration.
Occasionally, items from other parts of Expiation can also be found. The odd tablet part, an old-looking shoe, a piece of rusted jewelry or a shell that looks like it belongs more on the beach…these don't seem like they should be here.
The Chosen who explore this cave ought to be wary of the time. As the tide comes in, water begins to slosh around their ankles, filling the bottom of the cave and rising quickly.
Those who took it upon themselves to investigate the strange chimera creatures from earlier in the month might have seen this weird little bunker before, but the turrets that seemed to protect it at the time are now powered down, allowing access inside.
That said, whomever was there seems to be long gone, leaving behind a flurry of documents, diagrams, and other miscellaneous work in their wake. The bunker has two levels, connected by stairs. The first level seems to house medical experiments, ranging from various herbal concoctions (if you get my drift) to precise surgical work. Things have been meticulously cleaned up on that front, so they won't be walking into a bloody mess. Everything has the faint smell of rubbing alcohol and bleach. Notes on this level are mostly medical in nature and quite rudimentary, some aspects bordering on pseudoscience or magic. Near the stairs, the Chosen will find cages, all empty. Strangely, even though the animals were only recently released, things are coated in a deep layer of dust, as if this place hasn't seen activity in a long, long time.
The second level seems to be comprised of mechanical experiments, builds, and engineering work. There's all sorts of different types of technology down here: some looks familiar, in a similar style to the tablets. Some is quite advanced, from the look of it…but it all seems to have been taken apart, cannibalized, and put back together in ways that make no sense. Glass screens drilled onto metal casings, keypads that don't seem to attach to anything, engines tied to attempted vehicles with rope. Most of these elements have been damaged beyond repair with hammers and staple guns.
Something interesting of note is that some areas within this bunker still seem to have power. Among them, a small block of video screens that seems to be used as surveillance. Most of these screens show areas just outside of the bunker or within the entry way. Other screens seem to flicker, occasionally showing static, but sometimes showing something that seems like faces within the static, figures moving in some way.
This abandoned house sits derelict at the edge of town. Has it been there this whole time? It certainly doesn't look new…
A graveyard stands just beyond its gate, in front of the house, warning away trespassers. These graves don't look terribly worn with age, and have no years carved into them, but have names and some even list cause of death. "Threatened the wrong scoundrel," "may Those Who Were There have mercy upon their soul," or "charged with a crime they did not commit" are not uncommon claims. There are dozens of them, daring intrepid Chosen to pass them and enter the house.
Said house is old, creaky, and creepy. Inside, the already-spooky effects of the forest seem to be more pronounced: one may occasionally hear voices or see visions from the corner of their eye, only to look and find nothing there. Peculiar things seem to happen in this house, though. Mirrors still hang in some rooms, and while they often show a true reflection of those who look at them, they occasionally show others as well: shadowy figures, strange people the Chosen have never seen before, even some faces of Aldrip locals, distorted and sometimes missing parts. The shadows within the house seem to shift, as if they can't quite decide what they should be hiding. Portraits also hang in the hallways, faded and dusty. Mostly they show unrecognized people in old-fashioned clothes, but occasionally one might think they see their own face, or the face of someone they knew from home.
The attic is of particular interest, containing among its many cobwebs a single large chest in the middle of the room. Opening this chest reveals an item of great importance to the person who first touches it, something sentimental or meaningful to them. Upon touching this item, it seems to crumble away into nothing.
Some lanterns lead past the forest, out to the meadows and fields where most of the Aldrip locals plant their crops. On a hill beyond those fields stands a circle of ancient-looking stones, their edges dulled with age, covered in moss and lichen. This stone circle stands within a large earthen barrier, little more than a hill beneath the grass. Opening doors within this barrier reveals what looks like ancient offerings: broken pieces of earthenware, bits of metalwork or broken pieces of armor, even the occasional rusted, useless weapon.
The stones themselves encircle a paved circle with markings at regular points. It almost looks like a clock or a sundial. Standing within the paved circle, one may imagine that they hear voices of people they don't recognize, along with a faint ringing in their ears. Within this circle, the sun always seems to be directly overhead, during the day. At night, the stars twinkle, but seem to move in their nightly pattern much faster than they normally would.
Go wild! If there's anything that you'd like to do in the Trick or Treating portion especially, go right on ahead! Other than that, anything else that you may think of may go!
A Note: The festival will be available every night, and the lanterns will be visible until the next State of the Game post.
Ethlyn | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
[It seemed easier to get a costume than not to--especially with the caginess and worse than Aldrip's townsfolk have shown towards the Chosen of late, Ethlyn figured that it was best to show willing for their local festival. When she offhandedly mentioned being from a family of knights, she wound up... well... looking like a knight. It's impressive what paper-mache can do.]
Hm... it's a very practical look. [It makes her look like Arden, one of the Chalphy family knights, with barely any feminine qualities. A hard-wearing set of armor for a hard-wearing warrior.
...And she soon discovers it makes her move like Arden, too. Her brother's nimble cavaliers used to get on his case for going slow, but she swiftly realizes why he did. Because if she isn't careful, her massive shoulders knock into lanterns, baskets....]
Ah! Oh, I do apologize! I'm really not used to this costume.
[...people.]
creepy exploring
[Ethlyn has shucked her paper-mache armor for her normal garb to venture off for the "witch hunt." The name alone gives her unpleasant feelings. It reminds her of the unpleasant times in Jugdral, now and then, when someone would be accused of Loptrian ties. It was something her father never approved of, but that sort of fear is hard to control once it seizes a village.
The locals don't seem to have any genuine fear or hatred. Witches are stories, the angry fruit isn't, and trying to prevent any more nasty gourd bites might help convince the locals that the Chosen aren't a bunch of suspicious criminals. Or, well, that not all of them are.
When the lanterns lead her to a dilapidated-looking house, Ethlyn hesitates. A few months ago she might have gone inside. Cautiously, yes, with a genuine effort at stealth, but alone nonetheless. But now that she knows her children are alive... now that she knows it's possible that she might be able to go home and save them from suffering whatever it is they suffer... it makes her a little more careful of her own well-being.]
...really it looks like the biggest danger might be the roof.
[It's muttered to herself as she stands at the edge of the graveyard, debating on whether or not to go back and find someone to go in with her.]
[ooc: Ethlyn will find SOME PLOT in the house according to RNG!]
Wildcard!
[Want to do something not on here? Throw it at me, or hit me up on plurk @
Clunk
--Ah! N-no, its okay. I should have moved. Sorry.
[Full armor? Well, not real armor, but it seems like an odd choice for a costume. Thinks the boy in army coveralls and a dog costume with a rifle slung across his back. But he's not sure what sort of costumes they should have, so its not like he can talk.]
...is that, cardboard?
[Or something like that?]
no subject
No, no, I'm the one who allowed myself to be put in this. I should be the one taking care with how I move.
[She gives her breastplate a rap or two with her knucles in response to his question.]
Something like it, yes. The tailors called it papeier-mache. Apparently it's made of lots of strips of paper layered and glued to each other, and it can be shaped in almost any... [She smiles at herself.] I got quite a lecture on the subject when I asked.
But I don't think we've met, have we? I'm Ethlyn.
no subject
[That sounds a little familiar but not enough for him to place it. He guesses its used for things like whatever this festival was, so he wouldn't know much about it.]
Uh, no, I'm new here. I'm Levi.
no subject
It's good to met you, Levi. Your costume is good as well... [Her eyes travel to the rifle on his back, and she gestures towards it.] But I think that is real, isn't it?
[It's a little dusky and she's still not very familiar with firearms so she's just double-checking.]
no subject
[More or less. He smiles a little.]
Ah, thank you.
[About the costume, as for the gun...]
Its real. Its mine, but I don't have anywhere to put it. I don't want anyone to take it and hurt somebody.
[And it makes him feel better to have it with him. Especially in a weird place he doesn't get yet.]
no subject
I always have this with me now.
no subject
no subject
But if he's carrying his rifle around for safety's sake, he'll be familiar enough with danger to not get an upbeat version.]
In May, a colossal monster was summoned from the forest. In July, we were recruited on an expedition during which ghouls attacked us. And last month, we went to bed and awoke in a labyrinth of memory and nightmare.
This place may look peaceful on the surface, but we face danger with unfortunate regularity.
no subject
It figured that it wasn't. It never was back where he came from. Why would here be any different?
He nods.]
Where I came from looked deceptively peaceful sometimes. It's not too surprising to hear this place is too.
[He'd sure like to get some of that rest Olivia's sister promised him, but of course he wasn't going to. This place was some sort of penal colony after all.]
Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep my guard up.
[It's just...he'd very tired.]
no subject
That being said, it isn't all bad. [She looks around the festival again.] This is rather fun, don't you think?
no subject
[He gives a sad smile.]
It's nice. I don't really know what its about, but people seem to be having fun.
[And free treats were always a bonus.]