072-078 » pages of possible futures

[villagemod]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Mathias Township proper
WHEN: Days 072-078
WHAT: The future is set in motion once more.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here! Next log will be the weekend of July 31.
MOD NOTE: The week did not go as planned. Apologies for the delay on this log and thank you for your patience!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Marco Beltrami "Bad Omens"

DAY 072
“The visions are fragmented and a dark cloud spreads
like spilt ink across the pages of possible futures.”
— Garth Nix
Blue skies greet residents on this bright new morning filled with summer sunshine. It's a day when birds would normally be singing, when there would be boats taken out on the water, children laughing and running through the streets. But in Mathias there is only silence, eerie and almost deafening in its absoluteness, and those blue skies do not stretch on forever. Far off on the horizon are dark clouds stretching ominously in all directions, never moving closer or farther away. They are always there, dark and angry, as if waiting... For what, who can say, but they will remain there for the days going forward, circling the town like a shark circles a meal.

Despite that dreadful darkness in the distance, there is some good news. Residents will also wake to find that their previously missing belongings have returned to them. Clothing and other personal effects are right where they should have been, as if they have always been there, and there is no sign of them having been returned by someone or something. They're just there.

That is, however, the extent of the good news. Residents who visit the Town Hall will find the bulletin board much changed, and those who have thrown caution to the wind and made use the sedatives found within Baneberry Hall will begin to find themselves changing as well. They are easily distracted while awake and plagued by nightmares while asleep. They dream of Mathias burning, fire spreading from the east until it consumes everything in its path. With increasing intensity as the week continues, they will wake with terror gripping their chests and sweat covering their too-hot skin.



THE NEW ARRIVALS
The newest arrivals to Mathias will wake up on the lawn of Town Hall, at the center of the little town square. There are shops all around them, with houses just beyond, and at first glance, everything seems almost picturesque. Except for the silence that is at times so complete as to be maddening... Welcome to Mathias.

---

DAY 073-075
With those dark clouds still hanging on the horizon, some residents may find themselves watching the ocean a little more closely, searching for signs of whatever it is they are beginning to sense is approaching. If they do, they will find those signs, for every so often a dark shape will appear from out of the water before disappearing a few moments later. Residents are welcome to try getting a better look at those shapes, though moving to higher vantage points will be ineffective and swimming may not be the best investigation method.

Nightfall strengthens the sense of that elusive something. Though nothing can be seen in the darkness, there is something out there. They can feel it when they are outside themselves, a heavy presence that their animal instincts warn them against, urging them to flee to safety indoors. But once inside, they can hear whatever is out there in the night, the sounds horrifying and yet utterly indescribable and beyond the limits of their perception.

There is no way to glimpse what might be making those sounds, nor is there any way to properly record them, though attempts may be made to do so.

---

DAY 076-077
The strange occurrences of recent days continue as something attempts to lead residents out into the southern forest should they venture within view of the treeline. Unrecognizable voices may call out incoherently or the sounds of someone moving through the trees may pull at their attention. Or, perhaps, a dark figure entering the forest will catch their eye, pulling them to follow the possibly feminine figure with no discernible characteristics.

Whatever it is, it will lead them along the paths or even away from their relative safety, winding this way and that until they're completely lost within the expanse of sun-dappled trees that seem innocent and threatening at the same time. There is nothing left to do but continue following that figure that is always just ahead at the edge of sight.

Eventually, the trees stop and there is a stretch of clearing, the sky a crisp blue overhead, sun shining down and yet—

That dark figure is still shrouded in shadow, as are the other four that have joined it. All slight with long hair, something feminine in the way they stand with hands held out at their sides, facing outward in a line along the edge of the ravine that borders the township, though for some reason their features cannot be focused on enough for true comprehension. They stand there in silence as if waiting, so close to the edge that a strong wind could easily knock them over into oblivion. A concerned resident might try to stop them; a curious one might try to finally get a better look at the figures that led them to this place. Regardless of the reason, any movement into the clearing toward them will end in the same result.

All five figures step forward as one and disappear into the nothingness below.

The ravine so deep that the bottom cannot be seen and wide enough that the other side is tantalizingly out of reach. At first, there is the sense that safety is just beyond if only they could get there, but with that sensation is also the knowledge that if they stay here, death will be a certainty. The edge seems unsteady, like getting too close would set it crumbling and send them tumbling into that as well...

That is when those who do venture to the edge see the truth of the ravine and what lies beyond it: nothing. There is a neverending dark nothingness below and beyond this ravine, beyond this town, and there is something staring back from within the dark.

---

DAY 078
As morning arrives in Mathias, so too does the storm. Those clouds that hovered in the distance move in quickly, plunging the town into a twilight-like darkness. The rumbling that breaks the silence is like that of a thunderstorm but infinitely more ominous, signaling something approaching that is not meant for the world of man. Within just a few minutes, the residents will learn why as lightning arcs across the sky, the cracks of powerful energy echoing through the air. Those branching spikes at first remain in the sky, but then suddenly they crash down to meet the earth, striking the Lighthouse. The sound of splintering wood and pierced metal fills the air, followed moments later by the roaring crackle of a fire raging into existence. Those cracks and crashes continue as the lightning moves inward, hitting the forest, the beach, and the Grey Gull before moving down Phillips Drive to attack the homes left rotting by time.

While the lightning eventually retreats to the sky, the fire spreads with purpose. It leaps from building to building, consuming everything in its path. It is a living, breathing thing driven by a need to devour. There is no stopping or controlling the almost sentient entity, for it does not behave as fire normally would — it skips buildings before doubling back, burns when there's nothing to fuel it, and seems to almost actively pursue residents fleeing to safety. Ultimately, the fire consumes everything east of the Library, from Jackson Boulevard to the beach and the northeastern forest to the Lighthouse; for an unknown reason, it does not venture farther inland than this.

Ash falls from the sky like snow throughout the town as the eastern half of Mathias glows a terrifying raging red. Residents may seek sanctuary in businesses along the square or in areas in the western half of the town, though the latter will not be without its own risks and consequences.

---

SANITY LOSS

There are multiple opportunities for sanity loss within this log. All instances of such should be reported before the next log.

— BANEBERRY SEDATIVES These will effect all who have taken them, regardless of type, quantity, or frequency, until the storm on day 78. Each night of nightmares will result in 1 point of sanity loss for a potential total loss of 6 points.

— FIGURES IN THE FOREST All who witness the figures jump into ravine will suffer 3 points of sanity loss.

— SEEING BEYOND THE RAVINE Any who see the truth of what is beyond the ravine will suffer 7 points of sanity loss that cannot be recovered. Additionally, any Madness that results from this sanity loss begins immediately.

— DEATH BY FIRE All who are killed by the fire lose 3 sanity points and gain the Madness pyrophobia for seven days, which should be reported. The pyrophobia will be experienced at an intensive level for the duration of the Madness.

---

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE WEATHER Summer has arrived in Mathias, bringing with it warm days that average 70°F and comfortably cool nights.

— THE FOG has maintained its recent boundaries.

— Residents may now wander the southern stretch of the forest surrounding Mathias Township — it is possible to leave the paths but potentially unwise to do so.
— The fog has also retreated from the western section of town entirely.
— Access to the northern section of the forest is still blocked beginning a few dozen yards past the treeline; this section of fog will urge residents to stay huddled within the town proper by inducing a physical reaction of panic and fear.

— DISAPPEARANCES AND DEATHS have ceased for the moment but they're sure to begin again soon.

---

OOC NOTES

— ENDGAME We are officially heading into endgame. Over the next few months, things will begin ramping up and moving toward the always planned conclusion, with the last log projected to go up between the end of October and middle of December.

What does this mean? Essentially, hopefully, this will mean more opportunities to dig into the mysteries and lore of the game, as well as more chances for your characters to creep toward insanity. However, how things progress and what information comes to light will depend upon character interaction with the setting and involvement with the mysteries of Mathias.

— ITEMS FROM HOME All items from home have returned to the exact state and location in which they were last seen. This includes all clothing and possessions they had on their person when they arrived in Mathias (or, for arrivals in the previous log, what they should have had). Items from home that were left behind by other characters no longer in the game have also returned.

— THE FIRE A rough representation of where the fire spreads is available over here.

— REMINDER There are a lot of moving parts to this log, as there will be for all logs going forward. Read the narrative and all OOC notes thoroughly and carefully. Ask questions if something is not clear, but please also look through questions others have asked for further clarification.

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Comments

[etovosts]

[ He nods a bit. That doesn't exactly make sense, because how can you not not be Grisha? But he'll take it for what it's worth, because he knows she's not trying to deceive him. Her hearbeat comes in flickers to him, but it's steady - excitable, but not in the way someone who's lying is. ]

My name is Fedyor. I would be very glad to see General Kirigan if he is here.

[citharede]

He is! He's part of the Phillips Commune. It used to be just Battalion 1306 but now it's kind of the whole street which is great--anyway. [ She gestures for him to follow and trots for the front door, opening it for him and returning to her prior questions.] Okay but what kind of Grisha are you though? Kirigan kind of explained them to me but I can't remember all the categories.

[etovosts]

[ None of what she's saying makes any sense to him. Phillips Commune? Battalion 1306? Is it military in nature, or something of a community? Mostly, Fedyor is uncertain about her familiarity with Kirigan. What sort of place is this that can make even the Darkling become so accepting of others? ]

I am a heartrender. Corporalnik. [ In case she isn't familiar with the categories under each order, though it wouldn't be strange if Kirigan had proudly explained the Grisha ways. ] It's why I wear red. [ To answer one of her very first questions. ]

[citharede]

Heartrender wearing red. Kind of on the nose, but I'm into it.

[She leads the way outside, beelining toward Phillips.]

I'm Gifted. Which isn't the same as being Grisha. It's different where I'm from--um. [God she really is terrible at this.] I can kind of do more stuff than Grisha? But I don't think we're as strong as you guys, because we're not, y'know, focused on anything.

[etovosts]

Corporalki have control of the body, our order also includes healers and tailors. The red can symbolize many things that we do.

[ Gifted. It sounds like a way of sugarcoating something, even if it's the only apt word. Fedyor hums a moment. ]

I imagine it would be hard for someone with many abilities to be as strong as one with a singular focus.

[citharede]

[She's openly fascinated with his explanation. She remembers Kirigan mentioning healers, but not tailors. A question to file away for later.]

Yeah, but also no? I mean I know that's what I just said but. It kind of depends too on how strong you are with whatever lets you tap into the Gift. My ritual--that's what lets you use the Gift--my ritual is music, so no matter how much talent I have with the Gift, I'm only ever going to be able to use it as well as I can use music, right? Anyway, the Gift is really... adaptable. Basically if you can think it you can do it? Kind of? Except like, turn people into things, shit like that. You can't change what a thing is, but you can act on that thing, if that makes sense. Like if I wanted to get back at some random b... girl at school, I couldn't turn her into a frog or something, but I could give her the worst case of acne she's ever had in her life.

[That ramble brings them half-way to Kirigan's house.]

[etovosts]

[ It doesn't sound unlike the small science. The principle seems the same, to use what's already available to you and alter it to your whim. He wonders if she'd see his own abilities as limited when put in terms like that. Fedyor's never thought that. A heartrender has a specific set of skills, but it involves the entire body, and there are many ways to be creative when it comes to manipulating such things. ]

Do people like you do that often where you're from? Use your Gift to settle personal disputes? [ He's genuinely curious. Grisha are strongly discouraged from such things. It doesn't stop some of them. Etherealki in particular always seem ready to retaliate, but most of them follow the strict idea that the small science is only to be used when necessary. ]

[citharede]

Uhhh no. I mean, we're not supposed to, but it's kind of what happens sometimes when you get a bunch of shithead teenagers unsupervised with the Gift sometimes.

[She makes a face.] I can't at all or I'm going to prison, but that's a long story.

[ANYWAY. She points at Kirigan's door.] That one's his!

[etovosts]

I see.

[ There's no time to ask for elaboration.

Fedyor eyes the house. It's so ... Quaint. Unassuming, really, and it's hard to imagine someone with the pedigree of Kirigan living inside. There aren't really any palaces in sight, though.

It's only the fact that she's still not lying that spurs Fedyor to walk up and give the door a purposeful knock. ]

[citharede]

[Fedyor gives the door a purposeful knock. Athena adds a ring of the bell and a yell that can probably be heard the length and breadth of Phillips.]

KIRIGAN I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU.

[skladka]

[ Hearing Athena before seeing Athena means that he can at least steel himself. It's a simple act of squaring his soldiers and closing his eyes, briefly enjoying one last moment of solitude before heading down from where he'd been upstairs. He's only slightly familiar with Athena despite how much the other knows about him. So much so that he's unsure if the other's version of a present is actually a present or whether or not he should steel himself.

His face is perfectly neutral as he opens the door, kefta on (and mostly repaired, if still shabby), stance aloof. This is--

His brow furrows. ]

Fedyor?

[etovosts]

[ As soon as the door is opened, Fedyor’s posture straightens a little more. He clasps his hands behind his back, but the slight smile pulling at the corners of his mouth softens the military-like reaction. Fedyor is just relieved to see that whatever’s happened, he’s with a familiar face that he can rely on. ]

General Kirigan. Forgive the … Interruption - [ aka he’s sorry that Athena announced him in such a way ] - but I’ve just arrived and Athena was kind enough to bring me to you.

[citharede]

[The way Fedyor straightens up, falls into a clearly practiced pose, is the first time that Athena thinks twice about how casually she treats Kirigan. Yeah, she knows he's powerful, she knows he's hundreds of years old--does Fedyor?--she knows he's in charge where he comes from.

But it's the first time she's seen someone react to Kirigan in the context of him being in charge. It makes her feel a little awkward, a little shy, particularly when Fedyor phrases their arrival as an interruption. She doesn't have to think hard to get at the meaning between the lines there.

So, uncharacteristically, she goes quiet, biting the inside of her lip nervously and waiting to see what happens next.]

[skladka]

[ It's quite a lot to take in, but the Darkling clocks things immediately: Fedyor's soft twitch of his lips into a smile as he stands at attention means it's likely the other has most likely not heard of what happened in the skiff. Athena seems to sink, too, in a way he's seen others do but never on her. He doesn't think he's noticed her bite her lip like that before.

Interesting.

His dark gaze moves between the two, and while his voice is lacking warmth, there's a distinct hint of friendliness. ]

Please--come in. Athena, you as well.

[ He holds the door open, waiting for them to file in. ]

It's been some time since this village has graced us with something fortuitous.

[etovosts]

I am hardly fortuitous, sir.

[ Fedyor says it as he steps inside (he waits for Athena to go in first, because that's polite), but he says it in the humble-yet-pleased tone of someone getting a compliment from their superior. He even accompanies it with a demure nod of acknowledgement.

Then he glances around the home. Like the outside, it leaves one wanting, and it's hard to imagine Kirigan as living in such a place when Fedyor knows the luxury they're accustomed to. When at last his gaze falls back upon the Darkling, Fedyor's brows furrow slightly. ]

There are no more of us here?

[citharede]

[Athena’s curiosity drives her inside, misgivings aside. It’s hard to resist answering Fedyor before Kirigan can. She manages though.

Yeah, this is probably the quietest she’s ever been around Kirigan oop.]