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

[nottevintersoldier]

Dorian can't help the gentle bubble of a chuckle that rises up through his chest at the comment.

"Depends on the day we've had. Usually, they appear to me as handsome men in my dreams." Following the Inquisitor after any demons or spirits tended to be a typical Tuesday. They didn't often fight ones that looked human, those tended to be much more powerful, but it did happen from time to time. Enough so that it could almost seem he was disturbingly calm about all of it.

"Ah, that's the trick of it though. They want to prey on your kindness and your weakness, lure you in for whatever nasty thing they have planned for us." He looks over the women, if that's what they were, and considers.

"So far I've yet to have any of them try to possess me, usually they're trying to seduce me into giving in by now. So I'm not sure what they are or what they want." He waves a hand as if to bat away the tangent and get back on track.

"They could be corpses or possessed people from somewhere. Typically they appear normal until you get them angry, then they twist themselves into monstrosities and try to kill you." He quirks a brow at the other.

"I suppose, we could try to walk away but I'm not too fond of the idea of turning my back on them now. We could approach, try to talk to them? If they are still alive in there we may be able to bring them back, but I warn you that it is highly unlikely."

[thering]

"Oh. Well do excuse my presumptions," Doc replies good-naturedly with a small smile. He's going to be one of the last people in Mathias to judge, regardless of whether handsome men or beautiful women are scheduling nightly visitations.

Although he's not so sure if they're still talking about mysterious demons.

"Right. Well. You best hang back then." Doc has but a filed down butter knife, which isn't actually meant to be used on other people, and while he knows what he's doing with it wherever he might want to apply his skills, it would still likely be safer if he approached and Dorian covered than the other way around.

He's a little hesitant to approach now with all the warnings Dorian has given him, but he steels his nerves and takes a couple of small steps forward.

"Excuse me, ladies--" he doesn't get to finish whatever speech he was making up on the spot before crossing some invisible boundary that sets them off, gets them moving, merging? And then simply falling into the beyond.

"No- Jesus Ch- wait-" Doc starts to chase even though he's too far to catch up, mildly horrified and panicked and before he knows it, he's on the edge himself, instantly regretting his attempt to try to find any trace of them in the darkness.

Probably not a good time to mention that he gets queasy about heights.

[nottevintersoldier]

"You don't have to tell me twice, everyone needs a proper meat shield." He just hopes it won't come to him having to throw spells around this close to the ravine. He doesn't want to potentially knock Doc into it, after all, considering his thus far unsatisfactory track record of his abilities going wide or not hitting their intended target. Or himself.

He watches intently through and moves his fingers, preparing to cast if anything goes awry. That drops immediately when the women jump and Doc goes running. With wide eyes, the Mage runs forward and out of instinct reaches out for Doc to grip the back of his pants and belt, keeping him from going over the edge with them.

Though once he's sure the other is stable, he'll let go, and inch up next to him. Despite his better judgment, he'll look down into the inky, endless black. He swears there's something down there, swimming, ominous, staring back at them with unseen eyes. A shudder runs up his spine and he'll turn, laying a hand on Doc's chest to gently press him back away from the edge, but in a way that also keeps him from pitching forward. He feels nauseous as is being this high up, but that endless black is sickening in and of itself.

"Come away from the edge. It's not safe here and I don't want you falling in as well." It starts a little with a concerned if admonishing edge, but it softens.

"There's nothing we can do." He's pointedly either looking directly at Doc or back the way they came, He can't bear to look down again. Some of the color may have drained from him as well. This is more than just his fear of heights kicking in.

[thering]

When Doc has time to think it over a little later he might be a little miffed at being called a meat shield. Just because he doesn't have his guns on him doesn't mean that he's not good for anything else.

Although it seems he has a knack for getting them into trouble right now. He stops just short of following them down the ravine, aided by Dorian even if he could have well taken the mage down into the abyss with him. On top of not being fond of heights he's not very fond of small, dark spaces either, though this feels hardly small.

There is nothing to be made out in the darkness but that sense of Mathias herself leering back at them with her keen, spiteful eyes. She has been a cruel mistress thus far and he expected nothing less of her, in all honesty.

His shoulders sink with the weight of more than just this town as he swallows and steps away from the edge, backpedaling until they're well away from any chance of a stray gust of wind causing any unfortunate accidents.

"Let's leave," he hears himself say. He would have apologised if he'd been in the right frame of mind but he's unlikely to say much else for the rest of the day.

[nottevintersoldier]

Luckily for Doc he's used to people getting him into trouble and he's usually the one there to try and get them out of it. He studies the other, follows him when he back-peddles in his abject disgust, or fear, or a healthy mix of both. No judgement here and only a silent nod of agreement when the other says to leave.

The silence as they try to find their way back out of the forest is unnerving so he'll be the one to break it.

"I hope you're satisfied." He scolds softly, but it really hides his concern over the events and what they both just witnessed. It masks his concern for the other man he barely knows, though his searching eyes are far softer than his words.

"I don't really know what their angle was, but whatever it was we witnessed more than those spirits leaping to their deaths... A glimpse of the Abyss perhaps? Something... unfathomable." Something Evil.

[thering]

Doc's shoulders rise as he takes in a deep, slow breath to start protesting, or defending, but he's all out of steam at the moment and he just deflates with a grunt. They are no closer now to any answers than they had been before. No idea who or what those women are. If they were even alive to begin with. At least, he doesn't think they're any of the young ladies who had gone missing, but he can't be sure.

"If they're spirits they're already dead." 'Unfathomable' is putting ice cream in grits. What they had just witnessed was... Abhorrent on some other level.

"What is this 'abyss' you speak of?" Something more than the darkness of the ravine? Maybe Dorian has some insight into whatever abomination lurks in there.

[nottevintersoldier]

He waits patiently, letting the other take his time to catch his breath and recover a bit. Maybe in a way, he needed a moment too, but more than anything he wants to leave this place. So as Doc collects himself he'll wait for a breath then start walking hoping he'll follow. He also hopes they can even make it out.

"It's a Void, a vast nothingness. In some beliefs, it's one of the places you go when you die, depending on your faith. Others believe it's where the Forgotten Ones reside. Beings of terror, disease, and malevolence. It's a place of madness and suffering."

[thering]

"Well. It sounds marginally more appealing than eternal damnation, fire and brimstone," Doc remarks as they trudge through the forest. He's not normally been this deep in, but he has gone on walks, looked for willow trees and missing people and good hiding spots to be alone.

"You think that was a 'forgotten one'?" Doc asks. He's entertaining most theories at this point. It's not a great topic to be walking and talking about but he sure as hell ain't gonna bring up those ladies again.

"Have you ever faced one?" They could use some tips for defeating some sentient evil beings they know very little about.

[nottevintersoldier]

"It's possible." He shudders to think it may have indeed been something old, ancient, and destructively powerful, something akin to a God or an archdemon, or something else entirely.

"I don't know much about this world to know for certain, but for a lack of better descriptor, it may very well have been. Something ancient and powerful in any case." That much was eerily clear.

"No, I have never had the pleasure of facing down a forgotten one, though I've met something calling himself a God. And I've fended off my share of demons."

[thering]

If there's a God out there, He don't like Doc very much, so it comes as no surprise really that they might be facing off something older than dirt, hideous and spiteful and indiscriminate in its penchant for doling out steaming piles of shit to all of Mathias's current inhabitants.

He's met a few people who think themselves as Gods. They're usually just full of hot air, and not so threatening. But he trusts that Dorian was facing down something much worse than a bundle of ridiculous ego.

"I've found inner demons to be far more dangerous," Doc quips quietly, but he tries to deftly and swiftly steer away from that topic. "I don't think anyone's prepared for what's down there."