082-090 » the end begins

[villagemod]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Mathias Township
WHEN: Days 082-090
WHAT: The end begins.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here! The next log will be posted the weekend of September 19.

RECOMMENDED ♫ Park Jung Hwan "Gnarled Hands"

DAY 082-083
Fear of the dark is nothing to be ashamed of. In Mathias Township, it may be the only thing that will keep any of them alive, since there is usually something in the dark to be afraid of...

When residents wake from what was undoubtedly a restless sleep, they will find that darkness has descended upon the town. Not just night, for the moon and stars are gone from the sky, but a darkness so complete that it seems ready to swallow the town whole. The only light to be found is that coming from the various buildings, and there is an unshakable worry of what might happen if those lights go out that will urge residents to find other sources of light to carry with them.

It is an easy enough task — most buildings in Mathias have emergency preparedness kits with flashlights, batteries, and candles, and the general store still has a replenishing supply of each. However, there are also additional tools to be found in the burnt remnants of the eastern part of town — tiny spots of lights from candles are scattered throughout, those flickering flames housed in lanterns that may be familiar to some residents, though this time their appearance is not accompanied by any form of instruction. It will quickly become apparent, however, just why these lanterns have appeared again — or one reason, at least.

Observant residents will notice tracks on the ground throughout the town, as if something has been moving under the cover of that thick darkness. These shuffling prints do not match any animal or being that anyone might be familiar with and, stranger still, they appear only in patches of muddy ground, despite there not having been rain in Mathias in many days. And if residents follow those tracks, which can be found throughout any part of the town, they will ultimately be led down to the beach, which offers its own unsettling surprise:

The corpses that were buried in the ocean have been dragged up onto the beach, their bodies waterlogged and in various fragrant states of decomposition. They, along with others still scattered throughout the town, will remain there until moved, offering grim reminders of the disturbing tricks Mathias likes to play.

But this is not the only nightmarish trick, for residents will quickly discover that there is, in fact, something to be afraid of in the darkness. Whatever left those tracks throughout the town is still out there, moving between buildings, waiting to attack. When residents go out into the darkness without a light source, there may be something there, creeping closer, reaching out to grab them. Some residents may have luck on their side and avoid such a fate for a few minutes of scrambling through this unending night, but no one can escape it for long.

It is better to stay in the light where it's safe.



IN THE DARK
— If a resident ventures outside into the darkness without a lightsource, a creature will attack them. The creatures are incredibly strong and will drag a resident toward the ocean, forcibly subduing or even killing them along the way if residents fight back or struggle. Residents with great speed or strength have a better chance of quick escape than those with normal abilities; residents may also be rescued by others carrying lightsources that will cause the creatures to retreat.

— Residents who see the creatures in substantial light will lose 3 sanity points. (Seeing shadowy outlines in low light without discerning distinct features has no sanity loss.) Players should report this sanity loss immediately to gain more information on the creatures' appearance.

— The creatures will not venture into a building but they will go into the tunnels beneath the town.

— This is not a "hunt the creatures" type scenario. When in a confrontation with these creatures, base survival instincts will force a resident to flee to safety rather than stay and fight.



THE LANTERNS
— Lantern designs may be chosen by players, though they should be fairly simple and do not need to be reported anywhere. Each lantern is a little bit different, either in design detail or from being weathered by age. All lanterns have glass paneling and contain candles; any candle may be used as a replacement when one burns down.

— There are more lanterns than there are residents, and everyone is welcome to take one or not.

— The lanterns will not disappear after day 83 and will remain usable items for all residents. (If a lantern is broken at any time in the future, this should be reported in the comment section of the log in which it is broken.)

---

DAY 084
The sun finally rises over the ocean again, the first rays hitting the town as the earth begins to shake. Most residents are more than familiar with Mathias's earthquakes by now, the buildings shaking as items clatter to the floor but no permanent structural damage occuring. This time is different, however, as all residents are overcome by a sense of lightheadedness and nausea that remains even as the earthquake ends.

When residents have recovered, they will find that much has changed. The sun has returned to chase away that cloying darkness, but also inexplicably returned are all the buildings that burned just days ago. They are exactly as they were before, while nature has seemingly moved on from the summer days and into full autumn again, with the leaves wearing shades of red, orange, and rich yellow. It is all further proof that nothing behaves as it should in this nightmare town and residents should always be ready for the unexpected.

---

!! IMPORTANT NOTE !!
While this log covers 9 days, it has been divided into two parts. Players are requested to not firmly plan or write threads beyond day 84 until after September 5th. This is to give time for players and the mod to address any questions, explorations, etc., and allow for this information to be factored into those plans.

There are many things that can be discovered in the next part of the log outlined below. Players are encouraged to ask questions and propose explorations and ideas but should not ICly move forward to day 85 and beyond until after September 5th.

Clarification: Everyone should do some plotting for the second half of this log in order to decide what you would like mod feedback on. I've requested that people hold off on making firm plans so that I can potentially give you big things to play with without having to worry about something interfering with plans you've made for later in the log.

For example, do you want your character to go wander the spooky woods on day 85? I might tell you about them finding a new location, at which they might do something or find something that will affect them for the rest of the log. Or, your character might make some questionable decisions and end up injured or dead, which you would definitely want to know before making plans with your CR.

---

DAYS 85-90
Residents will wake to what some may naively herald as good news: The fog has retreated from the entire land area of the town, including the forest, and now hovers out over the ocean in all visible directions. For the first time since the first residents woke in this nightmare, they have free rein to wander where they choose without the threat of a horrible end within that terrifying fog. Where will they go? What will they find in their explorations? Will they finally discover the answers they so desperately seek?

FURTHER INFORMATION

This space is reserved for any updates that may come about from player questions or character explorations in the first OOC week of this log. Updates will be posted on September 5th and linked for player review.

— Residents may find the Lodge in the northern woods and explore the exterior but will not be able to enter the building by any means.

---

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE WEATHER For days 82-83: Summer continues in Mathias, with warm days that average 70°F and comfortably cool nights. For days 84-90: Fall has returned with crisp cool days and chilly nights.

— THE FOG has retreated from the entire land area of the town as of day 85, including the forest, and now hovers out over the ocean in all visible directions. (For days 82-83, see the previous log for fog details.)

— DISAPPEARANCES have ceased for the moment.

---

OOC NOTES

— ENDGAME (Repeat message.) We are officially making headway 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.

— SANITY NOTES

— Make sure that you're reported any sanity losses from the last log (particularly for nighttime locations) and claimed any madnesses earned with those losses.

— There is now additional guidance available about what happens when characters fall below 50 sanity points.

— A reminder that sanity may be regained through character actions.

— APPLICATIONS There is only one more application round left before apps will be permanently closed. If you're trying to lure someone in for the end of the game, now is the time to get enabling!

— MOD UPDATE Still slow due to life things. Apologies, as always, for any delay in responses.

— REMINDER Once again, there are a lot of moving parts to this log. Ask questions if something is not clear! Please also make sure to check questions others ask, as well.

navigation | faq | locations | report updates

Comments

QUESTIONS?

[villagemodama]

Use this space to ask general questions about this log and the circumstances or locations presented within. Players may also use this space to call the mod's attention to a thread to give feedback on the spooky happenings therein.

[nottevintersoldier]

Apologies I feel like I'm constantly asking Dorian specific questions on logs. BUT Dorian, still recovering, won't be doing any exploring outside of their current safe haven, I'd like to try and make him somewhat useful during the blackout at the school (I assume they're staying there, but if they move, he'd want to protect whatever place they hole up in). I know the log states that the creatures won't enter buildings, but Dorian won't know that and he'd want to protect anyone seeking refuge with them. But also, you know, providing light sources other than what they can find/share without using up more resources (I.E. candles etc)

So that being said, his Energize ability allows him to make Vellfire. Which in this instance will only be used as a light source that won't need oil/wick/wood to burn and can burn indefinitely. He can also do this several times.

So here's what I have in mind, and I would like to know the Mods thoughts on his limitations with this:

1. Number of uses - I was thinking up to 5 things can be lit, I'd be happy to knock that down to a lower number if you prefer! (he might set some up at entrances/exits, use one for himself and/or give someone a lantern lit by the vellfire for use)

2. Duration of the light - I am absolutely 100% to limiting them working for an indefinite period of time (in-game you can light one of these in one area, leave for hours of gameplay in all other areas and come back and it's still lit). So I was considering maybe after 24 hours he has to re-light them, but again, it can be less than that if you prefer!

**As a note, I listed this ability under Restoration/Revelation on my app and there was a 90% fail rate applied when accepted, but I'm under the impression it's more for the Revelation part of his Vellfire as it's used to illuminate hidden runes/writing and grants the person holding the vellfire the ability to not only read but gain an understanding of the inscription/text without knowing the language. In this instance, it's only going to be used as a light source, and obvs I'm offering the above limitations.

Anyway, I'm open to any feedback and what you feel would be fair. I don't want to overstep my bounds with his abilities as I like limiting him, but also would like to make him somewhat useful where possible!

Thank you ♥

[abrightboy]

When you say everything is as it was in the houses that have recovered from the fire, do you mean exactly the way they left it before the fire or the way it was when they first got to it.

[walkingtrigger]

Can the boomerang bodies be burned/cremated on the beach (before the fog rolls in)?

Penhew house

[tinstar]

Are the people in the pictures on the wall any of the people that Raylan saw in his 1970's fashion nightmare of a dream?

EXPLORATION

[villagemodama]

Use this space when exploring new locations or revisiting older ones, including residential housing locations. This includes asking questions about these explorations as well as simply reporting that the explorations are taking place.

(AP rewards are not needed for basic explorations, only if you want to find something that might not otherwise be discovered.)

[tinstar]

Raylan would like to go and find the Lodge, now that the fog isn't in the way. Please let me know what to expect for him!

REWARDS

[villagemodama]

Use this space to ping the mod if you'd like to use one of your AP rewards (Idea, Spot Hidden, or Spooky Encounter). Submit your request using this form:

Requested reward: Idea, Spot Hidden, or Spooky Encounter
Characters involved: Please list all characters who will be involved if claiming a Spot Hidden or Spooky Encounter. You can also add characters by mentioning them in a later comment.
Link to thread: If available/applicable. May also be added in later comment.
Additional details: Location where this is happening, the circumstances of the character being there/searching, their current mental and emotional state, what they are searching for, etc.

<b>Requested reward:</b> <b>Characters involved:</b> <b>Link to thread:</b> <b>Additional details:</b>

To submit for History Revealed, use this form:

Requested reward: History Revealed
Character: Character who will be dreaming.
Additional details: Any plot or lore elements your character is especially interested in or intrigued by.

<b>Requested reward:</b> History Revealed <b>Character:</b> <b>Additional details:</b>

HISTORY REVEALED

[villagemodama]

FOR ELLIE —

A line of people wait outside of Town Hall, each of them holding a box, basket, or bag seemingly full of heavy items. The next person, a woman with a wicker basket, enters the building as the line moves up, stepping into the reception area where a folding table has been set up. A man sits there with a clipboard; the woman with the basket sets it upon the table and hands the man a piece of paper with a filled-out form. He makes a notation on his clipboard and then leans over to look in the basket, which is full of various-sized kitchen knives, and nods. The woman turns to leave the building as another man takes the basket from the table and carries it from the reception area.

Re: REWARDS

[walkingtrigger]

Requested reward: Spooky Encounter
Characters involved: Tim Gutterson and OTA who want to be traveling with him
Link to thread: TBA
Additional details: As a result of what he found in the Historical Society, suggesting the presence of a private library at the Lodge, Tim will make a couple ventures to the Lodge to try to find a way inside.

I don’t know if there is any connection but he will also be losing 3 sanity points from monster gazing during nights 82/83.

Klaus Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy

[bestfuneralever]

[Plotting comment; Default to prose, wildcards welcome.]

Days 082-084

[bestfuneralever]

I. Day 082-083 [OTA]

{They stole the sun from me

Klaus has never been particularly great with darkness; ghosts come in the night so much more, and from a very young age, he's always been afraid of it, and kept some kind of light or other on in any room he's in at night. Fairy lights worked fine, and his room back at the Academy was lined in them all the way around. The ghosts still came, but he felt better about it anyway.

His time in this hellscape of a town has deepened that old, childish fear, struck a new flame alight under the old that had become just embers, and made it burn brighter than ever.

When he wakes up and it's still dark, Klaus doesn't think much of it, he's bad to wake up in the middle of the night. But when the light of day never comes, he starts to panic a little. Subtle things, like that too-tight feeling in the center of his chest and the way his heart thuds a little harder against the cage of his chest.

But the further it drags on, the more antsy he gets. He will practically glue himself to other people at all times. Going somewhere? Well, now you're taking Klaus with you, unless you're going outside, in which case he'll refuse and go find someone else to buddy up with. He remembers being hunted by invisible monsters before, he's not risking anything out there, if he can help it.

II. Day 084 [OTA]

{Light pouring on my face

Keeping track of time, and days, is hard enough in Mathias, but when they were stuck in nothing but darkness, it made it even harder. After so many hours without more than candlelight, the sunlight pouring in the window is uncanny. Klaus blinks and squints against it, reaching up to shield his eyes for a moment before the implication of that action sinks in.

He jolts awake with a happy little shout, fist pumping in the air. "The sun is back!" He jumps up and rushes out the front door of the schoolhouse and spins in a circle with his arms outstretched, soaking up that beautiful, beautiful, daylight.

When he stops and looks ahead, he sees in the distance where the fires had destroyed everything.

Except.

"Holy shit." he mutters, squinting into the distance. "It's back." These sort of damage-reversals aren't so unnatural in this town anymore, but it still seems so strange. Whoever or whatever controls this town really doesn't like to keep things broken.

III. Wildcard
Don't see something that strikes your fancy? Hit me up with your own starter!

Ainsley Whitly | Prodigal Son

[welladjustedwhitly]

[Plotting comment; Default to prose, wildcards welcome.]

Days 082-084

[welladjustedwhitly]

I. Day 082 [OTA]

{Cause I got supplies in spades

When the sun never bothers to come up, Ainsley is instantly on edge. She isn't the sort to be afraid of the dark, and this isn't that, either, but Mathias has a way of edging its way under her skin, prickling at something underneath that she doesn't want to think about too much.

She has come to know better than to trust anything this town hands out freely, and avoids the lanterns she sees in her trip to the General Store to grab some extra emergency supply kits. Who knows how long this eternal darkness might decide to last? They'd need whatever they could get their hands on for now.

II. Day 083 [OTA (1 rescue response ONLY)]

{A scream rings out

Ainsley's curiosity gets the better of her when she goes to investigate a sound she thinks she heard outside the school. She didn't think to grab a flashlight before she stepped outside and this turns out to be a bad plan. Almost as soon as she's outside, there's a low rumble of a warning sound, but she doesn't have time to run or even take a step back into the building before something grabs her.

The scream that rips its way out of her pierces the darkness like a siren.

III. Day 084 [OTA]

{LYRICS/QUOTE/ETC

The earthquakes are becoming second-nature by now, though she can't say she is particularly fond of them happening at all. Once it's over, she ventures back out into the sunlit town, blinking into the brightness of it after nothing but candlelight to live by for the last two days.

The town is back to the way it was before the fire. Just like that. Between one heartbeat and the next. In the blink of an eye. Like nothing ever happened. And she's not sure she can trust this. The more things stay the same, the more wary she becomes.

She catches the arm of whoever is coming by her. "I don't think we should go over there. What if it's not safe?" How could anything in this godforsaken town be safe, ever?

IV. Wildcard
Don't see something that strikes your fancy? Hit me up with your own starter!

Malcolm Bright | Prodigal Son

[abrightboy]

No plotting post this time but hit me up for anything!

Day 82-83

[abrightboy]

Malcolm had spent the last few days scavenging supplies, so it was lucky that he scavenged several emergency kits among them.

Once it became clear that the outside world was nothing but darkness, he took one of the flashlights and ventured out.

[Catch him anywhere; let me know when and where.]

Day 84

[abrightboy]

Earthquake. Daylight. Seemed things were back to normal.

Once again, Malcolm ventured out, but when he saw the first few recovered houses beyond the square, he ran down Philips Drive, skidding to a stop in front of 1306.

It was back.

He walked up the steps, pushing the door open cautiously, his pockets still rattling as he moved. It was like nothing had been touched. He walked upstairs. The drawer of his nightstand was still open. A bottle of Xanax was laying on the floor. He ran back downstairs and across the street. The house at 1307 was intact. He made his way cautiously inside.

The still was still working.

He headed back towards the square.

Callisto | Xena: Warrior Princess

[myfavoritemurder]

[plotting post]

082

[myfavoritemurder]

A - BREAKDOWN; OTA TO THE SCHOOLHOUSE

[This is not a good week to be Callisto. Her mental state - never in a good place to begin with - has taken a sharp turn for the worse over the past week or so, and it's not uncommon to see her aimlessly wandering the halls, muttering to herself in Greek as she wanders the halls. Occasionally, her Mathias-induced fear of the dark wars with her dislike of being cooped up inside, and the results are catastrophic: she throws her flashlight and lantern to the floor and screams, clawing at the walls and yanking at her own hair, digging her nails into the skin of her bare arms and legs.

With Mathias steadily chipping away at both her sanity and her defenses, anyone approaching her now is, funnily enough, less likely than usual to have her react with hostility. In fact, should she hear someone coming close, she might just blindly reach out a hand to them.]

B - SCOTOPHOBIA; OTA TO THE SCHOOLHOUSE

[On the other hand, when she does manage to scrape together a moment of lucidity, things are still a bit... skewed. Her fear of the dark is still very much in effect, and she promptly decides that there's only one real way to handle this: lantern-hoarding.

Anyone she encounters carrying a lantern - stranger, acquaintance, and friend alike - runs the risk of being accosted by her. If she can, she'll snatch their lantern without preamble, either away from wherever they've set it or directly out of their hands; if they fight her, she'll fight back, lashing out with intent to hurt regardless of who she's fighting. And if they manage to withstand this, she'll scream in frustration--]

Give it to me! I need it!

[Never mind the small pile that she's already accumulated. There's no such thing as too much light.]

Raylan Givens

[tinstar]

[Plotting]

Day 82 - ota

[tinstar]

The longer the darkness went on, the more aggravated Raylan was. He had long been wary of the sun here, the off cycles that Mathis tended to give them and the trouble that came with him and the lack of sunrise was distressing. Something™ was happening. After shuffling around and finding one of the few emergency lamps that they had already brought in - god bless Doc's preparedness - Raylan headed out into the dark, hatless.

Eventually, he ended up on the beach, following the natural line of Phillips Drive, marveling at and not touching the lanterns that he saw peppering the landscape like little beams of hope. He was sure it was a lie, a trap. Something not to be trusted. But the light he was carrying wasn't one of those and so, he continued on. Once on the sand, it was the bloated, nightmarish bodies he saw before him that slowed him to a stop.

"I shoulda dug more graves." It wasn't until he got closer that he realized the closest body was.. his own. Raylan's head pulled back a little and he stood there, dumbly, staring at the grotesque mockery of himself. He was going to have to bury the body, all of them. A hard job for one man. But for right now.. Is that really what he was going to look like?

[Catch him anywhere between the town and the beach]

Day 83; Locked to Malcolm and Dorian, and Tim

[tinstar]

The restlessness had returned with such a vengeance that Raylan finally roused Malcolm and Dorian from what they were doing. He hadn't quite explained the developments to Malcolm, the details of why Dorian was coming or what, exactly, it meant, what they were doing. All that mattered in the moment was that they go.

"Do you guys need anything else?," he asked, fully loaded and ready to go with Doc's sharpened butter knife in hand, lantern in another and trying to not rush them out into the seemingly eternal darkness. He couldn't take the darkness anymore, he couldn't take the monsters that went bump, he couldn't handle not sleeping for another night. Even if Dorian had begged his hardest, Raylan wasn't going to be turned away from the idea. Anything to set things back to normal. Anything.

Even if that was spilling their blood like they were in the 3rd century, worshiping the Old Gods.

Day 84

[tinstar]

Solid sleep still wasn't something high on Raylan's priority list but with the still and his moonshine back, it was creeping up the ranks. It had taken him several hours to bang and shove his way through the houses, turning them inside out after a fashion, moving furniture and checking to make sure that there weren't any new spirals hanging out in inconspicuous places. He had gone through 1307, 1306 and 1308, and the latter was finally where he sat his bones down for a few minutes.

There had to be a catch here, right? He'd expressed the sentiment as it was to Malcolm earlier that day and he couldn't kick the feeling off his chest. Things had changed - in the beginning, Raylan would have darted around, knocking on doors, taking a head count and seeing who had survived. But he was too tired, too worn, too worried to do anything other than sit there and stare out into nothingness. 

Their homes were back but Raylan couldn't accept it on it's face. It all felt like a trap and he didn't know what to do but be grateful that he and everyone else had some comforts to rest and heal on, even if it meant they'd all be murdered in their sleep or something. 

Dorian Pavus

[nottevintersoldier]

((Plotting Comment Here))

82-83 OTA - TW: healing burn wounds and all that entails

[nottevintersoldier]

Schoolhouse Dark times - Vellfire

Thanks to the wonderfully talented Doc, Dorian has a crutch to help him get up and move around. It’s not much more than a limp and a hobble, but he’s on his own two feet. He’s recovering, slowly but surely. His energy has also been replenished by this point as well, which is really a blessing when the darkness soon falls over the town leaving everyone half-blind in the consuming shadows. He’s almost elated when he’s able to spark Vellfire, which he carries in his palm until he’s able to find something like a broken chair leg or one of the Lanterns from outside to place the fire into. He’ll carry this with him as he walks the school, peering around for any familiar faces and offering them a light should they want it. Otherwise, he’ll be lighting Vellfire where he can through the school, but especially at least one entrance/exit on either side of the building.

Throughout the day he’ll realize the lights fizzle, either by someone coming to him for a relight, by discovering one on his pass through the school, or his own going out. Which he finds, frustratingly, this is random and has no pattern whatsoever. Luckily it doesn’t take much energy at all to light any of the fires, and for the most part, they’re behaving exactly as they should. Other than going out after a few hours, in any case. It shouldn’t exhaust him too quickly, but his energy stores are limited. Casting, having a few hours to recover, then casting again should mean he’ll be fine to keep this up for the next few days as needed.

((OOC: as noted on the plotting post, anyone can carry the Vellfire in their lanterns, torches, candles, etc, and it will not consume the fuel source. However, if they venture too far away from the source, IE: Dorian, it will go out.))

—
Madness - Agromania

Dorian’s not used to being wounded and weary, to being this useless and fragile and laid up for days on end. Maybe that’s why he’s so stir crazy, forcing his stiff, aching body up off of the cot to hobble around on a crutch despite the pain. He needs to move, he needs to work his limbs to help them heal but it’s agonizing at first. He’s just glad Doc was kind enough to make him a crutch. The first time trying to stand had been a real struggle and the man was talented with putting together whatever he could find to make something feasible to hold his weight. He limped up and down the hallways until the itch of needing to get out was too much. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, screaming at him in the dark, that it wasn’t safe to leave the schoolhouse, but he did it anyway. He had to.

These buildings were too small, they felt cramped and suffocating. Everything was so different, alien, uncomfortable to him anymore. He should be adjusting, he should be used to how strange everything is by now, but he found more and more he was homesick for the echoing, vast stone halls and the open courtyards of Skyhold. He missed being useful, being needed for his talents, and taken along on adventures into the wilds of Thedas. Despite how much he’d complained and griped before, now he was missing that freedom more than ever. They were trapped in this small, decimated town and the fog kept him from exploring anywhere familiar, the forests were disorienting and dangerous in and of themselves. This wasn’t his home, but he couldn’t leave. He couldn’t do ANYTHING. His powers were pathetic, he felt so weak and useless. He hated it.

He found himself outside in the dark, green glow of the vellfire illuminating the sweat on his brow as he finally just slumped against the outside wall of the school. Part of his panting, tired frame was overworked from hobbling out there, the other part was fighting the feeling of drowning and suffocating in that building. He felt like he could breathe a little easier out here in the cool, crisp dark. It tasted of autumn, it tasted clean and clear, not stale and dusty. That fresh air was a godsend. There’s a pull to go further, but for now, he’s just happy to be out in the open and outside, away from everyone, away from everything in that school that made him ache, made him itch and writhe with the need to run.

He was dealing with a lot of things being cooped up in there, memories, guilt, feelings of regret, so at least out here, he felt like he could breathe again and sort his thoughts alone.

This sort of thing will be a frequent occurrence and Dorian will likely spend less time indoors as the days go by. He’s restless and agitated when he needs to be inside for one reason or another. Each day he will venture just a little further from the school. Feel free to corral him back or walk with him in the dark with only the vellfire to illuminate the path.

—

Stolen away by the darkness - Monsters

A.

Dorian’s self-preservation has been turned on his head as his nagging desire for the outdoors outweighs his normally cautious and intelligent decisions. He’s wandered farther from the safety of the school with a lantern of vellfire in hand. Which he should be more careful, considering as of late, his vellfire is acting erratically, snuffing out at random. He should stay close to relight the beacons in the school. He should be concerned that he’ll be left blind and alone in the dark at any given moment.

Which, as luck would have it, is exactly what happens. There’s a low curse of “Kaffas!” As the light goes out and for one reason or another he’s now struggling to get his magic to work at all so he can relight his lantern. He’s snarling under his breath, frustrated and cursing.

Then he hears it, the wet, squelching of ground nearby. It makes a chill run up his spine when it happens again, slowly drawing closer as he freezes. There’s a low, rumbling sound of something breathing at the edges of his sight, a shape and then all at once, he’s pounced upon by something. He's knocked to the ground, crutch and lantern skittering away from his grasp in a clatter. He cries out, struggling despite how his body protests, scabs, and wounds breaking in his fight but he’s dragged, literally kicking and screaming away from the school.

He’s cursing and twisting, trying to break the strong grip on his body as he’s clutched painfully in the things grasp. He’ll push and kick and try to break free to no avail. Eventually, he’ll focus, desperate, and try once more to conjure his magic, mind racing and trying to work out what to use. But it had been stalking at the edge of the light, keeping its distance, hunting him and it didn’t pounce until the light was gone so maybe…

There’s a bright flash of green and with a screech, he’s unceremoniously dropped to the ground. He groans painfully, vellfire flickering and nearly going out where it hovers in his hands. He cradles it like something precious and tries to get back to his feet. He turns to see another light in the dark somewhere, laying on the ground in pain. The crutch and the lantern he had were well back and he’s not entirely sure where he is in all this dark. He could use a hand.

“Hello? Over here! A little help please!?”

B.

Despite what had happened to him before, his madness isn’t letting him sleep, or rest much at all. So he’s back out in the darkness again soon enough. He’s a little more wary and cautious, maybe not wandering as far from the safety of the school. But if it happened once, it’ll happen again and he hasn’t learned his lesson. Maybe you’re near enough to see that green flickering flame slowly fizzle out. Hopefully, someone is nearby enough again this time to grab him and get him inside before the monsters attack. Hopefully, he's able to make it inside before then, but he's constantly pushing his luck with wanting to walk away from the school. Someone needs to tie him down somewhere inside, safe.

-

Wildcard!

Feel free to throw up a starter if you don't see something here that grabs your attention. OR feel free to poke me on discord or plurk or on this journal or the plotting post if you want a custom starter or have any ideas! I'm open to whatever ♥

[82] FOR ELIJAH

[descendent]

[ elena pulls her hand from elijah's, choosing to instead loop her arm through his so that he's locked in place and beside her. with mathias sheathed in a thick darkness, she can't see what's in front of her feet. even though elijah's heightened senses have been carved out and left a little altered, he still has a better chance of seeing whether they're going to fall into a chasm or not than her.

keeping her footfalls small, she wraps her other arm around his just in case mathias thinks to try and pull him away from her. they need to stick together.

looking ahead as they travel to the eastern part of town, elena's brows furrow as she sees a flicker of light. it looks like a firefly, but it doesn't flutter away. it stays in one place. ]

Do you see that?

[ she cocks her head forward even if he can't see it. ]

[prevenance]

I see it.

( but he immediately feels a churn in his stomach that tells him to be careful. nothing about this place is as it seems and he pulls to a stop before elena tries to charge forward. )

It's stationary.

( for now. )