event: a gentle arrival

[thestewards]

I won't give up so don't give in
You've fallen down but you can rise again

► The OOC plotting post for this event can be found here.

► Direct all questions to the mods at this link.

SWEET DREAMS AREN'T MADE OF THIS
The dream isn't unpleasant, just strange. Mist curls around you long after the woman fades. You hold a Jewel in your hand, marveling at its multifaceted surface and feeling the thrill of new, untapped power. Anticipation surges in you: that feeling of wrongness that so often accompanies a nightmare you can't wake from. Anticipation becomes fear. You look up, certain that at any moment the mist will pull back and reveal something gruesome and terrible.

A scream. A piercing wail, that sound that accompanies a violent death. The sound doesn't come from your dream, and it jolts you awake. You…

i. Are alone in your room, and have a moment to gather yourself. Wherever you laid down to rest, you've woken up somewhere different. Somewhere strange. There's a comforting weight in the air—a feeling of welcome, of belonging. Then another scream pierces the night. In your dream, the woman asked for a hero. Maybe you already consider yourself a hero or maybe you don't, but now seems as good a time as any to either be one or start pretending.

ii. See a dark shape looming over you. You have no time to assess the place you've woken up, though you have a quick flash of insight that your dream must have been more than a dream and the woman to whom you spoke has brought you to her world and her home. There's no time to marvel at this. The shadow above you draws back, a pistol Breaker in their hand. Even if you've never seen a gun before, you can somehow taste their malice and hatred. They're pointing a weapon at you, and your scream might be the next to tear through the midnight darkness.

Landen Hunters have infiltrated the Queen's Residence. How stalwartly you choose to fight them off is up to you, but you'll quickly encounter members of Fayura's First Circle defending against the attackers. Allairavar rallies the people of the court, ensuring the most vulnerable are well guarded in the massive dining hall. Loren maintains a Green shield around the room, and only those of the court or the Strangers can enter. There, Healers tend to the wounded, and the children who live at the residence are kept safe.

Amidst the turmoil, you overhear snippets of conversation:

A Healer, quietly, to her patient: If the Lady isn't here, she and Prince Verim must be working some spell to protect us. Rest easy, Prince.

Lord August, speaking quickly to Prince Lachlan as they rush by: —monsters find out the Queen would be bringing help to us tonight? Who told the Hunters—

An injured footman, worried: —see the flames through the window. Landens live in Old Town. How unsurprising that the Guilds would come up with a distraction that hurts their own, too.

FLAME AND FURY
Beyond the Queen's Residence, the Old Town Bazaar burns. Horrified faces gather at the east-facing dining hall windows, and distraught whispers fill the air. Someone cries out that their sister lives in Old Town.

Loren reacts first. He calls for volunteers from the Strangers, and you have the distinct impression that he measures you by your response. "The Hunters—" He grimaces, realizing the Strangers probably don't know what he means. "—landen assassins came in the night to kill you. They've lit part of our city on fire to prevent us from following them. We don't know who, specifically, came for you, but we know where they've gone to ground, so we don't need to chase them down. What we do need to do is stop the fire from spreading. The First Circle will stay here and defend the residence. Who among you Strangers, those of you who came here tonight, will help with the fires?"

Those who agree to help are sent with Allairavar to put out the flames. As you travel with him, Allairavar provides a crash-course in creative application of Craft.

*You wear the Jewels, so you can shield. You should know how, if the Lady's spell worked. Shield yourselves to protect from the flames. Use Craft to shield the buildings and starve out the fires,* he says on a psychic thread so that everyone can hear him and he doesn't need to waste his breath by shouting. *Rescue anyone trapped in the buildings regardless of who they are. Be on the look out for Hunters—the assassins Loren mentioned. They're sneaky bastards, and they'll use our focus on helping the people to put knives in our backs if they can.*

Put out fires, use your powers or Craft to support buildings before they collapse, and rescue landens and Blood alike from the damage done by the Hunter Guild. Be wary and alert, and try not to damage the city more than the fires already have should you encounter Hunters. Blood families will go with the Strangers more easily than landen families, but Allairavar makes it clear that if you have to physically remove someone from a burning home or one that is about to collapse then that is exactly what you should do.


REST FOR THE WEARY
Dawn breaks on the horizon, painting the city of Draega a hazy red. With little wind, the smoke hovers around the city. In Old Town, even buildings that didn't burn begin to smell like the fire.

A somber weight falls on the Queen's Residence. In the aftermath of the night's events, Loren introduces himself to each of the Strangers individually if possible but to groups if he must: He is the Queen's Steward, and his Queen was the one who worked the spell to bring them to Draega. He apologizes for the circumstance of their arrival and that the Queen is currently indisposed. Everyone, he explains, can stay in the residence for as long as they would like, and he makes it clear that by no means are the Strangers required to remain in the residence nor will they be viewed with suspicion or distrust by the court if they decide to find their own homes.

Those with medical skills or healing powers are brought to the dining hall to help the Healers. The Healer in charge is a young, Yellow Jeweled woman who has exhausted her Craft and desperately needs assistance. Anyone who inquires about her position within the court, either to her or others, learns that she is highly skilled and spent her childhood in the landen Medico Guild before taking a chance on her half-Blood heritage and making an Offering. While she wears one of the lightest Jewels in the residence, even Allairavar submits silently to her attentions and he offers no excuse when she chastises him for getting injured.

Midway through the day, Allairavar and Loren make the mistake of having an unshielded conversation near the dining hall. Anyone nearby can overhear…

"I spoke briefly to Verim," Loren says, voice low and urgent. "They weren't caught in the fire, but Allairavar…"

A muscle in Allairavar's jaw ticks. His massive, membranous wings fan out to fill the hall before he pulls them tight to his back. "She's injured."

Loren nods. "Badly. The backlash of power struck her hard, and Verim couldn't help her absorb it." Tension lines Allairavar's body, and Loren quickly adds, "You can't kill them. She brought them here to help us—"

"Our Queen is vulnerable," Allairavar hisses. "There are strangers in our home." A dangerous, wild look fills his eyes. "Does she plan on doing this again? We're not letting her." He rocks back and forth on his feet with the nervous energy of a man contained and about to explode.

"So we'll strand these people here?" Gentle concern fills Loren's eyes. "She'll need to do this once more to send them home."

All that nervous energy abruptly vanishes, and Allairavar bends a sleepy-eyed, malevolent look on Loren. "Would you ask our Queen to destroy herself for these people?"

Violence cloaks both men, but the threat of action rests solely on Allairavar. Loren keeps his voice gentle. Soothing. "Do you really think she would have made the offer if she couldn't send them home? Do you think she would truly be so cruel as to demand they come here with no chance of ever returning home?"

Allairavar is quiet for a long moment. The tension slowly flows out of him, leaving him looking weary and exhausted. "Yes," he finally says, tone grim. "Because to her, the price is worth it to save the world. And she would accept it for any of them if they asked." He runs a hand over his head and sighs heavily. Without another word, he turns and walks away. Loren does not call after him.

AIR TIME
Whether you catch the news on a Far-caster in the city or you're spinning the dial on your own device, you'll hear…

etiquette with evandra and aren
[Evandra's voice is a little bit rough and a little bit husky, the kind of voice that gives bad ideas to young men and headaches to fathers.] Just because the Blood have no law against murder doesn't mean you can kill anyone on the street—or in their homes, isn't that right, Lord Aren?

[Aren's voice is chipper and bright. He sounds more like an eager boy than the full-grown man he is.] Quite true, Evandra! Unless someone has done something to merit execution, wanton murder is generally frowned upon. A Queen can demand a price for the death of someone in her Territory or court.

[A thoughtful hum from Evandra.] So, the Hunter Guild's attack on the Queen's Residence last night isn't illegal, but it was incredibly gauche. And now they face possible retaliation from her and her court. How ghastly!

[Aren agrees.] A dreadful affair. Remember: just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[Evandra:] Quite so. Something for us all to consider. As always, I'm Evandra.

[With solemn dignity, Lord Aren says:] I'm Aren, and you've been listening to…

[Together:] Etiquette with Evandra and Aren. [Jaunty outro music plays. Perhaps they should reconsider this particular tune on dark occassions.]

the weather
[A soft-spoken man's voice rumbles out of the Far-caster. He's pleasant to listen to, with a soothing cadence to his voice.] …overcast and snowy days with temperatures hovering around freezing during the day and dropping at night. Need to tune up your e-line heaters? The Elektriline Guild is offering a limited-time discount this week to ensure you stay warm around the clock.

the news
…distressed to hear of the incident at the Queen's Residence. [The man speaks in a slow, smooth voice. His words ring with heartfelt sincerity.] Though Lady Fayura and I don't often see eye-to-eye— [He chuckles at this, as though he's made a joke. Another man, presumably an interviewer, chuckles along with the air of someone who isn't sure this is a joke they should be laughing at.] —I condemn the actions taken by the Hunter Guild. Destroying people's homes is simply unacceptable.

But one wonders what that surge of power was just prior to midnight. Craft, surely, but to what end? Was that the spell the Queen used to summon these… Strangers from other Realms? Surely we can agree that such action, taken independently of the Guilds and the Ebon Council, much as we don't get along, is cause for concern. I believe the Lady has overstepped, and it is my firm hope that Lord Grejor issues an injunction against her for such flagrant disregard for the law.

[The interviewer speaks, and his voice is faintly strained.] Thank you, Grand Master Niall, for talking to us on this issue.

Comments

[cmbr]

one;

[ It is perhaps unsurprising that Sen's vision gives way to fire. She's tied to it with her life, after all. Her identity, the Title that she wears, the covenant that ties her to the Earth. Flame is in her instinct, and it is with fire that she retaliates at the Hunter seeking to make a groggy woman his prey. She makes a gesture at him and it bursts from her fingers - not strong enough to immolate him, for she is unprepared; but his clothes and hair are ablaze.

The Hunter sputters, screams as the heat consumes him, staggering out the way he came. Maybe he'll die. Maybe he'll make it out alive, but the few seconds of interruption is enough for her to wrestle the Breaker from his grip. She doesn't know what it is, but it looks like a gun and presumably functions like one.

A sound - maybe you moved, and she's only just noticed your presence. The Breaker is pointed at you for a heartbeat before she fully processes what she's seeing, and the weapon is slowly lowered. ]

Bit of a terse welcome they give, [ Sen tilts her head. Her expression is grim. ] Who are you?


two;

[ They've offered her a weapon, but she's taken none. Swords were too heavy. Staves too difficult for her to coordinate. The Earth beneath her is silent; empty. If it was any other situation, she would have no lifestream to draw from in order to cast her magic, but the city is aflame. Fire dances through the streets, and there is no reason why she shouldn't be able to command them.

So here she is, standing in the middle of the street in front of a building swathed in flame. Sen raises her hands as a conductor would, and in a single gesture brings her arms up towards the sky. The fire around her does the same, rising up in a plume of red and white - and most importantly, leaving the building behind. The flare curls around itself in a serpentine display and burns out in the air, leaving nothing behind but the inky black night sky.

As absorbed as she is in channeling the flame, she only comes to her senses once it extinguishes. Perhaps there is a Hunter behind a building waiting to take aim, and she's not noticed yet. ]


three;

[ Draega is a strange sort of place. Magic is abound, technology is not as abound, and... most importantly, the earth is silent. It's what stands out the most to her. Back home, the song of Gaia was an ever-present undertone in her perception, like the sound of one's heartbeat. Here - none of it. Either she was deaf to its call, or it was already dead.

Still, there's much more to do around here than just sitting and pondering what happened. People need help and Sen's determined to get things done. ]

*Can anyone hear me? I need a hand moving this fallen beam. Appreciate it!*

[ Her telepathic voice is firm, committed. As for her physical presence, she's helping out a landen family gain access to their home again - no fire, but only heavy weight and she's. Not good at lifting. ]


wildcard

[ hit me with something and I'll roll with it! alternatively we can work out a custom prompt if none of these work for you. ]

Three;

[dextral]

[The best way to deal with an uncomfortable situation is to keep busy. Steve had believed in all through his youth and it still holds true for him now; he doesn't see much pull in staying around the palace when people in the town need help. Fortunately being out and around in the town does put him in a position to help, and to hear a cry for help.

Well, If hearing is the term to use for a voice suddenly sounding in one's head.]

Here!

[The answering call is vocal, because this whole psychic thing is still so very new and vaguely uncomfortable. Thankfully it doesn't take Steve long to find who's asking for help, and to assess what she needs. Fortunately moving heavy things is something at which Steve excels — and that was before this place and the strange enhancement of the jewel he wears.

He wastes no time taking his place next to her and putting his hands underneath the beam.]

Ready? On Three?

[cmbr]

[ Sen's expression shifts to one of relief once she's managed to put that voice to Steve's face - a man who's built in a much more suitable way to physical work. Hopefully this would be done quicker instead of her eyeing the beam and trying to figure out the best way to move it with compressed air. ]

Ready!

[ And on three, the beam begins to budge. Sen is aware that she isn't exactly contributing a lot of torque; Steve is doing the literal heavy lifting. ]

You're really strong, that's amazing.

[ Was it a part of that Craft that she was told about? ]

[dextral]

[Conversation waits until they have the beam both lifted and secured; it won't do for them to step away for a moment only to have to rush back because something slipped. Steve dusts his hands lightly on his uniform before offering one for a handshake.]

It's useful, for sure. Steve Rogers, at your service.

[There will probably be questions, only because Steve expects questions every time he does something like this, something that defies what normal people can do. He's used to that aspect of things; what he doesn't know is what form those questions will take in this place.]

[cmbr]

[ The landen family thanks them profusely as their father cautiously makes his way inside, followed by the other adults. The two kids stay outside, eyeing Sen and Steve with some measure of awe. ]

Sen Yan'an. But just Sen is fine.

[ Since Steve's given his full name, she'll give hers. Her handshake is firm, and her fingers are relatively smooth - suggesting clerical work, but only by virtue of her body being immune to burns. ]

Was that your magic?

Two;

[quitsmiling]

[There is, in fact, a Hunter back there. Rocket, however, has his own rifle, and he takes careful aim while the girl is working. He did spend a minute or so staring at her fire-working, though, before noticing the trouble.

Self-preservation, not help. If somebody shoots the witch while she's controlling all that fire, it might well explode. So right about when Sen finishes up, the landen falls over, shot through the eye. Rocket, a couple yards behind Sen, says clearly,]

You're welcome.

[cmbr]

[ You're welcome, indeed. She hasn't noticed the hunter yet - not until she turns around and sees the body hit the floor, the spark of life vacate a human. ]

Thanks.

[ She's a demon now, so a bullet wound wouldn't be lethal. Still, a favour done is a favour that needs to be repaid. Sen doesn't blink at Rocket being a raccoon - she knows many people who take on forms of animals, so it's not out of the ordinary. ]

Should've paid more attention, eh?

[quitsmiling]

[Rocket props his rifle up over his shoulder, flicking an ear, and allows,]

You were a little busy. Pretty neat trick with the fire.

[He's not looking at her, particularly, but around, in case there are any other dangers.]

sorry for the delay, I got caught up with some RL stuff

[cmbr]

It's the least I could do.

[ The fire resonates with her, and it's definitely in the wrong place. Flame itself is guiltless, it is the hands that sow it that are stained. ]

I'm going to try doing the same to the next block. Do you want to come with me?

one;

[hotspurred]

[Henry pays less attention to the Breaker pointed at him than the assassin now in the hallway with him; lunging forward, keeping his heater shield as a barrier between himself and the flames, he cuts down the alight assassin with a single, masterful blow from his arming sword. Burning alive is a slow, cruel end. He has no care for their would-be assassins — in fact, he has always abhorred assassins and believes them deserving of death — but he considers it a point of honour to kill cleanly and resolutely.

Looking into the room, he cocks his head at the woman, eyes lingering on the lowering Breaker before raising his gaze to her face.]

You ought to finish what you start.

[He says, rather than immediately giving his name. He's sparing a second to determine whether she meant to be sadistic or whether it was unintended.]

Worthless as assassins are. Were you harmed?

[cmbr]

[ Yeah, she just maimed someone by setting them on fire. The reality of it is still slowly settling in as she looks at the smouldering corpse of the Hunter, watches his life blink out. ]

I didn't intend to kill him. Just wanted him to get out of my face.

[ Quiet, though her moment of admission is quickly replaced by determination. ]

I'm fine. Thanks for helping me.

[ Sure, the Hunter had tried to kill her, but it is as Henry said. She should've just incinerated him if she had to use fire. ]

[hotspurred]

[Taking her at her word, Henry nods once in acknowledgement.]

Sir Henry Percy. [He introduces himself.] More of his kind swarm this palace. While it is evident that you can handle yourself, I would not tarry here.

[cmbr]

I'm Sen.

[ Simple, without embellishment. She won't question his title for now; it's hardly the right time. ]

Okay. Do you know where to, though?

[ She recalls the queen from the covenant. Unfortunately said queen is nowhere to be found. ]

two;

[mollymocked]

[Molly has his good right arm again in the form of a light scimitar taken from the armory that doesn't match Summer's Dance nor does it have the ornate looks of his prop sword, but it does the job, as aesthetically displeasing as it looks. Functional, if not pretty in form. It'll do.

He's been observing this display with the fire during a break in the fighting and if Caleb could do that, maybe he'd go less catatonic when he wielded his spells. It's enrapturing is what it is, but even taking a moment's pause to catch his bearings and watch, his keen eyes notice the assassin with the crossbow readied and he rushes in with a swirl of color and flashing blades to make quick work of a necessary appendage required to operate the equipment. The crossbow falls and the assassin drops, clutching his stump of a hand while Molly turns his focus on the woman, looking just a bit smug.

It's sort of his default.]

I feel like you might need someone to watch your back. Just an observation.

[cmbr]

[ As instinctual as her fire control is, there's much more to it than just willing the flames to move. To put them out, she has to move them to an area where the rising smoke would smother out the heat. She could siphon part of the released energy for her own self, but there's far too much to hold and she has to let it go.

It is only when she's finished putting it out that she pays more attention to her surroundings. She looks at Molly, then at the fleeing man, and back at him again; her smile slight and apologetic. ]

Thank you. You're quite right about that...

[ She doesn't know if that crossbow would've killed her. Demons are hardier than most, but it would certainly be inconvenient. ]

[mollymocked]

[Molly's tail lashes a bit behind him, cat-like, and he finds himself a position where he can keep eyes on as many blindspots as he can and watch for opportunists.]

Keep doing what you're doing- I've got this part. That's a neat trick- very useful right now.

sorry for the delay, I got caught up with some RL stuff

[cmbr]

[ She doesn't know who Molly is, and in any other situation might have doubted the wisdom of trusting a complete stranger. But he did just save his life, and the task of saving other people's lives is more important than anything else. ]

I will.

[ The heat here has been reduced by her earlier attempt, but some fire still remains. She steels herself to seek out the remaining flames and summon them to the sky just like before ]

two; now that's what I call a light show

[mint_and_bronze]

[Maeve's hollyhock charm has been earning its keep this smoke-filled night, the blossom's affinity with fire helping her to seek out the just-set flames that have yet to blaze high and to smother them before they can devour homes. She's always been better at prevention, at saving lives before they need to be saved in true, and that's what she focuses on; let the others fend off the Hunter's Guild.

Except that, focused as she is, she cannot ignore the flare in the sky. Curiosity and concern draws her from the alleys she'd (perhaps unwisely) been stalking and out to a street where a figure stands with outstretched arms.

The Hunter leveling their weapon at the figure, well... Maeve objects to them on principle, considering how she'd been awoken. She tucks her charm back into her hair and approaches with stealth. Until the last.]

Duck!

[She accompanies her shout by slamming hard into the Hunter from behind. Enough to stun, not enough to take them out fully.]

sorry for the delay, I got caught up with some RL stuff

[cmbr]

[ Duck. Sen's awareness swims up to reality just fast enough for her to hear that command, and it is only by virtue of her demon's reflexes that she manages to follow that order. A moment later, a crossbow bolt whizzes above her head, and it takes her another few seconds to process what had happened.

The hunter doubles over, tries to twist around and aim a punch at Maeve's face in retaliation. However, he's now facing two people instead of one, and the flames around them allow Sen to quickly form a burst of heated air in her hands to knock him off balance. ]

Pick on someone your own size!

one!

[romancekiller]

[clarke finds herself in a similar situation just barely managing to escape and maintain distance from her attacker just moments ago. she is rushing through the hallways and just as she turns the corner, she comes to an stop noticing the woman momentarily pointing the gun right at her. it makes her hesitate but as soon as it's lowered, she realizes it was only in defense and she relaxes slightly as it registers with her that they might be in the same position with arriving here] Yeah, no kidding— it was definitely a rude wake up call if you also faced someone trying to kill you.

My name is Clarke. What's yours?

sorry for the delay, I got caught up with some RL stuff

[cmbr]

[ Clarke doesn't look like a hunter, which is why Sen is a little more relaxed now. She doesn't detect anything from the other woman that would put her on guard, so she supposes Clarke can be trusted for now. ]

Sen. Did you just come here too?

[ She can feel other people around. There's bound to be an exit or a hall in this building somewhere, so she starts walking in the direction of where more people might be congregating. ]

no worries at all!

[romancekiller]

[clarke just nods at that hearing the the other woman introduce herself while she follows alongside sen. if they keep moving then at least they can keep their distance from whoever was attacking them] Yeah. I just got here too— it definitely not the warmest welcome either.

main lining.

[mekhanikos]

[ the first time leo had set foot in the tinker's guild, he'd thought to himself, well this feels like home and wondered if he could just sleep there, surrounded by machines and tools.

it's why he's there now, helping with the repairs, wondering if there are improvements that could be made to the whole e-line system — because this is what he's best at, not being out there and moving rubble, or talking to people and gathering information. machines are easier than people.

though — there's a woman he recognizes from the night of their arrival, the fire in the city. he'd seen her only briefly, running into a burning building with the same kind of carelessness that he himself exhibited, the kind that comes from the certainty that no matter what, you're not going to burn.

which is why he casually gets up... and casually plops himself down next to her. ]

Hey, [ he says, because for someone who never shuts up, leo is crap at small-talk. ] This is a cool place, right? I mean, literally, since we're repairing the warming system.

[cmbr]

[ Sen is further inside the room, inspecting the tools and an open outlet that needs to be welded together. Leo catches her as she has a solder in one hand and nothing in the other, poised to try using her heat redirection on the metal.

— somebody else here. A cheerful young man whose rhythm she can easily adapt to, her expression of focus breaking into a smile. ]

Well... of course. Haha, that's a good one.

[ Contrary to popular belief, puns are Good. ]

I wonder where this goes? The heating coil's disconnected, so probably here. [ She taps a gap in between two coils. ] What do you think?

[mekhanikos]

[ the smile earns her a grin and a wink as leo peers down at what she's inspecting. ]

Let me see. [ there's very little else that can get his focus to sharpen like doing mechanical work — when he places his hand against the coils and listens, all other sounds become insignificant. ]

Yeah, [ he responds after a beat, ] there. But there's a bunch of other stuff to fix, too. No wonder they need more people to help them!