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

Alice Liddell | OTA

[playing_hearts]

Sweet Dreams aren't Made of This

[Alice is used to strange dreams. Her whole life was highjacked by a strange dream so she's far less surprised than she probably should be to discover that last night's dream was real. What is surprising is the dark shape looming above her. She scarcely has time to do anything more than roll out of the way before he shoots, narrowly missing her. She makes a desperate dash for the door, trying to escape.]

Someone help!!


Flame and Fury

[Alice didn't hesitate for a second to volunteer to help with the fires. She can't do much to put out the fires, so her focus is on rescuing people. A half hour in and she's exhausted, covered in soot, and somehow still pushing on. Right now she's trying to carefully dislodge a beam to save a trapped child. And then she spots you.]

Hold up that side. Carefully though, or the whole thing will fall.

[Yeah that was more a command than a request. Pleasantries can wait.]


Rest for the Weary

A-
[Alice is spending most of her time after the battle helping to care for the injured. She only has basic first aid training, but in a situation like this you have to do what you can. The healer in charge has her bandaging the more lightly wounded while more experienced hands tend to those who need it.]

Okay, you're next. Let me take a look...


B-(Loren)

[Alice had only been passing by, and hadn't meant to eavesdrop. But now that she's heard it all, there's no way she can ignore it. She has the sense to wait for Allairaver to leave. That guys strikes her as far more temperamental than he ever wants to deal with. Loren seems alright though. She approaches hesitantly, with a worried frown.]

Um, I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear. Is the queen okay?


Wildcard!

[Got anything else? I can roll with it.]

B

[agentlenpc]

[It's weariness, he would insist, that has him starting ever so slightly at the intrusion, but he doesn't bother to disguise his moment of surprise. Not even when asked about something that gets his back up.

But this is one of the Strangers, those that the Queen herself brought through. He can forgive the letting down his guard this much even. This time.]

She's... You'll find that magic can often take quite the toll here. She's capable of much, but even queens need their rest.

[playing_hearts]

[Alice knows very little about magic, so she files that bit away for later.]

So it's mostly exhaustion?

[A small sigh of relief. She gets the feeling there's a little more to it, the phrase 'backlash of power' does not sound good. But at least it sounds like she'll recover. She offers a slightly wry smile.]

Well I hope she takes the time to rest properly then. In my experience queens tend to be stubborn.

[Very stubborn. Alice doesn't even know Fayura, but she's already betting this woman is the type to push herself too hard.

It's at this point that she remembers basic manners.]

Um, sorry. I'm Alice Liddell. It's nice to meet you.

[agentlenpc]

[He pauses, as if he's trying to find a different word, but nods regardless.] Exhaustion, yes. [If there was a stronger word for it, he'd have used that.

She gets something akin to a smile at her quip about queens.] You come from a world with queens? [Perhaps this wouldn't be so much of a culture shock, then.]

It's good to meet you, Alice. Loren Sorey. [He recalls introducing himself to as many Strangers as he could, but that was a quick and hurried thing. Now that his blood no longer rings in his ears, he can remember his manners.] I trust you weren't hurt too badly in the fray. I'm sure we can find a Healer if need be.

[playing_hearts]

I do. But I never actually met any queens in my original world. The last world I pulled into through a dream is another story though...

[The last world I was pulled into.... Yep, it's official. She sounds like an actual crazy person.

Oh well, too late to make a not crazy first impression. She flashes a brief smile before her expression turns serious again.]

I'm fine. But... do attacks like that happen often? Were those people after us or was it a coincidence they attacked tonight?

[agentlenpc]

[His eyes narrow slightly at the 'last world' business. Just when the Strangers couldn't get stranger.

Her question had Loren nearly sighing and he nearly raised his hand to rub the bridge of his nose.] Few things are coincidences. This isn't one of them. [He gives her a quick, accessing glance.] Can you defend yourself? In case they come again. [His words suggest uncertainty but his tone is clear: There is no just in case here.]

[playing_hearts]

Yeah, I figured I wasn't that lucky.

[She lets out a heavy sigh as he confirms her suspicions. And she doesn't even consider trying to pretend that she knows anything about fighting.]

Not so much. I never really had to do much fighting. I suppose I'll have to at least learn to defend myself...

[Her tone is somewhere between annoyed and resigned. She's not looking forward to it, but she's accepted it as something she has to do.]

[agentlenpc]

[He doesn't seem surprised at her reaction to the notion of fighting, but it merely makes the determined line of his mouth all the more set.]

Morning exercises with Allairavar. Even if you aren't familiar with weapons, he'll help you with improvised weapons. A chair. A fork. A skillet. Whatever is handy.

[playing_hearts]

[While she could certainly believe Allairavar knew a hundred ways to kill someone with tableware, he strikes her as..... dangerous. In the way a wild animal is dangerous. And that conversation she just overheard...

'You can't kill them...' Yeah... she's not too eager to talk to him.]

Um, I'm sure he's a great teacher, buuut I might just look into other options.

[agentlenpc]

Nonsense. [His dismissal of the notion is quick, but firm. There's no reason to look for other options.] There's no better teacher than him. Unless you prefer to arm yourself with Craft.

[playing_hearts]

I'll... think about it.

[It's mental stability more than teaching skills that concern her here. But let's run with that convenient subject change, shall we?]

To be honest, I don't really know much about craft either. It doesn't exist where I come from.

[But she is suddenly reminded of the jewel in her pocket. Could she use it to protect herself? That might be a better option.]

sweet dreams aren't made of this;

[hotspurred]

[Hearing the shot of the Breaker followed by a young woman's cry immediately draws Henry's attention after his own rude awakening; he sprints towards the source, bursting onto the scene.

He charges past her straight at the assassin, bashing the hunter with his shield, before striking the man's head with his sword in a deadly blow. only after her assailant is dead does he turn to face her. He wipes off his sword and sheathes it.]

Damosel. [He greets with a sharp dip of his head.] Are you hurt?

[playing_hearts]

[She whirls around as he charges past, and just as quickly looks away again as his sword cleaves through the unfortunate assassin. Death is still hard for her to watch.

So instead she focuses on her rescuer.]

I really thought I was done for. Thank you.

[hotspurred]

You are welcome.

[He says as he glances her over for sign of injury. Satisfied she is not harmed, he walks back to the doorway and inspects the hallway. The sound of distant fighting and screams carries.]

But we remain in peril.

[The corridor looks empty, but that is no guarantee with assassins on the loose. He's no stranger to such attacks. What is clear is that they cannot stay in their rooms and hope the danger is passed. Half-turning back to face her, he says:]

I am Sir Henry Percy. Allow me to see you to safety.

[He knows from experience that in any grand manor or castle there is a resident guard. The alarm will have been raised. If this is real and the Queen's bargain was true, then she must be their host and there is likely a sizeable number of defenders in this royal palace. There is bound to be sanctuary somewhere.

And a knight would not abandon a young woman to face danger alone.]

[playing_hearts]

Alice Liddell. It is very nice to meet you.

[Especially because she might be dead otherwise. She can also hear the sounds of shouting and fighting in the distant rooms and halls. It's only a matter of time before more enemies come this way.]

But it sounds like this place is a mess right now. Is anywhere going to be safe?

[She's managing to stay calm, but Alice is not an optimist. If this palace is under attack, then people who just arrived and don't know their way around or what's going on are at an obvious disadvantage.]

[hotspurred]

[Alice makes a good point. Henry briefly touches his knuckles to his mouth in a habitual gesture.]

...This is a grand residence. So I would expect there to be a guard. When outer walls are breached one usually retreats to hold a defensible part... Were it my castle or manor, I would use my great hall.

[It's nothing more than speculation of course, but reasonable speculation, he feels. And if he is wrong, he is at least skilled enough to cut their way out of trouble.]

[playing_hearts]

So we're looking for the great hall...

[She considers this for a moment, then sighs.]

Not that we know our way around or anything. So I guess the real decision here...

[She glances in one direction, from which the sounds of shouting and fighting can be heard. And then in the other. Which is pretty quiet.]

...is do we head toward the noise, or away from it.

[hotspurred]

Toward.

[Henry says decisively. It's better they're not caught from behind, and activity may lead them to the native defenders.]

Be brave. Watch our flank and I shall clear our path.

[playing_hearts]

Right.

[A part of her had been hoping for 'away' but she realizes that probably wouldn't lead anywhere helpful. She takes a deep breath and follows, keeping an eye out for any pursuers.]

Who are these people? What possible reason could they have for wanting to kill us?

[The question is more to distract her frazzled nerves than because she expects him to know the answer.]

[hotspurred]

I know not. Only that they do.

[He states, walking forward. Yet he abruptly stops, glancing back.]

Perhaps we ought to search your would-be assassin.

sweet dreams aren't made of this!

[romancekiller]

[clarke was also escape after dealing with something much like alice did but while she is making her way through the hallways, it's hard not to notice someone calling out for help. clarke could continue on her way but it's out of habit that she opts to help and approaches the other girl] Hey— what's wrong? Are you hurt?

Re: sweet dreams aren't made of this!

[playing_hearts]

[Alice doesn't stop, she can't afford to. Not when some lunatic with a gun is chasing her. Instead she opts to shout warning to the other girl.]

Run! He's coming!

[The would be assassin exits the room an instant later. Another shot rings out, striking the wall next to Alice's head.]

[romancekiller]

[hearing the warning, clarke does start to run but not before reaching out to the other girl to help her as well] Yeah, okay— let's go keep going before he gets another shot on us.

[playing_hearts]

Thanks.

[Under the circumstances, Alice is very grateful to have any help she can get. She'd say more, but now seems like a good time to conserve her breath. She does have the presence of mind to knock a large vase over to try to slow him down. The next corner they turn reveals a hallway extending in two directions.]

Which way?

[romancekiller]

[clarke makes sure that they are both keeping up the same pace while trying to get as much distance between the person coming after them as she can. it doesn't escape her notice that alice knocks over the large vase and she easily picks up on her intentions behind that too. the moment they get to the corner, clarke knows she has to think fast despite how she doesn't know which direction is the better option] That was good thinking—

Let's go this way. [ she glances over towards the left and and without so much as another word to keep going]