kaisou | March Event Log

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March Event Log

March Event
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

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It's as they say, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The early part of March will be blistery and cold, with strong winds and chilly nights. But as the month goes on, the weather will slowly warm and the snow will melt. By the end of the month, it's well into the early spring and the plants already begin to green up once more.

First Signs of Green

With Valentine's over and done with, there's only one thing that everyone's looking forward to, and that's the arrival of spring. Shops in town are stocking themselves up with new outfits for spring and outdoor furniture. The garden shops are stocks with flower seeds and spring vegetables, preparing for the warm weather to finally come rolling in. Many restaurants will be having a special on Bara Brith (malt loaf) and Cawl (lamb stew), in honor of St. David's day earlier in the month as it's trendy this year. On warmer days, people will be finding just about any excuse to be outside and the streets will be busy with people. Enjoy some much needed sunlight everyone!

For adults looking for activities to do, with the upcoming St. Paddy's day, plenty of bars are doing their own promotional celebrations. Most of these are the standard kind of fanfare, where you get a discount if you wear green or there's beer that's been dyed green. Though there's a few quirkier promotions, such as the Deathmatch bar offering free beer for everyone until someone uses the bathroom. Work together to hold the line and your bladders.

Gacha Day

Throughout the month, there's talk in Undertown about being on the lookout for good fortune. On the surface it sounds like the usual fanfare you hear from gossip - someone reblogged a lucky cat photo and came upon some money. Or someone found a four leaf clover and won the grand prize in the raffle. It's easy enough for the more skeptical to dismiss. However for those who are on the look out for lucky signs may find themselves also being blessed by good fortune. A brand new TV will appear in their house, or they'll befriend a new animal friend, or they'll discover they have a new ability. There's no rhyme or reason for what good luck will befall you, but these lucky occurrences seem to have shortly after seeing an omen of good luck. And granted...some of these occurrences might be hard to perceive as lucky. Some may even be downright cursed.

Still! Maybe it's time to keep a closer eye on any patches of clovers you come across, huh?

The Dulahan

The night of March 15th is an usually foggy night. There's an eerie stillness to the world, and the wind that blows with an unnatural chill. Even the normal citizens in town feel a sense of unease, as people rush to get home. As for those more sensitive, you can't help but get a feeling of dread in your stomach. Animals too may seem unsettled, not unlike when they sense an earthquake.

It's late in the night when he shows himself, long after the streets have grown quiet. A horseman riding a horse as black as night, with his own head missing from atop his shoulders. One hand holds onto the reins of his horse, while the other carries the severed head of a woman. He trots through the misty streets of Kaisou, occasionally pausing in front of a place of residences and pointing towards those who dwell inside, before continuing on his way. If you attempt to confront him in the street, he will disappear in a sea of mist and reappear further down the road, focused on his task. Repeated attempts to confront him will eventually enough irritation that he'll pull out a whip made from human spines. Being hit by this whip will render them unconscious until morning.

It's not clear until morning what the Dulahan was after, but when the first rays of morning come through, the horror will sink in. Every person that the Dulahan singled out? Is now missing from the city - whisked away into the Spirit Realm.

New Gate: Tír na nóg

The following morning, March 16th, a new message from Zodiac is sent out

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE IDENTIFIED IN BRICK ALLEY.
Element Classification: Unknown
Danger Level: S
Designation: Tír na nóg
ALERT! A highly dangerous gate has been discovered in Brick Alley. It's already been linked to disappearances across the city. Zodiac is currently investigating but we ask all available people to help investigate and recover the missing people. Please visit the Zodiac office for any supplies. Use caution when engaging with denizens in the realm.

Going to the Zodiac Office, you will find that it's a lot busier than normal. Several Zodiac employees are coming in and out, talking and using tech as they try to sort out the scale of what they're dealing with. Professor Willow is there too, there to help with consultation. According to him, it's a Dulahan that was spotted last night- though his own information is limited to what's known in popular myths. His specialty is more on animals found within the spirit realm, not mythological figures. Notably, it seems he's managed to befriend a Meltan from last month's gate.

Zodiac will supply weapons made from iron, as well as packs of food. If you press them for more information, they will suggest not to give your name or consume any food while within the spirit gate. If you need motivation than saving your friends to help, Zodiac is more than willing to pay you for your services. As for the location of the spirit gate, they will mention that it might be a little hard to spot this time, so keep your eyes peeled!

Hard to spot will turn out to be an apt description. When they arrive in Brick Alley, there's no obvious standing tall gate as there were the previous two months. Instead, they will have to search around until they find a circle of mushrooms that have popped up on a patch of grass. These mushrooms are impervious to harm, and you'll have to stand in the center of them if you want to enter the realm. It'll take a moment or two to activate, leaving you feel a little awkward as normal people pass by and stare at you standing in a circle of mushrooms, but hold fast, because soon you'll find yourself warped into another realm.

The landscape of Tír na nóg is beautiful, looking like it came out of the pages of a fairy tale. Golden sunlight washes over lush meadows and forests ahead of you. Behind you, are tall rocky cliffs that drop down into the raging sea below. In the distance, there is a castle that stands on higher cliffs and looks like the only place of civilization in this realm. If there's any spot where the kidnapped folks are being held, it's there. You must travel through a long winding path through the forest in order to reach it. The forest is full of wildlife that's more like Earth's, but you can't but get that feeling that you're being watched. You better hope that you ate before you left or brought food of your own, because the trek takes long enough that the unprepared may find themselves feeling famished by the time they make it to the castle.

When they reach the castle, they will find the place guarded by several Fae guards along with a couple mythical beasts. They will allow entry, but only if they leave behind any iron they have on their person. If you agree to do so, they will be rather welcoming, offering refreshments for any weary travelers. Curiously, if you inquire about the other people that were brought here, the fae will seem to be of the belief that the people they're talking about have been guests at the castle longer than they've been missing, by several days in fact. What in the world is going on?

As for those who act with more hostility, well: prepare for a fight. The fae would prefer to talk things out, but they aren't afraid throw down arms when faced with violence. What more, they wield much stronger magic than anything the characters currently have. Don't be surprised to see yourself be turned into a small animal for your troubles. Only apologizing to the fae or leaving the spirit realm will reverse the effects.

Waking up at the Castle

Those who were kidnapped by the Dulahan will wake up to find themselves in much nicer accommodations than you'd expect for being kidnapped. You wake up in your own personal guestroom in soft beds. Fae attendants will come in to check on your needs, checking if everything is to your liking while any requests to go home seem to fall on deaf ears. While this place is much more medieval in terms of technology, they seem determined to make your stay as comfortable as possible. You are even allowed to leave your rooms to wander the halls to see others in their guest rooms, though for a least the first morning they block you from leaving the guest wing. It should also be noted that anything made of iron has been removed from your person.

At midday on that first day, the kidnapped characters will be invited down to the main hall of the castle for a grand feast. Any type of food you could possibly desire, as well as foods you've never heard of, are laid across the giant banquet table. The fae are friendly and more than curious to learn about their new "guests", asking personal questions and encouraging them to eat up. The fae themselves come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like classic fairies while others more otherworldly appearance. It's only when they've made sure enough of their new guests have eaten and shared their names do the head of the fae announce their reason for bringing you to their realm: they could sense something special about you, and have decided to have you joined the fae. It's been a long time since they've had anyone bolster their ranks after all.

After this announcement, the fae will allow the guests to travel where they wish. You can explore the realm or spend time with the fae as you like. However if anyone who ate the food or gave their name will find that even if they reach the gate, they won't be able to use it to get back to Kaisou. For now, you're stuck in the spirit realm.

Life among the Fae

One thing will become obvious when the kidnapped meet up with their would-be rescuers: time flows differently in this realm. A single day in Kaisou is several days in Tír na nóg. By the time the would-be rescuers have found the people they were looking for, several days have passed - more than enough time for the kidnapped to explore and experience this realm on their own. The fae themselves aren't too concerned about the new arrivals, and will treat them as guests as well. It's not like they have a way to ESCAPE after all. Though just like those kidnapped- any who share their name or eat the food will also find themselves stuck in the spirit realm. Whoops.

The fae are friendly and playful race. While they rarely give a straight answer, they enjoy playing games and hearing stories about places outside the realm. Some of their games include riddles, fishing, or playing with balls made of sheer gold. However, their good nature will quickly sour if you do anything to cross them. Attempting to cheat, steal, or honestly any perceived slight against them may result in you getting cursed with magic. This magic will either turn you partly or fully into an animal, depending on the severity of their rage. Though at the same time, getting endearing yourself too much to the fae may also end in your body getting changed, with them deciding to "bless you" by granting you fae-like features.

It's not just the fae you need to be wary of. A popular dish among the court is called the "Fish of Knowledge". It's a type of salmon that admittedly tastes extremely good. However anyone who consumes it will find it having an effect on their memories. AU characters may find all their AU memories getting swapped for the memories of their canon counterpart, now even more lost and confused to what's going on here. Otherwise, characters from other worlds (and any AU characters that rather go this route) will find themselves becoming an expert in a random field of study. Never went to medical school? Doesn't matter, you now have a PhD worth of medical knowledge in your head, or any other subject that you feel apt.

The Rescue

As much as the Fae want to keep their new friends, it's not like you guys can actually stay forever. Eventually, they'll be able to strike a deal with the leaders of the Fae. If they can retrieve the head that the Dulahan carries and bring it to Gwenffrwd well atop the mountain (there's murmurings among the court whether it's ACTUALLY a mountain, this seems to be a contentious opinion), everyone will be allowed to leave the realm. They'll even be nice enough to give back your iron weapons for this quest -- once you leave the castle grounds, that is.

Finding the Dulahan will take some work, as he wanders the bogs of Tír na nóg. These bogs are treacherous, where taking the wrong step could lead you to fall under the murky waters. No matter the time of day, it's dark and gloomy in these spots. Will-o'-the-wisps appear as lights floating over the bog, intent on leading people off the path. Undead skeletons are also found in these bogs, and they are more than happy to try to get you to join their undead horde. When you do finally find the Dulahan, you'll have to be careful to make sure he doesn't run off before you can grab that head. Not only that, but his power is stronger now that he's in the Spirit Realm, meaning his attacks might do more than just knock you out for awhile. Teamwork is likely your best option here.

Once you have retrieved the severed head (which is the real severed head of a woman, wonderful), it's time to go up the mountain(?)! Away from the bog, the path up the mountain(?) is winding but straightforward, but it'll turn out about three-fourths up the mountain there is one teensy little detail the fae left out. And that detail being that the path to the well is being guarded by a large, fire breathing, red dragon. It seems some fae have even gathered around to spectate the whole encounter, because who are they to turn down free entertainment?

Good luck guys!

If you manage to find a way past the dragon, then the rest of the trip to the well is pretty straightforward. Drop the head into the waters of the well, and there'll be a glow of magic. All characters, regardless of if they ate the fae food, will be allowed to come and go from this realm as they wish.

Aftermath

While for those trapped in the realm, it'll feel like they were there for a month -- once they return to Kaisou they will find they were only gone for 1 IC week (the 15th to the 22nd). You're welcome to deal with the consequences with work or school that'd happen for being missing for a week, though if you rather not then you'll find that Zodiac stepped in and was able to give believable excuses for your absences. It's uh, a little unnerving how good they are at handling explaining people disappearing, honestly

Any knowledge or memories that your character gained from eating the fish will disappear, becoming fuzzier and fuzzier until it's hard to recall anything they learned. As for any animal/fae features they received from Fae magic, it is optional whether or not they will stick around for any amount of time.

For the rest of the month, characters are allowed to come and go into Tír na nóg as they wish. The fae will be sad that you won't be staying with them forever, but they are still happy for your company. With the crisis averted, Zodiac will once again offer paid incentives to bring back items from the realm. Those gold balls in particular are of interest to them, but don't let the fae catch you thieving. And per usual, there'll be penalties for anyone who doesn't return the items that Zodiac loaned out.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is wind! Anyone with an affinity to the wind element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for earth will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

Memories gained by eating the fish will not remain, but characters are welcome to retain any animal features. If they were turned fully into an animal, they'll find they are now able to shift between human and animal form. Nice! (EDIT: Details on the feature have been elaborated on here.)

Any fights or interactions with NPCs will be handled by the players! Feel free to thread out things however you'd like! If you have any questions, please ask them on the plot questions thread below! The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mm, go ahead. There might be something useful.

[He's the sneak expert here, so if he feels he can go investigate then she'll be trusting his skill. Especially since she's as subtle as an angry bull in a china shop.]

Alright.

[ Phantom vanishes from sight and moves towards the room. Inside is... well, a room filled with the golden balls that Zodiac told them to look out for. There are so many... surely it would be possible to take a few without anyone noticing, right?

He doesn't see any traps for now, but the fact that the room is just left open like that is a little suspicious. After a minute or two, he returns to where Ana is waiting. ]

There are a lot of gold orbs in that room. No traps... not on the surface, at least.

[Ana stays put as he vanishes, staying back so that she doesn't trip anything. She takes a moment to glance around as well, humming softly as she keeps lookout. She perks up when Phantom returns, nodding before her eyes flicker back into existence - drifting in to take another look in some of the tighter areas. She can't see anything either... They stay hovering in the room for now, just in case.]

We should probably be careful, but they shouldn't miss an orb or two.

[Because she has rent to pay and two roommates to feed, she needs the money!!]

I suppose...

[ It's only now that he starts to think about what consequences might come out of stealing from the Fae. Then again, the Fae have stolen actual people. Maybe this is a way of payback. ]

Two, then. One each.

[ All they need to do is to walk in, and walk out. Phantom keeps his senses on alert, watchful for any sudden movement or potential threats. ]

Edited 2022-03-23 16:50 (UTC)

Awesome~

[Since it really is only fair, after they kidnapped some of their own. So there's zero regret as she walks in, her "eyes" still drifting around to keep watch - but as far as she can see, there doesn't seem to be any traps.

She does reach to snap up one of the balls of gold though, quickly moving towards the door once it's in her hands; they're all good so far... But she really doesn't trust this quiet.]

Okay, got mine, let's get going!

Very well.

[ Phantom takes one as well, bolting after Ana as soon as he's able - and not a moment too late, for a low rumbling begins to shake the entire room and a large golem-shaped creature appear from beneath the pile of golden balls as if a colossus rising from sand.

Oh dear. ]

Run!

[ There is a guardian. There is always a guardian. ]

Fucking seriously?!

[Of course there's a catch, of course there is. But she will at least send out her eyes to act as a distraction, glancing behind her to make sure Phantom is keeping pace.

It irks her to run and not fight, but she's had enough of dealing with fae bullshit today.]

[ The golem is surprisingly fast for its size, and each of its footsteps send tremors through the hallway. Space itself seems to twist as it chases after them, the corridor somehow crunching itself so that the distance between them gets closer with each step.

This is not good. Well, this isn't the end of the road for them, either. He has an ace up his sleeve still. ]

Catch!

[ He throws his orb to Ana's direction, then stops running. ]

I'll hold it off. You go on!

[What the hell, what the hell! She hates this place, officially hates it, and for once she curses her lack of angelic form - if she still had that, she could at least do something about this.

Instead there's a golem on their asses, and... And Phantom is throwing his orb at her, which she catches with a stupefied look.]

What the fuck? I can't just leave you here! [Can he really hold this off on his own? He's always seemed more stealth focused, so she's just a little worried.]

You must! What I am about to do... it does not discriminate friend from foe.

[ As if confounded by their sudden lack of evasive maneuvers, the golem comes to a slow stop. It's definitely intent on punching them in the face, though.

Phantom takes off his collar and fastens it around his arm instead. ]

We shall meet again outside. [ He says it as if he's confident... he knows he won't die, his patron won't allow it. The more important thing is to evacuate anyone that might be caught in the crossfire. ]

What the fuck - Fine, fine!

[She takes a few steps back, vivid red eyes flicking from the golem and to Phantom.]

Ten minutes. If you aren't out in ten minutes, I'm coming back!

[And fuck whatever this... weird power does, like she'll let that stop her. But she'll be trusting him for now, turning on her heel and rushing to the exit.]

[ As Ana sprints out of the castle and into the courtyard, a dense concentration of otherworldly energy begins to form behind her, familiar yet alien. After a few moments, she will be able to hear Phantom singing - hauntingly beautiful, ethereal, echoing through the air like crystal bells, yet giving her the feeling that the very tones of his song are trying to tear at her insides.

That was probably why he asked her to leave.

Once she's outside, she will no longer hear the black song. Everything is a perfect picture of fairytale forest, until a very distant boom that might suggest a certain golem falling to pieces.

Ten minutes pass. Phantom has not left the castle. ]

[It's... strange. For a moment, she wonders if an angel from home has descended - warping reality around it, the chiming song ringing in her ears. But it's not that. It's similar but not, the sound trying to tear through her.

She doesn't glance behind her, because she already knows it's Phantom. Well, now she understands why he wanted her to leave even if she's still Deeply Unhappy about it. And so she waits and listens, perking up at the resounding sound of something heavy collapsing - most likely the golem.

But Phantom still hasn't come outside. And true to her word, Ana is immediately rushing back in once the ten minute mark is up, golden orbs hidden somewhere. She remembers the way back, and she has a sinking feeling that the song she heard before will help lead the way.]

[ Phantom hasn't stopped singing.

His voice becomes audible as she enters the castle again - definitely softer than before, but its horrific presence is palpable in the air. How unusual that he is able to intone chords and sweeping melodies by the use of his throat alone, though what's more terrifying is how the timbres of his voice carry not only sound but also the extremities of a vast spiritual presence. The Angel of Music takes physical form within his song, smearing the surroundings with creeping darkness and kaleidoscopic illusions.

Ana will find him at the center of this gothic nightmare, visible scratch marks on the side of his neck, adjacent to the thick scar which marked where he had been (almost) murdered. His eyes are filled with unseeing black, and he continues to sing.

Surely it would be easier to end his mental assault by simply knocking him out? If anyone can withstand his song, it's her. Normal humans don't stand a chance. ]

[Ah, she thought so.

It's easy to follow the trail, the song ringing in her ears - she knows if she was human, her mind would have caved in already in all senses of the word; her mind mush and her brain dissolving into nothing.

Even now it grates, nerves frayed and the sound ringing, aching, into her bones, but she perseveres. There is relief when she finds him, but it's only temporary considering the state he's in; she knows he won't stop singing.

Not unless she forces him to stop.

With a grit of her teeth, she storms forward - ignoring the darkness and illusions that make her eyes burn - as her hand balls into a fist, rearing it up.]

Enough! [And that fist is aimed right towards Phantom's face. Maybe she'll apologize later. Maybe.]

[ Hilariously, almost comically, that does make him stop.

The force of Ana's punch is probably enough to decapitate a normal human; but Phantom is hardly a normal human. His body is held together by his patron's power, which is both his greatest strength and weakness. By knocking him out, the link which allows the Angel of Music to manifest has been severed.

Phantom falls to the floor. In the wake of his loss of consciousness, the silence is deafening. The world around them returns to normal, the last refrains of unearthly music fading away without a host to anchor them, the darkness retreating to hide in his shadow.

Yeah he's out cold. For now. ]

[Oh.

Oops.

Well, he stopped and that's the main thing. Though now he's unconscious, so the next task is to get him out of here so they aren't cornered by another golem again. But not before she makes a face at the darkness retreating to his shadow. Whatever that is, it's an asshole.

Luckily it's easy to gather Phantom into her arms, carrying him outside. For now she'll let him rest outside the castle, placing him on the grass once they're a safe distance away - she has no idea where he even stays, and this is safe than her trying to carry him while getting harassed by faeries.]

[ Phantom weighs as a man of his height should, but his body is noticeably colder than a human should be. Ever since he was brought to the brink of death, his patron has kept him wavering on the line by way of its incomprehensible power. Luckily for the both of them, it doesn't take long for him to regain consciousness - just as he opens his eyes, a two-tailed black cat pops out of a nearby bush and...

... and proceeds to walk over his face. The resultant loose hairs irritate him enough for him to start coughing, expelling some suspiciously dark phlegm from his throat.

Miss Christine looks at him with an expression that almost says 'I told you so'. ]

[Luckily thanks to her strength, he weighs practically nothing to her - though how cold he is tips her towards a little concerned. He still seems to be breathing though, so it's not like her punch did any serious damage.

So she just waits for him to wake up, planting herself against a tree nearby. Perking up when his eyes open, before then snickering when the cat walks over his face - brows raising as he starts to cough.]

Should I hit your back to help you get... whatever that is out?

[Probably residue from that Creepy Bullshit earlier.]

[ Phantom takes a while to respond - he's gotten into a sitting position now, but his body is still intent on ridding itself of what might actually be corrupted congealed blood. At least he's got a handkerchief somewhere to clean it off his hands later...

Instead, it's the cat that responds to her question, shaking her head a few times and accompanying the motion with a pointed meow. ]

[HMMM THAT'S A LITTLE MORE CONCERNING.

But it seems like the cat can understand her, so she nods at the meow - letting herself stay back for now, even if seeing him cough up blood makes her eyes squint a little.]

Does this... always happen, when he does that weird shit?

[Directed at the cat, since Phantom is a bit preoccupied with coughing up blood.]

[ Judging from what's happening, it's logical to assume that what he's coughing up is blood, but the colour and consistency of the liquid is a little disturbing. After a few moments, it seems his airways are finally clear, but he doesn't speak.

Miss Christine nods again, using her tails to swat Phantom's leg in a clearly disapproving manner. She's not going to let him live this down, it seems. ]

[Ana snickers as Miss Christine whacks his leg with her tail, leaning back against the tree as she regards him with a crocked smirk.]

Doesn't seem like your friend approves of what you did. So, what was that, exactly?

[Since it seems like he can speak, it's questioning time.]

[ Phantom remains silent, removing the collar from where he had strapped it to his arm, and then fastening it around his neck again. When he speaks, his voice is back to its usual hoarseness, lacking in emotion. ]

... Many years ago, someone tried to take my life. Before mine spirit could cross the river of no return, something reached out from beyond the veil and staked my soul to this world. I still live, because a fragment of its presence resides within this body... I may draw upon its power, if only for a moment.

[ Miss Christine jumps into his lap, and he starts to smoothen her fur slowly, looking down. ]

[So the collar is like an inhibitor, huh. Ana listens with no change in her expression, only just canting her head to the side for a moment.]

That explains why it's so... otherworldly. And you say just a moment, but what would've happened if I didn't stop you?

[Or if she was just a mere human? If it was anyone else, it wouldn't have been so easy.]

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