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

[Just mildly concerning yeah. All those clues combine probably don't point to Jun just running church bake sales back in his other life]

Mm...I- [correcting himself] He felt affection for Kou. Like he was a dear friend. I don't know much about Kou, but he looked like a high schooler - and he'd call me- him an idiot, but in an affectionate way.

It was such a normal memory compared to all the other memories. I'm not sure what to make of it.

[ ...and for all the Concerning bits of today, this little glimmer of something that constitutes a relief? is a proverbial sight for sore eyes.

a little tension leaks from Abel's shoulders before he shrugs (o-ow; he winces and grumbles - that one is still tender oops) as he continues alongside his son. ]

His life might've been complicated... just like yours has been. Maybe we aren't the same people they are, but-- maybe we share some commonalities. Maybe that's why their memories are being granted to us.

[ even if it makes him sad to think he has anything in common with this child whose heart seems closed off; at least it hasn't been severed entirely.

is that who Jun could've been if he hadn't left Krusnik...? ]

[He'll catch that wince and grumble, looking up to see if his dad's ok and immediately fussing without a second thought] - Careful with that shoulder, Dad. You heal fast but not that fast.

[It's a typical Jun response, immediately thinking of someone else's wellbeing before his own problems. But Dad doesn't seem grievously harmed, so he'll go back to what they were talking about]

Complicated like mine has been...? You mean you think his past might have similarities to mine? Which... [He thinks that over...it's possible, he supposes. He remembered himself when he was younger, resisting any urge to express how he was feeling, since Krusnik never reacted well to emotional responses. Crying, yelling- he remembered the punishments for that. Even once he had been away from Krusnik, it had taken awhile before he could allow himself to do those actions. But if he hadn't gotten away when Abel had found him, then...]

...Oh.

[He says, making it clear he's coming to the same place of reason as his father. ]

[ it's a sad place, but they get there together. Abel's gaze is softly apologetic as Jun reaches the conclusion he had been leading him toward. ]

Whoever they are, they aren't us-- no matter how real it feels in the moment.

[ and after what he had seen-- he's rather glad that's the fact, right now. the vision of Lilith's lifeless eyes... it's sticking with him, the visceral grief for someone he's never met before sitting heavy in his chest.

it has to be the same for Jun, right? these snapshots of someone else's experiences are extremely moving - but they aren't theirs. ]

But maybe their lives will remind us to be humble in ours.

[ because even if some of the brief snapshots he's gotten haven't been bad, he knows right down to his core that his life-- his real life-- is where he belongs and wants to be. he's happy; that man... that man was not. and it sounds like Jun is in a much similar position. ]

[He listens, and gives a little bit of a nod. It's reassuring to hear that coming from his dad. He had a way of making things make more sense for Jun. ]

...You're right. I've always been grateful you found me, but maybe these memories are proof of how much of a blessing it really was.

[It's ironic really. His other self was with the church, and clearly had some kind of holy power if this mark on his arm was any proof. And yet it was in this life that he felt he was really blessed. ]

Just...do me a favor, please? If I start getting more emotionless like him, snap me out of it, ok?

[It's a precautionary measure. He doesn't know if that'll actually happen, but he doesn't want to be like that.]

Jun?

[ Abel reaches out for his son's shoulder, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze. ]

...You won't. You won't become like that, but if anything were to happen-- I'll make sure you remember yourself, okay? You don't need to worry.

[ Jun's path didn't follow this repressed stranger's, and it never will. if it comes down to it, Abel will do whatever he has to in order to bring his boy back from the daydreams of another life that isn't Jun's. ]

[Jun feels that hand on the shoulder, grounding him. He takes a deep breath as he nods. Right. He won't become like that. And if he does, his dad would snap him out of it. He didn't have to worry. ]

...Thanks Dad. Truly.

[However this moment is cut short in the distance, in the direction they're heading? A loud dragon roar bellows out.

Jun goes wide eye, looking around, completely surprised]

-- What was that?

[ that's right... in this touching moment, they've gotten a bit more of their equilibrium back. today has certainly been a Thing, and that was before the Dullahan even came into the picture-- being separated for quite some time (in Abel's timeline of events, anyway) and reunited was exciting enough!! headless shenanigans are just.

yeah.

but as Abel's expression melts into something warm, ]

[ ........that warmth abruptly dissolves into

horror.

not because it's a dragon, per say. because like, honestly? that isn't entirely shocking in the fae realm. oh, no. the horror is the realization that this very long, very arduous day is most likely not even close to over yet, because

the dragon sure did sound awfully like it was roaring from the direction they're GOING at this present point in time, ]

...It isn't too late to do that whole turning into a cat thing, is it?

[Yep. it sure did sound like it's in the direction they're supposed to go! Of course there'd be a catch. Of course.]

No, you're not becoming a cat!

[NO GETTING OUT OF THIS MISTER]

W-We just...need a plan! Maybe there's a way to go around the dragon.

[Because seriously even young reckless Jun knows fighting a dragon head on is a suicide mission]

...What, exactly, are we supposed to be doing with th-- the, ah...

[ yeah. you know, the thing Jun's carrying he definitely doesn't want to think about?? has Abel already forgotten the mission? maybe, but cut him a break. he's 2iq and things were very distracting; he thought getting the head from the Dullahan would be the most difficult task of the day...!! ]

Jun? Jun, please tell me we can avoid it. Please.

The- [He stops himself from saying it, to spare his dad] We're supposed to take it to a well on top of the mountain.

[And this is the only known path up the mountain. Hooray]

And I don't know! I didn't even know there was a dragon until a minute ago. We'll need to have a look.

[ ooohh man, they're going to end up running into the dragon, aren't they? what is with their luck today...

Abel is creeping a little closer to Jun, whether to watch his back or to look for protection??? who knows. ]

A well...? Is it all the way at the top? What, do we have to-- drop it in...?

[ that is..... is that like, disrespectful to whoever's head this is.........

you know what? the less he thinks about the head the better, so he's just Not. no thinking. brain empty. that, at least, he can do ]

[Considering Abel's a good foot taller than him, any attempt to hide behind him is going to look a bit on the ridiculous side. But he doesn't back away]

Mm, that's what they said. I don't know why, but it should get us back home.

[And that was the important part! the mission! Getting his father back home. ]

Let's move...slowly and carefully ok? The dragon sounded a ways off, so I doubt he knows we're here yet.

[ right, right... subtlety is probably for the best, right? suppose he ought to repress his propensity for screeching at top volume, then. he's dropping his voice appropriately ~~for once~~, ]

...Mm, okay. I've got my ears pricked, but let's be careful.

[ yes, he is still hovering behind Jun at his shoulder...... and yes, he is a little hunched over. it's fine. ]

[He nods his head with an affirming "mm" as he slowly starts to move forward. It takes a bit, but eventually they come upon: the dragon. It's situated in an open space on the pathway, with tall cliffs surrounding it.

At the moment, it's lying down, gnawing on the bones of a creature that was probably a recent kill.

Jun will move to hide behind some rocks, out of the dragon's view. he gulps]

Well...it's a dragon alright.

[That much confirmed!!!]

[ oh, man. oh man. it's an actual dragon...???? this is an actual dragon.

have to admit it's kind of. cool? and also terrifying. terrifyingly cool? and just plain terrifying, yeah. Abel is peering beyond Jun, watching the creature's massive jaws going to work on what remains of its prey. ]

I-it's like a big dog, when you think about it...

[ ....... ]

[It was certainly cool. If there wasn't the concern of having to get past this guy, Jun would be in awe of this guy. A real life dragon, looking just like how it's talked about in stories.

...And of course, his dad likens it to a dog]

Something tells me we shouldn't try to make it play fetch.

[ but if they throw a bone, will it give chase.....? experiments... brewing...

Abel straightens his posture with a little grunt before heaving a soft sigh, folding arms over his chest. hm, hm. ]

Do you see where the well is from here?

Hm?

[he peeks over the rock, being careful not to get spotted]

...yeah, I think so. There's a building about a 50 yards past the dragon.

...Okay. Okay, okay then. Goal is in reach!

[ well. this is... troublesome, to say the least. ]

We can try to sneak around it, but if we're caught-- we should have a plan B. Maybe some kind of distraction? I don't know about you, but I'm not quite in the mood to fight that thing and test my luck a second time today...

Mm, I don't think we'd last very long against a dragon anyway.

[So he agrees, no fighting there!! He considers Abel's plan. Thinking over both of them sneaking...]

...If I can sneak over there, it'd be easy to teleport back, grab you, and teleport you to the other side. Meanwhile, you could watch and trigger a distraction if needed.

[ not banking on Abel's sneak level is probably wise tbh,

so he nods his head in assent. this sounds like a plan to him! ]

Alright... but just-- be careful, alright? Extra careful... like-- really extra careful, mm?

[ it's a dragon.

IT'S A DRAGON SO BE CAREFUL. ]

[yeah he loves you dad but you're the human equivalent of a inflated wavy man. Not ideal for sneaking.]

I will, promise.

[No arguing at all! Taking a deep breath, he'll slowly start to move out from behind the rock and into the opening, making sure to keep from the far wall of the dragon.

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