DAY 002

[allthekeys]

|| Day 002: GENERAL As dawn grows closer, the sounds of the battle lessen. The siege that has taken much of the night loses the energy that it held earlier. The last hour of night is almost too still after the fury of the fight. Elsewhere in the castle, it seems that the party has come to an end, and a grand procession of people in wild costumes leaves the hall. Some seem almost familiar, but the servants will feel compelled to step aside and keep their heads lowered as the party passes them by. The Jester slowly stops his playing, and the brightly colored woman curls into herself, feathers draped around her. She vanishes before dawn, should anyone check, as do the strange, elongated creatures. The Jester remains on the throne for a few minutes longer, strumming something that sounds too cheery for the tunes he has been playing all night, then slips the instrument over his shoulder and walks out of the room. Though he is bedecked in bells, his steps are entirely silent. Throughout the castle and grounds, the gargoyles return to their perches and pedestals, reliefs melting back into the walls; as soon as the sun's light hits the castle, they return to being inert statues. As dawn grows closer, those within the house will find themselves feeling incredibly sleepy. Each will wake in their own bed, their clothes repaired and stain free, the fires in the rooms tended well enough that the rooms are warm. They have even been tucked in, boots removed and sitting next to the bed. Dist will wake with scarlet feathers braided into his hair; they are warm to the touch and seem to provide some light if he finds himself in total darkness. Alex will wake with a smaller bangle made up of three feathers clipped into her hair, offering the same warmth and light. Kaito and Sam will find small silver charms in the shape of a coiled snake tucked into their trunks. Gloves have been left on each chest, as well as a fur lined hat and scarf made of the same grey wool that makes up the guests' cloaks. There is no sign of whoever has left them behind. The gloves are finely made; the hide oiled to provide some protection from moisture and is lightly lined with a soft, warm fur that will keep fingers from freezing. They are sized to fit the hand of the person they have been left with. The morning has seen a return of the gruel in the kitchen, though the warming drink remains in the pot and will be constantly refilled. A few of guards are dragging in the massive carcasses of the flying deer, leaving them in a bloody pile on the floor. It is clear what the task of those assigned to the kitchen duty will be doing. The dining hall is being cleared of plates, many still half covered in food. Those with nimble fingers will not be stopped from grabbing food from these trays as they are hauled away. A massive pile of dishes is stacked around and near the sinks, also clearly for the workers to deal with. The baby animals that have been so carefully tended during the night are being carefully herded out to the stables by a youth with catlike features; the two griffins seem entirely enthralled with his tail. A fire has been built up in the stables, and the small room that he is placing the small creatures in is kept quite comfortably warm. Those who have the stable duty will clearly be tending to them as well. Several of the Guards seem to have been injured in their defense of the castle, and though most injuries seem light, four have been lain in the beds and seem rather grievously injured. One has the center part of his armor badly damaged, another is missing an arm, and the last has a helm that has nearly been crushed, while the last seems to have had parts of his arm and chestplate burned and torn. A young woman, maybe in her mid teens, walks between them, examining the injured and speaking softly to the Captain who lingers close to his injured men. She is dressed in a heavy apron, with leather gloves on her hand, and will be in and out during the day as she crafts metal to fix them. The Prisoner is curled up in her cell, hidden beneath a pile of blankets. She is also covered in the soft orange feathers, a few longer ones moving as she breathes. She will stir if addressed, though her responses seem limited as she is very tired. Someone has filled a small iron bowl with coals and ash and left it just outside her cell, it makes the air around her slightly warmer. In the Women's Quarters the maid has left her weaving behind, and the toys have been put away. Anyone who looks through the chests can find the jacks in the one furthest from the wall, tucked against a few stuffed toys and other assorted childish things. The dining hall has been left a mess, and a few of the Grey Maids are beginning the laborious task of clearing the table. It will take much of the long day to return this room to what it should be, and they seem very appreciative of those who offer them aid and the work crews assigned to them. Outside, the locked gate to the Town is open; two guards stand on either side, keeping watch, but will not block passage, although they may remove guests who are not putting some effort towards their chores. Cords of banners of colored, slightly ragged cloth hang between the buildings, several of the shops have open doors, and the central Market Square has a few rows of tables and stalls arranged; those with wages from work will find that the shops and vendors will accept the coin. A small, rickety stage has been constructed with a few worn and battered instruments setting on it. Quiet music pervades the square clearly centered on it, but there is no sign of the source. There is a constant murmur of voices and footsteps, yet most of the sources are phantoms; faint impressions of people and presences that never entirely seem aware of the guests, although those at market stalls will take coin in trade for goods well enough. Occasionally one of the dented and battered guards will drift through the festivities, taking long pauses by the stalls and music. All around the stage, several booths of simple games have been set up. Feats of strength, dexterity, and other skills can be flaunted for the price of a few copper, bringing with it the chance to win prizes and gifts. None of the prizes are visible from in front of the stalls, nor is it possible to actually inventory what games are available, as if the memory soon slips away when the servants turn away. But there seems to be a game for a wide variety of talents, both mental and physical, and the showmen are more than willing to let the servants be creative to show off what they can do to earn a prize. None of these people running the games have faces, but they give the unmistakable impression that they're grinning literally ear to ear. Among the stalls, guests will find fresh fruits and vegetables, a few varieties of flour, a range of bread, baked goods, and pastries, rough faintly-scented soaps, some handcarved wooden goods, and what to many will be somewhat archaic, simple clothing, some of it dyed and colored; another stall sells somewhat sweet, dark varieties of beer, ciders, and liquors made from fruit and herbs. A firepit with a spit roasts pieces of venison and a couple of large, skinned and cleaned birdlike wings; cuts of cooked meat served with dumplings, pickled cabbage, cooked asparagus and turnips, and a simple broth-based gravy can be purchased for a few coins, along with sweetened dumplings covered in thin fruit sauces. Only the baker's stall is manned by a visible person, the Baker tending to his wares. A Crow sits on the open gate, watching those who travel to the town. Its feathers are fluffed up against the cold, but it otherwise could be confused with a statue. The chores for the day have been assigned: Dorm 18 - Kitchen Dorm 19 - Kitchen Dorm 20 - First Floor Dorm 21 - Basement Dorm 22 - Groundskeeping - gardens Dorm 23 - Groundskeeping - Yard/road, Stables/animal tending Dorm 24 - Groundskeeping - gardens Dorm 25 - First Floor Dorm 26 - Basement Dorm 27 - Groundskeeping - Yard/road, Stables/animal tending Dorm room list [ ooc: if you want to play a game, comment to the post with what skill your character is demonstrating and a dice roll results out of 100. We'll reply letting you know how you did and if you've won a prize! Feel free to try more than once, too. And one more note: we are offering the option to extend the Day/Night 2 cycle throughout the holidays this coming month. A poll can be found here. Go forth and vote!]

Comments

[canonized_demon]

Alex plays games. First she does some shooting/target practice and then tests her strength!

RoninIBE rolled 2 100-sided dice: 55 33

Shooting: 55
Strength: 33

[allthekeys]

Alex's aim is true today! While she doesn't hit bullseye, she's more than within the target. Alex wins and is handed a package of smoked meat.

This strength exercise seems to be designed for someone stronger than the average human. Alex loses.

[angel_of_death]

Walter will play a target practice game, and will be attempting to kick a knife at the target.

Dice Roll: 73

[allthekeys]

There is a sudden shift at the last moment, though Walter won't be able to tell of what, and the knife goes off target. Walter loses.

[angel_of_death]

At the market square, Walter will talk to the Baker to get that empty flour bag, as well as try to talk to one of the Guards about the battle the previous night (in order to spark the motive for finding the armour pieces he does manage to find later). Here's a link with some prompts, just in case.

[sky_sharkling]

Agito will be playing some kind of target practice/accuracy game (because Aki told him to), and because somehow my luck is great tonight, the dice rolled a freaking 2 XD I don't even know.

[sky_sharkling]

Also Aki rolled a 90 for the same game because tag required it.

[allthekeys]

Akito's just slightly off point today. He loses.

[allthekeys]

Agito's aim easily brings him within the target! He wins and is handed a warm cloak.

[inquisitora]

Callo will play something to do with accuracy, and something that shows off dexterity, like rope-ladder walking. She'll also test her strength for the fun of it, and maybe a luck game. She wants to try getting into the spirit of things.

Shooting: 93
Dexterity: 98
Strength: 76
Luck: 79

[allthekeys]

Callo accuracy and dexterity fail her, with the targets and ropes seeming to move of their own accord. She loses both games.

Callo's strength, however, proves fairly impressive! It's not an easy task, but she succeeds-- winning the game and earning herself a pastry.

Callo loses the game of luck by a long shot. She feels unlucky for the rest of the day.

[drammaturga]

Mastermind will play some kind of game having to do with cleverness/intelligence like puzzles or riddles (especially if wordplay is involved), and another to do with luck.

Cleverness/Intelligence: 70
Luck: 27

This is assuming she could find loose coins while actively looking for any dropped on the street

[allthekeys]

Mastermind loses the first game. The gamemaster gives off the impression that he is grinning at her.

She gets reasonably lucky though and wins the second game. She is given a small loaf of bread.

[drammaturga]

She will very happily thank them both for the fun! /o/

[whiteofcrime]

Kaito is going to first go for one of those games where you need to aim and throw maybe a ball or hoop or something and get it in a thing--
> 18

and then he'll try the intellectual games, maybe wordplay or something--
> 55, 21

and then a game of dexterity--
> 86, 94, 70, 84, 19


(Yeah, he's a pretty sore loser. He would try until he won something. Which, incidentally, please tell me if he didn't so I can reroll until he does ffff...

ALSO, Kaito is going to try and talk to the crow [well, caw at it] if that does anything.)

[allthekeys]

Kaito almost wins the first game. The ball bounces off the back of the booth just above his target and narrowly misses hitting him on its way back.

The second wordplay game is a success; Kaito wins. He is given a muffin.

Kaito loses the dexterity games. Twice he falls. The gameskeeper gives him back the price of one game in pity.

[whiteofcrime]

He's gonna try the ball game a few more times /HUFF
> 95 6 17 13

But yay, a muffin 8D

[allthekeys]

Kaito loses the first game, the ball flying back at him and hitting him in the face.

But he wins the other three tries! The gameskeeper is impressed at his comeback. He is given a blank journal that does not connect to the others, a stuffed crow doll and a puzzle box. There seems to be something inside the box.

[morethanaprocessor]

Against her better judgement Molly is going to play a game where you locate a hidden object (such as the shell game). She rolled (and I swear this on my life) a 4.

[allthekeys]

Molly finds the object with no difficulty at all. She also finds some copper coins under the cup with it. The gameskeeper is rather confused, but concedes that Molly won. She is given a stuffed fabric doll with small sparkling stones for eyes. It is warm to the touch.

[morethanaprocessor]

Know she's curious and decides to play a few more times.

She rolls a 2, 12, and 14 and I swear I TRIED for higher numbers even /dying.

[allthekeys]

So sorry for the delay!

Molly wins the first two games. She is awarded a pastry and a warm grey scarf. She loses the third game, though she could have sworn she had it right. The gamekeeper 'smiles' a little too wide at that.

[solitarynuvola]

Hibari is going for a few games!

Strength: 54, 13, 2 (he probably broke something)

Accuracy (archery/knife throwing): 69, 16, 53

Shooting: 20.

Also questions! How much would the cakes of soap and the flour cost? I estimated about 8 coppers each for the soap and 5 coppers for a pound of flour but feel free to adjust prices if I got them too far off.

[allthekeys]

Those prices sound fine for soap and flour!

Strangely, Hibari only wins the first two strength games, the second by a good deal! The third he cracks the object and hurts his hand in the process. He is given a pastry and a warm scarf for his efforts.

He wins the second of the two accuracy games, losing the other two. He is given a hat that matches his new scarf.

His shooting is fine today! He wins a muffin.

[solitarynuvola]

/o/ Thank you!

He's a sore loser so he's going to try some more games.

Accuracy: 35, 20

Dexterity: 95, 80, 8, 19.

I'm sorry he's a giant sulky loser.

[allthekeys]

Sorry for the delay!

Hibari wins both accuracy games! He is given a warm cloak and another muffin.

He loses three of the four dexterity games, though the last he comes close! The third game of four he wins and is treated to some smoked jerky.

[oneformisery]

Murtagh tries the archery game and fails in spectacular fashion. THESE GAMES ARE OBVIOUSLY RIGGED.
> 96 76 39 98 60

[allthekeys]

Murtagh loses each round. He nearly kills the gameskeeper in the process, who is disgruntled but does not shoo him away as of yet. He denies any accusations of the games being rigged but Murtagh is probably right to suspect this.

PRETEND THIS IS MURTAGH

[whiteofcrime]

I completely forgot to roll for him doing a sparring match against an npc (I don't know if this counts as a 'game' but still)

> 49

WELL ALRIGHT

[allthekeys]

Sorry for the delay!

Murtagh wins the sparring match! It's close, but he comes out victorious. The gamekeeper is impressed, giving him a handshake along with his prize of a voucher for a free drink at the pub. He is also refunded his entry fee.

[redfiend]

Dante's gotta not get rusty so he's gonna do shooting/target practice and test out his strength just for fun!

Got 94 for shooting and 82 for strength. Whoops.

[allthekeys]

Sorry for the delay!

Dante has bad luck today, and loses both games. The gamekeeper seems impressed nonetheless.

[spare_parts]

Dist tried out a couple games! An endurance game with a roll of 69 and a perception game with a roll of 24!

[allthekeys]

Sorry for the delay!

Dist loses the endurance game, getting tired out when he's nearing the end of the challenge! He wins the perception game, though he almost misses something in the trick of the light. The gamekeeper seems impressed that he caught it after all, and refunds him along with his prize of a pastry.

[shuttersense]

Rei tries out a few games!

Hand eye coordination: 29

Memory: 5

[allthekeys]

Sorry for the delay!

Rei loses the coordination game, though she comes close! She does win the memory game, however, and is awarded a small braid of dark hair. She seems to forget where to find the game again after she leaves the stall.