DAY 012

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| DAY 012: GENERAL While the ice storm outside has subsided to occasional fits of cold rain, it remains unseasonably cold outside. Within the Town and much of the rest of the grounds, there are broken branches and bits of debris from the storm littering the ground. Thin layers of extremely slick ice are all over and cover buildings and outside objects, more prevalent wherever there is shade. Many of the small gardens and outdoor plants grown in town have taken a beating as well. Wherever he may be, Kaito will find three large blooms left near him, the petals a faintly glowing purple-to-gold; the flowers rest on top of a small pile of fruits and vegetables from the garden, all perfectly ripened. Ysayle wakes with a pair of bracers on her pillow. They are silver banded, with a shimmery blue scale pattern upon them. They whisper with power when she lifts them, casting upon her an image of a dragon twisting in flight, dark scales gleaming in light. Someone has also left a white cloak made of soft, silken fur with silver ties. It is very light, but holds warmth. Murtagh will find a pair of red-bracers on his pillow, they are cold to the touch and seem to absorb heart. Fire magic cast against them is absorbed. With them is a worked leather harness, a gem placed in the center of it. It fits Thorn in his new form perfectly. Soma will find a small, silver banded vile and chain laying on the trunk at the end of his bed. The chain smells as though it was handled by two people, both female, one with a distinctly musty scent to her. He may also catch one of the Grey Maids exiting the room, a bundle of fresh linens in her arms. Hope has a small, braided silver shoulder band. It is cold to the touch and absorbs the heat of any flame that grows close. Luke has a small basket of fruit, and a tiny silver bell. The odd other power from the night begins to taper off, and he will return to normal over the course of the day, although he remains free of the corruption. Estinien has a pair of dark purple bracers, the scale pattern seeming to move in the light. For him the flight is less peaceful, the dragon twisting in the air to strike at something else. Terra has a pair of beautifully blue crystal earrings, the points of them catching the air. They too absorb fire, and leave him with a lingering sense of satisfaction. What has been left for Aymeric seems entirely useless. Three bands of a purple fabric, marked with a sigil of a dragon in flight, braided with a band of white and blue. They have an unusual weight to them. Sync gets a small knife, the sheath and hilt made of a thick, shiny leather. Richter will find a single silver charm that seems to hold a piece of wood within it. || GARDENS, YARD, AND TOWN The Garden proper is less affected; some of the upper branches of its strange canopy have broken in stray winds, most simply falling into lower branches. With the storm passed, the canopy is now growing leaves, a fresh layer of green over the area. While those over 18 will find there is a sense of being watched, and that some of the foliage seems to almost be shifting to keep track of their movements, they are not harmed so long as they remain relatively peaceful and are not causing wanton damage to the area--or trying to remove anyone younger from it against their will. By the Golden Sapling, the strange emerald-leaved plants growing around the pot seem to have rapidly matured, standing a few feet tall each. The plants have buds that seem disinclined to bloom, although there is a hint of a shimmering, iridescent multicolor in what can be seen. In scattered corners of the garden and small rows lining around the various secure groves, there are more of the emerald shoots beginning to grow out of the undergrowth. Zeph is sitting cross-legged among Hibari's animals in the Stable, his head tilted very slightly to the side as though he is listening to something, feet tucked carefully under his body, and arms loose at his sides. The scales that one transformed the side of his face and arm are gone, and he looks for once like a rather battered pre-teen, with sleepy, heavy eyes. In the town, the Apothecary still stands undamaged by the events of the night. Late in the morning the shopkeeper emerges and takes a long look at the house, a frown on his face as he looks over the lack of damage and compares it to the buildings around him. He's skittish today, but he leaves the door open when he goes back inside to show that he's open for business. Lost in the paths of the Gardens, the two Prisoners are both clearly still a bit exhausted. The Male Prisoner while healed, still seems more inclined to curl up beneath one of the hedges and sleep, whispering under his breath. It mostly appears to be nonsense. The female does not even attempt to rise from where she has been placed. || CASTLE The Castle is beginning to show signs of disrepair; layers of dust have settled everywhere, and paths of common traffic can be seen in bits of dirt and mud footprints making trails. Flowers in vases are withered and in poor condition, with murky water below. Marks of dirt and dust have gathered on walls and decor, and in places there are random objects out of place - soap missing from second-floor bathrooms only to be found in half-used slivers in a different room, towels piled on the floors of the bathrooms instead of neatly hung, rings of mineral residue forming on sinks and in tubs. The Kitchen is one of the few exceptions; the Cook is making an effort to maintain the area, with the assistance of two of the Grey Maids. At dawn, the Guards form up in the great hall. One of them lingers in the common room to escort anyone there who is volunteering to where they’re gathering. They will have a few hours essentially checking preparations, waiting to see who responds to the messages, and seeking and organizing volunteers before they lead the way downstairs. Servants assisting will be shown the drawing of the Bogey, and informed that it is an old sort of creature, one that feeds upon the terror and lives of its prey - something descended from the Sorrow in some way. It is weakened after its defeat the previous night by Richter Belmont; by now it has revived, albeit weakened, and the main goal of the hunt is to return it to a set of bindings and containment in the Zoo, as the Castle has managed to rebuild and repair the locks and seals that held it before. They will be warned that there will be other creatures in the lost halls, various things warped by the presence of the Sorrow’s power; even those that do not encounter the Bogey will be at risk, and should be prepared to fight. They have no interest in anything else found in the halls; as long as the servants are mindful of risks of corruption, objects found in the halls are fair game. The bars over the entrances into the warped endless halls around the dorms open at the approach of a group, then close after; the groups will be sent down different entrances into the odd complex below. Each group will have a guard accompanying them. In the Kitchen, the little party has been joined by the Scaled Glassblower and the young man from the Pottery Room. Both are carrying light packs and helping the Carpenter blindfold the Weaver. The young woman is clearly terrified, teeth chattering and entire body shuddering, but she makes no move to push them away. The Cook is making a small pack of food for them, carefully wrapping it in fabric. In the Collector’s Library, the wind has finally ceased. The doors to the Throne Room are locked. Noises can be heard from within, but they will not open even under the most skilled attempt at lock picking. A man wakes in the Receiving Room with a sharp gasp and gets quickly to his feet. He's tall, otherwise of average build, with short dark hair and quick eyes. The way he looks at the grandness surrounding him morphs from shock to familiarity but is then clouded by distaste as he roughly straightens his plain clothes and dusts himself off. He doesn't linger long, and soon heads for the stairs to the second floor. Outside of the Locked Door on the second floor, a faint female voice can be heard softly singing, her voice barely rising above a hum. The door is solidly locked. In the second-floor servant passageways, all of the doors leading to the third floor would appear to have vanished. The door behind the glass in the Music Box Bedroom is also just as mysteriously gone. The Steward's Quarters are once again in a state of complete disarray, however, the ghost himself is nowhere to be found. No chores have been assigned today. (A master post will be on the comm for the hunt; we do encourage grouping up, although 2-3 is the easiest to work with! If someone is going along but unsure of grouping the guards will flag stragglers, allowing for people with no or little prior CR to partner up or group up easily. Those going on the hunt will have the option of running a GM’ed session on Discord or Plurk, or threading out on the master post with mod replies/comments posted in for finding things, guard interaction, and encounters. As soon as a group is decided on OOC’ly they can tag the master post or flag down to arrange a hunt!) || THREAT DOWN GENERAL: ▪ The storm has subsided, but the freezing weather persists and some damage has been left ▪ Kaito, Ysayle, Murtagh, Soma, Hope, Luke, Estinien, Terra, Aymeric, Sync, and Richter have received gifts. GARDENS, YARD, AND TOWN: ▪ The Garden is growing new foliage. It is not aggressive today, but those over 18 will feel a sense of being watched ▪ The plants surrounding the Golden Sapling continue to grow ▪ Zeph is in the Stable ▪ The Apothecary is undamaged by the storm THE CASTLE: ▪ The Castle is showing signs of disrepair ▪ The Guards have gathered in the great hall to organize a hunt for the Bogey ▪ The Glassblower, Carpenter, and Weaver are in the Kitchen with the Cook ▪ The Throne Room is locked ▪ A strange man has awoken in the Receiving Room and makes his way up to the second floor ▪ A faint female voice is singing beyond the Locked Room on the second floor ▪ The doors leading to third-floor passageways have apparently vanished ▪ The Steward is nowhere to be found

Comments

Mukuro, Murtagh, Kaito

[whiteofcrime]

Mukuro will be going with Hibari to speak to that strange new man (is it Mineho??? who knows)

Murtagh will be joining the bogey hunt and add to his long string of Excellent Life Choices

Kaito will want to peek in on the glass-maker and also spend some time with his tree. Then he'll be diving into THE MAZE to look for a way out into the forest.