NIGHT 012

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 012: GENERAL || CASTLE Mukuro spends the last part of the day in a deep slumber which nothing seems able to rouse him from. When he awakens, he is fine, with no signs of harm or distress. Luke and Sync will each find a small iron token with a crude gryphon stamp near them when they wake, strung on a leather cord. So long as they wear or carry it upon their person, they will find that the guards and castle defenses will recognize them no matter what they wear. The Grey Maids are scattered throughout the castle. At first it might seem as though they are attempting to make headway on the disrepair and growing mess, but it soon becomes apparent that true progress is impossible. Each of them seems locked into a loop, cleaning or tending to one spot without ever continuing on with their work. One cleans a corner of a window in a repetitive cycle while the rest of it stays filthy; another mops the floor in one small patch of a hallway in an endless circle, every few minutes returning to where she had begun. These odd scenes play out throughout the castle. The bars that had blocked off the warped halls around the Dorms retract into the walls, with all sign they had ever existed vanishing. Those attempting to go past the area of the established, active dorms will find themselves seeming to walk without getting anywhere, only making any progress when they turn back. This does not seem to apply to creatures other than the servants, however; when night falls, a number of twisted, vaguely human figures, clammy pale skin marbled with blackened veins, wearing tattered grey rags, emerge from the halls. The creatures’ eyes are empty black hollows, their hands twisted into blackened claws, and their limbs distorted. So long as they are not disturbed in their entrance, they will file out across the castle, joining the Grey Maids in finding some spot or another of the castle to repeat motions of long-forgotten chores. While the Maids remain harmless, anyone approaching these creatures too closely will find them quick to lash out--but retreating away from their odd chores leaves them dazed and returning to their “work”, as if they’ve forgotten whatever had disturbed them. These creatures seem to ignore Mukuro. Wallcrawlers have also spread out through the First and Second Floor Hallways. Many of the creatures are even more distorted than usual, with prominent black veins and dark mottling across their hides. They remain hesitant to attack anyone who is not alone, preferring to ambush stragglers. They, as well, are leaving Mukuro and anyone accompanying him alone. The Guards patrol the castle and will attempt to protect the servants from the various monsters, whether by stepping in between the character and a threat or pulling them out of reach. However, they seem to be afflicted by the same odd fugue as the Maids and some of the other creatures, periodically turning confused before returning to their patrols as if nothing had happened. The Tyger can be found in one of the first floor parlors. The creature is oddly contorted in one of the chairs as if attempting to badly ape a human posture, jaws moving occasionally as it motions with a forepaw at an empty chair across from it. It periodically knocks over part of a silver tea set with a broad, clawed paw. The dishes are retrieved from the floor by a Grey Maid who replaces them on the tray, while the Tyger seems momentarily agitated, almost moving from the seat. Once the pieces are back on the tray, it turns dazed, then repeats its nonexistent conversation from the beginning. It remains dangerous if disturbed. The man who woke up in the Receiving Room at daybreak has retreated to the Collector's Library and appears quite agitated as he’s pacing the room, scanning shelves, and pulling books out seemingly at random to flip through them quickly and then put them back. It’s difficult to tell what he’s looking for but he makes it clear he does not want to be approached, should anyone try. Within the library itself, a faint breeze has resumed. In the Zoo, the Bogey has been returned to its cage, a dark hulking shape hunched in a corner shrouded in a darkness that does not reach past the bars. A sign has been posted on the door: "This creature uses illusions: Do not open this door whatever it may show you". || GARDENS AND YARD The Garden continues its odd growth of new plants. Many of the major paths are now illuminated at night by glowing flowers, while many of the groves have a border of the strange emerald-leaved flowers that do not seem to bloom on their own. Small animals can occasionally be heard or glimpsed in the undergrowth, but they are hard to keep track of and harder to catch. In some hidden corners, the curious may find these flowers opened into a spread of multicolored iridescent petals; although those approaching will find themselves feeling heavy, falling asleep to the sweet scent of the blooms--and may not wake up the same. While the area continues to be hostile to Guards or any of the castle's beings, it has grown more tolerant of older "servants", doing little more than seeming to keep watch - although random or wanton destruction of the plant life will still earn a violent reprisal. In one of the hidden groves, the two prisoners rescued previously seem inclined to sleep. Those who are watching over them will note that the man rolls over, wrapping careful arms around the woman and hiding his face in her hair. The woman remains tense, but seems to push herself very slightly into his arms, one hand shifting very slightly to cover his. Sil wanders the garden for much of the night, taking stock of its ongoing changes, although he grows more cautious of the hidden corners of it. One of the small feathered dragons is missing from the Stables. Nobody was seen to take it, and nobody remembers it leaving of its own volition. The goose paces up and down the stalls, calling for it. Its siblings seem largely unaffected by its missing. The Unicorns have reappeared, this time in the stables. Their bodies drip with blood and black fluid, and one of the males seems to be having trouble breathing. Their white coats have turned a dingy, grey color. The smallest of them has flopped to the floor and does not move from her place. Zeph has joined them, trying his best to clean some of the black gunk from their pelts, though his hands tremble a bit every time he touches them. || THE TOWN The Beggar is back tonight. She is curled up once more by her spot at the Well near the center of the town, a spot that is no doubt chosen for the amount of people that pass through there. For those that have any memory of her, she appears different this time. Perhaps a little younger? Or something about her hair, the colour? The cloak itself? It’s difficult to pin down, and so are her features, as she still keeps the hood of her cloak pulled down low over her eyes, and hardly ever speaks. She has a small collection of odd items and knick-knacks with her today, which she’s willing to trade for other curiosities. Her own inventory contains things like smooth rocks, feathers, pieces of animal hide, teeth, glass beads, iron nails, twine, and one or two coins. She will still very gladly accept gifts from those who are willing to give them, and offers a surprisingly warm smile to those who do. The Apothecary is open, but the door swings open and closed without anyone seeming to pass through it. This clearly unnerves the Apothecary, but he says nothing as it happens. Occasionally the door slams with a loud bang. The Tailor's shop is well lit tonight, despite its current closed status. A few of the mannequins have been dressed is fresh clothes, and someone has swept great piles of dust from the shop. One of the mannequins moves of its own volition to greet anyone who enters the shop, attacking them with measuring tape and attempting to pin swaths of cloth to them, as though it prepares to make them a suit of new clothes. If anyone wants to encounter the opened Flowers in the Garden, leave a comment on this post with a 1-100 roll or contact a mod on Discord/otherwise; bear in mind there is a possibility of long-term effects on the character. || THREAT DOWN GARDENS AND YARD: • The Garden continues to grow. It seems more tolerant of adults than usual • One of the rescued prisoners who had been brought to the groves seems inclined to sleep • Sil wanders the garden • One of the feathered dragons is missing from the Stables • The Unicorns are in the stables, in poor condition. Zeph attempts to help them THE TOWN: • The Beggar has returned and somehow seems different • The Apothecary is open • The Tailor’s shop is well-lit, despite being closed. One of the mannequins is active THE CASTLE: • The Grey Maids are scattered throughout the castle, stuck in strange repetitive cycles of cleaning that do little to help with the mess • In the Common Hallway, the bars beyond the dorms have vanished. Pale, twisted human figures have emerged from the halls beyond them. They join the maids in their motions of cleaning, but will attack anyone who approaches • Distorted wallcrawlers haunt the first- and second-floor hallways • The Tyger is in one of the first-floor parlors • The man who had woken in the Receiving Room is browsing the shelves of the library • A light breeze has resumed in the library • The Bogey has been returned to the zoo 1. The Cells 2. The Carpenter's Room 3. Porcelain Bedroom 4. Glassmaker's Room 5. Tapestry Bedroom 6. The Pottery Room 7. Basement Generator Room 8. Torture Chamber 9. Basement Hallway 10. The Hole 11. Basement 12. Basement Passage 13. Stone Washroom 14. Wine Cellar 15. Women's Quarters 16. Empty Dorm 17. Common Hallway 18-27. Dorms 1. Receiving Room 2. East Hallway 3-8. Small Parlors 9. Collector's Library 10. Grand Hallway 11. Grand Dining Room 12. North Passage 13. Castle Kitchen 14. Pantry 15. Common Room 16. The Steward's Room 17. Steward's Bath 18. Southwest Passage 19. The Musicians' Parlor 20. Throne Room 21. Guard Passage 22. Captain's Quarters 23. Soldiers' Barracks 24. Soldiers' Bathing Area 1. Main Hallway 2. Silver Bedroom 3. Silver Bathroom, 4. The Storage Room 5. Upper North Passage 6. The Barren Room 7. The Sandstone Bath 8. The Motley Room 9. Collector's Library (Upper Level) 10. Head Bedroom 11. Museum 12. Colonial Study 13. Plush Bathroom 14. Locked Room 15. Glass Gallery 16. Mural Bedroom 17. Round Bedroom 18. Gem Room 19. Jungle Bedroom 20. Locked Door 21. Marble Bathroom 22. South Passage 23. Exotic Zoo 24. Servants' Room 25. Magpie Bedroom 26. Slanted Bathroom 27. Fortune Hunter's Bedroom, 28. Locked Room 29. Crystal Bedroom 30. Crystal Bathroom 31. Gold Bedroom 32. Gold Bathroom 33-34. Open Parlors 35. Music Box Bedroom 36. Enclosed Orchard

Comments

[enharmonica]

N is quite concerned about the unicorns and would try to help and/or keep tabs on them. He is also concerned about the missing dergoose.

I may give him Flower Troubles too, we will see.