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MOD EVENT #001

A CHAOTIC RESPITE

It isn't rare for the seasons in the Netherworld to be a little erratic, though many days have passed now without much of a hint of its typical mercuriality, a good and a bad omen all at once. This respite is commonly referred to as the proverbial "calm before the storm", but it also marks the beginning of merrier celebrations. The Moons above are gilded silver, the twilight sky edged with faint pink and orange -- a sunrise phantasm, spilling over the horizon. It's an infrequent spectacle, accompanied by a dulcet breeze and light drizzles that seem to encourage growth nearly everywhere. Unfortunately, under its influence, people seem a little on edge, quick to anger, but no matter; around Stygia, Restless have begun hanging decorations and ornaments on trees and windowsills, left to catch the moonlight and give off marigold and ginger glows, warmly lighting up the city. Rather than fish, the smell of freshly ground spices permeates the air in the Harbors, Mirth keeps its doors opened to all, but just before the festivities officially begin, a cacophony of chimes resounds all over, a transmission difficult to ignore.

On the screen of your cellphone, nothing; only a voice, ragged, out of breath...

“The woods... Oakwoods! They've come alive! O-One minute he was complaining about the water seeping into his boots, and the next he was... he was being yanked up into the trees! We didn’t see what happened to him, but we heard... the screams, ohh, the screams. Please! Come to Serene, I beg you. This is our safest sanctuary, and the lan... oh, no... wait, no, please... please... NOOO--”

...and the feed abruptly ends, a dull chirr of static. Will you ignore the stranger's call for help and feast, or venture into the woods?

► I. KNOCK ON WOOD (OH PUCK, HE'S HOT!)

When you cross the gates of Serene, an old woman welcomes you, palm flat against her chest and disquiet in her eyes. Myrtille, her name. Oakwoods loom dense and dark in the distance behind her, groaning low as leaves rustle without wind. The Mourning Lantern was stolen, and malevolence rose in turn, dooming them all.

“It was once kept here, a sacred Artifact crafted from the bones of Serene's first founder, who gave her heart’s blood willingly to the woods in an act of contrition. It's the absence of the lantern that is contributing to the wood’s unusually active malice, and if you lot cannot retrieve it, then we must sacrifice another. Go! Take these torches and go, before Oakwoods swallow us whole.”

So you've decided to be brave. Commendable, or foolish? The wood is dark and shrouded in mist, and the trees crowd around you, an absent wind somehow whispering foul nothings in your ear as dead leaves rustle around your feet. Your Shadow basks in the murmurs, sensing the malign presence in Oakwoods as a faint, garbled scream echoes in the distance. You wander deeper and the canopy thickens, thin streaks of moonlight peppering the woods in deep patches of darkness. Behind you, a creature you can't see hisses, and a fluttering of wings nearby alerts you to the arrival of snickering harpies lurking on branches. “Dead,” they croak, in a sing-song chorus. “Dead as daylight.” Oddly enough, they seem content to just watch and stalk you, perhaps expecting you to die quickly, an easy and effortless meal.

It's a frustrating errand if you've ever known one. You barely know what you're looking for, and your Shadow thrives in the dark, taunting, coaxing. You hear it then; a haunting melody, the silhouette of a boy on a fallen tree trunk, strumming. “Come,” he says, with a voice that shimmers like the sun on moving water. If you remember what that's like. “Rest a while. Forget your troubles.” For anyone familiar, you'll recognize him as a Puck, famous prankster, and from his hand dangles a lantern.

► If you attempt to take the lantern from him, he'll immediately drop it to the ground, causing it to break. You may choose to kill him and offer his blood to the woods, or let him go and bleed in his stead. Myrtille should be able to repair what's left of the lantern once the offering's been made.
► If you politely ask to return it, he promises that he will... if you indulge him for the night.

No matter what you choose, you will come across camps, either on your way in or on your way back: pitched tents, most moth-eaten, and some containing vestiges of prior expeditions such as putrid corpses or rotten food. You've been wandering for a while, and sleep sounds terribly inviting. Unfortunately, a wind finally picks up, and leaves begin to blow around you. A nick, then a cut, then a slash reveal the leaves to have razor sharp edges. Sleep well yet? If you've spared the Puck, he'll encourage you to sit with him around a campfire, where he'll sing and tell stories. Or are they. Perhaps you've heard of Bloody Mary before. Slenderman? The Devil that'll make you dance until you die? While the lantern remains in stranger hands, the thread between reality and fiction narrows; protagonists from the Puck's legends come to life, and the only way to rid of them is by quenching the flames of the fire.

Your journey unfortunately doesn't end there. The Puck has a riddle for you: I am a word that is hardly there. Remove my start, and I'm an herbal flair. What am I?

If you fail to answer correctly, he'll vanish before you, and you can bid the lantern goodbye. You'll be forced to gather the bones from the corpses scattered across the woods, and feed it your blood -- or a friend's -- before you escape and return to the woman. The offering will leave you drained and exhausted, weak on your legs. If, on the other hand, you do answer correctly, the lantern is yours, and you'll be teleported out of the woods with a boon in your pocket: a piece of parchment invites you to visit your home in the Shadowlands. There, you'll find an object (or a pet) that belonged to you in your world.

the answer to the riddle is sparsely! it's up to you whether you'd like your character to fail.
legends told around the campfire can be any of the ones mentioned above or any other that might strike your fancy! go wild, have fun!
remember that if you pick an item from your character's world as their boon, it'll eventually disintegrate unless reforged with a soul.

► II. GO BIG OR GOURD HOME

Welcome to the Frightful Harvest, a festival that marks the beginning of the Respite, a temporary period of tranquility between seasons. It acknowledges the blessings offered and the role that both good and evil play in the Netherworld. It is a time to give thanks, but more importantly, it is a time of reflection and warding. Warding against not only the darkness of the next seasons to come, but of the nefarious creatures and struggles that will undoubtedly follow.

Carved pumpkins and straw bales are placed everywhere around the city, and streamers and banners are hung from every home and storefront. Decadent cakes, candies, and pastries are made in over-abundance in order to accommodate everyone, and from the lush gardens of Radiance, an elderly, dark-robed man addresses the Netherwork. You'll learn by eavesdropping on nearby Restless that his name is Doran, the oldest among you and loved by all. His smile stretches kind, and while not an official member of the Hierarchy, it's clear he has certain privileges -- well-deserved, or so you hear.

“Let us gather, feast, dance and celebrate. Let us hold our glasses high for those who heroically perished, for goodness, and for the Ascended. May their journey inspire us to change our lives and the lives of others, to resist evil, and to triumph. To you, dear friends!”

And without further ado, let the festivities begin!

► BARDIC BLITZ
The bardic blitz is a friendly competition that pits talented musicians against one another in an attempt to win over the affection of the crowd through festive melodies or personal compositions. Although it can be hosted just about anywhere, the bardic blitz is normally held in a large canvas tent directly in the heart of Mirth, though smaller crowds also gather in Serene and the Harbors around bonfires.

► FEAST
Although all cultures around Stygia bring their own tastes and specific flair to the celebrations, there are a few staple trade goods that you can find at nearly any celebration of the holiday throughout the city. Many producing the various cakes, beverages, and cookies also use the time to test and perfect their recipes, teaching others or using them as guinea pigs.

► Firstdawn Tea: This revitalizing crimson tea soothes the mind and body and is brewed from the roots of the dawn flower, which only sprouts during the Respite.
► Grablenuts: These fist-sized brown nuts have a hard, stippled outer shell and soft, delicious spicy centers. A single bite will slightly lower your inhibitions, and you may find yourself seeking proximity and warmth.
► Elysium: A nonalcoholic beverage that smells and looks as bad as it tastes. Only those with the strongest will manage to gulp it down. Once drunk, the person experiences true bliss, which seems to last for hours; in reality, it's only a few minutes.
► Will-o-the-Whiskey: Whisky with minor hallucinatory effects, visual and auditory.
► Sundrop: A pound cake coated in a sugary lemon drizzle. No side-effects, just delicious!
► Shadowfell Candy: Chewing on this candy will grant the character a deep and rejuvenating sleep, during which they will appear dead to anyone.

. ► HARVEST HUNT
The harvest hunt happens in a corn maze located in Mirth's amusement park, specifically created for the occasion. Because of the labyrinthian horrors dwelling in the Tempest, some find the terror-free replica a little inappropriate, yet participants still abound every time. A favorite seasonal game of the exuberant and athletic, characters take on the role of either hunter or prey, racing through the maze to either corner their quarry or escape the hands of their pursuer. As long as Shadows behave, it's a relatively safe activity. Friendly spars sometimes occur, picnics, and star-gazing.

► THE PARADE
The parade is the activity most looked forward to by younger Restless. Citizens clad in colorful costumes walk the streets to the rhythm of festive music, and according to tradition, it helps ward away any lingering evil that might try to hide in the community. For reasons unknown, incidents where Restless unwillingly swap bodies sometimes occur.

► III. WAYWARD SUN

The Warding Ritual is a private affair, a behind-the-scene execution on the last day of the festival as you dance and feast and frolic, blissfully unaware. Something goes awry. First, a shriek in the distance, and soon, birds flying away in apparent surprise as the landscape rustles with the sounds of creatures and Restless alike fleeing. A vague sense of dread knocks the air out of your lungs, an iron grip around your throat. And you see it then, a headless figure shrouded in a black veil of cloth, sword in one hand and a bright flaming pumpkin in the other. Its head. It thunders through the night on its skeletal horse, its blade flashing in the moonlight in search of prey. Heads fall. You might get injured during the chase -- collateral damage. 10 members of the Hierarchy won't ever rise again, and the rider eventually charges into the Tempest, leaving behind bloody puddles and a slather of confusion. If you opt to help clean up the mess, you might come across stained sheets of paper on the ground, a painting of a white scorpion in the middle. Otherwise, it's time for you to go home.

ooc note

► Welcome to Nightfell's first event! If you'd like additional, more casual prompts, the Notice Board is right here! New prompts will be added next month, if you've already had your fun with them!
► You'll find some answered questions here, but if you'd like to ask something else, please comment below!
► For a little spooky ambience in the woods.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

（ for her — the effects of the food took hold so gradually it slipped right past that wary guard, and she hasn't yet recognized the difference in her own behaviour. she feels happy, and light, and cheerful in a way she hasn't been in a long time, and she gives him a playful nudge with her shoulder. ）

Yeah! It was sort of nice to have something different. Were you — um, are you able to as well...?

（ contented and warm, but still aware enough to be gentle about the fact he may not be able to partake himself. she doesn't know enough about what he can or can't do to have a definitive medical opinion on the matter. maybe she should message augustine and ask... ）

[Ah, so it's partially the food.

If he's honest, he thinks this suits her--not better, but favorably. He doesn't mind the working Sakura. But he, idealistically, doesn't think she should have to be burdened by terrible things. Such is the life of a healer, though.

She should be happy like this if she can, even if this is almost artificial in a way.]

I was. [He can eat normal noms. And to clarify:] It's not something I do often, but I can eat it.

[He's not sure if he wants to tell her that some of the food is weird. She is so content. And doesn't seem to be harmed?]

Oh, you should try the grablenuts!

（ would she mind being artificially relaxed and happy? maybe not if she'd pursued it intentionally. she's sure going to have opinions about these festival patrons once she realizes what's going on.

in the interim, though, she gives him a sidelong look, smiling under the floppy brim of his hat. ）

You're pretty good with kids, huh?

[He remembers his foray with the Grablenuts, and his soul shrivels into a raisin at the memory. He really was out here holding everyone's hands in a wild stupor of affection!

All he says is, politely,] Thank you, but I'm not hungry. [NOT THE NUTS.

He returns her gaze, peering at her face beneath his hat. Reaching up, he pulls the brim of it down so it's tugged over her eyes and nose, so she can't look at him. He dodges her perceiving he is soft for children by saying instead,]

You're good with children yourself. Do you have siblings?

（ you poor, poor soul.

also, he touches the hat and she is?? briefly flummoxed?? she pushes the brim back, and in that brief moment it was doing her the favour of concealing her expression of surprise. playful?? gestures?? from?? men??

surely you jest. she huffs a little, her ears going pink beneath both hat and her messily pulled-back hair, and then — ）

Ah... no, not me. But I do work with children with my clinic back home!

（ 'shitty mental health' is a feature, not a bug where shinobi are concerned, to say nothing of those orphaned by the war. ）

[beats up the men in her life in a back alley

As much as he tried to convince Claude that no one can control whether children end up in something like purgatory, he isn't keen on the idea of Sakura having to work with children at a clinic. It means children aren't well? However, he has seen that Sakura has a great deal of empathy for others.

So he's assuming the clinic is mostly an ordinary one. Treating the people that need help.]

Do you enjoy it? Being a doctor.

（ that's an interesting question, and it has something of a sobering affect on her. the intensity of the grablenuts recedes like a tide, and she chews thoughtfully on her bottom lip, half-wishing she could just hide beneath that hat again. ）

I do.

（ she grew to love it, but was that because she was good at it, or because it made her useful? because she could help people, or because they saw value in her for that help? the little girl she used to be, who so desperately craved acknowledgement... ino may have pinned up her hair, but sometimes, sakura still wishes she had her to hide behind.

but if she hadn't chosen this path, she never would have survived sasori, saved naruto... she never would have been able to stand against kaguya. sometimes it feels like it was the only choice she could have made, and she's grateful... but it others, it doesn't feel like enough. ）

In a perfect world, no one would ever need a doctor. But I don't think the afterlife has any designs on perfection...

[Hmm.

He watches her face as she answers, expression studious and placid, not judgemental, or mocking. Her answers are fine, but there is a contemplation to her, attaching itself to her reply.]

Being a doctor isn't just about fixing anyone. When people aren't well, they will always need someone there for them. Someone who cares about them in that time of vulnerability.

Those who don't need doctors have forgotten what it means to truly live.

[Maybe some people are an except, but he's thinking about the Nobility mostly. And how quickly any morals dwindled because they did not die from most things.]

But it's a lot to take on for one person.

（ that gets a faint smile, as she finally tugs his hat down from her head, holding it by its brim between her hands. she doesn't think it's intended to be a lecture, but it feels like one regardless. someone telling her things she already knows about the work she does, and a spark of irritation cuts through the pleasant mellow feeling she's been nursing all afternoon. ）

I think the same could be said of a lot of different occupations.

（ she holds his hat out for him to take back, and then smooths her hair down. ）

[Gently, he accepts the hat back, lifting it up and settling it over his head where it obscures his face. Not necessarily from her since she's a little shorter and can easily look up at him.]

Perhaps, but doctors are very important, like teachers. I'm sorry you are here in this place instead of being home, but I hope it's just as rewarding.

Having festivals like this is a nice a occurrence. You don't have anyone to enjoy it with?

（ wow and we were having such a nice evening, d. sakura sort of... laughs... awkwardly... weakly. final fantasy x laughing scene.mp3. ）

I'm enjoying it with you, aren't I?

（ she's pretty sure sasuke would put her in a coma if she ever asked him to go to a festival with her, and she intends to meet up with naruto at some point. until then, she's just on her own, wishing ino were here with her so they could have a little fun together. ）

[NOT THE TIDUS LAUGH. He is not embarrassed or bothered...? Really out here trying to other himself from her like the monster he thinks he is. Surprising no one, he doesn't have trouble admitting:]

I don't make for very good company.

[He's weird and quiet, and as Sakura has witnessed first-hand, a little awkward.]

I thought you might have made some friends.

（ but you know what his sad emo boy act does? give her something rather than her own loneliness to focus on. so, she leans in and nudges against his elbow, playfully. look, he is entire leagues taller than her, it's about all she can reach. ）

You don't get to be a judge of your own company like that. I'm still here, aren't I?

（ no arguments allowed. don't even try it. she'll do violence on purpose!! ）

I'm pretty sure that makes us friends.

[?????????????

Humans... not minding his company...? More likely than he thinks. He actually seems a bit surprised about this? Sakura is just out here boldly saying they're friends and telling him he's stupid (he is).]

...Alright.

[HE CAN'T ARGUE. What's he going to say? No? He would absolutely quickly tell any other annoying person no, but Sakura has been kind to him. So... Friends.]

Do I not frighten you?

（ excuse her, what. she peers up at him, chin in hand, eyes crinkled in deeply considering thought. ）

Are you meant to?

（ her threshold for 'frightening' is. not normal. but even if she were to fall back to baseline, the only thing that's remotely strange about him is his tendency to... loom. and looming, in her book, doesn't mean all that much. 'congrats on your height'.

maybe the whole vampire thing is meant to be scary, but she's learned better than to judge people by what they happen to be rather than who they are. ）

[His lips part, then they shut again. He isn't meant to frighten her intentionally, but...]

Most humans are afraid of dhampirs.

[It doesn't sound like this necessarily bothers him. He thinks their fear is, while ignorant, a bit warranted. Though he is only half of a vampire, plenty of full vampires have terrorized humans for centuries. Plenty of dhampirs have lived their lives as vampires, too.

It's... It's fine.]

Well, 'most humans' need to recognize that they do a better job of being monstrous than the ones they accuse of being monsters in the first place.

（ lookin' at u, adults of konoha. but her voice has a stern, iron edge to it and it's very, very clear that this is a Personal Matter for her. she knows her own behaviour towards naruto wasn't always the best, so maybe this is a bit of an overzealous attempt to make up for all that old guilt, but. at least she believes it, wholeheartedly now. ）

You've never given me a reason to think I should be afraid of you, and you can't help what you are. And if anyone gives you trouble about it, you can send them to me.

[Well, he's surprised again by how fired up Sakura gets about this. It's very endearing, even if his expression never changes. He doesn't worry so much about her rallying for himself (of course), but he is glad to understand she would probably do this for others, too.

Thinking later about poor Cedrik... (looks away)]

You're a very kind woman, Sakura.

Being kind has nothing to do with it.

（ there are certain things that should just be a matter of course. no one should have to fight for others to be kind, but she knows full well that's not the world she lives in, nor the one she's come to now.

she sighs, and fusses with her hair, tucking wayward strands back down where they'd been jostled about by The Hat. ）

You don't need to turn it around and give me a compliment, either.

（ it's an evasive maneuver — one she's familiar with, albeit not quite in this context. ）

It's a kindness few sometimes afford others. [She is kind when he has lived long enough to meet many who are very unkind, especially to him.] You misunderstand.

[He watches her fix her hair. It feels too intimate for him to help in any way, and besides, he still hasn't stopped thinking of himself as something abhorrent. Even though she has been nice.]

I do appreciate what you've said.

（ she gives him a sidelong look, expression just slightly pinched — but it eases off after a moment. finally, ）

This is twice you've helped me now, you know? Both times you didn't have to, and it probably would have been easier not to. You're kind too, D.

（ don't argue, she'll punch you. straight up. ）

[Noooo, not the punch. Those are scary from her. He'll split in half.]

It's just something I prefer to do instead of killing.

[He's doing better! He didn't try to dissuade her compliment! He also did not out-right accept it necessarily, but listen. Small steps. It was accepted in theory.

Really, it's good to know people think he's nice. He doesn't want them to be afraid of him, but he also understands why they would be.]

（ she's been lucky, she knows. kakashi always shielded team seven — but maybe especially her — from the acts of violence that are so normalized in shinobi villages and in their lives. she has killed people. watched their blood blossom beneath her knife. death is memorable. the way a body goes lax. the way light leaves the eyes. the smell, coming across a corpse in its varying stages of decomposition.

but she's lucky. she's saved more lives than she's taken. she doesn't usually go to bed with someone's last guttural gasps and the awful, rusted rattle of their final breath echoing in her ears. she doesn't close her eyes and see blood scythed out in an arcing pattern on the earth.

but there are so many more people who had to pattern themselves in death's cruel cloak to survive. he doesn't know how hard his statement hits her, because she immediately thinks of sasuke — who had been so gentle once — and she bites her lip at the unexpected emotion. she really is just a mess tonight, huh...? ）

I don't think anyone here would begrudge you that.

（ and if she sounds a little miserable, a little wan... well, maybe it's allergies?? ）

You're good at it. You should do it more often! It's not like there are vampires that need hunting here, right? So... I hate to say it, but you're sort of out of a job.

[Well... He could argue his case for the need of his profession even here maybe, mostly since he plans to continue it in his own way. He doesn't know any other way to... exist, to live. It had always been hunting, or nothing, and he didn't want nothing. The difference is instead of vampires, it'd be something else.

Specters, or rogue Reapers. Restless who step over the line when consumed by their Shadows. Who can say what people would hire him for outside of fetch quests and the like on the notice board.

But Sakura doesn't seem as if she really needs to hear that kind of talk from him right now. She had been buzzed, had and has been making an attempt to enjoy the festival, even his company. At every turn, he thinks he ruins it a little more. If he says anything, it'll be some kind of rejection.]

I must be, [he relents in his quiet voice.] Are you tired?

What! No, I'm fine.

（ she pumps one arm energetically, look how fine she is!! totally okay and not having emotions about sad soft men who do bad things!! ）

It's been so long since I've had the time to enjoy a festival. Even if I was tired, you wouldn't catch me stopping here!

（ the fallout from the war is still being cleaned up, even two years later. she and ino have barely had a day away from the clinic since they opened it, and the rare times she isn't there, she's organizing envoys to other villages to speak on the benefits they offer. ）

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