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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.

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[ asdfasd!!

Hibiki flusters as he plops the bit of cloth on her head. She takes it with a huff, unfolding it silently (hey actually this fabric is nice, why is he using this as a handkerchief) before slowly putting it to her temple. She winces at the sudden touch before settling into a faint glower. Not at him, just. Honestly, she doesn't even know. She's frustrated about a lot right now. ]

Yeah, right after. Someone named Assana, another member of the Hierarchy. [ She pauses, a grim thought coming to mind. ]

I don't remember seeing her, I hope she's all right...

[Sometimes the sole job of nice cloth is to buffer bleeding and wounds. It's fine...]

We can look again as we walk back. There is not point in pretending as if she couldn't be one of the victims.

[He's.... so clinical and pragmatic, help. But his voice isn't mean, or blunt, but gentle as usual.]

What did you think about her after you spoke with her?

[ But it's a nice handkerchief! She doesn't want to cover it in sweat and blood!

With a somber look on her face, the small blonde nods. That he can say something like that with such a soft voice, seemingly unaffected by the implication of those words... The Earth of the far future really is a dark place, isn't it? ]

She was sweet. Funny. Ready and willing to jump in and help this newly-arrived Restless find her footing. But you could tell that the world weighed heavy, and I think she'd do what she could to help lighten the load.

...I hope she's alright.

[Hibiki isn't wrong. It's quite a dark time in history (was?), and it has been a dark time for a long time. But that is the future he is a part of, and he does hope it isn't one Hibiki will ever have to face.]

I see.

[Sweet and funny. He wonders if that's a general countenance, or if maybe she was sweet and funny for Hibiki. They have their own personalities which is good. Some of them will be reasonable, and some of them will not be.]

Let's look. Did she speak about any of the others aside from the one claiming to be the Hierarchy?

[ Don't tell her that it's a facade, D. Telling her that the one member of the Hierarchy she had a positive experience with isn't what she seems. Or dead--although that chilling possibility is already churning around in her head. ]

No, just the one who made that announcement. But we didn't talk about the Hierarchy much to be honest. Most of our conversation was about Stygia and getting settled in.

[Sweats.

Luckily, no matter what assumptions he has, he only knows as much as everyone else. Which... isn't a lot.]

It makes sense. A lot of us had only recently arrived.

[He begins to walk, pace slow, following another path through the destruction the horseman left behind. He's not sure he'd recognize this woman if they saw her, but he is assuming Hibiki will know.]

[ Hibiki hums quietly in acknowledgment, remembering to not nod like she usually would. That is something that's been on her mind, even if she isn't necessarily sure what it means. But she's come to understand that coincidences are never just that, and that there's usually a larger underlying reason for things. ]

...Yeah. Honestly, that kind of bothers me.

[ She's still keeping her eyes out for anything else, outside of a few more scorpion-stamped papers littering the path. But it's incoming side tangent time. ]

A bunch of people arriving all at once, and I know some of us don't really remember dying. Obviously not a conversation for right now, since we've got more important things to be thinking about what with, well, everything, but...

It’s a conversation that can’t be overlooked.

[To assuage her worries about pondering sounding tone deaf to what’s happening currently.]

They seem burdened by the amount of us. But if something like entropy is eating away at people here, it’s understandable why they would worry.

And also try to get us to follow the rules they’ve established. Like the soulmates.

Yeah. I'd say they're 'only human,' but I'm not even sure if human's the majority here. But I think you know what I mean. I really do want to believe they do what they do to protect those of us here.

[ Is it Fuck the Police time? Because it sure feels like it is.

Hibiki hesitates briefly, if only because she doesn't fully disagree, yet has still managed to function within that clear set of "rules". It hasn't bit her in the ass yet, so she can only hope that it won't in the future. ]

I take it you don't have one yet, then?

[His eyes are slowly scanning everything else, but he's listening to her.]

They protect those who aren't yet lost.

[Which, in a way, he can't disagree with completely. Part of his job is always asking people what they want him to do if the person they want him to save has already been turned by a vampire.]

I'm not particularly interested in one. [In general, but he's starting to think a "for now" will be tacked onto that.] Do you? Have one.

[ Hibiki would have been surprised if he had managed to find a soulmate, let alone have any inclination toward looking. But as the question is turned back to her, Hibiki shakes her head simply. ]

No, I don't. I wouldn't say I'm interested, but I'll do it if I have to.

If the voice inside of you gets out of hand, it might not be a bad thing to consider. But I haven't spoken to anyone who has gone through with it. So I can't tell you of any repercussions.

[Maybe having a soulmate is actually terrible. He will never know. For now.]

[ H̸i̴s̸ ̵m̸i̴g̸h̴t̵ ̶b̶e̷ ̵a̵ ̶p̸a̸i̸n̶ ̷i̸n̴ ̸t̷h̶e̶ ̶a̴s̴s̸,̴ ̷b̸u̵t̸ ̶I̷ ̶t̴h̵i̵n̵k̵ ̶y̴o̸u̴ ̴a̴n̴d̴ ̴I̷'̴v̶e̷ ̴g̸o̴t̸ ̸a̶ ̸g̶o̸o̶d̵ ̶r̸h̴y̷t̷h̷m̸.̵ ̷Y̶o̶u̸ ̸n̷e̵e̴d̷ ̴m̸e̶ ̵a̷n̴d̶ ̷y̸o̴u̴ ̸k̶n̷o̵w̵ ̴i̶t̷.̶

Hibiki looks away pensively, as if trying to delicately find the exact words to say. ]

I'm not worried about it. I'm also not jumping at the chance to be one of the first with one. I can deal with a voice in my head just fine.

[Hmm. He peers at Hibiki, and even though the look has a long moment of awkward silence, he doesn't hold any particular expression about what he's thinking. Or considering.]

Because of fortitude, or because of experience?

[ D̸i̶g̵g̶i̶n̷g̸ ̸a̴ ̸l̴i̶t̷t̸l̷e̷ ̷t̵o̵o̴ ̴d̶e̵e̵p̵ ̶t̸h̴e̷r̵e̵,̵ ̸m̴y̶ ̵g̷u̷y̴.̸

The smile she offers D is a bit tense, like something about the question he's asked rubs her the wrong way. ]

We don't have enough information to know about the effects. I know I for one am not jumping in before I hear from other people first.

[He watches the terse smile, but doesn't say anything about it. It doesn't make him shamed.]

I agree.

[He is also going around, seeing if people will tell him anything about becoming a soulmate. Well, when he finds them.]

But I meant about dealing with a voice.

[ It's a good thing that D is somewhat distracted as they speak, since his question hits something she isn't keen on talking about to... well, anyone really. Because yes, that is something that she has experience with, even before coming to this place. It might not be the same thing--she's never really heard it speak to her--but it's something she doesn't talk about.

Her gaze slides away, as she tries to seem preoccupied with the investigation. ]

I don't think something like that is anything that someone has to deal with regularly.

[ What are your thoughts on non answers, D? ]

[It's fair. He also gives a lot of non-answers to plenty of people when they ask him questions. Despite... always trying to prod people with his own.]

You may be surprised what many here deal with regularly.

[He's not chastising, but reassuring her. There are a lot of weird people who have spilled out here from other dimensions.]

Considering all of us have shadows? I don't doubt that.

[ But something that existed before coming to the Netherworld, that she sincerely doubts. Not to mention the nature in which this voice manifests itself; never in words, but with a simple melody that feels both calming and cataclysmic in equal measures. She's already come to the conclusion that it's whatever dark spirit that's possessed her, but the nature of the song goes completely unknown.

Her expression conflicted, Hibiki lets the silence settle before carefully deciding to break it. ]

But I imagine if someone does have experience with that, it probably tells them to lash out, or something like that. Something more aggressive.

[His old, rust-colored eyes watch her face, studying it. The silence doesn't make him feel awkward; he allows it to continue until she doesn't.]

It does. If that is what the darkest parts of themselves are like.

[Though in other cases, like Cedrik perhaps, it bubbles up a little differently. Still just as snide which is unfortunate.]

But many people battle with their own voices already. It doesn't have to be the one the chaos of this place has planted inside of us.

[ He isn't telling her anything new or imparting some unknown knowledge. Everybody has their issues, and she isn't dumb enough to think otherwise. But this is different, her case is different in a way that she can't really explain. And up until this point, she hasn't had to.

But given that he comes from a cataclysmic world himself, centuries after she walked the earth. The small blonde sighs, her eyes forward. ]

Yeah, I know. We all have our skeletons. But let's say that one of mine... it's probably a different kind of breed altogether.

[ Hibiki holds her breath, anticipating a response. ]

[Hm.

Honestly, he's the last person who can judge someone else about anything like that. About being a monster, hearing voices. His eyes look over her face, but that's all he does, just gazes at her without much expression, quiet.

In this way, he doesn't seem disgusted, or angry, or even fearful. She is her now as she had been when he ran into her earlier. She's still the same woman.]

What do you mean?

[Try him.]

[ D̵o̶n̵'̷t̷ ̸t̸r̸u̴s̸t̸ ̸i̶t̵.̵ ̵H̵e̵'̵s̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̸t̵y̸p̶e̸ ̸t̵o̶ ̸e̵l̵i̵m̵i̷n̸a̴t̴e̷ ̵t̵h̴r̷e̴a̷t̸s̴ ̷a̵n̸d̷ ̵a̴s̷k̷ ̷q̴u̷e̵s̴t̷i̶o̶n̷s̸ ̶l̸a̴t̸e̴r̸.̴

Even if she is the one to pivot this conversation in this direction, it's with great trepidation. Hibiki doesn't know that she can trust D completely, but he hasn't shown her any reason to not. Truth be told, as soon as he told her about the Earth in the far future, her stomach has been in knots and she can't figure out why.

Maybe this is why. ]

The voice I'm used to hearing in my head doesn't speak. It sings, the same song over and over again.

[The admittance doesn't garner any astounding reaction out of him. If anything, it keeps him curious, but investigation has always been a part of his job as a vampire hunter. On top of that, he has the curiosity of a scientist.

In a way, it reminds him of what was happening before he arrived here: stuck in a young woman's dream, repeating it, over and over.]

What does the song tell you?

[ What the song was telling her, he asks... That's a complicated question, and not one that Hibiki feels she fully knows the answer to.

A frown still apparent in her face, her brows furrow in thought. ]

I don't know that there's anything it tells me per se, but I can't bring myself to sing it. It feels... I don't know how to describe it. Like no one else should hear it, if that makes sense.

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