MOD EVENT #001

[oblivium]

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.

Comments

[damnpire]

[that's exactly what it's like actually...

Please believe a little more in D and his ability to not bat an eyelash at anything; not Yoo Joonghyuk, not roaring hungry evil houses, not woods being alive, not a sexy Puck, not even naked women.]

Then Puck needs to be silenced.

[He does not say they should kill the Puck necessarily, but he also... doesn't say... they shouldn't.]

[regression]

[ So you're saying D is ace and aromantic. ]

Puck has to die.

[ This suggestion comes naturally and slips through his lips so easily. It doesn't catch him by surprise—it's hard for him to tell if it is his Shadow. They are too alike... Or is it that Joonghyuk as he is now is at his worst already.

While they're running, they may hear Puck's laughter in a clearer direction. Behind them, specifically. ]

[damnpire]

[Self-imposed ace and aromantic tendencies. Knightly...(?)]

Find him.

[Joonghyuk, your SHADOW. D doesn't give any warning when he suddenly doubles-back. He runs in the opposite direction they had been headed, straight for the lumbering house. A peculiar, old voice croaks loudly,] D?! I'm begging you to find some self-preserva--TIONNN!

[Right in front of the house, D leaps off the ground and soars up toward the roof like a black missile, letting the strange voice yell in panic. The house tries to take a chomp out of him as he passes, but he moves by as hair's breath too quickly. He lands on the roof and keeps going.] You're not the only one here! Think about me, too! [the voice is yelling in exasperation.

The house falters, not knowing whether it should keep pursuing Joonghyuk or deal with the gnat running along on top of it.]

[regression]

[ Sometimes there are two wolves inside you and in the end they think the same thing. Joonghyuk squints because there is a voice? He doesn't recognize? Coming from a figure he does recognize. Questions won't be helping them here, so he keeps it to himself. Unlike their ace and aromantic knight, he doesn't circle to the monstrous house because he does have self-preservation.

Only when it stops to focus on D does he make a straight beeline and dart straight into its mouth... Door... Door mouth. Inside is dark with only the orange glow from the fireplace in the living room casting the shadows of the rickety interior, but the laughter is louder. ]

He's somewhere in here.

[ Joonghyuk trusts D's inhuman hearing as he says this. Maybe D can catch a glimpse of Puck just chilling in a room inside through one of the angry house window eyes. ]

[damnpire]

[DON'T TALK ABOUT LACKING SELF-PRESERVATION ONLY TO RUN INTO THE DOOR MOUTH!!

Standing at the peak of the roof, D does in fact hear Joonghyuk muttering inside the house. But the thing doesn't give him any time to dwaddle. Its spindly, wooden arms circle up and over the roof after him--why are there four? That's two too many. D races away. Joonghyuk can hear the pattering of his feet going down the slope of the roof to the edge.

He vaults it as the arms twist toward him, using one hand to catch the roof line and swing back. He crashes feet-first through one of the windows much to the howling of the house. Hope it wasn't an eye.

Except he lands in a crouch near Joonghyuk. Hello. BUT!]

I saw him in one of the rooms.

[regression]

[ would you hate it if i said maybe it's four cause actually two of them are its legs which means you have written the house trying to grab him with hands and feet

Pattering makes me think D has little paws, but Joonghyuk will be able to hear the weight of a grown man on the rooftop. Still cautious on the first floor, he had at most searched the layout to find anything worth attention. Puck. Or maybe the heart of the house so it can die and stop SCREAMING... The house howls and its walls rattle with its trinkets, rustle with its peeling wallpaper.

Their little trickster is nowhere to be found on this level, but D's voice and the crash of broken glass has Joonyhyuk return to the living room space. ]

Up the stairs.

[ He says, peeking out from a hallway corner, seeing that D arrived with his dirty shoes possibly on the musty and dusty couch. There's a pause. ]

This way.

[ Joonghyuk disappears up the staircase. ]

[damnpire]

[stop dont bring feet here

It will just reach one of its feet into the open window (its eye??) to try groping for D, but he has already moved to dodge. And yes, he’s white, so the dirty boots are on the nasty couch until he springs away in Joonghyuk’s direction.

Thankfully, the arm can’t reach that far when he steps into the hallway and up the stairs after Joonghyuk. The closer he gets to the top, the more suffocating the energy becomes for him.

He stops at the top, listening. The intense eyes snap suddenly over to a few sets of doors.] There. He’ll move rooms if he knows. [Musical rooms…

They’re suffering.]

[regression]

[ peet

He never thought Dokja's miniaturization skill would be useful here... Or the story that gives him the presence of a pebble, therefore mostly undetectable to most people.

Closing his eyes... He considers if they want to play actual musical chairs. Puck isn't omnipotent, is he? He doesn't know the state of the places he teleports to, right? With a tip of his head, he indicates that D should pursue while he lie in wait in one of the rooms.

Allegedly. ]

[damnpire]

[Maybe Joonghyuk can become a sexy woman and distract the Puck with a little cleavage.

He regards Joonghyuk until the nod comes. His attention turns toward the thick air linger around one of the rooms, but he waits until Joonghyuk gets a head start. In case a spooked Puck vanishes away.

Like a prowling cat, he walks toward the door, somehow not jangling the spurs on the boots. His pale hand wraps around the door's handle, and he pauses momentarily to glance in Joonghyuk's general direction.

Then, all at once, he throws open the door and steps inside the threshold. A little infuriating when the Puck only laughs delightedly at him. D leaps across the distance between them, but the Puck disperses to another room, leaving behind more laughter.]

[regression]

[ As if he would ever do that.

Joonghyuk gives D a nod and matches his footsteps to mislead Puck on his whereabouts. Sitting pretty in another room, he doesn't wait idly per se. With a raise of his hand lightning strikes on the rug, the nearby chair, and some other inflammable items.

It may not be obvious from another room, but smoke starts to waft after Puck dispersed into another room. His shriek knifes through the billowing smog, echoed by the house's pained moan. Joonghyuk doesn't show himself after, however. ]

[damnpire]

[I keep thinking about how people have said D reminds them of YJH and being like no way, but then they continue being the same person.

Puck pulled an Abra on him, so D slowly exits the empty room to stand in the hallway area outside. He listens, both to the house and the other two. The smell of electricity matches the feel of the nape of his neck crawling, the crackling energy.

Joonghyuk...?

He glances back and forth to see if Joonghyuk will appear, and in the few seconds nothing happens, he decides to walk toward the door of the other room Joonghyuk went into. Hello, Sasuke man, are you there?]

[regression]

[ He's just sitting on the couch, arms and legs crossed, as the whole room is engulfed in flames. You know that meme with the dog surrounded by fire and saying "this is fine?"

This is the same, but not. Joonghyuk doesn't think this is fine, but he doesn't move. Suspiciously, he hasn't budged or even twitched, but his expression is grimly dark. ]

[damnpire]

[Like an obsidian ghost, D simply haunts the doorway without budging either. He peers at Joonghyuk, then he peers at the room itself... at the fire. Hm.

He looks once again at Joonghyuk pointedly without asking anything.]

[regression]

[ The fire is spreading to the other rooms... Still, Joonghyuk doesn't move. What does shift is his gaze latched onto D in the doorway, but his neck and head stay fixed. ]

I am paralyzed.

[damnpire]

[Well, okay. D really continues to stand there and look at Joonghyuk for a second or two. Why did you go a paralyze yourself, idiot? His eyes slide back to the fire that's consuming everything.

In a quiet voice, he asks,] Do you think you can swallow it? [But he isn't looking at Joonghyuk.

His left hand rises, forward-facing, arm stretching out. The skin on the palm begins to stretch and distort. A scraggly, old face pushes forward out of the flesh, eyes and mouth a chasm. The voice Joonghyuk heard before returns, clear, but still just as decrepit.] I can try! [the face says, cackling.] This place is hot! Lessee... Give me a taste... if I can just...!

[The mouth opens wide. Air starts sucking inside, pulling the flames toward the mouth, drawing it in. A funnel of wind and flame vanish inside the face on D's palm. It quenches a little over half of the flames before the thing starts coughing.] H-hot! H... hot! Hck! That's it! That's... all I can take. Really... gonna feel that... later. Probably indigestion... [D lowers his hand. It's enough for the moment.

He steps into the room (f for future d who can't do this sometimes) and heads for Joonghyuk.]

We have to leave. I'm going to carry you.

[regression]

[ He doesn't get to control when his powers don't act up? Sometimes it works without a hitch and sometimes he electrocutes himself in the process. Sometimes you are a Pikachu with volt tackle.

Oh, ew, D has some kind of anime parasite thing going on now that Joonghyuk can witness that voice by source. He doesn't say anything as he watches the flames get vacuumed into D's magical hand. At most, he squints at this.

How many people in this game have an entity with them?! Isn't this weird?

But he doesn't retort or show disapproval when the notice for escape is given. At least D is polite enough to tell him. Carry on. ]

[damnpire]

[Yea, yea!! He has a nasty parasite in his hand. Enjoy. Joonghyuk will toss him out now.

Since the flames didn't go out completely, D doesn't tarry to spare Joonghyuk any shame. He gathers the whole ass large man up in his arms by the legs and the shoulders. Princess carry. Since, like, it's rude to throw Joonghyuk over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. D has more politeness than that.

He also picks Joonghyuk with shocking ease. No straining.

Pausing for a second, he listens to the house screech. Okay. They need to go. He sprints out of the door and back the way they had come. At the bottom of the stairs, the steps begin to... fade... out? As he takes a step off the last one, his feet land in the dirt on the outside in the woods. He stops.

Slowly turns around. The house disperses away into the ether. D sort of just... stares in acknowledgement. Ok. Goodbye house made up of a story.]

Do you know when the paralysis will wear off?

[regression]

[ D really is so polite... Joonghyuk does prefer this or a piggy back ride over being slung over the shoulder like a sack of potatoes, even if that's his preferred way of carrying people. That, or under the arm like a football.

The house is gone, and the fire with it. Puck is nowhere to be heard? Maybe licking his new burns or he's dead for the nth time for how many attempts on his life there had been this month. ]

Soon.

[ Now that he's satisfied with revenge. ]

What is that?

[ THE VOICE. ]

[damnpire]

[Soon…

Well, there isn’t any point in standing here while waiting. He give the air where the house was one last look, then h slowly turns around again. Casually, he makes his way along in the direction where less unbridled energy is pulsing. None of that haunted forest shit.]

A parasite. You don’t have to pay it any mind.

[If Joonghyuk is talking about the voice from his hand. Just there. A face.

Well, it doesn’t have a face right now, he is holding Joonghyuk.]

[regression]

[ Oh, it is a parasite. Raising an eyebrow, he decides to use an ability... His right eye glows a bright gold which lights up their immediate area like a beacon. D may be able to feel that he's being examined in the deepest sense.

Some of the character window is jumbled, glitching, but he can make out some important factors. Parasite host fits, stats seem good... ]

Then the rubies.

[ HOLE? Also, hope that hand doesn't bite his ass. ] ]

[damnpire]

[I should make the hand bite his ass, honestly.

D continues on until the area is illuminated, and it's that more than the feeling of being Perceived which gets him to slow to a stop. Hm. He peers at Joonghyuk under the scrutinizing metaphorical gaze.

Are those... his stats... Why. The ass really should be bitten. If it's possible for such a stoic young man to look miffed, he looks a tad miffed. But whatever. This is very much like reading the Akashic Record.]

It has access to a small pocket dimension. [No point in lying if Joonghyuk can EXAMINE him, but he hates admitting it.] The access comes and goes here.

[regression]

I see.

[ YEAH, HE CAN, though it isn't as comprehensive as he'd like. It's still useful enough, though he wishes he could read other parts. At the very least, he doesn't ask more about it, giving D some semblance of "privacy."

Once he can get his finger to flex, he's able to move. He doesn't scramble in D's arms like a fool and instead announces himself. ]

I can move.

[ He may be set down. ]

[damnpire]

[Thank you for the privacy…

In return thanks, D quickly but carefully sets Joonghyuk down onto the ground on both feet. Upright of course. Tada.

He does sort of keep his hand on Joonghyuk’s arm for a second or two, long enough to makes sure Joonghyuk doesn’t just collapse suddenly before he draws the hand away again.]

Did doing something cause this?

[regression]

[ His lips press into a fine line, covering the sigh that must have been coming. Standing upright fine, he shakes his legs a bit before taking steps forward. ]

This place interferes with abilities.

[ SIMPLE. ]

[damnpire]

[Well, Joonghyuk isn't wrong. It explains what's going on pretty simply.]

It does.

[He isn't scared to acknowledge Joonghyuk is right. His eyes look Joonghyuk over to make sure the man is alright when walking. He'll be fine.]

Are you alright now?