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INHUMAN COURTESY

I. PUSHING UP DAISIES

cw: depiction of hanahaki, mention of blood, mild body horror

The Frightful Harvest ended on a bloody, eerie note, but the Respite's most welcome interlude has proven exceptionally fruitful. The sky's darkened again, moons struggling to glow through turbulent clouds, but crops all over Stygia have grown dense and healthy, herbs and plants and flowers aplenty. Normally, it'd be a time to rejoice, even as sleet pours and winds grow bitterly cold -- and it might have been, had greens and stems and petals NOT elected to blossom inside you. Your lungs, specifically.

It's an uncommon side effect of the Harvest, affecting those who foster affection or attraction towards another, triggered only by a stray thought. Almost as if punished by Oblivium for harboring any kind of positive feelings. The worst part is that the object of your desire doesn't even have to be in the Netherworld for you to be afflicted. Over the span of three months, you'll gradually experience various degrees of the "harvest's curse", depending on the source of your feelings:

► PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL ATTRACTION & REQUITED LOVE
It starts with an itch. Your throat tickles, an odd sensation in your lungs, slightly constricted. Allergies? Not quite. It worsens overtime, and days pass by, perhaps weeks. You cough, a little more every day, a little deeper, and then it happens: petals, stuck to your lips as you wheeze and try to empty your chest. Marigold, carnations, daisies, peonies... Thankfully, for you, it's more of an annoyance, sporadic at best and leaving you exhausted at times, but you're in no immediate danger. Unfortunately, not all Restless share the same luck.

► UNREQUITED LOVE
It doesn't matter whether it is truly unrequited; as long as you think it is, whether you're fully convinced or distantly resigned, you get the whole package. It starts the same way the lesser variation does, gradual, and with unsavory (!) additions: lilies and dark red roses. The first slowly spreads its poison in your body, inducing fevers, skin rashes, blistering in your mouth and stomach aches. The second pricks your throat bloody, making speech difficult and breathing even more so. It spreads throughout Stygia, and if most wound up meeting their end in the past, some speak of a highly hypothetical cure. It's believed that if the object of your affection confesses equally strong feelings for you, the curse should rapidly subside. If this option isn't viable, Doran promises that all Healers in Hale are working extremely hard to find a solution. In the meantime, symptoms can be partially soothed with poultices and spells that you can find in the Marketplace or in Serene. Some merchants might even take pity on you and offer them for free.

if your character has heard of similar diseases in their home world, they're absolutely welcome to share their insight on the netherwork or anywhere else
the evolution of the disease can be as gradual, as fast or as severe as you wish it to be
a mini quest to retrieve ingredients for a cure will be available in december or january
by february, all characters should be cured

II. DO NOT PASS GO

cw: mention of blood, torture, branding, violence, forced captivity

Full-swing investigations concerning the Harvest's murders have begun, though the mysterious rider has yet to resurface. The day is young still, but no matter; the Hierarchy firmly believes that the creature was summoned by a group of renegades, fully intent on finding and dismembering the organization. Perhaps even literally.

If you've spilled blood not your own in the previous event, the Hierarchy finds you. Do they know? It doesn't really matter; they've targeted you for reasons they won't divulge, persuaded of your involvement -- and off to the Gallows you go. Each of you receives the same greeting when you arrive, held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with the letter F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’, and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the Hierarchy's hospitality. Writhe and scream and glower as much as you want; next thing you know, something heavy hits you across the head, and you collapse.

When your vision slowly creeps back, your eyes adjust to a dimly lit stone cell. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain, and you lie in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. It's dark; the air is bloated and filled with agonizing shrieks. Dead vines scrap the walls of half-crumbled buildings, weather-worn stone pillars surrounded by withered clumps of grass. You may converse with your cellmates: the guards patrolling the Gallows couldn't care less, convinced that no one could possibly escape anyway.

► Ironically, a magical barrier around the Gallows prevents magical/spiritual abilities from functioning. However, characters who roam free still can absolutely sneak in! Be careful not to get caught, though!
► Loud disagreements might attract unwanted attention. A single guard will come, and if he finds nothing else amiss, will threaten them to be quiet. A second violation earns the offender a rap on their bare feet with a club. A third violation will cause the offender to be gagged. Note that in order to beat or gag the offender, the guard must first open the cell.
► If you share affinities with Gargoyles, incapacitating a guard in any way will draw the attention of one. It'll show you to the gates where you'll be able to escape, taking care of sentries on your way. You should probably keep a low-profile from then on, and avoid showing-off your brand.
► A secret passage may be found through a mausoleum nearby; an arrow of flaking red paint marks the entrance. Or is it blood? Inside, it's nearly pitch-black. Perhaps, if you're lucky, your vision extends as far as 30 feet in front of you, but occasionally, the darkness is broken by clinging phosphorescent fungi or crawling luminescent creatures, and from out of the silence echo sounds of dripping water. You're underground, and Abysmals can be encountered here if you're too loud. You should also watch out for cave-ins, but as you get farther away from the general region of the Gallows, your magical abilities gradually come back.
► Eventually, a long, broken staircase will lead you to Hale. If you're injured, you'll be sent to the main infirmary; characters with healing abilities or knowledge are super welcome to help!

Luckily for you, there are so many prisoners it's a difficult task for the Hierarchy to always keep track of all of them. Your brand, however, is a dead giveaway, so you might as well try and find a way to get rid of it; you might hear through the grapevines that the dead skin of Badaliscus can be used as bandages, and overtime, the brand will fully heal and disappear.

III. TO THE RESCUE

As you attempt to escape, or perhaps once you’ve successfully snuck in, you come across a terrifying spectacle: in front of you, impaled through the shoulder by a spear, a weary humanoid figure covered in blood. The body is being restrained by additional shackles on each arm and leg, which are linked to chains anchored within the walls. There's a guard nearby, armed to the teeth… and still you decide to free them.

The guard’s magic is just as useless as yours, and while impressive in size, dexterity definitely isn’t his main strength. He hits hard — with brass knuckles, a chain mace, and a sturdy shield — and his stamina almost seems endless, but it’s not. Keep evading, and he’ll eventually tire enough to topple over. It’s also possible to have him chase you around if you don’t go too far, which would allow someone else to grab the spear. Once he’s too exhausted to go on, you can either kill him or chain him to the wall. The keys are in his boots, and you’ll find a bottle of water as well as a small vial of ointment in a satchel on the ground, where he previously stood.

The prisoner is a young man, perhaps in his mid-20s. Once freed from his shackles, he immediately keels over, though he’s not unconscious. He thanks you with a deep and raw voice, begging for water. You can tend to his wounds if you’re able—the ointment quickly soothes—and when he finally stands again, he asks you a question: “I’m a stranger to you, and you could have died. Yet, you chose to free me, unaware of my past. Of my crimes. Of my virtues. Why?”

Regardless of your answer, he smiles, a private understanding that turns the stretch of his lips enigmatic. There’s a bubbling chuckle in his throat, very hoarse, and then he hisses, touching where you’ve helped him apply the ointment on his body. “You know what they say. If it stings...” He looks at you, deliberately pausing there and staring bold into your eyes. “... then it must be working.”

It might feel like there’s more to what he’s trying to say, though it’s pointless to ask: he bows, and then he slowly inches away from you. “Until we meet again.” White and thick tendrils of smoke envelop him, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and then just like that, he’s gone.

so you’ve chosen to free him, which in turn has generated a future plot point that’ll occur some time in february. some of you WILL see him again.
what he says to you is a clue.
you can answer his question OOCly right here. it’ll have some bearing on the way your character will be approached re: future plot point.
if you've voted no and would still like to participate, you could always allow your character to be convinced or reluctantly dragged by another!

ooc note

► As always, check out the Notice Board if you'd like additional prompts! Older quests from previous months are always available as well. You'll also find the Calendar right here.
► You'll find already answered questions just here, and if you'd like to ask new ones, ask them here!
► For fun's sake and similarly to the puck adventure, you may play it out in different groups or on your own, and still obtain the same results as everyone else whether your characters threaded together!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I didn't think I'd have to specify for you not to brain me!

[she catches these hands, but he still tumbles her, nearly backwards, legs working furiously to gain ground over her. with some of his own blood dripping in his eye, he looks more than a little bit manic—but he's still rather controlled, not ripping his arms away to rumble a little more seriously.

on the other hand, lumine has no such issue with harming him further, as per requested, and lets one of his hands go, rearing back with her own. throwing his free hand down to brace himself, he scrambles to pull away as he can before she closes the distance and

right hooks him one in the jaw. i decided he doesn't get to dodge this because it's funnier that way.

it takes him only a second to recover from this one, though—and now, he simply pins her to the ground, thoroughly done with giving her any more space to abuse him, but huffing with effort.]

Enough!

[the guard seems to be struggling with which key it is for the door, giving felix enough space and time to lean in close, head aching, and whisper furious instructions.]

When he comes over, I'll let you go—attack him from behind.

[because it seems like she's good at surprise attacks.]

[ ... he only said to start a fight with him, pls. he didn't say how.

in any case, lumine looks momentarily stunned when her fist connects squarely with his jaw, which is more than enough time for felix to tackle her to the ground. not gonna lie, she was expecting him to avoid that hit, considering their little drama. and yet, he didn't, seemingly determined to see this tussle through. what a trooper, she thinks, quite impressed especially when not everyone can weather a punch from her.

but there's no time to admire him, her attention immediately shifting from the guard who's opening their jail cell to the instructions he's giving her. when the cell door swings open, she squirms underneath him in an attempt to shove him away. ]

Get off me!

[ she scrambles back to her feet when the guard tries to break them up, kicking the poor unsuspecting guy in the head when he turns his back on her. ]

... Like that?

[lumine kicks the guard, and when he turns, foolishly, to confront his assailant, felix loops their chain around his neck, choking him handily into unconsciousness. with an exhale of effort, he finally nods.]

Yeah. Like that.

[bending down, he starts patting around, retrieving a ring of keys from the guard's possessions, trying each key on his manacles until he finds the right one—then repeats the process on lumine's, before going for the door.]

Any idea which way is out?

[ freedom!

lumine gingerly rubs at her ankles, wrinkling her nose at the skin chafed raw by the iron cuffs. it should heal eventually, like all of her injuries, but that doesn't mean it's not uncomfortable. still, there's no time to figure out if anything else is hurting; he's right, after all, that they should probably get out. ]

There's only one way out.

[ she nods towards the direction of the corridor leading towards the rest of the prison area. she's seen a few guards coming in and out of that path, so she assumes it leads somewhere else. ]

The next guard who will replace this one should arrive in ten minutes. [ or so she predicts, based on what she's learned about their schedules so far. ] ... How's your face?

My face? It's my head you should be asking about, you crazy woman.

[he doesn't turn around as he talks to her, fiddling with trying different keys in the lock from the prison side. finally, one clicks, and the door starts to swing open. stepping back, he turns, hands on hips.]

They're both aching, and probably will for a while—but it worked, so I don't care. Just don't do it again.

[like she'd have a reason? but. he checks on his own ankles, picking a bit of chafed skin off, and trying to brush a bit of grime away from the wounds. oh, well.]

If we've got ten minutes, then we'll use all of it. How fast can you move?

[ if he has the energy to argue, then she assumes he's fine despite his head injury. the fact that he's still moving about without an issue, trying out the different keys to unlock their cell, is also more than enough testament to tell her that this will work as long as they don't have to beat each other up again.

anyway, her own head hurts after being shoved onto the ground and held down; she just isn't complaining about it. ]

I won't unless you tell me to fight you again.

[ though to be fair, she won't throw another rock at him. maybe another punch, a kick or two, but not another rock—unless, of course, he pointedly asks for one. who is she to deny him of a request, after all?

in any case, lumine holds out a hand to see if she can summon her elements. there's clearly something suppressing it here, something that's only happened to her once. ]

As fast as you need me to. [ without anemo or electro, she doubts she'll be able to reach her full speed. but she's not about to let herself drag them both down. ] If all else fails, I can hit the new guard again.

Hmph. Maybe bring your rock, then. [it's unclear if he's being funny or serious, considering his tone.

scooping up the guard's club, he strides out into the hallway, looking both directions, before simply gesturing forward with a flick of his head, and running down the corridor.]

The coast is clear. We can run until we hit something.

[it's not much of a plan, but at least they're making progress?

the space they move through doesn't last too long, though, opening out onto a wider thoroughfare which is currently empty of guards. maybe there's a prison break in another part of the place, too? felix doesn't bother waiting for lumine, and starts down this hallway, too, looking left and right.]

Keep an eye out for anything that looks like a way out.

[duh?]

[ she doesn't need to bring her rock to punch someone out cold, but lumine doesn't say that.

she walks after him but instead of checking down the hall, she purposefully heads down a corridor. it's still devoid of guards, which makes her a little suspicious. the gallows seem to be very huge and she clearly hasn't explored all of them, but it's weird that their escape hasn't alerted anyone else. ]

The way out is here.

[ she remembers the direction she was dragged from, how many paces and how many guards they passed by. her gaze flickers towards another corridor where she was briefly shoved into a room, forced to change out of her clothes. ]

Weapons and clothes are kept in a room down there. If you don't have any sentimental items you need to retrieve, you can go straight, turn left at the very end and watch out for two guards patrolling.

[ he'll eventually hit the grounds, which would be trickier to escape from. ]

[??????????]

What do you mean? How would you know that?

[it's an incredulous tone, clearly disbelieving that what she's saying could be true. still, he's eyeing up the corridor to the room she pointed out. maybe she just has a super eidetic memory.]

Weapons first, if you're telling the truth. [he gestures at her, a 'go ahead' motion.] Come on.

[he's at least willing to roll the dice on this mysterious jail-familiar girl.]

[ she's also ????? ]

What, didn't you realize where they were dragging you from?

[ pls grumpy dude, why would she lie about this? she came here to spy and get information about the workings of this prison; this much isn't difficult. not to mention that she's noticed the guards coming and going from a certain direction. why else would she be hanging out near the jail bars of their cell the entire time while she's stuck in the gallows?

in any case, she sighs and lifts her hands in the universal gesture of giving up and leads the way towards the other corridor. ]

I want to get out of this place like you, you know ...

[embarrassing things to admit:] I wasn't conscious.

[sometimes you struggle and fight so much that your captors simply get tired of you and knock you out.

anyway. as soon as she starts walking, he follows after, lips pursed.]

You made that much clear when you hit me. [oh, actually:] What do you usually fight with?

Most of the people dragged into the cells were unconscious.

[ a.k.a. it's not just him, he doesn't need to feel embarrassed about it. especially when she's also made a bit of a mess of the guards and got clobbered in the head in the middle of the harbor ... anyway.

she quickens her pace when she distinctly hears the thud of boots against concrete a few meters away, slipping into the room in question and pulling her current companion with her. can't risk getting caught, even if she knows that guard is probably elsewhere. ]

Sword, but my weapon isn't here ... [ there's a pile of weapons on a table. in another corner, clothes are strewn in a heap. ] I'll go find my clothes.

[ and find it, she will. in fact, the moment that she does and with her back towards felix, she'll start stripping. sorry, man, no time for shame. ]

[he has no time to reflect on lumine throwing him a bone for being knocked out when the footsteps get louder and louder—and suddenly, his companion is yanking him into the room after her.]

Hey--!

[but. forget it. he clicks his tongue, and starts sorting through the weapons in the pile, looking for his. one, at least, is distinct enough—the other is a bit more of a dig, although it's still close by where the other was found.

meanwhile, a girl is naked now???? HELP

felix does a double take, then turns around to avoid accidentally looking a third time????? he hisses between his teeth as he talks, holding the two swords tightly in his fists.]

You could have just said something!

[ oh felix ... dragged around by a girl half a foot shorter than him ...

lumine takes a moment to realize what he meant by his words, reaching behind her back to tug at the lacing of her dress before glancing at him over her shoulder. they're in a hurry; she didn't think it would be such a big deal to change clothes in front of him, unless he's comfortable in the rags that the guards had put them in. ]

I did say something.

[ she said she'd find her clothes while he searched for his weapons. and they both accomplished their respective tasks, see? her hands smooth down her skirt, wrinkling her nose when her gaze lands on the brand on her arm. ]

Have you never seen someone naked before?

Are you done?

[he's not humoring the question about naked people. naked men is one thing. women are another. they're not having this discussion anyway. he waits a another long beat or so, then steals a glance. fully clothed.

now, it's his turn to make his way over to the dreaded clothes pile. he skirts around lumine, and digs through, until he finds his own garb, balled up between two other elaborate outfits.

what to do? he weighs the options of changing out in his mind. carrying the clothes is annoying, but he doesn't have to change in front of her. on the other hand, carrying the clothes is annoying...]

Turn around. I'm changing.

[DO NOT MAKE THIS WEIRD]

[ HE'S THE ONE MAKING THIS WEIRD???

lumine just gives him a bewildered look before she shrugs her shoulders and turns around. honestly, it isn't as if she hasn't seen a guy naked before; this world inflicted at least two of them on her, and there were even more in the previous worlds she'd been to. but since he seems quite flustered at the idea of being seen naked, fine. she'll indulge him.

in any case, she needs to go through the weapons pile too, selecting a sword that's the closest to the one she's currently using—or at least the one that feels most balanced in her hand. she huffs under her breath. ]

The weapons here feel like they'll break instantly ...

[ but whatever gets them out of this place. if it shatters in her hand, well, there's always her fists. ]

... Did you find your weapons?

[STOP this lack of modesty offends his fantasy pseudocatholic upbringing. what would the goddess think.

he's mid-through changing—at least the bottom half is on—as she comments on the weapon quality, and scoffs.]

Yes—and anything is better than nothing. Although mine aren't much better.

[he pulls on his shirt, glad to be free of the rags, and hums.]

We can grab two each, and just use them until they break. I'll keep mine sheathed.

[there. clothing obtained.]

Ready?

[like he wasn't the one holding things up.]

[ the goddess would finally think that he's hitting puberty

just two? lumine's already looking up at him, a sheepish expression on her face as she slips a couple of daggers up her skirt and another one into her arm guard. not her favorite weapon as she prefers the weight of a sword in her hand, but like what he said, anything is better than nothing.

at the very least, it'll be more effective than a rock in injuring someone and keeping them down. still, she keeps one of the swords, held at her side.

before they head out, though, lumine pauses, closing her eyes to recall the direction where they should head next. the corridors, the patrolling guards, and then the huge staircase leading out ... ]

How many people can you fight all at once?

[ just in case, you know!! they get swarmed by guards ... not that she's saying they will, but it's a possibility. ]

[felix, for his part, simply tucks as many swords as will fit into his belt, and holds another. this makes for a grand total of five swords, which he seems in a rather good mood about, despite their terrible quality. the dagger-slipping is met with a stare into the distance to avoid the skirt flip (why) and finally, a small nod when she's done.]

As many as necessary.

Do you know where we're going from here?

[he will follow........ he guesses.]

[ oh felix. her skirt has a huge slit on the back, may the goddess have mercy on your soul.

lumine cracks open the door and peers outside, eyes darting to make sure there are no guards around. once she's confirmed that the corridor is clear, she slips out, sword held in front of her. ]

Mostly.

[ she is confident about her memory, but she won't say that there aren't any spots she might have missed. it's kinda hard to focus when she was being dragged around because her entire body was wracked with pain. in any case, she stops again at the opening of the hallway, glancing around before turning her attention towards another corridor leading out. ]

That's why I asked how many people you can fight at once in case we're swarmed.

[ it won't be long before the guard they managed to knock out is found. ]

Worry about that when we get there.

[for some reason, clothes are not an issue? he just follows after her, watching her decisions, noting her turns and headflicks as she seems to pathfind her way out.

the passageways are starting to get cleaner, though—as if they're a little bit more carefully kept, towards the exit. and also... noisier. there's definitely the sound of rascous activity happening further up the hallway—like another prison break in progress.]

If it's through there, we'll both have our work cut out for us.

[ lumine worries a lot. she likes crossing the bridge when it's miles away. it's a bad habit of hers that she won't ever be able to correct.

the noise catches her attention as they get closer and she slows down, immediately slipping behind a recess in the wall when she sees a passing guard—or more like, several passing guards, everyone armed and rushing towards the direction of the exit. she tries to summon her resonance but it doesn't respond to her, her fingers just shifting around the hilt of her sword.

still no dice. how frustrating. ]

What's the worst that could happen, though? ... Aside from supposedly dying, that is.

[ she offers him a smile before she sprints up the hallway, cutting down the guards they've just seen a few minutes ago before they can notice anything. they all crumple to the ground, their armor clattering loudly. ]

Let's go.

Nothing worse. We're already dead, after all.

[she sprints, and he follows, dashing into the fray, clicking his tongue in irritation at being told what to do in even the lightest sense.]

I'll cut through them!

[and sure enough, he's there, making good use of his borrowed swords, running them through guard after guard. other prisoners on their way out, decidedly weaponless, are cheering on the both of them now, as they dance around the room, taking on their individual quarries. felix is tired, but not so tired that he can't drive through this lot on pure adrenaline and the other chemicals of the fight at large.

one of his swords breaks in a guard's stomach, and he kicks them away, abandoning the blade. out of one eye, though, he can't help but watch lumine. she is... good. which is very interesting.

he files it away in his mental folder of interesting things. and also adds another name to his "people to spar" list.]

[ supposedly dead, but she doesn't say that. no time anyway when they're faced with multiple guards at once.

a smile tugs at her lips as lumine situates herself in felix's blind spot, easily parrying an attack meant for him and ensuring that he doesn't get interrupted in his fun. her blade soon finds its target, ripping through soft flesh and bones. her hand stays her sword, makes sure it only injures and doesn't kill; her shadow, on the other hand, insists on mayhem.

it's been a while, after all, since she's had this sort of fun. she's normally not the kind who stays still for an entire month, twiddling her thumbs. so this? this entire dance with the gallows' sentries is fun, exciting, exhilara—

she staggers when she barely deflects a weapon swung in her direction, distracted by the other three she's just knocked out. the dagger she's stolen slips down from her armguard into her hand, and she plants it between the guard's ribs when she pulls close. she feels the warmth of blood gushing onto her fingers. ]

We can't stay here for too long. We need to get out before more arrive.

[ lumine forcefully drags the point of her sword against the ground, creating a small chasm and hurling the rocks at the oncoming guards like one would a ball. closest to a geo resonance she can do in this place. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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he is in deep need of tormenting always tbh

she'll make it up to him!!!

please don't be nice to him ever

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sorry for the delay!

dw about it!!

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