The Mods of LifeAftr (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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aftr_ooc2018-03-16 08:57 pm
lifeaftr_mods) wrote in aftr_ooc2018-03-16 08:57 pm
Entry tags:
March Event: De L'autre Côté de L'eau
MARCH EVENT: DE L'AUTRE CÔTÉ DE L'EAU
It Seems So Important Now
On March 19th, those who have been imprisoned will finally find themselves on the move. Weaponless and hands bound, they’re directed from their cells to the private docks seen at Location #8 on the map. The high walls protect this area from the prying eyes of citizens and free adventurers alike, on top of making escape nigh impossible. Loaded into long, rudimentary boats, characters will then be taken to the island of the Standing Water - Location #9 on the map.
Idyllic in many ways, the island of the Standing Water is lush with growth, the call of birds through the greenery the only sound but for the quiet tramp of footsteps along a stone path. Said path resembles the streets of Ai'tuoh in construction, the brickwork careful and precise and locked firmly in place. This will guide the troupe of prisoners, kept under the militia's watchful eye, up to the crest of a seemingly innocuous hill - and then inside, curving around and around the hollow interior of the hill itself.
It’s at this point that characters will catch their first glimpse of the Standing Water.
By far the most arresting thing about the Water is the sheer weight of the sense of absence it contains. There's something missing here that is present in all other things, some characteristic or trait or state of being, and the lack thereof is like staring into a black hole.
On March 19th, those who have been imprisoned will finally find themselves on the move. Weaponless and hands bound, they’re directed from their cells to the private docks seen at Location #8 on the map. The high walls protect this area from the prying eyes of citizens and free adventurers alike, on top of making escape nigh impossible. Loaded into long, rudimentary boats, characters will then be taken to the island of the Standing Water - Location #9 on the map.
Idyllic in many ways, the island of the Standing Water is lush with growth, the call of birds through the greenery the only sound but for the quiet tramp of footsteps along a stone path. Said path resembles the streets of Ai'tuoh in construction, the brickwork careful and precise and locked firmly in place. This will guide the troupe of prisoners, kept under the militia's watchful eye, up to the crest of a seemingly innocuous hill - and then inside, curving around and around the hollow interior of the hill itself.
It’s at this point that characters will catch their first glimpse of the Standing Water.
By far the most arresting thing about the Water is the sheer weight of the sense of absence it contains. There's something missing here that is present in all other things, some characteristic or trait or state of being, and the lack thereof is like staring into a black hole.
Why Was It So Important Then
Characters who have been condemned to the Water are not alone; many others of Ai'tuoh have been sent to join them, just as guilty as you of some violation of the law or another. One of them in particular - a child no older than the age of ten or eleven - is the first to be led to the Water, and from there it will become starkly apparent what being "cleansed" by the Water means for these people.
The child is guided to the Water’s edge. It's clear that, if they are unwilling, they will be forced to follow through, one way or another. They opt to walk willingly into the Water, and whatever unsettling sense of peculiar stillness the Water exuded before becomes all the more obvious: the moment they step into the clear plane of that glasslike pool, they plummet into it with barely a ripple. The surface itself remains utterly undisturbed, and the child vanishes as though swallowed up.
This will generate the first opportunity for characters to escape. A certain fuss will arise that we will detail on the event log in full, and the militia will be distracted enough for characters whose players would rather not see them thrown to the Water to try and slink out or simply make a break for it.
Those who would like their characters to avoid the next part of this event have the opportunity to ICly make their escape now.
Characters who have been condemned to the Water are not alone; many others of Ai'tuoh have been sent to join them, just as guilty as you of some violation of the law or another. One of them in particular - a child no older than the age of ten or eleven - is the first to be led to the Water, and from there it will become starkly apparent what being "cleansed" by the Water means for these people.
The child is guided to the Water’s edge. It's clear that, if they are unwilling, they will be forced to follow through, one way or another. They opt to walk willingly into the Water, and whatever unsettling sense of peculiar stillness the Water exuded before becomes all the more obvious: the moment they step into the clear plane of that glasslike pool, they plummet into it with barely a ripple. The surface itself remains utterly undisturbed, and the child vanishes as though swallowed up.
This will generate the first opportunity for characters to escape. A certain fuss will arise that we will detail on the event log in full, and the militia will be distracted enough for characters whose players would rather not see them thrown to the Water to try and slink out or simply make a break for it.
Those who would like their characters to avoid the next part of this event have the opportunity to ICly make their escape now.
He Told You He'd Wake You Up
But for those who aren't so lucky, who remain to be cast into the depths, who don't manage to escape before the ruckus dies down...well, they'll be led to the Water just like the child.
So what happens when you drop into those preternaturally still waters?
It won't feel very wet at all, for one thing. The first thing you’ll likely feel is the crushing, biting, bone-deep chill, paired with the sensation of falling down some great, fathomless abyss. No jolt or sudden impact awaits you, however. Instead, your fall will slow, even out, as though your personal gravity is reorienting itself, and you’ll find yourself blinking awake in...Ai'tuoh.
Or rather, in a very strange version of it - what can only be described as a dark, colorless mirror of the city of Ai'tuoh. The buildings loom darkly overhead, their edges strangely irresolving, as though being peered at through ripples of water. And, as your vision adjusts, you'll realize something else about this strange otherworld.
The pathologically still shapes scattered across the ground, both people and animal, are splayed in such a way that would suggest they’re asleep. And they are, in a sense. If you inspect them at length, they'll be breathing, sure enough, but no amount of shaking or poking or prodding will rouse them from their slumber. The majority of these bodies, it must be noted, are undeniably children - those around the ages of ten or eleven or twelve, who did not learn to school their emotional outbursts in time to face the Unerring Law.
There is no visible way out of this netherworld. Whatever portal through which you entered it, it seems to have sealed shut. And what's more, the longer you remain, the more a soporific heaviness will enter your limbs, until the temptation to lie down like the rest of the souls here condemned to the Water, to yawn and curl up on the cold stone floor and succumb to that ever-present lethargy, is practically irresistible…
But for those who aren't so lucky, who remain to be cast into the depths, who don't manage to escape before the ruckus dies down...well, they'll be led to the Water just like the child.
So what happens when you drop into those preternaturally still waters?
It won't feel very wet at all, for one thing. The first thing you’ll likely feel is the crushing, biting, bone-deep chill, paired with the sensation of falling down some great, fathomless abyss. No jolt or sudden impact awaits you, however. Instead, your fall will slow, even out, as though your personal gravity is reorienting itself, and you’ll find yourself blinking awake in...Ai'tuoh.
Or rather, in a very strange version of it - what can only be described as a dark, colorless mirror of the city of Ai'tuoh. The buildings loom darkly overhead, their edges strangely irresolving, as though being peered at through ripples of water. And, as your vision adjusts, you'll realize something else about this strange otherworld.
The pathologically still shapes scattered across the ground, both people and animal, are splayed in such a way that would suggest they’re asleep. And they are, in a sense. If you inspect them at length, they'll be breathing, sure enough, but no amount of shaking or poking or prodding will rouse them from their slumber. The majority of these bodies, it must be noted, are undeniably children - those around the ages of ten or eleven or twelve, who did not learn to school their emotional outbursts in time to face the Unerring Law.
There is no visible way out of this netherworld. Whatever portal through which you entered it, it seems to have sealed shut. And what's more, the longer you remain, the more a soporific heaviness will enter your limbs, until the temptation to lie down like the rest of the souls here condemned to the Water, to yawn and curl up on the cold stone floor and succumb to that ever-present lethargy, is practically irresistible…
Don't Turn Around Too Soon
But at long last, there is hope. The Storyteller may not be capable of interfering on the island of Ai'tuoh, now recognizing this people’s rejection of stories and songs and the written word, but they can facilitate a means to reach those lost to the Water, and a chance to get them back. But it won't be easy - and what’s more, the choice as to how characters reach the Water, whether by cunning or force or some other strategy, will be left entirely up to them.
We'll leave the Storyteller to explain the mechanics of the rescue. But for the ease of plotting, we'll make it clear that there will be three groups necessary to achieve it.
Characters in Group Three must lead the way for their fellows. And they must not, under any circumstances, look back. It is their faith and trust that their fellow adventurers are following them that fuels their lifeline back to the real world. If any of them look back, even for a second, the one they look back for will lose their grasp on the lifeline and be trapped on the other side without hope for return.
The Trial of Orpheus.
But at long last, there is hope. The Storyteller may not be capable of interfering on the island of Ai'tuoh, now recognizing this people’s rejection of stories and songs and the written word, but they can facilitate a means to reach those lost to the Water, and a chance to get them back. But it won't be easy - and what’s more, the choice as to how characters reach the Water, whether by cunning or force or some other strategy, will be left entirely up to them.
We'll leave the Storyteller to explain the mechanics of the rescue. But for the ease of plotting, we'll make it clear that there will be three groups necessary to achieve it.
[ ♆ ] Group One will be needed to defend those enacting the rescue from Ai'tuoh's militia and citizens, by any means necessary. Characters with combat-based skill sets will be best suited for this role, but it also comes with the risk that they might fall into the Water themselves while defending the others. If this happens, they will need to be rescued along with the rest.And so your mission, should you choose to accept it, is this: travel through the Water, reach the other side, and rouse those trapped there. The presence of Group Two will ensure that the way back will not seal behind you and leave you stuck, but perhaps the greatest challenge will be embarking on the return journey.
[ ♆ ] Group Two will be needed to act as a tether for their fellows, ensuring that the route back to the real world will remain open. Characters who are incredibly strong in the way of physical prowess, mental resolve, or both will be best suited for this role.
[ ♆ ] Group Three is tasked with the feat of traveling through the Water and retrieving those caught on the other side. Characters with strong emotional ties to any number of those stuck on the other side will be best suited for this role.
Characters in Group Three must lead the way for their fellows. And they must not, under any circumstances, look back. It is their faith and trust that their fellow adventurers are following them that fuels their lifeline back to the real world. If any of them look back, even for a second, the one they look back for will lose their grasp on the lifeline and be trapped on the other side without hope for return.
The Trial of Orpheus.
I Will Sing Your Name
If you manage to get out, all that remains is fleeing the city itself, for Ai'tuoh's citizens and militia alike won’t be very pleased that you’ve thwarted the will of their faith - and, depending on your methods for reaching the Standing Water in the first place, they might be angry for a great deal of additional reasons.
The Storyteller will not close the way to and from Ai'tuoh until everyone has made it back Ensō. Unfortunately, if you were not retrieved from the Water, or if your rescuer looked back at you, there is no further hope for your rescue. The Storyteller will lock off the mana pool located on Ai'tuoh, and when the island itself disappears at the end of March, anyone left on the island or in the Water will die, and must suffer a death penalty accordingly. There will be no mercy caveats - those who die will suffer a death penalty for the normal duration, and not for a reduced time period.
If you manage to get out, all that remains is fleeing the city itself, for Ai'tuoh's citizens and militia alike won’t be very pleased that you’ve thwarted the will of their faith - and, depending on your methods for reaching the Standing Water in the first place, they might be angry for a great deal of additional reasons.
The Storyteller will not close the way to and from Ai'tuoh until everyone has made it back Ensō. Unfortunately, if you were not retrieved from the Water, or if your rescuer looked back at you, there is no further hope for your rescue. The Storyteller will lock off the mana pool located on Ai'tuoh, and when the island itself disappears at the end of March, anyone left on the island or in the Water will die, and must suffer a death penalty accordingly. There will be no mercy caveats - those who die will suffer a death penalty for the normal duration, and not for a reduced time period.
Event Timeline
[ ♆ ] March 19th: Characters are taken to the Standing Water, and the rescue is facilitated
[ ♆ ] March 20th: Monthly Storytelling occurs as usual
[ ♆ ] March 31st: Ai'tuoh disappears, and anyone left on it or in the Water will suffer a death
( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )
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