usir | Mini-Event: Skywhale + Day of Lefkokó

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The Skywhale & Day of Lefkokó

🜙 The Skywhale

	After fierce retaliation and an increase in city-wide defensive power and measures, it seems as if the orc attacks have, at least for the moment, begun to subside. Along with the lessened threat of orc ambushes, the first storms of winter have died down to a gentle and occasional snow flurry, leaving the world peacefully blanketed in powder snow and a calm stillness. The City of the Free Peoples take this time to celebrate the final repairs of the airship, the Skywhale. With sail balloon once more filled and the engines working hard to keep the air within it warm, easier and safer travel is once more available. The Skywhale leaves once a day in the early morning to head for Didymos, and today is its maiden voyage since the repairs. Thalassa has changed greatly in the last century, blossoming into a massive port and military city, with resources and opportunities unavailable in the more eclectic Cty of the Free Peoples. Restless legs may find their chance to stretch to a new experience. Sail the skies aboard the Skywhale and see Thalassa's grand transformation to Didymos for yourself. Catch the voyage back before nightfall, or remain in Didymos until the ship's return the following day. There is plenty to see and do in the city by the sea. You can even see Logistykon's reef from aboard the Skywhale's deck as it swings around to dock. It is a grim but beautiful sight in the clear blue waters. While the threat of fire and orc ambush has diminished greatly, the City of the Free Peoples is filled with a sense of unease and discomfort as repairs on the city and attempts to put lives back together continue. Murmurs of discontent slip through the city streets, along with rumors that this is all Lykos' fault or accusations that the Captain might be hiding something. For every murmur of distrust, however, there are counters of the heroics and quick action that helped keep the city strong and beat the orcs back. There has still been no word from Krimnos or the airship, Valiant, that usually hails from the cliff city daily. Messengers have not made their wing from the city and those sent to the cliffs have not returned. It's not unusual for this time of year, but the absence is felt keenly by traveling merchants who need to get their wares to or from the city. A journey by horse or on foot would be risky, but the potential rewards for escorting a company up to the cliffs could prove significant.
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🜙 Day of Lefkokó

	No matter what city you find yourself in, the dawn of the 17th sees a change in mood and atmosphere across Idan. Snow has stopped falling and the sky is a bright, clear blue. The weather warms enough to cause water to drip softly from the icicles hanging off every awning and outcrop. Decorations of magical or crafted snowflake art and blue ice flames line city streets and building windows, and jovial merriment spills out into the streets. A sweet wine made from frostberries, warm honey-mead, and spiced apple drinks are offered in taverns, inns, and small shops or homes, a free offering to be had with sweet or spiced cheeses and spiced or candied nuts and fruits. It's a celebration that is far from unfamiliar, one that has been celebrated for centuries across Idan's towns and cities, though the methods and particulars of the celebration have always varied from place to place and people to people. December is the month of the White Raven, and in particular, this day is a day to honor him. Lefkokó, the deity of dance, freedom, madness, and cunning sits at the head of the cause of these festivities and his domains are the focus of the celebrations. Today is a day of dance, drinking, and games of skill and chance. A day to test your bluffing skills, show off, and take deep joy and pride in the liberties and opportunities available to all. Few work on this day, beyond the essentials, and everyone who is able to takes part in this moment of freedom and relaxed expectations or responsibilities. The cities are alive with music and dancing, and the taverns are a swirl of chaos amidst high stake games of cunning and chance. Clever minds clash over riddles, old and new, and as the day progresses a lack of sobriety becomes increasingly evident in the streets and establishments alike. As the sun reaches the highest point in the sky and the shadows dwindle to near nothingness, the aviaries of all three cities release the newest flock of rare juvenile snow ravens to their freedom, letting them take wing to the skies for their first ever flights. The flocks of snow ravens, the most coveted of magic familiars, fly off to the wildlands after practicing their acrobatic feats and visiting various areas of the city in search of food to give them energy for the journey ahead. Once they take their leave of the city, many begin to seek out hidden trinkets, magical herbs, and small, rare items across Idan with a precise and dedicated focus. Those who honor Lefkokó by celebrating in his name may be visited by his rare and clever emissaries later in the month with an offering of thanks from Lefkokó himself.
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🜙 A Warning.

	By the 18th the orc camp has been abandoned, the animals freed and the orcs, whatever was left of them, appear to have fled. Retreat is unusual, even more so for them to cut their creatures loose and flee without triumph or trophy, but this is something different. Many of the weapons, trinkets, and armors coveted by the warring orcs have been left behind, and the fires trampled and stamped out with apparent urgency. Tracks lead to the south a few miles and then vanish into snow in the direction of Lake Atéleio. It and the land south and west of it are consumed in a blizzard blown over from the sea, and tracking beyond that point becomes nearly impossible, though by this point it is assumed the Orcs have retreated to Spear Valley. Whether or not they will return is unclear. Those in the City of the Free Peoples on the 18th will receive another message, this one from a less mysterious source, addressing the coming dangers. Though the attacks have set preparations back a few weeks I would like to quell any worries. The Long Night approaches, but you are a city of strong, brave folk. The threats on the horizon will not be the end of this city any more than these raucous attacks have been. Supplies can be claimed from the defender's camp for any struggling to make the necessary preparations. Those who have lost their homes will be provided shelter and supplies. When the Long Night comes, keep your children indoors, your fires stoked, and your buildings shuttered. There is nothing to fear. Your defenders will keep you safe. -Captain Lykos Several hours later a second and then a third message is received across all kingdoms. It comes only to the couriers of the awakened. The first comes as an audio message: A dull scraping sound followed by the click and whine of metal dragging across stone and the dripping of thick, viscous liquid somewhere distant. It ends abruptly and a simple thought message, short and uncomfortable, follows it. silarclupes irom otnemem The message has no signature.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Eventually, unsurprisingly, there's a wolf at Lauralae's side. Interupting a prayer, because to the surprise of no one at all, she has no idea what she is interupting. All she knows is that the person who gave her so much attention back at the inn is here, and she would very much like more of that attention.

Equally unsurprising, Alucard's no where to be found.]

[ It takes Lauralae a moment to respond to the sudden appearance of her old friend - she finishes her prayers, even if they're made a little more briefly than she might usually, before her fingers slowly reach out and sink into the soft fur. She wears gloves even here and doesn't hesitate, something soft on her face. ]

Greetings again, my friend. It is good to see you.

[There's no noise from Ellis beisdes a little snuffle, and when a hand reaches out, her paw tries to land in a similar spot. So...Lauralae's midsection, but at least Ellis has the good sense to try and not put any weight on the paw. Wolves, even smaller sized ones, still weight a decent amount if one's not anticipating them.]

[ Wiggling closer, the smile on her face widens and she nods, leaning forward. Her hands keep stroking, gentle and sure, pressing in and scratching where she thinks is right to please her friend. ]

You have lost your sour friend, have you? I am glad you have come to me. I am glad you are well.

[It is not a secret fact that Ellis' number one spot is right under her chin. The minute there's any attention there, she all but melts, which means there's just going to be a puddle of wolf here for a time.

Meanwhile, in all the festivities, Alucard was being annoyingly practical and picking up a few things including a spare coat that was thicker and warmer for the winter. The one he had now was proving to be an issue as winter truly settled in.

Which he had done, before he realized the wolf was gone. Logic said that there were three options: she had gone back to the inn, she was trotting around all the festivities to get attention, or she was looking for friends. Points two and three could be wrapped up together.

There's about ten minutes of a puddle of fluff on Laurale before Alucard finds her. No surprise is apparent on his face, there's only a moment of exasperation, mixed with the satisfaction of being right.]

Well, I suppose that this was bound to happen.

[ Lauralae sees no reason to waste time. Her prayers and her thoughts of craft are abandoned for spending time with Ellis, stroking fingers through her fur and paying particular attention to the spot under her chin that she likes the most, to please her the most.

It doesn't seem as though she even notices Alucard approach, other than the very slight tilt of her head. She has already decided he is not an immediate threat and if that changes she is well prepared to protect herself; she is not afraid of him or what he might do. There is no reason to be.

Leaving one firm stroke against Ellis' head, Lauralae looks up. ]

Should she not have found me?

I didn't say that. Of all the possible places she could have gotten to, this is far better than other misadventures.

[Ellis only reacts to Alucard with a flick of her tail. Hello, yes, I'm still mot moving for the time being. His response is just to shake his head. He's accepted that this is the relationship now. Antagonistic in a way that feels familiar enough, for want of others.]

Thank you for looking after her.

I cannot imagine many people would be so fond of a wolf on their lap.

[ Lauralae motions to the space beside her. He can sit if he likes; she has no issues with him that she might with other people. She has accepted Alucard as a part of her newfound path if only for the company of his wolf. ]

She is no trouble. I enjoy her company.

A few people have failed to clock wolf. The size just makes all assume that she's a crossbred dog.

[Either way, he'll take the offered seat. Not for any tiredness of running around the city trying to find Ellis, but because it was offered and this is much nicer than trying to talk with someone when they're on the floor.]

I think she's decided to not cause you any trouble. Does your corvid behave in any like manner?

It must be better for her. If she was discovered she would not be as well tolerated.

[ Her attention is still on the wolf, but her eyes do flick to Alucard when she speaks to him. Lauralae's voice is soft and quiet with an intensity behind it, as if she means everything she says with her entire heart.

Lifting her head, she nods to the raven that has settled in the rafters. ]

He does not stray far. He wishes for my safety.

Mm. Now there's a metaphor.

[Alucard's eyes have yet to flick to gold, save for a few days ago when he and Victor dealt with a particular orc. He's controlled and measured in most things in his life, he's had 75 years to perfect the art of it all.

Ellis seems to catch on to, and one of her back paws temporarily bumps up against Alucard's foot. There's that, at least.]

A good companion then. Level headed and clear eyed.

An understandable one.

[ No one has noticed her nature yet, which makes a change from what she can remember of before. Isolation had served her well then, but slipping into towns and villages had led to her imprisonment - there is no denying that. It is what makes her edgy now despite the decades of life behind her, a touch unpredictable and slow to trust.

Animals are different from men at least. She has no reason to distrust Ellis, a wolf who cannot speak her secrets aloud no matter what she scents.

Above, Rav'ahm squawks. ]

For the most part. He does enjoy 'grooming' my hair. [ And she does not sound happy about that particular notion. ]

[There's a noise in the back of Alucard's throat that isn't quite a laugh, but near it. Bitter and tired. Rarely did he let things slip in life, and in truth, any of his countrymen were likely to be familiar with his father's nightmare castle anyway. (He still has to assess what remains of it.)

But then at the grooming comment, there's a warmer laugh. Much more genuine, and Alucard's eyes flick upward.]

Ah, well, nothing can be done about that. Unless you find new ways to offer distraction when he begins to do so.

[ Being chased out of your own home by the murder of your mother is enough for Lauralae to understand caution and isolation. There's a reason the majority of her life has been spent in the wilderness with her own magic and skill to keep her alive. People are more difficult, more dangerous, and she cannot trust any of them as far as she might be able to throw them - which, given her frame, would not be far at all.

Shaking her head, she settles more comfortably, offering a lap for Ellis to settle on if the beast so wishes. ]

I have tried shiny things and talking to him, but I think he enjoys being so close to me.

[There's no hesitation on Ellis' end. She hops right up while Alucard's pondering his own thoughts, head landing in Lauralae's lap, ass end on Alucard's which is totally not on purpose, don't look at her with such suspicion!

The sudden weight (and paws digging into his thighs as Ellis scrambles to get comfy) prompts a hiss from Alucard that's very much at odds with his usual self-presentation, and there's a flash of gold in his eyes.]

Ellis!

[ For a moment Lauralae is entirely focussed on the wolf, on making sure she is comfortable. She is not concerned with the man at her side until she hears his hiss. That’s what makes her turn her head and catch the flash of his eyes - and her own widen for a moment, a breathless sound as her fingers tighten against Ellis’ fur.

She has never met another of her own kind before. She has lived almost ninety years in isolation with humans that hated her and animals that didn’t know her, but this... Her expression doesn’t soften. She does almost stare, her fingers twitching and her gaze unwavering. ]

Ellis. [ She speaks to the wolf but looks at Alucard. ] What secrets we hold.

[75 years old and he still acts like this. Honestly it is an embarrassment, and leave it to the wolf to prompt it. It's ridiculous how much of the wolf's behavior seems to be set on just mirroring past companionship. A little sad. Probably something to be said about a metaphor here too, but Alucard's not in the mood.

Still, he's noticed the pointed lack of more typical reactions from Lauralae. That's rare. (Some people who called on his services in life knew his surname, and thus exactly what his father was. It was a warning.)]

As I said earlier. Bound to happen.

[He is absolutely just trying to play this off as no big deal.]

Perhaps it was fated for me to trip on you, sweet Ellis.

[ The stroking over Ellis’ fur seems more rhythmic now, as if she’s trying to comfort herself more than anything else. She does not know what to do in this situation, not when she is face to face with someone who might somehow be able to understand her. Lauralae does not even know how to begin to introduce her own heritage, a foolish girl with no parents and blood on her hands.

Instead she swallows, eyes flicking down and away as if ashamed. She isn’t, not of her nature, not really, but it is still hard for her. Hating herself is dangerous. She is afraid. ]

Kin finds kin.

So it seems.

[Alucard has met others of his own nature before. His work, curator, appraiser, it meant being called to Temples from time to time to get an honest estimation of this artifact or that. Those in Krimnos knew the surname Tepes meant that vampir in the mountains and if he wasn't a dhampir himself, he doubtlessly would carry that through the bloodline. So sometimes the Temples had those in their care talk to Alucard for whatever the reason was. (That he was mature, composed, and in the world perhaps was one of them.)

How to cut the tension though? Ellis has decided to shut up at this exact moment, so Alucard picks something just absurd enough.]

Actually 75. Yourself?

[ It was in one of those temples that Lauralae had found her home for the first long part of her life. She had been there with Myr for years upon years, until the worst had happened and the woman she dared call mother in her heart had been killed because of who - what - she was.

With her uncertainty colouring her she does not know what to do or say. Her tongue feels like it is made of fabric and her chest is pained - a kind of anxiety that she’s never had before. Perhaps because the last time she was discovered she was imprisoned. The worst had happened.

It is what happens to her kind. She knows that. ]

Close to ninety. I think. I am not certain when I was born, but I know those years.

I think this is the first time I haven't been the oldest person in the room.

[Ellis snickers at that, at least, her ears flicking back for just a moment. As far as she's concerned, her only purpose at the moment is to sit here and shed fur on them both. Especially on Alucard's new coat, because it's free from fluff at the moment and that musn't be.

If there's one thing clear here, it's that Alucard is quite content in his own skin. He knows damned well that he is a true exception in upbringing from most of his kind, and it isn't something he's inclined to share unless asked.

Because it'll always be asked by those who know the dampir fate. Which temple took you in?]

It is strange to think of myself as older, but it is the case.

[ She’s older than most humans, of course, but she’s not been around other races long enough to think about her age in comparison. Lauralae still considers herself a child at times: she knows so little of the world, is self taught in so many things, that her age sometimes slips away from her.

Trying to imagine what it is like to know someone of her own kin younger than her... It seems nonsensical but it’s true. Alucard seems older than she is.

She’s still tense, some heaviness in her shoulders, but she takes a deep breath. She tries to calm. ]

I have not spoken to another since I was very small. I do not know what to ask. To speak of.

It's a less strange truth than many others.

[For example, being dragged back from the dead. Having souls running around as animals instead of acting as souls ought to be. (Whatever that is. Metaphysics guest starred on Alucard's lesson plan growing up.) A million other things.

But is strangeness the point? Of course it isn't. The point is what little, horrible things about oneself that get shared when light is shed on them. In Laualae's words, there is a potential double meaning, and that gives Alucard some pause. (It will not turn to pity, in spite of the fact that it is often a reaction he has when he hears what others of his sort have lived with.)]

Another like us, or another living soul at all?

No. This world is strange.

[ Rav’ahm makes a noise above and flutters, moving down and settling on her shoulder. Her hand lifts and strokes over the animal’s head. It seems to calm her to have the bird closer to her even if she doesn’t want to think about the implications of it. He’s her friend at least, which is something that has been very foreign to her for a long time.

His question makes her pause and she blinks, staring. It takes her a moment to actually think about when she spoke to someone before she had found herself awoken again. Her lips fall into a frown and she shakes her head very gently, slow and unsure, her fingers curling around nothing as she draws her hands from Ellis.

She has not analysed her own loneliness before. ]

Both.

Stranger. Every era is strange and impossible to understand.

[He'd consider himself an expert on that fact. But there's now a bird that has joined the thre of them, and Ellis lets out a noise of approval. How very odd a sight this must be then, the two of them and a small cadres of animals that are generally not tame, sitting on a bench during a holiday that's supposed to be far more joyous than this somber discussion.

It wasn't a holiday that his parents kept, nor one Alucard was interested in. An event on the calendar and little else.

The response given is...it is what he expected, in some ways. It explains an awful lot of Lauralae's disposition, especially the evening she tripped over a very self satisfied wolf. Why would anyone be comfortable speaking to another in public after a lifetime of silence? And what does anyone say when that truth is laid bare?

Alucard nods quietly to show that he's heard the words. Silence isn't a good response either, and the usual things he'd ask about (home, others, anything at all) fall very flat indeed. Anything on the topic will just sound like him being an ass.]

No wonder you found Ellis infinitely more interesting.

[He says it with confidence. He's absolutely guessing at that.]

Lefkokó

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okay legit question do you want dumb dhampir reveal on alucard's end here or hold off on it for now

we can!! it might make her admit her own reveal!

fuck it let's go

AWW YEAH

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