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Mini-Event: Skywhale + Day of Lefkokó
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| 🜙 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. 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. irom otnemem The message has no signature. | ||
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A low rumbling interrupts them. It's Shishi, having realized that Shura was no longer dancing and must now be free to entertain him, obviously. He chuffs as he comes close, carefully padding his way around anything that might cut his paws and nuzzling Shura's thigh. He doesn't seem to notice or care about Strange. "Quit that, I told you to stay back there."
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And then a fuckin lion shows up? Strange can't help but look on in surprise as Shishi walks into the alleyway. Bell also sniffs the air in interest, though she soon goes right back to snuggling up to Strange, waiting for the man to start petting her.
"How interesting," he muses. "A hare would make sense. They're portable animals and can easily be passed off as pets. But you were stuck with a lion?" That's bonkers.
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Her nose wrinkles as Shishi rubs his face against her leg one last time before deciding that this approach wasn't getting him the attention he wanted, so he raises himself up with one paw on the crate, the other paw on her thigh to better ram his fuzzy head into Shura's chest. He clearly doesn't seem to care about how much weight he's putting on Shura's leg. Shura wraps her arm around his neck. Someone who couldn't read the irritation in her face might think it affectionate, but really, Shura was just putting him in a headlock to stop him from trying to climb up in her lap.
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Strange laughs a little, equally at Shura's exasperation, Shishi's want of affection, and Bell's preening. He continues to give Bell some ear scratches as he talks.
"I could attempt a transfiguration spell to change him into something more portable, but I've no idea how that might work on creatures like ours." And Strange suspects it's a bad idea to change someone's possible soul animal into something else. Sorry Shura, you're stuck with a lion.
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"Messing with that kind of thing probably ain't a good idea." Shura shares Strange's suspicion about messing with Shishi's composition. He was bad enough as he was, she didn't need him to be messed up somehow or other. "It isn't like we've confirmed exactly what they are, anyway." Thanks for the thought, though!!
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"Have you heard of the term 'animas'? It's theoretical, so don't worry if you haven't."
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"Animas? Once or twice." It wasn't the kind of thing her master had been interested in and the familiars her master had given her did the job well enough. She mostly only overheard people talking about it.
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"The general consensus is that it's purely hypothetical. But considering these things and the means of their creation? I think it's not hypothetical at all."
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"Do you want to return to the dance? Or shall we continue to get drunk and speculate about our lives?"
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"Nyeheh, gettin' up and playin' around sounds like more fun than worryin' about what's gonna happen to us." For the night, at least. There would be plenty of time for debate and discussion later. But first, one last drink for the both of them.
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"There's always time for speculation. And, in a different circumstance, I would indulge in it. But we're at a party. We should at least behave appropriately."
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"All right, all right, let's go~"
Time to dance the night away and pretend absolutely nothing is wrong with their lives!