usirmods: (Usir)
Usir Mods ([personal profile] usirmods) wrote in [community profile] usir2018-12-27 10:00 pm

Event #2: The Long Night

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🜙 Event Post #2: The Long Night, December 28th to January 5th
Warning: Death and violence
Nervous, frightened whispers spread across Idan. By word of mouth and courier, warnings that the Long Night has nearly arrived are sent out. Anasta's Shadow, the planet whose orbit lies between this one and its sun, will share a path with this planet for one week before they go their separate ways once more. During that time the far larger planet obscures the light and warmth the sun provides this world. This is nothing new to you. It has happened every year at this time since your birth and although the cold is treacherous and the dark inconvenient, in your time those were likely the only major threats you faced during the Long Night. The great dragon bonfires had always been kept lit by the trio of dragon guardians, their light and warmth keeping away the deadly freeze and the other horrors rumored to come with the darkness.

Perhaps you remember the tales from your childhood, stories meant to scare children away from venturing too far on their own in the treacherous heart of winter. The long, cold week of darkness was likely filled with stories of people whisked away in the black cold, either never to be seen again or to be found mangled and frozen with looks of terror and agony forever etched on their lifeless faces. With the dragons ever present in your lifetime, you had never experienced the true horrors of the Long Night for yourself, even if you had witnessed a taste out in the world beyond the safety of the kingdom cities and villages.

The true terror of the Long Night had not been experienced in full since the formation of the Elf-Dragon Alliance, many generations before your birth. The massive bonfires kept ever burning by the guardian dragons kept the towns and cities across all three kingdoms protected from the sheer dark and the deadly deep freeze of the week-long total eclipse. Now that the dragons are gone there is simply not enough magic to create the powerful, lasting bonfires that once sheltered the three kingdoms and kept out the dark and the worst of the cold.

From the warmth and safety of a hearth, it is easy to dismiss the frightened whispers of Idan's current population as superstition, at least until the sun 'sets' on the night of the 27th, swallowed behind the looming shadow of the larger planet. As night approaches on the 27th, the world goes red. Only slivers of sunlight escape around the far edge of Anasta's Shadow, bathing the world in an eerie crimson until the planet's massive shape in the sky blocks out the sun entirely, plunging Idan into near complete shadow.

With the light consumed, the shrieks and howls begin. Starting up like the roar of an angry wind, they grow louder and more twisted the closer they come. Within hours the howls and shrieks are mixed with a sound like metal grinding across glass. Windows are covered in sheets of cracked and spidered ice. Chimneys without lit fires begin to fill with screeching, clawing noises and an unsettling and unfamiliar clicking noise that rises and falls like an unknown language. The sounds outside begin to shift and change, as more human shrieks join the unsettlingly monstrous ones, and the crying sob of a young child, hiccuping in fear, breaks up the brief moments of silence. It's just beyond the door, or just out of sight beside the window, then silence, and the howling and scraping start anew. Now and then an eerie red glow shines through ever more solid ice caking the windows, and they briefly steam up as something living exhales a heated breath against the pane.

Citizens within earshot or courier distance warn those who seek answers to stay away and avoid seeking out the source of the sounds. They caution that the answers are not worth the risks and warn that anyone outside cannot be saved. If they're out there, they're already dead. If you insist on going, they'll tell you not to leave the safety of hearth and fire without a torch in hand or your chances of surviving will drop from slim to none. Pay heed to the cautions of those more experienced than you in this new horror or you will not survive the long, harsh night and the ever more unsettling noises it brings.
🜙 Weather
The cold fluctuates between -18 to -32C (0 to -25F) during the Long Night. At these temperatures, the risk of frostbite and hypothermia are greatly increased and without proper precautions, a person could experience frostbite in 10-30 minutes when exposed to the elements. In addition to this, wind, sleet, and snow periodically drop the temperatures further. The weather may be the least of your worries, however, as the cold is far from the most dangerous threat the Long Night brings with it.
🜙 Creatures
The creatures that emerge during the Long Night are nearly all horrors rarely or never seen beyond this week of frozen darkness. The only exceptions to this are the Tundra Manticore and the Greater Bearbat which can be rarely found living in the highest points of the mountain caves and peaks where the weather remains icy year-long.

Tundra Manticore: They share little in common with their lower mountain counterparts beyond their violent disposition. Their bodies glow from within due to the venom stored in their abdomen. They can secrete this deadly venom from their mouths or their barbed tails. The venom is said to burn like liquid fire and causes severe burns on contact. They live only in the coldest parts of Idan due to the significant heat generated by their venom that would cook them from the inside out in warmer climates. They consume ice and snow to maintain an internal temperature balance and if that balance is thrown off the combustible venom within them causes them to burst into flames. As a result, they are terrified of fire. They are silent stalkers and lone hunters.

Greater Bearbat: Greater Bearbats are sound-based hunters that descend from their mountain homes, attracted by the shrieks of the shade imps. They are indiscriminate hunters, content to eat wayward travelers or other monsters without concern for what prey they catch in their long claws. They run on four limbs while hunting and will rarely take to the skies unless in pursuit of flying prey. Sound and heat deter them and light will blind them.

Shade Imps: Seekers and servants of the Darkener, these monstrous shade imps can take a multitude of forms (Crawlers, Scouts, & Hounds) and shift between them at will. They are completely blind and travel as silent as the shadows they melt in and out of. They hunt through scent, sound, and taste, searching for traces of blood and fear on the air. When they aren't hunting, they communicate with other imps via ear-piercing shrieks or gut-churning howls, going silent only when they locate their prey. Their silence is more dangerous than the sounds they make. They recoil from fire but grow increasingly more determined the longer they are kept at bay, eventually overcoming their fear and attacking the source of the fire to attempt to extinguish it at the cost of their own lives. When fire touches them they go up in a puff of black smoke and a scream.

Darkling: No one knows what darklings look like. They are the lost spirits of elementals consumed and controlled by the Darkener. They have no physical form and can control and manipulate shadows and sound. They mimic sounds to trick people into opening their homes or venturing out of safety and can perfectly replicate any sound they have heard, even capturing the voices of people speaking on the other side of walls. Their goal is to lure or force people out into the darkness where the Darkener can find them. They can be disrupted with light.

Bayobat: Swarms of flying bat-like insects summoned by the Darkener. They have sharp, metal proboscises they use to pierce victims before consuming their blood. They are blind and seek out warm-blooded bodies to launch themselves at. Their screeches are metallic and mixed with insectoid clicking. Their bodies are sharp and metallic but their mouths are vulnerable. Their tails are lined with tiny, sharp spikes similar to barbed wire. They fear fire.

The Darkener: An ancient being that is thought to come from the Outer Realm. The Darkener consumes flames with a touch, transforming them into shadow flames that burn black, giving off no heat or warmth. It possesses long-forgotten magic. Few have seen more than a glimpse. It causes temporary blindness in all who witness it, their eyes turning black with trapped shadows. Its image lingers in the mind, causing hallucinations. Those who witness it are often driven mad, growing increasingly certain the Darkener is watching them from the corner of their vision. It can be struck but doing so only causes darkness to erupt from the wound, consuming the Darkener and everything around it. There is only one Darkener.
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kingsroads: (GIVE IT UP FOR MAGIC)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2018-12-31 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
As he talks, Strange takes something out of his pocket. It's a small, palm-sized square of fabric. He unfolds it as he talks and the fabric unfolds into a beige scarf, large enough that it's magic capabilities are apparent: there's no way something so large could have folded down to something that small.

"As odd as this sounds, a raven gave me this present. Once I loop it around my neck, I believe it conceals the wearer from sight, touch, sound, and so on. However, I haven't had the opportunity to test it and see if it works on other people or just how thorough the enchantment really is."

Wandering around unseen is one thing, but the only being Strange used for feedback was his animas. And, pointing out the obvious, rabbits can't talk. "Shall we test to see what this can do?"
aceso: (034)

[personal profile] aceso 2018-12-31 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Her interest is immediately caught, and she watches as the fabric keeps expanding as he speaks.

"Remarkable! Yes— Wait, no. Just a moment." She reaches into her satchel to retrieve a small, crudely bound journal and a piece of charcoal for writing.

"If we're going to test this properly, we need to write down everything we test and how successful it might be. Now, what did you say? Concealed from sight, touch, sound? I assume smell also, though I cannot call myself a bloodhound."
kingsroads: (smirky asshole)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-02 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
As soon as he sees her pull out the journal to take notes, Strange instantly knows that asking Christine about this was a good idea. He nods at her assessment.

"Sight, touch, sound...I've no idea about smell or other things such as scrying or location spells as obviously, I can't do those on myself." Though hey, wait a moment. Strange perks up a little as he looks over at Christine. "But you could wear the scarf and I could try and find you with scrying!"

Hot damn, it sure is useful having another person to help test something.
aceso: (032)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-03 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll see whether or not it turns your neck green before I try it on myself."

But she's poised and ready. Her falcon has perched on the back of a chair to keep Christine's arms free for writing, and she takes some preliminary notes about what they'll be testing.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Looking up from her journal, she awaits the putting on of the scarf.
kingsroads: (well why don't we do this?)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-04 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
"That's another thing you can help with—seeing if it scars me or leaves a welt on the back of my neck!"

There's an obviously joking tone in Strange's voice. He doubts that would happen, he's just giving Christine a bit of grief to give her grief. As he finishes unwrapping the scarf, Strange wraps it around his neck. It's when he wraps the end around his shoulder again, making a complete loop with the scarf, that he vanishes from sight.

Bell the hare is instantly a little agitated, looking and sniffing around the area in a very intent manner.
aceso: (034)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-04 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Joking or not, Christine is ready to take all precautions. Can one really trust mysterious gifts dropped by a raven?

"Oh, my!" she exclaims, though in not too loud a voice. After all, this is what she was told would happen, so this isn't happening out of the blue. But it is remarkable to see the magic at work. She looks through him to see if there is any distortion in the air and makes a note in her journal before looking out again.

"Raise your arm out at your side, please. Let's see if there is any shimmer or disturbance in the air."
kingsroads: (your sea beacons suck)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-05 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
And so, Strange raises his arm. Christine can see absolutely nothing. "I've raised my arm," Strange points out, before remembering that Christine might not be able to hear him (she doesn't). He continues to keep his arm at his side while he very awkwardly moves part of the scarf off of his neck, breaking the circle.

Suddenly, Strange is visible again, holding his arm out to the side like a bit of a moron. "I said something in the middle of all that. Did you hear me?"

He's just now discovering a bit of a flaw in the process of giving feedback to someone who can't hear him.
aceso: (034)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-07 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a little startling to see absolutely nothing and then to see him reappear. Her heart leaps into her throat and Azoth lets out a cry in response to it. But then Christine chuckles to herself over her own reaction.

"Not at all! You were truly gone from my sight and hearing." She makes note of this. "What does it look like on your end? Did everything appear the same?"
kingsroads: (YAY RASH DECISIONS!!!)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-08 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Strange can't help but give Christine a little grin at her and Azoth's response. Though the grin is also partly at the fact that she couldn't see or hear him. If that were the case...he could do so much with this gift! The possibilities were endless!

"It did," he nods, not even bothering to hide the tone of excitement in his voice. "Everything looked exactly the same as it would be if I wasn't wearing the scarf." He quickly finishes taking it off from around his neck before handing it over to Christine.

"You give it a try."
aceso: (032)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-08 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Now that she's seen that the scarf hasn't brought him harm, she sets down her journal and takes the cloth in hand, examining it. Nothing about it appears out of the ordinary, but there must be some enchantment on it that recognizes when it's wrapped around a person.

"All right, let's see."

The scarf goes around her neck and when she completes the loop, she disappears. Of course, to her eyes, everything appears the same. She takes several steps around Strange until she's facing his back, and it occurs to her how dangerous this item could be in the wrong hands. A knife in the back with no culprit in sight is just one of its many uses. A lecherous person could hide in someone's bedchamber or behind the screen as a person fills a bath.

At least she knows Strange's interests mainly lie in the academic, and not mischief making. Or worse. From this position, she reaches out to tap lightly on his shoulder before continuing her circle around him.

"Here I am talking. Can you hear me?"
kingsroads: (really? well okay then)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-09 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Strange gives no indication of having heard, seen, felt or recognized Christine's presence in any way, shape, or form. He just stands still, slight frown on his face, as he rocks back and forth a little on his feet.

This really is interesting: there's no way of knowing that she's there. And it just now occurs to Strange that, if she wanted, Christine could leave with the scarf and he'd be none the wiser. Of course, he trusts her and believes that her interests also lie in the academic...but the thought does cross his mind. So he can't help but ask,

"Are you still in the room?"
aceso: (039)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-09 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't be ridiculous, Strange. Surely you'd hear and see the door open.

But at his question, Christine unwinds a bit of the scarf and reappears. "I am indeed. I take it you didn't feel me tap you either. I must write that down."

She slips the scarf off from her shoulder and offers it back while Azoth watches carefully. The bird could still sense Christine, but the lack of physical evidence was troubling to her.
kingsroads: (dude are you sure?)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-10 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
"You tapped me?" Strange asks, a bit confused. That answers that question. Still, he takes the scarf and starts to fold it back up to it's impossibly small shape. There's an expression of wonder and interest on his face as he starts to idly muse out loud.

"Hiding someone from sight, sound, and touch...this thing is more powerful than I thought." Strange isn't even bothering to hide the interest in his voice. "And to think, it was given to me by a bird! I wouldn't call myself a religious man, but this has to be a sign of some sort."
aceso: (040)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-10 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"I did indeed." She watches him put it away with a thoughtful frown. Such a powerful gift coming from a bird? It could be a sign. It could also be something else.

While Christine never means to rain on anybody's parade, her cautious nature means she can't help but think of the worst scenarios.

"What if it was sent by whomever woke us up? We still don't know why we've been returned."
kingsroads: (this won't end well)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-12 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
In comparison, nobody's ever really used the words 'cautious' and 'Jonathan Strange' together in the same sentence. He's already dreaming of what this could mean and how he could use it to his own devices.

"If that was the case, you'd think they would have sent us a note. An item that renders the wearer unseen, unheard, and unfelt...I'd guess they'd want me to be a spy or a bank robber with something like that."

Says the man who even after death and a stint of being crazy in the woods, still hasn't lost the bearings of an academic. Strange doesn't even have to say it: he'd be a shit spy.
aceso: (from this valley)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-12 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Which is precisely why Christine must worry for the both of them. If she doesn't caution him, then who will?

"They didn't send a note when they brought us back to life in the first place." But she steps back and sighs. "It's simply frustrating, is what it is. Having such little information. The scarf does look useful, but I want you to tell me if you start feeling odd after wearing it, all right?" Her look is serious, knowing it's likely he won't say anything, but also knowing that she can't leave this unsaid either.
kingsroads: (well phooey)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-14 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Strange is ready to make some quip or joke, a light-hearted remark about how he doesn't think that the scarf would mentally compel him to rob a bank or something along those lines...but then he sees Christine's serious expression and stops the joking for the while.

"I will," he says, with a nod. "Though if it does change me, it might do so without my realizing it."
aceso: (041)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-14 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"But if I realize it, then I will have to make you aware." Which probably wouldn't be a fun event. Christine imagines scenarios where they argue and fight over the scarf, because she always has a disaster plan in mind.

"Just be careful." Azoth leaps off the back of the chair, does a quick flap around the room to gain momentum, then lands on Christine's shoulder. The bird can feel Christine's worry and shares in it.
kingsroads: (what a creepyass house)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-15 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
It definitely wouldn't be a fun event. Strange frowns as he also imagines scenarios where they argue over the scarf. Likewise, he knows himself too well to realize that he'll likely be a bit of a stubborn ass if he thinks one thing while Christine thinks another.

Still, that might not even happen. It's good to have in the back of the mind but not good to constantly worry about. As Strange finishes folding up the scarf, he places it back in his coat pocket.

"I will," he says, with a little nod. "Even I realize the potential danger in something like this."
aceso: (033)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-15 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Good." She means that, and it allows a bit of the tension in her shoulders to be released.

"Was there anything else you needed my assistance with?"
kingsroads: (well drat now)

[personal profile] kingsroads 2019-01-16 02:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nothing that I can think of," Strange remarks, with a shake of his head. "Though rest assured, you'll be the first person I'll tell if I find out something new or interesting about this scarf."
aceso: (Default)

[personal profile] aceso 2019-01-16 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Thank you. I appreciate that." With that said, she nods her farewell and she and Azoth take their leave. Now it's back to contemplating the noises outside.