usir | Event #7 Crowning the Cat & The Celebration of Spring

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🜙 Crowning the Cat: Deception of Aegas

	The Celebration of Spring is being held across Idan, and normally the City of the Free Peoples is at its heart. This year due to the fearful farmers suffering losses in their families and herds to werewolves and the broken city torn between its fears and loyalties, the first sprouts of crops planted during the thaw are significantly less impressive than past years and the hunters bring their hauls back to the cities find themselves facing even more dangerous odds in the wilderness, outwitted and outmatched more often than not. Feasting, dancing, music, staged entertainers of illusion and elemental magic, and heavy drinking still overtake the cities and small outlying villages, putting a temporary halt to any work or other priorities, but there is an air of uncertainty that can't fully be shaken, and an uneasy and unspoken fear of a famine year lies just beneath the lighter festivities. Among the celebrating, people go out of their way to honor the feline constellation deity called Aegas. The youngest of the Constellation Deities, he is known for many things. Aegas' stars are fainter in the skies than most, seen just off the left from the Great Golden Dragon Atromo. In April, Aegas is not honored so much as tributed to keep the fickle feline's wiles and tricks at bay. Children and younger citizens of the cities or those with playful or devious minds play tricks on one another, some harmless pranks and others far more dangerous or deceptive. Despite this uptick of shenanigans, however, for most Aegas' day is a day spent ensuring the secretive trickster cat deity that he has not been forgotten, as well as a celebration of Spring. Openly jealous of Atromo's status and reverence, and long overlooked in favor of the other star gods, the people of Idan learned to show their reverence for Aegas in a ritual known as the Crowning of Aegas. Cat sculptures, paintings, figurines, or idols can be found all across Idan for those who can't make it to one of Aegas' shrines, and offerings of fish, sheep or goat's milk, silver or gold bells, silk, or saucers of water are left out for the many wild, stray, or tame felines of Idan to take at their leisure. Known for being a deity over secrets, pleasure, trickery, and charm, Aegas is a favored god of rogues, assassins, bards, bandits, thieves, and charmers. An enchanted spring illness common in Idan has long been attributed to Aegas not feeling that his charms have earned him the favor of the people. The illness is known as The Aegas Affliction and is actually caused by the pollen of a flower that blooms in April after particularly harsh winters (the Golden Bellflower) Aegas' Affliction causes those who have caught the illness to be easily charmed. Their complexion is often flushed and they give in to their whims with very little self-restraint. The main symptoms are: Susceptibility to personal suggestion (Their own whims, thoughts, and desires), susceptibility to charm-based magic, a tendency to be secretive or deceptive, and a heightened sense of hunger. The illness usually goes away on its own within 1-3 days and has no known cure. It's possible to get infected by Golden Bellflower pollen from April 5th to April 30th anywhere in Idan. Only exposure to a nearby flower is necessary. During the Crowning of Aegas and for the rest of April flocks of lesser winged cats can be seen migrating from their winter homes in the Wavecrest Isles back to the unclaimed lands. Occasionally these flocks of small, canary to bobcat-sized winged cats are accompanied by fiercely protective and dangerous greater winged cat guardians while other flocks travel on their own. The playful smaller felines can be seen frolicking in fields and playing over the rooftops all across Idan while the greater winged cats stay far from the highly populated areas, hunting the wild forests, cliffs, and open lands to stock up food for them and their small flocks of fur and feathered friends.


🜙 The Bloom

	Among the celebrating the dangers of spring are temporarily forgotten. Not all threats come with fangs, talons, and claws. Creeping vines and sprouting plants lurk in the tall grasses of the plains and the dense forests. Some of the more dangerous varieties bloom and thrive in the earliest month of spring. Viperlily. A small free-roaming flowering vine with two thorns that protrude from the middle of its flower. The vine slithers along the ground in the grass toward sources of movement or sound and sinks its thorns into the feet or lower limbs of any living thing it encounters. The vine subsists on blood rather than water and uses the gathered blood to provide itself with the nutrients it needs to keep moving. It injects its victim with a venom that causes them to become weak, sluggish, and unable to use their magic so it can continue to drain blood. Most Viperlilys are too small to cause much permanent damage to their victim, but being left vulnerable in the wilderness does lead to many post-bite deaths, especially with the smell of blood in the air. Bloodthorn. A dying Viperlily that has gone dormant and taken root. Small Viperlily seeds grow all over its vines, each one prepared to drop off and grow into a new Viperlily. A thorn protrudes from the bloody sap-filled bulb of this vine. It points up toward the sun with a thorn as sharp and dangerous as a needle dagger. Those unfortunate enough to be stabbed by its thorn are injected with a modified Viperlily poison that causes victims to become feverish and reckless, encouraging them to remain nearby and engage anything near the Bloodthorn aggressively. The bloodshed caused by its victims or the Bloodthorn's own destruction causes the dozens of Viperlily seeds to sprout and take off to find their first meals. Creeping Dragontrap. A member of the carnivorous plant family, the Creeping Dragontrap is a fully mobile creeping vine with one to four heads that each have thorn-filled 'mouths' they snap down on the prey they find. The acidic toxins inside their mouths prevent their prey from being able to fight free on their own. An antitoxin is produced by the sap within their vines, but a victim captured by one of these plants will need help getting free and provided with the antitoxin before the vine escapes in a speedy retreat into the wilderness or ground. Rogue's Blush. The dense cover of this flowering ground vine is a network of sensitive thin vines can sense vibrations in the ground. The night-flowering vine is covered in dormant flowers that open in the darkness. They release pollen into the air when vibrations are sensed nearby. This pollen is collected and used in a common rogue tool: Flash Dust because eye contact with the pollen results in a blinding white flash that causes temporary blindness for 24 hours. Bramble Mimic can shape its vines into any form it has collected a template of. The thorny brambles rest in the form of a dense bush, usually settling itself partially into worn paths made by creatures or people. It uses the blood it collects from creatures or people that bump into it as a template to rearrange itself into their form, though its size is dependent on how large the original mimic has grown. It then uses its new form to hunt for food to sustain itself, holding a natural preference for predators, carnivores, and herbivores. The most common forms are those of predatory forest or swamp creatures such as jaguars, bears, wolves, and alligators.

🜙 A Mod Note

	A "Network log" will be going up the week of the 19th that will be paired with the next event log. The network log will contain courier messages from Queen Adira, King Ardis, King Sitka, Self-Crowned King Koroc, Resistance and Rebel Leader Lorna, Former Defenders Captain Lykos, and Former Defenders Lieutenant Alice. Player characters will be able to ask these leaders questions and attempt to communicate with them personally if they wish.

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Since the Einjar expedition's end, Daud hasn't had much direct contact with Strange -- not that he was the most social of people to begin with. However, if he had to guess, Daud wouldn't suspect that the magician was much of a fan of fieldwork, which makes his presence here a bit unexpected.

Not that Daud's expression looks particularly surprised, even when Strange comes out with that instead of, you know, a proper greeting. Nonetheless, Daud will finish the task he's in the middle of -- using a long stick as an extension of his arm to bully some goats into a pen, then locking the gate shut -- before he looks up at Strange.

"Didn't feel like getting my coat eaten." Practicality wins out over his usual preference for keeping his skin hidden, although he's still wearing heavy gloves.

"That makes sense," Strange admits, as he looks over at the goats. "One of them tried eating my shirtsleeves earlier."

It was a hassle. Seriously goats, you have your own food, don't eat his shirt. Noticeably, Strange isn't making a move to help Daud bully those goats: he's just standing and watching, hands in his pockets as he watches.

"Though I can honestly say, I didn't expect to see you here. Helping out with animals like this doesn't seem to be your style." Strange is entirely unaware of the irony in his words.

"I could say the same for you," Daud answers, straightening and dusting his hands off. The crook is left leaning against the fence, the tiefling judging that it's a safe enough spot to rest it against for now.

"Pay's decent. Seems like no one's too keen on leaving the city if they can help it, not with the chance of werewolf attacks these days. Not as complicated as cursed expeditions."

"I'm a mage for hire," Strange explains, as he gestures to himself. "I'm wherever is in need of my talents."

Or at least wherever is in need of someone who can magically manipulate a lot of ground all at once. That counts as talents, even if it's a little bit anticlimactic.

As Daud mentions the expedition, Strange sighs and continues to make idle chit chat. "That whole thing went pear-shaped, didn't it-the expedition, of course. The last werewolf attack was terrible, but could have been worse."

“Most of us survived, despite the circumstances,” Daud offers. That’s a metric of success by any measure, in his book. “Even if the casualties from the werewolf attack weren’t so great, those who’ve been cursed will have to live with it for the rest of their lives. There’s no cure for that.”

Though now that they’re on the topic of wolves and it’s on his mind...

“You were collecting silver on the expedition, weren’t you? How much of it do you have left?”

Edited 2019-04-13 19:31 (UTC)

That's an unexpected topic change. Strange frowns a little, thinking, before he answers. "I gave most of the silver to King Ardis. However, I've got...around a set and a half of silverware. I was planning on using it for my new house, but if you have a better option, I'll listen."

After all, Strange is confident enough in his metal manipulation magic that if he had to give up this set of silverware for whatever reason, he could probably make his own again out of some other sort of metal.

"Then I'd like you to help make something for me," Daud says. His voice gets softer, then, more conscious of anyone who may be listening in.

"The werewolves aren't going away. But the seal that was used on Lykos ... we may be able to use that." Taking his crook in hand, he uses the base to prod at the dirt, sketching out the rough pattern of the seal to refresh Strange's memory.

"Could you create a charm in this shape, out of silver? It doesn't have to be large -- something big enough to wear as a necklace."

Strange looks down at the pattern. He frowns for a moment before nodding. "I can. It will have to be a bit bigger than a charm in order to fit all the details but I can make it small enough to be unobtrusive."

He looks up at Daud, giving him a bit of a wry smile as he does so.

"Of course, I'll need you to make a copy of the exact sigil for reference. The magic might not work if I mess up a few lines."

"I can provide you with that," Daud nods. "Meet me at the the forge when you're done here."

He pauses for half a heartbeat, then continues.

"How much would you charge for the labor?"

It's a testament to how new Strange is at this that when Daud mentions charging, he pauses for a moment. Oh. Right. Charging. There's a brief moment of confusion before Strange continues talking, like he obviously planned for this and obviously knows what he's going to answer.

"Obviously I'd want proper compensation for however much silver I gift you. But with the labor? It depends on how many charms you want and how many I can make. No matter what, first one's free. The rest depends on what you can give in exchange. After all, I'd prefer information to money."

It's a trade Daud evidently finds acceptable, if his nod is any indication, though he has a clarification to make.

"What kind of information are you looking for?"

"Anything you might find useful," Strange admits, with a little shrug. But even he knows that's far too broad a topic, so he narrows the information criteria down a little bit.

"Though specifically dragons, empathic magic, or anything involving our dragonborn friend up in Einjar."

'Useful' is definitely far too broad a category of things to be ... well, useful, but Daud won't say as much. What Strange clarifies it with isn't much of a surprise at all, either.

"I'll keep you apprised," he answers, "Though I don't think I'll be returning there soon." Mostly because there's already so much crap on his plate in this city alone; Daud wants answers, but he's not running off a second time.

"You've already had a look at that book with the ritual, haven't you?"

"Do you mean Lurk's book?" He has a feeling that's what Daud means because one, there aren't that many books with rituals out there and two, Daud and Billie have...something between them. She probably told him about the book before she told Strange.

"I have. It's all very interesting. I've got plenty of theories as to why the ritual failed, but they're just that: theories. Still, I wouldn't mind chatting about them."

"I do," the tiefling confirms. "I'd like to hear what theories those are."

And then Strange just starts talking. And talking. The more he talks, the more animated he gets, though he's taking care to keep his voice relatively quiet.

"I think the failure of the ritual hinges on 'only living magic can alter living magic's course.' The text describes people as conduits of magic, not living magic itself. Having a conduit use a conduit to try and change living magic simply won't work. You'd need the conduit to use living magic, such as the elements. Dragon eggs can adapt to fit their surroundings, after all.

Of course, they did use that orb, but considering that I haven't gotten a look at it, I can only assume that the orb is a conduit of magic itself, something made by the cultists to try and match the dragon. I also have to assume that those sacrificed people were just normal, everyday sort of people. If any one of them shared our pseudo-dragonborn state, then that could change all my theories."

Wait, does Daud know about Strange's dragonborn theories? Well he does now.

Strange really is too talkative for his own good, though it works to Daud's benefit, in this case. He's content to let the man ramble on without seeking to intervene with his own thoughts until he pauses to come up for breath.

"You think we're some kind of dragonborn?" Daud prompts.

Edited 2019-04-21 16:15 (UTC)

Ah. Hmm. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. There's a pause as Strange debates how much he wants to reveal and when before he shrugs a little.

"I do. There's a lot of little factors that add up to make me believe that we're in a pseudo-dragonborn state. Obviously, we're not full dragonborn," Strange says, as he gestures to his very not scaly face, "but the signs are there. Case in point, the fact that our couriers seem downright connected to Logistykon and his siblings."

If nothing else, there doesn't seem to be a negative reaction, though it doesn't seem like Daud's particularly enthusiastic about the theory. Who would be?

"The book was explicit that dragonborn couldn't be made unwillingly, and that attempting to do so would end in madness or failure," Daud states, less to counter Strange's point, and more in the lines of reciting a fact. "Then again, the dead usually can't give their consent either way. What makes you think we aren't the other thing? The Scaleskin."

Edited 2019-04-24 03:25 (UTC)

"A hundred of myriad other small factors," Strange says, with a dismissive hand wave, "that I would prefer not to talk about in the open."

Is this the first time Strange remembered that they're out in the open(ish), or at least on someone else's farm? Straight up. His tone is equally loose and nonchalant as he continues talking.

"Buy me a drink and we can talk more about this later."

“Where there’s drink, there’s more eyes and ears,” Daud disagrees without disagreeing, though there’s a thought... “Unless you know how to use a warding spell to keep from being overheard.”

"But there's also more mouths. I'd be impressed if someone overheard us talking in a noisy bar—and if they lingered close enough to eavesdrop, we'd surely be able to spot them."

He doesn't know how to use a warding spell. But Strange isn't one to back down on what he thinks is an alright idea. And so, he also disagrees without disagreeing, giving Daud an idle, nonchalant shrug that is definitely more performative than his actual feelings.

By ‘we’d be able to spot them’ Daud suspects Strange really means ‘you’ll be able to spot them,’ seeing as the elf getting caught up in whatever’s of interest to him is akin to slapping blinders on a horse. He could point out that eavesdropping is hardly limited to physical means and could go back and forth on this for a while ... but it all ends the same way, which is that Daud and Strange companionably sharing a drink isn’t like to happen anytime soon except for by happy accident. Strange is a tiring man and Daud is a tired one on the best of days; like as not, if Billie insists about getting him involved in her business, their paths will inevitably cross again.

So he simply makes a considering ‘hmm’ sound that isn’t assent or otherwise, looking towards the pen of goats peacefully working on chewing their cud, placid and unconcerned with the state of the world’s affairs.

Edited 2019-04-28 14:32 (UTC)

...that's it? Strange looks over at Daud, as if expecting him to say something else, only to be visibly irritated when the man doesn't say anything. Obviously, Daud should have followed this up with 'sure Strange, I can muster up half an emotion to say I'll get a drink with you' or something of that sort. That moment of irritation lasts for just a second as Strange quickly realizes something fairly obvious.

"Then I just won't tell you." After all, this is his information and his theories. He can tell Daud on his terms and, if the other man was really curious about what Strange thought about the matter, he'd have to give in and agree to those terms.

"Though considering I'm the only person with even the slightest hint of a theory, I suspect you'll change your tune soon enough."

At least, if nothing else, Daud doesn't seem particularly amused by Strange's obvious irritation, though it's curious, in its own way. He sure is quick to turn that attitude around once he thinks he's got something to hold over Daud, though.

"I'll consider it," the tiefling responds, simply. "Or maybe I'll just wait until you write a book about it."

Event #7 Crowning the Cat & The Celebration of Spring

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let’s say this is the thread he asks strange for help blah blah timeywimey shenanigans

wibbly wobbly timey wimey

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hey daud, who's ready for TL;DR

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let’s say this takes place after courier convo on einjar

works for me!

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