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Entry tags:
FEBRUARY - EVENT
CW: mention of animal abuse, blood, creepy crawlies, murder, death.
Some of you will receive what looks to be an invitation -- check your inbox! On the screen of your smartphone, a map, and the mysterious white scorpion emblem. Curiosity killed the cat, and all that... but you're already dead, aren't you?
If you decide to follow the directions given to you, you'll wind up in the Barrens, past the ruins of two ziggurats. Twin waterfalls flow from caverns deep in the cliff walls between them, an apparent dead end. Or is it. Your adventurous senses must be tingling: hidden behind the waterfalls, a cave, deep, steep, and dark. Carefully climb down, and you'll eventually reach sewers of sorts, cracked timbers and crumbling rock lining them. Tunnels twist and turn, with some narrowing to just a few feet in diameter while others expand into huge vaults. Occasional chutes drop hundreds of feet, sending sewage and rainwater down echoing waterfalls, and you'll most likely stumble upon spiders, rats, or even Abysmals and Tonberries. If you're into alchemy or herbalism, keep an eye out for moss, fungi, roots, various minerals as well as unknown substance. Strange symbols etched in white also mark the walls—directional markers for those who know how to read them. If you look closely, you'll notice that they resemble scorpions.
► As you follow through the corridors, you notice that the shadows' created by the mounted sconces always bend towards you. When they touch you, your chest burns, and your worst memories race to the forefront of your mind, overwhelming. A cacophony of screams pierce the air, and hand-shaped wisps of mist lunge at you from all directions, caressing and beckoning. If you refuse the clear invitation to go farther and decide to retreat, they'll attempt to slap, claw and choke. Everything around you will then promptly disappear, and you'll be teleported back to your home. If, on the other hand, you choose to follow, you'll be guided toward an inn, a giant blade covered in dripping blood hanging from the
signpost.
► THE PONY IS NOT PRANCING
A cracked and empty doorframe marks the entrance, and large fissures in the stone walls reveal the building’s general instability. Inside, a dozen hooded figures stand solemn and immobile on each side of the door, a man-made corridor. There's an alcove at the end, and someone waits for you there, cloaked as well and partially shrouded in smoke. There's a live scorpion on the table beside them, and their voice, when they speak, is eerily familiar -- you can't pinpoint where you've heard it before.
“So you have passed the first trial. Congratulations. I suspect you have questions, but nothing here is ever given freely. First, earn our respect. Then, our trust. You have been deceived; perhaps you've already figured as much? The truth will rise when you gaze upon the cantilever stairs, but if you join us, you will eventually learn to see through smoke and mirrors. If you think yourself ready, keep your wits about you, and follow me. Otherwise, leave, and may your blinders guide you safely through the shadows.”
It's now or never. You may backtrack and return to your home, or you may follow them to an adjacent room where three people sit tied to a chair, blindfolded, a silencing spell forbidding them to speak... and your second trial is to kill one of them.
► THE FIRST VICTIM is a middle-aged vampire who lives a luxurious life in Radiance, a Restless-fueled blood farm on his property. All of them are free to do as they please, offered a roof, protection, food and pleasures... at least for a few months. The vampire and his circle of acquaintances regularly host receptions where one or a few Restless are chosen as the night's delicacies, mercilessly dismembered and devoured as the highlight of the soirée. The vampire is also known to financially support younger, recently deceased Restless without asking anything in return.
► THE SECOND VICTIM is a young woman who had her husband soul-forged and turned into a new bedframe, not long after he was caught cheating. She claims to have been heavily influenced by her Shadow and deeply regrets her decision. She was recently seen frolicking with another man, just behind the hut where she makes and sells potions that have helped countless Restless recover from strange diseases.
► THE THIRD VICTIM is a child no older than 15, who has repeatedly been caught harming animals, sometimes keeping patches of fur or limbs as mementos. They've been in the Netherworld for months now, and most say that their Shadow has not been easy on them. They were once seen helping a little girl out of the tempest, and they frequently share meals with children who can't afford them.
► THE SECOND VICTIM is a young woman who had her husband soul-forged and turned into a new bedframe, not long after he was caught cheating. She claims to have been heavily influenced by her Shadow and deeply regrets her decision. She was recently seen frolicking with another man, just behind the hut where she makes and sells potions that have helped countless Restless recover from strange diseases.
► THE THIRD VICTIM is a child no older than 15, who has repeatedly been caught harming animals, sometimes keeping patches of fur or limbs as mementos. They've been in the Netherworld for months now, and most say that their Shadow has not been easy on them. They were once seen helping a little girl out of the tempest, and they frequently share meals with children who can't afford them.
If you choose not to kill anyone, you'll be promptly teleported back to your home with hazy memories of what just happened.
If you choose to do as you're asked, you'll be given a small bottle containing poison: smear the liquid across the chosen victim's lips, and they'll soon collapse. You'll then be asked why you chose them [comment here], before being given a coin on which is carved a scorpion. A double-take will set it free, you're told, and your host promises that you'll hear from them again very soon, promptly vanishing into thin air. You may explore the inn if you wish, and when you're done, you'll have to walk back on your own.
► Adamantine ore
► A hidden area that's rarely found and, when it is, often contains the remains of various creatures. Something within the hideout seems to cause hallucinations, often pleasant, so much so that those having them neither want to move nor eat, and eventually waste away and die.
► Dragon bones
► A dusty painting of floating islands
► A type of robust vine that grows on rock, clinging so tightly that they can help keep looser surfaces from falling apart.
► A corpse. Every inch of the body is covered in tiny bite marks. The bites have even penetrated through the clothing and armour, and the face appears to have been chewed off, making it unrecognizable.
► Crystals that grow out of the walls, shattering into dust if touched.
► Statues that talk to each other, in apparent conversation. It's mostly gibberish, though you may catch clearer sentences here and there, such as: "they were made to forget", "too powerful to be banished", "dead and born again", "only a few have awakened".
► A stalagmite that has been carved into the shape of a figure writhing in agony. It vaguely looks like a Ferryman.
FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU KILL ONE OF THEM
Two weeks later, you'll be visited by a beggar in thick rags asking for coin. If you pay attention, you'll recognize their face as they partially -- and purposely-- push back their hood to reveal who they are: the victim you thought you murdered. Dun dun dun. Give them the White Scorpion coin and they'll give you a poisoned dagger in exchange, only a few words before they leave: "We'll meet again before we climb."
