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 Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:49 pm
Any Night - Meta-plot CYOA This event is all about being a ninja. <__< This is a very short CYOA in terms of how many branches there are, so it shouldn't take long to complete! OWNERSYou will receive growth points for participating in this. All participants who make it to an ending (participate through round 3) will have their username entered in a raffle for a growth token. Points you receive for participating: 1 point: making 1 response 2 points: making 2 responses 3 points: reaching (and responding to) a path's end In addition to earning points, ICly your character may also obtain certain items, depending on which end they reach, which may be useful in subsequent meta events. QUESTERSYou cannot collect points but if you make it to an ending (IE: don't drop out halfway through) your quest will be entered in a flaffle-style drawing and turned into a free semicustom Book Child. GENERAL INFOPlease post all responses in this thread. Please keep all responses under 500 words. It's a CYOA, so that probably won't be hard. You can partner up for this and co-write responses to prompts, having your individual characters interact with each other and such. If you do a partner response, you can extend your replies to 1000 words. How many growth points you earn will not be affected. If you start out with a partner who isn't able to finish the event you can have your character continue on without them. Or you can have your characters split up when paths branch off and finish separately. Questers can also partner up if they'd like, but as the semicustom will be flaffled based on username you can't both win pets this way. After a prompt goes up you have 2 full days to respond. There are no right or wrong paths, all reveal different things, so feel free to take whichever one appeals to you. Some of the paths have promptings for what you can write about if you're not sure how to respond. For instance, your first post can be more introduction than response, about how your character got where they are and their reasoning for doing weird things in the middle of the night... but you're not obligated to listen to me, ha ha. xD When you respond, make sure to include in your post the number tag of which path you're taking, like "RESPONSE: 1A".
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:54 pm
START It was most certainly a bad idea for anyone to be out this late in this part of town. Not that it was a terrible part, mind. Sutfirth had its charming hovels and its crumbling ones and between the two this would be considered more the former. But in the twisting pathways, where there were too many lamps to keep lit and more darkness-filled nooks than there were proper streets, more than a few honest folk had found themselves the victims of violent, desperate characters. The windows were all shut tight and tightly shuttered, closing out the sights and sounds that might come from the streets below. If there was going to be any trouble tonight the good folk of the City didn't want any part of it. So it was with wariness that anyone should go walking here in Sutfirth when the night was at its blackest, and perhaps you took comfort in the fact that the streets seemed to be drained of anyone and everyone else. Just the quiet darkness, punctured here and there by the dim light of a lamp, and you. And them. They came winding down a twisting set of stairs from a higher road, a peculiar bunch all in flowing white robes. They were most certainly City People but their faces were all covered in smooth white masks and their hands in gloves. White, brilliant white, they seemed to flash in the lantern light as they passed and there were so many. At least thirty of them. All of them silent and following as orderly as ducks in a row. There was something impressively sinister about them, something that made them seem unapproachable, even without taking into account their leader. The one leading was dressed as plainly as those who followed, but he - the robes did a fair job of hiding all distinguishing characteristics but this one seemed to be a he - was unmissable all the same. His robes had been as white as the rest of them but now they were streaked with the vibrant, nearly glowing red of a City Person's blood. A lot of it. In spite of this most incriminating garb he walked slowly, as if leading a religious ritual, and in each hand carried a strange object. His left: a silver, flashing knife. His right: a little golden cage on a short chain with a glowing orb of perhaps some kind of cloudy glass, no larger than a marble, floating within it. Then, midwalk, he stopped. Another of their ilk came melting out of the shadows so fluidly he might have been one himself. This one was definitely a man - barrel chested and powerful in form, even under the concealing layers of white robes, his white mask gilded with elegant swirls of something shiny. His nature as a City Person had robbed the mask of its colors but it seemed likely that it was plated in gold. The group bowed in one swift, fluid motion at his appearance. Still with no words spoken between them, as if this were a carefully practiced routine, the bloody man quickly gave up the golden cage and half his flock to the newcomer. He kept the knife. Then each swept away in two different directions. The whole exchange begged a number of interesting questions, but one in particular was most pressing: If you should follow (which most certainly seems like a slightly dangerous idea), who do you choose? And how are you going to do it without getting caught? 1A > Follow the man with the orb 1B > Follow the bloody man with the knife You have until 11:59PM PST on August 14th to respond.
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:09 pm
Shelley had become lost again. What was it, the third time this week? As though the winding, twisting streets weren't hard enough to navigate, his wandering mind and tendency for exploration were of little help.
As he wandered down a random street, confident for the fifth time this hour that THIS was the way home, he saw the ominous procession approach. Obeying an instinct he didn't fully understand, he ducked into the shadows and watched the strange interaction between, what, the shared leaders of the organization? Though he hadn't been around very long, Shelley had undoubtedly heard of the gruesome murders around town, and it seemed undeniable that this group was involved.
Though he knew full-well that the wise decision would be to just turn around and go back the way he came, his curiosity got the better of him, and he made a snap decision to follow them.
While the bloody man was clearly more likely to be getting his hands dirty tonight, the man with the golden(ish) facemask seemed to be in charge, and Shelley was far more interested in what arcane shenanigans the leader was up to.
As quietly as someone with no experience in stealth can be, he managed to stay a fair distance from the group without losing them. He had, after all, read a collection of spy stories as recently as yesterday.
Poking his head around corners and sneaking from shadow to shadow, if anyone had been watching him, he would have looked more like a character from Rocky and Bullwinkle than James Bond, but he stayed far enough back, and he did manage- however comically- to stay in the shadows, and so he somehow remained undetected.
(option 1A)
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:45 am
[Maxx D's Vlad & Jun D's Estra]RESPONSE: 1AVoices - well, specifically one voice - drifted from around the bend. Snatches of conversation - well, one person's side - were explosive, certainly angry, and were mostly like this: " I told you, don't stay late -
- and there're murderers out on the streets -
- now I have to come get you and -
- it's idiotic! But I should've expected it from you -" Just a moment later, the dark crow rounded the path, followed by the wretched, dejected, properly chastised - but not entirely schooled - dove. Protest, however, was meek: " I was with Tali...she'd keep us safe -" " You were with Tali," he sneered, waving a hand impatiently, attempting to fan the stupid away. " That Tali - she's a bad influence and a nuisance. I don't give a damn what happens to her but she's always dragging you into trouble because you're stupid and now you've gotten us lost!" Grasping her wrist tightly, he pretended he knew where they were going and pulled her into another alley, hopefully one that would lead a little closer to home. " Now listen -" he started again, before the sound of sychronised footsteps in the distance snapped his jaw shut. It didn't sound...normal. He clasped a quick, cautious hand over Estra's mouth as they paused, right behind the wall - looking up to see the horde of white-robed people - cultists? - and their leaders - a murderer. As if in a dream, they watched the ritualistic exchange in silence. He had been right - it was far too dangerous to be out, too dangerous to be here, and far too dangerous to be witnessing this procession. What were they about to do now? ...that was none of their business. He was grimly convinced that this was was none of their business, and once the coast was clear, he would run Estra home and not look back - until his searching eyes fell upon - That cage. Vlad had done many, many errands in the week. The people were mostly a blur, but images from the workshops he remembered, and - perhaps - well - it might be - he could be wrong, but - he could've sworn he'd seen a cage just like that. Without the orb, of course, but the worksmanship looked so familiar. His gut seized; he did not care about others, the affairs of others, what dark deeds, what blood they spilled...but...there were some craftsmen he - he'd...in the slightest of ways of course, hardly significant...that he perhaps admired. And that cage... Could he, that venerable metalsmith, possibly be involved in this whole horrible affair, a part of this ridiculous white mob terrorising the city? Could he, in fact, even be amongst the faceless followers, thirsting for blood? The doubt squeezed his chest. It was not that he cared, he - he just...it just. He just had to know. Slowly, he removed his hand, trailing a finger over her lips with a quiet, severe, " shhh." " I have to know what's going on." He hissed, tucking her hair behind her ear so that she could hear him better. Estra's eyes were wide, white-faced, the tight, thin line of her lips conveying her hesitation better than any word could. But he squeezed her shoulder firmly and pulled her long locks up: " I promise nothing will happen." A flippant promise, though at that moment, he believed it. So did she, taking his hand when it was offered. The birds had swift, delicate footsteps - they moved quietly along the walls, maintaining their distance, wing-clothes folded as compact as possible. They followed the man with the orb.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:51 am
(( Quest character Ying )) Response: 1AYing was not fully sure why she had chosen this part of the City, at this hour. The original reason for her walk had had something to do with inspiration - hitting mental walls in her creative work always made the woman fidgety - but somehow her slippered feet had chosen to bring her here. Where it was nearly too dark to see much of anything. With a sigh, the Child crossed her arms, to try to shut out either the chill of night or the discomfort of the darkness. Might as well try to get something out of this wandering, Ying figured, eyes trailing upwards to study the arches of higher walkways and levels, framing each other artfully with their superior lighting. There may have even been a patch of sky visible through all the layers of the City, but, regardless of what was producing the soft glow of light up higher, none of it ventured down here. Which was why the white immediately caught her eye. There was quite a lot of it, and quite suddenly. The lady pressed herself into an alcove, and watched as perhaps a score and a half of white-garbed City Folk streamed down the stairs. A cage with a light was transferred to a newcomer, and some of the Folk went with him; a chill ran down the back of Ying's neck as she wondered what might have happened had she run into the decidedly sturdy-looking fellow who now took the cage before he met his contacts. He was not the one with the knife, but this bunch struck her as the sort who did not want anyone seeing them. ... Or did they? White robes, masks, gloves? A caged glowing light? The first leader, wearing blood so openly? Even their silence almost seemed to scream against the quiet that already filled this neck of town in the dead of night. Ying found herself desiring to follow, to see what was going on, in spite of the feeling of her heart racing. Perhaps she needed a bit of excitement to pluck at the strings of her creativity. Pursuing the figure with the knife was out of the question. Ying leaned out of her hiding spot and watched him for a moment as he departed, leading the half of the group that had not gone in the other direction. He had killed, and in her mind, can and would do so again; she did not want to be a target. There was, of course, no guarantee that the figure carrying the orb would prove to be any safer if she were caught, but it felt like the more prudent of the two courses. Lifting her skirts up a few inches for ease of quiet movement, Ying stepped out onto the street again, and stole after the figure carrying the orb. She tried to keep to the darkest shadows; the light he carried made him easy enough to pursue.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:09 am
Response: 1B, Dallestrous. There's an unnatural chill in the air as Dallestrous moves through the darkened city, twisting along paths that probably had not seen the light of day in at least a year. Normally he would not be out at this time, especially not in this part of his beloved City, especially not during these dangerous days... but, on this night, he'd been employed to come and take a look at a full-sized wolf automaton that wasn't doing it's duty. Had it not been so large, Dal would've had the mechanic-run animal delivered to his shop... but why wait a week for the thing to arrive at his door when he could simply take a walk over and have a look himself? Why anyone would run a printing press out in the middle of such disastrous looking streets, Dal did not know. Even the lamps of which were supposed to light his way were so covered in grime that only dull dots of flickering candles shown through the glass of which they were encased. Some lamps, it seemed, had not even been lit which pushed Dallestrous to slip through long stretches of darkness that sent a tingle down even his spine. Finding his way here had been easy, but now that he was on his way back? Well, the old fox-faced City Person had been moving about for an hour now and with no inkling of an idea as to where he was supposed to go next. The maze of cobblestone that criss-crosssed beneath his feet did not lead to landmarks that would help him on his way... just more and more darkness. The Fox's ears twitched at the sudden sound of low chanting, a hum of eery whispers that caused his fur to stand on end. Automatically, Dal slipped into the shadows; his breath slowing as a large procession of white-clothed subjects passed by him. What really caught his eye, though, was the form splashed in red and holding a knife. Visions of demise slipped through Dallestrous' ever-creative mind and, for a second, he thought that he might just go back and find a different way out of this dark maze... but the idea of following a criminal was much more appealing, despite the dangers that it incurred. The City Person brushed off the man carrying the orb as an unimportant subjugate and, when the procession split in two, decided to follow the one led by the red stained leader- moving through the shadows at a pace that kept him far enough away from the group that he could not be heard, but close enough that he could still see the shine of that silver-colored knife whenever they passed underneath a particularly clean lamp.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 4:56 pm
Response: 1B.
Talulah had been with Estra, and then Vlad had taken her away. Normally Tali would simply have followed them both, but probably knowing that, Vlad had dragged her off at quite a speed and eventually Tali had simply lost sight of them. Now she was alone. Talulah did not do well on her own. It was in her nature to need people. The goldfish ran down the street, searching for somebody or anybody to make her feel better.
She was about to go knocking on doors when suddenly a group of City People appeared, winding their way through the street and upon seeing them the tightness in Talulah’s chest eased. She came to a halt, a hand coming to rest on her chest as she took in small gulps of air. She was in the shadows of an adjoining alley and once she got her breath back fully intended to simply walk out and say hello. But something stayed her. Some quiet instinct kept her still and quiet.
Oh how she longed to go to them. They were people. They would be her friends and she would dance for them. But she stayed put and watched the exchange, her gaze never quiet settling upon the splattered blood. No, she didn’t want to look at that.
They parted and Talulah was left looking desperately after them both, her head twisting this way and that. Then she chose one of the retreating figures at random and began to follow it, keeping back and to the shadows, but never letting it out of her sight.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:05 pm
Response: 1A BellaBella had been wandering about, not quite sure why she was out and about at night. The air felt cool and damp, but something about it made her uneasy. She made sure to keep her path lighted by the faint glow from the lamps, and as she walked slowly, hearing the heels of her shoes clink softly against the cobblestone ground, when the sound of faint movement from afar startled her. Without thinking, she quickly whisked herself behind a lamp post, somewhat deluded by the idea that the thin pole could conceal her. When she thought she was safe, she slowly peaked out from her hiding spot, and watched as a group of mysterious cloaked beings in white descended stairs. The whiteness of the robes and masks piqued her interests slightly, but as soon as she laid eyes on the one who... seemed to lead the group, she let out a small squeak. W-was that...b-blood? She trembled as her grip on the lamp post tightened, and she watched as they continued their descent. Her gaze slowly fell on the items in his hand, and swallowed slowly as she eyed the glistening dagger in one hand, still seeming to carry a fresh stain on it. However, the item in the other hand made her forget her fear (at least, for a moment), and she stared at it in wonderment, wondering what it was. It was dainty little cage, a brilliant gold, seeming to carry some mysterious item within. A... glowing orb? As she continued to stare at the cage, she barely noticed as another came out of the shadows, and the exchange happened. Her curiosity of the cage and orb over-ruling her fear, she began to slowly follow after the one without the blood-stained robe.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:12 pm
Response 1A; ChromaChroma really needed to learn to stop getting lost in her head while walking; it led to her getting lost physically as well a lot of the time. Point in case: she had no idea where she was right now. The buildings were different from the places she frequented – it seemed like one of those places she usually got warned away from. However, the deep shadows and flickering lights, along with the odd buildings, made it a quaint little part of town in her opinion. That didn’t change that she had no idea which way to go home. She spun around in a slow circle, eyes searching for anything familiar. Instead, her eyes caught on white so bright it nearly glowed; people. Automatically, she moved to a dark corner, shadows effectively masking her bright clothes. Her fingers brushed down her front, catching and fiddling with hems and sleeves and anything she could touch. She needed directions, but she really didn’t want to ask anyone. And, watching the procession, she really, really didn’t want to ask these people. She wasn’t certain what held her attention the most, the glowy ball or the luminescent blood, and it was all clouded by the sheer oddity of it all. A sharp pinch was delivered to her arm – she had been reading that murder mystery earlier, and this wasn’t unlike one of her many daydreams. It was when the scene in front of her remained instead of fading away that her heart started to race – that was blood, real blood! She muffled herself, clasping her hands in front of her gasping mouth as she focused on her breathing, with eyes intent on the strange scene before her. It sparked something in her mind – hadn’t there been conversations about murders? There wasn’t more time to remember as the two groups split up, and Chroma didn’t pay enough attention to conversations to note their topics, only to appreciate the way the words flowed (lesson learned), so it was pretty doubtful she was going to remember anyway. The real question was to follow or not to follow? A smart person would probably have turned tail and run. Yet the thrill was so enticing, so like the books she devoured eagerly. It was like walking into one of her own daydreams. So the real question was who to follow. Shining orb or bloody knife, shining orb or bloody knife? In the end it was the mystery of the glowing orb, suspended in its tiny cage that drew her. She waited until the group had moved far enough away that her movement out of the darkness wouldn’t be noticed. As long as she was quiet and stuck to the numerous shadows in the street, she figured these people weren’t the type to look around.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:39 pm
Option 1B: Faris
Sutfirth was a fairly straightforward place, at least once the person walking through it accepted that its architecture employed no rhyme or reason. The first time Faris had encountered its inner sector, he'd been convinced that the streets moved under his feet, overlapping in places, dead-ending in others. The houses were practically stacked on top of each other, lending no landmark potential with their sameness, and he'd been forced to request directions on more than one occasion. Tonight followed the same verse, gaze idly piercing the dimness to find something halfway recognizable. The only difference was that he encountered no one who might have imparted to him his location, the streets curiously empty for the hour.
Just as he was about to turn back and try another path, a flicker of snowy white two streets ahead snagged his attention. While he was temporarily spellbound, a number of figures glided past, all of them draped in pristine vestments and sure of their steps. But it was their guide's dress that made his insides recoil, a snarl knotting in his throat. Messy, crimson stains had clotted along the pale stretch, the shade brilliant and visceral and very, very wrong. Faris suddenly remembered the whispers he'd heard about trouble brewing in the Middle Layer, information he had dismissed as street gossip, mere attacks made on a few blown well out of proportion. But it seemed he'd been wrong to brush aside the possibility there, the gleaming edge of a blade catching the banked glow of a far-off lamp. Electricity curled its way up his spine, jagged and perilous as he stepped sidelong into an alley and crouched down. He raised a hand to slide his mask back, feeling the horns come to rest against the sharpness of his shoulder blades. Forsaking his makeshift face outside of his home was not a common occurrence, but he hardly wanted to make himself a target by adding another foot of height.
Some exchange was taking place, and the Child scented the air as if he might perceive their intent from smell alone. An object was handed over– not the knife, which he monitored with a predatory intensity – but rather a miniature cage. Something bobbed inside, spherical with a hint of iridescence, completely foreign to him. What was this? Before he could decide, they were departing, flowing in a practiced stream that stank of sanctimonious pomp.
Faris stayed where he was, watching the ghostly shapes fade into the disorder of Sutfirth's avenues. A shimmer of color drew him out of his engrossment, the clash of orange and sapphire startling after the pallid display from before. A surge of dread brought him to a half-stand when it was a girl that appeared on the scene, looking lost and trotting in the direction the cult had taken. "Stop!" he called warningly, voice pitched low so as not to give her away. But she was too far from him, and with a muttered curse, he picked up and hurriedly followed.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:14 pm
Response: 1B, Devika
Devika had been warned often enough about how the Sutfirth was not the best place for a young woman to be wandering late at night, which was exactly why she was picking her way through the grungy little streets at this hour. If she was being honest with herself, she was fairly disappointed that there was not a soul to be found. So much for thrills and adventures. She should have expected as much--the only good stories were in books, and she was beginning to sorely miss the one she was in the middle of.
Just as she was about to spin on the ball of her foot and head back the way she'd came, they appeared. She was not frightened, but her eyes widened with surprise at how starkly their attire clashed with the surrounding darkness. More importantly, they moved with a silent swiftness that had her sidling further back into the shadows. Whoever they were, Devika did not want them to see her before she'd thought out a way to escape.
The sanguine smears sullying the front of the leader's robe had her stealing a quick breath, hardly able to believe it. Had he murdered someone? More importantly, who? Another like him, only stockier and looming, soon appeared out of nothing, and though she could not quite see what had been exchanged between them, it happened almost quicker than she could note. Just like that, they parted, divvying their numbers smoothly and efficiently.
Again, the Tiger's Bride made to move, but she prowled forward this time instead of back. The harsh, hissed sound of warning had her head jerking, irritating flashing through her dark eyes while her lips twisted into a scowl. No, but it wasn't she who was being warned. She caught sight of someone else, someone lively and warm compared to those men, darting through the shadows, chasing after the man with the knife.
Half-witted fool! Did he think he was going to achieve anything by becoming another body on this night? She hated the feel of dogging behind in someone's footsteps, but she pointedly reassured herself that she had been planning on pursuing the knife-bearing assailant before anyone else. It didn't matter whether or not that was the truth. Without a sound, she quickly picked up the pace, hiking up her skirts with no regard to proper, ladylike behavior.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:39 pm
Response 1B : Dorian
The climb up the tree that evening had started out innocuous enough, with Dorian searching the branches for clumps of blooming moon flowers. It was the arrival of the chanting procession that had nearly unseated him from his perch and ruined his quiet evening. Breath hitching tightly in his chest, Dorian watch the whole happenings from his place above and was caught between rapt fascination and utter terror at what was unfolding before him.
The Book Child gripped the branches of the tree tightly, his eyes riveted on the blood stained cloak of the man with the knife. He'd heard rumors of murders in this section of the city, but had considered them the product of overzealous town criers. Now, he wasn't so sure.
As he watched the procession march away, he gulped loudly. He'd almost talked himself into not following the man with the knife, but then he spotted other Children darted through the shadows after the two different groups. It was the other who followed the man with the knife who strengthened Dorian's resolve. So, slowly he slid quietly down from the tree, trotting after those who'd gone before him.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:50 pm
Response from Nios & Tiberius
Path: 1A
Each footstep made a quiet clack as Nios stepped down the dark pathway. It was late for him to be out, but Tiberius had lured him out with promises of cake, and if nothing else, at least the man knew where to find the best cake shops in Sutfirth. His breath came quickly in his hurry to get this over with quickly, but as he strode forward, his stomach was grumbling.
At the foot of a winding stairwell, he saw Tiberius waiting for him.The man waved his hand in acknowledgement and motioned for the blond book child to come over. Nios hopped over the remaining stairs.
“It’s so dark and late.” Nios bit his lip and wondered if it really was worth it.
“This shop has great strawberry cake,” Tiberius squatted down to look Nios in the eye, “and the shopkeeper has a soft spot for little kids.”
As they paused, Nios pouted at Tiberius and replied, “How much further?”
“It’s not far from here, don’t worry.”
Suddenly, a group of oddly dressed City People rounded the corner. They wore white robes, masks, and gloves. The people at the front of the procession each carried an object. Before Nios could gasp or make a noise that would expose them, Tiberius grabbed the book child, making sure to cover his mouth, and pulled them into an alcove.
They were covered in blood, and it glowed. City people blood. Nios made a muffled noise against Tiberius’s hand, but the other book child pressed a finger to his lip. It was probably in their best interest to avoid the attention of these people.
When they had passed, and only when the footsteps could no longer be heard, Tiberius let go of Nios.
“We should follow them.” He stated.
But as Tiberius pulled them forward, Nios held back and whispered, “N-no, let’s just go.” He didn’t like mysterious, unknown city people, much more so when they were covered in blood.
“Did you see that knife? What about that mysterious orb-cage-thing? Don’t you want to find out what they’re doing? It’ll be fun.”
“No!” The book child almost cried out, but stopped himself in time as the last of the robed procession passed by. He was dying to run away, but Tiberius’s hand kept him unfortunately anchored to the spot.
“Next time we go out, it’ll be my treat.” Tiberius offered. Nios was stubborn and scared, but the book child liked cake and sweet things.
Nios ground his teeth. “Three times, and you’re paying for everything. And we’re not following the guy with the knife.”
It was better than nothing. Tiberius held out his pinky.
“Deal.”
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Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:51 am
1A The ornately garbed man and his half of the group wound up and up. It was a long journey on foot as they neglected to take all the main roads in order to avoid meeting people, and especially long for you who needed to get creative in order to avoid being seen by them. It seemed almost as if they were intending to head to the very top of the city. All the while the golden cage and its little glass orb glowed brightly, its brilliant yellow coloration unaffected by the City Person's grip. They were met by another robed figure in the upper reaches of Eyncastor when they stopped outside of an ancient, overbearing mansion - a relic from a time when this part of Eyncastor was the crown jewel of the entire City, before the construction of the Upper Layer. The newcomer stood by the gate to the house's garden, which was surrounded by high white walls that afforded it a great deal of privacy... at least from the street level. He was not so decorated as this leader figure, but a swinging rope at his waist marked him from the others. At least this one spoke. "The manse is quite ready for you," said the one with the rope. His script was weak and its letterforms slightly wobbly, giving the impression of an older City Person. He motioned to the cage. "I see your brothers and sisters have collected a substantial amount of inner light for you. How pleasing." " Our brothers and sisters. It is for all the Golden One's children," replied the gilt leader in writing sturdy with command and force, "and may its light be praised. Have your investigations proved fruitful?" "Oh, certainly," the other said. "The enemy is among our ranks, Godsvoice. I would know him should he present himself with you but, alas-" With this he craned his neck and looked around the leader at the silent and patiently waiting followers. One in particular stood stark still, gloved hands curled into fists. "He is not with you, it seems," the newcomer concluded. "When next we are all gathered I shall call him out and all will bear witness to his punishment. Though, perhaps, if you were to allow me just a moment alone with the device I might also be able to sniff out certain accomplices, who doubtless are present now..." "You speak as if judgment has been passed. That is for a trial and the vote of all our ranks to decide, do not overreach yourself. And do not ask me again for the device." He clutched the chain tightly. "It is not for your hands. Do as you are bid and no more." Having said as much as he pleased the leader and his white herd began to move again, brushing past the spurned man and his curt bow into the mansion's garden. With the procession leaving him behind, he began his own solitary walk. To find their turncoat, perhaps. Only he wasn't the only one to take a different path. One of the Godsvoice's group, the one with the curled fists, quietly slipped out of line quietly and into the black streets of the City, while the gate swung closed again and locked. Quickly, silently, this one broke off from the group and started down a different street. 2A > Follow the Godsvoice xxxxxxx How are you going to get into the garden, or at least to a place where you can see in, with those high walls? 2B > Follow that sneaky b*****d xxxxxxx He seems important, and the least likely to stab you at least? Err, maybe not.... 2C > Follow the breakaway cultist xxxxxxx Surely you must have some suspicions about this one's motives... 1B Down they went, deeper into the winding sweets of Sutfirth, into places where lit lamps were few and far between. Finally, they stopped and the white cloaks gathered around the man in the bloody robes. He began to speak. "Many times our duty calls for us to do evil in the service of greater good. Tonight we will spill more blood, do more evil. It is blood filled with the taint, a far cry from innocent, but it is blood all the same and we will take lives all the same. These sacrifices will not be in vain, they are so that all may someday - someday soon - be reunited with the Golden One." With this he took from his robes and unrolled a small piece of paper, and read: "Janus, at 77 Glebe Road. Lissome and Sempiternal, at 119 Clairon High Road. Lilt Albridge, in room 16 of the Gold Sparrow. You know your marks, do your holy duty. Remember to burn your cloaks and gloves when you are done." As quick as could be they sped off, breaking into groups. Only one ended up without a partner, a soon-to-be murderer condemned to commit his crime alone it seemed. He - or she - drew their knife as they walked. That one still seemed the easiest target for any brave citizen who wanted to stop someone from getting hurt but... there was still that knife involved. The flash of the white cloak vanished quickly into the darkness, but the City Person's footsteps were still quite loud and easy to follow. And yet there was the matter of the bloody man standing still as a statue under the flickering light of a single lamp, as though waiting for someone. His work did not seem quite finished yet. When all the cloaks had gone, he wondered aloud, "Cold, bloody means... and I do not know if the ends are just." 2D > Try and stop the lonely murderer. xxxxxxx To which of those places is he going, and how do you manage to stop him from completing his deadly task? You are free to NPC the cultist. 2E > Stay and watch the bloody man xxxxxxx What made you decide to stay? You have until 11:59PM PST on August 17th to respond!
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Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:26 pm
2D.
The goldfish followed the mysterious cloaked figures through the cold, dreary streets. Occasionally her clothes would catch in the light and shimmer briefly, but they never seemed to notice. Her bare feet barely made a sound as she moves swiftly from one shadowy space to the other. She was not afraid of these people and more than one she had increased her pace in an attempt to overtake them, but each time she fell back again. When they finally stopped, Talulah moved quickly into a shadowy doorway and from there she listened and watched.
Very soon she had lifted her hands to her ears and closed her eyes, but still the voice of the bloodied man reached her. She didn’t want to hear about blood or evil. No, this wasn’t right. Maybe this was just a play; a group of actors practicing the next big thing. That had to be it. Her hands dropped and her lips parted slightly in surprise as one of the names spoken rang familiar. She knew Lilt Albridge, he would sometimes go past and watch her dance in the market.
The group broke up and Talulah wavered uncertainly. An act. A show. It had to be one. But maybe she could ask him to stop. She would be polite of course. But she should also be very insistent.
She sped after the lone white cloaked person and she quickly caught up. The goldfish was hardly sneaky in her approach and she in her desperation to reach him, may have forgotten to put on the breaks. She collided with the person, sending the both of them tumbling across the cobblestones. The knife fell from the possible actor/murderer’s hands and skittered across the ground. Talulah recovered quickly, snatching up the knife and holding it behind her back. Knife, what knife?
“I’m very sorry. But could you please stop your game or whatever it is. It’s not very nice.”
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