ACTIVITY + MAY CALENDAR

[groundrules]

Hi folks! A bit of admin, just shy of May the Fourth being with us —

i. No April activity check this round for characters accepted during the late March / early April cycle. Psssst. That's all of you.

ii. Applications open on 00:01 GMT @ 3 May, lasting until 23:59 GMT @ 9 May. They will be handled on a rolling basis.

iii. Have a look at the character interest list, and consider dropping your name in, if you're pretty sure you want to app something — like test driving, this is not mandatory, but helps me figure out how many applications to expect in.

iv. A wild May calendar has appeared! The April schedule has been archived here. Sign-ups for the world's worst meeting drinking game are here!

We're trying posting a full-month calendar again, but we might move to two instalments covering 1h and 2h of the month, if that suits us better in the end. Let's see.

You may now all return to your regular plotting schedules.

Comments

[scrapgege]

Offering Xie Lian for this since he won't die from it, but of course I am ready for his bad luck to kick in otherwise :>

[groundrules]

Say no more! Xie Lian might be a recent arrival, but nothing should prevent him from enjoying the frozen, entirely invisible beauty of Sa-Hareth. As his (exceptionally poor) luck would have it, he is drawn into the con of a merchant who knows all too well he hasn't sourced the volume of wares that was commissioned of him. Claiming sickness, he picks out Xie Lian off the road and begs him to deliver a package of red pigment on his behalf to an abandoned fishmonger's store — where 15-20 men turn out to be expecting paint supplies for their red sleeve tattoos.

Anger and needles, can there be a better combination? It turns out, yes, if you throw in their sudden enthusiasm to talk Xie Lian into joining Anurr's cause, because, surely, he owes them for this exceptionally poor shipment of pigments? And would he truly leave them without any kind of gain?

Xie Lian might want to throw a handful of questions their way before he gives too much for free. What does he ask?

[scrapgege]

Hmmmmm, well, Lianlian hasn't been here long, and he doesn't have the backstory, so he probably would ask more general questions about why people are here, who is Anurr, and do people really have to fight? Maybe if you just sit down and talk it out you can find common ground?

[groundrules]

Regrettably, the average lout might not be too able to explain why Lianlian is here, though they alcohol might turn them to more philosophical ponderings of why the world is here, at large.

Over a cup of unidentified, but soon deeply regretted brew, they will boisterously share the legend of Anurr, taking turns in hailing his virtues. The inking will continue throughout, somehow not lessening their cheer — neither will Xie Lian's persistence that peace might end what years of conflict could not bring to conclusion.

"There is no common ground to be found with dead who aren't of your people," one man will mutter, spitting on hard floor. It is unclear if he has understood he resides within the approximation of a household that does not require human watering.

Xie Lian will be cordially invited to sit with him — and, should he accept, to prepare their paint pigments, or even partake of a tattoo himself.

[scrapgege]

He will happily help mix the ink but no tattoo for him, thank you, he al
ready has two and that's quite enough

[groundrules]

This is acceptable to the horde of louts, although they seem particularly less enthused by Xie Lian's presence and wonder why he's unconvinced to give his fealty to Arne. Does he not believe Sa-Hareth deserves freedom? Were his ancestors not of the people, does he hesitate to defend his land? Is he at ease with slavery under Unhalad?

They do not grow riotous, but the ease of the room thickens, darkens, takes fresh shape.

[scrapgege]

Oh, haha, well, you know, actually, his own land is like, very far away, and he only really just arrived to this place, so he doesn't really know anything about all this? Really, sir, he's been in town like three days at most, and the first he's heard of Unhalad was just now. Of course people deserve freedom, but fighting is not always the solution...

... Here's your pigments?

[groundrules]

The men will unfortunately appear increasingly ill at ease with this newcomer, who flaunts his status. Is he a spy, perhaps? Sent from the east to support Unhalad? Does he think he is better than them, that he understands more?

"Perhaps," one peacemaker offers, as the crowd's attention turns, "He needs a sample of Arne's might and legacy."

To say they present a sophisticated elixir would be a stretch of generosity and imagination. They deliver a mug, housing a lukewarm and neutrally, faintly floral-fragrant concoction — prized, to see how one of the men's hands tremble, putting it forward.

[scrapgege]

Well this is not bringing any bad memories at all, haha.

But Xie Lian is pretty certain that whatever is in there won't kill him, so his own hand doesn't tremble when he takes it.

"That actually smells pretty good... What's in it?"

[groundrules]

Toothy grins, laughter, and, for the first time in a few minutes now, the rare barb. The men can't say, but they seem to each have an anecdote of the dazzling hangovers that come in force after.

They're convinced that the brew is a true step to enlightenment — and that even a well-meaning foreigner would struggle to refuse Arne's wisdom, after experiencing his might in this way. They will continue to egg Xie Lian on to consume the brew, pointing out that he cannot be one of them, one of the people, without proving his worth in some way.

Does he drink?

[scrapgege]

fine, fine, he'll drink it!

[groundrules]

Congratulations, Xie Lian! The sulphurous, herbal brew the men toast doesn't take long to act — within moments, Xie Lian might find his hearing, sight, touch and taste sharpened, while his speed and strength improve. These effects will all lessen within 48-72h, leaving behind a spreading chill and listlessness that will also soon wane. Xie Lian's temper will worsen for the evening, patience short and bloodlust rising.

Now adorned with their beautiful new... red-inked creations, Xie Lian's friends want to show their fealty with deeds as much as they have with their bodies. They will head out to the salt mines to hunt down a small party of Unhalad's undead, which will require them to infiltrate small, tight, dark corridors. Xie Lian, being slighter than some of his fellows, will be volunteered to go ahead in these passageways — which may or may not play into why he finds himself, come morning, crawling back to Sa-Hareth nude, frozen and covered in blood, in a tailored rendition of the walk of shame.

Some of the port apprentices, preparing local stores to open, might prove very appreciative.

Unfortunately, the local guards won't share their sentiments, and Xie Lian will receive a 5,000 coin fine for public indecency.