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lostcompass2022-12-01 07:30 pm
groundrules) wrote in lostcompass2022-12-01 07:30 pm
Entry tags:
december activity + arc iv: conclusion
Hey everyone! The November activity results and the aftermath summary of Arc IV: Serthica doze merrily below — along with a special visit from a beloved friend. Arc badges to follow in a few days!
To sum up the updated calendar, the year’s last invite-only application cycle ends on 23:59 on 4 December, and you’ll get full details about our five-week eerie? cooldown setup event on 5 December.
As a reminder, there are no activity requirements in December, unless you’re clearing a strike from November.
Folks with insufficient activity last month:
- Su Xunxian | topoiran — RECLAIMED
Please shout by 5 December to reclaim, or to link any November AC threads that may have been missed!
PLACES, PLACES
In wake of the party’s efforts, Wrathion secures the Child’s cooperation to raise and preserve the dead of Serthica until the month’s end. On borrowed time, the group successfully disperses local magical corruption and creates a cure to the curse-sickness of Serthica. As of 1 December, every human, animal or plant being in Eidris or Minaras now feels alive to necromancers and life-sensitive characters.
Modern miracles come with a price tag: to achieve this resurrection, the Child has also used the energy and cells of the mannequins that Yelena learned have been used to substitute the dead of Eidris and Minaras over the year. The mannequin under Finn’s protection is the last of her kind to survive untouched.
The newly resurrected people and entities have an imperfect memory of the past five years and do not recall they ever perished — but have an innate sense that life is special and should be protected, not wasted on conflict. Eidris and Minaras steer towards reconciliation, both remaining overground. Free passage is now restored to and from the Mouse House. Ma’am Mariol can get the handsomest overground potatoes.
As the eggs Daenerys and Jon Snow rescued from the Sibilant Sands hatch beautiful dragons, young warlord Cain d’Ubiq reaches out to the group with the following voice message:
”…dragons. You even – you even brought back dragons, after everything… you’ve seen – now you believe me. You’ve seen everything, you… you’ve… you made it right again. I don’t know how. I don’t care to ask how.
Five years ago. Us — the few of us. A handful. Just a… a handful. We flew the dragons and colours of Eidris into the Sibilant Sands and met Minaras, and we’d said, we’d all said, one last encounter — and whoever wins can decide how we handle the sickness that spread… spread everywhere and… it was everywhere. We had fire. And Minaras… had learned cannons and — the Sands were all ablaze. Just me and some of the aerial units patrolling for sickness returned. Chrichter’s people. And what we found — you saw. You imagine. Everything… sick. And dead. What was that war for? What is any war for, what — …there was nothing to do. Nothing to hope for.
The boy, the burned boy, he came and… he offered. More than half of Serthica perished. But he said – and he was a child, who believes a child? But… he made it happen. Made the doll who were men, him and his… friend. That man. That man, one day, I’ll kill him. I didn’t want — …but the dolls played pretend so well. They couldn’t operate the city, we kept having to – to procure lubricants, the facilities rusted, the boy kept having to rebuild the buildings that fell, and the… the… there are so many parts to a city, and to people and… and the dolls kept breaking. Kept… having to be restored, and — people aren’t… they’re not… fools. Not. Really. They can… suspect, after a time, no matter how good the dolls were, they just – they know it’s not right. It doesn’t feel right.
So that boy’s little orphans started writing letters to the people below. Those poor fools. Pretending they were from… they…
Then Chrichter said… said, give them something to worry about. You know what keeps people distracted? Conflict. Explosions. Boom. He said — I tried warning Arabella, I tried – but no one believed me. So Remembrance was born. And I said, I… I don’t want to know. What he does. I don’t – just don’t tell me.
And I’m saying, what you did. To make this happen, to make this all go away, I… I don’t want – I’m not. I’m asking. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. I’m… I’m just. Grateful. For this. For you. For the dragons. Thank you.”
PUT YOUR TOYS AWAY
A great, groaning tremor shatters the streets of the Neutral Zone on 4 December, toppling the clock tower of Vassarizhia into quickly scattering, mould-consumed debris. Within heartbeats, little remains: only the cracked plaque of the clock, and a scattering of parchment papers previously found within the Tower: I’M SORRY.
Hunt long and far, the Child has fled Serthica. On one side of his white umbrella,
But never mind that. The tower’s destruction reveals a lower-ground level, where sleeps Serthica’s ancient but functional beacon. The party’s second witch, Hatisse completes the summons to awaken it on 5 December, but the turmoiled magic of Serthica leaves the connection fragile. Characters are called to return to their homes, starting with those who were dropped or activity-swept in recent weeks.
Inevitably, the beacon’s strength wanes, and the last characters who passed through it are expelled back from fresh timelines. Note: if you’re updating the canon timepoint of your character, please know they would have no memories, scars, powers or items gained in Akhuras while they are briefly in their home worlds. They may regain their memories upon return.
The beacon will also bring in any newly arrived characters, wrenched from their home worlds — but that’s a problem for 5 December.
In the meantime:
- ✘ Drop two-three lines summarising what your character’s Arc IV activity to get a reward — while characters who submitted task threads in the log finale can already find their loot here.
✘ enjoy Santa Claws!
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