(no subject)

[groundrules]

Hello-hello! Following up on the House of Manouk event —

RECAP: There are three necromancers exiled in the secret dimension, stuck on different levels of the House: Manouk on the terrace, Lisanther in the Grounds and young Deckarius, jailed in the dungeons. They seem hostile towards each other. Lisanther at once point interacted with the visiting Dawn's Reach Trade Company, trading for scrolls to break his chains and exit the House. At some point, the Dawn's Reach Trade Company decided to cruelly honour its commitment to Lisanther by ripping apart the chain-breaking scrolls and hiding them.

What we know or has been shared so far:

■ Literature found in the House speaks of a necromancer of Taravast, who was found guilty after killing hundreds in a bid to gain immortality for his master.

■ Wrath confirmed the viciousness of Taravast's necromancers.

■ Stephen Strange suspects Manouk, Lisanther and Deckarius might be the same person at different points in time.

■ Licyn shares Deckarius plans to kill the other necromancers.

■ Lisanther was trading on rather perverse terms with the Dawn's Reach Trade Company...

■ ...who found out something bad enough about the House of Manouk that even it cut tiees.

A couple more clues were doles out — please share them, ideally in your own posts, or in the posts already made ♥

The event is set to draw to a close by 12 August, but in practice you have until around 17 August to wrap up before — courtesy of the waypoint tokens that have been found! — the party is transported back to Akhuras.

■ Characters who have obtained a chain-breaking scroll piece can have a final check-in if they want to give their parchment pieces to Lisanther and free him. (Decision deadline: 23:59 BST, 11 August)

■ Lockwood would industriously like to set fire to the necromancers on the way out, to avenge the spirits stuck in the House of Manouk. Chip in help or thoughts (Decision deadline: 23:59 BST, 11 August)

Comments

ARSON?

[groundrules]

Lockwood would be interested to burn the necromancers and/or their place down on the party's way out, to satisfy the trapped spirits within.

A couple of notes:

— this unfortunately wouldn't free the spirits of the House, but it would bring them quite a bit of pleasure

— the exiled necromancers cannot technically die, but can be greatly crippled and inconvenienced

— the House walls cannot burn down, as the House is the entire pocket dimension. But you could trap the necromancers in some rooms and light a match.

If you'd like to help and join the arson plot, visit any other kind of violence on the necromancers, or perhaps save them — plot here by 23:59 BST on 11 August.

You'll get mod input by that deadline.

The only request is to not handwave every part of this, and to please make at least one kind of post (network/log/whatever works!) to record the event.

Thank you!

[recklessenough]

Why Lockwood is on team arson ...

Canonically speaking Lockwood has a bad history with necromancers. In his reality they are cruel and unnatural not only to the living, but also the dead. While he appreciates that some of the group have necromantic magic and are not like Bickerstaff, between Strange's post, Clara's post and his own experiences in this dimension, he's pretty sure the three here need to be nuked from orbit.

While he's not as pro ghost rights as say Lucy, his experiences through her with Annabelle, Skull and the Bone Glass are such that he doesn't believe in keeping them around to torment and exploit them. This all boils down to he is on team burn this place to the ground, salt the ashes and call it a day. Expectation being; no more necromancers and the spirits get to move on. And while this may not be the ultimate fate, he'll take the consolation prizes as a win.

I am absolutely open to him being talked down from his desire to find all the salt shakers in the house and a book of matches. Otherwise ... anybody got a light?

ETA: Plans for Lockwood if Operation Arson moves forward

Though he was initially on the most apathetic side, Lockwood is now looking hard at the environment for ways he knows to free the ghosts. These ways include; fire, salt, iron but mainly fire.

I can offer him as tribute for putting up a network post to the effect; "These spirits deserve to be released and allowed to rest in peace. This is what I'm going to try to do to achieve that goal. Oh, and necromancers are bad and should not be released."

In canon, Lockwood would be searching out Sources to set fire to as a way to try to release the spirits. Since he can't find Sources here, his fall back position -and he's speculating here, he doesn't have proof this will work- is to set fire in the areas where the necromancers appear to center their power. So the Maze, the shuttered hall room in the Grounds, the bare stone room in the Dungeons.

Any documents discussing 'Others talk of using spells, the elements and even mass sacrifice to achieve immortality' are going to be his first layer of kindling, with additional scrolls added to the pile. Note: Lockwood is in burn it all mode, but OOCly please feel free to remove any documents that more level headed characters might see and think could be useful in the future.

I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of here, so an open bullet point for discussions!

[groundrules]

Heya! Arson rally here! Since this has to be done before Aug. 17, please be available to comment/tag by then, if you still plan to participate.

[downswing]

Unlikely to assist with Justice [TM] this round, but if you end up in harm's way during this fine venture, I can offer Lan Wangji's sword/back/exceptionally fast run! Look at him carry this child, this could be you.

[nachocheese]

+1!

Nacho won't assist with any of the murder this time, but he'll help get people to safety, if they need it!

[thebrideoffire]

I'm picturing Dany in that image. I'd love him pulling her from a fire.

[downswing]

Yesssssssssssss.

[thebrideoffire]

Fire, you say? And burning mages? There’s absolutely no way any of this will backfire. Dany's onboard.

She's not so clear about pocket dimensions and the "why" this won't work. Fire seems an elegant solution and she's the type who will act first against mages. She's got some hang-ups with these kind of guys.

Death is preferred to freeing them. Her emotions will be responding before logic.

[groundrules]

Heya! Arson rally here! Since this has to be done before Aug. 17, please be available to comment/tag by then, if you still plan to participate.

[thebrideoffire]

Aye, aye!

+1

[reparo]

Ahem. Can lend a wand towards casting that little spell from afar, or set fire to curtains and run. Won't be doing it independently, however, so peer pressure mentality is needed. Encourage the flame.

Let's never let bargain Voldemort out.

[nachocheese]

peer pressures you not to do it, Hermione, because you seem like a weak link.

Re: +1

[groundrules]

Heya! Arson rally here! Since this has to be done before Aug. 17, please be available to comment/tag by then, if you still plan to participate.

[beitangmoran]

Moran is definitely team murder because first and foremost, if those three are the same people, and also some necromancer from Taravast, then they're probably already dead anyway so it's barely murder to start with and also, this is a world where the undead are the enemy, do we really want to keep around people who can make more??? And also Taravast sucked anyway.

[groundrules]

Heya! Arson rally here! Since this has to be done before Aug. 17, please be available to comment/tag by then, if you still plan to participate.

-1

[nachocheese]

He's not sure it's the right call, but Nacho will be the (lone?) hesitant voice against burning the house down. He can definitely see why people would want to burn it all down - like, he can see the appeal! - but he can't shake the little voice saying, "Don't do this."

Also like, the last time he burned down a psycho's house and split, it ended badly for him. Learn from his mistakes, guys.

He is aware, though, that he doesn't really know a whole lot about magic or necromancy or bringing back the dead or really any of that, and he can def be swayed by people who are more aware of that kind of thing, if they tell him why they should, and they seem like they're acting out of practicality and not emotion.

Tbh he does expect to get outvoted anyway but he's also used to being outvoted by people who want to do violence so. At least he might as well say something.

When Team Murder doubtless ends up burning everything down anyway, he'll help anyone who needs it get to safety! Yeah, including people who helped start the fire.

[cosplayqueen]

Kamala would not really be for this since burning people alive that are already in jail seems pretty evil to her. She'd probably try to talk people out of it.

That said someone should probably just light the fire while she's talking. She doesn't really have the power to stop it. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[groundrules]

Hi guys! There are four of you wanting to get the burning done — I'm happy for you to go ahead, but talk it out here so you know what you're each up to. Someone will have to do either a post or a log planning or starting the fire — even if it's something as meagre as 'left these guys something to fill their hands with after we leave /crispy flames in background.' If you decide to make it something communicated to the group (versus just a thread where this gang get up to it quickly before ollying out), make sure to spell out the arson is dated to take place something like in the hour before Karsa takes the group through the waypoints, out of the House of Manouk!

[thebrideoffire]

If others want to start their own fires, I'm okay with that. Or we could have it start with dragon flame? It catches quickly and spread fast. I plan for Dany to try and "Dracarys" one of the shamans up close. Do we want a group thread or our own toplevels?

[reparo]

While people are being ushered towards waypoints, Hermione can be available to help with setting the scene so that the House is more flammable - i.e. cover floors in oil, sweep leaves into the bedchambers or something - and trying to stay out of sight of the residents.

There are a few fire spells in her arsenal (arsonal? no?) that she can unleash from afar, but she's going to say that more than one person doing it at a time is probably going to yield more results.

If we want a quick log for it we can put a closed one in the TDM to get it sorted or a joint network post to let people know it's happening and to GFTO.

Question

[reparo]

Hey so if Hermione takes the Library as hers to burn down, any chance she can steal illegally borrow liberate some books before she sets the room on fire?

She would be looking for anything that mentions necromancy, spellcraft and Eltheia.

[groundrules]

*Ellethia, the destination you have already proudly visited, great place, 10/10.

Yes, she may liberate some books!

[reparo]

Elliedoodad, got you. I remember it well.

She'd try to catch up on her reading during the next downtime, wink wink wink.