EVENT #17: EPULUM - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #17 - Epulum

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ Coordination Post ⦁ Nocwich

Nocwich is familiar territory, having invited the Summoned over a year ago. While Luna and the werewolves are a prominent presence, Ikorr has chosen to keep to itself. That is, until now.

Stamped with Ikorr's signature wax seal, the red-enveloped letters invite you to a grand street festival called Epulum. While the Carnivale itself will take place on FEBRUARY 25, you'll be asked to come one day beforehand to enjoy the sights and prepare for a fantastic night. Food, accommodations, and clothes will be provided. All you have to do is show up.

As the night goes on, however, you'll notice something is afoot. Do you ignore it and continue partying? Or will you find yourself swept up in this unusual mystery?

Players are encouraged to incorporate aspects of the celebration into their investigation threads. Explore the mirror hall while looking for clues or wear a mask to blend in! And if someone's a bit tipsy? Well, let's hope they won't mess up the investigation too terribly.

Please note that the confrontation and choice at the end may temporarily impact the state of Nocwich. Nocwich is not guaranteed to be open in March.

The Carnivale

Each Epulum, Ikorr draws from the Major Arcana to determine what direction the world will take. This year, Epulum is represented by The Tower. Indicating change through chaos, Ikorr believes that The Tower is a sign that it's time for the city to open its doors to the Summoned - even if the decision might cause some strife with Luna.

Shops and stalls will sell accessories with the symbol of The Tower on them, from necklaces to embroidered shawls to hand-inked cards. If you happen to be a Tower yourself, you might be given a small trinket or two for free!

The main celebration will take place on the night of FEBRUARY 25, but characters can explore Ikorr's main streets the evening prior.

Arrival

You'll enter Nocwich as usual, wearing the pendant that allows you through the portal at Oleuni Square. Once there, you'll be given a warming potion to keep out the cold, and a second portal will take you into Ikorr.

Unlike Luna, Ikorr's architecture favors height, stone, and stained glass. Pointed arches stretch towards the stars. You can explore a variety of taverns and shops around the Carnivale area, which has been blocked off for the celebrations. Leaving the checkpoint is possible, but you'll be patted down and examined each time you reenter, so you may not want to come and go too often. Ikorr is taking a bit more care ever since the attacks on the delegates and given the scale of this event, security is fairly tight.

Nonetheless, there's no shortage of things to look at: street vendors, eateries, taverns, art galleries, and more. You'll have a few hours to look around before you retire to your tent.

Getting Ready

Since your stay will only be overnight, Ikorr has set aside one of the massive tents near the Sanguine Promenade for you and your friends. There are no rooms. Every Summoned will be piled under the same tent. You'll have plenty of space, though not much privacy. Maybe you can take the opportunity to make new friends and help each other dress up.

On that note, you must find the right attire. You can bring an outfit or purchase something from the shops, but if you don't want to spend the gold, the tent will have several wardrobe trunks and closets filled with clothes and accessories. You can borrow anything you want for the Carnivale.

You'll have a pretty good idea of what you're expected to wear to blend in since natives around the Promenade will be getting ready at the same time. Outfits are eye-catching , and bolder guests tend to cover very little. Men in particular will forgo a top in favor of wearing little more than strings of beads and crystals. Ikorrans are more lenient with foreigners who don't want to go all-in, but you should make an effort. You've taken the warming potion, haven't you? So the chilly weather is no excuse!

Carnivale Night

Extravagant and over-the-top, the Carnivale is all about excess. Shops and buildings are decorated with colorful flags to match the tents that line the streets. Even the Sentinel Guards have made the effort to add decorations to their uniforms. If your clothes are too understated, someone will come by to drape you with beads and feathers.

The main display is the parade. Competition is fierce for participants, who spend months planning the float, costumes, and magical displays, including pyrotechnics. Some floats have up to a dozen performers while others utilize intense spells to create an unforgettable show. The parade is typically led off with a float dedicated to the chosen Arcana - the Tower for this year.

During the parade, you'll be given some flowers to throw onto your favorite float. At the end of the night, the float covered with the most flowers is crowned the Golden Petal, a title that guarantees them a slot in the next celebration's parade. While Ikorr does its best to keep the competition in good spirits, sabotage has occurred in the past.

Attending Guests

The majority of Ikorr's population are vampires, or Ikorrans. While Oleuni Square sees werewolves and vampires mingle in small degrees, werewolves and vampires don't enter each other's borders, with rare political exceptions. The Draconae from the Nether are frequent visitors to Ikorr. Some settle in Ikorr for years or decades.

A handful of humans are also in attendance since Ikorr extended the invitation to natives of Thorne, the Free Cities, and Solvunn as a courtesy. Lesser-known but notable representatives will observe the event in a diplomatic capacity. They'll stand out a little more, as their outfits won't be as bright or revealing.

Sights & Sounds

As you enter the block, small pieces of glimmering confetti float down from above. Don't try to brush them off - there's no escaping the glitter and shine. You'll quickly realize the only taboo at the Carnivale is to have taboos in the first place. Partiers are here to let loose, and won't take to it kindly if you've come to bring down the mood. If you're shy, the locals are encouraging and will direct you to one of the main festival sections.

◎ Sanguine Promenade

Here, large tents in bright colors fill the walkway. Each tent hosts a different activity: drinking, bathing, gambling, and more intimate desires. The Promenade is illuminated with floating candles that shift colors to match the surroundings. Aphrodisiacs can be obtained upon request. They offer a range of effects from heightened sensitivity to relaxation. Avoid unlabeled foods - you might accidentally take something you didn't want.

A few of the tents will have a wall of colorful masks, each one featuring a different animal: a mouse, a rabbit, a wolf, a bear, a snake. Donning the mask will cause you to take on the physical traits of those animals. Scales emerge along your skin, ears sprout from your head, your nails become claws. You won't gain any special senses or strength. The transformation is strictly visual. It'll fade the moment you take off the mask.

Designed for anonymity so that guests can indulge in more extravagant behaviors without attaching their name, they make for a fairly quick and easy disguise if you need to remain unidentified. Or, you can just have fun with them.

◎ Feasting Quarter

The Feasting Quarter is a glutton's paradise, especially for the Summoned who can dine and drink for free. Enticing smells from vibrant stalls beckon you forward. While typical Ikorran dishes are dainty and petite, the Carnivale brings rich flavors, thick slices of meat and fruit, and overflowing plates. And one can't forget the wines! Blood-free varieties are available. All attendants will receive a special chalice decorated with the Tower. With the chalice, you can go up to any stall and fill your cup as much as you like. You can also buy trinkets and flowers to add to your costume.

As is tradition, samples from a small eatery called Thought For Food are placed on tables around the Quarter. These small candies feature different flavors: spicy, sweet, and sour. The flavors give the effect one might expect (spicy enhances passion, sweet delivers euphoria, and sour induces clarity)...except for you, the effects are reversed. Does it have something to do with being a Summoned? Nobody can say, but the result is the same:

• a spicy morsel will dull all your emotions
• a sweet treat will make you irritable and moody
• a sour candy will cloud your judgment, thereby increasing impulsivity

To your relief, the effects wear off within the hour. Be careful you don't eat one of these while investigating. These candies are also dissolvable. Maybe you can slip a witness a candy to change their mood? Just remember that as native Abraxans, witnesses will experience the proper effects, not the reverse ones!

◎ Blood Moon Ring

The Blood Moon Ring is an arena lit with floating red orbs. No seats are available, so you'll have to crowd around if you want to watch. Sword swallowers, fire jugglers, and other extravagant displays are here to entertain you. Most of it uses illusory magic, but the Ikorrans are hardier than your average human, so some of their stunts are quite real.

At the far end is a hall full of mirrors titled The Unending Face of Madness. The plaque explains an Ikorran artist designed it as a tongue-in-cheek reference to rumors that vampires lack a reflection. It isn't meant to have any mystical properties. Indeed, none of the natives will experience anything unusual - but that isn't so for you. As you navigate the maze of mirrors, your reflections begin to move independently.

When you lean closer, you notice your image bears your Arcana across its chest. Then it begins to transform into the very thing that defines your Arcana Sign as you. Are you an outcast? Too unyielding in your judgement or foolishly hasty with your decisions? Was there an event that shaped who you became? Maybe your features will shift into another individual, or you'll face a past version of yourself at that defining moment in your life. Or, you see yourself as the person you're afraid you might become: a monster or a corrupted ruler. Whatever it is, the mirror will reveal a piece of your soul - not only to you but to anyone else who's in the maze with you.

The Crime

On FEBRUARY 25, the night of the Carnivale Epulum, you notice some oddities afoot a few hours in. Are the guests behaving strangely? Is it a strong instinct you possess? Did somebody tell you that they saw something weird? You should probably investigate in case things go south.

If you think you've solved the mystery, don't be hasty about chasing down the accused! Instead, bring your suspicions to Celeste. She'll decide who to apprehend based on all sets of accusations. Her temporary office is near the celebrations. You can't meet with her directly, but you can drop off the details with her secretary.

Characters should REPORT to Celeste rather than pursuing the suspect themselves. This is to avoid conflicting scenarios as to how and when the culprit is caught. The culprit will be one of the four Witnesses described under Investigating.

Rising Suspicions

Your suspicions might arise from one of the three scenarios below. Each scenario will lead you to the same information outlined under The Missing Artifact. You might be on your own, or you may be with a friend. Of course, you can also learn the details secondhand from someone you know.

Players can incorporate the information provided to flavor their threads and are welcome to take control (within reason) of the NPCs involved in these scenarios. If you have any questions about specific responses or behaviors, use the MOD CONTACT section.

If your character is inclined to announce the full details to everyone immediately, we recommend delaying their in-game discovery time a little. This will allow other player characters to engage in the discovery scenarios before they learn everything over the Network!

Scenario #1: Sentinel Guards

There's been a sudden increase in Sentinels, Ikorr's guarding force, around the perimeter of the street party. Approaching them, you learn that they won't let you leave. It's a matter of safety, you understand. They promise you everything should be sorted by morning. If you're polite and question them further, they'll admit that a thief has struck the vaults. Though they can't disclose anything else, they'll direct you to their Deputy Sentinel, Soraya Moran. Speaking to her, the deputy will tell you it's unorthodox to involve an outsider, but due to the emergency, she'll make an exception.

Scenario #2: Angry Guest

A distressed woman wanders the promenade in tears. She declares she's barricaded from retrieving her jewels in the vault and that her costume for the parade is now ruined. If you can calm her long enough to talk to her, she'll tell you that the Vault Guardians have sealed off the vaults to everyone, even esteemed patrons. Visiting the Vault Guardians, you learn that there's been a theft in the area. While they don't usually divulge the vault's precious contents, they admit they could use the help from a Summoned, given the potential consequences.

Scenario #3: Abandoned Skulls

Throughout the street festival, you can find several lost skulls from someone's costume. You might recognize it from the Drowning Maiden who went by during the parade...except the float and its massive tank never finished the circuit. When you locate the prop's owner (it is just a prop, right?), you realize why: the soaking wet maiden, now out of her costume, sits beside the defunct float with its cracked tank. Upset, she insists that someone must've tampered with the tank. Have you heard of the theft in the vaults? She's sure the thief did something to her tank to cause the distraction. She directs you to Ikorr's Deputy Sentinel, Soraya Moran. Speaking to her, the deputy will confirm the theft. While it's unorthodox to involve an outsider, due to the emergency, she'll make an exception.

The Missing Artifact

Whether you speak to the Deputy Sentinel or the Vault Guardians, they'll tell you the same thing: that the item stolen is of critical importance and extremely dangerous if not contained. Historically, Ikorr's secured vaults have never been broken into, so this is an unprecedented situation. Officials suspect more nefarious forces are at play.

Ikorr will stress that the goal is to recover the artifact undamaged so that it can be safely locked away again. While characters will be faced with the decision to destroy or preserve it at the end of the night, they will not know that this is a potential option until after the artifact is recovered and Luna has made its stand.

Further questioning will reveal the following details:

◎ While the item itself is, of course, gone, you can take a look at a painting of it located in the public art gallery directly above where the vaults are secured. Called the Twin Latchkeys, its origins are unknown, but its appearance is unlike other artifacts in Abraxas. The vivid paint is well-preserved despite the passing of time. When the blades taste blood, the user becomes a conduit for great power.

◎ Inside the vault, next to the missing artifact, is an ancient headless torso fossilized in stone. Its chest has been split open and folded back - like two doors opening. The Sentinels explain that this is the last known user of the daggers. While the specimen holds no relevant clues, seeing the consequences for yourself might spur you to action.

◎ The vault shows no signs of forced entry. The powerful wards aren't broken at all. The Sentinels claim this can only be possible if the ward were taken down, then erected back up, something that would require an unusual amount of magic.

◎ From the Sentinels, you can learn the names of key Witnesses as outlined below. They'll also point out that the Vaults and the gallery above are a good place to start. The dressing room at the Blood Moon Ring may have experts in lesser-known magic, as well as somebody who might know what really happened with the tank and the Drowning Maiden. The Sanguine Promenade is ideal for eavesdropping, where talk flows freely. Finally, the Feasting Quarter has shopkeepers who're privy to all manner of gossip.

Investigating

The Sentinels can suggest some key names (Witnesses) or locations (Scenes) to help you get started. Examining a witness or scene will lead you to Evidence that you can investigate further or add to your notes. You won't find evidence unless you look around first. There are no strict limitations on how much you can do or examine at a time, but keep in mind you'll be working with others - so it might be a good idea to delegate and share the load!

Keep your focus on the noted evidence and witnesses. You're welcome to go off track, but you're unlikely to uncover anything useful. Ikorr officials will suggest you take a partner in case you run into any danger. Try your best to be discreet. While you can use the authority Ikorr bestowed on you to get information, making it known you're investigating may result in witnesses being less cooperative. The choice is yours!

Characters can investigate or interact with any of the points provided below. Interactions can be accidental if your character wouldn't get involved on their own. Further, the Horizon is available for coordinating evidence, recreating crime scenes, and more.

Images are purely references for visualization. All necessary information will be in the text. You can explore what you like for CR purposes, but only the items listed below will help you solve the mystery. Forms are available in the body of the Coordination Post itself.

Witnesses

Each witness has an assigned location. They won't stray from there, so they'll be easy to find if you need to see them again. You can either talk to or spy on an individual. The higher your rank, the more trouble you'll have spying. Try your abilities or look to the Carnivale Night Sights & Sounds to see what you can use. Any one of these witnesses can become a suspect. Be careful! Delivering unsubstantiated accusations to Celeste can lead the real culprit to escape.

Babis ◎ Interact
Sanguine Promenade

Bright-eyed and earnest, Babis has traveled to Ikorr to celebrate his 20th birthday. Despite his youth, he's a talented blacksmith seeking to hone his craft and expand his horizons outside the Nether. He has a record of theft for stealing an expensive wine, demonstrating his impressive lock-picking skills. Security claim they saw him in the gallery above the vault at the time of the theft - unusual, since most of the crowd would've gathered outside for the parade by then. They'll also note that he viewed the painting of the Twin Latchkeys frequently, returning to it over and over. The other witnesses may know more about him...or you might want to follow him first to see what he's up to.

Retha Zelpha (Firewing) ◎ Interact
Blood Moon Ring

Retha Zelpha is an Ikorran performer for the Blood Moon Ring. A well-respected figurehead for the event, Retha knows anyone and everyone who takes part in the performances - both past and present. A skilled ventriloquist, she sometimes speaks through her bird, named Firewing. Confusingly, "Firewing" is also Retha's stage name, leading to rumors that Retha and the bird are the same individual. You can find her looking after the performers or resting in her dressing room. Or, if you have good timing, you can catch her after one of her impressive acrobatic displays, where she soars nearly as high as Firewing (the bird). As with many in the entertainment business, she has a fair number of rivals...and a history of being vengeful.

Soraya Moran ◎ Interact
The Vault

Soraya Moran has been a Sentinel her entire life. Young by Ikorran standards, she was promoted to Deputy six years ago. Soraya is most informed about the vaults: its history, access records, information about the wards, and security protocols. While she was once a common sight during late nights, the past year has seen her take more time to herself ever since she began dating Marcellus Ver, the famous chef. Or, that was the case. In the month leading up to the festival, Soraya began taking extra shifts guarding the vault, which her colleagues find odd. What happened to all her talk of finally settling down? Gossip around the blood cooler is that her relationship with Marcellus was growing turbulent, causing her to avoid her home life by throwing herself back into work - but it's equally possible there's more to it.

Marcellus Ver ◎ Interact
Feasting Quarter

Marcellus Ver is a talented chef who's become a wealthy businessman and landowner. He made his name on his signature wine, the coveted Dusk Rose, an expensive vintage that uses a secret ingredient. The wine isn't available to the public. Marcellus sells it to an exclusive clientele list. He has a hand in nearly every shop established in the Feasting Quarter. Despite his considerable riches, his generosity is well-known, as well as his support for the arts. Coupled with his charms, Marcellus is a popular figure in Ikorr. He can often be found sampling the food and wine around the Feasting Quarter to make sure they're up to standard for the guests - and his name. If you need to know who to talk to for information on a particular subject, he can likely point you to the right shopkeeper. Of course, you may have to wonder, is his reputation just a little too spotless?

Scenes

You can investigate these locations below for any reason. Maybe you think it's a good idea to begin somewhere, or you spoke to someone who gave you the lead. While you can explore the broader area, it's best to narrow your focus to one of the key aspects (denoted with an underline). Any one of these scenes can contain evidence, which you can pursue further in the Evidence section below.

The Vaults ◎ Interact
Vault/Gallery

Underneath the art gallery, you can find the vaults, now sealed off by a team of Vault Guardians. Supervising them is Deputy Sentinel Soraya Moran, who'll guide you around the crime scene. There are two key sections you might want to examine: the warding that surrounds the vaults and the blood signature used to seal the artifact inside its (now empty) case. You can also look upstairs and speak to the gallery security guards, who keep an eye on the public artworks. Many of Ikorr's important figures keep their valuables in these vaults, too, but you'll need a good reason first to go through someone else's private vault.

Dressing Room ◎ Interact
Blood Moon Ring

You can find several dressing rooms at the Blood Moon Ring, but one locked door stands out: while the area is busy with performers coming and going, no one seems to be using this particular room. To gain access, you'll need to bypass the lock using your magic or skills. Having a special lockpick may help. If you've heard of a certain Draconae thief, you can try seeing if he'll lend you a hand. Or, you can go at it yourself. Sneaking risks getting caught, but it'll get you in and out much quicker. However, should you get on Retha Zepha's good side, she'll let you in to look around without trouble. Once inside, you can examine one of the following: the closets and dressers, the vanity table, and a wall decorated with paintings.

Merchant Stalls ◎ Interact
Feasting Quarter

The Feasting Quarter includes the famous Sun Petal, a flower stall run by an expert botanist who could know a thing or two about unusual plants. Another wine merchant is rumored to possess a bottle or two of the Dusk Rose vintage. They aren't advertising this fact, though, so you'll need to eavesdrop or ask a witness who might know about wines. Of course, it'll help if you can explain why you're so interested in either information. If you'd rather look around, you can examine one of the following: the storage area behind the merchant stalls and the carts of food samples.

Bathing Tent ◎ Interact
Sanguine Promenade

This is where the Ikorrans go to have a dip in the heated pool. If you want to talk to anyone discreetly, you'll also have to strip down and don one of the disguising masks to blend in. If you show up fully clothed or unmasked, you'll draw more attention to the investigation. There's no right or wrong way to do it! Being upfront will give you the authority to look where you want, but folks will be unhappy. Discretion will keep everyone none the wiser. Once inside, you can examine one of the following: a series of locked trunks where people store their belongings (located behind a curtain), a sauna that's mysteriously out of commission, and the lost and found barrels. If you've chosen to go undercover, make sure you use a distraction or keep watch so no one catches you rummaging where you shouldn't.

Evidence

Evidence can only be examined after it's found. You can find a piece of evidence by investigating a Scene or a Witness above. For simplicity, there are three "types" of evidence. However, there are multiple items of each type - so don't worry if someone else has already "taken" one of the evidence items. Keep investigating, and you might find something of your own. For example, you may find a third or fourth letter that previous others didn't.

Letters & Records ◎ Interact
Unknown

Important letters and other records can be found in the various scenes you explore. Once you have one, you can examine it in detail, cross-reference it with other letters or records, or use the information you learn to return to a Witness to pursue a new line of questioning.

Leather Sachets ◎ Interact
Unknown

These unusual leather sachets will surface around the Carnivale area. You're likely to find one hidden in an unexpected place, though it's possible one of the locals will have found one, too. Be sure to examine its contents closely, and compare what you find inside to other sachets that show up. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason as to where one is located. In fact, you might not even be investigating on purpose when you stumble across it.

Blood Signature ◎ Interact
Unknown

You'll be informed that of the authorized personnel who have access to the Twin Latchkeys, none of them match the blood signature used. As a result, it'll be up to you to search for a match. You'll have the best luck if you focus on one of the four Witnesses. To find a match, you'll need to obtain the person's hair, saliva, or blood. How you accomplish this is up to you! If you're positive someone's innocent, you can request they hand a sample over to clear their name. However, you'll risk alerting the culprit if you target the wrong person or are caught stealing a sample.

The Confrontation

Fortunately, whether or not the culprit is identified, Ikorr will recover the missing artifact. The Sentinels will notify all of the Summoned about the news, even if they weren't involved in the investigation, and will request everyone gather in Celeste's office.

There appears to be a small hiccup, however: due to the Twin Latchkeys going missing, Luna has caught wind that Ikorr possesses the object, and they've come to do something about it.

Brewing Tensions

Luna is demanding the artifact be destroyed rather than returned to the vaults. They've sent one of their own, though the werewolf who arrives is not the one some may have grown familiar with. Accompanied by only two guards, Thyra, a member of the Circle, is here to deliver a message that if Ikorr won't give up the artifact, the vampires could very well disrupt the tenuous peace built over the past two years. Naturally, Ikorr holds similar sentiments should the Lunae refuse to leave Ikorr's borders.

◎ IKORR claims that destroying the artifact will risk unleashing a dangerous unknown power. Keeping it contained is the only surefire way to keep everyone safe. Ikorr's vaults haven't been breached in thousands of years, and they don't foresee this happening again.

◎ LUNA claims that containing the artifact will risk that power escaping in the future. Destroying it is the only surefire way to keep everyone safe. It only takes one misstep for something to go wrong, as tonight demonstrated.

With how involved the Summoned have been in Nocwich and the measure of respect some of you have gained, a few eyes turn to you for answers. Most of Ikorr's Sentinels want to go home without starting a war. Other Summoned may feel the same. Thyra and her guards don't appear interested in conflict, either, but they firmly believe the world is threatened by the existence of this object and will do what it takes.

Tensions aren't just between Ikorr and Luna. There are the other Summoned to consider. With so many of you gathered together, and emotions running high, you might find yourself in the middle of more than one conflict or arguing with your friends.

Taking Action (or Not)

For some of you, the choice is easy. For others, you might feel conflicted. Do you help? If so, whose side do you take, if anyone's? You won't have a lot of time to decide while tensions rapidly mount. Either option poses a risk: you can't take it back if you accidentally release the dark force inside the artifact, but nor can you predict if or when that force could escape on its own somehow.

And if you don't want to get involved? Nobody could blame you for stepping aside to let Ikorr and Luna resolve their centuries-old conflict. In fact, neither Luna nor Ikorr will explicitly ask you to intervene. They're more than ready to take matters into their own hands, and they understand you aren't responsible for Nocwich's politics. But they are willing to hear you out if you have something to say. You get the sense that you're the only person they'll listen to.

Still, you wonder if you're letting all the importance bestowed on you as a Summoned get to your head. Or maybe you don't wonder anything. Maybe you're acting just to keep things from spiraling out of control, or you're positive you have to save these people from themselves - and protect your friends, too. You've seen firsthand the kind of havoc that can occur with untested powers. What if this artifact disturbs the Singularity or worse? You certainly don't want a war (do you?)

No matter what you do next, you'll leave your mark behind. Will your meddling make things worse? Or will you walk away only to discover you should've made a stand?

No vote will take place in-game, but OOC, players will SUBMIT THEIR DECISION as a vote. The deadline is March 3 at 11:59 ET.

Each character can have a vote as long as you can link a thread of them participating in the event. You can side with Ikorr, Luna, or Abstain. All three choices will carry consequences. You can also use the Coordination Post to play out any rapid IC exchanges while everyone is gathered together.

---

Comments

wille.

[ushiri]

Kahlil draws looks as he walks through the marketplace, and while he didn't mind it an hour or two earlier, the attention is something of an annoyance now that he's here hoping to do a bit of eavesdropping.

This situation should have nothing to do with them, except that the culprit purposely planned their heist for this specific night. Kahlil is tense. The last time he was at a party in Ikorr things also went awry, with disastrous result. The vampires are still a relatively unknown quantity to them, and though he'd been curious enough to look over the scene of the crime, he doesn't know how much the Summoned should be inserting themselves in any of this mess.

Although the market is buzzing with the spreading news, there are still merchants trying to sell things - and one very annoyingly calls out to Kahlil as he's trying to walk by - he forces a smile and shakes his head, beelining for the first familiar face he sees.

"Been a strange night," he says, approaching Wilhelm from the side. Kahlil feels a small sense of relief at finding him, maybe again reminded of that summer party.

"What are you up to?"

[ordinar]

As the celebratory atmosphere starts to thin with tension, Wilhelm finds himself wishing he hadn't indulged in quite so much wine. He lost count early in the evening. It seemed like as soon as his chalice was empty, someone popped up to encourage him to top it off again. Tonight's festivities are in honor of the Tower, after all, and here he is in all of his chaotic upheaval-ish glory.

His head is buzzing. The rest of the world seems to float and tilt around him. He tries very hard to stand up straight and look sharper than he feels. When Kyle suddenly appears beside him, he startles.

"Trying to be sober," he answers truthfully, the words stumbling and bunching together. "And looking for Kelson."

[ushiri]

He hadn't meant to startle the poor kid, and a hand shoots out to gently hold him steady by the shoulder. Kahlil offers a look of sympathy, he'd had a habit of getting lost in his cups more than once at Wille's age during celebrations, albeit for different reasons.

He hopes, at least.

"Kelson?" An eyebrow raises. "Everything alright?"

His first thought is that something between the two boys might be reason for Wille's state... Kahlil knows nothing of Kelson's preferences, which has him mildly concerned.

[ordinar]

All of the delicate little chains and beads that compose the top part of his costume rustle gently as he sways into Kyle. He pulls in a breath, trying to ground himself. Trying to get the world to fall still.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine." He pats Kyle's arm in reassurance. "It's just, I was supposed to be making sure he has fun, and I lost him. Or...he lost me? ...Oh!"

Abruptly, Wilhelm grabs onto the black robe draping Kyle's shoulder and leans in closer. Urgency slants into his voice even as he crushes it to a whisper.

"Something important was stolen. It's...it's really bad, apparently."

[ushiri]

Kahlil attempts to follow Wilhelm's train of thought - and finds himself being nudged down to listen.

Well, at least the problem isn't with teenage hearts tonight.

"I did hear that..." he nods very seriously, matching his volume to a whisper. If it's reached an inebriated Wille, word must be spreading fast.

"There's got to be a lot of gossip, but -" he catches the eye of a vampire staring at the two of them. Kahlil lifts an eyebrow and they glance away again, pretending not to have been trying to listen to the pair of Summoned.

"- I think I might make people too nervous to talk freely."

[ordinar]

No, no broken heart over here. That summer night in the Feywilds, when his loneliness ached so acutely that it manifested as a mass of magic impenetrable shadow around him, is so far away that it's fallen right out of his head. Tonight's inebriation is not the result of self-medication, but of teenage recklessness in the never-ending quest to have fun.

But if he realized that Kyle was so concerned about the state of his love life, he would be embarrassed and touched in roughly equal measure. Maybe tilting more toward embarrassed.

Anyway, there's a bigger problem right now.

"You're pretty intimidating in this," Wilhelm agrees, now fluttering the fabric of Kyle's costume back and forth. Then he realizes...Kyle is probably referring more to his reputation. He's made quite a name for himself, hasn't he? Maybe not all the Ikorrans know his face, but Thornean nobles dot the crowds here too.

"So...what you're saying is we should find somewhere to hide?"

He's already curving a glance around the market for ideas. His eyes land on the narrow alley cutting between two of the tents.

[ushiri]

Kahlil glances down at his robes, frowning to himself. He'd meant something between his demeanor and reputation, yes. But now he's also questioning his choice of clothing. The scars across his torso likely don't help. He shakes his head, it's too late to change back to the outfit he'd arrived in.

"I think that would be best, yes."

His gaze follows along with Wilhelm's toward the alley, and he gives a small approving nod. It's good for Wilhelm to take initiative, and honestly Kahlil's a little surprised by it - in a good way.

He just maybe wishes Wilhelm was a little more sober.

Oh well. What are the chances of them actually stumbling upon anything dangerous back here, with so many eyes on the lookout for trouble? Kahlil shifts his flowing robes so the right side of his gilded shoulders and chest is better obscured, and starts strolling toward the alley.

[ordinar]

The thing is, if Wilhelm were sober he would second guess his getting involved in investigating the incident at all. What the fuck does he know about solving crimes? There are plenty of smarter, more skilled people around, in whose hands the matter can safely be left. He would probably just muck things up.

But the endless cups of wine have muddled those doubts, and Kyle's presence loans him a sense of capability. He trusts his teacher. He respects him. So if Kyle is approaching him — not to coddle during a crisis, but to collaborate — then he wants to rise to the moment.

As Wilhelm follows him into the alley, he wishes he hadn't said anything about Kyle's costume. He didn't mean intimidating in a bad way. Just that...he looks impressive.

The narrow alley, lined with the colorful canvas sides of tents, leads to an equally narrow archway in a stone wall. Through it, he can see crates stacked on pallets. It's darker back here. Belatedly, he remembers that he has the perfect spell for sneaking around. With a twist of his hand, he pulls shadows from nothing until a wall of them rises in a semi-circle around him. That way, he'll be ready to direct the darkness as needed.

[ushiri]

Wilhelm commands the shadows effortlessly, and he might catch a slight grin from Kahlil before they have to pass one after the other through the archway.

Beyond the crates they can hear some raised voices. Through the small cracks of space between they can see some movement, they've found themselves behind a line of stalls - and the clink of thick glass seems to indicate a wine seller as the aggrieved person. He's shouting at the next shopkeeper over, a complaint about some seemingly misplaced item, a toy, and a string of apologies.

The placement could be a simple accident, overzealous decorators, but with so little leads any oddities are worth investigating, he supposes. And it's an opportunity for Wilhelm to practice.

Kahlil glances at the young man, nodding in the direction the merchant's shadow moves on the other side of the crates, visible mostly by the light he blocks when moving on the other side of the crates. He's heading around the makeshift barrier and toward them. Wilhelm will have to quickly pull those shadows to obscure himself - while Kahlil twists his hand and departs into the Gray Space to watch.

[ordinar]

Well, maybe not effortlessly. Just as walking demands an extra measure of concentration in his inebriated state, so too does his magic. The shadows wobble around him a little more than usual, and they don't match his stride exactly. But he maintains control over them, and that should be good enough.

At Kyle's signal, he dips into the shadows cast by the nearest stack of crates and pulls his own shadows around himself to blend in. Out in the festival area, all the twinkling lights would ruin the spell. Sure, the darkness he creates can't be seen through, but it can be seen. It would be like hiding under a blanket in the middle of an empty room. This dim back alley, though, is perfect for disappearing in.

Kyle actually disappears. Wilhelm doesn't have a firm grasp of the parameters of his teleportation power, but he knows enough to sense that his teacher hasn't just fled the scene. He's watching from...somewhere.

As the irate merchant stomps closer, he notices that he's holding something out in front of him in the way you'd carry something you'd really rather not be touching at all. He can't get a good look at what it is from around the crates, but it has...horns?

Whatever it is, the merchant seems in a hurry to be rid of it. Wilhelm shadows him, sticking close to the crates so that his shroud of darkness looks natural, all the way to a row of wooden barrels at the edge of the storage area. With a noise of disgust, the merchant dumps the thing into one of the drums.

[ushiri]

Kahlil watches the same scene play out, but the details are washed away, all the contrast that normally plays between light and dark have been toned down, painted instead in shades of gray. All sound vanishes, he cannot hear the merchant's footsteps as he watches the man's form move past where Wilhelm had hidden.

Kahlil follows, expecting that the boy is doing the same, until the object in the merchant's hands is unceremoniously discarded.

He waits, watching as the merchant turns around and heads back the way he came. Waits a minute or so longer, and then tears open an exit back to reality next to the drum. There's a rush of cold air that follows him as the tear closes up again, and for a brief second his breath mists.

Kahlil wants to look at the discarded item, but he leaves that for Wilhelm, waiting for the boy to reappear and claim the prize.

[ordinar]

When Kyle tears back into the alley from what looks like out of nowhere, Wilhelm steps out of his shadows — but he keeps them around in case he needs to duck fast. Joining Kyle beside the barrel, he peers in with a grimace. The smell is...not great. It only takes a glance to guess what the merchant had discarded, though. Sitting atop the food scraps and empty wine bottles is a large animal head with twisting antlers. Gingerly, he fishes it out.

"What the fuck?" he mouths to Kyle, holding the head up. Stuffed and fitted with glass eyes, it's the sort of thing someone might mount on the wall. Not him, personally, because it's creepy as hell. But someone else.

[ushiri]

"Hold it up like that for a second -"

Longer than a second, truthfully. Kahlil takes a minute to inspect what looks to be a very realistic Ceknias head. With Wilhelm holding it, he prods and feels along the sides, pushing back fur until his fingers touch an odd seam.

"Don't move."

He places one palm flat and sticks a finger from his other hand between the stitching until he can get a bit a leverage and tear open the threading -

- out clatters something large and round-ish, along with far too many very, very alive maggots now pooling around their feet.

[ordinar]

As Kyle feels around the animal head, Wilhelm grimaces into its glass eyes and contemplates what a weird turn this night has taken. Then — it gets weirder and turnier fast. Dancing back from the maggots that spill at his feet, he strangles a noise of disgust in the back of his throat. Thanks to all the wine sloshing around in him, he nearly trips over his own feet in his retreat. He does, in fact, drop the Ceknias head.

That's when he sees what else fell out.

"Is that...someone's skull?" he hisses. Technically, yes, skulls belong inside heads. But this one looks very human and very picked clean.

[ushiri]

"It appears so," he remarks with a grimace.

He crouches down next to the pile of squirming maggots, pulling in a deep breath to hold. He's not a fan of bugs, and he very much wishes he had gloves on right now - but he lifts the skull in one hand, sending more creepy crawlies tumbling into his palm.

Getting a peek of something else, he deftly (and very quickly) turns the skull around so he can pry the jaws open - and out comes a leather sachet. Kahlil lets out the breath he'd been holding, and sets the skull down so he can pull the strings open.

An herbal scent wafts from the bag, and he continues to dig around for a moment, then hands it to Wilhelm to inspect.

"Anything familiar to you?"

[ordinar]

Wilhelm tries not to gag as Kyle's fist squishes through the ripe maggots and more of them fall wriggling to the ground. He's just grateful that Kyle volunteered himself to deal with it.

Then the leather pouch is thrust into his hands. At least it smells much better than the musty head and the trove of maggots, but as he peers in his countenance and body language hold onto wariness the way children hold onto the side of the pool when they're learning to swim.

"Looks like...some plants? Like, seeds and leaves and stuff. I don't know what kind, though."

[ushiri]

He lets Wilhelm keep the pouch for now.

"Someone here might know."

On the promenade. He nods back the way they came, leading them that way - he expects Wilhelm to follow. The boy must be slightly more sober now, but the smell of alcohol is still thick on him, and that could be useful.

Kahlil raises an eyebrow.

"How do you feel about talking to some merchants?"

[ordinar]

Wilhelm starts to follow and nearly trips over the skull. There's a moment of hesitation, then — he's not really sure why he does it, but he unties the shawl he's got tied around his waist. Holding it like a net, he scoops up the skull and ties the corners of the shawl shut.

Who knows, maybe it could be another clue. The whole thing is weird.

He hurries to catch up to Kyle. Out on the promenade, he pretends very hard that he hasn't been sneaking around. Just as he's pretending that he isn't as drunk as he is. It takes him a second to process Kyle's question.

"Was there someone selling flowers? Maybe they'd know."