southern mission

[promittere]

CALANDO OF WITHERING AMBER

It's mid-morning, with the sun rising high into a bright, cloudless sky, that Tatara summons Bruno, Comet, Maya, Yodarha, and Joyous Day to the manor elevator. It's urgent, he tells them with that soft smile on his face, and your services are needed.

When you arrive at the elevator, standing there to greet you is a young man, finely dressed and with kind eyes; that his mop of brown hair is slightly unkempt is not the only giveaway that he's incredibly stressed. He stands with his shoulders tensed, and almost flinches when he sees you.

"It's...a pleasure," he begins, hesitant at first. But when he inhales, squares his shoulders, he finally looks more like a government official than a meek boy. "My name is Cock Robin, and I am a secretary from the Central castle. On behalf of the minister of arcane management, there's an urgent request for you."

From his thick folder, he pulls out one paper—worn and handwritten. He glances it over briefly before handing it to Joyous Day.

"A town in the southern part of the Southern Country has been having problems with its crops. It seems there's some sort of...sickness that's taken hold of the plants that's spreading rapidly, and they can't seem to find a cure. The only thing they haven't tried is magic. That's where you come in.

"Find the source of the sickness and neutralize it before it destroys their crops. The South is already inhospitable as it is. I can't imagine how they'd fare if they lost a food source. And, personally..." he glances out the window, at the moon fading in the morning sun. "...I have a really, really awful feeling about this. I don't think this is going to be a regular request."

OOC NOTES

Welcome, Southern wizards (and witch), to your mission!

Missions are mod-guided events that are partial CYOA, partial play-by-post instances. In general, you are free to interact with a scene as you please, and the mod will tell you how the scene reacts as a consequence of your actions. Some scenes will allow for more flexible threading, such as exploration or conversation, while some scenes will require strict turn order to preserve rounds, such as combat or other time-sensitive conflict. The mod will inform you if strict turn order is required at the start of a scene. Regardless, always be sure to bold any important actions you take.

This mission has been specifically tailored to Southern disposition, attitudes, and magic. If you find yourself struggling to tackle a situation, refresh yourself on the description of the South on the locations page, and make sure to confer with your teammates too! But you've been assigned South—we don't need to remind you of that, do we?

As a bonus, here's your theme music!

You will have until 11:59 AM EDT on Saturday, April 20 to reach a conclusion for this mission. Good luck!

» NAVIGATION

Comments

POST-BRIEFING Q&A

[promittere]

[ Once Cock Robin gives you the rundown, he opens the floor to questions.

He knows this is sudden, and that such a grave, time-sensitive request likely isn't the sort of thing you're hoping for while you're still getting acclimated, so he appreciates your help. He will do his best to answer with what he knows.

Feel free to reply to this toplevel with your questions for Cock Robin specifically, or you may threadjack your friends if you want to build off their questions. ]

[positivize]

Do we have more information on when and where in town this started?

[promittere]

[Cock Robin shakes his head, looking deeply apologetic.]

Unfortunately, I don't have more information than what was in the request, which was mostly concerned with urgency. I don't think it's been very long, but the mayor might have more information. He's who sent the letter.

[He'll offer it to Maya, if she wants to see it, but the letter is very brief and doesn't have much information on it.

He takes a breath, as if to steel himself.]

People think the root cause might be the last Calamity. I know you haven't been here long, but a lot of anomalies in our world can be linked to that last fight.

[troublereduction]

[ ...Somewhere, Day kind of feels like some higher power is maybe having a bit of a laugh at his expense as he takes a look at the paper handed to him. ]

Do we know what they've already tried?

[promittere]

[He shakes his head.]

Not exactly, but it sounds like they've been doing everything they can. It seems to be localized to this one crop and no others, and they haven't noticed any pests, or strange weather...

[So, they've assumed the cause is magical.]

[jorunna]

Does this affect the other countries in any way? Like if they know about the sick crop or the Southern country's troubles.

[ since they're heading to Southern country specifically, going to the others may be too time consuming or not worth it all? ]

[promittere]

[Shaking his head...]

No, it's unlikely it would, and we haven't gotten any requests from any other farms or towns.

[So, no, it doesn't seem like visiting other countries would be helpful.]

The Southern country is pretty isolated, in a lot of ways, so it's likely this will stay contained...

[fallingsand]

Did they even mention what the crop is...? Are we talkin' corn? Wheat? Or...?

[promittere]

Oh, it's a wheat field.

[nods at the pictures on the post bruno can't see smh]

MISSION... START!

[promittere]

[Once everyone seems satisfied with their answers from Cock Robin, who apologizes again and again for not having more information for them and for sending them out on such an urgent request when they've only been here a week, Tatara places a mana stone into the elevator's controls.

He smiles at the party, wishing them all luck and apologizing they're on their own. There's still 20 wizards to watch over in the manor, so he has his hands too full to leave. Their mentor is... elsewhere.

It's just the five of them.

The doors to the elevator close, and it seems like it's going up. Or down? You can't be sure, but it doesn't take long until there's the cheerful ding! of destination reached, and the doors slide open. They've been giving directions to the afflicted town, which is about half a day's flight from the elevator, so they wouldn't arrive until sunset...

Though it will be an enjoyable flight, at least, because the South is welcoming them. Everything about the country feels more comfortable, almost familiar, a sensation of returning home even though they've never been here before. Maybe it's the spirits their mentor mentioned, welcoming to the South? They're Southern witches and wizards, after all.

But they have their directions, so it's time to travel. They can go straight to the town, check out the fields, or maybe there's a secret third option you want to choose instead?]

IC Discussion

[positivize]

[She's definitely more of a city gal, but she can appreciate the views of the South for sure. It seems like they've got some time before they reach their destinations, so might as well discuss potential next steps.]

Hey, everyone! Looks like we're all going to be working together for this one, so how about we chat a bit and figure out how we want to approach this?

[troublereduction]

[ Day had a... difficult-to-read expression when the feeling of familiarity of nostalgia washed over him earlier, but he immediately perks up when he hears Maya. ]

Mr. Robin said this illness has only affected one crop so far, so I wanna check out the fields and see if we can figure out what's up with that. It doesn't sound like it's been long since only one field's been failing, but...

[fallingsand]

Uh, by turning right back around and saying we couldn't do anything? I mean, we've been here a week. Do any of us even know how to do anything besides, y'know, summon a broom and... and make sugar?

[ Bruno isn't very happy about this. Why them?! Why this country?! They're barely wizards! What are they going to do?! ]

IC Results!

[jorunna]

[[ Come back here with your character's findings! Labeled mini toplevels under here for separate discussions are also a-okay! (I sacrifice my inbox) ]]

ARRIVING ON LOCATION - 1/2

[promittere]

[ The sun is setting by the time the town appears in the distance. And you know you've come to the right place—in a break from the South's native chaotic wilderness, there is a flat blanket of amber, fading in the sunset. And stemming from the very center of the field is a circle of black, presumably the illness you have been tasked to cure.

As you near, the clouds close in on you, blocking out the sun. The air feels heavier. It's harder to breathe. The spirits' upset is palpable.

The town, below, is not very big. But it is, perhaps, too quiet. ]

THE TOWN - FOR MAYA

[promittere]

[ Maya splits from the group and lands in the open center of the town.

It seems her arrival was expected. Waiting for her there is an elderly gentleman, resting on a bench beside a nearby building. As her feet touch the ground, he gets up from his spot and relies on his cane as he nears.

Besides him, there is no one else up and about at this hour. It is unearthly still. ]

You must be one of the sage's witches. Welcome to our humble village—I appreciate you coming on such short notice. I am the mayor. [ He gazes up at the sky. ] Will the rest of you not be joining us?

THE FIELDS - FOR DAY & BRUNO

[promittere]

[ After Maya parts from you, you venture just a little farther to the wheat fields.

The fields are not as big as you perhaps imagined. They seem to be just big enough to feed a couple of towns for a year, and judging by the rugged terrain you saw as you flew here, this is a very valuable source of food for the South.

And so that black circle is a bit bigger up close than what you might have guessed from afar. It's about 20 yards in radius, with the center right in the middle of the field. Just looking at it fills you with an awful, awful feeling.

Where will you be landing? ]

SECRET THIRD OPTION - FOR COMET & YODARHA

[promittere]

[ Once the rest have taken their leave, it's just the two of you left.

There are scattered copses of trees that line the edges of the wheat fields, and that is where you decide to investigate. As sunset turns to dusk and the long shadows fade into night, you glide through the trees. The forests out here feel a lot more comfortable than the town and field themsleves. The trees and other flora seem healthy; you pass a few birds' nests, and catch glimpse of a few smaller creatures darting into their burrows for the night. There do not seem to be any invasive predators or monsters skulking these forests.

Should you look beyond the trees, you'll find the untouched Southern wilderness is peacefully settling in for the night. You see no unusual movements, you sense no magical beasts, you hear nothing but the gentle rustle of leaves and grasses on the breeze. Whatever seems to be plaguing the town and the fields is not the result of any outside influence.

Do you join Maya in town, or Day and Bruno in the field? You may separate. ]

THE ILL

[promittere]

[As you finish your tea and share your findings with each other, the mayor will offer more information about the town itself and its locals. He mentions there is a witch in the village, but she's only a child and so it didn't feel right burdening her. It would be nice, he says, if you could teach her a thing or two if things manage to end well...

But the conversation ends, and the mayor pushes himself up to his feet, grabbing onto his cane for support.]

Well, I can go show you to the ill, now that you've rested?

[The mayor will lead you to a grain store, the best the village has a place to quarantine the afflicted, opening the door for you. The people inside are all deathly pale, looking just as drained of color and life as the wheat, and it doesn't take close observation to notice how they struggle to breathe.

One of them stands out, likely the farmer the mayor mentioned with a blackened leg, but here are your patients.

The mayor hovers, like he's not sure if you would prefer privacy or if there's anything you might need from him, leaning against his cane.]

[positivize]

[Well, this is a pretty discouraging sight if she's seen one! Just to take stock of some basic things before they get started in earnest:

1. Exactly how many people are there in here so far?
2. Are they all conscious or are some/all of them out like a light?
3. Are there any bad/ominous vibes coming off the patients like in the field or it is just bad vibes in here because people are like, you know, dying.]

[fallingsand]

[ With tea finished, they cannot avoid the inevitable: visiting those who are sick. Hearing about them had been horrific enough but seeing them? Bruno shivers but, for once, he won't hesitate to step into the room with the others. He's no old warrior or journalist, though. He can't look at a body and judge what may or may not be the matter.

Instead, he'll pull a stool quietly up to the one with the withered leg and do the only thing he can think of. He'll reach out and hold the poor, pale farmer's hand gently in his own as though that might be of any comfort at all. ]

[jorunna]

[ Comet is going to speak with the mayor, since he's here. ]

Can I ask to look at the farmer's shoes?

[ Gonna assume the farmer has their shoes off because who rests in a bed with their shoes on like a heathen? ]

[troublereduction]

[ Day is likewise going to examine one of the patients whose affliction is less advanced, asks if he can examine their hand so he can try to examine the exact nature of the magical corruption, for as much good as it'll do him when he's learning how magic works here. Is it from a curse? Something that has gone very wrong? ]

TO THE FIELD

[promittere]

[They've made strides to figuring out how to deal with this threat—or they've at least made something of a plan of attack to deal with the rotted field, and whether it succeeds still relies on testing it out.

While the mayor himself doesn't have a fiddle, he recalls one of the other villagers having one, and that villager gladly donates it to the cause. Anything they can do to help the wizards, they'll do, even if they don't have much salt on hand. It's a precious commodity, and they've not yet had many traders through, so they can't provide a bucketful of salt... hopefully a handful will be enough.

Hopefully.

Still, after rest and in the light of day, the field looks... fine. The wheat is golden and healthy, but the closer they get to the corrupted land, the heavier the air feels. It seems to have spread overnight, but between protective charms and Day's fiddling, they will be able to pass through the outer ring of rot without any issue.

The inner ring, however... The first to cross over will find a vine lashing at them, striking against their leg. It won't do much damage, but they need to handle this quickly. The anxiety in the air is palpable, and the temperature seems to drop as you move closer to the center, but surely their magic will continue to protect them...?]

[serenesinker]

[Yodarha unsheathes one of his blades and calls his focus into the other. Clanging them together and imagining his weapons never dulling, he utters his incantation:]

Ougi! Reinforce!

[A green grid-like pattern envelops his weapons with a bright glow. Hopefully this should help keep them from breaking while slicing these vines.

With quick movement, he leaps forward and rapidly whirls his swords at the living plant matter, doing his best to keep them away from his allies while they do the hard part.]