abraxasooc | EVENT #17: EPULUM

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EVENT #17: EPULUM - COORDINATION POST

Event #17 - Coordination

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ IC Event Log ⦁ Nocwich

This post is for coordination while the event is ongoing, to prevent the IC Event Log from being overrun by OOC mod and player communications. The comments section will contain applicable comments and forms for you to reply to as needed.

Use this post to:

◎ Contact the mods
◎ Submit your suspected culprit
◎ Investigate the crime or track ongoing investigations
◎ Submit noticeable actions
◎ Write rapid IC exchanges

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Be sure to reply under the applicable category as required.

Mod Communications

If you have any questions about the limits or scope of what you can do before you formalize it in an investigation, you can go over the details with us here. You can also submit the suspect to Celeste under the appropriate heading. Submitting the name of the suspect is not required to complete the mystery, but doing so may contribute to whether the suspect is caught or escapes.

If you have questions about non-investigative aspects of the event, see the Questions thread on the OOC Plotting Post.

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To leave opportunities for others, please limit the scope of your actions per submission. For example, if you'd like to test a key, you must specify a narrow set of locks in a particular section. Additionally, while there are no strict limits on how many investigations you can be involved in, we do ask that you try to stagger them a little to help us keep pace.

You can investigate something multiple times as long as it makes sense for your character to try again. This includes following up with witnesses if characters learn new information. To investigate, fill out the form, then comment under the item you're investigating.

Investigate a witness, scene, or evidence

IC Exchanges

Use this option if you have an interaction you'd like to play out, but setting up a standard IC thread would be impracticable. For example, if your character wants to speak to several people about a piece of evidence, you might want to do an IC exchange. IC exchanges can take place in the real world or the Horizon.

Treat this like an informal IC network thread done in person, where character reactions, snippets of dialogue, and other details can be quickly played out and concluded in-game without committing to a full log thread. Exchanges are game canon, and can count towards Activity Check under the category of a Network thread.

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Notable Actions

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Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

He'll be trying to get a quick vibe check, so just two questions on that:

1) Does Soraya give any sense of being defensive about the overtime she's worked or otherwise stressed in any way when speaking about that, or does she remain straightforward the whole conversation?

2) When the Sentinels mention her being down there alone, do most of them seem to accept the overtime as a logical reason/excuse? Do they seem generally respectful of her?

Thank you!

The Doctor is noticeably delighted to hold the bird, reverent and gentle with his touch. He thanks Retha and compliments them both on Firewing's feathers; a dazzling color! To continue the conversation:

1. The Doctor would ask Retha how many more performances she has tonight and if she'll be looking forward to resting immediately afterwards or plan to see the sights?

2. Curious if Retha and Firewing (the bird) are possibly linked in some way, the Doctor would also speak directly to Firewing while he holds the bird, asking Firewing their plans after the night of performances is over. Mostly just to see if there's a different response/the same response/and if there's anything notable the Doctor can sense from the bird (separate from Retha) through his ability to speak with animals. If that is even possible, or if that's a dead end.

3. Having noticed her glance at the empty dressing room, they would also try to poke around a bit with a gently prodding question: Is this the usual lineup tonight? Happened to notice that empty room and wondered if that was a performer about to go onstage, or someone not here tonight that they should be sure to catch the next time around?

4. Julia will ask Retha if she can possibly use the empty dressing room to freshen up herself because she thinks all the dancing has her out of sorts. She's also covered in glitter and would like to clean up a little, in PRIVATE. She'll say 'you know how first dates are' with a blushing look at the Doctor, to seem as innocent as possible. As an aside, the Doctor will be noticeably flustered at the word 'date,' awkwardly laugh, and say, I'm told people get the hang of this sort of mutually agreed upon meeting up with someone after a bit? Some people? Others? Anyone else I'm sure.

Player Name: Dee & Terra
Character Name: Istredd
Other characters involved: Cassian Andor

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Babis

Action: After talking to Soraya and getting suspicious about the Nether, they will talk to the guards about any Draconae they may have seen showing an interest, and based on Babis' description in the log, end up looking for him.

Istredd will introduce himself as one of the Summoned alchemists who helped save the dragons and create the cure. If Babis has heard anything about that, he probably could recognize Istredd's name. He'll say he spoke with Anneth and intends to further help research potions for the dragons. He asks how she and the dragons have been doing since they left.

He asks him if he usually attends the Ikorr party and how he's enjoying the evening so far.

Cassian will mention he was not there during the dragon cure, but he is very glad to hear the Summoned could help. They are just starting this convo out carefully to see his reaction to the Summoned-Nether connection.

Thread: thread still in progress
Notes: Not as of right now.

Player Name: Andie
Character Name: Wrench
Other characters involved: Julia

Witness/Scene/Evidence: The merchant stalls and their storage area.
Action: Upon seeing the increase in Sentinels, Julia finds out from the guards that something has been stolen. She and Wrench make the determination that it would be easier to hide something than to sneak it out, so the two go to investigate around the merchant stalls.

Julia will be going to the flower stall and will introduce her to the botanist there as a florist herself. She'll talk about how she has created a beautiful garden in Solvunn despite the winter and ask more about her plants.

At the same time, Wrench will be sneaking behind the flower stall and looking for anything that seems recently disturbed or out of place. Wrench will also be paying close attention to the body language of anyone around to see if they look nervous or uncomfortable. As he's been granted the "Sense Aura" ability by Cadaevos, I'd be especially interested to know if it might pop for anyone in the area.
Thread: Thread
Notes: N/A

Player Name: dai
Character Name: yennefer
Other characters involved: nadine cross

Witness/Scene/Evidence: merchant stalls, specifically the wine merchant who is rumored to have a bottle or two of the dusk rose vintage.
Action: they are looking for Marcellus Ver, but until they can find him, Yen and nadine are asking around the wine merchants to see what rumors they know about Mercellus, if they've ever had his wine/if they know anything about his Special Wine, and if they know where to find him. the two of them don't know that there are bottles of this special wine rumored to be about, but instead are just asking what the merchants know about the wine. the two women are dressed for the occasion and will be willing to charm and flirt their way into whatever they need to for any information they can gather. c: the air they are putting up is definitely more 'curious outsider' than anything else, but both are keeping their eyes and ears out for anything suspicious.
Thread: Thread (just starting)
Notes: the two of them are going to question Marcellus as soon as they run into him in the Feasting Quarter (submitted above) but would also be looking into/asking questions prior to that convo, so wanted to make sure they didn't miss anything. c:

Player Name: dai
Character Name: yennefer
Other characters involved: nadine cross

Witness/Scene/Evidence: marcellus ver
Action: yennefer and nadine are going to go ahead and try and chat up marcellus for a variety of reasons! they're

yennefer is going to go the route of flattery where his business and wine-making skills are concerned. she's heard rumors about his wine and as she has partaken in a bit of blood wine tasting herself and has found she also enjoys it, so of course she wanted to see about tasting some of his secret wine that he reserves only for the most important (she's got a hunch that there's a chance the secret ingredient is connected to the blood signature and she wants to look into it).

yennefer will lean on her previous interactions with ikorr (her meeting with celeste) as well as her and nadine's influence (both at level 6) to see if there's any charming of their own that can be done to get into his good graces. yennefer's well versed in leaning into men's egos to try and get information without raising any red flags (thanks aretuza). nadine is also going to be there to add in/back up any flattery and mild flirting.

if/when marcellus seems to be willing to talk, yennefer will very casually bring up the rumors going around about soraya spending a Lot Of Overtime down in the vaults, as well as his relationship with soraya being one that even they know about, to try and read his reaction. but she won't force the conversation if it's not going in that direction!
Thread: Thread (nadine and yennefer are going to make their way through the merchant stalls to find marcellus)
Notes: none atm!

Edited 2024-02-18 22:31 (UTC)

Player Name: Dia
Character Name: Alucard
Other characters involved: Viktor

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Soraya
Action: Viktor will introduce himself as an inventor from the Free Cities; Alucard will simply give his name and let his fangs show for a few moments before getting onto things.

Viktor's questions will be focused on the vault and the locks, with an eye towards physical mechanisms either working alone or in conjunction with magic, assuming there was some kind of security breach. Alucard will be returning to the vaults after his blood testing, so his questions will focus on blood. They will aim to politely address if specific vampire blood must be used to open specific vaults like this one as a means of security, as well as more general information about how old the vaults themselves are, when the first record of this artefact appearing in the vaults is, and how frequently the populace of Ikorr comes down here to access their own personal vaults.
Thread: Thread
Notes: (Anything else)

Edited 2024-02-19 02:30 (UTC)

While at the stalls, Kyle and Wilhelm will overhear someone shouting at a merchant that his "stupid bloody toy" has fallen and cracked one of his wine bottles. The shopkeeper responds that it isn't his, and that someone stuck it to his shop front without his permission - probably the overzealous decorators for the festival, though he swears in previous years, this never would've happened. The organizers are usually more careful about getting permission.

Eventually, the other merchant will depart grumbling. Using their stealth abilities, they can successfully follow the man and will observe him discarding the object into a nearby barrel somewhere. Unfortunately, this barrel has been used for trash, so they'll need to do some smelly digging to get the object out.

The most likely candidate from the garbage for the merchant's ire is a heavy taxidermy Ceknias head. Its curling antlers are covered in bits of glass, so watch your fingers! Examining it closely, they'll see that there's a strange seam along the back where the head is normally mounted flush against a wall.

1. Soraya will sound mildly irritated when the overtime is mentioned, though there's no indication that her superiors made her feel as if she had to work extra hours.

2. The Sentinels accept it as a logical reason...for Soraya. She has a reputation of overworking when her personal life isn't going well, which they believe is the real reason as opposed to concerns about security. They're respectful of her, so they'll be reluctant to say too much about it at first, but Kyle may get the feeling that like any set of officers who work long and occasionally boring shifts, they're not immune to gossiping about their boss, no matter how much they like her.

The protection spell will prevent him from being zapped too terribly when reaching through, but he'll still receive a sharp sting that he might feel for the next few minutes.

For their efforts, they're able to retrieve a box containing a letter. Curiously, it appears blank at first glance, but Istredd will be able to determine that the writing has been concealed with magic ink.

They can either take the letter with them and slip out of the room quickly, or they can attempt to examine the letter in the room and put everything back as it was before they leave. The latter will take more time, so they can weigh the chance that whoever has this room probably won't return tonight...if they're sure about it. The room doesn't appear to have been touched all night.

You can investigate the letter more closely here.

The Sun Petal is filled with fresh flowers, some of which containing the glowing properties of the kinds seen sold in Oleuni Square. The botanist is happy to talk about his plants, which he's cultivated with great care. The shop is his pride and joy.

Caught up in his subject of passion, he won't notice Wrench sneaking around back. The back of the stall contains an array of florals, as well as a shelf filled with various books on gardening and flowers.

Curiously, Wrench's ability does not light any one individual, but there is a strange lingering purple trail that crisscrosses messily through the Quarter and beyond. It seems that there's an alternate force capable of interfering with Cadaevos' gift, but not enough to deflect it entirely. Whoever it is that Cadaevos has decided has committed a sin, they appear to be walking around the Carnivale still.

With more information gained, he may be able to refine the glow's trail.

The merchants will be happy to chat about the wine. Attitudes vary between admiration and eye-rolling about Marcellus' fancy secretiveness. He's by no means an unpopular person and many are charmed by him, but as with any figure of renown, he has his share of those who don't care about his fame.

One of the merchants will remark that Marcellus' spotlight might end soon - no one can stay on top of the world forever. This same merchant will inform the two women that he might be found checking on the food or at the Sun Petal, where he frequently purchases flowers.

Soraya gives a polite chuckle and tells Viktor that his question is expected of an inventor of the Free Cities. However, there is no physical locking mechanism working in conjunction with magic for the vault's security. Ikorr's vaults are protected exclusively by magic wards. In Ikorr, New Magic isn't used.

She explains that Alucard is correct, authorized personnel have their blood signature "registered" and henceforth can use it to retrieve the object without raising an alarm. This can only be done after the wards let them through. The blood signature serves as authorization and also to identify who last accessed the object and who last returned it. It serves as their version of signing something in and out. Careful records are kept.

The vaults are as old as Ikorr itself, and the artifact has been in their possession for many centuries. Only the most important and wealthy individuals use these vaults, and the specific vault containing the artifact does not share warding with other private vaults. Each vault has its own access ward. This one in particular is owned by the Pact, basically the Ikorran government itself.

What would happen if they tried to tear open the seam?

the merchant who tells yen and nadine where to find him/that specific opinion - yen will probably ask if there’s a reason they think that way (did something happen?) or if it’s just a general sense that he’s reached his prime?

Player Name: Dee & Terra
Character Name: Istredd
Other characters involved: Cassian

Witness/Scene/Evidence: The letter they retrieved from the dressing room.

Action: The two of them will be leaving the dressing room after getting the letter rather than continuing their search there. They will leave the box there in case someone would miss it, and take the letter. Once in a safe place outside, Istredd will use a spell to reveal the magic ink as he's certain to have some kind of magic related to that.

Thread: Thread

Notes: Nope!

( OOC: Kyle won't leave his name on any of these notes! I'm listing some possible leads he won't be following up on himself, so feel free to use these/follow up for your own investigations! Added links for better context on info. )

SORAYA MORAN, known to work overtime, spending time alone in the vaults - follow up with fellow Sentinels for gossip?

VAULT WARDING, noticed strange energy from the warding. Did not investigate further myself. Ikorran guards claimed not to be able to detect it. Original warding was set by IKORRAN PACT, involving multiple individuals. Deputy Sentinel claimed that for a single individual to accomplish this they would require additional power from another source.

Edited 2024-02-19 17:50 (UTC)

The merchant will wave off his assertions as "it's Marcellus's time." The opening of Oleuni Square has demonstrated others can find success without his investments.

By all accounts, Marcellus continues to do very well for himself...but the merchant can dream. He suggests he's not the only one who's unhappy with Marcellus' influence over the food and wine industry in Ikorr.

Tearing open the seam, a sea of squirming maggots will spill at their feet - and one of the (probably prop) skulls from the Drowning Maiden scene. Oddly, it's quite far from where the parade broke down. Should they brave the pile of maggots and reach inside the skull's mouth, they can retrieve a leather sachet.

You can continue to investigate the sachet here.

1. She has one more tonight, and says she has many sights to explore.

2. If he uses speak with animals, Firewing will demonstrate the average intelligence of a cockatoo, impressive but not unusual. It appears that Retha really is speaking on the bird's behalf, which she continues to do so intermittently while she grooms her bird. The bird appears curious by these new guests and will repeat that "something is in the water" to the Doctor, though it is not capable of elaborating.

3. Retha will drop her coy demeanor briefly when he mentions the dressing room. She admits one of her longtime performers fell ill the night before. The role was filled at the last minute, but the entire parade broke down regardless so it appears it didn't matter, anyways. In light of this, maybe Cassia's illness was some good fortune. It'd be a shame if her reputation was marred by such a public disaster.

4. Retha will scrutinize Julia for a long time. However, she'll relent and grant permission, though she tells Julia to make it fast - no one's supposed to be in there. In Julia's absence, she will entice the Doctor to tell her all about how his first date is going.

While Marcellus is quite open to flattery, he will politely balk at any flirting, declaring that "his heart has been claimed by another." He will flatter both women in return and tell Yennefer that he has heard much of her through Celeste, and that he's aware Nadine played a role in the Nether, which he finds very noble indeed as the dragons are so important to the Draconae.

Unfortunately, Marcellus interacts with a wide variety of flatterers and influential people, so it will not be enough to convince him to give up his wine. It's not about their importance, you understand. It must also be the right occasion.

He is, however, more than happy to speak of it and of his other businesses...as well as his paramour, Soraya. Due to his position, his love life takes some spotlight so he's not surprised they've heard about it.

He tells them Soraya is very dedicated to her work, so naturally she'd be working overtime during such an important event! Actually he's encouraged her to spend as much time as she needs at work to make sure everything is in order, and not to worry about him. He's extremely admiring of her work ethic.

The blood signature in the vault could lead us to who is responsible. If you can collect hair, saliva, or blood from people, those of us with magic should be able to match it to that. They might not make that easy, but it's worth trying to cross people out. Just don't get arrested!

Nice. Okay, (probably prop) is scaring me...is this skull concerningly realistic perchance?

Continuing from here, what would Wilhelm and Kyle find upon opening the sachet?

Player Name: Ammay
Character Name: Haelva
Other characters involved: Astarion

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Scene - The Bathing Tents
Action: Haelva and Astarion are investigating the sauna that's out of commission, and she will be using herself to be the distraction -- as it's the first time anyone can see her neck, she'll be having conversations with those who show interest in seeing if she's willing to let them feed from her as well as using the ravens from Zalyshyty to both distract and act as a lookout. Astarion will be doing the lockpicking/looking for the moment.
Thread: Thread
Notes: Would the ravens that come to Haelva's aid be at all useful in investigating anything further?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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EVENT #17: EPULUM - COORDINATION POST

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