EVENT #17: EPULUM - COORDINATION POST

[abraxasmods]

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

Available Forms

For details on each form, see the sections below.
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.

Contact Us

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Submission:</b> (Describe your question OR write the name of the Witness your character will accuse as the suspect)

Investigations

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

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Other characters involved:</b> <b>Witness/Scene/Evidence:</b> (What is the witness, scene, or evidence your character is exploring?) <b>Action:</b> (Describe what your character is attempting to do and how. If multiple characters are taking action, include their actions.) <b>Thread:</b> <a href="urlhere">Thread</a> (If applicable. Linking a thread is NOT required, but can help us tailor our responses) <b>Notes:</b> (Anything else)

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.

Start an IC exchange

Using the provided form is optional. Begin a thread freeform if you prefer.

<b>Where & when:</b> (Where and when is this exchange taking place?) <b>Purpose:</b> (What's the reason for this exchange?) <b>THREAD START</b> (Write the scenario, your character's actions, and any dialogue as usual)

Notable Actions

Submit any notable actions that are likely to gain attention from other players such as fights or disturbances.

Submit a notable action

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>When:</b> (Approximately when is this incident taking place?) <b>Where:</b> (Where is this incident taking place?) <b>What:</b> (Describe the incident) <b>Link:</b> <a href="urlhere">Thread</a> (If applicable. Actions can be submitted without a thread if they're minor.)

Comments

BATHING TENT

[abraxasmods]

[durge]

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?

[abraxasmods]

The sauna appears identical to all the others at first glance, but one of the ravens will fly in and peck at one of the stone bricks in the wall. Examining the stone, it appears to be slightly loose.

However, there's a chance that disturbing it could cause more trouble than it's worth. Astarion and Haelva can decide to loosen the stone and see what it does, or they can choose to take precautions, find someone who knows protective magic, and return later.

[ancunin]

WELL... he rolled a 5 for Investigation so clearly nothing too strange here, they're definitely going to loosen the stone. He rolled a 21 for Sleight of Hand... if that... helps...

[abraxasmods]

Upon loosening the stone, an enormously fat leech the size of a small mouse will leap out of the crevice at him. Sleight of hand will make sure it doesn't attach itself to any part of his face, but it will latch onto another part of him, such as a palm, a leg, or his neck. It will immediately begin sucking down his blood. While it isn't dangerous unless not removed for several hours, he should still pull it off as soon as possible. It can be easily stomped or squished, and will burst into a gory puddle of blood.

From the crevice, they can recover a small container filled with someone's blood, though the container itself is mostly empty. It seems this very hungry leech creature must've become attracted to the blood that leaked out and drank its fill.

Due to the commotion, they should exit the place quickly.

[ancunin]

He is absolutely going to removed and squish that leech in a panic, and they will exit with the container is a rush.

Is there enough blood in the container to do a sniffy sniff? Unless it's from someone he fed on before which probably isn't the case here he can't identify who it belongs to off the bat, but if someone gave him a sample to compare he would be able to. He can likely tell if it's Draconae or human or vampire. Only other thing he could detect right away is if there are any especially weird impurities, like someone intentionally altering their blood or it's especially cursed in some way.

[funbreaker]

Player Name: Court
Character Name: Thancred Waters
Other characters involved: Kyle

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Thancred will be investigating the locked trunks while Kyle serves as distraction.
Action: Kyle will enter the baths as a seemingly regular patron, properly unclothed and with a mask on, and will keep people's attention on him by flirting and showing off his scar from when he got stabbed by the anomalous beast/telling that story. While he's doing that, Thancred will sneak around in the dark corners of the bathing tent to search the locked trunks, as he's a skilled rogue/has lockpicking abilities. He will use his Pass Without Trace Horizon gain to do this! If that isn't good enough, he can also rely on his Souldeep Invisibility skill to become even harder to perceive.
Thread: Thread (Just started!)
Notes: N/A

[abraxasmods]

Most of the guests bathing are highly intoxicated, so Thancred will be able to pass by without too much trouble. Kyle may find himself saving someone from falling asleep and drowning in the waters if he wishes. He'll also attract quite the admiring crowd over his stories. One of the vampires will ask if he is willing to offer a taste.

One of the trunks has a looser lock than the rest, so he'll be able to get into that one the easiest. Inside are belongings typical of someone who's gone for a swim, but if he keeps digging through them, he may find himself reaching for one of two items:

1. A flat leather pouch. The edge indicates it contains something pointed and metal.
2. A set of parchment paper rolled around some charcoal.

He'll need to take whatever he grabs first and leave the other item, which you and your partner can decide OOC. Someone will approach while he's looking, so he'll need to shut the trunk if he can and retreat. If he's patient and silent, he can sneak over again while their back is turned and lock the trunk, but pushing his luck and making a second search would be unwise.

[funbreaker]

Kyle will definitely make sure that no one drowns in the baths, but he will politely decline the vampire's request for a taste of his blood. 😔

With that distraction in place, Thancred will choose to grab the flat leather pouch. He'll retreat and be patient enough to sneak back to re-lock the trunk, but won't try to grab the other item, knowing when to not push his luck.

After that he'll sneak out of the tent and wait for Kyle to finish up and leave so they can regroup and check out what he managed to snatch!

[abraxasmods]

Thancred will find that the flat leather pouch is made from leather that's reminiscent of the kinds he and Kyle might've seen from the Nether. Inside is a unique lockpick with the distinct markers of Draconae craftsmanship.

They can choose to bring it to Babis for more information.

[funbreaker]

Great! I'm going to go ahead and incorporate this into Thancred and Geralt's investigation of Babis, then -- I checked with Jay and she's cool with that!

[gynvael]

Player Name: Noa
Character Name: Geralt
Other characters involved: Dean Winchester

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Bath tents
Action: Dean and Geralt are gonna be digging through the lost and found. They're both wearing masks, but they're also both not the most subtle looking, so...the plan is probably to play up that they lost some stuff if anyone catches them since it's, y'know. Lost and found.
Thread: Thread
Notes: Geralt's got his usual senses/nose, and he'll be using them to keep an eye out as well as sniff out anything weird! Also, if you have anything conducive to shenanigans, we'll take it.

[abraxasmods]

While searching, they'll uncover a variety of unusual items including a wooden doll with a disturbing set of bulging eyes and one leg broken off, a jar filled with a strange sticky liquid that will spill over their hands if not careful, and a raven's skull decorated with cheap gemstones. It has a very sharp glass beak, so handle with caution.

Geralt will be able to smell something strong and herbal from within one of the lost and found crates. They'll need time to dig through and track the item. However, they'll also be interrupted before they can do so.

To continue investigating and avoid being kicked out of the lost and found area, they may hide inside one of the large crates, try to lie their way out of the situation, or choose (non-lethal) violence. The vampire interrupting them is innocent, but will raise the alarm if they're convinced someone is up to no good unless he's prevented from doing so.

Let us know how they will approach the interruption!

[righteously]

HELLO MODS so here's the plan


They will start with Plan A - try and Rizz up the interloper. Dean's gonna be like JUST GO WITH ME ON THIS and try to talk their way out of it, but Geralt sucks at making people words and has no patience so after a fumbled and largely failed attempt, Geralt's just gonna... gently knock the vampire out and stuff him in a crate out of the way.

[abraxasmods]

The vampire will not be successful in defending himself. They may put him in one of the crates for someone else to find him. Since they're wearing masks and the vampire is fairly intoxicated, he will have very little memory of what happened.

They'll be able to return to their search. If Geralt follows his nose, he will find a leather sachet. This will be the second one found. The first is being investigated here.

They may take it and leave, and continue to investigate the second sachet itself here.

Re: BATHING TENT

[cryptsleeper]

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

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Sauna
Action: Alucard would like to sample the blood found at this scene and compare the taste of it to the blood found at the vault in order to confirm/deny if it is a match. He will also be looking to see if there's anything else of note, but the blood test is the big one.
Thread: Piggybacking off of this
Notes: (Anything else)

[abraxasmods]

The blood found at the scene is too contaminated by the leech to give anything conclusive. He can only do so with the uncontaminated blood in the vial, but he'll need to coordinate with the characters who have the vial as they may only perform one test.

Currently, both characters have chosen to hold onto the vial until more information surfaces.

[abraxasmods]

Apologies we overlooked the second part of your request! Things of note would include:

1. The blood belongs to a vampire. Unlike most vampires enjoying the party, there are no traces of wine or alcohol in the blood.

2. There is an unusual herbal flavor to the blood which is not possible to identify as any common herb or plant.

3. Because of the leech's properties, his tongue will experience a brief period of numbness.

[cryptsleeper]

RE 2: Would Alucard potentially have tasted the herbal flavor in bloodwines from the past?

[abraxasmods]

No, this would be an entirely new substance!

[wiedzminka]

Player Name: Lena
Character Name: Ciri
Other characters involved: Aloy

Witness/Scene/Evidence: bathing tents, specifically the sauna
Action: Ciri and Aloy will attempt to sneak into the sauna, initially just looking for some privacy to hang out in the totally straight way gal pals do. Once in there, especially if the puddle of blood is still there, they could definitely get curious and start poking around intentionally... Or it's possible they just run into something while. Hanging out.
Thread: not quite ready yet... But if needed I can link it later!
Notes: we're interested in having Ciri and Aloy stumble on something to kickstart more intentional investigation, as the initial idea is they'll be in the sauna for other reasons. However, it's a-ok to have them get found out and kicked out for being dumb in a closed-off area.

[abraxasmods]

The blood puddle will still be there if they wish to examine it! Depending on how you want to time it, it may appear that someone else has been here and perhaps sampled a little of the blood already.

With some ingenuity, they may dig out a container from the lost and found and collect a sample of the blood. They will need to provide a distraction or do some careful sneaking to not get caught.

While the sample is currently contaminated, if they can find someone who would be able to possibly remove the contaminants and purify the blood, either through magical or scientific means (or a combination!), they may be able to provide an additional sample to the one that has been retrieved here.

As she is leaving, Ciri will feel a strange presence behind her. She can choose to turn around and look, or she may ignore it and continue on.

[wiedzminka]

Al... gross.

Okay great, Aloy will use her sneaky stealth hunter skills to get some sort of container from the lost and found. Ciri will stay inside the sauna to continue poking around and likely notice the loose brick and its general location above the blood spatter. If she were to more closely examine other parts of the wall, is there anything else to look at?

By the way, is the floor of the sauna non-porous and they can just sort of... scoop the blood in there? Or is it sand/dirt or something and they'll just have a glob of bloody mud?

Oh, and yes Ciri will definitely turn around to look when she feels a presence!

[abraxasmods]

They'll find the area where the slug originated, but there won't be anything of note there. However, if Ciri is sensitive to magic, then she will feel a similar magical energy to what the Summoned have felt around the ward in the Vaults.

The floor is mostly non-porous. It's made of stone, but there would be a bit of debris. Because the area was off-limits, there isn't too much dirt being tracked in.

If Ciri turns around, she will notice that a heart <3 has been drawn into what remains of the blood on the ground. It seems something wants to wish her and Aloy luck being gal pals!

[lightkeeping]

Is there anything else of note in the lost and found? Aloy and Ciri will otherwise carefully gather the remaining blood into an improvised container.

Cir would also investigate the heart, when she notices it!