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| Action Id: 4731 | Crisis: | Participants: Cassiopeia, Eirene, Lucita, Jan, Ian, Vitalis, Rosalind, Ryhalt, Mattheu, Caspian and Adalyn | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: Nov. 15, 2023, 9:22 p.m. | Public: True | GM: Apostate |
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Action by Cassiopeia
The Society of Explorers leadership makes it known they are seeking Explorers to assuage the worries of a reasonbly fearful populace regarding Developments of Late. Blood Moons and Mysterious Castles, etc. Explorers, you know, the stuff we see on the regular. If it is not in you to assuage, or give examples wondrous rather than terrifying, describe your triumphs and travails as a living example that it can be endured.
Action by Ian
After a conversation with Raymesin about how the Lowers could probably use another guardian, Ian has decided to step up. He's a well known, if reclusive figure, often seen in Raymesin and Raja's company, living on a small ship at the docks. In fact, he's seen as enough of a native to the Lowers at this point that the peerage has started to turn their noses up about the whole thing (Ian has the 'shady' prop mod, just because of the company he keeps.)
Now he starts to come out of his shell, to engage with people. With conversations inevitably turning towards the blood rain, he slowly opens up to these people about some of the absolutely crazy stuff he's seen and done over the years. He tells stories the way he used to in happier times, stories couched as engaging tales to share with drinks, rather than scary stories to tell in the dark. These stories strip all of the mystique out of the mystical, and highlight moments that were funny, or embarrassing, or deserving of a giant facepalm. ("So we're holed up in this wooden house with the walking dead outside, and I shout up to this girl who's gotten out a bow 'Whatever you do, don't light them on fire!' and do you know what happened right while I'm saying this? Yup, out come the flaming fucking arrows. And here's the thing about lighting zombies on fire. You've still got to fight the zombies. But now they're on fire. And did I mention our hideout was made of wood?") He even brings out The Scarf, dubbed Horror Borealis by Vitalis. Nothing brings the supernatural crashing down to earth like an absurdly ugly scarf that smells just awful but somehow takes pride of place in so many adventures.
Ian also, from time to time, lets himself be convinced to go a few rounds with someone in a friendly fight at the ring in the Hollow. While he's not as talented a brawler as he is a fencer, he can still hold his own (brawl 3), and most importantly can display his almost supernatural ability to avoid getting grabbed or struck (Ian has a 20 point dex+dodge knack titled 'Practically Precognition'.) to back up that yes, this is definitely a guy who could pick a fight with a demon if he had to.
But mostly, Ian just establishes himself as a presence here, as someone who has had a long enough experience with monsters and "that fucking occult nonsense" to be able to turn them into something almost mundane. He establishes that he is here, just on the docks where he can easily be sent for. And he establishes that he cares. If the time comes when there is something terrible that needs to be faced here, he'll face it right alongside the people of the Lowers. And it will make for an EPIC story, one that everyone can tell.
Action by Vitalis
Vitalis hosts an event at the Society Charter Hall open to one and all (with the lure of food and drink), opening the Museum and Map Rooms to visitors and inviting Explorers to speak of their adventures.
For his own part, he begins with something out of a fairytale - the Gray Forest Protectors, talking animals who fought alongside Arx's defenders when the Lodge of Petrichor was attacked. He moves on to the mystical herb Sundraw, also called Petrichor's Jewels or Blight's Bane, a rare and powerful cure for terrible poison. And then the story of a voyage beyond the Mourning Sea and of a storm spirit that guided his ship to safety. He tells stories of the Suthryn Wastes and the land beyond, with poison frogs (which he shows) and bright parrots (Peckworthy is an example, but not from that voyage). And in Arx itself, he tells of the sparklemites that light the City's lamps. Of the Clocktower and that strange green snow, they remember it now, don't they, and isn't *that* strange? How a mage called Copper, who created the Clocktower, spent her life and bought grace for the people of Arvum on the day the Clocktower fell. That just recently, the glow over the City during the recent battle was a force of great good will meeting a dark one.
That the world is incredibly large and mysterious and wondrous. That they are all just waking to the mysteries and can likewise chart the course into an uncertain future together! He'll end with a Q&A, doing his best to field the questions asked.
Action by Rosalind
Rosalind definitely knows what lurks in the night. She's fought them. And with that winning smile of hers on that freckled face, she will go around recanting all the tales. The dozens she's witnessed and have been part of. The witnessing of spirits, shapeshifting, the moon. The Ravenseye has the stories. Gather around the first and listen?.
Action by Caspian
Caspian is nothing if not a story teller! he is known for weaving tales and painting pictures with words of adventures that always seemed impossible. Impossible.. until now. now, with the world awakening to the truth about magic and the wonders that abound, he once more spins his stories. Stories of lost cities, of adventures fighting demons, stories of spirits and dragons. All of his adventures, all of the many things he has seen, laid out for all to hear. He answers questions and shares what information he can with all who ask. Where there is knowledge, there is less room for fear to grow.
Action by Adalyn
Adalyn is a warrior, a champion. Someone who cares deeply for people, understanding how jarring things can be and having experienced some of these things herself she understands. So she will go around with a small group, she will tell people stories of Heroes of Arx and Avrum and how magic helped guide some of them. She will do these small stories in ways only she knows how in small live action story times, she will play the part of both heroes and Villain's to tell the stories, to show people that things will be ok that it is not a bad thing that is happening.
Action by Jan
Jan doesn't know much about the occult but she knows plenty about war. She has been studying historical battles and talking with seasoned military leaders of this generation, highlighting the victories the Compact has scored and underscoring humanity has survived such troubles in the past.
Action by Mattheu
Of all the things to be asked to do, Mattheu was not prepared for it to be of stories of how magic is helpful. However, he's heard others tell tales of where it has been, and was upon the Bay of Arx in return to the city when the attack took place where he witnessed the wall of fire rise up to shield the city from advancement. Years working for scraps and set for distraction as a Ravashari Entertainer, he knows how to spin a tale even if his heart is not completely within it. Taking to his violin and playing music along side of telling stories of what others have done, what he's witnessed, seeking to help change the view of not only how magic is playing within the Compact, but also how Prodigals can be helpful, as he leans into his work with the city, with those around him.
Action by Ryhalt
The seemingly ever cheerful Ryhalt helps calm fears by telling of stories focusing on humanity's enduring nature, reminding how its their ability adapt, change, and survive that is their gift. He pulls these stories from his own experiences and research.
Action by Lucita
Lucita already is using songs to assist with calming populace, reassuring and reminding of joy, familiar things. To that effort already in progress, she adds stories about our brave soldiers in current memory, from the Bringer war and Setarco, the Lodge war that these things are known to many, and even if they have forgotten or blocked them out, they succeeded, they survived! She has stories to tell of the things she has seen and done told in a reassuring, positive way. She encourages people subtly and gently to 'put on their big boy pants'.
Action by Eirene
Eirene has seen a lot of shit. And done a lot. She shares the story of the first demon slain in recorded memory - the Beast of Sanctum. Back in 1005 Orazio, long before he became Dominus, entrusted Eirene and a handful of others with fighting a demon hoardling summoned near Sanctum. She describes the fight in detail but with the overall message of "You can fight them. We know how to make them bleed. We know how to make them die." )She speaks of the rebirth of magic, and how even now there are people tapping their potential, their heritage, their birthright denied. Stories of their ancestors brave deeds forgotten, but there are stories they will tell their children that they are the heroes of. We are those heroes, and we will fight for a future where our children can freely tell those stories without the torn pages of memories or the chains of Destiny. And the Explorers will help shape those stories, and ensure people are around to tell them.
Result
It does help. The Society of Explorers has many, many stories to tell, much of which just has never been safe to reveal until now, and hearing about it does calm the nerves. There almost certainly would have been some panic, and some riots, but the knowledge that some of what has happened has approached a degree of normalcy just helps a great deal. The Society does quite a bit for helping prevent panic in Arx.