As the end of October draws near, Sunseong’s Dong-gu bustles with preparations for the district’s annual festivities. Only in the past decade has the Samhain festival once again taken the center stage during Halloween, a night often resented for its dark past---only recently have people again begun to celebrate this night of apt superstition and masquerade in good spirits.
On this one night of the year, the world’s magic seems to grow stronger throughout---perhaps this is simply because so many people have their minds on it, or perhaps it’s something far deeper than that, it’s hard to be sure. One thing is certain, however: on Halloween night, it is not strange to see ghosts in the corner of your eye, even if you ordinarily would not find yourself so magically inclined; and for those who are naturally brimming with magic, it seems that they do not easily grow tired from working magic, that changing one’s form is easier than ever, and moreover, that trying new and difficult spells is not so far out of reach.
(Perhaps this is why October chose such a night, but in favor of honoring what’s been lost and enjoying this night, the people of Sunseong forget about the past massacre for a few hours.)
The eastern district celebrates this evening every year, a night filled with mischief and merriment; witches from around the city gather in one of the historic parks, selling wares and performing tricks, filling the air with a sense of wonder. For a time, the Samhain festivities grew weak, but tonight it seems almost as though nothing could go wrong---everything is bright, candle-light flickering ambiently between the lined-up stalls and parked food trucks of the park, laughter and playful screams intermittent in the air.
Sunseong should know by now to take care when it comes to the things that go bump in the night, however.
It seems every year, something unusual occurs in the haunted hours of Halloween---many things, indeed, from a case where sticky candy constructs ambled aimlessly about the streets, to another where tap water throughout a few neighborhoods began to run as red blood. This year, observant eyes turn toward the southeastern forest, from which ghastly figures begin to shamble outward…
Welcome to Obscura’s third event, HAUNTED HOURS!
In summary, zombies, skeletons, and other variations of undead creatures and spirits have developed form due to the enhanced magic on Halloween! This is not the first time Sunseong has had such a peculiar and unforeseen incident take place on this evening---in fact, it seems to happen each time, with unknown origins---but it’s certainly hard to overlook the rise in spiritual and necromantic activity that takes place all over the city.
In universe, the course of this event runs on October 31st, on Halloween night. The Samhain festival itself runs on both the 30th and 31st, with the majority of activities taking place on the 31st, and has a number of activities that muses may take part in or simply watch. From dressing in costume to partaking in magical demonstrations, to even seeing the night as a once a year opportunity to bolster a skill they’d been working on for months, citizens all over indulge in the festivities, whether for the social potential or for their personal gain or enjoyment.
Information for all citizens:
There is a large Halloween-themed festival/party going on in one of the large historic parks in the Eastern district---this is the Samhain festival. These parties are thrown annually by the local witch population, though they were stifled due to the lingering memories of the October Massacre for quite some time. In the past decade, these festivals have again become widely embraced by Sunseong’s general population, though they are also cautiously patrolled by DSEM members.
There are zombies wandering outward from the southeastern forest area due to some sort of necromantic magic accident with respect to the heightened effects of magic on Halloween night. While they won’t last after dawn comes and the magic once again settles to normal, take caution for while they are risen, especially if you’re in the southern district or near the south end of the eastern district!
As a more common and anticipated occurrence, ghosts are more active and visible on this night. Some are benevolent while others are mischievous; from ancestral spirits to poltergeists, the likelihood of coming across at least some type of ghost should be expected---be sure to be mindful of possible possessions of yourself and/or others!
Information for supernatural citizens:
The effects of magic are stronger than usual on Halloween night. You will find that your magic is easier to use, but may just as easily grow stronger than you intended, resulting in accidents or other strange occurrences. This applies to all forms of magic, including shapeshifting.
While it might be a little easier than usual to get away with having your magic show due to the nature of the celebrations tonight, there are still hunters keeping an eye out for obviously-supernatural people---especially at the Samhain festival in Dong-gu.
Information for hunters:
Halloween is a night when people are a bit more tolerant of magic than they normally are, but hunters should be vigilant for strange occurrences just the same---after all, magic is more accessible than usual, so who knows what could happen.
Hunters must take additional care tonight not to find “false positives” for supernaturals, with costumed citizens about as well as the increased sensitivity of all magic detection charms. It’s because of this that many hunters will simply take the night off, at least until something definitely dangerous (like the zombies) is detected.
Some DSEM hunters have also been assigned to do rounds at the festival in Dong-gu to ensure that nothing outwardly dangerous is occurring. Once more, due to the nature of the celebration, there is an implicit understanding that they will not interfere too heavily with the festivities unless it is clear that something dangerous is underway.
*** Any posts made with relation to this event should be tagged with “obs: haunted”, whether they be self-paras or threads! All muses who participate in the event in some capacity will receive 20 points upon its completion, with possible bonuses awarded for multiple threads, completed threads, and so forth. Event threads and self-paras may be posted until October 31 for bonus points, but threads may still be posted after this for development purposes or just for fun!
Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy Obscura’s haunted hours!
Sleep isn’t coming easy for Takuya today. Not that he really needs the sleep in the first place, but he usually enjoys it in the absence of anything else to do during the days. However, today he’s too agitated to rest peacefully. The recent and sudden spike in violence toward supernaturals doesn’t scare him, and it doesn’t make him particularly sad, either. He doesn’t much care one way or another if a few supernatural beings die. It happens all the time. But he doesn’t like the thought of his parents (or himself for that matter) being put in any unnecessary danger. It seems senseless to him, that this “Chaos Controller” feels the need to make such a show out of it. And the way the victims are being displayed, hung like they’re puppets…it’s just…tacky. Classless, really. Takuya should really give them some style pointers.
Sangmin isn’t in their apartment today. He’s probably out on a hunt again. Takuya wishes that were the case less often than it is. Even more than his concern for his parents, Takuya hated that he knew Sangmin was going to get wrapped up in this whole situation. His parents could protect themselves, had been avoiding people like this and worse for years. Sangmin wasn’t a supernatural, though. Sure, his best friend was strong. Stupidly strong, actually. But Takuya was always worried that Sangmin was going to overlook something, a critical fact, and it was going to get him hurt. Takuya hated that he couldn’t be with him now. They were a team, but he was stuck in this stupid apartment while his best friend wandered around god-knows-where without Takuya by his side.
So, needless to say, he’s a little pissed off about the whole situation in general, and he’s feeling antsy, like he needs to find a way to shake off this gross feeling that seems to be crawling across his skin.
To release some of his extra energy, he decides to practice the dance he’s been working on in jazz class. He begins a few times, speakers blaring jazzy music without concern for the neighbors (hey, at least he’s not doing it at night), but he keeps messing up and having to start over. He feels claustrophobic today. Everything is too close, the apartment too small to contain all the nervous energy inside.
Suddenly, he knows what he needs to do.
He needs to move some furniture.
He starts pushing items, one hand on the couch, the other on the dining room table, shoving them simultaneously toward the wall. A benefit of supernatural strength is that spring cleaning becomes much more efficient than it was when he was a kid.
He tries the dance again. Still not enough space. He’s practiced in here before, knows he’s made it work with less effort than this. Why isn’t it working today?
Frustrated, he begins picking up pieces of furniture and stacking them on top of each other. He makes sure to treat them gently, considering Sangmin made most of the furniture they own. He lifts two chairs that Sangmin made in shop in high school, placing them on top of the dining room table that Sangmin made two years ago. The couch leans vertically against the wall, teetering at what is probably a dangerous angle, but takes up the least amount of space in the apartment.
Finally, with the carpet rolled up and stuck on top of the ottoman (which is on top of the tv stand, which is on top of the coffee table), Takuya feels like he has the room to move freely. He plugs his phone back into the speaker system (now in the opposite corner of the room, a mass of throw pillows balanced precariously on top of it), and begins the track once more.
That’s better.
Once he has his focus back on track, he keeps dancing, starting the song over countless times. Step, step, kick, and 4, step ball-change, and 7 and 8, pirouette, 3, land, pivot and 5, turn and 6, plié and 8. The moves all blur together as he does them again, again, again. Time passes, he’s sure, but he has no awareness of how much or little it may be.
He pauses, mid-plié, sweat making his bangs stick together in little triangles on his forehead, when he hears a familiar voice cut through the song.
“Oh, hey Minnie.”
He straightens up from his position, running his hand through his hair to wipe some of the sweat off his head.
Greetings, members of Obscura! Below the cut here are a number of prompts written up by our lovely Admin Alucard for usage during the event. These prompts are all open for use by any muse (or any number of muses) for either solos or threads as they see fit. They’re here to help give you a boost of inspiration if you need them---using them is by no means a requirement any more than participating in the event at large is! Nonetheless, we hope that you’ll enjoy these prompts, and continue to have fun here with us at Obscura!
--- Obscura Admin Team
You’re out on the town when you spot a tall, blond man with a fur collared vest handing out flyers. He stops to tell you all about the Conspiracy City blog and how you should support them and their ideals. He also tells you to beware of dangerous Anti-Supernatural and Extremist Supernatural groups, as many are now roaming the city.
You’ve been caught up in what you can only assume is a media fight. Two reporters want to ask you lots of questions and now you really have no choice but to pick or flee!
You’re wandering the town when you get stopped by an extremely enthusiastic reporter. They start asking you lots of frankly too personal questions. It isn’t until a young woman in an oddly fancy dress passes by and winks at you that you notice that, in the distance, more reporters are coming. The previous reporter starts arguing with the others, and soon you find yourself caught up in some sort of media riot.
You’ve just witnessed a very tired looking man covered in scars rather violently taking a shifted were to the ground and dragging it away like his pet dog. He doesn’t say a word to you, even as he passes you, but a few minutes later there are reporters asking you for details.
Ever since you saw the news, you’ve been looking online for reports about more supernaturals hidden around… Until one day, you see a picture of someone you know. It says they might be supernatural. Is it possible someone you know so well could have been hiding this from you?
You’re out at night when a teenager approaches you and asks to borrow your phone. He the proceeds to call someone from it and basically start speaking in what sounds like absolute gibberish. A few minutes later, he returns the phone to you and thanks you for your time. As he’s leaving, he warns you of a soon to break out riot. A few minutes later, and his prediction seems to come true.. The problem is, you’re still caught up in it.
The police/DSEM officials have pulled you in for questioning, thinking you (and possibly someone else you know) might be a member of the Conspiracy City Blog.
You keep seeing these weird… Lion plushes out of the corner or your eye. You think you might be losing it.
You’re trying your best to stay away from the extra surveillance that’s out right now, but you manage to somehow miss a camera or two. Now you have to find a way to either destroy the evidence or somehow pretend that wasn’t you.
You run into a teenager in a 24-hour internet cafe late at night. He sees your poor computer skills and decides to help you out with it. A few minutes later, your computer is working perfectly! The next day, however, your computer has been cracked into by government officials and all of your files are out of whack… What the heck.
You were out walking at night when you caught glimpse of what you could only assume was a fae. You decided to follow the creature for whatever reason, but… Now you’ve found yourself absolutely lost. You usually know these alleys quite well, but it feels like you’ve been wandering them for hours now. It’s like they’ve become a labyrinth.
You are out on the town late at night when you happen to catch wind of a riot. Curious, you decide to see what exactly is causing it, only to rather suddenly get caught up in a literal stampede. There are people running from police shooting tear gas to split them up, and some people trying their hardest to fight back. You also notice, at least momentarily, that some people have decided to openly show their supernatural side. There are weres roaring back fully shifted, fae in true forms talking back, and… A man on an elephant. It’s baffling, but… It’s your choice if you want to join in or not.
You’ve been saved by a mysterious witch who noticed you having trouble with police. She easily dismisses them before giving you a short lasting cloaking ward and sending you home.
An exhausted looking man you can only assume is a hunter is giving a rather lazy speech as some sort of impromptu pro-supernatural rally. There’s a small crowd gathering as well.
A speech takes place early in the morning, but the recording of it plays on news coverage sites throughout the day. The mayor’s words are careful yet quelling---a call for the streets to settle into peace, and a plea of trust to be given to the government despite the recent reveals. Not all heed his statement.
Militia intervention sees the end of the riots, putting out the fire of the city’s disrest before even more damage could be done---but protests and strikes still reign in the heart of Sunseong, monitored by watchful eyes and lowered tolerance for anarchy. Even DSEM is under the pressure of avoiding taking action in ways that may incite further mass disorder or outrage---the orders come from the top and spread downwards, so that all employees may know. The upset that had turned the worst of the recent happenings on its head is settled down---by force, for the sake of keeping peace---but for those who have seen it all as more than just a fad, there remains work to be done.
Activists for supernatural rights have risen, seeking to gather others to join their cause. Talks concerning the trials of those arrested in light of their reveal occupy many news outlets, with frequent updates and sparks of debate spreading around. Public figures, political leaders, and citizens alike concern themselves over whether the arrests were “just” or if they were “necessary”; no side’s argument is without its flaws, and no side is determined to be right. The case of the Chaos Controller is brought up as a point of focus and sometimes even used as proof or an example; many remain concerned over the actions that were taken, but an equal amount of others still declare it a worthwhile decision.
The discourse continues---in public viewing and behind the scenes alike. A mandatory amplified security bill, proposed by a figurehead of DSEM months prior, has been pushed into more discussion behind the scenes as local legislators debate the potential breach of privacy of many versus the benefit of increased safety for all citizens. A number of businesses are taking it upon themselves to issue random employee evaluations, some with the intent of finding, catching, and outing anyone they may discover as supernatural. Others simply wish to uphold integrity within their business, striving to be sure that misdeeds are not being conducted under their name, supernatural or otherwise.
Sunseong Central Hospital---in which the named vampire doctor had been employed---is currently under thorough investigation, with each employee undergoing post-employment background checks; strikes have been occurring near daily. Suichen’s company, Honey Entertainment, has issued an official statement regarding his arrest. Despite their claim to be uninvolved and unsupportive of Suichen’s actions, the company has come under fire---the idol’s name is much too grand for such a thing to go unaccounted for, and netizens are as unabashed to state their opinions as ever. The future of the company as it stands is unknown.
DSEM, having been ultimately unsuccessful in their search for those behind the Conspiracy City blog, have seen an influx in traffic from those claiming to have information on those that may be determined as being supernatural. A number of these calls have been confirmed to be pranks, and another measure of such being nothing more than heightened paranoia of citizens---increases in overtime and decreases in cases that most hunters deem worthwhile have been observed throughout the organization. Rumors of unrest and irritation growing amongst those with higher positions within DSEM spread amongst those who take the field work.
Members of Aequitas, some of which seem louder than others, are striving to follow the will of the Mayor, keeping the peace on both sides of the conflict. Asking one member may lead to the opinion that there are less cases of rogue and vicious outbreaks than before, while another may be all too willing to claim that there are more. It may not be the same in terms of increased workload, but there’s no doubt that they are equally busy in trying to keep the city safe.
The Conspiracy City bloggers have gone into hiding in the wake of their moment of fame---or so some think. The blog itself remains active, if a bit quieter, though the identities of its owners remain unknown. There’s no doubt about it, however: they are still the eyes and ears of Sunseong, and they are always watching.
Thank you for participating in our second event, EXPOSURE! We hope you enjoyed this event, and we hope you will also enjoy future ones to come!
In the future, we intend to shift the model of our events to smaller “mini-events” happening more often, rather than attempting to launch these sorts of large events on a regular basis. We hope that this will make it easier to participate in future events!
Provided here is a list of all muses who have received points for participating in our event, with the base participation bonus being 20 POINTS and additional bonuses (+5 each) being awarded for completed threads and holding multiple threads.
SONG JIHO @obsxjiho: +30 (participation +20, multi-thread +10)
KIM DONGSUNG @obsxgohn: +20 (participation)
HAN NARA @obsnara: +20 (participation)
KIM SEOKJIN @seokjinxobs: +25 (participation +20, multi-thread +5)
LEE MINSONG @obsminsong: +20 (participation +20)
If you were missed somewhere in this list (or your multi-threads or finished-thread bonuses were not properly counted), please send the main a message with links to the threads in question and we will get you sorted out!
Please just link this post on your points tracker to verify that you have received the indicated points for this event. Thank you again for participating, and we hope you continue to enjoy your stay here at Obscura!
It’s no surprise, then, that word spreads fast; it’s in every coffee shop, every sports bar, every home, the latest headline saying that Kim Suichen, an exceedingly popular idol from Sunseong, has been arrested---detained by DSEM. Speculations fly, but information is scarce at first; it doesn’t take long for the tone to change.
Information comes in snippets: first, they say that Suichen burst out of his containment only an hour after his arrest. Next, they say he fought multiple hunters in a thirty-minute drawn-out scuffle---controlled multiple civilians to fight with him in the process---there’s even camera evidence of it, and those videos leak soon enough, too.
Now they’re saying that Suichen isn’t human and never was---he’s a fae, one with bright glistening wings and long clawed hands, capable of using magic to bring in fans and followers, bringing them close enough that he could take advantage of them. The words “human trafficking” come up--and the words “Chaos Controller”.
Indeed, reports now say that as they arrested Suichen for the second time, he laughed and mocked the officials---all for “killing the wrong person”.
Coverage can’t reach a conclusion before someone brings forth a piece of even more interesting information: some small-time blog called “Conspiracy City” had released a list of names just yesterday, claiming that everyone on the list had worked with the Chaos Controller. They’re all from Sunseong, important figures; each name comes with a list of accusations.
The ones listed for Kim Suichen line up with the investigation thus far.
It catches on fire; are these “Conspiracy Bloggers” really what they say? Do they actually want to protect Sunseong? How do they get all of this information? The media wants answers and the first scoop; someone offers a bounty, should anyone be able to reveal the true identities of these bloggers.
DSEM’s official statement calls them terrorists---a danger to civil order, and a sign of supernatural threat. They call for their arrest and officially launch their own investigation into the matter---but given the names on the list, unease fills the organization.
But, the city reacts in its own way; people start talking, as the days tick by. Was the Chaos Controller truly killed? If it wasn’t her, then why? Reporters flock the streets, searching for answers---anything that’ll lead to the next big clue, the next hit in this puzzle-piece story, even if it means questioning random civilians and pressing up against the protests and supernatural-laced riots that again begin to spring up like weeds in the restless city streets.
Some of the people at the top, the officials and the upper class, are nervous, and it shows in the interviews; the riots, the sudden invasions of privacy, it’s hard to know who to trust. It only gets worse when an investigation into another name on The Conspiracy Blogger’s list proves to be true. A doctor who’s actually a vampire stealing the blood of so many of his patients---didn’t even bother to leave them alive.
Emergency action is taken; a bill is pushed to get more cameras up all over the city, to get more information, to stop the rising supernatural menace from overthrowing the civil order that Sunseong has known for years now. It slips by somehow, despite how the public and many officials alike balk at the idea---everything feels fishy, like anything could be a conspiracy.
The whole city has its eyes open---searching for clues, searching for the truth---but there are more eyes on Sunseong than just the cameras would suggest. The Conspiracy Bloggers seem to have determined that maybe, just maybe, they don’t need to do all of their work behind a screen any longer.
Welcome to Obscura’s second event, OBS: EXPOSURE!
In short, a number of influential figures in Sunseong have been outed as supporters of the Chaos Controller---and moreover, a number of sources are drawing question as to the fact that this “Chaos Controller” was really “executed” last week, and why such a stunt was pulled in any case. Questions fly and answers seem scarce, but more information continues to be leaked as the days tick by…
Information for all citizens:
CCTV cameras have been installed in a number of locations in the city in an attempt to track supernatural activity. Supernatural citizens should be careful not to find themselves in trouble due to the additional surveillance.
Reporters are extremely active on the streets, attempting to question anyone who might even have a clue as to what’s going on with the Conspiracy City reports or the blog itself.
The Conspiracy City NPCs themselves are out and about, as well...
In general, a lot of organizations in Sunseong are in disarray due to the paranoia as well as the actual reported instances of higher-ups being affiliated with the Chaos Controller. Paranoia is high throughout the city and people are talking about the conspiracies, worrying about who might get outed next, questioning the motives being the “public execution” of the Chaos Controller, these sorts of things.
Information for DSEM-affiliated characters:
While DSEM is attempting to investigate the accusations made by the Conspiracy City blog as well as the Conspiracy City bloggers/informants themselves, the fact that some of their own ranks have been called into question for affiliation with the Chaos Controller has caused additional discord within the organization.
DSEM are likely working to control the disorder in the city while also once again being busy with these various investigations. It’s been a bad few months for DSEM workloads.
Information for Aequitas-affiliated characters:
Aequitas maintains a stance against the Chaos Controller and those affiliated with her. They seem to be neutral to positive toward the Conspiracy City bloggers.
As usual, Aequitas hunters are free to act of their own will, but the climate of the guilt leans toward an attempt at bringing the various accused villains to light.
Optional event prompts featuring various happenings around the city will be posted within a few days; these prompts will be open for all members to use for threads, self-paras, etc, in relation to the event.
Any posts made with relation to this event should be tagged with “obs: exposure”, whether they be self-paras or threads! All muses who participate in the event in some capacity will receive 20 points upon its completion, with possible bonuses awarded for multiple threads, completed threads, and so forth. Posts made under the pre-event tag “obs: exemplify” will also be counted toward this event. Event threads and self-paras may be posted until August 31st for bonus points, but threads may still be posted after this for development purposes or just for fun!
THE STORMCLOUDS CLEAR AND THE SUN SHINES THROUGH.
( but this quiet can be nothing but temporary. )
As morning breaks marking the end of two dark weeks, the streets of Sunseong are oddly quiet. Wind still rustles flyers speaking of the Chaos Controller’s destruction down the streets, but these flyers have grown dirty and sun-bleached. No bodies are discovered out on display, and no screams were heard in the late nights. For the moment, the Chaos Controller and her minions appear to have fallen back. Sunseong’s streets are, at least for now, safe at night once more -- or at least as safe as they ever have been, with the conflict ever-boiling beneath its skin having only briefly reached a head.
And indeed, Sunseong is shaken to its core. Debates flood the news and a number of popular blogs, impossible to simply turn a blind eye to as most people once did. Riots and protests flare up at every turn, sometimes as often as daily, causing yet more disarray and discord. The Chaos Controller has left her mark on the people of Sunseong. The damage is far from repaired yet -- and experts say the situation is far from resolved, with investigations still underway to uproot the matter at its core and prevent such terror from coming again.
Supernatural relations are on thin ice, perhaps moreso than they have been before. Many human leaders have begun to more silently side with the Chaos controller’s ideals -- some even more vocally proclaiming that October will not come again. Even some mundane citizens often seem to think that perhaps their city would be safer with the “supernatural menace” eliminated. The Chaos Controller would have never attacked if they weren’t around in the first place, right? And even if her target was supernaturals, how many humans had to be caught in the crossfire for her goal to come to fruition?
But in a brighter twist, the disaster has sparked discussion. With the protests has come a great deal of activists pushing for supernatural rights -- people who want to protect supernaturals from these sorts of horrors, and who see the threat as a factor of negligent surveillance more than simply supernatural nature. Some political figures have stepped forward as the head for these movements, claiming that humans are humans regardless of their magical alignment. Many heated discussion are thrown around on various pro-supernatural news sites and channels; media from around the world is turning its eyes toward Sunseong.
The makings of a change are certainly here -- but no one can see yet what form it will take when the storm finally settles.
Thank you for participating in our first event, EXHIBITION: CHAOS! We hope you enjoyed this event, and we hope you will also enjoy future ones to come!
Provided here is a list of all muses who have received points for participating in our event, with the base participation bonus being 20 POINTS and additional bonuses (+5 each) being awarded for completed threads and holding multiple threads.
CHRISTIAN YU @obscris: +35 (participation +20, multi-thread +15)
HAN DONG @obshandong: +35 (participation +20, multi-thread +15)
JANG DONGWOO @obsdongwoo: +25 (participation +20, multi-thread +5)
SEO YONGGEUM @obsxseo: +25 (participation +20, multi-thread +5)
SONG JIHO @obsxjiho: +20 (participation)
SONG MINKWANG @obsmin: +25 (participation +20, finished thread +5)
STEPHANIE HWANG @obstiff: +20 (participation)
TEN @obsxten: +50 (partcipation +20, multi-thread +30)
TERADA TAKUYA @obsxtakuya: +20 (participation)
If you were missed somewhere in this list (or your multi-threads or finished-thread bonuses were not properly counted), please send the main a message with links to the threads in question and we will get you sorted out!
Please just link this post on your points tracker to verify that you have received the indicated points for this event. Thank you again for participating, and we hope you continue to enjoy your stay here at Obscura!
A STORM BREWS ABOVE THE SHIFTING CITY.
( something sinister has almost certainly begun. )
April 30, 2017. 6:30 am.
Morning begins the same way in Sunseong as it always does: the first lights cracking over the horizon, shining between the skyscrapers of the central district, amid the trees bordering the east, illuminating the city’s darkened corners and driving the underworld back into the shadows once more. The world begins to move: businessmen sleepily hitting the subways with morning coffee in hand, shopkeepers shuffling to prepare for the morning rush, students sleepily dragging themselves toward their early classes.
This is merely daily life for a city so full of colors and kinds as Sunseong.
7:00 am.
A group of students gather in the quad at SSU, a dull chatter beginning to rise as more of them prepare for the morning.
And then, someone looks up, and a scream rings out.
There in the warm light of dawn is a cold sight indeed: strung up above the school’s gate are three bodies, mangled and stained crimson: a gruesome work of art that could’ve only been set up by a madman.
The bodies are not human.
7:30 am.
The police force and DSEM’s phone lines explode with calls: a fae with their wings broken hung spread-eagle above one of the megaclubs in the south, a half-shifted weretiger with its neck cut on display on one of the old temple gates in the east, a dragon-blooded dangling by its neck from many vines of dragon’s bane in the north -- face blue. The list goes on -- each atrocity more shocking than the last, each one clearly supernatural.
And with each display comes a warning painted in blood: “ALL SUPERNATURALS MUST DIE.”
Yet in a display of irony, only magic could be the source of the fliers that’ve flooded the city from nowhere at all -- there’s no way that someone could’ve affixed so many to so many surfaces in so little time, is there? On these, too, the text is the same every time:
“The Chaos Controller is coming. All supernaturals must die. Any supernatural seen out under the cover of night in the next two weeks will be hunted and displayed for all to see. We will not tolerate this supernatural scourge any longer. The Chaos Controller will eliminate anything that stands in her way.”
8:30 am.
Almost all of the bodies are retrieved immediately, with all possible hands called in to assist with the process; photos are taken, but it’s hardly necessary with how viral those not taken by officials are already becoming.
The news flashes wildly with urgent updates, paranoia and fear taking root -- what is the meaning of this, what could they want? There are interviews with known supernatural sympathizers, known supernatural opponents -- there are heated debates, all inconclusive: no one knows what to do, how to feel. If there is even a conclusion to be reached, no one can seem to find it -- not yet, not completely, not except for this simple fact:
We are not safe here.
Welcome to Obscura’s first event, “EXHIBITION: CHAOS”!
In summary, obviously non-human dead bodies have been put on display in various important places throughout the city, with the clear intent of as many people as possible seeing them. The Chaos Controller, a mysterious entity who seems to be at fault for this gruesome show, has issued a warning that any supernaturals found outside at night during the next two weeks will be killed -- but for what purpose? Why such a grand display necessary? Everyone is on edge, no matter where they stand -- but before any conclusions can be drawn, the immediate issue must be dealt with.
Information for all citizens:
The Chaos Controller’s followers, a motley crew seeming to consist mostly of humans and witches (but with some other supernaturals in the mix?), are prowling the streets at night attempting to hunt and kill magical characters. They seem to be equipped with some method of detecting magic -- though these methods are always questionable and may in fact detect wards, human innate magic, and other things as being magical, or completely miss magical beings who do not outwardly display a great amount of magic.
There is no assurance that even humans are safe. Precautions to protect yourself when going out at night are recommended.
New bodies are appearing each morning like clockwork, even when people have been set to watch likely locations for appearances -- while they’re being collected quickly, as well, photographs are still circulating rapidly through the internet and news channels.
Information for DSEM-affiliated characters:
While DSEM ostensibly agrees with the elimination of all supernaturals, they disagree strongly with the flashy methods displayed by the Chaos Controller’s followers -- no one wants to see dead supernaturals any more than they want to deal with living ones.
DSEM is investigating the Chaos Controller’s motives and identity, suspicious that she is in fact a supernatural herself; many of their higher-ranked operatives are currently occupied with this.
Other DSEM hunters are to watch out for heightened supernatural activity due to the backlash of the Chaos Controller’s actions. The entire organization is on high alert for violent activity at large -- even if it is directed primarily at supernaturals, the increased violence throughout the city is a danger to the humans they seek to protect.
In essence, DSEM hunters may interfere with situations throughout the city as they deem necessary to keep further chaos from spreading and keep more bodies from showing up. Most other hunts, aside from high-level or long-running operations, have been suspended for the time being to attempt to control the situation at hand.
Information for Aequitas-affiliated characters:
Aequitas’s stance, if it can be called one, is against this Chaos Controller -- she is clearly creating a dangerous situation for all of Sunseong’s citizens.
Aequitas hunters are to act of their own will, as usual, but the climate of the guild seems to be tilted toward attempting to hunt those responsible for this situation -- those who are currently out hunting supernaturals indiscriminately -- as well as providing protective services for those who are simply trying to live their normal lives, but are afraid of the Chaos Controller’s followers attacking them.
Any posts made with relation to this event should be tagged with “obs: exhibition”, whether they be self-paras or threads! All muses who participate in the event in some capacity will receive 20 points upon its completion, with possible bonuses awarded for multiple threads, completed threads, and so forth. Event threads and self-paras may be posted until May 30th for bonus points, but threads may still be posted after this for development purposes or just for fun!
Stay sharp, Sunseong -- something sinister is, without a doubt, boiling on the horizon.
