the answer many awaited did not come from the crowns, no head of court or spymaster able to deduce what had befallen on their lands.
it came with a knock at the very front gate of aureth. it was just before dawn, before the city had even fully awoken. the guards questioned who would come in this way, a large party of travelers that did not quite smell as they should. alarms are rang, but the visitors do not look concerned. they simply wait, certain in their path. the guards demand their business, and one lone member of the pack steps forward to demand an audience with the queen. tension rises, but one singular sentence grants them their desire, "we know what's killing your people."
they meet with queen adelina and her consort helion within the hour. what's discussed remains between those involved, but the rumors of the palace swell once more. fear riddled with tension cuts through the air, these travelers are not fae at all.
by mid afternoon letters have been sent to every noble house, every competitor, each person within the palace walls. they are now sharing residence with a special group of visitors from a continent further than aethara. these visitors are guests of the queen under very strict watch and order – the crown does not trust them – and to be regarded as any other visitor.
it's the scholars that share their knowledge first: these newcomers are not fae at all, but creatures long forgotten in the messy history of their own continent.
vampires have returned to aethara.
long believed extict, in truth, they simply built up their kingdom and warded themselves against all visitors. the vampire kingdom quite prosperous and self sustaining, living in an actual peace with the humans that share their lands. but peace never quite lasts, dictators and angry factions rise no matter the living standards. a faction of rebels began to wreak havoc upon the vampire kingdom of valmore, seemingly stopping overnight many months prior. the vampires believed they were safe, until scouts alerted them to movements they never would have expected.
the rebel faction had shifted their attention from numbers within their own borders to building their ranks with creatures that could rival any army, ancient texts claiming those changed from fae blood would be more powerful than that of a born vampire or changed human. their experiments thus far had failed, but the faction posed too great a threat for the vampire kingdom to let them go unchecked. a contingent of their strongest, their deadliest, were sent with one task: eliminate the rebellion.
fae know very little of the vampires or their kingdom, but ancient history has the scholars warning all to be cautious and weary with these new visitors even if they claim good intentions.
tl;dr: a group of vampires appeared in aureth claiming to know the cause of those mysterious deaths + disappearances. they claim to come in peace too, only hoping to eradicate the rebellion that ran from their shores to that of aethara's. they move about the halls with a darkness long forgotten, scholars unable to find any written, concrete proof they once walked this continent too. all anyone can say is be careful, for predators now reside alongside them claiming to be friends.
all new threads from this post must be for this new plot drop ! as always, any existing threads can be continued as is or converted !
vampires are now a playable species, lore + history has been added for them, but please know that fae do not know it. fae have all but forgotten their existence.
we'll also be adding an app for vampires, it will be a different one to fae.
please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have !
a gift for @vincenzodives,
location: rome rome rome
Nyloth was devoted to her cause, potent prayers to the spider Goddess riddled the past 9 days. Such piety had allowed the blanket of darkness to coddle Rome and such devout attention would allow Aegnor's defenses to fall. Still, the Devout was allowed to ensure her own fun as smoke and ash clung to the air, senselessly choking the lungs of mortals. Though it seemed death was cancelled it was riotous entertainment to watch as they fell and would soon rise again in a panicked stupor. Nothing was as enticing, however, as this warforged creature, fighting tirelessly against necrotic entities and their envoys. Through such tireless fights, Nyloth often peered upon him, a relic of the shadows she was safe as Rome plummeted to irreparable darkness and tragedy. Her voice slipped from the shadows, melodious and enticing to his ears, an arachnid comforting their prized prey, "I've been watching you."
It’s the first official day of scouting and reconnaissance. With the team officially back together, the heist is in motion. But there is a lot of preparation to be done before they can be ready to take the art as their own. THE MASTERMIND has split the group up into pairs to have separately assigned missions. These tasks are simple, but imperative to the success of the heist.
First off, THE DISTRACTION & THE ROPER will enter the museum acting as typical tourists. The two of them will talk to as many members of staff as possible to gain insight to potential weak points. Any staff member who is easily distracted, swayed, or gullible is to be noted. They may be used later to steal from or use for intel, or maybe even rope into the mission if they seem willing.
THE MASTERMIND has requested that THE PICKPOCKET help reacquaint him with the tricks of the trade. So they will be working together to pickpocket wealthy tourists. Not only is it practice should a situation arise where THE MASTERMIND needs sleight of hand, but it’s also a good way for the team to make a bit of money on the side to pay for whatever supplies they may need. It’s just imperative that they are not caught since law enforcement can’t catch on this soon.
Meanwhile, at the warehouse that the team has rented in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. It’s rundown, yet still ridiculously expensive, but it’ll get them perfectly close yet perfectly far from their target. THE RIGHT HAND and THE HACKER are in the process of setting up the warehouse and getting their first read on the security and surveillance systems at the Louvre. THE HACKER is attempting to hack into the security cameras to watch the team out if the field, all while THE RIGHT HAND lingers and advises. THE HACKER is attempting to hack into the security cameras to watch the team out in the field, all while THE RIGHT HAND hovers.
THE BURGLAR and THE GADGETEER have, for the most part, been left to their won devices. They’ve been told to unpack and set up the work stations for each of the team members. But whether or not they actually intend to do the less-than-exciting grunt work for the team remains to be seen. After all, it’s a beautiful day in Paris.
While the rest of the team is at the louvre and the warehouse, THE SAFE-CRACKER & THE CONMAN have been sent to visit one of THE CONMAN’S local connections. It’s the person who designed the safe that the louvre is currently using. They’re a person of great pride and a brilliant craftsman, but the only thing they respect more than money is someone of equal brilliance. THE CONMAN and THE SAFE-CRACKER must charm the engineer and coerce as much information out of them as possible.
Location: The Cemetery
Time & Date: January 30th, right after Jack Tanner’s funeral
Featuring: @victoriapinkett
Fletcher stood outside the chapel with his back to the late January chill.
The wake was over, and the mourners were making final small talks before the crowd would disperse – most of them would probably never return to visit Jack Tanner’s final resting place. Fletcher amongst them. Dressed in his finest black tuxedo, and matching black wayfarer sunglasses, he put out the cigarette on a metal fence and watched his own vaporised breath float off into the gray air.
Fletcher cared little about Jack in his life, and even less so in his death, but faint depression had settled into his heart. Today had been a cruel reminder where he’d most likely end up one day – on the other end of the barrel of the gun. When Michaela herself asked Fletcher to accompany her precious daughter to Pest and explain the inner workings of the drug distribution, he realised there was something big happening, bigger than a death of a Dominion. Much sinister.
He walked down the lawn and interjected Victoria’s conversation with some preppy looking rich asshole with complete lack of acknowledgement of the latter. By the looks of it, the conversation was taking longer than one would deem entertaining. “Ready to leave, Vic?” He addressed the Pestilence heiress, not even bothering to look at the other guy. “I have the car ready, we need to go. I’m sure discount Chuck Bass can bore someone else into their early grave.”
It had been several weeks since the wreckage of Moonlight Club, and only a sparse few since the suspected murder of Detective Timothy McCallen. While the disappearance of Valerie Vasquez still weighed heavily on many, it seemed the majority of New York's citizens had returned to normality. Yet as most might guess, a score was still deemed to be settled between Royals and Devils, and the Devils of the city were unlikely to disregard.
This revenge came in the form of flames, as the Quantum of Devils newly appointed Vice President had been hard at work with his ideas, promising all that he had a plan to shake the city. Attacking what one could only assume to be one of the Royal's most prized possessions. Sugar Rub Spa, owned by Christopher Krongold himself found itself alight just past midnight, the orange and red flames imperilling the city skyline. The explosion could be heard, for miles, the pavement shaken as the fires greedily spread. Touching central park, and the surrounding areas, it lasted for hours. & in total, six casualties occurred, and many others were injured. Thankfully, not many were in the building when the flames arose, however, hundreds of thousands were lost in money. As well as the general foundation of the business.
It was a daring move, one that might just taste of war, but it was done without regret. Revenge tasting sweeter than any could imagine, and by the time the last amber coaled, nothing was left of the practice. Solely rubble and ash, with the promise that this was only the start.
Good Evening folks!
This is your second part of the plot drop, in which the Devils gain their much demanded revenge. As you can tell, it went a lot further than just rummaging a bar, however, the Devils have never been known for thinking small.
Please feel free to react however you may seem fit! For the Devils, some characters may have been directly involved with Miguel in the planning and setting off of the bomb. In that case, I'd reach out to our member Ashley for plotting on that. Feel free to also reach out to others in the gang, some good ones would be Alicia Lopez and Domino Jackson since they both played a hand in this. Other ideas include your character could've been there during the explosion, watching from afar or up close. The same goes for the Royals! Christopher Krongold, played by G would be someone awesome to plot with! Or maybe those who work at the spa as well, such as Jennifer Krongold or Birdie Cheung. Since this was unexpected, did they hear on the news? A text message? Or something different altogether. Citizens, was your character near the explosion? Did they usually visit the Spa? Maybe they’re friends with a cop, like Jessica Douglas? Anything works, so feel free to get creative.
Stay tuned in the following days for another announcement of something coming up quickly. The only clue we're prepared to release is that it involves masks and the deadliest of sins.
“When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.”
— Gautama Buddha
The monks used to say that there was a time for everything. Even anger. Aang sits beside Zuko in silence as his friend speaks, his hands in his lap, and watches everything. He’s proud of Zuko, of how calm he is, how much he sounds like the good leader Aang knows he will be. He wants to listen to everyone, to give the representatives the space to let their voices be heard. And, now, it’s his job to be quiet. Sometimes, all you have to do is listen. Sometimes, that’s all you can do.
Aang recognises Qin Lee, when the former soldier stands up. As Qin talks about the horrors he saw -- people’s homes incinerated, their lives destroyed, their injures -- Aang keeps himself totally still, and his face impassive. That’s the hardest part. He can’t speak, or offer pity, or any apologies, or anything. Not yet. It’s not his turn. But the words are already building in his throat, the unplanned, unscripted, words. I’m so sorry for their loss -- We’ll do what we can -- But what can they do? What can he do? Qin wants Zuko to fix this, to prove that can, and to earn the people’s trust. Aang looks around at the sea of faces. So many of them are old people, just like he should be. He should be a hundred and fifteen, but he’s still just a kid. He might be a fully realised Avatar, but he still feels so young right now.
Ming, who hugged him and said that the Air Nomads lived as long as he kept their memory alive, stands up. Aang smiles a little when he sees her. It’s weirdly comforting. Ming might have been at the protest, but she has a good heart. He knows that. And her ideas are good. They’re not inflammatory, they’re not calls for violence. A vote for the Fire Nation council is a good idea. That was how they decided the Council of Elders in the Air Nation -- those who had earned their arrow tattoos, and were masters, could be voted into the Council. Monk Gyatso told him that.
It’s hardest to keep his expression ethereal and patient when he sees Teo. He hadn’t seen him for months! Aang’s face brightens when his friend moves to the front, and he smiles excitedly, but he’s not Aang right now. He has to be the Avatar. He shifts a little in his seat, and picks some dirt out from under his nails, his hands still hidden under the table, and his smile fades. Teo isn’t here as his friend right now. He’s here as a representative. And what he says is so painful that it takes all of Aang’s self control not to speak.
These men are all traitors not only to the people of the Fire Nation, but the world as a whole. Aang blinks, and sits totally still in his chair. Teo pulls out a scroll, but all Aang can think is that there’s too much. How’s Zuko supposed to respond to everything? How is everyone going to feel like they were heard? Teo starts listing off the war crimes, and every single one is like a blow to Aang’s chest. There’s been so much pain, so much suffering at the hands of the Fire Nation.
He always knew that defeating Ozai wouldn’t be the end, but a new beginning. He always knew that everything was going to get a whole lot more complicated. It’s like what the monks used to say about suffering. It was there, it had a cause, and you had to fight it by living in harmony with everything, and working through and letting go of your pain. You had to acknowledge it, but you couldn’t let it consume you. Evil is like an Unagi, Monk Gyatso had told him. Aang hadn’t understood. You know it’s there, but you don’t let it swallow you, Monk Gyatso had said, with his patient smile.
And, as Aang sit there, listening to Teo speak, he understands. There’s so much pain and suffering caused by the Fire Nation. And it would be so easy to look at his friend’s evidence, and to listen to Qin’s horrible stories about the things the Fire Nation soldiers had done to innocent people. It would be so easy to let his guilt swallow him. The guilt that he wasn’t there to stop Azulon and Ozai, that he hadn’t stopped Ozai sooner. Or he could focus on the pain of the people, and tell himself that he was helping by listening. But just listening isn’t enough. They need action. Everyone who’s spoken today needs something to be done. They all need justice, and action.
I represent the freedom fighters, a civilian militia group that defended lands from the Fire Nation, and protected innocent people during the war.
Aang blinks, and stares at the speaker. Smellerbee? She sounds angry. As she speaks, Aang feels a fire light inside him, a fire he’s been keeping dim as everyone said their piece. Zuko wasn’t going to kick change down the road! He was going to change things now. He knows why Smellerbee’s angry, and she has a right to be angry, but everyone is looking for a scapegoat. Everyone wants to blame Zuko without any cause. Even Teo had smiled when he’d read the charges against the Fire Nation. Everyone wants to be heard, because everyone wants to stand up and say Look at me, I’ve been wronged! And it’s your fault! Aang grits his teeth, and just fights to keep his expression calm. He’ll have his turn to speak, any minute now.
The last speaker is Ukano, Mai’s father, a member of the council. Aang watches him bow at Zuko, and he tries to quell his irrational anger. Everyone has a right to speak. Everyone. Even him. Aang breathes out, and imagines his anger as a red cloud, exhaling from his mouth, blowing away.
But Ukano just wants to save his own skin. He just wants to blame everything on Ozai and Azula. It’s easy to do that. They aren’t here to defend themselves. As Ukano speak, Aang curls his hands into fists in his lap, and didn’t let his feelings show. Everyone wants to see the Avatar right now, someone who’s above emotions, above anger. But Ukano calls Teo a liar, and says that he, himself, and the council members were just following orders, and Aang remembers Qin saying that the soldiers had caused so much pain and suffering. They were just following orders too. And the Fire Nation soldiers who’d made their way to the Air Nomad temples and destroyed them were just following orders. Ukano say he’d done it to protect his family -- that they’d all done what Ozai said to protect their families -- but it sounds like a lie. It sounds like the words of a desperate man, hiding his desperation with silky words.
I propose that their anger be avenged through the proper punishment of the Fire Lord, the root of all this evil, Ukano says. It sounds impressive, when he says it like that. Ozai and Azula are the root of all the bad, and if they’re taken care of, then all the pain and suffering that everyone’s talked about today will be avenged, and everyone will be able to move on. Ukano is talking about revenge, the two-headed rat viper. But if everything else is ignored, and if Ozai and Azula are ‘punished’, it won’t stop. Suffering and anger will just cause more suffering and anger. The cause of some of the people’s pain will have been eradicated, but not all of it. Ozai and Azula aren’t the only cause.
It’s too complicated to think about now. And Aang doesn’t have time, because it’s his turn to speak.
He stands up, and his chair scrapes behind him. He’s wearing the dark yellow robes of the Air Nomad Council, carrying a piece of them with him. And he tries to imagine what Gyatso would say if, he were here. What he would say in the face of so much suffering, and so many people out for themselves, and so many people who want revenge and retribution and change. He tries to imagine what the monks would say to the crowd. Because, like Ming said, he has to speak for them. He represents them.
“I am Avatar Aang,” he says, and he feels older than fifteen years old. He feels so much older than fifteen. He looks at Qin and Ming, and Teo and Smellerbee, and finally, at Ukano. He can feel Zuko, his friend, right next to him. And he thinks about Katara, saying that a lot of healing needs to be done. She’s right, and it has to start here. So, as he looks at Ukano, he lets his anger go. Like a red cloud, blowing away. It’s replaced with the bright blue light he saw when he opened his Air Chakra, when the love he felt for his people, and the love they felt for him, flowed through him.
“There’s been so much said today,” he says, addressing the whole audience. “I don’t want anyone to think they haven’t been heard, so I’m not going to say that everything will be fixed by tomorrow, or next week. This is going to take time. This is going to take patience.” He looks at Smellerbee, who asked for radical change. “Everyone is going to need to give Fire Lord Zuko and me, and everyone else in leadership positions, a chance to make the changes that other people have asked for.” He look for Ming and Qin Lee in the crowd, who asked for immediate change. “Everyone is going to need to be patient, but all the ideas put forward today will be discussed. Nobody went unheard.” He looks at Teo, who wants them to acknowledge the Fire Nation Council’s history. “And we need to look at where the Fire Nation has been, and what it’s done, so that mistakes aren’t repeated in the future.” He looks at Unako. “Whether all of those mistakes, and the evidence of them, is true, we’ll have to see.”
He pauses, and feels a pain in his chest. None of this was written before. He had no idea what he was going to say. He’s speaking from the heart. That’s what the people want the Avatar to do, and that’s what he wants to do. “But there is one thing the Fire Nation did that no one can deny,” he says, his gaze flickering from one face to another. “I’m not just the Avatar. I’m the last Airbender.” It doesn’t matter how many times he says that, he’ll never get used to it. It always hurts. “And I’m not speaking as the Avatar right now. I’m speaking for my people.”
He breathes slowly and steadily. “I want to restore the Air Nation Temples,” he says. “The Northern Air Temple is being used already. That can stay.” He smiles a little at Teo. “But what remains of the Southern, Eastern, and Western Air Temples,” he continues, “Is going to be restored and preserved. I know that memories aren’t held in stone, and nothing will bring my people back, but I want to preserve our homes, so that they can stand as monuments to what the Fire Nation did, and what the cost of war is.” He looks around at everyone. They’re all staring at him. He figures that they didn’t expect this. They expected the Avatar, and he gave them the Avatar, but he has to speak as himself, as Aang, the last airbender.
“The war has caused unimaginable pain and loss to so many people,” He’s careful to say the war and not the Fire Nation. He pauses. Every time he teaches his people’s beliefs, or tries to act by them, the air nomads live again. “The air nomads taught, to overcome suffering, you have to know the cause of it. But this suffering, the suffering that this war caused, is like a many-headed viper. It doesn’t have one cause. It was caused by soldiers and greed and hatred and fear, and too many things to count.” He keeps looking around, trying to make sure that everyone is seen, that everyone feels seen. “And it doesn’t have one solution either. There are going to be a lot of steps taken to heal the rifts this war caused. But we’re going to take them. Today was the first step. And I hope it was a step towards peace, tolerance, and change.”
He doesn’t know what else to say. He feels like there’s something he’s missed, or forgotten to say, or not said properly, but he doesn’t know what it is. So, he bows his head in a solemn nod, and sits down slowly.
Zuko’s self-para - The Fire Lord was calm and authoritative as he opened the town hall meeting by promising the attendees, “I promise that i am listening. everything said today will be taken into consideration when I begin to develop our plans for transformation.“ He warns all participants to be respectful and calm during this event.
Qin Lee’s self-para - Qin Lee calls for transparency from the new Fire Lord, as well as appropriate punishments for everyone who played a part in the Fire Nation’s cruelty. As a former soldier of the Fire Nation, he has “seen gruesome things nobody here in Caldera City could possibly imagine” but beyond just the soldiers, “...the entire world has a blame in the Fire Nation’s past actions. It is time to mend that.”
Ming’s self-para - “I would like to make it crystal clear: We do not want a revised council. We want the members in it to be abolished from their roles.” Ming calls for the need to have council members voted into their positions to truly represent the Fire Nation citizens. She also requests that the Fire Lord establishes a national Day of Remembrance for the lives lost during the war.
Teo’s self-para - Teo shares his shocking discovery of "a hidden library filled with documents and records of every council meeting in the last years of the war, details on the council members private dealings, and explicit evidence that these men are all traitors not only to the people of the Fire Nation, but the world as a whole.”
Smellerbee’s self-para - Smellerbee came to the meeting representing the Freedom Fighters. She says: “If the fire nation intends at all to make reparations to the people it has slaughtered, injured, used, and imprisoned then the entirety of the council needs to be eliminated. and that includes the fire lord.”
Ukano (Mai’s Father, NPC) - Ukano speaks as a representative of all the council members. He claims the council’s innocence, placing all blame on Ozai. To Teo’s alleged discoveries, he questions the motives of the non-Fire Nation boy. To Zuko, he warns against ostracizing his upper-class citizens by “wrongfully” persecuting the council members. Instead, he proposes “proper punishment” of Ozai and Azula, the real criminals.
“The fourth time Artemis shot her bow --not long was it ere thou didst shoot at the city of unjust men, those who to one another and those who towards strangers wrought many deeds of sin, forward men, on whom thou wilt impress thy grievous wrath.”
With the Coven of Delphi and the Argos Pack reigning in the destruction caused by the Eidolons, Corinth Bay had remained silent ever since. The struggle beyond the veil was only beginning, and the terror that had been unleashed upon the city was just a taste of what some of the gods had in store for those who had chosen to make the city their battleground. The death of Scylla was hidden from the gods who wanted the veil to remain intact – Artemis and Circe still in anger over the death of the daughter of the sea. It was then that Artemis decided that despite the horror they had wrought, it wasn’t enough to sway the field against the gods who wished to see the veil fall and the supernatural existence be wiped out permanently.
With Artemis’ summon, Phoenix and Nemea were tasked with creating a form of stability within Corinth Bay, before those gods who were out to destroy the city and those that remained within it could finish their plans. The siblings were at odds, conflicted over the death of their sister, and torn apart by the differences in their opinions at what had gone on over the years. They are, however, united under the fact that Artemis has tasked them to report on what has been happening, from the effects of those who faced Eidolons, and to find those who had been given one of Scylla’s scales. Circe had charmed them, and those who had been “gifted” one are beginning to have night terrors – an after effect of the scales and their proximity to those who held onto it so dearly.
The original Phoenix had called his own creations forward – those gifted with the same abilities he had. These phoenixes were brought along by their creator to bring hope to the city of Corinth Bay. In a city that had been darkened by so long, Eos let her own powers flow through her favored creation, and the ones he had deemed worthy. Noah Kramer was the soul that was chosen; and blessed with the powers of the phoenix, the human’s life was forever changed, given abilities beyond his comprehension, and a brand new world to discover.
On the other side of this, however, the fates were not so easily toyed with. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos had their own plans. In fact, they were more than ready to watch the supernatural world crumble, and with it, the fate of all the creatures that held on so dearly to their abilities and their immortality. The gods should have never changed the path of creation, and Atropos was ready to put a wrench in the plans of the shapeshifters, and their goddess who thought herself untouchable. Reapers were sent out into the city – the physical manifestations of the crossroads of death and the underworld. Atropos has tasked them with reporting back on those who wish to keep humans safe, and to disrupt any good deed done by the original shapeshifters and their kin. Despite the hope that Eos wishes to bring, the fates have ensured that each immortal creature is now feeling a sense of dread, and those who hold any semblance of magic within their souls are restless and uneasy – a promise that this is only the beginning.
OOC INFORMATION:
Phoenixes and Reapers are now playable species. (The rules apply for these as well, if you want to reserve one, please send in an fc + the species you which to reserve). There are 2 open OC Phoenixes, and 3 open OC Reapers.
Nemea and Phoenix are open for applications. Their skeletons will be posted shortly, along with their abilities. If you have an fc that is not listed, please run it by us and we will see if it is applicable.
Noah Kramer has been turned into a phoenix.
If your character has magic in their soul, they are restless and uneasy. Nothing is making sense, and they don’t understand why.
If your character received a green scale from Scylla, they are having night terrors, no matter the species. The scale is cursed, and unless they have figured that out, the terrors will not stop.
While this is not an event, this is moving the plot forward, and an event will soon be announced as well. It will not be in another month, but in about two weeks in order to give people a chance to either create a new species or make a connection with one, and hopefully have the OG shapeshifter spots filled.
