all the devils are here.

I am the way into the city of woe, I am the way into eternal pain, I am the way to go among the lost. Before me there were no created things But those that last forever—as do I. Abandon all hope you who enter here.

[thearsonists]

Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

The very first red envelope you received was accompanied by a key and a letter. Nothing else inside, but those two things, and on the back of the envelope is your name-- written in perfect calligraphy-style writing that surely a professional must have done it? It looks like an invitation to a secret society-- does Astor even have any of those-- and, once you read the letter, you realize you’re right, for the most part. The words instruct you to keep the envelope to yourself, and to show up at an address on your own at 2 in the morning, by yourself, and without your phone. The words tell you that you’ve been selected and carefully watched, and that the findings from this activity has proven that you’re exactly what’s needed. The letter promises adventure, and mystery, and ‘show up if you want to find out’. It’s enticing enough that you do show up, and you find that you are right, after all. It is a secret society-- just not how you imagined one would be.

The selection process of who would be invited to join the Arsonist is done at least two months before they receive a letter. Dante makes sure they are fit for the group, and would be good with causing chaos, as well as carry out any other task that he might have for them. Then, he sends them the letter so they can begin the initiation, and you’ll find how that usually goes below.

Phase I.

Endurance. The address on the letter is a spot in the woods behind Astor Academy. It’s a little ways away from the lake, and at 2 in the morning, you can be sure no one is there. Buried deep in the forest is a tomb. Nothing is really buried in that tomb, except extravagance and Arthur Astor’s initial wish to bury his late first wife there, but it looks old and creepy enough, with a statue of a pained cherub guarding its entrance. At 2 in the morning, the cherub looks even more sinister. The letter instructs you to look for another envelope by the entrance, and you find it, taped behind on the back of a cherub. It says you’re being watched, and that you’ll always be watched. The second letter instructs you to stay there, until morning, without ever sitting down. It says you have to do it, or you can kiss your chances of ever joining the secret group goodbye.

Phase II.

Cooperation. So you’ve passed the first phase-- congratulations! The next red envelope comes in the middle of the night, and with a deadline. You’re asked to smuggle blood into your dorm room. Yes, actual blood. The first problem would be where to get the blood. The second would be how to slip past students, as well as the hall monitors, without raising suspicion. And you have twenty-four hours to do it, too, or the many hours you’ve spent at that goddamn tomb would be put to waste. The letter also tells you to keep the blood in your room until you receive the next letter, and it doesn’t come until three days later.

Phase III.

Loyalty. The next letter tells you to rid the blood of your own-- there’s no use for it, really, other than to see if you’ll do what’s asked (but haven’t you been doing that, at this point?). There’s another address on the letter, but this time it’s off-campus. There an abandoned radio station in town, and that where you’re headed. It’s next to an abandoned gas station so, really, the place is quite barren. You find out that this is where you use the key you were given the first time. The letter tells you to enter the room with the white door-- a new white door, so out of place in such a run-down location. Inside, you find a video camera and a recorder, a note on the recorder telling you to press play. Then, a voice, ‘What is your darkest secret? What is your heart’s deepest desire?’, then another letter placed right under the recorder, instructing you to face the camera, and speak.

[thearsonists]

You walk in your dorm room, and you see the envelope on your desk. The shade of red is familiar, and you can already tell from where you stand what the lines and the curves spell out. You wonder again, fleetingly, how he always manages to do this. Or is it a she? Nobody ever specified that the ringleader was a man-- everyone just assumed because he used the name Dante. But you wonder, how does he not get caught? How does no one know who he is? You walk towards your desk and pick the envelope up. The material is the same, too, and just like all the other red envelopes you’ve gotten before, this one smells of dead roses. You look around, make sure you’re all alone, and open the letter. He’s giving you another task.

Welcome back, Arsonists.

I’m sure you’ve all read on the Chronicle by now that they’re bringing A Midsummer Night’s Dream to campus. What a generous gift from Arthur Astor himself, right? And it seems, dear Arsonists, that the efforts we put into last year’s parting gift was put into waste. I’ve heard the Alpha Theater looks much better than it used to, and the words one of you spray-painted on the wall have been covered by expensive wallpaper. 

I feel that we, too, need to give the student body and faculty a little ‘welcome back’ gift. And what better time to give it than this Friday? Surely you must know what I’m hinting at. No, no. We’re not to mess up the drama. We know how awful it feels when the efforts we put into something are put to waste, and I’ve always been a big follower of the golden rule. But what we will do is give everyone a little surprise. Dinner party, they say? I heard they’ll be serving little sandwiches and tea. Why don’t we make it a little wild? Surprise them with broken china as their main course, perhaps? Redecorate the place a little bit? After all, a little birdie has assured me that everyone will be at Alpha Theater. 

Raise hell, Arsonists. Make me proud.

Plot drop #001

Along with the first event, we will also have our first plot drop. This will happen at the same time as the event, and all the members of the Arsonists will have no choice but to participate -- meaning they won’t be at the drama. Or, they can be but would just have to disappear just as the first scene is over, or appear before the curtain call with excuses about why they’re late. 

Characters who are not members of the Arsonists will be aware of the destruction of the East Wing dining hall only after the drama, once the dinner party ‘begins’. In-game, the dinner party begins at 9 PM. Everyone may write directly about the plot drop once the event begins, only mentioning the play in passing, or they may start with threads from the play. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to approach any members of the admin team, and we hope you enjoy our first event & plot drop!