Day 4: Morning

[wizardseason]

Morning: 6:00am - 12:00noon

[ IRL Timeframe: July 3rd - July 10th July 17th, 2019 ]

If any hero was expecting day four to be anything but absolutely bananas, they'd been living in a dream bubble. Fortunately for everyone, they wake up where they fell asleep the previous night. Unfortunately, though, everyone receives a decidely rude awakening at 6:06am.

An earthquake.

No part of the island is safe, everywhere and everything starts shaking and rumbling. Roads split, the train tracks bend, buildings fracture, buildings collapse...

...and bright, glowing blue fissures open up in the ground.

No city is safe from their new feature, but in every single city it's clear that the cracks are coming from a specific source. In Far Haven, the cracks lead west to Craydon. In Bamborough, the cracks lead east to Craydon. In Craydon, though, the cracks lead directly north up the mountain. They gradually narrow the further up the mountain you go, where do they end?

Heroes will, of course, not be able to immediately see this pattern. How are they going to find out about it? Social Media won't be buzzing about it until noon at the earliest!

But that won't be the only thing social media is buzzing about by noon. It looks like Web is nowhere to be found. A concerned local not a stalker reports the missing knight and there's quickly a deep discussion about it. Death? Ran away? Kidnapped? Abducted by aliens? No one knows. There's no body. There's nothing. Where'd Web go?

Fourth Morning Event: All Cities: The Quake.

---

The Weather

• Eerily still.
• 64°F / 18°C
• Despite the quake, there's a nice breeze.

---

Prompts:

• 6:06am Earthquake, Everywhere: Every town has fallen victim to an earthquake. The damage is unthinkable. Cars aren't moving anymore, roads and paths are obstacle courses, and everything inside has fallen over. It was a big one! Fortunately the citizens are out almost immediately to begin rescue and repair efforts. No matter where the heroes go, there'll be someone to help, something to do, or help to be offered. Do you need saving, or will you be saving others?


• 7:45am Train Station, Far Haven: Social media is going absolutely crazy. There's a MONSTER here! There's a monster in the train station!! Numerous pictures are posted of a Child-shaped monster with ten eyes instead of a face. Today, however, he's wearing a pair of black athletic shorts, some flip-flops, and a T-Shirt that says "I'm with Stupid" on the front and an arrow that trails around to the back of the shirt where it says "You're Stupid". At the train tracks, he's going one rail tie at a time repairing them to get the tracks straightened and fixed again. What's the deal???


• 08:00am International Cabin of Crepes, Bamborough: As if Social Media wasn't buzzing enough about the monster in Far Haven, it explodes again when the Wizard arrives at ICoC for breakfast. Several servers post that she asked for "the family table" and she invited all the knights and the princess to join her. Breakfast. Her treat. Anyone who comes to visit will find her sitting at the head of the biggest table, sipping a mug of coffee.


• 11:00am Mountain Base, Craydon: [Exploration] Several hikers have returned from up the mountain, reporting that they'd found "strange doors" blocking their path. According to the description they gave, it sounds like the doors can only be opened if one, or more, of the heroes make the climb up the mountain. The cracks go up past the doors, but there's an invisible wall all around the area that stops them from ascending any further. Whatever's going on up the mountain will need some heroic intervention to figure out. Good luck, heroes!

---

Procedure:

Reply to the appropriate toplevel comments for events below. Indicate if a post is a private conversation with "Private" in the subject otherwise all threads should be open to interaction with others. Plan OOCly how you'd like to toss everyone around.

Important: 'Exploration' toplevels will unlock additional information as items in their descriptions are explored. If your character explores a feature, write [Character explores ____] at the end of your tag and send a ping on Discord to get a reply with further details regarding that item.

Comments

[wizardseason]

"Literally in a casket" She confirms after he asks. But then he's asking the important questions, and she nods to confirm his first two questions. Except he can't see those, so she voices it too.

"They are, and they are. He expects them to go back to sleep. But you can't keep something contained forever if it was already ready to get out."

[eutychia]

"So, say they did get out. I'd imagine that would cause the end of the world, considering the Protector wants to keep them inside. But you said it might not?" Luka gestures with his spoon to emphasize his words. "Why do you think that?"

[wizardseason]

"They're strong." She starts, considering how to finish the sentence as he gestures with his spoon. At this point, the berry on his plate has reached the size of a grapefruit. It finally stops growing, and now it's just a matter of when he goes in to eat it.

"With their strength, who knows what they might do when the time comes?" She ends it, cryptically. She'd said before that she didn't know what would happen, she hadn't met them in so long that it was anyone's guess.

[eutychia]

"Sounds like something a little too uncertain to be placing any bets on. I don't blame the Protector for sticking to his methods. The tried and true method seems to have been working so far, why risk all life on earth on a mere possibility, you know?"

When Luka's spoon returns to his plate, it bounces off the suspiciously large berry. He lowers it again, a befuddled look upon his face as he tries to figure out just what the hell that is and where it came from.

[wizardseason]

"I hope you find something certain, without his help or mine, later today." She offers, curious how much actual confidence he has behind that statement he'd made. Did he believe the Protector's method was tried and true? Did he have any doubts?

"Is that too big for you?" She asks as he finally notices the berry.

[eutychia]

"Why without your help? Strange specification."

His line of thought is cut off by the Wizard's comment about his berry.

"Ah," he says, putting the pieces together. "So this is your doing."

[wizardseason]

"I'm keeping my distance." She answers, watching him.

"I don't want to have 'been thrown through a mountain' in common with him." She adds, referencing what she'd said earlier. But there's also the matter of the berry, and she watches him for any sign of what he thinks of it.

"It's just bigger, but still edible."

[eutychia]

"Maybe so." Luka replies, still gently prodding it with the spoon. "But not exactly easy to eat, hm? Are you expecting me to bite into this like an apple? How undignified."

He feels for his utensils, and picks up a knife and fork, cutting into the oversized berry like one would a fine steak at a fancy restaurant. It all looks very ridiculous.

"As long as you don't try to shove them in a casket... I think you'd be fine. Unless there's more to this I don't know. Which there definitely is."

[wizardseason]

She lets Luka have his undignified comment. He can eat the ridiculously sized berry, she won't stop him. She's, honestly, pleased that he went along with her idea of a little joke.

"I want them out and free." She answers, curious what he'd accept if she told him. Her voice doesn't give away her little inner debate before she speaks again.

"Pick a side, after today." She decides, wondering what he'll do if she puts him on the spot.

"And I'll answer more questions."

[eutychia]

"An ultimatum? That's not very nice." Luka scoffs, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And here I thought we had something, Wizard."

"The decision has already been made, I think we both know that."

[wizardseason]

Oh, Luka, what an amusing reaction. She'll play this little game of words, though, but first there's the most important bit.

"That's why you have to decide, after today." She offers, knowing full well that things were so very malleable. But then there was the other bit he'd said and she seems amused as she adds:

"Is that what you want, princess? To have something between us?"

[eutychia]

"I think we have irreconcilable differences." Luka says, laughing. "It just wouldn't work out in the long term."

"If you really need some kind of decision after today," he continues, "Then you can have one. But don't expect some kind of shocking twist."

Luka's confident nothing that could happen that day would change his mind, but he'll play along with the Wizard's specifications.

[wizardseason]

Luka will be pleased to hear a little 'heh' out of her. He's certainly an expert at turning the conversation where he wants it to go, and this was no different. She considers him for a moment before confirming his assumptions.

"I'm not expecting anything." She answers, vaguely, before clarifying a moment later.

"I just want you to have all the answers you need. This isn't my world to save, but I'd like it if you did."

[eutychia]

"That's the goal, babe. I'd like to have all the answers too, but all that matters is the end result." He sips his drink, finishing it and savoring the last bit before placing his glass back on the table.

"There's too much here that matters. If it means I don't get the whole truth, I don't care -- as long as everyone's still here."

[wizardseason]

Never change, Luka.

There's the soft sound of liquid pouring as his drink is refilled. It's, fortunately, another Mimosa. Fun fact: She can't get drunk, so she has no idea that these drinks could carry a risk like that. They just look bubbly and colorful.

And Four liked the ones with the umbrellas.

"Then you have two others you need to convince first."

[eutychia]

Luka tilts his head inquisitively. "Who would that be?"

He's already lifting his drink again while he waits for her response.

"I didn't know ICOC had such good service -- maybe it's because of who we are though." He muses aloud, taking another sip.

[wizardseason]

Off to the side, the waiter is immediately looking flustered about the good service. Does that mean a good tip? That mimosa wasn't from here, was there even a button for mimosa? Would the charge just be like... a large orange juice??? The waiter's got some shit to figure out.

"You'll meet one of them later today." She answers cryptically, before giving her mug a little swirl.

"And the other one is in your head, missing out on good service."

[eutychia]

"The Protector?" Luka blinks, lowering his glass.

"I thought he was on my side by default. Y'know, the side that's trying to save the world. Why would I need to convince him?"

[wizardseason]

"Because he's going to let the world end when he defeats me this year." She answers like it's the most obvious answer in the world.

"He rejects reality."

[eutychia]

"What?!" Luka nearly spits his drink. "Why. If he wanted the world to end he could just let it happen. I know you don't agree on what's best for the world, but until now my understanding was that he wanted to prolong its existence at any cost."

[wizardseason]

Even if Luka had spit his drink, the Wizard wouldn't have been hit with it. All's safe to spit-take here!

"He thinks he's saving it, that its destruction is a lie I've come up with." She takes a sip of her drink again.

"He thinks time will make the flames die out; instead it's just given them time to regain their strength."

[eutychia]

"So... the contract you made isn't valid anymore? I thought defeating you was supposed to buy us another year, per whatever agreement you all made way back when."

[wizardseason]

"All that does is take me out of the picture every year. Without me, there's no opposing votes. Just one versus two absent."

[eutychia]

"I see... so, after all the fanfare, you all vote? So he's not going to vote to save the world this year becaaaause.... he thinks the world ending is fake now? Because the world's calmed down or something? Stop me if I'm getting this wrong."

[wizardseason]

"He's going to vote to continue, they're going to vote to end it, and without me as a tie-breaker it all stops." She answers, watching him over.

"Because they haven't forgiven him for imprisoning them, or probably me either for going along with it for so long."