polymods: (Default)
polymods ([personal profile] polymods) wrote in [community profile] polylogs2021-05-01 03:00 pm

Destination: Carcosa

POLYMYTHOS: CARCOSA

Carcosa


Ⅰ. THE TEMPLE
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
The island's harbour is full of other ships, although not a single one of them seems to actually have a human being aboard. (You could certainly try to steal one, but doing so is an exercise in futility - you will find that even if you set off into the ocean you will wind up right back in the harbour again after spending a few hours lost in the fog.) Beyond the harbour is a glittering city of glass and gold. Curving arches and sharp geometric lines are the hallmarks of the architecture - an art deco paradise that whispers of decadence and hope for the future.

The people who crowd the streets wear suits and hats, drop-waist dresses and furs. Their faces are all blank smiles. It's the roaring twenties, darling, why do you look so concerned?

If it is your first experience of the Endless Isles, you have access to the High Temple. Should you wish, you may also seek out the island's own temple as well, which is located inside the city, in a district mostly forgotten by the residents. Don’t worry - your feet will carry you there.

The building is not large, and it is old and neglected. It has a domed ceiling, with panels of glass crisscrossed with metal painted gold curving upward. Whatever fine pattern may have formed there is lost to time; the glass at the centerpoint of the dome is gone, letting in the smell of the sea.

There are rooms equipped with beds spreading out like a spiderweb from the middle of the building. The temple proper is of course in the exact center, below the broken dome. In the middle of this circular room you will find dead branches gathered together to make a vaguely humanoid shape. This crude figure has been haphazardly painted yellow. A slab of concrete sits in front of it. There is not much to explore here; it is very quiet.

Either temple is a good place to simply rest, or meet some of your fellow Travelers. The High Temple of course has the Temple Chef and its usual Guardians, Flock, and Lantern.

The Island Temple has its own Guardians, which are small, pale humanoids with perfectly blank faces and small antlers like young deer. They will leave you alone unless you try to meddle with the central room. Doing so will result in one of them approaching you, and you will find yourself falling unconscious on the floor.



Ⅱ. THE MASQUERADE
Through happenstance, you find yourself in an enormous ballroom. Low couches are dotted everywhere, and a live band plays somewhere at the end of the massive space. A long bar takes up one side of the room, bottles sparkling under the light cast from the many cut-glass chandeliers hanging overhead. Champagne flows freely, and the scent of gin pervades the air.

All of the attendees are wearing masks.

You're dressed for the occasion, of course - you will find yourself wearing something reminiscent of 1920s America, with a small yellow sigil of some sort pinned to your breast. Ask any of the guests about it and they will tell you, "ah, it's a secret." You too, of course, are wearing a mask. You did not pick this mask, but if you look in the mirror hung over the bar you will find that it nonetheless hints at some aspect of your personality.

Which would be all well and good, except that you can't take the bloody thing off.

Moving around the ballroom, you will discover that a few other people also have the yellow sigil pinned to their clothing. It probably shouldn't surprise you that these people are all other Travelers, equally unable to take their mask off.

No, you can't unmask until you share something with your new-found friend: a secret. A REAL one, the sort you'd never speak aloud.

Of course, you can choose not to share. If you choose that route, however, you'll find that the mask is fusing with your skin. Leave it on past midnight when the cries of "UNMASK! UNMASK!" begin, and it will simply become your new face for the duration of the month.



Ⅲ. THE PLAY
Maybe parties aren't your style. No fear, there's plenty more to do and see in such a wondrous city. There's a theatre - the Meliora Grand as a matter of fact - and perhaps you're just the sort of person who would like to take in the arts.

The theatre has plush seats, and fabulous electric sconces lining the wall. Once you take your seat you'll find yourself looking at the stage, where a blood-red velvet curtain hangs. The theatre doesn't seem to fill up - indeed, it really seems that there's only you and one or two other people there. Curious.


The lights go down and the curtain is drawn open, revealing... well. Not much.

There are two chairs on the stage, a table between them. On the table lays a pallid face: a mask. Just a mask. Why not go on up and take a closer look?

Should you choose to touch the mask, you will feel a deep urge to speak to whoever else is in the theatre. You will, in fact, feel the desire to act out some sort of emotional trauma with them. Perhaps they suddenly look like your mother, your father, a lover who left you. Why don't you tell them how you really feel?

Naturally, you can both just sit in awkward silence instead. You'll be waiting until the morning to be let out, if that's the case.



Ⅳ. LOST CARCOSA
CW: the undead.
You find yourself walking along the beach at night. Along the shore the cloud-waves break, and black stars rise above you.

You can't quite pinpoint when you realise you are no longer alone. Maybe there is only one other person on the beach with you, or perhaps a few; you move as one down the expanse of sand until you realise there is something laying up ahead of you.

There is a heap of yellow cloth there, dry and tattered with age. It smells faintly of spices. Nestled among it is a jewel-encrusted human skull. Its empty sockets compel you to sit down in the cool, bone-white sand, to sit and speak to those around you about loss.

Everyone has lost something important to them. A person, a thing, a place, an aspect of the self. Something that's gone and you're never getting back. The skull grins endlessly, endlessly, encouraging you to speak about something you may not have laid to rest.

You can resist this compulsion. Maybe you were never good at sharing. Refuse the skull's silent request and you may continue down along the beach, or perhaps head back the way you came. As you walk, however, you will notice that there is a fog rolling in. It comes in off the sea/sky, obscuring the beach until you can barely see.

It's a terribly handy cover for the corpses that are shambling out of the surf. Wet, bloated, with eyes that glow a dim gold, they head for you silently. They wish to drag you back with them, into the depths. Better hope you can outrun or outfight them.

Bonus: What's that? You want a Carcosa playlist? You've got it, babes!


Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

unkindled_madness: (confused)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
[At first, the sight of someone taking the stage seems to Sephiroth to be a step towards some normalcy. Certainly as a play, it's... odd, but who knows what passes for entertainment in a foreign world? Or, maybe its denizens agree, and that's why the damn thing has no audience.

But... the man keeps looking at him, not simply
inviting but expecting him to participate, as though Sephiroth is someone else and this isn't simply a poorly pantomimed play. Like he actually believes he's readying some machine for... who knows what. It's uncomfortable, certainly not conducive to sleep.

Sephiroth rises to his feet.]


You can give it up now.

[He isn't quite expecting any normal reaction to that statement, but he wants to see if there will be any at all.]
everlastingchains: (Chaos ensues)

[personal profile] everlastingchains 2021-05-02 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[He pauses at the words. The voice doesn't match what he still sees. Whatever happened from touching the mask still lingers in his mind. His breath comes in pants, as if he's been running. He keeps looking back towards center stage. Towards what he sees as the tub where she lays dead. If they don't catch the storm now, if they don't do this now...

Eyes of a vivid bright blue, though human, have dark smudges of pure exhaustion under them. He steps towards center stage, toward the table. He's flipping switches. His voice is a desperate hiss.]


Give it up? But you asked this of me. No. Not asked. You demanded it of me, Caliban. You promised me! You said you'd leave me be. You said if I just made her for you that you'd go and let me live in peace! Well, there she is.

[He points to the spot he's been looking at.] I did what you asked. I made her. I made her for you. And if you don't want to help me then stand back and I'll do it all myself. So you can have her and I can finally be free of you!
darkdetective: (pic#14867969)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
No, no... not Lucifer. You reminded me of something.

[ he shakes his head firmly, wondering where exactly the other man had ever come into contact with the possessed or the brides of satan. a homo magi, like zatanna? or someone like john constantine, maybe. he didn't like either answer, but distinctly preferred the former. ]

Ambrose Bierce was a satirist and author on my world, someone a few of my colleagues have had some experience with. In 1911, he wrote The Devil's Dictionary, but he also wrote a short story in 1886 called... An Inhabitant of Carcosa.
darkdetective: (pic#14867970)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
Well, you are a God of Mischief.

[ bruce raises his eyebrow again. ]

I don't imagine you'd tell me the truth even if you did know, would you?
mewnifestos: (Default)

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-05-02 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well, at least one of those things sounds like something— Though the thought only draws a more amused skepticism from him. ]

Gods who encourage drinking and fancy parties? Clearly the Chantry has misled me all my life.
dothelokimotion: (With all the fear and respect)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki takes a sip. ]

I'm a God and I've always enjoyed parties. I can't speak for boring gods, however.
dothelokimotion: (Comfort was the answer to all)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ a real smile flits by his face, brief but unfettered. ]

Probably not. I suppose you'll have to take your chances.
suckonthis: (still the prettiest)

Ryo Asuka | Devilman | ota

[personal profile] suckonthis 2021-05-02 03:02 am (UTC)(link)

masquerade.


[ Any signs of youth that would make the flute of champagne in his hand a social faux pas are hidden by the mask covering the majority of his face. For whatever reason, perhaps curiosity, Ryo had found himself among the throng of beautifully adorned party goers. He'd cleaned up, and he certainly carries himself with enough confidence you'd think he felt at ease but this is not his thing. He is an uneager participant, slipping between the bodies along the outskirts of the dancefloor, making a mental tally of who also had the yellow crest on their lapels. How did he get here, again? Does he really remember?

There is no effort to truly have a conversation until he notices something concerning, completely by accident. His face was warm from the mask and the alcohol, but when he'd gone to remove the mask to wipe his brow, the damned thing wouldn't budge. He returns to the bar, looking at his reflection with a mounting sense of apprehension.

Maybe you overhear him from where he's at, standing at the bar, sounding firm over the sound of the band playing. Is he talking to the bartender? Probably. ]


It won't come o-- No, I didn't say I wanted a gin on the rocks. The mask won't come off!

[ Jesus take the wheel. Or not, considering. Either way, please. Help. ]


lost carcosa.


[ He'd gone to the beach to clear his mind from the masquerade and found himself toes dipped in the sand with some stranger, running his fingers over the cracks and jewels decorating the skull he'd come across moments earlier. How long had it been? Ten minutes at the most, of feeling the urge to spill his regrets, his losses... unlike earlier, Ryo's lips remained sealed. ]

Yeah... I think I'm going to head back to the Temple. I've had enough of this ridiculous place for the night.

[ The skull gets set on top of the bag it came out of, jewels glittering slightly in the moonlight. He stands, brushing the sand from his slacks (and silently seething when it gets in his shoes when they're put back on). At first, the rolling fog doesn't seem to bother him. It bothers him when he can barely see the person he was sharing the beach with... or the beach.

The only thing that cuts through is the low golden glow from the disgusting corpses shambling from the waters. Now, he doesn't really care one way or the other if his companion gets up fast enough, but Ryo does try and help with snapping out an order to 'hurry up, already!' ]


Come on! We need to get out of here.

[ Oh, he'd fight... if he weren't grossly outnumbered and unarmed. The odds are not in his favor. ]


misc.


You want something else? Hit me up @ [plurk.com profile] inabunk or dm me! Ryo will spend time in the Temple to get supplies and rest but I figured I would leave that up to more of a wildcard thing. You'll find him roaming if you don't follow the provided prompts, yo.
unkindled_madness: (talking)

003

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
[Sephiroth's first impulse on coming across a sobbing young man on the beach is... to keep walking. If some stranger is dealing so poorly with this situation, it has nothing to do with him.

But there are... things crawling up out of the thick fog on the water. Monsters, as it appears. Sephiroth isn't alarmed, but he stops and raises his voice to address the pathetic figure.]


You may want to run.
darkdetective: (pic#14867980)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
Suppose I shall.

[ a pause, as if bruce is always thinking, disseminating information. ]

But my guess is you're telling the truth. I don't think you like being trapped here any more than I do.
dothelokimotion: (You assume the story is about you)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki inclines his head politely, though his voice is mild. ]

I don't like rules that contain me. And I dislike being contained.
everlastingchains: (A victim of man's vanity)

[personal profile] everlastingchains 2021-05-02 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ The date causes Victor to raise his eyebrows. It shouldn't be a surprise. He's already sort of figured out that there are a lot of the "Travelers" that a far far ahead of him. ]

That was five years ago in my world. I'm afraid I was rather busy finishing my medical degree to have been reading much in the way of speculative fiction. [That and a brand new just published book would be far and away outside what Victor would have been able to afford.]

What, exactly, did the short story say? Something about masks? Or uncomfortable truths?
mewnifestos: (pic#9433449)

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-05-02 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's probably a good thing Anders isn't taking a sip of his own drink, at that. He might have choked. He also might've been better off chasing more of the locals, after all... ]

You don't say. But I suppose all the boring ones must keep to themselves, hm?
mrfuckwit: (( 33. ))

Akira Fudou | Devilman | OTA

[personal profile] mrfuckwit 2021-05-02 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
1. PARTY. (human flavor)
[ It takes Akira a moment to recognize where he's at and what is going on and as a person who is currently bitter at possibly everything and everyone right now, his instant response is to curl his nose in disgust. Gross. Social interaction. ]

What the fuck? Is this some kind of a shitty joke? Hey! I'm talking to you, idiot!

[ That's Akira beckoning a server passing by who seems to completely ignore him. Yeah, nobody wants to deal with this bratty teen who is dressed in this attire with this mask. Though, he catches sight of his reflection in a wall mirror and his shoulders slouch, a low groan bellowing out of him. ]

A demon mask. How original. So original. Let me guess. It's cause I'm a Devilman.

[ .. says Akira no nobody ever. He's just talking to himself. Last time he was at a party, there was orgies, drugs, alcohol, violence, blood... and, well. That's where he met his demon host, so he supposes this isn't so bad.. but he's just going to wallflower over here and idly tug at his mask. ]

Damn. Why won't this thing come off?

[ He's book smart. Not exactly common sense smart. ]


2. BEACH. (demon flavor)
[ Unbeknownst to a fellow traveler on the beach, Akira has been stalking these undead things for awhile now. Look, he's not going to outright admit to anyone that he's helping someone else. He just wants to fight. Tear things apart. Definitely not with anyone else's safety in mind.

So when one of these corpses gets a little too close to another traveler that is on the beach, either unaware of these creatures, running away from them or even trying to fight them, another monster appears in the air. Akira swoops down in flight with his feet extended, pouncing on the corpse beneath him. ]


Take this, bitch!

[ ooc: take a look at his opt out! also prompt 2 will probably contain gore.. for any other plotting, feel free to pm or pp at [plurk.com profile] justaways! ]
darkdetective: (pic#14860942)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
Not so speculative, if some of the supernatural is believed.

[ bruce breathes, frustrated at the sudden complexity this might imply. ]

It's about a wandering man contemplating death, who can remember how he first arrived in the city. It culminates when he finds his own grave, and he realizes he's dead and amid the ancient ruins of Carcosa.
unkindled_madness: (irritated)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Sephiroth would have simply stated that he isn't the person this man thinks he's addressing, this "Caliban," but then he goes on, and that simple phrase goes out of his head.

"Her"? You can't
make people, not in the way that he's implying, although Sephiroth knows someone who'd be arrogant enough to think that he could. What's happening on the stage is only make-believe, but for being something out of this man's mind, what is it based in? A wish? A memory?]

You made what, exactly? What is it you think you're doing here?

[He starts down the aisle, towards the stage. Stalking, almost.]
aviate: (( hj ) concern)

hal jordan | dc | open

[personal profile] aviate 2021-05-02 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
i. temple
[Hal is considerably less interested in the surroundings in comparison to the contents of the packs they've been given. He's heard this all before, their supplies are infinitely more important than whatever makes this place differ from everywhere else he's been.


The contents of his pack are placed neatly around him as he starts to repack his bag with a precision that suggests a military background. If someone comes by he'll look up with a friendly grin.]


Seen anything else around worth taking with us?

ii. masquerade
[The domino mask (in green of course) hides absolutely nothing other than his cheekbones. He's not quite comfortable in his getup, fancy balls aren't really his thing, but he'll lean in to the nearest person to whisper.]

Know what this symbol is supposed to be? And don't say it's a secret, I've heard that enough times already.

iii. wildcard
[Or hit me up at [plurk.com profile] greenlantern and we can figure something else out!]
darkdetective: (pic#14867967)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
I guess you're stuck mingling with mortals for a little longer, then.

[ he smiles, either prodding a little at his 'identity' or the fact that he's in the same position as the rest of them, is never quite clear. ]

Not that your little light show wasn't impressive [ it wasn't. ] but mythology says you can shapeshift. Is that much true?
everlastingchains: (The Doctor's work is now obsession)

[personal profile] everlastingchains 2021-05-02 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Now that's a story that resonates deeply with Victor. How can it not? The irony isn't lost on him at all.]

Life and death [He has said this before, to a man even older than Bruce. He doubts he'll be received well here either.] No more let life divide, what death can join together. Shelley wrote that. But it's not necessarily unheard of, for the dead to keep living, on a mechanical level, forever.

[The young man looks behind him a moment, almost expecting to see someone there, but he is certain he is finally free of that.]

Do you think that this place is Carcosa? Then is this a ruin and we don't see it, or should we prepare for disaster to strike.
aviate: (( gl ) you said what?)

masquerade

[personal profile] aviate 2021-05-02 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Hal stares at him like he's grown a second head.]

Is that your plan?

[Although now that he thinks about it, it's a decent idea. No one cares who the Batman is here.]
dothelokimotion: (Truth takes us to dangerous places)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki hums softly at that. ]

That is usually my experience.
dothelokimotion: (All hail the mighty glow cloud)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ his gaze sharpens slightly, assessing. he wasn't fooled by any means and superheroes make him wary on principle. ]

It is one of my abilities, yes.
suckonthis: (smug lil rich bitch)

002.

[personal profile] suckonthis 2021-05-02 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ Guess who's 'in the neighborhood'? It's your good friend, Ryo. He had just finished his fo...urth (???????) flute of champagne and saw the server standing by Simon like a hawk spotting prey mid-flight. Like a hawk, he makes a direct path to where the two stood, just in time to witness Simon recoiling from the hard liquor.

He's much too smooth in how he just swoops in there and grabs the gin out of Simon's ungrateful little fingies, raising the glass to his lips. Wow. ]


He has a sensitive stomach. Could you get him some crackers, too?

[ IS HE MAKING A MOCKERY OF THE SITUATION?

Yes. Yes he is. He waits until the server has slipped away before turning to Simon, eyebrow raising at the mask. He is very against the idea of these things being tied to the person wearing them for his own sake, but his lips are loosened by his particular brand of passing the time. ]


Club soda? Are you eighty? [ He takes a sip and sighs, the hand not on the glass slipping into his tux. ] This not your kind of thing?
dothelokimotion: (This is a story about you)

( masquerade )

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ calmly. ]

Pull it harder. That'll work.

[ such helpful advice. ]
darkdetective: (pic#14867969)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
It might be. Just because we're making connections, doesn't mean any of it's true. Not without irrefutable proof.

[ he glances around, more suspicious of the masked dancers who may actually be cultists. he was joking at first. he really didn't want it to be cultists. ]

But I remember where I recognize the symbol from now. In the story, the narrator contemplated the words of a philosopher named Hali, also known as Hastur, known in other stories as The King in Yellow.