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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

queenking: ([woof] am good pupper)

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-23 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
The big fluffy wolf shakes herself, then plops down, scratching at an itch just behind her ear, just like a dog would. A...dog that's fully four feet tall at the shoulder, but still. Both ears prick up at Kyle's voice and she swings around to face him, yellow-orange eyes intent, mouth slightly open and showing a whole hell of a lot of teeth.

It'd be a little intimidating if she weren't still wearing the remnants of a pink 20's flapper dress. But she deliberately raises and lowers her head in a semblance of a nod, then trots closer, sniffing at the ground as she goes. Better nose when she's wolfy, after all.

No clues present themselves, so she contents herself with snuffling at Kyle's hair, then headbutting his shoulder, with an impatient look at the torn fabric. Help, she doesn't have thumbs anymore :(
queenking: ([woof] apex predator)

no worries, story of my life!

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-23 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[When she's fully herself again, Saxsice is definitely going to find time to be offended about the "Fluffy" comment. But right now she just lets out a delighted growl-bark of sound, dancing from one foot to the other, just like a dog excited to go on a walk, then launches herself at the next zombie.

For a moment she's caught up in the pure exhilaration of fighting, of ducking and dodging the decaying hands that are trying to catch hold of her, of twisting free from gaping mouths trying to bite her. The scent of old blood isn't quite as thrilling as fresh would be, but she still thoroughly enjoys herself for the first few frenetic moments.

And then the zombies just keep coming, and there's an ache in her jaw that reminds Saxsice she isn't as young as she once was. So she gets more focused, aiming for necks and fleshless throats, wrenching them free so the zombie's heads roll into the surf, still snapping. She barks once, a high, clear note of sound, meaning to catch the other woman's attention, before she pounces on the disembodied head, crushing it to mush.

The heads. Go for the heads.
]
pilferings: (i sold them and now i have less)

[personal profile] pilferings 2021-05-23 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ Nate laughs, imagining the situation and then hating every second of the image it brings to mind. He doesn't even deal with a whole lot of people on a regular basis — it's been a pretty simple life, as far as he's concerned: just him, his wife, sometimes his best friend (and father figure). Now his brother, but that still only makes his circle a family of four, including himself. ]

Okay, fair enough. I stand corrected.

[ And now they're back to secrets. He waits for Benedict to try pulling at his mask after that next confession, partially to stall for his own turn. ]

Anything?
kyley_b: https://mcnuggyy.tumblr.com/ (hey)

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-05-23 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
That's one hell of a big dog. One hell of a big dog snuffling in his disastrous hair, which just makes him giggle. When she headbutts him he watches carefully, and then nods.

"Oh! Oh, yeah, sure..." He starts peeling what's left of the dress off, frowning lightly.

"You know, when you turn back you're gonna need something else to wear. Kinda sucks that happens every time. I guess all werewolves must do a lot of thrift store shopping..." The idea of a werewolf stocking up on basics at Army and Navy or something does make him smile.
dothelokimotion: (Comfort was the answer to all)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-23 08:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ well. anders has gained some respect from loki for that. ]

It's uncommon to run into a smart fighter.
combatted: (07.)

i.

[personal profile] combatted 2021-05-23 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ He'd taken a boat out and had to swim back. Dick is soaking wet, his jacket still dripping, and yet he seems perfectly still, just sighing as he gazes out on the open ocean. No more chance of escape here than there was previously, and he's not keen to get his feet wet a second time. Ha, ha. ]

I hear you, [ he says, a little wearily. ] It's a great hobby.
combatted: (05.)

i. temple

[personal profile] combatted 2021-05-23 09:57 am (UTC)(link)
Just the food.

[ Which doesn't taste so bad, and he's always inclined to take that first, not knowing or trusting where the next one is coming from. ]

[ Dick squints at him. ]

... Have we met? You seem familiar.
combatted: (02.)

i. high temple

[personal profile] combatted 2021-05-23 10:03 am (UTC)(link)
The room isn't strictly occupied. Dick has just been scouting out the best ones, the corners, the high places. Not that it seems a defensible position will do much. There's not been any violence amongst the Travellers, the shock and anxiety is maybe holding it off as everyone focuses either on settling in or escaping.

He'd like not to die trying to get out, that's for sure.

'Hey,' he says, from the door. 'What's up?'
neverwither: (It’ll be alright (or I could be sneaky))

No worries! I hope your kitten is settling in well :3

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-05-23 11:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well now. This poses quite the dilemma. On the one hand, a gift should be accepted with grace. On the other, the source of said gift suggests that a polite decline would be the just course of action. However, that's assuming a standard of morality - and lawfulness - that may or may not be present in the place they find themselves in. But then, is she really in a position to turn down potential alliances? And that could be why she's being offered the pearls in the first place - a way for the woman to bond with a fellow Traveler. People do things for all sorts of reasons, and it isn't fair for Chloe to jump to conclusions nor judgements because of 'rights' and 'wrongs' that don't fully encompass the complexity of human experience.

So Chloe smiles and takes the pearls to put them on. ]


That's alright. Better to feel lovely for a little while than not at all, hmm?

[ She looks down at the pearls for a moment then back up to the woman. ]

I'm not sure if I'm one for wild nightlife but I am for getting all dressed up. Though I suppose a good party is a way of blowing the cobwebs away.
neverwither: (It killed the cat)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-05-23 11:57 am (UTC)(link)
"It's lovely to meet you, Anders. Despite the circumstances." She gives his hand a squeeze in return, grateful for his presence, his agreement and his merciful lack of any further questioning. "Yes, absolutely. I'm not sure how authoritative they may be but there are beings at the temple we could alert?"

Though she isn't sure how much they might be able to do, exactly. Or how much they might care. Though that's too dark a thought to linger on for too long. As is the thought that the undead crawling out of the sea may be part of a grander test of character. Or perhaps a punishment for those who defy the lure the skull seemed to have.

"Oh, no. I'm fine. Please don't worry." Still, she glances down to her arm to make sure it appears nothing other than human. "And you? You're alright?" She looks him over for any obvious signs of injury that she may have missed before. "Are you tired from using your... abilities?" As it seems better to let the man himself to give the precise terminology rather than assume.
neverwither: (When you stare into the abyss)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-05-23 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It doesn't take much to see how the level of agitation is rising and so before attending to anything that's been said, Chloe grabs a glass from the tray of a passing waiter and offers the drink to her. It's one way of calming the nerves, at least. ]

If they are all in on it, that could be a positive. They could have information that we might be able to uncover somehow.

[ Not that there seems to be an action or wording that prompts anything beyond 'it's a secret' at the current time. Maybe the code hasn't been cracked. Or maybe there isn't a code to crack at all. The unmarked guests don't appear to be the most present. So time to go back to facts. ]

We've been told it's a journey of personal growth, hmm? Vague, yes, but... It makes sense to throw us into circumstances we couldn't have really prepared for. A test of character, perhaps. Or to see how we interact with each other. Maybe it's a little less secretive when we start thinking of it that way?
neverwither: (A happy curious girl)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-05-23 12:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Her own handshake is not dissimilar to Jennifer's in that it's just how it should be. The professionalism inherent in Jennifer's gesture doesn't go unnoticed, and a new curiosity about her companion blooms. She's friendly, seems logical. Interesting.

"That sounds like some positivity to combat the earlier cynicism." It's almost said as a question, but not quite, and it's accompanied by a warm smile. It would be lovely to remain entirely positive but as they've been picking it all apart, the more Chloe wants to unravel things.

"Do you think there's much influence to be had? Though I suppose we can't really tell at this stage. I just get the feeling it may be hard to tell what we can influence and how much may be the illusion of being able to do so."
neverwither: (100% interest 100% of the time)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-05-23 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's a beautiful name," she comments softly. "And it's very lovely to meet you, River. Thank you for sharing your story." Something that is often not easy to do, and so Chloe gives her a warm, gentle smile.

Slightly taken aback, at first she just murmurs, "Oh." For a second she looks around them, as if the man she herself has spoken about may suddenly appear out of nowhere. What a surprise that would be. And yet also not.

Her attention quickly returns to River to carefully ask, "How was it?"
unkindled_madness: (arms folded)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-23 01:02 pm (UTC)(link)
No.

[Frankly he doesn't even know who named him, much less where the name came from, but he's sure it isn't Italian because--]

There is no "Italian" in my world.

[Whether that's a language or a culture, or something else. He's been quite certain for a while that they aren't from the same place.]
shapeshistory: <user name=bungalows> (Chanel)

so sorry for the late response!

[personal profile] shapeshistory 2021-05-23 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah. I see. [ It's a strange sort of sound, one that brings about the idea of a calmly strangled goose. Confident, but incredibly confused.

Different worlds, the man aboard the boat had said, the one giving them the spiel--the one that gave Jack one hell of a bad feeling, the one he's most assuredly going to find a way to talk to whether he likes it or not if he can't escape this fucking island--but what's to say Anders can't actually chuck a fireball here or there? He brings a thumb up, pressing against his mustache as he thinks, making it a bit of a show. ]


Show me. [ He's curious--and maybe the dock isn't the best place for a little bit of flame, but damned if he isn't incredibly intrigued. It's just a matter of playing it cool. ]
shapeshistory: <user name=bungalows> (Gucci)

[personal profile] shapeshistory 2021-05-23 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jack nods, chin jutting out slightly, and busies himself and his hands. With Anne on the lookout, this should be significantly easier, and steering a small little boat like this is absolutely no problem for the two of them. ]

It's complacency. [ He wrinkles his nose slightly, his train of thought sudden, unheeded. Anne will follow. She always does. ] Perhaps there would be an amenable solution to being dragged here against our will, even overlooking the end goal to 'be a better person.' [ That's a laugh, he thinks bitterly, Jack has no intention of changing. ]

You've seen the people in that place? The ones that aren't us? They've the complacency of livestock, their faces so dulled they may as well be wearing masks.
shapeshistory: <user name=bungalows> (Default)

[personal profile] shapeshistory 2021-05-23 04:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He'd be lying if he didn't say he got a kick out of that--prim and proper, composed, refined, and all it takes is the word 'whore' said in an offhanded manner to cause an upset in the fancy man. Good to know. He shrugs. ]

It's not required, I suppose. [ And as much as he loves his brothel, he also enjoys not hearing faked moans all the time. ]

British?
shapeshistory: <user name=bungalows> (Hermès)

[personal profile] shapeshistory 2021-05-23 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Finally, the promise of some rum. He was going to grab some anyway, of course, but company makes things infinitely better. He's not above getting more advice, either, he's just particular about how, and a shared pint sounds like far more even ground to him.

There's a twitch in the other's handshake, and one of Jack's brows shifts down while the other remains up, trying to read the ripple of lord knows what. Maybe his new drinking acquaintance is secretly mad. Maybe he's planning on killing him.

Maybe he's heard of Jack, and a slow, small, toothy smile begins to poke out of the moment of confusion. The other's pulling himself together, recognizably so, and that tone of voice is the same one he's heard himself slip into when he talks of Avery. For a brief moment, he's reminded of a young girl in Boston with a pretty face and dressed in pretty silks asking about Charles Vane and Captain Flint and Jack Rackham himself. Still a pretty face in this situation, but less expensive clothing and far more of a strange accent. ]


Heard of me, have you? [ Jury's out on whether or not the punctuated expletive the other's given is a good thing or not. Either way, it's a great day for his ego. ]
pilferings: (the bananas has gone bad)

[personal profile] pilferings 2021-05-23 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's been a few hours too long, past the point of 'checking out the boats', hurtling straight past 'making a slight detour' and landing directly into 'he must be in danger, I need to find him' territory. Which is how, post-orientation with the Ferryman, Nate comes to be on the beach, hovering somewhere along the docks half-watching the boats tied to their posts bobbing along the surface of the water, back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm, while he's scanning the horizon line for a sign of a stray craft and an idiot older brother manning it.

It isn't until he hears a commotion somewhere down the length of the shore that he heads in that direction, a familiar cry of 'Jesus Christ!' tearing through the calming soundtrack of the surf and sea breeze in an otherwise peaceful afternoon, and just barely catches a large gilled mass slide back into the waters, leaving the product of its regurgitation on the sand. ]


— Rafe. [ He stops in his tracks, eyes move between him and the sticky, mucus-covered shape lying on its side in the sand, groaning, and oh god — ] No.

You're shitting me —

[ Nate can't avert his gaze towards the sky quickly enough; somewhere back towards the water, pretty much to anywhere other than his very naked brother lying on the sand like a beached whale once he realizes what he's seen. ]

Sam? [ said to the beach. ] What the hell are you doing? What happened?
nanban: (abuh?)

[personal profile] nanban 2021-05-23 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
That is unexpected. Winds and storms? Hawks looks surprised about that revelation, and it's genuine. Of course, you can't always tell what someone can do looking at them. Hawks is obvious, though all the things he can do with his feathers are not as easy to figure out.

"That sounds like a hell of a thing to lose," he says. "I'm sorry I can't see it."

It sounds like Vlad has some sort of price to pay for his abilities, though.

"Your abilities aren't just something you're born with?" he asks. "How'd you get 'em?" He's nosy by nature, so he just asks. If Vlad won't answer, he can always move on to something else.
pilferings: (oh stop your whining)

[personal profile] pilferings 2021-05-23 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Clarke, please. Get yourself some real-life, not-skull friends to confide your secrets to.

The sad thing, or the tragic thing is — Nate can kind of understand this kid. Not because he grew up talking to skulls or anything, but that sense of defiance, a refusal to budge unless he wanted to? That instinct is woven into his DNA, makes him the reckless treasure-hunting, career criminal he is today. Whether that helps or hinders him in dealing with teenagers just like the one he used to be, however, remains to be seen. ]


Trust me, that thing's not a good listener.
libertalia: (47 - 7wYwnTo)

[personal profile] libertalia 2021-05-23 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
( yeah, he hears it alright, and he's also going to shrug it off completely. he shoots nate a look back that basically says don't use that tone with me, and while you're at it, don't look at me like that. maybe he's being boldly and wildly optimistic here, or maybe he just has a little bit of faith that together they're both good enough to be able to pull this off without a hitch. security in this era is practically nonexistent, which is great for them. if they can break into a heavily guarded black market auction, they can pull a simple lift from a vintage department store. he's not expecting to get shot at by an army of rent-a-thugs for trying to steal a lighter. it'll be a walk in the goddamn park.

at first it might not seem like he's fully listening, but really he's thinking about ten steps ahead when nate asks him what their play is, so it takes him a second to backtrack to the present. nate's not the only one who does that thing. it runs in the family. his hands are about to start flying as he goes over the plan, so strap in.
)

Alright, here's how we run it: you go in first, act natural. Look like you're picking something out for the wife. ( is that a sensitive subject? it's fine. moving on. ) Then I'll come in and find the attendant, chat her up a bit, get her to show me the lighters on display, let me take a look at my options, you know. Let her try to sell me on the ones I don't want, especially the ones worth more than a pretty penny. That's when you come over, grab her attention. You need help with something, her feminine opinion. It's for the wife, you see, and you're hopelessly lost. I'll say it's fine, I'll wait here, it's a busy day, I understand — I need more time to consider my options, anyway. You keep her occupied elsewhere, then I'll palm the lighter when no one's looking and walk right back out. We'll meet back around the block. Easy.
motiontostrike: (pic#14255617)

[personal profile] motiontostrike 2021-05-23 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
All the Ferryman's talk of quests and redemption swirls in Matt's mind when the mask obstinately refuses to separate from his skin. If this is some kind of lesson they're all meant to learn, it seems to him they could have started the lot of them out just a little bit easier. It's a relief that only his eyes seem to be truly covered, but if anyone has a mask that's more restrictive of more critical functions, this is about to get dire pretty quickly.

"Okay, tell me what you see." He reaches for the boy's elbow and turns them both in an about-face to survey the largest part of the crowd. As Kyle scans at his behest, Matt concentrates on how many of the others seem panicked and if anyone appears to have figured out a solution. "Has anyone out there got their mask off?"
motiontostrike: (pic#14407467)

[personal profile] motiontostrike 2021-05-23 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nobody," Matt echoes. He takes the time to raise his glass as if toasting the very notion. For a moment, he can be glad of the anonymity. Maybe it complicates things in the long run. This would all be a lot easier to get the hang of if he had any sense that it was designed as an elaborate ruse to trap him specifically. But he's been looking for the seams of this illusion since he's arrived, and so far he hasn't even found a thread to tug.

"I'm afraid I'm just as stuck as you are. I could get you a straw? Or maybe you could tell me if you see anyone out there who doesn't seem to be caught in our current predicament."
motiontostrike: (pic#14407486)

[personal profile] motiontostrike 2021-05-23 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's what the Ferryman said, isn't it?" It's not the strangest thing he's ever said, but it ranks up there. While it would be a lot easier to think this is all just some kind of elaborate illusion meant to trap him inside his own mind, he's found no evidence of that yet. In fact, Matt has to concede that there's more pointing to the fact that he isn't the main target of this at all. Not that being caught up in someone else's bad trip is any more reassuring.

"'Redeem yourself, save the world.' It's a lot of pressure all right. I don't get the feeling they're giving us much choice, do you?"