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: (arms folded)

1

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hello, fellow wallfower. Sephiroth has a similar opinion of social gatherings, though he's expressing it rather more quietly, with a level glare out in the general direction of the crowd. Scanning it for some sign of... he honestly isn't sure what. But this is some kind of game or puzzle, so it must have pieces to work out. He's already made a few attempts to remove his mask, and his arms are folded in part to keep himself from repeating the apparently futile gesture. He's wearing a fairly simple dark suit and mask, his long hair still unbound.

He glances at the young man nearby. He wouldn't have said anything of demons or devils; the mask looks Wutain to him. If by some chance it actually is, he's sure his hair will give him away as this man's enemy. What is the point of a mask that doesn't actually conceal your identity?]


I imagine it's part of the same magic that dressed us this way in the first place.
unkindled_madness: (curiosity)

masquerade

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sephiroth... doesn't attend parties, at all. He had no intention of attending this one. But it seems the sorcery of this world, which he's coming to despise, insisted he be here. Dressed in a dark grey suit, black shirt, and silver tie, with a feathered mask of a more subdued style. The disguise seems rather pointless when he has such recognizeable hair, but the magic won't let him remove it.

It's frustrating, being toyed with this way, and uncomfortable being dropped in the middle of such a crowded social event. He manages to make his way
off of the dance floor and finds himself near the bar. He intended to use this vantage to scan the crowd for any sign of a culprit, or some source of the magic, but there's someone here who stands out even more than he does.

Sephiroth himself may not be entirely human, but he (perhaps stubbornly) believes that he is, and the only visible indication otherwise are the slit pupils of his eyes. This woman is... very obviously inhuman. His frustration subsides somewhat, not into alarm, but interest. And no, he makes no effort to disguise his stare as he watches the movement of those wings. Such manners.]
darkdetective: (pic#14867995)

masquerade

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, no.

[ not harley. he can hear her voice and spot her mask from across the room before she has a chance to see him, giving him the very choice opportunity to turn around and shield his face. nope. ]
spoilers: (Default)

[personal profile] spoilers 2021-05-02 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello, fellow thief. I mean, why pay for things when you can just take them?
kyley_b: (gross)

Lost & Found

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-05-02 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Deadpool might not mind the zombies, but somebody else sure does.

Kyle had felt strangely lonely wandering along the beach, but he'd chalked that up to the fog and the sound of the surf, reminders both that he was very far from home. He came to notice that the steady rhythmic sound of the waves was being interrupted by an off-beat sloshing. He'd paused on the beach, staring hard into the white wall of fog and wondering if there was perhaps an animal out there. Shapes gradually materialized, and with them so did sudden terror.

Which is how it came to be that Deadpool's tenderly melancholy moment is interrupted by a tall, gangly redhead running down the beach shrieking like a firebell. "ZOMBIES! FUCK! SHIT! THERE'S ZOMBIES!"
extrasensory_problems: (flower)

Carter Ghazikhanian| Marvel 616 (adult au) | OTA

[personal profile] extrasensory_problems 2021-05-02 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Ⅱ. THE MASQUERADE:

He can honestly say that he's never been in this kind of situation before.
And not just the whole 'hey an ancient being is throwing you onto a random weird island' deal, but also he's never been to such an extravagant party in his life. The closest he's ever come to seeing this kind of ball was watching things like 'Boardwalk Empire' or the 'Great Gatsby' movie. And so with that in mind, it's not really all that shocking that the outfit he has found himself in is a replica of the pink suit Leo wears in said film. His mask however is different from a lot of the masquerade ones he sees floating around the room, his is a sleek matching pink mask that is commonly used in hospitals.
He finds himself wandering through the ball, looking at all the décor and costumes with an almost bright eyed wonder. He's so enthralled he might not see where he's going and bump into someone, if so he turns and immediately starts to apologize.
"Oh! I'm sorry!"

Ⅳ. LOST CARCOSA:

Time
Loss
Pain
Death

He stares at the jewel encrusted skull and feels it stare right back, the empty sockets a void of cruel laughter.

He doesn't know how long he's been standing on the beach, but it feels like forever. The last thing he can remember is leaving the party, his head feeling light from the gin and the swirling upbeat energy of all the people around him. He had left because after a few drinks he started to hear people's thoughts and some of them were odd.
Disturbing even.

Strange is the night where the black stars rise

So he had left and somehow found his way onto the beach, hoping for peace and quiet and a moment to re-center himself. But there had been something else...

And strange moons circle through the skies

Some kind of pull that he could feel directly in his head, something that was calling to him without words. So he had started walking and eventually found his way to this bizarre funeral mound, that feeling getting stronger and louder.
And then...

Things are dark and he finds he can't pull his eyes away from the skull, he can only stare and whisper two words.

"She's gone."
nanban: (Default)

[personal profile] nanban 2021-05-02 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, cool. Hawks is pretty good at figuring things out so I assume he'll eventually get there. Thank you!
motiontostrike: (pic#14255606)

ii

[personal profile] motiontostrike 2021-05-02 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
It's the pursuit of something a little less jarring that's driven Matt to the theatre as well, though the idea of sleep is the furthest thing from his mind. He's managed to extricate himself from the mask portion of the masquerade, and somewhere between there and here he's shed two layers of wool for the relief of a Wilton-collared shirt in yellow and peach stripes and a set of trousers.

Matt sinks into an antique wooden seat on the front row and folds his cane. Compared to the party, the electric hum emanating from the sconces is a welcome change. He can hear that single heartbeat too, strong and scarcely nervous.

"Sounds like an expensive nap," he notes absently, until his company goes on. "Really? Religious, political...?"
evocation: (060)

[personal profile] evocation 2021-05-02 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, yeah, I guess.

[It does make sense, but she sounds grumpy about it. Maybe she's determined to be negative about this. Meanwhile, she pops a bit of chicken into her mouth.]

What do you mean, you don't have anything back home?

[Nosy!]
vladpire: (Amused - 1)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-02 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
The voice draws his attention, and even with the mask on, it should be clear that Vlad offers Benedict a smile. A dip of a nod in return, and he glances over the mask the other man wears. "There's nothing to be ashamed of in the lines of simple elegance, sir." Simple, clean, but striking nonetheless.

He lifts a hand to his own in a gesture. "I hardly made the choice, but I'm told it suits." With 'Son of the Dragon' as one of his many titles, it did, indeed, suit. His late wife would have found it amusing, more so the expression he wore under it that spoke of his thoughts on the matter. Balls could be silly things. This one was silly, but perhaps not such a waste of time, if he could glean a few things that could help him figure what was expected of them here. "I am Vlad Tepes, newly arrived. And yourself?"
vladpire: (Smile - 5)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-02 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
He saw her through the bodies that milled and danced and laughed in merriment all around them. It was hard to miss one such as her, and he'd found her previous presence almost soothing. Something akin to like calling to like. He'd liked her hair loose before; it spoke more to that wild nature that he could scent in the blood that thrummed through her veins, but there was a regalness to the new look. Something that spoke more than the flare of magic in her eyes that this thing, this thing would be deadly to the touch.

Her lips are a flare of red to match the ruby in his mask as she smiles and makes her way closer. He meets it with a pleased expression of his own. "Not nearly so much as yours suits you, Lady. I'd be remiss in not saying that you look delightfully dangerous." Other ladies, other females that were merely human might take that the wrong way. He rather hoped Maleficent took it in the spirit it was meant; honest respect and admiration.
kyley_b: (RL_KB_1)

Masquerade

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-05-02 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, come on, I just got these pants!" Kyle laments before looking up. He squints behind his mask - two faces on either side, comedy and tragedy - before recognizing the woman who saved him from hogs.

"Elenore? Dude, thanks a bunch, now it looks like I hauled off and pissed all over myself."
queenking: ([neutral] frogmouth style)

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-02 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Saxsice snorts a little at the mention of the beds, looking out at the (mostly) empty seats and making a face. "Yeah, if you wanna get haunted by...monk ghosts or somethin'." It's probably not the sort of temple with monks, but. Nuance.

Then, looking a little alarmed at herself for the sudden confession, she tosses the mask back onto the table. "Uh, not a very interestin' one. Just your basic "us against the world, modern society is full of evils, only trust us" kinda thing. Super basic."
mewnifestos: (Default)

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-05-02 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Shame. I was hoping one of us would.

[ His tone is still light, as careless as the shrug he sketches where he's settled against the dock, turning back toward the moored row of ships. There's potential there, still, even if neither of them knows the rigging from the anchor. ]

Ah, well. Even if we could abscond with one of these ships, we'd still have no idea where we were going, would we?
queenking: ([down] caught offguard)

III

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-02 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Usually Saxsice is very much about minding her own business and letting others mind theirs -- you get in way fewer fights that way, and at her age she can't afford to be throwing hands at the tiniest thing anymore. So she barely looks up as the other woman passes, beyond a brief cursory glance, preoccupied with flicking little shells and stones into the gathering mist.

Of course, when one of those stones bounces off the forehead of an approaching zombie, she feels it miiiight be time to involve the one other living person. Saxsice slowly rises to her feet, watching the shambling dead thing appear from the water and calling out:
] Uhhhh, do you...see that too?
queenking: ([down] pensively staring)

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-02 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[Saxsice makes a vague sound, shrugging her shoulders and still looking over the mask, tracing the empty edges of the mask with a fingertip. Honestly, she'd been as unnerved by the sudden confession, but is now stubbornly going to pretend she'd made it in her right mind.]

Everyone here's a total stranger to me, mister. [She tosses the mask onto the table, next to her bare, dirty-soled feet.] Gotta start somewhere, don't I?
unkindled_madness: (talking)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's been on boats... How hard can it be?]

The people who typically sail them must navigate somehow.
queenking: ([neutral] frogmouth style)

temple

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-02 11:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Nahhhh, I don't think so. [This is barely intelligible, since Saxsice says it through a very full mouth, and it comes out as a bunch of garbled sounds instead. She swallows loudly, wiping her mouth on the back of her arm and letting out a contented sigh. It probably isn't the smartest thing, eating food offered by unknown entities, but she was hungry, damn it.] I mean, I guess you could watch me for a few minutes and see if I keel over. Then you'll know for sure.
queenking: ([neutral] explain you a thing)

[personal profile] queenking 2021-05-02 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Mmng-- [Saxsice is startled by the voice, snapping her attention away from the skull and reaching to press a hand to her forehead. The compulsion to keep talking, to spill out the whole messy story of her life is still there, but now that she isn't looking at the skeleton, it's a little easier to resist.

She peeks out from under her hand at the stranger, offering a wincing sort of smile.
] Yeah, I'm...fine. Just arguin' with the locals. [She gestures towards the skull.] I think I'm winnin'.
mewnifestos: (Default)

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-05-02 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, who needs them, anyway?

[ Making smalltalk with the probable madman seems safe enough, for now. But Anders is already tilting his head, peering through the slowly milling crowd. ]

If you're going to have some ultimate, unchecked power and just be boring with it, then what's the point?
mrfuckwit: (( 3. ))

[personal profile] mrfuckwit 2021-05-02 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I mean what I say.

[ He seems pretty ornery to talk, especially about this. ]

I have nothing to go back home to. Those demons in that book you looked at, they’re partially responsible..

For ending everything.

[ um YO this guy is like 18, still a baby..... what ]
unkindled_madness: (talking)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-05-02 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[A soft snort at being called "mister." It sounds strange, to be addressed by neither name nor rank.]

And childhood traumas come before introductions, I see.

[He's not sharing his. Childhood traumas, that is. He'll give his name if asked, he's just being a dick.]
motiontostrike: (pic#14407486)

[personal profile] motiontostrike 2021-05-03 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
As much as he's been wearing it lately (that is, in all waking hours) it's a damn good thing the Daredevil mask is so comfortable. Matt might've even been inclined to describe it as something of a second skin. That is, at least until tonight. Whatever's adhered himself to the man seems intent on making that old adage into a reality, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to think of anything beyond the constriction around his face.

The whole outfit seems better suited for Mike than Matt, really. The peach and yellow striped shirt beneath a white waistcoat and matching set of trousers seem like they could have been ripped out of the back of his brother's closet for just such an occasion. But it's the mask -- absent any eye holes and with its gold filigree twisting up the sides of his head into the illusion of small horns -- that completes the strange picture.

Matt is armed with a snifter of amber liquid that he occasionally swirls but doesn't sip. "What kind of trick do you think it is?" he probes.