Destination: Carcosa

[polymods]

✖ 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!

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Bruce Wayne | DC Comics | OTA

[darkdetective]

🦇 THE TEMPLE

[ once he docks, bruce finds himself led by compulsion, and one that he's acutely aware of. he follows, for now, if only because it might lead him to more clues about what this place is and why he's really here; beyond that, he remains cautious. the temple itself seems peaceful, and he's grateful for the supplies, but he stays quiet and watchful, not only of the otherworldly creatures who roam this place of worship, but of the others who, like him, wander in for shelter and answers. as he leaves, his eye lingers on the yellow symbol in the center of the temple, making note of it before he exits, shrugging his new pack over his shoulder. ]

🦇 THE MASQUERADE

[ normally, bruce would feel more at home in the suit, if not for the bat-like mask on his face-- it's not normally a combo he mix and matches. but he didn't know anybody here, didn't know their faces, feeling more forthcoming with his identity than he normally might back in gotham. where he might find comfort in the strength of the cowl, it reminds him pointedly of it's falseness as he tries unsuccessfully to pry it from his face. when he stops to think, he can't even remember how he got here or how the mask got on his face in the first place, guided from place to place as if with little anchor to keep him grounded. he recognizes the familiar looking symbol on his chest as well, but mentions nothing of it. the longer he stares at it, his eyes lose focus and he finds the veil draw closer over his eyes until he awakens upon hearing whispers of secrets and their revelations. unconcerned, he'll turn to you, the person closest to him, and state simply: ]

I'm Batman.

[ ...and like a lid breaking it's seal, bruce finds that he's able to suddenly remove his mask. ]

🦇 LOST CARCOSA

[ and now it's night. where did the day go? how long has he been wandering from place to place, only to find himself on the beach, of all places? the sand crunches lightly under his feet as the waves lap softly back and forth by the moon's pull. in the darkness, bruce can see a faint glimmer from ahead, like eyes peering, and the soft, sometimes jerking movements of fabric, like the ghost of a person dancing in the moonlight. as he approaches, he sees it's only a cloth-- yellow, the same color he's been seeing all day-- and a grinning skull buried in the ground that smells faintly of cinnamon and cardamom on the wind.

he sits cross-legged in front of it, like sharing a fire with an old friend, and once again finds the veil falling over his eyes, compelled to reveal more and more about himself that he clandestinely keeps so carefully hidden. bruce pinches at his temple when he finds the haze build into a piercing headache that tears at him as the broad smiled skull finds his candor lacking... ]

🦇 WILDCARD

[ PROMPTS NOT YOUR JAM? hit me up with your own! or feel free to friend me at BATGUY if you'd like me to write you something specific! ]

THE MASQUERADE

[everlastingchains]

[ The one closest to him happens to be a young man that looks frankly uncomfortable being here. He stands rigidly and quite awkwardly, looking into the crowd with sharp eyes while saying little. His demi-mask only covers a third of his face, leaving him looking youthfully morose on the other side. He keeps reaching up to tug at it. He seems to want to be anywhere but here. If he could, he might have found some excuse to bleed even further away from the crowd of merrymakers.

He physically startles at the suddenness of the announcement. His entire too thin body jerks a little and he takes an involuntary step away before he settles and turns those sharp eyes towards the man. Bright blue, brutally intelligent, and it seems like he's slowly picking the man apart, bit by bit.

When he speaks, his tone is quiet and holds an slightly upper class English accent. There's a slightly testy edge to it, as Victor is rather perturbed at being at this ball. ]

Thank you for clearing that up. I couldn't tell what that cowl was supposed to be. Or any of this. It's all a bit much.

[darkdetective]

Seems a little clandestine, doesn't it.

[ more a statement than a question, bruce's eyes peer around the room at the faceless crowd. on occasion, it almost looks like some of the mask's expressions shift as they dance and talk. as a waiter passes, he unceremoniously drops his mask on it without so much as a word. ]

Something tells me you don't want to wear that thing for too long.

[everlastingchains]

It does.

[He has to agree.] I can't really seem to remember how I got here and I certainly know I didn't put these cloths on. Which means something happened to bring us here. But I've noticed nothing medically wrong in myself that might warrant a sudden loss of consciousness. And. [Sharp blue eyes bore into Bruce again.] At the surface level, without any of my equipment handy, you look in good health.

[Victor scowls a little] Do you think if it stays on I'll end up like them? [Bruce isn't the only one that noticed the way the masks shifted.]

[darkdetective]

Maybe. Maybe not. But they seem more interested in the price it takes to remove it than they are you keeping it on.

[ he looks down at the pin on his lapel again, wondering if the lighting in the room has always been so yellow before? ]

Secrets. And something tells me they want it to be a good one.

( the masquerade )

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki merely blinks. eyes bruce from head to toe before responding. ]

I have no idea who that is.

[darkdetective]

Doesn't really matter.

[ he plucks the cowl from his face and tosses it aside. ]

It worked, didn't it?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki watches the mask flutter to the ground idly curious. ]

It did, though it feels anti-climatic if no one grasps the import of your secret. Am I right in guessing you're one of those Earth superheroes who run around in spandex?

[darkdetective]

The importance of a secret is usually what necessitates its secrecy, but you're not far off.

[ and now comes bruce's turn to give his mysterious counterpart a once over... ]

You look human enough, but you say 'Earth' like you're not from it. So, what exactly are you, then?

masquerade

[aviate]

[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.]

[darkdetective]

Well, it worked.

[ bruce states, pulling off his mask, as though he was sure it would work even before he confirmed it himself. ]

And it also proves it doesn't need to be a secret that nobody knows, just one important enough that you wouldn't say it aloud. Jordan.

[aviate]

That makes things easier, you probably know all of mine already. I bet you know my credit score better than I do.

[He's stalling as he tries to think of something. He can't do the same, he's far less invested in his secret identity than Bruce. Does he even have any big secrets to say?]

[darkdetective]

650. Could be better. But I guess being a Green Lantern means sometimes your bills get forwarded to collection agencies.

[ bruce furrows his brow gently. ]

We don't have all night, and you don't want to keep that thing on longer than you have to. Spit it out already.

eyyy masquerade

[catlady]

[ she wonders, at first, if she's seeing things. she's had an awful lot of champagne and she can't be certain someone hasn't slipped something into one of the glasses but let's be honest: she'd know that ass anywhere. she knows the shape of him, intimately, knows the way he carries himself and how he moves. there's something different about him -- he's moves like someone who is older or whose body has been put through the wringer and with bruce it would easily be both -- but there's no replicating the little things only she'd notice.

selina approaches, but remains quiet, content to keep that little bit of distance between them a moment longer so she can just watch him and see what he does. so she can see if he notices her or even knows her. just because he's bruce doesn't mean that he's her bruce, that's how these things tend to work, right? he's still nice to look at. ]

Well, that's very nice, Bat. I hate to break it to you, though. I've always known that.

[darkdetective]

Cat.

[ there are a few harder lines around his eyes, years of frowning etched a little harder into his face, but his eyes are still as sharp as they ever were, and she still looks as young to him as she ever has. she's not his selina, he's sure of it immediately, but that doesn't stop his surprise, his relief, or the immediate press of his lips against hers. ]

[catlady]

Hello, th--

[ oh, okay. no time to react or respond. just cutting straight to the smooching, she can work with that. she's happy to accommodate that. he might not be her bruce, but he still tastes the same and she grabs hold of him to pull him closer without even thinking about it. when was the last time she kissed him? (when was the last time she kissed him?)

she pulls away slowly, reluctant to break the kiss in case this is all just some fucked up trick the island or its inhabitants are playing to get some kind of emotional response out of her. she presses a hand to his cheek, gently tilting his head from side to side as if to get a better look at him, and leans back in to press a kiss to the bridge of his nose. ]

I should warn you, I'm a married woman. Not sure my husband would appreciate you kissing me like that. [ any recognition, there? ] He can get a little jealous.

[darkdetective]

[ once reality sets in again, senses are regained, he moves back and scoffs briefly at his own stupidity, smiling gently. never could control himself very well when it came to her, he thought. but she was right, and selina had recognized it the moment he did. a mistake, even though it didn't feel like one. ]

Sorry. You'll tell him I hope he understands whenever we manage to get the hell out of here.

lost carcosa

[queenking]

Am I, uh...interruptin' somethin'? [Objectively, she probably is, but Saxsice gestures towards the skull by way of explanation, clearly teasing gently. She's still in her party clothes, a stolen bottle of champagne in hand, and she's just buzzed enough that starting conversations with strangers having staring contests with skeletons seems like a good idea.]

You look like you're tryin' to set it on fire with your mind or somethin'.

[darkdetective]

It's nothing. Just a headache.

[ he hisses, standing. eyeing her champagne, he thinks it might be a good idea to trade one compulsion to tell the truth for another. ]

You mind?

[queenking]

Uh-huh. [She seems skeptical, but she doesn't hesitate to share the bounty, taking another swig from the bottle -- which is already a third empty -- and then offering it.] Knock yourself out.

Except, y'know. Don't. Tide might come in and I don't think I could move you.

[darkdetective]

Don't worry. I have no plans on joining our friend here.

[ he nods in appreciation, taking as big as swig as he can afford with what's left. ]

An understatement, but this place seems strange. The beach-- do you remember how you got here?

🦇 temple 🦇 ish

[shove]

( bruce is quiet. observant, watching before he leaves. or whatever it is he's doing jason doesn't notice, because the moment he gets inside the temple he's immediately being as loud and obnoxious as he possibly can be without something nearby to yell at.

he kicks the toes of his shoes against rubble, moves around looking behind things, between tall objects, shoves a shoulder against someone and tells them to lay off, fuck as if it was their fault he managed to ram into him.

and when he gets bored terrorizing the temple and everyone in it, he stomps his way right back out just as loudly. tips his head back towards the temple to look towards it for a moment on the way out, distracted enough that he doesn't watch where he's fucking going and--doesn't quite ram into bruce, but stops a few inches short of him. )

Move.

( who you. )

[darkdetective]

[ this kid reminds him of someone, though he can't place who. maybe it's just his defensiveness that makes him think of any number of the kids that live around park row who talk a little too loud and push a little too hard to get noticed. bruce spotted him earlier making a fuss, but hadn't bothered paying it any attention until now.

so, how does a forty-five year old adult respond to a kid more than half his age demanding him that he move, in a single occupied space surrounded by open air all around him? well... ]

Make me.

[shove]

( honestly not the kind of answer he was really expecting, so thank you for that strange old man who apparently decided today was the day to throw attitude around. or maybe that's just his thing. fuck if jason knows.

he looks vaguely familiar, but jason can't place it. build a little off, definitely way too fucking young for the person jason semi kind of thinks he might look like. so he opts to completely ignore any resemblance and instead respond full force to what this guy's thrown at him.

sneers up at him before he's reaching a hand out to shove against his chest. )

You don't wanna fuck with me, I'm not in the mood.

[darkdetective]

[ the chest, he will find, is like pressing against a brick wall. a simple wrist lock could take the fight right out of the boy, but he was just a kid. no reason to escalate things unnecessarily, right??? sometimes kids like this just needed some attention. someone to acknowledge that they exist. he knew a few that were just like that. ]

I could tell from the fuss you were making back in the temple.