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

libertalia: (64 - EprPpyk)

[personal profile] libertalia 2021-05-01 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
quick q! would sam be able to find cigarettes anywhere (and possibly a lighter/matches if i'm correct in assuming he wouldn't have arrived with his own lighter), either within the city or the high temple?
libertalia: (65 - 7BOfLNk)

[personal profile] libertalia 2021-05-01 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
oh, perfect! thanks a bunch! 👏
darkdetective: (Default)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-01 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
will/can bruce recognize the sigil at the party as the yellow-painted stick figure in the temple? as that's what i assume it is.
vladpire: (Default)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-01 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
For those with dietary restrictions limited to the sucking of the blood, would the High Temple cater to their needs in extended ways? Example: Would there be some way for Vlad to load up his pack with blood bags/supplements or something that he can take with him in the same way someone would load up staples for food?
vladpire: (Default)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-01 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Wonderful, thank you.

If he happens to come across a bad little Carcosian doing bad little Carcosian things against some innocent person, well.. He doesn't mind being a boogeyman again.
incelligent: (14)

[personal profile] incelligent 2021-05-01 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
hey mods! Re: the tdm/assumed cr, is it safe to say that the isle visited on the tdm was a brief pitstop and those characters are now shuffled to this current situation?

was just wondering if it had to be a clean fresh start or we could keep cr from the test drive!
vladpire: (Default)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-01 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
In regards to the colors on the scrywatches, are they strictly RED/ORANGE/YELLOW/GREEN/BLUE/VIOLET, or can they be shades between two colors, like someone in between going from one 'tier' of morality to another in their mind/choices? Could someone be an amber or a chartreuse?
darkdetective: (pic#14645329)

Bruce Wayne | DC Comics | OTA

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-01 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
🦇 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 [plurk.com profile] BATGUY if you'd like me to write you something specific! ]
incelligent: (192)

[personal profile] incelligent 2021-05-01 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Sweet! Thanks!
everlastingchains: (Default)

[personal profile] everlastingchains 2021-05-01 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
With masks, how much does a mask need to cover? Does it need to be the full face, or can it be half the face (upper or lower) covered?
vladpire: (Default)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-01 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.
everlastingchains: (A man of wealth and a genius mind)

THE MASQUERADE

[personal profile] everlastingchains 2021-05-01 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 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: (pic#14867990)

[personal profile] darkdetective 2021-05-02 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
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: (Default)

[personal profile] everlastingchains 2021-05-02 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
What if someone tries to take the skull with them for a stroll? Asking for a mad scientist.
vladpire: (Cup - 1)

Vlad Tepes III | Dracula Untold | OTA (Will match prose/brackets)

[personal profile] vladpire 2021-05-02 12:10 am (UTC)(link)

i: The Temple/City

He arrived in the temple and once he ascertained that he could claim sustenance for himself that wouldn't come straight from the source, so to speak, he loaded his satchel up with little packets of plasma- or what he could only assume was the equivalent, since a sampling from one tasted like what he was used to blood tasting like. He fed himself because not doing so just strained his control unnecessarily. He could go long periods without a feeding, but in a new situation with no idea of what he could expect to experience, it seemed wise to be at his best and without adding strain he didn't need.

He can be found either inside the High Temple loading up on things, or out in the city, trying to gauge what the heartbeat of this particular one held. Every city had a mood, a theme, a way that it flowed. There was always an area darker than others, a place where violence breathed. He found himself wandering the streets, wanting to find the layout of this particular body of people. This one, being near the sea, made it smell like salt and brine and wood and fish.

Perhaps you recognize him from before, or maybe you notice the scrywatch on his wrist, marking him as a Traveler. Or maybe you do something to draw his attention.

ii: The Masquerade

Happenstance has landed him in the middle of a masquerade party. It had been ages since he'd been to one, but in an odd moment of lapsed time, he found himself wearing a mask. After a few attempts to remove it, he found himself resigned to it until the way to take it off revealed itself. He kept a weather eye out for anyone wearing one removing it, trying to find the secret to doing so. He was also somewhat curious about the sigil he found on himself, and that others also seemed to be wearing. Vlad wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer of 'It's a secret'.

But while he was there, he supposed he should try to enjoy it a little. Just a little. The music wasn't horrible, and the laughter that moved through the party like an audible wave drew his attention. He could perhaps be talked into a dance, or maybe drawn into a conversation.

iii: Lost Carcosa

He finds the jeweled skull, the scent of spices and herbs around the body making him wonder if this place has the same burial rites as some cultures in his homeworld do. Most of those practices were outdated in his current time, but washing the body in spices wasn't a foreign practice.

As he sat himself down, drawn by the grinning skull into a sense of something other, he found himself thinking of those lost things. His youth. His safety. His wife. Son. People. His soul... It bubbled up in his chest, rising up until it was something he could taste in the back of this throat, thick on his tongue as the need to speak rose in him. "I miss her the most," comes quietly from him, his head bowed down.

iv: Wildcard

(Vlad can be found in most scenarios available, or via scrywatch for anyone who wants to call to him from cr started on the TDM. Please feel free to PM or PP if there's something specific you'd like to have set up, or just go nuts and start something.)
dothelokimotion: (This is the fear that looms)

loki odinson | mcu | ota

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
( i. the temple )

[ it is no different from any other temple. though that annoys him too. it makes it harder for him to glean any real details and knowledge from the stone and wood. or perhaps it is knowledge out of loki's grasp, the kind he despises the most.

he finds himself drawn to the painted yellow figure in the middle, trying to discern the intent behind its creation. to himself, he murmurs: ]


What do you seek, old gods?


( ii. masquerade )

[ oh, loki does love a party. even if it is a party where everyone has been spirited here through unknown means, playing to the whims of unknown gods. parties are where secrets are whispered, where one's ears can pick up the juiciest of secrets. he adjusts his mask, brushing off some imaginary dirt off his shoulders. he's dressed simply in midgardian clothing in order to fit in. whispers flit back and forth across the ballroom and loki finds a smile spreading across his face as he heads towards you. ]

Shall we play along?


( iii. lost caracosa )

[ most people would ignore the skull. flinch away. they would be overcome by the macabre, the slow miasma of fear and pain. most people, however, are not loki and so he picks up the skull, turning it over in his hands curiously before tossing it up and down like a ball. ]

You have quite the enchantment laid upon you. But you're not a suitable companion to assuage my woes. But perhaps we can have some fun instead.

[ loki grins, making the skull's teeth clatter together, chattering noises as if it were alive. he watches the fog roll over the shores, the slow shambling of the dead. after hela's hordes, this feels deeply unimpressive and anti-climatic. he almost feels bored. he turns to the skull with a shrug. ]

Well. Shall we?

[ and loki promptly throws it at the first zombie, knocking it back into the sea. loki grins, giving a thumbs up before flicking his fingers and returning the skull to its rightful place. ]


( iv. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on [plurk.com profile] timmtams / pm this journal ]
Edited 2021-05-02 00:30 (UTC)
dothelokimotion: (We live in a pattern)

( the masquerade )

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-05-02 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki merely blinks. eyes bruce from head to toe before responding. ]

I have no idea who that is.