What: Ballot box for Vice Council nominations.
Where: Town Hall




( Rules for placing Nominations )

Who: Hayate, Faye, Chris, and Guards
When: 10:20 AM
Where: Town Hall
What: Answering the summons. In other words, Hayate plays the wounded puppy routine.

After Hayate received a sudden letter at his door last night, he found himself immediately opening it to read its contents. With his fingers curling tightly into his palm, Hayate crushed the paper in his fist. All of this time he spent trying to make his stay in Elysium last without a single mark on his name, and that blonde bitch went public with the incident at their cottage. Gears began to turn in his mind, searching for a solution to the problem. His wounds had not yet healed, and he sought no treatment for them, allowing them to heal on their own.

Hayate knew if he showed up with the wounds, a bandaged face and limp leg, he would receive sympathy. It was only self-defense, he would tell them. He wanted to believe Kaiya did not have the backbone to step up and say anything like Faye was saying. After all, Kaiya's name was not in the letter. Faye went alone, and it was his word against hers. Kaiya wished nothing more than to distance herself from the experience. He knew her type, and he knew she would keep her distance and hold her tongue for fear.

Chris asked to come with him, not wanting him to travel alone. Having someone on his side helped him look good, and Hayate conceded to letting her come along. He brought with him a makeshift cane in order to lean his weight onto his non-injured leg and off of the one with the deep knife wound. Half of his face also remained bandaged, even though he had the ability to illusion away the wounds. Why make them go away when he needed them to prove he had also been attacked as well?

With Chris at his side, Hayate left to make his case and prove his innocence. If Faye had not sliced half of his face open in the first place, he would not have done what he had done in retaliation. The walk itself did not take long as the pair reached the entrance of Town Hall. Given all of the evidence on his side, Hayate believed they would listen to him.

His calm words were better than the ravings of a tempermental fae.

Who: General Narrative
When: Afternoon
Where: Town Hall
What: Dispatching an important letter to Hayate Ishikawa.

Reported crimes, regardless of their nature, were not overlooked by the governing body of Elysium. According to a citizen by the name of Faye Capricia, she and her roommate Kaiya Sato were attacked by another citizen two days ago. His name was Hayate Ishikawa, former boyfriend of Kaiya Sato. Faye's statement said that Hayate first attacked Faye with a knife, threatening to kill her. Next, he hit Kaiya when the other fae tried to intervene in order to stop him. Finally, Faye claimed he broke her arm in the end and ran off.

Those hearing her statement were somewhat skeptical at first given Faye's complete lack of injury, which she said she immediately had fixed by a healer. They asked for the name of the healer and told her the person would have to appear to give a statement on Faye's behalf. Faye said that would not be a problem, and they could not ignore her charges. Hayate had to be called in for questioning on the matter. A letter was written for the citizen upon parchment with neatly scribbled handwriting. Once it was finished, it was immediately dispatched to his cottage by a Guard of Elysium.

( THE LETTER DISPATCHED: Hayate Ishikawa. )

Who: An Elven messenger
When: Mid-morning
Where: Town Hall
What: Delivering an important message

The sound of a heavy hooves echoed across the ground as a cloaked figure came upon the secret entrance to the haven of Elysium. The guards that were assigned to the front gate stopped the stranger, and only let him pass once it was determined that he had carried with him an important message from one of the other havens in the West.

The messenger's horse galloped along the winding path that cut through Elysium. He traveled between the tall, ancient trees that lined the path and shielded his eyes from the bright sun. He had been traveling for nearly three weeks now after a messenger falcon (one of the few surviving species) had delivered him a note tied to its tiny leg. The Elven messenger was one of a few elves stationed at a tower along the coast in Portugal, one that had been set up after the end of the wars.

He was nearing his destination, the town of Helicharis was shimmering in the distance as his Elven steed ran faster and faster. The messenger practically tore through the town when he arrived, heading straight for the Town Hall. Once there, he went straight to Theora's office, practically tearing the door off its hinges without knocking.

"Priestess," he said with a quick bow of his head. "I bring urgent news from the haven in the Pacific."

The priestess's eyes widened, and she motioned for him to sit. But he declined, choosing to stand by her desk as he delivered the news. "They have dispatched a ship from their haven to test the waters. They intend to travel here, to Elysium."

Theora smiled broadly, and leaned forward in her chair. "When did they leave?"

"A week ago. They are also bringing a few survivors with them."

The priestess nodded in understanding, and smiled at the messenger. "Thank you for bringing this news. Let us pray that their voyage is a safe one." The messenger nodded, bowing his head to show his respect. "You may rest here for as long as you like," she informed the messenger. "Speak to one of the other guards, and he will show you to our guest quarters."

The messenger nodded, and bid the priestess farewell as he left her office. His journey was done now that he had delivered his message, and he could finally take some time to rest before he had to continue with his duties once more.

Who: Adam, Constance, and Simon
When: Afternoon
Where: Town Hall
What: The unjust interrogation of Simon Myles.

With no reason to disbelieve Constance, Adam set his hard eyes on the werewolf the second the man showed up at Town Hall. Politely, Adam and one of the Elven guards led him towards one of the interrogation rooms—a room which could only shelter against magic and not shifting. This time the rooms held no wards against magic. Adam had all of his capabilities available to him, as did Constance. However, Constance’s would not be much use in an interrogation room. Adam’s would be.

It was his charge to protect her. Should anything happen to Constance, it too would happen to Adam. Their bond was not so close that if Constance was wounded, Adam would be wounded as well. It might as well have been as strong, though, for all that Adam knew. He cared and loved for Constance; she was his mother and creator, the giver of his life. Her love for him raised him and taught him well and made him what he was today, and he would never, ever let anyone harm her.

The same was true for his family. Alicia was his family, Constance’s granddaughter and Adam’s niece.

He stood alone in the interrogation room with Simon. Simon seated himself in the chair across from the desk. Adam remained standing against the wall with his arms crossed. Simon would confess to his crimes of trying to hurt Alicia, and Adam would see to it that the werewolf answered for them. He believed Constance. Adam had not reason not to after everything she divulged to him in private, and what she said was true—Simon was dangerous, and he had hurt Alicia.

And he was going to pay for it.

Who: Constance, Dylan, Theora, and Adam
When: Morning
Where: Town Hall
What: The council has some important things to discuss.

Furious wasn't the proper word to describe how Constance currently felt as she stormed down the hall to find Dylan and Theora. Adam trailed behind her, keeping close. On the same night as her granddaughter getting attacked by a werewolf, a faun turned up half-eaten and torn to shreds near the festival grounds. It wasn't a coincidence in her eyes. By now, everyone knew about the dead faun, but nobody knew about her granddaughter, Alicia. They were keeping it under wraps to safeguard the minds of the community. With the news of the faun on the loose, if they heard about Alicia then the entire community would panic.

Her shoes clacked loudly against the wooden floor. When she arrived in the council chambers, Constance waited for Adam to step into the room before she slammed the door behind them and let her anger known to her colleagues and councilmen.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Constance demanded, regardless of whether or not anyone had any answers to her question. "Already, people are referring to it as a murder when we don't even know what's happened — and I can't take this." Constance sat down in the nearest chair, looking more worn for wear than usual. Adam took a seat beside her, a worried expression on his face. Constance hadn't wanted Adam to get dragged into it, but Alicia was family and he already knew about what happened to her.

"I've told Lucinda and Kelsey to keep quiet about Alicia. I've told Alicia, Zach, Adrienne, and Nico too. No one else is to know about this. If word gets out Alicia was attacked by a werewolf outside of the full moon and then a dead faun turns up, everyone's gonna think we have a psycho on our hands." Constance chewed her bottom lip. She said something then they all had to take into consideration.

" . . . And maybe it's time to recognize we do."

Who: Dylan [Narrative]
When: Late Afternoon
Where: Town Hall
What: Dispatching an important letter to Mitsuko Kamiyama.

Town Hall bustled with activity and chatter as the chambers of councilmen discussing the case against Mitsuko Kamiyama had disbursed from their meetings a short while earlier. A decision had been reached over the investigation involving the kitsune, the only one left from their list of suspects that was believed to be responsible by some as the thief herself. However, talks had been proceeding since the day before, well into the night, and into today. It was finally done.

Dylan left his office with a letter in one of his hands, a fine beige envelope containing the folded parchment with the announcement of the final decision that was to be delivered to Mitsuko Kamiyama's cottage. Good news was contained within, relieving the kitsune of all suspicion on various grounds. There was not enough evidence against her, her story was corroborated by others, and the kitsune did not have the power to get past the secure barriers that had been put up around the artifact itself.

In other words, she was free of all possible charges. It was lucky, Dylan thought, that they never reached the point of being able to charge her with anything. Part of him remained ever skeptical, as did Constance. Beyond that, it was good it did not come to trial without Theora's presence. Dylan believed the High Priestess would be able to help them discover the real thief, for he did not believe Mitsuko had reason or might to take the elven artifact from its cradle that night.

Which left the question of who really committed the crime, but Dylan's thoughts were not to be troubled with that at the moment. He handed the letter over to a dispatcher with a smile on his face, hoping the news would reach Miss Kamiyama very soon.

( THE LETTER DISPATCHED: Mitsuko Kamiyama. )

Who: Dylan, Mitsuko, and Pietro
When: Morning
Where: Town Hall
What: A conclusion over the stolen artifact.

His footsteps echoed across the floor as he made his way to the small conference room. His heart weighed heavily with each step his feet took through the hallway. Dylan knew there were people who wanted answers about the artifact, and there were some who did not care. They questioned further people, but through much less alarming methods. Visitors to people's houses stopped by the previous afternoon to confirm the stories given to them by their suspects. Partial confirmations were given, but not everything fell into place.

It had been up to him and others to determine whether or not any of their called in suspects had indeed taken part in the theft of the artifact. The decision had not been easy either. Irei Arakaki was written off of the list. There was no way he could have partaken in the theft. As for the two kitsune, things were much more different for them.

Dylan opened up the door to the conference room, saw Mitsuko Kamiyama and her lawyer, Pietro Conté, on the other side of the table. He closed the door behind him and approached the table, shaking Pietro's hand and bowing to Mitsuko in greeting to them both. "I must inform you both that this has been a very hard decision for the summoned jury council to decide upon," he began with the two of them, taking a seat at the table on the side opposite of them. "The artifact is still missing, and there are those who want answers."

His words were cryptic as they sometimes revealed themselves to be for others. "Miss Kamiyama," Dylan said, turning to look at Mitsuko. "If you will, please relay to me your side of the story once more. In detail, truthfully as it happened. As much as I am sure you do not like me, I ask only that you answer this as seriously and kindly as possible. This is important for you to say, and important for me to heed. Therefore, if you will, calmly tell me the events of that night, which you and you alone have experienced and have the ability to tell."

Who: Constance and Dylan [Narrative]
When: Evening
Where: Town Hall
What: Now, there are dead animals to add to the mix.

"What the hell is this?" Constance demanded, smacking her hand against the table once she had been informed of the news. Apparently, one of the doctors had been up at the town hall on Wednesday to report half-eaten and ripped animal carcases strewn across someone's lawn, and no one took him seriously. The matter wasn't looked into that day, and it was already cleaned up by now. Constance was just finding out at this particular moment, and it was an understatement to say she was pissed off about it.

Stalking out of her office, Constance immediately went to find Dylan. Something didn't sit right with her about this. They didn't have any large, immensely threatening predators on the mainland that would do something like this. What did it? Who did it? The creatures had been half-eaten, marks of a animal . . . but purposefully strewn in someone's lawn? The mark of a intelligent being. Someone praeternatural or human.

She found Dylan as he was pouring himself a glass of water in the hallway by one of the elven fountains. Her lips were drawn thin and taut, and there was a look on Dylan's face like he too had something on his mind. "Did you hear about this?" Constance asked him, going into detail about what she was told.

At the end of it all, Dylan slowly nodded his head. "I just heard about it as well," he revealed. "It troubles me," the djinn said softly. His dark eyes turned to Constance's eyes. "Something is not right, but I do not know what we are to do."

"First," Constance began to ramble, "we have a theft of that powerful elven piece of metal, and now half-eaten dead animals are showing up on people's lawns? What the hell is going on around here?" Her head lowered, shaking slowly as her hand came up to touch her forehead. She felt her ability as a leader was failing somewhere along the way. Things like this didn't just . . . happen right under your nose.

"I do not know," Dylan said, "but we will keep our eyes steady and trained on our surroundings." One of his hands came up to rest upon her shoulder. "In case it happens again, we will be prepared."

Constance glanced up, not liking the words she was hearing but understanding. Releasing a heavy breath, she nodded her head.

Who: Constance, Dylan, Mitsuko, Logan, Shigeru, Irei, and Elven guards.
When: 12:00 PM
Where: Town Hall
What: The questioning over the stolen elven artifact.

Outside of the grand structure of Town Hall, there seemed to be a perfect silence that had settled upon its grounds. No clatter or clamor echoed from within the building, only a calm quiet permeated the air. The only movement appeared to be a gentle breeze passing through the tall grass and the flowers outlining the fine building. However, the silence was an ominous sort of feeling for those approaching its structure. The question of what to expect within remained ever unclear.

Once a person walked into the main entrance, they were greeted by an array of Elven guards outlining the hallways. One of the guards would approach and inquire of their name and their business in Town Hall. When their name was given and if they were one of the people summoned from the day before, they were asked if they had brought their summons letter. Those who brought theirs were asked to show them; those who did not were known by name as it were by the guards. They were then escorted singularly to one of the four small chambers set aside for the interrogations on this day.

The four interrogation rooms had elven magic cast upon them to render all within the room incapable of performing their natural magic, temporarily "nullifying" their abilities as long as they were in the room. However, this protective measure also worked against those who were the questioners. Of course, attributes like strength remained the same, and so two Elven guards were placed in each room along with the interrogator.

Now, it was time to see what those brought forth would say.

Who: Constance and Midori
Where: Town Hall
When: 1 PM
What: Midori says she knows who the thief is . . .

Inside of the conference room Constance chose on the first floor, the curtains were snatched by Constance's hands and pulled back to reveal brilliant sunlight. Brightness flooded the room and illuminated the Elven design of the room, adding a radiant gleam to the walls. Constance didn't know what it was about Elven paint or architecture, but it tended to sparkle a lot, that was for sure.

Overall, it was sunny and beautiful weather. A great contrary to Constance's mood for the morning and possibly for the rest of the day. The elves were in an uproar, a very powerful artifact was missing and in the hands of who knew what, and . . .

Well, it seemed like Midori knew exactly what.

Constance left the door open and took a seat at the table. Having just eaten lunch, she was full and it was easy to keep her seated in one place. The council member chose to meet after lunch to ensure she wasn't as fidgety as she normally would have been at any other time of day. Hopefully, they could talk about this and get to the bottom of everything nice and quick. Constance wasn't anything if she wasn't a go-getter.

Who: Temple priests [Narrative]
Where: Town Hall
When: Evening
What: The temple priests inform the citizens of the theft
ooc: If your character has information they wish to share about the theft please have them contact a Head Council member in a separate thread/note.

The temple priests took their place at the podium placed in front of the gathered citizens. They needed to address them all about the current theft, but more importantly they needed to know if any one of them had any information about who the culprit could have been. They only had one clue to the thief’s identity but they were sure that it would more than suffice.

The crowd quieted down and the elder priest began to speak. “Dear citizens of Elysium, we have asked you all to gather here this evening to inform you about the theft of Mîr’en’Galad, our most sacred item. It was taken from its altar in the temple two days ago.” He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat. The elder priest couldn’t help but feel guilty about the loss of the item especially since this was his first year being assigned as its protector. He was sure that Theora would punish him severely for allowing it to be stolen in the first place.

“The ancient Elven brooch was worn by our first High Priestess and while Theora is away it stands in her place to provide hope for all those who live within this valley. The brooch also has powers that, in the wrong hands, could prove devastating. We urge you, citizens of Elysium, to aid us in finding the Mir’en’Galad but to also bring to justice the culprit responsible for its theft!” The elder priest reached into his robes and pulled out something from one of the pockets. It couldn’t be seen at first, not until he held it out for all to see. It was a small, crystalline jewel that shone brightly with a prismatic quality. It was shaped as a teardrop and from what the priest could tell it held some magical powers.

“We believe that this jewel was dropped by the thief as they ran off with the Mir’en’Galad in their possession. It is the only clue we have to the thief’s identity, but we priests, as well as the Head Council, have already begun an investigation. It is only a matter of time before we have the culprit’s identity. However, if any of you have any information in regards to the theft or the owner of this jewel, please do not hesitate to come forward.”

His grey eyes scanned the crowd for any reaction from the people but they seemed calm. He sighed before he continued. “If anyone would like to examine the jewel further, please come to the temple and speak to me. I would also like to address the thief if they are in the crowd today. Please return the Mir’en’Galad to us. The power of the brooch is nothing compared to the hope it provides the people of Elysium. If you turn yourself in, your punishment will be lessened greatly.” Once the elder priest was finished speaking, all of the priests that had attended the meeting bowed before the audience in thanks before he leaving to return to the temple.

Who: Constance, Dylan, Midori, Sonya [and others, if anyone wishes to speak to the Head Council today]
Where: Town Hall
When: Various times throughout the day.
What: Leadership duties.

OOC Note: Start sub-threads in this post by posting the name of your character(s) in the subject and the approximate time of day that particular scene is happening. One of the council members will reply to it.

Without the third member to make up the complete council, duties were drawing themselves tightly around the two remaining members left behind after the high priestess had sailed away to the isle known as Tol'hith far out on Lake Alata'elen. An ancient elven artifact had been put on display due to her departure by the elves at the town's temple, something of great worth in terms of power. It made a distrustful Constance wary. The grandmother, though the youngest of the council, had spent more years being jaded and skeptical than either of the other two council members. It put her on edge knowing it was just out there on display like that.

The full moon had also just occurred on Tuesday with a number of the werewolves coming out in bad shape, especially a young woman in particular. Despite Zach's claims that it had been done on purpose, and Adrienne coming to conscious to explain her attack to them, Dylan and Constance were split over the matter. Constance believed it was done on purpose, took her grandson's word for it. Dylan thought the opposite, calling it the nature of werewolves. According to him, it was nothing more than some rough play that got out of hand — perhaps even the move of dominating male wolf exerting force over what he saw as a young female.

Dylan had more on his mind, though. Constance knew that. His cottage had been trashed by a trouble-making, no-good kitsune by the name of Mitsuko Kamiyama. Constance wanted to do something about it, but the fact of the matter was do what? Neither of them knew. Dylan, because he wasn't sure how to approach the situation, and Constance, because she wished she could throw the kitsune into the dungeon for a week and see how the fox liked it, but that sort of punishment was far too extreme for the offense.

Sighing for all of the thoughts in her head, Constance exited the records room and marched her way down the hallway to look for Dylan or a strong cup of coffee.

Who: Dylan and Constance [Narrative]
Where: Town Hall
When: Early Morning
What: Everything seems to be going wrong.

After helping to keep watch over the werewolves last night as the barrier was erected and put into place, Dylan returned briefly to his home to find everything in the lower floor smashed and ransacked. A great pained feeling overwhelmed him at the sight, to find many of his possessions broken or torn to shreds. Ornamental dishes made by his mother’s hands lay in pieces upon the carpet. Perhaps some of them could be repaired, but seeing them in shards at his feet caused a swell of emotions in the djinn. Books that had lain upon his shelves were torn from their spines, pages scattered everywhere. Everything was knocked over to cause a mess, other things were broken, and a window was smashed wide open.

Then, as he passed through the wreckage, Dylan came by a note left on one of his tables. A little white sheet of paper with five words written on it: Guess I’m NOT mature enough. Emblazoned beneath the letters was a kiss mark of red lipstick. Dylan knew the perpetrator without having to wonder or ask questions. Mitsuko Kamiyama. She had wanted him to know, or she wouldn’t have left the note. It pained him in a way that he could not describe, as he folded up the little note and slipped it into his pocket.

At the current moment, the sun had risen not too long ago and Dylan walked down a corridor in the town hall building with Constance at his side.

“I’ve been telling you,” Constance went on knowingly, “that fox ain’t nothing but trouble. Her momma said it, her momma’s been saying it, and now we finally find out just how much of a damn—”

“Constance,” Dylan said softly, holding up one of his hands as they walked, “that is unnecessary.”

( “Well, that may be unnecessary for you,” Constance shot back, “but where I come from, we spank unruly children and make ‘em show some damn respect for authority.” )

Who: Dylan and ... [Anyone involved!]
Where: Town Hall
When: Afternoon
What: Finding the orphans homes.

**Note: To join, begin a subthread with the names of those involved in the subject of your comment. I'm not sure who and all is participating!

All of the orphans had been brought to the Town Hall today. Although Dylan had no children himself, he knew how to act with them due to spending time with the youth of his clan back home. He arrived at the medical pavilion dressed in very simple human clothes today: a t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap. It was not the djinn's usual style of clothing, but it made him more approachable to the other residents of Elysium. Often, he seemed quite imposing with his size and extremely professional demeanor.

Dylan picked up the orphans from the medical pavilion and took them to Town Hall. The smallest sat on his shoulders and two of the others held his hands as they all walked into the building together, laughing and talking along the way.

Once they were inside, Dylan brought the children to one of the rooms set aside for them with supervisors as he met with the prospective foster parents today. He remained in his choice of clothing, deciding not to switch out for a suit or robes. Dylan found the human clothes to be rather comfortable, though he was not sure he liked the jeans very much. For someone used to loose-fitting fabrics with fluidity, jeans felt rather restrictive. He hoped his appearance would be okay for those coming by today.

Who: Open to anyone who wants to go to the funeral
When: Evening
Where: Town Hall
What: Raidon Nagamori's Funeral


Giving to Mitsuko's rogue-like nature, most would not believe her to be a spiritual person. While it was true, she would most likely wade through the serpent-infested water when it was her time to cross Sanzu-no-kawa, the rites and rituals of her upbringing were ingrained deeply within her.

Her father would have shared these beliefs. He was raised in the same skulk as her. He would have wanted a proper funeral.

She had wore black. For the other funerals she had gone to, she'd worn white. The skulk of Midori was pretty old-school. But she had lost her white kimono ages ago. So she chosen her dark black kimono, with a black obi, decorated white small, white flowers. Her hair was pinned up in a bun. It was a very different look from her normal, skimpy fashionista wear.

Mitsuko looked around the assemblage. None of them knew her father, save for Logan. But she supposed that was fitting.... After all, she didn't know him.

Logan. He was... Pretty much an adult. She hadn't expected that when Theora had asked her to care for him. But there he was, seventeen years old. A man. But he was a man scarred, broken.

He was unable to speak. Struck mute by the horrors he had seen. So it was up to Mitsuko to lead the service.

Slowly, Mitsuko walked to the casket Idehr had made. She opened it, looking down at the white fox inside. Her hand trembling, she reached inside and touched a hand to Raidon's head. His fur was soft beneath her fingers. He was lying on a pile of clothes.

Carefully, Mitsuko pulled the hakama around her father's fox body, folding right side under the left.

She picked up the small bowl of water next to the casket. She dipped two fingers into it, placing it against Raidon's mouth, moistening it with the water.

Mitsuko reached into her kimono and pulled out a small bag. Opening it, she produced six coins. She placed them next to the body.

"For your trip, father," MItsuko whispered in Japanese.

She heard the snap of a lighter and looked to her side. Logan was beside her, lighting incense. He met her eyes briefly, but quickly lowered his head and continued his work.

Mitsuko went to the podium, where the Head Council made their announcements. She took a deep breath.

"I didn't know my father," she admitted. "My mother left him before I was born. But... I know he cared for me. That I remained in his thoughts always."

Mitsuko felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned to Logan. He held out a picture to her. She accepted it from him. It was a photo of Raidon Nagamori with a beautiful woman. They were getting married. The car they were running towards had a sign on it reading Congratulations Raidon and Ceridwen.

"He was married," Mitsuko said. "To a woman named Ceridwen. And then had a son, Logan." Mitsuko looked at the hurt expression on Logan's face. "And Logan loved them very much. They died trying to get him to safety. And they succeeded. They brought him to me." She looked at him very seriously. "And I promise I will not let them down."

Who: Everyone [Narrative]
Where: Town Hall
When: Evening
What: Town meeting to relay the discoveries of the scouting mission.

Once again, the meeting hall was packed with the people of Elysium. Those who had accompanied the scouting mission finally returned that morning, bringing with them survivors and many useful supplies from the outside world. It was important for them to relay the discoveries of their journey to the citizens, to announce to them what had indeed happened to the world beyond their borders and what they had found and the people they had rescued. Dylan stood before the crowd this time, fresh from his return and ready to speak to the awaiting crowd. The other Head Council members, Theora and Constance, stood by his side. They waited as more citizens piled into the seats, a loud murmur of chatter filling the air. He could hear the questions now. What had they found out there? Was the world really destroyed? It was time for them to know what their leaders knew.

"Thank you for showing up today," Dylan began in his deep voice. The talking of the crowd whittled down to a quiet murmur and almost faded altogether as he spoke. "I am glad to see so many of you have come for this meeting. All of the scouts have returned safely, without incident, and we have scaled the outside grounds to the nearest city. Supplies that will be of use to us have been brought back from the outside, such as generators and medical supplies."

A burst of excitement seemed to wash over the crowd, the murmur of their voices rising higher once more at this news. Dylan let them talk amongst themselves for a moment before continuing with a louder voice that hushed the noise of the crowd. "The world outside has indeed been hit by the terrors of war. The land surrounding the haven is untouched, but beyond that, the land is tattered, some of it destroyed, and the city we visited was in shambles from weapons of war. The effects of a war are obvious on the land. However, despite this grave news, we were able to recover a handful of survivors."

Again, the crowd reacted. This time with gasps and loud calls out to each other and towards the Head Council. Some seemed angry, and others sounded relieved. Dylan held up his hand. "The survivors are not to be released until they have been in containment for tests to make sure that they are healthy. This will probably take a day or two to accomplish. We would like to ask for volunteers at the medical pavilion to help us tend to those brought back. Anyone with medical training or medicinal knowledge is especially wanted. Interacting with them will be completely safe if you are properly protected, as we are unsure of their health status. Human volunteers will not be accepted for safety reasons on their own behalf. The survivors are very weak from their ordeals, so no visitors will be allowed. Only volunteers may come by and will be granted access, if approved. Also, the father of one young man passed away before he could be brought to the haven, and there will be a funeral service to lay his body to rest in proper time."

The people began to talk immediately again at the end of Dylan's speech. Everything that needed to be said was said. Dylan nodded his head deeply to indicate he was finished, and he turned to Constance and Theora to see if they had anything to add. People began to rise from their seats and filter out of the meeting hall. Already, a few people arose and began to form a small group willing to volunteer at the medical pavilion. The meeting itself was clearly over, and everyone left the Town Hall to return to their daily lives.


** NOTE: If you would like to have your character volunteer for the medical pavilion, please have them leave a note to any member of the Head Council so that they may discuss it in game. **

WHO: Dylan, Theora, Constance, and Adam
WHEN: 9:00 AM
WHERE: Council chambers in Town Hall
WHAT: Council meeting & a debate over a scouting mission.

Dylan’s footsteps echoed down the corridors of the Town Hall.

Arriving early for the council meeting, he made his way up a curved flight of stairs and down another long hall towards the assembly room in the building. He opened the door and stood on the threshold for a moment, his gaze passing over the shaded surroundings of the other side. The Town Hall was quiet this early in the morning. As it was, the building was unoccupied most of the time. Order was kept well so far in Elysium, though Dylan wondered how long that might last.

As positive as he was on the whole, he still had a bit of a pessimistic streak every once in a while. All societies and empires in the past eventually fell, no matter how peaceful or grandiose they were on the scale of things. The bombing that all within the haven had heard going on beyond their borders for the past few months spoke of that. A world full of both great and small most likely reduced to ashes by now. Of course, there was no means of telling what exactly had occurred in the outside world at this point. The Oracle spoke of a war to end all things, but Dylan knew that the visions of oracles were sometimes subjective and uncertain. There was no way to tell for sure.

Not until they looked for themselves to see what had happened out there.

Dylan walked over to the wall lined with windows. Pulling back one of the curtains, his eyes took in the sight of the city below. People were actually walking around outside with sizable groups and in much larger numbers than they had been doing in the past few months. Fear and uncertainty kept them locked inside their houses, afraid that the bombs outside could make their way into Elysium. Dylan couldn’t blame them. War was a terrifying thing, even if the arrows or the bombs weren’t landing on the patch of land that held your own two feet. No such weapons could surpass Elysium’s protection. Old magic worked better than bomb shelters. They had been safe despite the harrowing noises beyond the haven, but that hadn’t quenched the fear.

With a delicate pull on an embroidered rope beside the window on the far end of the council chambers, Dylan opened all of the curtains across the wall. Sunlight poured over the polished wooden table and the pale, luminescent walls. The room was distinctly elven in its make, the hue of nature written into the faintest tinge of bluish-green pigmentation on the walls. Despite its simplicity, the chambers were still elegant.

His hand removed the sunglasses from his eyes as his other pulled out one of the chairs from underneath the table. Seating himself in the chair, Dylan tucked his shades into the front pocket of his coat. He waited for the others as he lost himself in his thoughts.