Sabra La Tau

Who: Everyone
Where: The Arena
When: Day 200, very early morning
What:

HaHA! Well, that’s enough of that, isn’t it?

[You awaken. You are lying on the Arena floor, in exactly the same health as when you answered the last Call. It seems like ... everyone is here, though some are slower to wake that others.

As you lift your head... you see possibly the most enormous spider you could ever imagine... were it intact and not well broken and torn to pieces, ichor covering a great deal of the Arena. As you watch, it is crumbling, becoming sand... and simply falling away as if it never were. Beside it, an empty loom cracks and falls apart piece by piece as well.

Enormous bloody pawprints lead away towards the Arena doors.

The King is on the throne.]

Up a little late aren’t you? I would run along now, if I were you.

Who: You
Where: At the heart of the city, before the great throne
When: ???
What: A Game

[As your vision sharpens, so does the laughter.

Upon the throne sits a statue of Kokoli; the Masked One, the Laughing Liar, the Fool’s Fool. He remains still, and yet his mask seems to shift whenever you glance away. On his lap is Rota, the Pale Maiden, the Death-before-Life. Something seems a little off in their expressions. Hers, a little vacant, distant. His seems more dangerous each time he appears. It seems they were conversing.]

"I'm s-still not sure . . ."

"Don’t worry, babe. You’re gonna knock 'em dead."

((Mingle

HOW TO PLAY

THE BOXES:

1
2
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ROUND 2
ROUND 2 OVER))

Who: Everyone
Where: The Sacred City
When: King’s Year 200, ???
What:

[The days, weeks and months have been passing quietly. You've have had more than enough things to do. Even after the Builder's gift, there have been new buildings to make, materials to pool together, crops to begin to raise, businesses to start again.

There’s no change of the seasons, but it’s been hard not to notice that time has passed. More than the Oracle originally said would be necessary. It is hard for most to care, with something of a perfect world in front of them.

Lately each morning, you wake up with a start, heart pounding, and for a moment everything is grainy, as if seeing it in on cloth...

The moment you blink, it's gone.]

Who: Everyone
Where: In the Sacred City
When: King’s Year 199, Mid Winter
What:

[It had been a slow start through the fall. Nations full of people needing to settle and find shelter. And many despaired... how could such an enormous project be completed by the end of a mere two seasons when most were still milling about supplies and accommodations?

But as they do, gears shifted as the temperatures rose... as night became a nostalgic memory... Natural ingenuity blended with mad genius with simple practicality and by early winter, the great keystone... a project of masonry that had taken nearly as much time as the construction of the great stone walls themselves was complete and secured into place for the rest of the walls to be completed around it.

Construction had slowed ... even with ants to carve and carry, even with machinery of steam and clockwork and nearly a quarter of the world in labor.... the hours that COULD be worked became less and less... and working became less of a normal function and one of devotion, heroism and madness.

But today.... the last blocks had been placed, the keystone was in place and ready... Since last night the world has been thrown into blessed darkness. The air is uncomfortably warm, but no longer scalds to breathe, and the light comes from torches and magic.

Today, many people have gathered below the keystone, eyes turned upward.

Today, the supports are removed.]

Who: Any
Where: At the base of the great mountain
When: King's Year 199, early autumn
What:

[The great mountain is the largest mountain on the content known as the First Land. It is a marker that can be seen over most of the lands of Pyxis and Canis for its inspiring height. The crystal city, in all of its marvels is built into the western side of it, perhaps a fourth of the way up in a valley between it and the nearest mountain.

Its peak is obscured by the clouds, and no traveler or climber ascending to its great top has ever come back alive, leading most to simply accept that it was a dwelling place of the Gods and thus, no place for man or his ilk.

Today, at its base, a priest is pouring over detailed construction plans that seem to shift and expand under their own magic as he pens in the countries and supplies as they come in.

Great flags of black are set in an enormous circle, stretching out of sight in an enormous circle, and far into the lands that are considered Pyxis.

A great deal of shelters are set up, most tent at the moment, within the circle. Food and water getting the first stone structures erected and thus far are without guard.

A young Ophiuchus of Caduceus cut greets you as you approach, and waves you to the table that the hooded, red lined priest sits.]

His excellency has requested you report directly to him. Please hurry and send your representative.

Who: Cepheus
Where: Cepheus
When: King's Year 199, Summer
What: Bad things

[In the days directly following that terrible flash, things begin to go awry. Machines overheat more easily, fires plague the outer districts of Corehaven, and the Core itself wobbles mightily, its systems dangerously overcooked as the Old Woman makes her wrath known. Fountains flood at first, then dry up as the mechanics powering them fuse under the day's heat. Nothing major has happened ... yet. However, each minor crisis saps away from the bustling energy of the great Cephean cities.

The worst of these minor omens comes less than a full week after the first flash. A bolt of fire streaks across the night sky like a too-close shooting star. Then another follows it. And another. Soon the night is lit up by these streaks of light crashing to the ground. Upon closer investigation, the cause of these fiery lights become clear: the bibliowls have caught fire and are falling to the ground.]

Who: Relevant people
Where: Great Core, Corehaven, Cepheus
When: King's Year 196, midsummer
What: Shenanigans???

[ while the building itself is far from open to the average passerby, the Inner Core section and the delicate machinery it houses are the domain of a select few, with at least three layers of security checks and other countermeasures to prevent those who would enter uninvited--

[ --and judging by the sirens kicking up, someone has just gotten in anyway. ]

Who: Any and all carnivores
Where: Where the party is
When: King's Year 198, last summer, the final day of the Meat Festival
What: Meat Day

[Today , the open plains have transformed into a bustling little city of tents and smokehouses. Everywhere, people are cooking, eating, dancing, and partying down. Heroes of the raptor hunt (easily recognizable wearing the cleaned skulls of their kills as fashionable hats) are telling their tales. Somebody has already broken out the booze.]

[It probably goes without saying, but the whole world smells fantastic.]

[Once again, that strange patchwork of light and reality bathes the arena. Deep, impenetrable darkness wars with scattered rays of light, illuminating tiny slices of some seemingly unconnected scenery. Here a patch of lush, bluish tinged grass is warmed by the sun and blown by the breeze. There half of a delicate stone fountain is bathed in the first morning light... And over there you see a strange, fuzzy creature skittering and scrambling up a sheer rock face, ducking nervously in and out of shadows.

Scenes like this are scattered throughout the entire Arena without any sense of rhyme or reason... But as you walk further, you find yourself having to step on or around more and more thread. Fourteen shades of fine thread loop, scatter and tangle, condensing and congregating below the throne... leading to fourteen looms, each with a primitive, fuzzy picture coming into view, line by line- starting with the sky at the top.

When you look directly at the throne, it seems empty. It is only out of the corners of your eyes do you catch fleeting glimpses... sometimes fingers twined with thread... sometimes a face: matured with age, but warm and kindly.]

W... d...seek.... ?

Who: Everyone
Where: Everywhere
When: Day 198, evening
What:

[Suddenly, whatever you were doing, whatever your current physical state, you can feel it. It is a Call, but like none you’ve ever felt. In the arena lies the truth. A secret stifled for thousands of years now demands to be told. It resonates with something inside you, and you feel the pull.

It’s hard to hold in your mind to any thought but that need. Incapacitated teammates will need to be assisted. Everyone must be there.

You cannot look away from it. You cannot look away from Him.

You must go to the Arena. She will show you the truth.]

((Please to consider this your pre-Mingle mingling post. :) Characters may gather and chat on their way to the arena. Rabi can weep his bitter, useless Madagascar tears. Those who are FEELING THE COSMOS will feel these effects much more strongly, but everyone will to some extent feel the compulsion to go. At 8PM EST, everyone arrives at the Arena, and the :) may begin in earnest.))

Who: People
Where: Outside Cepheus
When: Day 198, morning
What: BEING MADAGASCAR. Hanging out. Being SO SANE

. . .I wish I was a raptor.

Who: Cepheus
Where: the usual place
When: Day 197, early morning
What: owls and hiatuses and crazies oh my!

[Going through the morning routine, probably earlier than anyone would really like. Noodle's in the kitchen, making up some tea to help with all those aches and pains.]

Who: Anyone
Where: Just outside the Cepheon dorms
When: Day 196, immediately postgame
What: A return

[Heading back from the game, a certain tiny in yellow is even quieter than usual. He also has his staff with him. It's been awhile since he carried it back from a game himself. :|a]

Before everyone goes inside, I have something important to say.

Who: Red, others
Where: Monoceros, Corvus, other
When: Day 196, noon
What: Taking a break from insane people and being MADAGASCAR to deliver uniforms + bracers

[Corvus and Monoceros will have one RED knocking at their door]

Excuse me~~

Who: Cepheus
Where: Cepheus dorms
When: Day 195, morning-ish
What: important things!!1

[outside Cepheus, the Librariowl-alarm is jangling for the first time since the earthquake. so many jangling chimes!!]

Who: Zero and others!
Where: Pavo, Lacerta, Cepheus, PYXIS? (don't shank me) etc.
When: Day 195, after the bath shenanigans
What: Visiting the new crazies in Sabra.



[Blue dolphin at the door, knock knock knocking.]

Who: pillar team alpha (and anyone else up early)
Where: BATHS
When: Day 195, morning
What: That was bullshit. let's soak!

Hm, it's not very crowded this time of day!

Who: Watanuki and Syaoran + various people
Where: The lake, then back to the dorms
When: Day 193, late evening
What: De-swapping and coming home

[Late in the evening on 193, there's some splashing and flailing coming from the lake. Good news: the noodles are back in their proper bodies. Bad news: they had a hell of a time getting that far. Watanuki is supporting Syaoran, trying to get them both out of the lake.]

J-just a little further...

Who: ~Bella~ and escort(s)
Where: All around the main dorm areas
When: Day 193, mid-afternoon, after face-scrubbing and Lyvus visits
What: SEE ALL THE THINGS


What's that on the ground? Why is it squishy over there instead of rocks? Which team lives there? Do they have cute boys?

Who: Claude, anyone
Where: South lakeside
When: Day 192, evening, some time after things have calmed down
What: \o/

* welp, surely everyone's too busy with post-quake chaos to notice a quiet splooshing down in the shallows :|b *

* half-stumbling to shore *