logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: october 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. scavenger hunt prizes are awarded. the ferry capsizes in a blaze of glory.
warnings: n/a.

welcome to beacon.

It's dim, and the room won't stop swaying, gently rocking you back and forth. A loud sound startles you fully awake, a deep, moaning call: a foghorn. As your eyes adjust, you note faint red light streaking through the room from a tiny, round window.

You've found yourself in a private room, lying on a bed. The last things you remember are the events that led up to your death. Beside you is a folded tablet and a lantern that glows steadily with a healthy flame.

You're on a ship. And that ship is docking.

Making your way to the deck, and eventually the pier, you find only moonlight to greet you, and a dark forest beyond. There are other people here, each with their own unique lantern, and many of them look just as lost as you are. On the ferry you've just disembarked from, the speaker system begins to play a song.

In the distance, across the waters of the lake, you can see the tall silhouette of a lighthouse, its red light slowly turning.

•••

Luckily for all the newcomers, the tablet and the town have some resources available for playing catch up! In fact, as soon as they're prompted to enter a network username, an app containing all sorts of useful welcome information will launch. Newcomers can always check out the weekly bulletins and the records in town hall as well, and everyone's welcome to get in touch with the NPCs through their inboxes.

When the ferry docks, it seems as though you've been spared from any weirdness this month! It's good to have a break now and then, isn't it? And if you participated in the scavenger hunt, you're probably eagerly awaiting your promised prize—

But, ohp, what's that sound? Is that the ferry's engine firing up again? The ship roars to life again as some brave mutineers overthrow its autopilot system. Crowley and the Winter Soldier man the ferry's control room while Aziraphale flits between the cargo hold and the deck, attempting to assuage any accidental kidnapees with reassuring words and cake.

Unfortunately, the joyride is shortlived. Between the ferry's complex control panel and the haphazard attempts to override it, all the group manages to do is send the boat charging full speed ahead—which would be great if it wasn't facing the beach. The ferry jolts forward and careens smack into the dock, tearing down the entire structure and punching a sizeable hole in the ferry's hull.

Well, that could've gone better. But there's no time to dwell on the mistakes of the very recent past! The ferry is sinking, and quickly! Looks like you'll have to scramble if you want to save what's left in the cargo hold before the whole thing goes under... And that's gonna be awfully tricky without a dock.

Oh, and maybe save the new arrivals? Make sure they don't drown? But, then again, if they go down with the ship, they'll just show up again in the church... The same can't be said for the restock for the general store!

As smoke billows from the damaged ferry and the last the harbor disappears into the lake, the Lighthouse Keeper appears on the network with a pretty straightforward question. Also, the ferry's song changes, so. That happens.

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! For this intro log, you are officially without a chaperone. Rastus is back at the bonfire, Will is characteristically elusive, and Robin is, well, you know where she's at. It's up to the veteran residents to fill in the new folks.

And regarding the ferry disaster... Well, you have some options. Here's what you need to know:
This is a player plot organized by MJ, Xy, and Gail! A big thank-you to them for providing us with this intro log event!

Whether or not your character and any packages addressed to them are affected by this plot is up to you! If you would like to assume your character avoids dealing with this chaos and somehow grabs their delivery without issue, go right ahead!

Similarly, if you're looking for an opportunity to make your character's life harder, injury and death are always on the table! Or maybe it's your package that takes the abuse, lost forever to the lake's depths or washing up all waterlogged a week or two down the road. In short: How you engage with this plot is entirely up to you.

What happens to the ferry and the dock? Within a couple of hours, the ferry will sink completely, and anything on board when it goes down is lost forever. Which bodes super well for the ferry, huh? Sure hope the next batch of newcomers has some strong swimmers. Oh, and the dock is gone, too. If you want it back, you'll have to rebuild it.

As for Crowley, Aziraphale, Bucky, and anyone else on the ferry or dock during the collision... Hope you boys like concussions, bruised ribs, and a broken bone or two, because you've got 'em! The exact injuries are up to you, but they're the equivalent of a semi-serious car accident.

One last thing: The fate of the shop restocks, including all of the food for the month, depends on you! Let us know if your character will be participating in the rescue attempt. In exchange for letting us beat up your character, you can save a portion of the month's supplies! We'll let you all know on October 3 what the rations for the rest of the month will look like.

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

The monthly store restock
For Daylight: A variety of gardening tools piled into a wheelbarrow, as well as packets of seeds for the following plants: Boneset, dogtooth violet, starflower, Carolina springbeauty, pipsissewa, bloodroot, red columbine, narrowleaf blue-eyed grass, harlequin blueflag, and purple pitcherplant; he will also receive a translation for the following: An invitation to join the speaker as company
For Aziraphale: A record player, the complete discographies of a variety of bands (Abba, Rob Zombie, Tool, Hanson, Eiffel 65, and Spice Girls), a two-tiered wedding cake, and packets of seeds for the following plants: Strawberry, cherry tomato, cucumber, blackberry, carrot, potato, raspberry, and pumpkin; he will also receive a familiar copy of a familiar book: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, along with a blue ribbon that reads "BEST IN SHOW"
For Bruce: A handheld metal detector and a rechargeable battery for it, a chisel, a climbing harness (that, according to the packaging, is the #1 Safety Rated!) and a 50 ft. coil of rope
For Cao Pi: A go board
For Rosinante: A sextant, and 3 cartons of cigarettes; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Danger! Run and hide!"
For Kuai: A basket of 16 mooncakes, as well as incregredients for more
For Javert: 3 pairs of handcuffs, a greatcoat in Javert's size, and a trunk full of swords in varying styles and conditions; he will also receive an electric chainsaw
For Kol: A record player, the complete discographies of a variety of bands (New Kids on the Block, Weird Al Yankovic, Sound Garden, Ke$ha, INXS, and Spinal Tap), a cooler full of blood bags and ice packs, and an assortment of stamps; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "I'm lost" or "Need directions"
For Elena: A journal; she will also receive a portable generator (powerful enough for a single power tool or small appliance; can be charged through a typical wall outlet)
For Xayah: A thick journal and a glass vial of black ink; she will also receive a sizeable roll of barbed wire, as well as a stuffed animal
For Ignis: A spice restock (with a few new ones mixed in!), 3 paired of leather gloves, and... 12? pairs? of glasses? They're all in slightly different prescriptions, though. A variety pack!; he will also receive a power drill (runs on a rechargeable battery or can be plugged directly into a wall socket)
For Riku: A wood stove, a set of paints, and 5 canvases; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Looking for water" or "Thirsty"
For Matt: A rosary and a Braille Bible... which is more of a collection of volumes, really; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Looking for food" or "Hungry"
For Noctis: Two complete sets of the Lord of the Rings series (except, wait a minute... they appear to be the novelizations of the movies); he will also receive an SD card that, when plugged into a tablet, will upload GPS directions to a new location...
For Rosalind: A crate of basic all-purpose lab equipment, a fancy microscope, an emergency eye wash station, a mortar and pestle, a lab coat, a Lite Brite, and... the things she needs to make things float, whatever those are; she will also receive a pair of dousing rods (that will actually point in the direction of water, checkmate atheists)
For Jason: A translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Sympathy" or "I'm sorry"
For Coraline: A translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Teach me"
For Eliot: A bottle of hospital grade painkillers (it contains 10 doses and functions similarly to Vicodin)
For Allie: A bottle of strong antibiotics (it contains 10 doses and can fight off most any infection)
For Vanitas: A portable camping stove (runs on a portable battery or can be plugged directly into a wall socket)
For Hope: A soldering iron (runs on a portable battery or can be plugged directly into a wall socket)
For Quentin: A cannister of foaming bandage (can be used 5 times to immediately close a wound/stop semi-severe bleeding)
For Mary: An SD card that, when plugged into a tablet, will upload GPS directions to a new location...

If you submitted an item request last month and we've missed it here, let us know!

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[Eleven nods - yes, the power is hers, and also yes,it will be useful.

Tentatively she offers:]

I can... fight.

[And there's something hesitant, but darker in her eyes. She can kill, is what the sentence implies, too.

She has killed.]

[ Kettara nods solemly. It's important, being able to fight. Otherwise a person can't and won't survive, or at least not easily. ]

Good.

[ A pause. ]

Can you hold a sword, or throw a spear? My power - it fades, in this place. It doesn't always act as it should. Perhaps yours is stronger than mine, but it might not be reliable here.

[Those aren't good news. Eleven worries her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment. She's used to her powers fading with use, and having to rest so they may recover. She does rely on it, though, and has no other ways of defending herself.]

No. I know about guns. Hop has one, but... I'm not allowed to touch it.

[ Kettara frowns at that. She knows very little about guns, other then the fact they need to be kept clean and dry to function. Ogrimmar puts warriors up on the walls with long guns, in case the capital is attacked, but Kettara has never seen them in action. ]

Do you know how to use one?

[ Knowing about a weapon isn't always the same as knowing how to wield one effectively. ]

[Eleven shakes her head then, looking almost sheeping.]

No. I don't like them.

[She knows some good men have guns, too, but mostly she thinks of Papa's bad men when she thinks of guns.]

[ Perhaps they have been used against her, Kettara thinks, and flattens her ears. The humans who guarded the camps when she was a child had rifles. Brought all the way from Ironforge, they would say, as if this was an impressive thing. She remembers the cracking sound the weapons made when they fired and how quickly a person would drop. She remembers a lot of things from back then, though very little of it is useful here.

She shakes her head. ]

You're small for a sword. You should learn to use knives. Or a quarterstaff, at least.

[Knives are good. Those, Eleven thinks, she could also easily throw with her mind - though she suspects Kettara has other ways to use it in mind.

One thing gives Eleven pause, though.]

Why... just a quarter of a staff?

[ Despite herself, Kettara laughs. She covers her mouth with her hand, surprised at herself, but she still laughs.

She is alone in this place. That is fact. She died and in the dying was shamed somehow, and shunted off the path her mother and all those who came before would have walked. There is no one here who knows her and, even worse, this death was not proper. It was hard and painful and full of shame.

And yet. She laughs. Because this woman, Eleven, is beside her and even though Eleven is human she does not seem so strange. So Kettara laughs and for a moment she does not feel alone. ]

I don't know. It's just what it's called.

[ She drops her hand, still grinning. ]

I've never taught anyone. But I could try. If you wanted.

[Eleven doesn't quite get it, but... Kettara seems amused. And so she finds her own mild frown melting away, lips quirking into a small smile that just keeps threading until she's all bright eyes and toothy grin, laughing with the delight only a child can muster, and for not other reasn then that Kettara is laughing, too.

When she wipes at her eyes as their moment dies down, it's for a good reason for the first time since her arrival. Her own smile persist as well.]

I've never... fought like that. If you try to teach... I can try to learn.

[ It's good to laugh, even for a moment. The tension has broken. ]

I fight with axes. Two hands.

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<Small>[ It's good to laugh, even for a moment. The tension has broken. ]</small>

I fight with axes. Two hands.

<SMALL<[ She touches her own weapons briefly, though doesn't draw them. The blades are sharp and well cared for, and there are notches on the grips. ]</small>

But a staff is good to learn on. Then you pick the weapon that suits you best.

[Eleven nods. The tension has broken, certainly, but she is still solemn and serious.]

Learn with staff. Then pick a weapon.

[She hesitates for a moment, then almost tentatively adds:]

I don't... want to hurt people. But. So I can defend. And save friends.

Yes.

[ Kettara tips her head to the side, uncertain about the hesitation. Surely someone like Eleven has fought before. ]

Have you never killed anyone, Eleven?

[Eleven pulls her hands into her lap, fingers grasping at the fabric of her pants slightly. Not quite clenching, but there's a discomfort in her posture.]

I have killed. They were bad. They wanted to hurt me and friends.

[ Again the hesitation. Kettara frowns a little. ]

Then it is good you killed them.

[ It's clear this was difficult in some way, though Kettara doesn't quite understand why. It sounds as if it had been necessary at the time, and someone who doesn't know how to fight with weapons must fight however else they can. There's no shame in that. ]

Isn't it?

[It's difficult to think about. Difficult to explain.

Her face is angled down, but she looks up at Kettara, pondering.

Her voice, when she speaks, is flatter than before. Quieter, too, and there's something less like a person in the way she looks at Ketara, as her mind leans over the edge to gaze back into her own abyss.]

Papa made me to kill.

[ Again Kettara has the feeling that she's missing something important, some piece of information or context that would make Eleven's reaction fit. Death is inevitable and most deaths are violent ones, in Kettara's experience. She's killed in battle many times, though she doesn't count the deaths like some warriors do, and accepted it as necessary. The cost of survival, of conducting her duty as a shaman and as a member of the new Horde.

But she's never been forced to take a life. It was her choice every time.

Kettara frowns, mulling that over for a moment. Finally: ]

If you fight now, it will be your choice.

[ It might not be much of a comfort, but it's all she can think to say. ]

[Her choice.

Eleven considers that.

She's killed without much in terms of regret. Doesn't enjoy doing it, and would certainly prefer not to have to do it. But she will, if she needs to defend herself or others.

She has to, then.

And Kettara Bloodthirst raises a good point.]

It will be... my choice.

[Not hunted by Papa or the Mind Flayer, not having to defend against the evil that she herself brought into the world and onto her loved ones' door steps...

It makes a difference, to her.]

Thank you.

[ It seems to be the right answer, or at least not the wrong one. Kettara nods again. ]

...I don't know a lot of humans, [ she says after a moment. ] But. You will be all right. You can fight already. This will just be another way.

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INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

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