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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"A wood stove? Why? I'm sure we could-- we could build one," he offers, body language still nervous, rubbing his hands together in attempt at self-comfort, pacing about, generally being a worrier. Molly seems to always catch him in one of these moods.

"And I had wanted to tell everyone, see who might want to come along. There are so many people here who can do extraordinary things, you know. Oh, of course you know-- and I thought. There must be so many who wish to go home."

He wrings his shirt sleeves.

"This really is a-- an utter fuck-up."

"I don't know who that 'we' includes, but it most certainly isn't me. I can repair wheels and put up canvas on a wagon, but I tap out at anything fancy."

And wood stoves are fancy. Maybe next month that poor, poor stove-less person will get lucky, but Molly doesn't really care about them. He's just using them as an example. "It's a complete fuck-up, yeah. We don't even know if there's a way to just... not be dead anymore."

"I'm sure I could-- possibly help, but I think I will be needed to help repair the ferry. Hopefully that's just the worst of it," he responds, still fretting.

"And typically... I would say... there isn't, it would take some immense powers." But Aziraphale was not dead or alive to begin with, really. There wasn't really a state. He was just. Being. And he was expecting to not be anymore, not death.

Yeah, Molly notices and gives Aziraphale a little splash, like it's going to matter. They're all drenched. "You're going to fret yourself into a secondary grave. Stop it."

He huffs. "And atypically? You clearly thought there was something else."

"Well naturally, dear boy, I find a body to occupy, and then ask a higher power to resurrect you or at least direct you to your chosen afterlife. Or possibly ask the Antichrist if he would be willing to reverse what unnatural state has been caused by this place -- he sounds dreadful but he's quite a nice child," he replies.

Yes, he is babbling now.

Babbling and making a whole lot of "no sense," at that.

"I..." He starts, frowns, and then starts over. "I don't know how to respond to that, actually. I've never heard half those words used in that order, but I'll take your word for it."

"The fact of the matter is, we need a higher power to enact any of this," he answers, trying to simplify things. "Have you noticed anything strange about-- well, I don't know if you have abilities beyond that of a human's, I suppose." Is that rude to assume? He just figures, you know, why have glowing red eyes but not be able to do magic or something.

"Well, my higher power isn't speaking and the dead's higher power hasn't sent a single fucking raven and-" He pauses, giving Aziraphale a mildly pressed look. "If you're asking me if I can detect magic, then no... That's not exactly in my wheelhouse. Why?"

"Oh. No, it's nothing. Wait, why would they send you a raven? Is that how people communicate on your world? Seems like it might take a long time to get any sort of response."

"No the... Goddess of the dead is the Raven Queen. It's a whole thing." He pauses. "I suppose we could send ravens as messengers, but usually we just send couriers... Or use magic."

He shakes his head. "Never mind. That's not important, either. I need to get out of this bloody lake before I prove myself right and there is something awful in here."

He starts wading back towards the shore. "You should rest, too. You can self-flagellate just as well out of the water."

"I am-- doing no such thing. Though, you are correct, there might be something awful in there-- but I need to make sure there's nothing left to salvage first. Molly, will you-- could you possibly take my lantern to shore with you? And I will stay here?"

They can have theological discussions later. Perhaps over tea. Maybe nowhere near water, because they keep having terrible discussions over water.

They really do. Molly looks at him flatly like he's going to argue the point and then just sighs and thrusts out his hand for the lantern.

"I'll keep it safe, but you've got thirty more minutes of splashing around like a desperate arsehole or I'll throw it into the woods. That's more generous than I ought to be."

He's such a good friend.

"Thirty minutes," he promises, handing it to Molly and then diving back in.

By the time thirty minutes is up, he's all soaked and shivering and he's disposed of his coat and tie which weigh him down.

He's managed to save a good number of things, considering!

"--Thank you, Molly."

Molly's waiting on the shore, not even keeping track of the time, because he's not Caleb and thus can't really tell how much time has passed, but he figures there's an arbitrary point in time where he'll call it and walk off into the woods.

But Aziraphale meets his deadline and all is well. He offers the lantern back, grinning cheekily. "You're welcome. Feeling any better?"

Well, not really, because he's soaked to the bone and looking quite like a soggy drowned marshmallow in a nice coat, but.

"Yes," he says, truthfully, about his mental state. He's done as much as he can, there's really no use worrying at the moment. "How are you so calm about this?"

"Because there are enough people being panicky without me adding to it." Matter of fact and to the point. Molly had his moment of anxiety about the whole thing and he handed it over to Ambrose along with his coat so he could get shit done.

"What good is it if we're all running around like fuckin' arseholes?"

"No, you're right Molly, I... I can't waste time fretting about like this." He gives him a watery smile. "Are you-- you're not hurt, are you?" he asks, suddenly, feeling rather guilty now of having forgotten to before.

Molly spreads his arms to show that he is unharmed and every scar on his body is an old one. He didn't even have to bleed to fight anything- like a lake monster. All told, he's doing well. "Nothing to see here. I just have to get my coat back from Ambrose. He's probably wearing it."

It probably looks good on him, too. Bastard. "You, on the other hand, are in desperate need of a short rest."

"Only if you come with me," he answers. "We can find Ambrose first. It's quite cold today and you should have a coat. Does Ambrose not have one? We could find him one."

He also just can't imagine Molly without the coat, and he barely knows the guy.

"Absolutely. Someone has to fuss over you since you're doing so well fussing over everything else." Molly stands and shivers a bit, soaked as he is from the lake water. His body heat cannot compensate for a lot of this, and he will be much happier with his coat back. And the bonfire. That too. "And I think he just likes mine. Who wouldn't?"

He squeezes the water out of his coat, effectively missing the part about how fussy he is, but he wouldn't argue. It's how everyone's described him.

"Well, I hardly think it would fit me." Either personality-wise or just you know, because Molly is quite a bit smaller around.

"But yes, won't do for you to catch cold or pneumonia, Molly."

Molly cants his head and claps Aziraphale on the shoulder so he can start pushing him towards a direction, as if he's worried he might change his mind and start running towards the water again or find something else to fuss over. "Then let's hunt down a wizard, and then make ourselves comfortable by the fire, and try not to think about what a disaster this evening has been."

"Ah yes, the wizard." He had not known that Ambrose was a wizard, but he had anachronistically asked if he was a witch sometime after this thread.

"If you would like, I could possibly make us... dry at least."

"Oh you have that spell?" Molly seems relieved by this. He hasn't seen that spell since Pumat Sol used it on Caleb. "Caleb never learned it, and it would've been bloody useful if he had. We're always ending up soaking wet or filthy one way or another, and there's only so many bathhouses in our path."

"What spell?" he asks, as he prestidigitations them to dryness. Thanks to 5e, I thought this meant "to clean" and not "fancy hands," but that's for another time.

Aziraphale has no idea what this means to Molly.

INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

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