parz | PLOTTING SIM 1.1: WELCOME TO TENEBRAE TOWN

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!plotting

PLOTTING SIM 1.1: WELCOME TO TENEBRAE TOWN

Systems R̸e̶a̷d̸y̵.

Load Simulation …? Y/N

Your consciousness comes to you in the midst of a dense autumn forest. You haven't been asleep. You stand there, fully clothed, but perhaps not in your usual attire - perhaps you're wearing a belted tunic with trousers and leather boots to protect you from the cold ground, or a long and modest dress with an apron and a hood, hand-sewn in natural fabrics. The chill in the air and even the smell of the dirt and the trees are not like those of the Island. This place feels old, a strange energy crackling in the air. Some may recognize it as a very ancient magic.

In the distance, colorful lights dance between the trees. Approach closely enough and they look like fairies, but they are always just out of your reach. Are they leading you somewhere? No - if you follow them, as they seem to bid you, they will only lead you deeper into danger: a snarling wolf, a sudden drop into a craggy ravine. They are mischievous, sometimes cruel little things.

You'll never escape this forest by yourself. For as long as you are alone, the night is interminable - days long, it seems. Are you the determined sort, willing to choose a direction and continue walking no matter what, or will you give into despair of being hopelessly lost? With any luck, it won't take you long to find out that your only way out is with the help of someone else. Only by agreeing to work together will the dawn finally break, and your path will become clear.

Should you refuse, or never cross paths with another Islander? Maybe the wolves will take you in.

II. Welcome to Tenebrae Town

[ Week 1 - 2 ]

The path leads you to a small town beneath a near-constant, gloomy cloud cover, where houses are built of wood and stone and villagers gather around a hearty bonfire at the town square for warmth. Horses traverse the streets, bringing villagers to and from their farms and the town's taverns and shops. Poke your head into any of these and make yourself friendly with the locals, and they will tell you this is Tenebrae Town, and they've been expecting you. Innkeepers and barkeeps welcome you with a free drink or a hot meal. All receive you like a friendly neighbor they haven't seen for a very long time.

Should you be lucky enough to have a safe haven here, a kindly villager may lend you a ride to your home. They're so glad you've returned after all these years, for the upcoming Winter Solstice festival is not to be missed! The villagers need help with their fall harvests, and the extra hands are most welcome at a time like this. No safe haven? Perhaps you can exchange your services for shelter at one of the abandoned farmhouses. For when you would rather not work, the tavern and the town square which often features many stalls of produce and goods, are the best places to gather in good company.

No matter where you go, the villagers seem quite relieved that you are here.

III. Meet the Council

[ Week 2 - 3 ]

When the dreary morning dawns yet again, you may find a tension in the air, not so much of fear, but instead wary apprehension and hypervigilance. Some of the townspeople you met yesterday may seem pale and fatigued, drained even to the point they are barely going through the motions of their daily duties. Others might seem twitchy, as if there is too much energy under their skin as they went about their day. They will still smile and try to be friendly, telling you that this evening is very important, for it is the night of the new council decrees. All the news of the town comes straight from the council itself once a week. But what is the council, you may ask?

The Council is the governing body of Tenebrae Town and all laws and news come from these meetings, where they then send out decisions for all to abide by. Townspeople are welcome to come, if they stay up late enough that is. Recent arrivals are all but compelled to go, for it is important that they enroll themselves with the town’s registrar if they want to count as a citizen for decisions and necessary supply chain management. Each body within the town’s limits is valuable and matters in the eyes of the Council, especially Lorde Magna Tempus, the head of the council, and the true leader of Tenebrae Town. All arrivals here fall under her domain and protection. She is the one who holds the council meetings and speaks directly to the people.

But what about the other council members? They are important, townspeople will insist, it is just that their participation is more... limited, some might say. Being banished from the town proper as they are.

Oh, right, has no one told you about Lord Amet Nullam and Lorde Proin Dolor’s banishment? Oh dear. Yes, you've been gone too long to know about that precarious situation.

No one knows for certain what was done, only that Lord Amet and Lorde Proin had always had tension, every year, especially as the Winter Solstice neared (just as it did this year). But ever since the Solstice some years ago, things have been much worse. The followers of each had begun arguing and even fighting in the streets of the town, little petty slights and even greater damages wrought upon the neutral citizens and followers of Lorde Magna herself. It had finally come to a head when Lorde Magna had banished the other two council members and their followers to their respective regions of the Forest outside the town and refused them entry until they sorted themselves out. Yet the tension and conflict had not been solved, oh no. They merely kept up their disagreements in the shadowed woods surrounding the town instead and waited for their chance to prove who was in the right.

That chance will soon come 'round again, for the season of the Blood Moon is soon upon us. Things are always more tense as the New Blood Moon nears, for when the skies glow red, any sort of creature may enter the town - no metaphysical barrier will stop them. Lord Amet and Lorde Proin's followers never fail to use this opportunity to seek out new recruits.

Do you have more questions? Well, perhaps it is best for you to attend the Council meeting that night and receive the rest of your answers from Lorde Magna herself…

Oh, and don’t forget to receive your protection charm from the registrar when you go. If you are inexperienced of magic, you’ll most certainly need it.

IV. The Blood-Red Moon

[ Week 3 - 4 ]

The clouds that have blocked out much of the sky for the last two weeks thin and fade, but never completely leave. The darkness of the sky that had seemed to swallow all the light above the town also fades as the glowing full moon hovers largely overhead. It is like a bloody, cracked plate hanging above the town after night falls and tinges everything it covers in shades of red.

The New Blood Moon has risen and the barriers of the town fade for the season, allowing the followers of Lord Amet and Lorde Proin to once again enter Tenebrae. The tension that has been slowly building over the last two weeks finally makes sense when you see the increased traffic in the streets after dark, the different people moving about and staking claim to the home they have been denied all year.

Those without their own personal safe havens might even find themselves surprised by an unexpected houseguest, when the owners of that home you claimed for yourself return to see their place at double occupancy. Will there be a problem here, or will they greet you and cordially invite you to remain their guest? Well, that depends on the individual.

Perhaps they don’t seem to want you to leave just yet...

Others may not be so polite and welcoming, aggressive and demanding in their reclamation of “their” property and status among the townspeople. They want what is theirs and they refuse to allow newcomers to have it. They may fight over property, demand supplies from local shops, accosting people on the street and taking without a care--or coercing with an implied threat. It’s as if chaos has fallen upon the town but the residents seem both exasperated and resigned to it. Arguments and even physical conflicts might break out in the streets late into the night. You might even be caught in the middle of such a fight. But this up close you might realize exactly why they seemed so repelled by each other.

Dressed in sharply cut finery, accents of precious metals such as gold and silver, and carrying the attitudes some might find arrogant and “aristocratic,” most of the followers of Lord Amet Nullam almost seem to float through town, their feet making nary a sound as they walked. When they pass, you can’t help but notice a perfect scent, something you have always known and loved, but somehow with a hint of iron to it. They are polite, if playfully condescending, looking down on the townspeople who can’t seem to help being drawn to them. Especially those without protection charms to fight back against their natural allure. A closer look at one of their performative smiles and you will surely notice the fangs protruding over their bottom lip or see the reflective glow of their eyes. Vampires are known for making a sharp first impression.

The followers of Lorde Proin Dolor leave no less of a biting impression. Dressed in furs, leathers, colorful hair accessories and skin accented with runic art, they look as if to embody the fauna of the woods surrounding Tenebrae. They walk with solid, sturdy steps, the ground giving soft vibrations as they pass that leave your body tingling. They step close to you when they pass, not even caring if you notice the inhale of air as they take in your scent. Some are certainly physical in their heavy handed claps to the back or taps to the arm. Lorde Proin’s followers have no qualms about touching and engaging physically with those around them even upon first meeting. There is a sharpness to their eyes, never taking them off whoever they are speaking to, and their nails have a certain claw-like quality. Their laughs are heart and bellow through the town like howls into the night. The Wolves always make their joy known.

Careful of how close to these characters you come and how you interact with them, some townspeople might warn you - with a casual reference to the protection charms offered by the town’s registrar. Lorde Magna’s will is all that maintains the semblance of order within the town, and those charms are your direct connection to it. It will help push back the influence of the Vampires’ allure and the predatory lust of the Wolves, allowing you to go about your days and nights as safely as possible.

Bare physical contact with either group may leave you feeling disoriented. You may feel overheated or chilled, your body rebelling against some unknown affliction. It will last for hours or days. You’ll feel a hunger inside of you, a twisted urge that you can’t quite name at first. You do not know why, but you cannot bear being alone. You need someone with you, someone to touch and press into, to share in the sensations of their body as yours continues to be beset by confusing changes.

How the transformation happens will be unique to every person, but have some similarities: a thirst and hunger, a predatory desire to have and take. To claim as yours in some way. A Vampire’s transformation will be complete once they have drawn their first blood. A Wolf’s shift will be true once they have changed into their unique beastly form under the light of the Blood Moon. Beware your neighbor, for even the newly shifted can spread the transformation with just a touch.

If you're lucky, the protection charms have done what was needed of them, preventing you from succumbing to the changes that humans are pulled into by contact with the supernatural during the Blood Moon. That does not mean they are without their own challenges. They can lead to magical mishaps, by way of words becoming spells through an unintentional force of will. Wearers may cause someone to freeze in their tracks just by saying “Stop!” or accidentally cause small items near them to explode, catch fire, or transfigure into something else entirely. Watch your thoughts and emotions carefully, as the more and longer the protection charms are active, the stronger their power. Those with a particular inclination towards magic may not be able to control these new abilities without proper care and training within Lorde Magna’s Coven...

But with so much going on, surely you'll forgive the kindly villagers if they fail to warn you of such things...?

OOC Notes:

Welcome to our first simulation! Think of it like a Choose Your Own Adventure that you are free (and welcome!) to doodle in the margins of. If you have yet to read the FAQ section about Sim City, please do so now! If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask.

As the Simulation is heavily influenced by the minds of participating characters, feel free to make up details about the town and the NPCs as needed! Small details that vary from thread to thread can be handwaved away as an artifact of many minds participating at once.

Note: Event posts will focus on Sim City events. Mingles and TDMs will focus on Nameless City events.

The event will go live on the 5th.

Feel free to plot in the comments here! Event top levels may be posted to the event log and/or to your character's catch-all logs, but please wait until the event log is posted to

lusi to use these prompts.

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N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I noticed this one has a very 'human vs. other' theme to it and that the theme seems to be mostly welcoming humans t ok the town as if they've always been there. Would characters who are some other species be immediately barred from finding the village due to its protections? Or would the people of the village see and accept them as human?

Does this also apply to those who are quite obviously not human in appearance as well?

OOC Notes:

The event will go live on the 5th.

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