timeskip ;; eachdraidh

[extramural]

THE OUTSIDER COURT Unseelie. TITLE Seaspeaker, Giftgiver. OCCUPATION God. ABLE TO FAST-TRAVEL Yes, to seaside locations at night and for the night only. RESIDENCE IN 2,701 A small ship, Lumina's manse. RESIDENCE IN 2,702 A small ship, Lumina's manse. MAJOR EVENTS THE VOID WALKER During the Roc's deepfreeze, the Outsider obtains a ship. [ ✖ ] HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ] HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ]

PLANS The Outsider will spend the timeskip immersing himself in the ocean culture of the Drabwurld and building his base of worshipers. He may or may not sire a new terrifying race of sea beings with Ceit the Siren. With Caer Scima destroyed, he will move out entirely, moving what few possessions he has to a small ship that can sail both the oceans and rivers. He will spend most of the year traveling on his ship, taking in the sighs of the Drabwurld and attempting to learn more about it. TIMELINE OF EVENTS SPRING IN 2,701 (Mar, Apr, May) MARCH - The new King of Birds, the Roc, brings late snowstorms across the drabwurld; shardbearers must combat its magic to un-freeze each other, natives, and whole areas. The Outsider uses his fire magic nightly, thanks to the gem in the Drowned Crown, to thaw out bits and pieces of the world. During this, he locates a small ship frozen entirely, captain dead and crew gone. After laying the captain's soul to rest, he takes the ship for himself. APRIL- Shardbearers shall be struck at various moments by the sound of harp-playing which inspires distractingly, disablingly intense and wild emotions, but be unable to determine the source! Shardbearers will discover that they can follow the sound only in their dreams to the dream-image of a harp which magically plays itself. Smashing the harp in their dreams will disable the spell which affects their waking moments. Unused to having most emotions, much less strong ones, the Outsider has a difficult time handling this event. He laughs, cries, and lashes out only to become incredibly distressed at his lack of control. A rendezvous with Ceit the Siren leaves him so worn out that he sleeps on his own for the first time in several thousand years, smashing the harp in his dream; still, the experience has marked him. MAY - Golden swans will migrate to the mainland from the southern coast, devouring newly-planted crops and seeds; slaying them turns them into solid gold swan figurines. The Maidenfish and wolfhounds are quite happy to hunt and kill the swans, and the Outsider is quite intrigued by the magic that occurs when they're killed. He collects the figurines and stores them on his boat. SUMMER IN 2,701 (Jun, Jul, Aug) JUNE - Lumina comes for a boat trip; the pair go whale watching. JULY - Whale-watching trip with Lumina ends. AUGUST - Laethann's Festival of Lights is the second week in August, a curious local celebration timed to the arrival of fireflies which will this year mark the induction of the new Oracle; overnight the boats which comprise the Water Market all seem to have vanished, and natives float candles on the river out to sea and let paper lanterns fly, while in the distance the Tower of the Oracle glows golden through day and night. The Outsider visits Leathann, sometimes frolicking as as a whale under the floating lanterns. FALL IN 2,701 (Sept, Oct, Nov) SEPTEMBER - The magical power which allows shardbearers to understand Drabbish and each other goes haywire; affected characters will be heard speaking their native tongue! All their writing, however, will still be seen as Drabbish. Time to learn languages. OCTOBER - October 25-30th: SAMHAIN! Sun does not rise; characters can go wherever they please; Black Shuck makes another appearance; giant party on the Cathraon. The Outsider leaves an offering for the Shuck for the second year in a row. This year the Maidenfish help him with a costume; he arrives shirtless, wearing a necklace of shark teeth and with swirled designs painted over his torso and arms. His mask is made of small shells. NOVEMBER- Inmates from a magical island prison-colony of Laethann have escaped, and some manage to reach the mainland and begin causing havoc! The government of Laethann posts rewards for the return of these criminals, dead or alive. Many are legitimately dangerous mages and sorcerers; others are simply individuals who are debtors to the state and couldn't pay their taxes! Some of the escaped prisoners attempt to take the Outsider's boat by force. It does not go well for them. WINTER IN 2,701/2,702 (Dec, Jan, Feb) DECEMBER - YULE! The Outsider still does not understand Yule presents, but a few special CR mates may get bone charms. JANUARY - Caer Scima is at last entirely rebuilt, and grander than ever! The Outsider visits to see if they've gotten any new books. FEBRUARY - Possibly still reading at Caer Scima. Oops. SPRING IN 2,702 (Mar, Apr) MARCH - The skeletons of unburied soldiers killed in battle begin to rise, devouring whatever living beasts or people they come upon until their skulls are struck off. The Outsider assists in defeating these skeletons and laying their souls to rest using what he was taught by Lady Red-Hand. APRIL - Great numbers of imps and fairies begin to go missing in both castles, to the point where many everyday tasks go unfinished! ... probably doesn't even notice. MAY - Unearthly black-eyed young children begin appearing at various coastal locations in the Drabwurld after hatching in spring. They pretend to be lost or drowning in currents, crying out for help... but inevitably attempt to drown and eat their would-be rescuers -- unless those rescuers have a history respecting the ocean and the life within it, in which case they are given bone tokens charmed for luck. Aw, look at his kids!

( codes by whambam )

Comments

HURRAY

[cockade]

[HE REGRETS EVERYTHING. There is a moment where Arno opens his mouth, thinks about what he's going to say, then promptly shuts it again. He breathes out and cocks an eyebrow, unsure of how else to begin.]

You obviously don't know humor.

[A breath, but he thinks on how to address it.]

I come from a world where magic such as this- [A gesture to the Drabwurld as a whole.] is non-existent. The most you hear of them are through superstition, or children's fairytales. So to see someone floating really isn't normal.

[extramural]

I am not what most would call social.

[ That's putting it lightly, really. He may be more social in the Drabwurld out of necessity, but that doesn't make him that much better at it. ]

I speak of Courts. You asked if I were Seelie, then said that you could see I was not.

[ His gaze seems more intense, like a great predator staring down its prey. ]

[cockade]

As I'm finding out.

[The stare from the other causes Arno to first pause, unsure of why he's receiving it- but it only takes a second to realize his wording has already put him in a bad place. He goes tight-lipped at that, blinking a little, mind furiously trying to backpedal and not reveal how he knows this.

Why can't he ever keep his mouth shut.]

I know a few Seelie. Somehow, you don't seem to fit, like they do.

[............that is such a terrible attempt. He won't say as to how he knows, though.]

[extramural]

[ That gaze doesn't falter, doesn't break. The Outsider stares and, after a long expanse of silence, speaks. ]

You are a terrible liar.

[ Not an artifact, though, he thinks; there is nothing over this man's eyes. Something like Dark Vision, like Void Gaze, then? That would seem to fit. ]

[cockade]

[The Outsider will only get a thinly pressed grin at that, and Arno breathes out quickly, almost snorting in amusement.]

And you're very good at making people feel awkward.

[Arno, stop, you are not six years old. He'll ignore the staring for now, choosing to go back to talking about the bonfires.]

Do you know what's causing this magic? The winter that we've found ourselves in?

[extramural]

Perhaps you would feel less awkward if you were not caught in a lie, [ the Outsider suggests, smiling faintly. He's amused. ]

The King of Birds, the Roc. You may have noticed the other birds causing quite a commotion when this started.

[cockade]

[That first part gets ignored, Arno's head tilting at this new information.]

I did. I thought something was different. [He pauses, thinking.] I've been trying to find a way to help others, and see if there's a way to end it. [The Assassin's mouth goes into a thin line and his brow furrows, already showing how successful that's been.] That's proving to be more difficult than I thought. No one I've talked to seems to have any idea how to fight against it. Not yet, at least.

[extramural]

Fire, [ the Outsider says immediately, as if the answer is so obvious that he's almost offended Arno hadn't thought of it. ] We cannot send the snow back to the sky in reverse, but we can melt it.

[ And so he's been building bonfires. ]

Likewise, there are those who were caught in the cold who may appreciate regaining the feeling in their limbs. Have you ever had frostbite, Arno?

[cockade]

Yes, clearly that wasn't an option I've considered or done for others already. [The amount of sass he sends back is enough to choke a horse.

Arno has been moving supplies here and there, trying to build fires for those who need it, and learning what he can so he can stop the mess this whole thing is. It's not enough, he feels- it's never enough, but he pushes forward anyway, and tries to help where he can.

Still, he shakes his head at the Outsider's question.]

I can't say I have, no. France really isn't one for extreme temperatures like this. [There's snow, of course, but nothing this brutal.]

[extramural]

And yet you seem to find it difficult. [ He's not entirely sure that the cold hasn't altered Arno's brain.

Checking the bonfire once more, idly raising the flames with a wave of his hand, the Outsider decides to keep moving down the beach. Arno is clearly expected to follow, since he keeps speaking. ]

I do not recommend it. But it may be an ailment that you can assist with.

[cockade]

I'm not finding it difficult.

[He's really beginning to regret ever approaching the Outsider. "Worst decision Drabwurld 2701" in the making.

Still, he pauses just a moment before deciding to follow after the other, whistling lightly so his horse knows to follow.]

Other than giving supplies and providing blankets, I'm assuming.

[extramural]

Then clearly you are trying to make it difficult. You ask, I respond, you say that you are looking for another way when this way works.

[ If you have another idea that works, by all means, Arno.

The beach is dark; the Outsider does not seem bothered. Creatures of the dark will do what they will. ]

You do assume a great deal, don't you?

[cockade]

[There is a long moment where Arno opens his mouth to argue, to say something to the affect of "I know what I'm doing," but there is a logical part of him (minute as it is) that interjects. So he closes his mouth promptly, choosing not to reply to the first statement, only huffing in impatience.]

Not always. [But he does. After all, how else can he be so blind in his own journey for redemption?] One can't exactly move forward if you just sit and wait.