Nocturne: Prelude

[DirectorBright]

I haven't had the chance to really show off in a while.

Blot out the sun.

Yeah, sure, why not.
Good idea.
We will start with something small

---

Nocturne: Prelude
A soft and gentle night

---

Within the offices and studies of Martyr's Vigil, Knight Captain Grey Aundeoth has drawn up a plan- one based on an old semi-joking dare, now set into action. A mixture of opportunity, and a test for the self- just to see if he can. After all, why make potent tools if you aren't going to use them?

With this act, the oft-proclaimed greatest shadow mage in Meranthe invites those attuned to light or dark alike from within the region (fel forces need not apply) to observe and participate in a ritual to be conducted on the turn of Winter, such that field already barren from the chill need not suffer the lack of sun.

A grand-scale rite of shadow magic, to cast a long night over the vigil for a full month and distill fragments from the dark. One he assures will bring a calm and gentle night of rest to follow.

Surely, this will have no unforseen consequences whatsoever...

---

Injury Table:

IF UNHARMED:
1 is a 4 day temp, 4 or less is 1 day temp

IF INJURED:
1 upgrades to a 12 day unhealable, 
4 or less upgrades to 12 day temp

IF 2+ KNOCKDOWNS, no temp:
1 is a 12 day temp,
3 or less is a 4 day temp

IF 3+ KNOCKDOWNS, no temp:
1 is a 12 day unhealable temp, 
4 or less is a 12 day temp, 
Otherwise, 4 day temp.

DATE: TBA (At the turn of winter, tentatively set around the 22nd or 23rd)
LOCATION: Martyr's Vigil

DM: Me

[DirectorBright]

As the summer's warmth begins to ebb and the daylight hours grow shorter, the time of the ritual draws near

DATE: SAT  FEB 22
TIME: 6PM EST

[DirectorBright]

Reports from the city of Martyr's Vigil vary, though news spread quickly as the faint winter sun remained present over the settlement. Though no ritual was conducted, the controversy sparked by such a thing sent shockwaves through nearby settlements, resulting in intense debate within the city square proper and tension among the non-magi populations of both Gloomlight and Martyr's Vigil. Eventually, a decision was made to postpone and relocate the ritual, to assuage objections raised. Afterwards, the Captain-General retreated to his offices, ostensibly to quote, 'figure out what to do with all the supplies that were saved and allocated in the event something went wrong.'

Civilians interviewed in the aftermath of the incident issued a variety of responses. Some bemoaned the cancellation, citing a desire towards spectating such a feat. Yet more expressed frustration regarding the preparations taken beforehand having been for nothing. 

Golems had to be relocated out of workshops and fields to put runes under the sidewalks, and in the planters. Extra firewood was harvested in case something went wrong with the heating, and rations had been stockpiled. We'd even gotten moved around a bit in case something went wrong. All that for a spectacle we've never seen before, and a bit of yelling from nosey know-nothing outsiders has the city bending? Other countries are laughing at us, or think we're stupid or something. What a joke.

Others were mixed about the plan, considering that it would have been inconvenient to have to step outside city limits to enjoy what little sun the winter provides. Another group expressed relief regarding concerns over more serious complications, calling the ritual reckless.

What if the spirits got angry and attacked us, or it got freezing cold from it? What if the fields all died out, or it spread over the farms and ruined them in some way? Sure, the captain general says he's got it all figured out, but he's no nature mage. He's for sure able to do it, but how does he know things will work out? Besides, it's dark enough as it is in the winter! We don't need more! All that prepwork could have been spent on something else. What's more, he's gone and pissed off our neighbors with it. It's just embarrassing.

Oddly, after that day, the streetlamps of the vigil are notably different, radiating a slight warmth and sunnier coloration than the artificial white from before.

---

Eventually, a missive emerges from the Captain-General's office. Citing various concerns and a lack of trust in the newness of the ritual, the exalted shadow mage declares a relocation to a far-away island as a form of demonstration. His island. Arilator's Landing, uninhabited for decades, in the far reaches of the southern sea. 

An apologetic letter is sent north, towards Drakanspire, recognizing the inconvenient timing posed by a baptism, and west to Viritas, noting their art competition. The general assures that the ritual, should any wish to attend, will be set such that prospective attendees can ideally meet both places.

When pressed for comment, the Captain-General issued the following statement:

The accusations and claims of disastrous effects upon the environment and local populace are, while from a place of concern to the good of the many, assuredly something that would remain unrealized. I assure all that consultation was made with local officials and plans lain within the bounds of the ritual, with season and opinion taken into account. The statement from the court regarding the non-magi is formally denounced; if the honorable sorcerer is going to lay insult, at least be accurate.

However, the concerns of the international community are to be recognized.

Martyr's Vigil was considered a safe locale to perform such a low level feat. Though I would have preferred to grant a tranquil night upon the Vigil, I understand that to some, the proposed events would have seemed frightening or malignant. Let this assuage those concerns.

Given the doubts, and the relative newness and novelty of such a ritual, I will be conducting this process on Arilator's Landing. The island is owned by my family, and holds no denizens whatsoever for many years. It is isolated from the rest of the continent by a great distance, possesses basically nothing of note in terms of flora and fauna due to it's diminutive size, and is conveniently out of the way of migratory wildlife patterns. At this time of year, it's quite barren and cold. Though the ritual's scope remains as small as it was over the vigil, so even if thus were present, it is predicted the timing and scale would cause no long term effect.

This does not come free, of course.

In such a relatively uncontrolled and utterly undeveloped environment, and without the same degree of runework set in stone and metal, alongside infrastructure support, I anticipate complications to arise that would not have been present in the far more well prepared Martyr's Vigil. I would advise participants be prepared for some measure of danger, given the wildness of the location. Though, given the scope of the ritual, and thorough knowledge of a place I called home for many years, any danger is predicted to be more disruptive than truly threatening. 

On a positive note, the instability and rushed nature of such a thing stresses potential failure-points upon the ritual, and strains preventative measures. While it will not be indicative of the ritual that was to be done over the vigil, per the abovementioned points, this will doubtless provide some interesting observations and valuable data as a result.

If any have questions or concerns, I invite that they be visited well in advance, rather than directly as it is about to begin. Then again, I doubt many will care what an old man does in his back yard.

- Grey Aundeoth

---

DATE: Sunday, 2/23/2025
LOCATION: Arilator's Landing (912, 22, 1)
TIME: 2PM EST

https://chronicles-of-eternia.com/forum/thread-219-post-110527.html#pid110527
Credit: littlefirebird

(I want you to know that this shitpost got an audible laugh out of me and really helped raise my mental, which was pretty worn at the time. Thank you.)

[DirectorBright]

In the distant south, a remote island is shrouded in fog. An immense, dark cloud that blocked out the sun for an entire month... ecological studies were undergone by the Captain-General to examine alleged irregularities and monitor the area as it progressed, until the ritual fades. Owing to the isolation of the region, the precise occurrences of events on that day are known only to those in attendance.

A scathing accusation fired at the Chronicle and Quill, in the aftermath of the ritual, reads:

The Chronicle and Quill has issued an irresponsible and shocking display of a lack of journalistic standards. A once-proud newspaper has truly fallen from it's station in the wake of it's former caretaker's departure.

Reports taken in the aftermath of the ritual show the measures undertaken by the Magi present have reinforced the environment against the brutal winters of the island. The energies of the sun were condensed and pushed into the earth, and one of Caethir's own water magi fed the land. The foliage which lay dormant in the winter have had their reserves bolstered by these acts.

The average temperature has risen slightly as the dark fog absorbs more sunlight than the white ice and snow, though not enough to get above freezing. Intense winds have been slightly diminished as well.

As the island is small, local wildlife is essentially nonexistent. There are no eagles and wolves upon the island, which is unpopulated. This dangerous misinformation needs to be addressed and handled, lest it whip up hysteria over blatant falsehoods.

After all, when participants included esteemed and long-standing members of the international community, including ranking officials from several nations and Caethir's Franz Erbe, the startling lack of good faith on display towards the event in question is insulting and palpable- one can't help but wonder if a certain radical group has an agenda to push.

Let alone the profound lack of trust towards myself, when I have been a healer and mentor to the people of Meranthe for over 40 years, proclaimed and recognized as the expert in the field of magic invoked. From where does this turning upon myself stem, have I ever done anything of sorts to demonstrate reckless disregard for the common people in the past? Food prices within Goldlight are down to record lows, with emergency stockpiles overflowing.  Workplace accidents have declined, cripples are made whole again. The standard of living has risen significantly under industrial reforms and supplementation of workforces. For what reason is ill intent and bad faith ascribed to me, as if I were a stranger to all?

A further set of questions should be levied: What exactly were fishing boats doing such a great distance away from the nearest inhabited region- and for what reason are sailors in deserted waters away from any major trade routes? Arilator's landing is in the middle of nowhere, no major migratory paths or currents cross it's waters. Did the Chronicle and Quill ever visit the island in question or survey the region themselves? Why are their only reported sources either completely uninformed or unnamed and bearing such a curious and specific emblem- the same symbol that had begun popping up after the initial controversy? Is it not a principle of a proper newspaper to ensure it's opinions are well informed, accurate and impartial? With over a dozen participants ranging from Drakanspire to Gloomlight Grove, to even Caethir, one wonders why none were contacted or cited.

Perhaps the author in question cares more about drumming up attention for the lucrative artwork dealings, than the truth and integrity of such a venerable institution as the Chronicle and Quill. After all, 700,00c is a lot of money...

Though given the distance, nations would be hard pressed to reach the area themselves in time to confirm the Order's findings themselves... leaving only the mages present to attest to their observances.

Guardsmen throughout the vigil seem to have silently had their numbers reduced, as an increase in the presence of the hunters of the church could be noticed by the particularly observant. An uptick in the quantity of golems was visible in response, though whether this played to any internal political strife in the republic or was merely a clerk noting a reduction in numbers below established norms is anyone's guess.

Once more, controversy within the city could be found, with one such guardsman overheard stating:

What, we're supposed to believe the captain-general's some kind of genocidal maniac? Well you aren't hearing complaining here, not me. I'm well fed, got myself a new hand after the accident, and my taxes are down. Get it out of your head, I bet it was them westerners starting up trouble again. They're always looking for an excuse to come after us and push us down, hate on what we've built. Make things up or spit on us just for breathing. I bet those black sun types were working for 'em.

Hey, there's a guy with one of those emblems on him right now... You! Stop! I've got some questions for you-

Yet again, certain civilians interviewed expressed themselves further, with one black-sun toting individual stating:

Mass die-offs, frozen fish, is it anyone's surprise? He's not even human, I bet he's definitely gone mad! We never had this kind of issue under Garret, never! Imagine if he'd done that here! He was going to, but thankfully he got pushed out of it before he really could kill us all. We're not his toys or pawns that just have to deal with it, the giant gaze and all the golems were enough as it was- people live here. It's not just some lab experiment for the guy. I bet he thinks of us like that, big mage out of touch with the common people.

I heard, that he used to be a- Get your hands off me! I-

For now, the aftereffects of the ritual remain on a 'visit and find out' basis- the distance meaning that few would ever bother with such a tremendous sailing.

Rumors state that someday, he might do it again.

The Nocturne has concluded - For now.