Unfinished Library Mod & NPC Account (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
libraryassistants) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
unfinishedlibrary2026-02-25 09:16 am
libraryassistants) wrote in unfinishedlibrary2026-02-25 09:16 am
rumour doth double, like the voice and echo, the numbers of the feared.
Who: Readers and Actors!
What: The aftermath of the Masquerade Night, the discovery of bad faith actors, and the repercussions of mischief. And the answer to a burning question: if all of Montica’s vampires were at the ball, who exactly was picking fights with werewolves out on the streets?
When: The week following the Masquerade, including the morning after the ball. [ooc timeline: 24th Feb - 13th March]
Where: The city of Montica, the sewers, and the woods on the outskirts of town.
Content warnings: Some bloodiness can be assumed, but please note specific content warnings in your tags. If your description of blood/violence will be more than a passing mention, give a heads up.
Due to the malleable nature of time, it will be the Waxing Gibbous Moon for a few days longer. The Full Moon has been postponed until Log 4.
Rumours are strange things. Some spring from nowhere, popping up like weeds through concrete. Others worm their way up from fragments of truth, growing wildly and twisting the reality at their core.
Like its loyalties, Montica is split into two (–arguably three) schools of rumours following the night of the ball. The gossip flows easily and steadily, and is just as often as wrong as it is right.
But there are two things to keep in mind with this kind of gossip:
The first is that it doesn’t matter if it’s right. Some things just stick. Whatever makes a good story is what will hang around.
And the second thing? Sometimes, it is true.
The first set of rumours are from the high-class in Montica. There's gossip aplenty around anyone who managed to speak to any of the vampiric elite, and those foreigners in Montica may find themselves suddenly popular with the families who are trying to climb the social ladder. Then there's the talk about the others at the ball - who drank too much, who snuck into a private room, whose performances were most favoured. In particular, there's a rumour that one of the performers may have a secret twin - though the persisting argument is that she’s just incredibly skilled at quick outfit changes. Those interested in politicking and gossip seem fixated on the idea that certain people seemed rather close at the ball, and they and are keenly interested in confirming who they are. If the speculation turns out to be true, then maybe there really is hope for a peaceful resolution to Montica’s feud.
But not all rumours are so hopeful.
There are those whose homes were targeted while they were dancing the night away. Frustration and anger drives their accusations and desire to find who exactly vandalised their homes - though more than a few of them are confused by the faint burn marks and charcoal left behind that appear vaguely garlic-shaped. Gossip here seems to range between vitriolic (those determined to hunt down the perpetrators) and the cautious (those who found evidence of someone having intervened). But they are closely aligned in their thoughts: they want retribution or revenge for the slights against them.
In the quiet of the neutral zone, it seems some keen-eyed witnesses saw at least one blood-covered guest wandering the streets in a daze. Whispers abound about whether the vampires mean to hold to their pacts, and the neutral population of Montica seem to be experiencing some sort of renewal of their religious beliefs - if the sudden increase of crucifixes is anything to go by.
Likewise, there are not-so-hushed whispers that the vampires were not the only ones taking a bite last night. There are accusations that the coming full moon will bring with it some brand-new transformations, unless those bitten can get their hands on the remedy for lycanthropy. With the full moon looming close, they don’t have much time at all to find one.
An even darker rumour weaves throughout these. There are people who haven’t been seen since that night. The morning after the ball, it’s assumed that they’re holed up somewhere with a hangover. But by the third day after the festivities, the grapevine is convinced they’ve been kidnapped - or worse.
Shops in the neutral zone seem to be on high alert, the people there seemingly less willing than usual to keep their stalls open past sunset. The usual bustle of the market is subdued, and as the week drags on, more and more citizens seem to take to carrying protective measures against both the lycans and the vampires.
There's a murmur throughout the populace. Mythical creatures have been sighted, among them a Nue - and there are some who are making their concerns about this well-known. If something isn't done to calm their fears, the threat of revolution is clear.
Of course, there’s damage to both sides as well. Garlic has mysteriously found its way into the vampires’ district, causing discomfort to many as they try to root it out, while the Guildulf household has seen better days, made all the more potent by their leader’s injury. There is an opportunity in this: the people could work together and help each other out, and prioritizing the neutral district would go a long way in helping mend fences (metaphorical and literal). But is there the incentive to do so? Especially since…
However, the city isn't strictly under Umbran control - and there are some who balk at the idea of leaving the search to them. Particularly around the Laurelthirst, some hardy werewolves are rounding up a crew of tough adventurers to strike out in their own search party. They intend to strike out into the woods that surround Montica, and since they aren’t hampered by daylight, they’re determined to head out the moment they have enough people.
Of all the visitors to Montica, not a few of them are adventurers themselves. Parties are being formed, some of which are determined to track the supposed mythical creatures rather than any missing person. While it’s wise to stick with one of the larger groups, there is nothing stopping anyone from taking a shot at it on their own.
Those who investigate the maze of the sewers in small groups will feel a sense of dread creeping upon them the further they go. Torches splutter and die, leaving them facing just a pair of glowing red eyes. Those who travel in large groups will find… nothing. Only traces of creatures who seem to have scattered at their approach, disappearing quickly into side-passages.
And of all of those people who explore the sewers, those who have pliable minds will find themselves hypnotised. Perhaps they’re about to become food, or be turned into a vampire themselves. Perhaps they’re being given orders to turn against each-other, or are being lured to the woods. Either way, they’ve had the misfortune of stumbling into a vampiric vanguard - a group of scouts skilled in mind games and illusions, who are more than determined to clear a way past that very blocked door.
Some determined trackers are keen to set up a camp for the night and see it through. Others plead caution and turn back to the city - though anyone trying to leave won’t get far from the fireside before a feeling of being watched sets in. The further they go, the more likely it is that the feeling of being watched very quickly turns to the feeling of being hunted.
More bats than owls seem to live here. They hang from every tree, their eyes seeming to glow under the moonlight. And they seem… hungry.
At night, any solo travelers will be quickly swarmed by bats, their leathery wings and sharp claws striking recklessly as they dive onto their target. Some with incredible aim may even latch tiny fangs onto exposed skin, leaving bite marks that will bleed profusely despite the small size of the wounds. It seems it's better to stay with the group for now, unless someone can come up with a plan.
What: The aftermath of the Masquerade Night, the discovery of bad faith actors, and the repercussions of mischief. And the answer to a burning question: if all of Montica’s vampires were at the ball, who exactly was picking fights with werewolves out on the streets?
When: The week following the Masquerade, including the morning after the ball. [ooc timeline: 24th Feb - 13th March]
Where: The city of Montica, the sewers, and the woods on the outskirts of town.
Content warnings: Some bloodiness can be assumed, but please note specific content warnings in your tags. If your description of blood/violence will be more than a passing mention, give a heads up.
Due to the malleable nature of time, it will be the Waxing Gibbous Moon for a few days longer. The Full Moon has been postponed until Log 4.
Rumours are strange things. Some spring from nowhere, popping up like weeds through concrete. Others worm their way up from fragments of truth, growing wildly and twisting the reality at their core.
Like its loyalties, Montica is split into two (–arguably three) schools of rumours following the night of the ball. The gossip flows easily and steadily, and is just as often as wrong as it is right.
But there are two things to keep in mind with this kind of gossip:
The first is that it doesn’t matter if it’s right. Some things just stick. Whatever makes a good story is what will hang around.
And the second thing? Sometimes, it is true.
The first set of rumours are from the high-class in Montica. There's gossip aplenty around anyone who managed to speak to any of the vampiric elite, and those foreigners in Montica may find themselves suddenly popular with the families who are trying to climb the social ladder. Then there's the talk about the others at the ball - who drank too much, who snuck into a private room, whose performances were most favoured. In particular, there's a rumour that one of the performers may have a secret twin - though the persisting argument is that she’s just incredibly skilled at quick outfit changes. Those interested in politicking and gossip seem fixated on the idea that certain people seemed rather close at the ball, and they and are keenly interested in confirming who they are. If the speculation turns out to be true, then maybe there really is hope for a peaceful resolution to Montica’s feud.
But not all rumours are so hopeful.
There are those whose homes were targeted while they were dancing the night away. Frustration and anger drives their accusations and desire to find who exactly vandalised their homes - though more than a few of them are confused by the faint burn marks and charcoal left behind that appear vaguely garlic-shaped. Gossip here seems to range between vitriolic (those determined to hunt down the perpetrators) and the cautious (those who found evidence of someone having intervened). But they are closely aligned in their thoughts: they want retribution or revenge for the slights against them.
In the quiet of the neutral zone, it seems some keen-eyed witnesses saw at least one blood-covered guest wandering the streets in a daze. Whispers abound about whether the vampires mean to hold to their pacts, and the neutral population of Montica seem to be experiencing some sort of renewal of their religious beliefs - if the sudden increase of crucifixes is anything to go by.
Likewise, there are not-so-hushed whispers that the vampires were not the only ones taking a bite last night. There are accusations that the coming full moon will bring with it some brand-new transformations, unless those bitten can get their hands on the remedy for lycanthropy. With the full moon looming close, they don’t have much time at all to find one.
An even darker rumour weaves throughout these. There are people who haven’t been seen since that night. The morning after the ball, it’s assumed that they’re holed up somewhere with a hangover. But by the third day after the festivities, the grapevine is convinced they’ve been kidnapped - or worse.
Shops in the neutral zone seem to be on high alert, the people there seemingly less willing than usual to keep their stalls open past sunset. The usual bustle of the market is subdued, and as the week drags on, more and more citizens seem to take to carrying protective measures against both the lycans and the vampires.
There's a murmur throughout the populace. Mythical creatures have been sighted, among them a Nue - and there are some who are making their concerns about this well-known. If something isn't done to calm their fears, the threat of revolution is clear.
In Town
After the Masquerade, the town is much more of a wreck than it was before. Unsurprisingly, the neutral zone has taken the worst of it; fences smashed, doors busted in, windows broken… few hurt, thankfully, but most of its residents are angry with both the vampires and the werewolves. The youthful wolves may have been the most visible, but there are claims that the vampires were out in force last night; and more than a handful of citizens are insistent that they saw people hypnotised – wandering away into the woods, heedless of the chaos around them.Of course, there’s damage to both sides as well. Garlic has mysteriously found its way into the vampires’ district, causing discomfort to many as they try to root it out, while the Guildulf household has seen better days, made all the more potent by their leader’s injury. There is an opportunity in this: the people could work together and help each other out, and prioritizing the neutral district would go a long way in helping mend fences (metaphorical and literal). But is there the incentive to do so? Especially since…
Missing Persons
The rumour is so convincing that a few harried-looking servants of the Umbra Clan can be seen in town, posting up flyers that seek information on the missing persons. Those with information are encouraged to attend an audience with the Umbra to relay it directly and join their city-based investigation. (Rumour has it that there’s something suspicious happening in the sewers - in the days leading up to the vampiric investigation, manholes and sewer gates will be receiving a greater amount of cautious side-eyes from the populace.)However, the city isn't strictly under Umbran control - and there are some who balk at the idea of leaving the search to them. Particularly around the Laurelthirst, some hardy werewolves are rounding up a crew of tough adventurers to strike out in their own search party. They intend to strike out into the woods that surround Montica, and since they aren’t hampered by daylight, they’re determined to head out the moment they have enough people.
Of all the visitors to Montica, not a few of them are adventurers themselves. Parties are being formed, some of which are determined to track the supposed mythical creatures rather than any missing person. While it’s wise to stick with one of the larger groups, there is nothing stopping anyone from taking a shot at it on their own.
The Sewers
Dank and foul-smelling, it’s exactly what you’d imagine a sewer to be. There are a few surprises down here. The first, as some Readers would know, is a giant of a vampire who has sought refuge down here since the Story’s start. His presence has had the unintended effect of keeping the underground entrance to the Umbra mansion secure up until now. For if you follow the sewers far enough, you find a set of long stairs that eventually leads to a crypt - one that was destroyed a long time ago, only rubble and scattered debris remaining now. The door to the Umbra mansion is made of swollen and rotting wood, held in place by wrought iron bars - and blocked by a heavy slab of stone. It isn’t advertised as being a passage to the Umbra - any text indicating who this crypt used to house appears to have been destroyed with targeted prejudice - but those who have a good sense of space will easily be able to identify where they are.Those who investigate the maze of the sewers in small groups will feel a sense of dread creeping upon them the further they go. Torches splutter and die, leaving them facing just a pair of glowing red eyes. Those who travel in large groups will find… nothing. Only traces of creatures who seem to have scattered at their approach, disappearing quickly into side-passages.
And of all of those people who explore the sewers, those who have pliable minds will find themselves hypnotised. Perhaps they’re about to become food, or be turned into a vampire themselves. Perhaps they’re being given orders to turn against each-other, or are being lured to the woods. Either way, they’ve had the misfortune of stumbling into a vampiric vanguard - a group of scouts skilled in mind games and illusions, who are more than determined to clear a way past that very blocked door.
The Woods
During the day, there are precious few tracks to be found. Trails of human footprints end abruptly amidst thick copses of trees; the scent of spilled blood disappears beneath the carrion of woodland animals. Broken branches are equally likely to be made by deer as they are to be the result of a stumbling person, and as the sun sets, it gets harder and harder to find one’s way.Some determined trackers are keen to set up a camp for the night and see it through. Others plead caution and turn back to the city - though anyone trying to leave won’t get far from the fireside before a feeling of being watched sets in. The further they go, the more likely it is that the feeling of being watched very quickly turns to the feeling of being hunted.
More bats than owls seem to live here. They hang from every tree, their eyes seeming to glow under the moonlight. And they seem… hungry.
At night, any solo travelers will be quickly swarmed by bats, their leathery wings and sharp claws striking recklessly as they dive onto their target. Some with incredible aim may even latch tiny fangs onto exposed skin, leaving bite marks that will bleed profusely despite the small size of the wounds. It seems it's better to stay with the group for now, unless someone can come up with a plan.
Murderbot | Reader
After that night where everything went to shit, SecUnit had returned back to Illumination's abandoned building. It knew the defences there were reasonably solid (or at least, as much as they could be in a settlement that didn't have decent fucking security systems), thanks to both drones and Illumination's bullshit abilities.
But even so, it was feeling...nervous. Paranoid. So it spent a number of hours double-checking all of the defences. Testing them, making sure there weren't any holes.
And if anyone decided to pay a visit to the hideout during all of this, it went intercepted them before they could even think about getting inside, and loomed at them. Ominously.
ii. The perils of attending the theatre
Outside of the hideout, SecUnit spent most of its time in the neutral area, patrolling. But sometimes it ended up near the Blood Moon Troupe's theatre. Just, you know, by complete coincidence.
(Okay, it was not coincidence. It was intentionally charting its patrols to go nearby.)
The thing was, it had these two tickets. And it wanted to see the show. This place didn't have a feed, so it hadn't been able to download any media at all. The theatre was the only media it could get here.
But theatres had...audiences. Physical audiences, who were actually there, not just observers in the feed. And it was one thing to see a live performance on Preservation, with its humans, who could safely surround it and make sure no one would touch it. It was another thing to see a live performance alone, surrounded by strange humans and sentient organic beings.
Yeah, no. It'll just send a drone, and watch its inputs.
(...But then what the hell was it supposed to do with these two tickets?)
iii. Checking in on the Guidulf mansion [Locked to Jadis]
So, it was a while before it could send a drone to check in on the Guidulf residence. It had been busy, okay.
But once it was there, well. SecUnit knows what the site of a bloodbath looks like. It's clear that something happened here.
(It hadn't been defending this place. It had been too busy trying to keep the humans in the neutral area safe, too busy trying to keep watch over a whole district. And so it had missed all of this. Fuck.)
The drone flies through the mansion, taking note of every single sign of violence. Until it finds Jadis.
This time, it's not hiding. In fact, it hovers right in front of her face. Is she okay?
iv. Into the woods [locked to Rakia]
Yeah, the missing humans were a fucking problem.
While it patrolled the streets, its drones had been running search patterns, gathering data. The resulting analysis indicated that this area of the woods was a convergence point for the missing persons; they'd all last been seen at or near here.
Right. So SecUnit would just have to go look.
With seven of its drones flying in formation ahead of it, it moves through the woods. For a while, its search is unremarkable. Then one of the drones alerts on something.
...Wait, him? Ugh.
"What are you doing," it says to Rakia, scowling, as it steps into view. All seven drones stay well out of the Assumed Tentacle Range.
iii
Jadis, having found something that can be added to water such that when it's applied to bloodstains they start foaming as if hit with hydrogen peroxide, has been walking a hallway adding it into buckets. "It will help," she's saying in a weary voice, as the drone zips up in front of her.
She's clearly not at her best. Dried blood and flakes of ash show in what hair isn't covered by a headcloth, her arms are bandaged, her face is pink under a layer of gleaming ointment, she has no eyebrows, and she's moving more stiffly than the last time the pardalote came by. Altogether, it takes her much longer to notice this time. She's trudged to another bucket and dripped in another dose before the little machine catches her eye. "Oh... it's you." She compresses her lips together, a harrowed not-quite-a-smile. "Hello. I thought I saw you, it seemed like you were having a busy night."
This gets her a couple of glances, but Jadis is known for seeing things and the staff have their own problems just now. Still might be better to get out of earshot.
no subject
SecUnit's seen enough similar scenes - hell, been the cause of enough similar scenes - that it can make a pretty good educated guess about exactly what happens. But the drone still swivels to stare at the nearest bloodstain, then back at Jadis.
It hopes that gets across the message. The message being, 'what the fuck'.
no subject
Jadis shrugs helplessly, eyebrows drawing together. "This doesn't just happen! And I wasn't ready." Are her eyes watering? "I'm not as good as I like to think I am. If the night heron hadn't come we would have died."
A pause. As well as struggling with names, she often doesn't get appearances right, seeing past or other selves as regularly as she does. "Um. He's very tall and pale and... intense."
no subject
(Well. Not that he could have SecUnits. Seeing as they didn't even have basic bots here, let alone constructs. But still.)
There's a pause, though, at this mention of the 'night heron'. It has no idea what the fuck as 'heron' is, and it doesn't care. But 'tall and pale and intense' rings a few familiar warning bells.
The drone lifts higher up in the air, to the exact point that is Curze's impossibly tall height.
i.
They notice SecUnit checking and rechecking their security, and once they seem to have mostly settled, that's when they finally speak. "I am well aware that it's mostly bullshit, but do you want to know about the magical defenses so you can take them into account?"
no subject
At least now they've gone and brought it up themselves, it doesn't have to do anything too nerve-wracking. Like ask.
no subject
"The most important thing is to stay unseen - which is why there are the layers of wards that make the house 'uninteresting', hard to focus on or pay attention to, and it's also layered to keep it hidden from magical prying." They gesture towards the drawing of the house, and tap at a few specific points where those wards are laid down the strongest. After having been welcomed inside, SecUnit is exempt from the wards, and should be able to perceive the house as it really is.
"If there's trouble, I've two different choices: stay and fight or run away. If I can run, then I can leave people blind, deaf, and trapped in an unnatural darkness. Much like we're hearing about the Orlock, I can turn others mad and force them to fight on my behalf."
The pause, look away, and frown before continuing to speak: "It's awful."
Illumination doesn't like doing it, but often physically powerful threats are not mentally resilient.
"If all that fails, and I'm personally forced to fight, so long as I can get a grip and hold on, I can usually ...draw out their health and take it for my own. If I can outlast, I'll probably be able to heal."
no subject
(Horror. The expression is horror. It has to fight the urge to step back, away from them.
They just described a combat-override module. They can just do that. They might even do it to...no, Illumination wouldn't do that. They just said that it was horrible. They don't want to do that.
It has to hope that's true.)
"If I'm not here, the drones will lead you somewhere safe," it says. "You won't need to do...that thing."
(It would let that be a possibility. It would kill anything that threatened them first.)
"Can you take me off the wards, temporarily? I want to test them."
no subject
"Thank you, but it's only fair -- what I mean is, you've been good to me here, you come across as a good person -- you ought to know that I'm capable of it and spent years training how to do it well. If I had to do it to keep myself and those I care for alive and well, I'd do it and damn the consequences. Ugly, but the truth."
The fact that SecUnit is still willing to remain, to help with the wards and security is a profound relief and there's a flutter of scent like alyssum before Illumination waves it off. It wouldn't really be note-worthy except that they've kept their scent on a ruthless lockdown while speaking about their skills.
"Of course, but for it to work best, we'll need to be outside, beyond the edge of the wards."
iv
no subject
"You're not the only one who can look for missing humans," it says, feeling weirdly defensive.
(And yeah, it can talk about humans like it isn't one too. Since, you know, it isn't. And it isn't pretending otherwise anymore.)