northclifflogs | Event Log #1

I. 𝕾'𝖓𝖔 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊𝖒

It is February of 1312. Edolina of House Varens, Duchess of Southsea, is Queen of Maireglenne, the darkest days of winter is well behind you, and the entire village of Northcliff Pass has just experienced its latest avalanche of the year. Whatever your plans were when you started your day, they've undoubtedly been waylaid by this latest minor catastrophe--minor, because this avalanche is nothing compared to the one of 1302. It's the generally agreed upon sentiment of the village that the 1302 avalanche could only have been caused by the combined outrage of the gods, and they claimed their sacrifice from the village in blood. In comparison, a bit of minor structural damage and an overabundance of snow to shovel off the streets is nothing to complain about.

Resulting from a small avalanche (comparatively small--sizable chunks of the village are still completely covered), the town has been snowed in for the millionth time this winter. The pass is already closed for the season, but the townsfolk still need to be able to walk to and from their own buildings.

The Watch is making an effort to dig everyone out, and are happy to accept help. Snowball fights are discouraged but likely inevitable.

II. 𝕬𝖑𝖊 𝕭𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝖄𝖔𝖚

When the snow clearing is done (or if one hasn’t bothered at all), there’s food and merrymaking (or complaining, or sulking) to be had in the tavern. Games of dice, playing of instruments, and storytelling are all orders of the evening, as is getting incredibly drunk and embarrassing everyone around you.

At some point, however, a pair of bats flap in through the doorway seeking some shelter from the cold, and apparently now a bunch of drunk and exhausted merrymakers have to figure out what to do with them.

[Hurting the bats is a bannable offense.]

III. 𝕸𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖊 𝕸𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖞

Even after the avalanche, there’s a residual rumbling from within the mine, which vibrates the ground ever so slightly. The official (if paraphrased) word from the beleaguered Magistrate and Watch officers is “don’t go check it out.”

Go check it out. (Just don’t get caught.)

[This thread will be DMed, and can be found here.]

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Old, tipsy Agnes is perhaps both the best and worst sight that Deron could have. Best because it means the snow hasn't taken her and while she shouldn't bloody be out here, she's capable of it. Worst because it's her, with her foul mouth and her general vibe, and also because no one is supposed to be down here.

But she's elderly, and Deron will be polite if it kills him.

"Time'll tell if I deserve it or not, I suppose," he calls back, straightening up to walk toward her. If she's walked all the way out here, least he can do is offer her an arm to lean on him.

Of course, that's when he hears Kit and Leala. His nose wrinkles like he's just been splashed with waste, and while he still offers Agnes his arm, it's with an added grumble.

"Starting to think I offended someone important without realizing it."

And then, louder, "Are you all just intending on barging in? You realize it's dangerous, yes?"

"Starting to think I offended someone important without realizing it."

"There's no one on this ill-begotten mountain that doesn't deserve the ire of one god or another," Agnes replies. "Embrace it, lad, or at least make it worth thy while."

She takes Deron's arm with a grip unnatural for her size, and a toothless grin blooms across her face in delight. "A right gentleman, thou art," she says with delight. "Mind your elders, say all of them priests and such. You'll get into heaven if naught else."

Nice job on being polite, Deron. She's attached to him now, like a barnacle that clings for dear life on the rim of a ship at sea. At least she's not heavy?

"Are you all just intending on barging in? You realize it's dangerous, yes?"

"Oh, shut up, Lord Watchman; with all yer squawking one can hardly bid good-day."

Freezing like a startled deer once again, Leala manages to not drop her blanket cargo or grab onto Kit's arm like a frightened child. She does blush ferociously at being caught, but at least it's hard to see in the dark of the mine itself.

"Good-day, Lady Agnes," she offers, ignoring the urge to press her face into her blankets - as if that will hide her from the Watchman that she greets next. "Lieutenant Deron. Kit and I," you're in this with her whether you like it or not, Kit, "thought that there might be some people trapped in the mines. I still have some extra blankets that may be of use."

His arm is seized, and Kit endures it with only a faint grimace. It's his eyes that tell a different story, searching about them slowly but with enough attentiveness to suggest that he is definitely aware of that deep rumble, and is not remotely cool with it.

"That, uh," he begins, feigning chill, "could probably be rocks settling further in." Probably. Possibly.

"Kit?"

The call comes from down the path a ways, and bears a hint of fear, like a mother calling a child in a crowded market. "Kit, are you over there?"

Ben's lanky form crests the hill, already holding a lantern. He stops when he sees the small group, somewhat taken aback.
"...what are you doing?"

Deron sighs. Loudly. It's a long-suffering sigh, one that's probably been sitting in his chest for a few years. The Watch tells people not to go poke in the mine, so of course, here he and a bunch of civilians stand.

At least he's here, at least. One Watchman, two carpenters, a seamstress, and an elderly woman who is attached to him as fiercely as any bird's talons.

Not great odds, really.

"Carver! Excellent!" With both arrival time and question, actually, but Deron isn't going to say that. "I don't suppose you could assist in getting people back into town? It's not safe for us all to be lingering here, or trying to enter."

Kit turns quickly at the sound of Ben's voice, not swift enough to dislodge the girl from his arm but fast enough still to find his particular friend with his eyes. "I'm over here," he calls back, and lifts a hand up to wave towards him.

(After years enough of hiding in plain sight, he masks his anxiety well, but seeing it written so plainly on Ben's face--)

"...It's not safe for us all to be lingering here, or trying to enter."

"You sure there's nobody down there?" The question comes out of him reluctantly--frankly he'd rather be back at home than lingering here at the mouth to the mines--but now that Leala's put the thought in his head, he can't shake it.

Hearing his name leave the watchman's mouth is enough to merit a sneer from Ben, a look of absolute disgust landing on Deron before he focuses on Kit.

He's about to speak when another rumble from sounds from below, more a groaning than a grinding.

Rather than answer right away, Ben casts a vaguely accusatory look at Kit. He's not leaving until Kit does, and he's going to be a pain about it, this much is clear.

No. No, he wasn't. But it wasn't so much somebody as-

"Yes," he says instead, with a scowl pointed at the entrance to the mine. "It happened early enough that no one was on duty, and all the miners have been accounted for. We'll do multiple checks to ease your minds, of course, but far as we can tell, they were all home in their beds. Earth is likely settling under the weight of all this snow."

"...Earth is likely settling under the weight of all this snow."

"That or waking up, maybe," he mumbles uneasily to himself, loud enough for Leala to hear (unfortunately). Still, with Deron insisting that there's no real risk of anyone being trapped down there, he feels more confident in backing away from the mines' gaping maw, and back towards Ben.

There's no protest from Ben, who nudges his head in the direction of home and begins to saunter down that way, confident that Kit is following. Deron might as well not be there.

"Waking up?" Leala all but squeaks in Kit's direction, but he's backing off to go with Ben Carver and there's only a guardsman and old Agnes beside herself. That's hardly a threesome to face any monsters, and Leala once again resists the urge to hide her face in her blankets before taking a step down the path with the two carpenters.

"Well- it's a good thing, then- Er, Kit, you said you'd help me bring my things back...?"

You are not letting her walk home alone after saying the Earth is waking up, thank you very much.

Event Log #1

Make Mine Mystery: Group Thread

if someone else wants to go before i tag with leala that would be great l-lol

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