[Open] The Mark of the Herald

[thewatchers]

Mark of the Herald Part I
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Despite certain disruptive events and ominous visions in the preceding month, August is seemingly still free of any problems.

That’s quick to change, however. Starting from the third of the month, strange, circular marks begin to appear on human students around the school - and, indeed, humans around the world. Those affected begin to feel incurably drowsy, something that no magical or mundane solution can seem to cure or relieve; eventually, they’ll fall asleep entirely, whether they want to or not, and enter a state of magical stasis. Not even nonhumans are immune, though whether they’re marked seems to be much more erratic.

Those who remain awake or are otherwise spared by the mark are free to do as they wish - the Academy won’t ask them to do more than keep themselves safe. But where each marked person falls in slumber, a portal will form; a strange tear in reality, offering glimpses of a surreal, nightmarish plane that differs vastly from individual to individual. One thing is certain; the cause of a victim’s seemingly endless sleep and these portals are linked somehow, and the only way to find out exactly how is to go through...and the only ones capable of doing so are those who are still awake.

This log can be used as a catch-all for event-related threads. The information for this event is here.

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[kept_his_letters]

She'd been warned. Back home, she'd been told that things were dangerous here. She didn't know the extent, of course, no one would ever actually tell her anything but she thought she understood.

As she wakes and gasps sharply, a hand coming up to cover her mouth, she realizes she was wrong.

She shakes. She nearly retches. Something terrible happened and she needs to do something but what, what, what...?

Get out, says something, either inside her or out. She doesn't question it, simply going to grasp for the door and trying to touch as little blood as she can.

[thaumatrope]

It might be a little difficult to get out of here without touching all the blood. Her shoes at least are going to suffer. There's a lot here, after all. Especially around the chair. It looks like someone lost a lot of blood at once.

And it's probably best to not think about the carving knives that are on the table.

But once she's out Coco will see there's a couple of choices of where to go laid out before her. The door she exits out of is one of many iron doors lining the walls and there's a wooden door that may lead somewhere else.

For now the only clue that she'll have is the still-lingering feeling to get out. At least that's an easy objective.

[kept_his_letters]

Her Mamá would be so upset at the loss of her shoes. But then, she would also be upset that she's here at all and at the moment Coco can't help thinking her mother to be in the right on every count.

Get out, get out. She's more than willing to follow through with that. But first, she needs to find something to wipe the blood off. She should see if anyone's hurt, but she's not sure she has the nerve to call out.

Maybe she can peek into those iron doors just a crack. (Iron. Such a specific choice. It was a hindrance to so many spirits and fair folk.)

[thaumatrope]

[Luckily the door's unlocked so she can open it as far as she wants safely. It's surprisingly well-oiled, this one.

The room's neat but there's currently no furniture. But hey, there's a bucket here that's filled with water and a cloth. Looks like someone was cleaning.

The water is...pretty dirty. It's probably for the best not to think about why it's dirty. But she can clean her shoes off here without any trouble.]

[kept_his_letters]

[The filthy water has her hesitate for a moment but, well, she's already got blood on her, she's not about to make it worse. Perhaps it's only dirt. She's not afraid of a little dirt.

So, she gets the blood off her hands and, just to be sure she tracks no footprints, works some off her shoes too.

Alright. Time to leave. She'll let herself check just one more door before she starts down the hall.]

[thaumatrope]

[If it's any consultation it smells like there's bleach in the water. But it probably isn't much of a prize.

The room she pokes her head into looks completely normal. A table, a bookshelf and a little plant. No torture devices, no blood or gore. Just something you'd find in an everyday house. Of course, given the room she woke up in, it's probably obvious to Coco that something normal is the odd thing out here.

At the end of the hallway is a wooden door that leads upstairs. If she listens carefully, it sounds like some people are talking. Although it's muffled, as expected, and difficult to make out. Going up?]

[kept_his_letters]

[Nothing. She's still not sure whether or not she wants to find the person who was hurt. Part of her does, if she can help them. But, if she can't...

Best not to think about it. She's not sure she trusts the path leading to the voices. But are there any other options?

With no other choice, she'll start up those stairs and open the door just a crack.]

[thaumatrope]

[From the crack she opens in the door, Coco will see a rather grand looking lobby. There's a big door that's obviously the entrance to this place and therefore an exit. There's also a couple of other doors and a winding staircase leading upstairs.

The voices are still going on and on with whatever conversation they're talking about - it's still strangely muffled even if logically Coco should be able to hear them. But despite that, there's nobody in the lobby.

Perhaps it's an echo of what once was here in the past....?]

[kept_his_letters]

[She should just head on out. The doors are there, even with this strange echo... maybe all that suffering was an echo too. Maybe what happened has been over for a long time.

She'll take one last listen at those other doors, just to be sure that nobody is hurt and hidden, peeking through if she's got to.

Then, if there's nothing, she'll head out.]