LUNAR HARVEST

[thewatchers]

LUNAR HARVEST

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On the night of the 22nd, in the light of the hunter’s moon, a shining, bloody path cuts across the sky. The horn call shakes the sky and the procession sweeps across the grounds; the chorus of the hunters’ howling voices blending with the eager cries of their unnatural hounds.

For the length of one bloody night, the hunt descends. Will you join them? Will you attempt to save those swept up in its train and master your fears, or will you choose safety instead?


A. THE CALL
The urges start first. As the day fades into dusk, the call to throw away your restraint, to give into latent bloodlust, scratches at your mind - for those who are more susceptible. For those who aren’t, there’s the faint whispers of something coming regardless; a strange sense of foreboding.

And when the horn blasts with the rising moon, those urges turn from mere whispers into siren songs - enticing those most susceptible to come and ride with the Hunt.

B. THE HUNT
For those swept up in the hunt’s bloodlust, the road is easy to follow, the chase easier still. A personalized mount born from your unleashed, primal instincts - that answers to you alone - will serve as your steed for the hunt’s duration. You’ll need it to keep up as you follow the hunt’s trail across foreign, distant lands - because there’s plenty to destroy, and plenty of prey to chase. Creatures from Earth and the Outlands alike quail in fear and run before the hunt’s approach, and that alone marks them as quarry.

C. THE PURSUIT
For those who wish to save their friends, allies and acquaintances, dragging them away from the hunt, all is not lost. The path of the hunter respects those who are worthy, and though the Wild Hunt’s road is hard to follow for those who choose not to give into their inner beast, it’s not impossible.

Those who choose to pursue without becoming hunters themselves will find the road difficult at first - stepping foot on it fills them with the fear of the hunted prey, the urge to fly before the sounds of the hunt and the light of the moon. But once these things have been mastered, the road becomes wider, easier - and if you don’t have a way of catching up with the procession, then a special mount will be provided for you.

If you can catch up to those taken by the hunt and pull them off their mounts, holding them so they’re unable to follow, the spell will break. But as fae things so often do, this method comes with a catch - they’re hard to hold onto in some way, difficult to touch. Burning hot, freezingly cold, partially ethereal, and more - some may even shapeshift in their attempts to rid themselves of you. This supernatural effect extends even through any protective gear - it is, after all, ultimately a test of will.

And while the traditional method is through illusion and trickery, there's no accounting for how individuals will take such a thing. The transformations being made, and the injuries sustained from them, might turn out to be very, very real.

(The road is easily wide enough to accommodate cars, bikes, and other modern vehicles. The hunt is traditional in its choice of mounts, but it doesn’t bar more modern accommodations either.)

D. SPECIAL PREY
While it was long considered fool-hardy - one could instead attempt to stand their ground to fight, or to specifically challenge the Lord of the Hunt himself to a game of skill - he will only accept challenges that could in some way relate to the act of hunting. Once the gauntlet is thrown, he will prevent others from interfering, magically compelling his host from laying hands on his opponent, and ordering them to take down any one hoping to come to the challenger’s aid.

The Lord of the Hunt himself is a tall, imposing figure in gore-splattered and scorched dark armor and furs, his bearded face obscured by a mangled, antlered helmet, with a single red eye glowing from the shadows underneath. In his hand is a gnarled spear made entirely of wood that is constantly budding and shedding young leaves despite them being constantly slicked in blood and viscera. His steed is equally intimidating, an almost light-absorbing black stallion built like a draft horse, with wild mane that dissipates into smoke.

It seemed foolish to challenge such a being, however if successfully defeated - he might be forced to call off the Hunt. However, those who fail to overcome the Hunter will find a collar lashed around their throats, becoming another one of his hounds for the night.

E WILDCARD
For anything else that doesn’t fit in with any of the above prompts.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

A-2 - UN:Ollin

[unpocoloco]

I
for different reasons maybe
could really use a distraction too.

Hola, I'm Héctor.
I don't know if we've met.
Are you okay at the moment, safetywise?

[unlogic]

Mine is Desidera. Your name doesn't ring any bells, so we probably haven't met yet.
Though it's possible we could have crossed paths without realizing it.

I'm the girl with the black hair and the horns.
If you're in the library a lot you might have seen me.
Sometimes the Mithril Cage too.

I'm okay right now. Locked in a bathroom. Roommate's been told not to let me out.

[unpocoloco]

I'm nocturnal, TA the night classes.
I miss most of the day people that way.
I do tutor some of the night owl students in the library sometimes.
I'll have to keep an eye for you in the future.

[Assuming this blows over.]

It sounds like you're well prepared.
Your roommate might be able to talk to you through the door too
I
did that once.
It kind of helped, sometimes.
Might help to sing too.
Then again maybe not.

[Not when everything sounds so grating at the moment.]

If you still have time, check to be sure there's nothing around you you can hurt yourself on.

[unlogic]

I usually return to the dorm before too late, but I could change my routine a little more, maybe.
What subjects do you normally tutor for?

I might have damaged a door or two along my way. Didn't stop to see if I actually did or not.
Needed to get inside, away from people. I haven't felt like this before. It scares me.

[The idea of focusing on any other activity sounds like it's a good one. She might be trying to hum to herself now, working her way through a small variety of songs she knows.

As far as stuff she can hurt herself on goes, there's not too much beyond the usual bathroom things, but she's also doing her damnedest to force herself to sit still. It's...hard.

It's also taking some effort to not just punch her fingers straight through her phone.]

[unpocoloco]

Mostly the normal ones.
Math, English, things like that.
But I've also helped a bit with Señor Atchison's contracting class.
I'm not knowledgeable with contracts, but Señor Atchison gives me plenty of information to work off of and I find it can be helpful to come in with the perspective of someone less familiar with this world.

Doors can be fixed.
The school might even enlist me for that if they really need it, so nothing to worry about.

[He hesitates here, wondering if he should go on. Wondering if he can. He draws a shuddering breath and continues typing.]

I felt this once before.
Not like this exactly, but it's close enough to bring me out here for a distraction it seems.
It's a scary thing, no way around that, but you're doing well.
And it's not your fault this is happening.
You've got to hang in there as long as you can.
Keep thinking of other things, and if that doesn't work, call back to whatever matters most to you.
Hold onto it.
If you slip for a bit, it's okay, just keep coming back.
You'll be okay.

[unlogic]

I'm trying. It's hard.

[It's all still nagging at her, and probably will be for the whole night. She probably won't be getting any sleep later.]

[unpocoloco]

I know. But keep trying.

[It's all anyone can do.]

We could go back to finding distractions.
Maybe you can tell me more about yourself.
Like hobbies or other things that interest you.

[unlogic]

I like reading and listening to music.
Most genres are fine for both, except I don't like music where the singer is screaming instead of actually singing, and my favorites are fantasy novels (yes I'm aware of the irony in that) and electronica.

I'm not good at singing though and I never learned any instruments. Never had a chance to. Maybe I could while I'm here.

[unpocoloco]

Sounds like you're in luck. Just so happens that I teach an instrument. Not as a teacher here but, you know, casual lessons.

I'm a guitarist. I can't do any electronica for you but I like to think I've got some skill. For that matter, I'm a singer not a screamer.

A little irony is good for everyone I think. I like the historical and comedic in my stories. Wierd mix but sometimes things surprise us.

[unlogic]

It being at night means I would need to try to make some adjustments, but if I can make the time then I'd like to at least try it. Should I let you know when I'm ready?

[unpocoloco]

I could do a very very early morning lesson if that's easier. I'm sorry I can't do anything daytime based, but otherwise, whenever you want to give it all a go, feel free to send me a message.