Bishop's Stone (IC)

[Inumo]

It takes a moment for everyone to clamber down from the Stone. Some jump, some carefully climb, but in the end they all end up on the ground by the mysterious figure before a doorway in what was previously seamless rock. A ways below it, you can see faint light shining out from another unseen light source. "Come on, then!" The shadowy figure says, stepping through the doorway and down a short slope towards the other light. He quickly drops out of sight. When everyone looks back on the scene in memory, they remember a slight hesitation, but it was never really sure who went first. Undoubtedly, though, whoever did start it initiated a mass movement through the doorway, past the entryway, and into the bright light.

After a few seconds spent blinking and trying to get their eyes to adjust, the group at last looks about their new surroundings. They've been dumped onto a major thoroughfare, lined with buildings and filled with a crowd of all sorts not ten feet away. Skin ranging from porcelain-white to the darkest black can be seen alongside fins, fur, feathers, and the odd pair of gossamer wings. Your guide is nowhere to be found, yet the allure of the crowd draws the group in, and soon they are all separated, blending in with the menagerie of Avalon.

Six of Swords

Through a series of decisions some might deem unlucky, David Matthews suddenly finds himself in the seedier parts of Avalon. The brilliant houses have become tall apartment buildings, their facades peeling and starting to crack from ages of disrepair. Rubbish is piled along the walls, and a pair of men grin wickedly at him from a street corner, revealing pairs of unnaturally sharp teeth. One spits a disgusting glob of translucent red mucous at David's feet as he passes by, missing by a few inches. A few streets later, the faint beat of some club drifts from behind a doorway covered in silhouettes of mythical beasts in all sorts of poses, guarded by a menacing guard. His feathered head is marred by a jagged scar passing over his missing left eye and continuing onto his beak, an injury he flaunts with a few red feathers surrounding the old wound. A pair of bird legs support his upper body in front of the rear legs of a lion as he sits, watching David pass and silently daring him to cause trouble. The slums go on and on in much the same way, everyone passive-aggressively daring him to prove his worth with a fight.

Six of Wands

Lorelei Ainsley Evans is forced to follow the flow of the crowd to a wide road, where an upbeat yet mournful tune suddenly peals out from the bells of unseen cornets. A hush falls over the milling people as a vast parade passes by, led by a black-cloaked figure riding a skeleton horse. Shimmering wings stick out from the back of the cloak through a pair of slits running to the hem that are buttoned shut. The sole noise as the parade passes is the eerie clip clop clip clop of the skeleton horse as many more in black cloaks follow behind, carrying enormous stretchers laden with carefully arranged bodies between them in a long, silent march. Following behind them is a crowd almost equal in numbers to the bearers, each figure cloaked in pure white. As Lorelei watches, men, women, and those of indistinguishable gender of all kinds, from blue-tinged people covered in scales to jackal-headed figures to people sporting sheer wings like the front rider, don white cloaks of their own and join the parade amid those behind. When at last the parade passes, the crowd disperses, though no one ever crosses the street.

Four of Wands

The strength of the Avalon residents push Robert Orin Charles into a vast market. Pennants and banners hang across the street, and street vendors suddenly sprout up like weeds along the fronts of businesses and hotels, each advertising their purpose and prices with bright paint and bold lettering. The incessant chatter of bargaining fills the air, practically drowning out thought itself. Seaweed, seawater, jade necklaces, onyx necklaces, granite charms, wood totems, speckled ice disks, cloth voodoo dolls, and feathered fetishes are sold alongside DVDs, music albums, candies, blankets, Asian cuisine, bags of salt, furniture, and TVs. More than once the stall owners and tray-laden hawkers yell at Robert over the din. "Meat pies for a fine werewolf like you!" one shouts. "Bag of blood, 'O' negative on my mother's honor!" cries another. "Pretty necklace for your other shape, siram!" a third declares over the row. Suddenly, at the sound of a clock off in the distance, the hubbub quietens and those perusing the wares dissipate talking amongst themselves as the vendors pack up their goods. By the time the clock finally strikes one after an extensive song beginning with the classic pattern, the streets are empty except for the occasional passerby, purposefully heading off to some other destination.

Nine of Swords

By happenstance, Daniel Nevans is carried into the slums in time to catch a dramatic development between two gangs. A collection of animals, from crows to wolves, are gathered on one side of the street, slinging insults across the way at ponies with glistening black skin and a constantly dripping mane. In turn, the ponies retaliate with taunts of their own, filling the air with tension as things appear to be leading towards a fight. The shrill shriek of a whistle interrupts the barrages of slander as blue-uniformed people rush onto the scene from above with the flutter of gossamer wings. As the men and women in blue usher the two gangs apart, they threaten future action in the near future.. When they're at last out of sight, another crowd slowly comes out from the degrading buildings, a mixture of the species found in both gangs approaching the sole remaining authority figure and passing on their thanks. The odd snippet of their discussions as they return home sometimes carries to Daniel's ears, from which he can infer the scene. It seems that these two gangs, the Dreambearers and the Baby Eaters, have been slowly escalating their actions against one another, and the people living in the slums have begun to worry that perhaps, next time, the officers won't be there in time.

Page of Wands

In the better district of Avalon, Nanabi Tybalt slowly finds herself wandering the clean streets of a residential area. Couples walk down the street, arms linked and nodding as they pass by. A bell-covered teen, his face serene as he twirls and steps, performs for an avid crowd of similarly-aged girls, enjoying his fluid movements and the faint, rhythmic tinkle of his dance. A pair of young boys, one with the head of an owl and the other a lion with the head and shoulders of a human, enjoy ice cream in a park. Out in the street, a mixed crowd of winged lizards with long legs, seemingly human children, and goat-legged kids are batting a ball back and forth along the street. As one of the players misses stopping the ball, it rolls towards Nanabi and comes to a rest only a couple feet away as the kids call for her to pass the ball back and join in on kicking it back and forth.

Page of Swords

Out on the edges of the crowd, Lemick Faust is suddenly spit out of the crowd and onto a street corner where a young woman stands, asking for help from the impersonal crowd. Spying him, she approaches quickly and pleads for advice, suddenly bursting into almost a short biography of the last month. The woman speaks of her husband, who she gives every indication of loving deeply, yet has been distant and running errands at odd hours and staying out for much longer than she feels is necessary to run the errands he claims. She isn't sure whether she should contact a friend to help find out what's been going on, or trust that he is in fact doing as he says and try to stop worrying, appending to her plight that she doesn't want some stranger to track him personally, just to offer their advice. At last, she falls silent and looks at Lemick with a mixture of hope and despair.

Ace of Cups

Amidst the hustle and bustle, it's a few moments before Damien Stryfe realizes someone is trying to get his attention by tapping his shoulder. The woman that comes up besides him waves, smiling, and gestures towards the patio seating of a cafe, indicating that they might talk there. When at last they make it to the miniature sanctuary, the woman sits down and calls for a waiter, resting her elbows on the edge of the table. "Aren't you the rare sight," she banters when she's ordered two mugs of coffee and a salad. "A real, flesh-and-blood human in Avalon. It's not often we get your kind down here, hidden as it is." She lets out a light chuckle. "Don't worry, nobody but me and our mutual friend knows you're human. He told me to check the Stone Gate at midnight for wanderers, and sure enough, after those three furry folk and he came through, your group showed up. I must admit, you seemed the most approachable." Holding out her hand, she says, "My name is Vitia Rophenthal. What's yours?"

[justacritic]

Lemick Faust looked at the woman who desperately sought out his advice. Love was not a concept he was familiar with, so he drew upon the only source he had, fairy tales. In most stories a love that has turned cold and wandering usually meant either a good or bad thing. The good thing might be her husband was attempting to spring a surprise for her and it was taking more effort than it needed to be. The bad thing might be that the woman's husband was cheating and taking a paramour. It depended on what signs there were. So Lemick asked five questions of the woman.

"Was this a marriage of love from both sides?"
"Do you have any children?"
"Is your husband evasive when you ask about his behavior?"
"Has he lost any interest or happiness in your relationship?"
"Has he ever witnessed him possessing some "inappropriate behavior" before?"

The first two questions if answered yes would show how positive the relationship was before while the other three questions if answered yes show any negative influence on behalf of the husband. If the majority of the questions answered depict a relationship breaking apart then Lemick would advise her to ask for help from a friend and prepare for the worst. However if the answers lead to a positive conclusion of the relationship then Lemick would tell the woman to give her husband the benefit of the doubt but be a little cautious.

[Azlan]

Lorelei quietly berates her curiosity at the stone and the wisdom of having jumped into the rabbit hole as it were.  The pale haired lass considered the path behind her and the throng of its crowd, also before her was the road along which the somber progression had traveled.

She closed her eyes, seemingly in thought for a brief moment before she spoke in a low voice, mostly for herself, "Who dares, wins."  With that she progressed onward down the road, though she did not enter or cross it, seeking their mysterious guide.  Foolhardy as it might be to blindly wander in this strange city, some small part of her wished to be impulsive just this once.

[AmberCross]

The Fool

David wandered down the back alleys of this city that could not possibly exist. All science and logic he had ever known told him that he was dreaming, or perhaps high though he didn't recall when that could have happened. Yet at the same time he could not deny what he was seeing, and if it was a dream... it was unusual for a dream of his. Not because of the seedy alleyways or impossible creations, or even that it felt so real... but rather that he couldn't fly or summon lights or cause the wind to blow or anything. Nearly all his dreams had some sort of ability he didn't normally have and right now he had none of them. He had been trying them one by one as he wandered. Sometimes they only worked when he was in the right frame of mind which might most immediately be caused by being in danger, fighting. But perhaps not just yet.

David felt he wanted to take a bit longer just to keep looking, taking in what he saw. Whether this was a dream or somehow real, David just wanted to see what else was around. He felt like he was walking in a haze, only half believing what surrounded him was real and passive aggressiveness was certainly not going to change that on its own. So instead of becoming uneasy at the gryphon stared at him, he waved and smiled. Instead of glaring at the demon who'd spit what might be an acidic glob at him, he danced an impromptu jig around it and began to hum to himself with a skip in his step. The rubbish he ignored and the grime he overlooked, because in his current mood he felt that every day was a wonderful day, even if sometimes they pretended not to be.

[JamesCray]

The market was fascinating, easily one of the most remarkable experiences in his life just to view, and Robert relished it, drinking in every detail, trying to burn it all into his memory as permanently as possible. However, although those who didn't know him well often described him as a bit dull in personality, no-one could claim he lacked a sharp intellect, and as the avenue emptied he rapidly came to the conclusion the street-side bazaar was coming to a close. Weighing heavily in the back of his mind was the fact that he was not supposed to be there, and he knew that hanging about would only serve to draw attention to himself. Lacking any sort of guidance, he simply picked a direction and headed in it, attempting to project the attitude he knew EXACTLY where he was going and what was going on. After all, getting caught in a situation like this in the novels he read often meant getting into quite a lot of trouble...

[SilverDemonWolf]

Damien didn't last long with the group.  Due to his body type being far closer to '98 pound weakling' than 'body builder', the hustle and bustle of the crowd quickly shunted him off to the side and away from the others.  Fighting down a quick moment of panic, he started to duck through, calling out soft "Sorry!  Sorry!"s every time he accidentally stepped on a foot.  Or tail.  Finally, though, he found a decent sized, slightly raised alcove in the front of a building that let him step out of the crowd and breathe a soft sigh of relief.

After catching his breath, the young man's expression became positively giddy, and he had to make a definite effort to keep from hugging himself in glee.  It was REAL.  He felt like a kid in a candy store as he breathed in the sights, sounds, and even smells.  Even though it was nighttime, it still seemed to be well-lit down here (wherever here was), and he had a fairly good view.  The small step up didn't allow him to see over many heads (Stupid brothers taking all the tall genes and leaving him the short ones), but what he could see had him beaming.  People of all shapes, sizes, and colors flowed past with the crowd; colorful banners waved from where they were strung across the street (was there a festival going on?); and he gave a soft, excited laugh when a few kids (at least, he thought they were kids.  The fact that one seemed to be a gryphon, another a centaur, and the last had wolf-like features threw him off a bit) raced by with mischievous looks on their faces.  Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and relaxed for the first time in a long time.  Smells hit him more strongly with his eyes shut... The scents of living creatures, of fur and scales and the occasional unwashed body, of food and books and other items, and interwoven with all of this, a scent that stayed just out of reach, first bringing to mind snow and ice and cold moonlit nights, then fire and warmth and companionship, then long stretches of old forests...

Maybe it was the smell of magic.

He was so occupied in trying to pin down that smell that it took him a moment to realize that someone was tapping his shoulder.  When he did, he gave a yelp and stumbled backwards, back fetching up against the outside wall of the store, his eyes comically wide.  He found himself facing a... woman?  Maybe?  He wasn't going to assume anything here, especially what species someone that looked human actually was.  With everything going on here, Damien wouldn't be surprised if there were those with more than one form that lived here.

She looked nice enough, so he followed when she beckoned, soon finding himself sitting across from her in the outdoor seating of a cafe.  He was still looking around in wonder, but at least had the courtesy to quickly pay attention when she started talking.

"Um, well... My name's... Damien.  Damien Stryfe."  Now that he was having to interact with someone, his characteristic shyness and timidness started to come to the forefront.  "Um, miss... if you don't mind me asking... What is this place?"  That seemed to be the most important question to get answered.  Well, that and if he could get home again, but he'd wait to ask that one.  It would probably be rude to ask that straight off the bat.

[Meany]

With the Page of Wands
Nanabi was afraid, though she would not admit it to anyone.  But...she had enough to regret in her life, so she wouldn't let fear stop her this time.  Not that she was being stupid.  She had Ignacio's old stun gun in her purse with her, wishing her late husband had been more of a gun person.

When suddenly.

What is all this?  Nanabi repeatedly asked herself this as she walked down the streets...she had never seen any of these parts of town.  She had never seen...people like this.  For a moment she regretted not taking any self-defense classes in her youth, but remembered that as old as she was, they would do no good.
Looking around at the strange creatures, Nanabi called back on the legends she had heard as a child, of yōkai.  The memories were faded, and broken in places, and ultimately useless as she could not recall any of the things she was seeing now being among them.
When suddenly, a ball came to rest at her feet.  Instinctively, she reached down to pick it up, and heard the cries of the children to come play.  At first her reaction was going to be a scoff but...

Come play, Mommy!
Mommy, wanna play today?

She winced at the memories that came from the train of thought.  Muttering to herself, "Well this is supposed to be a change in pace..."  Slowly, and with clear unfamiliarity, the elderly woman kicked the ball back to the children, and hesitantly began approaching the group.

[SquirrelWizard]

He had gotten turned around, and seperated from the group. Granted, that may have been a good thing as he didn't know them from Adam but, given the scene he just witnessed, they were tame. As the groups of, "people" were being dispersed, Daniel had stepped off to the side. He pinched himself to see if he was dreaming, the jab of pain confirmed that he wasn't sleeping. He waited for the throngs to disperse before approaching the one person who remotely looked like an official. The surreal nature of what he was going to do bemused him, though he was thoroughly not sure what was going to happen to him. "Excuse me, I don't know what happened here, but I was wondering if you had seen a group of," he glanced around him hesitantly, "well I guess humans is the best description of them. Also, I noticed that there seems to be a dispute going on here. With not being from here, is there anything I need to be aware of?"

[Inumo]

((Apologies for the interval between posts. I wanted to keep the plot moving, which required everyone's post. I'll aim for a weekly schedule from here on in, or sooner if everyone is ready for the next major plot point. In between plot points will be all the character development. Also, sorry for the short sections most people are getting here. I'm still playing around with how to handle the cards, especially when I need everyone in a specific place by the end of the post.))

Nine of Wands

Vitia withdraws her proffered hand, her smile faltering for a moment before she answers Damien's question. "This, Damien, is Avalon. It's one of many cities for all sorts of creatures you've probably only heard of in legend. Kelpies, trolls, spirit animals, the odd giant, elves like me, you know. The faeries hold most of the positions of power, mostly thanks to the enchantments they've cast over the area to ensure that humans discount any and all accidental sightings of our kind. Lots of hammed up string-pulling comes from their 'sacrifice' you'll find." She murmurs a "thank you" at the waiter returning with the coffee and salad. Taking a dainty bite, she gestures to the coffee set by Damien's right hand. "Thought you looked tired," she says, covering her mouth with a hand. "Feel free to relax; you look stressed. I'll finish up my lunch, then we can get going. Silver said he'd get everyone you came with rounded up somehow back by the gate. Always one for theatrics, that one." With that, she turns her attention to the food in front of her.

The Heirophant

"Humans? Hah!" The officer barks at Daniel's comment, misinterpreting the awkward glance. "Did your pups want you to ask me about them? Well, you can set them at ease, no humans are in Avalon." Giving Daniel a critical eye, he continues, "You're new around here, aren't you? Just come from Bastion, maybe? Well, not to worry, the Baby Eaters are just a name those kelpies gave themselves; your pups are safe. And don't worry about the Dreambearers either, those rambunctious youths'll settle down soon enough. Just go home, keep your door locked, and make good use of your peephole. We Fair Folk have got you protected, as always." The officer walks off, mumbling, "Humans! Kids these days..."

Page of Wands

David's walk through the rest of the slums is eventfully uneventful. A couple of shirtless goat-legged people, a man and a woman, follow him for a short while before breaking off at the sight of a man in blue. A while later, a humanoid pile of rocks asks for a name as he passes, its posture speaking of its despondency. In time, he exits the other side of the slums and finds himself on the major thoroughfare once more as it sweeps him along to who-knows-where.

Ace of Swords

Lemick's questions fell on deaf ears as the woman is suddenly distracted by some sight behind him. Biting at her fingernails, she at last says, "Look, sorry, I'm sure you could have given me advice, but I'm just going to be safe rather than sorry. Thanks for your time, anyways!" With that, she plunges into the crowd, calling a feminine-sounding name. As she passes, she bumps Lemick back into the surging mass of people which carries him off to somewhere else.

Eight of Pentacles

Lorelei soon finds herself at an enormous stone gate, one half covered in carvings, sealing a tunnel entrance. A large, hairy man is chiseling away the stone at the base of the gate as she approaches, paying her no mind. Upon closer inspection, the carvings resolve into letters, then clearly names. Beside each name is a set of eight numbers, many of which are shared among a vast number of names. Along the very bottom edge of the gate, the words "For all those lost" are carved in flowery lettering. The large man grunts as he finishes the most recent name and goes off to the side, withdrawing a package from somewhere on his person. As he sits down, he unwraps the parcel to reveal a meat-filled sandwich, and begins to eat.

The Devil

For a minute or so, Nanabi and the kids are able to play in peace. Soon, however, a goat-legged man with horns sprouting from his head appears around a corner, a leash in hand. The kids immediately pick up their ball and start running for their homes as the other end of the leash follows: a three-headed dog as tall as a man. The dog glares at Nanabi, and before she knows it she's running, rounding a corner and getting sucked back into the crowd as the man behind her scolds the dog for its misbehavior.

Three of Swords

As Robert distances himself from the now-gone market, he finds himself in a distinctly odd district. Mushrooms and trees provide the housing materials, shifting occasionally as the turtles upon which they grow shift in restless slumber. It is here that the outlandishness of the city strikes home. It's a vastly different world that he has stepped into. A far cry from any understandable culture or known pure humans, this place makes him feel isolated, almost. Alone in an alien world, which is simultaneously not as alien as it should be. The doors he passes are all shut.

After a long while, the group which entered all find themselves back where they began at the Bishop's Stone gate. Squatting on the sidewalk is a pale shirtless man with goat legs covered in purple fur. Piercing green eyes survey the group from beneath bushy eyebrows, while his dark brown hair is drawn back into a pony tail that reaches down to the middle of his back. A loincloth preserves some decency as he stands, addressing the group. "Welcome to Avalon, my friends. I was the one that brought you hear, in case you weren't sure. My name is Argentum Lingua, though you can just call me Silver. This," he says, gesturing to a beautiful red-haired woman beside him, "is Vitia Rophenthal. She's a friend of mine, an elf, with a bit of bad blood against the Fair Folk, same as I." Vitia smiles shyly as the spotlight is shone on her, the smattering of freckles across her lightly-tanned face disappearing as she blushes. "Oh, come off it, Vitia, you can stop with the coy little girl act. I know you better than that, and these people need the truth."
"Says the one named after the ability to deceive," she replies, sticking her tongue out at Silver. Her blush disappears in moments as she stands up straighter. "For those of you that don't know your mythology, Silver here is a satyr. I highly suggest you start reading up on mythology if you want any chance of surviving here in Avalon."
"Anyways," Silver interrupts, "we brought you to Avvie to poke a stick at the Fair Folk. They've been holding their anti-human enchantments over all our heads for too long, so I - that is, we - decided it would be a good way to get payback if we brought some humans into the mix. Up the ante, in a sense. Now that you've been initiated in our fine city, you'll start seeing a lot of us in your day to day lives. At least, we hope so. Assuming you do, don't worry about it. Just don't call attention to it unless you absolutely have to. In the mean time, there's a few gates back into your own little city nearby. One leads to Plymouth, another leads to the Spire. Two lead to some parks in the middle-class ring, and you can always take the gate behind me back to Bishop's Stone. We'll lead you to them so you can always come back, and send you another note when we want to ask you guys something." With a mocking bow and joking courteous tone, he finishes, "Thank you for visiting the Jamythbalaya. Have a nice night!"

((Now is your time to explore the city with new eyes, with or without sleep. I'll have a rough layout of the city written up in the OOC thread in short order.))

[JamesCray]

A Stranger In An Even Stranger Land


"Turtles all the way down..." Robert murmured, as seemingly everything he knew about the world crumbled around him. His mind reeled as it scrambled to contextualize what he has experienced, and he subconsciously clutched himself as he folded his arms against a perceived chill. He was not one to go from the gut, as it were, and yet he had no previous experience, or even knowledge to pull from the deal with the bizarre sight of... Turtletown? Yes, he could call it Turtletown, at least until he had some idea of what it was actually called.

Here he was, in the middle of just the kind of adventure he had dreamed of, and yet it was nothing at all like he had dreamed. Yes, he was now privy to knowledge that he was sure few other humans had, but he had been given no mission, and so was left to ponder the meaning of it all. He wandered in a daze, torn between awe and alienation in a world that was, but was not his own. It was just too much, and by the time he arrived back at his origin he simply felt numb in a way he had only felt a few times before in his life. Then he was back with the group, plus two.

"Silver tongue..." he mumbled involuntarily as the Satyr introduced himself by name. As the supernatural beings explained their situation, the information gave his mind traction, something to grip to in order to start making sense of things. He had realized this was some sort of underground(in both senses of the word?) supernatural community, but now he was getting a grip on the dynamic of it. The majority, it appeared, preferred to keep up the masquerade so as to not compromise their position. They had been brought here by these two to shake things up, thus they were a threat to status quo, thus they were all in danger, especially with the fae in the mix. Once the group started to disperse, he approached Vitia, both curious and afraid.

"I think we need to talk. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, this has been without a doubt one of the most memorable nights of my life, but I need to know more. I'm... I suppose you could say I'm a bit of a mythology aficionado, so I've a fairly solid background in that. This, though, it's like jumping in on Star Trek First Contact without having seen The Best Of Both Worlds. The faerie maintain the masquerade, and I assume that's because humanity is viewed as a threat. I can understand that, we don't exactly have a spotless record when it comes to dealing with people who are different. I have no doubt you could get in trouble for bringing us down here, and I'm sorry if I'm coming across a bit forceful, but with what I now about the faerie I'm a bit frightened to be on their bad side," he said, pausing to catch his breath and collect himself a bit.

"I need more information in order to act appropriately. I need to know what drove the two of you in particular to bring us down here, and why us. I need to know about the faerie, since even when the terms faerie and elf aren't being used interchangeably their depiction in mythology ranges from mischievous nature spirits to vicious, vindictive beings with no empathy and near as makes no difference no limit in magical power. I need to know what to expect from them and I need to know how far they're going to go to keep us quiet. Most importantly, I also need to know about the cultures, the social structure down here. I could know a great deal more about mythology than most, but if I don't know how people are supposed to behave I'm going to stick out like Kuzunoha's tail, and I'm fairly certain that would'nt be in either of our best interests."

[AmberCross]

The Magician

With much to ponder, David found himself wandering aimlessly continuing to pass this oddity or that. To the golem looking for a name he said "Bullwinkle". To the pair of satyrs (were they all supposed to be male?) he ignored mostly. To the man in blue he tipped his hat (or he would have had he been wearing one) and wondered if he was like a policeman or just someone dangerous. Eventually he made his way back to the main group by luck and chance. Someday he would have to test his theory that this city mirrored his own, but not today perhaps. Instead he went back to the stone and decided to hold off on sleeping. The last thing he wanted to do now was to fall asleep and wake up uncertain of how much he imagined, how much was dream. So he turned his attention to what he had witnessed, and the people he had seen.

Some he had recognized, some he hadn't... and David decided he was going to fix that. Research was never really his forte, but where there's a library there's a way and whatever else could be said about the Edwards University, it had a very good library. Even at this hour, students could enter as long as they were quiet about it. He had never really figured out if this was because they were allowed to or because security was pretty terrible. So he set to work taking out marginally related books and honing in on interesting topics looking for information on anything he'd seen tonight, hints that anyone else had managed to find this Avalon, and any other places that might be around.

He had already known about satyrs, and half recalled that Avalon was a King Arthur legend, and who wouldn't recognize a gryphon at first sight, but he hadn't known that they were actually classically known for guarding things. He focused mainly on greco-european mythology, but branched into several other cultures and some modern research looking for clues of others who'd found this place. Shortly before dawn he set down the book he was reading and looked out the window to watch the sun rise. In his opinion they were usually less impressive than sunsets, but still worth watching.

Leaving to get some air, he wandered around nearby scenery posing questions to himself. Had that bush always had such impossibly green flowers? Had he always imagined it that way and now it turned out to be true? Was he still just imagining it? After last night, a lot of what he had taken for granted was now thrown into question. He wondered if any magic he had pretended to see had actually been real, and if so how much of it. How much real magic had he been unable to see all this while? David sat on a bench to ponder these questions and found himself spacing out, lost in thought...

[Azlan]

Lorelei could not help but wonder of the significance of the stone gate and favoring the direct approach attempted to speak with its carver, "pardon me sir, I am rather lost as it were, but I could not help wondering what it is that you have come to be carving here."

The question was met with the impacts of a hammer to chisel and said chisel to stone, "I say, pardon me.  If I could be so bold as request a moment of your time dear sir?"  This was answered with a grunt, a shift in position, and eating of one's lunch.

With a simple sigh, a toss of her silvery blond hair, and a small flourish in her step, Lore left the stone carver to his lunch.  She struck out in the direction of the main thorough fair she had arrived on and eventually made her way back to the Bishop's Stone gate, no wiser for her time among the folk.

Lorelei listened intently, observing the satyr and elf, and got a sense that somethings have been left unsaid.  Lost in thought with the revelation Silver and Vitia had given, she missed his mock bow, and wandered off towards the Plymouth gate.  Subconsciously she was very curious about a place that was named after the very town she was attending university in.  She had already achieved egress by the time she snapped herself back into reality.

"Oh bother, this is going to be quite the problem if I get so lost in thought I wander without first considering the consequences."  Stopping her line of reasoning, Lore thought to herself, For that matter, why am I talking to myself?

Without consideration for rest, Lore did not feel tired at all and instead just being here seemed to rejuvenate her, she began to take in the upper class of this strange place.  However, in the back of her mind, the logical Lorelei was yelling at herself for not asking about the important things.

[Inumo]

The Tower

Sitting on the bench, David's reverie is interrupted by the passage of a dancer swirling through a cloud of mist along the sidewalk. Here and there, he can glimpse the face of a young woman in the mist, until suddenly she notices him, gasps, and disappears while the dancer abruptly sighs and walks normally. From his recent research, she was likely an elf maiden. Later, a too-pale man walks alongside a woman, a bottle in hand that smells like blood, even at this distance. By the way she's flirting with him, it's clear that he's a vampire and not some strange demon. On and on come the supernatural beings, far more than seems possible, until David realizes they're all just one or two at a time. Such must be the power of the faerie's spell, the anti-human enchantments Silver mentioned. One thing is clear, though. This could change a lot of things.

Six of Wands

Lorelei enters Plymouth by way of a rarely-used public water slide, just in time to catch the end of a fencing match to first blood. On the sidelines, a young woman demurely sits, responding minimally as the young victor claims his right to court her. As the official couple leave the pool, the woman glances back at the defeated, and their gazes lock for the briefest of moments, sorrow filling their eyes. Suddenly, they're gone, leaving the loser standing on the poolside, rapier in hand, and bleeding from a small cut on his cheek. Turning on his heel, he returns his rapier to its case and takes it out the gate opposite the one the couple left by. With the energy Lorelei still has, she could still catch one of the two parties if she so wished.

The Star

Vitia listens calmly as Robert lays forth his concerns. "Well," she begins when he finishes. "First, I'd like to dispel the old stories and their portrayal of all supernatural beings. We've become much more civilized since then! We developed, just like you, from our violent past. I doubt you believe me, but trust me. There would be many more dead people in the city, if you listen to some of the idle chatter in the streets. Second, why you're here. The 'generosity' of the fae is really starting to grate on many peoples' nerves. A decade? Fine. A century? Pushing it. A century and a half? We wanted to prove that we can, in fact, show humans our lives and not be in danger of their 'violent tempers spurred by fear and emotion.'" She says the last bit gesticulating like some politician on the pulpit. With a huff, she continues, "Anyways, the social structure is British-centric, and that's about it. The Irish-born and American-born always rub against each other some, the Chinese-born like to seclude themselves, yadda yadda, but they generally treat each other as equals when it gets down to it. And, behaviorally? Don't worry about it. Just don't ask what they are, and you'll be fine." With that, she smiles, and says, "Now, where are you off to?"

((Edited to get everything in the intended tense.))

[justacritic]

Swept away by the crowd, Lemick was carried off by the shove. He wondered if the lady had found the answer that she needed. As for now, he was in a spot of trouble. It would be dangerous either way to move out or with the crowd. Considering the safety in numbers. Lemick just let the currents of people dictate his movements.

When he was driven back to the Bishop Stone gate, he witnessed others of the group already there. Explanations were given, and then he made a decision, explore the world around him to the fullest. But the lady named Vitia had some good advice. He needed to brush up on the myths of the past. Being unprepared in stories was a horrible track to a bad ending. So Lemick chose to borrow that particular genre of books from the library.

[SquirrelWizard]

Daniel was furiously jotting down notes in his dogeared pocket notebook. It was usually reserved for any ideas he had while walking around town, but this was a once in a lifetime event and he wanted notes to remember it by. It might just save his life, who knows.

"So, why did the fae separate themselves from humans? What purpose did that serve?" he asked anxiously. "Has anybody else, other than us, been 'initiated' in this fashion?" he kept rattling questions as they came to his mind, "Is there some agency like MIB or, I guess, FIB that is going to hunt us down?"

Seeing that his litany of questions was drawing some odd looks from the two fae before him, Daniel took a deep breath and slowed himself down. "Sorry, I'm studying to be a writer, and I have so many questions. It might take a while, so I was wondering if there was a place where we could sit down and talk?" He didn't know the extent of how interested the other people would be with the minute details he'd ask about in his research for his book.

[SilverDemonWolf]

((Sorry for taking so long to reply, all.  I recently started a forum and between work and getting said forum up and running, I've been too tired to post here.  Also, I apologize if this post is short, typing it from my phone while at work.))

Damien gave an appreciative nod to the woman as he liberally dosed his coffee with cream and sugar.  Only then did he take a sip, a little disappointed that he didn't have a packet of hot chocolate mix to stir in as he liked to do, but then, he hadn't exactly expected this.

He filled a little time with Vitia by engaging in idle chit-chat (which he was uncomfortable with, Damien tended towards being increadibly shy, and his social skills were win-par at best).  Thankfully, it wasn't long before he was following her back to the entrance to meet up with the others that had come through at the same time as him.  As Silver (a Satyr, apparently) spoke, a small frown began to form on his face.  As nice as this place was, he didn't much appreciate being used as a pawn.  And what would happen to himself and the other humans if the proverbial dung hit the fan?

It was these concerns that had him stay back to talk to Vitia, although it seemed another boy around his age had the same idea.  Still, it didn't hurt to listen, and when they seemed to be finished, he stepped forward a little to get the elf's attention.  "Vitia?  I had some concerns..."

Damien hesitated before continuing.  "First of all... I'd just like to make it clear that I don't appreciate being used as a pawn, and that does seem to be what you and Silver are intending for all of us.  Second... What exactly would happen to us humans if the fae or anyone else DID discover what we are?" That was a question that she had seemed to neglect answering for the other boy.

[Azlan]

A public water slide was not a very dignified way to enter any area short of an amusement park, but even there one did not use a slide in their casual clothes.  It was by the grace of her own dexterity that she did not end up a soaking mess and the water was a tad refreshing.  Upon landing, she was witness to the end of a rather formal duel between two individuals.  Dueling had long been banned where Lorelei was from, but here the practice seemed to still be in use. 

Lorelei quickly chooses to follow the defeated duelist through his portal, dashing after him.

"Pardon me sir.  I did not mean to intrude, but that seemed rather intense for a moment.  Is dueling a common practice here?"

[Inumo]

((My turn to apologize for the late post. The reasons are ultimately pointless, but I should be able to at least keep up a Sunday schedule.))

The Star

Damien's questions fall on open ears as Vitia listens. "You're not pawns, Damien," she replies. "You're more... an introductory community, I suppose. As I was just saying to this man right here," she says, gesturing to Robert, "you're a test group to prove that you humans can live with the reality of us and won't go on some witch, or rather, faerie hunt. As to your worries about discovery, you can set them at ease. You may be the first group of humans to have been brought here intentionally, but you're not the first ones to have ever arrived. The Fair Folk just give you a stock supernatural mind wipe and send you on your way. All the time spent here or dealing with us is just... filled in. Reading a book, watching TV, trying and failing to get a date, stuff that has no real consequence on your life. Now, if you'll hang on just a moment, I'll lead you to wherever you need to go in a moment."

((Daniel Nevans' section on hold until I find out what's going on with him from Squirrel. It seems a few people didn't realize that everybody was present for Silver and Vitia's talk.))

Page of Wands

Lemick wakes up on a bench outside the local library to the morning staff unlocking the doors, officially opening for the day. Looking about inside, he discovers little of significant interest due to the library's impoverished surroundings. There's a battered copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream that's missing half its pages, a couple of idealistic children's tales, and a gloomy poem about a vampire enthralling a woman only to leave her carved onto a shelf, none of which provide decent insight. The staff, however, directs him to try one of the libraries further in the city, assuming he can make it there. He'd have to go fast to make it before it closes for the day.

King of Pentacles

"You saw us?" The young man gets a panicked look in his eye as Lorelei makes her inquiry. She had caught up with him as he was passing through a park. Upon closer inspection, he looks no older than seventeen. "But we were so sure nobody was around! Please don't tell my parents! They'd kill me if they knew that I'd lost a fencing match, let alone in an unofficial duel! That prick, Marcus, it was his idea! He invited me to the pool and told me to bring my rapier, and when I got there, Marianne was sitting on the bench and he challenged me to a duel! I was going to refuse, but then he said that if I didn't duel him I was giving up my rights to date Marianne! She doesn't like him at all! I had to do something, so I dueled him." With a heavy sigh, he leans his rapier case against a nearby park bench and sits. "And now I've screwed it all up, and I'll never get to see Marianne. All because I had to come here, in the middle of the night, and accept that duel." Burying his face in his hands, he says, "Go, please."

[AmberCross]

High Priestess

Curiouser and curiouser as the saying went. David decided it was time to take it up to the next level. Having gathered information it was time to meet one of these fae. He waited until a solitary fae went by that was not obviously engaged in some other activity such as seduction, conversation, etc. Avoiding any which looked particularly skittish or surly, he found someone likely approaching so he got up and started to walk in the same direction but at a slower pace than his target. When the fae was about to pass him he looked over as if just noticing them and said, "Nice night for a walk."

This wasn't the first time he had contrived a casual meeting with someone interesting, but he had to admit to himself that human psychology was probably different from fae. This had a chance of going tremendously wrong, but David felt it was very important to try meeting one. There is only so much a person can learn about a culture from books without firsthand experience and he felt it was high time to learn from immersion. Honestly, sometimes he just had to wonder why he didn't major in psychology or anthropology. Yeah it didn't have much in career prospects, but it had to be easier than some of the physics classes he was taking.

[SilverDemonWolf]

"No, it's alright.  I can find my way home from the Stone." Damien frowned to himself, still not quite trusting the elf's answers, but willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.  "I need to head home and get some rest anyways, I have work in the morning." The young man fought down a yawn, even as he turned to make his way up the way they had come in.  One of the other entrances may have been closer to his apartment, but he had ridden his bike here, and needed to take it home.

*****

The next morning, Damien was up early, as it was his turn to open the music store that he worked at.  Still tired from a lack of sleep the night before, he had to work to keep from yawning as he swept the floor.  The store he worked in both carried musical instruments and everything a musician would need, but also had a large selection of CDs, and even a shelf full of old vinyl records.  Thankfully the store seemed to be quiet so far, since he was the only one there and he honestly didn't feel up to handling a large crowd of customers.

[JamesCray]

"And that is what happens when they suddenly realize their life is not entirely under their control." Robert murmured, an eyebrow raised as he watched Damien leave. Turning back to Vitia, his first instinct was to smooth things over a bit.

"He'll come around, I expect. Some people are just more attached to the idea that they decide what happens to them than others. If I'm honest, I want to believe you. This sort of thing... My entire childhood was spent waiting for the madman with a box to show up and take me on adventures, and even I'm not fully prepared for it. In one night my worldview has been upended, it's going to take a bit to get it screwed down again. As for where I'm headed, I live in the middle class ring of Charleston. Was going to drive out to the Stone, guess I should be glad the bleeding battery in my Alfa's flat, now I get to find out where the nearest entrance to my place is."

[justacritic]

Lemick tried to see if he could have the books with what he was looked for transferred. Some libraries had inter-library loans. It wasn't used too often, but Lemick was sure that some sort of system existed. While using this he would not be able to get the books immediately, he might be able to get the books without it taking too much time or effort.

[Meany]

Was any of it real?

Nanabi stopped, and considered her stance.  The Fae, the Faeries, the whatever.  It meant nothing to her.  She knew yokai, not faeries.  At least, she vaguely remembered yokai.  She recalled a few, at least.  The chance to explore this world was so tempting...  She wanted to stay, but the energy she had used up through out the day was catching up to her.  She'd need to rest soon.

She waited until other people were done talking.  Too afraid to speak up over the young people, in this country where elders were not so heavily respected.  Once the youngsters had their business concluded, Nanabi would speak up.  "I...I would like to come back.  But I need sleep soon....So...how exactly do we return here?"

[Inumo]

Three of Wands

The quiet of Damien's morning is interrupted by the tinkle of the wind chimes hanging from the handle of the front door. A couple, both apparently of college age, enter hand in hand before separating, the man to browse the Irish Traditional CD selection and the woman to Damien. "Hey," she says as she approaches. "Do you guys sell fiddles, maybe know a guy that could give me lessons? My boyfriend, over there, he loves the fiddle, and I want to try my hand at it." She looks over her shoulder, smiling at her boyfriend as he looks up and smiles back. As he turns to look at the opposite shelf, Damien spots a pair of translucent wings sprouting from two slits in his leather jacket. "So," the woman says, returning her attention to Damien. "Do you?"

Page of Pentacles

Silver listens attentively to Daniel's barrage of questions. "A writer, eh? Well, keep your curiosity in check, or you'll wind up like the proverbial cat." Beckoning Daniel to a nearby bench, he sits and continues, "After one too many faerie hunts, and many other hunts for supernatural beings besides, the Fair Folk decided to create their own sanctuary separate from the human world. As humanity expanded, so too did our society, growing to encompass more mythological beings in more places. Combined with the fae's magical talents, they found as much safety as any human." Answers flow as freely as Daniel's questions. "Locally, you're the first, though there may have been others at the other Havens. No agency will actively hunt you down unless you become a problem." Looking sidelong at Daniel, he suddenly asks, "I can trust that you won't share this information with the general populace as fact? It would be the surest way for you to be discovered, tracked down, and killed, your memory wiped from everyone in the city. You risk much with publicity."

Ace of Wands

The faerie, clad in a pair of brown slacks and a buttoned-up beige overcoat simply grunts at David's remark, idly playing with his knit grey scarf as he walks. The grunt is indifferent, neither inviting nor denying conversation with his grey eyes and ethereal brown wings, the few features David can see defining him as fae. There might still be an opportunity to talk in this.

Ten of Cups

The eyes of the librarian look tired as he answers Lemick's inquiry about transfers. "I can try, but I doubt it," he says. "We don't have the best record for book return or maintenance. Check back the day after tomorrow; we're closed on Sundays. If you don't want to wait, the streets seem fairly clear of any activity, so you should be safe enough to go there, get your book, and go to wherever your home is."

((Nanabi on hold until updates are made. Hopefully this will be the last time this is necessary.))

Ace of Swords

Vitia screws up her face in mild confusion at Robert's comment about free will. "Well, he does decide what he wants to do. We're not going to force him into anything." Shrugging, she leads Robert to an empty door frame set in the wall. Knocking seven times on the frame, it suddenly becomes a portal to an empty street. Set into the wall of an office building, it's marked by a red star. "If you want to come back this way, just knock seven times on the wall and it'll let you through," Vitia explains from Avalon as Robert passes through. "People will ignore you when you use it, so no need to worry about being seen, and it'll close once you've passed through. Have a nice night!" With that, the portal disappears and Robert is left alone on the street, five blocks away from his house.

[SilverDemonWolf]

((Nooooo, I totally didn't just research this five minutes ago.  '''))

Damien stared for probably a little longer than was necessary at those translucent wings, but at least he snapped his attention back to the girl quickly enough.  "Actually, ma'am, the fiddle is a slang term to refer to any bowed string instrument, such as the violin, viola, or even the cello." Poor Damien, but he couldn't help himself when correcting her.  "Most people think of violins when mentioning it, though, and I so happen to play the violin myself, so I can get you started and give you lessons if you want them."

The young man set his broom out of the way before heading to the instrument section of the store, immediately starting to browse through the violins and point out the differences.  It was rare that he got to gush about one of his favorite instruments, and it showed with how he lit up in delight.  "If you really want to get started on the violin, it would be best to get a practice one.  The more intricately carved ones are beautiful, but if you get frustrated easily they're more likely to break.  Practice violins are a little more sturdy and can take a little more abuse." Another glance over at the young... Man?... Browsing the shelves, and he leaned in to murmur softly "In a month or two, if you're dedicated, I can start teaching you simple Irish tunes."

[JamesCray]

"Okay, Rob, you've just found out that all the fantasy stories are real, what do?" he murmured to himself as he stepped out of the alley, glancing around to get his bearings and starting to head back to his apartment. He would have to be quiet getting in, he was sure his neighbors would just LOVE getting woken up so late at night it was early in the morning. At least he wasn't on call tomorrow.

When he woke up the next morning, or rather, afternoon, he only believed what he remembered from the night before once he got out of bed and into the kitchen. Overall, he wasn't sure if it was the note on the counter or the caffeine in the PG Tips that helped make his mind up more. Once it was made up, however, he couldn't help but start chuckling.

"Who'dve thought, there really are faeries under Bishop's Stone!" he laughed, before something clicked in his head. "Wait... Bishop! I bet he'd have some good reference material, his game is too good for him to be playing straight out of the sourcebooks!"

The rasp of an Italianate exhaust note soon split the day as Robert made his way to Jones U. He had a professor, and more importantly, a GM to see!

[Azlan]

"It would seem to me that such a duel forced under duress should not be so binding, nor should it be binding without an officiate."  Stated out loud, though she was merely mulling thoughts to herself.

The daughter of a duke was not without her social graces and bowed respectfully as she apologized, "forgive me for intruding as I did, it was dreadfully rude of me, but entirely accidental I assure you.  If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask."

Out of reflex, Lorelei offered a business card.

[AmberCross]

High Priestess Take Two: Hierophant?

Well that was hardly encouraging. In the normal course of events, David would have walked slowly here allowing the stranger to outpace him to avoid a possibly awkward situation. Unfortunately he couldn't really do that here. He figured he would give it one more try and if it didn't work he'd leave it be. Forcing an acquaintance could be even worse than not meeting them at all. As frustrating as it would be to know magic to be real but be unable to take part in it, trying to force magic was a really bad idea. Even beyond possible curses, or magic screwups... magic that's forced just really isn't magic anymore, and even worse to David than not being able to have magic would be to screw it up. Like having ice cream every day or being able to make a rainbow on command, they become less special because they aren't spontaneous.

So he tossed the metaphorical dice once more. "Do you come here often?"

[justacritic]

Lemick thanked the librarian for all the help. He noticed that it was getting late. With all these strange events happening it was too short a time to come to any useful conclusion. Not to mention that he'll have to get ready for work. He decided to go home and sleep on everything that he had learned. Maybe something would come to him as he slept.

[Inumo]

King of Pentacles

"That sounds great," the woman says, looking over the violins in stock. "Er, which one's a practice violin?" As Damien helps her find the right violin, she proceeds to inundate him with information on her boyfriend. "We've been going steady for a couple years now. I don't think he's ever failed to be there for me, and I've done my best to return his dedication. I don't know what I'd do without him. It's like he can do anything if he sets his mind to it, which really helps him with his inventor spirit. Our little house in the middle ring is probably supported more by things he's made than the original things. He's made a business out of it, and no joke it's like he's a work magnet. We're not super rich, but we haven't been left wanting anything for ages. I mostly work just to be able to get him surprises like this, since we still have separate finances." By now, Damien and the woman have wandered back to the counter and gone through the process of checking out. Taking the violin case in hand, she says, "I've got classes and work from about eight to five each weekday. When are you available to teach?"

Nine of Pentacles

David's luck with this particular faerie is ambivalent at best. "Eh," he replies, before picking up his pace and outdistancing him. As he walks off, David can see his fingers faintly glowing, though it fades in short order. Up above in a tree, a crow lands and caws, "Be glad he's a decent fellow. A lot of the Fair Folk would have just knocked you out, mucked with your head, and let you 'wake up from a nap' back on that bench. You could do with some proper training." As it cocks its head, it continues, "Of course, if you're not the special human I think you are with such persistence, you aren't hearing any of this." Ruffling its feathers, it keeps its eyes on David, waiting for a response.

Ten of Wands

An uneventful night later, Lemick wakes to his phone ringing. It turns out that, thanks to some hoodlums, the bank needs a couple of their places cleaned, and Lemick was chosen to do it. The man on the phone is quick to tell him that the extra hours have been cleared by his union, and that failure to do the cleaning is punishable by termination in his position.

Queen of Swords

The man glances at the business card, setting it aside on the bench as he shifts to rest his chin on his fists. Looking at Lorelei, he says, "You seem to know quite a bit about this. Perhaps you can help. You know my goals from my little... outburst..." His face flushes as he recalls the brief break in decorum. "I fear I'm too naive to properly handle the issue alone. What do you suggest I do?"

Ten of Pentacles

Vitia smiles at Nanabi, saying, "Don't worry, we'll always be here. You can get back here through a number of Gates spread all over the city. If you'll tell me where you need to get to, I'll lead you to the Gate nearest there and tell you how to use it before you leave. So, where to?"

Justice

Professor Bishop is in his office, sipping at some likely spiked coffee as he pores over a book that nears the definition of a tome. Looking up at Robert, his eyes light up at his request for reference material. "You're in luck! Here, look at this!" Beckoning him over, he gestures at the book resting open on his desk. "I found this in the archives the other day. It seems to be some old encyclopedia from the colonial days, all about the defining attributes and abilities of all sorts of supposedly local supernatural beings, mostly totem animals and some faeries that the author suspects were brought with from Europe. Fascinating stuff, really." Glancing at his player, he suddenly asks, "Say, why the interest in reading material? I thought I was doing a pretty good job describing all of this at the game."