#( &. fahyrst )

[gambithq]

FAHYRST

Along the northeastern coast of Haelion, just beyond the permafrost that occupies the continent’s northern tip, lies the small city of Fahyrst. Though for most of the year Fahyrst is too cold to attract many visitors, its summers are temperate and comfortable, and it is commonly thought to be the farthest south travelers can go in order to see one of Haelion’s finest sights: the Night of the Endless Day. On the days surrounding the summer solstice, the sun in the north of Haelion does not set for five full days—and in Fahyrst, infamous for the carnival it holds in honor of the solstice, the celebration begins when the sun first touches the horizon on the first day and does not end until it sets completely five days later.

Fahyrst, it is said, spends most of the year preparing its humble habitats for the hospitality of the Carnival. As its greatest attraction, there is a massive increase of traffic to the small city for the festival. This means an influx of trade, of tal, and of intrigue: they say those who venture to Fahyrst for the Endless Night never get bored.

The city itself holds several possible sites of interest: an open-air marble temple to the city’s patron god Laimyre, god of winter winds, the healing of old wounds, and the melting frost; a tall tower from which people claim to be able to see the edge of the continent, though the veracity of this claim is disputed; and the wide fields of frost-flowers, a rare potions ingredient with healing powers, grown only in the permafrost and cultivated only in Fahyrst.

CARNIVAL OF THE ENDLESS DAY

The Carnival of the Endless Day is an elaborate celebration that has grown out of what was once a much humble festival. The sun provides unusual warmth for so far north in the continent and so close to the tundra, which means absolutely no one wants to be inside for as long as the sun is out and the weather is warm. The streets and plazas of the city are flooded with bustling excitement and joyous celebration.

Among these celebrations, you can expect to find:

COSTUMES: bright, colorful silk costumes are the traditional garb of the festival, light for the warm weather and elaborately decorated. merchants eagerly sell fine costumes in every imaginable hue, each brighter than the next, and anyone not in costume can be expected to be stopped frequently by those selling their wares as they navigate through the festival.

COCKTAILS: the city’s taverns throw open their doors and pour into the streets for the duration of the festival, with plentiful outdoor seating set up. to attract business, tavern keepers craft elaborate and colorful cocktails in floral flavors to serve to anyone passing by, some swearing magical properties to the drinks, others with elaborate showmanship—drinks set on fire, drinks with flowers growing inside the glass, drinks that exude puffs of pink smoke, each more over the top than the next.

BLESSED BEADS: some say that the Carnival of the Endless Day was not always a festival centered around the idea of luck—there used to be a winter solstice festival famous for such, long ago. and yet, luck is what many people make their way to the Carnival for these days, those looking for a little extra fortune purchasing strings of blessed beads—colorful glass beads with small flakes of metal inside them, crafted by the priestesses of Laimyre in the temple, a skill unknown to anyone outside the temple walls.

DANCING CONTEST: a two-day long dancing contest occupies the central city square, free for anyone to join. tradition states that the longer you can dance without falling, the longer your luck will sustain you for the year to come. 

SOLSTICE LOTTERY: for the low price of a small donation to the temple of Laimyre, you are granted the chance to blindly draw a glass bead from a large jar just outside the temple, with each color representing a fortune for the new year. red beads mean conflict, friction, growth; white mean neutral fortune, a steady and reliable year; silver means good fortune, a little extra tal in your pocket and perhaps a fortuitous encounter or two; and gold signifies great fortune, the kind often reserved for kings. 

PERFORMANCES, PARADES, AND OTHER SPECTACLES: great outdoor stages are erected around the city for musicians and other performers to entertain upon, and often the crowds from these performances spill back into the streets and move through town. from almost anywhere, you can catch a glimpse of a crowd of people in costumes, dancing and singing. not to mention, of course, the elaborate fireworks show the moment the sun finally sets at the end of the carnival.

TRAVELING MERCHANTS AND ARTISANS

In addition, the carnival is filled with performances, parades, and various other spectacles, as well as a wide array of merchants and traveling artisans setting up stalls on the outskirts of town to sell their wares.

OUT OF CHARACTER

After several weeks of traveling eastward from a stop near Lodorwind, the Gambit will reach Fahyrst on the day before the Carnival begins, and stay through its duration before heading south along the coast, hoping for a chance to have some fun and make some tal doing odd jobs around the festival. A shop inventory of items available for purchase in the city and at the festival can be found below the cut – please message the main if you would like to purchase anything while in town.

Missions in and around Fahyrst can also be found below the cut. To claim a mission, please post the title of the mission and the two characters claiming the mission in the #mission-claims channel on discord. Fahyrst missions should, to the best of your ability, wrap up around the 16th of May.

MISSIONS

1. THE LAIR OF THE BEAST. Several travelers to Fahyrst have reported being attacked by a massive, shaggy, snow-covered, unidentifiable beast on the road into town. Worried that the beast will disrupt travel into the city for the Carnival, Fahyrst’s captain of the guard Ellora Kel is commissioning any brave enough to find the beast, slay it, and return to the city with proof before the outset of the festival. ( REWARD: 50 tal ) GWYN & VASHKA

2. SECURITY DETAIL. The Mayor of Fahyrst, Darwen Oaswell, fears that his estate at the center of town may be broken into or vandalized during the course of the festival. A recently elected and rather unpopular man, he believes members of his opposition will use the festival as cover for robbing him or otherwise embarrassing him, and to avoid this, has offered to hire you to guard the mansion for a portion of the festival. ( REWARD: 60 tal ) OPEN TO MULTIPLE PAIRS

3. A MISSING CHILD. A young girl named Misty Ridenour has gone missing, and her mother Sera believes she ventured into the fields of shimmering purple frost-flowers just outside of town and got trapped or hurt somewhere inside. The frost-flowers, which grow on stalks of up to eight feet tall, are prickly and difficult to maneuver through, but Sera is willing to provide a reward to anyone willing to venture into them to locate the missing girl. ( REWARD: 25 tal or 3 oz. of frost-flower petals ) ADRIK & TATSUO

4. MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK. A student magician from Lodorwind, Razia Morn has traveled to the Carnival because he desperately needs luck this year, as he embarks upon his final year at the Academy. His best friend Kolra, tired of Razia’s superstitions, wants your help to fix the lottery draw to ensure that Razia gets a golden bead and stops wasting their money on foolish endeavors. ( REWARD: 35 tal ) GAVRIL & OVID

5. THIEF IN THE NIGHT. While the priestesses have been distracted by the Carnival, someone snuck into the temple undetected and stole an important relic—the jaw bone of the blessed frost-dragon. It is imperative that someone track down the thief, recover the relic, and return it to the temple before they have a chance to escape. ( REWARD: 75 tal ) GAVRIL & VASHKA

6. A SURREPTITIOUS MESSAGE. A mysterious cloaked figure with a raspy voice approaches from behind your left shoulder and slips a piece of paper and several coins into your hand. On the paper, instructions to find an elf named Solaire somewhere in the crowd of dancers and tell them the red will run when the hawk calls thrice. The instructions promise more coin if and when the task is completed. Seems easy enough, right? ( REWARD: 35 tal ) OPEN

7. THE SHOW MUST GO ON. World-renowned lutist and singer Clarion Call has been commissioned to perform on the third day of the Carnival, but mere hours before they are meant to perform, their manager Markia finds them dreadfully hungover at one of Fahyrst’s many outdoor taverns, unable to perform. She’s willing to pay heftily for anyone capable of impersonating Clarion and performing in their stead, so as not to ruin their reputation. ( REWARD: 85 tal ) CALLIOPE & OVID

8. THE PERFECT DRINK. Adarius Contravere, one of the Carnival’s two most impressive drinkmakers, has invented what he swears will be the perfect drink. The only problem is: he’s missing an ingredient, and a rare one at that. Desperate to one-up his competition, Ravenswing Ebonaria, Contravere has offered quite the fee to adventurers willing to venture northwards into the permafrost to bring back the necessary ingredient—a small piece of crystal known as giant’s tear, which instantly freezes anything it touches.  ( REWARD: 60 tal ) GWYN & TATSUO

9. AN IMPOSSIBLE SIGHT. From high in Fahyrst’s tallest tower, a teenage girl named Varthé has claimed to see the silver wings of the legendary frost-dragon. While most who hear her think she must be making it up—after all, frost-dragons have been extinct, even this far north, for well over three hundred years—if she’s right, dragons are said to drop scales and teeth that make some of the strongest armor in the Fade, which might be worth hunting down. ( REWARD: rare materials ) GAVRIL & GWYN

10. HEALING TOUCH. A short way outside of the city you encounter an injured traveller on the side of the road, alone and in desperate need of healing. Though you watch several other travelers pass by her without making any stop to help, you decide to see what you can do for her. She turns her head up to you and says, “you have shown that you are true of heart. if you are true of strength as well, you will be rewarded.” ( REWARD: a spell of choice ) CASSIAN & VASHKA

11. THE CURSED ORB. Arlo Higgenbothom, a traveling wizard and showman who is in town to sell charmed trinkets at the Carnival, has approached you with a dire problem in need of solving: he misplaced a small and terrible cursed orb roughly the same size and shape as the glass beads used in the temple’s lottery drawing, and he fears it may have ended up in with the other beads, or in someone else’s hands. ( REWARD: 55 tal ) TATSUO & ZHENYA

12. THE OVEREAGER VANDAL. A young upstart political revolutionary wants to plaster the temple, the tower, and the mayor’s home with pamphlets advocating for the People’s Movement of Fahyrst. The only problem is: he’s banned from every major building in the city thanks to his last attempts to sabotage the mayor’s campaign by vandalizing public buildings, and every guard in Fahyrst knows his face. To get his pamphlets in place, he either needs a very good disguise, or he needs someone else to do it for him without also getting caught by the guards. ( REWARD: 45 tal ) OPEN

13. A PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT. A young halfling man named Basil has asked for help locating his fiance, Cedar. The two are from different towns, and met three years ago at the Carnival, and though they have written letters, they have only been able to see one another here each year, and thus had planned to wed before the end of this year’s Carnival. However, having been unable to locate Cedar, Basil is worried either that Cedar thought better of it, or that something has happened to prevent him from reaching the city. ( REWARD: 65 tal ) GAVRIL & ZHENYA

14. MIRROR OF SHADOWS. Among the wares of a traveling merchant, you find a mirror that—rather than showing your reflection when you look into it—shows instead a swirling void of shadows, with something you can very nearly make out within. When you touch the mirror, it whispers to you that it must be taken to the top of the tallest tower, where it will reveal its secret. Unfortunately, the salesman refuses to part with it for less than 1600 tal. ( REWARD: the location of a much-desired object, person, or goal ) LUCKY & OVID

15. ESCAPE ROUTE. A young woman in a hooded cloak stops you, offering all the tal she has to help her to escape the city undetected. When asked why, she is hesitant to provide further details, only insisting that her life is in danger if she has not safely left town by the time the sun goes down. ( REWARD: 75 tal ) OPEN

SHOP INVENTORY

if you would like to purchase any gear or supplies from the shops in Fahyrst, message the main. the following items are available (estimated prices listed):

a show-stopping cocktail ( 3 tal )

a blessing from the temple of Laimyre ( 5 tal )

a bag of crushed frost-flower petals ( 10 tal per oz. )

a fine healing potion ( 60 tal )

lucky Carnival beads ( 10 tal )

a fine colorful costume ( 15 tal )

basic spell or potion components ( 10-30 tal )

an enchanted sapphire ring with freezing powers ( 75 tal )

a cloak of disguise ( 80 tal )

a hand-sized harp that never goes out of tune ( 35 tal )

[zhenyafen]

location: around the merchant tables status: for @gavrileontidis​

Zhenya watched the stout shape of Basil the halfling disappear into the crowd, brows furrowed. In their hands, a rough description of this Cedar and a small trinket Basil had received from him some months ago. This was a hopeless task. More than teeming with people, the thought of trying to identify, locate, and then convince one halfling to follow them seemed a fool’s errand. Still, Zhenya found herself accepting, and alongside Gavril no less. 

They turned to him with an expression caught somewhere in the realm of confusion and extended Basil’s trifles. A lost lover ... it certainly was romantic, in the traditional sense. No shortage of possible endings or explanations jumped forth in Zhenya’s mind. Perhaps this Cedar had been stringing Basil along, that seemed perhaps the most obvious. Perhaps something, or someone had stopped him from meeting his love. But that was the stuff of stories, and Zhenya sent it from her mind. There was a task to be completed here, or at the very least an attempt to be made.

“I can’t do a location spell on this, or anything like that.” It seemed these days everyone had a different idea of what their magic did, and Zhenya was eager to nip that in the bud before Gavril thought to ask. “We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way.”

[tatsuokon]

the first day of the Carnival        one of the many outdoor tavern tables, Fahyrst ( @ovidofpouthena​ )

Already, only one day in, and Tatsuo has decided that the cocktails are easily the greatest part of this whole Carnival. He should know: he’s sampled about a half dozen of them, each more elaborate than the next, finding the most ridiculous one at each of the city’s many taverns, working his way down the busy street and stopping by each one as he goes. So far the stand outs have been one that looked like it was made of liquid gold and tasted of licorice (the worst of the lot) and one that looked like the sea in a storm and tasted of freshly picked berries with just a hint of salt (the best).

He’s holding another in his hands now, though he’s certain he shouldn’t drink another one, at least for a while—the last one (black as the night until you tipped the glass, and then staining blood red along the rim, though it mostly just tasted like watered down redale) had been stronger than he’d anticipated, and he really shouldn’t spend five or so full days inebriated, as much as he’d love to. 

Thankfully, making his way out from the bar and into the spill of tables and crowds on the street outside of this particular tavern, he spots one of Ovid’s many familiar faces sitting alone at a table, and turns to make his way that way, offering out the drink to them once he’s made eye contact, and giving them a grin.

     “I don’t know what it tastes like,” he says, setting the cocktail down in from of them and then dropping into the empty seat across from them at the table. “But the woman who made it told me it sings. Whatever that means.” 

     “Enjoying the festivities?”

[ovidofpouthena]

It’s rare for them to wear Zephyr’s face during a celebration of any kind, the face out of their most familiar that has the least inclination towards any sort of frivolity, knowing well how they had dragged him to a celebration or two themself when they traveled together. But it’s a good visage for going unbothered, and today they’ve resolved to try to hunt for information the old fashioned way, blending into the shadows, instead of stepping into the light and coaxing words from loose lips. As of yet, after all, the best they’ve managed as Iago and Dru is a hoard entertaining, but thoroughly unhelpful gossip about this city itself. And they were right in their assumption, already having heard more helpful tidbits from various places around the Fade, thanks to the act of brooding quietly. But still nothing of other dopplers.

Ovid resolves, instead, to see if they might find some noble or distant royal in need of a shadow for the night to make a few tal, to make up for all the drinking they’ve done the past few days. As they slip through the crowd, though, instead their eyes land on a familiar figure, and follow her quietly, interested to see hoe she’s been spending the festival, feeling a certain amount of responsibility for her well being and entertainment alike. “And it’s you,” they hum, offering as close to a small smile as Zephyr does. They nod to her wrist. “Pretty beads, any truth to their power?”

location: Fahyrst, center of the carnival

status: OPEN

Meira gave a polite nod to the priestess in the stall as she walked away, drifting back into the current of bodies that wove through the festival like a rushing river. The string of glass beads she had just purchased felt cool against her skin, woven around her wrist and fourth finger in ceremonial fashion by the devout woman selling them. Luck seemed like a worthwhile investment for someone in her current line of work. The second she touched she could tell there was only the faintest hint of magic dancing within them, but she had enjoyed speaking with the priestesses in the temple of Laimyre. The witch had always taught her to give a healthy respect to gods she did not worship, as it was always better to earn their benevolence rather than their ire. She broke free from the crowd to turn down an alley, the stone walls draped in luxurious red fabrics that glittered in the amber sunlight, a savory smell of unknown origin luring her in. But a small stall lined with baskets of flora caught her eye before she made it to the food vendors, and she decided to take a glance at what was being offered before finding herself a hot meal. As she delicately fingered her way through a basket of Adders Tongue, she felt a presence move in close behind her. While not too concerned for her wellbeing considering a festival with hundreds of people was going on around her, Meira turned around rather quickly. "Oh! It's you."

[lettersandinkstains]

Last Line Tag

Tagged by @chaos-writing​, thank you! Tagging - @evergrcen​ - @whisperswritings​ - @livvywrites​ - @jc-shay​ - @jcckwrites​ - @abalonetea​ - @serphics​ - @milkyway-writes​ - @sancta-silje​ - @sapphoopages​ - @ajbrooks-writes​ - @owl-writes​ - @authoressasusual​ - @sweetcatmintea​ - @sweetdollywrites​ - @onedayiwillwritestuff​ - @pied-piper-of-hamlet​ - @theforgottencoolkid​ - @royalbounties​ - @mvcreates​ - @quilloftheclouds​ - anyone who sees this!

Matija frowns a little — they’re pensive, they’re irate. He knows why, but he doesn’t want to ask them for confirmation but he leans forward, hands pressed together. Sparrow meets his eyes.

“Are you going to?” he asks, quietly. “When we see her, will you?”

“Yes,” Sparrow answers, lowly. “That is my plan. If you choose to protect her, you will go down with her.”

Matija sits back. “Then I will gladly do so,” he says, eying the other. “Regardless of what you think, Sparrow, she doesn’t deserve to die for the sins done by someone from the past.”

“It will ruin all their plans,” Sparrow answers. “We’ve been over this.”

“She is innocent.”

“More blood will spill.”

“That’s not on her hands,” They are going in circles, but Matija will not budge -- not on this, not on what Sparrow is trying to say. He knows he cannot change their mind, but he will make it as difficult as possible for them to either achieve their goal or get to her. He doesn’t like her much either -- but the girl is merely a puppet for higher beings. The Captain, who tells her to kill or face the consequences, selfish gods who still control her fate, and blame her for when things went awry. Their blood is not on her hands, and they need to accept this.

She is, in a sense, the lost child in the woods trying to escape the monster that chases and will consume her. And Matija will be damned to let someone die. Yet, something tells him that she will not die by someone else’s hand and that’s what scares him the most.

He will not tell Sparrow this conclusion -- because it is out there, but yet, a real possibility.

“So you will die with her.” There is bafflement in Sparrow’s tone and Matija does not look away from them. He watches as they go through a series of emotions — shock, disbelief, and even anger. “You are so selfish.”

“Takes one to know one, yes?”

“So be it,”

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR AWAY

I wish I could have shown y’all Fahyrst! Lovely city. But instead, I gave you some fun stuff -- so. ‘s not technically last line but. I like to break the rules, ya know? Makes life more interesting. Does this count as spoilers? Yeah, probably.

[gwyncrafven]

POLITICIARA / DAY THREE / @belxofdeljor + @hephireus

the gambit moving forward on ovid’s whisper of a gathering was not such an odd thing that it deserved to be questioned; they’d made do with less from sources rarely so reliable. and this was easy money. frankly speaking, however, catelia was rather far removed from the heights of fahyrst’s northern permafrost, or even the arid wasteland they’d bothered crossing from just some time ago. their winding canals and vibrant towers glimmered with the wealth of its noble kind, and had gwyn been the sort for it, one might daresay it was worthy of a healthy dose of envy. the way these figures built themselves up, made use of their good fortune in such a lavishly deplorable fashion, however, happened to leave something of a bitter taste. and after enduring the likes of the masquerade and all its needless splendor ( with little offense meant to calliope as she quite adored them ), the hunter found herself in need of more like minded company. or, in the very least, a quiet space in which to indulge quieter thoughts. a stiff drink wouldn’t be so bad either. 

failing in her efforts to track down gavril or that quiet space, however, she’d come to find something similar in bel. and a gig on the side, no less, as tales of shadowed figures haunting the locals in the depths of slumber whirled about and made their way into the light. at the behest of a doctor seeking remedy for his ailing clientele, and promising fair compensation, the pair traversed the city grounds by way of animal or shadow, gathering what details they could from any willing party 

this would lead them to where they were now, from the outer ring of the island in the pitch of near darkness to the lofty estate of some well-to-do marquess. the heart of the politiciara, as it was so called. hushed steps make their way through the crack in the front gate, eventually stumbling upon the collapsed form of a wretched-faced woman who one might presume was the lady of the house. “well,” deft fingers shift towards the noblewoman’s neck in a quick kneel, catching a swell in pulse. “not dead, at least.” a wary gaze sweeps over their surroundings in an effort to pluck any detail from the abyss as she settles on her companion, finally. “certainly down for the count, though. anything?”

[gambithq]

          FAHYRST WRAP-UP

the sun has finally set on Fahyrst and the Festival of the Endless Day, and—following a lead Ovid picked up from one of the partygoers—they will be traveling to Catelia, the Ringed Isle, a ten day trip south along the Haelion coast, through the edges of the desert. new members may join the Gambit during this ten day trek or once the party arrives in Catelia.

the location post for Catelia will be posted at 5pm EST today, and will include information about the city, information about the Gambit’s job there, and extra missions in and around the city. missions can be claimed in the #mission-claims channel on discord—there should be enough for roughly every character to have one mission related to the job and one outside mission, though if more are needed, I will add them at a later date. 

please take a look at the rewards from any Fahyrst missions you completed, and add these rewards, and anything purchased in Fahyrst, to the gear section of your shipper. all members of the Gambit are now considered level 3-4, so feel free to add new skills and abilities to your shipper as appropriate. 

[zhenyafen]

location: outskirts of the carnival status: for @tatsuokon

Zhenya was going to clear a line in the grass by the end of this festival. The first few nights had passed without event, blessedly, but they had long since used up their store of blessings and it was no sooner than they’d found themselves wrapped up in one scheme or another. Trust the Gambit to never know a moment’s peace, not even in celebration. Especially so, she was coming to know. Not when there were rare items to scavenge, purses to swindle, and general mischief to be had. 

Mischief they now found laid at their feet. By Tatsuo’s hand, though there was no particular surprise there. Was he hoping to earn her pearl earrings out of this? Zhenya touched the pocket they lived in, felt the weight of them. Only she would; anyone else’s hand would find it empty, or if she was feeling unkind, filled with needles. 

Turning sharply, they faced Tatsuo with an expression that landed somewhere between grudgingly intrigued and deeply unimpressed.

“Let me understand this. There is a wizard who was, at one point in time or another, in possession of a cursed orb – the nature of which he does not know. He is now no longer sure of its precise location and has sent you on a magical goose chase for a marble in a marble stack?” Zhenya’s hands had, at some point in her pacing, found their way to her hips. “What on earth possessed him to think you were up to the task?”

[tatsuokon]

a few days into the Carnival      just off the main square, Fahyrst ( @gwyncrafven​ )

The man at the bar—who had introduced himself rather grandiosely as Adarius Contravere, mixologist extraordinaire—had told Tatsuo it would be the perfect drink, the drink to beat every other colorful, elaborate cocktail he’d sampled over the course of the past few days. Which, really, was a tall order: he’s sampled quite a few already, and many of them pretty memorable. But Tatsuo is curious, so curious, curious enough that, without really realizing he’s done it, he’s promised the man he’ll fetch a giant’s tear stone, made note of the directions ( up just past the line of the permafrost, there’s an outcropping of rock that looks like an eagle, and below that, a cave, filled to the brim with crystals... ), and left the tavern in search of someone to drag with him to find the stone.

It feels like fate—good fate or bad, he’s not entirely sure—that he comes across Gwynera first. If you’d asked him which member of the Gabmit he’d trust most with a vague sort of venture off into the wilderness and find something rare kind of quest, she would have been his very first answer. If you’d asked him which member he’d want to go with on one of them, his answer would not have been quite so fast. He doesn’t deal well with coldness; oh, he can stand when people don’t like him, but he’d much rather they be upfront and angry about it, heated. Gwyn, he can never get a read on, can never bring himself to understand what it is that makes her distrust him.

Still: there she is. Certainly, she’d have no problem finding this cave that looks like an eagle or whatever Contravere had said. And there was tal to be made.

     “Gwyn,” he calls, racing a few steps to catch up to her ahead of him in the road, falling into step beside her before she has a chance to stop him.

     “Are you busy, right now? Or have you got time for a quick jaunt into the permafrost?” And then, because he already senses she’s about to tell him no and he can’t bear the rejection, adds: “I’ll let you keep the reward money. If you help.” 

[tatsuokon]

early on in the carnival     yet another lovely outdoor tavern ( @cassian-penvenan​ )

He’s really enjoying the sun. The warmth. Lodorwind had been on the cold side, and the Gambit’s long trek along the edge of the northern tundra had been worse. Sure, the Northern Kingdom of the Blossoms, being up in the mountains, had gotten cold every once in a while, but he’d always been a summer child. So Adrik had darted off somewhere, probably knowing better than to pull him away from his current position, basking in the sun at one of the tavern’s outdoor tables, had left in the way they often did that always felt like a promise to be back. As far as he’s concerned, the chair they vacated is still occupied, the shadow of the promise of their return, a bookmark, held open. 

So when, behind his closed eyes and reclined head, he senses someone who is clearly not Adrik approaching the empty seat, it stirs him from his sun-drenched doze and back into the waking world, letting his eyes fall open  and moving just slightly to show he’s still alive and alert and not letting anyone steal this chair. 

      “Seat’s saved,” he says, barely glancing at the person approaching, gesturing a hand to a nearby table instead. “There are seats over there, though. Plenty of other places to sit.” 

[gambithq]

happy Wednesday, everyone! I want to take a minute to collate all of the various information floating around the aether into one concise post about what to expect this weekend—if anyone has any questions about any of this, let me know.

the Gambit will be moving on from Fahyrst to their new location at the end of this week, on Sunday, May 23. the new location post will go up Sunday at around 5pm EST so people can start claiming missions and plotting threads. a brief Fahyrst wrap-up post will go up earlier that day.

as a part of moving between locations, we have three things happening over the next few days:

an interest check for all current members to give me an idea of who will be staying with us, who will be taking a hiatus, and who will be leaving the group—you’ve all seen this in the discord already, but the official deadline to make sure you’ve responded to that is tomorrow, May 20.

a single round of acceptances, which will be held Friday, May 21 at 7pm EST. in addition to accepting second character apps from any writer currently in the group, we’ll be open to accepting a small number of new writers, and anyone who was formerly a part of gambithq. if you have not reached out to me to have your faceclaim approved for Friday’s acceptances, please be sure to do so before you submit your application! 

new character bios and follow links will be posted to the main on Saturday to allow for at least a day of plotting before the new location, so bonds can be established, etc.

a Fahyrst wrap-up Sunday afternoon—while Fahyrst threads do not need to be finished by Sunday, I do want to make space for everyone to have threads and plots in our next location and to keep moving the plot forward. to that end, if you have a Fahyrst mission that is still ongoing, your options are:

finish the mission in-thread by around Sunday

plot out the remainder of the mission with your mission partner and post a summary of the rest of the mission to the dash

agree with your partner to continue the mission thread past Sunday, though if you choose this one please try to give priority to threads for the new location 

based on where threads stand on Sunday afternoon when I make the wrap-up post, characters will earn their mission rewards, and will “level up” before moving onto our next location

like I said, if you have any questions, let me know! I have the next location all drafted up and I am very excited to share it with you all—

[gambithq]

          CALENDAR UPDATE

to allow players more time to finish current missions, the Gambit will now be staying in Fahyrst until 23 May. an interest check will be held on 20 May, and acceptances for new characters for current and former members only will be held on 21 May. 

[gambithq]

CATELIA, THE RINGED ISLE

An island just off the eastern coast of Haelion, Catelia lies just south of the Haelion desert only a short boat ride from the coast. The city is famous for its colorful buildings and its sprawling canals, in place of roads, connecting each of the island’s three rings to one another. The outer ring of Catelia, called merdociara, or “the Merchant’s circle,” is home to shops and stalls selling famously delicious food and sturdy, well-crafted supplies; the second ring of Catelia, called arziciara, or “the Artist’s circle,” is the source of some of Haelion’s most beautiful museums and talented artist’s collectives; the third ring of Catelia, called politiciara, or “the Noble’s circle,” is home to Catelia’s substantial noble class and their intricately decorated estates. 

Of course, Catelia is as dangerous as it is beautiful: infamous for the warring political factions of its powerful noble families, the city is constantly caught in an elaborate war of intrigue far beyond the comprehension of most of its citizens, who end up becoming collateral damage in the wake of a near-constant string of shifting allegiances and coups d’état. After all, the thing Catelia is most famous for aside from its gorgeous canals is its highly competent and highly mercenary Assassin’s Guild. Catelian assassins are highly regarded and well respected, bringing honor to their families even as they forsake their names and renounce all family ties upon entering the guild to train. It is commonly said that the canals of Catelia run red with blood in the night—and nothing you’ve seen or heard thus far disproves that. 

But Catelia isn’t just a convenient stop along the coast to resupply after a stint in the harsh desert. It is also home to a prime target for ferreting out both information and valuable items to steal. And the Gambit happens to be arriving in town just in time for one of the Catelian nobles’ largest parties—and easiest marks—of the year.  

THE VERDICCI FAMILY’S ANNUAL MASKED BALL

The Verdicci family is one of the lower noble families in Catelia—high enough to have plenty of power but low enough that no one is vying to overtake them any time soon, a comfortable middle spot that allows them to live in the lap of luxury without too much fear for their heads. The matriarch of the family, Eliara Verdicci, loves any excuse she can find to flaunt her wealth and relatively safe status, inviting nobles from across the politiciara and neighboring cities to attend her annual masquerade ball. 

With the extensive guest list and general easy chaos of such a large event, all the Gambit will need to charm their way in are appropriate costumes: the fanciest clothing possible and, of course, a mask. Once inside, they’ll have access not only to every noble in the city to pick pockets and uncover secrets, but also to Eliara’s secure art collection, rare books library, and a vault of valuable jewels and artifacts. 

There are several possible leads that Gambit members attending the masquerade may follow up on: 

1. LOOSE LIPS. Between the Catelian nobles and wealthy diplomats from nearby cities, a number of important people will be in attendance—people with a wealth of far-reaching information, and possibly the promise of further jobs, further marks, and perhaps some desperately longed for secrets. A charming face and a keen ear will find no trouble circulating the party to gather information; you hardly even have to know the right questions to ask. ( REWARD: valuable secrets ) OVID & ZHENYA

2. DEEP POCKETS. By around a third of the way through the party, most of the distinguished guests should be too intoxicated to be keeping close track of their possessions. Never has a pocket been easier to pick, nor so full. If you have some extra time, try the coat room—you never know what you might find in there. ( REWARD: up to 270 tal or valuable items of equivalent value ) OPEN

3. ANCIENT TOMES. The Verdicci family library is the pet project of Elaria’s wife Marialena, who inherited the project from Elaria’s mother, through a line tracing back generations. The lofty, ceilinged room is full to the brim of incredibly rare tomes kept safely behind charmed glass, and the value of these targets are two-fold: there are books in here that people would pay a fortune for, but there is also information most would consider lost to time, trapped away here where no one else can read them. ( REWARD: up to 350 tal in rare books or information from said books ) DARCASSIAN & ZHENYA

4. DARK SECRETS. Among the books in the library, one in particular stands out: a very recent acquisition, the book is rumored to be cloaked in shadow and—if you believe the tales—to have come from another world altogether, its cover made from strange material no one has seen before, its pages of flesh, or impossibly thin vellum, or blood-red parchment, depending on who you ask. The Nightmare Tome, whispers call it, and they say it belonged to the Lord of Nightmares, taken mortal form. ( REWARD: The Nightmare Tome and information ) ESKAREL & HEPHIREUS & LUCKY

5. DEALER’S CHOICE. Eliara is a renowned collector and dealer of fine art, and hosts a significant collection of her own in a private museum on the top floor of the mansion. The museum is open for browsing during the party, so in order to secret away a piece or two, you’ll either need to be particularly stealth—or you’ll need a way to blend in. ( REWARD: up to 350 tal in rare art ) OPEN

6. HIDDEN VAULT. Somewhere deep in the basement of the mansion lies the hidden entrance to a magically secure vault which is said to house the Verdicci fortune, all in jewels and rare artifacts. If you can find the vault’s location and get in without setting off the spelled lock keeping it sealed, no one should be around to notice you taking whatever you please. ( REWARD: up to 350 tal in jewels and non-magical artifacts ) CASSIAN & TATSUO

7. INTERFERENCE. While the rest of the Gambit does what they can to extract every bit of value from the ball, at least two people will need to serve as their eyes and ears, running interference to keep them from being discovered. Circulate the party, make sure no one suspects your friends, and have a lovely time enjoying the food, drink, and entertainment on offer while you’re at it. ( REWARD: a cut of the spoils, up to 130 tal ) CALLIOPE & GWYN

OUT OF CHARACTER

Thanks to news of the Masquerade gathered by Ovid from a Catelian noble in Fahyrst, Catelia is as good a place as any to restock on food and supplies after the brief trek south through the edge of the Haelion desert. A ferry will take the Gambit from the coast to the island, where they will spend about four days before continuing south along the coast. A shop inventory of items available for purchase in the city can be found below the cut – please message the main if you would like to purchase anything while in town.

In addition to the Masquerade-specific missions listed above, further missions in and around Catelia can be found below the cut. To claim a mission, please post the title of the mission and the two characters claiming the mission in the #mission-claims channel on discord. Catelia missions should, to the best of your ability, wrap up around the 13th of June.

MISSIONS

1. PROTECTION RACKET. Marzara Morducci, a nobleman in one of the highest houses of Catelia, is seeking two bodyguards to escort his teenage son to their countryside villa a short ways from the coast on the mainland; Morducci has received credible threats on his family’s life from Catelian assassins, not to mention the usual monsters and bandits found on the road between the coast and the villa, and he is willing to pay through the nose to ensure his brat of a son arrives safely. ( REWARD: 120 tal ) OPEN

2. A TRAINEE’S TRICK. Melodiae Myrdo, a young trainee at the assassin’s guild, has a problem: as a part of her training, she needs to convincingly fake her own death well enough to fool the guild’s examiners. Unsure of how to proceed, she asks for your help planning and executing the task, which should be as bloody and spectacular as possible. ( REWARD: 75 tal ) ADRIK & ANTNAR

3. THE MASKED MENACE. A number of merchants in the merdociara have reported their most valuable items being stolen in the night, each describing the same strange, masked figure who seems to be able to disappear at will. This rash of thefts has caused merchants to be unusually wary of outsiders, but if their items were to be returned to them and the thief apprehended they would be more than happy to pay whoever helped them for their troubles. ( REWARD: 85 tal ) ANTNAR & BEL

4. A RARE INGREDIENT. Savabella El, a renowned artist known for the vivid colors of their paint and the almost hypnotizing effects their paintings have, is looking for new components to mix into paints to imbue their canvases with magic. They have heard rumor that there are trees, somewhere in the politiciara, that bear fruit whose seeds create a pigment so bright it could blind if not used properly—and they would like you to find some and bring it to them. ( REWARD: 70 tal ) OPEN

5. A ROCKY VOYAGE. Renowned treasure hunter Sar Veden has traveled to Catelia in pursuit of a treasure rumored to lie somewhere deep in the water beyond the island. The waters beyond Catelia are perilous and rocky for several miles beyond the shore, so Veden is hiring a small team who can help him safely navigate beyond the rocks and recover the lost treasure. ( REWARD: a share of the lost treasure ) OPEN

6. A FERRY INFESTATION. The ferry that connects Catelia to the mainland is the only passage onto or off of the island, due to the narrow strait which ordinary boats cannot navigate. Unfortunately, the ferry is currently out of commission due to an infestation of vicious, bipedal frog-like monsters that have taken up residence belowdecks, spitting poison at anyone who dares approach. The ferry’s captain, Luca Attara, is hiring adventurers willing to attempt to shoo them out or exterminate them, to get traffic flowing on and off the island again.  ( REWARD: 80 tal ) EZEK & GAVRIL

7. SIREN SIGHTINGS. Several citizens in both the merdociara and the arziciara have claimed to see what they believe to be a siren swimming through the canal between the two rings at night, and the city authorities believe this siren to be responsible for a series of missing persons cases the city has experienced over the past several weeks. For either bringing in the siren responsible or bringing in proof that the siren did not cause these disappearances, there is a steep reward fee being offered. ( REWARD: 95 tal ) BEL & VASHKA

8. A NOBLE ERRAND. A noblewoman named Giacoma Cal is preparing her estate for hosting a diplomatic guest from out of town, and needs someone to fetch a large cask of a very particular fine wine from one of the merchants in the merdociara. She swears the man owes it to her on credit, but he has sent four different servants back to her with refusals, claiming he owes her nothing. Maybe it’s time for a different approach to retrieving the wine for her. ( REWARD: 80 tal ) OPEN

9. A PUZZLING FRESCO. There is a strange fresco in one of the open-air marketplaces in the arziciara, displaying a pattern of interlocking circles, an orange fruit, a blue bird, a diamond of blood red, and a symbol that is said to be the symbol of the no-longer worshipped god of ancient Catelia, Marsei. Legend has it that the fresco is some sort of puzzle, that it opens the way to an ancient temple beneath the stones of the marketplace, and that great treasure lies within... and possibly something much more dangerous. ( REWARD: an impossibly rare artifact ) LUCKY & TATSUO

10. NIGHTMARE PLAGUE. All around the city, strange nightmares have been plaguing the citizens of Catelia in every district and of every class. Shadowy figures seem to appear on their walls as they wake, and disappear as soon as the lights are lit. Those affected report feeling watched—no matter where they go. Desperate for answers, a local doctor has asked for help collecting stories, and hopefully finding a remedy. ( REWARD: 70 tal ) BEL & GWYN & HEPHIREUS

SHOP INVENTORY

if you would like to purchase any gear or supplies from the shops in Catelia, message the main. the following items are available (estimated prices listed):

a masquerade mask ( 5-10 tal )

a custom perfume ( 35 tal )

a rare, old book ( 20 tal )

a fine bespoke outfit ( 25 tal )

a piece of fine jewelry ( 60 tal )

a fine-quality blade ( 95 tal )

an ornate, custom weapon ( 110 tal )

[gambithq]

                    ACCEPTANCE DATE SET! 

with the Gambit’s first location now posted and most of the first round of missions claimed, I am so thrilled to finally be beginning. and, with two applications in the inbox, I am equally excited to announce our next acceptance date: Tuesday 5/4 at 10pm EST! 

after Tuesday’s acceptance, in order to better facilitate the mission-based structure of the group, acceptances will only be held every two weeks, to coincide with the new location drops. new locations will be posted every other Sunday, and acceptances will be held the Thursday or Friday before that, so that new players can get acquainted with the group and begin plotting in time for their character to be introduced to the Gambit alongside the new location and missions. this means that after Tuesday, if there are any open roles left or if current players want to take on new characters, our next acceptance will be Friday 5/14. 

if you would like to join the group without having to wait until then, you’ll want to make sure your application has been submitted before Tuesday night. if, for some reason, it is impossible for you to get an application in by that time, please reach out to the main. 

our current open skeletons are:

the artificer 

the corsair

the sage

the witch

and I’d absolutely love to see them all filled by Tuesday night! if current players are interested in bringing in second (or third, etc.) characters outside of these archetypes, these will be brought in with each new location drop, so please let me know what you’re thinking so I can plan accordingly. 

I’ll be adding a few new missions to our Fahyrst event in the next day or two to accommodate new players as well, and will post when I’ve updated those. 

[lettersandinkstains]

Last Line Tag

tagged by @livvywrites and @klywrites ! tagging - tagging @klywrites and @livvywrites back, @bookenders, @raevenlywrites, @milkyway-writes, @dove-actually​, @all-my-novels​, @authoressasusual​, @popovs​, @namme-e​, @madsaialik​, @nectargrapes​, @tragedyshow​, @quilloftheclouds​, and anyone who wants to do this!

“In these trying times, you can’t trust anyone,” Matija says, hardly glancing at them. “The Church has…done some gruesome things that Evras tried to disappear from the human eye, and tried to keep people from emigrating out and coming in. They were trying to keep us safe.” He hesitates. “Though I wonder if — if we can come in as refugees. No doubt news about what the Church has done already reached leaderships ears.”

“And where are you from?” Sparrow asks.

“Eh? Uh, Fahyrst, which is just north of here. Could be a days walk, at least.”

“Then we head there,” Sparrow says. “There’s bound to be someone who will recognize you and allow us in.”

“Fahyrst is a fairly large city now,” Matija says as he licks his lips and wraps his arms around himself. Sparrow watches him closely, brows knit together. “There’s no way we would have let the Church taper out our numbers. And there’s no way there will be people around who will recognize me.”

last line tag? more like, lemme just share the last few paragraphs written lmao

[gambithq]

below the cut you will find the accepted characters, along with a brief checklist of what to do next if you have been accepted. additionally, five new missions have been added to the Fahyrst location guide along with the remaining two open missions to help facilitate plotting and threads with new members.

our next acceptance date will be held on 5/14, for characters joining the Gambit in conjunction with our second location drop. further information will be posted closer to the acceptance date. 

-- THE ARTIFICER. congratulations, ABBY! you have been accepted as Zhenya Fennell (Jessie Mei Li FC).  -- THE SAGE. congratulations, JOEY! you have been accepted as Aubrey “Lucky” Lucker (Hunter Schafer FC). -- THE WITCH. congratulations, SUMMER! you have been accepted as Meira Farina (Millie Brady FC).

checklist--

create a new blog (not a sideblog) for your character, with a recognizable url (character’s name, etc.) -- I’d love to have these within the next 24 hours but if you need more time, let me know

ensure that your askbox is open, and then send an ask or a DM to the main from your character blog

you will be sent a link to join the OOC discord chat; once you are, join the chat and introduce yourself!

be sure to re-read the rules page and check the trigger page, and ensure that your blog’s theme meets the standards on the rules page. then, check the #announcements channel on discord for information about your character shipper so you can begin plotting.