Cal's KIN Forum Game

[InspectorCaracal]

(Proper title to come eventually)

See attachment for House Rules etc. Last Updated: 10/31/21

(I wanted to have a TOC at the beginning that linked you to the right section of the PDF, but I have zero experience making PDFs in Scrivener and it wasn't working so I gave up.)

[InspectorCaracal]

Sabriel (played by Ciel)
he/him
A tall lanky feykin with black talon-like claws and equally black feathery hair.

Zalian (played by Corva)
they/them
Large, winged, with a broad feathered saurian tail and deceptively menacingly sharp teeth.

Mina (played by Zatnosk)
they/it varies
Sometimes a young pointy-eared fem feykin. Other times a broad-shouldered antlered masc feykin.

Hawthorn (played by Wysteria)
she/her
Looks quite a lot like a tree. A particularly thorny tree, with seasonal berries.

[InspectorCaracal]

A blank page, fresh and white as the new-fallen snow.

[InspectorCaracal]

The Case of the Lady's Ransom

For reasons that are your own, today, in the mid autumn of the Mistembran Isles, you are in the city of Mihilit-Dalath. For reasons that are as yet unknown, this morning you found yourself in possession of a small, hand-written note, requesting your presence at a particular address at a particular time (let us say roughly seven o'clock in the evening, or whatever the Vanthian equivalent to "just past an early supper time" may be). Perhaps the note appeared on your breakfast plate while you weren't looking. Perhaps it found its way into your pocket without your notice. It might have even been next to your bed in the morning, if you happen to be a particularly non-suspicious sort who takes no offense to the idea of breaking and entering.

However you came about it, you have followed the note's request and arrived at the address. It appears to be a residence - one of the relatively newer constructions, made of wood and stone, with the ubiquitous crystals set into the more mundane materials as usual. If you arrive too early, the door is closed and locked; close enough, on the other hand, and while no one answers a knock, the latch opens easily.

Just inside the door in the entrance hall, a cheerfully lettered sign proclaims, in Mistembran, "This Way", with an arrow pointing to one of the two nearest doors, the one opposite the stairs.

The indicated room, then, is only dimly lit by the glowing crystals set at regular into the walls - enough light to give the place a somewhat cozy feel, despite its many shadowy corners, particularly due to the small but cheerful flames flickering in the fireplace. There are a number of places to sit arranged in a loose half-circle in front of the fire, although all but the sofa seem to be dining chairs, likely brought in to provide enough seating for, it appears, six people.

The walls, what can be made out of them at least, seem to be sparsely decorated with some indistinct paintings, along with a few large bookcases filled with books.

OOC: And BEGIN! Write up your arrival to the room or your establishing shot of being in it, however you like - and of course feel free to talk to each other or whatnot.

[skysailor]

Sabriel hasn't fully gotten a grasp on time, or at least how it works here, hours counted in steady rhythm, never shortened or lengthened to match seasons and planelinks. The innkeeper tells him that 7, at this time of year, is just around when the tavern crowd is starting to peak and the street-sellers have opened their stands.

He doesn't think to knock - it's something he always forgets. The door opens for him anyway. He gazes about the place, taking in aspects of the construction style - newer than the inn, and why are they doing that with the woodwork, does it help anything? And the crystals, those aren't a bad idea. The Forest doesn't have them, but the glow reminds him of chandelly mushrooms. There are patches of their walls that could be made to grow those.

The fire is pleasant. Reminds him of home. He calls out. If there's a clock on the mantel, he checks the time.

He'd love to turn into a cat and curl up in front of the cozy fire, but his magic hasn't flowed quite right since he left the Forest for the Associate Plane. If he turns into a cat now, he won't be able to take on a new form again later. So he curls himself up by the cozy fire, all lanky human shape except for his claws and hair-feathers, and waits.

[corvabird]

OOC: Here goes nothing ...

Zalian smiles their biggest, friendliest smile at the person looking at their small display of potions laid out on their cloak on the floor. It is a smile unfortunately full of very large, very sharp teeth. 'Only a boxcoin a piece,' they say encouragingly. 'Freshly brewed this month in the long tradition of Dragon's Deep witchery!'

The voidkin nods, then blanches when they see Zalian's smile, and scurry away.

Zalian sighs, their tufted ears drooping. 'That's the third one today,' they mutter. They know they don't have the most attractive set-up at the market, having only pitched up here with a cloak and a pack full of potions, but they really do make mostly very okay potions and they can't afford another night at that ratty inn.

They strike an imposing figure, though they don't know it. Six feet tall and then some, and fat as well, they are broad enough that people move out of their way. Their wings, a little wider than their arm-span when spread, only make them bulkier. Their thick, saurian tail lashes the ground impatiently, the feathers sweeping up a cloud of dust.

Their features are humanoid but a touch feline, with a small cat-like nose and glowing yellow eyes. Their hands are thick and clawed, and odd feathers dot their pale purple skin and clump in their hair, which has clearly made brushing it difficult as it is pulled into an unruly plait. Their feet call to mind a predator; heavy, saurian feet and a more bestial stance, thick claws on each toe. Wrapped in rags because they couldn't afford a cobbler for their mutation.

But it's their smile that most gets to people. It is the smile of something that eats people. Unfortunately, it is in the face of someone who is one more night in the city away from crying.

They pack up their potions, slotting each one carefully into the holster in their pack, shake the dust of their cloak, and decide to try to contact their sister one last time. It's been a nightmare trying to get through to Niezza ... Zalian knew they were a very important mage now, but they hadn't thought the Verdegris Spire would dismiss her family without even passing along a message.

Unless Niezza *had* received a message and had simply ignored it. That was a depressing thought ...

No, they were being silly. Niezza wouldn't do that.

They wrap their cloak carefully around their shoulders, hoist their pack, and pat down the pockets of their threadbare travelling robes. Were they forgetting anything? Keys, coins, paper ...

Paper?

They pull it from their pocket. A note in unfamiliar hand-writing requesting their presence. But how had it ... ?

'Oh!' They gasp. 'Of course!' Niezza works for the Spire. It has been magicked into their pocket! In their excitement they flap their wings, accidentally slapping a centaur in the chest. An astralkin with a fish fin-head swears and ducks for cover.

'Sorry!' They wave sheepishly to the astralkin. 'Won't happen again!'

They take off at a brisk stride, bubbling with excitement. Finally, *finally* they would see Niezza!

And when they arrive, the house certainly looks fancy enough for a Spire mage. They go to knock on the door, but it opens without their touch. Oooh, very nice ... very atmospheric! They hurry inside. They are too excited to be intimidated by embedded crystals in the walls or to question the sign pointing the way.

But when they burst into the room, grinning like a tiger, it is not to find their sister with her delicate starlight wings, but a stranger, curled up in front of the hearth for all the world like an oversized housecat.

The door cracks against the wall. Zalian freezes. Then immediately backs out, their hands up in apology. 'Shit shit, sorry, wrong house, I --'

OOC: Hair-feather buddies! Also I'm really sorry it was so long. I won't post that long in future, I just wanted to establish character and I'm not used to forums anymore! D:

TL:DR you only need the last 3 paragraphs really!

[skysailor]

The door cracks against the wall. Zalian freezes. Then immediately backs out, their hands up in apology. 'Shit shit, sorry, wrong house, I --'

Sabriel wakes all at once, hair-feathers fluffing in instinctive defense. A bird is apologizing to him. Had he been singing any territory calls in his sleep? This isn't his territory.

Fangs. Predator? No, predators don't apologize, at least not to anything they plan to eat. Or, well, some do, but those never look like predators. Those are the ones that look like prey and aren't. This one looks like a predator and is apologizing, and is therefore probably safe.

"What house were you looking for?" Sabriel asks.

[zatnosk]

OOC: Somewhere else in the city

Mina is in the back end of a bookshop skimming through a book in the shadows of the rows of bookshelves between them and the window. Closing the book and putting it on top of a small stack, they carefully navigate between the bookshelves without scratching or toppling anything with their large antlers. The antlers and broad shoulders doesn't make it easy, but at least the dim light through murky windows is more than enough to give them clear vision of the maze of a bookshop they've found themselves in.

After paying for the latest bookhaul, they place their shoulderbag on the counter in an effort to find space for the books in it. And as they do, they find a strange little piece of paper falling out of it. Quickly reading it, they ask the bookseller what time it is, before hurrying out of the bookshop into the evening light. They turn the corner of the street in a jog, and their shape suddenly changes as the antlers, fur and broad chest disappear and a young woman only marked feykin by her pointy ears continue towards the address written on the note.

OOC: Back in the room in the suspicious building

If Zalian was about to answer Sabriels question, it is immediately interrupted by a feykin appearing, slightly out of breath, in the doorway behind them.

"A missing house? I didn't know buildings could disappear like that," the young woman in the flowery skirt barges in, having only heard the last question, but not the previous context. "Is that why I received this mysterious note? Wait, was that supposed to be secret? Did one of you write that note, and when did you slip it into my bag?"

Mina stops long enough to catch her breath before continuing, "Sorry, manners, I got to remember my manners. My name is Mina, and I'm delighted to meet you."

Mina finally finished her entrance speech and - standing in the middle of the doorway, very much in the way of anyone wishing to go in or out - looks expectantly at the two feathered people in front of her, as if expecting them to introduce themselves.

[Wysteria]

Let us say, for the sake of argument, that there is a tree outside the house, on this pleasant midautumn evening. Let us say, for the sake of argument, that there is what may appear to some to be a bush, and to others be an ordinary tree-like feykin lurking beneath the tree. Let us say, for the sake of argument, that someone beneath that tree has been considering whether or not to attempt the house, which she may have received a note of invitation to visit.

Let us say that she was standing anxiously, nay thornily, and that her posture has now loosened and her nervously crossed arms have turned into an amused saunter into the house following Mina.

She does not say that manners would involve knowing how to use doors. She doesn't say anything, yet, but if these are the people she's meeting, she'll go in and see what's going on. They seem like fun.

[corvabird]

Zalian blinks at the feykin in front of them. Which house? What kind of question is that for someone who barges into your home while you sleep?

They are spluttering and searching for an answer when a pointy-eared person comes in behind them. 'Gah!' They spin on the spot and their tail thumps into a dresser. They put their hand on their chest, muttering an apology, while the woman introduces herself.

A tree appears behind the woman -- wait, not a tree. A feykin. The most tree-like feykin they've yet met. She doesn't say anything so Zalian steps aside to let her into the room and circle of conversation. This is ... turning out to be quite the strange day.

As Mina the feykin mentions a mysterious note, Zalian snaps back to attention.

'Wait, you got one too?' They take the note from their pocket and hold it up for her and the others to see. 'I'm ... starting to think this isn't the wrong house.' They pause. 'Although maybe I'm the wrong person?'

That was probably a strange thing to say. They meant 'maybe I wasn't supposed to get this note' but the words came out all wrong. Their tail lashes again, the feathers sweeping across the floor.

Where the hell is Niezza? They are feeling it is less and less likely that she was behind the note, but they cannot imagine who else in this strange city would issue them with an invitation.