STAND ASIDE, HANDLE MINE, ADD THE CHEDDAR.

[agogemod]

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? The eclipse and surrounding events.
WHEN? Lead up to and resulting eclipse shenanigans.
ANYTHING ELSE? Please warn for anything besides physical violence and move to a personal journal if it's beyond PG-13.

nah—gut, skin, and eat the chef;

before he eats the rest

READ THE JHASHCH INFOPAGE.

THE CLOSING CEREMONY

The arenas close with another ostentatious celebration designed by the Great Houses, and with an air of regret even amidst the applause. COST and the Regency are again expected to attend, still given positions of honor, and particularly ardent fans may toss trinkets of favor and affection onto the stage. So pick up a couple bedazzled flowers on your way out...or get seriously hassled, if you never dedicated your victory proper. Whoops.

After that, however, the regret quickly transforms into fervor of a different sort. It's the holiday season and the following week is filled with enthusiastic preparation. The lucky among you might even spot Araneans from outside Ythaway, bringing in goods at the behest of nobles.

Unlike alien visitors who enter the Inner Rings by terminal, Jhashchan natives use eleven gated checkpoints spaced around the Third Ring; with the terminal, the spacing is almost like a clock. COST recruits are summarily warned to keep their distance; while these Araneans are commoners and would be sentenced to a quick death for even challenging a diplomat, that doesn't mean they're guaranteed to play by the rules.

Some of you just look way too tasty for that.


A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS

The day after the closing ceremony, recruits receive a bulletin.

@SCOUT | @ALL

expect a briefing at 0900
it'll be executed through the bce, so find a private location
while the declared victories favor the queen, we can't expect the regency or princess chch to accept this outcome
the eclipse will provide them perfect opportunity

stay sharp
keep track of each other

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE

The solar eclipse marks the beginning and end of the Jhashchan year, with Araneans speaking excitedly—or, in the case of the more religious, reverently—of its upcoming eve. This year is particularly special; it's an incredibly rare total eclipse when viewed from the eyes of Ymir, where the sun will only be visible as a halo around Cre. The last one was centuries ago, before High Queen Thsh ascended the throne in her mother's stead.

Recruits may find themselves accosted by Araneans eager to hear about eclipses from Earth; the old planet is famous for them, with a moon and sun perfectly distanced to create the halo effect. This, among a few other phenomenon, made it a popular tourist attraction.

Its rarity on Jhashch, however, means that the feast this year is an especially grandiose affair.

» ECLIPSE'S EVE

The Royal Family holds yet another banquet. They extend invitations a week beforehand to anybody who is somebody, esteemed diplomats included, and anticipate your RSVP. Rather than sending a daughter from a Great House, however, recruits each receive a formal letter, handwritten by one of the High Queen's many daughters.

The feast itself is one of gluttonous abandon; again hosted at the royal ballroom, it features a brand new chandelier wrought from processed Ymir (in consideration for their visitors' health). And it's remarkably unlike anything recruits have seen while on Jhashch. The Araneans still have certain social expectations, but there's something wild and near frenzied to their mannerisms on this day. Consider it a lack of poise, almost feral.

The spread of food is as varied as it is gratuitous, primarily meat from every corner of the Thshan Empire and then some. Spiders drink and devour all they're offered and expect their guests to do the same, though their scrutiny is perhaps a little impaired this eve; the wine is plentiful and strong, with toasts made to Queen Thsh.

She made an excellent showing in the arenas, with over half of the victories dedicated in her name. Her daughter earned no small amount of favor, carrying over a third of them, but it's apparent in the High Queen's bold, haughty pride (her declarations of seeking out those who were too foolish to pass their conquests where they're due) and Princess Chch's pensive silence—though she's always quick to spare a smile, genial and gentle, to any recruit who looks her way—that she finds it less than ideal.

Nonetheless, the revelry carries on well into the night.

» THE ECLIPSE

The day of the eclipse is an event unto itself. Food and drink is still plentiful, as the Araneans prepare to venture out into the wilds of Jhashch. It's almost a pilgrimage of sorts, with several members of House Jankeh arriving at COST's quarters. They're young daughters of the house, just beginning to brush over two meters tall, and they flash sharp teeth before they titter behind their hands in the presence of recruits.

They're here to equip you with suits that will allow you to step outside Ythaway's protected halls, so hopefully you didn't think you'd avoid venturing into Jhashch's red landscape. You're instructed to take your assigned visors, distributed by Young upon your arrival, and use them to protect your eyes from the sun's unforgiving glare.

And you have an audience, whether you want one or not, so it might be a good idea to stick together as the Araneans size your suits on the spot. It turns out it's one size fits all, but the tech is a little finicky and House Jankeh's daughters are here to make sure everything is set up properly. So while they probably aren't going to eat you...better safe than sorry.

Taking off the suits while outside Ythaway is ill-advised, if occasionally necessary when eating or drinking or if, y'know, you need to pee. While the effects of Ymir aren't as strong as inside the caverns, the average human will notice it's much harder to breathe in the thin atmosphere and likely experience effects similar to altitude sickness. Prolonged exposure, especially when coupled with Ymir poisoning, can easily kill a human in under two hours.

All recruits are permitted to carry weapons into the field. For those of you who came unarmed, House Khah provides basic melee weapons of your choice. They're all high quality make, but lack any of the fancy accessories found in House Jankeh's goods. A sword is just a sword.

But you'll need it, to survive a landscape rife with overgrown invertebrates all keen for a meal.

You're sent into the wilds with only a pack for food and sleeping gear; the visors come with maps installed. Recruits also have the option of riding skrit chri, but it's on your shoulders to obtain and transport anything else. It's a long trek to get clear of the cavern walls and it's expected everyone stay in the Jhashchan wilds overnight. Go prepared; the gates to Ythaway won't reopen until tomorrow.

The Araneans—nobles and commoners alike—scatter through the twin valleys, eager to claim the best vantage points and idle away their wait with hunting. The Royal Family takes the center of Ythaway's valley for themselves, with extravagant awnings to protect against the sun. They remain in full regalia, with an entourage of Aranean servants to cater to their needs. It's more practical than bringing out human servants, after all.

The eclipse itself is only a couple hours, with the period of totality lasting mere moments. Don't waste this once in a lifetime opportunity.

» ECLIPSE'S MORROW

However, as soon as the eclipse ends, the Araneans seem to almost...slow. The frenetic wildness that possessed so many of them dissipates, replaced by torpor. Many of them turn in for the day on the spot; while they may keep to daylight hours in Ythaway, protected from the sun, they favor the damp and dark by nature.

It is, as Young put it, a perfect opportunity.

But it isn't the Regency who makes the first move.


CHAOS THEORY

In the lull of the eclipse, the first target is none other than the High Queen herself. A male Aranean throws himself upon her as she stretches luxuriously in the shade, his mandibles clicking and a blade drawn. The edges shine with venom and it's only the Queen's hardy exoskeleton that sends it skittering askew.

General Shai is upon him in seconds and General Aythy turns on the other servants, already set to swarm them, as their mother skewers the Aranean with one long leg. The Royal Family dwarfs the servants in size, but they make up for it in numbers. And it's in this moment that it's obvious this isn't the Regency or Princess Chch's doing; while the princess is a skilled actor, she's taken just as off-guard as her mother. She doesn't recover enough to even stab the queen in the back before the flashbangs detonate.

When the eyespots clear, a cry goes up.

The Twin Generals Shai and Aythy have vanished.


WHILE YOU WERE AWAY

While the bulk of Araneans are overwrought at the thought of their missing Generals, it quickly becomes clear they aren't the only absent royal blood. Queen Thsh and Princess Chch are accounted for, but Prince Shch is nowhere to be found. Rumors immediately begin circulating; the Prince had a few victories dedicated in his name, so perhaps his mother wasn't pleased by what he did with them (what did he do with them? no one can seem to agree). But what better chance to dispose of him, so he can no longer conspire with his sister.

Fishier still is the absence of several elder daughters of House Khah. The Great Matron and her heir are present, but only they remain of important rank.

Meanwhile, COST has some of their own to locate. But even before the recruits on Jhashch can return to Ythaway, they receive a terse bulletin.

@SCOUT | @ALL

the commander is down
do not report back to our quarters; they've been compromised
blend in where you can and focus on your tasks for now

if you need gear, i've salvaged what i can
wait a few hours to meet me in the servant corridors
i'll set my location to public so you can find me

If you want to return to the comparative safety of Ythaway, you'll have to fight your way back against rogue Araneans and the Regency alike. Because far be it from the Regency not to capitalize on the situation, once they find their feet. Now might be a good time to call in any favors you earned in the arenas, provided you trust the Araneans enough to honor them. Or if you're confident in your ability to sweet talk them into not selling you out.

For anyone who does return to the villa, they'll find it a smoking husk, abandoned save for the Regency and Araneans seeking their favor. And they make it no secret they're hunting COST.

But, in the next breath, some of you are hunting them.

READ THE JHASHCH INFOPAGE.

NAV. NETWORK LOGS OOC MEMES PLURK

Comments

Dorian Pavus | OTA

[excelsus]

· eclipse eve

[It's not that Dorian was a suspicious person, you'd think he'd be less cautious in surroundings that suited his talents, but you'd be wrong. He never really trusted any sort of gathering that involved royals and nobility most especially when surrounded by creatures that wanted to eat you. He trusted the atmosphere even less with the change in the Araneans behavior, more gluttonous and feral were hardly appealing to Dorian who was worried about being a snack at any moment. That would explain why he kept his back to the wall scanning the floor with a great deal of scrutiny, glass of wine in one hand, fire dancing over and between the fingers of the other like a rolling a coin across the knuckles.

Every now and then he would pause, his eyes falling on John, he was absolutely not languishing over the loss of his companion to his crowd of admirers. He was making sure no one tried anything peculiar while John had his fun, and while he wasn't languishing he was certainly distracted enough to miss anyone approaching him while his eyes are fixed on John. For someone so concerned about the current attitude of their hosts he's quick to start at an unexpected approach. How unbecoming.]

Apologies, I didn't hear you approaching, you should probably announce yourself or, as an alternative suggestion, you could wear bells. That would make you difficult to miss. Unless you're going for unobtrusive, then you might have a problem.

· the eclipse

[Dorian is no stranger to long walks through dangerous wilds and so he's fully prepared, food, gear, some wine, his staff, and extra change in clothing, toiletries...granted he's not used to being quick about his grooming, eating, or anything else...but he wasn't going to be caught unaware in this rugged landscape or any rugged landscape. He especially wasn't going to be caught unaware after pissing on a rock, and that was just one thing he could bemoan about.

There was also the suit, one couldn't expect quality from one size fits all, but he tried to dress comfortably underneath and silk did make the suit move smoother in some places--other than that it wasn't much help. Dorian also loathed leaving all of his possessions behind, but he took precautions, keeping the most important things hidden under the floor and secured with a barrier. What could be said, he really liked his clothing, his armor, and his ill-gotten gains.

After their exodus to their viewing spot Dorian picked a reasonably secure location, laid out some glyphs to protect himself and anyone sharing his chosen space (careful where you step fire and ice glyphs ain't no joke), set out his sleeping gear, food, books (he was hardly interested in the eclipse), and wine...wine is the keystone to any good viewing ceremony. After such a long journey and all of the preparations he's earned a good sit down and rest.]

I'm expecting something spectacular of this eclipse--a large pot of chocolate or battle fairies, if there are no battle fairies I'd say the whole trip was wasted.

· the aftermath

[Do not return to your quarters they say, compromised they say? Well Dorian left quite a bit of his goods guarded in his quarters and he's not about to leave them there...especially given how protective he is of what he considers his in the first place. There's armor under that rubble and good silk, and equally important is the wine he worked so hard with John to get. So against all of the warnings he makes his way back to where his room should be, not interested in playing, especially given his last encounter with the Regency should he run into anyone on his way.

Dorian doesn't hesitate to resort to fadestep to move quickly but also to rip through those in his path if they get in his path and he's less interested in drawn out confrontations than quickly settling things if he must. While not a violent man by nature, he's had his full of being caught off guard and he's been tricked once by the Regency, something that can't be allowed to happen again. Regardless of the circumstances he does make it back to his room and with the aid of magic he's able to clear aside the majority of the mess and even rebuild the place somewhat. If he was going to fight then he wanted to wear his own armor, stubborn ass that he is.]

Can't say that any of this surprises me really [he gives the wreckage another glance before making a derisive noise and ripping up the flooring for his belongings] looks like Minrathous after Satinalia.

eclipse eve!

[withimagination]

[Eames has a similar idea, keeping himself mostly to the walls and watching and all players in this game. His movements are swift and smooth as he wanders through the crowd, looking over everyone he passes with a curiosity that's never dampened, even with the amount of alcohol in his system. He's not drunk, but tipsy enough to be a little uninhibited.

His eyes go to John for a moment, and he smirks, hoping John rolls in the cash with this, but then he feels another pair nearby. He finds Dorian's eyes on John, and he remembers them walking in together. Easy. Natural. Not entirely sure of his name but certain this may be what John's been hiding, he makes his way through the crowd to him, pausing when he startles him.

He smirks.] I suppose then I could tell people I'd be there with bells on all the time. Can't doubt the enthusiasm of a man wearing bells.

[He holds out a hand to shake.] My name's Eames. I'm helping John with the pipes' advertising.

[excelsus]

[Dorian's recovery time is pretty quick for a man caught so off his guard, engrossed in another human being like that, it's not something he'd willingly expose to anyone else, but his affections for John have been...somewhat consuming. Even Dorian has to acknowledge his little weaknesses bearing themselves to the light as both delightful and emetic.

He can hardly stand himself and he's thoroughly enjoying it, even through the fractures where the ache and the weakness make him feel a foreign kind of vulnerability. Something he can mask with a few adjustments in his posture and expression--wreathed in smiles, wearing it like a suit of armor to keep the focus outward. It works for him.]

Though one could always doubt your sanity, not that it's a bad thing, I like doubt. [He's a realist, of course he likes doubt.

For a dumb moment Dorian regards the outstretched hand trying to compartmentalize social graces and he's half compelled to kiss the offered hand rather than shake it, but the instinct is put down faster than an alienage rebellion in Orlais. Not that it's a bad hand, not at all, it's intriguing enough...but he often gets carried away with his own customs.

Making a fist to smother the flame in his hand before offering it up he shakes Eames's hand with all of the grace of a rooster strutting around in socks. It's passable, but unnatural.] He's mentioned you, not at great length which is curious and that begs the question: which end of the business are you affixed to? John makes the pipes you do the hawking?

[withimagination]

[Eames smiles in amusement, like he has a secret, because he really feels like he's just caught on to one. Dorian already has Eames' stamp of approval from the first comment alone. The light handshake is forgiven; it's obviously not what he usually does.]

I'm in charge of strutting around with the pipe. I have a bit of a following that John's capitalizing on. [He grins at that thought, how easily they'd decided on doing that, then settles into a small smile, letting his eyes slide over to John.] Couldn't help but notice your admiration. Don't get me wrong, though. See that man over there?

[He points to Arthur, a lean, dark-haired man currently sipping on a drink across the room.] That's my date. Took me forever to tell him. I wasted so much time on worrying that I didn't deserve him.

[He glances back at Dorian, hoping he catches his drift.]

[excelsus]

Profiting off of your reputation would be a clever move on his part and lucrative for both of you given how these pipes seem to be taking off.

[Can we talk about the pipes a bit more? Dorian doesn't want to seem transparent, but apparently the calf eyes he's been sending John's way have developed a life of their own beyond his ability to control it. Embarrassing really, not that his affections for John were inconvenient for him, but his increasing inability to mask it well enough was somewhat problematic.]

How do you know that's what I'm admiring and not the perfectly coiffed hair that took me ages to skunk into a style we could both live with? Preparing John for his adoring public does take work, my work, it's something everyone should be in awe of really. [Have you seen John try to get himself ready Eames?

Dorian can see a drift when it's floating by him, whether or not he'll actually catch it is entirely different, but it's clear that he's a purposely obtuse kind of man.]

Not bad. [A compliment about Eames' date clearly, understated, but respectful.] Well as long as we're giving advice then you don't mind tipping your hand. What did you tell him?

[withimagination]

Yes, you're right. John's a clever fellow.

[Eames likes his avoidance tactics. They're clever and amusing, but they won't deter him. He's never quite seen John happy, and maybe Dorian is happiness for him. It's worth meddling in, in any case. Anything for his friend.]

It does look very nicely styled, [he gives him as a peace offering, smiling. He's not impatient with Dorian not 'catching' his drift. He can see he's not a fool, just maybe a little frightened. It can either be the fallout of a relationship, or a wonderful beginning. Some people won't take those odds.

He laughs a little.] Too much, honestly. But, I think, the best thing is to just get it all out. Told him I was mad about him, what I appreciate about him. And I knew he would argue on some points, so I argued a few sentences of how we could be together despite these points.

[He smirks at him.] Also a little humor wasn't amiss.

[excelsus]

[Dorian couldn't help himself, even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop his face from making a face. The kind of face you pull in a room full of wet dogs, it was all grand this confess your feelings thing, wasn't it? Confession is good for the soul, just like sea air is good for the soul...unless you're prone to seasickness then you just spend all of your time bent over the rail vomiting on all of the fish.

Lovely thought that.] And you think that something similar would be useful in my case, if my case happened to resemble yours?

[Dorian's not saying anything, he's not confessing to anything, he's just playing out this hypothetical] I mean you are gleaning quite a bit from a look after all.

[withimagination]

I am, aren't I? [Eames grins, a bit delighted with Dorian's candor.]

If your case resembled mine, then yes, I do think that would be useful.

[He pauses, before adding:] John is a good man. And you seem delightful. [Said completely straight. He thinks Dorian's wonderful.] I'll admit to my nosiness, but I just want to see John happier. Truly happy. I wish you happiness too, my friend, whatever you decide.

[A pause where he remembers himself.] Should you have feelings for him, I mean.

aftermath

[horsepowered]

[Chiron has stayed at the edges of the ruined home, his greatest concern being that there might be other explosive devices embedded within, waiting for someone to come over and set them off by accident. He knows very well that COST is now in a free-for-all, but that doesn't mean launch into action willy-nilly either.

When he sees a figure going through the wreck, Chiron moves himself carefully over the rubble. Being in horsemode (it was a quicker way to ferry people to safety in the chaos) means his approach isn't exactly subtle either.]

Was there a possibility of greater harm coming from digging about in the aftermath from such an event?