wilderlogs | THE LAST HOMELY HOUSE ※ RIVENDELL ※ LOG 2

THE LAST HOMELY HOUSE
OOC POST
The group is told to take a week of rest in the Last Homely House as the injured and sick among them heal. The Elves promise them that at the end of that week, there will be a great Council, with representatives of several peoples in attendance.

Until then, they can wander the peaceful halls of Rivendell, which are filled with travelers from all over the Wilderlands who are making a rest stop while they travel through the lands of Middle-Earth.

The most notable part of Rivendell is the Hall of Fire, a great feast hall where people can eat, drink, and be merry. This is the great social hall of Rivendell, where the Elves and their visitors share news of lands far beyond, tell stories, or perform music. The music here almost sounds divine, especially when the Elves sing and play, but they're just as eager to hear songs from other lands, so if any of the squad decide to share, they'll be glad to listen.

Some of the hall's guests are a touch more lively than the others, like a party of dwarves staying at Rivendell. Their stories are a mite more adventurous and if you get in their good graces, they might be willing to share some of the beer they brought with them. Listening to their stories or their talk about their craftmanship is a way to get into their good graces.

The Elves love learning, so there are libraries the group is allowed to browse, though they mostly only contain tales of Middle-Earth (for now), though the Elves seem to be collecting what books about other lands they can. These libraries often have viewing stations with telescopes pointing at the sky. The Elves have been almost delighted by the changing skies, enjoying the challenge of trying to understand how the sky has been knitting itself together with the addition of new worlds.

There are also beautiful balconies here, overlooking the gorge and the waters below, and terraced gardens filled with flowers, bushes, and flowering trees. Their rooms are open to the outdoors and have beds that seem grown into the shape of bed-frames instead of carved. The bathrooms actually have running water. The Elves have figured out how to direct the clean running waters of the gorge in primitive indoor plumbing. Water for hot baths has to be heated first in brass cauldrons over coal braziers before getting dumped into the bath.

It's time for the squad to rest, eat, and regroup. If a great Council is going to be called involving them, it might be a good idea to make sure they go into it as a united front, lest decisions about their fate be made for them.

NOTES
✦ Joint log: Since this camp period won't be particularly long, everything will take place in a joint log. Players can post starters with prompts for others and tag into other players' prompts.

✦ Post in actionspam format. Plots and mod-run events in the game are meant to be in actionspam format to keep a brisk pace.

✦ Cursed Weapons/Powers: So they know about how they'll be treated: those with cursed weapons and dark powers will be tolerated by the Elves after entry. While they'll get the same general treatment, the Elves around them may at times seem uncomfortable. Those with cursed weapons will only be distrusted a little, as the weapons themselves will seem more suspicious than their bearers. Those with dark powers or some kind of dark nature (such as being a vampire, Necromancer mage, werewolf, etc.) will be treated with the greatest distrust.

✦ Fairy Swaps: The Elves may be slightly alarmed by the Brugh fairy swaps but get over it easily. However, if the character swapped in is one of the "dark" characters, the swap might be extra cause for alarm. (A potential prompt idea).

✦ Npcing: There will be two npc threads. The "Random Encounters" thread is for characters to have a totally random encounter with an npc. These npcs will be fellow travelers from lands beyond. While they can't give much information about the group's status as Chosen Ones (that will happen during the Council) they can provide info about events in the Wilderlands beyond that may come to affect the squad in their travels. The "Specific Requests" thread will be for more specific issues your character might want to discuss with the Elves. While they'll push any Chosen Ones discussion off to the Council, they're willing to discuss issues with the characters, like if they have questions about having received magic, about being bound to their weapons, etc. The Rivendell Elves have heard a lot of gossip from all over and can potentially provide info based on things they've heard.

✦ Clothes: The group will not yet be fully equipped for their travels (that will happen upon leaving) but everyone will at least be given new clothes since theirs are dirty and sometimes torn. Characters without appropriate travel footwear will also be given light and sturdy boots that will somehow be in their size without their size being asked. They'll also be given basic toiletries like scissors that can be used to cut hair and beards. There are no razors, however, because the Elves don't need to shave so they don't keep them on hand.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's a beautiful day in Rivendell. The sweet smell of flowers on the air, the birds are singing.

And there's a man drenched in so much blood it's almost hard to tell what color he was wearing before that making his way out of the woods and looking around like he has no idea where to go.

Boy, that escalated quickly! ]

[It's probably a good thing that Rei's seen plenty of things like this--blood-drenched people, that is.

That doesn't stop her from looking startled as all hell when she rounds a corner to see the man. Her eyes widen and she makes a confused noise, looking around too as if she might find a reason for his appearance in the immediate area.]

Are you-- Okay? [Was it his own blood, or someone else's? Which would be the worse answer?]

[ For half a second, his hand moves towards his sword, but he catches himself quickly, because surprise does not mean threat and she isn't giving him any vibes of the latter.

Whether he's then looking more sheepish about the fact that he looks like he just walked out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the fact that he nearly drew on her is...anyone's guess. ]

I am fine.

[ Almost as an afterthought - ]

It's not - all mine.

[ Never mind that most of it probably is. ]

[Rei stares at Saitou a moment with an almost skeptical sort of look. An expression that seems to say, 'that's what you're going with?' Her gaze flickers briefly to his sword out of concern and she deliberately shows her hands as she crosses her arms over her chest to show she's got no weapons with which to threaten him with anyhow.]

That's... reassuring. [Her tone is rather deadpan though and she looks around briefly.] We should probably get you to the baths before someone else sees you and panics. And spare clothes...

[oh, wait. She blinks and tilts her head] ...You're probably very confused, aren't you.

[ He tried, and therefore no one can criticize him. ]

I must admit to some disorientation, yes.

[ He can't quite bring himself to be any more blunt about what the fuck is my life, but the feeling is there. ]

Did you go through the whole feeling like you were falling, hearing the whispers... [She makes an 'etc' hand motion.]

Because unfortunately it's all quite real. I suppose that's the first hurdle to get over accepting.

...

[ It is a rather formidable hurdle, to be fair. ]

I'd assumed that my sanity was simply fraying at the edges.

[ he says, as if going crazy is a normal and expected thing?? Because it kind of is, although he expects that if he snaps it'll be a lot less green and a lot more red. ]

[Rei waits patiently for him to collect his thoughts, though her finger taps against her arm from where she's crossed them over her chest in a clear sign of mild impatience.]

If you're crazy, then so are the couple dozen people who've found themselves here too. I suppose it's not unlikely, but mass-insanity seems the least plausible answer.

In the absence of an explanation that seems realistic, I suppose I have little choice but to accept the one that seems absurd.

[ Well, the absurd one that at least has someone here vouching for it, as opposed to whatever other absurd thing he could try to come up with on his own, anyway. ]

What happens now?

From what I've gathered, everyone is moving as a group across this land to save it or at least figure out more. Supposedly if you try to stray too far from the group, you end up transported back so running away is useless.

[She shrugs and shakes her head, expression briefly irritated, but resigned.]

But I'd suggest bathing and changing first, lest our hosts take offense to you dripping blood all over their clean floors.

[ ...ah, right.

He's a mess.

All things considered, his current state of cleanliness is pretty low down his priority list, but giving offense to others is hardly up there, either. ]

Of course.

[She gestures for him to follow her then]

If I ask why you're covered in blood, are you going to tell me?

I was brought here from a battlefield.

[ It is an explanation, albeit an unspecific one! ]

THE LAST HOMELY HOUSE ※ RIVENDELL ※ LOG 2

this totally happens before the council despite the lateness.

slides in here

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