quietplacelogs | INTRO LOG #1

INTRO LOG #1
Muzzle and Mute
Content Warnings: Disorientation, memory loss, confusion
Themes: Arrival, survival, exploration, horror

You wake, standing. A thick, muddy red dust coats your skin and clothes - it sticks to your tongue and blocks your vision. Inhale and it chokes you, exhale and your breath puffs out in front of your face in a transparent maroon cloud. It tastes of copper, tangy and harsh. Movement is difficult, every limb tingles and aches. Look to your left, your right. Evenly spaced in each direction stands another person indistinguishable in every way from the next. You're disoriented and lethargic, unable to grasp onto a single thought. A pinprick of light blooms ahead and grows steadily larger; a door has opened.

Hands grip your wrists, push at the small of your back and guide you out of the darkness into a room with four walls and a thin, sagging ceiling. The plaster is peeling, the air is musty, and the floor is slick. White plastic piping juts up from the center and curves into multiple spouts, clean water flowing in uneven streams. Those hands pull your clothes off and clear the dust from your body, redress you in handsewn jumpsuits. By the time they’re through, you will have begun to come back to yourself.

A finger is pressed to your lips. Kind eyes meet your own and a single word is whispered - hush.

Led out of the room in a line, you’re taken down a short hallway and into another, much larger room. There’s a woman waiting for you there, a child hugging her leg, and a cloth bag in her hands. She reaches in and pulls out a device, passes one to each of you. Once finished, she begins to move both hands in graceful gestures, a language. One of the people who helped you lifts their device and the screen lights up, tracks the woman’s hands. Letters appear on the screen and you understand the device’s purpose. She tells you what she knows and it’s not much.

This world is haunted. Noise attracts them, so it is not allowed. Communication is through body language, soundless writing, and the device. She tells you that your feet must be light and your mouth never used. There is a community outside these doors, where you can survive together, but only if you agree to one thing: complete and total silence. You'll have time to talk it over. You may ask one question and receive one answer.

Acceptance allows you to journey outside. The ground is marked in pathways of sand, lining the paths to each building and everywhere in-between. You notice that the locals hold their devices always, aloft and glance to it often. It will not vibrate or make a sound to signal a message. Notices appear. Rules. Guidelines. Feet on the sand and never anywhere else. To open a door you brush your fingers along the hinges - oiled and you may enter. If not, take the brush from the can sitting nearby and coat the metal with the dark liquid.

Now, you're to settle into your new home.

The Man in the Hat
Content Warnings: Heavy lifting, following the rules, alcoholism
Themes: Moving in, survival, exploration, horror

Once you’ve claimed a room for yourself, it’s time to acclimate to the community. Natives will ask what you need and take you along the sandpaths to different areas in the city to gather supplies - furniture and the like. Heavier items will require assistance and will take longer. Houses are mostly empty so if you and your housemates need something, you’ll have to carry it and put it inside the home. Do not make any noise or the natives will refuse to help you. Getting to know your housemates is key to a smooth transition. They are going through what you are right now; take the time to get to know them. Make house rules.

As the first day gives way to night, the natives can be seen moving at a faster pace outside. They’re hurried, though not frightened. Some even smile at you. When the sun sets behind the ruins of what was once picturesque Reims, your device will signal that it’s time to meet at the center of the community. There, natives will stop each person and give them a small gift - a trinket, a token to show that they are trying their best to make all the new arrivals feel at home. These are all items from the character’s home or from another character's home (they will not be anything that belongs to anyone else). Small, soundless and either something taken during the application process or something brand new. They will have no powers to speak of and are meant to be a momento. If asked, the natives found them the same way they found each of you.

Then the party starts. Sort of. A soundless, stitled kind of celebration. Fun is meant to be had, but it’s not an overly joyous occasion. The natives simply don’t know how to cut loose. There will be extra food in the form of one and two; Phillipa even brought some of her homemade bread. If you stumble across a man wearing a hat, the only man in town who does, and agree to go with him when he offers to show you his house - he’ll gift you with a jar of hooch; it’ll burn on the way down.

Sound Eaters
Content Warnings: Threat, danger
Themes: Survival, exploration, horror, game plot

It’s the second day of your stay, and the natives call for an emergency meeting at the Town Hall. Everyone is paired off (see below) and are asked to walk the perimeter looking for anything out of place and patching any areas that might have been affected by weather. Once finished, the same is done on the inside, and when the community leader is satisfied, the main hall is opened up so that everyone can congregate. Characters, during this time only, are allowed to make sound. This is so that the natives can explain why silence is so necessary...

The Sound Eaters.

In an effort not to frighten everyone, the natives won’t go into the history just yet, but they will warn that when someone makes a sound, it attracts them. They don’t know what they look like because they are so fast. If you’re too loud, then in the blink of an eye, you’ll go through a room reset. This is because either the natives ‘silenced’ you or the Sound Eaters have. They will explain that the room came at the same time the Sound Eaters did and that it doesn’t work for the natives. Sometimes, it doesn’t work on new arrivals. Death, for those born in this world, is permanent. If you attract them, you’ll get someone killed. Hence the need for no noise. During the meeting, the natives will tell each character of their own experiences. Their losses. The families they have left and how they’d do anything to keep them alive. They don’t know if you’ll be reset, but is that a risk you’re willing to take? The meeting will last a few hours and will end on a somber, ominous note - at the end of the month, they are taking everyone to meet them.

OOC
From your mods:

Please be mindful of content - if something triggery comes up or if it goes up a rating to say, something sexy, mark your threads in the subject line. We're very flexible and allow any material; we just want our players to be respectful of each other. If you have questions, pp the mod account, use the faq or comment to the appropriate post below. Have fun!

NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sometimes you just need a little bit of hope. If he seems to help people hopefully he be able to do the same things here. Reclaiming your kingdom? Are you in a war?

Yes, although most would consider that war over at this point.

[NOT HIM HE IS A PROUD LUCIAN.]

The Niflheim Empire has achieved world domination where I come from.

That would mean a side won and adjusting might not be for some. Depending on the situation.

[ He tilts his head a bit. ]

What kingdom are you from? And how bad is this Niflheim Empire?

The Kingdom of Lucis. Niflheim is ruled by a despot who has diverted his entire country's resources to war to the detriment of his people, fielding armies of artificial soldiers made from daemons. He wishes to emulate an empire from ancient times.

He managed to gain control of our kingdom by slaying our king during the signing a peace treaty where we would have given him nearly all of our land.

All of this sounds like a bunch of trouble. Peace treaties shouldn't have a situation such as that happen. Why did you decide to sign a peace treaty? And was it a surprise attack? I would imagine that would only bring more war. What are these daemons he uses? He doesn't sound to be a good leader from your story.

Before the fall to your king, what did the Kingdom of Lucis offer to it's people?

It was not my decision to make. I believe it was to protect what remained of our country and our people, as we couldn't hope to defeat the enemy in battle. The attack was completely unexpected, at least from my point of view. I believe the king expected it to happen, as he had decided to send us away at the time of the signing.

Our country is the most technologically advanced in the world, and the king uses his magic to protect the people from outside forces.

[Or, at least, that's how it is in the capital.]

If it was the King's choice, he made a tough one knowing that the war would be lost. A truce, treaty, is the best way to go about it. Maybe he grew suspicious of something. He made the right choice in the end if he thought everyone would have died.

Do you provide your technology outside of your kingdom at all? What magic?

[ He don't know anything about magic. He's slowly learning that everyone he encounters does it differently though. ]

We try, but the spread is slow.

[At the very least, cell service is thankfully available throughout the world. The number of people using cellphones, however...]

The royal family of our country is blessed with magic. One of things they're able to do is create a barrier that keeps daemons and enemies out. It is the main reason we were able to hold out against the militarily superior Niflheim Army and their manufactured infantry.

At least you're trying. You didn't have to do it at all. It shows that your kingdom is willing to grow in a better way.

[ They could have been greedy, kept the technology to themselves. They wouldn't necessarily grow but they would grow in a different way. But by spreading it out, it meant growing trust on the outside. It could work for their kingdom. ]

That's a very helpful type of magic to have. A barrier to keep out threats. I'm sure there's a weakness to go along with it. You can only resist a threat for so long after all.

[The magic of the Lucis Caelum line is not without its consequences, in particular, the creation and maintaining of the Wall that keeps Insomnia safe. However, Ignis isn't exactly comfortable with sharing it. After all, there's a member of the royal family right here in this place with him. The only surviving member. Noctis' safety is his prioirty and even if Poe seems friendly enough, he can't exactly go around spreading information that could bring his prince harm.]

Wars of attrition favor the side laying siege the more time passes. Magic can only do so much against an enemy that can field a near limitless supply of disposable soldiers.

[ Ignis can tell Poe anything he wants or keep certain information away. Either way, the conversation is appreciated. He can forget that they are in some creepy quiet town. Even if they are conversing in silence. Ignis is doing his job anyway at keeping his prince safe and Poe would understand that. ]

They kept the war going in hopes to dwindle down the shield and your resources I'm sure. Let's keep looking for a way out of this town after this party or at least find more answers.

[ He understands all about that trap feeling with nothing else to do but have hope. ]

[Maybe, as time goes on, Ignis will be willing to share more with Poe. About the specific drawbacks of the magic of the royal family and his fears of their effects on someone he deeply cares about not only as his prince, but as his friend. But that day isn't today.]

Undoubtedly. I'm happy to share whatever I find with you.

[ They finally get to a house where the man in the hat lives. Poe lifts his eyebrows at being lead to an actual house. Not too long after jars get handed out to them. Poe can only assume it's alcohol of some kind. He takes the offered gift from the man knowing better than to refuse something as this. He wondered what it tasted like since he's learning the foods and drinks of the planet. Poe gives a nod of thanks to the man in the hat before looking to Ignis waiting to see if he wanted to travel back together or alone. ]

[Once they receive their jars of..."hooch," Ignis opens the lid and gives it an experimental sniff. It definitely smells like alcohol of some kind to him. And not the professionally made kind. It's not weak, as of expected of homemade liquor. He recaps the jar and looks up to Poe, wondering whether he wants to leave or stay to enjoy the drinks right then and there.]

[ He looks at Ignis while typing on the device with the jar in the other. Poe's a bit slower with being one handed but he doesn't seem frustrated by it. The other man had been good company and maybe it wouldn't be bad to linger a bit before returning to the quiet eery party. ]

Want to try out the drink together before going back? Or are you going to be on your own after all this?

I wouldn't mind sharing a drink with you.

[Poe has been, after all, quite the conversationalist. As conversational as one can be over text, of course.]

INTRO LOG #1

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