Draygans Hollow

Draygans Hollow
NOTICE!

The Burning Year is now being run by Ali(Meningitis), the below information is somewhat out of date, but still usable. You can check This Forum Post for current information! The Burning Year is still in progress and being actively roleplayed!

Dream Wide Storyline

Any OOC information listed below is to be kept OOC, please do not suggest villians for the storyline(through whispers, just talking about it is something else), if villians are needed, they will be asked for.
Please do not take liberties with the storyline material.
Times for play will not be decided before hand. This will be a constant, random thing. With abundant events to help make sure everyone gets involved. (I'm not going to schedule events, and probably won't be summoning everyone to specific areas or always emit when a certain event is happening to keep group gatherings to a moderate level). Events may be limited to small groups of players. But like I've said! They will be frequent, and there may be more than one type of event going on in the dream at the same time.

(For example: If Misty, Rid, Ignus, JW and Leo are witness to an event, such as the library burning down, it will be limited to those players. No other players will be allowed to step in unless it is decided that they should be allowed. This is to keep events at a manageable level and to keep last minute 'problem-solvers' from stepping in). Certain players may be chosen for certain events. To keep the storyline moving smoothly.

Forum Thread

Please keep me up to date on how your character is involved in the forum thread, read the thread for more information: The Burning Year Thread

Plot

History is repeating itself. Literally. Unusual events are unfolding in Draygans Hollow. There is something in the air, something off. Something the residents just haven't felt before. Or have they? Some twenty eight years ago, a fire ravaged the Hollow, records were lost, and the village was put to rest over night. Until new caretakers came to rebuild. Since then, the forest has grown in, and the events centered around that grim year nearly three decades ago are for the most part, forgotten. No records exist of the burning year. Save the well-known fact that at one time, around thirty years prior, Draygans Hollow burned, and it's former residents, all that ever lived there, left.

Storyline Head

Kaelin'yFiae
I will be introducing elements for game play through my character several of my characters, other players characters, and emits. (It does seem a little glory-hogging, but I don't intend to do any 'hogging' at all. My characters are my tools, and I need them to keep the storyline running smoothly).

IC Knowledge

Here I'll post what most villagers would already know (and shouldn't know) IC, and what they learn as time passes:
1. Around thirty years ago, Draygans Hollow burned down. Not other information about it is known. No current characters, or their ancestors have been living in the Hollow for that long. (With the exception of Kira, and possibly NPC Jake).
2. It is not known that Kira or Jake have been around that long.
3. There are, and always have been burn marks on one corner of the outter library. Usually overgrown by trees, they become obvious during the winter season.
4. The year the village burned down is traditionally known as 'The burning year'.
5. There are no records of the burning year, it is assumed that they burned themselves, or were never written.
6. Most records of the village history otherwise are kept in diaries of residents who previously lived there, and have either moved on or passed away.
7. Before the burning, the village had a mostly human population.
8. The village was later rebuilt by mostly non-human residents around four years after it burned down.
9. It's now common knowledge that something is obviously going wrong in the hollow. Some characters might suspect spiritual activity.
10. Items in some buildings are acting strangely. Such as, tea that's been sitting out may have changed to wine, milk, or even oil, chairs may have become brittle, objects may randomly pass through other objects and then solidify again. These effects are left up to the players to make-up and apply.

The emits posted below are from the beginning of the storyline and have not been udpated recently, but will give you a good idea of the kind of events that are taking place. Emits Pertaining to the Storyline that effect players. (Hint, read the bold summaries if you are doing a lot of catching up).

1. August 5th, 2007:
Through the otherwise serene overtone of the village, something tugged. A feeling, something most residents would notice. Faint at first, but a rising, uncomfortable sensation that seemed to be coming from no where. It stayed for a time, no longer than a few seconds, and then vanished. Sure, some wouldn't notice it, and for others it was a stronger pull. But it's cause? Unknown. At least two things could be agreed on, it didn't feel sentient, and it didn't feel good. Though the sensation itself was gone, it left in it's wake a sense of unease, for the people who cared enough to wonder. At least those who didn't think they'd imagined it. (Effect: A bad feeling that lasts for a few seconds and has no identifiable direction or source, whether or not your character feels it or how strongly it is felt is optional).
Forboding feeling that lacks a source or direction.

2. August 5th, 2007:
Villagers may complain of a strange smell throughout the day. It comes and goes. It's vague and mild at first, but noticable for anyone paying attention. It's a gray smell, something like old cigarettes, a faint burning smell that haunts some areas stronger than others. Most unsual, is that it is at the same level for everyone. Even the residents with the keenest noses are only going to sense it at the same level as the villagers with a 'normal' sense of smell. It will get stronger as evening sets in. (Effect: A old burning smell. This will happen daily. It will start mild around the afternoon, get stronger as it wears into evening, really strong at night, and then gradually fade out toward morning. Will effect everyone, unless they have a weak sense of smell or just don't notice).
Old cigarette smoke like smell that starts in the afternoon and will last until late night, every day.

3. August 7th, 2007:
It was the third day, old smell aside, things were normal. But even though the rain had stopped and the moisture in the air had lifted, the smell hadn't weakened. It was constant. And there were other things.. sometime through the night before and into the evening, the path almost seemed to have grown wider. As if the grass had been trampled back or resided on it's own accord. But it hadn't really become obvious until what remained was dry enough to stand straight. For the plant sensitive residents, it wouldn't have made much difference in the way of 'feeling', no strange feelings accompanied the change. If anyone bothered to ask, they'd all say the same thing, if a piece of grass could -be- that particular, 'we've grown like this for decades!'. (Effect: Grass seems to be receeding, but there are no signs of decay. By morning of August 8th the grass will have receeded to nothing but mud on all sides of the path. The path will be wide and muddy, but nothing will appear wrong with the plant life).
Smell continues, grass receeds from the sides of the dirt path by a few inches, will be a solid foot away from the path on all sides by next morning. No signs of decay.

4. August 7th 2007:
All was quiet, for a time. And then it hit, a second forceful tug, more defined than it's predecessor. It embodied itself in a metaphysical YANK, nausea inducing for some, but considerably less for others. It was shorter, but no less potent. When it went, the nausea faded with it, but it didn't just dissipate, it almost seemed to rewind. In fact, everything appeared to suddenly jump back. Bird calls resounded backwards, and while the breeze moved forward the sound of blowing moved in the opposite direction. Older buildings creaked for no apparent reason. It wasn't deja-vu, it was a real, as if sound had decided to step back a few paces... And then things resumed their normal pace, casually rolling along as if nothing had happened. (Effect: Nothing physically happens to the hollow, but the feeling occurs, and then sounds (natural) rewind, like a tape winding backwards. The only other unusual sound are the older buildings creaking. Characters who were in or just outside buildings at the time would have felt the nausea strongest, the further away from a building, the weaker it gets).
Second feeling, stronger than before and accompanied by nausea for characters closest to buildings. Both fade after seconds. Natural sounds 'rewind' when feeling fades, buildings creak. Smell continues.

Sub-event:
During a gathering outside the infirmary, a third 'feeling' happens that only effects the three characters there (Misty, Nemo, and Kira), it is a painful pull that mimics a strong migraine, and vanishes quickly.

August 8th, 2007:
A distant sound crept across the village, it was a horse whinny, and it sounded distressed. Though not by much, it might've even been common-place had the sound not immediately gone backwards. Another playback, an eerie noise that didn't -appear- to be coming from any of the horses at the stables. Though you wouldn't know it unless you could see the stable. The animals were unsettled, lifting their heads and flickering their ears to and fro. (Effect: A horse whinny that rewinds itself as soon as it happens (none of the horses at the stables make it) though it does appear to be coming from that direction.)

August 8th, 2007:
The other horses whickered off an on in reply, those sounds were real and appropriately distant the further away from the stables. But then the off-whinny came again. It lasted longer before it played back. Even at the stables, it appeared to lack a source, even slightly distant. Then there was the tug, considerably -less- than the other handful of times. It didn't hurt, there wasn't any nausea, it was just a sudden, nearly gentle pull to one side. But the side was different between different people. (Effect: Real horse whinnies followed by a second false whinny that plays back, even in the stables the sound is distant. Another feeling occurs, but it is just a gentle 'pull' in any random direction.

August 8th, 2007: Additionally, the smell had changed some. Very recently, another aroma was starting to become gainingly more obvious. It was something strange, a sick smell, not like decay but something.. an element that accompanied decay. Almost bitter sweet.(Effect: Daily smell is now accompanied by a bitter-sweet undertone of something else)

Summary: In all, two horse whinnies have occured(and played back) that have unsettled the other horses. The smell has obtained an undertone of something bittersweet that will stay with it).

Sub-event:
A boy stumbles out of the infirmary, covered in bandages and having difficulty breathing. He interacts with the other characters present (Omoikane, Nemo, Esker, Riley and Fidelis Anssi) before being dragged by an invisible force back into the infirmary. Will be gone if anyone looks in.

August 8th, 2007: A grinding sound, loud, almost booming. It cracked and pounded before the pull came again. Mildly painful this time, like a quick thump to the chest that made breathing temporarily difficult. The effect varied, to some it might not have even happened, but across the hollow, chaos broke lose. Every fire in every building exploded with life, licking the cieling and casting out into the area in front of it's hearth. Only shortly did it burn, nothing caught flame (fortunately) and the fires returned to a normal (but slightly wild looking) flicker.
In other places, some objects jerked, items that had no business moving fell directly -through- the tables they were sitting on. In the tailor's shop, the sewing wheel spun on it's own accord, cats in various places ducked for cover, dogs whimpered and moved aside, at the bakery, the service window popped shut and locked itself. At the stables, gates flew open. Seemingly mundane things changed, pens that otherwise wrote in black were suddenly writing in yellow. The hollow, for just a flicker of a moment, lacked any sort of reality. Natural laws were broken, thrown aside as complete chaos ensued. (Effect: Flames in the hollow burst out of their hearth's before pulling back in and resuming their normal behavior. Objects around the village (not all, but some) seem to change properties at random. Such as objects temporarily losing their solidity. See below for more details.)

State of village as of August 8, 2007:
Grass has receeded from paths by at least one foot on all sides, leaving the path nothing but a wide lane of dirt and rocks.
Fires in all buildings 'explode' leaping out of the hearth briefly before pulling back in.
OOC explaination for other events: It was magical backlash, it doesn't appear to have a source, but it changes the properties and behavior of some objects. (Such as pen ink turning a different color, objects passing through tables, etc). This is OOC information, although well-informed magical characters may guess what it is. (Semi-informed characters will have heard of it, but may not be able to identify it).
According to this continuity (But not set in stone) it's basically what happens when someone or something seriously screws something over on a ethereal level. (Disrupts the natural ether flow) There are other causes, but that is the only well-known one.

August 24th, 2007:
Thunder rumbled. The rain had yet to let up, already under threat of flooding, the village was nothing short of a mudhole, and the paths were difficult to navigate. It was another town, the buildings stayed the same, but the flora and lush greenery that the hollow was known for appeared to have shyed back over the previous week. Gradually thinning. It was still there, but noticably less. The settlement was beginning to lose it's luster. With another roll of thunder the canopy grew quiet, and all waited in silence for the storm to come. It's signs were obvious.
As evening progressed into night, the sky darkened significantly. And the storm's fury became difficult to ignore. It boomed and rumbled, cracking loudly. And in short time the ground was littered with large puddles. It was hard to believe the mud had enough consistancy to hold a puddle at all.

The wind picked up, and the air seemed full of natural energy. The kind that only heavy weather brings. In the distance, trees close enough together and small enough to be pushed by the force clattered. The older ones waved stiffly and defiantly.
A heavy thunderstorm, the village is muddy and the plants seem to have thinned even more. Leaving the path very wide and nothing but dirt and rock.

August 24th, 2007:
As the storm rolled on, and despite general unheavel of the natural world outside, everything seemed normal. As it had for most of the week. The buildings, creaking and moaning aside, were probably leaking in every vulnerable spot. And a few new ones. But in the coming minutes.. peculiar things began to happen.
The rain continued in it's normal course, but inside the buildings, toward a far corner of the library, throughout the stables, the infirmary, the tavern, and to some extent in every building, a curious thing happened. The rain came through the cieling. Not wet! It had lost it's solidity. It wasn't rain anymore, it was an apparition of itself. Pattering against the floor and yet nothing got wet. (Effect: In the stables, infirmary and tavern, the entire inner building appears to have sheets of rain falling in it (but they aren't solid, nothing gets wet, the water doesn't collect). In the library it starts in one corner and gradually spreads. Outside, the rain falls normally. The effect appears harmless.
Rain begins to fall inside the buildings. But it is not solid. The rain doesn't make anything wet or collect anywhere. It just appears to be falling inside the infirmary, stables, tavern and library.