Caligos Isle/storyline 2019

Introduction

Interrupted in their daily playtime, the children at the docks stopped to observe one of the locals add another poster to the side of the pier, already generously covered in similar notices: a vacant-eyed portrait with the boldly written word, "MISSING," across the top, and smaller words, "Last seen...," added to the bottom. Turning to address the wide-eyed children, the woman said, "You must stay in pairs... It's the only way to be safe."

As she turned away, the children made faces at her and giggled, and as she turned the corner, they began to argue with each other. "No, I want to be the bad guy!" said one; "Nope! You got to play him the last time! It's my turn!" yelled another. They resumed their play with a chorus of laughter.

From around the corner, the woman stifled a tear and looked for another place to hang her missing person poster.

Will you help solve the mysteries going on at Caligos?

Posters

Fluttering upon the ground, posters were everywhere on the island.

Aereda

a curled creamy white poster Curled at the edges from humidity, the creamy white poster has a hasty sketch of a human woman's face on it. Long hair, woven with tiny braids and adorned with seashells, frame her face, and bright eyes gaze about with curiosity. Beneath the picture, in bold calligraphy, are the words, "MISSING." More text is written below. Beloved Aereda Wavecrester
Missing since the 4th day of Leyann, 5119

Casophin

a partially sun-faded poster

A narrow-faced blond Vaalorian man seems to stare at you with piercing blue eyes and an indifferent expression on his lips. The right side of the poster's paint has faded with time, as if only one side had been exposed to sunlight. At the bottom of the poster, in large print, is the word "MISSING."

Casophin

Missing since Charlatos the 12th, 5119

Last seen wandering the tidepools

Esquelette

a leaf-edged light brown poster

Curled at the edges from humidity, the creamy white poster is roughly sketched with the image of a human man's face. His hair is receding but neatly kept, while glasses perch on the end of his pointy nose. The skin on his thin face shows some sign of sunburn, which someone has highlighted by adding red to his cheeks. Prominently displayed in the image is a satchel that he wears slung over his shoulder. "MISSING." More text is written below."

Esquelette the Botanist Missing since on the 3rd of Phoenatos, 5119. Last seen heading into the wilds beyond Junder's Peak.

Irithiel

a cracked and dried-out poster

Cracked around the edges from exposure to the sea-salted waters, the inked details of a svelte dark skinned woman with platinum hair and piercing green eyes canvas the center of this parchment. Above the sketch in large italic letters the words MISSING. A familiar name lies beneath the portrait in the same bold lettering. IRITHIEL There seems to be some smaller print below her name.

Irithiel Missing since the 30th day of Imaerasta, 5119. Last seen near the docks outside the Damsel of the Deep.

Jovee

Bright white parchment is used as the foundation of this poster, which displays only a small amount of environmentally induced decay at its edges. Dark pigments create the drawn image of a young man with a ready smile. Above the sketch in large italic letters are the words MISSING. A familiar name lies beneath the portrait in the same bold lettering. Jovee. There seems to be some smaller print below her name.

Jovee Missing since Charlatos 13th, 5119. Last seen on the docks.

Laemont

a moldy cardstock poster

Based on sturdy official cardstock, a detailed illustration displays the bust of a half-elf male in his prime with tilted jade green eyes and raggedly cut, tousled strawberry blonde hair with a black streak running through it. The dark ink used for the illustration perseveres without a run and matches the ink of the large bold block lettering reads, "MISSING", above and beneath the image. Smaller print continues below.

Laemont Missing since the 4th day of Phoenatos, 5119. Last seen pacing around The High Plateau.

Laerlynn

a curled damp ivory poster
Damp ivory paper curls at torn edges, yet the contents of this poster remain clearly framed. Written in large script, the word "MISSING" trails across the top while along the bottom "Laerlynn" is haphazardly scrawled. In the center is a detailed ink sketch featuring a short woman with delicate bone structure, gracefully-arced pointy ears, and waist-length hair. Cramped writing below the woman's name offers more details. Read: Last seen at the tavern on Phoenatos 15, 5119.

Langa

a red-framed pale white poster

This red-framed pale white poster is almost pristine. Across the top of the page, in large, flowing script is a single word: $QMISSING!$Q In the center of the poster, a woman with a loose bun of red hair, wearing a red jacket and pants, stands on the beach smoking a pipe. Next to her is a bucket of lobsters. Below the image further details are written by a calligraphic hand in black ink.

Last seen on the 28th day of Imaerasta carrying a bucket of lobsters along the pier.

Malackeye

a salt-stained crisp blue poster
Crisp at the edges from dried salt, the dark blue poster has a careful representation of a sylvankind man's face on it. Smooth skinned with bright blue eyes, the man has short straight green hair pulled back and held in place by diver goggles. Beneath the picture, in faint scrawl, are the words, "MISSING." More text is written below.

Malackeye Bluejacket Missing since Eoantis 16th. Last seen near Junder s Peak.

Maudie

A stark white poster painted with deft strokes shows the outline of an elderly human woman with her grey hair tied up in a messy knot. Multiple cats appear to be milling around her feet. Beneath the picture in neat lettering reads "MISSING." There appears to be something written on it. read poster In the common language it reads: Maudie Missing since Eoantos 15th Last seen outside the Wrong Turn Tavern

Mylezabeth

a water-stained poster

With curling edges, the stained paper is still mostly legible. Across the top of the page, in large, scrawling script is a single word: "MISSING!" In the center of the poster, a woman wearing a white top and a colorful wrap-skirt stands on the beach with her back to the water. Below the image, while partially obscured by salt and water, further details are easily identifiable due to the vibrant blue ink.

Read: Mylezabeth Missing second Second of Imaerasta, 5119 Last seen on the beach, looking for shells.

Ruly

A rough sketch takes up the upper half of this large white parchment, the subject showing a youthful man with a curly mass of hair and a wide, toothy grin. His features are plain, though the artist had apparently first drawn his ears as rounded but then added tiny tips as if an afterthought. "MISSING" is scrawled below the portrait in large block letters, with smaller print just beneath. The parchment's edges are slightly worn and the corners have started to curl.

Ruly Missing since Cholen's Eve. Last seen near the Pawnshop.

Yixix

a roughly sketched poster

Riddled with grey-green mold stains, the bone white poster bears a crude charcoal sketch of a sickly-looking elven woman. A mass of straw-like hair has been scribbled haphazardly around her gaunt face and angular ears. Most notably, however, are the sharply pointed teeth that have been added between a pair of snarling lips. Beneath the seemingly vicious visage, in rough lettering, are the words, "APPROACH WITH CARE!"

Answers to the name Yixix. Missing since 23rd day of Phoenatos. Last seen on the Black Sands.

Zildywen

a grass-stained off-white poster

Grass stains decorate the edges of the dog-eared poster, which has the drawn image of a man's face. His shoulder-length hair is straight and his eyes are bright, if a bit wrinkled from exposure to the sun. Beneath the picture, in bold calligraphy, are the words, "MISSING." More text is written below.

Zildywen Fillia Missing since the 3rd of Koaratos, 5119. Last seen at Siren's Call.

Zilgesmi

a roughly sketched poster

Curled at the edges from humidity, the creamy white poster is roughly sketched with the image of a human man's face. His hair is receding but neatly kept, while glasses perch on the end of his pointy nose. The skin on his thin face shows some sign of sunburn, which someone has highlighted by adding red to his cheeks. Prominently displayed in the image is a satchel that he wears slung over his shoulder. "MISSING." More text is written below.

Zilgemsi Missing since the 8th of Lumnea, 5119. Last seen making deliveries on the eastern slope.

Prime Synopsis

Opening Night

Trelynne greeted visitors to the island with pleas for assistance to find the citizens that were missing. She explained that it had been going on for months and that her sister was among them. She grew concerned with her friend Kuornos didn't join her. He had promised after all, but she was outright distraught when she found Laemont and he was a ghost! Overcome with fear for her sister, she ran off to search everywhere she could think of.

Kuornos woke up from being kidnapped to find himself strapped to a torture rack! Khlast the half-krolvin was bent on torturing him until he converted to Ghezresh, but Kuornos wouldn't give in. Khlast began to cut parts of him off. The horror of it was so painful that even if Kuornos had wanted to convert, he couldn't because the pain caused him to blackout... but it was the loss of blood that out did him. Kuornos died. He came back, as a ghost, and shared certain things... His murderer was a woman. She had sallow skin. She wanted him to become better tied to the island. Kuornos ended up leading Rolfard to his body and was put to final rest. Recently dead, but first in final slumber.

Khlast was awkward, but clinical as Kuornos resisted. She was quite willing to hack pieces off of him, and did so, before accidentally letting him die. She was annoyed but resigned by this, and discarded his remains with no ceremony whatsoever. Afterwards she was surprised to find she had been watched the whole time. Warclaidh and Nehor had been watching, and offered some pointers for 'next time', and she invited them back for the following evening's 'hunt'.

Second Night

Trelynne came around to check on if anyone had been able to find the missing citizens. Imagine her surprise when they told her that most of those that were missing were dead. She was very upset and suggested that they double their efforts to try to find them.

Khlast took a new victim, a dwarf named Clunk, and tortured him for a time, with a larger audience than the previous night. Clunk resisted, and Khlast got a bit upset with him before killing him outright (in gruesome fashion). The onlookers (new and old) chided her for her methods and attempted to explain that a subtler hand was needed. Khlast grudgingly agreed and deflected questions about the origin of her cleaver by saying she'd 'found' it.

Third Night

Trelynne was found by a few players trying to get her posters hung up and they asked that she go with them. They had found her sister, who was at first in denial that she was a ghost. Trelynne couldn't believe it and when she started to cry, Wilfreda knew it must be true. They had some heartwarming discussion back and forth, with Wilfreda finally admitting that Trelynne was a good artist and that she wanted her to continue to do her art. Trelynne drew a cat on her sister's tombstone and Wilfreda went to final rest.

Khlast stalked and snagged a new victim, Razanetika, and did her best to implement the methods recommended by the onlookers. She attempted to beguile, but had not the skill for it, and eventually defaulted to cutting off pieces. To everyone's surprise (and slight outrage), this worked, and Razanetika accepted egg and seaweed, converting to Ghezresh. The Reaper was exultant when talking to the onlookers, but they convinced her she had merely gotten lucky. She grumbled a bit, but then cheered up as she informed them that she was going after "someone special" the next night. She invited them back to watch.

Fourth Night

Trelynne was in the graveyard painting a shark on her friend Kuornos's tombstone when several people came to her. Elphieya, Dhairn, Taloin, and Clunk all decided that she needed to be protected because they felt that Khlast was going to come for her. Turns out they were right. Khlast did come for her, but in the end was run off by the players. In her fury, Khlast found a new victim.

Keilipso was kidnapped by Khlast. Several (Player A), (Player B), and a few others were there. Keilipso was devastated to see Thrassus there, in the past he had offered to be her patron to get her out of Caligos. Hurt and betrayed, she struggled against the bindings as they try to coerce her into becoming a follower. As the spirit and fight was leaving her, Khlast freed Keilipso from the rack to accept the eel egg and eat it. Just then, Taloin pulled her free and rescued her from the trap.

The Reaper attempted to kidnap Trelynne, but the players banded together and protected her from harm. Frustrated, Khlast found another target, Keilisto, and invited the "bad guys" down into the torture room to show her 'how it's done'. (Player A) and (Player B) took turns psychologically breaking down Keilisto, while Khlast got more and more anxious. Then at the climactic moment... Taloin, a Ghezreshi follower who has decided he is a good guy deep down came RACING into the room, grabbed Keilisto, and took off with her, spiriting her away to safety! Khlast and the bad guys were gobsmacked, then started throwing accusations at each other before Khlast threw everyone out in a rage.

Fifth Night

Trelynne woke up to find that she was still being heavily guarded. Clunk, Cryheart, Elphieya, Taloin, Whisp, and a few others were with her consistently. They brought her to the boneyard so that she could paint the tombstones and then everyone chatted on theories of what was happening. There's a theory out there that Khlast is just the hand, but a much more sinister person is behind her. They then tried to find a pattern in the dates of the missing. In the end, Trelynne went back to the inn and a guard was posted outside her door.

Sixth Night

Trelynne came around for her nightly visit to those gathered helping Laerlynn to final rest. As they were gathered, many people were talking about Laemont and Taloin. All of a sudden, a cry went up that the Reaper had taken another victim. Upon finding Laemont, he shared with them that Taloin had been taken. It took some time, but they managed to build a ladder to get out of the charnel pit, bash down a stone wall, but not in time to save poor Taloin. Unfortunately, things only got worse from there for a bit. Creatures came out, accusations flew, Trelynne had to crawl through much and under remains! In the end, they ended up out in the open and Khlast kept attacking from the shadows. She was frenzied to get to Trelynne and started to make mistakes.

Eventually, she did and was killed by Taloin.

Platinum Synopsis

Opening Night

Khlast kidnapped Kuornos and tortured him while "Team Eel" as they became known, watched from the Overlook. There was the methodical removal of body parts and even a nursery rhyme of "This Little Piggy" from encouragement of the onlookers above. Kuornos eventually died and his body was disposed of with disappointment.

Second Night

Khlast kidnapped Graison. Torture continued and the crowd above insisted on symmetry, so for each piece cut off a second piece had to be cut off on the opposite side. This was try of any markings, cuttings, or carvings. Graison was vigilant and remained true to Lord Voln, dying on the rack.

Third Night

Khlast kidnapped Sahalee, a poor disfigured girl. She was weak-minded and submitted quite quickly. Her family tried to unconvert her through conversation and threats but Ghezresh would not give up so easily. He spun the family and friend's words into lies and made her distrust them even further.

Fourth Night

NA

Fifth Night

The warden was captured and tortured with... you guessed it, more symmetry requests. The good guys, meanwhile, were making their way through the water, up the ladder, through the stone barrier and... were all killed by the baddies that spewed out. After some clean up work, they returned and burst in on the Reaper. Reaper ended up falling to a ranger.

Trelynne was kidnapped and tortured. The crowd insisted on symmetry again, amongst other means of torture. A new convert, Sahalee, wanted to eat the flesh of Trelynne, so parts of her were created using /FOOD and given to her. Trelynne's remains were tossed outside the inn and returned as a ghost with a fair amount of knowledge on how to find the Reaper.

2019 Quest

The Ezreshi, Olienne, had people travel through a portal and help to build an obelisk to Ghezresh in Zul Logoth.

Omiko, the Wise Woman of the Fishing Village, was introduced and she implored people to help her build homes for the people that she had saved from the influence of Ghezresh.