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.

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.

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

Unnamed

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."

Zilgesmi

TBA

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.