Garreg Mach Monastery

In the distance, a howl can be heard.

It's a strange, unsettling noise — especially given that things had been entirely peaceful at the monastery up until now, fireflies aside. Even the wildlife in the area is unsettled by this turn of events. If one were to step outside Garreg Mach's walls, they'd find signs of a demonic beast in the area, though it wouldn't immediately be in sight.

However, further out in the woods lurks a massive wolf-like creature. One person alone wouldn't be able to take this thing down, but two people shouldn't have much of a problem, depending. The creature won't go down without a fight though, so be careful! Once it's defeated, the monster collapses, crumbling into dust within minutes and leaving nothing behind.

At least the efforts to clean up the monastery have been going in full force. The infirmary is clean enough and resources have been gathered there, so anyone who's injured can at least go and patch themselves up, probably. Though getting yourself healed is probably more ideal.

The monster's presence in the woods has had a ripple effect on everything around the monastery itself, of course. The horses are unsettled at this development, and the fish don't appear to be biting nearly as much because of this. There's other things to do around the facility, of course. The greenhouse is fully functional at this point after all, and with a small supply of seeds in a box in the building to boot. Or, if you're concerned, the walls could always stand to be fortified more just in case.

But hey, at least the sauna appears to be completely functional at this point.

[ notes for this go-around:
- Anyone who wants to can run into a demonic beast. There's only one out there at any given time and characters will never see evidence of more than one, but it's entirely possible for two different people to fight a monster at the same time. Take that as you will.
- Please run your own monster fights if you wish! I won't be running them myself. Otherwise, you can handwave it and play out the aftermath or what have you. Whatever's most fun for you! Ideally, characters work together to take the monster down.
- yes, you can die to the monster if you really want them to, your character will just respawn in the monastery where they woke up that morning fully recovered.
- for those who do not want to deal with the monsters: the monastery is eerie, giving your character an uneasy feeling. It's perfectly safe inside though, but the animals aren't taking to the outside threat too kindly. ]

A mist settles in over the monastery.

Is it morning? Night? Who can say? Today, the day feels endless. The sun is nowhere to be seen — or had it been at all? Instead, a curious green glow engulfs Garreg Mach, like an eternal twilight settling in. Time seems to be paused almost, though the wildlife in and around the area continues to act as though nothing is wrong. As though this is perfectly normal. As though it is natural for the skies to be dark, with not a single star in sight, and for the sun to be forgotten in the mist that lingers. The paths are at least lit by small orbs of light, fireflies flitting about.

However, should one come into contact with one of those fireflies, a memory of the past will be projected for all in the close vicinity to see. Joyous occasions, tragic events — they don't seem to discern one way or another. Perhaps it would be best to watch your step for now, though.

Of course, after lingering for about a day, the strange ambience will fade into what appears to be a normal night at Garreg Mach. It's as if nothing had happened at all. Did it? Or was it all simply a shared hallucination?

[ ● MEMSHARE POST. Coming into contact with the fireflies will share a memory of your character's with those around them. You can top-level with a memory to start out or have people tag you and determine it then, whatever. I don't make the rules (except I do and I say yolo). Have fun with it!
● Open posts like this one are flipping to a two week schedule instead of a weekly one.
● Because of the above, the last bit is there for people who'd maybe like to play out aftermath threads later on but don't want to wait for a new post or make a new one.
● Settings have been slightly updated. ]

[ It's been a few days since the first arrivals trickled in to this iteration of the monastery, and there's been some improvement to the area, at least.

Which is fortunate, really, because the clouds have finally decided to open up and let out a torrential downpour.

The grass out in the courtyard almost immediately becomes saturated with water, squishing beneath people's feet as they step through it. Drainage in the monastery is a real problem in some parts, particularly near the marketplace area. Slowly, as time passes, pools begin to form, though some of the remaining debris serves as a decent buffer between the water and whatever crates merchants may have left behind. It may be a good idea to salvage some of that, though it's not likely to be ruined thanks to said debris. In general, it's likely a rude awakening for any new arrivals.

Of course, some would say that rainy days are the best when it comes to fishing; some would even say they're right, given how the fish seem to be out in droves at the lake. If one didn't mind potentially getting soaked, they could bring in a real haul during this rainstorm. The dining hall is not nearly as well stocked as it had been in its heyday, so this could potentially be beneficial for the community.

For some, it's likely best to stay inside and find shelter from the rain. Thankfully, most of the monastery roofing seems to be intact, save for a few sizeable holes in the cathedral. Still, that doesn't mean there isn't a leak here and there, so watch your step, particularly in the dining hall and the second floor of the dormitories as well. It might not be a bad idea to put a few buckets out to catch all that water . . . ]


[[ MORE HOUSEKEEPING, hey what's up guys:

• please PM this journal if there are more setting changes you'd like to be noted! i.e. if your character did some sprucing up in the greenhouse, just let me know and I will update the setting page accordingly.
• as noted on the "mod" plurk, I'll try putting up open posts roughly once a week going forward. it'll depend on how things are going, no big. ]]