mango š stay your pretty eyes on course
November 22nd, 2022 10:49:07pm
2,926 Posts |
Be sure to read the previous chapters for more information on prizes and how the Quest works!
Sign-Ups
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
The night is thrashing with the storm of all storms. Fierce, screaming winds tear at the usually placid waters of Loch Assynt. Frothing waves crash against the shoreline with the aggression of a raging sea. Thunder shatters through the air, so close and so loud itās as if it takes on a physical form. The lightning cracks into the moor, flashing brighter than the noonday sun and washing all color from the valley.Ā
But though nature rampages, thereās no sign of life beyond the walls of Cairnhart Castle. No lights dance through the heather, no mournful wails twist through the wind. The spirits are hiding.
And Harrow hunts.
A few hours earlierā¦
Nearly every living soul is gathered in the drawing room, summoned at the behest of Detective Malcolm MacLeod. There is tension in the air, almost as though everyone senses a shift in the tale.
The quiet man is standing at the window, watching the clouds gather over the mountains. They are thick, bruised and heavy with impending fury. The coming storm would be a fierce one.
Movement is stifled, but even the slightest fidget ceases when Malcolm turns to look at those assembled. He takes a steadying breath.
āYou know that something has been stalking these halls,ā he begins, voice soft. āA monster that has claimed precious lives.ā
A frown pulls across his face.
āWhat you perhaps might not have known is that this monster acts at the behest of someone in this castle.ā
The drawing room is suspended in a collective breath.
Detective MacLeod closes his eyes, mouth caught in a grimace.
āYou may not believe me, but I ask that you trust in my skill as a detective and know that I have searched every path and come to the same conclusion.ā His eyes flash open and he looks around the room, catching each and every eye. There is a strength and conviction in his gaze that was not there before. The strength, the determination that lurked beneath his shy and quiet demeanor is finally showing through.
āIāve called you here because I will need your help to bring this murderer to justice. It may take all of us to subdue themā
The detectiveās hands clench.
āAfter all, he was not named the Archmage for nothing.ā
Shock barely has a chance to arc through those gathered before there is a genteel knock on the drawing room door.Ā
Eidolus takes barely a step into the room before Malcolm makes a sharp gesture with his hands. Gusts of wind slam the door closed, and the shutters clatter against the windows. In a breath, the room falls dark, illuminated only with the faint light of a small chandelier.
The Archmage stands still, face closed as he regards the man standing across from him. Something in Eidolusā eyes changes as he senses the hostility emanating not only from the detective, but from many of those gathered behind him. He does not move, but regards Malcolm carefully.
āYour reign of terror is over, Archmage Buchanan,ā Detective MacLeod states firmly.
Eidolus simply blinks, shifting his gaze from Malcolm to the other mages in the room. He sees a mixture of disbelief, anger, grief, and determination. Perhaps they believed him guilty all along, or perhaps they had lived too long with the fear of the hunted. Perhaps they simply wanted justice to prevail, and were willing to follow the detectiveās lead. Perhaps, perhaps, perhapsā¦
He sighs quietly.
The room begins to grow cold. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the air begins to crystallize with each breath. Goosebumps wash over bare arms, and chills run down stiff spines.Ā
A boom of thunder-
And the room is suddenly full of light.
Bouncing lights, glowing figures, luminous specters. A host of spirits has appeared, crowding the room, standing between the mages and Eidolus Buchanan.
His face grim, he turns his attention solely onto Malcolm MacLeod. His eyes are dark, cold, and angry.
āI see it now,ā he says quietly. āYou will do what you must. But so will I.ā
Malcolm grimaces, pouring strength into his spell and buffeting the doors with wind in an effort to keep the archmage trapped. But Eidolus simply flicks a hand, and the door crashes open, shoved wide under the many ghostly hands of the spirits.
āThe truth will be known, Malcolm,ā Eidolus states, turning to leave. āAre you prepared?ā
Before the detective or any of the mages can throw out another spell, the archmage vanishes into a swirl of shadow just beyond the door. With a cacophanous wail, the host of spirits gather and charge from the drawing room, scattering down the halls and up the stairs. Doors rattle, windows shake, the thud of too many feet clatter across the ceilings and upper floors.
And outside, the storm breaks. 
Welcome back to the 2022 edition of my Epic Quest -Ā Darkwater!Ā
Be sure to read theĀ rulebook!
Hereās how the Epic Quest works: I will host an activity each month that plays into the story being told. Youāll earn small prizes for each activity you complete - like points, HPD, or cash shop items. Youāll also earnĀ XP points, and the player with the most XP points at the end of the year - December 2022 - will win theĀ grand prize:
1.Ā A fully coded tabbed layout from me featuring a graphic themed after this yearās quest and
2. Matching animal CSS and
3. A 1-year upgrade
TheĀ runner-upĀ will receive:
1. AĀ custom coding slot for simple layout (scrolls or expandables) and
2. A 6-month upgrade
Participate in the Epic Quest activityĀ every month of the year, and youāll earn a special prize:
1. An official HP achievement and
2. A store pair with 100k points
If you haven't joined yet but would like to, check out theĀ sign-up threadĀ to create your mage! You must have a mage created before you can participate in the activities.
If you have any questions about the quest, prizes, or how it works, donāt hesitate to message me!
Detective MacLeod has named Archmage Eidolus as the master of Harrow and the murderer lurking in Cairnhart Castle. But before he could be captured, Eidolus Buchanan escapes with the aid of innumerable spirits, contracts he has collected over his lifetime as the dead return to walk the moor.
Now, though the archmage has gone missing, his spirits lurk in the castle, almost as though waiting to be found. And to those who have ears to hear, they have important things to sayā¦
WATCH FOR THE SPIRITSSpirits will randomly appear throughout HP this week! You must keep an eye out for them, and keep track of the secrets they have to tell. Whenever you spy a spirit lurking online, or in the chat rooms or forums, take a screenshot and message it to me!
Be sure to note down the information the spirits may share. Perhaps there is more to this story yetā¦
PRIZES:
Each spirit sighting - 2 XP
Collecting all secrets - 10 XP
Participation: 10k points on an animal
You have until 11:59 pm HP time on Tuesday, November 29th to message me with a spirit sighting!
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š~Broken Vow~āļø
