Vitas has gathered the KingsGuard! Which is to say: both he and his brother Roger are here. The insubstantial ghostly contingent comprising the remainder might not be. As they're mere ghosts, it's hard to blame them. Vitas and Roger brought wine and tea and snacks! Cheeses and freshly - baked flatbreads, even. In addition to comestibles, they've also brought Questions. Big, important questions! Not -quite- as big, say, as 'What is the meaning of Life?' admittedly. But still pretty big. "What the heck happened?" and "What do we do next? are prominent among them. Also prominent are their KingsGuard uniforms, shining with spit-polish perfection (they put in the effort!) and a number of drawings and maps and diagrams. And also a note. (These aren't for eating.) But everything that -is- for eating has been arrayed on picnic tables, set up in the vestibule foyer. Vitas stands in the doorway to greet folks. Roger stands at the picnic table to nom munchies.

Dirk wL

Dirk walks in and says "Hi Roger." from a safe distance.

A tall man with foppish brown locks for hair and a frock coat leading into equally dark boots and leggings wanders in. A little nod to Vitas, and a wink to Dirk.

Danielle enters the church, looking about for signs of oddity. of course what pases for nornal these days is an open question, but she gives a nod to dirk vitas and mortimer who she's met and roger whom she has not

Kyrie has been meaning to get back to the Church, but she keeps getting sidetracked by other things. Finally she makes her way there though, and looks curious as to what's going on. There are nods to the familiar faces, of course.

Mortimer smiles to Danielle, "I got almost a full bar delivered to me!" he blurts out as she comes in, then adding softly, "In that kitchen place, then I got lost running in circles through some corridors that felt like they were there, then not there."

Dirk walks over to Mortimer. "How are you doung?"

Danielle looks to Vitas "Before i launch into my concerns regarding recent observations, was there something you wanted to bring up?

Vitas waves to folks as they enter and replenishes foodstuffs as such need may arise. There's freshly - brewed mint tea, and small baked goods, some dried fruits set out, and an assortment of cheeses. Vitas has even managed to scrounge up a passable flagon of Bayles', from the basement of well, he's-not-saying. In response to Danielle, Vitas nods. Indeed there is! Vitas looks suitably terrified by the idea of public speaking. But he confronts his fears, and overcomes them. That's why they pay the guards big bucks right?

Vitas waits till it looks like everyone's here who might be coming, and then he launches into his big prepared speech: "Erm, hello." Vitas begins, with the mien of someone less accustomed to talking and more accustomed to being talked-to. Guardship will do that, one supposes. Vitas sallies onwards: "M' bruther an' I are the Kingsguard. Us and maybe Sir Tommy, I guess. And maybe we're actually QueensGuard, who knows, because the monarch has no face. But 'Royal Guard' for sure. Because the KingQueen 'n all are still ghosts, we'd been wondr'in what we ought t' be doin' now. Y'know, like jobs. Or missions. Or whatnot. Because bein' idle aighn't good for guardsfolk. We get to laziness and drinking." Vitas explains, looking down and to the right. And up and to the left. Anywhere but at Roger directly, come to think of it. Roger looks at the cheese he's got in one hand. And the wine he's got in the other. Roger does not look at Vitas. Not directly. Vitas doggedly continues: "So, anyway, I've tracked down some clues. As to what happened. But people know more. Hopef'lly anyway. But: Here's what -I- know!" Vitas finishes, waving to the assortment of scraps of paper assembled on the 'non-eating-stuff' table.

Kyrie settles in off to one side to listen, and to watch. For now, anyway. Her lips purse as she studies all the food, but she doesn't rush for it. Seems okay with leaving most to those that need it more. Her forehead wrinkles faintly here and there as Vitas speaks, but her questions apparently will wait.

Amy slips in quietly, finding Kyrie and moving to settle in there beside her. She offers a smile and a big wave to everyone, as she recognizes almost everyone. Even Roger.

Roger waves a big chunk of bread and a big cup of wine happily back in Amy's direction. Healer! Roger does seem to be grateful.

Vitas wonders: "Person'ly, I'd be keen to figger' out what happened to Tommy. I found his note on the top of the railing by th' Statue at the 'Tomb of the Unknown Guardsman.' So mebbe he was one of us. Or m'be he still -is- if he's out there sommwheres?" Vitas looks hopeful. "He said he was making his last stand right here." Vitas nods. "Anyone good at finding people?" Vitas looks around at folks gathered, polling.

Mortimer nods to Vitas, "When you say guards, this is something that you've remembered? Or have just declared of yourselves as the boredom of wandering about?" he looks interested, though also is a little aloof to the question and appears to be upset over the lack of olives. "Is it everywhere that I can ask of the..." he waves his hand around, "of the fog and be delivered that which I have asked? Or just the kitchen place, over..." He waves his hand generally in a direction that he believes is to be the direction, "That-a-way?"
A little pause before he continues, listening to the rest of Vitas's words. "Does wandering around until I get lost, then trying to find my way back count as something helpful? Or at least wandering around until I run out of gin?"

Kyrie gives Amy a smile as she stops next to her, then looks again to those gathered. She does seem quite interested in the questions, and then in what answers might be offered. But so far, she has neither of her own.

Dirk is listening quietly.

Roger, also, be-mourns the lack-of-gin, and Roger gives Mort a quick look of sympathy.

Amy stays where she is for the moment, listening thoughtfully. Though at Mortimer's comment, she tilts her head a bit. "I don't think we've met, have we?" she asks him.

Danielle hms "Ok so Kynan and I have recently noticed that there are still some fairly substantial changes going on in the city that we didn't iniate at least not consciously. Whether this truly represents any escalation in our situation or we've just now noticed is unclear. however several weeks ago kynan and i pointed out spider symbols in various places in the lowers and as i helped with his search, we discovered one such that had been parially washed off by the rain " she points to an area on the map "Here" Only when we returned there was no wall nor any sign that there had ever been one. in it's place a worn down potter's shop. as far as i know the palace is the only place the ghost figuires are, but i could be mistaken

Dirk says "Does anything need to be killed?"

The knowing look from Roger is appreciated by Mortimer with a little smile before looking over to Dirk. "Just a stabby little fellow aren't ya?"

Vitas answers: "Well, we remember bein' Guards, y'sir. For sure. And we've got th' kit for it." Vitas is indeed dressed in the livery of the Kingsguard, replete with roundshield and gladius, Illyrian helm and sable cloak. His neatly trimmed gold locks cascade evenly down to his collar, and his kit is well squared - away and in good repair despite plentiful evidence that it's seen some hard usage. To Dirk, Vitas mentions: "As far as that goes, there's plenty of Spiders." Vitas points to the map where he'd gotten attacked by spiders last week. "Appears there's even a Spider Cult, if anyone knows anything more 'bout that?" Vitas looks around to see. "Like as not the cultists might be the ones scrib'in those spider symbols Danielle was talkin' bout. Though I aign't caught 'em at it, personally." Vitas admits. But maybe someone else has? Vitas looks around again.

Dirk says "I have been known to do a bit of the stabbity stabbing. I was an Arden Ranger. Hope that's not too big of an issue. " He gives Mortimer a smile.

((OOC note for those with the Notice Talent): There are sporadic, tiny *nom*-ing and scurrying noises coming from under the food table, as Rattie dashes about, hoovering up the tidbits of fallen cheese and crumbs of bread. Rattie approves of meetings, she does.)

Amy frowns a bit, and then she shrugs. "I don't - know much about that. We did manage to turn the water off for Filinia, but I haven't been by the fountain - does anyone know if she's gotten it fixed?" She looks at the map, curiously. "Tommy? You mean Sir Tommy Mercurius Cipriani? I found an old journal in the small bit of books upstairs in the palace. I can't quite call it a library. But - it seemed to belong to this Sir Tommy fellow, and he was fighting with the Fog."

Roger absent rubs at a spot on his arm when stabbing is mentioned. His expression is rueful, as if remembering pain, but it isn't hostile. Perhaps all's forgiven.

Danielle hms "my first experience with a spider was actually a vision i had some moths back of a large glowing spider in a web. had nothing really to connect it to to it at the time save it was a real nice metaphor for my feelings about being here, but when kynan found those symbols i did some askin around and people seem to believe a cult of the spider exists here, though details are scarce

Kyrie hms, at the mention of a library in the palace. Her head turns to look that way for a moment, considering. A trip is being planned, apparently. Then there's Danielle's mention of a vision, and she turns back towards them, and hmms. "I saw something like that, some time ago. A glowing spider and web."

((OOC note for those with the Combat Talent): Vitas does seem 'Combat Trained' from the way he stands and moves and the way he keeps vision of most of the room. Another tidbit that adds some credence to his having been an actual official Royal Guard and not 'nothing more than an upjumped cutthroat')

Mortimer appears to turn, pay deep attention to all as they speak, as if it is simply part of his nature to hold court and attempt to listen to what all have to say. A few nibbles from the table are held in his left hand as he picks at them with the right, also waving the right around as he speaks. Sometimes, not intentionally using the piece of fruit or meat as something to point at another as if needed to make a point that he likes what they have to say. "Spiders?! Ooh, that sounds lovely. Or are they large spiders, that I would need one of our good guards here to help me with?"

Vitas turns to Amy when 'Sir Tommy Mercurius Cipriani' is mentioned by his (admittedly impressive!) full surname. "Tha' does soun' like 'im," Vitas nods slowly, his craggy angular features looking thoughtful. "Any chance I could read that journal? Fer sure and for certain he -was- fightin' the fog. Dunno if he managed to puzzle out Sir Gavin's method. But, for sure, he was fightin'. He may have gone mad though, or been overcome. The note trails off . . . "

Danielle blinks as kyrie mentions the glowing spider "in your head or elsewhere? So far the spider's I've seen in the flesh are the regular kind

Dirk says, "We need to go spider hunting?"

Kyrie thinks for a moment, then says to Danielle "I think it was a dream. Kind of. Things are so weird around here, who really knows? Especially if more than one person has the same images."

Dirk heads close to Mortimer. "Up for a trip?"

Mortimer looks to Dirk and playfully takes his hand into his. "Sure. Lead the way."

Vitas thinks about Dirk's question. Vitas *shake shake shakes* a tiny bit, involuntarily, at the memory of being coated with spiders. 'Do we -need- to go spider hunting?' Well, not 'need' -- not as such. Not personally, no. But is it something that -ought- to be done. Quite possibly. Vitas sighs. Most probably yes. "Aye, I s'pose we -would- be well - served to clear all the spiders on out of the basement - cistern. Before they run amok and multiply. Yea, that likely 'ought t' be done, yep." Vitas nods, once, firmly, breathing out a small soft sigh of resignation.

Roger helps himself to more of the Bayles' now that everyone is nicely distracted.

Lucafrase arrives somewhat late, hooded against the damp and the chill, although "disguise" would be putting it harshly. She pulls a-- a large board-- from against her back, chequered parquetry with contrasting woods. Cleverly-made, 'nice,' as such things go. It's a charcuterie stand, or rather just a nice cutting board. For the event. Also some simple but elegant wooden mugs. *clop, clop, clop* they come from her bag.

Dirk walks out with Mortimer...

Dirk looks up and says "DO spider eyes mean anything?"

Danielle blinks at Dirk and Mortimer and waves to Lucafse "So um, if you're going somewhere take some quill and parchment and see if you can make a map. I wanna start keeping track of changes in the city the when and where and how things....unicorns blood what was that?!"

Kyrie's mind seems to wander. Apparently she's not the only one. She just spends a moment not focused on the here and now. It's not long, and then she blinks and her forehead wrinkles deeply. Her attention moves to the Church.

Mortimer seems quite taken in holding Dirks hand for a moment, then is staring... at the ceiling. Dropping his grip, even as it was light and playful to then try to reach out, and just like that whatever he was reaching to is gone. "Um..." Pointing at the area that was just there, food flying in that direction. "You saw that? I'm not imaginging it?" He asks of really anyone.

Dirk says "Spider eyes in the fog?"

Lucafrase *handsups.* "Group hallucination? Mass hysteria. Cool, cool, cool. Cool."

Vitas nods a bit, taking the vision in stride as it were. Stuff like this just happens to him, all the time. You get used to it. "Aye. So, we was thinkin' that mebbe this Spider thing came outta Chaos. On account o' the Fog seems kinda Chao-tic. And tha' Unicorn's fightin' it. And/or vice -versa. Like the Serpent of Chaos, maybe, which Unicorn took the Jewel of Judgment from, all back in the day. The Royal Crown Jewel thing." Vitas looks with keen interest at Luca's handiwork, recalling the *clop clop clop* noise the mugs had made, proximal to the unicorn's hoofbeats. Coincidence? That'd be a first.

Amy's eyes widen and her hands clench, but she stays quiet for now.

Lucafrase displays her palms. "... wasn't me," she pleads with Vitas in re: the cups. Meanwhile some mint tea is in order.

Danielle looks to Vitas "See it's like i told you mention something and it just may...we really need a code word for you know what. I don't know much about chaos and order,,, Know of them of course..spent most of my time outside amber. i think the only time i was in the pattern room is when i walked it

Dirk says "Can we just refer to them as Uni and Snakey?"

Mortimer looks at Danielle with piqued interest, repeating a little, "Mention it and it shows up?" He is then muttering over and over, "Gin gin gin gin gin gin..."

Dirk look at Mortimer ",Rum."

Roger grins broadly. He may also be chanting, under his breath?


**********************************************************************
For some strange reason, the people in the lower city are all smiling. Seems for no reason, it started to rain gin and rum by the city gate. Nobody is quite sure why.
**********************************************************************


Kyrie hms quietly. "I'm guessing this is where my complete lack of knowledge about all this stuff leaves me without a good theory."

Vitas nods to Lucafrase, agreeably: "Nae -directly-. Of course. But there's in-direction: signs and signifiers, and they's got significance. So I'd hazzrd a guess, that, -making- things helps out -our- side. Th' Unicorn side." Vitas continues to look at the wooden mugs which had just made those wonderful 'near-to-hoofbeats' sounds. "Logic-ally, then, that'd be puttin' th' Spider on th' side of _Un-making_. For those of us who remember -that- Vision." Vitas doffs his Kingsguards' Illyrian helm and thoughtfully *scratch scratch scratches* behind his right ear with his massive right paw. "So Thankye, Luca, fr' bringin' those, specially!"

"Just be careful," Amy puts in. "It doesn't show up in the way you expect, necessarily."

Lucafrase shrugs? "I'm a carpenter. I brought dishes." she explains, somewhat helplessly?

Danielle clarifies "Sporadically and randomly" not like the kitchen..so as i was saying before them odd vision. erm..i was thinking of of recruiting people throughout the city for help with the mapping...what is all noise out there

((OOC note: Vitas was talking about https://ambershards.com/character/story/episodes/2/ ... particularly the "In the darkness, in the void, the sensation - a nibble at first - of something trying to pull you apart too. Something trying to unmake you. A struggle to stay together, requiring the Will to just be. For what seems like forever." bits, of which he seems to remember a lot.

((OOC note: . . . to the point where it's not clear what's Vision and what's a Memory!))

Dirk says "ok?:

Dirk laughs.

Vitas *whuffs* out a long slow sigh. Not one of sadness, exactly, per se. Just one of someone who's got a fair bit of hard work in front of them. "Well, I's got m' wish looks like. An' not jus' -one- job, we've now gots -three-!" Vitas ticks them off, counting on his fingers: "One: Help Dirk get rid of the cistern spiders. Two: Help Danielle with the changing maps of the city. Three: Read the journal of Sir Tommy Mercurius Cipriani and help to organize the 'new library' and whatnot." (Probably by carrying stacks of random books up and down stairs? That sounds about right.) Vitas ventures a wry little smile. Vitas looks around at those gathered, for any other ideas / requests?

Danielle "so now we have all jointly experienced "the fog..by turns playful and dangerous but always odd

Dirk nods "and I found a person."

Mortimer listens deeply to Vitas, nodding to the list. "I'd like to help with the maps. It feels like something that I might be good at. Besides drinking and giving orders, those just feel...natural. I think I might be good and delegating too?" A little pause, "Or perhaps bringing smiles to a face that has had a bad day. That feels good. Yes. How can I help here?"

Lucafrase nods, slow. "I'll-- pitch in where I can, I suppose."

Danielle hms "We need to think of ways to get allies in the city. For these tasks and general usefulness, i think

Dirk nods.

Vitas wonders: "Hey d'ya think we could invite the nonfanatic unicorn folks up here? I mean, they'd love the statue . . . maybe we could find allies that way?" ((OOC: Since Danielle has 'influence' Talent, might be a way to start getting sources / volunteers /etc. from the folks who are already organizing?))

Kyrie notes "We have a city full of allies. Just need to find the right way to engage them. I mean, maybe not the way I got those Unicorn Cultists going."

"There are nonfanatic unicorn folks?" Amy asks, sounding startled by the thought.

Vitas muses: "And mebbe we could 'suade 'em to stop fightin' when they see the -whole- of th' Unicorn?" Vitas gestures around at the Unicorn Statue and Unicorn Church. "It -is- all kind of inspiring, all this, I'd warrant. Worth a shot, maybe? Yea or neigh?"

Roger suddenly 'volunteers' to go and investigate a 'pressing matter' in the Lower City he's just gotten wind of. (An 'alcohol - flavoured' wind, one might say. At least, from the smell of things?) No word if it's 'bout spiders or mapping, or, really, -why- it's pressing urgent . . .

Danielle nods "Definitely worth a shot to inspire some folks. we should advertise food and drink. That always draws a a crows

Amy shrugs, and smiles brightly. "Well, if anyone gets hurt or you find someone who needs healing, then I can help."

Dirk says "I stab stuff and perform professional battlefield decapitations."

Mortimer appears to be lost in something that perhaps Dirk has said, or a look that is suddenly switched to Vitas. "I shall help where is best. Or I'll take to what needs to be demanded done and have Dirk here stab it until it agrees to do what we ask of it."

Lucafrase *chins* over to the pews. "I could busy myself restoring those. If there will be services? If not I'd do it anyway."

Vitas *whuffs* out another sigh of relief. People! Working together! It's awesome! It's ... quite possibly essential, even. The Makings of . . . community. A city isn't just a bunch of faces in a crowd. A city has purpose. A city has Life. In the back of Vitas' mind, he hopes that this is the -right- kind of Making. The Making of a people, united, working together on tasks that well - suit them. A Making that can, one day, counter the nightmare of Un-making that they'd all endured. "Thank Ye all f'r coming out!" Vitas gives his heartfelt thanks. "S'mportant, I think. So thank ye All!"