[hr][hr][center][img]https://s2.postimg.cc/9u4ekd45l/darke.png[/img][hr][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/3nttfp4r5/tumblr_ooy7enl_MLb1r5m4z3o1_r1_540.gif[/img][hr][@Nallore][@BlueSky44][@FantasyChic][@mnkee][@LadyRunic][@Dragoknighte][@KazAlkemi][/center][hr][hr][center][h3][color=10A133][b]Present Day - The Castle: December 22nd, 12,507 - 9:00 AM [/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr]	The first riot broke out in the southern section of the Ramblings at 5 o'clock, not too long after the sun had fully set. As is often the case with these things, it's hard to pinpoint what exactly triggered the rioting. The only casualties were in the Young Army, with Young Army medics removing the bodies from the scene once the riots had been quelled in the area. Per protocol, a large pit was dug on the roads outside of the Castle, near the Farmlands, for the bodies to be disposed of in. 

	The second riot lasted from 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock in the morning, terrorizing the northeastern section of the Ramblings. Citing anger at their new Witch Queen and the murder of an innocent boy near the Hole-in-the-Wall Tavern, the rioters accidentally set the Winking Duck tavern ablaze, igniting the ample spirits inside. Silas Carlan, estranged uncle of Nera Hawthorn, Lucian Periculum, Crown Princess Luna's tutor, and Halvor Odinsen, the Northern Trader were among those who perished in the flames. 

	The stores in the Centre Ramblings Market were looted, with poor Frances Pickerin, the last remaining Wendron Witch (other than Queen Valda), being tossed out a window by the angered citizens of the Castle. She wasn't the only one thrown from the windows - those who remembered the previous crimes of the Young Army, already angered with their unauthorized implementation of martial law, were also tossed out by angered mobs. The poor Young Army medics spent less time helping their fellow soldiers than they did dragging their bodies back to camp. 

	An entire group of the Young Army soldiers - those older than the age of 17, as the children were largely spared - were locked inside the practical room of the Ramblings Players and pelted with rotten food. And yet, with Field Marshal Puck being mysteriously absent and Deputy Hunter Amarantha stationed at the Palace, some of the younger soldiers deserted, slipping into the Ramblings Orphanage and pretending they had been there all along. It was likely for the best that they did, as Castle residents ran to the rooftop gardens of the Ramblings and pelted the fleeing soldiers with anything they could find. 

	By the time the dust settled, 75% of the Young Army was dead or otherwise unaccounted for. Only 3.75% of the Castle's population met a similar state. The Palace Guard had valiantly defended the Royal Family, keeping the riots and mobs from storming the gates of the Palace. There were several attempts by the rioters to do exactly that. In the morning, it took a coordinated effort between the Ordinary Wizards, the remnants of the Young Army, and the Palace Guard to restore the impacted areas of the Ramblings. 

	The Hunter of the Young Army was unaccounted for, as was Puck. Regardless as to whether she had been anticipating it or not, Amarantha was now the highest ranking officer in the Young Army. It was hers to command. [hr][hr][@BlueSky44]: Valda's sleep was constantly interrupted throughout the night. Early in the morning, she had to meet with the Palace Guard, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, the Castle Alchemist, and other officials to discuss the riots. Fortunately, the coordinated effort managed to repair most of the damage, though there was structural damage to the Ramblings that would need to be seen to. Emperor Taj sat in on the meeting, remaining mostly silent. The news that Peter Wylie had perished was troubling - it could spell the outbreak of war with the Eastern SnowPlains. 

In the Throne Room, at the present time, Emperor Taj went over to Valda, sighing slightly. "My sister just finished inspecting the damage at Port - it seems the two Covens collided and wiped each other out nearly completely..." he told her quietly. "The device used to kill your mother...It was there."

[@BlueSky44]: Sylvi's night would be a difficult one. Her room at the Ramblings was near the source of the rioting, but luckily, her door was only tried a few times and no one managed to break inside. The most annoying thing would have been the ghosts that were constantly fleeing. As a Spirit-Seer, she'd be able to see them all. One of them was muttering something about how they were going to ruin all of the cabbages! 

In the morning, members of the Palace Guard were patrolling the Ramblings, looking for those who had instigated the riots. The Winking Duck Tavern won't be operational for a while, but as a bard, she has a right to enter Wizard Tower and knows its password. Perhaps a change of scenery might do her some good. 

[@FantasyChic]: Myth and Bruce easily had the best nights of anyone at the Castle, aside from perhaps the CHS at the Manuscriptorium. But he is a matter for another time. Bruce's residence in the Ramblings is located in the dead middle, untouched by the riots. Bruce's bedroom connects into the living area/kitchen. The room closest to the front door remained unoccupied - it's where his sisters tend to sleep, as only one of them is usually there at a time. In the room over, Marya and Medea spent the night, the twin speedsters sleepily oblivious to the activities happening elsewhere in the home. 

In the morning, Bruce told Myth that he would be back shortly - he just needed to handle a custody dispute. She was welcome to stay as long as she liked and he warned her that although the twins might pretend to not speak English, they were fluent in it. They just couldn't read or write it. 

[@mnkee]: Asha had made hot chocolate with cinnamon in it for Lyra, hoping that it would soothe her after the brutal death of Puck. As a person who dealt with [b]Magyk[/b] and lived and breathed it, Asha had seen troublesome and gruesome things before. She had failed spectacularly as well and could empathize with Lyra's feelings of guilt and horror due to her own experiences. She had offered to spend the night with Lyra to comfort her, but ultimately ended up using the [b]Ancient Ways[/b] to return home. She and Emperor Taj had returned early in the morning by the [b]Ancient Ways[/b], assisting Queen Valda and the people of the Castle in dealing with the new mess. 

As the sun rose in the Castle, there was a soft knock at the door. "Lyra?" Asha called out softly. "Are you decent?" she asked. Mavis Moll's gift was still in Lyra's room, which Asha had helped to restore mostly through [b]Magyk[/b], though the [b]Fyre[/b] from a dragon was hardly an easy thing to undo. It itself had [b]Magykal[/b] properties. 

[@LadyRunic]: Fendrel had walked with Rhys for a while through the Smugglers Bolt, but the man's mind seemed disorganized. He would constantly go back to fawning over his daughters, speaking at lengths about how they had their mother's hairs and his grandmother's spirit. If Rhys didn't know the precise reasons behind the names of each member of the Royal Family before, he certainly did now. Yet at one point, Fendrel just gave Rhys a smile. [i]"I enjoyed this walk,"[/i] he said, before he vanished. 

Rhys' street was relatively untouched by riots, yet a majority of those who lived there provided the material for the riots. They were the instigators, traveling to the Ramblings where the Young Army presence was the greatest. Tom, his prisoner/patient, hadn't made any effort to escape but he had carved into the walls with his fingernails, now caked with blood. [i]ESREN MADE ME DO IT[/i] was written over and over again. 

[@Dragoknighte]: Atkin was told to remain in Wizard Tower once they had returned. Arya would have preferred to tell him to stay on the 21st and 20th floors, yet she doubted he would actually listen to her if she requested that. She also decided to make the (likely horrible) decision to allow him to access the Pyramid Library without supervision. Regardless as to what Atkin had decided to do that morning, there would be breakfast and tea waiting for him downstairs, where Arya and Rowland were talking. 

Oh, but there is one small detail of note... Atkin's [b]Magyk[/b]? Well, erm....He's basically giving off the scent of catnip. On a massive scale. But he himself can't smell it. Only the cats can. The minute he opens his door, [i]every single cat in Wizard Tower[/i] will pounce on him. (Thirty one cats. You're welcome). 

[@KazAlkemi]: From Cuyler's boat, he will be able to see the riots at the Ramblings clearly. The gates were ordered shut on his end, with Young Army and Palace Guard sentries keeping anyone from entering or leaving through them. In the morning, most of the Northern Traders were refused entry into the Castle, under an explanation that it was unsafe to enter and the gate would resume service the next day. However, Cuyler will receive a message rat and a shiny purple badge - the symbol of the ExtraOrdinary Wizard - to allow him to enter and leave the Castle as he pleases. 

Of course, not all of the Northern Traders were accounted for. Halvor Odinsen didn't make it. He never came back. His closest friend among the traders, whom he had traveled with to the Castle, was going into fits of planning the funeral with outbursts of painful sobs. Some of them are blaming the Queen for allowing this to happen. Others the Young Army, reasoning that nothing good could come of them. A few are whispering about what this could mean for the relationship between the Castle and the Land of Long Nights. 

[@KazAlkemi]: Amarantha, oh boy... For every four people she knows in the Young Army, three of them are dead or missing. Maybe they deserted. Maybe they participated in the riots. Either way, it's not a pleasant morning for her. She was asked to participate in the planning early in the morning with other Castle officials, in order to determine a response to the riots and ensure the streets are safe. For now, that task is over.

A messenger will have informed her all the other high ranking members of the Young Army were gone. Puck is still missing. At any rate...She's now the Field Marshal of the Young Army. Your organization is in tatters. And maybe, having a conversation with Queen Valda about next steps would be a good idea... At least they were kind enough to give you a spare room in the Castle, not too far from Lyra's. [hr][hr][center][h1][b][i][color=#9B30FF]Arya Rincewind[/color][/i][/b][/h1][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/6sfqj9hf5/25c675be6624370fc2b2d84ebd179ee8.gif[/img][hr][color=#9B30FF][b]Location:[/b][/color] Wizard Tower - 20th Floor[/center][hr]	Arya had not gotten as much as sleep as either she - or Cuyler - would have cared for. As the Castle's ExtraOrdinary Wizard, she had risen three hours earlier in order to meet with members of the guard and other ranking officials in regards to the riots that had broke out. From what they could determine, the casualties had largely been members of the Young Army. A portion of the Ramblings had become ablaze - home to the Winking Duck Tavern - and a few had perished in the fire. Among them was beloved bartender, Jack Hudson. 

	[color=#9B30FF]"Rowland, it's like the Castle is imploding,"[/color] Arya admitted quietly, taking a drink of her cup of tea. She wished Cuyler was there with her. 

	Rowland nodded, his tea seemingly stirring itself as lumps of sugar floated out of the tin and splashed into the cup messily. He hoped that the young ExtraOrdinary Apprentice would sleep in. He had already confirmed that all of Atkin's family and close friends had survived the violent riots from the night before, a stroke of luck given that they largely resided in the Ramblings. Of course, not everyone had been so lucky. 

	[color=#9B30FF]"Have you heard from Athelyna? She's still in the Lagoon, yes?"[/color] Arya asked, skirting the painful truth. Of Rowland's apprentices, one had perished in the rioting that evening. Peter Wylie's mother lived along the path connecting the Palace to the Ramblings. Her house had caught ablaze and Peter risked his life to save her. While Mrs. Wylie lived, Peter had not been so fortunate. 

	"I sent Trevor to confirm," Rowland explained, referencing his falcon. He took a weary sip of his tea. "As much as this demands our attention, there's also the matter of the [b]Queste[/b]... I spoke with Alther and he will let us know if a [b]Gathering[/b] is called."

	Arya's stomach twisted, fearing for Atkin's safety. She had no doubt that all of these events were connected somehow - the Queen's murder, the rioting, the return of the [b]Queste.[/b] The danger it placed Atkin in caused her to regret asking him to become her apprentice after catching him inside Wizard Tower. [color=#9B30FF]"You believe this all to be connected as well,"[/color] Arya said. It was a statement, not a question. 

	She bit her lip. She had asked Thalia if she knew by what means the late Queen had died - and the Time Dragon informed her that Queen Meliscente had been aged to death. [color=#9B30FF]"I have my suspicions about the representatives from the Big Wild Land... Why reach out now, of all times?"[/color] Arya asked, taking another sip of tea. [color=#9B30FF]"Millenia of isolation and refusals of even a trading relationship with the Castle... They know something to do with Queen Meliscente's death, I am certain of it."[/color]

	Rowland raised an eyebrow with a chuckle. "Do you mean to [b]MindRead[/b] Emperor Taj?"

	 [color=#9B30FF]"...Perhaps that is what it has come to...I cannot risk the safety of the Castle for the sake of manners."[/color]

	Rowland was about to say something, when he noticed a pawing at the front door and he opened it. In ran Atkin's brand new cat friends and they tore up the stairs, heading to the apprentice's bedroom and pawing at his door. Arya couldn't help but laugh as they served to cut through the tension that had been building. [color=#9B30FF]"He never told me he wanted a pet cat so badly..."[/color][hr][hr][center][h1][b][i][color=#FF0000]Myrus Silvers[/color][/i][/b][/h1][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/sd9k0dd81/tumblr_inline_n6x68mb_IB01qa43er.gif[/img][hr][color=#FF0000][b]Location:[/b][/color] the Palace - Infirmary [/center][hr]	Becky had remained in the infirmary with Myrus throughout the night, administering various potions and drawing heavily upon her talents in [b]Physik.[/b] She could look out the window and see the riots throughout the Castle, the occasional building bursting with light - perhaps catching ablaze, she did not know. Her duties were to the prince and it was a good thing that Becky didn't leave him, as he ceased breathing in the middle of the night and she was barely able to revive him. 

	He had not yet stirred, but Becky had placed a cold compress on his head in hopes that he would soon. His eyes closed, Myrus found himself trapped in a prison of his own mind. Memories and reality were converging into one and Becky stared at his hand with awe, noticing that in real life, he had turned his sheets a soft pink glow. 

	"Myrus Marcellus, what are you?" Becky murmured to herself, grabbing a broom she had repurposed for just this job. She yanked the blanket off with the end of it, tossing it into the corner of the room where it promptly exploded. Wiping the sweat off of her brow in relief, Becky fetched the eleventh blanket thus far and tucked the young prince back in. 	

	[color=#FF0000]"Valda...She's going to kill you..."[/color] Myrus mumbled, still unconscious. [color=#FF0000]"Golds is coming to get you..."[/color]

	"No one is going to be killing anyone," Becky scolded. She then went over to Crown Princess Luna, ensuring that the young girl's temperature was no longer fluctuating wildly. Luna's message rat had returned early the previous evening, informing her that they had been unable to locate Golds and that her message would be refunded to her in store credit.

	"Now you two rest up - I imagine the Queen will be expecting to have lunch with her siblings, not coffins." [hr][center][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/wz5o8jqzl/American-horror-story-ahs-coven-l2_QEj2_NCs_Hg_P9_DSjm.gif[/img][hr][h3][b][color=10A133]The Badlands: Port Witch Coven Safe House/Antonije's Observatory[/color][/b][/h3][/center][hr][hider=General Scenery][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/jcmwhq2z5/penrhyn_quarry_north_wales.jpg[/img][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/r5dk9re41/welsh-slate-quarry-llanberis-gwynedd-wales-uk-_AMXMM4.jpg[/img][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/7niwtv6wh/Dinorwig_slate.jpg[/img][/hider][hider=Map][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/b74ujqmht/Flyte-castle-map.jpg[/img]
[color=10A133][i]*The Port Witch Coven is where it says Simon's observatory, up in the slate quarries*[/i][/color][/hider][hider=Safe House Appearance][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/tmpbha5sx/Old_Observatory.png[/img][/hider][hider=Port Witch Coven Roster][list][*]Fleur, Witch Mother
[*][i]Constance, Adult Witch[/i]
[*]Bernice, Adult Witch
[*]Three unnamed adult witches
[*][i]Marya Magnisky, Young Witch - missing[/i]
[*][i]Medea Magnisky, Young Witch - missing[/i]
[*]Jezebel, young witch
[*]Nine unnamed young witches between the ages of 4 and 17
[*]Two unnamed young warlocks between the ages of 4 and 17[/list]
[i]italics indicates only the GM can control this NPC[/i][/hider]
	It was a relatively uneventful night for the Port Witch Coven. Some of the children had night terrors and went to the adult witches for comfort, afraid of the sounds coming from the wilderness of the Badlands and missing the comforting ocean waves. They mostly quieted down after Constance conjured up the equivalent of white noise, placing a spell on their room to give them the sounds of the Port. Of course, the older ones had different terrors - nightmares involving Wendron Witches coming to kill them, with the Palace Guard supporting their terrorism. 

	"Any minute now, he'll arrive," Jezebel mused at breakfast, eating a piece of fruit. Bernice had gotten them for everyone. It was one of the perks of being a witch. 

	There was then the sound of hooves as a rider entered the stable on a black stallion. Yet when he emerged, it wasn't the man that Jezebel had predicted - instead, it was [url=https://s22.postimg.cc/a6mnsw469/Murder_House3.jpg]Antonije Magnisky[/url], the legal owner of the observatory. He loved inventions and machines, preferring to live apart from society and tinker in peace. His siblings used to sneak out and stay with him after they had been adopted by separate parents, yet that had ceased when Marya and Medea joined the Coven.

	 [color=cc33ff]"Wow, thanks for the heads up,"[/color] Antonije muttered, though most called him Tate. It was easier for them to say. [color=cc33ff]"Really appreciate it, assholes."[/color] He had a soft accent, similar to Marya and Medea's, that identified him as from the Eastern SnowPlains originally. He had various strange gadgets strapped to a belt on his person and goggles obscured some of his silver blonde locks from view.