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[/center][hr][color=lightgray][table][row][/row][row][cell][sup][color=ddcbb5][h1]THE PLAGUE CONTINUES[/h1][/color]
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[sub] March 22nd, 2024 [/sub]
[center][color=ddcbb5][b]JUST WHAT ARE WITCHES DOING?[/b][/color]
[indent]Rainstorms. Pitfalls. Voilent Fungi.[/indent] [/center]
[indent]Nature is revolting. Crops are dying. Delaware's coast still stands under water. Reports of fungi attacks keep trickling in. And now a Dretch - a vile, demonic creature - has been sighted in Wisconsin.

Is this the peak of it all or is it only just beginning?

It stands to reason, we ask ourselves what the witch community has attempted to correct these unnatural occurences of magical origin. As members of this society, we have welcomed witches into our midst. As a service to the greater good, witches should be expected to band together freely to protect humanity against such wicked influences. But where have they been?

Coven Head of the "Los Angeles Witch Society", Eolin Bennig, seems barely concerned. "Occurences of such nature have happened before", she tells our reporter. Such devasting incidents were last recorded "around the years of 1690", Bennig confirms for us. With the Salem Accord having been sealed in 1693 [...][/indent][/cell][cell][center][color=2c2d2d]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color]
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	[color=gray]The paper crinkled in Lina's hands, her fingers tightening involuntarily at the words in front of her face. Lina Calvo was not the type to get unnecessarily angry, especially right before a big event but even [i]she[/i] had her limits. "[color=BC8DBF]Where have we [i]been[/i]?[/color]" She questions in a murmur, brows furrowing. "[color=BC8DBF]Probably exactly where [i]you[/i] have been.[/color]" 

	The problem with humans was often that they didn't seem to grasp that witches didn't exist to keep each other in check. Whoever was behind the odd occurrences was [i]not[/i] a part of her coven, it's hardly as if she'd know how to stop them or if she even [i]could[/i] stop them. The power output behind the attacks was clearly quite high, and while she was well-trained, she could not make up for the magic of what was likely multiple witches on her [i]own[/i]. Nor did she exactly want to involve her coven in a fight where the enemy was entirely faceless.

	[i]Stupid.[/i]

	"[color=BC8DBF]And I could wring Eolin's neck,[/color]" she continued in her silent tirade, it was better to get it out before she was in front of her people. "[color=BC8DBF]'Such occurrences have happened before', do you [i]want[/i] them to think the worst? Tell them we're working on figuring it out-- [i]something[/i].[/color]"

	The paper crinkled further in her grip before she slammed it down on the table and growled under her breath. If there was nothing in this world that frustrated Lina more, it was situations being handled incompetently. [i]Nightmarish[/i].

[hr]
	Her nerves were still on end by the time of the event but she'd never been very good at shaking off her feelings, at least she wasn't [i]projecting[/i] them. 

	She was dressed smartly, a white off-the-shoulder number that showed off the opal necklace she'd spent too long choosing. Her hair was pulled back away from her face. She looked [i]open[/i], [i]honest[/i] even, which felt performative but she was not one to do without performance. At any rate, she looked [i]good[/i], maybe a touch too soft around the edges but not [i]bad[/i]. She rarely looked [i]bad[/i].

	The gathering was humming with activity, the telltale sound of people laughing and talking could be heard as she made her way out to greet them. 

	She drew in a breath, offered a smile to her coven. "[color=BC8DBF]Hello, everyone.[/color]" Her eyes crinkled a little at the edges. "[color=BC8DBF]Alban Illir is a time in which we [i]all[/i] celebrate the brief but wonderful balance of darkness and light. It's an important time for us all to remember that life is not without beginnings and that though darkness has its time to thrive, we will [i]always[/i] see it through.[/color]"

	She paused to let her words sink in, to let them settle over the murmurs and conversations that came with large gatherings. She could see the faces of her coven, the people she loved most in this world were all scattered around her. With worry over the news ringing in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if she was enough to keep them safe. [i]If something happens to all of [b]you[/b], who will you blame?[/i] 

	She swallowed despite herself, her vision clouded briefly at the edges. She did what she could to reign it in, not wanting to will her foreboding across the group. "[color=BC8DBF]We celebrate the coming of a time of light, but we do not forget the darkness.[/color]" She said, trying to keep her voice soft. "[color=BC8DBF]It is [i]all[/i] of our responsibility to make sure that this season will be fruitful for our coven members. So-- with that said,[/color]" she spread her hands to either side of her to indicate the festival around them. "[color=BC8DBF]I invite our practitioners of light-based magic and shadow-based magic to join in the show.[/color]"

	She laughed then, a pretty sound that didn't match how she felt at all. "[color=BC8DBF]And to everyone else, enjoy the food, enjoy the soup. Have fun and remember that brighter days are on the horizon![/color]" 

	She drew back a step and closed her hands together in a near-prayer position. As she did so, light gathered around her hands, casting a warm, golden glow on her face. Her eyes did little to give away the misgivings that clung to her, nor did her smile.  

[hr]
	As Lina initiated the show presented by casters of light and shadow Evocation, she began to draw herself back into the crowd and was promptly chatted up by some coven witches.

	As with every outdoor feast, the tents were all propped up in the Patch. Some stood empty, safe for the groups of witches gathering in them that stood with warm mugs in their hands and enjoyed the safety from the chill evening breeze. One tent offered beverages on a wooden table, mostly warm tea and some warm fruit beverage but some witches brought alcoholic beverages to share despite Lina's half-hearted announcement they should not. Another tent offered some food choices. You would find the traditional soup of cleansing that was always served at Ostara - or Alban Eilir, as Lina had called it - but you would also find bread, sausages, some self-made noodle and potato salads other witches had brought in, a cake, and a bowl of different sweets.

	The show the Evocation caster put on under the clear evening sky lit the tents up to then swallow them in darkness as the sun crept behind the horizon. Around an open fire stood several witches in different groups, chatting. Some were holding bread on sticks near it to roast their slices.

	In front of one particular tent stood a sign formed like an upside-down V. On that sign, two words were written. An elderly male witch pushed past the shrouded entrance to enter the dark tent and was obscured from the view of the party people. Minutes later, he returned. This was the tent of the [i]Fotune Teller[/i].

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[color=steelblue]O P P O R T U N I T Y[/color]
[i]This is an action. Your character may or may not take it.[/i]

[color=steelblue]˃[/color] [i]Characters may ask for their fortune to be told by the [i]Fortune Teller[/i].
GM Note: Entries will be limited. Fortunes require you to roll [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/campaigns/959]dice [/url] (3d100). If you roll, make a note "Fortune Teller (Character Name)".[/i]

If your character enters the tent, they will notice that behind a simple table, a young witch is sitting. Only 13 years old, she has brown hair down to her buttocks, sits straight and radiates authority. In her hand, she holds a deck of cards. A chair is provided for you to sit down on. She is a lady of few words and therefore will not chat with you but she will act polite, calm and straightforward. If you try to recognize the card deck, you will notice that you don't know these type of cards. It is not a tarot deck nor any deck you have ever come across. Before beginning, she will ask you: "Are you sure you want your fortune read? I can not provide you with clear answers, I will not take questions and you may not be satisfied by what I provide." This is clearly not a reading that will tell you your next love interest. If you answer in the affirmative, the girl will then shuffle the cards for you and lay them out downside in front of you. She tells you to pick three cards. (Do not describe the cards in your post.)

[color=steelblue]˃[/color] [i]Characters who have been at Shipden Peak for at least 6 months will know the following information.[/i]

The young witch is called Khalida. She is a very promising Diviner. She has decided to offer these simple readings at various feasts. Mostly this was born out of a joke about the "fortune tellers" of humanity but Khalida stuck with this. The coven knows she is legit, so people who come to her during festivities for readings usually know what to expect. Khalida does [i]not[/i] offer readings of any kind outside of these festivities. The coven also knows that Khalida will be off to magic college soon.

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[sub](Lina's POV is courtesy of my Co-GM [@Prosaic]. Thanks, buddy.)[/sub]

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