(no subject)
As you might've already read here, our very own taravata has taken advantage of the weird recent power shifts in the City to remove its barriers. For a few seconds after they fall, the previously muted Clock beat will pulse very strongly, then return to si'lence.
Theoretically, all this should mean characters can now set sail, or fly off and away from their City prison, right?
...sadly, not really, no.
As it turns out, the barriers weren't just holding things in - they were also keeping them out.
With the City wards in tatters, the grounds and their meat are fair game for any clever predator, and a particular sort is showing its metallic claws:
All she wants is a friend for dinner.
A host of harpies will be gradually taking the City by siege, come today's sundown: they will be very few and mostly scouting, at first, but their numbers and their viciousness will grow with each passing day.
THE MIND: Cannibals and quick to anger, these fine ladies are close to the unkindly beasts of old: when alone or in small numbers, they'll fly down every now and then to taunt and tease their prey, or to lure it to the 'safety' of a trap, or certain death. The harpies are hardly unintelligent, and enjoy riddles and word games as well as their kin. They are not above pretending to be wounded, repenting, or human themselves, in order to better persuade their victims.
When in a pack, the harpies' manner changes: they will more often than not sweep down and try to carry away their chosen target, without much restraint, or subterfuge. They are drawn by agitation, loud noises, and the smell of blood.
During curse days, the harpies will be keeping their distance from the City and hovering above it, trying to avoid getting caught up in the spell themselves. The harpies that are grounded and kept alive during a curse day might well enough find themselves affected by it.
THE FLESH: Physically, the harpies resemble the above picture - steeled claws, sharp teeth, overcoat of strong bone and metal. The short feathers on their bodies provide enough insulation that sudden cold shouldn't dissuade them. They are very fast and quite precise in their attacks, but they overly-rely on sight and fare worse at night, or in dark areas. They are capable of (somewhat broken) human speech, but generally communicate amongst themselves in loud, strident sounds that betray their location. Wounds to the harpies' wings (and the wings only) are prone to accelerated healing, or even regeneration.
tl;dr: they've got brains, not just brawns, and you can take them down through most traditional means!
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Citizens brave enough to use this time to escape while the barriers are down will find that the latter were also in place to protect them from that alternative. If characters seek to sail, the waters past a certain distance (100 km at sea) will turn to violent whirlwinds. Aiming to fly above a 1.000 m height will introduce an Icarus-like syndrome: their flesh will heat up and tear apart the higher they go, as if too much friction has been applied unto their bodies.
More importantly, characters will feel an increasing need to try to escape at all costs - an urge that can quickly morph into restlessness, then obsession.
Other things to keep in mind:
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MISSION ASSIGNMENT: ...something gone got broke. Fix it. The deities will not be stepping in to restore the barriers for their ungrateful charges, so it's up to Citizens themselves to fight off the harpies, keep the population safe, better morale, and all around, to find a way to end this struggle.
We more than welcome people coming up with their own ideas to put a stop to this (just keep it tentatively realistic: it will take more than one person!), so organize at will in the comments section! You can plot a few harpy attacks, try to use the harpies, figure out whether someone gets kidnapped, or even killed -- anything, really.
If you have a plan for how characters can end all of this, put it in a new comment, maybe add an 'IDEA!' header? Easier for us and for other players to find it and give answers or suggestions!
Alternatively, just write down what your characters can do, and whether you'd like to get them involved in a particular way. Anyone putting together a search/defense/investigation party will definitely find that useful!
Thaaaaanks!