Backdated to early 8 Feb | Text | Unseelie locked

[gordianknots]

By now I think everyone knows that the monarchs are asking us to run after the Jabberwock to try and return it back to them. We know that it responds to touch, that it likes puzzles, and that lavender will help soothe it.

But there are problems with what we’ve been told that need to be solved now.

1. It’s the middle of winter. We need sources of lavender, and I do not imagine that this will be easy. If anyone knows where to begin, and can say so on an open post here, you’d be doing everyone a great favour.
2. The Jabberwock isn’t small. Making puzzles that will be the right sie will be a struggle. Thoughts on how to go about that are welcome. I’m not imagining that it is going to be possible to walk up to this thing and ask it why did the chicken cross the road?
3. Touch. If this thing’s aura of rot is as true as old accounts have presented it, we need to find ways to deal with that. Quickly.

I’m encouraging brainstorming on this network post because anything that can be thought up together will have a greater chance of working.

Chime in if you can and for the love of whatever is dearest to you, stay safe.

Comments

[powerful]

is there anyone who has a greenhouse? we might be able to find some there. or i could try to conjure some. i'm not sure if i can just create plants from nothing. but if we could find seeds, i would be able to try.

[gordianknots]

Station might have seeds? Only place I can think of.

voice

[erythristic]

Not all of us are as vulnerable to things as humans are.

[get the immortals.]

[gordianknots]

Use it to your advantage.

text;

[enthraller]

Collect as many riddles as you can. People may not be able to get close enough to pose them in person, but there should still be ways to use them to distract the beast. Write them out with large letters in the earth in its path, if necessary.

[gordianknots]

Know anyone with literal firepower?

( text, unseelie. )

[atoned]

I think I can stop it. And not with a puzzle, either.

[ after he'd been able to halt some of the animals near quendi, stop the forest of la llorona from eating him, and even seeing the golem spiders listen to him with his lasso, zuko's starting to forget doubting himself. of course, though, he easily forgets the third point. ]

[ #honour. ]

[gordianknots]

How? If you need resources they can be directed to you.

voice; unseelie locked

[gandere]

All right genius. So what happens after you've calmed the damn thing down?

[ It's all part of the act, she reminds herself as she maintains her harsh tone. ] You're not going to be able to just convince it to return home and lie dormant again.

[gordianknots]

[Oh Rin.]

Hell, I think you take it back to Caer Scima like it's a big puppy out for walkies. Monarchs do the rest.

text;

[boutant]

La Llorona's burning, but my manor's fireproof. If anyone can get there, I should have some lavender with the other dried herbs inside, if freshness doesn't matter.

Other than that? Loudly shout "why is a raven like a writing desk" at it.

[gordianknots]

No idea if fresh is a factor, we'll need to find out.

Megaphone might help that, I'll look into magic amplification.

text; permaprivate

[notyetlegend]

Any luck so far, my Lord?

[gordianknots]

1/2 (the green one) checked in and is OK. Can't say for the other.

[text]

[chaoticwhimsy]

I can help. I'm trying to find lavender and I have a bunch of riddles!

I tried to follow it but it's really fast.

[gordianknots]

Riddles are great, riddles are perfect.

How fast is fast though? Can you anticipate where it might be heading?

[arla]

I have magic that could protect me so I can get close enough to it. I could cast it on others close by to protect them as well. It won't last - I'll need to keep casting - but it's doable.

[gordianknots]

What's the average length of duration?

text.

[winterwork]

Whoops. Did I overdo it with the snow? My bad, but I didn't exactly expect a giant fictional monster to come stomping around the place and that magical plants were needed to stop it.

[gordianknots]

I don't think that your snows are really that responsible. Flowers don't grow in winter under normal circumstances.

( text, unseelie. )

[manipulative]

[ katherine has nothing of significance to add — a jabberwock belongs in wonderland, not the drabwurld. she merely recognises the identifier of the broadcast and chooses to respond. ]

But did the chicken cross the road before or after the road itself was decimated?

[gordianknots]

With grate difficulty. The Black Shuck probably gave it a hand.

In person!

[getinthechariot]

Is it riddles you need, Waver Velvet? Or will just any mind game do?

CRIES INTO THE NIGHT

[gordianknots]

--!

[No words right now.

Waver just runs over to Rider and risks the pain of slamming into a wall of muscle, because Rider is here at Alyosha's and present and oh thank God, he needs to hug the idiot just to make sure that this isn't his mind fucking with him.]

text;

[vaccinations]

Uh.

I have a pun book. Puns are kinda like puzzles.

this is my favourite solution whoops.

[gordianknots]

--The sheer absurdity of punning at the Jabberwock means that I'm all in for trying it.

text;

[akweks]

I am in pursuit. With luck I may be able to reach it before its swath grows larger. If any speak to you with similar intent, tell them to ride South.

[gordianknots]

I can't in good conscience send people south into hostile territory. But if you can usher it in a particular direction, I can try and have people anticipate you once you hit a designated spot.

text;

[liven]

Rot probably won't kill me.

[ and if it does she doesn't care, so. she's...offering? to touch it? is this how you help... ]

[gordianknots]

Probably?

voice »

[herotypical]

[ screw text, okay. text is for boring people. ]

Has no one suggested a maze yet? One of those big big big ones made out of bushes. Does that count as a puzzle?

[ never you mind where we're all gonna find the time to build a giant jabberwock maze. ]

[gordianknots]

Holy shit.

If we can find a way to construct it, that'd be ideal.

text.

[semiurge]

we could ask it about the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

i have a couple more terrible riddles, if you want them.

[gordianknots]

Pitch em all.

locked; compass; text.

[vrykolakas]

Saw locket announcement. If you can direct me towards any lavender, it would be appreciated. I have some business with the infant Jabberwock.

There are those Seelie-side who can kill it.

[Ambiguous. He genuinely doesn't know how well he can trust even the compasses with this information. This way, at least, there is the suggestion that it's all the Seelie's fault, and who knows? Perhaps he wants the lavender so that he can attempt to lead the thing to safety.

Perhaps.]

Compass forever

[gordianknots]

Lavender stock has been acquired, I'm going to the Station tomorrow to research and develop something with it that might work. I can deposit a surplus in our past meeting room. Under the chairs, I think. Will this work for you?

[It'd have to do. But that second part, oh, that second part has Waver's attention. If it's true that it can be done, then all the more reason to put all effort into this. Lull the Jabberwock. Calm it. Make it easier for the Seelie to kill. Then worry about that dragon the Seelie have.]

Understood.

[Because elaboration can be read as treason, and if these compasses are lost, then everyone on the network is fucked.]

[skjalf]

Would designing and setting a maze in its path be helpful? I have heard that it moves swiftly, but it occurred to me that a maze presents a puzzle as much as a means for someone to attempt to soothe it.

[gordianknots]

That'd be ideal, but being able to make something that big in such a short amount of time would require a truly alarming amount of magic. If you've got that ability though--

Audio;

[of_the_lake]

[Calmly spoken--Lancelot was in the middle of putting out fires of La Llorona to the best of his ability.]

Have you spoken to Alice? I worry I may distract her if I try to contact her via locket at an inopportune time.

[gordianknots]

She has not checked in.

voice;

[fliesbynight]

Newbie question! I get the Monarchs word is law and all, but why are we trying to bring home a monster that rots everything around it? Isn't that dangerous for everything around it? Including us? Back home monsters on your side usually turn on you. Like 100% turn on you. Is this Jabberwhelp really that different?

Permaprivate

[gordianknots]

Because right now, doing otherwise is probably going to sound mildly like, oh, say, treason, and I wouldn't want to test the patience of monarchs who have gotten their entire castle ripped to bits the other day.

[Which is to say: I agree, but you do not talk about that on the lockets. Ever.]

not here

[individualist]

[But thanks for the deets bro.

LUCIFER AWAY.]