open.

[luaithre]

WHO: Everyone
WHAT: Late night evacuation drill
WHEN: Early Harvestmere, don't think about it too hard
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: See OOC note below.

Lashes of rain batter at unyielding fortress walls. It is dark, quiet, and peaceful save for all the rolling thunder summoned from over the sea. It is a good evening to be warm in bed.

Until it isn't a couple of those things.

Wherever you are sleeping (or working) late at night in the Gallows, you will hear it: an incessant and noisy bell ringing, handheld, clanging and clanging loud and obnoxious from the top of each tower and downwards, lingering in the key residential halls until there is sign of people emerging from their rooms. Gwenaëlle has been assigned to harass the Central Tower, while Abby takes the Mage Tower and Matthias is assigned the Templar Tower. Even if you happen not to be in either of these places, the muffled cacophony of bells is liable to still reach you.

It may take a second to realise what's happening, and how real this emergency is, but in the past week, all will have received some suspiciously timed updates as to evacuation procedures, including the protocols surrounding what to do when the instruction is to shelter in place (because they do, after all, live in a fortress).

The first step is moving without hesitation when the warning bells ring out loud. The next is to descend the towers, down dim stairwells lit by lyrium glow, in as orderly a fashion as possible. From there, it's a matter off finding the correct subterranean chamber (tonight, indicated with lamplight) and waiting it out.

At least, this route does not take them outside.

In the basement chamber will be Edgard and Marcus, the former equipped with a medieval clipboard and the latter marking the time in his head as people enter, while semi-supervising the other man's work and guarding the exit. The space is large enough to comfortably fit the whole company, although it is also cold, dripping, and musty. There are places to sit, chairs and tables both, and a few blankets if you find yourself underdressed.

And if you attempt to leave too early, you'll be bid to wait it out a little longer to accommodate and cause no disruption or confusion to late comers.

To encourage this, there are a few bottles of wine set aside along with some lukewarm tea. Stay a while.

[ ooc ; feel free to top level at any part of this interaction! I will handwave the cooperation of anyone who doesn't tag in or assume they are out of the Gallows, so don't feel like you have to, but there is also a comment below for anyone who deliberately wants to be on the naughty list of no-shows. ]

Comments

I said I would tag marcus

[sprent]

So it's not enough that he lights candles with magic, but he also keeps a dog? Gela looks at it warily when she steps over to speak. She shares the same unkempt, sleepy look as the vast majority of her peers, hair out, half in her face. She does not have shoes on and her socks got dew-wet outside, in the courtyard.

"Pardon," she says, more yawn than word, "I have a question."

Marcus is not the one with the list of names beside him, but she knows him as one generally in charge of things so, "Are you the best to ask?"

the prophecy foretold

[luaithre]

Marcus is perfectly awake, which is as much a comment as his preparedness for this evening as it is someone wholly used to standing around watchfully well into the late-turned-early hours. It could be tempting to go seek out some favourable company while he waits, but it doesn't truly occur to him to do so, simultaneously on guard and at ease.

So he does, at least, appear to be on some kind of duty, clipboards or not, and looks to Gela as she approaches. "Aye," he says, just deciding that's true. "What is it?"

[sprent]

"What happens if somebody doesn't make it?"

Maybe it's the older sister in her that makes her want to ask grim questions, but she has noticed people taking names. They are keeping track of who is here for a reason... she thinks to add, "Or- if somebody is injured, and they can't go down the stairs very fast, and if you're deaf and can't hear the bell, what happens?"

[luaithre]

There's no sign of disturbance in Marcus for her questions—maybe some surprise, in the pause that follows.

"We have a few among our number who have ailments," he says, "and I requested they partner with someone to assist them. I would make arrangements for anyone hard of hearing. For more passing ailments, if no plan has been made, then we've our crystals, and those in Forces willing and ready to come to their aid."

It's a good thought, though—a contingency for the unaccounted for, and he makes a note of it as he says, "The object is that we'll all make it."

[sprent]

"Of course." And they have, more or less. A few sleepy folk are still trailing in, yawning hugely as they come. Gela watches them for a moment, thinking. The problem for her personally, is that the whole ordeal is stressful. She tries to stay away from moments of great stress just in case it prompts something lupine in response- you simply never know. At least the moon is not full tonight.

Ah, she's had an idea. "Do these exercises happen often?"