#salem.lore

as tradition holds, a concert is held in town square on the third night of celebration, also called curățare. july 6th. local bands and singers are welcomed to a stage set up just in front of city hall, and admission is always free. the plaza is decorated as it is every year, with warmly lit candles floating a safe distance above the chattering crowd. a lone singer stands on stage, just beginning her performance. many more people were gathered in the same area just hours earlier, buying food, enjoying water games, and indulging in the fruits of festivity. the crowd is thinner now- there are less children and families, and a lot more couples cuddled under the soft lights. the flames have dimmed to allow a spotlight on the singer as she continues her performance.

a calm ambiance has settled over the plaza as audience members sip cocktails and chat with friends. nothing is out of place—

WRRRRRRrrrrr...

the echoing sound of generators powering down quiets the lively bustle of the festival, shortly followed by the rushing hum of concerned voices flowing into the dark. a power outage. no big deal. ’where have the candles gone?’ ‘i can’t summon my scrolls!’ ‘none of the enchantments are working!’ the panic quickly spreads as one by one, the crowd realizes their magic is unresponsive— gone.

the concerned chatter continues as security begins lighting battery-powered flashlights into the crowd. before evacuation procedures can formally begin, the sound of someone clearing their throat over the chaos comes from the stage. a group of four security agents stand on stage, lighting the spot where mayor julian ashbrook stands, hands calmly clasped behind his back. “my dear guests, it would seem that there’s been a slight technical issue,” he begins, his accented and familiar voice quieting the remaining chatter. “unfortunately, we will be shutting down the festivities for the night. we hope to have things sorted so that the joy might continue tomorrow. our security staff will light the way so that you may exit safely. have a good night.” as quickly as he appeared, mayor ashbrook makes his exit, leaving the security staff to do their jobs.

QUICKREAD: power and magical abilities have gone out all across salem. charms and previously magically imbued items aren’t affected. cell phone towers and internet are also out of commission. mayor julian ashbrook has shut down the festivities of salem’s famed zie de istorie celebration for the time being. unknown to anyone other than him, the magical barrier around salem has gone down. after the announcement, he returns to city hall to convene with council members and relay the information. they are given strict orders not to release what they’ve been told to outside parties.