abraxasmods: (Default)
ABRAXAS MODS ([personal profile] abraxasmods) wrote in [community profile] abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
Entry tags:

EVENT #1

EVENT #1
Welcome to our very first event! This event will be divided into two parts: one for honored guests, and one for prisoners. There are some opportunities for characters to go to the opposite group's event, so read on below and make sure to check out the accompanying OOC plotting post for extra details!

This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.

The Summer Festival (Honored Guests)

It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.

But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?

The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
Sparring Contest: Honored guests will be asked to spar in front of an audience. Depending on the time of the week the fight takes place in, some guests may have some or most of their powers back, but the audience is here to see a show and just trampling your opponent in seconds won't do much for them. Try to add some spice to it: a good narrative and a close fight are much more enthralling. You may decide the winner of the fight between yourselves or ask the mods to roll for an outcome below. Prisoners who stay behind can sneak into this event but will not have their powers.

Magic Demonstration: Show everyone what you can do and demonstrate a Thornean magic spell in front of an audience. This should be a simple beginner spell such as a smaller elemental magic spell, some minor healing, a small illusion, and so on. Feel free to decide what spell you'd like your character to perform and post to the header below so the mods can roll for your character's success when performing it in front of the audience! Regardless of success, your character can learn the chosen spell by the end of the event. Unfortunately, prisoners cannot access this event.

The Black Market: Castle Thorne is much less secure during open festivals than it is during the rest of the year, so it's no surprise that some shady characters have managed to sneak in. They're trading potions and magical items, and luckily enough for the penniless newcomers, they're interested in things other than money. They may ask for some blood, saliva, or the chance to perform a spell on the hapless newcomer. Prisoners are welcome in the black market. Please post to the header below to see what item your character gets from the event (and what spell they'll be subjected to if you choose that option).

Visit with the Representative: Near the end of the Festival, three honored guests will be chosen to have one-on-one audiences with Lyle Vela in the hopes of impressing him. Ambrose hasn't had the time to get to know each guest individually yet, so he's asked that they choose the three candidates among themselves. If you wish you have your character volunteer for this position, please make a case for their suitability under the header below! If your character is not running for this position, have them vote for another character. Prisoners who stay behind may vote as well.
At the end of the festival on June 19th, there will be a huge feast available with all manner of fancy food and some alcohol if you wish to get a little drunk. Beware, Thornean alcohol is strong! Prisoners who stayed behind to help out with the festival can easily slip in and take some food and drink for themselves.

If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.

In the Tunnels (Prisoners)

Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.

Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.

That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.

Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!

If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.

The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
June 14th: Prisoners will be led from their cells in chains to a Thornean fast-travel portal (a glowing circle of neon light) that will take them about a mile away from the Frostwurm's burrow. It's cold and the air is thin, so they'll be given the rest of the day to rest and acclimate before being sent inside.

June 15th-18th: Down in the tunnels with you! Characters are sent into the tunnels and can experience any of the effects listed above. If your party makes it out after sunset they'll be permitted to sleep in a tent, if they're lost then they will sleep in the tunnels. On the 18th, anyone who comes out alive will not have to go back in and the supply of crystals will be counted.

June 19th: Today would be the day of the Summer Festival, if they were back at Castle Thorne, but their captors aren't completely merciless. The prisoners and supervisors will be marched back to the fast-travel portal, where a small feast has been set up for them. It isn't as glamorous as what's back in Thorne, but it's the best meal the prisoners have been served since they arrived. And, as a bonus, the guards might slip you some alcohol if you did a good job in collecting the crystals.
Please visit the accompanying OOC plotting post to choose your team of three, and a supervisor if your group has one (groups without PC supervisors will be sent off on their own with no NPC supervisor). This event is designed to have some element of risk to it (but no one will die, don't worry!) so while you can plan what happens to your characters out with your group if you like, we also encourage you to post an action or two to our IC Consequences header below and leave it up to chance. Who knows, something awesome might happen.




Questions


Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!

Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!

Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.

Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.

What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.

Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!



stealsthetruth: (smug)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-16 02:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Well, he's asking her questions now... That's progress, kind of?]

Yeah! You're looking at a certified Great Thief, after all! Or... Great Thief in training, anyway. Snatching up bits of info is all a part of the trade!
cryptsleeper: (Judgement by portrait)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-16 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Questions, and also offering very flat stares that somehow manage to combine annoyance and confusion.]

So is your quarry primarily information or primarily objects?
stealsthetruth: (DUH.)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-18 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
[Unfortunately for Alucard, even though she picks up on the annoyance a bit, it's not much of a deterrent to Kay.]

Information, mainly. I always keep an eye out for treasure, just in case, but the main thing I'm out to steal is the truth!

[It's subtle, but her goofy grin falters ever so slightly at the end there, a blink-and-you-miss-it micro expression. She's not sure why this reaction happens...? It feels like there's something... Nagging, at the back of her mind, but it's not present enough for her to make sense of just yet.]
cryptsleeper: (Let's do this)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-18 01:04 pm (UTC)(link)
To what ends?

[That feels important. As important as truth can be, and perhaps it is the only thing that ever matters, how it is used is just as key. The job description she's offered is intriguing, but Alucard's mind is in no place to process it in any means but slightly paranoid about the implications.

He's caught up in that train of thought enough to miss the micro expression, at the every least.]
stealsthetruth: (8 |)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-20 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
Huh? Oh, um... [It takes her a second for his question to actually register. She seems really distracted all of a sudden?] For justice! You know... Solving crimes, making sure that evil-doers don't get away with doing bad stuff. That sort of thing--

[She frowns, leaning slightly to one side to try and peer over Alucard's shoulder.]

--Hey, uh. Did you hear something just now...?
cryptsleeper: (Default)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-20 02:16 pm (UTC)(link)
That seems a little simplis--[Alucard freezes as Kay tries to peer around him. That's not a good sign.

Very slowly, he starts to turn around himself.]


Faintly. What did it sound like to you?
stealsthetruth: (This does me a GREAT concern)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-21 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
It sounded like... Music...? [She's frowning thoughtfully, peering into the darkness of one of the unexplored tunnels beyond.] ...Really familiar music?? Where have I... E-EEEEEEEEK!!!

[Kay jerks backwards with a start, and it's not hard to guess what she's reacting to: An eerie figure steps out from behind a corner, accompanied by some very upbeat music. It stares at them with unblinking eyes for a too-long moment, before it starts doing a little dance.]
cryptsleeper: (Judgement by portrait)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-21 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
That's what's considered music?

[The dhampir is about to go on, but then a blue thing comes out of nowhere. He's seen night creatures. He's seen horrible gory details. And yet this, this is the thing that gives him pause.

He can't do anything but stare, not even managing a sidelong glance in Kay's direction.]


What is that?
stealsthetruth: (Awwww nuts.)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-21 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[Now that the shock has worn off Kay seems less scared and more just very confused by the presence of the beast. She can't take her eyes off of it either, answering faintly:]

It's... The Blue Badger...?? [She sounds kind of woozy.] But... What the heck is he doing here in the wurm cave?! He shouldn't be here, he should be back at...

[Oh, wait... THAT'S where she's heard this music before. It's the stuff they pipe through the speakers outside the main entrance to Gatewater Land.

As if on cue, hazy half-images of a wild-west themed area of a certain amusement park start to form, blending in a very surreal manner with the natural surroundings of the tunnel.

Meanwhile, the Badger starts to shuffle towards them at an ominously slow pace, still doing his little dance.]
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (NO??? NO!!!)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-22 12:02 pm (UTC)(link)
How is that a badger?

[Everything about this is pure madness. The badger costume. The surroundings. The music and why is it coming closer?

Alucard decides staring at Kay is safer. Kay hasn't become a psuedo-badger yet.]


What is any of this?
stealsthetruth: (Sullen)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-22 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kay still doesn't look at him. She only has eyes for the badger... Who is still shuffling closer and closer, and it's kind of triggering her fight or flight response? She doesn't know what to do about any of this.]

The Blue Badger! It's-- He's... The police mascot? He's got "badge" in his name because he's a cop, I guess... [Kay rubs her eyes, as if that might help clarify what's happening right now. No such luck! Her brows are knit together with confusion.] W-wait... When and how in the heck did we get to Gatewater Land??
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (NO??? NO!!!)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-22 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alucard's eyes stay on the ominously shuffling badger. Right now Alucard's response is if he stays still, maybe it won't notice them, but--

--He shakes his head. This is bad. This is so bad.]


Given that all of this is entirely new and quite frankly stranger than anything I could have imagined, I believe we need to focus on you to answer that question.
stealsthetruth: (this does me a concern)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-23 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
On me!?

[She can't deny the logic in what he says... HOWEVER,]

But-- I'm not even doing anything! I didn't do... Anything?

[She trails off at the end there and pulls a face because the Badger, though still approaching them both at a moderate pace, has stopped doing its little dance. Unfortunately, the reason it has stopped dancing is because it is now stretching its arms wide open, like it's coming in for a hug.]
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (NO??? NO!!!)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-23 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Well I have to presume that this is to do with your time and place rather than mine, as all of this looks like sheer madness to me.

[The Badger endures. The Badger approaches and no.

Fuck. No.


Alucard takes a step back.]


If it is attempting an embrace, it is going to be very disappointed.
stealsthetruth: (This does me a GREAT concern)

This prompt making me realize I actually know jack-all about how hallucinations work lmaoooo

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-26 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Kay also takes a step back. She's so confused??? This can't actually be real, right? It has to be one of those hallucination things...]

M-Maybe if I stop looking at it it'll go away! Hi-YA!

[She spins on her heel and pointedly faces the opposite direction. From Alucard's perspective, the Badger seems to vanish, but Kay lets out a very telling shriek and stumbles backwards clumsily, as the Badger instantly just appears in front of her once more, and much closer to both of them this time.]

T-t-t-t-TELEPORTING BADGER!! Go AWAY!

[THIS IS REALLY FREAKING HER BEAN, MAN.]
cryptsleeper: (arrogantpire)

They work as we need them to for the sake of Teleporting Badgers

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-26 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Okay, this is logically a hallucination. They were made aware of this possibility. But logic clearly has no rule here, and so--

--the badger is gone. For a moment, Alucard lets out a sigh of relief. Until Kay announces that the badger can teleport, and he's absolutely done. Out of instinct, he places a hand on her shoulder, starting to drag her in the opposite direction of the badger.]


Close your eyes, see if that improves the situation.
stealsthetruth: (this does me a concern)

LMAO FAIR ENOUGH

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-27 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[Kay tenses in surprise at his touch, but calms down quickly once she realizes it's not an aggressive gesture. What he says does make a certain amount of sense...]

R-right! I'll give it a shot!

[She squeezes her eyes shut SO hard, gritting her teeth and trying to will the beast away. It does seem to work... Kind of? Their warped surroundings shift in appearance, turning back into the natural cave walls. But even with her eyes shut her brain is still flashing the images of the badger at her, which kind of results in ghostly disembodied badger heads flickering here and there through the air.

UNSURE IF THIS IS AN IMPROVEMENT.]
cryptsleeper: (Fangies)

also thank you this is just So Much

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-27 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alucard's quick to let go, the purpose having been achieved. Kay is centered enough to try, and Alucard's eyes remain alert. He fears so few things, but this badger might become a part of that short list soon.

The cave returns. He doesn't breathe a sigh of relief yet, but he can report:]


I'm only seeing our original surroundings.
stealsthetruth: (Awwww nuts.)

kldmsmklfd THANK *YOU*, I AM ABSOLUTELY LIVING FOR THIS

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-06-28 01:49 am (UTC)(link)
Really?! Awesome! That's great news!

[There's a pause, and she continues to stand there with her eyes clenched shut, before piping up again hesitantly:]

Um. So. How long do you think I have to keep my eyes closed for then?

[This isn't actually a real solution, is it.

The ghostly badger heads continue to flicker around like they're moving under a strobe light.]
cryptsleeper: (Fangies)

IT IS A TREASURE

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-06-28 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
--Hm.

[This is absolutely temporary. Alucard weighs how much work is left ahead of them in terms of walking, and no. He can't steer them both for a mile.]

Open them, just to see if the thing returns. Then we can make informed choices.
stealsthetruth: (Omg just CALL HIM ALREADY)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-07-01 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
O-okay. Resuming vision, NOW--

[And she opens her eyes.

Almost immediately the badger is back, staring blankly with its horrible ovular eyes, doing its little dance. One side of the tunnel appears to melt away, this time revealing the interior of a Haunted House attraction.

One of the hallucinated doors opens and an additional badger floats out through it, landing to dance with its fellow. This one is pink.

Kay groans and presses a hand to her temple.]


This is really starting to freak me out.
cryptsleeper: (Increase bad thoughts)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-07-01 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh good. Now it's the interior of home mixed up with badgers of unnatural colors. The movement of the things against the backdrop has thankfully moved from terrifying to the absurd, leading to a deep, exhausted sigh from Alucard.

Why is any of this happening right now?]


Starting?

[That said, it is a much better option than what Alucard might come up with.]

We either have you close your eyes the entire time, since that seems to execute a modicum of control over the madness or we try walking through one of the doors.

Is there a reason it is pink?
stealsthetruth: (pic#15004259)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-07-05 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
[Feeling increasingly fuzzy-headed, it takes a moment before Kay verbalizes an answer to that question.]

...Um. Because 'it' is a 'she'? Obviously? Did you not notice the big bow she's wearing?

[Jeez Alucard, get with the program.]
cryptsleeper: (Default)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2021-07-05 02:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry, I didn't realize we are gendering our badgers by colors now!

[Alucard your sarcasm is not helping.]
stealsthetruth: (pic#15004321)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth 2021-07-05 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not just the color, it's the bow! And the eyelashes! She's clearly meant to evoke femininity!

[Tfw the 1400s vampire is more woke about not gendering colors than the Gen Z Teenager is ]

(no subject)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper - 2021-07-05 20:09 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth - 2021-07-05 23:30 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper - 2021-07-06 12:01 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] stealsthetruth - 2021-07-10 18:17 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper - 2021-07-11 18:20 (UTC) - Expand