isleofavalon | EVENT ✨ The Summer Solstice

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EVENT ✨ The Summer Solstice

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This is the event log for IC comments only! Ask OOC questions/plot/view event notes HERE or use the FAQ for general questions. Click here to view top-level comments only. A poll to collect results of the trials will be posted this weekend and stay open until the end of the month to give people a little time to see how their threads are going.

KEY POINTS

Celliwig responds-- y'all barely passed, so they kidnapped everyone and brought them to Celliwig for the summer solstice.

The summer solstice ritual is about renewing the sun and moon within a sacred fountain called Diamond Falls within Celliwig, which requires large-scale magics to essentially create a sun and moon cycle for the following year for Avalon, which exists outside of normal space and time.

Not everyone is happy about Celliwig opening back up, and some cursed spirits cross the river to attack the homecoming trip.

There have been some whispers about the summer solstice, but for some reason, Camelot doesn't seem to have put in as much effort for the summer solstice as they do for the other solstice and equinoxes. If anyone had asked around town, they'll say that the sun always seems to come out after they banish the water spirits, so there isn't much to do for it. A few of the more elderly fae around town seem to say there's a lot to do about it, but not to worry about it and just enjoy the time off. Even more silent has been the results of the trials. It seems as though it's bound to be a quiet June, relative to the last couple of months.

At least until the morning of the 20th. The sun has yet to rise, though birds have started their morning rounds and chirping. Rather suddenly, the entire atmosphere goes completely white, as if everyone has been enveloped by the sun itself. It's too bright to keep your eyes open, though if you'll try to squint through it you'll notice the entire ground is enveloped in shadow despite the impossible blinding light all around before you're pulled down into the darkness within a matter of seconds.

Regardless, when you open your eyes next, everyone has been teleported to a strange-looking park. The trees seem to be made of ceramic, blossoming strange, pure black leaves. Those with green magic will be able to tell the trees are alive and well, despite their odd appearance, and once out of the park, it may become more apparent where everyone is: A city beautiful and glistening, its buildings made of crystal and glass. Welcome to Celliwig, the Splendored Court. And this time? Their doors are open.

Explore: Celliwig
Celliwig is a city that's hidden with a large-scale glamour that causes it to look like a shanty-town from the outside. Those with permission to enter, however, will find that the city is actually a splendorous city made entirely of crystals and glass of all kinds. At its center is the Hall of Mirrors, which is typically closed to the public and guarded by a strange old man with huge, rippling muscles of at least 7 feet tall and a long, scraggly beard. Some may recognize him as the man from the #ChaliceChallenge trial, but he'll mostly ask you to call him Glewlwyd (the IV, but you can drop the number.)

Everything in the city appears to be open now, in contrast to the city mostly hiding away during the first visit. It isn't too crowded, but there are people out and about, and they seem to be less wary. The popular fashion seems to be styles similar to gothic lolita/aristocrat and cyber lolita/aristocrat, largely in black, white, or gray with sparks of color for accent that make each outfit unique to its wearer, and each person seems to have an almost airy, ethereal nature to them. They seem humanoid, and yet distinctively not human, gliding around rather than walking. There aren't too many typical dogs and cats around as pets, but snow-white ferrets and owls seem to be the popular animal companion of choice, often being carried around with their owners. There are also wild hamsters with tiny, useless wings that seem to run around during the day, so please watch your step. (They are fairies who used to be able to fly, but their wings seem to have gone the way of the appendix.)

Music seems to be largely string in nature, though it can range from calm and peaceful to sometimes more familiar music styles. It is played more openly in areas like the park or shopping centers by musicians who simply wish to share their sound, but outside of those designated areas it is mostly quiet in nature, save for the clamor of the newly transported guests from Camelot.

Celliwig's restaurants typically serve molecular gastronomy versions of food, and alcoholic drinks seem to come in vapor form and flashes of light if ordered, but seem effective nonetheless. Stores in general are open now, though except for a singular general store, seem to be very specific in nature. If you're going to a magic store, there is one specific store for crystals, one specific store for hand-crafted woodcrafts (wands, staffs) to better direct magical energy, a store for vegetables that's peculiarly separate from the store for fruit and the store for fish and the store for cooking supplies (which again, are all oriented toward molecular gastronomy-- good luck finding a whisk, enjoy your nitro whip canister), and so on.

Of note toward the entrance of town is a very large waterfall fountain that seems to be made of massive amounts of diamond, with inscriptions and a plaque toward the front. The plaque reads "Those who walk only in the light miss the truths hidden in the dark." This is of particular note given the invitation extended to all devices in the area:

Welcome to Celliwig. Tonight we celebrate the summer solstice. Having Barely Passed your trials, we ask you to participate in this sacred ritual before we grant safe passage and open communication with Queen Elphame. To the north of the park you arrived in, a hotel is prepared for your stay free of charge for the night. At sundown, come to the Diamond Falls. Be warned, thieves: The Diamond Falls are sacred, and thus cursed.

Those who try will experience a curse that causes food and drink to turn to ash in their mouth and an inability to experience pleasure, heal from injuries, or die. While they appear normal in the sun, the moonlight will reveal their true nature-- no matter how gruesome that gets, and will only be lifted when the sacred diamond is returned. Drinking water from the fountain is fine though, and if drunk can heal all wounds, regrow limbs, and get rid of scars so long as the drinker stays within the walls of Celliwig. The sacred water's effects wear off outside of the Splendored Court, unfortunately. Characters can ask around and Celliwigians will tell them this information freely, as they are quite proud of their splendor.

Those who choose to participate in the summer solstice rituals and show up at the Diamond Falls on time will first be offered a drink from the fountain, though it is not necessary to take the sip. (You may choose whether or not your character was informed of the effects of drinking the water ahead of this decision, if you want them to do so but they would not on their own.) After the drinking, a number of Celliwig's citizens will engage in a dance that rapidly picks up pace until they go into a trance, glowing magical energy starting to flow out of their bodies and create an almost solar flare-esque glow before they collapse to the ground. Not a moment later, the earth shakes and the ground begins to open up beneath the fountain, the waters draining down over a staircase that opens up beneath the floor of Celliwig to a large crystal cavern. The crystals within are huge, some easily surpassing twenty feet in length, and burst out from both the floor and ceiling. At the bottom of the staircase, the ground itself is covered entirely in at least half a foot of water save for raised platforms that those performing the ritual will be expected to jump across instead of disrupting the waters. At the end of this long passageway, there is a door made of stained glass. On the other side, a room carved out in stone, lit in vibrant orange and heated by a scorching heat. The stone forms a circle that flows around a large pool of lava.

One of the Celliwig leaders reads some sacred texts, then offers the following instructions: "Turn to the person next to you and offer them a piece of yourself. It can be tears, blood, hair, a whispered confession made tangible with magic-- anything that is yours. That person must then throw it into the lava and do the same in exchange. By giving part of ourselves to the fire and weaving that energy through those around us, we share the light with all around us. We fuel the sun of Avalon."

Once this portion is done, water will rain down from the ceiling and the entire room will be filled with steam, and then darkness as the lava's flames are rapidly put out. It's blinding and almost unbearably hot, and you'll have to find your partner-- or maybe someone else, by wandering around carefully and blindly. It may help to use a little magic at this point to see or guide yourself or others, either by cognitive suggestion or something more physical like creating vines to catch someone from falling on the still-rather-hot solid substance created by the water hitting the lava. Regardless, there seem to be giggles and screams and all manner of unnerving sounds as people try to find each other in the dark and look for the exit, which... doesn't seem to be where it started.

Eventually, the steam seems to get hot enough and shatters the stained glass door, which reveals a different room than before. The temperature drops rapidly, the air fresh and much easier to breathe as the steam spills out over the surface of the cool water. Light spills out from the ceiling, dim from the moon, and it becomes apparent that everyone has been let out into a massive cenote. It seems as if it's now time to relax and swim for a little while and just enjoy the cool release of no longer being trapped in the hot Diamond Fall's underground.

Eventually, everyone will find that regardless of how they felt when they got in, anyone in the cenote will feel their mood lift, until eventually they find a song in their heart that cannot be contained. People start bursting into songs that express part of who they are. For some, it will be songs they know. For others, it may be a song they've never heard but matches who they are to a tee or shares something they hadn't intended to about themselves with whoever is there. It's also possible two people could end up in a duet and end up swim-dancing together through a musical number. With each song that finds its way into the cenote, crystals seem to light up in the walls, as if they're reacting to the music itself. Once the entire cenote is lit up, the water begins to rise within the cenote much as the tide might, finally raising high enough to bring the people within back to the surface, the small pond within the park that everyone started in.

"The tides can feel your hearts and souls and raise with your spirits, and the Moon of Avalon in turn finds its will to dance with the Sun, providing light for the dark as the sun rests." the same leader speaks, before finishing, "Thank you for your assistance. With so much more energy than normal, even with the world as strained as it is now, Avalon's day and night cycle will remain as it should be. Rest now, and stay as long as you like. We will speak to Elphame and arrange a meeting. This shall not be forgotten, and you are welcome in Celliwig so long as you remember that light and darkness exist in tandem."

With the stay in Celliwig over, a special squad designed to help use a large-scale dark magic spell to pull everyone back to Camelot has come to greet everyone at the entrance to the city. However, the sudden increase in noise and flow of magic has attracted spirits from the Forest of the Felled to start crossing the nearby stream. The Forest of the Felled is a haunted forest, filled with spectral creatures alike of all manner that are often trapped in a labyrinth of spells and wards that were once put up by Camelot's finest. This haunted forest is part of the reason that Celliwig had cut ties with Camelot to begin with, after a group of people from particularly morally strict times had decided that the dead and cursed should not wander among the human witches and wizards that, at the time, had largely populated Camelot and sealed them off in the Forest of the Felled.

Enraged by Celliwig's reacceptance of Camelot citizens into its borders, a wave of specters has rushed across the white waters without concern for the Pure of Heart bridge to attempt to possess and attack the citizens of Camelot and prevent them from easily getting home. Ultimately, those with death magic are going to be most effective in this case, particularly at stopping possessions. However, green mages, alchemists, and elementalists are going to be important for staving off the death-like state of freezing that specters passing through your physical body can cause by creating means to rewarm people before they succumb to freezing temperatures and die. It seems as though light magic is very good at hiding people from the specters as well as temporarily warding them off with large blasts, and they seem particularly fearful of dark mages who are willing to curse the dead, given they've already lead a miserable existence. There are plenty of ways for each type of magic to find themselves useful in this battle, whether it's to help others escape or to fight on the frontlines.

Be particularly cautious as some of the will-o-wisps joining in the battle can transform into the visages of the deceased that they sense are close to your heart and draw you into the white rapids of the river. In the end, it will be a fierce battle.. or a fierce retreat, for those who don't have fight in them. Regardless of your solution for getting home, this time, you're going to have to walk home after escaping instead of relying on Celliwig's shadow transportation ritual.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...No need, there's no debt to begin with.

[Going to just try and walk away now.]

Sure there is! You paid for my drink... er, whatever that was, so...

[No getting out of this one, Eustace. Once she's set her sights on something, it's hard to turn her around! The only turning around that will be happening is Tifa coming to his side and slapping him on the back.]

How about I get you something nice? Need anything for back in Camelot?

[If he's not a local, then surely he doesn't have everything he needs or wants, right?]

[There's a small start of surprise when he feels that slap to his back that he immediately turns around to face her.

Did.

Did she really just.

.........................He feels like he just entangled himself with someone troublesome.......................]

Who's trying to pick up who now?

[Said very dryly. Seriously, try to get him something nice—]

I don't need anything.

[Don't flatter yourself, Eustace! This is just debt payment. The bartender never lets the customers buy her a drink, even if she wasn't the one tending said bar.]

Nothing?

[She doesn't believe him! There's a shop next to them with kitchen items in their window display.]

Do you like to cook?

[Uh huh.]

I have what I need for it.

[Is that a yes or no it will remain a mystery.]

[Alright, well that's out. Tifa's going to be pushy about paying him back, but not so pushy that she'll get him something he doesn't need... So she's already nudging him along down the street, slowing at each storefront to take a peek at what's inside. It looks to be a ... toy shop.]

These are cute!

[While she doesn't think that it would suit someone like him, she still presses a finger to the glass anyway, pointing out some stuffed animals on display. The ears haven't escaped her, but now doesn't feel like the time to ask, which is why she's instead drawing his attention to the little stuffed dogs.]

What do you think?

[For the most part he's just ignoring and wondering if he just leave like he usually does. So he's about to tell her it's enough when she stops in front of toy store.

...Why would he be interested in such thi—!?!!?!?

As soon as she points out the little plushie dogs, he actually falters a bit.]

............That's... [He only looks over a moment before he pointedly looks away.] Do I look like a child to you?

No, but...

[Her eyes dart up to his ears, but move back to fix on his just as quickly. That beat of surprise, or fondness, or whatever it was had been obvious enough to her, and she can't help the giggle she fails to stifle.]

Anyway. You don't need to be a kid to appreciate how cute they are, right? Unless you're looking for a real one...! Saw a pet shop just down the road.

[Don't think he didn't notice but he doesn't really mind or care at her look towards his ears. He's more focused on what she said.]

A pet shop?

[—No, no, he shouldn't be so quick to take interest so quickly...!!! But he hasn't really seen a lot of dogs around here which has been... A bit disheartening. So if maybe there were some at the pet shop...]

Yep.

[She lifts a matter-of-fact finger.]

Don't think I'll be able to repay you with a real one, but it'd still be fun to check out.

[A pit-stop, so to speak. She'll still find something to pay him back with later, but it seems that the idea gleaned some interest from him. Even if it's a little bit, she'll take the small wins when they come. It's better than moping around in a bar about the lack of beer, after all!

She's already starting to move in the shop's direction, slowly, and eyeing him over her shoulder like she's waiting for him to follow.]

[He stands there as if conflicted, his normally indifferent expression rippling with those troubled emotions.

On the one hand this is clearly a ploy and there really isn't anything that's making him actually stay with the woman. He could just walk away and be done with this.

On the other hand she could be persistent and he might get his peace and quiet faster if he just goes along with it and get things settled faster.

.......But of course the real reason for his conflict is because puppies. Are they being treated well? Why aren't there many dogs here is the area not as hospitable for them?? DO THE PEOPLE IN CELLIWIG NOT LIKE DOGS????

Okay he may not be thinking exactly that but the thought of seeing cute little puppies...

Before he even realizes it himself, his feet have answered for him and already following after Tifa.]

........Let's make this quick.

[Damn his weakness—]

[Everyone has a weak spot, and it looks like she might have found it. Her pace quickens back to a walk once he's moving after her, and it's only a block or so until they get to the shop, tucked away between a restaurant and a cute bakery. In the window, rabbits hop around and munch on their hay, and the birds can be heard chirping from inside.

She swings the door open and steps aside.]

After you.

[The shop itself isn't very big, but it's quaint. There are hardly any cages, and all of the ones that are there are left open for the animals to roam freely about the shop. There's even a small coffee shop in the back with baked goods (from next door, maybe?) and drinks, and a few places to sit. This isn't a pet store, but a pet café!?

A cat wanders up to the door and rubs itself against Eustace's ankles, greeting him with a raspy meow.]

[The whole walk Eustace looked stiff like a prisoner being dragged against his will, but the moment they enter the store and he sees all the animals, his expression softens considerably. He even smiles a little at the cat as he reaches down to give it an affectionate head pet before his ears pick up the sounds of paws clattering about and then the high pitch bark of the puppy that bounds over.

Now his expression brightens considerably and he doesn't even bother taking another step, instead allowing the puppy to run over before he picks it up before it can try and jump him.]

Hey, no jumping.

[It's a small scolding, but with how soft his gaze and smile is, it isn't too effective.

Anyway who was he with again? He has no idea because he is walking further inside to find the rest of the litter it keeps babbling about at him.]

[Tifa had a hunch that the sight of animals might do something to soften whatever outward impression he's trying to give off, as it does with anyone, but she's a touch surprised—pleasantly so—at how much when the puppy comes bounding over. She has no idea who this man is, but it's not hard to see where his soft spots are, so she watches quietly as he wanders further into the café with the puppy in tow.

She pauses to pick up the cat now rubbing itself at her ankles and follows behind him, pausing every now and then to say hello to the birds perched on the shelves and decorative branches placed strategically around the shop.

As for the litter of puppies, the three that didn't join their sibling come bounding at him with their ears flopping and their little barks overtaking the rest of the sounds in the café, and Tifa comes up from behind and kneels down, the cat now settled comfortably on her shoulder. The puppies jump at her and Eustace, and the cat bats its paw back to fend them off, so she lets Eustace take the lead on this one.]

Looks like you've already made some friends.

[Eustace had been so engrossed with the puppies that he's actually surprised when she comes up behind him, glancing back at her as if not expecting her to still be around. But then he's back to the puppies are who barking up at him, listening to their childlike voices.

Ears he has ears like us!! Big brother!!

Ah... So cute...

He just rubs their heads affectionately before they go to sniff at Tifa. (Lady it's a lady!!! Kitty!!)]

They're puppies, they're like children who just want to play with whoever is new.

Still doesn't make you any less special than me, or the next person.

[In spite of the cat still draped across her shoulders, Tifa picks up one of the puppies licking her hands, only for it to immediately go for her face instead, and she lets it, laughing and holding it in place until it's finished.]

I'd say you're a natural, though. Did you have dogs back home?

[more like: are you a dog, eustace]

[Just a slight glance back before his attention focuses on the puppies scrambling for his attention again.]

...Not since I was a child. I have an advantage here with animal magic so I can better understand and communicate with them.

Never met anyone with animal magic before...

[She turns the puppy in her hands to face Eustace, and presses its head up against her cheek, her eyes lighting up.]

That mean you can understand what this little guy's saying?

[He looks at her as he listens to the puppy barking excitedly.]

Mostly. He's taking too fast, but basically he wants to play with the "nice lady." His favorite toy is the ball over there.

[A small nod towards the toy near Tifa's foot.]

[The cat meows in response to that and hops off her shoulder to bat at said ball at her feet. The puppy barks and tries to wriggle free from her grasp to join the feline on the floor, and she's gentle in setting him down. When she does, he immediately steals the ball from the cat and drops it right in between her and Eustace.]

How do you say to share? It isn't nice to steal from others, especially when they just wanna play, too.

[Did the cat want to play? It's always so hard to read them...]

[Eustace eyes the cat.]

I don't think it has such pure intentions...

[Sure enough, the cat immediately swipes the ball away and the puppy barks before trying to chase.]

[Pure intentions or not, it's still cute, even if Tifa almost topples over when the puppy runs after, leading the pack of them along with him as well. The cat leaps up onto a nearby perch with the ball in its mouth and watches as the dogs all stop at the bottom and bark up at it, their tails still wagging with excitement.]

A friend of mine has a few cats of his own. They're all really sweet... but you can never tell what they're thinking.

[She settles down on the floor with her legs crossed as another, more timid dog wanders up to check them out. This one is bigger and not as excitable, but still just as friendly. She lets him sniff around, watching as he circles Eustace.]

I still owe you payment, by the way. Don't think I've forgotten. There's a café or something at the back of the shop... How about we go see what they've got?

[Eustace just watches as the cat taunts the pups, hearing its voice as it teases them with the ball and the pups just calling up to it. It seems like a game they often play, so he'll leave them be.]

I've found them mischievous and fickle...I don't mind them, but I prefer the straightforwardness from dogs.

[And speaking of dogs, here comes the timid one and Eustace just waits patiently for it to circle him and get used to him before extending a hand. The dog sniffs before pushing its head up against his hand, tail wagging a bit as Eustace smiles and scratches its ears. To think he couldn't have done this just a few years ago...]

As for payment, I told you you didn't need to, and this alone is enough.

[Being with dogs. He really is quite the simple man.]

But I suppose buying something from the store would be the better to support this place.

[He's not sure what the policy of being in here is, but the store would probably prefer all visitors to actually pay for something instead of just loitering around with the animals. So he'll start to stand so they can head onto the cafe.]

[A simple man indeed, but a stubborn one, Tifa's noted, but that's never stopped her before. She's glad to have him concede, though. Thank you for loosening him up a bit, puppies!]

That's the spirit.

[The dog that's been sniffing around at him leaps up to put his front paws on Eustace, and on his hind legs, he's tall enough to be able to try pressing them to his chest. He's on his own with this one, with Tifa only laughing as she's the one that leads them to the café, and the moment that Eustace moves, the dog will follow, and the puppies will follow him, their ears flapping as they run to keep up.

The menu at the café itself isn't very extensive, but they do have a list of different kinds of coffees as well as a display of goodies, for humans and pets alike.]

You much of a coffee guy?

[Fortunately Eustace is able to handle the dog, immediately grabbing its forelegs as it jumps up on him. He gives it a small scolding before pushing him down, the dog whining a bit but obeying, its tail wagging furiously. With a hand on its head, he'll follow after Tifa, and yes he will hear the sounds of the dogs following him.

He might not look it, but he's inwardly pleased and a bit happy about this situation. Ah...dogs...

With the puppies crowding his feet and the big one occasionally rising up on its hind legs and Eustace pushing its head down, his eyes remain on the menu. Hmmm.]

It's fine. You go ahead.

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