isleofavalon | 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

[ Perhaps a tad bit on the edge because she doesn't know what exactly to do at a time like this, but when Tifa grabs onto Weiss' hand, it's given a squeeze. Nothing hard, nothing that hurts, but Weiss needs to know that she's here. This world likes to toy with the mind, and Weiss refuses to take any chances. ]

Let's try and find the path we used to come up here, then. [ Surely the exit should also be the entrance, right?

As she says that, though, a cold breeze passes between their ankles, wraps around them for a bit, before disappearing. Some giggling can be heard from a distance. Weiss gives Tifa's hand another squeeze, this time out of shock because WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!!! ]

Did- Did you feel that?!

[At the same time, Tifa's backing up in fear, her other hand grabbing onto Weiss' shoulders to help steady herself. She can handle the dark, but—]

What was that!?

[She spins the two of them around on the spot, looking and squinting as if she can see through the darkness, but there's another noise in her ear. This one is low, but it has a voice. A distinct voice that she recognizes, but it's so distant that she's not sure if she hears it right. "I'm sick of—"]

Stop it!

[Fire erupts at Tifa's feet and she lets go of Weiss. Her foot comes up in a kick, but it passes through the air like nothing, igniting the room for only a moment as it breaks through the steam, and goes dark again. Her breathing goes ragged, and she's fighting back a quiet sob for letting it get to her, but Tifa straightens anyway, thankful for being shrouded in the dark.]

[ Even Tifa's reactions startle her, but she figures that there's no point in freaking out if both of them are. Not to mention, she's not usually so jumpy when with her team! ]

Okay, let's both take a deep breath and think things through.

[ As creepy as this whole place is. ]

Take my hand so I know you're here.

[It's embarrassing, to say the least, to have lost her cool so quickly, but things like ghosts and voices in her head? It's hard to reason with them, and so the only thing she knows what to do is fight back. To turn that fear into strength and use it against them...

But she can feel eyes on her still, even as she takes Weiss by the hand again, her grip a little stronger than last time, and she pauses to take a deep breath.

Okay, Tifa. You got this.]

... Do you remember where the exit was?

I don't even know where we are anymore.

[ It's dark and they moved some! But holding each other's hand is calming Weiss by a lot. At least she's not alone in this, so the presence of another person is comforting. And to her? Because she already knows who this person is, even though they've only just met for the first time, is even more comforting. ]

I can still hear some voices... [ Distant voices, but these can become louder and louder if these spirits decide to do harm to them. ] Can you make a light with your magic?

[ She did see Tifa make fire from her feet earlier! ]

Yeah... I can...

[But she even sounds hesitant to do so, only out of fear that the Celliwig leaders will say something, or the owners of these voices are going to show themselves. Maybe if it's just a little flicker of light, just so they can get an idea of where they are...? What's the harm in that? No one said anything about not using magic in here—just that the diamonds are laced with a curse should anyone dare to steal them.

Her shoulders tense again, and she flinches as another voice brushes her ears, shrill but quiet, its high pitch giving rise to more goosebumps on her arms, but she tries to focus on how Weiss' hand is secured in hers. Not even the voices can take that way from her, and that gives her the small bit of reassurance she needs to concentrate.

The light that comes is fast—a flicker in the dark—and she's able to catch a quick glimpse of Weiss, the room, and the startled people around them before it goes out again. There's a door to their left, which she doesn't see, but she hopes that Weiss did...! She'd been too busy looking at the white braided hair to keep herself grounded in reality.]

We'll be okay. Keep doing what you're doing.

[ Yes, she did see, but she needs a bit more than that to properly get there. Still, a lead's a lead! And with a gentle squeeze of Tifa's hand, Weiss signals the two of them to head towards the direction of the door. It's as she said— they'll be okay.

And just in case? She has her sword at the ready, not that that would do much compared to the magic she's able to wield. ]

Focus on the sound of my voice.

[They near the door, thanks to both Tifa's lights and Weiss leading the way, and even Tifa can see it now when she does chance to let her eyes stray from the back of Weiss' head, but the moment she lets the next flame spark to life, something else happens that she hadn't been expecting.

For a split second, she worries that it had been her doing. As if it hadn't already been enough already, the room grows so hot that it feels like the heat is sucking the air right out of her lungs, but that lasts for only a moment because in the next, the room is being filled with a blast of cold air and the sound of shattering glass. It startles Tifa, and she tugs Weiss back towards her, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

A door has opened, and in spills the moon from above, shedding its light on a new room—one that's filled with water so blueish-green that it reminds her of mako, with a waterfall feeding into it.]

Huh?

[Tifa's arm slips from around Weiss and with a single glance exchanged, she moves a step in its direction.]

Well... That's one way to do it, I guess...

[Whatever happened, she's definitely not complaining.]

[ It all happens so quickly that Weiss doesn't have much time to react. When she's about to, rather violently, it seems the situation has calmed. Or at least, what surprise and fear she felt ebbs away quickly when she sees a different kind of light. ]

... I don't know what happened either. [ But she's of the same mind as Tifa. All's well that ends well? ] Let's stay on our guards. Who knows what could happen next.

EVENT ✨ The Summer Solstice

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I'M SO SORRY FOR SLOW