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

We'll take both.

[No hesitation whatsoever. Of course he doesn't want to give them too much, but...he doubts he'll see them again for a while.

Of course the puppers are sitting on their butts wagging their tails furiously, some unable to contain their excitement and standing up again before plopping down. It seems they've had some training at least, which is impressive.]

Both it is. And I'll grab two coffees while we're at it please.

[At least she can see from the other side of the counter that the drinks they serve here aren't broken down into some weird science experiment, but it comes from the large coffee machine at the back. Just a regular drink—that was all she wanted—and while this isn't what she came to the district for, it will do just fine as a substitute.

The dogs bark, waiting for their treats, and so once their drinks are served, Tifa hands Eustace the large biscuit while she holds onto the paper cups of steaming hot coffee.]

You should do the honours.

[He takes the biscuit, but he glances at her.]

You still can if you want to.

[Of course he won't hesitate to break down the treat into slightly smaller pieces before making the dogs sit and hold it before starting to feed them.]

Don't worry. I'm not going to let you have all the fun.

[She jiggles the bag of smaller treats, and the puppies bark and yelp at her, their tongues out and tails wagging like this will be their first meal in weeks.

Tifa sets the coffee down so she can tear the bag open with both hands, and grabs a few. Just enough for one each. Don't want to fatten up the dogs on treats...! The puppies rush her, pushing each other aside to try being the first to get one, but she holds fast, not letting them have any until they're all sitting in a neat row side by side.]

They're pretty well-trained.

[And one by one, she hands the treats out, each dog snatching theirs from her fingers.

Meanwhile, the cat is staring at them from nearby, and Tifa lets her shoulders droop. Ah, in all the puppies' excitement, she forgot to grab a treat for the cat! She'll be right back, Eustace! And when she returns, it's with a small stick of freeze-dried salmon that she feeds to the now-happy cat.

Idly, she starts making conversation again, her smile warm as the cat licks the crumbs from her hand.]

I used to have one when I was a kid.

Given how many people would have likely spoiled them, it's commendable. So it's good you're making them earn it.

[And it surely has nothing to do with Eustace telling them to behave earlier. They're puppies after all, they can be difficult especially when they see a chance that someone might just give them free treats! Meanwhile he's given the larger one the last of the treat and currently ruffling it's fluffy ears as an additional reward. (It told him okay.) So he's only idly aware of Tifa going back for more treats and doesn't mind waiting until she returns.]

A cat?

[While she's with the cat, Eustace will reach over and take the coffees. He's had his fill for now so Tifa can have a turn with the kitty.]

Mhm.

[Tifa holds herself still while the cat starts to groom her hand, front and back.]

His name was Maru. Someone in my village had a litter, so I took one home. He was cute, but always a troublemaker, that one. [She says it with every ounce of fondness she has to spare, of course.] He'd get out all the time, and there'd be search parties out looking for him, but after a while...

[She sighs with an unusual amount of weight in her shoulders now, and her laugh is stiff.]

After a while, we realized that he'd always find his own way home. So we just let him do his own thing.

[The cat purrs, and bumps its head against her arm.]

[He eyes her for a moment, noticing her change in demeanor, and remains quiet for a bit before speaking.]

The important thing is he knew where his home was.

[Small pause.]

I lived in a small farming village so while there were cats, they weren't really pets. We just let them come and go as they pleased.

[Hmmm they should probably get a table. He'll start moving towards an open one.]

[Slowly but surely, this enigma that is Eustace begins to unwind, and Tifa follows along behind him with a smile, taking her coffee and the bag of treats. Of course the puppies all follow her, wanting more, but she lets them all sit and roll around at their feet when they sit.]

Were people leaving food out for them? They tend to hang out where they know there'll be food, don't they?

[She picks up the cat that's joined them and sets it on her lap where it sits happily, sniffing at the cup on the table in front of her.]

[Still going to be a while before she uncovers everything, though it does help that he's being a little less tightlipped about himself these days. A little.]

A little. They mostly helped take care of any mice and other vermin around the barns. [As the older dog settles near his feet, he idly reaches down to give it a little scratch behind the ears.] Some cats had their own territory and hung out with specific families while others roamed in-between. There weren't too many so there wasn't a lot of competition.

I guess some cats can get pretty territorial.

[Maru wasn't. If anything, as mischievous as he was, he was friendly. He never came home with dirt or scratches, even if he did always manage to find a way out to explore. Nibelheim was a small town, though, so it stopped being a concern after a while.

Tifa's smile lingers, but there's something sad about her expression when she recalls her hometown, but she pretends that the dread isn't there.]

How about dogs? You're pretty good with them...

Mm. [A small nod as he sips his coffee, his gaze a little distant. It's still a little strange for him to talk about his childhood home, even more towards a stranger, but...well it's fine. As long as he's careful, there's nothing wrong with reminiscing some of the more mundane things.]

Mostly for hunting. I... [There's a very rare, very slight falter in his voice as the memories surface before he continues a little more slowly.] ...There was a wolf cub I raised when I was a kid.

[And although he hides it better (or rather, he's just grown more hardened about it), there is a similar feeling around him. A somber sense of nostalgia that dampens what should otherwise be a light and cheerful topic between them.]

[Tifa can sense some of the heaviness, having worn some of it herself for a long time, and the way that he continues the thought tells her that this might not be as light a topic as she had hoped. Something as small as remembering their pets shouldn't carry this kind of weight, but perhaps he's suffered in some of the same ways that she has...?]

No wonder.

[She chooses not to press on the sudden shift, instead nodding as she takes a quiet sip of her coffee, relishing in its warmth and allowing it to chase away any memories of the past that the cat's drudged up.

It reminds her that she has one perched on her lap still, purring while it watches her, so she gives it a pat on the head.]

What was its name?

Vitty.

[There's a small, faint smile as he thinks of the little wolf pup. As...painful as those memories can be despite the many years, he is learning that opening up a little helps ease the blinding the rage that would sometimes accompany it.]

[The smile almost feels intangible in the way that the sun somehow shines through the windows a little brighter, or how the sound of the cat's purrs seems to resonate through Tifa's bones, or how the taste of her coffee is all the sweeter. It could just be that it's her imagination doing these things, but his smile is contagious, and it presses one to her own lips when she sees it, and it quickly boils over into a giggle.

There's something about animals that does that to people.]

That's a cute name.

[She leaves her response open-ended, her voice trailing off and eyes fixed on him, as if urging him to continue if he'd prefer, with silence being the other, perfectly fine option.]

[The giggle catches him off guard as it's not a reaction he would have expected. So there's now a slight questioning look as he studies her for a moment...but it doesn't seem she laughed out of amusement at him. He can see how she's curious to learn more, and for a moment he considers.

But he's not sure what he could even say or share. Is he even ready to? Add that onto his already reticent nature and he ends up first giving a quiet, low hum of acknowledgement before taking a small sip of his coffee as silence briefly settles between them.]

...He had been separated from his pack so I took care of him until he was strong enough to return on his own. After that I'd hang out in the forests to play with him.

Dogs and wolves are special, aren't they? They remember these things. The people who took care of them. Even years later, yeah?

[Tifa laughs, hearing how silly the thought sounds out loud, and dismisses it with a tiny wave of her hand.]

Or maybe I've just watched too many movies.

[Was that a trait more common in entertainment? A ploy to pull at heartstrings? She's never run into that situation before.]

...Mm. [His countenance is still the same, though his grip unconsciously tightens around his cup as he takes a long sip.

They were broaching a more sensitive part of the topic, and while he wouldn't have gone much further, he has an opportunity with the foreign concept.]

Movies... You mean those long videos? Like plays on screens?

[Technology is a little weird in his world in that despite being from a general high fantasy world, it also has some advanced technology that brings it a little closer to "modern" tech, but it's limited in scope and not for consumers. His only real exposure has been through his time here in Avalon.

Needless to say, he's never watched an actual movie.

And yes he deliberately changed the topic.]

[She has a feeling. People like him aren't so difficult for her to read—she's used to it. Used to those telling pauses, or the little hums of affirmation without further elaborating. And Tifa doesn't question it or push. He'd shared plenty, and she can garner a pretty good impression of him from that.

She maintains her knowing smile, even while she takes a sip from her cup, other hand now scratching under the cat's chin.]

Huh? Plays on screens?

[She laughs again, the realization dawning on her quick.]

Wait... have you never seen a movie before?

No, I haven't.

[Just a slight quirk of his brow. Was it really that strange...?]

They don't exist in my world and I never saw any reason to see one here.

[Not strange as much as it is surprising! She sometimes forgets that they all come from very different worlds. It's so easy to when she's grown used to things, and it all starts to feel more natural.]

Well, there's a first for everything.

[Can he see her gears turning? The glimmer in her eyes?]

How about we go see one sometime?

[....He sees it.

He just gives her a flat look and answers a little dryly:]

This is our first time meeting. Would this be considering going fast or not?

[And sipping his coffee. YEAH HE'S JOKING.]

[She sips her coffee back, pointed, and louder than necessary, her grin spreading to her eyes.]

Too soon to commit?

[Tifa sets her coffee down on the table and lets her eyes close for a moment.]

How about we meet a couple more times then.

[And those couple more times will not be anything like she imagined they would be, but at least she'll stick to her word?]

[That just earns her another look. How did this happen...]

Are you always this persistent?

[A somewhat serious yet also offhand joking question.]

Do whatever you want.

[Well. As a little weird this has been and although she can be pushy, she did manage to find this place. And despite how he might appear, he's in a good mood (because of the dogs). So he won't actively seek her out, but if she finds him or they happen to meet, he probably won't refuse her company unless he's in the middle of something.

Probably.

He knows he can always just disengage if needed.]

I'll hold you to that.

[Be careful, Eustace.

You're making yourself a long-term friend right here with those words—someone who will invite you to everything, not just movies. Social gatherings, too, should she ever find the room to host them! :)

They won't stay at the café for much longer, but Tifa does leave the remainder of the bagged treats with him should he ever want to return to Celliwig to visit with the puppies again. At least then, he'll have something nice to give them. Maybe one day she'll return too, if only to adopt one of the kittens that have taken up refuge here...

For now, she'll say her goodbyes and "until we meet again", because she has a feeling it won't be long before they do.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ✨ The Summer Solstice

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can prob wrap this up!

Yeeee

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