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avalonmods ([personal profile] avalonmods) wrote in [community profile] isleofavalon2021-09-22 01:13 am

EVENT ✨ Fall Equinot


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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.


SUMMARY: In the days leading up to the fall equinox, geese intended for eating escape and cause havoc around town, people share techniques to preserve plants for the winter, and Camelot's citizens compete to make the best light shows with traditional wax candles to draw spirits peacefully into Camelot.


With all the harder preparations gathered for the Fall Equinox, throughout the month people will notice that decorations start going up around town. The colors of fall seem to seep throughout Camelot, but more than that, so do more traditional sights and smells. In the days leading up to the equinox, traditional acts such as the sacrifice and consuming of flesh are performed. Well.. normally they would be. The fattened geese that are normally eaten in preparation for the equinox have escaped and are causing havoc around town. Geese are running around causing trouble for everyone-- stealing glasses, opening gates, putting up toilet seats when people try to sit down so they fall in the bowl... all kinds of madness! Even if you weren't intent on eating geese and were going to settle for the vegetarian option (pumpkin and nut soups are frequently served using the gourd itself as a bowl), you have to agree the general public needs to be rescued from these menaces. If you have the stomach for it, you are welcome to keep one of the geese you capture for your own table... but otherwise, please return the birds to the farm where they can be handled accordingly.

Birds are not the only sacrifice made to the autumnal equinox. As the flowers begin to reach the end of their life, there is a strong tradition of gathering flowers and herbs and preserving them for the upcoming winter, either to protect their beauty, scent, edibility, and sometimes magical properties. The simplest form of preservation is, of course, drying and pressing-- a technique you don't need magic for, but some of the locals will happily teach you. A more advanced technique can be learned to enchant glass bell jars to suspend the lifeforce of any living thing within its grasp for up to a year, if no one opens it. It's a technique used to preserve important or rare plants that may otherwise die out during the winter, such as herbs used in your favorite spell.. or dish. The glass bell jar will protect the plant, but each time it is picked up, a single petal or leaf will fall off of the plant. If all the leaves fall off, the plant becomes unrecoverable, and come spring the caster will find themselves cursed with a touch that wilts any plant they come in contact with. So if you choose to use this, be warned that there are consequences for misuse and a wide number of horror stories from people who have tried to use this spell for anything other than plants. Any type of mage can pour their magic into a bell jar to enchant it, and the type of magic will be reflected in a glass design that forms around the rim and handle. (An elemental mage may have glass flames form, or frosted etchings of your favorite animal may appear if you're an animal mage, and so on. Feel free to get creative.) Green mages may find this magic a little useless, since they can just replenish plants with their own magic, but it's still a good technique to know.. just in case!

Perhaps the most beautiful tradition that takes form leading up to the autumnal equinox is the candle pathway. Every street in Camelot will be lit up with thousands of candles for two nights leading up to the autumnal equinox, as a guiding light to help the spirits find their way to Avalon. The way the streets in Camelot are mapped out, the lights will form a path to the square where the fairy coins are being held until their release on September 22nd, the same area where the guardian egg ceremony had been performed. Some people get very creative with their lighting displays, which can sometimes result in beautifully lit streets and magnificent structures of flames. Accidents are quickly quelled by volunteer elemental mages throughout the city to prevent any structural damage. Some people might be compelled to make their own light display the most outstanding on the block, and it becomes a bit of a game to compete with your neighbors to see whose section of the candle pathway is the most extravagant.


SUMMARY: The autumn equinox ritual is interrupted by a huge earthquake caused by a Stone Giant bursting out of the Ash Mountains, bringing the closest Ash Mountain and Lestari to the ground. The purple dragon erupts from the ruins to attack Celliwig. The survivors of the collapse need help desperately. Characters must choose where they go to determine the fate of Avalon.


Calm and mundane preparations are a nice break from the sometimes stressful lives of Camelot's citizens and otherworlders, who often are asked to embark on life-threatening adventures and tasks. It's probably a good thing most of the month has been relatively peaceful, as things need to go a little bit differently this year on the fall equinox itself... but not as differently as they actually do.

In the town square, elaborate celtic-similar symbols are carved out into the ground and filled with mysterious glowing liquids. All of those who gained guardian tattoos and their attendants were asked to attend a ritual to release them on the night of the 22nd, along with anyone else who would like to witness. Everything is ready and as the witching hour approaches, several individuals dressed in flowing robes with their faces painted like skeletons approach. As the leader raises his voice to explain why they've come and what to do to make this night a success, a sudden shock-- Avalon itself shakes with the might of an earthquake... or at least, that's what it seems like for the first few minutes as everyone gathers themselves until they hear mass screaming in the distance. Though it's hard to see what's going on... there are still some very, very obvious problems.

A stone giant rises from the first of the Ash Mountains, crumbling the mountain around it as if the ancient being were holding the very mountain itself up... and it was. Those who visited Lestari will have seen its giant feet within the underground city. The former city. Lestari is now buried beneath the mountain, along with many of the other creatures living on and around the mountain. A huge storm of mixed weather forms above the giant's head, blizzard and lightning raging around it to no avail. As the people of Camelot watch what's only visible at a macro distance, they may not be as quick to notice that all of the fairy coins have begun glowing vibrantly, then suddenly burst out of the jars they've been held in, shattering right through them to fly off en-masse toward the stone giant. They embed themselves in it, fueling the giant with enough power to both begin to walk away from the rubble and for the spirits that have begun gathering in Avalon to head toward it, rather than where they had been intended.

As if that were not enough, after the Stone Giant takes two large steps through the Land of Rot, the gargantuan cloud of dust covering the ruins of the first of the Ash Mountain range rather suddenly lights up with a vibrant, ultra-violet burst of flames that illuminates the smoke. The gargantuan purple dragon that once took up residence in the mountain clambors out of the dust and shoots straight into the sky, enraged and furious, and able to sense where the magic came from that raised the stone giant. The reason it immediately begins flying toward Celliwig with the intent to raze it to the ground is likely not immediately apparent, but it is quite odd that it bypasses the much closer target of Camelot with its rage. As does the Stone Giant, though it does not head toward Celliwig and instead seems to absorb the souls of the dead that were intended to be guided by the fall equinox's rituals as it lumbers through the land. If someone does not stop it, it is headed for the Forest of the Felled.

King Arthur is immediately on the emergency broadcast system to implore people to join one of three groups:
  • Investigate and stop the Stone Giant

  • Slay the dragon and save Celliwig

  • Rescue survivors of Lestari and the Ash Mountain


  • The success of each of these missions is dependent on character participation. See the poll for details about how certain character types may affect the outcome of the missions.

    Please refer to Event Poll Notes for information about aftermath of this event and additional event info > Event Outcomes.
    bright_moon: (mdzs_e10_14897)

    [personal profile] bright_moon 2021-09-23 01:46 pm (UTC)(link)
    "What has been done to you, yes. Not you." A gentle correction to how he sees it. Especially when Xue Yang lets him do as he pleases.

    And that smile is sweet.

    Xingchen nods immediately and reaches out to trace the delicate design. "It's a lovely ornament." He pulls back to start gently untangling Xue Yang's hair, combing it mostly dry before he starts to braid.
    cultivatingsin: (Bang bang that awful sound)

    [personal profile] cultivatingsin 2021-09-23 01:51 pm (UTC)(link)
    The correction makes him feel warm again - like Xingchen is wrapping him in something soft. He touches the bandage on his arm and notes the way his fingers continue to tingle from being held.

    "Daozhang..." he begins, unsure where he is going, "If I went against your word or I failed to do something I promised you I would, would you torture me?"
    isleofnpcs: PB: Peter Gadiot (Merlin Gray)

    [personal profile] isleofnpcs 2021-09-23 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
    "You know, that would work too. Maybe we should put both, in case some don't open their phones", Merlin says with a thoughtful hum.

    At least then no one can say they didn't try to warn them.

    "No one's expecting you to."
    beefaroni: (Default)

    [personal profile] beefaroni 2021-09-23 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
    A slow nod. "... I am going to find the geese. I am going to return the geese."
    beefaroni: (Caged He By The Corpses)

    [personal profile] beefaroni 2021-09-23 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
    "I know," and in fact it's pretty obvious. And Asterios' knows his own words may do nothing to quell Beowulf's rage - but he has to try.

    "But it did not attack before. Only now - only when, home destroyed! Frightened, angry! We may not... need to kill. Just to stop!"
    troubadamsel: (Look At This Weakling!)

    [personal profile] troubadamsel 2021-09-23 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ She lays on her back, a little dizzy, but mostly angry. Nothing really hurt but her pride.

    ... Which is a problem, since pride is a big thing for her. ]


    ... I'M GOING TO PLUCK EVERY LAST FEATHER FROM THEIR BODIES, IF I EVER GET MY HANDS ON THEM!
    forgeabettertomorrow: (Nani the fuck?!)

    [personal profile] forgeabettertomorrow 2021-09-23 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Darin’s eyes suddenly regain some fire. That’s right! There was more than just the dragon!]

    [He clasps Claude’s shoulder in a firm grip and sends a powerful surge of soothing, healing energy through him to remove whatever fatigue he might have.]


    That’s right! The giant! What happened to the giant!

    And Lestari?! Is there any news on Lestari?!

    [Oh gods Allura was there. Was she alright?!]
    troubadamsel: (You Can Do It!)

    got goosed

    [personal profile] troubadamsel 2021-09-23 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Maribelle is without her parasol - which is both a good and a bad thing, as she would have been smacking them away with no mercy shown. But she only has her hands now, and is trying to get them to stop pulling her hair and hair ribbons! So when she sees Darin... ]

    Watch out! I swear, these are demons in feathery form!
    leicesters: (034)

    [personal profile] leicesters 2021-09-23 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Claude looks briefly startled when Darin seems to spring back to life, though he soon collects himself. The magic is at least a little reprieve from his exhaustion, and he can feel his energy beginning to return.]

    Summoning the spirit guardians was a success. [He nods on to where the shadowy deer has gone on ahead.] But I'm afraid we couldn't stop the giant. We threw everything we had at it... but it only stopped after it absorbed all the spirits trapped in the Forest of the Felled. Now they're all-- gone.

    [Not 'moved on', but gone. Perhaps why his shadowy companion is so keen to make sure any lost spirits here don't meet the same end.]

    I haven't heard from Lestari yet. I saw the smoke, so I came here as fast as I could.
    forgeabettertomorrow: (The things I've seen)

    [personal profile] forgeabettertomorrow 2021-09-23 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
    [If there was a quicker way for someone to completely destroy Darin, that was it. His eyes go wide and his hand falls from Claude's shoulder.]

    No...

    [Gods above...how could this have happened? After everything they'd done to try and secure peace, after everything they'd done to help.]

    [Oh gods what about Allura? If nothing was known about Lestari, was she...? He could feel his heart grow cold and somewhere, deep down, that feeling he'd known when Caster cursed him was creeping into his awareness. That complete despair of losing everything he cared about. If Allura was gone...]

    [What was the point...?]

    [He could try and contact her but...what would happen if she didn't answer? Could he bear that right now?]

    [He takes a wobbly step back, but his legs don't support him. He falls backwards onto his rear and just...sits there.]

    [Where did he go wrong...? He should never have tried to save the dragon. If it weren't for him, the dragon wouldn't have gotten away. He could have helped shift the tide against the giant or...or better yet, put his healing to use in Lestari...! Then maybe...]

    [He looks up at Claude...but he doesn't so much look at him as he looks through him.]


    What have I done...?
    tantailizing: Artwork by: Hira (Otemoto84) (What the heck?)

    [personal profile] tantailizing 2021-09-23 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Are you gonna be alright doing that alone?"

    Berry might got size, but goose were... well, goose.
    leicesters: (021)

    [personal profile] leicesters 2021-09-23 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
    [The guy's clearly not okay. Claude waves a hand in front of his face and addresses him in an uncharacteristically stern tone.]

    Hey! Stay with me. Whatever you have or haven't done, there are people in these ruins right now whose lives still hang in the balance. Are you going to come help, or waste time feeling sorry for yourself?

    [He doesn't wait for an answer, already moving to mount his horse.]
    beewulf: (13)

    [personal profile] beewulf 2021-09-23 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
    "The only way to stop, is to slay."

    There was no talking him out of the notion of fighting the thing to the death. It was quite clear that he wouldn't hear any such arguments either and wouldn't stop no matter what. All he saw was a natural disaster on wings that wouldn't stop until it had destroyed everything or was destroyed itself. "It will kill, rape, torture, destroy... everything."
    resistetmords: (Gloria fortis miles)

    [personal profile] resistetmords 2021-09-23 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
    [THE BEAST HAS BEEN UNLEASHED!?]

    C-calm down... they're just geese. We'll catch them...!

    [Oh no, how to calm her down?]
    humerusfont: (Default)

    Sans | Undertale

    [personal profile] humerusfont 2021-09-23 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
    i. some pressing matters.

    [ New places mean new experiences! And what better way to get acquainted with everything than to take part in Camelot's traditions? Sans is here, settling down in a seat and learning from the locals how to dry and press some flowers! It isn't too much work for him, which Sans is happy for. Come join him! ]

    ii. trip a little light fantastic!

    [ He never thought he'd see something so beautiful- a bunch of candles marking different paths at night. Sure, bioluminescent lights in the underground were gorgeous, but there was something about being out at night and still having the place lit up as bright as day. Things like this made him that much more grateful. Forgive him if he doesn't answer you right away- it truly is a stunning sight to take in. ]

    iii. wildcard.

    [ An open prompt for anything we want! Feel free to hang out with Sans and we can spur of the moment make things up as we go along! Or if you'd like to plan some things out, feel free to hit me up at [plurk.com profile] spooksville! ]
    tantailizing: Artwork by: Yuffie (maybe) (Huuu?)

    [personal profile] tantailizing 2021-09-23 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Huh? Yeah, I can."

    That felt like a weird question, but he then remembered some people couldn't cross it.
    tantailizing: Artwork from Pixiv: 75586271 (A Blue Light)

    [personal profile] tantailizing 2021-09-23 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Looking back over to the guy, he blinks - he's setting up a whole fire. Ah, he's gonna camp then? If he wanted to, but looking into the distance, there were other places they - well, he guessed just him - needed to be.]

    [He shakes his head.]


    Mourning can wait. I still have to check on Celliwig and Lestari.
    commediadellanime: (pic#14592780)

    childe | genshin impact

    [personal profile] commediadellanime 2021-09-23 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
    candle paths;
    [The festivals and traditions of Camelot - and Avalon as a whole - are something of a novelty to Childe. It's always been one of the interesting parts of all the traveling he's had to do as a Harbinger. He rarely got to linger in most places, and sometimes he should have been more suspicious of people who seemed to know too much about history and old, ancient traditions...

    But it's still nice.

    He's standing next to an extravagant candle display, looking thoughtful, before he turns to whoever happens to be passing by.]


    Do you think the spirits really care about how fancy these displays are? This is more for the living, isn't it?

    [He laughs brightly, shaking his head.]

    dragon fight;
    [Everything happens at once. He's not necessarily surprised by everything that happens - it's always best to expect the unexpected and prepare for the worst.

    This, though, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

    Childe's never fought a dragon. The only dragon he's even gotten to see in person was the fake Exuvia, just another part of Zhongli's deception, and it didn't do much besides fall during the Rite of Descension. When's he going to be able to do this again? He's always delighted in the thrill of fighting an opponent you've never faced before, of seeing how you stack up and compare - will you win? Lose? A battle is always an unknown.

    It helps that his magic has changed - eating the fruit had been out of curiosity, and waking up with magic that was more familiar, more reminiscent of home, has made everything so much better. It doesn't help much, it seems, the dragon too powerful to everyone to stop it...

    But Childe doesn't seen all that tore up about it.

    He stands in the rubble, the mask that always stays tucked in his hair over his face for once, watching the dragon retreat. After a moment, he... Laughs.]


    That was even more exciting then I thought it would be!

    aftermath;
    [Surprisingly, after the fighting is over Childe sticks around. His mask is back in his hair, and he doesn't seem all that bothered as he walks through the ashes of Celliwig. He will, though, stop if he sees anyone sorting through the rubble - especially if they seem tired or distressed in any way.

    There's a pause as he stares, before letting out a sigh.]


    It might be better if you stop searching, comrade.

    [Which... Isn't said with much sympathy.]

    wildcard;
    [If you want anything else, feel free to throw it at me! Or if you want to hash something out, that's cool too! You can hit me up in the Discord or at [plurk.com profile] revelries.]
    chatwithdeath: (Just another corpse.)

    [personal profile] chatwithdeath 2021-09-23 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
    Fortunately for the two of them, Naomi's worked under stressful situations perhaps too often. The index finger is delicate, but Naomi puzzles the bone back together and can finally heal the hand completely. The survivor flexes their fingers upon a trembling hand, and looks surprised. Naomi found it took more healing magic when one was trying to treat to the best of their ability without really centralizing where the magic should go. Putting bones back together was nothing new.

    "Go take cover. We'll talk in a moment..."

    Her patient doesn't take too long to scramble to their feet and move, leaving Naomi to stand and join Allura.

    "Sorry about the wait..." she sighs and raises a hand to her neck, nudging her familiar awake. "Eve, do you mind?"

    The snake familiar's tongue flicks and she raises herself enough to look at the skeleton. There's always an unpleasantness when it comes to this magic, mainly the smell which Naomi can't quite place her finger on. Either way, once Eve's up and focused, the skeleton is forced to stop.
    ichoosefight: (maybe one more night)

    Stephanie Brown | DC Comics | cw: claustrophobia, animal violence

    [personal profile] ichoosefight 2021-09-23 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
    A. Lestari - Healing
    Steph had been working for some time, grabbing whoever was on hand to go with her as she delves into the rubble. It's nervous work, picking her way through small tunnels in the rock and hoping nothing shifts in the wrong way around her. But every route must be explored, and every sound must be investigated.

    Unfortunately, the tight quarters do make it difficult sometimes to get survivors out to the surface, especially when they're having trouble cooperating. Her current patient is more or less catatonic, crying silently even while Steph shifted his broken leg back into place. She appreciated the quiet, but now she has to get him up the sharp slope of rock she'd climbed down to get into the tunnels in the first place. He's at least her age and bigger than she is by several inches. There's no way she's getting him out of here alone.

    "Hey, is it clear up there?" she shouts up the opening to her companion. "I could use a hand!"

    B. Lestari - Combat
    When her partner can heal or move rubble Steph makes sure to take 'breaks' and switch places. As breaks go, they're not very restful. She isn't crawling through rocks on hands and knees, but it's like every wild creature in the region has gone crazy.

    Which is fine when it's undead monsters and magical slimes, but a little less fine when it's a mountain lion hunting for dinner in miles of rock and dead trees. She manages to avoid the first pounce because she was on the lookout, but the animal is quick to turn and lunge at her again. She catches its claws in her staff, holding it momentarily in a stalemate.

    "Can we hurry it up?!" she shouts in the direction of her companion. She was already tired, and cougars are strong. How long can she realistically keep this up?

    Claire
    The news hits like a ton of bricks. They've been working for two straight days, and it might be a week before they can really call the search done. Steph, at least, hasn't slept since they got here. Now, settling in to rest and checking her phone for the first time all day, she can barely get past the first paragraph of the article.

    Celliwig has burned to the ground.

    Numb with shock and exhaustion, she gets up and wanders the rescue party's camp. Anything to keep moving.

    Morgan
    She's reached her limit. Out of magic, out of energy, out of the mental resources to keep compartmentalizing. In a quiet, hidden corner of the camp she sits and rests her head on her knees. The sheer death toll is devastating enough, but she's been working for days with survivors that were injured, frightened, grieving, sometimes even angry. She had lost people, too, uncovered mangled corpses, been forced to kill animals. What little sleep she's gotten has been restless.

    Whether she's too tired or too numb, she doesn't cry. She only sits and watches the days play back behind her eyelids.

    Wildcard
    [ooc | You don't even have to hit me up at [plurk.com profile] flamingchemist you can just start a thread if you want ]
    silvergarden: (❀ 31)

    [personal profile] silvergarden 2021-09-23 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Her potion brew at his request is still in the works, so upon seeing his network message Rinea jumped at the chance to aid her onetime benefactor. He's certainly a quiet, reticent sort of man... but not in a way that feels hostile. So for as ominously vague as the request is, she trusts him. (That, and finding someone as adverse to online technology as she is is a comfort...) Sending a small note of her arrival, she departs from the festival.]

    Sir Somnus! My greetings. [She hurries to meet him, skirts in one hand to aid her speed. He certainly looks grave... but then again, when DOESN'T he?!?!?! Unsure on the gravity of the situation, she settles on a nervous smile.] I am at your disposal, if you will let me.
    trueltning_fury: (Default)

    03

    [personal profile] trueltning_fury 2021-09-23 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
    [the air of distraction is not lost on Geddoe, how many times has he sat and people-watched to recognize it? But recognizing the wearer at least gives him reason to not just silently walk by. You know, just in case she misses the giant black shadow trudging nearby]

    Yo...uh.

    [at least he says it loud enough to interrupt, only to realize mid-greeting that they never...actually...exchanged names oops. That's more than a little awkward, necessitating a pause to make sure she knows he's there.]
    Edited 2021-09-23 20:51 (UTC)
    trueltning_fury: (by the way)

    Stone giant

    [personal profile] trueltning_fury 2021-09-23 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
    Geddoe looks at the vegetable unceremoniously thrust into his free hand, then at her, then at the gourd, then at her...

    He saw the other one fail. Pressing X to Doubt.

    "Are you sure this is going to be any use?" His usual gruff growl is tempered very slightly by the confusion, for the moment. It'll be back, he's urgent and frustrated and has a sword in hand, there's no time for foolishness. "I have much better firepower."
    luciing: (pic#14093475)

    [personal profile] luciing 2021-09-23 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ His moods vary from grim to severe to reticent. This evening, it is the former of the three, but he has the decency to appear somewhat surprised at her appearance, insofar as a single, slight brow raise can convey. When his expression smoothly corrects itself, he gestures to the alleyway between the two warehouses. ] Maiden Rinea.

    [ Might as well get right to the point. Inwardly, it can be said he's grateful for her arrival; however, young woman such as her ought to be among the festivities. ]

    Mind your step of the rubbish. [ He brings out his communication device, and after some fiddling, he gets its flashlight function to turn on (something he does know how to do). The beam illumiates the ground in part to reveal the various little on the floor, but Somnus stops short of the middle of the alley, at which point he gestures to the ground. Should she peer more closely, they stand at the edge of a mangic circle. ] Inert. [ He supplies, bluntly, and then steps across the imaginary threshold. ]

    ...A bloodmage carved this circle into the ground. There is a spot of their medium [ That is, blood. ] there. [ He's brought something to collect it with, but doesn't gather it just yet. Instead, he turns back to face her. There's something more weighted in his eyes, his gaze darker. ]

    Are you able to alchemize the blood itself to an object? So that one may douse back to its master.
    sighsheavily: (pic#14667795)

    [personal profile] sighsheavily 2021-09-23 08:58 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Cecelia's ear twitches and she comes to a stop.

    but she doesn't turn back toward the speaker just yet; she's quietly trying to get her bearings after having zoned out like she did.]


    Miss Ardenbury, thank you. [now she looks over, quirking an eyebrow.]

    ...May I help you?