isleofavalon | EVENT ✨ Fall Equinot

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EVENT ✨ Fall Equinot

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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well, they've got the height, but the distance is sure going to be a bit tricky.]

[Then again, there is something he could try. But first.]

You aren't squeamish, are you?!

[Always a good sign!]

NOT THE BEST TIME FOR DELIBERATION, DARIN!!

[SHUT UP DARIN JUST DO WHATEVER IT IS YOU MEAN TO DO AND SHE CAN YELL AT YOU LATER WHEN SHE'S NOT AT RISK OF DEATH.]

Right! Here we go!

[Darin withdraws a small pocket knife from his belt, takes a deep breath, and cuts a thin line in his palm, drawing a decent amount of blood. A crackle of crimson energy surrounds his hand and he snaps it forward, altering his blood into a long whip, which thankfully finds purchase around the dragon's back foot.]

Phew! Alright! Let's do this!

[He begins to climb towards the beast as it drags them behind it in its flight.]

[yeah, ew. another topic for later. Cecelia clamps her eyes shut, just praying neither of them are destined to plummet to some gruesome death.

she clings with both arms now, daring to peek out in the rushing wind and past spiky blue hair to see the great length of the beast ahead of them. this is actually crazy - did she really think she was going to have an impact here?!

shoulda doubted harder earlier. too late to let go. and any doubt is just additional weight Darin has to carry, so less of that, please.

actually, maybe there is something she can do: she slowly manages to raise her hand out ahead of them, splitting the rushing wind that threatens to throw them off, so they can actually get their feet under them.]

Okay, that helps a lot!

[With the force of the wind parted to help him make the climb, he makes much more progress much faster.]

[Nearing the dragon's talons, Darin slows down.]

Where do we go from here?? Got anything else in your bag of tricks??

Forward. To its neck, Darin. We have to be close enough to be heard!

[and slowing down here just drains magical resources. so while he may slow, she keeps going, biting her lip as getting closer makes the way shiftier - the wings move a whole bunch of these back muscles, after all.]

You got it! Hang tight!

[Muscles straining, he manages to climb his way up to the dragon's talon. From there, it was touch-and-go as he had to carefully pick scales as hand and foot holds.]

[He tries is best, but it's not easy scaling a dragon mid-flight, so it takes more time than he would have preferred. But once he's on its back, at least he can scramble along its spine more easily.]

What are you going to say to it when I get us there?

[hanging tight is about all she can do right now, isn't it? but she prays she needn't do so for too long, because cutting the wind for this long against this much force is taxing.

what is she going to say?]

Whatever it takes to stop this. Whatever language is necessary.

Well, you're the diplomat! I'm just the muscle. If anyone can make it see reason, it's gotta be you!

[Mostly up the neck down, Darin strains to get closer.]

I think this is as far as it's safe to go! Is this good?

[it'll have to be good enough, because time is of the essence on many, many fronts. Cecelia keeps the wind cleaved in front of them, planting her feet as she stands up front; should her magic give out, at least she can fall back on Darin - he has a better chance of catching and righting the both of them than herself alone.

she draws a steadying breath, lifting her chin, and then calls out over the wind in draconic - a bit tough to do with some of the vocalizations not really being the sort of thing a half-elf throat can shout, but she does her best. and when she doesn't get an immediate response, she repeats her question in sylvan. then in abyssal. and before she can try something else, the head of the dragon turns and its eye fixes upon them.

and narrows.

trying to keep a straight, stern face is very difficult in the face of something like that, but Cecelia can do nothing else. but rather than an exchange of dialogue, the dragon just looks back ahead...

and starts to do a barrel roll.

oh no.]

WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TELL HIM?!

[It's a panicked shriek as the dragon begins to roll in mid-air, a move that Darin was ill-prepared for. But we ill-prepared as he is, he's just going to assume that Cecelia is even less prepared.]

[With little time to act, Darin pushes himself up, forcing his sturdy frame against the wind like a breakfront with the aid of a strength buff. He just barely manages to scoop up Cecelia before her footing is completely lost and rolls against the dragon's own roll. With a strength-buffed hand, he grips a large dragon scale as a hand-hold, narrowly escaping a full on free fall.]

Do you maybe want to try that again?? It sounded like you belched at him!! That seems kinda rude!

[He does not know what draconic is.]

[it's far too chaotic for a sassy rebuttal, so the most Darin gets from her is frightened shrieks as they go 'round, clinging onto him with no mind for propriety anymore. just not dying is on the docket for now.

she blinks through wind-streaked tears and shoots a glare up toward the dragon's head as it turns to spy them still holding fast, and she realizes that the best she can hope for from this beast is not diplomatic reason, but just the furious single-mindedness that seems to have brought it out this far from its den.

she sits up once they've righted, still hanging onto Darin, still fixing her eyes ahead.]

...We're not winning this one. Not unless...we can hang on...and tire its fury out on us...

Piss it off until it gets tired?? Now we're in my wheelhouse!

[He swings Cecelia around so she can cling to his shoulders and back, giving him use of both of his hands. As he starts to cast, the crackle of blue and red bursts of magical energies course through his body. He's chaining spells, one after the other. First, his blood magic to literally pump himself up. Next, a series of strength buffs on each of his limbs, and a few protection spells to keep his bones from breaking from what he's about to do.]

[He's gotten surprisingly proficient with his magic in the last several months, but the fact that he's chaining so many spells centered on him could be cause for concern. Just what was he trying to do?]

[Cecelia gets her answer when Darin rushes up the length of the dragon's neck, scrambling hand over hand with heightened strength.]

HEY!! SCALEY!! DIDN'T ANYONE EVER TELL YOU...

[He's reached the back of the dragon's head by now and he clamps his legs onto the dragon's neck as if he were riding a horse with no saddle. He clamps both hands together and raises them up over his head...]

IT'S RUDE TO IGNORE A LADY!

[Cecelia likely watches in horrified slow motion as Darin brings both super-enhanced fists down on the base of the dragon's skull like the hammer of an angry god, causing the dragon to literally drop a couple of dozen feet in shock before regaining its senses. Now it's pissed...so. You know.]

[Mission Accomplished?]

[maybe! maybe if this weren't such a dire circumstance, Cecelia would focus more on that clever twisting of spells than...y'know.

this.

as it stands, Cecelia can only hang on for dear life, stomach dropping as Darin basically thumps the back of this beast's head as one would a naughty animal.

...and to be fair, this is what she suggested, so she can't really complain, can she? instead she can just pray. pray...and play along.

so she paints a lazy, lurid smile upon her face as she sighs, scooting back a bit as far as she dares so she can let Darin go and press her palms onto the the dragon's scales, trying to wiggle her fingers under a couple if she can and proceed to begin fast casting some electricity in escalating pulses - something she hopes to ramp up from irritation to actual pain if time will allow.]

[With Cecelia off his back (for now) Darin is free to continue his assault. If he can steer the dragon closer to the ground, maybe he can ground it. Maybe then it'll listen to reason.]

[He reaches up and grabs the crest of scales at the back of its head like reins and jerks the beasts head to the side, forcing it to bank harshly.]

[Naturally the dragon doesn't take kindly to this and starts to roll. But Darin wrenches the head in the other direction to keep it straight.]

...Lady Ardenbury!! I have an idea!! Can you redirect the wind going under its wings? Get rid of its lift??

[so she can't improvise a prolonged witch bolt for very long - especially not with such a tenuous hold on her place here, and double especially when Darin starts yeehawing around with the dragon's flight path.

she lifts her head at the beckoning, squinting at the inquiry, gears turning...

she scoffs, shaking her head. with a cynical laugh peppered in her voice, she sighs.]

Next time, send me your requests...in advance...!

[so she can prepare herself for such things! as it stands, she has to juggle staying aloft with garnering enough magical resources within herself. she brings her hands out at her sides, palms open to the wind, focusing on collecting and catching the incoming wind. he may as well have asked her to move a mountain, considering the absurdity...

...but she can feel it after a few beats - weight bearing down upon her as she can more and more collect the wind.

through gritted teeth:] Tell...me...when...

I'll prepare a list the next time I know we're facing certain doom!

[Banter's all fine and good, but it's taking everything he's got just to keep the dragon from hurling them off.]

[But he can feel it working; he can feel the dragon flapping its wings harder to maintain altitude, can see them start to descend as the dragon's weight is too much to keep it aloft. The dragon itself seems to have stopped thrashing its head in favor of focusing on keeping itself in the air.]

[With a wild grin, Darin pushes up on the horned crest, snapping the dragon's head down as if forcing it into a dive.]

NOW! DROP THE PRESSURE ON US!! AND THEN HANG ON!!

[with a strained yell, she lets it go, nearly launching herself off by accident. hanging on is a tall order, considering the terrain, but Cecelia is able to snatch a handful of Darin's shirt to help her keep from flying off outright - it's just not a great look, okay? just lots of screaming and flailing around like a windsock.]

[With the sudden pressure of the collected wind weighing it down, Darin forces the dragon into a full on nose-dive.]

[He really had to time this just right. Too early and they'd smear themselves all over the ground. Too late...and. Well. They'd smear themselves over the ground.]

[It was a hell of a gamble and thanks to the adrenaline rushing through his veins due to his blood magic, Darin was absolutely here for this. As evidenced by the howl of glee as they descend, like he was riding a roller coaster.]

[With seconds to spare, he jerks up on the dragon's head, forcing it to slow its descent just long enough for Darin to reach back, swing Cecelia around into his arms and press her tightly to his frame, then leap from the dragon's neck towards the ground.]

[The dragon hits the earth like a bomb, crashing through the trees and tearing through the ground. Darin tucks Cecelia against him as tight as he can and rolls forward, taking the brunt of the fall, rolling away from the dragon's crash site.]

[He comes to a stop on his back, still clutching Cecelia, staring up at the sky through the boughs of the trees that hadn't been torn up from the crash.]

[There's blissful silence for a moment before:]

...I cannot believe that worked.

[...she can't believe she hasn't vomited. and she never wants to do that again. that was not fun, that was not thrilling, her arms hurt her whole body hurts, she's covered in dirt and--

and. and in...Darin Altway's arms?

what the hell is her life right now.

Cecelia doesn't answer right away - her ears are still ringing from the noise - nor does she move. but once the ringing ebbs and fills in with the surroundings, the more she can hear the distant rustling, the thrum of a dragon's heartbeat that threatens to drown out the pounding of her own -- or of Darin's.]

...need to...get clear...

Huh? Clear of what? We did it, didn't we? We brought him down?

Momen...tarily...

[she shifts, trying to sit up.]

Hurry up--

[Darin looks down at her, confused.]

[But her words finally register, their meaning finding purchase in his addled mind. Eyes wide, he quickly pushes himself to his feet, carrying Cecelia in his arms as he scrambles from the area.]

[Sure enough, as soon as he finds cover, a plume of white hot fire bursts into the air, followed by a deafening shriek. Darin looks on as the dragon regains its senses and hauls itself out of the trench its landing creating, snapping its gaze around for the two idiots who interrupted its flight.]

[He's not sure how good its senses are, but he remains as still as possible. With any luck, it's too rattled to want to bother with them.]

[playing dead is as easy as holding a breath - the way one does walking through wisp-laden patches of woods to evade notice. yet nothing would silence the drumming of her heart, because reason doesn't rule the basest instincts of a body, and what's more base and true than fear?

its airborne again, almost as though it hadn't been deterred at all. such is the way with dragons of such scale and power; Cecelia shouldn't have expected otherwise.

she dares to exhale, still trembling from exertion.]

Come, then-- [she shifts to get to her own feet.] To inform others...to have a go. And get ourselves in a position...to move people out of its...trajectory...

[Darin helps her up, discreetly casting some healing spells to freshen her up from the fall.]

[Without their horse though, they're going to have to rely on their feet.]

[Darin stoops and drops to a knee, thumbing at his back.]

Hop on. I can cover more ground. When we get close, you head for the city. I'm gonna try and bring it down again.

EVENT ✨ Fall Equinot

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WHAT THE HELL THIS DIDN'T POST WHEN I WROTE IT FOUR DAYS AGO

dreamwidth hate crimes...

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