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

[It's a costumed duck who comes to her aid! He raises his cape, as if preparing to make a speech-]

I am the terror that-

[But, midsentence, he seems to reconsider that considering the time and the place. So he drops his pose and moves to follow her towards the pile.]

-is here to help! You- you can count on me aright!

[When he starts his spiel, Naomi turns her head and narrows her eyes at him. It really isn't the time or place... which he wisely notices.]

Good. According to Eve, it's just one, but she doesn't like how their leg looks. Be careful shifting around the rubble on that side.

[That piercing glance might have been a significant factor in silencing him...!]

Understood. [He nods along diligently as he approaches the rubble.] I'll root through that repugnant rubble in no time...!

[He rubs his hands together, and then he gets to work on trying to carefully pull pieces of the rubble out.]

[Good, it's still effective.]

[Though, oh good, wordplay.] Less talking, more digging.

[They have a way to go and some large boulders that need to be removed.]

Of course, of course! I can dig that!

[He'll stop there, he'll promise! He grunts as he roots through some more rubble... but then he gets to one of the larger ones. He might work out, but he's still a duck, so it's not too easy for him! But still, with a grunt and some effort, he manages to dislodge it.]

This one's... a little heavy!

[She's not even going to say anything to that. Setting aside a few growing pieces herself, she notices he's struggling and moves over lightly to help him move it further.]

A kinetic mage would be wonderful to have right now...

Sorry, you got stuck with a light and siphon mage instead. [He says, a little sheepish as she helps out.]

Um, thanks for the assist. I think I got this, it's just - just a little heavy. But this is what I signed up for!

It's no offense meant to you. It's not like I have them either. [What magic she did have required something a little less alive.]

Right. We're moving it on three. One... two...... three!

I get it. I just wish I could be a little more help!

[He says with a little, nervous laugh.

And on three, he grunts and puts his all into moving it!]

Worried we can't handle it?

[Because pushing together, the slab budges and falls away from their pile.]

No, no, no doubts there. Especially not when the power of teamwork's involved!

[He gives a relived sigh and then catches his breath as the rock comes loose.]

There, we did it! That's one big bother down. Now to keep going... [He digs through some more rocks to get to the person!]

[Naomi takes a moment before answering, but is still digging.]

According to Eve, we're almost there, but we have one more boulder about that size that needs to be moved.

Edited 2021-09-26 06:10 (UTC)

Okay... okay, okay. Just one more! [He tries to hype himself up for it, while clearing through some smaller rubble.]

We've got this! We got that big one down, so... we just have to do that one more time!

[He must be the type to talk himself through everything. And while she gets that, this was more... excessive.]

Yes, one more... [And they would know once the dark head of her snake familiar pops out of the debris.] There you are.

[Words have power! And are a very good distraction from stress!

He sees that scaly friend pop up, and he prepares himself.]

Alright, it's time for the final act! Let's get dangerous! [Now to get to work on moving that boulder!]

[Said scaly friend will move up Naomi's arm and settle at her shoulder.]

Right. On your count to three this time... [This one looks a little smaller, but not by much.]

[He offers a brief smile towards the snake to show his appreciation, and then it's time to focus on the task at hand! He rubs his hands together and then gets his grip on the boulder.]

Right! One... two... three!

[Now he starts grunting as he sets into action. It's moving time!]

[When push comes to shove, at three, Naomi pushes with him. The rock is no match for them, and they're in the clear to finally dig this survivor up.]

Hoof!

[Push does come to shove! Or pull in this case! With the rock taken care of, now he goes through the remaining rubble to reach that survivor.]

Here we go...! Let's get you somewhere you can rest up!

Wait. Don't move them just yet...

[Because it was her turn to actually contribute a little bit more. Moving to examine their leg closely, it... actually doesn't look that bad. It's not a break, but it was bruised.]

[The heal would be simple then.]

Understood!

[He'll stop short of actually touching the body. Now it's all healer time! He steps to the side and lets her get to work.]

[Nodding, it would only take a moment to actually heal the survivor, but he needed to keep watch. A hand over their leg, the bruising gradually fades as the magic works its - well - magic.]

... Alright, let's see about getting you to slowly stand now.

[He stands watch like a silent guardian, making sure this gets done properly!]

Here we go. Easy does it! [He'll now get closer, so that he can help the guy up if need be!]

[With their help, the survivor slowly gets up, hesitant about putting weight on their leg, but sighs in relief when it holds up.]

Could you escort them to the group nearby? I'll have Eve check the rubble for any other survivors here.

[Darkwing nods along as he lends some support to the wounded part of the man's body and starts to lead him away.]

Will do! I'll get him there as soon as I safely can. Let me know if you need anything else!

III

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