isleofavalon | 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

He sees no point in grudges. They only cause more pain and sorrow.

The compliment to his Shuanghua has his cheeks pink and he ducks his head, but the smile can't be hidden completely.

"I would not mind sparring with you and your Jiangzai again."

The sweetness in that thank you darkens his blush. "I am happy to help. You are welcome."

"Great!" he bounces a little, eager at the possibility. His towel slips and he grabs it, laughing.

"My clothes will be dry soon. I can celebrate then." he gives the pretty daozhang a cheeky wink before walking to their...bed.

There is only one.

"Are we...sharing?"

He doesn't mind! Quite the opposite. But that will make their nights interesting.

Nope. Eyes snap closed when that towel slips. But he doesn't comment, only hums, nodding in agreement.

"More clothes can be purchased, and should be." So Xue Yang isn't stuck in the same clothes every day.

As for the single bed...Xingchen studies it thoughtfully before taking a steady breath. "You should take it. I'll be fine." If it makes poor Xue Yang uncomfortable, then he will happily let the other sleep in the comfy bed. The floor is just as good a sleeping surface if a blanket is stretched out over it, and his body isn't nearly as battered as Xue Yang's is.

Aw that's no fun! Xue Yang refastens the towel, grinning naughtily. He taps Xingchen's nose to let him know it's safe to look.

"Mm probably. But from where?"

They are lucky that they wear layers. His inner-robe will dry faster than the outer one. He won't be completely nude for long.

The answer has him frowning and he shakes his head.

"We'll share it! I promise I'll stay on my side. And we can put pillows between us, see?" he piles up said pillows in a line down the middle of the bed.

The tap has him blink in surprise, eyes opening in reflex. But he finds himself still smiling a little - Xue Yang could have left him like that far longer.

"I do not know yet. But surely there are people here who can provide cloth, if not tailor clothes to fit you." It doesn't occur to him that maybe he should make it clear that he'll be helping in look for said clothes. "I have some coin. It should help."

Ah! There's another sign that Xue Yang isn't hopeless. He smiles softly at the consideration. "I only do not want to make you uncomfortable." His own comfort hardly matters - just as much as the fact he's never shared a bed before is irrelevant.

No, he likes those eyes. Even when they're angry, there is something sweet about them. Not that he is planning on making Xingchen angry any time soon.

"Hm, we could look around." he stares at the last bit and cocks his head, "You would buy me clothes?"

He has been given money for completing missions, sure, but no one has gone out of their way to buy him anything. He sits down on the end of the bed, unsure what to make of Xingchen's choice.

"Why would you make me uncomfortable? You're not the sort of person to stab me in my sleep, are you?"

Good! He doesn't like being angry either. And he doesn't like being upset with Xue Yang.

"Why not? I don't need much and we can get more coin as we need it."

Xingchen moves to the other side, though his steps falter at the idea of him being someone who stabs another in their sleep and he shakes his head.

"I hope you know that I am not."

"We'll buy you clothes too." Xue Yang decides, "If we need more coin, I'll get it."

Fair is fair even if he doesn't believe anything is fair. So what if he sometimes flies in the face of his own perceptions? It's clearly Xiao Xingchen's fault.

He glances at the daozhang when he falters and he smiles.

"I was joking. I won't stab you either. That's just cowardly and -" he looks away, "You're not so bad."

It's so easy to make him smile. The flush cools, though he still feels oddly warm that even this man, who has murdered so many, seems so willing to try and do better. Even sweet little things like this!

Xingchen shakes his head at being told Xue Yang was just joking, but the smile widens at the promise. And the compliment. "You are not a coward." Even he knows that if Xue Yang decides to kill him, he'll state it outright. "Get some rest. You have been working very hard." Any dragon fighting would be hard, he feels!

Keep smiling and who knows what Xue Yang might be willing to do. That smile is...entrancing. Xue Yang has a difficult time saying no to things he wants (maybe because he spent so many years going without).

"You're right, I'm not!" he snickers and throws himself backwards onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, "Chasing that dragon was fun. I've never been that close to one." he rests his hands on either side of his head, "They're beautiful. I wish I could've touched those scales."

Edited 2021-09-26 01:50 (UTC)

Of course he'll keep smiling! Xingchen hopes to bring more smiles to the world.

He cleans up around the room while Xue Yang makes himself comfortable. "It is good that you had fun while chasing the dragon away from hurting more people." Yup, praising this delinquent!

"It is probably better you didn't get quite close enough to touch, though I am sorry you didn't get to feel the scales."

Stop. Being. So. Adorable! Xue Yang can't help thinking about Xingchen as human candy. Always sweet. Always welcoming.

"Mm...was that what I was doing?" he snickers to himself and nestles his cheek against a pillow. Watching Xingchen move about the room, he almost wishes he could be heroic. Maybe just a little bit.

"Do you think they would've burned my hand?"

Xingchen blinks over at his companion, then smiles. "Yes." Because he's decided to give Xue Yang the benefit of the doubt. Subtle guidance on what he could still do, and help others in the process of his usual acts.

He eventually returns to the bed and stretches out on the other side of it, pulling the blanket up over them both.

"I don't know for sure."

"Well if the daozhang says that's what I was doing, it's the truth." Xue Yang giggles to himself, "I'll be a hero. Or...a knight? That's what they call them in Camelot."

When Xingchen joins him, he is quick to wiggle up to him, hugging a pillow.

"Even if they did, you would heal me."

That...he knows.

EVENT ✨ Fall Equinot

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