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

Naomi doesn't need to respond. She merely nods, and moves towards the center alongside Allura.

The issue with responding to any emergency situation were conditions would be less-than ideal to work in. But whether still under siege or anticipating further pending disaster, all they could do now was try. If their extra hands could find the time to bait or deter any of the faes or monsters that continued to trouble them, it would be great, but their assistance was needed for the debris and fallen rocks.

... At least those could serve as projectiles to a few people.

"How do you think the other groups are fairing?"

Her heart twists a little at the thought.

"I believe that they're capable. I truly, sincerely do. ... but... by dividing like this, our strength has been stretched to its thinnest. And yet, it sounds as though the plan is for both teams to fight back with brute force. I can only hope they have sounder tactics prepared..."

But not being sure is enough to doubt her own choices. After all, she knows a lot about leading a small team against a tremendous enemy. Even on the way here, she was discussing the larger situation, and formulating the best strategy in her mind to protect both locations.

Sure, she's pulling her weight here... but would she have been more useful on another team? It's not something she wants to dwell on. Those doubts would always be there, no matter which choice she made.

"Regardless, the most we can do now is keep our faith in them, and stay focused on our own mission."

"Hmm..."

Though Naomi wasn't well-versed in the realm of all things fantastic, it'd be hard not to know dragons were always considered difficult to fight. As well, one needn't be versed to know a Stone Giant may require alternate solutions to manage than brute force.

Should Naomi decided to go for either, it would be unwise - emergency rescue missions were her element. Seeing doctors tend to the wounded and stay focused, ordering those who could not heal on how to move and maintain patients that required attention, but not immediate; yes, this was her place.

"... Yes, I agree. Now then, which pile do we want to search first?"

Which one, indeed? Was it possible to deduce anything about the piles from the outside? There were larger ones, smaller ones... one might have more people, but might have been more lethal.

"Unless we find a blood mage, I don't think we have a way to sense anyone. Not unless your magic can help us find spots with the most deceased, and hope that there's more survivors there as well." A morbid plan, and not the most accurate.

"I could also try to use astral projection to search beneath the rubble, before we move it... though it's not something I've had much practice with, yet."

"Or, failing that, we could simply pick one at random and hope for the best."

"The best I can offer is Eve..." And at her name again, the snake on her neck shifts. "She's a familiar, but she's still a snake. Traversing through rubble and detecting heat should be simple enough. However, that would take time..."

And they probably wouldn't have enough time.

"... all I could offer besides that would mean the survivor we're looking for may require another practiced mage so they can be among the living again. And I might not be able to use healing magic for some time." Which wouldn't be beneficial. "What about your familiar?"

"My familiar? It's right over there."

She points at... something that's blending in quite well with the rubble. A rock, about the size of the melon, which has been discretely rolling around nearby. There are some jagged parts on it that almost look like the quills of a rolled-up hedgehog.

"It has some empathic abilities, but those are strongest for beings that touch it. I'm not sure if it could be much use in this scenario..."

Or most scenarios, if Allura is being honest. But it does seem to make up for that with magical potential.

"Still, if you have your familiar... between the two of us, we could each start searching through a pile. That way, the first one to find something can alert the other, and we can dig them out."

... Naomi wasn't sure what sort of creature she was looking at. Maybe it was a hedgehog; a rocky hedgehog, but there was still something off enough that she could figure it wasn't.

"Hm... there's no harm in seeing if they could still be useful."

Or not. What was it doing right now anyway besides following along?

"Yes, that might be our best option for now."

It's fine, Naomi. It's not a creature you would normally see on the surface of a planet, so the confusion is normal. At the moment, it seems to be... slowly rolling its way through the rubble. It's not clear if it's simply following whatever paths were made by the debris, or if it's being drawn towards particular piles by its empathic powers.

Though it does seem to be moving towards one larger pile in particular.

Allura fails to notice this, because she's trying to find a safe spot to set up for astral projection. "While the spell is active, I won't be in my body — but my spirit should be within earshot. So if you see danger approaching, call out to me."

Naomi does notice the odd creature's movements as does Eve. Neither of them have any idea if the other familiar does have a lead, but it wasn't like they knew where to start either. So, the doctor lets her familiar slither to the ground and follow the other to the pile it seems headed towards. Any potential lead was a good lead.

And with that done, Naomi turns back to Allura. "I can do that..."

Though, now she wonders if she'd see Allura as a projection anyway as it would be her spirit.

As it so happens, that could be possible, if Naomi attempts to spot her beyond the veil.

What she does see is Allura taking a seat in a meditative pose, and an image of herself rising from the spot, an ethereal image seemingly made of light, which soon dissipates into sparkling motes of magic energy. From there, she goes walking — and if Naomi does keep watching her, she'll see the projection of Allura approach a different pile, and hesitate as she tries to figure out how to descend. She's been moving along the ground, but that must just be a trick of her own perception, right?

And then she starts to sink into the rubble, slowly but steadily. Part of the reason for pacing herself is to give herself a chance to look around and search her surroundings. But more importantly, she wants to maintain control of herself, as if there's reason to worry that she might start falling down below the surface of the planet.

It's an improvement over her previous times using this technique, allowing her to travel further and hold the state for longer. Which is why it's a shame she doesn't seem to be finding much of anything.

However, given that Allura's familiar was indeed picking up a faint trail as if it were a magnetic field, Naomi's familiar might have better luck as it descends through the gaps between pieces of rubble.

It takes a little effort on Naomi's part, but she does see Allura leaving her body - but then stops paying attention for a moment to keep an eye out. Without her familiar - and with Allura's doing... whatever it was - she has to keep guard. Still, when nothing appears present that is hostile, she focuses again.

... And now what's Allura doing? Sinking into the ground? She could just walk through the rubble unabated and search without worrying about going through the floor. Or maybe she's making sure she doesn't go through the ground. Huh, that would be a problem taking on an incorporeal form she guesses - and perhaps more so when done via magic unlike dead spirits.

Stopping her powers again when a voice echos in the back of her mind, Naomi turns her head.

"... Seems our familiars may have located something. Try searching by them."

The voice comes through to Allura, but soft and distorted, with most of the sound absorbed by the rubble itself. After all, her astral self hadn't left with just her sense of sight, but all which could conceivably still apply to an incorporeal body.

In fact, the disconnect with her physical body is great enough that rather than reply verbally, she finds it easier to send her response telepathically:

"All right. Let me go take a look."

It's again quite a strange experience, moving through so much solid matter again. But she takes that option anyway, since it seems conceptually easier than having to go up and then back down. But before she can see what the familiars have found (or much of anything, really), she discovers it herself by finding something that she can't pass through.

After all, an astral projection cannot possess other living things.

And so, it's only shortly after that she breaks the astral projection, briefly reeling back as if her spirit had slingshotted back into her body. "There's someone in there. They're trapped, but it shouldn't take long to uncover them." As she explains, she rises to her feet, and makes a beeline towards the location to start removing the top pieces.

If Allura didn't send her message telepathically, Naomi would be concerned that she hadn't heard. And if that turned out to be the case, would've attempted talking to her body directly to see if her astral body would hear better that way.

But that message is clear, and Naomi stands... guard (she really shouldn't be the one standing guard) while Allura has a look.

The doctor snaps her attention when she hears Allura speak, back in her body again. Ah, so, the familiars had discovered someone. Good job on their part, and now the digging out was up to them. Joining in removing the rubble from this survivor, Eve would at least be with them while they dug and taking care of any injuries that might need immediate attention.

There's no consistency between the sizes of different pieces of rubble. Allura takes it upon herself to heave the largest pieces out of the way, using the siphoned energy to move more than what a human her size should be able to.

While that's not a problem, ever since she's returned to her body, she's been able to feel the tingling of that energy burning inside her, like little pinpricks through her arms. If she didn't release it soon, then it would grow into far more intense pain.

But she could hold on longer. She had to, or so she told herself. After all, there was still so much work to be done, and people suffering far worse.

They manage to uncover the victim: A teenager, breathing shallow breaths, only able to murmur something incomprehensible to the two of them. And still, unfortunately, pinned under the debris from the waist down.

"Start treating him, and I'll see if I can free his legs."

Considering what came down, there's no surprise in the lacking consistency when it came to rubble. However, Naomi does have to leave the larger pieces to Allura to move since she had no chance in moving them herself - not without risking her own person, or putting risk to the pile. It seemed solid, but that could always be subject to change.

And upon seeing the teenager, they really didn't want to worsen the crush they're experiencing.

"I'm on it. Eve, I can take over..."

Kneeling down and extending her hands over their survivor's body, the snake will slither back onto her arm while. It's a quiet process, healing... though, Naomi does make specific motions over the chest, mentally visualizing which bones and organs would've been compromised down to the stomach.

While Naomi works, Allura continues to heave the debris — working slower and more carefully than before, keeping mindful of anything that might collapse back into the hole. Given how some of the pieces of debris overlap, it requires a surgical application of her strength, like a high-stakes game of Jenga.

At some point, it becomes clear that one piece is far too large to move, even with her strength — the most that she'll be able to do is lift the end that's pinning him. But doing so is risky, considering how else might move. Perhaps if she braced it with her back while she lifted...

She formulates a plan, and comes to a simple conclusion: She can only lift it for a few moments, so they'll have to make it count.

"How is he doing? Would it be safe to move him, just a few feet?"

The teen's breathing has already improved significantly. Though, from what she's noticed, age does seem to play a small factor in how efficient healing could be. Perhaps something that could be negated once she truly mastered all there was about its abilities and boons, but she would file it away mentally.

Taking a glance away to see how Allura's doing, it looks like there's a problem. At least, she's taking a moment to observe the debris still holding their survivor's legs.

"Yes, we can move him right now."

Though, from the suggestion, she assumes there's problem with the debris stack's integrity since she wants the teen moved. Oh well, Naomi would rather not wait to inspect their legs anyway.

"On my signal, then."

Allura takes a moment first to position herself, bracing her shoulders underneath an overhanging lip, then hooking her hands underneath with the palms up. She wants to ensure that she'll be able to put all the strength of her frame, particularly her arms and legs, into this one massive deadlift.

"... ready? And... now!"

As she shouts the word, she puts all her power into one tremendous lift, hauling everything up at least a foot off the ground. The strain is enough that she estimates it to be more than she could comfortably lift even when she had full access to her alien strength.

And while the siphoned energy helps amplify her strength far enough to even complete the endeavor, pushing herself past her limits is weakening her control of it. She can feel twinges of pain and heat, as if the energy is starting to cook her from the inside out.

"Right."

She would just nod, but verbal confirmation in these situations would be better. Just in the instance of someone looking elsewhere and not paying attention to visual gestures. While Allura prepares herself, Naomi readies herself too, hands reaching under their survivor's shoulders, hooking through their armpits, and she's ready to pull at the second Allura says 'now!'.

Pulling, there's a yell from the teen - their legs are damaged of course, but she brings them back until they're clear of the rubble. Though they're clear, Naomi notices that Allura's not doing so well. Raising her hand, Naomi casts quickly, and Allura may feel her strength increase again.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ✨ Fall Equinot

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here, have a helpful icon of the familiar

yay

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