EVENT ✨ Something (Celli)Wigged This Way Comes

[avalonmods]

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Autumn, despite the chillier weather, is a season of warmth and gathering. Perhaps moreso this year than normal, given the rather unplanned gathering of Celliwig and Lestari underneath Camelot's roofs. Though significant contributions from otherworlders have made food, shelter, clothes and other productions and donations, medical care, security and protection, and childcare an amazing group effort, typical individual celebrations for the departure of the dead from Avalon aren't being held, like Lestari's Death Ball. After looking at all the support they've been given, Lestari and Celliwig have looked at what they have to offer to help both their own people and the people of Camelot and other worlds.

The people of Lestari excel in cognitive magic, and while there are those who use it for mind-altering magics, there is a good portion who dedicate their studies to emotional and psychological support. One such method is the enchantment of origami paper into something affectionately called Worry Monsters: an specialized counseling technique used to help form support bonds between people with negative emotions. Having spent a portion of the month enchanting paper, two square sheets of paper are handed out to anyone the encounter. The first paper says: "Personifying your emotions can give them a tangible form and make them easier to face. Write down something that causes you worry, stress, fear, or sadness. This is your Worry Monster." The second paper says: "When your Worry Monster is present, how does it make you feel? Any reaction is valid."
When both papers are written on, the writing on both will disappear as if absorbed by the paper, then the pages will animate and fuse, then begin to fold into a monster! Halloween is this month, is it not? There is no sense in not having a little fun. These little Worry Monsters will stomp off and begin roaming Camelot until they find a match-- someone who shares those feelings. Once they find an emotional matching Worry Monster, the monsters will return to their creator and grow to the size of kaiju. They are very light, enchanted paper, so even if someone or something gets stepped on, they won't be hurt or damaged. However, they are strong enough to pick their makers up and carry them to the matching monster who will do the same. Don't worry-- characters will be invisible while being carried by their monster, so their identities will be protected until they are brought to their match. The paper monster will turn to butterflies and fly away once their task is complete. What matches do after they are brought to each other is up to them-- but they will know, undoubtedly, that they share the same worries-- they are with someone who understands. Do it as many times as you'd like, for as many negative emotions as your character wants. For finding something to do, Celliwig offers a solution. While Lestari's people have spent their efforts this month enchanting papers, the people of Celliwig are less apt to share so openly. Instead, they take their time learning about a variety of holidays from other worlds, and come to find one they can apply their particular talents to. While most of their showcase in the past has been on light magic, a holiday such as Halloween plays in particular to their talents in dark magic. A number of locations that have opted in and won't interfere with other relief efforts have been enchanted with dark magics for brave souls to venture into and test their courage! What's more, each of these locations will yield tokens for the victors that can be used to gain prizes. All courage tests must be performed with partners. Costumes are encouraged but not required.
	The library has been converted into a haunted art gallery, many of which have had their paints and other implements enchanted. Some paintings will seem like they're watching you, others will seem like a small figure in the background is following you throughout the library in different paintings. A painting of fruit may start throwing the fruit at you and materializing it into real fruit, so you may find yourself pelted with tomatoes if you don't run fast! A single painting filled with black paint might start leaking and filling the room you're in, pulling you into shadow until you're stuck in the library's underground labyrinth. (Reference monthly quests here and here for more info about the labyrinth.)
There are a variety of paintings with different curses applied. Navigate through the library and escape the haunted paintings-- pairs who make it through without turning back will gain a Celliwig Token.
Another token can be gained via scavenger hunt in the Broceliande. Find cursed dolls from within tree hollows. The dolls will giggle and try to run away, may move when they're only visible in the corner of your eye if you set them down. What's perhaps a little spookier is that they take on the appearance of the first person to touch them, though they will never exceed three inches in height. Beware during your search, however, as there are a good many trees that have been transfigured into mimics. Though the mimics are not going to attack anyone, they do have giant hidden, wriggling tongues that will reach up and wrap the unalert up above the ground for capture. The only way down is if a partner fights the mimic, so don't go alone! Find a doll of both you and a partner and make it back to Camelot to obtain your token. The curse will break once they're exchanged for a token, so you can keep the cute little doll for yourself if you'd like.

The last test of courage invokes a temporary blindness hex on one of the partners. Both partners are walked into a soundproofed room, entirely silent in a way that truly seems to mess with one's head. The unblinded partner is only allowed to answer "yes" or "no" questions, though no one will fault them for giggling as long as they give no clues otherwise. The blind partner is to stick their hands into a tank of water with mystery items hidden within. These items may be mere objects like peeled grapes in soggy noodles, or perhaps the tank is filled with chicken bones and those tiny garra that eat dead cells and are sometimes used for pedicures. All the items are set up to feel spooky, but ultimately are unharmful. As long as the partner who can give clues doesn't break the yes/no rules and the item is guessed within 3 guesses, a token will be rewarded!

Bring tokens to the inn where a stall has been set up, with Gwion working the booth to exchange tokens for the following prizes: 1 Token: Celliwig glasswork glass set of 4-- spooky themed! It's filled with candy upon receiving, so they are friendly for everyone. 2 Tokens: Recipe: Smokescreen - Cast this spell on any liquid to make it billow plumes of fog. The smaller the water surface, the smaller the billow. A shot glass might just create a small whisp, but two mop buckets would be enough to fill up a medium room. Will not effect the contents of the liquid. Cannot be used on water bodies larger than a swimming pool (could screen about half a block). 3 Tokens: Recipe: From the Void - Summons a disembodied tentacle from the shadows. It takes a lot of energy, so you could probably manage up to three casts a day at most before becoming exhausted. Great for binding enemies, sneaking in small spaces, and reaching places you might not be able to otherwise. The tentacle will follow whatever command you have in mind upon summoning, so be sure to concentrate on the task at hand!

Comments

[mithrarin]

...Like what? [You lost him, Amy. Which isn't that difficult to do, when it comes to most things...]

[pricklybloom]

Well...I like movies about romance. But I have a feeling that isn't really your thing.

[mithrarin]

What kind of story do you make out of that?

[Dust is half teenage boy and half hardened assassin, after all. Neither of them are exactly loaded up on romance storytelling.]

[pricklybloom]

[ Oh boy, you just had to ask. ]

There can be so many different kinds! Like the love of two people who are separated for some reason, either by physical distance or by class, a love that's forbidden between the two individuals, a reunion between two people who have love and lost and are trying to see if that old flame can be rekindled, a story where the people's love can break even the most dangerous and deadliest curse...

[ You might want to stop her before she keeps going. ]

[mithrarin]

That's... all really complicated. I think people make it too complicated. [In his expert opinion, with all of his 0 experience.]

[pricklybloom]

It's actually not too complicated. The stories themselves can be pretty easy to follow. Though admittedly some of it can be really played up for the drama.

[mithrarin]

I mean, why does it have to have so much drama? That seems unbelievable. Just -- just talk to the other person. Why is it so hard?

[Says Dust, who knows absolutely nothing of romance and can't recognize it.]

[pricklybloom]

A lot of it really is for the entertainment. Keeping people on the edge of their seats as they wonder whether the two heroes will end up together or not in the end.

[mithrarin]

Is it... really entertaining, to watch people struggle with their emotions like that?

[Dust might have the vaguest possible clue that he isn't immune to such notions, on a purely subconscious level.]

[pricklybloom]

Well, kind of. Watching two people struggle through so much and still manage to end up together in the end is more cathartic. It's like...if they could get there, then why couldn't someone else?

[mithrarin]

[Dust thinks about that for a moment, turning it over in his head.]

I guess that makes sense, if you're the sort who hopes to get there one day.

[pricklybloom]

Exactly! [ Because she is totally someone who hopes that. ] And if anything, sometimes it's just nice to see someone who's luck is worse than yours.

[mithrarin]

You think you have bad luck?

[That's what he took from her comment!]

[pricklybloom]

[ In all fairness, she kind of walked right into that one. ]

I wouldn't call it bad luck, necessarily. Just...maybe not as good as I wish it was.

[mithrarin]

I'm a little surprised you're having trouble.

[Not that he's qualified to speak on the subject.]

[pricklybloom]

[ She shrugs again. ] It happens. [ Then, not really wanting to talk about it anymore, she points at a random tree. ] Let's check in there to see if there are any of these creepy dolls around.

[mithrarin]

[That's a little weird...]

All right. Should I climb up, or stay down here to fight the inevitable problem?

[pricklybloom]

[ She considers that for a moment. They'll both have to get a doll, but does it matter which one goes first? ]

I'll go ahead and try this one. You can try out the next tree.

[mithrarin]

All right. I'll be ready for...

[Dust trails off. In Avalon, pretty much anything could happen.]

I'll be ready.

[pricklybloom]

[ With a nod, she climbs up the tree to get to the knothole. She peers inside first, to see if she can see anything, but it's too dark to really tell if there was a doll inside or not.

So, resigning herself, she carefully reaches her hand inside to feel around. As she does, the tree seems to...move slightly. ]

[mithrarin]

[Wasting not a moment of time, Dust violently smacks the tree with the flat of the Blade of Ahrah. Take a hint and behave, whatever you are!]

[pricklybloom]

[ The tree seems to fidget under the hit, causing Amy to lose her grip and slip a little. She manages to catch herself, but releases her hold anyway to land back on the ground. ]

Ugh, no good. I didn't feel anything in there.

[mithrarin]

Hm. The tree was a little feisty for that to be a dead end, but let's move on.

[That makes it his turn, he supposes? Dust steps over to the next likely suspect, then jumps up to grab the lowest branch and haul himself into it.]

[pricklybloom]

It was probably one of those mimic trees that are meant to trick us.

[ She hadn't noticed the tree doing anything unusual, but that's technically why they're supposed to go out in pairs.

As Dust climbs up the next tree, Amy summons her hammer and waits nearby, just in case this one is also a mimic. ]

[mithrarin]

Oh, here -- [No sooner does Dust reach for the dolls than a massive -- tongue?! Ew! -- whips around him, capturing him faster than he can react. Which is saying something, considering his reaction speeds.]