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

Worrigami - Leadership

[patchricide]

[Allura, on the other hand, had already been located in Camelot when she created her worry monsters. In fact, she had been working with the Lestari mages themselves, hoping to learn more about using her cognitive magic.]

[At first, she had been hesitant about writing down any of her worries, insisting that she didn't have any problems that were worth the trouble. But it was remarkably easy for the mages to push her past her own reluctance, using a magical suggestion to remind her that the best way to understand how magic items work is to use them. And soon, she was making an entire team of little paper monsters, each one running off into the streets.]

[But no one had told her what would happen after she creates the worry monster. And so, she's shocked to see the lion that she had created before, returning to her at a gargantuan scale. She remembers it well, since it had become such a distinctive figure, something more akin to the fabled guardian spirit of the Alteans than any of the robots that formed Voltron. And it had struck her as appropriate at the time, given what she had written.]

[I fear I may never lead people as well as my father once did. And then, on the second sheet, When I fail, I let everyone down: My team, my ancestors, and even myself. I've given so much to always find a way forward. But what if, in the end, I'm simply not worthy of the responsibility?]

[It was a nagging concern, sure, but not something that she had thought of as a real problem. After all, she did always find a way forward, and it was by not letting fears like that hold her back. But it was hard to say that there was nothing real to it now that she's looking at it fully manifested, a tremendous beast looming over her.]

[She's not sure if it's a paralyzing fear or a trusting curiosity that stops her from running away. But even as the lion cranes its head down as if to close her mouth around her, she doesn't try to run away or escape.]

[And instead, it shoves its nose underneath her and flips her onto its back.]

[So, that's how she finds herself here: Riding on a giant white lion across the plains of New Camelot, heading roughly in the direction of Celliwig — and at a tremendous speed. The only thing that seems to be keeping her from getting blown off the beast's back is the massive mane in front of her, blocking the airflow.]

[But hey, who knows where or when it encountered that wolf? It may very well be closing in on Hijikata's location as well, right in time for company to arrive.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata's little paper wolf really seems to have a knack for finding people totem-travelling around the island, so it does make it back to the forlorn little hut before Allura's arrival. When it lowers its newly massive head to look inside through the window Hijikata is so surprised that his writing (he was in the middle of taking exorcism notes from book pages he photographed) turns into a scrawl.]

What the..?!

[He hastens outside, where the worry monster picks him up with its maw and sets him on its back before taking off running. Without a mane blocking the wind Hijikata has to hold on tight, digging his fingers into its paper hide and causing tiny creases, but luckily he can already see the white lion approaching from the south after his wolf leaps across the roaring river. Ultimately it's not far from the ruins of Celliwig where the two kaiju-sized paper creatures meet.

He can't see a rider on the lion, unaware that he, too, is currently invisible... there was no manual for the worry monsters besides the instructions on the paper, so what's the meaning of this? Are they going to battle it out? Apparently not, because his wolf turns its head, picks him up from its back, and sets him down on the ground (where he turns visible again), then dissolves into a bunch of black butterflies. He stares up at them for a moment, and when he looks back at where the lion was he sees a familiar figure surrounded by white butterflies.]

Princess..?

[This sure was something!]

[patchricide]

[She isn't sure what to think of the giant wolf, especially since she only sees it for a moment as the lion turns to the side, then lays down as if to drop her off... and then breaks apart into a cloud of little white butterflies. It only slows her descent slightly, but it's enough, given her distance to the ground and her own reflexes.]

[... she does take a moment to straighten herself after, though. It was such a frantic ride and drop that she must look like a disheveled mess.]

Oh, you're... Hijikata, correct? The officer. [Or, really, the mayonnaise man. But it seems rude to say, even though he might be the last person who would think so.]

What happened? [She looks up, trying to catch sight of the butterflies that flew off.] Those papers we filled out... were they supposed to do that?

[mayoninofukucho]

[That's right, he's the mayonnaise man... but at least for the time being the condiment isn't at the forefront of his mind. For a moment he, too, looks after the last black and white butterflies as they disperse, then he ponders Allura's questions.]

Given that both of our monsters did the same thing, I assume that was the intended purpose. You'd think they'd include that minor side information in the instructions!

[He snorts and lights himself a cigarette with his fire magic, clearly irate.]

Did your lion bring you all the way here from Camelot? I hate how people will just dump us in the middle of nowhere on this island.

[He remembers all to well the mining expedition to the mountains, which left him and Crow having to trek back to Camelot on foot (granted, they stayed behind and missed the group totem transport, but), the interrupted return spell from Celliwig after the summer solstice, and several more such strandings.]

...

What'd you write down, say? Just roughly?

[He's starting to get an inkling of what the point of this exercise may have been...]