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

[morganknight]

"No, no, that was totally what I would do too." Morgan hadn't gone for his sword himself, but then, he preferred not to react until an opponent committed, which the butterflies hadn't really done. "And to be fair, you did arrive on a giant paper monster that looks more at home guarding the paper Tartarus than wandering around here, so bonus points!"

Have the official Morgan thumbs-up of approval!

[bloodandlife]

Zagreus chuckles as he returns his sword to its place. “I didn’t know there were points to be earned, but I’m glad to have them regardless.” It’s sarcasm, but lighthearted sarcasm. “Although paper Cerberus probably wouldn’t hang around paper Tartarus, he’s usually too lazy to guard much of anything nowadays or nights. Getting old, the poor boy, but not too old to beg for treats, of course.”

He extends a hand for shaking. “My name’s Zagreus.”

[morganknight]

"Morgan Knight." Not that he preferred handshakes, but as a businessman he had a masterful one, well-practiced and firm without ferocity. One had to deliver such a thing effortlessly, after all, to make the proper impressions. "That's a last name and not a title, by the way."

[bloodandlife]

“Huh. That’s quite the appropriate last name for this place, at least. If you ever did get knighted, you could be Morgan Knight, Knight.” Zagreus grins a bit.

“Anyway, pleasure to meet you, Morgan, mate. Even though this whole fiasco seems sort of awkward, doesn’t it? But somebody’s got to break the ice, and if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s breaking things.” It’s not a boast, from his tone - wry self-deprecation, maybe.

“So, it looks like we share worries about helping people and changing things for the better.”

[morganknight]

"Awkwardness is in the eye of the beholder." This was hardly the dumbest thing he'd ever been through, or the most cringe. "But you got that right. That's what I wrote and that's what I stand by. You notice almost everyone around here's a total mess?"

Morgan didn't exclude himself from that consideration, far from it, but he did get the impression he was happier and mentally healthier than the vast majority of people here.

[bloodandlife]

Zagreus chuckles. "Oh, I like that. I'll have to remember it for next time I'm inexplicably thrust into a deep conversation with a total stranger."

He nods. "If you want to put it like that, sure. But it's not just here. Back home, it was the same way. Although at least then, the solutions were clear. ...ish. I knew who was responsible, anyway. Here, people have problems that don't even make any sense to me, let alone having clear solutions."

[morganknight]

"Oh, the solution is always pretty clear -- people have to understand themselves better. A lot of conflict, a lot of agony... all that comes from people not knowing themselves well enough to understand just what's important and what's a priority. But achieving that knowledge.." Morgan shrugged. "That's hard. And not everyone sees that as the way to go. So. See concerns as expressed."

[bloodandlife]

Zagreus tilts his head. "And I'm sure there's nothing at all you still have to figure out about yourself. But there are plenty of other reasons people have problems that aren't any fault of their own. Back home, the fault was usually easy to trace directly back to my father's immaculate desk."

There are wry traces of bitterness and anger in his tone at that last part, though otherwise he's keeping this light.

[morganknight]

"Oh yeah? I take it there's more to the story than just the sort of rich, powerful businessman the word 'desk' conjures to my mind." Hell, Morgan WAS one of those types, and knew just how much trouble they could cause, but his intuition told him that wasn't quite it, here. And he trusted his intuition.

[bloodandlife]

"Not really, actually, other than that he's both businessman and king rolled into one. He's absolutely merciless. Rules over the shades of the dead with an iron fist and refuses to even consider altering the terms of a contract even if it's been centuries since they were justified or even relevant. Every broken heart and estranged family in the Underworld can trace their troubles right back to his relentless quill."

[morganknight]

"Okay, but in my terms, 'rich powerful businessman' doesn't normally include 'lord of the dead'," Morgan said, close to a chuckle. "Sounds like he has Very Strong Opinions on what is proper."