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

[pricklybloom]

[ The sound she makes then is completely involuntary. ] Okay, that's just super creepy!

[phoenixwiz]

(The doll then jumps out of the tree hollow and begins to run away from Harry, trying to get both him and Amy lost in the forest as it giggles the night away. Honestly, this doll does creep him out as much as he hates to admit it.)

Merlin’s beard! That doll is trying to get away. I’ll try to chase after it before it goes into hiding again.

[pricklybloom]

I'm going with you! [ Because no way is she staying here by herself! ] But man, weren't they supposed to behave or something once they got caught?

[phoenixwiz]

I don’t know, we’ll just have to find out.

(It doesn’t take long for Hedwig to see what is going on so she swoops in to join the chase. Harry meanwhile is jumping over fallen branches and rocks while the doll is running away from him and Amy’s sing.)

Hey, come back! Please!

[pricklybloom]

[ Lily joins in the chase, fluttering her wings frantically to try and catch the mischievous doll.

Amy, meanwhile, isn't quite so nice about the doll getting away. ] Get back here!

[phoenixwiz]

(This is getting rather frustrating that the mischievous doll is making them having a hard time trying to catch it. It was running super faster than any person that he has ever known of. Hedwig is also fed up with the doll too, hooting in anger as it is trying to escape her sight.

But as soon as he begins to notice that it was getting really tired after it tries to get him and Amy lost for what feels like minutes, he begins to use his kinetic magic to let it come to his hands. Said doll didn’t even bother to move as it flies towards him and finally into the man’s hands.)

Got it!

[pricklybloom]

[ It is fast, but Amy has chased after faster things, and for longer. So even though they don't quite catch up to it, she at least always has the doll in her sight.

When it finally tires out and Harry uses his magic to grab it, she jumps excitedly. ] All right! Now we just have to...find another one...

[ And instantly her good cheer is gone. ]

[phoenixwiz]

Yeah, that is quite the relief that I was able to catch it after it finished running around. I’m pretty sure that the other doll has to be hiding somewhere in another tree.

(While he is speaking, he begins to notice that his cursed doll begins to take after his appearance slowly but surely: when the changes ended, the doll is now a three inches Harry before he had ditched his glasses the month before, even down to the lightning bolt scar on the right side of the forehead.)

Whoa! Amy, check this out: this doll now has taken after my appearance, but it also has my glasses even after my eyes got their vision fixed. So, which tree should we go for next?

[pricklybloom]

[ Amy glances over, and has to hold back a grimace when she sees the doll take on Harry's appearance. She isn't sure if that makes it more or less creepy.

Shaking herself out of it, though, she glances around. ] I'm not sure. [ They'd just have to pick one at random, right? Looking around again, she spots a tree a little further down and points to it. ] Let's try that one.

[phoenixwiz]

Good idea, let’s check if it has a doll inside the tree.

(Walking up to the tree in question, he goes a little closer to see if a doll could be hiding inside the tree hollow. So far, both him and Amy haven’t run into a shapeshifting tree at the moment.

Careful not to stick his head/face onto the hollow, he is checking the inside for any doll that could hiding.)

[pricklybloom]

[ Amy stands beside him, waiting as he peers into the knothole, since...well, she's still small. ]

See anything?

[ Of course she knows they both have to get a doll, so if there is one in this tree she'll have to be the one to reach inside it. She'll figure out the how if there is one there. ]

[phoenixwiz]

I can’t seem to find the second doll hiding in here. Maybe I should try to check harder.

(What Harry doesn’t know is that there are childish giggles not far from the tree he is investigating on. He could hear it, but he is too focused on finding the second doll at the moment.)

Come on, cursed doll. Where are you right now?

[pricklybloom]

[ Amy frowns, watching as Harry looks for the doll that might be in there. As she steps back, though, she catches movement from the corner of her eye, and when she turns she sees the doll trying to escape. ]

Hey, there it goes!

[ And she quickly runs after it, hoping to catch it before it gets too far away from them. ]

[phoenixwiz]

(Uh oh! So he did found the wrong tree once he hears Amy alerting him to the cursed doll escaping from its hiding place.)

What!?! We need to catch that second doll before it hides itself among the trees from our sight.

(Harry runs off to catch up with Amy and assist in catching the doll; Hedwig meanwhile also takes off to spy it from the sky above. The young man is starting to wonder how did the Celliwigans are able to make these dolls this mischievous.)

[pricklybloom]

[ Amy doesn't take any chances this time, running as fast as she's able to in order to catch up to the doll. Once she's close enough, she makes a dive for it, clutching the doll in her hands as she hits the ground and holding on tight as it begins to struggle. ]

Oh no you don't...!

[phoenixwiz]

Oh dear! Amy, hang in there. Don’t let that doll escape you.

(Harry watches in concern as he catches up with her and the second cursed doll, while Hedwig lands on a tree to watch the whole thing unfold and Rose is too distracted by Harry’s cursed doll’s uncanny resemblance to her master that is currently on his hands. She still hasn’t gotten over it just yet.)

[pricklybloom]

I got it!

[ ...sort of. She does end up having to pin it down just so it couldn't escape. But eventually it stops struggling, and Amy carefully sits back, holding the doll in her hands.

And when she looks, the doll has taken on her likeness. ]

...still creepy.

[phoenixwiz]

Yeah, that is pretty weird to have a doll that can take an appearance of whoever catches it first. Even Rose did find it a little awkward to see it in my old appearance.

Anyway, we should get back to Camelot and bring them to the inn now that we have gotten the dolls.

[pricklybloom]

[ She nods, keeping a good grip on the doll as she gets to her feet. ] Yeah, seriously. The sooner we get these back there, the sooner this can be over.

[phoenixwiz]

I think that the path heading back to the inn isn’t far from where we are right now. Alright, let’s get out of here and make it back to the inn before it gets even darker out here.

(Thankfully, Harry is still able to remember which path the two of them had taken to find the dolls and he also levitates the lantern with kinetic magic to make it easier for him to carry his cursed doll without difficulty.)

[pricklybloom]

[ With a nod, she follows along with Harry back towards the inn to return the dolls. Luckily now that the dolls have taken on their forms, they seem to have calmed down. ]

[phoenixwiz]

(It did took a few minutes for them to go from the forests to the inn in Camelot as the night wears on, the chill of the winds brushing against his face and cape as the dolls finally calm down after giving Harry and Amy a wild goose chase.

Upon inching closer to the inn, Harry opens the doors and sees a booth where they get the tokens for the prizes that they can claim for.)

[pricklybloom]

[ Heading over to the booth, Amy hands over her look-alike in exchange for the tokens, and can't help a sigh. ]

Thank goodness.

[phoenixwiz]

Same here, at least we don’t have to deal with mischievous dolls in the forest after this.

(Harry then proceeds to exchange his lookalike doll for a token as well. Thankfully he won’t be running after cursed dolls in a forest for a very long time, just once is more than enough for him.)

[pricklybloom]

That's for sure. I'm definitely done after this one.