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

[kiss_it_better]

[He smiles and gives a small thank you for the refill. Then he takes a sip of tea.]

To be honest, the more I thought about it, [And he has been thinking about it a lot lately.] As things stand, it is only a matter of when not if war happens. To the Northwest, there are the Eighteen Tribe. Their current leader is only looking for an excuse to strike at Great Liang due to conflicts from the previous generation. To the West, the Pope has been pushing for expansion and war in the surrounding areas. Geographically speaking, Great Liang would be their next target. Dongying to the East [Which is like, Japan but who knows what passes for Google Translate will do with that.] ...Dongying is an island country. They are a little more cautious but also opportunistic. They had supported Wei Wang in his attempted coup four years ago and will like join in should one of the other make a move on Great Liang.

[He takes another sip of tea, looking awfully calm for the bad news he'd just laid out.]

It's a little bit of a mess.

[mayoninofukucho]

That does sound like a mess.

[Being surrounded by three enemies at once definitely is a big problem. He considers the chances of any of the three neighbour countries being willing to join forces with Great Liang against the others, but no matter how he turns it, with the information he has it seems far more attractive for them to destroy it and split it up amongst themselves. Still...]

Is there any enmity between them, or are any of them on good terms? If there are no partnerships there may still be a change for Great Liang to establish one and, for example, join forces with the Pope to take over the Eighteen Tribes' land. He'd get his northward expansion instead of an eastward one, and you'd have a grateful ally.

[Given that the conflict seems most personal for the Eighteen Tribes he assumes that they'd be least inclined towards a partnership with Great Liang. He thinks further into the future. Strengthening one of their enemies at the expense of another will come at a price, no doubt...]

It's hard to fully eradicate any organisation, let alone a nation, so chances are the Eighteen Tribes' remains will try to join forces with Dongying to strike back at Great Liang and the Pope. Ideally you'd anticipate that by reaching out to Dongying beforehand and brokering some kind of mutually agreeable deal with them. Honestly, it's hard for island nations to successfully expand, so they may be easiest to appease with favourable trade conditions, a mutual support agreement, and some other goodies. With them having your back and vice versa the Pope would hopefully respect your borders in the long term, even if he or his successors ever forget your support.

[It sounds so easy, but he knows that real politics are goddamn complicated. There's a reason he doesn't want to be entangled with the shogunate's dealings any more than he has to.]

[kiss_it_better]

The Pope's ambitions should probably not be encouraged. He is not a man who would be content with only one territory.

[If there was ever a man who needed to beaten back it was that one.]

Though it would be good if we could put off having to fight the Westerners and Dongying. Our navy isn't as well equipped. Against those two a stalemate at the moment would be the best case scenario if we were to fight.

But Dongying will not move if it is not a sure victory. As you said, expanding for an island nation is more of a risk. If either the Pope or the Eighteen Tribes were to be beaten back they will, in all likelihood, choose against taking military action.