isleofavalon | EVENT ✨ Sugar and Siege

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EVENT ✨ Sugar and Siege

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The fairy queen is less than pleased, but not angry, with how her quest went. She has Princess Bluebell of the Guinea Pig Nation speak, and Princess Bluebell also has a favor to ask... which seems to be the calm before the storm, as an unknown third party who made off with the Fisher King earlier this month have performed a ritual to resurrect him and left the veil open, letting in untold forces that have engaged in a Wild Hunt... and the prey is Camelot.

CONTENT WARNINGS:

1st Prompt: --
2nd Prompt: Active: Battle, disease, famine, living death, rage; Historical/Not active in prompt: mentions of serial killers, murder, biological warfare, god/human love affair
3rd Prompt: --

This prompt is backdated slightly and takes place on February 18th.

A live broadcast comes to everyone's devices, featuring a rather peculiar speaker. "Attenchun, kindly o-otherwowders! Tis I, Pwincess Guacachia Bluebell of the Guinea Pig Nation of Nowth Elphame. Though our home is too small to be noted on the Laage Neighbow's maps, I asschuwe you I am caulified as Ambassadow for Chween Elphame. Though you had failed her chwuest, many of you have shown the twust she asked fow even if not the bwains. Those who have will be shown gweat gwatichude, but she does feel [squeaking sound of dismay that cannot be translated out of guinea pig adequately] as the Fishaa King's body was pawt of hew pwans to dishmanchle the Cawamidy and didn' want to speach chuday because of it. Evewyone send good wibes and wikes, she won't speak when she's not
[again: squeaking sound of dismay that cannot be translated out of guinea pig adequately]... the Cawamichy won't be ended if you all don't wowk with the Chween, King Awfur's gwaces or notch, you know! But that's none of myyy busy-ness! Elphame offews a rewawd fow the Fishaa King's body now, much to keep you "fat and happy" for many yeaws! I also have a favew to ask on behaaf of my people. Our Festiva of Life is next week and the usuaw souwce of one of the chey ingwediench of our festiva cakes was a Leschawian, bwessings to them!" As it turns out, the Guinea Pig Nation (all talking guinea pigs who like to dress up in various outfits- in style now in particular is old western themed outfits, but the Princess must always wear her crown) are in a pinch because their Lestari hook-up for the feathers died in the fall of Lestari. They need help to pluck feathers from a bird called the Prism Tweeter! Their people love to decorate the outside of their Festival of Life cakes with their feathers, which are made of finely spun sugar in a variety of colors. These birds are typically found in the first Ash Mountain, but upon its fall, migrated to live in the Forest of the Felled as one of its new, more colorful residents. It only takes one feather to cover a cake, so pluck no more than one feather per bird and the whole flock will go unharmed... the only trick is catching these delectably sweet aviators: The birds can magically phase through physical, non-enchanted objects, so you have to surprise them to grab them. The plus side is, they really love vanilla beans, so they're easy to lure out of the trees.. you don't have to be George of the Jungle to help out the pigs. More of a stay-at-home kind of helper? That's fine too. They need bakers to make as many tiny cakes as they need for the festival since it's so last minute this year! Hurry up and grab a friend to get to baking 3-layer 1 inch cakes wrapped in rainbow feathers to help these little guys out. The Elphame Traders will make a special trip to Camelot to pick up all of these cakes as a favor to the Guinea Pig Nation, so you can stay at home and bake with your friends no matter where you live. This prompt takes place on February 22nd and February 23rd.
	A few days after the fun and fancy-free stylings of the Guinea Pig Nation ahead of their Festival of Life (you weren't invited, sorry, too big you would destroy their homes- but they appreciate the help!) things are going pretty mundanely. That is, until what sounds like a battle cry is heard approaching New Camelot. On the horizon, what appears to be a massive cavalcade of demon horse-riding wraiths lead by four knights in what appears to be ancient armor rush toward the city. A few of the locals who hear the sound and come out to see what all the fuss is about immediately seem to spook, shouting something about the Wild Hunt. Usually it's something preserved for earth and those who find it will be taken along and dumped either in Avalon itself or taken straight to the underworld, but their presence here in Avalon.. well, that can't be good. The shouting seems to alert the castle, which seems to alert more people, and within a matter of minutes people are being rushed to take cover within the castle walls for siege.
All of Camelot's gates are closed and people are directed to a couple of different places: knights and those who wish to fight are to prepare for battle at each of the gates. Healers who wish to stay and help the wounded are to gather in the citadel, where the injured will be taken. Those who wish to battle and heal will act as field medics to get people into a state enough fit to be taken to the citadel. Those who wish to offer other support may be asked to hand out food and water within the citadel or fetch supplies around the city, or to rush to the library to try to figure out what the hell is leading this hunting party toward them. King Arthur will lead the knights into battle. Merlin will also be assisting in battle, using a variety of magic from atop the castle. If your character gets into a pinch and you aren't sure how to get them out, feel free to have him send a magic spell to block an enemy. Knights given the authority to direct other fighting characters as they see fit (though your non-knight fighter's compliance is, as always, depending on your choice as a player). Those who wish to opt out of this event entirely will be whisked away by some of the Fairy Queen's spies to Nicnevin for safekeeping. If you do not want your character to remember or acknowledge any portion of this event, we can handwave that the Fairy Queen arbitrarily found your character annoying and put them under a sleeping spell for the duration of their stay. This will be done before the outer city gates are broken through, so your character can be safe the whole time and just chill in a hotel room in Nicnevin. Those who stay will be fighting wraiths (unkillable enemies) lead by four beings called the Knights of the Veil. Those who have rushed to the library to find answers will be able to spread the following information regarding the enemies, though first-hand experience may also be how your character finds out some of it: The Knights of the Veil live in the void between the world of the living and the dead and escaped when the veil was not closed during a ritual to raise a heavily cursed and protected corpse back to life. Though there's no way to know which corpse, recent news of the Fisher King's body going missing leaves some speculation and fear about who it was that was raised, but no one has any idea who did it. The Knights of the Veil have touch-based magic in addition to weaponry which you may have your character afflicted by at your behest. The four knights are as follows: Carlea: Once a proud Queen, she sold her soul to the darkness after her husband was killed by enemies and the prince of the enemy nation forced her to marry him. She used this ability to brutally murder every last citizen of her enemy's kingdom over time in secret and feed them to a pet bear she was gifted by her new husband, saving him for last. Carlea's touch will invoke a curse of famine, causing all food and drink to turn to ash in the touched individual's mouth. Rubion: Rubion was a serial killer in his world known for killing over a hundred people, though the exact number is not known. Who he was before that isn't particularly known, but as a killer, he was known for brutally killing anyone who crossed him in a fit of rage. He was from a time before forensics and tended to kill witnesses, so he was never caught. That is, until he missed seeing a small child hiding under his bed during one of his rampages. The child's grandfather took him in and killed Rubion himself after he found out why the child would not speak for a month straight. It is thought that his own god cursed Rubion to stay in the void where he could not torment his victims in the afterlife too. Rubion's touch will invoke uncontrollable, violent rage and turn even the smallest slight into a mountainous anger. Augusto: Augusto was the general of an army who used the blood of his people's sickly to spread disease in conquering nations. He did not choose to become one of the Knights, instead being cursed to eternal damnation by a priestess in one of the villages he wrought destruction upon. Augusto's touch will inflict a disease of the player's choosing upon their character, at full height of symptoms within 30 minutes of touch. Pien: Pien is a god of an older religion who was banished from the heavenly kingdoms for loving a human so much she attempted to give her eternal life despite that it was forbidden to grant eternity to mortals. She has a high-and-mighty attitude, and if disrespected will disrespect you right back with dignity-obliterating consequences. Her followers tended to be on the M side of things. Her touch will invoke conscious zombieism, meaning that your body will die and begin to rot despite still being able to move, and you will be aware and able to communicate and feel during this experience. The Knights and Wraiths cannot be killed by any means as long as the ritual remains in effect and their tie to the underworld is stable, so for the time being this is a heavily unwinnable battle. Thankfully, wraiths are not very coordinated even if they are aggressive in battle so it's easy to dodge, flee, or take cover.

On the second day of the Siege, devices will flicker with a face we haven't seen in some time. She is this world's mother goddess, after all, so if threatened she will come to offer reprieve. Morganna looks almost amused at how much destruction had been wrought by the actions of, truly, one man and those he had strung along. Morganna will not punish nor reveal them, but she will speak on the matter:

"Those wishing for this to end, rejoice. I have birthed verbena upon your doorsteps. Take another's hand, light a candle and burn the flowers. Whisper 'lights out' three times together, and pray to send some of your magic to me. I need as many of you to do it as possible, or else I will not be able to freeze time fast enough to stop the calamity from engulfing this place afterward when I complete the ritual shutter."

verbena flower

That is all she says. The ritual won't do much if only one person does it outside of today as Morganna is keeping secret what she does on her end to complete it. If your character's name is possessed by the fairy queen, they will be forced to participate in this ritual so they may notice something odd if they weren't intending to do it.

After the ritual is complete, all personal rituals will be voided and need to be recast. (This includes things like brownie summoning spells or the banishing of lesser frost fairies if your character was doing that from last year to keep their house warm.) This will also cause both the sun and moon to black out for about a day afterward, so you may want to get on board with artificial lighting or spells until a party heading to Celliwig to repair that ritual can get out there in about a day's time.

The most dangerous ritual that has been broken will be the time freeze. Morganna uses everyone's magic to give herself superspeed to recomplete the ritual to recast it, along with a significant portion of the Isle of Avalon's itself that had been built up in surplus having everyone here for so long. However, there are still 2 seconds in which the massive event that threatens the multiverse can move forward. It is now visible in the sky to the north during the night even without being at the End of the World, and will stay that way for the duration of isleofavalon until the multiverse is saved. It is outright terrifying if you travel to the End of the World now, taking up the majority of the sky.

For a month afterward, those who participated may find themselves fatigued without clear cause... but in general, magic will be misbehaving and causing accidents for everyone for about the next month.

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[ Those dedicated to valiant causes do not know when to stop. Courage and dedication blind them to their own limits. He’s seen it time and time again— indeed, he’s guilty of the same sort of self-overestimation.

Now is not the time for that, however. ]

Once you are healed, you have return. Until then…

Breathe.

Okay.

[He stops talking, focusing only on his breathing, trying to keep it as shallow as possibly to avoid the pain it brings, and on setting one foot before the other. If nothing else it's perhaps a small blessing that he went out of commission while still fused with Arashi; this way Somnus has an easier time lugging him around.

He has always been prepared to fall in battle, but... not like this. He hates to admit it, but he's scared. Already it's hard to stay conscious with his body feeling so worn down and inflamed and wrecked with shivers... will he just drift away into death on a field hospital bed? No, they'll find a healer, surely. Part of what makes it so terrifying is that he still doesn't understand what he's afflicted with: the potion, an internal injury, a curse or spell someone placed on him without him realising, an illness - but how could it have advanced this fast?]

[ This may all be for naught, for what either of them know. Somnus is ignorant to the solution of Hijikata's sudden affliction, but he knows that it is unnatural. The best chance would be to bring him to one of the healers. At the very least, they can see to his physical wounds.

With the battle raging around them, Somnus manages to protect their trek back with the use of his kinetic power, a magic he's mastered. Teleportation would be something he could use... if only his reserves of his magic were replenished. As of right now, fatigue is setting in, and he can only muster enough to quick-step one or two spans of land towards their respite. ]

You have been fighting without rest. Do this more, and you will perish.

[Hjikata nods. Somnus is right, and even his stubbornness can't argue against the other man's words this time. Despite being outwardly unhurt he's been in too bad a shape to take a good look at Somnus' state, but perhaps it'll be for the best if they both stay in the citadel for a good while. He's never been inside before, not being a very religious person and knowing little more than nothing about the local beliefs, so this will be his first visit... what an occasion.

Once they make it into the sacred, wraith-safe building one of the volunteers quickly leads them to a pair of field beds, and it's only then that Hijikata speaks again, his voice subdued and a little mumbled.]

One more bed, please. My... my familiar and I... we'll unfuse soon.

[Arashi will need to recuperate too, though thus far it never took him a full day of deep coma-like sleep like Hijikata. They can't know it now, but at the very least Augusto's curse will not continue to afflict the crow tengu once he's back to being his own entity again.]

[ Once they are at the citadel, Somnus helps him to one of the cots. As he himself is no healer, there is little else he can do besides offer the man some water. ]

...What do you mean, 'unfuse'?

[Hijikata's voice is reduced to a whisper at this point, though he drinks gratefully.]

Familiar Fusion. These...

[He weakly raises his wings a little to indicate them.]

They're my familiar's. We had... one hour. I'll sleep... for one day.

[He can tell that it'll happen very soon, feeling that indescribable tell-tale sensation inside of him. He wants to thank Somnus for bringing him to safety, offer him some of his magical items, given that he won't be able to use them while he recuperates, warn him of his impression that the banished wraiths have been returning, but again the struggle to simply stay conscious takes all his energy.]

Say naught else. Rest. [ As Hijikata's consciousness fades and the fusion unwinds, there is little else Somnus can do but call for someone to attend him. In war, binging a solider to safety is always the easy task. Recovering is much harder, and for that, the officer needs his rest.

If and when Hijikata awakens once more, he'll find a parcel nearby, his name written on a piece of paper at the top. Wrapped inside, there are cured meats and a half-loaf of sourdough bread, a hearty snack. ]

[Somnus gets to see the smoke that's typical for Hijikata's chosen method of initiating his Familiar Fusion envelop him once more, and when it dissipates he's lying closely side by side with Arashi, a tall feathered humanoid being with a beaked crow head. Each is now back in his own clothing - the knight cloak over his usual black-and-white ensemble for the man, black robes with some decorative white and red elements for the crow tengu.

While Arashi is now safe Hijikata will need healing to restore his illness-ravaged body, but the curse will do its work again and again until a siphoner finds time for him, an attendant discovers and administers the Countercurse Potion in his bag, or the Veil gets closed and its knights banished for good. Regardless of what will ultimately stop his affliction, without Somnus' intervention he might well have ended up reconvening with his ghost patrol subordinates as one of their kind.

The care parcel will be a real blessing once he wakes up - after being out of commission for a full day he'll be desperately hungry and probably eat everything in one sitting. Bless you, Somnus.]

[As usual the Familiar Fusion's effect really took Hijikata out until the next night, when he found himself moved into Rinea's sunlight-proofed guest room (facilitated by his subordinates and Adalhard). After he and Rinea conducted the ritual to fuel Morganna's power she convinced him to stay until he'd be fully recovered, and Hijikata was feeling weak and shaken up enough to agree.

After the following full day of eerie darkness he is now back outside under a moonless night sky, meeting with the ghosts at their usual assembly point. They are just finishing up their briefing.]

Well, thanks again for looking after Camelot all day. Without you even more criminals would've taken advantage of the darkness, I've got no doubt. You're all getting a bonus for this!

[The ghosts laugh - they're not getting paid (though Hijikata does vaporise alcohol ever so often outdoors in the headquarters so the fumes can waft through them, a substitute for drinking together).]

Since both you guys and the lady decided to gang up on me I'm not participating in the patrol for the rest of this week, but you know where to find me if you need me!

[The salutes them, and the spectres salute him back before moving out in groups of three or four. Hijikata stays in the assembly spot for a moment, looking after his subordinates and exhaling cigarette smoke while mumbling to himself.]

Man, this feels wrong... I have half a mind to fetch Black Star, but they'd rip me a new one.

[ Death has claimed him, and it is not so strange. Being without a body, without lungs, without a heart is a state to which he is far more accustomed. His adjustment matters little in the face of the great distress he knows he has caused others. First had been the youth, Zidane. Second had been the alchemist, Rinea.

"How small must I make myself to satisfy you? How many times will I..."

Her words, distressed and tearful, echo within his memory. She had avoided injury from him, but he had seen her fear and the pain he had caused. There's another doubt: has she been making herself 'small' to him this entire time? Had he been unintentionally causing her stress before?

Somnus had intended to only check to see if she is present and well, then leave. He does not expect to see someone else already at her residence, especially not the officer.

...It is good that he is here. Hijikata is responsible, a warrior. He can protect Rinea. And so he greets, ] Deathmage.

[Hijikata's eyes widen a little as he turns and sees Somnus... like this.]

Somnus...

[He died! He must have rejoined the battle after bringing Hijikata to safety. He regrets his tactic for the siege entirely. Why did he go for the Familiar Fusion?! In fairness, if the exorcised wraiths had stayed banished his efforts would have thinned out their forces a good bit, but as it is it seems like he wasted his energy, and the person who saved his life ended up dead!]

What happened to you?

[He scans him for signs or a fatal injury - if there isn't one perhaps he also encountered Augusto and succumbed to whatever illness he was struck with.]

It is as you see. [ In response to his question, Somnus merely gestures to himself. What happened, indeed? He is now a ghost. ]

I perished in the chaos. [ Somnus' arms remain at his sides, but even while standing still, his phantom form appears to waver in some ethereal breeze. The truth behind his death-- that of fighting and being slain by Ardyn-- is something he will not tell. So, he changes the subject. ]

...Are you here to protect the Alchemist?

[Hijikata simply accepts that information; he doesn't need Somnus to recall the grisly details for him. He slightly shakes his head in response to the question.]

It's the opposite, really. She's protecting me.

[It's kind of embarrassing, but it can't be denied that Rinea may have saved his life twice already by keeping him out of the sun when he was amnesic respectively unconscious.]

I'll try to return the favour if I can, though.

[That being said he knows that he shouldn't stay with Rinea for too long. Given his occupation and the enemies he has made it'd be a bad idea to create a noticeable connection between him and her.]

What are you going to do now? Did you come to me for help?

[Many people who met the same fate as Somnus would surely seek a way to come back to life, but with him Hijikata is never quite sure.]

...Nay.

[ Is the answer he gives, and that alone may explain little or a lot all at once. ]

If she is tending to you, I presume she must be well. That is all I wished to ascertain.

[ As for needing help while dead... Hijikata has enough on his shoulders, from what it appears. ]

[He does have his hands full, but the prospect of Somnus potentially staying dead and, in the worst case, moving on to the afterlife makes Hijikata's heart heavy. He'll try to convince him otherwise, but first he'll assure him that Rinea made it out of the siege unharmed.]

She's well, yes... physically. The fighting stressed her out, and the ritual to seal the Veil left her exhausted.

[He hesitates. Should he address what he knows of her encounter with Somnus during the siege? Usually he would leave it to the two of them and not interfere, but given the situation Somnus won't be able to speak with Rinea, and Hijikata can only imagine how bad he feels (if he can clearly remember the altercation now that the fog of rage has lifted).]

Rinea and I figured out that you must've been struck with the curse of Rubion in the battle. I don't know if you were able to gather this information, but it looks like the enemy had four generals, and each wielded some nasty magicö Rubion's induced some kind of berserk-like rage in people. I got ill because of something like that, too.

[ His lips part, close, and he turns his head away for a few moments, seeming to gather his thoughts. His expression slackens, then corrects.

Somnus looks back at Hijikata. ] I am grateful that you are here for her. And she has enough strength to care for you, as well.

[ .... ]

She is quite strong, is she not?

She is.

[He means it wholeheartedly. Taking care of the wounded and enduring the raging combat as a non-combatant requires an entirely different kind of strength than that of a warrior.]

...

Somnus, you won't leave this world, will you?

[ His head lifts, as if the question has brought him out of his thoughts. Somnus looks at Hijikata.

In a even, stony tone and one that is absolute, he replies: ]

I have business unfinished.

[That's as direct a confirmation as one can expect from Somnus, so it relieves Hijikata.]

That's right. I'm sure you want to talk to Rinea again, for one.

[He hopes that he was able to convey that she holds no ill will towards Somnus, much as the incident left her rattled. Since the other man clearly prefers to treat such matters with some emotional detachment - at least with a third party like Hijikata - he won't harp on the matter any further.]

Do you already have someone in mind who can help you? Or should I liaise you?

[He doesn't actually know what disciplines his fellow death mages specialise in, but he does know that Emet-Selch has necromanced at least one person, so he would probably be his first address.]

[ The list of those with whom he must speak remains growing. That same list is those he must be cautious about contacting to begin with, lest his brother target them. This, he says nothing about.

To his question, Somnus shakes his head once. ] No need. ....Be sure to care for yourself, Deathmage. Many of the dead depend on your guidance.

[Hijikata is visibly relieved that Somnus is not only determined to come back to life but already seems to have somewhat of an idea of how to go about it. Losing him to the afterlife would really have pained him. They all experience so many continuous losses as it is, given the nature of Avalon, and Somnus is a good man. His expression brightens further at the praise, but as usual he can't accept it entirely gracefully.]

Yeah, I couldn't leave that lot to their own devices! Don't worry, I could never rest in peace knowing that they'd slack off without me.

[Well, that only goes for the Yuureisengumi, of course. There are many other ghosts. Still! He exhales, too reserved to outright ask that Somnus tell him when he is back to life.]

Don't let me keep you, then. When I next see you I hope I can't see through you anymore.

[ He's already taken a half step away by the time Hijikata finishes speaking, but just before he turns, Somnus pauses to look at him.

Perhaps it's the etherealness of his translucent appearance that softens the edges of his voice. ]

May we fight alongside another day.

[ And with that, he takes his leave. ]

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EVENT ✨ Sugar and Siege

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Time Skip - 2 Nights Later

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