❪ event ❫ harvest valley

[natha]

THE GREAT HARVEST     While change is inevitable and those on El Nysa have always been adaptable, it’s clear that some things do not change. Citizens in both cities have began finding ways to return to a sense of normalcy, and most have done this by partaking in seasonal traditions and celebrations. With the heat of the previous months finally simmering down, the cooler air signifies the passing of the summer and the start of the great harvest. Though many crops were destroyed in the battle that preceded this event, those that have survived seem to have grown healthier in light of their hardships, and many believe this to be an unspoken blessing. In Wyver, festivities begin earlier in the month. Copious amounts of food are prepared from the first, and refugees will find that the people of Wyver are always hungry. The daily contests of strength are easily turned into contests of appetite. Not partaking, like many things in Wyver, can be taken as a sign of weakness. Losers will find themselves expected to do the bidding of those who win one of these contests. But it's all in good fun, right? Outside of contests, Wyver is keen on creating a festival-like atmosphere. Throughout the month there will be multiple food stalls open featuring food made from the harvest and game available to the city. Due to its popularity, many of the stalls will feature Shanrian’s favorite meat jellies. Refugees will be encouraged to assist in preparing delicacies for the stalls and will be rewarded for their efforts by being given specialty ingredients. When consumed, these foods can heighten one's senses for a period of time, so they're perfect to eat before heading on a quest or hunt. I. With their emphasis on cooking enormous portions of food and gorging themselves for days, it should come to no surprise that a lot of the age-old Wyvern traditions revolve around the act of eating. Particularly, of dining beside their scalier brethren. It isn’t uncommon to see the people of Wyver feed from the claws of dragons, or to mimic the act of a dragon eating on all fours— often sharing the same game (not always cooked either!). The trick to this is knowing how hungry the dragon is and finding the appropriate timing to take a bite without offending the creature. Some dragons are known to be a little more disciplined in this regard, while others are loose cannons. It’s important to be able to gauge this, and the people of Wyver are more than delighted to teach the refugees the tricks of the trade! The bigger question is... does everyone have the stomach for this? II. Maybe from all the eating they do and all the grooming, the dragons tend to avoid people during this time of the year, but some also start to look like they need a bit of help. During this time, native Wyvers use their free time after the steady and grueling days of harvest to maintain and care for the dragons. They help wash them up, take a look at their claws, and even pull some decayed teeth. However, precisely because this is such a tedious process, there's always a need for a helping hand or two to get the job done. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wyverns are extra keen to grab a refugee or two for the job. They say pulling teeth is easy, the trick is simple after all! Don’t get bitten and don’t let the smell get to you! Seriously though, they advise that the work goes more smoothly in pairs. One person is typically in charge of making sure the dragon’s mouth remains open, while the other does the actual dirty work. While experts can mix this dynamic up a bit, or even work between those roles, it helps to have a starting point at least! III. These months are crucial to the people of Wyver as many of their dragons lay eggs in the later half of winter. In preparation, they believe now to be the most essential time for establishing bonds and building on pre-existing relationships, either between one another, or with the dragons. As they are a people who are proud of strength, Wyverns often display this in every aspect of their lives, including their blood exchange ritual. During this process, they will physically show the closeness between themselves and their companions by using a ceremonial knife to cut into their flesh. The wound they make on one another is meant to act as a symbol of the impact they have in each other’s lives. They are then meant to smear the blood of the individual they cut and mark some part of their body with it. Due to utilizing the specially crafted ceremonial blade, this streak of blood will stick to their skins for the duration of the month— a constant reminder of the bond they’ve formed. There are some variations to this, and there are no rules to how deep the incision must be… some Wyverns are known to take this a little too far, and so this ritual is certainly not for the faint of heart. In Olympia, the celebrations will begin a little later than they do in Wyver. The focus in Olympia seems to be their fruit liquor. Considering their newfound interest in “Thesaens,” it’s no surprise that refugees will find themselves target #1 for trying these various flavors. Additionally, as this act of liquor-making is often experimental, those brave enough to try it will find that the vintages' tastes and their effects will vary in extremes. As these fruits are produced from a vine with magical properties, it won’t be unusual to discover oneself overtaken by a series of strange inclinations that typically amplify whatever positive emotions the drinker is feeling. If they're feeling open and friendly, for example, they'll find themselves oddly handsy and affectionate. If they're feeling inquisitive, they may find themselves oddly invested or overly fixated on something— maybe it's that stray hair on that stranger's face or their unusual eyebrows? But, while the city is full of life and action, this is also a period of time that Olympians celebrate some of their oldest myths. According to their ancestors, this season marks the time of reunion and connection with those who have passed on. It’s said to correlate with the appearance of the constellations that best fit their most notable heroes. For Olympia, this is a time of coming together as a community and displaying a sense of gratitude for the harvest and the people of the city who make it all possible. I. One staple of the season is wine sharing. A form of showing closeness and intimacy with ones’ companions, people often will share a drink together, though, not exactly in an orthodox way. As an icebreaker for joining in a number of gatherings (especially those near temples), people are often seen transferring beverages mouth-to-mouth. The act of swallowing shared wine is meant to display acceptance and tolerance. Even rivals and old foes occasionally partake in this ritual to show mutual respect for one another. Declining can be seen as offensive, however with everyone swiftly becoming intoxicated, it may be easy for the more reserved individuals to bluff their way out of this. II. Food isn’t the only thing harvested during the season. The special magical vines that thrive during this period of time can be utilized as a material for weaving protective accessories. These accessories are traded between friends and lovers all throughout the month. They have a small energizing effect and will permit the wearer to exhibit a little more strength than they normally exhibit. The only catch is that the accessories must be tied on by someone else and be kept for at least a week. When the wearer feels the effects fading, the vines must also be removed by the same person who tied them on. If anyone wears the accessories past this period of time, they will find that they often feel restless and be prone to experiencing sleep paralysis and night terrors. Some Olympians claim that during that state, you can sometimes hear the voices of loved ones from beyond the grave. But, that’s probably just an old wives' tale... THE (IM)POSSIBLE MAZE     Midway between the cities, a vast maze of corn has been erected. Its purpose is twofold — to demonstrate a camaraderie between Olympia and Wyver and to be harvested by each side at the end of the celebrations. Both the Olympians and the Wyverns agree that the first maze of this kind was created in recognition of a treaty from long ago — decades ago, when the treaty was first signed, representatives from each city went into the maze together to demonstrate that they could work in tandem, but instead of emerging victorious, dead Wyverns were found on the Olympian side of the maze, and dead Olympians were found on the Wyvern side of the maze. Depending on who you ask, the specifics of this slaughter vary — some claim that those found dead were killed in self-defense, while others insist it was merely a misunderstanding, and others tout the theory that the truce was deliberately sabotaged. What the people can agree upon now, however, is that with the Thesaens among them, perhaps they can try it again and bring in a bountiful harvest together. Locals are charged silver to enter the maze, but refugees are allowed in for free to experience the tradition for themselves. I. The maze itself is long and winding, with overgrown stalks that block out most of the sky. It is, the promoters insist, not an easy trial to overcome. Those who enter the maze are given sparklers to signal their position for extraction should they become hopelessly lost — but if you manage to make it through the maze, the sparklers can be surrendered to those waiting on the other side for a modest sum of 30 silver each. Team up with someone to make it through… and don’t get lost! II. While this is a time for celebration, there are always some hooligans who don’t quite get into the spirit of things — or who, perhaps, get too much into the spirit of things. Unofficially, some of the locals have taken it upon themselves to sneak into the maze in costume and chase the participants through it. The motivations behind this vary — some are in it for a laugh, some insist that they’re doing it to help strengthen the bonds between the people they chase, and some claim that they’re doing it to prove a point: that the Olympians and Wyverns will turn on each other at the first sign of adversity, and they will even draw blood to show it. Will you make it through the maze despite these unexpected setbacks? Or perhaps this sort of mischievous thing is right up your alley…? III. Of course — and unfortunately — there are also those who get in over their heads. Midway through the festivities, on both sides, parents begin to notice that their children have gone missing… and that there are some decidedly child-like screams coming from the maze. It seems the kids have decided to sneak into the maze themselves and now require some rescuing — luckily, there are plenty of Thesaens around to lend a hand. FINAL OOC NOTES     As a reminder, REP will now primarily be given for completed QUESTS that are available throughout the month, and will not be offered through this event log. Additionally, as stated in the monthly outline, Nadril will still need the assistance of the refugees and there will be an IC call to action for that later in the month. Then as a final note, our Test Drive Meme will be up on October 24th! Thank you! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[reek]

[ He’s noticed it himself. Luckily, he’s become a man of relatively few words since Ramsay. His dark sense of humor hasn’t been zapped away entirely, but it is very much within his head now. When he feels the desire to jape out loud, it’s a good day.

But what Claire says next makes him snap his head up so quickly his neck could easily break from the force of it. His eyes are wide, but there’s a scowl on his face. Why would you keep that from me? ]

What?

[ For fuck’s sake… ]

And you didn’t think I would have liked to know this sooner?

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Claire folds her arms, lifting a brow at him.]

You didn't give me much of a chance before you decided to be a little shit.

[But there's a smile on her face. It's not that she finds it funny, or anything like that.]

... it was good to see, though. That was you. You weren't worried I'd... do something.

[Fuck you, Ramsay. She keeps that to herself. It's not wonderful that Theon feels he can be a brat and not be punished for it, but she's glad he's not afraid.]

[reek]

[ He looks absolutely incredulous. Of course, she has every right to have kept that information from him, but surely he has every right to be upset about it. ]

If you had told me sooner, I wouldn’t have had to behave in that manner.

[ He says it like she made him do it. That is truly Theon talking, not Reek. But she is right. He didn’t fear her doing anything to hurt him, but— ]

No, but I didn’t like having to be asleep.

[ That bit made him a little nervous, like something could have happened. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[That look on his face makes her have to bite back a laugh, because it's funny, and she just barely manages--it's obvious, however.]

Did you ask? No. [He left it to her.] Did you jump to conclusions? Very much so. [Habit, maybe, thinking everyone is out to get him. Claire shakes her head.] I'm sorry you felt upset, Theon, but I'd never leave you worse off than you were. The plan was never to leave you looking like an old man. And believe me, being uneasy about being put to sleep was better than being awake for me taking out each tooth. Or what was left of them.

[She reaches out to pluck some grass out of his hair. It'd be easier to spot if it were still white, but she has the eyes of a hawk when things are within twenty feet of her. Thankfully, she doesn't need to drive here, so she's not had to find a new pair of glasses.]

You won't have to do that again. I promise. And I've kept my promises to you, haven't I?

[reek]

You might have told me.

[ It’s all he can say. He has no right to be angry with her, but he’s been made a fool of, though he couldn’t help but believe he would be left toothless and angry for all his days. After all, when Ramsay took something, he never gave anything back. It’s difficult for Theon to adjust his mindset for Claire when so much of it has already been given over to Ramsay.

He falls silent, going over his wounds in his mind. The teeth have been taken care of, and he suspects fingers can’t be regrown. Scars mean so little, these days, and he’s slowly been putting his weight back on. He glances up at her, hesitantly. ]

Never again. Do you swear it?

[nineteenfortyfive]

[They could talk in circles about this misunderstanding for hours, so Claire decides to let it go. He trusts her, but a part of him might always expect to be tricked or taken advantage of. She gets it. She tries not to take it to heart.]

I swear it. [The teeth were the worst of it, and it's done. The hair was easy. If he ever needs to be put under again, it will be for some unforeseeable emergency that Claire hopes never happens.]

Do you forgive me?

[There's a hopeful little smile on her lips. He must, to begin talking to her again.]

[reek]

[ He would like to go back to just being angry all the time, as opposed to being frightened, but it seems that it might take years for him to overcome that hurdle. At the very least, he trusts Claire more than he trusts most people, and that makes it easier for him to forgive her.

So he nods. There’s not much hesitation at all. He may still be hurt by the entire misunderstanding, but if he doesn’t forgive her, he’s alone. ]

Aye, I forgive you.

[nineteenfortyfive]

Good. I missed you. [A truth in the words. Theon was around, yes, but he wasn't interacting with her or spending time with her. He may not be riveting company, but Claire does enjoy her time with him, and to lose that always hurts.

But all seems well and she imagines he'll be quite pleased when he has teeth again.

Stepping beside him, she reaches out to take his arm. Not because she needs to drag him along like she did once in the snow, or anyone is in need of support, but because she simply wishes to do so.]

Now, are we going to force our way out? I think that's considered cheating. I want my 30 silver.

[reek]

[ Sometimes he truly wonders why Robb ever liked him so much to begin with. Maybe it was pity, or maybe it was the fact that Theon was the oldest one around, but it’s true—he isn’t exactly riveting company. Even when he was whole, he was cruel and angry, not exactly the type of person you wanted to be around.

Claire puts up with it, though, and it took a lot for Theon to learn to trust her. He can’t afford to keep pushing her away, so he doesn’t. He just lets her take his arm without complaint. He doesn’t even flinch. ]

I heard no rules against it.

[ Theon Greyjoy breaks the rules. Reek would never even consider it. He even smirks as he puts forward the idea. Reek isn’t here today. ]

If they didn't want you to do it, they should have said something.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[It's definitely cheating. But Claire's very aware of the fact that Theon is being very much Theon lately, and it warms her heart. She gives his arm a squeeze.]

A fair point.

[She likes winning.]

Which way?

[reek]

[ It’s never easy to keep from slipping back in Reek territory, but sometimes Theon finds a comfortable medium. Despite the fact that he is currently without teeth, Claire’s adjustments have helped a lot. When he looks in the mirror, he no longer sees a white-haired starveling, but something closer to Theon Greyjoy.

With a quick glance around, he gently pulls his arm from hers to hobble toward another wall of corn. He parts the stalks, smirks, and gestures through them. ]

This way is as good as any.

[nineteenfortyfive]

If I end up covered in spiders, we're more than even.

[Blood and gore are fine. Critters? Christ, no. Claire gives him a warning look before stepping through, squeezed by the cornstalks, but able to pass through with little more than another coating of grass. She turns around to hold the stalks apart for Theon to follow.]

I know what I'm spending my coin on. [Him, probably.] How about you?

[reek]

[ He isn’t particularly fond of getting his clothing dirty either, but he would rather be out of here quickly. He shrugs as he stalks after her, then brushes the blades of grass from his shirt once more. ]

I don’t believe 30 silver can pay for much.

[ He’ll likely use it to fuel his vanity now that not everything hangs off of him and he doesn’t look like a ghoul, but he’s hesitant to mention that. He was allowed nothing of his own in the Dreadfort. It’s strange to be allowed things again. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[The more corn they pass through, the bigger Claire's hair gets with those unruly curls.]

It's 30 silver more than you had. We could combine our winnings, if you can think of something good.

[A meal, maybe? He'll be eating better once he gets accustomed to the new feel of his mouth with fake teeth in it.]

Just perhaps not ice cream.

[Guess whose drunken daughter spilled the tea?]

[reek]

[ At that, he glowers. He and Bree just can’t seem to get along, and it would figure that Claire would catch wind of their bickering eventually. ]

We do not have that in Westeros.

[ It’s the only response he has, and he refuses to look at Claire as he responds. How could he have known that it would hurt to eat something so soft? ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

She was trying to be kind.

[However... she did make quite the mistake.]

I think her desire to bond with you over something overshadowed her sense. She didn't think about what a cold treat would do to you when it touched your teeth.

[She's not Claire. She's not used to looking out for anyone in that way.]

She thinks you hate her now.

[Well? Claire tips her head to the side, waiting for him to confirm or deny.]

[reek]

[ He continues to absolutely not look at her, focusing instead on making his way through the walls of corn stalks. He knows that Bree was trying to be kind, but it’s difficult to bond with anyone. The people he wants to bond with turn him away, and the people who want to bond with him are strangers to him. He’s always so tightly wound, and he snaps at the slightest things. It isn’t about Bree; it’s simply about the situations he’s placed into.

Still, he remains quiet for a long moment, as if contemplating what his feelings on Bree actually are. He’s envious of her, of course. He’s envious that she had a life he wishes he could have had, but no, he doesn’t hate her. ]

And?

[ He’s being difficult again, refusing to give a straight answer. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Claire sighs, trudging along after Theon. After the silent treatment, she's not surprised at him continuing to stretch his muscles by being a brat, but it's tiring. Sometimes he makes her feel her age.]

It'd be all right if you did.

[He didn't need her permission, of course, but it's a reassurance. She wanted him to get on well with Bree and Fergus because she thought it'd be good for him. Bree was his age, if not from a totally different life, so she thought the chances of a friendship lived there. Apparently not.]

I wouldn't be upset with you for it.

[reek]

You would be.

[ He’s sure of it. Every part of him says that she would be upset, but that’s just his learned suspicions. He knows Claire better than that, but fear overrides thought sometimes. ]

But I don’t hate her.

[ No more than he hates anyone else. Barring a select few, most people have earned at least a small amount of Theon’s ire, and typically it’s those who haven’t harmed him at all. He’ll never be able to explain why he can’t find it in him to hate Ramsay despite everything he’s done. ]

Jon and I never got along. We lived together for years.

[ And he was envious of Jon. The comparison seems fitting. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Disappointed, maybe, but not upset. It's not fair to either Bree nor Theon to force them to play nice.]

Our home isn't like Winterfell. There's no hierarchy among you. [By now, of course she knows how it was between all those children. Jon had what Theon only wished he could have. Claire gets it.] Bree's had an easier life, but that doesn't make her better. It puts her at a disadvantage, really. Everything is that much harder for her here.

[Point in case: Theon.]