nysalogs | ❪ event ❫ harvest valley

❪ event ❫ harvest valley

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!

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Well, yeah. [Molly looks baffled that someone wouldn't want that, but he is also an attention whore who enjoys being touched and appreciated. People with hang-ups. There's just so many of them.

Molly listens to this with childish disappointment, comparable to a kid being told that Santa isn't real. He faceplants back onto the table with a jingle of jewelry. His voice comes out muffled.] Of course you're one of those. No sense of artistry.

[He lifts his head up a bit.] How does one come by the nickname "The Surgeon of Death?" Aside from being very intimidating and, apparently, also a surgeon.

It has to do with the ability I have. It's useful for surgery but I also use it in combat situations.
[He could explain more, but figures even if Molly understands in his current state, he very well might forget.]

If you're going to dismiss me as lacking artistry I trust you have a story to go with yours.
[They're maybe not as widespread as Law but they're far more elaborate.]

Many, many stories. But I never give away a story for free. [The fact that he expects Law to give him something for free is testament to Molly's lack of trust in people adhering to the same strict rules he lives by. It's so hard to believe there are people out there you can just ask for information and they'll give it. They're a con artist's best friend.

He props his chin up on a hand and grins, bleary-eyed.] Buy me a drink or a smoke or something interesting and potentially mind-altering and we'll talk.

[It's also a testament to how much he overestimates Law's willingness to engage in social activity.]
Ah, nevermind then, I don't care that much.

[A pause before he adds;]
Though I suppose now I have to worry about your general health if you're so eager to get out of your own head, Mollymauk-ya.

[He doesn't sound very concerned, but then again, Law doesn't exactly emote the way most people do, in favor of a general feeling of "general irritation."]

[Molly squints at him, deeply perplexed... and also possibly having double vision.]

Oh no, no, no... Are all the people you know who experiment only interested in keeping out of their heads? Gods, that sounds horrible. I like new experiences- things I've never tried before. It's fucking fantastic.

Have you ever done it before? Just... tried something 'cause it might be fun?

[Law thinks about this for a long moment, probably even more so to the inebriated Mollymauk. He's not much for trying new things or having fun, honestly. That said, given his current situation freeing him of a lot of responsibilities and baggage, he's been trying to relax a little bit as of late. It's been an uphill battle.]

I suppose so.
[Like when he cut his own head off to scare people at Yohane's Halloween Party. Maybe not the sort of behavior that should be encouraged, but maybe he can find some better hobbies. Speaking of...]

What is this you've set up here, exactly?
[This fortune telling booth.]

[Molly squints, suspiciously. He'll have to have that proven to him later, but for now he's easily distracted and any shift in conversation, he follows like a cat chasing a laser pointer.]

Well, before I was inconveniently displaced here, I did fortunes on occasion, and I've found here it's a good way to make a bit of coin, meet new people, and feel like not everything has completely gone to shit. [He picks up his cards and taps them on the crate.] Care to see what's in the cards for yourself?

That depends on what you're charging. I don't put much faith in the future telling abilities of a bunch of random playing cards.
[That's probably rude to the tarot deck or whatever, but Law clearly doesn't care. This also definitely is evidence against his claim that he knows how to have fun by trying new things.]

But I'll humor you, if the price isn't too high.
[Because they're friends now, as much as Law would protest that.]

They're not playing cards. [Even through a drunken stupor, Molly can still manage to take offense at the lack of respect for his cards. He might fake it a lot, but they've served him well.] But I'm always willing to indulge a non-believer.

[He grins and this time it's more like bared teeth. He might be planning to have fun with this, because as drunk as he is... one is never too drunk to be wanky.] A silver for your curiosity?

[Really, his instinct is to say no. Because he's no fun. But magic is like, a thing here, maybe Mollymauk's cards actually work? Maybe he can actually do some sort of fortune telling. Though, Law has no idea what sort of message he'd even expect to get from the cards. He's still been figuring out what to do with his future that he hadn't planned on having, before he ended up here. Now he's got even less of a direction.

After brooding over all of this, he pulls out a coin and hands it to Molly.]
Fine, show me what it is you do with them, exactly.

[Molly's lopsided drunken grin and the subsequent giggle sort of kills the mood of what should be a mysterious and mystical event. He takes the coin and pockets it and then proceeds to do an uncomplicated shuffle, his fingers fumbling a bit, but mostly keeping to the process.] I draw three cards and they tell me your past, your present, and the very near future.

[He wiggles the fingers of one hand a bit, flashing some of his jeweled rings before setting the cards down. The first he draws is the Ace of Swords, and as he describes it, his voice takes on a lilting, if not vaguely intoxicated, tone.] Ah yes. You, my friend, are a double-edged blade, capable of great good or great evil, depending on whether you swing with anger and aggression or with clarity and truth of purpose. There is a great power within you and you've used that power to further your own ends for better or for worse.

[He turns over the next card- The Magician.] And a good thing too. This marriage of positive and negative has resulted in a solid union. You're wiser, capable of using your power constructively. Things are under your control.

[and finally, the Queen of Pentacles:] And now that you have that control, it's time to start giving back and using what you have to help others. Generosity and reliability and trustworthiness will help you reach the next step in your journey. You just have to open yourself up to it.

[Law feels like he should ask Molly later how he's able to keep so composed while drunk, because he doesn't have that skill. As for the fortune, he takes in the information with a scowl, and then actually takes a good long moment to consider the fortune. Some of it, sure, strikes him as fair. But Molly's seen the "great power" that he wields. Given his attitude, it's not unreasonable to assume he'd use it to his own ends, either. As for the present...]

Well, you certainly sound sure of yourself. But I honestly haven't had things less under control in years.

[The "future," sure. He's been doing a lot more doctoring than he has pirating lately. But he's going to keep that to himself, partly because he's being dismissive and partly because he doesn't lke admitting he's capable of being nice and doing good things.]

[Molly plants a hand on his chin and idly flicks the Magician between his fingers. He only drops it once when he fumbles and then picks it back up and goes right back to it like it never happened. Nothing to see here, just a lazy drunken tiefling with half-lidded eyes staring across a table that's essentially a crate with a bit of fancy cloth on it.]

Oh, I don't know. You seem like a person who has most of his shit together. In comparison to most people I've met anyway. 'S a low bar, admittedly, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

[On the one hand, Law wants to prove Molly's fortune is dumb and inaccurate. On the other hand... it's not exactly a bad thing for someone to mistakenly believe he has his shit together.]

Well... I suppose the main cause of the lack of control of my situation isn't here right now, that probably helps.
[Luffy, he means Luffy. A pure force of unpredicatable chaos.]

There you go.

[Which only really serves to make him miss Jester. Not that Molly also isn't a force of chaos, but Jester has even less restraint than he does.] And until that person wakes up, you can... [He waves his hand in what could be mystical circles but are really just him struggling to remember how words work. He is so wasted.] Do what you need to do to reach your destiny. Yes.

I'm sorry, apparently I wasn't clear in that I don't put any stock in the fortune you gave me.
[Now that's just needlessly mean. Hopefully Molly is too drunk to be properly offended. Maybe the idea of destiny just has him bothered, because if such a thing exists, he's either already fulfilled his or lost any chance to with his world destroyed.]

... How exactly are you going to get all of this back home with you in the state you're in?
[He's not even sure he trusts Molly to get himself home at all, let alone with all the components of his little stand in hand.]

[Molly's ability to be offended has little to do with the alcohol and everything to do with his confidence, and he has so much of it that he just looks nonplussed, as if Law hadn't said anything at all. He's heard this from Beau enough, and she's never bothered to let him pull a few cards for her, so honestly at least Law pretended for five minutes.]

Pssssh. This? [He indicates the crate he's using for a table and the smaller one he's sitting on.] I got the crates from... Over there somewhere. I'm sure someone'll come looking for them once the festivities are done. [He doesn't even know if they're empty or not. He was not really at the point of "thinking" when he decided that he needed to sit down and also do something with his hands or else he was going to make even worse decisions or possibly pass out in a gutter.] But I appreciate your concern. Were you gonna offer to carry it? Or me, for that matter?

[He steeples his fingers under his chin and just grins. Fucking with Law is a sober or drunk activity and it's always worth it.]

... I suppose I was.
[If necessary, that is. As much as Law goes out of his way to project an air of being standoffish, he's honestly pretty considerate. That said, he's also easy to catch off guard in a conversation, even when he's the sober one. Case in point, this belated, slightly flustered reaction;]

To carry your things, I mean. Not you. [Since that seems weird? Definitely weird. That said, he looks Molly up and down for a moment, before making a decision.]

I probably could carry you if I needed to, though.
[He just doesn't want to. He needs to make this clear.]

[Molly will not stoop to Beau's dramatics of feigning a dead faint so Yasha will carry her, though for a brief moment, he considers it just because it would be so wanky and it's funny. He settles for a compromise, pushing himself into a standing position and drunkenly swaggering closer until he "trips" and leans against Law's shoulder a bit. It's entirely a movement to make him uncomfortable.

Also the wine gives him a craving for affection, like a cat that winds around people's legs to make people pet it.]

How's about instead, you stop standing there and mocking me with your sobriety and that stick-up-your-arse personality and get a drink?

Edited 2018-12-04 19:19 (UTC)

[Law noticeably tenses up at the unexpected physical contact, but thankfully he's a nice guy and doesn't push Molly off of him, though he certainly isn't offering an arm to steady himself or anything.

His silence seems to indicate he's ignoring the teasing, but after a few moments of consideration he actually does reply;]

Only if you're the one paying for it, Mollymauk-ya.
[That's almost, kind of, accidentally a pick up line, if you squint?]

I'm always the one paying for it.

[He sounds absolutely delighted by his own wordplay or possibly even the delight that he got Law to indulge him. Victory for Overly Intoxicated Mollymauk. He pushes himself off Law's shoulder, where only his own sense of balance and a firm understanding for how to abuse gravity kept him from just slipping to the ground, and grabs his shoulders to pivot him towards the bar just behind them.]

C'mon, c'mon. Before all the good alcohol goes to people who doesn't deserve it.

The enthusiasm you have for getting me to drink is almost suspicious, you know.
[He has no real reason to suspect Mollymauk of having sinister intentions, but he doesn't have any reason to not think that either. He is allowing the tiefling to push him along though, partly because he feels like if he pulled away Molly would fall flat on his face.]

If you're expecting me to be a lightweight, I'll tell you now that you're going to be disappointed.
[Drinking is a pirate's game, after all. He may be stodgy and serious, but he also has a lot of problems that he's not willing or able to deal with, and is perfectly capable of drinking them away, temporarily.]

If my enthusiasm is suspicious, then I'm suspicious every day of my life. [Which is fair. He is actually pretty shady, but he's too fucking soused and promising to get even more soused as the night goes on to have any intentions beyond "here is a person whose company I enjoy, please don't let me spend another moment drinking alone."

He makes a pouty "pfft" sound that catches on the edge of his bottom lip.] Where would be the fun in it if you were? I'm working with a serious handicap here. If I actually drink you under the table in this condition, I'm just gonna feel bad about it.

[He has never sounded more Irish than he does in this moment. Not that Law has any point of reference, but like... he's borderline incomprehensible between the fast-talking, the slur, and the brogue.]

[I mean, yeah, Molly definitely strikes Law as suspicious in a low-key, inoffensive sort of way. He's all good moods and smiles, but Law didn't forget how he just made a mans eyes shut off with a magic blood sword. He'd be more actively concerned if the man hadn't seemed to have taken a liking to him for some inexplicable reason. Then again, he was certainly good at feigning interest in people. Law's shoulders square up a bit as he weighs the potential implications of trusting Mollymauk in any way.]

Honestly I'm not sure you should continue drinking at all. As a doctor, I have to advise against it. However...
[He pauses a moment, searching for the right word, finding it, rejecting it, and then reconsidering it given Molly's current mental state. Maybe he won't remember? Maybe it's fine to say it once. In light of the spirit of the occasion.]

As your friend, I'm going to drink you so far under the table you'll be waking up underground.
[Hopefully this is threatening enough to distract from him using the f word.]

[Having two years worth of memories means having a lot less to remember and therefore all the reason to remember everything. Granted, Molly is also well acquainted of blacking out drunk and not remembering what the fuck happened the night previously, so there's a fifty fifty chance of Molly retaining this information.

For now, it definitely looks like he's filing it away.] Wouldn't be the first time.

[That's some gallows humor that no one has to understand but Molly himself. He's delighted by his own joke and even more delighted at being classified as a friend.] Just make sure I'm still breathing before the night's out and that's all the medical attention I'm gonna need.

Edited 2018-12-11 22:39 (UTC)

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