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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That's very kind of you, I'd love one.

[He doesn't call Molly out on his bullshit regarding the fact that he's clearly at least a handful of drinks past comfortably buzzed. At least based on the liquid way in which he was originally draped over the table. There would be no fun in that.

Why ruin the theatrics with truth? He's enjoying them immensely.]

[He kisses his fingertips, and pushes himself up onto his feet on the table, which is about as graceful as one can manage when they're presenting themselves as "just sober enough." Fortunately, his preferred place to lurk was near enough to a pub- very much intentionally.]

And look at that. [He waves an arm grandly at the aforementioned pub as if he didn't know that it was down the street from him.] Well, that's an auspicious sign if I've ever seen one.

Fancy that...

[Peter is smiling in a way that absolutely isn't knowing at all. Of course it's not.

He too gets up from the table and deftly steps around it to stand by Molly's side. Like the gentleman he is, he offers his arm. Purely to be polite, and not at all because Molly is very drunk.

Of course.]

Shall we?

[Molly takes that offered arm with all the delight of a child being given surprise candy and wobbles his way towards the bar, opening the door with his free hand and entering with such a flourish, it's like he expects them to know him here.

He gets a cheeky "Oh, you again!" from the bartender and little else. He considers that a win.] Drinks for me and my lovely friend. We're celebrating... I actually forgot what this festival is meant to be celebrating, but fuck it. There's always something worth celebrating when you're enjoying yourself.

[Peter is appropriately pleased by all of Molly's grand gestures and statements. It's hard not to be, although perhaps that's just Peter's temperament. Inclined towards an overabundance of charm and bullshit.]

I believe this one is about community and friendship. [As he leads Molly over to the nearest table, nodding at the bartender with a smile as he goes.] Which seems appropriate, I think.

I'm into that. [The bartender probably doesn't normally do table service, but he brings over two large pints with the expectation of Molly's generous tips and, indeed, when Molly claps a hand over the man's hands to mouth "bless you" the bartender comes away with some extra silver in his hands.

Molly definitely doesn't need a tankard this big with the state he's in, but fuck it.] This may be the first festival I've been to where I don't need a massage after.

[Because he's only really been to one. If the circus ever went to festivals, it was usually to cajole and con, not to indulge. They never had the money for it.]

Are festivals where you're from usually that intense?

[Peter watches the exchange between Molly and the bartender with interest. Molly is a lot of everything and it's interesting to see how he eases his interactions with normal people. (Peter doesn't consider himself, personally, ~normal people~.)

Sitting down, he places his chin in the palm of his hand again. Ready to continue being entertained.]

The last one I went to had a Victory Pit, which is probably exactly what you think it is.

[Molly has a decent imagination, but limited life experience. When someone says "Victory Pit," though, it draws a lot of comparison to competition and attempts at glory. Molly didn't particularly want either of those things, but he wanted that fucking money.] Don't get me wrong, we won- well, we tied, to be fair. But it wasn't altogether a pleasant ending to the day's festivities. Getting your entire body smashed into the bloody ground by a giant is fuckin' awful. I do not recommend it.

[Because that is something that happens to people all the time. Fighting hill giants.]

I haven't had the experience! I'll keep that in mind.

[...Like it's not very, very obvious that being bodily smashed into the ground is something you wouldn't want to try. Then again, Peter's relationship to danger is an unconventional one. He does love a thrill.

But, this sounds like a story.]

"We"? Is this that group from that photograph?

[Oh right. The photograph. Molly has a very out of sight, out of mind personality and the photograph only lingered for a brief moment- long enough for a conversation about it and little else.]

Y'know, I'd almost forgotten about that. [Probably with intent, honestly, even if he won't admit that. It's not easy on him working with half a full group. He misses Yasha and Fjord and Jester. Hell, he even misses Beau.

He's way too drunk to even be sad about it. He just laughs, like it's kind of funny that he forgot about the weird object that took a photo of his past.] Yes, them. One of our finer moments. We have them on occasion, as groups of shitheads tend to. Broken clocks being right twice a day and all that.

[Peter has a very long memory, especially for things he finds interesting. He might occasionally feign forgetfulness but it's usually not very true.

Molly describing his friends as a 'group of shitheads' is amusing, although...Peter's smile is already an indulgently amused one. So his expression doesn't change much. He just leans in slightly and maybe that smile gets just slightly wider.]

What is it you all do? If anything.

[Fighting giants, almost getting killed in a swamp....sounds like something. Something exciting.]

That's the best part of it. [Molly leans in with a little more abruptness and far less grace. He's messy right now and grinning like a loon that's been half-drowned in a wine barrel.] We don't know! We just do whatever we feel like doing that gets us paid... Or scratches some moral itch on occasion. Not frequently, but sometimes.

[Molly's a decently moral person, but he does not go out of his way to be when there's a lot of risk. People who chase every cause on the road get into trouble. You pick your battles. You improve lives in subtle ways.

And on occasion, you leave Hupperdook with two broken family units made whole again. It's good work, but you can't make a living off of it, and it breed expectation and sets you up for failure when you can't meet them.]

[Peter laughs, not pulling back despite Molly's messy eagerness. So that's how it is, then.]

Wandering jacks of all trades? Fascinating. I imagine you must have so many stories to tell.

[Embellished with the requisite bullshit, of course. Peter takes a sip of his drink, and his smile takes on a winning sort of quality.]

Tell me about your friends. I'm dying to know more about them.

[His red eyes light up like he's just been offered everything in the candy store for free, so long as he can carry it out. It's not every day you can talk shit and your friends can't come up and dispute it, though it would be much more fun if they were.]

Caleb and Nott are here, so I'll let them speak for themselves. Nott defies explanation anyway. And Caleb... Well, once you've seen him, you get a pretty good idea of who he is.

[He takes a lengthy sip of his liquor which begins his buzz anew, and he sways a bit on his eat.] So we have Yasha. [He clasps his hands over his heart.] An absolute angel- the charm to my brains. [And thus begins the bullshit.] And a fine maker of Xhorhassian neckties.

[Go ahead. Ask him what a Xhorhassian necktie is.]

[The quality of Molly's expression absolutely leads Peter to believe that most of what he's about to hear is going to be some form of exaggeration or flat-out lie. But that doesn't really matter so much. It will be interesting to hear whatever the tiefling decides to offer up. True or not.

He smiles through the beginning of Molly's description of Yasha, eyes faintly wide as he plays the part of a good audience. Of course, when Molly leaves room for further inquiry, Peter obliges happily.]

And what is a Xhorassian necktie?

[He's such a good friend, isn't he.]

[The best. Molly pretty much expects his bullshit to be played into, whether from the mindset of a mark or from someone polite enough to not just be humoring him with clear condescension.

He runs the length of a sharp fingernail from pointed ear to pointed ear and makes an exaggerated hissing sound. It is exactly what one things.] You just have to imagine it with a six foot tall greatsword.

[He tilts his chair back, allowing the image of Battle Angel Yasha slitting throats with the Judge to clarify in the mind of his audience before he moves on.] Then there's Jester. You have never seen a woman of faith so fast to cause chaos. [It helps that her faith is chaos, but that's not something he has any insight on. The Traveler is beyond him.] And you haven't lived until you've watched someone fuck someone up with a giant lollipop. As soon as she wakes up, make the request. She'll happily oblige you. Just look for a blue version of my race in a pretty dress asking people if they've accepted the Traveler. You can't miss her.

[With descriptions like these, it is actually genuinely hard for even Peter to tell where the truth ends and the bullshit begins. Which is...very interesting, actually! It intrigues him, to the point where he unconsciously leans in a little more. The faint wideness of his eyes is not...entirely an act, anymore.

...Well, no. First he watches Molly demonstrate what a "Xhorassian necktie" really is and chuckles. Ah, that of course.

After, though. His eyebrows are both slightly raised.]

I suppose a giant lollipop would pack a punch. The Traveler is her diety, then?

Mmhmm. Not quite what I expect out of a deity considering he's around, which is not common where we're from and a little iffy, if I'm honest, but she has all the powers of a cleric, so it's not all weird and bullshit.

[He'll refrain from saying what he thinks it is, because that's not anyone's business and also no one asked.] And we have Fjord.... And I don't know if you've ever met a half-orc before, but strictly speaking they aren't supposed to be that handsome or charming. He's an idiot, which seems standard, but unfairly pretty. He used to be a sailor, and now he's got a bit of magic that he can be a right dick with.

[They're even for the Blink spell, but all it's gonna take is one more use of it and Molly's gonna kick him down some stairs. Bastard.]

[Peter hasn't met a half-orc before, a fact that he demonstrates by shaking his head a bit at Molly's questioning statement but not otherwise choosing to throw off his narrative. He continues to look amused. In fact, though, he has no idea what a half (or full) orc should be like.

He's trying to piece the information he's being given to that photo that he only really vaguely remembers. Now that Molly starts talking, he remembers details a little more. A young blue girl, yes. Someone very tall and very gray, someone very short and very green. Someone tall and green...or vaguely green. Then two slightly more nondescript figures.]

There's one more member of your party, if I'm not mistaken....?

[...One of those humans, he assumes. Not the man, presumably.]

[Molly makes a comical show of groaning, even though he and Beau have come around to good terms here lately. They like not liking each other and the teasing has become fairly familial in nature, not unlike what he had with members of the circus. It's still best to keep with the theatrics.] That'd be Beauregard. Beau. She's unpleasant. Full stop. And her unpleasantness is only matched by how hard she can punch. That's... basically it, really. Angry and punchy, the essential Beau. I can tell you right now she wouldn't like you.

[At least by his judgmental kneejerk first impression, anyway. He assumes he's dealing with someone quite a lot like him, after all.]

Oh, I don't know. I'm very good at making myself likeable.

[Peter argues, but with an entirely pleasant (even amused) tone. It's true, though! He has a lot of practice in the skill. Although to be fair, he doesn't know this specific young woman. But:]

Even to types like that.

[Juno, he means Juno. But probably other people too.]

[Molly lifts his drink in Peter's direction in a sort of mock toast, grinning wickedly.] I would take that bet. It would be worth the lost gold just to see it happen in real time.

[Peter grins back, looking as confident as you please.]

If you let me know when she shows up, I'd be more than happy to indulge your curiosity.

[From the look on Molly's face, Peter gets the feeling that his skills are being questioned. It's not insulting, but now he'd really like the chance to prove himself.]

When she finally wakes up and stops swinging her stick around, you'll be the first person I introduce her to.

[And that is not a lie. He will drag Beau bodily to his place for SCIENCE.] Though you might want to tell me where you live- for reference, of course.

[Yeah, Molly, you ain't slick.]

[Not even a little! Buuuuuut it's amusing so Peter doesn't really mind it. There's a short little chuckle, and then he nods.]

Of course. [And he gives Molly the address. It's in the area where all apartments provided for refugees are clustered. He still hasn't moved out, has made his two-bedroom comfortable enough.] I look forward to the demonstration.

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❪ event ❫ harvest valley

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