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Entry tags:
- *event,
- ace attorney: miles edgeworth,
- ace attorney: phoenix wright,
- aldnoah.zero: asseylum vers allusia,
- blood+: diva,
- covert affairs: annie walker,
- critical role: caleb widogast,
- dceu: diana prince,
- got: loras tyrell,
- gundam: setsuna f. seiei,
- kingdom hearts: roxas,
- les miserables: grantaire,
- mcu: wanda maximoff,
- outlander: brianna randall,
- outlander: claire fraser,
- outlander: fergus fraser,
- penumbra podcast: juno steel,
- penumbra podcast: peter nureyev,
- rwby: lie ren,
- saiyuki: genjo sanzo,
- star trek: kathryn janeway,
- stargate: rodney mckay,
- stargate: tamara johansen,
- torchwood: ianto jones
❪ 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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no subject
It's not boring if work occupies your time. I understand the concept, actually, so. Uh. [She looks around before making the next left and lifting her shoulders.] Mostly the same. I'd see my nieces or go out with co-workers for a drink. But I'm kind of an adventurist. I enjoy new things.
[Her most recent assignment had been her social life and it hadn't ended well.]
It feels like we're heading in the right direction, right?
no subject
[Okay he may have been teasing a little bit, there.]
I think so. We haven't passed any of our markers yet... I wonder how deep this goes.
[He stopped and quieted down. There was the sound of someone sobbing, faintly in the distance.]
Did you hear that?
no subject
[The fact that he's even attempting to tease her makes her smile and then the smile fades as he mentions hearing something.
She does and she nods.]
I think it's coming from down there.
[She points, the levity of their previous conversation gone.]
no subject
[He slowed his pace and moved carefully towards where the sound was coming from. The maze gave way to a large clearing. They had reached the middle of the maze, apparently. In the middle of it, there were several small children sobbing in a huddle. Miles hovered at the mouth of the path they were on, still obstructed from view. His instincts told him to rush in and grab the kids and reassure them, but that was how he got kidnapped the last time. He was hesitating.]
Do you see anyone?
[His voice lowered to a whisper.]
no subject
I don't.
[She shook her head.] I'll go first and if something happens, run.
[Without waiting for an objection - ahem - she steps into the clearing and up to the children, quietly asking if they're okay. When nothing happens, she lookes back at Miles and shrugs her shoulders as if to say that it seems okay.]
im sorry this is so late.
[And before he could protest further she was off. He bounded after her. He stood a few paces behind so as not to startle the children, who on close inspection had to be very young.
Perhaps they were just lost and scared...But there was still a feeling that things were not as quiet as they seemed. He brushed it aside for now.]
...What happened?
never late!
Standing, she steps back toward Miles and speaks to him quietly, eyes still on the kids.] I don't know. They're not really giving good answers. Something about being in the center, but none of them asked about parents and.
[She makes a face.] This still feels wrong.
<3
I see. That is odd... You would think the first thing a child that young would cry for is their parents...
[The more he thought about it the less he liked it. Still, if they were actually lost children, it was their duty to protect them. He didn't like their positioning the clearing was empty and with all the paths they were too vulnerable.
He decided the best approach would be to try and talk to them again and hopefully convince them to follow them.]
Mind if I try? I'm not that great with children but I found that sometimes if you get on their level they find it less intimidating to talk to you.
no subject
[It's there, right on the tip of her tongue, to tease him about being not good with children, but she doesn't. Not now, not when it's so serious.
Instead, she nods and waits while he approaches them, careful and ready to back him up in case anything should happen.]
no subject
[He took a deep breath and attempted to soften his expression a bit. He knew his face could be offputting to people sometimes. He knelt down in front of the kids and tried to talk to them in a soft voice. He asked how they got here and if they were lost. The children being young only responded to him by sobbing louder. What little he managed to get out of them, was that they were lost and scared.
The next thing he knew, he had several small attachments to his chest, one child crying and snotting all over his cravat. This wasn't even the first time this had happened to him.
He may have shot Annie the most bewildered look.]
... I think they are afraid.
no subject
The situation wasn't funny, but. His bewildered look was kind of cute.]
I had a feeling that might be the case. [As in that much was obvious.] Let's just use the sparklers to get us all out of here.
no subject
[He still wished he could shake off the feeling that something was wrong. He leaned down so that one of the kids could climb onto his shoulders. He picked up the others, one in each arm. He wanted to have them in hand in case the group of them had to make a hasty retreat.
He moved over closer to Annie.]
Ready when you are.
no subject
It was endearing to see him holding all the kids, so she reached out to try and lighten the load, then lit the sparklers, handing that over to him instead, using the second to distract the sniffling child she had taken from him. Staying close to Miles, her only worry was that she didn't know if they were going to be sucked out of the maze as a group or if someone was going to show up--]
What happens next?
no subject
[He shifted his weight, adjusting the weight if the child in his arm before taking the sparkler in hand.]
Perhaps we wait? Some people are supposed to extract us I believe.
[However when he looked up, almost all the entrances of the central area were suddenly gone, and in the remaining exit a half dozen or so threatening looking people poured in. It looked like a trap.]
Well, they certainly don't look like they wish to provide aid.
[The kids whimpers and clung closer to the adults.]