seasonsrpg | Event #4: Under the Great Ocean Lake

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Event #4: Under the Great Ocean Lake

Under the Great Ocean Lake
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Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing
September 15th - 30th

Part 1

A message appears on everyone's phones. There's a new type of magic to learn! This magic is based on trust, so anyone interested is expected to appear to one of the training places (the Guilds in Frostreign, Blossomcrown, Solarpeak and Amberfall) with one or more people they trust (it doesn't matter which guild this time so they can pick any of them as their location). Anyone who arrives to the guilds will directed behind the building, to the giant outdoor training area.

Some may recognize the people waiting in the areas. They're the teachers of the Magical Mansion. They've set up a lot of Swords in Stones around the backyard and the explain how the magic words thoroughly before letting anyone do it.

The goal is to partner up with someone they absolutely trust and pull the sword out of the stone. After that the sword disappears and the essence of it transports into one of them. The teachers explain that their bond and the sword's magic now enable them to form a magical bond weapon.

The person who received the essence is now a "Vessel" while the other is a "Wielder" (a decision between players which is which). The wielder will be able to pull a weapon out of the vessel. This progress doesn't hurt the vessel at all; but they might feel a little "out of it" for a moment. The magical bond weapon fits the wielder perfectly (any weapon - firearms have infinite ammo) and cannot be broken or wielded by other people. It's more powerful than normal weapons. They disappear after the battle the weapon was summoned to is finished. The only way for the weapon to fail is if the vessel is somehow critically hurt or knocked unconscious.

The bond between the two of them will remain in existence as long as the trust remains. If either side loses their trust for the other, the connection will flicker out of existence and feel like a sting in their chest.

Those who are as close as "soulmates" will be able to feel if their partner is in danger or approx. where they are. Otherwise the bondmates will feel warm feelings when close to each other.

The Magical Manor Teachers will be at the guilds to guide people for the whole month. Afterwards the Swords in Stones will be periodically replaced by guild staff if someone uses them (there will be written guides to how they work from then on as well).

Part 2

Those who don't want to or don't have partners to participate in the main event, there are stalls around the districts for characters to make Elemental Weapons. Everyone will receive a ribbon stick (in various colors and designs) that they can use in fights. The element used by the ribbon is not tied to the user's Seasonal element, but to the element that resonates the most OR the least with their soul. This element can be water, wind, fire, earth, electricity, ice, darkness or light.

There are targets set near the stalls meant for practice. There are natives who show how the ribbons work: wave the ribbon towards the targets and the element comes out shooting like beams or balls, depending on the movement of their body. If the ribbon is thrown up, the element will rain down on a single enemy - if thrown down it will spread the element across the ground.

The Elemental Weapons need to be charged by magical energy, but they last for 100 different attacks at a time.

This Rescue Mission Gets My Seal of Approval
September 18th - 19th

Another message arrives on everyone's devices (on afternoon on September 18th). This time it's Dawn, the Guild Leader of Summer. It's a text message labeled "Urgent"!

Hello, everyone! Dawn here. I have an important mission for everyone! You see, the mermaids sent us a message through the fairies that they have located the missing Fairy Queen. She's apparently been captured by the sirens.

So we're going to be launching a rescue mission to the depths of the Great Ocean Lake. The mermaids will also be helping us, but they need our skills to fight the sirens properly.

And by that I mean I'm also going to be coming along with you. All the fairies and the Fairy Queen are important to us, so I want to do my part in helping her out. Don't worry, I know how to fight even underwater!

There will be temporary teleport crystals straight to the northern side the of the Great Ocean Lake at every Guild. Let's meet there tomorrow at noon! You might wanna bring some swimsuits with you - but we'll have some other useful things for diving at ready there!

Oh, right. You will get a big reward of 10,000 Moon Coins if you come to help. The Fairy Queen is essential for fighting back the Darkness. So if you're able to come to our aid, please do.

Part 1

Dawn is waiting for everyone at the beach at the promised time with a lot of boxes. She explains that the boxes contain different methods of helping people with the dive. One of the items included is a Oxygen Helmet made by the Research Center that lets someone breathe underwater for 12 hours after charging it with magical energy. The second item included is a Seashell Necklace that will release a temperature altering bubble when used underwater, making the water around the user a pleasant temperature and also lets the user breathe underwater for 12 hours after charging it with touch energy. The energies can be charged in the middle of use if necessary. Both of the items make communicating underwater possible and can be kept after the mission - but you only get to choose one.

Other items in the boxes are saddles, harnesses and treats, meant for Water Mounts. Dawn explains there are several water animals tamed by the mermaids that will aid the characters if they feel like they're not strong enough swimmers - or just want to save their strength. There are sea lions, seals, giant sea horses, dolphins and even orcas and sharks. The first mission is bonding with the mounts - which is where the treats will come to play. Some mounts may be more difficult to bond with than others.

There's time to practice both riding the mounts, diving and even fighting underwater. There's even a cage-like ring made with seaweed where people can practice sparring safely.

Part 2

As the mission starts it becomes clear that the lake is very, very deep and has a lot of caves and labyrinths made of coral. That's why the mermaids are there to guide them to right directions. Anyone is welcome to stray from the paths and explore different caves for different aquatic herbs for different potions and variety of items, but they should be careful not to get lost.

The trip is so long that the mermaids suggest staying at their homes at the Mermaid Village (all the houses are made out of coral) for a while to charge and eat a little bit. The mermaids accommodate the otherworlders by having one full room that has oxygen and a nice, comfortable bed... but due to the limited number of houses all rooms will have to have two residents (and just one bed).

During their stay in the mermaid village, they have a chance to interact with the local mermaids and hear them tell mermaid tales (basically stories from the past, of royalties and pirates, and even a love story between a siren and a mermaid - feel free to come up with fun little stories).

They also wish to hear about characters' stories. Either from Ellipsa or their homeworld. If characters manage to make a mermaid laugh or cry with their stories they will receive mermaid tears that can be made in jewelry that makes a water shield around them (even out of water) in danger. The ones made from tears of sadness will also heal characters slightly while the shield is up.

Part 3

There's also the danger of getting invited by a siren instead of a mermaid as they pretend to be mermaids around the village. They also have houses, but they're further away from others. They will try to lock people up and either kill them or make them their slaves. If someone starts doubting where they're going they can use their voice to make people think they're following a loved one to safety.

The sirens will also definitely use characters as shields to protect themselves from death.

Down Where It's Wetter
September 19th - 21st

Part 1

After a good rest at the Mermaid village, it's time to continue the journey towards the proper siren territory. The guide mermaids will lead the team into the darker themed coral reefs. Some of the colors emit a light, making it easier to see through the coral corridors.

On the way to their destination there are some more open coral caves where monsters lurk. The caves can include camouflaged ice squids that try to freeze people (the closer someone gets to them the colder the water is and they're weak physically which is why they hide), adamantine swordfish that will wish to duel anyone with a sword (defeating them requires firing magic at their mouth) or energy sapping jellyfish that try to cling onto people (the trick to defeating them is to get them stuck together or destroying them).

Some of the caves also have sirens hidden in them that are the first wave of guardians of the siren territory. They're armed with tridents that shoot out ice or electric crystals and their singing will cause pain and status effects (such as stun, poison, sleep, burn and energy sap). They're not hiding their pointy teeth or spiky tails around this area so they can't be mistaken for the guide mermaids.

If someone does get affected by a status effect, the mermaids can heal them with their songs.

Some coral caves also have very beautiful crystal flowers stuck to the coral (they can't be removed). Characters will feel weaker near the flowers. It seems the flowers are draining touch energy. Holding someone's hand near the flowers help with the effect.

Part 2

After the coral caves, the team finally makes it to a giant area surrounded by rocks and coral. The seabed in the middle looks empty, but it's still guarded by more sirens with tridents. But these guards also have schools of manta ray that protect them and use their tails to sting opponents. One siren usually has three manta ray protecting them and they fight in formations with other siren's manta ray when needed.

Defeating a siren will gradually destroy an illusion, so either destroying them or knocking all of them unconscious has to happen before the team can proceed. Once every siren is defeated, the Siren's Palace is finally revealed.

Dawn leads the way to the Palace, which is more of a prison for "breathers". There are some native humans there, but also who they were here to rescue; the Fairy Queen. The Mermaid Guide provide more Seashell Necklaces to rescue everyone from the Palace. Dawn personally helps the Fairy Queen, who seems to be unconscious but still definitely alive.

Going back through the coral paths is now easier with the enemies gone. The crystal flowers previously there have disappeared while the fight was going on at the palace. Otherwise the journey back to the surface can be made faster by by riding currents. These currents reach from the Mermaid Village to the surface - but only go upwards, which is why they couldn't be used on their way down. They cut the time swimming into half.

Once characters make it back to the city they will be greeted with a feast that the fairies have set up with the natives of the world. Plenty of free (normal, not fairy) food and drinks for everyone! And a hefty 10,000 Moon Coins rewards for everyone who went underwater.

Part 3
Epilogue/Extra Information

Further investigation of the Palace and interrogating sirens leads people to find out that the sirens alone weren't responsible for the abduction of the Fairy Queen (unlike the natives, those are completely blamed on the sirens). Apparently the remnants of the Auctives (or "The Harvesters") were also responsible, but they have been found dead in the Palace.

Another name that the sirens mentioned (with added venom in their tones) was "The Wizard". Apparently this person promised to stay around and help them win their war against mermaids and their allies, but the person had vanished and left the sirens behind to take the blame. They say the Wizard has a way with words, making almost anyone believe what he says and trust him - but once that effect stops people see the error of their ways.

The sirens responsible for kidnappings of natives are given to the mermaids, as they know the best way to punish them. This, by no means, means all sirens have been dealt with - just a group of the more loud ones.

Meanwhile, the Fairy Queen will be resting somewhere in Nightwake, regaining her strength but she will surely make an appearance later to tell her side of the story when the time is right.

OOC TIPS

• Ask Event-related questions here!

• Smut is not allowed on the event post, so if your thread is heading that way, please move it to a private entry of your own (your own entry or a new locked post on the comms).

• Remember to content and spoiler warn as necessary!

• The First part of the event will continue for the whole month.

• The Second part of the Event runs ICly between September 18th and September 21st, with the Fairy Queen being brought back to safety on the 21st by Guild Leader Dawn.

• Those who wish to see a glimpse of the Fairy Queen as she's being rescued, she looks like this, but with huge fairy wings (PB: Monica Bellucci). She's normal human sized, unlike normal fairies. She will be added to the NPC page later.

• Dawn will be participating in the event, but she cannot be interacted with in threads. You're free to handwave her fighting alongside your character with her double swords or chat about anything related to Summer Holder powers - or maybe even think about hosting a party - while resting somewhere.

• Items found from the underwater caves can be freely chosen by players. We just ask you don't make your character find a piece of every item available!

• Reminder that this month is Activity Check-in month and check-in ends on September 30th, at 23:59 PST.

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He shakes his head, absently stroking that amulet again. ]

It's just... complicated right now. You don't have to censor yourself around me.

But I'm curious what devotion usually means to you.

One of the things I can do is turn humans, and presumably other species I'm not entirely sure, into members of my species, sort of. The process makes them devoted to me on a level that most would call obsessive. I hated it, which is why I don't do it anymore... I never really changed anyone because I wanted to, but even so. Having someone love you because of a blood bond and not because it's their choice is nothing but painful.

[ "Devotion" has a lot of baggage for her, and she's only starting to work through it and figure out a healthier version. ]

What's complicated right now?

I see, you don't want choices made to benefit you out of compulsion. The devotion I speak of is more aligned with a promise. One that cannot be broken, not because of a spell or a bond but because of... respect.

[ No, that's not quite it. But saying the true word just feels so... painful. Even this much, still has him forcing out the last word.

He straightens himself and exhales loudly. ]

It's complicated now because of trust. And the dangers with making a wrong choice.

Right. I understand the concept of voluntary devotion, it's just sort of new to me. [ She fiddles with her bracelet again. ] It definitely doesn't feel bad. And whatever is painful about it... pain goes along with these things. [ He didn't use the word "love" so she also avoids it since that sort of exclusion can only be out of discomfort. ]

I'm not quite catching your meaning, but if it's something you need to get out, I'll listen. Goodness knows you just listened to me ramble on for long enough.

I'm glad you could experience the more voluntary type. Even if pain often comes with it.

[ He considers for a moment, but perhaps after seeing the familiar dark power, his guard falters more than usual. ]

I have to protect someone in my world. That's my promise. If I trust the wrong person, it could end up putting them in danger. So a demon should be completely out of the question. Especially with what I've seen them to be capable of.

[ She listens, sensing a "but" on the horizon. ]

Mm, okay. Makes sense so far.

[ Even as protective as she is about Red Son and his heritage (and his family, especially now that she's wearing their crest), Saya understands not especially wanting to trust demons. Or vampires. Reputations and judgment are just a thing they have to cope with and she tries to be understanding as long as she gets reasonable reactions as they get to know her. ]

... my partner is one. Or possessed by one. Or has the blood of them—I don't know all the details. I just know that he hid that fact for quite a while.

[ Hm. On one hand, Saya can understand not wanting to project heritage that gets you judged or rejected. On the other hand, this is exactly why she doesn't hide hers. ]

So you're feeling torn between your partner and your promise, I imagine. That's an awful position to be in.

My reaction when I found out... was vicious. There's a cautious element on both sides as well.

[ He finds himself instinctively pressing the nails of his free hand against the lower arm of the other. ]

Anyway, his element is the same as that of your stick. I've seen it many times.

Being lied to never feels good. [ Neither does feeling judged for what you are, but she has to admit sometimes it's only natural. ] When you have heritage like that, like mine, sometimes it can feel easier to hide it, not risk getting hurt. That doesn't make it fair to you.

Did you get to work it through?

[ Snaps: ]

He said he trusted me!

[ He jerks his head away a second later, pressing his nails harder. ]

I know that's the real reason I reacted the way I did. I don't know what I would've done if he told me earlier. But I still deserved the chance... At least back then.

[ He shakes his head again. ]

I don't know. It's... messy right now. We're not... comfortable around each other. The partnership is out of necessity. We still have to do our job.

[ Saya swallows hard when the conversation makes her remember Wukong explaining why it hurt for Saya to practically dismiss him despite saying he was worthy of her trust. And despite trusting him implicitly. But this isn't about her mess, so she blinks it away. ]

You did deserve the chance. I tend to think it's wrong to hide things like that, especially if you're at the point of trusting someone.

But, speaking from experience...

It's... tempting, sometimes, to hide it. Just for a little while, I tell myself, so they can get to know the real me before I have to throw my history into the mix. Sometimes I convince myself that it's for the best, because why should I have to tell my life story to every stranger? But I know how that ends. Every time we talk it'll get harder to admit the truth, and they'll be a little more right to wonder why I hid it this long. They'll feel a little bit more taken for a ride when the truth comes out.

That's why I don't hide it almost at all. But I do understand why someone might. I understand it just as well as I understand your outrage.

I'm not saying I think you'd be wrong if you don't want to or can't forgive it, that's your call. I dunno, it's just a hard situation from a lot of angles.

You can't have a... relationship without trust. I told him everything. Things I never even admitted to myself before. I let myself...

I don't know if I can forgive... I just wish none of it had happened. It would've been easier that way.

You really can't have any relationship without trust. Especially if things feel uneven.

[ Trust can be rebuilt but she'll never put a value judgment on anyone who doesn't want to go to the effort and time to do that. ]

Wishing none of it happened, I think that's probably normal. Anything that hard, that big a shock, is bound to have you wanting something else. Anything that doesn't hurt so much.

[ So why does he miss things so much... ?

He shakes his head roughly. ]

It was stupid to let it get that far in the first place. I know better.

[ That just breaks her heart, even as she understands the impulse all too well. How often has she pushed others away to spare her own heart? ]

It's not stupid to care about someone. Even if you can't forgive, even if those good memories feel tainted now, I think it's never wrong to be close to someone.

Maybe it's because I spent so long pushing others away and was miserable because of it, but I'd rather trust someone and have it end badly than never try. Even if it doesn't last, I'd risk it to have have that feeling -- that warmth that can only come from loving someone.

...But you're not me. If you say it wasn't worth it, I believe you.

That's not what I mean.

[ Well, not all of it. ]

I can't risk having another person be important. My devotion can only be to one. Otherwise, my decisions could be compromised. I can't let that happen.

I kept allowing myself to be believe it didn't mean anything, it was just a way to pass time, to destress... That was my mistake.

[ Being devoted to only one person isn't something Saya understands especially well, but she tries to empathize. ]

I'm not sure believing it didn't mean anything is totally accurate. You said that you told him things you never told anyone else. That's not something that happens casually. [ She should know, she has a ton of casual partners. ] I only say that because it's impossible to decide how to move forward without acknowledging what happened in the past, and why.

Whether you want to risk that connection again, with him or with someone else, is another matter, but there's a reason you did risk it. [ That connection touched him in a way he wanted or needed, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten so close. ]

[ Acknowledging the why is the one thing he really doesn't want to do. ]

Like I said, I was being stupid. I let things get out of control. It wasn't fair to either of us.

I never could have given him what he wanted anyway.

[ He's so incredibly heart, and rightly so. Nothing she says is going to fix that, and Saya knows it. What she can do is be a support. ]

I'm sorry. That's intense. I know what it's like to be torn between promises and your feelings, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I gave my word I wouldn't get close to one person in particular, and I can feel it happening anyway. I should fight it but part of me really doesn't want to. [ Understatement of the century. ] And then I feel guilty for not wanting to. And even if I stopped fighting it, I can't possibly give up the promises I've made, which means I've essentially taken sides, and... [ she sighs ] It's a mess.

--I get it, is all. It definitely sucks.

[ "But part of me really doesn't want to." Why does that resonate so much? ]

What would happen if you got close to one person in particular?

... how do you manage the guilt?

What would happen... the one I made promises to, devoted myself to you could say, would be hurt and disappointed, and would feel betrayed that I broke my word. They might question how much or even whether I care for them -- which I do. There's no one I love more. [ She doesn't rank people in her life so this is somewhat of a misnomer but it's honest. ]

And yet, the pull I feel toward this other one, the one I shouldn't be close to, I can't deny it. They make me happy too, and I'm quite sure they feel the same. I know they're hurt that I keep a wall between us, and so am I. If that wall vanished... I don't know what would happen, but whatever it was it would be ours. And I really like that idea.

Right now I manage the guilt by keeping the walls up. Even though it hurts me, and it hurts the one I want to be closer to. But I have no idea how much longer I can do that. I can feel those walls splitting, like water breaking through a dam. My promises slowly crumbling. And I feel a lot of ways about that, but evidently not enough to completely pull myself back.

I suppose what I'll have to do is talk to the person I made that promise to. And see where we land.

It sounds like you're putting yourself in an impossible situation. One that could end up hurting all three of you. Especially since it's clear what you prefer.

I would think that the person you made promises to would still want what's best for you. Even if it hurt them.

What I prefer is for them to work their problems out so there's nothing to be in the middle of. But I can't control that. I like to think that if I ask, the one who I promised loves me enough to figure it out so I could be less hurt by the whole thing but -- I can't get into the circumstances really, let's just say it's asking a lot.

You're right though, something has to give. Being torn like that is no way to be. Right?

Edited 2023-09-24 20:24 (UTC)

[ He exhales slowly. ]

I never expected to have to worry about it. I focused on my mission, that was enough.

But Lucien is stubborn.

Event #4: Under the Great Ocean Lake

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