seasonsrpg | Event #5: Whispers in the Dark

Event #5: Whispers in the Dark

Whispers in the Dark
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Viral Video Event & Consequences

This part of the event is more or less just flavor text of what has been going on in Nightwake and not really a part of the event. Just something to be aware of.

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Recently, some videos went viral over Ellipsa's social media platforms. It's about Harrison and a group of Law Enforcement officers confronting and fighting against Autumn Guild Leader, Sawyer in Amberfall, in front of the Autumn Guild building. The young leader shows expectational skill in using earth to defend himself from any methods of trying to render him immobile. After a while of the defensive game, Sawyer seems to disappear after raising some sand to obscure the vision of those around him.

The most important thing to note in any versions of the video is that Sawyer makes sure to never injure any of the attackers with his abilities. He's only playing defensively the whole time.

Later an announcement video is made by Harrison.

"This video is a response to the 'viral' videos posted on Ellipsanet. The scene you saw there was an attempt to arrest the Autumn Guild Leader, Sawyer. Our investigations on the mysterious portals appearing around Nightwake have lead us to suspect him as the culprit.

We request any sightings of him to be reported to your nearest Law Enforcement office."

In the same video, Olwen also makes a short announcement, looking as neutral as he can be.

"Until Sawyer makes his return, the Autumn Guild will be temporary without its leader. Jade has promised to quick travel from her Guild to check on things whenever she can.

The other guild leaders believe in Sawyer and that he will do the right thing. Until then, we will wait for his return rather than hunt him down."

Harrison seems a little displeased at that, but doesn't argue, instead ending the video there.

All Hail the Fairy Queen

Part 1

After over a month of resting, the Fairy Queen is finally out and about. She can be seen flying around spring and summer aligned districts, taking in the nature and just enjoying the fresh air. Those who will come talk to her and exchange pleasant words or well wishes will receive a blessing of the Fairy Queen: a flower necklace that will temporarily boost their elemental powers once to unleash a mighty attack (sort of like a "limit break"). Were she in her full power, she could make something that works more than just once, but for now she hopes this will help them.

Those who ask her about the kidnapping will find out that most of the incident is a blur to her. After the fairies escaped from the Darkness, she stayed behind the longest, since she needed to make sure everyone got out, but before she could make her way back she was trapped in a magical cage that rendered her powers useless. She managed to see the silhouette of the "Wizard" before she lost her consciousness. When she next woke up she was already back here with half of her powers lost.

Thanks to the Fairy Queen's safe return and her waking up, the fairies are in a very good mood and going all around the city, making sure everyone else has a good time too! This means it's possible to be affected by a dose of fairy dust that will boost both energy and make them happy. Some fairies get a little too excited though and might pour a little too much dust out making anyone extra affectionate towards everyone, even if they wouldn't normally like the person.

Part 2

An event is happening at the beach of Solarpeak, to celebrate the return of the Fairy Queen. Millions of fireflies have appeared there, lighting the evening skies. The fairies have set up small jars for anyone to collect some fireflies into them. They're safe mini environments made with fairy magic where the fireflies can live in, but at the same time they're able to provide light source to anyone who owns one.

Most of the fireflies are familiar with the jars and enter them eagerly, but some like to make it a game of tag first. They tease people to try and make them chase them around. If you defeat them in the game they will enter the person's jar.

To 'activate' the jar, all someone needs to do is lightly tap it and say 'Light my way'. The fireflies living inside the jar will hear the words and appear to give them their light.

If someone ever gets lost they can open a jar and say 'Find my way' and the fireflies will be able to trace the person's steps and guide them back home, no matter what the distance. After a safe return, the fireflies will return to the jar.

Portal to the Past

Part 1

A new message has been sent to all devices. A mission to restore the Fairy Queen's powers back to their old glory has been announced. Those prepared to take some potentially fatal risks and dive into another dimension are asked to gather at one of the four guilds. Everyone is advised to take their firefly jars with them for the journey.

The mission brief is as follows: the goal is to enter the dimension through the fairy circles set behind the guilds. The dimension takes them to the Fairy Kingdom of the past, which may cause anyone to revert back into younger versions of themselves. Their memories will also revert, but they will be fully aware of where they are and what the mission they have is; basically it's like they've been this young the whole time they've been on Ellipsa.

They might recognize others they've met on Ellipsa, aged down or not, but they also might not; the magic can't control that (players are free to decide that). Perhaps someone they know, who is still their original age, will vaguely feel like an older sibling, as an example.

While inside the dimension, everyone's goal is to find one or more of special fairy items that can only be found here. They're given special pouches that will ensure a safe delivery of the items. Several of the items are needed in order for the restoration to be completed, but the amount of the items a person can carry are limited by the pouch size (12 items total).

The items are:
• Stardust Rocks
• Heart-shaped Roses
• Crystalized Harmony
• Orb of Bravery

One day in the dimension is one week in the real world. The dimension can only be kept open two weeks on the real world's side so they have two full days inside the dimension to find the items and come back. They are also welcome and advised to come back earlier if at all possible because not returning in time will mean death.

They are warned, however, that the dimension will be full of trials due to the nature of the magic, but this is the only way possible to do this.

Part 2

After all the preparations have been done, everyone is instructed to step on the fairy circles. It's a fast process and soon they will find themselves in a very pink and purple colored forest. All of the people inside the dimension have received a clock (wearable on their wrists or as a necklace) that counts down time to when the dimension will close. Some may have aged down, as they briefing said, but find that their clothes still fit them as normal and their seasonal powers work like nothing's changed.

There are several paths to take. Each of them has a small sign, indicating the name of the path and a clue word as to how to make it through each path.

(Highlight the blackened text to see the solution)

Path Name: The Bridge
Direction: North
Clue: Backwards one must walk backwards, simple as that
Description: A very long wooden bridge. Underneath it, instead of a river or a canyon, there's more forest. It's impossible to see the ground; there's just trees as far as eyes can see. The bridge feels like it continues on forever and the longer you go, the more unstable the bridge feels.

Path Name: The Penumbra
Direction: East
Clue: Eyes if one cannot see their shadow the shadow loses interest in moving
Description: A sunny area of the forest. Whoever walks down this path will notice their shadow starts acting differently than they do. If the shadow wanders too far from its owner, it will make the owner stop. If two different shadows merge, the owners will control each others' movements instead.

Path Name: The Sea
Direction: South
Clue: Breathe one can breathe normally underwater and that will let them walk on the bottom like it was normal - so just walk into the water and breathe
Description: A short walk towards south leads to the sea. Instead of blue it's colored pink. The only way forward is straight through the sea, but it seems that anyone who enters the water by jumping or diving will float on the surface. Swimming on the surface is leading nowhere and the sea starts to feel like a good place to fall asleep.

Path Name: The Reflection
Direction: West
Clue: Change changing something in one's appearance will reset the reflection. this can be changing hair style or even taking off a piece of jewelry
Description: A rocky path. The further one goes the larger the rocks around seem. The rocks turn into reflective surfaces and all of a sudden the reflection blinks when the owner doesn't. As time passes the reflection starts changing. Still looking much like the owner, but warping into a nightmare version of them. Those who stare long enough at their modified reflection might find themselves turning into what they see.

All of the paths oddly lead to the same location; in front of a high tower. There the travelers can rest for a while. The springs there are safe to drink from and the moss is fluffy and comfortable to just lay on for a while.

It also seems that the paths are just normal forest paths when going back to the fairy circles they entered from. Weird.

The Trials of the Tower

Part 1

The tower and its surroundings are where the items will be found. There's just one door leading inside. The tower has seven floors and there seems to be a window open on the fifth. It's the only window in the whole tower as far as can be seen from the side.

The door opens easily. Inside is just a spiral staircase leading up, decorated with vines and different flowers. The stairs lead to a purple hue cloud with no way of getting around it. The only path is to go through it. There are two options where someone can end up to on the other side.

First room is a dark room with just a few candles as a light source at the beginning. Picking up a candle will make the light grow stronger; but in doing so the shadows grow stronger too. Walking around the room will feel harder and harder by the minute until it feels like something is actively pushing them towards the ground. But there's nothing there, no matter how someone looks. Throwing the candle away will make the feeling go away, but it will also darken the room completely. (Abilities and natural skills that help someone see in the dark are disabled for this room through fairy magic)

In the other room there are giant bubbles. Entering one of them will give them an access to see someone in the dark rooms. They can see the route clearly and will be able to assist them with their voice (all forms of telepathy also work here). They can even see a little ahead of where the person is by glancing at different surfaces of the bubble, but not the whole route at the same time. The goal is to convince the person to listen and trust them to be their eyes in the darkness.

By working together the pair will be able to navigate through the dark room that feels somehow larger than it really should be. There are some traps, such as sticky webs (can be wiggled out from, but it takes time), pitfalls (can be climbed out of) and even invisible walls (just there to be rude) and other similarly silly traps that are meant to consume time. The end goal is a door that will lead them out of the room: once that door is opened the person in the bubble room will also find a door near them.

The longer it takes the quieter the person in the bubble room will sound until they completely fade away (at an hour mark). The bubble will then pop and send the person into a black room of their own. The person left without their guide will have to wait for a new one or try navigating through the darkness alone. If the person walking in the darkness is not free in four hours they will be thrown out without any rewards.

Once the room is cleared, the people will either end back down or onto the fifth floor of the tower that can be reached through the open window as well (which means skipping the weird cloud rooms, if you know how to fly or climb up). They will have three pieces of one the needed items levitating in front of them; the crystalized harmony (a crystal in the shape of a musical note).

The fifth floor only has some chairs and tables, but nothing important. It's just a chance to rest for a while before continuing upstairs. There are rooms full of butterflies in the sixth floor. Anyone passing by will have a single butterfly joining them for their walk as long as they don't do anything mean. The moment they sense ill intentions they will leave.

On the highest floor there is an open window facing upwards. Those who stand under the open window and make a heartfelt wish at the passing shooting stars will receive three pieces of one of the needed items: the stardust rocks (star-shaped rocks).

Once all the materials have been gathered the only way down is through the open window on the fifth floor. If someone has befriended a butterfly it will grow in size and give the person a lift down. On the other hand those who were abandoned by their butterfly will have to figure out another way down.

Part 2

Those who don't want to step inside the tower can also go to a maze made out of rose bushes. It starts immediately from behind the tower and continues far and wide. The roses start as white but as the maze continues they change ranging from basic red to the deepest black. Walking into the maze will feel like walking through a rose garden, at least at first. The maze soon starts branching into different directions. Usually the choices are between paths with bright colored, almost shiny roses or the dark and eerie looking ones.

Those who choose the bright colored rose paths will find themselves feeling good about the path they chose. The air feels fresh and the roses smell nice. It feels a little too safe to walk there. The scent of roses will make a person feel paranoid about their surroundings and expect something to happen any moment. Meeting another person on the path may very well lead to accusations or even a fight. Only a well placed hug will soothe their mind (which is demonstrated by the weird rose vines mimicking hug motions nearby) and return them to their senses. Spilling blood on the path will make the rose vines try and grab the limbs of everyone involved with the thorns pressing onto their skin. The vines are easily breakable by normal means.

The dark colored rose path is eerie from the very beginning. The rose bushes feel like they grow in size the further someone walks in. Occasionally a hand made of vines reaches down and tries to swat the people walking. Those touched by the hand will start feeling despair about the situation. If the person stops for too long time to mourn their situation they will be surrounded by a cage made of thorny vines that grows smaller and smaller. The person affected by despair can be snapped out of it by someone holding their hand for (demonstrated by two smaller hands made of vines holding hands).

The bright colored path leads the people to find heart-shaped roses (they will not wither away even after being picked up) while the dark path leads to the orbs of bravery (an orb that emits a strong, warm light). After that a teleport crystal appears and once it's touched the person will return to the tower.

Part 3

The nearer the time limit the more intense the forest they're in starts to seem. The shadows feel larger and closer and the general atmosphere feels unexplainably thick. When the clock only shows it's two hours until the fairy circles close, the situation changes: the shadows start taking shapes.

Everyone still inside the fairy dimension will find themselves faced with a shadow of something that makes them uncomfortable or scared. Be it a person, a living being, object or a concept, they're now being followed around by their shadow creature. If the shadow touches someone they will get vivid mental images of scenes that upset them that could be either memories or even something that makes no sense at all.

The shadows will try to completely embrace the person it's attached to. If they manage to do that it will steal the person's looks as their own (does not affect the person, other than make them feel nauseous for a moment). After that they will leave the person alone and run for the portal to try and escape into Nightwake. They can be killed like normal as they have gained a physical form.

Those who don't make it through the fairy circles before they close will lose their life (it will feel like falling into darkness until they pass out) and be sent to their giant flowers in their respective Flower Yard.

Nightmares in Nightwake

Part 1

Unfortunately, the fairy circles aren't completely secure. So while some of the otherworlders are in the dimension, nightmares manage to sneak into Nightwake. Their most basic form is a black, almost sand-like smoke that morphs into different shapes, based on what people are either afraid of or just uncomfortable with (they're essentially the same creatures that appear at the end of the journey in the dimensions). They get stronger the more afraid people are, turning even more vicious - even to the point where they try to suffocate their victims.

Those touched by the nightmares may also be temporarily aged down, the same way they would in the dimension. A piece of the nightmares will be hidden among their person (a jewelry, strands of hair, etc) and they can only be freed from the form if it's found and removed. The person who has been aged down won't notice there's something extra on their person.

The nightmares can be fought with positive feelings and energy. Laughing out loud and making others laugh is a sure way to make the nightmares grow smaller in size. With enough positivity the nightmares will cease to exist and turn into much lighter dust that disappears into air.

Holding hands with someone, especially someone you don't know, is also effective against nightmares as the concept of trust is also what keeps them away.

Part 2

Once everyone is out of the fairy dimension a grand feast will be held in honor of the heroes who braved the dimension to fetch the items. There's plenty of (non-fairy) food and drinks available. The heroes will also find a pouch of seeds (5 seeds per pouch) that will grow any sort of plant they want (even trees) and 20,000 Moon Coins in their accounts (even those who didn't make it back or didn't bring any items back).

The feast will last all the way through the first week of December (until December 10th) and it's spread all over Nightwake.

All of the items have now been delivered to the Fairy Queen and the preparations for a ritual can begin. Whether there was enough materials to restore her power fully remains to be seen (the ritual preparations take time).

The fairies remain positive, spreading happiness and flowers all over the city. The overall atmosphere in Nightwake is very positive after the mission.

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!

• This event requires player contribution! In this top-level, please let us know if your character(s) will succeed in retrieving items! The sign ups will close on December 2nd, 23:59 PST.

• The dimension can be entered at any point during the two weeks, but of course the time they can spend in there is less at that point. Characters can also exit before the time limit is up. You don't have to go full math problem in determining how much time they have, just make an educated guess.

• Fairy Circles to the Dimensions will open on November 18th and close on December 2nd.

• Reminder that this month is an Activity Check-in month. Remember to check in before November 30th at 23:59 PST.

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

All Hail the Fairy Queen Part 1

[ Really, Alhaitham should just stop leaving the house period. ]

[ An outing for lunch had quickly turned into... something else. A need for a shower, perhaps, given the excessive amount of fairy dust on his head and shoulders. Even after shaking out his hair and clothes, there was a certain sparkle to the man now that wasn't normally there. And an beat in his step that definitely isn't ever there. ]

[ He hadn't gotten much more than a glimpse of the culprits, excited and seemingly harmless fairies that fluttered away as quickly as they came, but their cheerfulness was infectious. That could be the only explanation for why Alhaitham, in his glitter-dusted glory, was continuing on his way to lunch and inviting people comes across out with him. ]

Care to join me for lunch?

Wildcard

[ I'm open to other prompts with Alhaitham, if you'd like, you can hit me up in his plotting thread here! ]

[ TOUGH FOR HIM THEN that he runs into the one person who just accepts his uplifted demeanour without even bothering to question it. He invites them for lunch, and Nenonen is only too happy to accept. ]

Oh. Yes, please. What is for lunch?

[ Surely nothing is out of place for Alhaitham to be smiling the way he is, nevermind that the only person he seems to smile for around here is Kaveh. This is a totally normal Alhaitham, who is in fact very fond of Nen. The second part of that statement is true at least, the rest is a li- ]

I had been thinking of a wrap, but I'm flexible.

[ Says one of the most rigid men in Sumeru. ]

[ Absolutely normal, nothing at all off about this!! ]

What are we wrapping? I thought that was for gifts.

[ Nen...can't eat most wraps, so. They haven't been explained to poor Nen in great detail yet. They know about wrapping presents though! It seems a bit odd to wrap food up before you eat it, but...maybe it's a delicacy where Alhaitham comes from? ]

[ Nen gets it. ]

Meats, vegetables, and or beans, depending on what sort of fillings you desire. The main purpose would be to make your food handheld and thus more easily accessible, so there are few limitations on what one could wrap up and what a person could use for the wrap itself. I'm fond of pita bread however.

[ He seems to consider something for a moment before offering Nen a totally normal amused smile. ]

You are correct though. There are two meanings to that term in this case.

[ Nothing Wrong With That Smile. But seeing it somehow makes them want to give him one in return...even if it's one of their not-quite-there ones. ]

Pita bread... Is that wrapping bread? Can we wrap peanut butter??

[ This is clearly the most important ]

[ Just two individuals smiling at each other, this is all fine. ]

We could. There's no limitations on what is and is not designated as able to be wrapped.

[ If Nen wants to create food monstrosities well that's just food science. ]

Edited 2023-12-02 01:54 (UTC)

[ Very Normal^TM. ]

Really?? I would like to try one very much! Please wrap food with me, Alhaitham.

[ Nen's gonna build a MONSTER wrap.

'Monster' because it will be both huge and probably filled with stuff that doesn't mix well at all. ]

Sure. We can stop by the market to pick up some extra ingredients.

[ Sorry world for the food travesties that Alhaitham is encouraging Nen to create. ]

[ He'll even pay for everything if Nen lets him. ]

Alhaitham | Genshin Impact | OTA

All-Hail-tham

im crying

;D

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fairy queen!

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