Event #1: Welcome, Adventurers

[seasonsmods]

Welcome, Adventurers
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Guild Playing Games With my Heart

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Part 1

A new message on everyone's smartphones says that all the Guilds are finally open for business! Instructions on how to get to each one of them are sent with the message.

Each Season has their own Guild (Winter in Frostreign, Spring in Blossomcrown, Summer in Solarpeak and Autumn in Amberfall). Originally they were formed when the world was thriving and the natives were power holders, now they serve a purpose for aiding Otherworlders.

Although there are some aesthetic differences, all of the guilds have the same basic layout, which the newcomers are given a tour of:

The main floor is for information, containing computers that are connected between all guilds. Using them brings up holographic boards which contain information on each of the segments, with a focus on their home segment. You can find out here what the weather is like in each segment, what quests are available, an explanation on how the Flower Yards work, and even a list of powers that have been discovered and how to practice them.

The second floor is a place to go for combat practice, or just practice using your powers. There are simulators here that can be used to create a space to test your skills against virtual monster opponents or against other power holders, all with safety precautions to keep anyone from being injured.

The third and final floor is meant for relaxation and provides a temporary place to nap when necessary. Those who do quests on a regular basis will receive a key that opens their own, personal room for relaxation that can be customized as much as they want. It's void pocket space that doesn't appear unless the specific key is used or the owner invites someone in from the inside.

It's also the floor where the leaders of the guild have their own private space in that's a restricted area. They have their public office there as well.

However, the power holders are expecting everyone outside, in the backyard of the Guilds...

Part 2

The main event of the opening day of the guilds is a lesson on how to become more attuned with your new elemental magic. Some characters may already feel comfortable with them, but the Power Holders wish to help anyone who might still feel like they're struggling.

Behind the guilds there is big open space. A yard meant for lessons like this. Each of the power holders is own their own stage (even Sawyer, who seems rather reluctant to be there) and announces the name of the lesson: Elemental Dancing.

They explain each in their own way that dancing while focusing on their basic element is a way to start properly feeling the element. The dance can be anything, as long as their bodies are moving and they can feel their magical energy align with the element.

To demonstrate, they dance:

Olwen dances a slow dance that looks a little like ballet, with water flowing naturally around him and increasing in quantity as he goes.

Jade has a much quicker dance method, like she's dancing at a party and is surrounded by wind that sometimes helps her even jump higher.

Dawn's dance is a passionate belly dance accompanied by rings of fire around her that turns into a pink fire so she doesn't burn herself as the flames come closer to herself.

Sawyer, as reluctant as he, goes full breakdance with each of his tricks forming pillars of earth that he can use to dance even more.

Once their demonstration is over, they encourage new power holders to give it a try themselves and remind them that they can dance however they please. They also advise that the dances can be attempted with a partner, as long as they can learn to trust one another. Sometimes magic is far stronger when done together... but it may also backfire.

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I Came In Like a Questboard

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Anyone interested is encouraged to join their guild. The staff explains that it's very beneficial, as they would get access to the upper floors that just today were shown to them, and that nearby stores would give guild members discounts for potions and other such adventuring necessities.

Even without joining, all of the first floors services are available for everyone. That includes the questboard that is now on display, though it only shows four quests for now.

There are some necessary preparations still going on with the questboard itself, but the staff assures that later there will be more of them, with some permanent ones added to the mix that would help with making the Segments safer for those without powers to explore as well.

Why not find a friend and go out on an adventure together? The guild does recommend doing quests together with someone, rather than alone.

Well, except Sawyer of Autumn, if he's around. He will always encourage people to go on their own and claims it's an act of bravery. Oh, and make sure to check the Beastiary before heading out, once you've picked your targets!

The Quests [ Click to Expand ]

Quests

CW/TW: possible nudity, possible death

Name: Skeletal Mischief
Rewards: 100 Moon Coins per 2 Snowskeletons vanquished
Location: Winter Segment
Description: For some time Snowskeletons have bothered natives who visit the Flower Yard. Usually the only nearby place of peace has now become a nuisance to visit. Those who attempt it usually return to the city in just their underwear (if they’re lucky). A request has come for the guilds to get rid of the Snowskeletons near the Flower Yard in whatever means necessary.
OOC notes: Snowskeletons have two types: either they're snowmen made from bone or they're skeletons made of snow. Either way they're definitely not friendly and often disguise themselves among the snow to surprise their prey. They're not really out to kill anyone, but may sometimes accidentally do it. Instead they're looking to steal clothes and wear them. Basically they're notorious bandits.

CW/TW: mind altering

Name: That Very Big Tree
Rewards: 500 Moon Coins, Loot you find
Location: Spring Segment
Description: The researchers are curious about the “One Very Big Tree”. They want to know what the tree does and are asking people to take a look and report back what they find.
OOC notes: One Very Big Tree is hollow on the inside and looks like a big tree house. The higher someone climbs it the less they feel like they’re themselves. In fact, they will turn into the exact opposite of themselves. There are also dangerous Gale Squirrels living inside that use wind magic of their own to attack!

Reaching the top, however, will reward them with feathers of a mighty monstrous bird that can be used to enhance any weapon so that they fly back to the user's hand. Only one feather per character, magic stops them from taking more than one.

CW/TW: possible death, possible mind altering

Name: Treasure Ship
Rewards: 500 Moon Coins, any treasure they find
Location: Summer Segment
Description: “The abandoned ship in the Great Ocean Lake used to be a treasure ship! So why not go fetch the treasure? I’m sure it can be used to make some neat weapons or armor. I’d love to help do that, I’m an expert in using treasure for enhancements! But I’m not strong enough to go get them myself. The fastest route there is from the Airship Station!”
OOC notes: The ship is full of Octokitties that are cats with six to eight limbs. They’re territorial and won’t appreciate anyone coming to their ship for any reason and will attack viciously. They can also spit ink that includes side effects of going into a berserker mode and not caring who is an ally and who is an enemy. But the treasure is real.

CW/TW: eaten alive, death

Name: The Blue Flash
Rewards: 700 Moon Coins for finding a lost one*
Location: Autumn Segment
Description: “Help, my friend disappeared on our trip to visit the old lady of Autumn Airship Station. We walked outside to stretch our legs after our airship journey and then there was a blue flash in the corner of my eye and he was gone! Nothing at all remained and I was too scared to go look for him so I ran back inside. I’ve heard this isn’t the first time a blue flash has abducted someone!”
OOC notes: The reason for disappearances is the Angler Will-o'-the-wisps: Most will-o'-the-wisps are harmless, but there are types that act like anglerfish. They take the form of other monsters and toss a "fishing line" out of a dark bush to make it look like a normal will-o'-the-wisp was trying to get their attention. When the prey gets too close, they will attempt to devour them to get more soul energy. They have left their normal place in the forests and invaded some bushes around the Segment.

*Reward stays the same even for just figuring out the mystery behind disappearances.

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Enhanced to Meet You

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Part 1

Enhancing items is a magical specialty in Ellipsa. The power of words determines how your item of choice gets enchanted. If you're trying to make an armor stronger, it would be wise to use kind and encouraging words but a weapon might need violent and determined words. Enhancement include defense boosts, attack boosts, health stealing and even adding status effects. All of these effects aren't permanent, but they should last for at least a month before fading away.

The workshops around districts will offer teaching to anyone who is interested in learning the basics of basic item enhancement. For more advanced things (like learning to make the enhancements permanent) the natives suggests taking an apprenticeship in the Magical Manor of Amberfall or Tower of Potions of Coldreach. Especially with potions, as those are more advanced than what they are showing.

Of course, armor and weapons aren't the only things that can be enhanced anything is possible as long as it's a non-living thing.

Part 2

A group of mischievous Imps are causing trouble. They're doing everything they can to make people angry (like dropping items on people's toes) as they try their magic. This could happen to anyone, even otherworlders testing their new magic.

Due to their mischief, a group of magical performers who were meant to enhance some animal statues to make them move around in a show ended up cursing a lot while the magic was happening. Because of that the animal statues did come to life, but they're angry and started running around, ramming into people left and right. It's especially alarming when one of the statues enhanced is a giant elephant, and some of the statues were meant to be used in a bullfighting show. Those are some very, very angry stone bulls coming at people in high speeds!

The natives don't want to break the statues, but they would like the statues to be stopped. With kind and loving words the effects of the curses will vanish and the statues will calm down and act like they were supposed to.

Of course they would appreciate catching as many Imps as possible so they could be returned back outside into the Summer Segment.

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OOC TIPS

- Ask 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 warn as necessary!

- Event starting date is March 17th, but the opening day of the guilds and the elemental dance lessons happen for a week so everyone who wants to attend them can have a chance to do so.

- NPC Power Holders can be interacted with, but it will all be handwaved. Feel free to ask questions on the questions thread if you're unsure of how the interactions would go.

- Starting in April, quests will be posted bimonthly and there will be a Quest Mingle available for people to use to thread out the quests! This format is just here because it's the first event where they're introduced.

- These particular quests are canonically open until end of month.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[sangreine]

[ The arm around her is appreciated, and she doesn't even pretend like she wants to pull away. ]

We'll figure something out. If he runs, it's not like I'll be awake to blame him for it. Besides, if we don't fix this then our housemates are going to lock us in a room and refuse to let us out until we do. [ Saya could easily escape any such room with sheer force but she's powered enough by guilt to just do the thing. ]

-- You understand? I mean I believe you, it's just the first anyone said anything like that to me about this. It's not something in most people's experience.

[fairlyheroic]

If your housemates are keeping an eye out for you two, then I won't worry too much.

[having someone there to help in a time like that is important and it sounds like Saya has more than one with her.

There's a lot he can say to answer her, but instead he simplifies it for now. He'll elaborate if she wants him to - to a point, considering some parts - but he hugs her a little closer and makes an affirmative noise]

My girlfriend was with someone else in the last world. It'd been years since I saw her, but for her it had been even longer. It's - a hell of a lot more complicated than just that, but she thought I wasn't coming back. So, she moved on. [he gestures with his free hand]

And on the other side . . . someone important to me, his memories got messed up back home. He remembered everything eventually, but for a while he didn't know who I really was. And there were some pretty important things in those memories.

[sangreine]

[ She thought I wasn't coming back. That cinches it, she supposes. While Saya listens and appreciates what Zack tells her, that one line makes her feel a thud that she can't believe wasn't audible. She's not going to ask, though. What she will do is stop walking, step in front of Zack and hug him tight. ]

[ Saya has been accused to getting too close to people, too quickly. She'd call that rubbish, by the way -- who sets a time limit on that sort of thing? Especially when you don't have very long to tiptoe and hesitate your way into it. But also, it's just not in her nature to do things halfway. She doesn't need to know people very long to become very fond of them, and Zack just happens to be one of those. ]

I guess we both have reasons to make the most of whatever we can, here.

I'm sorry you had to go through all that. But I'm glad you can keep smiling anyway. I like your smile.

[fairlyheroic]

[the hug takes him a little by surprise, but he returns it easily, hugging back just as tight. He can't help but a brief, guilty wince - how things turned out isn't a secret, but it isn't something he talks about, either. But it does say something that he's willing to give Saya a little more than he normally would. It's easier, just a bit, to do that with people who aren't familiar with his history.

Then again, he too has a bad habit of getting in too deep too quickly. Trust is a little harder, but even then - it's in part why his life has gone the way it has; because he cares too much. He was given all of those missions because Sephiroth and Lazard knew he would follow his heart, not his orders.

He finds himself huffing out a little laugh]

It is a nice smile.[he shakes his head] There's not a whole lot that can stop me at this point.

[he tightens his hold, briefly] I'm sorry you're going through all that, too.

[sangreine]

[ Nothing to feel guilty about, it's not his fault the way things went for him. Saya cares about that a bit, but what she cares more about it making sure he knows that dying on his world doesn't define him. She sometimes feels that her terrible history, her vampirism such as it is, and her hibernation and amnesia are all that people see. She won't do that to anyone else. ]

[ She gives him another squeeze in return. ] It's okay. I have plenty of incentive to not let these problems linger. It's hard right now, but somehow or another I'll come out the other side. [ Possibly less married, but these things happen. If she can't trust him, what's the point? ]

[ Pulling back, she smiles at him to show him that yes, she'll be fine. And she gives him a mild swipe on the arm. ] Saying your own smile is nice, honestly. [ But she's half laughing, so this is the fondest scolding he'll ever receive. ] How are people supposed to fluster you with that attitude?

[fairlyheroic]

[they're of the same mind. He's dealt with too many people who saw themselves as monsters who were anything but that and each time he felt like he could have done more to convince them, somehow. He's the last person who would ever think that defines anyone - because if it did, then he'd be one too, wouldn't he?]

That's the way to think about it. [as difficult as it may seem, Zack has always looked forward. He had to] I know it's not any of my business, but - if there's a way I can help somehow, even if it's just to listen, let me know.

[but he laughs at the swipe, pretending to wince like he's been properly scolded anyway] I'm a pretty hard guy to fluster, if you're gonna try you've got your work cut out for you.

[sangreine]

[ Not exactly of one mind, because Saya absolutely thinks she's a monster and there is no changing her mind. She'll tell Zack about her past eventually, just... when she finds someone Good, whose positivity and outlook she very much appreciates, it gets harder and harder to admit that she's a walking war crime. Even if it wasn't her choice in the truest sense of the word, she still massacred an entire village of human beings and a squad of soldiers besides. Not to mention those that died because of her inaction while she was playing house in Okinawa, or that she murdered her own twin whose extensive crimes all stemmed from 50 years of torture. None of it is a good look and she doesn't want Zack to think badly of her -- because even with Good People, especially with Good People -- she is always scared that they will. ]

It's your business. I told you about it, after all. Besides, it would be such a double standard if I didn't let people be as intrusive as I am. I should probably have warned you before now that I'm a bit like an infestation when it comes to people I like. Sorry.

[ Is she really sorry? Not especially. But she does respect boundaries when those are told to her which is better than she is as a hatchling. ]

Yeah? I guess I have a new goal of finding a way to fluster you. In addition to being intrusive, I'm very determined.

[fairlyheroic]

Man, that's real unfortunate.

[he sounds solemn as he says it, and he'd almost pass it off as genuine if there wasn't amusement in his eyes] Because I'm pretty much the same way. You're not getting rid of me anytime soon.

[he laughs and shakes his head] But thanks for trusting me with your business.

You're going to have a hell of a time, the list of people who can still manage it is very, very short.

[sangreine]

You're awful. [ But her eyes are playful too, so not really. ]

Good thing I'm not looking to be rid of you, I guess. How many other people will take me to their place straight from a fight? [ The number is... well, enough, but not a sufficient number for her to relinquish one. ]

I guess we'll see how gets the last laugh and who is flustered. [ She has a killer idea that I really should have thought of before I tagged karaoke ]

[fairlyheroic]

I know! [and proud of it]

I'm sure plenty of people would do that, but none of them would be as handsome as I am. [he says that part with a straight face, too, this guy]

I'd wish you luck but I don't want to jinx myself.

[sangreine]

Plenty of people do, I'm just saying that I'm not about to give one of them up, am I? The number is sadly finite. [ And her energy level isn't infinite, but really close right now. ]

Not that I'm discounting your handsomeness, of course. I did give you a perfect 10 in the end.

[fairlyheroic]

Aww, you really know how to make a guy feel special.

[only Zack can tease with that and sound genuine at the same time. He tightens his arm around her, a quick but affectionate hug]