♥ March (Ainir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

March Event Log
Spring has sprung! Or at least, in theory. The month began monthly unremarkably, besides the priests of Ainea's temple prepping for the first month in their deity's season, which tends to be a little sleepy as the city traditionally shakes off those winter woes. The earthquakes still has everyone feeling a strange anticipation for change, but with how long it's gone with no noteworthy shifts yet, excitement has grown somewhat muted. All of that is about to change...

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❥ PROMPT I: Let the Rain Fall Down

The month begins with something peculiar: a sudden rainfall occurring sporadically, not just in sections of the city the way it does when the weather system is malfunctioning, but rather consistent across the entire city. The natives in town are flummoxed; this rain is natural, passing harmlessly through the barrier, and the water that falls to the ground is clean, unpoisoned by the perpetual storm and toxic air outside. The rain comes in waves, from a light drizzle to a steady stream, and while it is not raining all day every day, it is probably best practice to travel with an umbrella on hand for a while.

Before long, the effects of this natural rainfall will become apparent: the city is undergoing an unexpected period of growth. Flowers, fauna, and all sorts of greenery are sprouting up in all areas of the city where grass or soil exists. It appears that at last your effort is paying off, and life is returning to Havenwell in a big way. The types of plants that grow will range in type, colour, and species- many of them are live versions of the extinct plants that have been on display in the museums, or whatever is already on display in the gardens. Some of the plants that grow might also be familiar to the visitors of this world- a small slice of your home, adopted by the gods that your touch have rejuvenated.

One downside is that since all these changes are happening at once, in such a short span, the botanical community is ill-equipped to make sure all of these new plants have a chance to thrive on their own. Many things that grow can be left where they stand, but the seemingly randomized placement means that certain plants aren't in a good spot. A tree sapling sprouting in the cracks of the sidewalk, or a sunflower tucked away beneath a rooftop, for example.

Thus, the community is asking for volunteers to help relocate plants to the proper areas. Most should be going to the parks, gardens, or temples, areas with clean, existent soil but with nothing yet growing there. These locations have been tested, and have been determined to be safe for planting- it seems that the rain has purified whatever sour ground that the barrier hasn't kept clean, to make way for the new plants. They can also be relocated to personal residences, for those houses that have gardens or a bit of soil if you're willing to install your own. As the rain continues to fall, plants will keep growing, so when the flora and fauna are relocated there will be more growing in its place before long. Lots of work to be done if you're to save the new life in town!

If you wish to include a specific plant from your canon: please request it in the PLANT FROM HOME APPROVAL thread on the plotting post!

Please be aware that much like the rest of the plants growing around town, those from home will begin as seeds and grow gradually over the course of the event. Keep that in mind!

❥ PROMPT II: Hold My Flower

As the days pass, and there seems to be no end to the growth in town, the natives are growing increasingly excited, and when the collection of flowers becomes such a plethora that there are too many, they explain that the timing of this is very on-point: years ago, before the world began to die, they celebrated a Festival of Flowers, to welcome the shift of winter to spring in their corner of the world. In previous years, the tradition lived on in a simpler form, with paper or synthetic flowers, but it isn't really the same without hair so interest waned.

A major part of the festival involves flower weaving, in many intricate patterns and arrangements, all of which have different meanings, like an arranged bouquet might. These flowers are sewn together into crowns, or woven directly into the recipient's hair, a delicate and rather intimate act done between friends, family, or lovers alike. Since the robots of town can't really benefit from this shared experience (of neither physical interaction or hair weaving), instead they happily pass along their knowledge of arrangements and techniques, floral symbolism. You can follow along with their directions, or just make something up/create something new, though certain unwitting combinations are bound to earn some curious (or amused) looks from the locals. For those of you who lack long hair for such acts, despair not! Crowns placed on short hair are just as socially welcome as the weavings, as you'll see from the robots wearing similar designs around town.

However, there is a chance that the rain is also causing something other than plants to grow around town… namely, exposed hair. Those who get caught in the downpour might inexplicably notice that their hair is an inch or two longer the next morning… and then longer… and longer… there is no hard or fast limit to how much it grows, and cutting it may help for a time, but it does not stem the growth either. Maybe you should just relax and enjoy it for a while.

❥ PROMPT III: Scheme of the Wyrm Queen

Developed by Noctis and Pyra, in collaboration with the VR cafes, Havenwell officially presents: King's Knight 2.0: Scheme of the Wyrm Queen, a game that will be available going forward and premieres this month.

This game is designed to be like an MMO/mobile game, except in VR- every player gets an account, and to an extent their avatars are customizable. There are a set number of levels per playthrough, you can stop and pick up any time after a level ends, and you can re-arrange your party members at the start of each play session.

You can charge through levels just smashing away at enemies, but part of the game mechanic is that physical contact between characters in-game will provide stat boosts, enhancements, occasional heals or buffs, soft revives at 0HP, etc. The effect can vary depending on the nature of contact, but is also randomized to an extent, to allow for player freedom. Let's just say that intent plays a part... so touch someone and wish with your heart, and maybe something nice will happen. Or at least something kind of cheesy. (Noctis would like to establish that he did not program in that part.)

Noteworthy features:

• The plot: The evil dragon queen Nebula has kidnapped the prince of Oriens and absconded to the realm of monsters with him for some nefarious purpose. The gods of Totally Not Aellyn bless a group of heroes with the power to travel through that realm in order to rescue the prince! ...That's it. What, do you think you're here for plot? Nah. You're here to fight monsters and collect treasure.


• A party can consist of 2-4 characters of any class arrangement, though a somewhat balanced party is encouraged to survive each level. Repeated training (or grinding) can help characters acquire better gear drops or level up if they get stuck, but there is an emphasis on teamwork to get you through it!


• "Death" in-game causes a character to become translucent and unable to interact with the game until healed or revived, or until the level ends. If all characters reach this status, they fail the level and the game is over. All characters are healed to full once a level is beaten.


• Levels are randomly generated based on a set amount of algorithms, to shake up the experience and make each game a little bit different. There is a plot as noted above, with some dialogue and programmed NPCs, but interaction with either is simple and can be ignored or skipped after the first run-through if you so choose.


• Certain accounts of people who were a part of the development (AKA those who Noctis pestered about designing things) will gain access to unique costume options upon initial log-in, like a pre-order bonus. These items are cosmetic only, but look pretty nifty.


• The difficulty setting can be adjusted according to player skill, so if anyone feels like Normal is beyond their ability, don't be ashamed to turn it down a notch! Player accessibility is more important. There are leaderboards for each difficulty, but it's mostly for bragging rights and don't earn you anything special.

Available Classes:

• Knight - a well-rounded swordsman with a shield, built tough for the front line and defense


• Thief - master of finding hidden objects, detecting traps, disarming foes, the fastest class


• Sorcerer - commanding the elements, attack from a distance and overwhelm your enemies; glass cannon


• Battle Cleric - wielder of a magic weapon that recognizes friends from foes; striking an ally will heal them without injury, striking a foe will tear them down


• Dragoon - specializes in aerial assault, heavy hits and safe retreats, can reach high areas


• Archer - speedy attacks at long distance; inexplicably great at parkour and glitching out of bounds for treasure

Enemies:

Monsters in-game vary between generic beasts of lore, parody versions of creatures found in Final Fantasy XV, and some monsters based on descriptions that Noctis or Pyra acquired from asking people. These are subject to change on request, as the game will be developing gradually to improve itself.

If you have suggestions or requests for monsters, treasures, or equipment, please submit them to the additional information page on King's Knight, where such updates will be tracked!

❥ PROMPT IVish: A Final Reminder

The soft earthquakes in effect since last month are still ongoing, however they have spread out more and are no longer occurring every day, but instead with a handful of gaps in between. As noted in the Intro Mingle log, there are new messages that characters can receive:

1) "Change is coming." this message is passive, almost like a greeting.
2) "We thank you for all you have done." this message is softer, almost apologetic.
3) "We shall do all we can to keep you safe." this message is gentle, almost parental in its affection.
4) "Share your bounty and your joy." this message is kind and encouraging, tugging you toward people you may not have met yet.
5) "Remember to keep the balance." this message is plaintive, but without urgency.
6) "Do not approach the walls." this message is LOUD, insistent, and the most frequently transmitted.
7) "Soon, change." this message is a gentle reminder.
8) "We welcome you to our home." This message is sent most frequently to newcomers.
9) "Be not afraid. You are safe." this message is polite and reassuring.
10) "Keep your footing and watch your step." this message is cautious, a firm warning.

Most of the residents have stopped linking up, since the messages are mostly on repeat, but the local temple priests still do it every time… just in case. Otherwise, it's easy enough to ignore for most people. The anticipation hasn't faded, but they're simply waiting for whatever comes next.

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This event will run from March 13th to 29th. Click on each prompt's title to see the text. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread on the plotting post.

Comments

Honerva | OTA

[shroudedsecrets]

( a. how gentle is the rain; )

[ It's rain. Honerva's not particularly used to observing this sort of natural rainfall, even if it is usually from safely under an awning, mostly observing with some curiosity the effects it seems to be having upon the area. Almost too good, too promising, and she has not forgotten any of the ongoing warnings, either. A bounty, but at what cost ...

... She thinks too much. Mostly, even with the distraction of the new green sights, her gaze sometimes is turned toward the walls at times, though at least she keeps some distance from them.

Someone else might find a random awning to be a decent place to stop anyway, to get out of the rain shower for a little while; there's plenty of room for someone to join her, even if she doesn't notice their approach immediately. Or perhaps someone wandering by may need of help with wanting to move some of the new plants that are horribly displaced. Probably shouldn't let those struggle on for too long, if her attention is called upon to assist.

On some days, there may or may not be a cat perched nearby that may also draw attention. On the earlier days of the phenomenon insisted on wanting to go out but does not know what to make of all the water, here. He's unused to it, so he sometimes bats at the drops curiously, or watches the puddles form with tail twitching. Walking on the ground seems treacherous, maybe he'll just have to see what familiar person is amiable to climbing, too. ]


( b. that falls softly on the meadow; )

[ She hadn't really noticed any changes to her hair at first; it was already long and heavy and she was accustomed to dealing with the burden of it, but her usual braids to deal with it just aren't holding. And while she'd normally just try to manage it without necessarily thinking to inquire about extra assistance, her hair's... gotten caught. On something. This is actually awful? An unexpected tangling is not something to teleport away from.

Of course she's still not necessarily... asking... for help, but she does look like she's having some trouble, whether her hair was caught on a doorway or an errant new tree branch that hadn't been a factor before. ]


( c. birds high up in the trees; )

[ Or perhaps someone might realize another travesty; all that white hair and no flowers in it? Really? Maybe they would like to make a suggestion.

It's... hardly an immediate thought for her, even if she seems more distracted than not by the notion and the festivities and their vague discomfiting nostalgia. ]



( d. serenade the flowers with their melodies; )

[ Wildcard; catch her on weekends at Affurgato, maybe your character wants a nice snack and a breather from the weather or to play with cats. Or ask about anything else here! ]

B

[fantasykiller]

That looks unpleasant.

[Touma couldn't help himself from cringing at the sight of how badly she managed to get her white hair tangled onto the tree branch. He knows, unfortunately, from personal experience thanks to his own newly grown, stupidly long hair how god-awful it was to get it snagged onto something. As someone well acquainted with misfortune, there was no way he could stand idly by while someone in front of him was suffering a similar fate.

Brushing his long bangs away from his face, he walks over to the white-haired woman and starts the meticulous act of untangling her from her predicament.]

Hold still. Let me try to untangle you before it gets any worse.

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Her attempt at trying to focus on undoing one snag also meant being mindful not to get any additional hair caught on something else if there happened to be an errant breeze. There were plenty of reasons why the snag had went to disaster so quickly, coiled in the branch and held by the wood's splinters, even with her hair being soft to handle and well-tended otherwise.

She's relieved at the unexpected offer of intervention. This was such a stupid problem to have, but she's not even surprised at her own levels of bad luck. ]

... Please. Your assistance is appreciated.

b

[scourgingstars]

Oh--hold still just a moment, please.

[Gods forbid Ardyn just walk past someone in distress. Carefully, he started untangling the ends of her hair from the nearest tree; it was hard to tell if he'd been caught in the rain at all or not, where his own was already long and often tied back in a bit of a mess.]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ It was good that he had noticed; she hadn't even realized the snag in progress this time, but now upon pausing she could see where the ends of her hair had come undone once more and were caught fast. ]

... Thank you. I am beginning to suspect that it is us they want planted.

[ Her tone is soft, and evenly measured when she says it, but it is a joke, of sorts; little else one can do about the situation. There were few things as strange as no longer being accustomed to the length of hair that burdened one's head, to not even catch when the wisps of it would escape. ]

[scourgingstars]

The situation is a terribly dire one, certainly.

[He said that with a small smile and attempt at humor, though it came out sounding incredibly tired.]

Would you like some help getting it back under control?

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Hard to miss that tiredness in him, the tone of one who had been through a lot recently and likely needed a distraction from it, if not an escape. His was not an unfamiliar presence, either, though that aspect was of little consequence now.

Distraction, at least, she could offer, with her predicament being what it was, and that is what factors into her response. ]

If you are willing... I shall not refuse the offer. It is not usually so... unmanageable that I cannot keep up with it.

[ Even if it is a little embarrassing, but what can one do; this world seemed to favor putting her into positions she'd assistance from others with, and it was not as if she could manifest an extra hand like the twins could with their magic. ]

[scourgingstars]

Oh, it's nothing at all if it would make matters easier for you.

[Miserable as he might have been, there was some faint comfort to be taken in helping others however slightly.]

Maybe we should get inside somewhere before the rain starts up again, first.

[shroudedsecrets]

[ She casts a wary gaze skyward, though visual indication has not done much for whenever the rain would decide to fall again. ]

Perhaps... we are not too far from my family's place of business. Barring anything sudden, if we can navigate there, it should be a good location to stop for a while.

[ Of course, she would not be surprised if something sudden were to divert them somewhere else, but it seemed a reasonable suggestion for now. ]

wildcard

[iustaegis]

[ Even if she's braided her hair once before, she could not miss this opportunity to do so again and weave flowers into her hair.

Yet about half-way through, Pyra pauses in her work, her fingers combing out the (even longer) hair Honerva has acquired by the effects of the miraculous rain. There's nothing wrong with her hair-- it's as silken as ever, brightly white enough to rival the clouds. However: ] Honerva.... I think there might be a small problem.

[ Already she has integrated an array of flowers into her hair. Flowers which are not juniberries, but an assortment of lilies and dragon snaps. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ It is clearly just fated to be at this point; she would not deny Pyra the opportunity to braid her hair when asked, even if she's little certain what to do about the length of it. But that's a concern for another day; perhaps it would all return to normal once the showers were done with.

Mostly, she's been quiet, reflective; there's much to think about, to consider of these newfound changes to the world and some of their projects, but it's fine to have the peace as well, when Pyra speaks suddenly. ]

... A problem?

[ Instead of allowing herself to jump to conclusions, she'll allow Pyra to complete that thought. ]

[iustaegis]

I... do not think I’ve brought enough flowers to weave into your hair!

[ The other solution would be to clip more flowers or to offer Honerva a haircut back to her usual length.... but no. She would never suggest the latter. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

... Is that truly such a problem? The more there are, the more... troublesome the removal will be.

[ Because that was the downside to having so much hair, wasn't it? The eventual maintenance of it. Those flowers wouldn't linger in it forever, and would surely wither soon enough. ]

[iustaegis]

[ --Sure. She'll give her that. ]

We shouldn't concern ourselves with the removal-- [ The future will be in the future... or something something nonsense. ] ...Not yet, anyway.

...Unless... [ A quiet "hm" escapes her. ] I might be able to space them out better.

[shroudedsecrets]

[... Pyra please, you're not the one wearing any of it in your hair. To be fair, she doesn't sound as though she's discouraging, even if she never seems to manage enthusiasm for such things. ]

Well... you can give that a try. If you feel there are not enough, I suppose it would not be too difficult to come across others.

[ If it wasn't wasteful to involve all these new blooms with her hair, anyway, but... not her concern, really. ]

A+C

[begguiling]

[Honerva is so very picturesque, standing there out of the rain with her long hair and cloak; even Magolor has to take a moment to just watch her from afar and appreciate the scene. She looks like mournful storybook royalty, standing there like that . . . it gives him the simultaneous urges to pick her brain on the happenings this month, appreciate her beauty, and also, annoy her some. Such is how he is.

After a quick trip a few blocks over to gather what he needs, he does finally approach, armed with a basket full of a long, full sprig of wisteria and a bunch of green and white double snowdrops. Or at least, alien flowers that look like them? Hmmm.]

You look like you're composing sonnets in your head, you know? There's a memo function on our tablets if you're really struck by the lightning of inspiration~! Don't let it slip away!

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Mournful storybook royalty... that is so on the nose. Honerva certainly is a bit lost in her thoughts when Magolor makes his quick plan and approach; she glances toward him once he announces himself.

And he's right out the gate with the jokes... well, living with Taako at least had well-conditioned her to roll with that sort of behavior. ]

It is too late, the moment has already passed.

[ Now look what you've done Magolor, now the world will never know what she was composing. ]

Although... perhaps it would hardly be comparable to your productive finds, of late.

[begguiling]

[Is that a dry little joke in return? He'd like to think it is, so he floats up next to her with a little titter.]

Are you flattering me? I've got to give something back to society if I'm going to be depriving it of your master work. But I'll take the praise anyway, of course.

[shroudedsecrets]

Perhaps.

[ There's something in her expression that can be taken for amusement, mild as it is. When he draws closer, she tilts her head, curious. ]

Your recent endeavors have not gone unnoticed. I have wondered, if your finds from the archives had revealed themselves to you while you were allowed the access to the building, or did you require the help of another to... learn what was within.

[begguiling]

You mean, was anyone there holding my hand while I read to them? How romantic! . . . Unfortunately not, though.

[Though of course that isn't why she asked, and he knows it. And he had thought of it when he'd agreed to go in initially, but when the issue hadn't presented itself, he'd frankly forgotten it was ever a concern. It's interesting.]

And yet I was fine going through things. Weird, right? Maybe it's because those files weren't in as deep disrepair as what we were working with before.

A

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[It's a little less that this someone needs a place to stop and take shelter, Shinji's managed to get his hands on an umbrella in order to continue helping out with the plant relocation efforts! He's even managed to offload a number of plants already, and is currently working on finding a suitable place for one more potful of leafy green sprouts, when he spots someone else hanging out under an awning. A nice shelter from the rain, but who knows when that rain will let up?

He contemplates this for a short moment before making his way toward where Honerva has stationed herself. Umbrella up and out, as if ready to offer her a spot of shelter underneath it, he calls toward her,] Um, excuse me...! Are you trying to wait out the rain?

[shroudedsecrets]

[ The rain had definitely been steady during this past while; it is a reasonable guess for the young man to make. ]

... Partially. I had been observing it, mostly. It is unlike the other weather that we witness here.

[ Steady, consistent, and not chaotic, sudden or temporary. He would be able to see that she has no umbrella of her own, though her teal cloak at least, seems to have some measure of weather-proof to it. ]

Why do you ask?

[ ... Because you are standing under an awning, Honerva. ]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

It does seem pretty different, doesn't it?

[Neither too fleeting or extreme, it almost feels... normal, if he doesn't think too hard about how it appears to have called forth so much life from the ground so quickly.]

But, I just thought maybe that was the case, since you weren't heading inside or anything. [Just hanging out here, under this awning.] Was there somewhere you wanted to go?

[shroudedsecrets]

That is fair. I admit, I only came outside to observe it; we do not know how long these changes will last, or what may happen once it is over.

[ To her it seemed too simple, for a world unable to support such growths previously. And so she will overthink it, for those who will not. ]

But I have nowhere else I need to be that should take you away from your own quest, unless you are in need of a break, yourself. This property is owned by my family.

[ Which brings a small smile to her lips; a better look at the building beyond the awning would reveal the sign for Affurgato. ]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Shinji, for his part, had spent a good deal of time overthinking plenty up until the rain had started. The plant growth itself seemed to put a lot of his worries at ease, but she does have a point. They really don't know what all of this could mean or bring in the long run. Holding on to a bit of vigilance is, perhaps, not an unwise move.

But, as she calls attention to the building behind them, Shinji shifts his focus to the sign for a moment.] 'Affurgato'... [Give him just a second here,] Oh, I think I remember seeing the post about this place. It's a cafe, right?