♥ 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

[daikonrose]

Somebody who went home.... Was he sure it wasn't that vanishing sickness that Magolor had told her about? Kaito had been here long enough that he would probably have heard of it, right? ... That was probably the "or something," right?

Kyoko wasn't about to actually ask.

But she did have to pause a moment before settling on how exactly to proceed. "... I thought you didn't know much about flowers, but it's really nicely made. Do you know what any of those are called?"

[whenyouneedme]

Even if it was a case of the Vanishing, they still had to go somewhere. At least, that's what Kai hoped. At least in Rin's case, he was pretty sure that going back to where she had started meant she was with people she knew and trusted. It was fine.

Kai glanced at her, a little smirk on his face due to that little remark. "Hey now," he said, holding up the chain he had so far, "these ones are totally daisies." So, the most basic ones there were the ones he knew. Cool. There were some black-eyed susans in there though, and some pale anemones. Somewhat daisies, but not quite.

"This one's the second go-around... the first one kinda wilted before I could figure out what to do with it."

[daikonrose]

Well! One out of three was... technically still a failing grade, but at least it wasn't a zero! Good job Kai!!

"I guess they're definitely all daisy-ish," she conceded lightly. "So, you've decided what to do this time?"

[whenyouneedme]

Daisy-ish was daisy-enough. At least for right now! Huffing lightly in good fun, Kai turned the soon-to-be crown through his hands.

"Kinda the same thing," he admitted. "I wanted to try and save it, in case... I dunno. If she comes back, or if its ever possible to send it her way. Think she'd like knowing she helped. Not really sure how to do that though."

[daikonrose]

People could leave and then come back? Or was that just a case of getting over the vanishing thing? ... Or maybe this was just Kaito's way of consoling himself, hoping for the best for his friend. In any case, more questions she wasn't about to voice.

"Saving it, huh.... That's pretty tough. It's not like you can put the flowers in water when they're already woven like that, so it wouldn't last that long even if you refrigerate it...." And even in the best case, fresh flowers could only keep so long. Kyoko tapped her lip, frowning. "Would they even have flower preservation kits here?"

[whenyouneedme]

Kai made a curious face. The idea of a full preservation kit was kind of blowing his mind, even if it shouldn't have been a surprise to hear about them. It made perfect sense even! Huh.

"Seems like something the garden might have. I figured I'd just... what's that other thing? People make like, bookmarks and stuff with flat flowers."

[daikonrose]

Would they have it? Had the native folk been preserving the few flowers they actually could grow?? Maybe?! Even so, whether they would actually have preservation kits to sell to the public was probably another matter.

Tilting her head to one side, Kyoko considered Kai's idea. "Pressing it, huh? I'm not saying it's impossible, but.... Pressed flowers lose so much of their shape even when you do them separately, you know? With a whole wreath, I would worry about it breaking...."

[whenyouneedme]

"Ah, do they?" He hadn't known. It made sense though, when he thought about it. With that in mind, it did seem like a crown wouldn't quite work the way he thought it would. Not that he was expecting it to be wearable or anything, he didn't have any of those kinds of high expectations. He did give the loop a lengthy look of consideration, thumbing one of the loops that held it in a circle.

"I guess it wouldn't actually have to be a wreath, a bit of chain would get the message across too."

[daikonrose]

"The message, huh...." It was a low, thoughtful murmur as Kyoko watched him. What kind of person was this friend to him, anyway. "It's the weaving that you want to show, then?"

[whenyouneedme]

He gave a little nod. "Yeah. Well, mostly the flowers, I guess. I could only make her a really basic bracelet before, so..."

There was a shrug. Why he was trying to impress a 12-year-old, who knew, but here we were.

[daikonrose]

Somehow, the image of Kaito making a dainty little flower bracelet was even cuter than the current one, wow. And also... more romantic? Maybe? Not that flower jewelry was always romantic, she knew! that!!

Trying not to get too carried away by speculation (it was none of her business!!), Kyoko hastily continued, "There are lots of other simple ways to save it, though, even as a wreath! Even air drying would turn out nice! I'm sure!"

[whenyouneedme]

Ignorance truly was bliss. Oblivious to all these wild thoughts happening directly beside him, Kai pursed his lips a bit. Air drying had been his first go-to, but it hadn't gone well. Hence the second trial.

"Is there a trick to air drying them?" He'd turned to face her proper, waiting intently for instruction. Even a little bit of knowledge was more than Kai possessed, so Kyoko was now his Teacher of Choice. Help.

[daikonrose]

"A trick?" That seemed more specific than just asking for a how-to? Kyoko blinked a couple times, thinking, before she leaned fully into her Flower Consultant role. She couldn't help it, she was getting kind of invested now. "You just hang them them from the ceiling, you know? Did you... try it already, maybe?"

[whenyouneedme]

Hanging them. Oh. Kai blinked a bit owlishly.

"Uh... no. Not like that, at least. I kinda left the last one on the table."

[daikonrose]

Oh. Kyoko's eyes almost mirrored his for a minute, going round as the realization sunk in. She'd been talking about things way beyond his level from the start... oh no.

"So that's what you meant, about the first one wilting...." Leaning back, Kyoko had to grin a little. He did try!! "I guess there is a trick after all! I never considered it that way!"

[whenyouneedme]

Yes. Correct. Did you think a dumb boy that thought the majority of all these flowers were more or less daisies actually had any idea what to do with flowers? That's very flattering, Kyoko.

He snorted a little. "I've never really considered it much at all, so it all seems like a pretty good trick to me. Any other tips for me?"

[daikonrose]

Well, he had known about pressing flowers! At least in concept, even if he hadn't thought it all through yet! She just hadn't wanted to write him off so quickly!

But now it was clear that he needed a flower drying basics infodump, so she was here to rattle off every last detail. "Do it somewhere cool and dry, and kinda dark! They'll lose some color no matter what, but they'll fade even more in the light! When you hang them up, make sure the flowers themselves are facing down!" She paused, brow creasing. "--Ah, a chain really might be better, now that I think about it... you'd have to secure it to something to keep it in shape, at least...."

[whenyouneedme]

Very flattering!!

Kai nodded along intently as she relayed all these tidbits of information. Good, yes, this was all very helpful. Thank you, Teacher. Most of this sounded really simple though, which was promising. A closet would be fine? And he'd just need some twine or something.

"Hm. With a hoop or something, I guess..." Which was maybe the trickiest part somehow, unless he found some sticks too. Turning the loop over a few times, Kai tapped a few of the stems.

"Do you think I'd be able to weave them after they were dry instead?"

[daikonrose]

Kyoko hmmd, watching Kaito turn the wreath over in his hands. "That would be tough, right? If you want to weave it. The stems won't be so flexible after you dry them, you know?" But she was committed to making this flower crown dream happen somehow! "You could still make a wreath, but it would be all about gluing things together."

[whenyouneedme]

"Gluing, huh..." It wasn't an off-putting idea. That was just more arts and crafts of a different sort. "That'd be fine, I think. Though I guess there might be enough flowers to try a couple different ways."

[daikonrose]

Perking up with fresh vigor, Kyoko nodded. "An experiment to find the best method! Making backups is always the safest bet anyway, right? I'll help too!" There was a beat, and then she hesitated. "--If you want help, I mean." She shouldn't butt so much into something that seemed so personal, jeez.

[whenyouneedme]

"I probably need as much as I can get," he said with a soft snort. "Thanks."

Ah, what to do with this one though? He didn't really want to fuss with hoops that much. If he was going to put in more effort, he'd rather it be towards all those new steps cutting and gluing could entail. Going for the chain would probably look nicer as a smaller one made for that purpose. Taking this one apart seemed like a waste, but...

Kai looked at her for a moment, and then sifted through his small collection of flowers again. Fishing another one out, he took a few moments to weave one more into his band of stems right there at the side. Check out that pink accent he added on. "Hm... Too busy?"

[daikonrose]

She had just wanted to be cautious! Maybe this was something that Kaito Needed to Do Himself--it would have been understandable. But it was a relief that he wasn't so brokenhearted that he wanted to just sit in solitude with piles of flowers to weave his feelings into.

Kyoko had just been peering into the basket to pick out some flowers herself when Kai's hand slipped in. Oh... adding something different at the end, huh? Leaning over to watch him finish, Kyoko shook her head. "It's really cute and lovely! Really cute!"

[whenyouneedme]

Really cute and lovely. Those were very positive descriptors. "That's good."

Kai gave it one more once over before he gently delivered it to its new home, right there on Kyoko's head. Surprise. "Thought the pink one might look nice with your hair."

[daikonrose]

There was a blink, and then a flurry of several more before Kyoko leaned back to stare at him wide eyed. This? Was not supposed to be its intended home though? She thought that had been pretty clear from the outset??

"You--" What did she even want to say? This was such an unexpected attack! "You didn't have to give me one...."