♥ September (Ohnir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

September (Ohnir) Event Log
The month of Ohnir brings with it a slow but steady relief from the heat, as summer gives way to autumn and the city begins to change with it. Plants are slowly deflowering, leaves are starting to fade and fall, and while the season is not yet in full swing, all the signs are there if you know where to look. The city is abuzz with new energy as the residents realize that for the first time in centuries, they have some actual nature clean-up ahead of them: raking leaves, pruning branches, protecting young wildlife and fresh plants from the incoming chills of winter. Such work used to be relegated to those who cared for the botanical gardens and zoos, but now everyone who's been enjoying this year's garden harvest has to learn how to future-proof their treasured flowers. Offworlders are encouraged to do the same, lest all of the growth be lost over the winter.

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❥ PROMPT I: A Clean Getaway

With all of the work to be done, it's no surprise that some are looking for new ways to refresh themselves and relax, and what better time would there be to open up the Public Baths! All the volunteer work cleaning the place has paid off, and the facilities are officially open and available for use. It is technically free to use, as a public facility, but those visiting are encouraged to tithe a small donation once in a while to pay for upkeep and freshen up the place, provide new soaps, etc. No judgment if you can't! It'll just make everything that much nicer in the long run.

The baths are separated into a few sections: oil baths for the native residents, and water baths for the offworlders. For obvious reasons, offworlders are encouraged not to enter the robot-residential sections! Though they are not strictly forbidden... it would be quite messy and bad for your health.

The offworlder half has additional separated sections that may interest characters when they visit:

1) Hot Springs Style - Clothed or Unclothed: there are 3 available rooms for each, one for separate presented genders, and a shared bath for those comfortable with the concept or don't wish to use either male or female. Each room has one larger pool and a few smaller sets, so you can sit by yourself or with others as you please.

2) Pool: a shared public pool! The water is nice and cool, which should be a comfort to those still struggling with the lingering summer heat. There is some water game equipment available for open use if people want to play and get their sports on.

3) Sauna: similar to the springs, once again, there are 3 rooms for gender splits so everyone can enjoy the place at their own comfort level.

It all seems very nice and relaxing for everyone, but this wouldn't be a proper event without some shenanigans now, would it? There are a few effects that may occur within the baths, and these effects are somewhat random. Some characters may experience them to a powerful degree, while others feel nothing at all. Players can decide for themselves who and where these will affect, so feel free to mix, match, and go wild. The effects are:

• The spring water is so relaxing that you feel free and more willing to talk about yourself, or share your feelings more openly.


• The swimming pool is cool and energizing, making you want to horse around and play with others nearby. You may also feel inclined to drape yourself onto others, like a cool, comfy pillow.


• The sauna has you dishing up spicy hot takes, releasing negative emotions or complaints, and makes you a little more inclined to gossip.

All effects can either be nullified or emphasized according to player discretion by physical contact. For some characters, holding hands or something will stop the effects, but for others it'll intensify them - it should keep characters guessing!

❥ PROMPT II: REM Stands for Realistic Emotional Memory in These Parts

Characters who were around last year might remember a bout of strange and sporadic dreams that plagued the town around this season, along with the sensation that they were being followed. This year, dreams once more enter uninvited to one's mind, but this time, it occurs as a random daydream while they are awake, and it is very different from person to person- instead encouraging you to do the following. All visions start out hazy, like a grainy old movie where details and figures are difficult to make out, but there is something both familiar and alien about it. It feels like a memory… but it is not your memory. Over time, the visual begins to clear the more often the dream repeats, until slowly the images grow more distinct, offering clearer faces, the addition of voices, discernable quotes or expressions. The memory will provide hints as to who it might belong to, though the subtlety of those hints will likely vary. Before too long, if you have not found a way to rid yourself of the dream, you will experience an entire memory of another person in town as if you were witnessing it from their perspective!

Now, how does one rid themselves of these strange visions? You could wait it out, if you're patient enough and not inclined to seek the answer, but those who've been here long enough can wager a guess: you must find the source of that memory and "send" it back to them through physical interaction of some kind. Some memories may take longer to transfer than others, and it may depend on the person, the memory itself, how clear the memory has become in the time you carried it… no two experiences are likely to be the same.

There are a few specifics about these memories that are worth noting:

• the memory should be of a single event, not a series of events that span a long period of time. For example, you could witness the stretch of someone's day at a wedding or long party (sped up to skip insignificant moments so it doesn't play in real time), but not a memory of an entire war that goes for months. How long the memory goes for is up to the player that the memory belongs to, as long as it falls within these guidelines.


• you are not limited to a single memory from a single person. Once you have solved one vision, after a certain amount of time, you may find yourself plagued with another.


• you will not necessarily end up having the same memory partner! You won't always have the memory of the person who has your memory. Characters are encouraged to pair up and try to piece together clues that might lead you to your intended partner. Help each other out and guide one another in the right direction if you can.


• those whose memory has been borrowed may find it difficult to recall it; it can seem fuzzy and indistinct, missing entirely or simply missing choice details. Through physical contact, that memory will fully return to them and both participants can experience it together.


• you can find your partner accidentally! If you're still searching for clues and happen to touch your partner through other circumstances - such as shake their hand at first meeting, or hug a friend - you may find both of you are suddenly experiencing a memory together as it is transferred! Aren't you lucky, to have found your partner so easily?

!!! IMPORTANT !!! The contents of the memory shared is up to you, but please be mindful of harmful subjects and tag/mark your comments and toplevels accordingly! Triggering memories should be noted with content warnings. Be kind to your fellow players! If someone asks you to tag something and you have not done so, please correct it as soon as possible. Untagged comments that aren't adjusted and are reported to us may be subject to mod screening until the issue is resolved.

❥ PROMPT III: I Shall Fight With My Bear Hands

Closer to the tail end of the month, one of the research facilities distributes a "Help Wanted" advertisement through the network, requesting the aid of offworlders. The advertisement reads:

"Calling all offworlders! Havenwell Research and Development is seeking volunteers for both physical prowess and supernatural ability testing. All are welcome! Even if you have no combat skills and feel only a desire to learn, we have a job for you. Those who already possess some form of self-defense or combative powers will be partnered and asked to "spar" in a partially digitized facility, or proceed with a simulation that will gauge destructive capabilities. And for those who possess neither, don't worry! Our program is specially designed to help you discover just where your talents lie.

No harm should come to any volunteers, as this is strictly simulation-based, similar to the virtual reality technology already widely used throughout the city. However, in case of any accidents, medical staff is on site to treat injuries as needed. Additionally, there is no need for you to wear any of the VR headgear typically required in our cafes, so if these devices cause you discomfort, this may be a simulation that better meets your needs.

Please contact us ASAP if you are willing and able to help. A monetary commission will be awarded upon completion of each session."

Any volunteers or inquiries will be provided with more information, and invited to one of the research towers located in town. They are guided to a floor that is abuzz with activity, partnered with whoever happens to be scheduled at the same time or a partner they themselves opted to bring with them, and taken to a room akin to Star Trek's holodeck. There, they can input "powers" or "no powers", and a simulation will be created for them based on their selected guidelines.

With Powers:
The console invites characters to select one of two options- their own abilities, or temporarily gain access to the elemental powers offered via AC Rewards (point levels 50, 100, and 200). They are able to choose a particular power level for the duration of the simulation, which can either dampen their natural abilities to a more fair level for the test you're undertaking, or remain normal. While in the simulation room, rather than actually using any real abilities, the room will materialize whatever ability you choose without causing true damage to either the room or your opponent. Science, or magic? It's probably both. Feel free to go wild and have fun, maybe try some powers you've never experienced before or vent your frustrations on being stuck here!

Without Powers:
The console invites characters to select a type of weapon and skill level, and said weapon will materialize in a basic form; while held inside the room it moves and feels real, but it cannot be removed from the facility. Those who are skilled in utilizing said weapon are free to wield it as if it were the genuine article in their chosen simulation. Those without much or any skill will be walked through a tutorial on basic techniques from a variety of styles, old or new, most unfamiliar but well suited to the body type of the person using the program. It's quite intuitive, though it is by no means perfect, so characters might end up being guided through a stranger workout than intended.

For versus mode, each participant has an HP bar displayed above their heads, and everyone has the same HP unless both players select an unbalanced mode, and the goal is to force your opponent to hit zero HP. Characters can also choose how realistic the simulated violence is and how the process feels: in low realism, it's similar to laser tag, where characters flash a colour when hit and take damage without feeling anything more than some uncomfortable vibration. In high realism, pain is genuine to a certain degree depending on how high a level they choose, though it is artificial and will fade as soon as the program ends. Hitting zero HP will not result in a knock-out, but characters will feel dizzy and be forced to sit down, unable to rise again until they surrender. All effects wear off as soon as the simulation ends.

For demonstration mode, participants are given a selection of virtual targets to practice on using whatever method of combat they've chosen. It could be moving targets, such as creatures that have invaded the barrier previously (via the Wild Wild prompt), or simulations of the more dangerous beasts in the museum/zoo areas of town. It could be simple targets built to take a beating without providing much challenge in return. It could be a collection of buildings that characters can break or explode as they please. This mode is designed to gauge just how strong a person's destructive potential is, either with their own powers or with powers granted to those who have been blessed by their patron god.

Characters are welcome to volunteer as many times as there are available partners and/or slots! So feel free to try a few times using different options.

❥ PROMPT IV: A Bonus Trip Down Memory Lane

Last year, some offworlders might remember the tradition of sharing stories in the temple of Ohma, to offer small tributes to the god on their first month of devotion. It is that time of the year again, and everyone is welcome to return and share more stories, or perhaps retell an old favourite to a new audience. Here is the event as described previously:

Ohma's temple is particularly lively during Ohnir and the priests are busy cleaning and sweeping, decorating it with rolls of parchment and digital inkwells and quills that write as if they were actually fountain pens. The natives, especially adherents of Ohma, start to make pilgrimages to the temple in little processions, some playing music, others flying banners.

Anyone who chooses to follow can observe the natives going up to the altar and sharing stories with one another. They talk about things they did over the past year or things that are far, far in their past. Some of the stories are happy and result in the procession laughing and some are...well, not everyone returns safely from certain disasters that befall the city throughout the year. The priests diligently write every story down on those parchment rolls and deposit them onto the waiting altar, where they're summarily lit on fire to the cheers of those present. The more emotional the story it seems, the brighter and bluer the flame that it emits and the louder the procession cheers.

As the file out, they notice you watching and urge you to go up with someone else in the temple to clear your heart and offer up your own stories. They can be stories of home, information about your worlds, or stories about your life.

---

This event will run from September 14th to 30th. 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.

Comments

[necromanswers]

Don't think testing it is gonna be on the table. Anything we try, we'll have to put enough faith in it to hope it'll stick. That's more the kind of magic I'm used to, admittedly.

[Merle's healing for the scarier moments, Barry and Taako's love for her during the liching, the bond engine for keeping them all alive for a hundred years. So much of her life has revolved around the faith she carried in the people she cares about. Any spell created to link their lives together more precisely and intricately would have to be based on the same theory.]

[shroudedsecrets]

Better to do that than try nothing at all. My faith is true. Our faith is true.

[ She'll move closer to her in the water, and reach out. ]

[necromanswers]

[Lup doesn't hesitate, reaching back to twine their fingers with a smile.]

Of course, this doesn't mean we're leaving it to chance, either! Never hurts to have a contingency plan.

[shroudedsecrets]

No. But we have much to consider. All of the knowledge we might have and then some.

[ She gives the fingers a little squeeze, more at ease now for their connection. And that's when, oddly enough... a vision gently settles itself upon them. ]

[necromanswers]

[Lup's eyes widen at once, for a long moment lost in the visual of an unfamiliar landscape, a voice she very nearly can't parse as the woman she knows, but a very recognizable cat making the connection all too clear. She blinks blearily as she comes out of it, gaze drifting quickly towards Honerva. Her mouth opens, shuts, opens again.]

Whoa, shit. You... tell me you saw that too, right?

[Speaking of shared memories... if that was before the research - at least, she thinks it's the research that triggered All The Bad - that would make this one from before her marriage, too.]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ When Lup comes out of it, her gaze is distanced when her eyes ease open, though she blinks slowly, fingers still locked with Lup's, nearly echoing her. ]

... you -- you saw it too? Oh Lup...

[ She's not all caught up with the implications, still trying to process the vividness of the emotions. That raw nerd energy, really, but so much more, too. ]

[necromanswers]

Yeah... hah... surprise, huh?

[Her fingers curl tighter, shifting a little closer in concern. It wasn't a bad memory, far from it. She'd been so happy, so excited, young and eager to experience more that the universe had to offer. Perhaps it was the difference between the woman she was and the woman she is now that made it so jarring.]

Guessing... that's a new one, too.

[shroudedsecrets]

... it is.

[ Still a little unsteady, she's grateful for Lup's shift in proximity. She exhales softly. ]

It's... startling. Even with my other recollections, that state of mind just feels almost unreal, but Lup, you've seen it all too.

[necromanswers]

Enough that it's less jarring than it was the first time, anyway.

[All these sharing visions... if she wasn't used to such strange spells and illusions, she'd be more concerned about it. It's weird to be used to that sort of thing, though.]

It's... nice to get a good memory though. Right? For once.

[shroudedsecrets]

... For once.

[ She agrees, still a little distracted, letting some thoughts shift into place. Trying to ground this memory a little more amidst other floating ones. ]

It does... help make something clearer about that one I experienced earlier, as well. In these memories... I was alone, with Kova. Perhaps it is because he is here with me now that I was able to recall such things. He was my family, all that time.

[necromanswers]

It sure explains his loyalty. Animals are loyal even in normal circumstances, but you both have been together way longer than anyone could imagine. Getting those memories back is pretty crucial. [She laces their fingers meaningfully.] Stronger bonds, you know?

[shroudedsecrets]

... yeah.

[ Whenever Lup talks that way about bonds, it helps put her more at ease. ]

Even if I have... come so far away through time and memory from the person I had been there... I do recognize that feeling. It is too precious to lose again. I am grateful that you were witness to it.

[necromanswers]

I'm glad I got to see it, too. Not just because it was a good one- because it's better you weren't alone for it.

[They've both been alone for far too long and for far too many bad experiences. This is good for both of them.]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Sitting together in the hot springs or not, or perhaps something of the sentiment and lingering emotions from the memory, she's a little visibly choked up, eyes faintly misty.

Of course Lup would understand the significance of that better than anyone. Funny enough, hadn't they sat together in a spa near a year ago to discuss prying further at her memories? It had taken such a darker turn then, but this was... different, not of either of their doing, and yet. ]

... thank you. It makes it... feel more real, you know, with your being here.

[ Having a person she knew and trusted well to validate that experience went a long way, after so long. ]

[necromanswers]

[And yet, indeed.]

I can imagine. Sharing it with strangers... well, you remember how it was back then.

[Calibrations. People wandering through their minds, touching and taking whatever comes by accident. She'd done it, and had it done to her in return. It didn't always end so peacefully.]

If you want to keep it, it should feel real. That part's important.

[shroudedsecrets]

... I do. Unfortunately, there are still the chances that strangers may have... access to others.

[ What she'll do when it comes to that... she doesn't know. It depends on the memory, answers that might rightfully be demanded. A wearying thought, when so much could potentially be out there.

Hard to tell what was gone until it was brought to you. ]

That aside, it... does feel different, to be so... conscious of everything in that moment. I wonder if we would be able to... capture some form of image of it, before it fades too much. Of... that view.

[necromanswers]

Mm... like an illusion, you think? There's pretty advanced ones that can be created on the fly, if the mental image is still fresh. Magic it up, take a photo- bam, you've got a permanent memory. Or a slightly-less ephemeral one, at least.

[shroudedsecrets]

... I would like for us to do that, if the possibility is there.

[ Having a desire for such things is never easy to admit, but she is able to recognize that something like this should not be allowed to slip away, even with the mix of emotions involved. ]

[necromanswers]

Sure, it's possible. I gotta get my gear first, though.

[She can't exactly bring her component bag or spellbook inside the sauna with her. Plus a complicated spell like that is better practiced in familiar territory- namely, at home.]

[shroudedsecrets]

I should hope that it would not fade so completely by the time we finish here.

[That's said with a soft laugh. She can be impatient on matters like these, but they might as well get the benefits they came there for.]

But we can leave whenever you're ready, of course. Sharing it with you almost makes it feel like you could have been there in that moment with me.

[necromanswers]

Kinda felt that way, yeah.

[These memories are... especially personal, it seems. More than they've been in other instances before. She tries not to dwell on it, but her feelings are decidedly mixed.]

I guess it depends on how much of a prune you want to be before we leave here.

[shroudedsecrets]

No more than usual. Though this place may be open to visit at any time. Memories might be more... fleeting than that.

[ Which means it might be okay to make a priority of it. If there's a chance to preserve more of this, instead of contending with hangups. ]

[necromanswers]

Agreed. Plus, like you said- mine's better.

[Decision made, she stands up out of the bath and fetches a couple of towels, getting prepped to leave. They've got memories to save!]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ She'll laugh softly at that, and follows suit, climbing up out of the bath, retrieving their robes for them as Lup grabs the towels.

Some of the unfamiliar emotion from the memory has lingered; the warmth of curiosity, a bubbly sort of eagerness, as she tries to hold on to that. It reminds her of Lup, more than her own self. ]