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hugtopia_logs2019-09-16 10:00 pm
hugtopiamods) wrote in hugtopia_logs2019-09-16 10:00 pm
♥ September Event Log
September (Ohnir) Event Log
Ohnir is in full swing now and the weather, while still boasting hot days, is starting to cool slightly at night. The residents are recovering after the lightning storms from the previous month and, curiously, most of the robots that had been damaged in the storms are back. They don't look the same as before, but they seem to act the same, still happy, still thankful that the offworlders are here. A few even thank those who carried their bodies to the temples with small gifts of painted stones. Havenwell continues as it always has and welcomes their new arrivals with a few rather odd changes...
❥ PROMPT I: Robot Crossing
Now that all the new and old arrivals have mingled and met, the robotic natives start pointing everyone toward the VR cafes. The bright lights and cozy insides have been decorated with fake leaves and carved and painted plaster approximations of fruits and vegetables in odd colors. When an offworlder comes in, they explain that back when they were still in their flesh bodies, the month of Ohnir was one for harvest and celebrations of the summer bounties. Now, without any real farms or need to eat, they've translated the Harvest Festival into a game, so why not play?
Logging in with another character will net you a little farm and a variety of games to choose from:
As always, when playing the game, the picture and quality seems to increase as long as you're in contact with another person. Once the games are over and your scores tallied, the cafe attendant walks over and asks to see your communicators. To the winners, he or she attaches a little floating charm in the shape of one of Aellyn's weirder fruits. It looks like a cross between a blue rambutan and the hala aka puhala fruit, and it's called the sikheen fruit here. The sikheen are extremely rare nowadays, but their appearance is so unique that Havenwell residents still like to remember it for the Harvest Festival. Enjoy your prize!
Logging in with another character will net you a little farm and a variety of games to choose from:
- Pick and harvest as many Aellyn vegetables and fruits as you can before the timer runs out! The more you pick, the better your score. Work together with your partner to clear the field in any way you can. Strangely, once you finish clearing a tree or a field row of their bounty, they seem to magically refill when you turn your back. Oh well, at least you won't run out before the timer hits zero and with the sheer number of levels and combinations of trees and fields with obstacles in your way to make harvesting a little more challenging with each new level, you certainly won't be running out of things to do.
- With a partner, use the giant slingshot to launch comically large fruits into a garden patch of other colored fruits. Match a line of 3 or more similarly shaped fruits to clear it from the field. The more fruits you can clear, the higher your score - aka welcome to Fruit Crush. Stack lines of 6 or more to get shining clear diamond fruits that clear the entire row and snag yourself some bonus points.
- You and your partner(s) are given a magical golden pumpkin and it's your job to grow it into the largest pumpkin possible. Why? There's a county fair of course and the largest pumpkin wins! But how do you grow this pumpkin? Well, there are a lot of methods! You could gather up materials and work together to stick it to the pumpkin until it absorbs them and grows. You could do a song and dance routine together to encourage the pumpkin's soul to grow big and bright. You could hold hands and share stories and entertain the pumpkin until it feels encouraged enough to grow on its own. The possibilities are endless, so get to work making the best pumpkin that (digital) fair has ever seen!
As always, when playing the game, the picture and quality seems to increase as long as you're in contact with another person. Once the games are over and your scores tallied, the cafe attendant walks over and asks to see your communicators. To the winners, he or she attaches a little floating charm in the shape of one of Aellyn's weirder fruits. It looks like a cross between a blue rambutan and the hala aka puhala fruit, and it's called the sikheen fruit here. The sikheen are extremely rare nowadays, but their appearance is so unique that Havenwell residents still like to remember it for the Harvest Festival. Enjoy your prize!
❥ PROMPT II: Paint by Number
The new arrivals get to enjoy Havenwell in all its glory for about a week before suddenly, one day everyone wakes up to find the entire city has gone gray. And not a natural, nice gray either, but a strange dull, lifeless gray. Everything from the sky to the houses to the grass to the native people have all turned the exact same shade of graphite gray. Even the natives are confused and the devout flock to the temples while the science-minded head to the labs to study this new phenomenon. The only ones who seem spared from this strange color drain are the offworlders and the statues of the gods in the center of town. Or, well, at least most of the offworlders are spared. A few people might notice that their colors aren't as bright as they once were, or that parts of them are starting to turn gray as well. Those offworlders unlucky enough to lose some of their own can touch another player character to regain what was lost easily enough. Overall though, no one seems harmed by this sudden loss of color, but they're certainly perplexed.
A few days later and round silver platforms start showing up around the city, dragged out of storage by the natives. The first arrivals might remember these as the fireworks platforms that are activated by people standing and holding hands on them. The temple priests and scientists encourage the offworlders to stand on the platforms again and to hold hands or engage in some other sort of physical contact on them and wait.
When characters do as asked, the platforms shoot fireworks like they did before - in brilliant colors instead of the dull gray everywhere. And wherever the sparks fall, color starts returning to the world in splotches. The natives are overjoyed and move the platforms all across the city, asking the offworlders to find and use them wherever possible to return the color to their town.
A few days later and round silver platforms start showing up around the city, dragged out of storage by the natives. The first arrivals might remember these as the fireworks platforms that are activated by people standing and holding hands on them. The temple priests and scientists encourage the offworlders to stand on the platforms again and to hold hands or engage in some other sort of physical contact on them and wait.
When characters do as asked, the platforms shoot fireworks like they did before - in brilliant colors instead of the dull gray everywhere. And wherever the sparks fall, color starts returning to the world in splotches. The natives are overjoyed and move the platforms all across the city, asking the offworlders to find and use them wherever possible to return the color to their town.
❥ PROMPT III: Sharing is Caring
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. It would probably be far more impressive if the colors weren't still so gray and splotchy, but they're trying their best.
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 came back from the lightning storms. 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. It seems the more personal the story, the brighter the flame though and the more Dora that will mysteriously show up in your account at a later date. If the priests are asked about this donation later, they're just as perplexed. No one they know would have paid anyone for an offering to Ohma, so where could it have come from....?
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 came back from the lightning storms. 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. It seems the more personal the story, the brighter the flame though and the more Dora that will mysteriously show up in your account at a later date. If the priests are asked about this donation later, they're just as perplexed. No one they know would have paid anyone for an offering to Ohma, so where could it have come from....?
❥ PROMPT IV: Sleep Sweet
With Ainea's temple familiars finally back where they belong, quiet returns to the city at night. We're sure that first long uninterrupted sleep felt heavenly, right? Although there may not be color in the city, the world of dreams at least is fully technicolor and safe. Which might be weird for some characters in case they don't normally dream or remember their dreams because now everyone is dreaming at night. Most of the dreams are the usual variety that your character always has, but every so often in the midst of a pleasant dream about home or a funky one about flying pizza (whatever it is you usually dream about, we don't judge), there's a glitch.
Out of the corner of your eye or just on the edge of your vision, a person appears. Their face can't be seen and their arms are longer than they have any right to be, but they appear and stand there, watching. Trying to focus on this person causes them to flit away and it's easy enough to dismiss as a random event, until it keeps happening. And it keeps happening, and it keeps happening, and every time you see this person, they get closer and even less distinct. Waking up and talking to or holding someone might help calm that disquiet in your heart, offworlder, so hopefully there's someone around to help you.
Out of the corner of your eye or just on the edge of your vision, a person appears. Their face can't be seen and their arms are longer than they have any right to be, but they appear and stand there, watching. Trying to focus on this person causes them to flit away and it's easy enough to dismiss as a random event, until it keeps happening. And it keeps happening, and it keeps happening, and every time you see this person, they get closer and even less distinct. Waking up and talking to or holding someone might help calm that disquiet in your heart, offworlder, so hopefully there's someone around to help you.
This event will run from September 16th to September 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 on the OOC Entry.
Feel free to also use the OOC Plotting Post for planning what your character is up to!
no subject
[A perfect success in flattering Taranza's desire to be uniquely of use. He drifts closer with some smug, undeserved confidence.]
What kind of offering?
no subject
It's not too different from what we did for Diacht last time. The gods here are really big on that kind of thing. Go figure! But it's got a more storytelling bent this time around, so, I promise not to take my clothes off on the altar.
no subject
So you just have to tell me a story?
no subject
Yes and no. I'm pretty sure you'll have to reciprocate if you want to get paid yourself! . . . Aaaaand it's a bit public, but don't worry about that. I'll have a little talk with the priests, and I think they'll understand. We'll need one witness, but whatever, right? One robot's not going to go spilling anything personal about us. They even burn the documentation right in front of you as an offering to Ohma!
no subject
Is whatever you're going to say really that sensitive?
no subject
[He winks over at Taranza. It is true, though. He's aware by now that he'll get more moolah for more sensitive information, and just like last time, he's not ready to lay that on anyone else. Taranza is in a unique position as far as his Havenwell comrades go.
And it doesn't hurt for him to know it, either.]
You could call it setting the record straight, sure. It's all in the past now, but it's a story only you'll really understand.
no subject
All right. I'm fine with that. I guess I don't want you to tell absolutely everybody about my story either...
Then who should be going first?
no subject
[But first, he does slip over to have a quick talk with the robots, putting on all his charm to convince them that he and Taranza really need some privacy for these personal stories, but will allow one scribe to take them down for the ritual record . . . and when he comes back he takes two of Taranza's hands in his to hold them, standing close. Gotta play up the intimacy of this!]
Well . . . ?
no subject
—I need to clarify Queen Sectonia's story, and how we met Kirby, so that we make sure we're on the same page about that! I don't want you saying uninformed things.
The Sectra Clan has a long legacy, but our culture was languishing in the status quo. Queen Sectonia was the first whose ambition and appreciation for beauty truly motivated a revolution. Only through her leadership could our minority become the dominant force in all of Floralia! I, who knew her long before her ascension, supported her every step of the way!
...Uh, until the end.
Things did get out of hand. But that was my mistake! I was the one who introduced the Dimension Mirror.
no subject
Magolor's heard about the Dimension Mirror. How could he not have, having done so much study of ancient relics. His ears perk up immediately.]
—You had the Dimension Mirror?
no subject
[He frowns, momentarily distracted. But, he had known about the Dimension Mirror too, at least enough to steal it. He just didn't know about a certain dark entity inside.]
I think... something was wrong with it. I acquired it and bestowed it as a gift, but over time I couldn't tell how much the mirror reflected her and how much she reflected the mirror.
no subject
no subject
This is a story Magolor knows some of, but not all of, and definitely not from a source this close to it—or on this side of it. That little tidbit about the mirror strikes him deeper than he expects. How much the mirror reflected her and how much she reflected the mirror. Well, doesn't he know exactly how that goes himself? In the end, he'd been worn by the Master Crown rather than being the one wearing it. And there are times he suspects the Lor is steering him, even if it is in a friendly way, the way a companion might gently steer someone onto the right path when they stray. It has had some hand in who he's become. He does know that much, even if he wonders at the extent.
So maybe they're all a bit like that. It tracks. Still, Magolor can't say he buys the idea that none of what happened was Sectonia's fault; these things tend to have some mutual conniving going on. Magolor, Marx, and Susie can all speak to that. Even Magolor can't not blame himself for what happened with Kirby years ago, and he was thoroughly possessed by the climax, and also, he loves not blaming himself for things.
But such is the power of love. And this explains a lot about why Taranza is so particularly unable to move on. Magolor frees one hand to wave it breezily.]
Believe me, I know how those things work. Not that I ever touched the Dimension Mirror myself, but . . . well, you'll find out later! And your other self had his own bad experience with a similar relic. That's another whole thing, though. I want to hear how this one ends.
[Even though he knows.]
no subject
[Or maybe all of us should stop STEALING ANCIENT MAGICAL ARTIFACTS]
...Anyway, after a certain point one of the rival populations of Floralia attempted to enlist the help of the hero from the lower world. They planted the Dreamstalk so that Kirby could make his way up. But Queen Sectonia took the power of the Dreamstalk for her own. It was pretty obvious then that she wasn't even trying to be a ruler anymore... Because she was draining all of the energy from the planet instead. Any plan she would have had after that wouldn't have involved any of the rest of us.
So I teamed up with Kirby instead, saved him from the Queen's clutches, and gave him what he needed to win!
no subject
This is fascinating, though; Magolor nods along, ears pricked. He really hadn't known the backstory behind everything that had happened with Sectonia, and he has to have some respect for someone who fought back against a despot, especially one he'd been (and clearly still is) that obsessed with. . . . It may be ironic, but Magolor had made his own power grab under a genuine, misguided belief that he would have been good for the job, and that people would have been happy with his rule. The idea of making such a grab for power without including the part at the end where everyone looks up to you and adores you and fawns over you as a wise and all-powerful ruler—it's distasteful to him to think of wanting it. There's no point to dominance if you have no one to dominate! And if you're going to go that far, there's no point to dominance if the other person doesn't like it!
Even if you have to force them to. That was what it had come down to in the end, for him.
He squeezes Taranza's hand with a breezy smile.]
Wow . . . color me impressed! I really mean that! You did the right thing. It's no wonder Kirby accepted you as his friend after that!
no subject
Right...! Because I saved his life and everything! The King was grateful too. I'm sure everyone was grateful!
[After I started doing good things instead of bad things!!!]
I think that's mostly what I wanted to say. Unless you have any questions, you can feel free to move on to your story.
no subject
I see, I see. I'm glad to have the record set straight! I get the feeling you skimmed some of that, but I got the important bits, probably~. The truth is, I also first met Kirby as an enemy. I'm afraid it took me a little longer to come around than it took you . . . in your story, you could say I'd be the Sectonia myself. I'm so ashamed! That was a long time ago now, and it's all in the past, but I guess it's time you knew about my villainous history . . . I hope you'll forgive me.
[Despite that, he's playing that little speech up cutely, voice low and coy and shy.]
no subject
It seems like it turned out all right, so that seems probable. But what happened?
no subject
I'll tell you the Director's Cut of this story, the one no one else gets . . . so, feel honored! You see, the mirror from your story is an artifact of the Ancients, a race based on Halcandra eons ago. You know some about them from all that mess with Hyness! My ship is another one of those artifacts. I excavated and restored it after locating its ruins in a volcano on Halcandra itself, where I was living at the time. But the Lor wasn't the only artifact that turned up in my research. There was another one right there on Halcandra, the Master Crown, and it was said that that crown contained the power to control the universe.
[This isn't a story Magolor tells from this point of view often. It's one he tells as Kirby's story, featuring a mysterious villain who is never given a name by the time the tale ends. But since he can't get away with that here, he's much less grandiose about this telling than he usually is—and since Taranza definitely skimmed some details, he feels even more free to do the same. But the story still is what it is. There's no getting around the reality of what happened then.]
no subject
[How does he feel about that? To some degree, a little annoyed at the very concept. Sectonia put in blood, sweat and tears to become a tyrannical ruler. Picking up a crown sounds like cheating in comparison. But he keeps that snap judgment to himself before he hears more.]
Did you manage to get it?
no subject
[See, Taranza, it was actually a lot of work, convincing other people to do the work! Well, in all fairness, he did have to repair the entire Lor himself, twice. That part actually was back-breaking.]
no subject
[Pretty wild to imagine winning an artifact and NOT picking it up yourself, but if it's Kirby, it just might be possible.]