January (Lasra) Final Event Log / World Status

[hugtopiamods]

❥ State of Havenwell & Aellyn

• Lasra (January) brings with it the lightest winter yet; the temperate is mild, the snowfall light and fluffy, and the wind does not blow quite as hard as one might expect considering the time of year. This weather is consistent throughout the city limits, with the exception of one area: the central plaza, where the egg's nest is laid. That area is actually quite pleasant, heated by the cooperative effort of the residents who opted to cuddle with the egg and each other, creating something of a bubble, almost like an incubator. If the slight chill of the still-mild winter has you shivering, swing by the center of town to warm up.
  
  
• Speaking of the egg, it has been a long time coming, but in early Lasra, cracks begin to appear across the surface! Days pass with little change, whatever is within the shell chipping slowly against its confines. It draws in an eager, anxious audience of locals, keeping a respectful distance but ever-hopeful that whatever hatches will bring good tidings. Eventually, though, the shell at last breaks apart, and what emerges is a pony-sized griffon, golden coloured and iridescent, wings damp and wilted, chirping curiously as he witnesses the world for the first time. Despite being newly born, the reincarnated Winged Lord carries within him a surprisingly wise look to his eyes, and as its body dries in the light of the sun, it begins to radiate a gentle glow, demonstrating to any detractors that this is, in fact, the final lost god. He remains in the center of town for a few days, meeting the people of Havenwell, accepting gifts and prayers and simple greetings, happy to experience both the world and the company of the people who helped bring it back from the dark. After some time he will venture underground to the tunnel from which his egg was originally rescued. Should anyone worry for him, his answer will be simple, calm, and to the point: "Don't worry, I am going to visit my friend. We have a lot to talk about." There is a subtle joy in his tone as he speaks. Once he enters the tunnel, he will vanish from the city and no longer be found, but the air continues to feel brighter, the city abuzz with warm energy. The world has changed for the better, and everyone can feel it.
  
  
• By mid-month, the priests of all four temples have come forward to begin separating and reverently dismantling the nest in the center of town. What once were pillows, blankets, bits of string, and fluff are now fragments of the Winged Lord, blessed by his light, and they intend to save every piece. There are exceptions, however. To each and every offworlder, the priests send a message: come to the temple, we have a gift for you.
  
  Should you go to the temple of your associated god, a priest will present to you a small, strange charm. It is a fragment of the Winged Lord's egg, bound and fastened with a string pulled from his nest. It looks fragile, but is astonishingly strong, seemingly unbreakable. Take care of it and do not lose it, you are told by the priests, for this is your way home.
  
  
• After the eggshell charms have been distributed, news travels quickly that the underground tunnel has changed yet again. The Crawling One has devoured the earth surrounding the original gateway to its realm, and has encircled it tightly multiple times to create a new doorway, just as nebulous and wispy as before, but without the poisonous atmosphere of the prior portal. Its gate is lined with glimmering golden feathers, and it glows with a warm, inviting light. Should you venture close to it, you will be overwhelmed with the nostalgic feeling of familiar. It smells like your favourite recipe, it feels like an old blanket from your childhood bed. It gives you the distinct and unmistakable feeling of home, and very gently, it calls to you. You need only walk through.
  
  1) Should you wish to forget Havenwell, Aellyn, and your time in this world, crush the eggshell after you cross the threshold of the Crawling One's doorway. This will send you back to your world as you were when you left, and everything will be as if it were a dream: fading into nothingness when you wake up. (Only within the doorway will the shell be fragile enough to break.)
  2) Should you wish to remember, hold the eggshell charm gently, and carry it with you into your world. As long as it remains unbroken through the doorway, you will remember.
  3) Should you wish to journey with someone else and reach the same destination, hold your eggshells together, hands entwined, as you cross through the doorway. Whoever's world is the intended destination MUST lead the way, taking the first step. This choice comes with a warning: you will be lost from your world, and might not be able to return. Choose this option carefully, as the consequences are your own. Those who arrive in that world may find themselves separated, in different locations, but the charm will help to guide you, magically drawn to others who carry a fragment.
  4) Should you wish to stay in Aellyn, you need only refrain from crossing through the doorway. Your presence will be welcome wherever you go; the world still has a good deal of recovering to do, and many hands make light the work.
  You will not be judged, for whatever option you take. The door will remain open until every offworlder has made their choice.

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❥ Current God Status & Effects

• The final god power balance, from strongest to weakest, is:
  1. Rawna
  2. Diacht
  3. Ainea
  4. Ohma
  
  Thanks to the awakening and reformation of the Crawling One and the revival of the Winged Lord, the gods have regained their ability to balance their own power. There still remains a long road towards true collaboration, but thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, they are well on their way to resolving their own issues. Collectively, Hugtopia netted a total of over 29,000 hugpoints! Well done, and thank you everyone!
  
  
• And Thanks For All The Fish
  
  In celebration of the rebirth of their god and revitalization, while the priests are carefully dismantling the nest the rest of the city's natives are hurriedly working to express their gratitude. By the time the offworlders receive their eggshell charms, there are eager residents wishing to see them off with charms and trinkets; some made with Havenwell's trademark fabrics and ribbons, some with seashells traded from Shoremere, and many with a mixture of both as a tangible mark of all that the world's visitors have aided in accomplishing. While they of course ask for nothing in return, if one should ask then the native residents can only think of one form of payment:
  
  Leave nothing unsaid or unspoken. Share your secrets, confess your uncertainties, speak your thoughts and have them be heard by more than just yourself. Should you do so, in addition to a lovely charm and heartfelt well-wishes you may just feel a little warmth in your chest helping you onward in whatever decisions you should choose to make.
  
  This prompt was suggested by Carrie (connectsthedots)!
  

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❥ A Final Message from the Mod Team

• This is the final event log of the game, a farewell finale where characters can say their goodbyes and go on their way, or decide to stay if they wish. No further updates will be made, but the community is yours to do with as you please. All that said, if you have any comments or final questions (related to either this event or anything that came before!), things left unanswered, please use the mod comment below and we'll do our best to satisfy. Otherwise, our job is done.
  
  Thank you so, so much for playing with us. It's been a joy. Thank you for sticking with us through ups and downs, through the slow periods and the fast-paced shenanigans. Many of you have stuck with us since the very beginning, and we know how rare that is! It's been an amazing journey. Wherever we end up going forward, may your stories always be joyful to tell.
  
  Goodbye, and have one last hug for the road!
  
  -Akai, Jade, Kaze, Nao

Comments

[carbungle]

[The final days, huh. Noctis remains in the temple for a while after he'd been given the charm, looking up at the statue of Rawna as if it would answer his unspoken question. It's a kindness he's not used to receiving from gods. A chance to go home, to bring with him those he loves, to have a chance to live, and... to remember. As someone who was all but abandoned by his own gods, the gift is something he wants to acknowledge. Finally he gives the statue a small Crownsguard salute, fist to his chest, and heads out. He can respect it, even after several years of being played with. After everything he's gained here, he can acknowledge that it was worthwhile.

From there, he has several places to visit, several people to see. Either you're one of them, or your paths cross on the street- either way, it's time to say goodbye.]

[iustaegis]

[ Clutching the small eggshell charm in her hand, she leaves the temple, smiling calmly as she walks down the steps, feeling lighter than when she had entered. Pyra's made her decision months ago, after all, and she's prepared to go through with it. Yet along with the excitement comes a bit of worry, doubt-- the usual things, what if it doesn't work, or what if our plan is not enough?. But those, too, are overshadowed by the fluttering excitement of the day, the promise of peace, as well as the hope they both had cultivated for years before now.

They have the opportunity. They have their power, shared. They have this shell, brittle but brilliant in their hands. They need only take it. It's taken all this time, but Pyra has become far stronger than her doubts-- and that's all in thanks to everyone she has met here. ]

Noct.

[ She finds him near their home, and like all other times before this one, she seeks his hand. ]

[carbungle]

[She was one of the last he'd intended to find, mostly because the answer was already known and soon, if this worked, they would be spending the rest of their lives together, whereas most everyone else he would never see again. Even knowing that doesn't make this easy to consider the conversation, however. He'll still be returning to the crystal, something he doesn't relish, considering how he'd struggled with it last time, and she'd be entering into a whole new world, entirely unknown, full of darkness and daemons. She'd be there without him for... however long until he wakes, of which even he isn't sure. And he'll be leaving the crystal as a stranger, older. When he looks into a mirror before he leaves here, it'll be the last time he sees his own face like this. It's surreal, and he's not ready for any of it, but a part of him still really wants to go home.

When she finds him, he smiles immediately, taking her offered hand and giving it a squeeze.]

Hey. You got one too?

[iustaegis]

[ Comfort, reassurance, unity: it’s easy to find all of these things when she’s with him. Pyra’s fingers curl around his, warm and secure.

She raises her other hand, showing the rounded, cracked eggshell piece. ]

It’s such a small, fragile thing… But this is it. It is our way to your world.

[ To both save it and to save him. His world has done nothing wrong to deserve losing him. Noctis has done nothing wrong to be lost. They will make this work. ]

[carbungle]

[He'd known already - she'd made her answer clear - but it still warms him to the core to hear her say she's coming with him. They'll find their future together, somehow. A lot has to happen between now and then still, but... he's hopeful. And that's still such a new, wonderful feeling for him, all thanks to her.]

Yeah... our ticket home.

[It'll be her home too, soon. He hopes she likes it. He hopes she loves it. She deserves to live in a place she loves, and he knows Eos will love her.]

There's some stuff I need to talk to you about still, but... I'm really, really glad you're coming. That you can come.

[iustaegis]

So am I. [ And she doesn't ultimately care how, either, other than that there is a way.

That isn't to say she doesn't have outstanding questions. To the contrary: when they arrive, will he still retain a part of her crystal, or will she still be able to access his magic? But these can be figured out later. No matter how, where, and when they arrive, she's grateful for this miracle. Thanks, little alien griffon god. ]

I'm... excited, too, Noct. [ She meets his gaze, smiling. ] This marks it-- a very real beginning to our lives together.

[carbungle]

[Her smile is dazzling, and his can only broaden. He leans in closer, touching his nose to hers briefly before closing the distance for a kiss.]

Me too. It's gonna be scary for a while, I won't lie about that. It's gonna suck. But if we can push through all that, it'll be worth it, right? We'll have so much time... we can do anything.

[iustaegis]

[ His lips are sweet as always, and he'll be able to feel her smile upon his lips in return. ]

When we go to Eos... [ Close as they are, her voice is hushed, spoken like a promise. ] I'll wait for you.

[carbungle]

[He smiles softly, eyes closing. He doesn't like that she has to, but... knowing she will... gods, it really does make it less scary.]

Might be a long time. Might even be the whole ten years.

[iustaegis]

[ Perhaps any other immortal would say that it’s only ten years— that’s not a lot for someone long-lived, but for Pyra, every year with him counts. ]

I’m hoping that we’ll still be connected, but even if not… [ She pulls away from his face by a few inches, adoring his expression and smile. ] Knowing that you’ll be back is good enough. I’ll help out until then, your friends, your family… [ It is a little sad to think about, being away from him for so long, but she adds this, giggling: ] And maybe we’ll use all those years to plan a party, too.

[carbungle]

[His smile wobbles a little, not quite faltering. He's still wondering what he should tell the others, just in case something goes wrong, or she can't bring him back. What a party that would end up being. Better to be optimistic- hope for the best, believe in her. It's the best chance they've got.]

Big party to welcome everybody back? Prompto would love that. And I know you could help a lot of people, if you were there. [He lifts a hand.] Say goodbye to this pretty face, though. The final days are upon us.

[And he's trying to be teasing about it, really he is. Don't be shallow don't be shallow don't be shallow there are more important things-]

[iustaegis]

You mean, this pretty face? [ Cue her palms going to caress either side of his face, squishing his cheeks inward.

Then a cheek pull.

Then a squish again. ] Hmm, [ Teasing, of course. She doesn’t mind how he looks, whether older or younger. ] So long as you keep those awfully long eyelashes, I suppose you’ll still be handsome.

[carbungle]

[He makes a face at her in response to the squishing and stretching, making it all the more absurd.]

"I suppose", [he echoes in her tone.] I'm doomed. I'm gonna be an old man and everyone's gonna wonder how I scored this hot young wife.

[Old, like 30 is ancient now. He won't even age faster with the ring gone. ...Wife still has a nice ring to it, though. He likes that part.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis had always known this day would come. A day when he would leave this place for good; a day when he would have a final parting from everyone he had grown to care for and love in this place. What he hadn't planned on was having choice over that parting. Sure he had, in his deepest heart, wished to return with the memories of what he'd learned, but the realist in him had come to accept that perhaps, if he was lucky, this time would leave some mark on his soul he would recall in his unconscious, but never his conscious, mind. Wasn't that how it was suppose to go? He'd never remembered his time in Havenwell when he went back before. There was no reason to think that final journey home would be any different.

Except now it was. All of their efforts had rewarded them with a chance to bring a real change to this place; it had also given them the chance to change their own worlds with the memory of things they had learned here. Change. It was something he'd given up on when he returned here so fresh off almost losing his son, not once, but twice. Now he had a chance to actually do it. He had the tools too. No longer would he be searching blindly in the dark. He knew the name of the man who would rip his kingdom apart from the inside. He knew of the ancestor whose fate had twisted him and turned him into the darkness that would eat Eos whole. Indeed, he also knew more of the mind of the man responsible for the development of the Empire's magitek weapons than he ever could have back home. He'd fought with him, planned with him ways to see that both their countries might find another route to survive the war besides mutual destruction, but only he was going home with his memories. Verstael hadn't made it to the end of this 'experiment,' yet some part of Regis couldn't help but want to make things better for his sake too. The Emperor that the scientist worshiped so much had once been known as a wise man, after all. He had not always been a mad tyrant.

Before Regis can go back and face all of that, though, he has things he has to take care of here. Fortunately, a little searching leads him to the couple of natives that Era had loved so much--Tim and Sudryl--and once he finds them, he asks them if they will take care of his shop and home once he has departed. As much as he will miss both Faustus and Will's pokemon, a war is no place for a scarf cat and he can't let go of the idea that taking Will's pokemon from here will be taking away their last chance at possibly being reunited with their trainer again. He has no idea if anyone will ever be brought back here, but they have been before and may be once again. Besides, he still remembers far too well how fascinated Verstael was with them. He can't risk the wrong people getting their hands on the friends who have taken such good care of him.

Regis is in the middle of laying out his raiment to make sure it is ready for his return home when there is a knock on the door, and he can't say he is surprised when opening the door reveals Noctis standing there. A smile tinged slightly with sadness crosses his face though he manages to keep the sadness out of his voice when he speaks.

Yeah, that's right, isn't it? He's going to have to get back to hiding that all behind a mask again. That's going to be hard after fighting so long to get himself to come out from behind that mask.]

Good afternoon, son. It's good to see you. Please, come in. We have a lot to talk about, don't we?

[carbungle]

[Noctis offers up a small smile in return. He's always glad to see his father, but there is no small amount of bittersweetness attached to that feeling, now. These are the last days, after all. The last chance. Soon he won't see this man anymore, won't get to hug or talk to him or hear his voice. Regis is going home to his own Noctis, and that's... that's good. He'll try very hard not to be jealous of that, as he'd tried not to be with Ardyn before. Every world deserves a happy ending, and he'll hopefully get his own. Just not together. He can learn to live with that, but he's hoping he can ask for one more favour in the meantime. And... maybe a few more hugs. He has a feeling neither of them will judge the other for last requests the might have before they part ways.]

Yeah... we sure do.

[Noctis follows him inside, nudging off his shoes, and halts in the living room, taking the place in. It's going to be strange, going back to Insomnia after multiple years living in these little houses. They'll both be going back to the Citadel, back to a huge amount of space for a small amount of people. Even with all the rebuilding to be done in his time, it'll assuredly be too much. This house is... quaint. Between the people and the animals who lived here, much like Noct's own house, the switch will probably be jarring.]

Figuring out what you're gonna take with you?

[kingkingcxiii]

If I am honest, I'm probably procrastinating more than figuring anything out.

[Laying out his raiment and crown should have been the easy part, all things considered, and yet the process had been slower than he'd planned. Or, perhaps, he had just been slower, resistant to the idea of going back to the weighty duty he knew was waiting. No matter how set he is on his course, he knows it will be a very long time before he will feel the freedom of being able to just take a walk outside again should he wish it.

If he is ever able to do that, even in a changed world.

Regis sighs softly picking up his crown and turning it over in his hands. The slight weight seems heavier now than it ever has which is strange considering one time it felt so light that he paid no more attention to it than he did the weight of his hair on his head.]

There is so much that cannot be taken.

[Not in hand, not in heart, nor in memory or the usually constant, safe space that is the Armiger.]

[carbungle]

[Noctis watches as he examines the crown. These are the last days, aren't they? When he can walk around without wearing it. Back home, the memories of his father without the crown on his head are so few and far between, they may as well exist only in his dreams. Here, though, he's seen it many times, and it's like the weight of it is gone sometimes, too. The legacy Noctis has been spared from carrying for so long. He hopes that, if the world is able to change for the better with all they know, that weight will be a little lighter going forward.]

That's the part that sucks. I'm already taking plenty, I know... can't be too greedy. But I want to take stuff that I can't, and that's... gonna be tough.

[He wants to take Ardyn. He wants to take his father. He wants it so badly, it hurts. The fact that he can't hurts twice as hard. This is his dad, but it also isn't his dad. This Regis is the father to a wounded, traumatized eight-year-old child who needs him a hell of a lot more than Noctis does as he is now.]

[kingkingcxiii]

In this case, I don't think greed is a bad thing. It just hurts not to be able to have all we want when we have just learned it's okay to want it.

[Regis finally stops looking at the familiar silver twist in his hands and turns to his son, holding the crown out to him as he does.]

If things haven't changed when you return, this will never make it from my hands to yours.

[The Regis of that world had only seconds to see that another artifact made its way to his son. That one carried the fate of the world with it and not just sentimentality.]

Would that I could place it upon your head myself on the day of your coronation.

[carbungle]

[Noctis reaches out to take it at first, assuming it's to examine one last time, but when Regis continues his hand freezes right before making contact. His eyes widen, stunned and halfway to panic because he has no idea how to respond. He can't- he can't mean to...]

Dad... are you serious? [His eyes shift from his father, to the crown, and back again.] Are you saying...

[This is his crown, not Noct's. And once it's no longer Regis', it'll belong to his version of Noct. He can't possibly...]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis nods, understanding of the shock and near panic that he can see flooding his son as he realizes what the exact meaning behind this gift is.]

If your father can't be with you and I can't be with you, then let this take a small bit of our places, something that has been with me near constantly for so long.

[This is something Regis has given great thought to. He doesn't want Noctis to think of it as a symbol of all the weight they have carried as Lucis' Kings even if it is the easiest way to see it. Instead, he wants it to be a symbol of the pride, loyalty, and love that has gotten them all this far. He wants a piece of himself to be with his son during that darkness that likely awaits his return.

Something that isn't a disembodied soul whispering from within a ring.]

I have faced many a challenge with this beside me. Not all battles must be fought with sword and shield. Some are won with wisdom and love instead.

[carbungle]

[Noctis stares at it for several beats longer before finally, shakily closing the distance and accepting the crown. He holds it reverently in both hands, his fingers idly brushing over the curves of it. How many times had he reached up to touch it as a child, fascinated by its shape? He'd always been so careful, the knowledge instilled from a very young age how important this was. Like the throne itself, he'd had mixed feelings about its existence, the more he grew. It always made my dad serious and sad. Yet his words now... they resonate so strongly. Wisdom and love. The sort of priorities that a ruler should be able to focus on, in times of peace. That's the ultimate goal, here. To live, and to live peacefully. To find a better world than they left behind, for all of them.

This crown isn't just the symbol of their royal line. It isn't just the weight of one hundred and fourteen generations, the weight of a kingdom, the weight of the world. It was the love that carried each and every one of those generations forward into the future. Love for the world, for their family, for that very future they were fighting to protect. This simple metal shard carried the fingerprints of so many lifetimes, so many heroes. How could he possibly, how could he possibly take this?]

...If... if things were different...

[If they were from the same time. The same world. If their futures could align without risking everything. If he was more selfish-

(It isn't selfish, Pyra's voice in his head gently reminds him. It isn't selfish to want something like this.)

His fingers curl around it, blinking rapidly.]

...Dad... thank you. I'll... I'll try to be the kind of king you'd be proud of. I'll wear it with pride.

[kingkingcxiii]

I know.

[His words are soft and full of understanding. There are many "if only" paths they can travel down. His son isn't the only one who finds himself wishing there was more to this miracle they have been presented with even though they have already been given so much. Perhaps it is selfish; perhaps it is not, but one thing it certainly is, is human.

Once he is sure Noctis is going to accept his gift, Regis steps closer, putting his hands on both his son's shoulders and gazing into his eyes as if he is trying to lock his face and expression in this moment into his memory forever.]

I have never doubted your ability to do whatever you set your mind to. Pride has always been there; love has always been there even if the words have not always been there.

You will be a great king and if there is ever a time you find yourself doubting that, feel the weight of that crown upon you and remember I believe in you even when your feet drag and your body aches with the heaviness of all that has been placed on your shoulders.

[carbungle]

[Noctis reaches one hand up to curl around his father's wrist, gently, the other still cradling the crown. He'll put it in the armory shortly, but he just wants to hold on to it a little longer. The feel of it in his hand is warmer than the metal ought to be.]

I won't forget. Not you, not all of that… not anything. I'll carry it into the future, for all of us.

[He hesitates, then adds, more quietly,]

You've given so much already… Dad, I… can I ask… one more favour?

[kingkingcxiii]

I know you will.

[Regis' head tilts slight at his son's sudden soft, almost hesitant tone, and he gives Noctis' shoulders a gentle squeeze.]

For you, I always have more to give. What favor would you have me fulfill?

[carbungle]

[Noctis hesitates for a moment longer, then goes for it. He'll never get another chance for this, after all.]

Pyra's coming with me. If I can save the world... if she can save me... we're gonna get married.

[He asked her a month ago, and she's not been subtle about the ring, so while there was no official announcement he's sure everyone knows by now.]

I know you can't be there for real, but... would you write me something? To read at the wedding? I... it would mean a lot, for you to be there in spirit.

[When he left home to wed Luna, he'd been angry, not having the much-needed fatherly advise beforehand, and not having his father there to support him during. He hadn't complained, because the treaty was more important, and after the city fell he understood why. This is different, though. They have a little more time. The ring will be gone by then, the ghosts of his family laid to rest for good, but his words could still carry them into their new future together.]