♥ November Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

November (Malom) Event Log
The chaos of Lasohm's invasion is still fresh in the mind, but it's over. The ugly scar of the hole in Havenwell's wall is a jarring reminder that this world is dying and nothing goes quietly into that dark night. The phantom is gone as Malom overtakes Lasohm, the weather turning colder and chillier with each passing day. Still, the city of Havenwell has all of you offworlders to thank for its survival, and the fearful citizens make sure you know just how much they appreciate you by stopping you on the street to say their thanks. Your new home still needs your help to recover from their ordeal though, so will you lend them your strength once more?

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❥ PROMPT I: Rebuilding Effort

The magic barrier over the hole that unknown monster punched through Havenwell's wall is repaired, stopping the onslaught and encouraging any other nightmares that lurk outside to move on and away, but the hole itself remains. Throughout the month of Malom, robot natives are working tirelessly to gather bricks and stone and patch the breach, but they could use some help. Work together with other offworlders and natives alike to repair the wall and be rewarded with a handsome bump to the Dora in your bank account. They need all sorts of help, from clearing away the dead bodies of the spider-like creatures for cremation, to retrieving and hauling stone for the wall, to actually slotting the heavy blocks into place to cement them back together.

Outside the barrier, now clearly visible through the hole, a storm rages on, obscuring the view of the world beyond it. Gray and black clouds whip against the invisible barrier, and occasional debris slams into it, causing the impact site to light up with silver, pink, blue, or white hues before it fades away again. It seems even without monsters, the world outside is as inhospitable as was rumored.

Work together or take a break along the base of the wall and get to know your fellow offworlders a little better. It's going to take a while before this mess is cleaned up.

❥ PROMPT II: Air Sickness

Those who worked at or were near the breach in the wall for any extended period of time will notice that, over time, it gets harder to breathe. Then they begin to feel feverish, even if they don't have flesh bodies or are immune to disease. Their bodies ache and groan and it gets harder to move about without help. Once the natives notice, they set up a recovery area away from where the breach occurred: a giant tent with cots and pillows, thick rugs and blankets to keep the chill away. Unfortunately, they don't have medicines available to treat flesh bodied people, so they're at a loss of what to do otherwise. The priests gather anyone who is ill and brings them here...which is when a curious thing occurs.

While conventional medicines and healing spells seem to have no effect on the illness, staying in contact with another person alleviates the symptoms. After a period of contact with another person or persons, the fever breaks and it's like you were never sick at all.

Return to the wall, however, and you'll notice your symptoms coming back with a vengeance after a few days. It seems that making regular trips between the wall and this recovery tent is the only way to keep working. At least it's an easy fix so long as you're not a germaphobe.

❥ PROMPT III: A Tasty(?) Reward

Toward the end of the month as the hole in the wall is completely repaired and the risk of illness declines, a message is sent to all the offworlders' communication devices. Those who choose to open it will find a very official looking message from The Havenwell Council that reads:

Greetings, Saviours of Havenwell!
We of the Havenwell Council greet you and wish to express our eternal gratitude for your valiant efforts to keep our wonderful home safe. Without you, we would not have survived this terrible onslaught. As such, we wish to express our gratitude in a more concrete form. Your emissary, Magolor, has been in contact with this venerable Council and has brought to our attention that your greatest concern is for the food available. We apologize that due to our inability to taste we have been unable to supply you with satisfactory meals.

To that end, we invite you to work with our scientists to improve upon the taste of currently available offerings from our replicators. Please come to the Northern Research Tower (map included) at any time this month to sample what our replicators can produce and give us feedback on their flavour and textures. We ask that you be as specific as possible in your criticisms so we may improve upon your general quality of life. Please feel free to bring as many friends as you wish.

May the Gods Protect You,
Havenwell Council, Community Liaisons

Those who take the invitation will arrive at the Northern Research Tower and be taken directly to the 40th floor, where a large banquet hall has been laid out. Five rectangular tables, over 5 meters long each, stretch down the room, creating aisles for people to walk down. At the far end are several high round tables, covered in white cloth, and high round stools for those who wish them. The tables are overflowing with food, much like the welcome dinner, but at each table and scattered throughout the room are scientist robots with arm bands that read "Experiment 73" in that peculiar Aellyn script you saw during your time at the Archives. They invite you to taste the foods - both raw and cooked - and to give your very honest opinions.

Enjoy the food, help them improve the flavours, and walk the room to talk with the others who have come. Those who participate will receive a small synthetic fruit basket to take home with them on their first visit. Feel free to come back as often as you like, however! Each time, they'll be changing and adjusting the food available so your first and last visit may be very different. Perhaps that strawberry actually even tastes sweet, finally.

❥ PROMPT IV: A Virtual Spa

The VR cafes are uncharacteristically quiet while the rebuilding effort goes on, but there are still those who come to plug in to unwind after a day of intensive labor. And what better way to unwind than with a hot bath, right? Since the people of Havenwell can't actually submerge themselves in water, they're doing the next best thing: going to a virtual hot spring. There are several types to choose from and despite being digital, their calming and soothing effects on the body seem very real. Choose from:

• The Classic Outdoors: a rock lined hot spring with natural rock floors and steamy mineral infused waters nestled in the mountains. All around you is beautiful greenery like a sweeping pine and low fragrant bushes. The serene air and the calm forest is only occasionally broken by the sound of a wooden pipe thudding hollowly against a rock at a steady interval or the sound of birdsong off in the trees. The relaxing atmosphere is enough to set even the tightest wound nerves at ease.
  
  
• The Marbled Columns: white and painted marble columns lead to a series of different shaped baths with statues of the gods pouring water into them. Each bath has a different healing property, which is clearly marked with a plaque at the rim of each: good for your circulation, your bones, your aches and pains, even acne and metabolic rate. The columns support a beautiful open ceiling that shows the perfectly blue sky overhead dotted with the occasional cloud.
  
  
• The Steamy Sauna: though seemingly austere in their white tile and deep blue bath basins, the air here is thick and steamy and the baths are deep with hand-rails leading down steps to help you enter. All around the basins are stone or wooden benches with towels laid down for those who wish to simply sit and let the warm air open their lungs. If you get too hot? Grab a bucketful of cold water from one of the freestanding tubs and douse yourself to get a shock and cool off.
  
  
• The Milk-and-Honey: a beautifully tiled bath with a large shallow rectangular basin. The surrounding walls and ceilings have blue, white, and gold geometric designs laid out with loving care in pleasant designs that ease the mind. The bath water here is filled with a concoction of milk and honey to soothe and smooth the skin, filling the air with a pleasing sweet scent. The effects of these baths on a person's skin is said to make them glow from the inside out for at least a day after bathing.
  
  
• The Theme Park: the first thing to greet you is the comically oversized bottle of red wine tipped to pour a continuous stream of red liquid into the large crystalline bath basin. The smell of wine is heavy but pleasant in the air and the crystalline basin is round and shaped like a wine glass. Climb up the glass steps and give yourself a good old soak in the red water. You might even find that taking a dip here gives you a heady happiness that lasts all day. And if it feels like you're a little drunk while there? That has to be your imagination! ...Maybe.

Hot springs are great to experience with friends to deepen that feeling of skinship you have with each other, and several Havenwell natives are doing just that. But what about those who don't have a friend to log in with? Don't worry! The game will randomly select another player from this or another facility and match you together. Isn't that nice? We're sure it is! Who doesn't want to talk to someone else while naked, right?

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This event will run from November 14th to the 31st. 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 here.

Comments

[daikonrose]

Down they went, the water sloshing around them as Kyoko's legs flailed to find the bottom again, her arms instinctively fastened tight around Vianca even though that probably... was not going to help anything....

After a few moments of panic, it occurred to Kyoko that she should probably be holding her breath. If any part of this were a real danger. Ah.

[pinkmin]

Oh no. Oh No. This was terrible. RIP the first people to die in the VR.

Zero part of this was a good time. It seemed very kind and protective to be holding her so tightly, but it also meant that there was little moving to be doing to escape her own fate, let alone help Kyoko. Aaaaaaaahhhh.

Hoping that they weren't completely soaked, Vianca tried buzzing her wings again as hard as she could. She knew she couldn't fly as a person, but she could! At least! Get them up a few inches...!!

[daikonrose]

The realization that no actual water was filling her lungs was enough of a jolt to get Kyoko together enough to plant her feet solidly on the ground--as solidly as you could in VR, anyway. From there it was just a matter of, you know. Standing up.

They broke through the surface without ceremony or fuss, but it was a moment before Kyoko could look at Vianca again. "... I'm sorry.... We can just quit if you want...."

[pinkmin]

Whup. Up they went. Vianca sputtered a little, but ultimately gave a little shake of her head.

"No... It's okay. Are you okay?"

[daikonrose]

What a brave and noble fairy child, facing her fears only to be concerned for the unworthy oaf who had caused all this trouble. Kyoko had to suck in a lip.

"I should be the one asking that! I really put you through it! When you didn't even want to get in!"

[pinkmin]

There was another shake of her head. "You caught me like you said you would. I'm okay."

[daikonrose]

Oh no. Look at these tears in Kyoko's eyes. "Vianca... you're a really good girl...!"

[pinkmin]

Oh. No. Why tears now? Stunned a little, Vianca tried to wiggle an arm free so she could reach up and gently pat Kyoko's hair.

"Are you okay?" She didn't get an answer. Did you hit your head? Is that why we are crying?

[daikonrose]

How could she be okay when she was so undeservedly forgiven, and so quickly and easily! Shaking her head vigorously, Kyoko stepped back up to the edge of the pool to set Vianca safely where she had been perched before.

"I didn't sustain all the damage I deserve! Vianca, go ahead and push me down once or twice!"

[pinkmin]

"Um."

What a very strange person Kyoko was. Vianca really wasn't sure why she seemed to be demanding some kind of punishment for? Nothing? For nothing.

"That's very strange," she went ahead and voiced aloud, reaching up to simply continue patting Kyoko's hair in hopefully soothing motions. "You don't deserve any damage."

[daikonrose]

Such patience and good will, such generosity with headpats... yes, Vianca was a fairy child for sure!

There was a big sniffle, before Kyoko looked up at her with a watery smile. "I can't help it. When I see someone so good, it's like my dried-up, darkened heart remembers that it belongs at the bottom of the ocean."

[pinkmin]

The concern that Kyoko had suffered a bump to the head was only mounting. What a thing to say! Even Vianca, gloomy as she knew she was, wouldn't say her own heart belonged at the bottom of the ocean! ... Well. Maybe.

"I do not think that is where hearts belong."

[daikonrose]

Hey, Kyoko knew her place, it was all very natural. It was fine. She simply beamed up at Vianca. "That's because yours is still pure~"

[pinkmin]

H...uh. Vianca blinked once and settled her hands on Kyoko's shoulders. "What makes you say that?"

[daikonrose]

Kyoko didn't miss a beat, her sunny grin steady. "It's pretty obvious~ When I see someone who works so hard without complaining, and even forgives the likes of me for messing things up for her."

[pinkmin]

Vianca's head knocked to the side. "The likes of you? You have only been kind. Unless you wanted to slip."

[daikonrose]

Kyoko shook her head, still smiling. "I was the one who insisted on coming here, and then I made you get in, and even when I caught you I ended up pulling you down with me anyway. It would be fine to get mad after all that, or at least think 'jeez, what a troublesome person," you know?"

[pinkmin]

"That's very silly." Very Silly. "Why would I get mad when I could have said no at any point?"

[daikonrose]

"You couldn't say no when I was holding you." Definitely the point. "Besides, people get mad about smaller things than that all the time!"

[pinkmin]

'That doesn't mean they should." That just sounded rude and impatient. A bad influence.

"You didn't do anything bad. Can I still sit with you?"

[daikonrose]

Jeez, she really wouldn't take this praise at all, would she? Kyoko sighed, and then pulled on a silly pout. "It's not like I was gonna send you away or anything. But if I made you stay even after something that scary happened, I'd be pretty bad."

[pinkmin]

Not if the praise had to involve putting Kyoko down, geez! Vianca softly tutted this pout, moving to gingerly slip back into the spring as she held Kyoko's shoulders for leverage still.

"I don't want you to feel bad for sitting next to me, even though I am coming in because I want to."

[daikonrose]

"Sitting next to you could never possibly feel bad." There was her smile peeking through again, eyes fondly resting on Vianca. "I'm sure of it."

[pinkmin]

Vianca knew that wasn't entirely true. There had been plenty of people that had been sad to be near her just because they felt guilty for things that hadn't been their faults either.

She still nodded though, because that was easier. "That would be good." The smile was encouraging, even if Vianca did not return it. She did settle in next to Kyoko, grateful for the better entrance into all this warmth. It had been chilly on the edge when she was wet!

[daikonrose]

By this point it was pretty hard not to notice the lack of smiles from Vianca ever--was she just very shy? No, that didn't seem right. A serious child, to be sure, but....

Well, Kyoko wasn't sure what to do about it besides keep on shining warm smiles of her own down on the girl. "Oh, I won't tell anyone, by the way," she said in lower tones, deciding to keep on the reassurance route. "About you being a fairy. It's a secret, right?" Though, come to think of it, she's not sure why it would need to be here--maybe some fairy secrecy laws are in play?