EVENT #1: FAE FESTIVITIES

[diceofthegods]

INTO THE WOODS

Click Clock Wood (Spring) by Grant Kirkhope

2:05 / 4:59

▶︎

Click here to listen.

Grant Kirkhope is a Scottish composer and voice actor for video games and film. Some of his notable works include GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark, among many others.

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After making your way through the tiny farming town of Ich and out towards the rim of a massive raised crater, you will find yourself being led through a narrow split in the canyon wall. Inside, glow worms cling to the ceiling and create the illusion of a thousand twinkling stars above the moistened rocks.

When you finally emerge, it is into an impossibly lush landscape of massive, redwood-sized tangling trees and a soft moss carpet. Life abounds here. It feels like an oasis of birdsong and animal activity.

A short walk leads you to the prepared party-grounds. A large clearing with quaint huts all around decorated with strange flowers for partygoers to rest or otherwise entertain themselves.

There appear to be several games and stalls set up, the sweet and savory scents of delicious food fills the air, and so do the patrons of the forest. Seemingly hundreds of Fae folk zip around and greet the newcomers excitedly by placing garlands of vines and crowns of flowers atop their heads.

Glowing flowers and toadstools light your way here. It also seems that even the animals get in on the festivities! Really, just about everything talks here. Almost everything, anyways! Talking to a tree stump might not yield many results but you're welcome to try.

Each entrant is also provided upon arrival a copy of The Rules. A rolled parchment that resists water or any other damage. It also prevents you from writing on it so you can't just do what you want.

The rules read as follows:

DO:
⁂ Accept gifts from the Fae.
⁂ Sample the food provided at the party ONLY.
⁂ Play games with the Fae.
⁂ Feel at ease to rest in the provided huts.
⁂ Keep tabs on your shadow lest it wander.
DO NOT:
⁂ Make a TRADE with the Fae.
⁂ Provide any personal items as gifts or otherwise to the Fae.
⁂ Provide your true name to the Fae.
⁂ Wander away from the designated party area.
⁂ Ascend any staircases you find in the woods.
OTHER ITEMS TO NOTE:
⁂ If you see an old woman hiking through the area, feel free to stop her and lie to her. The more brazen and obvious the lie the better. She appreciates this!

GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT

Amongst the games and attractions are a variety of fun possibilities!

GAMES

⁂ Battleship! (Fae Style!) A number of Fae will be hiding on a large grid of flowers. You guess the locations and if you are correct then you will win a small prize! It is a cup of nectar that refills endlessly, and numbs any pains you may have. This works even outside of the forest and can be taken home.

Every time you miss though, you receive a small 'curse.' Nothing harmful! Maybe you’re just rotating in place for the next hour, your ears become daisies, or you grow a tree out of your head? (Feel free to come up with your own silly ideas!) All of the curses will dissipate after a time or upon leaving the forest and none will do any harm or cause pain. The Fae are all about fun tricks, not hurting anyone!

⁂ Dress Up Darlings! You enter a booth and allow the Fae to decide your outfit! Upon the agreement that you'll wear it the rest of the party, of course, no matter how silly or ridiculous it is.

⁂ Bobbing For Onions! Yes, you read that right. Bobbing for onions. There are onions floating around... in water. You have to catch them with your teeth. The prize for success is a Bag of Onions. This bag never runs out of onions. They are always fresh and always onions. Not always the same kind of onion, but always onions nonetheless. This bag works outside of the forest and can be taken home.

⁂ What's In The Box? There is a box. There is something in it. Maybe it's frogs. Maybe it's slugs. Possibly bugs? Maybe apples. We don’t know. Stick your hand in the box and take a guess at what you’re touching! If you’re right, you win the contents of the box!

We'll let players decide via coin flip, rolls, or however they want if their guess is correct! Any items won though will be common, every day items like mentioned and nothing especially exciting. Unless you're really into frogs. Then it's your lucky day, apparently!

ENTERTAINMENT

⁂ Slayd & The Possums! Slayd is here and he’s throwing down the banjo tunes with his possum pals. Feel free to join him if you are musically inclined! The Fae will provide any instrument your heart desires! They can't grant you the ability to play it though if you don't know how.

⁂ The Crowning of the King of Misrule! Randomly chosen by the Fae, enter a lottery to be chosen as the King of Misrule for the evening. You will be dressed in a stupid outfit and granted Fae wings for the night! You also have the insatiable urge to play harmless pranks on people. The Fae will also give you a "Special Gift" at the end of the party...

FOR THE FOOLISH

Ahh, but there are rule breakers amongst us aren't there? If you choose to sneak away from the party, chances are nobody will stop you; however, you are now on your own in the Talahee Forest.

FIRST LAYER

Rak'tika Greatwood Theme ( Civilizations ) by Masayoshi Soken

4:34 / 5:15

▶︎

Click here to listen.

"Civilizations" prominently features a female vocalist. The lyrics are in the Ronkan language, and has not been officially translated.

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The first layer of the forest is very much similar to what you have already seen. Everything is coated in a thick mat of moss and trees wind away like a massive birds nest to form the canopy above. The faint sounds of animals can still be heard. Up here, you may encounter Fae who did not attend the party. They'll ask you your name and other personal details.

Best that you lie.

SECOND LAYER

Click Clock Wood (Autumn) by Grant Kirkhope

1:12 / 4:11

▶︎

Click here to listen.

Grant Kirkhope is a Scottish composer and voice actor for video games and film. Some of his notable works include GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark, among many others.

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The further in that you head, the darker the forest gets. It seems you are following a downward slope. The trees get bigger here, as do the insects and toadstools. Bioluminescence rules down here it seems. You may encounter stranger creatures here. Ones that will try to make very tempting trades for your personal belongings. Things that will seem like an amazing deal to you. They offer magical items of great power, or even personal effects from home.

Don't be fooled though. These objects are cursed, and are not at all what they seem. You have the distinct feeling of being watched at all times here.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Owlbear, Displacer Beast, Giant Badger

THIRD LAYER

Saint Mocianne's Arboretum (Hard) by Masayoshi Soken

2:50 / 5:10

▶︎

Click here to listen.

...hordes of aggressive plant life exposed to the strange substance stand between you and the information you seek.

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Are you getting smaller or is everything else getting bigger? Were Slayd here, he would have told you about the concept of Deep Forest Gigantism. The deeper you go - just like the ocean - the larger that the flora and fauna get.

You are dwarfed by the mushrooms here in the pitch darkness and only guided by the latent glow of the creatures and fungi that dwell here. Bugs the size of house-cats skitter in your wake. Are you sure you want to be here? Should you encounter anything larger, you’d best stay silent. Or run!

⁂ Possible Encounters: Giant predatory Elk (RUN), Rodents of Unusual Size, Extra Large Bugs

FOURTH LAYER

Poison Tree by Grouper

0:30 / 3:16

▶︎

Click here to listen.

'Poison Tree' is a meditation on the complexities of anger and the internal conflict it causes. It draws inspiration from William Blake's poem of the same name.

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The trees seem to clear out here as you reach the bottom of the forest. There is no light here so hope you brought a match. The landscape down here is a blanket of moss dotted with countless shallow pools. Looking into one of these pools, you will see your reflection... though it may look different in some way.

You will feel extremely compelled to reach down and touch the reflection in the water. Should you give in, you feel as though your world is turning upside down. You could receive memories not quite your own. Memories of a different version of you, even! (CRAU, Canon Update, or Canon AU!)

Yet, you will be experiencing them as your own. A long time could pass in your mind while only seconds have only elapsed in reality. Upon waking, you will find that you have been ejected from the party and the forest entirely. You find yourself at the entrance to the crater. Disoriented, and compelled not to re-enter, you have only yourself to blame as you must shamble your way home with this burdensome knowledge.

Notes

⁂ For the game prizes, we're using the honor system here! So long as you clear the roll then you can receive a prize with no mod permission needed.

- Battleship: If you roll a d20 above a 13, you can receive one of the nectar cups.
- Bobbing For Onions: If you roll a d20 above a 10, you can receive one of the bag of onions. En...joy...?

⁂ To sign up for The Crowning of the King of Misrule, comment here! We'll RNG the winner likely within a few days to a week to give folks time to participate if they want!

⁂ The plotting post for this event/November is up!

⁂ Additionally, we have a state of the game post available to people read about updates, clarifications, and a poll to participate in!

⁂ If you have any further questions or feedback about this event specifically, please comment here!

⁂ Full Navigation ⁂

Comments

[zodiheart]

All set to continue their academic conversation, Elidibus is taken off guard by the joke at his expense. It yanks a sharp bark of laughter from his lips that devolves into mirthful laughing. He presses a hand to his chest and has to take a moment to steady himself.

"Oh, but how else are you to brew your concoctions in bulk batches?" he doesn't giggle. Not quite. But it's a great laugh to play along. A deep breath does bring his voice back into order with a happy sigh.

"Ah, thank you for that. In truth that entire incident may be attributed to Ardyn, I merely sampled his results - which I do not recommend for any who wish to retain their dinners," that was an unpleasant morning, to say the least. "It has been some few years since I last partook in the alchemical arts, but it was amongst the professions I studied over time." Omni-crafter and all that.

"Much to your delight, what I recommend lies firmly in the realm of magical practice."

[orbicularis]

An entirely reasonable suggestion, given what Sephiroth is working with - and one met with an immediate "No." that borders on bristling.

At the very least, Mithrun seems to recognize his own response as... disproportionate. He breathes out, shoulders slumping as that momentary tension drops. "No, it... you won it, you should give it to him. I am... not happy that I failed, but I don't need to be appeased like a child."

[fatedfinality]

Ardyn expects a rougher rebuttal to his risqué proposal. He instead gets a response he isn't entirely sure what to make of. Embarrassed, of course, but also not discrediting or invalidating the idea entirely. It seems to be more insecurity on Ravus' part than disinterest and that's something Ardyn immediately locks on to.

"And what makes you think that?" he asks, sincerely curious but also needling just a bit. Like before, he just can't seem to help himself. He had always wondered how much of Ravus' abrasive-seeming demeanour was social ineptitude versus intentionally keeping people at arm's length. While there was likely some of the latter still, was it more of the former than he'd imagined?

Huh. That opens up some potentially interesting opportunities.

"I wouldn't want for your companionship if I didn't think you'd be able to provide." He would, actually, but that's not important. "If it's lack of experience though that has you worried, well! You won't learn without trying, right?" He's just saying.

"Know that I'd be happy to help you get that experience anytime. And just like your offer, there's no expiration on it to worry about."

[miniroth]

In another few weeks, were he back at home, there would be no slow hiss of steel being drawn from the sheath across his back, Masamune required no such thing. The nameless katana, however, absolutely did, and there's the faintest ghost of a smile at how much it put him at an advantage to have a four pound sword versus an eighty plus pound sword - and in fifteen years, when Cloud faces off against a far more dangerous version, the stance will be exactly the same.

Blade raised, shoulder height. Different weapon, different size opponent. Same person, same calculating gaze.

They're both slower than they could be, that much is immediately obvious. Sephiroth is less hindered by his choice of weapon and lack of staggering strength, and as the Buster sword cuts its vicious descending arc, he doesn't attempt to block it, stepping back just barely enough to allow the blade to slice past, and immediately steps inside its reach, right hand aiming for the dull side of the massive weapon and shove it further awry from its target in an effort to unbalance Cloud. At some point the katana's turned in his hand so when he swipes at Cloud's hypothetically unprotected side, the tip might leave a scratch, but with the sword rotated to strike with the flat of the blade it's only going to sting like a bitch instead of slice the not-quite-SOLDIER open.

This too is a test. Of how fast he can react with that bulky weapon. How much training there really is, how much he leaves himself defended or not. Sephiroth had been warned not to push some things but this is surely fine.

[hasitsthorns]

"I imagine we just kept missing each other," she says, "but not intentionally on my part! Just dumb luck." She will say 'dumb' because if her Death had looked like this, then why would she be so afraid of meeting him eventually?

As a canine woman herself, technically, she does notice that ear swivel. A good sign. Despite how upsetting her eclectic outfit is on top of her dragon changes, well- Attention from a handsome (wolf)man will always improve her mood.

"Hopefully you enjoy a little time away though! They talk about full-time jobs, but in your case I can only imagine how true that must have been."

[whitewolfsbane]

"I take it you're enjoying this gathering regardless," Death dryly continues. "... Had your fill of playing their games?"

No, he's not gonna be the first to introduce himself. Maybe never.

[whitewolfsbane]

Death outright laughs, which might bring to mind a modern metaphor about office workers gathered around a water cooler on break.

"You have NO idea," he soon replies. "Try to imagine how often you're herding cats alone when every single one of those little hairballs within your domain has nine lives."

[hasitsthorns]

"Oh, I don't have to imagine," she can't help but admit. "You would have hated my ex. He was actually on his ninth life." Though there's a lot more to hate about Charlie than just that.

"He did make the most of them when he was able, but I do get where it feels like cheating the system a bit."

[whitewolfsbane]

To that, the beastman huffs as if remembering a sour memory. Sour for him anyway. Very good for the offending party.

"I am more insulted," he enunciated slowly with a hiss, though not unkindly toward Rosie, "When such a rare gift makes them think they are above me. Arrogant enough to think they are beyond mortality itself."

[hasitsthorns]

It doesn't bother her. If anything, it proves he takes his job seriously. That's not a bad thing!

"He might have near the end," she reflects, "but it did still catch him in the end." It caught both of them as far as she knows, but- She's not going to worry about all that right now. She's here, whatever that means, and is trying to enjoy the borrowed time.

"So you can at least take comfort in that. No one truly escapes Death from what I've seen."

[whitewolfsbane]

"Yes," Death agreed, though not entirely soothed by the affirmation. "That still hasn't changed."

The wolf takes a breath to properly collect himself at least. "But such things are neither here nor there. There will always be mortals that allow me the opportunity to put back in their place."

Well. With a bit of bending the cosmic rules.

[zodiheart]

A nod is all Elidibus is able to get out before he receives Sephiroth's undivided attention. Well, their spar can come later, eager as he is for it. It was not as if they could spar tonight with the party in full swing.

"Aethersense, no. But I believe we may be able to allow you to achieve the same effect, particularly in a world so rich with magic as this one appears to be." It would take work to show and guide, but with someone who had the experience, Elidibus believes it possible. "We must show you the proper connections to be made, and then it becomes akin to another muscle - with use, it will grow stronger. That you may use magic at all should suffice."

Not to mention whatever connections are being made within themselves from their bonded dragons.

[hasitsthorns]

Some rules were just made to be bent (if not outright broken), she'd argue. After all, what fun is only playing by the rules? It seems like his ire is directed more at those with hubris that holds them too high.

Thankfully, she has no such ideas. Even now, she attributes her being here to again just dumb luck.

"Well, good! I may not get to see you in action here exactly, but I admit that I am not curious- What does Death do for fun?"

[errant_knight]

Ravus scowls, the normally deepset frown of his now coming with the slight baring of his teeth. This is already an incredibly embarrassing conversation to be having, let alone with someone trying to work him up about it. Which, given it's Ardyn, he's sure that's what's happening here. He crosses his arms before his chest, and huffs loudly.

"Don't play coy. You know very well I was expected not to entertain relations while as Drautos' deputy or as the High Commander... Not that I ever had any interest." That dismissal could easily be suspect with most people, but with Ravus it's painfully honest. "This... 'feeling,' I suppose, it's new. It's-" It's almost as if the unrelenting stress of survival, protecting Lunafreya, and the hell of being under the thumb of his conscripters his entire life had entirely crushed his libido into dust. And it's only with the slow ease out of that environment that Ravus is uncovering the fact he has human desires.

Now if only that was all that barred his way. Because as Ardyn suspects, social ineptitude is another crippling factor in this. Ravus has never been a people person. That was always Lunafreya's strength, and Ravus would simply have been content to live in her social shadow. If only.

"It's complicated." Ravus finishes, shrugging one shoulder while he glares at the ground. "And I... don't know how to uncomplicate it. I'm not sure it's as simple as mere practice given I've never even kissed someone."

[miniroth]

Still writing. At least there's no loud chime when messages are sent and recieved to make it more annoying than it already is. "She's apparently beaten up gods before. At least one god. Of ice." Was that how it went? He's pretty sure that's how it went. "You should be well matched."

He himself, without more useful materia, is not inclined to find out if he can curb the careful lifetime's training of 'kill the target'. If he couldn't, Charlie was going to be upset.

.. Honestly he should practice at some point but would need to do so with someone who heals. "But you could start with the fire and ice and progress further if you both are interested. You should leave her a message so you can arrange times and places."

[hammerbearer]

While Gaia isn't familiar with the spell Ultima, she isn't about to question the danger of a dragon, particularly from someone who appears to be knowledgeable. Sephiroth did, after all, take some heed in her warnings regarding the Fae. She looks troubled but then nods.

"Let's hope we don't run into those in this world. That are... well." Not them.


As her fellow teen brings up the subject of the dragons in their soul, Gaia's discomfort seems to increase a little. There's an obvious struggle, trying to hold back a defensive response; so much so that the conversation about the proper disposal of the poison comes and goes with an absent nod about Esuna and no questions. But then she relaxes a little. Though her gaze doesn't meet Sephiroth's and she places her hand against the opposite arm in a defensive posture, she opens up a little on the matter that so troubles her.

"Things ended badly the last time I listened to voices like this. So it's.... hard. To trust it... they... the creature has good intentions." There is a pause before curiosity wins out and she finally raises her eyes to look at Sephiroth again.

"Do you... when you try to communicate with yours, do they seem... I guess well intentioned?"

[miniroth]

He wasn't sure he wanted to face a dark dragon. Not yet. Eventually certainly he would, if only to understand better where he stands on a planetary scale of risk and thus if it's missions he can handle alone or if he would reluctantly require backup. "Or at least if we must that it will be once we've regained our strength, or have the dragon's to draw on."

Right now it probably wouldn't go well. He was inevitably in possession of all his skills, but without the power to back it up it might not go well.

Some of this story had been shared before. Prying for details had never been necessary and seemed like it would be particularly cruel. "There is no harm in listening. They may speak, but you don't have to agree. Keep your own counsel, and merely accept them as another voice amongst many associates."

Maybe he'd rate higher than a dragon in her consideration. Maybe he wouldn't. But being able to firmly categorize something like that might help. They didn't have to obey. Right?

But there's his own hesitation, and it's obvious, when she asks in turn about his own. It's uncomfortable for a different reason. "She.." And why at least would be quickly apparent. "She sounds like what .. I always thought my mother might have sounded like."

A boy his age shouldn't be thinking about mommy. "I can't say she's ill intentioned, little she's suggested is dangerous."

[hammerbearer]

One might claim a boy of Sephiroth's age shouldn't be thinking about mommy. Gaia is not such a person; even if she has chosen not to look back to her former life in Eulmore, she's no stranger to the notion of what happens when one's parents... checked out of their responsibility.

Whatever the reason was. So for a brief moment there is a flash of empathy.

"I see. And it doesn't feel like she's... pretending to be motherly?"

It's not that Gaia doubts. She almost doesn't want to ask because it will lead to more questions. Such as whether or not one 'dragon' being of good intentions will mean they all are. What sort of impression will she gain from choosing to speak to the creature in her soul?

[miniroth]

"I wouldn't know. I have no frame of reference." It could all be faked. Every suggestion, every word of comfort or implication could all be an act and he'd never know the difference.

Her dragon, presumably, isn't doing any such thing that might be perceived as mom. "...What.."

Speaking of awkward questions. "What does a mother actually act like?"

[snapp_crackle]

There was a whole bit on the invitation about not telling people your name - which, to be fair, Popp has slipped up on a few times. He shrugs.

"My household's already won a bag of onions, playing to win another one would be just plain greedy."

And weighing a little more heavily, he doesn't want to put his face in the onion basin. But that doesn't give you any moral high ground.

[hammerbearer]

Gaia knows pity isn't the right reaction here. She's had at least a vague idea that Sephiroth's life had been very different from what anyone could refer to as a 'normal upbringing'. But Gaia is still a little surprised to learn that he doesn't seem to have even a frame of reference. From... observation of others' fortune if nothing else.

So there might be a flash of something like pity, quickly cleared away and replaced by the discomfort of trying to struggle for a description she's not wholly sure she knows a real answer for.

"To be honest, I only know what I've seen watching other families," Gaia admits in a way that sounds almost sheepish.

"When I lost my memories, it's not like I had to learn everything all over again." She'd forgotten people, much of her childhood, but it's not as if she'd had no recollection of what it was like to live an affluent life.

"But I suspect my parents were like most of Eulmore's citizens. Leaving my care to servants. And... there was never any indication they noticed when I disappeared. So I won't be offended if you think I might not know the answer to that."

Still, those words have the bearing of a conditional.

"But... I've seen a lot of families since I started living in the Crystarium. Mothers and fathers. I like to think parents that care for their children are interested in hearing about their day or just spending time with them..."

Gaia then huffs, looking embarrassed at herself.

"That sounds silly doesn't it? I'm sure there's more to it, but the only thing I can suggest is watching others with their children."

[miniroth]

There weren't many mothers in Hojo's labs. Or in Rhadore - or at least if there were, he hadn't known what they were before they were summarily executed. Few examples to go off of were on hand.

And Gaia didn't remember.

Would being raised by servants be less caring than with parents? He supposed it might be like the techs in the lab, interested only in their jobs and the outcomes of experiments.. though perhaps less experiments. "It's not that silly, if it's something normal."

Professor Hojo was in a way, interested in his day. He was, in a way, interested in Sephiroth's well being, and being around him. "...I suppose it doesn't really matter." He won't be watching any families. That will only encourage the lifelong ache to get worse. "My dragon is not my mother, and ... I will never have one. Attempting to frame her that way is unwise."

[hammerbearer]

There's a bit of an ache there. Gaia's eyes are cast downward for a moment because it's clear that Sephiroth is putting up walls and somehow it seems she might be to blame. Of course it's not completely true.

It's just that she wished she could offer more encouraging words for someone whom she's coming to see as a friend rather than just ally or acquaintance. Not that she would put it in so many words. A soft sigh escapes her and Gaia looks up again, collecting herself.

"It's only fair you make those decisions for yourself." Who is she to say that he must find himself a mother figure or search for word of his real mother? "Though at least it sounds like you're getting along. So... I'll try to speak to mine."

[miniroth]

As much as a part of him certainly wished for friendships and allies, he's .. just not ready to acknowledge such a step. Thus she is just an acquaintance.. and not one who needs to have his bizarreness left at her feet to fix.

"You may find you get along well. Or not, but either way there may be useful knowledge to be found." He intended to ask more things of his, in time, but right now the ability to hear those words wasn't the strongest. "If we keep progressing, soon will be the likes of wings and such, and I imagine they'll have some insight on what to do with them."

[hammerbearer]

One day.

Further removing them from the awkwardness of that moment though, Gaia grimaces at the reminder of the changes. "Wings. Well, I suppose the idea of flying isn't so bad. I would certainly welcome being saved from the embarrassment of trying to figure out how they work."

...It probably isn't going to be as simple as that. In fact it's probably going to be hilariously embarrassing and awkward. But let's think positive thoughts. During this part of the conversation, she's been sort of picking at food but not really eating it. Thus her plate is a bit of a mess with torn bits of food but it's still edible. She starts to arrange it into something a little more meaningful when she goes to finish it.

"I'll start trying tomorrow. I think I'd prefer to not be in the middle of a fae forest while trying to commune with someone in my soul."

She's certainly not wanting to be further reminded of 'fairies'.