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

[hasitsthorns]

She's heard about Amani, at least, and how their bodies weren't 'real.' Everything felt like it was, but they were just simulated copies. It sounds so surreal still in a way that she can't imagine. Although she imagines most wouldn't recognize the difference after a while, they apparently were able to be 'real' now and again and that's... Yeah, she can see where it'd be upsetting. Where someone would be glad to just be themselves again, completely.

"I've never been a scientific type," she admits. "That's more Feldspar's territory than mine. I do like learning and helping where I can, just-! I'm definitely more of an artist." And in music or art, she can see the beauty in imperfections. That it's part of the process. It's just hard to frame herself like that still.

"I wish I could be excited about the changes, honestly, but it's just... It reminds me too much of the worst parts of my home, I think, if nothing else and that's just not something I like to think of every time I look at myself." Dragons were one of the reasons why yokai hated humans as they did, after all.

[zodiheart]

"We all have our strengths, and there is no shame in admitting such things," being strong in different subjects leads to a more enriched society. Elidibus would know, coming from one. Where he lacks, another is an expert, where another may flag, he can shore up strength - and in working together, they are stronger as a whole.

Hearing Rosie's reasoning for disliking the changes gives him pause. He had not considered it, though not through any fault of his own. It was never his world.

"I se, yes, that would make it difficult to embrace the changes." He offers her an encouraging smile, "If you wish to speak on those troubles, please consider doing so to myself. I have been told that I am an excellent listener."

[hasitsthorns]

It's not something she talks about often, unfortunately, mostly just to the fact that as a human they're not things she should be privy to. But Elidibus - and others - know that she isn't as average of a person as she tries to seem. So, it's been a bit easier to broach those topics. Dragons in particular though is a complicated web of her own experiences coloring her already biased, bitter view.

"Where I'm from, dragons just aren't all that great. They're high and mighty holier than thou types that think they're better than everyone else. So, I wasn't too thrilled to find out I was turning into one." But! She knows this worlds' dragons aren't hers, so: "I'm not trying to, like, bring my bias here but- It's tough, y'know? A lifetime of being looked down on by them doesn't just go away overnight or anything."

[zodiheart]

"That is entirely understandable, dear Rosie," he answers honestly. Because it is. It is incredibly difficult to attempt to change one's way of thinking suddenly after having thought along those same lines for however many years one has been alive. "I do hope that when we become able to converse with our bond-mates, that the ordeal eases for you in some manner."

Nothing like knowing a kind individual through a mental connection to break previously held notions. He hopes that whoever is bonded to Rosie is kind - she deserves such a thing.

"In my world, dragons are individuals with differing personalities. There are, however, those prone to rage or violence, and if the only exposure to dragons had been through those particular individuals..." he trails off for a moment. "What I mean to say is that I understand your mindset."

[hasitsthorns]

"They weren't all violent or angry," she offers, at least. "The king of them was, which- Fuck him. He tried to drown me." Granted, it was after she called him an irrelevant fossil. That doesn't warning almost killing her though! ... Even if that is how most yokai operate.

"The other one I met was just strange. Unsettling. He spoke in riddles and called me a 'patchwork puppy.' Rude." Also, she has no idea what that was supposed to mean. She didn't know what any of what he said was supposed to mean! It was a prophecy, maybe, but at least those give some vague idea of what to expect rather than leave a person utterly confused.

"I do hope my dragon-bond is kind though. So far, she seems nice but... Guess I'll see."

[zodiheart]

"Attempted homicide upon your person is certainly a justifiable reason for disliking an individual," stated very matter-of-factly. Because it was absolutely a reasonable thing that would color one's perception, willingly or not. "Your second encounter I cannot note much on, but if they were a rather... difficult individual to understand, it is understandable that said meeting would not brighten your view."

Rosie was doomed to dislike dragons from the start, it seems. Elidibus does not blame her, however.

"But I share in your hopes. I have not heard much of mine as of yet, only faint brushes, vague yearnings or interests that are not entirely mine own."

[hasitsthorns]

"I thought so too," she agrees. On both counts, honestly. Her experiences with dragons of her world might be limited, but neither were pleasant ordeals by any means so... She's inclined to believe they just kind of suck. Maybe she shouldn't be so quick to judge but, eh, whatever. At least here they seem kinder. And maybe here, like Amani, she'll get to actually know some dragons that aren't terrible.

"Same for me. Mostly just... inklings of something now and again. Usually when I'm getting a little down on myself, which- Probably why I think she must be nice. Oh, and- That it's a she. That much I know for sure." From one lady to another, Rosie senses the understanding.

[zodiheart]

"Attempting to cheer you up already? That is kind of her. My own passenger does not seem to ascribe to the gender binary, but their curiosity is similar enough to my own scholarly leanings that I hope we are a good enough match."

Still. He would also like to cheer Rosie up.

"Not much to do save for wait and see, I suppose. Save for the awkward middle stages, I do fully believe you will grow to appear stunning at the end. How else could you, when the starting canvas is as gorgeous as your own?"

[hasitsthorns]

"It is," she agrees. Honestly, she wonders if it's difficult for her dragon-soul too? Suddenly, she's tethered to someone like Rosie who... Okay, well- She actually hasn't been making too terrible of choices here.

"Ha! Me? No, I..." It's strange. Usually, those kinds of compliments she'd love and be able to turn right back around. She would flirt and it'd be fun. Like this, though? And thinking of it getting more pronounced? It's hard to imagine.

"Well, okay- It is a nice foundation, at least." That much she thinks is true.

[zodiheart]

"It is," his repetition serves to emphasize. A confirmation. Rosie has always been beautiful to him, even now, while she is far less confident in her appearance as he knows she would typically be.

"It is my hope that we will be able to influence the changes as they occur somewhat - to guide them into something a bit more elegant. If that is at all possible, that is. If not, at the end of things we should be able to choose how we wish to appear - according to what information we have been given, at the very least."

If the accuracy is to be believed. But he has no reason to doubt Charlie, so he does.

[hasitsthorns]

Even in Amani, which she doesn't remember, she found nearly every change to her to be frightening to start. It was only through the support and enjoyment of it with her partners that she usually found comfort in them, but- That wasn't really a healthy approach either, was it? Rather than find it attractive herself, she'd find it attractive because they did. She wants someone to find these parts about her now similarly to be appealing because she just... can't.

"That'd be nice," she sighs. "I know we're supposed to be able to, once this is all said and done, look like we want to again but- Ugh. The awkward in-between stages until then are going to kill me."

[zodiheart]

"It does feel akin to a new form of puberty," said with a health amount of distaste. Despite his long life he still remembers coming of age and the processes required to do so. At least he did not have bone growing pains in this new version.

"...I do wish that it came with less itching. Pinfeathers and scales alone are but one hardship, but the two at once? The ends must justify the means or I will feel quite cheated."

[hasitsthorns]

Rosie's own coming of age was, well, a bit different than mortals'. While she did develop gradually over the course of a couple of decades due to slower physical aging, her first heat was a near intolerable and mildly terrifying experience to navigate alone.

Thankfully, it was more acceptable as a demon than person to threaten to tear out the throat of any male who tried to force her into anything she didn't want. Eventually, she found safe parties to relieve need with and how to handle it all. Comparatively? This was a lot better to weather if it was just the awkward, physical changes.

"You and me both," she has to agree. "I know I'm going to be green, at least, I guess? Which is a nice color."

[zodiheart]

"Green is indeed a lovely color."

He moves to draw up a sleeve and brush back his hair, showing the gradient of steely scales. Nearly black to shimmering moondust.

"I believe I am meant to be of the 'steel' variety, though it appears that I am influencing the details quite a bit."

[hasitsthorns]

Ah. She wishes she could be so brave. He makes it look so easy.

"Oh, huh," she notes, tilting her head and inspecting it. "Steel can come in different colors, I guess, but... That's still kind of cool." She wonders then what influence she might have on her own transformation. All that she knew was green dragons were associated more with nature, but considering how broad a scope that was- Who could say?

"Hopefully, I at least get some floral motifs. I'd be disappointed if I didn't." Considering, well, her namesake and everything.

[zodiheart]

"Yes, it appears there is a baseline for colors that is molded and altered for the individual. Not unlike hair or eye color, now that that thought occurs to me - blue eyes, for instance, are not nearly all merely 'blue' after all."

Details, patterns, colors, tint, tones... A thousand colors all titled 'blue.'

His thoughts turn to Rosie covered in flora, and he cannot help but smile. "Indeed. I hope you bloom well - quite literally, I might add." He grins at his own statement.

[hasitsthorns]

He does have a point. Even within the color 'green,' there were a multitude of hues and shades that could present themselves. Hers, for example, were a rich and natural colored green. Not quite emerald like a gem, but like the canopy of fully grown trees in summertime.

"Pft," she snorts, giving a wave of her hand. "I guess we'll see! I know sometimes it takes time to bloom, but... Hopefully, when I do, it'll be a sight." That's all she can hope for in all of this, honestly.

[zodiheart]

"Then my excitement for the coming of spring shall be for an additional reason."

Not to mention that their dragon transformations will be almost complete by the start of the blooming season. Whatever flowers Rosie will bear will surely appear by then. He wonders, for a brief moment, at which species will appear. No doubt they will be lovely.

Like the flowers strung around them as decorations. His eyes scan the party once more, taking in the surroundings and revelry.

"Did you have other plans for this festival?"

[hasitsthorns]

"Not really," she admits, looking back amongst the crowd of Fae and offworlders alike. "Probably just going to watch some more performances, see about getting something to eat that's safe, and then heading home." There might be some dancing and merriment in the middle there, but overall? She was more keen to get back to her little house in Town than anything.

[zodiheart]

Upon hearing that, Elidibus turns and bows deeply to her. At the deepest part he cants his head up to flash her a charming smile before straightening.

"I will not steal any more of your time this evening, then. I do hope the merriment treats you well, my dear."

He had his own merriment to attend to, and others he still wished to find and spend time with.

"A suggestion? The pies are excellent. And not simply because I had a hand in baking a number of them."