Winds of Obsession

[simpathis]

— WINDS OF OBSESSION: MAIN DETAILS + PLOTTING —

Is everyone ready for some more adventure? As mentioned in the Mid-Month announcement, this is where we’ll reveal the details of this month’s event. While the first portion of the event will not have a log component, the second portion’s log will be posted tomorrow, Tuesday, October 17th. Please take a look, and feel free to use this post to plot with your gamemates!

» LOGISTICS

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Here is a quick rundown on the schedule and what to expect:

• Timeline: To keep everyone straight as to how this will work timeline-wise:
  
  

  OOC DATES 10/16: Stormy Skies 10/17: To Her Domain 10/23: Deep Reflections 10/31~11/03: Event Finale

  IC DATES 10/16-10/19: Stormy Skies 10/19-10/25: To Her Domain 10/26-10/31: Deep Reflections 10/31: Event Finale

  
  
  We’re posting logs a little earlier this time around compared to their IC dates, so hopefully that will give people more time to play with the event and get their tracker results in!
  
  
• Logs & Posts: There will be two logs and two signal posts for this event. See the dates above for their IC and OOC timing!
  
  
  1. Stormy Skies. This first part of the event, signaling the changes on the island, will not have its own central log, but feel free to make your own posts during this time!
     
  2. To Her Domain. The second part of the event is a log for all those traveling through Aiada’s domain to investigate the source of the mysterious beams keeping her asleep.
     
  3. Deep Reflections. The third part, also with its own log, is a continuation of the investigation as the group finally enters their destination: an old temple of Aiada.
     
  4. Event Finale. The last part of the event will be another signal post, and though it will not have any new prompts, players may use it to react to the outcome.
  
  
  
• Emotion tracker: In order to determine the prompts and outcomes for the third and fourth portions, we have set up a designated tracker for the emotions on Aiada’s spectrum. Please try to get in your submissions as soon as possible to shape the event! The ET will be live starting on the 17th of October.
  
  
• Stone tracker: In addition to the emotion tracker, we will have a tracker for the stone orbs that relate to the temple doors. This will also influence the outcomes of the second half of the event, so make sure to comment to the form linked above!

» EVENT DETAILS

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While Aiada herself will be asleep for the duration of the event, the effects of her overly-positive state will be obvious to everyone on the island and those who go to investigate the surface. Those aligned to Aiada will have to be especially careful to avoid being affected!

On the Island: This time around, the island and Verens will wind up being the calmest. At least, after the initial trouble subsides on the 19th. Aiada will not be available for contact, but her sleeping form will be visible high in the sky. It might be best to keep an eye on her, and perhaps a lullaby or two would help.

Traveling on the surface: It’s clear that the bubble is going to need some help, so a trip down to the beams origin point is planned quickly and efficiently. Luckily, it seems as though the area is somewhere familiar, a location that a few people may have been to before. Unfortunately things have changed a bit since this area was introduced, thanks to Aiada’s imbalance. It’s going to be dangerous.

• Time for some fun...gi Characters will first have to make their way through a dense area of jungle that has become a haven for mushrooms, lichen, and other fungi. But be careful: the spores spread by these enormous fungi will stick to characters and cause jealousy to grow in them, possibly to the point of sabotaging their allies!
  
• Watch out for that— The next leg of the trip will take characters through a treacherous system of bridges that are already unsteady enough on their own, but they’ll have to deal with reaching vines waiting to pull them off and pixies with miniature weapons who try to steal appreciation and envy with every savage poke.
  
• Hanging around. Past the bridges can be found a large cave system carved out by root trolls, creatures made of rocks and plants that will capture characters and hang them in pods, leaving them temporarily helpless. Others will have to fight off the trolls to rescue the kidnapped victims, fire being the most effective tool. However, those who are captured will be influenced by strong feelings of envy that’s not very easy to shake off. At least until they reach the next area...

Temple base camp: Sign of a clearing means rest, but one can't relax too much. At the temple's base, characters will have the opportunity to rest and recover. There are some areas that can be explored for foraging purposes, but the most important task while at the base is opening the doors to the temple.

• A reprieve. There’s so much that’s happened already, luckily the area around the temple will be a good spot to rest, and a chance for the adventurers to gather themselves to figure out the next steps that face them. They can even find a variety of helpful mushrooms nearby, though they’re mixed among a few varieties of poisonous fungi.
  
• Obelisks again? Stone pillars that feed off jealousy can be found at the temple base camp. Characters can rest their bodies, but their brains have to continue working; the obelisks need to grow to activate beams of light to reinforce the barrier around Aiada and solve the conundrum involving the door of the temple. However, the slightest deviation into more positive feelings could be disastrous for the obelisks.
  
• Reminds me of a puzzle. Regrowing the obelisks might seem like a mind-boggling experience, but what comes next will make people think even more. To successfully open the door to the temple, stones need to be retrieved from jade trees and rolled towards the door to be put into place. But in order to get the stones in the first place, they must first either share jealous memories or fight the monstrous trees. While there will be no reaction from the stones or door at first, characters may make a connection between the beams and the pieces of mirror scattered around the clearing.

Inside the temple: TBD! We will reveal the details of the temple itself alongside the log itself on the 23rd and add them here.

End: Who knows! The outcome will be shaped by the trackers, we highly encourage everyone to submit to the ET!

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That’s everything for now! Please direct any questions or concerns here, and again, feel free to use this post to plot!

Comments

QUESTIONS

[simpathis]

Ask questions related to the event here!

[heartofalioness]

Out of curiosity, what are the beams containing Aiada made of? Light, plant matter like the pillars anchoring Verens, stone like the obelisks, or something else?

[gottacatch]

If the rituals/apathy sessions are held, would you like them submitted to the event tracker? And by what day the latest?

Also, can people move between the temple and Empatheias during this?

Edit: Can characters who have been to the temple before note the emotional change from exuding appreciation to now being more jealousy inclined, or should that be ignored? I'm also wondering about the obelisk that Red was allowed to fix (though not make operational) previously?

I've also been wondering if anything could be done up on Empatheias to soothe Aiada, with the mention of the lullaby. Would her sprites be around to do anything with, maybe?

[hopedout]

Asking a dumb clarification question to make sure I'm submitting my threads correctly: if character A has a thread with character B and has a different, separate thread with character C in regards to the stones, can both threads be used to help with different stones or no?

[holdsodear]

Umm, hi! Silly question, but for people in the city, are any of the sprites just about sleeping and could be looked after? Like could it come up in threads or w/e. I wasn't certain if that was a thing.

[hopedout]

Doubling up on my clarifications for math purposes: if character A and B did a thread and their threads were submitted, would it be counted as 1 instance per character or 1 instance for the thread itself?

[jamminshield]

Questions for the new log!

1. So for the mirror maze, characters stuck in the mirror will basically be stuck in an emotional state where they want to stay there, unless convinced otherwise. Am I interpreting that correct?

2. Also, are those trapped in the mirror able to interact with what they saw in the reflection?

3. What does it mean for a character to become "lost" when the mirror is shattered? Are they dying, getting displaced in the maze or some other meaning of lost?

[nailed_it]

Can the mushrooms in the hidden room or the jade shards in the final section of the Temple be removed from it and taken home? Like if somebody wanted to grow some of those shrooms at home or take a couple of the ghost-busting shards home, could they? The text seems to suggest the mushrooms at least can be removed from the Temple but I wanted to be sure.

Also, for the booby-trapped arrows, if a character has an innate protection against projectile damage, can they avoid being poisoned or do the arrows have an enchantment on them that would bypass that? Basically, can Yang tank some arrows with her Aura or is she in for a Bad Time again XD

[lingeringfaith]

Um, hello again! I'm a teensie bit confused in regard to the sprites; in the finale it's said they go back to Aiada to rest with her, before the intro log begins, however in the intro logs, they're still around and getting into things. Is there a time when they'd all be gone for certain?

PUTTING THIS IN THE CORRECT SPOT THIS TIME, gomen

STONE TRACKER

[simpathis]

Comment to the appropriate subthread with contributions towards loosening the stones!

<b>Character(s):</b> <b>Alignment(s):</b> <b>Memory or Combat?</b> <b>Thread:</b>

STONE 1

[simpathis]

STONE 2

[simpathis]

STONE 3

[simpathis]

STONE 4

[simpathis]

Committee members! Rituals / Apathy? Y/N?

[gottacatch]

Yooo! SO, while I did plan to stick up rituals as a thing that have been happening through this month (but OOCly putting up the form later on), with Aiada wiggling around in the skies during 16-19 and then being bubbled for 19-25, and with her known "high energy/high positivity" state, I feel that the question of if pushing the rituals to focus on her to help her would come up!

It's known that she's imbalanced and that envy would help her on that end, but instead of just making the rituals focus on giving her envy and potentially "dumping" on her too strongly, there is the option of making apathy useful.

TL;DR, the way this would be made an option is via a drink that lightly induces apathy (usually to help calm people down--basically medication), and then being given an item to hold that would usually inspire appreciation, but will crumble in their hands after 5-10 minutes thanks to the apathy.

The side-effects of this won't leave a person utterly unfeeling, but may make them slightly calmer than usual for an hour before it wears off. The drinks will be measured by someone who knows what they're doing to ensure nobody takes too much!

So the question is to committee members...!

<B>Should rituals for Aiada be held?:</b> Y/N <B>Should apathy be an option?:</B> Y/N <B>Should rituals for Aiada up to this point be cancelled entirely?:</b> Y/N Feel free to delete if the first question is a Y.

The rituals are now associated with the committee and they make the call. I won't be waiting for everyone to vote, but just looking at the majority vote!

[eyeswideopen]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Y

[jeido]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Y

[hopedout]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Y

[lionhandler]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Y

[heartofalioness]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Y

[deathboss]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Y

[hadthehighground]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: N

[actualhumandisaster]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: N DON’T DO DRUGS, KIDS

[oratorical]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: N, worried about unanticipated or lingering effects from the apathy. She thinks it might be safer to try something like that against more stable arehtei, not one currently super unbalanced.

[trademark_skull]

Should rituals for Aiada be held?: Y
Should apathy be an option?: Leaning more towards N. This isn't Emizel's first rodeo ritual and knows what usually happens with unbalanced Arehtei is that everyone is more focused on countering the unbalanced than balancing it. He's not sure if apathy should be added to that mix too, when apathy is still dangerous stuff. Thras already kind of warned them before that enough apathy at one time does bad things.