Event: City of Thras

[simpathis]

— CITY OF THRAS: DETAILS —

GENERAL INFORMATION

As you probably guessed, this event is focused on Thras's Artifact, and it lays hidden deep within the lost city of Ephyria. Unlike Shaarnath, which rests within what was once Simpathis's domain, this city is 100% Thras. However, rather than the city proper, the characters will be exploring deep down in the underground labyrinth. The event itself has a lot of action, but also a lot of puzzles, and cooperation and teamwork will be the key to defeating the guardian that patrols its halls.

Here is some of the general logistics:

• Schedule: Starts Wednesday 11/20. ICly, this is a 1 day excursion but OOCly will last a week, with a finale follow-up afterwards.
  
  
• Opt-in: Only those who wish to participate will travel in a large group from Shaarnath to the city walls. Others can either wait in Verens or in Shaarnath for their return.
  
  
• Threading: There will be a designated log for the event.
  
  
• Team Sign-ups: There will be a portion of this mission that requires sign-ups for puzzles and fighting. Please read below for details.

THE CITY: EPHYRIA

Time and apathy have worn away much of Ephyria’s architecture, but the city has not been erased completely. Though largely overtaken by sand and debris, within the walls are the remnants of what was once a great city. Fine columns mark the remains of public buildings, only partially crumbled. Much like Shaarnath, the city appears to have been sparse with decoration and designed with efficiency in mind, but the marble and carved stone that have stood the test of time show that Ephyria embraced beauty in its own way, focused on simplicity. Statues depicting military heroes and Thras himself can be found throughout the ruins, resisting apathy’s attempts to wear them away, and there are several points of interest: a colosseum, an enormous amphitheatre near the city’s center, and an aqueduct that has long gone dry with no sign of any immediate water source. Most interesting, however, will be what lies beneath the city itself— and the treasure that sits at the heart of it. All the while, it feels as though there is something stirring within the city: this place that has been left long-forgotten wishes to come back to life, but it can’t do so without a little help.

THE LABYRINTH

The labyrinth beneath the ruins is large enough to be considered a city unto itself. Being underground, the sun does not reach this place, and yet you will not be left to wander entirely in the dark— those bold enough to venture forward will find that torches ensconced in the walls will light themselves as intrepid explorers draw near, though they should not be trusted to show you the way to the labyrinth’s center. As its name implies, the labyrinth is long and winding, but it’s far more than just a maze— there are traps at nearly every turn, many of which are still in good working order even after so many years gone by, and it’s almost as if the place itself has a will of its own, the way it seems to go out of its way to mislead those who venture here. What’s more, the dark corridors of stone and wrought iron aren’t empty— you’re not the only thing alive down here, and the labyrinth’s guardian is none too happy about trespassers.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Ruin Explorers. While the explorers’ ultimate goal will be beneath the city itself, there will be plenty that’s worth investigating topside, as well. The apathy that has settled over much of the ruins will need to be driven away in order to allow themselves relatively safe passage.
  
  • Of course, what’s an ancient city without security mechanisms? Visions granted by the sword replica showed that this city was once protected by an army that fought alongside Thras himself, but those soldiers weren’t the only means of defense. Spike traps, pitfalls, rolling boulders— Ephyria has it all. There’s something for the Indiana Jones in everyone.
    
  • The colosseum will present another challenge, though this one won’t be so straightforward as a rolling boulder. Though Thras himself prefers to celebrate courage, fear remains an important part of his emotional spectrum, and the city itself has not forgotten. Those who set foot on the sands of the colosseum will find themselves facing a full, physical manifestation of their greatest fear— but how it must be overcome will depend entirely on the person in question. Those who are combat-capable may find this to be relatively easy if they want to rely on brute force, but strength of will and a sharp wit will be even more important than physical prowess when it comes to facing one’s fears.
  
  
  
• The Labyrinth. The labyrinth itself is challenging enough, but within its twists and turns, voices will be intent on calling out to those who try to make their way through, trying to lead them away from their goal and back to the start— or worse, into a trap. If you’re especially lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a spirit trying to lead you through the corridors, some of whom may even look familiar. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.
  
  • Much like the mechanisms that barred the way into the city proper, there will be more mosaic puzzles within the labyrinth, many of which must be solved in order to open doors that lead further in. In addition, there are ancient generators that will need to be charged up using characters’ emotions in order to power the devices that open the way forward— it’s not enough to open the lock if the mechanism itself is stopped.
    
  • Not every roadblock down here will be physical, and things will only get more challenging the closer you are to the heart of the labyrinth. Eventually, characters will be forced to look inside themselves to find the will and motivation to move forward— those who know what is important to them will be met with great success and be able to rediscover what drives them, but the apathy in this place is so thick that for some, it may seem easier to become complacent and leave the hard work to someone else. Fortunately, characters won’t be left to figure this out on their own: the spirit of Ephyria itself will do its part to help people through.
  
  
  
• Special Equipment. Certain tech is getting an official test run on this excursion that those who volunteered may remember. They are mostly to help push back the apathy and give everyone done bravery or fear boosts if needed.
  
  
  • Emobytes. Just running around to produce emotions, focused on apathy rich places.
    
  • Armor pieces. For those susceptible to emotional influence, can have special arm guards that can push back or help induce certain emotions.
    
  • Crystal boosters. One time use pre-filled crystals with bravery or fear. Use by channeling on the emotion to make it disperse. Everyone gets only 2 of each and can give to others if necessary.
  
  If anyone would like to try out their tech let us know so we can include it in the list!
  
  
• Puzzles and Bonuses. While some general puzzles will be included in the log prompts, there will be specific puzzles that will grant helpful bonuses those going up against Ephyria’s final boss! If puzzles are your thing, please see the section below regarding sign-ups, because our heroes are going to need all the help they can get when it comes time to challenge the labyrinth’s guardian.

FINAL BOSS: MINOTAUR

From time to time, the arena trembles as if something is stirring within its depths… And in the distance, the sound of echoing snarling is constantly audible. The guardian of the labyrinth, the quintessential Minotaur, awaits all those adventurous enough to probe the deepest passages of the labyrinth. Those who seek Thras’s artifact will have no choice but to face an ultimate manifestation of fear itself.

The creature stands several dozen feet tall, and though its sickly hot breath and menacing screams are tangible enough, part of its form appears to be cloaked in tendrils of shadow and mist. Those who strike at the monster will find that their attacks are less effective than they would hope. This will certainly take a team effort: both to combat the beast itself and to solve the mechanisms behind some of its protective powers. Perhaps the key to destroying the creature lies hidden elsewhere in the labyrinth?

If you wish to take a stab at the guardian, sign up below for direct combat. If you wish to solve some puzzles to weaken the creature, bait some traps, or indirectly contribute to this fight, sign up for the puzzle section.

TEAM SIGN-UPS

We have two categories for team sign-ups: puzzle solving and minotaur fighting. It's possible to be in both categories, but we would prefer if everyone focused on one first and then sign up if slots are available. There are ten slots available for each category, to be divided into smaller groups when the time comes. Everyone will be randomized and as always with team ups, please be sure you will be available and communicate with your partner! ICly this means characters will just randomly meet their partner at the location, a "coincidence" kind of thing. It's a labyrinth, it's easy to split up and run into random people.

For the puzzles teams, they will be tasked with solving a certain puzzle they run into while in the labyrinth. Players can choose the type of puzzle and we'll try to tailor it to fit the characters. The categories are: logical, emotional, and physical. It's up to the players whether the team fails or succeeds, but we would like to know ASAP what your inclinations are so we can go ahead and provide the bonuses for the Minotaur fighters.

For the minotaur teams, they will randomly encounter the Minotaur within the labyrinth and will have an opportunity to fight and inflict considerable damage. We will assign specific points for the team to hit as well as apply any bonuses that could help them out. We will also try to order everyone in a certain sequence so that subsequent fighters can see the other damage. Like the other teams, players can decide whether the team fails or succeeds in their mission, so let us know ASAP!

Deadline for sign-ups is Tuesday, November 19th, 8PM CST.