avalonooc | PLOTTING POST ✨ The Answer is Always C

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This is the plotting post! Ask questions in response to this comment HERE. Click here to view top-level comments only. The actual event log will be posted on May 20th, please use this post to plot with your fellow players and ask questions ahead of the event start.

KEY POINTS

Arthur announces the results of the polls and that he spoke to Celliwig's people, they will be testing Camelot the week of the full moon.

A series of choice-based enchanted scenarios is presented based loosely on a modernized seven sins/virtuous responses (power imbalance, cruelty or mercy, excess/greed or restraint, sloth or work ethic, desire/lust or self-control and bravery or cowardice, and sacrifice or self-preservation)

**** The above key points are a new feature we're going to start including on TDMs and Events. It has been moved to the top of the post based on feedback, and for the TDM we will try under each prompt then ask for further feedback at that time to see what seems to work better for players at-large.****

In case you missed it: this event was set up in the TDM this month as well as voted upon in a poll in the OOC community with the choices mentioned under the prompt "Vying for Votes." Check out the Game History/NPCs page if you need even more context, as a bullet point list of game progression is listed there.

With the polls closed, the decision is made, and King Arthur takes the opportunity to address the kingdom via a streamed press conference. Though it is not an open post, anyone is welcome to comment on it and talk to each other about it. However, it is unlikely that Arthur himself will respond to comments. A notification does appear on everyone's smart devices to invite everyone to watch live; if they tap it too late, it'll still show the recorded stream.

"People of Camelot, I wish that we had better news that spoke of an easier path to the calamity that stands before us. Celliwig's charge is with protecting Avalon even in the face of protecting Camelot and those of you who chose to use your voices have shown that you choose to respect their way of handling things. However, it was only just over half of you who chose this path. I think it is important that with such a great portion of people believing that bypassing Celliwig and going directly to Elphame, as much as it may take patience, we take this action into consideration. There is no sense in ignoring the voices of so many when there is nothing to say we cannot approach from two fronts. As Camelot's king, I have issued our intent to accept Celliwig's challenge to a descendant of Glewlwyd, a man who was much trouble for my knights in our time. They have said after failing one, we shall be tested on multiple fronts, the week of the full moon's rise. Bear in mind that this is our final chance at this."

Merlin sidles up to Arthur in the video, one arm around his shoulders and leaning in to speak into the mics in a much-too-familiar manner. At least his sunglasses are off this time.

"Now then, anyone who wanted to go to Elphame, you'll want to head to the docks around, oh, say, the first of June. Step one to flirting with fae is to put on a good show before the traders leave. It's a good time whether the Celliwig's dooming us or not."

A wink accompanies that odd note, and Arthur orders him off stage before thanking everyone for their time.

With the consent of its people, Celliwig performs a ritual to place Camelot under a rather strange spell. Much is the same, but there's a sense that everything is just slightly off from what it should be. Fog covers the grounds throughout the entire city throughout the entire day. It's just a little too quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the city falling just a little too distant on your ears. You can go about your day as normal, but feel as if something is simply off. And eventually, you'll walk through a door, and it will be. Part of the enchantment, however, includes a strange inability to connect these doors with being part of a test-- they seem real, regardless of how absurd the scenario would be were your characters thinking straight.

Day One: Power Imbalance
The door you walk through is into a club of some kind. It wasn't your intended destination and yet, here you are, and you're being handed a glass of your favorite drink and being ushered to your seat. The show is fantastical, some kind of circus-esque show with gymnasts and magical effects making it impossible to take your eyes off of. That is, until the spotlight falls upon you and urges you down to join the show. A volunteer! Well, one of two. Another volunteer is brought up along with yours, and the ring leader of the circus gives you both bracelets-- one with selenite embedded in it, another with andara. The ring leader explains that they're both known for creating high frequency connections, though one is known to spiritually be associated with finding one's path and the other with manifesting one's true self. When enchanted together, this makes it so that the person with the andara bracelet can order the person with the selenite bracelet to do anything they please-- making their true self the person's purpose. Very dangerous, very intruiging, very tempting, very morally wrong to do it for real, so please keep it to the stage! A quick demonstration of this dark use of magic as part of the show... and it seems that afterward, they forget to take the bracelets back. What will you do with your newfound control over your partner? The choice is, after all, yours. (Or theirs, if you're the unlucky partner with the selenite bracelet-- only the person with the andara can remove the bracelets, after all.)

Day Two: Schadenfreude
Yesterday seems like a dream, and you may even feel the need to write it off as such unless you run into the same person again and realize no, they too remember it. But if that's not the case, it doesn't matter. You'll be able to find yourself in your definitely normal and usual mideval city, where someone is in the stocks. Your memories seem a little fuzzy on whether or not you're supposed to be in medieval times or not, but this seems right, and there's a fruit vendor right next to you selling soft fruits to throw at the poor sap in the stocks. There are also a number of other ways to mess with the person, including feathers to tickle them, a riding crop, some ink if you want to grafitti the person.. a good number of ways just to humiliate the person without causing them permanent harm. The crowd is cheering you on, but you also see the keys to set them out just sitting on a table nearby. Do you engage in a little sadistic fun or do you embark in a daring rescue? (Or are you the punished in someone else's scenario?)

Day Three: Indulge Me
Back to the modern day like it didn't happen, you and a friend walk into a door to your favorite convenience store and as you finish up your purchase, you win an all expenses paid trip to the Black Knight's Castle, formerly the home of the Black Knight and turned into a lavish tourist attraction by Yvaine and Laudine's descendents, who have become worshippers of Dionysus. You're transported there in a puff of sparkling magic dust, right before an extravagant golden fountain in the middle of the lobby. The owners explain their policy for the Black Knight's Castle that you can have anything you desire, however much you desire. Anything at all, consequence free. The only thing that they ask is that you give a blood offering to their god to help feed his dead worshippers on the other side of the veil, which will ultimately tie your soul to him as well. Just a quick cut of the palm and you're welcome to come back any time, have anything you want, for the rest of your life. Taking the deal means you really will get what you want! ...For the day, anyway. (This is just a spell, after all, even if your character doesn't want it.) If you choose not to, you'll find yourself magically deposited back to the convenience store.

Day Four: What's the Meaning of Stongehenge?
This fourth day, there's certainly something to be said about a hard day's work. When you walk through today's door, you find yourself in the middle of a grassy field, strange markings on the ground, and surrounded by oddly shaped boulders. The markings on the ground seem to indicate where some the stones should be placed. There aren't really any directions, but there's always the option of waiting for someone else to solve this problem for you... There is a very comfortable looking patch of grass anyone able to relax in. So the choice is yours: wait for someone else to move the rocks or move them yourself?

Day Five: Pooling Desire
Day five is a trip to the pools. But not just any pools! These are special, underground pools hidden deep within a cave. You're sure whoever told you to head through this door mentioned something about them being a special relaxation package at the Red Springs. As you head into the pools, however, you find someone in there with you: the subject of your desires. Regardless of who or what they are, they seem to have a crown upon their head, aren't wearing anything in that water, and seem to have a lovely singing voice judging by the tune they're humming to lure you in before you even notice they're there. It is at that point they will try to seduce you, even if that same person is standing right there with you. The seduction, of course, needn't be sexual-- a strong lusting for a turkey leg wrapped in bacon may be just as powerful as a desire for a brand new Ninblendo Swatch or something you should definitely label as NSFW if you want to thread it that way. Give into them, or.. maybe listen to the person who came in with you that they're definitely some kind of weird half-otter bottomed monster under the water before they try to drown you. Or if you're the one trying to stop this, are you brave enough to get in between a stranger and a monster to try to snap them out of the siren's thrall, even if it means fighting both of them?

Day Six: #ChaliceChallenge
The sixth and final door sets you walking outside on a beach. There's nothing else there really except for nature. The sounds of the waves crashing against the sound is soothing, and real, and sharper than anything you've felt in the last five days of haze. There is no fog today. Clear, blue skies stretch forever above you, not a cloud in sight. The only man-made thing you see is a small woode table and two chairs. Upon that table, two chalices. Nothing will happen and there seems to be no way off of the beach until both parties sit down at the table, at which point a strange old man with huge, rippling muscles of at least 7 feet tall and a long, scraggly beard will appear. He informs your characters of the rules: in one chalice, deadly poison. In the other, water and bitter flavor. Each must drink from one cup, or you will both perish of starvation on this beach. Choose wisely.

NOTES:

While this is all really happening, any objects in the prompts are part of the enchantment and will disappear once it is over on the seventh day.

There will be a poll posted again to gather responses to each of the trials after the event starts (so you've all got time to plot), which will then have an effect on the upcoming TDM. Merlin's tasks (the 2nd place result of the poll) will also be included in the next TDM.

Your character doesn't have to participate in all of the prompts to participate in the poll, you're welcome to pick and choose what you want to do. Since it isn't real intentional participation, it's completely up to you rather than what your character does/doesn't want to do themselves.

Camelot specifically is being tested and given a time and date, so anyone who doesn't want to be involved can get their character out of the city for a bit. The Red Springs loves visitors!

Now then.. for your convenience, a little form for plotting:

Event log will be posted on the 20th, same date as Arthur's press conference. The events of the trials will take place starting on May 23rd-28th. Everything will be normal in Camelot on the 29th just in time for the Elphame Traders' arrival.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Player: Psi
Contact: Contact:

PsiYamaneko | PM

Character: Yuber | <

eightfoldfiend>
Familiar: Bone Dragon
Magic Disciplines: Healing, Death
Event Plans: He will probably get a top level because, as always, I do not tag out with Yuber unless it's arranged.

POWER IMBALANCE: If he has the andara bracelet he will terrorize the other person, drawing fear and screams from them but not doing physical harm and will ultimately let them go. If he ends up with the selenite bracelet he will fight the other person as much as he can, which isn't much.

SCHADENFREUDE: Might not do this one, his instinctive response to both scenarios are violent.

INDULGE ME: Uncertain, but he'd be tempted to take the deal to get his powers back. He's just also protective of his soul.

STONEHENGE: Relaxing in the grass unless convinced that chaos should create some order here. This looks like a You problem to Yuber, though.

POOLING DESIRE: Will see...himself? Himself at full power, offering the power back to him. If he's not the one being sung to he will try to shake his partner out of it or attack the monster. Note that despite seeing what is basically a god-like version of himself in the pool it could get somewhat sexual (though not entirely NSFW). Yuber is a weird dude okay.

CHALICE CHALLENGE: Reject the challenge! Attack the old man! (if doable) Otherwise he might sit this one out.

Other Notes: My Plurk takes PMs from anyone if you have other ideas!

Edited 2021-05-18 17:53 (UTC)

This seems like a recipe for a claude + yuber disaster but I can't decide which prompt...

What flavor of interaction would you like? They can have a completely hostile sort of interaction with Yuber trying to get Claude to do things (via rings or insisting he drink both cups) OR with Pooling Desire he'd get a small glimpse of Why Yuber Is Like That and the demon would be open to teaming up for a Siren takedown if Claude snaps him out of it.

Claude would definitely be interested to see what his deal is wrt the pools, but honestly he'd would be egging the siren on if he realised it was trying to drown Yuber... :') The cups thing could be interesting too because I could see it going a number of ways.

Yuber could probably fight off the Siren, he's very stabby.

He'd just come looking to stab Claude later but don't we all?

Edit: Another thought is a third option! Non-lethal trolling if Claude tries to move boulders. Yuber may occasionally walk up and use healing-induced super strength to shove boulders away from him if he gets sassy. Otherwise he just reclines on the grass and sneers.

So it could be

Dangerous: Bracelets (if Claude has selenite Yuber will be awful if not then Yuber will be awful LATER), chalices (getting Claude to drink poison)

Neutral: Boulders

What?: Siren

or something different if you think of anything you'd like to explore.

Edited 2021-05-19 00:35 (UTC)

So how about our two do the chalice one. Hawk is the reckless sort who would just grab one and chug it and get thing over with. So how about he grabs the poison?

Works for me! Know that Yuber will do nothing to stop Hawk, though.

Didn't expect him to. Makes me wonder though if he'd be mad Hawk went down in such a crappy way even if it does end up being fake?

DISAPPOINTED.

Dumb Hawk, dying like a human. What a waste!

Yep, he'll always be a reckless one with no care for his own life. He'd rather go down in battle, but he'd definitely always pick the more dangerous route. Though seriously, one of his inventory items is actually something that should have protected him, so he didn't really think it would kill him. Whoops.

Yuber would snarl that if Hawk really wants to die recklessly so bad he could find much more fun ways of making that happen than drinking poison.

Nah, he really doesn't but he's also not into attacking some old man or dying of thirst.

Also, here is the top level. Not sure if you'd seen it and were working on a tag but since some were doing separate and I put it with my open ones I wanted to be sure it asn't missed!

Also random thought, Yuber with death magic should be able to pick up right away that it's fake and that he's not dealing with a corpse. A shame, when I'm sure he'd love to have someone as strong as Hawk as a minion.

Character: The Luminary | <

luminatus>
Familiar: Tockle
Magic Disciplines: Light, Cognitive
Event Plans: Mostly tag outs for Eleven!

No specific notes for the events, you can count on him to usually take the option that will do the most good or the least harm. He'll rescue people, move boulders, etc.

Need someone you can count on to get you out of a jam? He's your guy!

...He won't be great about asking for help when he's the one in trouble, though.

Other Notes: My Plurk takes PMs from anyone if you have other ideas!

Edited 2021-05-18 17:04 (UTC)

PLOTTING POST ✨ The Answer is Always C

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cw: talk of suicidal ideation (kinda)

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