EVENT #15: THE NETHER - OOC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #15 - OOC Plotting

IC event log

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Recently, the Summoned were given an important decision to vote on. All faction Conclaves have voted to negotiate for additional resources on their nation's behalf.

Characters will be invited to stay in the Nether from OCTOBER 16 - OCTOBER 26 to carry out their tasks as determine by the vote. They'll have the opportunity to interact with the Draconae and the dragons, aid the Nether with their ecological devastation and declining population, and ultimately help find a cure for the dragons' sickness caused by the rifts that opened in July and August.

Characters will not be able to go in and out of the Nether. While they can return home early, they will not be able to re-enter once they leave. The factions are concerned a constant flow of traffic could cause what's contaminating the Nether to escape containment.

The Nether

The Nether is a northern island next to Endsmuth. Above ground, the Nether's territory is a frosty tundra. Ancient dragon bones and abandoned settlements can be found scattered across the land, suggesting a time when the surface was habitable. These days, it's devoid of life except for a handful of migratory birds and hardy insects.

Due to the disappearance of the dragons leading to a loss in food source and extreme temperatures on the surface, the Draconae have been driven underground. The volcanic activity often causes the earth to rumble.

Read more about the Nether here.

Arrival and Stay

The factions will set up a portal that allows the Summoned to enter the Nether's territory and will give each of them the same portal stone they received during the Feywilds trip. The stone is one-time use and will let them return to their residing faction when ready.

Characters will be welcomed to the Nether with minimal fanfare. The most challenging part of entering the volcanic city - called the Obsidian Heart - is the precariously spiraling walkway. The Draconae will assure their guests that it's perfectly safe, though any who are especially nervous can be carried down by another Summoned or a helpful Draconum warrior.

Accommodations

Guests will stay in the Hieran Wing of the Citadel. Along with its many simple but cozy rooms, the wing consists of a library which contains only fiction, a dining area with firepits for grilling, and blue magma pools for bathing that contain unusual company. For meals, the Draconae will only provide ingredients. By default, the Summoned are expected to cook for themselves and are encouraged to hunt or fish. Characters who enjoy the culinary arts can cook for their friends, of course!

Each room accommodates 2-4 occupants. The Summoned will need to seek roommates. Rooms are not assigned. Characters are welcome to move around as they like. There are no locks for the rooms, and many have curtains in place of a door. The Draconae are fierce fighters from a young age and believe in an eye for an eye, meaning genuine altercations can cost life and limb. As a result, serious crimes are practically nonexistent in the Nether. Most have a mutual understanding with each other not to go there.

Dragon Hatchlings

Overwhelmed by mounting troubles, the Draconae could use a hand taking care of their wily hatchlings who live in Dragon's Glass. Young dragons are prone to getting into trouble and are incredibly intelligent. They appear to understand spoken language and enjoy a good story or song. Characters can feed, bathe, and put the dragons to sleep. Their nests may also need to be fluffed or repaired. They can also be taken on "walks," though they should be returned within a few hours to rest.

A few days into the event, one baby dragon will escape. Naturally curious, it'll get up to all sorts of mischief including stealing shiny trinkets or snatching food. In particular, it'll disrupt grilling competitions held frequently in the evenings and cause an unusual (but harmless!) effect to those who come near. The Draconae need your help to catch the hatchling and return it to its home in Dragon's Glass.

To see if your character can catch the dragon, submit for a roll HERE. Submissions will close October 18 at 11:59 ET. Results will be posted on October 19 so players can account for their success or failure.

Submissions are open to one per player. If you have multiple characters, please choose one to submit for.

Grill Masters

While casual activities such as lava fishing and shopping are available, there is one key activity among the Draconae that draw large enthusiastic crowds: magma grilling.

Considered an art form for their people, competitions are frequent and intense. Arguments can explode over a difference of opinion in sauces, spices, or side dishes. Unlike their other secrets, the Draconae are willing to share their knowledge on barbecuing, primarily because the ingredients and techniques are impossible to achieve outside of the Nether.

Characters will be invited to watch, eat, and compete, either against the natives or against another Summoned. Participating in multiple competitions is possible since challenges are informal and occur often. Small prizes are available!

We will not be moderating this, so players may determine the outcome amongst themselves.

The Cure

Curing the dragons consists of two aspects: negotiating for additional resources from each faction and visiting the perilous Ashlands to retrieve ingredients that the Draconae can't on their own. Characters part of the negotiations can also visit the Ashlands, as the meeting won't take up more than a day.

Negotiations and Meetings (Rank 5+)

Delegates have been voted on. Characters not selected as delegates have the option of meeting with one of the two other NPCs for a brief conversation.

Presenting Terms

Characters selected to represent their factions at the table are as follows:

◎ THORNE: Kyle, Rhy Maresh
◎ FREE CITIES: Claude von Riegan, Nadine Cross
◎ SOLVUNN: Himeka Sui, Wanda Maximoff

A section for the meeting will be provided on the IC Event Log. Players can tag in with their character under the correct faction heading. Meetings will be held with both characters in their particular faction. In other words, Thorne's pair of delegates will arrive together to meet their assigned NPC in a 3-person thread and so forth. They will not be individually meeting with the NPC.

All three faction Conclave meetings will take place concurrently on the second day of arrival. Delegates from opposing factions will not get the chance to talk to each other about their outcomes until the negotiations are completed.

The Draconae are desperate to save their dragons, but are also a sharp and highly independent people. They may reject those who ask for too much in an attempt to take advantage of the Nether's weakened state. However, delegates who operate with the Draconae's interests in mind will have their gratitude.

OOC THREAD PLANNING

You must SUBMIT key points in the negotiation thread before the thread begins. This is to help keep things running smoothly! Players will know what terms are going to be accepted or rejected beforehand.

If you're assigned as a delegate with another player, discuss with each other the following:

• Choose at least one demand from the factions that is non-negotiable. We've presented two options you can choose from in the corresponding faction comment below. Delegates can try to negotiate for both or they can attempt to push one over the other for strategic purposes. Negotiating for both will be more difficult.


• Decide the terms (resources and assistance) you will offer the Nether on your faction's behalf. 2-3 bullet points is sufficient! In addition to healing efforts, other key resources that characters can try to secure for the Nether include enchantments, wards, portal ability, vegetation, grains, and water.

Please reply in a timely manner since threads will not begin until terms are approved. We suggest being no later than October 17.

Meeting the Draconae

Any Rank 5+ character can meet one of two NPCs available, provided they were not selected as a delegate instead. Unlike the selection process for the negotiation table, Rank 5+ in this instance can be for positive or negative actions. As long as the character holds sufficient rank, a meeting will be granted.

Characters who meet an NPC outside of the negotiation table will have the benefit of talking more freely and asking questions beyond political terms. The NPCs won't have much time, though they're happy to engage.

There is no character restriction per player for this section. As long as your character was not selected for a delegate and are Rank 5+, they may all talk to one of the two NPC options.

Aiding the Dragons

The Ashlands consist of areas in the Nether that succumbed to ruin after the death of the dragon which sustained it. Survivors of these territories have long fled. Here, the Summoned will find that their presence temporarily restores patches around them - thus allowing, for the first time in decades, the gathering of ingredients once thought lost forever.

Characters who are especially connected to the Singularity or the Horizon will find their restorative aura to be slightly larger and persist for one or two minutes instead of fading behind them immediately. Along with faction resources and magical or medical knowledge, characters can create a restorative elixir for the dragons and the eggs.

While protective enchantments will be given, the Summoned will soon discover it isn't required. Since the immediate area around them is automatically restored, they'll have natural protection against extreme temperatures or unbreathable air. How your character discovers this is up to you. Word could spread, or their enchantments might suffer a failure that's not as catastrophic as they feared.

Areas to Restore

Characters will have 3 areas to restore and explore. Each area contains a unique environment and an ingredient they must gather. More details will be provided on the IC Event Log, but we've summarized the areas below for plotting purposes.

◎ Cinder's Core is a desiccated jungle made of dead tree husks and fossilized bones that form a jagged floor. This area will require characters to navigate obstacles to reach twisted heights and avoid the organic traps that spring to life when the area around each Summoned restores itself.

◎ Featherhive is a land filled with a poisonous overgrowth that continuously threatens to consume the rest of the Nether. While the poison won't affect characters, the area contains shadow birds that will echo a person's memories, acting them out and parroting lines like a bizarre, incomplete puppet show. Memories can be superficial or much deeper. The birds can say as little as one line from the memory repetitively or demonstrate a longer exchange.

◎ Aetherie is a sealed village consigned to oblivion after its dragon passed away and a noxious gas swept through. Since the bodies couldn't be retrieved, the dead were left behind...and may not be as dead as one might think. Characters will confront what lurks inside and may even be able to help the Draconae find closure. Please note Aetherie will only be open for one IC day near the end of the event. OOC, players may engage with it any point.

Creating the Elixir

Characters whose strengths lie in research and experimentation will have an equally important role. They'll be granted entry into Dragon's Glass, where they can work alongside The Flame and her apprentices to create not only the final healing elixir but any interim potions that can soothe the dragons or slow the illness's spread.

The Draconae have an alchemy lab that contains basic alchemy books for anyone unfamiliar with the process or if they need a quick reference. Experimenting can result in unintended consequences such as mild hallucinations, moderate ill effects, or small combustion fires.

Multiple batches of ingredients will be required before the correct combination and measurements can be achieved, so every trip into the Ashlands is valuable. Characters are encouraged to visit multiple areas as long as they're willing and capable.

Notes & Details

Setting Information

In addition to the OOC Plotting Post and the IC Event Log, important details for the Nether can be found on the following pages:

◎ Setting
◎ NPCs
◎ Bestiary

Event Schedule

To allow room for players to get things started, the event post will be going up a little before the actual in-game date the event occurs.

The IN-GAME EVENT will ICly take place October 16 - October 26
The EVENT POST will go up October 15 for players to participate in.
The WRAP-UP POST will go up October 31 for players to view.

Plotting Form

You can use the plotting form below to make plans.

<b>Character Name:</b> <b>Faction:</b> <b>Influence Rank:</b> <b>Vote:</b> (Which way did your character vote, if at all? Did they have any strong feelings or arguments about the situation?) <b>Healing Efforts:</b> (What will your character be doing to contribute to the healing efforts? This includes being part of the negotiations, contributing knowledge, using healing magic or potions, and gathering vital ingredients) <b>Activities:</b> (Will your character participate in any of the other activities? Do they want a partner or roommate?) <b>General plans:</b> (Anything else!)

Questions and Answers

If after reading these you're still unsure about anything, or your question wasn't covered, please feel free to hit up our Questions thread below!

Are weapons allowed in the Nether?

Yes, personal weapons are allowed! The Draconae do not have active restrictions since many are openly armed themselves, but for the purposes of the event, please be reasonable about the amount of weapons and type of weapons your character brings. A sword and a pair of daggers are acceptable. An entire armory is not.

What about all the heat and fire?

The Obsidian Heart is hot but not more than a summer's day. While submerging yourself in the lakes of magma is ill-advised, flames and small pools of lava won't burn you (although it will burn organic materials and dead organisms). One can reach into a fire with a bare hand and emerge with little more than some reddened skin. This is likely due to the dragons' magic and is what allows the Draconae to continue to inhabit the Nether.

What if my character falls in the lava?

They won't burn up right away, but they'll receive the equivalent of 2nd degree burns if they're lucky enough to be pulled out immediately. Any longer will result in death. Try not to fall in!

Can the negotiations result in failure?

Our goal is to have each set of delegates be successful. This will be the angle we approach all OOC submissions, so we will make sure the terms given are approved ahead of the IC thread, and ask for revisions if required. However, if you decide you want your delegates to actively fail, please let us know and we can work out the conditions in which that occurs. Note that this will result in consequences for the delegates, the Draconae, and possibly the faction itself.

Will characters be aware of the dragons' role in the Nether?

Somewhat! The Draconae don't speak of it openly, but they'll discuss it if asked and eligible characters can also have more in-depth conversations with the NPCs. Generally, they'll learn that deaths of many dragons resulted in much of the devastation around the Nether and resulted in some loss of life. The dragons' magic is known for keeping harmful and toxic effects at bay like extreme heat and poisonous gasses. The Draconae fear that should the remaining dragons die, nothing will be left to prevent this unknown sickness from spreading to their population.

My character isn't a fighter! Could they have something to make them feel safer?

The Draconae are protective of their guests, and anyone with ill intent wouldn't want to tangle with others who would stop them. However, if characters require more assurance, they'll provide a guard for anyone who asks.

Will we need to coordinate research efforts for making the elixir?

There will be a section where players can comment with discoveries their character has made, but there's no need to worry too much about continuity. As long as your character participated, they'll have made a notable contribution to the overall cure.

My character has a personal set of potions, healing ingredients, and equipment. Can they bring this to help?

Yes, of course! If characters own personal equipment and ingredients, they can bring those items to the Nether. They cannot bring resources that belong to the factions.

How many baby dragons are there?

There are five hatchlings and three eggs. Each hatchling has a name and unique ability. We'll reveal this on the IC Event Log.

What determines the strength of a character's connection to the Horizon or the Singularity?

The more a character engages with the Horizon, and the longer they've been doing so, the stronger their connection will be. Interactions include making regular changes to a domain, creating or keeping sustained life such as animals or pets, and having a domain that's inhabited by other Summoned or receives regular visitors. Using Abraxan magic such as learning new spells or making use of their Horizon/Event gains would also contribute to this strengthening.

Generally speaking, most characters who interact with the setting to some degree and have been in the game for a few months will discover an increase in strength. Very new characters may even discover their aura strengthening if they begin to use more magic or enter the Horizon a few times during the event itself. We'll leave this up to players to determine at their discretion!

Comments

Questions

[abraxasmods]

[theidlemaiden]

Hi mods! Couple of questions re: the crafting and metalwork.

- Would someone with metalworking and blacksmithing be able to notice anything notable about the items (ie. are they enchanted somehow, are they just really well crafted, do they use materials that aren't common outside of the Nether) that they would be able to tell from observation alone? Alternatively, how much information could someone get if they were in conversation with a merchant?
- Understandably they're guarded about their methods but are there guides/books available that someone would be able to read or pick up about them (Draconae Crafting for Dummies if you will)? Or a children's class they could attend?

[abraxasmods]

1. The Draconae do not have much magic, but the items may have traces of magic due to the dragons' influence and the magma from the volcano itself has unique properties. Most notably, however, the Draconae themselves are simply innately skilled. Those who work in forges outside of the Nether can produce items of a similar quality. Therefore, the craftsmanship is not especially magical or unusual to observe, but rather of an exceptionally fine quality, the kind that would take regular blacksmiths many decades of experience to achieve - if they ever achieve it at all.

2. Nonfiction books are not openly available in the Nether, but the Draconae are less guarded about their methods in jewelry making or glassblowing. If Hilda were to express her own interest or skills in either topic, one of the crafters would show her a few tips or tricks that could allow her to improve her work in the future.

[ancunin]

Hiya!

Since the Netherfolk are welcome in Nocwich is it safe to assume the general vibe from NPCs toward vampiric characters is neutral or possibly even ~friendly~? I know native NPCs generally lump all Summoned together rather than judge them by their species, but just wanted to check!

[abraxasmods]

Yes, the Netherfolk are not as isolated as the Fey so they will not have any issues with vampires. The Draconae in fact get along well with the vampires in Ikorr partly because some allow themselves to be fed on, or even actively seek that out. They have an exceptionally high pain tolerance and quick healing.

They would be curious about Astarion if he is the more traditional version of a vampire. Vampires (and werewolves) in Abraxas are born as such so they are not considered undead and cannot "turn" others.

[ushiri]

sorry for the double q

To make sure I'm reading right - for Thorne's negotiations specifically the mystery artifact, will it be Thorne letting the delegates know that this is a thing that exists and that they want it from the Nether? And that if they try to ask for more info about it from either Thorne or the Nether, the answers will be vague (in line with the descriptor about it)?

[abraxasmods]

Yes, the factions will present the Summoned with what they'd like to seek in exchange for providing help. While in theory the Summoned could provide suggestions and counterpoints of their own, for the sake of streamlining the process, we do ask that players OOCly choose from the list as the final offer!

Thorne will state that the relic may have connections to or bear some importance to learning more about the Singularity. They will of course assure the Summoned that they believe it will be in safer hands with Thorne and that it belongs to the kingdom in the first place, but characters are welcome to form their own opinions.

[aquaveiled]

Very self-serving question but...since the draconae have these wonderful horns, do they take compliments on them? She would definitely want to compliment them.

As a horn-bearing person herself, would she blend in okay-ish in the Nether setting? In her canon she was considered kind of a dragon-esque person due to her appearance (though Au Ra have no actual draconic heritage). Would that be similar here to any extent?

Lastly! Himeka knows some dragonspeak from her canon. I do not believe it would be the dragon language of this world at all, but if she tries phrases, how would that go? Would the dragons find it amusing? Pretend to understand? Take offense? Stare blankly? etc.

Thank you!! So excited for dragons if you can't tell.

[restingstitchface]

Hello! I have a few questions:

1 - Can Crane use his extraction power to distill from the dragons to assist in researching a cure? He prefers to seek consent due to the risk of causing offense but can be subtle. If so, what might he find?

2 - If the Summoned help the Draconae find closure [Aetherie] or successfuly create a cure, will their hosts let Crane keep some ingredients to take home? He will be seeking a delegate to petition on his behalf. He is especially interested in anything that causes mild hallucinations.

3 - Is there anything Crane may learn or observe about the noxious gas in Aetherie? Because you know... Crane and noxious gas.

[durge]

Hello mods! Would player characters have any idea about the restless dead in the third area pre-the final day, or will that be a surprise?

[magicalarchaeologist]

Hi! If the Thorne delegates decide NOT to negotiate for the lost Thornean artifact, can Istredd still be a nerd and try to find out things about it? He's curious. He doesn't have any intention of taking it back, he just wants to know more about it lol.

[unwings]

questions from the spn cast chat:

1: what happens if you kill the memory birds?
2: do dragon babies purr if you pet them?

[princessvegas]

Do the dragons have any particular reaction to the Summoned, or do they perceive them the same as the Draconae?

[exuviage]

o/ hi mods

1. Vidyadhara are described as a draconic long life species in H:SR canon, and have pointed ears which visually differentiate them from other humanoids; Dan Heng in particular has dragon horns due to having a high elder's power. What sort of reaction would the Draconae have to seeing Dan Heng's undisguised Vidyadhara features (his horns and ears)? Would that change at all how they respond to questions about themselves? What if he is willing to offer information about his own species in return?

2. Bearing in mind the relationship between the Vidyadhara and dragons, and their long life and cellular transdifferentiation, would Dan Heng's blood mixed with the sap given by the Ikorr to Solvunn have any additional helpful effects specifically beneficial to dragons? There is a lot more "dragon" in the High Elders than there are in the average Vidyadhara, which is why High Elders develop draconic features, and in some lore, are able to fully transforms into dragons themselves. (This would require IC assistance from other PCs to be achievable, though, because Dan Heng does not have the alchemic education to be able to create effective medicines.)

3. Assuming he is treated differently in Q1 up there, if Dan Heng were to seek to acquire a spear or a blade that can be turned into a spearhead by a skilled weaponsmith while in his undisguised Vidyadhara form, would the Draconae request payment in coin or be willing to barter for services or hard to obtain materials?

4. Actually, one more! Would the dragon hatchlings manage to vibe check him at all while he looks human?

[blackeyedprince]

I apologize in advance for the silliness of this question, but Kell has published his collection of romance stories - in two versions more tame for Thorne, and more steamy for Nott.

Given Draconae have books from Nocwich, is it possible they will have Kell's book too?

[familysucks]

Hello mods! A pair of questions:

1. The IC post notes the dragons seem to understand the Summoned, but can't communicate in return. Would characters with animal speech powers have any luck holding a conversation with them, or is not being able to speak part of their nature/current condition?

2. Do the shadow birds mimic the voices of the people in memories convincingly enough that someone familiar with them might recognize them? Does it vary between birds?

[falcony]

hi mods!!! since sam's wings are are heavily watched over by the free cities government, would he need to get approval to bring them with him to the nether?

[vixening]

hello mods! a couple of questions about alchemy, magic, and the search for the cure!

- JUST TO BE CLEAR, any healing potions using ikorr blood would count as a resource that belongs to thorne and therefore yennefer wouldn't be able to sneak any?

- while reading the basic alchemy books and such available in the alchemy labs in the dragon's glass, would yennefer notice anything different about the way the draconae study/use alchemy versus how its taught in thorne? (she would have heard rumors of low magic, but wouldn't necessarily be looking for evidence of such)

- does general healing magic at all help with the eggs/older dragons? and would the draconae have any issue with someone using their own healing magic to help the dragons?

Re: Questions

[techmaturgy]

If the prevailing theory is that the illness has been caused by the opening of the rifts, Viktor would want to share what he learned about the rifts with the Draconae with the hope that it would help them develop their cure. Would they be interested in this data, if volunteered?

And, perhaps more importantly, does the Free Cities consider this info private/would they be unhappy if he shared his findings?

[takeatrip]

Heya mods! ♥ Two basically unrelated questions but clearly equally important:

1. Speaking of connection to the Horizon, if Summoned are going into it while in their rooms, is there any concern about being noticed the way there is in the factions, or is this not an issue/too short a timeframe/they're not being paid that much attention to? I figured the latter but wanted to be sure.

2. Soooo little baby dragon Okenus can make personal rainclouds, and Jayden can do the same; would this be something that Okenus would enjoy seeing someone else able to do (alternatively Jayden can also do snow, if that matters), and/or would this attract any sort of attention overall?

[gynvael]

What does fishing actually look like in the Nether? Do they use rods or nets? Is there magic that keeps stuff from burning up? Or is it all spearfishing style?

[northerndragon]

Jon essentially smells good (like a friend, not a meal) to dragons and has the ability to bond with a single dragon (presumably from his own canon, which happens on a first ride).

Do the dragons here like him 5% more than they like people who aren't Targaryens (etc) or should his reception by the hatchlings be just about the same as anyone else's? (If it's anything special, I'm assuming it would not be by a huge amount, just "aw, it likes you!")

(Apologies for the pokiness of this question, but I've been a little sick and I'm just getting to things! Also apologies if this is mentioned on the event post itself. I did catch that the hatchlings are generally pretty interested in the Summoned overall.)

[ordinar]

This is a very silly question, but HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING could someone try to catch one of the little frogs that live in the magma pools and take it back to their faction with them?

Re: Questions

[the_keeper]

Hello, mods, question:

Once Sabine realizes how Singularity(/Very-Singularity)-Connected Summoned affected this new area (holding the healed space for those longer 1-2 minutes; the way the baby dragons cluster around to pester them more because of it)—

What would happen if she tried to use that connection to extend comfort & strength (the way she tries to do when the Singularity itself is distressed) to any of the adult dragons or weakened hatchling/weakened eggs? Basically, to try and sooth their suffering/help the dragons endure like the back-half of the events days in less pain, despair, etc, while everyone else is searching for ingredients & making the potions?

[thedevilwhorose]

Coming in here months later... In the Aetherie, left behind in any of the village homes, would there be any books tucked and left behind? Presumably they'd be... very weathered and hardly intact/legible but he's not worried about that. Just as long as they're not toxic lol.