abraxasooc | EVENT #19: OVERTHROW

Event #19 - OOC Plotting

Since the Summoned's arrival, territory leadership has gone relatively unchanged. While there have been rumblings of dissent in places like Nott or Libertas, nothing's escalated into open conflict. Of course, as characters discovered through their vision of a potential future, the world can't remain the same forever.

The weeks leading up to the events of JUNE 16 are deceptively quiet. Then everything changes.

The core aspects of the event will last 2 weeks in-game, but its effects will be felt long-term. Characters will be responding to a crisis that begins in Thorne and ripples outward into the Free Cities and Solvunn. It will all take place at roughly the same time at midnight.

We recommend you try to position your characters near or in the arrival city (Castle Thorne, Cadens, and the Primary Settlement) at the time of the event. While this is not required, characters may not have access to all participation or prompt options if they remain elsewhere. The storms can be a good excuse. Repairs or damage could temporarily displace them from their usual residence.

Jump to section

Upheaval ⦁ Objectives ⦁ Notes ⦁ Questions & Answers

Upheaval

The situation will unfold first in THORNE, but the other two territories will rapidly experience the ramifications. Characters will have only minutes to react when the crisis hits. The Summoned in each territory will have a set of unique conditions to deal with, but communicating across the Network and through the Horizon will be possible.

The situation will occur around midnight on JUNE 16 across all three territories.

For players who received a unique plot from us, you may use the details available to you through mod conversations to plot. If you need more information, please contact us!

Thorne – Takeover

Thorne's opening scenario will involve the following:

◎ Royal Guards will wake characters from their beds and urge them to come. They will hear sounds of fighting from the East Wing, where the royal family and court members are housed. The guards themselves will seem harried, agitated, and uncertain. This is unlike how they normally are.

◎ Castle staff like cooks, gardeners, and students will be caught up in the commotion and hurrying along with the guards, as well. If characters have thoughts of going another way, the crackling flames will likely discourage them. It seems the only path will be to flee with the rest of the castle's occupants.

◎ Guards will lead everyone down a long set of stairs towards a hidden and warded saferoom beneath the castle. Answers are in short supply. All anyone can say is that the Crown is under attack.

◎ When the warding's seal is disrupted, all those inside the saferoom will be trapped, with occupants on the outside unable to enter and no one inside able to exit.

The Free Cities – Ambush

The Free Cities' opening scenario will involve the following:

◎ A blaring siren will sound across Cadens. Anyone outside late at night will see a noxious cloud of pollen bloom in the distance towards the west...seemingly coming from Thorne across the Badlands.

◎ Soldiers and city guards will react the instant the alarm sounds and immediately evacuate the city. While soldiers are practiced at keeping things orderly, some chaos is inevitable.

◎ Women and children will be herded first through a portal to an underground bunker in Aquila. Characters will be informed that they are needed below ground, too, to help defend the vulnerable and mediate conflict, while soldiers are redirected to the front lines.

◎ Once underground, the bunker will be sealed off. Some locals will display symptoms of an aggressive illness that hardens the skin into a bark-like texture - a disease that the Free Cities has faced before. The infected will be quickly quarantined. Characters will appear immune - but will be cautioned to keep their distance.

Solvunn – Omen

Solvunn's opening scenario will involve the following:

◎ Shrill noises will split the air, the sound of hundreds of shrieking weeds bellowing from beneath the earth. The vibrations will cause the ground to tremble. Meanwhile, a thick fog rolls in around the edges of each Settlement and the lakes turn red.

◎ Elders will rouse the Primary Settlement, though the natives seem to understand what the commotion signifies: a warning from the Gods and the land itself. Sleeping Summoned will be woken up and told to dress quickly.

◎ Outside, the Council will have a portal that leads to an underground ritual site. Characters who ask will be assured that the Tertiary and Secondary Settlement have their own protective areas. Only the women, children, and elderly will be going.

◎ The ritual warding cannot be broken once characters enter, or else they risk compromising its protective force. The Council will ask everyone to assist with a series of rituals designed to determine what the situation outside is like. Characters will learn that Solvunn has eyes that reach further than one might expect for a peaceful commune.

Go to top ⇑

Objectives

The event will be divided into Week 1 and Week 2. The first week will require characters to work together while confined to a single location. The second week will have prompts that cover a wider section of activities. Week 2 will also involve a choice that characters can make, unique to each territory. Not every consequence of this choice will be immediately apparent, so players should decide what feels most in-character.

As always, there aren't any "right" answers or decisions to make, and characters won't be able to predict the far-reaching effects.

Week 1: Pinned Down

This portion of the event will last one week. In each territory scenario, characters will be trapped together in a specific location and cannot leave until the week is up. Their goal will be to manage resources, tend to wounded or frightened NPCs, and mediate conflict - all while trying to determine what's happening outside.

In addition to the above, each territory will have a unique element or two that characters will have to face.

◎ Thorne: Since the warding collapsed unexpectedly, characters will need to solve how to break open the warding and free themselves. They can use brute force, magic, or a combination but should be careful not to cause any spells or physical actions to backfire into the room. All efforts will contribute to the wards opening at the end of the week. We will not be moderating specific successes or failures.

◎ Free Cities: Characters will focus on the potential infection that's taken hold of some of the locals - including soldiers and guards. They'll need to mediate any related conflicts that arise, enforce quarantine, and provide treatment. The locals seem to know what the infection is. Not everyone will want to disclose their condition, and false accusations may fly. Characters can choose to root out who's hiding and how, and keep things calm.

◎ Solvunn: The earth's disturbance has caused large worms and large mole rats to converge on the underground ritual site. Bites from the worms will result in severe itching and irritation. While not dangerous for healthy adults, in young children and the elderly, it can lead to fatality. Meanwhile, eager to feast on the worms, the mole rats will damage food supplies. Characters can pool their efforts to keep the pests at bay and help determine who gets treatment for their bites.

Week 2: Consequences

This portion of the event will take place in Week 2. The ramifications of Thorne's takeover, the ambush on the Free Cities, and Solvunn's signs from the Gods will be ongoing. This includes cleanup, confronting exchanges of power, medical aid, restoration, and the usual. Characters will be able to participate in these types of tasks throughout Week 2 and beyond. The IC Event Log will offer prompts to guide you.

However, the second week will also see characters making a specific choice. While the immediate consequences will be clear to characters, and they may make their choice based on that, OOC, players should be aware that there will also be additional wider repercussions that characters may not be able to see coming.

The full details of each choice will be provided on the IC Event Log, and outcomes will be revealed during the Wrap-Up.

◎ Characters in Thorne will have to decide whether they take a route that is personally safe for them and their fellow Summoned, or one that is riskier but may help protect locals unaffiliated with the monarchy.

◎ Characters in the Free Cities will have to decide which military facility they help protect. While the facilities are under military jurisdiction, each one houses innocent civilians. Both options will equally require repair knowledge, healing, and physical strength, so characters of all skillsets can be useful in either scenario.

◎ Characters in Solvunn will have to decide which part of Solvunn they want to help secure. Each area contributes to a vital part of Solvunn's way of life.

The decision will not be based on an IC vote or verbal announcement. Instead, you'll determine where your character will go during Week 2, and that will count as the choice.

Go to top ⇑

Notes

Event Organization

Because characters will be in close proximity during parts of the event, the IC Event Log will contain a comment header divided by territory. Players can use this header to do rapid IC exchanges, similar to network spam but taking place in-person. This style of threading can be used for large group interactions where a formal log thread might not be feasible.

Threads done in this manner will count as a Network thread if submitting for Activity Check.

Event Schedule

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

The IN-GAME EVENT will ICly take place JUNE 16
The EVENT POST will go up JUNE 15 for players to participate in.
The WRAP-UP POST will go up JUNE 30 for players to view.

Plotting Form

You can use the plotting form below to make plans.

Go to top ⇑

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!

What if my character would refuse to go underground with everyone else or they want to take a different action during this section?: We recommend you find a way to have your character get there, whether they're convinced by their friends, become swept up in the chaos, or are pushed through a portal by someone tripping into them. Logistically, we simply can't accommodate multiple characters acting independently outside of the planned scenarios. If you'd like to ask us about circumstances that you think would help your character go from Point A to Point B, you are welcome to do so!
Can my character's influence and connections play a part?: Yes! If anything arises on the IC Event Log that you'd like to ask us about regarding speaking to NPCs and so forth, let us know. Please note any extended dialogue or meetings can only take place in Week 2. In Week 1, things will be happening too quickly to reach the leadership.
Can my character abstain from a choice?: Yes. IC, your character will be seen as either taking no action or taking action for both sides, which OOC disqualifies your vote. If you want to sway the outcome, you must decide.
My character has been developing their connection to the Singularity. Will that play a role here?: This event will take place solely in the physical realm, so the Singularity won't hold many answers. That being said, the Horizon will play an important role in connecting the Summoned since they'll be contained to their individual territories for all of it.
Will natives and NPCs notice if the Summoned enter the Horizon when trapped together underground?: Yes, if too many characters go into the Horizon too often for too long, the natives will notice that they all seem to be meditating for some reason. They will not know what characters are actually doing, however, but characters may still want to exercise some caution if they're the sort to do so.
Who is behind the takeover in Thorne?: That's a mystery! You'll find out on the IC Event Log. Characters themselves won't know until after the first week once they're released from the safe room.
My character has healing powers and/or they're a doctor. Can they play a larger role in curing the infection spreading in the Free Cities?: For now, this particular disease has no cure and won't for the foreseeable future. It's resistant to all forms of magic and healing. However, characters who are skilled in healing can help ease symptoms.
Will Solvunn be under threat, as well?: Solvunn is not an active target during the event, but will have a real reason to fear they might be next and act accordingly. No longer as neutral as they once were, Solvunn will begin to make its choices.

Go to top ⇑

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Character Name: Jacob Frye
Territory: Free Cities
Rank: 0

Opening Scenario: after a brief "what the FUCK" moment, he'll spring into action and focus on helping evacuate people, especially noncombatant civilians, especially if they're kids. he'll want to head to the front lines, but he's too wary of the military so he'll elect to stay with the civilians and keep them safe.

Week 1: he'll be trying to determine what's going on outside! which means he'll be asking a lot of questions. he'll also be attempting to mediate conflict because so many people in one place with a spreading disease is a powder keg and nobody wants it to explode. I'm pretty sure his Eagle Vision might come in handy, this is a question I'll be asking the mods.

Week 2: without the details, I can't say for certain what Jacob will do. I do know he'll focus on protecting civilians and backing up other Summoned—he's a fantastic fighter and pretty good at stealth when he wants to be.

General plans: open to anything! all of this is up in the air and I'll probably have a more solid idea what Jacob wants to do once the event log hits.

EVENT #19: OVERTHROW - OOC POST

no subject