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OCTOBER EVENT LOG
TRICK OR TREAT?
As Fall settles across the land, blanketing it in shed leaves and the start of frost, change is in the air.
The Starfallen are able to return home. The Guardian Alliance is putting forth a united front for the sake of the people, but beneath its polished surface a storm is raging. The Society is ever scheming, yet many of those schemes seem to be taking on an almost altruistic slant. And those unfortunate enough to be Unaligned are finding themselves maligned by the media, blamed for the misfortune that has occurred over the last year.
The crisp fall air feels charged. As if everyone is on the cusp of something new.
BOLDED & UNDERLINED text indicates a key piece of information. This is something players can interact with. Nothing within these events is firmly set in stone, and so feel free to get creative with these elements. You may also be able to investigate some of them after the event.
The Starfallen are able to return home. The Guardian Alliance is putting forth a united front for the sake of the people, but beneath its polished surface a storm is raging. The Society is ever scheming, yet many of those schemes seem to be taking on an almost altruistic slant. And those unfortunate enough to be Unaligned are finding themselves maligned by the media, blamed for the misfortune that has occurred over the last year.
The crisp fall air feels charged. As if everyone is on the cusp of something new.
BOLDED & UNDERLINED text indicates a key piece of information. This is something players can interact with. Nothing within these events is firmly set in stone, and so feel free to get creative with these elements. You may also be able to investigate some of them after the event.
HOME WE'LL GO; Central City
The formal call goes out early Monday morning. Dimensional travel has been restored, and after rigorous testing, they are not capable of doing it en masse. All off-world metahumans, or "starfallen" as the media has started to call them, can proceed to the Guardian Alliance headquarters and request a transport.
Perhaps you are a skeptic, here to see for yourself if they're telling the truth. Perhaps you're here to dissuade a friend or loved one from leaving... or perhaps you're checking out other prospects. Not everyone is so keen to return home. Regardless, the lobby is well stocked with snacks and food and people are oh so eager to talk about where they came from. Will you share the world you've come from as you wait to be seen?
This process involves a quick scan by Guild personnel to determine your universe of origin. A scan, or a spell, and they have it.
The portal itself is a marvel of technology and magic. It's a circular window into another world, radiating soft blue energy. They advise that you'll return to the moment you left, and if you need to take anything to avoid an untimely demise, they suggest you do so - but they cannot guarantee it will make the trip with you. They also state that people can opt to travel to a different world than their one of origin, however the person whose world they're going to must walk through the portal first to calibrate it. Staff will also provide a small emergency return device, in case their calculations are off.
At the start, the Guilds assert that this is a one-way trip. Once goodbyes are said, barring an emergency, you'll never see this place again. However two weeks in, they find this is not the case. It appears that the forces that brought you here won't let go so easily. All of the Starfallen return to this world, falling from the once more. The longest recorded stay reported is a mere fourteen days.
It appears that this is not over.
As a reminder:
➢ Characters will find themselves back in Meta after a max stay stay of two weeks.
➢ You will have to fill the form found HERE on the player plot post.
Perhaps you are a skeptic, here to see for yourself if they're telling the truth. Perhaps you're here to dissuade a friend or loved one from leaving... or perhaps you're checking out other prospects. Not everyone is so keen to return home. Regardless, the lobby is well stocked with snacks and food and people are oh so eager to talk about where they came from. Will you share the world you've come from as you wait to be seen?
This process involves a quick scan by Guild personnel to determine your universe of origin. A scan, or a spell, and they have it.
The portal itself is a marvel of technology and magic. It's a circular window into another world, radiating soft blue energy. They advise that you'll return to the moment you left, and if you need to take anything to avoid an untimely demise, they suggest you do so - but they cannot guarantee it will make the trip with you. They also state that people can opt to travel to a different world than their one of origin, however the person whose world they're going to must walk through the portal first to calibrate it. Staff will also provide a small emergency return device, in case their calculations are off.
At the start, the Guilds assert that this is a one-way trip. Once goodbyes are said, barring an emergency, you'll never see this place again. However two weeks in, they find this is not the case. It appears that the forces that brought you here won't let go so easily. All of the Starfallen return to this world, falling from the once more. The longest recorded stay reported is a mere fourteen days.
It appears that this is not over.
As a reminder:
➢ Characters will find themselves back in Meta after a max stay stay of two weeks.
➢ You will have to fill the form found HERE on the player plot post.
DO THE MONSTER MASH — SUNSET FALLS
The veil between the natural world and the supernatural grows thin as October stretches on. Excited whispers begin to sweep the streets of Sunset Falls, spreading tales of the occult and its growing power. Magic users may find their power feels ever stronger, while those with quiet potential may feel that spark come to life as the month goes on. This isn’t always a good thing - accidents happen to those who are inexperienced, after all, and not all forms of the occult are, ahem, friendly.
The street festival will go ahead as planned, though, as will trick or treating. The festival will begin in the early afternoon and finish well into the next morning - come costumed, come merry. Most of all, come prepared: some say that this old tradition began as a way to allow the town's more supernatural residents, and those who may slip through the boundaries between worlds, to enjoy themselves freely among their human neighbors for one special night.
The veil is thin, as it usually is, but it appears to be thinner still in the aftermath of the multiversal crisis of the months prior. Those who have contact with spirits, including people living in the haunted Guild lodgings, will hear from their dearly departed friends that things on the other side have grown disquiet.
Parts of the veil may be tearing - those with the senses for it can feel the misaligned energy slowly beginning to seep into the world of the living.
The tears begin slowly at the beginning of the month, and become more widespread as Halloween approaches. Most people can't tell they're happening. Anyone with the misfortune to cross paths with this energy will find themselves transformed. Characters will find themselves taking on the form of monsters, either one that they were already dressed up as or a random one. While this effect begins in Sunset Falls and is centralized there, it's possible for one or two stray wisps of energy to slip through in other locations and affect people there.
It's up to player discretion how extensive the changes are. These things affect everyone differently. Maybe one person just grows wolf ears while another becomes a full-blown werewolf. They can also be merely cosmetic, or extend to the mental as well. A character can look like a vampire without actually experiencing a thirst for blood... though others may not trust that this is the case, because some people are definitely becoming monsters in earnest.
Characters will transform back to their regular selves when October ends.
The street festival will go ahead as planned, though, as will trick or treating. The festival will begin in the early afternoon and finish well into the next morning - come costumed, come merry. Most of all, come prepared: some say that this old tradition began as a way to allow the town's more supernatural residents, and those who may slip through the boundaries between worlds, to enjoy themselves freely among their human neighbors for one special night.
The veil is thin, as it usually is, but it appears to be thinner still in the aftermath of the multiversal crisis of the months prior. Those who have contact with spirits, including people living in the haunted Guild lodgings, will hear from their dearly departed friends that things on the other side have grown disquiet.
Parts of the veil may be tearing - those with the senses for it can feel the misaligned energy slowly beginning to seep into the world of the living.
The tears begin slowly at the beginning of the month, and become more widespread as Halloween approaches. Most people can't tell they're happening. Anyone with the misfortune to cross paths with this energy will find themselves transformed. Characters will find themselves taking on the form of monsters, either one that they were already dressed up as or a random one. While this effect begins in Sunset Falls and is centralized there, it's possible for one or two stray wisps of energy to slip through in other locations and affect people there.
It's up to player discretion how extensive the changes are. These things affect everyone differently. Maybe one person just grows wolf ears while another becomes a full-blown werewolf. They can also be merely cosmetic, or extend to the mental as well. A character can look like a vampire without actually experiencing a thirst for blood... though others may not trust that this is the case, because some people are definitely becoming monsters in earnest.
Characters will transform back to their regular selves when October ends.
THE REALM OF THE DEAD.
Founded on the crux of several leylines, Sunset Falls has always been a magnet for the fantastical and otherworldly. Yet it was not truly cursed until a highschool was built atop its very weakest point. The one most closely connected to the underworld. A hundred years of frenzied teenaged emotions, an ambitious cult, and skyrocketing metaengeries formed a pit known only as a Hellmouth.
As the citizens are besieged by costumes made flesh, those determined to hunt the source will find the trail of energy leads them to the heart of the city. Beneath the floorboards of the basement in the school, a pit yawns wide. The energy radiating from it is like a frigid blast, touching it chills you to your very core. Yet it is that which makes you feel certain that this is the cause of the chaos.
Do you lower yourself into the pit? Or do you turn and advocate for caution?
The drop is miles deep, yet feels like only a short jump. Above you are a set of magnificent doors, unconnected to anything. Curled in front of them is the mighty Cerberus. The beast is fast asleep.
What will you do? Do you creep by? Perhaps you know him from his last venture to the surface and approach, eager to wake him from his slumber and see if he still recalls you. Or perhaps you woke up today and choose violence, opting to simply bang pots and pangs together to startle him awake and into frenzy.
Regardless of approach, it’s clear that the problem is not easily solved. Mending the cracks in the gate with any traditional means doesn’t solve it. Any spells cast won’t hold it for long. You’ll need to go deeper.
The River Styx is where your journey begins. The waves lapping against the shore curl like pale fingers, and with a sudden chilling jolt you realize that’s not metaphor. There is an ocean of souls flowing through the river, and they reach for you. A skeletal ferryman watches you from the docks. If you choose to approach him, he holds his hand out for payment. Have you the coin to pay the ferryman? Or are you now left to your own devices, needing to find your own way across? Those that fall into its waters rarely leave - they’ll find themselves dragged down into its depths. Hopefully you’ve got a friend along to help pull you out, because Charon’s not so helpfully inclined.
However you managed to get by, the first place you’ll find yourself is in Elysium. You’re not certain when the cave above your head transitioned into a bright blue sky, but it did. The cold stone gives way to lush greenery. All heroes rest and relive their greatest victories in this land, feasting upon the triumphs of their lives. Elysium is the most tranquil of the Underworlds realms, built to honour the fallen heroes of yore. Some of its denizens may challenge you as you attempt to make your way through. Every day there are contests of strength and agility, and the heroes will goad you into joining them. They may also grab you and throw you up onto the podium, demanding that you tell your greatest tale to the captive audience.
Asphodel is where the souls of the ordinary reside. Its structure is a kaleidoscope, shifting between time periods as you walk its streets. Castles and cobblestone streets give way to highrises and pavement. The denizens here are common folk. Not heroes, not villains, but the mortal. The souls here are eager to share who they once were, what they once loved, though they are slowly losing their shape. Giving bits and pieces of themselves away each time they tell a tale. Stop here and listen, find yourself transformed. If you opt to share your own stories, you’ll find your outlines beginning to blur. Are these your memories, or your neighbors? Who are you? Who were you? Share too much and you’ll be woven into this tapestry, all you are merged with all there ever was.
It’s only natural to lose yourself in these edges.The River Lethe serves as a natural border between Asphodel and the next realm, Tartarus, the waters of the Lethe are dark and oddly sweet-smelling. It might be tempting to take a drink. You’re so thirsty after having come this far, aren’t you? Wouldn’t a sip be nice! Yet a touch of the water to your lips is enough to erase a day of your life. The more water consumed, the more slips away. What is your name? What was your purpose here?
If you have forged this far into the land of the dead, the final leg of your journey is through Tartarus. Guarded by the Furies, those who linger are easily mistaken for just another soul sentenced to toil for eternity. However, the nature of this place may have a negative effect on those already touched by the Underworld; people who have already experienced monster transformations may find themselves driven further into a monstrous state of mind, desiring to join the Furies in punishing the evil souls who reside here - though they, too, may not always be able to distinguish between those souls and those of travellers. Are you one of the frenzied beasts? Is your mind addled with the waters of Lethe? Is your soul blurred due to how much you’d given to the hungry souls? Your ego bloated from the applause of heroes?
This is the hardest test.
Should you manage to make it to his throne room, you will find Hades awaiting you. The God of the Underworld is a well-dressed older man. Tired, as someone is always dying. They are not always his to claim, but there’s still paperwork to process regardless. He is plainly surprised to see any travellers from the world of the living, but he is polite about the intrusion. In his estimation, anyone who’s traversed the underworld on foot has earned some respect. He’ll talk and answer any questions you may have, and provide you a place to sit down and rest a while - though he will not offer any food or drink. That would bind you to this place, after all, and quite frankly he doesn't want you sticking around that long.
Hades is also capable of lifting effects from your journeys, if you have any companions who got a little lost in the Lethe or Tartarus. But for a service like that, the God asks for an offering. It’s nothing too dramatic. Your soul is yours to keep - he can’t claim what didn’t originate here, what didn’t die believing firmly in him. But it can get very dull down here, managing the affairs of the dead, and it seems he’s already heard tales of the lost souls of other worlds who’ve wandered into this one. He’s intrigued. A story of your home and your travels will often suffice. Tell him of life and death in the world you hail from.
Time in the heart of his kingdom is funny. There is no linearity to the conversations had with Hades. All can happen simultaneously. The result is the same, of course: he will see to fixing the cracks. But the journey you take to get him there is entirely up to you. Do you threaten? Charm? Attempt to wound his Godly pride? Bid him to make you his paladin, so you may usher new death to your foes?
Go on. He’s listening.
As the citizens are besieged by costumes made flesh, those determined to hunt the source will find the trail of energy leads them to the heart of the city. Beneath the floorboards of the basement in the school, a pit yawns wide. The energy radiating from it is like a frigid blast, touching it chills you to your very core. Yet it is that which makes you feel certain that this is the cause of the chaos.
Do you lower yourself into the pit? Or do you turn and advocate for caution?
The drop is miles deep, yet feels like only a short jump. Above you are a set of magnificent doors, unconnected to anything. Curled in front of them is the mighty Cerberus. The beast is fast asleep.
What will you do? Do you creep by? Perhaps you know him from his last venture to the surface and approach, eager to wake him from his slumber and see if he still recalls you. Or perhaps you woke up today and choose violence, opting to simply bang pots and pangs together to startle him awake and into frenzy.
Regardless of approach, it’s clear that the problem is not easily solved. Mending the cracks in the gate with any traditional means doesn’t solve it. Any spells cast won’t hold it for long. You’ll need to go deeper.
The River Styx is where your journey begins. The waves lapping against the shore curl like pale fingers, and with a sudden chilling jolt you realize that’s not metaphor. There is an ocean of souls flowing through the river, and they reach for you. A skeletal ferryman watches you from the docks. If you choose to approach him, he holds his hand out for payment. Have you the coin to pay the ferryman? Or are you now left to your own devices, needing to find your own way across? Those that fall into its waters rarely leave - they’ll find themselves dragged down into its depths. Hopefully you’ve got a friend along to help pull you out, because Charon’s not so helpfully inclined.
However you managed to get by, the first place you’ll find yourself is in Elysium. You’re not certain when the cave above your head transitioned into a bright blue sky, but it did. The cold stone gives way to lush greenery. All heroes rest and relive their greatest victories in this land, feasting upon the triumphs of their lives. Elysium is the most tranquil of the Underworlds realms, built to honour the fallen heroes of yore. Some of its denizens may challenge you as you attempt to make your way through. Every day there are contests of strength and agility, and the heroes will goad you into joining them. They may also grab you and throw you up onto the podium, demanding that you tell your greatest tale to the captive audience.
Asphodel is where the souls of the ordinary reside. Its structure is a kaleidoscope, shifting between time periods as you walk its streets. Castles and cobblestone streets give way to highrises and pavement. The denizens here are common folk. Not heroes, not villains, but the mortal. The souls here are eager to share who they once were, what they once loved, though they are slowly losing their shape. Giving bits and pieces of themselves away each time they tell a tale. Stop here and listen, find yourself transformed. If you opt to share your own stories, you’ll find your outlines beginning to blur. Are these your memories, or your neighbors? Who are you? Who were you? Share too much and you’ll be woven into this tapestry, all you are merged with all there ever was.
It’s only natural to lose yourself in these edges.The River Lethe serves as a natural border between Asphodel and the next realm, Tartarus, the waters of the Lethe are dark and oddly sweet-smelling. It might be tempting to take a drink. You’re so thirsty after having come this far, aren’t you? Wouldn’t a sip be nice! Yet a touch of the water to your lips is enough to erase a day of your life. The more water consumed, the more slips away. What is your name? What was your purpose here?
If you have forged this far into the land of the dead, the final leg of your journey is through Tartarus. Guarded by the Furies, those who linger are easily mistaken for just another soul sentenced to toil for eternity. However, the nature of this place may have a negative effect on those already touched by the Underworld; people who have already experienced monster transformations may find themselves driven further into a monstrous state of mind, desiring to join the Furies in punishing the evil souls who reside here - though they, too, may not always be able to distinguish between those souls and those of travellers. Are you one of the frenzied beasts? Is your mind addled with the waters of Lethe? Is your soul blurred due to how much you’d given to the hungry souls? Your ego bloated from the applause of heroes?
This is the hardest test.
Should you manage to make it to his throne room, you will find Hades awaiting you. The God of the Underworld is a well-dressed older man. Tired, as someone is always dying. They are not always his to claim, but there’s still paperwork to process regardless. He is plainly surprised to see any travellers from the world of the living, but he is polite about the intrusion. In his estimation, anyone who’s traversed the underworld on foot has earned some respect. He’ll talk and answer any questions you may have, and provide you a place to sit down and rest a while - though he will not offer any food or drink. That would bind you to this place, after all, and quite frankly he doesn't want you sticking around that long.
Hades is also capable of lifting effects from your journeys, if you have any companions who got a little lost in the Lethe or Tartarus. But for a service like that, the God asks for an offering. It’s nothing too dramatic. Your soul is yours to keep - he can’t claim what didn’t originate here, what didn’t die believing firmly in him. But it can get very dull down here, managing the affairs of the dead, and it seems he’s already heard tales of the lost souls of other worlds who’ve wandered into this one. He’s intrigued. A story of your home and your travels will often suffice. Tell him of life and death in the world you hail from.
Time in the heart of his kingdom is funny. There is no linearity to the conversations had with Hades. All can happen simultaneously. The result is the same, of course: he will see to fixing the cracks. But the journey you take to get him there is entirely up to you. Do you threaten? Charm? Attempt to wound his Godly pride? Bid him to make you his paladin, so you may usher new death to your foes?
Go on. He’s listening.
IN SUMMARY...
- Characters will start to go home, but will find themselves back within fourteen days.
- A fix will begin being researched, but until then trips home are not permenant.
- Monster transformations will begin around Sunset Falls and may spread further afield.
- Characters can travel into the Hellmouth to ask for an audience with Hades, but will face a perilous journey on their way there.
- All will return relatively to normal by early to mid November.
Please note that replies from Hades NPC's will be delayed until Sunday 10/23.