Entries tagged with september

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EVENT LOG: FRIENDS INDEED

Who: Everyone!
What: The event mingle for the Friends, Indeed event.
When: Day 546 & 547
Where: Anywhere in town!
Rating: PG-13 tops! If it gets worse, move to a private log please.

DAY 546 (Nov 26-27): A message will arrive at the gates that more reinforcements from other cities are on the way. The death of the Frost Giants' queen has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the world -- not in small because it also means that the prophecy following Ragnarok can no longer happen as foretold. Unable to sit back and rely on fate now, groups of varying sizes from all over begin to arrive. First come scholars and medics from Vanaheim, followed by a ragtag but enthusiastic militia from Salt Side and other nearby villages, followed still by a military force of gruff and grumpy dwarves from Svartalfheim bringing with them a vast and diverse array of weapons to share.

They set up their semi-permanent camps outside the gates of the city - though many of them can be frequently found inside of the city too, and for the most part these new allies seem ready to learn about and contribute to whatever resources Asgard and its Travelers have already. Everyone in the camp seems to be prepared to stay there until the war for Yggdrasil is over, and especially so now: it's anyone's guess how Surt will react with Thiazi now permanently out of play.
DAY 547 (Nov 28-29): On the morning of Day 547, every character with a bracelet will receive an invite from Freyr to come the courtyard of the castle at nightfall. The ice will be completely cleared from it, and a few magically tended bonfires will provide a gentle, radiating heat that keeps most of the area comfortably warm. As some of the castle's maids pass out snacks and hot cocoa in warm mugs, he will give a short speech to and then makes a small request of those who arrive.

[ This is the mingle log for the Friends, Indeed event. Please include your location and the IC day in your top-level comment or your subject line when starting a thread! ]

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EVENT LOG: FEAR ITSELF

Who: EVERYONE
What: the Fear Itself mingle log
When: Day 528-531 ( Oct. 21-28 )
Where: all across the city!
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 528 ( Oct. 21/22 ): Not wasting a moment, Odin, Hel, and Heimdall will set out for Ginnungagap once again before dawn and the other gods will stand vigil at the city gates. The natives will filter into the streets, curious for all that news of Tyr's very existence is eye-opening for them and reverent for the prospect of a new deity among them. They will pass around candles to any that want one to hold lit for their patrons until the sunlight is high enough to blow the flames out, and then they will mill around seeking comfort in anyone around them, whether to give it or receive it in this strange time between hope and grieving.

By noon, a great rumbling will crackle across the sky like the beginnings of thunder, despite the thinly clouded skies. The air will grow heavy and acrid, almost choking to breathe, as a pressure builds across the city and across the land. Just as it begins to reach painful levels, the rumbling will finally crack as one stroke of lightning spiderwebs to fill the entire sky, backlit by the distant sound of a woman shrieking in pain or anger or agony. The scream dies down just as the light fades and the sky shifts back into blue, the clouds scattered and the pressure lifted. Either the storm has past, or it has just begun; there's no telling for now.

A few hours after that, a strong wave will wash over the city, rustling plants and loose materials, and the Travellers will feel their hearts pounding once too hard, near painfully as though they've just received a severe fright. It's similar to what happened when Freyr was resurrected, but stronger and twisted into something uncomfortable, almost nauseating. The feeling will pass in the next heartbeat and just before sundown, the three gods will return from their voyage to Ginnungagap; this time, bandages will be wrapped around Odin's head and covering his left eye, and his right middle finger will be missing to the knuckle, same as his left index when they returned from resurrecting Freyr. They will make way directly to the castle and the other gods will filter in behind them, so be sure to grab them quickly if you have any desire to speak to them before the coming storm.

By dusk, the Travellers will begin to feel a creeping sense of paranoia, as though there's someone watching them from nearby and flickering out of sight just before they can turn around to catch them in the act. Over the course of the evening, the paranoia will bud into a headache and an itch at the back of their minds, like a thought they can't shake but can't reach either. By twilight, they will start to hear indistinct whispers not unlike the start of the Dream a Little Dream event, but the name of this game is hallucinations.

This first night will begin with auditory hallucinations: as the Travellers attempt to prepare for sleep ( or after long enough of not sleeping ), the whispering a will morph into crisp, clear voices that might sound as though they're speaking over your shoulder or from behind the couch or maybe it's simply inside your head. The voices can be male or female, familiar or stranger, one or a dozen, it doesn't really matter. What matters is what they say. For this stage of the curse, you will hear these voices speaking your character's fear(s) aloud, almost taunting or goading in the clear spelling of them. The auditory hallucinations will not cease at any point throughout the night and may continue on throughout the rest of the event as you please!
Day 529 ( Oct. 23/24 ): Morning brings no relief from the strange sounds, and as the Travellers go about their day, the curse will evolve into visual hallucinations. They will imagine seeing the very thing(s) they fear happening right before their eyes, despite the fact that no such thing is happening at all. It will be like a waking dream, wherein they are conscious and aware but perceiving a different reality built around their innermost fears coming into fruition. Other characters and NPCs can be involved in these hallucinations, but they will not actually be happening; physical contact or very strong words might be able to snap someone out of their visions, or they might further fuel it. Feel free to play around with this. These hallucinations can happen as frequently / last for as long or as short / cycle between fears as you'd like, and can continue to happen until the end of the event.

The general paranoia and unease will continue to grow and the day will pass under constant headaches, like an unceasing pressure inside their heads that follows them around and flares up during any hallucinations. They will begin to feel uncomfortable in their own skin, almost dysphoric with the vague impression that something is wrong and that they themselves might just be the very thing that doesn't fit. Paired with the hallucinations of their fears coming to life, tensions will be running high and even the natives will be affected, keeping to themselves until whatever this is might pass.
Day 530 ( Oct. 25/26 ): By this day, the curse will advance to physical hallucinations. What this means is that your character's fear(s) will begin to manifest in real time, no longer a trick of the imagination but a tangible embodiment of their deep rooted fears. They will be able to interact with their imagined reality, and the hallucinations will interact right back; those witnessing your character's hallucinating will only see the character talking to air, but coming in physical contact with them will absorb them into the hallucination as well. This can be a means of breaking through the episode, or further fueling the delusion.

At this stage, the hallucinations will take on a strength of their own, and they will play to your character's fear(s) to try and draw them deeper into the delusion. They will try to convince you that this is reality, that there is no escape, and that you will end your days shrouded in this fear. These hallucinations can kill your character! They are physical, which means that even if other people can't see them, your character will very much feel the weight of them if they attack or draw you into them.
Day 531 ( Oct. 27/28 ): For the last day of this event, the curse will all come together to result in catatonic hallucinations. This stage is simple: your character will be awake but inert, incapable of moving or seeing past their delusions. They will be forced to watch their fears overwhelm them without any means of snapping out of it by themselves. If your character succumbs to this level of the curse, the only way to break the hallucination will be for someone else to talk them out of it. Again, more on this in the plot notes, as this curse is fairly complicated!

While the majority of the city is either comatose or fighting off ghosts, another wave of energy will pass through the city exactly as it had at the start of the event just before sundown. Plantlife will violently begin blooming, leaves and petals bursting into the wind and carrying across the entire city - and immediately afterwards, they will wither within seconds, shrivelling up and dying on the spot. Vines will rapidly start encroaching across the sides of buildings and across yards, thick tendrils attempting to overtake any available soil and the area around it. Rain will pick up as the city starts to feel lost beneath the general theme of decay, and as the sun is setting, a new face will be seen walking through the Gate of Fire.

Vines will sprout from his footsteps as he sweeps slowly into the city as though in a daze, the storm following him and increasing in strength the further he comes into the city. Travellers can attempt to approach him, but he will be wholly non-responsive, and the pressure in their heads from the curse's headaches will increase the closer they get to him until it becomes debilitating within arm's length.

His path will head in the direction of the castle, but before he makes even halfway there, Loki will be seen running through the streets ( followed closely behind by Thor and Heimdall ) directly towards the new arrival. He will not stop for anything, and anyone in the vicinity at the time can see him use the full force of his running start to punch this frightful stranger in the face. The blow will send him flying a few fair feet, where he will lay prone and unconscious; at this point, the curse will stop, and the three gods will drag the body into the castle without a word. Explanations will have to wait For now, there's some cleaning up to do.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Fear Itself event! NPCs will be available for interaction on the first day in the log header below. Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] along with the time/location of your character in the title of your comment. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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EVENT LOG: ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Who: EVERYONE going to Utgard to gather supplies ~~or get curse-drunk~~
What: the All In This Together mingle log
When: Days 521-522 ( Oct. 7-10 )
Where: Asgard, Utgard, and the road between
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 521 ( Oct. 7/8 ): Early in the morning, a large caravan will be preparing to make way to Utgard for the biggest supply haul Asgard's seen in many many years. The city has been hurting under the shortages and there's a lot to make up for, so the natives will happily and gratefully enlist the assistance of any of the Travellers willing to go with them. The Supplies Coordinators in particular will be organising the wagons by demand, assigning each one with a specific task to make sure that everything they need is purchased. This will take a few hours of coordination and accepting assignments, so work together to form groups and hop onboard for a two-day trip to Utgard.

It's a half-day ride, and the going will be somewhat rough. The ice demolition only cleared enough of the blockade to allow travel; they couldn't get rid of the ice in its entirety, so the caravan will be moving through a long hallway of rough, jagged black ice. It will chill the air, unsettle the horses as well as the natives themselves, and in the eerie silence, the Travellers might be able to hear more indistinct whispering that seems to surround them as they move onward. Touching the ice is still dangerous, so be careful and hold tight until you reach the other side.

Before you can even get started on their mission for supplies, however, the caravan will arrive to find Utgard alive with explosive celebration. The Utgard natives are ceaselessly grateful for the clearing of the ice, and will greet the caravan with bright lights, banners, streamers, confetti, and countless other decorations littering the streets with joviality. As the Travellers step out of their wagons, the natives will be handing them handmade trinkets of gratitude - necklaces, bracelets, masks, even silly hats or capes. These items can be themed in any way you want them to be, or you can have an amalgamated costume of a dozen different things, as the natives won't be any means of conservative in the gifts they shower upon the Travellers.

Among those gifts are booths of free food and drink lining the streets. Be cautious of one in particular, though: the natives seem to favour a certain drink that comes in an endless variety of colours and moves in glowing swirls within their glasses like living galaxies in motion. These drinks will taste different for everyone, calling to mind their favourite flavours that might change from sip to sip, but the effects will be the same. About a half hour after the first drink, people will begin to feel light and bubbly, like the beginnings of being drunk even though the drink itself isn't actually alcoholic in nature, but it will quickly devolve into tactile inclinations ( wanting to touch everything and everyone ) as well as a little bit of character impressions. The partiers will find themselves entranced by bits and pieces of their costumes and start emulating them, acting out the part of whichever character ( or characters! ) they're dressed as.

The curse will wear off as soon as the affected goes to sleep, but the celebration of the Travellers and the reuniting of Asgard and Utgard will go into the early hours of the morning. Everyone will be given a room to stay in in one of Utgard's finer hotels if they manage to make it up to their room!
Day 522 ( Oct. 9/10 ): The next day, businesses will be opening up as the streets are being cleaned of the previous day's festivities. Operating will be sluggish, however, as even the natives are recovering from the evening. Loud noises and the bright sun will be horribly offensive and sales might even be eased along by any offers of helping ease the aches and pains of the nightlong celebration. It'll be slow going gathering all of the necessary supplies, but once it's all packed into the caravan, the Asgard natives will insist upon leaving as soon as possible. Not that they didn't enjoy the festivities, but - well. All good things in moderation, and they still have a long ride back through the black ice channel. Take plenty of water with you!

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the All In This Together event! Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] along with the time and location in the title of your comment. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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Breaking the Ice (WIDE OPEN)

Who: Anyone Sick of a gigantic Ice-cicle on our front porch who wants to hep out!
What: Removing the Corrupted Ice
When: d513 and onward
Where: The Viscinity of the Gate of Fire and surrounding areas
Rating: Keep it PG

( Anyone bring the vodka? )

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[OPEN] If I were someone else...

Who: The Eleventh Doctor, various castmates and CR and people aka you
What: Eleven is cursed! And very different.
When: Day 511 to 513
Where: All over
Rating: PG for now, will update as needed

((OOC: The actual action will be in threads below. If you want to do something feel free to contact me! AIM @ thetossedone,

Tossino or just PM this journal. There will eventually be an open thread or two with scenarios for you to throw your muse at, I hope, but we'll see if I think of any today or not.

Or you could just make up your own scenario! I'll roll with it if I can, and poke you if I can't.))

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EVENT LOG: LITTLE PIG, LITTLE PIG

Who: EVERYONE
What: the Little Pig, Little Pig mingle log
When: Days 508-509 ( Sept. 11-14 )
Where: all across the city!
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 508 ( Sept. 11/12 ): Towards sundown, a sudden windstorm will pick up within the city walls, not strong enough to lift large objects but enough to send open doors rattling and possibly blow over any unsecured carts. Two dead animals will fall from seemingly nowhere into the Sigyn district: dragons, from the looks of it, but the colour bleeds from them like ink alongside real blood. They were Drawn to Life to seek out the real dragons in Yggdrasil, and seconds after their abrupt appearance, a red one will come crashing into the city walls - literally.

Debris will tumble into the city as its massive claws dig into the stonework and it will bark out its anger, saying "The audacity of such pathetic creatures, to involve my kin in your petty affairs. Perhaps it is high time you submit to your fate". The words can be heard clearly regardless of where you might be in the city, and after it has spoken, it will immediately begin attacking. Breathing fire into the city, beating its wings to send strong gusts of wind through the streets, and outright making grabs at people and animals as it flies over the city, this dragon is not pleased and aims to do some damage.

Fortunately, the attack won't last much longer than a couple of hours, as a second blue dragon appears barrelling into the first one. This new dragon can be heard telling the first to cool its jets to no avail; they'll continue to grapple with each other over the city, leaving Asgard to deal with the odd gust of wind or burst of fire as collateral damage.

As per the player poll, the Travellers will largely be attempting to help the second dragon wrangle the first. Though the House Powers will not work directly on the dragons ( one couldn't, say, Charm the dragon or use Fire Magic to manipulate the dragon's flames ), working together to combine the various Powers, runic arrays, and potions will assist in at least pushing back against the dragon until it's backed into a corner. Please continue to use this post to plot with each other on how to approach this!

There was also a decent amount of votes towards simply bunkering down during the struggle, so the Emergency Response Team, the Military, Medics, and any other available hands should try working together to help get the natives and any Travellers not involving themselves in the fighting to safety. There will be fires to extinguish, layers of debris to avoid and move through, and most importantly, Longtoothed Reinhares to carry to safety!

Both efforts will be largely a success, with the unruly dragon being caught and the damage to the city kept at a relative minimum. Near to the end of the struggle, a third and final bronze dragon will arrive to give one booming roar that echoes across the city and rattles windows in their frames; in the dragon tongue, it is simply 'Enough'. From there, all three dragons will take residence in Gefion Park and tell the Travellers to return to them tomorrow morning.
Day 509 ( Sept. 13/14 ): The summit with the dragons will be largely peaceful, as the Travellers elected for the least offensive measures possible. The red dragon will be tame under the scorn of its kin, embarrassed for being caught by mortals and humbled by the presence of an elder. The bronze dragon will lead the discussion by commending the Travellers' efforts and inviting them to speak their bid for alliance in the war; their messages were received, but they still need convinced. This will basically function as a Q&A with the dragons, so there will be a top-level thread for interactions with each of them as the Travellers try to sway them to their side.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the event conclusion and mingle log for the Little Pig, Little Pig event! We will be attempting to NPC the dragons for you, but please do pay in mind that our time is limited and we may keep threads short just to make sure everyone that wants one gets a chance to interact with the dragons. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in advance! Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] along with the time and location in the title of your comment. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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Seeking Truth [Active - OPEN]

Who: Maribelle, Tohru Adachi, Seimei Aoyagi, The Fourth Doctor, Soushi Miketsukami, Kirigiri Kyouko, and Naoto Shirogane. Also, any questioning volunteers, witnesses, and people who want to meet and talk after!
What: The questioning begins.
When: D504, morning - afternoon
Where: Everyday Sunshine in the Sigyn District
Rating: G for now.

They were ready. They'd discussed their process earlier, gathered ideas and chosen their partners, and now it was time to properly get to work. They'd all arrived at the Everyday Sunshine building bright and early, and after placing a sign-in sheet for the volunteers, went into their assigned spaces. Each volunteer was allowed a witness, if they so chose, and there were breaks scheduled at regular intervals so that those with special abilities could rest and recharge as much as possible.

Now, all they had to do was wait.

Room 1: Adachi and Maribelle [OPEN]
Room 2: Seimei and Soushi [OPEN]
Room 3: The Fourth Doctor [OPEN]
Room 4: Kirigiri and Naoto [OPEN]
After: The Sigyn District [OPEN]

[ooc: Everyone is available for questioning in their individual threads. Volunteers can go in a thread of their own by responding to a comment by the investigators so they don't have to thread hop. Also, please try to spread out volunteers between the questioners, so we have less chance of power drain. Thanks! ♥]

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[OPEN] engineers doing engineering things and other people too

Who: Engineers! City Patrol! Other observant folks or misdials, idk come up with a reason to be there if you want!
What: Outside-of-the-city defense systems?! Yup.
When: Day 476, morning
Where: Just outside Asgard, on the other side of the wall.
Rating: PG-13..?

( NO SERIOUSLY COME MINGLE AND PUT UP THINGS TO PROTECT THE CITY )

(( OOC: The devices being mounted on and around the wall are electric and laser based. If your character wants to mount defenses of their own they must be mod approved and please mention it to me so I can add it to the [WORKING ON IT, I'LL EDIT IT IN] ooc info post for reference. Thanks! ))

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EVENT LOG: GOOD GOD, Y'ALL

Who: EVERYONE
What: the Good God, Y'all mingle log.
When: Days 461-462 ( June 9-12 )
Where: the castle courtyard
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 461 ( June 9/10 ): When the Travellers wake up, they will find a message sent to every bracelet in the city:
As per the agreement between the gods and their Travellers, all persons within Asgard are humbly requested at the castle courtyard for enlistment in the Holy City's war efforts. Every individual is invited to find their resolve and seek out their purpose; this is the final stand in Ragnarok, and your help is needed now more than ever.

Enlistment is mandatory! Please see your local officials for more information.
A friendly if not a touch formal invitation to what will essentially be Asgard's job fair! A mandatory job fair. This is why we can't have nice things.

The castle courtyard and the streets leading into it will be crowded with bustling natives and several booths, not uncommon in appearance to the many festivals they've had over the last two years. This time, however, there is no music or celebration to be had. Everyone is hard at work organising their efforts for the war and doing their level best to assist in the transition.
Day 462 ( June 11/12 ): The fair will continue for two days, to give everyone time to get down there and make their decisions. Anyone that hasn't signed up by the end of this day will be visited at home by a city rep and a few guards that will politely ask them to register for a group and weaponry if they plan to carry it. Refusal will land them in jail for the day, where they will still be politely asked to please, seriously, just pick something. Anything. Uncle Odin wants you.

At the end of the fair, there will be food and drinks to thank the Travellers for their support and cooperation. Throughout the entirety of the event and for the rest of their stay, the natives will be more reverent and grateful than ever than the Travellers have chosen to stay and fight at their side. They will do anything they can to help them win this war; this evening will be one of camaraderie and appreciation for the past, present, and future sacrifices to save the World Tree.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Good God, Y'all event. Remember that all characters must be signed up for at least one group by June 12. Information on the currently established groups can be found here; sign-ups are in the comments section on the same post. Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] along with the time/location in the title of your comment. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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Dead Like Me

Who: Annie Sawyer and ALL YOU DEAD PEOPLE!
What: Annie is a little annoyed about this cut-rate version of ghostliness, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to help those newer to the ghost lifestyle get their bearings.
When: Days 446-449 (essentially during Weeks 3 and 4 of the event)
Where: All over Asgard
Rating: PG13 at the most

( Bring out yer dead! )

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OPT-OUT EVENT LOG: SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, WEEKS ONE AND TWO

The volunteers from the LOCUSTS! event last month found in Odin's office endless research into Ginnungagap and a handwritten note from the King prior to his collapse. All arrows are pointing in the direction of the sacred canyon, and so it is that the Travellers will be initiating their own investigation into whatever Odin believes may be down there. It will be done without the eyes of the gods, however, so the trip will be a dangerous one without a map to lead the way and there may be many unforeseen obstacles along the way.

Day 441 ( April 30/May 1 ): As per the whispers on the street, the Travellers that've decided to go on this trip will meet up in the earliest hours of Day 441 at the Gate of Fire. Pack and prepare for a long haul, as this one will be a difficult journey. Any of those that went on the Down This Road opt-out event may want to offer up their memories as a vague guide into the canyon, but either way - without the guidance of the gods, making it to Ginnungagap safely will be nigh impossible.

After the Travellers sneak their way out of Asgard, they will make way towards the canyon to the east. Travel will be slow and difficult, particularly in moving through the forests that have been ravaged by the recent flooding. When they make camp for the evening, they will suffer the same strange sensations as those in Asgard just before 11PM: they will simultaneously feel a flicker in their bodies, like a missed heartbeat or a cut-off breath. Those in Freyr house that were present for the god's death and those that were present for the Friendly Fire event will recognise the sensation; it will happen twice more before one final blip. In that moment, everyone will essentially have a minor blackout: their vision will fade, their bodies will freeze, and there will be an internal sensation of dropping.

After this, the Travellers outside of the city will feel something of a drag towards Ginnungagap. It will feel like an outside force beckoning them inward, to someplace they belong. The compulsion will be relatively easy to overcome, but it will linger all throughout their journey through the depths of Yggdrasil.
Day 443 ( May 4/5 ): Approaching the border between Asgard and Ginnungagap will bring the Travellers closer to the Fire Giants' kingdom of Muspellheim. From this distance, they will just barely be able to make out the great volcano, still lit at its peak, and a heavy black cloud that lingers over most of the kingdom. In this area, it may behoove them to keep an eye out for Giant patrols and pockets of defects from Surt's ranks, all seeking safe ground somewhere in the relatively neutral territory of Ginnungagap. They will be volatile and attack upon sight, but no groups will be any larger than five, maybe six at most.

As they sneak and fight their way across the plains, they will find that Ginnungagap is sparsely littered with old trees and short, soft grass on the outskirts of the canyon, streams flowing from varying mountain peaks into the vast space below; deeper within, it is sheer rock and sharp edges that are harsh and unyielding. If one were to look at it from above, they might think someone stabbed a knife into solid stone and carved out a jagged wound, and so it is moving through the canyon itself, where one false step can lead to certain and painful death.

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EVENT LOG: ALMOST USEFUL

Who: EVERYONE
What: the Almost Useful mingle log
When: Day 437 ( Apr. 22/23 )
Where: all across the city
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 437 ( Apr. 22/23 ): After giving some consideration to the nature of their bonds with their patron deities, Sam Winchester posts to the network supposing a theory: if the gods can feed magic into the Travellers to give them their House Powers, perhaps, then, the Travellers can feed magic back into the gods. They have been under great duress both with Odin's collapse and the most recent disasters in the kingdom, even the smallest bit of a boost may make a difference.

Using the same runes from Draco's magic expansion plot, Travellers will be advised to draw the personalised god runes for their patron deity somewhere on their bodies in runic ink, anywhere it might not be disrupted or broken. For the duration of this day, every time the Travellers use any form of magic - be it House Powers or other runic magic - the god rune will glow faintly in the colour of their patron. The energy they pour into their magic will travel along the bond to their god and give them something of an energy shot, just the slightest lift in their strength and energy.

However, performing this transfer comes at a cost. The more magic performed, the more the Travellers will be drained of their own energy in a nearly euphoric way. The exhaustion will come in a vague sense of warmth and affection ( as it is, after all, the spirit of the Mother that gives the gods their magic ), as the need for a nice cup of their favourite cocoa, or perhaps a comfortable nap in the sunlight, or maybe even a profession of love.

Yes, we're giving you an aphrodesiac curse. As the Travellers grow more and more tired, they will grow more and more inclined to cuddle up with someone or something they care about and sleep off the exhaustion. This is generally harmless and will not be an extreme; it will not create feelings of love where there are none and it will not encourage them to do the nasty or anything like that. It's more simplistic than that, a base sort of love that comes in simple touches or a spoken word of love.

Anyone participating in this event is more than welcome to vary up the way this manifests in their characters, but by the end of the day, all Travellers using the transfer will be taking a collective nap for a few hours. When they wake, the euphoric effects will be gone and the god runes will no longer be active. Fingers crossed no one came across them cuddling with their best friend!

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Almost Useful special event! Remember that your character can only use the rune for their patron god. Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] along with the time/location of your character in the title of your comment. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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EVENT LOG: LOCUSTS!

Who: EVERYONE
What: the LOCUSTS! mingle log
When: Days 431-434 ( Apr. 10-17 )
Where: all across the city
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 431 ( Apr. 10/11 ): Any early risers that head outdoors as the sun is rising will find a somewhat strange sight: hundreds of earthworms, scattered all across any available loose earth, squirming around on the ground. What caused them all to dig their way to the surface isn't clear just yet, but they aren't the only creatures behaving a bit strangely today.

Just as the sun breaks the horizon around 7AM, a single stag will come charging through the city coming from the north and heading straight through the Gate of Frost. Mere minutes after that, a whole herd of deer will follow his lead and stampede their way south without care for anyone or anything that might get in their way. Smaller animals like wolves, foxes, rabbits, and the likes will follow at their feet, birds flying overhead in great flocks - all headed the same direction. Any pets or animals within the city will be irritable and anxious, some trying to escape and follow the same path outside and away from Asgard.

In the midst of the mass exodus, the bracelet's SOS function will blare loudly as one of the gods summons the Travellers to the castle.

The Travellers will have less than an hour to get themselves to the heart of the city where natives will already be ushering people indoors with a nervous calm. The whole of the city will be rushing their way through the barrier, and it will be made obvious fairly early on that not everyone can fit inside the castle. Jockey for a safe position and keep a strong hold on your loved ones so that you don't get separated in the chaos, but be fast about it.

After that hour mark, a wave of water will come crashing through the city from the north, flooding the streets at a height of approximately 10ft / 300cm. Anyone not within the castle barrier by that point will either drown or be swept away in a violent current that will carry send their bodies into whatever solid objects might stand in their way. Those safely within the barrier will see Heimdall at the front gate with his hands raised as though pressed against an invisible wall; if they look closely, they will be able to make out all city structures glowing with a faint shimmer - either royal blue, pale green, or amber - before their view is obscured by the water pounding against the barrier. The dome over the castle will be made visible by the flood encapsulating it as it washes anything that wasn't rooted down through the streets. It will be an awesome sight, though grim enough, as nature takes its course through the city.

The flooding will continue for several hours, during which time the Travellers will be largely left to their own devices as they wait out the worst of it. Sigyn, Freyr, and Freya will be going around with castle maids to make sure that no one in harmed and to try to keep people relatively calm. Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand will be doing their level best to intimidate people into compliance by coordinating the immediate relief efforts that will take place as soon as they are able to leave. This means that, for the few hours it takes for the flood to die down, the castle will be largely unmonitored as the gods try to minimise the damage.

After the worst of the flooding passes, the residents of Asgard will be free to return to their homes. There will still be a foot of water to wade through, but it will be slow moving and relatively harmless. Thanks to Thor, Baldr, and Loki's protection spells, all buildings will still be structurally sound, if not wholly intact. Glass panes may be shattered and wooden doors may be splintered; anything that wasn't firmly tied down may be displaced somewhere down the road or otherwise destroyed. But for the most part, the damage is minimal. Now just to do something about this pesky water ...
Day 432 ( Apr. 12/13 ): By now, the floodwater has lowered to a scant inch or two, leaving the city streets littered with debris but otherwise safe for travel. Natives will be setting up booths to help coordinate the return of lost possessions or missing pets, reporting any property damage, and recovering any bodies of those that might not've made it to the castle in time. Travellers are welcome and encouraged to assist in the relief efforts. There will be district clean-up sign-ups below, but these are not mandatory to get involved, they're more of a way to see who will be in your district to make plotting easier.

Later in the day, while everyone is still trying to rid the streets of the lingering water and put everything back to rights, the first survivors of the flood will begin trickling into the waterlogged city. Outlying villages and encampments were destroyed in the disaster and are now seeking refuge with their gods in the capitol. Despite the stress Asgard is already under with the supply shortage and the damage from the flood, the Prince Regent will not deny his citizens the aid they require and will welcome them into the city until they can revive the land to health.
Days 433-434 ( Apr. 14-17 ): Relief efforts will now be split into two different areas: recovering the city and creating space for the new arrivals. The natives will need help setting up temporary housing, like filtering families into unused housing and setting up tents for the remaining numbers. They will need to ration out food and general camping supplies, and when Asgard is currently in a supply shortage, making ends meet will be a bit of a struggle. We would really love to see some player created groups banding together to do this! Things like donation collections or fostering an NPC or anything at all, you guys should work together to help facilitate the arrival of these refugees and their temporary(?) stay within the city. There are some player projects already up here if you’d like to take a look and get involved!

On the other side of relief efforts will be cleaning up the streets, boarding up broken windows, things like that. Sigyn will be working to rebuild the wall and could use some assistance in not only construction but the magic of her barrier as well. More player coordination here will help put things back to rights, so if your character has an idea of what they can do to help, please comment below to start up some relief projects! It'll basically be two days of everyone trying to dig themselves out of the mess and get settled again.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the LOCUSTS! event. All of the gods ( except Odin and Frigg, naturally ) will be out and about during the first day of this event, so if you’d like to plot with any of them, please contact either the NPC handler or the mods and we’ll help facilitate some plotting for you. As a reminder, all deaths during this event count towards your death consequences. Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] along with the time/location of your character in the title of your comment. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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EVENT LOG: BURNING BRIDGES PART 2.

Who: EVERYONE
What: The The BURNING BRIDGES Mingle Log (Part 2/2 - part one located HERE)
When: Days 423-425 (March 25-30)
Where: In the city and out near the giant camps.
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 423 ( Mar. 25/26 ): As the battle wages right outside of Asgard’s walls, the Travellers take to action in a near even split. This battle is not their own, and the defence of the city against being caught in the Giants’ crossfire takes priority. Buildings that are under fire must be evacuated, those incapable of defending themselves led to safety, the flames sparking over the wall extinguished; general rescue and damage control efforts will be given not just in the districts closest to the warring but throughout the entire city. When the Giants’ powers are to manipulate the earth and her elements, there is no speaking to the physical damage they can wreak in all-out war.

Which is why the other half of the city will respond in kind; rather than leaving the Giants unchecked to settle their struggles on their own, the Travellers will join them on the battlegrounds. However, instead of attacking them outright as they have while under attack themselves, they instead take under advisement a more stealthy approach of further pitting the Giants against one another. Many that stand to fight will weave in amongst the Giant forces and attack both sides from within their own ranks, so as to make it seem that one side is gaining strength over the other. Band together and take care to remember who your allies are.
Day 424 ( Mar. 27/28 ): The battle begins to escalate as the Travellers light fires beneath the feet of the Giants, pushing them deeper into combat. Things will elevate to explosive levels of destruction in the most literal of senses. Out on the battlefield, the ground will be shredded in a more centralised manner than the random cracks forming within the city. The earth will lift and shake and separate in an effort by both sides to divide their forces and crush them under the rubble, creating uneven terrain and crevices that can seem bottomless.

There will be areas set aflame, creating walls and barriers that entreat upon any caught in its path; other areas may be slicked in a growing swell of ice that entraps any that touch it in its grasp before icicles sprout up from the cold surface. Use your imagination for these sorts of attacks; just keep in mind that the Giants manipulate physical elements. Only the strongest among them will be capable of this magic, and the King and Queen themselves will be on the field, riding upon their massive black boar and white serpent respectively, to help fuel the chaos. The others will fight in traditional manners, and everyone will be under these haphazard and wild attacks. Consider this the climax of the battle - all things must fall.

And as things become more dangerous outside of the city, so too will it worsen within the walls as the walls themselves begin to tear down. As the Giants’ magic rails against the gods’ barriers, sections of the wall will be blown apart and cascade upon those living below. Residents of Asgard will be able to see Sigyn’s spell in place as a shimmer of green flecks of dust, the very same that has kept the Grey Sickness confined to Asgard and all outside illnesses at bay, begin to flicker and fade as the wall that encased it is shredded apart.

The majority of this damage will take place in the Loki, Sigyn, and Hel districts, as they are the closest to the warfare; Travellers and natives will want to band together to minimise both the damage to the wall itself and the damage created by its collapse. More splinters of ice will pierce holes in other various locations throughout the city, accompanied by random whips of flame lashing over the wall and alighting the sky. Those given to protecting the city will have to put up their shields and focus on cutting off the trajectory of this shrapnel as quickly as possible. Smaller cracks will still be forming throughout the ground as well, so tread quickly but carefully. This battle isn’t over yet.
Day 425 (Mar. 29/30): UNTIL IT’S OVER YAY!!!

Through the Travellers’ influence in escalating the battle, the Giant forces will burn out quickly in their vicious assault upon each other. The battling continues through the night with little to speak of in the way of respite, but by sunrise on this day, their numbers will have whittled down by either death or retreat. Both sides have suffered massive losses, and when the only end in sight is headed in the direction of complete obliteration, they eventually concede to mutual defeat. They will return to their native kingdoms, the line drawn in the dirt between them taking the shape of the devastated battlefield soaked in the blood of their allies.

The damage lingers, though; the city is still in a general state of disarray, and the scars on the land aren’t soon to fade. As the Asgardians turn to picking up the pieces and the Fire Giants turn their backs on Thrymheim, Thiazi takes one last chance to strike a final blow.

Travellers outside of the city will be able to see a blinding flash of blue light and the sound of steel clashing as her petty cheap shot is knocked aside by Surt; those inside the city will hear a massive explosion to the southeast of the city. Upon inspection, they will find a massive wave of obsidian ice cascading over a near mile-stretch of the forests between Asgard and Utgard. The ice swells and splinters in crude crystals sharp as knives, slicing its way through the Gate of Fog as though it were only air. The majority of the wall along Heimdall district will be shadowed by this colossal ice structure, and the Gate will be completely destroyed as the pathway to Utgard is lost beneath this brutal magic.

The ice cannot be manipulated by Odin’s House Powers, melted by traditional means, and is roughly the strength of diamond when attempted to be broken away. Any foolish enough to touch it without proper protection will receive immediate mild frostbite that can’t be cured by any magical means and must heal naturally. Those that were around during the Bad Moon Rising event may recognise it; it is the same dark ice that was given to some of the Corrupted in place of their God Powers. It is the mark of Thiazi’s most corrupt magic - and for now, it is impenetrable.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Travellers and their quick thinking, most of the city will be left intact and both Giant forces will leave heavily weakened, but the same can’t be said for the rest of Yggdrasil. Her land has been burnt, shredded, and frozen, and it may just be that her children have never been more isolated. The war is shifting and changing. The time to act may yet come soon.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the second half of the Burning Bridges event, playing out the choices made in the player poll. The poll, though closed, is located HERE for reference! The mingle log for the first half can be found HERE.

A Special Note: As of the beginning of this event, god-given powers will now work outside of the Asgard. More information on this OOCly is forthcoming, and characters involved in the plot please be on the lookout for contact from us! Please feel free to assume that all Travellers have been made ICly aware of the fact that they can now use their powers outside of the city now.

If you’d like to plot with either Surt or Thiazi, please contact either their players or one of the mods and we’ll help facilitate things, though do be mindful that NPC handlers have a limited amount of time/availability for threading. Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] in the title of your comment, along with the time and location. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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BURNING BRIDGES, PART ONE

Who: EVERYONE
What: The The BURNING BRIDGES Mingle Log (Part One of Two)
When: Days 421-422 (March 21-24)
Where: All over the city.
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 421 ( Mar. 21/22 ): All throughout the day, the inhabitants of the Holy City will occasionally hear low rumbling sounds not unlike the beginnings of an earthquake, but nothing shakes or stirs beyond the quiet trickle of rain for most of the day. However, as the rain picks up and blots out the sunset, the rumbling grows louder just before a rift opens in the ground. Though it's not terribly deep, the split is two feet across at its widest and travels several hundred yards, starting from beneath the city wall at the corner of the Thor district and moving quickly into Loki's district. The ground nearby shifts somewhat with it and any buildings unfortunate to be affected will start to sink into the gap.

Any shouts of surprise or cries for help from this tear in the earth will be short lived, however, as large shards of ice begin to rip through the wall in various places throughout Sigyn and Hel's districts, piercing holes into anything - and anyone - in their path before shattering or melting. These are not directed or precise by any means; they fly in random places at random times. It may very well seem like the least coordinated attack ever and the Giants have really lost their game, but as the rumbling reaches its loudest peak, a burst of flame far outside the city wall may hint that it is not an attack at all. At least, not one intended for the Travellers.

To the east of the city, not nearly far enough from the thick wall that separates Asgard from the rest of Yggdrasil, a massive battle between the Frost Giants and the Fire Giants is being waged. What splinters off and reaches the city is purely by accident; collateral damage, as it were.

The shattering of rock and the splintering ice as well as bursts of flame and cracking of trees can be heard all throughout the night as more debris and stray projectiles find their way over the city wall. This can be anything from more needles of ice and much smaller cracks in the ground to flaming stones and sheets of hail. For now, these will remain small things that come over the wall rather than through it, but feel free to play around with what exactly comes your way.
Day 422 ( Mar. 23/24 ): The battle continues on into the next day, and by early morning, the city guard will ride through the city to alert everyone as to what's happening beyond the gates. From what they can see, Thiazi's army is pushing Surt's back and away as the Fire Giants attempt to encroach forward. They know of little else, but the battle is coming closer and closer to the city, which means the collateral damage will continue to worsen.

This is where the decision whether or not to fight will come in! The decision will be left to the Travellers in whether they ride out to force the Giants out of Asgard's land or simply bunker down and wait out the war. All action and inaction comes with a list of pros and cons, so consider it carefully before settling on your decision today.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the first half of the Burning Bridges event, leading up to the decision on how the Travelers will react to the battle. The poll, though closed, is located HERE for reference! The mingle log for the second half of this event will be going up soon, and a link will be provided here when it is.

A Special Note: As of the beginning of this event, god-given powers will now work outside of the Asgard. More information on this OOCly is forthcoming, and characters involved in the plot please be on the lookout for contact from us! Please feel free to assume that all Travelers have been made ICly aware of the fact that they can now use their powers outside of the city now.

Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] in the title of your comment, along with the time and location. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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The school, the school, the school is on fire...

Who: Anyone who wants in on it!
What: The school is on fire.
When: Days 420 around sundown and after.
Where: The school in Odin's district.
Rating: We'll see!

The sun is slowly going down and Barty Crouch jr is in Odin's district, as he's been every day for a good while though, since he first realized how easily Will Graham fell into habits. The difference is that today he isn't headed to the cafe they always meet at right away. Instead he stands leaning against a wall, ever now and then glancing at the school and waiting for a sign. He has placed the mirror - a present from Albus Dumbledore himself - in just the right position fixed it to the corner of a building and waited for the sun to hit the reflective surface at the right angle.

Dumbledore had talked of smoke and mirrors and now Barty had found the right tinder. He waits until he can see smoke, faintly but there. It would be another hour, he suspects, maybe even more before the fire spreads far enough to be noticed. But it would burn, of that he had no doubt.

It is starting to get dark when he takes the mirror back, making sure to remain unseen, and he heads down the road to meet Will. He doesn't know if anyone is still in the building he just set on fire, he doesn't much care either way. The flames would rise high and Severus Snape would feel the heat.

[OOC Notes: I purposefully set this up like an event log, so just like for them, feel free to make a header comment detailing what your character is doing at any given time. If you want to do any more last minute plotting, head on over to the plotting post! Also, here is the IC post with some of what led up to this if you want to read up and/or still tag in! I backtag forever. Slowly.

If your character has been near/around/in the school before the fire started and would thus be a suspect and/or suspect other people he or she has seen, you can play that part out here too!

Times: Before the fire, during the fire, right after the fire. ...duh.
Places: The parts of the schools that will be affected are: The library, the auditorium and several classrooms as well as Evy's office.
Obviously you can also have your character be outside the school or in the hallways or any unaffected part if they want to use the chaos to, I don't know, mess up Snape's office a little.

I just ask that no one saw Barty do what he did, so we can have more fun with various suspicions cast about.]

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EVENT MINGLE: PUTTING THE "FUN" BACK IN "FUNERAL" / HOLES

Who: EVERYONE
What: The Putting the "Fun" Back Into Funeral/Thistle Do Nicely Holes Event Mingle Log
When: Days 415-416 (March 9-12)
Where: all across the city!
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 415 (Mar. 9/10): Not long after the message from the gods on the bracelets, all NPC shops in town will begin shutting down. It is late evening when the city's Natives begin heading toward Gefion Park, some alone, some clustered in small groups, but it seems like citizens of Asgard of all ages are headed that way. It is just before sunset when all of the gods and several thousand natives will stand grouped around the shore of the park's lake. Thor, looking oddly somber, will move to stand on a small podium, voice tight but magically amplified. His posture is straight, head held high, and he will cut a striking image as he speaks with a firm and magically amplified voice:

"We may be the gods of this realm, but we would be nothing without both of you: our people, and our visitors. Even in times of darkness, we mustn't allow ourselves to forget how brightly our lights can shine. In times of weakness and exhaustion, we only need cling to the memory of how strong we truly are. We will fight for the lost, and we will fight for each other. Until my father returns, I will act in his stead. We will continue to move ahead, if only because there is too much to lose if we don't. Salvation is within our grasp, and I will do everything I can to make sure we attain it."

Here Thor will clear his throat, pausing just long enough to wonder how apparent it is that Freyr wrote most of this speech.

"But now I invite you to lay your offerings into the longboats, offerings to the Natives of this world that have lost their lives in this war. Their sacrifices were not in vain, nor shall they be forgotten. In their names, we shall fight for Asgard, and for every world represented here, and for the countless that aren't."

The moment that the newly crowned Prince Regent stops speaking, Natives will place clothes and food and other trinkets inside the boat. Any Traveller with offerings will be given the chance to lay them in the boat then, before Hel sends it off to the center of the lake. It will stall there before bursting into bright flame. Smaller, match-sized flames will light all across the lake, one for every native soul that has left Asgard for Niflheim in the last two years, and they will not extinguish even in the light rainfall that begins into the evening.

After the flames are lit, however, the natives will be opening several dozen casks of different wines, meads, and ales. There will be bottles of harder liquors passed around and glasses given freely to anyone within arm's reach of a native. Time for a bonfire in the park! Anything is free game for this: there will be dancing, eating, body painting, the weaving of flowers into people's hair or into crowns, pretty much anything that is loose and vaguely intimate. The only thing that remains undisturbed is the lake, where the fires burn ceaselessly above the water. This is their farewell; they will drink, tell stories, and laugh their way all through the night.
Day 416 ( Mar. 11/12 ): The next morning, most of the natives will still be in the park, making sure none of that pesky alcohol remains in those barrels. They will take this second day to relax and clean up the park while they continue to drink, singing hymns and generally lending a hand to one another. Where yesterday was a big party, this is more like communal R&R. About halfway through the day, flowers of all types imaginable will begin to sprout from the ground. Many of them will sing along with the Native's hymns of remembrance, though they will linger after.

This is actually our Holes event for the month of March! These flowers will not just sprout at Gefion Park, however! When they first appear on Day 416, they will actually spring up just about everywhere, dirt or not. They may appear on a table, off a wall, or rooted in someone's freshly prepared sandwich. The flowers not in dirt will wilt after about a day. Following their first appearance, these flowers will continue to grow in the city anywhere flowers can grow.

Back at the party, however, everyone is on equal footing and gathered to respect their loved ones. For the time being, nothing else really matters.

They'll go back to their regularly scheduled monotony by sundown, the boat of offerings finally removed from the lake, though the candlelight flames will remain throughout the night and disappear by sunrise. In thanks for their support and continued sacrifice, the Travellers will find one gift from home in their rooms at midnight.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Putting the "Fun" Back in "Funeral" event AND for the Holes event. More information on this month's Holes event is located HERE. If you haven't had your character's GIFT FROM HOME approved yet, please make sure to do so here!

Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] in the title of your comment, along with the time and location. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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EVENT LOG: A MOTHER'S LULLABY

Who: EVERYONE
What: the Mother's Lullaby mingle log.
When: Day 407 ( Feb. 21/22 )
Where: all across the city!
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 407 ( Feb. 21/22 ): [ The thick cloud coverage from yesterday turns dark and vicious, enough so to blot out the morning sun and cast Asgard into prolonged darkness. Thunder will begin to crackle across the city, seemingly far away at first as the storm builds, and growing louder with each passing minute going past noon.

As per the Holes event from November, Storm Spirits from the Percy Jackson franchise will sweep through the streets, sometimes alone and sometimes in groups of two or three. They will not discriminate between Demigod, Traveller, or native as they shock them, run them down, or sweep them up into the air. They are metaphysical creatures, which means combating them will be relatively difficult, but don't worry for too long.

Just as the sun sets ( though it still can't be seen behind the pitch black cloud coverage spider-webbed with small bursts of lightning ), a final crack of thunder will rumble across the entire kingdom, sounding near enough to a rockslide beneath their feet and above their heads. The sky will flash in a violent burst of lightning, bright enough to cast the sky in an unearthly white and blue that lasts several seconds before fading. Torrential rain will pour above an unnatural silence; the Storm Spirits are gone, and the natives will have gone bone white with fear. Even the animal life in the city will not deign to bark or howl.

The silence persists until Heimdall addresses the network with an announcement on February 22. Stay tuned to find out more! ]

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Mother's Lullaby event. All deaths are still subject to death consequences. Heimdall will be posting to the network tomorrow, so keep an eye out for it. Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] in the title of your comment, along with the time and location. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

EVENT LOG: DOWN THIS ROAD

Who: EVERYONE going to Ginnungagap
What: the Down This Road mingle log!
When: Days 401-404 ( Feb. 9-16 )
Where: Asgard, Ginnungagap, and the road inbetween.
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 401 ( Feb. 9/10 ): Waiting by the Gate of Fire will be several carriages all prepared to take the Travellers to their destination. Natives will help them load into the carriages and provide a personal pack of food and blankets to those that need it, all with a grim face and averted eyes. This journey is one few outside the immortals have ever made, and only several thousand years ago. It's a sacred place, and one they are not entirely comfortable with seeing entered. But their King gave them orders, and so the caravan will depart by midday with Mimir and Honir at the head to lead the way onward.

They will continue riding through sunset and stop to make camp by nightfall. The gods will tell the Travellers to rest up, as the rest of the journey will be a strenuous one.
Day 402 ( Feb. 11/12 ): The caravan will pick up again for a few hours, but it will come to a sudden halt with a cry of pain from the leading carriage. The accompanying gods will be feeling the same inexplicable wrenching as the gods in Asgard, but this far from the city, its effects will not reach the Travellers in their party. A moment will be spared for their recovery before Honir announces that it's best they continue on foot; from there on forward, it's a hike, and not a particularly friendly one.

Ginnungagap sparsely littered with old trees and short, soft grass on the outskirts of the canyon, streams flowing from varying mountain peaks into the vast space below; deeper within, it is sheer rock and sharp edges that are harsh and unyielding. If one were to look at it from above, they might think someone stabbed a knife into solid stone and carved out a jagged wound, and so it is moving through the canyon itself, where one false step can lead to certain and painful death.

The vast majority of the day will be spent moving slowly and carefully, with few breaks to stop for water and rest while Honir and Mimir negotiate the safest paths. By the time it goes dark, they will be too deep into the canyon and its steep cliff faces to stop without risking losing someone to the jagged rocks hidden in the darkness, and so the gods will conjure small orbs of light to follow each Traveller as they direct every footfall very precisely until they reach their destination.

They will stop just outside the path that leads to the cavern of the Earth Giants' final resting place. There is ample space to make camp and rest for the night; Honir and Mimir will have to vanquish their lights in order to regain their strength, so they will urge the Travellers not to go off wandering on their own. The sound of slowly streaming water and the echo of emptiness will linger just outside their reach in the darkness as they try to sleep.
Day 403: By early morning, very little sunlight will be able to reach the company from their position on the small plateau, but the gods will wake their companions and relight their guides to lead them further in. It takes less than an hour to reach the entrance to the kingdom of the Earth Giants, and sunlight will flood the ruins in abundance. It may be easy to tell that the sprawling city was once something of magnificence, the architecture careful and precise to maximise their position in the sun carried down into the canyon.

However, nearly all buildings lay in varying states of destruction, as though a large bomb went off at the centre and blew outwards. Every surface is overgrown by moss, weeds, and chaotic tangles of vines. Waterfalls that were contained and utilised in artful structures and fountains have worn down the walls of the cavern and flow freely throughout the ruins, leaving the earth a sodden constant. The kingdom has fallen into complete disrepair in the eighteen-thousand years it's been deserted.

Most notable, however, is the distinct lack of life anywhere throughout the cavern. Ginnungagap on the whole is not terribly occupied by wildlife, but there are animals and insects that can be found roaming the cliffs; here, there is absolutely none to be found. Nothing stirs but the sound of water echoing off of empty walls, and there is, it seems, a very unnatural hollow sensation from simply standing in this space so devoid of life.

It has long been believed that the tragedy of the Earth Giants' obliteration starved this land of its will to thrive, but this is an extreme the gods did not foresee. The Travellers will be free to explore for a few hours, but will be ushered out at the insistence of the unnerved gods before midday. They have a long journey ahead of them, and they will not stop for anything until night has fallen and they are far from this barren wasteland.
Day 404 ( Feb. 13/14 ): Travel back to Asgard is otherwise uneventful in the wake of their discovery in Ginnungagap. They will arrive to the city pulling itself together after its latest blight, and the gods that accompanied the caravan will give hurried farewells before quickly making their way to the castle to bring news of their experience. The natives will once again help the Travellers unload, this time even more grim than before. Strange things are stirring, and the confusion on both sides will leave many questions unanswered.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Down This Road event! Remember that you must leave Asgard on Day 401 ( Feb. 9/10 ) if you want to opt out of this month's body horror event! Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] in the subject of your comment, as well as the time and location. Both Honir and Mimir will be around in this log, so feel free to contact us if you'd like them in a particular thread somewhere. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

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FEBRUARY INTRO MINGLE

Who: Newbies and anyone who wishes to greet them!
What: Getting used to the city
When: Days 397 and forward
Where: Anywhere in town!
Rating: PG-13 tops! If it gets worse, move to a private log please.

[Please include your location and the IC day (ex. Day 397 - this can be found in the schedule) in your top-level comment or your subject line when starting a thread! It can be any welcome hall, major attraction, or just out an about in any district. For newbies making a top-level thread, you may include your character's name/canon/house in your subject line if you'd like, to make housemates easy to find! :) If a God is needed or wanted, please ping the mods and depending on availability we might be able to throw them in where asked.

Also, keep an eye on the event schedule for February! If you're ICly introing during an event, make sure you take that into account. Thank you!

Have fun!]