usir | Event #7 Crowning the Cat & The Celebration of Spring


🜙 Crowning the Cat: Deception of Aegas

	The Celebration of Spring is being held across Idan, and normally the City of the Free Peoples is at its heart. This year due to the fearful farmers suffering losses in their families and herds to werewolves and the broken city torn between its fears and loyalties, the first sprouts of crops planted during the thaw are significantly less impressive than past years and the hunters bring their hauls back to the cities find themselves facing even more dangerous odds in the wilderness, outwitted and outmatched more often than not. Feasting, dancing, music, staged entertainers of illusion and elemental magic, and heavy drinking still overtake the cities and small outlying villages, putting a temporary halt to any work or other priorities, but there is an air of uncertainty that can't fully be shaken, and an uneasy and unspoken fear of a famine year lies just beneath the lighter festivities. Among the celebrating, people go out of their way to honor the feline constellation deity called Aegas. The youngest of the Constellation Deities, he is known for many things. Aegas' stars are fainter in the skies than most, seen just off the left from the Great Golden Dragon Atromo. In April, Aegas is not honored so much as tributed to keep the fickle feline's wiles and tricks at bay. Children and younger citizens of the cities or those with playful or devious minds play tricks on one another, some harmless pranks and others far more dangerous or deceptive. Despite this uptick of shenanigans, however, for most Aegas' day is a day spent ensuring the secretive trickster cat deity that he has not been forgotten, as well as a celebration of Spring. Openly jealous of Atromo's status and reverence, and long overlooked in favor of the other star gods, the people of Idan learned to show their reverence for Aegas in a ritual known as the Crowning of Aegas. Cat sculptures, paintings, figurines, or idols can be found all across Idan for those who can't make it to one of Aegas' shrines, and offerings of fish, sheep or goat's milk, silver or gold bells, silk, or saucers of water are left out for the many wild, stray, or tame felines of Idan to take at their leisure. Known for being a deity over secrets, pleasure, trickery, and charm, Aegas is a favored god of rogues, assassins, bards, bandits, thieves, and charmers. An enchanted spring illness common in Idan has long been attributed to Aegas not feeling that his charms have earned him the favor of the people. The illness is known as The Aegas Affliction and is actually caused by the pollen of a flower that blooms in April after particularly harsh winters (the Golden Bellflower) Aegas' Affliction causes those who have caught the illness to be easily charmed. Their complexion is often flushed and they give in to their whims with very little self-restraint. The main symptoms are: Susceptibility to personal suggestion (Their own whims, thoughts, and desires), susceptibility to charm-based magic, a tendency to be secretive or deceptive, and a heightened sense of hunger. The illness usually goes away on its own within 1-3 days and has no known cure. It's possible to get infected by Golden Bellflower pollen from April 5th to April 30th anywhere in Idan. Only exposure to a nearby flower is necessary. During the Crowning of Aegas and for the rest of April flocks of lesser winged cats can be seen migrating from their winter homes in the Wavecrest Isles back to the unclaimed lands. Occasionally these flocks of small, canary to bobcat-sized winged cats are accompanied by fiercely protective and dangerous greater winged cat guardians while other flocks travel on their own. The playful smaller felines can be seen frolicking in fields and playing over the rooftops all across Idan while the greater winged cats stay far from the highly populated areas, hunting the wild forests, cliffs, and open lands to stock up food for them and their small flocks of fur and feathered friends.


🜙 The Bloom

	Among the celebrating the dangers of spring are temporarily forgotten. Not all threats come with fangs, talons, and claws. Creeping vines and sprouting plants lurk in the tall grasses of the plains and the dense forests. Some of the more dangerous varieties bloom and thrive in the earliest month of spring. Viperlily. A small free-roaming flowering vine with two thorns that protrude from the middle of its flower. The vine slithers along the ground in the grass toward sources of movement or sound and sinks its thorns into the feet or lower limbs of any living thing it encounters. The vine subsists on blood rather than water and uses the gathered blood to provide itself with the nutrients it needs to keep moving. It injects its victim with a venom that causes them to become weak, sluggish, and unable to use their magic so it can continue to drain blood. Most Viperlilys are too small to cause much permanent damage to their victim, but being left vulnerable in the wilderness does lead to many post-bite deaths, especially with the smell of blood in the air. Bloodthorn. A dying Viperlily that has gone dormant and taken root. Small Viperlily seeds grow all over its vines, each one prepared to drop off and grow into a new Viperlily. A thorn protrudes from the bloody sap-filled bulb of this vine. It points up toward the sun with a thorn as sharp and dangerous as a needle dagger. Those unfortunate enough to be stabbed by its thorn are injected with a modified Viperlily poison that causes victims to become feverish and reckless, encouraging them to remain nearby and engage anything near the Bloodthorn aggressively. The bloodshed caused by its victims or the Bloodthorn's own destruction causes the dozens of Viperlily seeds to sprout and take off to find their first meals. Creeping Dragontrap. A member of the carnivorous plant family, the Creeping Dragontrap is a fully mobile creeping vine with one to four heads that each have thorn-filled 'mouths' they snap down on the prey they find. The acidic toxins inside their mouths prevent their prey from being able to fight free on their own. An antitoxin is produced by the sap within their vines, but a victim captured by one of these plants will need help getting free and provided with the antitoxin before the vine escapes in a speedy retreat into the wilderness or ground. Rogue's Blush. The dense cover of this flowering ground vine is a network of sensitive thin vines can sense vibrations in the ground. The night-flowering vine is covered in dormant flowers that open in the darkness. They release pollen into the air when vibrations are sensed nearby. This pollen is collected and used in a common rogue tool: Flash Dust because eye contact with the pollen results in a blinding white flash that causes temporary blindness for 24 hours. Bramble Mimic can shape its vines into any form it has collected a template of. The thorny brambles rest in the form of a dense bush, usually settling itself partially into worn paths made by creatures or people. It uses the blood it collects from creatures or people that bump into it as a template to rearrange itself into their form, though its size is dependent on how large the original mimic has grown. It then uses its new form to hunt for food to sustain itself, holding a natural preference for predators, carnivores, and herbivores. The most common forms are those of predatory forest or swamp creatures such as jaguars, bears, wolves, and alligators.

🜙 A Mod Note

	A "Network log" will be going up the week of the 19th that will be paired with the next event log. The network log will contain courier messages from Queen Adira, King Ardis, King Sitka, Self-Crowned King Koroc, Resistance and Rebel Leader Lorna, Former Defenders Captain Lykos, and Former Defenders Lieutenant Alice. Player characters will be able to ask these leaders questions and attempt to communicate with them personally if they wish.

🜙 Top

⤛ Navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lauralae is clearly doing her best to duck around people and not get too close, on edge and anxious, a knot in her stomach. She does not like being around so many people, does not like being so close to people that might touch her or talk to her or make demands of her, so she ignores it; she shoves it off and pretends as though she is fine, steeling her face and gritting her teeth.

"Does he have a kind he prefers?"

Offering her hand, she waits for the lion to either shun her or lean in to be pet.

She was biting? Ah, well, Shura almost didn't expect that. Shishi considers Lauralae's hand, wondering at what this wolf girl might do. But he's a glutton for attention and Shura's at ease, then he'll lean in to the touch, giving Lauralae a little grunt.

"Meat, any kind of meat." He isn't a picky cat. Shura leans back, poking her head in through the open window to catch a waitress's attention, ordering some fried beef and a couple drinks. "C'mon, sit down."

She looks like she needs a moment to rest, even if she wants to run. But whatever brought her into the city probably wasn't going to be helped by rushing. Shishi will help, shoving against Lauralae and trying to push her towards the chair opposite of Shura.

Softening, she reaches out and scratches gently, giving herself the time to stroke over the lion's head gently. It's very different from a wolf, very different from anything she has known in the past, and she tilts her head as she watches him, curious and interested all at once. There's something very nice about being around other people's animal companions, she thinks, feeling warm and fond.

"I am sure I can find something." She hesitates for a moment, looking up at Shura before she nods her head and makes herself comfortable, settling down.

She's never been in a position like this before.

"I see, I see," Lauralae says fondly, petting at the lion again. "I will stay."

And there she sits without a fuss. As soon as she's in the chair, Shishi follows, setting his front paws on the chair so he can push himself up and continue to invade Lauralae's personal space.

"Don't be rude," Shura chides, but he's happy to ignore her so long as Lauralae is willing to let him do as he pleases. Even if she's not petting him, she still has Smells on her, and those are always interesting. It's entertaining enough, at least while he's waiting for the food to arrive.

Lauralae, at least, seems to be letting down her guard somewhat; she isn't tense when Shishi presses his face into her, nor is she guarded. She is careful instead, leaning forward to return the gesture, pressing her face against his snout before she scratches at his ears.

"He is well," she says softly. "I am not offended by his affection. I am accustomed to this." Perhaps not from lions, but...

It isn't about whether or not Lauralae minds, Shura almost says, but she gives up on trying to get the lion to behave. There wasn't much point in arguing it in this kind of place, and the barmaid is leaning out the window to thunk a couple glasses on the table. Shura can distract herself from Shishi's manners by drinking.

"If it suits you, then whatever, I guess." What other animals was she talking about?? Did Shura really want to know? For his part, Shishi just continues to nuzzle and sniff.

It's clear that Lauralae is present to teach and educate, but being completely stern is not within her nature - not unless she has been hurt or harmed by the person in front of her. Luckily for Shishi and Shura, neither of them have done anything to make her feel as though she has been slighted, which softens her gaze as she looks up.

"It does." Her voice is quiet but gentle. "I think he is growing braver."

"I think he's gettin' more shameless." A fine line between being utterly brazen and brave. However, it's still mostly just a reflection of Shura's own self in Shishi's behavior.

After another minute or so of attention, Shishi will relent, dropping back down to all fours, then plopping down settling right on top of Lauralae's feet and beginning the tedious work of grooming his paws. Clearly, Shishi is in a good mood, treat or no treat. Whatever his mood, Shura will motion towards the glass beside Lauralae.

"That one's yours. Drink up."

"Does that not just mean he is growing stronger? Braver, perhaps." Maybe that is too kind; Lauralae does not know enough of the lion to know otherwise. Rav'ahm is bolder, but perhaps that is because she is growing braver too, accepting a new place in this new world.

Eventually, she lets her fingers slip away and turns her attention back to the woman in front of her. At least she has an animal near her to keep her calm, even if she still feels somewhat awkward to be sat here, unsure of herself.

"Mine?" Leaning forward, she frowns. "What is it?"

It's an incredibly kind and sweet thing to say! It's also very wrong, but Lauralae's love of big carnivores might be coloring her opinion. Shura won't comment, instead focusing on the drinks instead.

"Ale." Nothing fancy, but it's cheap and decent, and Shura's mood is good enough to foot the bill for this round of drinks. "It's on special, so drink as much as you want. They're slow on gettin' food out."

Event #7 Crowning the Cat & The Celebration of Spring

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject