Fall 521 Calendar of Events
State of the City
A little over two years have passed since Janson, the Gadgetman, appeared in Ravok. During that time, the city has undergone a great evolution of sorts. Janson himself started as an addition to the city's security before moving toward a greater focus on infrastructure. His influence can be felt throughout the city; in the buildings, alleys, bridges and structures. The City Guard and even the Ebonstryfe sport new types of weapons and armor influenced by Janson's gadgeteering.
Buildings throughout the city have been slowly transforming for several seasons. Cracked and crumbling brick appears to be growing more solid; even going so far as to have small to moderate cracks seemingly seal themselves over the course of a day or two.
Walkways, stairs and bridges also display similar repairs while even structures lining The Docks are experiencing an upscaling in appearance and form.
Metallic building elements have been gradually growing more polished, strengthened and durable.
Time's Face, the timekeeping construct attached to the Temple of the Black Sun, has since been moved to The Bell Tower and has been integrated with the mechanism that operates the legendary bells.
In addition to the slowly transforming structures, a new building, known as The Crux, has been constructed near the Institute of Higher Learning. The Crux serves as a unique workshop where Janson toils away on various constructs meant for improving the lives of citizens as well as bettering the city as a whole.
Although the city is experiencing an odd period of renewal and evolution, some things haven't changed in such ways. There are some pockets of distrust and fear directed at Janson and the changes his presence in the city has brought. There are occasional acts of vandalism throughout the city targeting the growing improvements. In most cases, the City Guard responds however the Ebonstryfe has been known to step in when certain buildings or individuals are targeted. Those caught committing vandalism often find themselves without a few fingers or even minus a whole hand as punishment.
There have been reported sightings of strange "creatures" in the vicinity of more recent repairs to aged or damaged structures. Although these sightings have been dismissed by many as being caused by drinking bad water, it is said that brief glimpses of these creatures reveal metallic bodies and multiple appendages. It is said that they vary in size from that of a miza up to the size of a large dog. Few other details have been reported as the creatures seem to only appear for the briefest of moments before vanishing from sight.
The Dovecote, the towering structure, home to hundreds of doves, located across from the Temple of the Black Sun, has brought a fantastic new element to the city. When it appeared out of nowhere one day, The Voice, Gru'tral at her side and flanked by an entire company of Ebonstryfe Soldiers, approached the strange structure. As the citizens of Ravok packed in around the area and watched, a large, triangular shaped door on one side of the Dovecote, opened. Gru'tral entered. He was gone for many bells before returning. Guards were posted at the door and several days later an announcement was made. Thus, otherworldly Outpost, was revealed to the public. After that, a new era of trade had come to Ravok.
Notable City Improvements
In addition to the before-mentioned structural improvements, the city has also benefited from a few other unique additions.
Scattered throughout the city, housed in various buildings owned by merchants as well as the city government, are large contraptions constructed with a mastery of gadgeteering. These contraptions pull water directly from Lake Ravok, run it through a philtering process and leaves it in a more purified state. This purified water is then distributed throughout the city for citizen use for little to no cost. As a result, the general health of the citizens of Ravok has improved.
Some merchant vessels as well as those operated by the Ebonstryfe and even some private citizens, have been equipped with large wheels sporting a series of paddles. Constructed with gadgeteering, these paddle-wheels, once activated, begin to turn. As they turn, they propel the ship through the water. Although the speed attained is not as fast as sails when a good wind is caught, they allow for ships to continue across the water in times of little to no wind thus allowing for longer, more consistent operation. Fishing and trade on the Lake has noticeably improved.
Throughout the city, there are posts topped with lanterns that must be lit, put out and refueled by laborers every day. Many of these have been replaced with specialized lanterns containing gadgeteering elements that allow for the lights to be lit with a simple pull of a small lever. The lanterns will burn until the gadget inside extinguishes it; a gadeteering miracle that allows for timed extinguishing. This in turn requires only that the fuel be refilled once empty. Although more of a wonder, these automated lanterns add an element of sophistication to the parts of the city where they are located.
Weather
As is the case nearly al times of the year, it is comfortable; an average of 70-75 degrees, sunny with occasions of light rain and slightly cooler temperatures at night with the occasional light breeze. Extremes in temperature are non-existent. Basically, the typical weather enjoyed all year round. There are a few glitches in this during the first few days of the season followed by a few instances here and there throughout the rest of the season with torrential downpours washing over the entire city. These rainstorms serve an essential task of cleansing the city.
| 1st Day – Fall has come once more to Ravok although as is normal, there is little change from the Summer. The Crux, Janson's workshop, has finished construction. Gadgets of all shapes and sizes are on display and many are for sale. Janson can usually be found inside, introducing citizens to his creations. 10th Day – A large act of vandalism is discovered at the Black Waters massage parlor in the Noble District. One of the contraptions that pump and purify water was seriously damaged and put out of service. The City Guard has increased patrols in the area and an Ebonstryfe soldier has been assigned to the investigation. 20th Day – The first paddle-wheel-equipped ship, an Ebonstryfe vessel called, The Little White Lie, set sail from the docks. There is a large celebration throughout The Docks with drink and food aplenty. The launch goes well although things get a bit rowdy later in the night and the City Guard breaks up a number of fights before things get too out of hand. 36th Day – Automated lanterns are established throughout the City Center with announced plans to extend them outward into the other districts within the city. Janson is present to light the first lantern of the night. 49th Day – Time's Face is moved from The Temple to The Bell Tower. The combination of the Tower's bell system and Time's Face display serve as a focal point within The City Center. Observant citizens will note that the automated lanterns seem to function with the ringing of the Bell Tower. When Syna reaches the right point in the sky in the early morning, the lanterns extinguish themselves. 58th Day – There are several scattered reports of strange animal sightings. Witnesses report seeing a number of different animals of abnormal size displaying disturbing levels of intelligence. Large birds of prey have been seen perched atop buildings and seemingly watching people in a very unnerving way. A pack of stray dogs was sighted near The Docks, apparently led by particularly large alpha male. It is said that the alpha seemed to be almost directing the rest of the pack as they hunted and herded rats; directing in a way that felt more than simple instinct. 79th Day – More Paddle-Ships, as they are now being called, are launched from the docks by various individuals and groups. Hauls of fish and other bounties of The Lake are on the rise. Related businesses begin experiencing a boom in supply in both seafood as well as trade goods from the mainland. Unfortunately, one ship, The Pride of Ravok, a merchant vessel, suffered moderate damage from vandals just before launch. A suspect was caught a short time later thanks to concerned citizens providing information to the City Guard. The suspect is not seen again. 90th Day – Citizens who have entered and returned from The Outpost, tell of a fantastic place filled with wonders upon wonders. Rumors slowly spread of people returning feeling as though they are being watched, perhaps by members of the Ebonstryfe. Such rumors have yet to be confirmed however. The closing of the Fall Season is marked by parade in the City Center in honor of the improvements to the city and its continued prosperity heading into the future. Rhysol himself is present amidst an unparalleled pyrotechnic display personally conducted by the God. |
What This All Means For the New Season
Over the course of the season, you will notice the city becoming a bit brighter in color, cleaner and more refined. Structures become more sturdy and crisp as if they had been built more recently than they actually have. Angles and curves are more pronounced, squared and/or smoothed.
Access to very clean, clear water becomes ever more readily available for little to no cost. Even bathhouses and related establishments begin offering cleaner, fresher, better feeling water at the same cost as they did in the past. People begin to feel a bit healthier even in the less privileged parts of the city.
The strange animal sightings are reminiscent of the odd animal encounters from two years ago. Unlike those that occurred before, the recent encounters are not related to animal aggression. Instead, the animals involved seem more calculating and even display moments of unnerving intelligence as well as size and physical ability. While no attacks have been reported, the general feeling is that something is still a bit off with some of the more predatory creatures.
As coming and going from the Dovecote and The Outpost increases, more scrutiny from the Ebonstryfe and City Watch is obvious at least around the Dovecote itself. Records are carefully kept of the comings and goings of citizens and there are some reports of people being stopped and questioned upon their return. If asked about what is said in these encounters, those citizens tend not to say much other than they were questioned about their general experience.
Vandalism increases over the course of the season both in scale and frequency. It begins as simple graffiti but quickly grows to broken windows, small relatively small fires and then to actual destruction of property; primarily related to the newly added gadgeteering elements within the city. City Watch patrols gradually increase as does the frequency of Ebonstryfe soldier patrols.
Challenges
* Write 20,000 words worth of threads over the course of the entire Season with a general focus on personal character growth, change and overall development. This can take the form of increasing a single skill by 20 points through a series of threads or tackling a deeply personal flaw or troubling piece of one's past in order to find closure (just an example). Reward: Monetary or a Challenge Item.
OR
* Write 20,000 words worth of threads over the course of the entire Season with a general focus on creating something of some significance. This could be anything from building a structure, crafting an important item through related skills. Whatever is created should be rather involved and worthy of 20,000 words worth of work. Reward: Monetary or Challenge Item.
OR
* Write 12,000 words worth of threads over the course of the entire Season with a general focus on gadgeteering. Reward: Challenge Item
OR
* Learn construction, carpentry or masonry and gain 10 skill points in said skill by the end of the Season. Reward: Monetary
Possible Challenge Items will be revealed later in the Season and a thread for reporting and claiming rewards will be posted later as well.
