Summer 518: Calendar

by **Prophet** on June 2nd, 2018, 2:44 am

The Purge

Summer has come and with it a resolve to deal with the unexpected turmoil of spring. Roll up your sleeves, dig into your soul and find the strength and will to do what needs to be done. Someone drew a line in the sand and it's time to decide where you stand.

The State of Things

The ice has all but melted away from Ravok proper and the respective areas of the lake shore. Icebergs in varying size still float about but are rapidly dwindling into nothing. The water is much colder than normal and the level has come back up somewhat but only about a third as much as it has dropped in recent years. The damage has been cleaned up even if some of the structures have not been rebuilt. The presence and activity levels of the Black Sun and Ebonstryfe have doubled in the city and on the water. The City Guard are more aggressive than normal in their efforts to check the documents of people in their precincts and tensions run high with anyone who doesn't look human.

Lakeshore Storm Dates

6th - Flashes of lightning rip apart the sky with booming thunder and gale-force winds but there is no rain. The temperature rises significantly after this date.
14th-28th - For this two week span, it rains every day for several bells then the weather becomes pleasant. The beginning part of this period sees the showers begin at mid morning then slowly starting later and later with each passing day until the showers begin in the later afternoon by the end of the two weeks.
36th, 37th - Winds from the north bring a cold, driving rain that lasts for two days.
38th-45th - The weather gets very hot and stagnant; no wind or clouds. The immediate reaction is muggy and gross but it quickly becomes hot and dry.
54th - A strong thunderstorm creates dozens of lightning strikes which cause fires all along the western and northern lakeshore.
66th-70th - Hot, dry winds come up from the south and strip the land of moisture. Fires are dangerous and must be tended at all times to prevent spreading. The Ebonstryfe even ticket and detain some who can't seem to get the point.
81st - A strange dust rises from the lake and hangs just beyond arms reach. The haze obscures vision from above and smells of sweet things. The city proper is unaffected by the phenomenon though the mystical cloud starts only glider's length from the docks and is heaviest where there was ice last season.
**EVENT**

North Ravok Outpost will experience the same storms/weather one(1) day after the listed dates.

Events

Quest Etiquette by Gossamer

Secret :

Quest Etiquette
The Player Section

Quest Etiquette can be a real make or break thing in terms of a quest. Players sin and moderators sin. Sometimes I wonder if its because players have no idea what true quest etiquette is? Do moderators? From years of D&D tabletop I've formed what MY OPINION of quest etiquette is. I go by it now on Mizahar. Be sure you review this if your in one of my quests and try to adhere to the basic premise of this post. If your a moderator, make sure you are trying to enforce these things in your quests. Otherwise, your quest party is full of douchebags and you should just run their horses off a cliff and end the bad behavior once and for all.

Acknowledge the other people in a quest. Note their actions in your post by reacting to them even if its just a brief line or two. Don’t ignore their presence. It’s rude beyond belief to come into a quest and solo it without paying attention to the others in the party. The same thing is true if people break into subgroups and ignore the other subgroups. Subgroups are fine as long as everyone is a part of one and they note each other’s actions and include each other and everyone else in their posts.
Acknowledge the actions of others in the quest. You aren’t in a solo moderated thread. Note others actions as part of your response and put some opinion of the action in there. Do you approve? Are they being stupid? Make that part of your post. Argue with their action if you disagree or try to block it. That’s all part of the fun. Agree with it? Help them do the action! Step up and say great idea and lend a hand. The biggest crime in a quest thread is to ignore a fellow quester.
Establish what your PC is wearing/wielding/and has on their person. Magically appearing gear is annoying in any sort of quest. That goes double for the whole ‘its in my bag at all times things’. Please make sure in your initial post to establish to yourself and the others what your PC is wearing, holding, and carrying for the duration of the quest. If your allowed to take the time to ‘gear up’ then go get your full gear and re-establish what you have in a post following a ‘gear up’ session. That way one can avoid the magical bag of ‘everything even the kitchen sink is in here’ and yet your pc moves unencumbered through the quest.
Don’t poach information. If one character learns of something by their actions, its up to them to share that information with the party. If they don’t then you don’t know it. So long as they are paying attention to you and acknowledging your actions, its perfectly fine to withhold information.
Stick to the posting order. This goes along with information poaching. Try very hard to post in the order the original postings were made. This gives everyone an equal chance to post and react in the order they carried out actions and learned things. Skipping posting order is only okay if a moderator says it is or the moderator is tired of waiting for one slow poster to post.
Don’t stand and do nothing. No one likes a PC who’s in a quest just to observe. This is a huge waste of time too. Don’t do nothing and don’t actually join a quest thread if you think all you are going to do on your first post is observe. Moderators hate that and might get spiteful towards your PC if all you are doing is lookilooing the whole time. Perform actions, ask questions, and think heavily about what might be going on.
Do things you can do. Don’t do things you can’t do. Are you a fighter? Fight then. Are you a wizard? Perform magic. Healers can heal. Everyone can look and observe for things. But if your unskilled at something like say disarming traps, don’t try to disarm traps. You’re going to get your stupid ass killed and probably those around you. Quest parties form organically and come together in a way where everyone has a role. Play your role. Don’t suddenly think your superman when you’re a three inch pycon. Those roles don’t work. Play roles that work.
Make quest posting a priority. If you are in a moderated thread, post to that FIRST before you post to your solos or socials. They are important to the moderators and the players so be sure you make it a priority to yourself as well.
Keep information organized in your mind. Understand and keep it straight in your mind what is ‘general’ information that everyone learns and what is ‘private’ information that someone finds out. You can act on general information but not on private information unless it is private information you earned.
Know your character limits. What is your characters size and strength? Can you lift that? Can you wield that? Does your character know what that thing is even if you do? Make sure you are aware of your lores and your skills. If you don’t have say a huge physical presence, don’t think you can lift a knight in full body armor as an average female and carry him out of a burning building. That probably won’t happen. You probably can’t even roll him over.
Be aware of YOUR location and the locations of the rest of the group members. Describe where exactly you are standing carefully in the scene in relation to fixed objects or things that are the focal point of a scene. Are you right next to another group member? Are you standing behind the group ready to heal them? Are you kneeling in front examining something? Be specific. Remember, let everyone know where you are. Don’t stomp on anyone in making an action. Slide around someone if they are in front of you and what you want to do. This goes back to acknowledging someone is somewhere doing something. Acknowledge them.
Just ask and you’ll know. Sounds like a simple thing right? But don’t assume anything. If you want to know more about something specifically examine it in your response. Ask in your post. “John Smith wondered how the man had managed to carry enough water to traverse the desert without dehydration. He should have been dehydrated right? So John decided to check his gear and see if there was any evidence as to how it was done.” Boom. You’ve just asked the Mod how something happened and made it clear you were looking for the answer. Now it’s the mods turn to do their job and tell you in their response to your actions. “After a few minutes of searching, John found a bag of holding that had five hundred canteens, most of which were still full, all stuffed inside it.” Don’t assume. Ask!
Let the Moderator know how you’re feeling about their quest. Are you bored? Have your PC yawn in boredom. Are you feeling left out or ignored? Write about that. It’s their job as a moderator for everyone to have fun as they tell a story to you. If you’re not having fun or there’s nothing for your PC in the quest so far, let them know by writing about it. They can and will adjust the story accordingly. Though remember, there are two types of quests. One is a sign up quest where a story should be tailored to every PC that signs up. And there are random posted quests you join. The random posted quests are the luck of who shows up first and its less about the PCs and more about the story in that case.
Don't criticize the moderator. They are doing it for your fun and their own enjoyment. Go easy on them. Understand that a good moderator might be flexible with the rules to preserve pacing or flow and add an element of the fantastical to the story. This goes for undermining the narrative, too. “This seems straight out of last months' Letters to Penthouse, Jen. What's the deal?” NoteYou know I'm just throwing this in there as a humorous reward for reading this far right? That might not be cool to point out. Just go with it. A good mod will change the ending or the middle and if you hate the quest you can not opt in on another one of theirs later down the line. Also, if you’re noticing inconsistencies, and can’t help it, try phrasing it in the form of a question. E.g., Is this the same begger we met in the last scene? If so, why is his peg leg on the right now instead of the left? Is that really necessary to point out? Probably not. The whole point is that hes a peg-leg dude and leave it at that. It might even be intentional. Is he an illusion that has changed over time? The changes might be hidden clues.
Don't engage in non-rewarding conflict or squabbling. Everyone knows that fighting among party members can be hugely distracting. try to limit this type of conflict to those instances which are dramatically rewarding. Contribute to the narrative as a PC rather than distract from it. This game is a social cooperative one. Players forget that. They like to grandstand defiance under the banner of staying true to a character concept. That's bullshit and everyone including themselves know it. The exception to this rule comes when tension or opposition within the party results in dramatic role-playing rewards. In order for the latter to work, remember, all PC’s need to be on the same page and it needs to be fully IC. OOC contempt for another players actions can't creep into the overall narrative or you're violating this rule.
Understand your role in a quest as a party member. Your PCs presence in a quest should be to strengthen the bond of the party, support each other player’s character-concept in game, weave your story alongside the other characters’, and finally work together towards your goals. That's it! Everything else like comedic humor or superfluous knowledge is icing on the cake.

And finally…
Don’t void the social contract of quest fellowship! Remember, when you are joining a quest, you are agreeing to join a group and work towards a common goal for the benefit and fun of all the player and the characters in the group. This is a social contract! Avoid slavish behavior meaning a character acting in a way that makes no attempt at originality, constructive interpretation, or development. We all know the pc types. There’s always that pc who won’t go with the party even though the player has joined the quest because they don’t know the others, don’t trust the others, and can see no benefit in it for them. It’s your job as a player to suspend disbelief and find a reason to go and help and be in that group. It’s not the moderator’s job. It’s your job and your social contract of RP QUESTING that you signed. Follow through.

Deplorables

Secret :

Don't Steal My Sunshine!

Secret :

Choretime

Secret :

Acts of Service

Secret :

Sign-Up

If you wish to participate in any event, simply complete the form provided below and submit it to My Office.

Event Signup Form

Code: Select all: [b]PC Name:[/b] [b]Skills you want to improve:[/b] [b]Moderated thread (date):[/b] [b]Your interest in this thread:[/b] [b]Something you're willing to lose:[/b] [b]Can your PC sustain an injury:[/b] [b]Preferred outcome:[/b]

Bitches, Snitches, Switches & The Deplorable

Challenges are going to be different this season. They will fall under four categories and all of these things will directly relate to the main theme of the season- The Purge. You cannot stack tasks without consulting me first. These are meant to be writing prompts which permeate the seasonal plot into individual stories. Cramming a bunch of tasks into a single thread will likely not yield the results you seek. One must complete all of level 1 to receive the city medal. Level 2 & 3 challenges must be brought to the ST's attention for monitoring purposes. Below explains the little extras I've thrown in for completing the various levels.

Complete Level 1 = Small signature badge
Complete Level 2 = Custom item befitting of your new title
Complete Level 3::Bitches Only = A special introduction

Snitches are rats, informants and the somewhat cowardly crowd that choose their side of the battle based upon a highly motivated sense of self-preservation.

Start a rumor about someone being a Deplorable (without any evidence) ~lvl 1
Flee from a Deplorable/Suspected Deplorable ~lvl 1
Gather information (spy) on a suspected Deplorable ~lvl 1
Spread facts about a suspected Deplorable (must gain info via IC action) ~lvl 1
Report information on a suspected Deplorable to the authorities ~lvl 1
Become an asset for the authorities (minimum 3 threads) ~lvl 2

Switches are the flexible and painfully effective tools used to inflict punishment and retribution on those who stand against the institution of Rhysol and his followers. Note: Any action taken against a suspected Deplorable could have negative consequences.

Discover the identity of a suspected Deplorable ~lvl 1
Confront a suspected Deplorable in public ~lvl 1
Watch as a suspected Deplorable is harassed or beaten ~lvl 1
Restrain a suspected Deplorable until the authorities arrive ~lvl 1
Interrogate a suspected Deplorable ~lvl 1
Beat a suspected Deplorable ~lvl 2
Kill a suspected Deplorable ~lvl 2

Bitches are the lowest of the low. Not Deplorables themselves, they feel some festering urge to aid the villains (suspected or known) and thus make themselves a traitor (bleeding hearts inquire within). Note: The great risk to PCs who choose this path is very high which is the reason there are fewer tasks and an extra reward.

Create a distraction that helps a Deplorable escape consequences ~lvl 1
Discredit someone spreading facts about a Deplorable ~lvl 1
Lie to the authorities to protect a Deplorable ~lvl 1
Impede a chase, capture or interrogation of a Deplorable ~lvl 2
Confess to being a Deplorable when you're clearly not ~lvl 2
Hide a Deplorable ~lvl 3

Deplorables are the villains here. You will be hated, feared, misunderstood and mistreated. Your challenges will depend upon your station and the exact nature of your circumstances. Your primary challenge this season will be to survive. I will open a discussion with each Deplorable who registers this season to cover the details.

Survive
More to come

When you complete the challenges, copy your respective list, attach links to your thread work then post it in my Office.

Summer 518: Calendar

Summer 518: Calendar

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