Spring begins with a torrent of bad weather; the mountains warm up slightly more, and rain is plentiful. Most days are overcast, but even those without clouds have drizzles present.
The rain brings with it an atmosphere of cheer and hope as rivers are filled again, making water more plentiful and easy to access than it has been in quite some time. However, the Unforgiving is no longer used to such amounts of water, and the sudden onslaught proves dangerous as well, quickly souring such moods.
The Catholicon finds itself overflowing with people coming down with colds, coughs, pneumonia, and other similar ailments. The Amaranthine floods over, and citizens are warned to avoid going into the wilderness if they can help it due to the dangers; flash floods can occur within moments in the low bottoms of the valleys, and mud slides become commonplace higher in the peaks. Reimancers are often on duty throughout the season making sure the city remains safe, and to try and keep crops from being flooded.
Meanwhile, tensions rise between mages within the city as the argument about civilian mage institutions against the Towers continue. More and more, normal citizens are getting themselves involved, and find themselves taking sides.
Overview of Season Events
☼ Daytime Event - ☾ Nighttime Event
☆ Moderated/Prompted Event
☆ Moderated/Prompted Event
1st: The Watchtowers flare green, announcing the coming of spring and a new year. Ponrose is moved from her quarantine care at the Catholican to the first floor of the Twuele to await trial. Citizens flock to the Twuele to try and glimpse the overgiving mage, but she is kept out if the public eye.*
14th: The constant rain has swelled the Amaranthine River, and it finally overflows; reimancers spend the day trying to do damage control, and high boots come into fashion very quickly, remaining popular (and necessary) for the rest of the season.
☼19th: Ponrose Ruhi is put on trial; she is convicted of dangerous use of magic, and harming herself and others. She is banned from ever using magic again. She must stay at the Catholicon until she is mentally and physically healthy enough to leave, at which point she will be placed under house arrest for the next year. She is never to be in contact with Elena again.*
☼20th: The Tenten erupts in chaos as citizens protest or support Ponrose's conviction. There is a heavy Shinya presence, and while there are a few skirmishes, the protests don't spill over into the other peaks.*
22nd: The Heart's Festival begins, lasting all day and night; however, tensions from the protests a mere few days prior still linger, and the celebration is noticeably muted.
37th: A mudslide occurs low in the peaks close to the city, trapping a few hunters; the Shinya call for volunteers to help rescue the small group. An official announcement is posted to the Gazette later that same day warning against venturing out of the city.
☆☼42nd: Exactly one season after the overgiving incident, people awake from the dawn rest to find that someone has vandalized the front door of every mage in town, civilian or Tower member, known or not.*
45th: Elena makes an official announcement that she will no longer be allowing anyone affiliated with the Towers to learn from her or use her space or resources. A few other businesses such as the Den of the Lost, the Observatory, and even Tain's Studio follow suit.*
57th: An anonymous writer posts a satire in the Gazette about mages, mocking and condemning them in equal parts; the piece takes no sides, lashing out equally at Tower mages and civilian mages. It features the symbol drawn on various mages' doors from earlier in the season.*
☾60th: The Crone appears in the city under the cover of night; she is seen visiting various mages in the city.
☼61st: The next morning the Crone also appears in the Basilika; it is the most public appearance she has ever made, and it sparks surprise as many are curious to hear what she has to say. She warns that the feud between mages is foolish and pointless, and that they should be working together against a bigger threat. She is largely ignored.
☆63rd: Rumours circulate that Hayani, Zintila's ex-Anchorite who was executed over a year ago, has been seen wandering around the Sharai close to the edge of the peak; children report often seeing her near the Swing.*
70th: The Star Festival is held; just about everybody takes the day off from work, and Zintila is sighted throughout the city, bringing hope and courage wherever she goes and attempting to calm the tension that has been rising.
(Note: Please remember that PCs cannot use Zintila as an NPC; only DSes can control deities. If you're interested in a brief sighting or interaction with Zintila at the festival, PM me or post in my office.)
☾91st: Just a few bells before the change of the seasons, with the moon high in the sky, one of Elena's students finds her dead and clearly murdered in her personal quarters. The news will only begin to spread the following day, past the change of the season.
The Symbol*
The soft dawn descended on the peaks of Lhavit, rousing the night sleepers and surrendering the day sleepers to rest. Many hovered with no schedule and barely blinked at the change of night to day. Still, there was something to be noticed this morning, as the entrance to Elena's studio was painted with a deep crimson. Elena, who had come under much scrutiny this season and last, was just as shocked by its arrival as anyone else.
It dripped and glistened in the morning spring sun, streaking in the light drizzle of rain, but one could already see the dried edges where the painter's rough brush had thinned their art and the deep crimson faded into a rusty brown, suggesting this was not made from an ordinary plant-based pigment, but something more sinister. But it was not just Elena's Studio with the peculiar symbol. Every door of every known mage in town, even the Tower mages, also had the symbol painted on their door. There lay no witnesses to this vandal, only the symbol.
Sparked exactly one season after Ponrose's assualt on the Tenten peak, a city-wide vandalism begins. Written in what looks to be animal blood, or at least one would hope it is from an animal, is a peculiar symbol scrawled on the front doors of almost every mage in the city. Any mage who isn't utterly secretive of their ability to wield personal djed or manipulate world djed will have one of these symbols appear on their door. (This includes PCs who have not made an effort to hide their magical skills)
It is clear they were drawn by mortal hand, but none have witnessed the vandalism in action, or the one responsible. Even on the grand entrances to each of the Towers there is a symbol scrawled, and for those who can see the Lonely Shack, there lays vandalism on its door as well. This sudden unknown symbol does not appear to take sides on the current magic debate in the city, and its nondiscriminatory targeting of mages is a cause for deep concern.
(This thread will be a moderated event by Neologism; please stay tuned for further details if you're interested!)
The Ghost of the Anchorite*
Rumours circulate about Hayani being seen on the Sharai, wandering in the rain near the edges of the peak. However, it is common knowledge that she was executed some time ago; at first, it's dismissed as overactive imaginations, or a hoax.
But the rumours keep spreading, and children start talking about seeing a strange but lovely woman near the Swing; finally, the rumours are taken more seriously, and a few people decide to go and investigate.
(This thread will be a moderated event by Neologism; please stay tuned for further details if you're interested!)
Weather Throughout the Season
The weather is marginally warmer and more pleasant, but the overall temperature is kept cool because of the constant rain. More often than not it is warm rain, but that doesn't mean it's pleasant to constantly be getting soaked.
Most days are cloudy and overcast, but a rare few are sunny with light rain, resulting in shimmering rainbows. A few days are worse than others, with severe thunderstorms and higher winds. There are only a handful of days throughout the season that experience no rain at all.
Hoods and hats of all sorts make a fashionable appearance, as do tall (and waterproofed) boots.
Seasonal Challenges
Complete 6 of these challenges to earn Lhavit's Seasonal Medal. A maximum of 3 challenges can be completed in a single thread, and if doing multiple challenges in a thread each one should consist of at least 800 words; that is, threads containing 2 challenges should be a minimum of 1,600 words, and threads containing 3 challenges should be a minimum of 2,400 words. Single challenge threads should be a minimum of 1,000 words. If you have completed the challenges, then post them to my office with links to the threads.
✧Take part in a protest*
✧Sight one of the graffiti symbols on a door*
✧Vandalize a statue or painting with a moustache*
✧Give an Okomo a treat (with another PC)*
✧Get caught in the rain, and do some singing or dancing to make the best of it! (with another PC)
✧Earn 5 XP in a water-related skill (swimming, fishing, water reimancy, etc.)
✧Come down with a cold
✧Spend a day inside and earn 5 XP in a crafting or artistic skill (baking, sewing, painting, calligraphy, etc.)
✧Buy a fancy new hat/hood or a pair of boots to protect yourself from the weather
✧Get into an argument about whether or not civilian mages should be able to teach magic and take a side (with another PC)
✧Sight one of the graffiti symbols on a door*
✧Vandalize a statue or painting with a moustache*
✧Give an Okomo a treat (with another PC)*
✧Get caught in the rain, and do some singing or dancing to make the best of it! (with another PC)
✧Earn 5 XP in a water-related skill (swimming, fishing, water reimancy, etc.)
✧Come down with a cold
✧Spend a day inside and earn 5 XP in a crafting or artistic skill (baking, sewing, painting, calligraphy, etc.)
✧Buy a fancy new hat/hood or a pair of boots to protect yourself from the weather
✧Get into an argument about whether or not civilian mages should be able to teach magic and take a side (with another PC)
*Event/challenge credit to Neologism! Be sure to thank him for his wonderful suggestions.
