groundrules: (Default)
let's set d o w n some ([personal profile] groundrules) wrote in [community profile] lostcompass2021-09-04 09:40 pm
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bring your dragons, your hordes



LET THE GAMES BEGIN



Poison-free and proud, characters can tap deeper into their espionage skills over the next two weeks to prepare for an inevitable infiltration, as Macaluso and Vannozza officially compete for electoral favour.

A log covering the intrusion will go up on 17-18 SEPTEMBER. (Parts of) that event will double as a test drive meme, and we might try incorporating the suggestion to consider tdm activity as a game invite this time. Feel free to leave your own plotting comment!

At player discretion, characters who were poisoned during Macaluso’s banquet can fully recover within 1-5 days of consuming their cure.

SUMMARY


The witches of Bessis promise their vote to whomever of Macaluso and Vannozza presents them the most extraordinary magical item at an upcoming celebration.

Macaluso asks help as he sets out to capture and enhance a water dragon as his offering.

■ Instead of participating in the competition, Vannozza deploys the party to ruin the draconic efforts and to inspect a recent mystery at the halls of the Bessis, hoping to blackmail the witches. An opportunity arises to steal a map from a visiting Bessis, which could help with infiltrating their headquarters later.

■ Characters can be volunteered for a RNG drawn encounter with Macaluso and Vannozza's grandfather, don Bonaccorso.

Characters can help with any of the quests below, irrespective of their team membership — just be discreet.



■ Setting out to stitch back the tatters of his reputation, Macaluso competes with Vannozza to win the vote of the witches of Bessis, whom he has previously patroned. His suitors remain at court.

■ The Bessis and Attaryl are Taravast’s two leading sorcery schools, both formally supporting the Doxe and the Conclave. The Bessis specialise in elemental magic, particularly fire. The Attaryl are given to diplomacy, prophecy and mental sorcery. The two schools were previously at war.

■ The Bessis challenge Macaluso and Vannozza to show them extraordinary or rare magic at the upcoming annual celebration of their alliance with the Attaryl.

Macaluso seeks out exotic magic. Vannozza takes a different approach to persuading the Bessis.



A BEAUTY AND A BEAST


■ Past Taravast’s canals, in the city-side bay, Macaluso has rallied a fleet of fishing boats, offering fishermen and his supporters a substantial reward to capture a rare white dragon whose magic can be enhanced with ice sorcery.

■ White dragons migrate south this time of the year, seldom coming close to Taravast. Fishermen lure them by diving deep underwater with familiar shards, for some Sa-Hareth survivors — they originate from one of the mirrors that can consume anguish, fear or discomfort.

■ Some sorcerers will summon violent ice pellets or storm the waters to draw the dragons near — also catching the attention of nearby dolphins, sharks, sea creatures and mermaids now alive.

■ Dive in or protect locals throughout their efforts. Sorcery permits characters to breathe and speak up to an hour underwater, courtesy of a thrall can be applied thrice a day, with breaks in between sessions.

■ Those who dive very deeply can encounter the underwater wreckage of a former district of Taravast.

■ Capturing a dragon will take roughly a week. Once it is near, it can be subdued with cold magic, ice or borrowed mirror shards or any other similar tricks up your sleeve. Macaluso’s sorcerers will reduce its scale and transfer it into an ancient chest.

■ The captured dragon will sojourn comfortably in its new abode. Macaluso pledges it will be released after it is put before the Bessis. No dragons were hurt in the making of this quest.

■ Characters can take turns playing with guarding the dragon until the day of its presentation. Still reduced in size and sedate, it will roam free in the great pool between Macaluso and Vannozza’s wings of the Palazzo. As a symbol of sincerity and wisdom, now upgrading to more magical ability, the white dragon will leave those who spend a few hours beside it unable to speak falsehood for one-two hours after they’ve left its company.

Plot dragon shenanigans to directly detain the beauty.



NO MORE MRS NICE GUY


Vannozza suspects the Bessis are too biased in her cousin’s favour to award her the vote fairly. Her associates in the necromantic district report that local necromancers have increasingly visited the Bessis halls, hinting the witches are hiding something fragile, potentially incriminating and valuable.

■ Obviously, that secret's game to blackmail the Bessis. Vannozza assigns characters in her employ who can discreetly draw in their counterparts who serve Macaluso to chase any information around court. Ask specific questions here.

■ She tasks her supporters to sabotage Macaluso’s attempts to increase the captured white dragon’s magical abilities by distracting visiting sorcerers from their rites, or removing the amplifying beacons left by the creature’s pool. Beware the guards — and destroy the cold beacons before they freeze your hands. Macaluso’s employees could, of course, always... accidentally kick one or two away too.

A last assignment: a leading practitioner of the Bessis, don Urbano de Fiescho, has returned from fundraising abroad. He is spending a few nights at the palace to catch up with Doxe Bonaccorso. He is overheard saying he has rescued many long lost artefacts of the Bessis from foreign hands — including a map to the Bessis halls. Get it.

■ Incidentally, don Urbano is also a lecher of great self-importance, given to gambling and flaunting his skills. He can be detained in the game halls, if needed.

■ Four guards are posted before don Urbano’s rooms. The balcony door is protected by a wall of fire that dissipates for five seconds every five minutes. Inside, only a small caged owl that sleeps. Several scrolls, three jewellery pieces and a tome are spread out over Urbano’s table. Move quickly and silently: if the owl wakes, anyone in its line of vision will be paralysed in place until she blinks.

Plot great theft here, vandals. Getting the map will give a substantial advantage for the next event.



MEANWHILE…


■ Word has spread in the necromantic district that the Bessis request the services of able necromancers, feeding hopes speculation that high-ranking members of the school might be nearing death’s door.

Don Bonaccorso asks to speak to a character under Macaluso and Vannozza’s employment in an audience. Drop a line here to submit your character for a RNG draw. This will mean a quick lightly threaded interaction in the NPC inbox, so please be available for it!

OTHER QUESTIONS



jinzhong: (Default)

[personal profile] jinzhong 2021-09-04 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Jackie is HERE for a heist. Back to basics for this guy.
somebadnews: (172)

[personal profile] somebadnews 2021-09-04 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Five | #TeamMacaluso

Let the old guys hang out. He needs to be making friends his age.
weifinder: (must we | to reach out)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-04 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not saying this guy's gonna have success, animals generally don't care about him either way, but I will say he's heading out because he's going to be fascinated and deeply, deeply needing a break for some good old fashioned hunting. He's a good swimmer, and can come up with some creative means of herding a dragon around, though also: what the hello this is a dragon, incredible!

Also warns people not to mess with the mermaids, such as they are, of course.

So anyone wanting to partner up! Raise a hand!
weifinder: (lost | i keep bouncing back)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-04 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
So tossing this up on offer if anyone wants to run with it: Wei Wuxian is still our local reincarnated fertility goddess, and this guy likes sleeping around, so if we. Wanted to dovetail those things. Somehow?

Wei Wuxian's not here to love this plan but he is here to see if it'd work in tandem with whatever else people want to plot out, but he can like. Talisman the guards into freezing/being biddable if needed.
weifinder: (hurting | i gotta keep moving)

Return of the paperman life:

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-04 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
He doesn't want to bother with questions for my sake, so: if he sends paperman in to listen in Don Urbano's rooms when someone's meeting with him there, is that a thing. Can he do this thing.

I can have him schmooze around court too but why not use paperman life? It's been a while since it was last relevant, clearly revival is due!
weifinder: (ask | from the cold)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-04 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Wei Wuxian (Lady Vannozza)
bearshermark: made by penbeetreewood (peace offering)

[personal profile] bearshermark 2021-09-04 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Eleven | Vannozza
wooden_one: (Default)

[personal profile] wooden_one 2021-09-05 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
Chu Wanning both wants to fight a dragon and doesn't trust Marcaluso not to hurt the creature so he'll definitely be around. Jiuge's ability can also calm things so that might be helpful! He could also be found feeding scraps from his own plate to the dragon later on.....probably all the meat bits he doesn't want to eat.
wooden_one: (Default)

[personal profile] wooden_one 2021-09-05 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
Clearly they should go together. What could go wrong? (Everything, everything can go wrong.) He'd be surprisingly okay with some creative means as long as it's not embarrassing, anyway, lol.
gladiokinesis: (Default)

Re: QUESTIONS

[personal profile] gladiokinesis 2021-09-05 02:56 am (UTC)(link)

So how would this all be playing out for Diego, since he's posing as a suitor so to speak?

weifinder: (bros | his hands they shake)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-05 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
So far my soft polling of folks leans toward Bessis messenger carrying news from abroad, and I'm still selecting my interruption (or teleportation) crew so I can figure out the arrival and the departure without you know, getting his soul heavily injured!
weifinder: (Default)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-05 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
Who doesn't love great plans?

Now what kinds of means to herding white water dragons do we want to work with? Wei Wuxian has lots of talismans and could tell about the qi binding/bonding technique he has that, er, Wanning is better off using than Wuxian is, but! What else do you have in arsenal on your end? I'm still not 2ha familiar enough to guess, sobs
wooden_one: (tsun | hm?)

[personal profile] wooden_one 2021-09-05 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
He's good with barriers, he has a magic guqin that can calm things (does it work on dragons? We'll have to see) and also a fear of flying on things other than his paper dragon talisman (that I did not have him bring because goodness knows canon never actually explained how it worked!!). He can also dry your clothes and make them toasty warm afterwards because cultivator magic.
weifinder: (ask | a battle for gold)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-05 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
im so glad he gets that kind of cultivator magic because i swear mxtx is allergic to it in her works or the series adjacent to her works lmf

OKAY so, want to ask how his qin playing above surface might do, if it'll have an effect to start? barrier to keep the dragon(s) from getting outside of a region out to deeper waters might help; again if he needs a different inspiration to this, he's def got the power and wei wuxian can go "woe is me, if only i had the power to golden net qi this entire area" looks to chu wanning, pleading
wooden_one: (tsun | hm?)

[personal profile] wooden_one 2021-09-05 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
Hello! I just wanted to ask, for his guqin which can calm and even put people to sleep would it work on the dragon? If it doesn't work entirely would it have a little effect still?
Edited 2021-09-05 04:41 (UTC)
wooden_one: (Default)

[personal profile] wooden_one 2021-09-05 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
Just casually making all his towels warm with magic...except no because that would require him to care about his own comfort.

I will have to wait on mod response on the effectiveness. But yes, a barrier. He can cast a....surprisingly large one, probably. Also he'd get such a flat look for that. Like, why can't you just ask!?? (It's because you look like the sort of person who'd say no, Chu Wanning. Fix your face.)
weifinder: (glance | from the storm)

[personal profile] weifinder 2021-09-05 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
hey sometimes you're figuring out how much people do or don't take to being asked things! and then see him start just asking chuchu for things going forward because hey hello its not your face that had me stopping before

it was not yet inflicting myself on you
scrapgege: (Default)

[personal profile] scrapgege 2021-09-05 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
as a fight jock, Xie Lian would absolutely be up to fight a dragon, let him punch things!

also he would probably volunteer to play with the dragon afterwards, and I feel like we could use his terrible luck for great shenanigans here............. im just saying.
beitangmoran: (Default)

[personal profile] beitangmoran 2021-09-05 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
Moran will leave the heisting to more capable people, but he totally is an expert at schmoozing with old farts and also, he plays a mean game of Star Chess. Also the Attaryl are interested in him but he's bene playing hard to get with them so potentially there's an opening there if Don Urbano thinks he could one up them.

(Also Moran may just want to have a good verbal fight with someone about why Macaluso sucks and would make a bad ruler)

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