groundrules: (Default)
let's set d o w n some ([personal profile] groundrules) wrote in [community profile] lostcompass2022-05-12 07:35 pm
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THE TITHE | ARC III FINALE


Hello, good people! It’s all about to go down with a Boom on 18 May during the log finale of Arc III.

■ After wrapping up Arc III, the party will enjoy a plot-light(er) ‘journey’ segment totalling four-six weeks, then head into Arc IV.

■ An out-of-character vote will go up over the next few days, so you can choose between two destination options for Arc IV.

■ Our next test drive meme takes place in early June.



For now, a brief idea of what to expect in the Arc III finale log below, so you can plot & plan your moves ahead.


THE TITHE


Catch-up: desperate villagers are revisiting human sacrifices in hopes of swaying the Ke-Sanwon volcano’s eruption. The rites were stalled for a few years, during which a traveller’s cure for droughts was purchased with tributes collected by the undead Beastmaster. The witches of the Fetters gained their power and animal hybrids began to roam around this time. Wrath and Emilia discovered the volcano contains magical energy and tormented spirits that have been capped by a fracturing dark mirror. The group stole keys to enter the House of Ravens sacrificial temple — which now opens for the eruption.

In family drama, it emerges the Beastmaster was once married to the Huntress (formerly Anui), who offered their son to Ke-Sanwon without his father’s say. The child disappeared. Both parents hope to find him in the House. Wrathion, Daenerys and Viktor have all will be sharing juicy details by 18 May, once NPC threads wrap up.

Upcoming:


THIS HOUSE IS YOUR HOUSE

The party must infiltrate the House of Ravens overnight and wait until dawns, when the temple dais slowly opens to reveal the mouth of the volcano.

■ Those who enter the House are fully or partially depowered and have their ancestral curse immediately lifted.

■ In the midnight to dawns period, characters are supernaturally tempted to act on their greatest individual sin.

■ They are chased by the temple’s… unusually large defenders, if they succumb to these instincts. Good luck til dawns, folks.


LET THERE BE BLOOD

The cultists of Ke-Waicai greet dawns by exposing their first chosen sacrifice to Ke-Sanwon, showcasing exactly what happens to their ‘Chosen.’ Roughly two hundred villagers attend the rites, along with eight powerful priests who use elemental magic.

In good (?) news: seeking his missing son, the Beastmaster bring his xenomorphic creatures to attack the House of Ravens.

Characters should:

■ Dress up, join the crowd and free the remaining tributes during the beastly skirmish.

■ Take control of the House’s dais by defeating or killing the priests.

! Characters can remain partially or fully depowered throughout, if you prefer.



FIRE AND BRIMSTONE?

The dais remains under the party’s control as long as a character (literally) shoulders the head priest’s ancient white raven and holds its leash.

■ Whoever carries the raven becomes the target of the village mob and of the Beastmaster’s creatures.

■ The raven should be passed around. Defend the bird’s current holder and throw off their pursuers.

■ If the bird dies, the dais closes, and the volcano erupts. No pressure.



For those looking to stop the eruption, options include but are not limited to:

■ Throwing more dark water into the volcano to fix the mirror crack.

■ Using ice / cold magic and scientific processes to cool down the volcano’s warmth and help the mirror regenerate itself.

■ Exorcising some of the spirits within the volcano.

■ Absorbing some of the magical power contained by the volcano. IMPORTANTLY, this can lead to substantial or permanent effects for your character, detailed here.

■ Persuading and guiding sane villagers to bring sea water. Helpful tips: remember those cool phoenix rides and the very fast Ke-Waiar werewolves.

PLOT HOW TO TACKLE THE VOLCANO. You can come up with your own solution. Calming Ke-Sanwon is a huge enterprise, so the more help, the better.



THE BEASTMASTER

Group up and pitch a plan, if you want to slay the Beastmaster.

He will drive his animal to raid the House of Ravens and devolve into a fury when he does not locate his son. Grief renders him vulnerable and unpredictably violent. He is also significantly less powerful in the House of Ravens.


WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CIVILIANS?

Beyond the House of Ravens, villagers need help safeguarding their possessions or preparing to evacuate aboard incoming ships. The gradual spread of Ke-Sanwon’s seeping magic will infect some villagers, leading to animal hybridization in the farmers’ ranks — stay safe.

Whoever stays in the villages can also coordinate water and supply deliveries with those at the House of Ravens.


UPDATES & DROPS


The Arc III beacon will briefly open, allowing characters to head home before sadly faltering. All characters dropped or AC swept in May will be said to have safely gone home through the beacon.

COMMENT HERE if you want a canon update for your character. They will briefly go to their home world, then return when the beacon fails. Characters do not retain memories, items or powers gained in game while they are in their home worlds, but they recover them on return.

QUESTIONS

It’s an Arc finale: go BIG, and you might go home. Respond with your very own shiny plotting comment, featuring:


downswing: (trade)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-12 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)


PLAYER: ruxi
PREFERRED CONTACT: PM or [plurk.com profile] exar!
CHARACTER & CANON: Lan Wangji | The Untamed

WHERE THEY’RE SPENDING THE FINALE: mostly the House of Ravens. Specifically, close to that volcano hellmouth.

ANY PLANS: he'll be with the #InfiltrationGang, living his dubiously best life, so I was thinkiiiiiiiiiiiing:

FORGOT THE HOUSE KEYS: infiltration works fine for him, he'll even concede to wear... the drab dark clothes of commoners for this gig.

SAINTS BE SINNING: his biggest sin is pride, and he's unfortunately likely to give into it when tempted. If so, help appreciated with the temple defenders.

PASS THE BIRB: Lan Wangji is best on his feet, sword in hand, so I actually think he'd be more useful protecting someone who's carrying the raven. Need a bodyguard?

THE PRIESTS: yes, time to slaughter. Absolutely. Done. Point him the right way. Hell, even the wrong way will do. Let's do this.

THE VOLCANO BOOMBOX: Lan Wangji has a... bit of an unfortunate history with volcano-like abysses, so he'll be significantly less composed and more carelessly prone to bloodletting than usual. Throughout, he's here to help rescue tributes, or if anyone needs a hand staying safe at the volcano rim, whether by delivering water/magical goods, or helping... pick up/keep watch over anyone keen to absorb the magic.

EXORCISM, THO: ...needless to say, if you're absorbing the volcano magic and want someone to play you a very nice and definitely not repetitive magical tune to help your senses, give him a call. He might, ah, also just 'volunteer' it. Shamelessly.

NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING? the temple defenders, definitely! Also, he's helping Dany look for the Huntress and Beastmaster's son, so if anyone else wants to join the search party?

blackscales: Made this for myself, Do Not Take! (22)

[personal profile] blackscales 2022-05-12 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
lan wangji please rate on the honour vs dishonour scale the act of wrathion ferrying children away from the volcano and water back to it, along with anduin and probably other people.

is wrathion dishonoured by this reduction to delivery/taxi service?

or are other people honoured by his carrying of them?

does it balance out when there's a volcano about to erupt?

Also will you please persuade the probably screaming children to climb on and take this water off him, throw it into the volcano, then hand it back so he can go refill it and stop the little monstery things swarming him thank you?
downswing: (j'adoube)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
This




is a lot.


Why are you so needy, Wrathion?
blackscales: Commission, Do Not Take! (13)

[personal profile] blackscales 2022-05-13 08:51 am (UTC)(link)
Because nobody loved him as a child



Now will you please assist!!!
downswing: (lord and master)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 09:19 am (UTC)(link)
This will shock you

but on top of thinking he's awwrrriiiite with Wrathion generally

Wangji is quite fond of dragothion
blackscales: Commission, Do Not Take! (8)

[personal profile] blackscales 2022-05-13 09:26 am (UTC)(link)
Wrathion meanwhile like ah yes

here's the guy who definitely hates me

I know because I am an expert on how mortals think and feel

spent years perfecting my ability to read their mannerisms
chosenbylight: do not take (045)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-13 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
clearly wrathion needs anduin around during one of their conversations some time to be able to parse for him, since anduin has PEAKED IN LAN TRANSLATION SKILLS
downswing: (Default)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 12:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Their exchanges are so mild.
chosenbylight: do not take (068)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-13 12:56 pm (UTC)(link)
lan wangji and anduin? well one half of this equation IS anduin wrynn. look at this face!

unless you mean wrathion in which case you really need to spell it out for him, wangji. he wasn't even sure that ANDUIN liked him and again. LOOK AT THIS FACE.
Edited 2022-05-13 12:59 (UTC)
beitangmoran: (Default)

[personal profile] beitangmoran 2022-05-13 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Moran is also joining the search party (while cheering on the people who want to shank both parents).
downswing: (...why so dumb tho)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Wooooooo, let's find a smol child, it's only been years.
beitangmoran: (Default)

[personal profile] beitangmoran 2022-05-13 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Find a smol child with your husband's not-twin, what could possibly go wrong ?

... also is he going to have to remind you and Dany that we're probably not looking for a smol child anymore?
downswing: (Default)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
It was last seen aged 8-9 a few years ago, it's 'smol' for a value thereof!!!
beitangmoran: (Default)

[personal profile] beitangmoran 2022-05-13 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Moran's nephew was Emperor by that age Wangji.
cairhien: (Default)

[personal profile] cairhien 2022-05-13 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
ok but here me out
moiraine has a habit of channelling herself to exhaustion
so after working on a volcano?????
pls come carry this tiny channeller away when she's done
downswing: (survive)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
...................Moiraine, r u falling in the volcano mauf
cairhien: (Default)

[personal profile] cairhien 2022-05-13 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
not intentionally 😌
downswing: (Default)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-14 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
How are you the woooooorrrrrrrrrsssssssssstttttttt
cairhien: (Default)

[personal profile] cairhien 2022-05-16 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
you mean the best
weifinder: (caught | the safest place to be)

[personal profile] weifinder 2022-05-15 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Okay husbae but what about not clarity but instead whatever they called the song that was about cleansing spirits and sending them off that I forgot the name of right now lmf
downswing: (architecture)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-15 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
Van... quish? But I think that's more aggressive.
weifinder: (Default)

[personal profile] weifinder 2022-05-15 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)

Yeah I'm uncertain, I thought absterge or whatever it was wasn't strictly violent, but yeah... likely could be good backdrop to coax command playing to regulate speed and send on what will go

taps nose

downswing: (三)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-15 04:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Token "bae why"
weifinder: (Default)

[personal profile] weifinder 2022-05-15 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)

justice for the living and the dead basically, the usual