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EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (GODSBLOOD)
Godsblood
THE GOD'S PATH
For those that head towards Godsblood, the first week or so will be spent travelling, five or so days by cart or foot and then the rest on a boat caught near by the Syraku Shipyard. The workers and sailors that live in the are are slightly suspicious, but if everyone is well disguised, it won't be hard to catch a ride in one of the vessels departing to Godsblood with a load of lumber from the nearby forest. The rate may even be cheap enough to be afforded with whatever charity was offered to you by the village folk, though there are, of course, other ways to make money. That is, if your character is clever enough.One way or the other, the ride on the ship will only last a day or two, and soon you will be docking at the shores of Godsblood. It's city line is densely packed between mountains and ocean, with buildings that stretch impetuously over the water of the bay it surrounds, leaving room for smaller boats to travel in and out of the city's core. The architecture here is storied, carved with inscriptions and painted with murals, depicting anything from tall tales to family histories. To those from Earth, its aesthetic may give off a Nordic impression, mixed with elements of steampunk. The shore is lined with many massive, ancient boats that have been docked there so long they've been transformed into buildings.
Enough people come and go from the city that your presence will not be particularly noteworthy, just as long as your Shards and any extremely outlandish features are kept from sight. The sailors will even offer you some extra jools if you help them unload the lumber they're carrying. There is no paperwork or verification to be done upon entry; Godsblood welcomes travelers and immigrants alike, as long as they don't make trouble.
THE LOVER'S FESTIVAL
The Lover's Festival is a celebration of love in all it's forms, whether that be familial, friendship, or romance. Of course, it's perhaps unsurprising which one of the those is the most marketable to the businesses of Godsblood. The city has a booming, and competitive, economy, and that means as the celebrations ramp up, so do the number of market stalls filling the streets and trying their best to get your attention. You may have anything from fine jewelry to aphrodisiacs' shoved in your face, followed by a string of aggressive sales pitches. It's just that kind of place, apparently. Don't you have a sweetie to buy a gift for?Not all of the celebration is about commerce, but it may become clear on even a cursory view that crafting and selling is the primary battleground for an overwhelming network of inter-family conflicts. Some are based in multiple family businesses selling the same products, others are out of uncontrolled clashes in personality... all of them have a way of turning into loud, public arguments. Godsblood is an unapologetic place in both politics and culture, and forwardness is the assumption, with bartering and haggling being habitual practices.
Yet, it is also a place of faith - specifically, faith in the eleven Legacies. While there is certainly some cynicism in people's approach to the Lover's holiday, there are plenty of rituals of genuine spiritual significance occurring as well, with highly practiced dances and musical performances happening on nearly every street corner, many of which are done in the Lover's honor. Unsurprisingly, this is also something that the most well-entrenched family lines find a way to fight over.
❖ LOVE POTIONS (CW: drug usage)
A particularly noteworthy booth is one set up by a family that is loudly proclaiming to be descended from the Lover themselves... or at least a facet of them! The Faeyr family is controversial to say the least, with the legitimacy of their claim being a subject of hot debate, especially since they are using the claim to sell supposed 'love potions'. They've even giving out free samples! Contained in small, vials of iridescent liquid, drinking these potions will result in the subject feeling overwhelming feelings of love and kinship, but not just to one person; no, this feeling extends to everyone and everything, especially the things they actually do love. There is nothing innately romantic about this feeling, but it could certainly emphasize what's already there.
The Faeyr family is marked by their pointed ears and featureless, iridescent eyes. It seems their samples are causing quite a bit of chaos, and also getting slipped into some unrelated drinks that are on offer. Are the Faeyrs themselves responsible for these spiked drinks, or is it merely a coincidence? It'd take some searching to find out.
❖ ENDURANCE DANCING
Endurance dancing is a prominent sport during the Lover's Festival; that is, dance partners competing against others pairs to see who can keep up a series particularly brisk dance formations without falling or stumbling. Most of the dances are relatively easy to learn but hard to maintain, with prize pools varying from 25-100 jools depending on how difficult the steps are and whether or not you're required to be drunk before starting. The last pair standing gets the prize!
❖ FULL MOON
The full moon is considered the climax of the festival and the mythological peak of the Lover's power; as such, many prospective lovers see it as their prime opportunity to find their destined match. It is extremely common on the night of the full moon to be asked out by complete strangers, all searching for true love, ordained in the light of the Lover's moon. Many people can be seen going on spontaneous dates or finding rooms during this time, and it's entirely possible that the undercover Aions will be spotted and approached in such a manner. If it isn't quite your speed, maybe you need some help disentangling yourself... or perhaps pretending to already be taken might do the trick.
REST INTERRUPTED
After scrounging up some jools, it will be possible to find an affordable place to rent a room, at least for the night. Of course, in the throes of the festival, not everyone's minds are set on sleeping. After you've enjoyed your complimentary meal and retired for the night, you'll find those in the inn's dining hall stay up until all hours of the night hollering, laughing, singing, and playing loud music on an assortment of instruments. Despite having left the streets, you have not left the party, and for those exhausted from travel the inability to catch a wink may be a trying ordeal.
Maybe that isn't your only problem. It's more cost effective to split costs, after all, and finding the more affordable room could be a fast track towards sharing a bed with one or two of your new Pleroma kindred. After all, if you're staying here indefinitely, you'll have to make those jools last.
Maybe that isn't your only problem. It's more cost effective to split costs, after all, and finding the more affordable room could be a fast track towards sharing a bed with one or two of your new Pleroma kindred. After all, if you're staying here indefinitely, you'll have to make those jools last.
QUESTIONS
How do characters get enough money to pay for ship fair?
We invite you to be creative in how your character accomplishes this, whether it be by stealing, gambling, sweet talking, or doing chores on demand. If you really have no ideas, however, it can be said that the villagers surrounding the Valley of Innocence gave you some money on the way out. It probably wasn't much, though, and the more money you can gather the easier it will be to survive in the city.
What kind of long term work is available?
Low level labor and service positions are easy to come upon, which pay about 25 jools per day. There are also roles that can be found in crafting and manufacturing, but those will require you to display some skill in the subject before they hire you. Fishing is also a big industry, as well is mining. In general, you can find whatever sort of work would plausible be in a bustling city, but more academic and management positions will be harder to acquire.
You describe the Faeyr as having unusual physical traits, which are seen as normal. What kind of physical traits in player characters will stick out enough to raise suspicion?
Horosians are incredibly biological diverse, with many family lines having unusual physical traits such a extreme heights, horns, odd coloring, animalistic features, and other such things. While people that look basically human are still the most common, things like pointed ears, for instance, are considered fairly average. "Extremely" otherworldly traits would be things such as visibly being a robot, being made of plants, having a snake tail, and other huge deviations from the norm. Faeyr are considered normal because their family have existed in Godsblood for centuries.
It's a bit of spectrum, with the further you deviate from the human norm being more and more of a risk; not because it's impossible for such people to exist in Horos, but because if those traits do exist, they are probably connected to certain family lines. Whether or not moderately inhuman traits give you away depends entirely on how worldly the NPCs you're interacting with are. If one can pass as human it will generally be safer to do so, because then NPCs will have no cause to question what family or region you come from.
How long does the festival last?
Each 'moon' in Horos lasts 30 days, so the festival starts around the 10th, peaks at the 15th around the full moon, and then tapers off until the 20th. The events following the full moon tend to be a little more chill and family orientated, but the same activities can still be found.
How will the portal to Greentruth be unlocked?
Unless your character goes looking for Godsblood rebels, the portal will be unlocked from the side of Greentruth on around the 20th of the month, at which point those that travelled there will be able to enter Godsblood and show the Pleroma there the way. This will happen after the event prompts on each log have concluded, chronologically, but can be used to have characters reunite later in the month.
We invite you to be creative in how your character accomplishes this, whether it be by stealing, gambling, sweet talking, or doing chores on demand. If you really have no ideas, however, it can be said that the villagers surrounding the Valley of Innocence gave you some money on the way out. It probably wasn't much, though, and the more money you can gather the easier it will be to survive in the city.
What kind of long term work is available?
Low level labor and service positions are easy to come upon, which pay about 25 jools per day. There are also roles that can be found in crafting and manufacturing, but those will require you to display some skill in the subject before they hire you. Fishing is also a big industry, as well is mining. In general, you can find whatever sort of work would plausible be in a bustling city, but more academic and management positions will be harder to acquire.
You describe the Faeyr as having unusual physical traits, which are seen as normal. What kind of physical traits in player characters will stick out enough to raise suspicion?
Horosians are incredibly biological diverse, with many family lines having unusual physical traits such a extreme heights, horns, odd coloring, animalistic features, and other such things. While people that look basically human are still the most common, things like pointed ears, for instance, are considered fairly average. "Extremely" otherworldly traits would be things such as visibly being a robot, being made of plants, having a snake tail, and other huge deviations from the norm. Faeyr are considered normal because their family have existed in Godsblood for centuries.
It's a bit of spectrum, with the further you deviate from the human norm being more and more of a risk; not because it's impossible for such people to exist in Horos, but because if those traits do exist, they are probably connected to certain family lines. Whether or not moderately inhuman traits give you away depends entirely on how worldly the NPCs you're interacting with are. If one can pass as human it will generally be safer to do so, because then NPCs will have no cause to question what family or region you come from.
How long does the festival last?
Each 'moon' in Horos lasts 30 days, so the festival starts around the 10th, peaks at the 15th around the full moon, and then tapers off until the 20th. The events following the full moon tend to be a little more chill and family orientated, but the same activities can still be found.
How will the portal to Greentruth be unlocked?
Unless your character goes looking for Godsblood rebels, the portal will be unlocked from the side of Greentruth on around the 20th of the month, at which point those that travelled there will be able to enter Godsblood and show the Pleroma there the way. This will happen after the event prompts on each log have concluded, chronologically, but can be used to have characters reunite later in the month.
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He watches as she storms off, probably to find someone who isn't a jerk, then turns back to Dextera. ]
I guess that works, too.
[ And then, with a dramatic, disappointed tone, ]
I thought we were supposed to have each other's backs, Dextera.
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…
[ dextera’s expression says it all: brow slightly furrowed, cheeks finally pink instead of sallow, he’s been flustered into a very human expression. what part of this was having his back, exactly… ]
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No? Not appealing at all? Well, Dokja's certainly never played matchmaker so what does he know. But look, the night's still young and there's plenty of time to prove that loyalty exists in this day and age.
Right on cue, another young hopeful appears. This time, they're a man, and he's set his sights on Dextera. Which? Honestly should be Dokja's excuse to escape, but he wants to see this particular train wreck through after his own had gone so poorly.
So he watches, expression mildly intrigued, as this stranger approaches Dextera somewhat nervously to ask him to go? out? with him? ]
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…?
[ he points to himself, as if trying to confirm that the stranger has not made a mistake. ]
……??
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Meanwhile, Dokja's got a wry smile on his face as he watches this spectacle unfold in front of him. It's kind of amusing to watch when he's not on the receiving end.
And with the rate of how often this seems to be happening to literally everyone, they're in for a long night. ]
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[ dextera doesn’t know what to say. no words are forming in his mind, and certainly nothing is coming out of his mouth except faltering confusion. he allows his hand to be taken, but only because he’s still thinking—
and then, though he’s still not thinking, he grabs dokja’s hand and puts it on top of his and the young man’s like they’re all in this together. ]
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Dokja stares down at their hands with the most confused look on his face and the stranger seems to be just as puzzled by what this means. But then, it's like a light bulb goes off on the stranger's head and he's suddenly taking both their hands and trying to lead them somewhere.
Oh hell no... Why does Dokja have a sinking feeling he knows what this guy is thinking? ]
Wait! Wait, no. No, no, no. Hey, this guy's some kind of pervert!
[ That's panic in his voice as he digs his heels into the ground and refuses to budge. ]
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the young man that thinks he’s about to get lucky encourages dokja to live a little, while dextera stares dokja down with a silent but powerful gleam in his eye. he certainly looks serious about this… ]
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First of all, why is Dextera so strong? Second, why does he look so serious about this? He can't actually think this is fine...? Has he forgotten that Dokja is in this equation??
Speaking of Dokja, he forces down the rising panic as he stares back, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. The woman from before had been turned down so quickly, but suddenly a guy shows up and it's okay? Either Dextera is gay or this is... a plot. And sneaky bastards recognize sneaky bastard acts.
His tightens his grip on both hands, no longer protesting as he starts following after them. Fine. If it's going to be like that, then he'll call this bluff. ]
Let's go.
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…
[ the gears are turning as he tries to figure out a way out of this, and he’s definitely not listening to the young man who is now escorting them both chatter on about how lucky he is, and about how he knew the lover’s moon would bless him, so on and so forth. he’s at least not looking to see dextera running through several different emotions now that dokja has doubled down. ]
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Right now, all he wants is to commit to this cause and hopefully get his own vindictive streak out of the way. Will it potentially hurt this stranger's feelings? Yes, but it's not like Dokja cares about him anyway...
They reach their destination a lot quicker than imagined, and it seems as though the room's already been paid for? Because they're going right up the stairs of some seedy, third-rate tavern. Oh boy. ]
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…
[ there’s really only one thing to do at a time like this. dextera takes a short breath. although he knows they really shouldn’t be causing a scene, there’s no way that this hasn’t happened before. thus, hastening ahead of his rational mind, dextera takes the opportunity of the next step up to grit his teeth, pretend his footing has suddenly gone bad, and toss himself back down the stairs.
he does have the decency to let go of everyone’s hands, but if he brings dokja with him as a consequence of the narrow staircase, that’s not his fault. ]
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And while he'd been ready to see this through to a point, he also doesn't want to see Dextera get hurt for something so ridiculous? So no, he does not let go of the other man's hand, and instead, tries to pull him forward and maneuver them both mid-fall so that when they go down, Dokja's body will at least cushion the landing.
Yeah, it's called martyr things.
At least they weren't very far up the stairs. ]
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[ even if dokja’s body has cushioned the fall, there’s still some inevitable, if mild, pain involved in tumbling down a few stairs to hit the ground. ]
Ggh…
[ there are now definitely people observing them, including but not limited to the young man they just clearly leapt from in order to avoid. his confidence has faltered somewhat, but there’s still hope in his eyes that it was an accident as he takes a few steps down to make sure they’re okay. ]
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Dokja is definitely in pain and in no condition to participate in a threesome after taking a tumble down the stairs? He's winded as he lies there in a daze for a moment before he gingerly pushes himself up to a seated position and...
Oh. That's a lot of eyes on them.
He drops his voice to a whisper as he nervously glances around. ]
What was going to be your genius plan after this stunt?
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[ dextera’s necessary silence comes in handy. he doesn’t have to answer dokja and it’ll look either way like he has something on his mind. apparently heedless of all the eyes on him, dextera stands up, brushes himself off, and stumbles toward the door. the man they’re ghosting in real life pathetically calls out after dextera to no avail.
he has to get out of here before he somehow gets himself into a foursome. ]
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He scrambles up after Dextera, ignoring the man's mournful cries. They've most likely made an incel out of him, and he'll forever lose hope in love. Possibly dying alone and unwanted... Or he'll probably just go back out there and try again. Who knows! Dokja certainly does not care!
As they make it out the door, he does decide something, though. ]
I think we're even now. Let's call a truce.
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he nods, but the expression he gives dokja anyway is one that very definitely says this is dokja’s fault in the first place. ]
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And his first reaction is to be difficult. ]
This wouldn't have happened if you'd just gone with that woman at the start.
[ Their truce crumbles immediately. ]
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[ there’s a huff of breath from his nose like an angry bull, but dextera doesn’t exactly present himself with the same level of intimidation. it’s closer to a mildly frustrated cow.
still in the realm of the same sentiment. he gestures to himself, and then makes a distinct ‘x’ with his arms. ]
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Hey, wait a minute. You're also the reason we got into this mess since you put my hand in there and made that guy think we... we...
[ You know. ]
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dokja doesn’t have to sound so offended about itdextera drops his arms, but not because he’s giving up. ]
Hmph…
[ there’s something very petty about the way he turns his head. his whole upper body, in fact. he could just leave, but he’s letting dokja know that he’s not listening. ]
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So this is what happens when he's on the other side of petty? He doesn't like it. Also, this is such a stupid squabble and he knows this but he can't stop. ]
Fine. Run into more weirdos tonight and throw yourself down more stairs on your own.
[ Dokja will be the BIG MAN and leave first! ]
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…
[ but he’s sticking to his guns here!! he’ll apologize later tonight, when his pride simmers down. ]