Calendar : Spring 518

by **Prophet** on March 1st, 2018, 12:59 am

Blood in the Water

Spring is here and with it, a new year. Strange things have happened in recent memory around and involving the floating city but Rhysol's paradise pushes onward towards higher heights through diligence, innovation and love. The new year always seems to help people set aside old misgivings or failures and look ahead towards the prospects of what is to come.

The State of Things

Lake Ravok continues to drop. The water levels are low enough that lakeshore crops are suffering. The rivers are slow and some have even run into issues where the water will not flow until after a heavy rain. Some of the canals have become harder to navigate as the low levels have made various push points impossible to reach. Platforms have become audible as the lower water has allowed more sway in the structures. This has given rise to creaks, groans and rumbles being heard throughout the city at any given time. The Temple of the Black Sun, Vitraax and Institute of Higher Learning are the only exceptions to this. The receding lake has also made falls into its waters more dangerous. Under normal circumstances, a tumble into a canal would be something to laugh at or be frustrated over but some spills could result in a person making contact with a jagged piece of wood which would normally be submerged.

Lakeshore Storm Dates

19th, 32nd, 47th - These days will be detailed by posts as explained further in the EVENTS section. The days inbetween and following will also be dictated in posts during the course of the season.
1st - Hot and Arid. Winds whip and blow making the drought weigh heavy on everyone's mind. This will continue until the night of the 6th when a cold wind sweeps down from the North dropping the temperature into a late autumn range.
7th - Cold, driving rain pours for bells on end in the morning then it becomes very hot and humid creating a muddy mess of the shore and exposed lake bed.

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.

Rumors

Secret :

Happy New Year

Secret :

How About This Weather?

Secret :

Continuations of Chaos

Secret :

Do Your Duty

Secret :

Rumors of the Ravosalamen

To get around Ravok, one will inevitably end up in one of the sleek vessels that cruise through the canals. The drivers are known as Ravosalamen. They come in all shapes and sizes but know more about what goes on in the city than just about everyone aside from the top brass of the city's main organizations. These public servants talk amongst themselves but also to their fares. Sometimes, the conversations expose a dirty secret about an affluent member of society or reveal the true purpose of a mundane structure. There are also times when the gossip is just hot air. Regardless of one's station in Ravok, it's always wise to keep an ear to the canals.

Completely investigate every rumor and receive a special IC token.

Rumors :

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]

Challenges

Complete 5 for the city's medal.
Complete all 8 for the medal and a custom gift from me.
You cannot cover more than two seasonal goals in a single thread.
The thread must be at least 1200 words long for a single challenge; 1800 words for two challenges.
Please be sure to include detail when completing your challenges. I reserve the right to deny anyone for lack of effort. The challenges are used to encourage everyone to think and write. Simply restating the challenge in a thread will not suffice.

♅ Gain 5XP in Ice Skating
♅ Get you tongue stuck on the ice
♅ Slip and fall on the ice

*(PC) Indicates the challenge must be completed with another PC.
**Rumor indicates one of the given gossips of the Ravosalamen.
***Can be achieved over multiple threads

When you complete the challenges, fill out the form below and post it in my Office.

Completed Challenges Form

Code: Select all: [url=]♅ [/url]

Calendar : Spring 518

Calendar : Spring 518

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