The Calendar of Events For Summer 517 In Riverfall!

[Gossamer]

❖ Welcome to Summer in Riverfall! ❖

❖ Overview Of The Events of Summer 517

The Story So Far...

The man who was not exactly a man wasn’t done with Riverfall yet. He’d tried his best to instigate his way into the people, yet at every turn he’d been denied. It might have been that Riverfall’s protectors – Wyser and Akajia – were always about. But he didn’t think so. It could also have been the numerous towers that rose to the sky and advertised the city as a godly place, fully welcoming the divine. It was, after all, why she’d come. And since she was here, he too was here, always following, always observing, hoping for his chance.

He’d given the Rivarians gifts. He’d given the Rivarians curses. He’d done all he could besides shout out his presence. And really, who did he want to know that he now lived here and called himself the secret lord of the city? No one, save maybe, for her.

Some females, it seemed, were destined to take a while to get a message or even a hint that something was afoot. She was more stubborn than most but he was more than willing to keep trying. After all, they had eternity didn’t they? At least they did until something changed. And truly, nothing ever changed in the realms of the divine. There were wars, deaths, births, and rebirths. And though his powers were newly born, he’d yet to fully stretch his wings and try them.

And so in the dark of night he bowed his head in the center of the city in a park where no one dwelled. He pulled forth the magic that was in him and threw his hands out wide. The magic poured from him, tapped from some sacred well inside. It washed from him in waves, concentric circles of forms finding themselves suddenly thrown into existence.

The Sakel were vaguely humanoid. Nameless, shapeless, faceless… they were the rawest form of his power. Once summoned he sent them from him, wave after wave, pushing them to go forth, mingle among the people, and be birthed into their final forms.

He addressed them as they came into existence. He told them, for thus birthed they did not know, what exactly they were. “My children… my Sakel…. Go forth. Find living sentient creatures to attach yourselves too. Find company. Feed on their emotions, their hopes, their fears, their dreams… take form. Be anything they shape you to be. Be of your own mind though. Take not their desires as your own. Haunt them, feed on their emotions, and bring what you reap back to me. It is a power, and I will grow stronger from it… and she will be forced, finally, in the end to acknowledge I am and what I can be!” The figure drew his hands even higher and made flinging notions. The forms sped out, into the night, and broke up… the mob became crowds, and the crowd became small groupings and finally individuals until the Sakel fanned out and picked victims to attach themselves too, to feed off of, and to retrieve for their Master the power He needed to finally see his Godhood realized.


❖ What is this Season’s Theme in Riverfall?

Just like last season’s theme was Renewal. This season’s theme will be The Sakel. Each and every PC will have a Sakel attached to them. This Sakel can take any form (or multiple forms for various threads) that feed on the internal issues a PC has. Only the PC can see it unless it WANTS to be seen by others. Daddy issues? Your PC will have a carbon copy of their father following them around. Did they murder someone in the past? Odds are they are about to see them again. Missing memories? They will crop up in the course of this season. Sakels are epic monsters that are thought form projections. That means they appear based on what the PC is thinking, doing, feeling, and if they have skeletons in their closet, these skeletons will come to visit. Multiple Sakel can attach as well. These are not physical creatures though they can manifest as physical forms in the shape of anything. They can appear to be killed, but they are immortal. The more your PC reacts around them, fights them, and gives them attention the more they feed. That means your PC will get worn down over the course of the season.

❖ So what does this mean for Players?

It means you write. You write all about The Sakel haunting you. We started this new type of Season last season and frankly had a poor turnout in player base. I made some mistakes and planned a rather large reveal at the end. That reveal flopped and wasn’t allowed to work because it was going to be based on a player driven initiative that could only work with the cooperation of the whole pbase of Riverfall. And that cooperation depended upon at least a half dozen players participating. We did not get that number nor those added results. In fact when I opened nominations up for people to nominate thread winners and stand out PCs with the understanding people could nominate themselves, I got 5 replies and every single reply almost to every answer nominated themselves for EVERY awards. It was disappointing. So I decided to scratch the next phase until Fall because it’s absolutely designed to be player driven, and try one more season of active participation under a very wide open theme anyone can get involved with.

There will be a host of prizes offered at the end there will be a little voting contest and a grand prize will be awarded the player with the most interesting Sakel activity. That's the challenge. Potential prizes and rewards will be listed in a separate post at the end of this thread. I will help you with any and all scenarios you might need assistance or approval for. Just drop me a pm and I'll let you know what we can do to get started. Otherwise start for yourself.

If your thread has a Sakel in it or has a Sakel theme, you must begin your threads with the tag [The Sakel] at the start of the title.

[Gossamer]

❖ Overview ❖

I'm really tired of creating calendar events that don't get used. There has to be a better way! So we are trying what I am going to consider perhaps a better alternative this season. It's going to be more based on a pool of RP Ideas you can draw from and assign to a date of your choosing. Then at the end of the season, we can see how the Summer shaped up without such a ridged structure.

❖ Instructions ❖

Please feel free to peruse The Sakel themed events below and select one you'd like to play out. All events selected must be posted in an open thread with the tag [Sakel City Event] placed in front of it. The event description must be included in the thread title description. Anyone who chooses to join your event thread can and the PCs involved must all acknowledge each other's actions.

Please post in THIS thread any events that you are going to run with and I can strike them out or link them as they get used. Some events can be used multiple times and will have sub lists if people are interested. As always, with Gossamer's permission, you can create your own city events. I will add any new player ideas in this list as well so post if you are doing city wide open events also.

❖ Events ❖

Click Me To Open :

1. A monster or wild animal a person fears greatly comes to life and stalks them. These Sakel forms appear real and can be killed once the form has manifested and been identified. The form dying does not kill the Sakel of course. It survives to create more mischief another day. (This event can be used multiple times.)
2. The Sakel recreates a PC's past life incarnation. Other PCs can join in this incarnation and live for a while in this existence until they figure out how to escape. (Multiple use event)
3. Something the PC desires manifests itself to them. It appears real for an entire day. (Multiple use event)
4. The Sakel removes one sense (touch, taste, sight, smell, hearing, etc) for an entire day. (Single use event)
5. PCs forget Common (or their primary language) completely. (Single use event)
6. The Sakel shifts a PC's personal values and alignment exactly opposite of what it is normally. (Multiple use event)
7. The Sakel manifests a deceased loved one or enemy and places it in confrontation with the PC's life. (Multiple use event)
8. The Sakel fakes the death of a PC's loved one. (Multiple use event)
9. The Sakel impersonates a good friend and asks a PC for help. (Multiple use event)
10. The PC feels like someone is watching them. They hear footsteps where no one is walking and there might be mysterious noises such as knocks on the door/window or doors/windows slamming open/closed. Bedcovers might be yanked off their beds, etc. Lights and hearths might be bursting into life, etc. This is basically the feel of a bonafide haunting. (Multiple use event)
11. The Sakel assumes the form of the PC and commits a act which is considered a crime in Riverfall in the name of that PC who's form its borrowing. Please note. PCs can also try to commit crimes and pass themselves off as Sakel if they so desire. (Multiple use event)
12. The Sakel alters a PC's race for one day. They gain all the benefits of that race and loose their own racial traits. (Single use event)
13. The Sakel impersonates a God or Goddess and interacts with a PC. (Multiple use event)
14. All your clothing is turned invisible to everyone else but you. (Single use event)
15. PCs are struck with an uncontrollable emotion for an entire day. (Single use event)

❖ Summer Festivals ❖

Name: The Day Of The Dance
Date: 85th Day Of Summer
Details: Parties in the streets! Musicians line every street corner, playing music a plenty. The celebration of the end of summer starts 4 bells before nightfall. Males and females take out to the streets in casual wear, and dance till you can't dance no more. Most of the city takes to the beach for beach dances, but some like the quieter atmosphere of the parks where they still have music. From street corner to street corner, different music is always playing, allowing for people to almost always be dancing, to whatever they like best.

The Gideon Arena is turned into a staging area for the professional group dancers, with the outskirts turned into audience seating.

People have been known to dance all the way through the night till the dawn of the next day. Rhaus has been known to be at this festival some years, celebrating in the excellent music and dancing. Everyone is given a single necklace deep blue necklace, who they are to give that night to the person they think danced the best. The top ten dancers generally will have a dance off in the Gideon arena, to the delight of everyone else in the city.

Name: Seafaire!
Date: 30th Day Of Summer
Details:Details: Being built nearly on top of the sea, Laviku is a vastly important god to Riverfall. Konti and Charoda, two species present alongside the prevalent Akalaks, owe their existence to either Laviku or his mate, Alavis. As is his right, Laviku demands sacrifice in his name and the city is happy to oblige.

Seafaire is a city-wide festival, and all citizens are expected to turn out for it. The mighty sea that protects Riverfall is celebrated with boat races, swimming competitions, and seahorse races. Companies and stores will often sponsor a competitor, though the winner receives only prestige. All praise goes to Laviku, who allowed the competition in the first place. Should an Otani wander into the harbor during the festivities to grant them a song, all other music stops as the city crowds into the harbor to listen.

Throughout the day, a great wreath is constructed at the end of the harbor. Every citizen, down to the last child, is expected to add some bounty, be it food, flowers, or worldly possession. Vendors set up stalls and sell wares cheaply, though the quality is highly important. No one wants to be responsible for incurring Laviku’s wrath for sending him their discards. Many shops make festival-themed variations of their typical wares, specifically for adding to the wreath. These vendors often add what does not sell to the wreath themselves at the end of the day. The wealthier families of the city make vast contributions, often with much pomp, in an attempt to out-do one another.

As the sun starts to sink, the Council of Ten holds a ceremonial tying of the wreath, wrapping it with net to be sure all contributions make it out to sea. The winner of the boat race slowly hauls the wreath out to sea, with the winner of the swimming competition aboard and the seahorse champion swimming alongside. Once they are out of the harbor, the rope is cut, buoys removed, and the wreath floats out to sea, slowly sinking. The festival is officially over when the wreath has completely vanished under the waves.

Name: The Festival of Lights
Date: 2nd New Moon of Summer
Details:The Festival of Lights commemorates the dual nature of all Akalaks and the endless cycle of Akajia and Syna. During the day, the shadows of the cliffs bring a bit of Akajia into the day; and during the night, Leth’s light brings his lover’s essence into the darkness. However, during the new moon, Leth is gone from the skies to join Syna as lovers do, and the people of Riverfall take it upon themselves to continue his work.

The Festival of Lights is a casual festival by day. Shops and stalls sell their wares at a festival discount, with a particular emphasis on candles and candle holders. Craftsmen and chemists show off the latest fashions in candleware, usually in darkened tents and back rooms to emphasize the lights.

Either during the day, or well in advance for the over-prepared, each citizen of Riverfall creates a unique candleholder. These are made primarily from painted glass jars or lanterns, but the skilled may craft their own. Each candle represents a single notion about the carrier, be it a physical object, an emotion, or anything else important to the one carrying it. For the first person able to guess what their candle represents, the carrier must present a small token of reward. It is considered bad luck if, at the end of the festival, one has a candle that no one has been able to guess.

Once night falls, the real festival begins. There is a night-long fair throughout the city, through which people carry their own candles and guess at the candles of others. Shop stalls remain open, and are joined by street performers and games of chance. Though most of the public does not make it through the entirety of the night, the young take it as a badge of honor if they can stay awake until the celestial lovers part and Syna returns with the sunrise.

Name: Feastday!
Date: 80th of Summer
Details: With the autumn harvest drawing closer at the end of summer, the people of Riverfall give thanks to Bala and the farmers who keep the city well fed. One final day of excess before the work of the harvest kicks in, and the whole city feasts. Most of the day is spent preparing food, so almost all non-culinary businesses are closed for the day.

Restaurants open in the evenings with large spreads for those who wish to dine out instead of slaving over their own meals. Those with extensive families often stay home and cook, and many social circles engage in a pot luck dinner. For those without families, or no desire to eat at home, restaurants enjoy a familial atmosphere, with complete strangers sitting elbow to elbow. Members of the known farming families in town are often given a free place at restaurants and friends’ homes.

After the feast, most adults sleep off their excesses while the children play games in their homes. The evening of Feastday is often slept away, and the streets are empty until the next morning.

[Gossamer]

❖ The Summer Sakel Rewards! ❖

As I said PCs need incentives sometimes. We are going to best do this by having a little voting contest and have some awards. Each award winner will be able to pick from a prize below. Each prize can be chosen multiple times. I will let the entire game vote on who wins so it isn't just me deciding. Everyone has a chance.


❖ Here are the categories:

• Best Male PC That's Portrayed The Sakel
• Best Female PC That's Portrayed The Sakel
• Best Combat Scene (multiple winners possible)
• Best Dramatic Scene (multiple winners possible)
• Best Romantic Scene (multiple winners possible)
• Best Overall Thread Featuring The Sakel
• Most Improved PC Through The Sakel

❖ And now for the goodies:

• A Moderated Epic Thread From Me
• A Granted Wish
• 5,000 GM
• A Modest Personal Ship
• A Bag of Loot Randomly Generated
• A Silver Bracelet With Gemstones
• A Black Onyx Ring
• A Modest Personal Home In The New RF Subdivision
• An exotic slave (mods choice)
• An Ethereal Warhorse

I hope this makes things a little exciting for you folks. The prizes are, some of them, magic items. And you can feel free to suggest more categories if you have ideas.

[Fallon]

Good day!

I am going to/would like to set up the following event within this week:

The PC feels like someone is watching them. They hear footsteps where no one is walking and there might be mysterious noises such as knocks on the door/window or doors/windows slamming open/closed. Bedcovers might be yanked off their beds, etc. Lights and hearths might be bursting into life, etc. This is basically the feel of a bonafide haunting. (Multiple use event)

I will be setting it in the Riverfall Library (because books flying off shelves sounds like a giggle) during the later half of the season. I'll also edit this post with a link once it's up and running.

Edit: Thread is found here - [Sakel City Event]][Valkala Library] Words are Alive

[Robinson Gilli]

Howdy there folks!

Gonna be making use of this little bugger;

7.The Sakel manifests a deceased loved one or enemy and places it in confrontation with the PC's life. (Multiple use event)

Say around the 60th of Summer. How about we all have fun with our dead enemies and loved ones tormenting us?

[Sakel City Event] Unwanted Visitations

[Martini Elwood]

Just a quick question before I let my imagination run: Do all Sakel threads have to be open even if they're not one of the plots listed?

[Gossamer]

Yes. They ALL have to be open. Play well with others.

[Martini Elwood]

Almighty then, in that case, I'll be opening this one:

9.The Sakel impersonates a good friend and asks a PC for help. (Multiple use event)

Edit: [Sakel] Good Friend, Bad Request

[Grim Ravenwood]

I will be using this one: "7. The Sakel manifests a deceased loved one or enemy and places it in confrontation with the PC's life. (Multiple use event)"

Summary: Grim's father, a role model and man he looked up to had been killed by one of Uldr's minions while he was still a child. Only later was it revealed that he did not exactly "die", but has rather, been transformed into the same abomination that brought his demise. Grim slew his father years later, only to be marked by Dira afterwards. Now, the Sakel impersonates the man Grim put into the ground two times already. Three is the lucky charm, eh?

Thread Link: http://www.mizahar.com/forums/post512598.html#p512598

[Kavala]

[Sakel City Event] [Wolf Creek] Dark Rider

Another Sakel event... this one set at Wolf Creek Equestrian Training Course.