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ph_ooc2026-02-28 02:58 pm
pumpkinhollow) wrote in ph_ooc2026-02-28 02:58 pm
Entry tags:
MONTHLY PLOTTING POST | March
Monthly Plotting Post | March
Happy almost springtime!! Look who's early for once!
Before we jump in, I'd like to commend the community for a great transition into having an AC minimum. Over the past couple of days, Blue and I have been taking a look at some of the patterns we've noticed from now being just about two months in, and it looks like what we aimed for is being broadly accomplished! If y'all keep up the good work, you can likely expect me to occasionally waive the requirement as a treat <3 We're also definitely seeing a positive impact on the tag-out to toplevel disparity, so keep it up!
Don't forget that because the event for March will follow into April because it's a major plot drop, so there won't be an April plotting post. Now, without further ado, let's get ready to kill a demon!
Using his powers to deceive the mind and transform the island, Eligos will be creating a false replica of the Regia Infernalis, leading characters to believe that PERMADEATH IS ON (it's not really) and will have several tricks up his sleeves. This event will feature several distinct areas--- the dungeon, the senate room, the catacombs, the ceremonial hall, and the waiting room.
The Dungeon is the main event. I talked about this in a thread in the Discord server for those who caught it, but the main gist is that characters will be placed in groups of usually (but not strictly) 2-3 and will be presented with situations where one or more person must die in order for the survivors to proceed. In these Saw-trap-esque predicaments, characters will be encouraged (or forced) to betray one another's trust--- again, with the false understanding that the victim will permanently die. Survivors will proceed into the halls of the dungeon to meet with other survivors and dodge guards, while victims will be placed in the catacombs to respawn, unbeknownst to the ones who just killed them. Groups and traps are up to the players, but hard choices and severe tests of trust are the goal, and you're encouraged to make the fate of the victim to make as graphic and horrifying as you're amenable to. Get nasty with it. You know you want to.
The Senate Room is an option for characters who aren't in a group or who are in Dahlia and CT's team of people trying to prevent Eligos from dying here. Players here will be entered into a mingle that features a game--- a combination of Heads-Up and Mafia. Seated around a meeting table, each unwitting player will be given an envelope with a message from Eligos that reads, "We are nothing but our nature. Open the envelope for the key, but should you do so without knowing your nature, you will die." Looking around, they'll see that everyone else has a (fairly unflattering) word floating over their head that they themselves cannot see, but everyone else can. The task is simple--- question those around you for hints (as they cannot tell you the answer) and either correctly guess your word before opening the envelope and proceed to the dungeon halls (and potentially to another trial?) or guess incorrectly before opening and end up in the catacombs with the other "dead". The answers will be chosen by me and concealed under drop-downs, and players can choose to not reveal their own characters' answers until they make their guess and try to get it right, or to opt out of the secret and OOCly know the answer even though their character does not. Additionally, I will choose several characters to receive a gift from Eligos---- a package with a knife and instructions that let them know they can kill someone else for their key and bypass the puzzle. Remember that OOC consent is a must, even if permadeath's not really on!
The Catacombs are, as previously mentioned, the place where characters who die end up. Below the rest of the castle, this maze-like hall of underground graves is full of whatever deterrents you want--- whether it's physical obstacles, monsters, puzzles, or whatever else. The objective here is to simply make it back to where the surviving characters are, but feel free to meet up with other victims!
The Ceremonial Hall is an opt-out/alternative location for those less interested in the horrors happening in the rest of Eligos' house of horrors. Featuring an ornate throne and seating for observing guests, this space is being prepared for the coronation of a new king, but certainly you don't expect the nobility to do it themselves, do you? Using his powers of hypnotic manipulation, Aster has claimed a handful of Pumpkin Hollow residents to act as the help. Play the role of a courtly servant--- gather secrets, swap gossip, complete Prince Aster's grueling task list, or find a way to slack off. Just don't get busted by Claunthe, Duchess of Debt, Our Unholy Lady of Legbreakers, lest you be saddled with a debt you aren't prepared to pay for your time theft.
And last but not least, the Waiting Room is for those awaiting a final audience with His Infernal Majesty, the King of Treason. At first housing just Francis Mulcahy and a phone, this place is accessible from the dungeon halls as well as the catacombs to anyone with the chops to make it that far. Contribute to Eligos' death or try to deter it if you like, though ultimately this will not be an event that you can change. Aster's seen to that by sending his latest Infernal Servant in to ensure results.
Once Eligos has fallen, this will be followed up by a miniature event-post toward the end of April for Aster's coronation. The Regnum Infernalis has a new king--- and he's got plans.
Less meta-plot related, but it will also be time soon to start thinking about Harbor Day and CukeFest, plus the three year anniversary party! There's tons of exciting stuff on the way, so stay tuned!
Before we jump in, I'd like to commend the community for a great transition into having an AC minimum. Over the past couple of days, Blue and I have been taking a look at some of the patterns we've noticed from now being just about two months in, and it looks like what we aimed for is being broadly accomplished! If y'all keep up the good work, you can likely expect me to occasionally waive the requirement as a treat <3 We're also definitely seeing a positive impact on the tag-out to toplevel disparity, so keep it up!
Don't forget that because the event for March will follow into April because it's a major plot drop, so there won't be an April plotting post. Now, without further ado, let's get ready to kill a demon!
SPRING TDM
March - May
Spring has very nearly sprung! The TDM is still in planning, but I have a few ideas for plant-based pandemonium for us to get into. I've had the Victorian flower language on the brain in a major way and I'd love to find a way to offer some fun treasures. I've also been pondering fossils, spring cleaning, and April Fool's Day. Don't forget that the Pokemon lineup will be changing with the season, and feel free to leave prompt suggestions. The TDM will most likely launch next weekend (March 7/8) so as to not overlap with the March event while still being up in time for the EMP.
MARCH/APRIL EVENT - By Order of the King
March 15th - The Ides of March
It's time for our next major plot development--- the fall of Eligos. Those of you who have been here for a while know that the death of Mendel had an unreasonably tight turnaround for how plot-involved it was, so since the last demon royal death, we've had such events run for two months instead of one, which works substantially better. This is a great time to organize more elaborate plans or get caught up on your backlog! This event is going to be pretty horror-forward due to its plot relevance, so please keep an eye out for content warnings and utilize the opt-out if this particular salad spinner isn't your vibe. Using his powers to deceive the mind and transform the island, Eligos will be creating a false replica of the Regia Infernalis, leading characters to believe that PERMADEATH IS ON (it's not really) and will have several tricks up his sleeves. This event will feature several distinct areas--- the dungeon, the senate room, the catacombs, the ceremonial hall, and the waiting room.
The Dungeon is the main event. I talked about this in a thread in the Discord server for those who caught it, but the main gist is that characters will be placed in groups of usually (but not strictly) 2-3 and will be presented with situations where one or more person must die in order for the survivors to proceed. In these Saw-trap-esque predicaments, characters will be encouraged (or forced) to betray one another's trust--- again, with the false understanding that the victim will permanently die. Survivors will proceed into the halls of the dungeon to meet with other survivors and dodge guards, while victims will be placed in the catacombs to respawn, unbeknownst to the ones who just killed them. Groups and traps are up to the players, but hard choices and severe tests of trust are the goal, and you're encouraged to make the fate of the victim to make as graphic and horrifying as you're amenable to. Get nasty with it. You know you want to.
The Senate Room is an option for characters who aren't in a group or who are in Dahlia and CT's team of people trying to prevent Eligos from dying here. Players here will be entered into a mingle that features a game--- a combination of Heads-Up and Mafia. Seated around a meeting table, each unwitting player will be given an envelope with a message from Eligos that reads, "We are nothing but our nature. Open the envelope for the key, but should you do so without knowing your nature, you will die." Looking around, they'll see that everyone else has a (fairly unflattering) word floating over their head that they themselves cannot see, but everyone else can. The task is simple--- question those around you for hints (as they cannot tell you the answer) and either correctly guess your word before opening the envelope and proceed to the dungeon halls (and potentially to another trial?) or guess incorrectly before opening and end up in the catacombs with the other "dead". The answers will be chosen by me and concealed under drop-downs, and players can choose to not reveal their own characters' answers until they make their guess and try to get it right, or to opt out of the secret and OOCly know the answer even though their character does not. Additionally, I will choose several characters to receive a gift from Eligos---- a package with a knife and instructions that let them know they can kill someone else for their key and bypass the puzzle. Remember that OOC consent is a must, even if permadeath's not really on!
The Catacombs are, as previously mentioned, the place where characters who die end up. Below the rest of the castle, this maze-like hall of underground graves is full of whatever deterrents you want--- whether it's physical obstacles, monsters, puzzles, or whatever else. The objective here is to simply make it back to where the surviving characters are, but feel free to meet up with other victims!
The Ceremonial Hall is an opt-out/alternative location for those less interested in the horrors happening in the rest of Eligos' house of horrors. Featuring an ornate throne and seating for observing guests, this space is being prepared for the coronation of a new king, but certainly you don't expect the nobility to do it themselves, do you? Using his powers of hypnotic manipulation, Aster has claimed a handful of Pumpkin Hollow residents to act as the help. Play the role of a courtly servant--- gather secrets, swap gossip, complete Prince Aster's grueling task list, or find a way to slack off. Just don't get busted by Claunthe, Duchess of Debt, Our Unholy Lady of Legbreakers, lest you be saddled with a debt you aren't prepared to pay for your time theft.
And last but not least, the Waiting Room is for those awaiting a final audience with His Infernal Majesty, the King of Treason. At first housing just Francis Mulcahy and a phone, this place is accessible from the dungeon halls as well as the catacombs to anyone with the chops to make it that far. Contribute to Eligos' death or try to deter it if you like, though ultimately this will not be an event that you can change. Aster's seen to that by sending his latest Infernal Servant in to ensure results.
Once Eligos has fallen, this will be followed up by a miniature event-post toward the end of April for Aster's coronation. The Regnum Infernalis has a new king--- and he's got plans.
CURRENT METAPLOT
With Nyarlathotep's identitiy revealed and Aster crowned king, we're reaching the final stretch! Expect things to get crazy over the next couple of months as Aster exacts petty revenge on all his least favorite subjects and Dahlia begins making plans on how to oust him. And of course Nyarlathotep isn't going to just sit back and relax either. Less meta-plot related, but it will also be time soon to start thinking about Harbor Day and CukeFest, plus the three year anniversary party! There's tons of exciting stuff on the way, so stay tuned!
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
Senate Room Sign-Ups
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Phoenix
Re: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
Radar O'Reilly
For real: after his stint in the Slaughter this past October, Radar will absolutely positively under no circumstances kill whoever he's stuck in a room with. Even light maiming is questionable. So, uh... RIP buddy :') I feel like for maximum Eligos-style betrayal purposes, this should be done by somebody he already has decent CR with, but I'm flexible!
Besides that, I would love for him to crash into other victims while running through the catacombs. He didn't get to do any real dungeon crawling during Kadath, so if anyone wants to solve more horrible puzzles, dodge a monster, or deal with other creepy shit with him, definitely hit me up. It could be a cool CR-building opportunity if we don't have too much yet, or Fun(?) And Games With Friends if we do.
Cameo
no subject
Purple
Matching them with someone self-sacrificing to create a suspiciously easy setup rather than making them fight it out with somebody else who's also going for self-preservation might prompt some self-reflection about whether they're letting Mortanne down/whether the demons are profiting off of their lack of community-mindedness.
Re: Senate Room Sign-Ups
Signing Lev/Lyubov up for this
Re: Senate Room Sign-Ups
Anzu will be there too
no subject
CT is, naturally, going to be there
Re: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
There can be situations, for example, where one person must choose who they are going to save between two people. Both of them, in that case, are "victims"---- one of them just didn't die. It could also be the other way around, where two characters are to decide between them who has to kill the third, and technically both those characters are in the "betrayer" role, it's just that only one of them took action. I'm sure there's other scenarios that you could think of that I didn't!
However, if you're asking if someone could just be spectating/along for the ride, I am going to outright disallow this. Like I said, this is a horror-forward event where the King of Betrayal is going out of his way to psychologically torment your characters and test their trust, and it's important that plans are made with the spirit of this in mind. If that's not your vibe, please utilize the opt-out!
no subject
Blue | Daisy, Gwen, CT, South, Theta, Melanie, Alex
CT
So, as linked in the server, CT and Dahlia have struck a deal / made a vague plan to try and prevent Eligos's death. This, naturally, will fail, and as above any conspirators will be pulled into the Senate Room game. So, CT will obviously start out there, and then where she goes from there will depend on plans with a couple pieces of her CR (namely Ripley). BUT the important part is more who she'd have looped into this whole plan, and thus who are counted as her allies and likely to be brought into the Senate Room as part of her side of the deal.
Now, CT has trust issues, so this is, admittedly, likely to be somewhat limited. But you can make a case for being invited by her, specifically, if you're ex-ocularum, or otherwise already close CR with CT. Please, please ask me if your character would be included unless you are one of the obvious suspects (Gaeta, Ripley, Valdis). Obviously, you can be brought into the Senate Room for other reasons, but if you want to be involved in the (doomed) plan to prevent Eligos's death as invited by CT, it needs to make IC sense.
(Allies of Dahlia can obviously be included via Dahlia's involvement, as similarly decided upon by Rose case-by-case.)
Re: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
Felix Gaeta
But first he'll be playing the Senate game! Whenever that concludes, he'll end up either in a Saw-style trap (if he guesses right) or the catacombs (if he guesses wrong). I figure the catacombs puzzle can also involve death or betrayal somehow? Maybe it's designed so only one person can get through, with the other needing to be sacrificed; maybe it's some weird prisoner's dilemma bullshit with extra murder. Basically, what I want most in this plot is to force Gaeta into consciously deciding "yes, I am going to kill this person," and at least attempt to go through with it.
Re: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
Everyone Else
ðŸ§ðŸ›¹South & Theta: These two are going to be a matched set during this event, on account of them starting out in a trap with North where it will be the two of them making it out and North being sent to the catacombs. It's gonna be fucked up! And it also means they're going to be making their way through the rest of the dungeon together.
They'll both obviously be horribly distressed if encountered when thinking North is dead, but South will be trying to be steady for Theta and mostly carrying him around. I'd be more than down for other survivors to encounter them somewhere once we see the shape of that.
Now for everyone else... I don't really have any specific plans, lmao, as I don't know what their CR will be doing. But these are general vibes:
👻Melanie: Unless paired with very, very close CR, Melanie is kiiiiinda more likely to betray the other person than let herself get killed. She has fought far too hard to live to this point and has a girlfriend to get home to. I'm perfectly willing to play her fucking someone over, and whether that's CR that can be either recovered or built up at all afterwards (depending on initial familiarity) can of course be talked about.
🎸Alex: Alex is, on inverse, much more likely to let herself be sacrificed/refuse to betray someone. She's got some survivor's guilt already and with her Empathy being what it is, this is already going to be pretty psychologically torturous and complicated. Another person's Fear or Anger or Sadness can very easily influence her own and I'd theoretically love to play with that, which could push her to kill someone if the other person is also insisting on being the one to die.
🩰Gwen: Today in nightmare scenarios for Spider-Woman! She, also, really would not want to kill someone, she has some solid trauma about doing so in fact, but I'm not totally sure how this would shake out otherwise. Open to ideas.
🌼Daisy: For her, this depends highly on CR specifics. Killing her takes some brutal means, so that's always potentially fun! But yeah, it depends. Gonna have to see what her close CR is doing.
no subject
What do y'all think?
father mulcahy | M*A*S*H
I AM going to be super duper busy throughout the month of March but I'll do everything that I can! Please come chat if you want to; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'll stack my plate as high as I want, as long as no one minds me being slow.
At some point I'll have to start old threads from past months. LMK if we have anything outstanding from past January and let's work it out.
Phil Connors is solidly going to be in the opt-out.
Bastion
There's the complicating factor that if someone attacked them but didn't finish the job immediately – which is rather hard to do to a heavily armoured battle robot with self-repair capabilities, but not out of the question for supernatural heavy-hitters or an appropriately tailored deathtrap – their combat programming would activate, and in that state of mind they have no reservations against killing in self-defense (especially if the attacker appeared to be a human). But it's not really betrayal to kill someone who tried to kill you first even if you feel terrible about it later, now is it.
There's the option of someone else deliberately baiting Bastion into killing them that way, but I'm hard-pressed to think of anybody who would actually try that. Probably the best place to put them would be to force someone who would feel really guilty about it to kill them.