Plotting - January AU Event!

[pumpkinhollow]

AU Event Plotting

Hello there, Pumpkin Patch!

Those of you who have taken a look at our January calendar may already be aware of this, but coming up at the end of this month we will be having a temporary AU event in which player characters find themselves in a strange shared dream. For the span of one night's sleep, characters will exist in an AU wherein they are from the world of Pumpkin Hollow. This dream will also take place in the year 16:45, which is about 8 years in the past. Whether they dream lucidly or spend the entire time fully immersed in the dream, they will be able to take their memories of the dream back to their normal lives.

What all of this means is that your characters, purposefully or not, have a limited amount of time to experience the world of Pumpkin Hollow before the barrier and collect information. Speak to residents that didn't survive to the present day, learn more about the events that led up to the barrier's creation, and experience the greater universe in which Pumpkin Hollow is set, but use your time wisely because there will be restraints!

Because this event is a little bit complicated, I wanted to give folks the opportunity to decide on their new backstory and ask any questions they might need answered. As such, I've put up a plotting post well in advance! Below I've written up some helpful info for AU character building and some toplevels for questions. You can also use this post to plot out what you're going to do, though I recommend keeping it loose this far in advance. Let's get into it!

Event Rules

The Basics. Characters will start out their shared dream fully believing they are natives to the world of Pumpkin Hollow, complete with memories of their unique life there. With some effort, which I leave to players' discretion, they can realize what is going on and spend the rest of the dream aware of their original life. However, the AU can also be played straight. Nearly anything about your character can be changed--- age, species, social status, finances, relationships, health conditions, history, professional life, and more! The only thing that needs to remain the same is their core identity. You'll want to explore the character building and lore sections for more information on this. You are free to explore to your heart's content, but be aware that there is an IC time restraint.

Time Management. Unlike most dreams, there is no real stretching and shrinking of time. And while time tends to be soup in most RP scenarios, that is less the case here. This means you need to make the most of your time. All this amounts to the fact that you will have eight IC hours to interact with the AU (you can backtag as long as you want OOCly, though, I'm not the boss of you). I won't be super strict about how accurately this amount of time is played out, but the amount of activities you squeeze into this time frame should be reasonably appropriate.

NPCs. There are lots of new ones available! But because of the time constraints and in the interest of not killing me, there will be some restrictions. Each character will have the opportunity to speak with only one of the following NPCs, played by me (Rose):

• Dahlia Leeds, troubled teenage debutante
• Henry Leeds, local monster hunter
• Harriet Leeds-Brenning, newly-elected mayor
• Linette Brenning, alchemist
• Jonah Leeds, daring adventurer
• Japhet Leeds, town councilman and patriarch
• Neil West, dream therapist
• Merrick Gladwyn, Reverend of the Sacred Mothers
• Hellen Poe, artist and secretary
• Yorick Aberdeen, intrepid reporter
• Elsie Helvig, feral child

Characters such as Degas Clayton and Elias Coldwood West, who are played by other mods, will not be a part of this rule. Goddesses, demons, and the Pine Devil will not be accessible during this event.

World State. The AU will take place in September of 16:45, two years before the barrier goes up and about 8 years before the present day. After the death of prior mayor Christopher Larkin, Harriet Leeds-Brenning was elected over her competitor, Janine Kilbride. This makes her the youngest mayor elected in Pumpkin Hollow. This victory is somewhat hollow in the wake of the death of her elder brother Jasper, whose funeral is on the day in which the dream takes place. Meanwhile, Merrick Gladwyn has been reverend of the temple for as long as anyone can remember, and Neil and Elias West are operating a successful business in town. The island is still very much cursed, but people are made hopeful by the efforts of Henry Leeds and his renowned hunting party. More information will be available in the lore section.

Is it possible to leave Marrow Isle without the barrier? Yes, of course. But is this the best use of your time? (Although, if you've persuaded Jonah Leeds to take you sailing, perhaps it is.)

What happens if I die in the dream? You wake prematurely, with a start in the middle of the night. You cannot resume the dream. This is a good option for characters who you would like to not be present--- people did a lot of dying in 16:45.

Can I still get bonus AC for AU threads? Yep! Same as usual.

Can I handwave CR for this AU? It would honestly be weirder if you didn't. These people have been your neighbors for a good chunk of your life, and it's a small town. All handwaved CR should be agreed upon between players, including for NPCs, but please feel free to be as generous as you like with handwaved CR.

Is there a maximum amount of threads I can do? No, but you should be aware of how much time you have. I'm not going to police this but it should be kept within reason.

Will I be able to remember the events of the dream in my waking life? Yes, absolutely. You can recall as much or as little as makes sense, regardless of whether you are lucid and aware you are dreaming or playing the AU straight and have no memory of your original life.

How difficult is it to remember my original life? Again, player's choice. You can go the whole dream without remembering, be reminded by another player character, or have just about anything jog your memory. It's more fun if you don't recall right away, though.

What happens when the dream ends? Around 4pm in dream-time, you awaken to morning in January of 16:54, just as you left it. This can be as abrupt or drawn out as you like.

With the basics out of the way, let's move on to building your character!

Character Building

This section will be a basic guide on how to build the AU version of your character!

Where did you come from? Pumpkin Hollow has been established for about 32 years by this point. You can absolutely have been born and raised right here on the island. You can also come from any of the other places on the map featured in the lore section. Most folks will be from other places in the Emerald Isles, though, as it is unlikely most people from more distant places will have immigrated to Marrow Isle.

Species? Marrow Isle is part of a world that has fantasy races! You can be a human, an elf (sun, moon, high, wood, dark, or snow), a dwarf (ice mountain, green mountain, hill, valley, or bedrock), an orc, a fae, a tiefling, a halfling, a gnome, or any manner of beastfolk (harpy, arachnus, lizardfolk, birdfolk, catfolk, animus, dragonborn, ect). Don't see something you're interested in? Run it by me!

Age? You can absolutely change the age of your character for the purpose of AU stuff. It does not have to match the amount of time the setting has reversed--- you can even age them up! You may also age your character below the age of 18 with the understanding that under no circumstances are they to engage in NSFW activities or behavior. As such, you can incorporate appropriate milestones that make sense for their new age such as marriages, children, education, ect.

Social/economic status? This can be whatever you want. You can be dirt poor or filthy rich. It's only for a few hours, after all, so have fun! Just make sure your line of work and history are befitting of your station.

Backstory? Whatever you like, as long as it's lore compliant! A wizard straight from the University of Magi, a wandering pegasus rider, a sailor with a delivery from another land, a butcher born right on Marrow Isle, one of the island's first immigrants--- this is your story to tell! Make it parallel to your original story or completely different.

Name? All characters must have a first and last name, meaning folks without a surname will need to get one. Other than that, your name should stay largely the same. Particularly modern names might need to be slightly altered or a nickname for something. (Sorry Jeff.)

Robots? Automatons are still a thing, though only magical automatons have as much personality as a sci-fi robot. You can definitely take this route, or change species. Up to you!

Magic? You can absolutely be a mage and/or alchemist! See the lore section about magic for more info!

Expanded Lore

Location, Location, Location. Marrow Isle is part of the Emerald Isles, which is a nation that is off the coast of but technically belonging to the continent of Leviathan. A chunk of it can be seen here:


Not pictured is the subterranean nation of Hepogaia, which runs underneath much of Leviathan, including under the sea. It is the home of many beastfolk like arachnea, as well as dark elves and bedrock dwarves. The most major Hepogaian city beneath the Emerald Isles is Fardune, whose main entrance can be found near the Emeran capital of Victoria's Crossing.

The Emerald Isles. Originally this archipelago consisted of three nations, but an era of feudalism resulted in the nations being "unified" under the banner of one which remains in primary control today. The ruling region is that of Braxtony, with the other two being Glassighe and Anwyll. The main island is called the Grand Fairisle and it is surrounded with a plethora of smaller islands. Some places of interest in the Emerald Isles are:

• Victoria's Crossing, the capital. A bustling, diverse city full of life and culture, though somewhat more industrial in the current day. Its architecture features a lot of height with skywalks, elevated gardens, waterfalls, and large glass windows.
• Mournstead, a heavily industrial Braxton factory town with smoggy skies, dark architecture, and dingy streets. It is ironically located very close to one of the most beautiful forests on the Grand Fairisle, known as the Sylvan Grave.
• Foxbridge, a modest and rustic Glassig village known for its artisanry. It's a common stop on the way to Victoria's Crossing.
• The Cossack Mountains, a major mountain range that cuts through the northern portion of the Grand Fairisle. While there are some small human-centric towns on and around the mountains, the primary inhabitants are moon and snow elves, ice and green mountain dwarves, valley dwarves, and Hepogaians who make their homes near the entrances to the underground which are often found among the mountains. /li>
• The Iselwood, a large Anwyllic forest in the south.
• Gwybodus, an Anwyllic city best known for harboring the University of Magi. It is full of ornate and extremely colorful architecture.
• Providence, the City of Brass. A beloved hometown of many mages and engineers, this city runs almost entirely on arcane clockwork constructs. It belongs to the Braxton territory and is near the coast, just across from Marrow Isle.
• Lochshire, a well-appointed Glassig town with beautiful lake views and sprawling fruit orchards amid the stunning mansions. It is best known for being home to illustrious mogul and inventor Daphne Applegate.
• Drakeport, a Braxton city so integrated with its river that many of its businesses and residences are floating on it. The nightlife here is vibrant.
• Amethyst, the Gateway City, an enormous amethyst geode sticking up out of the base of the Cossack Mountains in Glassighe. The city is split between two dwarven stenholms (what dwarves call their towns), one belonging to Green Mountain Dwarves and the other belonging to Bedrock Dwarves. As such, the city is half above and half below ground.
• Drakkoven, a major orcish city carved into a cliffside in Anwyll, above the plains of Lethmarga. Homes and businesses are caves cut between the bones of a giant, exposed, fossilized dragon skeleton on the cliffside. There is some interesting folklore about the area.
• Cahoots, a Glassig brewing town on the coast. Famously a fun place to party and a common pilgrimage of beer and liquor fans from all over.
• We can also come up with more in plotting! Hit me with your ideas!

Magic. Both an art and a science, magic is the understanding of the powerful energy existing within all things and the ability to manipulate it. Neil explains it in this thread. No genetic component decides who can or cannot use magic, though it is considered very cerebral and challenging to learn. Magical academies for youngsters and universities for adults exist throughout the world, but they are expensive.

Species. There are many species available for your character, both fantastical and mundane! This section will be long, so bear with me.

Humans. This is the most abundant species in this particular world, and also the most diverse. They will live just about anywhere and have a wide array of unique cultures, languages, ancestral homes, and styles of dress. They are remarkably hardy and well-rounded, but they age quicker than most. They are also willing to try eating nearly anything once.

Elves. Pointy-eared folk with a history deeply rooted in the arcane. The types of elves are so thoroughly divided that they each have highly specialized physical characteristics. For the sake of brevity, each will have a quick overview, but feel free to ask questions.

• Sun Elves: coastal or arid living spaces preferred, resistant to heat, vulnerable to cold. Warm skin tones and hair colors. Pink, red, gold, brown, or ocean-blue eyes most commonly. Typically originate from the coast of the Dawn Sea or in the Waking Desert of Khorsheedan or Ngaba. Cannot live underground as sun exposure is required to live.
• Moon Elves: live in any climate but prefer elevation, resistant to thin air, vulnerable to humidity. Cool skin tones. Hair starts as black or dark blue then gradually turns silver from moonlight exposure, giving the appearance of premature greying. Black, blue, or silver eyes are common. Live at high altitudes in communal fortresses known as Skyholds.
• Dark Elves: originate from Hepogaia and have bodies highly specialized to subterranean living. Excellent dark vision, extremely sensitive to bright light. Complexions come in various shades of greyish-violet, eyes are dark jewel tones with black sclera. Protective eye gear must be worn in daylight. Special dietary restrictions.
• Wood Elves: forest dwellers who live in treehouses or nomadic settlements. Excellent survivalists, cannot become lost in woodland places. Complexions, eye colors, hair colors all tend to be in earth tones. Frequently displaced by industrialism. Often hostile toward non-elves.
• Snow Elves: strongly prefer colder climates, particularly the Cossack Mountains, extremely resistant to cold, vulnerable to heat. Always have starkly pale hair and eyes. Driven from low tundra by Braxton settlements and remain extremely hostile towards them. It is not uncommon for snow elf clans to kill Braxton soldiers on sight. Very neighborly with Moon Elves, though.
• High Elves: class traitors, old money. Originally derived from coastal Sun Elves who became successful merchants and assimilated with well-to-do human society. Look fairly similar to Sun Elves still but have lost much of their inherent strengths and drawbacks due to indoorsy lifestyle. Still get uncomfortable when cold, though.

Dwarves. Short-statured folk (not to be confused for humans with dwarfism) who have a reputation for warfaring due to their participation in the War of Ages. Widely renowned for their unique cultural practices surrounding the keeping of their hair, especially their beards. (And yes, dwarven women absolutely have beards.) Dwarves live in a variety of locations, inhabiting fortress-towns called stenholms. Each stenholm belongs to a particular clan with a unique lifestyle, described briefly below:

• Ice Mountain Clan: lives in the highest frosted peaks. Especially hardy with impeccable survival skills. Talented hunters and blacksmiths. Isolationists that do not care to be bothered.
• Green Mountain Clan: live in the lower mountain regions, sometimes inside mountains. Known for brewing and foraging. Have a reputation for being a little bit smug.
• Hill Clan: pastoral folk who are often tenders of livestock and farmers. Well known for their food. Did not participate in the War of Ages and are quite proud of that fact, much to the dismay of their brethren. Very welcoming of outsiders.
• Valley Clan: artisans, traders, and artistic sorts. Have been known to be somewhat self-centered. Have a strange manner of speaking that consists of a unique accent and incomprehensible slang.
• Bedrock Clan: Hepogaian dwarves who live either fully or partially underground. Miners and stoneworkers. Not unfriendly, but tend to keep to themselves.

Halflings. So named because they are half the height of the average human, halflings originate from Glassighe and are believed to have come from fae ancestry. While all-halfling villages aren't unheard of, many halflings do just fine amid humans, though they tend to prefer more rustic homes. Despite their size, they are known to eat double what the average human might on a daily basis and there are many foodies among their ranks. They are also known for their folk music.

Gnomes. Smaller than dwarves or halflings and even more fae-adjacent in origin, gnomes are a rare but generally cheerful species believed to have good luck and for whom magic is second nature. They tend to live in small villages exclusively for gnomes which are overwhelmingly full of whimsy. Gnomes have a habit of "collecting names," which is to say they will nickname their friends and add that nickname to their full name for the rest of their life. More middle names is said to be the sign of a life filled with friends and experiences. If a gnome gives you a nickname, it should be considered a token of profound friendship.

Orcs. Green- and grey-skinned people who were once the opponents of the dwarves in the War of Ages. Propaganda about them gave them a reputation for being violent, bloodthirsty, warmongering dullards, but this reputation has since been disproven and relations with orcs are on the mend. Many still live in ancestral villages on the plains of Lethmarga, but some live in blended towns and cities as well. They are best known for their artisan bonecraft, and many orcish scrimshaw artists are among the finest in the world.

Beastfolk.Humanoid or otherwise sapient beast-people. This includes such individuals as arachnea (subterannean spider-people), centaurs, harpies, lizardfolk, dragonborn, and more.

Tieflings. Tieflings are a strange sort. Despite being technically a species all their own, they are actually a particular kind of mixed-species. When humans fraternize with infernal entities, there is a chance that such a union may yield a tiefling offspring, who then could pass their species on to other children they have with a human partner or other humanoid. The chance for tiefling descendants will remain in the bloodline until it ends and is recessive, even skipping numerous generations only to appear in a family that has only produced human children for the past 200 years. Demonic ancestry, however, does not necessarily imply demonic behavior. There are plenty of perfectly pleasant tieflings just as there are plenty of evil humans.

Faefolk. An umbrella term for members of the fae such as fairies, changelings, pixies, banshees, dullahan, satyrs, nymphs, dryads, merfolk, and more. Typically belong to either the Seelie (benevolent) or Unseelie (malevolent) court.

Other Species. Don't see a fantasy species you're interested in? You're not limited to these! Hash it out with me in the comments.

Miscellaneous Lore. Some other things worth noting is that the current king of the Emerald Isles is Ferdinand Emerick Marchbanks, IV, and the queen is Elaine Millicent Davenger Marchbanks. The king is a polarizing subject, as the Emerald Isles is going through an industrial era which is highly profitable for many people but destructive to the landscape. Another interesting bit of lore is that the goddesses are believed in worldwide but thought to have different appearances and folklore depending upon the culture you ask.

This world is quite expansive as I have been developing it for a TTRPG, so there's more, but this is already long enough for a single event so I'll speak more on other things if they become relevant! This event is due to launch on Thursday, January 25th and should prove to be a good time. I hope you have fun plotting your AU!

CODED BY TESSISAMESS

Comments

[batteryacid]

I'd like to have Eddie in that babysitter role. :)

Since Lou is going to be eight in the AU, I'll probably bump Eddie up to 20, simply because that means he'd be 12 when she was a baby, and at least assisting his mother in watching Lou would make more sense with that age.

Oho I see what you are doing with that note about Chris... role reversal, is it? :D I'm down!

[300kgbackpack]

Yes I like that, I think he'll be a great babysitter even as a little guy.

Yeees me in my sicko shirt watching Sam getting to turn them tables like hahaha yes!