OOC Community

Howdy gang, happy July! Sorry for missing the June plotting post, I'd been pretty sick last month and the heat's had me down, but I am slowly chugging back to life.

Special thanks to Kalineh and Meghan for helping me work on the concepts for the main events for July and August, and to Harvey for putting out this super fun mini event for this month! We're taking a short intermission still from the heavier plot stuff while I get my roll back, but we have some cool treats for you planned in the meantime, so stay tuned!

ALSO, don't forget to mark down whatever goodies you want to get at the Summer Flea Market! That stays open till August and I know y'all want some stuff to make this island weirder.

Round 2 of the Summer TDM begins! If you had a character do the treasure dive last month, you can now have the same character play again! You'll also get one more go in August. Also, reminder that while you don't need to actually thread out the obtaining of Pokemon if you don't want to, you should decide if you want any of this season's selection before the end of August. Thanks! Thanks to numerous donations, the Autumn Leaves Dormitory House is getting an upgrade. Which means the kids are getting a camping excursion while renovations on their home are underway! And Mr. Pennyburrow is going to need all the help he can get. Guard the youngsters from pesky forest monsters like Brutoks and the River Walker, chase crabs out of the campsite, help to organize activities like skill classes and games, and keep the kiddos out of trouble! There's also a lot of cooking to do to keep these hungry campers fed. Who's ready for spooky summer camp?

This event is still in the works, which means I get to do one of my favorite things, which is open the floor to you all for suggestions!

Toward mid July, the fairy courts of Pumpkin Hollow will be gathering their best and brightest to put on a magical performance for the town. But this is no ordinary three-ring circus. It is a show of whimsy and terror, magic and mystery. Fairies, after all, don't play by our rules.

So far the structure that I'm planning is going to be a large tent full of multiple performance stages and other attractions, such as fun houses and "freak" shows and the like, some of which are pure fun and wonder, others of which are tricks and traps full of genuine danger, all with a nature/fae spin. There'll also be sort of a renaissance faire type campus around the tent. I don't have a ton of specifics hammered out just yet because life has been so crazy, but I did have a few concepts in mind, including something to do with carnivorous mushrooms, fortune telling by Amarantha, and some kind of nightmare funhouse. I plan on taking inspo from the Devil's Carnival! More details as they develop, but please feel free to leave ideas in my suggestion box below <3

CURRENT METAPLOT

Happy Spring, gang! February was a tough month for a lot of folks in the game, but with warm weather and more sunshine on the horizon, I am so excited for what’s to come! I’m also SO PLEASED to be celebrating the anniversary of our game’s biggest boost in size to date! Even if the circumstances surrounding the Sail Migration weren’t the best, and we had a lot of growing pains in the aftermath of such a large change, we also gained a lot of beloved and engaged community members and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m so glad you guys are here and I’m so excited to celebrate the anniversary of our time as a community.

In more game-related news: I don’t know about you guys, but with a major plot event on the way (i.e. Efrain’s downfall in the March event), I could use a little extra time to wrap up my current threads and gear up for the big moment. Merrymeet is one of my favorite recurring events, and I’m excited to give it the time it deserves before a major plot development. Plus we’ve got a new TDM going up toward the beginning of March and a small mingle! As such, I’m going to have the March event be a little bit on the late side this month. I’m thinking either the 23rd or the 28th. Thoughts one way or the other? Drop a comment on the mod toplevel or let us know on Discord!

I also want to use this month’s metaplot section to talk about the game’s future--- the roadmap for the rest of the game, and what the sequel game will look like! It’s still a good ways off (like probably 8-12 months if we’re really efficient), but I want to give folks plenty of time to think about their post-game plans! Plus I’ve had it on the brain.

Originally, we had Pokemon acquisition sequestered to specific periods of time and only specific types, and the reason for this is because we didn’t want them to overwhelm the game. However, over the past year and a half, the concerns we had about Pumpkin Hollow developing a heavy culture around Pokemon that overtook the game never really came to pass--- people generally don’t even fill all their slots, and they are used more as a fun accent rather than a main feature! When last we discussed the Pokemon situation in the server, we had people express that they might like to check out some other types and we’d planned to have them available for Summer and Winter this year, but with the understanding that the way Pokemon are treated by the player base will most likely continue, we’d like to go ahead and offer them year-round with types determined by season, and have divided up all the types into a thematically appropriate season!

For springtime, you’ll be able to find Grass, Fairy, Ground, Bug, and Normal! (Yep, that’s right--- by popular demand, Eevee will be available with this change!) Rather than a special article, available types will now be listed at the top of the Gazette, and the intro article will make a brief note. We are prepared to roll back this change if it doesn’t work out or if it’s undesirable, but the intention is to make it so that everyone will have a chance to get their faves. Catch responsibly! Each character is still limited to 6 Pokemon pals, as we don’t have a PC for you to send them to!

Also on the agenda for spring right now are the player-requested community laundry days, a potluck as an homage to last year’s, as well as the ever-popular speed-dating from last year. (Although this year it’ll be called “Swift Social” to be inclusive of those looking for platonic CR, though it’ll still have opportunities to indicate you’re looking for love.) I’ve also got some plant-themed and fae-themed spookies on the docket for spring that are still in the works, so stay tuned! As always, I’m also open to suggestions!

To celebrate the anniversary of the Great Sail Migration, we’ll be doing a simple mingle event called Then and Now--- post a toplevel to invite other characters to comment leaving their first impressions of yours and how they compare to their current feelings. How have things changed since your character arrived? Whether you’ve been here for a year, the whole game, or just a week or two, enjoy reminiscing with your Pumpkin Hollow pals! It’s finally time to take down another Demon Prince! Efrain, the Prince of Sorrow’s Song, is the last thing standing between Prince Aster and becoming heir apparent--- leaving only King Eligos himself as Aster’s final obstacle.

A while ago, Nimbus had mentioned offhandedly the idea of a “day at the opera” event which has lived in my head rent-free ever since, and so it’s off to the opera we go. In Efrain’s attempt at a grand demonstration of his power, he will be transporting the islanders to a grand amphitheater, where his demonic orchestra will perform musical interpretations of each islander’s deepest source of pain, regret, and sorrow--- with the subject themself and their loved ones compelled to play the roles on stage while everyone else is a captive audience. Play out musical renditions of scenes from your past with your CR cast as your loved ones or enemies, catch a moment to chat in the Green Room before or after your performance, or find moments of solidarity from the auditorium seats between songs.

Not feeling the limelight? Take on a role as a member of the stage crew for the show and succumb instead to the despair of endless toil for the cruel and merciless stage manager! Take a seat in the pit and play with the orchestra, feeling every moment of others’ pain by proxy from the music your hands are forced to create. Or get saddled with a job in the concession stand for a different flavor of suffering--- mindless drudgery for an uncaring public. The choice is yours! But get too feisty and face the wrath of the security guards: a shade of one of your own loved ones like the false Ballister that had been created for Nimona.

However, Aster will be taking the beginning of March to prepare his assassins. Have a bone to pick with Efrain? Let me know and the demon-killing effort might recruit you! But anyone looking to get too close to Efrain will have to fight their way through his strange bodyguards, creatures of living glass whose creation Pyotr Stamatin may have to answer for later.

Due to the narrative function of the event, I am unfortunately unable to offer a full opt-out aside from a handwave for this event. But hopefully I’ve created enough alternative ways to enjoy this pity party that you’ll be able to find one that suits you! If not, let me know!

CURRENT METAPLOT

Hello friends! Rose here!

First off, I wanna apologize for getting to this so late. I'd strongly prefer to get this out before AC closes for the month and that will usually be my plan. I was dealing with some bad mental health and a little bit of RP burnout, plus I was still hammering out some of the specifics for the Halloween event, all of which contributed to the delay. But thanks so much for the patience!

This month we will not be doing a mini event in an effort to catch our collective breath after the gala, so I'll just be talking about some other activities y'all can get into for the moment. The big focus will be our big Halloween event at the end of the month. Halloween's coming up fast, so let's get cracking!

Now that TDMs are 3-monthers and a bit lighter in nature, there's no serious rush to hop on the TDM as it will still be live until the end of November. However, please be aware that if you want to explore the Balverine situation or pick up Ghost or Dark type Pokémon pals, don't forget to catch that train before the end of next month!

Also, exclusively for the month of October, we've tacked the link to last year's Pumpkinfest event onto the TDM. As previously stated, we're avoiding doing a proper mini event, but Pumpkinfest this year will look much the same around town as it did last year! Feel free to make use of it in your open logs, TDM posts, player plots, etc. Technically it runs for the second to last week of October ICly, but feel free to forward-date it!

Content Warnings:
Violence, stalking/being chased, potential for gore and character death, violation of free will, potential NSFW, alcohol, gambling, disordered eating, abusive parent.

As the morning of October 26th dawns, you find yourself in a situation that is likely not too unfamiliar. Once again, you have been transported. Has the island been transformed or have you been pulled into a pocket dimension? Perhaps it doesn't matter. Regardless you wake in what appears to be an incredibly lavish hotel room, decorated in familiar blues, blacks, and golds. Everything is richly decorated, with plush bedding and elegant swags, and each room is outfitted with a balcony overlooking a deep, dark forest of enormous pine trees that make the ones in Lockwood Forest feel miniscule. It is beautiful and haunting, and something deep in your gut tells you that you could roam those woods forever and never find the end.

However, you are far from trapped. Exiting the hotel room, you'll find a sprawling resort with all manner of luxuries and indulgences, including a buffet with food so good that it's hard to leave, an open bar where the drinks flow freely, a fabulous spa with massages and saunas, a 24 hour cabaret, and room service for anything you could ever desire. And what's more, the staff will happily tell you that all of it is complements of the owner. Questions? They'll answer any that you have. Nothing here appears to be dangerous no matter how much you investigate. There isn't even any cannibalism happening. Despite this, though, you are being aggressively encouraged to indulge.

The main feature of the resort, however, is the casino. It's massive, with hundreds of gambling tables for any card or dice game you could possibly imagine, as well as an absolutely massive roulette wheel. You are given a handful of chips and informed of the prize counter--- try your luck at any game you please, and see if you can win your fortune. Surely the dangers of losing can't be more severe than just a loss of chips, right?

And if you're really in the market for a windfall, there is one game that relies more on skill than on chance which appears to be played outside. Perhaps some kind of race? You can speak to a bookie about placing a bet or becoming a contestant, or observe the game from a balcony wrapping around a particular fenced-in section of forest using elevated seating and magical screens. Apparently the payout for winning this game, simply called "PREY", is rather hefty, especially if a lot of the spectators have bet against you. Although you may not get a choice of whether or not you play...


GENERAL INFO:

The Black Stag casino is a working of Aster, the Prince of the Dark Feast, whose domain covers indulgence, hedonism, greed, manipulation, consumption, cannibalism---- effectively, it boils down to taking that which is not rightfully yours. As such, this is why you're being encouraged to indulge in the pleasures of the lodge. The amenities are genuinely not harmful, they are simply feeding and empowering Aster by being used. Additionally, there are some mild enchantments on the buffet, the cabaret, and the casino itself that encourage guests to stay longer and overindulge.

Some parts of the event are still under construction with regard to their specifics, but we're looking at having the consequences for losses be physically or mentally dangerous, perhaps just for critical failures, with critical successes being jackpots! There will be some math involved with calculating winnings, and you will have to actually win the chips required in order to gain the prizes via games of chance. What would a casino event be without a bit of gambling?

Additionally, Aster, Eligos, and Efrain will be around and available for conversation, but you will not be able to fight them at this time. No weapons will be accessible at the Black Stag Casino, and a mild bit of mind control prevents guests from using other forms of violence that even Neil's charms are not capable of overriding. The only ones who are fully immune to this are Alice Dyer and Samama Khalid, who are both noncombatants anyway. You are, however, free to talk as much shit as you'd like!

Attempting to exit the casino is entirely possible, but not advisable, as you'll be met with a long and grueling journey through an endless woods full of increasingly violent predators and thick fog. Conveniently, however, once you turn back, you'll find the path very easily traversed and the lodge only a minute or two's walk away, even if you've been travelling through the woods for hours.

You do need to eat and sleep as you normally would while at the casino. If you die during the event, you die in real life you wake up back in your hotel room. There is no official opt-out for this event, but you are only required to participate in elements you feel comfortable with.

LODGING:

All of the hotel rooms are the absolute pinnacle of luxury, done up in Aster's colors and style and come in a number of standard hotel floorplans, such as two queen or single king. Each room can house one to four guests which players can decide for themselves how they'd like to arrange. As long as there are 4 guests maximum to a room, and all players are okay with assignments, anything goes! Have fun! There can be as many rooms as are needed, so don't feel bad about taking a room for just one or two people.

Additionally, on the second floor there are VIP suites that are reserved for Aster and his special guests. The first two are reserved for people chosen by Dahlia, including Dahlia herself. The third is for Alice and Sam, as Aster continues to give special treatment to Alice after the gala. The others are for Aster, Eligos, and Efrain, with room for one guest if they choose one. ;) These are the only VIP suites available. The rest of the second floor is a handwaved amount of rooms for the guest villains.

Sign up for rooms here! Feel free to add as many rooms as necessary by simply copying the format from a prior room, but ONLY on the first floor!

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME:

For the game called "PREY," the premise is simple. A Pumpkin Hollow resident playing the role of "prey" will be paired with a reasonably evenly matched "predator" of Aster's choosing. If the predator kills the prey, the prey loses. If the prey kills, incapacitates, or meaningfully escapes the predator, the prey wins. If the prey wins, they are given a substantial amount of chips, including a flat prize and a cut of the house's earnings on bets made against them. Easy, right? Except that the playing field is modified to the predator's specifications, giving them home court advantage.

"Predators" will be played by players, and anyone is welcome to sign up to play one via our guest villain claim, which has all the rules for signing up. If you want to claim a villain, you absolutely must have that character submitted by no later than October 25th, the day before the event drops. Same goes for if you want to change characters or drop a villain. Please do not sign up if you don't feel that you can complete at least one AC-length thread with your villain. Guest villains are also allowed to, but not required to, hang out in the lodge for the duration of the event, but will return to where they come from at the event's end unless other arrangements are made ICly!

Also, we strongly recommend you make use of the Villain's Lounge test drive meme to voice test your villain before bringing them into the game. There are several toplevels already up to tag into! I know that I personally would very much like an opportunity to test drive my own guest villain before the event launches.

Lastly, PCs will be able to bet on matchups of PREY with their chips! Bet on your friends! Bet against your enemies! Bet against your friends if you want, o ye of little faith. ;P And have fun!

More information on Black Stag Casino will be available when the event launches! Sorry that it's still a bit skeletal, but that means we have the opportunity to take suggestions! Feel free to make some below.

Last month, Dahlia's heritage as the daughter of Prince Aster and the Pine Devil was revealed to the entire population of the island. Even if you didn't attend her birthday gala, this has been the topic on everyone's lips. The Ocularum also had a meeting to swap information about this and decide how to proceed. Additionally, the thread is still in progress, but ICly Prince Mendel died on the night of the party, leaving the demonic hierarchy down one Prince. One of Mendel's demons, Blanche, was also killed in the kerfuffle and had her powers absorbed by Siebren de Kuiper. Only the demon noble named Seemingly remains at large from the Court of Fools.

Also, Elsie received an interesting letter from her father from beyond the barrier--- who informs her that he is an Archfey and a fairy king! It turns out that Elsie is a half-fae princess and the daughter of King Olwylder, who also let her know that her mother is not dead, but a sleeping dryad housed in the tree she calls home. Who knows how this will affect the future of the island!

This month will focus on player plots! Check out CitrusQuest, led by our own Sid! Additionally, Neil and Mulcahy will be investigating the Crystallizer of Dreams, an item owned by Calloway that seems to be what gives him the power to fetch items from other worlds, and Dr. Coldwood now has an assistant team that might be able to help him make some interesting discoveries!