Field Mission 7: The Queen of Hearts, OOC post

[balancemod]

There are some things that I've done in the past that I'm not proud of. But I have always put the well-being of others at the heart of what I've done. I think it's time you know the truth. NAVIGATION See recovered NPC memories here! As promised before, Lucretia has a plan to restore magic to this world in all of its entirety by utilizing the Bond Engine onboard the Starblaster, a ship that's been stored on the Moon Base. The Hunger has revealed itself to Maya as a man in a perfectly tailored suit with an absurd corporate strategy. It wants to consume everything in its path, in an effort to "grow," angered over the answer to the greatest question of all time: "why are we here"? The morale on base is low, despite her stern optimism that things will work out. She clutches her staff and believes in her Reclaimers, as she always has. With Candlenights over, it's time to finish this. To destroy the last Grand Relic, to bring the confrontation to a close. Her plan is to starve The Hunger until it dies, but she can't do that without the existence of magic in this world. How, you might ask? Jesse McCree had found an old journal of hers, tucked away in the Restricted section of the library, that revealed a spell she has been working on... for decades. She calls a meeting on the morning of the 5th. She prepares for it, thinks of a million things she needs to say. To apologize, to make amends for the troubled past she and her 7 friends have had to endure as they were hunted across universes time, and time again by the Hunger. "Reclaimers, Seekers, Regulators. I've brought you all here today to address the elephant in the room. While it might look as if we are in our darkest hour, it is during this time that we afford ourselves the opportunity to shine brighter than ever. I... Actually, forget the speech. Let me talk to you like family. That's... what we've become over this past year, right? "In order to return magic to this world, we're going to use something called the Bond Engine. It's powered by the shared experiences of people attuned to it — the energy of those shared bonds, those experiences, can be utilized to create a brand new wellspring. I believe that what we've got, right here, between all of us... is the strongest source of energy this world's ever seen. Our engineers have been testing the engine over the past few weeks, but progress has been a bit of a slow go. The Bond Engine--" She's about to continue onward, until she notices an unwanted presence in her auditorium. He stands, back up against the wall, chomping down on a styrofoam Cup O' Noods, listening to what she has to offer. This figure, clad with long white hair and strips of purple and pink scattered into it, seems to have a differing opinion of the Bond Engine entirely. "Hey, Director lady. Lucretia. Lulu." He passes off his ramen cup to a nearby Reclaimer, an older gentlemen with equally beautiful white hair and sporting a very stylish pair of glasses. Hey, Michael. Catch. "Y'know that's going to take way, way too long. Have you checked out my crib lately? Some ne'er-do-well has decided to chomp down on it and me and Mystra over here barely made it outta that place." He points to a woman beside him, but she's apparently not there. Kind of sucks being the Goddess of Magic when no one can believe in Magic anymore. "You know how the Bond Engine works. For that level of miracle to happen, to generate that much energy, you'd need something far more intense than just your run-of-the-mill goodfeels, right? People need to remember why their friends mean an entire wealth of magic to them. And you'd have to hit them with it, hard." "Karsus!?" He rolls up his sleeves. "I've got this." 1. THE ILLUSORY WORLD OF FANELIA (click to expand) And just like that, your characters are brought into an illusion, the size of an entire continent. Your memories are replaced with that of another life, one where you've been here since you were born. On your wrist are three "empty" crystals in the shape of hearts, lined up in perfect symmetry to each other. Your recollection of the events within the Bureau of Balance is reduced to nothing, and you've assumed a new identity. For one long year, you've been under the effects of this charm. We return to our heroes, the focus of our story, in media res. The world in which Fanelia resides in is a beautiful, sprawling landscape with a number of factions, land types, terrains and people all within it. The storybook character you chose should be able to easily fit in any place within the bounds of the continent, but this is by no means a complete and exhaustive guide of what to find and where. Your characters are natives to this world, and as such, you can do worldbuilding as well to help populate the various places in between towns. Is your ice queen in need of an ice castle? Feel free to create one! Your characters should resemble the fairy tale character that you've built, but how closely it parallels the story and how committed you are to the finer details of it is completely up to you. They should, however, believe in their hearts that they belong in their assumed role, motivations and all. No one will have memory of the Bureau of Balance having ever existed. For those of you who don't aspire to live your days in the fabled, and slightly terrorizing, court of the Queen of Hearts, the entirety of Fanelia is yours to call home and do with what you please. While we won't go into extreme detail on any specific locale, here are a few places where you might like to start, or maybe provide some flavor to the world that you've been living in. ○ Spine of the World: a frozen, inhospitable stretch of mountains that are nigh impossible to cross during the winter months. The elusive panserbjørn, a loose federation of animals who don armor on their shoulders and speak the common tongue, are defensive and protective of their beloved mountains. Although most prefer to keep to themselves, it's been known that some tribes are quite hospitable to humans and their ilk, often providing aid or assistance for someone who's lost their way in the perilous climb. ○ Divinoa: The Holy Review of Fanelia: This archaic society offers scholarly refuge to those who seek answers to the mysteries of the world. Many have tried to enter the Hermetic Order of the Many-Forked-Path, but few rise among its ranks. The people who live in the town surrounding around the beautiful, Gothic cathedral are extremely devout and typically are employed by the Holy Review in one way or another. ○ The Ruins of Tristair: A citadel once stood here before the appearance of the Expanse. No one knows much about the civilization that once lived here, but it's home to a number of ancient and wise dragons who impart wisdom to brave travelers who are judged to be worthy. A small contingency of people are rumored to live here, nomadic by nature. They're typically skittish, and show distrust to the outside world. ○ The Highlands and Loch Abar: Bountiful hills and beautiful stretches of plains make up the majority of the Highlands. Its capital, Loch Abar, features a garden that outshines that of the Queen's personal rose sanctuary. While Loch Abar is considered the center of the region, many familial clans preside over the Highlands, and leadership is elected through a clan vote every decade to ensure fairness and the interests of its people is kept to heart. ○ Harrowyn: A secluded, quaint town in the middle of an expansive woodland area, Harrowyn aims to keep out of the affairs the rest of the country faces. The biggest racial contingency of people here are elves, humans, and half-elves, most of which who practice the druidic arts. Hard working farmers and artisan tradesmen are easy to come by, and an astounding number of people are raised in, grow old in, and die in Harrowyn without ever leaving the city limits. Simplicity isn't just a way of life, it's their everything. ○ Kingstown: This preamble to Fanelia is the melting pot for the southwestern, eastern, and southern regions. Small castles, filled with noble families who have left Fanelia to set up in Kingstown are not uncommon, and you'll find a little bit of influence from everywhere here. It's protected by the Crown Guard of Fanelia, which is a defensive maneuver as well as political. Being the mouth to the capital city, placing it under marshal law of the Queen extends her line of power and foresight into the realms she rules. ○ The Enchanted Forest: A wilderness that expands for hundreds of miles in every direction. The Enchanted Forest is home to a great number of mystical beasts and old magics. No two people ever seem to have the same experience navigating through its tall trees. ○ Peppelfen and the Isles of Sorrow: The outlying Isles of Sorrow houses just one town. Peppelfen. This scenic island town is often accredited with the creation of magical music. Many a writer, poet, bard, or hopeful laureate has hailed from Peppelfen, which has been said to been blessed by an ancient god who loves the arts. Their magic and inclination towards putting power behind their words, however, comes with a cost. The average life expectancy of anyone born in this town is roughly 30 years. ○ The Expanse: The outer perimeter of the world, it exists as a dark and stormy cloud, impossible to navigate and deadly. It's been there for as long as people can remember, and intrepid explorers who have made attempts to set out upon it never come back or are presumed to be lost forever. The border of the world seems to shrink, little by little, every year, and a common fear among the people is that one day it'll encroach upon their town. 2. THE COURT OF HEARTS The capital city in which the Queen of Hearts resides seems ripped straight from the pages of a storybook, no pun intended. The city is bustling, the taverns are flowing with good food, good drink and good entertainment. And best of all, everything is pretty affordable! The residents here seem happy and prosperous. Well — as best they can be under the watchful eyes of the Queen of Hearts, at the head of the Court of Hearts. She means well, they mutter, drawing the covers down over their shops at the end of the day. She means well, but her ... methods of ruling, and particularly of punishment, trend toward unorthodox or outright cruel, and often don't fit the infraction. The decrees can be absurd and impossible to follow, too. Indeed, the latest decree is plastered on the walls, down alleyways and around town: BY ROYAL DECREE, YOU SHALL NOT KEEP SECRETS. Inside the castle where the Queen resides is, curiously, something of a paradox itself. If you manage to wander past the normal public common areas, you'll find that the restricted sections of the castle have hallways that occasionally lead to no where. Doors open to a stone cold wall, the same as the exterior of the entire structure. Stairs casually ascend straight into the ceiling, with no clear route to the next floor. There's also a great croquet field. On top of that, there are several enchanted rooms intended to keep you right where you are until the guards can detain you, and punishment can be administered. That said, gaining an audience with the Queen of Hearts is easy in theory, but difficult in practice. Tread carefully when speaking with her, lest you lose your head. There will be more in the prompts of things to do around the capital city on the log, but there's one other thing to take note of: From the moment you enter, until the moment you leave, you'll feel a strange sense of familiarity. It's not just the fact that you remember being here before — because, as far as you can remember, of course you have! It's more of a déjà vu that you can't quite explain. 3. PEOPLE TO MEET, THINGS TO KILL, NOT IN THAT ORDER THE QUEEN OF HEARTS. The prodigal queen of Fanelia, who embodies the concept of "the ends justify the means," the Queen of Hearts is a calculated and meticulous woman who rules over Fanelia with an iron fist. Her trust issues seem to stem deeply within her, probably indicative of an unknown past that's forced her to become the way she is today. As Queen Regent, she oversees the administration of Fanelia and the protection of the capital town, ensuring that the neighboring regions of her kingdom are kept on a leash that she can contract at any moment to reign in. Those who disagree with her or openly protest or defy her are taken prisoner and sent to the guillotine, making her both feared and rather detested by much of the population she rules over. While she thinks she knows what's best for the kingdom, many take issue with her manipulative and behind-the-scenes shows of power. Her royal seal is a single rose in the shape of a heart, often portrayed with fire brimming behind it, and she has a keen affinity to apples- often seen tending to either rose bushes or her private orchard when she's not entertaining guests or donning the responsibilities of the crown. PINOCCHIO. In the small village of Harrowyn, a carpenter once visited The Enchanted Forest to obtain some sturdy lumber to create the Queen's new throne, a present gifted to her upon her coronation ceremony. Him and his wife were incapable of producing children, but the carpenter had a knack for making puppets and selling them in Emberwharf for some extra money on the side. One day, while traveling up through Kingstown and into the forest, he was visited by a fairy of the Enchanted forest, angry with him for having chopped down her favorite tree. He explained the situation to her, and upon discovering their wish to have a child but never having it come to pass, she blessed one of the puppets in his wagon. And thus, Pinocchio had come to life. It's been over a decade since they've passed, and Pinocchio is no longer a young boy. He lives in Harrowyn, taking up the trade his father had taught him. There's one key trait that everyone in Harrowyn knows about Pinocchio: when he lies, his nose grows. It's caused him to lead a life of honesty and quietness in this little town, but he's mostly okay with that. THE WIZARD OF OZ. Not much is known about the Wizard of Oz's personal life, but he's widely known as a soothsayer and wish granter to those who visit him. He presides as the current governing force over the town of Peppelfen, located in the Isles of Sorrow... but honestly, he's not that great at it. Assumed to be a talking jade crystal robot by all who visit his chambers, a tightly kept circle of people he trusts know the sad truth about the Wiz. It's all smoke and mirrors: he controls the robot from the sidelines, amplifying his voice through it in one of the weirdest shams to have ever graced Fanelia. The truth is, he's a very anxious man who doesn't trust others easily, and would rather quietly work on his own inventions than take a seat in local government. But as they say, some are born great and some have greatness thrust upon them. Not that he ever wanted it. MERLIN. One of the greatest wizards in history, Merlin wields the power of clairvoyance and is known for downplaying his own massive wealth of magical talent to an almost comically bad lie. Despite the assumption that his place belongs in Divinoa, the seat of powerful clerics and mages who live to teach and instruct young sorcerers and witches, he's known to wander the realm of Fanelia, appearing at oddly specific times and to specific people, with the intent to council them. His ties to the Ruins of Tristair and the Enchanted Forest suggest that he might not be completely human in origin, but it's not something he references often- when asked, he'll shrug it off and come up with some fake tale about his origin story that gets increasingly stupid the more times he has to tell it. He's known as one of the few people who has the Queen of Heart's ear, which is one of the worst-kept secrets in all the realm. When he's not meddling in affairs that he has no business participating in, he explores the realm enjoying the sights, sounds and pleasures that the countryside has to offer. That is, when he's not being hunted down by his own familiar, Cath Palug. IOREK BYRNISON. Situated on the Spine of the World, a mountainous system of perilous peaks and apertures, a race of animal folk protect the region fiercely and with all their heart. Iorek, the once king of the panserbjørn, appears to be an overgrown cat donning armor made from a magically resilient material. Currently, he resides in the town of Loch Abar, where he serves as a sort of disgraced armorsmith. Attempts to talk to him of his past, or the conflict that led to him coming down from the Spine of the World are usually met with disdain and particularly pointed distaste towards the topic. He wants nothing more than to be left alone for the rest of his days, having given up his claim to regency. The townspeople, however, treat him very well and respect his proud history. They're often seen leaving gifts of bananas and fresh caught fish at his doorstep as thanks for all he does for the city. THE GRIM REAPER. The Grim Reaper serves one function, one sole purpose in the entirety of Fanelia, and you might guess what that is just by the name alone. If he appears before you, chances are that you're at the end of your story, and he's here to guide you along your journey to the afterlife. Seen primarily in a robe of scarlet that hides a human system of bones underneath, The Grim Reaper was once a regular person like you or me, before he unhinged himself from the confines of the mortal coil. For those of you looking to cheat death itself, you're in for trouble. His other, more grave role is that of a bounty hunter, working for the natural forces of the world that wish to call those who should've died towards their ordained destiny. 4. MEMLOSS MECHANICS (PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY) This mission will be working a little differently compared to others! See the notes below for an explanation of how. ○ At first, no one will have any recollection of their lives before the moment the illusion sets in. As of the start of the mission, one full year has transpired while under its effects. Your understanding of the Hunger or the threat that faces the world is completely diminished, and instead, you have access to a new identity replete with its own set of memories. ○ The outside boundary of the wall is simply a black cloud, impossible to pass, but known by all as "The Expanse." Anyone who's ever attempted to make it to the edge of the world has never come back alive, and it should be a very superstitious and unsettling place to approach. ○ There are three heart shaped crystals placed in equal spacing upon your wrist. They are dulled, and as far as you can tell, have been so your entire lives. As you make connections in your new world, three significant events from your character's canon and CR that you've established over the course of Balance will return, brightening the crystals up, revealing a beautiful, soft red tint. ○ What are the trinkets for, from your AC homework? You'll find out soon enough! ○ Each crystal that becomes lit will provide one major memory for your character. This might be in the form of something from their canon, or something they've experienced while working for the Bureau of Balance. The edges of the memory, however, may seem fuzzy. Use as little or as much discretion in figuring out how shaped and fully formed those memories should be. One returned memory is not enough to shatter the illusion of your newly assumed life, however, when all three crystals are filled, your entire memories will come flooding back to you. ○ Network communications still work; your thoughts can be transmitted via a mental network that seems to be somehow linked to the three heart shaped crystals embedded into your arm. Simply touch it, think of the person you'd like to telepathically link with, and a connection can be opened. Additionally, you can use the same method to access the latest network posts. ○ As hinted before in our last OOC touchbase, all path actions, including magical ones are available and in play for this mission. This includes things like Oaths — how your character experiences it, and how they go about figuring out how they are connected to the people on the other side of the line, is up to you. The goal is restore magic to Faerun so that you have a fighting chance to stand up to the Hunger in the finale. ○ Important note about the RNG: Instead of implementing a hard roll limit, we will be setting a cutoff day where no new rolls will be accepted. You are free to thread out how your character's memories are restored however you like, you do not have to roll a success to get there! But the RNG is there if you'd like a more randomized scenario. ○ This mission, largely based on powering the Bond Engine, is designed to be focused around CR. Behind the scenes, the actual plot of Fanelia is light, to give you a chance to focus on your character's stories, both fake and eventually remembered. That doesn't mean there aren't mysteries to unravel! But you do have license to alter anything as you see fit, aside from the capital city itself. And lastly, remember: Lucretia wants to harness the power of your bonds to restore magic back to the world. And there still is the final relic in play. blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

[myliteratureclub]

Oooo I'm so excited!! Thank you so much letting me work with this! Yall are the best!

- At this time I don't have a BIG plan per say. Mostly I wanted to get yalls okay before really getting too far into it! Monika will mostly just be trying to gather power by getting as many royals on her side as possible at this time. However as things progress I will DEFINITELY keep yall in the loop, and I will not go too far without approval!
- No revolt needed! I think she's mostly just gonna be real bitter about it LOL.
- Them coming together after is exactly what I want so yay!! Honestly I expect Monika to be mortified when she has her memories back and being very apologetic to the Director. Happy to play that out too if you want to later!
- Ohoho I'm… too excited. Thank you thank you!!
- I'm gonna say no army right now!! I think she'd be in the stage of working on that, but I'm hoping she'll get her memory back before it goes that far. IF it does come to that, I'll definitely let you know ahead of time so we can discuss/plot as needed!

Again thank you so much mod team for letting me do this crazy and fun thing! I can't wait!!