expiationlogs | MINGLE LOG: AUGUST

IT'S CASINO

What have the five NPCs that split off to work on their special project been doing all this time? Well, they’re ready to unveil it. The new NPCs as well as the locals hand out small pamphlets to invite the Chosen to a Great Unveiling that’s going to be done in the evening on the 21st of August. They encourage them to dress their best, and miraculously, Rin's tailor shop has new clothes for sale! When the time comes and the Chosen have begun to gather, the workers who have prepared this building so diligently cuts a bow up in front as the building flickers to life behind them.

It’s a casino! (Who knows where they got that idea.) Or rather, a new event hall. But right now, it looks like a pretty flashy casino.

Come on in!

ANTE UP!

I. DON'T BET THE HOUSE

Chosen who decide to meander past a grumpy man and into the casino itself are met with an opulent scene before them.

There's a large main hall, full of tables with games run by a surprising combination of fairies and local citizens from Aldrip. Further in, there's a massive space to lounge, socialize, and eat. Here you'll find couches for cozy conversation, tables for dining, and a cash bar on the side.

Rooms in the back offer more serious games--you may find a table of fairies playing poker, for example--but...some attendants may close the door to bar your entry, at least for now. These tables are for only the highest rollers, folks.

The sound of music may lead you further back, where you'll find a stage and musicians playing a plethora of music from different worlds that have gathered here, and a space to dance as well. For those who aren't the gambling sort, it seems as if there are still plenty of things to do.

Party away!

II. PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT

There is a grumpy-looking man in a small, dark room off the main hall of the Casino. He’s drumming his fingers on the table, and, if approached, is rather rude about it. He’ll try to chase onlookers out of the room, and then start groaning about how someone is “taking too long” and “not respecting his valuable time, for goodness sake!”

Shortly, some of the NPCs from the desert approach the room with giant sacks and lots of apologies. The tinkerer pulls tablets and cords out of the bags (some half-fixed thanks to industrious Chosen), throws his tools onto the table, and gets to work. He has tools to fix cracked screens and inner parts of the tablet to make them…work? Interesting.

For now, this tinkerer is not interactive, but he has some choice remarks for those brave–or brazen–enough to try socializing with him. Don’t just stand there! Hand me that screwdriver! or take this out to the dumpster around back, will ya? or even the occasional grab me a drink! It’s stuffier than an armpit in summer back here...though if you’re planning to run errands for him, be aware that his tab is not in good standing. If he wants you to run errands for him, you’re probably going to have to pick up the tab, either with coin or with work.

If someone were to look over his shoulder as he's doing his tinkering, they might see the words CYCLE 15 on the loading screen. Otherwise, it's just a lot of blue and black maintenance screens as he's essentially having to do a system restore of the tablets.

LUCK OF THE DRAW

The tables in the main room are where the more adventurous Chosen may go to gamble. Currently, NPCs are running the roulette and blackjack tables, but if someone wants to be the one to run these games, they won’t say no! There’s also slot machines from the sounds of the bells in the distance, so there’s plenty of ways to test your luck. Just be aware that there may be… consequences, whether your character does well or poorly at the games.

Below, there will be a comment section for players who may want the mod team to choose their luck for them. There are three options that you may choose:

You comment with a heads or tails, and we’ll roll the dice for the corresponding “good” or “bad” scenarios.

You comment with whether you want “good luck” or “bad luck” to happen to your character, and then we’ll roll for their consequences.

If you want to put your character's fate in our hands, you can just comment that you want us to rng it all!

SPOILERS: if you want bad effects to be a surprise, don't peek!

The “bad effects” are as follows: memory loss, temporarily loss of taste, can’t speak certain words for a couple of days, feel compelled to follow orders to the person they lost to (kind of like a King's Game), forced honesty, bad luck (which is entirely up to you, the player, on how to interpret this), and temporarily losing one ability of your choice for the next event.

If you want to participate and there’s something you’re not cool with us landing on for the bad effects, just let us know which ones you’re not comfortable with and we’ll leave it out of the rng pool!

A Note: The “good” and “bad” effects won here may have some mild influences on your character for the next event. Nothing life threatening or incapacitating, but just keep in mind if you want us to roll for your bad effects. If you want to just say you had shit luck in the slots and you don’t want your character to have any effects at all, this is fine. It’s not mandatory to have either effect happen to your character to have a good time playing in the casino.

WILDCARD

Go wild! This is a casino after all, and there’s supplies to play pretty much any gambling or card game laying around. If you can’t easily find it, an NPC would be more than happy to help a Chosen find the items they need to play the game they want. Want to play Go Fish while you drink your cocktail? That’s fine too. Anything goes!

A Note: This casino is going to be available in full capabilities until the end of the month. After that, the mod team will explain what’s going to become of it then and in the future!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Revolution requests sacrifice. Survival requires sacrifice. It's up to every society how much they are willing to give, how much they are willing to fight.

[There were plenty of the tale where the context and concepts had no relation to him, and he desired little expansion of those concepts right at this present moment. No, he was taking his time to digest the tale itself. There was a lot to unpack, but the basic concepts of sacrifice and being a slave to the very weapon necessary to bring about a certain level of freedom was something he could relate to.]

It seems to me that you took a path that not everyone agreed with for the betterment of your own kind, and in your case, the revolution that followed against you ended up destroying you.

[He could better understand why this one wouldn't so readily hand over the gem full of memories. One needed to be chained to certain parts of their past to remind themselves of what they had sacrificed to achieve the better end for others.]

It is. It seems pointless to apologize for telling your own tale. May I sit? [He gestured at the chair across the table.]

Please, go ahead.

[He gestures amicably to the seat across from him.]

There was one of our number who was particularly distraught over the summoning idea. A coworker, and a friend of mine. They defected from the Convocation and left the city, though to what end, I've no idea; I never saw them again after that. If they wanted to find another way to stabilize the star without Zodiark's assistance, I'm afraid it didn't come soon enough.

[For the first time since he started relaying the tale, he makes an expression deeper than a grimace, more of a disappointed frown instead.]

They were branded a traitor, and their seat eliminated from the governing table completely. I also thought for the longest time that they were a traitor to our cause, that perhaps the price being too high for them was a mark of cowardice, of unwillingness to give their all for the sake of the star.

[The betrayal still stings, even though it's only on the fringe of his memories at best. He leans forward, contemplative.]

We had no time to stop and wait for another solution to fall into our lap. People were dying with every passing day, and still more having to be mercifully put down because they were afflicted with a mind-bending terror that could not be expunged. But once I regained my memories, I began to wonder if they were really the backstabber we made them out to be.

[Silco pulled out the chair and eased himself down into it, crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands into his lap. He tilted his head towards Elidibus to show that he was continuing to listen intently to details being provided, nodding every once in a while.

How painful it must be the lay out one's personal story to a complete stranger. Perhaps this man was lonely and seeking connection. He supposed being bound to a destructive entity with no will to rebel would leave considerable mental scars and moral questions, now wouldn't it?]

It sounds to me that you're trying to convince yourself of your choices when they are already made, and there is no room to regret the significance of them. Decisiveness is a valuable asset, though no doubt that there are lessons to be learned from the past.

[He offered a small shrug of his shoulders.]

Everyone has a different means of seeking a path of survival. Unless he actively attempted to sabotage your plans, I wouldn't consider going out to seek other solutions backstabbing.

That these things are already done and over with, I don't disagree. If I were made to go back and start from the beginning, or repeat my choice a second time, there is nothing I could -- or would -- change.

But... I cannot say in good conscience the defection did not feel like salt in an existing wound. Even if they meant well, it was a brazen decision to make with silence alone. Though, truth be told, if I were to direct anger at any one person, it would be the woman who destroyed our world and saddled us with this burden, first and foremost.

[He pockets the crystal and clasps his hands together.]

Yet the people I speak of are dead now, and justice matters not to the dead. Still, seeing how little respect this place already has for the dead staying dead, it makes me wonder how much of this I need to consider for the future. If either of them were to end up here as well... I fear those of us who knew them may have a problem on our hands.

Have you considered that this individual might have felt the same for your staunch acceptance of the choices that you made? [He tilted his head, gesturing with a hand to show his continued interest in the topic.] Who is this woman you speak of who managed to destroy your world?

[Most of the people that he would consider of value were inaccessible, and some of them were even dead as well. He made a soft 'hmm' noise at the comment about the dead, and he would have to disagree with that.]

As I'm dead where I'm from, I happen to appreciate the opportunity to continue with my existence. That being said, you should guard yourself against the possibility and make contingency plans on what you will do if anyone you happen to dislike appears here.

In passing, yes, but note that the vast majority were in favor of this plan, for lack of any better ideas. They must have known full well they'd be acting alone, and that the fallout would be irreconcilable. None of us had any way of knowing what would happen next, though... it's likely they thought there would be something left to salvage later on, however little it may have been.

To your question, that was the work of Hydaelyn. Though perhaps "destroyed" is not the proper term, it certainly destroyed the star we knew and loved. I think I would speak for all of us who remained to see it to say we have yet to truly forgive her, but it doesn't help not knowing whatever justification she might've had...

[Which cannot be obtained short of talking to her, if she ever shows up. Hm.]

I suppose most would, wouldn't they. But the place I called home, the people I loved, all are by and large not here. I would've been full happy to fade away and rejoin them, but...

Then it sounds like you and your kin had no choice but to prioritize survival, and there will always be a few voices that are critics. The best case scenario in such situations often comes with devastating outcomes anyway.

[Destroyed was destroyed where he was from. That they couldn't rebuild what was taken and had to act in complete survival mode for their species indicated the devastation that her actions had caused them. On a minor scale, that's what Hextech was doing to the Undercity. No longer though. He wouldn't allow his city to be left behind any longer.]

But you're here. A second chance. Don't waste it.

MINGLE LOG: AUGUST

All good!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject