First Impressions.
No, this isn't a dream. Yes, it does sound crazy. Yes, that maid really didn't have a face. Relax, she is probably not going to steal yours. No, we can't send you home. We have yet to find a way out but people have left the city so don't give up hope yet.
The bracelet you have been giving allows you to communicate with the other people brought here by the gods. The natives of the city call us 'Travellers'. We've been divided up by which god is our patron and depending on what god, have been granted a power. Don't believe me, try using it!
Be careful with your bracelet! People who lose theirs end up losing their colour and wandering around the city like the grey people do. You can lose days, even weeks that way ... kind of scary, huh?
The gods don't talk to us much. You can try reasoning with them, but they're kind of ... um. Let's leave it at there are much more productive uses of your time!
Restoring Colour. (Updated Day 151)
You might be looking around and going 'grey? This place looks pretty colourful to me!' That wasn't always the case. As someone who was here from Day 3, I can testify that the city was entirely grey when we arrived. Even the Welcome Halls and the square around the castle didn't have any colour, as did the plants and other living things -- including the people. The maid that greeted you when you woke up in the castle is a good example of what things were like here. If you want to get an idea of what the city was like back then and proof that the greyness actually exists, then you'll want to go out towards the city walls, particularly in the housing suburbs. You can still see patches of pure grey, although they're getting rarer now.
You can also see the difference in the areas populated by Travellers. The Welcome Halls and businesses owned by Travellers are at full colour now, while the main destinations like the Hospital and the Library, Park and Arena aren't far behind. The further from the main streets you go, the more the grey increases.
So how does it work? Colour seems to be generated by emotion. Freyr told me in conversation -- it was private so I can't link it, but I have a transcription of our conversation typed up here -- that "It's the expression of emotion from you that acts as medicine, so it's your ability to feel that's valuable to us." In one of the more recent God posts, Loki stated indirectly that the reason for the unpleasant events the gods subject us to here is to generate an emotional response. It makes sense then to assume that what emotion we feel doesn't matter so much as the strength of the emotion. As further proof, the hospital in Sigyn is more vividly coloured than the library, despite the library having more Travellers on its full time staff.
Another interesting fact about colour is that citizens whose colour has been returned can restore it to other citizens. I've seen several cases of a citizen spouse who works in a shop frequented by Travellers returning home and restoring colour to their partner and the rest of their family through second-hand exposure.
Gods and Houses/Powers.
Sam-san has compiled a guide here.
Merlin-san is looking for volunteers to help people who want to practice/learn about their powers! For example, I'm helping anyone who wants to learn about body control!
Time Mechanics (Compiled by Edmund Pevensie![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
metamorphs)
The flow of time does not match that of our home worlds. As in: the amount of time that passes here does not affect the events of our home worlds. Travelers can be pulled from any point of their lives and it is very possible two Travelers from the same home world can be separated by months, even years. When returned to our worlds, we will likely find little to no time has passed since we left. (This is purely conjecture. Can anyone confirm this?)
Magic and/or Abilities (Compiled by Edmund Pevensiemetamorphs)
Magic is fairly common across the worlds Travelers have been brought here from. If the Traveler had any existing abilities (magical or otherwise) they do not work in Asgard. Asking the gods for the return of those abilities has resulted in the death (and resurrection) of several Travelers, an issue which the god Heimdall addressed recently. All Travelers are given an ability upon arrival in the city whether they had magic in their home world or not - see Sam Winchester's guide for elaboration on those abilities.
Important Locations.
Important Events.
Arrival.
The day that travellers started showing up in Asgard is 'day one.' People woke up in the castle to receive the letter and an explanation from the faceless maid. If you asked questions, the maid would tell you about your power but no one else's. Likewise, people in your god's district would tell you more information, but no one had much to say about powers in general, why the gods chose us or what was in store for us. It was only through trial and error that we started working stuff out!
When we arrived the weather was definitely Winter, no matter what season we'd come from personally.
The letter:
Welcome Traveller,
You have been chosen by the gods to bear the honorable task of restoring colour and life to the Holy City of Asgard. As an honored guest, you will be provided with the means to ensure your health and happiness. Your duty is simple: in order to preserve this world and the one from whence you came, you must flourish within this city. The laughter and tears of all travellers will become strength both for you and the greater good. Please accept the gifts of your patron deity, and serve them well. The fate of all existence rests within your capable hands.
Good luck in the Eventide.
Weird Snowmen.
Day 6, it started snowing. That wasn't unusual itself except that Day 7 we woke up to snow and snowmen (and snow-women) that moved around and talked. We could only interact with the snowman belonging to our district, so my information isn't totally complete. However, the snowman was somewhere in the grounds of the Welcome Hall. I could hear ours outside, but after the one time I talked to her, I never saw her again unless she was talking to someone else, so I think she was a challenge to us each individually. Each snowman made a request and if we passed their test, they gave us a present!
Hel's snow-woman was crying a lot and asked us to smile. Heimdall's snowman asked for help finding his missing button. Sigyn's snow-woman asked for something warm. Odin's snowman had a riddle to solve and Thor's snowman seemed to want to fight with people!
New Year's Party.
Cupcake Battle.
Day 24-5. A small wooden table appeared in each Welcome Hall, with a parchment with information about the cupcake competition on it. You had to work with your housemates to make cupcakes, trying to compete in three categories -- Best Tasting, Best Looking, Most Creative. You thought of ingredients, and they showed up on the table, but you couldn't take them out of the kitchen.
No gods showed up in person, but when the cupcakes were placed on the table, they vanished. When the judging was finished, the results showed up on a new piece of parchment on the table.
Heimdall won 'Best Tasting' -- their prize was a hot tub.
Odin won 'Best Looking' -- their prize was massage chairs.
Freya won 'Most Creative' -- their prize was a home-theatre.
Dragon: Declaration of War.
Day 28.
At sunset, the temperature suddenly changed, becoming warm, while the sky darkened. There was a dull red light in the sky. A few hours later, a large dragon flew over the city. He set fires throughout the city, resulting in serious to minor injury, property damage and one grey citizen death. The dragon made the following announcement, his voice heard throughout the city:
"The King of Muspellheim has spoken. He has seen your treacherous actions, and his decision is war. Beware, for Ragnarok, the End of Days, is upon you. Your time is past. All who dwell under the reign of these "Gods" will die."
The dragon spent sometime circling the palace which glowed a pale white. Several citizens attempted to attack the dragon, but it was easily able to avoid the projectile weapons launched at it and it left unharmed.
Odin-sama's message.
Day 30. Odin addresses the city at large. His full message can be found here. The post is interesting as Odin answers some questions about Asgard, but refuses others and makes it clear that he is not addressing us by choice.
The summary is that Odin substantiated the declaration of war's validity, adding that if Ragnarok occurs, all worlds will vanish because this city links the fates of all worlds. If Ragnarok occurs, the world will be remade, but we have no idea how it will be remade.
He also stated that the way the city looks is because of the sickness, which is spreading to other regions and that restoring the city will tip the balance in our favour.
Also interesting, the heavily guarded gates in the city lead to the land of the Fire Giants (hostile, ruler King Surt), Frost Giants (hostile, ruler Queen Thiazi) and Utgard (neutral). The land is called Yggdrasil, the world above all worlds.
Scavenger Hunt.
Ice Faeries: Second Declaration of War.
Ides of March.
Loki-sama's message.
The Fog -- (compiled by Edmund Pevensie, (metamorphs)
Day 61
This was the day I arrived in Asgard. By the time I woke up in the castle, the thick fog had already covered the entire city, making it impossible for any of newcomers, including myself, to leave the castle safely. We were forced to stay in the castle for that day. From what I've gathered, the situation was similar throughout the city; any one who left the refuge of their homes were lost in the city, unable to find their way back.
Day 62
The fog had cleared by the early dawn, revealing what we believed was Asgard in its original state. By all appearances, the Grey Sickness had fled with the fog, and colour had been properly restored to the city. The Asgardians were no longer faceless as well. However, many of the Travelers noticed that the Asgardians they had grown familiar with were missing.
Day 64
The Loki from Utgard appeared to us for the first time, masquerading as Asgard's Loki. The fog and the city's colour were apparently his attempt at a trick, and we were quickly informed by the rest of the gods that nothing had changed. The city returned to its colourless state soon after.
The Spring Party (compiled by Edmund (metamorphs)
Day 73
A great feast was presented to us by the gods of the city, as what I assume was an attempt at reconciliation. There was still unrest over the fog, and not a few weeks before, the gods had made examples of a handful of Travelers, leading to their death. Though I was not present for this, there is footage of each death still saved on the network.
The celebration lasted the entire day, with food in abundance and drink flowing freely. Present also were clusters of flowers previously unseen in Asgard and floating lights that appeared as the sky darkened. The flowers shone with a light of their own as well. It should be noted that the nectar harvested from these flowers were discovered to have healing properties.
- Hospital Expedition. (open)
- Musical Event. (open)
Competitive Hugging (compiled by Edmund (metamorphs)
Day 89
The hugging curse was in place by dawn of this day, and its effects appeared to grow stronger as the hours passed. Though the curse spread throughout the city, it was selective in its victims. Those affected by the curse were compelled to embrace anyone they could crossed paths with for its duration. Minimal contact with people lessened the feelings, though not enough to effectively resist it.
Day 90
The curse reached what I assume was its second phase. Though the affected were still compelled to embrace others, they now found themselves unable to break the embrace. Laughing or smiling while in this situation was the only way to break the enchantment.
The gods announced several days later that the curse had in fact been a competition between the houses as well as their method of drawing emotions from the Travelers. Sigyn's house was the winner.
- Flooding. (open)
Arbour Day. (compiled by Karuika Mirel(hushedpenance)
The first faces I remember interacting with — barring that unsettling faceless maid we are all familiar with — were organizers of the Arbour Day event. Truthfully, I had no idea that the flooding was abnormal. I was summoned right into it. With everything else strange about Asgard ... You could have told me it was a land of perpetual rain and flood and I would have had no trouble believing it.
DAY 99: Hanako Ikezawa and Damien Aurelius announced an organized effort to restore the damaged trees, gardens, and other plants. An archive of this network post is here for the curious. The event received a lot of support. Several volunteers were willing to participate either by offering their powers (if applicable) or their time.
The date for Arbour Day was roughly set for one week's time. The event properly took place exactly 10 days later. I promised Hanako and Damien that I would try to bring my own supplies, which I managed to do. In passing, saw both of them advertising around town between the original post and the actual event.
DAY 109: Arbour Day took place. Refreshments and supplies were provided to all volunteers in need at Sigyn District's Welcome Hall. Volunteers were free to roam around and plant seeds wherever they wished. Travelers and Natives alike who did not wish to participate acted as supporters.
The turnout was ... impressive! The unity for the common goal was a sight to behold and though I didn't get the chance to speak with Damien at the event, Hanako helped me and many others with her Growth power. All we had to do was ask her to use her power on the seeds we had planted. She was more than willing to do so, so we could all see the fruits of our labor immediately. It was all the satisfaction of an Arbour Day without the years of wait time.
- Olympics. (open)
- Traveller Fest. (open)
The Camping Trip. (compiled by Edogawa Conan.)
Days 102-4.
The following is a transcript of a post I made immediately following the Camping Trip. No new facts have come to light since the trip, so I am choosing to post it as it. The original post is here.
Day 102.
Woke up in a small clearing in an unknown wood beside river. Transported without warning and without any items but what we had on us. Exploring revealed only that the small forest was surrounded by rocky grassland. There were basic supplies with us, but food especially was insufficient. Scavenging and hunting turned up enough that we could supplement the sandwiches, but as night fell a whispering sound similar to that heard during the ice-faerie attack on the city indicated that we were not alone.
Evening, presumably sometime after this Baldr joined us at the campsite. He was not pleased, suggesting that 1. He was forced to join us by another god and 2. The other gods were aware of what had happened to us, our location and had the means to transport people from the camping site to the city. This is troubling, considering what happened next.
Day 103.
Mid-morning, following a strange sulphur-like smell, our campsite was suddenly attacked. The first wave were small, imp like creatures, approximately 20, half as tall as me, that burnt when touched and dissolved into yellow powder upon contact with water or on heavy impact. They were sent ahead as scouts; shortly after their arrival two, perhaps three wraith-like creatures composed of flame attacked us, with them five people, apparently human but with flame-coloured eyes and a command of fire. Battle was intense and during the struggle the forest caught alight. Those of us who survived only did so by managing to outrun the flames.
We spent another night in the wild, this time without supplies. Some of us had serious injuries. All of us were exhausted and suffering smoke inhalation, dehydration and lack of food.
Day 104.
A portal appeared in front of us. We reappeared in the castle plaza, Asgard.
Conclusions.
- Either we were sent to hostile territory or encountered a hostile scouting party in Asgard territory; either way we can assume that preparations for war are being made among the Fire Giants.
- We were not armed for battle. Those of us who do carry weapons found them removed. This fact is not consistent with the gods of Asgard's statements about how seriously they wish us to take this war -- unless it was their hope that deaths or injuries sustained among us might lead us to take their word.
- Baldr caused the camping trip to teach us a lesson about complaining in much the same way he wanted to teach us not to ask about our orginal abilities. The other gods distanced themselves from his actions but did not prevent them.
- I am tired and going to sleep.
The Darkness (compiled by Merlin (dragonspeak)
Day 128
Several Natives began acting oddly in the evening, keeping to the shadows and following some of Travelers back home. When they attacked the Travelers, they spoke strangely and were covered with a shroud of darkness.
Day 129
Everything was normal until night fell. After that, the Darkness began taking Travelers and Natives both, controlling them as soon as they were covered by the shroud of darkness. One of the Travelers named Alan had previous experience with the Darkness and gave instructions on how to avoid the Taken and how to fight them. According to him, the effect of the Darkness cannot be reversed once it takes hold of its victim. The Darkness could also control objects and ravens as well as people.
Day 130
The Darkness disappeared in the morning, but came back with more power. Night came early, in the afternoon, and the Darkness returned. Many more Travelers and Natives alike were snatched and transformed by the Darkness to turn against us. Shelters were set up all over the city for those that had been wounded or could not fight.
Day 131
Sunrise did not come that day. The Darkness covered the entire city, keeping the sunlight out. Like before, the Darkness continued creating Taken from the Travelers and Natives. There were also funnels of wind powerful enough to move heavy objects. More lives were lost.
Day 132
The Darkness disappeared with the dawn. According to Asgard's Loki, the Darkness was copied from Alan's world and brought here by one of their enemies. The Travelers who were taken by the Darkness returned to normal, with little to no memory of what had happened while they were controlled. The Natives who were killed during the Darkness' attack on the city were not returned as the Travelers were.
- The Elves (Merlin!)
- The Utgard Expedition (OPEN!!!)
- The Forest Expedition (tentatively reserved for Aether)
- The Sickness / Biological Warfare plot. (to-do)
- The neighbours club. (tentatively reserved for Sena)
The Teacher's Council (Merlindragonspeak)
The Teacher's Council was an idea that my friends and I thought of not too long after we arrived in Asgard. The city had been attacked multiple times already, and most of us hadn't really learnt how to control the powers we were given here yet, so we decided a group for practicing would be helpful. The council is open to anyone in the city, whether they want to be a teacher or a student. We have meetings once every two weeks for Travelers who want to talk about their power and practice using it with other Travelers. Over these months, we've developed two focuses: control of your own power and ways to combine your power with other powers.
Anyone who wants to become involved should speak to Merlin--that's me!
The Citadel (Merlindragonspeak)
The Citadel is a school for the Travelers wanting to learn weaponry for defense or for the war. The weapons taught here are varied from the sword, the bow, the dagger, and several others. Lessons are taught by your fellow, skilled Travelers, and vary in level of skill.
If you'd like to become an instructor or take lessons, you should speak to Arthur Pendragon, the owner.
- Sigyl's Guild (open)
- The Forensic Unit (open)
- Nightlight Club (open)
- Stride (open)
F.A.Q.
No, this isn't a dream. Yes, it does sound crazy. Yes, that maid really didn't have a face. Relax, she is probably not going to steal yours. No, we can't send you home. We have yet to find a way out but people have left the city so don't give up hope yet.
The bracelet you have been giving allows you to communicate with the other people brought here by the gods. The natives of the city call us 'Travellers'. We've been divided up by which god is our patron and depending on what god, have been granted a power. Don't believe me, try using it!
Be careful with your bracelet! People who lose theirs end up losing their colour and wandering around the city like the grey people do. You can lose days, even weeks that way ... kind of scary, huh?
The gods don't talk to us much. You can try reasoning with them, but they're kind of ... um. Let's leave it at there are much more productive uses of your time!
Restoring Colour. (Updated Day 151)
You might be looking around and going 'grey? This place looks pretty colourful to me!' That wasn't always the case. As someone who was here from Day 3, I can testify that the city was entirely grey when we arrived. Even the Welcome Halls and the square around the castle didn't have any colour, as did the plants and other living things -- including the people. The maid that greeted you when you woke up in the castle is a good example of what things were like here. If you want to get an idea of what the city was like back then and proof that the greyness actually exists, then you'll want to go out towards the city walls, particularly in the housing suburbs. You can still see patches of pure grey, although they're getting rarer now.
You can also see the difference in the areas populated by Travellers. The Welcome Halls and businesses owned by Travellers are at full colour now, while the main destinations like the Hospital and the Library, Park and Arena aren't far behind. The further from the main streets you go, the more the grey increases.
So how does it work? Colour seems to be generated by emotion. Freyr told me in conversation -- it was private so I can't link it, but I have a transcription of our conversation typed up here -- that "It's the expression of emotion from you that acts as medicine, so it's your ability to feel that's valuable to us." In one of the more recent God posts, Loki stated indirectly that the reason for the unpleasant events the gods subject us to here is to generate an emotional response. It makes sense then to assume that what emotion we feel doesn't matter so much as the strength of the emotion. As further proof, the hospital in Sigyn is more vividly coloured than the library, despite the library having more Travellers on its full time staff.
Another interesting fact about colour is that citizens whose colour has been returned can restore it to other citizens. I've seen several cases of a citizen spouse who works in a shop frequented by Travellers returning home and restoring colour to their partner and the rest of their family through second-hand exposure.
Gods and Houses/Powers.
Sam-san has compiled a guide here.
Merlin-san is looking for volunteers to help people who want to practice/learn about their powers! For example, I'm helping anyone who wants to learn about body control!
Time Mechanics (Compiled by Edmund Pevensie
metamorphs)The flow of time does not match that of our home worlds. As in: the amount of time that passes here does not affect the events of our home worlds. Travelers can be pulled from any point of their lives and it is very possible two Travelers from the same home world can be separated by months, even years. When returned to our worlds, we will likely find little to no time has passed since we left. (This is purely conjecture. Can anyone confirm this?)
Magic and/or Abilities (Compiled by Edmund Pevensie
metamorphs)Magic is fairly common across the worlds Travelers have been brought here from. If the Traveler had any existing abilities (magical or otherwise) they do not work in Asgard. Asking the gods for the return of those abilities has resulted in the death (and resurrection) of several Travelers, an issue which the god Heimdall addressed recently. All Travelers are given an ability upon arrival in the city whether they had magic in their home world or not - see Sam Winchester's guide for elaboration on those abilities.
Important Locations.
Important Events.
Arrival.
The day that travellers started showing up in Asgard is 'day one.' People woke up in the castle to receive the letter and an explanation from the faceless maid. If you asked questions, the maid would tell you about your power but no one else's. Likewise, people in your god's district would tell you more information, but no one had much to say about powers in general, why the gods chose us or what was in store for us. It was only through trial and error that we started working stuff out!
When we arrived the weather was definitely Winter, no matter what season we'd come from personally.
The letter:
Welcome Traveller,
You have been chosen by the gods to bear the honorable task of restoring colour and life to the Holy City of Asgard. As an honored guest, you will be provided with the means to ensure your health and happiness. Your duty is simple: in order to preserve this world and the one from whence you came, you must flourish within this city. The laughter and tears of all travellers will become strength both for you and the greater good. Please accept the gifts of your patron deity, and serve them well. The fate of all existence rests within your capable hands.
Good luck in the Eventide.
Weird Snowmen.
Day 6, it started snowing. That wasn't unusual itself except that Day 7 we woke up to snow and snowmen (and snow-women) that moved around and talked. We could only interact with the snowman belonging to our district, so my information isn't totally complete. However, the snowman was somewhere in the grounds of the Welcome Hall. I could hear ours outside, but after the one time I talked to her, I never saw her again unless she was talking to someone else, so I think she was a challenge to us each individually. Each snowman made a request and if we passed their test, they gave us a present!
Hel's snow-woman was crying a lot and asked us to smile. Heimdall's snowman asked for help finding his missing button. Sigyn's snow-woman asked for something warm. Odin's snowman had a riddle to solve and Thor's snowman seemed to want to fight with people!
New Year's Party.
Cupcake Battle.
Day 24-5. A small wooden table appeared in each Welcome Hall, with a parchment with information about the cupcake competition on it. You had to work with your housemates to make cupcakes, trying to compete in three categories -- Best Tasting, Best Looking, Most Creative. You thought of ingredients, and they showed up on the table, but you couldn't take them out of the kitchen.
No gods showed up in person, but when the cupcakes were placed on the table, they vanished. When the judging was finished, the results showed up on a new piece of parchment on the table.
Heimdall won 'Best Tasting' -- their prize was a hot tub.
Odin won 'Best Looking' -- their prize was massage chairs.
Freya won 'Most Creative' -- their prize was a home-theatre.
Dragon: Declaration of War.
Day 28.
At sunset, the temperature suddenly changed, becoming warm, while the sky darkened. There was a dull red light in the sky. A few hours later, a large dragon flew over the city. He set fires throughout the city, resulting in serious to minor injury, property damage and one grey citizen death. The dragon made the following announcement, his voice heard throughout the city:
"The King of Muspellheim has spoken. He has seen your treacherous actions, and his decision is war. Beware, for Ragnarok, the End of Days, is upon you. Your time is past. All who dwell under the reign of these "Gods" will die."
The dragon spent sometime circling the palace which glowed a pale white. Several citizens attempted to attack the dragon, but it was easily able to avoid the projectile weapons launched at it and it left unharmed.
Odin-sama's message.
Day 30. Odin addresses the city at large. His full message can be found here. The post is interesting as Odin answers some questions about Asgard, but refuses others and makes it clear that he is not addressing us by choice.
The summary is that Odin substantiated the declaration of war's validity, adding that if Ragnarok occurs, all worlds will vanish because this city links the fates of all worlds. If Ragnarok occurs, the world will be remade, but we have no idea how it will be remade.
He also stated that the way the city looks is because of the sickness, which is spreading to other regions and that restoring the city will tip the balance in our favour.
Also interesting, the heavily guarded gates in the city lead to the land of the Fire Giants (hostile, ruler King Surt), Frost Giants (hostile, ruler Queen Thiazi) and Utgard (neutral). The land is called Yggdrasil, the world above all worlds.
Scavenger Hunt.
Ice Faeries: Second Declaration of War.
Ides of March.
Loki-sama's message.
The Fog -- (compiled by Edmund Pevensie, (
metamorphs)Day 61
This was the day I arrived in Asgard. By the time I woke up in the castle, the thick fog had already covered the entire city, making it impossible for any of newcomers, including myself, to leave the castle safely. We were forced to stay in the castle for that day. From what I've gathered, the situation was similar throughout the city; any one who left the refuge of their homes were lost in the city, unable to find their way back.
Day 62
The fog had cleared by the early dawn, revealing what we believed was Asgard in its original state. By all appearances, the Grey Sickness had fled with the fog, and colour had been properly restored to the city. The Asgardians were no longer faceless as well. However, many of the Travelers noticed that the Asgardians they had grown familiar with were missing.
Day 64
The Loki from Utgard appeared to us for the first time, masquerading as Asgard's Loki. The fog and the city's colour were apparently his attempt at a trick, and we were quickly informed by the rest of the gods that nothing had changed. The city returned to its colourless state soon after.
The Spring Party (compiled by Edmund (
metamorphs)Day 73
A great feast was presented to us by the gods of the city, as what I assume was an attempt at reconciliation. There was still unrest over the fog, and not a few weeks before, the gods had made examples of a handful of Travelers, leading to their death. Though I was not present for this, there is footage of each death still saved on the network.
The celebration lasted the entire day, with food in abundance and drink flowing freely. Present also were clusters of flowers previously unseen in Asgard and floating lights that appeared as the sky darkened. The flowers shone with a light of their own as well. It should be noted that the nectar harvested from these flowers were discovered to have healing properties.
- Hospital Expedition. (open)
- Musical Event. (open)
Competitive Hugging (compiled by Edmund (
metamorphs)Day 89
The hugging curse was in place by dawn of this day, and its effects appeared to grow stronger as the hours passed. Though the curse spread throughout the city, it was selective in its victims. Those affected by the curse were compelled to embrace anyone they could crossed paths with for its duration. Minimal contact with people lessened the feelings, though not enough to effectively resist it.
Day 90
The curse reached what I assume was its second phase. Though the affected were still compelled to embrace others, they now found themselves unable to break the embrace. Laughing or smiling while in this situation was the only way to break the enchantment.
The gods announced several days later that the curse had in fact been a competition between the houses as well as their method of drawing emotions from the Travelers. Sigyn's house was the winner.
- Flooding. (open)
Arbour Day. (compiled by Karuika Mirel(
hushedpenance)The first faces I remember interacting with — barring that unsettling faceless maid we are all familiar with — were organizers of the Arbour Day event. Truthfully, I had no idea that the flooding was abnormal. I was summoned right into it. With everything else strange about Asgard ... You could have told me it was a land of perpetual rain and flood and I would have had no trouble believing it.
DAY 99: Hanako Ikezawa and Damien Aurelius announced an organized effort to restore the damaged trees, gardens, and other plants. An archive of this network post is here for the curious. The event received a lot of support. Several volunteers were willing to participate either by offering their powers (if applicable) or their time.
The date for Arbour Day was roughly set for one week's time. The event properly took place exactly 10 days later. I promised Hanako and Damien that I would try to bring my own supplies, which I managed to do. In passing, saw both of them advertising around town between the original post and the actual event.
DAY 109: Arbour Day took place. Refreshments and supplies were provided to all volunteers in need at Sigyn District's Welcome Hall. Volunteers were free to roam around and plant seeds wherever they wished. Travelers and Natives alike who did not wish to participate acted as supporters.
The turnout was ... impressive! The unity for the common goal was a sight to behold and though I didn't get the chance to speak with Damien at the event, Hanako helped me and many others with her Growth power. All we had to do was ask her to use her power on the seeds we had planted. She was more than willing to do so, so we could all see the fruits of our labor immediately. It was all the satisfaction of an Arbour Day without the years of wait time.
- Olympics. (open)
- Traveller Fest. (open)
The Camping Trip. (compiled by Edogawa Conan.)
Days 102-4.
The following is a transcript of a post I made immediately following the Camping Trip. No new facts have come to light since the trip, so I am choosing to post it as it. The original post is here.
Day 102.
Woke up in a small clearing in an unknown wood beside river. Transported without warning and without any items but what we had on us. Exploring revealed only that the small forest was surrounded by rocky grassland. There were basic supplies with us, but food especially was insufficient. Scavenging and hunting turned up enough that we could supplement the sandwiches, but as night fell a whispering sound similar to that heard during the ice-faerie attack on the city indicated that we were not alone.
Evening, presumably sometime after this Baldr joined us at the campsite. He was not pleased, suggesting that 1. He was forced to join us by another god and 2. The other gods were aware of what had happened to us, our location and had the means to transport people from the camping site to the city. This is troubling, considering what happened next.
Day 103.
Mid-morning, following a strange sulphur-like smell, our campsite was suddenly attacked. The first wave were small, imp like creatures, approximately 20, half as tall as me, that burnt when touched and dissolved into yellow powder upon contact with water or on heavy impact. They were sent ahead as scouts; shortly after their arrival two, perhaps three wraith-like creatures composed of flame attacked us, with them five people, apparently human but with flame-coloured eyes and a command of fire. Battle was intense and during the struggle the forest caught alight. Those of us who survived only did so by managing to outrun the flames.
We spent another night in the wild, this time without supplies. Some of us had serious injuries. All of us were exhausted and suffering smoke inhalation, dehydration and lack of food.
Day 104.
A portal appeared in front of us. We reappeared in the castle plaza, Asgard.
Conclusions.
- Either we were sent to hostile territory or encountered a hostile scouting party in Asgard territory; either way we can assume that preparations for war are being made among the Fire Giants.
- We were not armed for battle. Those of us who do carry weapons found them removed. This fact is not consistent with the gods of Asgard's statements about how seriously they wish us to take this war -- unless it was their hope that deaths or injuries sustained among us might lead us to take their word.
- Baldr caused the camping trip to teach us a lesson about complaining in much the same way he wanted to teach us not to ask about our orginal abilities. The other gods distanced themselves from his actions but did not prevent them.
- I am tired and going to sleep.
The Darkness (compiled by Merlin (
dragonspeak)Day 128
Several Natives began acting oddly in the evening, keeping to the shadows and following some of Travelers back home. When they attacked the Travelers, they spoke strangely and were covered with a shroud of darkness.
Day 129
Everything was normal until night fell. After that, the Darkness began taking Travelers and Natives both, controlling them as soon as they were covered by the shroud of darkness. One of the Travelers named Alan had previous experience with the Darkness and gave instructions on how to avoid the Taken and how to fight them. According to him, the effect of the Darkness cannot be reversed once it takes hold of its victim. The Darkness could also control objects and ravens as well as people.
Day 130
The Darkness disappeared in the morning, but came back with more power. Night came early, in the afternoon, and the Darkness returned. Many more Travelers and Natives alike were snatched and transformed by the Darkness to turn against us. Shelters were set up all over the city for those that had been wounded or could not fight.
Day 131
Sunrise did not come that day. The Darkness covered the entire city, keeping the sunlight out. Like before, the Darkness continued creating Taken from the Travelers and Natives. There were also funnels of wind powerful enough to move heavy objects. More lives were lost.
Day 132
The Darkness disappeared with the dawn. According to Asgard's Loki, the Darkness was copied from Alan's world and brought here by one of their enemies. The Travelers who were taken by the Darkness returned to normal, with little to no memory of what had happened while they were controlled. The Natives who were killed during the Darkness' attack on the city were not returned as the Travelers were.
- The Elves (Merlin!)
- The Utgard Expedition (OPEN!!!)
- The Forest Expedition (tentatively reserved for Aether)
- The Sickness / Biological Warfare plot. (to-do)
- The neighbours club. (tentatively reserved for Sena)
The Teacher's Council (Merlin
dragonspeak)The Teacher's Council was an idea that my friends and I thought of not too long after we arrived in Asgard. The city had been attacked multiple times already, and most of us hadn't really learnt how to control the powers we were given here yet, so we decided a group for practicing would be helpful. The council is open to anyone in the city, whether they want to be a teacher or a student. We have meetings once every two weeks for Travelers who want to talk about their power and practice using it with other Travelers. Over these months, we've developed two focuses: control of your own power and ways to combine your power with other powers.
Anyone who wants to become involved should speak to Merlin--that's me!
The Citadel (Merlin
dragonspeak)The Citadel is a school for the Travelers wanting to learn weaponry for defense or for the war. The weapons taught here are varied from the sword, the bow, the dagger, and several others. Lessons are taught by your fellow, skilled Travelers, and vary in level of skill.
If you'd like to become an instructor or take lessons, you should speak to Arthur Pendragon, the owner.
- Sigyl's Guild (open)
- The Forensic Unit (open)
- Nightlight Club (open)
- Stride (open)
F.A.Q.
