August 2015 Plotting Post

[undergroundmods]

August 2015
Here is your August plotting post! You can make use of the information here to plot what your character will be doing in the next month. Check out the calendar for a quick summary of when things are happening.

You'll notice that we have our next Test Drive Meme coming up at the end of the month. I'll also be giving out the game's first Faction Reward in mid-August, which will ICly be received in September. More information about that later. In the meantime, I would encourage you to read this game update, which covers a number of changes to the game rules and mythology.

A note on the August application round: I will be on hiatus from 10th-16th August, which means that apps will only begin to be processed after applications have closed. If you have any urgent questions regarding plot or anything else, please be sure to ask me before the 10th.

Factions
Dark and chaotic magic is beginning to spread through the city for the first time in years, following territory claims by both the fae and Circle Midnight. Some are already beginning to wonder if the status quo maintained by Sylvia Redbright over the last decade or so is in danger of crumbling.

But the seat of power remains in Westminster and this month the eyes of all factions turn to the Night Council, as every supernatural community is invited to submit their nominations for potential Guardians. The Council chooses from those offered, and new Guardians are officially inaugurated in August.

Meanwhile, the summer holidays are here and the Redbright Institute is actively seeking young people to bring into the supernatural community, so that they can join the school starting from September.

Territories
Circle Midnight have claimed Enfield, previously a neutral territory, and blocking the Redbright Institute from extending its reach further north. On the other side of the city, the Seelie and Unseelie Court have taken over not one but two previously neutral territories: Bexley and Bromley.

Circle Daybreak is the most powerful faction in the city, with six territories. Current disputes include Greenwich and Haringey, which are both claimed by vampires and werewolves. Meanwhile, Lambeth and Lewisham remain lawless territories and are dangerous for anyone to enter. See the Territories page for more information.

If your faction would like to claim a new territory, please comment to the appropriate thread. Players will then have three days from the date and time of the initial claim to sign up for the conflict. Anyone can sign up, but please only volunteer your character if they are a member of a faction involved in the conflict or they have IC reasons to actively help out. Please do not volunteer if you won't be able to participate in the plot.

If the outcome of the conflict is not already guaranteed, I will then look at the sign-ups list to calculate which faction will emerge victorious. It is up to players to plan and play out the actual conflict itself. If you comment to claim a territory, then you should also take the lead in planning and organizing it.

Minions
The following lucky minions will be promoted this month:

Destiny Murphy | Witch, Circle Midnight | Level 1
‣ A 19-year-old girl who rarely speaks. She seems to belong to the coven mostly to read books.

Nux | Human, Hillingdon Clan | Level 1
‣ A teenage boy who grew up as a member of the War Boys, a gang of hunters who hated everything supernatural. Has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given two years to live.

Dandy Mott | Vampire, Islington Nest | Level 1
‣ 200 year old American vampire who dresses like he never left the 1950s. Often childish, frequently violent.

These minions will decide to leave town this month:

Horace Slughorn | Witch, Circle Daybreak | Level 2
‣ An old witch who owns an apothecarium located in Wandsworth. An expert in potion-making.

Charlotte Meyer | Witch, Circle Midnight | Level 1
‣ The 16-year-old granddaughter of Laura Hendricks. Tends not to take magic too seriously yet, more concerned with impressing people than control.

Sally Roth | Human, Circle Midnight | Level 1
‣ A vegan Wiccan who heard about the coven and wanted to join. Still hangs around, hoping the magic will rub off on her.

Clint Barton | Human, Hillingdon Clan | Level 1
‣ An American vampire hunter. Down-to-earth, but quietly determined.

Erik Treacle | Vampire, Islington Nest | Level 1
‣ Erik's a newborn vampire who was hunted by the Hillingdon Clan. Cooper took him under his wing.

Sylva | Fae, Unseelie Court | Level 1
‣ A tree-like Spriggan with red and golden leaves. Appears quite short, but can grow larger in size when threatened.

Astraia | Fae, Unseelie Court | Level 1
‣ A Muse with a fondness for music. Can hypnotize the weak-willed with her voice.

And these less fortunate minions will sadly die this month:

Atrocitas | Fae, Unseelie Court | Level 1
‣ A tall, pale Sluagh with needle-like teeth and long fingers. Likes to walk the streets at night looking for prey.

Factions may decide how and when their minions die, leave town or receive a promotion. Feel free to work these developments into any of this month's plots.

Drops
The following characters will be leaving this month:

Pel Lavellan | Circle Daybreak | hallapologies | Left town 22/7/15

Their faction may decide the exact details of how characters leave and incorporate their exit into their plots if they wish.

Events

31st July – FULL MOON. Werewolves, it's that time of the month! Will you chain yourself up or spend the night in a cage? Roam wild in the London parks? Or perhaps find a witch to make you a wolfsbane potion. Whatever you choose, better be prepared.

1st August – LAMMAS. A day of celebration for witches, with rites and offerings to the summer harvest. All members of the supernatural community are encouraged to donate a gift to their local coven. In the spirit of generosity, witches may grant favours in return for an offering.

1st August – GUARDIAN NOMINATIONS. Every six months the supernatural communities of London are invited to nominate potential Guardian candidates to join the Night Council. The Council members decide which Guardians to accept. There will be a mod post with more detail about this very soon, but in short: if you would like your character to join the Night Council, this is a great opportunity.

2nd August-22nd August – SUMMER CAMP. Current and potential new students alike are welcome to attend summer camp at the Redbright Institute, where they will be trained in managing and controlling their powers. Members of the supernatural community are encouraged to volunteer and help out. Feel free to set up your own summer workshops, courses, even school trips if that's your bag.

8th August – GUARDIAN INITIATION.* The chosen Guardians will attend an initiation ceremony at Westminster, where they will be officially brought into the fold. Again, there will be more detail about this in the upcoming mod post.

30th-31st August – NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL.* London's biggest party, the Caribbean-themed Notting Hill Carnival takes place over the August bank holiday weekend. This event will feature in this month's Test Drive Meme, so look out for that! The full moon on the 29th will also be incorporated into this event.

*There will be a mod-posted log for these events.

Plots
The following prompts are up for grabs this month:

1) There is a bounty on a rogue shapeshifter. They are wanted alive. This shapeshifter is a real life cat burglar, and has stolen some valuables from someone very wealthy. Reward: £250, only if you return the valuables. – Claimed by Teresa
2) There are reports of a teenage boy being arrested for arson. Witnesses have claimed that he creates blue flames from his hands. The boy knows nothing about the supernatural world, and is in need of aid. – Claimed by Lynn
3) A human is being hunted by a fae, in fulfilment of a deal made by one of their ancestors. The ancestor offered up the first-born child of every generation, and now it's time to collect. – Claimed by Kaji
4) At the cinema, fae magic causes you to be sucked into the film you're watching. Now you have to make it through to the end in order to escape. – Open

About plots and events
• You may claim one plot prompt per month.
• You can also run your own plots based on the events listed above, or create your own.
• If you claim a plot, then you also volunteer to take the lead OOCly i.e. planning and organizing with other players, deciding on the outcome, setting a timeline etc.
• Once you have claimed a plot, you should introduce it ICly within the next month.
• Plots may not be entirely handwaved. You may handwave some of the plot, but you should play out at least part of it.
• Some plots will require NPCs as well as player characters to fill different roles. Please feel free to make up and play the NPCs yourselves.
• Plots are generally open-ended enough that you can make them big or small. It is up to the player who claims the plot to decide how they would like to handle it. You may want to do open sign-ups for your plot and specify whether there is a limit on how many characters can participate.
• Plots can also be self-contained or form part of an ongoing storyline. Again, it is your choice on how you would like to handle it.
• Please feel free to integrate plots and events or join plots up where appropriate. For example, if you claim a plot that involves a murder, why not choose an event during which the murder could happen? As long as the mod and other players are aware of your plans, I'm happy to accommodate.
• Do not ask the mod to explain what the plot is and what your character should do or discover. That is up to you. These plot ideas are just that, ideas, and it is up to you to run with them and decide how and why these events are happening, what your characters are going to do about it, and what the consequences will be.
• You may ask the mod questions pertaining to game mythology, to check that what you are planning to do makes sense within the game world.
• This list is not meant to be limiting in any way! Player plots are also very welcome.
• If you have an idea for a player plot, please feel free to comment here and see if there is any interest. Run it by the mod first if you're unsure of anything.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[undergroundmods]

Re: QUESTIONS

[rules_winter]

So, I know Fae aren't really inthe Night Council but could they try to be? I am trying to decide if I want Mab to attempt a territory claim or focus instead on that with maybe a side plot. Will they just be rejected right out the door?

[detectiveofthewest]

So since Mab's running a territory claim this month, could she take some of the minions Heiji's collected along with her to support the claim?

I wanted to have Heiji stay behind and hold the fort in Bromley/Bexley but still ICly lend minion support for Mab, basically!

CLAIM A TERRITORY

[undergroundmods]

Comment here to claim a territory! Please complete the following:

Plot lead(s): Who is going to run this plot? This should be you, but you can also list any other players who will be co-running the plot with you.
Faction: The faction that is claiming the territory.
Territory claimed: The territory that you are making a move on. It must be adjacent to a territory that your faction already owns.
When this will happen: Give the timeline for your plot. This should be in the next month. If you haven't decided on an exact date yet, a rough approximation is fine.

And here is the same information in a handy form for you to fill out:

<b>Plot lead(s):</b> <b>Faction:</b> <b>Territory claimed:</b> <b>When this will happen:</b>

Once a claim has been posted, players should then reply to the comment to sign up. Please specify which side of the conflict your character will be supporting.

Do not use this thread to start plotting. This thread is for claims and sign-ups only. Please start a separate thread or post to plot.

[viduation]

Plot lead(s): DEREK!!
Faction: East End Pack
Territory claimed: Havering
When this will happen: Somewhere between the 16th and the 23rd, probably starting on the 17th?

[rules_winter]

Plot lead(s): Mab
Faction: Unseelie/Seelie
Territory claimed: Lewisham
When this will happen: Starting roughly the 5th and continuing through the 12th.

CLAIM A PLOT

[undergroundmods]

Comment here to claim a plot from the prompt list. Please complete the following:

Plot claimed: Which plot are you claiming?
Plot lead(s): Who is going to run this plot? This should be you, but you can also list any other players who will be co-running the plot with you.
When this will happen: Give the timeline for your plot. This should be in the next month. If you haven't decided on an exact date yet, a rough approximation is fine.

And here is the same information in a handy form for you to fill out:

<b>Plot claimed:</b> <b>Plot lead(s):</b> <b>When this will happen:</b>

Do not use this thread to start plotting. This thread is for claims only. Please start a separate thread or post to plot.

[mensrea]

Plot claimed: 4
Plot lead(s): Ash
When this will happen: Mid/late August!

[divinerighttorule]

Plot claimed: 2
Plot lead(s): Lynn
When this will happen: late August, likely

Re: CLAIM A PLOT

[veratrum]

Plot claimed: 3
Plot lead(s): Kaji
When this will happen: Late August

[reticence]

Plot claimed: 1
Plot lead(s): Teresa (Faolan)
When this will happen: mid/late August, more likely than not!

RUN A PLOT/EVENT

[undergroundmods]

And finally, comment here if you are running your own player plot or event. This could be one of the events listed in the calendar. Please complete the following:

Plot/Event: What is your plot?
Plot lead(s): Who is going to run this plot? This should be you, but you can also list any other players who will be co-running the plot with you.
When this will happen: Give the timeline for your plot. This should be in the next month. If you haven't decided on an exact date yet, a rough approximation is fine.

And here is the same information in a handy form for you to fill out:

<b>Plot/Event:</b> <b>Plot lead(s):</b> <b>When this will happen:</b>

Do not use this thread to start plotting. This thread is for claims only. Please start a separate thread or post to plot.

[kleptofaeniac]

Plot/Event: Lammas Beach Party!!
Plot lead(s): Kim
When this will happen: August 1st!

[emotioneater]

Plot/Event: Baleful Polymorph
Plot lead(s): Shade
When this will happen: Mid-August

[necromancynow]

Plot/Event: Dear Eliza: Faust finally starts making some headway in contacting his dead wife from beyond the grave. With help, of course.
Plot lead(s): Tetra
When this will happen: Beginning of August

PLOT #4: JURASSIC WORLD

[mensrea]

Hey guys!! This is Ash. I've signed up to lead the following plot: At the cinema, fae magic causes you to be sucked into the film you're watching. Now you have to make it through to the end in order to escape. Since we need to be careful about pop culture, I figure certain movies like The Avengers are totally out, unless we want to constantly be coming up with different names/terms. SO WHAT BETTER ALTERNATIVE IS THERE THAN A TRIP TO DINO LAND.

(If anyone has a strong preference for another film, let me know and we can discuss!)

If you would like to join Stiles in running away screaming from hungry dinosaurs, comment here and we can work the plot out! c:

[detectiveofthewest]

...let's do it, I love dinosaurs

[blind_badass]

What a great way to meet Stiles. Running away from dinosaurs he can't see.

[goroesi]

Maera can be the Claire Dearing of the group, in terms of hightailing from the dinosaurs in heels. \o/

PLOT #2: BLUE FIRE

[divinerighttorule]

So. Azula is going to want this kid dead when she hears about him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. She hears 'blue fire,' she's going to get territorial and want to kill him.

However, I'm not at all set on her succeeding. I'd love to work out a race to find this kid/conflict over his fate.

[goroesi]

Maera will be just as insistent on saving the boy when she hears about this! Plus, the two of them are already on each others' nerves, so might as well add more flames to the fire, right?

LAMMA BEACH PARTY

[kleptofaeniac]

There has to be at least one beach party in the summer guys!

So I'm thinking Broadstairs in Kent will be the perfect place to host a beach party. Everyone's invited because LAMMAS IS A PARTY. I think Kenzi won't exactly be the personal host, but some npc witch will. maybe its her cousin. idk. if anyone's itnerested pls let me know

[detectiveofthewest]

I would definitely be interested in a beach party! Heiji loves babes in swimsuits, it's a thing.

Baleful Polymorph Plot!

[emotioneater]

Hope some of you read TVTropes otherwise this title will make no sense!

So, about mid-August, there's going to be a whole lot of fae who have had it up to here with Cooper draining their fairy brethren and sistren dry. To that end, they decide to teach him a lesson about meddling with fae. They curse him into an animal form (I'm thinking something quite bizarre looking like a binturong) that can only be released if someone chops off his head. Y'know, standard Grimm Brothers curse breaker right there.

He's going to keep his little paws crossed that his allies like him enough to help and can figure out a way to undo the spell. These things tend to become permanent if they stick around long enough.

[necromancynow]

Faust hasn't met Cooper yet, but would you be interested in a doctor with questionable ethics proposing extremely sketchy treatments to try and cure him? He might even be a good resource to figure out what's wrong with Cooper.

Dear Eliza, or why you probably shouldn't get into that dark magic, kids

[necromancynow]

As August begins, Faust will finally start to make some headway in finding out why, despite being able to summon ghosts, he's never been able to make contact with his late wife. The reason will not, as he's long assumed, be that she's moved on to the next world.

This will probably involve a small investigation team and Faust being weirdly intense about thanking everyone that helps him.

Re: Dear Eliza, or why you probably shouldn't get into that dark magic, kids

[veratrum]

UNFORTUNATELY Liam is too much of an asshole to get involved in dead wife shenanigans without much investment. HOWEVER, if there's some promise of free food something in it for him, he is down to party.

Plot # 3: Rumpelstiltskin

[veratrum]

I've claimed plot 3, A human is being hunted by a fae, in fulfilment of a deal made by one of their ancestors. The ancestor offered up the first-born child of every generation, and now it's time to collect! Since I'm running this plot, Liam's own involvement will be limited, but the poor kid in question is actually a great-great-great nephew of his, so he will be asking around for someone to help him.

The fae can be defeated, but the contract could also be circumvented by other means! I'm open to ideas for how this can go down.

Re: Plot # 3: Rumpelstiltskin

[necromancynow]

Hmm... would you like Faust to get involved in helping one of Liam's family members, rather than the other way around?

He does have some spells for dealing with fae, providing that he knows the guy's true name but in any case it seems like a recipe for disaster.

All Bottled Up

[goroesi]

So thanks to the activity rewards someone, Maera's going to end up being trapped in a bottle for some time this month! Now, there are a few reasons that Maera would end up getting cursed - not only is she kinda annoying, but she's been vaguely alluding to some pro-human anti-fae sentiments in the past month that will probably not make her popular with some fae (if she's been overhead, that is).

That being said, if there's any PC who'd like to curse her, I would be really fond of some negative CR for Maera! She's got a foul temper, a rage to fuel a small army, and a very limited skillset to back all that energy up, so it'll be fun to get her spitting mad at someone while being physically/magically unable to do much about it.

Other than that, of course, someone needs to find her and set her free - or bring her to someone who can set her free. Please help her. She will be indebted to you, and she treats debts with honor okay!! She'll definitely repay you in any way that you ask - when her anger wears off.

[kleptofaeniac]

I know Kenzi would notice a Budwiser, and certainly a little person inside it! I'll volunteer Kenzi to help Maera out of the bottle! If you get someone else who you want to do this, no worries.