Here is the compilation of event summaries for posterity!
Week 1
On the 12th day of Fireleaf, the archmage Silyna the Enchantress arrived in our little corner of Kalris. While surveying the land, Sir Twister and Arachnis happened upon her speaking with Magdalen in her shop. Silyna sized Twister up and determined him to be a useful man to have, so she offered him one of her enchanted Masks, which he accepted. But before she could elaborate on her intentions, he ran off with the Mask to Lady Vitta. Silyna pursued him there and retrieved him, alerting the Lady to her arrival. While Silyna made preparations with Twister to move into the region, Lady Vitta readied her response and mounted her knights.
While Sir Twister led Silyna to the place recommended to her for lodging, they intercepted her and made their demands, to release the dominated badger immediately. But they were not the first army the great Enchantress had stood against, and with her powerful magic she rendered the force, even the Mundane among them, incapable of striking her down. Then she focused her magic on a prize to punish them for rising against her: the blacksmith Pith, who next became Masked.
As Silyna returned to her task of settling herself in to begin her work, the fearful populace retreated to Vitta's castle to discuss their predicament. Despair was prevalent in the atmosphere, but some critters proposed to find a way to fight back, if violence could not solve. They brainstormed ways to free their compatriots, weaknesses the enchantress may have, and buttressed their will against the encroaching darkness of the coming winter. For so long, the people of Morenth have preached against violence to solve problems, and now that is turned upon them. There must be a way to resist the irresistible Silyna... but why is she here? What does she want? What are her plans? This must first be unraveled...
Week 2
After solidifying her reputation as a force to be reckoned with, the archmage Silyna set about gathering up critters for her own purposes. With the help of her Masked, she successfully recruited half a dozen laborers and dragged them around the island to survey its resources. Along the way, she demonstrated her advanced knowledge, detailing herbs to an herbalist that she had never heard of before, and effortlessly removing the cursed hammer from Constantine's hand. With the help of a purple mage, her workers soon found themselves off the coast.
As those drafted into her plans labored away to fulfill her grand designs, mining, gathering, and stoneworking, an undercurrent of resistance brewed elsewhere on the island. A minority refused to go along with her, and watched warily as she led them away to be put to work. Few dared oppose her openly, after the display of military might utterly crushed in front of everyone, and well aware that her sway over the minds of mortals could be exercised upon them if they rebuked her too strongly.
While they plot and worry, and Silyna plans and toils, another face makes its way towards Morenth, itself well familiar with the enchantress. Travel is not easy for this critter... but they have devoted their life to opposing the enchantress from behind the scenes, and tracked her to Morenth. By this time next week, they will have arrived, and made contact with those who would not see Silyna establish her foothold in the land.
Week 3
As Silyna continues to solidify her foothold in the land, a new face arrived to help those who seek to help Morenth escape falling under her thumb. Once again, the mysterious enchantress took her laborers out to mine for meteorite, and the resistance gathered in the Stolen Flame to discuss their options. They found a hedgehog -- scarred and limping but defiant, who, though mistrustful, was eventually coaxed into helping to organize the resistance against Silyna the Great. They gathered together in secret to lay out their plans: how might they rescue their friend from the clutches of her Masks? How might they drive her out of the region?
They were given four avenues to defeat her, of which they must procure one: red magic, to fight enchantment with enchantment. Mundane fighters, who can team up to try and take the mage down in an ambush before they can be dominated. Spell-resistant mages, who can deny her Sway over them and defeat her in a mage's duel. And powerful white magic, powerful enough to protect from her Sway and enable all who oppose her to stand against her. In the coming weeks they must band together to create a force capable of opposing her and driving her out by striking her where it hurts: her ego. Purple mages and pickpockets wouldn't hurt, either.
And what of those already under her influence? How can they free their friend from the ranks of Silyna's Masked? The hedgehog offered all who did not fit the above criteria another job: subterfuge. The organized resistance must infiltrate Silyna's confidence, posing as helpful but unremarkable critters to spy on her and learn her plans. He urged them to play along, and pretend to be friendly with the mage, so that they could gather information needed to destroy her. Only then could they put together a plan to stop the ritual and rescue their friend.
But there was a catch: he warned them that if they took their friend from among Silyna's Masked, she would likely seek to punish them by taking another in their place. They could plan for this eventuality by deciding in advance who they would rather sacrifice, and try to maneuver them into place to be taken... but likely they would not be able to avoid it. Like chess, the hedgehog said, sometimes you must sacrifice one piece to gain a material advantage. And it had better not be someone who knew too much about their plans... or all would be revealed to Silyna when the Mask allowed her to plumb the depths of their mind.
Now with a mission and a plan (or at least a plan to make a plan), the newly-formed resistance dispersed to take action. Such a powerful archmage could not be ejected overnight, but now they knew what they needed to get ahold of. Now they could set things in motion...
Week 4
The signs of Silyna's increasing hold in the land are evident in the continuing routine of her work. Not only has the third mining excursion been completed, but she has also completed her goal of surveying for useful herbs; and what's more, has found trustworthy subordinates to delegate the tasks to so that she need not dedicate her time to their accomplishment. This is the beginning of constructing a rule; an authority, a structure, a government which will endure without her direct oversight. The insidious tendrils of her influence already continue to spread.
By now, the routine of showing up to the beach to be transported for work has become routine and expected for the miners and stoneworkers and mages involved in the enterprise. They don't even need to be rounded up by hand; they know what's expected of them, and mining proceeds with minimal delay. Meanwhile, what meteorite has already been acquired is being put straight to use: the ingots have been smelted, and smelted down again into a rod, which, with the potion acquired by the weaponsmith that week to increase the odds of success, is hammered with the finest tools available into an axehead of excellent quality.
The wood armorer is already on hand to carve a handle and bind it in place, and the axe is complete. The Masked weaponsmith had already chosen an enchantment earlier in the day, and quickly acquired the gems for it ahead of time. So the group watching its creation moved to the enchanting table in the Crossroads and beheld as Silyna gave a demonstration of the power of her own red magic; the gems were assembled in their slots, and with a wave of her crystal, they disintegrated, and their power flowed into the weapon, the oily, rainbow sheen of its meteorite head giving off a threatening red aura.
With the axe complete, and hidden away safe, the Masked was given her final task before the ritual: acquire twelve candles of specific colors to perform it with. Then, next week, with the weapon so intimately connected with her as a person, the ritual would be performed and cleanse her of the Mundane trait. Meanwhile, the resistance sent its sleeper agents to infiltrate Silyna's organizations, and met with the hedgehog once more, to plan how they might undermine the ritual, as the first step towards ejecting Silyna from their lands.
Can they rescue their friend from what they fear is a fate worse than death? Does she truly even wish to be rescued? Will Silyna establish too much of a foothold in the region for them to be able to drive her out? Or can the institutions she is creating be turned to serve others once she is gone? The race is on, and every day counts...
Week 5
The engines that Silyna set in motion continue to turn. The ritual preparations complete, after stopping to prepare to put more meteorite to use, a small group of select, trusted individuals set out to put it into motion. The enchanted meteorite axe, candles to make a ritual circle, a mood-setting storm. They gathered in the forest, and through the conduit of the axe, created to fill a hole in the Mundane's heart, the power of Silyna, greatest of her art, and the benefaction of Il-Tira, goddess of magic, the Masked was selected to be reborn.
Motes of light began to float out from the crystals and cling to her, blending together into a blinding white light that absorbed her body as Il-Tira accepted her. Soon she was lifted off her feet, and began to float into the air, the blinding light consuming her body. When no more of her could be seen but the shape, she suddenly dissipated, and was gone, taken by the gods. Then, not long after, she reappeared, the lights swirling out of nothing back into the form of a hare, and resolving into the Masked, reborn, and dropped to the ground.
Now fully under her power, Silyna interrogated her underling, and was disgusted to find them more liability than asset. Now privy to their innermost thoughts, it was clear they could be trusted no further than they could be thrown. Using her ability to dominate minds, Silyna forced the Masked to relinquish the special, magical axe, just when she could finally use it, and then removed her Mask, exiling her from her inner circle. For Silyna's time is valuable, and she will not tolerate it being wasted on the stubborn and willful.
"Let no one say my Masked serve against their will," she said, and banished her back to her friends, no axe, no Mask, no mundanity. Reborn, but to what purpose? No more resistance to Silyna's magic, no weapon to turn against her, no further trust from the enchantress, and still deep conflict in her soul. All that is certain is that Silyna will find replacements for those who prove more trouble than they are worth, and that the critters of Morenth must now turn their attention to ridding themselves of her.
Week 6
In the wayshrine that Silyna had been calling home for the past few months, several critters gather to meet the Enchantress. It seems that, despite her poor reputation in the community, the tide has begun to turn in her favor, with many critters interested in meeting her, despite -- or perhaps because of -- the dire warnings given about her. In any case, it presents a prime opportunity- for the enchantress to demonstrate the power of her enchantments in front of an audience.
With several candidates considering pledging their loyalty in attendance, Silyna unveiled her latest work: an enchanted meteorite katana, teal energy coming off the blade, in the hands of her latest Masked. Made with flawless craftsmanship, and engraved with Pantheonic folklore, it would be an awe-inspiring and pricess artifact in its own right. But, as Silyna directed them to demonstrate with a spar, the power of its enchantment was revealed: with a strike, the Masked disappeared, and two identical lookalikes appeared around their sparring partner, to the shock and incredulity of the onlookers.
Even without this boon, the sword struck extremely hard, easily bringing their opponent to their knees. To all witnessing, it was clear that this warrior would be a terrifying soldier and asset for the enchantress. And many were suitably impressed with the boons that Silyna might grant if they pledged themselves to her cause. At the same time, many critters gathered in the tavern, pledging their support to the resistance and plotting how to best disrupt her plans. They remain disorganized and hapless for now, but their numbers swell, and the tide may soon shift, and spark a war.
Week 7
In the time that Silyna's operation had been established and continued to churn, there was great turmoil among the population. Without a friend held captive to motivate them, and beset by many other simultaneous issues, they had difficulty keeping focus on anything but whatever threat was currently in their face. More and more critters left the ranks of the resistance to try their luck with Silyna's favor, seeing the rewards that had been meted out by her to others, while they received only scorn and petty argument. Questions of allegiance sowed further discord in their ranks, when they were meant to be planting spies in Silyna's.
In spite of the crumbling resistance to her encroaching rule, some still dared to speak out against Silyna. They attempted to strike her, and were beaten to a pulp for their brazenness, brought to their knees and left as a warning to others. To many, a meaningless gesture of defiance swiftly punished, but perhaps it will inspire some undercurrent of insurrection in those who have been standing idly on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, the hedgehog returned from lurking in the shadows to check in on progress and found it greatly deteriorated since he had last convened with them, or at least attempted to. While not entirely shocked at the lack of progress, he found someone to speak to and reiterate his lesson in what they must acquire to drive her out: red magic, to fight enchantment with enchantment. Mundane fighters, who can team up to try and take the mage down in an ambush before they can be dominated. Spell-resistant mages, who can deny her Sway over them and defeat her in a mage's duel. And powerful white magic, powerful enough to protect from her Sway and enable all who oppose her to stand against her.
Week 8
As the fresh snow falls upon the land, ushering in the winter, the irresolute people of Morenth have finally begun to coalesce into a resistance against Silyna. Much bickering, fear, and infighting has given way, at least for some, to determination, and for the first time since she arrived, almost one year ago (at least by the game's canon clock), it seems like there is hope that there may be a way to defeat her powerful Sway. But many have grown accustomed to her presence, even disinterested in her actions, though they likely disapprove of them in principle. And worse still, she has succeeded in building herself a small circle of supporters, no longer as isolated as when she arrived.
Though the resistance remains largely leaderless, one critter in particular has set forth a solution: an enchantment provided by the hedgehog which grants a resistance to the Sway spell in particular, which may be given out to fighters to make them as good as a Mundane; perhaps even better. Armed with these helms, cheap but complicated to produce, they can build a fighting force to eject the enchantress once and for all, and several have already been produced. There remains much to be done, but this is the best, most promising solution they have found. They already have good fighters; if they can arrange a competent and large enough fighting force, they can attack, and win.
Despite their best efforts, however, Silyna has learned some of their plans, through traitors in their midst. Though they had had only mixed success in infiltrating her organization, several have turned on their neighbors out of pettiness, disgust, or greed. Silyna has succeeded in extracting a considerable amount of meteorite and using it to produce all manner of weapons and jewelry. This kind of wealth and power has served as a powerful incentive... Though she does not yet know enough to directly interfere, the race is on to finish what was started one year ago and remove her from their lands for good.
Week 9
Silyna's reign in Morenth draws to a close. Drawn by the challenge issued to her by the people of Morenth, she arrived in the Roundtable with her allies. It was plain to see that she was vastly outnumbered; ten, perhaps even as many as twenty against four, only three of whom could truly fight, almost all of their opponents wearing enchanted helms and helmets to protect them against Silyna's Sway. The conclusion was foregone, but Silyna's pride and ego could not permit her to back down; she had always prevailed before, and with the will of the gods, she would again.
But it was not to be. Empty vials scattered the floor of the Roundtable in the aftermath of the fight, onlookers watching the scuffle with awe. The four fought valiantly, but badly outnumbered, they could not hope to prevail; least of all Silyna, upon whom their ire was most keenly focused. Near-defeat, the enchantment upon her armor pulled her away from the fight to a random location, while one of her followers was struck down, perhaps fatally, and the others pulled out in her absence. This was no conclusive victory, but Silyna refused to flee. Even in the face of a hopeless fight; she planned and strategized and prepared to throw herself back into the fray.
This was her life's work. This place, was full of Il-Tira's gifts. Her purpose in life, to restore the Empire to its former greatness. She and her lieutenant regrouped and sought out the now scattered warriors to divide them and conquer, but one skirmish started on the road, and others filtered in, until she was at last bested, and her enchantment, still recharging, could not save her again. In front of the people of Morenth, and its surrounding areas, she was banished back to her kingdom, never to return. Hexed and injured, she began to limp back home, to the kingdom she still had left.
But little awaited her there but introspection. Never before had she been defeated. In the end, she was undone by her own actions; an enchantment she herself had researched, stolen and spread to those who opposed her. The most fatal blow dealt to her was to that same pride; she could no longer hold herself up as inevitable, indomitable, a paragon of Il-Tira's will. For all the spite she might spit upon this place, she could no longer have faith in her mission. All that awaits her at home is meditation, to seek what the gods want from her to have delivered this deep blow to her, to search for new purpose.
In her wake, a land changed by her presence. Old friends, torn apart, some brought together, but many parted, contradictions exposed and strained to their breaking point. New resources discovered, to be exploited, perhaps even claimed and fought over. And still a threat hanging over them: the vampire, a creature beyond the light of the Pantheon, who may have no such grand designs as Silyna, but who still plagues the edges of this civilization. Only eleven days until Rhiannovas, to make the most of, to try and heal. More challenges surely await them, beyond the dark of winter.
Conclusions
This was intended to be a Halloween event, which obviously ran rather long. This is why we chose to explore edgier themes for it. Given that previous events had centered around combat as a primary solution to the conflict, we wished to explore the potential hypocrisy created when an opponent appeared that not only would not, but could not, be addressed with violence (except, obviously, in the end, by overcoming it through community and cleverness). We also wished to push players to explore endgame mechanics, like specialized potions, meteorite mining, and the new enchanting system, by providing a mentor for these things who guided them through the process so that that knowledge could be disseminated through the community.
We are still building our event handling systems and intend to run future events (at least, ones that involve event characters; we might still drop hands-off events on you without warning!) with more warning and detail on what they will entail, as well as opportunity for players to participate as event characters themselves. But these things take time and we couldn't get them done before the deadline, so we forged ahead.
Despite missteps it seems like the community is larger and stronger than ever, and we thank you for that, and all the support you give us. We hope you enjoyed this event and that it created cherished memories you will never forget. It will be some time before we run another event of this size and scope, both to give people time to recover and to allow the dev team to take a bit of a break for the holidays. Feel free to leave your thoughts and stories here, so that this thread can be a record of what the event was like and what you want people who didn't play during it to know about it.
