Illarion Albireo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
unsheathedfromreality) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
countryclub2022-02-23 12:55 am
unsheathedfromreality) wrote in countryclub2022-02-23 12:55 am
Entry tags:
player plot interest check: real & half-real
Hello all!! I'm Lark, player of your local zalgo-corrupted elf-bird of many names, Illarion, and I am here with a PLAYER PLOT FOR YOU.
What's the Deal: During the fight against the Fated Leviathan, a terrible interaction between the titular beastie's reality-shifting and Illarion's own eldritch powers traps him and Sayo's consciousness in a pocket dimension, completely removed from Trench. Sayo's going to do her best to free them by claiming the powers of the Endless Witch through an improvised ritual, but only part-way succeeds: She escapes, but Illarion doesn't. Turns out the pocket dimension's part of him, and he's not easily disentangled from it.
He's going to need help getting back out.
The Plan: In April, Sayo will mobilize a rescue attempt to break back into the pocket dimension and successfully complete the ritual, so she can use Beatrice's magic to free Illarion. Characters will need to locate the pocket dimension and enter it, kill thirteen significant individuals, then set off a massive explosion. Simple, right? Except they'll have no more than 24 hours to find Illarion and another 24 to complete the whole ritual, so there won't be much time to scout or plan once they're in.
Fortunately, they'll have reconnaissance help from the inside--enough to formulate a reasonable assault plan before they ever have to break in. While Illarion can't communicate directly with Trench, his Omen Iskierka remains free and capable of hearing him. She'll be writing down his musings and observations from within the pocket dimension, as well as taking occasional letters to people he knows. Putting them all together will yield a wealth of information on their targets and conditions inside the pocket dimension.
The Pocket Dimension: Illarion's cozy little home for several weeks is based on his world, Nephele--albeit a twisted and awful version, heavily influenced by the eldritch entity that corrupted him and his people hundreds of years ago. It's locked in an endless, hopeless war of all-against-all, its inhabitants continually dying and returning only to kill each other all over again. It isn't a "real" alternate dimension, but an outgrowth of Illarion's Darkblood, soul, and memories that he's inextricably linked to. As such, while there's a lot of his home in there, there's also a lot of Trench and the Sleepers he knows from it, filling in the gaps where memory's failed him.Also there's so much Robinson Jeffers. Just an unbelievable amount.
Characters who enter the pocket dimension might end up resembling one of the sapient species that populate Nephele. In addition, magic may be altered to match the setting, and characters can gain magic they wouldn't otherwise have. That's to say: If you want, you can absolutely AU your guy to match the world.
Where You Come In: This is a hilariously ambitious plot that I'm also trying to make fit people's time and interest! So I'd like to gauge what everyone wants to do with it.
Ways to engage with the plot include:
In addition, if you don't have time or inclination to directly engage, no worries! Since this is as much about Illarion's CR as anything else, characters he knows will be getting letters from him and having dramatic influence on the appearance and contents of the plot setting.
The obligatory form! Please fill this sucker out to help me gauge player interest and appropriately scale the plot to what everyone wants to do. And, also, to know how many IC letters I get to write and what CR swag I can add to the set dressing. 8) For my own sanity, I'll be limiting the long-form letters to ~5, first-come first-served, though everyone who doesn't get a long-form letter will still get a comment on their letter's contents!
What's the Deal: During the fight against the Fated Leviathan, a terrible interaction between the titular beastie's reality-shifting and Illarion's own eldritch powers traps him and Sayo's consciousness in a pocket dimension, completely removed from Trench. Sayo's going to do her best to free them by claiming the powers of the Endless Witch through an improvised ritual, but only part-way succeeds: She escapes, but Illarion doesn't. Turns out the pocket dimension's part of him, and he's not easily disentangled from it.
He's going to need help getting back out.
The Plan: In April, Sayo will mobilize a rescue attempt to break back into the pocket dimension and successfully complete the ritual, so she can use Beatrice's magic to free Illarion. Characters will need to locate the pocket dimension and enter it, kill thirteen significant individuals, then set off a massive explosion. Simple, right? Except they'll have no more than 24 hours to find Illarion and another 24 to complete the whole ritual, so there won't be much time to scout or plan once they're in.
Fortunately, they'll have reconnaissance help from the inside--enough to formulate a reasonable assault plan before they ever have to break in. While Illarion can't communicate directly with Trench, his Omen Iskierka remains free and capable of hearing him. She'll be writing down his musings and observations from within the pocket dimension, as well as taking occasional letters to people he knows. Putting them all together will yield a wealth of information on their targets and conditions inside the pocket dimension.
The Pocket Dimension: Illarion's cozy little home for several weeks is based on his world, Nephele--albeit a twisted and awful version, heavily influenced by the eldritch entity that corrupted him and his people hundreds of years ago. It's locked in an endless, hopeless war of all-against-all, its inhabitants continually dying and returning only to kill each other all over again. It isn't a "real" alternate dimension, but an outgrowth of Illarion's Darkblood, soul, and memories that he's inextricably linked to. As such, while there's a lot of his home in there, there's also a lot of Trench and the Sleepers he knows from it, filling in the gaps where memory's failed him.
Where You Come In: This is a hilariously ambitious plot that I'm also trying to make fit people's time and interest! So I'd like to gauge what everyone wants to do with it.
Ways to engage with the plot include:
1. Gathering Illarion's notes for information on conditions and NPCs inside the pocket dimension, in order to create a strategic plan for those who go into it,
2. Figuring out a means to locate and break into it, whether it's a blood-magic ritual, a technological terror machine, or some combination of both,
3. Helping carry out the ritual by killing thirteen people and blowing up a metaphysically significant part of the landscape. Kills will require a mix of combat prowess, sneaky assassination, and psychological manipulation.
The following links contain more information on Illarion's world and elements of the plot.2. Figuring out a means to locate and break into it, whether it's a blood-magic ritual, a technological terror machine, or some combination of both,
3. Helping carry out the ritual by killing thirteen people and blowing up a metaphysically significant part of the landscape. Kills will require a mix of combat prowess, sneaky assassination, and psychological manipulation.
- Quickstart Guide - glossary and setting information, playable species, magic system, pocket dimension notes
- Dramatis Personae - the thirteen kill targets; cw: psychological horror, magical zombies (and corpse piles) in some fight descriptions
- Proposed Timeline - like it says on the tin
In addition, if you don't have time or inclination to directly engage, no worries! Since this is as much about Illarion's CR as anything else, characters he knows will be getting letters from him and having dramatic influence on the appearance and contents of the plot setting.
The obligatory form! Please fill this sucker out to help me gauge player interest and appropriately scale the plot to what everyone wants to do. And, also, to know how many IC letters I get to write and what CR swag I can add to the set dressing. 8) For my own sanity, I'll be limiting the long-form letters to ~5, first-come first-served, though everyone who doesn't get a long-form letter will still get a comment on their letter's contents!
Illarion's Least Favorite Guy | The Locked Tomb
Player contact: Rona#7132
Character name:
EyesThe Emperor of the Nine Houses (Jod)** whom Illarion would rather walk into the sea than get rescued by, probably, but he now lives with Kaworu and Paul and plays D&D with Sayo so it's IMMENSELY likely he'll get involved.
Participation
Do you want your character to help find Illarion's notes, help with pre-mission strategy, and/or devise a way to break into the pocket dimension? Jod can be useful in breaching reality to access the pocket dimension! This directly relates to his current Arcane Scholar research.
Do you want your character to enter the pocket dimension and help rescue Illarion? PERHAPS... I would love for this to happen, but by default he'd hang back. Also he skews party balance like fuck.
Do you want your character involved in fights against the kill targets? Even if he comes along, he'll make the kids do all the work. Consider him your designated deus ex memelord... a backline cleric dialing it in
If so, which fights are you most interested in? How much do you want to handwave vs thread out? Interested in the vampires (Joy). Interested in gaslight gatekeep girlboss mom (could romance be in the air????). Interested in the gross zombie duo and/or Forlorn Hope bc his powerset might be super-effective, also Forlorn Hope just kind of pisses him off for no reason. Wants to bro it up with the super-lich, that guy seems neat (hostile). Should not be allowed to talk to Eyes.
What other plot beats not covered here are you interested in? He's highly interested in research and lore, as he believes there's a lot he can learn from Illarion's world and magic system. Give him all your secrets, Illarion, surely this is a dude who should have them.
Relatedly he'd be strolling in as a TERRIFYINGLY HIGH-POWERED PRINCE so that's fine. (Prince of Resurrection! Prince-gift is puppeting and fleshcraft of bodies both living and dead, so he can still act as healer and bones guy. Also, to translate The Wife Situation, he's a shrike with a fuckoff horrifying degree of attunement to a Pillar of the World. It's fine.)
Bonus content
Do you want Illarion to write your character a letter? Ok but would he ever be THAT desperate?
Do you want your character to have visible influence on the pocket dimension? y e s
If yes, what are some themes, symbols, or other visual cues to signify them? you know the character, go wild
no subject
Also per discussion I'm tossing both MB & the Emperor on The List to see what party comp starts shaking out like... But I love some of the options we've been talking about per what happens if he stays home instead, hoho.
also consider Illarion writes him a letter but it's on day 40 of horse plinko and it's just a list of reasons why Monarchs suck, including you, Mr. Jod
no subject