Seasonal Character Developments

Below are major IC updates that follow our characters through the seasons!

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308 PC

308 PC: Leafchange. The Arrivals...

Outlanders were not entirely unheard of for the natives of the Hollowed Ground. One might appear every 50 years or so, and even then news of the event would rarely reach all of the inhabitants. But one day, seemingly out of the blue, a great number of Outlanders suddenly arrived before the Spire. This many appearing all at once was worth taking note of. How did they arrive? Why are they here?

For the Outlanders and the Naturals both, this season has been a time of adjustment, of tolerance, requiring the exchange of much knowledge from both sides. Throughout Leafchange, the following occured:

1. There seem to be two categories of god - Old Gods and New Gods. Of the Old Gods, the Naturals have introduced the Outlanders to Vi, Mort and Rae, but they have not been seen since before the magnetic field appeared.
   
2. There are other Old Gods, however. Through prayer, random events and quests, several characters have been introduced to Frey (a god(dess?) of sex and sexuality - probably), Safrin (a beautiful goddess with starlight in her eyes who offers boons in exchange for spreading news of her name) and Ludo (a godlike being which can imitate dead/lost loved ones whose intentions are still murky at best)
   
3. Gods can apparently be scary and terrifying.
   
4. A monster guards the Spire known informally as the Spire Demon. According to the Naturals it does not eat, sleep or defecate and has been around for as long as the Spire's existence. By fighting the monster, it has also become apparent that it has a dislike for lightning and fire, it does not appear to be entirely... organic, and its bite is venomous. It will also attack on sight, and killed an Ascended - Wessex - when she attempted to fight it alone.
   
5. The magnetic field is not merely dangerous in that it will not allow the inhabitants of the Hollowed Ground to leave - people who linger near the field for too long will eventually die, their internals reduced to sludge.
   
6. The Outlanders were introduced to a festival celebrated by the Naturals: the Festival of Lights. Intended as a way to remember the dead, it appears that a lucky person may be favoured at the end of the festival and may catch a glimpse of those they have lost.

308 PC: Deepfrost. LongNight...

A time of preparation, brutality and survival. The Naturals warned the Outlanders of LongNight - a period of week-long darkness at the end of Deepfrost, renowned for danger and untold horrors. Throughout Deepfrost, the following occurred:

1. The New Gods made their presence known in the form of the Voice - a strange, holographic goddess seemingly tied to shrines. She is closely affiliated with the Ascended, and she is very keen to get into the Spire and out of the bubble.
   
2. Conversely, the Old Gods - who have proven themselves equal parts sweet and horrific (sometimes the same god, sometimes in the SAME THREAD) - have expressed conflicting feelings over the barrier. Through interaction with them, Outlanders and Naturals have discovered that they must keep the Voice from escaping at all costs.
   
3. Through a meeting in the Temple, it has been agreed that a group will attempt to dispatch the Spire Demon again in Flowerbirth in a better planned assault.
   
4. Wessex came back to life during this meeting(!?)
   
5. LongNight happened. Many perished:
   
   Vanya
   Ru'in
   Celosia
   Zero
   Min
   Dodge
   Isla
   All of Emmett's family apart from his younger siblings.

309 PC

309 PC: Flowerbirth. Fiat Lux and the Spire...

Picking up the pieces after LongNight was never going to be easy. But no one could have expected quite how much things would change. Throughout Flowerbirth, the following occurred:

1. Smack bang in the middle of the Fiat Lux festival, a group of brave (read:foolish) Outlanders decided to take on the Spire Demon. Surprising no one more than themselves, Roana, Remi, Ashetta and Ronin succeeded, though not without great cost. Ronin Taliesin died during the fight.
   
2. Following the defeat of the demon, dissent spread like wildfire among the inhabitants of the Hollowed Grounds. Two factions emerged - those who wished to breach the Spire, like, yesterday and those who wished to wait and to learn more about it. These groups can be summarised quite well by comparing the characters of Rory and Roana...  
   
3. Eventually, the Spire was breached by members of both groups,  - the Ascended proved the key to opening the monolith. And in they went...Roana, Are, Maea, Lucas, Kristopher, Jigano, Amalia, and Rory heading down into the Spire, and Samuel, Ashetta, Aedion, and Zariah going up. Both Kristopher and Aedion perished within.
   
   
   Below the Spire a strange pillar of light was glimpsed (Roana jumped in it and was spat out in the Greatwood, huh) but the others were blocked from further exploration when the air decided to be poisonous.
   
   Faith was tested at the very top of the Spire, and Zariah promised her life in exchange for passage through to the final chamber. Her willingness to sacrifice herself and her courage proved to be just what was needed to open the door, and Zariah survived the encounter.
   
4. Within, the group were confronted with the Core, the physical counterpart to the Voice who, after three hundred years powering the Spire (and thus causing her own entrapment) was nothing more than a mummified child. 108 sacrificed herself by removing the power cell from the Core... and thus the barrier dropped.
   
5. The Voice explained that she was the reason for the Outlanders being dropped into Caido. Using the last vestiges of her willpower, she scanned worlds and realities for those who might best be able to free her. And here you all are!
   
6. Following the barrier dropping, the Greatwood was revealed! Since then, tentative explorations were made, only to be interrupted by some very suspicious Fae, such as Delah and her army of forest guardians. In fact, there are rumours of people going missing whilst exploring in the woods...and fed to giant world-making turtles, though not in the way you might expect.
   
7. The Old Gods Vi, Rae, and Mort have differing opinions when it comes to the fall of the barrier, with Safrin receiving the brunt of the god's anger. How this will effect future interactions with her, is unknown.
   
8. Ronin was returned to the land of the living thanks to a sacrifice made by his friends, making him the first on-site demi-god (not that he really knows that)
   
9. A strange merchant with a wagon has also appeared on the Outskirts of the Hollowed Grounds, promising weird and wonderful wares in exchange for the most bizarre items, favours and stories...who is controlled behind the scenes by a wild fae called Arduinna. A figure to help or harm?

309 PC: Longheat. New leaders and a sickness in the woods...

The Fae and those within the Hollowed Grounds experienced their first clashes; of culture, of opinion, of words and weapons. And from the shadows, a new queen took her seat of power...

Throughout Longheat, the following occurred:

1. The Sea of Branches welcomed a new Naiad, and all bore witness as the former danced upon the Stonesong. Fate blessed Melita with a gift, allowing her the same privilege.
   
2. Signs of a blight in the Greatwood have begun to manifest. The trees are rotting from within and plantlife is dying. What could be the cause?
   
3. There were several attempts to build bridges with the Fae:
   
   Those who went missing and were captured by the Fae (Caiside, Amalia, Adam and Kiada) attempted, in their own ways, to win them around. Amalia in particular was successful, rescuing a starwhale calf and earning her freedom.
   
   Meanwhile, the wild fae Arduinna led Jigano, Deimos, Killian and Samuel to the hidden Sidhe Village to rescue those mentioned above. Unlike Delah (the Fae warchief) and the vast majority of her kin, Arduinna seems keen to interact with newcomers.
   
   Indeed, under Arduinna's command, Ianto - the strange, foxy merchant who runs the Wishing Wagon - led a group of traders (Remi, Amalia and Phoebe) to the village to strike some common ground. This venture proved somewhat successful, establishing the Wishing Wagon as a neutral trading post along the Stonesong.
   
   Some alliance may begin to form, at last, after the events of {KQ} stonewall where Remi, Wessex, Deimos and Phoebe rescued a group trapped after a rockslide at the Drop. Those trapped included Delah and her warriors, alongside Rory, Amalia, Jigano and Are.
   
   Since then, Delah has accompanied Amalia and a group (Ronin (and later Vervain), Deimos and Jigano) into the Spire to search for a tulmhainar. Danger waited within, however, and the fate of the group is still uncertain.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, Zariah Launceleyn gained enough support within the Hollowed Grounds to make a bid for leadership, and was crowned queen and earned the title: Zariah the Merciless. Edrei Launceleyn was promoted to Left Hand of the Queen, and Zariah currently has control of 12 soldiers to enforce her laws.
   

309 PC: Leafchange. A game of thrones and the blight...

The political climate within the barrier nearly reaches a boiling point while the sickness in the wood is named the blight and continues to spread. The fae have thrown many a wanderer into their pits as punishment for straying into the woods, while the new queen's soldiers do the same for those who disobey...

Throughout Leafchange the following occurred:

1. The culmination of events in {KQ} i wanna give you back the open sky lead to Jigano and Amalia finding a dying tulmhainar. In an effort to let the creature see the stars one last time Safrin created a shaft through the center of the Spire. As she did so, she contracted the blight which subsequently passed it onto Ronin as well.
   
2. Amalia Chandrakant becomes the first character in recorded history to have met one of the big gods! Vi names her The Shield of Safrin, and charges her with creating a new shrine for the injured goddess.
   
3. the VOICE asked the ascended to explore the Greatwood at great personal cost given that Zariah and Delah both restricted access within the woods.
   
4. A wounded Undine appears in the Crimson Cataract! Through the healing efforts of all those in attendance as well as by Arduinna, she has been healed of the blight!
   
5. On a routine check for predators in the underground, Emmett Palmer went missing during {PQ} (HUNT) i put on my robe and wizard's hat and was later found dead.
   
6. Ashetta Yla was found by Jigano, Amalia, and Remi after a long disappearance, wandering around the elemental storms.
   
7. On a lighter note, Remi Abruzzo and Ronin Taliesin were married!
   
8. A giant vampire gourd appeared in the Outskirts, rolling its way towards the Greatwood and carrying the blight with it. Luckily it was stopped by Samuel, Remi, Rexanna, and Melita!
   
9. Much research is being done on the blight, including efforts made by Phoebe Steadman in {PQ} Discovering Diseases. No conclusive answers have been found, though many attempts have been made.
   
10. {SWE} Into the Cloister a Fae yearly gladiator-type battle saw many unlikely candidates pushing their way through to victory, with Ianto triumphing over Rory, Melita beating out Remi, Wessex drawing first blood on Ronin, Adam managing to best Are, Amalia beating Edrei, Jigano defeating Deimos, and Kiada besting Lucas. In the end though, it was Kiada who faced off against Delah, the current Greatwood Guardian. Sadly, the fight was short lived, and Delah retained her title.
    
11. Zariah Launceleyn was mysteriously sent away by the VOICE, leaving Edrei Launceleyn (the Rapacious) as acting queen. Edy quickly named Jigano Silversmith (the Sage) and Wessex Theskyra (the Wraith) as her co-leaders. However Jigano quickly abdicated the crown, and Edy and Wessex named Ronin Taliesin (the Fallen Star) as king instead.
    
12. For some reason, Amalia, Deimos, Ronin, and Remi head back into the basement of the Spire in {KQ} change the tides. The thinking is that since Safrin became ill after falling into the Spire and being around the poisonous plants, maybe those are the cause of the blight. Though the group clears the plants, the blight continues unaffected. Oh, and the walls and ceiling crumble.
    
13. Edrei was eaten by a landshark, leaving only Ronin and Wessex to rule!
    
14. Leafchange concludes with the {SWE} Festival of Lights, where for the first time an Ascended (Wessex) was honoured with Ludo's presence and the memories of her mother and sister.
    

309 PC: Deepfrost. The darkest hours before the dawn.

The blight continues, symptoms growing worse and worse until Vi intervenes after months of silence with rose-planting tasks for both Grounders and Fae alike. The combination of roses planted as well as a sacrifice from Arduinna is enough to cleanse all those infected with the blight, just in time for LongNight preparations to begin.

Throughout Deepfrost the following occurred:

1. In {SWE} Deliverance Vi planted a rose bush and left instructions to plant the blooms all around the Hollowed Grounds and the Greatwood in order to cure the blight. This proved a harder task than most anticipated however, as many of the blighted were instinctively drawn to disrupting the un-blighted gardeners.
   
2. Amalia learned that even gods could go blight mad, finding herself attacked by Safrin when she came to try and get the goddess to prick her finger on one of Vi's roses.
   
3. Given the developments that the ascended were the method by which the blight was spread (oops), Queen Wessex offers the ascended for flower-planting guards and begins prep for LongNight
   
4. Deimos is named General of the Hollowed Grounds Armed Forces
   
5. In a much needed moment of mirth and joy, Bastien and Rexanna are married! Their wedding present from The Voice is a one night gift of orgasms!
   
6. In good deeds unpunished Arduinna sacrifices herself so that her magic might aid Vi 's efforts to stop the blight.
   
7. Not without a bit of whimsy, a memory-snow dinosaur appears in {RE} Long Forgotten, resulting in Melita channeling Ludo to keep Loren from stealing the dinosaur's items.
   
8. In {KQ} my family tree the VOICE calls her children to her, with Wessex, Rexanna, Amun, Lucas and Samuel answering. She tells them to fight the Mathair (and the newly arrived Fae) so that she can kill the tree. Almost immediately Lucas is struck down, however after a lengthy battle, the Voice sends out a pulse that devastates all within the area, killing the fae, the tree, and rendering her Bright Ones weak and useless. However as they return to her she explains that the Mathair is actually a portal, and that soon after LongNight there will be other worlds for them to explore. Giving them each an upgrade for their valiant efforts (not you Amun) she also gives all the ascended a one-use pulse to keep them safe from the LongNight monsters.
   
9. Multiple PQs are held to reinforce the Temple and the Monster Hunter's Guild, where the Grounds will be divided during LongNight. Luxere are called, food is gathered, medical supplies are stocked, and the spark bird perch is built.
   
10. Jigano, Amalia, Kiada and Deimos embark into the underground to try and find the rest of Safrin 's library. They indeed find it, but strange things ensue: a 'portal book' that seems to show the locations of known portals (revealing a wintry location called 'The Citadel'), and a strange door leading to a galactic room that unhelpfully answers questions (until it spits you out).
    
11. In a decision surprising to some but not to others, Ronin abdicates the throne, leaving Wessex solely in charge of the Hollowed Grounds.
    
12. LongNight begins and almost immediately things go wrong. Wessex 's heartbeat door to protect the Rathskeller is almost immediately compromised as one of the monsters uses Cera 's hand to open it, before killing him and entering the bar. Loren, Sunjata, Lusea, and Wessex try to barricade the door but it is too late. Loren burns down the entire Rathskeller using his Spark Bird feather, killing the monsters, Chunk the beloved cat, and torching the entire place. When news of this reaches the MHG, Deimos and Remi fly to the Temple to retrieve Cera 's body.
    
    Meanwhile at the MHG, led by Samuel, Rexanna and Remi go out into the night  to see if the monsters are susceptible to ascended-upgrades. Though they successfully catch a monster in a net, things immediately go wrong leaving Rexanna blinded and horrifically injured while Remi and Samuel are both wounded as well. During this, there is a knock at the MHG which reveals the lifeless body of Caiside.
    
    Later, Kiada and Jigano seek out the wandering spirit of Ru'in who died the LongNight prior. They find him, and fight the monster who holds his soul, eventually being sent away with their lives if they return with acceptable ascended-upgrades to trade.
    
    Thought to be locked up at the Temple, Roana had been secretly hiding out at the MHG. Seeing a group of children outside she rushes from her hiding place, inevitably sacrificing herself for the safety of the children who flee into the MHG. Staggering in herself, she asks Ronin to burn her body to ensure she doesn’t bring any darkness with her, but he opts to behead her instead.
    
    A strange creature beckons in the darkness in {DROP} I dug some graves you'll never find, with Peter winning an undead luxere companion.
    
    Though there are indications that monsters have already made their way into the MHG, in {RE} light it up, up. the entire building catches fire forcing all those who sought shelter there out into the cold. Thanks to the herd of luxere however the group manages to make it to the Temple, and after a few safety measures, all are let inside. However Caiside, Roana, and Cera 's bodies burned as did the entire guild.
    
    Though it's unclear if Edrei 's ghost really was knocked loose because of the Rathskeller fire or if it was a monster impersonating her, Ezra opens the door and is pulled into the night.
    
    

310 PC

310 PC: Flowerbirth. Portals

Usually a time for rest and regeneration, this Flowerbirth saw very little of both. The opening of the portal into Halo has brought new players onto the political scene, some of whom are all too familiar. Hollowed Grounds has a new Queen (the fourth in as many seasons!). And the Greatwoods have been quiet...

1. Well. Quiet but for the beginning of the season, when Delah summoned Wessex to account for the murder of the Mathair and its five Fae guards. The meeting of the queens ended with fractured alliances and closed borders, with Delah declaring she would not allow Grounders into the woods until the Wraith stepped down.
   
   
2. The annual post-LongNight construction led to multiple new and improved establishments popping up throughout the Hollowed Grounds. General Deimos built a Military Barracks, new guildmaster Kiada rebuilt the Monster Hunter's Guild, and Sunjata opened the bar VlamVloed.
   
   
3. In {KQ} Through and through, Loren, Wessex, Adam, and Jigano made their way back to the basement of the Spire, where they fought a giant serpent (and each other), culminating in the Voice intervening to place a threat against Jigano and further ascend Wessex into the demigod ranks. The Wraith then followed Adam and Loren through a portal to Halo: a harsh, frozen tundra full of unflinching cold and cutthroat demons under the rule of Neron the Hailstorm.
   
   
4. The religious schism of Caido continued to widen with the opening of the portals. On the one hand, the Voice directed her children - led by Wessex, now a demi-goddess, and Samuel, now a Portal Calibrator - to explore the new world in search of more portals. On the other hand, the Old Gods sent a message to their chosen Portal Guardians - Remi, Phoebe, Jigano, and Amalia - directing them to prevent exactly that.
   
   
5. Exploration of Halo began right away, and in multiple directions. At the behest of the Voice Samuel began to work his way through the continent; Deimos, Kiada, and Amalia searched the Sea of Glass and found an ancient, giant consciousness beneath.
   
   
6. Following the opening of the Portal and her second Ascension Wessex came to the people of the Hollowed Grounds with an option: choose to keep her as their Queen, or elect another ruler. After much deliberation Rexanna the Penumbra was voted in as the new Queen. She swiftly went about soothing political tensions, leading to the Greatwood being opened once again - to all but the Ascended, who the Fae still did not trust after the events of the Blight and the felling of the Mathair.
   
   
7. After a much bemoaned absence, Ianto and his Wishing Wagon made a triumphant return, allowing visitors to barter for mysterious items with equal probability of being treasure or trash.
   
   
8. A genie called to anyone who came to make or give a wish in {DROP} never had a friend like me, resulting in Sunjata gaining the ability to shift into an orca!
   
   
9. The Voice tasked her Ascended children with constructing a shrine for her in Halo. It will take cooperation and hard work on the part of the small (but growing!) Ascended population, but the goddess believes in her children's strength.
   
   
10. {SWE} The Festival of Fiat Lux! began in glory and brightness, with the denizens of the Hollowed Grounds and beyond coming together to celebrate sunlight, springtime, and Frey. There was {Mini Event} Spin the Bottle! hosted by Phoebe, {Mini Event} Capture the Flag led by Oliver, dodgeball ({Mini Event} dodge, dip, duck, dive, dodge) put on by Wessex, {Mini Event} riddle me timbers! (Riddle Contest) by Loren and the Loreseekers Guild, and a combat demonstration ({Mini Event} called to be bold) by Deimos, Loren, and the militia. It all had the makings of a perfect Festival, until...
    
    
11. ...{KQ} boundless: a monster of memory mud came crashing toward the festival! Luckily Phoebe, Loren, Oliver, and Sunjata were quick to notice and respond, but wound up being too little too late. Though Phoebe was able to summon Frey for assistance and Sunjata did significant damage with his new orca shift, it was Loren's ice wall that was the group's triumph... and their undoing. Though the monster was slowed, it did not go down easy, shattering the ice wall before crashing into the festival, wiping out the revelry and leaving mass carnage and destruction. Among the countless deceased were Phoebe's young nephews Cormac, Rhett, and Jax... as well as Aoife, daughter of Remi, who barely escaped with his life, and Ronin, who arrived just in time to witness his daughter's death.
    
    
12. Utterly devastated by Aoife's death and Remi's perceived death, Ronin took his wrath to the gods, adopting the moniker of the Dark Star. Enraged by his mourning, the Dark Star attacked the Temple in Sanctuary, intent on bringing it crashing to the ground. Though Amalia, Samuel, Amun, Jigano, and Wessex did all they could to stop him, in the end his wrath was too much for the ancient building to withstand. The five interlopers were able to escape before the building collapsed - some thanks to divine intervention - but the last one out, Amalia, got caught in the rubble, resulting in severe injury and lower body paralysis.
    
    
13. As for Ronin? Well... after cursing Safrin he and Remi disappeared simultaneously. Only the goddess knows where they've gone.
    
    

310 PC: Longheat. Tension rise

After the disasters of Fiat Lux, the residents of the Hollowed Grounds were ready for new adventures. Little did they know what awaited them: Torchline, a haven for the vitamin-D deprived... as well as the less savory characters of Caido.

1. Longheat begins with the aftermath of the disastrous Fiat Lux festival. Despite the chaos and death, the citizens of the Hollow Grounds come together to rebuild and regrow. In {Mini Event} the way in the life and the truth, Rexanna hosts a meeting for the election of a council, resulting in Jigano, Samuel, Phoebe, Deimos, and Amalia rising to serve at her side.
   
   
2. Two groups go in search of Mageglass, one led by Loren (with Peter and Kiada, {PQ+} long live the mountains that we moved), the other by Jigano (with Maea, Hotaru, and Evie {PQ+} Roads That Never Saw Sun Nor Sky). Though neither group is successful, they do manage to learn a little about the strange, dangerous denizens of the Halo. Cannibals and cultists abound.
   
   
3. In Halo, The Arcane Academy opens its doors to magic users from all parts of Caido. Headed by Zariah, the Academy offers characters a way to improve their magic through rigorous training. In addition, members of the Academy get access to powerful abilities, like full resistance to the cold.
   
   
4. Of course, nothing stays on the upswing for long. In {DROP} won't you come see about me?, a rogue Luxere with antlers aflame makes its way from Halo toward the Greatwood, threatening the already charred Mathair. Many show to try and change its course and control it. Oia'i'o ends up with the companion in the end, however Abasi perishes from the flame.
   
   
5. An adventure led by Oliver to explore further into the Fangs ({PQ+} ice has a magic can’t be controlled) is met with a surprising amount of success. Despite close brushes with dragons and giants and cultists (oh my!), Oliver, Jigano, Oia'i'o and Kaimana are able to discover the path to The Draig Cordillera, a mysterious and dangerous place where Caido supposedly makes his home.
   
   
6. Wessex and the other Ascended come together to gather metal and shrine material to place a shrine in the Fangs of Halo – thus opening the new land. Torchline.
   
   
7. Inhabited by a cast of colorful characters, Torchline quickly becomes a popular getaway for Grounders and Halovians alike. In {DROP} Maybe I will change, the curious interlopers are introduced to the L'ma, a wingless Roc who graces Jiao with a gift.
   
   
8. Instructed by Safrin to rebuild the Temple Shrine, Sunjata leads Amalia, Deimos, Peter and Adam into the Fangs to search for the heart of a dragon. An ill-fated cause, as it turns out: the adventure ends in heartache and disaster, with Peter, Adam, and their companions perishing to an ice dragon's blast. The remaining party members collect Coffee's corpse, bringing it back to Safrin and completing the ruined shrine.
   

310 PC: LeafChange. Rest and Remember

A somewhat chaotic Longheat gives way to an initially quiet Leafchange, with characters taking the time to reflect on those who were lost in the year before. But of course, nothing is ever still forever here, and if there's one thing you can count on in Caido, it's that the calmest days are always followed by the greatest storms...

1. The humans may have forgotten their past transgressions against Rae's arguably most vexing creations, but the Vampire Gourds remember. They infiltrate everything in the Grounds, pouring in through the Settlement, roaming around the Outskirts, searching to bite and latch onto anything they can in the name of vengeance for their fallen Punking.
   
   
2. Ludo arrives in Torchline, bringing anyone and everyone around in to join in a game of hide and seek. It should come as no surprise that the herald is playful, only giving up the ghost when Amalia spots it lurking under the water. It soon disappears once more, turning Amalia into itself, and taking the shape of Amalia to continue the game. In the end, Delphia spots it and Ludo takes a toy boat from Weaver, turning it into a reasonably sized vessel and takes a majority of those that participated back to the port.
   
   
3. Remi and Ronin embark on a Ghost Whale hunting trip, bringing along Maea, Delphia, and Wessex. Remi kills a sailor and Maea gets swallowed by a whale, which will inevitably be her downfall, as she drowns within the confines of the ghost whale, unbeknownst to the rest of the group until Delphia returns with her soul, the sailors souls, and the ghost whales souls.
   
   
4. Previously, Ronin thought to have a dream of a tryst with Safrin. As it turns out, it was reality as the goddess arrives before the Fallen Star, giving him quite a surprise. A child, his child, Seren.
   
   
5. Torchline is soon affected again as Apopo erupts in {KQ} and the earth screamed, the volcanic lava threatening to devour Haulani. Jigano, Remi, Nate, Saiden, and Sunjata get in the middle of the action swiftly. Saiden, Nate, and Sunjata work to evacuate the town while Remi and Jigano work to redirect the lava flow. In a surprise turn of events, it works, leaving Haulani safe from the destruction. It does, however, flow into Rae’s Fingers making them relatively impassible.
   
   
6. Due to the eruption, the Governor of Torchline perishes, leaving the land without leadership. Remi and Sunjata volunteer, give speeches to the public, and with it a vote is cast. Remi is chosen as the governor of Torchline! He then asks Raza, Sunjata, and Ronin to join the council with him. A new Governor's House is created with the help of the council.
   
   
7. The Ascendeds come together to create a shrine in Torchline. In like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, they were tasked with collecting a variety of Torchline items, later to find out from the Voice that she required these items to integrate with the area.
   
   
8. In {PQ+} shook up with sound, Melita leads an excursion with Raza, Loren, and Sunjata to investigate the Fingers to see if the tunnels are still usable for smuggling. They deem it unsafe, having found bodies within and quite a bit of lava remaining, and perhaps something alive within it.
   
   
9. In the Grounds, the Voice has given the Ascended a choice to make in. Either slay the LongNight monsters or let them live. Wessex hosts a meeting in the safe house for them all to try and come to a unanimous decision, only to have that backfire thanks to Neron and Samuel, and the Ascended receive a patch to help them survive against the monsters of LongNight rather than to extinguish them all. They don't agree unanimously, and requested a year to get prepared. A request that the Voice agrees to in a robot congress.
   
   
10. A ghost ursur appears in Halo in {RE} Hide Away, meandering its way through for those that arrived to watch it’s trek.
    
    
11. In {PQ+} The omnivore's dilemma, Loren, Neron, Morgan, Zariah, and Wessex take on the cannibal threat in Whitebrim.
    
    
12. Neron and Rexanna come to an agreement to harbor Hollowed Grounds refugees for Deepfrost in Halo to avoid more casualties during LongNight in the Grounds. Likewise, Samuel and Remi come to an agreement for refugees in Torchline during the week as well.
    
    
13. During the Festival of Lights, Remi departs briefly, killing his companion Isla and releasing her soul back to Ludo. Ludo appears, then, and requests the payment for letting Isla's soul stagnate within the unicorn. Remi offers Ludo his soul, and with it, Ludo takes much of Remi's magics and attuned shifts, leaving him as an owned man yet changed as well. Remi becomes Ludo's demi-god.
    
    
14. Amalia and Deimos get married, officiated by who else but Safrin herself!
    

310 PC: Deepfrost. Light within the darkness.

Leafchange was always a time full of reflection, of memories, and in most cases it should make for a somber Deepfrost. But as all those in Caido know, Deepfrost is a dangerous, treacherous time, and should be taken with caution especially within the Hollowed Ground. Will it be sunshine and roses in Torchline? Will it be just another hard lived season in Halo? Will the Greatwood find the blanketed darkness of LongNight as another tale to tell with one another? Time would tell...

1. The portal to Halo becomes blocked with snow and ice, making it impassible. But some of the Grounders watched over by Kiada arrive to find sanctuary within the walls of the Palace. However, not soon after the Deepfrost goddess, the Eirachi, has been burned by Warden Neron in a deal, who gathers her cultists to attack Halo, causing great destruction in the hardest season. In {KQ} diamond dust, Weaver, Loren, Zariah, and Morgan work diligently to protect their home. It results in far less casualties than it otherwise would - but it leaves far more questions than it does answers.
   
   
2. Those involved demand that Neron step down from his throne for the crime that was committed, and Weaver is chosen as the new Warden who now has to try and rebuild the destruction.
   
   
3. In a stunning twist of events, Remi is tasked by Ludo to kill Delah the Guardian of the Greatwood and the leader of the Fae to save her the pain of a terrible death. Delphia takes her soul to Mort, leaving the Greatwood leaderless for the time being.
   
   
4. In rae's fingers, safrin's veins, Safrin has given Remi and the rest of Torchline a quest to better the region in building canals to let the merfolk expand their explorations.
   
   
5. Back in the Grounds, Safrin also works with Deimos (with the help of Samuel) to create a door that will help protect against the LongNight monsters, making the door of the temple impassable by the creatures.
   
   
6. the VOICE has succeeded in using some of Bastien and Rexanna's strength to create a child for them (from scratch!)
   
   
7. Nothing lasts for long in Halo, however, as Weaver unfortunately perishes from an attack by a white dragon. The Halovians hold a vote in {Mini Event} One for all, but all for who?, between Loren and Morgan, where Morgan ends up taking the crown of Warden.
   
   
8. In {DROP} -insert jaws theme here-, Landsharks arrive to kill a Luxere doe and her fawn. Many arrive, but Amun is the one that walks away with a new landshark companion!
   
   
9. Torchline's jail is completed by Remi, Sunjata, Zephyr, and Ronin in {PQ} veins are paved with hope!
   
   
10. Nephele attempts to gain some insight to her anger and meets with Ludo who tasks her with killing the Ascended. Nephele takes this to heart, and ends up attacking Nate in Torchline before moving on to killing Robin.
    
    
11. Morgan creates her council, featuring Noah, Chulane, Loren, and Elena!
    
    
12. Ronin returns to the Grounds to finish Safrin's quest of protecting it as his Luxere shift. Soon after LongNight begins, a monster pretending to be Aoife appears in order to try and sway him away.
    
    
13. LongNight begins with a bang, as Rexanna leaves the Temple when she realizes Clemente is stuck outside. Both manage to survive through the monsters, but Safrin's Door results in both of their deaths, the moment they touch it. This leaves the Grounds without a Queen.
    
    
14. In Torchline, in {PQ+} What could go wrong?, Zephyr, Sunjata, Nate, Eloise, and Melita get together to clean up the danger in Rae's Fingers. They encounter a Lava Octopus, and mostly thanks to Melita and Sunjata, the creature is eradicated - leaving the Fingers free of danger again.
    
    
15. {DROP} cleverly and quietly brings Amalia, Ronin, and Wessex to the Spire. Trauma runs abound as Wessex nearly dies in the top of the Spire, and Ronin and Amalia try to rescue a child who is 'chained' within. Ronin tries to mercy kill the boy, but the child detonates in Amalia's arms.
    
    
16. The Sparkbird arrives to the Hollowed Grounds in {RE} over and over again. Oia'i'o and Kaimana perish from venturing too far into the shadows.
    

311 PC

311 PC: Flowerbirth. Something witty here but my brain isn't working.

Flowerbirth, a time for rebirth and rebuilding. Would this new year bring better memories? Or the bringer of trauma from the year past? It's hard to say.

1. Anonymous packages are sent to Torchline, Halo, and the Grounds with bits and pieces of Robin who was murdered just before LongNight.
   
   
2. A Torchline regional quest brings canals through the region, made by Safrin that glow with starlight throughout, making the land more accessible for the Merfolk.
   
   
3. In {PQ+} can't go over it, can't go under it, gotta go through it, Wessex, Kiada, Hotaru, and Loren venture back to Halo to try and find the new land to follow through the Eirachi's bargain.
   
   
4. Amalia gets called to Safrin's shrine by none other than Vi himself. She becomes a demigod for the god of life, and is given a task.
   
   
5. The search for the new land brings everyone to the Climb in {KQ} brother, where art thou, to face Tanau writhing in pain. Amalia shows up to help the group; Wessex, Loren, Kiada, and Hotaru, in trying to fix the problem. In a series of unfortunate events, Kiada perishes to the lava, Loren retrieves the shard within Tanau's chest dubbing him the Firebrand, but with the shard comes a sickness.
   
   
6. The Ark sets sail once more, with Jack, Eloise, Saiden, and Melita. They come across a ghost whale as it tails their ship, but they manage to last the whole season, returning at the end for repairs and rest before Leafchange.
   
   
7. Safrin calls Seren and Ronin to her shrine, subsequently taking Seren back to the stars with her to protect her.
   
   
8. Monsoon season begins in Torchline halfway through the season, destroying part of the Hanged Man as well as the Ascended Shrine.
   
   
9. In {KQ} teeth and bones, a sea panther arrives on the shores of Torchline. Deimos, Sunjata, Raza, and Zephyr take on the fight. It's a battle, many of Torchline's residents lost to the mists, Ludo is channeled and helps protect the trio for a time, and in a series of miscommunications, Deimos hands Sunjata a lightning rod as he calls down a storm and promptly gets electrocuted. They do manage to take down the beast, though.
   
   
10. Remi, Zephyr, Ronin, and Phoebe traverse the jungle in Torchline in {PQ+} there's gold in the dirt after Remi hears a story of a woman who claims to have ridden a horse made of mist. They encounter a few new floras and faunas, one of which a Molten Tiger that attacks Remi. They retreat after this.
    
    
11. The Greatwood brings exploration as well, in {PQ+} into the storm where Nephele, Ianto, Delphia, and Alina brave the dust storms that surround the edges of the Greatwood. They encounter a landshark within the storm. Eventually, the group retreats within Ianto's wishing wagon.
    
    
12. In the Grounds in {PQ+} cannot stare at our wounds forever, Deimos, Wessex, Amalia, and Bastien explore the elemental storms that surround the region. They come across a herd of unicorns and manage to rescue them. They retreat after recovering the herd of magical equines.
    
    
13. The Greatwood hosts Fiat Lux for the year in {SWE} From Dust We Rise, where Frey arrives and subsequently splits into two gods, much like their parent deity, Rae.
    

311 PC: Longheat. Warmth, sunshine, and the inky black mark of illness.

Flowerbirth had been a wild ride from start to finish. Longheat brings promise, but it soon quickly changes as a mysterious illness begins to filter through Caido...

1. A mysterious illness begins to filter through Caido, affecting a great many amount of people. Nobody knows where it's come from just yet, nor what's caused it, but it seems to affect all races indiscriminately.
   
   
2. Frey tells a sick Loren that there's something inside him that relates to the shard pulled from Tanau. A hint, perhaps?
   
   
3. In {DROP} and the ice sea cracks all around a mysterious egg is found in Halo. Seraphina ends up being chosen by the egg, which hatches into a dragon.
   
   
4. Safrin tells Ronin that the infection has come from the Climb, though she doesn't believe Tanau is responsible.
   
   
5. Amalia becomes the first to drink the water from Frey's Breath within the Climb! Her symptoms of the illness are relieved for now, giving hope for an eventual cure.
   
   
6. Ronin brings a crew to the Climb to Frey's Breath in {PQ} (SE) quench this fire, including Saiden, Amalia, Remi, Morgan, and Chulane to search for a cure. They grab a fair amount of water to bring back to those sick in their respective regions but find nothing else aside from a strange lily!
   
   
7. The Voice tells Wessex to bring her the metal that Loren pulled from Tanau, leading them to journey into the Climb and discover a strange, mysterious arch...
   
   
8. Wessex becomes Queen of the Hollowed Grounds for the second time!
   
   
9. In {Mini Event} {se} a rung too high, in Torchline, water is brought back to the group. It works for the non-Ascended, but in a moment of panic Samuel bites Remi. It almost starts a fight, Ronin threatening the Ascended with death if he ever sees him again.
   
   
10. In {Mini Event} (SE) like rats out of a sinking ship, in the Grounds, the sickness is alleviated for the non-Ascended. For the Ascended, however, they get varying results as well. Bastien's hair catches fire and wherever the water hits the Ascended's skin, it sizzles and sparks.
    
    
11. In {Mini Event} {SE} a star on the water, in Halo, the water heals the non-Ascended as well. Neron, the only Ascended within Halo at the moment, reacts poorly to it as the other Ascendeds in the other lands have.
    
    
12. In {RE} Walking with the Shadows, a banshee is spotted in the Grounds. It attacks Chulane before running off with a random farmer for its meal.
    
    
13. In {DROP} something radiates, a dream drop occurs where Amun wins a new upgrade.
    
    
14. Remi, Amalia, and Ronin dive into the jungles again around Torchline in {PQ+} everything you want's a dream away. In a surprising stretch of luck, they manage to make it through to the other side without trouble.
    
    
15. In {PQ+} can't be an old fire if you're burning with a new flame, Wessex, Bastien, Loren, and Oliver explore the storms again. They make it further than the first group, but eventually turn back.
    
    
16. The Ark heads out again for a quick exploration before Leafchange arrives, in  {PQ+} a flash of green. It quickly encounters a pod of ghost whales, resulting in a quick retreat!
    
    
17. In {RE} don't go, but don't come too close, a purple dragon appears in Halo. It tears apart an ursur before turning its attention on those that have gathered to watch it. Delphine moves first, becomes the target for the dragon, and the two of them subsequently disappear.
    
    
18. Amalia, Remi, Ronin, and Morgan go to confront Loren about the metal he took from Tanau, and its potential to cure the Ascended: our history of silence Cornered, Loren teleports away, heading to speak to the Voice herself. She explains in (open) light shinin' in the westward wind that she can now make a cure for everyone, and offers to Ascend Loren for his help - a gift he ultimately declines.
    
    
19. The Voice calls all who are sick to her, healing them in {SWE} death is sure to outlast this catastrophe. Though some of the denizens refuse the treatment, the majority of the afflicted are fully cured!
    
    
20. Thanks to a conversation between Loren and Rae, we know that another cure can be created by placing ten of the mysterious archway behind a waterfall in the Climb. When the last lily is placed Tanau appears, activating the arch in {SWE} through the arch and releasing the cure...
    
    
21. ...as well as a leviathan, which attacks those who dared disturb the arch! in {KQ} my duty, my curse Morgan, Deimos, Wessex, and Amalia stand against the guardian, but it is ultimately the intervention of Tanau that calms the beast, sending it back into the depths. The illness is cured, and all is well. For now.