What An Apt Observation. How Refreshing It Is To Meet Someone Else Who Recognizes The Value Of Looking

"It is."

He glances around, coming to stand near the Librarian. While the fox appears altogether disinterested in the display, there's a gleam of amusement in Maxwell's eyes.

"My, my, I should have known you had a violent streak." When you nearly clawed me in half. "I think this will all be great fun, if we let it be. Don't think of it as doing them a favor-- think of it as being offered the opportunity to let off some steam. ...something you clearly need."

He's already made up his mind to try his hand at defeating the waves of monsters; he enjoys watching combat more than he enjoys partaking in it himself, but he's certainly not going to pass up the chance to put his new book of spells to the test.

"Have you gotten any new abilities? As far as I'm concerned, that's already made all of this ridiculousness worthwhile."

Candy Culling

Even as panic took the people, he sat, watching it all, a cup of coffee in hand. Catching someone in his peripheral vision, he addressed them.

"It's you, Great Maxwell." He drawled, sounding bored.

"What do you make of it? The staged people, the candy magic?"

He sips.

"I was contemplating whether to do as they ask. On the one hand, I don't tend towards doing things for others with such little information given.

On the other hand, everything is awful and I wouldn't mind pounding these disgusting, sticky, oozy, melty monsters to crumbling bits... and perhaps learn something of our captors further inside the castle."

@codexvmbra

unstoppable force: maxwell is too important to find a job. immovable object: he just spent every single bit of dust he was given as a newcomer in his first week here. outcome: ???

"Unfortunately, it seems that freedom is far from... free."

Is he here to perform? He hadn't thought about it; he had simply been wandering through town, carefree, until he had found somewhere that caught his eye. Naturally, that had been somewhere with a stage.

"I don't have any of my usual gear, unfortunately..."

But he doesn't need his Codex or props to wow an audience. He's the Amazing Maxwell! All he needs is his charm and some playing cards, and he has both of those in spades.

"But as a matter of fact, yes, I think I will perform. Once you've completed your lesson, of course. Are you a professional tutor, madame?"

(Her friends go ignored for the moment, all attention on Anne.)

Maria scoots to the side when the stranger sits next to her. She's still giving him a dirty look.

Anne seems more appreciative of the new audience member. "Aw, thank you!" she says with a smile and a curtsy.

"Yep, these are my friends!" she answers for them. "Are you here to perform, or you just droppin' by?"

Maria eases up on the glaring, though she keeps her arms crossed. Pearl smiles slightly, and Umbra nods in greeting. (Mister Blue, still standing by Maria's side, simply waves his tail and snorts.)

me *surrounded by a pack of wolves that are about to eat me*: settle down puppies!! I only have two hands , i cant pet you all at the same time!!!!! Haha !!!! i love you all

Maxwell grits his teeth against the kind, considerate mockery of his own habitual greeting to his former pawns. Eugh. He doesn't need pity! ...except that's exactly what he needs, and the very reason he waved this man over in the first place. Right. His pride can wait.

"Do you see any horses around here?" he snaps. It comes out sounding somewhat flat and breathless from exhaustion, and he gives a halfhearted apology immediately afterwards. He has got to learn to bite his tongue around people who can literally choose whether he lives or dies.

"I have no mount. What-- what can I offer you for the use of yours?" Max pauses, then admits, weakly: "I don't think I'll be able to make the journey on foot. I can barely... stand."

Balduran had decided to take a small break from his exploration of the Mistwood- the Castle of the Forest King had proven itself much more difficult to find- and he wasn't too keen on being stranded in the forests during the night. To remedy this, he'd simply pushed forward- right into the Land of Burnt Umber. He'd quickly become friendly with the locals- a perk of that natural charm of his- and they'd told him of the Bones of the Forgotten. As any good adventurer would, Balduran made sure to prepare for a long day in the desert heat. He was lucky enough to have found a few desert carrots. He was told the creature he rode was called Jewel of the Desert. Luckily it seemed to be just like riding a horse.

Balduran let his steed drink at a strange oasis when they both became wary from the heat. He found that he could not bottle any of it. At least, there was a place to come back to if he needed to rest.

When he set out again, it wasn't long before he spotted someone who looked about ready to pass out. A man in a suit- ❝ Hey- ❞

❝ You look like you've seen better days- There's an oasis not far from here- at least not if you're riding on horseback- ❞

... ..... .......

Maxwell bursts out laughing. This construct has been programmed with sass.

"Touché."

Perhaps it has more in common with that soulless automaton who wandered right into Maxwell's world than it does with his Chess pieces. But while WX-78 is entirely predictable ("kill all organics" this and "metal is superior" that), Maxwell truly has no idea what will come out of this 'bot's voicebox next.

What fun!

"Is that so. And I suppose you'd prefer I dress like you, then? Give up my 'haughtiness' for a complete lack of self-respect? Word of advice from me to you, pal-- whoever designed you? Sue 'em."

"..."

"Yeesh!"

He wants things to get mean? Two can play at that game!

"Alright— alrighty then, let me give 'er another try." The robot "clears" its throat, rubbing its gloves together. When it speaks again, its tone has a noticeable layer of aggression, contrasting its permanent smile.

"Well, I think you look like some kinda haughty schmuck that came straight outta the Victorian era."

BITE BITE SNARL.

...ahem.

"How generous of you." Yes, he'll bloody your bloody cape. Give you,,, a damn difficult stain to remove. Small victories.

He coughs again, wetly, and unbuttons his vest to better assess the damage. His shirtfront has been torn through in relatively clean lines, but is still what he considers unsalvageable. It's not that Maxwell can't mend clothing-- he's rather skilled with a sewing kit, actually-- but it seems like just a little too much effort now that he actually has access to such luxuries as money and shops. He'll use it as an excuse to fill out his wardrobe.

"I don't suppose you'd care to pay for the damages, as well? As a show of comradery."

He snorts and chuckles.

"As you say. Follow me...we won't be wanting to go out the front. The owners may not take kindly to the stains and trails of blood we're making and I don't care to bother with diplomacy with them."

He led the two of them to a side door and out. It let out to a little porch area with only two tables, assuredly meant for patrons who wanted a bit more privacy.

Taking a seat he crossed one leg over the other and smirked at the man.

"Great Maxwell," His tone was dripping with sarcasm and self satisfaction. "Would you care for a bit of my cape to wrap your wounds? As a show of...comradery."

"You dare threaten the Great Maxwell?" He bares his fangs in turn and raises his hands in a grand gesture. It's... not quite as intimidating as it might be if he were forced to capable of appearing monstrous and twisted.

Insolent little worm... if only Maxwell still had his puppets, he would slash this pampered, pompous pup to ribbons!

"Deal's off, Beast. You've made a very grave mistake today. I hope for your sake that you find your blade returned to you before I get mine. Impermanent death won't save you; it means that I will be able to destroy you as many times as I see fit."

Pleasantries, done.

"If things went without saying they would not be written."

He grit his jaw, his lip lifting to reveal his fangs.

"Do not act the wounded party with me. You are trying to play me just as I am trying to play you. I would skewer you atop my blade if I had it, I would kill you without a thought if death stuck here. But I do not have my blade and death is inconsequential here.

What is it they say? Lets....make nice."

Our epic tale began on a cold, wintery eve. Under the dim light of a moon hidden by snowy clouds, the city transformed. Walls creaked and crumbled, rebuilt in an instant in new shapes; new forms. The modern metropolis was replaced with a realm crafted from sugary treats. Gingerbread walls, gumdrop roads, cinnamon stick trees, candy castles. For this was now a fantasy candy land: the realm of the Candy Witch.

"AWAKEN, WOULD-BE INVADERS!"

The witch's voice would boom, a thunderous sound with a tinge of familiarity to it. "You dare encroach upon my land? The Candy Witch's kingdom? Well then, I challenge you. Find me at the tippy top of my castle tower, but not before my trials are passed! Only then might you challenge me and, if you win, I may consider a way to send you home!"

In front of every non-NPC entity in the city a holographic paper appeared. A character sheet. "But the witch would not leave you without a means of accomplishing your tasks," Another voice spoke. It sounded similar to the witch's, but was much gentler. Almost as if there was a singular actor playing two different roles. "Will you take up a blade as the noble HEARTBREAKER? Perhaps you would prefer to cast the spells of the PASSION CASTER? Does the healing power of the LOVE DOCTOR tickle your fancy? Or does the path of the thieving HEART STEALER beckon to you? Fill out your character sheets and review the attached quest list, and let your journey begin!"

THE VOICE GOES SILENT

While the people of Spirale would hear nothing else for now, in a dark lab a young woman turned off her microphone. "I'm an android, I'm not supposed to be an actress..." Ofiuco rested her cheek gentle in front of her keyboard. "Oh well. I've always wanted to try LARPing, so why not give this a go? I think everyone could use something a little silly for a change, especially with Valentine's coming!"

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OVERVIEW

Welcome to our 33rd event, SUGAR QUEST IV: THAT MOMENTARY SWEETNESS! This event was inspired by a mix of old RPG games and silly mobile game events. So what's going on?

The people of the city are awoken to the sound of a familiar voice claiming to be the Candy Witch who issues you a challenge: pass her trials and find her at the top of the castle tower.

Everyone will fill out a quick character sheet that can be found on this page, which will determine your stats, class, and abilities!

The wards of the city have all been redesigned with a candy fantasy aesthetic, and you can find these changes listed in a section below. For the duration of the event you cannot access the branches.

Trials will be offered in the form of quests that can be chosen at your leisure. Participating in a quest is not mandatory for acquiring participation, but you will receive a flat 200 Stars for your character's account. You can only claim this 200 Stars once, so doing multiple quests will not net you more.

If you're just interested in event participation, any interaction will count regardless of whether it's in a quest or not! We'll also be offering Oficucotot, Bringer of Love as an exclusive event reward! She's a six inch, Ofiuco-shaped drone that follows after you and shoots tiny arrows at your foes. Not lethal, but very annoying! The item description reads: "Watch Your Eyes!".

YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT CLASSES, LOCATIONS, AND QUESTS HERE.

The event ends at 11:59:59PM on Friday, February 28th.

F.A.Q.

Will this event have a part 2? No! There is only one part to this event. There will be a raid battle during the last week of the event where everyone can face off against the Candy Witch, however.

Can we use our regular powers and weapons during this event? Unfortunately not! Your character has been stripped of their powers and had their physical abilities reduced to that of a normal human. You can only rely on the abilities and weapons provided by the class you choose and your character sheet stats! For non-humanoid characters, please reach out to the masterlist for accommodations!

Are the listed monsters the only ones in the setting? Nope! Those are just suggestions. You can design your own monsters to face, and even the ones listed alongside the locations are open to visual interpretation aside from the traits already listed.

Will my character undergo any visual changes during this event? Your selected class will grant you specific gear and weapons as part of that selection. Otherwise, nope! At least unless you disturb the fairies in the forest...

Are we required to use the quests for our threads? Nope! You can use them if you want the 200 Star reward, but it isn't mandatory to do a quest to get participation and the Ofiucotot, Bringer of Love. You can just do a different thread in the setting!

happy haloween!!