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

Impudent, infuriating vermin--!

Maxwell lunges, claws outstretched. He's going to throttle this fox until his fur turns blue, and then some!

He throws his entire (meager) body weight behind the attack, intending to tackle the Librarian to the ground and show him just how much "terror" he instills in the Nightmare King.

He smirks, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

"Perfectly happy," He crooned. "And I shall, in turn, transcribe my knowledge into the legible and understandable common tongue just as you will."

He tented his fingers together, his grin just a touch malicious.

"And your apology, Great Maxwell: I am sorry that you felt such terror at my threat as to withdraw our agreement. I will be gentler in future as not to cause you fear."

"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

happy haloween!!

The magician's brief flash of defensiveness quickly melts away when faced with Cecil's charm. This unique opportunity is beginning to sound better and better; who could be more well-suited for a job description of "look good and get admired for it" than Maxwell the Great?

"Trust me, I can work a crowd." He grins, flashing sharp teeth. All he needs to do is settle back into his stage persona and put some of his more abrasive traits to the side while on the clock. Easy.

"Oh, yes. That all sounds just fine."

"I do believe this is the beginning of a very profitable partnership for both of us. I look forward to working with-- for you. Is there anything else you need from me to make this official?"

❛ I will design your outfit myself, of course. ❜

❛ You must shine if you are in the front, no? ❜

His eyes are already making mental measurements as he studies Maxwell's body, going over color swatches and fabric options in his head and mentally pairing them with the best fitting mask...

❛ The job will depend on your strengths, ❜ Cecil continues. ❛ If you can speak, you will help sell my clothing. Otherwise, just wearing my creation is enough. Do you lounge? I will give you the tools and props for it, to fulfill my vision. ❜

maxwell when wilson isn't around to save his ass: i am going to die from heat. i am going to take heat damage. i am going to wander out into the desert and die. i am going to lose 75 health to the sun

"I cannot understand you."

But if nothing else, she's proven that she's listening. She's in there, aware... why doesn't she attack him? Why hadn't she dropped her light and left him to Them like he left her? It'd be no less than he deserves.

Is she showing kindness, or does he simply have her shackled too tightly for her to act on her own?

Ah-- that's it!

"My other puppets-- that-- that is to say, the-- the-- the shadows at my command, they are capable of performing tasks without my direct supervision."

His brow furrows in concentration, and he attempts to connect with her as he would his soulless summons. She must be able to do something other than stand there and stare. Communicate with him. Tell him what to do to make this right.

' It's not my fault. ,

It faces him, looming. Staring. The light glows, and where he goes, it follows with a stable form.

It has a moment of clarity, and it forms an assessment of its caller. Stressed. He's stressed.

For a moment, it thinks, managing to recall a hazy blink of its own experiences. It knows it used to feel, and that it was unpleasant . . . but what was feeling like ? What was it like to have senses ? To be human.

The shadow hums more static, thoughts evaporating as it becomes a servant again.

Then, he acknowledges her.

He asks what it wants.

He asks what she wants. The static becomes a sort of breath; not exactly communication but . . . it hopes to be a answer. She wants to tell him that anything is better than the dark. That, it knows, it does feel.

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!"

═══════════════════════════════════

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!

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

What an apt observation. How refreshing it is to meet someone else who recognizes the value of looking one's best!

"Correct." He'll take it as a good sign that Lecter can read people well. That is his job, isn't it?

Maxwell, for his part, does not take a seat. Good, Doctor. You sit. Forever. For some reason, the idea of settling into a chair in this enclosed space is utterly appalling.

"..." How to begin? Being honest, vulnerable... it's certainly not something he's used to. But he expects he'll be asked to pay a pretty penny just to be here, so he might as well get something out of it.

"I expected that being cut off from the dangers of my 'home realm' would likewise sever their hold on me, but I find that I am experiencing just as many nightmares now as I did before."

If anything, the nightly visions seem to have only grown worse since his arrival. It's as though the Stars have tampered with his very ability to mentally recover from moments of distress; he doesn't think that's possible, but he supposes it would be foolish to assume that anything is beyond their capabilities. And since he can no longer rely on a dapper suit and natural confidence to reassure him and sooth his nerves, it seems appropriate that he seek outside guidance.

He does not intend to spend his vacation in paradise plagued by terror.

"So what do you think? Is that something you can fix?"

it's not often that hannibal encounters someone dressed as well as him. in fact, he's noticed how rare it is to find someone dawning a suit for the sake of it, undistracted from the need of any social gathering. the man in front of him - maxwell, his file tells him - is dressed as if he will attend a networking event right after therapy, and so hannibal immediately knows he'll have much fascinating to say.

" ah, looks like we both dressed up for the occasion, " he says with a polite but amused grin, observing maxwell enter the room from where he's sat. " come on in, maxwell. you don't look like the type to pursue a psychiatrist's opinion, if you don't mind me saying. what brings you here? "

@codexvmbra liked for a starter!

"Not a fan?"

THE GUY jumpscare!!! Maxwell leans over from behind the Afterborn, observing the statue over their head.

"I don't know, I think it lends the place a certain grandiosity. It gets the crowds excited before they even step foot in the tent. But--!"

He straightens up, tapping long, clawed fingers on the stranger's shoulder.

"--everyone's a critic."

This young man is clearly passing through town (but not in the direction of the Capital if he knows what's good for him). Maxwell is somewhat surprised by their reaction to a statue of their King, but this happens sometimes with magicfolk from far away; it can take a moment for that natural connection to sink in, and for them to realize just at whom they're looking.

"Where are you from, kid? They don't teach you history out in the settlements?"

( for @codexvmbra )

Glitz ! Glamour ! This town's got it all, and it ain't even the final destination !

The Afterborn secure the straps of his backpack ( adorned with patches, faded marker drawings, and keychains, of course ) as he takes a look around the settlement. White glowing eyes match the circus of lightbulbs and neon, advertising food, fun, and anything else you could need in this final pit stop before the Capital.

Ever the sort for whimsy and bringing fantasy and fun to life, William was naturally drawn to the promise of a magic show. He had heard of those, seen a picture or two along his travels but had never had the opportunity to see a REAL one before. Making a bee line for the tent promising a grand show, he slowed as they were met with . . . interesting decor.

Ain't this the guy from the advertisements ? William thought before— ❝ Why the fuck wouldja have statues of yourself ? ❞ they wondered aloud.