AUGUST INTRO LOG: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

[asgardmods]

Who: EVERYONE
What: the August intro log and first god house competition, More Than Meets the Eye
When: August 8
Where: Gladsheim Palace for breakfast, around Asgard for the game/curse
Rating: PG-13; please take anything higher than this to a private log!

morning: a warm invitation

Everyone wakes up to a friendly invitation to breakfast at the castle with the gods. For most of you, this comes as a message on your bracelet, reading:

Join us at the castle today to welcome some new Wanderers into our midst. Breakfast will be served and a lively game will be available to all of our guests, both new and old.

New Wanderers are curious on their own, and this is the first there's ever been mention of a game. Perhaps it's enough for you to make the trek to the castle, to see what all the fuss is about, or maybe even to see if there's someone you know. Perhaps you want to learn more about the game, or maybe you just want the food.

For our new guests, this comes as a bit more of a surprise. Wherever you were before in your world, without even realizing it, you wake up in a strange new place. No time or space inbetween, just an awareness of There and then Here. A matronly figure tries to explain your circumstances with a sympathetic smile, but ultimately invites you meet them all for yourselves: the Gods of Asgard, and the Wanderers that arrived before you.



The sight that greets you on the castle grounds is a rather festive one, regardless of where you're coming from. Colorful streamers and flags are draped above large tables with room for several guests. Natives bustle about, cheerfully offering food and drinks to anyone that wants some. Everyone is welcomed to mingle and greet the new Wanderers on this bright summer morning.

the game: a friendly competition

Among the brightly decorated tables are ones highlighted in a specific color for a specific god house, and most of the gods themselves can be found sitting behind it with a few of their district's natives. They are here to welcome the new Wanderers into Asgard - but they're also here to explain the rules of today's game. There are coins hidden throughout the city and disguised as mundane items, and the god house that returns the most of their coins will win an upgrade to their god housing! No hints will be given, but the natives are excited to help facilitate the activity and happily invite you to wander through their districts to find what you can.

But you don't have to know about the rules to be playing the game! The coins are already hidden throughout the city, and no one knows what they are until they've been picked up. Whether you're banding together with friends to find as many coins as you can or blindly stumbling over an unpleasant surprise, the game and the curse are in full swing!

evening: a fair prize

At sundown, all of the coins in the city disappear at once, whether they're in your pocket or still disguised as a bowl. Points will be tallied and a winner will be announced (OOCly, on August 17) - but Asgardians are keen to celebrate regardless of who wins a rather inconsequential game. The same colorful display of tables and chairs is still spread across the castle grounds, although now they twinkle with fairy lights haphazardly blinking throughout the air. Snacks and drinks are made available, as well as more dinner-shaped meals for those that request it. Mostly the natives simply want to bask in the strangeness of these Wanderers from other worlds for a moment longer - but they're also eagerly listening to any stories from the day's mischievous game. Relax, enjoy yourself, or again, just stock up on some freely served food. Whatever suits your needs today. Welcome to Asgard, dear Wanderers.

[ OOC NOTE: This is the intro log for August, as well as our first god house competition/curse: More Than Meets the Eye. You are free to play with the curse prompts and searching the city in any way you want! If you would like to submit a map to earn points for your god house, please check out the rules to learn what to do. We will accept maps until August 17, at which point a winner will be announced and members of that god house will be allowed to vote for an upgrade to their god housing. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or need any help on the mod contact page. Enjoy, friends! ]

Comments

1. Castle

[skaldish]

"Oh, hello!" The young plump woman sitting next to Mary heeds the question. "For me, I just picked a god who suited my personality best! I don't know them that well because they're the Icelandic gods, but I know a little bit. I'm sure whatever decision you make will be a good one though!"

She shifts a little in her seat, extending a hand to Mary. "You must be new here, I'm Tuuri, it's nice to meet you!"

[thequitecontrary]

"They're Icelandic?" Mary asks. "I thought they were Norse?" Honestly, her knowledge of mythology is limited. The gods very well could be Icelandic. Maybe 'Scandinavian' is the better term?

She takes the girl's hand and shakes it gently. "Lady Mary Crawley. Which house are you in?"

[skaldish]

"Well, they're the gods of the Icelanders and I guess some other countries too - So I guess Scandinavian could work - Or Nordic since we're all countries in the Nordic council. They're not the Finnish gods though! They're completely different, but they're not here of course!" She pauses for a moment, thinking. "I could tell you what I do know about the Icelandic gods and maybe that can help you choose!"

She shakes Mary's hand warmly. "I'm in Honir - I picked that house because he's the god of travel and I'm actually on a journey back home so it made sense to me! He's actually very nice and very excitable and I think that suits me just fine."

[thequitecontrary]

Mary will take Tuuri's word for it. "Are you Finnish?" she asks. Being from that part of the world, she would definitely know better than Mary would.

"I will admit, there are two that I am looking more closely at, Tyr and Frigg." Both of them seem quite different from each other, but they appeal to different parts of Mary's personality. The rest of the gods do not seem to have much in common with her, unfortunately.

[skaldish]

"I am!" Tuuri smiles at Mary. "I'm not the only one though - My cousin and my brother are both here!"

"Hmmmm.." Tuuri purses her lips thoughtfully. "Tyr is very good if you're diplomatic or brave. Frigg is a good match if you value family.. That's all I know about the two. I haven't really talked with them much but they seem very nice. I guess you're looking at those two since they speak to you in some way?"

[thequitecontrary]

"Oh," she says, "that must be a relief to have some of your family here." Mary wishes that she knew some people here. It would probably make the adjustment easier.

She shrugs slightly, pondering Tuuri's words. "I suppose I'm diplomatic... and I do value my family very much."

She's done a lot for her family in her life, but being here almost makes her want to follow her own ambitions instead of simply choosing Frigg because family is important to her.

[skaldish]

"It kind of is.. I'm surprised though that they were pulled here as well though! It seems like a very weird coincidence."

Tuuri smiles warmly at Mary. "That's good you can find some traits you identify with! At the end of the day though, I think you should pick what you want to do and not what you think you're expected to - You have to live in that house for the duration so it'd be better to pick one you think you'll like better."

[thequitecontrary]

"As much as I love and miss my family, and do wish that they were here with me, I think I'm leaning more towards Tyr," Mary says. "It would be... something different for me."

Plus, deep down, while her family is incredibly important to her, she doesn't feel like that nurturing of a person. She's always been rather cold, something that she doesn't deny. Feeling love for people isn't so much the problem as showing it is.

[skaldish]

Tuuri continues to cheerfully continue the conversation. "Oh..So it can be a new adventure for you! When you think of something different as an adventure, it helps a lot I've found. I have a teammate in Tyr and..Well I don't think he spends a lot of time at the physical house, I don't think I've heard him say anything bad about it either!"

[thequitecontrary]

"I suppose so," Mary replies. "I've never thought of myself as particularly adventurous."

She can be bold though. She's the type whose stubbornness sometimes dictates her behavior.

"I'm glad to hear that. Admittedly, I'm leaning more towards Tyr. I think I'd like something a bit out of the ordinary for me for once."

It's a brave choice, not going with what's safe. Hopefully it will work out well for her.

[skaldish]

Tuuri continues to be a cheerleader for Mary's choice and nods approvingly. "That's the spirit! I think you'll do just fine in Tyr! "