Arbor Wilds! Arbor Wilds! Arbor Wilds!



Following reports that the Venatori are after something of notable power being guarded by weird elves in the Arbor Wilds, Riftwatch is heading out to make sure they don’t get it, using eluvians and the Crossroads to skip the journey to Orlais and through the jungle to instead arrive directly inside a giant old elven temple.

There are two log posts for this elf-vent. The first post is an open log. Make a top-level for your character and have at it.

The second post is there to house two threads involving NPCs. The starters for those will be up shortly and announced on plurk, but if you don't pay attention to plurk, you can track the post or just remember to check it in the next day or two.


In addition to the open stuff, there are two threads involving NPCs. These don't require signing up—you can just tag in—but they are limited to one thread each, and there's no tag order, so things will keep moving with or without you if you join in but then don't continue participating.

Your options are:

1. Boss Fight: A combat-focused thread with a Mystery Boss.

2. Well of Sorrows Discussion: A discussion with Abelas regarding the Well of Sorrows, which he would prefer to destroy. Please note that no PC is going to be permitted to drink from the Well, so don't participate in the discussion with that OOC goal. PCs are welcome to propose it IC, if they would do so, but if it somehow becomes The Only Logical Solution, then a big rock will appear from the Fade and fall on the Well and it will be destroyed. Sad trombone.

You can participate in one, both, or neither.

The Sentinels and Abelas won't be NPC'd outside of the #2 thread above. If your character would hassle them with questions, you can ask OOC and we'll let you know what (if anything) they could find out from handwaved conversations. Please make sure you're specific. "My character will ask Abelas some questions" isn't specific.


In addition to general combat and camping options, the open log features FR's version of the Petitioner's Path. For us, instead of some floor tiles, it's a test involving rituals and spirits of justice and mercy. To be granted entry into the Temple of Mythal, each individual must pass the test. The basic steps are:

ONE: They must perform a brief ritual that involves walking paths through a maze-like area, clearing their head as much as possible, and then speaking an elven phrase that basically translates into asking Mythal for justice.

TWO: A spirit taking on the guise of someone who your character feels has wronged them in the past will appear and ask your character what your character thinks they (the other person) deserves. They may argue with your character, either by justifying their actions or advocating for lighter punishment or trying to antagonize your character into being less forgiving—whichever you think is more fun/appropriate.

THREE: A spirit taking on the guide of someone who your character has wronged themselves will appear and ask your character what your character thinks they themselves deserve. They may argue with your character here, too—either trying to push them to not be so hard on themselves, or trying to push them to be harder. Again, whichever you think is more fun/appropriate.

FOUR: In order to pass, your character must ultimately be as hard on themselves (or harder) as they are on whoever they feel has wronged them. Successfully completing the ritual and test will allow them to walk through the doors; failing to do so will result in them being magically repelled every time they try, with magic too strong for a Templar to stop it long enough for someone to shove through anyway.

Other Notes

The spirits will be translucent and clearly spirits.

Steps 2 and 3 can occur in reverse order if you want, especially if it would make it more difficult for your character to pass the test.

You can have the spirits be cryptic or have them lay things out in detail with dates and locations. It's up to you.

The ritual is occuring in a maze-like environment where it's easy for people to split up and to do things in small groups, or to think that they're alone when they start it but have someone wander close when things are already in progress, or for one ritual to occur out in the open where basically everyone would see it, or whatever! Whatever is necessary for this to facilitate your RP dreams, whether those dreams are to air your character's dirty laundry in front of everyone or to air it in front of one specific person without everyone else finding out.

The spirits are based on your character's subjective perceptions of who's wronged them and vice versa. If your character doesn't already know that someone in particular killed their mother, the spirit won't be able to take on the real murderer's guise. They can take on a shadowy shape and be, vaguely, the general idea of person who killed her, or take on the face of someone your character suspects of killing her, but it will be rooted in your character's imagination rather than objective facts.

Obviously there will be situations where the first and second spirits are dealing with wildly different scenarios. If your character thinks someone who killed their mother deserves to die, but the only wrong that your character believes they've ever done is stealing someone's lunch, they don't have to think that they deserve to die for lunch theft in order to pass. They just have to have vaguely similar attitudes toward punishment, justification/excuse, mercy, etc. in both scenarios, and not insist their own wrongdoing was no big deal and everyone should get over it while insisting someone else's can never be forgiven no matter what.

You don't need to ask us if your character passes or not, if you aren't sure. The strictness of the test can vary somewhat by spirit. If you think it could go either way and don't have a preference, flip a coin!

Failing (or Refusing)

Characters who fail the test, or characters who refuse to participate for whatever reason, won't be able to pass back through the doors and will have to get back in through the catacombs, which are dark, gross, and easy to get lost in. The surviving Sentinel elves in the Temple will also be sort of snotty toward them (even more than they already are toward everyone) for the duration of their stay. But they won't kill them or anything.

Characters who fail the test and also refuse to try going back in through the catacombs will have to camp outside the Temple until everyone else is ready to leave, at which point one of the Sentinels will come collect them and take them to the eluvians.

OTHER TEMPLE THINGS

If your character explores the Temple or crypts, finding out any of the information contained in the canon codex entries for this location is fair game. So is discovering veilfire rune schematics if you'd like to add to the assortment of runes that Riftwatch can more easily produce. If you'd like your character to acquire any ancient elven armor/weapons/accessories/etc., that's also fine, but (1) they'll probably need to acquire it subtly so as not to look like thieves in front of their hosts and (2) you have to purchase them as AC rewards if they fall under any of the reward categories.

The Arbor Wilds are also home to some brightly colored birds that someone should definitely acquire as a weird pet please.