aather_ooc | THE FINAL SUMMARIZING

This post can be used as the master summary post for the larger plot that's been running in Aather between late October-November and mid-January! It includes the events of this last weekend in consumable form for those who did not need all details to participate but would like to catch up. ♥

Reading the following comments alone — or even the top portion of the comments that get a little bit lengthy — should suffice for a broad understanding to enable you to play your character being aware without being involved, though there are a lot of links throughout for reference if you want to go back in and double check details. We do encourage that if you want to do it, especially if you want to dig for extra facets to play with later when handwaving involvement — some of this stuff has been pretty cool!

ON TO THE SUMMARIES:

Foreshadowing: Day 403 (end of October)

The Start: Day 407 (Mid-Nov) through Day 413 (Dec 1)
The Prince's Struggle & Heroes' Plans: Day 415 (early Dec) to Day 420 (end of Dec)
Hope, Beauty's Return, & Preparation: Day 423 & Day 424 (early Jan)

Down the Trails: Dawn, Day 426 (Thursday Jan 15-Saturday Jan 17)
Dreaming With The Dragon: Morning, Day 426 (Saturday, Jan 17 finale)
The Dragon Who Must Be Defeated To Claim Victory: Late Morning, Day 426 (Sunday, Jan 18 finale)

The Return: Noon, Day 426 (Sunday Jan 18, end)
The Result: Afternoon, Day 426 (Monday Jan 19)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Here.

No matter which of the four routes that a character took to enter the woods, when the dragon that Beauty's group found woke up and realized they were after the Prince it was hoarding, it started noticing everyone in a hurry. It summoned all the heroes and knights in all parts of the woods at the time — everyone who had been in an explore — to its garden and sent them into a deep sleep to try to try their resolve, but they were able to break free with their effort and will.
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The dragon provided some witty commentary before giving an ominous speech which revealed its intentions - returning them to complacency instead of a state where they would charge out into its territory like this as a slower means of killing them. Its power sent them into a deep and comforting sleep reminiscent of the confines of Beauty's original role, waiting for someone to come rescue them and entirely content to do so.

In various ways, all of the heroes and knights broke free of this hold by working together in the small groups in which they found themselves, helping Beauty and the Dog to break loose of the hold as well. The strange pastel clouds of their prison were shapeable, and through imagination and will they were able to create solutions to free themselves, including: summoning F/Z Rider as outside help, wind machines and gods, dragons and cloud-punching gloves, growing a hope seed, and creating a sun. I didn't come up with these I'm just summarizing.

Their efforts to dispell the Darkness sleep magic also had the side effect of dispelling the Darkness pall from the tree and vines the dragon coiled around, making it climbable — getting up there to get the Prince was now possible. However, the Dragon was really mad about this, and turned on the Prince to kill him first; the Dog distracted him, but this only made the dragon try to kill the Dog instead. However, as shown in the previous link, Beauty defended the Dog with sword and shield — and made her own declaration against the dragon, that she would not allow further harm to the ones she loved. Her anger and resolution spread to all of the heroes, preparing them for the fight ahead.