That's right, Kingdoms! Our first event is just around the corner!


The Dragons Have Come
...Sort of.

Oh, there are dragons all right. There are dragons no matter where you look, which way you turn, or where you hide. Thousands of them circle the heavens like ravenous vultures, nearly blocking out anything and everything in the skies, the sun included. Hundreds tear through the streets with no regard for anything or anyone in their path. They come in every shape and size, from small enough to only chomp a finger clean off to a scale so massive that the very foundations of the buildings/catacombs tremble and creak terribly with every step the beasts take. There's no lack of variety: they come in every color, every build, every combination imaginable; some spew ice, others lightning, the worst spit acid, and the more traditional breathe fire.

There's only one thing they share: blood lust.

Despite dragons typically being renown across the cosmos as intelligent and wise creatures, these ones won't bother to talk, to negotiate, or to bond. All they want to do is maim, kill, and destroy, and no one is excluded from their dead pool, not even the Summoned. There's no way to stop them, no hope of escaping. So what's there to do but prepare for certain death?

Well, you're not going to die, not at the hands of the so-called dragons. Because here's the kicker: they're not real. They may feel real enough, but in actuality, they don't exist. Four newcomers are to blame for this trauma-inducing exercise in Skyrim's Worst Placebo Effect, though that's for your characters to discover on their own.

However, it hardly matters that the dragons are a trick of the mind; everything feels as if it's happening in reality. If a dragon slashes at you, you'll feel the excruciating pain, the weight and gravity of his claws, the force of getting thrown back, the smell of sulfur and burning flesh, hear the heart-stopping roar, even taste the ash in the air... and you'll definitely see the dragon and the destruction around you. However, if you can stay calm through the shock (which would cause most NPCs to black out), you might realize that there aren't any actual wounds despite the sensation of being ripped open and the appearance of blood and torn clothing.

For one week, your characters will be stuck in a world that will be ripped apart around them by the dragons. Buildings "attacked" by the dragons will look as if they've been toppled and destroyed, "fires" will appear to rage both in the cities and in the flammable wilderness. "Smoke" will clog the air and lungs of those who must unfortunately breathe it.

This shared, mass hallucination is one everyone (with the exclusion of the four responsible) will be subjected to, player characters and NPCs alike. Panic will shake each kingdom to its core, and each army will initially focus inward to fight the unstoppable, destructive menace. Despite everyone's best efforts, even the smallest of the imagined dragons are impossible to kill, regardless of how much damage you may seem to cause them (hint, hint). After all, how can you kill what isn't actually there?

The event will be set from August 15th to August 22nd, though a forward posted log will go up this weekend to give players ample time to get to and play out things. Players are more than welcome to forward post their own logs and main comm posts after the start of the event log, and as always, everyone is more than welcome (and encouraged) to backtag (both on this plotting post and in the event itself)!

Happy plotting!