#ofcourtfables:plotdrop

[ofcourtfables]

PART THREE: SHIFTING TIDES

warning: character death.

the king stands unchallenged against the shifting sands of time. with an uptick of unprecedented requests, information pouring in under penalty of harsh punishment, and a secrecy the prythian courts have never known unfolding right where they cannot touch it — king kabir's power seems truly limitless. his growing demands leave the eight courts at a loss despite their joined efforts to be vigilant against him. distrust spreads against the capital, gaea under fire for not tending to their king appropriately, suspicions around every corner jarring alliances new and old. speculation has led to confirmation: the two mothers are somehow behind this. that the dark mother has chosen kabir to grant her darker magic to, and that this lure blurs his days and his mind from those who have his best interests at heart. but prythian and dusk were all of them deceived: for the powers about to be bestowed upon him were unlike anything ever seen before.

the magic ruptured. a sharp burst of light awakened the fae in the middle of the night. light which should not be, not in a place of duskian shadow and deep, grey places. it burst the skies through at their seams, the very stars plucked from their midnight blankets as though raining downwards towards the realm. the cosmos all gathered to bear witness to the depth of this magic, this sacrifice required: two forms emerged from the shimmering deluge of stars, one made of it, the other only encased in shadow and darkness. everyone watches, still and quiet, unable to move for fear of being seen. but as quickly as they appear — they vanish.

another light fills the air. this one blinds them. and upon its clearing?

dusk fades away into summer.

whilst the fae were still awake and distracted by the light, and the portal thus opening, the scent of the salt air, and the burst of summer flowers in bloom, and the harsh winds of a false storm blowing from the high seas — the king has become more, as he was promised. he has gained another form, a beast form. but this is no ordinary beast form as seen in the courts of spring. no, this is something much, much worse.

what was the cost of this form? how did the fae, at last, escape from the shadows of dusk and into the harsh light of summer? after ensuring the safety of those around, the summer court are startled and shocked to realise they are missing someone dear to them: poppy aelin, their scholar.

OOC INFORMATION

we have changed our setting from dusk to the summer court! the main has been updated to reflect this change!

per writer's request and permission, we are saying farewell to our beloved summer scholar, poppy, as written by melissa. this role will be reopened for future applicants, if anyone dares to take on what might be rumoured as a cursed position now.

king kabir has gained a beast form shaped like a dragon. he is no longer available for conversations and has retreated to an unknown location. it is confirmed that the shapes emerging from the skies are the two mothers; priestesses & seers are encouraged to be creative with this especially.

spies, hunters, and confidantes are released from their roles — or are they? their secrecy + actions taken might have consequences!

thanks to the previous efforts of the high lord of spring, it has been confirmed that animals ( non fae-shifted ) can get through the court barriers. it has also been uncovered that anybody can come into summer, but cannot leave it.

although it's not a hard requirement to drop all threads, we do ask any threads prior to this point are tagged as dusk flashbacks. we have majorly changed our location and we want to avoid confusion.

this is not the final part of this plot drop, there will be an epilogue posted later which will finalise this arc.

please feel free make use of our locations page for your thread settings!

and as usual, these things are also writer driven. please feel free as well to suggest anything you'd like to happen as we settle into summer.

[ofcourtfables]

PART TWO: A REIGN OF STEEL

neither dusk nor prythian have unraveled the mystery behind the king's growing power. for some, it was exhilarating: to see their once soft-spoken king transform into one who is confident, even arrogant, was a thrill they did not expect. many theories came, many whispers spread through the halls. the first: somehow, the king's mother and his inner circle found an incredible source of power, with which they infused their king's body to cure his sickness. but how could this be true when the queen mother and inner circle are just as concerned, are shut out from his presence? news of his refusal to meet with them, as well as high rulers, and instead spiriting away to meet with hand-selected fae across all courts, overwhelms the previous theories. and for what were these fae chosen? this, the looming question.

the weeks flew by. the theories have run rampant. kabir's demands grew, no longer accepting 'no' for an answer. his demands left a trail of strange moods, all courts on edge, and everyone in-between waiting with bated breath to see what exactly it is he wants. one thought rings amongst them all: truly he has become a tyrant.

unbeknownst to those who were not chosen, those who were have been given special tasks. his patience grew thin, waiting for their reports, and so he issued another thinly-veiled threat: if he does not hear back soon, then there is far worse in store, beginning with the prythian high rulers and courts. and — ending there. dusk remains safe from his wrath.

what deception is truly being woven? from what side? it seems like the courts are facing no choice but to put aside old woes, new stressors, and odd broken alliances for the sake of facing down this new rule, in a court that does not belong to them. dusk itself bites its own teeth; what if his promises fall through? what if they truly are forgotten? what if it is their magic that is causing these? king kabir is resolute in not giving up his throne. and perhaps it is time for prythian and dusk to secretly convene against him, under greater threats than ever before.

this is PART TWO of a planned multi-part overarching plot drop. we will try to give a bit of headway as to each time we plan on publishing the next part, but it will be linear and easy to follow with threads regardless.

if you have not answered your interactive prompts by now, please make sure to do so asap, within the next two weeks. this part of the drop adds gravity to those things already in motion, and is meant to infuse your current threads with new life of what's coming to light. this stage of the plot drop will last for a shorter amount of time than the first, and part three will be our finale.

the following is now common knowledge: kabir has hand-picked fae, though their identities are vastly unknown, to perform tasks on his behalf. the dark mother was cauldron-made, and seems to have come after even the dragons. kabir has been seen meeting with winter and dusk fae. the nature of the threats are unknown, but all would be aware that he is issuing them. any other specific details, please make sure to use the appropriate channels in the discord to keep everyone in the loop!

if any of our writers get any ideas they want to include, please feel free and open to suggest them! this is writer-driven as much as it is anything else!

[ofcourtfables]

PART ONE: A SEED IS PLANTED

a time of peace passed through the dusk court. unease and tensions soothed into a makeshift understanding; after the other courts had their powers restored, there was a slow acceptance that this might be the way it was forever. but something else came from the caverns — and it was not the drakes of dusk. king kabir had been doing remarkably well for being sickly and young. he seemed to stand strong when his abilities were returned, stronger than ever. more virile and within himself since his coronation, hands grasping more than before. this is to raise questions, and confusion, both for the court fae and for the king himself. since he had been granted the throne, kabir himself worried he wouldn't be able to rule. that the magic of his father before him did not course through his veins. and how could he hope to cement himself, to become the king prythian needed with so many shortcomings? he could not measure even half of the high rulers of the other courts, much less rise above them. so the tide turning in his favour — it was exhilarating. his mother, queen mother sitara, saw her son laugh and feel joy, instead of pain, for the first time in what felt like centuries. she beamed as his very veins seemed to glow with this rejuvenating gift. now, he would not falter. now, he would not fail. he would keep prythian united — and dusk would not be left behind.

as the days passed into the middle of the winter season, the changes became more obvious and steady in king kabir. no longer did he hesitate to assert his decisions when meeting amongst the seven high rulers. no longer did he sit meekly by and let them decide the realm's fate. his soft-spokenness, abandoned and left to rot, for the sake of speaking out, and even cancelling decisions before they are made. high rulers, inner circles, and gaean citizens alike will be left in their emotions about these changes. astonishment? concern? a sense of: finally?

but one thing is not mistaken: the aura which surrounds him claims enough power to be felt. tangible, and tense. it shrouds dusk even for its own name, darkens it in the corners. sometimes, there are whispered laughs; seers and priestesses receiving a wash of images that are nonsense and frightening. and what will happen if these are not temporary? if the power granted is not taken away?

this is certain: the high rulers must navigate this change in their king as they see fit. is he to be an asset? is he to be a threat? what now hangs in the balance for prythian? and what will be asked of you, to show how far you will go for it?

OOC INFORMATION:

this is PART ONE of a planned multi-part overarching plot drop. we will try to give a bit of headway as to each time we plan on publishing the next part, but it will be linear and easy to follow with threads regardless.

there will be POLLS in the discord for our members to choose just how deeply they wish to participate. please keep an eye out for those and feel free to choose your own adventure!

we have already begun sending out SMALL PROMPTS for some muses to react to and use in future threads / plots. there will be more sent out here and there as things progress, and they are intended to be used to encourage creativity.

if any of our writers get any ideas they want to include, please feel free and open to suggest them! this is writer-driven as much as it is anything else!

[ofcourtfables]

days begin to blur into one another for the citizens of gaea, following the ordeal as soon as the coronation of the young king was complete, being trapped in the ballroom promptly after. when inhabitants were able to emerge from the ballroom, another situation made itself known quickly following sunrise : a mystical force surrounding the outer borders of gaea, locking everyone in capital as a whole. even in this, the high rulers were not able to free themselves nor anyone, their ability to winnow out of gaea rendered incapable, and their magic, ineffective against this unknown entity currently holding them hostage. the days following, the courts and their inner circles are hard at work searching to uncover anything that might explain, or methods to battle this force. days later, with no solution appeared to be in sight, couple with mother's silence, many do wonder had she finally turned away from her children for good? unbeknownst to inhabitants of the capital, perhaps even prythian as a whole, a dark force is at work. the seers of the prythian plagues with visions that signaled something far more sinister, though not one could identify what this entity was. they cannot help but wonder, was this a warning of some sort from the mother? its a week or so after the barrier remained in place, and even with the visions the seers are plagued with, no true answers came to light. the royals host another ball, celebrating the spring equinox, now whether or not this gesture appeased the spring court was another matter. it seemed that it had worked to lift the spirits of everyone, as the night continued the guests enjoyed and indulged. the celebrations went on until dawn, and music coming to a stop when hints of the sun began peaking through the horizon. when morning settled onto the capital, the spring sun shinning high in the sky until suddenly it gradual begins to be covered in shadow and smoke. a thick silence falls amongst the crowd as they gaze up to darkened sky, before a wave of whispers breaks among the crowd. and then, a sound is heard, unknown of something slashing against the winds, and then outlines of an unknown creature soaring across the smoke covered sky, the outlines disappear as quickly as they appear, leaving the inhabitants to wonder if they had imagined seeing things. this disturbance is followed by another, there's a stillness at first and then the ground beneath their feet begins to rumble and shake, sending a wave of panic amongst the crowd. the quiver of the lands lasts for what appears to be hours on end, not a single soul dares to move, bracing and fearing the worst until the shaking finally comes to an end. the clearing of the smoke is a gradual process, but once the blue sky is visible, the fae do not move from their position yet, bracing for another disaster , all the while wondering if what they'd seen was their imagination or something was out there. one thing was for certain as the realization dawns across the guests and the residents of gaea, their problems were far from over.

[ofcourtfables]

as the high lord of dusk had anticipated, the celebrations for hallow's eve and lantern festival had been a grand success. while there had certainly been reluctance on their guests side when the evening began, as hours slipped by, it appeared they all had found some form of enjoyment and participated in all that was offered. two hours before dawn would peak through the horizon, a grand feast followed, shared by all, and the evening festivities, at last, concluded with every individual lighting a lantern and releasing it onto the sky. for a time the sky sparkled in the sea of lanterns that floated above slowly moving towards the shore and onwards. a sight that surely left all wishing that they were some light at the end of the tunnel they all found themselves in. there had been peace, but what assurance was it that it was no illusion?

reluctance followed on both sides still, the seven courts and the new court that appeared. it was when the sun began rising that the faes of the seven courts of prythian, as well as the gaean fae, felt their magic return. it had been gradual, wondering if this burst of power had been a side effect of the celebrations. soon, surprise and relief filled every fae who had been eagerly awaiting for their abilities to return and when it did. the worries of the dusk court were not over, as the high rulers also regain their full abilities, thus far their guests lack of power provided some form of security. one that was short-lived, as the high rulers regained their full abilities. what threat would they now pose to their hosts?

[ofcourtfables]

the earth quakes did not cease as the skies above exploded in both fire and ash. how could there be such violence when the high faes  below were trapped in their mysterious bubble? were the humans somehow gaining technology and power as the most powerful were trapped? every day the creatures came closer and closer to the invisible barrier trapping those within, their bodies bigger and their eyes far more revealing, stripping those bare with just one look and their wings, they seemed even bigger than the massive body of the dragon it belonged to. but for a massive frame to take flight one had to have the wings to match. terror struck the capital. 

but what the terrified faes inside the barrier did not know was they were here to help, as were those on their back. it had taken them a time too long to realize what was being kept from them, and that rather than aiding the other courts as the dark mother had assured them she had wished to do, she had instead terrified them, slowly stripping their rightful powers, looking in from the outside watching the innocent faes inside the dome struck with fear, some hurt, and the children and women fearing for their lives had left the creatures as well as their riders riddled with restlessness and shock. the dragons could not see what their mother intended for them to see, the sight that laid before them was nothing like what their creator described. the seven high rulers feared for their courts, as they tried to defend their people but their powers, compromised and drained due to the ongoing battle between the mothers, as they held on for their lives. which led them to believe - those trapped inside the capital were not even aware of the dark mother’s existence.

they were forced to leave then, not yet being able to aid them as their mother did not allow them. however, the creatures could not shake those images and they left as hastily in an effort not to strike further fear into those below. they would return, they just needed to know how, and how to convey their intentions was not to harm anyone of them, only that they wished to learn more of them. they could do little to quell the fear they had struck onto the capital and those inhabiting it. so, instead, over the course of the days, each truth-seeker took turns watching them from afar, higher in the sky and keeping themselves hidden. their fear hadn’t waned, but the panic among them had ceased for the time being. 

what follows this, the gradual draining of the powers, for all those trapped inside the dome. feeling the magic slip from them day by day their powers reducing, the average faes having their own wiped entirely, the high faes abilities no greater than the average fae, and then the high rulers whose abilities now leveled to that of a high fae.  fear begins to trickle along the capital, as the questions follow: were their abilities gone for good? had mother snatched them? did this unknown force slowly seek to break them down one by one and for what purpose? the royals are left horrified that their attempt to celebrate and build bridges with the courts now has taken such a sinister turn. without their late powerful king, they were entirely at the mercy of the high rulers. 

days slipped by as all of the courts came together, spending every moment searching for ways to fight this force, with a little hope in sight without their prior magical abilities. for a time, some peace does settle in gaea once more, however fragile it is, there are no incidents that follow after the land rumbled and winged creatures hovered in the sky. the seers once more received broken visions of an unknown place and more winged creatures.  as it does so each day,  the sun sets one night, yet many begin to experience an unsettling sensation on this night. the moon and stars are still visible, but they do not appear as they normally do, there are fewer now, the moon appearing angrier. as the inhabitants of the palace eventually do attempt to rest, they are lulled into a sleep by an unknown force. when they awake next, they find they are in an unknown place, the skies outside are dusky, only a sliver of light streaming through the rooms they inhabit and then voices of unfamiliars, and as they look outside the windows, those winged beasts that once hovered over the skies of the capital are not in full view. there were dragons soaring through the dusky sky. one question echoes among them all : where were they? were they alive or have they passed into the afterlife after the unknown force finally took their lives? 

this is only a part of our plot drop, the world has shifted and with that please click the source link below to be redirected to all of the documents that protain to this plot drop and the new court.

graphics inspiration: ksunwoos-archive

psd used: heads will roll

[ofcourtfables]

following the calamity of the spring equinox celebration, the residents of gaea are more or less left reeling, some masking their fear and visible in the panic of others who no longer can hide their distress. one thing was certain, the danger they had felt prior to these events was pale next to what they sensed now. the winged beasts did come with a purpose, to instill fear into the hearts of the faes as they gather and attempt to regroup. in the days that follow the sightings of the beasts, and tremors of the ground beneath them, there is a eerie looming sense of darkness that settled over the palace of gaea. the royals are left as confused as they attempt to keep peace among everyone, and offer their guests assurances. others have taken to praying and calling for mother who yet again continues to greet her children with silence.

it is gradual, the shift in their magic as the days follow the spring equinox, at first they do not understand what's occurring but as each magic welding fae attempts to utilize their magic they soon discover it is not what it used to be. the faes discover they have lost their magical abilities entirely, all high faes magic has weakened significantly, it's performs at less than half of it's usual strength, and they find themselves feeling abnormally fatigue even at small doses. all special abled faes, the daematis and shadowsingers have lost their abilities entirely, the former unable to use their mental abilities against another, and the latter, their shadows have vanished, no longer appear at command. the seers see not an flash of visions, after the broken ones they relieved, its only silence, while the priestess have lost their connection to mother entirely. this force had not even spared the high rulers of prythian , they began to notice a significant drop in the potency of their magic, they find they cannot hold it for long, and it's as draining on them when they attempt to exert an extended amount of force. whatever magic they are able to take shape, does not hold for very long.

unbeknownst to the citizens of prythian, their magic is being pulled by unknown forces. as the courts each continue their efforts to fight this ancient magic, they truly fear and some have wondered : 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍?

welcome to our third plot drop, we hope that you are enjoying these just as much as the admins have plotting them out ! for some clarification high ruler magic is being drained and they are now at the power of regular high fae, but their magic does not keep its shape/form (ex: demetria's ice magic could once sustain its shape and temperature now it cannot for more than a few seconds), high fae's power is now to the power of a regular fae, and regular fae at this time have no magic. those with special abilities do not have access to those powers ( seers, priestesses, shadowsingers, daemati ) can feel that power but its like there is a wall of fog between them and their powers. and as always if you need further clarification please do not hesitant to ask in the ask the admin channel on discord 🩷

template by mrins4nity

[ofcourtfables]

what began as a rather lavish and monumental event for prythian, for the mother queen, the coronation of the new king had taken a turn of the unexpected. the fae of prythian had expected this to be a night to remember, it certainly this will be a night that all those attending will not forget in their existence. not of the celebration, but of the event that followed just as the crown was placed young king kabir. the fae in the palace ballroom all trapped by an unknown force that not even the scholars of prythian or the high rulers have a clue as to what transpired this event.after hours of the high rulers exerting their magic against this mysterious force that held the fae hostage in the ballroom, it is sometime when the sun began slowing rising on the horizon of the capital, slowly emerging from tops of the mountains, that the spell begins to wane. the howling winds outside slowly begin to settle, as streams of faint light began to scatting into ballroom. the moon had long been hidden by angry clouds when the spell took place, as if mother nature had a vendetta of her own against them. the clouds break, allowing the gradually building lights of the sun to shine through. it's an hour after the sun is at it's peak that high lord emilios was able to unlatch a window and allow a hand to cross the threshold. then high lord ambrose attempted the door once and it yielded to the force of his magic once more.

the faes were relieved, at least, to be free. but the questions that began since the entrapment occurred lingered. who or what had done this? was this mother, or an entity far more sinister?it's the next morning they soon find another obstacle in their wake … after a citizen attempted to exit the city port and was unable to do so, and the reports make their way to the palace of gaea to the newly crowned king and mother queen, of a continued disturbance. every inhabitant in gaea was currently trapped there, within the borders of the capital.

[ofcourtfables]

PLOT DROP UPDATE:

as stated in the ooc portion of the plot drop, it has been confirmed that messages can be sent via birds. the summer court has carrier owls and pigeons that will deliver messages to any court. be cautioned that those delivering the items or any fae sent for, once entering the barrier, will not be able to leave.