Chronicle of Heroes ~ The Seer's Dilemma

[The Midgard Times]

Midgard Times, Curious Notes Section

Over the past few months, Hugel has seen a slow but steady increase in visitors. However, they're not all there to see the nearby lake, or the ruined temple, or to take a ship to Lutia. They've been visiting a young man who claims to be a seer.

Unlike your average tarot card readers or fortune tellers, Hugel's Seer can reportedly see into the past, present and future in his sleep, provided he has peace and quiet. We talked to some of his clients in Hugel, and they expressed great satisfaction in his services.

"He helped me find my dog!" Said one woman we interviewed. "He ran off after a novus. I searched all of Yuno for days, and eventually gave up. My husband was persistent though, and visited The Seer, who saw our dog playing with some kids at Kiel's Academy. Sure enough, our dog was doing exactly that when we visited the school!"

Another of The Seer's clients we interviewed claimed he saved her life. "I was suffering from back pain for weeks and doctors thought it was due to work. The Seer told me something unusual was growing in my spine, and some scans later, doctors confirmed it! Now I'm as healthy as a poring!"

What is The Seer like, though, and what are the secrets to his alleged abilities? In the next part of this special "Curious Notes" report, coming next week, we will be interviewing The Seer himself. Stay tuned!



And so begins the new Chronicle of Heroes story arc, The Seer's Dilemma! While it sounds mystical, I aim for it to be more grounded than the other stories that came before it.

There's a twist though! Only players in the Light Allegiance may join this first event, and there will be no monster or player fighting involved! There will be a dark-only event hosted in the future, possibly the next one depending on how this event goes.

Participants will receive 1 Reset Coupon, and 5 Allegiance Points. Active roleplayers will receive 2 Gold Bars. To qualify as a "Participant" you must simply be present in the event until it ends. To be considered an "active roleplayer" you must contribute to the story by roleplaying your character throughout the event (not just talking once or twice and never again).

Note: Metagaming or Breaking of the fourth wall to disrupt roleplay dialogue will be ignored by the hosting GM and won't count as roleplaying.

The first event will take place on Friday, December 6, 2019, at 8:30 PM EST and is expected to last about 1 hour. See here for a countdown until the approximate time of the event. More details will be given a few hours before.

[GM-Ciar]

Thanks for participating in the first event of this new Chronicle of Heroes story arc! I was pleasantly surprised to see people bombard me with the ethics of predictions, etc. Did anyone expect Vynn, who for days had been talking like a regular player and had even gone on parties, to be The Seer?

There will be a server maintenance tomorrow. Depending on when it ends, Dark Side's turn to interview The Seer could take place tomorrow at 8:30 PM EST (same time as today). Event Summary and info on Dark Side's turn will be posted on the forum tomorrow!

[The Midgard Times]

"Melot?" the voice called out from behind the door, after a few quick knocks. "Is it true? What our friend said about Thea?"

The door opens to reveal Melot, in civilian clothing rather than his usual armor. "Indeed. Go gather a few members, Tiamat. We're going to Hugel." He calmly replied, locking the door behind him and teleporting away.

Reminder, we'll be having a server maintenance to fix some technical issues tonight. The Dark Allegiance's turn to visit the seer is at 8:30 PM EST if the maintenance ends before then. Otherwise, it'll start when the maintenance ends, provided it is before 10:30 PM EST.

Rules and rewards are exactly the same as with the first post of this thread.

Screenshots from the event can be seen below.



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[The Midgard Times]

After the publishing of the first part of our "Curious Notes" special report on Hugel's Seer, his popularity has risen dramatically. It has even attracted the attention of the Light and Dark Allegiances.

According to our sources, Councilwoman Thea and Councilman Nereus visited The Seer two days ago recently along with several volunteers with the intent to confirm his abilities are real. What started as a couple of questions to get to know The Seer better quickly turned into a philosophical debate on whether his visions are only visions, or severe cases of self-fulfilling prophecies.

Regardless of their ideals however, they accepted The Seer's offer for a prediction. Councilman Nereus wanted to know about his ongoing political campaign, and after half an hour of sleeping, The Seer woke up with a response. He only saw Nereus "speaking confidently from a podium, to a large group of reporters", while "large crowds gathered outside".

Meanwhile Thea was more interested in a prediction that could confirm The Seer's powers, and asked about injuries happening within a week's time. After a short rest, he replied he saw Thea's left arm bandaged, though it was nothing serious. Meanwhile, an "orange woman" told her "We would have been in trouble if you didn't jump into the fray".

As if that visit wasn't enough for the Seer, today, the Dark Allegiance visited him. Melot, Tiamat and some volunteers asked questions and got their predictions too. In regards to one about "newly discovered lands", The Seer had a vision of a camp in a jungle, near a shore, with a ship heading for Faeheim. Melot wanted to prove The Seer's powers too, and curiously enough, asked about injuries happening within a week, just like Thea did. "With this cream, your arm will be as good as new in no time!" was the words The Seer saw a nurse tell Melot, who was recovering from burn wounds.

One question we should be asking ourselves, however, is: What do the allegiances plan to do if The Seer's abilities are confirmed to be real?

Tonight we will be interviewing Hugel's Seer and releasing the second part of our "Curious Notes" special report next morning.

The next event will take place on Friday December 13, 2019 at 8:30 PM EST! The event will involve both allegiances so don't miss out!

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Event Countdown

More info will be posted about it tonight or tomorrow! Below you can find screenshots from the Dark Side event.

[The Midgard Times]

Our exclusive interview with Hugel's Seer scheduled for yesterday, part of our special "Curious Notes" report, started off with a concerning twist, as the young man had apparently disappeared without a trace.

His two friends and assistants, Lianne and Wes, were both deeply worried for him. "I arrived at his house and he nowhere to be found... No one in town knew anything about it..." A deeply distraught Lianne commented as she showed us around the house. We witnessed no signs of break-ins, or a struggle. "He wouldn't just disappear knowing his clients needed him."

Wes had more information on the night The Seer was last seen, however. "The Dark Siders were the last group scheduled to see him. Lianne and I left as soon as they did." He told us, going through a list of appointments for the day in question. He also added that they are free on Sundays and therefore thought his unusual lack of communication that day was because he taking a well-deserved rest.

This left us with even more questions. What would compel The Seer to just disappear without notifying his friends? Could his powers and sudden rise in popularity have caused him to become a target of malicious forces?

A missing person's report has already been filed with the Hugel Authorities, but according to Lianne and Wes, there have been no updates.

The Seer's full name is Vynn Vilhjalmsson. He is a Soul Linker in his mid 20s, with fair complexion, green hair and gray eyes. Vynn was last seen this past Saturday night, in one of his usual green Soul Linker robes. If you or anyone you know has information on his whereabouts, please contact the Hugel Authorities as soon as possible.

The next event will take place on Friday December 13, 2019 at 8:30 PM EST! The event will involve both allegiances, and has two different parts to it. It will also replace this month's Trial of Heroes.

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Event Countdown

Participation Requirements

• Only players Lv 70 or higher may join.
• You must be in the Light or Dark Allegiance.

Part 1 - The Search

• The Light and Dark Allegiances must work with their own in order to find the Seer before the other allegiance does.
• You must talk to NPCs to inquire about Vynn. These are scattered throughout the Schwartzvald Region towns (Hugel, Yuno, Einbroch, Einbech, Lighthalzen), and may provide hints on his whereabouts.
• A team that trusts is a team that triumphs! The allegiance that can share information, cover more ground and brainstorm the given hints will have an upper hand in solving the mystery!
• Vynn's location can be anywhere in the world, but the hints will be given in town.
• Whichever allegiance finds Vynn first will move on to the second part of the event, while the "losing" side must stand by until GM-Ciar informs them about their allegiance's next course of action.
  

Part 2 - Confrontation

• The winning allegiance will have a few minutes to converse with Vynn The Seer.
• At some point there will be a fight against Demi-Human race opponents, so both allegiances should come prepared!

Prizes

• All participants will receive 1 ToH Voucher, 5 Allegiance Points, and 5 Million Base/Job Exp.
• The side that finds Vynn first will obtain 1 ToH Voucher and 1 Old Card Album.
• The Allegiance that wins "The Confrontation" will obtain 1 ToH Voucher, and receive the winning Allegiance's ToH Discount!

This means that if you play well and win in both parts of the event, you will obtain a total of 3 TOH Vouchers!

[The Midgard Times]

The search for Vynn intensified yesterday as the Dark Allegiance joined the search, following pressure by the public for being the very last ones to have seen The Seer.

The Light Allegiance had begun their search since the release of our report on the young man's disappearance, but after learning of Dark's involvement in the search, however, they focused all their energy into the search. After scouring all the cities of the Schwartzvald Republic for clues on The Seer's whereabouts, they finally reached him, at a cliff overlooking the sea, far east of Kiel's Academy.

Vynn was safe and sound, and had allegedly left on his own, but seemed uneasy. He claimed to need peace, quiet and lots of meditation and he would return to his normal life. After very persistent inquiring on his sudden disappearance, The Seer expressed worries over a vision he had, but refused to specify what it was or who he saw it for.

Not long after finding Vynn, Melot showed up, much to Thea's surprise, as the Dark Allegiance had just begun their search and had no way of knowing their location. Melot demanded Vynn release a public statement to confirm the Dark Allegiance played no part in his disappearance, and asked him not to be manipulated by the Light Allegiance, who disapproved of him using his abilities. As usual, an argument broke out between Thea and Melot. Everyone else quickly joined in, and the shouting soon turned into a "street" fight. The Seer, unfortunately, chose to teleport away.

Having been seen as clearly safe and sound by over two dozen people, the official search for The Seer by the Hugel authorities have come to an end. But what is the next course of action of the Light and Dark Allegiances? What did Vynn see that traumatized him enough to run away to recover his focus and concentration?

The VIP section of the Dark Allegiance infirmary was empty. "Damned slow nurse..." Melot spoke under his breath, just as the nurse arrived.

"Stop your whinin'. You're not the only one Thea was flinging fire bolts at." The nurse snarked back. "With this cream, your arm will be as good as new in no time!"

Melot looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"How does it look?" Thea asked her doctor, extending her left arm.

The doctor did not look impressed. "The blade didn't do much." She motioned at the nurse to proceed to bandage Thea's arm. "Keep the bandages on for now, but really, it's nothing to worry about."

The doctor and nurse left the room, and Councilwoman Maristella walked in. "I take it everything is fine?"

"Physically, yes. I'm still worried there's a double agent among us, though." Thea shook her head in disappointment, before looking back at her bandaged left arm, then at her colleague, who wore her usual reddish/gold clothes that matched her ginger hair. Her expression changed. Sudden realization.

"We would have been in trouble if you didn't jump into the fray." Maristella replied, trying to comfort her. Thea took several deep breaths, trying to hide her look of sheer terror. "Well... They still kicked our asses, but it could have been worse, just don't be too hard on yourself."

Thea stood up abruptly, now near hyperventilating. "We need to find that seer."

Thanks for joining the event! The Light Allegiance won the first part by finding Vynn, while the Dark Allegiance won the confrontation part!

The next event, titled "The Inside Man" will take place on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at approximately 8:30 PM EST!

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Event Countdown

Participation Requirements
• There are 3 parts to this event, the first 2 of which only Light Allegiance players may participate. Dark Allegiance players may only participate in the last part of the event.
• Only Lv 70+ players may join.
  
  Part 1: Virtue of The Vicious
• In this part, players will have approximately 20 minutes to talk to councilman Nereus. The exact goal of this part will be revealed when the event starts.
• Participants will receive 1 Jewelry Box, and active roleplayers will also receive 1 Poring Card (Hatter Card).
  
  Part 2: The Judas Goat
• One player has been hidden within the Light Allegiance as a spy. They actually work for Sir Melot.
• The person in question is a real player and not played by GM-Ciar (Meaning it is not Thea, Vynn, etc.). The player has coordinated their participation with Ciar since the beginning of the story arc.
• The Light Allegiance will have 20 minutes to find the spy among the team. This will be done by talking to themselves, asking and answering questions, etc., though of course, the spy might lie.
• Every so often, the hosting GM (Ciar) will call for a vote. Participants must vote on who they think is the spy. If the majority chooses wrong, they must continue to investigate, ask questions, etc. If they choose the right target, the next part of the event will begin.
• Participants will receive 5 Allegiance Points and 5 Million Base/Job Exp.
• If participants correctly name the spy within the first 3 tries, they will all receive 1 Hat Voucher. Otherwise, if the spy is caught within the first 6 tries, they will receive 1 Damp Card Album.
  
  Part 3: The Devils We Know
• The Dark Allegiance must defend two NPCs for 15 minutes. One player will not move from their location, while the other can move.
• Monsters will constantly spawn and attack everyone around them.
• Neither of the two NPCs must fall in battle or the Dark Allegiance will fail this part of the event.
• Participants will receive 5 Mil Base/Job Exp and 5 allegiance points.
• For succeeding, participants of this part will receive 1 Hat Voucher and 1 Bloody Branch. If the allegiance fails, they will receive 1 Damp Card Album.
  

In this event, more so than usual, your actions have consequences on the story! Be careful!

Screenshots from the last event are attached below.

[GM-Ciar]

Rewards for the event have been updated.

- Participants of the first part will receive 1 Jewelry Box (plus a hatter card for active roleplayers).
- For participating in the second part, players will receive 5 Allegiance Points and 5 Million Exp, plus 1 Hat Voucher or Jewelry Box depending on how quick the spy can be snuffed out (more info on the post above).

- Dark Siders participating in the third part of the event will receive will receive 5 Mil Base/Job Exp and 5 allegiance points (Keep in mind this is all in addition to what monsters may drop).
- For succeeding, every player will receive 1 Hat Voucher and one bloody branch. If the allegiance fails, they will receive 1 Damp Card Album.


Reminder that the forum and discord server is always open for suggestions regarding the story arc, as is always the case. I can't know that prizes aren't satisfactory if the feedback isn't there! ;o

[GM-Ciar]

Event is in 10 mins!

[The Midgard Times]

The Light Allegiance started the morning off with a rumble, after allegiance members discovered councilman Nereus had found and taken in The Seer, to allegedly protect him from the dark allegiance.

Allegiance Members involved in recent events regarding Vynn claimed the councilman was manipulating him in hopes of using his powers to benefit his political campaign, which Nereus did not deny, offering rebuttals filled to the brim with hateful and discriminatory remarks towards the dark allegiance.

Vynn The Seer claimed he wanted protection from The Dark Allegiance, but was quickly becoming dissatisfied with the Light Allegiance's response, after Nereus refused to take in Vynn's friends, Wes and Lianne. This further angered members like Deidra and Midnight Masaki, and caused Thea to intervene by prohibiting Nereus to talk to The Seer.

With everyone that was present in the visit to The Seer and during their search for him now in the Light Allegiance Headquarters, Thea took the opportunity to call them all to a single room and interview them. She wanted to confirm her suspicions that one of them was working for Melot, and she'd be damned if she didn't find out who the person was. Midnight Misaki, Deidra and MostValuedPlayerVietNam thought that it was Nereus who was working for Melot, while Woz believed that it was Deidra who betrayed the Light Allegiance.

High Priestess Deidra deduced that it was almost too convenient for Nereus that the Dark Allegiance had infiltrated the Light, causing its members to unite against them and accept to use The Seer's powers to their ends. Deidra rallied support to help Vynn leave, but Nereus wouldn't have it that way. He claimed Vynn needed protection from the Dark Allegiance, and ordered his followers to block the exits. Not unexpectedly, a fight broke out against the 4 Light members at the lobby, and the Dark Allegiance used the opportunity to attack and escort Vynn to safety, delivering a beating to Nereus on the way out.

Now presumably "safe and sound" with the Dark Allegiance, will we finally find out what The Seer's traumatic vision was? Will he ever recover his powers?

Thanks for participating!

Between dealing with a 3-part event that was basically 3 chapters in one, and players insisting that Nereus was the spy (ignoring that the event rules said GM players are not the spy), this has been a hectic event! Still, I hope it was fun!

The next event date is not yet decided, but it will most likely take place next Friday. Stay tuned!

Event screenshots below.

[The Midgard Times]

Within one of the Dark Allegiance's safehouses, Vynn small-talked with Melot about his experience with the Light Allegiance after receiving a tour of the place, but was ready to get to the point. "I'm grateful for your help, but I can't just stay here knowing Nereus could come after my friends."

"What was in that vision anyway?" Melot quickly responded, almost interrupting him. He wasn't being very subtle about his motives.

The Seer simply looked at him, not surprised but disappointed regardless. "I saw... a cataclysm. I already told that much to both allegiances the day of that street fight."

Melot scoffed. "You still stand with your principles of not divulging your visions after the repeated attempts by the Light side to silence you?"

Vynn nodded, without hesitation. Just then, Councilwoman Tiamat enters the room. "Our 'Inside Man' is safe and sound, still within the Light Allegiance." The high wizard reported to Melot. "Behind closed doors, Nereus and Thea battle with words."

"Excellent." A now smug Melot muttered back.

Tiamat glanced over to Vynn, who had tensed up the moment she entered the room. He avoided direct eye contact with her at all times. "Glad you're with us. I have further requests for you once your business with Melot is over." She told The Seer, to which his response was only silence and a clear look of uneasiness.

After Tiamat left, Vynn felt like he could speak again. "I really need to leave..." He mumbled. "And you should be careful... I think you may be in danger..."

Melot, now intrigued, moved towards the window near the entrance and looking out to make sure no one is outside. "Have you seen something in your dreams to indicate so?"

A somber Vynn shook his head. "My warning comes from my own worries and observation, not my dreams."

Melot weighed his options, but ultimately believed it is still in his best interest for The Seer to be under his watch. "Do not leave this place." He told Vynn, sternly. "I will bring you your friends. In exchange, you will tell me about the cataclysm you saw."

The next chapter of The Seer's Dilemma storyline, titled "Sweetened Deal", will take place on Saturday, December 28, 2019! Only Dark Allegiance players may participate in this event!

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Event Countdown

General Event Info & Requirements
• Players of all levels may join, but must belong to the Dark Allegiance.
• The event is only planned to consist of one part, which involves no PVM, PVP, etc, but depending on the outcome, there may be a second part.
• Each participant will receive 5 Mil Base/Job Exp, 5 Allegiance Points and 1 Event Bag.
• If the participants successfully get Wes & Lianne to join Vynn, they will receive 1 Old Card Album and 1 Bloody Branch each.
  
  Event Goal
• Participants will meet in Hugel to attempt to convince Wes and Lianne to join the Dark Allegiance's safehouse with Vynn The Seer.
• You can ask them questions and the GM will answer truthfully as long as it is on topic.
• It is recommended to use the knowledge gained from the answers in order to construct meaningful arguments or present the appropriate "gifts" to sweeten the deal, until Wes and Lianne accepts to join Vynn in the Dark Allegiance safehouse. However, offend them too much, and they may cease any further conversation opportunities.