Flowers of Heaven: Taisho Roman Revolution

[idolpro]

There's a fluttering noise around you.

A gaggle of colorful miniature animals flit around your ears and nuzzle at your ankles, nudging at you gently but insistently. On closer inspection, it seems they’re made from brightly patterned origami paper. They seem to be herding you towards an arched doorway that has opened in the thick brambles and leads to a winding path beyond.

Once you cross through, a gate closes behind you, and the voices of your fellow idols fade from your ears. It seems as if you’re on your own, now.

❀ ❀ ❀

Here, the brambles that surround your path are hung with prayer strips in an indecipherable language.

It seems that the origami creatures are carrying some things for you: a collection of sixteen different flowers, a small lantern of blue flame, and a wreath woven from lotus flowers, chamomile, and oak leaves.

---

Quick Links: Flowers | Status Effects | OOC Rules

Comments

THE FIRST OBSTACLE

[idolpro]

As you walk the path through the brambles, you come to a place where the ground becomes rough, rocky, and broken. The brambles that surround you now block your way, growing in a thick mass of branches and thorns as long as your hand; it’s so dense you can’t see through to the other side, much less progress further.

The origami animals go into a flurry of distressed activity at the sight... and then they pass you the collection of flowers, the lantern of blue flame, and the wreath.

Make your choices.

DISCUSSION

[idolpro]

Re: DISCUSSION

[time5kip]

[ Literally no part of this game sounds good ]

We should start by listing each other's flowers. Mine are Vervain, and Star of Bethlehem.

[crystalbraves]

Vervain as well, and Clematis.

[time5kip]

Then we share one.

[crystalbraves]

'Tis at least one decision made easy.

[time5kip]

I say we put the wreath on you or myself - depending on how you feel about risking your other flower, and also vote for Vervain. The protection is said to work on the one who wears it as well as those who share it in the group, so it should protect both of us. With any luck, it goes through and we both have one less flower to worry about.

[crystalbraves]

A daring first move.

[time5kip]

Maybe, but it's the most logical conclusion. I'd say the best way we can act is vote for both flowers for the one who'll wear the crown - if they burn, then they won't be an issue next rounds.

I do prefer to use all 3 of our votes, and I believe we should keep the strategy for the next rounds as well. But I am open to suggestions.

Re: DISCUSSION

[sunflowering]

I agree. Our best bet for anything here is to trust our unit with our flower names at least.

My own are Lotus and Wild Rose.

[Glancing at the others.]

Re: DISCUSSION

[time5kip]

It would also serve to know which flowers are worth protecting — if more of us share one, then protecting them will reduce the chances of us losing our selves as a whole.

For a round, at least.

Re: DISCUSSION

[sunflowering]

[ She nods ]

It looks like you and Auracite share one. So that should be protected at the very least.

Re: DISCUSSION

[time5kip]

It would have been easier if more than just the two of us shared it. I believe our best bet to avoid damage would be to put the protection on auracite or I and burn Vervain.

I can't imagine we're the only ones who have this specific trait, and the protection is said to work on the one with the wreath and those who share it in the group. Protecting one will protect the other as well - and burning it would mean if it goes through, we won't risk it being an option in other rounds.

Re: DISCUSSION

[sunflowering]

Let's do it then. It's our best option. After this round, we can decide what we think would be the most likely flower to be chosen from thereon.

Our best chance of winning is to keep the unit as a whole as put together as possible, so I have no complaints.

Re: DISCUSSION

[time5kip]

That's exactly what I was thinking. If even just one of us comes out of this with at least one flower intact, then we have the chance to see this through its end.

We can vote for 3 flowers. Vervain is a certainty on what we'll vote for, but I'd say we stand to gain from voting the other one for whoever takes the wreath as well. Not just this round, but for each of them.

What do you think, and what would you vote as your third? I believe we stand better chances using all three of our votes.

[bloodyrose]

Chamomile and Oak.

[time5kip]

[ there's a sigh ]

Auracite and I are the only ones who share at least one, then.

[bloodyrose]

I'm not overly surprised, with how many are listed.

[time5kip]

It's still better luck than I expected. My proposal is to put the wreath on this first round on either Auracite or myself, and burn the one flower we do share.

Considering what it describes, it also stands a good chance of eliminating our most clever opponents.

[bloodyrose]

I have no objections.

DECISION

[idolpro]

[ A new section appears on the scroll, unfurling into view—a series of ink drawings of twelve vials, each labeled with a unit's name. All of them are currently empty. ]

Re: DECISION

[time5kip]

Valour is going to be wearing the protection crown

The Flowers Taisho will vote to burn are the following:
Vervain, Star of Bethlehem, Mimulus

RESULTS

[idolpro]

@SHU

[idolpro]

[ A searing pain wracks your body, spreading white-hot from the center of your chest—perhaps you clutch at your chest, or double over, and there, over your heart, is a gout of flame, the same unnatural bright blue as the lantern. The faint image of ACONITE can be seen within the flame, and the pain only intensifies as it curls in on itself, withers, and then catches alight, burning bright before charring and crumbling to ash.

And then it’s gone. ]

Re: RESULTS

[idolpro]

[ Regardless of which flowers you placed in the lantern, the following flowers suddenly go up in vivid blue flame:

Acacia

and then

Aconite
Star of Bethlehem
Alyssum

The fire has an unnatural feeling to it; when it leaps to the brambles blocking your path, they aren't so much burned as unmade.
And the path carries on. ]