Flowers of Heaven: avante en garde

[idolpro]

There's a snap in the air like the fluttering of a banner in the wind, and then the heavy sound of some large animal breathing.

Gathering around you, though, are creatures that more resemble the idea of animals: lions, wolves, gryphons, unicorns, and stags with stunted bodies, gaping mouths, and rearing poses—like nothing so much as... heraldry. Indeed, upon closer inspection, their bodies seem to be made of stitched brocade. Nevertheless, they nudge at you with their heads, paws, and horns, guiding 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 are dense, but the path beneath your feet is cobbled with ancient-looking stone. In the distance, from no identifiable direction, is the faint, steady sound of a drum.

It seems that heraldic animals are carrying some things for you: a collection of sixteen different flowers, a small lantern of blue flame, and a wreath woven from Star of Bethlehem flowers, blooming hollyhock, and oak leaves.

---

Quick Links: Flowers | Status Effects | OOC Rules

Comments

IN-CHARACTER RULES

[idolpro]

Characters will discover a scroll somewhere on their person, which may be unrolled to reveal words written in ornately flourished script in an unfamiliar language. The rules resonate in their minds when they look at them, despite the apparent language barrier.

Included, too, is a list of sixteen flowers, each with an associated meaning.

Look within yourself: you are connected to two Flowers of Heaven. You will find you know what they are.

You must make your way through the Garden, out to Freedom.
However, three Obstacles block your way.

The Blue Flame Pyre can burn past these obstacles, but its fire requires at least three Flowers of Heaven as fuel. A fire given more fuel may burn past more Obstacles, but at far greater cost to your Selves.

Express your collective desire to the Blue Flame Pyre, and it will burn the flowers that are willed. However, be warned: if the three most-desired flowers are unclear, the Pyre will burn all that seem to have been chosen, no matter how many that may be.

Your souls are tied to your personal Flowers; should one of your flowers be destroyed, so too will its nature within you be broken.
To lose both your flowers is to lose your Self.

You are not without protection, though: Your chancelfolk carry with them a symbol of your group’s unity. The one who wears the wreath will find their flowers preserved—for themselves and for any in your group who share them—regardless of how the Pyre burns. But be warned: for each person, the wreath’s protection will work but once.

The energy of Freedom will be powerful enough to heal those teams with the most Flowers remaining to their collective. All others must find their own way to becoming Whole.

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 heraldic 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

[gigadevilbreaker]

[he's so tired, he didn't sleep,]

So...

We should figure out what flowers all've us are first, right?

Re: DISCUSSION

[deicider]

... I wonder if people will be smart enough to just go down the list in order. If that's the case, Gold should wear the crown first.

But who knows if that will occur to anyone.

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

[deicider]

[Somehow, Cardinal is wearing a flower crown and we're voting for Lotus.]

RESULTS

[idolpro]

@SHRIKE

[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 STAR OF BETHLEHEM 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. ]

THE SECOND OBSTACLE

[idolpro]

The path continues, the brilliance of the blue flame dying out with the last of the burnt flowers.

You're not sure how long you've been walking when you reach the stone doors. They have a heavy, ancient look to them, and are inset into an equally ancient-looking stone wall. At the center of the doors is what is probably a pair of massive handles... but they're densely overgrown with wickedly thorny briar roses which grow up along the stone, reaching even over the top of the wall.

The heraldic animals look upon the doors mournfully, inspecting them for any way to pull away briars, but it seems beyond their ability. Once again, they offer the blue-flame lantern, the collection of flowers, and the wreath: something must be sacrificed.

DISCUSSION

[idolpro]

DECISION

[idolpro]

The scroll unfurls further, and this time thirteen drawings appear in the new section; the last vial is labeled, but... illegibly? This time, however, the drawings are partially filled in with bright blue ink to the following degrees:

LiliS: 12.5%
sensitIV: 25%
pep!pep!: 8.33%
BAD END=DEAD END: 0%
Taisho Roman Revolution: 10%
☆ZRAEL: 7.14%
future is now: 8.33%
WILD CITY: 12.50%
Heart Soldier Senshi: 10%
AlcheME!: 12.50%
avante en garde: 16.67%
BARiTONES: 0%
░░░░░░: 50%

RESULTS

[idolpro]

THE THIRD OBSTACLE

[idolpro]

After journeying a while longer—it’s unclear how long, and the way time passes here is… strange—you come upon another wall. Here, the garden seems like it’s starting to wither, like it's dying back for the winter. The leaves are brown and fading, shriveling up.

The doors set into the wall were golden, once, like the trellises you passed earlier on your path, but the doors here stand grimy and unpolished, dripping with that same sort of tarry grime you might recall from the fountain.

Can flame really take care of this…? But it seems at least the creatures accompanying you think so.

DISCUSSION

[idolpro]

DECISION

[idolpro]

The scroll unfurls further, and this time there are once more twelve drawings. As before, they're partially filled in with bright blue ink to the following degrees:

LiliS: 25%
sensitIV: 43.75%
pep!pep!: 33.33%
BAD END=DEAD END: 25%
Taisho Roman Revolution: 25%
☆ZRAEL: 41.67%
future is now: 41.67%
WILD CITY: 37.5%
Heart Soldier Senshi: 70%
AlcheME!: 25%
avante en garde: 57.14%
BARiTONES: 25%

RESULTS

[idolpro]

PRE-ENDGAME

[idolpro]

[ You pass through the golden doors—and find yourself standing before three gates.

To your left is a gate of ivory, polished to a shine so bright that it refracts a brilliant rainbow of chaotic light.
To your right is a gate of twisting black horn, beautiful and unapologetically fierce-looking.
Between them and a bit further back is a gate of pure white flame. Even from here you can feel the searing, purifying heat of it.

Which gate do you take? Each of you may choose separately, if you wish; you feel instinctively that, whatever the significance of this choice, if indeed it means anything at all, it has no bearing on your connection with your unit. ]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[honoring]

[Lancelot looks at all three. But he knows which he intends to choose at least. Why isn't clear, it's just a gut feeling.

Whether or not he should wait... he doesn't know.

But after a moment he'll head towards the door in the back, with it's white flames.]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[gigadevilbreaker]

[Well. He's going for the twisting black horn gate, seeya fuckers.]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[purrrnicious]

[STAYS RIGHT WHERE SHE IS



none of the above those all look bad tbh]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[calmthefoxdown]

[ Gold is going to be good and make sure everyone wanders through a door before going through the white flame door himself. ]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[claestrophe]

[ what's a unit? or connection?

Hmmmm. On the one hand the ivory gate seems the most visually appealing and pretty, but--she doesn't want to go alone, does she? That seems... lonely.

In the end she'll follow the one guy who talked to her out the twisting black horn gate, even though it looks kind of scary!! ]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[deicider]

[Puts their hand out to better feel the fire, then heads through.]