#ahqevent2

He’d made his way over to her quarters, hoping she was there to visit. He knocked on the door, but suddenly his heart hammered, nervous that he would again get that maze version of her rather than the version he’d grown to know and love. Jace willed himself to speak, letting her know it was him. “Hey, Mah, It’s me. Jacen.” He didn’t know why he felt the need to clarify as if she couldn’t recognize his voice. He definitely needed to shake the things he saw in that maze. @ocean-eyesahq​

Svala smirked at her mate because some how they wound up across from each other and staring each other down in the fray. They had always believed in friendly competition but grappling with each other tended to go a different way at home.

She was pretty sure Adrik’s heart was set on winning but she was definitely not afraid to prove him wrong in this arena. “It’s not too late to back out, love. You could save yourself a lot of humiliation.” She teased, the arrogant smile staying on her face as she watched him carefully first waiting for him to make the first move.

– ♡ event 002. FOR FAME AND GLORY ( pt. 1 )

The Annual Highwinds Tournament is now open!

Test your mettle against the strongest, the cleverest and the swiftest Fae 

 Prove your worth to the High Courts of Astralis, and become a legend

➤ THE BASICS

The Autumn Court, in an effort to affirm their status as a powerful Court after an early blow against their people, have decided to continue with one of their oldest and most cherished traditions. The Highwinds Tournament is a yearly event hosted on their lands, where in true Autumn spirit, Fae and humans alike congregate to decide who among them is the most illustrious through a series of competitions and events. Overseen by the High Lord of Autumn, the highly-anticipated games of skill, strength, and wit are seen as the height of sportsmanship within Astralis.

Many have attributed these friendly matches to the lasting peace between the Courts, and Autumn takes great pride in its role as a mediator. However, this year’s tournament is rife with tension, and there are more than a few rumours going about that this competition will devolve into something worse. However, the lure of lucrative awards and fresh gossip have nobility and commoners alike flocking to the eastern Court, for the Highwinds Tournament is a most welcome distraction from more troubling developments elsewhere.

➤ ACTIVITIES AND AMENITIES OFFERED

Some of the amenities offered at this week-long event will include. . .

- An all-participants-welcome dueling tournament, where ambitious warriors and mages seek to put their skills to the test against Astralis’ finest. The tournament will go on the full duration of the festival, offering many opportunities for the lowborn to catch the eye of a prospective sponsor, and for nobles to establish their reputations among their kin. The prize for the winner is a substantial one- thousands of gold coins and an enchanted artifact of repute, to be presented at the conclusion of the finals.

- Competitions of all manner will be available at this event, including contests of archery, horseback-riding, hunting, magecraft, and aerial races through the steep valleys around the Highwinds Glen. Autumn officials, with representative oversight from the ally courts of Spring and Winter, will see to the fairness of these events.

- The main event of the Highwinds Tournament is known as the Trials of Oberon, allegedly named after the first High Laird of Autumn who was known as an individual of exceptional talent. This is a contest that is not for the faint of heart, for it will have participants test their might against ferocious beasts, head-scratching puzzles, and the final task: an enchanted maze where life-threatening danger lurks around every corner. Each Court has volunteered a challenge for this maze courtesy of their kingdom to test the character, wit, and strength of the champions. To win the Trials is to be considered one of the highest honors to be found in Astralis.

- Guest lodgings have all been booked out for the week, in homely inns and in sprawling estates all over Autumn. Expect loud, crowded, but hospitable lodgings and close encounters with strangers from across the Courts. Those with more amourous inclinations, however, will not find a lack of private alcoves and cabins for their leisurely use.

- The Highwinds Glen, an already vibrant and excitable city, has pulled out all the stops for this renowned tournament. City-wide feasting and full taverns are expected, and the streets will find themselves home to some of the finest buskers available. Guest may also expect to find more than a few ‘unofficial’ gambling operations throughout these taverns, particularly in the form of unsanctioned fights between commoners looking to make quick coin.

➤ CELEBRATING OUR CHAMPIONS

This is Astralis HQ’s first ever “two leg” event. At the end of the festivities, there will be a grand ball to celebrate the victors from each Court and the sportsmanship of Astralis uniting for the Highwinds Tournament. Participants from the Trials of Oberon will be given special favor from the High Rulers for surpassing and engaging in their intricate challenges. This portion of the weeklong celebration will be announced by the admins as we gear up for part two of the event. Part one is strictly for the festivities leading up to the grand ball.

➤ THE HUMAN RESISTANCE’S ROLE

The human resistance has made quite a name for themselves over the past few months, and any information leading to their capture, especially in the Autumn Court, offers a lucrative award to the informant. However, the resistance has no intention of remaining idle during such a prominent tournament. A few agents have entered as participants in the gladitorial battles, determined to prove their mettle in a public setting. However, this is mostly a ruse, for the real threat lurks among the nameless, faceless servants supporting the event. 

- ̗̀  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

➤ CAN I CONTINUE MY NON-EVENT THREADS DURING THE EVENT?

This event is mandatory to participate in--either as a participant, a spectator, or as a representative of their Court. While the event is going on, we do ask that you only start fresh, event-related threads and make them a priority. Inclusivity is also a huge factor in propelling an event forward, so be sure you’re plotting with a wide range of muns for this event!

➤ HOW LONG WILL THE EVENT LAST FOR?

As of right now, the event is set to start on Wednesday, February 3rd, at 9 AM EST and last for approximately three weeks. The first part of the event will end on Wednesday, February 24th at 11:59 PM EST. After this, the group will go on a 4 day activity break to prepare for the second leg of this epic event, during which time the group’s next plot drop will be put into effect. The second half of the event will last from March 1st to March 15th. More information regarding start times for the second leg of this event will be posted in the coming weeks.

➤ WHAT SHOULD I BE TAGGING POSTS WITH?

As of right now, you should not be posting anything (outfits or otherwise) until the start of the event. When you begin posting outfits, starters, threads, etc., we ask that you use ahqevent2 and NOT ahqevent. Feel free to tag the @ahqstart sideblog for all open starters you post for the event, bearing in mind that the same starter rules will apply once there’s more than 4-5 open event-related starters in the tag.

➤ WHAT WILL THE TRIALS OF OBERON BE FROM SPECIFIC COURTS?

Some time had passed between the last time Nikolas had seen Guinevere Adler-Hartwell. Last time he’d seen the princess in autumn, it was in a rowdy tavern that he frequented. Now the captain of the guard or not, Nikolas still visited there. Fitz’s ale wasn’t terrible, the fights were interesting and its patrons were entertaining. How could Nikolas stay away.

Yet that wasn’t where he next saw Gwen. But rather, she appeared to be training for a competition. He’d heard that the noble might even join the trials. “Aye, look at you! Aren’t ya a sight for sore eyes?” He said in lieu of an official greeting. “Looking better than when I last saw you. Got a shine to you that only being sober can bring. It’s looks nice on ya.” Nik said with a joking smile. “Princess.” He finished with a playful and theatrical bow of his head. Nikolas had purposely not let on that he knew who Gwen was when they’d met. He presumed she’d come to autumn with the hope of blending in as another commoner in the tavern. This time, of course, Nikolas chose to share that knowledge. “Or do you want me to call you, m’lady?” He offered instead.

A brief silence passed between the pair before a rumble of a laugh left Nikolas, disrupting it. “So. How many contests will you be in today, eh?” He was curious.

it was times like these when Morana cursed herself for not visiting the other courts more often. Autumn was an ally of Winter, but she could probably count the number of times she had been inside their castle’s walls on her hands. Its halls were as winding and difficult to navigate as the wild winds that Autumn fae could bend do their will. Morana considered herself an intelligent woman who could find her way around fairly well, but she had become swept up in the disorder that erupted around her and was now in a corridor as unfamiliar as any other. So far she’d had the fortune of not encountering much opposition as she weaved her way through the castle in search of an exit. Upon turning the corner she found herself facing a woman sitting on the floor in a crumpled heap. Standing in front of the brunette was a human (at least he looked human), poised and ready to land a blow. 

Ice flowed from the tips of her fingers like second nature. Her magic shot out and struck the man square in the chest, pushing him back from the woman on the floor and into the opposite wall. Upon colliding with it he fell unconscious to the ground. Before today it had been quiet some time since Morana last used her magic in an aggressive manner. Even amid all of the chaos of the awards ceremony gone wrong she was still using it in a more defensive manner than offensive, but she couldn’t stand by and watch as someone completely defenseless was attacked. Judging by how battered and freshly bruised the other woman looked Morana guessed she had already gotten into a number of skirmishes thus far. She couldn’t imagine all of her wounds could be the result of the one man Morana had just incapacitated. For a moment the Winter duchess feared the stranger was already dead, but a low groan of pain eased her worries.

With an elegant sweep of her dress Morana bent down so she was eye to eye with the nymph. She gently brushed dark hair from her face, “Are you conscious?”

Perhaps once, when he was younger and had something to prove, Gabriel Beaumont might have considered participating annually in the Trials of Oberon. But while the Highwinds Tournament had always excited Astralis at large, Gabriel had never had time for playing games or antics with the rest of the fae realm. His brand of cruelty came in the form of undercutting monarchies; in destroying the world around him and manipulating it to the benefit of the Night Court as he saw fit. In the beginning, it had been just him and Kael against the rest of the world. Eventually, Jacqueline joined his ranks as his cunning advisor, and since then, the foundation of his inner court has spent centuries waging silent wars against other courts and engaging in inter-court politics. But this? A trial where people falsely tested their strength and wit for an arbitrary title of champion? Gabriel crinkled his nose in disgust at the mere thought.

The amount of ground he’d covered today traversing the playing fields was dizzying, to say the least. Gabriel had prowled the sidelines of the archery event, arching a brow as he witnessed the consort of Spring engage in light-hearted conversation with the inner court of Autumn. He’d spotted some of the extended Hartwell family chatting animatedly with one another as he made his rounds through the events, and was even certain he spotted their infamous Spymaster ducking between crowds, meeting up with inner court members from both Day and Summer as the sun inched higher into the sky. With so many people lurking around every corner, desperate to spring an alliance or idea on any of the high rulers, Gabriel had created a rather wide berth for himself. He’d seamlessly avoided some of the ogling glances from those in Dawn who wished to challenge him, or those in Spring or Winter who might wish to question him, and instead made his way towards the one ruler whose ear he’d been itching to borrow for some time now.

“You know,” Gabriel began, his voice low and thoughtful as he entered the rulers’ viewing box for the archery competition and sidled in alongside Rowan Hartwell. He’d requested libations for the viewing box, which were provided by an over-eager human servant from Autumn, and only after Gabriel was certain he was left alone with Day Court’s High Lady did he reach for the decanter of wine and pour the rich, red liquid into a goblet for himself. Courtesy of their hosts, of course. “Sometimes, this job feels a bit like babysitting, non?” He brought the goblet to his lips as he glanced over at Rowan. “I haven’t the faintest clue where Kael’s scurried off to. Hopefully he hasn’t gotten himself run through with a sword. I’d have to replace him, which would be fairly inconvenient, given that I’ve grown rather attached to his pouty face after all these years.” Gabriel paused, smirking as he took a sip from his glass of wine. “I thought I might have seen that Spymaster of yours wooing a damsel from Autumn, but who’s to say?”

( @ahqstart)

Winter embodies many differing characteristics; harshness, beauty, and longevity being only a few. Thinking carefully about how best to represent the essence of Winter in the trials, Viktor decided that this year’s champion would need to take a different approach to surviving his task, rather than the traditional test of strength. Instead, he is looking to see just which Fae among them has the stealth to survive the natural dangers that are namesake to his homeland.

The task at first seems a simple test of endurance, for the maze slowly transforms itself into a winter wonderland as soon as the challenger steps into Viktor’s domain. The enchantment is one that he has personally crafted and maintains with the kind of concentration that only a High Lord could master. The sprawling snowscape is littered with swooping snowdrifts and glittering clusters of ice, along with twisted, frigid branches mimicking the hardy trees of Viktor’s Court. The objective of the task is simple; to make it through the obstacle course of ice and snow to make it to the other side. 

However, there are two obstacles that stand in the challengers’ way. The first is the climate, for the frosted landscape is complimented by a dense, heavy snow that may not be cold by Winter standards, but reduces their visibility to a mere few feet ahead of them. The longer the challenger stays in Winter’s domain, the deeper the snow becomes until they are forced to retire from exhaustion. Those who think to fly through the storm face even greater peril, for the clusters of ice are more than strong enough to pierce the delicate wings of a fae who chooses to rush.

The second, and far more harrowing obstacle, are the hunters. A pair of griffins, pulled straight from Viktor’s personal guard, stalk this section of the maze, using their keen sight and familiarity with the landscape to pounce upon anything that they catch moving. These creatures are armed with razor-sharp talons and beaks that can crunch through bone, and cannot be underestimated. Unlucky participants will find themselves snatched up and tossed out of the arena unceremoniously, much to the amusement of their onlookers. Those who seek to fight may find themselves facing double the trouble.

The trick to winning this task is not to behave like a Winter Court bear, crashing their way through obstacles through sheer force. The successful champion must instead embody the qualities of a winter hare by being light on their feet, blending in with their surroundings and reactive enough to deal with stronger predators.