#ruinationpd

the words of the jesters still echoed in his skull, unable to throw them completely from his mind. he nodded absentmindedly to partygoers as he passed them, head fully occupied with the unsettling events of the previous hours. as soon as the bards had finished their odd proclamation, the ballroom had begun to empty. the new king was nowhere to be seen, and he had yet to spot the lady of asteria amongst the crowds of uncomfortably leaving guests. he scanned the floods of people, looking for any faces he recognized, but those that still wore their masks made it nearly impossible.

carefully, yinuo pushed his way against the flow of foot traffic, like a salmon swimming upstream as he attempted to work his way back to the main room. any trace of the strange jesters and their...idol was long gone at this point. his eyes outlined the doors of the room, trying to spot any possible clue as to where they might have vanished, all the while attempting to quell the icy hand of panic gripping his heart. the three. they had said it so plainly, so bluntly, so...without fanfare. this slip-up was going to be hard to evade. he couldn't afford a single mistake.

like this one, he thought in frustration, turning to the presence at his back, making themself known with a soft noise. yinuo dropped a small bow. "my apologies; were you speaking to me? i'm afraid my thoughts were elsewhere."

PLOT DROP 001. - VEILED DANGERS

Location & timeline: The royal palace & the gardens of Sotera ; after midnight, February 13th, 1276.

The night was still young and in full swing, filled with laughter, merry chatter, and bodies swaying in the rhythm of Amusement’s instrument, and Joy’s alluring song. As it usually goes in such festivities, no one truly paid any attention to anything, or anyone, aside from themselves, and their current dancing partners ; the excitement, uniqueness, and anonymity of gilded masks giving everyone an opportunity to shed their everyday disguises, and turn more nature, more… primal, all the while retaining the mysteriousness of their identity. Most of those who had heard Joy’s thinly veiled warning, brushed it off as a jester’s tune, and paid no further attention to the details of the song. It was a blessing to everyone in attendance -

But, it was also their wicked curse. 

The first disruption came with the bell - twelve rings to announce midnight has come - and a sudden change of air was not subtle, not to those who paid closer attention. Joy and Amusement parted ways, the latter taking a seat in the corner of the room, slender fingers toying with the strings of their lute, while the other theatrically waltzed, and glided, towards the gate which led into the dining room. Joy stood in front of them, their porcelain white mask with a blood red grin turning towards the guests, their red eyes fixing upon every soul in the room - they can recognise most of the guests, by their masks and through their power, and their attention lingers the most over the esteemed guests ; The Queen to Be, the Spare Princess, the New King, the Lord of Illusions, the Lost Princess, the Ancient Queen, the Wicked Cousin, the Prince of Bones and the Princess of Ice - all rulers, or closely tied with the rulers. But, the wolfish smile beneath their mask stretched, sharp teeth hidden by the porcelain, for they know something only Amusement knows ; surprises are on the way, and the little royals of the Three will not enjoy it one bit.

Amusement, its matching porcelain mask with a sea blue painted grin, turned its attention towards Joy, subtly inclining their head in acknowledgment as they played the song on their lute - amused by the tense posture in the Wise, the Admiral, the Whisperer, the Strategist, the Physician, the Warrior of Steel & Silver, the Adviser and the Bone Carver ; they might feel something amiss, but they cannot pinpoint the reason - and by the time they find it out, it will be far too late. 

Joy claps, drawing attention towards its bubbly, jovial presence - but, while most of the guests are blind to the strange glint of their painted smile, there are some who frown, blinking as if to clear the fog in their minds. “Dear friends, dear friends! We have an announcement to make!  Joy and Amusement follow no King, but the King of Thorns, they listen to no Queen, but the Queen of Sorrows, and belong to no Kingdom, but the Kingdom of Hollows! Dear guests, dear hosts, allow us a parting joke! For the hour is late and even the Jesters must rest! Yes, allow us to show your beloved King!” 

The door opens, and Joy bends in a mocking bow - five figures enter, masked into crows with feathered capes adorning their towering, slender posture - and it seems like shadows fall from their shoulders, pooling around their feet - and a seated thing they carry on their shoulders.

“All hail the Thorned King!” Joy and Amusement stand in unison, bowing to the figure seated on the wooden chair - a figure made of branches and thorns, blood red garnets instead of eyes, and a silver forged grin melted into the dark wood,  and a crown of iron and thorns sits on its head. Everyone exchanges an amused glance, lowering their masks to truly look at the wooden figure, taking a step closer - 

But, then, the figure moves.

Red eyes, ablaze with magic, fixed upon the closest person in its presence. The silver cast smile widened, branches snapping as the creature wrapped its fingers around the armrest of the chair, gripping for support as it arose from its seat. The room falls silent, and it is then that the guests notice Amusement, Joy, and the five figures, all disappeared, doors to the dining room now closed shut once more. No one dares to speak, and it seems no one dares to breathe, either, as the Thorned King stands in front of them, taller than it first appeared while it was seated. Twigs and branches snap as it turns its head towards the Three Rulers of the Three, and from seemingly nowhere, a voice speaks ; 

“Hear ye, hear ye, we are more than what we appear! Hear ye, hear ye, there is something rotting beneath your trees, something boiling in the depths of your sea! Hear ye, hear ye, we are the Kingdom of Hollows, but you have long forgotten that this world held more than just Three! We are the hollows, hollowed out by the sea and the stone! We are the hollows and asleep we’ve been for the past millennia, or three! We are the hollows, but all hollow things have once been full and full once again we shall be! We are the hollows, and we’ve been asleep, but now we’re awake and ready to lay our claim! We are the hollows, so hear our words! Every peace must crumble, and so must you!”

Before anyone can truly react to the Thorned King’s words, its silver mouth widens in an ear shattering scream - and the figure turns to ash in front of everyone’s eyes. Terror and mortification grips the hearts of both the guests and the hosts of the masquerade, and the room threatens to erupt in chaos. 

But, the Old Queen is the first one to gather her wits, and with the help of both Sotera’s and Asteria’s dignitaries, she managed to soothe the terrified crowd, ushering everyone to continue the festivity, or retreat to their sleeping quarters. The night is ruined - in spite of some guests’ efforts to brush off the shocking event - and two dangerous questions are posed ; just who are the Hollows, and what did they mean when they spoke of the Three? 

Everyone hopes that the following day will answer more questions than it will ask ; but when the day arrived, the people found out that between the nightmares, and a sleepless night, they are feeling more afraid than ever.

Welcome to our first plot drop! This marks the true beginning of chaos - an empire might be in trouble with the Thorned King’s revelation, but luckily, the existence of Frigoria still remains unknown to the kingdoms of Sotera and Asteria. But, now even the courtiers and the royals of Frigoria are perplexed, surprised by something no one could have seen coming. During the plot drop, your characters are allowed to roam Sotera’s castle, interacting and, if it is in your character’s nature, trying to solve the mystery of the Thorned King and his hollows.