⇨ New Location: ALOLA

[ringleaders]

PREPARATION↴ On Day 73, what remains of the Nightrunners will be asked to enter the new location first, to do a cursory security check. The Ringmaster isn't very concerned about this location for various reasons, but she will mention that there are a number of potentially powerful creatures that may or may not cause a fuss, so that they should check out the area to see if anything has been happening recently. In particular there are the guardian dieties that protect each island, and extra planar creatures called Ultra Beasts, but there shouldn't be any problem with either of them in the present timeline. On Day 74 the new location will be open for visiting by the carnival workers. There will be a gateway through the trees that allows entry and exiting, and since the populus here is primarily normal humans, those with inhuman features will be disguised with a fae glamour that makes it so they will not stick out. Usually this means that the locals will see them as something fitting to their environment, while to other carnival workers they will appear the same as usual. For humans with fae traits, they will generally appear as they regular human forms, and for those that are more exotic their glamour image will usually end up as the closest approximate. SETTING↴ Alola is a series of four islands on a planet reminiscent to but still fairly distinct from Earth. The most notable feature of this planet is that it is the home of a highly variable species of elemental creatures called Pokemon that live and work closely with the human natives. Pokemon take many forms, from something as simple to pigeon-like birds to something as grandiose as powerful elemental gods. Though the humans are very similar to the humans of other worlds, the culture of Alola and the other geographical regions tends towards the ideals of cooperation and kindness. Pollution is insignificant and scientific phenomenon like global warming have completely failed to occur due to scientific advancements and the civilization's predisposition towards problem solving. While technology is more advanced that modern Earth, with things like cloning technology, hovering vehicles, and subspace storage in common usage, life among the general populace has remained simple and often quite picturesque. That isn't to say that the humans and Pokemon of this world are unfamiliar with concepts such as poverty or war, but they are less common than average from a multiversal perspective. Importantly, the people of Alola tend towards being friendly and helpful no matter who you are, and have a tendency to give out gifts to strangers for no reason what-so-ever. PATRONS↴ ► POKEMON TRAINERS: Not everyone in Alola will be specifically a Pokemon trainer, but most will have a Pokemon companion of some kind or work alongside them in their endeavors. Trainers in particular are humans that choose to travel the world with a team of Pokemon that they've nurtured and trained to become strong in combat, challenging other Pokemon trainers to battles in a form of sport that is considered to be a character building experience for both the trainers and the Pokemon involved. Despite the inherent violence of the lifestyle, the Pokemon are rarely seriously injured, and trainer philosophical ideals are largely about forming strong bonds of friendship with your Pokemon companions and also the trainers that you win and lose against. For the most part this means that trainers tend to be pretty good sports, and being cruel to your Pokemon is considered to be a major moral wrong. Pokemon Trainers begin their journeys at ages as young as ten years old. ► POKEMON: Pokemon come in hundreds of forms, and have a wide range of personalities - while they don't speak the same languages as humans (usually), they are considered to be more or less equals to humans, and are treated with respect by the local populous. Their intelligence will also vary, but most average out to that of either a very intelligent animal or near human intelligence, able to understand human language and communicate easily with other Pokemon. Pokemon language is just each Pokemon saying their own name over and over again in different patterns, but trainers with a close bond to their Pokemon will usually figure out how to communicate with them regardless. Still, despite their ability to form strong bonds with each other and with humans, some Pokemon can be violent, aggressive, or suspicious of others until trained and exposed to kindness. Some of them also have surprisingly horrifying origins or powers, and others are predators in the Pokemon ecosystem and feed on others for sustenance. All Pokemon have elemental powers based on their type, and will evolve into new forms as they grow older and more powerful. DANGERS↴ ► TEAM SKULL: "Danger" is being used lightly here, but Team Skull is the local band of criminals who do things like trying to mug people or steal Pokemon. Though they have great numbers and are very persistent, they are also pretty incompetent and usually pretty harmless - most Alolans don't take them incredibly seriously unless they are in large numbers or attempting something major. They've managed to overrun a city called Po Town which is where they operate out of, but for the most part they are too stupid and clumsy to accomplish much. REWARDS↴ Become a Pokemon Master. That is, the Ringmaster is going to allow each worker to bring a maximum of one Pokemon along with them after they leave. That is, if they vow to train them properly and give them adequate attention, and not just locking them away in a Pokeball. In order to prove their dedication, everyone who wants to bring a Pokemon home will have to win at least one Island Trial before the carnival departs. Workers will be provided with Pokeballs and the other accessories needed to catch Pokemon, though you'll have to start small if you have no powers to weaken your targets with. You can also gain a Pokemon companion by being gifted one, or by winning them over with kindness and having the Pokemon choose to join you of their own volition. Pokemon are a privilege, however, and the Ringmaster will not tolerate them being neglected or mistreated. While you are not limited to Alola specific Pokemon, the Alolan Pokedex is a good place to start to see what's available. You need to let the mods know how and when you capture a Pokemon. No legendaries are permitted to be caught. CHANGES↴ There are no specific change catalysts associated with this visit unless something wild happens and you fuse with an Ultra Beast or something absurd. (Don't do that.) Beyond that, this is a PLOTTING POST, which means you can use it to make plans! The game chat is also a great place to discuss plots, so we welcome you to pop on in if you haven't already! A mingle log will be posted this weekend.