CARNELIAN

[dramatispersonae]

[You are standing in an amphitheatre constructed of off-white marble with several rows of seats surrounding you on all sides; in the performance space at the bottom is another banquet table, with fourteen different crowns placed upon it. They are, in no particular order:

A jeweled tiara lined with diamonds
A crown of wheat
A faded kokoshnik
A coronet with its jewels missing
A gold diadem
A civic crown made out of oak leaves
A mural crown
A naval crown missing a sail
A hoop crown missing the top insignia
A crown of thorns
A striped nemes
A crown of dandelions
A plain modius
A coronation crown with beading on the side falling off]

Comments

PART ONE

[dramatispersonae]

[Mr. Right's voice echoes quietly off the amphitheatre walls, sounding closer than normal.]

Ladies and jellybeans, it's my pleasure to inform you that you've all been chosen as potential heirs to the throne of your own little kingdom. Isn't that something? Ah, but there's only room for one at the top, so you'll have to make sure you impress me enough to earn that title. We'll find out later on how much potential is really in you. Now I know most of you don't got experience with this sort of thing, so I'll guide you through the process. Think hard about what kinda ruler you'd like to be. King, queen, prince, princess, duke, duchess, marquis, marquise--pick whichever title suits you. I'm fond of "emperor" myself. Regardless, every monarch's gotta have a mark of their autonomy, so your first task is to pick a crown--any crown. Make sure it's one you can hold onto, though--once it's on your head, it won't be easy to keep it. And if you do, make sure you're prepared to carry its weight.

((Each team member present picks a crown from the pile to wear; one team member per crown, please. ONCE YOUR CHARACTER HAS DECIDED ON A CROWN, IT WILL NOT COME OFF. If you arrive past part one, make sure whatever crown you choose is not one that's already been chosen by your teammates.))

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DISCUSSION

[doubleminded]

[OH FUCK YES straight for the nemes.]

This one for me.

Re: DISCUSSION

[gemuine]

[ reaches for the diadem . . . ]

Rulers?

Re: DISCUSSION

[witheyesofgold]

[ker-coronet]

Haha, really now?

Re: DISCUSSION

[godfatherly]

[ Crosses his arms and declines to chose any of them. Crowns are tacky. ]

Re: PART ONE

[fighting_alena]

[LAUGHING HER HEAD OFF]

DECISION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DECISION

[doubleminded]

[a nemes is Teir's]

Re: DECISION

[godfatherly]

[ modius ]

Re: DECISION

[gemuine]

[ diadem! ]

Re: DECISION

[fighting_alena]

[jeweled tiara!]

Re: DECISION

[witheyesofgold]

[coronet!]

PART TWO

[dramatispersonae]

[Mr. Right's voice comes echoing through again, sounding amused]

Ain't you all looking fancy. But good looks and a winning smile aren't enough--trust me, I know. Question is, do you think you deserve that kind of title? Regal-looking or not, you've got to walk the walk and talk the talk. And a ruler's just a nobody if they can't reach deep into the hearts of their subjects. What makes you so special? You got to think about what being a leader really means to you, and how you'd handle it in particular. The first thing every ruler needs to address is what kinda rules they're laying down. So here's your second task: figure out how you'd pluck the heartstrings of your vassals--in this case, your teammates--and play me a sweet tune.

Sounds pretty open-ended, right? Well, like everything in life, there's a catch: those crowns aren't just shiny little decorations. They've been worn before, and inherited certain... traits from all those past generations. And there's one piece of advice all those old dead guys can agree on: if you want to avoid being usurped, you'd better live up to your predecessors.

[If you chose the jeweled tiara, your trait is: HATEFUL.
If you chose the crown of wheat, your trait is: SORROWFUL.
If you chose the kokoshnik, your trait is: LYING.
If you chose the coronet, your trait is: CHARISMATIC.
If you chose the diadem, your trait is: PESSIMISTIC.
If you chose the civic crown, your trait is: OPTIMISTIC.
If you chose the mural crown, your trait is: BRAVE.
If you chose the naval crown, your trait is: MOURNFUL.
If you chose the hoop crown, your trait is: FLIRTATIOUS.
If you chose the crown of thorns, your trait is: RECKLESS.
If you chose the nemes, your trait is: ANXIOUS.
If you chose the crown of dandelions, your trait is: WHIMSICAL.
If you chose the modius, your trait is: SERIOUS.
If you chose the coronation crown, your trait is: IGNORANT.

((The second task is a speech! Your character must perform as a monarch giving orders with the trait listed to their chosen crown. Their purpose is to address rules and regulations with your teammates as your subjects, but feel free to interpret this however you like! You can go full-on monologue or soliloquy, or do a simple list, or whatever. Be ~creative~! If you arrive late, please specify which crown you're wearing in your comment.))

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DISCUSSION

[doubleminded]

Anxious…

[frowns.]

Shiny shouldn't have any trouble.

Re: DISCUSSION

[witheyesofgold]

Oh dear...

Re: DISCUSSION

[gemuine]

. . . a speech, really . . .?

Re: DISCUSSION

[fighting_alena]

Darn it, I picked the worst possible one...

SPEECHES

[dramatispersonae]

[tiara, hateful]

[fighting_alena]

[oh well, more role-playing!]

Listen up you lower life forms. As your princess, I expect quality entertainment, food, drink, and protection from all of you. Immediately, without me having to ask twice!

Shiny! You will make all of the meals and do the dishes. Leo! You will wait on me hand and foot and do the laundry. Teir and Tohsaka! I have a special task for you: fight to the death for my amusement.

Hurry up and prove yourself useful, slaves, or suffer my scorn for a thousand years!

Re: SPEECHES

[doubleminded]

[takes a deeeeep breath.]

I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm in charge-- [hhhhesitates] maybe, and there are some rules you need to follow. Carnelian is probably important, and so we need to-- should… win. The Personae make this difficult with their arbitrary rules and their inability to create a simple game that functions as such, but we'll… need to try to win anyway. For our memories.

[UGHHHHH]

Also, if you're cooking meat, I don't want any of it, and I'm not coming near the cabin. Don't even try. It… makes me nervous.

[takes a deep breath and stares down at the floor.]

There, that's all. And a visibly anxious leader is an incompetent one.

Re: SPEECHES

[witheyesofgold]

[he takes off his glasses and straightens his hair a bit, so his face is completely visible. His body language shifts too, chest slightly puffed out with confidence and a calm smile on his face.]

A ruler... what is a ruler without his people, mm? No one, of course. Nothing. But a ruler who governates with an iron fist, telling his subordinates how to live and what to think is perhaps even less than that.

So I turn to you, my people—no, my brothers and sisters, invaluable friends who with all their hopes and dreams shape me into the person I am. Do not ever let anyone take away your autonomy. Many will try, without doubt, to enslave you with their ideas, to restrain you with foolish rules, and make you believe they know better. But no one knows better than yourselves and you should trust your judgment—which is my judgment too, to be the best.

Together, we will stand up against anyone who chooses to oppose us. Because rules were created to be smashed and replaced with our own ideals, our own choices. Together, we are invincible, and as long as our trust in each other does not falter, no one will be able to rise higher than us.

Re: SPEECHES

[godfatherly]

[ Stands with feet spread apart, hands clasped behind his back, and with the precise pronunciation of someone used to giving bossy speeches and expecting them to be obeyed to the letter. ]

There is a good deal to explain about rules and regulations that you will never be old enough to appreciate fully. The universe itself has rules which branch like the limbs of a lightning tree, more minor ones splitting from the most fundamental. Without them, everything you know would be less than dust, floating randomly across the cold quiet of a void. Laws govern the birth of every star and every pump of your hearts. You could no more violate these than you could stop time.

The governance of any part of the universe must take instruction from the greater whole. Obedience to law is essential to stability and longevity of these smaller entities. And so, here and now, I am required by the rules of this game to regulate you. Carnelian is hardly as complicated as the universe, and its rules may be stated succinctly.

Keep yourselves and your living spaces neat. Be peaceful. Know your place. Failure to comply will be met with revocation of meal privileges.

[ Dead serious. ]

PART THREE...?

[dramatispersonae]

[Mr. Right's voice can be heard, low and reverberating as though coming from inside your own chest--but he only laughs... and then, abruptly, the crowns you are all wearing trigger an effect.

If you are wearing the tiara or the crown of wheat, you are suddenly overcome with the urge to cry.
If you are wearing the kokoshnik or the coronet, you lose your voice completely.
If you are wearing the diadem or the civic crown, you are suddenly overcome with lust.
If you are wearing the mural crown or the naval crown, you suddenly feel incredibly clingy or in need of physical affection.
If you are wearing the hoop crown or the crown of thorns, you suddenly recall your worst memory and are unable to put it out of your mind.
If you are wearing the nemes or the crown of dandelions, you are suddenly overcome with violent urges.
If you are wearing the modius or the coronation crown, you are suddenly overcome with the urge to scream.

Mr. Right speaks, sounding darkly amused.]

I told you, didn't I? A crown's a weighty thing. Too bad--guess I'll have to keep looking for someone better.

[With a sudden jerk, you are brought back to the Ring.]