HELIODOR

[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

[doubledefense]

Dressup, huh?

Re: DISCUSSION

[redblossoms]

Well, at least this doesn't look like a bad first game.

Re: DISCUSSION

[oceansflower]

[YESSSS DRESSUP

already reaching for the tiara because it's the most fashionable one, too]

Re: DISCUSSION

[redblossoms]

[ ... picks up the dandelion crown '-'... ]

Re: DISCUSSION

[doubledefense]

Easy pick for you, huh?

Re: DISCUSSION

[coreupt]

[ ! ]

Re: DISCUSSION

[oceansflower]

[reaching for the jeweled tiara for herself]

You like this kind of thing?

Re: DISCUSSION

[redblossoms]

Ostentatious...

DECISION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DECISION

[coreupt]

I have chosen the golden diadem, and my title will be World Ruler.

Re: DECISION

[redblossoms]

[ dandelion crown ]

Re: DECISION

[oceansflower]

I've picked the tiara, and I'm going to be Princess Marine of Heliodor!

Re: DECISION

[alphabitch]

I'm a fuckin' robot god with a coronation crown. Deal with it.

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

[oceansflower]

--Hateful, seriously??

Re: DISCUSSION

[redblossoms]

... Whimsical...

Re: DISCUSSION

[alphabitch]

Ignorant?

... All hail King Fucking Caboose then.

SPEECHES

[dramatispersonae]

Re: SPEECHES

[oceansflower]

[Marine stands very straight and tall (not that it's actually tall because she's a tiny)]

Hello, country of Heliodor! I'm Princess Marine, and I'll make this quick, since I'm pretty sure we've all got a lot of important things to do! We'll only have one rule, but I think it's pretty important to have.

If a Personae ever tries to make you write a speech about being a ruler, punch them if they don't let you do it in your own way, and try to make you do it in a different way! I hate it when we're not allowed to do things our way, and we should be allowed to since we're team sunshine and rainbows.

I'm pretty sure that this rule won't be hard for us to uphold, so let's do it!

Re: SPEECHES

[alphabitch]

Uh. My name is Caboose and I am a leader! Yes. I am a leader. That means I lead things and they are not made of lead, because that would be silly.

My orders are ... cupcakes! Cupcakes with things in them. And then everyone in this country will be as braindead as I am.

[god, making a face even at himself]

Oh and I looove Leonard because he is my best friend in the world even when I forget him and make him move in with dickasses with 50 gigs of porn in their harddrive.

Re: SPEECHES

[redblossoms]

[ ... clears her throat for attention

and then pauses for what might be an awkwardly long moment. ]









My, it seems I forgot my title.

[ touches her cheek in something like a thoughtful gesture ]

Well, I think you all know quite well who I am, so perhaps we could skip the introduction just the once.

[ I'm not twitching ]

The first order of business today... is that I believe one of us must learn to make good tea. We are rather lacking there, I find. Oh, and sweets as well- ah, but then, Apollo can make sweets, so that isn't quite so urgent, now is it? Well then, moving on...

[ trying very hard to keep voice kind of airy it's not working at all ]

My other decree is that we all must hug each other member of the team at least once a day. ... Really, I think we can manage ourselves fine without proper orders, don't... you all? Though I do like my suggestions.

... Thank you for... your attention.

[ am

am I allowed to bash my head against something now, or will that count as part of the speech ]

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.]