In the way of all good things, sadly Reus must come to an end. While the group has been an utter delight and joy to build and develop, the admin team, past and present, find ourselves unfortunately plagued by personal commitments – including but not limited to career changes, illnesses, cross-continent moves, and personal crises – that have overwhelmed us to the point where we cannot feasibly run Reus with the time and dedication it deserves.
We have been extremely lucky to have such dedicated, enthusiastic members, and are thankful for all our time spent writing together. In the end, we could not have foreseen just how big and complex the world of Reus would grow to be – in part, due to everyone’s incredible creativity and collaboration. We find this a miracle and a point of pride, and will never forget the joy in seeing it organically take shape. We hope our members won’t forget as well.
Thank you to everyone who joined, no matter how briefly – here’s hoping to writing together again in the future. <3
January 2130. Pandora Independent reporting from Olympe on the first day of the festivities.
Dear mortals: if you’re lucky enough to have a residence in Olympe, this article is not for you—go count your diamond hoards and let us mortals indulge vicariously. You are already familiar with its new year celebrations: the infamous, swanky, one-step-short-of-decadent Heteraidia. Once you’ve seen the festival, you know it borders on indescribable. For the rest of Gaia, however, the Heteraidia is phantasmagoria. It’s the thing we love to talk about only slightly less than we love to hate. At the beginning of each year, while Arcadia runs its decorous Saturnalia, while Pontius tries to revolutionize the Vernal calendar, Olympe shows the rest of us how to live. And, as always, we can’t do anything but watch.
The annual festival dwarfs a continent in both light and information, and has done so since Zeus came to power. We often know more about it than about what happens in our own sorry, meager backyards. And why wouldn’t we be there, in soul if not in body? Who hasn’t dreamed of attending it? As with anything Olympe produces, it is the very synthesis of dreams. A two-week extravaganza where prizes are won and empires are lost—often before the clock strikes twice? A period of grace where the domain opens to performers, entertainers, politicians, and merchants from all over the world, no questions asked? A window of opportunity, a feast of wonders, a touch of Eden? Of course.
The Rheas sing, and we teeter to the tune. Those clever pipers might even make us believe they’ll lead us to paradise while we dangle off the precipice. And the metaphor holds true, dear sad mortals. To have a catbird seat during Heteraidia is to knock on the vaults of heaven. It’s no coincidence, then, that Zeus chose it as a celebration in his honour. Yes, that’s right: the first day of the year is the date the patriarch chose for his birthday. Fictional, as all orphan birthdays are; but quite appropriate, as far as fiction goes. For is he not the man holding the keychain? Our demiurge, our concierge, our intermediary to Fate has spoken. Step into the city, and you too can taste immortality. He will throw open the door. The light is his, as is the sky.
So let’s step in, damn it. Who cares about anything else, when the Rheas are taking the stage? It’s their world, and we’re just living in it. For the next two weeks, we will set up shop in Olympe. Undercover, of course, as all good little shades should be. Tartarus doesn’t have a monopoly on the hush-hush. Besides, this year is extra special. This time, Zeus extends an invitation to his brothers and their companies - a reunion, of sorts, though one so steeped in publicity it’s hard to see their mouths move. I am sure it has nothing to do with the dangerous rumours threatening to stain the narrative. Family’s family, dear mortals, and it doesn’t do to be apart for so long.
In this first edition, we present to you the main attractions Olympe put on display. But have no fear—we haven’t forgotten the human interest of this story. We have scattered a few famous (or is it infamous, these days?) personalities through the reportage, so you can keep up on their whereabouts. If they seem like they’re behaving themselves, don’t be too disappointed. This is just the first few days. New year, new ways for the fire to catch. Look out for the strained smiles and touch-too-tight handshakes. Look out for the exchanged notes, a shorthand for quid pro quo. Look out for old flames and jilted lovers. Above all, look out for the past. And if you see anything oddly red on the floor? Remember: it’s only spilled wine. No such thing as wounds in heaven.
THE AGORA
At the center of Olympe lies the marketplace, a thrumming hub in which vendors from all across the continent may bring their wares. More than that, it’s an opportunity for local Olympians to show off, displaying all the most impressive innovations in tech augmentation and luxury goods. Don’t forget the commodification of belief, with miniature replicas of the Naos temple handmade in Arcadia, just oh so perfect for your home shrines to Chaos. Olympe is a generous king, and happy to sell whatever vendors bring: you can find jewelry carved from the onyx and carnelian found in abundance in Tartarus, or pressed-silk textiles from the Aegean archipelago. There are even some from the lands beyond Gaia, if your curiosity takes you that far. Artifacts of dubious origin—and absolutely lethal prices—litter the stalls. But perhaps your interests are homebound… and practical. If the latest tech catches your eye more than some dusty scroll, make sure not to tip over. I already caught some visitors nosing about for trade secrets. Fascination is never innocent, dear mortals, when there’s an arms race for the future.
SPOTTED: Charon, Patroclus, Sisyphus, Hephaestus, Alecto & Theseus prowling the square. They all seem to be looking for intel on what has got Olympe talking in the new year. Don’t be surprised if you turn a corner and bump into Tartarus’s own financial fixer, poking a portable device with a faint confusion. At the opposite end, we have those exhilarated to cross cultural borders: just look at Patroclus grilling an inventor on their nanotechnology, while his assistant Sisyphus takes dutiful notes. Same thing can be said about wayward Styx employees, whose arms are either overflowing with jewellery (we see you, Theseus)—or with stolen secrets (Heph, who’s number is that?). If Pontius’ or Tartarus’ next update looks suspiciously similar to something on display this winter, it has to be a coincidence, right?
THE AEGIS STAGE
Next to the Marketplace is the Aegis Stage—a constant staple in Olympe that is usually reserved for only the most prestigious and popular acts, such as the concerts put on by Orpheus, or stage plays put on by the twins at Delos Film Studios. While exact details of the performance schedules are kept under wraps until the day-of to build excitement, the stage is set to be buzzing all week long. After the larger acts, groups of performers from all over Gaia take turns playing music and putting on shows—it is a long-standing rule of the festival that not a minute should go by unentertained. The intervals between have been filled to saturation with performers: aerialists and their silk ribbons, fire-breathers, sword swallowers, cyber illusionists all strut about the grounds. When humans errr, the machines are ready to pick up. Holographic peacocks and swans float in and out of view, with projectors keeping the sky in ever changing colours. Renewable fountains & vending bars make sure the alcohol is as inexhaustible as air. Though far more necessary, I’d bet.
SPOTTED: Orpheus, Apollo, Artemis, Zagreus, Eurydice & Dusa visible in the crowds. Half the draw of an afternoon at the Aegis is the surprise appearances of the Rhea twins, so no one could expect them to be anywhere else. The next headliner is their buddy Orpheus, who has recently gone from ‘up and coming’ to ‘up and down’. There’ll be memorable moments in store, and not just on the stage proper. With the influx of out-of-town VIPs, there should be more celebutante-spotting than ever before. Get out your Rhea bingo cards: is that Zeus’ handsomely troubled nephew causing a scene, his enabling coterie in tow? Or is it the twins, launching invites to private meetings with a wave and a smile? Zeus has never been shy about showing off those more dazzling members of his collected talents, and anyone worth the airspace is likely to be schmoozed by one Nemean representative over the course of the week’s festivities.
THE CALYDON HUNT
Further from the maddening crowds, a section of dense woodlands has been roped off for The Hunt. This event has been pulled straight from Gaian history and heritage—but its sensibilities are purely modern. Instead of barbaric animal injury, swift-moving machines have taken over the forest. The space has been overlaid with lifelike holograms of exotic fauna, while an AI-powered perimeter keeps any real creatures from wandering into the line of fire. The simulated hunt opens with a cannonball shot at sundown on the first evening of the festival, after which time guests are given free rein to a selection of hunting tools programmed to only go off within the confines of the arena. The forested stadium remains open to revellers until the final afternoon, when those with the most impressive catches are awarded prizes in a ceremony held on the Aegis stage. For the competitive guest, the Hunt is a highlight of the week, an opportunity to blow off steam between cocktails and small-talk–not to mention, a chance at bragging rights for the rest of the year. There’s a tactical angle here, dear mortals. The event reaches the far edge of Olympe, right where the Calydon Dome has its headquarters. I wouldn’t be surprised if curious tourists were to prowl for a peek at what makes Olympe invincible—or to test whether the stories hold true.
SPOTTED: Mino, Megara, Tisiphone, Achilles, Prometheus, Thanatos & Ares haunting the woods. I cannot tell whether they are running a check on the wildlife… or preparing damage control on the wilder members of the Tartarus entourage. Regardless, I’d recommend staying out of their path–and their sight lines. Whatever they’re scouring for, it’s not pretty; and I doubt they want to be seen. Rumour has it that security will be tighter than ever this year, so defence expert Ares is kept quite busy securing the perimeter against the lost and curious alike. The last thing he needs is more trespassers; he already had to shoo Prometheus away twice. Worst of all, someone on the team didn’t get the memo about letting the Tartarus retinue into the hunting lodge, and they’ve been wrecking enough hell for the whole season. Between picking out their weapons and waging competitions, their sport looks endearingly innocuous. But we know no one born in Tartarus is ever harmless. Sure as anything, they’re sizing up Olympe’s defences. I wonder what use they think their little stunt has. Zeus has never waged an attack with machines and steel. Have we not established it already? His weapon is dreams.
THE NEMEAN HALL
Only the luckiest guests get invited into Nemean Hall, the formal gathering spot for the Rheas and their associates within the Nemean News tower. In contrast to the sleek, modern stylings of the company it’s named for, Nemean Hall is a step into a more gilded past, closer to the crystalline fortress of Xenios than your typical conference room. This is the space Zeus’ corporation takes guests when they want to make a statement. Indeed, it’s impossible to forget where you are - or who you’re with - while you’re there. Standing under the hall’s impressive ceiling, you might be fooled to think you’re on top of the world. Don’t worry about it: the result of your business meeting will quickly do away with that feeling. During the celebration, the News headquarters became a nursery room for propaganda. Waiters patrol the area with trays of hors d’ouevres, while NDA’s are passed out by associates like after-dinner mints. There’s formal seating for those who wish to sit and dine, but most guests prefer to mingle–understandable, considering it’s the networking event of the year, a veritable who’s-who of Olympe’s most powerful individuals. It’s said that as the party rages outside, the real event of the season is what happens behind the hall’s heavily-adorned doors.
SPOTTED: Athena, Icarus, Aphrodite, Ariadne, Hypnos, Hermes & Dionysus working late into the night. Whether they are touting new ideas or tailoring brand optics, they may be the only ones mixing business with pleasure right now. Between press statements and contract arrangements, the crew makes sure that none of their families—or enterprises—will be left out in the cold. You and I both know, mortals: there ain’t no sunlight like the public’s love. If you stumble upon them, you’ll see how quickly publicity shots are set up—and liquid shots are thrown back. You need some Ambrosia courage, after all, when you have to mingle with so many politicians and financiers. It isn’t easy, being the poster children for inter-realm amity. A funny way of keeping the peace, if you ask me. What’s the final cost, when so many white lies have to go into sealing it?
THE XENIOS ESTATE
The Xenios gardens are labyrinthine, luxurious and immaculately maintained. Some council members of the Arcadian Quorum can be found lounging here amid the rose bushes, if you get close enough. Their purpose is just the same, after all: useless and decorative. It’s said that the house is even more divine than the grounds—not that any of us have bloody well seen it. The rabble is not permitted entrance, so whatever I’m about to tell you can only be an uneducated guess. And a toast to our inside sources, of course.
Supposedly, the estate has gone through quite some changes to accommodate so many guests at once. Not that it wasn’t already palatial—with five tiers, dozens of suites, and sprawling gardens both above and below, you wouldn’t be wrong to deem it a smaller mountain. But not even a mountain can fit in all the Rheas and their entourage. Wings that were closed for a long time were aired out for this special occasion, and the retinue of attendants, chefs and security guards has doubled in size. Even with all these last-minute fittings, I heard some people may still have to share rooms. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, if you ask me. Old, outdated quarters, and middling servers that were not properly vetted? Place your bets. We’ll be here to look at who gets out alive after the first weekend.
SPOTTED: Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Nyx & Circe boarded in the inner sanctum. I couldn’t possibly venture a theory as to what they’re up to in there. Drafting new commercial agreements? Ironing out the core details, not to be trusted in the hands of their lackeys? Doling out statements for the polishing? Perhaps it’s all these things and neither of them. The cogs of power stutter and catch, and us mortals think it’s the wind. How’s this for a storm: maybe Zeus is grilling them for a confession.. Someone, we won’t say a peep, caught word about a gruesome act. Vicious and dire—and not in the dirty tabloids like them. They’ve been tailing the Rheas ever since, hoping to put pen to paper… and fact to fiction. It’s no wonder, then, that Zeus wants to know who set this all in motion. Who was the first to talk? That, dear mortals, is always the wrong question. A better one should be: who will be next?
ADMIN NOTE
Welcome everyone to our first event, which marks our opening for interactions !!! The festival will run for two weeks in game time, which means roughly four weeks in real time. During the festival, there are no limitations on what your characters can do, but they cannot leave Olympe. Feel free to visit every sublocation written in the event post or mentioned on our location page for your threads. Please reach out to characters from different factions, regardless of what your muse’s occupation is - Olympe right now is a melting pot of personalities and drama, and we want the dash to reflect that ! We encourage open starters that are short and to the point, preferably with a tag or title that shows the exact place (Olympe, Xenios estate). Beyond that, there is total creative freedom. Happy writing!
The final evening dawns upon the Summit with sure swiftness, and Pontius has spared no expense in giving its first Summit a worthy sendoff. As the Aegean sky grows dark and stars start to blink alight, guests have loaded up in speedboats or pontoons or ferries – depending on the size of their gathering – to drift towards a spot designated by hundreds of floating lanterns and candles. Attendants speed out to meet them on their own vehicles, offering each party a plethora of indulgences, including champagne and assorted delicacies, just as the fireworks begin to paint the heavens above with images of thundering horses and frolicking mermaids and titanic sea monsters.
As the last of the fireworks dissipate into the night sky, the various boats and rafts ferrying Pontius’ guests make a turn back to the home ship. The first sign of something amiss is spotted by ZAGREUS, ARES & MENELAUS, who notice a lone Pontius-branded speedboat in the far distance, moving in the opposite direction of the rest of the flock, with a familiar figure at it’s prow – that of CHARON, Tartarus’ Head of Finances. As Pontius itself comes into view, DIOMEDES spots a second speedboat in a strange position, this one floating, empty, a little ways away from the dock. The Quorum member turns to make mention of this oddity to BRISEIS, just as ORPHEUS, CLYTEMNESTRA & PATROCLUS notice something truly alarming – a smear of blood, stretched across one end of the dock, with patches trailing back towards the main boat. GANYMEDE, hearing the whispers begin to break out around them, looks over to see what’s awry, but his eyes first catch on a strange shape floating by the dock. Frowning, he points it out to AITE, who gasps: there’s someone in the water– a body!
As the boats finally pull up alongside Pontius, NYX, CIRCE & APOLLO are the first to reach, and officially raise the alarm. MINOTAUR dives in and pulls the figure out of the water and onto the dock, but no one moves to make any medical interventions, as it’s clear even from a distance – whoever this water-logged, mystery person is, it’s far too late for them.
POSEIDON makes a call for all guests to return to their rooms until they can deal with the emergency, calling on ALECTO for help ushering everyone safely away. SCYLLA, HEPHAESTUS, POSEIDON, HERA & ZEUS are the only ones to remain behind, waiting until the last of the guests have returned to the main deck before examining the body. There is no doubting it – the corpse is that of SISYPHUS – Thersander to the Pontius crew. But there is something very, very wrong. It’s not just the facial expression that is stuck in a permanent shock – it is the gnarled and shifting features that blink between what might be familiar to what isn’t, glitching even after its host has passed. Dysfunctional augmentations, Scylla notes, with growing dread. Botched, outdated, perhaps a black market version of what Scalpel has proved capable.
Back on Pontius, the rest of the guests break into groups to return to their rooms. On their way, ODYSSEUS, ARTEMIS & PROMETHEUS run into a bloodied ACHILLES and begin to question him, but are cut short when MEGARA appears to bring him back to HADES. Elsewhere, DOLUS, HYPNOS & HERMES notice something strange, passing through one of the hallways of guest suites: CHARON’s door, cracked open. As they approach, one of them points out something even more alarming– a smear of blood across the doorknob. The group enters the room to discover a grisly scene, pulled from nightmares: ARIADNE’s dead body on the floor, a dagger stuck squarely in his chest.
Further down the hall, ATHENA hears the commotion in Charon’s room, and runs inside. Upon realizing what has transpired, she goes to find help, intercepting EURYDICE, HYACINTH, & PAN on their way back to their own rooms. Elsewhere, THESEUS, DUSA & TISIPHONE run into a bloodied THANATOS stumbling back to his room, and rush him into CHARYBDIS’ quarters for treatment, taking care not to be seen.
LITTLE DO THE GUESTS KNOW… While they were enjoying their night, there was an undercurrent of bloodshed happening right under their noses, secrets and betrayals long simmering rising to the surface. Earllier in the night, unbeknownst to most of the party-goers, Thanatos doesn’t go on the boats with the rest of the guests, but meets with Charon. Their meeting, initially cordial and familiar and soft-spoken, takes a tense turn, then violent as Charon pummels Thanatos to the ground and does not let up until blood mars his fists and Thanatos is barely moving.
Charon swiftly leaves the scene to return to his room, but Ariadne catches him as he’s retreating, sees the blood splattering his fingers, and demands to know what the financier has done and who he’s hurt. Perhaps Charon mentions Thanatos - perhaps Ariadne makes the connection on his own. Whatever the case, Ariadne erupts with promises of retribution, threatens to go to Hades with proof that one of his most trusted confidantes has been going rogue, sending his prized fixer on business and missions irrelevant to Tartarus’ interests and wholly pertinent to his own. It’s a long time coming, he says; finally, the crooked financier has broken a rule from which there is no coming back, attacking one of Khton’s own, and Hades’ judgment is sure to be swift.
Then, the abrupt strike of blade to flesh. Ariadne falls to the floor, grasping weakly at the dagger stuck squarely in his chest, and Charon does not wait to watch the light leave his eyes, turning heel and running back out to Pontius’ docks, quickly boarding a speedboat while the fireworks reach their climax.
Minutes after Charon has made his escape, Sisyphus makes his own way to the dock. The deckhand takes no notice of the missing boat, and acts with no knowledge of the blood being shed and life lost behind him, too busy putting into action the culmination of weeks worth of plotting and preparations. Faced with increasingly fewer opportunities for survival, let alone escape, the plan Sisyphus has landed on is simple: he stows a bag on one of Pontius’ speedboats, with plans to flee on the boat while everyone is away at the festivities, and make a break for the nearest coast — and his new life.
Sisyphus is about to set out on the speedboat when he hears a sound behind him, and finds his former friend and current adversary, Achilles, running down the dock towards him. Sisyphus attempts to run for it, knowing that the consequences of being caught fleeing his post — after already being afforded his second chance — are likely to be dire. Inevitably, Achilles catches him, and they fight fiercely for control of the boat. But in the flurry of action, Sisyphus slips on the wet floor and falls headfirst, cracking his skull against the corner of the navigation console on his way down.
The impact rings out, a sickening crunch followed by the strangest electric crackle, like a signal gone astray. The bootlegged augments, already twisted far beyond the use they were designed for, previously damaged in another fight, do not take well to the impact. With one final crack, like a bolt of lightning crossing his face, the augments go through a final, fatal glitch, electricity zapping across his features, around his bones, into his brain – and killing him on the spot.
Achilles leaves Sisyphus’ body a few yards out from Pontius, where the boat chase ended, floating in the water; at first glance, the death looks like a tragic boating accident, an unfortunate step and a hard fall, followed by a slide into the sea. Achilles is just parking his own boat as the silhouettes of the guests’ boats break over the horizon, and he makes his swift escape back aboard Pontius.
ADMIN NOTE
Welcome, Reus members, to the culmination of our second event: the RED DAWN’S RUIN mini-event, a night of bloody revelry! This event will run for a week, starting this evening (Friday, April 15), and take place in both the IC server and on the Tumblr dashboard, though we’d prefer dash threads to take priority. Please note: for the portions of the event occurring once the guests have returned to Pontius from the festivities, the specific individual roles outlined above are still subject to plotting and approval of the muns involved – so, not mandatory! Also, feel free to plot your own interactions in addition to those described above – while guests are told to return to their rooms, whether or not they follow that request is entirely up to you!
We are now, once again, at a full house, and we couldn’t be happier as we move full steam ahead into preparing for the next event! Make sure to go through our checklist & send your accounts in 24h. Welcome to Reus.
CONGRATULATIONS, TRIXIE ! You were accepted for Eurydice with a Jessica Henwick playby. Trixie, your application was not only a delight to read for us Eurydice fans, it truly encapsulated Eurydice’s hollow predicament from cold, stark beginnings to the ambiguous present in poignant terms. You wrote Eurydice with her pragmatism, her dim heartbreak, but also wrote her with all the potential for hope and love, ambition and cruelty. Your plans for their development open the possibility to all sorts of interactions, and we cannot wait to start reading those threads as they come ! Highlight: “A sheet of paper, a pencil, and the valuable lesson that nothing in Tartarus is free. Shoes, love, dreams, family. They all had a price, they all demanded something, and it’s up to you to decide if you can pay it..”
Lia, we were so thrilled to see your application come in in the nick of time! Make sure to go through our checklist & send your accounts in 24h. Welcome to Reus.
CONGRATULATIONS, LIA ! You were accepted for Tisiphone with a Diane Guerrero playby. Lia, your app was astounding in its poeticism and the level of understanding you had of the skeleton, and how you took it beyond what was structural to them, what was given. From their role and machinations in Elysium to their feelings towards Athena, we truly got the sense of Tisiphone’s rhythms, their wildcard potential in their development ideals, and a fundamental understanding of who they are and what they’re capable of. We can’t wait to see them on the dash! Highlight: “They moved throughout Elysium like a GOD— a god amongst nonbelievers, who hadn’t the slightest idea that it was always Tisiphone who held all the cards. It was better that way. With the patrons' none the wiser, she’d managed to fix herself in the folds of the casino universe— becoming completely indistinguishable from both the forces of fate and luck.”
The final night of Heteraidia is marked by Zeus' official birthday celebration. The event starts Friday both in game and in real time, with members being allowed to start writing threads from Friday, 18th February, 2 pm EST. Its settings include a private dinner restricted to specific members and a general blowout party to end the festival with a bang.
The dinner will start earlier in the evening, at the Xenios estate's formal dining room. The invite list is family-only, and includes: Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Hades, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, Zagreus and Zeus. There will be feasting, flowing drinks and a live string quartet, so get your speeches ready now!
The atmosphere will be intimate yet grand, a blend of the familial and stately, candlelight and champagne fountains. Afterwards, guests will file out to the grounds of the estate, where the garden has been transformed into an event space for the final party of the Heteraidia Festival. This is the only time of year those outside the family and their closest friends are granted access to the estate, though the part of the garden used for the event is still a ways away from the house, and there are stringent security measures to make sure no one from the public can wander anywhere they're not allowed. There are multiple DJ booths, a dance floor, a sprawling buffet and several open bars, along with various entertainers and live performers posted at different points in the venue.
The garden is scattered with its usual installations of greenery, benches, fountains and statues, though all are drenched now in glittering neon lights and projected recordings of various events in Zeus Rhea's life and the history of Nemean News. The only thing that raises from the backdrop unaltered is the illuminated statue of Zeus Rhea himself, dipped in chromium and lit from below. The theme of the party is Eternity, please dress accordingly. The Rheas want to set new legacies as much as honour the old ones, and there is no better way to reflect that than accessories that cry immortality.
At some point during the party, Nyx, Circe, Poseidon, Hades, Zeus and Hera will meet in Zeus' private study for a private discussion.
Threads related to the general party can take place both on the dash and in the IC server, as everyone is welcome to attend. However, the private family dinner as well as the private meeting of the six ‘Cronus conspirators’ will be allocated to discord only. The bigger dinner will take place across IC threads set up for the purpose of quick interactions between attendees, while the political meeting will take place within a single IC discord thread and comprise one conversation where the six get to speak in turns. To make sure all our six writers are online at the same time, someone on our mod team will contact you to agree on a time-frame.
As a reminder, the Heteraidia Festival event will end on Sunday, February 20, followed by a Wrap-Up Week to finish threads and optionally delve into flashbacks. A more comprehensive announcement on this timeline will come at the end of this week, but take this announcement as a reminder to start wrapping up plots & reach out for DMs. Remember you can close threads even if they're not fully finished on the dash, so long as you headcanon their outcome with your partner(s). Enjoy the party!
February 2130. Pandora Independent reporting from Pontius on the first day of the Kalavria Summit.
Those of us who have been around long enough know: where the sun may set for one domain within Gaia, it rises for another. As the festivities for Heteraidia come to a close elsewhere, Aegean Waters begins preparations for their first Kalavria Summit - an ambitious endeavor announced nearly years in advance. Touted as a tech and media conference for Gaia’s industry leaders, innovative creators, and invited press (yours truly included, thank you very much!), the Summit is rumored to be the first of its kind in terms of sheer size, scale, and amenities offered to those invited as Pontius (and its adjacent archipelago) opens up for its largest, most glamorous public hosted event yet.
The floating leviathan has been anchored off of the Aegean Archipelago, and attendees arrive by way of private air or sea travel. Poseidon Rhea has graciously arranged shuttle ferries for those who don’t have the means to arrive on their own, though those of that ilk may find it torturously slow - especially when flurries of private aircrafts swoop in above, and passing speedboats create a continuous wake on their way to dock at the distant silhouette carved into the horizon.
As arrivals are unloaded and attendees make their way up Pontius’ main glittering stairway, those who have never had the privilege of visiting prior will find the Helicon deck greeting them first. Already normally opulent and spilling with excess and leisure, attendees will pass through an open-air twenty-four-hour bar; the largest, swear-to-Chaos shimmering outdoor pool of mosaic and marble tiles the entirety of Gaia has ever seen (serviced, of course, by dutiful attendants); and the vast Basileus Stage outfitted just for the occasion, boasting rotating acts in between summit sessions - aerialists and acrobats and fire-eaters, a live orchestra playing grand and flourishing pieces with each major arrival, and set pieces that could nearly put Delos Studio to shame.
The heart of the summit will be on the Kalavria Deck, second to uppermost, where the majority of the guests will be staying throughout the two week duration. Notably, the deck plays host to a grand, spanning ballroom housing the conference’s tech showcases, demonstrations, and panels - if you were the least bit bewitched by The Agora at the Heteraidia Festival, this expo is for you. It spans thrice the space, and boasts enough in the realms of science and technology to make The Agora look like slim pickings. In a smaller hall across from the ballroom is a space designated for press conferences, a cordoned off area reserved only for reporters and journalists to reserve interviews with any of the illustrious attendees - should they choose to accept, of course. Aegean Waters has always boasted an emphasis on transparency and open forum with the public (though we’ll see if such earnestness backfires… even those of Pontius are not immune to scandal, as we’ve come to see!)
Presiding over this technological arms race is, as always, the Arcadian Quorum. There is hardly a pocket the council doesn’t reach into, or a promising venture they fail to oversee. This endless merchant road of legates and representatives is what ensures Arcadia’s economic prospects remain as triumphal as they have been for centuries. For the duration of the summit, the following trailblazers will represent the city-states’ political and financial interests alike… as well as supervise the legal proceedings. They are there to ensure everything is equitable and above board in the action market of Pontius’ four decks.
Such concerns, of course, are only scratching the surface. Beyond anything, their purpose is to ensure the Quorum will not miss any opportunity for investment, and that both the elective body and the individual states they represent will eat well, conquer plenty, and seize with both hands.
QM Briseis Krisia - Lyrnessus state representative in the Quorum, one of the youngest elected to serve in the council at a national level, rumored to be gunning for the first nomination of a diplomat into Tartarus.
COO Clytemnestra Tyndareus - HELE-N’s COO and head of business relations for the genome mapping company, scion of the renowned Tyndareus dynasty, ready to steal the biotechnology show from the get-go.
QM Diomedes Delyle - Aetolian state representative, often found working together in a lethal duo with their wiser, more jaded counterpart, QM Odysseus Laertes. Often called upon as a financial expert, but they are best known for their reckless (and yet nearly clairvoyant) investments.
Menelaus Mycenae - Agamemon’s estranged sibling, most famous ‘professional’ actor of their generation and four time Pallantium Award winner, recently gone off the rails and running their mouth about all kinds of peculiar ventures their brother is getting into.
QM Odysseus Laertes - Ithaca state representative, former tech prodigy abandoning the industry in order to enter politics and propose a stronger tech corporate regulation reform, with notable criticism done in partnership with Nemean News and Zeus and Athena Rhea; Circe’s age-old university rival.
Orion Hyria - One of the most renowned movie directors of the past decades, worked with Artemis for a brief stint before personal divergences pulled them apart (and Zeus pulled the strings to deadlock all their most enterprising projects), now they are a creative consultant working with the Quorum’s not-so-subtle propaganda machine.
Agamemnon ‘Amon’ Mycenae (NPC) - CEO & founder of HELE-N, former protege and personal investment of Cronus Rhea, went off the grid after the magnate’s death and resurfaced under Tyndareus’ protection two decades ago.
And of course: those from Olympe and Tartarus are in attendance, with their own agendas in mind. Both visiting kings surely have their reasons for wanting to scope out the newest and biggest in tech to bring back to their respective domains, but who knows if there is something bigger that pulls all of them within the same territory yet again. Members from both factions have been invited to speak on topics relevant to their domains and industries.
Some new arrivals we’re keeping an extra eye out for this week:
SCALPEL: One event you’ll not want to miss is the demonstration by recent Aegean acquisition Scalpel, presided over by POSEIDON himself. The controversial company first made waves when its entire founding team was expelled from GemTech in one fell swoop, and has only continued to shock and scandalize ever since. Supposedly, Scalpel has been pushing the boundaries of what was previously believed possible for facial and body augmentations to newer and greater heights– though rumor has it that there is not enough data on their product’s side-effects or long-term outcomes, and that the company has a track record of prioritizing flashy developments over human safety. Whatever the truth, there’s no question that their product has been surrounded by its fair share of hype and mystery, so be sure to get your seat early!
HELE-N: One of the most buzzed about demos is surely that of HELE-N’s, conducted by AGAMEMNON. For those who may not be in the know, HELE-N is a global tech company that has stolen the spotlight as of late for pushing their industry one step past what the late Cronus Rhea pioneered, claiming the next step in age extension. Analysts are predicting immortality is within reach of HELE-N's tech - though it remains to be seen if it is more than just a rumor, it is no surprise their booth flaunts the highest crowds. Little is known about the team currently working on its development, and the mother-company seems to rotate with every report. Independently-owned, no one knows when the product is going to hit public markets, but the Three Kings are keeping their bids close to their chest - and conducting their own investigations.
Additionally, your darling Pandora lackeys have managed to snag a snapshot of the itinerary for this two-week event:
ITINERARY FOR WEEK 1
Opening Keynote Speech & Introduction to Kalavria - presented by POSEIDON
News & Tech in 2130 - a conversation between APHRODITE and ZEUS
Innovation & Invention: A Glimpse into Aegean Waters’ Future - presented by CIRCE & HEPHAESTUS
Scalpel Demonstration - hosted by POSEIDON
The Chaos Ball - Mini-event to be conducted in the IC Discord server, March 19th - 25th. A masquerade party themed around the divine power, celebrating the end of the first week. Attendees are encouraged to dress according to their interpretation of the theme, and the ball is to be held atop Helicon.
ITINERARY FOR WEEK 2
Governance & Tech in Gaia - moderated by ATHENA, panelists include ICARUS & ODYSSEUS
HELE-N Demonstration - hosted by AGAMEMNON
Talaria & Social Design - presented by HERMES
Tech & Tourism Panel - moderated by ARIADNE, panelists include HADES, NYX & BRISEIS
Final Night Festivities - Mini-event to be conducted in the IC Discord server, April 9th - 15th. Drinks by candlelight on Helicon, along with a selection of rafts and private boats, finishing off with fireworks shot under the Aegean stars.
ONGOING: LEISURE
Helicopter and glass-bottom boat tours off the coast of the archipelago
Whale-watching, snorkeling and diving around the local reef
Boat and jetski races between small local islands
Various ocean sports, including spearfishing and waterskiing
Hands-on demonstrations, notably in the realm of augmentations
Tours of the greenhouses and production facilities on Isthmia deck
Unlimited access to the spas on Kalavria deck, and hot springs on the local islands
ADMIN NOTE
Welcome to our second event, a two week summit aboard Pontius which takes place from March 5 - April 15th in real time! Feel free to set your threads anywhere on Pontius, so long as they loosely follow the guidelines of the itinerary for each in-game week. Also, remember you are encouraged to suggest locations and mini-events to the mods even if your character is not a part of the Pontius faction! Make sure you mention the date, location and general place in the itinerary at the beginning of your starters if you can (where applicable).
As you may have seen, we have peppered a few names through our event description! Besides the NPC Agamemnon Mycenae, CEO of HELE-N and a key player in the financial and political games taking place at the summit, we have also introduced six Arcadian newcomers. Their skeletons will be released in the following days, with more updates on when we start taking applications to come at the beginning of next week.
An important mention, here: due to popular request (and valid concerns) we were asked what measures we will put in place to make sure new applicants receive the same attention & equal chances as old members, who have had plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the plot and worldbuilding. Our best solution for this at the moment is to leave the skeletons exclusively available for applications by new people only. Current members who want to take a second character (or, pending admin permission, a third) are invited to apply for OCs. Updates on this OC format and guidelines will be released once all the skeletons are posted!
Additionally, players may now write ‘home base’ threads set during the two weeks between events, within their respective domains, granted they are necessary for plotting reasons– as most threads should focus on the current event!
We bring you the first part from the electric bogaloo of our Friday acceptances. As there are currently three reserves in place (Dusa, Alecto & Prometheus!!!), the second part will be posted tomorrow, Saturday, when our submit will close at 1 PM EST.
For those accepted today (the grand number of 1, our bravest soldier!), make sure to go through our checklist and send in your accounts within 24h.
CONGRATULATIONS, MAR ! You were accepted for Artemis with a Wakeema Hollis playby. Mar, we’ve been missing Artemis since opening, but we’ve never really understood how much we needed them until this interpretation. You portray Temi’s childhood, from conflict to collusion, from rebellion to rejection, in all the nuances she deserves and more. The development section did a whole number on our hearts, and between it and the headcanons we went through all the stages of grief, exhilaration, and clown communication. The hardest part about this app was choosing what to highlight. Thank you so much for bringing us this vision! Highlight: “At fourteen you speak to someone from Pandora Independent at a movie premiere and say something intentionally offhand about how you prefer reading their news over that published by your father’s outlet. (A lie: you don’t even read the news, let alone have a preference.)”
