Hagoromo's Comet
Hello Everyone! Gladius is celebrating its second year anniversary with a brand new event! The event is called "Hagoromo's Comet" and it will give you all the opportunity to earn a significant amount of experience while also engaging in some meaningful character development.
Backstory
Hundreds of years ago, the brothers Hagoromo and Hamura fought their mother Kaguya in a battle for the fate of the world. The battle was so destructive that it transformed the geography of the planet, rendering a lush forest into what is currently known as the Land of Stone. During the course of the battle, Hagoromo conjured a massive orb which sucked in nearly everything around it. It is speculated that this technique was connected to Chibaku Tensei in some way and Hagoromo had hoped to seal his mother into the celestial body, before sending it off-world and into the furthest reaches of space. However, the maneuver was only partially successful. Hagoromo's Comet had managed to tear off much of the flesh and bone from the Rabbit Goddess's partially transformed body, and although it did not fully trap her, it did weaken her greatly. The mass construct contained bits of the Ten Tails, parts of the God Tree, and a significant amount of the Earth's crust. The spherical rock was then supercharged with Hagoromo's chakra and then flung out of Earth's orbit where it traveled through space. A relic of a battle that took place over a millennia ago.
In 934 A.S., Hagoromo's Comet will return.
Astronomists on Earth have noticed an abnormal object making its way to Earth from the edges of space. After countless months of study and analysis, scientists have concluded that the object matches the exact description of the construct created by Hagoromo during his fight with Kaguya. Historical accounts are hazy and often unreliable but multiple witnesses writing at different locations all recall seeing a mass of earth ejected from the planet's atmosphere. A blueish-whitish mass which occasionally glowed red and emitted a stream of what can only be described as pure energy. Astronomists have cross-referenced their observations with these ancient accounts and have concluded with 99% certainty that despite all odds, the Earth is indeed being visited by Hagoromo's Comet.
Some have argued that the arrival of this comet bodes well for mankind.
Others have contended that it is a herald of doom.
What can be said for sure is that this event will be like none other in recent memory. Experts agree that there is little to no chance that the Comet itself will hit Earth. However, they acknowledge that because of the Comet's makeup, most shinobi and chakra sensitive individuals will be able to feel its passing. The Comet is encapsulated with the chakra of Hagoromo, the God Tree, and even that of the Ten Tails. Even as it passes the Earth, its power will resonate with the people of Earth. Some will be inspired by its appearance, others filled with Dread and loathing. There is no telling how people will react to this cosmic event, but even the most hardened of empiricists agree that approaching the comet's passing with an open mind is key to understanding it.
The Event
Hagoromo's Comet is an event designed for characters to look back on their experiences on Gladius and see how far they've come. Alternatively, it is an opportunity for those new characters to look to the future with bright and wide eyes. On September 30th 2019, (934 A.S. in game time), Hagoromo's Comet will pass by Earth. You can make a topic and tag it in brackets as [Hagoromo's Comet thread] where you and your friends can watch the comet go by.
The idea is that this thread is meant to be a chance to develop your character and consider what the comet means for you, your allies, your enemies, and of course the world as a whole. In celebration of the event, we are giving a few incentives for participation. Namely, that you will receive a flat 30 Experience for every post that you do in a "Hagoromo's Comet" thread. However, keep in mind, you can only be one Comet thread at a time and that the 30 Experience reward is standalone meaning additional modifiers cannot be stacked on top of it. Fortunately, your Comet thread doesn't take up one of your three allotted real time threads though. Solo threads will be allowed but you may only post once every 48 hours.
Additionally, many experts have come to a consensus that visualizing and committing to goals during this event may have significant cosmic implications. During the course of your Comet thread, your character may make three resolutions or promises to themselves. These goals can be anything from taking over a country, to killing a specific individual, or even finding love. You should try to make these goals at least somewhat challenging or difficult, and while they do not need to be combat related it is expected that you will invest a significant amount of effort and experience in achieving them.
Once you make these resolutions, you should note them in your character's update thread and you will be given one year to complete them. You will be given a reward every time you fulfill one of your resolutions and if you manage to complete all of them by the end of the year, you will be eligible for a special reward!
We will allow these Comet threads to run for 1 month. Afterwards, we will put it to a vote to see who has the best Comet thread. The thread that receives the most votes will get a special reward. A piece of the comet will break off and enter the Earth's atmosphere. Part of the Comet will be called to their location by the powerful resonance of those characters. The meteorite will strike the nearby area...revealing an otherworldly power! As for who within that thread gets the power, that's up to the characters themselves. Some may decide amongst themselves who should receive this blessing from Hagoromo, others will fight to the death for it, a few may turn it over to the proper authorities to decide, and a minority may even choose to destroy it completely so as to remove its temptation from the Earth.
However, for every blessing there is a curse.
The runner-up will receive another reward although one could hesitate to call it that. A malevolent entity that has hitched a ride on the comet will crash to Earth. After landing in the second place thread's vicinity, it will pose a grievous threat to the characters nearby. The entity is dangerous and while it may choose to bestow its own gifts to the inhabitants, it will only do so upon being defeated. Who or what is this mysterious entity?
You decide!
We will be actively soliciting plot ideas for what this entity will be. The idea may very well become Gladius's next overarching plot. This is a chance for you all as members to decide how you want the site's story to go and what kind of villain or plot you'd like to see over the course of the next year. This specific opportunity is open to members only.
