weed cheat sheet

[debug_mode]

WHO: the weeds
WHERE: the weeds clubhouse, of course!
WHEN: Day 80, idk, sometime after the mingle but not too late in the day.

[There was a ritual that was terrifying, so that called for a meeting.]

Okay, everyone! There was a ritual yesterday, which was actually rather terrifying. Only myself and Apple were present, so it's no surprise if you didn't know about it.

[a little bit of a sigh and nervous shrug.]

That said, I can see we've got a few new faces and maybe some old who don't know the patterns. You may not know what to expect if you appear at, or are otherwise summoned to a ritual and are expected to participate. So, listen to me. I've been around for a while. I can help you prepare.

[she clears her throat!]

Rituals for weeds split up into several types. The first type is "we weeds are separate and apart from the sheep, the sheep are doing the work." The second type is "we weeds are placed in the same situation as the sheep, we share in their situation and possibly their punishment." The second type was practically unheard of until after every flock needed to travel into the mist to save a hostage. However, it does exist. These can be 'fun' and harmless, or very dangerous. The harmless ones are more social in nature, and are usually a free-for-all. For example, a ritual where everyone was a bartender and we were given the chance to judge every flock for their talents at mixing drinks.

Let's split these up further. In the case of the first type, there are two other types of rituals. "Those we passively watch as spectators," and "those we can actively influence." They're both equally common. The first usually includes some sort of predicting or 'betting' element, where if we predict what the sheep are going to do, we get a reward. But, ones where we simply watch all the way through are possible, too. As for the second, it can be a universal "we can change things to be more difficult, or possibly easier, for the sheep," or a limited "you can choose to give the sheep an obstacle."

You may have noticed the sheep that 'win' get rewarded after the ritual is over, even if it is just 'everyone revives and is no longer injured.' With us, we tend to get a 'participation' award no matter what we do. There have been exceptions, and they're generally speaking rewards for being more... 'active'.

[She lets that hang there.]

At any rate, I don't think the sheep realized at first what, or who, was altering rituals, or if it was even happening. But, they're aware weeds have their own roles in rituals now. So, if you're in a situation where you know you hold a great amount of power, possibly over life and death, and that you're anonymous, and that therefore there's absolutely no consequences for how you use it... try to be responsible? Ahaha...

[she said, guiltily.]

...Anyway! I hope that helps you understand more about weeds roles in rituals. If you take away anything, it should maybe be this: be glad you're not a sheep, because you're a lot less likely to die or be maimed.

Oh, and that our consolation prizes are usually alcohol. Which you can use, or trade as you see fit.

Thanks for the listen. Good luck, and let's be careful out there. It's a dangerous world.

[General post for weeds! Feel free to ignore Your Name's speech and have your own thread, at whatever time or place around the clubhouse.]

Comments

[jerkalope]

[ showing up because there's some exposition to be had ]

Ha, just you and Apple? What kind of ritual was it?

[debug_mode]

We were on a ship. I guess it was a pirate ship? Or the ships of the flocks were sailors and we were chasing them? I don't know the actual set up. I just know they played this creepy music the entire time.

So, flocks started off just sailing, trying to look for 'treasure'. We could give them treasure, or we could take it away. This time we played nice and just gave them freebies.

...Then the flocks started becoming cultists and tried to summon sea monsters...

[jerkalope]

Hmm, what kind? Sea shanty? Siren whoo-ooing?

[ he has specific interests and the music is part of it ]

It's probably some siren thing if they've gone off the deep end, hehe! I know the last time they went mucking around in the sea it resulted in some songs but not a new cult forming.

[debug_mode]

A sort of foreboding music that increasingly got more and more tense... but never delivered on that tension. Definitely not singing music.

[jerkalope]

Major or minor? Eh, probably doesn't matter too much. The symbolism of those rituals is all over the place.

Soooo...did Apple convince you to play nicely or was that your own decision?

[debug_mode]

You ask the hard questions, don't you?

...I'm trying to tone down my level of spite I'm capable of, so it was our mutual decision. It more devolved into questions of 'which flock to help in what round.'

All of them won.

[jerkalope]

Clover and Rose must have been lucky to have you~

Well, if you weren't effected by the music it must have been something else causing them to lose their minds. Do we have to worry about their recruiting strategies now that it's over, or did it vanish like a lot of the other ritual punishments?

[debug_mode]

[sighs] Yes, yes. Bluebell too, but they won by becoming cultists, so 'winning' is a bit of a sick joke.

I think they found a way to burn off the effects, though they were ongoing after the ritual.

[jerkalope]

Yeah, pass. All that herd mentality, it must not have been a huge leap for them though. I'm curious if this has anything to do with the ocean meddling though. Might be worth checking in with Rose.

[debug_mode]

Ocean meddling?

[jerkalope]

Yeah, I don't know the specific details but there was an unsuccessful attempt at exploring the ocean a couple weeks ago. I assume a more successful one may have triggered your pirate roleplay. Or it could be a completely random punishment, who knows!

[debug_mode]

That would make a lot of sense... 'the sea getting its revenge,' and the weeds are its custodians, trying to keep the sheep from summoning a sea monster in their search for treasure.

[...]

The pasture sometimes scares me.

[jerkalope]

Heh, only sometimes?

Anyway, I'm happy enough to stay on dry land. Jackalopes are not amphibious cryptids. But I'll also keep an ear out if anybody did something exceedingly reckless on the same level of, oh, grave robbing and grand theft auto.

[manwhofelltoearth]

[talking…bunny…]

[jerkalope]

[ sits up at this new attention ]

Ho~ A new Weed and a ritual? I apparently missed a lot.

[manwhofelltoearth]

This ritual stuff is one hundred percent new to me.

As are talking animals, actually.

[jerkalope]

You'll get used to both of them. But there's no comparison as my conversation is far more entertaining!

I take it you don't have jackalopes where you're originally from?

[manwhofelltoearth]

Not outside of cryptozoology we don’t. Ah, it’s an honor. You’re very fluffy.

[jerkalope]

So you've heard of us, that makes you smarter than most! Even get a special classification. I'm Warden. And I am very fluffy, but I also have magnificent horns.

Have you picked out a name yet?

[manwhofelltoearth]

I’m giving it a day or two to percolate, though I’m accepting suggestions. What made you pick ‘Warden’?

[jerkalope]

That would depend on what you want to represent about yourself. That is if you don't have some kind of amnesia on top of forgetting your name!

For example, someone suggested 'Warden' because it's my job. Back home I supervise prisoners, and you might say it's one of the things I'm good at. Overseeing and keeping watch.

[manwhofelltoearth]

Ah, no, no. My memory’s fine and dandy other than my name—and a tendency to misplace keys, but that’s completely normal.

And see, Warden sounds dignified. You’re a guardian of something! Though I wasn’t expecting that something to be a jail, truth be told.

But I’m a priest, which doesn’t lend itself so well to, er, everyday monikers.

[jerkalope]

It's a very dignified jail, I assure you. No weird rituals or outside demons, just the inner ones of the prisoners as they wrestle with their choices!

As for priest, well, if you want to avoid the "Daddy" undertones, we'll skip "Father" and "Padre"...

You could go with "Bishop," "Monk," "Abbot," or "Friar"? Or even "Rector," but we have too many juvenile minded souls here for that to be mistaken for something else, hehehe.

[manwhofelltoearth]

You’re not wrong!

Mostly I think I want a non-titular name, though. Force of habit, you know? Otherwise I’ll just say the title and then fumble around trying to figure out the empty space after it.

[jerkalope]

Fair enough! Many here put a lot of emphasis on their name, annnd some just name themselves whatever they feel hungry for.

Are you fond of your religion? Maybe pick a name from that. They have tons, epochs even. Although Cain's already taken by another Weed, and I'm sure he has normal family issues about it.

[ said like he does not believe Million "McMurder Genocide" Knives has normal family issues ]