A union of three realms...
The Triune Festival is a once-in-a-century summer festival, attended in equal parts by mortals, spirits, and the dead in a display of unity. Held under the supervision of the High Shaman, the remote Tohua Village welcomes a host of festival-goers into the mortal realm for a centennial celebration.For twelve days and nights, attendees can earn points from a variety of games, events, and surprise challenges to compete for a chance to push their home domain ahead in a ‘friendly’ competition.Of course, not all who attend have festivities at the forefront of their minds – the Triune Festival is a rare opportunity for departed friends, families, and lovers to reunite under a red moon. Here, a chance meeting with a stranger may change your fate forever, for better or worse.
Will you walk amongst us this summer?
A realm where lush mountain peaks oversee a bustling mortal plane and an obsidian underworld stretches as far below as the mountains rise.
This is an alternate modern world (21st century) that draws heavy influence from East Asian cultures, resulting in a broad fusion of fashions and customs. You are free to take inspiration from any particular East Asian culture, or try your hand at creating a mix of cultures in your character’s design!Check out each domain's individual sections for specific settings that can influence your character’s appearance. For example, characters from the human domain might sport more modern clothing, while those from the spirit domain may prefer more traditional fashion.
| click on a domain to learn more about it! |
Nestled between the red maples and stalks of bamboo in the backwoods of Tohua,
the Blossoming Temple is home to the shamans who have served the village and hosted the Triune Festival for millenia. The High Shaman Tak Yal scurries around the temple ground, frantically readying last minute preparations for the festivities.The surrounding land is divided into three major sectors, from which many mortals hail to make merry during the Triune Festival. Every sector has preserved traditional culture to an extent – this bleeds into everything from architecture to music to language. However, technological advancements are akin to that of the 21st century. In contrast to the spirits and the dead, mortals wear clothing that are traditional but have
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THE THREE MAJOR SECTORS.
Denhko City - A hub of culture and entertainment, Denhko City is a large metropolitan area with music and food at its heart. Though the light of day bathes the bustling city in a warm and welcoming profile, the darkness of night provides cover for more clandestine activity.Misujen - The rolling mountains of Misu supply fertile land for farmers to nurse their crops. The picturesque landscape and romantic scenery prevails through all four seasons, lending itself as a prime spot for the aloof and introspective. Many creatives live amongst the paddy tenders and graziers that call Misujen home.Jingsa Ruins - Jingsa was once a fast paced tech and trade city that fell about eighty years ago in a battle against a pirate company that had plagued the area for generations. Now, all that’s left of Jingsa is its titular destruction, and those who still live there do so out of sentimental attachment.
POSSIBLE CHARACTERS.
Mortals: Humans hail from all around the land, with occupations that span the gamut of modern day jobs and even some older ones. As the hosts of the Triune Festival, mortals are the only ones who may offer goods and services at the festival. This can range from face painting to selling ancient artifacts.
- Those from Denhko City primarily revolve their occupations around entertainment and culture - actors, musicians, etc. The city has its share of shady characters as well, however - a huge underground syndicate haunts the streets, lurking at the corners of alleyways to prey on those unwary.- Artists, writers, playwrights, poets all fall in with the farmers and graziers from Misu. The area is much slower paced compared to the city, so many of those who stay within the mountains are more attuned with nature, and prefer a more leisurely life.- A large section of Jingsa’s population has passed onto the next life in battle. Those who are left live quietly and separated from the rest of the land, preferring to heal with the ruins that remain, a ghost of the city it once was.
Lower Shaman - Along with regular civilians, lower shamans are also encouraged to enjoy the festivities that they themselves have prepared for the past five years.
- Lower acceptance %. Lower shamans have a possibility to be called upon by Tak Yal for assistance preparing events. They are expected to maintain upkeep of the village grounds, and make sure everything is running smoothly.- Shamans are trained to be calm under tense situations and defuse any unsavory disagreements that may broil during the festival, in order to maintain the good relations between the three factions.- Shamans are not required to wear a uniform, but they must carry the white and black beads of shamanism on them at all times.
An orange-scented breeze drifts through town. Once again, Tohua Village stirs…
Tohua Village itself is more of a vacation town, run mostly by the shamans who inhabit the Blossoming Temple. No one permanently lives in the area, as it’s seen more as a sacred land to host the festival – resulting in a densely constructed village square filled with tranquil inns and halls that come roaring to life once every century.Throughout the years, an emphasis on traditions have kept the original aesthetic of the town a priority - though traces of the modern era still peek through between alleyways, the majority of Tohua is a maze of traditional buildings (think Kyoto, Japan). At every corner lies a shrine dedicated to the neighboring realms, maintained with ever-burning incense that paint the sky with soft white smoke. Like its name suggests, the village most notably features a collection of orange trees that somehow stay in blossom year-round.
THE FESTIVAL.
Every hundred years, the reigning High Shaman places a key inside the Portal Well in the heart of Tohua under a red moon - turning the dark waters into a glowing, otherworldly gateway through which the denizens of the mountainous spirit realm and the roaming ghosts from the underworld may pass.Clutching the gifts from their respective leaders, spirits and the dead may walk openly amongst mortals once again. The Triune Festival contains many customs that appear as events throughout the two-week long celebration. A shop has been set up in the town square, run by Yama’s assistant, Mumyeong. Attuned with traditional magic, Mumyeong has altered the shop’s items to be consumable by spirit, dead, and mortal alike. These goods can be traded for gold, which may be be earned through various games.Traditionally, festival customs revolve around Tohua and its ever-blossoming orange trees, which only bear fruit during the Triune. Thus, many signature festival desserts make use of the village’s titular fruit, such as the orange chiffon cake. The staple of Tohua, orange blossom wine, becomes all the sweeter during the celebration.
A gentle wind lifts you high above the clouds. Resting on the tallest peak of the spirit realm lies the misty court of Senku, the Mountain King.
In the mountains towering over the mortal plane lies the realm of animal spirits, loosely ruled over by the Mountain King and his mythic deputies. As distant and lofty as the skies he calls home, the kirin spirit Senku oversees the ongoings of his realm with a distant eye.For the most part, the spirits here are self-governed and isolated, preferring to roam freely across the mountainous wilderness. Large settlements are rare, and the spirit realm is vast enough that one can go years without seeing tail or whisker of another spirit. Technology and fashions tend to lag a century behind that of the mortal plane – the Triune Festival is the only exposure most spirits will ever get to human inventions, as only the most adventurous choose to slip by the eyes of Senku to muddle around in the mortal plane below.In their humanoid forms, spirits may retain certain animal characteristics – ears, tails, wings, horns, etc. – but will appear mostly human-like. (Think kemonomimi!) During the festival, Senku bestows a sacred fire within each spirit, temporarily trapping them in their humanoid forms so they can mingle freely amongst mortals.
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POSSIBLE CHARACTERS.
Animal spirits - Animals who have ascended into the spirit realm, leaving their mortal bodies behind in the human plane.
- These spirits form the bulk of the population, vastly outnumbering mythic spirits. Animal spirits are best known for their ability to take on animalistic features in their humanoid bodies, enhancing their physical capabilities beyond compare.- Though rare, it is possible for animals of the same family to ascend to the spirit realm together. Most communities are formed by animal spirits, seeking kinship with those of their own species.- Some animal spirits retain memories from the time they spent in the mortal realm, while others do not. It isn't uncommon for spirits to have lingering attachments to humans still living on the mortal plane, or even further below in the underworld...
Mythic spirits - Guardian deputies formed through human superstition. Ex: tengu, dokkaebi, dragons, phoenixes, tailed foxes, etc.
- Mythic spirits tend to have appearances that more closely resemble humans, as they were molded from the imaginations of man. Though their bestial transformations may appear less impressive or obvious than that of animal spirits, mythics are best known for their ability to call upon otherworldly powers granted through superstition.- Unlike animal spirits, these spirits are not ‘born’ from mortal bodies but come into being alone – any familial bonds are formed through choice, not blood.- All mythic spirits are considered to be deputies under the direct supervision of the Mountain King, forming a loose court across the spirit realm that acts as an intermediary between spirits and humans.- Lower acceptance %. Mythic spirits are much rarer in number than animal spirits and are subject to increased scrutiny – no repeats of the same species will be accepted!
The funeral rites of the mortal plane may have been changed over the years, but one thing remains the same.
The deceased are dressed in their best robes, decorated and surrounded by some of their most treasured belongings. The coffin is lowered into the Hmai river, which guides the deceased with a gentle, soothing current. The coffin drifts to a halt at the iron gates, where not a single sound could be heard save for the soft splashes of the inky water.Here is the final resting place of all those who ever lived, the Obsidian Palace. A thick, blue fog dulls even the most painful of memories, as Death welcomes all with a warm embrace.Seated atop the throne is Yama, the Lord of the Dead, the twin brother of Life – there since time immemorial.
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POSSIBLE CHARACTERS.
Ghosts - Souls of the dead (originally humans)
- Left with only fragmented memories of their mortal life. Their attire will reflect the time period in which they lived. Some may retain wounds or traces of how they died, if it had a lasting mark on their soul…
Can phase through objects, and normally do not have a physical form. During the festival, they are granted a charm in the form of Yama’s red string- this allows them to be seen and heard by mortals once more.
Poltergeists - lost souls.
- Only the greatest of sins are punished with a death without a proper river burial. Those who were not granted a funeral are left wandering the mortal plane, loosely anchored to the place they met their end. They are burdened with knowledge and regrets of their past life, unable to rest, though their flesh lies still.- But not all those who wander in limbo are deserving of their fate- some have simply met an untimely end in a place noone can reach.- Backstory subject to increased scrutiny.
Grim reapers - A bureaucratic system of grim reapers under direct supervision of Yama, the Lord of the Dead, who are responsible for bringing souls safely into the underworld.
- Black clothing, some accent of white, very minimal color.
- Black sclera and white pupils.
- Ashy, dead-looking skin.
- Lower acceptance %.
Rules.
All members must be 18+.
The preserver is rated pg-16; this means that all art, writing, and general conversation in public spaces should fall under this umbrella.
Post-acceptance, the server will be rated pg-18. We will have separate channels and spaces for NSFW and overall 18+ content, but please keep sensitive topics to a minimum in the public chat!Treat everyone with respect.
This goes without saying, but please treat one another with kindness and respect – we want this to be a fun and inclusive space! Any instances of inappropriate behavior, harassment, boundary-crossing, etc. will not be tolerated and should be brought up with the mods directly in a DM.
As this is a short-run event, the mods will not tolerate any instances of inappropriate behavior. A warning may be given for minor infractions, but major rule breaking can result in immediate removal from the group.Practice good RP etiquette.
This means no god-modding, ship chasing, or metagaming – please remember to keep IC and OOC actions separate as well! While IC drama is allowed and encouraged, OOC drama will not be tolerated.
CHARACTER CREATION.
- Characters must be over (and look over) the age of 18.- One fully colored fullbody of your character is required for the drawn app portion – as this is an art heavy event in terms of points scoring, so all art must be done by you!- We're looking for a shorter app, as this is a short run event and we encourage more rps and relationship building, and we want apps to be easy to digest. Something between 400-600 words is ideal! Prose and flowery writing is also optional - as long as your app communicates who your character is, it's good!Check out the World section for specifics on species and background options. If one domain seems to start gaining more potential applicants, applicants are encouraged to apply for other factions as there's a higher chance of getting in.
ROLEPLAY SYSTEM.
In character interactions are heavily encouraged.
The Triune Festival is run through Discord. We will be using threads for one on one text RP sessions, and chains for one on one art RP sessions.
RAPID FIRE.
These text threads are open for multiple participants, but will be one-on-one with the thread starter!
- Poster uploads RP starter as normal text. OP can limit how many people can reply - a maximum of 10 can be set for all rapid fire rps.- To interact with an open RP, first react to the OP with an emote. This will act as a “counter” to keep track of how many people will be replying.
-Create a thread and tag the OP in the title. Quote the original text and tag the OP again inside the thread.
PUBLIC ART CHAIN.
These art chains are also open for multiple participants, but will be one-on-one with the chain starter!
- Poster uploads an RP "hook" by drawing their character interacting with a "mannequin" placeholder character.- Other rpers can then reply with their character in the mannequin's place, and a back-and-forth will start.
SCHEDULE.
RESERVES - May 11thPRESERVER/APPLICATIONS OPEN - May 28thPRESERVER/APPLICATIONS CLOSE - June 7thTHE TRIUNE FESTIVAL - June 17th
frequently asked questions.
How long will the Triune Festival event last?Both ICly and OOCly, we currently have the slated to run for 12 days. We will update if we make any changes to this, but we do intend for this to be a very short-run event!Can you make the event longer/will you run this event again?We understand that 12 days is a very short timeframe and quite uncommon in western RP spaces. We hope that this format allows for more active participation, less burnout, and an opportunity for us to run many different concepts in the future! The Triune Festival may be extended or run once more based on reception, but since running such a short event is a first for us, we’re just trying things out.Will there be a preserver?Yes! A preserver is coming soon, and yes, preserver activity can affect your chances of being accepted. While it is definitely possible to be accepted without as much activity/joining the preserver, since this is considered a short-run event (with a friendly competition as an OOC and IC motivator) we are hoping to accept applicants who show that they can be active with participation.How many applicants are you planning to accept?
This will be highly dependent on how many applicants we get, but we’re aiming for 15-20 per domain, so ideally around 45-60 total!Who are the mods of this group?We are a humble team of three mods, each ICly and OOCly overseeing a domain of our own during the event! For privacy reasons, we will post our tags after the event has ended.Would it be feasible for my character to have XXX hair/skin/eye colors/etc.?Yes, depending on the domain your character is from. We have a wide range of playable characters to choose from — if you are still unsure, don’t be afraid to check in with the respective mod/leader of each domain! During app checks, we will also be sure to address any visual inconsistencies.Does XXX event/invention/etc. still occur within the timeline of the world Triune Festival is set in?As this is an alternate universe modern fantasy, there will be many major world events or developments that may not align with real-world history, especially on the mortal plane. However, we hope for you as the player to participate in creating this world with us — as long as major world events or inventions are avoided, we encourage you to fill in many of the gaps in history yourself. Of course, if you need help here, always feel free to message a mod. During app checks, we will also be sure to address any written inconsistencies amongst players!What is the overall tone of the group?We aim to include all sorts of interactions, from slice of life to more serious! The overall energy should be lighthearted, as it is a festival filled with jovial celebration, but we understand (and encourage) RPs that may feature more heavy topics, as long as it stays within reason and isn’t gratuitous. It is highly unlikely for your character to come to any serious harm during the festival, as it takes place in a brightly lit and populated area, and many well-trained shamans patrol the village to make sure things are running smoothly.Is this a romance-centric event?No, but connections between player characters are always encouraged! While the Triune Festival has been known to bring together fated pairs in the past, the interpretation of a “fated pair” — romantic or otherwise — is up to you and your RP partner.Do I have to draw my own application art, or can I use a commissioned piece?The visual portion of the application must be drawn by the applicant. There will be many opportunities for written RP during our event run time, but the Triune Festival will be very art-focused in terms of scoring points for your home domain.Is there a prize of any sort for the winning domain?TBA — the mods are brewing ideas as the reward may depend on the amount of applicants/participants we receive.
APPLY.
