Hello, Queen of Hearts. We recently celebrated our 2nd birthday and we've been working our way onto our third, however with time things need to change and it's come to our attention that there needs to be a major change in store for this game.

We have been working with the game for quite a while in order to bring fresh life into it that could attract more players, we've taken suggestions for ways to advertise and how we can improve. And still, there's been a lack of apps and quite a few drops, which will surely take its toll on such a small game. We asked for a new moderator who might help to implement some of the changes the players have been asking for, but received no offers.

We feel we are running out of options on keeping this game interesting and afloat. If you have any suggestions, you are welcome to come to us, but we have made a few options of our own.

Closing the game: We don't want to do this! But if the players would like some sort of closure to send their characters home to, we will provide.

Musebox: We can turn the game into a musebox. There will be no applications or activity check, but also no moderator-run events or plot. This basically means the characters will stay in the Gardens and you are free to play as you like.

New mods: If some amount of players would like to step up and help to revamp the game and the rest of the players would be alright with that, we are happy to help.

Any other suggestions are welcome. We feel we're at a standstill currently, but we would love to keep this game running! There's no poll on this currently as these options aren't set in stone and can be changed. We mostly just want to gauge player interest. If it seems there's a divide on certain options, we can find a way to work it out.

I would great appreciate it if everyone could pop briefly over to the Taken page and see if you can spot any errors. It had fallen a little into disrepair, and I just cleaned it out and made sure everything is up to date but I might have missed something.If you spot any errors, just comment here with them and I'll fix them up.

The Queen has taken on an artistic mood this month, which means both art and the tools for creating art will be found throughout the Gardens in plentiful amounts. Everywhere you look you'll find easels and canvas, paints, sculpting clay, wood-carving equipment...you won't be able to throw a stick without hitting something artistic. And the Queen is quite keen to see you all make use of it - especially for crafting portraits of your fellow Garden Inhabitants. There's no reward for doing so outside of her gratitude and gushing praise, but it would be a shame to let all this go to waste, wouldn't it?

As well as the tools of the trade, the Garden is filled with finished works of art, some of them quite famous. Virtually all of them portray two people engaged in some stage of a romantic relationship, although there is a great deal of variety in what this means. Some are straightforwardly chaste, while others are still perfectly chaste but, being fine art, feature some exposed body parts. Others...well, others are less chaste. Some of them even appear to have been ripped from the covers of romance novels. Some are based on ancient myth. Some invoke the innocence of childhood. And some...well, some are simply bizarre. Any piece of you can imagine can be found here somewhere, so long as its subject is love.

(Savvy art critics may notice one difference, though: whereas most of these pieces depict love between a man and a woman, in the Garden they depict instead, naturally, love between two women. Or possibly more, depending on the piece)

Where the art tools are mundane, however, these paintings are supernatural. Step too close to one, and you may find yourself transported into the world of the painting, and cast in the roles of one of its subjects. The other role will be filled by whoever else the painting manages to capture - perhaps someone who was standing with you at the time, or perhaps another random passer-by. Regardless, once all the roles are filled, the game begins.

Every piece of art tells a story, although that story may vary depending on the viewer. To escape the world of the painting, your characters need simply play out the piece's story, with each character playing their role. Your characters will instinctively understand this upon arrival.

Suppose, however, that you get a scenario that you cannot or refuse to act out. Suppose, for instance, that you get a steamy romance novel cover with someone who is not your significant other. Fear not, because you do have an option: you can change the painting from within it, using a set of paints and copy of it which can be found less than ten feet from where you appear in the painting world. Any changes made to this canvas will be reflected in the world around you. If you want, wipe out the painting altogether and replace it with your own! The options are limitless. Just bear in mind that there's a brush for both participants; the two of you will have to come to a consensus about what the painting should be before you can play it out.

Short version:

1. The Garden is full of art supplies, and the Queen wants you to go hog wild.

2. The Garden is also full of art, generally of the romantic variety.

3. These paintings are magical and if you step too close to them at the wrong time, you can get sucked into the painting, into the world it depicts, and wind up playing the role of one of its subjects.

4. To escape, you and whoever gets stuck with you need only to play out the scenario suggested by the art.

5. If you don't want to do that, you can change the piece of art, which will alter the world around you and the scenario you need to perform in order to escape. Just make sure the two of you can agree to something.

Note: For simplicity's sake I've mostly referred to paintings here, but if you like it can apply to any work of art in any medium.

Feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments, or coordinate with other players.

Hello everyone! It's been a while since you've heard from us and we're very, very sorry for the delays. We've been spending the time getting our chickens together because we are sad to say that Vee is stepping down from modding due to time constraints. We'll miss her very much; she's done so much for the game and took on many responsibilities. The January event calendar, event itself, and the AC will be up shortly. But first, we would like to start looking for a new mod! This is a small game, but we feel it's better if we have more people who can be around should anything come up.
( information and apps )

Hello, everyone! We hope you have been enjoying the holidays.

This is a short message to tell you that we will be delaying some of the beginning of the month maintenance, such as the activity check and new calendar.

This is because we would first like to have a discussion post with all of our players about where they would like the game to go in the coming year (this is the start of our third!)

To keep the discussion contained to our current players, it will be a member's only entry, created tomorrow! So please be sure to check with your character journals and to begin gathering your thoughts.

Cafe Menu

The following characters have either been dropped recently, or will be removed from the game due to failing to meet activity requirements this round:

The Pirate Queen is leaving the Garden, so what does that mean for all of you?

At this point in time, the Pirate Queen is not taking on passengers (as she herself has said) but she is willing to bring back items in a few months time.

Will she do this for free? Absolutely not. It's time to barter.

Summary: Welcome to the end of the year. The nights are long but filled with stars.

[OOC] December 1st: Activity check!
December 1st: The orchard has returned to normal today. Should you come across the Queen, she'll tell you that you're welcome for the treat.
⇒ Mistletoe has sprouted up in the Garden again. Tis the season.
⇒ Should two characters happen to meet under one, intentionally or by mistake, an invisible wall will appear around them. It is impossible to get out of this wall, no matter what power they use, and the wall will only disappear once the two have kissed. This can be any type of kiss; cheek, mouth, etc.
[OOC] December 15th: CR Meme
⇒ The official Queen of Hearts CR Meme will occur on December 15th.
December 15th: At the Library, there is a casting call going out for characters in a theater version of The Nutcracker.
⇒ Actors can be either voluntary, or hijacked into the production by the Incarnae.
⇒ There will be a post for recruitment, and an open log for those who wish to play out aspects of the rehearsals.
⇒ There will also be requests for set-builders, costume designers, and orchestra members.
⇒ More detailed information in the OOC post to come!
December 25th - 31st: The show will be put on once a night for one week.
⇒ Throughout this week, all cast members will be stuck in character.

Note

We apologize that the Pirate Queen's announcement was delayed, the mods are having a few last minute discussions.

ACTIVITY CHECK It's time for the Queen of Hearts monthly activity check! ♡ In order to pass the activity check, please comment to this post with links to your character's activity by December 8th at 11:59 PM Eastern time (UTC/GMT -4). ♡ All activity during the month of November (between November 1st and November 30th) counts for the purposes of this activity check. ♡ Activity must consist of one of the following option:  ♕ Making a post in queenofheartsrp or in queenoflogs. OR  ♕ Participating in any combination of two threads from either queenoflogs or queenofheartsrp, both consisting of at least five comments by your character. ♡ If you feel you cannot make activity for your character this month, and you have not used up your character's three strikes, you may request a second chance. However, you will need to provide an extra piece of activity in the next round. (For more information on this, please see the rules.) If you are experiencing a serious struggle with your AC, or have any other questions about it, please feel free to talk to one of the moderators, we have open ears. ♡ The following characters need to provide an extra piece of activity this round as a result of having requested a second chance last round: ( second chance characters ) ♡ Characters who were accepted to the game the week of November 18th only need to submit one piece of activity. This includes the following characters: ( recent applicants ) ♡ Characters who have been accepted to the game since the week of November 25th are exempt this round. This includes the following characters: ( even more recent applicants )

Reminder: We made a change to our activity requirements. These have not yet been outlined fully in the rules, so if you have any questions please direct them to us. Any questions we get will help us word the ruling as effectively as possible when we go in to make that change.

Updates

Cafe Menu

Sugar Skulls & Marigolds

Sugar Skulls - On November 10th, all of the fruits and vegetables in the orchard have begun to sprout sugar skulls instead of produce, and animals for hunting have become scarce.

You'll really have to work to harvest nutritious food this month, as even the bears in the Arena are having a difficult time. Foods can be made from the magic dirt, but we have the cafe as an example of how far awry that can go. Besides, you might enjoy the surprise the sugar skulls have for you:

Should you go out to the orchard to pick out skulls, you will find that they have been decorated with the names of your loved ones; past, present, and future. Sit back and enjoy a pleasant memory of them, or a daydream of what's to come.

Marigolds - On November 15th, all of the paths in the Garden will be lined with marigolds.

These bright colored flowers are hiding a secret, however. The marigold is believed by some to have psychotropic effects. Whether that's true or not, the flowers' scent seems to be leading your mind and your body astray from the path, making navigation difficult in the Garden. What will you do when you are lost and alone?

Activity Check Results

The following characters have either been dropped recently, or will be removed from the game due to failing to meet activity requirements this round:

Hello Gardeners!

Your AC mod here. I've been having a hard time with an injured back, and have a lot of work piling up for me at school, so I'm going to be extending the AC deadline until the 10th to accommodate.

Please make good use of those extra couple days, if you've noticed anyone missing!

Summary: This is your very last chance before the darkest days of the year begin. Harvest what you can, make ready. Make merry.

[OOC] November 1st: Activity check!
November 3rd: The Pirate Queen's skeletal minions will be parading through the Gardens in lovely costumes today. The band will be playing, everyone will be dancing. Have a good time.
⇒ This is your precursor to some of the oddities of the month. The skeletal band will having it up all month long. Hope you like that tune they're playing.
November 10th: All of the fruits and vegetables in the orchard have begun to sprout sugar skulls instead of produce, and animals for hunting have become scarce. Can you stomach all these sweets?
⇒ More info to come!
[OOC] November 15th: HMD Meme
⇒ The official Queen of Hearts HMD Meme will occur on November 15th.
November 15th: All of the paths in the Garden will be lined with marigolds.
[OOC] November 22nd: Thanksgiving
⇒ Our events are not tailored for Thanksgiving this year, but we have left time open for player-organized events.
[OOC] November 26th: Anniversary!
⇒ Two years of Ladygarden.
November 30th: The Pirate Queen has an address to make.

ACTIVITY CHECK It's time for the Queen of Hearts monthly activity check! ♡ In order to pass the activity check, please comment to this post with links to your character's activity by November 8th at 11:59 PM Eastern time (UTC/GMT -4). ♡ All activity during the month of October (between October 1st and October 31st) counts for the purposes of this activity check. ♡ Activity must consist of one of the following option:  ♕ Making a post in queenofheartsrp or in queenoflogs. OR  ♕ Participating in any combination of two threads from either queenoflogs or queenofheartsrp, both consisting of at least five comments by your character. ♡ If you feel you cannot make activity for your character this month, and you have not used up your character's three strikes, you may request a second chance. However, you will need to provide an extra piece of activity in the next round. (For more information on this, please see the rules.) If you are experiencing a serious struggle with your AC, or have any other questions about it, please feel free to talk to one of the moderators, we have open ears. ♡ The following characters need to provide an extra piece of activity this round as a result of having requested a second chance last round: ( second chance characters ) ♡ Characters who were accepted to the game the week of November 14th only need to submit one piece of activity. This includes the following characters: ( recent applicants ) ♡ Characters who have been accepted to the game since the week of November 21st are exempt this round. This includes the following characters: ( even more recent applicants )

Reminder: We made a change to our activity requirements. These have not yet been outlined fully in the rules, so if you have any questions please direct them to us. Any questions we get will help us word the ruling as effectively as possible when we go in to make that change.

The following characters have either been dropped recently, or will be removed from the game due to failing to meet activity requirements this round:

ACTIVITY CHECK It's time for the Queen of Hearts monthly activity check! ♡ In order to pass the activity check, please comment to this post with links to your character's activity by October 8th at 11:59 PM Eastern time (UTC/GMT -4). ♡ All activity during the month of September (between September 1st and September 30th) counts for the purposes of this activity check. ♡ Activity must consist of one of the following options:  ♕ Making a post in queenofheartsrp or in queenoflogs. OR  ♕ Participating in any combination of two threads from either queenoflogs or queenofheartsrp, both consisting of at least five comments by your character. ♡ If you feel you cannot make activity for your character this month, and you have not used up your character's three strikes, you may request a second chance. However, you will need to provide an extra piece of activity in the next round. (For more information on this, please see the rules.) If you are experiencing a serious struggle with your AC, or have any other questions about it, please feel free to talk to one of the moderators, we have open ears. ♡ The following characters need to provide three pieces of activity this round as a result of having requested a second chance last round: ( second chance characters ) ♡ Characters who were accepted to the game the week of August 16th only need to submit one piece of activity. This includes the following characters: ( recent applicants ) ♡ Characters who have been accepted to the game since the week of August 23th are exempt this round. This includes the following characters: ( even more recent applicants )

Reminder: We made a change to our activity requirements last month. These have not yet been outlined fully in the rules, so if you have any questions please direct them to us. Any questions we get will help us word the ruling as effectively as possible when we go in to make that change.

The results for those who signed up for the bodyswap randomization:

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