☆ Event Log: Winter Event Medley

[moustre]

Event Log: December, Winter Event Medley

I. Snow Way Out (6th - 10th) Predictions of an approaching storm come very early into Deceuer. Diviners and weather-witches assume from their imperfect findings that it will hit around mid-month, and so preparations begin leisurely around the city. Everyone is surprised when it hits much faster, and much harder, than anticipated, early on the morning of the 6th. Clouds roll in, dark and gray, covering the sky in a thick layer that brings a steely half-darkness even in the middle of the day. The snow starts to fall that same morning, fluffy and almost pleasant at first, but quickly turning icy and bitter. And then it continues falling. And continues falling some more. It isn't long before it starts to pile up in the streets and on top of shops and houses, wet and heavy, and growing more densely packed as the sky continues dumping winter on Aefenglom with no signs of stopping. This far on the south end of the continent, Aefenglom's infrastructure is not built for this kind of historic blizzard. Homes and shops alike were not built to withstand several feet of snow piling up on their rooftops, and at least a few collapses are imminent. Witches from the Coven take to the streets to try and clear them with heat and controlled fire, but the areas they leave have a tendency to ice over not long after they move on, and it expends quite a bit of magical energy trying to make even that much progress. Attempts grind to a halt later on the 6th, however, when something strange occurs. At times, the flurries of snow kicked up seem to move opposite to the direction of the howling wind, swirling almost as if they are alive, and this phenomenon brings with it disruptions in Witch magic and magitech. They occur seemingly at random, hitting one district but not another, hitting one neighborhood but not the one three blocks down. Even the length of time these disruptions last varies by too much to predict it, a few minutes, a few hours, a few days. The only ones unaffected by the disruptions are Monsters, who seem to keep whatever natural abilities they might have. They're much better off than untrained humans and Witches. In Aefenglom, a city that relies on magic and magitech in its day to day, this brings certain aspects of daily life to a screeching halt. a. A Chill of Dread The magical disruptions pose multiple problems. Blackouts are widespread across the city as the magitech lights in buildings and lining the streets fail, leaving entire Districts in periodic darkness. Magitech heating systems that are common in many homes and shops sputter out entirely, letting the cold creep in until residents are slowly freezing, unable to rely on magic to warm themselves. The homes in the Western Residential District have a bit easier - most have fireplaces still, and wood to burn in them, what with many Monster citizens not able to afford magitech heating anyway. Most shops scattered through the Districts close up for the duration of the blizzard, and ships cannot dock in the harbor, so supplies may run low. The biggest problem is that whatever is causing the disruptions inside the city has also managed to cause disruptions in the enchantments on the Bright Wall that help to defend against the Cwyld. Whole sections of the Wall go dormant. They usually seem to flicker back to life after some time has passed, leading experts to believe that Cwyld creeping into the city on its own is not an immediate concern, but the flickering is attracting more Shades toward the city than usual. This is much more pressing, because the Wilders become spread thin trying to keep up, and residents of the Outer City are in immediate danger from attacks. Anyone who is willing and able to help defend Aefenglom are asked to do, and issued mostly long-distance weaponry to help shoot down Shades before they can reach the Wall. Infected corpses will have to be dealt with later, after the snows have let up, because conditions are even worse outside the Wall - be careful, visibility is poor out there. As a temporary solution, Parliament elects to allow in residents of the Outer City who are completely free of infection, choosing to funnel them into the Refugee District. Overcrowding is not one of their concerns at the moment, though it is likely. Many citizens in varying stages of infection still remain outside the Bright Wall, however, in dilapidated housing that offers little to no protection from the elements and marauding Shades. b. Lending a Hand The entire city is hit pretty hard, but none harder than the Refugee District, and, ironically, some of the Aristocratic neighborhoods. In the Refugee District, the rowhouses given to them when they first arrived have been improved by Mirrorbound help, but a fair amount of the wood that makes up the structures is still weak from age and the elements, having sat empty and untended for so many years before. There are at least a few roof collapses, and the narrow, uneven streets are difficult to navigate with the snow piling up. The efforts to clear roadways have not reached this area, and may not for quite some time - they simply aren't the first priority. Along with overcrowding as uninfected citizens from the Outer City pile in, eager to reach safety from shades outside, it's clear that these neighborhoods will be left to handle the blackouts and lack of heating alone. Despite the hardships, they're all willing to buckle down, pitch in, and take care of each other, welcoming any Mirrorbound who come to assist or bring supplies with open arms, treating them as if they're just as much a part of this little community that has formed up. They open their homes to those displaced and crowd around fireplaces to stay warm together, lending a somehow cozy feel to the whole affair. They may not be the richest or most privileged, but they seem happier than many in the Aristocratic District, whose massive, airy homes are impossible to heat or navigate in the dark without the help of magitech lights and heating systems. The wealthy elite as well are not used to having to shovel their own walkways, so many remain snowed into their frigid homes, miserable, until volunteers with the city can dig them out. Maybe this is an opportunity to sow some good will? c. Warm Company Everyone has to take a break eventually, and look after themselves and their loved ones. It's difficult for anyone to keep going in the frigid temperatures for too long, and Mirrorbound are no exception. They, like everyone else, are encouraged to heat their homes the old fashioned way, should their houses have fireplaces. Sharing body heat, too, is a good way to weather the cold, especially for any Witches affected by the disruptions in magic, or Monsters whose types prefer warmer climates. For any of the Mirrorbound whose homes aren't warm enough to weather the storm in, the Coven opens up the dormitories again, as they did that first month, offering bedrooms with roaring fires in the fireplaces - but it'll be crowded, so enjoy sharing a bed with someone else. The blizzard dies down by the evening of the 10th, and with the passing of the storm, the disruptions in magic cease. Witches will find their magic reliable again, and magitech all over the city will flicker back to life, fully functional. Cleanup will commence in the days after, clearing snow from walkways, repairing damaged buildings, and beginning preparation for...

II. Modranicht (21st - 23rd) Modranicht proper begins on the 21st, and the days leading up to it are a frenzy of festivity. Homes are often decorated with sprigs of greenery and, less traditional, ribbons, and many shops begin holding sales on their giftable wares. This holiday is celebrated as a time spent with family and other loved ones; traditionally, all meals should be taken with others, and those who eat alone are said to find bad luck in the coming months. Those who can are delighted to pull strangers in to have lunch or dinner with them, should they seem like they're a little lonely around this time of year. The refugees from Dorchacht, many of them celebrating their first real Modranicht, seem especially excited, and any Mirrorbound that pass through their neighborhoods are likely to be given small, humble, handmade trinkets as tokens of gratitude for all their help in the past months. Leading up to the 21st, celebrations around the city are in full swing. a. Kiss-tletoe While many of the decorations adorning shopfronts and houses are simple wreaths and garlands of pine, holly, and ivy, enchanted mistletoe is absolutely littered around the city, dangling in doorways, hung up on walls, hanging from the eaves of rooftops. Strings of it zigzag over the streets, hung from lampposts. This is a festive tradition that will be familiar to some. When two people pass under a sprig of mistletoe together, they're supposed to kiss, and the enchantments on many of those sprigs encourage it. Some will stick the pair's feet to the ground until they do so, some will just very lightly compel a smooch, whether it's on the mouth, the hand, the cheek, the forehead. It's all in good fun, though - none of the enchantments are difficult to break, should one really not want to lock lips: you just have to destroy the mistletoe sprig you're under. Careful about getting stuck in public! Other passers-by will loudly cheer you and your mistletoe-mate on until a kiss is had! b. Craft Fair Gift-giving is an important tradition during Modranicht. It's considered only proper to present something to each of your loved ones, as a token of your care and affection for them. Handmade gifts are still widely regarded as the best, because it shows your effort in creating something just for them, so while shops may be having sales for purchased gifts, they're also trying to drum up more business this year in the form of crafting lessons. Most businesses will set up tables in their shops, and for a small fee at the door (to cover materials), an instructor will show a group of people how to make something related to whatever the shop offers for sale. All materials are provided, and attendees get to take home what they make to give as a gift. Some of these even include small enchantments - Witches are encouraged to learn the spell and help their Monster friends by enchanting their creation for them. Maybe you're attending, or hey, maybe a shop has roped you in to do a demonstration yourself! c. Eat, Drink & Be Merry All meals during Modranicht should be eaten with another person, according to tradition. Many families and groups of friends have their own feasts during the holiday, but all are invited to a city-wide feast as well, on the 23rd. Located in a park enchanted to be more spacious than normal, long tables piled with food rest beneath festively-decorated, open tents, and every resident of Aefenglom is welcome to come and have a plate, from the richest to the poorest. It begins at noon and goes well into the evening, and people come and go as they please, enjoying the food and the holiday cheer. It isn't required, but many citizens bring a dish to add to the tables, meant to be shared - usually a special family recipe. Mirrorbound are encouraged to share traditional food from their own homes (or close approximations of it), if they want to - many are highly interested in customs from other worlds, and it comes with bragging rights, should their dish prove popular! The yearly Feast is a great time for restaurant owners to come out and choose new additions to their menus. While a holiday primarily for family, attending the feast together is a popular past-time of new couples; small, controlled bonfires are set up around the grounds to warm up at, and hot drinks (both alcoholic and not) are provided. It's considered a very romantic date idea, but families gather around the fires as well, singing folk songs and telling stories well into the night. The few days just after Modranicht ends are widely regarded as time to take it easy and rest after merrymaking, just in time for...

III. Hunting of the Wren (26th) Once gifts and the like have been given out, a few days pass whilst they prepare for the last of the celebration: The Hunting of the Wren The "wren" itself is traditionally, well, a wren, but within recent decades it'd been acceptable simply to use any small bird available, be they from one of the citizens or, in this case, the Coven itself! Tiff, the ghost sparrow known to all Witches and what Monsters attend the Coven's lessons, is known as the grumpiest, meanest bird about -- never a kind squawk from this one, always flapping her wings distastefully on those who edge too near no matter the offerings made to lighten her mood, and, according to some students, "older than the Coven itself". Whether true or not, Tiff is incredibly long-lived, and is begrudgingly considered one of the mascots by the students. Ghost sparrows are known to consume wayward magic, making them excellent pets and familiars, and Tiff is no exception; her belly is filled with differing colors, creating a prismatic-like effect when light strikes her, and one could almost call her beautiful... until she opens her beak. She's none too happy about being in a cage, much less paraded around to "purge" poor behavior of the folk, and is letting this be known very much. a. Mischievous Meddling Those of the city enjoy themselves thoroughly with this event, laughter ringing in the air not unlike the bells of yule, yet Tiff remains ever the grump. She squawks, she crows, she spits minor elemental magics from her beak in frustration -- and the parade simply goes on, assuring those worried that she's always like this even indoors, and a bit of fresh air's good for the old bird. In particular Tiff's unhappy with the Mirrorbound, which isn't an uncommon thing as many of the Witches of that group would know, though the reason for the dislike isn't known even by those who've tried to speak or divine it: She just does not like them! If the harmless pranks don't satisfy her, as they often do not, Tiff decides to do some of her own by way of spitting minor elemental magics from her belly, in the form of embers, sparks, and icy winds. This'll cause small fires and short circuit the magitech of house for a small period of time, and frankly speaking the party people don't seem to care much. Most do, in that laughing assuring way that it'll burn itself out or the magitech'll just take ten to start back up, but some laugh a little too hard, jeer a little too much, beneath their anonymity. They toe the line and back off before things become too dicey, but... Well, the Dorchacht refugees they prank in the same way aren't so understanding, and spats begin to start that the city guard must break up. b. Joining the Fun Mirrorbound are encouraged to join their merry band as well, or otherwise make their own -- Aefenglom is a big city, after all, and one party (while customary) has never been enough. All one has to do it find a bird to keep in a cage and parade around playing pranks on family, friend, and foe in order to "purge" their bad behavior! While these pranks can be harmless, there's certainly no one stopping those who'd like to be a little worse to other Mirrorbound and native alike given the anonymity of the costumes... ... Which is how the refugees of Dorchacht plan to get their revenge, gussying up and hiding their features in order to perform acts of petty revenge. As parties do, while it starts with just the local Aefenglom natives it does start to extend to the Mirrorbound as well, so beware those who have actual Harpy sat in "cages" of performative magic for the occasion, because their pranks are much, much worse, and include suggestive song to manipulate those who hear it into doing things they may not usually do. [As ever, the pranks and the like are to player discretion! The city guard may get involved with all parties should they step over a line, mind, but given the season they're a little lenient in their work. Tiff cannot and will not be befriended.]

Welcome to December's event log! This one post covers all three mini-events taking place in December - there will not be another mod-posted log. Questions can be found HERE. The Quest Board is open as well! As always, feel free to use this log or make your own, and Happy Holidays, Aefenglom!

Comments

[enkidoh]

There is no use to sitting on the edge of the bed.

[They insist.]

Perhaps we can both sleep this way.

[Enkidu is tired but they are also cold. And sort of miserable. And truly, company would be nice. And it would be nice if Vanitas could be that company.]

[darkcharge]

[ He turns, of course, to look at Endiku all huddled up in the blankets. ]

If I agree to that, promise not to try anything?

[ Because he doesn't do vulnerability. ]

[enkidoh]

Try what, exactly?

[The look on Enkidu's face is somewhat confused.]

[darkcharge]

Something like stabbing me in the back or kicking me in my sleep or whatever.

[ Don't be sneaky, lil pot of clay. ]

[enkidoh]

My plan is to rest and stay warm. I do not need a knife to do such things.

[They won't.]

I cannot guarantee what movements I make in my sleep.

[darkcharge]

[ No one actually needs a knife to hurt someone... But Vanitas lets the comment slide for now. ]

What are you doing here anyway... I figured you'd be home or whatever with others.

[enkidoh]

This place is not my home. My home lies in the past.

[And well, in a way it would be nice to have a Bonded and brave the cold together with them. To share something intimate and warm. But the one they could truly bond with is not here.]

I rather be of help to other beings. [To be somewhat useful in this age of ultimate uselessness.] So I offer them my warmth.

[darkcharge]

I meant wherever you are living now.

[ Vanitas huffs before actually laying down and maybe shuffling under the blanket. Fine, clay thing. Have it your way. ]

Why? Why help them?

[ Why offer to help him? ]

[enkidoh]

Because it is cold there.

[The answer lies between 'I feel oddly alone' and 'I feel useless' but that is something Enkidu does not want to speak about. They have never really felt like this before and it is still difficult to place everything.]

Because you look cold. In fact, everyone looks cold.

[Especially now they cannot help themselves. It is better to focus on helping others out. It would provide them with some interesting human insights.

Once Vanitas has settled they shift a little and makes sure there is enough blanket for the both of them.]

[darkcharge]

[ Whether or not Vanitas would ever admit it, there had been a time where he had felt much the same. That time had been long ago in the past, before he shut himself off from those emotions. Before he had learned to be cruel and dislodge such emotions. But every now and then they still manifest - loneliness as Hareraisers.

But talking about that would mean that there had once been weakness in him. That this weakness is still there, lingering and not at all acknowledged. ]

That's because a lot of people are cold, Endiku. With the way that the weather has creeped in, I actually wondered if it was artificial or not... Since it seems to play with magic.

[enkidoh]

I do not think it is something normal.

[They pull up their knees a little.]

It would be foolish to think that this place would handle things in a normal way. All magic seems to be connected somehow and one thing triggers another. The Coven should've prepared us better, not?

[Way better...]

[darkcharge]

Should they have? Maybe... Can we really expect them to? No. In the end you can't rely on people like that...

[ At least this is the lesson that Vanitas has learned in life. There is no trusting anyone but yourself. ]

[enkidoh]

Yes. Why would they summon us in the first place?

[Enkidu sighs.]

Yet they strip us of our abilities and force us to become what they are. What an idiotic plan. If they would've allowed us to use the abilities we truly have this problem would be solved within no time.

[More sighs follow. They just want to feel the earth underneath their feet again... Its tremors, its warmth, its energy.]

[darkcharge]

[ No arguments there. It really is an idiotic plan. Bringing in off worlders to solve your problems only to take away what makes them unique? Doesn't make much sense at all. ]

Maybe they just want to see us suffer like they do. I can't think of any logical reason behind what they've done. Or perhaps it is beyond their control and they just down want to own that.

[enkidoh]

I do not think they want us to suffer but I do think the situation is beyond their control. Therefore we are the ones that suffer because we have no idea what we are up against.

We are no match for their enemy.