☆ 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]

"Hmm! True."

Enkidu is still eating their own pie, chewing thoughtfully before taking a new bite.

"They think it is correct to make it taste watery." Allow them to pull a face. "But I can advice you the stronger, darker ones. They can have a bit of a bite and I always, always ask them to never put any water in that glass."

An apology? Enkidu looks up, a little surprised.

"It is always difficult to determine which Heroic Spirits value their class name and which one want to be called by their True Name. But my name is Enkidu. It is good to meet you, Iskandar." They smile. "The King of Conquerors is it not?"

[towards_okeanos]

Ha! He knew it! He knew his hunch was right! What Iskandar wasn't expecting is for them to be King of Heroes' legendary friend. They indeed have a distinctively ancient feel to them, true, but it still comes as a surprise.

"It is indeed I" he confirms with a grin. He likes being recognized.

"How are faring, if I may ask?"

Enkidu mentioned earlier he wasn't entirely comfortable with the magic of this world. It makes Iskandar wonder if that remains a problem. Only recently he was able to make his peace with it himself. Only when he saw how all tha witchcraft can actually be useful. He's still wary of it though.

[enkidoh]

"Most definitely. And you have brought really good food. I am enjoying it a lot."

Enkidu simply likes food. A lot of it too. Of all that has changed, their appetite isn't one.

"I am as well as I can be." They are bonded now but they feel everything except comfortable about it. Perhaps the feeling will die down when they get used to it. Their magic is doing way better now and their body got rid of the immense tension and pain. No explosions for them.

"How are you doing?" To them Iskandar looks very well. "We have had some...rough times."

[towards_okeanos]

"Thank you," he replies with a small bow. "I shall pass your kind words to the master craftsman. He'd be delighted."

In that, they are quite similar, Iskandar likes food too. King that he is he'll always take simple but made by people who care over even most fancy. Not because he's stranger to refined delicacies. He'd had his filling of those both in his youth and on the Persian court. It only made him appreciate simple dishes more.

"I am well. I may be, how they say it, far from settled" he laughs as he says that "but that's something I'm in no danger of ever being. Give me a chance and I'll probably be off somewhere in no time."

He turns to look at Enkidu.

"Rough times, you say? Hmm. I hope all as well now. Do say if you ever require assistance. I may lack the resources I had back home but I am never completely out of options."

[enkidoh]

Enkidu blinks for a moment and then they start to chuckle.

"And here I thought you made that all by yourself. You have disappointed me."

Thing is that when you are Gilgamesh's friend, there is always food. All sorts of food. From simple bread to complicated dishes from far away. In a way they've lived a comfortable life. One at the side of their best friend and a large forests just outside the city. When the other starts to speak again they snap out of those thoughts and focus on the words he is saying.

"I am familiar with that feeling. It is something that makes you feel restless. This city...staying too long feels as if I am...trapped."

That is the best way to describe it.

"The cold is gone I have taken bond potions so I have averted exploding." Still, that sounds like an offer. "When we spoke back then...you mentioned you wanted to go out exploring. Perhaps one day we should do just that."

[towards_okeanos]

Iskandar grins in response.

"Then I apologize for misleading you. I am a warrior, not a baker. Should I try to pretend to be one the results may be quite disastrous. At the very best, they will be far from satisfactory or even edible. One should always know where their strengths lie and where they do not."

The wide smile does not vanish from his face but Enkidu's wording gives him a pause. Trapped? That is not far from what he feels right now. It's not even a year, far less he spent in Egypt, and yet he's itching to move. The time was far from uneventful and he is grateful to have his boy at his side. Still, the walls as much as protect what's inside, they make him feel caged.
Nothing in comparison to the horror that was Black City. And yet, he just can't sit still in one place too long.

"No exploding? That's excellent!" He wasn't aware it was that bad. "Have you considered anything permanent?"

The potions can take you only so far. There will come a day they won't be enough. Iskandar was spared this problem as Waver has been already here when he arrived so so it was only natural for them to bond. Not everyone is as lucky.

[enkidoh]

"That leaves me with one important question. Are we better bakers or better witches?"

Being in this city feels a bit like a prison. They miss nature, they miss being able to go out at all times, they miss everything the earth can tell them. Scents, sounds, presences. It is all gone. Despite these melancholic thoughts they chuckle softly.

"In a way recipes are like spells. All you need to do is gather the right ingredients, isn't it?"

At that question they shake their head.

"As long as potions will work I will use that. I feel good now." A pause. "I take it you are bonded to another?"