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CR & PLOTTING: DECEMBER
Later, the mess at the Looking-Glass House resulted in some confusion, but also plenty of joy, as Mirrorbound received pieces of their homes, to remind them of where they came from. Hopefully it's all been cleaned up by now, and everyone has received their rightful items! The Coven is certainly glad to have everything out of the Looking-Glass House, and Mirrorbound will be pleased to know that the poor lad who does the late night cleaning has gotten a raise for his troubles.
Deceuer begins cold and cloudy, the sky remaining overcast most days. There are whispers of bad weather ahead...
An OOC note, since December is a busy time of year for a lot of players and us mods alike, we have three mini-events lined up for the month that will all be located in the same log, going up on the 6th! Feel free to forward-date and backdate things as desired.
SNOW WAY OUT (6th - 10th)
As Deceuer rolls in, predictions from diviners and witches whose focus is on meteorology begin to report a storm rolling in soon, advising that preparations be made before midmonth. Unfortunately, the storm reaches Aefenglom much earlier and hits much harder than expected. The skies turn gray and even more overcast than usual, thick, dark clouds mostly obscuring the sun. And then the snow begins, early on the morning of the 6th, falling quickly and in buckets, blanketing the ground and rooftops with no signs of stopping. It's shaping up to be a historic blizzard that a city like Aefenglom, nestled on the southern coast of Geardagas, has never seen.
Before long, the snow piles feet high in places, blocking doors and impeding roadways. In poorer areas, unmaintained roofs cannot hold the weight of it and sag inward, people have trouble getting around, and the River Temese develops a sheet of thin ice over the water. Curiously, observant characters may note the snow flurries that sometimes swirl against the direction of the wind, instead of with it, almost as if they're alive, and these flurries bring with them a strange phenomenon - they seem to herald a temporary disruption of witch magic. Witches and magitech alike in an affected area will find their magic and effects simply fizzling out, unusable. Monsters, on the other hand, keep their more magical abilities, such as a Dragon's fire breath or a Fae's illusions, and biological advantages are unaffected, experiencing no disruptions.
More than an inconvenience, this causes several problems with the infrastructure of Aefenglom, built heavily on magitech - heating in houses fail, neighborhoods experience total blackouts as the lights flicker out. Most notably, even the enchantments on the Bright Wall experience temporary disruptions in sections. It may not be enough to allow in the Cwyld immediately, but it does attract more Shades to the Outer City and the Wall than normal, causing the Wilders to be spread thin. Many of the uninfected residents of the Outer City will be allowed in to the refugees' neighborhood, which will cause some overcrowding, but any who are nursing a Cwyld infection will be forced to remain outside the Wall during the storm and will require protection.
Disruptions and blackouts will occur in short bursts in various areas of the city, completely at random and difficult to predict. Players can opt-out by simply assuming they haven't hit their character's location at the time.
Whether you're helping out around the city, fighting Shades in whiteout conditions beyond the Wall, or sharing body heat indoors with loved ones, Aefenglom will just have to get through it as best they can, relying on the help of their Monster brethren and by doing things the old-fashioned way for once. Stay warm, Mirrorbound.
The storm will finally taper off, and the magic disruptions will cease on the evening of the 10th, allowing for cleanup and preparation for...
MODRANICHT (21st - 23rd)
With magic returned and the snow mostly cleared, the winter holiday of Modranicht arrives, officially starting on the 21st. These three days are a time of being with loved ones, feasting, and gift-giving, and it's a holiday that noticeably perks up the citizens. Everyone is a little bit cheerier, with the blizzard in the past, and Mirrorbound and Monsters may all notice somewhat better treatment in a few less-friendly Districts (though they shouldn't necessarily expect it to last). Many are still chilly toward them, but things seem to be calming down, just a little - at least until Modranicht is over.
Decorations and gift-giving are important traditions. Many people adorn their homes with greenery - such as holly, ivy, mistletoe, yew, and pine, and yes, kissing under the mistletoe is definitely a thing around these parts. In fact, the city is absolutely littered with sprigs of enchanted mistletoe, hung in doorways and arches, tacked up to walls, and elsewhere. When two people stand underneath it, they are lightly compelled to kiss each other, whether it be on the lips, cheeks, foreheads, hands, or elsewhere. The enchantment is weak and can be broken with enough general 'do not want', but the locals consider it a fun and playful tradition, and partake joyously. Meanwhile in the Shopping District, sales on items that could be given as gifts are happening all over to draw in more business, but that seems to be pretty recent; handmade gifts are considered the gold standard, and many other shops are cashing in on it by holding crafting lessons, where attendees learn to make something and take it home with them to give to a loved one.
On the 23rd, all are encouraged to attend a city-wide feast, sponsored by several members of Parliament and the Coven, held in the city's largest park under magically-constructed tents. Food is provided, massive amounts of it, but it isn't uncommon for families or individuals to bring a dish to add to the overfilled tables - to share their own family recipes with others. Mirrorbound especially are encouraged to cook and bring a dish native to their homeland, or an approximation of it! Many are interested in traditions and cuisines from other worlds. Hot drinks and small, controlled bonfires are littered around the event space as well, to warm things up, and many young couples consider attending the feast together in the evening to be a romantic event, even though the holiday's focus is on family.
HUNTING OF THE WREN (26th)
On the 26th, after feasts have been had, gifts have been opened, and folks have been rested, it's time for the Hunting of the Wren, a tradition held over from pre-magical times.
Custom dictates that a small bird of any kind be caught and kept in a cage whilst costumed individuals, identities hidden, travel around the city and play harmless tricks on those within the comfort of their warm houses to "purge" bad behaviors. It's all merry fun, the smaller forms of children tagging along in their own costumes as they sing songs for the season and those taught by Mirrorbound who've been caught getting into the spirit of the holidays, but... it isn't so merry for some.
While normal citizens and natives to the city are treated with harmless pranks, the "wren" of this year, a semi-translucent bird with visible magics swirling within its body (Witches who trained with the Coven may note that this is the institute's grumpiest friend who hangs about the Coven, a Ghost Sparrow named Tiff,) isn't so friendly to Mirrorbound. Squawking loudly to entreat her current caretakers to punish the bad behavior of the Mirrorbound, she makes more than a fuss when the pranks aren't what she wants -- and the visible magics in her body spit out in the form of minor elemental spells, such as embers, sparks, and icy winds.
The costumed pranksters have a good laugh at it, of course, but it does tend to cause small fires and short circuit the magitech of most homes, and the parade doesn't seem to care that much about the plight of the Mirrorbound in this case, free to act as anonymous as they can with taunting words and jeers. Toeing the line, as it were, and leaving before it gets too dicey -- the same happens with those refugees from Dorchacht, only now beginning to consider Aefenglom home after months of stay, but the refugees react a little more quickly with their anger, causing minor verbal disputes and fights across their places of stay.
The refugees will back down if Mirrorbound get involved, but it's clear the relationship still isn't the easiest.
FORMS
With all that out of the way, here is your CR/Plotting form!
Player Name: Your name, handle, whatever you'd like!
Pronouns: Your preferred pronouns.
Contact: Preferred method of contact - discord, plurk, twitter, PM, ye olde MSN messenger, etc.
Timezone: Where are you in the world?
Character Name: Name & username!
Canon: Exactly as it says.
Appearance: Link an image or describe your character; if there's anything notable about them at first meeting, put it here!
Brief: A few words to sum up your character, a couple of lines to tell what they're about, whatever you'd like. If you have an info post all ready to go, feel free to link it in addition to your summary!
Choice: Witch or Monster; and for the latter, which one?
Event Plans: Anything specific to this month's event!
General Plans: Any other plans you have for the month! Don't forget to check out the Quest Board, too.
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Their CR is probably going to be a disaster and I'm honestly here for this.
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/tents fingers