isleofavalon | EVENT ✨ The Winter Solstice

EVENT ✨ The Winter Solstice

QUICK NAV: LOGS ⚔️️ NETWORK ⚔️️ MEMES ⚔️️ OOC ⚔️️ NAVIGATION

This is the event log. Reply with your character's top-level response using the prompts below, or come up with your own related scenario! Totally up to you. You're also welcome to make your own network posts, but we encourage you to keep logs in one place. If you have trouble loading, please click here to view top-level comments only. Please check the plotting post here for more details and questions. The event itself takes place on Dec. 21st.

As the moon rises on the 21st, all non-emergency businesses will be closing early as the Winter Solstice celebrations are of the utmost importance. Those who participated in the ritual will feel the night is different in their very being. Anyone who participated in the Winter Ritual preparations will be immortal for the next 24 hours. No harm may come to them, they will not be affected by the cold, and their magic will be amplified significantly as they are currently a conduit for the world's magic. Everyone, regardless of whether they participated in the preparations or not, is welcome to partake in tonight's festivities as there are many ways in which the Winter Solstice is celebrated.

The most significant event of the night is the Solstice Night Run. If you didn't participate in the ritual, you may be able to get a hit off of someone's Everwarm to participate. At the edge of the City of Camelot, heading into the Brocéliande, characters will be asked to remove their clothing (or if they aren't comfortable with that, change into very light robes provided by local donations) to return as close to a natural state as possible, then run through the forest. As characters run through the forest, despite everything being covered in ice and snow, the woods will begin to come alive. Will-o-wisps sprout out of the snow and shake the frost off, floating in the air to provide lights throughout the forest. The trees seem to move and dance as you pass by, flurries pick up, and even some animals will start running alongside you. It's a celebration for all, as magic flows through your body as becomes part of the forest.

Inevitably, somehow, someway, those participating in the run all end up reaching what seems to be a crack in the ground, slabs of rock surrounding a stream of water flowing through the crack. This is the fairy fountain of Barenton, a crack in the fabric of Avalon that connects its waters to other worlds. Though it's currently unable to connect now due to the time freeze, some of the fairy folk running with you will happily let you know that some of its powers are still in tact-- try sprinkling some water on the stone slab nearby. As the waters trail down the slab and form a puddle on the floor, the drops from your hand will open a vision of a treasured memory. Anyone near you will be able to see it, so only do it if you're willing to share. There are many other uses, but since you're still very new, this is the only one they're willing to share for the moment. Regardless of whether you choose to use that form of magic or not, as you approach the fountain, it will begin to bubble and glow, and lights like an aurora borealis will begin to glow around you as your connection to Avalon deepens. You'll be able to feel the life of the forest, a connectedness to the world you've likely never felt before. Every leaf, the wind, every living being, the magic in the fabric of the world, is a part of you and you are a part of it.

As the night presses on, a large number of fairies begin to form fairy circles, both in the forest and back in the City-- so you needn't have participated in the run to find one. Toadstools and flowers sprout up through the snow that hadn't been there before, forming near-perfect circles in nature. Stepping into one, whether on purpose or on accident, will shrink you down to the pixies' size so you can dance with them, if you promise to keep going for the whole dance. The dance lasts about 20 minutes straight and there don't seem to be any rules besides keep moving around the fairy circle, even if you bump into someone. In the last minute of the dance, pixies will fly above the circle and sprinkle dust over the whole party. Anyone who completed the dance will be returned to their normal size and granted the ability to fly for the duration of the witching hour of 2-3am. You'll be invited to drink with them afterward, if that's your thing, but will not be offended if it isn't.

Not completing the dance despite stepping into their circle, being rude to the pixies, or attempting to stop anyone who is dancing will anger the pixies. Pixies are a tricksy bunch, so you'd be better off avoiding this, but if a character happens to get on their bad side, there are a few different types of pixie curses they may be inflicted with:

Small Soul:

Pixy-led:

Bellbark:

As the night winds down, anyone who had participated in the ritual will find themselves rather suddenly sleepy regardless of where they are and may fall asleep as if under a spell right there out in the snow. They'll wake up normally in the morning, the land having used their slumber as time to finish off its work using you as a conduit. Don't worry, those under the influence of the ritual's effects won't catch cold or anything... though, we can't guarantee anything with those pixie effects-- they weren't really harmful, after all, just irritating. Anyone who fell asleep outside will find that the snow has melted in their area for about 5 feet and bright green plants have started sprouting around them on the ground, some vines growing around their limbs but ultimately nothing that can't be brushed off easily.

It would appear that while it was a permitted act during the Winter Solstice, the fae who may have told you about that little trick with the fountain and the pedestal may not have shared the whole story. As it turns out, the slab that everyone was trickling water onto is a stone known as Merlin's Step. Merlin's Step, when a little bit of water is sprinkled upon it, summons rain. When a lot of people put water on it, it summons a huge thunder storm. It is certain to, as many of the fairies are happy to attest, wash away the freezing snow so they can move about freely during the winter again. Fae often have ulterior motives, even if they're often coupled with good intentions. This may have gone a little beyond their expectations, however, as enough people have done it that the storm has brought about torrential rains and hail, frequent zaps of lightning, and strong winds. Most people are being urged and ushered into cellars throughout the city as the hail has been causing injuries, breaking windows, and the lightning is strong enough that it's been striking the ground frequently. You may end up crammed together in a small, dark room while a storm rages outside with little to do except what's in the cellar-- eat canned foods, play old board games, dust of a.. uh oh, is that a Ouija board? Get creative and have fun with what you think could be in the cellar you end up in.

After what seems like most of the day, the storm is still raging on, but the next moment you find still water, the Lady of the Lake's face shows up, with another woman beside her. The Lady of the Lake's ability to communicate via water is being used to reach everyone at once. The Lady doesn't say anything, once she's got it live, well aware that they're short on time as the lake surface is choppy and dangerous right now. They have a limited time above the surface to speak, so she leaves it to the woman with her.

”"It would seem my brethren have gotten carried away treating you all for helping with the ritual. I can put an end to this storm, but there is a cost. You'd do well to learn all magic has one sooner than later. The stronger the magic, the harder it is to stop. Your first lesson in breaking spells follows: In using Merlin's Step, you've awoken his Black Knight. Bring me his sword. Don't bother trying to kill him, he's already beyond that.

Don't be alarmed if you see more than one, dears. The Brocéliande is known to play with its guests when it's in a bad mood."

She smiles as she says it, and the image disappears out of the water. A small whorl forms in the water and a small vial pops out. An attached slip says "Pour me out and drop the sword into the water." for how to deliver the sword to her, as she certainly didn't say who she was. In order to obtain the Black Knight's sword, characters will have to find creative ways to fight an unkillable knight and distract him long enough to steal his sword. Using magic and teamwork is your best bet. Multiple groups of characters can obtain the Black Knight's sword and Morganna won't tell which one is real, as she won't be able to tell until she receives it and is always pleased to see those doing her bidding anyway. As a thanks and an apology, anyone who dares to fight the Black Knight and bring the sword to her will find a pile of fresh, edible mushrooms and herbs wrapped in a cloth on their doorstep the next day. The cloth they're wrapped in has a culinary recipe on it for a lovely mushroom soup. These are from the fairies who encouraged everyone to use the water, not Morganna. Her gift was to stop the storm, leaving the realm glistening as the sun comes out and sparkles against the rain on the ground and small remaining clumps of slush.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You want to see if there's anything else?

[He said before looking at the other tin cans. The more he looked around, he eventually find one.]

Not sure if you're a big fan of carrots but that's something to look into.

[He said before attempting to give said tin can to her]

( well, the spaghetti was something, but carrots are good too. )

Sure. ( and there's... ah. soups. ) Bunch of shit here.

( she's just gonna dump several cans of soup on the table, flavours ranging from chicken noodle to broccoli and even lentil soup. )

Anything here you would like in particular?

[He said before looking at the various labels of the cans. When he got one, he started to throw one toward his familiar, Jack Frost. As the little snowman started to chuckle, there was a mischievous smile on his face.

Should Kate listen carefully, she might hear Ken give a mumble or two.] Don't you dare. [Whatever that might mean, it was up to her]

( canned foods are fine, for the most part, but damn that's a lot of chicken soup. ugh, hold on. she thinks she sees a mushroom soup at the back.

not her favourite, but choice is a luxury. )

Eh?

( she almost has her hand around the can when Ken mutters something she doesn't quite catch, and her attention drifts from the stack of tins to the boy, a choice which — much like a butterfly beating its wings — leads to a problem:

namely the fact that she misjudges the angle she needs to pull the can of mushroom soup out and it knocks into the one in front, and everything begins to wobble ominiously. )

[Ken didn't pay attention to Kate at first. He was too busy arguing with his familiar about how the snowman shouldn't attempt to throw a tin can at the women in hopes she could catch it!

That didn't stop the snowman as he was about to do it! Just as he was about to so, that's when he immediately turned back to warn her.

Although, that's when he noticed something a little off. Was it his imagination or did things seem to wobble?]

Watch out, you want to take a step back! [And that's when the familiar decided to roll a tin can her way instead]

( catching a can might have been possible. dealing with the ominous wobbling of a stack of them while the strange little familiar rolls one towards her.

...dammit.

but she's quick, even before the kinetic magic is included, and barely steps out of the way of the toppling cans as they thunder to the floor, catching the tin his familiar rolled and sweeping it up in their mess. )

Shit.

( do you think anyone noticed...? )

[The moment the tin cans made their way crashing to the floor, he had to give a small wince before looking back at his familiar. While Jack Frost gave a huge smile as if pretending nothing had happened, Ken just sighed]

I'm sorry, Jack Frost is a little...mischievous.

[All the while his familiar gave a "High Ho!" before waving his hand at them] Are you okay?

( well... that didn't go as planned.

but more to the point; ) Jack Frost? ( isn't that a character from a story or something? ) You name him that?

( she... supposes that makes sense as a name, looking at it. )

More like that's his name anyway?

[He said before looking back at the snowman. In return, he just lightly jabbed the boy on the shoulder.]

He's a creature I'm use to seeing back home so it wouldn't be wise to call him something else. [That's when he gave a rather worried look at his familiar. It was not best to troll a persona who could freeze you.]

( ... huh. okay.

he's a lot cuter than anything she's used to seeing back home. that's unfair. though, on the other hand, if she had to kill stuff that looked like that, there'd no doubt be a bunch of idiots trying to keep them as pets or something.

that, at least, is not a problem she has to deal with.

but between this and that Tonberry-thing she saw earlier, Kate's getting the impression that her world is quite dull in comparison to others. she's not sure if that's for the better or not, but that's what it is. )

And what's yours?

[As Ken noticed the pause, he wondered if he should say something. He knew Jack Frost was cute (even if he hate to admit it) and it would spark some interest in people. However, he had to wonder if the persona was familiar to her. A part of him did want to know if she was from her world but he didn’t want to assume.

That would be rude and awkward for the both of them.

With a smile, he gave his hand out to her. That’s what you’re suppose to do here, right?]

Ken Amada, what’s yours?

( eh, she supposes it's general manners. at least where she came from, and despite everything, even the most grumpy of people needs to be able to shake hands and pretend for the length of an interview that they give a damn about such formalities.

which is a convoluted way of saying she takes his hand and gives it a quick, firm, shake. )

Kate. ( there's a pause here, a beat of silence that stretches out a moment too long, as though she thinks that's quite adequate an introduction and then reconsiders; ) — Galloway.

( some people come out the army unable to shake the reflex to identify themselves by their surnames. some reach for their first name, as though they become less of a soldier by doing so. )

It's nice to meet you, Kate-san.

[At least he was doing the right thing introducing himself! Although, he did consider that momentary pause and wondered why. Perhaps he was thinking too much into it before he chuckled a little.]

Tell me, have you been here for very long? [It seemed like a good conversation starter to pass the time. What else could they do until the storm subsides?]

No. ( well, she answered the question. but more importantly, this could be an in for her to gain more information about this place.

... hopefully. who knows? this guy could be as new as she is. )

You?

Me either. [He said with a sigh. So much for trying to get much information about her and about this place.]

To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect out of this place. It's really different from the world I lived in.

[Or rather, he's not use to dealing with magical beings living outside of a certain hour within a day.]

( well, that's a bust. she'll have to go back to combing the network for people's thoughts and findings, which is even more boring. spending your spare time scrolling through endless amounts of text? why. )

Looks like somethin' out of a history book. ( or the more historical parts of home, she supposes. but even the names of natives being uttered ring bells for her. )

It is based on King Arthur so I would expect a lot of this world to look like something from a history book.

[He said before giving a small frown.] Although, I'm not complaining. I have to admit, this place does look a little cool.

( that's the bitch. they learned about him back in school, but she can't say she paid all that much attention — she was more interested in the bell ringing for break so she could do something fun.

(sorry, dad. that is something which twinges with regret in her chest if she thinks about it too long, but it's not like she can go back in time and fix that inattention.) )

Bit weird that it has this technology. ( she palms her phone as she mentions that. it's one thing back home, where historical buildings exist among all the modern ones, but this is so largely dictated by an old, fantastical aesthetic that it feels like messages should be tacked up on trees or village noticeboards instead of shared via the internet. )

Which makes it even better as it means we can be knights or nobles without having to deal with any of the issues they had back then!

[Ken didn't mean to sound a little childish based on his tone but it was something exciting. Despite being transported into a strange new world, it was straight out of video game!]

It is kind of exciting.

( well, at least someone's enthusiastic about it, because Kate sure as hell isn't. nobility sounds like a whole load of responsibility she doesn't want for this place, and knighthood?

well, if she had to pick, it's the lesser of two evils. )

Gonna have new issues instead.

( shrug. she's just saying. )

[And here, we see Ken slowly starting to realize what kind of person Kate was. She was the type who was grumpy, wasn't she? Not that he could blame her but it does require him to do a little more positive thinking on his end.

Hmm...]

I'm guessing you're not a big fan of this, are you?

( that would be an understatement. )

'M I supposed to be?

( brow raise. it seems a pretty crap deal from where she's standing. )

No, not really but I figured there could be something you might like about this place?

[He said with a mumble or two. As much as Ken didn't want to be here, there was a couple of things here and there he liked. Maybe she could be the same?]

( hm... well. there's one obvious advantage. )

S'pose the magic's alright.

( strange, after years of being used to her own power at home, but at the same time, the silence isn't unwelcome. )

Could do without the familiar sh—

( unfortunately, whatever curse word she was about to inflict on Ken's innocent ears is cut off by the appearance of said familiar, a sullen looking, tall woman, draped in long black hair and a ragged dress, holding onto pieces of clothing as she looks around silently. )

[Meanwhile, Ken just stared at the woman's familiar. Here, he thought he had seen some rather strange looking creatures back in his world but this? This wasn't something he was expecting from her. For a moment, he didn't say anything but gave her a curious look.]

Are you sure that's a nice to thing when she's around?

[He questioned before getting a closer look at said familiar.]

It seems like she's listening to this conversation.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject