isleofavalon | EVENT ✨ Old St. Nic(nevin)

EVENT ✨ Old St. Nic(nevin)

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Everyone is invited to Elphame to celebrate this year's Winter Solstice and take part in Elphame's portion of the Winter Solstice rituals. Everyone was provided a quick-travel totem to get to the Land of Maidens, which now has an open path into the fairy capitol of N

Thanks to the completion of the 9 Sorceresses' tasks, preparations for the Winter Solstice have gone smoothly and, temporarily, the waterfall gorge that leads to the Land of Maidens has frozen entirely. Where the entrance to the Land of Maidens had once been hidden behind the water, a new cavern is formed by the frozen ice. A small pathway of moss and tiny flowers formed by petal-thin crystals leads the way to a door. This one is wood and seemingly carved out of a the cliff at the base of the waterfall. The wood door is covered with vines and moss and red and white spotted toadstools and is quite, quite small. You'll certainly have to get on your hands and knees to pass through or if you refuse, the fae of the gorge will have little hesitation in spreading rumors of your cowardice across the land.
Harsh words like "I heard they only fuck chickens because that's what they truly are" and a good many other crass and sometimes ridiculous rumors (and caricatures we dare not share with you) will spread about the land, even going so far as to come back to Camelot. To have rumors spread about your character during the event, list them here for all to see!
	Enter, and you shall crawl through a small tunnel that seems to get wider and wider (or are you getting smaller and smaller? It's impossible to tell for sure.) until you reach a rather impressively sized moat surrounding what may be the largest tree you've ever seen. There are small boats that will carry two to three people at a time, manned by what look like nutcrackers. Ask their names, and you will find they are called Undante and Redd and they both will speak the same thing at the same time, which can get rather confusing when the other boat is speaking to their ferryman. If you continue to bother them at work, they will send you on a quest that's essentially impossible to complete and a complete waste of time. Don't bother them, they've got more passengers to ferry, don't you have a fairy capitol to explore?
Once you arrive at one of the roots of the tree, you'll be expected to climb up the side of it using vines and thick flat mushrooms that grow up the side of it and knobby growths, since most humans can't fly. There are homes and shops built all along the side of the tree, carved into it but not deep enough to disrupt its growth. Once you get up to the first main district about two hundred feet above the base, the fairies will laugh and show you a staircase through the trunk you could've taken and may use for future reference. You can travel across branches to reach other trees with more homes once you reach another three hundred feet above the shops level, and there is a single staircase that wraps around the tree that unfortunately is not a joke- you really do need to climb another six hundred feet of stairs up to reach the castle of Nicnevin... and even if you do, you'll run into more nutcrackers guarding the door and preventing anyone from entering the castle area. Thankfully, you don't need to climb the entire tree to find the gathering square back on the main district level, which is paved with skipping stones from a pond (or large flat stones? The scale is still quite unclear) and decorated with evergreen branches and winter flowers like poinsettias, winterberry, and black hellebore. Warm cups of soup are being distributed filled with Everwarm (though those who were paying attention may think better of it). Many of the fae from the Elphame Traders who have visited in the past can be found in their home shops here and may greet people who made purchases from them in the past. Speaking to them may be the only way to get food imported from Camelot if you forgot to bring some. The Traders will direct players to an inn tree known as the Everwelcome Inn. Rooms come in standard hotel sizes. 1 queen bed or 2 queen bed rooms will be offered for free to visitors from Camelot, but there are suits available to those who are willing to barter something valuable to them. They do not accept G in Elphame, but they may send characters on quests to fetch various items or defeat certain beasts, or accept personal items (low value) to upgrade to suites with a king bed, hot tub, kitchen, balcony, and an included couples package (learn to make fairy guacamole together, couples platza treatment, and a romantic in-room dinner that looks like it's made mostly of sweets fit for a French King.. if you think that's a good idea). The people themselves don't seem keen on opening up to people yet, so it may be hard to learn about Nicnevin's culture, but it does seem to be home to a wide variety of strictly non-human faeries and creatures... so it may just be hard to get a grasp on as many have their own rules to live by, provided they all respect each other (pranks on humans don't count) and obey the Fae Queen's edicts. However, everyone comes out together on the night of the Winter Solstice to participate in a dance around the base of the tree. As Winter Solstice tradition, characters will be provided with either white robes or be told it's more polite to strip nude. (All of the fairies will be without attire, so as to feel closer to the island.) Once you're out around the base of the tree, you're told to hold someone else's hands in a circle around the giga tree, and step toward the water. So long as you don't let go of at least one other person's hand, you'll find you're able to walk on the surface of the water. All the fae begin to sing, and if you listen to your heart, you'll find somehow you know the tune deep down as well and are able to join in should you choose to. Dance in any way you find enjoyable, then run together with everyone clockwise around the tree. This will coincide with the Solstice Night Run taking place back in Camelot and work in conjunction with it. (Anyone staying in Camelot is welcome to use the Solstice Night Run prompts from last year if they see something that interests them, though everyone is encouraged to head to Elphame using Land of Maidens totems provided for free to them!)

Whether you choose to participate or not, eventually everyone will need to find their way back to their rooms at the inn and will find slumber, even if they're not the type to usually sleep. Something about the way magic is channeled through the fairy kingdom differently tends to make people very sleepy.. which is just as well, as they'll be woken by a visitor in the morning. Mari Lwyd has come a'knocking. A skeletal horse covered in white cloth and decorated with ribbons with ornaments in its eye socks stands at the door upon opening, and begins to slap down some sick rhymes about why it should be allowed to come in. If you are able to get a verse back at it telling it not to come in with, it will return fire with another rap. Return it in what boils down to a rap battle with Mari Lwyd for three verses and it will leave-- from either you, a roommate, or a benevolent passerby, so tag in to save a rhyme! Stop before

mari lywd, a horse skull creature dressed in white cloth andd ribbons and ornaments

reaching three verses, and Mari Lwyd will come in and take the entirety of your food and drink stock, leaving only water. Happy.. Solstice? Complain to any fairy and they will simply tell you oh yes, that's Mari Lwyd, it comes every year. However, you will find that at the end of the day the Mari Lwyd will find anyone who it spoke to and give a Fairy Blessing to them (whether they won the battle or not).

Fairy Blessings

DISCLAIMER: Fairy Blessing Magic Upgrades can only be obtained after your character visits Elphame. If your character does not go ICly, they don't get a boost. They can go to Elphame and obtain a blessing from the Fairy Queen at any point after Dec. 2021's Winter Solstice. It does not have to be during the event. The following upgrades are available to Primary Magic types:

Healing: Area of Effect casting-- cast healing magic across a group. It will do less than a concentrated healing spell would, but you can cast on more people at once to reduce the amount of time needed to heal each member of the party and ability Locking (temporarily limit someone to only using the last spell that they cast. The spell will be boosted significantly in power/skill, but they cannot use anything else until the lock wears off- beginning practice 1 minute, up to 30 minutes max).

Elemental: Control existing elements within the environment. (Ex: Calm fires, push back waves, spin tornados, etc.)

Animal: Transform or partially transform into mythical animals (Non-fairy/humanoid).

Dark Magic: Travel through connected (touching) shadows only to places the character has been before. (If there is too much light, the mage may be trapped and unable to travel.) Cannot stay stationary within the shadows, as there is no shadow realm to hang out in.

Kinetic: Vibrate body at high frequency to be able to phase through objects. (Note: Will only work on self.)

Cognitive: Telepathic conversation (two-way, by consent only- they can't read thoughts without permission).

Alchemy: Fluid animation of elements according to the whim of the creator. (Ex: Toys that move on their own, a scaregrow with the whim to protect fields, enchant a spare key to run away from thieves, etc.)

Light: Full-room, tactile illusions (combination of hard light and illusions). Details require significant practice, but could be used to create entire illusory scenarios. (Must be present to cast, you cannot create illusions and leave someone trapped.)

Blessings are not currently available for secondary magic types. Camelot's officers will be setting up a halfway campsite at the Forest of the Felled for anyone who wishes to stay between the two lands for easy access to next month's events and Camelot. Characters are welcome to stay wherever they would like!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, now I know why you're dating me.

[Good ol' magic. The water is solid and firm beneath their feet as they step out onto it, actually surprisingly comfortable in the way it shifts to offer support. Nor do they feel any cold from it, which is another plus. For Morgan, at least; be-booted Steph doesn't really have to deal with either to begin with, after all!]

For our next trick, water into wine?

See, now you're getting it.

[ It takes a special kind of couple to be teasing and self-deprecating at the same time. She looks down at the water, barely moving under their feet, and can't help a grin. ]

This is trick enough for me, at least for a week.

[If Morgan has a long-term goal at the moment, it's to find out just how seriously she takes any of that self-deprecation. But now is hardly the time, as they pace out onto the water together.]

And now, we dance. Which I assume you are the best at, having been extensively trained!

[ He'll be very unhappy with what he finds. Until then, they should enjoy this cultural adventure! ]

I can show you my training, but you're gonna get wet.

[Look, he has a hunch. And it's a shame, because she's amazing. But that's for the long-term, and this is now.]

Pfft, come on.

[Hand-in-hand, Morgan begins to move. As it happens, he knows basically nothing about dancing. What he DOES know is that athleticism, rhythm, and confidence are all he needs to fake it. So long as Steph is happy with it, the ceremony ought to be satisfied on their part... and luckily they both have a lot of experience anticipating the movements of other people!]

[ But if you joke about it it doesn't hurt!! It is a fool-proof and healthy coping method.

Being the first pair to start makes her a little self-conscious, but the dancing at parties she tends to be at is really just undulating in tempo. She follows along easily, her gaze bouncing between him and the water under their feet. It really is so cool. The end result could technically be called blindly stumbling around, but she'll be the first to admit she's a little curious what would happen if she fell down without letting go of Morgan's hands. ]

[Once again, Steph proves herself a terrific girl indeed, because Morgan's eyes keep going down there too. (Maybe passing a point or two of interest along the way.) After a minute or so of these steps and spins, he leans in to murmur to her.]

If we ever find a way to copy this effect, I have an idea for what I'd want to try with it.

[ As tightly wrapped as her robe is, she isn't surprised when she notices. She's still careful to keep as much of herself covered as possible, though. It's very, very cold. ]

Oh yeah?

[ She keeps her voice as low as his. She's not sure what he has his mind, but his tone tells her she'll like it. ]

Yeah. With a little bit more privacy, anyway. [He grins, trusting she'll take the meaning from that. A quick glance around, and then he adds:] You know, I do miss my proper magick a lot, sometimes. There are things I just can't do here that would be great. Like I would've been able to make it so no one notices a person or two, no matter what.

[ She restrains a laugh. She had a feeling that was the direction this was headed in. ]

I've been getting pretty good at illusions. [ She mentions, as casually as if their nearly-whispered conversation were perfectly suitable for the mixed audience of this ritual. ]

Kind of a project I've been working on, actually. Since there's not much reason to try more advanced healing.

I wonder if more advanced healing would help you soothe tiredness and restore energy. [Just an idle thought. Couldn't possibly be connected to anything.]

It might!

[ She smiles brightly, as though this is a wonderful idea. ]

You know what else does that? Coffee.

[Morgan lets out an undignified snrf as Steph derails that train of thought rather violently.] That's not quite the same and you know it.

No, it's not. It's better.

[ Her smile only gets wider. Coffee is, after all, the nectar of the gods. ]

You're just saying that to justify your terrible habits. [Morgan bumps his hip into hers, to emphasize his point. Recognize he's right!]

[ She stumbles just a step, but the weightlessness of their invisible floor almost makes her giggle by itself. ]

I never! I take full responsibility for my terrible habits.

[Morgan's had insoles that felt like this, except slightly more mooshy. It really isn't unpleasant -- if he could just rest atop the water, he could see sleeping like this! Or other things, obviously, because while he might have more than one track in his mind, there's a particularly dedicated express lane devoted to one specific purpose.]

Acknowledging them is not the same thing as taking responsibility for them, y'know. What are you gonna do one day if I make you get a proper rest?

[ She raises an eyebrow at him, still grinning. ]

Uh, sleep? Duh.

Do you even know how? I'm pretty sure your body thinks sleep is 'the state that occurs below a given concentration of caffeine'.

[It's nice to tease her once in a while and have it welcomed and reciprocated. Somehow Morgan has ended up making the acquaintance of a fair number of people who can't take what they can dish out, and while he doesn't mind and does understand... sometimes you just want a level playing field, y'know? Especially in a partner.]

That's not true! Sometimes it's what happens when you get hit in the head too hard.

[ She does like to sleep. But she also likes a lifestyle that doesn't lend itself to 8 hour nights. Or even 6 hour nights, most of the time. ]

[Morgan's voice goes up a notch.] Concussions aren't sleep, Steph! Oh my God!

[For someone who's nominally Buddhist, Morgan sure can't help the Americanisms that have infiltrated his speech over time. God and Christ live in his head as mild blasphemies if nothing else.]

[ She just shrugs. ]

The end result is kinda the same.

[Suffer another hip-bump, Steph!] I'm not gonna snuggle with you when you're unconscious, y'know. So in THAT way they're way different.

[ She sees this one coming, and turns her stumble into a skip. ]

Wow, rude. I guess I'll call someone else the next time I get knocked out.

[ Because that's something an unconscious person can do. ]

...if you manage to call me after getting knocked out, I will take back everything I said and come running. Literally running.

[Don't think he didn't notice that, Steph!]

Automated calls tied to your vitals or something don't count, too. It has to actually be you.

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