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heartstorage) wrote2024-11-23 10:21 am
December Event Log
December Event Log
Dominant Element: Light
Waning Element: Shadow
Full Moon: December 14th - December 16th
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As Kaisou enters the month of December, snow begins to fall gently across the city, covering the city in a pristine blanket of snow. The temperature gets cold enough to make one need a coat and other winter garments, but it's not so cold that it's unpleasant to be out if you're comfortably dressed. Overall, the weather is ideal Christmas weather. Up in the sky, the Spirit Vein has shifted into the Light element, cascading the sky with a brilliant light show of numerous colors. While it's most frequently hues of white and gold, it'll occasionally turn to all sorts of color shades on the visible spectrum, giving you something new to see every single night.
The Christmas MarketWith the holidays right around the corner, Kaisou's shops are going full steam ahead. Sales, sales, and more sales are showing up every day, and several little holiday pop ups slip into empty storefronts for the month. If you want it, someone will have it.
If you happen to want something a little unique, however, Kaisou's Winter Market is back this year, as vibrant as ever. Located in Midtown, it's open most of the day and well into the night for all of your shopping needs. Custom ornaments, delicious food, gorgeous light displays, even musical performances can be found in this little slice of holiday magic. There's even people selling things that aren't strictly Christmas, if you happen to celebrate something else (or are just tired of Christmas trees).
This year there's a new stand from Drosselmeyer Toys. They're the celebrities of the market, it seems, with their wonderfully odd little toys and gorgeous craftsmanship. They seem to almost move on their own, with no sign of batteries or clockwork powering them. Those with magic sense will be able to tell there's something magical about the toys, but they can't place what it is.
There's also something about the strange but overall friendly older gentleman running he stand. He won't answer any questions about the magic, though. He just smiles and wink, a finger to his lips. Weird.
Haul Out The Holly♪- Carol of the Bells (Trans-Siberian Orchestra edition)
At one end of town, you have the Market. At the other? Christmas Warfare. Or rather, Christmas Lights Warfare. One of the local organizations, the Youth United Lights Embassy (or YULE), is hosting a big holiday light display contest. Anyone who wants to can decorate their house and enter the contest for a chance at winning the grand prize: a holiday feast that fits your needs and YULE paying your electric bill for the next two months.
The competition is brutal. The people who always go all out for holiday light displays seem to be going even further this year, with some discussion the possibility of sabotaging their "rivals". The people who don't go all out are going all out this year. And the people who think everyone here is off their nut is grabbing the roasted chestnuts to watch this chaos.
You're welcome to join in, either as a contestant or as someone watching it all. Near the middle of the month there'll be a grand "parade" through as many of the entrants as they can get--a perfect holiday outing!
♪- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
If you're done shopping or not here for the light show, there's plenty of other things to do in Kaisou, of course. There are several parties being held throughout the month, hosted both by those on the Libra app and those who aren't, if that's your style. If it isn't, there's a traveling team or two of carolers, eager for an audience. The local movie theater is doing a marathon of holiday and winter movies for cheap, and a Christmas tree "farm" has opened up on the edge of town if you're still looking for a tree. Be careful, though; since the edge of the city is now touching the Spirit Realm, this is no ordinary tree farm. This is a certified-by-Santa tree farm. This farm is run by Christmas elves. On the one hand, they're eager just to help you find the perfect tree and won't charge an arm and a leg.. On the other, they will talk your ear off about Christmas and all the things you can do during the holiday. And no, Santa is not there yet.
Meanwhile, the kitsune of Blue Fish Park are at it again. They're talking up this marvelous toy they're selling, one that zips and bops and whirls, and promises that it'll be the best gift you could possible give anyone. If you buy one, you'll discover that it really does do all the things the kitsune said it would...and never stops. Ever. You'll have to break it to make it stop. No refunds!
The NutcrackerOn the morning of December 5th, Zodiac will send out a message to everyone on the Libra app.
ALERT: ASSISTANCE REQUESTED IN THE DOLL KINGDOM
Dominant Element: Light
Danger Level: Low
Designation: Dollhouse
Zodiac has detected a Spirit Gate in Midtown. A resident has reached out to us requesting assistance. Those who wish to help, please report to the Zodiac offices.
Those who go to the offices will be met by Professor Barbie, who is decked out in so much Christmas attire it's a little overwhelming. She explains that despite being from Barbie Land, she's never been to the Doll Kingdom and wishes she could go with you. But she can't, so she'll just have to let you go with the Nutcracker. And she means that literally, as behind her stands a human-sized wooden nutcracker, odd jaw and all. He explains that he is the one who requested your aid, and that he'll explain once they get back to the palace.
Those who decide to just go to the gate directly and see what the problem is will find a gate made of candy canes with a strange clock on the top of it...and a man on top of that. If you went to the Christmas market, you might recognize the man as the one running the Drosselmeyer Toys stall. He introduces himself as Drosselmeyer and someone who works closely with the Doll Kingdom before just waving everyone into the gate.
Inside the gate is a literal winter wonderland. Perfect glittery white snow (that may or may not have actual glitter in it) lies in elegant drifts against tall pine trees and the air is cold but not unbearably so. Little childish giggles and laughter can be heard everywhere in the forest. Before you, a perfectly maintained path winds its way out of the forest, and comfortable sleighs drawn by the most beautiful horses stand ready to take everyone to the Doll Palace.
On the way, the Nutcracker turns into a regular human man, still dressed as a Nutcracker. He explains that he's the prince of these lands (and that Drosselmeyer is his uncle) and that he needs help getting ready for Christmas. The Sugar Plum Fairy, the one who is usually responsible for this, has taken longer than expected to return from her errand. He isn't too concerned about her wellbeing, but they still need to finish getting ready. If they don't, the holidays will lack that magical touch everyone is so fond of.
Snowflakes And GingersnapsThe most important thing, the Prince and several others will tell you, is to keep the Snowflake Fairies, young fairies responsible for making snowflakes and frost patterns, and Ginger Kids, the collective name for every child-age resident of the realm, distracted. They're all fairly young or otherwise troublesome and if they're not occupied no one is getting anything done. A pleasant older woman who goes by Mother Ginger needs all the help she can get, and she'll reward anyone who does help her with fresh cookies and hot chocolate.
And you'll want the hot chocolate, as it seems this year the kids are in their Snowball War era. The Ginger Kids and Snowflakes will take turns grabbing anyone who's been assigned babysitter and drag them over to their team's respective half of the back garden. You'll promptly be put to work building snow forts, making snowballs, or helping them put together snowball trebuchets. Every so often someone will yell "WAR" and then all hell breaks loose. Snowballs start flying, kids go down and are rushed off the field by their allies, and war cries are heard everywhere. The chaos only stops when someone (usually Mother Ginger) declares it's time for a snack. Then they all just traipse back inside to warm up, only to do it all again after that.
Some of the gentler souls amongst the younger crowd aren't involved in the Snowball War, so if you're less physically inclined (or just want to avoid getting pelted for a bit), you might be asked to stay with them and keep them busy. They're all decorating gingerbread houses and cookies and making a mess, but hey, it's not snowball fights! Just don't wear anything fancy, because it will get covered in icing.
Helping around the Doll KingdomWith the kids occupied, that means everyone else can get to work. The most help is needed with the decorating, so grab a string of lights and get to it. The princess of the realm, a young woman named Clara, has stepped in as head of the decorating committee and will happily assign people to the areas they'll be most helpful. Sorry, tall people, you're on lights-and-mistletoe duty.
If you ask anyone how they want something hung or where does something go, you'll likely be met with "oh, wherever you think it looks best" or "anywhere you'd like!" It seems that decorating here is fully vibes-based, so as long as nothing clashes you can put that tree in the hall if you want, or by that window, or in front of the fireplace! Make sure to put the porcelain village buildings on a table or a shelf, but it doesn't matter which one! The palace is your canvas.
If you'd rather not decorate the palace, the kitchens always need help. There's a lot of people who need feeding, after all, and that means a lot of cookies and hot chocolate and other delightful treats need making. The kitchens, at least, do have some sense of structure to them; baking is a science, after all, and the head chef will remind you of that if you try to deviate too far from the recipes. Loudly. Possibly while waving a wooden spoon covered in chocolate at you. Mind the mess!
As you bake and brew and prepare all the goodies for the holiday, you might notice a plate of cookies going missing or perhaps footprints in the flour that weren't there a moment ago. If you bring it up to someone, they'll wave it off as the children of the palace having their fun.
It isn't. Of course it isn't. The longer you're there, the more obvious these signs become until, finally, a group of about four or five bipedal rats the size of children burst in. They claim they're envoys of the Rat Army and they're here to inform the palace that they have the Sugar Plum Fairy captive. If they want to see the fairy in one piece ever again, they are to meet their king out in the forest. They grab a plate of cookies and then scamper off before anyone can stop them.
Tin SoldiersOnce the Nutracker and Clara are informed of the situation, everyone is sent to meeting place followed along with a troop of soldiers. No one seems too worried about this, at least, and if asked they'll assure you that they're old hats at handling the Rats. This shouldn't be difficult at all.
The Rats and their king are waiting for you at the meeting place, thought King looks annoyed that the Nutcracker himself isn't with you. He grumbles about his old nemesis once again refusing him the satisfaction of beating him, before he tells you to pick the best and strongest amongst you to face off against his soldiers and finally himself. Five of the rats step forward, waiting while you debate who among you will go first.
Once someone steps forward, one of the rats also does.
And then the music starts.
Turns out that battles here are not fought with swords and guns but music and dance, and the soldiers who came with you are more the band than actual soldiers. You just need to out-dance the Rat Soldiers and their King to win. You best bring your best moves, as the rats are no push overs when it comes to their dancing skills. Despite being large rodents, they move with the grace of professional ballet dancers. Should you not succeed the first time, the rats will laugh you away and tell you to come back when you've practiced more. Their laughter will only get more mocking the more times you fail at this act, so you should probably take your dance practice seriously.
After finally defeating the Rats, the Sugar Plum Fairy is brought out from the cage they were keeping her (which looks very much like a typical rat cage, but large), completely okay if a bit grumpy at being held captive by the Rats "again", whatever that means. She explains that they caught her coming back from Santa's Workshop, that the big man in red should be here soon, and they should all head back to the Doll Kingdom so they can finish preparations.
Santa ClausWith the rats defeated and the Sugar Plum Fairy back from her trip to go help Santa Claus, the Doll Kingdom can finally finish their preparations! Everything is finished up in flash, making the kingdom look even more like a pristine Christmas paradise. To thank everyone for helping out, the Prince and Clara invite the Libra app users to their celebrations. There's food, games, and beautiful music that plays throughout the halls.
About an hour into the celebrations, the man of the hour shows up. Through the doors, steps the one and only St. Nicholas. There's no mistaking him as he fits the descriptions of him to a T: the bright red coat, a full white beard, eyes that twinkle with warmth and fun, and rosy cheeks from a life in the frozen North Pole. His presence looms larger than anyone else around, and when he laughs it bellows out from his belly, echoing through the room and filling it with his joy.
The first people Santa focuses on, of course, are the children. They clamor around him, so excited to see him. He smiles warmly as he greets and speaks with each child, knowing them by name and speaking to them with the kind of familiarity you'd expect from a loving grandparent. Each of the children are given a gift from is sack, one that's perfect and exactly what the child had asked for. As for any children from the Libra app, they too will be given the same warmth and given a present from Santa.
Only once Santa's had a chance to interact every child at the party does the old saint acknowledge the adults. He knows the names of every one in the room, and those that he interacted with in past years will be greeted like an old friend. While he doesn't give presents to the adults directly, like years before, he offers to create an enchanted gift for someone you care deeply about- as a thank you for all the good work you've done this year.
But of course, not everyone is satisfied with just a friendly chat with Santa Claus. Oh no, he remembers how the Libra App users have taken to try dueling with him. Should anyone approach him about this, he gives a playful wink and puts a finger to his mouth. Not at this party, he doesn't want to ruin this lovely party the Doll Kingdom has created. Rather he'll meet you all tomorrow, at the Fortress of Meropide.
The Christmas Battle♪- Herald of the Bells
Art Credit
The next day, the Fortress of Meropide is abuzz with activity. Thanks to some of the residents of the fortress, the entire place has been completely decked out in Christmas decorations, from over a dozen Christmas trees in the habitat ring, to the Christmas music playing over the intercoms, to the inflatable Christmas-themed dinosaurs that are scattered around the place. What do dinosaurs have to do with Christmas? Who can say really!
Anyone that's here for the fight with Santa Claus, either to spectate or to participate, will be directed to the Pankration Ring. The Pankration Ring has also been similarly decorated for the holidays, but there is also a deep ring of snow that now encircles the fighting ring in order to soften any landings that might occur. Those who want to watch the fight will be ushered to the side benches where they get a good view. Meanwhile Santa Claus himself will sit in the high balcony usually meant for referees, sitting on a throne he conjured himself.
When enough people have arrived, Santa will greet everyone warmly, clearly amused by this tradition that has sprung up in Kaisou. However, he informs everyone that before they can fight with him, there is a lover of Christmas that has insisted that the challengers face him first. With that, out comes Wriothesley, defender of Santa. Along with him is his companion Veldora, whose mostly there to help his friend. You'll have to battle the two of them first in a match before you're allowed to fight Santa. They are tough opponents, but thankfully since this room is too small for Veldora to grow to his full size, they aren't unbeatable.
Which is more than can be said about the opponent that follows them, should you beat the duo. If you beat Wriothesley and Veldora, you'll have a chance to heal and recover your strength, before Saint Nicholas enters the ring himself. Here in the fighting ring, his presence grows ever stronger as there's no need to mask it. Anyone with energy sensing abilities will quickly realize just about how out of their league basically everyone is.
There is no winning against Santa Claus. Rather, it's more a question of how long you manage to last before you get knocked out of the ring and into the pile of snow that he provided. No matter how many people he faces off against, he doesn't seem to tire out. Rather, he seems to be having the time of his life - it's not too often he gets to enjoy a good bout of fisticuffs with his current duties. As you land into the snow drifts, you'll find yourself with a present from Santa himself- a little thank you for the match.
Once everyone's had their fill of fighting, Santa will declare this tournament a great success. He'll thank everyone for coming, and tell them to head to the cafeteria for some refreshments. With that, he'll bid everyone a Merry Christmas before disappearing in a flash of light- as he is awfully busy this time of year.
Should you head up to the cafeteria like he suggested, you'll find the tables are covered in Christmas treats. There's all types of Christmas foods and desserts for people to try, and there's just about every Christmas-type drink you can find at the drinks table. Not only that, but there are various nostalgic dishes of food for everyone who attended the fight. It could be your favorite Christmas meal, or just a dish that comes from a treasured memory- all of them are prepared well and guaranteed to leave you with a warm belly.
Truly, the Spirit of Christmas is like no other.
After your dealings with the Doll Kingdom and your encounters with Santa, the rest of the Christmas season goes peacefully. After such a chaotic year with many changes and challenges, you've more than earned a good holiday. Spend time with your loved ones, enjoy the holiday activities, and do your best to stay warm. Those looking for dangers are more than welcomed to visit Dragonspine Mountain and fight foes there- but why seek out battles?
There will be more of those to come in the coming new year.
The dominant element this month is Light! Anyone with an affinity to the shadow element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Light will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.
The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. There will be a midmonth Zodiac post on the 15th.