EVENT & TDM 020

[sticksandbonesmods]

BITTER WINDS HOWLING

WAKES AND AWAKENINGS

Are you one to find yourself plagued with nightmares? Do you dream at all? Well, worry not, because tonight you find yourself in a somewhat alarming peace. You’re asleep. You’re aware of this. Yet, you feel incredibly lucid, all the same.

You hear the sound of water, like you’re under the ocean waves. You don’t see anything, but it’s almost as if you can feel others around you, despite not touching anything at all. They’re your… family? No. Friends? No. You don’t seem to be able to find a word to describe them. They’re important to you! …You think. Who are they, again?

You think they’re trying to speak to you, but all you can hear is the sound of gentle currents and air bubbles. Or maybe this is what they’re saying to you? You don’t know. Dreams are weird, aren’t they? But then they sing. It’s the prettiest sound you’ve heard. It’s the most haunting sound you’ve heard. It encourages you to move, at last. You didn’t realize you could. There’s a light that filters through the surface of the water…

…and you wake up. You feel strangely refreshed, like that’s the best sleep you’ve gotten in ages! You also feel… distantly sad, like you’ve just remembered something horrible that happened a long time ago.

It’s probably nothing.

For the rest of the month, you find sleep comes easy, and dreams are soothing. How uncharacteristically nice! Maybe don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

A BITTER ARRIVAL

You wake up to bitter cold. It's dark, the winds howling and whipping through the air, snow battering anything not sturdy enough to stand tall against it... and even the trees seem like one more push could knock them over. This isn't a forest you know, yet it seems like home. If you're not prepared for the cold, the warm lights of a small town will guide you, call to you, and your heart yearns for warmth. As you stumble through the heavy snow and harsh winds, something heavy hangs from your neck and the winds begin to form words with your own voice- SACRIFICE... END THIS WINTER WITH SACRIFICE.

As more voices join the wretched wails, your eyes feel heavier. You're almost to the town, though. Is it one of the houses that you wind up knocking on? Or do you manage to get to the inn, big and tall and radiating more warmth than anything you've ever felt? Regardless, you are no longer alone, but the cold still aches and clings, and something with your voice still calls it's omens outside. Only when you melt the heavy snowflake-shaped amulet hanging around your neck in the fires does the cold abate and the foreign copy of your voice fall silent.

A COLD RECEPTION

In the forest of the lost, the worst winter you've ever seen has finally set in full. The lake and river are both frozen over completely, and even the most hardy of beasts have hidden away from the cruel blizzard. The sky is dark, the winds are sharp and the freezing temperatures permeate most buildings, creeping in like a thief ready to steal the breath from your lungs if you aren't careful. Even fires seem to bend to this cold, save for the ever-burning, ever-blinding light of the fireplace in the inn- though she's long since gone, it seems one woman's faith still protects those in the Grove. Shadows haunt the clearing and amongst the winds and even the deafest ears can hear the voices howling alongside the storm, always demanding the same thing: a sacrifice.

When shadows flicker across the window, that is when you know you aren't alone. Ghastly wraiths of frost and ragged sleet fly through the air, and it's hard to tell if they are commanding the winter winds or if they are working in tandem. Regardless, the cold seems to be enhanced by their presence and if they catch you alone outside, they curse you with a frost so deep it pierces the heart and spreads. To some, it may be familiar, like turning to ice from within. To others it may be entirely new. But it spreads slowly and with agony while the wraiths make their demand once more and then vanish. Thankfully, a bit of kindness can melt the ice, but the winter wraiths are always willing to inflict the curse again...

... But you are not powerless. So long as you don't go alone, so long as you have a weapon, you can fend these things off, for a time. But they will be back.

They must have their sacrifice, after all.

BEACONS

Not everyone can fight though. Not everyone should. The only peace that can be found is in the sleep that follows that odd dream... but eventually the large shadow woman known as the Trader, Ydalir, makes her way through the snow to find you. With a warm furry blanket and a cup of tea, she gives you a small kit.

"Build these lanterns and hang them in the window. Be a light in the dark, loves." Is what she says.

The lanterns consist of wood, paper and a little cup for a candle. They can be in any shape and color, and when you hang them in the window the candle sparks into light. As frost clings on the other side of the window and the snow shrouds the outside world and veils what lies beyond, you can see other lights. Other lanterns, shining brightly. It may not be much, but it is still a sign. A reminder. You are not alone in this blizzard.

Spark Notes

summary

wakes and awakenings will bring you into a strange dream of being with many being, important ones, and a haunting song. Despite the melancholy feeling, it also brings a month of restful sleep no matter what.

a bitter arrival is how our new arrivals find themselves: lost in the woods in the middle of a terrible blizzard with only the faint lights of the Grove to guide you to safety. While you wear the snowflake amulet, the winter wraiths can use a mimicry of your voice to make their demands and curse you with a lingering freeze- only melting the amulets in a fire will set you free and silence the copy of your voice in the cacophony.

a cold reception shows just how bad the winter's gotten, with impenetrable ice freezing both the lake and the river solid. the wraiths curse whoever they see with turning to ice from within, but a genuine act of kindness or love will save their victims. the wraiths can be fought, but only with a companion or two, and definitely not with your bare hands. ... they will return though, again and again.

beacons grants perhaps a bit of hope in this dark winter- ydalir brings people supplies as best she can since the cold doesn't affect her shadowy body and there is nothing for the wraith to freeze, and she also brings a gift- a lantern to craft and hang in the window to show the others in town that you're all still here, cutting through the darkness.

out of character

Welcome to the first TDM of 2025! Regular AC resumes this month and as you can see, we're changing things up a little. TDMers are welcome and encouraged to reach out on our plotting post linked below. We're so excited to start the new year with everyone, and may the horrors stay in writing... because they are resuming now.

updates

❖ AFFOGATO COOKIE has used a magical artifact as a sacrifice. This has resulted in the blizzard lessening but still being present and the wraiths being banished from the grove, but still haunting the forest. There are further effects but they will come in to play during a player plot. ... Get your sacrifices in still though.
❖ MAYOI'S prayer to Ourania the day of the fight with Suri invoked a blessing: an aurora shines through the sky, and anyone in it's lights will be gradually healed and soothed.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ January Plotting (Open to TDMers)
❖ Sacrifices (Plot relevant, open to all)
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

code

Comments

beacons

[lapofluxury]

[Aria regards the materials dubiously, arms crossed and one finger tapping seemingly absentmindedly, but what amounted to being more of an antsy tic.]

I dunno. I'm not really like, the building type.

[However. He was also very bored right now, which increased the on edge feeling he felt from the situation at large. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to do... it's not like he had any other options right now, anyways.]

How does it work?

[outofsynth]

I don't think you have to be.

[Min-Gi wouldn't usually do this kind of thing either, but now he has the knack he's more than happy to explain it.

Maybe with a bit too much confidence for someone who's only just figured it out himself.]

You start with the frame, see? Once you have that it comes together pretty easily.

[He puts some of the wood together in a rectangle to show his starting point. It's not exactly the most exciting shape for a lantern, but it's been working for him.]

[lapofluxury]

Simple enough, I guess.

[Aria meanders closer, crouching down next to him by the fire to inspect the barebones lantern a little closer. Still a pretty boring little task, but... good of everyone or whatever.]

How many have you made already?

[outofsynth]

Only a couple so far.

[He's been taking his time. Quality over quantity. He still sounds a little defensive, like he's anticipating judgment despite Aria giving him no reason to suspect that.]

[lapofluxury]

[Aria raises a brow at him before plopping down next to him properly, gathering some of the supplies to start imitating Min-Gi in building the basic frame he'd made prior.]

That's more than me!

[He remarks cheerfully, hoping a shift in attitude would ease the other's nerves a tad.]

Well, there's a frame. What's next?

[outofsynth]

[He does seem more relaxed once he's sure he's curious rather than questioning his credentials, occupying himself with finishing the frame and starting to cut the paper to size while he waits for Aria to finish building his frame. He isn't quite finished by the time he does, so hands him the piece that's already cut.]

We have to glue this to the frame now. You don't need much. Just a little should do it.

[lapofluxury]

Aye aye.

[Aria starts putting dots of glue along the edge of the frame, face scrunched in concentration as he oh so carefully lays down the piece of paper onto the frame, attempting to keep it as aligned as possible. If you're gonna do it, you might as well do it right.]

There! That's one side.

[outofsynth]

[Min is trying not to watch, but finds himself doing so anyway. Thankfully Aria seems to be doing a good job since Min-Gi doesn't know him anywhere well enough to correct him if he wasn't.

He nods in acknowledgement, handing over enough paper for him to finish the lantern so he can focus on his own again.]

It looks good.

[lapofluxury]

[Good thing, because by the way Aria puffs up like a pleased cat when complimented, it probably wouldn't have gone over well if he'd chosen to nitpick his handiwork. He's trying, ok!!]

We should decorate them. It'd be boring if all the lanterns looked the same.

[outofsynth]

[It's not something that had occurred to Min-Gi, but he does look intrigued. He's seen differently shaped lanterns, but since this is the shape he's figured out he's reluctant to make any changes.]

Yeah. Maybe.

[This would be easier without the paper on the lantern already, but he does have a few pens he's been using for measuring, and if they're delicate they could definitely do something. Perhaps Aria has something else in mind, but Min nudges them closer to him anyway.]

What were you thinking of doing?

[lapofluxury]

[Sometimes inspiration strikes at the inopportune times and one must simply overcome the obstacles, ok!! Surely they were deft enough to manage. This hadn't occurred to Aria as a problem, though.]

I dunno, draw some fun things on them. Make it feel more whimsical and home-y.

[He had noticed the pens, so he takes one and starts carefully drawing on the side of the lantern as an example point, where it seems to dawn on him in short order that they'd perhaps done this in the wrong order. His eyes are narrowed in concentration and he bleps his tongue a little bit, before finally capping the pen with a triumphant "ta-da!". It's a pattern of the moon and stars, well enough looking for what it is. A little bit cute even, depending on personal perspective.]

[outofsynth]

[It would definitely have been easier to do this the other way around, but if he takes his time then there's no real risk of punching through the paper. It turns out it's better not to colour, but he hasn't got all the right colours anyway so he doesn't mind skipping that part too much.

In the end the lantern is left with a stylized, wild-haired chicken on one side, with a single letter scratched onto each of the remaining lantern panels to spell out "CCJ".

Once he's done, Min leans forward to look more closely at what Aria's been doing. The star and moon design is nice. It would be a comfort to come across during the storm for sure.]

I like it. It'll look great with the candle inside.