sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 020

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Flamebringer's fire has been slightly nerfed, but you know what hasn't been nerfed? That giant fuckoff black sword he carries around when he's Serious. The katana is away, and he's going full berserker on these things. He can only channel his fire onto the blade itself, but that's fine. That's how he prefers to fight anyway.

From ahead, Wolfwood might notice a blurry shape duck under a shot that goes wide, a streak of flame, and then the bringer of them himself swinging his sword in a heavy uppercut on a wraith. Of course, it "dies", but they don't have long until it comes back — not to mention the myriad others here.]

Where's your big gun?

[Also, you're welcome.]

Jesus, I almost took your head off.

[Well no, Flamebringer ducked, but Wolfwood will draw back his shooting arm regardless when the Sarkaz seems to materialize from the snowy mist. This wouldn't be a problem if he had a cool flame sword. Sigh.]

It's frozen over. It'd take me an hour t'chip the ice off, and even longer to melt it, and I ain't got that kinda time when these shits are here now.

Would you complain about it if you had? [They "hate" each other, after all.] Sarkaz are immune to bombs. Your toy gun would've scratched me at best.

[okay]

I'll melt it. Where is it?

[The comment makes Wolfwood scowl just seconds before he kicks a wad of snow in Flamebringer's direction.]

That toy has split an entire grand sand worm in half. Even if it won't kill you, you'd be hurtin'.

[He looks at his pistol, clicks his tongue, and then checks to see how many bullets he has left. Not enough to be comfortable, but it's not like it's doing much to the Wraiths as it is.]

I left it at the Church.

Ooh, I'm so scared.

[...there he goes into the Church. Wolfwood should maybe follow him before the Wraiths eat his face. Or don't idk I'm not your dad.

Anyway, Flamebringer is quick to spot said bigass gun, and although his flames aren't working at full capacity, he can at least keep his blade lit and hold it near the gun (and not too close to the wood comprising the church) to start to melt it off. If nothing else, his fire burns hot. Just... not as hot as he's used to.

>:(

Angry.]

[While Flamebringer does that, Wolfwood will wait by one of the pews, leaning against it with his hands in his pockets in a vain attempt to warm them up. God it's fucking freezing.]

I ain't ever had t'deal with my gun freezin' over before. Sucks.

Don't think anyone really has. Seems like those things outside are trying to keep us on the back foot.

[There is water all over the fucking floors, and he's not remotely done.]

Do you give a shit if I smoke in here? [You're asking?] Since we've got a minute.

Pshh. I don't if you'll let me smoke one.

[Wolfwood smokes in here all the time. He smokes pretty much everywhere all the time. Thaaaat's an addiction for you!]

Could use it right now.

It's your church, dude, you make the rules. I don't care if you smoke.

[He'll even light it for Wolfwood with a flame at the tip of his finger, after he fishes his own out and lights it of course. See? Helping.

...and being briefly shocked that he managed that flickering little candlelight, but doing that much makes the flame on his sword go out, so there's the tradeoff. How annoying, he'll just awkwardly re-light that afterwards.]

[Wolfwood watches as he lights the end of the cig, because even after all of this time he still hasn't fully gotten used to the kinds of powers people have, whether they've been weakened or not. He'll bring the cigarette to his lips for a drag before he says anything, exhaling the smoke out of the side of his mouth.]

Not bad, for a party trick.

Ha. Spares me buying lighters. I don't know if you've ever had a lighter run out on you when you're in the field with nothing around you other than a tent and your squad, but it fucking sucks.

[Melting the ice on the gun proceeds apace...]

Trust me, that's all that ever fuckin' happens.

[And shit like lighters are hard to come by, back home. Everything is expensive, and once it runs out, you're clamoring for more. Wolfwood really shouldn't even be spending what he has on lighters and cigarettes but he isn't sure he'd survive without them.]

The brand back home tends t'stay lit for longer, but that also means the trade-off is they taste like absolute shit.

EVENT & TDM 020

C) because battle-

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