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Deer Country Mod ([personal profile] reddosmod) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2021-12-08 02:19 am

I'd go back in time and change it, but I can't

DECEMBER 2021 EVENT
Hello! We are trying a new style of event this December with archival-like entries that characters can ICly find in the Archives. This should allow characters to be able to plan against certain events that occur in-game and do research ahead of time, during the event, or after the fact.

The idea is that these prompts will provide you with all the possibilities characters could theoretically face from the prompt. We hope this leaves more open-ended opportunities for people to engage with. Anything mentioned in the excerpts could be an experience characters encounter. You can always ask for clarification on any prompt on the plotting page.

This is a way to keep all event prompts relevant since new characters would be able to "read up" on these events/excerpts by visiting the Archives or other such resources for information about past events and what they can anticipate from the setting.

We hope this new style makes sense and is fun for players to work with! They will rely on players creating more of the atmosphere than the prompts, but we think that the prompts will provide the perfect guidance as to what the atmosphere should feel like. Enjoy!

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Prompt One
[Image One: Holiday themed antler decoration.]
[Image Two: White stag with perfect, circular antlers with bits of ice attached.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Sculpture of white rabbit with neck caught in a snare. Non-graphic.]
[Image Two: Person in red cloak and wolf mask turning around.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Puppet making bloody snow angel in snow.]
[Image Two: Bloodied hands wrapped in bandages clenching.]

WINTER MOURNING
WHEN: Begins in December and can last until the end of Feb.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Spoilers for various canons, survival situations, forced memory share


[A passage from Rituals of Trench: Remembering Our Pasts reads the following:]

"A long-standing tradition to celebrate Bone Season is for Deerians to collect antlers and bones salvaged from natural resources and create decorative home accents. These antler-bone decors are known formally as Winter Mournings and can be found in almost every residential home throughout Deer Country. Winter Mournings can be made to look like wreaths, candle holders, or simply an antler with a bow hung up on a wall.

Winter Mournings is seen as a way to honor one's past tribulations and how one has managed to survive and overcome hardships during their life. Winter Mournings serves as a testament to survival and a willingness to keep surviving even when things look bleak and dismal.

Creating Winter Mournings is considered a blessing to the Pthumerians Dorothea, Remina, and Argonaut. You will know if the blessing was accepted once your Winter Mourning begins to glow like the moon. Touch your Winter Mourning and you will be pulled back in time to a memory of a specific time when you or someone else had to survive something physically or mentally challenging. For some, it is merely a memory that cannot hurt, but for others, you may want to proceed with caution as it has been known to pull people physically back to times of war.

One cannot choose which memory they wind up in if it is their own, a friend's, or a complete stranger's. Winter Mournings was designed to create a sense of union and empathy among residents and is meant to open your mind and heart to those who have suffered around you. It is time you explore your past, or someone else's past, with an open mind and see how the other side has lived through hard times. These memories are known to be from adolescence, adulthood, or sometimes even futures that have not yet happened or timelines you have never known. After all, Remina sees all past and all history. That means they see all of your past and history too.

No memory lasts forever though. Once the memory has been concluded, you shall be brought back to the present by the Winter Mourning Stag: a great white beast with a circle of frozen antlers. It will come to you when the time is ready, and you will return to the present like waking from a dazzling dream.

Experiencing Winter Mournings can stabilize one's mood and provide restful sleep after, even if the memories may be difficult to swallow. It truly is a tribute to honor past horrors and traumas. Some memories are painful to remember, but forgetting them will never do anyone any good either. So hang your Winter Mournings and remember what matters.

Survive another day. You are worth it."

FAQ

1. Winter Mournings can produce new memories every time you touch them or the same memory.

2. Characters cannot choose what the memory is.

3. Characters can arrive in each other's memories regardless of if they already know each other. Multiple people can experience the same memory.

4. You can either experience the memory as a memory you can't touch or experience - or you can physically be in the memory and have to survive the situation as well. If you die in memory, your body will die wherever you had been touching the Winter Mourning.

5. Palebloods are capable of altering memories or how they or others experience memories.

6. Characters can be pulled into memories at random - as long as one of the characters in the memory share is touching a Winter Mourning at first.
RUN, RABBIT, RUN
WHEN: Month of December
WHERE: Everywhere/the woods
CONTENT WARNINGS: Themes of hunting, ghosts, curses, attempts at animal violence, hunting people based on blood types.


[An excerpt from Legends of Trench: Curses and Causations reads the following:]

"One of the most notorious legends of Trench is without a doubt the tale of The Huntress and the Hare. Most Trenchies have been told this tale since they were children, but for those unfamiliar, settle in.

This story begins with a mischievous god and an ambitious huntress. The Pthumerian Dorothea loved to play tricks on hunters trying to survive the Bone Season, setting animals free from traps and remaking the traps to catch the hunters instead. One day, a darkblood Huntress was fed up with Dorothea preventing her from catching food for her family and decided to settle the score. The Huntress began to hunt for Dorothea specifically, but it is no small feat hunting the god of trickery and survival.

The Huntress started to rely on her darkblood powers to alter reality to make the perfect traps. Innocuous trees turned into glue traps that anyone would stick to until they were freed by a darkblood or death took their pain from them. Walking through bushes would snag legs and necks, effectively trapping whatever creatures were unfortunate enough to wander for food. Magical snares and beartraps lock around victims with unrelenting force, leaving people and animals to try for help until they cry no more. While this took many innocent lives in the woods, animals, and people alike, it never seemed to work on Dorothea.

Dorothea continued to outwit the Huntress until she eventually drove the Huntress insane. The Huntress died without ever catching Dorothea, but they say her vengeful spirit awakens in winter and begins to set her traps yet again. The Huntress sends her traps and her dead animals after vilebloods and warmbloods to spite Dorothea and hope to maybe catch the god's attention. But Dorothea is no passive god. Dorothea spurs vilebloods and warmbloods to defend themselves against darkbloods and coldbloods.

Infamously, this has created enormous tension between the blood types during December some years, and it is said that the blood lust has caused the types to begin hunting one another regardless of old friendships and alliances. Beware the Huntress's curse. Some believe darkbloods and coldbloods can still hear her haunting commands and cries from the Trenchwood.

They say there is no ease for the tension between the bloodtypes until December has passed, but some believe palebloods may provide relief if they are willing."

FAQ

1. Characters will increasingly feel the urge to actively hunt one another using traps/etc.

2. The Huntress's curse includes undead animals/beasts chasing after warmbloods and vilebloods and magical traps. Players can invent unique traps for their characters.

3. There will be an innate urge to chase/hide from one another.

4. The curse can be broken by paleblood intervention, character death, or a gradual wearing off by the end of the month.
LOCKJOINT
WHEN: All of Bone Season
WHERE: On Sleeper bodies
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mild body horror, blood magic curses, physical curses, cures through blood ministration/blood letting, possible skin removal, injuries, possible death via starvation/exposure.


[An passage from The Sleeper Condition; Chapter 13: Bodily Aches and More. Found exclusively at the Lumenarium:]

"Generally speaking, Sleeper blood allows Sleepers to navigate this world without the fear of illness and disease. However, no organic body is perfect, and Sleeper blood has its own set of ailments to fret over. Blood Ministers have studied the phenomena of Lockjoint for years now and believe that it is linked to the crystalization found in Sleeper death, though the exact connection remains unknown.

Lockjoint tends to begin and last throughout Bone Season. Some Sleepers may never experience it, but for many, it becomes a reoccurring issue to dread each season. This condition forces blood magic to gather at the joints and effectively lock up. Sleepers find it difficult to move their bodies at the bends, fingers, knees, shoulders, etc without some form of discomfort. Minimal lockjoint can be painful and annoyance, but critical lockjoint can be fatal.

The most severe cases of lockjoint documented have shown Sleepers to have crystalization form over their joints, rendering parts of their bodies completely immobile. Some Sleepers have been found dead in this condition, all their joints crystallized, and it is believed most died from natural causes thereafter.

One can determine they are experiencing lockjoint when the coloration around the joints begins to darken in color, typically looking like a bruise. Calcification may occur rapidly the more magic a Sleeper uses or the more they expose themselves to outside elements. It is imperative that Sleepers remain properly clothed during Bone Season, even if they are coldbloods, and to invest in enchanted clothes that can lock in heat.

A known cure for lockjoint is the art of bloodletting. Puncturing the joints with small incisions seems to allow a release of the built-up magic and can provide immediate relief to the Sleeper. Catching lockjoint early is imperative. Alternative methods are soaking in hot springs and salted water.

Those who are in a more severe state will have to carefully have the crystals removed. This will likely remove the skin as well. Local anesthesia is highly recommended for the procedure. This process is known to leave scarring. The crystals can be saved and used as bloodstones from whoever they were harvested from. If you find a Sleeper dead from lockjoint, make sure to harvest the crystals as they are incredibly valuable.

This curse is believed to stem from Sleeper blood magic congealing within the body in contrast with the atmospheric magic of Bone Season. There is no known prevention for lockjoint. Lockjoint can impact all Sleepers regardless of bloodtype or the material their bodies are made from."

FAQ

1. This impacts characters regardless of blood type or their body - meaning it can impact characters with metal/plastic/plant/wood/etc bodies.

2. Players can choose how rapid or severe this gets and how quickly they can be healed.
CODING
danserai: human (208)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-10 12:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's a bit strange to see this memory from the outside, especially now. how terrified she used to be of fakir, how angry she would get. it's nothing like how they are now. she can't even fathom it, being so upset with him, knowing what she knew.

for some reason, it makes her a little melancholic. to know he had been suffering on the inside and she couldn't see it. ]


That's . . . Fakir. He's a friend of mine.
droptheious: (Here on Earth they'll wonder)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-10 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Varian's glad for this, in a way, it gives him something else to project his anger on. Something he feels more deserving. He scoffs lightly in the back of his throat.]

Are you sure? That didn't seem very friendly.

danserai: human (87)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-10 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ahiru gives a sheepish laugh. ]

Y-Yeah we weren't friends at the start and he was kind of . . . intense, but we're definitely friends now! Fakir wouldn't do that anymore.
droptheious: (Funny story: I forgot)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-11 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sus. So very very sus!!!]

Intense is one way of putting it...yeah. Why was he so angry with you? He was talking about...stories?
danserai: human (67)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-12 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ ah. ahiru looks down briefly. ]

There's a prince from a story. He lost his heart. Fakir and I disagreed on it. I wanted to give him his heart back. Give him all his feelings. Fakir didn't want that.
Edited 2021-12-12 00:34 (UTC)
droptheious: (Anyway this cake is great)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-12 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh.

[He lets that oh hang there for a moment.]

...Did you guys come to an agreement? Did...did you give him his heart back?
danserai: human (103)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-13 12:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ she slowly shakes her head. ]

We're still working on it, but Fakir is on my side. We work together now.
droptheious: (It's so delicious and moist)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-15 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
Well...I'm glad you're on the same side at least.

[He shifts, a touch uneasily, this is...well, he doesn't come across this a lot.]

Is that normal in your world? Stories like that being real?
danserai: human (118)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-15 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ she falls unusually quiet for a long time before responding. ]

There's a man who could bring stories to life. One of the last stories he wrote was The Prince and the Raven. But the characters . . . they escaped the story when he passed away. The raven would have destroyed the town if the prince hadn't shattered his heart and sealed him away.

Now we're all within that story. Playing a part.
droptheious: (When I look out there)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-15 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh wow. So you were...literally dragged into a story. So the shattered heart is to stop that sort of disaster from happening.

[There's a pause, then because he realises she might need some solidarity:]

My home is a story, too. Uh...well, not me specifically, but Rapunzel is. She's a fairytale in a lot of worlds, I found out. [Then quickly:] Don't tell her, she doesn't know.
danserai: human (83)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-16 10:40 am (UTC)(link)
I won't.

But you realize just because she's a story somewhere else doesn't mean that her story isn't special. Or that it can't change. That's what I learned.

We're not trapped in our stories.
droptheious: (I'll say I'm sorry)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-16 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I know, I figured that one out. Honestly, she's...she's one of the most important people in my life. She's amazing. But...you've been living with her too, so I'm guessing you've worked that one out already.

[It's genuinely hard to not see what a wonderful person Rapunzel is when you've been in her presence for more than a few minutes. She exudes sunshine and warmth. He told her once she was literally the embodiment of the sundrop and she truly is.]

She's...she's more than her story. And so are you.

danserai: human (71)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-17 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ she smiles like someone who knows that'll never be true. because she's just a duck. and people here would see a duck as a pet or something to take care. they wouldn't talk or laugh or play together.

just a duck. nothing else in anyone's story. ]


Of course.
droptheious: (Still me quiet as the grave)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-17 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh no. Oh, he knows that sort of smile- he has that sort of smile. You can't kid a kidder, Ahiru. His tone softens. ]

No, really. You are. I know it's...easy to think otherwise. But you are. I've known you like, what? A month? And even I can see that.
danserai: human (24)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-18 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
It's fine, Varian, really! It's not like I think less of myself or anything.

[ she does but it's a little different from self-esteem. ]
droptheious: (She'll say it's not your fault)

[personal profile] droptheious 2021-12-18 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[He epxression is not convinced in the least.]

...Okay. If...if you say so. But you know I'm always willing to listen. Y'know. If you need to talk about this kind of thing?
danserai: human (09)

[personal profile] danserai 2021-12-19 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks, Varian. I'll remember that.