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

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.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lock joint

Walking closer to town seems risky during this season's calling for blood. Yet, Chin Yisou needs to observe more information regarding this strange land and its charms. He has felt pain in his jaw, but knows a trick in relieving the ailment.

With a glance ahead, he sees a girl suffering a similar condition. At first, he is apprehensive- how to simply trust another? Yet, he understands that after being alone for sometime, company is essential. Perhaps, he can find those worthy of calling: "family."

"What's ailing you?" He asks her with a polite smile.

Luz looked up and saw someone she was pretty sure that she'd never seen before, but at this point she would take what she could get. She was too tired and immobile and slightly panicking, so any help would be appreciated right now.

"My legs," she said, struggling and failing to get up, and just sort of flailing on her side. "Can't move them at all! Think you could manage to prop me up right? This is a bit uncomfortable."

"No trouble at all," he said while stepping over.

The demon provides a shoulder to lean on. The discomfort of having one's body fail is easily understood with experience. When the girl is steady, he points towards her knees.

"The pain is there correct?"

He asks in a calm demeanor.

"Thanks," Luz groaned, using her hands to make an attempt to right herself up and failing. She defaulted to using his shoulder to at least attempt to right herself up, barely managing that.

"Yeah," Luz said, leaning onto her arms. "Can't...move my legs. Have to see what their deal is."

She's shaky at best and clinging onto him just so she won't fall.

"I've seen something like this before," he remarks. "Many have been experiencing this lock jointed phenomenon."

While maintaining that the girl is balanced, the demon fumbles for his bag. He pulls out a mahjong counter- sharp enough to be used as a small scalpel.

"I've seen that a little blood Letting tends to help. With your permission we can try to alleviate the pain."

The demon grins. He doesn't think it would do any good to rush into a medical procedure. After all, he would need sterilize the tool.

"You have!?" That was both comforting and frightening! Was this another thing related to all of the blood?

Luz stared on at this equipment, fascinated. It reminded her a little of Wesker, so at least there was that familiarity.

"Honestly, if it'll stop all this freezing pain, you can do it."

She just wished he wouldn't grin about it. That was a little disturbing. He was like one of those weird sadistic anime characters that did messed up things in secret.

CW: Blood letting

"Very well, let's give a go," the demon replies.

He rummages through his bag for a match. Heat is his only way to sterilize the mahjong counter. Once Chin Yisou finds the tool heated properly, he turns towards the girl's leg.

"You will feel a sharp pain at first, but it will fare better once the procedure is done," Chin Yisou speaks with assurance. He doesn't want her to feel discomfort.

The mahjong counter is hot to the touch. Gently, the demon cuts the pained area. Once the skin is open, pearlescent blood begins to flow steadily. Then, something seemingly unusual occurs. Small beads, pearl in color, drop from the wound. After the beads stop flowing, regular blood returns to surface. Chin Yisou grabs bandages from his bag and wraps the wound.

"Believe it or not, those are special," he points to the pearl beads on the ground.

Edited 2021-12-20 23:21 (UTC)

Yup, definitely reminded her of Wesker minus the Gothic overtones (which Luz missed), but she wasn't going to complain if there was a way out of this body binding thing.

At the mention of pain, Luz nodded. She was honestly getting pretty used to pain being a thing that just happened now, between her vampire attack in Deerington to getting some of her blood drained in the farm.

He went into her skin and Luz exhaled slowly, letting the pain seep into her, and she counts slowly until she feels the blood letting stop and then he was already wrapping the wound.

See, not that bad, considering!

"What, my blood? Wait, pearls? How'd that happen?"

The demon knows little of this world. Yet, he made some discoveries regarding the lock joint syndrome. Without recalling his past, Chin Yisou has a steady mind and a new interest in observation.

"It's an odd thing," the demon's voice rings calm but his eyes reveal his excitement. "In my time of being here, I have felt that pain myself. My jaw was tense and it took awhile for me to remember...acupuncture. In order to find relief, I was willing to do anything. So I poked a counter in the inflamed area. The pain subsided for a while. However, it returned. Without more information I began to investigate the matter. In another day's passing I found some deceased bodies. Through examination I found some strange crystals- located around the elbows. They looked lovely so I kept them. Then I thought, there must be something stuck inside of my jaw. I found a small frozen pond. While using the ice as a mirror, I cut my face by the sick jaw."

He indicates the cut with his finger while tracing his right jawbone.

"Blood came out, but then so did some crystals. At the time I ran out of bandages and had to rip the fabric of my robe for gauze. Not the best way to treat a wound. Yet, I found that healing came rather quickly than expected."

Chin Yisou pauses and pulls out a leather pouch. He shows her crystals of varied colors- red, green, and pearly white like the ones from her blood letting.

"There must be more information! Yet, where to look?"

Hmm. That was all...a little intricate and definitely more about blood and cutting than Luz would have liked to hear about. That aside, it at least looked like he was on to something, and that something was giving her a little more knowledge than she'd had before. She thought it might be a side effect of the cold, but she has clearly not known exactly how bad it could get.

"Wait, does that mean we have to do something soon, or those crystals start to form? Are those the thing that kills you?!"

Ooh, she did like that at all, not a little bit! She had escaped the farms only to be put at risk by natural causes?

Luz took a long, shuddering breath to calm herself down.

"Ok. All right. So. Do I need to lose more blood, so you can find out what to do to prevent more of these crystals from forming?"

"Fortunately, it seems that they have been removed in time," he replies.

Chin Yisou takes a moment to think. He has heard a critical word in travel that would be of more use to this odd condition.

"Blood...minister," the demon states in a whisper. "I remember someone asking for one to help their lock joint sickness. Perhaps if we find one then we'll have more answers."

The idea seems sound enough. After all, to look for a potential expert would be beneficial. Chin Yisou peers at her.

"Expecting a stranger to help with an investigation," the demon muses. "My apologies, but I forgot to introduce myself. I am Chin Yisou."

He provides a short bow.

"I hope so," Luz said, shaking a little. Gosh that sounded painful.

Luz shuddered. "If you say so. I just had to deal recently with blood zealots. Now I'm just very skeptical about blood guys here in general."

But she'd yield to his expertise. Clearly, he was trying to help.

"I don't have much of a choice, but you seem trustworthy! Chin Yisou, nice to meet you! I'm Luz, Luz Noceda!"

She attempts a bow and trips.

"Um. At your disposal."

Trustworthy? The word is only true for potential family. Chin Yisou delights from her introduction- she seems to be an admirable sort.

"Then adventure calls. I recall someone mentioning that the blood ministry resides in Luminwood. Which means, we have some distance to cover."

The demon states as fact. For a moment he thinks about what supplies are necessary to carry. Food, food is essential. Chin Yisou also ponders...

"Would you be willing to take a trip? If the trail is dangerous, I can help with defense."

The demon has rested within the town for a few days. He nearly forgot how dangerous the winter can become. Yet, answers are worth the trouble.

Luz was being definitely naive here but figured if he meant to do something bad to her, he would have already. Probably. Look, she didn't really have a lot of options when she couldn't walk. Again, he SEEMED like good people.

"Right, right. Um, I don't suppose you have a wagon or sled or something?"

Who would drag you, Luz? Who?

"If that's what we have to do, that's it. Almost wish I had my little cowboy hat so I could turn into a crow, but I left that home."

She at least could still use her glyphs.

"Turn into a crow?" The demon states in shock. "I didn't realize that you had such interesting abilities."

Although the demon cannot recall his life before Deer Country, Chin Yisou has the vague sense that humans tend to be weaker beings. Yet, here's a human child with hidden talents that are currently unknown.

"That's unique," he states. "If you know more tricks, the better. After all, a journey may prove dangerous. In regards to getting there, I guess you could take a ride with my omen. Yet, it is a five foot centipede."

Chin Yisou gives a catty smile as though to poke fun at the little one. What child would want to Ride an insect?

"Teacher gave me a handy little cheat for that. I'm just glad that it still works. If she ever comes back, I'll have to rely on it again. For now I've just been using her staff. I learned how to do that back in her world."

Luz had actually come a long way from her days of not being able to cast magic on her own. Maybe one day she'd be able to make her OWN staff.

"The tricks would help me better if I didn't have the bum legs, honestly. It's just easier to do if I have all of my limbs."

"A five-foot centipede?" That was new. Hmm. "Is it easy to hang into him, or her?"

In other words, Luz totally would as long as she wasn't sliding off all over.

"Your teacher?" Chin Yisou muses. "Sounds like a fascinating person. I'm sure you may learn something new in this strange world."

The demon states with a shred of delight. He too would like to know more about these abilities. As for accepting a ride from a centipede- that was unexpected.

"My omen would be able to accommodate you," he indicates. "This centipede is unlike the small sort who seem to crawl on their bellies."

With focus and a wave of his hand, the demon calls upon his Omen. From the ground rises a massive shadow. A black centipede emerges- its mid section and lower half are grounded. Yet, the front section of where it's head is remains upright. Overall, the centipede resembles an "L" shape. On its back is room enough for a small passenger.

"I haven't named it," Chin Yisou admits. "Yet, I don't know if that matters. Regardless, if it's a suitable transport for you, then we may embark soon."

The demon pats the centipede on the head. It looks towards Luz with a tilt. The Omen doesn't sense any danger and remains calm.

"I'm sure too. I learned plenty of stuff in the previous place we were all trapped in. Now I just have to master this whole blood stuff and its powers. There are some things I know I can do, and some that are going to need some experimentation."

Her regular glyph magic she had a grasp on, but was starting to learn other combinations too, so it was slow going without Eda around.

Luz gazed in amazement. "Whoa, cool! I've never seen an omen like this! They're pretty fast!"

The girl nodded, and held up her hands. Sadly, she still needed assistance in this regard.

The demon delights, there's another like him with an inquisitive mind. Despite the danger of this strange world, it is at least free from boredom. He assists Luz onto the centipede mount.

"We have much to learn on that matter," he remarks. "If we find a decent blood minister, then they could help teach us a thing or two about these new abilities."

Chin Yisou stares at the road ahead.

"We need to take the Tyger Trail in order to get to Lumenwood." He states as though reading a map from memory.

He pulls out a tattered map from his bag. Once the location is confirmed, he smiles.

"What an adventure we have before us," Chin Yisou beams.

He looks onto Luz as a little sister. Together the unlikely duo may find some needed answers. Yet, how dangerous the quest will be is anyone's guess.

"Should you need anything along the way, don't hesitate to ask," he states with a raised finger.

With everything that's going on in Trench and how little she still didn't know, Luz wanted to find out as much as she could. If there was one thing Luz was not about, it was boredom, even if nonstop terror wasn't a better alternative.

"I'm a little wary about blood minsters. I know it makes more sense to actually speak to the people in this world about this kind of thing, but I'm more used to how Sleepers relied more on each other. The locals tended to be very unhelpful on their end."

She didn't want to add that after the Blood Zealots she felt less inclined to get involved with the locals now. It just made her very careful about who she trusted.

"Right. Tyger Trail. Must remember to get map later."

Luz tended to fly, and things looked a little different that way. She nodded weakly. Stupid legs.

"Me? Oh no, I mean, just movement back to my limbs. Maybe a little water."

The demon nods at her request. He pulls out a canteen from his bag.

"Here you are," Chin Yisou offers her water. "I do agree with you though, people are difficult to trust. Yet, should we run into issues, then I'm certain that we can make amends."

Chin Yisou's smile insinuates a hint of wicked delight. Of course, no one sane seeks conflict; however, the thrill of adventure captivates him. Once Luz seems ready for departure, the party embarks. The path seems fare as they travel. The sun still has a few hours before setting. The demon's omen walks briskly and attentive. The great centipede keeps glancing from side to side; further, making sure that there are no threats present.

After an hour of walking, the demon feels a rumble in his stomach.

"Are you hungry Luz?" Chin Yisou asks.

One should not eat without making an offer.

"Thank you," Luz said gratefully, taking a long drink and then trying her best to get into a comfortable position. "I hope that's true. With some people, sometimes all they have in them is to be deceptive."

Luckily she hadn't met too many people like that. Sleepers at least tried to look after each other if they could. It was regrettable that Luz couldn't use her staff to travel along faster, but that was just the way things were going to be for right now. Besides, what was so wrong with taking the calming way?

Luz was shaken from her thoughts with the question.

"Oh, me? Well. If you happen to have something. I was going to wait until I was home."

"You're welcome," Chin Yisou replies after taking the canteen.

He rummaged through his bag and takes out a cloth.

"Would you like jerky?" He asks while holding out the bundle.

The demon is unsure of whether or not to admit first hand what the jerky is made of. He recalls another travel companion who didn't like meat. Although he is wary, Chin Yisou offers the food with smile.

With the water she did feel a bit better, though she was still at a loss at what was causing all of this.

"Oh, sure. What type of Jerky is it?"

Luz was hungry and unless you told her it was made of human, chances were she was not going to turn it down.

"It's rabbit," The demon replies. "I wasn't sure if knowing would have deterred you from eating. It's important to be properly fed while on a journey."

He unwraps the cloth to reveal slivers of dried meats.

Re: Luz Noceda | The Owl House

Re: Luz Noceda | The Owl House

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