reddosmod: (Default)
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
vibing: (cross arms | smile | happy)

[personal profile] vibing 2021-12-25 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ The older man hauls the pair of them apart when they start to go at each other with their fists, telling them off even as they continue to struggle. He drops Yuri and shuffles a drenched Flynn back toward the city. The younger Yuri huffs and crosses his arms, but follows anyway, because it's Flynn. He has to be with Flynn.

Yuri glances at Kaeya, and then starts to follow. The city is a tall, sprawling thing in front of them, the lower quarter shorter and more cobbled together then the rest, the castle far in the distance, the sword stair climbing high into the sky
]

Guess we were alike. We, well, we didn't pretend to be knights. We fought the knights, and lost. A lot. We had a sword, but just the one, between the two of us. Really a miracle we learned to use it at all.
unmelting: (kaeya020)

[personal profile] unmelting 2021-12-25 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
Miracle or not, I've seen you fight. You certainly managed.

[He follows along with Yuri now, considering.] Diluc's family is one of the oldest and most respected in Mondstadt, so he had all sorts of proper training in all manners of things. Swordplay, academics, learning the wine industry. Bartending, apparently. He's the last of the Ragnvindr line, the uncrowned king of Mondstadt. ...an epithet I think he hates, by the way, if you ever feel like teasing.

[He gestures off to little group they're following.] What had the two of you fighting? It's a nosy question, but since I'm already in your memory I suppose there's no help for it.
vibing: (tired | soft | smile | talk | you got me)

[personal profile] vibing 2021-12-25 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, he smells like a noble. [ Yuri already knew he was, just from how he holds himself, but being almost a king, well. He knows what that can be like, watching Estelle for all those months ] So, you got to get that fancy education too, 'cause you were his friend?

[ He laughs, watching as Hanks, the older man, tells off Flynn, now, while Yuri sulkily follows after them ] We always fought. Still do. About everything and anything. Flynn was... really angry, about a lot of stuff, and I was always good for a fight.
unmelting: (kaeya055)

[personal profile] unmelting 2021-12-25 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
[He can't help but laugh at that.] I suppose he does. [Something about the, well, everything about Diluc does come across as nobility, even when he's playing bartender at Angel's Share.]

I did, yes. I shadowed him through everything.

[There's something familiar about that too.] He seems so composed on first impression. [Well, adult Flynn anyway. Tiny Flynn looks like an angry drowned kitten right now.]
vibing: (hand on hip | smile | look | soft)

[personal profile] vibing 2021-12-27 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
Must've learned a lot. Man, Flynn's mom taught us for a while, but... y'know. [ She died, when they were pretty young, and no one else had the time or the knowledge to teach them ]

Yeah, he's good at that. He holds it all in around everyone else. Kinda like you. [ Which, maybe, is a call out, but hey, they're friends here. ]
unmelting: (kaeya045)

[personal profile] unmelting 2021-12-27 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. [He nods, an understanding of the general gist of things rather than the exact details.]

Well, you were both certainly scrappy. [Seriously, very cute the two of them. Kaeya will stow this information for teasing in the future undoubtedly.

Except then he's looking over at Yuri with a lifted eyebrow at that. Such a call out, Yuri. But he ducks his head with a sheepish shrug.]
I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just naturally good natured. [Bullshit and he knows it. And he knows Yuri knows it too.]
vibing: (smile | tired | talk | okay fine)

[personal profile] vibing 2021-12-27 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yuri smiles at him, and decides not to dig, since clearly he doesn't want to talk about it.

The memory goes on, a large, strong woman comes along and grabs Yuri by the back of the shirt, which leads to more arguing, the woman clearly telling Yuri off, and Yuri having none of it.
]

Yeah, real happy guy. Like me.

[ Like him, when he's snapping back at the woman.

Yuri shakes his head, and gestures to the place around them, the short, cobbled together buildings around the, the cobbled street, the fountain in the middle that seems sort of out of place, a blue gem bright in the middle of it
]

This is my home.
unmelting: (kaeya045)

[personal profile] unmelting 2021-12-30 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Kaeya beams at that. Oh no yes, Yuri seems like nothing if not a laugh a minute sort. ...except Kaeya really likes him and the bit of an edge the other man has.]

Exactly. Life's there for the living. May as well enjoy it as we go.

[Or well, as best they can. Some moments are less enjoyable. But Kaeya walks along, looking around fairly curious.]

When was the last time you were home?

[Since it's very clearly child Yuri in this memory.]
vibing: (point | look | back)

[personal profile] vibing 2022-01-01 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh... not too long ago, before I showed up here. We hadn't decided where to settle, with the guild. Going to Dahngrest would make sense, that's where all the Union of guilds is, but it just doesn't feel like home, y'know? But Zaphias, here, it's the capital of the Empire, so we can't really be here. Even if Flynn is here, a lot of the time.

[ His eyes skip back to the castle, just visible over the rooftops and quickly disappearing as they go deeper into the quarter. ]

Was here, I dunno, a few weeks before? Spent most of my life here, all of it until the last year, really.
unmelting: (Default)

[personal profile] unmelting 2022-01-07 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
I see. So still trying to find that place to settle down.

[Though he's curious now, looking around at this place that has been Yuri and apparently also Flynn's home.]

What's this guild of yours?

[Like Kaeya needs to be even nosier despite the fact that he's walking through Yuri's memory already. But that's his nature.]
vibing: (smile | tease | easy | cocky)

[personal profile] vibing 2022-01-11 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yuri doesn't really mind. He's close-lipped about some things, but his home and his guild are two of his favorite things to talk about.

The people in the memory lead them past a square with a fountain that has a shining gem in the middle of it, to another row house, this one with a sign over the door reading: The Comet
]

Brave Vesperia. We're a guild who does stuff for people, delivers stuff, fights monsters, escorts people, y'know, the usual stuff. Karol says we need to have some kind of goal, but, hell, I think that just helping out is enough.

[ He nods toward the Comet, and holds the door open for Kaeya. Inside, the younger Flynn is getting wrapped in blankets and huddles next to the fireplace while the young Yuri continues to argue with the older man, telling him that they had to do this, that they had to fight that monster or the other kids would have died. ]
unmelting: (kaeya020)

[personal profile] unmelting 2022-01-14 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[For all that Yuri has talked about not being a knight and all, that sounds awful knight-y to Kaeya. He'll keep that to himself as he steps inside, nodding.]

Helping seems like a good enough goal to me. Simple to state but broad enough to be flexible.

[A nod of approval. He leans his head towards the younger version of Yuri.] You weren't afraid to speak your mind. [A smile.] You really must have been a terror.

[Good for you, Yuri. As it should be.]
vibing: (hand on hip | smile | look | soft)

[personal profile] vibing 2022-01-15 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
Hanks would agree with you.

[ He gestures to the older man that young Yuri is arguing with ]

We both were. We thought we were the knights of the lower quarter, always out trying to right wrongs and defend our people. It's kinda silly, but, hell, it gave us something to do.

[ And trained them to fight, and instilled their deeply held beliefs about right and wrong, even if those beliefs differ between Yuri and Flynn.

There isn't all that much more to the memory, as Yuri recalls. The argument ends, and Yuri goes over to sit with Flynn, lending him his warmth and telling him off in a quieter voice. The two sit there together by the fire, sharing an easy comfort that only comes from being each other's other half.

Yuri catches something out of the corner of his eye, and a great white deer steps into the inn
]

Guess that's our ride.
unmelting: (kaeya124)

[personal profile] unmelting 2022-01-15 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
And is painfully adorable.

[Really, Yuri. Look at the two of you. You're adorable. But Kaeya can't call it silly. He and Diluc used to have adventures in and around Mondstadt -- full of dreams of fighting badguys and saving people.

Ah. It really makes him nostalgic.

His attention moves to the stag when Yuri mentions it.]


Seems so. Show's over. Well, thank you for sharing the memory. Not that you were really given a choice, mind you, but still.
vibing: (smile | soft | tease)

[personal profile] vibing 2022-01-15 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ They are pretty adorable, aren't they? Yuri can't help but smile. It was simpler back then, just him and Flynn and their small little world that they defended together. ]

It's not the worst one. It was... kinda nice to see. We were so small. [ And so feisty. He smiles at Kaeya. It is kind of nice to share stuff like this with a friend. ]