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abraxaslogs2021-12-11 04:26 pm
The Winter Solstice - Solvunn
As the Winter Solstice approaches, the atmosphere within Solvunn changes. Unlike the stoic and somber traditions needing to be upheld to confuse the Old Gods, the mood is light, cheerful, and there is a buzz within the community. Boughs of holly and large garlands of evergreen decorated with bells, twine, and poinsettia are hung across every doorway and window in sight. Small altars adorned with candles can be seen in every front window when dusk approaches due to the sun’s ebbing presence in the sky. At night, bonfires are lit in the middle of town where the adults can mingle and partake in spiced cider and warm mead. Songs of yuletide and stories of Solstices past are shared.
A light blanket of snow falls from the sky, but does not carry with it the harsh temperatures that one might expect. Solvunn’s mages have enchanted the snow so that it remains pristine. While it does not deter the chill on the air that causes its residents to don scarves and shawls, it does make for a pretty sight.
Daylight brings a flurry of activity and the marketplace’s tone shifts. Instead of the bartering that usually takes place, it’s an exchange of gifts from one family to another. The Summoned are also recipients of this, being offered small, handmade trinkets or decorative jars of honey or spiced sugar candies. Children run about exchanging their own small gifts- pieces of candy or handwoven jewelry with pretty stones or beads.
A few days before the true Winter Solstice gathering, a town meeting is called, and the Council stands on the steps of the town hall to give an address to its citizens. Winifred Bordeaux stands at the center of it all, posture straight and expression dutiful and warm. She raises her hand to silence the dull murmurs of the gathered crowd.
"My dearest citizens, our honored guests, every year we celebrate not only the dimming of the sun’s presence in the sky, but also that of the Singularity itself. We rely on the will of the Gods to protect us and to see to our prosperity, and it is with their blessing that we may start a new tradition with our honored guests at its center. However, the tradition at hand will not come until Solstice end. Until that time, we share our community’s old rituals with our new friends so that we all may learn from each other. This year’s tapestry will certainly be our best yet! Now is our most honored and sacred time, and the Gods do look forward to your sacrifices. Be not afraid of the implications, my dearest citizens. Now is a time of joyous celebration, and if I may speak for the Council, we look forward to what remains of our Winter Solstice!"
Summoned and citizens alike are invited into the town hall for honeyed tea or spiced cocoa to view the large, handmade tapestries of years past or to add a piece of their own design to the one currently being worked on. Everyone is also invited to make sacrifices of their own- handmade items, songs written on parchment, or even deeds to be fulfilled for the sake of the gods written down to be burned in the Solstice bonfire at the peak of the celebration. Curses or blessings will be bestowed upon characters depending on their sacrifices.
Closer to the main celebration, visitors appear! A family of werewolves, citizens of Nocwich and descendants from one of Solvunn’s first families, travel across Abraxas in order to join in the festivities.
After Winifred’s address, Rowan takes over in the wake of everyone’s excitement to kick off the festivities by introducing the crowd to one of the most time-honored traditions: kissing the Goat of All Tidings.
A handsome-looking black goat wearing a festive coat made of patchwork tapestries is brought out and set loose to a boisterous chorus of cheers. If you are able to lay a kiss upon the Goat of All Tidings, good fortune will follow you into the new year! Fail to apprehend and kiss the goat or befalling its temper means that misfortune shall be your guide. The goat runs freely about the Primary Settlement in a game of cat and mouse, may you find your luck!
(Coming soon! The events of December 21st and beyond will depend on player actions...)
Call to Action!
Winifred isn't present when the Summoned begin to arrive— and nor are the other members of the council. Just before everyone begins to wonder what might be happening, in she strides with a purposeful step and a new light in her sharp eyes.
"Close the door, would you?" she asks, gesturing for the nearest of the gathering to grant them all the privacy before continuing.
"Thank you all for coming— and on such a beautiful evening, too, when I am sure you would much rather be sat round the fire, enjoying the light of the stars together. I won't keep you long. But it seems the Gods have shown us at least part of the reason you were chosen to join us, and I have a favor to ask of you.
"We have reason to believe that both Thorne and the Free Cities may be mobilising the Summoned under their care to make a move on the Singularity while its strength is depleted. Have you heard of the Dimming? Thorne's winter solstice festival."
She pauses, glancing around the room, noting blank looks with a teacher's smile.
"The Singularity, like our planet, has seasons. Like a bear sleeping through the worst of winter, the radiant power of the Singularity diminishes for a time every year, returning anew on the other side of the Solstice. And in its usual arrogance, Thorne believes itself responsible for the Singularity's recovery. Every year, they have one of their own carry a portion of magical energy over the boundary in the belief that they are feeding it. Sustaining it, even. Ordinarily, this is of no real concern to us; their mages are consumed nearly instantly. This year, however, they have... help. Summoned, like you, capable of approaching the Singularity’s core. We believe they may be planning to send a contingent of the Summoned, carrying a portion of their energy reserve each, in some ill-advised attempt to energize it. Which could be an issue in itself, but is made all the worse for the likely response of the Free Cities.”
Winifred sighs heavily. She is not a fan of either faction, though she remains more irritated by their meddling than afraid of it.
“The Free Cities have been aching for an opportunity like this. Thorne has been sitting on its stockpile of reserve energy for hundreds, thousands of years, releasing only one, heavily guarded packet on the one day of the year its mages can carry it into the crater where no-one can follow. But the Free Cities have Summoned too, now. They will be sending as many as they can to intercept Thorne’s delivery and seize it for themselves. Which is why I am turning to you.”
Before she can elaborate further, the group are interrupted by a knock on the chamber doors, opening just wide enough to allow Josselyn Creed to peer inside. She doesn’t say anything, but Winifred acknowledges the intrusion with a quick nod.
“It seems the pyre is almost ready. Friends... please, take a moment to discuss this among yourselves. If you decide to lend Solvunn your aid and are willing to go to the Singularity on our behalf, please stand by Rowan when we gather for the Blessing. I hope to see you there.”
That delivered, she turns on her heel and strides back out of the chamber after Josselyn, leaving the Summoned to talk among themselves.
(Characters can discuss Winifred's request in the council chamber by responding to this thread. If your character decides to join the mission to the Singularity, please sign up using the thread over here! A log for the mission itself will be posted on Saturday, Dec 18th.)
Inej Ghafa | Grishaverse | The Hierophant | OTA
So, at the appointed time, Inej slips in quietly and stows herself in the shadows of the far corner of the hall. She's quiet for the duration, listening with rapt attention to every detail the woman gives them. Thorne overloading a magical energy source sounds like a terrible plan, but what will The Free Cities want with the energy if they claim it? She doesn't know enough about the factions in this world to know anyone's motivations or what any of this might mean– but it all sounds rather concerning, if she's honest.
Her eyes snap immediately to the door not far from her perch against the wall when it opens, body tense, every muscle coiled and ready to spring into action if it's an attack of some kind, but... it's all for naught, because it's only a silent conversation between whoever is at the door and the woman at the front of the room. She all but abruptly ends the whole meeting and disappears.
The room buzzes with conversation in her wake, and Inej can barely guess where to begin. She stands at the edges of conversations, trying to pick up on people's views and opinions before deciding to voice her own.
Maybe you don't want a stranger in your conversation and tell her so– or maybe you recognize the new girl look in her eyes and pull her into your circle of discussion to fill in some blanks, in which case she explains, "I just got here, I barely know anything about these factions."
hoho here is our chance
It would be unlike Link to ignore a calling from the Gods.
"Thorne is the ruling kingdom of this world, and the Free Cities stand in opposition of them. But they're the same. Mortal people who think they can control a power that is not theirs."
yasss
Devil's advocate? Yes, she does quite well at it. She haunted the windows of Ketterdam's most ruthless devil for years. She knows how to turn the tables over and get to the heart of things when she needs to.
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Does Link know the answer? No, but exactly, but - he's come to know some of these people over time. He's witnessed their piety and their strong sense of community, and it's impressed something on him. Well, that and Estinien's suggestions regarding the 'divine' nature of the Singularity.
"The people of Solvunn foster deep connections with the Old Gods of this world. They will know how to return that power to its rightful place."
Inej Ghafa | Grishaverse | The Hierophant | OTA
I. The Winter Solstice
During her morning routine of walking the streets of Solvunn's primary settlement, Inej finds perfectly crisp, beautiful snow dusted across the streets, rooftops, and everything between. There's something almost ethereal about it, highlighted by the dots of reds and greens of holly, evergreen, and poinsettias showing up everywhere, candlelight dancing in windows when the sun is low enough to need them.
Perhaps you find her wandering the streets in a sort of awed daze early that morning. Maybe you happen to be someone she pelts during a snowball fight that some of the local children ended up roping her into. If you're in the game, well, all's fair, but if you're not, her hand goes to her mouth with a bitten back laugh. "Sorry!"
She knows it's meant for the adults to have time without the younger crowd to interfere, and Inej is fine with not interrupting them directly. But adults occasionally have interesting conversations and she'd like to see what sort of things she might pick up on.
She's stealth personified, so finding her won't be easy– she probably means for you to see her if you do, or maybe you find her wandering the streets somewhere away from the bonfire, and if asked why she's out late, she'll simply claim, "Lost track of the time, I'm on my way back to my quarters now." She's convincing, seems genuine and innocuous enough that it likely won't raise any red flags.
A shop vendor gives her a bracelet in the spirit of the season, which she thanks them graciously for before turning to someone nearby. "Can you help me put it on?" Clasping the bracelet with one hand is a bit of a task, and it will be much easier this way.
ii. It takes a village
Inej is at the meeting in front of town hall with everyone else that decided to show up. She's intrigued by everything going on around the settlement right now. Their Gods are not her Saints, but it speaks to her on a spiritual level all the same. She's interested in learning about these Gods, the teachings they offer the people, and traditions surrounding them.
She can be found adding her piece to the tapestry. Nothing very fancy, just a piece of purple and silver patterned fabric that she selected from what they offered to them that she sews carefully onto the tapestry.
Inej stands to the side and watches people place their sacrifices to the Gods, uncertain initially if she should do anything at all. These are not her Saints. Is it a betrayal to act in kind in a foreign land?
In the end, she decides to go with it, and comes back with a small, wooden token to offer. A Suli representation of the ever-continuing cycle of life, death, and eternity.
iii. the goat of all tidings
As traditions go, it's a lively, fun one, at the very least. She hadn't exactly known what to expect when the Goat was first brought to their attention. And as he's released into the town, she laughs and will do her level best to capture a kiss from him.
In the end, she succeeds, a favorable outcome in this time-honored tradition in this new world she's found herself in.
iii goat times!
Goats. There are always goats. And truth be told she is a tad fond of them, maybe a little more than sheep. (She can't let Estinien know that, of course.) So when tasked to find this Goat of All Tidings across the settlement, well...
She's on the hunt.
That's why she's perched on the edge of the fountain in the town square, surveying the horizon. When she spots a familiar face, she quickly waves the young woman over.
"Inej!" Once she's within earshot, Himeka immediately jumps to the business at hand. "Have you seen it?"
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"No, I lost track of him a few minutes ago, and I haven't seen him since!" She laughs a little. The whole thing is a little ridiculous, but that isn't such a terrible thing, in a life full of terrible things, is it?
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"Do you remember which way you saw him go?" she asks as she hops down from the well. "With two of us I bet we can head him off before he gets too far."
Two heads are better than one, after all!
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Inej braces a hand across her eyes against the brightness of the sun and glances around the square. "I think down that alley," she says, pointing.
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She follows the line of Inej's finger and nods, looking very determined.
"Then we have our heading! Let's go before we lose the trail!" Hopping down with no small amount of excitement, Himeka takes off, fully expecting Inej to be in tow.
"How well are you at tracking?"
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She laughs and follows the other girl down to the ground, and through the massive weave of people everywhere.
"Good enough," she says with a smirk meant for herself more than anything else.
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"Then let's put that to the test!"
Coming to a corner she slows, squinting as she looks between buildings.
"Hmm...which way do you think he's gone?"
Looking at the ground, it seems to be a collection of mismatched footprints of people and livestock.
"Any one of these hooves could have been the goat..."
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"Two questions: How are you with heights, and are you any good at climbing?"
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"I've climbed a few dangerous towers in my day," she says as she taps her own chest twice with a smile. Sure, she's taken a few nasty falls as well, but it hasn't been anything she can't heal. "Lead the way!"
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She's still grinning as she turns to look back down at Himeka, waving. "Come on!"
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"You make this look easy!"
Give her a second as she pulls herself up onto the rooftop behind Inej.
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