midwinter festival
Winter has begun to settle over Terrastella. The wind is crisp and cold; rain comes down in sheets; later in the season snow will line the roofs and ice will glaze the streets, but no matter how dreary it may be outside, the city itself is uproariously alive. Bells and carolers sing in the street and lights pour out of every open window. Even the air itself seems to smell of celebration—sugar, spice, and everything nice. The Dusk Court has officially opened its arms to all Novus inhabitants in celebration of the winter solstice.
decking the halls
Just inside the citadel stands a fir tree of enormous proportions. Its leaves are a stunning deep green that makes the whole room smell of pine sap, and it nearly brushes the top of the vaulted ceiling. At its base, huge woven baskets bound in red, green and gold cloth are filled to bursting with glittering ribbons, silver-dusted pinecones, seashells, hammered metal stars, candy canes and all other manner of baubles waiting just for you to hang them on branches and help decorate the winter centerpiece of Terrastella’s castle.
the vigil
For Terrastellans, the winter solstice is a particularly inauspicious day, and most say that if you can’t stay up through the night, misfortune might befall you. As a way of staying safe and of honoring the dead, a space for vigils has been set up inside the Hospital. Candles light each and every room, and gifts for the dead and sick are strewn across every visible surface—wreaths of flowers and ribbon-tied tulle bags of dried fruit, festive drinks, food sacrifices and handmade gifts like paintings and statues. Do whatever you can to stay awake: those who make it to the sunrise are said to be rewarded for their steadfastness.
gift exchange
No solstice celebration would be complete without gift-giving. Throughout the night, citizens have the opportunity to leave anonymous gifts for their loved ones on their doorsteps or any other haunts they’re known to frequent. Those who don’t find the giver of their gifts by the end of the night owe the gifter a favor of their choice.
lord of misrule
By far the wildest of Terrastella’s midwinter celebrations is the lot-drawing of the Lord of Misrule, held within the walls of the court proper. Here there is no lack of Bacchanalian spirit: alcohol flows freely, music never stops, and partners dance until their legs go numb. Whoever’s still dancing by sunrise has the opportunity to be named the Lord of Misrule and gifted with a mistletoe crown and bottles of Terrastella’s finest liquors.
how-to
Happy December, and happy winter to Novus! To participate in the Midwinter Festival, post anywhere within the Terrastellan boards and tag your thread title with either "midwinter festival" or the name of the activity in which your character is participating. If you choose to take part in the Lord of Misrule or Vigil activities, the Random Events account is likely to make an appearance and bestow Signos, the title of Lord of Misrule, or other gifts to your character. Every character who participates will be given 50 signos from the Dusk court stipend as a thanks, and will be awarded an extra 100 for every finished thread before the end of the season. Please send me (RB) a message on Discord for any questions <3
