ph_logs | December Event - To All a Good Night

To All a Good Night

Givingstide

Winter is hard for everyone, but none more so than the residents of an island that has been isolated by the cruel hands of fate. Where the rest of the Emerald Isles is able to rely on imports from other nations in warmer places, Marrow Isle has no resources but her own. All the while, her mettle continues to be tested against the horrors brought on by the curse.

It is for this reason that among all the holidays celebrated by the Mothers' children, Givingstide is particularly beloved. A warm and cozy festival based around wishing each other prosperity and love in the new year, the lengthening of days, embracing generosity even in the lean times, and celebrating the fact that the darkest part of the year is coming to an end.

The fireplace is lit at the Oak & Iron. A wreath of pine boughs hangs over the merry blaze, paper horses and snowflakes decorate the walls, and a table in the center of the room has been done up to look like a silver sleigh. As people file in, hot food and warm drinks begin coming out of the kitchen and bar, and gifts begin piling up on the sleigh table. (Ultimately, a fair amount of them end up on the floor around it.) Everyone greets each other warmly with hearty handshakes, firm hugs, and wishes of a blessed Givingstide. Perhaps if you have a clever eye, you may even see a horned figure drinking hot cocoa in the corner harmlessly, enjoying the atmosphere of good will and keeping watch over the party to prevent any troublemakers. And for once, just once, for the first time in so long on this frightful, forsaken island, there is true peace.

[ Enter the Tavern. ]

The tavern is warm. Orange firelight flickers, as if dancing with the shadows. Decorations of shimmering silver and hunter green, the colors of Givingstide, adorn the dark wood decor of the Oak & Iron. The stucco and timber walls of the dining hall safeguard those within from the bitter wind and snow. It's no Leeds gala--- the food is simple, but it is beautifully made. Roasted chicken, potatoes, onion soup, and fresh-baked bread. Slices of pumpkin pie are passed around for dessert. Hot cider with or without alcohol, mulled wine, coffee, and spiced tea are served with the meal. It isn't glamorous, but it's made with love and tastes like coming home somehow.

As dinner carries on, music begins to be played from the tavern stage, and Mayor Poe has Yorick assist her in doling out the gifts from the table. They read the tags and summon the recipients to the table to recieve them. You can open yours right there or at your table, and decide for yourself whether you care to announce the name of the giver to the room.

Once the gifts are distributed, the partygoers are left to their own devices, allowed time to laugh with friends, dance to music, drink to their hearts' content, sneak off to while away a private moment in one of the inn's sitting rooms, or head home for an early night. Regardless of your choice, let it be with a loved one. A friend, a partner, a member of your newfound family. Blessed Givingstide, and may your lantern ever stay lit.

gifts and vouchers

Some important information regarding gift-giving and vouchers can be found below.

[ Review. ]

Gifts can be purchased using your own Brass, or via the holiday bazaar vouchers found in our December TDM. If you haven't taken the trivia quiz on the TDM, you still can! You can take it for each character or just once and give all your characters the same voucher.

For simplicity's sake for both our mods and our players, we will allow you to decide for yourselves the prices of your items so long as they are reasonable. You can use other purchase requests in the bank as a reference or simply decide on a price you believe is fair based on your experience. You do not have to list prices. We will trust you to make fair decisions! If you're still unsure how much an item ought to cost, feel free to ask us in the question thread on this post, but in the spirit of the holiday season (both real and fictional) we would rather allow your characters to get gifts for all their loved ones than worry too much about financials. Perhaps your character is simply a very good bargain hunter!

As a slight aside, we would love to thank each and every one of you for being a part of making Pumpkin Hollow amazing this year. We truly could not ask for a better group of players and are extremely grateful to have met all of you delightful, creative, talented, funny, incredible people. We hope you had a great holiday season, whatever that looks like for you, and we're so honored to greet the new year with this fantastic community!

Hand in hand, we put the darkness to our backs and step into the light. Rejoice, spring cometh.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hey, it's what I do." Gerry smiles back and gives an easy shrug. "I dunno if I ever told you this, but I actually have sort of... special sight? It's complicated, but I can see through things that trick the eyes. And I just thought it might be nice for yourself to see you the way I do."

When Mary describes her own gift as seeming self-serving, Gerry makes a curious face, then opens the gift and laughs. "Hah, I see what y'mean! But no, this is great, I love it. Oh fuck yeah, chalk pastels. These are great for making that sort of smudgy, grungy art that I love."

Mary looks a little mystified by the explanation, but Gerry must be from a more magical world than Mary's own. "It is nice. I think... it will help, when I look in the mirror, to see what you've highlighted."

Her smile returns when he laughs, and she says, "I'm happy that you like them! I'm not much for visual arts myself, but I know that good tools help with art. Maybe you can make portraits for other friends now."

"For sure, and I can use it to decorate my walls with weird shit. And, y'know, sometimes I sketch things for the paper." He chuckles. "Thanks, though, I appreciate it. Can never have too many supplies, they always run out when you least expect."

Gerry takes a deep breath, looking around the room. "So, how d'you like the party? Nothing's attacked us yet or anything."

"I have no complaints about not being attacked. I'm keeping my eye on the guy with the horns, though." Mary raises an eyebrow. "I hear he likes to hit people who have skeletons in their closet. If he goes for a switch, I'm outta here."

"Who, Krampus? Nah, he's done for the year. His season's over once the presents go out. He's like... evil Santa."

"I've done some pretty bad things in my past life. I suppose I'll just be glad I dodged a goat-man-shaped bullet this time around."

"There's always next year," Gerry teases her fondly. "But honestly, I kinda find that hard to believe. The worst thing I've seen you do is bust Yorick's chops. You've been nothing but cool."

Mary gives a strained smile. "I'm a criminal, or at least I was. Aside from my initial breakdown that led me to think recreating my former stardom would make me happy... I convinced myself I was in love with a man who was just using me to help him with his crime spree. And..." she looks away, "when he did finally reject me, I put the whole city in danger trying to punish him for it."

She looks back up at Gerry and says, "Love is a kind of madness, and I don't do well with either."

The idea of some shithead using his friend is probably the part Gerry is most hung up on. (Turn your location on, Killer Croc, Gerry just wants to talk.) But that's a later problem.

"I don't think crime makes you evil. Legality and morality are different animals altogether. I've had my fair share of run-ins with the law. Only went to prison about it once, though. I was a pretty handy escape artist."

Mary looks away for a moment, then back at Gerry, and says softly, "It wasn't very moral of me to shut off the computer systems at the nuclear power plant. The reactor would have blown up, and taken out most of the city. I was endangering everyone and I didn't care."

She sighs. "I had my reasons, which made sense at the time, but it's all selfish and stupid when I look back on it. I haven't been a good person, Gerry. But I am trying to be better. And if... this changes how you see me, and you don't want to be my friend anymore, I'll understand."

It will hurt, but Mary will understand.

Gerry shakes his head. "No, it doesn't change anything. Pretty sure my mum's done worse than all that."

"To me, it just sounds like what happens when a really smart person who's been through hell and doesn't have a support system gets access to unchecked power. I've seen plenty of people in similar boats do similar things. You at least regret it, which is more than shitheels like Simon Fairchild or Jude Perry could say. I should really tell you those stories over a pint at some point." He chuckles. "But for real, I've known some bad people. People who decided they would rather be monsters. You're just a nice lady who had too much firepower and not enough people in your corner."

Mary reaches out and takes one of Gerry's hands in hers. She gives it a light squeeze and smiles at him, teary eyed, for a long moment before she can speak.

"You're very kind to me, Gerry. I don't know if I deserve your friendship, but I'm very grateful for it. I'm grateful for you."

December Event - To All a Good Night

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