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tramitem_ooc2020-12-12 09:36 am
tramitem) wrote in tramitem_ooc2020-12-12 09:36 am
Solstice Plot Dec 2020: Pahuuden Maa
... And when my good dream came to an end, I woke up more than ready to bend ... Full Game Navigation |
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Winter Solstice in Manhattan  ✦ Manhattanhenge ✦ Manhattan was built on something ancient and primal. Have you ever noticed the ley lines criss-crossing this part of the city? This layout was not on accident. The most visual of these primal phenomenon is what is commonly called Manhattanhenge: an event during which the setting or rising sun is aligned with the east–west running streets of the main street grid of Manhattan, New York City. The sunsets and sunrises each align twice a year, on dates evenly spaced around the solstices. Excellent places for viewing Manhattanhenge are 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th Streets. It's quite the spectacular view. But on the precise solstice of this year, things get more interesting than stunning sunsets and sunrises... The day starts out like any other in this bizarre world of ours. Your character will go about their business, whatever that may be. But at exactly 5:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, December 21, a bright flash of light will blast through the the grid of New York City's streets. It will happen in an instant (lasting about 3 seconds), maybe it will wake up your character, but your character won't miss it no matter where they are in the city. The strange thing is: only the Different will see this phenomenon. If they ask an average New York City inhabitant, the NPC will respond with confusion (maybe concern for your character's mental well-being?). At first glance, this was just a strange flash of light, but as your character tries to resume their day and move about the city, they will encounter something exciting and maybe a bit terrifying. Your character will be walking down the street, turn a corner expecting to see more of New York City's bustling activity, but instead of modern earth cars and buildings the street before them has turned into a portal to another universe filling the whole street. And the more your character checks, the more portals your character will find. The boundaries between this world and another have become so thin they've started to break. In some places around NYC: actual portals to another universe have opened up. Plot Start Date: Plot End Date: Plot Catch All Post: Pahuuden Maa  ✦ Basic Setting Details ✦ Pahuuden Maa is a cozy vacation spot nestled in the valley of a mountain range, a quaint ski-resort town that harkens back to a less modern time with a bit of magic sprinkled here and there. Expanded Universe Boundaries Expanded Universe Facts: The days/seasons run concurrent with that of NYC. When it's day here, it's day there. There are 'seasons': snowy season and more snowy season. To the average tourist, these seasons don't look or feel very different, but to an inhabitant of the town, they can certainly tell the difference. Climate/Weather: Pahuuden Maa is set up in a valley between mountains, high enough that it is always snowy. It snows often, but the snow doesn't ever go away completely. There are sometimes warmer days than others and on those warmer days, some of the snow melts into a river that cuts through the center of the town. But don't break out the burmuda shorts - this is a ski resort town. The People: The people that populate Pahuuden Maa are humans of all races. This is a very diverse town, though only half the people in the town at any given time actually live here (about 2000 or so live here full time). The rest are here on a holiday, so don't get too used to seeing someone's face, as most people are constantly changing. The people are all much more friendly than the average New Yorker. The life of an inhabitant of Pahuuden Maa is oddly cheerful and bright. And people on vacation are generally relaxed and happy. And the magic of this place makes it a bit hard to be grumpy. Flora/Fauna: Basically the same as here on Earth, though some astute students of biology might notice an animal or plant species here and there that are different from on Earth. (See more below about the plants and animals around here.) Politics: The town has a mayor and officers that oversees the needs of an economy built on tourism. These positions are democratically filled by voting from the inhabitants. Locations  ✦ The Ice Palace ✦ The Palace is located at the very foot of one of the mountains, near the back of the town. Some of the ice spires can be seen from anywhere in the town. And certainly the palace can be seen from the ski lodge up the side of the mountain. It is made entirely of ice, but somehow it doesn't melt. Some kind of magic is keeping the ice stable. But it is not cold inside, again, another feature that benefits from magic. For a fee, visitors are welcome to take a tour of the grounds or inside the castle. Tickets are available for the tours, the gardens, the ballroom, and the dinning room. Each attraction has its own fee.
The foremost luxury resort in this winter destination, the ice castle appears to be a palace made entirely of ice, offering such amenities as: Ice/Snow sculpture gardens: The grounds around the castle are not your ordinary gardens. In place of manicured bushes and sculpted marble statues there are snow and ice sculptures of varying size and intricacy. These sculptures can be of anything and the funny thing is that they seem to change out regularly. The palace ice sculpters are very talented and like to try out new things to test their abilities. They will not say just how they execute their craft, but they do like showing it off. Once a day, new statues are added and old ones are taken away. There is more fun to be had on the Palace grounds. There is also a section of the gardens at the northern side of the palace that is a great big ice maze. It, too, changes by the day. New paths and walls are constructed, making this fun activity never old. Ice and snow sculptures are littered throughout the maze. And hot cocoa and hot cider stands scattered throughout the maze, too. Palace staff run the maze to make sure no one gets lost, so don't worry if you can't find your way out, a palace worker will be patroling the maze and before long will find you. At night, the ice walls light up from within with different colors that sparkle as if with magic. You may be thinking - if this is all made of ice, how slippery is it? Well, it's not slipery at all, for some undefinable reason (okay, it's because of magic). But safety is very important to the grounds keepers and hosts at the Palace. They've taken measures to make this attraction accessible to everyone. (So no, you cannot climb on the statues. If caughting doing so, you will be escorted off the Ice Palace grounds and you won't be able to buy another ticket in.)
The Grand Ballroom: The Ballroom is the grandest room in the whole palace. It is large, spacious room with marble pillars holding up high, vaulted ceilings. The flooring is black and white marble and long and wide enough for many people to dance at the same time. The room and its furnishings are decked out in white with gold, silver, and black accents. Chairs line the walls for those that need to take a break from dancing. Dances are held every evening during the Winter Solstice celebration. An orchestra plays music all night long. The music sounds vaguely familiar, but no one will be able to place it. However it usually has a three beat tempo perfect for waltzing to. But the orchestra does try to change things up a bit so not everything is slow and not everything is fast. Palace staff serve drinks of hot cocoa and hot ciders and light snacks to those not occupied with dancing. But do not think this is just an adults-only affair. The music and atmosphere are family friendly until about 9:00 p.m. There after alcoholic drinks are served in addition to the other drinks. Fine Dining: All day long, the palace serves food: breakfast, midmorning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, late night snacks. The foods are rich and filling, the drinks are fabulous, with always a variety to choose from to accommodate anyone’s diet. Each day a different menu is prepared so no one will get bored during their stay in this town. The dining room is decked out in white, gold and silver. Pleasant music is played on string instruments to give the room a delightful atmosphere. Small ice sculptures adorn each table - these displays are always intricate and beautiful, and different for each table, each day. Food is served on fine china, and drinks are served in delicate glasses, but don't worry if you break something, you'll be forgiven. All are welcome, this is a resort for entertaining all people, after all. And there always seems to be room for everyone. So please, come to the Palace and try the food, then come again for lunch and dinner, and... well, you get the idea. The Palace is very accomodating.  ✦ Outdoor Skating Rink ✦ The skating rink is enormous, encompassing an oval about a kilometer in diameter. Resort workers go out every morning to maintain the ice to correct imperfections and make it smooth. All along the edges of the rink are benches for skaters to stop and take a break. There are also huts, set back on the banks behind the benches, that sell things: drinks such as hot chocolate, hot ciders, spiced rums, and foods such as soups, stews, and other warm foods easily eaten on the go. Some shops also rent out ice skates for a small fee.  ✦ The Ski Lodge ✦ Set midway up the mountains is a ski lodge. This looks exactly as one would imagine a mountain ski lodge would look - walls made from great big, whole tree trunks. The vaulted ceiling over the common area is held up with exposed beams. Hearty food and warm drinks are served in the common area. There are rough-hewn tables and chairs and benches to sit and eat, warm up from the day’s skiing, or just relax by the fire in the giant fireplace along one wall. You can purchase an all day pass for the ski resort daily accomodations.
Sleigh ride up to the mountain ski lodge: Characters must buy a ticket for a sleigh ride to get up to the mountain ski lodge. These sleighs are pulled by reindeer and can pull six people at once. It takes about an hour by sleigh ride to get up to the ski lodge. Blankets are provided for the ride. Rooms for rent in the lodge: There are rooms for rent at the lodge. Each room for rent contains a giant four-poster bed made from branches. The mattresses are soft, however, and the blankets on the bed are warm, with spares in a trunk at the foot of the bed. Each room has a fireplace and a stack of logs that are replenished every day by room service. Each room also has its own small bathroom: sink, toilet, stand up shower. For a hot soak, a person needs to visit the hot springs or the saunas. Skiing: Skis are available for rent for a fee from the lodge. There are trails and slopes of various difficulties all around the lodge. There’s a ski lift that will take you up the side of the mountain for a fee. The ski resort has a few stops, the first being the bunny slopes so get off there for an easy downhill run. The higher up stops on the ski lift are the more difficult slopes and trails. Snowshoeing: If hurtling down a mountain slope at breakneck speeds on a pair of sticks with only another pair of sticks to help you keep balance is not your idea of fun, you can rent for a fee some snowshoes and take an invigerating walk along one of the mountain trails. Saunas: For a fee, you can use one of the many saunas available at the ski resort. The saunas are meant to be entered with a towel and cannot be rested in for more than an hour. Any longer than that can be dangerous for the body. Hot springs:For a fee, you can take a dip in one of the resort's hotsprings. The hot springs are to be used while wearing a bathing suit - this is a family friendly establishment. There are multiple natural hot springs located around the lodge, which are out in the elements, though they do have some benches nearby, and safety features like railings. The lodge has an indoor pool built over one of the hot springs if your character prefers their warm dips in the comfort of indoors.
~*~
✦ The Mountains and Forests ✦ The Wildlife Fauna: Various types of wildlife live in the woods above the town. The forest is populated with many forest animals we would be familiar with: deer, squirrels, all kinds of birds, mice, etc - these animals are abundant. Of course, there is also the occasional carnivore - wolves, foxes, bobcats, and mountain lions - though these animals are few and far between. If you are feeling you'd prefer to stay on the safe side, stick to the areas close to the town and ski resort. You'll see the non-aggressive animals. If you're feeling more adventurous, you can hike further into the woods. Spending the night far from the town is not recommended for safety reasons. But during the day, you might spot a predator far from the town, but they'll usually leave you alone. In addition to the animals we are familiar with, this universe does have a few special creatures that are this universe specific: Mears – In appearance, the mears have the body of a black bear but also have horns that look like that of a moose (though the spread of the antlers are a bit smaller). The spread of the antlers range from about 3-4 feet. They are black on their top of their body with lighter fur ranging from brown to sometimes white on their bellies. Unlike actual bears, these do not hibernate. They are solitary creatures and generally stay away from humans. It would be inadvisable to run into one. Elxes – An elx has the regal appearance of an elk, with their antlers and face, but have the body and tail of a fox. They come up to about waist height at their shoulders. Their fur comes in a variety of colors - ranging from light yellow-tan to the iconic fox orange to darker mahogany brown. All have black tipped ears and feet with white tipped tails. They usually travel in small herds of three to five does with their offspring, or three to five bucks. Active during the day, they generally avoid humans and will run away if approached. Squowls – Winged and faced like an owl, it also has four paws like a squirrel and a bushy tail. They do not get very large, they are generally just a little bit larger than the average squirrel. Their feathers and fur ranges from chestnut brown with black spots to dusty grey with black spots. They are crepuscular, active at twilight and early morning hours. You’ll be able to spot them easily because the forest has a sizable population of squowls. Wise and inquisitive, the squowl will pounce on creatures smaller than it and take them back to their nests for food.
The Wildlife Flora: The flora is similarly similar to what we know on earth, and, yet there are some strange plants in this universe. Generally, the trees and bushes are quite familiar to us on earth: various kinds of coniferous trees (pines, spruces, firs, cedars, etc; and the occasional deciduous tree (birch, ash, aspen, etc.). But there are a few unique plants that grow in this universe: Icicle bells – These white, hanging flowers have a conical shape that looks a bit like a bell, with central parts that look like a spray of icicles hanging down from the bell. They grow abundantly in the winter, their vines crawling up the side of buildings and trees to reach for the light. Snapping off and consuming the icicle parts of these flowers will bring the consumer a peaceful drifting high, like a small dose of valium. Evergreen azaleas – Azaleas are clusters of flowers that aren’t typically seen on an evergreen tree. Yet these are to be found on evergreen trees scattered throughout this area, and carry a delightful scent like cinnamon. Hollytoe – Similar to the holly and mistletoe of our world, there is a tradition about kissing beneath the colorful boughs of this plant. Any kissing witnessed by this world’s inhabitants is to be celebrated, and will definitely cause an outbreak of partying.
Wild Energy Bursts: Aside from the few strange animals and plants in this universe, there is one other strange anomaly that exists in the forests. Strange energy bursts exist in the forest. They are very rare in the wild. But when sighted they are mostly iridescent whitish sparkles with a pale color tint - blue, green, purple, pink, yellow, etc. They are small, about the size of a fist. And they hover in the air, but can move in any direction. Up, down, side to side, forward, backwards. They are quite pretty to look at. Though, again, they are very rare out in the forests and mountains. When encountered, they cause all kinds of mischief - see below all about the ways they can ruin your day...  ✦ The Resort Town ✦ Stores: The stores are filled with goods in old-fashioned packaging, wrapped in plain paper and tied off with hemp twine. The items on display feature things that resemble 18th-century clothing and old-fashioned candies. The dried sausages and cheeses, perfect for snacking on while on holiday, are paired with various types of crackers. And of course, they sell the best mulled wine, ciders, and delicious hot chocolate. Stables full of reindeer: The constant travel done by the town’s reindeer mean there are several stables full of reindeer that are being pampered during their time off. Each stable of reindeer work hard every other day, and rest and recuperate on the days in-between. For a small fee, visitors to the town can pat and feed the reindeer that rest in the stables. There are even a few newborn reindeer calves that love attention - pats and scratches - especially behind the ears and on their shoulders where they cannot reach themselves. Sleighs pulled by reindeer: Besides pulling visitors up to the ski lodge or to their rented cabins, the reindeer can take people on one of various guided tours. There is one big sleigh that is essentially a moving tavern pulled by a team of ten reindeer. This is about the size of one of earth’s trolly cars. This sleigh travels around the town, looking at all the sights. It has the same route day and night. There is a fee to ride the sleigh and each beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike) has an individual price.
Mischief Concentrated Energy: The town relies on the magical energy of crystals contained in glass spheres. The crystals glow and provide light enough to fill an average sized room, but they can be covered to shut out the light. The town uses these in there home and outside lining their streets on poles. They also provide a source of heat. One sphere will be warm to the touch and will not burn, but that heat, when the sphere is uncovered, will keep a small sized room warm - which is why many homes and buildings will use multiple crystals per room. When five spheres are placed next to each other, their energy output increases exponentially and can be used as a heat source hot enough to cook food. But to use them this way the user must take great caution and keep the crystals in stone ovens to protect the rest of the space around them. Once the spheres are separated, they return to a safe temperature to touch with bare hands. These crystals also somehow keep the Ice Palace from melting - how this is possible when usually they are used for warmth and light is a mystery only certain townsfolk in charge of maintaining the crystals knows. And they won't be telling their secrets any time soon. The crystals also promote a sense of harmony and happiness near them. The range of their influence is about an average sized room. This is why the town seems so cheerful and calm. Where do the town's people get these magical crystals in spheres, you ask? This is an excellent question. They actually happen to be captured wild energy bursts. When the energy bursts are captured and contained in a glass vessel, they turn into energy crystals that are warm and useful. However, things turn to chaos when they are uncontained...  ✦ Mischievous Uncontained Energy Bursts ✦ A few days before the winter solstice, there was an accident in the storeroom of the Palace where the extra spheres of energy crystals were kept. Whole shelves were knocked over, so many spheres fell from their resting place and shattered to the floor, and the energy within the spheres changed from useful and contained to mischievous and uncontained. Staff rushed to recapture as many energy bursts as they could, however, too many escaped into the town and now they are causing all kinds of mildly annoying chaos. Sure, it's mild, but when you're on vacation, you don't want any annoyances. And the annoyances can add up! The Mild Mischief of the Energy Bursts: When your character encounters one of these free energy bursts, a few things can happen, such as:
As explained above, these bursts of energy appear as iridescent clouds of sparkles no bigger than your fist. They are amorphous without any real set shape. They have mobility and can travel through tight cracks to enter buildings or enclosed spaces. If you encounter one of these balls of mischief, and it starts to ruin your day, in order to make them stop, you must make them move away, or you must catch them. They can travel fast, too, so you have to be quick to catch them. If you are frozen by one of the balls of mischief, another person must help you out because you will be stuck in one place Encounters with the energy bursts are to be played out by rolling a D20 die or using random.org. Your chances of defeating the energy burst increases if you work together - in some instances, depending on what the energy burst did to you, it's absolutely necessary that you get another person to help you! Defeating or capturing the energy burst is the goal.
Questions How do the portals work this time around? Does my character need any special tools to capture the energy bursts? If my character captures an energy burst, can they keep it? Is there a way to kill the energy bursts? Can my character sneak into places that require they purchase a ticket? Can my character punch a snowman? So the energy crystals, when contained, have a mood altering affect? Does this town use it's own currency? Everything has fees in this town! What are the exact fees? Where does this town get all it's merchandice and supplies? How much stuff can my character bring with them through the portals? Will my electronic devices still work on the other side of the portals? I have more questions! Premise | Welcome | FAQ/Rules | Taken | Wanted | Reserves | Apps Player List | Mod Contact | New Canonmates | AU Workshop Hiatuses | Drops | Points Page | Credits | RP Resources | Game Plots | Calendar New York City | Expanded Universe | The Bureau | Character Places COMMUNITY LINKS Network | Comm | Logs | OOC | Memes | Mod Journal |
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... What dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause ... |
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Questions for Solstice Plot Dec 2020 - Pahuuden Maa
no subject
Martin wouldn't actually kill anyone, just ... stage something that'd be harmful and look like an accident. Skiing, most likely. You know. Working his way up, seeing how he feels afterwards.
no subject
First, the Bureau only cares about the other universes if they affect our universe – so no, they would not care about what happens over in Pahuuden Maa.
However (two things),
Attempting a crime like this is considered a ‘mini player plot’ so you would need to spend 4 pts to play it out.
Finally, though the Bureau doesn't care, we would still require some legit, meaningful in-game consequences that affect Martin for doing something like this. We’d be happy to brainstorm with you.
~ The Mods
no subject
no subject
Can your character take a cutting back? If she finds it in the wild up in the mountains and forests.