{ dream notes #16: december 1, 2022 }

[dreamkeepers]

DREAM NOTES #16: DECEMBER 1, 2022

IT'S DECEMBER! We have quite a few things in store for our big event, but we also know that many folks will be checking out due to the holiday season madness. So be sure to read through everything. Don't forget this month is half AC with opportunity to earn a free pass for 2023! We also have a mod team change-up, so be sure to read up on that as well.

CALENDAR

Here is our current schedule for the month:

12/01: Plot With Me Meme

12/05: EMP/ATP

12/16: Event/TDM

12/25: Reserves Open

12/29-31: Activity Check

01/01: Apps open

01/03: Final apps due, begin processing apps

01/04-05: Player Intro, Open Log, CR Meme

01/29-31: Activity Check

DREAM TREND: This month's dream trends may involve any of the following themes: colorful lights (natural like something in the sky, or artificial/man made), giving or receiving gifts of any kind, child-like wonder (high chance of dreamers becoming children)

WEATHER: Snow has officially arrived, and like last year it will start slow before building up as the month goes on. There will be a few days where it is absolutely freezing, so watch the pipes!

OTHER NOTES: Alas, the newly found electricity will not be strong enough for electric, central heating, so everyone keep warm through other means! Dreamotion, blankets, fireplaces, each other and fire cores will be your friends. Also be careful of the heavy snowfall, especially around the treehouses. Some may find themselves blocked in and will need to dig or climb their way out. With the help of certain dreamers, the siren from last month's Dream Board has finally broken free completely and can no longer be contained. Joined by other sirens and the singing fish, every single Christmas hit song can be heard 24/7. Sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, sometimes fitting the atmosphere, sometimes completely jarring. All I want for Christmas is—

We have a few open "party" logs that will be occurring this month. The ones we know for sure are the wedding for Eustace and Tifa, and The Wild Harvest is hosting a log. If there are any others, make sure to post them in the designated toplevel in the Plot WIth Me meme!

This month we're once again using the event as our Test Drive, with the same rules as the previous ones. Please refer to the designated section to be aware of how it works.

HELPER MOD SWITCH

It is with great sadness that I must announce that Taisa is stepping down as my helper mod, but do not worry she is still in the game. And now pivoting in the other way, I am happy to announce her replacement, Sheila! To stress, Sheila's primary duty is maintenance, ie. list and AC upkeep. While she might try to help field easy questions, please do not bug her for big mod problems or questions. As always, use the Mod Contact for more serious inquiries.

Now for some messages from both!

Taisa: My life has gotten too busy to handle the maintenance work, so please treat Sheila nicely while I finally get sleep.
Laena: sob sob so jealous sob

Sheila: Hi Songerein! Sheila (Tifa Lockhart/Velvet Crowe player) here! If you are wondering if Lae blackmailed me into this, you are correct. :) Please handle with care!
Laena: liar you threw yourself at me—

Now let us all come together with blankets and let Taisa rest.

TDM = EVENT

For this month, our Test Drive Meme will not be a separate log but will be the event itself. Those who are considering applying may comment and toplevel into the event log. This means that characters are suddenly appearing during the event period and technically existing for the rest of the month. The log is forward dated to the 27th (post-Christmas). However, guest characters can only be active within the event log. They are still free to use the Dream Board for additional prompts and can do timey-wimey things to incorporate the rest of December in their threads, but non-game characters can only be threading within the event log.

Even if a character is not applied for, random disappearances already happen and can be timed with the end of the month, so while characters might feel a little sad their friend didn't stay longer, it won't be too jarring. Players in game are still free to retcon a character's appearance if it's feasible and better for them.

All in all, it's a little similar to a fourth wall, and like all TDMs anyone is free to participate. However, we would prefer it if only those who are seriously considering applying into the game to participate.

ACTIVITY CHECK RESULTS

Congratulations to everyone who commented on our Activity Check! The following characters were removed from the game:

Chiaki Nanami | futurisms
Themis | shinebrighter
Law | zephyrean

If anyone was swept because they missed AC, you can reapply in the next cycle. Just fair warning, we will notice if this happens more than once and we may not allow immediate reapplication the next time.

Edit: we had a slight correction and have edited this list accordingly. This puts our player population to 73/75, which means our new player reserve/apps slots are at a maximum 2.

While the number of open slots will likely increase by the end of the month… Given how small it is currently, if we have more interest we can bump the reserve cap up by 10. But we'll play it by ear as it's always hard to gauge how much interest we'll have in any given app cycle.

HALF AC+FREE PASSES

Hey guys, remember last month when I stressed the whole hiatus thing? Still applies. However, this month may be easier for folks because we are doing our traditional half AC.

This month's Activity Check will only require 1 thread of 5 comments! However, if you manage to give us full proof (2 threads of 5 comments), you'll earn a special free AC pass that can be used once per character in 2023. The pass will not carry over into the year after so it would have to be used in 2023. In addition, unless there is an extreme personal emergency, we will not allow a hiatus exemption before or after the month of using the pass. This is so we don't get a weird case of { Hiatus > Free Pass } or { Free Pass > Hiatus } or { Hiatus > Free Pass > Hiatus } scenarios as that would effectively allow a player to skip two to three ACs in a row and we do not want that.

All old free passes will be wiped clean! There's no real penalty or anything for not using them, but you can use them for this AC as well. If you do, however, that means you will not be eligible for the free pass next year.

WORLD UPDATES

Be it new NPCs, creatures, places, or some other discovery or creation, the world of Songerein continues to grow! So here are a few things as a result of the Dream Board and other submissions:

Beastiary:

• Chinchompas! A type of rodent-like creature which can be found in various habitats. Red in desert or sandy places, blue in cold places, green in grassy areas, etc. Rarely will there be a golden or crystal chinchompa. They eat almost anything and are very cuddly creatures that can be kept as pets. However, there is a small but non-zero chance that a chinchompa may carry a genetic trait that makes it explode into a shower of crystalline glitter once a dreamwalker tries to touch it.
  
  
• Dreammets, what are now flitting around the Dreamotion Plant and Reverein to keep everything that uses dreamotion power in a working state! They're very curious about the new dreamers now inhabiting the old town and may follow them around to observe them for a bit before flying off. Their wings are extra sparkly around strong, positive dreamotion, but other than looking pretty, it doesn't do anything else (for now.) Some may actually stay with the new dreamers if they're allowed to!
  
  These are powered by dreamotion, as everything here is, and as long as it's around, they'll be working. Nightmare energy hasn't been observed near them, so who knows what may happen when the dreammets are exposed to it... :)
  
  
• Crystalflytes (image TBD). Found a little deeper in the elecrystal caves will the crystalflytes appear: similar to fireflies, the lighted part of them look more crystalline, much like the walls of the elecrystal cave. Trapping them gives you light, and they don't seem to die off like normal fireflies. Trapping enough into something for a light source will interact with any Dreamotion you set off, showing a piece of a dream of yours for a brief moment. The more Dreamotion, the longer the scene. However, once about an hour has elapsed, the crystalflytes disappear and seem to reappear in the cave itself.
  
  
• Para-frogs. Touching (or licking if you're weird like that) will cause you to be temporarily paralyzed for a minute or two. Repeated use will just cause you to continually be paralyzed. Found out in the outer wilds on the elecrystal/dreamotion plant excursion. Please don't touch them. You can probably get rid of an infestation by no direct contact or scaring them off by loud noises. (If anyone decides to eat them by cooking up some frog legs, I hope you know how to cook 'em right.)
  
  
• Alpanthra - A large and wooly cat that some farmers use to protect their sheep and other herd animals. Commonly paired in travel with the even larger Yetox when they are either hitched to wagons, or just otherwise transporting goods via wagon. Friendly with those they are loyal to, and fierce when a need to fight rears its head. They spit a viscous saliva as a warning when irritated, or to blind predators temporarily.
  
  

Places:

• The Wild Harvest serves various western and eastern style earth-based street food dishes. A special menu is rotated every month.

  
  Wild Harvest's specials for the month are:

  
  
  • Sukiyaki: A Japanese hotpot dish meant to be shared with others. Comes with a meat of customer's choice (thinly-sliced beef, pork, or chicken) along with tofu, onions, mushrooms, various vegetables and noodles.
    
    
  • Kentucky is Christmas!: Another nod to a more recent Japanese winter tradition, the Wild Harvest is offering crispy fried chicken by the bucketful in honor of Christmas. Choose however many pieces you want, however you want: legs, thighs, wings, or breasts depending on your preference. They can also be fried as spicy as you like, including with Devil's peppers... if you dare. Don't like chicken? No problem. Consider a turkey substitute or another meat less fowl.
    
    
  • Christmas Cookies: Sugar cookies shaped and decorated like various items to remind you of the holiday season, including candy canes, snowflakes, christmas trees, and even Santa Claus himself.
    
    
  • Hot Chocolate: Warms you to your very soul. The Harvest's hot chocolate comes in a variety of flavors, including blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, and matcha. Rich and sweet in flavor, marshmallows and whipped cream are available to top it all off, and each mug is also served with a candy cane stirrer for minty flavour.
    
    
  • Eggnogg: A holiday staple. Made from scratch with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and an alcohol of your choice: brandy, rum, bourbon, or none of the above for a nonalcoholic alternate, in a recipe that brings everything together for a perfect balance between sweetness and spice.

  
  Some autumn colors remain about the Harvest, as do the botanicats that have found their way in with the colder weather; but some of the oranges and golds give way to a darker red and green. Christmas is in the air, and gone are the pumpkins of Halloween. Instead, some mistletoe can be found in some select doorways of the venue. The hanging lanterns look a little different, and there are even thicker blankets set out for patrons looking to keep warm.
  
  Bundle up! Winter is here...

  
  
  
• Madrigal Blooms is a flower shop located at the Residential District at the ground floor of Isabela Madrigal’s tree house. This place usually sells flowers and potted plants grown seasonally, herbs, spices, floral and non floral arrangements, interesting rare plant life, and gardening tools. The look of the shop leans towards rustic industrial with a mix of steel, wood, exposed brick, and greenery. There is also an area where plants can be dried and a backyard garden where Isabela grows most of the plants. There is also a capybara mascot who usually hangs out at the outdoor display who may or may not eat the flowers.
  
  
• The Elecrystal Cave, found in the Outer Wilds during the excursion that Futaba put together.
  
  The crystals there will break off in same-sized chunks. The smaller (or bigger) the vein, the smaller (or bigger) the chunks will break. The cave seems to go on for a long while, so who knows what else may be down there. No creatures were seen inside, but if they only scratched the surface, again, who knows what's down in the depths. Don't wake up a Balrog!
  
  
• The Dreamotion Plant now powers Reverein. Located out in the outer wilds! It's still pretty ruinous, but there's various machinery that's being spruced up by the dreammets, the caretakers of all things power-related. What needs to be working is working, and what isn't working, well... it can be cleaned up and made to be working, probably. Over time, more will probably be added to it, and it can likely do more, if more things are found there.
  
  
• A desert oasis— or rather, a nice big pond of crystalline water that disperses dream mirages for a while, and tastes good to boot. If any would-be adventurers are out in the more desert-y outer wilds, this may be a good side-trip to make sure they don't end up wandering around the desert!
  

Other:

• Eustace and Tifa announced their wedding that will happen on December 3rd! There will be a mingle log available.
  
  
• With Childe's help, Albedo dismantled a machine in the power plant to better understand the technology that was used there. It was more or less a magical power transformer and he salvaged parts he deemed useful for further research and testing.
  
  
• Madhuri and Alastor communed with the ice siren via dreamwalking and helped her emerge from her ice prison in time for Starlight, much to the chagrin of... whoever didn't want her around or insists she's up too early! Other than that, she will begin attaching dreamotion-imbued mistletoe around Reverein as of the first. A drop of courage and a desire to be closer to someone emanates from the plants. She will not be stopped.
  
  
• Phantom has started hosting weekly healing magic lessons at the music studio! Otherwise he's been pretty low-key this month.
  
  
• As of this thread Asura has started planting shards of his Spiritual Entity deep out in the Wastelands through which he'll be channeling excess energy from his waking body into the dream world. This won't have any immediately noticeable effects, however, though it would theoretically be possible for the shards to be discovered if someone wandered out far enough.
  
  
• Alastor has been a busy little bee this month. He formed a temporary partnership with the Wild Harvest to set up a Thanksgiving celebration for the second year in a row (first year for the Wild Harvest, obviously). He also helped both Anya and Madhuri free the siren (who keeps putting her back?!).
  
  
• REVEREIN. HAS. POWER. The excursion was a success! Since the return trip, the dreammets that were woken up with the power plant have descended upon Reverein to spruce up some elecrystal-powered things such as street lamps, working their magic to make sure the treehouses are equipped with everything necessary to utilize the elecrystals, and will have likely taught most how they work. They'll be a staple around Reverein now, to make sure everything is working accordingly and there's no mishaps with nightmares or things breaking. Be sure to behave yourselves with them. :) While everything is likely still a work in progress, it will be almost done before CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES, so get your crystal crimmus lights ready!
  
  Still wanting to utilize the flowers that Susato had shown her, Futaba will be trying out some other science projects of planting some of those dawn flowers by some of the elecrystal conductors to keep some nightmare energy out of them... properly shaded of course.
  
  ALSO because this isn't long enough, there is now a known cave of elecrystals that can be harvested out in the outer wilds; the crystals there will break off in same-sized chunks. The smaller (or bigger) the vein, the smaller (or bigger) the chunks will break. The cave seems to go on for a long while, so who knows what else may be down there…
  
  
• There may be very angry roosters loose in the wild that are also on fire now.
  
  
• Devil May Cry's office was burned down at the beginning of the month (thanks Blitzø). Reconstruction efforts are underway, but extensive damage puts completion time somewhere in mid to late December.

MISTLETOE GUMDROPS

They're back. Instead of traditional "magic mistletoe" we have cute little slug looking fae called Gumdrops. There are three different types that will fly around hungry for certain types of dreamotion energy. They will "pair" up people and the color they are indicates what kind of energy they're seeking. You can better believe they will be taking advantage of any other mistletoe hijinks going on. Fortunately they will have cues to help the trapped "pair" out and will gift a small box of tasty gumdrop candies once they are satisfied.

Fluff: White in color, these Gumdrops will be seeking fluffy feelings. Their main words are "fuwa fuwa," "fluff fluff," and "coo cute" and will fly around in the air to give a cute little dance. This is your "friendship level" Gumdrop where hugs, cuddles, and other more platonic gestures of affection will be acceptable. However, don't think it'll end with just one hug. They want a lot of fluff! Several hugs may be required, or they may want to see the pair have a nice time. Maybe even sharing coffee or something to strengthen that bond.

Make it Shippy: Pink in color, these want to see ~love~ in the air. Their main phrases will make it quite obvious what they want: "kiss!" "smooch!" It could be just the beginnings of crushes so flirting or chaste kisses, or a bit more serious so get hot and heavy. Well, maybe not too heavy, but they will happily gobble up more intimate displays. Just get a room, they'll wait outside. They also aren't particular about their pairings, which makes this a little dangerous. While they will be able to sense those who may be attracted to each other, these little "matchmakers" will also pull in two random strangers who may not even know each other. At least there are options!

Mistlefoe: Red in color, they want to see a fight. Get those sparks and high emotional waves going through aggression instead. Their phrases are along the lines of "cut!" "smash!" "grrr!!" and "destroy!" Of course they don't want anyone to actually die, but...well not their problem if it happens. While physical fighting will be the most obvious, verbal slaps will also work. The key emotion they want is based on the tension created from conflict and confrontation, but hey, some folks might get a kick out of it.

Their appearance is completely random and players can choose which one appears for their characters. It's also possible to chain gumdrops, so it's possible for a pair to first have the Fluff gumdrop and then get stuck with the Shippy one.

Dreamotion energy must manifest for the Gumdrop to be satisfied; just performing the act will not be enough. The effects could be subtle, like temperatures heating up, sparks flying about, snow melting, the sunlight shining around them, little hearts or bubbles appearing. But the more prominent it is—like flowers blooming, colors changing, music in the air, a giant heart erupting from the ground, fire and lightning, the ground rupturing and turning to lava—the less time the pair will need to be stuck together—maybe. It's always possible the Gumdrop will find them very tasty and keep them there longer…

GINGERBREAD TOWN

This month's event will be quite…something. First of all, as mentioned before, the event will also double as our Test Drive Meme. Although it will be posted on Friday the 16th, ICly it will also be forward dated to the 27th, meaning the event will be after Christmas. This is to prevent any disruption for any player or character plans for the holiday. As for how long it lasts, well… It will depend how long it takes for the characters to achieve the objectives. The general idea is that everything will blow over by the end of the month, but it will depend on how submissions later look!

Anyway, here is the general run down of what's happening. We are mashing up various elements of The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, Hansel and Gretel, The Gingerbread Man, and Candyland. We basically picked one major element of each one to incorporate into the event, and came up with a fun bit of chaos.

• That Mysterious Gingerbread House. On the Dream Board, there is a quest (#1207) regarding disappearances around a large gingerbread house. Some of the details are written there, but here's a bit more. It appears on Sunday the 18th, and any who go near it, especially anyone who tries to break and eat a part of it, will suddenly find themselves inside the house and transformed into candy versions of household items. Although it's impossible to change back and movement is limited, one could shuffle around with enough dreamotion effort. They are only trapped there for at most fifteen minutes before they are warped out, just long enough to note that it looks more like one big kitchen than a house, with the oven looking like it's constantly baking. It's still a harrowing experience and no one knows the cause. It gets particularly angry if someone tries to break the house apart, firing off gumdrop candy so hot they start to melt and can leave severe burns, or icing will blast out of the chimney to instantly harden and trap people until they're broken free. At first glance this house just seems more of a menace since no real harm is happening, but it will play a central role in the event.

• Trapped in a Miniature Gingerbread Candy Town. On Tuesday the 27th, with no warning whatsoever, everyone will awaken and find the entire town transformed into gingerbread and candy, from peppermint candy cane trees, to gumdrop bushes, to chocolate brick roads. They will also find themselves changed into one of the following forms: gingerbread figures, nutcrackers, or wooden diorama figures. Although they can move and use most of their abilities, it's a bit hampered when it's also discovered that everything has shrunk down a bit in size. Not only that, but there is an indestructible magiglass dome over the town to prevent anyone from breaking in—or out. So if there is anyone who happened to be out of town at the time, they will not be changed and will be stuck outside. The Tree of Stories, the Observatory, and the Carnival park are excluded from the change and remain normal.

• Breaking the curse. There will be at least some guidance through a pair of gingerbread twins named, "Hansel" and "Gretel." They will inform everyone inside that they need to do two things to break out of curse: 1) gather enough dreamotion notes to charge up the golden chocolate bell hanging in the center of the town; 2) break into the gingerbread house and destroy the witch.

1. Dreamotion notes. The notes will form a specific melody, and once complete the bell will ring to help dispel part of the curse and break the glass. To gather the notes, they must accomplish a few objectives, including riding on the toy train that frequently runs through the town.
   
   
   • Past, Present, Future. The cars inside the train are a wonder of their own and notes can be found or created in any car. But there are three particular cars that Hansel and Gretel will encourage most to go through because the notes in these cars will be the strongest. When going through either of the "Past," "Present," or "Future" cars, everyone will have a "Scrooge" experience and walk through either a happy or difficult memory of that set time period, a memory that the individual can learn or reflect on.
     
     
   • Around Town. The town is relatively safe, but not without its own troubles. There will be a few prompts that will directly affect individuals depending on their form (gingerbreads need to run for their lives, nutcrackers better get cracking).
   
   
2. Breaking into the Gingerbread House. The witch's gingerbread house will be the biggest structure compared to everything else. The original defense mechanisms are in place and people can get sucked inside like before, but this time they won't be automatically sent back out. Instead they will remain trapped inside and must make their own escape. Even worse, somehow everything's normal sized inside the house. But where there's a will, there's a way!
   
   
   • Escape Routes. While some may try to let themselves get caught to get inside faster, having an escape route would be prudent.
     
     
   • Fighting the "witch." For those expecting some creepy old woman, they will be in for a surprise. The "witch" is actually the oven itself, its form completely different from before and moving and operating as if it were alive. Rather, perhaps the oven is what the original witch of Hansel and Gretel has become as an eerie cackling can be heard when the doors open and fire flickers out (for a potential reference, see the Predator stove). Regardless, despite its form the "witch" will be a difficult foe to defeat due to its sheer size and everyone still in smaller forms. Just don't get caught.
   
   It should be noted that this is not the complete list of prompts and some may be changed, removed, or added when the log goes up. This is just to get a general idea of what to expect.

• What about people stuck outside? Because this is the opt-out option, the most they can do is communicate with those inside via journal. They cannot break inside no matter what they do, so all they can really do is sit and wait.

• Thread submissions = resolution. Whether everyone is successful will depend on thread submissions! They will be counted during AC just like before. We'll need enough from each portion, but we are keeping it a reasonable number and thread completion is not required. We'll also allow one handwaved submission.

• Weighted threads. We will add some extra "weight" to certain threads so it's not strictly based on participation number. For example, more points will be given to threads from the "Past, Present, Future" prompt. For the witch threads, actual content will add points. While no one can thread complete destruction of the witch, there are many parts to it. A leg knocked off, more than one item thrown into the mouth, a successful trap activated—these things can add a few extra points and turn a 1pt thread to 3pts or more. This way, a theoretical party of 5 people could help bring success instead of punishing everyone just because the portion did not have as many participants. We hope this will help balance things out and encourage actual action and content in threads.
  
  
• Negative points. More applicable to the witch, but if anyone fails to find or generate a dreamotion note, or if the witch "defeats" a character (take that as you will) then negative points will be counted as it would be considered a "win" for the witch's side. If the negative points outnumber the positive, then it will tip the result to failure.

• Multiple endings. We have four potential different endings, all of which will affect how January goes. It is possible to be successful in one part and fail the second. Both successes will have the least impact, while a failure in any one will mean certain parts will carry over into the post-app open log in January to try and resolve things. Failure in both will result in a more nightmarish themed environment/tone for January.

Phew, that should be it. Regardless of the outcome, we're heading into 2023 with some big stuff planned. If you have any questions, ask them here.

DREAM BOARD

How the Dream Board works:

• This is all optional, the quests are just extra content for players and while they can sometimes relate to upcoming or current events, they're just kind of "filler" stuff. Some will be set out in Songerein proper while others may involve dreams.
  
• The Dream Board can be found at the Plaza and quests will automatically appear on it like a bulletin board. Some will also appear in the journals. Anyone can accept them and rewards automatically generated upon completion of the task. It's a dream world, it's full of magic, it just knows.
  
• Quests can be done as many times as a character would do them and rewards will be delivered to the character upon completion.
  
• If you have any questions, comment to the designated subthread.

ID	QUEST	REWARD
1201	Reach for the Stars. The Wild Harvest has begun its month-long search for the perfect star to top its Christmas tree this year. Craft your own star using the materials provided (you're also free to bring your own) and submit your hard work to be judged for a chance to see your star light Santa's way to the Harvest come Christmas Eve. Be sure to vote for your favorites! (Entries can be text description or a picture.)	You get the honor of placing your star atop the Harvest's Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
1202	Hottest Toy Pet This Holiday Season. Posters around town are encouraging people to adopt a Chinchompa for their loved ones this holiday. Which, of course, means that the marketing genius behind the campaign needs adventurers to go out and catch these adorable creatures to keep up with the demand. They will hand out box traps and some servings of spicy tomatoes (bait) to anyone who is interested in helping. One catch: they kind of explode if they’re harassed too much. It’s a defense mechanism.	Choice of a free Chinchompa friend or a basket of tomatoes. Spice for the tomatoes will be provided on request.
1203	Candy Cane Tournament of Fighters. What says “Christmas spirit” like a tournament arc!? Participants will be given giant candy canes and sent into a ring to beat their opponent in a contest that’s kind of like fencing, but with more sugar involved.	The winner of the tournament receives a trophy for their efforts. Trophies will also be awarded for superlative categories such as “most festive” and “miss congeniality.”
1204	Sledding Races. If you prefer your holiday competition to be a little less violent, there are also organized sled races being held on giant snow piles on the outskirts of town. If you do well, you might even be invited to participate in the secret “final level” race: Rainbow Road, where you’ll be sledding with magic on a twisting, turning rainbow in the sky. There may or may not be Christmas-themed sabotages you can use against other racers involved.	Anyone who sleds in the races, regardless of if they try the Rainbow Road or not, receives a holiday medal for participating.
1205	Return of the Ugly Sweaters. Unlike last year, not everyone in town will be forced to wear one. However, they’re still a popular item and can be found on display at many places in the market district. Some of these garments are perfectly normal pieces of clothing. Others are cursed enhanced in some way. Maybe the sweater won’t come off, no matter how hard you try. Maybe it causes a small snow cloud to follow you around. Maybe it makes you behave like a giddy child on Christmas morning. There’s nothing wrong with adding a little extra Christmas spirit to the garment, right?	A Christmas sweater of varying usefulness.
1206	Wassailing. Someone known as Mari Lwyd is roaming around and paying residents a visit. While interacting with her, she challenges people to friendly rhyme contests: winners get sweet treats, losers owe her alcohol and snacks. She is very friendly despite her skeletal appearance–although that doesn’t mean she’ll allow people to treat her poorly. Anyone who tries to attack her will fail horribly (and comically) and have bad luck for roughly a week.	Win or lose, anyone who takes her up on her rhyme challenge receives a week of good luck.
1207	Gingerbread House. Appearing around the 18th, a strange house made of gingerbread has appeared in town. There are reports of mysterious disappearances in the area, and dreamers are being encouraged to go check out the situation. Those who try to investigate get no farther than the front door (a door that refuses to open) before they risk of ending up disappearing themselves, although they’ll find that it’s only temporary. Dreamers who get too close are sucked into the house and transformed into candy versions of household items for a little while (think Beauty and the Beast) and can see shelves upon shelves filled with similar items. Did one just twitch? Is that a quiet sob from that teacup? But they only last about fifteen minutes before they are suddenly released back to the outside, much more confused than before. Further details can be read in the event section.	Guess we'll see.

END NOTES

And that should be it. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I am definitely going to mislabel 2023 as 2022 for a while...rip. If you have any questions, be sure to comment to the designated thread here!