.:Merry Christmas!:.
The town square was usually a rather dull place during winter. It was always too cold to go out and spend time at the local bakery or the vendors. But on this particular evening, something special had happened and the square had been transformed from empty and gloomy, to bright and lively. There were lights hanging from every rooftop surrounding the square, and the smell of gingerbread wafted through the many vendors. There were people milling about here and there, some holding mugs of cocoa and chatting animatedly to one another as they fed the geese who called the fountain in the middle a temporary home. Some of them were sitting near a large, roaring fire, recounting stories of Christmases long past, or simply chatting with one another about what they were getting their families in terms of presented.
Off to the side, a small, cheery bakery was open all night, handing out free gingerbread and inviting customers in for more yummy treats. A roasted chestnut vendor was off to one side, offering people warm chestnuts to heat their chilled fingers and fill their bellies. And beside his cart, there was a table set up with free hot cocoa, which would be welcomed after spending the cold night out in the open air, visiting the various attractions. Beside the vendors was a petting zoo, filled with beautiful, winter-time animals, including a very large, very docile reindeer.
A bright, blaring, cheery Christmas tree stood over the entire scene, glowing with Christmas spirit and lights in blue and red and yellow and green. Beneath it sat a multitude of presents, all eagerly waiting to be opened by the participants. Inside each present sat a small token to be given out at the end of the contest, though no one quite knew what the tokens were.
As you enter the square, cheered by the bright lights and atmosphere around you, you’re suddenly accosted by an equally bright and cheery looking young woman with a crooked little Santa hat sitting on top of her head. She’s holding a tray of warm, gingerbread cookies in her hands, bundled up in an overly large coat that makes her look ridiculously small. “Merry Christmas!” she shouts, holding out the tray for you to take a cookie.
“And welcome to the annual Christmas Festival! I’m so glad you could make it!” She seems to notice your confusion at being addressed by a seemingly random person, and quickly clarifies. “Oh, I’m the event organizer! My name is Ceinwen, and I decided to host this little shindig myself this year." She pointed over towards the cottage-looking bakery. “That’s my bakery, over there. Myself and a few friends are giving away some lovely Christmas presents this year too. But you have to work for them!”
At the face you pull, she only smiles. “Come now, what’s Christmas without a bit of fun, huh? I’ve hidden ten different gifts all over! You’ll know them when you see them. They all look about the same, you know. Red boxes with green ribbons.” She smiles secretly. “And I have a few helpers hidden around here too. You may run into them if you look hard enough.” She makes a shooing motion with her hand, waving you off with a bright grin. The little Santa hat she wears on her head nearly falls off as she bounces excitedly.
“Go on, go on! Have fun!”
------
Rules:
Same basic thing as Freezy’s contest. I hope she doesn’t mind me using these rules.
1: There may be no more than five entrants at a time.
2: Each entrant has the ability to make ten moves, and ten moves only, and then they must leave. After they leave, the next person can post and grab a slot. After you are accepted by Ceinwen (me), your ten posts begin immediately.
3: You may make only ONE move in a row (No double posting; you msut wait for someone else to post)
4: For each move, the entrant must declare in BOLD TEXT one of two things; the desire to SEARCH of the desire to MOVE. You may not do both.
5: If you decide to move;
You may only move to one place on the map at a time. You may only move to a place that is beside the one you started in, whichever way. For instance, you could NOT begin at 1, and then jump directly to 4. Think of it as Monopoly; you must move across the board. Use common sense.
6: If you decide to search:
You may search the area. You can use the descriptions to tell you what’s there. Your search may be successful or not so successful. I will also tell you what type of pet you can find in this area; average, rare, very rare, or super rare or even out of the ordinary, after I tell you if your chances are poor, decent, good, or very good.
Note about searches:
You don’t need to wait for me to inform you of your success or failure. You are encouraged to go about your business and move or search. I will reply to any and all searches so you know what you’re finding (Which means that if you want to know your chances or type of pet that's here, you should wait for me to reply, but if you don't feel free to continue)
7: The distance from number 1 does NOT influence your pet rarity.
8: Not everyone may win something, but the least you’ll go away with is 15 KS for your trouble. Sometimes a search will be unsuccessful, but a majority of the time, it will be successful. There are ten pets total; once the ten pets are gone, the event is over.
9: All participants begin in Area 1, the Bonfire.
10: PLEASE add your move count to the end of your posts so I know how far along you are. Thanks!
11: Remember, the chances for everyone are different; meaning, if you’re in the same place as someone else, your chance of finding something will be different, so don’t base where you go off other people.
12: Have fun, and address any questions here. Thanks!
(You can find the larger version here.)
Areas
Number 1, The Bonfire: Here you’ll find a large, cheerfully glowing bonfire. An older man is keeping it going, throwing a chunk of wood on it every now and again. It roars merrily, and around it, sitting on large logs, are different townspeople. They share stories of Christmases past, and of presents they’ll receive. You notice a large stack of wood, and something moving behind it? What could that be? As you look even more closely, you see an empty log waiting for someone to sit on it off to the side near the woodpile. Hm, maybe sitting for a few minutes and enjoying the fire wouldn’t be a bad idea, huh?
Number 2, the Christmas Tree: The tree is large. Far larger than any you’ve ever seen. How’d they manage to drag this here? A few children are standing around the tree, ‘ooing’ and ‘ahhhing’ over the pretty lights and ornaments. Below the tree sit boxes and boxes of presents (but not that familiar one you’re searching for, of course; that would be too easy). This tree could easily house a small army, and as you stare at it, you see something moving in the branches. Wait a minute…what?
Number 3, The Bakery: Here is Ceinwen’s bakery. The lights glow merrily inside, and as you glance through the window, you see a small crowd of people lining up for sweets. Two women are behind the counter, handing out treats that range from cookies to massive cakes to bite-sized candies. The smell is lovely, and you decided that maybe taking a peek inside won’t hurt. There are rows and rows of different treats everywhere you look, and lots of interesting places to explore. And…whoa, wait a sec. Did something just disappear behind the counter?
Number 4, The Petting Zoo: here is the petting zoo. They have a variety of animals, including baby Yingshee, an Ursice cub, a Mocha Piccu, a baby Torken, some Sahound puppies, and most spectacularly of all, an actual, real live, reindeer! They’re all housed in a cozy looking portable barn, strewn with soft, warm hay and blankets for the little ones. You see some children cuddle up with the puppies, and decide that maybe you could buy one of those feed packets that the proprietor of the petting zoo was selling and feed some of the babies. And you might even find something interesting hidden among the hay in the barn. Who knows?
Number 5, Roasted Chestnut Stand: A small, humble looking stand with warm chestnuts and a few extra tables laying about for people to sit and enjoy their food. There even seems to be a can to hold a warming fire. You’re welcome to grab some of those lovely roasted chestnuts and warm your hands, or take a load off and enjoy the scenery. Maybe take a look around the stand and the people hanging about; you might find what you’re looking for here.
Number 6, Hot Chocolate Bar: This has to be the second best stop so far, bar the bakery. Free hot chocolate? Thank you very much! There is a long table with rows of cups for you to grab a drink, and a hot chocolate dispenser at the far end. Plates of cookies and goodies line the table as well, covered from the elements by a large tent. You might want to grab a cup before it’s all gone, and take a seat before everyone decides to take them first. But wait…did something just run around the back of the tent? What’s with all those shadows? How odd…
Number 7, The Fountain: The fountain should be frozen over this time of year, but not this time. It’s been chopped open and a water heater installed to keep the few geese paddling about in it warm. They seem content as they honk at you, as if asking for food. A woman stands beside the fountain, handing out a slice of bread to anyone who wants one for the geese. The two benches on the outside of the fountain look somewhat uncomfortable, but maybe if you take a closer look, you’ll discover something of interest here. Who knows?
-Available Slots-
1. Kitsumi Mahon
2. Talcen
3. Thunder
4. Jaden-Wolf
5. Bug-a-Boo
6. Open
7. Open
END DATE:
This event will run until all the pets have been given out (ten total).
The town square was usually a rather dull place during winter. It was always too cold to go out and spend time at the local bakery or the vendors. But on this particular evening, something special had happened and the square had been transformed from empty and gloomy, to bright and lively. There were lights hanging from every rooftop surrounding the square, and the smell of gingerbread wafted through the many vendors. There were people milling about here and there, some holding mugs of cocoa and chatting animatedly to one another as they fed the geese who called the fountain in the middle a temporary home. Some of them were sitting near a large, roaring fire, recounting stories of Christmases long past, or simply chatting with one another about what they were getting their families in terms of presented.
Off to the side, a small, cheery bakery was open all night, handing out free gingerbread and inviting customers in for more yummy treats. A roasted chestnut vendor was off to one side, offering people warm chestnuts to heat their chilled fingers and fill their bellies. And beside his cart, there was a table set up with free hot cocoa, which would be welcomed after spending the cold night out in the open air, visiting the various attractions. Beside the vendors was a petting zoo, filled with beautiful, winter-time animals, including a very large, very docile reindeer.
A bright, blaring, cheery Christmas tree stood over the entire scene, glowing with Christmas spirit and lights in blue and red and yellow and green. Beneath it sat a multitude of presents, all eagerly waiting to be opened by the participants. Inside each present sat a small token to be given out at the end of the contest, though no one quite knew what the tokens were.
As you enter the square, cheered by the bright lights and atmosphere around you, you’re suddenly accosted by an equally bright and cheery looking young woman with a crooked little Santa hat sitting on top of her head. She’s holding a tray of warm, gingerbread cookies in her hands, bundled up in an overly large coat that makes her look ridiculously small. “Merry Christmas!” she shouts, holding out the tray for you to take a cookie. “And welcome to the annual Christmas Festival! I’m so glad you could make it!” She seems to notice your confusion at being addressed by a seemingly random person, and quickly clarifies. “Oh, I’m the event organizer! My name is Ceinwen, and I decided to host this little shindig myself this year." She pointed over towards the cottage-looking bakery. “That’s my bakery, over there. Myself and a few friends are giving away some lovely Christmas presents this year too. But you have to work for them!”
At the face you pull, she only smiles. “Come now, what’s Christmas without a bit of fun, huh? I’ve hidden ten different gifts all over! You’ll know them when you see them. They all look about the same, you know. Red boxes with green ribbons.” She smiles secretly. “And I have a few helpers hidden around here too. You may run into them if you look hard enough.” She makes a shooing motion with her hand, waving you off with a bright grin. The little Santa hat she wears on her head nearly falls off as she bounces excitedly.
“Go on, go on! Have fun!”
------
Rules:
Same basic thing as Freezy’s contest. I hope she doesn’t mind me using these rules.
1: There may be no more than five entrants at a time.
2: Each entrant has the ability to make ten moves, and ten moves only, and then they must leave. After they leave, the next person can post and grab a slot. After you are accepted by Ceinwen (me), your ten posts begin immediately.
3: You may make only ONE move in a row (No double posting; you msut wait for someone else to post)
4: For each move, the entrant must declare in BOLD TEXT one of two things; the desire to SEARCH of the desire to MOVE. You may not do both.
5: If you decide to move;
You may only move to one place on the map at a time. You may only move to a place that is beside the one you started in, whichever way. For instance, you could NOT begin at 1, and then jump directly to 4. Think of it as Monopoly; you must move across the board. Use common sense.
6: If you decide to search:
You may search the area. You can use the descriptions to tell you what’s there. Your search may be successful or not so successful. I will also tell you what type of pet you can find in this area; average, rare, very rare, or super rare or even out of the ordinary, after I tell you if your chances are poor, decent, good, or very good.
Note about searches:
You don’t need to wait for me to inform you of your success or failure. You are encouraged to go about your business and move or search. I will reply to any and all searches so you know what you’re finding (Which means that if you want to know your chances or type of pet that's here, you should wait for me to reply, but if you don't feel free to continue)
7: The distance from number 1 does NOT influence your pet rarity.
8: Not everyone may win something, but the least you’ll go away with is 15 KS for your trouble. Sometimes a search will be unsuccessful, but a majority of the time, it will be successful. There are ten pets total; once the ten pets are gone, the event is over.
9: All participants begin in Area 1, the Bonfire.
10: PLEASE add your move count to the end of your posts so I know how far along you are. Thanks!
11: Remember, the chances for everyone are different; meaning, if you’re in the same place as someone else, your chance of finding something will be different, so don’t base where you go off other people.
12: Have fun, and address any questions here. Thanks!
(You can find the larger version here.)
Areas
Number 1, The Bonfire: Here you’ll find a large, cheerfully glowing bonfire. An older man is keeping it going, throwing a chunk of wood on it every now and again. It roars merrily, and around it, sitting on large logs, are different townspeople. They share stories of Christmases past, and of presents they’ll receive. You notice a large stack of wood, and something moving behind it? What could that be? As you look even more closely, you see an empty log waiting for someone to sit on it off to the side near the woodpile. Hm, maybe sitting for a few minutes and enjoying the fire wouldn’t be a bad idea, huh?
Number 2, the Christmas Tree: The tree is large. Far larger than any you’ve ever seen. How’d they manage to drag this here? A few children are standing around the tree, ‘ooing’ and ‘ahhhing’ over the pretty lights and ornaments. Below the tree sit boxes and boxes of presents (but not that familiar one you’re searching for, of course; that would be too easy). This tree could easily house a small army, and as you stare at it, you see something moving in the branches. Wait a minute…what?
Number 3, The Bakery: Here is Ceinwen’s bakery. The lights glow merrily inside, and as you glance through the window, you see a small crowd of people lining up for sweets. Two women are behind the counter, handing out treats that range from cookies to massive cakes to bite-sized candies. The smell is lovely, and you decided that maybe taking a peek inside won’t hurt. There are rows and rows of different treats everywhere you look, and lots of interesting places to explore. And…whoa, wait a sec. Did something just disappear behind the counter?
Number 4, The Petting Zoo: here is the petting zoo. They have a variety of animals, including baby Yingshee, an Ursice cub, a Mocha Piccu, a baby Torken, some Sahound puppies, and most spectacularly of all, an actual, real live, reindeer! They’re all housed in a cozy looking portable barn, strewn with soft, warm hay and blankets for the little ones. You see some children cuddle up with the puppies, and decide that maybe you could buy one of those feed packets that the proprietor of the petting zoo was selling and feed some of the babies. And you might even find something interesting hidden among the hay in the barn. Who knows?
Number 5, Roasted Chestnut Stand: A small, humble looking stand with warm chestnuts and a few extra tables laying about for people to sit and enjoy their food. There even seems to be a can to hold a warming fire. You’re welcome to grab some of those lovely roasted chestnuts and warm your hands, or take a load off and enjoy the scenery. Maybe take a look around the stand and the people hanging about; you might find what you’re looking for here.
Number 6, Hot Chocolate Bar: This has to be the second best stop so far, bar the bakery. Free hot chocolate? Thank you very much! There is a long table with rows of cups for you to grab a drink, and a hot chocolate dispenser at the far end. Plates of cookies and goodies line the table as well, covered from the elements by a large tent. You might want to grab a cup before it’s all gone, and take a seat before everyone decides to take them first. But wait…did something just run around the back of the tent? What’s with all those shadows? How odd…
Number 7, The Fountain: The fountain should be frozen over this time of year, but not this time. It’s been chopped open and a water heater installed to keep the few geese paddling about in it warm. They seem content as they honk at you, as if asking for food. A woman stands beside the fountain, handing out a slice of bread to anyone who wants one for the geese. The two benches on the outside of the fountain look somewhat uncomfortable, but maybe if you take a closer look, you’ll discover something of interest here. Who knows?
-Available Slots-
1. Kitsumi Mahon
2. Talcen
3. Thunder
4. Jaden-Wolf
5. Bug-a-Boo
6. Open
7. Open
END DATE:
This event will run until all the pets have been given out (ten total).
Raharu glanced over she shoulder from her place by the fire. All this time, and Aya had yet to come over be near what she would have been most comfortable with. 
Jasmine was a little reluctant to be out in the cold. But this place looked so festive, the young woman couldn't resist. She had pulled on her tan winter jacket and pink hat, gloves and scarf and set out into the chilly December air. As she made her way through the marketplace, she wondered exactly what was going on. Nothing this exciting ever happened where she was from. 
