The anti-snow, however, was only slightly more unusual than the enormous building that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, overnight. Painted in different shades of red, green, and glitter, spiraling into the sky with wavering golden banners and candy-cane-shaped poles, the building clearly shared no kinship with the local farmhouses, and most of the nearby ones looked as if they were trying fiercely to disown it. The building blared itself proudly, a set of large speakers on the premises blaring a highly esoteric collection of vaguely Christmasy-sounding music.
Anyone who ventured too near found themselves immediately accosted by a rather forward Polly. Given the scenery, one might have expected him to be wearing a Santa outfit. Apparently, this particular bird was too humble to ape the big man himself, because he dressed, rather, like an elf--his entire body jingled with bells, off his five-pointed hat, on the tips of his jagged-cut tunic, and on the heels of his curly shoes. "Hey there, buddy boy!" he squawked. "I may look like an ordinary Polly, but I'm not! I'm really Santa's head elf, come to spread good cheer to all of Evelon! It's true!"
He gestured to the sugar-frosted building off in the distance with a wave of his jingly wing. "You see that? That right there? That's my home--Santa's Workshop!" He tilted his head. "North Pole? No, no, no! That's just Santa's timeshare! This is where his real workshop is located. It's true!" Anyone who'd lived in the area could attest that that building had not been there a few days ago, and if anything was a timeshare... But the frost-kissed, glimmering exterior had a certain earnestness about it. And it probably didn't do to think about the sort of person who would use the Christmas atmosphere of kinship and brotherhood amidst man and beast to take advantage of people.
"Best part is, Santa's allowing select few people inside. And you could be one of them! It's true! Just sign up here for this once-in-a-lifetime, sure-to-be-magical chance!" He flapped heavily beneath the constraints of his costume, over to a small folding desk, where a clipboard bearing a sign-up sheet rested next to a steaming mug of hot cocoa. "But just in case you needed motivation, I'll sweeten the deal! Yes, not only will you get a chance to venture into the mystical world of Santa's workshop, buuuuut..." He took a deep breath.
"YOU COULD TAKE HOME A RARE PET, STRAIGHT FROM SANTA HIMSELF!"
He chuckled. "Ho ho! Thought that'd get your attention," he said. "Yeah, I got tricks up my sleeve. It's true! Now, if you'd like to participate, come this way."
The Polly lead the people over to the desk. He passed out a number of brochures to the people, each one containing a fold-out map:
"You can also consult the larger version for a better look at the detailing," he said. "Now, allow me to explain how this little event works..."
-RULES! (LISTEN CLOSELY, BECAUSE I BITE! IT'S TRUE!)-
1. There may be no more than five PARTICIPANTs in SANTA'S WORKSHOP at one time.
2. Each PARTICIPANT may make no more than TEN MOVES (posts). After making TEN MOVES (posts), each PARTICIPANT must leave. Then a new PARTICIPANT can enter the space left by the former one. After grabbing a SLOT, the PARTICIPANT's TEN MOVES begin immediately.
3. No PARTICIPANT may make more than one MOVE in a row. (After posting, you must wait for someone else to post before you can post again.)
4. Each PARTICIPANT MUST make AT LEAST ONE MOVE every TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS, or else they will be DISQUALIFIED and their spot will be opened for a new PARTICIPANT.
5. In each MOVE (post), a PARTICIPANT must DECLARE in BOLD TEXT one of two things: The desire to SEARCH or the desire to MOVE. They may NOT do both. (In each post, you must either "Search" or "Move." You have to make sure I can see which.)
6. If a PARTICIPANT decides to MOVE:
The PARTICIPANT moves to an ADJACENT ROOM, according to the MAP. ADJACENT ROOMS are connected by HALLWAYS, colored with a festive RED. In other words, you CHOOSE one hallway and go down it to a different ROOM. Please LOUDLY DECLARE the ROOM YOU ARE MOVING FROM and THE ROOM YOU ARE MOVING TO. You may use that room's NAME or NUMBER. The PARTICIPANT may only move along ONE HALLWAY at a time when they MOVE.
7. If a PARTICIPANT decides to SEARCH:
The PARTICIPANT may SEARCH the room. They may do so in any fashion they please. (However, we ask you not to be too rough with the scenery, as Mr. Claus has to pay for all of it, you know.) If their search is SUCCESSFUL, they will find a PET. The PET is theirs to take home, and will be SENT to them.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SEARCHES: The PARTICIPANTs do not need to wait for the HOSTs to inform them of the success of their search. They are encouraged to go about their business, making MOVEs. The HOSTs will tackle as many SEARCHes as possible when they are able. (You can keep posting, even if I haven't replied with the outcome of your search. I'll do them in bunches.)
ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SEARCHES: The further away from Room #1 (The Lobby) the PARTICIPANT is, the rarer the pets available are. PARTICIPANTs are encouraged to SEARCH as many rooms as possible, but the better prizes lay further from the start. However, the rarer the prize, the harder they are to find.
8. ALL PARTICPANTS BEGIN IN ROOM #1 (THE LOBBY).
1. There may be no more than five PARTICIPANTs in SANTA'S WORKSHOP at one time.
2. Each PARTICIPANT may make no more than TEN MOVES (posts). After making TEN MOVES (posts), each PARTICIPANT must leave. Then a new PARTICIPANT can enter the space left by the former one. After grabbing a SLOT, the PARTICIPANT's TEN MOVES begin immediately.
3. No PARTICIPANT may make more than one MOVE in a row. (After posting, you must wait for someone else to post before you can post again.)
4. Each PARTICIPANT MUST make AT LEAST ONE MOVE every TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS, or else they will be DISQUALIFIED and their spot will be opened for a new PARTICIPANT.
5. In each MOVE (post), a PARTICIPANT must DECLARE in BOLD TEXT one of two things: The desire to SEARCH or the desire to MOVE. They may NOT do both. (In each post, you must either "Search" or "Move." You have to make sure I can see which.)
6. If a PARTICIPANT decides to MOVE:
The PARTICIPANT moves to an ADJACENT ROOM, according to the MAP. ADJACENT ROOMS are connected by HALLWAYS, colored with a festive RED. In other words, you CHOOSE one hallway and go down it to a different ROOM. Please LOUDLY DECLARE the ROOM YOU ARE MOVING FROM and THE ROOM YOU ARE MOVING TO. You may use that room's NAME or NUMBER. The PARTICIPANT may only move along ONE HALLWAY at a time when they MOVE.
7. If a PARTICIPANT decides to SEARCH:
The PARTICIPANT may SEARCH the room. They may do so in any fashion they please. (However, we ask you not to be too rough with the scenery, as Mr. Claus has to pay for all of it, you know.) If their search is SUCCESSFUL, they will find a PET. The PET is theirs to take home, and will be SENT to them.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SEARCHES: The PARTICIPANTs do not need to wait for the HOSTs to inform them of the success of their search. They are encouraged to go about their business, making MOVEs. The HOSTs will tackle as many SEARCHes as possible when they are able. (You can keep posting, even if I haven't replied with the outcome of your search. I'll do them in bunches.)
ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SEARCHES: The further away from Room #1 (The Lobby) the PARTICIPANT is, the rarer the pets available are. PARTICIPANTs are encouraged to SEARCH as many rooms as possible, but the better prizes lay further from the start. However, the rarer the prize, the harder they are to find.
8. ALL PARTICPANTS BEGIN IN ROOM #1 (THE LOBBY).
"I think that clears things up. But just so you don't get lost, open up your maps, and I'll give you a rundown of the different rooms."
-Rooms-
1. The Lobby - ALL PARTICIPANTS BEGIN IN THIS ROOM. This lobby is the central part of the Workshop. From here, you can access all the different areas. A large Christmas tree stands here year-round. It's actually a living tree the lobby was built around! A large sun dome with patterned glass beams down images of snowmen and stars into the lobby and makes it wonderfully warm.
2. The Stables - These rustic stables are the lodgings of the reindeer. It smells like animals and hay, but thankfully, Santa's magical reindeer are well-trained enough to clean up after themselves! Why not bring Dasher and Vixen a few carrots while you search?
3. Command Center - Santa's a modern man, and he has the most sophisticated GPS and flight-tracking equipment available in order to help him keep his flight on track! Here's where his navigators and air-traffic controllers help him keep his schedule, and avoid any low-flying planes carrying people home for the holidays! Just don't bother the very serious navigator elves in front of their computer screens!
4. Post Office - Do you know how many kids write Santa each year? He needs his own post office to take care of them all! Wade through the ocean of letters and make it through sorting to find the hidden goodies!
5. Toy Workshop - The heart and soul of Santa's workshop, this is where the elves work busily assembling toys! This place is a hive of machinery, full of sounds, conveyor belts, and that special touch of magic that makes toys made by Santa's elves twice as special as those bought in the store. Because elves love their jobs, it's always bright and cheery in here.
6. The Bakery - This is the yummiest section! It smells like holiday baking in here, and the pink walls are lined with rows upon rows of cakes, cookies, and candies galore! The elves will gladly share, and there's always hot chocolate on tap. Maybe you can tempt a pet out with a gingerbread Kuhna or two!
7. Loving Homes Department - Something here is always barking, mewing, or squawking! This is where puppies, kittens, and even fish tanks hang out before Santa takes them to their new owners on Christmas Eve. Maybe if you poke around the rows of chew toys, catnip mice, and jingle bell toys, you'll find a special new friend of your own!
8. IT Department - I already told you Santa was a man of the times. Here's where his geek elves work on perfecting the latest video games, phones, and computers. Did you know all phones from Santa have a secret special app on them that lets you tell if your friends have been naughty or nice? It's... wait for it... true!
9. Elf Dormitories - After a long day of toy-making and cookie-baking, an elf's gotta have some place to go! Here you'll find rows and rows of the elves' neatly-made little beds. They also have a delightful rec room and exercise area, but that was too much to put on one little map.
10. Master Bedroom - At the very head of the workshop lays Santa and Mrs. Claus' private quarters. They've got a magnificent four-poster bed, antique hardwood bookshelves and drawers, and a Jacuzzi in the bathroom! Wow! As you might imagine, this is the most special room of them all. If you look around, why, you might even find a certain, legendary List, for those of you who absolutely must know if you've been naughty or nice...
"There! I think that's all you need to know. Now... who wants to go inside?"
-Available Slots-
1.
2. auntslappy282
3.
4.
5.
1.
2. auntslappy282
3.
4.
5.
END DATE:
This event will run until
11:59 PM EVELON TIME, JANUARY 20th, 2012.
This event will run until
11:59 PM EVELON TIME, JANUARY 20th, 2012.