#a cool yule with krakonos

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

"So... it has been some time, but we are reaching a new threshold and peak within our organization. However, I do not wish to discuss business with my Court today, so much as celebration - It is soon to be a time of celebration as the world reaches the end of the month of December - and as much as no two celebrations are truly the same, there are so many similar celebrations for the Winter Solstice or near it, that it is hard to deny that overlap may be inevitable, or not entirely undesirable in as disparate and varied a group as ours."

"Therefore and thusly, I wish to announce that until the Eve of the New Year, all members, wards, employees, allies, and associates of the Court of the Wanderer - as well as their guests - are welcomed to join a series of ongoing Festivities - Mainly Yule, but all who wish to share their own celebrations and cultures are invited, no, encouraged to do so! Please do not hesitate to ask myself or your department heads if you need help with logistics, planning, or requisitions for any such accommodations for your contributions, and I hope to see everyone merry very soon!"

[harpyreborn]

@hriobzagelthewanderer

“I don’t have winter on my island so we have no winter celebrations. Can I share in your winter celebrations? Will you teach me how?” The Small harpy woman asks, large doe eyes shining as she looks up at the fae lord.

“Pleaaaaaseeeee Hriob!” She claps her hands together, her wings enclosing her front making her look like a little fluffy ball of smoldering feathers.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

[This is a mild Event Announcement - for the rest of December (and knowing my slow-to-reply ass, January as well) anyone with participating RPCs/Blogs in the Fae Court Verse on this blog - either as Court Members or as Allies to the Court - are invited to participate in a Holiday 'Potluck' sort of Cultural Event, where all participants get to bring in not only food, but other aspects of celebrations such as decorations, festivities, practices, and more, all in the name of sharing their IC heritage and culture between everyone present.]

[An IC post will be made soon-ish for Hriob himself to announce the festivities, but for now consider this an OOC Interest Tracker and Primer of sorts.]

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

"...so damn busy..."

There are gnomes to assign and organize positions and pay for, dozens of Yule gifts being made and packaged, hundreds of hours of intelligence and reports to review, dozens of projects to prepare and finish, adjustments to procedures and plans to be made all around, and of course managing HR concerns for the Court overall as so many changes and additions to the roster are made.

Poor guy is swamped... but there's a method to his madness, at least. Yule hopes to be a period for him to celebrate, and finally take a fucking break.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

@shatteredwastes It's hard to say what Claudia was thinking - the look on her face was unreadable. Silence hung in the air. And then, after a long while, she finally spoke. "You can't possibly eat all of this."

The Shaman, still adjusting a string of ‘rope’ made of chocolate and fondant into place on one of the rafters, chuckles and shakes his head.

“It isn’t for me, not alone at least. I know plenty of heavy eaters that will help in the end, but for now its simply a self-imposed challenge that I’ve managed to outdo myself on. Nothing to worry about or take too seriously outside its own context. After everyone's had their fill of the festivities, you're more than welcome to your own share.”

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

It was Christmas, Saturnalia, or Yule as one may prefer, and after weeks of preparation and careful assembly, he had done it. Hriob had made a Gingerbread House...

...in the style of a Viking Mead Hall...

...Full Scaled, and modeled after the apocryphal details of the infamous Mead Hall of High King Hrothgar, as made famous in the Legend of Beowulf.

The casks of hardened gingerbread, filled to the brim with Eggnog in all varieties, alcoholic and not, were just a bonus. As were the carefully crafted cookie replicas of various steins, boar roasts, and cutlery around the fireplace.

All that was left was to invite people to join him for the Yule Festivities-

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

FUCKIN BITES YOU

But like, in friendship!

A lil nibble to the arm.

Nomnomnom

The Giant Shaman blinks, and quietly pries off the love(?)bitey Goblin Gal... and hands her a piece of iced gingerbread the size of her head, as well as a mug of warm cocoa with marshmallows.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

(sins of the sea) Sent from the sea is another fired gift from the ship! But before it'd land on Hriob's face, a parachute pops out and lands safely in his hands. GOTCHA. Maybe.

Inside are tropical fruit candies, including coconut, tamarind, and mango. Because the givers have no idea how big Hriob is (though a certain Santa wannabe has an idea), the puka shell necklace may as well be a bracelet. Though it comes from the sea, it has the warmth not unlike schools of fish or orca pods. Even those bound by the sea have a sense of family and friendship. Merry Christmas, Hriob.

Fruit Candies... he's had plenty, but being used to berries for the most part has made him surprised at the flavors... albeit pleasant surprises.

The Puka shell 'bracelet' isn't worn, but carefully attached to his belt for now, as he can already feel the sentiments and gentle warmth within - such things are clear to him, like starlight on a moonless, cloudless night sky.

He just hopes his gifts are as well-received and aimed as this one was.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

Somewhere on a Mountaintop, holding a Scrying Crystal:

“HHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHHEhEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEH-”

Don’t forget to Breathe, Hriob.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

“...oh, so that’s what they’re up to, then...~?”

“Time to... spread some holiday cheer... heheheehehheehehheheheheh-”

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

What if, hypothetically speaking, someone accidentally and through no fault of their own managed to cover an entire room in the halls with tinsel.

You, uh, wouldn't be too upset if that happened, right? Asking for a friend...

"...well, it IS in season... I'll Allow it!"

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

(nabeandfriends) Nabe doesn't really know what "Christmas" is, but a lot of worlds have holidays around the solstice that involve gift giving!

Hriob may find (sitting next to Nabe, who looks much too proud of herself) a parcel containing a hand-written illustrated guide to Omnion's medicinal plants, a handful of crow feathers, and (from Mian) an unenchanted wooden mask - carved to look like tree bark, and decorated with the flowers and petals from a magnolia tree.

Affixed to the back of the mask is a small sachet of dried magnolia flowers and a note describing the best way to prepare it as tea.

The Book on Herbology is already lovingly speed-read and added to his personal library, the feathers added to his clasp on his cloak, the flowers and instructions already being put to use with a small kettle over a hearthfire, and the mask is set aside... at least, for now...

Nabe is already gifted with some warm, fresh gingerbread cookies, as well as a tiny little scarf that will change size with her if she decides to change to human-form anytime soon.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

A Yule Ball Crash or Two

Continued from here with @rxdhairxdsirxns-

"Oh, Me? Oh, not too long, I've barely had a chance to sample the drinks menu, don't mind that too much."

Somehow he doesn't seem to be lying, but she shouldn't trust him too much... there's already a pile of inebriated distant relations starting to grow mass near the punch bowl he last passed by.

"But, no, I could not be kept away from your radiance overlong, my dear- the chill in the air made me feel your absence more dearly with every moment, until I could not restrain myself from seeking you, no matter how far and wide I had to travel to meet you once more~!"

...he literally just got bored, heard about a Yule ball by happenstance, crashed the party, hid coincidentally with the rest of the partygoers due to the similarity in hair color, and just so happened to zero in on her due to his connection to her aura, buuuuut of course he's just laying it on thick with the chivalrous attitude because he's in such a good mood, and the party is in one hell of a cool castle so of course he'd play the part of a 'dashing knight'.

And now the utter goof was already kneeling, kissing her hand, and then promptly chuckling at the silliness of it all as he scooped up the Hostess into a warm, tender combination of Bear Hug and Gallant Carry-Pose.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

While she was attempting to try to sneak a sizable box of desserts without being noticed, it was quite hard to do when she's covered in bells. The box itself was a simple green box with a red and white ribbon stuck to the top, and filled with a variety of treats and a small card listing what was in it. Ranging from conventional gingerbread, to Christmas Crack, and some stranger-sounding confections including Christmas Lasanga.

But now, Sol jingles away, trying not to get caught.

Too late, he's already chasing after the Christmas Bell(e), covered in Mint and Fairy Lights, and hoisting aloft a 'small' keg of Eggnog with a straw in it.

"HEY! YOU FORGOT YOUR DRINK! COME BACK HERE!!!"

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

🎁 In her large scaly hand, she gently holds out a small beetle carved out of wood. "I've been making a bunch of these while stuck indoors, you can have one if you like." It's not perfect by any means, but it's cute.

Hobbies are always helpful like that, I've found. Thank you! A small hand-forged silver bracelet covered in protective runes is given back, simple yet elegantly functional.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

🎁 + what’s this innocent lil package doing here? Why it could never be anything nefarious, especially when you peek open the lid and SURPRISE CHILLI POWDER

...One, good thing I have decent spice tolerance these days. Two, time to gift a certain Hobo a mobile home made entirely out of compressed chili powder.