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SotC - December
Dec. 3rd, 2016 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rubycitymodsSTATE OF THE CITY
December 2016
December 2016
GENERAL OOC INFO:
Hi everyone! Christmas time is here again, and it is now December!
First, some exciting news. As you all know, we recently opened moderator applications due to the stepping down of Kitten and Duck due to RL taking up a lot of their time. We are very pleased to welcome Anne and Kit to our mod team, along with the addition of Owl giving us an extra pair of hands for event brainstorming. As a group we hope to deliver the kind of game that you guys all deserve, and move into new and exciting things!
Please note that we are always open to suggestions on how we can make this game better for you. Comments here are screened, so there need not be any concerns about raising something that another player may not agree with and we will address anything that you feel needs to be brought up. There is also a plot submissions page with a new addition to make it easier for everyone to submit the kinds of events that they would like to see. We certainly encourage this, and are happy to work with you to make your event fit into the city setting. If you have an idea that you are happy to let us take the reins of, we would like to hear that, too!
Related to the above, this month’s winter events were suggested by Jamie, who gave us some fantastic ideas to use! Thank you, Jamie, and thank you to all of you who have also submitted events: you will see more player events soon!
Our general CR meme is up again this month. Please make some good use of it! You never know what great new CR might come out it. Tag around and let people know that you would like to play with them!
Finally, the test drive is up! If you are able, please take a look and make any potential newcomers feel welcome.
GAME INFO:
NPC Profiles
WHAT'S HAPPENING
☆ The game history page is still in progress. We hope to have it fully up to speed by the end of the year, as it is taking more time than we anticipated! Like last month, future events will reflect a larger metaplot, making a more cohesive story for all of you.
☆ To follow up on some great suggestions received, we as a mod team are going to work to produce some more serious events in the future--while this month may seem a bit low-key, the new year will kick things up!
☆ This month, we’ll be overhauling the wanted characters page. If you want to place/maintain a request, even if the character is already on the page, please let us know with a comment!
☆ Also going off of a helpful suggestion, we’ll look into ways to promote crosscanon CR in the future!
☆ Over the next month, we may be making changes to the tagging system and adding canons to our tags.
Another two-way tie this month--and between the same two virtues! Charity and Patience again neatly brought up the lead, step-in-step with one another. Charity still holds a narrow lead over Patience, though, and...well, Kindness still holds a considerable lead over either. All good things in moderation, as they say--but nothing this month sticks out as particularly warranting that caution. The snow brings mellowness with it, it seems, or at least a feeling of peace.
Just in time for the holidays, citizens will experience an urge to give unselfishly to others, even if their usual nature strays towards Grinch-like. While not necessarily by three sizes, everyone’s hearts are a little larger, making the season a little smoother for everyone. This change, however, isn’t without its oddities: citizens will be consciously aware that they usually aren’t this way, moreso than with any of the previous emotional effects.
Patience’s effect is less noticeable due to Wrath’s second place this month, but, in addition to the above, residents will be a little more understanding with each other...again, hopefully making holiday parties go well.
EVENT LIST FOR THE MONTH:
December 1 - December 31 “Snow Country for Old Men”
November brought occasional flurries and snow days, but December dials that up to eleven--or, going by the calendar, twelve. For the entire duration of the month, snow will steadily--and intensely--pile up, creating some significant barriers for everyday activities, such as walking, or...well, anything that could usually be accomplished outdoors. On the bright side, though, this snow happens to be the perfect texture for forming snowballs, snowmen, and other snowaccessories.
Speaking of snowmen, December brings a more unsettling feature to Ruby City: without any identifiable source, large snowmen will appear virtually anywhere in town, bearing distinctive carrot noses and rock smiles. The makers--whoever they may be--have decided to employ a few more creative touches, though. Perhaps you’re imagining things, but does that snowman look like it has the same hairstyle as your neighbor? It’s never detailed enough to be truly uncanny, but residents may note that some of the mysterious snowpeople bear strong resemblance to their fellow citizens--present or past.
Additionally, there are several smaller and perhaps oddly familiar models which seem to form in groups and often in very inconvenient places. Directly in your path as you turn a corner... Just outside the front door of your residence... In the bottom of your ice box...
The snow, while not stopping entirely, eases off as the month ends, as do the snowmen. They still manage to stay around an alarmingly long time, far past the point where any normal snow creation would have melted. It’s a bit unsettling, certainly, but only if you think too hard about it...better not.
Finally, as Christmas approaches, springs of mistletoe begin to appear across the city. In doorways, or anything that could possibly be interpreted as a doorway, they hang perfectly innocuously with different coloured festive ribbons wrapped around the stems. That is, until someone passes underneath. Once they have, they will find themselves stuck under the doorway until someone takes pity and gives them a kiss. However, there's a catch. The kiss will not work if it comes from someone who holds romantic feelings for them, and will be hit and miss if coming from someone who sees them as a friend. Don't let that keep you from trying, though.
December 11 - December 17 Shaken, Not Stir-Crazy
While the entire month is filled with a sense of mild “cabin fever”, the week of the 11th is positively unbearable. Staying indoors for longer than a few hours at a time leaves characters feeling extremely uncomfortable and restless, with a profound desire to be outdoors, even in the wee hours of the morning. The effect increases in smaller rooms and rooms with no windows.
Unfortunately, when the effects of this month’s main event are taken into account, navigating the extreme cabin fever becomes difficult: snowdrifts can easily obstruct doors and even windows, leaving citizens to get creative with their methods of getting outside. Maybe it’s a good time to install that skylight you’ve been thinking about, or maybe even consider brushing up your tunnel-digging skills! Whatever the solution may end up being, it will be virtually impossible for citizens to resist the need to leave their houses or places of work.
December 18 - December 24 Gather 'Round the Christmas Tree
At this time of year, it is traditional for Chari to - in some way - gift the residents of the city with things that they desired, without any (or few) strings attached. At first, she did this via letters or lists, and then later began appearing in person to sit at the bottom of the Christmas tree in the centre of the city and listen to the wishes of the people.
This time, it is a little of both. Chari will be around the tree during the day and often late into the night, but for those times when she is not there, there will be a small box with a notepad and pen left in her place on a small stool. Those too wary, too shy, or who for any reason do not want to approach her and speak their wish out loud may write it down and put it in the box.
However, be warned. Requests are not always filled in the way that the requestee expects. Especially if they are not specific in their wording.
STATE OF THE CITY:
Weather Report
WEATHER:
It’s cold. It is, oddly enough, not as cold as it should be for this time of year, though the snow might make you believe it. The weather isn’t quite right for the amount of snow appearing through the city, and it can often be seen snowing out of a completely clear sky. Sometimes, if you look very closely, it seems as if the snow multiplies while it’s already on the ground.
While it isn’t quite yet to the point where unprotected pipes will start to freeze, it’s worth making sure you are set up for the winter. Most homes are equipped with an open fireplace, even in the apartment blocks, and there will always be some kind person who will chop some wood in exchange for a few favours.
FLORA AND FAUNA:
All of the hibernating animals have finally gone to rest, hopefully not inside of people’s homes. The occasional squirrel can still be seen carefully picking its way across the snow, hopefully bound to its home tree. There’s certainly no more nuts for them around: the trees with leaves are completely bare, leaving only the dark evergreens. There are, of course, a few smaller ones of these scattered around for the enterprising citizen to chop down and use as a Christmas tree, but with the snow piling up...that may be more difficult than it first seems.
After last month’s event, the ghosts are more restless, appearing more frequently inside of homes and stores alike. While still mostly incoherent, they appear more agitated, causing a racket without regard of sleeping hours or other times of presumed peace. Residents may find things moved around in their places of living--very slightly, but still enough to be disorienting. Whatever happened in November, the spirits are anxious about it.
The thestrals keep their silent watch over the city, only visible to those who have seen death firsthand. Their numbers have dwindled since last month, but their presence is more noticeable, as they stick close to buildings for warmth...or, perhaps not warmth, as they appear not to mind the snow very much. Whatever their reason, they’re easily spotted around buildings but rarely groups of people outside, sticking to their shy nature.
STORES AND SUPPLIES:
Given Charity’s continued win streak, the food available is plenty, and richer than usual...if a little less fresh. The fruits and vegetables are fewer in number and less tasty, but their canned counterparts are positively overflowing off of shelves. The baked goods will see a sharp uptick this month, particularly the pies...though, again, they’re not quite as fresh as the past months have been. Out-of-season produce is hard to find, to their credit, whoever they may be. The mysterious pie-maker hasn’t revealed themselves as such, but the quality is fairly good--better than most people could manage.
Oddly enough, even with the influx of food to the stores, the amount of alcohol decreases over the course of the month. It never drops low enough to be truly alarming, and the stuff never disappears from people’s homes, but it is noticeable. There will be scarce champagne for New Year’s...as in, exactly one bottle the day of, unless someone smart stocks up beforehand.
MOD CONTACT:
Fionahardtostarboard || AIM@LittleBritTeacup
Ingrid
Anne [Bad username or site: ”passiones” @ plurk]
Kit [Bad username or site: ”ankeel” @ plurk]
Moderator Plurk:
PLAYER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Suggestions Post
Permanent Links
Phoenix Wright’s Records
Spiral Training School Information
Anything you want to let everyone know about? Let us know!
CLOSING STATEMENT:
Another year, another year…! We’ve gone through a lot of changes in 2016, and hopefully this next year will bring a more cohesive, fun experience to all of you. We love our playerbase, especially how responsive and respectful you all are, and we hope that y’all will like the things we have planned! Our new mods are excited for the task, and as a group, we’re all excited to continue managing Ruby City.
The activity check will go up as usual on the 5th of the month, but do remember that as long as your post or thread was started before the 5th, you can use the activity period to get it up to the length that you need it to be. Please also note that if you are on hiatus, your hiatus period must cover two weeks within the check period (6th - 5th) for you to be considered exempt from the activity check. Remember that you may also list a vice or a virtue with your AC, even if the thread doesn’t meet activity length!
We hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and a joyous new year! Until next time!
