Click here for a list of weather descriptions, seasonal festivals, and a real time:site time conversion.
Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
Deepfrost’s arrival had come with cause for celebration – and with it Deimos ensured their traditional festival carried multitudes and varieties, branching outwards from previous years, gathering citizens to assist in the gathering and occasion. Over several days, they worked tirelessly amidst the center of town, impossible to miss but difficult to discern until the revelation.
Orchestrating their means, the initial portions of simple snow and ice had been transformed, with the assistance of magic, into a circular track, marked by safety rails, rings held upwards from posts, and several demonstrations of the newest addition to their occasion – skijoring. More than one volunteer had already taken to absconding with their friends to strap on skiis and rampage down the track behind either luxere, horse, or some compatriots in shifts – snagging at the rings or making modest jumps over some of the rising hills of fresh powder. Some animals were available for others, in case they hadn't brought their own.
Onlookers could go towards the center, where a hot cocoa bar had been set up beneath awnings and amidst kiosks. The scents and aromas alone would likely entrance and lure passersby; tables presented with an assortment of warm beverages and necessary toppings, as well as sweet and savory breads, rolls, and a few other candied delicacies. Or whisky-enhanced, if that was their preference.
And if any of them wanted a more amiable, peaceful aspect, there was the aurora viewing further along and away from the makeshift track, with comfortable seating and plenty of braziers and furs to soak in the sights.
The Sword would be found, at present, amongst the center, newborn daughter strapped to his chest and wholly concealed by a pink ursur hat, beginning to funnel teams for the skijoring out onto the pathways, ensuring the course was ready for the next determined souls.
--
Welcome to the annual Deepfrost festival in Halo! This will count as an SE towards the embrace the cold requirement. This thread will be up until LongNight.
You have several options (and may do all of them if you so choose!), including skijoring, hot cocoa bar/food enjoying, and aurora viewing. If you wish to participate in skijoring, please say so at the bottom of your post, if you are seeking a partner (or if you already have one), etc.. You can also be timed and see how well you do amongst others (or simply do it to have a good time). Let me know and I’ll do some silly rolls for you!
Reminder that in order for MEs to count towards leveling, you must post at least three times. Happy Deepfrost!
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
Wonder why I tear myself down just to get built back up again
"Cashews or almonds?" he asks Melita as he stands before the candied nut vendor, coin being passed over. He likes either, but intends to share, and could always go the assorted route with a 50/50 mix if need be. Taking from the stand whatever she indicates, Iskra steps back to her side, utterly jovial about the celebration enveloping them. This particular festival is one he looks forward to every year, but he's entirely pleased that she's here not just for all its enetertainment and delecacies, but to stay with him for a week, as arranged last season.
The house was de-shed as best as he could manage given his furry roommate, Goose, who is presently snuffling around behind them. He even added a few extra seats and places for her, the home otherwise quite barebones and suited nicely to it serving just him and his dog. Small comforts to ensure she doesn't regret the decision to linger more than a day or two. Although there's no denying the fact he'd be scurrying out of Halo with her for the warmer climate of Torchline as the season's chill deepened. "Not as cold as it used to be, right?" he asks with a grin her way, the most recent work they'd done in the region to warm the air a nice compliment to this event.
Iskra and Mel maybe skijoring??
I fill the void up with polished doubt fake sentiment
Bouncing from the heat of Hak Etme to the chill of Halo is a test to her wardrobe and packing skills. Enough so, that Colt has to stop to get a fresh coat once she gets off the boat, her old favorites for coming here lost to the fire, and despite the reduced nip in the air here, Halo still requires some proper attire. Bundled up anew in a grey, down-filled jacket, Colt sips on the edge of her cocoa, the reins of Biscuit loosely held in the other hand as they move in a lackadaisical manner through the frosty fields.
Raising her cup as she passes by Deimos, she offers him a quick greeting, sure he's busy here. "Congrats!" she chimes, nodding towards the infant he's got hitched to his chest. "Glad everything went well! And you still had the energy to host such a nice event," she adds, knowing the prep that goes into something like this. A newborn is work enough, and though he had help abound for this festival and likely had been working on it for some time, she's still impressed he has enough sleep in the bank to make any manner of showing.
Colt is skijoring! She needs a skiing partner though.
Cowgirls don't cry Ride, baby, ride It's gonna hurt every now and then If you fall, get back on again
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Liam's travels this season had brought him to Halo - against his better judgment, but at least he was planning to stay in the relative warmth of the Citadel. It seemed that the event of the season coincided with his arrival, and he wasted little time in bundling up in warm layers and making his way to the Deepfrost festival - where he was surprised to find myriad activities, some of which - like skijoring - he hadn't even known existed until now.
Spotting Colt in the crowd, Liam made his way towards the woman and her horse. "Hey," he said as he approached, a warm smile on his face despite the way his breath curled into the chilly air. To Deimos, he nodded respectfully and offered a quiet, "Congratulations," on the new arrival bundled against his chest.
After observing the skijoring for a moment, he glanced back to Colt. "If you're planning to participate, do you need a skier?" Not that he'd spent much time on skis, but how hard could it be?
---
Liam is skijoring, and offers to be Colt's partner.
But you dream of some epiphany
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
I was in my tower weaving nightmares Twisting all my smiles into snarls
Nina roamed the festival, Ember on her heels. She had come wrapped in a fur-lined jacket - though not, perhaps, as bundled as those from out of town - her tattooed face turning this way and that as she took in the sights. There was skijoring, a new addition to the festivities; and there were vendors and hot cocoa and all manner of other goods to explore; and there was even an aurora viewing area, which she might gravitate towards in a bit. For now, though, she wanted to be where the action was, even if she wasn't a part of it herself.
Making her way to the hot cocoa bar, Nina built her ideal warm beverage - hot chocolate with a dash of cinnamon - and wandered her way through the crowd until she found herself alongside Deimos and his newborn daughter, who was bundled up adorably against the cold. Offering a smile to the newborn, Nina inclined her head respectfully to the Warden. "Congratulations, Deimos," she said, warmth evident in her tone. "I am pleased to see you and this little one doing well."
---
Nina is not skijoring, but she will observe.
They say what doesn't kill you makes you aware What happens if it becomes who you are?
I've done nothing wrong Except for all the atrocities
Proceedings had altered and changed since the last time she was here – performing invisible stunts while throwing snowballs at Iskra – and her eyes had gone momentarily wide at the venue. Now with viewing areas and a long, circular track, she watched more than once as others went around and around on horses and skiis. For once, she felt a little out of her element – her brand of chaos was suited to aspects she was comfortable with (weapons, fire…) – racing around on tiny sticks was not.
But she’d promised to stay in his stead for a week, she wasn’t as layered as last time, and there was quite a bit to do. Prospects were imminent. She just needed a foothold. Turning towards Iskra with a wide grin and passing over his own choice of hot cocoa beverage, she leaned over towards the counter, looking as though she was passing inspection along the candied nuts. “Almonds, I think,” before taking a sip of warm cinnamon and some added hazelnut that she found particularly divine, then tugging her new frost fox hat further over her ears. “Yeah. You guys altered the temps or something?” She’d heard some bits and pieces along the way – paying mind to reaches of Halo because he was in it.
Then her glance traced back over to the modest racetrack, catching a glimpse of the rider snagging a ring and the skier launched over a jump. “You ever done that?” she jutted her chin towards the experience, trying to map out a foundation.
Erebos hadn’t been too far behind his father in the wakes of festivities, but given it was his home grounds, he could be a bit more comfortable and feral in these conditions. He’d already swept through the vendors once, waving, greeting, spying, chatting them up before rounding over to the next thing, and then finally settling on grabbing some hot cocoa for the family and hastening over to where Deimos was currently directing teams. Sitting on a box and passing one cup over to the Warden, he swung his legs back and forth, animated gestures and hoots and hollers extended to the riders and skiers as they barreled by, or an enthusiastic clap when victory and triumph was secured. Even Orsino joined him around his neck, a fluffy screech exclaimed with Erebos’ banter every now and again.
There were a number of congratulations tossed their way, namely for his new sister strapped to his dad’s chest (and quiet, for now, thank the gods), and he grinned and waved at everyone again just the same. “Hi!” he extended to Colt and Liam, only knowing one by rodeo extensions and the other not at all.
When Nina appeared he gave her a massive grin, patting the box beside him as if it were the best seat in the house. “Nina! Are you doing the skijoring?” Difficult to say, but the notions of his brand new idea might not be.
Taking a sip of his cocoa, of which he wished he could somehow douse with caffeine, he maintained a vigilant order, funneling each and every team through the newfound system. There were some moderate issues to deal with, and once he’d found a few compatriots willing to replace rings and broken skis, they were back in a well-orchestrated machine.
Even if he was exhausted, and simultaneously granting Evie a break and opportunity for quiet rest if she so chose, there was a practiced modicum to it. Habitually early to rise, prepared, and having had experience with Erebos at least granted them the opportunity to delve into the depths once more – though he would admit their daughter had somehow been…louder than their son. Or perhaps it was a recency bias.
He snorted as Colt made her way by, simultaneously not surprised and somewhat amused at her appearance, horse ready to tackle the venture. “Thank you,” keeping his voice to a low rumble. Perhaps the newborn was soothed by it though, because she’d yet to stir despite her brother’s hooting and hollering nearby. “Used to running on fumes,” he noted, wrinkling his nose. “Let me know when you are ready.”
Then Liam was nearby, and he extended the acknowledgments much the same, moderately intrigued by the man being there but saying nothing of the sort. Maybe their traditional exploits had reached across lands by now, and with the temperature alteration, they’d gain a few more participants from other regions and realms. “Thank you. Good luck.” Nodding at the timer, he’d wait until everyone was ready before sending them off.
He could hear Erebos beginning to talk to another, and turned his head over towards the youth to find Nina nearby. “Thank you – I am glad someone is getting sleep.” He could hear his son chortle something under his breath, but shrugged it off. Though…based on Erebos’ question, he gave him a certain glance, arching his brow. “If you want to go, you can participate on a pony.” Because despite Zuriel being nearby, and likely now hiding at the mere thought of the child wanting to go on her (quite beneath her occupation, in her not so humble opinion), the unicorn was needed in case of accidents on the course.
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
Needing to see and do anything other than sequester themselves in King's End until the baby was born, Zavien had suggested they check out the rumored festival in Halo before it became too unbearably cold to travel. He hadn't spent much time in the region during recent years, but with Sohalia at his side, he was actually looking forward to enjoying the festivities.
His gloved hand squeezed Soh's, smiling as he took in the different activities and gathered people. He recognized a lot of them, offering friendly greetings to Iskra, Melita, Liam, and Deimos with his new baby - which was a pleasant surprise that brightened his expression even more. Choosing to leave them all to their chosen fun (most of who had picked an interesting sport he'd never seen before), he led Soh through the stalls.
The smell of melted goodness drifted through the air, calling him forth by his nose, a deep breath of it curling up the corners of his lips. Bumping his shoulder gently into Soh's, he asked, "Should we get some hot chocolate then see these lights everyone's talking about?"
Zavien arrives with Sohalia. If she suggests skijoring, he'll participate but otherwise offers hot chocolate and aurora viewing!
I was in my tower weaving nightmares Twisting all my smiles into snarls
Spotting Erebos, Nina smiled at the boy before joining him on the box, hopping up and perching there in a rather undignified way that had certainly not been on her list of places to sit today, but what could she say? She had rather a soft spot for the youth who tried so hard and always had a kind word to offer. Besides, his enthusiasm was catching, and she couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face as he hooted and hollered for a passing skijoring team.
"I do not believe skijoring is for me," Nina told Erebos, her gaze on the participants with a certain level of respect. Perhaps she should have offered blessings from the First Flame to them. It looked, to her untrained eye, almost as if it was just as dangerous as a hunt.
But it was too late now, and the young Keeper turned her attention to Deimos, who seemed none the worse for wear despite what Nina could only assume was a ridiculous lack of sleep. As the Warden offered a pony to his son, she glanced around to make sure Ember wasn't getting itself into trouble. Fortunately, the little fire sprite had tucked itself into the snow nearby, enjoying melting the piled ice into slush beneath its flames. Turning back to the Ignatius family, Nina kicked her heels absently against the wooden crate, stopping as she realized how childish it probably looked. "What is the goal of this skijoring?" she asked then, hoping to distract from her momentary lapse of dignity.
They say what doesn't kill you makes you aware What happens if it becomes who you are?
As Sohalia had reminded Zavien often enough, she was only pregnant, not dying (despite how her symptoms sometimes made her feel), so when he'd suggested checking out the Halovian festival, she'd jumped at the opportunity to travel. Her ability to do so easily was going to be rather limited after the baby was born, after all, so shouldn't they take advantage while they could?
They wandered the festival hand-in-hand, Soh's gaze following the skijoring as riders and skiers raced past. Every once in a while, as a skier made a particularly adept leap or as someone fell, she would gasp in delight or horror, respectively. "I can't imagine being the skier," she told Zavien, shaking her head. "It seems very dangerous." Of course, some people were into the adrenaline rush of such things. Perhaps she shouldn't judge, when she herself had leapt from the Leap of Faith to feel the very same thing at one time.
She recognized several in the crowd, waving to Melita, Liam, and Deimos as she meandered through the stalls with her boyfriend. She'd have to go congratulate Deimos in a bit; she was pleased to see that the new baby had arrived, and hoped that all had gone smoothly for the Ignatius family in welcoming her to the world.
Zavien bumped her shoulder gently. "Hot chocolate sounds divine," she said warmly. It had been a good day for her; her morning sickness had been mild in comparison to how it had been the past few weeks, and she was looking forward to sampling some of the food and beverages Halo had to offer as a result. "And I'd love to see the lights with you."
---
Sohalia stays with Zavien to get hot chocolate and see the aurora. She will definitely not be skijoring.
And though I can't recall your face I still got love for you
Sohalia
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Amhran is uncharacteristically late, not having been able to find his usual scarf, gloves and ningo pompom hat for the occasion, so he'd dropped by one of the vendors for some replacements. As a result, when he approaches the centre to see Deimos and Erebos, it's with hands covered by new mittens, a long, forest green scarf around his neck and a hat with knitted luxere antlers flopping about with each step.
"Hallo," he greets, having pitched his voice quieter than usual at the memory of the newborn snoozing peacefully against the Warden's chest. Drawing up beside them and offering a smile to Nina as well, his gaze flicks up towards the skijoring. "You'll be on a pony?" he asks Erebos with a raise of his brows. "How do you play? I can be the skiier, if you want."
05-04-2026, 10:19 AM (This post was last modified: 05-04-2026, 10:19 AM by Kaisel.)
Something warm about the winter when you come around
Nothing really beats seeing the auroras from the deck of the Sugar Tide with skywhales swimming (flying? floating?) in the distance, so Kaisel is decidedly not interested in the more passive options at this festival. "We should do it," he's instead insisting to Flora , mittened hands making a strong case in front of him as he spells out their claim to fame with skijoring, a sport, it should be noted, neither of them have experience with in the slightest. "I mean, it's basically no different from the water skiing, and a horse and a boat have loads in common!"
The fuzz of the hood he's drawn up around his face flutters with each excited breath. "THEN, we can make snow angels, and a snowman, and all the other snow things that should exist." Will his snow angel have a penis added to it? Yes. Will his snowman be well endowed? Also yes. These don't seem like questions that need to be asked. He does mean to get to those activities to, but all in good time, the ongoing roar of the crowd as another horse and skiier races down the slopes briefly snagging his attention.
Kaisel and Flora maaaybe Skiijoring??
Kaisel
There must be something in the water, I know you feel it too
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings
Raising her eyebrows so high they nearly vanish beneath the fluffy white brim of her hat, Flora gives Kaisel a wildly skeptical look. She’s bundled up in something aggressively cute and only slightly impractical, all pale pink wool and white fur trim, with a belted coat cinched tight around her waist, mittens tucked over gold-ringed fingers, and a scarf wrapped high enough that every huffed word threatens to fog back against her own cheeks. Her blonde curls are mostly hidden beneath her hat, though a few stubborn spirals have escaped to glitter with snowflakes near her temples.
"Okay, first of all," she says, drawing the words out with the bright, patient venom of someone who has absolutely not been convinced by the phrase horse and boat have loads in common, "it’s nothing like water skiing because the ocean doesn’t have bumps and twists and little snow hills designed to launch people into their own funerals, and second of all, neither of us can ride a horse." This, she thinks, should be the end of it. A neat little bow on common sense, tied up in pink ribbon and handed directly to her idiot husband like a gift from someone who cares very much about keeping all of his limbs attached in their current configuration. Unfortunately, she can already feel the shape of Kaisel’s enthusiasm beside her like a spark trying to catch in dry palm fronds, and because she loves him, tragically and stupidly and with her whole snow-damp, frost-nipped heart, Flora doesn’t immediately abandon him to the nearest luxere and let natural consequences handle the rest.
Instead, she tightens her arm through his and starts tugging him bodily through the festival crowd, her boots crunching over the packed snow as the scent of cocoa, whisky, cinnamon, and candied almonds curls around them like Halo is trying to bribe her into forgetting that this entire region is basically a freezer with infrastructure. The circular track gleams in her peripheral vision, all safety rails and rings and cheerful little death jumps, and though she absolutely does not let her gaze linger too long on the skiers being pulled along by horses and luxere, the quick flash of movement is enough to have her fingers flexing against Kaisel’s sleeve as if she might physically restrain him from being an absolute menace with only the power of her manicure and love.
Spotting Iskra and Melita near one of the vendors is enough to make Flora brighten like someone has just tossed her a lifeline. Her smile goes dazzling before she’s even reached them, though the effect is somewhat undercut by the way she arrives with Kaisel still hooked through her arm like evidence at trial. "Hey guys." Flora’s grin turns sharp at the corners as she angles herself toward them, cheeks pink from the cold and from whatever amount of pure disbelief Kaisel has managed to inspire in the last five minutes. "Can one of you please tell my idiot husfiancé that skiing is not the same as water skiing?"
Flora drags Kai over to Iskra/Mel!
and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
