December 2015 Plotting Post

[undergroundmods]

December 2015
Here is your December plotting post! You can make use of the information here to plot what your character will be doing in the next month. Of course, December is a month of holidays so the calendar is relatively low-key, but there will be a new test drive meme around Christmas so that current and potential characters can celebrate the holidays together. Check out the calendar for a quick summary of when things are happening.

Factions
This month may traditionally be a time of peace, but tell that to the Unseelie Court who will reach the height of their power as the winter solstice approaches. Despite their strength, the tide looks to be turning against them as other factions align to stop the Courts from expanding their hold on the mortal realm. The fae have lost territory to the vampires seeking to strengthen their borders.

As the year draws to a close, new leaders are emerging. In Circle Daybreak, Gilbert Norrell has become a High Priest, in direct opposition to Abigail Widdowson, High Priestess of Circle Midnight. The tentative peace between the two witch communities remains fragile. Meanwhile, there are signs that the Hillingdon Clan may have found a new direction in its leader Faolan O'Neill.

Territories
The Islington Nest has successfully driven the fae out of Lewisham, taking over the territory for themselves.

The Redbright Institute and Circle Daybreak are jointly the most powerful factions in the city, with six territories each. Greenwich is currently a disputed territory, claimed by vampires and werewolves alike. See the Territories page for more information.

If your faction would like to claim a new territory, please comment to the appropriate thread. Players will then have three days from the date and time of the initial claim to sign up for the conflict. Anyone can sign up, but please only volunteer your character if they are a member of a faction involved in the conflict or they have IC reasons to actively help out. Please do not volunteer if you won't be able to participate in the plot.

If the outcome of the conflict is not already guaranteed, I will then look at the sign-ups list to calculate which faction will emerge victorious. It is up to players to plan and play out the actual conflict itself. If you comment to claim a territory, then you should also take the lead in planning and organizing it.

Minions
The following lucky minions will be promoted this month:

Liam O'Ryan | Vampire, Islington Nest | Level 1
‣ 120-year old Irish vampire, cheerful and brash. Occasionally picks pockets.

These minions will decide to leave town this month:

Guy Newton-Farrow | Witch, Circle Daybreak | Level 1
‣ A kindly old man who involves himself in a lot of society events.

And these less fortunate minions will sadly die this month:

Jennifer Leroy | Human, Islington Nest | Level 1
‣ A 16-year old girl who's read too many vampire romance novels. She's a hanger-on used as a blood bag.

Leroy Ysias | Vampire, Islington Nest | Level 1
‣ He's not too bright. Used as dumb muscle, he follows even the most ludicrous orders blindly.

Tsubaki | Fae, Seelie Court | Level 1
‣ An energetic kitsune who loves singing and dancing. The most likely to sneak into shows.

Grimalkin | Fae, Unseelie Court | Level 2
‣ A cat-shaped Malk about the size of a lynx but with heavier muscle. Loves to hunt and fight. Can leave trails of footprints that glow in the dark to lead people somewhere. Able to speak although the voice is not very pleasant and sounds a little like a cross between scratching nails on a chalkboard and a bobcat's yowl.

Factions may decide how and when their minions die, leave town or receive a promotion. Feel free to work these developments into any of this month's plots.

Drops
The following characters will be leaving this month:

Zuko | Hillingdon Clan | broiling | Left town 16/11/15

Their faction may decide the exact details of how characters leave and incorporate their exit into their plots if they wish.

Events

4th December – SYLVIA REDBRIGHT'S BIRTHDAY. Sylvia Redbright will officially turn 59 on 4th December. This will be her last year as Mother of Witches, sparking rumours of her imminent retirement. Ever the political player, Sylvia has a cunning plan to celebrate her birthday this year. She will invite the entire supernatural community to send gifts, with the promise that everyone who sends a present will receive something of equal or greater value in return. Look out for an OOC mod post later on where you can submit your gifts!

19th December – SCHOOL HOLIDAY BEGINS. Now you have time to buy those Christmas presents for your loved ones. You haven't got anything yet, have you? Thought so.

22nd December – YULE (WINTER SOLSTICE). The shortest day of the year, at the winter solstice the Unseelie officially reach the height of their power. Naturally they celebrate this occasion with a great feast. It is traditional to decorate the home with holly, in deference to the Unseelie king, and in hope that the fae will work their mischief elsewhere. Yule is also a time when witches renew many of their spells, as the Unseelie will take it upon themselves to free their trapped brethren and generally mess things up for witches. Any fae or other creature seeking to break free of their masters will have good luck tonight.

25th December – FULL MOON / CHRISTMAS DAY.* Oh, you poor werewolves. Why did it have to be Christmas Day? Look on the bright side: at least it wasn't Christmas Eve. You can eat as much turkey as you want before collapsing in a furry heap.

26th December – BOXING DAY.* The day after Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a bank holiday in the UK. It will also be the dreaded "morning after" for the city's werewolf population.

31st December – NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS.* The New Year's Eve fireworks display is always spectacular. Count down to midnight with Big Ben, then watch the spectacle along with the crowds. Or you could stay at home and watch it on TV.

*This event will be incorporated into this month's TDM.

Plots
The following prompts are up for grabs this month:

1) There is a bounty on a vampire hunter who has been turned into a vampire. They're not handling it well. Reward: £500 – Claimed by Megan
2) A group of ghostly carol singers are haunting a London suburb. But the real problem is that they're adding to their number every night...
3) Someone is selling actual fairies as Christmas decorations. This is a bad idea.
4) So, that mistletoe decorating your house. There seems to be a spell on it that won't let people step out from underneath it until they've kissed.

About plots and events
• You may claim one plot prompt per month.
• You can also run your own plots based on the events listed above, or create your own.
• If you claim a plot, then you also volunteer to take the lead OOCly i.e. planning and organizing with other players, deciding on the outcome, setting a timeline etc.
• Once you have claimed a plot, you should introduce it ICly within the next month.
• Plots may not be entirely handwaved. You may handwave some of the plot, but you should play out at least part of it.
• Some plots will require NPCs as well as player characters to fill different roles. Please feel free to make up and play the NPCs yourselves.
• Plots are generally open-ended enough that you can make them big or small. It is up to the player who claims the plot to decide how they would like to handle it. You may want to do open sign-ups for your plot and specify whether there is a limit on how many characters can participate.
• Plots can also be self-contained or form part of an ongoing storyline. Again, it is your choice on how you would like to handle it.
• Please feel free to integrate plots and events or join plots up where appropriate. For example, if you claim a plot that involves a murder, why not choose an event during which the murder could happen? As long as the mod and other players are aware of your plans, I'm happy to accommodate.
• Do not ask the mod to explain what the plot is and what your character should do or discover. That is up to you. These plot ideas are just that, ideas, and it is up to you to run with them and decide how and why these events are happening, what your characters are going to do about it, and what the consequences will be.
• You may ask the mod questions pertaining to game mythology, to check that what you are planning to do makes sense within the game world.
• This list is not meant to be limiting in any way! Player plots are also very welcome.
• If you have an idea for a player plot, please feel free to comment here and see if there is any interest. Run it by the mod first if you're unsure of anything.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[undergroundmods]

CLAIM A TERRITORY

[undergroundmods]

Comment here to claim a territory! Please complete the following:

Plot lead(s): Who is going to run this plot? This should be you, but you can also list any other players who will be co-running the plot with you.
Faction: The faction that is claiming the territory.
Territory claimed: The territory that you are making a move on. It must be adjacent to a territory that your faction already owns.
When this will happen: Give the timeline for your plot. This should be in the next month. If you haven't decided on an exact date yet, a rough approximation is fine.

And here is the same information in a handy form for you to fill out:

<b>Plot lead(s):</b> <b>Faction:</b> <b>Territory claimed:</b> <b>When this will happen:</b>

Once a claim has been posted, players should then reply to the comment to sign up. Please specify which side of the conflict your character will be supporting.

Do not use this thread to start plotting. This thread is for claims and sign-ups only. Please start a separate thread or post to plot.

[falsify]

Plot lead(s): Frank
Faction: Circle Midnight will be receiving a territory from the Fae
Territory claimed: Croydon
When this will happen: Dec 8th

[thelittlemerman]

Plot lead(s): Adri (with Finnick)
Faction: Seelie/Unseelie Court
Territory claimed: Havering
When this will happen: Dec 8th

CLAIM A PLOT

[undergroundmods]

Comment here to claim a plot from the prompt list. Please complete the following:

Plot claimed: Which plot are you claiming?
Plot lead(s): Who is going to run this plot? This should be you, but you can also list any other players who will be co-running the plot with you.
When this will happen: Give the timeline for your plot. This should be in the next month. If you haven't decided on an exact date yet, a rough approximation is fine.

And here is the same information in a handy form for you to fill out:

<b>Plot claimed:</b> <b>Plot lead(s):</b> <b>When this will happen:</b>

Do not use this thread to start plotting. This thread is for claims only. Please start a separate thread or post to plot.

[constantprisoner]

Plot claimed: 1
Plot lead(s): Megan
When this will happen: I'm going to aim for sometime in the next week or two?

RUN A PLOT/EVENT

[undergroundmods]

And finally, comment here if you are running your own player plot or event. This could be one of the events listed in the calendar. Please complete the following:

Plot/Event: What is your plot?
Plot lead(s): Who is going to run this plot? This should be you, but you can also list any other players who will be co-running the plot with you.
When this will happen: Give the timeline for your plot. This should be in the next month. If you haven't decided on an exact date yet, a rough approximation is fine.

And here is the same information in a handy form for you to fill out:

<b>Plot/Event:</b> <b>Plot lead(s):</b> <b>When this will happen:</b>

Do not use this thread to start plotting. This thread is for claims only. Please start a separate thread or post to plot.

[acrookedchild]

Plot/Event: A Little Snowdrop
Plot lead(s): Lynn
When this will happen: December-January

[hurtfew]

Plot/Event: The Croydon Debacle
Plot lead(s): Jack / Norrell
When this will happen: December, during and after the territory claim!

[youronlylaw]

Plot/Event: Assassination at the Courthouse!
Plot lead(s): Kim
When this will happen: December 14th

Who wants to go Vampire hunting?

[constantprisoner]

That's festive, right?

So, in the interests of earning money as well as establishing more of a presence around Hillingdon, Sirius has picked up this particularly bounty.

I have some rough ideas for the plot as it stands right now, possibly that the hunter in question was part of Hillingdon, but I am open to suggestions and anyone that might want to help or hinder as the case may be.

So, the Hunter was indeed a member of Hillingdon. He was hunting a Vampire around Greenwich, and was turned in the same area. He's been flitting between Greenwich and Lewisham as he attempts to sort himself out, which clearly has not been going well and people are starting to notice. The Vampire who turned him has supposedly peaced out (but may very well be sticking around to watch the events as they unfold).

The mission is fairly simple as a result. Find the vampire and stop him, using whatever means necessary. Sirius hopes to capture him and try to get him to calm down (as while he's not super fond of vampires, he does believe in second chances).

Help would always be appreciated, but if there's anyone interested in hindering progress as well, that's also cool.

Re: Who wants to go Vampire hunting?

[whatmatters]

Ringer would be happy to support him, including capture and calming, if needed.

Re: Who wants to go Vampire hunting?

[constantprisoner]

Log is live

A Little Snowdrop

[acrookedchild]

The time has come for the retirement of the current Maiden of Witches. As is common, she has begun to have visions of her successor. Six, in fact, the same number of leaves on a snowdrop, which suggests in and of itself the feast of Imbolc.

The signs will, ultimately, point to Abigail.

However, as can only be expected, Sylvia will want very much to push the role onto some other witch. I haven't totally decided what those visions are going to be, and I'd like to leave some room for discussion, since I'd definitely like at least a few to be in contention, especially for our Daybreak girls. Sorry. Sylvia will try to pawn it off onto one of you. So! Definitely hit me up here or on plurk (harlequindream) for some workings!

[brightwitch]

Just to add to this, Sylvia would very much like literally anyone other than Abigail to become the next Maiden. She would crown a cat the next Maiden before she'd accept Abigail. So if you are a Daybreak witch and would be interested in being used as a puppet by Sylvia in an attempt to fulfil the signs, let me know! Or hey, maybe you're ambitious and you're aiming for the top spot yourself. Sylvia will support!

Imbolc takes place on 2nd February, which gives just under two months to play this out. It'd be good to work out at least a couple of the signs this month! Do you have any ideas yet, Lynn?

SIGNS -- do not reply

[acrookedchild]

1. forming of a coven
2. establishing of territory
3. being heavily connected to one of the important days for witches
4. the scent of jasmine
5.
6.

HAVERING CLAIM

[thelittlemerman]

Hey all! So in a yet-to-be threaded discussion between Eames and Finnick (also known as: the only two court fae PCs in the game), the gentlemen will somewhat agree that the fae will need another territory to make up for the one that Eames is so foolishly giving away to Midnight. Finnick's not an overly ambitious man, so he'll go for the safest bet adjacent to fae territory: Havering. They'll be splitting their minions to support both the Croydon handover and the Havering claim, though ideally for Finnick they won't run into much trouble.

The IC execution of this will happen on the same night as the Croydon handover (December 8th) and will be a relatively quiet affair. Finnick and his small band of fae will be traveling through Havering opening doors to the Other Realm and visiting any supernatural communities. Finnick would be using his Charm^TM to explain that the fae will be taking hold of the territory. If they're met with resistance, well, that's what the trident's for.

Whether or not this is an unopposed claim, I'll be putting up an open log for characters to interact with Finnick before, during, and after the claim.

As always hit me up at dreamalittlebigger for plotting purposes!

[anniesgonemad]

Girlfriend is going, obviously. hand in hand. Humans make things easier! Or something, she can hope.

Re: HAVERING CLAIM

[whatmatters]

Ringer will oppose because Unseelie are all evil, obv. But if Finnick wants to talk her down, she'd be semi-reasonable probs.

The Croydon Debacle

[hurtfew]

Have you heard about the fae? Let Norrell educate you about the fae. Not only have they stolen territory in London, kidnapped innocent children and massacred witches but! But now they are going to trade away territory they took from Daybreak in the first place! Like the very homes of witches, stolen from them, are a thing that can simply be given away while they continue to claim land elsewhere! As if this is all simply a game to them! A game! How very tricksy, how very fae all of this is. Wicked creatures, not to be trusted.

This adds insult to injury. This Gilbert Norrell, High Priest of Daybreak, will not stand for!

So this month Norrell has plans twofold -- to try and snipe Croydon out from the fae before they complete a handover to Midnight, and to slowly begin a behind the scenes attempt to get on the Night Council. He thinks they are being too gentle in their laws, need a firmer approach! A SAFER LONDON FOR ALL WITCHES. What are his policies? His policies are 'ban everything he doesn't like'. He'll work on making it sound better at some point.

Norrell is leading a counter-claim, and as usual he will happily bankroll anyone who assists his faction -- be they hunter or otherwise! Do you need extra cash to make it through Christmas? Norrell has got your back.

[occultdisciple]

Well, Coward is happy to repay the favour of helping him by helping out here.

Law Change

[brightwitch]

For what it's worth, regardless of the outcome of this month's territory claims, there will be a law change happening this month. Here's the outline. Basically, performing dark magic will become a punishable offence. My suggestion is that this punishment falls short of the death penalty, given the current truce between Daybreak and Midnight, but it could involve confiscating spell-casting tools or imprisonment for the worst offences.

This will affect Midnight witches in particular, so please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the change!

ICly, Norrell will be instigating the change so you can all blame him.

Assassination at the Courthouse!

[youronlylaw]

So James is defending a serial killing vampire in human court this month! Fun, right?

It's not like he wants to. But, beggars. Choosers. That whole thing.

Unfortunately all his work will be for naught as Millicent has decided that said vampire is too great of a risk to the Islington Nest's safety and therefore must be executed before he goes on national television and tells all of England about their kind. He's going to be sniped by a fellow vampire (if you'd like your character to be this role, let me know!) in broad daylight as they're going into the trial. On T.V. of all things.

If you'd like your character to be there at the scene of the crime, feel free to reply to the plotting post. If you want to investigate this, feel free to tag in! If I have multiple people asking after that, I'll work something out so we can all have a group thread for that. James won't know personally what's going on and if you want to, you can take this plot and run with it to work into your own!

My plurk is cupcakepantry if you need quicker communication than the comments here.

Re: Assassination at the Courthouse!

[whatmatters]

I'd be interested in Ringer getting CR with James.. Maybe stalking questioning him personally to ask if he planned it etc?

ATTN: HILLINGDONERS

[reticence]

As stated above and previously, Faolan has found himself in charge of Hillingdon. Now that he is no longer going undercover for the Night Council (though he still secretly works for them), he'll be able to devote more of his time and energy to them. Which is where I turn to you guys!

Faolan has been making an effort to get to know those people within the community, trying to get a feel for who they are and what they stand for, so that he can take everyone's thoughts and opinions into consideration when he starts actually taking actions as their new leader. I've tried my best to get a thread with everyone, but I can only do so much in one month. What I'd like to know from you is the following:

1) Your character's name and also if they would have admitted to being human/metahuman 2) Their opinions on the other factions, whether there are some they are against, some they have friends in, some they have no opinion of -- whatever they would have told Faolan if he'd spoken to them directly. 3) Related to above, their opinions on the faction disputes and Hillingdon's non-involvement in them thus far 4) Their thoughts on where Hillingdon should be going from here/the idea of it becoming more of a community 5) If for some reason they SHOULDN'T have met, or wouldn't have let him know the answer to any of the above, please let me know that here as well!

If you would prefer to thread out the gaining of this information, let me know and I'll be happy to do that as well!

Feel free to use this space to discuss options among yourselves as well! I'll be doing my best to keep track of everything said here in this space.

Re: ATTN: HILLINGDONERS

[anniesgonemad]

1) Annie Cresta, known human
2) Vampires are the WORST. So are witches. But the Seelie court is pretty cool or maybe that's just Finnick.
3) She's not political, and generally peaceful. She just wants to make sure people she cares about are safe. Stricter laws and law enforcement are things she believes in.
4) None so far, she feels like an outsider amongst outsiders, so she doesn't spend much time there.
5) n/a

I'll happily expand on all of the above!

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

[kleptofaeniac]

So as a result of Kenzi refusing to sit down and stop beating up vampires who haven't done anything she's going to get a bit of a punishment for it.

How this will play out will be determined by whoever wants to be involved in the plot, but no matter what happens re: outside influences she will be turned into a vampire in the next few months. I'd like this to happen in January or February and just play around with the events leading up to this for December. What I get involved with in December will determine which month will have this happen - obviously I'll post another plotting comment before then just to make sure new people can get in on it if they so choose!

SO There are two scenarios in which this can go down:

A) Kenzi can get mauled to the point of dying and be turned by a player or npc vampire with her permission

B) Kenzi can be turned by a player or npc vampire instead of being mauled.


Ideally, I'd love to have someone with a vampire character be her sire so I could explore that relationship fully. If you've been thinking about apping a vampire or something to that effect and want in on this, please let me know either here or at my plurk: cupcakepantry.

Also if you don't want to app your vamp until later on in the new year, I'd be willing to figure out how to work with that!

[stauncherhearted]

sobbing, opens a vein to feed her bff.

NANCY NEWBORNS ARE DANGEROUS