Event 2021 Holiday Challenge

[Gillar]

Greetings Mizahar!

This is the time of year when people across the world celebrate various holidays filled with all manner of wonderful rituals and traditions. Here on Mizahar, we are going to celebrate in our own unique way...through a WRITING CHALLENGE! This one is a big one because it involves a very special gift!

Beginning Sunday, December 19th and ending on Sunday December 26th, the 2021 Holiday Challenge will consist of writing to one or more themes throughout the week. The themes are:

* Reconnecting with family. This could be family you haven't seen in awhile or even those you see often yet aren't terribly close to.

* Displaying generosity to people around you with no expectation of compensation.

* Creating something celebratory. Perhaps crafting decor and using it to spruce up your residence in celebration of something significant to you.

* Reflecting on your relationship with a deity who is closest to you. Now this one is BIG. As a Holiday Gift, you will be able to include a deity in your writing. You can talk to and interact with them as if it were a gnosis acquisition story...because it is! This is allowed for this challenge with the following in mind:

If you are already marked by one or more deities, you may choose one to interact with and basically write another gnosis story that builds off of your relationship with that particular deity. This will in essence gain you a second gnosis mark of the chosen deity. This can only be done once so you can't acquire multiple second marks from multiple deities. In order to acquire the mark, you must write at least 10 posts with at least 7,500 words total (more is preferable) of significant content and detail regarding the acquisition of the mark. All subject to final approval by a Founder.

OR

For those who may be unmarked by any deity AND for those who are already marked by one or more, this is a way to acquire either your first mark or if you already have one or more marks, you may choose another single mark. You may only gain a single mark from a single deity. If you have other marks, the new mark should be from a deity who is not opposed or an outright enemy of those you are already marked by. In order to acquire the mark, you must write at least 10 posts with at least 5,000 words total of significant content and detail regarding the acquisition of the mark. All subject to final approval by a Founder.

The deity should be portrayed as close to the way they are written in the lore as possible while you are interacting with them.

They cannot give you anything other than advice/guidance along of course with the mark; no items, magical powers, blessings, etc.

Third marks are not available to be acquired in this challenge.

Other Requirements

In order to successfully complete the primary writing challenge and acquire other prizes, you must do the following in addition to choosing a theme:

* Write 5,000 words by Sunday, December 26th (If you are writing for a Mark, that word count is a part of this requirement.)

* For every 1,000 words beyond the initial 5,000, additional prizes may be gained.

* If you don't think you can make the 5,000 word requirement, do not worry. Write what you can and there will be a little something for you for the effort.

* Prizes will involve a good amount of dicing because just like when you open a wrapped gift, you don't always know what you're gonna get.

As always, sign up below.... and keep a list of your threads and word counts and if you are going for a mark, make it known which one you are going for! Have fun and enjoy this special gift during this special time of year.

Gillar

[Alric Lysane]

Signing up!

I'll be going for the deity theme, time to explore Alric's spiritual side. I had planned on it for the New Years but now's as good a time as any.

Thread 1 - Discerning the Transmundane Pt I - 5 posts - 3815 words
Thread 2 - Discerning the Transmundane Pt II - 5 posts - 4700 words
Thread 3 - Of Conviction & Creed Pt I - 4 posts - 2480 words

Gnosis total - 10 posts - 8515 words
Additional thread - 4 posts - 2480

Total if counted - 14 posts - 10,995 words

Cheers Gillar and may you have an awesome holidays!

[Oralie]

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Signing up!
I am hoping to achieve at least 7.5k words and aquire a second Luminance Gnosis. If I have time I will also be trying to write for the theme of creating too.

Threads: Luminous Heart i - 3966 words
Luminous Heart ii - 4336 words
Total: 8302 words over 10 posts.
(Note I split the threads on the 27th, but they were originally written and posted by the end of the 26th.)

It is what I would call a quiet thread, as Oralie does not have the skills for me to do much else without her probably dying at the moment, but I am still pleased with it. I feel likr Oralie showed a lot of character growth and she now has an actual purpose to her life.

Thanks for a fab challenge Gillar!

[Anthoni Cole]

I'll be applying for the deity themed challenge as well for Anthoni's second mark by Dira. The story as of right now is planned to have three threads which will be linked via story but span a few days.

Here is my current thread "Had a Dream": http://www.mizahar.com/forums/post566322.html#p566322

Word Count as of now = 7,890

I made it! Damn near fell victim to procrastination but all ended well as I capped in at above 7.5k words in the above listed thread. All is well with Anthoni and although alone now he will have nothing but growth ahead. For better or worse.

[Asterope]

I'm going to sign up for the deity theme! I'll be attempting to acquire a first mark from Priskil for Aster. Super excited for this, best of luck everyone!

Thread 1: A Light Called Hope (Part I)* 5 posts, 2,801 words
Thread 2: A Light Called Hope (Part II)* 7 posts, 4,314 words

Total: 12 posts, 7,115 words

Thank you for the fun challenge, Gillar!

[Tazrae]

Challenge Accepted

I'm going to attempt to acquire Tazrae's second mark from Rhaus using the Deity Theme. This will be a powerhouse thread with lots of words written in multiple parts. It's time this joyful happy character experiences the darker side of life.


[Holiday Challenge] Stealing The Light I - 2776
[Holiday Challenge] Stealing The Light II - 2714
[Holiday Challenge] Stealing The Light III - 2915
[Holiday Challenge] Stealing The Light IV - 2982
[Holiday Challenge]Stealing The Light V - 2831

Total: 14,219

[Moritz Craven]

I am entering with Moritz, will be attempting to meet and acquire a mark from Wysar using the Deity Theme.

Final Word Count: 7,039

Tracker :

Thread 1-802+770+729+844+660 = 3,805
Thread 2- 604+538+611+777+704 = 3,234

Total WC: 7,039

[Ialari Pythone]

Better late than never I guess. I will be going with the deity theme by writing about the acquisition of the first mark of Tanroa.

Thread Link: The Perception of Time

Total Word Count: 7,055

[Gillar]

Congratulations to all who participated in the 2021 Holiday Challenge!

For all your amazing work in writing to this challenge, here are the following Holiday Gifts to be awarded!

To start, each of you will be granted a gnosis mark based on the deity you thread was devoted to.

Alric - 1st Mark of Eyris
Oralie- 2nd Mark of Priskil
Anthoni - 2nd Mark of Dira
Asterope - 1st Mark of Priskil
Tazrae - 2nd Mark of Rhaus
Moritz - 1st Mark of Wysar
Ialari - 1st Mark of Tanroa

Congratulations!

Now is time for the Gifts. As mentioned in the initial post, 5,000 words was the requirement for success in this challenge. Everyone who participated made that requirement above and beyond. As a result, everyone will get the 5,000 word Gift.

For 5,000 words everyone will be gifted with the following item:

Red Velvet Gloves – These velvet gloves are impossible comfortable and provide amazing grip. When first worn, the gloves will adjust to fit and may remain in their natural shape or take that of hand wear that is appropriate to the environment/region where they are acquired. When worn, the gloves make things feel lighter than they really are and allow for the picking up and carrying of a single item that weighs twice as much as the average amount of weight the person could normally pick up and carry without undo fatigue and weakness. For example, the average human may be able to pick up and carry 50 lbs for at least some amount of distance. The gloves allow for 100 lbs to be lifted and carried with mild exertion. This does not grant increased strength for anything other than lifted and carrying. Thus striking, throwing, squeezing, etc., are not affected. The gloves grant a +10 to endurance while worn.

As everyone wrote more than 5,000 words, each participant will get more options for every 1,000 words extra that were written. This means that you have a choice. You can take the main gift OR you can sacrifice that gift for TWO dice rolls to gain items from the NICE LIST. The main gifts are as follows:

6,000 words - Black Leather Boots – These leather boots are made with amazing craftsmanship. Depending on whether the wearer is male or female, the boots may have buckles and straps and/or eyelets and laces. When first putting on the boots, they may remain in their thicker, heavier natural form or they may take a form more appropriate for the environment/region they are acquired. Perhaps they become black sandals with a silver buckle or a pair of moccasins with laces. They will always be black however and once their form is taken, it can’t change. When worn, the wearer will find they are able to walk on uneven surfaces with greater ease and can find balance where footing would otherwise be precarious. They give the wearer a +10 to acrobatics for the sake of balance and movement on otherwise difficult to traverse surfaces.

7,000 words - Black Leather Belt with Gold Buckle – This leather belt is a size-fits-all and comes complete with a buckle made from woven leather and gold. When worn, the belt grants the amazing ability to alter the wearer’s size for the sake of fitting through openings that they would otherwise be too large to fit through. The belt can only shrink a person to half their original size in order to pass through an opening relative to that size decrease. This is done by cinching the belt which in turns activates the ability. Once the wearer passes through the opening however, the belt returns them to their original size. Also, while worn, the belt grants a +10 bonus to Escape Artist.

8,000 words - Red Velvet Topper – This tall, flat-crowned hat is made from red velvet. When first trying it on, the wearer will find that the hat will immediately adjust to fit their head. It may remain in the form of a tall hat or it might take the form of a similar head covering (not face covering/mask). The type of head covering is usually influenced by the region/environment in which the hat is acquired as well as, to some smaller extent, the interest of the wearer. For example, a woman may not find a tall hat suitable to her tastes where as a man may. The topper will always be red however and once the form is taken, it cannot change. When worn, the topper allows the wearer to change their facial appearance in a particular way. For a male, their head and facial hair turns a light grey or white. Their hair lengthens and if they didn’t have facial hair, they do now. Their face looks a bit wiser with a few more wrinkles and minor to moderate structural changes. For a female, their hair turns light grey to white without growing longer. Their face looks very kind with something of a grandmotherly appearance also with a few more wrinkles and minor to moderate structural changes. With either, the person looks different enough to be hard to recognize thus granting a +10 to disguise while the topper is worn.

9,000 words - Red Velvet Jacket – This long red velvet jacket is adorned with a variety of silver embroidery and is amazingly comfortable. When first worn, the jacket may remain in its natural shape or take that of a similar type of body wear suitable for the environment/region it is acquired in. For example, in warmer climates, it may take the form of a light vest or sash. It will always be red however and once its form is chosen, it cannot change. When worn, the jacket provides the wearer with the uncanny ability to avoid being seen by those around them. This only works when the wearer stops in place and ceases to move. When they stand still, people around them will not acknowledge seeing them. If they look in the wearer’s direction, they see a slight twinkle in the corner of their eye, forcing them to their gaze from the wearer. This effectively makes the wearer invisible to non-magical sight while standing still. Magical sight will also be able to detect them IF the person using the sight has a higher skill level in that particular magic than the wearer of the jacket has in Stealth. While worn, the jacket grants a +10 to stealth when standing still which is the skill it relies on in dice rolling.

THE NICE LIST

You can take the main gifts based on the associated word count for each item OR you can sacrifice that gift to roll from the NICE LIST. This works as follows:

6,000 words - Black leather boots OR 2 rolls on the nice list
7,000 words - Black leather belt with gold buckle OR an additional 2 rolls on the nice list
8,000 words - Red velvet topper OR an additional 2 rolls on the nice list
9,000 words - Red velvet jacket OR an additional 2 rolls on the nice list
10,000 words - An additional roll on the nice list
11,000 words - An additional roll on the nice list
12,000 words - An additional roll on the nice list
13,000 words - An additional roll on the nice list
14,000 words - An additional roll on the nice list

This allows for many combinations of choices. For Tazrae, who wrote an astounding 14,000+ words, she could potentially get the majority of the nice list if she sacrificed all 4 of her applicable main gifts. For those with 8,000 words for example, you could keep the lack leather boots and the black leather belt but sacrifice the red velvet topper to get two rolls on the nice list. Or you could keep the black leather belt but sacrifice the black leather boots and red velvet topper for 4 rolls on the nice list. Further, you could sacrifice all three of the main gifts and get 6 rolls on the nice list. The initial gift for 5,000 words cannot be sacrificed for rolls from the Nice List thus everyone gets the gloves that cannot be sacrificed for rolls on the nice list.

This means that if if you had at 8,000 - 8,999 words, you would get a total of 4 main gifts OR you could sacrifice one or more of those gifts for 2 rolls for each sacrifice gift on the NICE LIST.

To determine what items you gain by sacrificing a main gift, log into discord and roll 1d16 and consult the list below. If you roll the same item more than once, consider it a reroll until you get an item you do not already have.

1 - Magic Pinecone – A pinecone decorated with gold paint. When tossed in a nearby empty space, it will instantly transform into a 10-foot-tall fir tree that is roughly 5 feet in diameter at is widest. The tree comes complete with a small metal base that holds it in place. Great for creating shade or atmosphere. This can be done once a day and the tree will last for 12 bells before returning to the form of a pinecone. A single item, occupying no more than 12 inches of any dimension, if placed under the tree, will be stored within the tree when it returns to the form of a pinecone. When the pinecone becomes a tree again, the item will appear under it. Special note – The fir tree is the default example, however, the form of the tree or the associated see, can be reflective of the region the owner acquires it in. So, if you are in a tropical environment, maybe the pinecone is actually a coconut and fir tree is a palm tree. A desert mesquite would have a pod. A copter would produce a maple tree. Same effect, different seeds and trees based on environment.

2 - Flask of Celebratory Libations – A silver flask that, once per day, can pour up to a half-gallon of one of the following drinks: Eggnog, hot buttered rum or hot alcoholic coffee. These beverages are so tasty that if offered for sale as an exclusive item in a business, they will add a 10% sales bonus for the sake of determining final profit.

3 - Floating Red Globe – A large red marble that when tossed in the air will float 5-feet from the owner. It provides a red light as bright as a torch. If moved away from the owner, it will float toward them, following them. If prevented from moving, the globe will softly drop to the ground and go dark. Once per day, the globe can disperse fog within a radius of 60 feet.

4 - Faith-Filled Candle – This vanilla-colored candle is 12-inches tall and 3-inches in diameter. When lit in dedication to a deity, the candle will burn until the flame is extinguished. it will enhance the atmosphere in a 10-foot radius around the candle. The actual effect depends on the deity that the individual is dedicating the lighting of the candle to. This deity need not have marked the individual for the candle to work its magic. Lighting the candle in dedication to a deity will grant a +5 bonus to the skill that the deity is most aligned with. See the DATS Lore Entry. To gain this bonus, the individual must spend at least a bell within the area of effect. The bonus lasts for six bells after.

5 - Ever-soft Shortbread Cookies – A small cylinder, green and white striped in color with a glittering silver cap on one end. Contained inside are five vanilla flavored cookies decorated with sweet white sugary icing and red and green sugary sprinkles. Consuming a single cookie provides enough nourishment for a single meal and chases away fatigue for a single bell. The cylinder takes a full day to restore a single cookie. Once a cookie is removed, it will remain soft until eventually consumed but will lose its other special qualities after one day. Returning it to the cylinder before that, will preserve the cookie’s qualities.

6 - Ornament of Peaceful Relations – This small blue glass orb has a gold cap attached to it with a metal hook sticking out of it. When hung in a room inside a building, all who enter that room will find it difficult to engage in conflict while remaining inside the room. This effect is nullified if the owner of the ornament engages in conflict first.

7 - Ornament of the Hearth – This small red glass orb has a gold cap attached to it with a metal hook sticking out of it. When hung in a room inside a building, the room will feel as if there were a comfortable burning fire present. Those in such an affected room will find an effective +5 to their meditation skill while they remain in the room.

8 - Ornament of Effervescence – This small green glass orb has a gold cap attached to it with a metal hook sticking out of it. When hung in a room inside a building, the room will be filled with a scent that the owner finds familiar and pleasant. Those remaining in the room for at least a bell will find that any sort of natural, non-magical poisons or toxins equivalent to an L1 will have their negative effects nullified.

9 - Ornament of the Vigilant Father – This small yellow glass orb has a gold cap attached to it with a metal hook sticking out of it. When hung in a room inside a building, the owner of the orb can detect any non-magically concealed intrusion within the building as a whole. This takes the form of the orb creating the sound of a person knocking on the door with a unique series of knocks. These knocks will even wake the person if they are asleep. The person will not know the exact nature of the intrusion; only that there is an unwanted intrusion within the building.

10 - Ornament of Cheerful Song – This silver flecked glass orb has a gold cap attached to it with a metal hook sticking out of it. When hung in a room inside a building, the owner of the orb can whistle a whimsical tune and the orb will respond by producing a random bit of music that fills the room. The music is always something that the owner will find soothing or even cheerful and will continue until they whistle again. After listening to the music for 6 bells, the owner will gain a permanent bonus of +5 to a single music skill of their choice.

11 - Wooden Comb of the Blues – This small comb is made from a strange, pale-blue colored wood. When used to comb one’s hair, one effectively dies their hair a light blue. Continuing to use the comb on one’s hair will turn it a deeper blue. This effect lasts for 12 bells once per day. Along with the hair color change, the comb’s user will also be able to blow into the palm of their hand create a packed ball of snow; no matter what the climate is. If someone is hit with the snow ball, they will suffer a -5 to all rolls during the encounter with the comb’s owner. This is basically because they are confounded at the fact they were just hit by a snowball.

12 - Crackling Log of Everburning Comfort – This thick wooden log is roughly 2 feet long yet weighs just under a pound. When used as fuel for a fire, be it in a hearth, firepit or campfire, the log will burn for a full 12 bells or until extinguished. While it burns, the log will crackle and illuminate the immediate area up to a 10-foot radius with a soft fiery glow. The temperature in the same area will remain consistently comfortable regardless of how hot or cold it really is. Those in this area will also find sleep easier to attain. For as long as a person sits within the affected radius up until the log is no longer burning, they will gain a +5 bonus to all non-combat related skills due to the comfort they feel.

13 - Colorful Socks – These multicolored socks look truly unfashionable. Regardless of their loud appearance, the socks ensure that the wearer’s feet will always remain dry, warm or cool depending on the situation. They also maintain a wonderful pine scent so the wearer need never worry of foot odor. Once per thread while the socks are worn, the wearer will find that they are able to dance with a +5 bonus.

14 - Red and White Minty Stick – This four-inch-long hooked stick is made of an unknown material that faintly smells of mint and is colored with red and white stripes. At any time, if the stick is held in hand and shaken three times, it will instantly grow into a 6-foot-long hooked staff of the same color and scent. Once per day, the staff can produce a localized explosion of swirling red and white colors centered on a single target. The explosion causes the target to become slightly confused for a moment. If dice rolls are used, the target may suffer a -10 to any single roll.

15 - Corn Cob Pipe – This simple smoking pipe is made from a hollowed-out corn cob with a birchwood shank. When used to smoke tobacco, the smoke itself will smell of a mix of cinnamon and apple regardless of the actual smell of the tobacco. Once per day the person smoking the pipe can inhale a deep breath of the smoke and then release it. Doing so will create a cloud of apple-cinnamon scented smoke that will fill a 10-foot radius around the person; effectively creating a smoke screen that grants the person a +5 to stealth while in the area of effect. When simply used to smoke tobacco, the unusually pleasant smell will hang in the air for days after.

16 - Lump of Coal – Upon first glance, this simple lump of coal doesn’t appear to be anything special. However, when held and while close to someone doing something naughty, it will begin to feel warm. The closer the naughtiness is to the one holding the coal, the hotter will get until it is noticeably hot even if gloves are worn. The exact nature of the naughtiness is unknown as is the exact location. It can detect naughtiness within a 50-foot radius of the person holding it but tracking down the direction is trial-and-error. Moving in different directions so that the stone will get warmer and avoiding directions where it gets colder is how the tracking works. Using the stone grants a +5 bonus to tracking while it is in use.

Note that all of these items cannot be sold, exchanged or otherwise given away without losing all of their abilities and thus become normal, non-exceptional items without any special abilities.

In order to acquire your items, you must post an acquisition thread that follows the following guideline:

Your character will stumble across an odd-looking chest. The chest is made of well-weathered wood. Where there would usually be a lock, there is a small silver bell. Upon finding the chest, you will have the urge to ring the bell. Once you do, the bell will turn to dust and the chest can be opened. Inside, you will find all of your items wrapped in red silk. The chest can be found washed up on a beach, discovered in a cave, unearthed by a seismic event (small earthquake) or some other similar natural event/encounter.

Please post your results in this thread.

Gillar

[Moritz Craven]

Thanks for this Gillar, was a lot of fun completing this and I really like the items! And really hyped to be able to get a Gnosis for Moritz!

Moritz got a total of 7k words, and will be taking all three of the main gifts he is eligible for (Gloves, Boots, Belt) and wont be trading anything in for rolls.

Thanks and happy New Year!

Moritz Craven