It was not white Christmas in Ravenwood this year, but the spirits of all present were lifted by fine weather. With the Blue Boar Inn open for drinks and refuge from the chill, the season of giving was ushered in. After the razing of Mousling Village during the summer, collections were opened to contribute to the housing and feeding of mousling refugees during the winter. Mara the Devout was also collecting donations for the Salvation Army, a force being amassed for the reconquest of infidels. Thokk, Ivan, and Ada experienced a touch of dicord over the running of their hut and the completion of its roof, the whole in which rests squarely above Ada’s bedroom. Regular incursions of goblins did not help the construction process, resulting in requests for donations from the more generous visitors to the wood. New shops, such as Ilyn the Wanderer’s haberdashery, were established and frequented by the citizens of Ravenwood. In preparation for the erection of the town tree, ornaments were made in abundance. Gifts were exchanged between friends, and memories of the year past were shared.
To the surprise of all, a sudden arrival occurred. The Crown of East Anglia himself, King Rupert, with his personal guard, Mc. He explained that he had enjoyed his previous visit so much that he hoped to see a real Ravenwood Christmas. Unfortunately, Hector Piedmont had lost the letter detailing his plan to visit. King Rupert explained the absence of Alonzo – he had evidently been lost several days prior – and expressed his excitement over the gift that the town had surely prepared for him. As the townsfolk scrambled to think of a gift for their unexpected visitor, the King interviewed different townsfolk in the hope of filling Alonzo’s previous role. Employment deals were spread across town, as Thokk commissioned Ignatious to work on the hut’s walls and Ada hired Brennus to help keep guard at night over the homestead.
The town went out on the hunt for a tree halfway through the day, venturing far beyond Poke with no luck. King Rupert was difficult to please, with every tree either too short, too tall, too green. He waved off a number of trees before seeing the first from a new angle, and declared that it was the most beautiful of trees, and asked that it be taken back to town with them. Thokk, Ada, and Ivan also found a tree of their own for the hut. Dances were had while the trees were harvested, and a King Rupert led Mara the Devout and Thokk Earthbreaker to victory in a tournament of strength.
After returning to town and decorating the tree with ribbons and ornaments of all kinds, a noise in the woods caused a number to run and investigate. Down in a gulley, stuck on his back like a turtle, was Alonzo! He had been trapped for three days, suckling dew to sustain himself until he was found. King Rupert gladly welcomed him back in a touching scene.
As the town prepared for the last of the Christmas festivities, a sudden commotion occurred. Trollie and Goblin raced into town with a large sack, and were chased down by the townspeople. They were reticent to confess where the sack had come from, even under threat. Eventually, with promises of their safe release, they admitted that they had found the sack full of gifts in the Northern reaches of Ravenwood. King Rupert decreed that an investigation should be made into the source of these gifts, which the townspeople gladly agreed to, still without any gift for their benevolent King.
The town marched out and encountered a mysterious and rarely-seen discovery. Father Christmas with his assistant Jingles had crash landed in the Ravenwood Gorge, and scattered their gifts across the woods! They asked the people of Ravenwood to assist in their search, and the villagers quickly set to work hunting for the presents. Thokk arrived late with no idea of what had happened, to much ire from Ada. The stresses of domestic life has resulted in some strife among the hut-mates, particularly with Ivan nowhere to be found. As the bickering continued, Father Christmas made a decision, and with the assistance of some Christmastime magic, caused Thokk and Ada to switch bodies so that they could walk a mile in one another’s shoes.
The chaos and confusion that ensued followed the villagers all the way back to town. Thokk and Ada struggled to adjust to one another’s bodies, and squabbled over who would get which corner of the hut. This arguing led to the confession of mutual frustrations, in which both felt unable to maintain the hut and keep their hut-mates safe, and experienced sensations of inadequacy when helpers such as Ignatious and Brennus became involved. Brennus nobly attempted to make Thokk and Ada reconcile, but experienced difficulty as the two descended to schoolyard taunts and spitting.
All the while, the townsfolk worked together to provide a Christmas present for King Rupert. Portraits were drawn, poems and mysterious crystals were offered, and ill-fitting shoes were presented. Even an outlandish jig was performed by Ilyn and Brennus. King Rupert even produced his crown as the topper for the tree, with last year’s still under repairs. Thokk and Ada learned the true meaning of Christmas and understood one another’s struggles under a new light. Father Christmas returned them to their original bodies, and the town enjoyed peace and quiet again. In the end, after being reunited with Alonzo and getting to experience Christmas with his beloved subjects, King Rupert understood that the real gift was the friends he had made along the way. Christmas day in Ravenwood was complete with the singing of classic Ravenwood carols, to say farewell to the King and to usher in a new year of adventure in the wood.
Thanks for capturing the highlights. It is interesting to me how the simple act of decorating a tree and singing carols could be such a delight. Yes, we WANT adventure, but we NEED the simple pleasures of making memories with like-minded friends. Indeed a great day!