The Spirit Who Stole Zielmas

[Pig Boy]

Background Info

The 12 Trials of Zi’da is an annual celebration of family and friends that lasts from the 50th – 61st of Zi’da. The holiday allows Rharnians to show appreciation and gratitude for the people in their lives who have loved and supported them throughout the past arc. Each trial has a specific theme, and those who celebrate the holiday give their loved ones a small gift connected to the theme. Some choose to wrap the gifts, tag them with an identifier to show what date the gift should be opened, and give them to their intended recipients all at once. Other Rharnians choose to give and receive their gifts on a daily basis. During the 12 trials, the Rharne marketplace in the Earth Quarter turns into the “Zi’da Market,” and is filled with food, mulled wine and cider, and vendors peddling wares aligned to the themes.

However, this Zi'da something very special happens. One of the trials of Zi'da, should you be the recipient of a gift on one of the twelve trials of Zi'da, the gift will be accompanied by the appearance and bonding of a spirit associated with the concept of that gift.

However this bonding is not to last, as the spirit will insist upon being bound to something, a permanent structure, place, or geological feature that is associated with the spirit's concept. Should one fail to accomplish this bonding for the spirit, they will develop a small, mostly harmless curse associated with its domain. Should they succeed in finding a place for the small spirit, they will develop a small, mostly harmless power associated with its domain.

Everyone Down in Rharne town Liked Zielmas a lot...
But Faishu, Who lived just north of Rharne town, Did NOT!
The Faishu hated Zielmas! The whole Zi'da season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his eyes were too bright.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his coin purse was two sizes too small.
Whatever the reason, His purse or his eyes,
He stood there on Zielmas Eve, hating Rharneans,
Staring up from his cave with a sour, Faishu frown,
At the warm lighted windows above in their town.
For he knew every Rharnean up in Rharne on its mountain,
Was busy now, drinking beer right out of a fountain!
"And they're unpacking their beer pints!" he snarled with a sneer,
"Tomorrow is Zielmas! It's practically here!"
Then he growled, with his primate fingers nervously drumming,
"I MUST find some way to stop Zielmas from coming!"
For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Rharnean girls and boys,
Would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their booze!
And then! Oh, the hoots! Oh, the woots!
Hoots! Woots! Hoots!
That's one thing he hated! The Hoots!
Woots! Woots! Wootss!
Then the Rharneans, young and old, would sit down to a feast.
And they'd feast! And they'd drink! And they'd FEAST!
Feast! Drink! FEAST!
They would feast on Beer-pudding, and rare Pigasus Roast.
Which was something Faishu couldn't stand the most!

So he stole up to Rharne Town, to steal all their toys.
Bringing misery and lack, to all the little girls and boys.

Rhyme Adapted from Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Faishu stood on the lip of his cave dwelling, to the southeast of Rharne-Town, across the river, to the south of Lake Lovalus. He frowned, and then nearly throttled the legless lizard spirit, Joey, by the neck as he thust his nose into his. "They're probably eating their worries away! Spicing their pigasus meats with cloves and chives!"

Joey gulped, and quivered as he was gripped in Faishu's grip, nearly crushed alive.

Then a small thought entered the larceny diri's tiny spirit brain... "What if, tomorrow, Zielmas never arrived?"

And he plotted and planned, until Rharne's holiday's ended, he enacted his scheme, and absconded with the presents.

!

Message from: Pig Boy

Hello people. This is the start of the event. You have some instructions for your first post, and checks that must be ticked. You should write out the gifting that you intended to carry out, whoever it's to. This corresponds to one of the 12 days of Zi'da and should be dated for that day. This can include already having the gift, and sending it along or leaving it with your intended recipient. Whether they're present to receive it or not. If you or an npc of yours is the recipient of a gift, feel free to write them getting it robbed. Write another part of your post on the 62nd of Zi'da, when you will find out that your gift never arrived or was stolen. Most of you are free to explore this however works for you. Vahekoh, for reasons that may be obvious you are visited by a Thunder Priest who informs you that your offering has gone missing. Feel free to make the npc up however you want, but they will belong to the Tappers Charter of the Priesthood. Anything else is gravy. Enjoy! Also please fill out up to 5 knowledge tags for knowledge for every post you make. I will only award knowledge that is coded in this way. Let me know if there are questions.

[Elowen]

55 of Zi'da

“That is one heck of a remedy that, Elowen.” Eseld said, lifting the back to her eyes. It was admittedly larger than the usual satchels she gave out with her herbal mixtures. The bar maid brought it to her nose. “And it smells! Quite nice actually.”

The young apothecary shifted in her spot. She would have preferred it if the girl did not inspect the bag in such a detail. Elowen was still unfamiliar with gift giving. Meira had never really engaged in the Zielmas and Elowen herself only found out about the custom this arc. Given her predisposition to feeling awkward around people, even those who were more known to her, meant that this situation was becoming very uncomfortable, very fast.

“Can you please just give it to Kera?” She pleaded with Eseld.

Eseld looked at Elowen from around the bag with a smile on her face. “’Course I can. Is this one of your new smelly remedies?” And there was a spark in Eseld’s eyes.

The young apothecary shifted and shook her head. “It’s for Zielmas. Just pass it on please.” Her voice was definitive. The conversation was over. There was too much awkwardness for Elowen’s taste so she turned around and made a quick exit without as much as a goodbye.

She came to do a task – deliver her green gift. The task was done. She was now free to go (read quickly retreat) back to her home.

62 of Zi'da

A little flicker of hope in a season otherwise drowned in darkness, Elowen was experiencing a rare moment of peace and happiness.

The fire in the hearth was burning, warming up her small shack. The smell of root vegetable soup filled the air. Ark was sleeping under the table, and Pea was snuggled on the pallet. Elowen herself was sitting by the table, knees under her chin, a mug of spiced brew in her hands.

Yes, she was at peace. But perhaps instead of happiness it was the nostalgic content she was feeling. For in that moment, in the loneliness she had grown accustomed to, the girl remembered this exact moment from previous arcs when Meira was around and there were no animals inside their home.

The smile on her lips was warm even if her eyes were sad. She hugged the mug closer to her chest.

Moments later a knock came on her door. Elowen looked up and her hand quickly went to her headscarf that did not sit quite right these days. She made sure it was correctly placed before she went to the door and cracked it open.

Kera Gallach stood on the other side. Her bulky figure was even larger wrapped in a thick coat to battle the cold. The young apothecary stepped to the side and let the woman in. Whatever the reason for her visit, there was no need for the older woman to stay outside. She was also the only one who did not give a damn about the rumors that were surrounding the girl and her humble abode this season. Even though the older woman did look around quickly after entering the shack.

Elowen closed the door and by the time she looked back at her visitor, Kera seemed as at ease as she was wherever she went – with quiet authority of someone who knew her place and that of those around her.

“Your gift is gone.” In true Kera fashion, the woman went straight to the point. Being a busy woman of The Oak Tree Inn and Gallach Brewery as well as mother to many, Kera had little use for beating around the bush. “I thought you should know in case you were hoping to hear from me about it. I wanted to say thanks anyway. You didn’t need to. But I appreciate the thought.”

Quite frankly blindsided, the girl’s face was that of a shock. First, she was confronted by a gift receiver about a gift that vanished and she was being thanked for it? Elowen, along with every single thought in her mind, stood frozen, unable to fully process yet what she had just heard.

Perhaps realizing the suddenness of her words or the message she delivered, Kera’s face softened. “What was it?”

Breaking out of her trance, Elowen shifted, dropping her gaze to the woman’s feet. The silence stretched as the girl mustered courage. “It was a green gift,” she said a trill later. “Maybe Eseld misplaced it?” Elowen suggested, still avoiding looking at her visitor.

“No, she gave it to me. I placed it in our sitting room along with other gifts. I mean, it smelled nice to begin with.” The older woman smiled.

But the mystery of the missing gift only grew bigger by that moment. Had someone stolen Elowen’s gift from the Gallach’s residence? Perhaps her branching out into mind-altering scents was becoming too popular?

Elowen frowned. She did not like the idea of that.

[Revan Blackhand]

57-62 Zi'da 724

Revan hadn't ever really been one for gift giving.

The Yludih and most of his friends preferred to take things instead of giving them away. Still, this arc felt different. He wanted to reward the effort that a specific friend had made for their grander schemes. Willow. Revan had gone out and bought her an inexpensive but symbolic piece of glasswork that he thought she might appreciate.

Revan had given the gift more thought than he wanted Willow to know so he was going to deliver it as she would- by breaking into her house and leaving it to be found. Obviously Revan would leave a note beside it to explain the gift and its meaning. The shapeshifter cased Willow's home in the gifting trials leading up to the time for his.

Revan wore his crystalline formRevan can assume his crystalline form in plain sight once per cycle. However, when people see him they won't see what he is, but just a person with 'one of those faces' of no note and unremarkable. This acts as an interdiction against identification, should he need to lay low, and will last until the next time he takes an offensive or criminal action. while it lasted during the first breaks scouting Willow's security measures. When the power ran out, he relied on a cloak to hide his face but the Yludih made a choice to be Revan.

All of Willow's security measures were meant to let her know someone had come in but not to harm them.

He managed to catch a glimpse of something useful through the window. When Willow left, she put some white powder at the frame of her door. Opening the door would disturb the line she'd made. Her home was nothing if not drafty. She didn't lock the windows but she set things on the edge of the windowsill. Opening a window would mean moving those objects and she probably had some way to know if they'd been touched. He didn't have the tools to burrow under her house and he wasn't an idiot. That would have left more evidence than any other method. There was no way to enter from above either. It wouldn't work because he couldn't do it in the middle of the trial without being seen and she'd be home before dark.

Some details didn't matter when it came to messing with friends.

Revan wanted to be noticed.

He wanted Willow to look for the gift and find it, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to make her work for it. He wasn't subtle at all apart from avoiding the eyesight of bystanders. Revan only acted once Willow had left and he was confident that no one was loitering around other than himself.

The cheap lock on the door didn't require special attention. Revan could have picked it with a simple toolset for practice but he wanted to move quickly. Revan limped towards the unwatched door with his cane as if he already had a key on him. He slipped a metal marbleThe size of a marble, this metal is able to morph into anything you wish. It cannot materialize new metal, therefore you may only create items that are small sized or tinier. If you attempt to make a dagger, it will look like a letter opener, and so on… The metal stays morphed until the wielder wishes it shape changed. The shape can only be changed by the person who purchased the metalmorph. out from a pocket inside his cloak.Any weapons or valuables tucked within this cloak will not be found by anyone attempting to search for it, as long as they are small enough to hide within a cloak and light enough to carry. The only one who may find the items is the character who hid them. The cloak will not hide a person. and pressed it to the lock. Almost as if molding a new face, Revan focused on shifting the marble into the lock so that it pushed each necessary tumbler.

It only took a few trills to find a shape that worked as a key but Revan swayed back and forth like a drunkard returning home to fool wandering eyes into thinking he was just having trouble getting the key in the lock. Even the small lies mattered.

When the lock opened, Revan pushed the door and intentionally disrupted the powder Willow had set out. He moved carefully through the threshold and collected a small portion of the powder from the edges of Willow's trap using the same free hand he had used to unlock the door. Revan took a little joy in rubbing the powder on different parts of Willow's house. He put smudges on tables to draw her focus one way and smudges on walls to make her look other ways when she returned.

Revan set the gift on top of the kitchen table but was careful not to leave any signs leading towards it. Part of the trickster hoped Willow would be confused why there were so many signs of a break in but the gift looked as if it belonged where it was. Part of him also recognized how discomforting it might have been to walk into this sort of set up.

Namira, the diri of shadows, lingered in the shade of the gift Revan had set on Willow's table and Revan got an idea. If his letter wasn't enough to calm her, Willow knew Namira. The diri could ensure Willow knew this was only a friendly gesture. "Stay here. Let her know it was me and then come home." Revan said to Namira. The diri stretched the shadow of the key like it was yawning but gave an agreeing wiggle after.

He was careful not to disturb anything once the little trick was set up and made way from his friend's home with no other signs left behind.

Revan left more carefully than entered and went home to await Willow's reaction.

.... ..... .....

..... ...... ......

......... ........... ..........

Something was wrong. Revan tried not to think about the gift too often but it had received the worst response he could have imagined. Trials had passed now and Willow had said nothing at all. Even worse, Namira had said nothing either.

[Vahekoh]

54th Zi'da, 724.

The Dust Quarter.

Today was an important day. Marked in Vahekoh's journal was the date 54th Zi'da and the words The Fifth Trial of Zi'da. There is something important you have to do today. It was written in her handwriting, and the word today was underlined to impress its importance on her.

The writing in the journal read, Go back to the page of the journal marked 1. You have to do this today, Vahekoh. The word today was underlined once more, and Vahekoh would have been irritated at the version of herself who had underlined today two different times- one time would have impressed its importance on her. She would have been irritated, but one very important word in the writing stopped her would-be irritation short.

Vahekoh, it said.

Vahekoh didn't use the name she used in her mind, Vahekoh, in writing. It was really weird, looking at the name she used in her mind, written there on the page. It was really weird to see it outside of herself.

Vahekoh started going back through the pages of the journal.

One page back, the date was written 53rd Zi'da and the words were written The Fourth Trial of Zi'da, and there was a number written on the page, 125. Two pages back, the date was written 52nd Zi'da, the words The Third Trial of Zi'da, and the number 124. Vahekoh went back, page by page, and the dates and the numbers went back with her.

The page marked one was not dated, but the words On the Fifth Trial of Zi'da were written on the page, and the number 1.

This is the important thing that you have to do today, her handwriting read, with today underlined. Vahekoh took a moment to be irritated by the version of herself who had underlined today three different times. Three different times.

But the irritation was short-lived. Why was the page marked one undated? Vahekoh went back one page to look at the date there. One page back, the date was written 52nd Vhalar. She went forward one page to look at the date there. One page forward, the date was written 53rd Vhalar, and the number 2.

Vahekoh went back to the page marked one.

On the Fifth Trial of Zi'da, it read. 1.

This is the important thing that you have to do today.

To do this important thing, I'm going to write about something that happened in Vhalar. But, I'm going to write broadly about this thing that happened.

Broadly speaking- Ilaren wasn't at the Beer Festival. That was weird, Vahekoh thought. Why wouldn't have Ilaren been at the Beer Festival? There was something scary that happened at the Beer Festival, too, it read, On 52nd Vhalar.

Less broadly- the writing said, Because Ilaren wasn't here, and because I'm worried about her not being here, and because other people are worried about her not being here, and because what happened today was scary- because of all of it, I'm going to try something I've not tried before. I'm going to try to write to you, Vahekoh, on 54th Zi'da.

I know that you -the person reading this- and I -the person writing this- are different people. But I hope that you and I will be able to do this together. I'm hoping to give Ilaren a gift on 54th Zi'da, the Fifth Trial of Zi'da, the writing in the journal said. Hopefully you've gotten this writing- it's my hope that I've gotten this writing to you on the right date.

The gift I want to give Ilaren is the bottles of brew from the Beer Festival that she wasn't here to try, the writing said. Reading it, Vahekoh had a moment of understanding of the version of herself who had -irritatingly, but with good intentions- underlined today three different times. It was important that Ilaren have the brews- it was important that she be here, in Rharne, to try them.

The bottles of brew I got for Ilaren are being stored at the Stone Cauldron, the writing said. It's a big bar and inn located in the Dust Quarter. It's nearer to the walls of the Earth Quarter than to the other buildings in the Dust, and it has a brawling grounds near it with big square stones. I hope you'll be able to locate it. Speak to the ithecal Stone Talon there. He's the owner of the Stone Cauldron, and he is big, and he is mean-looking, but don't let his bigness intimidate you. I think -I hope- he's a good man.

I hope this is something you and I are able to do.

The good thing about how worried she was about this, Vahekoh thought as she pushed through the big door of the Stone Cauldron, was that the worry stopped her from getting too distracted. If she hadn't been worried about doing this right she might have gotten distracted on her way through the snow-swirled streets of the Dust Quarter. But she was worried, worried about getting this important thing done, and done right.

She pushed through the big door of the Stone Cauldron and into its warmth.

There was a big ithecal man behind the big counter of the Stone Cauldron, and Vahekoh -who was little for a human woman- stopped short in the warm building. The door whumped shut behind her, bringing in some spirals of snow, and Vahekoh stood still, looking around the Stone Cauldron like a little deer. There were some humans in the building -none as little as Vahekoh, though, and most of them men- and a lot of big ithecal, both men and women. Vahekoh stood where she was, worried about what she was going to do, but the big ithecal man behind the big counter nodded to her gently when he saw her.

"Oh, the Vhalar girl," he said, and Vahekoh saw that Stone Talon was, like the writing had said, a big ithecal, mean-looking- and with a very very large maw. But, she saw when he nodded to her, he also had soft, gentle eyes. The softness of those eyes, and the gentleness of them, turned the mean-looking outside of the man into something different- the meanness she'd thought was there gentled to grimness. He was a grim-looking man, a man Vahekoh thought it likely had seen some grim and grisly things in his time- but despite that, his eyes were gentle and wise.

"You're here for Ilaren's gift, then?" Stone Talon said, and Vahekoh indicated that she was. She was still a little worried about what she was going to do here, but she was relieved, too, that Stone Talon understood that she was here for Ilaren's gift. She walked over to the big counter the big ithecal stood behind. The counter was so big, and Vahekoh so little, that it was difficult to look over the countertop.

"I'm- I'm here for Ilaren's gift, yes," Vahekoh said in a little voice, intimidated despite Stone Talon's gentle gaze, but the big ithecal merely nodded. "Vila, Livius," he said, and two ithecal in the warm building looked over from their drinks. "Help the girl get Ilaren's gift where it's going," Stone Talon said to them.

Vila stood, bigger than Vahekoh had thought he'd been when he was sitting, and walked over to her. Livius took a moment to gulp down their drink, but then they walked over to Vahekoh, too. "Drinks on the girl for the help?" Livius said, looking at her with a toothy grin, and Vahekoh said, still in that little voice that betrayed how intimidated she was, "Oh. Yes."

"Then we'd love to help," Livius grinned.

"Let's go," Vila said in a startlingly bare voice, his voice little more than a whisper, and Vahekoh saw the large scar on the side of his throat. "The bottles are the ones marked with red string," Vila said to Livius. Vila led the way behind the big counter, and into the back of the Stone Cauldron.

In the back there were boxes and boxes of stored bottles- brews of all types and strengths, it looked like. But, it also looked like, one box generally stored bottles of one type of brew.

But some of the boxes stored mismatched bottles. The bottles in those boxes were of different shapes and shades and labels, and though they were mismatched they were marked with red string- the red string tied about the bottles in little makeshift bows. Vila and Livius began lifting the boxes one by one at Stone Talon's direction.

"Oh. Okay," Vahekoh said, and began to lift one of the boxes herself. She had to grunt to get the box into her arms, and Livius grinned and lifted a second box into their arms without difficulty. "Do you think I should lift the girl too? She's a little thing," Livius said, directing the words to Vila, and Vahekoh's voice was lost in her throat before Vila said in a whisper, "Stop playing with the girl."

"Who said I was playing?" Livius said back with a grin to Vahekoh, but he didn't lift her. Vahekoh was grateful for it.

It took a good while to get the boxes from the Dust Quarter to the Sky Quarter, and Vahekoh's body was tired by the time they stood outside of the Lightning Cathedral in the Sky. She wasn't used to lifting things, and they'd gone by way of the Ascent because the Sky lifts were for bigger shipments of goods; Vahekoh's tired muscles reminded her of every one of the Ascent's stairs.

Still, she tried not to look too tired because if she looked too tired, she thought Livius would say something snarky about it. She'd agreed on the long, long walk up the stairs to have a drink with Livius and Vila back at the Stone Cauldron; when Livius had said it before, she'd thought she'd be buying the drinks, but they had invited her to drink with them.

With the boxes of mismatched bottles dropped off in the Lightning Cathedral, the two big ithecal went on their way back to the Stone Cauldron. The moment they went back down the Ascent, Vahekoh bent at the waist to get her breath.

The boxes of mismatched bottles were where the Lightning Cathedral's overlooker had directed them, to one side of the Cathedral's chamber where other gifts were located. Vahekoh got her breath and then looked for an unlit candle. There were candles to be lit all about the Lightning Cathedral, and Vahekoh got a candle and lit it from one of the thousands of others. With the candle lit, she set it in front of the bottles, all of them twinkling with the thousandfold lights of the Lightning Cathedral. Vahekoh took a moment to untie and then tie one or two of the bottles' little makeshift bows, tidying them.

Then, in front of the candle, Vahekoh bowed her head. She tried to get her thoughts together.

"Ilaren," she said softly, "I'm- I'm not sure what inspired me to do this. But I'm sure that doing this, that giving you this gift, is important. I- I heard that you weren't at the Beer Festival in Vhalar. So I brought you bottles of brew from the Festival, so that it would be like you were there." She stopped a moment, her head still bowed.

"Ilaren," she said, "I'm a bit worried. It seems weird that you wouldn't be at the Beer Festival, and I'm worried about it. I hope you're in Rharne this Ziellmas."

"I know I shouldn't be worried," Vahekoh said. "You're you. But you're important to me, and something about the thought of you not being at the Beer Festival- it's scary. It makes me think maybe something's wrong." It was scary to say it out loud, but there it was.

Still, it sounded silly to say out loud, too. This was Ilaren she was speaking about.

"I'm sorry," Vahekoh said. "I'm being a worrywart. But I thought I'd say that if you're in Rharne this Ziellmas or you're not, I'm with you. Rharne is with you. I want you to know that this, this relationship, it's not one-sided. If- if something is wrong, I'm here and I'm with you. If you need something, I will always be here."

"Merry Ziellmas, Ilaren," Vahekoh said, and unbowed her head.

62nd Zi'da, 724.

The Dust Quarter.

Vahekoh had gotten a room at the Stone Cauldron on the 54th, when she'd walked the long walk back down the Ascent. She'd gotten the room then because of how tired she'd been, and it had been good to have somewhere warm to sleep. Some days later, she was still here. It turned out she liked Vila and Livius and Livius liked her- with Vila, it was difficult to tell.

She and Livius were sitting at one of the big tables in the bar and inn, the big ithecal snarking at her about how little she was. It wasn't Vahekoh's fault the big, ithecal-sized table made her look littler than she was, and Livius was busy trying to get her to stand at the table like a baby ithecal would. It was while they were bickering over who was too big and who was too little that the big door to the Stone Cauldron opened.

It was cold out, and the cold swirled into the warm building when the big door opened, though there wasn't snow today. Vahekoh looked over and saw that it was a Thunder Priestess who had walked into the warm building. "Is a woman named Ekoh here?" the Thunder Priestess said to the room, and before Vahekoh was able to speak Livius said, "She's here."

"I'm here," Vahekoh said.

The Thunder Priestess was a young woman about Vahekoh's age. Despite her youth, her dark auburn hair was streaked through with strands of grey. She wore a wreath of dark purple flowers in her greying hair, though she wasn't wearing the robes of the Priesthood. Though she wasn't wearing her robes -dressed in dark fur-lined boots and a dark purple fur-lined cloak for warmth- Vahekoh had known she was a Thunder Priestess the moment she saw her.

Though she was startled that a Thunder Priestess was looking for her, Vahekoh briefly bowed her head to her. Then she walked with the young woman over to the fireplace.

Above the big fireplace was the depiction of a human woman. The Priestess looked at the depiction of the woman, bowing her head to her in deference, before looking to Vahekoh.

"I am Lethe, Thunder Priestess of the Tappers," the Thunder Priestess said, and Vahekoh wondered why the Priestess would be here, in the Stone Cauldron, looking for her. Before Vahekoh was able to ask, though, Lethe spoke. "I'm sorry to inform you that your gift to Ilaren has been stolen." Lethe had a soft voice, and spoke softly besides, but she was a direct speaker, too.

Vahekoh stared at the Thunder Priestess for a long moment. What gift? was the first thought she had, but then, in a wash of understanding like cold water, the memory of Ilaren's gift went over her. She hadn't been thinking about it before, bickering with Livius like she'd been, but she had given a gift to Ilaren. She had gone to the Lightning Cathedral. She had spoken to Ilaren there in the Cathedral's chamber.

"It was stolen?" Vahekoh said, the wash of cold water gone from her. She was warm all of a sudden, the heat of the fireplace and the heat of the ire in her heart -ire at the thought of someone stealing her gift to Ilaren- warming her. She felt the heat in her and she said, in a voice that she hoped was controlled, "How was it stolen? It was in the Lightning Cathedral, wasn't it?"

She thought despite herself Lethe had heard the ire in her voice, but the young woman didn't say something about it. Lethe said, "The gift was there in the Lightning Cathedral with other gifts offered to Ilaren throughout Ziellmas; then, today, it was gone. I don't know how it was stolen. It shouldn't have been; there is always a Thunder Priestess in the Cathedral chamber." Lethe's mouth tightened when she said this, and Vahekoh saw that despite the woman's soft voice, she was controlling herself, too.

She was mad, like Vahekoh was mad, that someone had stolen something that was a gift to Ilaren. It made Vahekoh feel better that the Thunder Priestess understood, and Vahekoh took a breath, trying to control her ire.

Lethe said, "I wasn't able to speak to the Thunder Priestess in the Cathedral chamber about it before being told to speak to you here. I was worried I wouldn't locate you in time if I did. But I would like to speak to her about it. Would you like to go with me?" Lethe asked.

"I would," Vahekoh said without a moment's thought. "I'll get my things."

"Ekoh, what's going on?" Livius said.

"I'm going out for a bit with the Thunder Priestess. I don't know how long I'll be out," Vahekoh said to them. Livius looked like they might say something, maybe offer to go with, but Vahekoh said, "I'm okay. I'll be back." She gathered her coat and her things, getting out her journal as she gathered her things to her. She thought she understood what was going on, but she would go over her journal to be sure she understood Ilaren's gift and how important it was to her.

With her journal in her hand, she held the big door of the bar and inn open for Lethe, Thunder Priestess of the Tappers, and together they went out into the Zi'da cold.

Notes-
Sorry this took so long. It turned out to be more intricate than I thought, with more going on in the background that I thought there would be.

I spoke to Pig Boy about writing a thread about Ilaren's gift, and he said that was good with him, so I will link that thread when I've got it. Generally though, llaren's gift is a season's worth of drinks at good quality. It is worth 4 WP and I'll deduct the WP for the gift. I'll deduct WP for the bottles of brew to have been stored at the Stone Cauldron by Stone Talon, too. I'll let Pig Boy determine how much storing the bottles was.

Stone Talon is a Rharne NPC. Vila and Livius are flavor NPCs.

Lethe is also a flavor NPC, as directed by Pig Boy.

Lastly, Vahekoh's writings are here. Merry Ziellmas!

[Winston]

The Gift of Walking on Sunshine

51st of Zi'da

The boots were a masterpiece of practical alchemy. The diminutive inventor had started with a well-crafted pair of knee-high leather boots, then carefully infused them with properties to make them both functional and comfortable. The hydrophobic coating would keep them dry, while the self-mending properties would ensure they lasted through even the toughest conditions.

"Dere yuh goh..." the ferret muttered to himself as he put the finishing touches on the boots. The Cadouri had been working on them since that muddy day at the Westwind Mudflats when Hannah's boots had been ruined. He'd made careful note of the size and style she preferred, ensuring these would be a perfect fit while maintaining the professional appearance a bodyguard needed.

The tiny alchemist smiled as he wrapped the boots carefully in brown paper, tying them with a simple twine bow. He attached a small tag that read:

To Hannah,
Because sometimes even bodyguards need someone watching their back (or in this case, their feet).
Happy Zi'da!
- Winston

"You know, most people just give candy or trinkets for Zi'da."

"Ah, bot dese boots will keep 'er feet dry an' warm far cycles tuh come!" the ferret replied cheerfully. "Besides, yuh saw 'ow upset she was when 'er boots got ruined en de mud. Dis es perfect!"

The diminutive inventor focused his energy, drawing upon Saoire's blessing. A shimmering portal materialized before him, its edges dancing with gentle light. Through its surface, he could see Hannah's usual post near Tristan's residence - currently empty. Perfect timing.

The Cadouri slipped through the portal silently, placing the wrapped package carefully beside her post. As he straightened up, he caught movement in his peripheral vision. Hannah was returning from her patrol. Their eyes met briefly across the courtyard, and the ferret offered a small wave and warm smile before the portal's magic pulled him back.

As the portal closed, there was a slight shimmer in the air beside the package. The ferret paused, whiskers twitching as he spotted a spirit materializing beside the gift. The spirit seemed momentarily startled at being noticed, but then (to Winston's shock) simply snatched up the carefully wrapped boots and vanished.

"...well... dat's new." The diminutive inventor managed, blinking in surprise. He might have investigated further, but the portal's magic had already begun pulling him back to his workshop.



62nd of Zi'da

The next few trials saw the diminutive inventor making inquiries around Rharne. His conversations with the Lightning Knights and local merchants revealed a disturbing pattern - Zi'da gifts had been disappearing all across the city. Some blamed common thieves, others suggested more supernatural causes.

"This isn't just ordinary theft," Joe observed, floating beside his companion as they left the Lightning Knights' headquarters. "Someone's trying to ruin the holiday."

It felt like an assault on Saoire's domain itself. The Cadouri nodded slowly, his initial dismay giving way to determination. "Me saw dat spirit take de boots meself. Bot why? And why jost Zi'da gifts?"

As he pondered the mystery, the tiny inventor couldn't help but feel that this Zi'da was going to be more eventful than usual. But that was okay - solving mysteries was just another kind of invention, after all. And if someone was trying to steal the joy from the gifting holiday season... well, they clearly hadn't counted on a determined ferret getting involved.

"Don't worry Joe," he assured his spectral friend with a confident smile. "We'll get tuh de bottom af dis. Afta all, wat's Zi'da widdout a few surprises?" With that, he set out to find out more. The spirit involved was surely a result of a domain of some kind following the need to... steal? Disappoint? Sadness? Whatever it was, if the spirit in question was not hanging around, it was not enjoying the domain it inspired... so it had to be something about the act itself? He starting asking questions and searching for other instances or witnesses.

All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy