the kids'll blow dandelion fuzz

[eviscerates]

WHO: The Righteous Snow Teams & anyone who wants to watch (and laugh, and judge.)
WHAT: A GIANT SNOW FIGHT.
WHEN: 13th July or whatever the IC equivalent is.
WHERE: In the valley near Skyhold.
NOTES: ooc post 1 and also ooc post 2. The snow fight itself is closed to those that signed up, but the observation/chilling afterwards stuff is open. No warnings to add here, please put any that come up in the subject lines!

Also we have room for one more last minute sign up!

Wrap up warm! It probably goes without saying that certain medical personnel will be less than sympathetic to those who come to them with colds after this.

The valley near Skyhold has never really completely defrosted, given how high up they are in the Frostbacks, and Adelaide's students have found themselves working with an environment very receptive to the reintroduction of cold, even in the summer months.

The battle field is impressive. Each of the six teams has their own fortress, forming a rough circle on a thick blanket of snow. Each fort has one flag flapping over all others, the only one each has that cannot be stolen (or, at least, would be very challenging.) Their other seven flags are considerably smaller, and where they are depends entirely on how the team opts to defend them. The vast majority of the snow is white, but there are generous patches within and around each fort that matches that Team Fort's colour. Each fort is a little different, but comes with a catapult build inside it, and scattered around the field are large snow drifts, some battering rams, and a trebuchet. (No trebearchet, sadly. We can always dream.)

Every team member is given a sash of their team colour, and a round wooden shield that is so padded that hurting someone with it would actually be quite an accomplishment.

Far enough away to be spared the fighting, but not to entirely escape the chill that has been renewed in the valley, are some benches. There is warm cider and some food being served, and people are welcome to come and watch (and laugh, and judge) and/or hang out with the noble warriors once the fight has wound down.



Recap of OOC & IC Info;

ADELAIDE	BLACKWALL	CASSANDRA	MERRILL	NORRINGTON	OBI-WAN
violet	apricot	seafoam	raspberry	goldenrod	periwinkle
Andra	Zevran	Eirlys	Sabine	Sadira	Vasran
Alistair	Samouel	Church	Ruby	Clarke	Anders
Cosima	Rydia	Korrin	Martel	Mal	Aleron
Daenerys	Cullen	Sherlock	Ciri	Hermione	Ingrid
Bellamy	Kas	Aveline	Bruce	Taashath	Katniss
Pel	Ellana	Velanna	Lexa	Cyril	Merrick
Anakin	Jeannot	Emma	-	Val	Kirk

Plus Teren as a wildcard and liferiner. No other wildcards on the field!

IC-ish RULES AND STUFF.
1. NO WEAPONS, NO MAGIC.
Assume there is unlimited snow - some dyed to match team colours - so there are snowballs galore! Every person also gets an extremely well padded round shield as a chance to defend themselves. Don't use the shield as a weapon, pls and ty.

2. FLAAAAGS.
Each team gets seven flags that match their team colour. The IC goal is to capture as many flags as you can, but OOCly this is flexible and timey wimey and you don't need to worry about keeping track of flags bc who has time for that?

3. NO VIOLENCE.
Or, more accurately, no going out there to hurt people - it is a snow fight and there is siege equipment, let's not kid ourselves. That said; no tackling anyone smoller than you. If you hurt someone, apologise and don't be an ass. Don't make an NPC referee come after you.

4. BASICALLY JUST HAVE FUN.
Characters can't be eliminated unless they're being a big jerk, but no one wants that to happen because friendship is magic, or something. If it's fun and its awesome then odds are it's totally fine, unless it'd put a character in danger.


There will be an IC prize for winning, which will be ICly due to happen after Orlais since that opens up so soon after the snow fight.

A quick recap on how the winners will be determined OOCly - in three weeks time I will do a tally of points based on comment count and tagging around done per team. Three weeks will hopefully allow everyone a chance to dive in even if unexpected RL things happen, as they are wont to do, and not put on too much pressure with the Orlais plots opening up.


How to get points:
1. Open starters! Every team will get 2 points per team member that posts an open starter.

2. Tag around! Every team will get 2 points every time a team member tags a new person. (If character A tags characters B, C & D they will get 6 points total for tagging around - three different threads with character A and character B would still only result in 2 points.)

3. Keep threads going, hop around and have fun! Every comment by a team member will be worth 1 point. (Multi-comment responses ie. one tag split over two or more comments will still only count for 1 point.)

4. Be hilarious, do something awesome, idk persuade me that something is worth an extra point. NO SERIOUSLY, TELL ME I love excuses to reward people for puns and/or being absurd.

5. IC rule breaking may result in points being taken away because how rude.

Comments

[pinprick]

[Nathaniel smiles broadly.]

I think he smells Lady.

[He lifts up the edge of his blanket to show a puppy resting against his folded legs. She looks up and starts thumping her tail against the ground. Actually, on further inspection, she does not look like a puppy at all. Her musculature and bone structure is adult. Adult mabari, to be specific. She tentatively cranes her neck out, sniffing at this new dog.]

[circleprodigy]

[The sight of a such a small mabari gets a soft, delighted noise from Inessa, even upon realizing it can't possible be a puppy.]

Oh! She's so small! Hello, Lady. Don't worry, he'll behave.

[Garahel sniffs back and gives her a gentle lick, nuzzling the smaller dog. He likely realizes she's not a puppy either, but he's just that friendly with everyone.]

[pinprick]

[Lady freezes completely, but does not pull away. Actually, she seems to enjoy the attention, but she is poised as if to flee at the slightest sign that this is to go sour. Nathaniel pats her rump to get her to relax.]

You're one of the new Wardens, I think? [Nathaniel gives her a nod.] I haven't been in the Warden camp much since you arrived, but I remember your face. I'm Senior Warden Nathaniel Howe.

[circleprodigy]

[Inessa wants to pet her, but Garahel is overwhelming enough and she doesn't want to stress out Lady further. So, she wait. Hopefully the miniature mabari will become used to them both in time. Her own mabari makes questioning noises, probably confused about the size of his new friend, but that doesn't make him any less affectionate, just mindful of his size. No crushing.

Her attention on Nathaniel, the young elf nods.]

That's right. Warden Inessa Serra, most recently from Griffon Wing Keep...and Weisshaupt, before that. I'm grateful to the aid provided, especially for the griffons' sake. That they're out of harm's way -relatively- is a great relief.

[pinprick]

Are you from Ferelden, or just lucky? [He nods to her mabari. His own tiny mabari shivers with happiness at making a new friend, and starts finally creeping out of her cubbyhole.]

[circleprodigy]

Oh, I'm Fereldan. [She smiles at Lady, glad to see the tiny mabari warming up to her dearest companion.] First from Denerim and then Kinloch Hold. When the Circles fell, I had to leave...both to find the Wardens and see a little more of the world.

[There's a slight ironic smile as now she's seen more of the Anderfels than she ever really wanted to, but that's beside the point.]

[pinprick]

[Nathaniel's warm demeanor cools a bit at her words. He's not offended, or prickling, exactly. He's considering the implication of her being originally from Denerim. And Kinloch Hold. She is surely too young for Anders to have known her, though, but she will never be too young or too old to have been victimized by the Howes in Denerim.

Sometime in the future, he might ask her if she left anyone behind in Denerim, and if she would like revenge on the Tevinter lords who hold her kin.]

How long have you been a Warden?

[circleprodigy]

[The shift in demeanor doesn't go unnoticed, leaving Inessa slightly puzzled as to the cause but still courteous. She's not likely to press the issue unless there's a need for it, instead focusing on Warden affairs.]

I've been a Warden for about a year and a half. Garahel, just a pup then, imprinted on me just after my Joining, so we've been together the entire time. [She smiles fondly at her large muscular bundle of nonsense.] It's odd, I thought being a Warden during a time outside a Blight would be relatively uneventful, if still necessary. However, the reality has been...quite different. [The smile turns slightly rueful, realizing now just how much she had to learn when fresh out of the Circle.]