EVENT: Reign of the Ice Queen

[specialist_snowflake]

WHO: Winter Schnee, OPEN
WHAT: EVENT - Reign of the Ice Queen begins! See the loose outline for a general idea of when the events take place. You're welcome to make threads here or individual posts to the network.
WHEN: January 14th - 31st (tentative; may end sooner depending on character actions)
WHERE: Fayren
NOTES: Original event post is here for more event details. Don't forget to add your character tags if you join in!


14th - Heavy storm sets in Fayren, castle shrouded in ice, several houses completely frozen. Replacement family/hostages/servants/knights are turned forcefully when they go to the castle from the 14th - 19th (Qrow - Brother, 47 - Father, Hamusuke - Royal Pet, Link/Enno/Lucky - Knights, Winry - Handmaiden)
15th - Guards move throughout Fayren demanding fealty to the Ice Queen. Mirajane refuses, frozen into a statue, brought to the castle.
16th - Mavis goes to the castle to investigate. Returns ~just fine you guys~ also she thinks they should accept the benevolent rule of the good queen.
17th - Spock goes to investigate, worried about Winter's silence. He's captured and taken prisoner, which he accepts once he discovers that Winter is the ice queen. He gets a message out about what's going on. Dray goes to plead with Winter, becomes a statue.
18-19th - Team A plans to sneak in and rescue hostages. Koishi says she can get them in. They're just in time for the royal wedding!
20th - GRAND WEDDING - Team A goes for the attack, but things go terribly wrong and Cloud is turned against them. Team A has the choice of being captured, frozen as statues, or barely escaping.
21st - Winter makes public proclamation as queen forbidding any Schnees from trespassing into Fayren, declares hopes to make a peaceful reign with the help of Guardian Mavis, all who swear fealty are welcome to enter; those who rebel will be arrested and imprisoned.
22nd-30th - Team B makes plans for a second strike.
31st - Final Showdown


Despite the weather predictions in the newspaper...predictions that were seldom ever wrong...the day was not met with sunshine and a smattering of clouds. The temperatures dropped severely, and a bitter wind swept through the towns. Sleet pelted the rooftops, then hail, driving people indoors.

Then a heavy blanket of snow began to drift down, sealing up the bald patches of grass, icing the streets, and piling up higher and faster than seemed wholly natural.

By noon, the whole of the realm was steeped in at least a foot of snow, if not more. It sloped against doorways, weighed heavily on rooftops, and lined buildings with toothy, shining icicles. To the shock of the few townspeople that dared to venture outdoors in the unbearable weather, they saw that the royal structure had been completely covered with a thick sheet of ice that sealed the drawbridge, the windows, even the arrow slits. Stranger still, the castle was completely silent. There were no sounds of soldiers, no captains barking out commands.

Investigating the castle uncovered some unsettling sights. A man near the back was frozen solid with a pick in his hands, undoubtedly attempting to break the ice that sealed the castle. Another person stood close by in the familiar robes of the Ivory Tower, fingers outstretched and mouth opened as if in the middle of an incantation to throw magic fire to melt the ice. It should have been clear to even the dimmest of dimwits that trying to break, thaw, or remove the ice around the castle in anyway carried dire consequences.

By evening, the troops began to move through town - creatures molded of snow and ice were by far the most numerous, but there were also ice trolls, enormous polar bears wearing elaborate platinum armor, even mischievous rime fae. All of them roamed the streets, particularly the bears and trolls that always moved in pairs, and seemed to be openly patrolling. Anyone who defied them were suddenly flash frozen on the spot by a bolt of blue light that stabbed down from the pearly gray skies, and carted away, seemingly back toward the castle, but none truly knew their final destination.

An undercurrent of fear began to spread through the town as more houses were frozen over -- no one could say whose house would be encased completely in ice, but those who fell victim knew the cause just before they were frozen solid.

No one was allowed to defy the new reign of the Ice Queen. No one was allowed to speak ill of her. Either they agreed to continue their lives under her rule, or they would be punished. And that was all there was to it.

Comments

14th

[specialist_snowflake]

[Responses and threads taking place on January 14th go here!]

Re: 14th (Did I do this right? lol)

[crapton_of_luck]

1:30 pm or so

Lucky had been spending the day exploring the parts of Genessia that he hadn't gotten to yet in the month or so since he'd been here, so he was out exploring Fayren, looking around at the frozen-over buildings a little worriedly. Especially once he got to the castle and saw everyone frozen over.

"What in the world...?" he muttered to himself as he ducked behind a tree and peeked out. Couldn't be too careful in case anything had happened, right?

And...

Jark Matter couldn't have found their way here could they?

Re: 14th

[superficially_busy]

At the start...
[Throughout Fayren, the newly upgraded security dolls, made from materials to resist snowstorms like the one not too long ago, sit in eternal silent vigil, ready to react to situations that call for swift capture.

However, as a new snowstorm struck, it was unprecedented. As the snow quickly built up on the dolls and freeze them over, they all attempt to stir from their slumber to get ready to retreat, but it was too late. Each security doll were not little blocks of ice. But what else is too late?

The Seven-coloured Puppeteer, responsible for the dolls, has already been alerted.]

Later that day...


[Regardless of how cold it was, the youkai magician was out and about, investigating on what happened to prompt her to cut the magic strings on every single security doll. Walking through the snow was no problem for her, as she merely just floated around as she made her way to any one of the dolls she crafted with her own hands, and she found one. A small indentation in the snow, a sign that something fell in, but was buried. She reached in and pulled out a doll encased in ice.

Her fiery gaze stayed on the doll for a long moment, her pride right there in her hand. Then, her gaze shifted towards the ominous castle that wasn't there earlier. A towering threat against not just her dolls, but the whole of Fayren she promised to protect since Guardian Satori.

And if there's one thing a youkai like Alice does, it's keep her promises. Whoever is responsible for all of this will now be very closely watched.]

14th, Morning

[enchantressofore]

Perhaps it was a stroke of bad luck, or it was something telling her that this particular day was the day to be there. Coincidence or not, it led a small red-headed woman through Genessia's gate to Fayren, with the original intent to seek out the blacksmith and to speak with them.

The biting cold was the first thing she noticed even through her current state of dress. It was snowing a great deal, making it difficult to see, but there was something pretty about it as well. It was miles above the sudden three feet of snowfall she had experienced two winters before, and before she knew it she was exploring, seeing what Fayren was like while it was still relatively easy to traverse.

It was not long before her feet brought her near the castle, and with wonder she drew close. A sculpture of pure ice, the size of a true royal castle, truly the sight was one to behold! Adela found her breath stolen away by its beauty, her artist's heart giving her warmth that the surrounding area did not. It felt like she could stare forever, simply taking everything in... But, the cold nipping at what exposed skin she had said otherwise.

Adela couldn't stop herself from shivering, sighing to herself as she found she had to start trying to walk away. The silence winter brought was almost too serene, and as much as she enjoyed it, it was time to return home. Or at least to the smithy to see what their forge was like.

Perhaps it was that she was too mystified with the castle to notice the frozen statues of people, or even if anyone was drawing near. Regardless, the red head failed to perceive anyone near her for the time being and instead tried to continue on her way, unaware that fate had other plans for her that day.

Re: 14th

[younghero]

What...was going on here?

Link stared at the frozen castle, mouth slightly agape. "What happened to this place?" He glanced at Navi, hoping she had some idea of what had happened to the castle.

Srry about the lateness. Have your entertainer.

[koishi_komeiji]

It was the first time in a very long time that Koishi had felt this cold. The wind and temperature reminded her of the mountains of home. But this also felt unnatural. And so, more curious than anything, she set out to explore the source.

---

"Huh..." She certainly didn't remember so much ice covering the castle. It had to be the source, right? Well, only one way to find out!

And with that the little youkai would find a window and begin exploring. She wouldn't be noticed at first, but no doubt that would change eventually.

Re: 14th

[brbgettingwrench]

Winry had no idea what to expect before she found herself in Fayren which only started as having to get the parts she requested for the forge and promptly had the young woman wondering just what was going on as she stared up at the castle, confused as to how that was covered in ice pretty much overnight.

"That's... a big change." She said mostly to herself as she looked around her, in all honesty, the big change was in general, a lot of this city seemed to have changed and it made the young woman curious enough to explore, even if it means accidentally wandering into places she really shouldn't be.

15th

[specialist_snowflake]

By now the clouds had cleared, but the temperatures were still bone-chillingly low...enough to keep the glittering landscape of snow firmly settled where it was. The castle remained as silent as ever with no calls of distress coming from the frozen castle. An enormous golem, crafted of snow and studded with chunks of ice, roamed protectively around the castle and growled menacingly to scare off potential intruders.

Pairs of trolls, polar bears, and stern-faced unsmiling human soldiers went from door to door, unfurling a scroll and reading the same proclamation:

"The realm of Fayren is now under the protection and guidance of her royal majesty, The Ice Queen. Those who swear fealty to her will see prosperity, peace, and fewer taxes. Declare your obedience, and we shall depart counting you and your family as loyal servants. Defy her reign and you will be punished for treason."

Most cared little about who sat on the throne, and at the offer of lowered taxes, were easily persuaded. But those who refused were either frozen on the spot, or taken away to the castle where they were never heard from again.

Re: 15th

[bornunlucky]

Qrow had decided to investigate when talk reached him of an unusual cold spell in Fayren, followed by the appearance of strange ice creatures apparently patrolling the streets.

He arrived the next morning fresh and early, ready to get to the ground of this thing, and well, he better track down Winter since she was bound to be right in the middle of fighting this new threat. Yet before he could even start to find her he came across a pair of trolls wielding a scroll.

Qrow followed them, careful to keep out of sight. This would be easier as a bird, but it really was too cold and he still had bad memories of flying through Fayren's blizzard.

The trolls knocked on the door and read their exclamation. Qrow's brows rose up in surprise. What the...?

He never got a chance to marvel properly as the house owner spat at the troll's feet and exclaimed, "there's only one Queen I bow to, and it's not your Ice Queen!"

He rushed forward, placing himself between the man and the first blow. "I think not," he barely got to say before the battle was on - and far too quickly over, as he found himself frozen before he could even put up a fight, to be carted away to the castle and presented to the Ice Queen as another vanquished foe.

[kalmaleader]

Well. As if the unpredicted ice storm wasn't strange enough, seeing the legions of ice creatures was enough to rouse Qubine's suspicion. Even more suspicious were the guards going door to door demanding people to swear fealty to this "Ice Queen." While Qubine hasn't met the royal family of Fayren, he knows they've been in power for longer than he's been here, and they've never done that.

As he's patrolling the streets of Fayren, he'll cautiously follow the soldiers and whatever ice beasts they have with them. As long as they showed no hostility towards them, he'll try being civil...for now, at least.

"What's going on here?"

16th

[specialist_snowflake]

[xlvii]

When 47 comes to investigate what's going on in Fayren, he knows better than to barge in and announce his presence under light of day. From what he's heard, that's how several people disappeared. So instead he's here just after midnight, dressed to blend in with the snow as much as possible and taking care to only tread in already disturbed snow to minimize his tracks.

As he approaches the castle in near silence, he can't help remember what happened the last time he looked into something like this -- and he won't even get paid for it this time. But as much as most of him wants to consider it someone else's problem, some other small part just won't let it be. Perhaps it's out of boredom more than anything else.

17th

[specialist_snowflake]

YOUR PRINCE HAS ARRIVED

[vulcanyounot]

Spock hadn't really concerned himself much with Fayren until he started seeing someone from there. Now, though, he keeps an ear out for any strange going-ons - well, stranger than normal. Fayren was a weird place to begin with. He isn't concerned when he hears of a big storm rolling in, knowing full well that Winter didn't mind the cold. He isn't even concerned when he doesn't hear from her for a day after. It's when she misses a pre-arranged dinner that sets off alarm bells in his head. Being late without a word would have been alarming enough for her, but missing it entirely? Something is clearly wrong. Sure, the possibility exists that she simply forgot; they don't usually meet-up midweek, after all, but he severely doubts that's the case. Besides, he's heard word that a few people have gone missing at this point and he'd be lying if he claimed that he wasn't worried for her well-being. He'd tried calling her, but he hadn't received an answer, so he's elected to go over to her place instead, just in case.

He's immediately aware that he underestimated the ferocity of the storm plaguing the city. It's like the blizzard all over again, something rather unappealing. Still, he pushes through, heading towards Winter's house, unaware of the things to come in the next few days.

21st?

[thedaddyissue]

It took Jacques a few days to hear the rumors about his daughter, but he's certain that's all that they are: rumors. That is, until she declares that the Schnee family is no longer welcome in Fayren. Honestly, he couldn't care less about Fayren, but by denouncing them like that she's hurting his image.

It does strike him as odd, though; she and Weiss usually got along just fine, and he doesn't think he'd heard of a quarrel between her and Whitley as of late. Refusing his entrance is once thing, but the others? That just doesn't add up.

Either way, he's made his way over to Fayren to try to talk some sense into her, find out what's really going on, and really just yell at her (nicely!) to stop this foolishness at once.

What he isn't aware of is the fact that he's only received half the memo: he has no clue that she's taken over everything, is being controlled in anyway, or the deadly consequences that could await him. He'd left as soon as he heard that she was speaking out against the Schnee name.

As he storms up to the castle, he has no idea just how volatile she's become.

[specialist_snowflake]

The drawbridge was laid flat. It also didn't rise to deny him entrance. It might almost seem as if he were being welcomed to the castle of ice, if not for the two troll guards with spears. Their weapons crossed, barring the way forward. "Halt!" the larger one snorted. "State your business, shorty!"

The other troll grinned, exposing a mouth full of crooked yellow teeth. Ha, 'shorty'! Brutus was the most hilarious of all troll guards!

20th - WEDDING DAY

[specialist_snowflake]

A TEAM - Distraction (Captain Kirk, Alice Margatroid, Alessia, Qubine)

[specialist_snowflake]

[The drawbridge is up and frozen over, much as it usually is. However, as Kirk and his team approaches, they'll find that extra fortification has been added to keep the castle secure.]

[That extra fortification is a thirty-foot snow golem which comes stomping toward them, mace-like arms swinging heavy and loose next to its churning hips of shifting snow. Eyes blaze an unnatural blue as its cavernous mouth yawns open in a roar. They've got about six seconds to bash down that door like they planned before the golem reaches them.]

[But that's not all. Running across the hills with a chorus of mini-roars are a wave of two-foot mini-snow-golems. With their stumpy legs, they won't be there until the round after the next, but once they do, they're going to be trouble.]

B TEAM - Stealth (Cloud Strife, Gynoid Support Unit 24, Setsuna, 10th Doctor, Jack Harkness, Rose)

[specialist_snowflake]

[After the false stealth team leads away the majority of the guards, it shouldn't be too difficult to take out the sparse few that remain and sneak into the castle. The wedding reception music is playing in the grand ballroom, all one has to do is follow their ears. Guards will rush forward to stop them, but with the martial might of this team, they really don't stand much of a chance against the intruders.]

[Within the ballroom, a smiling old man stands at the pulpit, shivering from the cold, but officiating with all the dignity and grace of his position.]

[Spock is standing there, obviously against his will since an armored guard at his side has a firm grip on his shoulder. And standing beside her groom is the proud bride, ice shining in her hair like tiny white and blue diamonds. She's clothed all in white, holding a bouquet of white roses in her hands, her scepter tucked under her arm.]

C TEAM - Fake Stealth Team (Tsukasa Kadoya, Ted Satchel, Sync, Smoker)

[specialist_snowflake]

[The back gate of the castle is almost stuffed with guards, all of which are ignoring the two frozen people that had foolishly attempted to dispel the ice the day the Ice Queen took the throne. Upon spotting the approaching team, a pair of ice trolls strides forward, thumping the head of their heavy cudgels into their meaty palms.]

We've been waitin' for ya. Thought you could sneak inside, eh?

[The troll snorts and shakes his head of bushy hair.]

Bah! That means we got stuck with the weaklings if you didn't even want a fight. Crush 'em into paste, guards!

[The pair lumbers forward, steadily picking up speed as they prepare to swing their weapons at the intruders. Some of the guards are hanging back and ratcheting their crossbows with wicked-looking barbed bolts.]

21st

[robodorable]

Inside the castle's prison.

[robodorable]

[Gynoid Support Unit 24 recovered from unconsciousness with a start. Needless to say, she wasn't in the best of states - several cuts that had only mostly clotted over in the cold, and her gloved hands bound in manacles of ice. Actually, ice was covering many of the clothed parts of her body to keep her from moving.

Clearly, they'd paid attention to her at least a little while she cast that Break Enchantment. Which... Oh Uloa, had Setsuna at least gotten out of there? Her being here obviously meant the operation had gone south, but soon after she'd got the cast off, she had been forced into combat with that helmeted knight, and... Obviously, she'd lost. Pretty badly, at that. While S24 liked to have some self-esteem about her combat skills - even if they were yanked from the remnant - she knew there was always going to be a bigger fish in the sea, and that knight had some sort of trick for moving metal.

That left trying to figure out her way out of this situation. Obviously, they'd taken her sword and shield, but they'd left the cloak - thank the Empire, it was probably the only thing keeping the cold from freezing her to more severe injuries. But just as importantly - thank that they didn't know that it held some supplies! She'd just need to get loose enough to use them before someone showed up.]

22nd

[fairysoul]

Mavis arrives at the Castle after night fall. She's wearing boots because of the abnormally cold weather and as a cape wrapped around her small frame on top of her usual outfit.

When she's stopped by the guards at the front door, she does not look impressed and states calmly.

"I'm Guardian Mavis Vermillion and I request an audience with the Queen."

And she won't take no for an answer.

21st-Day before the event's end

[enchantressofore]

A. On Duty
What a long and tiring process. Adela, having already attended to one of the prisoners, continued to keep herself busy within the castle walls. There were times when she was keeping watch over other prisoners, and times where she would engage with others of the castle for whatever reason. It was a privilege to meet with the Queen's family personally, but that was only if she was fortunate. Depending on who she met, the reception would either be very warm or very cold.

B. Training
In the meantime, when not on duty, she kept herself busy training in what available space there was. Her sword flew almost effortlessly against phantom foes, presumably meeting blades with no effort. In other cases it was her magic, changing the shape of metal with unprecedented fluidity. But, in the back of her mind, there was something missing from all of it. Almost as if it was so familiar, but with one thing different about it. But how could it be different if it was all she knew?

C. Off Duty
There were times when she was also lethargic, either in her quarters or otherwise simply wandering when she wasn't on duty. Her mind continued to try and entertain thoughts that weren't there, see faces that didn't exist, and visit feelings she could not grasp. It was simpler when she could be mindless and delve into something she loved to do, but the feeling that there was something missing in her life remained. What could be missing when she was in service to such a wonderful monarch, she didn't know. She didn't need to know. It was what her heart wished for, after all.

D. Wild Card
Perhaps it was none of the previous instances that caught the eye of another, but simply a different venture entirely. Whatever it was, it would be Adela who was involved, but who else and what for?

B

[robodorable]

[Maybe a day or two after Adela had gotten to enjoy seeing an enemy of the crown become the loyal agent of the crown she was meant to be, she found that same figure stepping into the training hall.]

Ah. Good evening. Would you care to train with this unit?