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taxonmodsWelcome, citizens, to an extra early edition of State of the Taxon. Holidays are approaching, and with that comes shuffling about between homes and schools, end of term assignments, and mountains of IRL things to get done in general for both players and your loving moderators. So, we're getting this up early so you have more time to plan and communicate and prepare for what goes on in December. We've also got a little extra in the meme department, detailed below. Hopefully this helps, and don't ever think you're too late to participate; we keep the light on at SOTT for everyone. ♥
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...
For December, Taxon is staying in the Point Pleasant area. (Mostly because we forgot to poll and it's too late to go with a solid city-switch this late.) HOWEVER, you'll whether the weather whatever the weather with a catch: about every three days there will be a pretty powdering of good clean snow. It'll blow out of town and then fall again on a pretty set schedule and then not blow out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The snow will also come with a catch, but that's for another section.
In addition to the snowy outlook, Taxon is decked all over every hall. Wreathes, garland, and lights adorn all the Extra-run buildings, and if you'd like they can adorn character's homes and programmed possessions, too! Though we must warn you: some places might have things a little odd, like with tinsel around the toilets.
There's also a certain Extra that's been tasked with ringing a very important bell. Ostensibly for the purpose of receiving donations. He's not really sticking to the mall, though, so feel free to have your characters happen upon a bell-happy dude dressed like someone from the cast of A Christmas Carol at random locations around the city at any time of day and as often as you want to.
REMINDERS
→ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, go fill out your permissions meme if you haven't already! We need one from everyone, yes, even you.
→ Also, phone posts. Make 'em if you want 'em!
If all else fails or is just hard to find, remember to hit our link directory, featured right at the top of the mod journal.
FREEBIES
Tis' the season for caring, sharing, and shopping your buns off. Obviously, the aliens have learned their seasonal generosity well, since December is full of free items.
Behind fake-door number one is winter outerwear. Things like coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and galoshes that keep out the bitter winter cold are free for the taking. Underneath the Imaginary Number Two Tarp is an assortment of holiday decorations and supplies. From the secular Festivus to Baby Jesus and the festival of lights, things from indoor trees to tinsel to appropriately themed wrapping paper is there for the taking. Last but certainly not least are holiday treats. Cookies, milk, hot cocoa, candy canes and anything else you can think of will be free in the restaurants and from the hatches (and in some cases set out in nice 'TAKE ONE MERRY HOLIDAY' displays) until New Year's Day.
DECEMBER GLITCHES
After taking in everyone's super fantastic ideas (seriously, thank you guys so much for talking with us to figure this month out), here are your yuletide shenanigans:
→ MISTLETOE: So, everyone knows what happens under the mistletoe. Cozy kissin' and whatnot, right? Right!
Throughout Taxon this holiday season (straight up through New Year's!) doorways will be adorned with mistletoe. Sadly, this mistletoe comes with a few catches. First, this is au natural. Instead of being a decoration tacked to the wall, the aliens have made it so the mistletoe is actually growing right out of the building. It can't be torn down, but sometimes it will recede back into the shadows from whence it came. Second, it's stealthy. The mistletoe won't 'grow' until its chosen victim is already in place. Third, and you probably guessed this by now, being under the mistletoe will compel some sweet kissing either from the poor soul's nearest companion (be they lover or enemy) or a very friendly Extra. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SUPER ADULT KISSING, seriously. A peck of utmost chastity will do and all involved parties can be on their very merry way.
The totally optional fourth mistletoe twist is that characters, after they've kissed, will be in schmoopy cuddle-by-the-fire love for about fifteen minutes. Again, this part is entirely optional. If you just want the kiss without the cuddlin' then you are free to get it get it until the sun goes up or down depending on the time of day.
→ DECORATIONS: Wreathes, holly, garlands and bows and silver and gold. With decorations out in full force like this it's hard to resist the urge to glitch. (Okay I'll stop now. Seuss-hat officially off.)
A big part of the season is the music. This is why the aliens have decided to grace the citizens with some, directly into their brains! Coming in contact with come decorations will have the fun side-effect of HOLIDAY EARWORMS! Pick a song, any song. Even the Hanukkah decorations are in on the act. (Who doesn't love the Dreidel Song?) Some characters will sing along with the song inexplicably stuck in their head, some will just hum, and others will see fit to rage against the cheer in their ears.
→ CHRISTMAS TREE: It's trimmed, it's tall, it's ready to have presents stuffed beneath it. Taxon's Christmas tree is, of course, very special.
Some that venture too close to it's lighted branches will find themselves in an overwhelmingly gift-giving mood. That means presents. Lots of presents. Some for friends, some for people you hate, some for random Extras you've noticed more often than others. Or it could just be a boatload of presents addressed to a single person, whatever tickles your fancy. It's a gift-giving-palooza, and effected characters are the headlining attraction. At least, up until Christmas Day, at which point any over-generousness will cease entirely.
→ ALSO, SNOW: Okay, honestly, who doesn't love the snow? Not the uphill both ways back in my day kind, the powdery awesome snowball fight kind which, according to the weather update above, is gonna be plentiful.
Should some character manage to find themselves outside in the snow, they might feel a little tingling. Not a bad tingling associated with any number of medical diagnoses, but the one in their hearts that is also not an illness. It is the tingling of fun, and it's there to make sure they have a good time with some old fashioned fun. The snow glitch is essentially: characters go out in the snow and then, AS IF BY ALIEN MAGIC, they will find themselves having snowball fights, making snow angels, and constructing all manner of snow-people. We wouldn't suggest writing names in the snow, but hey, just keep it off the tablets.
All of these glitches begin on December 1st and continue through New Year's Eve (except for the Christmas tree, which will stop working on Christmas day) and will effect characters at COMPLETE RANDOM, which means you can totally avoid and participate in them as much or as little as you like.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TAXON
Yeah you read that right. Jolly Old St. Nicholas by way of alien mischief and the spirit of Christmas will be making a gift-giving stop right here in Taxon.
The deal is this: on December 12 we'll put up a planning post for Santa right here in the OOC community. This is where you'll tell us what kinds of presents you want him to bring your characters if you're of a mind to participate. Presents can be generally anything that would qualify for an item petition or even regular hatchable goodies, though we do ask that you keep it small. If it doesn't fit in Santa's bag, it ain't gonna happen. We'll also be using this post to figure out the details (do you guys want to throw a large gathering for him to show up at? do you want it to just be him showing up at everyone's homes? LET US KNOW THERE!) of how Santa's post will go down.
On the 19th, after we've had time to sort out presents and mod-duties, we'll put up a post for Father Christmas in the main community. Obviously, it's going to be forward dated to Christmas Eve so that everyone will have ample time to thread and have a jolly good time with Santa before we all disappear to whatever obligations we have with family, friends and general IRL holiday merriment. That post will be treated as a party thread, and characters can interact with Santa and receive their presents if you'd like to thread it out.
NEW YEAR’S EVE: BALLS EVERYWHERE
Okay no, not those kinds of balls. On New Year's Eve, way atop the Sanctuary, there will be a big glowy ball on a spire. The aliens are attempting a recreation of what goes on in Time's Square, but they've gotten a few things a little wrong in the implementation.
First, the ball looks kind of like a rugby ball. Or a football, maybe. Either way, it's not as perfectly round as one might expect. Secondly, it's going up instead of down as midnight approaches. What happens when it gets to the top, though, is a surprise.
What the characters do to celebrate is entirely up to you. Plan a big party, a ton of little ones, or go it alone: it's up to you. Sanctuary Square will be set up with free snacks and booze accordingly to accommodate characters that would like to hang out there, instead, but again, it's entirely up to you. If someone would like to take over putting up a block party in the square then you are completely welcome to do so. Whatever is most fun for y 'all is what we want to see.
LET’S DO THE MEME WARP AGAIN
In addition to the regular SOTT meme, we've got an additional catch-up section tacked on to help get everyone back on the same page after weeks of back-to-back glitchy chaos. Please use the additional fields provided to summarize what your characters did during the glitches, whether it be unaffected or otherwise. Also list what people would, in general, know about your characters coming off the glitch, along with what they wouldn't know. (For example, the general public would know that Stefan and Lexi were twin siblings during the Pleasantville glitch, but not that Stefan was in Damon's body during the bodyswap glitch.) Ask for clarification and question where you're unsure! No question is a wrong question. (Unless it's about being anti-glitter. How could anyone be anti-glitter?)
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...
For December, Taxon is staying in the Point Pleasant area. (Mostly because we forgot to poll and it's too late to go with a solid city-switch this late.) HOWEVER, you'll whether the weather whatever the weather with a catch: about every three days there will be a pretty powdering of good clean snow. It'll blow out of town and then fall again on a pretty set schedule and then not blow out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The snow will also come with a catch, but that's for another section.
In addition to the snowy outlook, Taxon is decked all over every hall. Wreathes, garland, and lights adorn all the Extra-run buildings, and if you'd like they can adorn character's homes and programmed possessions, too! Though we must warn you: some places might have things a little odd, like with tinsel around the toilets.
There's also a certain Extra that's been tasked with ringing a very important bell. Ostensibly for the purpose of receiving donations. He's not really sticking to the mall, though, so feel free to have your characters happen upon a bell-happy dude dressed like someone from the cast of A Christmas Carol at random locations around the city at any time of day and as often as you want to.
REMINDERS
→ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, go fill out your permissions meme if you haven't already! We need one from everyone, yes, even you.
→ Also, phone posts. Make 'em if you want 'em!
If all else fails or is just hard to find, remember to hit our link directory, featured right at the top of the mod journal.
FREEBIES
Tis' the season for caring, sharing, and shopping your buns off. Obviously, the aliens have learned their seasonal generosity well, since December is full of free items.
Behind fake-door number one is winter outerwear. Things like coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and galoshes that keep out the bitter winter cold are free for the taking. Underneath the Imaginary Number Two Tarp is an assortment of holiday decorations and supplies. From the secular Festivus to Baby Jesus and the festival of lights, things from indoor trees to tinsel to appropriately themed wrapping paper is there for the taking. Last but certainly not least are holiday treats. Cookies, milk, hot cocoa, candy canes and anything else you can think of will be free in the restaurants and from the hatches (and in some cases set out in nice 'TAKE ONE MERRY HOLIDAY' displays) until New Year's Day.
DECEMBER GLITCHES
After taking in everyone's super fantastic ideas (seriously, thank you guys so much for talking with us to figure this month out), here are your yuletide shenanigans:
→ MISTLETOE: So, everyone knows what happens under the mistletoe. Cozy kissin' and whatnot, right? Right!
Throughout Taxon this holiday season (straight up through New Year's!) doorways will be adorned with mistletoe. Sadly, this mistletoe comes with a few catches. First, this is au natural. Instead of being a decoration tacked to the wall, the aliens have made it so the mistletoe is actually growing right out of the building. It can't be torn down, but sometimes it will recede back into the shadows from whence it came. Second, it's stealthy. The mistletoe won't 'grow' until its chosen victim is already in place. Third, and you probably guessed this by now, being under the mistletoe will compel some sweet kissing either from the poor soul's nearest companion (be they lover or enemy) or a very friendly Extra. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SUPER ADULT KISSING, seriously. A peck of utmost chastity will do and all involved parties can be on their very merry way.
The totally optional fourth mistletoe twist is that characters, after they've kissed, will be in schmoopy cuddle-by-the-fire love for about fifteen minutes. Again, this part is entirely optional. If you just want the kiss without the cuddlin' then you are free to get it get it until the sun goes up or down depending on the time of day.
→ DECORATIONS: Wreathes, holly, garlands and bows and silver and gold. With decorations out in full force like this it's hard to resist the urge to glitch. (Okay I'll stop now. Seuss-hat officially off.)
A big part of the season is the music. This is why the aliens have decided to grace the citizens with some, directly into their brains! Coming in contact with come decorations will have the fun side-effect of HOLIDAY EARWORMS! Pick a song, any song. Even the Hanukkah decorations are in on the act. (Who doesn't love the Dreidel Song?) Some characters will sing along with the song inexplicably stuck in their head, some will just hum, and others will see fit to rage against the cheer in their ears.
→ CHRISTMAS TREE: It's trimmed, it's tall, it's ready to have presents stuffed beneath it. Taxon's Christmas tree is, of course, very special.
Some that venture too close to it's lighted branches will find themselves in an overwhelmingly gift-giving mood. That means presents. Lots of presents. Some for friends, some for people you hate, some for random Extras you've noticed more often than others. Or it could just be a boatload of presents addressed to a single person, whatever tickles your fancy. It's a gift-giving-palooza, and effected characters are the headlining attraction. At least, up until Christmas Day, at which point any over-generousness will cease entirely.
→ ALSO, SNOW: Okay, honestly, who doesn't love the snow? Not the uphill both ways back in my day kind, the powdery awesome snowball fight kind which, according to the weather update above, is gonna be plentiful.
Should some character manage to find themselves outside in the snow, they might feel a little tingling. Not a bad tingling associated with any number of medical diagnoses, but the one in their hearts that is also not an illness. It is the tingling of fun, and it's there to make sure they have a good time with some old fashioned fun. The snow glitch is essentially: characters go out in the snow and then, AS IF BY ALIEN MAGIC, they will find themselves having snowball fights, making snow angels, and constructing all manner of snow-people. We wouldn't suggest writing names in the snow, but hey, just keep it off the tablets.
All of these glitches begin on December 1st and continue through New Year's Eve (except for the Christmas tree, which will stop working on Christmas day) and will effect characters at COMPLETE RANDOM, which means you can totally avoid and participate in them as much or as little as you like.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TAXON
Yeah you read that right. Jolly Old St. Nicholas by way of alien mischief and the spirit of Christmas will be making a gift-giving stop right here in Taxon.
The deal is this: on December 12 we'll put up a planning post for Santa right here in the OOC community. This is where you'll tell us what kinds of presents you want him to bring your characters if you're of a mind to participate. Presents can be generally anything that would qualify for an item petition or even regular hatchable goodies, though we do ask that you keep it small. If it doesn't fit in Santa's bag, it ain't gonna happen. We'll also be using this post to figure out the details (do you guys want to throw a large gathering for him to show up at? do you want it to just be him showing up at everyone's homes? LET US KNOW THERE!) of how Santa's post will go down.
On the 19th, after we've had time to sort out presents and mod-duties, we'll put up a post for Father Christmas in the main community. Obviously, it's going to be forward dated to Christmas Eve so that everyone will have ample time to thread and have a jolly good time with Santa before we all disappear to whatever obligations we have with family, friends and general IRL holiday merriment. That post will be treated as a party thread, and characters can interact with Santa and receive their presents if you'd like to thread it out.
NEW YEAR’S EVE: BALLS EVERYWHERE
Okay no, not those kinds of balls. On New Year's Eve, way atop the Sanctuary, there will be a big glowy ball on a spire. The aliens are attempting a recreation of what goes on in Time's Square, but they've gotten a few things a little wrong in the implementation.
First, the ball looks kind of like a rugby ball. Or a football, maybe. Either way, it's not as perfectly round as one might expect. Secondly, it's going up instead of down as midnight approaches. What happens when it gets to the top, though, is a surprise.
What the characters do to celebrate is entirely up to you. Plan a big party, a ton of little ones, or go it alone: it's up to you. Sanctuary Square will be set up with free snacks and booze accordingly to accommodate characters that would like to hang out there, instead, but again, it's entirely up to you. If someone would like to take over putting up a block party in the square then you are completely welcome to do so. Whatever is most fun for y 'all is what we want to see.
LET’S DO THE MEME WARP AGAIN
In addition to the regular SOTT meme, we've got an additional catch-up section tacked on to help get everyone back on the same page after weeks of back-to-back glitchy chaos. Please use the additional fields provided to summarize what your characters did during the glitches, whether it be unaffected or otherwise. Also list what people would, in general, know about your characters coming off the glitch, along with what they wouldn't know. (For example, the general public would know that Stefan and Lexi were twin siblings during the Pleasantville glitch, but not that Stefan was in Damon's body during the bodyswap glitch.) Ask for clarification and question where you're unsure! No question is a wrong question. (Unless it's about being anti-glitter. How could anyone be anti-glitter?)