As the Winter season settles in Midlantia, the Heroes of Avalon celebrate Yule. They had a lot to celebrate, from winning the war to those to were feld in battle. 

The gathering started like any other Yule, the heroes coming into the proper, greeting their fellow friends and family with hugs and gifts to be exchanged but like any other gathering for the heroes there is always something lurking in the darkness. This time it was the unseelie Fae beings known as the Red Caps. They too wanted to celebrate Yule. But these Fae are not like the Fae the Avalon gets along with, no, not by a long shot. Most unseelie Fae, especially Red Caps love reveling in chaos and destruction. They get their name from soaking their caps in the blood of their enemies and victims. They are not nice to say the least. 

Throughout Friday night and during the Saturday these mischievous Fae would pop out of their portals and attack and scream about their Yule tree. There had been rumors prior to the gathering the Red Caps were going to bring forth their Yule Elemental to celebrate in yuletime. There was even a living tree creature that was not Darkwood in nature just shuffling around eating people and disintegrating necromancers. That was something that the heroes had never heard of before which was already strange to begin with. 

During a mission that had been a ruse a group of Dalesmes had dispatched said living tree thing and that alone set off the Red Caps. They screamed and raged that their king would be “so mad at them”. “You Dale people are going to pay! This is war!” So, by defending their own people the Dale started a war with the Red Caps. 

The Red Caps didn’t bother the heroes Saturday night, probably to formulate some kind of plan. Being creatures of chaos they weren’t really big on actual plans. But it did give Avalon time to have merriment and part take in the long standing tradition of the Elevations ceremony. It’s a time where the Noble body stands before the host and calls up those who have exceeded expectations and are bestowed the honor of starting their gentry or chivalry careers either becoming a Lord or Lady from being a Seneschal or becoming a Squire to a Knight. This year’s elevations were very Nobility focused. Seneschal Ven of Islewatch  became Than (Lord/Lady) of Islewatch, Seneschal Donovan of the Dale became Lord Donovan of the Dale, and Lord Finn of Medici became Baron Finn of Medici and Sir Venkrick Ducal Knight of Avalon became Lord Chancellor of Avalon. The biggest surprise was Countess Silverpool, during her speeches of elevation, said “Stewardess of Avalon” which means she is now the stand-in for Dutchess Doomwalker in her absence. It was definitely something to celebrate along with all of the well earned promotions. 

After the elevations, merchants and guards of Nymidia rolled in to sell off items of interest that had been locked away in a vault deep inside Nymidia. Lots of interesting items there. 

Sunday came and a Red Cap popped out of a Fae gate and screamed “it’s time for war!! Let’s go Avalon! War time! War time! Follow me! War time!” The fae caught the town so off guard they were stunned. Some hadn’t even finished breakfast yet.

To get Avalon rallied and moving, Squire Wolfclaw barked a command to move and the heroes fell in behind her. She gestured to the Red Cap to lead the way and off they went. 

Once they arrived they were met by the Red Cap king who did nothing but yell and scream about how he had to get a new tree because the Avalonians killed the one he already had, then he disappeared. The area was split in two and Red Caps were cackling from each direction. The host was split in two and each side went to their respective fights. The fights were tough but manageable as a smaller group went to investigate another area where they found the Yule Elemental the fae had been boasting about. It was a large tree covered in ornaments and glitter. Not exactly foreboding, but definitely obnoxious since it was being protected by more Red Caps. The small group engaged with the enemy while the rest of the host started filtering in after their fights.  The king would occasionally pop in and out of the fights, and every time he did he was met by the force of Avalon and then disappeared again. 

But Avalon didn’t give up. They fought until the King was dead and the tree was chopped down. The remaining Red Caps fled the battle and Avalon could finally catch their breath. Or so they thought as loud pops and bangs ran all around them and plumes of glitter showered them. The collective groan was deafening, cause there is nothing worse than trying to clean glitter off of your gear, not even blood. At least the fae was dealt with for now. Under the direction of the Squire, the host made their way back to the Five Lions Inn.

What could await the heroes next moon in the new year?