Winter Faire

[voidtreckermods]

”Shortly arriving in World#5562102022. The dressing carriage is open for your convenience.” The announcement might be unexpected so late in the month, but soon enough further information arrives on their SCA’s.

World#5562102022: Home of the famous Winter Faire. Voidtreckers may spend the evening here. Please remember your Snowcoins. Enjoy.

The dressing carriage is open for characters to choose from an array of winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves. There are also ice skates in a variety of sizes and shapes, suitable for all passengers.

THE PLAZA

The Express comes to rest in a station roofed by sheets of ice. Streamers of light run up and along the arches overhead, sending flashes of colour through the structure at intervals. A wooden path leads through stands of sparkling trees to the faire proper.

The faire is a large one, mostly made up of a large market of wooden huts. The market is held outside; while it's dark when they arrive, there are floating lights twinkling in the darkness that illuminate the area. There is snow on the ground and a light flurry in the air, the perfect amount of snow to be atmospheric without anyone being too damp or cold.

There are both ice paths and ordinary wooden paths through the market. In the centre of the market there is a large ferris wheel, where guests can sit in glass bubbles filled with soft cushions and blankets as they view the snowy market from above.

THE ICE RINK

There are two large ice rinks, and ice paths weave through the market, with many of the eateries having 'ice gardens' where skaters can rest and drink before continuing their skating. Wooden railings run through the middle of the ice paths, both to form two one-way lanes, and to give new or wobbly skaters something to hold onto. 

There are benches at the entrance to the large ice rinks for people to change into their ice skates and cubbies for them to store their shoes; the ice paths connect to both rinks. There are also skate aids for those that need them, carved wooden animals to hold onto and push along the ice for balance. An animal that looks like a furred penguin dominates.

THE SLEDDING SLOPE

To the north of the market, there is a snowy field with a hill perfect for sledging, and sleds to borrow for any who want them. 

The whole field is deep with snow, with a well trodden path leading up the hill and sledding tracks leading down. To the side of the slope are snowpeople and snow animals, some better built than others, and plenty of snow to add to this collection.

THE WOODLAND ENCLOSURES

To the south there is a small woodland where a member of staff will allow guests through with warnings to be peaceful and not disturb the creatures. 

The trees are bare of leaves and white with snow, some with frost forming crystal snowflakes on the branches. There are indeed woodland creatures within the woodlands: deer, rabbits, strange white pompom-looking creatures. They are comfortable with people, and won't flee.

THE FERRIS WHEEL

In the centre of the market there is a large ferris wheel allowing guests to sit in glass bubbles filled with soft cushions and blankets as they view the snowy market from above. The ferris wheel moves slowly, allowing plenty of time to take in the view and enjoy the company, the soft seating, or both.

Bubbles can fit up to 6 people, though the attendants will allow groups from single guests up to six. The glass can be made one-way, so that guests cannot be viewed from outside.

THE MARKET

All the activities in the faire are free.  Everything in the market, from a mug of beer to a blown glass ornament costs one snowcoin, the snowflake tokens that passengers received on station day. Each passenger has ten to spend.

FOOD STALLS

The actual market sells drinks: hot chocolate, mulled wine, beer, spiced apple juice and cider amongst some more alien picks like a bright pink concoction that is delicious but very alcoholic; food: sausages, bread, cakes, roasted chestnuts, candied nuts, stroopwafel and a whole collection of unrecognisable but delicious things.

All are available to take out, though many of them also have a bar area where shoppers can sit, drink and people watch.

SHOPPING

The stalls don't sell much that would be considered useful, but are filled with trinkets, decorations, cute hats and other clothing, sweets, glassware, jewellery, toys… and much much more.

After a good few hours in the market, things are beginning to wind down and stalls start to close. The Voidtreckers will receive a message on their SCA telling them it is time to return to the Express. Once all passengers are on board the train will leave the ice-covered station and return back to the Void.

Comments

[10billionpercent]

"Sounds kind of unpleasant. I know our stollen is meant to work that way, but it's pretty tasty, it's just meant to supplement whatever else we can get when we're on our ship. Otherwise we eat a lot of fish."

[pleple]

"The population of space is large, and the... faction that I was a part of did not possess a great deal of agriculture." Fish would be nice.

[10billionpercent]

"I could see the problem inherent with that. What is in these nutrition bars?"

[pleple]

"Lots of legumes, and genetically modified wheat."

[10billionpercent]

"Ah, somewhere, someone has agriculture." Senku observed. "Sounds kind of bland. Then again, sometimes we're all sick of fish too. It's a matter of perspective."

[pleple]

"Of course, our society was quite stratified so there was good food for those of the proper means..." Which, she thought, was one of its flaws relative to its stated cause.

[10billionpercent]

"A flaw in human nature not to take care of those in a capitalist society who don't have the means to do so." Senku hummed.

"There was, at the time of petrification, concerns regarding the planet's ability to feed the population. The solutions were coming, albeit slowly, but they're also costly and the people didn't have the capital. It's all rather political in the end." That was a lot less in his wheelhouse too.

[pleple]

"Tch. Even worse when it's just two different flavors acting like they're better than the other one." Her side might have sucked, but so did their enemies.

[10billionpercent]

"Ha." Senku huffed lightly. "There were 195 sovereign states in the world at the time of petrification." He quirked a smile.

"Politics isn't my area of expertise, that's more of a soft science. It just annoys me because things to me are self-evident and people ignore that."

[pleple]

"There was a unified Earth Federation in my time, but... it's difficult to say that that many people could be truly unified." More like a giant pile of rich people arguing at each other meaninglessly. "Many people are manipulated."

[10billionpercent]

"That's true enough. The Kingdom of Science is unified, but we haven't always been. Even with so few people, conflict was inevitable."

[pleple]

"Hopefully you can make some of that conflict productive."