Published by: The Santae Team
A Wintery Chill Descends
Skylar shivered, pulling their collar closer around their neck as an icy breeze swept past. The weather was turning -- maybe it was time to cut this gathering expedition short!
As Skylar made their way back toward their campsite, the season seemed to change directly before their eyes. The day had started out chilly, but now it was frigid. The surrounding leaves and blades of grass grass grew delicate coatings of white frost. By the time Skylar got back to their tent snowflakes were swirling around, and their breath was forming puffs of steam in the cold air. The tops of the Celestial Peaks were visible on the horizon -- and they could see a veil of colored lights dancing in the sky above them. An aurora!
Skylar quickly entered the tent, closing the flap behind them to avoid letting any warm air out. They smiled at the sight inside: Hop, their Synthwave Quibbit friend, was huddled under a pile of blankets with only its glowing antennae poking out.
"Hi, Hop," Skylar greeted their companion. "Chilly, huh? What do you make of the weather? It really seems like Winter has set in."
Hop let out a disgruntled-sounding croak -- but also extended one webbed paw from its blanket nest with an envelope.
"Oh, we got a delivery while I was out? Let's see..."
Skylar took the note and sat down next to Hop, wrapping one arm warmly around the Quibbit as they read. It was a letter from Vespera:
"Skylar," the note read. "By the time you get this, the strange winter weather may have already reached you, too. There's a Superchill sweeping Santae. I can't remember the last time Shadow Veil Pass was this cold! It has frozen the entrance to the Eerie Caves solid, which means it's going to be extra hard to look for more signs of fossils there.
"I'm going to stay here and keep investigating the Caves, but I think you should go to the Celestial Peaks. This magical-seeming cold reminds me of the Luffins -- but nobody has been back to the Peaktop since the Luffins started to reappear."
The note was signed with a cheerful "Good luck!" and Vespera's name.
Skylar patted the blanket-lump that was Hop affectionately. "I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to the cold, Hop. We're headed to the Celestial Peaks!"
A strange sight greeted Skylar and Hop as they approached the base of the Celestial Peaks. The aurora they had spotted earlier was even brighter now that they were directly below it, casting shimmery blue-green light down on the domed roofs and smooth waters.
In town, something else was new, too. Skylar spotted Jasper, the celestial armorer, inspecting a machine that Skylar had never seen before.
"Hello, Jasper," Skylar greeted the armorer as they approached. "What's this?"
"I wish I knew!" Jasper flashed a wry smile over his shoulder at Skylar. "This device simply appeared overnight -- around the same time that the aurora showed up."
"Do you know what it does?" Skylar asked, looking the machine up and down.
"Not quite yet, but I have an idea," Jasper replied, holding out a small object in the palm of his hand. "These started showing up around the Peaks, too." Skylar took the token and inspected it. It looked almost like a coin, but with slightly squared edges, a hole in the middle, and an icy blue color.
"There," Jasper pointed at a slot in the machine. "It looks like that token might fit. Do you want to do the honors and see what happens?"
Skylar grinned. "Happily!" They dropped the coin into the slot, and watched with close attention as something within the device rattled and rumbled. Then a capsule dropped out of the machine onto the icy ground!
Skylar stooped to pick it up and -- exchanging a glance with Jasper -- cracked it open.
A warm, fresh-baked gingery smell wafted out of the open capsule. "Cookies?" Skylar wondered aloud. Sure enough, the capsule contained a tidy box of spiced cookies, shaped and iced to resemble pets!
"Well," Jasper remarked, "that's definitely magic."
Winterlight Machine Discovered
Ever since the aurora appeared over the Celestial Peaktop, mysterious tokens have been appearing all around Santae. For as long as the aurora is glowing, you can now find Winterlight Machine Tokens in various ways!
Bring your Winterlight Machine Tokens to the Winterlight Machine in the Celestial Peaks to exchange them for a selection of mysterious prizes you can choose from. What does this machine have for you to discover?
Keep an eye out for more ways to earn Tokens as this event progresses!
❄️ This event will last through the 12th of January 2025 23:59 SST ❄️
This magical machine also has a few hidden avatars associated with its reward items! See if you can collect all three!
Pawprints In The Snow
Vespera stood at the window of her shop, drinking tea and watching snowflakes drift down over Shadow Veil Pass. The blanket of white over the ground had fully transformed her home!
It was beautiful. The snow shimmered blue under the moonlight, smooth and unbroken...except, what was that?
Vespera peered closer. A meandering trail of tiny pawprints wound past her window and toward the center of town.
Vespera decided to investigate. She put on a coat and held her mug of tea to warm her hands as she stepped outside into the cold night. The small, round pawprints led the down the path to the center of Shadow Veil Pass.
There in the middle of town, the culprits were playing in the snow! Three cat-like Minimals were chasing snowflakes and romping together in the moonlight.
One of the cats looked like it was made of snow itself, perhaps enchanted by the snowflake-shaped pendant around its neck. Another resembled nothing more than an animated gingerroot cookie, with swirling patterns of icing on its body. The third was green with a lashing vine-like tail. These were no ordinary Minimals!
Vespera watched the trio play through the haze of steam from her warm drink, smiling. If the wintery magic in the air had brought these three adorable felines to her home, the snowy changes to Santae couldn't be all bad!
Frostmane, Sugarsnap, and Hollyclaw are now available in the Cash Shop and Dust Shop!
Festive Fun Awaits Inside a New Chest!
To meet the new season in style, Vespera is now stocking a brand-new chest in the Cash Shop and Dust Shop!
Cracking open the Winter Spirit Chest will reveal a swirl of icy energy. The items inside are powerfully enchanted with winter magic! These garments may look like they are made of ice and snow, but the magic within makes them warm enough to withstand even the coldest weather.
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