not even a mouse | round iv

[The Elves]

Kataclsym, Farren, Oakheart and Kratos have been eliminated.

Kataclsym and Farren, for the next two real life weeks, your mane and tail have been replaced with garland. Like shiny, colorful garland. You can pick the color(s). In two weeks, you'll go mostly back to normal, but you'll always have a few strands of hair that are still colorful and shiny. 

Oakheart and Kratos, for the next two real life weeks, your legs are going to look like they are strung in Christmas lights. Colorful, flashing or color changing or something annoying like that, Christmas lights (you choose the details). After two weeks, you'll go mostly back to normal, but there will always be a few strange colored dots on your legs. 

You are not alone. Groups of elves and demons and various other humans all arrive, popping into existence all around you. It’s never been just you, not really. The world is at war after all, and why are you all that special? You were awake, and that was enough. But you were not the only one awake. 

The workshop shutters, echoing with the sounds of a fight already in process. There is nothing else for you to do but run. Into the workshop however you can (the front door is likely to be a bit jammed, given the number of you heading into the same place). 

Once you enter, it’s impossible not to be struck by the workshop. It’s nothing like the books. The place is modern and improbable, but clearly not impossible. Machines churn out electronics and hover boards and stuffed animals at an alarming rate. You can see the stations where the elves should be working. But the elves cannot man their machines now, so the machines keep going, spewing gifts onto the floor in a flood. 

On a balcony above you, there is a large black and white glowing orb, very much resembling a yin yang. Santa and the Grinch are already on the balcony, blasts of magic flying between the two. Some hit their targets, but many smash windows and blow holes through the walls. One hits a machine, and various gears go flying. 

“I’m tired of Hell, Claus. It’s really nice up North though. ” The Grinch growls, and finally, finally, you begin to understand what he really wants. He wants the North Pole, and all the magic it contains. 

The green monster dives at the glowing yin yang, and Santa (despite his rather large girth) is quick to do the same. They each manage to grab a half of the yin yang, ripping it apart. 

You can feel the shift; feel the magic as is separates. It’s no longer whole, and the machines quickly begin to sputter and die. Some keep working, but half their product is deformed and blackened. Santa holds the white side, and the Grinch the other. “This is a good start,” he says, grinning wickedly at the piece of magic in his hands. “I kind of want it all though.”

Santa laughs at that, clutching the white half closer to his chest, a ray of white light streaking from the piece toward the Grinch. He blocks is easily, a black shield appearing in front of him from nowhere. 

They don’t ask for help. They don’t have to. You already know that’s why you are here. The elves and demons are already moving, flying at one another with blasts of magic coming from either side. But the magic has changed. It is purely light or dark, and often the magic counteracts itself.

This is the end of the war. It has to end here, before the clock strikes midnight, before Christmas comes. You just have to figure out what your part in it will be. 

• You are now aware of the other humans in this quest – you can work with them or work alone, play off each other’s posts, etc. Do not power play someone else’s character, though you may continue to power play the demons/elves. No points will be lost if you choose to work alone versus working with others (the elves realize someone has to post first). You can simply go whatever route seems the most fun to you.
• You have magic. No limits on uses. The only thing you may not do is kill the Grinch/Santa/other characters, or use magic on the halves of the yin yang.
• If you are fighting for Santa, you have light/white magic. If you are fighting for the Grinch, you have dark magic. You cannot use magic outside of that half. If you need guidance on what each type of magic can do, please go here:
       Light Magic: http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/White_Arts
       Dark Magic: http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Arts
• Your objective is to stop the fight. You can do this however you want. Try to talk it out, fight, something totally clever. It doesn’t matter.
•  You can switch sides this round, though be warned, you’ll have to prove to the other side that they should trust you.
•  You should end the post without actually determining a “winner”, but you should take the post basically to the deciding point.
 
This is the final round. You have until Thursday, 12/17 at 12:00pm EST to reply.