Absit Omen Fortnight Flier #11: The chill of winter approaches

[Absit Omen RPG]

Sunday,	May 23	Page A1

The chill of winter approaches...

Timeline November 15 – December 15 Full Moon Full Moon: December 12

Upcoming Events December 5: Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Quidditch game! December 6: Hogwarts staff party December 8: Hogwarts midterm exams begin December 12: Hogwarts classes end for winter break December 14: The Hogwarts Express leaves December: Prepare for the Hogsmeade Winter Festival! IC Events OOC Events

December Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Hogwarts Aflame

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  The Halloween dance begins innocently enough, but by the end of the night wolves stalk the Great Hall and the trees of the enchanted forest are set on fire! Two fights also break out, one between Maddie and Xavier and one between the first years. Perhaps there was something in the punch (besides polyjuice potion) to explain it…
  
  After the chaos of the dance, the Hufflepuffs gather in the common room, and Maddie in her wolf form heads out to the lake. In the days following, Xavier apologizes to Tulo for his behavior, and Fauna is questioned by Aurors to see if SAWS had anything to do with the dance drama.
  
  The Headmistress has had enough with the troublemakers, and punishments abound. Headmistress Snark sentences the worst offenders to clean-up duty in the infirmary, and later suspends two thorns in her side, Maddie and Sasha. The professors have also lost their patience. Morrigan Ramsay issues two detentions, one for Edmund and Lou, the other for Sasha (thanks to Figaro). Professor Bombay hands out a detention to Neely and Julian, teaching them not to mess with his roses (and sending Neely to lament about it to Professor Reid)!
  
  But the bright spots still make Hogwarts a (mostly) happy place for students. November is the month for birthdays, like the sleepover party in the astronomy tower (a party to plan a party!), Mysti’s masquerade, the Dark twins’ party, and Ayla’s party in the Hufflepuff common room!
  
  In other Hogwartian news, the Muggle Studies professor, Isaac Frasier, takes his students out for a Muggle safari! Sasha and Fauna visit their former Headmaster during the Hogsmeade weekend. Figaro and Xavier sneak out on November 15th, only to run into Cin Tawse. The hospital hut welcomes a new youngster, Dilly Morris. And last but certainly not least: Analiza, Dante, and Landis scheme in her office. Look out students!
  
  

Dark Activity in the Wizarding World

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  In the Wizarding World, the Runespoor smuggling continues, causing an explosion in Knockturn when Nate Briggs attempts to bury the evidence (Runespoor venom)! Cin Tawse and Aurors duel in the street while Maggie Groust is held hostage. A few hours later, Nate Briggs is arrested. In the next few days Tamis Raynor tracks down Cináed, and Adon Eleor checks up on Maggie.
  
  Come Halloween, Nate and Cin (along with other shady types) are out on the town stirring up trouble with the muggles, and Charlotte St. James hosts a smashing Halloween party!
  
  In the Auror department, Chris Colburn is hired while Adon Eleor takes a break from the force. Eddie and Charlene discuss the Remembering Day case, and on less serious fronts, Eddie and Archer pull a prank on their fellow Aurors. Also, Tam and Archer make time for a date!
  
  On the other side of the spectrum, the WBA is hard at work as well! Cin Tawse discusses ideas with a potential new member, and hosts the KABANA party on November 20th. Poor Frank Pratt is attacked one night in Knockturn Alley, and injected with a serum that turns him into a werewolf. But then he gets loose and runs into the unfortunate Eudora Pascal…
  
  In other wizarding news, Jonas Trevelyan returns the cursed dagger to Aileen Reid. Moira, Alex, Claudia, and Marcus go on a double date November 2nd. Dante and Candice brew potions in his office. Dreogan and Akiva move in together. Kronos kidnaps Sasha , causing Jacoba and Isaac to go looking for him when they realize he’s missing. Margo hosts a girl party. Tilly hires a muggle. And Nicola Randall visits her unsuspecting cousin!
  
  That’s all for now!
  
  

New Plots!

• The WBA is Recruiting! - Cin Tawse lists needed members here!
  Something Wicked - Updated! Discusses the victims cursed by the dagger.
  The Runespoor Smuggling - The Eleor brothers, Covadonga Gertrudis, and Kabir Ahmed  discuss the future arrest of Trevor Reid for his part in the smuggling.
  

Absit Omen News

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  AO Blog
  
  We now have an AO Blog! The purpose of the blog is to announce plots, threads, characters, and ideas involving the site, as well as to discuss writing and role-playing in general. It’s an informal way to catch updates on what goes on around here!
  
  But it’s not just for curators. Everyone is welcome to register for a Wordpress account and submit blog entries! This entry gives you details on how to sign up and keep track of the blog.
  
  
  AO Toolbar
  
  We also have an AO toolbar! It includes important links to information threads on the site, and gadgets for searching, Twitter updates, and the AO blog. It works in Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox. For more information (and to ask questions/give suggestions), check out this thread. To download the toolbar, click here.
  
  
  Party Guidelines at Hogwarts
  
  We’ve noticed a lot of birthday parties cropping up at Hogwarts recently, and we think it’s great that people are paying attention to the character birthday list and making the most out of it. To be consistent with realism and canon, we’ve come up with a few guidelines to follow when starting a birthday thread:
  
  
  • If your student character hosts a party, consider asking permission from a professor and keeping the numbers small.
  • If you don’t ask permission, be prepared and willing to get caught and face consequences (in-character consequences like detentions, not out-of-character consequences).
  • Keep in mind that if too many parties occur without permission, the Headmistress will likely catch on and deliver a mass detention (such as cleaning up the infirmary, and/or banning students from Hogsmeade trips and other student activities).
  
  
  Plot Tracking for Characters
  
  A lot has happened since Absit Omen opened more than a year ago. Characters have changed, shaped by the plots and events that have taken place on the site. It can be difficult to keep track of all of this, so that’s why we’re introducing the idea of plot tracking for characters.
  
  In the Plot Tracking for Characters board (a child board of Plot Development), every character can have his/her own thread (if you prefer, you can combine your character information into one thread). In the first few posts in each thread, members can organize their character information and tell us what plots have affected their characters, and how their characters have grown and changed.
  
  Then, others are encouraged to reply to these threads with plot ideas and discussion pertaining to that character. Because a lot happens behind the scenes through PM, we’re trying to make the plots more visible and out in the open. If you think of it, post in a character’s Plot Tracking instead of sending a PM or talking about it off the site.
  
  Additional rules can be found here. Please PM Fauna Blake with any questions!
  
  
  New Profile Links
  
  We have added two new profile links: one for Tagged Posts, and one for Plot Tracking. If you go to your character’s profile, hover over the ‘Modify Profile’ tab, and then click ‘Forum Profile’, you’ll be able to see the new field at the bottom of the page.
  
  The Tagged Posts field is for those of you who tag your threads with your character’s name. Input the url of that tag in the Tagged Posts field, and anyone who clicks on the link will see a list of threads that your character is involved in.
  
  The Plot Tracking field is for the Plot Tracking for Characters idea discussed above. If you made a plot tracking thread for your character (or one thread for all your characters), input the url into that field.
  
  
  Results of the AO Plot Survey
  
  Thank you so much! Twenty members responded to the first of a series of Absit Omen Member Inquisitories, in which the Curators are asking for your honest, anonymous opinion about a variety of A.O. topics.   
  
  The results of the first Inquisitory tell us that one of the major challenges facing our writers is keeping track of plots.  Since January 2009, nearly 90 writers have roleplayed with 250  characters over a span of 9 in-character months.  No wonder we all feel just a little lost.  As you can see from the blog, Plot Tracking for Characters and other in-coming projects, we are making that a focus.  If we feel we can improve everyone's access to what's going on, it will improve how involved people feel.
  
  Some raw numbers:
  
  • 42% said they feel mostly included in AO Plots, while 47% said they felt very included.
  • 74% thought the plots were very interesting, and 21% rated them moderately interesting.
  • The most popular plots at AO? Romance & Relationships; Crime & Punishment; and Tragedy & Disaster.
  • The least popular? Political Intrigue!
  • 75% felt that it was about fifty-fifty important to include lots of magical details.
  • NO ONE responded that it was very easy to keep track of plots.  We hear that! 
  • In addition to the usual routes for keeping up on stuff, Daily Prophet articles ranked as a way many people used to keep track of plots.  With that in mind, we hope to keep publishing new DP articles.  Stay in touch with Sarah/Niobe Thursby about what's going on!
  • Members offered some excellent suggestions about how we could give our site plot more oomph! Such as...
    
    • More WBA!
    • More Quidditch!
    • A Hogwarts newspaper
    • A Tri-Wizard Tournament-like event
    • Staff meeting at Hogwarts and the Ministry
    • More big disasters!
    • Keeping up the great Auror Corp organization!
  
  If you have not already taken this survey, you absolutely should! Please do not take it again if you already have.  Your responses are completely anonymous, so please give us the most honest feedback you can!  Absit Omen Inquisitory Part 1: Plots
  
  
  New A.O. Survey!
  
  Next on the docket? Rules! We'll be asking you about your take on all the rules at Absit Omen, how they're enforced, and what value they serve.  This is a pretty important survey.  We want to make sure that our rules are truly serving the best interest of the members.
  
  Please take the time to answer as completely as possible.  All questions are optional and your responses will be completely anonymous.  Your honesty is our Pepper-Up Potion! Even if you have some negative things to say.  If something's broke - tell us!
  
  
  Absit Omen Inquisitory Part 2: Rules
  
  
  Unveiling the Absit Omen Lexicon
  
  It's a wiki! In an initiative to make Absit Omen a kinder, gentler place to keep track of plots, we are unveiling the Absit Omen Lexicon.  The Lexicon is a wiki and all members will be able to register and then contribute to what will be an extraordinary feat of organization, cooperation and just piles and piles of all the info we need to know what's going on all over the website.
  
  Please report any troubles, bugs or jinxes you might encounter. 
  
  
  www.absitomen.com/wiki
  
  

Featured		Character		Featured Thread
Graham Bombay		I thought teachers were supposed to like kids? It seems like the only sympathy Professor Bombay is sporting is when he's nursing his own headaches with tea brewed fresh from his greenhouses.  Be sure to keep an eye on his valiant heroism during the Halloween Ball.  Okay, so this ex-Ravenclaw doesn't belong in a cinematic teacher-mentor drama.  But he is a talented herbologist, and Pam is a reliably excellent writer. Bio		Then Rang the Bells Both Loud and Deep Nov 10 An innocent business meeting with a dangerous dagger passed between them.  Do Jonas Trevelyan and Lexus Dale know what they're dealing with? Probably not.  Jonas the Private Investigator has finally admitted he could use a hand.  And the werewolf Lexus Dale has found good work hard to come by.  There are ground rules, of course.  But the meeting goes well. Except of course, for the curse. Jonas Trevelyan, Lexus Dale

Featured Quotes

"It was hard to keep sarcasm out of this entirely; it comprised the foundation of their pseudo-friendship."						Tamis Raynor from the thread The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
(Referring to Knox Greyfriar) ““But he’s still the same person, you know. Just a little, um,” Fauna paused. “Scraggly,” She gestured around her chin, miming a beard.”						Fauna Blake from the thread Nothing Gives More Assurance than a Mask
"He was in, that was for sure.  The girl hadn't seemed too repulsed, nor had she given him the standard cold shoulder.  Perfect.  She was totally into him.  Now he only had to seal the deal and his sixth year would be perfect.  Only losers started the year dateless. "						Graham Bombay from the thread Do You Love Me? (Pensieve, 1992)

Want to feature a character? Want to feature a thread? Have a tip to suggest? PM the Curators.

Want to discuss this update? It is posted in News & Announcements.