It is time to reveal the first surprise of this year's Hobbity Yule Calendar! We will start with the winter issue of the Shire Forecast. This is a seasonal publication for the hobbit roleplayers playing the Lord of the Rings Online on the Laurelin server. It usually covers the weather, recent happenings in the Shire, and events to look forward to. Yuletide is quite eventful, so here you can get an overview of all things of hobbit interest.
The Shire Forecast – Winter Issue 2023
Here is the winter issue of the Shire Forecast. Here you can read about the weather, latest news, and the events hobbits might be interested in.
Snowflakes soar
The days are short and dark, the last leaves fall from the trees, the fields are covered in frost, and the gammers are knitting furiously… These are all signs that winter is finally here. After many warm months, it certainly feels colder than ever before. The weather gammers even predict we’ll see a few snowflakes in the Shire this year. Thus, this is a good time to dust off your warmest clothes and make sure you are well stocked for the time ahead.
This autumn has been hard for many Shire folk. Some have been in low spirits, others have been burdened with chores, and yet others have fallen ill. The inns and regular meeting places have been quieter. Thankfully, hobbits take care of their friends and family and do their best to help them through hard times and recovery. Even as the days get darker, the upcoming Yuletide has sprung hope in many hobbit hearts. Comfort and joy are the perfect remedies after a challenging autumn. Lit Yule trees pop up in the gardens, the innkeeps start serving their best mulled wine and cider, and catchy Yule songs get stuck in your mind to keep you in the right spirit. There’s even been talk that the rumoured town of Winterhome will soon open its gates to everyone who enjoys wintertime fun, cleaning up mess, throwing rotten fruit at bad actors and so on.
A special musical tool and tea experiments
Shirriff Nimelia hasn’t been idle for the past few months. She has been working on improving a special tool for musicians. It helps bands sort out their notes faster, in addition to some other practical features. We also believe that it checks if the band members have valid drum licences. The Brandy Badgers have already tried this new tool out, finding it really useful. Even though it lacks a feature to keep the Badgers line straight at their rehearsals, the band members are quite grateful and promise to throw only the softest snowballs at miss Nimelia when the Shirriff season arrives in December. And yet, promises are sometimes broken…
Things have also improved elsewhere. Barmy Rootknot, the Green Dragon innkeep, has experimented with tea brewing. REAL tea, with a tea flavour in it. We can thank master Wybert Diggings for this new development. He has been training Barmy in the art of tea brewing, and we are slowly getting some good results, according to master Wybert. So if you look for a warm drink that doesn’t make you slur your words too much during an inn night, try Barmy’s new tea. If you have the money to cover the high price, that is.
Yuletide creativity
Hobbits like to get in the Yuletide spirit by working on various Yuletide projects. These bring hobbits together to create something merry with each other. For many years, such a project has been miss Lina’s fancy hobbit Yule drawing. To draw it properly, she asks other hobbits for assistance to make her ideas come true on canvas. Check the Gazette for dates when you can help. The end result is quite stunning and life-like. It will be revealed in the hobbit Yule calendar, another creative project to which all hobbits have a chance to contribute. The Yule calendar reveals a surprise each day from 1st to 24th December and helps everyone get in a merry mood. Also, the Shire poets are happy to hear that Nannie is organizing a Wintertide Poetry Competition in Frostbluff. The winner gets the fancy title, “Wintertime Bard”. There are many chances to get creative and spread joy among Shirefolk!
Eventful times ahead
If autumn was a bit lazy on the event front, December will bring lots of things to do. In addition to the regular events like the hobbit markets, Fed Poets meetups, Badgers rehearsals and the Green Dragon Fridays, there are special Yule events every few days. Many chances to meet friends and make new ones too!
On December 2nd, the Hobbitry band, The Bullroarers, will gather around a Yule tree and roar a bit while they play merry Yule songs at the Dancing Coney Inn in Sootcrest. There is also an OAKS concert on the same day starting a bit later in Oldfurlong. Master Geoadoc, our pipeweed vendor, is planning a Yuletide market for 9th December. On December 10th, the locals will meet at Songburrow Hall to raise the Yule tree and start off the “Shirriff season” (when folks start throwing snowballs at bounders). On the 22nd, it is time for the last Green Dragon Friday of the year and the annual Yule party there.
After the Yule days, the Badgers will go wassailing in Winterhome. On the 29th, we will meet up at the Plough and Stars in Brockenborings instead of the Green Dragon (where Barmy is hopefully spending his time cleaning up the soggy rug). This will be the evening to celebrate the new year and light up many fizzers! On January 1st, it is time to gather in Frostbluff for a grand snowball battle. And a bit into the new year, the Brandy Badgers will go wassailing in the Shire, to bless the local farms for a good harvest in autumn. Many things to come! The Gazette will keep you on track regarding all these various events.
Some hobbits don’t have much company during the Yule days. Thankfully, Barmy opens up some special rooms at the Green Dragon where everyone is welcome. There will be food, music, maybe other entertainment too, and above all, other hobbits to chat with. The rooms will be open on December 24th and 25th. The exact details will be revealed in the last entry of the Hobbity Yule Calendar on December 24th, along with the Yule drawing by miss Lina.
Yuletide is indeed busy times, as you can see from the long list of events to choose from. Some folks grumble at the silly hustle and bustle, while others embrace the season with open arms. We are all free to enjoy Yule our own way: as a peaceful respite from all chores and worries, or as a chance to throw yourself in completely in the merry-making. May the Yuletide bring more hope for those who face challenges in their lives – the tide is turning and there will be more light soon. And if you feel lonely and down, just stop by at the closest inn for some friendly faces (and bounders hiding from the snowballs). Merry Yuletide everyone!
The Shire forecast is very hopeful...thank you for such a lovely, wintery issue.
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