Midwinter in Valdemar
Welcome to our first annual Midwinter ficfest! Midwinter in Valdemar can be either a solemn or joyous occasion, or sometimes both! In the most traditional circles, prior to midnight there is a meal of simple winter foods, one that the failing stores of winter may still have offered for sustenance. Songs and tales are also common, and frequently center on the theme of various beliefs about midwinter. Before midnight, all fires and lights are doused so that the first flame of the new year can be lit at midnight. That fire is used to light the fires, candles, and lamps throughout the house. After midnight, a queen of misrule is chosen to decide on games and other merriment to keep people awake as they stand vigil for the first light of the new year.
This year, our challenge is to include the first two lines of the Midwinter Song in a fic! They are as follows:
"When rose the pole star bright, the world was filled with light, "And in the killing cold, a song breathed through the night."
The rules are as follows:
This challenge runs from early November (November 7 this year) and the collection will be revealed on December 31. This gives you roughly six weeks to complete your submissions! Any fanwork is welcome.
Your submission can be set at any time in Velgarth's history, and use any characters from the series or even your own OCs! It simply must be set in Valdemar or elsewhere in Velgarth.
Your work does not have to be set on or near Midwinter, nor even be about Midwinter. The only requirement is that it include the two provided lines!
The collection can be found here.