Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF 1894 Part I: February 27th & 28th (the 1st)
THE BLIZZARD DETAILS
The 24th of February saw the Wizarding World of Great Britain warned about record low temperatures for the upcoming week. The morning of the 27th of February sees the first snowflakes start to land. By the early afternoon, it could comfortably be categorized as a winter storm, though not devastating by any means. However as soon as the sun starts to set, all hell breaks loose. An implosion can be heard - and felt - from all corners of the country with shockwaves creating a small earthquake-like effect to every building imaginable. Though not damaging enough to cause serious injury and certainly not long lasting, a sense of foreboding might be felt all around, as no one can determine where the source came from.
As soon as the sun has completely set in the sky, blanketing everything in darkness, the winter storm turns into a fatal blizzard with a peculiar caveat: every thirty minutes, the snow completely stops. During this time, the night turns quiet, and everything seems to settle, creating a severe false sense of security. Once those thirty minutes are up, however, the weather will start to rage once more. This will continue until 9 am on February 28th, at which time emergency aid efforts are immediately dispatched by the Ministry including medical squad teams to make sure any of those caught in the blizzard are seen to safety, and the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. During this time it is highly advised that citizens stay inside for their own safety. Indeed, some may be stuck, as the DMA&C will soon discover....the fallen snow is impervious to magic.
Soon after that, it becomes apparent that magic folk start to notice some...peculiar magical occurrences [see below]. Soon, the effects start to spread like wildfire (heh) and the entire country is subsequently thrown into chaos. Friday March 1st is when the Wizarding World will wake up to some...odd and unsettling news (see part II). While the magical effects will be cleared up by March 2 1894, the magically impervious snow will remain until March 5.
A Daily Prophet article will come out on March 1st with more details of what happened.
MAGICAL EFFECTS
These effects are meant to be in small pockets scattered around - for example: anti-gravity wouldn't be experienced in the entirety of Padmore Park, however one may find small spaces of anti-gravity around the park.
Anti-Gravity: characters suddenly find themselves and other objects around them floating
Time Loops: see here for more information from Lynn! (note: I contacted her asking permission to use these instances for the plot <3)
Magic Dampening: characters might find that their magic has completely stopped working.
Atmospheric Weather Changes: some pockets of air might still be raging with the blizzard.
THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF 1894 Part II: February 28th (the 2nd)
CHARMING & THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE NO GOOD, VERY BAD BIENNIAL LEAP YEAR
What else could possibly happen, you ask? WELL. In addition to the literal whirlwind above, here at Charming we have biennial conundrum that plagues us. The fact that our calendar does not line up with the calendar of 1894 means we have some nifty ways to work around it. Really, it's also an added excuse to throw our characters into further chaos cause who doesn't like that?
To work around this year's leap year, the Charming 1894 Calendar will have TWO days of February 28th. The first 28th will progress as normal. The second 28th...will be a complete REPEAT. Yes, Charming's very own Groundhog Day. Grab your time machine Punxsutawney Phil, we're in for a bit of a bumpy ride!
February 28th #1, characters will go to bed thinking that all will be right in the morning. The next morning (February 28th #2), the citizens of the Wizarding World of Great Britain will wake up to find that they are starting the morning in the exact same way they began it...save for one small thing ;) Credit goes to Lynn and her time loop idea for this plot twist!
Characters will find their memories might be...altered in some ways. How much their memory is affected is completely up to the YOU! Your character could remember that it's the second day and maybe have a sense of deja vu. Or your character may not realize it, and have completely forgotten what happened. Some could remember nothing at all as if nothing ever happened! And others can absolutely remember both days, and some remember bits and pieces like it was a dream >D
To clarify, the start of anyone having any gaps in their memory should be from when the blizzard stops on Feb 28th #1 - March 1st.
27 Feb | Dusk: Fatal Blizzard finally hits with pelting snow and ice completely pausing every 30 minutes.
28 Feb #1 | 9 am: Blizzard stops. Emergency aid (healers & MA&C) sent out. Snow can't be removed by magic. Magical effects experienced by wizarding community [see above].
28 Feb #2 | Characters wake up in the same way they did on Feb 28 #1.
1 March | Magical effects are cleared up. Magically impervious snow still remains; citizens should stay inside at all costs. DP article comes out
5 March | Snow clears up.
FAQ
Re The Blizzard Timing: So we're 30m on, 30m off? blizzard from 9-9:30, peace from 9:30-10 sort of thing?
Yes!
Can you floo?
In a word? No. >D You CAN, however due to the magical disturbances, the floo network will work intermittently at random intervals (aka up to the player's discretion!) and there is absolutely no guarantee where you might end up. Looking to go to your family's house? You might just end up in the house of some random stranger instead ;)
Will the magic dampening remain in the impervious-to-magic snow spots?
Yes!
Rhetorically, if someone was injured the first 28th or some otherwise lasting event - if they start the day over would they still be injured? Would they just be injured and possibly have forgotten? Injured again the second? Duel injuries?
To avoid mass confusion and interfering in others plots, this is up to the player/their partners to coordinate!
Is there an epicentre to the implosion or just low level effects everywhere?
Nope!
Also does the headmasters shield protect the school from such problems?
Hogwarts will be affected by the snow AND the Leap Year time loop, but not by the other magical instances due to the Headmaster's Shield!
Are we talking just Hogsmeade/Irvingly or all of the way down to London etc too? This a huge geographical range for a storm, even a magical one..?
All of Great Britain (save for Hogwarts for reasons listed above) is affected for Leap Day reasons!
I know you said the magic resistant snow remains BUT will the magic dampening remain in those spots?
Also edit: rhetorically, if someone was injured the first 28th or some otherwise lasting event - if they start the day over would they still be injured? Would they just be injured and possibly have forgotten? Injured again the second? Duel injuries?
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