The 12 Days of Charming

Ho ho ho! Santa Kayte is here again this year to bring you the 12 Days of Charming. To those new to our ranks (or extra forgetful), 12 Days is, quite literally, twelve days, in which each day brings with it a new challenge, riddle, or puzzle for you to solve. Complete all twelve to earn the 12 Days stamp!

Stamps not your jam? This is for you anyways—each day has one to five (or on some days, unlimited!) prizes available to be won on a first done, first served basis! I won’t tell you specifically what they are (what would be the fun in that?), but I can tell you that several Charmers have been enlisted as elves and, as always, the December Challenge stamp is buried in there somewhere…

Check back on Thursday, December 12 for day one!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day I

We're starting out this year by flexing our thinking muscles with a cryptogram! Can you figure out the secret phrase? Each letter in the phrase has been replaced with a random number, and Santa Kayte has made you some T to warm you up whilst you work.

PM the mystery phrase to this account by noon Halifax time tomorrow in order to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day II

Yesterday saw Kit, Lynn, Emma, Chris, and Jordan each take home 10HP for the house of their choosing! Everyone else contributed to their streaks :) PMs have not been sent out yet, but will be later today.

And of course, for those dying to know, the solution was:

HERE BE DRAGONS. HOGWARTS TAUGHT ME NOT TO TICKLE THEM.

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Today, a writing challenge! Your mission is to choose any winter/winter holiday song (secular Christmas, religious Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.). Then, craft a thread starter of 300+ words, either a lonely or for a specific person, that encompasses the spirit of the song you chose! You will, of course, have to include a brief (mere sentences!) explanation to me of how your post Meets The Brief.

Today, speed does not matter. Because I want you to take the time to give your posts the attention they deserve, the prizes (there are three!) for today will be raffled, with those who participate each getting an entry :)

PM your post links & blurb to this account within 24 hours of this post to qualify!

The following 1 user Likes Aldous Crouch's post:1 user Likes Aldous Crouch's post
   Charley Goode

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day III

Today, the chickens have gotten out of the roost! That's right, three hens of unknown nationality need to be found and returned home! They have, at least, left some indication of their whereabouts:

• One is in an active thread.
  
• One is in a useful thread.
  
• One is in a thread from last year.

The hens may not be in the first post of the threads in question, but they a) do exist, honest! and b) are adorable. Simply grab the link to the post or a screenshot of the post in question to secure the chickens!



PM the three posts to this account within 24 hours of this post to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

A DAY OF REST

Today, I am taking the day off as I was later than expected getting home! Keep your eyes peeled for a puzzle of some sort tomorrow!

Day 2 saw Kit win the raffled featured want ad—look for that coming to a header near you sometime soon! Of course, everyone who successfully completed the day added to their streaks!

Day 3 saw most people wimp out all three participants—Lynn, MJ, and Kit—take home a prize! Their tenacity has been rewarded: each will be claiming a Golden Ticket, allowing them to skip one task in the upcoming Winter Labyrinth!

See you tomorrow!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day IV

Today, try not go to cross-eyed completing this puzzle!

A CHARMING CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Across
2. Stop tickling me!
5. The least desirable entity with whom to play tonsil hockey
6. Aldous! Reuben! Duck!
8. Prankster extrodinnaire
10. Wait, it's STILL closed to the public?!
13. Don't QUITE lose your head
14. The youngest member of a magical staff
16. Where you go to get your hands on a wand
17. Homeland to a couple of Kool Kids

Down
1. Currently leading the house cup
3. The most tragically named student at Hogwarts
4. Inherited his ears from his REAL dad
7. Man's best friend with a bifurcated tail
9. Like Greta Gillenwater or Anne Moony
11. One of two things Mason Skeeter has in common with Neville
12. Where you go to get some hands on your wand
15. There are 29 knuts to one of these

Send me your answers using the following form. There's no code word; just complete the puzzle!

Code:

<b>Across</b>
2.
5.
6.
8.
10.
13.
14.
16.
17.
<p>
<b>Down</b>
1.
3.
4.
7.
9.
11.
12. PAINTED LADY
15.

PM your responses to this account by 12:00pm Halifax Time on Tuesday

The following 1 user Likes Aldous Crouch's post:1 user Likes Aldous Crouch's post
   Greta Gillenwater

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day V

Today, is Day 5—instead of 5 golden rings, let's do 5 glorious posts!

It truly is as simple as it sounds! Just do five IC replies of 200+ words to be in the running! Please note that these replies must be in IC, in-person threads (no journals or letters) and must be a to a player other than yourself (no self-threading, starters, or read-onlies). Head over to lonely threads if you need somewhere to start ;) Any posts on or after this precise moment can count.

Please include post counts at the bottom of each qualifying post.

Today, speed does not matter. Because I want you to take the time to give your posts the attention they deserve, the prize(s) for today will be raffled, with those who participate each getting an entry :)

PM your post links to this account within 24 horus of this post to qualify!

The following 4 users Like Aldous Crouch's post:4 users Like Aldous Crouch's post
   Belladonna Woods, Daffodil Grimstone, Don Juan Dempsey, Violetta DeCroix

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day VI

Tomorrow's challenge will include a roundup of prizes for days 4-6. Today, another cryptogram (Fallin's favourite!). This time, a terrible Potter-related pickup line. Don't worry if money is tight this time of year: I've already bought you your vowels!



PM the mystery phrase to this account by noon Halifax time tomorrow in order to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day VII

Today, IC bingo is back! Complete any row (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) of five on the bingo card by finding five DIFFERENT currently active characters that fit the briefs! The biggest catch? None of them can be your own!


PM the list of characters AND the categories for which they qualify to this account within 24 hours to qualify!

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We have a big snowstorm coming tomorrow night, which has amped up my leaving-town plans. As a result, I will do prizes at work tomrorow since I have to wrap/launder/pack/etc. tonight!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day VIII

First thing's first: the prize backlog!

DAY 4: All participants (in this case MJ, Kit, and Lynn) earned 5HP for the house of their choosing! I will stab them on Discord later for their preferences. Of course, you probably want solutions...

Across
2. RICTUSEMPRA
5. DEMENTOR
6. CROUCH
8. PEEVES
10. PADMORE PARK
13. NEARLY HEADLESS NICK
14. BELLADONNA WOODS
16. OLLIVANDERS
17. CANADA (Kit and Kayte live there!)

Down
1. SLYTHERIN
3. ANTELOPE GRACE
4. PHINEAS BLACK II (son of Darcy Potter)
7. CRUP
9. SEEKER
11. HERBOLOGY (the other is Matthew Lewis, who plays both)
12. PAINTED LADY (a brothel)
15. SICKLE

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DAY 5: Fallin, Gin, and Chris each snagged a priority set OR moodboard from the illustrious MJ! As always, everyone who successfully completed the day added to their streaks!

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DAY 6: Apt, because she hates cryptograms, Kit and Lynn are each taking home a moodboard from Fallin (Sisse Thompsett) for their success today! As always, everyone who successfully completed the day added to their streaks!

The solution to our puzzle?

YOU CAN SLYTHERIN TO MY KNICKERS.

Day 7 is still in play for another few hours, so we'll leave prizes here for now and move into...

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Today, since it's the weekend, let's get those creative juices flowing once again with a writing task!

I have had AI generate "5 story starting sentences set appropriate for Victorian engalnd at Christmas" (with some modification from me)—your job is to choose one to use to start a post of your own!

The post:

• Must be in an IC thread
  
• Can be a starter, read only, or reply
  
• Can only modify words in [square brackets]
  
• Should be 200+ words
  
• Must be posted and PMed within 24 hours of this announcement.

Your choices are...

• As the fog crept along the cobblestone streets of London, [character] hurried through the snow, [possessive pronoun] breath forming fragile clouds in the air, unaware that a shadow was following [possessive pronoun] every step.
  
• The church bells rang out across the square, their joyful tolls swallowed by the dense fog, as a lonely figure in a threadbare coat leaned against a wall, waiting.
  
• As the fire crackled in the hearth and the scent of roasting chestnuts filled the room, [character] pulled out a worn letter that would change the course of [possessive pronoun] life before the new year arrived.
  
• The snowflakes danced through the gaslit streets, and as the crowded carriages passed by, [character] stood at the edge of the sidewalk, dreaming of a Christmas [pronoun] could never have.
  
• In the heart of London, a strange and unexplained chill had settled over the city on Christmas morning, leaving even the wealthiest families in their mansions to wonder if the season had not come with more than just festive cheer.

Today, speed does not matter. Because I want you to take the time to give your posts the attention they deserve, the prize(s) for today will be raffled, with those who participate each getting an entry :)

PM your post links to this account within 24 horus of this post to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day IX

Housekeeping: Please note that Day 10 will be Monday, Day 11 will be Tuesday, and Day 12 will be Thursday.

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On the 9th day of Charming, Kayte gave to me... nine festive words to find in the search below!



What words, you ask? That's for you to tell me! There are some hints within this post, though. My additional hint: know your Satan Santa. Words can go in any direction, including backwards.

PM your word list to this account within 24 horus of this post to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day X

Today is my absolute favourite challenge of the year: Anonymous Love! How does it work? Write a lil love note each for three (or more!!) of your fellow Charmers and PM them to me. On boxing day, I'll be distributing them to their recipients for a nice little boost this holiday season <3

Today, speed does not matter. Because I want you to take the time to give your notes the attention they deserve, the prize(s) for today will be raffled, with those who participate each getting an entry :) You also have a wider window—I know this can be as busy time of year, so hopefully this added flexibility gives you more time to participate!

PM your notes to this account by 10am Halifax time on December 26th to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day XI

Today, our last writing challenge of this annual tradition. It's a simple one, and, for some characters, could be very interesting: write your character on Christmas morning. Are they home with family? Fleeing for their lives? Hungover in a gutter? Not Christmas-celebrators? Everyone is different, and so I'm curious to see where your character finds themself!

The particulars:

• 350+ words
  
• Open, read only, or thread starter
  
• Can be a reply only if responding to a thread started for this challenge
  
• Set the morning (say between 1 am and noon) of December 25th, 1894

Today, speed does not matter. Because I want you to take the time to give your posts the attention they deserve, and because this is a busy time of year for many of us, the prize(s) for today will be raffled, with those who participate each getting an entry :) You also have a wider window; hopefully this added flexibility gives you more time to participate!

PM your notes to this account by 10am Halifax time on December 26th to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Day XII

First thing's first: the prize backlog!

DAY 7: Gin, Kit, Steph, Lynn, and MJ each snagged an immortality discount. As always, everyone who successfully completed the day added to their streaks!

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DAY 8: Everyone who participated got to take home the December Writing Challenge stamp and contributed to their streaks.

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DAY 9: Gin and Kit have each snagged a custom playlist from Beanie (Cassius Lestrange)&mdahs;reach out to her for more info! As always, everyone who successfully completed the day added to their streaks!

The words were...

PARTRIDGE
DOVE
HENS
BIRDS
GOLDEN
GEESE
SWANS
MILKING
DANCING

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DAY 10: A lot of love going around—indeed, it's all been sent off to your inboxes! Only one of you, however, can win LADY'S LOVE: Gin has snagged a notion character database + posting tracker system set up!

As always, everyone who successfully completed the day added to their streaks.

Day 11 is over but I'll announce prizes with today's!

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Today, our last day, one final cryptogram to fill your heart wtih joy. Or chaos. There are some hints in previous days, but I've given you the letters of my Official Title to help make your life easier...



PM the secret phrase to this account within 24 hours of this post to qualify!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

That's a Wrap!

Y'all gotta remind me when I forget to do this

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in 12 Days of Charming 2024! Before we go any further, I owe some people prizes ;)

Day 11: Today, Chris was the lucky lad taking home an occupation lock; everyone else contributed to their streaks!

Day 12: Last but not least, a bit of a weird day in that everyone is a winner. Kit, Chris, and Fallin all correctly divined that

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR BIRDS IS SIMPLY TOO MANY, EVEN FOR KAYTE.
A sad, almost unbelievable fact! Chris and Kit will each be getting a priority bouquet from Fallin, but she can't give herself a prize, so to thank her for offering up prizes and to reward her success in this challeng, Fallin will be going home with a priority set from Lady!

As to who's been streaking this month, Kit has successfully completed all challenges—well done!

See you all in December <3

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —