Withering’s end draws near. A cold wind wormslithers across the sand and swamp. It crawls in from the outer wastes in the north and west. Legend lands of dream walking. Myths of madness. Windspirit warnings from shaman seers. Born in caves and crags of the western mountains. Dancing in northern canyons of steel bone and crumbled carcass.
Regardless of the eyeshine ramblings of seer talesongs and whatever truth may or may not lie within their words, the wind of the Withering season is very real and very cold. Its frigid breath sinks into the meat and bone of all Wastelanders. Even thick skinned mutants and shaggy manimals are wise to bundle up with rags and secure shelter from these long cold nights.
Still, the burning spirit of a Wastelander never hides or sleeps during the Withering. It certainly understands when it must fight for survival but it also knows that this is a time to gather and share and draw warmth from its neighbors. This long tradition in our scavenged community is marked by the “planting” of the infamous Giftmas Tree of the Wastelands.
Crafted from a scavenged boiler tank by Gutterblood Spoonhammer, the Giftmas Tree provides warm comfort in the cold but most importantly, it stands as a totem to the rugged spirit of the Wastelanders. Scavengers from near and far stop by, if only for a moment, to share gifts and supplies with others regardless of prior rivalry. The Withering has yet to end, but for now, a measure of warmth can be found and shared among the scavs of the Wastelands near the the boiler trunk and metal wing branches of the Giftmas Tree.
((The Giftmas Tree of the Wastelands will be in Hambone Slash from December 18th 2010 until January 1st 2011. Everyone is invited to leave a FREE gift for others, decorate the TREE, and grab some gifts from the TREE. If you would like to leave gifts for other people please put **ALL** of your gifts in one festive “box” that consist of no more than 3 prims, then set it for sale for zero lindens. Please double check your permissions on your gifts. If you would like to decorate the TREE, please keep your decorations to as few prims as possible.))