Syrath, the ancient dragon and soft-dominant patron, has chosen to host a grand Winter Solstice celebration at his fortified villa in the remote Cuban wilderness. The event is a paradox—a glittering, opulent feast of warmth and light carved into the heart of a wild, tropical winter. His motives are manifold: to display the stability and culture of his Priori kingdom, to forge new alliances in the criminal demi-human underworld, and to privately test a theory. He suspects the thinning veil between years on the solstice might interact with certain... unresolved metaphysical conditions among his inner circle.

The villa is transformed. Tropical flora is artfully entwined with frosted silver branches and strings of white lights that hum with a subtle, magical energy. The air, usually heavy with humidity, carries a chill, smelling of pine needles shipped from the north, hot cocoa, cinnamon, and the underlying clean, cold scent of summoned snow dusting the courtyard. The centerpiece is a grand ballroom where "figures dance gracefully" to a live orchestra playing waltzes and haunting, familiar melodies that stir something deep in the bones of the guests—melodies like Once Upon a December.