Tinsel & Treachery

Beneath the glittering facade of holiday cheer lies a battlefield where studios, political factions, and corporate conglomerates wage a cutthroat war for dominance. Every candy cane is a dagger in disguise, every jingle hides a coded threat, and every smiling Santa masks a shadowy agenda.

The Christmas spirit isn’t just a warm feeling—it’s a weaponized commodity. Studios vie for box office dominance, political factions scheme to reshape holiday traditions, and rogue freelancers risk it all to challenge the system.

Will you uphold the illusion of festive joy or tear it all down?

The world of Tinsel & Treachery is a dystopia where Christmas has become the ultimate global industry. Forget heartwarming tales of family and generosity—this is a world where holiday cheer is sold by the megacorporation and enforced by mercenaries in Santa hats. The sprawling Christmas Movie Industrial Complex (CMIC) governs all aspects of holiday production, from movies and music to gift distribution and decoration manufacturing. This is no longer about spreading joy—it’s about control, profit, and power.

A Holiday Empire Built on Blood and Glitter

At the heart of the CMIC are the Studios, monolithic corporations that churn out endless Christmas content for every market demographic. Their sprawling empires are fueled by sweatshops staffed with overworked laborers, forest-stripping operations for the perfect trees, and ruthless marketing campaigns that leave no room for competing visions of the holiday. Beneath their polished public image lie cutthroat executives, covert operatives, and merciless enforcers who stop at nothing to maintain their dominance.

Beyond the studios, shadowy political interest groups and underground factions fight for their own vision of the holiday season. Some seek to preserve Christmas traditions at any cost, while others aim to burn the entire system to the ground. From eco-terrorists sabotaging fake snow factories to sugar cartels waging covert wars over candy cane distribution, every faction has its agenda—and they all collide in a storm of Tinsel and Treachery.

It’s a world where the stakes are high, and the snow is always red.

Key Features of the Setting

1. Corporate Warfare
   Christmas is big business, and the studios don’t play nice. From NorthStar Media Conglomerate’s propaganda machine to Yuletide Dynamics’ weaponized snow drones, these corporations fight dirty to secure their market share. Espionage, sabotage, and hostile takeovers are just another day at the office.
2. The Moral Frontlines
   Groups like The Tinsel Committee push for a sanitized, “wholesome” version of Christmas, while anarchist factions like The Humbug Underground reject the holiday altogether. The battle isn’t just about money—it’s about controlling the narrative of what Christmas should be.
3. Weaponized Holiday Cheer
   The factions battle not just with guns and mercenaries but also with symbols, slogans, and cinematic spectacles. Films and ads become tools of ideological warfare, shaping public opinion and rallying support for their vision of Christmas. From viral marketing campaigns to cultural boycotts, the fight over holiday traditions is as much about controlling hearts and minds as it is about controlling territory.
4. A World on the Brink
   The commercialization of Christmas has consumed everything. Forests are razed for Christmas tree farms, factories churn out endless supplies of plastic holiday junk, and the labor force—whether retailers, freelancers, or underpaid seasonal workers—is at a breaking point. Beneath the tinsel-covered surface, revolution is brewing.