Santa Begins

-Kris Kringle and Cupid (his reindeer) stumble through blizzard; trees light up in colors, before Kris is incapacitated by blowdart, sees eyes in the darkness, then a boot, then blacks out.
-He wakes up in bed in shack, meets pop and Martha, learns about the towns on both sides of the mountain, and the curse of the endless winter.  Pop also explains the territorial forest elves, and that the tree lights are their alarm before they attack.
-They call Kris "St. Nicholas" because he has an icon on a pendant around his neck.
-As pop is baffled, because no one left or entered the mountain since the curse, until Kris, he makes deal with him, to be a delivery boy between the towns, in exchange for lodging for him, and for Cupid to stay in Pop's stables along with the other reindeer.
-Goes to bar with pop, learns on the way about Ivo and how he pillages "tax collecting" on behalf of his father, Kubla Kraus, only to return to the bars the same night and secretly introduce the money that was taken back into the economy.
-Kris sees Ivo using a man's sick daughter as leverage for a trip into the woods to steal a magic bag from the forest elves.
-He volunteers on his behalf, and Ivo fails to strike a new deal with him to save face, as Kris won't be tempted by worldly pleasures (what would st Nicolas do?).  Ivo breaks down and insists he goes with.  So does Martha.
-They talk in the woods about his father and the curse, and the "legend" about how his dad had kidnapped his mom, who was the love interest of Jack Frost, who responded by surrounding the mountain and the two towns in an infinite winter.
-They are interrupted by an elf ambush.
-Friends are separated in the chaos, and Kris is kidnapped.
-Kris gives gifts to the elves, explaining that he was sent to steal a magic bag, but was hoping to strike a deal instead.
-They ask for a doll he has on him, which clearly has sentimental value to him, but without explaining, he willingly gives it up.
-The elves are moved, and after taking his jacket and boots as well, they give him the magic bag and release him into the woods.
-Meanwhile, Ivo retreats back to his carriage, which Martha criticizes him for, calling him a coward, however, he was simply retrieving magic time stop gloves he has, which he intends to use on a rescue mission because "he likes Kris".
-However, Kris shows up shivering with the magic bag, smiling from the successful mission.
-When they turn to leave, Kris starts crying.

-Kris makes a delivery to a schoolhouse, Ivo and Martha tagging along with the bag for some reason.
-Kris and the school teacher, Jessica, seem to have chemistry in their first interaction, both being jolly.
-Kris gives toys he made to the kids "for St Nicholas day", and finds an old hat in the bag, which the kids use for a snowman they built in the schoolyard.
-While the adults are talking and bantering, and Jessica is asking Kris if he's got kids himself (which he doesn't answer) the snowman comes to life and escapes into the woods.
-Ivo wants that hat, figuring it must be a magic hat, and Ivo jealously collects magic items.
-They go on the hunt for Frosty (which they named the snowman), and after some antics, finally catch him.
-Ivo changes his mind along the way about depriving the snowman of his magic hat, for the sake of the children (who were born after the curse, and whom he would inherit with his kingdom).
-When they return to the schoolyard, they discover that his dad, Kubla sent his mechanical steampunk soldiers to steal the toys from the children.
-Infuriated, Ivo dumps Frosty out of the bag and storms off to have words with his dad.
-Ivo and Kubla have heated conversation at castle about the dangers of religion on an empire, and how the subversive and rebellious nature of that sort of hope and practice must be squashed in order to maintain effective authority.
-Ivo sneaks the toys out in the magic bag
-He discovers Kris sneaking around town at night to give more toys to the kids, but he doesn't have enough left for everyone, and is embarrassed and is having second thoughts about the whole thing.
-Ivo shows Kris the toys in the bag and insists they leave the toys, but under a pseudonym.
-Kris suggests Sinterklaas, Dutch for St. Nicholas.
-Ivo mishears him and writes "From: Santa Clause" on all the toys.

-Ivo feeds Rudolf, a young reindeer in Pop's stables, some magic corn in hopes he'll fly, after a decree by his dad commanding the townfolk to lock their doors at night, thinking they can get in through the chimneys.
-It turns his nose red, and the other reindeer reject and act hostile toward the young reindeer.
-Ivo volunteers to take Rudolf to Jessica's school house, cutting through the blizzard
-Ivo opens up to Rudolf (who can't talk btw) about being rejected by his own people and feeling like an outsider.
-They run from the trees which light up indicating the elves are nearby and end up getting stuck in a pit.
-Ivo tells Rudolf "it's not your fault, it's mine" that his nose lights up, and that Rudolf is "just another life he's ruined by existing", lamenting that his existence is tied to the curse.
-Rudolf's nose lights up like headlights through the blizzard revealing a way out of the pit.
-Ivo forgives himself for the circumstances of his birth, reasoning that his situation, just like Rudolf's is its own opportunity to make things right. He doubles down on his commitment to collecting magical items in hopes of breaking the curse.
-Kris and Martha wake up to find all the reindeer are on the ceiling.