EVENT 021

[sticksandbonesmods]

Feeding from the Ocean

Solitary Voyage

The first light of dawn does not come this morning. The moonlight outside continues to cast its muted glow over the Grove, still high in the sky. No matter how long you wait, no matter how many minutes or hours slip by, the darkness remains, and the silvery sentinel refuses to yield to the sun. It also appears bigger than usual, its surface etched with shadows that seem to pulse with a life of their own, and you swear there weren't this many stars peppering the night sky last night.

Despite the oppressive night that looms above, there’s an odd sense of calm. No werewolves prowl the streets, no ominous howls echo through the trees, or other dangers that usually seem to threaten the Grove. In fact, it's not making it more cold than usual, either. The ice on the river, once a solid barrier, begins to chip away, revealing glimmers of water beneath, giving new life to the creatures that call it home. A handful of the baby Seaborn even flop out of the water to explore the world, as if it's entirely new to them and hasn't only been a month since they've been unable to be on solid ground.

The only thing that the perpetual night seems to be affecting is the local wildlife. Disoriented and confused, they flit about in a daze, their natural rhythms thrown into chaos. The diurnal creatures now wander aimlessly with their instincts dulled. Someone should probably feed these poor critters before they forget how to forage for themselves.

The Grove also seems to be sans one sea jelly. Hope no one booked their therapy appointment this month.

The Reef is Immortal

It was the loud creaking that caught your attention first, a sound that reverberated through the ground like the groan of a ship caught in a storm. There's a... tree? Or, wait, no. That can't be right. It's colossal, easily taller than the supposed "limit" of the sky barrier, but it's also... blue? There's a smattering of bioluminescent patches that give a white glow, especially under the pale moonlight. The "branches" swayed unnaturally, each one moving independently, like a thousand skeletal fingers reaching for the heavens.

With the coming of this "tree" also comes something some of you may be familiar with - the Nethersea Brand. It's a blue, web-like membrane that more resembles flesh than what anyone would like to admit. Contact with the membrane is not recommended as it invokes a creeping dread that gnaws at the edges of your mind and locks your muscles and bones. It wears off... eventually, but if you don't get out of it in time it'll continue to chew at your nervous system.

It is not localized like it was last time, either. It spreads and expands to cover all of the Grove more and more with each moment, every hour swallowing more and more land, with just a few exceptions. One, the Inn's lobby, which is protected by the Inquistion's Fireplace inside. And two... surprisingly, the River and its banks, where the Guardians (and the Behemoth) seem to be taking solace from the threat.

The baby Seaborn are not aware of many things, but they are at least cognizant that some of you don't seem to do well in the Brand, with some control over what it covers. If you're by the river, they seem to be able to control the brand just enough to free you, chirping in an innocent manner. You do not know what they are saying, but you can imagine it's something along the lines of "Hi! What doing!" There's less of them in the river currently, but the few that are around are nesting on Moder or following Sinann around. They do not sense the distress. They are just babies.

The Mass of Sorrow

The sensation of being trapped in the web-like brand is suffocating, a foreign sensation of the boundaries that have been blurred between your identity and the collective consciousness of others. Each time you succumb to the nervous impairment, it feels like you’re slipping through a veil, where the lines between your thoughts and those of others dissolve into a swirling mass of emotions and memories.

You can’t shake the feeling of grief that lingers in your chest, a weight that seems to grow heavier with each passing moment. It’s as if you’re mourning something you can’t quite grasp—perhaps the remnants of your own past, or the fragments of lives that are not your own. When you finally come to again, rising up from the brand to attempt to move again, you'll notice you have tear stains against your face you don't remember crying.

It's not easy to escape the brand, either. Between the rough terrain flesh-y webs make and the way it slowly neutralizes your nerves, it's a wonder you can keep moving at all. But more than that, there's this... voice...

"Embrace... Our Warmth..."

In short moments of clarity, you remember... dreaming? Remembering? Commiserating...? Something. Whatever the case, you were in someone's mind. Maybe your own. Maybe someone else's. Maybe even something from the forest - the brand is taking all prisoner, after all.

Best hope We Many doesn't share anything you don't want anyone to see, because it doesn't seem like you get much of a choice.

Elegy of the Outliers

Those holed up inside are not entirely forgotten. While the warmth of the fireplace and the kin of the river may keep the brand at bay, the persistent weight of grief and sadness still reaches those within. It is the curse of an ancient being long gone, a sorrow that lingers like a scar. Yet, this sorrow can be softened by the company of those around you. Distractions, warmth, and togetherness serve as reminders that collaboration is, as always, the answer.

Gazing out at the brand, one will notice shadows moving along the fleshy web—shadows that seem hauntingly familiar. Loved ones move through the Grove as if it has come alive again, as if the threat of an obsessed, fallen deity has vanished, and things have reached some form of normalcy once again.

Upon closer inspection, the observant may discern that these are not true apparitions, but rather the brand's way of storing memories within We Many's consciousness. It is a surreal experience, reliving moments through the Seaborn that drift freely about. This phenomenon is both unsettling and captivating—perhaps it could even make for compelling television while you remain trapped inside. Yet, the sight of a loved one, even as a mere shadow, may also be overwhelming, pulling you away from your current sanctuary.

Be careful out there.

Spark Notes

summary

Solitary Voyage is this moon's journey. The expected dawn fails to arrive, leaving the Grove shrouded in an unusual, persistent moonlight. While the darkness disrupts the local wildlife, causing confusion and disorientation, it also brings life to the river as baby Seaborn venture out.

The Reef is Immortal, bringing forth a colossal, bioluminescent "tree" in the Grove, accompanied by the spreading menace of the Nethersea Brand, a blue, web-like membrane that induces paralysis upon contact. While the Brand expands across the land, the Inn's lobby remains safe, and the baby Seaborn near the river seem to possess a surprising ability to help free those ensnared by the Brand, blissfully unaware of the surrounding danger.

The Mass of Sorrow is the experience of being ensnared in the Nethersea Brand. Personal identity blurs with the collective consciousness, leading to overwhelming grief and confusion as emotions and memories intertwine.

Elegy of the Outliers, or those sheltered from the Nethersea Brand, still feel the Arbor's weight of grief and sadness, a lingering curse that can be eased by the warmth and companionship of others. As shadows resembling loved ones move through the brand, it becomes clear that these are not true apparitions but memories stored within We Many's consciousness.

out of character

This month's event has been written entirely by Rubie! Please be nice and say thank you Rubie! Enjoy your memory shares and your eldritch horrors, and remember that questions asked should be asked in public channels and not DMs if they're related to this month's event. Have fun!

updates

Any potential updates, such as characters damaging something important or whatever else, will be put here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ February Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

code

Comments

[poaceae]

[ Fern blinks groggily at his rescuer. ]

Huh... Whuh? PV?

[ Is he still dreaming? His body doesn't want to move, as if it were still asleep. Something has a hold on him, whispering, a familiar animosity to their tone. And here's PV, saying the same thing he said before. It feels like a dream.

But the meaning makes it into his subconscious somehow. He starts to struggle, willing his body to break free of what feels like sleep paralysis. His heart starts to pound in that same way, and it fights the sleep still tugging at his mind. ]

[purevanillacookie]

No.

[ But Fern is fighting, so Truthless won't argue further that he's not. Instead he uses the shadowed hands to help Fern fight. But all they do is create a sort of suit around Fern, prevent him from coming into contact with the brand.

Well, he could do more, but maybe he's feeling a little vindictive. He does move to a spot slightly closer though, if Fern reaches out he will take his hand, but otherwise he watches with cold dead eyes. ]

[poaceae]

[ That's weird. Everything is weird. The hands around him, PV's words, what feels like fingers in his brain. There's only one thing that's clear now, and that's that he needs out.

The harder he struggles, the easier it is to move his body. Finally he has room to move his sword around, and though it moves as if through molasses he begins to use it to carve a path out of the brand. ]

[purevanillacookie]

[ As Fern begins to carve his way out, Truthless steps back to give him room. He watches quietly, maintaining the shadows to prevent the brand from taking hold again, but otherwise not helping.

Not until Fern is at the edge of the brand. Then he steps forward to push Fern back in to grab the other by the shoulder and haul him the last few feet out. ]

[poaceae]

[ Having a silent observer is... a little weird, and the longer Fern fights the more he thinks he's not actually dreaming anymore. But this is his fight, not PV's, and of all people he can't ask Pure Vanilla to dive into danger to help him out. Besides, he can handle this!

He's almost forgotten the other was there when he grabs Fern. Fern yelps in surprise, but quickly recovers and stumbles out of the mess. He takes a second to catch his breath. ]

Oh... thanks man. I guess that was pretty close, huh?

[purevanillacookie]

Yes.

[ The moment Fern is free from the brand and safely away, the black drops from around him, sinking into his shadows. Which then develop several slit like eyes that open and stare at him, blinking occasionally.

Or turn occasional so they look like they're frowning. Or glaring. ]

Do not touch the brand again. I will not help you a second time.

[poaceae]

[ He looks around, startled to realize that the arm things are PV's. He hadn't realized! They're all... kinda... angry? Well, they have good reason to be, don't they? He rubs awkwardly at one arm and turns back to PV. ]

Right, yeah... Sorry. I won't touch it.

...

Thanks. For saving me anyway.

[purevanillacookie]

[ Why did he. He's obviously angry at him still, the child stole his heart, and then dared to give up inside the brand. And yet, he came out of his way to make sure he could get out.

Ah, Pure Vanilla, you still linger. ]

... You're welcome. Get inside. The Inn is safe, the brand does not approach it.

[poaceae]

Yeah, okay. I will.

[ He glares at his feet. It's frustrating. He wants to argue. He should be here, fighting, using his one real skill to do something useful, helpful. He just has to avoid touching the stuff himself. But he's failed at that once already, and he can't let PV down by messing up again.

He doesn't get it. He's not cursed anymore. What's so fundamentally wrong with him that he still can't do anything right? ]

[purevanillacookie]

[ And Truthless studies Fern as he glares downwards, contemplates him. Like this, Fern reminds him a little of Gingerbrave. The desire to jump in, to help, to never give up.

Something tugs in that empty space in his chest and he raises his hand. Then very lightly puts it on top of Ferns head. A soft pat. ]

... I cannot order you to do what you do not wish to do. The brand clings to everything, however, and right now our best bet is to avoid it.

[ .... ]

But if you wish to be useful, walk along it. Be aware and vigilant for any who might have been caught. If you can, pull them out. If you cannot, call for me.

[poaceae]

[ He stares up at PV, startled by the rare show of affection. Doesn't he hate Fern? Everyone else does. But that tiny bit of unexpected kindness is enough to pull him out of his thoughts. He smiles hesitantly. ]

Yeah! I can do that! I can do that.

[purevanillacookie]

[ That's... cute? It's cute.

And it gets the first, very tiny to the point it's barely there, smile out of Truthless. The barest upturn of his lips before it's gone again. ]

Go then, but remember to mind yourself. A hero must be a hero to himself as well.

[poaceae]

[ He sees the smile, but he thinks he probably imagined it. That's okay though. He nods determinedly and grips his sword in front of him with both hands like he's about to charge into battle. ]

Right! I will, I promise.

[ He does mean it! Whether he succeeds is another matter... ]