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

[lilyberation]

THE WORLD DIVIDED INTO THOSE WHO EAT AND THOSE TO BE EATEN... WILL BURN! HEED ME, DESSERTS! IT IS TIME TO UNLEASH HELL ONTO THE WITCHES!

( more beasts chase after the witches, some joining into cake monstrosities under dark enchantress cookie's command, but soon the room falls silent, with no more targets left. broken cookies litter the table and floor, while the cakes seem restless amongst themselves- only the enchantress's command keeps them orderly.

the boy- one-armed and timid and probably terrified- immediately runs to dipper, clinging to his leg, and the movement catches her attention.

she's stunned for a moment, before smiling. )

Campfire Cookie. ... That child...

( had he been there the whole time? waiting for his turn for hungry maws to claim him? hiding, until the night ended and he could escape? something twists in her expression, but the smile never leaves. for all the grand destruction just now, there's a gentleness that rings hollow of anything white lily cookie could have given. and yet, it's still sincere as she pets the little boy's head. )

I hear you, child. ... Poor thing. Have you lose your arm? There, there. I have a gift for you. I believe this will serve you well...

( while he clings to dipper, dark enchantress cookie crouches and weaves her magic- a cake arm, more clawlike than cookie, forms for the boy. she ruffles his hair before doing the same to dipper. )

This arm will connect you to your new brethren. Campfire Cookie, while he grows- will you help me care for him?

( "um... i guess... yes..." red velvet says, in response to the gift.

the boy seems conflicted. and yet, it's safe now- no more witches. just other cookies, alive and breathing and powerful. ... he holds out his arm for dipper to see. )

That cupboard holds the Ultimate Recipe. And you boys are about to witness what it is capable of! Follow me, children, and I will show you a better world.

( ...




no- no no no no no it wasn't better, it wasn't worth it, what is power without love? what is love without kindness? what is kindness without wisdom? what is wisdom without power? where is your love? where is the love i held for cookiekind? you wiped out golden cheese's kingdom! you turned cacao's son against him! you turned vanilla's kingdom to ruins!

THIS IS NO BETTER WORLD-

DIPPER!

DIPPER YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!

DIPPER, PLEASE! )

[ghostharasser]

[Oh. When Red Velvet runs over, D- Campfire Cookie very carefully sets a hand on the little cookies head. It's okay, he's not going to hurt him. His posture becomes very protective, stepping slightly in front of him, once Dark Enchantress comes over, like how he often did for Mabel. However it remains unhostile, for now. ]

[He doesn't interrupt, too busy entranced by this person who was apparently born from White Lily. Even Truthless Recluse held some familiarity, but it truly is like looking at another person. He isn't sure what to expect from her, isn't sure what all this is going to mean. There is something about her that feels bad. But for now, he knows at least, to try and go along with what's happening. Maybe he can glean some information. She's being gentle to the kid, at least.]

I- sure. I won't let anything happen to him.

[That, at least, is easy to agree to. He leans down to look at his arm with a smile, nodding as Red Velvet shows it to him.]

[But "The Ultimate Recipe" sounds dire and Campfire Cookie thinks maybe he shouldn't let this happen. He'll go with her to try and see if he needs to stop her. What could all of this-]



...White Lily Cookie?

[Wait. Wait. Oh god, he needs to wake up. He got swept up in this but where is White Lily actually? Come on, come on, he has to bust out of here some how. He's a fucking psychic, surely he can-]

[Ca- Dipper tries to use his powers to disrupt the memory, but as with any time he tries to affect anything happening in the brand, he gets a feeling of shock and disruption. TV static blares in his ears and he feels an impossible foreign grief well up in him.]

White Lily!

[lilyberation]

( thankfully, this is where the memory actually ends. it grants lily- the real lily, bruised and battered and scarred, ramhorns coiled in flowers- time to try and pull the brand off of dipper with haste, panic wild in her eyes- )

Dipper? Come on, let's get you inside-

( the realization of what he witnessed will sink in later, once they're in and away from this wretched growth. )

[ghostharasser]

[It's like hitting the surface after almost drowning and he gasps as it finally lets him go.]

[He's still crying, for some reason, and as he stumbles out of the brand he scrubs at his face, bewildered and out of breath.]

Hhhhholy crap, that was crazy-

[He will follow, but once he's got his wits about him he will try and straighten up.]

I-I'm fine, but what about you? I saw-

[lilyberation]

... My death, yes. ... My rebaking.

It's- very different from what happened with Truthless Recluse Cookie, I know.

( lily guides him along, forcing a path through the brand with her magic. home, home. they have to get home. )

[ghostharasser]

Yeah... [There, he's trying to focus on her words. If they chat then maybe some of this awfulness will drain out of him.] You mentioned that before...that your situation had been unique.

[He takes a deep breath.]

We don't have to talk about it, though. I-Its okay, really.

[Which is big for someone as naturally curious about everything Dipper usually is.]

[lilyberation]

It is. ... As I fell, I was able to use a forbidden spell to send a fragment of myself to safety, which is how I was able to be revived centuries later. That's what makes my reversal unique.

( it's- hard. dipper's so young, but he witnessed it all to begin with. something not even pure vanilla, dark cacao or elder faerie truly knew. no one truly asked about that night, about the birth of dark enchantress cookie.

they just brought her back and pulled her back into the fight.

... )

... I can't help but think, had I been more up front about this, you wouldn't have gotten hurt.

[ghostharasser]

[But still some of her went into that dough. Just a fragment, sort of like how he was drawn into Deerington and made whole by the Pthumerian ocean. He chews on that for a moment before shaking his head.]

You shouldn't blame yourself for me getting hurt.

[His smile is kind of wry.]

My mind was made up, there's nothing that would have stopped me.

[lilyberation]

I can think of a few things, but I don't think you'd forgive me for it. I know a lot of terrible things.

( LILY??? )