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

[ezellotry]

...That's sort of why I'm trying to make an informed decision, or maybe find a guide or... I don't know. I really don't know anything about Kazdel, aside from what Cecelia and the Sarkaz here have told me. The plan was to take her, because that's what she wants, and who am I to tell her no...?

It's just... like I'd told Flamebringer, if I know what I'm getting into, I can do this properly, so Cecelia doesn't get hurt. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened.

[lupusxylem]

Right, I get that. S'just...it sounds like this place is too dangerous for even adults to be in, much less children. And I get her dad's supposed to be there and all, but...how can you even be sure he's gonna be there when you two show up?

[He asks, looking from the cut on Ezell's side back up to his face.]

[ezellotry]

...I can't. But I also can't tell her that she cannot look for him, either. Do you honestly think that's fair?

[lupusxylem]

Yeah...yeah. I get why you're doin' this.

[And it makes sense why he's asking around for intel, instead of just walking into Kazdel like hi is this guy here?]

You might be better off talkin' to other Sarkaz. I don't think Flamebringer wants to hear it either way.

[ezellotry]

Yeah I… I got that impression. But he’s also a true Kazdelian Sarkaz. All of the others I’ve spoken with this far have said they don’t know much about it, since they’ve left at the earlier possible time they could.

Which I guess paints a pretty bleak picture, I know. But…

[lupusxylem]

[It sure does, buddy!!]

...well. If you're goin' to do this, you can't just roll over and take that shit. Cause if he was actually gonna kill you, he woulda' done it right then and there.

[Like please do not be letting yourself get killed over this Ezell, it's nice what you're doing but it's also not worth dying over it.]

[ezellotry]

...I don't think he was going to, though. Flamebringer doesn't seem the sort of person who cares about the rules, right? So what does he care about not hurting another Operator?

I think... I think it's because he does care, in a really roundabout sort of way. A way likely forged by the life he's lived... That's the impression I got there.

[lupusxylem]

Mm. A lotta confidence to put in a guy who literally just knifed you.

[But Ezell is also a nicer person than Wolfwood is. He would have just started throwing punches, which. Like. Honestly may have given him a better impression anyway, come to think of it.]

[ezellotry]

...Do you disagree?

[lupusxylem]

[...]

Didn't say that. But I also don't know 'im that well.

[Well, not in THIS memory you don't.]

[ezellotry]

...I only know what I've read about in the wanted section of Notarial Hall. I know he's extremely dangerous, and I have seen that. But also... I feel like the Flamebringer on those Wanted posters and the Operator Flamebringer might be different people. Not in a literal sense, but I just mean... I don't think he's the same.

...

I guess it doesn't really matter, though. I doubt I'll ever see him again. I imagine he'll probably want to avoid me, knowing I'm a field executor.

[lupusxylem]

Mm...don't sound like the talk of somebody who really wants t'get to Kazdel and out in one piece. Didn't you say yourself he was prolly your best option to get info?

[Like yeah, Wolfwood originally was like "maybe you should talk to other Sarkaz", but Ezell's counterpoint is hard to deny. If there was anyone to talk to in this case...it would be Flamebringer.]

[ezellotry]

I do want to. It's why I'm trying to get information. I know it's not going to be easy, but telling me "don't go" or "it's bad" or "the people there will kill you" is unhelpful. What can I expect? How do I prepare? What options are there?? I don't know! Because no one is telling me.

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood sighs, lifting a hand to rub the side of his face.]

I dunno...I dunno what to tell you either. It's a fuckin' shitty situation with no easy solution. Maybe...

[...]

Just keep askin' around. And if you run into that guy again...assumin' he doesn't just kill you, ask him again. Be a god damn thorn in his side if you have to, I dunno.

[ezellotry]

No, I know it isn't easy. But if I wanted things to be easy, I would've just stayed in Laterano. I'm going to do my best, though. If I can learn everything I can, or maybe find a guide, or learn how to get a letter to him...

[ ... Sigh. ]

Haha, anyway, thank you. I'm gonna head to the infirmary to get a bandaid for this cut, I think. If I don't, Mister Executor will go and worry about it.

[lupusxylem]

[A bandaid-]

I think you're gonna need a lil' more than a bandaid.

[Wolfwood sighs...then holds out a hand to help Ezell to his feet.]

Here. I'll go with you.

[ezellotry]

R-really, it’s fine. I’ll go to the infirmary and see what they say, but it’s just a bit of blood. I’ve had worse.

[ Says the man with flawless skin. But, you know, whatever. ]

[lupusxylem]

...have you? You don't strike me as the type, honestly.

[Wolfwood he's Sankta. Sankta love to blow up shit.]

[ezellotry]

Yeah. I know I don't look like much, but I am a field executor. Granted, I try to talk things out when I can. I didn't do too well there, though... I guess I'm not as good at it as I thought, haha...

[ He'll start leading the way to the infirmary. It is, fortunately, not far from here. ]

[lupusxylem]

I mean, you also kindof were dealin' with an asshole. It's not like he was ever gonna be easy to "talk things out with".

[C'mon Ezell, give yourself more credit.

Wolfwood will follow after him though, mostly because he wants to make sure he makes it in one piece.]