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]

Oh-! Hehe. Why, thank you.

( butterflies settle into the grass or on flowers, one might be forgiven for assuming she's relaxed, especially with the child in her arms.

it'd be wrong, but still. )

What a lovely view. Thank you for bringing me here.

[purevanillacookie]

Thank you for visiting! I know you're looking for your husband but I'm glad you stopped to talk to me! I love my sheep but sometimes it gets lonely! Adults don't often stop by! Unless it's time to come in!

[ He kicks his feet gently, hanging off her neck, a happy child. ]

[lilyberation]

... I think... if it gets lonely, you're allowed to say so. And I've loved our time together. You're very sweet!

[purevanillacookie]

Okay! But you gotta say it too okay? I know adults like to hide that! Which is silly! And you're kind! So I EXTRA know you won't say it!

[ He beams at being sweet, of course he is. ]

I'm vanilla!!

[ As if that answers it all. ]

[lilyberation]

--Oh, you extra know?

( he's right but still!!

... pfftehehehe- )

You are, aren't you? I'll tell you a secret though. Vanilla's my favorite.

[purevanillacookie]

[ :O ]

Noway! Then you should stay here! We have a lot of vanilla around! They're in beans!!

[ He rests his head on her shoulder, closes his eyes. ]

My favorite is lily!!

[lilyberation]

Oh, sweetheart. I still have to find him, remember? And then we need to bring our children home. ... But I can stay a little longer.

( a sweet dream, a simpler time... she knows there's things to do.

she knows she should try and cut the lamb free, even if it's just a memory. )

[purevanillacookie]

You have CHILDREN!? Are they my age?! Can I meet them?! Okay, if you go and find him, then you can come back and stay with the beans!

[ How rude the lamb is doing nothing but laying there, eyes closed. A little snork mimimi. ]

How many children do you have? Hey, Miss White Lily Cookie, what is your husbands name!! We can yell for him!

[ Said while his face is mashed into her shoulder. ]

[lilyberation]

They're both older than you, but... I think he would love to have more. We have...

( lily thinks for a moment, and lets everything she knows about the girls and about their own world mingle, fill in the blanks- )

We have Raspberry Stardust Cookie, and Sea Salt Cookie. He loves to care for others very much though, so he considers many more his children.

( his name though... ... maybe, he'll get distracted... )

[purevanillacookie]

[ Lily has distracted One (1) baby. His tiny face scrunches up in thought before he lifts his head. ]

Cookies can't be made out of stars! ....... Can they? How? Does a star come down? Can stars come down? Ah! Is that when they run across the sky sometimes? Are they coming down to make Cookies? What's sea salt? Is it like salt? Just water? Big water salt? I wanna meet them!

[lilyberation]

Hehehe. Stars are objects that can fall to earth, so their stardust can be used. She's a very special cookie, since stars burn up before they can hit the ground most of the time! And some oceans are made of a salty water, but if you boil the water you can harvest the salt and it's very good.

Raspberry Stardust Cookie is playful and energetic and confident. She's protective and sweet, and so very creative... Sea Salt Cookie is shy and nervous, and it comes out loudly, but she loves very much. She's curious and brilliant.

They're waiting for us to come home. I'm sure they miss their father very much...

[purevanillacookie]

Waow...

[ He understands that! Then he ah's! ]

Then we should find him!

[ And he does the thing that children do when they're too polite to ask to be let down but they're getting down one way or another. He kinda scrunches himself down, wiggling until he's rucked his hoodie up and over his head and he's mostly just dangling now from his arms sticking straight upwards and upper chest from her arms. ]

......... Help.

[lilyberation]

Oh- Oh goodness.

( honey. honey. lily sits back down and sets him in her lap, adjusting the hoodie for him as she tries not to giggle. once he's back in his sweater and free, she fluffles his hair a bit. )

Better?

[purevanillacookie]

[ He waits patiently and her fluffing his hair just... makes it wilder. Thank you, White Lily, you've turned him into a sun puff. ]

Yes! Thank you!

[ He wanders to the edge of the hill, cups his hands to his mouth and yells. ]

MISTER WHITE LILY COOKIE?!

[lilyberation]

( lily watches and her heart cinches. ... which... is why she thinks, it's time for this memory to end.

she pulls the little cookie back into a hug, presses a kiss to his forehead and stands. )

Thank you for helping me, Pure Vanilla Cookie. But I think it's time you return to your sheep. You've got a lot of growing up to do, after all, and a long time to enjoy it.

... I'll see him again someday. I can hold on.

[purevanillacookie]

Oh!

[ Being pulled back into the hug makes him laugh, a bright sweet noise and he scrunches his face to the forehead kiss, but only because he's smiling so hard. And he throws his arms around her the best he can to hug her back.

Her words have that tone he knows. She's leaving. He doesn't know how he knows this tone but he does. He holds tighter, tiny fists holding on.

But he's too sweet to ask her to stay. He's still smiling but- ]

Can you come back and visit? I got lots of places to show you!

[lilyberation]

I'll do my best. Promise.

[purevanillacookie]

Good!! Bye bye, White Lily Cookie! I love you!

[ Maybe it's just Pure Vanilla being Pure Vanilla.

Maybe it's something else.

But he gathers up his crook and heads out, pausing to wave before wandering off, the memory releasing Lily. ]