ORP with Steals Fire (Bring Back the Light Event)

[Matope]

That night, the sun set as it did any other night, but the next morning it simply did not return. At first there was very little panic, it wasn’t uncharacteristic for an overcast sky or stormy horizon to delay the onset of sunrise, but the delay went on much too long with no clear culprit to blame. By the afternoon, word was spreading across the swamp that something was wrong. The sun was gone, the light had abandoned them and what would they do now? Without the sun, there was no way to grow food and the swamp itself would wither and die in the dark. Panic slowly gripped the swamp’s kin, from crowded tribe to solitary loner, from family group to newest hatchling. They all felt it undeniably. Something was wrong.

In the swamp the shadows smothered every bit of daylight, and the only lights remaining to navigate by were fleeting fires sustained by salamanders, kin with glowing markings and the strange creatures that now flitted in the air and seemed to lead wandering kin towards a specific grove of trees, where the glimmering creatures clustered on the leaves. In this clearing, stood a small group of strange kin from somewhere beyond the swamp's borders. They awaited visitors with smiles and kind words. All around their grove, small flitting motes seem to move and shimmer.

This group which called themselves only “The Helpers” have assured that they had indeed come to help restore the sun, but in turn they would require the assistance of the kin who live there.

Will you help them bring back the light?

[Matope]

THE GROVE

The glimmering grove is a warm and welcoming place, a bastion of strange lights set against the backdrop of darkness that the swamp has become. There are gentle fires with comfortable embers, but alongside these fires are glowing mushrooms and plants that anyone asked would say they had never seen before in the swamp. The Helpers are – true to their name – incredibly helpful, assisting those kin lost in the darkness and plying visitors with food and drink.

They smile and tell stories of far-off places and of another time when this great darkness came upon the world and a gathering of brave kin overcame it.



A charismatic trickster, Steals Fire is pleasant to newcomers to the grove and is endlessly happy to tell them how they will bring back the light. This is nothing new, he says, his tribe had passed down the knowledge for generations about how to counteract the great darkness when it comes.

“It is my greatest pride to be of the generation chosen to bring back the light to the swamp once more.” He tells anyone who will listen. “But I cannot do it alone, I need your help. We need your help. Together, we will prevail.”

[Matope]

The helpers have a very distinct and yet subtly unnatural appearance, with wisdom beyond their years. Each of them is distinct and have endless stories to tell, however these stories are most often of far off places and individuals who are no longer present to corroborate their tales. When they are asked about themselves, even when asked their names, they are uniformly evasive, but it is done so subtly and charmingly that it feels completely reasonable rather than suspicious in any way.

But they are all very willing to Help.




Undefeated Doe

This doe has a severe but long healed injury to one of her legs, but it doesn't slow her down, having learned to work around her limitations. She is the keeper of wisdom in the group and exudes an air of calm and confidence. She is a fount of knowledge and seems to know the name of every strange plant that grows in the grove where the Helpers reside.



Kindly Doe

Soft and approachable, this doe has the air of a good sister or mother, someone who can be trusted with every secret. She’s always willing to help others and provide a listening ear and helps visitors find their way to food and hospitality. She will not contravene the group itself but outside of that, no request is too great for her.



Tenacious Buck

This kin is clearly a warrior, mottled with superficial scars and various injuries from protecting his group from danger. Despite this threatening impression, he is a laid back and easy-going sort, the kind to fight to protect others but rarely from hotheadedness. He's more than happy to deal with the heavy lifting required around the grove and beyond.



Creator Buck

Serious and quiet with a short temper, this kin is an exceptional crafter. He uses his long dexterous and prehensile tail to create objects that are fit to dazzle other kin. He is a practical sort, out to solve problems - such as injuries - with the means at his disposal. Of the group, he is the most standoffish, but will usually concede in the end.

[Matope]

“The first step,” Steals Fire tells those gathered. “In bringing back the light, is to gather the motes that have escaped, these will help us find the heart of the light. The pesky things will flee from those trying to capture them, but we have some old knowledge about how to coax them in close that we will share with you.” He smiles broadly. “You are certainly free to chase them down the straightforward way, but the little blighters are known to protect themselves with a mildly hallucinogenic effect when startled.” He chuckles at this. “It wears off quickly though.”

“Regardless of which way you choose, I hope that you will all join in.”

He gestures with a hoof to a faintly glowing cage with some flitting motes already in it. “Place them in here.” He said. “Don’t worry about them, we’ll be letting them go afterwards, they will lead us to our destination!”

OOC

For this event players will collect points known as "Glow"; you obtain one of these per entry you make to each of the contest in this event!

Between contests, you're highly encouraged to post your kin in this ORP, interacting with the Helpers, Steals Fire, or getting to know each other as they work. Bonus Glow might be awarded for those who participate here!

All Glow points will go towards the final raffle for this part of the event where it is possible to win one of the Helpers (!!!) or a fun surprise customization for your kin.

[Baneful]

Steals Fire welcomes those who arrive with a big smile and a bow. Though there is an emergency going on, it is also a little difficult not to get caught up in the strangely jubilant atmosphere of the grove, where food is availiable and the last of the light seems to pool.

"We are not afraid!" he says to any kin who will hear him out. "This is our moment to show what we can do. We will bring the light back and I know where it hides."

[Baneful]

Dominant didn't MIND the darkness, actually he preferred it as a rule. More creatures got stuck in the tar when it was dark and that meant that he ate better than usual. But when it seemed to continue, he just had a strange nagging feeling that he really should be somewhere else.

When the first nudibranch showed up, he tried to eat it, only to find that was a truly terrible idea, so he gave up.

It was only when strange sounds started coming from the tar pit and the tar started to ooze up onto the shore further than usual that he was finally driven to leave, taking a break for a bit from the risky pits. Following the nudibranch he'd been trying to eat seemed like as good an idea as any, so he did, heading towards the glimmering grove at his absolute snails pace.

By the time he got there he was exhausted and lay down for a nap immediately.

--



King had been in a really genuinely good mood for a little while. Autumn had arrived and with it his leadership of the tribe. However, this year it was looking like it might be different. There was a very real possibility that he'd managed to succeed in something he'd been dubious was ever going to happen again, his body giving every indication that he and Fair were finally going to have another clutch. They'd just had to switch who did the carrying the things around.

Of course, right after he'd realised this fact, the light in the world had gone out completely and left King with the nagging and irrational suspicion that this might actually have something to do with him. Even if it didn't, he had every responsibility to investigate, the fairy tribe had a culture and history steeped in rituals regarding the death and rebirth of the sun and he couldn't simply sit around and wait to see if it resolved itself.

So he headed out in the direction of the location that the magic seemed to be flitting towards, his markings glowing like brilliant eyes in the darkness.

He strode into the clearing with confidence and immediately found himself faced with a small and eager Acha who declared that they would bring the light back together.

He set his mouth in a concerned line. Mortals generally weren't supposed to interfere in the cycles at all.

[rexcorvus]

"But what if," Sleepy Time whispered, a little louder than it was meant to be, "we are afraid?"

He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, mostly to the group at large, and stood slightly off to the side looking as though he probably should have been back at home taking a nap instead of existing around other kin.

[Baneful]

Steals Fire seems surprised by Sleepy Time's words, overheard as he passed, he pauses in his confident stride and inclines his head at the other kin.

"What are you afraid of friend?" he asked, moving a little nearer, his markings and halo casting a light similar to a campfire and driving back and steepening the shadows. "I wish I could share with you some of the stories I've heard. This is a great opportunity, we've been waiting on this for so very long"

[Kiwi Squirt Bottle]

The cave system didn't feel as dark as usual. Or perhaps it was a relative thing, as Enlighten couldn't sense light outside as she'd normally expect. Typically it cycled - dark, bright, dark - and she only ventured out for an hour or so at a time around her home when it was dark. This time it.... didn't ever brighten up again.

Curious but with some trepidation, she engaged Echoes to venture forth with her. He seemed to have spotted something (or things) and was headed in the same general direction, following them. Enlighten couldn't quite make out what these creatures were, thought they were luminescent like she, and found herself in a grove of gently going things. It felt like her cave and lichen, but.... outside?

She arrived in time to hear one buck, glowing in a unique way, say that he wished he could share stories, that this was an opportunity. Curiosity further piqued, Enlighten took a few steps closer with Echoes settling in her mane, to ask "Why can't you share stories? What sort of opportunity? What's.... Why hasn't the outside become bright again?"

[Baneful]

"Well." Steals Fire says. "I can't share the stories because there are so very many of them! My tribe spent years just preparing for this moment, for when kin would pull together and bring back the light." His smile is the sort that can absolutely be heard in his tone, and there's something contagious about his enthusiasm.

"We are in the darkness because the light has been stolen from us. If it wasn't for our long stories, this might be the end of the swamp, it might be the end of everything! But I know the answer, and it lies in the motes."

[Toshiful]

Mud Bath had been having a very good, well, day would be a stretch. He had been having a good time. Daylight had become a bit of a hassle, since he'd undergone certain deals and arrangements with certain forces. Not that it was unbearable. He hadn't developed an allergy. It just wasn't as nice as a thick covering of darkness, which he could slip in and out of without all that horrible trekking places.

He seemed to materialise out of the darkness on the edges of camp, but he didn't resolve properly into a kin. He was a shifty, inky thing. His eyes glowed emptily like lost fireflies. It didn't seem to keep him from speaking.

"That's a bit dramatic, end of the swamp," Mud Bath said, "but not, you know, the worst thing. I, for one, am very interested to see where all this goes."

He looked brightly (or, brightly for a creature entirely made of shadow) at King of Shadows, "Bad luck for you though, isn't it? Doesn't your group have some sort of shift arrangement? I suppose if this goes on, you'll be stuck without any breaks, presumably..." Bath checked the sky, venturing, "Forever?"

[Baneful]

At first, King stepped away from the shadow that melted from the trees, surprised at the way it came from nowhere at all. All along his shoulders, his hackles bristled and he found himself ready to use his antlers if he had to.

However, as soon as said shadow spoke, King realised who he was dealing with. There was a certain sibilant smarminess to the way Mud Bath spoke and King recognised it almost immediately, relaxing his posture into irritation rather than open hostility.

"What has happened to you?" he snapped. "That is wholly unnatural."

He did not address the question about being in charge of the tribe forever, well aware that even if that was the case, forever would be a very limited duration without a sun in the sky.

[Toshiful]

"What has happened to you?" Bath mimicked. "I could ask the same question. You've gotten glowier. And a lot more smug."

He appraised Steals Fire. "You, on the other hand, are actually...rather good looking. Your tail could stand to be a little shorter. And a beard would be flattering. But otherwise, full marks."

[Baneful]

Steals Fire glanced over at Mud Bath's comments, his blue eyes keen, but there is a moment where that same gaze flits over the shadowy Acha and the hint of a frown tugs at his features.

"Can't say I'm much of a fan of beards." he says. "If that's what you call that little wispy tuft on your shadow-chin. I know what you are. Don't waste your breath complimenting me."



This knockback did make King laugh out loud.

"You'd probably have better luck with your own reflection." he said, snidely.

"And for the record, what happened to me had everything to do with my duty to my tribe and kin and literally nothing to do with becoming an oozing insufferable shadow."

[Toshiful]

Mud Bath pouted slightly, but this was impossible to tell visually. "Well, it is very dark. At the moment. When you see it properly, it's actually very stylish."

He seemed taken aback by the other comment. "Know what I am? That's- well, that's a complex subject. I assume you're referring exclusively to the being composed of darkness situation. That part wasn't very complex. Happened overnight. Alright, it was only a compliment, don't get your halo in a twist."

King sounded like he was working himself up into a lecture.

"Oh, yes, well, me too. I've been very...you know. The greater good, that's me all over," Bath said, wiping some invisible muck off his shadowy chest.