[align=left]Heart of Truth stood before a large crowd of her tribe mates and smiled warmly.
"I guess it's my turn." She chuckled.
A few kin called out sounds of encouragement. Some laughed. Everyone was in good spirits tonight.
"But what story do I tell? I'm not a very good storyteller."
More encouragement from her fellow tribe members.
The warm summer night sent a gentle breeze that whipped the fire into a dance.
Crickets chirped from the edges of the clearing and the stars winked above.
It was a beautiful full moon. The perfect night for stories.
The bonfire crackled and she looked pensive.
A small rabbit familiar bounded through. It quickly stole an apple from a pile of snacks before vanishing into the bushes.
"Ah! I've got it." Excitement coursed through her as she settled on the perfect tale. Her favorite one. "And it's about the reason we have all come together as a tribe too."
"Matope is full of wonders, full of different types of Kin and creatures. But how did we get the familiars we have today?"
Her story thus began...
"The MotherFather wove the swamp from dreams.
Then came Kin.
Part of the swamp, part of the sky, part of everything. Spreading through the land.
All different shapes, sizes, and colors. And as different as they were on the outside they were all just as different inside.
In their hearts.
At first, they didn't have a way to express these differences. There was nothing to compare them to. Nothing to reference.
Saying a kin was like a mangrove tree was hardly so different than saying a kin was like a willow tree. It didn't quite capture the soul well enough.
The Motherfather knew this. Within each kin a unique soul resided.
Some were brave. Some were cunning. Some were gentle. Some were.. not so gentle. These differences created balance.
But how to show this? What answer would they recognize when they searched the swamp for a sign?
How do you translate an essence so that each kin would see it and know 'This is a piece of my soul.'.
And when they became legendary creatures, how would they embody this feeling?
For it must surely have a form.
So, the MotherFather dug deep. Thought hard. And looked to the swamp itself for the answer.
They realized then that the swamp only had Kin. No other life.
Aside from one another, they had only the swamp for companionship. For comfort, love, and friendship.
Then the answer came.
The swamp must be full of life. Not only Kin. There must be other creatures to add color, song, and spirit to the swamp.
They would teach. Protect. Bring joy. Create bonds.
Most importantly they would give each Kin a sense of their own soul. Where dreams gave each Kin a name.
And so the MotherFather created Familiars.
The fierce Caiman. The gentle Songbird. The wise Crane. The cunning Owlcat. On and on they flowed into being. Each creature with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Familiars gave them a glimpse of their unique beauty within.
Every single one containing an essence that would speak to a kin in some way.
The swamp filled with more and more unique souls and, diligently, the MotherFather wove more and more creatures into being.
They thrived.
And when the first Legendary rose from the heart of the swamp something miraculous happened.
As they heeded the call and their body changed, the Kin also began to access the shape of their soul.
A shape they could connect with and then become.
The shape of a Familiar."[/align]
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