Creative Corner

Moon 112.
Hunger:
Upkeep:
Spoilage: 9 left.
5 + 24 (4d8) = 29 Food Coming In
21 consumed - 17 left

Recruitment
Your cat's base coat is Light Grey with Overo and Blanket Appaloosa. It's magic is Plants. Their extra traits are Scars and Dark Sclera.
Your cat's base coat is Classic Dun with Max White, Sabino, and Classic Tabby. It's magic is Fire. Their extra trait is Scars
Sushi and Sycamore

Drama
11. Test the newbies. Roll a d10 for each of your lowest-level cats. If it's higher than their level, exalt them. They were not good enough. Raise the remaining low-level cats by one level.

That's gonna be all my level 6's dawg.
Only recording deaths.

Timothy, Siward and another one I forgor (Astral).
Sycamore failed his roll but I'm actually bothering trying to save him for evil reasons.

Save roll from Jeremy: 8!
He lives.

Special Event
The secret roll I do every round landed on something interesting, so I rolled to see who it would effect, and this has some fun implications as usual :)

Lore

Nyctos was one of the newer faces in the camp, but he took to making friends rather easily. He was particularly fond of spending time with Sycamore, the newest fire face in the camp. It was while they were spending time together one day, swapping stories of their lives before this, that Nyctos noticed something uncomfortable. Parts of his pelt were itchy, but no amount of scratching was solving it.

One day, he cuts his tongue on grooming there, and that's when he notices the crystals sticking out of his pelt where fur once grew.

That...certainly isn't normal.

Hope yall enjoy the latest Hypnos incarnation being randomly selected for Crystal Sickness :)

Moon 113

Hunger:
[ Spoilage, Hunt, Consume ]

Recruitment
Your cat's base coat is Pearl (Horse) with Max White, Moonblessed, and Frosted (Horse). It's magic is Ice

Pierce.

Drama
7. Mission! Pick two cats at random. They have to go on a quest now. Raise both of them a level. Roll a 6-sided die for each. If it's a 1, exalt them as they were lost in the mission.

Stella and Ivysong
Both survived.

15. Bad weather. It's raining lightly outside, and the Monarch isn't entirely cruel. They're too upset about it to assign missions, so everyone is spared and can go on about their business. Nothing happens.

Rolled a second drama roll, didn't like the result, and bumped it to 'nothing'. :'D [ Light charge ]

Crystal Sickness Roll
I have to roll at or lower than the cat's condition for them to advance.
4 - No Advancement this turn.


Lore

Teo and Jeremy and Wisp and Poisonheart

With Jeremy recovering, Poisonheart silent, Teo visits the next best grave he can think of.
The grave of the late Queen Wisp. Honestly, it's a miracle it's still around, but it has it's own spot in the backyard of the castle. The little metallic flowers stick up from the dead and gray grass, gleaming in the permanently low light of their surroundings.

"....Hey." Teo curls his tail around himself as he sits, looking down at the flower. "I uh....know you probably won't answer, but...thought it was worth talking to you anyway. Just wanted to say....thank you, I suppose. You didn't really know but uh...you still treated me like I was my own person. So thank you. And thank you for uh...." He shuffles a little at this, embarrassed he's really even saying it. "Thanks for Ether."
Rolled a d20 - 19 for a chance to hear her talk back.

The little flower he speaks to twitches a little, and then, a familiar - if not long lost - voice greets his ears.

"Is this....Teo? Apologies, I do not know your voice terribly well...only through the glimpses my daughter has given me."
Teo jolts, perking his ears up. Wait. She's actually talking to him?? That most certainly is Queen Wisp's voice - that much he does know.

"Yes! Hello, ma'am - er, your Highness. It's...uh....an honor to speak with you." Out of awkwardness, and perhaps a slight sense of obligation, Teo bows to the flowers, and there's a soft laugh from them.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to bow to me now; I think there's hardly a reason for it...." Queen Wisp hums. "Who's King now? I can't figure it out..."

"Jeremy." Teo fills her in, not even remotely finding it odd he's speaking to a flower.

"Ah, Jeremy! ... He always did such good work for the Kingdom. I hope the crown is far kinder to him than it was I."

Teo goes silent for a moment. He's not sure he could describe the crown as kind to, or for, Jeremy, right now. Given the immediate possession, loss of life, forced to jail Joy, and now his failing health. Teo lowers his ears. To tell her the truth, or to let a dead woman live in blissful ignorance.

He supposes the truth, however ugly, is far better than a pretty lie. She'd find out when Jeremy died anyway. Not that Teo wants that any time soon. He sighs, lowering his head to speak to her with a hushed tone.

"It has not gone well for him." He murmurs. "There have been a string of unfortunate circumstances...but he is still alive." Teo hums. "And he's doing as well as he can. He's...well, he's quite old."

There's a slight laugh from Queen Wisp at that, the mention of Jeremy's age.

"I see...well, that does make sense. Jeremy has been there as long as I can remember...and certainly he might outlive us all. Perhaps he could even oversee our eventual....I don't know. Freedom from this...needless cycle, of death, violence, birth, and repeat." Her voice is a little shaky. "I think to wear the crown is truly a fate worse than death, I would not wish it on anyone."

That does not make Teo feel better in the slightest. What awaits him when he inherits the crown? He's going to try to not think too hard on that one. He lowers his head to the Queen once more.

"I do hope he lives longer than most." Jeremy chooses to regard that section of Queen Wisp's words instead. "He's a wonderful cat, and...we're all lucky to have him in our lives." There's a bit of knowing grief in his voice, but he's trying his best to shove it down.

"Just like my girl Ether, hmm?" Wisp's tone is playful. Teo's pelt runs hot with embarrassment, and he hides his face with one of his paws.

"....Yeah. Ether's pretty great too." He groans. He is met with soft laughter from the Queen.

Moon 114

Hunger:
[ Spoilage, Hunt, Consume ]

Recruitment
Your cat's base coat is Classic Dun with Sooty and Varnish Roan. It's magic is Air
Your cat's base coat is Lavender with Rosette Tabby and Classic Tabby. It's magic is Fire. Their extra trait is Whiskers

Drama

1. Big mistake. Somebody misread the directions. Three random cats attempt to break into the lair of the Death Paragon instead of some other random chump's colony. They're lost to the tar pits, never to be seen again. Exalt!

Amaranth, Vicky, Brody.
Gonna work backwards here. Brody is fine to leave. He just barely gets to be dispersed.

Vicky loses a single life.

Amaranth gets two saving throws from her mates. She gets saved by Zeus's roll.

This could have gone much, MUCH worse.

Crystal Sickness Rolls
Barely missed advancement thankfully.

Lore

The tired priestess retires to her bedchambers for the evening, absolutely exhausted. Her magic stores are absolutely spent, and her black and white speckled pelt is roughed up from lack of care. That was 13 hours of straight magic casting...and she's not even a Paragon.

Yet, she reminds herself, though that thought is not a comfort. No, it is a burden; the knowledge that what she does will never be enough for the ever ambitious King Enrose.

She can't even say he's a great King; sure, he's kind to his subjects with gifts of food and praise. But those gifts come at a terrible cost; her magic.

She knows she ought to be grateful for the privilege, but it is days like today she is miserable. She does not feel so lucky to be Priestess Snowfall, the High Priestess of the Kingdom of Enrose. What she wouldn't give to be anyone else - to be anywhere else - even for a single day. An hour, perhaps.

"Good evening, Priestess." A voice calls out, just beyond the gates of her window. She can't recall ever knowing this voice before. She perks up, looking around, and then settling to look out the window. Her gaze finds a cat.

He's young; about as old as her at 16 moons if she had to guess, his pitch white coat dappled with soft hints of purple. His pale pink eyes gaze at her. His coat is...unmarred, though she can't recall why she thinks that's important.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure of a visitor?" She asks, a little perplexed. No one had ever come up to her window to visit, and here, this cat perches on her balcony railing, looking perfectly balanced.

"My name is Poisonheart," The tom purrs. "You must be....Snowfall, yes?" It seems like he has to actively search his mind for that one. Snowfall's eyes glow pink for a moment, and she sees a tinge of gold and pink around him. Someone has been dabbling in Time and Arcane magic themselves.

"To what end do you come visit me? If it is audience you seek with King Enrose, I am afraid that I am but a lowly priestess; he answers to no one but himself." Snowfall explains.

"Oh, no, I don't want anything to do with that...." Poisonheart pauses for a moment. "....Man." He settles on, deciding that talking poorly about a King in his own domain might put a target on his back. Still, the implication is not lost on Snowfall, who tilts her head. She's very perplexed; just who is this cat, and how do they feel so confident in showing poorly-hidden disdain for the King?

"Then what do you find yourself on my balcony for?" Snowfall inquires.

"To say hello; to invite you for a cool evening walk. A discussion, even." Poisonheart hums. "Nothing more. Unless, of course, you prefer to stay in your king-assigned kennel for the evening; then, by all means, I'll take my leave."

Snowfall is, genuinely, stunned at this man's words. She flicks her ear.

"I couldn't." She argues. "He will know I'm gone."

"Oh, heavens." Poisonheart chuckles. "I would never suggest we go for walking in the here and now," He procures a small pocket watch. "Let's go to another time and place. You'll be gone nar'y a second here, but...we can take all the time in the world we'd like elsewhere."

Snowfall gazes at this amulet for a moment, seeing it swirl with Time magic. She looks up at this handsome stranger. He looks like he's walked out of a dream, offering her exactly what she wants...but she accepts, all the same.

She takes his paw, and the two disappear into time, space, and night.

Moon 115

Hunger:
[ Spoilage, Hunt, Consume ]

This left us with 8 food and this is the lowest it's been in a while.

Recruitment

Rolled double sixes for recruit, so I get two extra cats.

Your cat's base coat is Champagne with Max White, Birdcatcher, and Frosted (Horse). It's magic is Earth
Your cat's base coat is Classic Dun with Jackal-Themed Markings and Ticked Tabby. It's magic is Water
Your cat's base coat is Dunalino with Birdcatcher, Unnatural Coat Marking, and Pointed. It's magic is Air. Their extra traits are Scars and Extra Eye.

Aerstgeim, Typhoon, and Sterrborn

Drama

16. Take a gamble. The two highest-level cats undergo a risky mission. Flip a coin. If heads, they both survive and gain a level from the daring endeavor. If tails, take both of them into a venue matching their level and exalt whichever one faints first.

That is Jeremy and Ivysong :)
Heads!
Jeremy is Level 19, and Ivysong is Level 14.

Multiple of Five Roll
One new pair needs to be made, and existing pairs must have kits.
Teo and Ether will be announced as a 'proper couple' [ will be exempt from 'must have kits' as I'd prefer that be a lore moment ] and the only existing pair is Zeus, Amaranth, and Vienna.

They have one child.
Your cat's base coat is Black with Moonblessed and Snowflake. It's magic is Astral. Their extra trait is Accessories

Athena.


Crystal Sickness Rolls
Does not advance.


Lore

Honestly, Poisonheart could listen to Snowfall talk for hours.
She shared her endeavors, how her studies of Arcane magic were coming; how tedious it was to use Lunar magic, and how she longed to practice more Ice magic. He encouraged her to craft Ice Sculptures, and the joy on her features as she practiced this long-scorned magic was enough to make him feel something stir in his heart he long since assumed was blackened.

"What do you think?" She presents an ice statue of his likeness, and he smiles.

"I love it, but you know, I love everything you make." He purrs, his tail gently tapping up and down as he hears her talk. Snowfall laughs and shakes her head.

"You say that every time!"

"And I mean it, my dear. With every fiber of my being."

Moon 115.1

A small lore update - something that get lost in the exposition of the background.

Teo looks at Wisp's flower as he's getting the courage to ask something. First, he asks if she is present.
"Hey...uh....Queen Wisp, are you....around?"

The Queen's flower stirs a little and he hears her voice again.

"Yes, it is I....what can I do for you Teo?"

Teo feels a little embarrassed, but he wants to ask this so bad.

"I....uh....." He lowers his head so only Wisp can hear.

"I'd like to ask for your blessing to marry your daughter."

Moon 116

Hunger:
[ Spoilage, Hunt, Consume ]

The cats are left with 4 food after hunting. Dicey stuff.

Recruitment


Your cat's base coat is Seal Brown with Unnatural Coat Marking and Reverse Brindle. It's magic is Fire. Their extra trait is Accessories
Your cat's base coat is Champagne with Countershading and Sooty. It's magic is Fire

I have to pick one; gonna be taking Seal Brown friend.
Drama

10. Backstabbing. Choose a cat at random who is not the leader. Exalt them. Bye.

Jorra the fungal. Goodbye, friend.

Crystal Sickness Rolls

2- No advancement this time.

Lore

Love's a funny thing. One moment, you're with the girl you love; the next moment, she's gone.
All that remains is the pieces she's left behind. In this case, it's literal. Poisonheart stands in the center of Snowfall's ruined room. He stares at the tattered tapestries, the half-broken bed, and the ice-blue spattered walls. He's not an Ice Magician, but his blood sure runs cold.

He hadn't jumped that far in time. Last time he checked, he was still stuck in this time anyway. He had dipped away for a week - maximum. What could have changed? Rage, confusion, and grief overwhelms him, as he presses his nose into what is left of her pillows. He just knows that damned king is behind this; and he feels utterly powerless to do anything about it. The King would have his head. His father would have his head. If Poisonheart attacked Enrose so openly.... yes. King Crystalheart would kill him, if Enrose didn't.

All he could do at moment was scheme, and figure out what happened to his beloved Snowfall, exactly.

Moon 117

Hunger:
[ Spoilage, Hunt, Consume ]

For once, we don't have enough food for cats.
On a 17, we have Starvation this turn.
No one dies, but obviously, this is still risky. We have 0 food going into the next quarter.



Recruitment


Your cat's base coat is Calico with Ticked Tabby and Splash. It's magic is Poison
Your cat's base coat is Rose Grey with Overo. It's magic is Water

I get to keep both today - yay!
Drama

2. There's a scandal (or romance) afoot. Pick two of your cats. Roll a d4 to see how many kittens they have. Roll that many cats in your generator (genetics are weird). Assign their levels to 5.

I think it's high time everyone's favorite couple has kits, somehow.
Rolled a '1'.

Her name will be Hope. Her magic is Fire.
Her coat is Leopard Appaloosa, Badger w/ Black.

I will give her a little sibling later down the line so Teo and Ether's owners don't have to fistfight over ownership /affectionate

Crystal Sickness Rolls

2- No advancement this time.

Lore
The amount of flower petals in the air was truly staggering.
Fortunately, Ivysong assured everyone all the petals were ethically sourced - that is to say, not plucked from the ground. Rather, her adept magic skills were more than capable of producing the swath of the stuffs for the wedding.

And it wasn't just any wedding - it was a royal wedding. Jeremy wanted no expense spared in the wedding of the century - the union of Teo and Ether.

Teo had gotten permission to marry Ether from her mother. With a little assistance from Mort, Stella, and Zeus, they were able to have this wedding. Mort provided the magic needed for Ether to be present, long enough for all cats involved to witness the exchanging of vows, the kiss sealing the marriage, and, of course, the fantastic party afterwards.


To say that Teo was nervous was an understatement. He had been wanting this; but there's nothing quite like the terror of figuring out what to say. He'd gone through at least ten different pages of vows. Jeremy assured him he could just speak from the heart. He believed in the contents of Teo's heart; perhaps more than Teo himself did.

Still, Teo refused to get cold paws. Ether deserved the best; especially after the lifetime of hell she'd suffered. That's not to say he hadn't, though. To that end, this wedding needed to be good for both of them.

For as odd as it was, all the cats of the Kingdom came together for this one moment. They all had their contributions. Nyctos and Apollo worked together to produce proper garb for Teo and Ether. They didn't mind that one of them was a ghost; both parties deserved to look and feel good. Era provided a blessing to Ether with her love magic, wanting to provide her with a happy life. The sole Earth Storkie; Aerstgeim, contributed his magic in the form of a temporary wedding chapel for the celebration.

Despite Teo knowing there were so many ways this could go wrong; for once, it didn't. The wedding was a blur, his eyes mostly trained on Ether. In all her beauty and grace. And she was here.. Present. When he puts a paw on hers, he can feel her warmth and comfort.

Thanks to the efforts of Aerstgeim, Nyctos, and Sycamore, the cats carried the time-honored tradition of producing a ring. While there were no Metal cats in the colony; nothing a bit of mining, forging, and crafting couldn't fix. Putting a ring on the paws was impractical; but a bracelet was doable. And so, Teo and Ether were blessed with wedding bands. Each glittering gold. Teo's bears a brilliant agate rose in the center. Ether's is a mirror, with amethyst where his agate would be.

In the end, Teo found the right words to tell Ether. As Jeremy expected, he let his heart do the talking. The two share a kiss, and the kingdom celebrates. Just this once, on just this day, all is calm, and happy, and bright. Life is normal, and joyous.

A month later, life is joyous, certainly; and chaotic.
As Teo finds himself the father of a kit, presented to him not at all with grace by Ether. She is certainly as confused as he, but there she is. A little black kit, with blue eyes turning orange as she peers up at Teo. The beginnings of white mottling mark her back, and white streaks tear from her eyes to her torso.

He is as dumbfounded as Ether, and yet, there can be no mistake; this is their child. He can see them both - and Wisp, painfully - in this child.

The two discuss - at length - what they're going to do with this child. Rather, what they're going to name her. They settle on the name Hope.