Round 50
Warning. Big post.
Tons of rule changes to be implemented, TONS of lore to parse through.
Rulepost Changes Immediately Implemented
Starting now, I am finally implementing "tasks" based off of Magic Types. While I have ideas now, I will continue to evolve this locke and tweak them to my liking.
Exaltation
As I don't want to continue flooding the Storkies market with undesigned genos, I'm now implementing a d20 roll to see if a geno is exalted to the community, or just straight up deleted.
The D20 roll to pass is 15 or higher. If a Geno lands 15 or higher, they're given to the community. If they fail, they do not get given to the community.
With more and more people following the locke and earning free claims, I don't have to worry as much about Limiteds+ being snapped. Legends will likely always be raffled if not claimed.
Recruitment
Recruiting continues mostly like normal. I roll a d6 twice. If I get a 6 on either, I can keep two cats instead of one for recruiting.
In addition, my Love Storkies have 1 charge a day they can contribute to finding more cats. If I don't like the cats that are rolled, I can reroll. I cannot keep any cats from the previous batch, but I can keep a cat from the new roll if I'd like. I spend one Love Storkie's charge by doing that.
It's a bit of a gamble, but it's fun.
Loyalty
Through roleplay and events, cats can earn and lose loyalty to the crown. All cat's loyalty is, at default, 0. Depending on how the lore works out, cats may lose or gain loyalty. If a ruler is replaced, that loyalty may go up or down.
If Loyalty is at 0 and a coup is rolled, the cat will go along with it if there are enough other cats to overthrow the ruler. If Loyalty is at 1, a cat will not actively participate in the coup, and will dig in their paws about it. If Loyalty is at 2 the cat will automatically attack someone who is trying to participate in the coup, and at 3 the cat will put themselves in harm's way for the monarch.
On the flip side, if Loyalty is -1 a cat will actively participate in the coup. I will be testing advanced disloyalty mechanics over the course of the campaign.
Additionally, as I have future lore plans for the Locke, Loyalty will be replacing all rebellion rolls. If I roll a 19, I'll do something impactful about Loyalty scores in the Kingdom.
Hunger
The Clan is growing in size, far beyond what this land should be able to carry. For every 10 cats past 25, one Blood Cat will be needed to continue help bolstering their living efforts. This is not only to hunt viable meat food, but also plant food for the vegetarians.
No Blood Storkie? No problem. Simply roll a d20 to check for Starvation. If the resulting roll is higher than 10, your Clan suffers from Starvation this turn. What this means is....
-1 Love Charge
-1 Kits rolled during a Kit Moon
- 1d8 chance to fail healing, DC to fail is 4 or under.
- 1d6 chance for 1d4 cats to perish from starvation.
I'm not entirely cruel, so healing from sources like mates will be honored, as well as any extra lives. This should also make the Love charges from Recruiting much more necessary, as Blood will be quite valuable to have in the camp.
I may improve the Hunting mechanic with Faunal at a later date, but due to the nature and lore of Faunal magic, it will have to first be initiated via RP.
Tarot
For Lore, I'm going to start pulling from a Tarot Card generator [ I don't have a deck until my husband gets home, LOL ] to determine how to approach the lore, when I don't have ideas. Some days I will, other days having a funny little card choose for me makings things more fun.
More Love Magic Shennanigans
Love Storkies are so funny and fun hee hoo.
I can expend a Love Magic Charge to force one kit in a litter to match the magic of one of the parents. I will simply refresh the generator until a kid spits out that matches the parents. This will make it slightly easier to obtain rarer magics should mate assignments be so helpful.
Astral Magic Additions
Do I not like how I rolled? Do I want more heads to roll? I can reroll one drama roll with an Astral Magic charge. I must take the new roll, unless I have another Astral charge.
Light Magic Additions
Do I feel like fudging the numbers? I can move a roll up or down by one [ d20 only] with a Light Magic Charge. I must declare when I do this.
Metal Magic Additions
Every five turns, a Metal Magic Storkie can level up one cat of their choice, not including themselves. You may do this once per Metal Charge.
Other Nuances
With how big the locke is getting, I'm removing Honorable Duel from some of the rules. I will be able to pick and choose which cats get to fight for themselves.
Lore Part One
The inky black cat easily blended in with the rest of the monochromatic atmosphere as it walked. Where it walked, with one pawstep, the grass would turn green, and another it would go right back to lifeless grey.
It's been far too long since they've been this close to the Others; they preferred it that way, though. Better to keep your distance from such beings. It didn't stop them from visiting in the night, though; there was always a perfect moment to slip in undetected, and do their work.
Ah, and here we are, they found what they were looking for. A lifeless cat, abandoned on the edges of town, with plenty of marks on them to signify an attack from plants. The usual. Pesky little things, though they avoided this creature for some reason.
No matter. This one dips their head down, touching their cold nose to the other cat's lifeless one, and they disappear before their eyes. In the cat's paws, now, they hold a pawful of seeds. They tuck them into a nearby bag they carry on their cat-ness, and continue to town.
Fortunately it's the thick of the evening, and their work is easy enough. They scatter the seeds into the camp, and then disappear from where they came.
A few days later, bright, beautiful white flowers are blooming.
Recruiting
Your cat's base coat is Smoky Cream with African Wild Dog, Brindle (Canine), and Jackal-Themed Markings. It's magic is Fire. Their extra traits are Accessories, Kinked/Genetical Broken Tail, and Claw Edits
Your cat's base coat is Dunalino with Roan, Flecking, and Frosted (Horse). It's magic is Bardic. Their extra traits are Ear Tufts
Starvation
Clan is currently facing Starvation on a 16.
No cats perish this turn. 2 turns left before I will force a starvation death.
Mates
Wisp and Ember have no kits.
Von and Noelle become mates.
Levels
Wisp levels Ether by one.
Lore, Part Two
[CW: Couple's Dispute, Accusations of Cheating, Lying, Some kitty violence but nothing graphic or too intense. Parents Fighting]
"Ember, we need to have a talk."
Ember was in his den, grooming himself when his mate's voice breaks through his thoughts. He turns and looks at the Metal Storkie, and is surprised to find her expression being one of grim, barely contained anger. Panicked in that moment, he tries to summon some of his magic; but he's never been a fantastic Light Magician. The knowledge that he still hasn't improved in it stings, but hey, at least Shadow's dead.
"Yeah, sure Wisp. What's this about?" Ember uses his words and tone carefully, rising slowly. Wisp purses her lips, and then he notices. Behind her stands Enflame, Fetter, Obsidian, and Vapor. Just recently those four finally outgrew their kit phase, and were ready to join the Colony as functional members of it.
He couldn't think about what he'd done wrong.
"I wanted to talk to you about our children." Wisp says, and Ember's heart sinks for a moment. This is it, isn't it? When she tells him the truth; they aren't his children, that they're Shadows. He prepares for heartbreak, yes, and prepares to tell her he loves her anyway.
"Yes, of course. What would you like to discuss?" Ember speaks slowly once again.
"They don't think you love them. Why is that?"
That question takes Ember so far off guard, he staggers back for a moment.
"What?" He croaks out, glancing to them and then her. Enflame and Fetter are avoiding eye contact with him, and his heart sinks. Had he really been that obvious?
"I think I made myself perfectly clear. Our children, don't think you love them. Why is that? That doesn't just come from nowhere, Ember." Wisp, for the first time since Ember has met her, is actually being assertive. Her voice is ice cold, and Ember is so taken aback by it he's still stunned into silence.
"Well?" Wisp gets irritated in waiting, and now her claws are coming out in annoyance. Ember glances down at them, and then her, his eyes wide with surprise.
"I- I'm sorry, Wisp, I just. Honey where is this coming from, kids, where is this coming from? I love you, you know that, I love you." Ember approaches, but a growl and a testing swipe from Wisp keeps him at bay.
"Answer the question, Ember. Why would they feel that? What did you do?" Wisp is suddenly a lot larger than Ember remembers, and he swallows hard, choking down his anxiety so he can attempt to answer her so he doesn't make this worse than this already is.
"I just - I don't know - I don't know why they would think that!" His lie is poorly received, however, as Wisp huffs, clawing the earth.
"Well? What is it, then? Did you suddenly decide you don't like being a father?"
"No, I, I love my children ---"
"Or is it just that you have a favorite, hmm? How much time do you spend with Ether, compared to the rest of your children, Ember?" Wisp accuses, bristling. "Do you think we haven't noticed?"
"That's hardly fair, Wisp, she's my firstborn---"
"So there IS favoritism." Wisp scoffs, and the cats behind her shift, looking hurt.
"No, no, no! It's not like that, Wisp, honey, please, let's just talk this out."
"We notice how you look at us dad. We're not dumb." Enflame speaks out, her voice quiet. Ember narrows his eyes at her. HER. His fur bristles. That's not his child, that's Shadow's, he's sure of it.
"What of it, then?" Embers spits. "It's not as if you're my own!"
"What does THAT mean?" Wisp asks, though that doesn't spare the cats next to her from shrinking away in horror.
"You know EXACTLY what that means!" Ember spits back, now facing his wife. "Don't tell me you didn't like Shadow, after all."
"Is that what this is about?" Wisp scoffs. "I was wondering what on EARTH would compel you to have your daughter kill him - yes I do know about that - and you thought it was because of an AFFAIR?"
"What else would it be?" Ember yowls, pointing towards Enflame and Fetter, who were shrinking in on each other. "Look at them Wisp! They're literally his kits!"
"I would never!" Wisp shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "How could you ever think that of me? I loved you Ember, with all my heart. I stayed loyal to you every day of my life; could I say the same for you?"
"What do you mean, could you stay the same of me? Despite YOU going wherever you want with whoever you want, I stayed loyal to you too, even when I saw evidence of your sin every single day! I still hunted and raised and took care of his kits, didn't I?"
"That's.....why you asked me to do that?"
Another voice made Ember's blood run cold, and he looks to see Ether standing in the doorway with her Adder companion.
"I thought he'd hurt you - or threatened you - or something. You thought - you thought mom had....?" While Ether's almost obsidian-edged coat hid most of her body language, there was the unmistakable look of betrayal in those fawn-colored eyes of hers.
"He *had* threatened me." Ember argued, clawing the ground. "He- He, he.... he wouldn't take my orders, and invited me to fight to make him."
"And did you?" Wisp scoffed, she already knew the answer.
"Of course I did, I tried anyway. But you know those Fungal Storkies, they play dirty --" He glances at Enflame who tries to hide behind Ether, who was shielding her with her body and giving him a murderous glare.
"Run."
The word didn't come from Wisp, no, it came from Ether, who was staring directly at Ember.
"What?"
"I said. Run." Ether hums, and her little adder companion is slowly unwinding from her leg. "Run, and maybe you'll outrun my animals."
"What?" Ember glances at her, and then the snake, and then Wisp, who is glaring at him with a hardened stare. He jumps and moves in time to avoid the adder's bite, and then he is indeed running.
Drama 1
20. Loyal servants serving the Monarch. The Kingdom's getting loyal. Wicked loyal. Three random cats are now SO loyal and impressive that they forgot how to die - or at least, the Monarch forgets to have them dealt with. If any of them would, for any reason, be exalted, they now simply...don’t do that. But only once. Treat this as an “extra life” of sorts.
Joy, Ivysong, and Tiana earn an extra life.
Drama 2
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!
Reann, Vehrek, and Spike perish.
All cats get snapped.
Fun fact, Vehrek killed Xavier ages ago. LOL.
Drama 3
10. Backstabbing. Choose a cat at random who is not the leader. Exalt them. Bye.
Tia perishes. Doesn't get exalted to community.
Lore Part Three
"Hey, Stephan, will you sing me a song?"
Oakheart, the Fawn Tabby Fire Storkie, was prodding Stephan, the colony's newest recruit. One of them, anyway. He was a Bard, and he was super curious to see what Bardic magic was like. Would it be amazing music, or would it be ear-grinding agony for hours? Either way, Oakheart felt like he was in for a fun treat.
"Hm? Oh, uh, sure." Stephan mumbles. The cat was a bit on the shyer side, but he was happy to try to summon a song. "What do you want me to sing about?"
Oakheart thinks for a moment, sweeping his eyes over the clearing, before his eyes land on Ether. He points to the pitch-black cat with a smile.
"Why don't you sing about her? She's super pretty, should be SUUUPER easy, right?" Oakheart laughs, and Stephan nods.
"Eh, sure." Stephan sighs, pulling out a lute he has on hand and perching so he can play it.
"Midnight, midnight, midnight magic
Please don't make our story tragic,
Oh the limitless things I would and wouldn't do,
just to go on a midnight walk with you.
Fur as pitch as the mighty panther;
Master of all lacking an anther;
Lovely girl, try as I might,
were I to tell you, about your beauty so pure and true;
the only thing I'd face is your adder's bite."
"Woooooah." Oakheart stammers, looking at Stephan with wide eyes. "That was amazing!!!"
"Hmm? You think so? Just kinda sang what came to mind."
"Oh yeah totally! It was great!" Oakheart bubbles. "You should sing it to her!!"
"What? Nawh." Stephan shakes his head, waving his paw permissively.
"Oh yeah you should though! Girls love that kinda stuff!"
"I'm good." Stephan laughs, shaking his head. "Want me to sing it to her, and tell her it's from you?"
"What? Oh no, absolutely not. I'd die." Oakheart quickly responds, hiding in his paws.
"Alright, then. I think we have an agreement." Stephan purrs with amusement.
"Yeah, yeah. I thought Bards were supposed to be fun...." Oakheart pouts.
"This Bard isn't." Stephan sticks his tongue out, before moving to put his lute away. "I'm going to take a nap."
"You take a nap, Stephie. I'm going to go do cool things like hunting and running and maybe talking to Ether."
"You go right on ahead with that, lil tree."
Drama 4
8. 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.
Oleander and Liv go on a mission.
Drama 5
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!
Obsidian, Liv, and Wisp.
Wisp loses one life.
Obsidian is exalted permanently.
Liv gets exalted to the community.
Lore 4
[CW: Cat Death, Helplessness, Tar Pits, Mentions of Possession, POV from the character that will die. ]
Ember was running until he felt like his legs couldn't carry him any longer, and then he ran further. Every moment he turned, every corner he faced, he felt like he could still hear the snake chasing after him. If not, then surely his family.
Before he knew it, he was far away from camp; further and further away than he could ever hope to be, anyway. He wouldn't make it back before nightfall, and he had to face the reality that he wanted to ignore; the reality that he would likely perish out here.
He runs headfirst into something soft and grey and murky - and both cats are sent flying. Ember crashes in a puddle of something dark and sticky, and the thing he runs into jumps, looking over at him, and then walks over to him.
"Curious."
Ember pulls his face from the dark sticky stuff with some struggle, and looks up at what's staring at him. A cat that looks to be made of the landscape itself; nothing but grays, with deep black eyes. One green eye, and one green eye with a white pupil, peer down at him with a neutral expression. Try as he might, Ember cannot discern a single emotion on this cat's face.
"Hey, are you going to help me or not?" Embers asks, trying in vain to pull himself from the muck, and that's when he realizes, he's stuck in tar.
"No." The cat remarks, and Ember feels anger, indignation, and panic well up in him as he struggles harder.
"What do you mean no?"
"I mean, no. I cannot, and will not, interfere with the course of events here. It is not my place, nor within the capacity of this vessel."
"You're talking crazy, man...what are you on about?"
"Mmmm." The cat tilts his head, and looks down at Ember, and then Ember feels a tugging in his soul. It makes his chest hurt, and he gasps as he witnesses what's really standing before him; a parasite in a cat's body. Dark, eldritch tendrils wrap around the being's body.
"What....on earth are you? And why are you here?"
"I'm here because I must be. I was summoned here. And now, I am trapped here with you all." It remarks.
"If you're trapped here, why won't you help me? I'm going to die in here, you know."
"I know." It remarks, sitting in front of him and drawing it's tail around itself. Ember, in a moment of weakness and fury, lunges for it and tries to drag it in, but a mouthful of flowers is what he gets instead. He coughs, trying to get them out of his mouth, but now they're stuck there.
"You cannot attack the old King of this place, the plants won't allow it. They're still vastly loyal to him." It responds, tilting his head. "King Enrose, I think, was his name."
"Enrothe?" He mumbles through the flowers. "Geth thethe out of my mouf"
"Can't. Sorry. Paws are tied." It looks down at him. "But, I suppose I can grant you one mercy."
"Pleathe." Ember glares up at the cat, and it looks down at him. It's dual eyes glow, and Ember feels his chest race, his body sink deeper in the pit, and then his eyes go blank as he feels his magic ripped out of his very core. He watches as the essence of Light Magic in front of him turns into seeds, and then the cat before him makes yellow flowers bloom on the pit's edge. It joins the others in a myriad of colors.
Ember doesn't get much time to respond before his own consciousness fades, and his soul exits his body, he sees a beautiful field of golden flowers blooming around the Creature. Then, he, too, is ripped into the ether, until nothing remains.
"Hey, it's going to be alright."
The Rose Grey she-cat sobbed into her older sister, burying her nose into the pitch black fur as she clung onto her.
"You heard him! He thinks - He - he hates - he-"
"He's gone, now, and he's never coming back." Ether murmurs, pressing her nose into Enflame's fur. "It's going to be alright."
"I don't ever wanna use Fungal magic again!" Enflame wails, and Ether sighs, her heart hurting for her sister.
"I know....I know." Ether leans down to give a comforting lick to the top of Enflame's head. "And I won't make you. But what if I tried it, hm? We could learn and practice together."
"Then he'll hate you too, and you're his FAVORITE."
"I don't care if he hates me. Let him hate me." Ether hums. "I just want to make things better for you, Enflame. I'm here for you."
"Mmm." Enflame whimpers, going quiet as she shudders against Ether's side. Ether looks out as her adder returns to her, and the two exchange a conversation.
"I see." She hums, and she allows her companion to wind back around her leg. All circumstances given, she feels...alright. She's lost a father today, and she's gained a painful closeness with her siblings. She's also, unfortunately, gained the guilt of being her father's favorite, and she bears the pain of watching her mother lose the person she thought she loved.
Her own grief, however, will be taking a backseat to everything else going on. She's the oldest sister; the oldest remaining one anyway. It was on her to stay strong, for them.
The moon was high in the sky, and Wisp's grief matched it. From her window, she felt truly and utterly alone. Her nest was empty and cold, and where she would once enjoy the warmth of Ember, she knew it would be gone for good.
What was she to do, anyway? Without Ember, she felt lost, unsure of what to do...unsure of where to go. She felt despondent, and her once reliable rock was now gone. She lost her precious daughter Obsidian, she lost a friend in Shadow, she's lost so much. Will this next moon lead to more loss and tragedy?
"Chin up, my Queen." A pleasant purr comes from behind her, and she turns. A pitch white cat, with deep purple eyes and a purple crown is looking at her. Her eyes widen, and she's not sure that she's ever met this cat before. Who are they, exactly, and what are they doing?
"While the road ahead may be long, and turbulent, you do not need a King of your own to stand on your own two paws. You're a Queen of the Poisonheart Kingdom. When others poison your heart, use it to make you stronger."
The cat looked so handsome in the moonlight, and upon closer look, Wisp could see little pink eyebags underneath the cat's purple visage. There appeared to be scratches all along his body, like vines had attacked or constricted him, at some point.
"Who....are you?" Wisp asks, looking up at him. "Handsome stranger."
"My name is Prince Poisonheart....I was the last remaining heir to the Poisonheart Kingdom, before my demise at the hands of King Briarthorn and ---, ah... It would appear he's bound his name away from my tongue." The tom turns and glances down at her. "I'm sure you could find it, though. Just...be careful what you look for. Bolster your defenses, and prepare for a fight."
"A fight?" She asks. "With...another kingdom?"
"Oh, yes." He nods. "Yes...Briarthorn was only a temporary enemy, a name worn by a cat of a different name. His name was.... King Enrose." He looks at her closely, and nudges the flowers on her head. "He always loved these flowers.... it was illegal to pluck them, you know." He chuckles. "No matter. Go on, live your life, and keep your head high. I believe in you."
Wisp feels her fur warm underneath her fur, and she looks up at this cat with admiration in her heart.
"As you command, Prince Poisonheart. Thank....thank you." She nods. "I'll make you proud."
"I have no doubt in my mind that you will."
Aand that's end! See you guys at Round 100!
Warning. Big post.
Tons of rule changes to be implemented, TONS of lore to parse through.
Rulepost Changes Immediately Implemented
Starting now, I am finally implementing "tasks" based off of Magic Types. While I have ideas now, I will continue to evolve this locke and tweak them to my liking.
Exaltation
As I don't want to continue flooding the Storkies market with undesigned genos, I'm now implementing a d20 roll to see if a geno is exalted to the community, or just straight up deleted.
The D20 roll to pass is 15 or higher. If a Geno lands 15 or higher, they're given to the community. If they fail, they do not get given to the community.
With more and more people following the locke and earning free claims, I don't have to worry as much about Limiteds+ being snapped. Legends will likely always be raffled if not claimed.
Recruitment
Recruiting continues mostly like normal. I roll a d6 twice. If I get a 6 on either, I can keep two cats instead of one for recruiting.
In addition, my Love Storkies have 1 charge a day they can contribute to finding more cats. If I don't like the cats that are rolled, I can reroll. I cannot keep any cats from the previous batch, but I can keep a cat from the new roll if I'd like. I spend one Love Storkie's charge by doing that.
It's a bit of a gamble, but it's fun.
Loyalty
Through roleplay and events, cats can earn and lose loyalty to the crown. All cat's loyalty is, at default, 0. Depending on how the lore works out, cats may lose or gain loyalty. If a ruler is replaced, that loyalty may go up or down.
If Loyalty is at 0 and a coup is rolled, the cat will go along with it if there are enough other cats to overthrow the ruler. If Loyalty is at 1, a cat will not actively participate in the coup, and will dig in their paws about it. If Loyalty is at 2 the cat will automatically attack someone who is trying to participate in the coup, and at 3 the cat will put themselves in harm's way for the monarch.
On the flip side, if Loyalty is -1 a cat will actively participate in the coup. I will be testing advanced disloyalty mechanics over the course of the campaign.
Additionally, as I have future lore plans for the Locke, Loyalty will be replacing all rebellion rolls. If I roll a 19, I'll do something impactful about Loyalty scores in the Kingdom.
Hunger
The Clan is growing in size, far beyond what this land should be able to carry. For every 10 cats past 25, one Blood Cat will be needed to continue help bolstering their living efforts. This is not only to hunt viable meat food, but also plant food for the vegetarians.
No Blood Storkie? No problem. Simply roll a d20 to check for Starvation. If the resulting roll is higher than 10, your Clan suffers from Starvation this turn. What this means is....
-1 Love Charge
-1 Kits rolled during a Kit Moon
- 1d8 chance to fail healing, DC to fail is 4 or under.
- 1d6 chance for 1d4 cats to perish from starvation.
I'm not entirely cruel, so healing from sources like mates will be honored, as well as any extra lives. This should also make the Love charges from Recruiting much more necessary, as Blood will be quite valuable to have in the camp.
I may improve the Hunting mechanic with Faunal at a later date, but due to the nature and lore of Faunal magic, it will have to first be initiated via RP.
Tarot
For Lore, I'm going to start pulling from a Tarot Card generator [ I don't have a deck until my husband gets home, LOL ] to determine how to approach the lore, when I don't have ideas. Some days I will, other days having a funny little card choose for me makings things more fun.
More Love Magic Shennanigans
Love Storkies are so funny and fun hee hoo.
I can expend a Love Magic Charge to force one kit in a litter to match the magic of one of the parents. I will simply refresh the generator until a kid spits out that matches the parents. This will make it slightly easier to obtain rarer magics should mate assignments be so helpful.
Astral Magic Additions
Do I not like how I rolled? Do I want more heads to roll? I can reroll one drama roll with an Astral Magic charge. I must take the new roll, unless I have another Astral charge.
Light Magic Additions
Do I feel like fudging the numbers? I can move a roll up or down by one [ d20 only] with a Light Magic Charge. I must declare when I do this.
Metal Magic Additions
Every five turns, a Metal Magic Storkie can level up one cat of their choice, not including themselves. You may do this once per Metal Charge.
Other Nuances
With how big the locke is getting, I'm removing Honorable Duel from some of the rules. I will be able to pick and choose which cats get to fight for themselves.
Lore Part One
The inky black cat easily blended in with the rest of the monochromatic atmosphere as it walked. Where it walked, with one pawstep, the grass would turn green, and another it would go right back to lifeless grey.
It's been far too long since they've been this close to the Others; they preferred it that way, though. Better to keep your distance from such beings. It didn't stop them from visiting in the night, though; there was always a perfect moment to slip in undetected, and do their work.
Ah, and here we are, they found what they were looking for. A lifeless cat, abandoned on the edges of town, with plenty of marks on them to signify an attack from plants. The usual. Pesky little things, though they avoided this creature for some reason.
No matter. This one dips their head down, touching their cold nose to the other cat's lifeless one, and they disappear before their eyes. In the cat's paws, now, they hold a pawful of seeds. They tuck them into a nearby bag they carry on their cat-ness, and continue to town.
Fortunately it's the thick of the evening, and their work is easy enough. They scatter the seeds into the camp, and then disappear from where they came.
A few days later, bright, beautiful white flowers are blooming.
Recruiting
Your cat's base coat is Smoky Cream with African Wild Dog, Brindle (Canine), and Jackal-Themed Markings. It's magic is Fire. Their extra traits are Accessories, Kinked/Genetical Broken Tail, and Claw Edits
Your cat's base coat is Dunalino with Roan, Flecking, and Frosted (Horse). It's magic is Bardic. Their extra traits are Ear Tufts
Starvation
Clan is currently facing Starvation on a 16.
No cats perish this turn. 2 turns left before I will force a starvation death.
Mates
Wisp and Ember have no kits.
Von and Noelle become mates.
Levels
Wisp levels Ether by one.
Lore, Part Two
[CW: Couple's Dispute, Accusations of Cheating, Lying, Some kitty violence but nothing graphic or too intense. Parents Fighting]
"Ember, we need to have a talk."
Ember was in his den, grooming himself when his mate's voice breaks through his thoughts. He turns and looks at the Metal Storkie, and is surprised to find her expression being one of grim, barely contained anger. Panicked in that moment, he tries to summon some of his magic; but he's never been a fantastic Light Magician. The knowledge that he still hasn't improved in it stings, but hey, at least Shadow's dead.
"Yeah, sure Wisp. What's this about?" Ember uses his words and tone carefully, rising slowly. Wisp purses her lips, and then he notices. Behind her stands Enflame, Fetter, Obsidian, and Vapor. Just recently those four finally outgrew their kit phase, and were ready to join the Colony as functional members of it.
He couldn't think about what he'd done wrong.
"I wanted to talk to you about our children." Wisp says, and Ember's heart sinks for a moment. This is it, isn't it? When she tells him the truth; they aren't his children, that they're Shadows. He prepares for heartbreak, yes, and prepares to tell her he loves her anyway.
"Yes, of course. What would you like to discuss?" Ember speaks slowly once again.
"They don't think you love them. Why is that?"
That question takes Ember so far off guard, he staggers back for a moment.
"What?" He croaks out, glancing to them and then her. Enflame and Fetter are avoiding eye contact with him, and his heart sinks. Had he really been that obvious?
"I think I made myself perfectly clear. Our children, don't think you love them. Why is that? That doesn't just come from nowhere, Ember." Wisp, for the first time since Ember has met her, is actually being assertive. Her voice is ice cold, and Ember is so taken aback by it he's still stunned into silence.
"Well?" Wisp gets irritated in waiting, and now her claws are coming out in annoyance. Ember glances down at them, and then her, his eyes wide with surprise.
"I- I'm sorry, Wisp, I just. Honey where is this coming from, kids, where is this coming from? I love you, you know that, I love you." Ember approaches, but a growl and a testing swipe from Wisp keeps him at bay.
"Answer the question, Ember. Why would they feel that? What did you do?" Wisp is suddenly a lot larger than Ember remembers, and he swallows hard, choking down his anxiety so he can attempt to answer her so he doesn't make this worse than this already is.
"I just - I don't know - I don't know why they would think that!" His lie is poorly received, however, as Wisp huffs, clawing the earth.
"Well? What is it, then? Did you suddenly decide you don't like being a father?"
"No, I, I love my children ---"
"Or is it just that you have a favorite, hmm? How much time do you spend with Ether, compared to the rest of your children, Ember?" Wisp accuses, bristling. "Do you think we haven't noticed?"
"That's hardly fair, Wisp, she's my firstborn---"
"So there IS favoritism." Wisp scoffs, and the cats behind her shift, looking hurt.
"No, no, no! It's not like that, Wisp, honey, please, let's just talk this out."
"We notice how you look at us dad. We're not dumb." Enflame speaks out, her voice quiet. Ember narrows his eyes at her. HER. His fur bristles. That's not his child, that's Shadow's, he's sure of it.
"What of it, then?" Embers spits. "It's not as if you're my own!"
"What does THAT mean?" Wisp asks, though that doesn't spare the cats next to her from shrinking away in horror.
"You know EXACTLY what that means!" Ember spits back, now facing his wife. "Don't tell me you didn't like Shadow, after all."
"Is that what this is about?" Wisp scoffs. "I was wondering what on EARTH would compel you to have your daughter kill him - yes I do know about that - and you thought it was because of an AFFAIR?"
"What else would it be?" Ember yowls, pointing towards Enflame and Fetter, who were shrinking in on each other. "Look at them Wisp! They're literally his kits!"
"I would never!" Wisp shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "How could you ever think that of me? I loved you Ember, with all my heart. I stayed loyal to you every day of my life; could I say the same for you?"
"What do you mean, could you stay the same of me? Despite YOU going wherever you want with whoever you want, I stayed loyal to you too, even when I saw evidence of your sin every single day! I still hunted and raised and took care of his kits, didn't I?"
"That's.....why you asked me to do that?"
Another voice made Ember's blood run cold, and he looks to see Ether standing in the doorway with her Adder companion.
"I thought he'd hurt you - or threatened you - or something. You thought - you thought mom had....?" While Ether's almost obsidian-edged coat hid most of her body language, there was the unmistakable look of betrayal in those fawn-colored eyes of hers.
"He *had* threatened me." Ember argued, clawing the ground. "He- He, he.... he wouldn't take my orders, and invited me to fight to make him."
"And did you?" Wisp scoffed, she already knew the answer.
"Of course I did, I tried anyway. But you know those Fungal Storkies, they play dirty --" He glances at Enflame who tries to hide behind Ether, who was shielding her with her body and giving him a murderous glare.
"Run."
The word didn't come from Wisp, no, it came from Ether, who was staring directly at Ember.
"What?"
"I said. Run." Ether hums, and her little adder companion is slowly unwinding from her leg. "Run, and maybe you'll outrun my animals."
"What?" Ember glances at her, and then the snake, and then Wisp, who is glaring at him with a hardened stare. He jumps and moves in time to avoid the adder's bite, and then he is indeed running.
Drama 1
20. Loyal servants serving the Monarch. The Kingdom's getting loyal. Wicked loyal. Three random cats are now SO loyal and impressive that they forgot how to die - or at least, the Monarch forgets to have them dealt with. If any of them would, for any reason, be exalted, they now simply...don’t do that. But only once. Treat this as an “extra life” of sorts.
Joy, Ivysong, and Tiana earn an extra life.
Drama 2
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!
Reann, Vehrek, and Spike perish.
All cats get snapped.
Fun fact, Vehrek killed Xavier ages ago. LOL.
Drama 3
10. Backstabbing. Choose a cat at random who is not the leader. Exalt them. Bye.
Tia perishes. Doesn't get exalted to community.
Lore Part Three
"Hey, Stephan, will you sing me a song?"
Oakheart, the Fawn Tabby Fire Storkie, was prodding Stephan, the colony's newest recruit. One of them, anyway. He was a Bard, and he was super curious to see what Bardic magic was like. Would it be amazing music, or would it be ear-grinding agony for hours? Either way, Oakheart felt like he was in for a fun treat.
"Hm? Oh, uh, sure." Stephan mumbles. The cat was a bit on the shyer side, but he was happy to try to summon a song. "What do you want me to sing about?"
Oakheart thinks for a moment, sweeping his eyes over the clearing, before his eyes land on Ether. He points to the pitch-black cat with a smile.
"Why don't you sing about her? She's super pretty, should be SUUUPER easy, right?" Oakheart laughs, and Stephan nods.
"Eh, sure." Stephan sighs, pulling out a lute he has on hand and perching so he can play it.
"Midnight, midnight, midnight magic
Please don't make our story tragic,
Oh the limitless things I would and wouldn't do,
just to go on a midnight walk with you.
Fur as pitch as the mighty panther;
Master of all lacking an anther;
Lovely girl, try as I might,
were I to tell you, about your beauty so pure and true;
the only thing I'd face is your adder's bite."
"Woooooah." Oakheart stammers, looking at Stephan with wide eyes. "That was amazing!!!"
"Hmm? You think so? Just kinda sang what came to mind."
"Oh yeah totally! It was great!" Oakheart bubbles. "You should sing it to her!!"
"What? Nawh." Stephan shakes his head, waving his paw permissively.
"Oh yeah you should though! Girls love that kinda stuff!"
"I'm good." Stephan laughs, shaking his head. "Want me to sing it to her, and tell her it's from you?"
"What? Oh no, absolutely not. I'd die." Oakheart quickly responds, hiding in his paws.
"Alright, then. I think we have an agreement." Stephan purrs with amusement.
"Yeah, yeah. I thought Bards were supposed to be fun...." Oakheart pouts.
"This Bard isn't." Stephan sticks his tongue out, before moving to put his lute away. "I'm going to take a nap."
"You take a nap, Stephie. I'm going to go do cool things like hunting and running and maybe talking to Ether."
"You go right on ahead with that, lil tree."
Drama 4
8. 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.
Oleander and Liv go on a mission.
Drama 5
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!
Obsidian, Liv, and Wisp.
Wisp loses one life.
Obsidian is exalted permanently.
Liv gets exalted to the community.
Lore 4
[CW: Cat Death, Helplessness, Tar Pits, Mentions of Possession, POV from the character that will die. ]
Ember was running until he felt like his legs couldn't carry him any longer, and then he ran further. Every moment he turned, every corner he faced, he felt like he could still hear the snake chasing after him. If not, then surely his family.
Before he knew it, he was far away from camp; further and further away than he could ever hope to be, anyway. He wouldn't make it back before nightfall, and he had to face the reality that he wanted to ignore; the reality that he would likely perish out here.
He runs headfirst into something soft and grey and murky - and both cats are sent flying. Ember crashes in a puddle of something dark and sticky, and the thing he runs into jumps, looking over at him, and then walks over to him.
"Curious."
Ember pulls his face from the dark sticky stuff with some struggle, and looks up at what's staring at him. A cat that looks to be made of the landscape itself; nothing but grays, with deep black eyes. One green eye, and one green eye with a white pupil, peer down at him with a neutral expression. Try as he might, Ember cannot discern a single emotion on this cat's face.
"Hey, are you going to help me or not?" Embers asks, trying in vain to pull himself from the muck, and that's when he realizes, he's stuck in tar.
"No." The cat remarks, and Ember feels anger, indignation, and panic well up in him as he struggles harder.
"What do you mean no?"
"I mean, no. I cannot, and will not, interfere with the course of events here. It is not my place, nor within the capacity of this vessel."
"You're talking crazy, man...what are you on about?"
"Mmmm." The cat tilts his head, and looks down at Ember, and then Ember feels a tugging in his soul. It makes his chest hurt, and he gasps as he witnesses what's really standing before him; a parasite in a cat's body. Dark, eldritch tendrils wrap around the being's body.
"What....on earth are you? And why are you here?"
"I'm here because I must be. I was summoned here. And now, I am trapped here with you all." It remarks.
"If you're trapped here, why won't you help me? I'm going to die in here, you know."
"I know." It remarks, sitting in front of him and drawing it's tail around itself. Ember, in a moment of weakness and fury, lunges for it and tries to drag it in, but a mouthful of flowers is what he gets instead. He coughs, trying to get them out of his mouth, but now they're stuck there.
"You cannot attack the old King of this place, the plants won't allow it. They're still vastly loyal to him." It responds, tilting his head. "King Enrose, I think, was his name."
"Enrothe?" He mumbles through the flowers. "Geth thethe out of my mouf"
"Can't. Sorry. Paws are tied." It looks down at him. "But, I suppose I can grant you one mercy."
"Pleathe." Ember glares up at the cat, and it looks down at him. It's dual eyes glow, and Ember feels his chest race, his body sink deeper in the pit, and then his eyes go blank as he feels his magic ripped out of his very core. He watches as the essence of Light Magic in front of him turns into seeds, and then the cat before him makes yellow flowers bloom on the pit's edge. It joins the others in a myriad of colors.
Ember doesn't get much time to respond before his own consciousness fades, and his soul exits his body, he sees a beautiful field of golden flowers blooming around the Creature. Then, he, too, is ripped into the ether, until nothing remains.
"Hey, it's going to be alright."
The Rose Grey she-cat sobbed into her older sister, burying her nose into the pitch black fur as she clung onto her.
"You heard him! He thinks - He - he hates - he-"
"He's gone, now, and he's never coming back." Ether murmurs, pressing her nose into Enflame's fur. "It's going to be alright."
"I don't ever wanna use Fungal magic again!" Enflame wails, and Ether sighs, her heart hurting for her sister.
"I know....I know." Ether leans down to give a comforting lick to the top of Enflame's head. "And I won't make you. But what if I tried it, hm? We could learn and practice together."
"Then he'll hate you too, and you're his FAVORITE."
"I don't care if he hates me. Let him hate me." Ether hums. "I just want to make things better for you, Enflame. I'm here for you."
"Mmm." Enflame whimpers, going quiet as she shudders against Ether's side. Ether looks out as her adder returns to her, and the two exchange a conversation.
"I see." She hums, and she allows her companion to wind back around her leg. All circumstances given, she feels...alright. She's lost a father today, and she's gained a painful closeness with her siblings. She's also, unfortunately, gained the guilt of being her father's favorite, and she bears the pain of watching her mother lose the person she thought she loved.
Her own grief, however, will be taking a backseat to everything else going on. She's the oldest sister; the oldest remaining one anyway. It was on her to stay strong, for them.
The moon was high in the sky, and Wisp's grief matched it. From her window, she felt truly and utterly alone. Her nest was empty and cold, and where she would once enjoy the warmth of Ember, she knew it would be gone for good.
What was she to do, anyway? Without Ember, she felt lost, unsure of what to do...unsure of where to go. She felt despondent, and her once reliable rock was now gone. She lost her precious daughter Obsidian, she lost a friend in Shadow, she's lost so much. Will this next moon lead to more loss and tragedy?
"Chin up, my Queen." A pleasant purr comes from behind her, and she turns. A pitch white cat, with deep purple eyes and a purple crown is looking at her. Her eyes widen, and she's not sure that she's ever met this cat before. Who are they, exactly, and what are they doing?
"While the road ahead may be long, and turbulent, you do not need a King of your own to stand on your own two paws. You're a Queen of the Poisonheart Kingdom. When others poison your heart, use it to make you stronger."
The cat looked so handsome in the moonlight, and upon closer look, Wisp could see little pink eyebags underneath the cat's purple visage. There appeared to be scratches all along his body, like vines had attacked or constricted him, at some point.
"Who....are you?" Wisp asks, looking up at him. "Handsome stranger."
"My name is Prince Poisonheart....I was the last remaining heir to the Poisonheart Kingdom, before my demise at the hands of King Briarthorn and ---, ah... It would appear he's bound his name away from my tongue." The tom turns and glances down at her. "I'm sure you could find it, though. Just...be careful what you look for. Bolster your defenses, and prepare for a fight."
"A fight?" She asks. "With...another kingdom?"
"Oh, yes." He nods. "Yes...Briarthorn was only a temporary enemy, a name worn by a cat of a different name. His name was.... King Enrose." He looks at her closely, and nudges the flowers on her head. "He always loved these flowers.... it was illegal to pluck them, you know." He chuckles. "No matter. Go on, live your life, and keep your head high. I believe in you."
Wisp feels her fur warm underneath her fur, and she looks up at this cat with admiration in her heart.
"As you command, Prince Poisonheart. Thank....thank you." She nods. "I'll make you proud."
"I have no doubt in my mind that you will."
Aand that's end! See you guys at Round 100!
